The School of Computing, at the University of Leeds is recruiting a Lecturer (analogous to tenure-track Assistant Professor) working in computational and systems neuroscience and related areas of artificial and biological intelligence. The position provides an exceptional opportunity to join our internationally outstanding activity and to pursue interdisciplinary research, in collaboration with extensive neuroscience activity in Leeds and beyond. We have a vibrant community of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers supported by a large portfolio of external research funding. We are core partners in major pan-University initiatives, such as Neur@L (Neuroscience at Leeds), the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics, Robotics Leeds, Centre for HealthTech Innovation, Leeds Cancer Research Centre and Leeds Institute of Fluid Dynamics, as well as in leading national centres such as the Alan Turing Institute.

The Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit (GCNU) and Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC) are launching a 4-year joint PhD programme that aims to bridge the gap between theory and experiments. The two centres provide a unique opportunity for a critical mass of theoreticians and experimentalists to interact closely with one another and with researchers at the Centre for Computational Statistics and Machine Learning (CSML) and related UCL departments/domains such as UCL Neuroscience Domain; Artificial Intelligence; the ELLIS Unit at UCL; Computer Science; Statistical Science; and the nearby Francis Crick and Alan Turing Institutes. The joint programme will provide a rigorous preparation for an interdisciplinary research career. The programme blends aspects of the two existing PhD programmes and is designed to immerse students in both experimental and theoretical thinking. Courses in the first year provide a comprehensive introduction to systems neuroscience, theoretical/computational neuroscience, and machine learning. Students will be part of the broader trainee cohort across both centres, interacting and engaging in scientific discussion with both SWC and GCNU researchers with equal emphasis.

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) is calling for applications to the tenure-track and tenured faculty positions in Mathematical Sciences, including applied math, statistics, and data sciences. OIST provides innovative, international and interdisciplinary research environment with strong internal funding for research units.

The Department of Computer Science at the University of Bath wishes to appoint up to seven academics in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. These are permanent academic positions at Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, or Reader level, which are equivalent to Assistant or Associate Professor. The University of Bath is based on an attractive, single-site campus that facilitates interdisciplinary research. It is located on the edge of the World Heritage City of Bath and offers the lifestyle advantages of working and living in one of the most beautiful areas in the UK. We have a collegiate culture ideal for carrying out independent, curiosity-driven research.

We are looking for a motivated PhD student to join our project "Social Cognition In Silico and In Vivo" (SCIVIS), with proficiency in Dutch of at least B2 level. The research is embedded in a vibrant and interdisciplinary research network. The Center Neuropsychiatry at KU Leuven (Belgium) operates at the crossroads of neurology, psychiatry, and cognitive neuroscience. Through an integrated, interdisciplinary approach, we investigate how brain networks support behavior, emotions, and social interaction, both in neurotypical individuals and in people with neuropsychiatric conditions. The project is conducted in close collaboration with the Research Unit Brain & Cognition at KU Leuven, known for its expertise in experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience, and the AI Lab of VUB university, Brussels, a leading center in artificial intelligence research. Together, these partners bring complementary strengths to the study of social cognition, linking brain, behavior, and computation. As part of the SCIVIS project, we are looking for a PhD candidate to investigate the neural underpinnings of social cognition using functional brain imaging (fMRI/fNIRS). This cutting-edge initiative bridges neuroscience and artificial intelligence to advance our understanding of social cognition in both neurotypical individuals and those with atypical development, with a particular focus on autism and frontotemporal dementia. The position offers the opportunity to design and carry out behavioral and neuroimaging experiments, and to collaborate closely with computational scientists and experimental psychologists. You will join a dynamic research team and contribute to high-impact science at the interface of neuroscience and AI, with real potential to advance our understanding of the social brain. As a PhD student, you will contribute mostly to the in vivo research package, including: Designing and conducting behavioral and neuroimaging experiments (fMRI and fNIRS) to explore social cognitive functions. Collecting and analyzing imaging data to investigate the brain mechanisms underlying social cognition. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team and integrating findings with computational modeling efforts. Preparing publications for leading scientific journals and presenting at international conferences.

In this talk, Mirta will share her journey from her education a mathematically-focused high school to her currently unconventional career in London, emphasizing the evolution from a local education in Croatia to international experiences in the US and UK. We will explore the concept of interdisciplinary careers in the modern world, viewing them through the framework of increasing demand, flexibility, and dynamism in the current workplace. We will underscore the significance of interdisciplinary research for launching careers outside of academia, and bolstering those within. I will challenge the conventional norm of working either in academia or industry, and encourage discussion about the opportunities for combining the two in a myriad of career opportunities. I’ll use examples from my own and others’ research to highlight opportunities for early career researchers to extend their work into practical applications. Such an approach leverages the strengths of both sectors, fostering innovation and practical applications of research findings. I hope these insights can offer valuable perspectives for those looking to navigate the evolving demands of the global job market, illustrating the advantages of a versatile skill set that spans multiple disciplines and allows extensions into exciting career options.

SES neuroscience, using imaging and other methods, has revealed generalizations of interest for population neuroscience and the study of individual differences. But beyond its scientific interest, SES is a topic of societal importance. Does neuroscience offer any useful insights for promoting socioeconomic justice and reducing the harms of poverty? In this talk I will use research from my own lab and others’ to argue that SES neuroscience has the potential to contribute to policy in this area, although its application is premature at present. I will also attempt to forecast the ways in which practical solutions to the problems of poverty may emerge from SES neuroscience. Bio: Martha Farah has conducted groundbreaking research on face and object recognition, visual attention, mental imagery, and semantic memory and - in more recent times - has been at the forefront of interdisciplinary research into neuroscience and society. This deals with topics such as using fMRI for lie detection, ethics of cognitive enhancement, and effects of social deprivation on brain development.

The brain is complex over multiple length-scales, from many protein molecules forming intricate nano-machines in a synapse to many neurons forming interconnected networks across the brain. Unraveling this multi-scale complexity is fundamental to our understanding of brain function and disease. In this lecture, I will introduce advances in visualizing the complex, multi-scale structures in the brain. Emphasis will be on new imaging techniques, including cryo electron tomography and correlative light-electron microscopy that enabled revealing in situ organization of synaptic molecules, and ultra-high speed volumetric imaging method VISoR developed to map brain-wide circuits at subcellular resolution. I will also discuss challenges and opportunities for interdisciplinary research collaboration to analyze and understand the enormous data generated by these cutting-edge technologies.

Tom Froese is Assistant Professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), where he heads the Embodied Cognitive Science Unit. He is a cognitive scientist with a background in phenomenological philosophy, human-computer interaction, and complex systems theory. His interdisciplinary research centers on the role of agent-environment interaction in shaping cognition and consciousness, specifically when the interaction process involves sociality and technology. In this talk he will present current work in progress on “irruption theory”, a new theory of consciousness that integrates an embodied-enactive account of basic mind with radical formulations of the freedom and efficacy of intentional agency.