Post-Doctoral Fellow (NIE-SoLEC)

The National Institute of Education invites suitable applications for the position of Post-Doctoral Fellow on a 24-month contract at the .

Project Title: Optimising exercise to improve physical and cognitive frailty in mild cognitive impairment

Project Introduction: Dementia currently affects approximately 50 million people worldwide and this number is expected to increase to 74.7 million in 2030 and 131.5 million in 20501. In Malaysia, about 50,000 elderly were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), which is the most common form of dementia2. Current evidence has shown relationships between physical frailty and cognitive decline3 whereby frailty may increase the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in cognitively unimpaired populations, and accelerate cognitive decline. Physical frailty is a novel target in early cognitive impairment [5] as it is a potentially reversible pathological ageing process4. Physical frailty can be improved through exercise intervention which can further delayed the progress and severity of cognitive decline particularly among those with early stage of dementia (i.e., MCI). However, how different types of exercise (i.e., aerobic versus resistance exercise) induce changes in physical frailty and cognitive function is understudied. Therefore, this study will elucidate the mechanism on how different types of exercise intervention causes physical and neural changes. As recent drug trials have not yielded a high-level of efficacy to prevent dementia, lifestyle behaviour still remains the largest modifiable risk factor that can be intervened.

Requirements:

Hold a PhD in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, sport science, or related fields, with;

· At least 3 years of relevant research experience.

· Strong verbal communication and writing skills.

· Expertise in Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

· Strong neuroscience, neurophysiology, neuroimaging and biomechanics background

· Able to work independently and in teams with minimal supervision.

· Ability to effectively engage and collaborate with older adults.

· Proactive, energetic, and keen to learn.

· Reliable and able to manage concurrent tasks in a timely manner.

Responsibilities:

· Conduct literature review.

· Assist in participant and stakeholder management.

· Assist in the administration and management of project and intervention.

· Assist with behavioural and neurophysiological data collection, processing, and analysis.

· Assist in writing of reports and journal articles.

· Maintain and document research records.

· Facilitate coordination and training of student assistants.

· Other tasks as assigned by the Principal Investigator.

Application

Applicants (external and internal) will apply via Workday. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Workday Job Requisition ID: R00019885

(https://ntu.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/Careers/job/NTU-Main-Campus-Singapore/Post-Doctoral-Fellow--Science-of-Learning-in-Education-Centre---NIE-_R00019885)

Closing Date

Closing date for advertisements will be set to 14 calendar days from date of posting.

The National Institute of Education invites suitable applications for the position of Post-Doctoral Fellow on a 24-month contract at the .

Project Title: Optimising exercise to improve physical and cognitive frailty in mild cognitive impairment

Project Introduction: Dementia currently affects approximately 50 million people worldwide and this number is expected to increase to 74.7 million in 2030 and 131.5 million in 20501. In Malaysia, about 50,000 elderly were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), which is the most common form of dementia2. Current evidence has shown relationships between physical frailty and cognitive decline3 whereby frailty may increase the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in cognitively unimpaired populations, and accelerate cognitive decline. Physical frailty is a novel target in early cognitive impairment [5] as it is a potentially reversible pathological ageing process4. Physical frailty can be improved through exercise intervention which can further delayed the progress and severity of cognitive decline particularly among those with early stage of dementia (i.e., MCI). However, how different types of exercise (i.e., aerobic versus resistance exercise) induce changes in physical frailty and cognitive function is understudied. Therefore, this study will elucidate the mechanism on how different types of exercise intervention causes physical and neural changes. As recent drug trials have not yielded a high-level of efficacy to prevent dementia, lifestyle behaviour still remains the largest modifiable risk factor that can be intervened.

Requirements:

Hold a PhD in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, sport science, or related fields, with;

· At least 3 years of relevant research experience.

· Strong verbal communication and writing skills.

· Expertise in Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

· Strong neuroscience, neurophysiology, neuroimaging and biomechanics background

· Able to work independently and in teams with minimal supervision.

· Ability to effectively engage and collaborate with older adults.

· Proactive, energetic, and keen to learn.

· Reliable and able to manage concurrent tasks in a timely manner.

Responsibilities:

· Conduct literature review.

· Assist in participant and stakeholder management.

· Assist in the administration and management of project and intervention.

· Assist with behavioural and neurophysiological data collection, processing, and analysis.

· Assist in writing of reports and journal articles.

· Maintain and document research records.

· Facilitate coordination and training of student assistants.

· Other tasks as assigned by the Principal Investigator.

Application

Applicants (external and internal) will apply via Workday. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Workday Job Requisition ID: R00019885

(https://ntu.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/Careers/job/NTU-Main-Campus-Singapore/Post-Doctoral-Fellow--Science-of-Learning-in-Education-Centre---NIE-_R00019885)

Closing Date

Closing date for advertisements will be set to 14 calendar days from date of posting.