Connectionists: Postdoc Position: Modeling Language in the Human Brain Using Artificial Neural Networks

[Christopher Honey]

MODELING LANGUAGE IN THE HUMAN BRAIN USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS

A joint postdoctoral position is available in the labs of Christopher Honey
and Tal Linzen at Johns Hopkins University.  ( https://www.honeylab.org and
https://caplabjhu.org )

The goal of this project is to use state-of-the-art artificial neural
networks to understand the mechanisms and architectures that enable the
human brain to integrate linguistic information at the levels of syllables,
words and sentences. For this purpose, the project lead will have access to
high-fidelity intracranial recordings from the surface of the human brain,
as people process sentences and narratives. In parallel, this project is
expected to generate new computational models and analytic methods for
natural language processing (NLP), informed and constrained by human data.

Johns Hopkins is home to a large and vibrant community in neuroscience and
computational linguistics, and the training environment will span the
Departments of Cognitive Science, Psychological & Brain Sciences, and
Computer Science. The postdoctoral researcher will be affiliated with the
Center for Language and Speech Processing, one of the world’s largest
centers for computational linguistics (https://www.clsp.jhu.edu/).

For candidates who wish to collect new datasets, Hopkins provides a
top-notch neuroimaging center, including 3T and 7T scanners; new TMS and
EEG facilities housed in the PBS department; and access to human
intracranial experiments via neurology collaborators in Baltimore and
Toronto. The postdoctoral researcher will have access to a large number of
GPUs for training neural networks and other computational models through
the Maryland Advanced Research Computing Center.

The position is available immediately, though start date is somewhat
flexible. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The initial
appointment is for one year, with the opportunity for renewal thereafter.
We especially encourage applications from women and members of minorities
that are underrepresented in science.

*Qualifications*: Candidates should have (i) a PhD in a relevant field
(e.g., linguistics, cognitive science, neuroscience, physics, psychology,
mathematics, or computer science) by the start date; (ii) a publication
record that includes computational modeling and empirical data analysis.
The ideal candidate will have a combined background in computational
linguistics, machine learning and neuroscience.

*Application Instructions*: To apply, please email a cover letter
(including a brief summary of previous research accomplishments and future
plans), a current CV, and a relevant publication to
neural.language.modeling.jhu at gmail.com. In the CV or cover letter, please
include contact information for three references. For any questions, feel
free to email Chris Honey (chris.honey at jhu.edu) and Tal Linzen (
tal.linzen at jhu.edu).
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