Connectionists: Method development for coupled EEG-fMRI (1x Full EPSRC studentship)

[Etienne B. Roesch]

Method development for coupled EEG-fMRI (1x Full EPSRC studentship)

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 applied 
mathematics/statistics/physics and programming. One studentship is 
available, to join a research group in the remit of this project. Prior 
exposure to either/or EEG and fMRI is preferred, but training on both 
modalities will be provided. The emphasis of the studentship is on the 
development of novel analysis methods, but the successful candidate will 
have opportunities to join empirical work using EEG-fMRI.

The student 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. The 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 student will be granted access 
to the cluster of NVIDIA Tesla GPUs and other facilities at CINN, as 
well as at 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 November 10th, 2014 (interviews on November 
21st, 2014, Skype or in Reading)

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


Kind regards,

Etienne
Save the world from email! http://emailcharter.org

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

http://doodle.com/MeetWithEtienne