Non-invasive modulation of the level and content of mental activity during sleep

1 Research Collaborator position

(Deadline November 12^th, 2021 12:00 )

Fields

dreams, sleep, sensory stimulation, electroencephalography

Profile

The ideal candidate should possess: i) at least four years of experience in research areas related to the topics of the present position; ii) experience with the acquisition and analysis of sleep EEG/PSG recordings; iii) a strong interest toward the neurophysiology of sleep and dreams. Good information technology skills and programming skills represent a plus.

Activity

The appointed candidate will contribute to an ERC-funded research project aimed at exploring the effects of sensory stimulation protocols on brain activity and dream imagery during sleep. Specifically, as part of the project, healthy adult volunteers will participate in multiple experimental overnight sessions during which their brain activity will be recorded during wakefulness and sleep using high-density electroencephalography (hd-EEG; 256 electrodes) and additional physiological signals, including electrooculography (EOG) and electromyography (EMG), will be collected. The experiments will combine sensory-stimulation protocols, a serial awakening paradigm, and the administration of questionnaires and behavioral tests. The appointed candidate will contribute to all phases of data acquisition, including the preparation of the recording systems, the application of sensory stimulation protocols, the induction of awakenings, and the administration of questionnaires. In addition, they will contribute to data processing and statistical analysis. The successful candidate will be part of the MoMiLab Research Unit, the Cognitive Neuroscience community of IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, under the supervision of Dr. Giulio Bernardi.

Formal requirements

Master Degree in Psychology, Cognitive Science, or related fields, obtained in Italy, or equivalent qualification obtained abroad (preferably obtained in the last eight years);
At least four years of experience in research areas related to the topics of the present position;
Previous experience with the acquisition and analysis of sleep EEG/PSG recordings;
Experience with sleep scoring procedures according to the AASM guidelines;
Excellent knowledge of both written and spoken English.

Specific requirements

Experience with the use of E-prime and/or Psychtoolbox for the preparation of stimulation protocols and tasks;
Experience with the preprocessing and analysis of EEG/PSG data (experience with the use of EEGLAB and/or FieldTrip is preferred);
Experience with the use of programming languages MATLAB and/or R for data visualization and analysis;
Experience with the application and interpretation of statistical methods including linear regression, ANOVA, repeated measures ANOVA and linear mixed-effect (LME) model;
Ability to work in a team.

Gross amount

€ 24000/year

Duration

2 years (renewable)

Project

"Tweaking dreams: non-invasive modulation of the level and content of mental activity during sleep" - TweakDreams (GA 948891), P0187, CUP D64G21000020006

Job Research Area:

Job Research Unit:

MOMILAB

Job Contract Type:

Assegno di ricerca

Full call