Connectionists: [JOBS] Postdoc & PhD positions in neural network modeling of insect limb control - EPFL, Lausanne Switzerland

[Pavan Ramdya]

1. Postdoc position in neural network modeling of insect limb control
 
The Neuroengineering Laboratory (NeLy, https://ramdya-lab.epfl.ch/) in collaboration with  the Biorobotics laboratory (Biorob, http://biorob.epfl.ch/)  at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) has one open Postdoctoral position in the bioinspired motor control and robotics. The goal of the project is to design neural networks that can control a Drosophila melanogaster neuromechanical simulation for limbed behaviors including grooming and walking. This work will be in collaboration with individuals performing recordings of actual neural activity and behaviors in real flies. Our vision  is to apply what we learn from the real fly to develop more effective robotic limb control algorithms and simultaneously to use our fly simulation and neural network models to generate predictions that can be tested in the real fly. The position is fully funded  for 2 years (possibly up to 5 years).

EPFL is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers extremely competitive salaries and research infrastructure.

Requirements:
Candidates should have a Ph.D. and a strong publication record in computational neuroscience, robotics, or a related field. 
An ideal candidate would have prior experience in:
- neural network simulations
- programming of limb controllers and/or strong basic programming in Python and/or C
- Good communication and management skills are a plus. Fluency in oral and written English is required. 

How to apply for the position:
Postdoctoral applications should consist of a motivation letter (explaining why you are interested in the project, and why you feel qualified  for it), a full CV, two or three relevant publications, and the email addresses of two referees. PDF files are preferred. The files should be sent to pavan.ramdya at epfl.ch.

Deadline and starting date:
The starting date is April 1, 2018 (but flexible).  Applications are requested for January 20 2018, and will then be processed  as they arrive until the position is closed.

Contact:
 Information concerning the type of research carried out by the groups can be found at http://biorob.epfl.ch/  and https://ramdya-lab.epfl.ch/.  You should send your application and any inquiry by email to: Prof. Pavan Ramdya, pavan.ramdya at epfl.ch 

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2. PhD student position in neural network modeling of insect limb control
 
The Neuroengineering Laboratory (NeLy, https://ramdya-lab.epfl.ch/) in collaboration with the Biorobotics  laboratory (Biorob, http://biorob.epfl.ch/) at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland)  has one open Doctoral position in the bioinspired motor control and robotics. The goal of the project is to design neural networks that can control a Drosophila melanogaster neuromechanical simulation for limbed behaviors including grooming and walking. This work will be in collaboration with individuals performing recordings of actual neural activity and behaviors in real flies. Our vision  is to apply what we learn from the real fly to develop more effective robotic limb control algorithms and simultaneously to use our fly simulation and neural network models to generate predictions that can be tested in the real fly. The position is fully funded  for 2 years (possibly up to 5 years).

EPFL is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers extremely competitive salaries and research infrastructure.

Requirements:
Candidates need to have a Master degree in a field related to computational neuroscience and/or biomechanics, e.g. in physics, computer science, mechanical engineering or bioengineering. The ideal candidate for this position should have a strong math background  (e.g. in dynamical systems), good programming skills, and interest/expertise in modeling neural circuits and biomechanical systems, and in locomotion.
  How to apply for the position:Step 1: The position is only open to applicants who have been accepted by the EPFL doctoral school (see http://phd.epfl.ch/). The first step is therefore to fill the applications for one of the relevant EPFL doctoral programs in robotics (http://phd.epfl.ch/EDPR),  or neuroscience (http://phd.epfl.ch/neuroscience).

Step 2: In parallel to step 1, or once accepted by one of the doctoral programs (please specify which doctoral program and the date of acceptance), the application to the position should be sent by email to Prof. Pavan Ramdya and consist of a motivation  letter (explaining why you are interested in the project, and why you feel qualified for it) and a copy of the doctoral program application.

Informal inquiries about the relevance of an application can be sent to  pavan.ramdya at epfl.ch (e.g. before or while submitting an application to the doctoral school), but responses can be slow because of a heavy schedule and a filled mail box. 
  Deadline and starting date:Applications will be considered starting from Feb 15 2019, and then continuously until the position is filled. The starting date is September  2019. Note that the doctoral programs have different deadlines, e.g. January 15 2019 for robotics (EDRS), and May 1st 2019 for neuroscience (EDNE).

Contact:
 Information concerning the type of research carried out by the groups can be found at http://biorob.epfl.ch/  and https://ramdya-lab.epfl.ch/.  You should send your application and any inquiry by email to: Prof. Pavan Ramdya, pavan.ramdya at epfl.ch 

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Prof. Pavan Ramdya                                     Pavan.Ramdya at epfl.ch
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL)
AAB 105, Station 19                                     Telephone: +41 21 693 6960
CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland                  Assistant:   +41 21 693 0756

Director, Neuroengineering Laboratory         https://ramdya-lab.epfl.ch