Our Center does not itself constitute a Ph.D.-granting program. Rather, you can do your Ph.D. research in our Center while enrolled in, and otherwise meeting the requirements of, any Columbia Ph.D.-granting program.
We are most closely associated with the Neurobiology and Behavior program, and are very involved in admissions decisions for that program and also for the M.D.-Ph.D. program and to a lesser extent the Integrated Ph.D. program at the medical school. Liam Paninski is also in the Statistics program, and can play a role in the admissions process for that department. There are many other relevant programs from which Theory Center students may come, but again we do not play any direct role in these programs or their admissions. These include the other Medical School Ph.D. programs and the Applied Mathematics, Bioengineering, (see also Paul Sajda's home page), Biology, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering (see also Aurel Lazar's home page), Physics, or Psychology (see also Norma Graham's homepage) programs. Theory Center students currently come from the Neurobiology and Behavior, Integrated, M.D.-Ph.D., Applied Math, and Physics programs.
We are most strongly committed to taking in students that we were involved in selecting for admission. To date, strong students in other programs who wish to work in the Theory Center have generally not had problems finding a theory center advisor; while we are not anticipating changes, it is always possible that this may change and we can make no promises.
Note that the priority application deadline for many programs is in early or mid December.
Applications are invited for postdoctoral positions in the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience at Columbia University. Postdoctoral researchers in these positions will have significant independence to work on research projects of their choice in collaborations with other postdocs, students, Center faculty and experimentalists both at and outside Columbia. Research at the Columbia Center for Theoretical Neuroscience involves using computational and theoretical approaches to study topics in neuroscience at the synaptic, cellular, circuit, and behavioral levels. Of specific interest are learning and memory, synaptic dynamics, network dynamics, sensory processing, motor control, and neural pathologies.
Please visit our faculty and publication pages for a list of recent publications. Successful candidates will also be integrated into the large, vibrant neuroscience community at Columbia University.
These positions are funded for several years, with an initial one-year appointment and an expectation of extension to at least three years given satisfactory performance. The salary is competitive, and the start date is negotiable although positions are available immediately. Applicants are expected to have a PhD in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics, Neuroscience, Biology, or a related discipline and, preferably, experience in theoretical neuroscience or the statistical analysis of neuroscience data. To apply, please send a CV including a list of publications, a statement of research interests, and three letters of reference to.