Academic ConnectWe are looking for a post-doctoral research associate with an interest in understanding and improving perception of speech and other sounds by people who hear through a Cochlear Implant. This is a fixed-term post with funds available for 3 years, funded by the Evelyn Trust.
Many users of Cochlear Implants understand speech in quiet conditions but struggle in noisy situations. This is partly because Cochlear Implants can stimulate too many neurons at once, making it difficult to perceive the fine details in everyone's voices.
The successful candidate will lead a research project evaluating current focusing methods to reduce channel interactions and improve speech perception with Cochlear Implants.
Questions to be addressed are:
- What is the optimal neural excitation pattern for each electrode of a Cochlear Implant so as to minimise channel interactions and improve speech perception?
- What is the best way to achieve that pattern?
- How much does this vary across Cochlear-Implant users?
These questions will be addressed using a series of behavioural and electro-physiological experiments with Cochlear Implant users, as well as comparing the outcomes with predictions from existing computational models of the auditory nerve.
The successful candidate will be working with Dr François Guérit, as well as collaborating with leading scientists at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (Dr Robert P. Carlyon, Dr Charlotte Garcia) and the Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Pr Manohar Bance and Pr Deborah Vickers). The successful candidate will be based at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (MRC CBU).
The successful candidate will have or be about to receive a PhD in a relevant subject area such as, but not limited to psychology, cognitive neuroscience, engineering, physiology, or audiology. Experience in performing behavioural or EEG experiments, experience in a high-level programming language, and proven willingness and ability to learn new technical skills are essential for this post.