Lectureship Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience)

[Matt Dye]

UNIVERSITY OF KENT AT CANTERBURY
INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL AND APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
Canterbury, U.K.

Lectureship in Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience)

The Institute of Social and Applied Psychology at the University
of Kent attained a 4A rating in the most recent HEFCE Research
Assessment exercise, and has been designated as a significant area
of expansion within the University. ISAP comprises the
Department of Psychology and the Tizard Centre.  The
Department has 16 HEFCE funded teaching staff in addition to
associated research and support staff, independently funded
research staff and  postgraduate students. The Tizard Centre has
a similar number of staff but is funded primarily from research
and consultancy contracts.  Further Psychology posts have been
approved by the University.  As part of the Department s
development plan we are seeking applications for a permanent
lectureship from active post-doctoral researchers  in the general
area of cognitive neuroscience.  Candidates with research interests
in any area of cognitive neuroscience or its related disciplines are
encouraged to apply.  Of particular interest will be candidates who
have an expertise in computational, especially connectionist,
modelling. Ideally, the successful applicant will be expected to
take up his/her appointment by the 1st September 1995 or as soon
as possible thereafter.

Main responsibilities of the post holder

The successful candidate will have both research and teaching
responsibilities.

General information

Research

The Departments  research activities are concentrated in the broad
areas of cognition and of social psychology. Current research
within the cognitive neuroscience group includes investigations
of object processing, categorization, speech production and
language disorders. In all these areas, staff are involved in
experimental research with normal subjects as well as the  testing
of brain-damaged subjects and attempts to model findings using
connectionist systems.

Research programmes in Social Psychology include the areas of
group processes, psychology of health and social psychological
aspects of Forensic Psychology.  In all of these fields, the
department has an excellent record of attracting research funds
and studentships. At present substantial  research awards are held
from the ESRC, ARC (Australian Research Council),  the
Rowntree Foundation, Nuffield, Canterbury and Thanet
Healthcare Trust, Wellcome and The Leverhulme Trust.

The successful candidate will be expected and encouraged to
develop a substantive programme  of research based on his/her
own interests. It should also be noted that  existing members of
staff are keen to develop collaborative research projects where
common interests exist.

Recent publications

Donnelly, N., Humphreys, G.W. & Riddoch, M.J. (1991). Parallel
computation of primitive shape descriptions. Journal of
Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance,
17, 2, 561-570.

Humphreys, G.W., Lloyd-Jones, T.J. & Fias, W. (in press).
Semantic interference on naming using a post-sue procedure:
Tapping the links between semantics and phonology with pictures
and words. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning,
Memory and Cognition.

Muller, H., Humphreys, G.W. & Donnelly, N. (1994). Search via
recursive rejection (SERR): Visual search for single and dual
form conjuction targets. Journal of Experimental Psychology:
Human Perception and Performance, 20, 2, 235-258.

Weekes, B.S. (1994). A cognitive-neuropsychological analysis of
allograph errors from a patient with acquired disgraphia.
Aphasiology, 8, 409-425.

Teaching

The Department currently offers undergraduate  BSc degrees in
Psychology, Social Psychology, Social and Clinical Psychology
(including Applied, four-year variants), along with an MSc in
Social and Applied Psychology.  In addition two new MSc
degrees, in Forensic Psychology and Health Psychology will be
available from October 1995, and an MSc in Cognitive
Neuroscience is planned in cooperation with the Department of
Biology.

The Department has ESRC priority recognition (Mode A and B)
for its postgraduate training.  We have a large and lively group of
postgraduate students, and with our current and planned MSc
programmes and our involvement in European Exchange
Programmes we are planning for a significant long-term
expansion in our postgraduate training and research.

The  post holder s main teaching responsibility will be in the
second and third years of our undergraduate programmes. At
present, second year students have the option of taking a course
which includes perception, language, memory and basic issues
relating to neural computation.  Third year students have an
option to study  Neuropsychology (convened by Dr Donnelly).
This course is split into two units. In unit 1 we address basic
methodological issues and the neuropsychology of vision and in
unit 2 we address the neuropsychology of language, memory and
other higher order processes. The appointee would be expected to
contribute (along with Drs  Donnelly, Weekes and Lloyd-Jones)
to both units and the final component of the 2nd year course, and
to develop teaching in their own area of research. The appointee
will also be expected to take over the modest administrative role
involved in convening  the second year course.

In addition, all final year undergraduate students currently
undertake an empirical project and the person appointed will take
a share of the supervision and support of these, as well as
postgraduate supervision.

Teaching methods at Kent comprise the usual mix of large lecture
format (especially at the first and second-year undergraduate
level), small group seminar teaching, and co-operative group
working.
Administration

The Institute has a fully devolved budget for all non-staff costs
and the management of this falls to the relevant Head of
Department.  All staff contribute to the administration of the
Department, and several key managerial responsibilities are
delegated from the Head of Department to other colleagues.  The
staff responsibilities change from year to year in the light of
varying teaching and research activities and to allow for study
leave.  Within this collegial atmosphere a supportive appraisal and
probation system is operated under the supervision of senior
members of staff. All staff are defined as "research active" and it
is the Departmental policy to maximise time available for
research.  The administration of the Department's teaching and
research activities is supported by a full-time departmental
administrator and  secretarial staff.

Technical facilities

The Department has a good level of technical support and
provision.  We have installed a new  computer network
comprising both Apple Macintoshs and PC's.  All staff have their
own microcomputers in their offices.  We are connected to the
University's central computing facilities which include several
UNIX-based super-minicomputers and access to national and
international computer networks.  We have recently refurbished
our laboratory facilities to include a high quality audio-visual
studio.  As a result of our successful expansion, the University has
committed funding to a new Psychology building, due for
completion during 1996. These resources are supported by a
full-time Senior Experimental Officer and a
Technician/Demonstrator who have responsibility of their
development, operation and maintenance.

If you require any further information please contact Professor
Dominic Abrams ( Tel: 01227 764000 ext 3084: email
D.Abrams at ukc.ac.uk),  Dr Brendan Weekes  (Tel: 01227
827411: email B.S.Weekes at ukc.ac.uk) or Dr Toby Lloyd-Jones
(Tel: 01227 827611: email T.J.Lloyd-Jones at ukc.ac.uk) 

Salary will be within the  Lecturer Grade A/B  scale - 14,756 -
25,735 per annum.

The University has adopted a policy of making most jobs
available for job-sharing if suitable applicants come forward.
Applications to job-share this post are welcomed and will be
considered without prejudice.

Closing date for applications: 16 June 1995

The University is committed to implementing its Equal
Opportunities Policy.




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Matthew Dye (BSc MSc)			"I think, therefore I hesitate."
Department of Psychology		email: see header
University of Kent at Canterbury	tel: +44 (0)1227 764000 ext 3080
Canterbury				FAX: +44 (0)1227 763674
Kent CT2 7LZ				ftp server: ftp.ukc.ac.uk
UNITED KINGDOM					    /pub/mwgd1
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