lundi 8 octobre 2018

2 PhDs positions at ENES lab.

Please send applications (CV + brief cover letter) to phd1.application@gmail.com, by October 13th, 2018.
Both PhDs must imperatively start on 1st December 2018.

Funded PHDs in mammal/human vocal communication

Applications are invited for PhD positions on the following topics. Candidates are asked to specify which of the topics they are most interested in (it is OK to apply for more than one). Two PhDs will be funded. The key criteria for deciding which projects will be funded will be the excellence of the candidate and their adequacy with the selected topic.

Topic 1. Longitudinal voice variation. The key aim of this PhD will be to identify when and why inter-individual differences in the voice arise, and the extent to which they remain stable through the lifespan. Over the last two decades, a considerable number of studies have shown that the vocalisations of animals, and the nonverbal components of human speech, contain acoustic cues (including voice pitch and formant spacing) to a wide range of crucial physical or social attributes (e.g. body size, strength, dominance, attractiveness etc.) that are relevant to sexual and social interactions and ultimately affect reproductive success. However, very little research has investigated how and when these inter-individual differences arise in animal and human vocalisations, whether they are inherited, whether they remain stable throughout the lifespan, and whether they remain consistent across call types. Here we propose to investigate when and why inter-individual differences in acoustic cues to dominance and size (F0 and formant spacing) arise, and to track their evolution throughout the lifespan (controlling for sex and age variation). Model species will include humans (from babies’ cries to child speech) as well as animal models (e.g. dogs, sheep, cattle etc.).
The work will involve voice recording (lab & field), acoustical analyses, advanced statistical analyses, sound resynthesis, and playback experiments (lab & field). Excellent interpersonal skills, fluency in French and English, and a driving licence are essential.

Topic 2. Nonverbal communication: a common ground for human-animal vocal interactions? In the context of increased societal awareness of the crucial importance of domesticated and companion animals to human prosperity and well-being, research on human-animal interactions has exploded in recent years. While the use of Pet Directed Speech (characterised by a higher and more variable pitch) when we address domesticated animals has received much attention, our vocal communication with animals is not limited to the defining features of PDS, and its context-specific variation has been largely overlooked. We thus propose to investigate how we use our voices in a wide range of interactions, making the prediction that the modulation of primary acoustic cues to size/dominance plays a central role in communicating affect and intent as well as in directing attention. For example, we predict that owners use lower pitch and formants to express dominance (when disciplining a dog, or repeating a command) vs. higher pitch and formants when expressing reward/play. In turn we will test the extent to which animals respond to this modulation of primary cues to size and dominance by observing their behavioural reactions in playback experiments. We also propose to investigate whether we use within-call variation to communicate emotions to animals (e.g. rising pitch to signal excitement and decreasing pitch to signal appeasement) and whether animals perceive and respond to these cues using playback experiments. Model species will include companion and farmed animals.
The work will involve voice recording (lab & field), acoustical analyses, advanced statistical analyses, sound resynthesis, and playback experiments (lab & field). Excellent interpersonal and interspecificJskills, advanced French and English, and a driving licence are essential.

Topic 3. Understanding vocal complexity in mammal vocalisations? The acoustic structure of terrestrial mammal vocalisations is astonishingly complex and diverse. Understanding the mechanistic and evolutionary bases of this diversity provides an essential comparative context and as such remains a crucial objective of research in bioacoustics. This project will combine anatomical and biometric investigations (dissections, imaging), vocal production modelling, acoustic analyses and playback experiments in order to investigate the relationship between morphology, acoustics and function in a range of free-ranging and farmed species. Biometric investigations will be used to establish the co-variation of the key dimensions of the vocal apparatus (vocal fold length, vocal tract length) with animals’ sex, age, body size, and androgen levels, within and between species. We will then model the production of vocal signals in these species using a combination of imaging and acoustical modelling, by producing 3D models of animal vocal tracts to investigate the effect of e.g. vocal tract extension and nasalisation on formants and their modulation. We will also perform observational and experimental studies to investigate the function of putative indexical cues (F0, formant spacing). Model species will include wild-ranging and farmed large terrestrial mammals.
The work will involve sound recording (lab & field), acoustical analyses, advanced statistical analyses, performing and interpreting CT-Scans, using Matlab scripts for modelling sound production, sound resynthesis, and playback experiments (lab & field). Advanced understanding of acoustics and vocal anatomy are desired. Excellent lab and fieldwork skills, basic French, excellent English, and a driving licence are essential.

Students will complete their PhD within the Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle (ENES/NeuroPSI CNRS UMR9197), part of the University of Lyon / Saint-Etienne, France. ENES is located on the St-Etienne Campus. The PhDs will be supervised by Professor Nicolas Mathevon in collaborations with Professor David Reby and Doctor Kasia Pisanski. The studentships are supported by an IDEXLYON Fellowship.

Both PhDs must imperatively start on 1st December 2018.
Please send applications (CV & brief cover letter) to: phd1.application@gmail.com, by October 13th, 2018. Successful candidates will be informed early November.