PhD Position: Social Bonds and Inter-Brain Synchrony in Ageing (LINK-AGE) M/F

Job Description

Thesis Subject

Project Summary
The project aims to investigate how ageing affects inter-brain synchrony during social interaction, and to determine the extent to which this synchrony is associated with the quality of the social bond between partners. To address these questions, we will study young and older adults performing different dyadic motor coordination tasks. A range of neurophysiological measures (EEG, ECG and fNIRS) as well as behavioural measures will be recorded simultaneously from both partners. Machine-learning algorithms will subsequently be developed, trained and tested to identify markers of reduced brain resilience during ageing. The project adopts an interdisciplinary approach at the interface of neuroscience, psychology, movement science and signal processing.
Main Responsibilities
The PhD candidate will be involved in all stages of the research, from the design and implementation of the experiments to data analysis and dissemination of the findings.

The main responsibilities will include:
• Designing and implementing experimental paradigms involving motor and social coordination;
• Recruiting participants;
• Collecting simultaneous EEG, ECG, fNIRS and motor data;
• Monitoring the quality of the experimental data;
• Processing and analysing the data in collaboration with researchers and engineers from IRIT;
• Interpreting the results within an integrative framework linking development, brain activity, motor coordination and social interaction;
• Contributing to the preparation of scientific articles and presenting the findings at conferences and seminars.
The PhD candidate will work within an interdisciplinary team bringing together psychologists, neuroscientists, specialists in movement science and computer scientists.
Required Skills
Essential qualifications and skills
• Master's-level training providing an integrative approach to cognitive science;
• Experience in the acquisition and processing of neurophysiological data, particularly EEG;
• Programming experience, particularly in R and Python;
• Proficiency in statistical methods commonly used in psychology and neuroscience (ANOVA, linear models, etc.);
• Familiarity with the literature in human movement science;
• Scientific curiosity and an interest in interdisciplinary approaches;
• Confidence and ease in interacting with older adults;
• Good level of scientific English, particularly for reading scientific articles and communicating research findings.
Desirable qualifications and skills
• Previous research internship experience in a cognitive neuroscience laboratory;
• Experiment involving older adults;
• Familiarity with theories of perception and action (e.g. Gibsonian approaches);
• Familiarity with theories of cognitive and brain ageing;
• Familiarity with theories of synchronisation and complex dynamical systems;
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to an interdisciplinary team.

Your Work Environment

The project will be carried out primarily at the CLLE laboratory (UMR 5263) at University of Toulouse – Jean Jaurès (UT2J), in collaboration with the Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse (IRIT) at Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UT3) and the Centre d'Études et de Recherche en Psychopathologie et Santé (CERPPS) at Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès.
Experimental work will be conducted on the Plateau d'Acquisition Comportementale et Physiologique (PACOMP), within the Cognition, Comportements et Usages (CCU) platform at the Maison de la Recherche of Université Toulouse 2 – Jean Jaurès (MSHT).
The PhD candidate will be affiliated with the CLESCO Doctoral School (Behaviour, Language, Education, Socialisation, Cognition) at Université Toulouse 2 – Jean Jaurès.
Dissemination
The results of the project will be presented at scientific conferences and seminars and published in international peer-reviewed journals.
The project also includes a public science communication component, notably through the production and dissemination of a film presenting the project.

Supervision
Prof. Radouane EL YAGOUBI – Neuroscience, CLLE Laboratory
Dr Amel AISSAOUI – Signal Processing, IRIT Laboratory
Contact
Prof. Radouane EL YAGOUBI
CLLE – Cognition, Langues, Langage, Ergonomie
Université Toulouse 2 – Jean Jaurès

Constraints and risks

The position requires:
• Regular weekly presence in the laboratory;
• Compliance with health and safety regulations applicable to laboratory research;
• Availability during experimental data collection periods, particularly according to participants' availability;
• Active involvement in the different stages of the project, including participant recruitment, data acquisition, data processing and scientific dissemination.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions