Postdoctoral position in automatic characterization of motor speech disorders W/M

About Idiap

Idiap is an independent, not-for-profit, research institute recognized and funded by the Swiss Federal Government, the State of Valais, and the City of Martigny, and is academically affiliated with EPFL and University of Geneva.

Idiap offers competitive salaries and conditions at all levels in a young, high-quality, dynamic, and multicultural environment. Idiap is an equal opportunity employer and is actively involved in the "Advancement of Women in Science" European initiative. The Institute seeks to maintain a principle of open competition (on the basis of merit) to appoint the best candidate, provides equal opportunity for all candidates, and equally encourage both genders to apply. Employment at Idiap is thus based solely on a person's merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. Idiap does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, pregnancy, or any other basis protected by law.

Idiap is located in the town of Martigny in Valais, a scenic region in the south of Switzerland, surrounded by the highest mountains of Europe, and offering exceptional quality of life, exciting recreational activities, including hiking, climbing and skiing, as well as varied cultural activities. It is within close proximity to Lausanne and Geneva. Although Idiap is located in the French part of Switzerland, English is the official working language. Free French lessons are also provided on a complimentary basis.

For frequently asked questions (FAQs) about living in Switzerland, please go to https://www.idiap.ch/en/faq

Job description

The Idiap Research Institute seeks qualified candidates for a postdoctoral position in the field of signal processing and deep learning for the automatic characterization of motor speech disorders. The research will be conducted in the framework of the Swiss NSF Sinergia project ChaSpeePro (Characterisation of motor speech disorders and processes). This is a consortium project that involves Idiap, University of Geneva, University of Paris 3-Sorbonne Nouvelle, and Geneva University Hospitals.

Various conditions of brain damage may disrupt the speech production mechanism, resulting in motor speech disorders that encapsulate altered speech production in different dimensions. To diagnose motor speech disorders, clinicians exploit perceptual assessments typically involving detection by ear of clinical-perceptual signs of disrupted speech, e.g., articulation deficiencies, vowel quality changes, pitch variation, or rhythm disruptions. These assessments are subject to the expertise of the clinician and can be time-consuming. To complement the clinical-perceptual assessment, the successful postdoctoral fellow will research novel automatic signal processing and machine learning approaches using speech and brain signals. Such approaches should be able to cope with realistic clinical constraints.

The ideal candidate should hold a PhD degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or related fields. They should have a background in statistics, applied mathematics, optimization, linear algebra, and signal processing. The applicant should also have strong programming skills. A solid experience in speech processing/machine learning is an asset.

The postdoctoral fellow will join the Signal Processing for Communication group at Idiap, under the supervision of Dr. Ina Kodrasi. They will closely collaborate with the PhD candiate within the same project and the different project partners. Appointment for this position is for an initial period of 1 year, with the possibility of renewal based on performance. Funding is currently available for a total of 4 years. Starting date is to be negotiated. The annual gross salary in the first year is 80,000 Swiss Francs. All queries related to the advertised position can be sent to Dr. Ina Kodrasi (ina.kodrasi [at] idiap.ch).

At Idiap we place great emphasis on diversity and strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to apply.

Sought profile

The ideal candidate should hold a PhD degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or related fields. They should have a background in statistics, applied mathematics, optimization, linear algebra, and signal processing. The applicant should also have strong programming skills. A solid experience in speech processing/machine learning is an asset.

Required languages

• English - Level advanced

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