Organisation/Company: GHU Paris Psychiatrie Neurosciences Department
Research Field: Neurosciences » Neurophysiology
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions: Postdoc Positions
Country: France
Application Deadline: 1 Jan 2025 - 00:00 (Europe/Paris)
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Hours Per Week: 35
Offer Starting Date: 1 Jan 2025
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description Deep phenotyping of learning and decision-making 7T MRI, MEG & computational modeling
Learning and decision making are intertwined processes in many everyday situations. One example is when you decide where to have lunch: should you go to the nearby coffee shop or to the university cafeteria? Learning depends on choice, because you can learn which option you prefer by trying each option repeatedly, and decision making depends on learning, because you eventually want to select the option you have learned you like best. Uncertainty plays a key role in both learning and decision making, especially when the environment is not stationary.
In the CEA-funded EXPLORE+ collaborative project, we are interested in characterizing the neural representation of uncertainty and value that emerge from learning and guide decisions. Our approach follows a deep phenotyping method, attempting to characterize each subject with a large multimodal dataset. We collected data from 16 participants who participated in one behavioral session, two 7T fMRI sessions, and two MEG sessions. The large number of trials allows us to estimate and test different computational models of the decision and learning processes. The 7T MRI and MEG data provide access to the topographical organization of neural representations and their dynamics, respectively, to better understand learning and decision making.
One postdoc is currently working on the fMRI data, and we are looking for another postdoc for the MEG dataset. Both postdocs will work together to perform analyses informed by both modalities.
The EXPLORE+ project will continue with another previously funded project called BrainSync, which will collect data from 11.7 fMRI and intracranial recordings using the same task, providing an opportunity to extend the current work.
Workplace and Environment Dr. Florent MEYNIEL leads the Computational Brain team, which is located in two places:
Institute of NeuroModulation (INM), Sainte Anne Hospital, Paris, France. The INM is part of the GHU Paris, Psychiatry & Neurosciences. The INM combines clinical activities and innovative clinical research in psychiatry with basic research in computational neuroscience. Team members spend most of their days here.
NeuroSpin, Paris-Saclay Campus, France. NeuroSpin is part of the CEA (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique). Directed by Prof. Stanislas DEHAENE, NeuroSpin is a world-class brain imaging center equipped with a MEG system and several human MRI scanners, all for research purposes only. The community at NeuroSpin is very stimulating, combining MRI physicists, machine learning experts, and cognitive neuroscientists. Team members go there to collect data and collaborate with their colleagues in the Cognitive NeuroImaging Unit.
Application Process Please submit:
A research statement (what you like and want to do)
The contact details of two referees
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis (positions will remain open until filled).
According to CEA standards and experience.
Where to Apply E-mail: ******
Requirements Research Field: Neurosciences
Education Level: PhD or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications:
Ph.D. in neuroscience, machine learning, or psychology, with good programming skills (ideally Python). Previous experience with ideally MEG, EEG, or alternatively fMRI, computational modeling. You will be responsible for data analysis (mainly MEG, also fMRI-MEG in collaboration with Alexander Paunov, postdoc working on the fMRI part) and dissemination of results in internal seminars, international conferences, and journal articles.
The working language of the lab is English. French is not required.
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