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

Extended deadline: 2nd INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON NEURODYNAMICS (NDy18)
by ROBERTO BARRIO 11 May '18

11 May '18

Dear colleagues, we are sending the Second Announcement and Extended Deadline of the 2nd International Workshop on Neurodynamics (Ndy’18) September 26-29, 2018 Castro-Urdiales, Spain http://cody.unizar.es/events/neurodynamics18/ https://www.ciem.unican.es/2nd-international-workshop-neurodynamics *** Scientific committee *** Peter Ashwin, University of Exeter, UK. Roberto Barrio, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain. Silvia Daun, University of Cologne, Germany. Mathieu Desroches, Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France. Toni Guillamon, Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Spain. Serafim Rodrigues, Basque Center of Applied Mathematics, Spain. Neuroscience is nowadays one of the most collaborative and active scientific research fields as it has been increasingly involving the participation of experts from other disciplines. In particular, computational and mathematical aspects of neuroscience are currently playing an important role both in modeling and replicating experimental findings and in explaining the underlying mechanisms of neurophysiological or cognitive processes. Differential equations are ubiquitous in the modeling of such phenomena and, consequently, nonlinear dynamics and dynamical systems techniques become fundamental sources of new mathematical and computational tools to study neuroscience models. The aim of this Second Workshop on Neurodynamics, NDy'18 (first edition was NDy'14) is to present an overview of successful achievements in this rapidly developing collaborative field by putting together different types of applications of nonlinear dynamics (geometrical tools in dynamical systems, numerical methods, computational schemes, dynamical measures,...) to different problems in neuroscience (mononeuronal dynamics, network activity, cognitive problems,...). Additional emphasis will be put on experimental findings seeking for theoretical explanations, and therefore this meeting is focussed on using mathematics as the primary tool for elucidating the fundamental mechanisms responsible for experimentally observed behavior in the applied neurosciences. Importantly, it will draw attention to those pieces of mathematical theory which are likely to be relevant to future studies of the brain. The final goal is spreading together mathematical methodology and neuroscience challenges and stimulating future cross-collaborations among participants, being Mathematical Neuroscience the generic topic for NDy'18. The workshop length will be 4 days, distributed in special sessions and talks, with several round tables on different topics. Early Confirmed Speakers Include: Peter Ashwin, University of Exeter, UK. Silvia Daun, University of Cologne, Germany. Mathieu Desroches, Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France. Claudius Gros, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany. Cristina Masoller, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Spain. Hil Meijer, University of Twente, Netherland. Hinke Osinga, University of Auckland, New Zealand. Alex Roxin, CRM, Spain. Jonathan Rubin, University of Pittsburgh, USA. Joaquin Torres, Universidad de Granada, Spain. --------------------------------------------------------------------- *** IMPORTANT DATES *** Short abstract/Title submission deadline 20th May 2018 *EXTENDED DEADLINE* Acceptance notification 31st May 2018 Payment deadline (reduced fee, 220 Euros) 30th June 2018 Payment deadline (complete fee, 270 Euros) 6th September 2018 The registration includes the coffee-breaks, lunches and social dinner. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Send your abstract as soon as possible (always before May 20th) by e-mail to cody(a)unizar.es. Use the templates provided in http://cody.unizar.es/events/neurodynamics18/ndy18_abstract.zip *************************************************** Prof. Roberto Barrio Computational Dynamics Group (CoDy) Departamento de Matematica Aplicada University of Zaragoza Edificio de Matematicas, planta tercera. c/ Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009-Zaragoza SPAIN email: rbarrio(a)unizar.es web: http://cody.unizar.es Tel: (34) 976762480 ***************************************************

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A unified theory of prefrontal cortex and its functions
by Grossberg, Stephen 10 May '18

10 May '18

Dear colleagues, The following Open Access article develops a unified theory of prefrontal cortex and its functions: Grossberg, S. (2018). Desirability, availability, credit assignment, category learning, and attention: Cognitive-emotional and working memory dynamics of orbitofrontal, ventrolateral, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. Brain and Neuroscience Advances. May 8, 2018. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2398212818772179 Abstract: Background: The prefrontal cortices play an essential role in cognitive-emotional and working memory processes through interactions with multiple brain regions. Methods: This article further develops a unified neural architecture that explains many recent and classical data about prefrontal function, and makes testable predictions. Results: Prefrontal properties of desirability, availability, credit assignment, category learning, and feature-based attention are explained. These properties arise through interactions of orbitofrontal, ventrolateral prefrontal, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices with the inferotemporal cortex, perirhinal cortex, parahippocampal cortices; ventral bank of the principal sulcus, ventral prearcuate gyrus, frontal eye fields, hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, hypothalamus, and visual cortical areas V1, V2, V3A, V4, MT, MST, LIP, and PPC. Model explanations also include how the value of visual objects and events is computed, which objects and events cause desired consequences and which may be ignored as predictively irrelevant, and how to plan and act to realize these consequences, including how to selectively filter expected vs. unexpected events, leading to movements towards, and conscious perception of, expected events. Modeled processes include reinforcement learning and incentive motivational learning; object and spatial working memory dynamics; and category learning, including the learning of object categories, value categories, object-value categories, and sequence categories, or list chunks. Conclusions: This article hereby proposes a unified theory of prefrontal cortex and its functions. Best, Steve Grossberg Stephen Grossberg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Grossberg http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3BIV70wAAAAJ&hl=en https://youtu.be/9n5AnvFur7I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hBye6JQCh4 Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems Professor of Mathematics & Statistics, Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering Director, Center for Adaptive Systems Boston University http://cns.bu.edu/~steve steve(a)bu.edu<mailto:steve@bu.edu> <mailto:steve@bu.edu>

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Post-doc positions available studying gamma's effects on learning, memory, and immune function
by Annabelle Singer 09 May '18

09 May '18

*Description* Postdoctoral or research scientist positions are available in the Singer lab at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine studying how neural activity affects learning and memory and the immune system in health and disease. *Major Responsibilities:* The successful applicant will examine how stimulating neural activity affects plasticity, immune responses, and learning and memory in health and disease with a focus on the hippocampal circuit. This research uses a variety of advanced neuroscience techniques including in vivo recordings from many single cells, MRI, innovative data analysis methods, and histological analysis in rodents. This project includes collaboration with other labs in the BME department at Georgia Tech and Emory and therefore a successful applicant must work well in a collaborative environment. This project is fully funded and aspects of this project will be applied to human subjects. To find out more about the Singer Lab, see our lab website http://singer.gatech.edu/ <http://singer.gatech.edu/publications/>and our recent publications: Gamma frequency entrainment attenuates amyloid load and modifies microglia <http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v540/n7632/abs/nature20587.html> Hippocampal SWR Activity Predicts Correct Decisions during the Initial Learning of an Alternation Task <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627313000937> And some recent press: Beating Alzheimer’s with Brain Waves <https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/12/beating-alzheimers-with…> What’s The Frequency <http://thebiomedicalscientist.net/science/what%E2%80%99s-frequency>? *Qualifications* The ideal candidate will have a PhD in Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, or a related discipline and a record of leading scientific projects to completion. Previous experience with in vivo experimentation, histology, MRI, behavior, electrophysiology and/or learning and memory is preferred. Candidates with computational backgrounds including signal processing, electrical engineering, or programming are encouraged to apply. The Singer Lab is part of the dynamic, exciting, and collaborative neuroscience and neuroengineering communities at Georgia Tech and Emory University. The candidate is expected to become an active member of this flourishing research community. *How to Apply:* If you meet these requirements and are interested in this position, please provide your detailed CV, a cover letter stating your research interests, and names and contact information for two references to Annabelle Singer: asinger(a)gatech.edu *Department Description* *The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech*is part of a vibrant biomedical community in Atlanta that includes the Emory School of Medicine, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Winship Cancer Institute, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), Georgia ImmunoEngineering Consortium, Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, and more. This rich scientific environment provides unique and unparalleled research opportunities, including seminars given by leaders in science and engineering from throughout the U.S. and abroad, opportunities for collaborations, exposure to diverse research programs, and sophisticated core facilities. As such, we offer the best of internationally renowned institutions. The partnerships have created outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs, recognized as #1 and #2 in the nation, respectively. Georgia Tech is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Annabelle Singer Assistant Professor Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering Georgia Tech & Emory University 313 Ferst Drive Atlanta, GA 30332 Web: http://singer.gatech.edu/ Email: Annabelle.singer(a)bme.gatech.edu Skype: annabellesinger Google Hangout: annabellecsinger(a)gmail.com Faculty support: Karine Avagian, email: karine.avagian(a)bme.gatech.edu

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Postdoc position in Marseille, France: machine learning and neuroscience
by Sylvain Takerkart 09 May '18

09 May '18

*Understanding individual differences in neuroimaging** using multi-view machine learning. Methods and applications.* * We are seeking candidates for a two years postdoctoral, for developing new machine learning methods to deal with heterogeneous data such as anatomical, functional and diffusion MRI. This post-doc will be funded by the newly established Institute for Language, Communication and the Brain in Marseille, France (http://www.ilcb.fr <http://www.ilcb.fr>), and will be awarded through a competitive selection process. The laureate will work in both the Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/ <http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/>) and the Laboratoire d'Informatique et Systèmes (http://www.lis-lab.fr/ <http://www.lis-lab.fr/>). * In brain imaging, traditional group analyses rely on averaging data collected in different individuals. This averaging offers a summary representation of the studied group, thus providing a way to perform inference at the population level. However, it discards the specificities of each individual, which have recently proved to carry critical information to develop diagnosis and prognosis tools for neurological and psychiatric diseases or to understand high level cognitive processes. Estimating robust population-wise invariants while preserving individual specificities is a challenge that can be addressed by integrating the information offered by different neuroimaging modalities, such as anatomical, functional and diffusion MRI, which respectively allow assessing brain shape, activity and connectivity. This can therefore be framed as a multi-view machine learning question. The tasks of the post-doctoral fellow will consist in 1. finding adequate representations of data (e.g. graph, stack of images, …) that preserve structural information, 2. designing and implementing machine learning algorithms that exploit both the representations and the multiple views using kernel methods and/or neural networks, and 3. evaluating them on a variety of MRI datasets dedicated to studying language and communication. The candidate should have completed a PhD in computer science, applied mathematics or electrical engineering, with a focus on machine learning. He/she should also have a strong motivation to work in neuroscience, as the working environment will be truly inter-disciplinary. Interested candidates should contact sylvain.takerkart(a)univ-amu.fr, francois-xavier.dupe(a)lis-lab.fr and hachem.kadri(a)lis-lab.fr before May 25 2018 for a first contact. -- Sylvain Takerkart Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone (INT) UMR 7289 CNRS-AMU Marseille, France tél: +33 (0)4 91 324 007 http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/_TAKERKART-Sylvain_?lang=en

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The Virtual Brain - Node #7 Workshop [Montreal, Aug 7-8]
by Tanya Brown 09 May '18

09 May '18

*[image: TVB NODE#7Workshop Tweet Early Bird.png] <http://www.thevirtualbrain.org/node7>* *Get up to speed about the fundamental principles of full brain network modeling using the open-source neuroinformatics platform * *The Virtual Brain (TVB) at our 2-day workshop, August 7-8, 2018* *TVB NODE#7 is an official satellite event to* *Neuroinformatics 2018 <http://www.neuroinformatics2018.org/> <http://www.neuroinformatics2018.org/>* *Be sure to register for both!* TVB enables biologically realistic modeling of network dynamics using Connectome-based approaches across different brain scales. Generate macroscopic neuroimaging signals including fMRI, intracranial and stereotactic EEG, surface EEG and MEG for single subjects. Personalized brain network models can be derived from an individual’s MRI data. Researchers from different backgrounds can benefit from an integrative software platform including a supporting framework for data management (generation, organization, storage, integration and sharing) and a simulation core written in Python. Applications to use cases in the healthy and diseased brain are also presented. *LOCATION* *Montréal Neurological Institute (MNI)* 3801 University Street Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2B4 <https://goo.gl/maps/78BEHUjBrd42> *REGISTER HERE <http://www.thevirtualbrain.org/node7>* *PROGRAM AT A GLANCE * - *A generative model of the brain; **describing the building blocks of a brain network model* - *Interacting with TVB; **w**orking with the web UI, command line and scripting interfaces* - *Constructing personalized models from empirical data; **learn how to take your own data and model it within the framework of TVB.* - *Brain stimulation in TVB* - *Clinical applications of TVB * - *Hands-on session; **using the GUI and demo scripts to simulate epilepsy, stroke, neurodegenerative disease, brain stimulation and a mouse model* *After the workshop you should have a basic picture of how these models are built, how they work, and what biological properties of a neural system they represent. In addition, we will highlight several research topics that can be explored using this tool.* *The workshop is organized with interleaved oral presentation and hands-on sessions. Attendants will have the time to ask questions. The hands-on sessions will let you immediately apply the concepts from the lectures to your simulations in TVB. * *Bring your own device.* *Refreshments will be available during the breaks and lunch will be provided.* *WORKSHOP HAS LIMITED ATTENDANCE* *Registration closes July 15th – claim your spot today! <https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-virtual-brain-node7-workshop-registration-4…>* <http://www.thevirtualbrain.org> *This workshop is supported by INCF and organized by the TVB Team. Please contact Tanya Brown <tbrown(a)research.baycrest.org>if you have any questions.* *Tanya Brown* Program Manager - The Virtual Brain <http://thevirtualbrain.org> Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest - Toronto, Canada [image: TVB_tagline_crop.jpg]

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Cognitive Computing Herrenhausen Conference in December 18-20, 2018, Hannover, Germany - submite abstracts by July 31 - www.cognitive-comp.org
by Prof. Dr. Gordon Pipa 09 May '18

09 May '18

We are proud to announce the Herrenhausen Conference on Cognitive Computing, which will take place from December 18-20 in Hanover, Germany www.cognitive-comp.org Confirmed Plenary Lectures and Keynotes: David Wolpert, Santa Fé Institute, USA Chris Eliasmith, University of Waterloo, Canada Joanna J. Bryson, Princeton University, USA (University of Bath, UK) Pieter Roelfsema, NIN Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit), Netherlands Demetri Psaltis, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland Kwabena Boahen, Stanford University, USA Edward A. Lee, UC Berkeley, USA Susan Stepney, University of York, UK Public lecture (Computation and System Autonomy): Ipke Wachsmuth, Bielefeld University, Germany Poster: http://cognitive-comp.org/template/images/files/CognitiveComputing_Conferenc e2018.pdf Call for Abstract: http://cognitive-comp.org/template/images/files/Call4Papers_CogComp2018.pdf The conference has two aims, namely to explore technological options arising from novel computational architectures in unconventional substrates and to work towards a general rigorous theory of computing in non-digital, "brain-like" physical substrates. This is a profoundly interdisciplinary enterprise. For the duration of three full days, we want to bring together researchers from neuroscience, mathematics, machine learning, computer engineering, physics and material sciences in a single-track "think tank" setting with eye-opening plenary and keynote lectures, as well as carefully selected oral presentations and comprehensive poster sessions. The venue, the Castle of Herrenhausen, a heritage of the Kings of Hannover, has been transformed into an award-winning center for scientific events. The Herrenhausen Gardens stretch across hectares of classical French gardening. This unique setting, together with generous break times, will make it easy and natural to engage in stimulating scientific exchange. The organizers: Daniel Brunner (photonics, neuromorphic architectures / Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté/CNRS, France) Herbert Jaeger (machine learning, nonlinear dynamics / Jacobs University, Germany) Stuart Parkin (nano systems, quantum electronic materials / Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics, Germany) Gordon Pipa (neuroinformatics and cognitive computing / Osnabrück University, Germany) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- Professor and Chair of the Neuroinformatics Department Dr. rer. nat. Gordon Pipa Institute of Cognitive Science, Room 50/218 University of Osnabrueck Wachsbleiche 27, 49090 Osnabrück, Germany tel. +49 (0) 541-969-2277 fax (private). +49 (0) 5405- 500 80 98 home office. +49 (0) 5405- 500 90 95 e-mail: gpipa(a)uos.de webpage: http://www.ni.uos.de https://de.linkedin.com/in/gordon-pipa-47771539 research gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gordon_Pipa/?ev=prf_act Personal Assistent and Secretary of the Neuroinformatic lab: Anna Jungeilges Tel. +49 (0)541 969-2390 Fax +49 (0)541 969-2246 Email: anna.jungeilges(a)uni-osnabrueck.de visit us on http://www.facebook.com/CognitiveScienceOsnabruck https://twitter.com/#!/CogSciUOS

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PhD position in Slovakia and US
by Norbert Kopco 08 May '18

08 May '18

A PhD position (or a part-time postdoc) is available in Norbert Kopco's Perception and Cognition Lab in the Institute of Computer Science at Safarik University in Kosice, Slovakia, for a Marie Curie EU-funded project on adaptation and learning in spatial hearing (http://pcl.upjs.sk/grants/alt/) This is an international collaborative project, combining psychophysical, neuroimaging and computational methods. As part of this project, the student would have the opportunity to work on development of modules for an auditory training game and spend up to 12 months in the US with one or more of the collaborators on this grant (Aaron Seitz's Brain Game Center at UC Riverside, Erick Gallun's lab at the Portland VA / OHSU, Virginia Best or Barbara Shinn-Cunningham at the Boston University Hearing Research Center, or Jyrki Ahveninen at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging in Boston). Interested candidates please contact norbert.kopco(a)upjs.sk with a CV and a research statement. Information about PhD student application procedures is available at http://www.upjs.sk/en/faculty-of-science/foreign-students/ (deadline is 31 May, 2018).

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Theory-Experiment postdoctoral position in Paris [coll. Shamma/Boubenec/Ostojic]
by Yves Boubenec 08 May '18

08 May '18

A theory-experiment postdoctoral position is available at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, on a collaborative project between the group of Shihab Shamma & Yves Boubenec and the team of Srdjan Ostojic. We recently investigated (*) the population-level encoding of target stimuli in the primary auditory cortex of behaving animals during discrimination tasks. Following up on this study, we now aim at investigating the neural bases of auditory flexible categorization in behaving ferrets by combining computational modeling, data-analysis and experimental recordings. The successful applicant will be based at the Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Computationnelles (LNC2), a highly interactive and dynamic environment situated in central Paris (see https://lnc2.dec.ens.fr/fr/teams/network-dynamics-and-computations) The group of Shihab Shamma & Yves Boubenec where the neurophysiological recordings take place is located next door (https://lsp.dec.ens.fr) The ideal candidate should be a computational neuroscientist with strong interest in experimental neuroscience, or the other way round. Starting dates are flexible. The position is for two years. Candidates should send a letter of motivation (2 pages max), the contact information of 2 or more referees and their CVs to boubenec at ens.fr _BEFORE May 23rd, 2018_. (*) Bagur, S. , Averseng, M., Elgueda, D., David, S., Fritz, J., Yin, P., Shamma, S., Boubenec, Y.* & Ostojic, S.* Go/No-Go task engagement enhances population representation of target stimuli in primary auditory cortex. Nature Comm. (in press). doi:10.1101/240556 -- Yves Boubenec, Ph.D. Associate Professor / Maitre de conférences Audition Team, Laboratoire des Systèmes Perceptifs (CNRS UMR 8248) École Normale Supérieure, Department of Cognitive Studies 75005 Paris, France

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REMINDER: NEST Conference 2018 --- Abstract submission closes SUNDAY 13 May
by Hans Ekkehard Plesser 08 May '18

08 May '18

Dear colleagues! I cordially invite you to submit contributions to the NEST Conference 2018 to be held on 25/26 June 2018 (Monday/Tuesday, lunch to lunch) on the beautiful campus of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences at Ås, 30km south of Oslo. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION CLOSES THIS SUNDAY! We are excited to offer the following conference highlights: • NEST 3 — Gain first hands-on experience with the future of NEST • NEST Doc++ — Shape the professional documentation for NEST • Brain Atlases as Tools for Neuroscience (Jan Bjaalie/Trygve Leergaard) • Agricultural Robotics — Meet Thorvald, NMBU's robot for precision farming (sagarobotics.com) • Midsummer conference barbecue dinner on NMBU's beautiful campus • 3-day Hackathon after the conference with focus on improving documentation The NEST Conference provides an opportunity for the NEST Community to meet, exchange success stories, swap advice, learn about current developments in and around NEST spiking network simulation and its application. We would like you to share your experiences made and results obtained with NEST during the conference. You can do so either by a short oral presentation (10–15 minutes), on a poster, through a demo, or by organizing group work. Important dates • 13 May 2018 — Deadline for abstract submissions --- THIS SUNDAY!!! • 17 May 2018 — Notification of acceptance • 25 May 2018 — Deadline for registration For details, abstract submission and registration, please see http://www.nest-initiative.org/conference You are also welcome to contact us at conference(a)nest-initiative.org. We are looking forward to welcoming you to Ås in June! Hans Ekkehard Plesser President The Neural Technology Simulation Initiative http://www.nest-initiative.org -- Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser Associate Professor Faculty of Science and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no Home http://arken.nmbu.no/~plesser

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Job Opening
by Anna Manelis 07 May '18

07 May '18

*Postdoctoral position* A post-doctoral position is available at the Anticipation, Cognition and Emotion lab (www.ace.pitt.edu) at the University of Pittsburgh ( http://www.pitt.edu) to work with Dr. Anna Manelis and her team. A successful candidate will work on the NIMH funded research project that uses multimodal neuroimaging (fMRI, MRI, DTI and fNIRS) to understand the contribution of anticipatory processing to cognitive and emotional dysfunction in individuals with mood disorders. *Required Qualifications*: a PhD degree in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience or a related discipline. A strong research background in the analysis and interpretation of neuroimaging data is required. Excellent writing skills are a must. Candidates with a strong computational background are encouraged to apply. Experience with FSL, Freesurfer and E-prime is preferred. The ability to program in Shell, Matlab, Python and/or R is preferred. Experience with fNIRS, graph modeling and pattern classification analyses is a plus. While prior experience with clinical populations is not necessary, we expect candidates to be interested in neuroimaging research of working and episodic memory in individuals with mood disorders. *Responsibilities*: A successful candidate will collect and analyze neuroimaging data, write manuscripts and present at conferences. This is a 1- to 2-year position that can be extended to 3 years. Start date is September 2018. If you are interested in this position, please send a CV, research statement, preprints/reprints of papers, and the names and contact information for two references to Anna Manelis (manelisa(a)upmc.edu <manelis(a)upmc.edu>).

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