Job Description: PhD Candidate in Sleep and Driving Performance Research
We recently published a study demonstrating the potential of a driving-simulation-based maintenance of wakefulness test (DS-MWT) to better assess the effects of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) on driving performance. The candidate will be responsible for conducting two concise, complementary randomized-controlled trials (RCTs), further validating the pilot against classical MWTs in volunteers affected by obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), with the goal of transferring findings into clinical use in traffic medicine. The study protocols are already in preparation.
The project will be conducted in collaboration with the University Hospital Zurich (PD Dr. med. Esther I. Schwarz, USZ, Pneumology). The candidate will work on acquiring and analyzing driving parameters, eye tracking data, EEG data, and additional performance metrics. Responsibilities include obtaining final ethics approval, organizing the study, data collection and analysis, and publishing and presenting results in peer-reviewed journals and at national and international conferences.
Your Profile
We seek an enthusiastic, dedicated, and creative individual driven by curiosity, a proactive team player with a can-do attitude. The candidate should hold a Master’s degree in Life Sciences, Biomedicine, (Biomedical) Engineering, Psychology, Medicine, or a related field, preferably with experience related to brain function (e.g., UZH programs such as Medical Biology, Neurosciences, Neural Systems and Computation, or Interdisciplinary Brain Science). Strong interest and experience in working with trial participants and data analysis (statistics in R, data analysis with MATLAB, Python, etc.) are essential.
What We Offer
We offer a well-structured project utilizing a highly immersive driving simulator with integrated data acquisition for eye tracking and EEG measurements. You will join a small, but growing, interdisciplinary research team that values collaboration, respect, trust, scientific integrity, initiative, and flexibility. The position is funded by institutional sources and the Emma-Louise Kessler-Fund. The candidate will either be accepted into or will need to apply and be accepted into one of the available PhD programs within six months. Program selection will be based on mutual agreement, candidate interests, background, and strengths. We encourage collaboration and exchange with other research groups nationally and internationally, within the PhD program and beyond.
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