FUNDED POSTDOCTORAL POSITION – SIGNAL PROCESSING IN NEUROIMAGING GROUP

at the BCBL- Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain) www.bcbl.eu 

1. ​INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSITION

• Position: Post-doctoral researcher
• Researcher Profile: R2, Recognised Researcher (PhD holders or equivalent who are not yet fully independent) / R3, Established Researcher (Researchers who have developed a level of independence)
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Project: Open, within the Signal Processing in Neuroimaging
• Location:  Spain > Donostia-San Sebastián
• Research Field: Cognitive Neuroscience  > Neuroimaging
• Type of contract/Duration of Contract: Until 15 December 2024 (possibility of extension depending on funding availability)
• Job Status: Full-time
• Hours per week: 35
• Starting date: May 2024

 

Information about the project:

The Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (BCBL), located in San Sebastián, in the heart of the Basque Country, Spain, is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join the Signal Processing in Neuroimaging group. The successful candidate will contribute to an innovative research project focused on advanced methods for real-time measurements of cerebrovascular reactivity using cutting-edge neuroimaging technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and high-density functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). This exciting opportunity offers the chance to work at the forefront of neuroimaging research, collaborating with leading experts in the field and contributing to groundbreaking advancements in our understanding of human brain physiology and function. The selected candidate will have access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources at BCBL, fostering an environment conducive to scientific excellence and professional growth.

Job description:

The selected candidate will work on the development of a neuroimaging platform using fNIRS or fMRI for real-time computation of cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) maps. The project will involve the implementation of new methods for real-time physiological signal processing (end-tidal CO2 and respiration), and the development of real-time data transfer, preprocessing and analysis pipelines for cerebrovascular reactivity mapping with fNIRS and fMRI. The ideal candidate would have excellent programming skills using Python and/or Matlab and shell scripting, proven experience in the preprocessing and analysis of fMRI and/or high-density fNIRS data, and knowledge of human brain cerebrovascular physiology, in particular cerebrovascular reactivity. BCBL operates in a state-of-the-art facility equipped with a 3T MRI scanner (Siemens Prisma), and a high-density NIRS system (LUMO) that are fully available for research purposes.

In addition, the selected candidate will have the opportunity to develop original experiments under the supervision and guidance of the PIs, as well as participate in the supervision of undergraduate and doctoral students. The candidate must have excellent organization and communication skills to contribute towards the dissemination of the results at international scientific conferences (presentations/posters) and peer-reviewed journals.

PI and research group:

The candidate will form part of the Signal Processing in Neuroimaging research group (https://www.bcbl.eu/en/research/research-groups/signal-processing-neuroimaging) led by Dr. César Caballero-Gaudes (c.caballero@bcbl.eu). In addition, the group has active collaborations on the topic of the project with other research groups of the BCBL and internationally.

 

2. CANDIDATES’ PROFILE AND SELECTION CRITERIA

Required skills:

• Applicants should have a PhD degree in Computer Science, Signal Processing, Electronics, Telecommunications, Biomedical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, and/or related areas.
• The applicants must demonstrate excellent communication skills in English.
• Confident programming skills using Python and/or Matlab, as well as shell scripting.
• Machine learning and computational modelling knowledge.
• Proven experience in processing and analysis of fMRI and/or NIRS data.

Desirable skills:

• Experience with real-time neuroimaging applications (neurofeedback, BCI)
• Experience in the design of web-based visualization tools (HTML, Javascript, REACT).

 

3. WORKING CONDITIONS

Salary: Gross salary € 28.000 - € 30.000 

Entitlements and other benefits: https://www.bcbl.eu/en/join-us/what-is-like-to-work-bcbl

 

Training opportunities and Career development plan: Researchers at any stage of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, are given an opportunity for professional development and for improving their employability through access to a Personal Career Development Plan which includes:

(1) Training through individually personalized research projects under senior supervision

(2) Exchanging knowledge with the scientific community and the general public

(3) Network-wide training in theory and methods

(4) Complementary training courses

(5) Involvement in proposal writing, task coordination

(6) Development of skills for the organization of training and scientific events

 

4. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Language policy

• The working language at the BCBL is English.
• The BCBL offers initial-level Spanish and Basque lessons to all staff members.
• The interview will be conducted in English

 

5. APPLICATION PROCESS

Submission of the application and documentation:

To submit your application, please follow this link https://www.bcbl.eu/en/join-us/job-offers applying for “Postdoc_IKUR_2024_CVR” and attach the following documentation:

Application process timetable:

• The application deadline is 15th April 2024.
• Interviews with selected candidates are expected to take place between the 22th and 24th April 2024.

Contact details for enquiries: hr@bcbl.eu, c.caballero@bcbl.eu