PhD position in Cognitive Neuroscience (Idex université Grenoble Alpes)

IDEX PROJECT TITLE: Real-time decoding of intracerebral electrophysiology: toward adaptive deep brain stimulation SUBJECT TITLE: PhD in cognitive neuroscience and intracerebral recordings RESEARCH FIELD: Neurosciences, Psychological sciences SCIENTIFIC DEPARTMENT (LABORATORY’S NAME): Grenoble Institute of neurosciences DOCTORAL SCHOOL’S: Ecole Doctorale Ingénierie pour la Santé, la Cognition et l' Environnement (EDISCE) SUPERVISOR’S NAME: Bastin Julien & Becq Guillaume Job description: The successful candidate will develop and test cognitive paradigms coupled with cortical and subcortical intracerebral recordings performed in human patients implanted with depth electrodes. Requested expertise: The PhD project is multidisciplinary. We expect the candidate to develop skills in: Psychology/cognitive neuroscience / Computer science & Signal processing / Computational modelling / knowledge of the decision-making literature / Electrophysiology. Excellent analytical skills (MATLAB) will also be required. Project scientific summary: Previous studies identified how decision variables were related to specific brain signals by combining computational modelling with a variety of tasks and neuroimaging techniques. However, how ongoing brain activity causally influence subject’s choices remains unknown. To clarify this issue in human, the PhD candidate will record intracerebral EEG signals from pharmaco-resistant patients while they perform value-based decision-making tasks. The PhD working hypothesis is that the manipulation of the level of baseline brain activity will impact subjects’ priors and thus bias their choices. To test this idea, we will trigger cognitive events as a function of brain activity in real-time through the use of a brain-computer interface. The PhD project will extend recent findings in our group showing that opponent brain systems code rewarding vs. punishing events during choice and learning tasks. The main objectives of the PhD project will be to (1) identify the cortico-subcortical dynamics underlying cost/benefit decision-making by using real-time decoding of intracerebral signals while patients will perform a decision-making task (2) test how visual fixation influence choices and neural activity by simultaneously recordings gaze and iEEG data (3) investigate the functional importance of long range correlation between brain signals during decision-making. Overall, this project investigates value-based choices under a neuro-computational perspective that is highly innovative. Host research group: The main goal of the primary host research group (Brain Stimulation & Systems Neuroscience, PI: Olivier David; Phd Advisor: Julien Bastin) is to study large-scale brain networks in order to develop new applications of brain stimulation in the field of psychiatry, movement disorders and epilepsy using a translational approach based on clinical and preclinical research. The PhD fellow will be in constant interaction with other research groups working on decision-making, neuroscience and intracerebral EEG, and with the clinical staff that will recruit patients. Very close interactions between experimentalists, methodologists and clinicians, will offer an optimal environment to develop skills of young scientists. Offer Requirements Specific Requirements Eligibility criteria Applicants must hold a Master's degree (or be about to earn one) or have a university degree equivalent to a European Master's (5-year duration). Applicants will have to send an application letter in English and attach: - Their last diploma - Their CV - A short presentation of their scientific project (1-2 pages max) - At least one letter of recommendation from previous research supervisors. If you apply for this position please say you saw it on Psychoneuroxy

IDEX PROJECT TITLE: Real-time decoding of intracerebral electrophysiology: toward adaptive deep brain stimulation

SUBJECT TITLE: PhD in cognitive neuroscience and intracerebral recordings

RESEARCH FIELD: Neurosciences, Psychological sciences

SCIENTIFIC DEPARTMENT (LABORATORY’S NAME): Grenoble Institute of neurosciences

DOCTORAL SCHOOL’S: Ecole Doctorale Ingénierie pour la Santé, la Cognition et l' Environnement (EDISCE)

SUPERVISOR’S NAME: Bastin Julien & Becq Guillaume

Job description:

The successful candidate will develop and test cognitive paradigms coupled with cortical and subcortical intracerebral recordings performed in human patients implanted with depth electrodes.

Requested expertise: The PhD project is multidisciplinary. We expect the candidate to develop skills in: Psychology/cognitive neuroscience / Computer science & Signal processing / Computational modelling / knowledge of the decision-making literature / Electrophysiology. Excellent analytical skills (MATLAB) will also be required.

Project scientific summary:

Previous studies identified how decision variables were related to specific brain signals by combining computational modelling with a variety of tasks and neuroimaging techniques. However, how ongoing brain activity causally influence subject’s choices remains unknown. To clarify this issue in human, the PhD candidate will record intracerebral EEG signals from pharmaco-resistant patients while they perform value-based decision-making tasks. The PhD working hypothesis is that the manipulation of the level of baseline brain activity will impact subjects’ priors and thus bias their choices. To test this idea, we will trigger cognitive events as a function of brain activity in real-time through the use of a brain-computer interface.

The PhD project will extend recent findings in our group showing that opponent brain systems code rewarding vs. punishing events during choice and learning tasks. The main objectives of the PhD project will be to (1) identify the cortico-subcortical dynamics underlying cost/benefit decision-making by using real-time decoding of intracerebral signals while patients will perform a decision-making task (2) test how visual fixation influence choices and neural activity by simultaneously recordings gaze and iEEG data (3) investigate the functional importance of long range correlation between brain signals during decision-making. Overall, this project investigates value-based choices under a neuro-computational perspective that is highly innovative.

Host research group:

The main goal of the primary host research group (Brain Stimulation & Systems Neuroscience, PI: Olivier David; Phd Advisor: Julien Bastin) is to study large-scale brain networks in order to develop new applications of brain stimulation in the field of psychiatry, movement disorders and epilepsy using a translational approach based on clinical and preclinical research. The PhD fellow will be in constant interaction with other research groups working on decision-making, neuroscience and intracerebral EEG, and with the clinical staff that will recruit patients. Very close interactions between experimentalists, methodologists and clinicians, will offer an optimal environment to develop skills of young scientists.