February 2018 - Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

2 Funded PhD Interdisciplinary Scholarships on Robotics and Brain Science

by Dimitri Ognibene

The Faculty of Science and Health of the University of Essex is pleased to invite applications for 2 Funded PhD positions that will work on the following topics combining Psychology and Robotics (CSEE): 1)http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHO005/phd-studentship-are-you-looking-at-me-transferring-social-skills-from-humans-to-robots <http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHO005/phd-studentship-are-you-looking-at-me-tran…> (deadline 12th March 2018 <http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHO005/phd-studentship-are-you-looking-at-me-tran…>.) 2)http://jobs.ac.uk/job/BHF222/phd-studentship-careobot-cognitive-robotic-companion-for-carehomes-and-hospitals/ <http://jobs.ac.uk/job/BHF222/phd-studentship-careobot-cognitive-robotic-com…> (deadline 23rd February 2018 <http://jobs.ac.uk/job/BHF222/phd-studentship-careobot-cognitive-robotic-com…>) The post holder will have the opportunity to a) develop new advanced methods for cognitive robots based on machine learning, signal processing and information theory, b) design and perform behavioural experiments with human subjects and c) analyze experimental data in collaboration with experimental neuroscience laboratories. This is part of the Faculty plan to strengthen its interdisciplinary research at the boundaries between Natural and Artificial Intelligence (BCI, ML, AI, Robotics, Psychology and Neuroscience). Other new PhD positions can be found here: https://www1.essex.ac.uk/csee/pg/studentships.aspx <https://www1.essex.ac.uk/csee/pg/studentships.aspx> Additional questions and queries about the studentship can be addressed by contacting the supervisors specified in the call. -- Dimitri Ognibene, PhD School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, UK http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/ <http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/> Skype: dimitri.ognibene

Feb. 12, 2018

postdoc opening in data analysis for depression DBS at Georgia Tech

by Christopher Rozell

A postdoc position at the intersection of computational neuroscience, clinical neuropsychiatry and data analysis is available working jointly with the labs of Christopher Rozell and Robert Butera at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA). This BRAIN Initiative research project seeks to develop electrophysiological biomarkers to characterize disease progression and optimize deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment-resistant depression. This clinically-focused project (clinical lead is Dr. Helen Mayberg) is a collaboration with Emory University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai that is providing access to one-of-a-kind human electrophysiology data recorded by implanted DBS devices *during therapy* in an experimental trial. The role of our computational team is to develop analysis and modeling approaches to identify electrophysiological signatures that correlate with treatment response and optimize stimulation parameters. This is an opportunity to work on a challenging scientific problem with real impact on a sick patient population. Applicants should hold a PhD in a related discipline with a strong research record. Experience in advanced techniques for analyzing time-series data (e.g., signal processing and machine learning) is desirable, additional experience in computational neuroscience modeling and working with neurophysiology data is helpful . The labs are committed to the professional development of the members, making it valuable preparation for people who are interested in academic, industrial or entrepreneurial careers. The position has no mandatory teaching or administrative duties. Excellent (written and oral) communication skills in English are required. The ideal start date is May 2018. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. Georgia Tech has competitive benefits (including comprehensive medical insurance) and is an equal opportunity employer. Georgia Tech's campus in the heart of midtown Atlanta, which is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas (and entrepreneurial communities) in the United States. Atlanta boasts a wide range of opportunities for recreation, culture, and easy access to domestic and international transportation. Candidates should send a CV, a statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for three references to christopher.thomas(a)ece.gatech.edu with the subject line "Neuro DBS postdoc". Application review will proceed until the position is filled and should be received by February 19, 2018 for full consideration.

Feb. 11, 2018

cosyne workshop on closed-loop stimulation

by Christopher Rozell

We would like to invite you to an upcoming COSYNE workshop that is very relevant for the computational neuroscience community! Title: Closed-loop control of neural systems and circuits for scientific discovery Tuesday, March 6, 2018 Organizers: Christopher Rozell, Garrett Stanley With the advent of new technologies for interfacing with neural systems, there are exciting opportunities emerging that enable us to manipulate neural systems and circuits while simultaneously monitoring their activity. These new sensing and actuation strategies hold the promise of more powerful techniques for functionally dissecting complex neural circuits to uncover their operating principles and potentially develop novel clinical therapies. With a common goal of neural control, a variety of researchers ranging from theorists to experimentalists are currently developing techniques for estimating system states from recorded data and making real-time updates to stimulation. This topic is particularly timely because of the confluence of technological advances in recording, stimulation, and algorithms that enable closed-loop stimulation studies in circuits, and for increasing government and private support for research in these and related areas. Such closed-loop techniques will enable an entirely new class of experimental manipulations that promise new insight into circuit function in health as well as disease. Given that the first papers using closed-loop stimulation of neural circuits have only recently appeared in the literature and there is finally a critical mass of people working on these exciting problems, now is the perfect time to bring a community together around this emerging area. The overarching goal of this workshop is to foster a discussion to illuminate a set of community research goals to accelerate the impact of closed-loop stimulation techniques in neuroscience. This workshop will provide a venue for researchers building the components of these closed-loop stimulation systems and researchers using these tools for scientific discovery and clinical treatments. Specifically, the target audience includes neuroscience researchers who are using (or want to be using) closed-loop stimulation of neural circuits in scientific studies or treatment for disorders, computational neuroscientists developing the foundations for analysis and design of algorithms necessary for closed-loop control (include modeling and state estimation), and neuroengineering researchers building elements of experimental systems (interfaces, algorithms and hardware). Morning session 8:00-8:15a Introduction and opening remarks by organizers and representatives from BRAIN Initiative and IEEE Brain 8:15-8:40a Maryam Shanechi, Dynamic modeling of brain network response to stimulation: a computational framework with binary-noise modulated waveforms 8:40-9:05a Memming Park, Myopic control of neural dynamics 9:05-9:35a Coffee break 9:35-10:00a Danielle Bassett, Perturbation and control of human brain networks 10:00-10:25a Hillel Adesnik, Precise control of neural ensemble activity with multiphoton holographic optogenetics 10:25-11:00a Christopher Rozell & Garrett Stanley, Closed-loop optogenetic control in vivo: tracking dynamics and states Afternoon session 4:30-4:55p Jeanne Paz, Optogenetic Closed loop control of thalamocortical seizures in animal models of genetic and acquired epilepsies 4:55-5:20p Sridevi Sarma, Suppressing seizures via closed-loop stimulation of the epileptogenic zone 5:20-5:50p Coffee break 5:50-6:15p ShiNung Ching, Controlling the Meaning of Spikes: Strategies for Extrinsic Manipulation of Neural Information Processing 6:15-6:40p Chethan Pandarinath, LFADS: a deep learning method to infer latent states and dynamics from neural population activity 6:40-7:30 Panel discussion and concluding remarks

Feb. 11, 2018

2 x Tenure track position at Monash University, Psychology, Assistant / Associate Professor

by Naotsugu Tsuchiya

[Apologies for cross-posting] Dear colleagues, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia are opening two tenure-track positions in Psychology at the level of Assistant / Associate Professor. For the details, please see http://careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/job/572474/ senior-lecturer-and-associate-professor-psychology Monash is full of thinkers and doers who are looking for their next challenge. So if you’ve forged a rewarding career so far, this role provides the perfect platform to join us. You’ll have access to quality research facilities, infrastructure and teaching spaces to do exciting work, along with opportunities to collaborate internationally. You’ll be part of a university that’s made up of inspirational, challenging thinkers and doers – and continue doing work that makes a lasting impact. The Opportunity The Monash School of Psychological Sciences is ranked among the best in the world. Our School’s mission is to develop students and research outcomes that make significant contributions to improving the lives of others globally. Our overarching vision is to make significant and long-lasting impact that changes the world around us, beginning in infancy and across the lifespan. Drawing on the expertise of our staff and the University' unique research platforms and technology, our mission is to sustain and build on Monash's position with world-class research and teaching in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. The newly established Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences (MICCN; housed within the School of Psychological Sciences) will provide an exceptional research environment for discoveries that change of our understanding of the brain. Through excellent research and training, a wide network of international partners, and strong industry engagement MICCN will lay the foundation for a pipeline of discovery in areas of critical importance of the human brain and see that knowledge translated into the clinic, the workplace and the community. MICCN has four core integrated research programs: Addiction, Attention and Memory, Computational Neuroscience and Sleep. For these 2 important roles we are seeking the following: *Level C:* The Senior Lecturer will be expected to contribute to a world-class program of research that focuses on psychological science specifically in one of MICCN’s core integrated research programs, and will lead a national and emerging internationally competitive research group. The Senior Lecturer will also be expected to teach into the discipline of Psychology at the undergraduate level and supervise Honours and PhD students. As the ideal candidate you will have: - A doctoral qualification in Psychology or Cognate Discipline - Emerging track record of peer reviewed (competitive) grants, and a strong publication record in world-class journals as lead author, preferably aligned with one of MICCN’s integrated research programs. - Successful track record of high quality teaching *Level D:* The Associate Professor will be expected to have an established world-class program of research that focuses on psychological science specifically in one of MICCN’s core integrated research programs, and will lead an internationally competitive research group. The Associate Professor will also be expected to teach into the discipline of Psychology at the undergraduate level and supervise Honours and PhD students. As the ideal candidate you will have: - A doctoral qualification in Psychology or Cognate Discipline - Sustained track record of peer reviewed (competitive) grants, and publications in world-class journals as lead author, preferably aligned with one of MICCN’s integrated research programs. - Ability to be an effective leader of a research team and a successful track record in PhD supervision. - Successful track record of high quality teaching and education innovation These roles are full-time positions. Regards Nao Tsuchiya -- -- *Nao (Naotsugu) Tsuchiya* Associate Professor *Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences* Attention and Memory Program School of Psychological Sciences Monash University 770 Blackburn Monash Brain Imaging facility, Clayton, VIC 3800 Australia T: +61 3 9905 4564 E: naotsugu.tsuchiya(a)monash.edu W: homepage: http://users.monash.edu.au/~naotsugt/Tsuchiya_Labs_Homepage http://med.monash.edu.au/psych/email-sig/miccn-email-sig.jpg <http://www.monash.edu/neuro-institute/> 2. Visiting Researcher at Department of Dynamic Brain Imaging, Advanced Telecommunications Research (ATR), Japan 3. Visiting Researcher at CiNet, Osaka University, Japan orcid.org/0000-0003-4216-8701

Feb. 9, 2018

2nd Brain Twitter Conference 2018 #brainTC

by Sheraz Khan

Dear colleagues, The poster abstract submission for the 2nd Brain Twitter Conference 2018 #brainTC is now open! This year the keynote tweeters include Aina Puce, Matti Hämäläinen, Aude Oliva, OHBM, Rebecca Saxe and Sophie Scott! For more information about the conference and how to submit an abstract, please visit our website https://brain.tc and follow "*@RealBrainTC*". What is Twitter Conference? A Twitter conference is meant for scientists to present and discuss their research on social media. During the conference presenters will be allocated a 15 min time slot, during which they will present a series of 6 tweets or less, marked with the #brainTC tag and an ordinal number of the tweet. This is a great opportunity to practice condensing your message and getting word of your research out there. Last year the The Brain Twitter Conference (#brainTC) had a reach of ~ 0.6 million Twitter users! Best wishes, On behalf of the organizing committee, best wishes, Sheraz Khan @dr_sheraz ---------------------------------------- Sheraz Khan, M.Eng, Ph.D. Instructor in Radiology Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging Massachusetts General Hospital Tel: +1 617-643-5634 Fax: +1 617-948-5966 Email: sheraz(a)nmr.mgh.harvard.edu <https://mail.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/webmail/src/compose.php?send_to=sheraz%40n…> sheraz(a)mit.edu <https://mail.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/webmail/src/compose.php?send_to=sheraz%40m…> Web: http://sheraz.mit.edu GitHub:http://github.com/SherazKhan

Feb. 9, 2018

multiple posts in MEG and cog neuro at different levels

by Alex Ossadtchi

Dear colleagues – we have an exciting new opportunity for both senior and budding MEG scientists to develop their research in a new environment. Could you please forward the advert below to your departmental lists and job board, as well as any people who may potentially be interested? Best and thanks! Alex Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the opening of a new MEG group in one of the most exciting cities on the planet. The Centre for Cognition & Decision Making (CCDM, https://www.hse.ru/en/cdm-centre/) is a young, dynamic and ambitious research centre based at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) - a modern, international and rapidly developing research-intensive university in Moscow, which invests heavily in both fundamental and applied research. CCDM is looking for a PI and postdocs for the newly established MEG group. We offer highly competitive salary, excellent research infrastructure with comprehensive neuroimaging facilities, research and travel support funds, possibilities for multidisciplinary collaborations (including access to patients and other special groups, as well as methods and instrumentation development), and a friendly and international team. This is a perfect opportunity to define and develop your own independent research programme in collaboration with international experts in various fields.Moscow is an exciting international metropolis with unlimited opportunities, very high living standards, rich cultural life, vibrant 24/7 atmosphere, legendary restaurant and nightlife scene, excellent public services and urban infrastructure, etc. etc. We invite applications for: 1) A full-time tenure-track position to head the newly established MEG group. The position is open-ranked at Assistant, Associate or Full Professor level, depending on experience. To apply, go to https://iri.hse.ru/Meg2018 2) Postdoctoral posts associated with the new MEG research group: https://iri.hse.ru/post_<https://iri.hse.ru/post_meg2018 <https://iri.hse.ru/post_%3chttps:/iri.hse.ru/post_meg2018>> 3) Further post-doc fellowships in various fields of cognitive neuroscience: https://iri.hse.ru//<https://iri.hse.ru/fellowships <https://iri.hse.ru/%3chttps:/iri.hse.ru/fellowships>> May we kindly ask you to circulate this exciting news to your mailing lists, and to any potentially interested researchers? Thank you very much in advance and Happy MEGging in 2018! Centre for Cognition & Decision Making Higher School of Economics -- Alexei Ossadtchi,Ph.D., Director, Bioelectric Interfaces Laboratory Leading Research Fellow, Center for Cognition and Decision Making Professor, Computer Science Department National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow

Feb. 9, 2018

Feb 15 Application Deadline - 2018 Nengo Summer School

by Peter Blouw

[All details about this school can be found online at https://www.nengo.ai/summerschool] The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is excited to announce a special version of our annual Nengo summer school that will host the* first public access* to *Braindrop*, a new mixed analog-digital neuromorphic chip developed in collaboration with Stanford and Yale. In addition to introducing Braindrop, this two-week school will teach participants to use the Nengo simulation package to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models to run both in simulation and on neuromorphic hardware. Nengo provides users with a versatile and powerful environment for designing cognitive and neural systems, and has been used to build what is currently the world's largest functional brain model, Spaun [1]. Nengo is also being used to program a variety of state-of-the-art neuromorphic chips, including Braindrop! For a look at last year's summer school, check out this short video: https://goo.gl/4tVUkQ We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, research associates, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals with a relevant background. [1] Eliasmith, C., Stewart T. C., Choo X., Bekolay T., DeWolf T., Tang Y., Rasmussen, D. (2012). A large-scale model of the functioning brain. Science. Vol. 338 no. 6111 pp. 1202-1205. DOI: 10.1126/science.1225266. [ http://compneuro.uwaterloo.ca/files/publications/eliasmith.2012.pdf] Application Deadline: February 15, 2018 *Format*: A combination of tutorials and project-based work. Participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on testing hypotheses, modeling neural or cognitive data, implementing specific behavioural functions with neurons, expanding past models, or providing a proof-of-concept of various neural mechanisms. Hands-on tutorials, work on individual or group projects, and talks from invited faculty members will make up the bulk of day-to-day activities. A project demonstration event will be held on the last day of the school, with prizes for strong projects! Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to: - interface Nengo with various kinds of neuromorphic hardware - build perceptual, motor, and cognitive models using spiking neurons - model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data - use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model - integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models - interface Nengo with cameras and robotic systems - implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models - and much more... *Date and Location:* June 3th to June 15th, 2018 at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. *Applications*: Please visit http://www.nengo.ai/summerschool, where you can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an application form listing required materials. If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact Peter Blouw (peter.blouw(a)appliedbrainresearch.com) We look forward to hearing from you!

Feb. 8, 2018

Open Postdoctoral Position in Object Detection

by Frederic Jurie

Open Postdoctoral Position in Object Detection Context: The DRAAF project is supported by an interdisciplinary consortium of two French public research labs (INRIA-WILLOW, Paris and GREYC, Caen), as well as a French SME (EVITECH, Paris) which is also the project leader. The overall objective of the project is to develop a framework for the detection of weapons (guns, etc.) in videos, to address automatic surveillance tasks. It’s a challenging topic as the targeted objects are small, partially occluded and might have very different shapes/aspects. The postdoctoral researcher will join the research laboratory GREYC in Caen Normandy (France) to work on the design of original object detectors in videos. GREYC has strong backgrounds in computer science, signal/image processing,applied mathematics, artificial intelligence, and regularly publish in the top-tier vision conferences and journals. Required competences: The postdoctoral researcher will have excellent analytical skills, curious, and creative, and have an interest in performing cutting edge applied research in a very active area (object detection). He/She should have a strong academic record with solid background in computer science or engineering, and a solid experience in Computer vision and Machine Learning. Good programming skills are expected, preferably in Python/Tensorflow, as well as skills for turning complex concepts into real-world practice. Any experience in object detection will be a plus. The candidate should have an independent and efficient working attitude and should be fluent in spoken/written English. Contract terms: Location: GREYC (CNRS UMR6072), Normandy Univ. (France) Start: June 2018 (Tentative) Duration: one year, extension possible. The appointment is full time. Net salary: up to about 2800 euros/month depending on experience and achievements in the domain. Living conditions in Normandy are considered among the best in Europe https://www.normandie.fr Applicants should submit their applications, as well as the name of 3 referees, to frederic.jurie(a)unicaen.fr.

Feb. 8, 2018

Call for a computer scientist (or related, with machine learning experience) interested in brain function.

by Agustin Petroni

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Diego A. Laplagne <diego(a)neuro.ufrn.br> Date: Wed, Feb 7, 2018 at 3:09 PM Amigos, Still looking for candidates. If you can think of some lists where this was not distributed could you please send it? Thanks! Diego ***************** Rereading the mind. Unbiased discovery of neural correlates of behavior We are looking for an outstanding and highly motivated candidate with solid background in machine learning and interested in brain function. We aim to discover new ways in which brain activity generates behavior. We will depart from traditional approaches in neuroscience in two ways: studying natural spontaneous behavior—as opposed to guided and restricted—and analyzing brain signals with a naive unbiased approach. Our group is leader in automatic quantitative monitoring of spontaneous rat behavior and brain activity. We want you to join our team if you a) find the prospect of developing new approaches to reading minds fascinating; b) have a strong background in modern machine learning methods and c) are willing to spend time with us in Natal, Brazil, where our lab is located. Neither a background in neuroscience nor previous experience in research in academic institutions is strictly required. The position is flexible, such that candidates could plan their research with us as a postdoctoral stay, part of a thesis or freelance. Our project is supported by the prestigious Serrapilheira award. One year of funding is guaranteed, starting early 2018, and chances for extension of stipends is strong following good performance of the candidate. If interested, please write in English, Spanish or Portuguese to diego(a)neuro.ufrn.br with subject “People search 2018”, including a CV. There is no deadline, but selection will close when we find our person! Diego A. Laplagne, Ph.D. Group leader, Behavioral Neurophysiology Lab – Brain Institute, UFRN. http://www.neuro.ufrn.br *****************

Feb. 7, 2018

2018 NICE Workshop Agenda and Registrations

by Aimone, James Bradley

Registrations and agenda are available for the 2018 Neural Inspired Computing Elements (NICE) Workshop on February 27-March 1 in Hillsboro, OR at Intel's Campus. There will be a wide range of invited and accepted abstract presentations at the NICE 2018 conference that will focus on aspects of neuroscience, theories, algorithms for neuromorphic systems that support the overarching workshop theme of new computing methods and new applications. In addition, three new neuromorphic chip architectures - the BrainScaleS-2 chip, the SpiNNaker-2 chip, and the Intel Loihi research chip - will be revealed with demos. Information can be found at: http://niceworkshop.org/2018-nice-workshop/ -------------------------- James Bradley Aimone, Ph.D. Principal Member of Technical Staff Data-driven and Neural Computing Department Center for Computing Research Sandia National Laboratories Phone: (505) 284-3147 Fax: (505) 844-4728 http://neuroscience.sandia.gov

Feb. 7, 2018