Research Scientist Position: Probabilistic Modeling for Spike-Sorting

[Ken Miller]

RESEARCH SCIENTIST NEEDED: PROBABILISTIC MODELING FOR SPIKE SORTING
Keck Center for Integrative Neuroscience 
UCSF
San Francisco, CA

We have an opening for a research scientist to work on developing
methods for sorting "spikes" (action potentials) in neurophysiological
recordings.  This position pays a competitive professional salary.
The problem of spike sorting is a challenging one of signal
processing, time-series analysis, and unsupervised clustering, We plan
to apply the methods of probabilistic modeling and model comparison.
A starting point for our work will be the thesis work of Sahani,
http://www.vis.caltech.edu/~maneesh/thesis/.  The PI's on the project
are Ken Miller (www.keck.ucsf.edu/~ken) and Philip Sabes
(www.keck.ucsf.edu/~sabes), UCSF.

The scientist will be expected to implement spike sorting algorithms,
and in collaboration with the PI's to systematically test alternative
algorithms and devise and test improved algorithms.  Understanding of
and experience with statistical inference and probabilistic modeling,
or sufficient theoretical training to quickly master the same, is
required; experience applying theoretical methods to analyze real data
is strongly preferred.  Sufficient scientific programming abilities to
easily implement and test alternative algorithms is required.
Prototyping will typically be done in Matlab, implementation in C or
C++.  It is expected that the candidate will have a Ph.D. in a
quantitative field.  The scientist will work closely with a programmer
who will also be working fulltime on this project.

The position is expected to run for approximately two years.

Please send a CV and arrange to have two letters of reference sent to:

Paul Puri
Spikesorting Search
Dept. of Physiology
UCSF
San Francisco, CA 94143-0444

or to

spikesort at phy.ucsf.edu