PhD position in brain development: Students with a background in mathematics and computer science are especially encouraged to apply
*Queensland Brain Institute* Researchers at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) work to discover the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the ability of the adult brain to function. Neuroscience is entering an era of accelerated discovery driven by the application of new molecular, genetic and imaging technologies, which will provide a deeper understanding of the regulation and function of the nervous system. Significant advances in determining the molecular regulation of nerve cell function and development will have a major impact on our understanding of more complex areas such as behaviour, cognition, ageing, neurological disease and mental illness. Discoveries will also provide, for the first time, a real opportunity to develop new therapeutics to treat mental and neurological diseases, which account for a staggering 45 per cent of the disease burden in Australia. A major goal for QBI researchers is to promote excellence in neuroscience by fostering the exchange of ideas, establishing new collaborations and augmenting partnerships that already exist within the wider UQ neuroscience community. The role The development of the brain is characterised by the formation of connections between neurons. One of the largest fibre tracts in the brain is the corpus callosum, which connects neurons in the left and right cerebral hemispheres. We are using molecular and genetic approaches as well as state-of-the-art imaging technologies to discover how the brain is wired up during development. This work has direct implications for understanding how the brain functions and the pathophysiological mechanism of psychiatric disorders, by integrating the multi-level network features obtained with various functional and anatomical brain imaging technologies on different scales. A PhD project is available to utilise neuroimaging technologies to discover mechanisms of brain wiring. The project involves developing neuroimage analysis tools and software and applying them to biological problems. In this role the student will develop skills in developing computational algorithms and computer programming in neuroimage analysis that could be utilised in both basic research and clinical areas. The person Applicants should have an excellent GPA (>5.5 at UQ) and have a background in mathematics and computer science, especially good knowledge on image analysis. The student will be jointly supervised by Professor Linda Richards (QBI) who is an expert in brain development and Professor Tianzi Jiang (QBI, Centre for Advanced Imaging, UQ and Institute for Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bejing) who is an expert in neuroimaging. The ideal candidate will have primary experience in image analysis, especially for diffusion MRI, but this is not essential. Outstanding C/C++ programming skills in Linux are highly desired. Secondary experience with parallel computing and in using a high performance cluster platform would be an advantage. Applicants should hold a First Class Honours degree or equivalent and be eligible for an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) or equivalent international scholarship such as an International Postgraduate Research (IPRS) award. The current scholarship rate for the Australian Postgraduate Award is $23,728 per annum tax-free for three years. For further information on scholarships please refer to http://www.uq.edu.au/grad-school/scholarships-and-fees. Enquiries Please contact Professor Linda Richards on [email protected] or the QBI RHD student recruitment officer, Dr Blake Chapman, on [email protected]. To submit an application for this role, use the *Apply* button below. All applicants must supply the following documents: Cover letter, Academic Results and Resume. For information on completing the application process click here<http://www.uq.edu.au/uqjobs/index.html?page=149386&pid=149313> . Applications close: April 15th, 2012
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