Connectionists: Fully funded PhD Position Panzeri Lab- Computational approaches to study the neural code

Sun Apr 25 12:31:47 EDT 2021

*Fully funded PhD Position Panzeri Lab - Computational approaches to study
the neural code*

I am seeking candidates for a PhD position fully funded (including a full
stipend) for 4 years in my laboratory.

The PhD project can focus on any of the research topics about neural
information processing that are of interest to both the candidate and my
lab, including: developing mathematical analysis methods and neural network
models for studying large scale neural population coding during cognitive
tasks, for studying the neural bases of sensory perception and decision
making, for linking functional to anatomical connectivity with cellular
resolution at the neural population level, and for determining the best
theoretical framework to combine recording of neural activity (calcium
imaging, electrophysiology, EEG) and intervention on it (optogenetics, TMS).

My computational neuroscience lab has developed long-term collaboration
with many experimental laboratories including Christopher Harvey (Harvard
Medical School), Tobias Donner (UKE), Tommaso Fellin (IIT), Mathew Diamond
(SISSA), Alex Thiele (Newcastle), Cristina Becchio (IIT), Alessandro Gozzi
(IIT), Mike Lombardo (IIT) and others. The PhD project will likely involve
collaborations with one or more experimental lab.

The ideal candidate should have a strong background in numerate sciences,
and have a strong propensity for interdisciplinary research. No extensive
previous experience in neuroscience is needed. However, a keen interest in
understanding the brain is essential.

The deadline for the formal application is set to *May 21th 2021*, but
quite a bit of paperwork is needed. Thus, interested candidates are invited
to contact me informally by email (*stefano.panzeri at gmail.com
<stefano.panzeri at gmail.com>*) *as soon as possible,* by attaching their CV
and briefly explaining their interest in this position, to initiate
discussion about potential PhD projects of interest and to discuss the
details of the formal application process.

For recent representative publications please see:

Runyan, C.A., Piasini, E., Panzeri, S., and Harvey, C.D. (2017). Distinct
timescales of population coding across cortex. *Nature* 548, 92-96.

Panzeri S., Harvey, C.D.  Piasini, E., Latham, P.E. , Fellin, T. (2017)
Cracking the neural code for sensory perception by combining statistics,
intervention and behaviour. *Neuron* 93: 491-507

G. Pica, E. Piasini, H. Safaai, C.A. Runyan, M.E. Diamond, T. Fellin, C.
Kayser, C.D. Harvey, S. Panzeri, (2017) Quantifying how much sensory
information in a neural code is relevant for behavior, *Neural Information
Processing Systems* (NIPS) 30, 2017, available online

H. Safaai, A. Onken, C.D. Harvey, S. Panzeri (2018) Information estimation
using nonparametric copulas.  *Phys. Rev. E* 98, 053302

E. Chong, M. Moroni, S. Shoham, S. Panzeri, D. Rinberg (2020) Manipulating
synthetic optogenetic odors reveals the coding logic of olfactory
perception. *Science* 368, 1329.

S. Pashkovski, G. Iurilli, D. Brann, D. Chicharro, K. Drummey, K. Franks,
S. Panzeri, S.R. Datta (2020). Structure and flexibility in cortical
representations of odour space. *Nature*: 583: 253-258 doi:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2451-1

J-F Patri, A. Cavallo, K. Pullar, M. Soriano, M. Valente, A. Koul, A.
Avenanti, S. Panzeri*, C. Becchio* (2020) Transient disruption of the
inferior parietal lobule impairs the ability to attribute intention to
action. *Current Biology* 30: 4594-4605
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.104

S. Trakoshis, P. Martínez-Cañada, … A. Gozzi, S. Panzeri, and M.V. Lombardo
(2020) Intrinsic excitation-inhibition imbalance affects medial prefrontal
cortex differently in autistic men versus women. eLIFE  9: e55684.
doi.org/10.7554/eLife.55684

D. Ferro, J. van Kempen, M. Boyd, S. Panzeri*, A. Thiele* (2021) Directed
information exchange between cortical layers in macaque V1 and V4 and its
modulation by selective attention. *PNAS* 118 (12), e2022097118,
doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2022097118

Valente, A., Pica, G., Bondanelli, G., Moroni, M., Runyan, C.A., Morcos,
A., Harvey, C.D., and Panzeri, S. (2021). Correlations enhance the
behavioral readout of neural population activity in association cortex. *Nature
Neuroscience*, in press, early preprint available at:
https://t.co/QJ3aHlTFad

Stefano Panzeri
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