Brain Organization for Language and Literacy Development (BOLD) Lab under direction of Dr. Kaja Jasińska 
Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

Area of Research

The BOLD Lab at the University of Toronto has an opening for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to contribute to research on child development. We have several ongoing projects using a combination of behavioral and neuroimaging methods to study how children develop and learn in high-risk environments. Specifically, we are looking for an individual who can contribute to two projects:

  1. A tech-based literacy intervention program including a neuroimaging study of brain development and reading outcomes, and
  2. Large-scale RCT aimed at supporting children’s developmental and academic outcomes by reducing poverty and improving quality of education, both in Ivory Coast.

Both projects involve collaboration with Dr. Amy Ogan at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and Dr. Sharon Wolf at the School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

Description of duties

Responsibilities will include the development, collection, and analysis of behavioral and neuroimaging data about language and cognitive development and learning outcomes in the context of educational interventions in school-aged children growing up in rural Ivory Coast. The position is based at the University of Toronto, and the postdoc will have opportunities to go to Ivory Coast over the duration of the position. 

Required qualifications

Successful applicants will have a background in several of the following areas: child development, language and literacy acquisition, impact evaluation, recording and analysis of fNIRS or fMRI data, design and analysis of complex behavioral experiments/tasks, longitudinal data analysis, global development (ideally in sub-Saharan Africa). High degree of fluency using R and/or Matlab is required. A Ph.D. in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Education, Linguistics, or Neuroscience is preferred. Familiarity with working in international contexts (preferably sub-Saharan Africa) and proficiency in French are preferred, but not required.

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should send via email their CV, two representative papers, the names of three references, and a cover letter to Dr. Kaja Jasinska ([email protected]).

Contact Information
PI Website: www.haskins.yale.edu/staff/jasinska/ 
Lab Website: www.oise.utoronto.ca/boldlab/
Contact Name: Kaja Jasinska
Contact Email: [email protected]

Position start date

May 1, 2021 (flexible). Applications will be accepted until filled

Term

The position is for one year, with the option to renew for 1-2 years, given satisfactory performance and available funding.

FTE: The normal hours of work are 40 hours per week for a full-time postdoctoral fellow (pro-rated for those holding a partial appointment) recognizing that the needs of the employee’s research and training and the needs of the supervisor’s research program may require flexibility in the performance of the employee’s duties and hours of work. 
Employment as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto is covered by the terms of the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement. 
This job is posted in accordance with the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement. 
The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. 

University of Toronto

OISE is recognized as a global leader in graduate programs in teaching and learning, continuing teacher education, and education research. As one of the largest and most research-intensive faculties of education in North America, OISE is an integral part of the University of Toronto—Canada’s most dynamic and comprehensive institution of higher learning.

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