République Française Inserm
Institut thématique Neurosciences, sciences cognitives, neurologie, psychiatrie

Nine-month postdoctoral position in visual computational neuroscience

Type of contract CDD

Location Marseille, France

Statut Available


Key Words modelling, vision, computational neuroscience

Details of the offer

Place of work: Aix-Marseille University

Missions:

This position is part of the ECOPOL project funded by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) and the Agence Innovation Défense (AID), involving the Institut des Sciences du Mouvement (ISM UMR7287), the Institut Matériaux Microélectroniques Nanosciences de Provence (IM2NP UMR7334) and the Marseille-based SME SOLNIL. The project leader is Julien Serres, full professor at Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France.

The ECOPOL project aims to develop a bio-inspired optical compass picking information from skylight to guarantee heading detection when navigating autonomous mobile robots in complex environments. ECOPOL introduces a third sensory modality in addition to magnetic fields sensing and GPS, inspired by insect navigators, exploiting polarized ultraviolet light from the sky. 

The candidate will have a PhD in computational neuroscience with advanced knowledge of modelling bio-inspired visual systems, insect-inspired neural networks, in silico simulation with MATLAB or Python languages, and will be responsible for defining the size of the photosensor array using the OpenSky simulator (see Moutenet et al. 2024, https://hal.science/hal-04520460/; code: https://github.com/MoutenetA/OpenSky) to reach the required level of accuracy.

Qualifications:

Required:

  • Data processing and simulation in Matlab or Python languages;
  • Multiphysics simulation tool;
  • Computational and visual neurosciences;
  • Insects’ visual systems;
  • Professional English;
  • Scientific paper writing;

Appreciated

  • Optics and metrology;
  • Proficiency in an office suite (e.g., Microsoft Office) and the LaTeX editor;

Soft skills: Attention to detail; Teamwork; Students’ supervision; Adaptability; Stress management; Organizational skills; Problem-solving skills.

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Type of job

Type of contract CDD

Application deadline

Mardi 30 septembre 2025

Employment start date 05/01/2026

Contact

HOW TO APPLY:  Julien Serres