FUNDED Ph.D. POSITION – PRECISION FUNCTIONAL AND CEREBROVASCULAR MAPPING OF THE INDIVIDUAL HEALTHY

at the BCBL- Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain) www.bcbl.eu

1. INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSITION

Position: PhD student
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1- up to the point of PhD)
Number of vacancies: 1
Project: GlioPrecision: Precision functional and cerebrovascular mapping of the individual healthy brain and gliomas
Location: Spain > San Sebastian
Research Field: Neuroscience
Type of contract/Duration of Contract: Temporary: 4 years
Job Status: Full-time
Hours per week: 35
Starting date: 1st of March 2025
Application deadline: 01 December 2024

Information about the project:

Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), which measures the blood flow response to vasoactive stimuli, is a crucial marker of cerebrovascular health. It plays a significant role in diagnosing and managing various neuropathological conditions and enhances our understanding of human brain function and physiology. Additionally, CVR has been linked to baseline perfusion and functional connectivity measurements. This project will involve the acquisition of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and arterial spin labelling (ASL) data using advanced techniques to obtain detailed maps of CVR, vascular delay, baseline perfusion and functional connectivity in a large cohort of healthy subjects. This unique resource will enable us to create normative atlases and charts of these measurements, facilitating the identification of abnormalities in the presence of gliomas. Furthermore, the project aims to develop innovative methods that shed light on the interplay between cerebrovascular and functional networks in healthy subjects, and examine how these networks are disrupted by gliomas.

Job description:

Design and implement experimental paradigms, and acquire MRI and physiological data in healthy subjects and glioma patients.
Develop and apply novel methods for the analysis of MRI data analysis.
Write research papers under the supervision of the PI, aiming to publish at top-tier journals.
Present research findings at international scientific conferences and meetings.

PI and research group:

Dr. César Caballero Gaudes will be the main supervisor of this PhD project. He leads the Signal Processing in Neuroimaging group at BCBL. Our group is developing novel neuroimaging and signal processing techniques to investigate human brain function and physiology in healthy subjects and patients.

2. CANDIDATES’ PROFILE AND SELECTION CRITERIA

Required skills:

Master’s (or equivalent) degree in Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Cognitive Neuroscience, Medicine, or a related field.
Good knowledge of MRI techniques, in particular functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Experience in data analysis, bash scripting and programming in Python.
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

Desirable skills:

Previous experience in participating in research projects (e.g., data collection, analysis) is highly desirable.

3. WORKING CONDITIONS

Salary: 21,000€/year gross on average across the four years of the contract

Entitlements and other benefits: https://www.bcbl.eu/en/join-us/what-is-like-to-work-bcbl

Training opportunities and Career development plan:

Researchers at any stage of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, are given opportunities for professional development and for improving their employability through access to a Personal Career Development Plan which includes

(1) Training through individually personalized research projects under senior supervision

(2) Exchanging knowledge with the scientific community and the general public

(3) Network-wide training in theory and methods

(4) Complementary training courses

(5) Involvement in proposal writing, task coordination

(6) Development of skills for the organization of training and scientific events

BCBL seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support contact us.

4. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:

Language policy

The corporative language at the Center is English
The center provides initial level Spanish and Basque lessons to all the international staff members
The interview will be conducted entirely in English

5. APPLICATION PROCESS:

Submission of the application and documentation:

To submit your application, please follow this link: applying for "Ph.D. Position Precision Mapping Gliomas” and attach the following documentation:

A curriculum vitae
A statement outlining research interests and motivation to apply for the position
Transcript of records for the completed master's and bachelor's degrees
Two letters of recommendation

Learn more about the BCBL’s OTM-R policy

Application process timetable:

1) Deadline for application: 01/12/2024 (extended 09/12/2024)
2) Evaluation by committee: 02/12/2024-10/12/2024 (new dates: 10/12/2024-20/12/2024)
3) Interviews: 13/12/2024-18/12/2024 (new dates: 07/01/2025-10/01/2025)
4) Final decision: 19/12/2024 (new date: 15/01/2025)
5) Feedback to all applicants: 20/12/2024 (new date: 15/01/2025)
6) Work contract start date: 01/03/2025 (no later than this date)