Job Offer: Researcher Position: Virtual Brain Twins in Psychiatric Disorders

 
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Institute: Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Aix-Marseille University, France Website: http://ins-amu.fr/

Summary:

The Theoretical Neuroscience Group (TNG), led by Viktor Jirsa, invites applications for a research position within the context of the Virtual Brain Twin initiative, focused on personalized treatments for Psychiatric Disorders.

The selected candidate will be responsible for developing a virtual brain twin workflow tailored to psychiatric disorders. This involves constructing a multi-scale personalized brain model for a specific patient based on various brain imaging modalities, including T1-MRI, dwMRI, EEG, and fMRI recordings. Machine learning methods will be applied to learn personalized models in each brain region using micro-scale data. Subsequently, we will integrate these models into whole-brain network models for prediction, with a particular emphasis on medication effects in the context of psychiatric disorders. This research builds on prior successful applications, such as estimating brain excitability in personalized models and analyzing SEEG recordings of seizure propagation in epileptic patients (Wang et al, Sci Transl Med. 2023. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abp8982 & Jirsa et al., 2023. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(23)00008-X ).

 

We are a leading group that has pioneered the creation of virtual epileptic patients and is now advancing the concept of virtual brain twins. The selected candidate will receive support from the entire group.This research program is coordinated by EBRAINS AISBL, a major player in the European digital neuroscience research infrastructure (https://www.ebrains.eu/). The core of this innovative project revolves around the Virtual Brain Twin platform, which leverages big data, multiscale modeling, and high-performance computing. It will be seamlessly integrated into the EBRAINS ecosystem.

Qualifications:

  • A strong grasp of mathematics, physics, neuroscience, and computer science, or a genuine enthusiasm for cultivating these skills, is essential.

  • The ability to quickly acquire proficiency in new computational tools is important, and we will offer comprehensive guidance to support your learning.

  • Proficiency in coding is a fundamental skill.

  • Determinated to conduct meaningful research

  • This position is open to both Postdoc and PhD candidates.

About The Theoretical Neuroscience Group:

We are a multinational and interdisciplinary team dedicated to unraveling the spatiotemporal organization of large-scale brain networks. Our work encompasses mathematical and computational modeling of large-scale network dynamics, the analysis of human brain imaging data, and the development of neuroinformatics tools for studying large-scale brain networks. Now we are on the way to establish the concept of virtual brain twins and its application in healthy aging and clinical uses in epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.

Application Deadline:

The position will remain open until filled.

Starting Date:

January 2024

How to Apply:

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their applications, including a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for references, to giovanna.RAMOS-QUEDA@univ-amu.fr and lisa.otten@univ-amu.fr. Please specify "Postdoc Application – Virtual Brain Twins in Psychiatric Disorders" in the subject line.

 

We look forward to welcoming a highly motivated and qualified postdoctoral researcher to our team to advance our understanding of large-scale brain network models in the context of neuroscience and psychiatric disorder research.

 

UMR 1106 – Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes INS Faculté de Médecine de la Timone
27 Bd Jean Moulin - 13385 Marseille cedex 05. France
Tel : + 33 (0) 4 91 32 42 21 ou 23 | Fax : + 33 (0) 4 91 78 99 14

Damien DepannemaeckerInstitut de Neurosciences des Systèmes