Connectionists: Phd/Postdoc position for research on brain-inspired AI and Machine Learning

[Wolfgang Maass]

We are looking for an outstanding and highly motivated Phd student or 
Postdoc to complement our team in the Faculty for Computer Science and 
Biomedical Engineering of Graz University of Technology, Austria  (Graz 
is actually a wonderful place to live).

We want to understand how essential components of brain-intelligence, 
such as the creation and use of semantic and episodic memories, one-shot 
learning, abstract reasoning, and the use of imagination for problem 
solving can be reproduced in models for neural networks of the brain 
(networks of spiking neurons).  As inspiration –and technical tools—we 
use current methods from Machine Learning and AI, such as Deep Learning 
and Learning-to-Learn, that have already drastically advanced our 
understanding of intelligence. This work will build on our recently 
developed methods, such as

    G. Bellec, F. Scherr, A. Subramoney, E. Hajek, D. Salaj, R. 
Legenstein, and W. Maass. A solution to the learning dilemma for 
recurrent networks of spiking neurons. Nature Communications, in press, 
2020. (draft https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/738385v4)

     F. Scherr, C. Stoeckl, and W. Maass. One-shot learning with spiking 
neural networks. bioRxiv, 2020. https://igi-web.tugraz.at/PDF/256.pdf

     C. Papadimitriou, S. Vempala, D. Mitropolsky, M. Collins, and W. 
Maass. Brain computation by assemblies of neurons. PNAS, in press, 2020. 
(draft
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/869156v2.full.pdf)

This position is funded by the Human Brain Project of the EU, which 
offers an exciting international and interdisciplinary research 
environment. Our team also collaborates with researchers in neuroscience 
and neuromorphic engineering in the US.

Requirements:
--strong mathematical background and analytical skills
--excellent programming and computing capabilities (mainly TensorFlow or 
Pytorch)
--a genuine urge to understand brain-intelligence
--knowledge and experience in Machine Learning

Please send your CV, grades, motivation letter, and links to pdf of your 
master thesis and other relevant preceding work to

charlotte.rumpf at tugraz.at

-- 
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Maass
Graz University of Technology, Austria
http://www.igi.tugraz.at/maass/Welcome.html