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[Mike Denham]

University of Plymouth
Centre for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience
Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Five Year Fixed Term Appointment (salary range =A323,643 - =A329,479 pa)
Applications are invited for the post of Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 
the Centre for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at the 
University of Plymouth, UK.

The post has been made available through the award of a major new 
=A31.8M 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 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.

Applicants for the post must have a PhD in a relevant subject area and 
possess an expert knowledge of the field of theoretical and 
computational neuroscience, or of a closely related area with some 
knowledge of theoretical and computational neuroscience. They must be 
able to provide evidence of an ability to conduct high quality research 
in this or a closely related research area, eg a strong publication 
record and peer recognition. Evidence of the ability to work 
successfully in collaboration with other research groups on joint 
projects would be particularly advantageous.

The work of the Research Fellow will be specifically concerned with the 
staged development of the cortical microcircuit model, in collaboration 
with all the participants in the project, on a large scale Linux cluster 
based simulation facility. Maintaining a close level of collaboration 
will involve the Research Fellow in spending short periods of time in 
the laboratories of the collaborators, both in the UK and in Europe. The 
Research Fellow will also conduct research into methods for combining 
different levels/scales of model description which emerge as the project 
progresses, in order to build an integrated cortical microcircuit model. 
These tasks will require a postdoctoral researcher with extensive 
research experience in neurobiological modelling and the knowledge of 
theoretical and computational neuroscience at the neurobiological level, 
ie detailed modelling of neurons and neural circuitry, necessary to 
maintain an in-depth understanding of the activities in all of the 
research areas of the project.

The post is available from 1st June 2005 and an appointment will be made 
as soon as possible after this date. The appointment will be for a fixed 
term of five years, and will be subject to a probationary period of 
twelve months.

Informal enquiries 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, from whom further details are 
available.