We are seeking a part-time (0.5 FTE) postgraduate research associate (RA) to join the Skilled Action and Memory lab, led by Katja Kornysheva, Associate Professor at the Centre for Human Brain Health and the School of Psychology, University of Birmingham. This position is part of a project funded by a UKRI Future Leadership Fellowship award (£2.2M), “Dissecting the Neural Code for Skilled Action Planning and Coordination” for 4 years, with a grant extension of up to 3 years pending UKRI approval.
The lab studies the neural control of skilled movements and aims to develop non-invasive neurotechnology to assist and improve movement control in individuals with movement disorders. This research project will be conducted in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of postdocs, research associates, and PhD students, as well as external collaborators at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Imperial College London and University of Oxford, with a generous travel budget for research visits, training and conferences.
This 4-year part-time RA position is available from 1st December 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter. Salary will be at grade 6. Staff are eligible for the PhD staff fee concession to enrol in a PhD under the supervision of Katja Kornysheva and a second academic supervisor at the University of Birmingham during the time of employment.
What you'll do
This tech-focussed RA scientist will assist the setup and implementation of experiments on the neural basis of planning and executing skilled movement sequences. The focus will be on assisting with the setup of the peripheral equipment and operating neuroimaging equipment at the Centre for Human Brain Health (e.g. MRI, MEG and EEG) to help lab members with experimental setup and data acquisition. Local operator training will be provided as required by the CHBH. The projects in the lab related to the UKRI FLF will utilise multimodal neuroimaging (concurrent EEG-MEG, EEG-fMRI, EEG) and measurements of muscle activity and motor behaviour (e.g., EMG, force tracking), and a
non-invasive stimulation (temporal interference stimulation; tTIS). The fundamental outcomes of this project will be relevant for the basic understanding of the neural control of skilled movements, as well as the development of brain stimulation protocols and brain-computer-interface (BCI) applications to boost performance in the context of neurorehabilitation.
The successful candidate will have a BSc and MSc in neuroscience, (electrical) engineering, computer science, robotics or a related discipline. They will have the ability to act on their own initiative, excellent quantitative skills including programming (e.g. Matlab, R or Python) for the technical support of the setup and running of the experiments in the lab. Experience with EEG is essential. Experience with fMRI/MRI data collection, decoding, MVPA or RSA, and tTIS is desirable but not necessary, as training will be provided in the lab, at the CHBH and through collaborations (e.g. EPFL research visits).
We encourage candidates from diverse range of backgrounds who have an interest in research on the neural basis of skill learning, motor control and memory to apply.
Main duties
- Assist with the setup and implementation of experiments
- Undertake local operator training for neuroimaging equipment and assist other lab members in acquiring similar skills
- Operate equipment (e.g., MRI, MEG, EEG) at the Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH) to aid in data acquisition.
- Support the setup of peripheral equipment for experiments
- Assist with data analysis and reporting
- Provide technical support by writing code in programming languages (e.g., MatLab, R, Python) for experimental setup, data analysis, and troubleshooting
- Assist with code and data sharing
- Work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team of postdocs, PhD students, and external collaborators to advance research goals.
- Participate in research visits, training sessions, and conferences with external collaborators
- Document experimental procedures and results and assist in preparing reports or presentations for lab meetings and publications.
- Co-supervise research students in the lab (BSc and MSc projects thematically aligned with the research project)
About you
Selection Criteria (Essential)
- BSc and MSc in neuroscience, electrical engineering, computer science, robotics, or a related discipline
- Strong quantitative skills, including proficiency in programming languages such as Matlab, R, or Python
- Proven experience with EEG data collection and analysis
- Capable of acting on one’s own initiative and solving problems autonomously
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team
- Motivation to contribute to innovative research on neurotechnology and motor control
Selection Criteria (Desirable)
- Experience with fMRI or MRI data collection, analysis, and techniques such as decoding, multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA), or representational similarity analysis (RSA)
- Familiarity with non-invasive stimulation techniques like temporal interference stimulation (tTIS)
- Prior hands-on experience with operating or assisting in the operation of neuroimaging equipment (e.g., MRI, MEG)
- Experience or interest in brain-computer interface (BCI) applications or neurorehabilitation technologies
- Knowledge or experience working with multimodal data (EEG-MEG, EEG-fMRI) in neuroscience research
