February 2015 - Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

New Book: Information Theory

by Jim Stone

I'd like to announce the publication of this book: Information Theory: A Tutorial Introduction by JV Stone Reviews, synopsis, and table of contents can be found here: http://jim-stone.staff.shef.ac.uk/BookInfoTheory/InfoTheoryBookMain.html Note that the examples explored in the final chapter are especially relevant to computational neuroscience and biology. regards, Dr Jim Stone University of Sheffield, UK. http://www.jim-stone.staff.shef.ac.uk/

Feb. 11, 2015

Postdoctoral position at Group for Neural Theory, Paris

by Srdjan Ostojic

A postdoctoral position is available in Srdjan Ostojic’s team at the Group Neural Theory, Paris, France (see http://iec-lnc.ens.fr/group-for-neural-theory/) to investigate dynamics and computations in spiking neural networks, combining theoretical approaches, simulations and analysis of neurophysiological datasets. The Group for Neural Theory is a highly interactive and dynamic environment situated in central Paris, and embedded within the strong Parisian theoretical neuroscience community. The ideal candidate should have a strong quantitative background, e.g. in computational neuroscience, physics, applied maths, computer science. Previous experience in neuroscience is preferred but not required. Starting dates are flexible. The position is for two years, with a possible extension for a third year. Candidates should send a letter of motivation (2 pages max), the contact information of 2 to 3 referees and their CVs to srdjan.ostojic at ens.fr *BEFORE March 20th, 2015*. I will be available at Cosyne for informal inquiries. Srdjan Ostojic Group for Neural Theory Ecole Normale Superieure Paris 29, rue d'Ulm 75005 Paris, France

Feb. 11, 2015

Open PhD position in MEG/EEG research at Research Center Juelich, Germany

by Martina Reske

We have an open PhD student position in our collaborative project entitled “From spike trains to whole-brain dynamics – Bottom-up and top-down processing during active vision” to fill. This project addresses the question how visual input is processed in extremely short time cycles of fixations and saccades through interaction of various cortical areas. MEG recordings from human subjects performing free viewing tasks will allow for the simultaneous observation of neuronal activities from different cortical areas during active vision. Analysis of subjects’ performance and brain activity on these visual tasks enables us to study the information flow through various cortical areas, and to identify top-down components interacting with bottom-up processes. What we expect from you: * We seek for a highly motivated candidate with curiosity and persistence * A preferable candidate will have background and strong Master degree in physics, neuroscience, electrophysiology, biology, computer science or a closely related field of natural science, preferably in the field of MEG/EEG biophysics, data acquisition and analysis, biostatistics, MEG/EEG biophysics or signal processing * Obligatory: excellent educational records in the related field, good programming and data processing skills, time series analysis and M/EEG source estimation * Substantial expertise in scientific programming (preferable languages: Python, C, C++ ) and substantial knowledge of Linux and Windows * Strong motivation to carry out neuroimaging studies utilizing MEG and to perform source and connectivity analysis * Beneficial: basic knowledge of neuroscience concepts * Ability and willingness to work independently and proactively * Confident appearance and ability to work cooperatively in an interdisciplinary environment * Good interpersonal and communication skills, structured and systematic working style * Fluent in English (spoken and written); beneficial: knowledge of German The candidate will primarily be based at the Jülich Research Center. What we offer: We offer a position in a creative and international team, themes ranging from computational neuroscience, simulation technology and multimodal imaging, see www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> and http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-4/EN/Forschung/MEG-Physik/_node.html. The Jülich Research Center is one of the largest research centers in Germany, with excellent scientific equipment, located on a green campus, and near the cultural centers Köln, Düsseldorf, and Aachen. The PhD position is available for 3 years. Applications, including a letter clearly motivating your application, CV, publication list, copies of university certificates, and one reference letter should be sent as a single PDF email attachment (max. 10MB) mentioning the internal reference code CSC-GID latest until March 31st , 2015, to should be sent to: Dr. Martina Reske (m.reske(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:m.reske@fz-juelich.de>) – Scientific Coordinator. Project leaders will be: Prof. Dr. Sonja Grün (INM-6/IAS-6), Dr. Junji Ito (INM-6/IAS-6), Dr. Jürgen Dammers (INM-4) Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6, INM-4), Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6), Jülich Research Center and JARA52425 Jülich, Germany, www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> -- Dr. Martina Reske Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Jülich Research Centre and JARA Jülich, Germany Work +49.2461.611916 Work Cell +49.151.26156918 Fax +49.2461.619460 www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feb. 11, 2015

Ikerbasque Research Fellow ("Tenure"). Methods in Neuroimaging, Bilbao (Spain)

by Jesus Cortes

Dear researcher, One position for "Ikerbasque Research Fellow" will be host by the new emerging group of Computational Neuroimaging in Biocruces. http://www.biocruces.com/web/biocruces/bc5.08 More information about the position, "Ikerbasque Research Fellow" at http://www.ikerbasque.net/fellows More information about Biocruces http://www.biocruces.com/ Interested researchers must contact me before April 1, 2015. Feel free in contacting me for any further question or comment. Provide a copy of an updated CV remarking best 5 publications. Prof. Jesus M Cortes Ikerbasque Research Professor Head of the Computational Neuroimaging Lab Biocruces Health Research Institute

Feb. 11, 2015

Introductory Workshop on Computational Methods in Neuroscience, June 10 – 19, 2015

by Artur Luczak

Campus Alberta Neuroscience is pleased to announce the second annual Introductory Workshop on Computational Methods in Neuroscience. This ten-day workshop is comprised of lectures and hands-on Matlab exercises to introduce students to neuronal data analysis methods. Workshop is aimed for graduate students with little priory experience in quantitative methods who wants to learn Matlab and its application for data analyses. Most costs – including registration fees, travel to Lethbridge, accommodation, and most meals – will be covered for Alberta trainees. Individuals from outside of Alberta are encouraged to apply, but must cover their own costs. These costs are estimated to be around $1300 (excluding travel). Registration for the workshop is now open – complete applications must be received by March 10, 2015 at albertaneuro(a)uleth.ca . Workshop will take place at University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, June 10 – 19, 2015. Course Director is Dr. Bruce McNaughton and course instructors include Drs David Euston, Aaron Gruber, Artur Luczak, Masami Tatsuno and Majid Mohajerani. Further information and application details are available at: www.albertaneuro.ca/workshop Cheers, Artur ------------------------------------------------ Artur Luczak, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada tel.: (403) 394-3974; fax: (403) 329-2775 http://lethbridgebraindynamics.com/artur_luczak

Feb. 10, 2015

Berkeley course in mining and modeling neuroscience data, July 6-17, 2015

by Jeff Teeters

Call for applications: We invite applicants to the 2015 summer course in "Mining and modeling of neuroscience data" to be held July 6-17 at UC Berkeley. A description of the course is below and also at: http://crcns.org/course Application deadline is April 6 (or March 1, for MSRI's sponsored students). ----- Berkeley summer course in mining and modeling of neuroscience data July 6-17, 2015 Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, UC Berkeley Organizers: Fritz Sommer, Bruno Olshausen, Jeff Teeters (HWNI, UC Berkeley); Christos Papadimitriou (Simons Institute, Berkeley); Ingrid Daubechies (MSRI, Duke). Scope This course is for students and researchers with backgrounds in mathematics and computational sciences who are interested in applying their skills toward problems in neuroscience. It will introduce the major open questions of neuroscience and teach state-of–the-art techniques for analyzing and modeling neuroscience data sets. The course is designed for students at the graduate level and researchers with background in a quantitative field such as engineering, mathematics, physics or computer science who may or may not have a specific neuroscience background. The goal of this summer course is to help researchers find new exciting research areas and at the same time to strengthen quantitative expertise in the field of neuroscience. The course is sponsored by the National Science Foundation from a grant supporting activities at the data sharing repository CRCNS.org, the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing and the Mathematical Science Research Institute. Format The course is “hands on” in that it will include exercises in how to use and modify existing software tools and apply them to data sets, such as those available in the CRCNS.org repository. Course Instructors Vitaly Feldman, IBM Almaden Research Center Sonja Grün, Juelich Research Center, Germany Robert Kass, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh Maneesh Sahani, Gatsby Unit, University College London Odelia Schwartz, University of Miami Eric Shea-Brown, University of Washington Frederic Theunissen, UC Berkeley Course Moderators Fritz Sommer and Jeff Teeters, Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience Speakers To complement the main course instruction there will be lectures in the evenings by local Berkeley and UCSF neuroscientists presenting their research using quantitative approaches. Requirements Applicants should be familiar with linear algebra, probability, differential and integral calculus and have some experience using MatLab and Python. Each student should bring a laptop with the software installed. Cost There is no cost to attend. Assistance for travel, housing and food costs is in general not provided, (except for students who are sponsored by MSRI or the Simons Institute; see below). Potential financial support Support for a limited number of students to attend will be provided through both MSRI and the Simons Institute for the Theory of computing. Applicants who are at a MSRI partner institution can be admitted to the course and receive support for attending through MSRI as described at: http://www.msri.org/web/msri/scientific/workshops/summer-graduate-school Applicants with a Computer Science background are invited to apply for support by the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing and the Computer Community Consortium (CCC). See “How to Apply” section. Housing There may be some limited dorm housing available. Cost is $742 per person in a shared double room, which includes an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner on evenings that meals are not supplied with the course. We will help coordinate sharing of dorm rooms for those who wish to stay in the dorms. Other housing options include: a hostel near campus ( http://berkeleyhostel.com) which is $32 / night for a bed in shared dorm room; nearby hotels (http://visitberkeley.com/stay) and accommodations advertised through craigslist.org and airbnb.org. We will help students setup groups to search for shared housing together. Food Most meals are not included with the course, although breakfast items, snacks and some dinners will be provided. Food for other meals can be purchased at the dorm cafeteria and local restaurants. How to apply There are two methods of applying. Method 1) Students at a MSRI partner institution can be admitted to the course and receive support for attending through MSRI as described at: http://www.msri.org/web/msri/scientific/workshops/summer-graduate-school Method 2) All non-MSRI applications are submitted via the online form linked from: http://crcns.org/course. A curriculum vitae and a letter of recommendation are required. Those applying using method 1 can also apply using method 2 (in case the MSRI supported positions are all taken). Applicants with a computer science background who wish to apply for support from the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing must apply using method 2 and include additional information as instructed on the application form. The course is limited to 25 students. Deadlines Applications must be received by April 6 (or March 1, for MSRI’s sponsored students). Notifications of acceptance will be given by the end of April. If staying in dorm housing, and not sponsored by MSRI or the Simons Institute, payment for housing and the meal plan must be received one week before the start of the course. Questions Questions about the course can be sent to course [at] crcns.org. Topics covered Basic approaches: - The problem of neural coding - Spike trains, point processes, and firing rate - Statistical thinking in neuroscience - Theory of model fitting / regularization / hypothesis testing - Bayesian methods - Spike sorting - Estimation of stimulus-response functionals: regression methods, spike-triggered covariance - Variance analysis of neural response - Estimation of SNR. Coherence Information theoretic approaches: - Information transmission rates and maximally informative dimensions - Scene statistics approaches and neural modeling Techniques for analyzing multiple-unit recordings: - Cross-correlation and JPSTH - Sparse coding/ICA methods, vanilla and methods including statistical models of nonlinear dependencies - Unitary event analysis - Methods for detection of higher-order correlations - Correlation approaches for massively parallel spike trains - Proper surrogates for spike synchrony analysis - Methods for assessing functional connectivity - Advanced topics in generalized linear models - Low-dimensional latent dynamical structure in network activity–Gaussian process factor analysis/newer methods Towards building a theory of the brain: - Applications of mathematical analysis of dynamical systems in neuroscience - Approaches based on methods from theoretical computer science

Feb. 10, 2015

Final program, qbio seminar in Bilbao, February 17-18, 2015

by Jesus Cortes

This is the final program for the BCAM workshop in Quantitative Biomedicine next week Tuesday, February 17, 2015 9:30-11:30. Session 1. 09:30-10:10 Joanna Tyrcha. Stochastic stability and dynamic behavior of a compound cell-cycle model 10:10-10:50 Mathieu Desroches. Mixed-Mode Bursting Oscillations (MMBOs): slow passage through spike-adding canard explosion 10:50-11:30 Albert Granados. The period adding phenomenon in periodically driven hybrid spiking models 11:30-12:10. Coffee Break 12:10-14:10 Session 2. 12:10-12:50 Edward J. Vigmond. Cardiac Applications of Computational Electrophysiology 12:50-13:30 Pablo Lamata. Extraction of diastolic biomarkers through personalization of computational models 13:30-14:10 Aciel Eshky. Condition Monitoring of Athletes with a Wearable Heart Rate Variability Sensor 14:10-15:20 Lunch 15:20-18:00. Session 3. 15:20-16:00 Cesar Caballero. The power of haemodynamic deconvolution for mapping brain dynamics with BOLD functional MRI 16:00-16:40 Andrea Fuster. Geometric framework for diffusion MR images of the brain: theory and applications 16:40-17:20 Ernesto Sanz-Arigita. Multimodality MRI in different groups at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease: towards multidimensional brain imaging biomarkers. 17:20-18:00 Pierrick Coupe. New patch-based estimators for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease Wednesday, February 18, 2015 9:30-11:30. Session 4. 09:30-10:10 Bert Kappen. Explaining missing heritability with Gaussian Process regression 10:10-10:50 Alberto Llera. Efficient Gaussian/Inverse Gammas mixture-models: a new tool for thresholding ICA statistical maps from fMRI data 10:50-11:30 Estibaliz Garrote. Computer vision applied to digital pathology: image search engine based on clinical similarity 11:30-12:10 Coffee Break 12:10-14:10. Session 5. 12:10-12:50 Michael Wibral. Information transfer and causal interactions - Conceptual differences and combined analyses strategies 12:50-13:30 Luca Faes. Dynamics of Information Storage, Transfer and Modification in the Cardiovascular System 13:30-14:10 Adam Barrett. Synergistic and redundant information sharing in Gaussian systems 14:10-15:20 Lunch 15:20-18:00. Session 6. 15:20-16:00 Ruedi Stoop. Power-law size distribution of activated avalanches - what do they really mean? 16:00-16:40 Daniele Marinazzo. Tracking slow modulations in synaptic gain using dynamic causal modelling: Validation in epilepsy 16:40-17:20 Paolo Paradisi. Intermittency-based complexity measures in brain EEG data 17:20-18:00 Jordi Soriano. Experiments in Neuronal Cultures: Exploring Open Questions in Physics and Medicine

Feb. 10, 2015

Fellowships in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania

by Vijay Balasubramanian

Postdoctoral Fellowships in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience University of Pennsylvania The Computational Neuroscience Initiative (CNI, http://cni.upenn.edu) of the University of Pennsylvania seeks exceptional candidates for two CNI Postdoctoral Fellowships. Candidates with strong quantitative skills from a variety of fields including neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, physics, mathematics, and engineering will be considered. The selected Fellows will join an inter-disciplinary research environment in historic Philadelphia. CNI Fellows will be encouraged to foster collaborative research between multiple labs. The CNI supports inter-disciplinary and collaborative research at the frontier of knowledge about the brain, behavior, and the mind. We focus on systems-level approaches that integrate theory and computation with experiment. Our members include faculty, post-docs, and students from multiple programs and departments including neurobiology, cognitive science, psychology, physics, mathematics, electrical engineering, and computer science. Our research and training spans the three major elements of the field of Computational Neuroscience: 1) Theory -- understanding the brain as an information-processing machine; 2) Experiments -- providing quantitative methods to aid in the design, implementation, analysis, and interpretation of empirical studies that probe all levels of brain function, from molecules to behavior; and 3) Applications -- including robotics, brain-machine interfaces, and new clinical tools. Applications should be submitted by email to compneuro(a)sas.upenn.edu <mailto:compneuro@sas.upenn.edu> and should consist of a CV and a cover letter stating the candidate's research experience and reasons for applying to this Fellowship. Please arrange for up two three letters of recommendation to be sent to the same email address with the candidate's name in the subject line. Review of applications will begin on February 30 and continue on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented individuals from diverse backgrounds (http://jobs.hr.upenn.edu <http://jobs.hr.upenn.edu/>). Vijay Balasubramanian, Director David Brainard, Co-Director Joshua Gold, Co-Director

Feb. 10, 2015

Call for Abstracts – IWSP7: Epilepsy Mechanisms, Models, Prediction & Control

by Levin Kuhlmann

The 7th International Workshop on Seizure Prediction (IWSP7: Epilepsy Mechanisms, Models, Prediction & Control) will bring together world leading epileptologists, engineers, physicists, mathematicians, neurosurgeons and neuroscientists to focus on epilepsy research in Melbourne Australia from 3-6 August 2015. Abstract submission deadline: 16th April 2015. Notification of acceptance: 31st May 2015. Early bird registration: full: AU$465; Student/Early Career Researcher: AU$165. Early bird registration deadline: 30th June 2015. Standard registration: full: AU$565; Student/Early Career Researcher: AU$265. Over 30 generous travel stipends will be awarded to participants submitting the best abstracts as determined by the IWSP7 Scientific Advisory Board. The majority will be awarded to undergraduate or postgraduate students and early career researchers (people who completed their PhD within the period of the 3 years preceding 3rd August 2015). Topics for abstracts include, but are not limited to: seizure prediction, detection and control; seizure mechanisms, animal models and human neurophysiology; neuroimaging of epilepsy/seizure localisation; computational modelling of epilepsy; epilepsy networks; high frequency oscillations; model-based estimation, statistical signal processing or control theory applied to epilepsy. For information on invited speakers and the preliminary conference program, and how to submit abstracts and register visit: www.iwsp7.org<http://www.iwsp7.org> Please forward this notice to anyone that you think might be interested. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting! On behalf of the local organizing committee Levin Kuhlmann, PhD David B. Grayden, PhD Mark J. Cook, MD Dean R. Freestone, PhD Alan Lai, PhD Elma O'Sullivan-Greene, PhD Andre Peterson, BSc(hons) Email: organizingcommittee(a)iwsp7.org<mailto:organizingcommittee@iwsp7.org>

Feb. 9, 2015

SAND 7 Workshop Announcement

by Barbara Dorney

The seventh international workshop on Statistical Analysis of Neural Data (SAND7) will take place May 27-29, 2015, in Pittsburgh, PA. Partial travel support is available. Requests for financial support should be made by MARCH 15. There will be talks by senior investigators and junior investigators. The talks by young investigators (graduate student or postdoc/faculty within 5 years of Ph.D.) will be selected on a competitive basis. Any young investigator interested in presenting their work as a talk should submit an abstract by MARCH 1. Please see our website: http://sand.stat.cmu.edu There will also be a poster session, to which all participants are invited to contribute. Talks and posters may involve new methodology, investigation of existing methods, or application of state-of-the-art analytical techniques. Here are the confirmed keynote speakers: Gyorgy Buzsaki (NYU) Marlene Cohen (University of Pittsburgh) Adrienne Fairhall (University of Washington) Bruce Rosen (Harvard, MGH) Mark Schnitzer (Stanford) Sebastian Seung (Princeton) This workshop series is concerned with analysis of neural signals from various sources, including EEG, fMRI, MEG, 2-Photon, and extracellular recordings. It aims to define important problems in neuronal data analysis and useful strategies for attacking them; foster communication between experimental neuroscientists and those trained in statisti- cal and computational methods encourage young researchers, including graduate students, to present their work; and expose young researchers to important challenges and oppor- tunities in this interdisciplinary domain, while providing a small meeting atmosphere to facilitate the interaction of young researchers with senior colleagues. The organizers are Emery Brown, Elizabeth Buffalo, Rob Kass, Liam Paninski, Sri Sarma and Jonathan Victor. -- Barbara Dorney Assistant to the Co-Director CNBC - Carnegie Mellon University 115 Mellon Institute 4400 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (412) 268.6557 (412) 268.5060 (fax)

Feb. 9, 2015