[FieldTrip] Postdoctoral researcher position in EEG-informed transcranial magnetic stimulation in Parkinson´s Disease

Wed Mar 24 16:02:52 CET 2021

The Brain Circuit Modulation & Therapy group @ DRCMR (h.siebner at drcmr.dk) is seeking candidates for a multi-year postdoctoral fellowship in combining noninvasive brain stimulation and EEG for precision circuit therapy of cortico-basal ganglia circuits in Parkinson´s disease. We are looking for an experienced Postdoctoral researcher to conduct translational research at the intersection of neuroscience, electrophysiology, brain stimulation, engineering, neurology, and precision therapeutics. Join us as we scale up our efforts to better understand how to use EEG to inform therapeutic modulation of human brain circuits and to develop novel precision stimulation treatments to improve Parkinson´s disease.

You will be part of the "ADAptive and Precise Targeting of cortex-basal ganglia circuits in Parkinson´s Disease” (ADAPT) project. The ADAPT project is a multidisciplinary project funded by the Lundbeck Foundation under its collaborative projects program. The ADAPT project is led by Hartwig Siebner (PI) at the Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR) in Copenhagen and involves collaboration with Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Co-PI: Andrea Kuehn) and Lund University (Co-PI: Angela Cenci). 

Summary of the project: In this collaborative and translational project, we will leverage recent advances in brain stimulation technology to develop novel methods for ADAptive and Precise brain-circuit Targeting (“ADAPT”) in rodents and humans. Focusing on transcranial magnetic stimulation, we will use ADAPT to mitigate dysfunctional circuit dynamics in patients with Parkinson´s disease to improve motor function. Brain circuit mapping, modelling, and modulation at different spatiotemporal scales will reveal how brain circuit dynamics are shaped by ADAPT. These lines of research will inform the optimization of transcranial brain stimulation in patients with Parkinson´s disease to fine tune ADAPT in space and time. 

Your role: Your role will be to map dysfunctional cortical circuit activity in Parkinson´s disease with EEG and use EEG read-outs to inform transcranial precision stimulation in real-time. You will design and conduct EEG mapping as well as EEG-informed precision stimulation experiments, acquiring and analyzing data, and writing the data up for publication and dissemination. This will involve coding experimental paradigms, building computational models, coding data processing pipelines with a daily communication with other team members involved in brain circuit mapping, modelling and modulation. 

Essential skills & experience:
•  Extensive practical research experience with EEG and/or MEG (not necessarily TMS-EEG), including experimental design and recording of EEG data in human populations, 
•  Strong signal processing and analysis skills in the field of EEG and /or MEG
•  Extensive experience in coding (e.g. Python, Matlab) and statistical analyses 
•  PhD in biomedical/electrical engineering, clinical medicine, neuroscience, or related field
•  Prior refereed journal publications
•  Strong written and interpersonal communication skills

Advantageous skills & experience:  
•  Prior conduct of neurostimulation experiments (preference for TMS), with an understanding of the strengths and limitations of various study designs 
•  Prior experience with applying EEG/MEG in clinical populations
•  Prior experience with teaching and supervision of students and technicians

Working at DRCMR. You will be part of the Brain Circuit Modulation & Therapy (BCMT) and the Neuroimaging of Movement Disorders (NiMoDis) groups, headed by Hartwig Roman Siebner at the Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance (www.drcmr.dk) based at Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with engineers, neurologists, psychologists, and interact with other groups at DRCMR. The ADAPT project will involve a close collaboration with the clinical movement disorders group at the Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg and our international project partners in Berlin (Kuehn Lab, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin) and Lund (Cenci Lab, Lund University). 
DRCMR is a leading research center for biomedical MRI in Europe. Approximately 75 researchers from a diverse range of disciplines are currently pursuing basic and clinically applied research. The DRCMR is embedded in the Center for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, a large diagnostic imaging department including all biomedical imaging modalities at the Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark. DRCMR has a state-of-the-art MR-research infrastructure enabling translational research, which includes a pre-clinical 7T MR scanner, six whole-body MR scanners (one 7T, three 3T and two 1.5T scanners) and a High-Performance Computer cluster dedicated for neuroimaging data. The DRCMR has pre-clinical labs, a neuropsychology laboratory, an EEG laboratory, and two laboratories for precision brain circuit stimulation. It is situated ~25mins cycle ride from central Copenhagen, a city consistently ranked one of the highest in the world for quality of life. 

Application deadline: 30th April 2021. Video interviews of shortlisted candidates will be held in May.
Starting date: expected to be 1st September 2021, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Salary and terms of Employment. You will be employed for a period of 36 months at the Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance. Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Danish Regions (Danske Regioner) and the relevant professional organization. The salary depends on background education and seniority. Further supplements can be negotiated. Note that candidates coming from abroad may be eligible for tax reductions. The position is open for candidates of all nationalities. We see diversity as a strength and encourage all candidates regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, disabilities or religion to apply.

Application details: Applications should include a cover letter, CV, list of publications & research outputs, together with the names of three references.

Applications must be submitted on-line through the RegionH job portal: https://candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx?cid=342&ProjectId=230850&DepartmentId=18051&MediaId=5
For further information regarding the position please contact Hartwig Siebner: h.siebner at drcmr.dk
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