COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE POSTDOC

[Sue Becker]

COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE POSTDOCTORAL POSITION AVAILABLE
Department of Psychology
McMaster University

A postdoctoral position is open in the Psychology Department of
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.  A multidisciplinary
approach will be taken to develop biologically plausible models of
hippocampal and neocortical memory systems. Projects will include
developing simulations of cortical-cortical and subcortical-cortical
interactions during learning and information storage.  In addition
to our focus on processing in hippocampal-cortical systems, we are
also investigating and modelling the role of cortico-thalamic
back-projections.  Research projects will be conducted in close
collaboration with R. Racine, a neuroscientist, S.  Becker, a
computational modeller, and S. Haykin, an electrical engineer.  The
primary goal of this collaborative effort is to build powerful learning
algorithms in neural networks which are based on rules suggested by
both memory research and physiology research (e.g. LTP work).
Racine's laboratory has recently provided the first demonstrations of
LTP in the neocortex of the awake, freely-moving rat.  The rules that
apply to LTP induction in neocortical systems are quite different from
those determined for the hippocampus.  An OPTIONAL component of
this postdoctoral position would be participation in further
experimental investigations of neocortical LTP in either slice or in
vivo preparations.
   
This project is funded by a collaborative research grant from the
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to
R. Racine, S. Haykin and S. Becker.  Please send
curriculum vitae, expression of interest, and the names and e-mail
or phone numbers of three references to Ron Racine at
racine at mcmail.cis.mcmaster.ca