May 2019 - Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Creating a list of important computational predictions
by Yiota Poirazi 04 Jan '21

04 Jan '21

Dear all, I believe you would agree that, the greatest recognition of our computational work comes with the experimental verification of our computational predictions. To highlight the most important outcomes of our theoretical work and facilitate a closer interaction with experimental labs so as to increase the chances of our predictions being experimentally tested, I would like to encourage you to nominate your favorite prediction at the following google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJZ2RrXJ0nZonIuyNzN0Cl gXDKDb7xTzoJOiqZTGxm9Kh7ow/viewform?c=0&w=1&usp=mail_form_link This effort started during the CNS 2017 meeting in Antwerp with the support of the OCNS Board. The resulting list will be posted on the CNS 2017 web site and disseminated in social media, as a reference for experimentalists. Thank you very much for supporting this important effort! Best wishes, Yiota Poirazi -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Computational Biology Laboratory Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385, GR 70013, Heraklion, Crete GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 Εmail: poirazi(a)imbb.forth.gr Lab site: www.dendrites.gr FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence <http://www.fens.org/Outreach/FENS-Kavli-Network-of-Excellence/> -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by *E.F.A. Project* <http://www.efa-project.org>, and is believed to be clean. Click here to report this message as spam. <http://mailgate1.imbb.forth.gr/cgi-bin/learn-msg.cgi?id=4BCD7A00A1.A57D7&to…> -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Computational Biology Laboratory Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385, GR 70013, Heraklion, Crete GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 Εmail: poirazi(a)imbb.forth.gr Lab site: www.dendrites.gr FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence <http://www.fens.org/Outreach/FENS-Kavli-Network-of-Excellence/>

2 1

PhD Positions in Computational Neuroscience at the University of Hertfordshire
by Volker Steuber 30 Apr '20

30 Apr '20

PhD Positions in Computational Neuroscience Biocomputation Research Group Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research University of Hertfordshire UK Applications are invited for PhD positions in the Biocomputation Research Group at the University of Hertfordshire. Projects involve the development and simulation of models of neurons and neuronal networks to study information processing in the brain and /or the application of machine learning techniques for the analysis of neural data. A description of our research interests and a list of publications can be found on our webpage (http://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk/). Applicants should have excellent computational and numerical skills and a very good first degree in computer science, biology, maths, physics, neuroscience, or a related discipline. Successful candidates are eligible for a research studentship award from the University (GBP 15,009 per annum bursary plus payment of the student fees). Applicants from outside the UK or EU are eligible. Research in Computer Science at the University of Hertfordshire has been recognised as excellent in the latest Research Excellence Framework Assessment, with 50% of the research submitted rated as internationally excellent or world leading. The Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research provides a very stimulating environment, offering a large number of specialised and interdisciplinary seminars as well as general training and researcher development opportunities. The University is situated in Hatfield, in the green belt just north of London. Please contact Dr Volker Steuber for informal enquiries. Application forms are available under http://www.herts.ac.uk/apply/schools-of-study/computer-science/our-research… and should be returned to [https://www.herts.ac.uk/__data/assets/image/0016/203434/uhsociallogo.png]<http://www.herts.ac.uk/apply/schools-of-study/computer-science/our-research…> The PhD Programme in Computer Science<http://www.herts.ac.uk/apply/schools-of-study/computer-science/our-research…> See a list of exciting research topics www.herts.ac.uk Lynette Spelman and Emma Thorogood Research Student Administrators University of Hertfordshire College Lane Hatfield, Herts AL10 9AB tel: +44 (0)1707 286083 doctoralcollegeadmissions(a)herts.ac.uk The short-listing process will begin on 1 July 2019.

1 1

[publication and call for dialog] IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems
by Pierre-Yves Oudeyer 23 Jan '20

23 Jan '20

Dear colleagues, we are happy to announce the release of the latest issue of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems (open access). This is a biannual newsletter addressing the sciences of developmental and cognitive processes in natural and artificial organisms, from humans to robots, at the crossroads of cognitive science, developmental psychology, artificial intelligence, machine learning and neuroscience. It is available at: https://goo.gl/NAwBfD Featuring dialog: === "Curiosity as Driver of Extreme Specialization in Humans" == Dialog initiated by Celeste Kidd with responses from: Elizabeth Bonawitz, Maya Zhe Wang, Brian Sweis, Benjamin Hayden, Susan Engel, Abigail Hsiung, Shabnam Hakimi, Alison Adcock, Moritz Daum, Arjun Shankar, Tobias Hauser, Goren Gordon and Perry Zurn == Topic: Curiosity-driven learning is probably one of the most fundamental mechanisms in human learning, and yet it is also probably one of the least understood. Broadly construed as spontaneous exploration and engagement with activities or material without any extrinsic goal (as opposed to searching for information useful for an extrinsic goal), many mysteries remain to be uncovered. What are the causal links between curiosity and learning? How does prior knowledge about a topic or an activity relates to curiosity about this topic? What is the role of curiosity in life-span development? Can human curiosity explain the apparently unique tendency of humans for extreme specialization? Reversely, how do different forms of curiosity (diversive or specific) evolve as children grow up and become adults? While early computational models of curiosity propose theoretical approaches to understand their cognitive mechanisms, how can we understand the affective/ emotional dimensions of curiosity? And how has the linguistic concept of “curiosity” evolved in occidental culture? Call for new dialog: === « Leveraging Adaptive Games to Learn How to Help Children Learn Effectively" == Dialog initiated by George Kachergis == Topic: How can one achieve efficiently “translational educational sciences” and get these principles used in real-world large-scale educational technologies? In this dialog, Georges Kachergis highlights challenges related to collaborations between cognitive scientists and game developers, how to deploy real world experiments, and how to enable scientific understanding when many variables cannot easily be controlled? Those of you interested in reacting to this dialog initiation are welcome to submit a response by December 15th, 2018. The length of each response must be between 600 and 800 words including references (contact pierre-yves.oudeyer(a)inria.fr) Let us remind you that all issues of the newsletter are all open-access and available at: https://goo.gl/ZjjZNz I wish you a stimulating reading! Best regards, Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, Editor of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems Research director, Inria Head of Flowers project-team Inria and Ensta ParisTech, France http://www.pyoudeyer.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/pyoudeyer and Fabien Benureau, Editorial Assistant Cognitive NeuroRobotics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa Japan Email: fabien.benureau [at] oist [dot] jp

1 1

Postdoc positions on Consciousness Research at Monash Uni, Australia
by Naotsugu Tsuchiya 13 Jan '20

13 Jan '20

Position A: DP180100396 (in collaboration with Masafumi Oizumi, Hiroto Kawasaki, Giulio Tononi) No report paradigm in EEG/MEG/intracranial recordings and the analysis of integrated information across sensory and prefrontal cortex Position B: DP180104128 (in collaboration with Marta Garrido, Ueli Rutishauser, Ralph Adolphs) The analysis of MEG/intracranial recordings, using Granger causality and integrated information We are looking for highly talented postdocs (application from PhD students with a prospect of getting PhD in 1 year are welcomed) for the above two ARC-funded positions. Ideal candidates in both positions would have strong publications, strong programming skills in Matlab/Python, strong background in data analysis, preferably neuroimaging data or neural spikes. The projects include 1) design of various psychophysical paradigms (*pdf <https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/doi/10.1093/nc/niw023/2970153/Are-we-un…>)*, including no-report paradigms (*pdf <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9N0ysU85rs7bEF5d1VVX3J4T3c/view>*), which can be used for subsequent EEG/MEG/intracranial recording experiments and 2) analysis of EEG/MEG/intracranial data using the approximations of integrated information (link1 <http://www.eneuro.org/content/4/5/ENEURO.0085-17.2017>, *link <https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9N0ysU85rs7NFVSQlIza215eVU> *, *link <http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2016/12/02/1603583113.abstract>*, *link <http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.10046…>)* ). Please send the inquiry with your CV to naotsugu.tsuchiya(a)monash.edu. Applicants with most fit background and skills will be contacted for subsequent interview over the internet. The positions will be available until they are filled. 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

1 2

Data Scientist Position at Boston University
by Chen, Jerry 05 Nov '19

05 Nov '19

The Lab of Jerry Chen at Boston University is hiring a Data Scientist to be involved in several multi-year BRAIN Initiative related NIH and NSF funded projects. These projects focus on understanding cortical computation during behavior by combining large-scale population recordings, anatomical reconstructions, and transcriptional profiling as well as developing tools for large-scale and high-speed imaging of neuronal populations. This person will be involved in help to analyze experimental data, developing software tools to aid in the data analysis, and helping with data infrastructure and management. Specific Projects include: 1. Analysis of dense electron microscope reconstructions of neuronal connectivity (ie. Connectomics) 2. Establishing pipeline for image analysis for in situ sequencing of gene expression 3. Establishing pipeline for automated behavioral training and analysis. 4. Visualization and analysis of population imaging data across multiple brain areas during behavior. This person will be jointly involved and mentored by personnel from the Hariri Institute's Software & Application Innovation Lab (SAIL), a center with expertise in cutting-edge computational and data-driven research with tangible and direct impacts on academic research, public service, and industry partners in healthcare, finance, and technology. Qualifications: BA/BS degree (MA or PhD preferred) in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Neuroscience or related technical field. One to three years of academic or professional experience. Programming experience in MATLAB is required. Additional experience in Python, C++, or LABView is preferred. Extensive background in either computational neuroscience, image analysis, computer vision, or machine learning is preferred. If interested in applying, please submit a CV along with 3 references to jerry(a)chen-lab.org<mailto:jerry@chen-lab.org>.

1 1

6th ESI Systems Neuroscience Conference "The recurrent cortex: feedback, dynamics, and dimensionality". Registration + Abstract submission are now open
by MFES, events 31 May '19

31 May '19

6th ESI Systems Neuroscience Conference "The recurrent cortex: feedback, dynamics, and dimensionality" 5-6 September 2019 Frankfurt am Main, Germany =========================================== The Ernst Strüngmann Institute Systems Neuroscience Conference (ESI SyNC) 2019 will take place this year on September 5th and 6th at the Ernst Strüngmann Institute in Frankfurt, Germany. This year's theme is 'The recurrent cortex: feedback, dynamics, and dimensionality'. The conference will feature eleven internationally renowned speakers who will give talks on neural feedback, signal dimensionality, and temporal dynamics. Ample time for both formal and informal discussion has been included in the schedule. There will also be a poster session for which we welcome submissions. Confirmed speakers =========================================== Sacha van Albada Alessandra Angelucci Carina Curto Peter Dayan Thomas Fraps Nikolaus Kriegeskorte Jakob Macke Tatyana Sharpee Fred Wolf Rafael Yuste Li Zhaoping Registration and abstract submission are now open! =========================================== For more information and to register for the conference or submit a poster presentation, please visit: www.esi-frankfurt.de/esisync/<http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/esisync/> Or contact: esi-sync(a)esi-frankfurt.de<mailto:esi-sync@esi-frankfurt.de> Limited spaces are available, so early registration is encouraged. Best Regards, The ESI SyNC 2019 organizing team: Wolf Singer Pascal Fries Renata Vajda William Barnes Christini Katsanevaki Katharine Shapcott Cem Uran Yiling Yang

1 0

Threshold Networks conference - Nottingham
by Stephen Coombes 30 May '19

30 May '19

Threshold Networks July 22 - 24, 2019 Nottingham, UK https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/conference/fac-sci/maths-sci/threshold-network… <https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.notti…> This workshop will bring together a community of people interested in both networks and dynamics, with an eye to both mathematical tractability and applications to biology, engineering, physics, and the social sciences. The emphasis will be on ‘thresholds’ in their broadest sense as exemplified by node dynamics or interactions that are described by simple, yet possibly non-smooth or discontinuous switch-like processes. The workshop will cover both theory and applications. The meeting will have no parallel sessions, and it is expected to involve around 60 participants (with 11 main speakers) and contributed poster presentations. Speakers: Chris Bick, University of Exeter, UK Mario Di Bernardo, University of Bristol, UK Ginestra Bianconi, Queen Mary University of London, UK Jonathan Crofts, Nottingham Trent University, UK Des Higham, University of Strathclyde, UK Renaud Lambiotte, University of Oxford, UK Naoki Masuda, University of Bristol, UK Peter Mucha, University of North Carolina, USA Sarah Muldoon, University at Buffalo, USA Yamir Moreno, University of Zaragoza, Spain Mason Porter, UCLA, USA We are accepting abstracts for poster presentations at ThresholdNetworks2019(a)nottingham.ac.uk <mailto:ThresholdNetworks2019@nottingham.ac.uk> The registration fee for the conference is 100.00 GBP. A “Tutorial Day” (covering key concepts in dynamical systems and network science) will also take place prior to the meeting (on July 21). Some financial assistance may be available to assist graduate students who attend both the training workshop and the conference. Further details of this meeting and how to register may be found at https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/conference/fac-sci/maths-sci/threshold-network… <https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.notti…> Scientific Organisers Yi Ming Lai, Rüdiger Thul, and Stephen Coombes, University of Nottingham Mason A. Porter, UCLA Enquiries should be sent to: ThresholdNetworks2019(a)nottingham.ac.uk <mailto:ThresholdNetworks2019@nottingham.ac.uk> This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

1 0

Call for abstracts: RSS2019 Workshop "Pervasively Neuro-Dynamic Robotics"
by Yulia Sandamirskaya 29 May '19

29 May '19

Dear Colleagues, we are excited to invite you to attend the Workshop “Pervasively Neuro-Dynamic Robotics: Do insights from neuroscience, cognitive science, and neuromorphic engineering lead to a radically new vision?”: https://www.ini.rub.de/rss2019-workshop/ <https://www.ini.rub.de/rss2019-workshop/> The workshop will be held on June 23 (afternoon) 2019 in Freiburg, Germany, as part of the Robotics Science and Systems (RSS) 2019 conference: http://www.roboticsconference.org <http://www.roboticsconference.org/> We invite submissions of 1-2 page abtracts describing recent work on neuronal and cognitive architectures than emphasize autonomy of behavior generation. The selected abstracts will be invited to be presented as a Demo showing autonomous generation of behavior and/or Poster showing a recent example of a neuronal cognitive architecture You can submit your abstract by email to ysandamirskaya(a)ini.uzh.ch <mailto:ysandamirskaya@ini.uzh.ch> . Please, make sure that your submission contains your institutional address. If you like, you can attach a photo, which we will upload on the Workshop's webpage. Deadline for submission: 8. June 2019! Decisions will be announce on June 10. We are looking forward to your submissions and our discussions during the workshop! Yulia Sandamirskaya and Gregor Schöner — Workshop organisers — — Dr. Yulia Sandamirskaya Institute of Neuroinformatics (INI) UZH / ETH Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich E-mail: ysandamirskaya(a)ini.uzh.ch <mailto:ysandamirskaya@ini.uzh.ch> Tel: +41 44 63 53045 www.sandamirskaya.eu <http://www.sandamirskaya.eu/> https://neurotechai.eu <https://neurotechai.eu/>

1 0

Multiple postdoc positions uOttawa
by Richard Naud 29 May '19

29 May '19

Multiple postdoc positions uOttawa Theoretical neuroscience, nonlinear/statistical physics, cellular electrophysiology and imaging, computational neuroscience University of Ottawa Multiple theoretical, computational and experimental neuroscience postdoctoral positions are available immediately at the Centre for Neural Dynamics of the University of Ottawa. Position 1: Theoretical neuroscience and nonlinear/statistical physics focusing on the dynamics of a population of core recurrent neurons within the hippocampus and their role in temporal and spatial memory. The candidate will be involved in collaborations between Profs. Len Maler, André Longtin and Jean-Claude Béïque. Position 2: Experimental and computational neuroscience focusing on dendritic integration. Expertise in cellular electrophysiology and/or computational neuroscience is an asset. The candidate will be involved in collaborations between Profs. Richard Naud and Jean-Claude Béïque. Position 3: Computational and experimental neuroscience focusing on dendritic integration and recurrent circuitry. Expertise in cellular electrophysiology and/or computational neuroscience is an asset. The candidate will be involved in collaborations between Profs. André Longtin, Richard Naud, Jean-Claude Béïque and Len Maler. The researcher will join uOttawa’s Brain and Mind Research Institute’s Center for Neural Dynamics. uOttawa’s Neuroscience community is fast expanding, highly dynamic and offers a rich array of collaborative opportunities. Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is a green, multi-cultural city that offers the highest standard of living in the country and is second worldwide for quality of life (Numbeo index, 2015). The city has many parks including the UNESCO World Heritage Rideau Canal, and is surrounded by an extensive greenbelt and the vast Gatineau Park twenty minutes away. This bilingual, safe and culturally-rich city lies along the border between the provinces of Ontario and Québec, is a few hours of driving away from Montréal and Toronto and served by an international airport. Each position is for one year with automatic renewal for a second year following satisfactory progress, and a possible extension to a third year. Interested candidates should submit their CV and a brief statement of research interests to alongtin(a)uottawa.ca<mailto:alongtin@uottawa.ca> . The successful candidate would be a salaried employee of the University with a competitive remuneration and benefits package. Jean-Claude Béïque André Longtin Len Maler Richard Naud

1 0

IBRO-SIMONS COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE IMBIZO 2020 #isiCNI2020
by Antrobus, Alexander 29 May '19

29 May '19

We would like to draw your attention to the fourth IBRO-SIMONS COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE IMBIZO #isiCNI2020 5 - 26 January 2020, Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town, South Africa http://imbizo.africa/ Application deadline: 30th June 2019 The #isiCNI2020 is a southern hemisphere summer school aiming to promote computational neuroscience in Africa. It will bring together international and local students under the tutelage of the world's leading experts in the field. Like its international sister courses, this three-week summer school aims to teach central ideas, methods, and practices of modern computational neuroscience through a combination of lectures and hands-on project work. Mornings will be devoted to lectures on topics across the breadth of experimental and computational neuroscience. The rest of the day will be spent working on research projects under the close supervision of expert tutors and faculty. Individual research projects will focus on the modelling of neurons, neural systems, behaviour, the analysis of state-of-the-art neural data, and the development of theories to explain experimental observations. Who should apply? This course is aimed at Masters and early-PhD level students though Honours or advanced undergraduates may also apply. Postdoctoral students who can motivate why the course would benefit them are also encouraged to apply, Students should have sufficient quantitative skills, (e.g. a background in mathematics, physics, computer science, statistics, engineering or related field). Some knowledge of neural biology will be useful but not essential. Experimental neuroscience students are encouraged to apply, but should ensure that they have a reasonable level of quantitative proficiency (i.e. at least second-year level mathematics or statistics and have done at least one course in computer programming). Please distribute this information as widely as you can. Essential details * Fee (which covers tuition, lodging, and meals): 1100 EUR Thanks to out generous sponsors, significant financial assistance is available to reduce and waiver fees for students, particlualry for African applicants. We also hope to provide some travel bursaries for interrnational students. If you are in need of financial assistance to attend the Imbizo, please state so clearly in the relevant section of your application. * Application deadline: 30th June 2019 * Notification of results: late August 2019 Information and application https://imbizo.africa/<http://isicni.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/> Questions? isicn.imbizo(a)gmail.com<mailto:isicn.imbizo@gmail.com> What is an Imbizo? \ɪmˈbiːzɒ\ | Xhosa - Zulu A gathering of the people to share knowledge. INVITED FACULTY Dora Angelaki - Baylor College of Medicine Demba Ba - Harvard University Adrienne Fairhall - Washington University Ila Fiete - University of Texas Peter Latham - University College London Timothy Lillicrap - Google DeepMind Blake Richards - University of Toronto Joseph Raimondo - University of Cape Town Srikanth Ramaswamy - EPFL Lausanne Athanassia Papoutsi - IMBB-FORTH Thomas Tagoe - University of Ghana Andrew Trevelyan - Newcastle University Misha Tsodyks - Weiszmann Institute of Science Tim Vogels - University of Oxford Byron Yu - Carnegie Mellon University Organisers Christopher Currin (University of Cape Town, South Africa) Emma Vaughan (Conference Managemant Centre) DIRECTORS Peter Latham (Gatsby Unit for Computational Neuroscience, UCL, UK) Joseph Raimondo (University of Cape Town, South Africa) Tim Vogels (University of Oxford, UK) Sponsors The isiCNI is made possible by the generous support from the Simons Foundation (https://www.simonsfoundation.org<https://www.simonsfoundation.org/>) and the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) (http://ibro.info<http://ibro.info/>) Organizational Affiliates University of Cape Town, University College London, University of Oxford, TReND in Africa<http://trendinafrica.org/>, CNCB<http://www.cncb.ox.ac.uk/>, Gatsby Foundation<http://www.gatsby.org.uk/>, IBRO African Center for Advanced Training in Neurosciences at UCT

1 0