The Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language – BCBL- (San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain) is offering a postdoctoral position focused on the neurobiological basis of predictive processing and statistical learning.

The main project will focus on the oscillatory correlates of predictive processing in vision and audition with a special focus on neural entrainment phenomena and top-down control. The project is part of a collaborative research effort of the BCBL with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem funded by the ERC with PIs: Ram Frost (Hebrew U), Craig Richer (BCBL), Nicola Molinaro (BCBL). The expected time frame is one year with a possible extension to another year.

The project is based upon a set of EEG and MEG experiments that will be designed to uncover the neural mechanisms supporting predictive processing – across sensory modalities and cognitive domains. The long-term goal is to evaluate the role that such predictive skills play in second language learning, and how these are implemented neurobiologically.

We are interested in candidates with a high level of independence, familiarity with EEG or MEG, as well as computing tools (Python/Matlab). Candidates should demonstrate a convincing publication record.

The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team of researchers studying the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying statistical learning, predictive processing and language learning, and research will be carried out primarily at the BCBL, with stays at the and Hebrew U.

Deadline: April 15th, 2019.

To submit your application please follow this link: http://www.bcbl.eu/calls, applying for EEG_MEG Postdoc 2019_02 and upload:

1. A curriculum vitae.

2. A cover letter/statement describing your research interests (4000 characters max).

3. Two reference letters submitted directly by the referees through the outline system.

 For more information about the specifics of the position, please contact Ram Frost (ram.frost@mail.huji.ac.il) and/or Craig Richter at the BCBL (craiggrichter@gmail.com).

Postdoc position available in the O-Lab at Duke University

We are looking for a highly motivated early-career scientist to join the O-Lab, led by Prof. Tobias Overath, in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University. Work in our lab investigates how sounds, from simple sinusoids to complex speech signals, are processed in the human brain, using a combination of behavioral (psychoacoustics) and neuroimaging methods (fMRI, EEG, ECoG) to track the underlying neural processes. Current projects investigate the transformation from acoustic to linguistic analysis of temporal speech structure, online measures of statistical learning, and optimization of cochlear implant coding strategies. 

Applicants should have recently completed a graduate degree in auditory neuroscience (broadly construed) or a related field, ideally using neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, M/EEG, ECoG). Strong computational skills are essential (Matlab, Python), as are good interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a research team. Interested candidates should have established a track record of publications from their graduate studies and demonstrated the motivation to pursue a successful career in science and academia.

Duke University provides a vibrant, highly connected scientific environment, with many relevant departments and interdisciplinary initiatives (e.g. Departments of Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering,Electrical and Computer Engineering; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience,Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Brain Imaging and Analysis Center). In addition, the Research Triangle area (Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh) boasts a wealth of research initiatives.

Applications will be reviewed until February 15, 2019, or until the position is filled. The prospective start date is August 2019. Interested candidates should contact Tobias Overath informally via email: t.overath@duke.edu

PhD scholarship/stipends: Language, Cognition and Brain Sciences Laboratory Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia.

Applications are invited for PhD scholarship/stipends for projects with the Language, Cognition and Brain Sciences Laboratory (http://www.langcogbrain.net) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia.

Research in the lab makes use of a range of methodologies, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electrophysiology (intracranial and scalp-recorded EEG), transcranial magnetic and direct current stimulation (TMS & tDCS), and behavioural paradigms, in both healthy and neurologically disordered populations. Current projects involve research into the cognitive and neural mechanisms of healthy language production and comprehension, intracranial EEG in candidates for epilepsy surgery, and aphasia following stroke and surgery for brain tumours in children and adults.

Applicants interested in the PhD scholarships should discuss potential projects with Prof Greig de Zubicaray (greig.dezubicaray@qut.edu.au), Assoc Prof Katie McMahon (k21.mcmahon@qut.edu.au)  and Dr Sonia Brownsett (sonia.brownsett@qut.edu.au) before submitting an application. Candidates should have an excellent written and spoken command of English.

How to apply:

Applicants need to apply by 15 February 2019 (AEST).

Eligible applicants will:

• have completed a postgraduate qualification from the United Kingdom, European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Russian Federation, Canada and United States of America
• the postgraduate qualification must have been administered and assessed in English and must include a significant research component and thesis (at least 25 percent of the total degree).

Successful scholarship applicants will receive a:

• living stipend valued at AU$27,596pa in 2019 and indexed annually
• applicants meeting criteria for academic excellence are eligible for an additional top-up scholarship at AU$5,000pa
• tuition fees offset or sponsorship
• research support allowance of AU$4,500
• opportunity to apply for Grant-in-Aid travel funding up to AU$2,000

For information, please visit: https://www.seek.com.au/job/38102426

Further information:

Please contact our Research Services Office if you have any questions about our courses and scholarships:

phone +61 (0)7 3138 8290 or email health.research@qut.edu.au

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN LANGUAGE NEUROSCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON

As part of our new and expanding Texas Epilepsy Neurotechnologies and Neuroinformatics Institute (TENN), at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth – https://www.uth.edu), we invite applications for an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) position in Language Neuroscience.

We are looking for candidates who are interested in questions regarding language processing in cortical regions using systems-level approaches and/or computational methods. We are especially interested in individuals who currently use or are interested in multimodal integration approaches to the study of language via fMRI, MEG, DTI, brain mapping by direct cortical stimulation and electrocorticography.

This position is part of an initiative at UTHealth focused on expanding expertise in language processing and computation. Collaborations with other language experts within UTHealth as well as with other institutions locally and around the country, will be encouraged.

The successful candidate will be situated in either the Department of Neurosurgery (https://med.uth.edu/neurosurgery) or the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy (https://med.uth.edu/nba/), and will also be cross-appointed at Rice University.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The successful candidate will be expected to create and sustain an independent research program, including planning, supervising and directing language-based research. This includes the development of study design, data collection, data analysis, results interpretation, manuscript writing and grant proposal preparation. The candidate will have the opportunity to train and supervise undergraduate, graduate and MD/PhD students at UTHealth and Rice University.

QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must possess a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience or a related field (post-doctoral experience preferred). A record of verifiable and published research, the potential to obtain extramural, peer-reviewed funding, and excellent teamwork and communication skills are also required.

HOW TO APPLY:  Please write to us with your CV. A formal application will be submitted through UT Health’s online system. As part of the application process, the candidate should provide a cover letter describing qualifications and career goals, a curriculum vita, a research statement, and contact information for three referees and a cover letter describing qualifications and career goals.

SALARY: Highly competitive, dependent upon qualifications and experience. Start-up packages will also be provided.

Post-doctoral position: Sensory-motor interactions in typical speech production and stuttering

 The Laboratory for Speech Physiology and Motor Control (PI Ludo Max, Ph.D.) at the University of Washington (Seattle) announces an open post-doctoral position in the area of sensorimotor interactions in the control of speech movements by typical children and adults as well as individuals who stutter. The lab is located in the University of Washington's Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences and has additional affiliations with the Graduate Program in Neuroscience and the Department of Bioengineering. See http://faculty.washington.edu/ludomax/lab/ for more information.

The successful candidate will use electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate predictive aspects of speech movement planning and motor-to-sensory priming prior to speech initiation. Additional opportunities are available to conduct studies of sensorimotor learning in the same populations of participants.

The position is initially for one year (a second-year extension is possible contingent upon satisfactory performance and productivity) with a preferred starting date in the winter or spring of 2019. Applicants should have the Ph.D. degree by the start of the appointment. Review of applications will begin immediately. Candidates with a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience, cognitive/behavioral neuroscience, motor control/kinesiology, biomedical engineering, communication disorders/speech science, and related fields, are encouraged to apply.

We seek a candidate with excellent verbal and written communication skills who is strongly motivated and has substantial computer programming experience (in particular MATLAB and R).

For more information, please contact lab director Ludo Max, Ph.D. (LudoMax@uw.edu). Applications can be submitted to the same e-mail address. Interested candidates should submit (a) a cover letter describing their research experiences, interests, and goals, (b) a curriculum vitae, (c) the names and contact information of three individuals who can serve as references, and (d) reprints of relevant journal publications.

The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, status as protected veterans, or status as qualified individuals with disabilities.