Two PhD positions in computer and human vision and learning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Job description

Applications are invited for two PhD positions in the Computer Science Department of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). Students will be hosted by the newly established Vision and Learning Laboratory (VLL).

Our research in the VLL has an interdisciplinary nature and bridges computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence with particular emphasis on vision and learning. We aim to understand mechanisms of bottom-up and top-down human visual attention and eye movements in daily life and translate them into computational models that can be useful for applications such as patient diagnosis, activity recognition, assistive systems, as well as some image/video processing applications. Other areas of interest include scene understanding, scene classification, object recognition, and learning (including active learning, category learning, feature learning, etc.) and the relation between these problems and attention. Techniques that we use include statistical and machine learning tools, neural coding, saliency modeling, eye-tracking, psychophysics, EEG, and fMRI. We also have a close collaboration with the Psychology Department and the Neuroscience Program at UWM. See http://pantherfile.uwm.edu/borji/www/ for a list of publications and samples of our research projects.

Requirements

Required:

- A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in computer science, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering,  psychology, neuroscience, physics, applied mathematics, or related fields.

- Strong interest in machine learning, pattern recognition, psychology, and neuroscience.

- Demonstrable knowledge in programming (Matlab, C/C++, Python, etc.).

- Proficiency in oral and written English.

- Commitment and a cooperative attitude.

Preferred:

- Knowledge of computational neuroscience, machine learning, statistics, image processing, and computer vision.

- Previous experience in visual psychophysics, eye-tracking, neuroimaging, computational modeling, and quantitative data analysis.

Working environment

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a major urban university, committed to academic excellence, located in the commercial and industrial hub of Wisconsin. The campus is in a pleasant residential neighborhood on Milwaukee’s northeast side, only a few blocks from Lake Michigan. UW-Milwaukee is one of the two 'doctoral cluster' campuses in the 13-campus University of Wisconsin System, with a student enrollment of approximately 25,000.

Milwaukee is a vibrant, affordable city on the shores of Lake Michigan (90 miles from Chicago) with a high quality of life and a thriving urban culture, food, arts & music scene. An award-winning network of parks and biking/hiking trails allow for plentiful outdoor activities during all seasons.

How to apply

Applications should include a curriculum vitae, cover letter, publication list, transcripts, and contact information for at least 2 references. Review of applications will begin as soon as Sept. 30th, 2014 and continue until the positions are filled. To apply, send an email to borji@uwm.edu. Informal inquiries are also welcome.

For more information please see:

http://pantherfile.uwm.edu/borji/www