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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">Two fully founded PhD stipends (3 years) are available at the Unit for the Visually Impaired People headed by Dr. Monica
Gori (IIT - Italian Institute of Technology - <a href="https://www.iit.it/it/research/lines/unit-for-visually-impaired-people">https://www.iit.it/it/research/lines/unit-for-visually-impaired-people</a></span><span lang="EN-US"> )</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:IT"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">*** Theme</span><span lang="EN-GB">
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">8. FROM SCIENCE TO TECHNOLOGY FOR LEARNING SKILLS IN CHILDREN***<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">Technologies supporting smart and personalized inclusion of persons with sensory and motor disabilities is one of the
big societal challenges our society. Unit for Visually Impaired People (IIT) is looking for a PhD in the field of multisensory development in young children and adults with visual disability.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">The goal of the project is to develop technologies to support the inclusion of adults<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">and children with visual disabilities through:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">• The development of a new set of devices to rehabilitate spatial cognition, mobility and social interaction of children
and adults with visual deficits through natural sensory-motor associations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">• The demonstration and the validation of the technology through user, experimental and clinical studies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">Requirements:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">The PhD student will be involved in doing psychophysical experiments with children and to help in the development of
device from the electronic and software point of view. A background in electronic engineering, basic neuroscience, and programming skills are required.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">***
</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">Theme 9. CORTICAL MECHANISMS OF MULTISENSORY INTEGRATION IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT VISUAL DISABILITY***</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">The human brain is highly plastic, able to modify its own structure and functions to adapt to changes within the body
or in the external environment. We have recently demonstrated that the absence of one sensory modality (such as vision) impacts on the development of other sensory modalities (such as audition), resulting in a form of cross-modal impairment.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">The goals of this PhD theme are:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">• studying multisensory integration development in children<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">• studying how multisensory integration develops in absence of visual input<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">• investigate the neural mechanisms that subserve the cross-modal development with EEG technique. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">Requirements:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">The PhD student will be involved in doing psychophysical and EEG experiments with children and adults with and without
disabilities. A background in EEG, neuroscience, psychophysics and programming skills are required.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">The ** DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION IS JUNE 12, 2018, NOON (Italian time) **
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">Research themes are available within the curriculum COGNITIVE ROBOTICS, COGNITION AND INTERACTIONS TECHNOLOGIES.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">To apply please visit:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222"><a href="https://www.iit.it/phd-school/phd-school-genoa">https://www.iit.it/phd-school/phd-school-genoa</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222"><br>
The main aim of the unit is to identify spatial impairments possibly conditioning the life of children and adults with and without visual disability, with the ultimate goal to develop new technological solutions suitable since the first years of life to overcome
impairments and enhance learning skills.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">In particular the focus of the group is:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">i) to investigate how integration between sensory and motor signals develops during childhood and identify solutions
(technologies and rehabilitation procedures)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">ii) to enhance the sensorimotor abilities necessary to orient and move in space, to communicate, to access everyday information
and, therefore, to interact in social contexts<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">iii) testing and validating with human-centered techniques the devices (friendly and ergonomic) developed by considering
social and clinical context <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">More infos about the lab here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiSsDLUS_UQ" target="_blank"><span style="color:#1155CC">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiSsDLUS_UQ</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#222222">Please contact
<a href="mailto:monica.gori@iit.it"><span style="color:#222222;text-decoration:none">monica.gori@iit.it</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">
<span style="color:#222222">for further questions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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