Research Fellow Position (RF1 Neurocognition)

The Centre for Lifelong Learning and Individualised Cognition (CLIC), funded by the National Research  Foundation (NRF) in Singapore and coordinated through the Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research  and Education in Singapore (CARES), is a collaboration between Nanyang Technological University (NTU)  and the University of Cambridge. CLIC is a flagship programme in the Science of Learning to harness  advancements in neuroscience to develop cognitive training programmes for the improvement of  lifelong flexible learning, focusing initially on adolescents and young adults, but also envisaging work  with infants and older adults. This is a strategic global initiative for the Universities of Cambridge and  NTU that brings together multidisciplinary expertise from over 30 investigators in the areas of  Neuroscience, Psychology, Linguistics and Education across the two universities. 

Nanyang Technological University (www.ntu.edu.sg) is a research intensive university currently ranked  13th globally and placed 1st amongst the world’s best young universities. The University has Colleges of  Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and an Interdisciplinary Graduate  School. Further, the new Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine benefits from a dual campus located at  Novena, in close proximity to the Singapore city centre. The Cognitive Neuroimaging Centre (CoNiC)  houses state-of-the-art neuroimaging facilities including a newly installed 3T MRI scanner and MEG, as  well as new EEG, NIRS, TMS and tDCS equipment.  

The first phase of the CLIC program will initially be housed at Nanyang Technological University,  Singapore. As the programme progresses, other sites will be developed to meet the needs of the  experimental programme. The new CLIC research centre will provide a vibrant, fast-paced, international  and interdisciplinary environment with excellent opportunities for skills development and knowledge  exchange between partner Principal Investigator labs in Singapore and Cambridge.   

The Principal Investigators involved in the first phase of the research programme include: 

From Cambridge: Director Professor Zoe Kourtzi (Psychology), Senior Scientific Advisor Professor Trevor  Robbins (Psychology), Deputy Directors Professor Henriette Hendriks (Linguistics) and Professor  Anna Vignoles (Education), and Imaging Lead – Professor John Suckling (Psychiatry); supported by co Investigators Prof Barbara Sahakian (Psychiatry) and Dr Michelle Ellefson (Education).  

From NTU:  Director Professor Annabel Chen (Psychology), Deputy Director Asst Prof Victoria Leong  (Psychology), Imaging Lead – Professor Balázs Gulyas (LKCMedicine), and Principal Investigators  Professor David Hung (NIE), Asst Prof Bobby Cheon (Psychology) and Assoc Prof  George Christopoulos (Nanyang Business School); supported by co-Investigator Dr Teo Chew Lee (NIE). 

The CLIC program is seeking one full-time Research Fellow to lead the optimisation and delivery of core neurocognitive assessments, with a focus on executive function (cognitive flexibility, working memory,  inhibition) and structure learning tasks. We anticipate that you will be a psychometrician, psychologist,  neuropsychologist or cognitive neuroscientist with significant experience in human cognitive test  administration and statistical modelling of large datasets. You will be a high-performing individual with a  track-record of publication in areas such as (but not limited to) learning, executive function, cognitive  flexibility, cognitive training/intervention and neuroplasticity. Applicants with at least 3 years of postdoctoral experience may be considered for appointment at a Senior grade. The post-holder will  primarily be supervised by Prof Trevor Robbins and Asst Prof Victoria Leong. You will also interact widely  with other members of the academic consortium. 

Given the highly inter-disciplinary nature of the project, the Research Fellow can also expect to be  offered opportunities for involvement in research activities related to human neuroimaging, infant  cognition/learning and pedagogy. 

The responsibilities of the position include: 

• Leading the optimisation and delivery of neurocognitive tasks and protocols • Overseeing participant recruitment and large-scale experimental testing
• Assisting with the development and piloting of neuroimaging sequences to monitor training related brain changes
• Supervising junior members of the research team
• Conducting statistical modelling and analysis of data
• Leading the authorship of academic publications
• Contributing to the production of research reports for funders and the public • Contributing to the dissemination of research findings
• Performing other research-relevant tasks as required by the Principal Investigators

Essential requirements: 

• Doctorate (PhD) degree in experimental psychology, biopsychology, cognitive psychology,  neuropsychology, neurology, psychiatry, cognitive neuroscience, electrical engineering, medical  engineering, computer science, or related fields 
• A publication track record and other evidence of research productivity 
• Experience with conducting human experiments in neuropsychology or cognitive psychology • Experience with psychometrics and statistical modelling, including the use of statistical packages  such as R and Matlab 
• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills 
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to work within given deadlines 

Preferred requirements: 

• At least 3 years of postdoctoral experience (for appointment at a Senior grade) • Experience working on large-scale studies and in the analysis of complex datasets • Experience with neuroimaging techniques (MRI, EEG or TMS) 
• Familiarity with image data analysis tools such as SPM, FSL, AFNI, DSIStudio, Python etc • Data management experience with REDCap 
• Prior experience of experimental testing in the Singapore context 
• Experience in a supervisory context 

To apply, please send a Curriculum Vitae, letter of application with research interests, and three letters of recommendation to CLIC@ntu.edu.sg. Please indicate the reference number of this position (RF2) in all application documents and correspondence. For informal discussion about the post, please contact Asst Prof Victoria Leong (victorialeong@ntu.edu.sg).
Contact information: Centre for Research and Development in Learning, Nanyang Technological University, Academic Building North, 61 Nanyang Drive, ABN-01b-10, Singapore 637335, phone +65 6908 1458