LEGO® construction, Spatial thinking and Mathematics achievement

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (1A)

Start date: 1^st March 2021

End date: 26^th July 2022
Primary work place: School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH
Line manager & Principal Investigator: Prof. Emily Farran

The Project and the Role

You will work on a project detailing the relationship between spatial ability and mathematical cognition in primary school children. The project aims to identify: 1) the mechanisms underlying the relationship between LEGO^® construction abilities and mathematics; 2) whether this differs for physical vs. digital Lego; 3) whether both physical Lego and digital Lego construction activities can be used to improve spatial abilities and measure the impact that this has on mathematics ability. You will be part of a strong team of experts in spatial cognition and mathematical cognition. You will recruit primary schools, and children, to be involved in the project and work with a graduate research assistant to administer a battery of spatial and mathematical tasks to participating children. You will be responsible for data coding and initial analyses of the data. You will also contribute to report writing, presentations, publications and dissemination to non-academic audiences.

You will have a PhD or equivalent qualification in Psychology or a related subject (or will be close to finishing your PhD), have experience in conducting cognitive behavioural studies and standard data coding as well as experience of statistical analysis using statistical packages such as R or SPSS.

The University of Surrey

The post-holder will be based in the School of Psychology at the University of Surrey. The University of Surrey is located on a beautiful, leafy campus in Guildford, just 30 miles from London and benefitting from excellent rail and road connections. We are an ambitious, research-led organization, committed to research excellence and to the application of our research for the benefit of society. The University of Surrey is amongst the highest achieving universities in the United Kingdom. The School of Psychology has a long-standing reputation for its vibrant and supportive research and teaching environment. The School of Psychology has a long-standing reputation for its vibrant and supportive research and teaching environment. The School has a strong track record of innovation in Psychology, from the discovery of the McGurk effect, to changing educational approaches to national identity, and the ongoing development of mobile neuro-assessment. The School currently houses 500+ UG students, 100+ Masters and 150+ taught Doctorate and PhD students and more than 70 staff.

In addition to your salary, you will receive pension contributions via the Universities Superannuation Scheme, a generous annual leave entitlement, an attractive research environment, and access to a variety of staff development opportunities. Our benefits package also includes an exclusive discounted membership package to the Surrey Sports Park and an on-site Nursery.

You are welcome to contact Prof. Emily Farran (e.farran@surrey.ac.uk), Dr. Camilla Gilmore (C.Gilmore@lboro.ac.uk) or Dr. Katie Gilligan-Lee (k.gilligan@surrey.ac.uk) if you would like further information or to discuss the post.

To apply use the link below:

http://jobs.surrey.ac.uk/053520

The Department of Psychology and College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Alabama is currently inviting applications for the Dean’s Postdoctoral Research Associate positions. 

The Dean’s Postdoctoral Research Associate positions have been established through a major College initiative begun in 2019 to promote an inclusive scholarly environment in which outstanding scholars support the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the College. We particularly welcome applications from scholars who are from populations historically underrepresented in the academy and/or who have experience working with diverse populations. 

This position is unique in several ways: 

1. This position allows for an individual to complete a 1- to 2-year postdoc appointment with a tenure-track position salary. 
2. As a research postdoc, there is no requirement or expectation for teaching in this position unless the person wants to teach. This allows time for the further development of the individual’s research program. 
3. The goal of this position is to transition successful candidates into tenure-track positions at The University of Alabama. 

I have attached a description of the position, and more information can be found here. 

Review of applications will begin January 1, 2021, and I am hoping you will pass this information along to anyone who you think might be a good candidate for this position. 

Ansley Gilpin, Ph.D. | Associate Professor

Director of Experimental Psychology

Center for Youth Development and Intervention (CYDI)

Department of Psychology

Director of K.I.D. Lab

The University of Alabama

Box 870348 
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 
Phone 205-348-2956

agilpin@ua.edu | https://atullos.people.ua.edu

We (i.e. the Language Development Dept at the MPI for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands) are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to act as a design and statistics consultant to the department’s research projects (2 days per week), and as a project leader on one of the department’s new projects: Mechanisms of individual differences in language development (3 days per week). This is a 5 year post.

Details are in the advert here:

https://www.mpi.nl/career-education/vacancies/vacancy/postdoctoral-researcher-data-analysis-and-modelling

Plesae share with your networks and point out to anyone you know who may be interested.

You can find out more about us here:  https://www.mpi.nl/department/language-development/3

Post-Doctoral Associate

San Diego State University

 
We are seeking a Postdoctoral Associate with a strong foundation in clinical and developmental sciences to begin in January 2021 or Summer 2021. The Postdoctoral Associate will be primarily involved with coordinating the Brains in Growth-Emotions (BIG-E) Study (NIMH R01 grant), a collaborative project with San Diego State University (SDSU) and the University of Maryland College Park (PIs: Drs. Lea Dougherty and Jillian Wiggins). The Postdoctoral Associate will work at the SDSU site. The primary focus of the BIG-E Study is to identify neural mechanisms of risk and resilience in childhood irritability. Neuroimaging experience is preferred but not required.

This is a one-year position (with the possibility of renewal for additional years).

 
Responsibilities include project coordination; conducting experiments in young children (behavioral and MRI data collection); conducting and supervising clinical diagnostic interviews; data management; training and supervising graduate students, undergraduate students, and project assistants; and assisting with research protocols and compliance. Opportunities for data analysis, manuscript preparation, and grant writing are available and encouraged.

Necessary qualifications include: 1) a PhD in Psychology (clinical or developmental psychology or neuroscience are preferred but not required) or related field; 2) research experience in the content of clinical or developmental research; 3) clinical experience conducting diagnostic interviews (preferred but not required); 4) excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.

 
Interested applicants should send their CV, a letter of interest, reprints/preprints, and contact information for three people who would be willing to provide letters of recommendation to Drs. Lea Dougherty (ldougher@umd.edu) and Jillian Wiggins (jillian.wiggins@sdsu.edu) with the subject line “BIG-E Postdoc.” Applications will be reviewed as they are received until the position is filled. Email inquiries are welcome.  

San Diego State University is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer with a commitment to racial, cultural, and gender diversity.  Women, minorities, and LGBTQ candidates are encouraged to apply.

Western University’s Sensory Perception Research Lab (Dr. Ryan Stevenson – sensorylab.ca) and the Developmental Social and Cognitive Neuroscience group (Dr. Bobby Stojanoski – DevSCN) are seeking an ambitious postdoctoral associate interested in the study of functional and structural changes to the brain in childhood and adolescence in typically developing populations and neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, with links to clinical metrics, and behavioural and cognitive development. 

The College wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on a multi-site international longitudinal project evaluating the impact of youth educator programs within informal science learning sites (museums and science centres) on children’s and adolescents’ psychological engagement with and attitudes towards science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The project is funded by the Wellcome Trust & ESRC and was awarded to Professor Adam Rutland at Department of Psychology, University of Exeter.

The post is available from February 2021 until the end of August 2022, with the possibility of a six-month extension to the position. This study involves collaborating with colleagues at North Carolina State University, University of South Carolina, University of Cambridge and Queen Mary, University of London. The post-holder will be responsible for liaising with the informal science learning sites, data collection, data entry/coding, mentoring students, data analysis, grant writing, publications, dissemination and the overall day-to-day running of the project.  

About you

The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds and make presentations at conferences and other events.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in Psychology or a related field of study. The successful applicant will have experience of conducting research with children and adolescents, publishing journal papers, presenting research at conferences, advanced quantitative data analyses together with an interest in social developmental psychology and/or informal science education. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
• A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a new Fertility Treatment Policy
• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon

Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity at Exeter

With over 22,000 students and 5,500 staff from 180 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment in which to work. We are an equal opportunity employer, a Disability Confident employer and an Athena Swan accredited institution. Since 2019, the university has also signed an Armed Forces Covenant, demonstrating the University’s commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in the workforce.

For further information please contact Professor Adam Rutland, e-mail a.rutland@exeter.ac.uk and an online meeting can be arranged if desired.

The closing date for completed applications is the 20^th December 2020. Interviews are expected to take place in early January 2021.

Apply here: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CCU615/postdoctoral-research-fellow-ref-no-p69296

The Infant Neuromotor Control Laboratory (INCLab) at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), in the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California (USC), led by Dr. Beth Smith, is currently seeking a postdoctoral fellow. The postdoctoral fellow will primarily lead the analysis of longitudinal electroencephalography and wearable sensor data collected while infants learn to reach. The ideal candidate will have expertise analyzing biological signal data (MATLAB preferred); experience organizing and working with large data sets; and proficiency with writing manuscripts. The postdoc will collaborate with a team of research assistants, graduate students, and undergraduate students to collect and analyze data, deliver presentations, write papers and grants, and develop new studies. The postdoctoral fellow is also expected to pursue his or her own research question in complement to ongoing studies or using existing electroencephalography and wearable sensor data. Numerous current projects in the INCLab are funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Qualifications include: 1) a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in Psychology, Kinesiology, Neuroscience, Rehabilitation Sciences, or a related field, 2) experience programming, particularly in MATLAB, 3) experience with collecting, processing, and analyzing biological signal data, particularly electroencephalography and wearable sensor data,  4) strong publication record, (5) strong communication skills, (6) an ability to work effectively both independently and in a team-oriented environment, (7) experience working with children and their families.

The INCLab actively works to provide a diverse, positive and collaborative environment; the postdoc will be an active member of the lab and contribute to this culture. Our lab is a part of the Saban Research Institute and collaborates with other labs, researchers, and clinicians as part of the Best Starts to Life theme at CHLA. We have an engaging intellectual environment with regular internal and external speakers, journal clubs, and many collaborations and training opportunities across CHLA and USC. The INCLab has active, ongoing collaborations with researchers at University of California Los Angeles Center for Autism Research and Treatment, University of California San Diego Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, USC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, and USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Additional information on these projects can be found at: https://sites.usc.edu/inclab/

To learn more about this position, please email Dr. Smith (bsmith@chla.usc.edu). Interested applicants should apply at https://jobs.chla.org/job/los-angeles/fellow-post-doc-research/277/17976415.

Post-Doctoral Research Positions in Clinical Developmental Neuroscience at the University of Maryland College Park and San Diego State University

Drs. Lea Dougherty (University of Maryland College Park) and Jillian Wiggins (San Diego State University) are seeking to hire several post-doctoral research associates for NIMH-funded research projects examining neural mechanisms of youth irritability. The projects include new data collection in young children as well use of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study data. We use functional and structural MRI methods.

Post-doctoral research associates: Candidates must have completed or be in the process of completing a PhD in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biology, or other related discipline. Training in MRI and fMRI data analysis, programming experience and knowledge of advanced statistical methods (e.g., machine learning, multilevel modeling), clinical diagnostic assessments, mastery of English speaking and writing, and experience working with human subjects, particularly children, are preferred. Successful candidates should have keen attention to detail; and strong organization, problem solving, and analytic skills. Prior background in developmental or clinical neuroscience is also a plus but not required. The position will provide opportunities for training in big data management and analysis, advanced computational methods and longitudinal data analysis.

The position start date is flexible (from immediate to Summer 2021). Review of applications will continue until the positions are filled. Renewal of contract is contingent on performance and funding. Interested individuals should email a cover letter, CV, and names and contact information of 3 references to Lea Dougherty at ldougher@umd.edu.  Please include all documents in a single pdf file and include your last name in the file (i.e., “LASTNAME.pdf”).

UMD and SDSU are equal opportunity affirmative action employers with a commitment to racial, cultural, and gender diversity.  Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.