PhD in Systems Neuroscience: Vision-Guided Navigation in Drosophila Hanyang University in South Korea

This PhD project, based at Hanyang University and relocating to the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in August 2026, explores the neural basis of vision-guided navigation in Drosophila. The research aims to reverse-engineer the fly's visuomotor system, leveraging the recently completed full-brain connectome to map synaptic-level pathways from the visual system to motor centers. The project investigates how high-dimensional sensory streams are transformed into precise locomotion, focusing on both direct reflexive circuits and indirect navigation-related centers.

Key research questions include: how the fly extracts diverse visual features through complex recurrent visual circuits; how the brain coordinates between instinctive visuomotor reflexes and higher-order, goal-directed navigation commands; and whether high-performance artificial neural network models can be built by fine-tuning the architectural constraints of the biological wiring diagram. The project will involve building executable in silico models to simulate biological network processing of landmarks, spatial memory, and prioritization of visual targets based on internal states such as hunger or arousal.

The Neural Intelligence Systems Lab is a diverse and international environment, currently comprising students from various backgrounds including cognitive science, biology, biochemistry, electronic engineering, and biomedical engineering. The lab is well-funded, with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea, Samsung Science and Technology Foundation, and KAIST. The department and lab websites provide further information about ongoing research and the academic environment.

Applicants should have a background in neuroscience, computational modeling, programming (Python or MATLAB), machine vision or signal processing, and genetics. The application process requires submission of a statement of purpose, CV, and academic transcript directly to the supervisor. The deadline for applications is April 28, 2026.