The German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) now funds with 10 million Euros a new research center: the “Bernstein Focus Neurotechnology” (BFNT-Freiburg/Tuebingen, briefly BFNT-FT) with the title “Hybrid Brain”. The center is an initiative of 32 scientists of the universities of Freiburg and Tuebingen, Germany, their neurological and neurosurgical university clinics, the Max-Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tuebingen, the Natural and Medical Sciences Institute Reutlingen (NMI). In addition, several industrial partners contribute to the BFNT-FT, namely Multi Channel Systems, Inomed and the Honda Research Institute. The BFNT-FT thus ties together numerous new and established projects to form the biggest cluster for neurotechnological research in at least Germany. Their aim is fundamental neurotechnological research, the development of new techniques based on these and the clinical development of neurotechnological devices. These are intended primarily to establish movement and communication capabilities in patients. These new tools could one day assist the therapy of severely paralyzed patients, e.g. suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but also those with intractable epilepsy or drug-resistant migraine. The center will be funded for 5 years starting September 2008. Within the BFNT-Freiburg/Tuebingen, two new tenure track professorships and 30 positions for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows will be established.
With the "Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience" (BCCN Freiburg) and two Bernstein Partner Projects (in collaboration with scientists at the Univ. Tuebingen and Rostock), Freiburg will host four projects linked in the German „National Network for Computational Neuroscience“.
Three additional BFNTs will be established at the Universities of Berlin, Goettingen and Frankfurt.
Vacant Phd Project
B5 - NetCAD: An environment for 3D structural modeling of biological neuronal networks
State of the art, work:
Current neuroanatomy aims to unravel the wiring principles underlying the synaptic circuits of neuronal networks in the brain, and to elucidate their function. Complex networks are encountered, for example, in the neocortex with both laminar (horizontal) and columnar (vertical) structure, featuring multiple neuron and synapse types in combination with type-specific synaptic couplings. Numerical simulations of the network activity dynamics and the statistical characterization of network structure are key techniques to explore the biological function of such networks, the activity dynamics supported by them, and the impact of certain structural features.
Objectives:
The goal of this project is to develop a software toolbox (NetCAD) for design and archiving of biology-oriented neuronal network models. It will greatly enhance our possibilities in exploring large-scale networks with a rich structure. An important feature is its inter-operability with other tools, specialized in statistical analysis or in dynamic simulation of such networks. Specifically, the new tool will support filing, documentation and exchange of large networks for subsequent visualization and structural analysis (e.g. using Python, Matlab® or Mathematica®), as well as for numerical simulations (e.g. using NEST or Neuron).
The new toolbox NetCAD will be platform-independent and open source, freely available to the wide neuroscientific and neurotechnological research community.
Job offer:
BCCN offers a PhD-Position for candidates holding a second degree (MSc, Diploma, or equivalent) in physics, computer science or biology, with experience in software-development and user-oriented application programming. Specific knowledge and scientific publications in the fields of “statistical analysis of neuronal data” and “numerical methods and data structures in neuroscience” are required. Some background in the anatomy of neuronal networks is helpful, but not required. A strong interest in interdisciplinary modelling work is expected.
To apply, please fill in the online application form. Applicants should specify in which project they would like to work. You will also to be asked to specify 2 referees who can write a letter of recommendation for you. For that purpose, download the reference report form which you should send to your referees. After filling in this form, the referees should send it electronically to our office (phd.program@bccn.uni-freiburg.de). In addition, BCCN will need electronic copies of your certificates and transcripts of the degrees you obtained. After review, selected applicants will be invited for an interview.
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