Connectionists: PhD studentships in Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience, Edinburgh

[James A. Bednar]

UPDATE: Funding eligibility for EU citizens has been revised; see below!


2011-2012 applications for fully-funded PhD studentships at the
University of Edinburgh Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) in
Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience are now being
considered.  The DTC is a world-class centre for research at the
interface between neuroscience and the engineering, computational, and
physical sciences.

Our four-year programme is ideal for students with strong
computational and analytical skills who want to employ cutting-edge
methodology to advance research in neuroscience and related fields, or
to apply ideas from neuroscience to computational problems. The first
year consists of courses in neuroscience and informatics, as well as
lab projects. This is followed by a three-year PhD project done in
collaboration with one of the many departments and institutes
affiliated with the DTC.

Current DTC PhD topics fall into five main areas:

* Computational neuroscience: Using analytical and computational
  models, potentially supplemented with experiments, to gain
  quantitative understanding of the nervous system. Many projects
  focus on the development and function of sensory and motor systems
  in animals, including neural coding, learning, and memory.

* Biomedical imaging algorithms and tools: Using advanced data
  analysis techniques, such as machine learning and Bayesian
  approaches, for imaging-based diagnosis and research.

* Cognitive science: Studying human cognitive processes and analysing
  them in computational terms.

* Neuromorphic engineering: Using insights from neuroscience to help
  build better hardware, such as neuromorphic VLSI circuits and robots
  that perform robustly under natural conditions.

* Software systems and applications: Using discoveries from
  neuroscience to develop software that can handle real-world data,
  such as video, audio, or speech.


Other related areas of research may also be considered. Edinburgh has
a large, world-class research community in these areas and leads the
UK in creating a coherent programme in neuroinformatics and
computational neuroscience. Edinburgh has often been voted 'best place
to live in Britain', and has many exciting cultural and student
activities.

Students with a strong background in computer science, mathematics,
physics, or engineering are particularly encouraged to apply. Highly
motivated students with other backgrounds will also be considered.

15 full studentships (including stipend of 14,082-16,870 UK
pounds/year) are available to permanent UK residents or other EU 
citizens who have been residing in the UK for the past three years 
(e.g. for education); see the web site (below) for full details.
Other applicants can be accepted if they provide their own funding,
typically via a scholarship from their country of origin.

Further information and application forms can be obtained from:
http://www.anc.ed.ac.uk/dtc

For full consideration for entry in September 2011, the deadline for
complete applications is January 30th, 2011.



-- 
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
Scotland, with registration number SC005336.