Open Positions in Our Group
Open positions:
At any time, we welcome applications from creative researchers at all levels (Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis, PhD, PostDoc, team leader). Our aim is to understand learning and self-regulation (and the failure thereof) in social and neural networks.
To study learning in neural networks, we particularly focus on unsupervised, local learning rules in the framework of efficient encoding, predictive coding, and homeostatic self-regulation. We use approaches from information theory, and non-linear dynamics to derive a priori the theory of how networks should ideally learn in a self-organized manner. In collaboration with experimentalists, we then cross-check the theoretical predictions, using information theory and Bayes inference. The aim is to develop a theory of local learning in living neural networks.
To study the self-regulation of social networks and the spread of (mis)information, we curated a large social-media data set (Telegram), which allows novel insights into the spread of information and misinformation. Complementarily, we make use of the outbreak of COVID-19, which posed a major challenge to societies and individuals – but also provided research with an extremely rich behavioral and epidemiological data set to study collective human behavior. If you want to join our team, also as PostDoc or team leader to develop your own research profile in our group with your own students, let us know. We can offer a long research perspective (3+3 years), a vibrant team, and highly motivated Bachelor, Master and PhD students.
If these topics resonate with your interest, please do not hesitate to send us your application. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds and genders to contact us!
Please send your application, including letter of motivation, CV, transcript of records, and names of referees as a single pdf to application.priesemannATds.mpg.de.
If your letter of motivation has 1-2 pages, summarizes your past research achievements, skills, and interests, and includes a short outline about “your research interest”, i.e., what kind of topic you’d want to pursue in our group (about 1/2 page), I will have a careful look at your application. The short outline does not need to be a final research proposal; it serves as basis for us to see the potential fit, and to discuss with you potential research projects in an interview.
SPECIFIC OPEN POSITIONS
Each year, the Göttingen Campus opens a number of PhD positions in the direction of experimental and computational neuroscience. Please consider applying before (about) January 15, each year: https://uni-goettingen.de/en/663688.html
PhD position (x/m/f) on “Collective Dynamics of Living Neural Networks”
How does optogenetic stimulation shape the collective dynamics of in vitro neural networks? We want to understand how stimulation shapes information processing properties both in vitro and in silico.
Deadline: August 15 / Sept 30, 2024
https://www.ds.mpg.de/joboffers
https://www.ds.mpg.de/4061130/job_full_offer_22220624?c=3188650
PostDoc or PhD position (m/f/x) on Synaptic Dynamics
How does the molecular dynamics of the synaptic vesicle cycle contribute to plasticity and signal transfer at a synapse? The vesicle cycle acts as a filter, and thereby strongly contributes to the information transfer at each synapse. With more than 20 colleagues, we are investigating at the Göttingen Campus the inner working of synapses [https://www.sfb1286.de]. With our specific project, we investigate how the multiple timescales within the vesicle cycle contribute to efficient pre-synaptic signal transduction.
Deadline: Sept 30, 2024
Reference:
[1] Jaehne et al., Cell Reports, 2021
PhD or PostDoc position (x/m/f) on
“Hierarchical Information Processing Across Species”
From the sensory cortex to higher brain areas, increasingly more complex information is processed, from simple edges to larger-scale objects and context. How does the neural network self-organize to achieve that increasing information integration? We will investigate that across species (mammals and birds), with the hypothesis that across these different species, similar organizational principles have been developed. This position requires a combination of data analysis (in collaboration with colleagues in Bochum), information theory, and theoretical work (modeling or analytical).
Deadline: Sept 30, 2024
Relevant References:
[1] Rudelt et al., arxiv, 2023
[2] Wibral, Lizier & Priesemann, Frontiers in Rob. and AI, 2015
[3] Cramer et al., Nat Commun, 2020
[Closed; new call in 2025 and 2026; let us know in case you are interested to join.]
PhD position on Computational Neuroscience of “Curiosity”
Applications are welcome until 15.01.2024, or until the position is filled. In total, we have 12 open PhD positions, and two open postdoc positions:
https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/open+positions/681638.html (see C3).