The Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language (BCBL) in San Sebastian (Basque Country, Spain) is looking for a PhD Researcher to join its team.
Information about the project
The Infant Language and Cognition group at the BCBL is welcoming applications for a PhD Researcher position funded by the European Research Council Consolidator Project Bilingual LENS. The goal of Bilingual LENS is to determine the quantity, quality, and timing of early bilingual exposure that accurately predict bilingual infants’ individual language outcomes. For this purpose, we will conduct large-scale longitudinal studies, combining a variety of neuroimaging, behavioural, and observational measures, to assess bilingual infants’ dual language development during the first two years of life. The studies will target three core components: (1) neural maturation, (2) stimulation through language exposure, and (3) the maturation-exposure interaction. Specifically, we will focus on the development of the maturation-exposure interaction over time, and its role in the continuous fine-tuning of infants’ perceptual sensitivities to their native languages and their developing dual-language competence.
Job description
The PhD researcher will join the multidisciplinary team of the Bilingual LENS project, working under the direct supervision of Dr. Marina Kalashnikova. The PhD project, specifically, will focus on investigating the development of attentional abilities recruited during language processing in young bilingual infants. The PhD researcher will be involved in the design and implementation of experimental studies with young infants, using a combination of neuroimaging (fNIRS) and behavioral (eye tracking) methods. This position offers an engaging collaborative environment and the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research on bilingual language development in infancy.
Application deadline: 20 April 2026