Connectionists: Postdoc in Cognitive and Motor Development Studies

[Elizabeth Thomas]

We would appreciate it very much if you could post the following 
announcement on your news site.

Sincerely
Elizabeth Thomas
INSERMU887



*2 Year Postdoc Position in Cognitive and Motor Development*

We are seeking a 2 year postdoctoral candidate for an investigation on 
the human development of motor and cognitive capacities. The study 
focuses in particular on the role of motor activity in the development 
of infant interval timing capacities.The position will involve helping 
to set up infant EMG recordings and the analysis of the resulting 
data.The infant experiments will also be accompanied by some adult 
interval timing experiments.

The ideal candidate will be experienced in EMG recordings and analysis. 
Familiarity with MATLAB and fluency in English are also necessary.The 
candidate should be willing to learn new techniques of data analysis, in 
particular those drawn from machine learning (SVM, kernel methods, etc.)

The investigation will be carried out with a grant from the French 
National Research Agency and the British Economic Social Research 
Council.This project is an interdisciplinary study to attempt to 
understand the emergence of interval-timing capabilities.Our ultimate 
goal is to demonstrate empirically the extent to which these abilities 
are learned and especially the role of motor activity in this 
development.This project has brought together the Center for Brain and 
Cognitive Development at Birkbeck University, London 
(http://www.cbcd.bbk.ac.uk), a world renowned infant lab in Britain, and 
two of France's leading centres of experimental psychology (LEAD-CNRS 
UMR 5022, http://leadserv.u-bourgogne.fr/en/) and motor-activity (INSERM 
U887, Motricité et Plasticité, 
http://www.u-bourgogne.fr/-Unite-de-recherche-.html then go to: 
"Laboratoire Motricité-Plasticité").In national reviews held at the 
beginning of 2011, both labs were awarded the highest possible rating, 
A+, for number and quality of journal publications, international 
visibility, etc.The motor-activity work in the project will be carried 
out by Dr Elizabeth Thomas (INSERM U887), the computational modeling 
work will be led by Dr Robert French (LEAD-CNRS), and by Professor Denis 
Mareschal at CBCD in London.While the candidate will spend most of 
his/her time in Dijon, he/she will also make regular trips to London in 
order to help set up the baby EMG recordings and monitor its progress.

The contract will start in January 2012.

Dijonis ideally situated in the heart of Burgundy, a region known 
throughout the world for its haute cuisine and wine.In addition, Dijon 
is an hour and a half by train to Paris, less than an hour from the Jura 
Mountains and 3 hours by car to Chamonix, the hiking, climbing, and 
skiing centre of the French Alps.

Interested candidates may send their CV to Elizabeth.Thomas at u-bourgogne.fr


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