PhD opportunity on birdsong learning
Location: Laboratory Ethology Cognition Development, University Paris Nanterre, France.
Context: we are looking for a very motivated doctoral student to carry out research on developmental birdsong learning. Birdsong has been established as a biological model of choice to study vocal learning, an important component of human language. There is mounting evidence that variability has an important role in the outcome of sensorimotor learning: in some cases, increased variability during learning is eventually associated with better performance. Taking advantage of the successful use of a robot bird as a song tutor (Araguas et al., Journal of Experimental Biology 2022), the PhD student will track the song development of young zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and canaries (Serinus canaria) exposed to different song models that exhibit significant variability. Then, these results will help building new developmental algorithms for neurorobotics including direct model learning and sensorimotor skill acquisition (not part of this PhD).
This PhD-project is part of an interdisciplinary program funded by the French agency for research (ANR) combining ethology, neuroethology, neurorobotics and signal analysis and synthesis. Ultimately, these results could help developing tools needed to implement strategies that improve the quality of learning in birds and to some extent to human infants.
Requirements to apply:
- Master degree in ethology, bioacoustics, signal analysis or behavioural neuroscience
- Strong interest in animal behaviour
- Experience with birds
- Training in statistics and data processing
- Basic French (oral) is desirable but not required, fluency in English (oral, written)
The position is available from 1 September 2024 (negotiable) for a maximum duration of 3 years. Salary is according to the pay scale of the University Paris Nanterre. The position is available until filled; we will start reviewing applications from May 15th 2024.