[visionlist] PhD studentship in human vision, locomotion and navigation at UCL

[Marko Nardini]

PhD studentship in human vision, locomotion and navigation

Application Deadline: January 31st 2012

Applications are invited for a 3-year PhD studentship at University
College London commencing in October 2012. The studentship is jointly
funded by UCL and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology / Moorfields Eye
Hospital NIHR Biomedical Research Centre. It includes tuition fees at the
UK/EU rate and a tax-free stipend of £15,980 rising by approximately £400
each year.

The studentship is based in the Department of Visual Neuroscience at the
UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and supervised by Dr Marko Nardini. Work
in the lab includes research on visual development and visual and
multisensory perception, action and navigation; see
http://tinyurl.com/nardini. The studentship will investigate visual
control of locomotion and navigation in healthy controls and in patients
with low vision. The student will use a large newly developed locomotion
/ navigation lab equipped with multi-camera motion tracking and a
head-mounted display. Motion tracking makes it possible to capture and
analyse participants’ 3D movement trajectories. The head-mounted display
makes it possible to present virtual visual environments
stereoscopically.

The aim is for the studentship to address both basic and translational
research questions. Basic questions include those on visual and
multisensory control of locomotion and navigation, integration of visual
depth cues for action, and childhood or lifespan visual-locomotor
development. Translational research will centre on developing new
experimental tasks and measures to quantify effects of visual impairments
on locomotion and navigation. These tasks can be used to assess the
outcome of new therapies for sight loss being developed at Moorfields Eye
Hospital and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. One such approach that
recently gained world-wide attention was the first human trial for
retinal gene replacement therapy (video: http://tinyurl.com/gntvid).
Other therapeutic approaches being developed at MEH/IOO include stem cell
therapy and retinal prostheses. The studentship thus offers the
opportunity to participate in the development of major new therapeutic
advances, as well as to investigate basic mechanisms in human visual
locomotion and navigation.

Applicants should hold (or expect to obtain) a minimum upper-second class
honours degree or equivalent in a discipline related to vision science,
experimental psychology, cognitive neuroscience or movement science. Some
experience in collecting and analysing behavioural data in an
experimental setting (at least as part of a student project) is
essential. Technical aptitude and a willingness to learn to use the
motion tracking and stimulus display equipment is also essential, as is a
willingness to recruit and interact with participants of different ages,
including patients with low vision. Knowledge of vision, human movement,
programming, maths, physics, statistics, or working with patients would
be an advantage.

Applications including a CV, covering letter (outlining motivation,
interest, and suitability for the studentship), and contact details of
two referees should be sent to m.nardini at ucl.ac.uk by the deadline of
January 31st 2012. Informal enquiries may be made to Dr Nardini.

Please note: the funding includes tuition fees at the UK/EU rate.
Students from outside the EU would need to be able to cover the
difference between the UK/EU fees and international fees, this difference
is currently approx £14,000/year. There are competitive UCL scholarships
able to fund this difference (around 40/year across all disciplines),
although success is not guaranteed:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/scholarships/graduate/overs-res/ors
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