Connectionists: A post-doc position on the development of rhythm perception before the age of term and the impact of NICU musical interventions

[Sahar Moghimi]

We are looking for a 3-year post-doc researcher at Groupe de  
Recherches sur l’Analyse Multimodale de la Fonction Cérébrale in  
Amiens, France, funded by the French National Research Agency and the  
Fondation pour l’Audition.
The deadline for applications is May 31st, 2023. Applications will be  
evaluated as they come in, and the positions will be open until filled.

About the project: We aim to evaluate the development of rhythm  
perception starting from the third trimester of gestation into  
infancy, and the impact of early musical interventions in the NICU on  
preterm infants’ development. In this cross-sectional and longitudinal  
study, we will evaluate the development of auditory rhythm processing  
capacities with EEG, and behavioral protocols.

About the consortium: the project consortium is led by Sahar Moghimi  
(Université de Picardie,Amiens, France), involves three other academic  
partners, Barbara Tillmann (Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France),  
Laurel Trainor (McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada), and Florence  
Levé (Université de Picardie,Amiens, France), and post-doc researchers  
and PhD students with complementary expertise in early  
neurodevelopment, cognitive neurosciences of music, neural data  
processing, and music analysis.
The aim is to put together a cross-disciplinary team that together  
covers protocol design and implementation, EEG signal processing,  
behavioral studies, video analysis, statistics, and machine learning.

GRAMFC (Inserm U1105) is an international leader in neonatal care and  
specifically in pediatric/neonatal Clinical Neurophysiology, HR EEG  
and HD NIRS (and soon fetal MEG) engineering in premature neonates.  
Inserm U1105 is a multidisciplinary group and has brought together a  
team of neuropsychologists, intensive-care pediatricians,  
obstetricians, pediatric neurologists, and specialists in signal  
processing. The lab has developed new tools for signal acquisition and  
analysis of the cerebral function in children, neonates, and preterm  
infants. The UMR 1105 also has a unique position because of support  
from the university and from the hospital Pediatric Nervous System  
Functional Investigations unit.

Qualifications:
The post-doc/PhD will be fully dedicated to extracting the EEG  
correlates of rhythm processing in the course of development, aiming  
to extract the neural response to different rhythmic characteristics,  
and to evaluate the impact of musical interventions on neurodevelopment.
Required: PhD in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, computer  
science, or related fields, strong background in neural signal  
processing, advanced skills with scripting languages, such as Matlab  
or Python, research experience in EEG signal processing/modeling, high  
verbal and written communication skills
Preferable: knowledge in the field of neurosciences of music and/or  
auditory perception, French fluency

How to apply:
All applications should include a CV, a cover letter specifying  
research interests and motivation, and contact details for two referees.

Applications should be sent to Sahar Moghimi, sahar.moghimi at u-picardie.fr.