Neurocognitive mechanisms of counting knowledge in early development

How do we know 'two' but not 'three' means '●●' objects? Neural correlates of numerical knowledge acquisition in early development

The School of Psychology invites an enthusiastic applicant for a fully funded PhD studentship in Psychology sponsored by the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Surrey. This exciting 3.5 years programme, supervised by Dr Mojtaba Solatnlou and Prof Emily Farran in collaboration with Prof Daniel Ansari, aims to examine the neurocognitive mechanisms of knowledge acquisition in early development. This longitudinal neuroimaging study will use functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate functional organization of particular brain regions such as intraparietal sulci and functional connectivity between these regions over the course of two years from 3 to 5 years old in typically developing children. Additionally, we will administer some linguistic, spatial, and cognitive processes to have a better picture of acquisition of numerical knowledge, because mathematics has an established interaction with those processes. This studentship will allow an opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary team that includes developmental psychologists, cognitive neuroscientists, and computer scientists in a supportive environment. We are looking for a candidate with a background in cognitive neuroscience research, preferably with experience in using fNIRS. Previous experience in connectivity analysis, multivariate pattern analysis, research in early development, statistical training, effective written and oral communication skills, together with a passion to learn and impact society will be advantageous. For any enquiries, please contact Dr Mojtaba Sotlanlou ([Email Address Removed]).

A 3.5-year fully funded studentship open to applicants worldwide starting in October 2022. Funding includes stipend, full fees and a research grant.

More information on the School of Psychology.

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Honours degree (65 per cent or above) in psychology (or a related discipline) and a Masters degree in a relevant subject with a pass of 65 per cent or above.

English language requirements: An IELTS Academic of 6.5 or above with 6 in each individual category (or equivalent qualification from other agencies).

How to apply

Applications should be submitted via the online application portal for Psychology

This project is part of the Faculty-funded studentship scheme and you can express interest in one or two of the projects available via this scheme. When completing your application, in place of a research proposal, please provide a 1-page (maximum) document containing the reference numbers(s), project title(s) and supervisor name(s) of the project or two projects you have selected, together with an explanation of your motivations for wanting to study for a PhD and your reasons for selecting the project(s) you have chosen.

The reference number for this project is FHMS PL - BM - 25.

For those interested in the project described above, we strongly encourage informal enquiries to be sent to Dr Mojtaba Soltanlou ([Email Address Removed]).