January 2017 - Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Fancy a change in 2017? Faculty posts in the UK...

by John Spencer (PSY)

Greetings Colleagues, The School of Psychology at the University of East Anglia (https://www.uea.ac.uk/psychology) has 5 faculty positions available at the Lecturer (Assistant Prof) / Senior Lecturer/Reader (Associate Prof) / and Professor levels. This is part of a major expansion of the School; as such, we welcome interest from research teams who might offer concentrated strength in a single area. The School of Psychology is the newest school at UEA, and the first new School of Psychology to be formed in a research-intensive university in the UK for many years. These posts signal UEA's commitment to investment in world-class research, forming part of an ambitious expansion plan to create a world-leading faculty bridging disciplines to yield deep understanding of the processes that underlie and organise human behaviour. We are currently building a strength in the area of systems neuroscience, including a variety of imaging approaches as well as computational neuroscience. UEA has fantastic research facilities (fNIRS, fMRI, TMS, EEG, eye-tracking, virtual reality), a lovely campus, and it is situated in Norwich, UK - a wonderful place to live, with a castle, cathedrals, restaurants, and pubs. If you have any questions about the posts, do let me know. Details can be found at: https://www.uea.ac.uk/hr/vacancies/academic/-/asset_publisher/h0n2rDvu3ug8/… Cheers, John Spencer John P. Spencer, PhD Professor School of Psychology, Room 0.09 Lawrence Stenhouse Building, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ United Kingdom Email: j.spencer(a)uea.ac.uk<mailto:j.spencer@uea.ac.uk> School website: http://www.uea.ac.uk/psy Telephone 01603 593968 [cid:image001.png@01D09851.EF67E200] UK Top 15 (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017) UK Top 5 for Student Satisfaction (National Student Survey, 2005-2016) World Top 1% (Times Higher Education World Rankings 2016-17) World Top 100 for Research Excellence (Leiden Ranking 2016)

Jan. 12, 2017

Open postdoctoral position in fMRI data analysis at the California Institute of Technology

by Ueli Rutishauser

*Post-doctoral position for fMRI data analysis at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)* We invite applicants with strong expertise in machine learning and functional connectivity analysis of resting-state fMRI data to apply for a post-doctoral position in Caltech’s NIH Conte Center for the Neurobiology of Social Decision-Making (conte.caltech.edu) The research will be in a highly collaborative environment and include exploration of multimodal data encompassing rs-fMRI, structural MRI, psychological assessments, eyetracking data, as well as lesion data and intracranial electrophysiology, with the overall aim to investigate the neural underpinnings of individual differences. Candidates should have a recent PhD in systems, cognitive, or computational neuroscience with a track-record of first-author publications. Strong programming skills (using Matlab or Python), data handling skills, statistical literacy and fMRI software expertise (Freesurfer, AFNI/FSL/SPM, Connectome Workbench) are essential. Caltech is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants should submit a CV, including a list of publications, a brief description of research interests and analysis skills, and a list of three references to Ralph Adolphs, radolphs(a)caltech.edu.

Jan. 12, 2017

3 neuroinformatics positions in the Vogels Group at Oxford University

by timvogels＠gmail.com

Dear all, We are opening three positions (2 postdocs and a technician) in my lab to continue the work on icg.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk <http://icg.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/>. Our first paper is still in revision, but its pretty close to out now, so if we’re lucky, at some point it will make it out into the world. You can find a preprint at http://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/06/16/058685 <http://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/06/16/058685>. If you are interested (or you know someone who would be interested) in any of the open positions, please find the first two ads with information on how to apply here: bit.ly/2i8zKQU <http://bit.ly/2i8zKQU> and here: bit.ly/2jkz4cn <http://bit.ly/2jkz4cn> Deadline is the 10th of February 2017 but we will keep looking until we find suitable applicants. The starting date is negotiable. We are looking for people who can code up a storm, love neurobiology and neuroinformatics and work well in a team environment. Successful candidates will work with the other members of the @icgenalogy project within the Vogels lab, http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv <http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv> at the cncb.ox.ac.uk <http://cncb.ox.ac.uk/> at the University of Oxford. We will collaborate with https://senselab.med.yale.edu/ModelDB/ <https://senselab.med.yale.edu/ModelDB/> and hope to integrate also with http://www.opensourcebrain.org/ <http://www.opensourcebrain.org/>, http://www.treestoolbox.org/index.html <http://www.treestoolbox.org/index.html>, and any other open source brain simulation databases that wants to coordinate their efforts. Below, please find additional information for the posts, but do feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions. Applications from women and minority groups are encouraged. All the best, Tim Vogels ------------------ Prof Tim Vogels Sir Henry Dale Research Fellow, Associate Professor Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour and Oriel College Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics University of Oxford Mansfield Road Oxford, OX1 3SR http://cncb.ox.ac.uk <http://cncb.ox.ac.uk/> http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv <http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv> Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Computational Neuroscience Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford Grade 7.1 £31,076 p.a. We are seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Scientist to support and expand ongoing neuroinformatics research (https://icg.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk) undertaken in the Vogels Group at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour. The candidate will contribute to the development of approaches for the quantitative analysis, comparison and categorisation of published neuroscientific models and experimental data, aiding in field-wide standardization of experimentally-constrained modelling. The researcher will be expected to carry out simulations of morphologically detailed neuron models and neuronal networks in the NEURON simulation environment, and should be familiar with, and able to implement, standard models of ion channel function. Additionally, he/she will develop neuroinformatics infrastructure for the storage, classification and visualisation of experimental and simulated data. The successful candidate will also perform general laboratory duties to include keeping accurate records of work carried out, maintaining adequate levels of general laboratory consumables, to take part in and make regular reports at laboratory meetings and to share responsibility for general data management of the lab. The candidate will also be expected to guide and support the progress of the Graduate students in the lab. Some ad hoc teaching may also be required. The successful candidate must have a demonstrable academic interest in both computer science and the neurosciences with a PhD in neuroscience, computer science or a related discipline. They will have experience with object oriented programming, be familiar with Git and team-based software development and have laboratory experience in computational neuroscience, neuroinformatics and computer science. They should have good written and oral communication skills and be able to work as part of team and to collaborate with other colleagues on a wide range of projects. The successful candidate will be based at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA. This is a full-time, fixed-term post until March 2020 funded by the BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council). The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on 10 February 2017. Lab Technician Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford Grade 5: £24,565 p.a. We are seeking to appoint a Research Technician to support and expand ongoing neuroinformatics research (https://icg.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk) undertaken in the Vogels Group at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour. The candidate will contribute to the development of approaches for the quantitative analysis, comparison and categorisation of published neuroscientific models and experimental data, aiding in field-wide standardisation of experimentally-constrained modelling. The technician will be responsible for the curation and maintenance of a large database of published neuroscientific models and simulation data. For the expansion of the database, he/she will be expected to extract and annotate data from publications, as well as manipulate code for neuroscientific models to comply to standardized specifications. This includes the conversion of existing code between common neuronal simulator frameworks (e.g. Neuron, Moose, and Genesis). The research technician will preferably have extensive experience in neuroscience and/or computer science, or a related discipline such as maths, physics or biophysics. The post has high potential for training in neuroscience and would be an excellent starting point for a career in computational neuroscience or neuroinformatics. The candidate will be expected to work in close collaboration with all team members. The successful candidate will also perform general laboratory duties to include keeping accurate records of work carried out, maintaining adequate levels of general laboratory consumables, to take part in and make regular reports at laboratory meetings and to share responsibility for general data management of the lab. This post is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council for a fixed-term of 3 years. The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on 10th February 2017.

Jan. 12, 2017

TMBMC - Shannon Centennial Special Issue Part 1

by Dimitrov, Alex

Please, take a look at the TMBMC issue that we edited. A second volume is coming up soon… View this email in your browser<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__us12.campaign-2Darchive…> [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/660c2fc8403470cea02de0f18/images/6690283a-215…]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications is proud to announce that our Special Issue on Biological Applications of Information Theory in Honor of Claude Shannon’s Centennial—Part 1 is now live on IEEE Xplore<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…>. Within the issue, you'll find the following 8 papers: * Mechanisms of information filtering in neural systems (Invited Paper; Linder) * Noise Filtering and Prediction in Biological Signaling Networks (Invited Paper; Hathcock, Sheehy, Weisenberger, Ilker, and Hinczewski) * The Use of Rate Distortion Theory to Evaluate Biological Signaling Pathways (Invited Paper; Iglesias) * Nonlinear Stochastic Dynamics of Complex Systems, III: Noneqilibrium Thermodynamics of Self-Replication Kinetics (Saakian and Qian) * Inferring Biological Networks by Sparse Identification of Nonlinear Dynamics (Mangan, Brunton, Proctor and Kutz) * Info-Clustering: A Mathematical Theory for Data Clustering (Chan, Al-Bashabsheh, Kaced, Zhou and Liu) * Fundamental Bounds for Sequence Reconstruction from Nanopore Sequencers (Magner, Duda, Szpankowski and Grama) * Inference of Causal Information Flow in Collective Animal Behavior (Lord, Sun, Ouellette and Bollt) Special Issue Guest Editors Prof. Alexander G. Dimitrov Department of Mathematics and Statistics Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington, USA Prof. Faramarz Fekri Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Prof. Aurel Lazar Department of Electrical Engineering Columbia University, New York, New York, USA Prof. Stefan M. Moser Signal and Information Processing Lab (ISI) ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering National Chiao Tung University (NCTU), Hsinchu, Taiwan Prof. Peter J. Thomas* Department of Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department of Biology Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA *corresponding guest editor The Special Issue on Biological Applications of Information Theory in Honor of Claude Shannon’s Centennial—Part 2 is forthcoming. Sincerely, Christina Tang-Bernas Editorial Assistant IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications Copyright © 2017 IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have attended a TMBMC-related event, are affiliated with TMBMC and/or their editors, published in TMBMC, or opted in at the TMBMC website. Our mailing address is: IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications 3737 Watt Way PHE 506 Los Angeles, CA 90089 Add us to your address book<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> or unsubscribe from this list<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> This email was sent to alex.dimitrov(a)vancouver.wsu.edu<mailto:alex.dimitrov@vancouver.wsu.edu> why did I get this?<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> unsubscribe from this list<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> update subscription preferences<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications · 3737 Watt Way · PHE 506 · Los Angeles, CA 90089 · USA [mail Marketing Powered by MailChimp]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.mailchimp.com_monke…>

Jan. 11, 2017

PhD position Warwick University - neuroimaging genetics for economic and strategic choice

by Massaro, Sebastiano

[Apologies for cross-postings. Please feel free to circulate the post to your network. Thanks] PhD Position at Warwick University Neuroimaging genetics for economic and strategic choice [Competitive funding for UK/EU candidates only] Applications are invited for a full-time PhD position at Warwick University on "neuroimaging genetics for economic and strategic choice" commencing in October 2017. The project will be developed under the supervision of Prof. Feng (Warwick and Fudan) and Dr. Massaro (Warwick), at the Department of Computer Science and Warwick Business School, respectively. This project is part of an ongoing research endeavour developed with Prof. Rustichini at the University of Minnesota, Economics, and may involve other Departments and scholars at Warwick. The candidate will be based at Warwick University; due to the nature of project may be required to occasionally travel to Minneapolis and/or Shanghai. The project This PhD project undertakes a multidisciplinary approach to advance the current understanding of the biological basis of human economic and strategic decision making. The overarching question of this PhD project is: How do genes, brain activity, and behaviour relate to one another to explain the underpinnings of economic and strategic choice? Behavioral, physiological, structural and functional brain imaging, as well as genetic data will be analyzed in an integrated way to identify the biological origins and pathways expressed in brain activity and associated to specific economic and strategic tasks. Depending on their background, the candidate will join this project by contributing to the development of the genetic (GWAS), statistical (classic and Bayesian), neuroimaging (fMRI), and/or computational aspects of the project. Candidate specification We seek to recruit a highly motivated student with very strong numeracy and/or experimental skills. The ideal candidate will have a first class (or equivalent) BSc or preferably MSc degree (awarded/expected) from a reputed University in a discipline relevant to the project (i.e., mathematics, physics, computer science, cognitive sciences, genetics, neuroscience, bioinformatics, economics). Interest in the study of strategic decision-making and neuroeconomics, and former experience with genetic analyses, fMRI data analysis, and/or computational neuroscience methods are desirable. Proficiency in oral and written English is required according to the University Regulations (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/english/<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=70842&type=184&DID=22…>). How to apply Candidates interested in this project shall initially contact Dr. Massaro via email (sebastiano.massaro(a)wbs.ac.uk) including a copy of their CVs (with the name of 2 referees), and specifying if self-funded or seeking a scholarship, by the 7th of February 2017. Following this, shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an informal interview. Pending a positive outcome, if seeking funding, the candidate will then be endorsed for application to the highly-competitive Bridges Programme (see below). This does not guarantee funding/placement in the Bridges Programme. Funding Shortlisted candidates seeking funding will be endorsed for application to the Bridges Programme at the University of Warwick. The Bridges Programme aims to provide PhD students with deep knowledge of contemporary research questions in the social sciences, and rigorous training in the mathematical and computational approaches needed to answer them. The Trust has a particular interest in supporting UK or EU students. More information can be found here (View Website<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=70842&type=184&DID=22…>) Other UK/EU scholarships may be available at the University of Warwick for 2017/18 intake (View Website<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=70842&type=184&DID=22…>). Applications from self-funded candidates are also welcome.

Jan. 11, 2017

[EAIS 2017] Paper Submission deadline is on Sunday, 15th January 2017 2359 UTC-12hr

by Teng Teck Hou

[Apologies for cross-postings] ################################################## CALL FOR PAPERS IEEE Conference on Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems (EAIS 2017) May 31- June 2, 2017, Ljubljana, Slovenia http://msc.fe.uni-lj.si/eais2017/ ################################################## The 2017 IEEE Conference on Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems (EAIS 2017) will be held in Ljubljana (Slovenia), a beautiful medieval town. Ljubljana lies halfway between Vienna and Venice, at the crossroads of different cultures, geographical regions, and historical developments. Compared to other capitals, Ljubljana is very small, very green, and very walking-friendly town, which makes it a great place to explore on foot. It is in the center of Slovenia and enables exploring some of the most popular tourist sights of Slovenia in one day. Visit enchanting Bled, with its medieval castle perched upon the lake, explore mysterious Predjama castle and end the trip by visiting Postojna cave, Slovenia's number 1 attraction. EAIS 2017 will provide a working and friendly atmosphere and will be a leading international forum focusing on the discussion of recent advances, the exchange of recent innovations and the outline of open important future challenges in the area of Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems. Over the past decade, this area has emerged to play an important role on a broad international level in today's real-world applications, especially those ones with high complexity and dynamics change. Its embedded modelling and learning methodologies are able to cope with real-time demands, changing operation conditions, varying environmental influences, human behaviors, knowledge expansion scenarios and drifts in online data streams. EAIS 2017 is organized by the IEEE Technical Committee on Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems, SMC Society. The conference series has a history starting in 2006 in Lake District (England). It was held after that in Witten-Bommerholz (Germany), Nashville (USA), Leicester (England), Paris (France), Madrid (Spain), Singapore, Linz (Austria), Douai (France), and Natal (Brasil). Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended versions for possible inclusion in a special issue of the Journal Evolving Systems (Springer). ##############################Important Dates############################## * Paper Submission January 15, 2017 * Paper Decision Notification February 24, 2017 * Camera-Ready Submission March 24, 2017 * Authors registration March 24, 2017 * Conference May 31 - June 2, 2017 ########################################################################### ##########################Keynote Speakers########################## * Plamen Angelov, Professor, Lancaster University, United Kingdom * Fernando Gomide, Professor, University of Campinas, Brazil * Nikola Kasabov, Professor of Computer Sience, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand #################################################################### ##########################Accepted Special Sessions########################## 1. Computational Intelligence in Control of Power Generating Systems, Transmission and Load Management, Session proposer: Horst Schulte, HTW Berlin Email: Horst.Schulte(a)HTW-Berlin.de ############################################################################ # ############Paper Submission and Publication############ * Papers for EAIS 2017 should be submitted electronically through the Conference website at http://msc.fe.uni-lj.si/eais2017. * Submitted papers will be refereed by experts in the fields and ranked based on the criteria of originality, significance, quality and clarity. ######################################################## ######################################################## IEEE Autonomous Learning Machines Competition ALMA Competition is organized by IEEE SMC Society. The goal of this competition is to increase the level of autonomy of the learning algorithms. Competition Tracks: 1. New data sets and streams that are suitable demonstrators for the topic of the competition. 2. New methods and algorithms for Autonomous Machine Learning in: . Clustering . Classification . Control . Prediction Awards: Track 1 - $1000 Track 2 - $1000 in each category ($4000). Important Dates: 31 January, 2017. Deadline for submitting the algorithms in open source GNU license format. The proposed methods and algorithms must be described in form of papers and submitted to the ALS Competition track of EAIS 2017 and presented at the conference (which will be held in Ljubljana, Slovenia). May 31- June 2, 2017. Results will be announced during the conference EAIS 2017. ######################################################## ##################Topics and Areas of Interest################## This conference solicits papers addressing original works in topics and areas of interest including, but are not limited to: * Basic Methologies Evolving Soft Computing Techniques Evolving Fuzzy Systems Evolving Rule-Based Classifiers Evolving Neuro-Fuzzy Systems Adaptive Evolving Neural Networks Adaptive Evolving Fuzzy Systems Online Genetic and Evolutionary Algorithms Data Stream Mining Incremental and Evolving Clustering Approaches Adaptive Control Adaptive Pattern Recognition Computational Intelligence in Control and Estimation Incremental and Evolving ML Classifiers Adaptive Statistical Techniques Evolving Decision Systems Big Data Advanced Concepts * Problems and Methodologies in Data Streams Stability, Robustness, Convergence in Evolving Systems Online Feature Selection and Dimension Reduction Online Active and Semi-supervised Learning Online Complexity Reduction Computational Aspects Interpretability Issues Incremental Adaptive Ensemble Methods Online Bagging and Boosting Self-monitoring Evolving Systems Human-Machine Interaction Issues Hybrid Modeling Transfer Learning Reservoir Computing Real-world Applications * EIS for On-Line Modeling, System Identification, and Control EIS for Time Series Prediction EIS for Data Stream Mining and Adaptive Knowledge Discovery EIS in Robotics, Intelligent Transport and Advanced Manufacturing EIS in Advanced Communications and Multi-Media Applications EIS in Bioinformatics and Medicine EIS in Online Quality Control and Fault Diagnosis EIS in Condition Monitoring Systems EIS in Adaptive Evolving Controller Design EIS in User Activities Recognition EIS in Huge Database and Web Mining EIS in Visual Inspection and Image Classification EIS in Image Processing EIS in Cloud Computing EIS in Multiple Sensor Networks EIS in Query Systems and Social Networks EIS in Alternative Statistical and Machine Learning Approaches ################################################################ ##########################Organizing Committee########################## * Honorary Chairs Plamen Angelov, UK Dimitar Filev, USA Nikola Kasabov, New Zealand * Conference Chair Igor Škrjanc, chair, Slovenia Sašo Blažic, co-chair, Slovenia * Publication Chairs Edwin Lughofer, Austria Sašo Blažic, Slovenia * Local Arrangement Chairs Dejan Dovžan, Slovenia Milan Simcic, Slovenia * Web & Publicity Chair José A. Iglesias, Spain Teck-Hou Teng, Singapore * Special Session Chair: Radu-Emil Precup, Romania * Program Committee Chair: Igor Škrjanc, Slovenia * International Program Committe Cesare Alippi, Italy Plamen Angelov, UK Rosangela Ballini, Brazil Rashmi Dutta Baruah, India Abdelhamid Bouchachia, UK Jorge Cassillas, Spain Bruno Costa, Brazil Dejan Dovžan, Slovenia Alain Droniou, France Dimitar Filev, USA Nadine Gaertner, Germany Joao Gama, Portugal Fernando Gomide, Brazil Jose Antonio Iglesias Martínez, Spain Lazaros Iliadis, Greece Nik Kasabov, New Zealand Juš Kocijan, Slovenia Ana Kosareva, Germany Rudolf Kruse, Germany Agapito Ledezma, Spain Daniel Furtado Leite, Brazil Andre Lemos, Brazil Chin Teng Lin, Taiwan Edwin Lughofer, Austria Yannis Manolopoulos, Greece Trevor Martin, UK Moamar Sayed Mouchaweh, France Veronika Nesheva, UK Seiichi Ozawa, Japan Witold Pedrycz, Canada Radu-Emil Precup, Romania Jose de Jesus Rubio, Mexico Araceli Sanchis de Miguel, Spain Horst Schulte, Germany Olga Senyukova, Russia Teck Hou Teng, Singapore Marley Vellasco, Brazil Di Wang, UAE Wilson Wang, Canada Ronald Yager, USA ####################################################################### #########################Sponsoring Organizations######################### * IEEE * Laboratory of Modeling, Simulation and Control, University of Ljubljana * Laboratory of Autonomous Mobile Systems, University of Ljubljana ##########################################################################

Jan. 11, 2017

PhD position available at ETH Zürich

by Felix Franke

We are looking for a talented student with a proactive and self-driven nature who will map functional characteristics of retinal ganglion cells across the entire retina. The successful candidate will perform experiments with ex-vivo retinae and state-of-the-art microelectrode array technology in an interdisciplinary research project and will collaborate with scientists in electrical engineering, neurobiology, computational neuroscience and ophthalmic research. The PhD project is set in an interdisciplinary research group providing an exciting scientific environment and linked with several ongoing projects. It will pave the way to a better functional understanding of the organization of retina, including the optics of the eye and the statistics of natural stimuli. In particular, we want to understand if functional properties of retinal ganglion cells follow a spatial organization across the entire retina. The ideal candidate will have strong programming skills (e.g., Matlab, Python, C++), knowledge of statistics and data analysis methods, and a background in Systems Neuroscience, Electrophysiology, Computational Neuroscience, Signal Processing, Optics or related fields. Inquiries should be addressed to Dr. Felix Franke (felix.franke(a)ethz.ch) The position is with the Bio Engineering Laboratory of ETH Zurich in Basel in the group of Prof. Andreas Hierlemann (https://www.bsse.ethz.ch/bel) and begins in March 2017 although the starting date is flexible. The position is fully funded for 4 years. Please apply under https://apply.refline.ch/845721/5083/pub/1/index.html including a CV, short statement of motivation and research interests, and two letters of reference. -- Felix Franke, PhD ETH Zürich, D-BSSE Bio Engineering Laboratory (BEL) http://www.bsse.ethz.ch/bel

Jan. 10, 2017

Save the Date: 3rd Int. Workshop on Machine learning, Optimization & big Data - MOD 2017 Call for Papers - Paper submission deadline: February 28, 2017

by Giuseppe Nicosia

[Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this announcement] [Please kindly help forward it to potentially interested attendees] 3rd International Workshop on Machine learning, Optimization and big Data - MOD 2017 An Interdisciplinary Workshop: Machine Learning, Optimization and Data Science without Borders - SIAF Learning Village - Volterra (Pisa) Tuscany, September 14-17, 2017 http://www.taosciences.it/mod/ modworkshop2017(a)gmail.com ************************* CALL FOR PAPERS ************************* Paper submission deadline: February 28, 2017 http://www.taosciences.it/mod/call-for-papers/ https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mod2017 The MOD 2017 workshop will consist of four days of workshop sessions and special sessions. We invite submissions of papers, abstracts and posters on all topics related to Machine learning, Optimization and Big Data including real-world applications for the workshop proceedings: http://www.taosciences.it/mod/call-for-papers/ https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mod2017 Please prepare your paper in English using the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) template, which is available http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0 Papers must be submitted in PDF. MOD 2017 Types of Submissions When submitting a paper to MOD 2017, authors are required to select one of the following four types of papers: + Long paper: original novel and unpublished work (max. 12 pages in Springer LNCS format); + Short paper: an extended abstract of novel work (max. 4 pages); + Work for oral presentation only (no page restriction; any format). For example, work already published elsewhere, which is relevant and which may solicit fruitful discussion at the workshop; + Work for poster presentation only. The poster format for the presentation is A0 (118.9 cm high and 84.1 cm wide, respectively 46.8 x 33.1 inch). For research work which is relevant and which may solicit fruitful discussion at the workshop. MOD 2017 Post-Proceedings All accepted long papers will be published in a volume of the series 'Lecture Notes in Computer Science' from Springer *after* the Workshop. Instructions for preparing and submitting the final versions (camera-ready papers) of all accepted papers will be available later on. All the other papers (short papers, abstract of the oral presentations, poster presentations) will be published on the MOD 2017 web site. MOD 2017 Submission System All papers must be submitted using EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mod2017 The deadline is February 28, 2017 MOD 2017 Important Dates + Paper Submission Deadline: February 28, 2017 + Decision Notification to Authors: May 1st, 2017 + Camera Ready Submission Deadline: June 1st, 2017 + Deadline for early Registration as Presenting Author: June 1st, 2017 + Late registration: June 2 – September 17, 2017 + On-Site registration: September 14-17, 2017 + MOD 2017 Workshop: September 14-17, 2017 We look forward to seeing you in Tuscany! Giuseppe Nicosia & Panos Pardalos - MOD 2017 Chairs. — http://www.taosciences.it/mod/ modworkshop2017(a)gmail.com MOD 2016 Keynote Speakers: Nello Cristianini, University of Bristol, UK George Michailidis, University of Florida, USA Stephen Muggleton, Imperial College London, UK Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA http://www.taosciences.it/mod-2016/keynote-speakers/ MOD 2015 Keynote Speakers: Vipin Kumar, University of Minnesota, USA Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA Tomaso Poggio, MIT, USA http://www.taosciences.it/mod-2015/MOD 2015 -- Giuseppe Nicosia, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Computer Science Dept of Mathematics & Computer Science University of Catania Viale A. Doria, 6 - 95125 Catania, Italy P +39 095 7383048 nicosia(a)dmi.unict.it http://www.dmi.unict.it/nicosia ================================================================== 4th International Synthetic & Systems Biology Summer School - SSBSS 2017 * Biology meets Computer Science & Engineering * July 17-21, 2017 - University of Cambridge, Robinson College, UK http://www.taosciences.it/ssbss/ Contact Email: ssbss.school(a)gmail.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/ssbss.school/ SSBSS - Synthetic & Systems Biology Summer School Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/238417586492061/ Computational Synthetic Biology Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1014624245288596/ ================================================================== 3rd International Workshop on Machine learning, Optimization & big Data - MOD 2017 September 14-17, 2017 - Volterra (Pisa), Tuscany, Italy modworkshop2017(a)gmail.com http://www.taosciences.it/mod/ ==================================================================

Jan. 9, 2017

Master position in computational neuroscience at INRIA

by Bruno Cessac

Master position in computational neuroscience at INRIA We are seeking an undergraduate student interested in doing a Master thesis, possibly followed by a funded Ph.D. in our group Biovision at INRIA Sophia Antipolis <http://www.inria.fr/en/centre/sophia> lead by Dr. Bruno Cessac. The detailed proposition can be found here https://team.inria.fr/biovision/files/2016/12/M2_Intership_Proposal.pdf In collaboration with experimentalists our group studies how the visual system encodes information about external word. We propose biophysical models, we develop methods coming from theoretical physics and mathematics to analyse them, and we design software inspired from the visual system to mimic its behaviour and to analyse experimental data. Successful applicants should have a strong background in computer science. Physics, mathematics or life science majors with strong skills in computer science (especially C/C++), interested in quantitative modeling work are also encouraged to apply, particularly if they would like to combine experiments and theory in their Master or Ph.D. thesis work. In order to make teamwork in our group enjoyable and fun, the ideal candidate should have a strong work ethic and have demonstrated consistent self-motivation skills. Unfortunately our source of fundings only covers members of the European Community. Prospective students should apply by sending an email to which includes * a letter of motivation, * CV, * and a copy of the current academic transcripts to be sent to bruno.cessac(a)inria.fr Looking forward to your applications! Bruno Cessac

Jan. 9, 2017

several full-time job openings at HRL Laboratories in Malibu, CA

by Pilly, Praveen K

(1) POST DOC RESEARCH STAFF, Machine Learning and Brain-Inspired Computing (2) RESEARCH STAFF, Machine Learning and Brain-Inspired Computing EDUCATION DESIRED: Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, Neuroscience, Machine Learning, or related fields. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION: To develop, implement, and evaluate novel large-scale brain-inspired computational architectures, including spiking neuromorphic models, to solve complex problems such as resilient sensorimotor control; one-shot learning; visual scene segmentation, recognition, and tracking; spatiotemporal pattern discovery; big data prognostics and diagnostics; grammar learning; etc. Additional job functions include writing invention disclosures, publishing papers, making presentations, and assisting in marketing HRL expertise. KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE DESIRED: Programming proficiency in C++, Python, or Matlab is required. Knowledge and/or research experience in the development, implementation, and evaluation of various neural networks including spiking neuromorphic models, deep learning models, hierarchical temporal memory models, recurrent neural networks, long short-term memory models, deep reinforcement models. Knowledge of expectation maximization theory, Bayesian inference on graphical models, reinforcement learning theory, control systems, nonlinear optimization, and episodic, semantic, and procedural memory systems is preferred. Any experience with high-performance computing using clusters, GPUs, or FPGAs will be a plus. ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS: Good communication (verbal and written) skills, and active participation in R&D team activities are required. Able and willing to occasionally travel. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: U.S. person status required. (3) POST DOC RESEARCH STAFF, Machine Learning and EEG Processing EDUCATION DESIRED: Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, Neuroscience, Machine Learning, Bio-Statistics, or related fields ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION: To develop, implement, and validate real-time pattern recognition algorithms for decoding high-density EEG signals to predict future behavioral performance and inform non-invasive brain stimulation for behavioral enhancement in realistic tasks. Additional job functions include writing invention disclosures, publishing papers, making presentations, and assisting in marketing HRL expertise. EXPERIENCE DESIRED: Research experience in one or more of the following areas: high-density EEG decoding, pattern recognition applied to brain/body signals, machine learning with very limited training data, brain-machine interfaces, neural statistical modeling, closed-loop brain stimulation, and computational neuroscience. Deep understanding of machine learning algorithms applied to EEG is highly desirable. Experience developing innovative solutions based upon the application of relevant research results from a wide variety of sources. Individuals with a keen interest in translating basic neuroscience research into real-world applications are especially encouraged to apply. KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE DESIRED: Background in one or more of the following areas: machine learning, pattern recognition, statistical data analysis, neural statistical modeling, neurophysiology, peripheral physiology, neuroscience, and sleep/wake states. Programming proficiency in Matlab and/or C++ is required. ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS: Good communication (verbal and written) skills and active participation in R&D team activities are required. Able and willing to occasionally travel. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: U.S. person status required. We are proud to be an EOE/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disability employer. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing. (4) SOFTWARE ENGINEER, Cluster Implementation for Large-Scale Brain Networks EDUCATION DESIRED: Master's degree (or higher) in computer science, engineering, or related fields ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION: To implement and evaluate flexible, general-purpose large-scale brain networks on CPU and GPU clusters for real-time operation in real-world applications. Also to visualize large-scale network activity and develop a user interface to set various parameters. Additional job functions include writing invention disclosures, publishing papers, making presentations, and assisting in marketing HRL expertise. KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE DESIRED: Strong C++ and Python programming skills are required. Experience with/knowledge of brain networks and neural models is highly desired. Experience with threaded programming and MPI, and familiarity with Linux development environment is desired but not necessary. ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS: Good communication (verbal and written) skills, and active participation in R&D team activities are required. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: U.S. person status required. We are proud to be an EOE/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disability employer. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing. The Information and Systems Sciences Laboratory (ISSL) at HRL Laboratories conducts groundbreaking research in three thrust areas: Complex Networks, Secure and Resilient Systems, Autonomy Computing, and Human-Machine Cognition. We create new and innovative capabilities for diverse applications such as cyber-security, unmanned autonomous systems, human performance augmentation, big data analytics, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and electronic warfare. The goal of our research in Human-Machine Cognition is to understand how humans process information and effectively interact with the environment to develop smarter autonomous systems, enhance human performance, and develop novel processing systems. Our research starts with the development of large-scale, neurobiologically and behaviorally faithful brain region models. We apply these models along with real-time measurements of brain activity (EEG, fMRI, fNIRS) to create advanced brain-computer interfaces, human decision aids, and neurostimulation-based enhanced training systems. We also use our models to develop novel brain-inspired sensor exploitation, machine learning, and control algorithms, and to develop low size, weight and power brain-based processing hardware for resilient autonomous systems, dexterous robots, and threat warning applications. HRL offers a competitive salary and benefits package, a small company atmosphere, and an ideal work location overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We also provide a collaborative technical culture committed to producing the leading R&D in the world. If interested, please send your resume via email to Dr. Praveen Pilly (pkpilly(a)hrl.com<mailto:pkpilly@hrl.com>) and put the pertinent Job Name in the subject heading. -- Praveen K. Pilly, Ph.D. Research Staff Scientist Information and Systems Sciences Laboratory HRL Laboratories Address: 3011 Malibu Canyon Road, Malibu, CA 90265 Tel: (310) 317-5492 Email: pkpilly(a)hrl.com

Jan. 8, 2017