[Eeglablist] Intership - Amiens, France - Influence of immersion on the postural correlates of motivationnal appetence

[Harold Mouras]

Dear List,
Please find below an internship proposal.
Thank you,
Best regards,
Harold Mouras


Internship description

Recent research has focused on the use of posturography to investigate the neural and motor correlates of motivational appetite. However, the use of posturography to study the peripheral correlates of the processing of socioemotional information remains recent and the nature of the central processes at work in the modulation of postural control during the processing of socioaffective information remains to be clarified.

Several years ago, we were able to set up a collaboration with a Belgian team (Prof Campanella and Prof Noel, ULB and CHU Brugmann, Brussels, Belgium) to apply posturography to the field of addiction. Interestingly, postural markers have been used to discriminate between 'abstainers' and 'relapsers' (Noel et al., 2021). The Belgian team we work with has developed expertise in collecting and analysing electroencephalographic correlates of social and emotional information processing.

In this project, we wish to combine the expertise developed within the LNFP (UR-UPJV 4559) and APERE (UR-UPJV 3300) units at the UPJV in the analysis of postural control linked to the processing of socio-emotional information with that of the Belgian EEG team. This project will provide preliminary results on the covariations of postural and neural correlates at work during the processing of socio-emotional stimuli. In addition, there are major prospects for development when we consider the importance of mental simulation (Mouras and Lelard, 2021). The modulating effect of mental simulation could be seen as an indication of increased embodiment of the situation. The complexity of its effect, particularly with regard to the temporal variable, remains to be characterised. The coupling of eeg and posturography will shed considerable light on the nature of the cognitive processes at work in exerting the modulating effect of mental simulation.

Practical information

- Possible placement period: 6 months over the 2025-2026 academic year

- Prerequisites:

- Completed M1 at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year in Neuroscience or related subjects

- Internship stipend according to standard scale (approx. 3600 euros)

- Send CV, covering letter and transcripts if available to [||harold.mouras at u-picardie.fr]

- Skills / Interests : Social neuroscience, affective neuroscience, EEG, time-frequency analysis, motor correlates

- Skills required: Matlab, R