Job Postings and Announcements

Scientific Meetings & Calls for Papers

Call For Papers -- "The Metaphorical Brain" at Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 

 We are currently organizing a Research Topic at Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, and we welcome contributions from SNL members.

Research Topic Title: The Metaphorical Brain

Topic Editors: Vicky T. Lai, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Netherlands, Seana Coulson, University of California at San Diego, USA

Description: Metaphor has been an issue of intense research and debate for decades. Researchers in various disciplines, including linguistics, psychology, computer science, education, and philosophy have developed a variety of theories, and much progress has been made. For one, metaphor is no longer considered a rhetorical flourish that is found mainly in literary texts. Rather, linguists have shown that metaphor is a pervasive phenomenon in everyday language, a major force in the development of new word meanings, and the source of at least some grammatical function words. Indeed, one of the most influential theories of metaphor involves the suggestion that the commonality of metaphoric language results because cross-domain mappings are a major determinant in the organization of semantic memory, as cognitive and neural resources for dealing with concrete domains are recruited for the conceptualization of more abstract ones. Researchers in cognitive neuroscience have explored whether particular kinds of brain damage are associated with metaphor production and comprehension deficits, and whether similar brain regions are recruited when healthy adults understand the literal and metaphorical meanings of the same words. Whereas early research on this topic focused on the issue of the role of hemispheric asymmetry in the comprehension and production of metaphors, in recent years cognitive neuroscientists have argued that metaphor is not a monolithic category, and that metaphor processing varies as a function of numerous factors, including the novelty or conventionality of a particular metaphoric expression, its part of speech, and the extent of contextual support for the metaphoric meaning. Moreover, recent developments in cognitive neuroscience point to a sensorimotor basis for many concrete concepts, and raise the issue of whether these mechanisms are ever recruited to process more abstract domains.

In order to promote the development of the neuroscientific investigation of metaphor, this Frontiers Research Topic aims at bringing together contributions from researchers in cognitive neuroscience and related fields, whose work involves the study of metaphor in language and thought. Specifically, this special issue will adopt an interdisciplinary perspective on the cognitive and neural basis of metaphor production and comprehension. Here, an important focal point will be to characterize the underlying processes and mechanisms involved in metaphoric language and identify their relationship, if any, to those involved in the organization of semantic memory. For this Research Topic, we, therefore, solicit original research articles, reviews, opinion and method papers, that investigate the cognitive neuroscience of metaphor. While focusing on work in the neurosciences, this Research Topic also welcomes contributions in the form of behavioral studies, psychophysiological investigations, methodological innovations, computational approaches, along with developmental and patient studies that revisit established findings and explore new questions about the neural basis of metaphor.

This Frontiers Special Issue will synthesize current findings on the cognitive neuroscience of metaphor, provide a forum for voicing novel perspectives, and promote new insights into the metaphorical brain.

Deadline for abstract submission: 01 Sep 2013

Deadline for full article submission: 01 Apr 2014

For more information and for submitting your abstract, please visit:

http://www.frontiersin.org/Human_Neuroscience/researchtopics/The_Metaphorical_Brain/1795

Call for Papers -- International Conference on Multilingualism:Linguistic Challenges and Neurocognitive Mechanisms 

The School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at McGill University and the Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music in Montreal are pleased to invite papers and posters for the International Conference on Multilingualism: Linguistic Challenges and Neurocognitive Mechanisms.

24-25 October 2013 (Thursday and Friday)

Hosted by McGill University in Montreal, Canada

Abstract Submission Deadline: 30th June 2013

Conference Website:  http://multilingualism.conference.mcgill.ca

The conference examines recent advances in our understanding of multilingualism, including simultaneous bilingualism, language learning mechanisms, sign language, transfer effects, brain plasticity and critical periods, providing a critical overview of current developments in this field. Another important goal of this conference is to facilitate and inspire the interdisciplinary exchange of ideas among researchers and students from different backgrounds, and to promote collaborative research projects in the future. 

Researchers in the areas of linguistics, psycholinguistics, cognitive science, neuroscience, neurolinguistics, speech language pathology and related fields are invited to submit abstracts that report on relevant work in the field of bilingualism and multilingualism.

Invited Speakers:

Manuel Carreiras (BCBL, Spain)

Harald Clahsen (University of Potsdam)

Holger Hopp (University of Mannheim)

Sonja Kotz (University of Manchester + MPI)

Rachel Mayberry (University of California, San Diego)

Silvina Montrul (University of Illinois)

Eric Pakulak (University of Oregon)

Elin Thordardottir (McGill University)

Important dates:

30 June 2013 - Abstract submissions deadline

15 July 2013 - Notification of acceptance

01 July 2013 - Registration opens

15 August 2013 - 'Early bird' registration ends

How to submit an abstract:

Step 1: Prepare an abstract of no more than 300 words in either 'Word' or 'PDF' format (*.doc, *.docx, *.pdf). Abstracts should include enough details to allow reviewers to judge the scientific merit of the proposal. To enable blind review, please do not include the name(s) of the author(s) in the abstract. Only one presentation as a first author is allowed.

Step 2: Abstracts must be submitted through EasyAbstracts at the LinguistList website.

To submit your abstract, please click here  (http://linguistlist.org/easyabs/Multilingualism2013)  

Submission will take about 3 minutes. 

Note: On submitting your abstract, you will receive an automatic notification acknowledging receipt of your submission. (If you do not receive such an email, or if you have any questions, please contact us at 

multilingualism2013@gmail.com)

For further information please visit our Conference Website:  http://multilingualism.conference.mcgill.ca

The conference is also part of a number of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders (SCSD) at McGill. You will have opportunities to visit the research facilities of the School as well as the interdisciplinary Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music that brings together top scientists from all four universities in Montreal.

Last but not least - Montreal is one of the most vibrant multilingual cities in the world !   You may wish to stay an extra day or two to experience 'applied multilingualism', Montreal's famous cuisine, and the city's multi-faceted cultural life.

We hope to see you all in October,

Karsten Steinhauer, PhD  (Chair, Organizing Committee)

Conference Contact: multilingualism2013@gmail.com

51st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Aphasia, Lucerne, Switzerland

This year marks the 51st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Aphasia which will be held in Lucerne, Switzerland from October 20-22, 2013.

We are pleased to announce that Stanislas Dehaene will be this year's luncheon speaker. Dr. Dehaene is Professor and Chair of Experimental Cognitive Psychology at the College dè France and Director of the INSERM-CEA Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit in France.  Further information about Dr. Dehaene can be found at: http://www.college-de-france.fr/site/en-stanislas-dehaene/

The meeting will be held at Hotel Continental Park in Lucerne, Switzerland.

For more information about the conference location, please refer to the Academy website:

http://www.academyofaphasia.org/.  Information will be posted as it becomes available. 

Faculty Positions

1-3 Faculty Positions--Interventional Cognitive Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

Postdoctoral Positions

Postdoctoral Position--Boston/Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School 

The Gaab Lab http://childrenshospital.org/research/gaablab and (babymri.org)) at the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children's Hospital (Developmental Medicine Center) invites applications for a NIH funded post-doctoral associate in the area of developmental cognitive neuroscience/pediatric fMRI. 

Available resources include a 3.0T MRI scanner, a child-friendly Mock scanner and analysis platforms based in MATLAB/UNIX. The candidate will be expected to oversee pediatric and infant (f)MRI experiments, analyze behavioral and fMRI data, prepare manuscripts for publication, and participate in conferences.

The NIH and foundation funded projects will focus on language processing in autism, neural and behavioral pre-markers of developmental dyslexia in infants and pre-reading children as well as typical reading and language development throughout childhood. The successful applicant should have a doctoral degree in a field related to developmental cognitive neuroscience (e.g., cognitive neuroscience, neuroscience, psychology, developmental psychology, medicine). Individuals with a background in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering or computer science will also be considered. The successful applicant must possess excellent English verbal and written communication skills. Applicants are expected to have a very strong research background in the design and statistical analysis of functional brain-imaging experiments. Experience with one of the fMRI analyses programs (SPM, FSL, Freesurfer) a must. Programming skills (MATLAB, C++; Python) are desirable and experience with MVPA or connectivity analyses a plus. Experience with pediatric functional neuroimaging and language and reading research are useful. Approximate start date is Summer/Early Fall 2013 (the earlier the better). Successful applicants will be appointed at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School.

For consideration please send a statement of interest, a CV and a list of three potential referees via email to Nadine Gaab, PhD (nadine.gaab@childrens.harvard.edu). The search will continue until the position is filled. 

We are seeking two full time postdoctoral fellows to participate in our new Institute of Education Sciences (IES) postdoctoral training program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Two appointments will begin in the fall of 2013, with additional appointments in following years. These postdoctoral fellowships present a unique opportunity to participate in a peer-approved program designed to support the development of excellent scholars in education research.  Fellows will receive rigorous, interdisciplinary training in one or more of the following areas:mathematical development and learning, language acquisition and literacy, learning disabilities,and methodological approaches to the study of learning and development. Our postdoctoral program targets competencies related content in education and cognitive science, research methods, practical knowledge, and outreach to train the next generation of education researchers.  Specific research projects will be based upon the joint interests of the fellow and the faculty mentor(s).  

The program brings together a multi-disciplinary research team, including faculty members with expertise in mathematics development and learning disabilities, spatial learning, language and literacy, intervention design, and quantitative methods. The core team includes Dr. Nancy Jordan, Dr. Roberta Golinkoff, and Dr. Henry May, who will serve as primary mentors for the fellows.  

The appointments will begin in September 2013. Applicants must possess their doctoral degree before that date.  All qualified U.S. citizens and permanent residents with doctoral degrees in relevant disciplines (e.g., education, psychology, cognitive science, quantitative research methods) will be considered. Salary is set by IES at $52,500 annually plus benefits. Additionally, each fellow will receive an annual research and travel allowance of $9,500. 

To Apply: Applicants should send the following materials to Dr. Nancy Jordan at njordan@udel.edu: (1) A letter of interest detailing the applicant's graduation date, research interests, and areas of competence along with short- and long-term career goals; (2) Curriculum vitae; (3) Contact information for three references; and (4) Reprints, preprints, or other scholarly writing samples. The University of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity Employer, which encourages applications from minority group members and women. The University's Notice of Non-Discrimination can be found at http: //www.udel.edu/aboutus/legalnotices.html.

Job Summary

The University of Michigan Department Of Psychiatry is seeking candidates for a postdoctoral research fellow position in a brain imaging laboratory that studies the neural bases of stuttering and other related speech-language and developmental disorders.

Primary duties include: 1) executing standard statistical methods for analysis of neuroimaging data; 2) researching and implementing novel/advanced methods for data analysis. Secondary duties include: 1) helping to design, set-up, and run behavioral and brain imaging experiments; 2) assisting in medical/scientific literature searches, manuscript preparation, and presentation of data collected; 3) assisting with training of undergraduate and graduate research assistants in the lab.

Good familiarity with the published literature in the neural bases of stuttering, brain development, and speech motor control. In addition, strong preference will be given to applicants with prior experience with acquiring and analyzing structural and functional MRI data. Applicants for this position should have a track record of published research commensurate with their experience in an area that closely relates to the project aims. A Ph.D. degree is required for this position; relevant areas for the Ph.D. are Speech and Hearing Sciences, Psychology, Neuroscience and/or Cognitive Science. Proficiency with MATLAB and UNIX/Linux programming is preferred. Strong background in statistics (including all standard univariate statistical methods such as multiple regression, ANOVA) is required. 

Prior experience with behavioral/brain imaging, particularly functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and/or brain imaging data analysis software (AFNI, FSL, Freesurfer, SPM, etc.) is also preferred but not necessary. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills are needed, as the position requires the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The University of Michigan Health System improves the health of patients, populations and communities through excellence in education, patient care, community service, research and technology development, and through leadership activities in Michigan, nationally and internationally. Our mission is guided by our Strategic Principles and has three critical components; patient care, education and research that together enhance our contribution to society.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan participates with the federal E-Verify system. Individuals hired into positions that are funded by a federal contract with the FAR E-Verify clause must have their identity and work eligibility confirmed by the E-Verify system. This position is identified as a position that may include the E-Verify requirement.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

* Please see position posting at:

 http://umjobs.org/job_detail/82202/postdoctoral_research_fellow_in_neural_bases_of_developmental_stuttering

Advanced Degree Programs

Doctoral Training--The Erasmus Mundus Program "International Doctorate for Experimental Approaches to Language And Brain" (IDEALAB) 

The Erasmus Mundus Program has been established as an outstanding 3-year doctoral training. Its primary focus is on language acquisition and disorders integrating interdisciplinary approaches.

Services

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