Connectionists: Postdoc position: modelling brain development

[Geoffrey Goodhill]

Dear Connectionists,

A postdoc position is available from September 1st 2008 as part of a
recently funded HFSP grant entitled " Self-Organized Wiring of the
Cerebral Cortex through Thalamocortical Growth Cones: An Integrated
Approach". This position is in the laboratory of Associate Professor
Geoffrey Goodhill (http://cns.qbi.uq.edu.au) at the Queensland Brain
Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

The grant is a collaboration with Guillemina Lopez-Bendito (Alicante,
Spain), Ole Paulsen (Oxford, UK), and Tomomi Shimogori (RIKEN, Japan).
The role of this postdoc is to model data regarding how thalamic axons
find and instruct cortical targets. Applicants should have a track
record of successful mathematical modelling in a biological context,
and a keen interest in engaging with detailed neuroscientific data on
brain development. Some background information can be found in the
following two recent review papers (see cns.qbi.uq.edu.au/pubs.html):

Goodhill, G.J. (2007). Contributions of theoretical modelling to the
understanding of neural map development. Neuron, 56, 301-311

Mortimer, D. et al (2008). Growth Cone Chemotaxis. Trends in
Neurosciences, 31, 90-98.

The Queensland Brain Institute (http://qbi.uq.edu.au) is based in a
new state-of-the-art facility and houses 24 Principal Investigators
with research interests ranging from the molecular to cognitive
level. It is one of the largest neuroscience institutes in the world
dedicated to understanding the mechanisms underlying brain function,
and is supported by substantial funding from State, Federal and
philanthropic sources. Brisbane is a cosmopolitan coastal city of 2
million people providing a vibrant cultural environment, a subtropical
climate, and easy access to world-class beaches, rainforests, and the
Great Barrier Reef.

To apply please send a CV, cover letter and contact information for at
least 3 referees to Dr Geoff Goodhill (g.goodhill at uq.edu.au). The
current starting salary for postdocs at the University of Queensland
is about AU$60,000, currently equivalent to about US$59,000.