PhD Candidate: Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation System at the Donders Centre for Cognition (1.0 FTE)

• Employment: 1.0 FTE
• Gross monthly salary: € 2,443 - € 3,122
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Required background: Research University Degree
• Application deadline: 12 May 2022

Are you an aspiring researcher with an interest in the fields of machine learning and AI? And would you like to delve into the development of machine learning algorithms and adaptive deep brain simulation systems? As a PhD candidate, you will be able to put your ideas to the test and push your boundaries. You do this in a collaborative, multidisciplinary and supportive work environment, with a diverse international staff.

We are looking for a PhD candidate to set up and evaluate an adaptive deep brain stimulation system, supervised by Michael Tangermann. The position is to be filled as soon as possible.

You will be expected to contribute pro-actively to the research goals of the Tangermann lab by developing and implementing a modular platform for deep brain stimulation, enabling the integration of software modules realising novel experimental protocols (hand motor- and cognitive tasks):

• Various hardware modules for invasive and non-invasive recording of brain signals and behavioural signals.
• Software modules for processing the obtained signals using machine learning algorithms to derive an estimate of the current state of a patient.
• Software modules which learn to adaptively determine stimulation parameters for implanted deep brain stimulation modules.
• Software modules for monitoring and data logging.

You will closely interact with clinical partners and patients in order to integrate the modules in an adaptive DBS system, which will serve as a flexible platform for various studies. You will run a short pilot study and a full study (with multi-day clinical sessions) during the PhD project. You will be expected to disseminate the scientific results through high-impact papers in scientific journals, and by presenting your research in conferences and workshops. In addition, we will expect an attitude towards open and reproducible science, which includes publishing well-documented codes and datasets. We offer a full-time (100%) position for overall total duration of 4 years, provided your performance is deemed satisfactory following an interim progress evaluation. You will be employed at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and have the opportunity to collaborate and interact with renowned experts in the fields of artificial intelligence, psychology and cognitive neuroscience. You will also benefit from the extensive training programme offered by the Donders Graduate School. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to supervise MSc and BSc students during their thesis projects (up to 10% of your appointment).
Profile

• You have an MSc degree in computer science, mathematics, computational neuroscience, neurotechnology or a related discipline.
• You have a strong background in machine learning and AI, and have gained practical hands-on experience in data analysis projects.
• You have a strong background in mathematics.
• You have demonstrable experience with EEG, LFP or MEG analyses.
• You have a good command of Python and Matlab.
• You have high proficiency in spoken and written English, as evidenced by project reports or scientific publications.
• You have strong communication, interpersonal and organisational skills and a proactive and goal-directed attitude.
• You have experience working with patients in a clinical environment and supporting studies with healthy controls and patients at an organisational level (ethics, communication and scheduling with patients, familiarisation of tasks).
• You are familiar with deep brain stimulation protocols.
• You have experience with programming software interfaces for real-time data access.
• You are familiar with system integration (software and hardware modules, e.g. for closed-loop systems).

We are

The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class interfaculty research centre, that houses more than 700 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. Research at the Donders Institute is focused around four themes: 1. Language and communication , 2. Perception, action and control , 3. Plasticity and memory , 4. Neural computation and neurotechnology . Excellent, state-of-the-art research facilities are available for the broad range of neuroscience research that is being conducted at the Donders Institute. The Donders Institute has been assessed by an international evaluation committee as 'excellent' and recognised as a 'very stimulating environment for top researchers, as well as for young talent'. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multi-disciplinary, supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute. 

The offered PhD position is within the group of PI Michael Tangermann, who is investigating machine learning methods for the decoding of high-dimensional and noisy brain and behavioural signals and algorithms for closed-loop neurotechnological systems with the human in the loop. Unsolved challenges in this respect are how to compensate for non-stationarity over time, and how to deal with small labelled training data sets and transfer trained machine learning models between sessions, users and experimental protocols. Algorithm developments are regularly implemented and evaluated in closed-loop systems with health users and in clinical applications with patients. Examples are brain-computer interfaces for communication and control, human-robot interaction scenarios, systems supporting rehabilitation of stroke patients and adaptive deep brain stimulation systems. The research group emphasises mutual appreciation and collaboration, as the challenging topics under investigation require an interdisciplinary team effort.
You will be part of the Donders Graduate School for Cognitive Neuroscience .
Radboud University
We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!
We offer

• Employment for 1.0 FTE.
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,443 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,122 in the fourth year (salary scale P ).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• You will be employed for an initial period of 18 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4 year contract).
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services . Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment  and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 29 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Additional employment conditions
Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions . You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.
Would you like more information?

For questions about the position, please contact Michael Tangermann, Associate Professor at the Artificial Intellligence Department at +31 6 31 13 23 01 or [email protected] .

Practical information and applications
You can apply until 12 May 2022, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to Michael Tangermann. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents:

• A letter of motivation.
• Your CV including a detailed section describing your research skills and experience and the contact details of two referees.
• Your publication list.
• The contact details of two referees.
• A list of BSc and MSc programmes taken and grades received.
• Links to the code repositories of your software projects.

The first round of interviews will take on Wednesday 18 May. The second round of interviews will take place on Friday 20 May. You would preferably begin employment as soon as possible.
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