Scientist Neural Circuits Theory

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The Allen Institute accelerates science for a healthier world through large-scale research designed to answer some of the most complex questions in biology. Our multi-disciplinary teams generate foundational knowledge, tools, and data to understand how our brain, cells, and immune system work. We share our work openly so others can build on it, move faster, and ask bigger questions. We drive discovery forward and create new possibilities for improving human health.

The goal of the Neural Dynamics accelerator is to understand how the brain generates flexible behavior. We aim to uncover the algorithms—implemented by dynamics in brain-wide neural circuits that allow animals to build internal models, process information, and choose actions.

We are searching for a Scientist to develop data-driven theories of how circuit structure shapes neural computation. The Scientist will use the Institute's large-scale connectivity atlases and brain-wide recordings to understand how the brain's wiring organizes neural dynamics and drives flexible behavior. The position offers a rare opportunity: distilling theories of computation from connectivity data produced at unprecedented scale, together with spike trains from thousands of neurons recorded simultaneously across multiple brain regions, and a wealth of targeted activity perturbations during behavior.

The ideal candidate has deep expertise in applied mathematics or statistical physics, fluency in modern machine learning for science, and a genuine interest in how the brain computes. The role requires close collaboration with experimentalists using state-of-the-art anatomical, electrophysiological, and imaging methods. The goal is to make fundamental discoveries about how mammalian circuit architecture gives rise to function, and to generate insights that shape new experiments at the Institute.

At the Allen Institute, we believe that science is for everyone – and should be open to everyone. We are dedicated to combating biases and reducing barriers to STEM careers more broadly. We also believe that science is better when it includes different perspectives and voices. We strive to make the Allen Institute a place where everyone feels like they belong and are empowered to do their best work in a supportive environment.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and strongly encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for our open positions.

• Develop mechanistic models of many interacting neurons that can be fit directly to connectivity and neural activity data
• Derive coarse-grained descriptions of these models, reducing them to a small number of variables that reveal which features of connectivity — cell-type composition, anatomical projections, the statistical structure of the wiring — govern neural dynamics
• Characterize the space of models consistent with a given dataset, and determine how connectivity constrains that space
• Develop theories for how different perturbations narrow that space, and use them to identify the most informative experiments to perform next
• Collaborate with experimentalists to turn theory into testable hypotheses about neural computation
• Present results to collaborators and the wider scientific community through talks, conferences, and publications

Note:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

• PhD in neuroscience, physics, applied…