The Neuroscience Department of the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA; https://www.sissa.it/research/neuroscience) invites expressions of interest from scientists from various fields of Neuroscience for multiple tenure-track positions with anticipated start in 2025. Ongoing neuroscience research at SISSA includes cognitive neuroscience, computational and theoretical neuroscience, systems neuroscience, molecular and cellular research as well as genomics and genetics. The Department intends to potentiate its activities in these fields and to strengthen cross-field interactions. Expressions of interest from scientists in any of these fields are welcome. The working and teaching language of SISSA is English. This is an equal opportunity career initiative and we encourage applications from qualified women, racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities.
Candidates should have a PhD in a relevant field and a proven record of research achievements. A clear potential to promote and lead research activities, and a specific interest in training and supervising PhD students is essential. Interested colleagues should present an original and innovative plan for their independent future research. We encourage both proposals within existing fields at SISSA as well as novel ideas outside of those or spanning various topics and methodologies of Neuroscience.
SISSA is an international school promoting basic and applied research in Neuroscience, Mathematics and Physics and dedicated to the training of PhD students. Lab space and other resources will be commensurate with the appointment. Shared facilities include cell culture rooms, viral vector facilities, confocal microscopes, animal facilities, molecular and biochemical facilities, human cognition labs with EEG, TMS, and eye tracking systems, mechatronics workshop, and computing facilities. Agreements with national and international MRI scanning facilities are also in place. SISSA encourages fruitful exchanges between neuroscientists and other researchers including data scientists, physicists and mathematicians.
Interested colleagues are invited to send a single pdf file including a full CV, a brief description of past and future research interests (up to 1,000 words), and the names of three referees to neuro.search@sissa.it. Selected candidates will be invited for an online or in-person seminar and 1- on-1 meetings in summer/autumn 2024.
Deadline: A first evaluation round will consider all applications submitted before 15 May 2024. Later applications might be considered if no suitable candidates have been identified yet.
Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering - Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee
Vanderbilt University School of Engineering invites nominations and applications for the Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) position. ME Department seeks a visionary leader and team builder who will further enhance the department’s position as a global leader in ME education and research. Reporting to the Dean of Engineering, the incoming chair is expected to build upon the department’s internationally recognized programs and lead the ME program to greater distinction and impact.
Housed in the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering (VUSE), the Department of Mechanical Engineering is accredited by ABET, the Engineering Accreditation Commission, and is highly respected nationally. The ME department is home to 23 primary faculty (16 tenured/tenure track) and graduates 50-70 undergraduates annually. The department has 60-70 PhD students in its program and conducts research supported by approximately $8M of annual research expenditures. The department is recognized for its strong research excellence in surgical robotics and rehabilitation engineering, nanophotonics, nanoscale energy transport, biomaterials and biomedical microdevices, flow-structure interactions, combustion diagnosis, and additive manufacturing. The departmental faculty plays critical roles in several research centers, including the Vanderbilt Institute of Surgery and Engineering (VISE), Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE), the FRIST Center for Autism and Innovation, and the newly established Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy, and Climate (VSEC). The department has also developed extensive collaborative research programs including those with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
We seek a leader who will move the department forward with a strong record of mentorship, community building, and support of others. The ideal candidate exhibits outstanding scholarship and a collegial, transparent, collaborative yet decisive, and empowering leadership style. The potential candidate must be an innovative, inclusive, and forward-looking leader with significant recognition for high-impact scholarship, a strong commitment to interdisciplinary research and education, and must have comprehensive leadership acumen in mentoring faculty, staff, and students. The department chair must effectively communicate the department’s goals and vision internally, across departments, with the dean and university leadership, and with external stakeholders, including alumni and donors. Candidates must also bring a nationally and internationally recognized and well-funded research program that will strengthen one or more of the areas of research excellence in the university. Ultimately, the department chair must be committed to Vanderbilt University’s mission to bring out the best in humanity by pushing new ideas into the frontiers of discovery and working diligently to serve others.
Applications should include (i) a cover letter highlighting the vision and leadership experience of the candidate, (ii) a complete curriculum vitae, (iii) a statement of research, (iv) a statement of teaching, and (v) a minimum of three references. Application materials are to be submitted online at http://apply.interfolio.com/143969. Applications will be reviewed as they are received; those received by July 1, 2024, will be given full consideration.
Ranked #18 nationally according to the U.S. News and World Report, Vanderbilt University is a private, internationally recognized research university located on 330 park-like acres 1.5 miles from downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Its ten distinct schools share a single cohesive campus that values collaboration. The University enrolls over 13,700 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, including 38% students of color and over 1,700 international students.
With over two million metro population, Nashville’s top employers include trade, transportation, and utilities; education and health services; professional and business services; government; and leisure and hospitality. Other industries include manufacturing, financial activities, construction, and information. Long known as a hub for health care and music, Nashville is a technology center with a considerable pool of health care, AI, and defense-related jobs available. In recent years, the city has experienced an influx of major office openings by some of the largest global tech companies and prime Silicon Valley startups.
At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of everyone's rich backgrounds and abilities. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.
Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.
The Research Training Group 2853 “Neuroexplicit Models of Language, Vision, and Action” is looking for 12 PhD Students - Fall 2025. Neuroexplicit models combine neural and human-interpretable (“explicit”) models in order to overcome the limitations that each model class has separately. They include neurosymbolic models, which combine neural and symbolic models, but also e.g. combinations of neural and physics-based models. In the RTG, we will improve the state of the art in natural language processing (“Language”), computer vision (“Vision”), and planning and reinforcement learning (“Action”). We also develop novel machine learning techniques for neuroexplicit models (“Foundations”). Our overarching aim is to contribute to a better understanding of the cross-cutting design principles of effective neuroexplicit models through interdisciplinary collaboration. The RTG is scheduled to grow to a total of 24 PhD students by 2025. An excellent and international group of twelve PhD students and one postdoc have already joined the RTG. Through the inclusion of ~20 associated PhD students and postdocs funded from other sources, it will be one of the largest research centers on neuroexplicit or neurosymbolic models in the world. The RTG brings together researchers at Saarland University, the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). All of these institutions are collocated on the same campus in Saarbrücken, Germany. The positions will be funded for four years at the TV-L E13 100% pay scale. They are intended to start in September 2025, but could start a little earlier or later depending on the student’s availability.
The Gatsby Unit invites applications for a postdoctoral training fellowship under Dr Agostina Palmigiano, focussed on developing theoretical approaches to investigate the mechanisms underlying sensory, motor or cognitivecomputations.
You will be responsible for the primary execution of the project (with opportunities for co-supervision of students), presentation of results at conferences and seminars, and publication in suitable media.
This post is initially funded for 2 years with the possibility of a one-year extension at the end of the period. For detailed information on the role and how to apply, please visit www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/vacancies under 'Research Fellow (Palmigiano group)'. Agostina will also be at COSYNE 2024 between 29 February and 5 March. Please get in touch to set up informal chats with her if interested!
This position will focus on the neural mechanisms underlying action learning in mice. Scientifically the project aims to understand the neural circuits, activities and behavioral dynamics behind how animals learn what actions to take for reward. Dopaminergic systems and associated circuitries will be the focus of investigation. This lab integrates wireless inertial sensors, closed loop algorithms, optogenetics and neural recording to pursue this goal.
Up to 6 PhD positions in Cognitive Neuroscience are available at SISSA, Trieste, starting October 2024.
SISSA is an elite postgraduate research institution for Maths, Physics and Neuroscience, located in Trieste, Italy. SISSA operates in English, and its faculty and student community is diverse and strongly international. The Cognitive Neuroscience group (https://phdcns.sissa.it/) hosts 7 research labs that study the neuronal bases of time and magnitude processing, visual perception, motivation and intelligence, language and reading, tactile perception and learning, and neural computation. Our research is highly interdisciplinary; our approaches include behavioural, psychophysics, and neurophysiological experiments with humans and animals, as well as computational, statistical and mathematical models. Students from a broad range of backgrounds (physics, maths, medicine, psychology, biology) are encouraged to apply. This year, one of the PhD scholarships is set aside for joint PhD projects across PhD programs within the Neuroscience department (https://www.sissa.it/research/neuroscience).
The selection procedure is now open. The application deadline is 28 March 2024. To learn how to apply, please visit https://phdcns.sissa.it/admission-procedure .
Please contact the PhD Coordinator Mathew Diamond (diamond@sissa.it) and/or your prospective supervisor for more information and informal inquiries.
Flatiron Research Fellow (Postdoctoral Fellow), NeuroAI and Geometric Data Analysis
Description
Applications are invited for Flatiron Research Fellowships (FRF) in the NeuroAI and Geometric Data Analysis Group (SueYeon Chung, PI) at the Center for Computational Neuroscience at the Flatiron Institute of the Simons Foundation, whose focus is on understanding computation in the brain and artificial neural networks by: (1) analyzing geometries underlying neural or feature representations, embedding and transferring information, and (2) developing neural network models and learning rules guided by neuroscience. To do this, the group utilizes analytical methods from statistical physics, machine learning theory, and high-dimensional statistics and geometry.The CCN FRF program offers the opportunity for postdoctoral research in areas that have strong synergy with one or more of the existing research groups at CCN or other centers at the Flatiron Institute. In addition to carrying out an independent research program, Flatiron Research Fellows are expected to: disseminate their results through scientific presentations, publications, and software release, collaborate with other members of the CCN or Flatiron Institute, and participate in the scientific life of the CCN and Flatiron Institute by attending seminars, colloquia, and group meetings. Flatiron Research Fellows may have the opportunity to organize workshops and to mentor graduate and undergraduate students.
The mission of CCN is to develop theories, models, and computational methods that deepen our knowledge of brain function — both in health and in disease. CCN takes a “systems" neuroscience approach, building models that are motivated by fundamental principles, that are constrained by properties of neural circuits and responses, and that provide insights into perception, cognition and behavior. This cross-disciplinary approach not only leads to the design of new model-driven scientific experiments, but also encapsulates current functional descriptions of the brain that can spur the development of new engineered computational systems, especially in the realm of machine learning. CCN’s current research groups include computational vision (Eero Simoncelli, PI), neural circuits and algorithms (Dmitri ‘Mitya’ Chklovskii, PI), neuroAI and geometric data analysis (SueYeon Chung, PI), and statistical analysis of neural data (Alex Williams, PI), and is planning to expand the number of research groups in the near term. Interested candidates should review the CCN public website for specific information on CCN’s research areas. Applicants who are interested in a joint appointment between two CCN research groups should submit the same application to both groups, noting the dual application in their research statement. Please note that Alex William’s statistical analysis of neural data group is not recruiting at CCN in 2023.
FRF positions are two-year appointments and are generally renewed for a third year, contingent on performance. FRF receive a research budget and have access to the Flatiron Institute’s powerful scientific computing resources. FRF may be eligible for subsidized housing within walking distance of the CCN.
Review of applications for positions starting between July and October 2024 will begin in November 2023.
For more information about life at the Flatiron Institute, visit https://www.simonsfoundation.org/flatiron/careers.
We offer a postdoctoral researcher position within the Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. The position is funded by an NWO Vidi project named “mechanistic machine learning: combining the explanatory power of dynamic models with the predictive power of machine learning“. Systems of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) gained a tremendous amount of interest in recent years, demonstrating great performance for a wide variety of tasks, but typically only if they are trained on huge amounts of data. Moreover, frequently no insight into the decision making is available or required. Experts desire to know how their data can inform them about the natural processes being measured. Therefore we develop transparent and interpretable model- and data-driven hybrid methods that are demonstrated for applications in medicine and engineering. As a postdoc, you will work together with Kerstin Bunte and her team within the Intelligent Systems group, as well as a network of interdisciplinary collaborators in the UK and Europe from various fields, such as Computer Science, Engineering and Applied Mathematics.
The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the Universities of Stuttgart and Tübingen collaborate to offer an interdisciplinary doctoral program, the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS). This doctoral program will accept its ninth generation of Ph.D. students in spring of 2024. This school is a key element of Baden-Württemberg’s Cyber Valley initiative to accelerate basic research and commercial development in artificial intelligence and robotics. We seek students who want to earn a doctorate while contributing to world-leading research in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Biomedical Technology, Computational Cognitive Science, Computer Vision and Graphics, Control Systems and Optimization, Data Science & Visualization, Haptics and Human-Computer Interaction, Machine Learning, Micro- and Nano-Robotics, Natural Language Processing, Neuroscience, Perceptual Inference, Robotics and Human-Robot Interaction, Soft Robotics and Materials. Admitted students can join our program starting in spring of 2025. You will be mentored by our internationally renowned faculty. You will register as a university doctoral student and conduct research. IMPRS-IS offers a wide variety of scientific seminars, workshops, and social activities. All aspects of our program are in English. Your doctoral degree will be conferred when you successfully complete your doctoral project. Our dedicated staff members will assist you throughout your time as a doctoral student.
The VIB Center for AI & Computational Biology (VIB.AI) and KU Leuven are searching for three Principal Investigators to join their faculty (Group Leader at VIB, Professor at KU Leuven). We are particularly interested in recruiting faculty members who use and develop artificial intelligence methods and mechanistic mathematical models to address fundamental questions in biology.
We welcome applications across all domains of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and associated fields. Examples of research topics include but are not limited to: development of new AI architectures for biology and hybrid models that combine deep learning with mechanistic models; foundation models of genome regulation using single-cell and spatial multi-omics data; AI-based modeling of protein structure and protein interaction networks; AI-based modeling of cell morphology and tissue function using imaging and computer vision; AI models of disease and digital twin applications. Biological applications are broad: microorganisms, plant biology, biodiversity and ecology, neuroscience, cancer, and immunology. We also welcome applicants with applied projects, including synthetic biology, AI-driven experiments (experiment-in-the-loop), and bio-engineering.
This position comes with full salary and core funding (internationally competitive package) that is renewable for multiple additional 5-year periods, and access to state-of-the-art research and top-notch support core facilities, as well as support to attract talented PhD students and postdocs from across the world.
Assignment
Research. As a VIB Group Leader and KU Leuven Professor, you will be expected to (continue to) build your research program with your own independent research group, and to set up or consolidate a strong network with other researchers within VIB, KU Leuven and beyond. You strive for excellence in your research and thereby contribute to the scientific development of the new VIB.AI center.
Teaching. The candidate will be appointed at the Faculty of Medicine or the Faculty of Engineering Science, and will take up teaching assignments (in English or in Dutch) in either of these faculties. You ensure high-quality education, with a clear commitment to the quality of the program as a whole. You also contribute to the pedagogic project of the university through the supervision of MSc theses and as a promoter of PhD students.
Service. You provide scientific, societal and internal services that contribute to the reputation of the entire VIB and university.
Your profile
-PhD or equivalent experience in machine learning or a related quantitative field (Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Statistics, Mathematics, Physics, Computational Biology/Chemistry).
-Candidates will be considered at junior or more senior levels assuming relevant experience in foundational machine learning research and/or applied machine learning in an academic and/or industrial setting (post-doctoral).
-Excellent machine learning and programming experience.
-Published impactful research, demonstrates creativity, originality and addresses relevant problems in biology & computational research.
-Demonstrated ability to acquire competitive funding.
-Interdisciplinary mindset and keen on collaborating broadly in the center, the department and the university.
-Motivated to guide postdoctoral researchers, PhD interns, and full-time scientists.
-International working experience.
-You have a thorough knowledge of spoken and written English.
-The official administrative language used at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or do not speak it well) at the start of employment, KU Leuven will provide language training to enable you to take part in meetings. Before teaching courses in Dutch or English, you will be given the opportunity to learn Dutch resp. English to the required standard.
We offer
-Substantial core research funding that is renewable every 5 years.
-An attractive employment package including 100% of your salary and excellent health benefits.
-Access to a vibrant academic environment that encourages collaboration with top experts in biology, computational biology, engineering and computer science both at VIB and KUL.
-Access to a highly talented pool of students in biology, computational biology, engineering and computer science from the KUL bachelor and master programs.
-New open-design state-of-the-art research space.
-Access to computing cluster infrastructure at the VIB Data Core and Flemish Supercomputer Center.
-Access to excellent and staffed core facilities at the Center, at VIB, and at KU Leuven (including sequencing, proteomics, single-cell, microscopy, data core, and many more).
-Possibility to also perform wet lab activities in state-of-the-art infrastructure.
-Broad administrative support, including help recruiting technicians, PhD students and post-doc scientists for your group.
-Access to dedicated business development team specialized in technology transfer and valorization.
-Professional leadership training.
-An internationally recognized workplace that values diversity, promotes an inclusive environment.
-Help with relocation and establishing a life in Belgium, including visa application (if necessary), and finding housing, schooling and daycare.
-The successful candidate should also be selected for Professor at KU Leuven.
About the VIB Center for AI and Computational Biology
VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) is an entrepreneurial non-profit research institute, with a clear focus on ground-breaking strategic basic research in life sciences and operates in close partnership with the five universities in Flanders. VIB strives for a respectful and supportive working environment and a culture of belonging for diverse talents in the organization.
VIB.AI was established in 2023 as the 10th VIB center, with the core mission to study fundamental problems in biology by combining machine learning with in-depth knowledge of biological processes. We aim to work towards foundation models and integrative theories of biological systems, and towards innovative AI-driven biotech applications in synthetic biology, agro-tech, and personalized medicine. AI-driven research at VIB.AI starts from biological questions and challenges that are addressed using state-of-the-art and novel computational and AI strategies, through close interactions and iterations with biological experiments and research labs within VIB.AI and across VIB. Additionally, we are committed to fostering computational and AI research excellence across all VIB Centers, amplifying collaboration (12 co-associated GLs) and pushing the boundaries of innovation in all of VIB’s research domains (plant biology, cancer biology, structural biology, medical biotechnology, neuroscience, immunology and microbiology).
KU Leuven
This position is linked to a professor position at KU Leuven. Based on the profile and research topic, this position is linked to a KU Leuven Department, namely DME, DCMM or ESAT/CS, with one position available per Department(s).
Department of Human Genetics (DME)
The DME Department of Human Genetics is a leading European center for Human Genetics. Its primary objectives revolve around achieving excellence in research, education, and translational applications. These efforts aim to enhance genetic diagnosis, counselling, therapy, and preventive measures. The department's research portfolio encompasses both fundamental and clinical research conducted across various domains, including cultured cells, animal models, and human subjects. The research focus of DME is genome structure, function, and development using state of the art genomics and bioinformatics methodologies and deploying them for the diagnosis and treatment of genetic disorders.
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (DCMM)
The research focus of DCMM is the exploration of molecular mechanisms of disease: basic cellular and molecular processes and their (path)physiological effects, and their implications in various human diseases. DCMM combines expertise in techniques of biochemistry, electrophysiology, molecular biology, cell imaging, proteomics, bio-informatics and animal-model development to acquire novel insights into cellular signalling and communication processes. Major areas of research include signalling by ions, lipids and protein phosphorylation, chromatin structure and function, protein structure, (mis)folding and transport and cell metabolism, death, autophagy and differentiation.
Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT)
ESAT works on several technological innovations in the fields of energy, integrated circuits, information processing, image & speech processing, and telecommunication systems. ESAT has seven distinct groups: Computer Security and Industrial Cryptography (COSIC), Electrical Energy Systems and Applications (ELECTRA), Electronic Circuits and Systems (MICAS), Micro- and Nanosystems (MNS), Processing Speech and Images and Center for Dynamical Systems (PSI), Signal Processing and Data Analytics (STADIUS) and Waves: Core Research and Engineering (WAVECORE).
Department of Computer Science (CS)
The Department of Computer Science is globally recognized for its exceptional research and academic programs in fields such as informatics, computer science, artificial intelligence, mathematical engineering, digital humanities, and teacher education. The CS department is comprised of five distinct units: Distributed and Secure Software (DistriNet), Declarative Languages and Artificial Intelligence (DTAI), Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Numerical Analysis and Applied Mathematics (NUMA) and Computer Science.
The Leuven Life Sciences eco-system and city of Leuven
Leuven and the surrounding area of Northern Belgium (Flanders) represent one of the top research destinations in Europe. VIB.AI is part of the VIB Life Sciences Institute (with colleagues in cancer, biotechnology, immunology, plants, microbiology amongst others) and an extensive set of core facilities. KUL is the largest university in Belgium and Europe’s most innovative university and is home to the Leuven AI Institute and the Leuven University Hospital, one of the largest in Europe. Leuven is also home to Imec, a world-renowned research center for nanoelectronics and digital technology.
Leuven is an attractive European university city with a rich history and a lively atmosphere. The area has a strong biotechnology sector with a wide variety of spin-offs and start-ups. This, together with the presence of the University of Leuven and the University Hospital, make Leuven particularly internationally-oriented and tech-minded, and a natural home for researchers and their families; the city was even awarded the title of European capital of innovation 2020 by the European Commission. English is very widely spoken in the city and surrounding area.
Leuven offers an affordable, high standard of living, has an international school, and ample daycare options. The public education system and public health care system in Flanders are world-class, easily accessible, and low-cost to end users. Public transport is excellent and widely available. Brussels, the capital of Europe, is only 20 mins away. Leuven is also only 14 minutes by train from Brussels Airport which has many daily direct flights to North America, Africa and Asia. There are also high-speed direct international rail connections to numerous cities including Paris, London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.
Start date: 2024
How to apply?
Please use the VIB HR application tool and upload
-a cover/motivation letter
-your full CV with publication list
-a 2-page biosketch including your top 5 publications or achievements
-contact details of 3 referees
-a 2-4 page statement of your research plan including a brief statement reflecting your vision for the new VIB.AI center
Application deadline: 31st January 2024
For more information
Contact Stein Aerts (stein.aerts@vib.be) director VIB.AI
A NIH-funded postdoctoral position is available in the Barnard Neurobiology Lab. Our lab is in the Department of Neuroscience & Behavior at Barnard College, a liberal arts college in Manhattan affiliated with Columbia University. Imaging facilities are available at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute which is a few blocks away.
The position is fully funded for at least four years. Ideally the position would start in the summer of 2021, but the start date is flexible. We are looking for a highly motivated and accomplished scientist interested in studying circadian timekeeping and sleep in Drosophila.
The research project will involve the following techniques:
- Genetic manipulation of neural networks supporting timekeeping and entrainment
- Behavioral analysis of clock controlled behavioral outputs
- Live-imaging and immunohistochemical analysis of clock neurons
Desired qualifications: The candidate should have a Ph.D. in Biology, Neuroscience, Biochemistry, or a related field. Experience with live-imaging, immunohistochemistry, or Drosophila neurobiology is desired. However, all candidates with a track record of scientific accomplishment and a strong interest in circadian biology in any species are encouraged to apply.
Please submit a CV and a cover letter explaining your research and career goals. Please also include the names and contact information for three professional references.
contact: mfernand@barnard.edu
Application Link:
https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/547743/postdoctoral-research-fellow/