Connectionists: Method development for coupled EEG-fMRI (2x full EPSRC PhD studentships)

[Etienne B. Roesch]

Method development for coupled EEG-fMRI (2x full EPSRC PhD studentships)

The goal of the project is to develop novel methods for the joint 
analysis of signals from electroencephalography (EEG) and functional 
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), when they are obtained concurrently. 
Technological advances of the last 10 years make it possible for 
scientists to record both modalities concurrently, in what is now known 
as coupled EEG-fMRI. By simultaneously recording these two modalities, 
scientists can potentially say where and when neural activity is 
occurring, whereas previously researchers had to settle for one or the 
other. This engineering feat, however, has not yet been met with the 
ability to make use of the combination of these signals to infer more 
knowledge than would otherwise be gathered in separate experiments. 
Filling this gap is the ambition of the present project.

This is a method project, which requires skills and knowledge in 
neuroscience, applied mathematics/statistics/physics and programming. 
Candidates who have a strong background in at least two of these three 
fields are encouraged to apply, if they are enthusiastic about the 
third. Two full studentships are available, and we expect to appoint one 
candidate who is stronger in empirical work and a second who is stronger 
in analytics. Candidates are expected to have had some prior exposure to 
at least one of the two modalities, but will receive training in both.

The two students will be supervised by Dr. Etienne Roesch and receive 
support from Dr. Michael Lindner and Prof. Tom Johnstone, with R&D 
support from Brain Products, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of 
MRI-compatible EEG systems. The group led by Dr. Roesch fosters 
interdisciplinary thinking, and students will have the opportunity to 
engage in ongoing empirical and modelling work related to perception and 
action. The Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN) 
is host to a research-dedicated 3T Siemens TRIO, with a full license for 
sequence development, and a full suite of MR-compatible systems. 
Additionally, the students will be granted access to the cluster of 
NVIDIA Tesla GPUs and other facilities at CINN, as well as at the Brain 
Embodiments Laboratory, in the School of Systems Engineering.

The University of Reading is ranked as one of the UK’s 20 most 
research-intensive universities and as one of the top 200 universities 
in the world (Times Higher Education 2013). Our campus was voted first 
in the Times Higher Education Student Experience survey and has a Green 
Flag Award. It is situated 25 minutes West of London. Reading University 
Students’ Union was voted the 6th best in the UK (National Student 
Survey 2012).

Essentials: Commitment to academic research and personal development; 
Ability to work collaboratively; Effective interpersonal and 
communication skills, including writing to a high standard, document 
preparation for technical notes and journal papers; Experience of work 
in interdisciplinary settings; Attention to details.

Desirables: Self-guided work in developing statistical designs and 
approaches in research; Creative approach to problem solving; Ability to 
work independently; Experience in giving presentations and conveying 
complex ideas clearly.



Eligibility: Applicants should hold a minimum of a UK Honours Degree at 
2:1 level or equivalent in a relevant subject. Please note that due to 
restrictions on the funding this studentship is for UK/EU applicants only.

Funding Details: Studentship will cover Home/EU Fees, pay the Research 
Council minimum stipend (£13,863 in 2014/15) for up to 3 years and 
include funding for international conferences.

How to apply: To apply for this studentship please submit an application 
for a PhD in Cybernetics (full time) to the University – see 
http://www.reading.ac.uk/Study/apply/pg-applicationform.aspx . In the 
section ‘Research proposal’, please upload or copy-paste your covering 
letter. When prompted as part of your online application, you should 
provide details of the funding you are applying for, quoting the 
reference GS14-68.

Once you have submitted your application, you should receive an email to 
confirm receipt of your online application. Please forward this email, 
along with your covering letter and CV (as pdf), to Dr. Etienne B. 
Roesch, e.b.roesch at reading.ac.uk, by the application deadline.

Application Deadline: Monday 14th July 2014 (interviews in August)

Further Enquiries: Please contact Dr. Etienne B. Roesch, 
e.b.roesch at reading.ac.uk.


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Dr. Etienne B. Roesch
Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Cognitive Science
University of Reading, UK

http://doodle.com/MeetWithEtienne
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