About this position
[Background of the recruitment and description of the project]
- Background of the recruitment and description of the project
[Outline of Laboratory」
The intelligence of biological organisms is explained by optimization. Biological organisms recognise the surrounding environment by optimising their internal representations or hypotheses about how the hidden dynamics and causes generate sensory inputs—and they optimise their behaviour to adapt to the environment by sampling preferred inputs, thereby increasing the probability of survival and reproduction. Our research aims to mathematically express universal characterisation of their intelligence in terms of biologically plausible neuronal circuits and synaptic plasticity rules.
In particular, we are interested in mathematical understanding of the superiority of biological intelligence over existing artificial intelligence.
Our recent research:
-We mathematically showed that canonical neural networks whose activity and plasticity minimise the Helmholtz energy implicitly follow the free-energy principle (Commun Biol, 2022) and extended this to the triple equivalence between neural dynamics, Bayesian inference, and algorithmic computation (Commun Phys, 2025).
-We validated it within in vitro neural networks (Nature Commun, 2023) and zebrafish (bioRxiv, 2025).
-We developed an unsupervised learning scheme (PredPCA) that extracts the most informative components for predicting future inputs (Nature Mach Intell, 2021).
Informal enquiries and (virtual) lab visits prior to application are welcome.
Keywords: theoretical neuroscience, neural network, learning algorithm, Bayesian inference, free-energy principle, active inference, computational model, neuromorphic artificial intelligence, generative model, neural data analysis
Our lab website: Brain Intelligence Theory Unit, Isomura Lab
https://unifiedtheory.jp/en/organization/a01-isomura/
- details of the business
RIKEN is Japan's largest and most comprehensive research organization for basic and applied science.
[Work content and job description]
Our project “Development and validation of a unified theory of prediction and action” is funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A), FY2023-FY2027.
You will be expected to perform one (or more) of the following theoretical neuroscience research:
1.Develop theories to elucidate the computational principle of the brain with extending the free-energy principle, active inference, triple equivalence, and related theories
2.Develop neuromorphic (biomimetic) learning algorithms for next-generation artificial intelligence
3.Develop a universal generative model based on empirical data using reverse engineering technique that we recently developed: for details, please see the link below.
The expected completion date of this JSPS KAKENHI project is 31 March 2028.
The job description may be changed during the contract period or upon contract renewal to the extent described above.
- Assigned department
Existing departments
[Work location]
- Address
351-0198 Saitama , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, RIKEN Wako Campus
RIKEN may order the employee to change work locations, if necessary.
[Number of hired]
Number of hired:1 person(s)
Number of hired description:Job title
Research Scientist or Postdoctoral Researcher , 1 position
Postdoctoral Researcher is defined as those with a doctoral degree of 5 years or less.
Research Scientist is defined as those with a doctoral degree more than 5 years.
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