Neural and behavioral correlates of cognitive fatigue and sleep need

1 Research Collaborator position

(Deadline April 14^th, 2020 12:00 )

Fields

Cognitive Fatigue, Sleep, Electroencephalography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Activity

The appointed candidate will participate in a research project aimed at investigating the impact of meditation practices on sleep quality, cognitive efficiency, and psychological wellbeing in adolescents and young adult individuals. More in general, the appointed candidate will contribute to research activities aimed at investigating behavioral and neural correlates of sleep and sleep regulation in healthy adult individuals. These research activities require expertise with different methodological approaches ranging from collection and analysis of behavioral and psychometric data to the study of functional and structural brain correlates through the use of electroencephalography

Profile

The IMT School for Advanced Studies in Lucca invites applications for a Research Collaborator with a background in neuroimaging applied to social and affective cognition, behavioral psychology, social psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. The ideal candidate should have significant research experience with the administration of behavioral testing and psychometric questionnaires, preferentially applied to the fields of sleep research and/or to the study of the behavioral and neural outcomes of meditation practices. The candidate should also have good experience with the collection and analysis of data collected through high-density electroencephalography (hd-EEG; 64-256 electrodes) and functional/structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Formal requirements

Master degree in Psychology, preferably acquired within the last 6 years;
At least 3 years of research activity with experience on the analysis of electroencephalographic data and magnetic resonance imaging data;
Excellent knowledge of both written and spoken English.

Specific requirements

A good track record of research experience and outcomes related to the field of this position;
Experience in administering neuropsychological and personological questionnaires and tests for assessing cognitive abilities and psychological traits in healthy individuals and clinical populations;
Experience with the recording and analysis of standard and high-density (64-256 electrodes) electroencephalographic data. In particular, the ideal candidate should have experience with the analysis of continuous data, collected during wakefulness and/or sleep, as well as with the analysis of event-related potentials (ERP). Experience with EGI-Philips hd-EEG systems is preferred;
Experience with the preprocessing and analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Experience with AFNI is preferred;
Experience with the analysis of cortical and subcortical morphology using Freesurfer and related tools;
Basic MATLAB programming skills;
Ability to work in a team.

Gross amount

€ 19367/year

Duration

1 year, renewable

Job Research Unit:

MOMILAB

Job Contract Type:

Assegno di ricerca

Full call