Connectionists: PhD vacancy

[raoul huys]

Dear sir, madame,

I would like to ask you if you could distribute the PhD vacancy below through the mailing list. 

Kind regards,

Raoul Huys
CR1 CNRS
Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes
Inserm UMR1106
Aix-Marseille Université
Faculté de Médecine
27 Boulevard Jean Moulin
13005 Marseille, France

Project Title: Timing mechanisms: Behavioral, Muscular, and Neurophysiological Dynamics

 Abstract   

The correct timing of human movement is at the core of successful coordination with a complex and changing environment. We propose to study human (motor) timing mechanisms and their neural implementation from a dynamical approach. Lately, the novel phase-flow perspective enabled us to find evidence for the existence of different motor control and timing mechanisms in a series of movement tasks (Huys et al., 2008b; 2010b; 2010a). In the absence of spatial task requirements, movement pace dictates which mechanism is used. While two mechanisms directly map onto distinct, unambiguously defined dynamical classes, empirical data provide evidence for the utilization of a third class. It is yet unknown, however, neither how the distinct motor control mechanisms are neurally implemented nor what the impact of environment and movement-generated feedback is. The aim of the present proposal is to (i) rigorously investigate the hypothesized third mechanism, (ii) study the (three) mechanisms’ neural implementation (via the electroencephalogram; EEG), and (iii) disentangle the movements’ generative component versus the informational (feedback) component (in the EEG). Thereto, we propose a research project focusing on behavioral experiments including motor perturbations and simultaneous EMG and EEG recording. If successful, we will establish the link between (abstract) low-dimensional motor-behavioral classes, muscular electromyography patterns, and their emergence from high-dimensional neural network dynamics.

 

Academic context

The “Ecole Doctorale 463 Sciences du Mouvement Humain” (Doctoral School 463 Human Movement Sciences) organizes this year’s PhD competition on July 11th and 12th 2012. One out of multiple PhD candidates will be awarded. Applications should be received July 1st 2012 the latest. If awarded, the PhD will be housed at the “Institute de Neurosciences des Systèmes” (INSERM UMR1106; http://ins.medecine.univmed.fr/) at the la Timone campus in Marseille (France), supervised by Viktor Jirsa and Raoul Huys.

 

Project requirements

·        Programming skills (preferentially Matlab or Python)

·        Background in the Human Movement Sciences or Behavioral Neurosciences (preferentially)

·        (Multivariate) time-series analysis skills

·        Basic knowledge of Dynamical Systems Theory (minimally)

 

For further information, please contact Raoul Huys (email: mailto:raoul.huys at univ-amu.fr).


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