Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Princeton University : Application deadline Dec 1.

Dear Colleague,

We'll be grateful if you get a chance to forward this email to any interested students, or post the brochure found here ( http://www.princeton.edu/neuroscience/education/ph.d.-in-neuroscience/PrincetonNeuroPhd.pdf ), announcing the Ph.D. program in Neuroscience ( http://neuroscience.princeton.edu/PhD ) within the Princeton Neuroscience Institute ( http://neuroscience.princeton.edu ). Fall 2012 will see the fourth generation of students enrolling in this Ph.D. program. During our first 3 years, we have enrolled spectacular students, and we are again seeking the most highly motivated and creative students. Students from diverse backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply.

Innovative coursework. A key component of our Ph.D. is year-long core course, taken in the first year and inspired by Woods Hole-style advanced courses. Students in this core course learn through a combination of lectures and first-hand experimental experience using modern, advanced methods. All students, regardless of previous experience, perform their own experiments. From single neurons and patch clamp, to ChR expression and activation, to in vivo electrophysiology in behaving animals, to computational modeling, to human neurophysiology and functional MRI, this course guides and teaches students about the brain as they learn to design, perform, analyze, and critique their own experiments. 

Quantitative and Computational Neuroscience track. We strongly encourage students with training in quantitative fields such as physics, mathematics, computer science, or engineering to apply to our PhD program. Research in quantitative approaches to the Life Sciences is particularly strong at Princeton University, including molecular biology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and psychology. A Quantitative and Computational Neuroscience (QCN) track exists within our neuroscience Ph.D. It teaches students with a quantitative background about neuroscience problems to which they can apply their quantitative skills. The QCN track also serves students with a biology background who wish to acquire further training in quantitative tools for the biological sciences.

Please visit us at http://neuroscience.princeton.edu/PhD .

Faculty and research interests. 

Michael Berry : Neural computation in the retina 

William Bialek : Interface between physics and biology 

Matthew Botvinick : Neural foundations of human behavior 

Lisa Boulanger : Neuronal functions of immune molecules 

Carlos Brody : Quantitative and behavioral neurophysiology 

Jonathan Cohen : Neural bases of cognitive control 

Lynn Enquist : Neurovirology 

Liz Gavis : Neural development in Drosophila 

Alan Gelperin : Learning, memory and olfaction 

Asif Ghazanfar : Neurobiology of primate social agents 

Elizabeth Gould : Neurogenesis and hippocampal function 

Michael Graziano : Sensorimotor integration 

Charles Gross : Functions of the cerebral cortex in behavior 

Uri Hasson : Temporal scales of neural processing 

Philip Holmes : Mathematical modeling 

Barry Jacobs : Brain monoamine neurotransmitters 

Sabine Kastner : Neural mechanisms for visual perception 

Mala Murthy : Neurophysiology of perception in Drosophila 

Coleen Murphy : Molecular mechanisms of aging 

Yael Niv : Reinforcement learning and decision making 

Ken Norman : Neural bases of episodic memory 

Daniel Osherson : How does the brain reason? 

David Tank : Neural circuit dynamics 

Samuel Wang : Dynamics and learning in neural circuits

Ilana Witten: Neural circuits of learning probed with optogenetic tools

yours

Carlos Brody

Theoretical Biophysics faculty position at UC Berkeley

The Department of Physics at UC Berkeley has a number of faculty searches underway, including one for a biophysics theorist at the assistant professor level.  All areas of biophysics theory are being considered, including neuroscience and single molecule work.  Berkeley has a strong presence in systems and computational neuroscience and offers a good environment for theorists to collaborate with experimentalists.  The Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience in particular houses a number of theoretical labs and provides a rich intellectual environment for students and postdocs to interact.

Note that the deadline for applications is Dec. 5.
The Department of Physics at UC Berkeley has a number of faculty searches underway, including one for a biophysics theorist at the assistant professor level.  All areas of biophysics theory are being considered, including neuroscience and single molecule work.  Berkeley has a strong presence in systems and computational neuroscience and offers a good environment for theorists to collaborate with experimentalists.  The Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience in particular houses a number of theoretical labs and provides a rich intellectual environment for students and postdocs to interact.

Note that the deadline for applications is Dec. 5.



---------------------------------------
Bruno A. Olshausen
Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute & School of Optometry
Director, Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience
UC Berkeley
575A Evans hall, MC 3198
Berkeley, CA 94720-3198
(510) 642-7250 / 2-7206 (fax)
http://redwood.berkeley.edu/bruno

One PhD Research Position in Neuroinformatics is available immediately for a period of three years at the Institute of Computational Neuroscience of the University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Germany

One PhD Research Position in Neuroinformatics is available immediately for a period of three years at the Institute of Computational Neuroscience of the University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, Germany (www.uke.de/icns).

The goal of the project 'Architecture and connectivity of the cerebral cortex'  is to investigate relationships between different structural parameters and the organization of nerve fiber networks in the brain, in order to reveal fundamental structural principles of the nervous system.  The research will be carried out in close cooperation with the Barbas lab at Boston University, USA.  The project requires systematic compilation and multivariate analyses of quantitative neuroanatomic data, eg, Hilgetag & Grant NeuroImage 51(2010), 1006, based on experimental data of our partners as well as the evaluation of literature databases.  In addition, the project involves computational modeling of developmental mechanisms.

Candidates for the position are expected to have a very good university degree (at the level of Master, or German Diplom), and a background in Neuroscience, Biomedicine, Computer Science, Physics or related  disciplines, as well as solid programming skills (e.g., C++/Python/Matlab).  Successful candidates also have practical research experience in at least one of the following areas:  statistical analyses or computational modeling of complex systems.  Candidates also need to have an excellent command of written and spoken English.

Applications  should include a CV, a statement of research motivation and interests, as well as contact details of two referees.  Applications should be send by mail to: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, GB Personal, Recht & Organisation, Frau Schild,  Kzf.: 2011-11/332, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg oder electronically (as a pdf file of max 2MB) to: bewerbung@uke-hh.de.  Applications should arrive by 12 Dec 2011.

Informal inquiries about the positions can be made to: Prof. Claus Hilgetag (phone: ++49.(0)40.7410.53698 or E-Mail:c.hilgetag@uke.de).  The University of Hamburg seeks to increase the number of female scientists and encourages them to apply. Disabled people with equal qualifications are preferred.



--
|| Claus C. Hilgetag, PhD
|| Professor & Director | Dept. of Computational Neuroscience
|| University Medical Center Eppendorf | Hamburg University
|| www.uke.uni-hamburg.de/icns
|| Adjunct Associate Professor | Boston University
----
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice what is adequately explained by stupidity.

PhD Studentship in Computational Modelling of Mental Health

University of Ulster - Intelligent Systems Research Centre (Faculty of Computing and Engineering)

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship tenable in the Computational Neuroscience Team, Intelligent Systems Research Centre (Faculty of Computing and Engineering), Magee Campus, University of Ulster.

The planned programme of research relates to computational and systems neuroscience in the context of mental health. Specifically the research encompasses the development of computational models related to major depressive disorder (MDD), informed by experiment. The successful applicant will develop and evaluate multi-scale models of brain regions implicated in MDD, and attempt to relate model performance to observed behaviours in humans and animal. As such the project will require the successful candidate to develop skills in computational neuroscience and, to a lesser extent, aspects of biomedical sciences.

All applicants should hold a first or upper second class honours degree in an appropriate subject, such as in computer science, electronics, physics, mathematics or neuroscience. Applicants must be highly motivated and willing to pursue research and develop skills across the disciplines of computing and biomedical sciences. Successful candidates will enrol as of January 2012, on a full-time programme of research studies leading to the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

The studentship will comprise fees (Home and EU) and an annual stipend of £13,590 and will be awarded for a period of up to three years subject to satisfactory progress. 

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 9 December 2011

Interviews will be held late December 2011

Project title NeuroDep: Computational Modeling of Major Depressive Disorder

If you wish to discuss the specified research project or receive advice relating to the research in the area of computational neuroscience please contact Professor Martin McGinnity e: tm.mcginnity@ulster.ac.uk

Application materials may be obtained from:

Apply online www.ulster.ac.uk/applyonline or application materials are available from:  Research Office, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine, BT52 1SA

t: (0) 28 701 24729, e: researchstudent@ulster.ac.uk or w: www.ulster.ac.uk/researchstudy

http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/ADO337/phd-studentship-in-computational-modelling-of-mental-health/?utm_source=Indeed&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Indeed

Oportunidades na Bélgica

The Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, is offering two post-doctoral positions, with an earliest possible start date of 1 February 2012. Appointments are for a fixed term of three years (potentially renewable).

 See:

http://www.ugent.be/nl/nieuwsagenda/vacatures/aap/

for the Dutch-language version of the announcements.

Post 1 (Reference:  PP02 2012/02/01):  motor cognition

We expect successful candidates to conduct research in the domain of action representation (motor cognition) and praxis, including disorders and treatment following brain damage.  We expect the candidates to make a contribution to teaching, but the research component of the post is minimally 70%. Proficiency in  the Dutch language is not essential.

 Please contact Guy Vingerhoets (guy.vingerhoets@ugent.be +32 9 331 3351) for informal enquiries.

Profile

- You hold the title of Doctor. You need to have defended before you can start the post;

- You have conducted behavioral and/or neuroscientific research on cognitive processes;

-Experience with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and/or event-related potentials (ERP) is considered an asset;

- You have published in widely distributed, international peer-reviewed journals that are relevant to the field;

- You have presented your work at international conferences that are relevant to the field;

- You are able and willing to participate in the department's teaching program

Post 2 (Reference:  PP02 2012/02/2):  cognitive experimental psychology / cognitive neuroscience

We expect successful candidates to conduct research in the domain of cognitive experimental psychology and/or cognitive neuroscience, ideally within one or more of the department's current interests (e.g., Psycholinguistics, Cognitive Control, Executive Functions, Working Memory, Numerical Cognition, Computational Modeling; see http://expsy.ugent.be/research/).  We expect the candidates to make a contribution to teaching, but the research component of the post is minimally 70%. Proficiency in  the Dutch language is not essential. This post can be filled in on part-time basis.

Please contact Robert Hartsuiker (robert.hartsuiker@ugent.be +32 9 264 6436) for informal enquiries.

Profile

- You hold the title of Doctor. You need to have defended before you can start the post;

- You have conducted behavioral and/or neuroscientific research on cognitive processes;

-Experience with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or event-related potentials (ERP) is considered an asset;

- You have published in widely distributed, international peer-reviewed journals that are relevant to the field;

- You have presented your work at international conferences that are relevant to the field;

- You are able and willing to participate in the department's teaching program

Deadline:  Applications need to be in by 14 December 2011. Please quote the relevant reference number and indicate in your cover letter for which of the posts you are applying; send in separate applications if you wish to apply for both posts.

Please send your application, including your CV and a copy of your PhD diploma (or proof of your defense date) by registered post ("aangetekende brief") to:

Directie Personeel en Organisatie

Universiteit Gent

Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 25

9000 Gent

Belgium

PhD-Positions, Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctoral Program "EuroSPIN" (European Study Programme in Neuroinformatics)

Neuroinformatics combines neuroscience and informatics research to develop and apply computational tools and approaches that are essential for understanding the structure and function of the brain.

The Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctoral Program "EuroSPIN" (European Study Programme in Neuroinformatics) is inviting applications from students having a solid background in mathematics, physics, computer sciences, biochemistry or neuroscience (on a master level or equivalent), in all cases with computer science skills. Documented interest in research like activities (e.g. demonstrated in the form of master thesis work, or participation in research related activities) is of large importance. Also fluency in English is requested.

The four partrners below participate. They are all research leaders in the Neuroinformatics field, but they have complementary strengths. In addition, two associated partners, the Honda Research Institute and Nordita, participate.

Each student will spend most of the time at two of the partner universities, and also receive a joint (or double) PhD degree following a successful completion of the studies. The mobility periods, as well as the courses a student will follow, are tailored individually based on: a) the PhD students background; b) which constellations of partners that are involved, as well as c) the specific research project. During the PhD period each student has one main supervisor from each of the two universities that grant the PhD degree.

There are excellent scholarship opportunities for students accepted to an Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate programme. An employment contract will be given to all selected PhD students during the study time, which is 4 years.

If you are interested, go to our webpage: www.kth.se/eurospin

Deadline for Application (both EU and non-EU students): 30 Nov 2011.

Higher-order correlations among spiking neurons induced by network structure

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Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Stefan Rotter (Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany)
              Prof. Dr. John Hertz (NORDITA, Stockholm, Sweden)
              Prof. Dr. Erik Aurell (KTH, Stockholm, Sweden)

Aim of the project:
Nerve cells are highly sensitive to synchronous input from larger groups of neurons [1]. Which synchronous patterns are favored by a recurrent network, therefore, depends to a large degree on network structure. Recently, we were able to dissect the contribution of specific structural motifs in networks of arbitrary topology to pairwise correlations [3], based on a minimal model for networks of spiking neurons [2]. The case of higher-order correlations, however, is complicated by the fact that several different concepts to describe multi-neuron interactions are in use. The so-called log-linear model represents a generalization of the well-studied Ising model [4,5] and therefore permits one to exploit techniques from statistical physics. Models based on stochastic point processes, on the other hand, have frequently been employed as generative models in neuroscience [1,6]. These represent a suitable starting point to develop efficient methods for neuronal data analysis, because they admit a natural link to multivariate cumulants [6]. In this project, we strive to generalize our dynamical systems approach to build a concrete physical interpretation of higher-order correlations and find out which network motifs are responsible for their generation. Recent methodological developments in neuroanatomy that allow one to assess the microstructure of brain networks at an unprecedented level (“connectomics”), in fact, generate a demand for a theory of this sort.

1.      Kuhn A, Aertsen A, Rotter S. Higher-order statistics of input ensembles and the response of simple model neurons. Neural Computation 15(1): 67-101, 2003
2.      Hawkes AG. Point spectra of some mutually exciting point processes. J R Stat Soc Series B Methodol 33: 438-443, 1971
3.      Pernice V, Staude B, Cardanobile S, Rotter S. How Structure Determines Correlations in Neuronal Networks. PLoS Computational Biology 7(5): e1002059, 2011
4.      Roudi Y, Aurell E, Hertz JA. Statistical physics of pairwise probability models. Front Comput Neurosci 3: 22, 2009
5.      Roudi Y, Hertz J. Mean field theory for nonequilibrium network reconstruction. Phys Rev Lett 106(4): 048702, 2011
6.      Staude B, Grün S, Rotter S. Higher-order correlations and cumulants. In: Grün S, Rotter S (eds) Analysis of Parallel Spike Trains. Springer Series in Computational Neuroscience, Volume 7, 2010

Profile of the ideal candidate:
We seek a statistical physicist, mathematician or computational neuroscientist who is able to perform creative research along the lines described above. The ability to interact successfully with colleagues from other disciplines, in particular from neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, will be necessary. He/she will be enrolled in the PhD program in Computational Neuroscience at the BCF (http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/teaching-and-training/phd-program). We plan a joint supervision by Stefan Rotter (Freiburg), John Hertz (Copenhagen & Stockholm) and Erik Aurell (Stockholm).

Application deadline is November 30, 2011

Please apply here: www.kth.se/eurospin

"The role of dichotomous properties of D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons for the dynamics and function of striatum"

"The role of dichotomous properties of D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons for the dynamics and function of striatum"

Supervisors: Dr. Arvind Kumar (Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany)
              Prof. Ad Aertsen (Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany)
              Prof. Gilad Silberberg (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden)

Aim of the project:
The striatum is the main input station of the basal ganglia and is strongly associated with motor and cognitive functions. It is a recurrently connected network of GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs), which receive strong feedforward inhibition from the fast spiking interneurons and massive excitatory afferents from various regions of the neocortex via the cortico-striatal projection neurons. Interestingly, neighboring MSNs do not share their presynaptic inputs. Recently, we have shown that this special structure of cortico-striatal projections provides optimal conditions for the representation of cortical inputs in the striatum.
The MSN population in the striatum can be segregated into two types:  D1 type MSNs project to the globus palidus external (indirect path) and D2 MSNs project to the globus palidus internal (direct path). Recent experiments have revealed a great degree of differences between D1 and D2 MSNs in terms of their morphology, integration properties, synaptic dynamics and connectivity.
In this project we want to understand the consequences of these different neuronal, synaptic, and network properties of the two types of MSNs for the striatal activity dynamics and representation of cortical inputs. To address this question we will use a combined experimental and theoretical approach. Relevant experiments will be conducted in the lab of Prof. Gilad Silberberg (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden). Analysis of experimental data and development of network models will be done in the lab of Dr. Arvind Kumar and Prof. Ad Aertsen (Bernstein Center Freiburg).

Profile of the ideal candidate:
We are looking for candidates with a strong background in Physics or Electrical Engineering and a genuine interest in Neuroscience, who are interested in interdisciplinary research and are willing to learn and perform neurophysiology in animal experiments.

Application deadline is November 30, 2011

Please apply here: www.kth.se/eurospin

"Fear-related changes in physiology and dendritic integration of neocortical cells"

"Fear-related changes in physiology and dendritic integration of neocortical cells"

Supervisors: Dr. Clemens Boucsein (Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany)
              Prof. Ad Aertsen (Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany)
              Dr. Sumantra Chattarji (NCBS, Bangalore, India)

Aim of the project:
After traumatic stress, strong morphological changes have been observed in several brain regions, including the amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Physiological and functional consequences of these fear effects have been suggested for amygdala and hippocampus, but the impact of dendritic shrinkage of prefrontal cells has not been studied in detail, yet, even thought neuroimaging studies in stress disorder patients have implicated severe changes in that area.
Our project aims at elucidating the effect of the fear-related morphological changes on signal integration and propagation in the prefrontal cortex. For that, we will characterize the alterations concerning the dendritic integration in pyramidal cells after fear conditioning, as well as the possible changes in excitability. Fear conditioning and basic neurophysiological experiments (patch-clamp recordings) will be performed with Dr. Sumantra Chattarji at NCBS in Bangalore, India, while dendritic integration will be studied with Dr. Clemens Boucsein at the Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany, with the help of dynamic photo stimulation in acute brain slices. The functional consequences of the observed physiological changes after fear conditioning will be derived in a joint effort between the two partners.


Profile of the ideal candidate:
We are looking for candidates with a strong background in experimental neurophysiology, preferentially patch clamp experience, and a genuine interest in Neuroscience, who are interested in interdisciplinary research and are willing to learn and perform neurophysiology in acute brain slices.


Application deadline is November 30, 2011


Please apply here: www.kth.se/eurospin

Postdoc - connectivity and neuroimaging

The MEDISIP department at Ghent University (Belgium) is seeking to fill a postdoctoral researcher position in the area of connectivity. The fellow will join a large research project situated in the context of a university-wide multidisciplinary research partnership on integrative neuroscience of behavior control. The research track is led by Daniele Marinazzo (Data Analysis) in collaboration with Stefaan Vandenberghe (Medical image processing) and Wim FIas (Experimental psychology).

The research project is focused on the effects of intervention (TMS or surgery) on connectivity derived from neuroimaging (EEG, fMRI) in animals, healthy controls and neurological patients.

Applicants should have a Ph.D. related to neuroscience and a good background in image or signal processing.  

The fellow is thus expected to have a strong background in experimentation, programming, data analysis, and the functioning of the human brain. 

Within the partnership access is provided to a human 3T MR system dedicated for neuroscience research, a small animal 7T MRI system and MR compatible TMS and EEG equipment.  

The fellowship will be open for two years and the starting date is flexible.

Interested candidates should send a CV, motivation letter, and two (email) addresses of potential referees to Daniele Marinazzo (Daniele.marinazzo@ugent.be). The closing date for applications is December 31^th 2011. Interviews with selected candidates will take place in the first half of January  2012.

--
Daniele Marinazzo -- http://www.da.ugent.be
Department of Data Analysis, Gent UniversityHenri Dunantlaan 1, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
+32 (0) 9 264 6375
-- NIPS 2011 satellite - Causal graphs: Linking brain structure to function - Granada, 11 Dec 2011 -- http://users.ugent.be/~dmarinaz/nips2011WS.html

PhD Studentships in Bioengineering

Dear all,

Please find below an advertisement for the PhD Programme in Bioengineering
at Imperial College London. Note that we have a substantial programme of
research activity in neuroscience (both experimental and computational)
and neurotechnology.

Cheers,
Simon R Schultz

Senior Lecturer & Director of Postgraduate Studies
Dept of Bioengineering, Imperial College London.
South Kensington Campus,
Royal School of Mines Building,
London SW7 2AZ, UK
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/s.schultz
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/neurotechnology
Member, British Neuroscience Association National Committee,
http://www.bna.org.uk

The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) on Neuroscience of Communication invites applications for PhD scholarships

Dear colleagues,


find below information about a graduate school at Max Planck institutes and the university in Leipzig, Germany. The research covers topics in systems neuroscience and computational neuroscience.



Best wishes, Stefan Kiebel

---



The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) on Neuroscience of Communication invites applications for PhD scholarships


The IMPRS on Neuroscience of Communication offers a unique interdisciplinary graduate programme to study the functional, structural, and plastic bases of human communication through an integrative and interdisciplinary approach. Its overriding goal is to train PhD students in multidisciplinary aspects involved in communicative action. The programme draws on elaborate modern imaging techniques (7-Tesla MRI, 3-Tesla MRI, 306-channel MEG system), psychophysics and computational modeling. The IMPRS is a common program of the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, the University of Leipzig (Germany), the MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, and the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, UK. The graduate programme will start on April 1st, 2012).




Successful candidates will be accepted into one of the following four modules of the school:

(1) Verbal Communication: Language

(2) Foundation of social cognition and emotions

(3) Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical

(4) Methods: Physics of neuroimaging and computational neuroscience



There are two research clusters for computational neuroscience and neuroimaging methods:

http://imprs-neurocom.mpg.de/application/descriptionComputationalNeuroscience

http://imprs-neurocom.mpg.de/application/descriptionNeuroscienceMethods



Information on content, structure, faculty of the program and how to apply can

be found at: http://imprs-neurocom.mpg.de

Deadline for applications is January 31st, 2012.



--
Dr. Stefan Kiebel
Max Planck Institute for
Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
Leipzig, Germany

Phone: ++49 341/9940-2435
Fax: ++49 341/9940-2221
http://www.cbs.mpg.de/depts/n-3/dyn

UCSD GRADUATE PROGRAM IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE

UCSD GRADUATE PROGRAM IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE

*****

http://neurograd.ucsd.edu/2page.php?id=doccomp

Application deadline: December 1, 2011
http://neurograd.ucsd.edu/2page.php?id=gradadm

*****

The goal of the Computational Neuroscience Specialization in the
Neurosciences Graduate Program at UCSD is to train researchers
who are equally at home measuring large-scale brain activity,
analyzing the data with advanced computational techniques,
and developing new models for brain development and function.

Candidates from a wide range of backgrounds are invited to apply,
including Biology, Psychology, Computer Science, Physics and
Mathematics. The three major themes in the training program are:

1. Neurobiology of Neural Systems: Anatomy, physiology and behavior
of systems of neurons.  Using modern neuroanatomical, behavioral,
neuropharmacological and electrophysiological techniques.  Lectures, wet
laboratories and computer simulations, as well as research rotations. Major
new imaging and recording techniques also will be taught, including
two-photon laser scanning microscopy and functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI).

2. Algorithms and Realizations for the Analysis of Neuronal Data:
New algorithms and techniques for analyzing data obtained from physiological
recording, with an emphasis on recordings from large populations of
neurons with imaging and multielectrode recording techniques.  New
methods for the study of co-ordinated activity, such as multi-taper spectral
analysis and Independent Component Analysis (ICA).

3. Neuroinformatics, Dynamics and Control of Systems of Neurons:
Theoretical aspects of single cell function and emergent properties as
many neurons interact among themselves and react to sensory inputs. A
synthesis of approaches from mathematics and physical sciences as well as
biology will be used to explore the collective properties and nonlinear
dynamics of neuronal systems, as well as issues of sensory coding and
motor control.

*****

Participating Faculty include:

* Henry Abarbanel (Physics): Nonlinear and oscillatory dynamics;
 modeling central pattern generators in the lobster stomatogastric ganglion.
* Thomas Albright (Salk Institute): Motion processing in primate visual
 cortex; linking single neurons to perception; fMRI in awake, behaving
 monkeys.  Director, Sloan Center for Theoretical Neurobiology
* Darwin Berg (Neurobiology): Regulation synaptic components, assembly
 and localization, function and long-term stability.
* Ed Callaway (Salk Institute):  Neural circuits, visual perception, visual cortex
Genetic tools for tracing neural pathways.
* Gert Cauwenberghs (Bioengineering):  Neuromorphic Engineering; analog VLSI
 chips; wireless recording and nanoscale instrumentation for neural
 systems; large-scale cortical modeling.
* Sreekanth Chalasani (Salk):  C. elegans: genes, networks and behavior
 Optical recording of olfactory processing.
* Andrea Chiba (Cognitive Science): Spatial attention, associative learning,
 cholinergic neuromodulaiton of behavior, amygdala recordings
* EJ Chichilnisky (Salk Institute):  Retinal multielectrode recording;
 neural coding, visual perception.
* Todd Coleman (Bioengineering): Brain-Machine Interfaces (BMI)
* Garrison Cottrell (Computer Science and Engineering): Dynamical
 neural network models and learning algorithms
* Virginia De Sa (Cognitive Science): Computational basis of perception
 and learning; multi-sensory integration and contextual influences
* Mark Ellisman (Neurosciences, School of Medicine): High resolution
 electron and light microscopy; anatomical reconstructions.
* Fred Gage (Salk Institute): Neurogenesis and models of the hippocampus;
 neuronal diversity, neural stem cells.
* Timothy Gentner (Psychology):  Birdsong learning. Neuroethology of vocal
 communication and audition
* Robert Hecht-Nielsen (Electrical and Computer Engineering): Neural
 computation and the functional organization of the cerebral cortex.
* Steve Hillyard (Neurosciences):  EEG, perception, attention, memory,
 Event related potentilas, SSVEP
* Harvey Karten (Neurosciences, School of Medicine): Anatomical,
 physiological and computational studies of the retina and optic tectum
 of birds and squirrels
* David Kleinfeld (Physics): Active sensation in rats; properties of
 neuronal assemblies; optical imaging of large-scale activity.
* William Kristan (Neurobiology):  Computational Neuroethology; functional
 and developmental studies of the leech nervous system, including
 studies of the bending reflex and locomotion.  Director, Neurosciences
 Graduate Program at UCSD
* Herbert Levine (Physics): Nonlinear dynamics and pattern formation
 in physical and biological systems, including cardiac dynamics and the
 growth and form of bacterial colonies
* Scott Makeig (Institute for Neural Computation): Analysis of cognitive
 event-related brain dynamics and fMRI using time-frequency and Independent
 Component Analysis
* Javier Movellan (Institute for Neural Computation): Sensory fusion
 and learning algorithms for continuous stochastic systems
* Mikhael Rabinovich (Institute for Nonlinear Science): Dynamical
 systems analysis of the stomatogastric ganglion of the lobster and the
 antenna lobe of insects
* Pamela Reinagel (Biology):  Sensory and neural coding; natural scene
 statistics; recordings from the visual system of cats and rodents.
* John Reynolds (Salk):  Visual attention, cortex, psychophysics,
 neurophysiology, neural modeling
* Massimo Scanziani (Biology):  Neural circuits in the somotosensory
 cortex; physiology of synaptic transmission; inhibitory mechanisms.
* Terrence Sejnowski (Salk Institute/Neurobiology): Computational
 models and physiological studies of synaptic, neuronal and network function.
* Tanya Sharpee (Salk):  Statistical physics and information theory
 approaches to sensory processing in natural auditory and visual environments.
* Gabe Silva (Bioengineering):  Cellular neural engineering
* Nicholas Spitzer (Neurobiology):  Regulation of ionic channels and
 neurotransmitters in developing neurons and neural function.
* Charles Stevens (Salk Institute): Synaptic physiology; theoretical
 models of neuroanatomical scaling.
* Roger Tsien (Chemistry):  Second messenger systems in neurons;
 development of new optical and MRI probes of neuron function,
 including calcium indicators and caged neurotransmitters
* Jing Wang (Biology):  Representation of olfactory information in
 the nervous system of Drosophila
* Ruth Williams (Mathematics): Probabilistic analysis of stochastic
 systems and continuous learning algorithms
* Angela Yu (Cognitive Science): Sensory processing, attentional selection,
 perceptual decision-making, sensorimotor integration, learning, and adaptation.

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On-line applications: http://neurograd.ucsd.edu/2page.php?id=gradadm

The deadline for completed application materials, including letters of
recommendation, is December 1, 2011.

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