The Simons Center for Systems Biology – Special Year on Modeling Fly Vision (2026–2027 Academic Year)
Year-long IAS program uniting researchers to develop computational models of fly vision using new connectomic and transcriptomic data, covering diverse aspects of Drosophila visual processing.
Funder: Institute for Advanced Study
Due Dates: Rolling (applications reviewed starting January 15, 2026)
Funding Amounts: Postdoctoral: full stipend for one year (extendable) | Sabbatical: partial support possible, varies by institutional funding
Summary: Year-long program for researchers at all career stages to advance computational and theoretical modeling of fly vision, leveraging new connectomic and transcriptomic data.
Key Information: Applications must be emailed with the specified subject line; review is rolling until positions are filled.
Description
The Simons Center for Systems Biology at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) will host a Special Year on Modeling Fly Vision during the 2026–2027 academic year. This initiative will bring together researchers to exploit recent advances in the mapping of the fruit fly (Drosophila) visual system, including the complete connectome and transcriptomic profiling, to create highly realistic computational models. The program covers a broad spectrum of topics such as motion, color, polarization, form perception, object recognition, navigation, and courtship behaviors in flies. Participants will engage with leading neuroscientists and experimentalists, benefiting from the collaborative environment at IAS and its close ties with Princeton University and other regional institutions.
