Research Associate - AffecTech Early Stage Researcher #3

School of Computing and Communications
Salary: Salary: circa £31,800 per annum including mobility allowance
Closing Date: Thursday 01 June 2017
Interview Date: Thursday 15 June 2017
Reference: A1809

We are seeking to appoint a Research Associate (to also enrol for PhD studies) for AffecTech, a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network funded by European Commission H2020. AffecTech will provide an interdisciplinary doctoral training programme to 15 PhD students including courses on affective interaction design, emotional processing and regulation, wearable biosensing, biofeedback technologies, as well as entrepreneurship, leadership, and communication skills.

The AffecTech consortium is dedicated to the design, development and evaluation of personal technologies for affective health bringing together human-computer interaction researchers, biomedical engineers, and clinical psychologists from across Europe. It aims to advance the understanding of how wearable technologies can empower people to understand their emotion and develop adaptive regulation strategies responsible for modifying emotional responses in daily life. The network brings together eleven institutions from the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Turkey and includes Philips Research, PLUX Wireless Biosignal, and the UK NHS, as well as a range of prestigious associate partners such as Stanford University, Carnegie Melon University, University of California at Santa Cruz, and University of New South Wales.

PhD 3: The aim of this project is to design and develop novel interactive technologies supporting emotion regulation in depression and anxiety through neurofeedback. The developed prototypes will integrate wearable biosensors and electronic hardware for capturing mindfulness states through respiration and electroencephalography (EEG) measurements, and for mapping them for real time feedback using haptic actuators.
We invite applications from enthusiastic individuals who have MSc or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering or Neuroscience. Ideally, you must be able to demonstrate a research background in the areas of neurosensors and electronic prototyping. The role will require you to engage with consortium’s partners and end users and therefore, excellent communication skills and experience of collaborative projects will be essential. We also value your ability to rapidly learn new techniques beyond current skills and abilities. Experience in user-centred design is desirable but not compulsory.

This is a fixed term appointment for 36 months, expected start date September 2017. You will be paid a competitive salary, alongside mobility allowance and a family allowance (subject to family situation at the time of recruitment). According to mobility rules of Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks, at the time of recruitment, applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the starting date of doctoral studies.

You should include the following in your application:

A cover letter outlining your interest in the AffecTech PhD project, motivation and preparation towards a PhD, and research interests and experience. Maximum two (2) pages.
CV summarising all relevant academic, professional, and other achievements, experience, skills and knowledge. Maximum four (4) pages.
Transcripts and degrees: Official documents from your previously attended University-level institutions, with certified Translations in English (unless provided so by the issuing institution).
Names of three referees.
Publication list including full text of top two publications.

Informal enquiries to Dr Corina Sas, email: corina@comp.lancs.ac.uk

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Further details:

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