Connectionists: postdoc in computational neuroscience

[Máté Lengyel]

Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Neuroscience
University of Cambridge

We are seeking a highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow (research associate or senior research associate) to work in the group of Máté Lengyel (http://learning.eng.cam.ac.uk/Public/Lengyel/) at the Computational and Biological Learning Lab, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge to work on circuit- and systems-level of memory, in particular the interaction between recollective and familiarity-based forms of recognition memory. 

The project involves collaboration with Peter Dayan (Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL), and also Richard Henson (MRC Cognition and Brain Unit, Cambridge) providing direct access to relevant behavioural and imaging data. More broadly, the group studies learning and memory from computational, algorithmic/representational and neurobiological viewpoints. Computationally and algorithmically, we use ideas from Bayesian approaches to statistical inference and reinforcement learning to characterize the goals and mechanisms of learning in terms of normative principles and behavioral results. We also perform dynamical systems analyses of reduced biophysical models to understand the mapping of these mechanisms into cellular and network models. We collaborate very closely with experimental neuroscience groups, doing in vitro intracellular recordings, multi-unit recordings in behaving animals, human psychophysical, and fMRI experiments.

The successful candidate will have a strong analytical background and demonstrable interest in theoretical neuroscience. They should have or be close to completion of a PhD or equivalent in computational neuroscience, physics, mathematics, computer science, machine learning or a related field. Previous experience in computational neuroscience is not required, but preference will be given to candidates with sufficient programming skills to run numerical simulations, or expertise with neural network models, analysis of dynamical systems, and Bayesian techniques.

The position is funded for several years, with an initial one-year appointment and an expectation of extension to at least two years given satisfactory performance.  Salary depends on experience and is in the range £28,695 - £48,743 p.a.

Further information:
http://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/7261/
http://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/7176/

For informal queries, please contact Mate Lengyel <m.lengyel at eng.cam.ac.uk>.

Mate Lengyel
-- 
Mate Lengyel, PhD
Computational and Biological Learning Lab
Cambridge University Engineering Department
Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
tel: +44 (0)1223 748 532, fax:  +44 (0)1223 765 587
email: m.lengyel at eng.cam.ac.uk
web: www.eng.cam.ac.uk/~m.lengyel