Possible PhD projects

The EuroSPIN partners are world leading in the Neuroinformatics field, including computational neuroscience, but with complementary strengths. For example, the Stockholm group brings expertise in large-scale neural modeling; the Freiburg group has world-leading expertise in computational neuroscience and neurotechnology; the Edinburgh group specializes in neural plasticity and development; the Bangalore group performs world leading research on neural systems biology. The associated members (Nordita and Honda Research Institute) allow to extend towards theoretical and applied directions, respectively. This unique constellation of strengths makes it possible to carry out research projects that span from sub-cellular mechanisms to large-scale brain theory, and from basic science to technological applications.

Examples of possible PhD themes are listed for the different constellations of partners. The examples below are provided to allow the presumptive student to get a feeling of possible research areas to work in, but additional projects will likely appear. Also look at the individual supervisor's webpages, where previous publications usually are found.

During the application process, the students are asked to indicate their preferences with regard to constellations of partners, but also preferred project ideas/areas can be indicated and motivated if the applicant wants.

Constellations of partners, and project fields

  • KTH - Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden)
  • NCBS - National Cenetr for Biological Sciences (India)
  • UoE - University of Edinburgh (UK)
  • ALUF - Albert-Ludwig University Freiburg (Germany)

Projects 2013

ALUF - KTH:

Models of structural plasticity dynamics in neocortical circuits (Stefan Rotter - Patrik Krieger*) Project description (pdf 49 kB)

ALUF - NCBS:

Fear-related changes in physiology and dendritic integration of neocortical cells (Clemens Boucsein - Sumantra Chattarji) Project description (pdf 26 kB)

KTH - NCBS:

Looking for the origins of the synapse in the tangled history of SNARE protein complexes (Lars Arvestad - Mukund Thattai) Project description (pdf 17 kB)

KTH - NCBS - UoE:

Synaptic RNA (Jens Lagergren - Yamuna Krishnan) Project description (pdf 4 kB)

NCBS - KTH - ALUF:

Sensory processing deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders (Sumantra Chattarji - Patrik Krieger*) Project description (pdf 49 kB)

UoE - ALUF:

Synaptic integration in single neurons and its effects in networks (Mark van Rossum - Clemens Boucsein)

Project description (pdf 24 kB)

EI-balance and robustness (Ulrich Egert - Mark van Rossum) Project description (pdf 25 kB)

UoE - ALUF - KTH:

Statistical and quantitative models of neural network activity inferred from high density recordings (Matthias Hennig - Arvind Kumar - John Hertz**) Project description (pdf 42 kB)

UoE - KTH:

Schemata and consolidation (Mark van Rossum - Anders Lansner) Project description (pdf 23 kB)

Modelling of subcellular calcium dynamics (Matthias Hennig - Jeanette Hellgren Kotaleski) Project description (pdf 14 kB)

UoE - KTH - NCBS:

Generation of rule-based quantitative models for the pre-synaptic signalling complex (Douglas Armstrong - Jeanette Hellgren Kotaleski - Upi Bhalla) Project description (pdf 27 kB)

UoE - NCBS -(KTH):

Modeling of plasticity in fragile X mental retardation (Mark van Rossum - Sumantra Chattarji) Project description (pdf 24 kB)

UoE - NCBS -(KTH):

Analysis of circuit changes in Alzheimer's Disease rodent and computational models (Iris Oren - Upi Bhalla) Project description (pdf 16 kB)

*Patrik Krieger will superwise the students within the context of Stockholm Brain Institute, to which both groups at Karolinska Institute and KTH belong. The students will be registered at KTH.

**John Hertz will superwise the students within the context of NORDITA/KTH. The students will be registered at KTH.