One fully-funded PhD position in Computer Vision and Machine Learning at the Institute of Vision
Job description
Applications are invited for one PhD position in the Aging in Vision and Action laboratory at the Institute of Vision (INSERM-CNRS-University Pierre & Marie Curie) Paris, France. The gradual impairment of vision-dependent functions with age is at the core of our research. The main goal is to characterize how healthy visual aging shapes perceptual and cognitive functions in humans.
This project aims at building a unified view of the impact of visual aging in humans by integrating models of purely visual perceptual losses and of high-level vision-dependent impairments affecting spatial cognition. By simulating age-related deficits on different processing pathways and on different levels of the neuronal organization, the role of low-level impairments in visual processing for high-level spatial cognitive ability will be studied. For instance, by mirroring some behavioral characteristics such as the time course of eye movements of young vs. elderly subjects, the simulated system will help predicting how age influences the active exploration policy of visual scenes in a novel environment. This could in turn help understanding the link between sub-optimal oculomotor exploratory patterns and the consequent less informative anchorage of spatial percepts on available visual cues.
Requirements
Applicants should have a strong quantitative background (physics, engineering, computer science, applied mathematics), and a keen interest in reverse-engineering the brain. Knowledge on computational neuroscience, machine learning, image processing and programming languages (Matlab, C or Python) are a plus, although not mandatory. Proficiency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of French is not mandatory. Successful candidates are expected to work in an interdisciplinary environment with collaborations with biologists, theoreticians and clinicians. They will be awarded a 3-year PhD fellowship from the University Pierre and Marie Curie Paris.
Working environment and laboratory
The Institute of Vision is one of the top international centers for integrated research on vision and eye diseases. It is located at the heart of Paris, on the campus of the National Hospital Center for Ophthalmology. The Institute of Vision includes multidisciplinary research groups, which share state-of-the-art platforms for human and animal experimentation. It also harbors a clinical investigation center, which fosters truly translational research activity. More information can be found online (http://www.institut-vision.org). The Institute of Vision and Essilor International, world leader in ophthalmic optics, have recently supported the creation of the laboratory of Aging in Vision and Action. This new laboratory aims at evaluating and understanding the functional aspects of the degeneration mechanisms related to visual aging. This research has the potential to produce fundamental knowledge suited for opening to assistive technological developments and rehabilitation solutions. The faculty members of the Aging in Vision and Action laboratory, led by Angelo Arleo, are specialized in visual psychophysics, neurobiology of spatial orientation, neural coding, neurocomputational modeling, and preclinical evaluation. The group has access to a wide range of state-of-the-art platforms including eye trackers, motion capture rooms, virtual reality environments, brain imaging, artificial street labs and home labs (http://www.streetlab-vision.com/en/).
How to apply
Candidates should send a single pdf file containing a motivation letter, a full CV, and names and contact information of at least two referees, to angelo.arleo@inserm.fr. Short listed candidates will be contacted for an interview (either face-to-face or via videoconference).
For further inquiries, please contact Angelo Arleo, angelo.arleo@inserm.fr, phone: +33 (0)1 53 46 26 52.