Salary range
£37,143 rising to £42,365 per annum.
Contract type
Fixed term
Mode
Part time
Grade
6
Business Unit
Faculty of Science
Closing date for applicants
20-Nov-2023
Ref No
1721
The Vestibular Neuroscience Lab at Birkbeck University of London is offering a 4-year funded Graduate Teaching Assistant position. You will be expected to pursue studies leading towards a PhD and to provide part-time teaching assistance (17.5 hours per week during term time).
You will become a member of Dr Elisa Raffaella Ferre's Vestibular Neuroscience Lab. Dr Ferre's work focuses on exploring the influence of vestibular and gravitational cues on human behaviour. Her research encompasses experimental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, vestibular physiology, and space science techniques to unravel how gravity, including non-terrestrial gravities experienced during spaceflight, affects our perception of the body and the environment. For more information about the Vestibular Neuroscience Lab go to: https: // www. bbk.ac.uk/our-staff/profile/9311929/elisa-raffaella- ferre
Gravity is one of the pivotal aspects of human life. The vestibular otoliths – sophisticated receptors inside the inner ear – constantly detect gravitational acceleration. Gravity is therefore the most persistent sensory signal in the brain. No systematic research has considered gravity as a perceptual signal for describing the world and our interaction within it. This project uses novel interdisciplinary approaches to understand how gravity contributes to develop and maintain stable perceptual representations. We hypothesise that this key feature of healthy mental life depends on the alignment between the sensory signals detected by the vestibular system and the terrestrial gravity prior. This PhD project reflects the personal research vision and expertise of the First Supervisor (Dr Ferre) and Second Supervisor (Prof Matthew Longo). You can check out one of the lab latest publication here: https: // www. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982223006735?via%3Dihub
As part of your responsibilities, you will be tasked to deliver and prepare of teaching materials for students as well as demonstrating in practical classes and acting as seminar leaders.
In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, Birkbeck University of London's School of Psychological Sciences secured its position within the top ten universities in the nation for the third consecutive time. This presents an exceptional chance to become a part of one of the world's leading psychology research departments, situated at the historic Bloomsbury site in the heart of London.
The interview will include a presentation.
Remuneration
Grade 6 of the College's London Pay Scale which is £37,143 rising to £42,365 per annum.
The salary quoted will be pro-rata for this part time post and is on the College's London Pay Scale which includes a consolidated Weighting/Allowance which applies only to staff whose normal contractual place of work is in the London area.
Enquiries
If you would like to know more about the role please click on apply below or contact Professor Michael Thomas, Postgraduate Research Director ([email protected]), or Dr Elisa Raffaella Ferre, Vestibular Neuroscience Lab Director ([email protected]).
If you have technical issues or difficulties using the recruitment portal please contact [email protected], providing your name and the job reference number of the position.
While we are happy to respond to all informal enquiries, only formal applications through the online system will be considered.