Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Cognitive Neuroscience

PRIMARY DETAIL

Opportunity for an enthusiastic Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on a Future Fellowship project investigating how interruption affects our performance of dynamic tasks

THE ROLE

• Salary Package: (Level A) From $81,581 - $109,852 plus 17% employer's superannuation and annual leave loading

• Appointment type: Full-time, Fixed-term position for 3 years

• Location: Macquarie University (Wallumattagal Campus, North Ryde)

The Role

There is an opportunity for an enthusiastic postdoctoral research fellow to work with Professor Anina Rich on a Future Fellowship project investigating how interruption affects our performance of dynamic tasks.

The project combines rigorous experimental design with innovative analysis methods to explore the neural consequences of interruption and the process of recovery using multivariate pattern analysis (‘decoding’) methods. We use Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and Encephalography (EEG) combined with behavioural tasks to study the neural mechanisms underpinning sustained attention.

The specific aims of the project are to:

1. Examine the factors that influence recovery from interruption during dynamic tasks .

2. Discover the neural consequences of interruptions and timecourse of recovery.

3. Develop evidence-based approaches to guide policy and individual behaviour around interruption and distraction.

The successful candidate will work collaboratively within a productive collegial lab based at Macquarie University. With scope to contribute to all aspects of the research, opportunities for student supervision (PhD and Masters) and outreach activities, this position is an excellent career development opportunity for an outstanding early career researcher.

Professor Rich has a strong track record of successful mentoring of early career researchers, and there is an expectation that the successful candidate will apply for an external or internal fellowship through Macquarie University during the later years of the position.
 

The successful candidate will be required to:

• Develop and conduct behavioural and neurophysiological studies to explore the consequences of interruption and the mechanisms of sustained attention.

• Prepare research publications, presentations and grant applications. 

• Positively contribute to lab meetings and culture, including informal mentoring of more junior researchers.

About You

The successful applicant will be interested in working in a collegial collaborative research group, underpinned by values of scientific rigour, integrity and equity. You will have, or be close to obtaining a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, or a related field. You may have already conducted research in neuroimaging/neurophysiological measures (fMRI, MEG &/or EEG) and have an interest in the neural basis of attention and cognitive control. Your skillset includes competence in programming (for example, in Matlab, Python or similar) that will set you up for conducting multivariate analyses of neural data. We can’t wait to meet you!

About Us

The Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences is ambitiously pushing the boundaries of progressive thinking and challenging what’s possible to solve some of the big issues of our time, both nationally and on a global scale. The Faculty forms part of MQ Health, an integrated academic health sciences enterprise which incorporates Macquarie University Hospital and primary and speciality clinics. The Faculty hosts the Macquarie Performance and Expertise Research Centre which provides a vibrant intellectual environment for fundamental and more applied research.

Macquarie is a university engaged with the real and often complex problems and opportunities that define our lives. Since our foundation 54 years ago, we have aspired to be a different type of university. Over the years, we’ve grown to become the centre of a vibrant local and global community. Connect with us today .

To Apply

To be considered for this position applicants are asked to provide a cover letter addressing the selection criteria below and attach their curriculum vitae (including contact information for three referees) as part of the application process.

Essential criteria

• Have (or be close to obtaining) a PhD in Cognitive Science, Cognitive Neuroscience, or a related field

• Be available to start before June 2024 with work rights in Australia already organised.

• Research experience or interest in human neuroimaging/neurophysiological measures (e,g., MEG &/or EEG)

• Interest in the neural basis of attention and cognitive control

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Excellent organisational and research management skills

• Ability to work independently as well as within a research team.

• Peer-reviewed publications in well-regarded journals (relative to opportunity)

• Competence in programming (e.g., MATLAB, R, Python)

• Interest in advanced statistical analysis (e.g., multivariate analyses, Bayesian statistics)

Desirable criteria

• Interest in research student supervision

• Interest in open science & research integrity principles

• Interest in equity and diversity in science

Note: This position requires you to satisfy Macquarie University that you meet all background checks (including criminal record and qualification checks).

Applications for this position are only being accepted from Australian citizens, permanent residents or those with complete working rights.

Specific Role Enquiries: Professor Anina Rich at [email protected]

General Recruitment Enquiries: Nithya Elango, HR Assistant at [email protected]

Applications Close: Friday 1st March 2024 11:59 PM AEDT

If you're already part of the Macquarie Group (MQ University, U@MQ, MQ Health, MGSM), you'll need to apply through your employee Workday account. To apply for this job: Login to Workday and go to the Careers App > Find Jobs.

Applications Close:

01/03/2024 11:59 PM

Diversity and Inclusion

Innovation and ingenuity thrive at Macquarie University when diversity, equity and inclusion take centre stage. At the University, we embrace a culture where diversity of background, experience and perspective are fundamental to our success.

We do not discriminate on gender identity, age, culture, disability, sexuality, Indigeneity, family and caring responsibilities or religion. See our journey towards leadership in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education.

Flexible Work
 

At Macquarie, we believe by providing flexibility in when, where and how work is done, we can support our staff to manage their personal commitments, while optimising their work performance and contributions to the University. See how we lead in flexible work to enable an outcome focused and inclusive workplace. To learn more about our culture and hiring process, explore our Candidate Resource Hub .