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

MCAA Academy: Call for Mentors

by Jolivet, Renaud

Dear list, Please find below a call for mentors for a new program of the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) affiliated with EU institutions. MCAA Academy is a new program to support the career development of its members. Mentoring is at the core of the program. Our advanced mentoring platform provides a continuous, full-spectrum learning experience, allowing mentees to focus on the skills that matter the most, when they matter the most. We are seeking outstanding professionals to mentor MCAA members using this platform. Mentors are expected to have achieved an advanced stage in their career and be willing to provide leadership and advice to our members. The program will run for 6 months and will require up to 1 hour face time per month. Mentors and mentees will be matched according to their skills, interests and career goals. Do you want to become a mentor? Complete the registration form at https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/form/mcaa-academy-call-mentors. Want to know more about the Marie Curie Alumni Association, visit https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/. Regards, Renaud Jolivet — Prof. Renaud Jolivet University of Geneva, Physics Section CERN, Experimental Physics Department +41 79 830 2129 (mobile) +41 22 379 6275 (UNIGE) +41 22 767 2470 (CERN) renaud.jolivet(a)unige.ch<mailto:renaud.jolivet@unige.ch> linkedin.com/in/renaud-jolivet-63b5534<http://linkedin.com/in/renaud-jolivet-63b5534> http://unige.ch/dpnc/en/groups/renaud-jolivet/home/ https://scholar.google.ch/citations?user=9Ozwv7EAAAAJ&hl=en

Nov. 8, 2017

EPSRC funded PhD in Computational/Mathematical Neuroscience (funded for UK students)

by James Rankin

*3 EPSRC funded PhD positions in Computational & Mathematical Neuroscience* UK students (or students who have spent last 3 years in UK) fully funded (fees and stipend) EU students partially funded (fees but no stipend) International students not eligible Application deadline: 10th January 2018 The studentships will provide funding for a stipend which is currently £14,553 per annum for 2017-2018. It will provide research costs and UK/EU tuition fees at Research Council UK rates for 42 months (3.5 years) for full-time students, pro rata for part-time students. * The neural circuitry mediating multisensory integration in Platynereis larvae* Supervisors: Dr James Rankin and Prof Gáspár Jékely (Living Systems Institute, Exeter) http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=2901 * Cortical network models to understand differential input response properties during active and silent states* Supervisors: Dr James Rankin and Dr Mick Craig (Medical School, Exeter) http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=2903 * Determination of parameter dependencies across diverse populations of neuronal and excitable cells* Supervisors: Dr James Rankin and Dr Joel Tabak (Medical School, Exeter) http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=2932 Apply through links above or contact pgrenquiries(a)exeter.ac.uk or j.a.rankin(a)exeter.ac.uk directly with any questions. -- <comp-neuro(a)neuroinformatics.be> http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/jar226

Nov. 7, 2017

Postdoc Position Available - Human Intracranial Electrophysiology

by Woolnough, Oscar

Postdoctoral Research Positions Available Postdoctoral research positions are available at the NeuroImaging and Electrophysiology Lab (www.tandonlab.org) in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. One position is funded by a recently awarded BRAIN Initiative U01 grant. The project uses electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings to evaluate psycho-linguistic models of reading and speech production to create network level representation of language. Collaborators on the project with whom the post-doc will work closely are Nathan Crone (Hopkins), Greg Hickok (UCI), Stanislas Dehaene (College de France), Xaq Pitkow (Baylor) and Josh Breier (UT Houston). A second position is internally funded and will use existing ECoG data, electrical cortical stimulation mapping data and lesional analysis to probe the relationship between electrophysiology and causality. Project Description: This is a project brings together multiple modalities - intracranial EEG (iEEG) recordings, fMRI, lesional analysis, brain mapping and computational neuroscience to better understand the uniquely human behaviors of reading and speech production. More details about the U01 grant are online at NIH Reporter; details about the lab are at www.tandonlab.org. The post-docs will benefit from a close interaction with several expert collaborators in the fields of reading, semantics, and speech production. Post-doc Responsibilities: The selected individuals are expected to be highly motivated, team players with a passion to study cognitive processes using direct recordings in humans. He or she will be responsible for 1) optimizing and refining paradigms for use in the project, 2) data collection in the epilepsy monitoring unit and in the MRI scanner, 3) ECoG, cortical mapping and lesional data analysis using analysis pipelines existent in the lab and via the development of innovative strategies, and 4) data presentation at conferences, manuscript and grant writing. Requirements: The selected individuals must have a Ph.D. in one or more of the following - neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, mathematics, electrical engineering or computer science. Previous experience in neural time series data analysis or functional imaging studies of reading or language production is highly desirable. Crucial is the ability to independently code in either or all of the following – MATLAB, R or Python. Given the multiple unpredictable variables and privacy issues around data collection in human patients, the individuals must possess high ethical and professional standards. The individuals must possess the ability to work effectively independently, yet collaborate effectively on projects with multiple investigators. Publication records and prior academic credentials may also factor into hiring decisions. If you are interested, please email nitin.tandon(a)uth.tmc.edu<mailto:nitin.tandon@uth.tmc.edu> or call (713) 500-5475.

Nov. 7, 2017

SfN 2017: Visit the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience at booth #3523

by Alexandra Stein

Dear all, The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience [6] will be an exhibitor at the SfN Meeting 2017. Please find us at the NEUROSCIENCE IN GERMANY booth #3523. The Bernstein Network will present: * research fields * study and training programs * open positions * research and funding opportunities * infrastructural facilities Furthermore, the German Neuroinformatics Node (G-Node) [7] will present their data management services [8] for organizing, sharing, and publishing research data. Demo presentations times are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (Nov 13, 14, 15) 3pm - 5pm, or by individual appointment (mail to info(a)g-node.org<mailto:info@g-node.org>). We are looking forward to welcoming you at booth #3523! Best regards Alexandra Stein -- Dr. Alexandra Stein Head of Bernstein Coordination Site Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9583 mobile: (+49) 0151 67114645 mail: a.stein(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:a.stein@fz-juelich.de> web: www.nncn.de<http://www.nncn.de> Twitter: NNCN_Germany YouTube: Bernstein TV Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nov. 7, 2017

Post-doctoral position in the area of Neuroscience and AI, Kyoto University, Japan

by Hideaki Shimazaki

A postdoc opportunity in the area of Neuroscience and AI is available at Kyoto University in Japan The lab of ‘cooperative intelligence’ was launched in the Dept. of Intelligence Science and Technology at Kyoto University in Japan since April 2017. This is a part of collaborative research activities between the department and Honda Research Institute Japan Co. Ltd. toward realizing a better society with humans and machines living together. In order to achieve this goal, our group strives to understand theoretical principles of organisms’ perception and behavior in adapting to environment, and apply these principles to machines. We aim at strengthening computational and statistical approaches to neuroscience (See references below) and extend the knowledge to create intelligent machines. A postdoc position is available for this research area. Our lab is located in a historic building at the main campus of Kyoto University. Kyoto is one of the oldest cities in Japan with a full of historic monuments. The academic and culturally rich environment of Kyoto is suitable for conducting creative research activities. Place: Dept. of Intelligence Science and Technology, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University Period: Present - 2020/3/31 Deadline of application: 2017/11/30 Please check the following URL for further information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0HpHsDtiVezSFYxMVNYekFXWGc/view?usp=shari… To apply, please send a CV, a statement of research interest (maximum 2 pages), and contact information of two references to h.shimazaki(a)i.kyoto-u.ac.jp. Feel free to send any informal questions regarding this post. Sincerely, Hideaki Shimazaki, PhD Program-specific Associate Professor at Kyoto University Senior Scientist at Honda Research Institute Japan Email: h.shimazaki(a)i.kyoto-u.ac.jp Lab webpage: http://ci.ist.i.kyoto-u.ac.jp/index.php?id=10 Personal webpage: http://www.neuralengine.org --------------------- Refs: Donner C, Obermeyer K, Shimazaki H. Approximate inference for time-varying interactions and macroscopic dynamics of neural populations. PLoS Computational Biology (2017) 13(1): e1005309 Shimazaki H. Neurons as an Information-theoretic Engine. arXiv:1512.07855 (2015) (to appear as 'Neural Engine Hypothesis' in Ed. Chen and Sarma 'Dynamic Brain', Springer.) Shimazaki H, Amari S, Brown EN, and Gruen S, State-space analysis of time-varying higher-order spike correlation for multiple neural spike train data. PLOS Computational Biology (2012) 8(3): e1002385

Nov. 7, 2017

COSYNE 2018: Abstract submission closes soon, Registration, Travel grants

by Tomas Hromadka

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2018 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING 01 - 04 March 2018 Denver, Colorado WORKSHOPS 05 - 06 March 2018 Breckenridge, Colorado www.cosyne.org ==================================================== IMPORTANT DATES Abstract submission is now open. *Abstract submission deadline: 20 November 2017* Online registration opens: 10 November 2017 Travel grant submission opens: 10 November 2017 ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE ---------------------------------------------------- The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks is selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. For details on workshop proposals please see below or visit Cosyne.org -> Workshops. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, and computation with spiking networks. This year we would like to foster increased participation from experimental groups as well as computational ones. Please circulate widely and encourage your students and postdocs to apply. When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting, due to space constraints. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. For more information and details on submitting abstracts please visit Cosyne.org -> Abstracts. ----------------------------------------------- TRAVEL GRANTS ----------------------------------------------- Applications are now open for travel grants to attend the conference. Each awardee will receive at least $500 to help offset the costs of travel, registration, and accommodations. Larger grants may be available to those traveling from outside North America. Special consideration is given to scientists who have not previously attended the meeting, under-represented minorities, students who are attending the meeting together with a mentor, undergraduate students, and authors of submitted Cosyne abstracts. We currently offer four travel grant programs for New Attendees, Presenters, Mentors, and Undergraduates. For details on applying, see Cosyne.org -> Travel grants. COSYNE SPEAKERS Tim Behrens (Oxford) Josh Berke (UCSF) Tiago Branco (UCL) Jessica Cardin (Yale) Claudia Clopath (Imperial) Marlene Cohen (Pittsburgh) Iain Couzin (Max-Planck) Carina Curto (Penn State) Ann Graybiel (MIT) Vivek Jayaraman (Janelia) Mate Lengyel (Cambridge) Joni Wallis (Berkeley) Byron Yu (CMU) ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General Chairs: Ilana Witten (Princeton) and Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Program Chairs: Linda Wilbrecht (Berkeley) and Brent Doiron (U Pittsburgh) Workshop Chairs: Laura Busse (LMU) and Ralf Haefner (U Rochester) Undergraduate Travel Chairs: Angela Langdon (Princeton) and Robert Wilson (U Arizona) Publicity Chair: Il Memming Park (Stony Brook) Development Chair: Michael Long (NYU) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org COSYNE MAILING LISTS Please consider adding yourself to Cosyne mailing lists (groups) to receive email updates with various Cosyne-related information and join in helpful discussions. See Cosyne.org -> Mailing lists for details.

Nov. 6, 2017

Position in computational neuroanatomy at the Allen Institute

by Nuno da Costa

Dear comp-neuro list members, We are seeking a scientist to work on the analysis of large scale electron microscopy datasets and to investigate the relationship between structure and function of cortical networks. The scientist will be an essential member of the Neural Coding team studying the relationship between neural circuits and neural dynamics by combining in vivo functional imaging with ex vivo state of the art Electron Microscopy in the visual cortex of mice. If you are interested on know of someone that is interested, the application link is: https://alleninstitute.hrmdirect.com/employment/job-opening.php?req=639564&… Many thanks and kind regards Nuno Nuno Macarico da Costa Assistant Investigator T: 206.548.8437 [cid:image001.png@01D356E8.F5D70FF0] www.alleninstitute.org<http://www.alleninstitute.org/>

Nov. 6, 2017

postdoc in statistical neuroscience of human language

by xaq pitkow

Postdoctoral research position in neuroscience of Human Language POSITION: We seek a highly motivated postdoctoral research fellow for a collaborative team project interpreting intracranial recordings from human patients during language tasks. The fellow will apply statistical models to this neural data, and will help develop a dynamic network model of language. TEAM: The fellow will collaborate primarily with Houston-based neurotheorist Xaq Pitkow (xaqlab.com) and neurosurgeon Nitin Tandon (tandonlab.org) and our labs, and will also interact with other team members including Nathan Crone, Stan Dehaene, and Greg Hickok. The fellow will be a member of the new Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence housed at the Baylor College of Medicine. The Center brings together interdisciplinary researchers from across Houston, including members from Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, University of Houston, and University of Texas Health Sciences. Researchers at the Center contribute diverse expertise in fields including neuroscience, machine learning, statistics, physics, computer science, electrical engineering, and applied mathematics. QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must have outstanding mathematical skills, a PhD in a relevant quantitative discipline, expertise in statistical machine learning, and interest in language processing. APPLYING: Applicants should email a letter of research interests and CV to Xaq Pitkow (xaq(a)rice.edu) along with contact information for three references. We look forward to hearing from you!

Nov. 6, 2017

Call for Participation: IEEE Brain Data Bank Competition – Boston

by Sam Michalka

*Call for Participation: IEEE Brain Data Bank Competition – Boston* The IEEE Brain Initiative is sponsoring several challenges and competitions in 2017 to explore various brain/neuro datasets. You are cordially invited to explore the data and register for this competition in Boston on December 9th 9:45 AM – 4 PM. For more information about the event and how to register, please visit https://brain.ieee.org/news/call-participation-ieee-brain- data-bank-challenge-boston/ *Location* Charles River Analytics 625 Mt. Auburn St. <https://maps.google.com/?q=625+Mt.+Auburn+St.+%0D+Cambridge,+MA,+USA&entry=…> Cambridge, MA, USA Organizers * Seth Elkin-Frankston, Charles River Analytics * Sam Michalka, Olin College of Engineering * Wasim Q. Malik, Harvard/MIT If you have questions, please contact bdb-boston(a)ieee.org *Purpose* The aim of the competition is to bring a diverse group of individuals of varying backgrounds and experience together to analyze, visualize, and evaluate complex datasets. Competitors will have access to a multi-modal dataset that will challenge individuals with varying backgrounds in data science, computer science, biology, or neuroscience. Results will be evaluated on analytic approach, visualization, and final presentation and interpretation. *Background* Datasets are provided by the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and were collected as part of a broader intervention-based study designed to test the effects of efficacy of interventions designed to enhance fluid intelligence. This study was one of several funded as part of the Strengthening Human Adaptive Reasoning and Problem-solving (SHARP< https://www.iarpa.gov/index.php/research-programs/sharp>) program at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA< https://www.iarpa.gov/>). This specific intervention involved 48 training sessions of an adaptive visuo-spatial and change detection task. We provide both behavioral measures and neuroimaging data at pre- and post-intervention time points. We also provide summary and session-level descriptions of the training data collected during the intervention. *Challenge Questions* The goal of this challenge is to encourage thoughtful investigation and discussion around enhancement of human intelligence and strategies for rigorous investigation of these topics. Entries will be judged in three categories: data analysis, data visualization, and presentation and interpretation of findings. Participants can investigate any question(s) about the data that they wish. The following guiding questions are provided as a jumping off point: * Can intervention training predict changes in pre- and post-intervention performance? * How do measures of brain connectivity and structure relate to performance in intervention training? * How do measures of brain connectivity and structure relate to pre- and post-intervention performance? * How well can we predict post-intervention performance? Beyond pre-intervention performance, what factors serve as the best predictors? * Do performance changes on the two training intervention tasks differ? How do they each relate to changes in pre- and post-intervention performance and/or imaging data? *Data* Data is hosted by the IEEE Dataport<https://ieee-dataport.org/competitions/ ieee-brain-data-bank-competition-boston-ma>. To access IEEE Dataport, you need to have an IEEE account. You do not need to be an IEEE member to create an IEEE account, and you can use your own email address to create an account and password. Click here to sign up for an IEEE account.< https://www.ieee.org/profile/public/createwebaccount/showRegister.html> The full dataset is 11.29GB. The dataset can be downloaded in full, or in more manageable chunks separated as: * Behavioral and analyzed fMRI/DTI data * Structural T1 images * Raw resting-state fMRI data (divided in 5 file groups) * Raw DTI data Please note that access from IEEE DataPort will be granted after you have completed an access request. *Judging* Judges will include experts from Industry, Government, and Academia. Entries will be judged in three categories: * Data analysis including well-justified, innovative, and rigorous methodologies * Data visualization including novel, highly informative, and aesthetically appealing visualization techniques * Presentation and interpretation of findings including clear, informative delivery and compelling investigation and interpretation *Awards* IEEE Brain will sponsor cash awards. More details will follow.

Nov. 5, 2017

from normal learning and recognition to Alzheimer's disease

by Stephen Grossberg

Dear Colleagues, I am writing to call your attention to the following article because the neural model that it describes links normal category learning and recognition to clinical disorders such as autism and Alzheimer’s disease, topics that are currently of great interest and concern. The clinical links emerged after the neural dynamics of vigilance control during normal category learning was sufficiently understood. Grossberg, S. (2017). Acetylcholine neuromodulation in normal and abnormal learning and memory: Vigilance control in waking, sleep, autism, amnesia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, November 2, 2017, https://doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2017.00082 <https://doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2017.00082> Best, Steve Stephen Grossberg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Grossberg <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Grossberg> http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3BIV70wAAAAJ&hl=en <http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3BIV70wAAAAJ&hl=en>https://youtu.be/9n5AnvFur7I <https://youtu.be/9n5AnvFur7I> Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems Professor of Mathematics & Statistics, Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering Director, Center for Adaptive Systems http://cns.bu.edu/~steve <http://cns.bu.edu/~steve> steve(a)bu.edu <mailto:steve@bu.edu>

Nov. 4, 2017