We are looking for two motivated PhD candidates to perform model-driven studies of perception and action in naturalistic environments. You will participate in the NWO-funded project 'Understanding behaviour in the real world ‐ a naturalistic approach to Neuroscience'. The aim of this project is to use virtual reality, wearable technology, and methods from data science and artificial intelligence to connect laboratory findings with behaviour in the real world and to utilise the new neuroscience knowledge for clinical practice. The overarching focus will be on three behavioural pillars - walking, orienting and reaching - and compare their characteristics within the same normative framework to develop a data‐driven computational model for real‐world perception and action.
One PhD project (‘Walking’) will specifically focus on how real‐world statistics, motor predictions and sensory feedback are used in walking, and how these sensitivities differ in stroke patients, children and elderly. The other PhD project (‘Reaching') focuses on how reaching and object interaction rely on adequate signals for task‐related, multi‐effector motor control. The real‐world complexity for signals computations has remained obscure and will be examined in healthy individuals and in patients with neurological disorders, such as stroke. For both projects, close collaboration will take place with colleagues from the Donders Institute, Radboud University's Institute for Computing and Information Sciences, and the Sint Maartenskliniek as clinical partner. Mentoring BSc and MSc students and teaching-related tasks will also be part of the candidates' responsibilities.
Your education task may be up to 10% of your appointment.
Fixed-term contract: You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract).
The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class interfaculty research centre, that houses more than 700 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. Research at the Donders Institute is focused around four themes: 1. Language and communication, 2. Perception, action and control, 3. Plasticity and memory, 4. Neural computation and neurotechnology. Excellent, state-of-the-art research facilities are available for the broad range of neuroscience research that is being conducted at the Donders Institute. The Donders Institute has been assessed by an international evaluation committee as ‘excellent’ and recognised as a ‘very stimulating environment for top researchers, as well as for young talent’. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary, supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute.
This application process is managed by the employer (Radboud University). Please contact the employer for questions regarding your application.
Please contact the employer for questions regarding your application.
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Make sure to apply no later than 1 Apr 2023 23:59 (Europe/Amsterdam).
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