Fwd: [Comp-neuro] PhD position Italian Institute of Technology, Genova

Begin forwarded message:

From: Alberto Mazzoni <alb.mazzoni@gmail.com>
Date: August 24, 2011 8:43:40 AM
To: Comp-neuro@neuroinf.org,Panzeri Stefano <stefano.panzeri@iitit>,Mazzoni Alberto <alberto.mazzoni@iit.it>,connectionists@cs.cmu.edu
Subject: [Comp-neuro] PhD position Italian Institute of Technology, Genova

A PhD position in the field of computational neuroscience is available at the Robotics Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department of the Italian Institute of Technology in the group of prof. Stefano Panzeri.

Closing Date for applications is September 23rd 2011. Interested candidates are advised contact Stefano Panzeri (stefano.panzeri@iit.it) and/or Alberto Mazzoni (alberto.mazzoni@iit.it) for further information before submitting an application.

 

Call and details of the application procedure are available at the following link:

 

http://www.iit.it/en/resources/calls/unige.html  (Annex A4 - Theme 1.8)

 

Research theme:

 

Using neural network models of cortical dynamics to understand the cortical representation of sensory information.

 

Understanding how to extract information about external correlates form neural activity is central for the understanding of brain function and for development of Brain Machine Interfaces. Recent results suggest that the cerebral cortex encodes information about the external environment in the time domain, by encoding different parameters of the external word in different frequency ranges of neural activity (Panzeri et al, TINS 2010; Quian Quiroga and Panzeri, Nature Reviews Neurosci 2009). The candidate, building on previous work from the group (Mazzoni et al  PLoS Comput Biol 2009; Mazzoni et al Neuroimage 2010) will construct biophysically plausible models of cortical neural networks which capture the basic features of the functional organization of cortex. The candidate will then use these models to investigate how neural networks can encode simultaneously both the features defining the external correlates and the time variations of these features on time scales relevant for perception and behavior. The candidate should hold a degree in Physics, Mathematics, Engineering or Computer Science and have a keen interest in applying mathematical and numerical techniques to the study of brain function.

The research will be will be supervised by Drs Stefano Panzeri and Alberto Mazzoni, and will be performed within the Neural Computation group led by Stefano Panzeri at the Department of Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences of the Italian Institute of Technology. Research in the Neural Computation group aims at understanding the computations made by neurons to represent, process and exchange information. 

 

Selected Recent Relevant Publications

 

[1] Panzeri S, Brunel N, Logothetis NK, Kayser C (2010) Neural codes at multiple temporal scales in sensory cortex. Trends in Neuroscience 33: 111-120

[2] Mazzoni A, Whittingstall K, Brunel N, Logothetis NK, Panzeri S (2010) Understanding the relationships between spike rate and delta/gamma frequency bands of LFPs and EEGs using a local cortical network model. Neuroimage 52: 956–972

[3] Mazzoni A, Panzeri S, Logothetis NK, Brunel N (2008) Encoding of Naturalistic Stimuli by Local Field Potential Spectra in Networks of Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons. PLoS Comput. Biol. 4: e1000239

[4] Quian Quiroga R, Panzeri S (2009) Extracting information from neuronal populations: information theory and decoding approaches. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10: 173-185

Location: The IIT is located in Genova, Italy, a charming seaside mediterranean city right in the middle of the beautiful Italian Riviera, with a vibrant cultural life and with a much more affordable cost of living than many other european cities.

The PhD programme has a duration of 3 years. The position is supported by a PhD Studentship amounting to 16500 euros / year, and there are no tuition fees for the candidate admitted to the PhD programme. The PhD funding scheme provides successful candidates with all the means needed to perform the research, including funds for travel to conferences and collaborating European laboratories, and state of the art computing equipment.

 

 

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