Graduate Student and Post-doctoral Opportunities

Post-doctoral Positions:

***Current as of Dec. 16, 2025 and until otherwise updated***

We invite applications for a postdoctoral position related to gaze and movement decision-making. Our research explores how people decide to acquire and use visual information to guide movement. We ask questions related to how people decide where, when, and for how long to direct gaze to different locations, as well as how people decide where and how to move. Although the movement the lab predominantly focuses on is walking, we also study movements involving the arms.

Position details:

There is flexibility in projects; research questions will relate to gaze and movement decision-making
Experiments will involve mobile eye tracking, motion capture or virtual reality, and the potential for “in-the-wild” environments
The successful applicant is expected to assist in the supervision of graduate and undergraduate students in the lab

Requirements:

PhD and background in neuroscience, kinesiology, psychology, computer science, and/or an area closely related to the lab’s research
Intermediate to advanced coding skills in one or more computer programming languages (ideally Matlab and/or Python, R)
Advanced statistical analysis skills
A record of scholarly publications as first or lead author in peer-reviewed journals, demonstrating excellent writing and research communications skills
Proficient oral communication skills

Assets:

Expertise in computational modeling, demonstrated through research publications
Expertise in computer vision techniques
Previous research experience related to decision-making
Experience with eye tracking, motion capture, and/or virtual reality

Duration

Term: 1 year, with possibility of extension to a 2^nd and 3^rd year based on performance and funding

Other Details

Details on salary, start of reviewing applications, potential start dates, and how to apply will be announced shortly
Feel free to contact Dr. Marigold in advance

The Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Graduate Student Positions:

***Current as of Dec. 16, 2025 and until otherwise updated***

The Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab is seeking applications for up to 3 available graduate student positions (at the PhD level) related to 2 different research projects. One of the position involves computational modelling. Please see below for details.

GAZE AND WALKING DECISIONS PROJECT

Project details:

What drives the decision of where, when, and for how long we look at environmental features? What drives where we step or the path to walk? This project will determine the role of different factors (e.g., self-efficacy, visual uncertainty, motor cost) in these decisions.
Experiments will involve mobile eye tracking, virtual reality, and “in-the-wild” environments
Related research articles from the lab:
- Da Eira Silva V, Marigold DS. Fork in the road: how self-efficacy related to walking across terrain influences gaze behaviour and path choice. J Vis 24(7): 7, 2024.
- Domínguez-Zamora FJ, Marigold DS. Motives driving gaze and walking decisions. Curr Biol 31: 1632-1642, 2021.

Requirements:

Master's degree and background in neuroscience, kinesiology, psychology, and/or closely related area
- Prospective students without a master's degree but interested in starting at the master's level and transferring into a PhD program after 1 year can inquire about the possibility
Self-motivated
Proficient research and numerical skills
Proficient oral and written English communication skills

Assets:

Proficient in computer programming (ideally MATLAB and/or Python)
Experience with virtual reality (and Unreal Engine or Unity)
Applicants with expertise in computational modeling approaches relevant to the lab’s research focus are encouraged to apply; please explain how you can contribute to the lab in your application

Funding: Guaranteed for at least 4 years (PhD level) in agreement with current Departmental policies. It is expected that the successful applicant will apply for both internal and external scholarships when eligible.

Application Process: If interested, please send (1) a brief statement of research interests and career goals, (2) a current CV, and (3) transcripts (unofficial versions are acceptable to start) to daniel_marigold at sfu dot ca. Please send the statement in the body of the email and the CV and transcript documents in PDF format. Positions are subject to acceptance into the graduate program in BPK at SFU. Please visit the following site for more details: www.sfu.ca/bpk/. We will start considering applications at the end of January and will continue until the position is filled.

The Sensorimotor Neuroscience Lab is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Earliest Start Date: September 1, 2026.

WALKING COLLISION AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOURS PROJECT

This is a collaborative project with Dr. Michael Cinelli (Wilfrid Laurier University) on walking collision avoidance behaviours. The successful applicants will benefit from co-supervision by Drs. Marigold and Cinelli. There are 2 positions available.

Project details:

Crowded public places often necessitate collision avoidance behaviours. This project seeks to understand the factors that influence a person’s decisions on where and how to walk (PhD position 1) and to develop computational models of this behaviour (PhD position 2).
Experiments will involve collection and analysis of unscripted pedestrian walking behaviour across various real-world locations.
Related research article:
- Nikmanesh M, Cinelli ME, Marigold DS. Identifying factors that contribute to collision avoidance behaviours while walking in a natural environment. Sci Rep 15:3530, 2025.

Position 1

Requirements:

Background in neuroscience, psychology, kinesiology, and/or closely related area
Self-motivated
Proficient research and numerical skills
Proficient oral and written English communication skills

Assets:

Master's degree
Proficient in computer programming (ideally MATLAB and/or Python)

Position 2

Requirements:

Background in neuroscience, psychology, kinesiology, statistics, mathematics, computer science, and/or closely related area
Self-motivated
Proficient in computer programming (e.g., MATLAB, Python)
Demonstrated computational modeling expertise
Proficient research and numerical skills
Proficient oral and written English communication skills

Assets:

Master's degree
Proficient in statistical modeling approaches
Experience with the design, data collection, and analysis of human behavioural experiments

Application Process: If interested, please send (1) a brief statement of research interests and career goals, (2) a current CV, and (3) transcripts (unofficial versions are acceptable to start) to daniel_marigold at sfu dot ca. Please send the statement in the body of the email and the CV and transcript documents in PDF format. In addition, please indicate which position(s) you are interested in. Positions are subject to acceptance into the graduate program in BPK at SFU. Please visit the following site for more details: www.sfu.ca/bpk/. We will start considering applications at the end of January and will continue until the position is filled.

Both research labs are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Earliest Start Date: September 1, 2026.

Research and Training Associated with the Department: Graduate students can participate in the Translational and Integrative Neuroscience graduate specialization, which offers courses and workshops. In addition, SFU’s Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology provides networking opportunities and seminars. Students will also be trained by Dr. Cinelli who has expertise in visuomotor control and decision-making as it pertains to collision avoidance behaviours between individuals. Drs. Cinelli and Marigold will work closely with the students to foster their skillsets and professional development to prepare them for both their current research and their future careers within or outside of academia.