Subject: [AUDITORY] Post-doctoral positions in auditory systems neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania From: Maria Geffen <mariageffen@xxxxxxxx> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2021 11:18:02 -0500--Apple-Mail=_BD44A959-4819-4184-9716-8F2A05FDF0ED Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii The Geffen laboratory <http://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing> at the = University of Pennsylvania <http://www.upenn.edu/> has multiple = postdoctoral positions open in systems neuroscience with the broad goal = of understanding the neuronal circuits for auditory perception and = learning. We are looking for energetic and talented scientists = interested in studying the function of the brain. The postdoctoral = fellow will have the opportunity to learn and apply a host of systems = neuroscience techniques, including two-photon imaging of population = activity, optogenetic manipulations, large-scale electrophysiology and = behavior in mice. Prior experience with some of these methods is = preferred, but not required. Depending on the candidate's interests, all = projects provide an opportunity to learn and apply advanced = computational methods, including dynamic systems analysis of neuronal = population activity; Bayesian approaches for understanding the relation = between neuronal activity and behavior; machine learning methods to = understand large-scale neuronal activity. We currently have openings for = postdoctoral fellows for three projects: (1) Neuronal mechanisms for predictive coding: Auditory perception relies on predicting statistics of incoming signals, = be it identifying the speech of a conversation partner in a crowded room = or recognizing the sound of a babbling brook in a forest. The human = brain detects statistical regularities in sounds as a fundamental aspect = of prediction, evidenced by reduced responses to repeated sound patterns = and enhanced responses to unexpected sounds. Multiple studies = demonstrate that the neuronal responses to regular signals are reduced = through adaptation, which can contribute to prediction. However, = adaptation alone is not sufficient to account for prediction and studies = at cellular and neuronal population levels in animals thus far lend only = partial support to existing theories of predictive coding. The goal of = the project is to close this gap in knowledge and to determine the = circuits that predict signals and detect statistical regularity and its = violation in auditory behavior. Funded by NIH NIDCD. (2) Neuronal circuits for learning-driven changes in auditory = perception: Everyday auditory behavior depends critically on learning-driven changes = in auditory perception that rely on neuronal plasticity within the = auditory pathway. By combining state-of-the-art optogenetic, = electrophysiological, behavioral and computational approaches, the = project seeks to identify the function of specific circuit elements in = auditory learning. Funded by NIH NIDCD. (3) Neuronal mechanisms for hearing under uncertainty: In everyday life, because both sensory signals and neuronal responses = are noisy, important cognitive tasks, such as auditory categorization, = are based on uncertain information. To overcome this limitation, = listeners incorporate other types of signals, such as the statistics of = sounds over short and long time scales and signals from other sensory = modalities into their categorization decision processes. This project = will identify the contribution of specific cell types to categorization = and the neuronal mechanisms for how contextual signals bias auditory = categorization. In collaboration with Dr. Yale Cohen = <https://auditoryresearchlaboratory.weebly.com/> and Dr. Konrad Kording = <http://kordinglab.com/>, funded by NIH BRAIN Initiative. Our laboratory is a close community of fun-loving scientists, striving = to help each other while exploring the mysteries of the brain. Our = trainees have won numerous awards and have been awarded government and = private foundation grants. We value diversity and promote equity in the = scientific community and beyond = <https://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing/philosophy/>. The systems = neuroscience community at the University of Pennsylvania is top-notch = and highly collaborative, and postdoctoral fellows will have = opportunities to engage in interdepartmental initiatives, including = MindCore <https://mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/>, MINS = <https://www.med.upenn.edu/ins/> and CNI <https://www.cni.upenn.edu/>. = Penn has a gorgeous campus and offers many cultural activities. = Philadelphia is a beautiful city with world-class music, food and = entertainment. To apply, please email Dr. Geffen at mgeffen@xxxxxxxx = <mailto:mgeffen@xxxxxxxx> : a brief cover letter = (summarize your prior research experience, why you are interested in the = position, and your future plans) and your CV. __________________________ Maria N. Geffen, Ph.D. (she/her) Associate Professor Department of Otorhinolaryngology Department of Neuroscience Department of Neurology Stemmler Hall G14 3450 Hamilton Walk Philadelphia PA 19104 (215)898-0782 mgeffen@xxxxxxxx http://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing Twitter: @xxxxxxxx= --Apple-Mail=_BD44A959-4819-4184-9716-8F2A05FDF0ED Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=3D""><p class=3D"">The <a = href=3D"http://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing" class=3D"">Geffen = laboratory</a> at the <a href=3D"http://www.upenn.edu" = class=3D"">University of Pennsylvania</a> has multiple postdoctoral = positions open in systems neuroscience with the broad goal of = understanding the neuronal circuits for auditory perception and = learning. <span style=3D"font-family: -apple-system, = BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, = sans-serif;" class=3D"">We are looking for energetic and talented = scientists interested in studying the function of the brain.</span><span = style=3D"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', = Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;" class=3D""> The = postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to learn and apply a host = of systems neuroscience techniques, including two-photon imaging of = population activity, optogenetic manipulations, large-scale = electrophysiology and behavior in mice. Prior experience with some of = these methods is preferred, but not required. Depending on the = candidate's interests, all projects provide an opportunity to learn and = apply advanced computational methods, including dynamic systems analysis = of neuronal population activity; Bayesian approaches for understanding = the relation between neuronal activity and behavior; machine learning = methods to understand large-scale neuronal activity. </span><span = style=3D"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', = Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;" class=3D"">We currently = have openings for postdoctoral fellows for three projects:</span></p><p = class=3D"">(1) Neuronal mechanisms for predictive coding:</p><p = class=3D"">Auditory perception relies on predicting statistics of = incoming signals, be it identifying the speech of a conversation partner = in a crowded room or recognizing the sound of a babbling brook in a = forest. The human brain detects statistical regularities in sounds as a = fundamental aspect of prediction, evidenced by reduced responses to = repeated sound patterns and enhanced responses to unexpected sounds. = Multiple studies demonstrate that the neuronal responses to regular = signals are reduced through adaptation, which can contribute to = prediction. However, adaptation alone is not sufficient to account for = prediction and studies at cellular and neuronal population levels in = animals thus far lend only partial support to existing theories of = predictive coding. The goal of the project is to close this gap in = knowledge and to determine the circuits that predict signals and detect = statistical regularity and its violation in auditory behavior. Funded by = NIH NIDCD.</p><p class=3D"">(2) Neuronal circuits for learning-driven = changes in auditory perception:</p><p class=3D"">Everyday auditory = behavior depends critically on learning-driven changes in auditory = perception that rely on neuronal plasticity within the auditory pathway. = By combining state-of-the-art optogenetic, electrophysiological, = behavioral and computational approaches, the project seeks to identify = the function of specific circuit elements in auditory learning. Funded = by NIH NIDCD.</p><p class=3D"">(3) Neuronal mechanisms for hearing under = uncertainty:</p><p class=3D"">In everyday life, because both sensory = signals and neuronal responses are noisy, important cognitive tasks, = such as auditory categorization, are based on uncertain information. To = overcome this limitation, listeners incorporate other types of signals, = such as the statistics of sounds over short and long time scales and = signals from other sensory modalities into their categorization decision = processes. This project will identify the contribution of specific cell = types to categorization and the neuronal mechanisms for how contextual = signals bias auditory categorization. In collaboration with <a = href=3D"https://auditoryresearchlaboratory.weebly.com/" class=3D"">Dr. = Yale Cohen</a> and <a href=3D"http://kordinglab.com/" class=3D"">Dr. = Konrad Kording</a>, funded by NIH BRAIN Initiative.</p><p class=3D"">Our = laboratory is a close community of fun-loving scientists, striving to = help each other while exploring the mysteries of the brain. Our trainees = have won numerous awards and have been awarded government and private = foundation grants. <a = href=3D"https://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing/philosophy/" class=3D"">We = value diversity and promote equity in the scientific community and = beyond</a>. The systems neuroscience community at the University of = Pennsylvania is top-notch and highly collaborative, and postdoctoral = fellows will have opportunities to engage in interdepartmental = initiatives, including <a href=3D"https://mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/" = target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noopener" class=3D"">MindCore</a>, <a = href=3D"https://www.med.upenn.edu/ins/" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noopener"= class=3D"">MINS</a> and <a href=3D"https://www.cni.upenn.edu/" = target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noopener" class=3D"">CNI</a>. Penn has a = gorgeous campus and offers many cultural activities. Philadelphia is a = beautiful city with world-class music, food and entertainment.</p><p = class=3D"">To apply, please email Dr. Geffen at <a = href=3D"mailto:mgeffen@xxxxxxxx" target=3D"_blank" = rel=3D"noopener" class=3D"">mgeffen@xxxxxxxx</a> : a brief = cover letter (summarize your prior research experience, why you are = interested in the position, and your future plans) and your CV.</p><div = class=3D""><br class=3D""></div><div class=3D""><div style=3D"caret-color:= rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; = widows: 2;">__________________________<br class=3D"">Maria N. Geffen, = Ph.D. (she/her)<br class=3D"">Associate Professor<br class=3D"">Department= of Otorhinolaryngology<br class=3D"">Department of Neuroscience<br = class=3D"">Department of Neurology<br class=3D"">Stemmler Hall = G14</div><div style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); = font-family: Arial; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">3450 Hamilton Walk<br = class=3D"">Philadelphia PA 19104<br class=3D"">(215)898-0782<br = class=3D""><a href=3D"mailto:mgeffen@xxxxxxxx" = class=3D"">mgeffen@xxxxxxxx</a><br = class=3D"">http://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing<br class=3D"">Twitter: = @xxxxxxxx</div></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail=_BD44A959-4819-4184-9716-8F2A05FDF0ED--