- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

PhD posittion in machine learning for closed-loop deep brain stimulation

by Sebastián Castaño C.

Dear mailing-list members, We are looking for a motivated student to work with us at the Brain State Decoding lab, University of Freiburg, Germany! Specifically, we have an open PhD position for investigating machine learning methods for closed-loop deep brain stimulation systems in Parkinson's disease patients. Find the full proposal under https://www.bsdlab.uni-freiburg.de/jobs/phd-position-closed-loop-control-fo… and apply to work with us! Best on behalf of the lab, Sebastian Castaño-Candamil Doctorate student Brain state decoding lab University of Freiburg E // sebastian.castano(a)blbt.uni-freiburg.de (mailto:sebastian.castano@blbt.uni-freiburg.de)

Oct. 17, 2019

CFP: FOSDEM 2020 Open Research Tools & Technologies track

by Achilleas Koutsou

This is a *Call for Proposals* for the *Open Research Tools & Technologies* devroom/track at FOSDEM 2020. Web version: https://research-fosdem.github.io/ For the first time at FOSDEM, we are organising a track for the tools and technologies being used in and developed for researchers and scientists and the unique challenges surrounding these topics. FOSDEM (Free and Open source Software Developers' European Meeting) is a non-commercial, volunteer-organised European event centred on free and open-source software development. It is aimed at developers and anyone interested in the free and open-source software movement. It aims to enable developers to meet and to promote the awareness and use of free and open-source software. More info: https://fosdem.org/2020/about/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FOSDEM The *Open Research Tools & Technologies* devroom is a track dedicated to bringing together developers of research tools with users, potential future contributors, and developers of the wider FLOSS community to discuss the unique challenges for these particular areas of software development. We aim to: - Allow knowledge-based tool developers to publicise their efforts and become aware of other FLOSS projects. - Facilitate the pooling of coding efforts on (often poorly funded) tools. - Create a network where otherwise isolated developers and research engineers can share common concerns. - Provide social recognition for people who work in fields where designing and developing tools does not produce the traditionally recognisable outcomes, e.g., research papers. We seek talks about: - New software releases of research tools or technologies. - Feedback on open technology stacks used in research contexts (e.g., scientific research, journalistic inquiry, archive creation or publication, etc.) which collect, analyse, document, visualise, and/or share data. - Tool design and implementation for specific research contexts, e.g., how to hold an algorithm accountable to social scientists, how to foster better replicability and interoperability thanks to FLOSS, how to cope with biases of a chart for a data journalist, etc. - Issues and opportunities about bridging tech culture with research environments (research labs, libraries, newsrooms, museums, etc.). Talks will be around 20-40 minutes long + 5-10 minutes Q&A, must be in English, will be video recorded by the amazing FOSDEM staff and will be available on the FOSDEM video recordings archive. *Time and place:* Saturday 1st February 2020 from 10:30 to 19:00 ULB, Brussels, Belgium *How to submit proposals* *By submitting a proposal you agree to being recorded and to have your talk made available.* *Deadline:* Sunday 1st December 2019 23:59 CET Submissions must include: - Abstract - Session type (Lecture or Lightning talk) - Session length (20-40 min, 10 min for a lightning talk) - Expected prior knowledge / intended audience - Speaker bio The following information may also be provided but is optional: - Links to code / slides / material for the talk - Links to previous talks by the speaker Submission process is managed in the Pentabarf system used by the FOSDEM conference. Apply for a talk: https://penta.fosdem.org/submission/FOSDEM20 When submitting your talk in Pentabarf, make sure to select the *Open Research Tools and Technologies Devroom* as the Track. If you already have a Pentabarf account from a previous FOSDEM event, please reuse it. Feel free to contact me directly for any questions or concerns: koutsou(a)biologie.uni-muenchen.de <koutsou(a)bio.lmu.de> *Other devrooms that might be of interest* Even if FOSDEM is not science-specific, you might be interested by many other talks. Some developer rooms (tracks) that may be relevant to the interests of this mailing list: - HPC, Big Data, and Data Science - Graph systems and algorithms - Open source design - Community *Developer room organisers* Achilleas Koutsou, G-Node, http://g-node.org https://github.com/achilleas-k Michael Sonntag, G-Node, http://g-node.org https://github.com/mpsonntag Paul Girard, Sciences Po médialab, https://medialab.sciencespo.fr/equipe/paul-girard https://github.com/paulgirard Mathieu Jacomy, Aalborg University TANT Lab, https://www.tantlab.aau.dk/ https://github.com/jacomyma

Oct. 16, 2019

Postdoctoral position on computational modelling: interfacing models with nanoarrays to drive cultured neurons

by Yiota Poirazi

1-2 Postdoctoral positions are available in the lab of Panayiota Poirazi ( www.dendrites.gr) in Crete, starting on January 1st, 2020. The positions are for 2 years, with a possibility of renewal for another 2 years. Salary is commensurate with experience. The successful applicant will work on a multi-disciplinary project funded by the FET (Future and Emerging Technologies) Open Instrument of the European Innovation Council. The NEUREKA project aims to develop a new prototype technology that can be used for drug discovery for neurological diseases. In this new hybrid technology, computational neuronal networks that simulate dysfunction will drive cultured neurons to replicate neuropathologies. A proof-of-concept will be provided for Alzheimer’s disease, using human (iPSC)-derived neurons while testing the effects of novel drug candidates. The NEUREKA partners include the University of Padua (Prof. Vassanelli), CNRS (Prof. Larrieu), the University of Milano Bicocca (Prof. Fanciulli) and Maxwell Biosystems. Pharma advisors include Roche and Cognition Therapeutics Inc. For more information please visit: http://www.dendrites.gr/en/openings-11 Applications (full CV, statement of research interest and name and contact of 2-3 referees) should be sent by e-mail to poirazi(a)imbb.forth.gr, quoting “NEUREKA: Postdoctoral position” in the subject line. The deadline for applications is *November 30th, 2019*. Applications will be examined until the position is filled. Informal enquiries are welcome. -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385, GR 70013, Heraklion, Crete GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 Εmail: poirazi(a)imbb.forth.gr Lab site: www.dendrites.gr

Oct. 16, 2019

Post-doctoral Researcher in Computational modelling of hippocampal circuits (Blue Brain Porject, Switzerland)

by Armando Romani

Blue Brain Porject (Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland) is looking for a *Post-doctoral Researcher in Computational modelling of hippocampal circuits*. Improve the existing large-scale models of rodent hippocampus. The current network models are already the product of several iterations and their emergent behavior can reproduce many features of the hippocampus. The work on the models continues by expanding the region of interest from CA1 (the first region we considered) to the full hippocampus, and eventually by connecting the hippocampus to the rest of the brain. In parallel, the models will include more or more details. For example, we are working on including gap junctions, long-term plasticity, structural plasticity, neuromodulation, glia, vasculature, and so on. Exploit the models to answer outstanding questions in the field, such as information processing in the hippocampus, spatial navigation, memory processes, development of pathological conditions (Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy). The models are designed not to answer one specific question, but for a general purpose. This ensures a larger validity of the models and allows us to potentially test many different hypotheses and make likewise predictions. Follow the link below to learn more about the position and how to apply. https://recruiting.epfl.ch/Vacancies/1005/Description/2 — Armando Romani, PhD Junior Group Leader - Simulation Neuroscience Division EPFL - Blue Brain Project Campus Biotech Chemin des Mines 9 CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland Phone +41 (0)21 693 7190

Oct. 16, 2019

Post-doctoral Researcher in Computational modelling of thalamo-cortical circuits (Blue Brain Porject, Switzerland)

by Armando Romani

Blue Brain Porject (Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland) is looking for a* Post-doctoral Researcher in Computational modelling of thalamo-cortical circuits*. The goal of this project is to leverage the Blue Brain software and existing thalamic models to build and validate biologically-accurate models of thalamo-cortical circuitry. Modelling these circuits is a crucial step to investigate brain functions, such us sensory transmission, sleep rhythms, wakefulness, alertness. The successful candidate would be responsible for gathering data about thalamo-cortical circuits from the literature, open-access datasets and in vitro studies in collaboration with the experimental lab. Interactions with biology and experimental experts would be fundamental to validate and confirm model predictions. In addition, the candidate would provide guidance and scientific expertise to the technical teams and contribute to the on-going refinement of workflows and tools to build data-driven unifying brain tissue models. Furthermore, the candidate will work in collaboration with engineering teams on visualization, high performance computing, data integration and with project managers to define objectives and timelines to achieve overarching objectives and meet aggressive deadlines. Follow the link below to learn more about the position and how to apply. https://recruiting.epfl.ch/Vacancies/827/Description/2 — Armando Romani, PhD Junior Group Leader - Simulation Neuroscience Division EPFL - Blue Brain Project Campus Biotech Chemin des Mines 9 CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland Phone +41 (0)21 693 7190

Oct. 16, 2019

Human Neocortical Neurosolver New Features & SFN 2019 Demos

by Stephanie Jones

We are happy to announce several exciting developments with the new Human Neocortical Neurosolver (HNN) software designed for cell and circuit interpretation of human EEG/MEG. 1. An updated version of HNN with a new, frequently requested feature of parameter optimization (with a tutorial) is now available. Check it out at hnn.brown.edu. 2. HNN will be presented with live demonstrations at SFN 2019 in Chicago, IL. Sunday October 20th 11-11:30am Carney Booth 2129 Sunday October 20th 6:30-8:30pm BRAIN Initiative Alliance Tools & Technology Social Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Ballroom CD Monday October 21th 11-11:30am Carney Booth 2129 Monday October 21st 6:45pm Open-Source Technology Social Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Room N135 Wednesday October 23rd 1-5pm McCormick Place: Hall A. Poster 729.06 3. A HNN methods paper is now available on bioRxiv (Neymotin et al, BioRxiv 2019:740597. https://doi.org/10.1101/740597 <https://doi.org/10.1101/740597>) ******************************************* Stephanie R. Jones, PhD Associate Professor Brown University Department of Neuroscience Stephanie_Jones(a)Brown.edu https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/ <https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/> Human Neocortical Neurosolver https://hnn.brown.edu <https://hnn.brown.edu/>

Oct. 16, 2019

AREADNE 2020 Conference Announcement

by John Pezaris

AREADNE 2020 Research in Encoding and Decoding of Neural Ensembles Nomikos Conference Centre, Santorini, Greece 16-20 June 2020 http://areadne.org info(a)areadne.org The AREADNE conferences bring scientific leaders from around the world to present their recent findings on the functioning of neuronal ensembles in an informal yet spectacular setting on Santorini. The conference series emphasizes interaction with a size and pace that encourages in-depth discussion. Interested researchers are strongly encouraged to submit an abstract for poster presentation as attendance is strictly limited, and the conference typically sells out. Abstract submission deadline is 24 Jan 2020. Send us your best work!

Oct. 15, 2019

Reminder: 1st Elephant User Workshop for Reproducible Data Analysis in Electrophysiology, Paris, Nov 4-6, 2019

by Michael Denker

Reminder for the ***1st Elephant User Workshop*** --Accelerate Structured and Reproducible Data Analysis in Electrophysiology-- Paris, France Nov 4-6, 2019 Summary: In this workshop, users will be trained in the use of community-driven tools developed in the context of the Human Brain Project to analyze electrophysiological data, such as spike train data or LFP time series. In addition, participants receive help in integrating their own data into such analysis workflows. The topics covered will be: * reading and manipulating electrophysiology data in Python using Neo [1] * analysis of such data using Elephant [2] * best practices for integrating metadata into your workflow to aid the analysis process * best practices for structuring of analysis results * tracking data analysis pipelines using the HBP Knowledge Graph [3] * collaboration and sharing using the HBP Collaboratory [4] For more information and registration, check out: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/participatecollaborate/infras… Organizers: Andrew Davison | French National Centre for Scientific Research, France Michael Denker | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany Martina Schmalholz | Heidelberg University, Germany References: [1] Neo, https://neo.readthedocs.io [2] Elephant, https://elephant.readthedocs.io [3] HBP Knowledge Graph, https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/explore-the-brain/ [4] HBP Collaboratory, https://collab.humanbrainproject.eu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oct. 15, 2019

Neuroimaging data scientist position in Marseille, France

by Sylvain Takerkart

Neuroimaging Data Scientist Multimodal neuroimaging study of cerebellar anomalies in Parkinson’s disease The project SENCE (Movement disorders in Parkinson’s disease: The role of somatosensory deficits and cerebellar anomalies) is funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) and conducted in collaboration with the University of Oxford (Medical Research Council - MRC). It investigates the anatomical anomalies and abnormal metabolism of the cerebellum resulting from basal ganglia deregulation in Parkinson’s Disease (PD), which may contribute substantially to motor deficits. To this aim, we collect in PD patients (and healthy controls) an original multimodal neuroimaging dataset, comprising anatomical, diffusion-weighted (DWI), and resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI), as well as FDG-PET images, complemented by behavioural and electrophysiological recordings (EEG/intracranial LFP) collected in the same participants during motor tasks performed ON/OFF dopaminergic medication and/or ON/OFF deep brain stimulation (using open- or closed-loop adaptive stimulation protocols). -- Missions -- The data scientist will be responsible to set-up processing pipelines dedicated to analyzing the different neuroimaging scan types (MRI and PET), both at the full-brain level and with a particular focus on the characterization of the anatomy, connectivity and metabolism of the cerebellum. These neuroimaging results will also be combined with behavioural and electrophysiological data which will be analysed by other members of the project team. Furthermore, the data scientist will organize the raw and processed data in a standardized fashion to make it accessible to all the consortium and to the scientific community at large. These missions fall into our commitment to reproducible science through open code and data. -- Profile -- This position is for a candidate who is comfortable (or proficient) with computer programming (python will be our language of choice; matlab will also be used) and has good knowledge and/or experience in signal and image processing. It can be of interest to different types of profiles. You are a young graduate (BSc or MSc) either in data science, in electrical engineering or in neuroscience and you want to be at the heart of an innovative medical imaging project, with the possibility to continue as a PhD student. Or you already have a PhD in a relevant field and you want to take this opportunity to fulfill the aforementioned missions while getting further involved in the research aspects of the project, which should offer excellent opportunities for publications in neuroscience or methodological journals. -- Working environment -- The Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (INT) is one of the top French neuroscience research institutes with 150 staff members gathered in 10 inter-disciplinary teams examining different aspects of the cerebral organization. It is located on the medical campus of Aix-Marseille University. The successful candidate will join the SENCE project’s team within INT and will interact with cognitive neuroscientists, theoretical neuroscientists as well as specialists in neuroimaging data acquisition and processing. Marseille, the second largest city in France, is a vibrant inter-cultural hub located on the Mediterranean shore, and only 2h away from the Alps mountains. The position is initially open for one year, with a possible renewal for two more years. Starting date can be as early as December 2019 and can be postponed until the position is fulfilled. If you are interested, please send your resume and cover letter to: Sylvain_DOT_Takerkart_AT_univ-amu_DOT_fr and Nicole_DOT_Malfait_AT_univ-amu_DOT_fr -- Sylvain Takerkart Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone (INT) UMR 7289 CNRS-AMU Marseille, France tél: +33 (0)4 91 324 007 http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/_TAKERKART-Sylvain_?lang=en

Oct. 15, 2019

ANDA 2020 - G-Node Advanced Neural Data Analysis Course, April 14-30, 2020, Jülich, Germany

by Thomas Wachtler

ANDA 2020 - G-NODE ADVANCED NEURAL DATA ANALYSIS COURSE April 14 - 30, 2020 Haus Overbach, Jülich-Barmen, Germany Techniques to record neuronal data from populations of neurons are rapidly improving. Simultaneous recordings from hundreds of channels are possible while animals perform complex behavioral tasks. The analysis of such massive and complex data becomes increasingly challenging. This advanced course aims at providing deeper training in state-of-the-art analysis approaches in systems neuroscience. The course is addressed to excellent master and PhD students and young researchers who are interested in learning advanced techniques in data analytics and in getting hands-on experience in the analysis of electrophysiological data. Internationally renowned researchers will give lectures on statistical data analysis and data mining methods with accompanying exercises. Students will define and perform their own analyses on provided data to solve a challenge. Participants are required to have a strong interest in data analysis, a background in a mathematical or related field, knowledge of algebra, matrix operations, and statistics, and need to have solid programming experience (preferably in Python). FACULTY · Moshe Abeles, Hebrew Univ. Jerusalem, Israel · Michael Denker, Jülich Research Center, Germany · Udo Ernst, Univ. Bremen, Germany · Sonja Grün, Jülich Research Center, Germany · Adam Kohn, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA · Jakob Macke, TU Munich, Germany · Luca Mazzucato, Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, USA · Martin Nawrot, Univ. of Cologne, Germany · Yifat Prut, Hebrew Univ. Jerusalem, Israel · Hansjörg Scherberger, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany · Thomas Wachtler, LMU Munich, Germany TOPICS COVERED Single neuron properties and statistics · Stochastic processes · Surrogate methods · Detection of spatio-temporal patterns · Unitary Events · Statistical analysis of massively parallel spike data · Higher-order correlation analyses · Elephant toolbox · Spike-LFP relationship · Population coding · State space analysis · Machine learning · Data mining · Research data management and reproducibility REQUIREMENTS Applicants should be familiar with linear algebra, probability, differential and integral calculus and experienced using Python or Matlab. Preparatory reading material will be provided. Students should bring their own laptops and should be able to install software on their system. Students that do not have a suitable laptop should indicate this immediately after acceptance to the course. We will be able to provide a small number of laptops for the time of the course. COURSE FEE A course fee of 1000 Euros will be charged to cover costs for accommodation and meals. Limited financial support may be available for students that otherwise would not be able to attend, which is to be indicated in the application. HOUSING Accommodation in 2-bed rooms for students will be provided at the course site. HOW TO APPLY The application should include · a letter of motivation (max 1 page) · curriculum vitae (please indicate the relevant courses you have taken) · description of programming experience · a letter of recommendation. Please send all documents as a single PDF file to <advanced-course(a)g-node.org>. APPLICATION DEADLINE Applications must be received by NOVEMBER 15, 2019. Early application is encouraged. For further information see http://www.g-node.org/anda

Oct. 15, 2019

Open-Rank Position: Bilkent University

by Hulusi Kafaligonul

*Open-Rank Position, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center and National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM) at Bilkent University* Bilkent University invites faculty applications (rank open) for a position in the Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center and National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM). The strategic plan includes an expansion of research related to molecular and cellular neuroscience. Accordingly, we seek applications from promising or established scholars who have worked in this or a related field, and who integrates or plans to integrate neuroimaging in their studies. The newly built research center has spacious state-of-the-art molecular and cellular laboratories, in addition to animal research facilities. An Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience offers Master's and PhD programs that was opened five years ago. Finally, there are also human psychophysics, EEG laboratories and two MRI scanners (3T and 1.5T) with plans to purchase a high field scanner (7T) for animal studies. Bilkent is located in Ankara, Turkey's metropolitan capital with daily direct flights to Istanbul and other major European cities. Bilkent University also provides faculty members and their families with free housing and access to private health insurance. Qualifications and Responsibilities: Applicants should have a PhD in neuroscience or related discipline, and should have an excellent publication record (requirements vary with rank). A demonstrated ability or the potential to secure external research funding will be a strong advantage. Faculty members are expected to maintain productive research programs. Successful applicants will teach during the Fall and Spring semesters with no teaching requirement during summer, and supervise PhD and Master's students. Appointment: This full-time appointment will begin in September 2020 (negotiable). Salary will be internationally competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. *Application Procedure* Applicants should submit 1. a cover letter; 2. CV; 3. research statement; 4. teaching statement; 5. pdf copies of 3 representative publications; and 6. contact information for 3-5 professional references. Review of applications will commence on November 30, 2019 and continue until the position is filled. Inquiries about the university should be directed to Hulusi Kafaligonul athulusi(a)bilkent.edu.tr <mailto:hulusi@bilkent.edu.tr>or +90 312 290 3016.To apply please go to the following link: https://stars.bilkent.edu.tr/staffapp/UMRAM2019For more information, please visit the following websites: beyin.bilkent.edu.tr <http://beyin.bilkent.edu.tr/> umram.bilkent.edu.tr <http://umram.bilkent.edu.tr/> neuro.bilkent.edu.tr <http://neuro.bilkent.edu.tr/> bilkent.edu.tr <http://bilkent.edu.tr/> -- Hulusi Kafaligonul Assistant Professor National Magnetic Resonance Research Center Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey http://hulusi.bilkent.edu.tr/ -- Bu e-posta virüslere karşı Avast antivirüs yazılımı tarafından kontrol edilmiştir. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Oct. 14, 2019

PhD and Postdoc positions in Frankfurt, Germany

by Martin Vinck

Apologies for cross-posting: The laboratory of Dr. Martin Vinck at the Ernst Struengmann Institute for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society <http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/esi-frankfurt/>is seeking multiple Postdocs and PhDs for experimental projects in marmoset (ideally starting early spring of 2019). We will study predictive processing in the visual system, test new models of object recognition, and the contribution of different cell types to neural coding. Data will be collected with chronic, high-density silicon probes including wireless recordings during (freely moving) natural behavior (using the eCube white matter system). A part of the project involves optogenetics. Additional training in high-density electrophysiology can be acquired by participation in projects in mice. You will work closely together with computational scientists in our laboratory working on deep learning and state space analyses. The main focus of the project is the interpretation of neural activity from artificial neural networks (in particular recurrent and predictive neural networks) and the study of population coding. We are looking for candidates with a biology or medicine background and experience in behavioral training and electrophysiology. Frankfurt is an internationally oriented city with many neuroscience institutes in the neighbourhood, e.g. the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research <http://brain.mpg.de/home.html>, the FIAS <https://fias.institute/>, the Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience <https://www.izn-frankfurt.de/en/>, and the institute for Empirical Aesthetics. Interested candidates are invited to send their application materials in electronic form (PDF format) to martin.vinck(a)esi-frankfurt.de. The first deadline for applications is 7 of November 2019. Applications should contain a letter of intent, a detailed curriculum vitae, lists of university courses completed with marks obtained, and the names of at least two scientists who can give references (or at least two reference letters). The advertisement will be valid until positions are filled. Positions are not yet filled.

Oct. 12, 2019

PhD studentship in Bristol

by Cian O'Donnell

We are looking for a computational neuroscience PhD student to start September 2020 to do computational modelling of synaptic plasticity in neurodevelopmental brain disorders. You would mainly be based in the University of Bristol in the group of Cian O’Donnell, and co-supervised by Krasi Tsaneva-Atanasova (University of Exeter) and Jeremy Hall (Cardiff University). Your background can be flexible but training in neuroscience, mathematical modelling and/or scientific programming would be beneficial. Usually we use Julia, Python or Matlab programming languages. Project outline: Autism and Schizophrenia, two of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, have been linked with ~100 different genetic mutations each. Many of the implicated genes code for proteins involved in synaptic plasticity. It may be that these distinct mutations converge to give similar alterations to the “rules of synaptic plasticity”, and therefore affect learning and development. L-type calcium channel are one notable example, frequently popping up in risk gene lists and known to play crucial roles in synaptic plasticity. In this PhD project you would extend our existing biophysical models of calcium signalling at rodent hippocampal synapses to try to figure out the role of dysfunctional L-type calcium ion channels in these brain disorders. A more detailed project description can be found here: https://www.gw4biomed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2019/09/Computationa… The project will involve numerical simulations with Cian O’Donnell (Bristol), mathematical analysis of reduced models with Krasi Tsaneva-Atanasova (Exeter), using electrophysiological and calcium imaging data from genetic animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders collected in the lab of Jeremy Hall (Cardiff). You would apply directly to the MRC GW4 BioMed PhD program (https://www.gw4biomed.ac.uk) which spans Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter and Bath Universities. Application deadline is 25th November and open only to UK or EU citizens or residents (see GW4Biomed site for eligibility details). Please contact Cian O’Donnell (cian.odonnell(a)bristol.ac.uk<mailto:cian.odonnell@bristol.ac.uk>) to discuss before applying. More info on Cian O’Donnell’s group: https://seis.bristol.ac.uk/~co15268 And the lively Bristol Computational Neuroscience Unit: https://bristolcnu.github.io Krasi Tsaneva-Atanasova: https://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298 Jeremy Hall: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/57718-hall-jeremy

Oct. 12, 2019

2 Postdocs and 1 Project Manager on H2020 grant

by Michele Giugliano

2 Post-doctoral positions and 1 Project Manager position are available at the newly established Neural Dynamics Laboratory of the International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA) of Trieste, Italy (http://phdneurobiology.sissa.it/eng/faculty/michele-giugliano.aspx <http://phdneurobiology.sissa.it/eng/faculty/michele-giugliano.aspx>). The positions are funded for up to 42 months on a new EC-Horizon 2020 initiative called "Ionic Neuromodulation For Epilepsy Treatment (IN-FET)", combining neurobiology, nanotechnologies, electrochemistry, and electronics together for designing a breakthrough novel technology in brain modulation. The research positions aim to experimentally validate novel routes for cellular and microcircuit stimulation or suppression, in collaboration with a consortium of partners which includes IBM Research Zurich, the University of Geneva, the University of Sheffield, and the Inter-university consortium for Nanoelectronics. We search for experts in in vitro electrophysiology (substrate-integrated microelectrode arrays) and patch-clamp recordings (dissociated cell cultures, acute and organotypic brain tissue slices) with a strong background in quantitative data analysis and a strong interest for interdisciplinary research. The Project Manager position aims at supporting the organization, dissemination, and reporting activities in the context of EC-funded project and partially at supporting scientific software development. We search for candidates with previous experience in management of H2020 project, and fluent with the reporting EC online platform (e.g. Participant Portal) who might also be interested in providing partial support for content management of a web site as well as for scientific software applications development. Please direct informal inquiries, a CV and a brief statement of interest, to Prof. Michele GIUGLIANO (michele.giugliano AT sissa.it) Direct application soon available from the SISSA's website: https://www.sissa.it/recruitment <https://www.sissa.it/recruitment>

Oct. 11, 2019

Postdoctoral / Research Specialist position in Neural Circuits and Behavior

by Reiser, Michael

Postdoctoral / Research Specialist position in Neural Circuits and Behavior The Reiser lab at the Janelia Research Campus (https://www.janelia.org/lab/reiser-lab) seeks a creative scientist to join us in figuring out how the fly brain uses visual information to control behavior. We use behavioral, anatomical, imaging, electrophysiological, and computational methods to understand the neural circuits for vision and navigation in Drosophila. This is an exciting time to be working on the fly brain—full brain connectomes and precise genetic access to nearly every cell type in the brain are on the horizon. We pair these tools with high-throughput, high-content exploration of Drosophila behaviors. In this position, you would apply these methods to deeply map behavioral circuits. Many project directions are possible that are related to active research topics in the lab: • visual motion guided behaviors • visual place learning • central modulation of vision Requirements: • A keen interest in figuring out the brain. • Ph.D. in experimental biology, neuroscience, or a quantitative field. • Familiarity with scientific computing environments • Experience in some of these areas: instrumentation, computer vision, and machine learning, neurophysiology, animal behavior, Drosophila molecular/genetic methods, neuroanatomy. Janelia is a unique, exciting research environment near Washington, D.C., with abundant opportunities for collaboration and learning new things. Interested applicants should apply by email; please include your curriculum vitae and research interests and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to reiserm at janelia.hhmi.org. The Reiser lab is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment. Members of groups underrepresented in science are especially encouraged to apply. HHMI is an equal opportunity employer.

Oct. 10, 2019

PhD position in computational neuroscience with Prof. Laurenz Wiskott in Bochum, Germany

by Laurenz Wiskott

Please forward this job advertisement to candidates who might be interested. Thanks, Laurenz Wiskott. ___________________________________________________________________________ Open position for a PhD student with Prof. Laurenz Wiskott at the Institute for Neural Computation, Bochum, Germany ___________________________________________________________________________ University: The Ruhr-Universität Bochum is one of the leading research universities. The university draws its strengths from both the diversity and the proximity of scientific and engineering disciplines on a single, coherent campus. This highly dynamic setting enables students and researchers to work across traditional boundaries of academic subjects and faculties. Institute: Institute for Neural Computation Ruhr-University Bochum Universitaetsstr. 150 D-44801 Bochum, Germany, EU The Institute for Neural Computation is a central research institute at the Ruhr-University Bochum, see https://www.ini.rub.de/. It focuses on the dynamics and learning of perception and behavior on a functional level but is otherwise very diverse, ranging from neurophysiology and psychophysics over computational neuroscience to machine learning and technical applications. Research group: Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott, see https://www.ini.rub.de/research/groups/theory_of_neural_systems/ Research topics: We are looking for an outstanding candidate who will be working on a system-level model of spatial navigation with the hippocampus as one of its central areas. We use methods from neural networks and machine learning. It is also planned to simulate experiments done with rat and/or mice by our experimental partners. The position is part of a joint team with Prof. Sen Cheng working on developing a system-level model of hippocampal function for memory and navigation. This is being done in close interaction with a team working on similar questions from the machine learning perspective. Teaching: There is a teaching load of 3 hours per week during the semester, in particular for a programming course in python. Time: The appointment will be for three years and can then be extended for one more year if needed. Anticipated starting date is Feb 1st. Requirements: Candidates should have an education (equivalent to a MSc) in computer science, physics, mathematics, electrical engineering or any related field. Required are strong mathematical and programming skills (ideally in python) as well as the ability to communicate and work well in a team. Salary: Salary is 75% of salary scale TV-L E13. Inquiries: Informal inquiries can be addressed to Prof. Laurenz Wiskott <laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de>. Application: Applications (CV, transcript of records for MSc and BSc, statement of purpose) should be sent as a single pdf file to Prof. Laurenz Wiskott <laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de>. Ruhr-University Bochum is committed to equal opportunity in employment and gender equality in its working environment. We therefore look forward to applications from qualified women. Applications from appropriately qualified handicapped persons are also encouraged.

Oct. 10, 2019

PhD & Postdoc positions – computational modeling and real-time fMRI neurofeedback of language, bilingualism and dyslexia

by Narly Golestani

PhD & Postdoc positions – computational modeling and real-time fMRI neurofeedback of language, bilingualism and dyslexia PhD and Postdoc positions are available at the Brain and Language Lab (www.brainandlanguagelab.org<http://www.brainandlanguagelab.org>) at the University of Geneva. The PhD position is for 3-4 years, and the postdoc position is for up to 4 years, and salary will be commensurate with experience. Several projects will be done in collaborations with Maastricht University and with the University of Vienna. Applicants should have a strong interest in human brain imaging, and in language function and dysfunction, and should have one of (or a combination of) the following profiles: 1. Candidates with a degree in Biomedical Engineering, Computational Neuroscience, or a related field, and with solid experience in computational modelling (i.e. encoding / decoding) of fMRI data, machine learning, statistics and programming. Projects will include extensions of our recent work on the neural encoding of acoustic information in speech sounds (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31285622) to higher levels of language processing. 2. Candidates with a degree in Cognitive Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering and/or Psychology, with solid experience in the acquisition and analysis of brain functional (and structural) imaging data. Projects will include real-time fMRI neurofeedback training studies, focusing on different levels/aspects of language learning. Candidates for either position (depending on experience) will also have the opportunity to become involved in the analysis of data from a 7T myelin mapping (R1) study. The positions are available immediately, and applications will be considered until the position is filled. Applicants should send me their CV, a statement of research interests, and the names and contact information for 2-3 references, at Narly.Golestani(a)unige.ch<mailto:Narly.Golestani@unige.ch>. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Narly Golestani Brain and Language Lab Department of Psychology Campus Biotech 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Genève +41 22 379 53 52 <https://outlook.unige.ch/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=5WTo-p-J-W9FrDydU-0WU4PdMytUGs…>http://www.brainandlanguagelab.org https://twitter.com/brain_lang_lab ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <https://outlook.unige.ch/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=5WTo-p-J-W9FrDydU-0WU4PdMytUGs…>

Oct. 10, 2019

computational neuroscience PhD positions at Imperial College

by Dan Goodman

Two or more PhD positions in theoretical and computational neuroscience are available in the "Neural Reckoning" group of Dan Goodman at Imperial College London (http://neural-reckoning.org) I am interested in supervising students with a strong mathematical, computational or neuroscience background. Projects could be carried out in several possible areas relating to the work in the group. Some suggestions for topics that would be interesting to me are below, but I'm very happy to consider other possibilities. In addition to working within the group, studying at Imperial College provides excellent opportunities for interacting with other theoretical and experimental researchers, both at Imperial and in the many neuroscience groups in London. At the moment, I'm particularly interested in using techniques from machine learning to generate biologically plausible models that can also perform complex tasks. I'm also generally interested in how to perform computations with spiking neurons, and the computational role of neural mechanisms (such as spiking and heterogeneity). I often work in the auditory system, which is particularly interesting when thinking about temporal processing. Finally, I'm one of the authors of the "Brian" spiking neural network simulator (http://briansimulator.org) and I'm always interested in students who want to work on neuroinformatics projects such as simulation or neural data analysis. For more details, see: http://neural-reckoning.org/openings.html Applicants should initially send me a brief CV and cover letter with a description of research interests or a proposed project, and will eventually have to formally apply through the standard Imperial College mechanism (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/electrical-engineering/study/phd/) I will consider applications as they arrive, so earlier applications are encouraged. EU students from outside the UK are particularly encouraged to apply early because any offer made before Brexit will be respected on the basis of current rules, while the status of offers made after Brexit may be more complicated if a no deal Brexit goes ahead (although this is unlikely as the UK parliament has declared that to be illegal, but you never know). For more information on Brexit: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/about/imperial-and-the-european-union/support-fo… Before applying, please make sure you meet the Imperial College exam grade requirements: * General requirements: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/requirements/ * Country-specific minimum grades: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/requirements/pgacademic/ Dan Goodman

Oct. 9, 2019

Two MSc/PhD positions in Computational Neuroscience

by Yalda Mohsenzadeh

Two MSc/PhD positions in Computational Neuroscience The Cognitive Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CogNeuroAI Lab) at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, Department of Computer Science & the Brain and Mind Institute (BMI) has two MSc/PhD position openings in the field of cognitive computational neuroscience to start in January or May 2020. The positions offer a competitive stipend for the graduate students. The nature of these positions will provide the graduate students with opportunities to work on interdisciplinary collaborative projects. We are looking for motivated students to join exciting projects in our lab in developing cutting-edge computational methods to analyze brain MEG/EEG/fMRI data. We also train state of the art compute vision models and compare human brain MEG/EEG/fMRI data with inter units of the models. Please contact us if you are interested in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research. Candidates should have at least a Bachelors or Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience, Computer Science or related fields. Having good programming skills in MATLAB, Python, and deep learning frameworks like Pytorch and experience in machine learning, compute vision, neuroscience experiments or brain data analysis will be a plus. Though there are lots of opportunities to learn these skills as well. Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, a brief summary of the current and past research experience, TOEFL/IELTS (for international students only), official/unofficial master and bachelor academic transcripts to Dr. Yalda Mohsenzadeh (ymohsenz(a)uwo.ca) Please send all your documents as a single PDF file. Applications will be considered until the positions are filled. See our website for more information: https://mohsenzadehlab.com/ Best, Yalda Mohsenzadeh Assistant Professor, The Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Computer Science, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

Oct. 8, 2019

[Special Issue CfP]: Machine Learning Techniques for Neuroscience Big Data

by Mufti Mahmud

Apologies for cross-posting. CALL FOR PAPERS Brain Informatics (*https://braininformatics.springeropen.com <https://braininformatics.springeropen.com>*) Special Issue on *Machine Learning Techniques for Neuroscience Big Data* Guest Editors • Mufti Mahmud, Nottingham Trent University, UK, Mufti.Mahmud(a)ntu.ac.uk • M Shamim Kaiser, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh, mskaiser(a)juniv.edu • Ganesh K Naik, Western Sydney University, Australia, Ganesh.Naik(a)westernsydney.edu.au Developing data-intensive tools to process and analyse the neuronal big data is one of the biggest challenges posed to today’s multidisciplinary brain science community. To share recent progress in decoding neuronal information processing, both in healthy and diseased brain, this special issue aims to provide a forum for scientists from diverse disciplines including – computer, electrical, biomedical, and neuro-engineering – who are looking for more relevant information in interpreting brain functions and diagnosing diseases using Machine Learning based techniques. This Special Issue will focus on the latest machine learning techniques and methods of analysing Neuroscience Big Data. Researchers and practitioners working in related areas are invited to submit research papers for possible publication in this issue. The topics may include but are not limited to the following list: • Processing and modelling of neuronal data for disease diagnosis and brain decoding; • Bio-inspired methods for network analysis and pattern recognition in neural data; • Novel machine learning techniques for neuronal big data analysis; • Application of deep and/or reinforcement learning to neuronal big data analysis; • Computationally intelligent techniques for neuroscience applications; • Machine learning inspired Neuroinformatics (including cloud computing and real-time systems). Important Dates --------------------- • Paper submission deadline: December 31, 2019 • First-round notification: January 31, 2019 • Final decision notification: March 31, 2020 Submission Instructions For submission instructions please visit the journal website at *https://braininformatics.springeropen.com/submission-guidelines <https://braininformatics.springeropen.com/submission-guidelines>* or contact *Dr. Mufti Mahmud at Mufti.Mahmud(a)ntu.ac.uk <Mufti.Mahmud(a)ntu.ac.uk>* The complete manuscript should be submitted through online submission system at: *https://www.editorialmanager.com/brai/default.aspx <https://www.editorialmanager.com/brai/default.aspx>* Best regards, Mufti Mahmud, PhD | Senior Member - IEEE & ACM (Senior) Lecturer of Computing & Technology | Nottingham Trent University Associate Editor, IEEE Access & Brain Informatics Editorial Board Member, Cognitive Computation & Big Data Analytics Programme Co-chair, IEEE CICARE2019, Xiamen, China Workshop Co-chair, Brain Informatics 2019, Hainan, China Coordinator of Local Organizing Committee, IEEE WCCI2020, Glasgow, UK Office: ERD200 | Clifton Campus | Clifton Lane | NG11 8NS – Nottingham | United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)115 84 83202 | Email: mufti.mahmud(a)ntu.ac.uk http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2037-8348 https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=L8em2YoAAAAJ&hl=en https://sites.google.com/site/muftimahmud/ https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/science-technology/mufti-mahmud

Oct. 8, 2019

Seeking 2 phd students (Mathematical, Computational and Experimental Neuroscience)

by Serafim Rodrigues

Hello, I am looking for two PhD students to work in my MCEN lab within the Basque Centre for Applied Mathematics (Bilbao/Spain; http://www.bcamath.org/) on research questions at the interface between Mathematical, Computational and Experimental Neuroscience. The application period closes soon, however the phd project would start in September 2020 (according to the Spanish law). We are seeking students who either, are undertaking their MSc degree or already have completed it. We encourage students with background training in either Maths, Physics, Computer Science or Engineering to apply. Desirably, we would like students that have an interest in understanding brain dynamics and willing to work at the interface between mathematics, data and lab work. Moreover, students with programming skills are desirable. Those interested, please contact Prof. Serafim Rodrigues at srodrigues(a)bcamath.org The application will involve submitting the following documents: CV, official under graduate or MSc grades. We hope to hear from you. With many thanks Serafim -- Serafim Rodrigues Group Leader *BCAM - *Basque Center for Applied Mathematics Alameda de Mazarredo, 14 E-48009 Bilbao, Basque Country - Spain Tel. +34 946 567 842 srodrigues(a)bcamath.org | www.bcamath.org/srodrigues *(**matematika mugaz bestalde)*

Oct. 7, 2019

Post-docs at the Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics (CAMH UofT) in Toronto

by Andreea Diaconescu

Dear all, We are hiring post-docs at the Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics in Toronto! We are looking for a post-doc with a strong background in computational neuroscience or computational psychiatry, or both. More details about the lab and the position can be found on the lab website - Cognitive Network Modelling team https://cognemo.com/. Our team will focus particularly on computational phenotyping of suicidal ideation in psychoaffective disorders. The postdoc will be joining an interdisciplinary lab at the Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics (CAMH & University of Toronto) that works at the intersection of computational neuroscience, psychiatry, pharmacology, and cognitive neuroscience. CAMH is one of the largest addiction and mental health organisations in North America and Canada’s leading mental health and addiction teaching hospital. It offers a unique research environment with access to state-of-the-art imaging facilities (PET, 3T MRI, hd-EEG). The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics within CAMH aims to transform our understanding of mental health by modelling data across all levels of the brain —from genes to neural circuits to behaviour. This multimodal data is gathered across the clinical environment including genetic, epigenetic, MRI, DTI, fMRI, hd-EEG, actigraphy and electronic medical record data. All the details about the position can be found here: link<https://polybox.ethz.ch/index.php/s/fZuWtVM5l1X2zbq>. Potential candidates may contact me directly and I am more than happy to talk about the position and potential projects in person. With many thanks and my best wishes, Andreea Diaconescu Andreea Diaconescu, PhD Independent Scientist, Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry University of Toronto (416) 535-8501 ext. 30585 www.krembilneuroinformatics.ca<http://www.krembilneuroinformatics.ca> https://cognemo.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. AVIS DE CONFIDENTIALITÉ : Ce message électronique, ainsi que tout fichier qui y est joint, est reserve à l'usage exclusif du destinataire visé et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels et privilégiés. Toute lecture, utilisation, divulgation ou distribution non autorisée est interdite. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire visé, veuillez en aviser l'expéditeur par retour de courriel et détruire toutes les copies du message original.

Oct. 7, 2019

Symposium Hippocampal Replay, Emotional Valence and Reinforcement Learning

by Benoît Girard

SYMPOSIUM: Hippocampal Replay, Emotional Valence and Reinforcement Learning WHEN:12th November 2019, 9h30-17h00. WHERE: Sorbonne Université, Paris REGISTRATION: is free but mandatory, on the website: https://replaysinparis.sciencesconf.org/ <https://replaysinparis.sciencesconf.org/administrate-user/register> OVERVIEW: This one-day symposium is dedicated to the replay phenomena in the brain (in the hippocampus, but not exclusively) and how they are related to behavior, especially behavior affected by emotional valence. SPEAKERS: * Karim Benchenane (Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS & ESPCI-ParisTech) * Gabrielle Girardeau (Institut du Fer à Moulin, INSERM & Sorbonne Université, France) * Mehdi Khamassi (ISIR, CNRS & Sorbonne Université, France) * Freyja Olafsdottir (Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, the Netherlands): Role of hippocampal replay in memory and planning * Giovanni Pezzulo (National Research Council, Rome, Italy) * Federico Stella (Donders Institute, Neuroinformatics Department, Radboud University, the Netherlands) * Stéphanie Trouche (Institute for Functional Genomics, CNRS & INSERM & Univ. Montpellier, France) * Michael Zugaro (CIRB, Collège de France, CNRS & INSERM & Université PSL): Hippocampo-Cortical Dynamics Underlying Memory Formation and Consolidation ORGANIZERS: B. Girard, M. Khamassi, K. Benchenane SPONSOR: CNRS -- Benoît Girard, ISIR, Sorbonne Université/CNRS Pyramide T55/65, CC 173 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex http://people.isir.upmc.fr/girard/ Submit your replications to ReScience: https://rescience.github.io/

Oct. 7, 2019

tenure-track position

by Richard Bertram

Applications are invited for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in biomathematics at Florida State University, beginning August, 2020. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in mathematics or a related discipline and postdoctoral experience in some area of biomathematics. The ideal candidate will have experience working with experimental data, and will pursue collaborations with experimental scientists. The position is joint with the Institute of Molecular Biophysics (IMB), whose core mission is to facilitate interdisciplinary research related to the biological sciences on campus. The IMB hosts an interdisciplinary graduate program in Molecular Biophysics, and there is a separate interdisciplinary graduate program in Neuroscience on campus. The new hire could participate in either or both programs, in addition to the graduate program in biomathematics. The Mathematics Department is also an active participant in a new initiative on Data Science at the university, and with this hire seeks to strengthen the ties between mathematical data science and biomathematics. Florida State University is one of two flagship research universities in the State University System of Florida, and is ranked number 18 among all public universities in the country by U.S. News and World Report. The university enrolls over 40,000 students in the main campus of Tallahassee. Tallahassee is located in north Florida and has a population of roughly 190,000. It is adjacent to the Apalachicola National Forest and about twenty-five miles from the Gulf of Mexico, with easy access to pristine beaches and other natural habitats. Tallahassee has a warm climate, with an annual average high temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit and an annual average low temperature of 56 degrees Fahrenheit. The Mathematics Department offers BS, MS, and PhD degrees in biomathematics, as well as degrees in several other areas of mathematics. The biomathematics curriculum includes courses within mathematics as well as courses offered in other departments. There are currently 19 undergraduate majors and 19 MS or PhD students enrolled in the biomathematics program. See http://www.math.fsu.edu/biomath and http://biophysics.fsu.edu for more information. Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research and teaching statements, and four letters of recommendation (at least one of the letters should address the candidate's teaching capability). They should be submitted electronically through MathJobs.org and, in addition, through the FSU Employment and Recruiting Services website http://www.jobs.fsu.edu/ (Job opening ID 46351). Richard Bertram Director, Biomathematics Program Florida State University

Oct. 4, 2019

2 PhD studentships in Systems Neuroscience available at University of Sussex

by Thomas Nowotny

Two PhD student positions in Neuroscience are available at the University of Sussex from 1 February 2020. Project The PhD positions will develop within the project “Peripheral Olfactory Coding: Information Processing outside the Brain” funded by the Leverhulme Trust. This project will investigate early olfactory coding in the model system of the fruit fly Drosophila. Our aim is to test the hypothesis that one key element underlying odour object recognition are non-synaptic interactions between receptor neurons, i.e. information pre-processing outside the brain. Successful candidates will work in one of two areas, depending on interest: Single sensillum recordings (SSRs) on olfactory receptors or behavioural experiments in a wind tunnel. They will be involved in the entire work from experimental design, practical experimentation, selection and execution of data analysis and, depending on interest, computational interpretation in models. You will work closely with Dr Mario Pannunzi, Prof Thomas Nowotny and Prof George Kemenes on this project. Candidate Requirements Candidates should have an MSc or equivalent in natural sciences, ideally in the area of Neuroscience, Physics, Chemistry or Biology. In addition, strong analytical skills and fluency in English are essential for this project. Interest and skills to work in a multi-disciplinary and extensively networked project are important. PhD Salary UK/EU fees and a living allowance in line with UK Research Council rates, currently £15,009 in 2019-20 and rising in line with inflation in future years. Work environment You will join the exciting interdisciplinary environment of Sussex Neuroscience (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/sussexneuroscience/index) and the Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/ccnr/) within which you will work in the groups of Profs Nowotny (http://users.sussex.ac.uk/~tn41/) and Kemenes (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/1469) Colleagues in the groups work on diverse topics ranging from learning and memory in lymnaea stagnalis (pond snail) to the “Brains on Board project” (http://brainsonboard.co.uk/) seeking to emulate bee brains as robotic controllers for navigation. The University of Sussex provides an extremely rich research environment and training opportunities for doctoral researchers. The University is situated in Downs National Park at the edge of the vibrant coastal city of Brighton, known for its cultural richness, tolerance and diversity. The city offers a multitude of cultural activities, a colourful nightlife and is only an hour on the train away from the metropole of London. How to apply Please apply through https://www.sussex.ac.uk/pgapplication/, selecting “Neuroscience PhD” and Thomas Nowotny as the preferred supervisor. Please include a recent CV detailing your academic record and your research experience and a statement of motivation in your application. (At this stage you do not need to upload copies of your diplomas or letters of reference. These we will requested if we decide to further pursue your application.) Further inquiries Please contact: Dr. Mario Pannunzi, project co-supervisor, m.pannunzi(a)sussex.ac.uk<mailto:m.pannunzi@sussex.ac.uk> or Prof. Thomas Nowotny, project supervisor, t.nowotny(a)sussex.ax.uk<mailto:t.nowotny@sussex.ax.uk> Application deadline Application before 12 December 2019 will receive full consideration but the position will remain open for applications until filled. -- Prof Thomas Nowotny Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange School of Engineering and Informatics University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ, UK Phone: +441273678593 FAX: +441273877873

Oct. 4, 2019