Dear Colleagues
Two PhD positions are open in my laboratory to work on perception and
eye movements in human subjects. A short description
of each topic is given below. The positions are
funded for 3 years within the EU CODDE Research and Training Network
(http://www.optimaldecisions.org). The network will start September
1st, but PhD positions are open from October/November 1st.
PhD candidates must hold a Master Degree or equivalent. All EU
citizens can apply if they have obtained their degree from a country
different
from France. Non EU citizens can also apply unless they have spent the
last 12 months in France.
I would greatly appreciate if you could advertise these two positions
to your Master students as well as all possible interested candidates.
Sorry for multiple post.
Best regards
Guillaume Masson
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Dr. Guillaume MASSON, PhD
Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives de la Méditerranée
CNRS & Université de la Méditerranée
31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier
13009 Marseille
France
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://incm.cnrs-mrs.fr
Phone: +33.491.16.43.15
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CODDE – PhD thesis subjects – Marseille
Two EU-funded PhD fellowships are available to work at INCM in the DyVA
Team (Dr. Guillaume Masson)
Starting dates: November 2008
PhD Program: Life Sciences and Neurosciences, Université de la
Méditerranée
Location: Team Dynamics of Visual Perception and Action, INCM, CNRS,
Marseille,
France http://incm.cnrs-mrs.fr
PhD #1 Dynamics of perceptual decisions: visual motion processing and eye
movements
Controlling our actions such as smooth pursuit eye movements involves
complex perceptual
mechanisms such as visual motion integration and decision making. The first
aspect is
related to understanding how the visual system integrates piecewise local
motion information
to resolve ambiguities in the image and reconstruct the global motion of
the object of interest.
The second aspect implies neural mechanisms that decide when and where to
move our
eyes. They imply a strong interaction between visual and non-visual (i.e.
prediction, learning)
information about complex object motions in a cluttered environment.
Previous work in the
laboratory has shown that the time course of tracking eye movements
reflects the dynamics
of these processes and that dynamics can be modeled as a recurrent Bayesian
network.
The research project will investigate the role of low and high level motion
cues as well as
their interference with higher cognitive influences such as prediction or
statistical inference
about the properties of the visual scene.
The project involves both experimental and modeling work. Therefore, a
strong background
in Mathematics, Computer Science or Engineering will be preferred.
Candidates with a
Master Degree in Psychology or Neuroscience and with a previous training in
Computational
Neuroscience are encouraged to apply.
Supervisor : Dr. Guillaume Masson
Co-Supervisor : Dr. Anna Montagnini
Recent references;
Masson GS & Stone LS (2002) From following edges to pursuit objects.
Journal of
Neurophysiology 88: 2869-2873
Wallace J, Stone LS & Masson GS (2005) Object motion computation for the
initiation of
smooth pursuit eye movements in humans. Journal of Neurophysiology 93;
2279-2293
Montagnini A, Spering M & Masson GS (2006) Predicting 2D target velocity
cannot help 2D
motion integration for smooth pursuit initiation. Journal of
Neurophysiology 96: 3545-3550
Montagnini, Mamassian P, Perrinet LU, Castet E & Masson GS (2007) Bayesian
modeling of
dynamic motion integration. Journal of Physiology (Paris) 101:64-77.
PhD #2 Combination of monocular and binocular depth cues for the control of
3D eye movements
Scanning a natural scene with our eyes requires the intricate and
simultaneous control of the
two eyes. Because the objects of interest are located at various places in
depth and have a
three-dimensional shape, the binocular eye movements are a combination of
version (lateral)
and vergence (depth) movements. There are different sources of visual depth
information
that are relevant about the change of the distance between the object and
the observer’s
head. Since each depth cue carries some ambiguity, a fundamental problem of
depth
perception is how the cues are integrated together. In this research
project, we will focus on
the relative role of monocular (e.g. cast shadows, Da Vinci stereopsis) and
binocular
(horizontal and vertical disparity, relative speed at the two eyes) cues in
the control of a
simple motor action, the tracking of an object moving in depth. The work
implies the
generation of 3D visual stimuli and the design of experiments to titrate
their relative
contribution for a given 3D object motion trajectory, using simple computer
graphics
apparatus combined with a Wheastone stereoscope. Human performance will be
analyzed
by measuring movements of the two eyes and computing the 3D displacements
of gaze.
Candidates should have a strong background in Experimental Psychology
and/or
Neurosciences. Computer skills are preferable. The work will be conducted
in collaboration
between two CODDE members (Marseille & Paris).
Supervisor: Dr. Guillaume Masson (Marseille)
Co-supervisor: Dr. Pascal Mamassian (Paris)
Relevant references :
Masson GS, Busettini C & Miles FA (1997) Vergence eye movements in response
to
binocular disparity without the perception of depth. Nature 389: 283-286
Busettini C, Masson GS & Miles FA (1997) Radial optic flow induces vergence
eye
movements at ultra-short latencies. Nature 390: 512-515
Gerardin, P., de Montalembert, M., and Mamassian, P. (2007). Shape from
shading: New
perspectives from the Polo Mint stimulus. Journal of Vision, 7(11):13, 1-11
Mamassian, P., Knill, D. C. & Kersten, D. (1998). The perception of cast
shadows. Trends in
Cognitive Sciences,2, 288-295.
Contact:
Dr. Guillaume Masson
INCM – Team DyVA
CNRS & Université de la Méditerranée
31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier
13402 Marseille cedex 20
Email: [log in to unmask]
Phone: +33.491.16.43.15
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