[Comp-neuro] PhD Studentship in Machine Learning: Automatic recognition of patient’s affective state in pain rehabilitation (University College London)

[Nadia Berthouze]

PhD Studentship in Machine Learning: Automatic recognition of patient’s 
affective state in pain rehabilitation

University College London, UCL Interaction Centre

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship on the design and 
development of an intelligent system to enable ubiquitous monitoring and 
assessment of patients’ pain-related moods and movements. Based at the 
UCL Interaction Centre (www.uclic.ucl.ac.uk), the student will be part 
of a multidisciplinary group within the EPSRC-funded project Emo&Pain 
(http://www.uclic.ucl.ac.uk/people/n.berthouze/EPain/).

Emo&Pain is a large EPSRC-funded research project that brings together 
researchers from UCL, Imperial College and Leicester University to 
improve self-management in patients with chronic pain. Chronic pain is 
one of the big challenges facing healthcare providers in the western 
world due to the rising number of people with chronic health problems.

Under the supervision of Dr Nadia Berthouze (main PI), and in 
collaboration with a team of psychologists, clinicians and computer 
scientists (e.g., machine learning), the student will develop a system 
to recognize patients’ emotional states and pain level. This recognition 
will be based on body movement cues as well as EMG signals captured 
during self-directed physiotherapy sessions. The project will involve 
signal processing as well as the application of machine learning 
techniques.
The recognition system will be integrated in a multi-modal (including 
face and voice) integration system to be developed as part of the 
Emo&Pain project.

Applicants should have a first or upper-second (2:1) class honours 
degree in Computer Science, a strong background in Machine Learning 
(e.g., through a MSc programme) as well as excellent programming skills 
(Matlab, Java, C++, or C). Candidates should have excellent written and 
verbal communication skills.

British and EU nationals who meet the UK residency requirements, as 
defined by EPSRC 
(http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/PostgraduateTraining/StudentEligibility.htm), 
will receive a full award covering both tuition fees and a tax-free 
annual stipend starting at £15,290 per annum. The post is also open to 
overseas candidates, who will receive the annual stipend, however, only 
a portion of the total tuition fee, equivalent to the UK fee (£3390 per 
annum), will be covered.

Instructions on how to apply can be found at 
http://www.uclic.ucl.ac.uk/opportunities/2010_E-Pain%20studentship%20how%20to%20apply.pdf,  
whilst information about the Emo&Pain project is available at 
http://www.uclic.ucl.ac.uk/people/n.berthouze/EPain. Informal queries 
can be directed to Nadia Berthouze (n.berthouze at ucl.ac.uk).

The studentship runs for 42 months full-time starting end of September 
2010 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Closing date for applications is 9 June 2010.
Interviews will be held on or shortly after 18 June 2010.

UCL Taking Action for Equality

-- 
Dr Nadia Bianchi-Berthouze
UCL Interaction Centre (UCLIC)
Malet Place Engineering Building, 8th floor
University College London
Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT
Tel. +44 (0) 20 7679 0690 (30690)
http://www.uclic.ucl.ac.uk/people/n.berthouze/