Author: Heiða María Sigurðardóttir

The Icelandic Vision Lab, headed by Drs. Heida Maria Sigurdardottir, Árni Gunnar Ásgeirsson, and Árni Kristjánsson, advertises a 2-year full-time position for a postdoctoral researcher. The position will entail combined behavioral and EEG measures of high-level visual processing in dyslexic and typical readers.

The successful candidate will work under direct supervision of Dr. Heida Maria Sigurdardottir. Other collaborative partners are Drs. Yvonne Höller (University of Akureyri), Paolo Gargiulo (Reykjavik University), and Freyja Birgisdottir (University of Iceland). The position is fully funded by a grant from the Icelandic Research Fund (IRF).

According to our high-level visual dysfunction hypothesis, the reading problems of some dyslexic readers are a salient manifestation of a more general deficit of visual cognition stemming from disrupted functioning of high-level visual regions. These regions play a fundamental role in the visual recognition of words and other objects. Supporting the hypothesis, our previous studies (Sigurdardottir et al., 2015; 2017; 2018; 2019) indicate that people with dyslexia have problems with tasks thought to rely on high-level regions of the ventral visual stream.

The primary research question tackled by the successful candidate for this postdoctoral position is whether the high-level visual dysfunction hypothesis holds true as we put the hypothesized deficient neural processing of high-level visual mechanisms in dyslexia to a direct test by applying a combination of behavioral and EEG measures. This research will be informative for theories of visual word, face, and object processing as well as for theoretical accounts of dyslexia, and could provide the foundation for the development of novel screening methods and training programs for dyslexic readers.

Qualifications:

We are looking for a candidate who has a Ph.D. (or equivalent) in a relevant field (including but not limited to cognitive neuroscience, cognitive science, or experimental psychology). EEG experience, a strong publication record, strong computational/data analysis skills, programming/scripting experience (e.g. MATLAB, Python, R), experience in the fields of high-level vision/dyslexia, and excellent communication skills in written and spoken English are all desirable assets. This should nonetheless read more as a wish list rather than strict requirements, and we encourage all interested candidates to apply!

The Lab:

The Icelandic Vision Lab offers a stimulating academic environment. Despite the name, the lab is truly international with current members and alumni from seven countries across the world. The successful candidate will join this vibrant community of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty who all work on various aspects of perception and cognition. The lab is well funded and provides good access to necessary equipment for the studies.

The Country:

Iceland consistently ranks as one of the best places in the world to live: Icelanders are among the happiest people in the world according to many polls and life satisfaction is among the highest in the world. Iceland is rated the most peaceful, most gender-equal, and most LGBTQ-friendly country in the world. Iceland has spectacular nature and a buzzing cultural scene. And finally, there are no mosquitoes in Iceland!

The position offers the opportunity to work within a vibrant scientific community in a country consistently found to be among the best places to live in the world.

Further Information:

For further information, please contact Heida (heidasi(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)hi.is). The deadline for applications is June 10^th. Starting time is negotiable, but the suggested time is August 20^th.

Heida and several other members of the Icelandic Vision Lab will be at the VSS meeting, May 17-22 in St. Pete Beach, FL, and we would be happy to meet with potential applicants there.

Applications:

Please apply through the University of Iceland website, vacancies. Applicants should send in their curriculum vitae, a letter outlining their research experience and career goals, a list of peer reviewed publications, as well as the contact details (names, emails, and phone numbers) of two academic referees.

All applications will be answered, and applicants will be informed about the appointment when a decision has been made. Applications may be valid for six months after the application deadline.

Appointments to positions at the University of Iceland are made in consideration of the Equal Rights Policy of the University of Iceland.

This position is supported by the Icelandic Research Fund for two years. The salary for the position will be in accordance with the current collective wage and salary agreement between the trade union and the Minister of Finance.

References:

Sigurdardottir, H. M., Hjartarson, K. H., Gudmundsson, G. L., & Kristjánsson, Á (2019). Own-race and other-race face recognition problems without visual expertise problems in dyslexic readers. Vision Research, 158, 146-156. PDF

Sigurdardottir, H. M., Fridriksdottir, L.E., Gudjonsdottir, S., & Kristjánsson, Á. (2018). Specific problems in visual cognition of dyslexic readers: Face discrimination deficits predict dyslexia over and above discrimination of scrambled faces and novel objects. Cognition, 175, 157-168. PDF

Sigurdardottir, H. M., Danielsdottir, H. B., Gudmundsdottir, M., Hjartarson, K. H., Thorarinsdottir, E. A., & Kristjánsson, Á. (2017). Problems with visual statistical learning in developmental dyslexia. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 606. PDF

Sigurdardottir, H. M., Ivarsson, E., Kristinsdottir, K., and Kristjánsson, Á. (2015). Impaired recognition of faces and objects in dyslexia: Evidence for ventral stream dysfunction? Neuropsychology, 29(5) 739-750. PDF