Connectionists: Postdoctoral position in dendritic modelling, Poirazi lab, Crete

[Yiota Poirazi]

Can you please post this job opening in my lab to the list?


Thank you!


Yiota Poirazi

-----------------------------------------


1-2 Postdoctoral positions funded by the* ERC Starting Grant dEMORY
<http://www.demory.gr/>*will be available as of* October 1st 2015* (the
start date is flexible) at IMBB-FORTH <http://www.imbb.forth.gr/> in Crete,
in the lab of Dr. *Panayiota Poirazi*.  <http://www.dendrites.gr/>


*Indicative application deadline: September 25th, 2015 (applications will
be continuously screened until the positions are filled).*

·   Available for 2 years, with a *yearly *salary of 30,000-36,000 € (with
benefits), depending on experience and career stage.

·  *Requirements: *Expertise in computational neuroscience, preferably in
compartmental modeling and neural/dendritic computations.

*THE PROJECT: Dissecting the Role of Dendrites in Memory*

While memory is a function that has attracted the interest of the
scientific community for several years, little is known about the rules
underlying memory formation in the brain. Until recently, the single neuron
was considered the main processing unit of the brain and memories were
believed to be stored exclusively through plasticity modifications that
take place in the synapses, the connecting sites between neurons. Over the
last decade however, emerging evidence suggests that the neuron is no
longer the key processing unit of the brain. The dendrites of individual
neurons, which were thought as merely passive devices that allow neuronal
communication, are currently the no 1 candidate for this role. The goal of
this work is to characterize the role of dendrites in learning and memory
processes so as to formulate a unifying theory regarding their contribution
in memory formation across brain regions and abstraction levels.

This will be achieved via the development of computational models that
start at the single cell level and expand to the microcircuit and the
network level, while varying in their degree of biophysical detail. Models
will express a distinct memory function, specific to the region they belong
to: the hippocampus the prefrontal cortex or the amygdala. By manipulating
the biophysical, anatomical and plasticity properties of dendrites and
tracking the effect on memory, the project aims to infer the key rules by
which these thin structures shape mnemonic processes. These rules will then
form the basis for deducing theoretical abstractions of trainable neurons
with dendrites.

The project has been running since 2012 and has already produced a number
of outcomes which can be found at the following web sites:

*www.demory.gr* <http://www.demory.gr/>*, *

*www.dendrites.gr* <http://www.dendrites.gr/>


*IMBB-FORTH*

The Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas
<http://www.forth.gr/> (FORTH)
is one of the top European Research Centers. It has ranked 1st in terms of
high impact publications in Greece and 12th in the number of FP7 grants in
Europe. It should be noted that since the establishment of the ERC grant
scheme in 2007, a total of 39 awards have been made to scientists working
in Greek Institutions and 11 of them are located in Institutes of FORTH.

The Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
<http://www.imbb.forth.gr/> (IMBB) at FORTH is the top Biological Institute
in Greece, in terms of high quality personnel, publications, infrastructure
and competitive grants. IMBB-FORTH is located in Heraklion, one of the most
ancient and historical Greek cities, on the picturesque island of Crete.
Crete, the homeland of major artists, such as El Greco and Nikos
Kazantzakis, impressively combines the outstanding geophysical variety
(forests, mountains, gorges, and beaches) with its rich history of
thousands of years, resulting in the well-known Cretan culture and cuisine.



*THE POIRAZI LAB*

The Computational Biology Laboratory
<http://www.imbb.forth.gr/people/poirazi/> at IMBB-FORTH performs research
that is at the forefront of Computational Neuroscience. The work of Dr.
Poirazi led to several high impact publications, some of which have shaped
the field of dendritic computations. Her work received prestigious awards,
including the EMBO Young Investigator Award in 2005, 2 Marie Curie
Fellowships, a scientist-of-the year award in Greece in 2012, a European
Research Council (ERC) starting grant in 2012, a nomination by EMBO to
AcademiaNet—portal for outstanding female scientists in Europe (2013), and the
"Manolis Christofides" Young Cypriot Investigator award in 2014. She is
named Young Scientist of the World Economic Forum for its Annual Meeting of
the New Champions in 2014 and 2015. She is a member of the Young Academy of
Europe since 2015 and currently the Chair of the FENS-KAVLI Network of
Excellence <http://www.fens.org/Outreach/FENS-Kavli-Network-of-Excellence/>
whose
aim is to promote Neuroscience research and science policy in Europe and
beyond.


*TO APPLY:*

Candidates that match the required profile will be continuously interviewed
until the positions are filled. Candidates should send a *resume and two
(2) reference letters* to *poirazi[at]imbb.forth.gr <http://imbb.forth.gr/>*.
If possible, recommendations should be sent by the referees.



-- 
Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D.
Research Director
Computational Biology Laboratory
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB)
Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH)
Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385, GR 70013, Heraklion, Crete
GREECE
Tel: +30 2810 391139
Fax: +30 2810 391101
Εmail: poirazi at imbb.forth.gr
Lab site: www.dendrites.gr


Chair,
FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence
<http://www.fens.org/Outreach/FENS-Kavli-Network-of-Excellence/>
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