[visionlist] Postdoctoral position at Columbia University

[jg2141 at columbia.edu]

Post-doctoral Fellow in Cognitive Neuroscience (Neurophysiology)
Columbia University, New York City

We are looking for a highly motivated post-doctoral fellow to carry
out neurophysiological studies of attention and learning in
monkeys. The laboratory is part of Keck-Mahoney Center for Brain
and Behavior Research at the Health Sciences Campus at Columbia
University. We share a floor with 5 other groups also working in
systems neuroscience with diverse interests ranging over early
vision, attentional mechanisms, oculomotor control, emotional
circuitry and computational neurobiology.  Our Center is
particularly committed to maintaining a strongly interactive and
collaborative atmosphere among the different laboratories.
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/neurobeh/

The project will start from our recent findings that
attention-related areas act as “behavioral integrators”, receiving
input about multiple behavioral variables (such as memory, reward,
motor planning) and integrating this input into a unified signal of
attentional priority. This unified attentional feedback in turn
biases sensory, motor and possibly other systems, so as to generate
coordinated output toward a unified goal. Through a combination of
psychophysical and physiological techniques the project will
address questions regarding how these multiple cues are integrated,
how they are conveyed to the attention system, how they change
during learning and how they are related to behavior.

Candidates should have a strong quantitative background and a Ph.D.
in Neuroscience, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, Psychology
or a related field and a record of publication in internationally
recognized journals.  Expertise with Matlab and/or C/C++ is highly
desirable.  The position is funded for at least 2 years, but the
candidate will also be expected to apply for independent funding.

Please send a statement of research interests, a CV (including list
of publication), and contact information for 3 references to: Dr.
Jacqueline Gottlieb (jg2141 at columbia.edu).

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.