Research Contracts in Computational Neuroscience and Neurorobotics

Research Contracts in Computational Neuroscience and Neurorobotics

The Applied Computational Neuroscience Group research group at the University of Granada (Spain), headed by Prof. Eduardo Ros, is looking for talented Master or PhD students interested in working in the field of computational neuroscience and neurorobotics, specifically addressing questions of motor learning and adaptation. The perfect candidate shall possess a strong mathematical, computational or robotic engineering background (or equivalent), with great interest in biological and neural systems. Demonstrated programming skills are mandatory.

Research topic

Experimental studies about the Central Nervous System (CNS) at all levels (sub cellular, cellular and at system level) are performed to obtain a better understanding of its anatomic structures and the physiological processes that the CNS seems to possess. However, due to technological limitations in experimental techniques, cracking the neural code remains elusive. Using mathematical and computational tools, it is possible to create computational models of the different neural subsystems within the CNS (cerebellum, basal ganglia, etc), which helps decipher the CNS neural code and the learning processes which take place. The candidates will be working to build those computational models of the different neural subsystems and apply their functionality to collaborative robots. They will have the opportunity to collaborate with research groups along EU thanks to the framework provided by the EU flagship Human Brain Project.

The Lab

The ACN group is young and dynamic, and publishes in prestigious journals, such as IEEE Trans. on Neural Network, IEEE Trans on Cybernetics and Plos Computational Biology. It is part of the Computer Architecture and Technology Department which conducts state-of-the-art multidisciplinary research in computational neuroscience, machine learning and AI. The lab is at University of Granada (UGR) and develops and uses computational tools to gain understanding on the processing of neural information at the central nervous system. UGR is 2nd ranked university in Spain, and is located in the city centre of Granada.

How to apply

Candidates should send a single pdf file containing a motivation letter, a full CV, and names and contact information of at least two referees, to nluque at ugr dot es and jesusgarrido at ugr dot es. Short listed candidates will be contacted for an interview (either face-to-face or via videoconference). The positions will be open until filled.

Requirements

Applicants should have a strong quantitative background (physics, engineering, computer science, applied mathematics), and a keen interest in reverse-engineering the brain. Demonstrated programming skills (Matlab, C/C++, Python) are required. Knowledge on computational modelling software (BRIAN, NEURON, NEST,etc ) are a plus although not mandatory. Robotics control middleware (ROS) is highly valuable. Proficiency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of Spanish is not mandatory. Successful candidates are expected to work in an interdisciplinary environment with collaborations within EU projects.

What do we offer?

The successful candidate will join our young, international and multidisciplinary ACN research group at the CITIC-UGR (in Granada, Spain), a top-ranked research centre. He/she will obtain a one-year research contract, extendable for additional 18 months with the opportunity of completing a PhD thesis in computational neuroscience at the University of Granada.