Connectionists: PhD position at the interface between machine learning (natural language processing/deep learning) and computational cognitive neuroscience

[Marcel van Gerven]

DEADLINE OCTOBER 4
HTTPS://WWW.LANGUAGEININTERACTION.NL/THIRDCALLGENERAL.HTML

PHD POSITION

Encoding and decoding the neural signatures of natural language comprehension
Recent computational advances have made it possible to reconstruct (decode) naturalistic stimuli from neural responses. The project will transfer this approach to reconstructing auditory and linguistic features from brain activity measured while subjects listen to narratives. Work by members of the team (advisory members Roel Willems, Stefan Frank, and Marcel van Gerven) shows (a) the feasibility to describe neural responses by means of stimulus characterization with a computational language model, and (b) that conceptual representations can be decoded from brain activity. The current project joins and extends these studies, paving the way for the development of brain-computer interfaces driven by internal speech, and leading to a fuller understanding of the brain basis of language comprehension under naturalistic conditions.

This position will be held at the Centre for Language Studies (CLS), Faculty of Arts, at Radboud University, Nijmegen.
The mission of CLS is to gain a deeper understanding of the architecture of the language system and its interactions with processes at the individual and the social-cultural level. We study the cognitive processes operative in the production, comprehension and acquisition of language, the historical and social factors determining language variation and change, and the communicative effects of language. We employ a variety of research methods: detailed analyses of linguistic diversity, automated analyses of large scale language and speech corpora, experiments measuring different types of behavior from language users, and computational modeling of language processing.

Requirements
Candidates should have a Research Master’s degree (or equivalent) in (Computational) Linguistics, Cognitive Neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence, or another relevant field of study. A strong background in machine learning is highly valued. They should be familiar with statistical language modelling, and should have demonstrable programming skills . Affinity with Bayesian modelling is desirable. Previous experience with neuroimaging is desirable, but not mandatory.
Applications from excellent candidates with a less than ideal profile will be equally considered.

Contact information PhD position 4: Prof. Antal van den Bosch <mailto:a.vandenbosch at let.ru.nl> and Dr. Karl-Magnus Petersson <mailto:karl-magnus.petersson at mpi.nl>

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