Post-Doctoral Research Visit F/M Post-doc offer: Noise and Variability-free Motor Brain-Computer Interfaces

Contract type : Fixed-term contract

Level of qualifications required : PhD or equivalent

Fonction : Post-Doctoral Research Visit

Level of experience : Recently graduated

Context

While Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) are promising for many applications, e.g., assistive technologies, human-machine teaming or motor rehabilitation, they are barely used out-of-the-lab due to a poor reliability. Electroencephalographic (EEG) brain signals are indeed very noisy and variable, both between and within users. To address these issues, the French-German Inria-DFKI project NEARBY (« Noise and Variability-free BCI Systems for Out-of-the-lab Use ») proposes to join Inria and DFKI forces to build large-scale multi-centric and open EEG-BCI databases, with controlled noise and variability sources, for BCIs based on motor and speech activity. Building on this data we will then design new Artificial Intelligence algorithms, notably based on Deep Learning (but not only), dedicated to EEG denoising and variability-robust EEG-decoding.
 

Benefits :

  • Work with a dedicated EEG engineer to help running numerous experiments and implement the protocols
  • An international collaborative project between France and Germany, with scientific visits planned in Germany
  • Work as part of the Potioc research team of Inria in Bordeaux, an internationally-renown research group dedicated to Brain-Computer Interface Research
  • A high quality academic supervision, both in terms of scientific level (F. Lotte is laureate of both the USERN prize 2022 and the Lovelace Babbage prize 2023 from the French academy of science and the French computer science society) and in terms of mentoring (F. Lotte is laureate of the Nature award for mentoring in science 2023)
  • Work in a friendly, dynamic and interdisciplinary research environment
  • A modern and state-of-the-art research institute
  • Working in the Bordeaux area, a beautiful city listed as UNESCO world heritage

Main activities

As part of this project, the goal of this Post-doc project is first to contribute to the setup, running and analyses of a motor imagery EEG-based BCI experiment, with various controlled sources of noise and variability. This work will be made in collaboration with an Inria EEG engineer who will help the post-doc to implement and run the study (and notably help to collect the data). Once the data base collected, the goal of the post-doc would be to design BCI machine learning algorithms (notably Deep Learning algorithms, but not only, Riemannian geometry and reservoir computing classifiers will also be explored) specifically able to deal with the (known) noise and variability sources affecting BCI, thanks to the new and unique data base created.

Skills

  • Experience with ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG) and/or BCI experiments
  • Ability to speak, write and work in an English speaking environment
  • Skills in neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science is a plus

Benefits package

  • Subsidized meals
  • Partial reimbursement of public transport costs
  • Possibility of teleworking and flexible organization of working hours
  • Professional equipment available (videoconferencing, loan of computer equipment, etc.)
  • Social, cultural and sports events and activities
  • Access to vocational training
  • Social security coverage

Remuneration

2788€ / month (before taxs)