within the Marie Curie Initial Training Network - ‘Neural Engineering Transformative Technologies’ (NETT) at the Institute of Complex Systems (ISC), CNR, Florence, Italy.

 

Gross Salary per annum:  64,701 € (Living Allowance) plus 9,290 - 13,272 € (Mobility Allowance) depending on circumstances

 

Required title:  PhD in Physics, Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or Computational Neuroscience

 

Applications:   Please first send an informal enquiry to Dr. Thomas Kreuz (thomas.kreuz@cnr.it) and/or Dr. Alessandro Torcini (alessandro.torcini@cnr.it). Once you are preselected (you will receive a reply within a few days), a full application has to be submitted according to the rules stated here [http://neuro.fi.isc.cnr.it/index.php?page=how-to-apply].

 

Closing date for the position:  May 15, 2014

 

 

Applications are invited for the above post to work with Dr. Thomas Kreuz [http://www.fi.isc.cnr.it/users/thomas.kreuz/] and Dr. Alessandro Torcini [http://www.fi.isc.cnr.it/users/alessandro.torcini/] in the Computational Neuroscience group [http://neuro.fi.isc.cnr.it/] at ISC, Florence. This world leading group combines theoretical investigations (e.g., on non-trivial collective phenomena in neuronal populations) with practical applications (such as spike train analysis). The group is one of the main participants in the Center for the Study of Complex Dynamics (CSDC) created with the purpose of coordinating interdisciplinary training and research activities. CSDC researchers include physicists, control engineers, mathematicians, biologists and psychologists.

 

This full-time post will begin on the 1^st of September 2014 (at the latest) and will be offered on a fixed-term contract for a period of 24 months. The fellowship will include a six-month stay (probably at the end) with NETT partner Prof. Bert Kappen [http://www.snn.ru.nl/~bertk/] at the Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands.

 

The Florence part of the project will mainly consist of two parts: Development of new approaches for (multivariate) data analysis and analysis of electrophysiological data (in particular neuronal spike trains). During the six-month stay in the Netherlands the project will investigate the applicability of methods derived from latent state models, sequential Monte Carlo sampling, and path integral control to analyze neural time-series data, such as spike trains.

 

The candidate should have a strong background in at least one of the following fields: computational neuroscience, data analysis, and nonlinear dynamics as well as solid experience in scientific programming (Matlab).

 

Candidates must be in the first 5 years of their research careers and already be in possession of a doctoral degree in physics, engineering, applied mathematics, or computational neuroscience. Preference will be given to a candidate with experience in (non-linear) data analysis. As part of our commitment to promoting diversity we encourage applications from women. To comply with the Marie Curie Actions rule for mobility applicants must not have resided, worked or studied in Italy for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to May 2014.