PhD Candidate: How Predictions Shape Information Processing Across the Adult Lifespan at the Donders Center for Cognition (1.0 FTE)

• Employment: 1.0 FTE
• Gross monthly salary: € 2,434 - € 3,111
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Required background: Research University Degree
• Application deadline: 28 November 2021

Aging is associated with declining memory and attention span as well as abstract reasoning. Nevertheless, older people are the ones who take the most important decisions. So, is our image of aging correct? To find out, we are looking for a highly motivated PhD Candidate. You will research the role of older people's prior knowledge and life experience in the processing of new information.

The department of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the Donders Centre for Cognition (DCC) is looking to recruit a highly motivated PhD candidate for a new project on how predictions shape information processing across the adult lifespan. This position is part of an NWO Vidi-funded project aimed at understanding how knowledge drives information processing in the aging brain.
The subtle age-related differences in cognition in real life are in stark contrast to the substantial declines in cognition observed in laboratory experiments. This is because older adults can rely on a tremendous amount of prior knowledge and experiences in real life that are typically irrelevant in lab settings. This project investigates the neural mechanisms that allow older adults to effectively rely on prior knowledge to support cognition in real-life-like situations. In particular, we expect that prior knowledge allows older adults to rely more on predictions. The aim of the project is to investigate the effects of aging on predictive signals and the extent to which these predictions shape perception across the lifespan.

To do this, we will measure brain activity while participants across the adult lifespan experience naturalistic stimuli, such as audiobooks. To investigate predictive brain signals and how these predictions alter perception, state-of-the-art machine learning methods will be used.

Your primary responsibilities will be designing experiments to acquire a large MEG dataset and analysing these data with novel and sophisticated methods. You will supervise a research assistant who will assist with data collection. You will also be responsible for disseminating your research output in the form of high-impact papers and well curated datasets.

Mentoring BSc and MSc students and teaching related tasks will also be part of your responsibilities. These educational tasks may comprise up to 10% of your appointment.

We offer you a full-time (100% or 80%) position for 4 or 5 years. This project is supervised by Linda Geerligs, Umut Güçlü and Marcel van Gerven. You will be employed at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour where you will 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 may be expected to supervise BSc and MSc students during their thesis projects.

Profile

Essential qualities: 

• You hold a Master's degree in Neuroscience and/or Psychology and/or Artificial Intelligence.
• You have demonstrable experience with MEG or EEG analyses and/or (f)MRI analyses.
• You have a good command of programming languages (Python or Matlab).
• You have a strong technical background (e.g. in machine learning).
• You are highly proficient in spoken and written English.
• You have strong communication, interpersonal and organisational skills.
• You have a proactive and goal-oriented attitude, good organisational skills, and the ability to get things done.
• You are excited about the research topic.

Non-essential, desirable skills: 

• You have experience with designing experiments.
• You have expertise in the cognitive neuroscience of aging and/or language and/or predictive coding.

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. 

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 0.8 (5 year contract) - 1.0 FTE (4 year contract).
• The gross starting salary amounts to €2,434 per month based on a 38-hour working week, and will increase to €3,111 from the fourth year onwards (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) or 3.5 years (5 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 Linda Geerligs, Assistant Professor at +31 24 361 11 75 or [email protected] .

Practical information and applications
You can apply until 28 November 2021, exclusively using the button below. Kindly address your application to Linda Geerligs. 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.
• The contact details of two referees.

The first round of interviews will take on Tuesday 7 December. You would preferably begin employment on 1 February 2022.
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