Researcher for the neurosurgery Departement

Recherche

Researcher for the neurosurgery Departement

The Neurosurgery Department is looking for a researcher in neural engineering and closed-loop neuromodulation for neurodegenerative disorders for an occupational rate of 80% - 100%.

Contexte

The Lausanne University Hospital CHUV is one in five university hospitals in Switzerland, and the only one in the French-speaking part of the country carrying out DBS implantations for Parkinsonian conditions, with more than 50 cases per year. Academically, it is linked to the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and it holds close ties to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL).

The Moraud Laboratory at the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV, Switzerland) is dedicated to the development of targeted neuromodulation therapies of brain and spinal cord, operating in closed-loop, to better treat mobility impairments in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease and related Parkinsonian conditions.

Our overarching goal is threefold: (i) To establish a comprehensive characterization of mobility deficits, over time and across Parkinsonian conditions and patient phenotypes, (ii) to uncover the neural correlates underlying these gait problems, and (iii) to develop predictive algorithms that trigger and regulate corrective stimulation patterns in closed-loop.

Hosted at the Defitech Centre for Interventional Neurotherapies (NeuroRestore, CHUV-EPFL) directed by Profs Jocelyne Bloch and Grégoire Courtine, our laboratory benefits from a unique ecosystem of clinicians (Prof Bloch and Prof Squair neurosurgery; Dr Bally and. team, Neurology), neuroscientists (Prof Courtine, EPFL; Prof Anderson, UNIL), neuro-engineers (Prof Lorach, UNIL) and physiotherapists, alongside close partnerships with key MedTech companies such as Medtronic and Onward Medical, who are dedicated to the development of new-generation implantable neurotechnologies.

Our center has a long-standing expertise in the development of personalized therapies for gait dysfunction across neurological disorders, including spinal cord injury, stroke and Parkinson’s disease. Over the past 10 years, we established a unique, high-resolution monitoring and stimulation platform combining real-time whole-body kinematics and leg muscle activity patterns, along with cortical (EEG, ECoG) and subcortical (STN, GPi, LH) brain signals.

Mission

The project goals: Uncover motor and neural biomarkers of gait impairments in patients with Parkinson’s disease and related parkinsonian conditions, and develop patient-specific neuromodulation therapies operating in closed loop.

The researcher will have access to, and be expected to contribute to, the development of our neuromonitoring

platform, including state-of-the-art tracking algorithms of whole-body movement, neuro-biomechanical models,

and brain decoding algorithms from last-generation implantable neurotechnologies.

The candidate main duties include:

• Design new analytical and machine learning methodologies to predict improvements in motor control and/or cognitive performance
• Devise clinical electrophysiological experiments to uncover mechanisms underlying motor deficits in patients with neurological conditions
• Participate in the supervision of students, writing of grants, create links to other units within CHUV and EPFL
• Participate in ongoing experiments with patients, and help refine complementary protocols and analytical methodologies of the laboratory
• Help coordinate laboratory activities.

Profil

• You hold a PhD in neurotechnology, clinical neuroscience, brain-computer interfaces or a related field
• You have experience in machine learning applied to neural and/or movement data, and a motivation to continuously integrate emerging neurotechnologies into your research
• You have experience in clinical electrophysiology (e.g., LFP, EEG, TMS, fMRI) and in the design of motor and/or cognitive tasks
• Knowledge of Parkinson’s disease pathophysiology, and/or related neurological disorders.
• You have good programming skills: Proficient in MATLAB and/or Python, experience in signal processing.
• You are able to work independently and troubleshoot
• You possess good communication skills and are able to work in a team and promote an open and collaborative lab culture
• Good handling of contact with patients
• Excellent English skills. Some knowledge of French (or willingness to learn) is desirable.

Nous offrons

To become an employee of the world-famous University Hospital Center from the Canton of Vaud is an assurance of:

• First-rate social benefits such as a Paternity Leave of 20 days and a Maternity Leave of 4 months (there is also the possibility to obtain a complementary breastfeeding leave of 1 month)
• Regular salary progression adapted to your responsibilities
• A 13th salary and 25 days of vacations per year
• A right to at least three days of training per year, by accessing a wide offer of courses not only from the CHUV Training Center but also from external providers
• Possibility to access one of the 500 furnished apartments offered in the surrounding neighborhoods in case of relocation in Switzerland
• Discounts proposed on social and cultural events, goodies and other services, thanks to the “H-Oxygène” association
• Signing up to our Mobility Plan and benefit from different advantages (discounts on public transportation, promotion of “Mobility” car fleet and discounts on electric bikes)
• Being able to enjoy our high-quality corporate restaurants, located in every hospital building, with employees’ discount

Contact et envoi de candidature

Contact person in case of questions about this role : Prof. Dr. Eduardo Moraud (E-Mail schreiben) and Camille Varescon (E-Mail schreiben)

All of our applications are processed electronically. For this reason, we kindly ask you to apply exclusively by clicking on the APPLY button at the bottom of the advertisement.

Should you experience any problems with your application, you can consult our document "how to apply online". In case of technical issues, you can contact our Recruitment team who will help you (E-Mail schreiben / +41 21 314 85 70)

The CHUV applies the highest quality requirements as part of its recruitment process. In addition, mindful to promote workplace diversity and inclusion we strive to ensure equal treatment and avoid any discrimination. We are looking forward to receiving your application.

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