Are you passionate about the brain, mathematics, learning and education? Then this post-doctoral position might be for you! In this five-year project funded by the European Research Council (ERC), we attempt to determine how mathematical concepts are represented in the cortex as a function of education. Compared to, say, the acquisition of language, the development of mathematics is vastly understudied.
Going beyond numerical cognition, which is the focus of most studies in the cognitive neuroscience of mathematics, the MathBrain project aims to launch a systematic study of the mental and cerebral representation of a broad range of mathematical concepts, as well as their growth as a function of education.

Our team is hiring creative post-docs combining a strong taste, expertise, or willingness to learn and to invent in one or several of the following fields:
– Studying the psychology of relatively unexplored mathematical concepts such as graphs
– Scanning unusual participant populations such as high-level mathematicians
– Scanning human brains at very high field (7 T, possibly 11.7 T towards the end of the project)
– Combining functional MRI and MEG in the same tasks
– Scanning adults and children before, during and after a math lesson
– Developing the science of learning by determining which experimental conditions maximize the comprehension and retention of mathematical concepts.
– Comparing the representation of math concepts in human and artificial intelligence systems.

Candidates should have completed, or be close to completing, a PhD in human cognitive neuroscience or a related discipline. They should have end-to-end experience with the design and implementation of cognitive experiments, and with the use of fMRI, MEG or EEG methods, and should have excellent programing skills. Experience in high-field fMRI or in scanning children in an educational context would be a great plus.

Informal inquiries should be sent to giovanna.santoro@cea.fr

To apply, please send a CV, a statement of research interests, and two letters of reference or names of colleagues willing to recommend you to giovanna.santoro@cea.fr