This is a heads-up about an opening for a postdoc in my lab while we are preparing the formal advert.

Applications are sought for a committed Post-doctoral Research Fellow to work with the group led by Dr Daniela Balslev conducting research for an MRC-funded project entitled: The role of oculoproprioception in the neural control of ocular alignment: Understanding disease mechanisms in strabismus.  Co-Investigators and Partners are Prof Malinda Carpenter (School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews), Dr Alessio Fracasso (School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow) and Dr Nikki Hall (Children’s Orthoptic Unit, NHS Fife).

Strabismus (squint or crossed eyes) is one of the most common and debilitating eye disorders in childhood. Individuals with this condition cannot align the two eyes to look at the same object. To precisely control where we look, the brain has access to information about the rotation of each eye in the eye sockets. One source of such information is called proprioception. We ask whether the misalignment of the eyes in some types of strabismus might be caused by inaccurate proprioception. To answer this question, we will use eye tracking in 4- to 5-year-old children and functional magnetic resonance imaging/transcranial magnetic stimulation in adults.

The primary duties will be to:

  • Assess whether the sense of eye position is impaired in children with strabismus (using eye tracking with 4- to 5-year-olds)
  • Investigate how the human brain coordinates the movement of the two eyes (using ultra-high field functional magnetic resonance imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation with adults)

The successful applicant will have (or be near the completion of) a PhD in cognitive neuroscience or a related discipline and a strong interest in human vision or oculomotor control. You will already have experience with some of the following methods: eye tracking, behavioural data collection in young children, functional magnetic resonance imaging or transcranial magnetic stimulation, and will be willing to learn from the investigators those methods that you do not yet master.

The post is available for 36 months starting on February 1st, 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Further details of the project can be found by contacting Dr Daniela Balslev (daniela.balslev@st-andrews.ac.uk).