PhD student "Fundamental insights into the interplay between balance and motor performance in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder"

Hasselt University, Belgium

Updated: over 2 years ago
Deadline: 30 Sep 2021
The Rehabilitation Sciences of Hasselt University seeks a (m/f/x)

PhD student "Fundamental insights into the interplay between balance and motor performance in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder"
Background
Within the context of the expansion of the research of the REVAL Rehabilitation Research group of Hasselt University the faculty of Rehabilitation sciences wishes to inform about a vacant PhD position (100%). REVAL is an interdisciplinary and translational research group which performs research in the domains of pediatric, neurologic and musculoskeletal rehabilitation, biomechanics, health psychology, mental health care and rehabilitation of internal diseases.
Job content
You will perform research in the domain of pediatric rehabilitation, more specifically in children with Developmental coordination disorder (DCD). DCD accounts for 5% of the school-aged children showing a motor delay early on that persists in adolescence. Poor balance is one of the most significant motor problems, seen in 3/4 of the DCD children. Balance deficits are heterogeneous and severely affect daily functioning but underlying control mechanisms are still poorly understood. Thus, the aim of this project is understanding the processes attributing to balance and motor problems in DCD, and investigating whether an individualised rehabilitation program on specific balance tasks can improve performance and control. This will be investigated by comparing balance performance, motor performance, cortical brain activity and muscle activation patterns in a cohort of children with and without DCD. Next, an intervention study will be performed where we expect that, after individualised rehabilitation, children with DCD will improve in functional balance and motor performance. The novelty of this project lies in the synergy between functional assessments, brain imaging and neuromechanical analysis. This is a major step forward in unravelling the interplay between the control system (brain and nervous system) and the effector system (musculoskeletal system) and in optimizing treatment interventions in DCD.
You will follow the rules and guidelines of the ‘doctoral school’ of Hasselt University.
Profile
  • You have a Master degree in Rehabilitation sciences, Human Movement sciences (or equivalent)
  • You have very good academic grades.
  • You are willing to contribute to external funding applications.
  • You have a strong interest in clinical and biomechanical assessment of balance, brain imaging, and muscle activity.
  • Clinical or research expertise in the target population is an advantage.
  • You have strong problem-solving skills, flexibility, organizational capacity and stress resistance.
  • You have excellent communication skills in English, both oral and written and you are willing to learn Dutch in a short time period.
  • You are willing to contribute to a positive working atmosphere and are able to connect with the different domains and collaborators (practical assistants, PhD students, postdoctoral students and professors).
Offer
You will be appointed and paid as PhD student .
Position for 2 years. After positive evaluation one time extendable with 2 years. Positon at Hasselt University.
Selection procedure
You can only apply online up to and including 30 September 2021.
The selection procedure consists of a preselection based on application file and an interview.
A presentation or assignment is a possibility.
Further information
Prof. dr. Katrijn KLINGELS, +32-11-269394, [email protected]
Prof. dr. Pieter MEYNS, +32-11-269395, [email protected]
Prof. dr. Eugene RAMECKERS, [email protected]
More about working at Hasselt University? Check www.uhasselt.be/vacancies for our staff benefits.

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