10 Nov 2023
Job InformationOrganisation/Company
Université Claude Bernard Lyon1
Department
Lyon Ingénierie Projets
Research Field
Psychological sciences » Behavioural sciences
Psychological sciences » Cognitive science
Neurosciences » Other
Researcher Profile
First Stage Researcher (R1)
Country
France
Application Deadline
30 Apr 2024 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris)
Type of Contract
Temporary
Job Status
Full-time
Offer Starting Date
1 Sep 2024
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
H2020 / Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number
101120054
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
No
Offer DescriptionSpatial hearing is critical for orientation in space and navigation. It furthermore helps to selectively direct attention to relevant sound cues in complex acoustic situations. The loss of spatial hearing as a result of deafness not only leads to a reduced quality of life, but also contributes to potential danger in everyday situations. The PhD project is part of the multidisciplinary MSCA Doctoral Network ' CherISH ', C oc h l e a rI mplants and S patial H earing (CORDIS; CherISH website ), that combines approaches from medicine, biomedical engineering and psychology to optimally improve the restoration of hearing after deafness by combining next generation's cochlear implant (CI) technology with innovative rehabilitation approaches.
The construction of an auditory spatial representation is based on the knowledge of the relationships between acoustic cues and the structure of spatial representation. This correspondence is developed through interactions with the environment (active exploration) and the sensory feedback, including audio and visual inputs, generated during these interactions. Multisensory integration of visual and auditory information plays a significant role in shaping the spatial representation of space and in sound localization. The impact of vision goes beyond specific discriminative cues of the sound source; it extends to the integration of contextual visual information from the environment and promotes head movement exploration, which generates dynamic cues that enhance the ability to locate sounds. This dynamic audio-visual-motor loop may be particularly crucial for populations with hearing loss and could be the key to spatial auditory rehabilitation, especially for cochlear implant (CI) users. While it has been demonstrated that providing auditory and visual cues can improve the spatial auditory abilities of CI users, these improvements are not consistent among patients, and the exploratory strategies involving head movements in the environment vary from one individual to another.
The PhD project aims to investigate the role of these visuo-auditory interactions in auditory spatial representation. Specifically, his goal is to characterize the contribution of visual cues (both target and contextual cues) and auditory cues in an active spatial hearing task with the aim of optimizing visuo-auditory fusion during spatial hearing (SH) training. The doctoral student will employ a psychophysical approach using the virtual reality system 'SPHERE' developed by our group (see Gaveau et al., 2022) and used for the assessment and training spatial hearing (SH) skills. The experimental strategy will involve manipulating various elements during a spatial hearing task to determine the relative weight of auditory and visual cues in spatial localization performance. The manipulated elements will include the auditory ambient scene, the visual cues in the virtual reality scene, and the promotion of audio-visual integration by encouraging interaction with the environment (e.g., through the promotion of a head movement strategy). The student will actively participate in the development of experimental protocols in VR conducted with normal-hearing subjects and CI patients.
For this project, we are seeking a doctoral student who will demonstrate their determination to complete this project while having (1) significant collaborative abilities with partners of varied expertise (engineers, medical and paramedical staff, team research members), (2) facility in managing technical interfaces, and (3) the capacity to propose and defend innovative ideas. We expect a candidate with a strong background in neuroscience and prior experience in behavioral research (protocol development in Human). Additionally, good knowledge of kinematic approaches and programming (especially in R) for signal processing is also expected. Additional knowledge in audiology would be a plus. The doctoral candidate will be required to actively and closely interact with the other local doctoral candidate (DC4) and within the entire doctoral network of the CHERISH project. The candidate will benefit from exchanges with other project partners and from secondments, sharing their individual experiences and knowledge.
The doctoral candidate will interact with French-speaking protocol participants (communication with participants may be assisted by a clinical research associate) and he will be required to use virtual reality and behavioral interfaces to conduct the protocols.
Recent open access research publications related to this position: https: // www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9587935/
RequirementsResearch Field
Neurosciences » Other
Education Level
Master Degree or equivalent
Research Field
Psychological sciences » Behavioural sciences
Education Level
Master Degree or equivalent
Research Field
Engineering » Biomedical engineering
Education Level
Master Degree or equivalent
Research Field
Psychological sciences » Cognitive science
Education Level
Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
The PhD candidate will be responsible for developing new protocols, testing their internal validity, and proposing these protocols to both healthy subjects and patients. Therefore, the candidate must be able to propose innovative solutions in light of technological advancements (especially in virtual reality but also in behavioral acquisition systems) and current scientific literature. He must be rigorous in the protocol validation steps (e.g., thorough examination of pilot data) and extremely diligent in the administration of protocols, particularly with patients, whose collaboration is governed by French law (Jardet law).
In addition to these skills, the candidate should possess strong communication skills (as they will need to interact with experts from various fields), curiosity (as they will be expected to propose innovative solutions), and empathy (as they will collaborate with patients). Furthermore, he will actively participate in the life of the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (see https: // www. crnl.fr/fr/page-base/vie-etudiante), so it is expected that the candidate will respond positively to requests from the Center.
We expect the candidate to have a solid scientific background, preferably in behavioral neuroscience with a focus on sensory-motor plasticity studies. Knowledge in the fields of rehabilitation medicine will also be highly valued. Skills in behavioral signal analysis (e.g., kinematics), programming, and statistical analysis (using R, for example) are highly desired for this position.
As the MSCA program is based on collaboration and exchanges among European teams with diverse backgrounds, the candidate is expected to collaborate on their project with other teams within the program. This collaboration is enhanced by the mobility of all doctoral students in the project. Therefore, the candidate will be the ambassador of their host team, and it is expected that they demonstrate an open-minded attitude to interact positively with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Languages
ENGLISH
Level
Good
Additional Information
Benefits
sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/doctoral-networks)
Eligibility criteria
We welcome applications from Doctoral Researcher candidates fulfilling the following criteria:
Selection process
Applications must be sent by email to [email protected]
In the Subject of the email, please write “CherISH- PhD candidate Application – Project DC5”
Applications must be in English. Each applicant can apply to a maximum of three individual research projects. The application consists of (PDF):
CV (including publications if any);
1-page motivation letter;
Recommendation letters (min 2 ; max 3)
Be aware that official transcripts of any degree achieved, preferably including average or final marks and explanation of the related assessment scale or criterion (mandatory for the main graduate degree, optional for the others) will be required for the enrolment in the University/PhD program; All documents must be in French or English. Any translations must be certified.
Additional comments
Recruitment ProcessThe selection of the Doctoral Researcher candidates will be carried out in compliance with the general rules for HE- MSCA projects and will be based just on individual merit.
The selection process will be entirely carried out in English.
Be aware that you application could be transferred to another Partner of the Consortium CherISH.
A Selection Committee consisting of 3 members and 1 observer was appointed by the CherISH Consortium for the evaluation of the application of the candidates for Subproject 1.
Applications which do not meet the minimal prerequisites listed in theSpecific Requirements section, or which are not submitted according to the procedure specified in the Offer Description section, or which are received after the submission deadline has expired, will be rejected.
The Selection Committee will send proper acknowledgement for each incoming submission.
Whenever necessary, it will be also entitled to ask the candidates to provide any further document, information or clarification deemed useful to properly complete the assessment process.
Personal data will be stored for the purpose of carrying out the application procedure. Application costs cannot be reimbursed.
Questions and Answers:For more information about the project (not the recruitment process), please write an email to [email protected]
Are you interested? Please hand in your application to [email protected]
Website for additional job details
https: // euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/159007
Work Location(s)Number of offers available
1
Company/Institute
CRNL- IMPACT Team
Country
France
City
Bron
Postal Code
69500
Street
16 avenue du Doyen Lépine
Geofield
Where to applyCity
VILLEURBANNE Cedex
Website
https:// www. univ-lyon1.fr
https: // www. crnl.fr/fr/equipe/impact
Street
Bd André Latarjet
Postal Code
69100
STATUS: EXPIRED