I am seeking candidates for fully funded PhD positions at the Italian Institute of Technology’s in the lab directed by Stefano Panzeri ( https://www.iit.it/people/stefano-panzeri ) and located in Rovereto (Trento), Italy. IIT collaborates with University of Trento and funds these positions at the PhD course in Cognitive and Brain Sciences. The PhD project can focus on any of the research topics about neural information processing that are of interest to both the candidate and my lab, including: developing mathematical analysis methods and neural network models for studying neural population coding during cognitive tasks, for studying the neural bases of sensory perception and decision making, for linking functional to anatomical connectivity with cellular resolution at the neural population level, and for determining the best theoretical framework to combine recording of neural activity (calcium imaging, electrophysiology, EEG) and intervention on it (optogenetics, TMS). My computational neuroscience lab has developed long-term collaboration with many experimental laboratories including Christopher Harvey and Wei Lee (Harvard Medical School), Nikos Logothetis (Tuebingen), Tommaso Fellin (IIT), Mathew Diamond and Davide Zoccolan (SISSA), Alex Thiele (Newcastle) and others. The PhD project will likely involve collaborations with one or more experimental lab. For recent representative publications please see: van Vugt B, et al, (2018) Science: in press. DOI: 10.1126/science.aar7186 Zaldivar, D., et al, (2018) Current Biology 28: 224-235 Runyan C. A., et al (2017) Nature: 548: 92-96 Panzeri, S, et al (2017) Neuron 93: 491-507 Safaai, H. et al (2015) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 112(41): 12834–12839 Fasoli, D. et al (2016) PLoS Computational Biology, 12(8): e1004992. Panzeri, S., et al (2015) Trends in Cognitive Sciences 19: 162-172 Einevoll, G., et al (2013) Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14, 770-785 The ideal candidate should have a strong background in numerate sciences, and have a strong propensity for interdisciplinary research. No extensive previous experience in neuroscience is needed. However, a keen interest in understanding the brain is essential. The deadline for the formal application will be set to May 31st 2018, but interested candidates are invited me to contact me informally by email ( stefano.panzeri@iit.it) *as soon as possible,* and no later than May 1st 2018, by attaching their CV and briefly explaining their interest in this position, to initiate discussion about potential PhD projects of interest. In order to formally apply to the PhD Position, candidates will then need to refer to the call published by Università degli Studi di Trento (see http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/topic-specific-grants ). The PhD positions available for projects under my supervision are those entitled “Neural Coding” and “Computational cognitive neuroscience” Yours truly, Stefano Panzeri