ACTING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR POSITION IN MATHEMATICAL NEUROSCIENCE

An acting assistant professor position in mathematical and theoretical neuroscience is available in the working group of Eric Shea-Brown in the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Washington.  In addition to research, responsibilities of this position will include teaching three one-quarter applied mathematics courses per year. The position is temporary and renewable up to three years. This is a full-time position and the faculty member will be expected to engage in the research, teaching and service mission of the Department of Applied Mathematics.

The research questions to be pursued focus on collective activity in neural networks -- its origin in network dynamics, its expression in terms of multivariate stochastic processes, and its role in encoding and transmitting information. Thus, there is a rich interplay among methods from dynamical systems, probability, and basic information theory. Lively collaboration with other theorists and experimentalists is the norm.  More information about the work happening in the Shea-Brown group is at amath.washington.edu/~etsb.

The University of Washington offers superb neuroscience, mathematical science, and bioengineering communities with numerous opportunities for collaboration, and Seattle offers an interesting and extremely beautiful place to live.  More about computational neuroscience at UW at compneuro.washington.edu.

Requirements include (1) deep interest in theoretical neuroscience; (2) a PhD in mathematics, applied mathematics, computer science, theoretical biology or neurobiology, statistics, physics, engineering, or a related area; (3) an ability and affinity for communicating mathematical science, both in cross-disciplinary collaborations and in the applied mathematics classroom.

The position provides a competitive annual salary and benefits.

To apply, applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vita, and a description of research and teaching interests at www.mathjobs.org/jobs/UoWApplied/3457. Further, arrangements should be made to have three or four letters of references, at least one of which addresses the teaching experience or potential, uploaded at this website.  Screening of applications will begin on January 15, 2012; the position has a flexible start date of Fall 2012 (could be moved depending on the applicant's needs). The University of Washington is building a culturally diverse faculty and strongly encourages applications from women and minority candidates. AA/EOE._______________________

Industry jobs: Optic flow for robotics

Brain Corporation in San Diego, CA, has a full-time position for an expert in modeling visual system for navigation and motor control. In particular, we are interested in experts who use optic flow for navigation of robots.

Submit your CV/resume and relevant papers to Dr. Eugene M. Izhikevich, CEO, at [jobs AT braincorporation.com].

REQUIREMENTS: In addition to being an expert in optic flow algorithms for navigation, the candidate must be exceptionally good in any one of the following two areas:
(1) Solid experience in spiking networks and spike-timing dynamics and plasticity.
(2) Excellent programming skills in C/C++, Python or MATLAB.

There are other positions at Brain Corporation, all involving spiking modeling for vision or motor control; seehttp://www.braincorporation.com

Dr. Eugene M. Izhikevich
Chairman & CEO
Brain Corporation
San Diego, CA, 92121

Postdoctoral position: attention and learning across the lifespan

Join a growing research group led by Dr. Yael Niv in the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and the Department of Psychology at Princeton University. Research in the lab focuses on computational modeling of animal and human learning and behavior, and model-driven functional imaging experiments of decision making. Possible projects investigate the interaction between attention and learning across the lifespan. We seek exceptionally talented candidates with a strong background in functional imaging, expertise in computer programming and modeling, and a keen interest in reinforcement learning and normative models of behavior. Anticipated start date is June 2012 or later. This is a one-year position with the possibility of renewal based on satisfactory performance.

All applications should include a cover letter stating background and research interests, a CV, two representative publications, and contact information for at least two references.

Essential Qualifications
PhD in psychology, proven experience with functional neuroimaging.

Preferred Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have robust experience with fMRI (event related designs and model-based analysis techniques), will be proficient in programming (Matlab or equivalent), and will have some computational background (machine learning, reinforcement learning, Bayesian models).

Princeton University is an equal opportunity employer and complies with applicable EEO and affirmative action regulations. You may apply online to Requisition Number: 0110838 to http://jobs.princeton.edu.____

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience in Germany

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience

Applications are invited for a PhD position in computational
neuroscience in the research unit of Prof. Sen Cheng in the Mercator
Research Group “Structure of Memory” (MRG1) at the Ruhr University
Bochum in Germany. Our unit investigates the theoretical basis for
learning and memory processes at the neuronal circuit level.

Candidates should have an excellent Master degree, or equivalent, in
neuroscience, physics, mathematics, engineering or a related field.
Experience in mathematical or computer modeling is required.
Familiarity with computational neuroscience would be a further asset.

The Ruhr University Bochum is home to a vibrant research community in
neuroscience. Students will be encouraged to join the International
Graduate School of Neuroscience and interact with the Institute of
Neuroinformatics. MRG1 is funded by the Stiftung Mercator and
investigates episodic and semantic memory processes and their relation
to other cognitive functions. MRG1 comprises a diverse and
interdisciplinary team of philosophers and experimental as well as
theoretical neuroscientists. The main language of communication in the
group is English. For further information see www.rub.de/cns.

To apply please send a letter stating your motivation and your
research interests, a complete CV, transcripts, and at least two
letters of recommendation to mrg1@rub.de by January 08, 2012.

The Ruhr University Bochum is committed to equal opportunity. We
strongly encourage applications from qualified women and persons with
disabilities.

Ph.D. program in computational neuroscience at ELSC/ICNC (Hebrew University, Jerusalem)

The Alice and Jack Ormut Ph.D. Program in computational neuroscience of the Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation (ICNC) and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) at the Hebrew University is now accepting applications from international students.
 
The mission of the Alice and Jack Ormut Ph.D. Program is to train students to address computation and information processing – both in the brain and in advanced intelligent devices. The Program, which is targeted to exceptionally qualified students from diverse academic backgrounds, is designed to allow students to supplement their knowledge in areas in which they lack adequate academic training.  The Program offers an advanced interdisciplinary curriculum and provides students with the opportunity to conduct ground-breaking research.
 
The program provides students with expertise in:
• Neurobiology – the relationships between the physiology and anatomy of the nervous system to its function and techniques used in modern research.
• Physics – theory of dynamical systems with applications to neural networks, computation and learning.
• Computer science and engineering – signal processing, statistical learning theory and information theory.
• Psychology – with an emphasis on cognition, memory and perception.
 
Students who have completed their bachelor's degree in any field with an average of 85 or higher, or those who have completed a master's degree in any field, are eligible to apply to the doctoral program. International students must have equivalent grades and degrees. Admission is contingent on the approval of the Program's admissions committee.
 
Candidates should send the following information by electronic mail to Ms. Ruthi Suchi, the administrative director of the ICNC (icnc@alice.nc.huji.ac.il):
1. Current CV
2. One-page statement of scientific interests and objectives
3. Two or more letters of recommendation
4. Transcripts from each university attended
5. Proof of English proficiency (required only for non-native speakers of English, details can be foundhttp://icnc.huji.ac.il/phd/eng/registration/).
The deadline for applications is Feb. 1, 2012.
 
Tuition for overseas students is approximately $4,000 per year for the first two years. Accepted students are entitled to a fellowship (which amounts to an annual stipend of approximately $10,000) and partial support towards tuition.  Fellowships are made possibly by the generous support of the Alice and Jack Ormut Foundation.
 
For further information, see http://icnc.nc.huji.ac.il/phd/eng/information/ or contact Prof. Israel Nelken (director of the program), at israel@cc.huji.ac.il.
 
Jerusalem offers an unparalleled mix of past and present culture.  >From world-class restaurants and cafés to historical religious sites, the city is a melting pot of ancient roots and modern innovations. Jerusalem is rich in art galleries, museums, theaters and concert halls.  Exciting festivals, exhibitions, sports competitions, and other special events are held throughout the year. For further information on life in Jerusalem, see http://tour.jerusalem.muni.il/.



--
Prof. Israel Nelken
Dept. of Neurobiology            
The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences
Edmond Safra Campus, Givat Ram
Jerusalem 91904, ISRAEL
Tel: ++972-2-6584229
Fax: ++972-2-6586077
israel@cc.huji.ac.il

Lectureship Computational Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh

Lectureship (comparable to US assistant professor) in Computational
Neuroscience at the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh.

The University of Edinburgh has announced a number of prestigious 5-year
Chancellor's Fellowships. Subject to satisfactory review after 3 years,
the Fellow will move to a permanent academic post.  Appointees can
concentrate initially on research, acquiring full University Lecturer
duties during the Fellowship. These prestigious awards are aimed at
early career individuals of the highest potential who have begun to
establish a reputation for the top quality research at the forefront of
their discipline and who have a commitment to teaching at university
level.

One of the priority areas for Chancellor's Fellowships is Computational
Cognitive Science which comprises Computational Neuroscience.
Computational Neuroscience includes analysis and modelling of brain
processes at all levels of organization with a particular focus on
research which spans across levels.  Research areas are broadly defined
as the study of the neural foundations of perception, memory, cognition,
and action and their underlying developmental processes. Research on
these topics is conducted in the Institute for Adaptive and Neural
Computation (ANC, http://anc.ed.ac.uk/) which hosts the Doctoral
Training Centre in Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience
(http://www.anc.ed.ac.uk/dtc/).

The institute is based in the School of Informatics, one of the world's
top research leaders in computer science/informatics. The University of
Edinburgh is one of the world's top research universities, in one of the
UK's most pleasant cities.

The official advert can be found at:
http://www.jobs.ed.ac.uk/vacancies/index.cfm?fuseaction=vacancies.detail&vacancy_ref=3015150
Closing dates are: 16th January, 29th February and 16th April 2012.

Note that Chancellor's Fellowships are available in other areas as well.

Informal inquiries can be directed to Dr Mark van Rossum,
mvanross-@nospam-inf.ed.ac.uk.
Prof Chris Williams can answer informal inquiries at NIPS.

Identifying causal interactions in functional MRI data using statistical time series analysis

Ph.D. studentship available: 
Identifying causal interactions in functional MRI data using statistical time series analysis

Supervised by Dr. Anil Seth, Prof. Hugo Critchley, and Dr. Lionel Barnett. 

University of Sussex, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science 

Deadline: 5.00pm, Tuesday 31st January 2012
Start date: October 2012

Apply here: http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=36077&LID=1494

Our understanding of the brain has been revolutionized by functional neuroimaging, the ability to look at brain activity as a person is doing a task, or even while they do nothing at all. Traditionally, neuroscientists have used neuroimaging to localize different functions to different parts of the brain. However, brain functions depend on dynamical networks spanning many different brain regions. Identifying these networks, and especially networks that show causal interactions among their elements, is a major current challenge. This Ph.D. project will address this challenge for functional MRI (fMRI), the most popular neuroimaging method. fMRI measures time-varying changes in metabolic signatures of neural activity. To identify causal networks, we adopt the framework of Granger causality analysis (GCA) which assumes that causes both precede and help predict their effects. GCA applied to fMRI faces several challenges arising because the fMRI signal is an indirect and incompletely understood reflection of underlying neural activity, is sluggish, delayed, and is sampled only once every 2-3 seconds. The project will address these limitations by novel combinations of theory, modelling and experiment. A first objective will be to adapt recent theoretical findings showing invariance of GCA under filtering to the case of fMRI. A second objective will be to characterize the behavior of GCA on fMRI data via detailed computational models connecting neural activity to simulated fMRI responses. These models will be built by connecting existing large-scale spiking neuron simulations with forward models of hemodynamic responses. Third and finally, the resulting methods will be benchmarked on fMRI data obtained specifically for this purpose.

The successful candidate will benefit from being part of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, a world-leading research group in computational neuroscience, functional analysis of neuroimaging data, and consciousness research. The student will enjoy collaborative input from the Department of Informatics, the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, and the School of Psychology; will work within a thriving multidisciplinary group integrating many areas of neuroscience, and will have full access to state-of-the-art computational and neuroimaging facilities. Training in fMRI analysis and statistical methods will be provided.

Applications should hold, or expect to obtain, a minimum upper-second honours degree (or equivalent) in a quantitative science discipline. Previous experience in neuroimaging and/or time series analysis is desirable but not required.

Funding Notes: The South-East Biosciences Network (www.sebnet.org.uk) is advertising 33 Doctoral Studentships across the South-East of England.

Applicants for this 4-year PhD, starting in October 2012, should possess or expect to be awarded an Upper Second or 1st Class Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant related subject. Studentships are available to UK nationals and EU students who meet the UK residency requirements. The studentship will support the student’s stipend and tuition fees.

Informal enquiries to A.K.Seth@sussex.ac.uk
See also www.sussex.ac.uk/sackler

Apply here: http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=36077&LID=1494

-- 
Anil K. Seth, D.Phil.
Co-Director, Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science
School of Informatics, University of Sussex,
Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QJ, UK
W: www.anilseth.com, T: +44 1273 678549,

PhD studentship available at University of Sussex.

A Ph.D. studentship is available in

"Models of mixture coding and olfactory object recognition in honeybees"

supervised by Dr. Thomas Nowotny and  Dr. Jeremy Niven,
Informatics and Life Sciences,
University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.

Deadline: 5.00pm, Tuesday 31st January 2012
Start date: October 2012

Apply here:
http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=36161&LID=1494

*The project:*
Despite the large number of experimental studies on olfactory systems
over the last 15 years, we still do not understand how olfaction works.
Insect olfactory systems have emerged as excellent model systems for
studying the basic computational mechanisms that underlie olfactory
coding, learning and memory. The aim of this PhD project is to advance
the theory of biological olfaction with multi-scale models of the
honeybee antennal lobe (AL). The project involves combining
computational modelling, theory and experiment to develop a specific
model of the honeybee AL and use it to understand the dynamics of
information processing.

1. Building a conductance based model for the honeybee AL
Recent experiments enable us to formulate specific models of the
honeybee AL, including implementing the correct numbers of neurons,
their organization into identified glomeruli according to a
morphological 3D atlas, and correct response profiles to numerous
chemicals. Moving from generalised AL models to a specific honeybee
model will allow us to simulate the input from actual chemicals and,
therefore, to make concrete predictions about future experimental
observations. This constrains the model more tightly and makes it
falsifiable, a concept that is under-developed in computational
neuroscience to date. The developed detailed model will be simulated
using modern supercomputing methods in the form of general purpose GPU
computing.

2. Building rate models and population mean field descriptions
Once a detailed model has been formulated and implemented, we can
identify methods to reduce it to rate equations and mean field
population models allowing us to identify the dynamical structure
underlying odour information processing in the honeybee AL.

3. Investigating incoherent mixtures and odour objects
This is the core of the proposed research work and the most exciting and
novel. Recent experimental evidence indicates that millisecond
differences in the onset of odour stimuli can alter the resulting
neuronal activity in the AL and can affect behaviour. This finding
fundamentally alters our current understanding of odour processing. The
AL could emerge as the brain region responsible for odour-background
segregation based on the coherent spatio-temporal structure of the odour
plume on millisecond scale. We may even call it odour object
recognition. The work towards this objective will entail detailed models
of the odour segregation ability of the AL, including a systematic assay
of the potential network and cellular mechanisms underlying it. The
multi-scale model stack developed in (2) can then be used to identify
the underlying dynamical systems mechanisms.

The successful student will be based in the laboratory of Dr Thomas
Nowotny in the School of Informatics/Centre for Computational
Neuroscience (CCNR) and Dr Jeremy Niven in the School of Life
Sciences/CCNR at the University of Sussex. The student will also have
the opportunity to work with the laboratory of Prof. Giovanni Galizia at
the University of Konstanz, Germany.

Applicants should have a 1st/high 2.1 in computer sciences, physical
sciences or mathematics and good computer skills are required. Previous
experience in C/C++ and/or CUDA/OpenCL is a plus. A keen interest in
neural systems is essential, though direct experience is not required.

*Funding Notes:*

The South-East Biosciences Network (www.sebnet.org.uk) is advertising 33
Doctoral Studentships across the South-East of England.

Applicants for this 4-year PhD, starting in October 2012, should possess
or expect to be awarded an Upper Second or 1st Class Honours degree (or
equivalent) in a relevant subject. Studentships are available to UK
nationals and EU students who meet the UK residency requirements.

The studentship will support the student’s stipend and tuition fees.
Informal enquiries to Dr Thomas Nowotny: t.nowotny@sussex.ac.uk

*References:*

1. P. Szyszka, J. Stierle, S. Biergans, T. Nowotny, C. G. Galizia.
Honeybee neurons use millisecond time-differences in stimulus coherence
for odor-object segregation. BC11 : Computational Neuroscience &
Neurotechnology Bernstein Conference & Neurex Annual Meeting 2011,
Freiburg, Germany, 4-6 Oct (2011).

2. C. L. Buckley and T. Nowotny. Transient Dynamics between Displaced
Fixed Points: An Alternate Nonlinear Dynamical Framework for Olfaction.
Brain Research, in press (2011).

3. C. L. Buckley and T. Nowotny, Multi-scale model of an inhibitory
network shows optimal properties near bifurcation. Phys. Rev. Lett. 106:
238109 (2011).

4. M. Papadopoulou, S. Cassenaer, T. Nowotny, G. Laurent. Normalization
for Sparse Encoding of Odors by a Wide-Field Interneuron. Science, 332:
721-725 (2011).

5. J.A. Perge, J.E. Niven, E. Mugnaini, V. Balasubramanian, P. Sterling.
Why do axons differ in diameter? J. Neurosci. in press (2011).

6. P.M.V. Simões, S.R. Ott, J.E. Niven. Associative olfactory learning
in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. J. Exp. Biol. 214:
2495-2503 (2011).

7. B. Sengupta, M. Stemmler, S.B. Laughlin, J.E. Niven. Action potential
energy efficiency varies among neuron types in vertebrates and
invertebrates. PLoS Comput. Biol. 6: e1000840 (2010).

Phd studentships Neuroinformatics Stockholm, Bangalore, Freiburg, Edinburgh

The Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctoral Program "EuroSPIN" is inviting
applications for fully funded 4-year joint PhD studentships between KTH
(Stockholm), the University of Edinburgh, NCBS (Bangalore), and the
University of Freiburg in the field of Neuroinformatics.

Neuroinformatics applies computational tools and approaches that are
essential for understanding the brain. Neuroinformatics thus links
neuroscience and the engineering, computational, and physical sciences.
Sample project are listed on the website.

The projects are collaborative and typically involve two of the four
above institutes and will require some travel.

Students should have a solid background in mathematics, physics,
computer sciences, biochemistry or neuroscience (on a master level or
equivalent) and excellent quantitative skills. An excellent academic
record, documented interest in research and fluency in English are
required. Experience in neuroscience is not required.

If you are interested, go to www.kth.se/eurospin
EXTENDED deadline for applications: 31st Dec 2011.