PhD / doctoral candidate

* 3-year contract, full-time position

* Start in October 2023 (subject to availability)

The new research project “Hand in hand: revealing the link between distorted hand perceptions and efficient manual actions” is led by Prof. Michela Bassolino of the Institute of Health (HES-SO Valais-Wallis) in collaboration with the MySpace Lab and the Neurorehab Research Center directed by Prof. Andrea Serino. The project deals with the link between body representations and the sensorimotor system, with the goal of elucidating the main characteristics and functions of hand perception and distorted perception considering sensory, motor and anatomical features of the hand. The project combines behavioural (motion capture, psychophysical experiments, virtual reality), neuroimaging (functional magnetic resonance) and neurophysiological (transcranial magnetic stimulation) approaches.

The successful candidate will obtain a degree in neuroscience from the Lemanic Neuroscience Doctoral School (http://www.unil.ch/ln/en/home/menuinst/ln-doctoral-school.html) which provides high-level training in both theoretical and experimental aspects of neuroscience. They will be part of a multidisciplinary team (neuroscientists, physiotherapists, engineers, computer scientists) at the Institute of Health and the MySpace Lab, including highly experienced senior post-docs and virtual reality developers.

Position description

* Run behavioural, neurophysiological and neuroimaging experiments on hand perception with healthy participants

* Analyse data collected for the project

* Participate in other ongoing experiments with patients with sensorimotor deficits

* Disseminate scientific results through scientific publications

Selection criteria

* Curious and ambitious personality, highly motivated to work on an interdisciplinary project

* Strong collaboration skills and teamwork attitude

* MSc in a related area (ideally physiotherapy, or neuroscience, experimental psychology, biomedical engineering)

* Excellent knowledge of English is necessary, French is an asset

* Previous experience in behavioural, neuroimaging or transcranial magnetic stimulation experiments is an advantage

* Skills in data analysis (R studio knowledge) is a benefit

For further inquiries please contact:

- Prof. Michela Bassolino, michela.bassolino(α)hevs.ch

Applications

Please submit your application including a motivation letter, a detailed Curriculum Vitae, a short description of the MSc thesis (1 page) and the contact details of two references online on JobUp by 18 June 2023. Only online applications will be considered.

After an initial selection process, successful applicants will be invited to a face-to-face interview to be scheduled between 1 to 15 July 2023.