Dear list, We have PhD and one post-doctoral positions in our research group. Please communicate with my colleague Eric Plourde for further details. 1) PhD positions in Electrophysiology / Brain-machine interface at the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada (co-supervision at the University of Minnesota, USA) for IC implants Auditory implants aim at restoring audition by stimulating a specific structure of the auditory system with an electrode array. The most successful auditory implant, the cochlear implant that stimulates the spiral ganglions in the cochlea, has allowed more than 325 000 people worldwide to regain audition. However, cochlear implants are not appropriate for patients that have a disfunctionnal auditory nerve or for which the cochlea cannot be implanted. Alternative implants have therefore been developed such as the auditory midbrain implant (AMI) that stimulates a structure named the inferior colliculus (IC). One aspect that limits the development of the AMI is the lack of knowledge regarding the optimal approach to stimulate the IC. The proposed project aims at gaining more insight into the optimal design of stimulation patterns for the IC. Objectives: Design optimal inferior colliculus stimulation patterns using adaptive filters specifically adapted for neural signals: the neural activity will be recorded in the auditory cortex and optimal stimulation in the inferior colliculus will be evaluated using a closed-loop approach. A financial support will be provided. Requirements: - Excellent academic record. - Master’s degree in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, physics, biophysics or other related field with a strong background in mathematics and signal processing. - Willing to conduct experiments in electrophysiology to record the neural activity of the auditory system. No prior knowledge in electrophysiology is required. - Excellent ability to communicate in English, knowledge of French is considered an advantage. Interested candidates should send their CV, academic transcripts and relevant publications as well as the names of 2 references to Prof. Eric Plourde. Contact: Eric Plourde, Eng., Ph.D., Université de Sherbrooke (eric.plourde@usherbrooke.ca) 2) Postdoctoral position in statistical signal processing / Brain-machine interface at the Université de Sherbrooke A retinal prosthesis aims at giving back vision to blind people. To do so, an external camera captures visual scenes and sends this information to an electrode array, which is positioned in the eye, in order to stimulate directly the retina. The electric pulses from the electrodes are sent to the brain along the optic nerve and interpreted as sight. The objective of this study is to decode a perceived image using Bayesian decoding approaches. Many types of patterns can be used to stimulate the different electrodes comprising the array and not all are efficient. The research proposal aims at simulating a perceived image using an adapted stimulation approach and Bayesian decoding and comparing it with an image obtained with traditional stimulation approaches. The contract is for a 6-months period. Requirements: - Ph.D. degree in statistical signal processing, biomedical engineering, bio-informatics or other related field - Proven publication record - Excellent ability to communicate in English. Interested candidates should send their CV, academic transcripts and relevant publications as well as the names of 2 references to Prof. Eric Plourde. Contact: Eric Plourde, Eng., Ph.D., Université de Sherbrooke (eric.plourde@usherbrooke.ca) ==================================================== The Université de Sherbrooke is a French-speaking institution located in the province of Quebec, Canada, and the heart of an international research pole. It is host to more than 40 000 students from over 120 different countries worldwide. (Source: UdeS) ==================================================== Jean Rouat, Prof., coord. IGLU, http://iglu-chistera.github.io Université de Sherbrooke Université de Montréal Member of the centre for Interdisciplinary research Professeur titulaire, Professeur associé in Music Media and Technology NECOTIS: Computational Neurosciences Vision, neuroscience Lab McGill Schulich School of Music and Intelligent Signal Processing FAS- Sciences biologiques 527 Sherbrooke St. West Faculté de génie, GEGI, C1-3108 90 avenue Vincent-d’Indy Montreal, Qc, 2500 boul. de l'université Montréal, Qc, Canada, H3A 1E3 Sherbrooke, Québec Canada, H3C 3J7 Canada, J1K 2R1 Tél.: +1(819)-821-8000 ext. 63864 http://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/rouat http://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/necotis http://www.usherbrooke.ca/gelecinfo/fr/pers/profs/rouj-fr/ Jean.Rouat@umontreal.ca ou Jean.Rouat@usherbrooke.ca Publications: https://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/rouat/publications/publiDeJRouat.html