Postdoctoral Fellow Position Available

Edmonton, Canada          ·          Full time

Postdoctoral Fellow position available:

Work Environment:

1-   Imagination Centre, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital (www.imagination-centre.ca):

The Imagination Centre at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital is home to the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) program aiming to change lives and improve participation for people of all ages. The Imagination Centre’s team is made up of families, clinicians, engineers, researchers, and leaders all working towards the same goal of adding quality to life.

2-  Advanced Assistive Technology Laboratory (AAT Lab):

The AAT-Lab is directed by Dr. Kim Adams in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine of the University of Alberta. The AAT Lab studies the role of assistive technology (AT) for engaging in play and learning activities by children who have significant physical impairments. Our clinical research stream applies current AT and assistive robots for children to engage in play and learning activities and our technical research stream develops new hybrid brain-computer interface paradigms and robotic control and interface designs.

The Position:

Qualified applicants are invited to apply for a Postdoctoral Fellow position applying brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for children and youth who have neurological impairments to control assistive technologies to access play, mobility, and communication, through patient and family-centred approaches. This is an interdisciplinary and intersectorial project, involving engineering, medicine, and rehabilitation medicine faculties. Successful candidates will have strong collaboration and coordination skills to work directly with research teams at multiple levels, rehabilitation centres, and industry partners to contribute to this research project successfully. Equity and diversity are an integral part of our research group. As such, members of underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous peoples, members of visible minorities, individuals with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression are encouraged to apply.

Required Qualifications:

• Completion of a PhD degree in an Engineering discipline with Biomedical specialization, Computer Science, Rehabilitation Science, or a health-related discipline
• Expertise in clinical research and methodologies
• Keen interest and/or experience in brain-computer interfaces, assistive technologies, or powered mobility
• Strong publication record in related research areas
• Proven ability to work independently, supervise trainees, and monitor project progress
• Strong communication skills and fluency in spoken and written English

Preferred Assets:

• Comfortable working with technology
• Experience working with individuals who have physical impairments
• Interest and experience in interdisciplinary and translational research in collaboration with health scientists, healthcare system, and biomedical industry

Responsibilities:

• Designing experiments and data collection protocols
• Collecting administrative approvals (research ethics, hospital operational approval, etc.)
• Overseeing and/or conducting participant recruitment, research sessions, data collection and performing analysis of research results
• Writing research grant or scholarship applications, manuscripts for publication, and presenting at conferences and team meetings, and reports
• Training and supervising graduate and undergraduate students
• Fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing with partners

Learning Opportunities:

Training of undergraduate and graduate research assistants is paramount. In addition to the program- related coursework, the successful candidates will work closely with their supervisor to create a learning and development plan and attend professional development training such as research ethics and integrity, and project management. They will receive formal training in the following practical areas: i) Biomedical data collection and signal processing (e.g., electroencephalography (EEG); ii) Patient Oriented Research strategies iii) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training; iv) Entrepreneurship; and v) Safety. The successful candidate will also have access to opportunities for learning and collaboration with interdisciplinary BCI experts through the BCI-CAN Network.

Application Procedure:

Interested candidates should send an email with “Clinical BCI Postdoc” in the subject line to Dr. Kim Adams (she/her) (bcilab@ualberta.ca), the Director of AAT Lab. Please collate the following documents into a single PDF and attach them to your email:

1. A cover letter including a summary of research background and interests
2. Transcripts
3. Curriculum vitae including list of publications
4. Contact information for at least 3 references

Deadline: Sept 30, 2023 or until the position is filled. We thank all applicants, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

For more information on admissions and requirements, professional development, medical benefits, cost of living, and childcare for graduate studies or Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Alberta, visit: https://www.ualberta.ca/graduate-studies/index.html or https://www.ualberta.ca/research/research- support/post-doctoral-office/index.html.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. If suitable Canadian citizens or permanent residents cannot be found, other individuals will be considered.