Connectionists: Postdoc Position: Computational Neuroethology / Insect Vision

[Jens Peter Lindemann]

Bielefeld University
Department of Neurobiology &
Cluster of Excellence ‘Cognitive Interaction technology’ (CITEC)


                        Postdoc Position
         in the field of Computational Neuroethology of
          Visually Guided Insect Orientation Behaviour
           (A13, 2x3 years depending on performance)


It is the overarching goal of to the Neurobiology group at Bielefeld
University to strive to understand how biological systems integrate
perception with action. We focus – with behavioural, neural and
modelling approaches - on the context of visual orientation, visual
pursuit, spatial learning and navigation and seek to abstract principles
that allow artificial systems to move, orient and navigate autonomously
and intelligently.


What do we expect?
------------------

We are seeking a highly-motivated candidate who meshes synergistically
with the research profile of the group and strives for understanding
the computational mechanisms underlying visually guided behaviour of
insects (preferably blowflies or bumblebees). Quantitative behavioural,
electrophysiological and/or modelling approaches targeting the neural
mechanisms underlying behavioural control define the field of activity.

You are expected to have a PhD and first-hand experience with at least
one of the mentioned approaches proven by high-quality publications.
While conducting your own research project you should also be dedicated
to cooperate and interact with other researchers in the group working
with complementary approaches and to actively contribute ideas and
expertise. You are an ideal candidate if you are experienced in doing
experimental and/or modelling analyses on insects. Moreover, knowledge
in advanced techniques in data analysis, programming experience
(preferably Matlab) as well as excellent writing skills are essential.
However, even if you match this profile only in parts, you are
encouraged to apply - given you are prepared to develop with great
enthusiasm new skills, learn new techniques and are eager to contribute
interesting research results to the overall research field of the group.

Apart from doing excellent research you are expected to teach with great
commitment (four hours per week) in BSc programmes as well as in the
international MSc programme ‘Behaviour: From Neural Mechanisms to
Evolution’. Since our BSc programmes are taught in German, candidates
not yet sufficiently proficient in German are expected to acquire
sufficient language proficiency within two years to teach independently
in the BSc programmes.

The successful candidate is also expected to contribute significantly to
applications for third-party research funds.


What do we offer?
-----------------

We offer a position in an enthusiastic research team working in a
stimulating environment with excellent facilities for laboratory work as
well as computational analyses (e.g. high-speed video techniques,
virtual reality arenas for behavioural and neurophysiological
experiments, and innovative approaches to data analysis). The
Neurobiology group is cooperating with other groups in the Faculty of
Biology as well as at the Center of Cognitive Interaction Technology
(CITEC) in Bielefeld, but also internationally.


Where to apply?
---------------

For further inquiries about the position, please contact:
Prof. Dr. Martin Egelhaaf, Neurobiology & CITEC, Bielefeld University
martin.egelhaaf at uni-bielefeld.de

Please send your application including a letter
  - outlining your academic education and past research,
  - your motivation for this position and your specific experience
   (max. 2 pages),
  - CV,
  - list of publications and
  - contact details of 2-3 referees
in a single (!) PDF file to

   Prof. Dr. Martin Egelhaaf
   Neurobiology & CITEC
   Bielefeld University
   neurobiologie at uni-bielefeld.de

Applications will be considered until the position is filled.


What are the research goals of our group?
-----------------------------------------

Insects, such as blowflies or bumblebees (our current experimental
animals), manage to solve complex spatial tasks: Flying insects, in
general, avoid collisions with obstacles, and are able to detect
appropriate landing sites and to approach them. Blowflies, for instance,
perform highly virtuosic pursuit maneuvers of conspecifics in the
context of mating behaviour. Bumblebees navigate to goals, such as their
nest or a feeding site, over even large distances by using spatial
landmark information that is perceived, learnt, and subsequently
retrieved for finding the goal. With their miniature brains insects
outperform man-made autonomous systems in these tasks at least with
respect to computational expenditure and energy efficiency.
Our research is based on the assumption that the brains of insects
acquire the relevant spatial information about the environment by means
of their visual system. Distances to objects can be computed from the
movement of the objects’ images across the eyes (‘optic flow’). Any
nearby object appears to move much faster than distant ones if the
animal translates, e.g. moves on a straight course. Given the small
number of nerve cells in insect brains and their limited reliability,
extracting such information needs to rely on extremely efficient
mechanisms. As a consequence of millions of years of evolution, these
mechanisms are tightly linked to the sophisticated locomotion and gaze
strategies of insects.

We want to elucidate the computational principles, down to the level of
neurons and neural networks, that generate and control visually guided
behaviour in complex cluttered environments. In addition to experimental
analyses with a wide range of methods, we also employ modelling
approaches to derive formalised descriptions of the computational
mechanisms in the insect’s brain. As a group affiliated with the Centre
of Excellence 'Cognitive Interaction Technology' (CITEC), we cooperate
with other CITEC colleagues in the field of computer science to
incorporate the smart computational principles of biological visual
systems into artificial systems, bringing them closer to the performance
of their biological counterpart.

For further information about our research profile have a look at our
web site at http://web.biologie.uni-bielefeld.de/neurobiology.