Connectionists: Four-year PhD studentships in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience

[Mike Denham]

University of Plymouth
Centre for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience

Four-year PhD studentships in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience

Applications are invited for two 4-year PhD studentships in the Centre
for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at the University of
Plymouth, UK. 

These studentships form part of a major new 1.86M UK pounds five-year
research project funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council entitled: "A Novel Computing Architecture for Cognitive
Systems based on the Laminar Microcircuitry of the Neocortex".
Collaborators on the project include Plymouth University (Mike Denham,
Sue Denham, Thomas Wennekers), Manchester University (Stefano Panzeri,
Piotr Dudek, Steve Furber), University College London (Michael Hausser,
Arnd Roth), Edinburgh University (Mark van Rossum, David Willshaw),
Oxford University (Jan Schnupp), and London University School of
Pharmacy (Alex Thomson), plus a number of leading European research
groups. The persons appointed to these studentships will become part of
a team of three postdocs and six PhD students engaged on the project in
the collaborating institutions, and planned regular project meetings
will ensure a close collaboration across this team and with the project
investigators listed above.

The two PhD studentships funded through the research project at Plymouth
will be specifically related to the following research areas: 1.
Learning rules for experience-dependent and adaptation-induced
plasticity in the developed cortical microcircuit; 2. Spatiotemporal
dynamics of feature selectivity in primary visual cortex.

Applicants must also be able to demonstrate a capability to undertake
and benefit from research training through to completion to the standard
necessary to qualify for a PhD. Applicants for the studentships must
therefore have a good first (bachelors) degree, or a masters degree, in
a relevant subject area, strong academic references, and a demonstrable
interest in carrying out research in the field of theoretical and
computational neuroscience, eg through prior study in the area.
Candidates must also possess basic mathematical and programming
abilities. However, the four-year duration of the studentships will
enable candidates to develop these abilities, and their knowledge and
skills in neuroscience and relevant cross-disciplinary areas, in the
first year of study through taught courses in the Centre and in the
collaborating institutions.

The studentships will be available to be taken up at the start of the
Autumn Term at the end of September 2005. The studentships will cover
the full costs of university tuition fees at the UK/EU level*, together
with a tax-free stipend for living expenses (currently in the region of
12,000 UK pounds per annum). *In this respect, the studentships only
cover the full tuition costs of candidates resident in the UK or other
EU countries; however applications will be considered from non-EU
candidates, for whom additional funding may be available to cover the
shortfall in tuition fees.

Informal enquiries about the studentships should be made in the first
instance to Professor Mike Denham, Centre for Theoretical and
Computational Neuroscience, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus,
Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK; tel: +44 (0)1752 232547; email:
mdenham at plym.ac.uk.




Professor Mike Denham
Centre for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience
Room A223 Portland Square
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth PL4 8AA
UK

tel: +44 (0)1752 232547/233359
fax: +44 (0)1752 233349
email: mdenham at plym.ac.uk

www.plymneuro.org.uk