Connectionists: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Computational Neuroscience: Leeds, United Kingdom

[Netta Cohen]

Dear all,

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position for
modelling the neural control of behaviour in the Cohen group at the
University of Leeds, UK. This appointment is available immediately, for a
period of two years in the first instance. The post is part of a larger
multidisciplinary funded project to study sensory motor control in a
relatively simple animal (the nematode worm C. elegans). You will join a
dynamic research group based across the School of Computing and an
experimental C. elegans lab based in the Faculty of Biological Sciences.
Projects will involve creating biologically detailed and data-driven
models of neuronal circuits and integrated neuromechanical control in
order to study the dynamics of locomotion and adaptive sensory motor
behaviours in C. elegans. Scope exists for working closely with
experimentalists within the team, for scientific collaborations with other
C. elegans labs, and/or for combining experiment and theory within the
scope of the project. Topics include the biomechanics and neural control
of undulations, the control of steering and turning, and adaptive
sensory-motor control. Scope also exists for collaborating closely or
contributing directly to biorobotic designs, simulations and physical
implementations. More details about our research can be found on
http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/celegans/ and in our publications.

We are looking for candidates with a PhD in physics, engineering, computer
science, mathematics or a related discipline. You should have strong
analytical and/or computational and numerical skills, and an excellent
track record of publications. A background in computational neuroscience,
quantitative models of biological systems, and/or in C. elegans
neurobiology is a plus. Excellent communication skills, both oral and
written, are essential. International applications are welcome. Prior
experience in working on C. elegans is not required.

Please see https://jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=ENGCP0052 for the 
full advert and applications instuctions. Note the reference number
ENGCP0052.

Informal enquires to Netta Cohen (email N.Cohen at leeds.ac.uk).

Closing Date: 7 September 2014.



Selected relevant publications:

Nematode locomotion: dissecting the neuronal-environmental loop, Cohen, N. 
and Sanders T., Current Opinion in Neurobiology 25 (Apr) 99-106, doi: 
10.1016/j.conb.2013.12.003 (2014).

Gait modulation in C. elegans: an integrated neuromechanical model, Boyle, 
J. H., Berri, S. and Cohen, N., Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience 6 
(10) doi: 10.3389/fncom.2012.00010 (2012).

Swimming at low Reynolds number: a beginner's guide to undulatory 
locomotion, Cohen, N. and Boyle, J. H. Contemporary Physics 51, 103-123 
(2010).

Forward locomotion of the nematode C. elegans is achieved through 
modulation of a single gait, Berri, S., Boyle, J.H., Tassieri, M, Hope, 
I.A. and Cohen, N., HFSP Journal 3, 186-193 (2009).



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Netta Cohen
Professor of Complex Systems
Institute of Aritifial Intelligence and Biological Systems
School of Computing
University of Leeds
Leeds, LS2 9JT
United Kingdom
Email: N.Cohen at leeds.ac.uk
www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/netta/