Connectionists: 4 Fully-Funded PhD Studentships

Thu Mar 22 18:36:13 EDT 2012

I would like to invite applicants for my PhD Studentship and others, which are part of the new Cognition Institute at the University of Plymouth, UK. Applicants with a strong computational or cognitive neuroscience background are especially encouraged to apply for this position.

Project Title
Human Brain Basis of Mental Simulation for Decisions about Memory

Project Description
Mental simulation is a type of mental imagery that grounds cognition in perception, action, and mental states. Simulation has a central role in reasoning, language, and memory. However, the brain basis remains almost entirely unknown. In this project, electroencephalography, neuroimaging, and transcranial magnetic stimulation will reveal critical timing, anatomical, and causal evidence. Neurocomputational modeling of this evidence will explain how mental simulation in the human brain supports making decisions based on semantic and episodic memory.
Director of Studies
Haline E. Schendan

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4 Fully-Funded PhD Studentships in Cognitive Science & Psychology
Applications are invited for four, 3-year PhD studentships, funded by the School of Psychology. The studentships will commence 1st October 2012.

Projects Available
One studentship will be on Human Associative Learning, supervised by Professor Chris Mitchell<http://psychology.plymouth.ac.uk/people/cmitchell>. Three further studentships will be available in any specialist areas of research supported by the School. Indicative PhD topics include visual perception, decision-making in medical and social contexts, mental imagery, embodied cognition and language, memory in children and adults, road safety, mechanisms of psychotherapy, and cultural differences in cognition. For a full list of proposed PhD topics and supervisors, please visit: http://psychology.plymouth.ac.uk/research/funded-phd-studentships/

School of Psychology

Successful applicants will be part of a large, vibrant, highly collaborative, interdisciplinary community. In the 2008 RAE 34.5 members of staff from the School were submitted, making Plymouth the 12th largest research School of Psychology in the UK. 85% of our research was rated at international standard. Our PhD students are members of the Plymouth University Doctoral Training Centre in Social Sciences, which provides interdisciplinary training and networking opportunities for around 160 doctoral students.

Research in the School of Psychology is organised around the University Research Centre encompassing research excellence in Cognitive Neuroscience, Vision and Action, Social Psychology, Language Development, Thinking and Reasoning, Memory and Imagery, Health and Well Being, and Human Factors. State-of-the art facilities include high-density, 64- and 128-channels of active EEG electrodes (passive amplification also available), TMS with stereotactic guidance, eye- and motor-tracking, neuro-computational modelling, and fMRI with multi-channel head coil.

For details of the School's research activity, please visit http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/cbcb

Plymouth has often been voted 'best place to live in Britain', and has many exciting cultural and student activities, with beautiful surrounding countryside and coastline.

Eligibility
Applicants should be highly motivated and have (at least) a first or upper second class honours degree in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, or related discipline. A relevant MSc or MRes qualification is desirable. Applicants must have excellent research skills and excellent communication skills.
The studentships have a duration of 3 years and include full Home/EU tuition fees plus a research training support grant of £750 and stipend of £13,590 per annum.  The studentships will only fully fund applicants who are eligible for Home/EU fees.  Applicants normally required to cover overseas fees will have to cover the difference between the Home/EU and the overseas tuition fee rates (approximately £9,500 per annum).
If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact potential supervisors directly. For general enquiries about doctoral study in the School of Psychology, please contact Professor Jackie Andrade (pgcoordinator at psy.plymouth.ac.uk<mailto:pgcoordinator at psy.plymouth.ac.uk>). However, applications must be made in accordance with the details shown below.
For an application form and full details on how to apply, please visit www.plymouth.ac.uk/postgraduate<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/postgraduate>. Applicants should send a completed application form along with a covering letter detailing their suitability for the studentship to Catherine Johnson, Faculty of Science and Technology Research Office, A108 Portland Square, Plymouth PL4 8AA or e-mail catherine.johnson at plymouth.ac.uk<mailto:catherine.johnson at plymouth.ac.uk>.
The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Friday 13th April 2012. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications.  Applicants who have not received an offer of a place by the end of May should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
PROJECT TOPICS AND SUPERVISORS
The psychology of human associative learning: Prof Chris Mitchell

Visual perception and the detection of cancer in mammograms: Dr William Simpson

Remembering the Past and Imagining the Future: Dr Catherine Deeprose
Children's false memories: Dr Marina Wimmer
Medical decision-making in children and adolescents: Dr Michaela Gummerum
Neuropsychological study of embodied language: Dr Jeremy Goslin

Embodied cognition: affordance and the mirror neurone system: Prof Rob Ellis

Is Theory of Mind based on imagery of another person's visual perspective? Dr Patric Bach
Human Brain Basis of Mental Simulation for Decisions about Memory: Dr Haline Schendan
Mental Imagery and Motivation: Prof Jon May
Understanding the relationship between driver characteristics and road safety: Dr Liz Hellier
Modulating visual mental imagery with neurostimulation: Dr Giorgio Ganis
The neuropsychology of reasoning: Dr Matt Roser
Memory, Forgetting, Inhibition: Prof Tim Perfect
Attributing Causation and Blame: Dr Clare Walsh
Infants' strategies for locating the boundaries between spoken words: Dr Laurence White
Cultural and Situational Influences on Processing Style: Dr Natalie Wyer
An examination of the social organisation of problem-solving meetings in the Plymouth Community Justice Court: Dr Timothy Auburn
What makes all psychotherapies so effective? Dr Ben Whalley

.............................................
Haline E. Schendan, Ph.D.
School of Psychology
Faculty of Science & Technology
Plymouth University
Drake Circus
Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA
United Kingdom
Office:  Portland Square A208
Office Hours: W 11-12:00, F 12-13:00
011 +44 (0)1752 584804
Haline.Schendan at plymouth.ac.uk<mailto:Haline.Schendan at plymouth.ac.uk>
Lecturer, Centre for Brain, Cognition, & Behaviour
Visiting Scientist, MGH Martinos Center
http://www.psy.plymouth.ac.uk/research/HESchendan/

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