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We are based in the Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience in France.

https://neurosciences.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/

Despite decades of research into the neural circuits and cognitive processes underlying human decision making, it remains difficult to decipher the mechanisms underlying motivational deficits in clinical settings, particularly in severe and drug-resistant neuropsychiatric illnesses. The theoretical foundations of this project are inspired by decision theory, which describes human behavior as a cost/benefit calculation based on a set of weights capturing sensitivity to key motivational factors (such as reward, effort or uncertainty). The aim of this project is to provide concepts, tools and data to decipher the neural circuits involved in coding these weights and thus provide a 'neuro-computational' model of human choices updated with invasive electrophysiology and stimulation data. We will focus on a prefronto-insular- circuit as the team has previously demonstrated that the insula and the vmPFC plays opponent roles during learning (Gueguen et al., 2021), mood fluctuations and how they alter risky-decision-making (Cecchi et al., 2022). In this project we will use rare single-cell recordings from the anterior insula to decipher how subjects trades between efforts and rewards. The project will start on April 2025 (project duration between 12 to 36 months).

What is the job?
To conduct a funded project aiming to better understand decision-making processes by using a combination of cognitive task, computational modeling ans invasive electrophysiological recordings and stimulation methods. It will be supervised  Julien Bastin, for an initial duration of 18 months (extendable).

The idea of the project is to decipher the functional role of high frequency activities or single-unit recordings during decision making processes.

See related previous publication of the team (Gueguen et al., Nat. Comms 2021; Collomb-Clerc et al., Nat. comms 2023; Cecchi et al., Nat. Comms 2024)

Two parrallel missions will be proposed : (1) analyzing existing single cell data from anterior insula recordings from patients with epilepsy (combining spike sorting, computational modeling and iEEG data analyses) and/or (2) create a novel experiment during which we would ask participant to perfomr a choice when the insula (or the vmPFC) is either in an « up » or « down » state (indexed by the ongoing level of high frequency activity). This would allow us to test the functional role of ongoing brain fluctuation on human motivation. 

Two parrallel missions will be proposed :

• (1) analyzing existing single cell data from anterior insula recordings from patients with epilepsy (combining spike sorting, computational modeling and iEEG data analyses) and/or
• (2) create a novel experiment during which we would ask participant to perfomr a choice when the insula (or the vmPFC) is either in an « up » or « down » state (indexed by the ongoing level of high frequency activity). This would allow us to test the functional role of ongoing brain fluctuation on human motivation. 

   

 The candidate will contribute to a project on the neural dynamics of decision-making, by using a multidisciplinary approach that combines intracerebral electrophysiology and stimulation in awake epileptic patients and computational modeling, We are seeking candidatures of highly motivated, independent and enthusiastic individuals, with background in cognitive neuroscience and/or neuro-engineering. PhD in neuroscience, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, or related fields and experience in programming languages for data analysis is required. Expertise in behavioral testing, electrophysiology (scalp EEG, intracranial EEG or MEG) or other neuroimaging techniques and/or computational modeling would be appreciated

We are looking for a highly motivated researcher willing to make significant advances at the fundamental level while being also able to interact with clinicians within a large-scale multidisciplinary and international project.