[Eeglablist] Postdoc in using MEG to understand deep brain stimulation - Pittsburgh

[Ghuman, Avniel]

Postdoctoral Associate in the Neural and Cognitive Correlates of Deep Brain Stimulation
University of Pittsburgh Neurological Surgery, Pennsylvania, USA

Applications are invited for a fully funded postdoctoral position using magenetoencephalography (MEG) in humans to study the cortical and cognitive effects of deep brain stimulation at the University of Pittsburgh, USA. This position will be jointly mentored by Mark Richardson, MD, PhD, Director of Adult Epilepsy and Movement Disorders Surgery and Avniel Ghuman, PhD, Director of MEG Research at the University of Pittsburgh. Both are faculty in the Neurological Surgery Department and members of the University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition.

The research will focus on understanding the dynamic cortical consequences of deep brain stimulation and how these neural changes relate to cognitive effects of stimulation. Of particular interest is how this information is coded in interactive neural circuits at the level of large-scale brain networks. The neural data will primarily be MEG in humans. Advanced signal processing and statistical techniques will be applied to the data to both remove stimulation artifacts and decode the neural activity. Techniques to be applied include time-frequency analysis, ICA, PCA, signal-space separation, clustering, as a few examples.

The ideal applicant would hold a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Psychology, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering or a related field. Strong technical, computational, and signal processing skills are required. The ability to design and write scripts in MATLAB and/or Python is required. Superior organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to thrive independently, in addition to working with others; ability to handle fluctuating priorities, deadlines and changes in the clinical schedule is also required. Experience with developing and implementing artifact removal techniques in non-invasive electrophysiological data (EEG or MEG) is greatly desired, but not a requirement if the intellectual fit is otherwise good. Applicants should have a strong track record of publication.

Pittsburgh is consistently ranked the most livable city in America and the neuroscientific community here, particularly at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, is both very strong and collaborative.

Interested applicants should send a letter of interest, a CV, and the names and contact information for 3 researchers who can provide a recommendation. For further information or to submit an application, please contact Avniel Ghuman, Ph.D. at ghumana at upmc.edu or Mark Richardson, MD, PhD at richardsonrm at upmc.edu. More information about our research can be found at http://www.lcnd.pitt.edu/index.html and http://www.brainmodulationlab.org.