[Comp-neuro] Postdoctoral positions open at the Circuit Dynamics and Computation Lab in the Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme in Lisbon, Portugal

Applications for highly motivated and enthusiastic individuals are sought for two postdoctoral position openings in the Circuit Dynamics and Computation laboratory led by Alfonso Renart at the Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, in Lisbon, Portugal. The lab is interested in identifying generic principles governing the dynamics of cortical circuits and the way in which they produce function

The work will take place in the context of a collaborative project "The mechanistic basis of working memory in prefrontal cortical circuits" funded by the Human Frontier Research Project which also involves the labs of Paul Chadderton (Imperial College London, London) and Sebastian Royer (Center for Functional Connectomics, Seoul, Korea). The overall goal of the project is to combine state of the art techniques for recording and manipulating neural activity during behavior and theoretical analysis, in order to establish the dynamical basis of memory traces holding information about external events. One of the positions will be for modeling/data-analysis and the other one for performing population recordings in awake-behaving mice.

The modeling/data-analysis position is targeted to the study of non-stationary memory traces. We would like to understand generic principles for producing time-varying patterns of activity in neuronal circuits, and to quantify the temporal evolution of activity from large populations of simultaneously recorded neurons. Experience in modeling of recurrent neural circuits and in machine learning techniques for extracting structure from high-dimensional data will be highly valued.

The experimental position is targeted to the recording and optical manipulation of population activity in the prefrontal cortex of awake behaving mice. Candidates with experience on in-vivo electrophysiology, ideally in awake behaving rodents, and/or optogenetics are encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should send applications (cover letter, CV and contact information of references) to alfonso.renart@neuro.fchampalimaud.org. Openings are available immediately and applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.

The Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme (CNP) aims at establishing links between nervous system function of behavior. Our scientific goals are represented by the full intellectual scope of the scientists of the program. The CNP aspires to help scientists to reach their full creative potential and to promote collective achievements beyond those reachable by individual scientists or laboratory groups through cooperation and exchange but without sacrificing independence and diversity of thought. The institute is located at the beautiful waterfront of Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon offers a sunny Atlantic-Mediterranean climate, affordable cost of living, and vibrant culture, with good public transportation, international schools and convenient housing options both within and outside the city center.

English is the official language of the institute.


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Alfonso Renart, PhD

Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown
Av. Brasília s/n (Doca de Pedrouços)
1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal
http://neuro.fchampalimaud.org/