PhD Scholarships, Parallel Mode of Action Control: From Human Studies to Intelligent Robotic Interfaces, the Graduate School of Computing in Medicine and Life Sciences, the University of Luebeck, Germany

The Graduate School of Computing in Medicine and Life Sciences (funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG, and the German Government within the German university excellence program) at the University of Luebeck is now offering a PhD scholarship for the project “Parallel mode of action control: from human studies to intelligent robotic interfaces “ in the research field of Robotics and Neuro-Rehabilitation.

The goal of the project is to transfer knowledge about the function of the motor system into haptic interface systems and stroke rehabilitation robotics. We will first consider the well established task of reaching for / grasping an object. This complex action consists of two main components, which are processed in parallel channels. The phylogenetically “older” reaching component is processed in the fast dorso-dorsal channel and the “younger” component of grasping requires more programming of the hand-object interaction and is processed in the slower ventro-dorsal channel. Neuroimaging studies with fMRI, MEG and DTI will be used to validate models.

PhD scholarship amounts to 1250 € per month. Students with a master’s degree (or its equivalent) in science, mathematics or engineering are invited to apply for admission. The application deadline is January 15, 2009. In certain cases, students must submit, as part of their application, the results of one of the acknowledged language tests to prove their English proficiency.

For further information, please visit our website at www.gradschool.uni-luebeck.de. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions via email: management[ at ]gradschool.uni-luebeck.de before sending your application.

Closing date: January 15, 2009