Postdoctoral researcher
hace 5 días
San Sebastián
ph3JOB OFFER POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE - BRAIN RHYTHMS AND COGNITION RESEARCH GROUP (N.M.) /h3 pbat the BCBL- Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain) /b /p pThe Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (BCBL) in San Sebastian (Basque Country, Spain) is looking for a POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER to join its team. /p ul libINFORMATION ABOUT THE POSITION /b /li libPosition: /b Postdoctoral researcher /li libResearcher profile: /b Recognised Researcher (R2 - PhD holders or equivalent who are not yet fully independent) /li libNumber of vacancies: /b 1 /li libProject: /b AIA -C33 /li libFounding source: /b Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation /li libResearch field: /b Neuroscience Cognitive computational neuroscience and neuroimaging /li libType of contract/Duration of Contract: /b Temporary, 4 years. /li libJob Status: /b Full-time /li /ul h3Information about the project /h3 pDecoding Bilingual Speech Perception (Deco-B) explores how the bilingual brain represents meaning across two structurally different languages: Spanish and Basque. The central question is whether bilinguals use separate language-specific semantic systems or a shared, unified semantic representation. To investigate this, the project combines advanced neuroimaging techniques (MEG and fMRI) with transformer-based multilingual AI models. Twenty young adult Spanish–Basque bilinguals will listen to natural speech in both languages while their brain activity is recorded across multiple sessions. A specially designed bilingual speech corpus will support high-resolution neural decoding. The decoding models will be trained on brain activity from one language (e.g., Spanish) using semantic features extracted from pre-trained language models (such as GPT-2, XLM-R, mT5, and LaBSE). The models will then be tested on the other language (Basque) to assess cross-language generalization. The reverse direction (training on Basque, testing on Spanish) will also be examined to evaluate symmetry in bilingual semantic mapping. To integrate the spatial precision of fMRI and the temporal resolution of MEG, the project will use advanced multimodal fusion techniques, including cross-modal transformers, shared latent space models (e.g., Deep CCA, multimodal VAEs), and contrastive learning approaches inspired by CLIP. Through this interdisciplinary approach, Deco-B aims to uncover whether meaning in the bilingual brain is language-specific or shared, offering new insights into the neural architecture of bilingual semantic representation. /p h3Position /h3 pOne full-time postdoctoral researcher with a background in computational neuroscience, machine learning, or a related field will be hired for a three-year period. The researcher will work under the direct supervision of the Principal Investigator and will play a leading role in developing and implementing machine learning models for the decoding of bilingual speech and neural data. /p h3Responsibilities /h3 pPrimary responsibilities will include developing and optimizing multimodal analysis pipelines integrating MEG and fMRI data, extracting and aligning linguistic features from transformer-based language models, and leading cross-language decoding analyses and model evaluation. The researcher will also contribute to data preprocessing, quality control, and documentation, and collaborate with other members of the project to integrate shared decoding frameworks and explainability tools. /p pThe postdoctoral researcher is expected to take an active role in the conceptual development of the project, contribute to scientific publications, and present results at international conferences. Opportunities for supervision of junior researchers and involvement in grant-related activities may also be available. /p pThe position offers advanced training in neuroimaging analysis, multilingual AI modeling, and multimodal data integration, within a highly interdisciplinary research environment. The contract is full time and includes an end-of-contract payout in accordance with institutional and funding regulations. /p pPostdoctoral researchers at the BCBL can acquire mentoring skills by co‑supervising Master’s and PhD students. Additionally, there is the opportunity to gain teaching experience on the BCBL’s Master’s program in the cognitive neuroscience of language. /p h3Candidate Profile and Selection Criteria /h3 ul liHave a PhD in computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, machine learning, or a related field /li liHave demonstrated expertise in developing and applying machine learning or statistical models /li liBe able to independently carry out research within defined project objectives /li liHave experience working with complex datasets and implementing analysis pipelines /li liBe capable of critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas /li liHave the ability to contribute to research design and methodological development /li liBe able to communicate research results effectively to colleagues and broader audiences /li liHave experience in scientific writing and dissemination (e.g., publications, conferences) /li liBe able to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary research environments /li liHave good programming skills (e.g., Python) and experience with scientific computing tools /li liExperience with MEG, EEG, or fMRI data analysis /li liFamiliarity with transformer‑based language models or multimodal learning approaches /li liExperience with open science practices and reproducible research workflows /li liAbility to supervise students or junior researchers /li libWORKING CONDITIONS /b /li /ul h3Training opportunities and Career development plan /h3 pResearchers at any stage of their career, regardless of their contractual situation, are given an opportunity for professional development and for improving their employability through access to a Personal Career Development Plan which includes /p p(1) Training through individually personalized research projects under senior supervision /p p(2) Exchanging knowledge with the scientific community and the general public /p p(3) Network‑wide training in theory and methods /p p(4) Complementary training courses /p p(5) Involvement in proposal writing, task coordination /p p(6) Development of skills for the organization of training and scientific events /p pBCBL seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, sex, sexual orientation, age, sociocultural background, nationality or impairments. We are proud to have in place both an LGTBIQ+ Plan and a Gender Equality Plan to actively promote inclusion and equal opportunities. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us. /p h3Other relevant information /h3 h3Language policy /h3 ul liThe corporative language at the Center is English but the national language will be an asset for this particular position /li liThe center provides initial level Spanish and Basque lessons to all the international staff members /li liThe interview will be conducted entirely in English /li /ul pFor inquiries or questions related to the content of the position and/or information about the research group please contact: /p /p #J-18808-Ljbffr