Connectionists: Postdoctoral Position in Theoretical Neuroscience at CNCR, Amsterdam

[Arjen van Ooyen]

Applications are invited for a 3-year postdoctoral research position in 
the Neuroinformatics Group of the Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive 
Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The position is funded by 
a grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), 
Exact Sciences (EW).

The project, which is a collaboration between CNCR and the Vision and 
Cognition Group of the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), 
will investigate a novel, biologically inspired learning algorithm 
called attention-gated reinforcement learning (AGREL; Roelfsema and Van 
Ooyen, Neural Computation 17 (2005): 2176-2214). The computational power 
of the new learning scheme derives from two factors known to influence 
synaptic plasticity: a global reward-related signal and an attentional 
signal that is fed back from the network’s output layer to earlier 
processing levels. For simple deterministic categorization tasks, we 
have previously shown that AGREL is both biologically plausible and as 
powerful as the widely used but biologically implausible 
error-backpropagation algorithm for training artificial neural networks. 
The present project will explore whether AGREL can serve as a general 
learning algorithm in complex input-output mappings, regression tasks, 
and delayed and sequential decision tasks.

Applicants should have a PhD degree, a strong background in machine 
learning, neural networks or computational neuroscience, excellent 
computer skills, and a good command of written and spoken English. A 
good general knowledge of neuroscience would be an advantage. For 
further information about this position, please contact Dr. Arjen van 
Ooyen (CNCR), arjen.van.ooyen at falw.vu.nl, or Prof. Dr. Roelfsema (NIN), 
p.roelfsema at nin.knaw.nl. Application letters including a CV, research 
experience, a short statement of research interests, and contact details 
of two referees should be sent by email to Dr. Arjen van Ooyen.



Dr. Arjen van Ooyen
Department of Experimental Neurophysiology
Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
De Boelelaan 1085
1081 HV Amsterdam
The Netherlands

E-mail: arjen.van.ooyen at falw.vu.nl
Phone:  +31.20.5987090
Fax:    +31.20.5987112
Room:   C454
Web:    http://www.bio.vu.nl/enf/vanooyen