We are seeking multiple postdoctoral researchers to join our work on the application of deep learning to the study of hearing and the design of assistive listening technologies.
The work is supervised by Prof Nicholas Lesica at the UCL Ear Institute and will be carried out in partnership with Perceptual Technologies Ltd. and the UCLH Biomedical Research Centre. We are offering an opportunity to pursue a transformative solution to a major public health problem – hearing loss – that has the potential to benefit hundreds of millions of people, along with the potential to join a deep tech startup as part of the founding team upon project completion to commercialize the technology.
About the role
We have spent the past several years developing a unique capability for recording large-scale neural activity datasets with high spatiotemporal resolution (Armstrong et al., Nat Biomed Eng, 2022) and we recently demonstrated the power of applying deep learning to these datasets (Sabesan et al., eLife, 2023). We are now looking to realize the full potential of this combination of large-scale electrophysiology and deep learning for the development of transformative applications.
Key duties and responsibilities will include:
- Building data pipelines for processing large-scale neural activity recordings
- Developing deep learning models to map sounds to neural activity and to transform sounds as required to create desired neural activity patterns
- Analyzing neural recordings to assess the efficacy of new sound transformations in correcting neural distortions
- Designing methods for the perceptual evaluation of new hearing technologies and working with our clinical partners to test patient benefit
- Developing prototype hearing aid algorithms in preparation for commercialization
The salary for this role is grade 7 (£40,524 – £48,763 per annum including London allowances) with salary on appointment dependent on experience. Funding is for up two years in the first instance with potential for extension. This role meets the eligibility requirements for a skilled worker certificate of sponsorship or a global talent visa under UK Visas and Immigration legislation. Therefore, we welcome international applicants who require a visa.
About you
We are looking for deep learning experts who are interested in working with large-scale neural data to develop the next generation of hearing technologies, with significant autonomy in contributing to a radically new approach to sensory device design. The ideal candidates will have:
- PhD in statistics, machine learning, computer science or related discipline
- Experience working with high-dimensional datasets, and familiarity with modern deep learning workflows
- Strong software engineering skills, experience working with the Python data science stack (numpy, scipy, sklearn, pytorch, tensorflow, etc.)
- A knack for solving problems that are not amenable to off-the-shelf solutions
- Experience modifying existing computational tools to solve new problems
- Experience with audio processing in the context of hearing/audiology
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss these opportunities (lesica@gmail.com).
The application deadline is November 7, 2023. Interviews for shortlisted candidates will take place shortly thereafter. Start dates are flexible.