Research Fellow – Neuroimaging of Language Processing

Job title:

Research Fellow – Neuroimaging of Language Processing

Company

University College London

Job description

About us UCL is a welcoming, inclusive university situated at the heart of one of the world’s greatest cities. The post will be based within the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS) in the Faculty of Brain Sciences. The Division houses a number of research departments, one of which is the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (ICN). The successful applicants will be based at the ICN. They will also have strong links with both the cross-departmental Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre (DCAL) and the Functional Imaging Laboratory (FIL) at the Department of Imaging Neuroscience.ICN is an inter-disciplinary research institute, bringing together different disciplines with common interests in the human mind and brain, in both health and disease. The ICN has over 120 staff, including a vibrant body of postdoctoral and postgraduate (PhD) researchers organised into distinct research groups. The post-holder will be part of the Visual Communication Research Group.DCAL is the leading research centre in the field of Deafness, Cognition and Language in Europe. It is a bilingual centre which brings together leading deaf and hearing researchers in the fields of linguistics, psychology and neuroscience. DCAL researchers study language – its origins, development, processes and relationship with cognition, from the perspective of communication used by deaf people.The FIL has pioneered the development and application of imaging techniques to advance our understanding of the human brain since 1995. It is home to Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). The FIL is equipped with a range of research-dedicated neuroimaging technologies.About the role Two Post-Doctoral Research Fellow positions are available in the Visual Communication Group at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. The roles are offered for 3yrs in the first instance. The roles offer a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of developing cutting-edge technology and to lead on ground-breaking programmes of research.1. The first post-holder will lead a research programme that uses optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) to investigate language processing in deaf and hearing children (approx. 4-9 yrs old). The research will investigate British Sign Language (BSL), spoken English (visual/ audio-visual) and written English. The project will address research questions regarding 1) similarity in neural representations between language inputs and 2) cortical entrainment to language inputs in deaf and hearing children.2. The second post-holder will lead a research programme that uses fMRI to investigate the neural representations elicited during language processing in deaf adults. The research will investigate BSL, spoken English (visual/ audio-visual) and written English.The post-holders will be expected to lead on all aspects of the efficient delivery of the research programmes: experimental design, participant recruitment, data collection, data quality, data management and data analysis.The post-holders part of the Visual Communication Group at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience where they will work closely with the PI (MacSweeney) and the rest of the Visual Communication Group. The post-holders will also have strong links with collaborators at the FIL, DCAL and at other universities.Your application will be considered for both roles. However, please state clearly in your cover letter which of the two roles best fits your expertise and why.About you Successful candidates for these roles will be required to be enthusiastic, proactive, technically able, and highly collaborative individuals. The ideal candidate will have knowledge of BSL or another signed language to a Level 2 standard. If this is not the case, they will have a clear commitment to reach at least this level within 1yr of being in post (training will be provided).The post-holders will hold a PhD in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience or a closely related discipline. They will have experience designing and running neuroimaging studies. They will be skilled in the use of Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) or similar open-source neuroimaging software and they will have programming experience e.g., using R, Matlab or Python. The ideal candidate would also have broad statistical analysis skills and knowledge of language and literacy literature. They will also have a proven track record of writing and publishing scientific articles and a commitment to Open Science principles.The post-holders part of the Visual Communication Group at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience where they will work closely with the PI (MacSweeney) and the rest of the Visual Communication Group. The post-holders will also have strong links with collaborators at the FIL, DCAL and at other universities.For more information and the Job Description/ Person Specification – click the ‘Apply’ button at the top of this page to be redirected to the UCL job vacancies site.What we offer As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below: • 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) • Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme • Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) • Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan • Immigration loan • Relocation scheme for certain posts • On-Site nursery • On-site gym • Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay • Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service • Discounted medical insurance Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. DCAL particularly encourage applications from deaf people.Available documents

Expected salary

Location

North West London

Job date

Thu, 16 May 2024 04:26:49 GMT

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