[FieldTrip] PhD position open on information seeking, active vision, and Rapid Invisible Frequency Tagging in MEG

[Eelke Spaak]

Dear colleagues,

Some of you may be interested in, or know others who may be interested
in, the below fully-funded PhD position I currently have open at the
Donders Institute (note deadline: **next Tuesday 4 July**!).

Details and application:
https://www.ru.nl/en/working-at/job-opportunities/phd-candidate-in-quantitative-visual-cognitive-neuroscience-at-the-donders-centre-for-cognition

All the best,
Eelke

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PhD Candidate in Quantitative Visual Cognitive Neuroscience at the
Donders Centre for Cognition

Are you fascinated by how our brains construct our conscious visual
reality? By how our eyes move around several times per second, our
brains apparently always knowing where to look? If that applies to
you, and you furthermore are excited about developing new experimental
neuroimaging and analytical methods (including deep learning), then
this PhD position may be right for you!

As part of this job, you will conduct research testing several key
hypotheses (related to the 'Bayesian' brain) about information
sampling during visual perception. What types of visual information
are dominant in determining where we look? Which brain structures are
involved in processing this information? How is this related to what
we know about neural motivational control in general?

Studying such questions requires taking visual cognitive neuroscience
beyond its traditional paradigms of having people fixate on computer
screens and presenting visual information rather passively. This is
challenging, yet two recent developments offer a promising way
forward: Rapid Invisible Frequency Tagging (RIFT) in
magneto-encephalography (MEG) recordings, and deep learning models
from Artificial Intelligence (AI) in quantifying visual information.
You will be involved in advancing the state of the art in these
techniques (especially RIFT), and combining them to yield novel
scientific insights.

In addition, you will gain hands-on experience in research design, MEG
recordings, scientific writing, and presenting at international
conferences. In all aspects of the scientific process, you will be
guided and supervised by a diverse and experienced supervision team.
We anticipate that there will be ample room for your own creative
input, especially as your expertise and interests mature.

All PhD candidates at the Donders Centre for Cognition are involved in
0.1 FTE of teaching, which helps them prepare optimally for the
academic job market.

Profile:
- You should hold an MSc degree (or similar) in
cognitive/computational neuroscience, artificial intelligence,
experimental psychology, or a similar discipline (candidates with
experience in other fields may be considered if well motivated).
- You have a keen interest in the mechanistic basis of conscious
visual perception.
- You have strong analytical skills, and experience with programming
(in Python and/or Matlab, or any other language plus a willingness to
learn Python/Matlab).
- You are excited about pushing the boundaries of both scientific
knowledge and methodology.
- You ideally have experience with collecting experimental
(neuroimaging/physiological/eye-tracking/behavioural) data from human
subjects, or a strong willingness to learn.
- You are fluent in spoken and written English.

Further details and application:
https://www.ru.nl/en/working-at/job-opportunities/phd-candidate-in-quantitative-visual-cognitive-neuroscience-at-the-donders-centre-for-cognition