Connectionists: postdoc in computational neuroscience

[Mate Lengyel]

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

The University is committed to equality of opportunity

DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING

Senior Research Associate in Computational Neuroscience

A position exists for a Senior Research Associate (equivalent of a 
senior postdoctoral fellow) to work on theories of spike timing-based 
memory in the hippocampus.

The project is funded by the Wellcome Trust and will involve work at the 
recently established Computational and Biological Learning Lab 
(learning.eng.cam.ac.uk) in close collaboration with Prof. Peter Dayan 
(Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL, www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk). The 
project also involves collaboration with the groups of Dr. Ole Paulsen 
(Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford University, 
noggin.physiol.ox.ac.uk) and Dr. Francesco Battaglia (SILS Center for 
Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam) providing direct access to 
relevant in vitro and in vivo electrophysiological data.

The aim of the project is to develop normative theories of spike-timing 
based interactions (neural dynamics and synaptic plasticity rules) 
between hippocampal neurons for efficient memory processing that make 
testable prediction at the electrophysiological level (starting from 
Lengyel et al, Nat Neurosci 2005; Lengyel & Dayan, Advances in NIPS 2007).

Candidates must have a strong analytical background and demonstrable 
interest in theoretical neuroscience. They should have a PhD or 
equivalent in computational neuroscience, physics, mathematics, computer 
science, machine learning or a related field. Preference will be given 
to candidates with sufficient programming skills to run numerical 
simulations (eg. in C or MatLab) and expertise with neural network 
models, analysis of dynamical systems, and Bayesian techniques. 
Familiarity with the neurobiology of the hippocampus is an advantage.

The appointment will be for 2 years initially (renewable for a 3rd year) 
starting 1 January 2008 or as soon as possible thereafter.  Salary is 
highly competitive and is in the range £33,779 to £42,791 p.a.  Further 
details may be obtained from Dr Máté Lengyel, Department of Engineering, 
Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, (Tel +36 1 224 8327, Fax +36 1 
224 8310, email lmate at gatsby.ucl.ac.uk), to whom a letter of 
application, a statement of research interests, and a CV (in pdf or 
plain text formats if possible) with the names and full contact details 
(including e-mail addresses) of three referees should be sent so as to 
reach him not later than 5 September 2007. Shortlisted applicants will 
be interviewed between 24 September-5 October, 2007.