POSTDOCTORAL AND Ph.D OPPORTUNITIES FOR EUROPEANS in connectionist neural network modelling

[Robert French]

POSTDOCTORAL AND Ph.D OPPORTUNITIES FOR EUROPEANS
in connectionist neural network modelling

We have received a four-year grant from the European Commission
grant to study the basic mechanisms of learning and forgetting in natural
and artificial neural systems.  The work will be done at five universities
in England, Belgium and France and will be a highly multi-disciplinary
effort involving experimental psychology, computer and mathematical
modelling, and neural imaging techniques. There is funding for 5 fixed-term
(1 to 2 years) post-doctoral research fellows, and 5 PhD studentships
distributed across the participating institutions. 

Learning new information can potentially interfere severely with
previously learned information.  In order to prevent this from happening,
many researchers now believe that the brain evolved a =93dual memory=94
architecture in which information is first processed in the hippocampus
and thereafter gradually consolidated in the neo-cortex. But exactly how
this works is still far from clear. We hope to gain a better understanding
of the mechanisms and the implications of hippocampal-neocortical
information transfer. Beyond developing a formal understanding of this
system, the project will also explore applications of this type of memory
architecture in the areas of child development, implicit learning, and
various forms of aphasia and amnesia.

This research has a number of important implications for understanding
human memory. In particular, the dual-network connectionist architecture
makes a number of rather unexpected predictions concerning the evolution
over time of representations in long-term memory. One of the major goals
of this project is to determine whether or not this representational evolution
occurs in the brain. This work may also shed light on infant memory
consolidation and category-specific deficits observed in certain types of
aphasia. 

The project includes funding for 5 fixed-term (1 to 2 years) post-doctoral
research fellows, and 5 PhD studentships. The focus of research for these
positions will depend on the institution of appointment. Although there is
considerable overlap between the expertise in the different partner
institutions, in general, the research focus at each institution will be as
follows:

University of Li=E8ge, Belgium (with Bob French): investigations of memory
consolidation and forgetting using experimental and modelling methodologies

University of Grenoble, France (Bernard Ans/St=E9phane Rousset):
investigations of transfer mechanisms between network systems and between
hippocampus and neocortex using modeling and neural imaging methodologies

University of Warwick, UK (Nick Chater): Formal analysis of data
compression during information transfer between network systems

Birkbeck College, UK (Denis Mareschal): implications of dual memory
system for understanding infant and cognitive development using
experimental and modelling methodologies 

Universit=E9 Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium (Axel Cleeremans): investigations
of implicit learning and consciousness using experimental and modelling
methodologies

        The program is highly multi-disciplinary with a particular emphasis on
connectionist modelling. The members of the project will do experimental
work as well as modelling and will be based in one of the five universities
but will be expected to interact at a high level with the other teams involved
in the project.  For example, a student focusing on modelling at the
University of Li=E8ge will interact with and visit the University of Grenoble to
acquire neural imaging skills.  Considerable emphasis will be placed on an
exchange of ideas among project participants and publication in international
journals. 

The ideal candidate will have good programming skills, a knowledge of
connectionist models, experimental skills, an interest in human memory, and a
willingness to work in an inter-disciplinary setting.

The candidate must be aged 35 years or less at the time of appointment
(excluding time spent for compulsory military service or childcare). They must
be nationals of a European Community Member State or an Associated
State* or must have resided in the community for the last 5 years prior to
their appointment. They must not be nationals of the host country they
are applying to and must not have carried out their normal activities in the
host country for more than 12 of the 24 months prior to their appointment.
Doctoral candidates must have completed their undergraduate degree
and post-doctoral candidates must have completed their doctorate.
Knowledge of the language of the host country is helpful, but is not
necessary.  The language of the project is English.

Salaries for these positions vary but are competitive. The exact amounts
are stipulated by the regulations of the participating universities. For more
information on the exact value of the stipends, please contact the project
director at the university that you are interested in attending.

These positions are available immediately.  There is no closing deadline for
application. Applications will continue to be accepted until the positions are
filled.

Interested candidates should directly contact the following individuals at the
participating institutions for further details:

Bob French (rfrench at ulg.ac.be) at the University of Liege
Denis Mareschal (d.mareschal at bbk.ac.uk) at Birkbeck College
Nick Chater (nick.chater at warwick.ac.uk) at Warwick University
Axel Cleeremans (axcleer at ulb.ac.be) at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles
Bernard Ans (Bernard.Ans at upmf-grenoble.fr) at the University of Grenoble.

If you have any questions concerning the project, feel free to contact the
project director, Bob French (rfrench at ulg.ac.be).


*European Union Associated States are: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Lichtenstein, Iceland, Israel, and Norway.



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Robert M. French, Ph.D
Quantitative Psychology and Cognitive Science
Psychology Department
University of Liege
4000 Liege, Belgium
Tel: (32.[0]4) 366.20.10
FAX: (32.[0]4) 366.28.59
email: rfrench at ulg.ac.be
URL: http://www.fapse.ulg.ac.be/Lab/cogsci/rfrench.html
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