Research Associate (Fixed Term)

Applications are invited for a post-doctoral Research Associate position with a brain imaging (electrophysiology or fNIRS) focus, funded by an MRC Senior Fellowship in Hearing Research:

'Developing electrophysiological measures of brain activity to optimize cochlear implant fitting'.

The position is fixed term until 31 December 2023 (in the first place) and will be based in the SOUND research lab of Dr Debi Vickers, at the University of Cambridge.  Part of the Cambridge Hearing Group.

Despite being considered one of the most successful interventions in modern medicine, there is huge variation in cochlear implant hearing outcomes, for both adults and children.

The aim of this research is to reduce variability in outcomes, and to improve performance to be closer to normal hearing even in highly performing implanted individuals. To do so, we explore four main themes: variations in cortical responses to cochlear implant stimulation, how they relate to functional measures of hearing, and their shaping by ascending auditory inputs; brain adaptation and cross-modal reorganization following implant activation; evaluating if re-mapping based on cortical responses improves functional outcomes of hearing; and measuring neural indicators of binaural integration from bilateral implants.  We will employ electrophysiology techniques using electroencephalography (EEG), functional near infra-red spectroscopy (fNIRS), speech perception and psychophysics to explore these themes.

Successful candidates will hold a PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant specialist subject area.  They will contribute to planning, protocol development, data collection and analysis of responses.  They will be expected to present findings at International conferences and publish findings.  We have international collaborators at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia; Carl von Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg, Germany and University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA; as well as the local collaborators in the Cambridge Hearing Group and University College London.  There will be the opportunity to visit collaborators to discuss ideas.

For questions relating to the post, please contact Dr Debi Vickers at [email protected] .

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check (enhanced with children and adults' barred lists) and a health assessment. This appointment also requires a Research Passport application.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please visit :
https://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/30429 .

Closing date: 26th July 2021.

Interviews are expected to take place on 10th August 2021.

Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please include details of your referees, including e-mail address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.

Please quote reference ZE27255 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.