PhD position on motor control in healthy and pathological aging

Closing Date
31 May 2021
Address
Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (UBFC)
Duration
36 months

Project Details

Aging is associated with modifications of several brain structures and functions. These modifications then reverberate as modified behaviours. It has been proposed that some brain function modifications may compensate for some other deteriorated ones, thus maintaining behavioural performance. Teasing apart deteriorated versus compensating processes represents invaluable knowledge that could significantly improve the prevention and rehabilitation of age-related loss of mobility. At the behavioural level, however, mostly descriptive studies that measure crude motor performances exist in the literature. Such studies do not allow to finely understand compensating vs deterioration processes. To this aim, this research project aims at investigating well-defined motor control processes (motor planning, motor optimization, internal model calibration, sensory   integration…) in healthy and pathological aging.

‍The PhD student will perform experiments with healthy young and older adults, as well as with non-healthy older adults. Our laboratory has a history of research on human adaptation to the gravitational environment. This knowledge wad mostly developed from   studies on young healthy adults. A principal aim of this PhD project will be to further develop and transfer this knowledge to the aging field.

Host Laboratory: https://u1093.u-bourgogne.fr/fr/

Person Criteria

The candidate should have a Master degree or equivalent level in movement science, neuroscience, computational neuroscience, biomechanics, gerontology or any related area.

Experience with any of the following will be particularly appreciated: motion capture (kinematics and EMGs), data processing, programming (matlab, python…), modeling and simulations, virtual reality.

A strong interest in motor control and aging researches is paramount.

How to Apply

https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/phd-position-on-motor-control-in-healthy-and-pathological-aging-universite-bourgogne-franchecomte-ubfc-738743#apply  or

Please send the following documents (all in one PDF file) by e-mail to jeremie.gaveau@u-bourgogne.fr :

1) For EU candidates: Copy of your national ID card or of your passport page where your photo is printed.

For non-EU candidates: Copy of your passport page where your photo is printed.

2) Curriculum Vitae (1 page).

3) Letter of motivation relatively to the position (1 page).

4) Copy of your Master degree and/or Engineer degree if already available.

5) Copy of your final marks and ranks.

6) Coordinates of reference persons (maximum 3, at least your master thesis supervisor): Title, Name, organization, e-mail.

Contact Details

Pr. France Mourey France.Mourey@u-bourgogne.fr and Dr. Jeremie Gaveau jeremie.gaveau@u-bourgogne.fr .