PhD Studentship at Edinburgh

[Peter Dayan]

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                             PhD Study in

  Computational Models of Spatial Learning and Memory, with particular
                reference to the Hippocampal Formation

                Prof Richard Morris, University of Edinburgh
                        Peter Dayan, MIT
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A Faculty scholarship from the University of Edinburgh is available
for a PhD student to work on the project described below. The student
will be registered with Prof Morris at the University of Edinburgh,
but will also visit to conduct research at MIT. 


  Computational Models of Spatial Learning and Memory, with particular
                reference to the Hippocampal Formation

There is substantial evidence for the involvement of the hippocampal
formation in the process of learning and using information about
space. The purpose of this project is to build a computational model
of spatial learning that addresses the related data at three levels of
inquiry. 

- electrophysiological studies on place cells and on synaptic
  plasticity at various loci in the hippocampus;

- behavioural studies on the way that animals construct models of
  their environments, the cues they use, and the way that they employ
  this information to plan paths and find targets;

- computational studies on the representation of space, model
  construction and reinforcement learning. 

This computational model will start from and contribute to behavioural
experiments in the `Manhattan Maze' (Biegler and Morris, Nature,
1993), which has been used to probe the way that particular landmarks
and their inter-relationships control the way that rats orient
themselves in space. Confirmatory experiments in the open field water
maze will also be possible.

This project should suit a student with qualifications in mathematics
or computer science who has a demonstrable interest in
psychology/neurobiology; or a student with qualifications in
psychology/neurobiology with demonstrable competence in computational
modelling. The stipend is 6391 pounds sterling a year.

Applicants should send copies of their CV and a statement of their
research interests to:

Prof RGM Morris                    Dr P Dayan
Centre for Neuroscience            Dept of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
University of Edinburgh            E25-201, MIT
Crichton Street                    Cambridge,
Edinburgh EH8 9LE                  Massachusetts 02139
Scotland                           USA
r.g.m.morris at ed.ac.uk              dayan at psyche.mit.edu

Notification of the award will be made by 30th June 1995 and the
studentship will start in October 1995.