Graduate Student Opportunities

Graduate Student Positions:

***Current as of December 10, 2024 and until otherwise updated***

The Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab is seeking applications for up to 3 available graduate student positions (at the PhD level; though see below if you do not have a Master's degree) related to 2 different research projects. One of the position involves computational modelling. Please see below for details.

GAZE AND WALKING DECISIONS PROJECT

Project details:

What drives the decision of where, when, and for how long we look at environmental features? What drives where we step or the path to walk? This project will determine the role of different factors (e.g., self-efficacy, visual uncertainty, motor cost) in these decisions.
Experiments will involve mobile eye tracking, virtual reality, and “in-the-wild” environments
Related research articles from the lab:
- Da Eira Silva V, Marigold DS. Fork in the road: how self-efficacy related to walking across terrain influences gaze behaviour and path choice. J Vis 24(7): 7, 2024.
- Domínguez-Zamora FJ, Marigold DS. Motives driving gaze and walking decisions. Curr Biol 31: 1632-1642, 2021.

Requirements:

MSc and background in neuroscience, kinesiology, psychology, and/or closely related area
- Prospective students without a MSc but interested in starting at the Masters level and transferring into a PhD program after 1 year can inquire about the possibility
Self-motivated
Proficient research and numerical skills
Proficient oral and written English communication skills

Assets:

Proficient in computer programming (ideally MATLAB and/or Python)
Experience with virtual reality (and Unreal Engine or Unity)
Applicants with expertise in computational modeling approaches relevant to the lab’s research focus are encouraged to apply; please explain how you can contribute to the lab in your application

Funding: Guaranteed for at least 4 years (PhD level) in agreement with current Departmental policies. It is expected that the successful applicant will apply for both internal and external scholarships when eligible.

Application Process: If interested, please send (1) a brief statement of research interests and career goals, (2) a current CV, and (3) transcripts (unofficial versions are acceptable to start) to daniel_marigold at sfu dot ca. Please send the statement in the body of the email and the CV and transcript documents in PDF format. Positions are subject to acceptance into the graduate program in BPK at SFU. Please visit the following site for more details: www.sfu.ca/bpk/. We will start considering applications at the end of January and will continue until the position is filled.

The Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Earliest Start Date: September 1, 2025. Later start dates may be possible.

WALKING COLLISION AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOURS PROJECT

This is a collaborative project with Dr. Michael Cinelli (Wilfrid Laurier University) on walking collision avoidance behaviours. The successful applicants will benefit from co-supervision by Drs. Marigold and Cinelli. There are 2 positions available.

Project details:

Crowded public places often necessitate collision avoidance behaviours. This project seeks to understand the factors that influence a person’s decisions on where and how to walk (PhD position 1) and to develop computational models of this behaviour (PhD position 2).
Experiments will involve collection and analysis of unscripted pedestrian walking behaviour across various real-world locations.
Related research article:
- Nikmanesh M, Cinelli ME, Marigold DS. Identifying factors that contribute to collision avoidance behaviours while walking in a natural environment. bioRxiv, 2024. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.11.598509v1.

Position 1

Requirements:

MSc and background in neuroscience, psychology, kinesiology, and/or closely related area
Self-motivated
Proficient research and numerical skills
Proficient oral and written English communication skills

Assets:

Proficient in computer programming (ideally MATLAB and/or Python)

Position 2

Requirements:

MSc and background in neuroscience, psychology, kinesiology, statistics, mathematics, computer science, and/or closely related area
Self-motivated
Proficient in computer programming (e.g., MATLAB, Python)
Demonstrated computational modeling expertise
Proficient research and numerical skills
Proficient oral and written English communication skills

Assets:

Proficient in statistical modeling approaches
Experience with the design, data collection, and analysis of human behavioural experiments

Application Process: If interested, please send (1) a brief statement of research interests and career goals, (2) a current CV, and (3) transcripts (unofficial versions are acceptable to start) to daniel_marigold at sfu dot ca. Please send the statement in the body of the email and the CV and transcript documents in PDF format. In addition, please indicate which position(s) you are interested in. Positions are subject to acceptance into the graduate program in BPK at SFU. Please visit the following site for more details: www.sfu.ca/bpk/. We will start considering applications at the end of January and will continue until the position is filled.

Both research labs are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Earliest Start Date: September 1, 2025. Later start dates may be possible.

Research and Training Associated with the Department: BPK has excellent systems-level neuroscience groups, which includes the labs of Drs. Gustavo Balbinot, Dylan Cooke, Sam Doesburg, Max Donelan, Andy Hoffer, Randy McIntosh, and Alex Wiesman. Graduate students can participate in the Translational and Integrative Neuroscience graduate specialization, which offers courses and workshops. In addition, SFU’s Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology provides networking opportunities and seminars. Students will also be trained by Dr. Cinelli who has expertise in visuomotor control and decision-making as it pertains to collision avoidance behaviours between individuals. Drs. Cinelli and Marigold will work closely with the students to foster their skillsets and professional development to prepare them for both their current research and their future careers within or outside of academia.

Post-doctoral Positions:

There are currently no funded positions available. Prospective post-doctoral trainees are welcome to contact Dr. Marigold for potential funding opportunities for which they can apply.