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

Postdoc in neural data analysis
by Mark Humphries June 26, 2022

June 26, 2022

A 3 year postdoc post is available in the lab of Prof Mark Humphries, at the University of Nottingham (UK) In this project, our aim is to test the overarching hypothesis that movement transitions are encoded by the same neural population reconfiguring its joint activity, for both rhythmic and discrete movements. We will tackle this question using newly-available population recordings during rhythmic movement transitions in Aplysia and discrete arm movement transitions in monkeys, The Humphries’ group researches fundamental insights into how the joint activity of neurons encodes information about and actions in the world. For more see: https://www.humphries-lab.org Queries: mark.humphries(a)nottingham.ac.uk Deadline: 5th September Full details, and to apply: https://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?id=27005&forced=2 [http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/org/images/socialmedia.png]<https://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?id=27005&forced=2> Job Vacancy at the University of Nottingham: Research Associate/Fellow (Fixed term)<https://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?id=27005&forced=2> Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research fellow to join the Humphries’ group on the MRC-funded project “Uncovering the neural basis of movement transitions”. The Humphries’ group researches fundamental... jobs.nottingham.ac.uk Professor Mark Humphries | MRC Senior non-Clinical Fellow | Chair in Computational Neuroscience Lab: humphries-lab.org<https://www.humphries-lab.org/> Twitter: @markdhumphries Public blog: https://medium.com/the-spike 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.

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Creating a list of important computational predictions
by Yiota Poirazi Jan. 4, 2021

Jan. 4, 2021

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/>

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PhD position: Machine learning to record and enhance sleep and lucid dreaming
by Martin Dresler Sept. 3, 2020

Sept. 3, 2020

Hi, Arenar B.V. and the Donders Institute offer a joint PhD position combining data science/AI and wearable EEG technology with sleep/dream research. In this project, the wearable sleep EEG headband iBand+ will be further developed and applied in several experimental studies. First, we will develop automatic sleep stage detection algorithms using machine learning strategies. We will then implement closed-loop acoustic stimulation procedures to enhance sleep slow oscillations to improve deep sleep. We will further develop combined acoustic and visual stimulation procedures which will allow to enhance self-awareness during sleep (i.e. lucid dreaming) and subsequent mood in the morning. The validity and efficacy of these procedures will be tested experimentally in large longitudinal studies in naturalistic home-based settings. The successful candidate will be centrally involved in the development, will lead different research projects within this general framework; will be closely involved in daily supervision of MSc students assisting the project; and will participate in the vibrant Donders Graduate School. Job details • 4 years at Donders, extension to permanent position at Arenar possible • Deadline: 31 August 2019 • Starting date: October/November, but somewhat flexible • Salary: starting with € 40000 gross per year Candidate profile • MSc-level background in Data Science, ML, AI, computer sciences, or adjacent field; • Proficiency in Python, C, C++, statistics • Interest in sleep, lucid dreaming, meditation • The capacity to participate in a collaborative, interdisciplinary, international research environment; • Fluency in written and spoken English. Candidates who only partially meet this profile are nonetheless strongly encouraged to apply! Organization The PhD project is a collaboration between Arenar B.V. and the Donders Institute. Arenar B.V. is a Dutch technology start-up based in Nijmegen, founded in 2016 by a team of engineers/developers with a combined technical industry experience exceeding 40 years working at leading technology companies such as NXP, Philips, Texas Instruments. Work in Arenar’s small enthusiastic team offers plenty of flexibility, responsibility and lots of influence on the product development. In particular, Arenar develops the iBand+ ( http://www.ibandplus.com) and many more upcoming innovative products. The project is embedded in the infrastructure of the Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, providing a unique and stimulating learning environment for young researchers, including a high-profile graduate school and in-house methodological expert courses. Sleep research is a vibrant and rapidly growing field at the Donders Institute, with several new research groups in human and animal sleep research. The project is further embedded in the Radboud University Medical Center. Radboud UMC strives to be a leading developer of sustainable, innovative and affordable healthcare to improve the health and wellbeing of people and society in the Netherlands and beyond. Application Please apply with a brief motivation letter explaining your interest and qualifications regarding the position, your prior research/work experience, a CV, and contact information of two professional references: https://www.radboudumc.nl/en/vacancies/70061-phd-candidate-machine-learning… For specific questions about this position, please contact martin.dresler(a)donders.ru.nl Cheers, Martin -- Donders Sleep & Memory Lab, Radboud University Medical Center Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, Netherlands https://dreslerlab.org

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PhD Positions in Computational Neuroscience at the University of Hertfordshire
by Volker Steuber April 30, 2020

April 30, 2020

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.

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[publication and call for dialog] IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems
by Pierre-Yves Oudeyer Jan. 23, 2020

Jan. 23, 2020

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

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Postdoc positions on Consciousness Research at Monash Uni, Australia
by Naotsugu Tsuchiya Jan. 13, 2020

Jan. 13, 2020

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

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Data Scientist Position at Boston University
by Chen, Jerry Nov. 5, 2019

Nov. 5, 2019

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>.

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Postdoc in neural modeling / optic flow at RPI
by Fajen, Brett Aug. 31, 2019

Aug. 31, 2019

Please post on comp-neuro list… POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE OPTIC FLOW-BASED CONTROL IN HUMANS AND AERIAL ROBOTS Cognitive Science Department Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute A post-doctoral position is available in the Perception and Action (PandA) Lab at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to study optic flow-based control. This is an ONR-funded project aimed at developing computational and mathematical models of visual perception and control in humans that can be adapted for use on board small aerial robots. The successful candidate will be expected to develop computational models, conduct psychophysical experiments, assist with robotic implementation, and present research at conferences and in journal articles. This is a one-year position with an anticipated start date in Fall 2019. The position could be extended beyond one year depending on performance and availability of funding. General information about the PandA Lab can be found at http://panda.cogsci.rpi.edu. The lab is situated within the Cognitive Science Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180. Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY is the nation’s oldest technological university, serving over 7,600 undergraduate and graduate students from 49 states and 63 countries. Guided by the Rensselaer Plan 2024, Rensselaer seeks to transform the delivery of pedagogical innovations, and to be a transformative agent in the 21st century and beyond. Minimum qualifications Candidates for the position must have a Ph.D. in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Computer Science, or a closely related field. All degree requirements must be completed by the time the appointment starts. In addition, candidates must have research experience in visual perception, a strong quantitative background, and excellent programming skills. Application information Applicants should submit a cover letter including a brief statement of research interests and accomplishments, current CV, and contact information for three references using the following link: https://rpijobs.rpi.edu/postings/8264. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Questions about the position should be directed to Brett Fajen at fajenb[at]rpi.edu. We welcome candidates who will bring diverse intellectual, geographical, gender and ethnic perspectives to Rensselaer’s work and campus communities. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity, Race/Gender/Veterans/Disability Employer.

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Post-doc position opportunity at Italian Institute of Technology
by Gabriella Panuccio Aug. 30, 2019

Aug. 30, 2019

All, There is an open opportunity for a post-doc position in my lab at IIT. We are looking for an in vitro electrophysiologist with expertise in epilepsy models and brain slices for biohybrid experiments. The position is open within the context of the EU-funded FET Proactive project HERMES - Hybrid Enhanced Regenerative Medicine Systems (www.hermes-fet.eu<http://www.hermes-fet.eu/>). You may find the description and instructions to apply here: https://iit.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=1900000Q Deadline for application is September 15th. You may contact me directly for any informal inquiry. Please circulate this email to those you think might be interested. Thank you! Gabriella ________________________________ Gabriella Panuccio, MD, PhD Enhanced Regenerative Medicine Dept. Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego, 30 16163 Genova - Italy email: gabriella.panuccio(a)iit.it<mailto:gabriella.panuccio@iit.it> office: +39 010 28 96 ext 493 mobile: +39 333 491 32 31 website url: www.hermes-fet.eu<about:blank> Twitter: @GabryPanu<https://twitter.com/GabryPanu> // @HERMES_FET<https://twitter.com/HERMES_FET>

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Assistant Professor position available in Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine
by Jeff Krichmar Aug. 29, 2019

Aug. 29, 2019

Dear Colleagues, The Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) invites applications for an assistant professor (tenure-track) position with an expected start date of July 1, 2020. We are seeking scientists who study learning, memory, decision making, and related topics with behavioral, developmental, computational, artificial intelligence, or neuroimaging methods. Of particular interest are cognitive scientists who combine an empirical research program with innovative quantitative analysis or computational modeling. The successful candidates will interact with a dynamic and growing community in cognitive, computational, and neural sciences within the department (http://www.cogsci.uci.edu/) and the broader campus. Interested candidates can find specific application requirements and the online application at: https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF05668. To ensure full consideration, applications must be completed by December 1, 2019. The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy. As a recipient of an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity, UCI understands the needs of dual career couples, supports work-life balance through an array of family-friendly policies, and is dedicated to broadening participation in higher education. As a Minority Serving Institution, UCI seeks future faculty who will contribute to our enduring commitment to inclusive excellence and serve as role models. Best regards, Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma(a)uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma

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Tenure Track Faculty Positions in Biomathematics
by Cheng Ly Aug. 29, 2019

Aug. 29, 2019

Assistant Professor of Mathematics Position: Two faculty positions (9-month) as Assistant Professors of Mathematics to join the vibrant biomathematics group in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at Virginia Commonwealth University beginning August 16, 2020. The Department and University web pages may be found at http://www.math.vcu.edu and http://www.vcu.edu. The Ph.D. program web page may be found at http://www.sysm.vcu.edu. Responsibilities of Position: Maintain a vigorous research program and a record of excellent teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Qualifications: A Ph.D. in Mathematics, or related field, is required at the time of the appointment. We are seeking candidates with a clearly defined research agenda and expertise in biomathematics research with an emphasis in one or more of the following fields: stochastic, computational, or multi-scale modeling, complex networks and/or systems, uncertainty quantification, and parameter identification. Preference will also be given to candidates with postdoctoral experience, and a demonstrated potential to secure external funding. Applicants must have a record of successful teaching, as well as experience with working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment, or the commitment to do so. The Department: The mission of the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics is to offer a strong undergraduate and graduate education, with an increasing focus on the development of cross-disciplinary efforts that will prepare our students for real-world applications and stimulating employment and career opportunities. Key current objectives of the department include the continued development of our Ph.D. program, which emphasizes applications of mathematics to the medical and biological sciences and research in both applied mathematics and theoretical discrete mathematics, the improvement of student outcomes in our lower level courses, the continued strengthening of our department's track in secondary education preparation and mathematics education outreach initiatives. We seek ambitious faculty members to help grow and strengthen the department by expanding teaching, research, and grant activity. How to Apply for the Position: To apply, candidates should submit electronically (https://www.vcujobs.com/postings/92989) the following: a cover letter that delineates how they meet the qualifications outlined above, a current curriculum vitae, contact information for each of the four references. In addition, candidates need to submit electronically ( https://www.mathjobs.org/ <https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/14339>) the following: a cover letter, an AMS Standard Cover Sheet, a current curriculum vitae, and detailed statements about teaching and their current research activities. Applicants also should include four letters of recommendation. One of the letters of recommendation must address the applicant's effectiveness as a teacher. Letters should be submitted electronically through www.mathjobs.org <https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/14339>. Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S.A. The deadline for applications is October 25, 2019. "Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity. Affirmative Action University providing access to education and employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, veterans status, political affiliation or disability." Cheng Ly https://www.people.vcu.edu/~cly Associate Professor Department of Statistical Sciences and Operations Research Virginia Commonwealth University P.O. Box 843083 Richmond, Virginia 23284-3083

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LASCON 2020 - VIII Latin American School on Computational Neuroscience (Call for applications)
by Antonio Roque Aug. 28, 2019

Aug. 28, 2019

**** Apologies for cross-posting **** VIII Latin American School on Computational Neuroscience - LASCON 2020 January 6-31, 2020, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil www.sisne.org/lascon LASCON Video <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10FDmMw2IbM> APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 5, 2019 Dear Colleagues, Following the success of the previous editions of LASCON (Latin American School on Computational Neuroscience), I am pleased to announce the 8th LASCON, which will take place January 6-31, 2020 at the NeuroMat Center in the University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. LASCON aims at introducing young researchers and graduate and advanced undergraduate students to the use of computational and mathematical methods for modeling neurons and neural networks. The following topics will be covered: biophysically detailed single neuron models; reduced and simplified single neuron models; networks of biophysical and simplified neuron models; synaptic plasticity and learning; spike train analysis; statistical methods in neuroscience; models of extracellular fields; modeling of brain stimulation; predictive coding; dynamics of neuronal functional connectivity; and computational psychiatry. These subjects will be illustrated with the use of programs NEURON, neuroConstruct, XPP-AUTO, Matlab, NEST, Brian and the Virtual Brain. Students will have to work on small research projects (to be done in groups of two), which they will present orally at the end of the school. The following lecturers will be in charge of theoretical classes and tutorials: Aline Duarte, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Antonio Galves,University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Arnd Roth, University College, London, UK Christophe Pouzat, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France Demian Battaglia, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France Eli Shlizerman, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Emilio Kropf, Leloir Institute Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina Gaute Einevoll, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, As, Norway German Mato, Bariloche Atomic Center, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina Horacio Rotstein, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA John Murray, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA Marcelo Reyes, Federal University of ABC, Sao Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil Mauricio Girardi-Schappo, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil Mauro Copelli, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil Renan Shimoura, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil Risto Ilmoniemi, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland Rodrigo Cofre, University of Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile Sacha van Albada, Juelich Research Center, Juelich, Germany Salvador Durá-Bernal, State University of New York, New York, NY, USA Volker Steuber, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK William Lytton, State University of New York, New York, NY, USA The number of students is limited to 20 and applications should be made electronically via the application form in the school's web page ( www.sisne.org/lascon) Applicants are also requested to submit a detailed CV (in English) and to provide two letters of recommendation. The application deadline is October 5, 2019 (until midnight, US Pacific time). There is no registration fee for the school. Costs for accommodation will be covered by the school organization. Travel costs have to be covered by the students. Sao Paulo is the major transportation hub in South America, so it is possible to fly from basically anywhere in the world to its airports. In the selection procedure, priority will be given to Latin-American students, but students from other parts of the world are encouraged to apply as well. LASCON 2020 is an activity of the FAPESP Center for Neuromathematics (NeuroMat - http://neuromat.numec.prp.usp.br/) I am looking forward to see you in Sao Paulo. Best regards, Antonio Roque LASCON Director -- Dr. Antonio C. Roque Professor Associado Departamento de Fisica FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto-SP Brazil - Brasil E-mails: antonior(a)usp.br <antonior(a)ffclrp.usp.br> aroquesilva(a)gmail.com URL: www.sisne.org Tels: +55 16 3315-3768 <+55%2016%203315-3768> (sala/office); +55 16 3315-3859 <+55%2016%203315-3859> (lab) FAX: +55 16 3315-4887 <+55%2016%203315-4887>

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3 year Research Fellow in Bio-Inspired Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at the University of Sussex
by Thomas Nowotny Aug. 28, 2019

Aug. 28, 2019

Dear all, Research Fellow in Bio-Inspired Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at the University of Sussex Are you a talented and ambitious computer scientist, computational neuroscientist or machine learner? Are you looking for an opportunity to use cutting edge technology to gain new understanding of how small-brained insects learn so rapidly and robustly, and in turn develop novel active AI algorithms that are inspired by these insights? We have an opportunity for a Research Fellow to join the Brains on Board<http://brainsonboard.co.uk/> team at the Department of Informatics at the University of Sussex to join a collaboration with the University of Sheffield and world-leading neuroscientists in Australia through the EPSRC-funded ActiveAI project: active learning and selective attention for rapid, robust and efficient AI. You will develop a new class of ActiveAI controllers for problems in which insects excel but deep learning methods struggle. These problems have one or more of the following characteristics: (i) learning must occur rapidly, (ii) learning samples are few or costly, (iii) computational resources are limited, and (iv) the problem changes over time. Insects deal with such complex tasks robustly despite limited computational power because learning is an active process emerging from the interaction of evolved brains, bodies and behaviours. Through a virtuous cycle of modelling and experiments, you will develop insect-inspired models, in which behavioural strategies and specialised sensors actively structure sensory input while selective attention drives learning to the most salient information. This will be achieved through extended visits to Australia, in which you will interact with biologists and shape novel insect experiments that in turn will inspire computational and robotic models and novel algorithms. In this way, we will both advance neuroscience and enable ActiveAI solutions which will be efficient in final network configuration, robust to real-world conditions and learn rapidly. This project includes significant scope for you to creatively shape and drive the project to your interests and to organise the timing and length of your visits to Australia. You will work under the supervision of Professors Andrew Philippides, Thomas Nowotny and Paul Graham at Sussex as well as the wider Brains on Board team and, together with a partner research fellow at Sheffield University, you will lead a new collaboration with world-leading Australian research partners through extended secondments. Closing date: midnight UK BST, 23 September 2019. For full details see: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/jobs/rf-artifical-intellience-robotics-2091 -- Prof Thomas Nowotny Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange School of Engineering and Informatics University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ, UK Phone: +441273678593 FAX: +441273877873

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CFP NeurIPS2019 AI↔Neuro Workshop: Real Neurons & Hidden Units
by Jessica Thompson Aug. 28, 2019

Aug. 28, 2019

Call for Papers: NeurIPS2019 Workshop Real Neurons & Hidden Units: Future directions at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence Workshop website: https://sites.google.com/mila.quebec/neuroaiworkshop <https://sites.google.com/mila.quebec/neuroaiworkshop/home> Submission deadline: September 6, 2019 Contact: neuroaiworkshop(a)gmail.com We invite contributions at the intersection of neuroscience and AI. In particular, we encourage work that identifies novel questions about the brain, which are informed by the recent successes of AI, and that establish key brain mechanisms that hold promise for further advancement of AI. Topical areas include but are not limited to: - study of recurrent dynamics, - inductive biases to guide learning, - global versus local learning rules, - interpretability of network activity, - connectivity structure. A strict requirement for admission is that the topic must be at the intersection of AI and Neuroscience, in that the work must leverage findings from one field to advance the other or address important questions common to both. Submissions must be within four pages. Accepted contributions will be invited to present posters. A select number will be also invited to present short talks. Invited speakers: Ila Fiete (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Surya Ganguli (Stanford University) Tim Lillicrap (DeepMind/University College London) Doina Precup (McGill University/DeepMind) Blake Richards (McGill University) Cristina Savin (New York University) David Sussillo (Google Brain/Stanford University) Please see the workshop website <https://sites.google.com/mila.quebec/neuroaiworkshop/home> for further details. We look forward to receiving your submission! On behalf of the organizers, Guillaume Lajoie (UdeM/Mila) Eli Shlizerman (UW) Maximilian Puelma Touzel (UdeM/Mila) Konrad Kording (UPenn) Jessica Thompson (UdeM/Mila) and Advisors, Adrienne Fairhall (UW) Yoshua Bengio (UdeM/Mila)

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Academic Fellowship positions Computational Neuroscience, Nottingham
by Mark van Rossum Aug. 28, 2019

Aug. 28, 2019

Academic Fellowship positions Computational Neuroscience, Nottingham (extended deadline) The University of Nottingham is a research intensive university ranked in the top 10 in the UK and in the top 30 of Europe. It has a strong tradition in Cognition, Perception, Mathematical Biology, and Imaging. To support further development across these areas, and stimulate new research opportunities, the University has recently made a major investment in Computational Neuroscience. As part of this investment we are inviting applications for two independent fellowships. The positions are for 3 years, after which the fellows are expected to be competitive candidates for permanent positions at the University. The positions are ideal for researchers with some postdoctoral experience and a strong vision who are planning to develop their own research group in a supportive, interdisciplinary environment with outstanding research facilities. We are interested in candidates working across a broad spectrum of research topics areas in Computational Neuroscience, including functional neuroimaging, neural networks, and models of cognition. Research methodologies could include numerical simulation, machine learning, theoretical neuroscience, and innovative data analysis. The Fellows will be based in the School of Psychology and/or Mathematical Sciences. These positions were advertised earlier. After a number of requests for a later deadline, the application process is now briefly opened again until Sept 3rd. For the online application form see http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/SCI215819 Please include a research proposal in your application. For informal inquiries contact Mark van Rossum, mark.vanrossum(a)nottingham.ac.uk, +44-115-7486851 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.

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[Job][Postdoc]: 4yrs senior researcher position and Phd scholarship on Modelling beliefs dynamics of social media users with machine learning methodologies at University of Essex funded by VolkswagenStiftung (Volkswagen Foundation)
by Dimitri Ognibene Aug. 27, 2019

Aug. 27, 2019

** Apologies for cross-postings ** Dear Colleagues, I would be very grateful if you could forward this job advert to anybody who could be interested. The highlight is on machine learning for user interaction modelling. Here are some information for the positions. ** Application deadline 1st of September** To apply https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?… <https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?…> https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BTV423/senior-research-officer-in-social-media-m… <https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BTV423/senior-research-officer-in-social-media-m…> A PhD scholarship on the same topics is also out with deadline on the 30th of August Check <http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/jobs>http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/ <http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/>jobs Kind regards, Dimitri *Postdoc and Phd Positions in: Modelling beliefs dynamics of social media users with machine learning methodologies at University of Essex funded by VolkswagenStiftung (Volkswagen Foundation)* Project: Courage Applications are invited for a 4 years position of Senior Postdoctoral Research Officer and a PhD shcolarship on ht project “COURAGE: A Social Media Companion Safeguarding and Educating Students”. This project is an international collaboration funded by VolkswagenStiftung (Volkswagen Foundation) as part of the Artificial Intelligence and the Society of the Future funding initiative. The project partners include the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Spain), the Istituto per le Tecnologie Didattiche of the National Council of Research ITD-CNR (Italy), Hochschule Ruhr West (Germany) and the Rhine-Ruhr Institute for System Innovation (Germany). The project aims to develop a Virtual Social Media Companion that educates and supports teenage school students facing the threats of social media such as discrimination and biases as well as hate speech, bullying, fake news and other toxic content. The project involves a substantial experimentation aspect in collaboration with multiple schools around Europe. It will thus provide a unique chance to perform interventions to test the validity of social interaction theories and governance methods. The Essex team will drive two strands of this work, the machine-learning-based user beliefs dynamics modelling aspect and the process of analysing visual and textual content. More specifically, we aim at developing Bayesian computational models of beliefs dynamics of social media users to support governance and educational strategies. These models will also be applied to evaluate socially relevant variables, such as trust and inclusion. We will build on and implement state-of-the-art CV, NLP & AI methods to provide measurements of sentiment, bias, hatefulness, veracity, polarization, and sensationalism of social media content. In addition, we will drive forward the state of the art in detecting hate speech and biased content. The companion will actively counteract this kind of content, balancing it with opposite perspectives and proposing specifically themed challenges adopting ideas used in games. The successful candidate will be based in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering at Colchester Campus of The University of Essex. The post is available for four years with a start date from September 2019. To apply: https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?… <https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jobs.ac.uk%2Fjob%2FBSW396%2F…> For more information: https://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/jobs?authuser=0 <https://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/jobs?authuser=0> Applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. Dimitri Ognibene <mailto:dimitri.ognibene@essex.ac.uk> (dimitri.ognibene(a)essex.ac.uk <mailto:dimitri.ognibene@essex.ac.uk>) for informal enquiries and further information on research objectives. -- Dimitri Ognibene, PhD Lecturer in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Department 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

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post-doctoral position in computational neuroscience at Duke University
by Nicolas Brunel Aug. 27, 2019

Aug. 27, 2019

A post-doctoral position is available in the group of Nicolas Brunel in the Department of Neurobiology at Duke University (Durham, NC, USA), to work on theoretical models of learning in the cerebellum. The position is funded by a Brain Initiative NIH grant to a collaboration between Steve Lisberger (Duke), Court Hull (Duke), Javier Medina (Baylor), and Nicolas Brunel, whose goal is to infer learning rules used by the cerebellum using electrophysiological and imaging data of multiple cell types recorded in different animals and different motor tasks. Applicants should have a strong background in computational neuroscience, physics and/or applied mathematics. Prior experience with computational neuroscience is a plus, but it is not required. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. The ideal starting date is before the end of 2019. To apply, send a letter with a CV to nicolas.brunel(a)duke.edu, and ask three people send letters of recommendation to the same address. For more information about the lab, see https://www.neuro.duke.edu/research/faculty-labs/brunel-lab For more information about the position, and a link to apply, see https://careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-POSTDOCTORAL-ASSOCIATE-NEUROBIOLOGY-NC-…

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Doreen Thomas Postdoctoral Fellowships for Women
by Uwe Aickelin Aug. 26, 2019

Aug. 26, 2019

The Melbourne School of Engineering has introduced the Doreen Thomas Postdoctoral Fellowships to attract, or to retain, outstanding female doctoral graduates and provide a career pathway to a global Teaching and Research academic career at the University of Melbourne. We are currently looking for accomplished, enthusiastic, and interested early-career female doctoral graduates for multiple fellowships within the three schools of MSE: * Computing and Information Systems * Chemical and Biomedical Engineering * Electrical, Mechanical and Infrastructure Engineering More details can be found here: LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/1441685438> Seek<https://www.seek.com.au/job/39782535?searchrequesttoken=9e11c449-42dd-4296-…> University of Melbourne Careers<http://jobs.unimelb.edu.au/caw/en/job/900626/doreen-thomas-postdoctoral-fel…> Applications close Sunday 13 October 2019. About Doreen Thomas “Professor Emeritus Doreen Thomas is a leading academic whose work has spanned the fields of mathematics and electrical and mechanical engineering. Her career at the University of Melbourne has lasted over 40 years and practical applications of her research have had significant commercial impact. Doreen is a powerful advocate for women in engineering and mathematics. She chairs the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Forum at the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. While at the University of Melbourne’s School of Engineering, she helped create nine research fellowships to launch and accelerate the careers of female academics. In 2006, she was appointed the University of Melbourne’s first female professor in engineering. She was the first woman at the university to become head of each of the departments she led, and the first woman in Victoria to become head of two different university departments. Doreen’s long and distinguished career has been inspirational for other women in mathematics and science. She has made significant contributions to knowledge with real-world impact, promoted the next generation of women in STEM disciplines, and taught mathematics to generations of engineering students.” – Vic.gov.au Professor Uwe Aickelin | Head of School of Computing and Information Systems Melbourne School of Engineering Level 8, Doug McDonell Building, 168 Grattan Street The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 Australia T: +61 3 8344 3635 E: uwe.aickelin(a)unimelb.edu.au<mailto:uwe.aickelin@unimelb.edu.au> http://aickelin.com/ | http://linkedin.com/in/aickelin

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Open Post-doctoral Position in Human Perceptual Neuroscience at NYU
by Persinger, Christine Aug. 23, 2019

Aug. 23, 2019

Post-doctoral Fellowship in Human Perceptual Neuroscience at New York University The Perception and Brain Dynamics Laboratory (PI: Biyu J. He, Ph.D.) at New York University is currently recruiting for a post-doctoral fellow to conduct research to illuminate how prior knowledge shapes perception in the human brain. The planned research project involves a combination of cutting-edge human brain imaging technologies, including ultra-high-field (7 Tesla) fMRI and magnetoencephalography (MEG) in healthy subjects, electrocorticography (ECoG) in neurosurgical patients, along with psychophysics and neuropsychology. We are looking for a candidate with a passion for perceptual and cognitive neuroscience, independent critical thinking, strong analytical and quantitative skills, and good interpersonal skills. Experience with human brain imaging (such as fMRI, MEG, or ECoG) and excellent programming skills are highly desirable. Our laboratory is located on the medical campus of New York University in Manhattan, NY, and is affiliated with the Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neurology, and Department of Radiology. The position is expected to start in fall-winter of 2019, but early spring of 2020 is also possible. We provide competitive salary and benefits that adjust for cost of living in New York City. To apply, please send a CV, a cover letter, a statement of scientific and career goals, and names and contacts of three referees to Prof. Biyu Jade He (email: biyu.jade.he(a)gmail.com<mailto:biyu.jade.he@gmail.com>) with the subject line “post-doctoral application 2019”. We strongly encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible, but no later than Oct 15.

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[jobs] Neural Ego-Noise Reduction for Interactive Robots
by Stefan Wermter Aug. 22, 2019

Aug. 22, 2019

The Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences / Department of Informatics invites applications for a RESEARCH ASSOCIATE Ego-Noise Reduction for Interactive Robots - SALARY LEVEL 13 TV-L - The position in accordance with Section 28 subsection 1 of the Hamburg higher education act (Hamburgisches Hochschulgesetz, HmbHG) commences on the earliest possible date. This is a fixed term contract in accordance with Section 2 of the academic fixed-term labor contract act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz, WissZeitVG). The initial fixed term is three years. The position calls for 75% of standard work hours per week. (Full-time positions currently comprise 39 hours per week.) Responsibilities: Research associates will be expected primarily to teach and conduct research. The research associate will also have the opportunity to pursue further academic qualifications, in particular a doctoral dissertation. At least one-third of set working hours will be made available for the research associate’s own academic work. Specific Duties: The candidate will work in the Signal Processing and the Knowledge Technology groups and will do research on modern methods for single and multichannel speech enhancement for human-robot interfaces. The particular task is to take the specific ego-noise of an interactive robot into account, such as the sound of the motors and the cooling systems of specific robotic platforms. Teaching duties are expected to be 3 hours/week at the BSc Informatics level. Requirements: A university degree in a relevant field. Examples are Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics or Electrical Engineering. We require the candidate to have excellent knowledge in signal processing and neural network learning as well as good programming skills in Python and neural network frameworks. Experience in speech processing is helpful. Fluent English, spoken and written, and good communications skills are mandatory. Knowledge of German is desired; we expect the willingness to learn German for non-native German speakers. The University aims to increase the number of women in research and teaching and explicitly encourages women to apply. Equally qualified female applicants will receive preference in accordance with the Hamburg act on gender equality (Hamburgisches Gleichstellungsgesetz, HmbGleiG). Qualified disabled candidates or applicants with equivalent status receive preference in the application process. For further information, please contact Stefan Wermter (stefan.wermter(a)informatik.uni-hamburg.de) or Timo Gerkmann (timo.gerkmann(a)uni-hamburg.de) or consult our website athttp://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/WTM/ orhttp://uhh.de/inf-sp. Applications should include a cover letter, a tabular curriculum vitae, and copies of degree certificate(s). Please send applications by 25.08.2019 to:sp-office@informatik.uni-hamburg.de in a single PDF document. Please start the subject of your Email with [Application Kooperationspromotion]. Please do not submit original documents as we are not able to return them. *********************************************** Professor Dr. Stefan Wermter Director of Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt-Koelln-Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Email: wermter AT informatik.uni-hamburg.de http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/WTM/ ***********************************************

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PhD position - Inverse Reinforcement Learning
by Constantin Rothkopf Aug. 21, 2019

Aug. 21, 2019

The Centre for Cognitive Science at Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Germany invites applications for a Ph.D. Position in Inverse Reinforcement Learning initially limited to a period of three years. Research area The Ph.D. student is expected to work in the domain of inverse reinforcement learning with the particular focus of elucidating human decision making and collective human decision making in the wild, i.e. under real world conditions. The research project is a joint venture between the Bioinspired Communication Lab and the Psychology of Information Processing Lab, both members of the Centre of Cognitive Science at TU Darmstadt. Accordingly, the student will be advised by Prof. Heinz Koeppl, Department of Electrical Engineering and Prof. Constantin Rothkopf, Institute of Psychology. Work will involve methodological research in machine learning, design of dedicated human behavioral experiments, and the analysis and further processing of gathered data. What we offer We offer a unique interdisciplinary environment to perform cutting-edge research at one of Germany’s leading universities in the domain of computer science and engineering. The student will be embedded in the ongoing research activities within the Centre for Cognitive Science and will hence have the opportunity to interact with many other cognitive science researchers. The conducted research is expected to culminate in a Ph.D. degree. We offer comprehensive support for dissemination of results through leading scientific journals and through participation in leading international conferences and workshops. Your profile Candidates should have a M.Sc. degree in one of the following fields: computer science, physics, mathematics, engineering, or cognitive science. Candidates are required to have a sincere interest in interdisciplinary research at the crossroad of psychology and computer science. Application We look forward to receiving your application, consisting of a cover letter in which you lay out your interest in the indicated research area, curriculum vitae, copies of certificates and contact details of at least two academic references. Please send your application package as a single PDF file to application(a)bcs.tu-darmstadt.de. Code No. 487. The position is initially advertised till September 9th 2019, but later applications will be considered until the position is filled. -- Constantin A. Rothkopf, PhD http://www.pip.tu-darmstadt.de/ http://www.cogsci.tu-darmstadt.de/ http://www.ai-da.tu-darmstadt.de/

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Biomax offers PhD position within EU Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Project TranSYS
by Markus Butz-Ostendorf Aug. 21, 2019

Aug. 21, 2019

*Post-graduate position/fellow-ship at Biomax Informatics AG, Munich, Germany* TranSYS, is an European Training Network for post-graduate (PhD) studies which will recruit 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) in the new area of Systems Health to develop tools and approaches to exploit large and complex datasets and advance Precision (Personalised) Medicine in several disease areas. One position (ESR 11) is available at Biomax in close collaboration with the Max-Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Munich for the identification of biological subtypes related to treatment resistant depression. Eligibility : TranSYS wishes to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background. Recruitment targets ESR backgrounds in 1) Lifesciences; 2) Engineering sciences and (3) Maths and Computational Modelling. We expect that applicants hold a university degree that qualifies them for doctoral studies at their recruiting organization. Applications at: https://lnkd.in/e-xuQkB Don't hesitate to contact me with further questions. Kind regards, Markus -- Dr. rer. nat. Markus Butz-Ostendorf Innovation Manager Brain Science Senior Product Manager Biomax Informatics AG Robert-Koch-Str. 2, 82152 Planegg, Germany Registergericht: Amtsgericht München, HRB 134442 Vorstand: Dr. Klaus Heumann Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates: Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Mewes Tel: +49 89 895574-862 Fax: +49 89 895574-825 Email: markus.butz-ostendorf(a)biomax.com Website: http://www.biomax.com PGP: https://ssl.biomax.de/pgp/

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Faculty positions at University of Miami
by Odelia Schwartz Aug. 21, 2019

Aug. 21, 2019

The Department of Computer Science at University of Miami has openings for faculty positions in the broad areas of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, including Computational Neuroscience and Computational Cognitive Science (see ad below). Odelia --------- Link for ad and application: https://umiami.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UMFaculty/job/Coral-Gables-FL/Fa… The University of Miami (UM) is considered among the top tier institutions of higher education in the U.S. for its academic excellence, superior medical care, and cutting-edge research. At the U, we are committed to attracting a talented workforce to support our common purpose of transforming lives through teaching, research, and service. Through our values of Diversity, Integrity, Responsibility, Excellence, Compassion, Creativity and Teamwork (DIRECCT) we strive to create an environment where everyone contributes in making UM a great place to work. We are one of the largest private employers in Miami-Dade County; home to more than 13,400 faculty and staff from all over the world. The Department of Computer Science at the University of Miami invites applications for various level Professor positions. Candidates must possess a PhD in Computer Science or a closely related discipline. These positions require teaching and research expertise in Artificial Intelligence/Data Science, including areas such as Data Extraction, Data Visualization, Machine Learning, Cognitive Intelligence, and Intelligent Actuators. Faculty are expected to teach at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and to develop and maintain an internationally recognized research program. The department encourages innovative interdisciplinary work with other units in the university. Applicants should submit five PDF documents: 1. A cover letter, including the names and contact information for at least three references. 2. Curriculum vitae. 3. Research plan. 4. Teaching philosophy, with results of all teaching evaluations from the last two years. 5. Up to three representative papers (concatenated into a single PDF). Submissions must be made online at https://umiami.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UMFaculty. Review of applications will begin on 1st September 2019, and will continue until the positions are filled. Enquiries may be directed to search(a)cs.miami.edu. The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law.

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Postdoc positions available at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
by Wey, Hsiao-Ying Aug. 16, 2019

Aug. 16, 2019

Research Fellow in Simultaneous PET/MR Neuroimaging Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School Position We are seeking TWO postdoctoral fellows to join our team to pursue research in simultaneous PET/MR imaging in neuroscience applications. The area of research will be developing and applying novel PET/MRI methods to investigate (1) in vivo neuroreceptor dynamics and function and (2) the impacts of neurovascular function on PET radiotracer kinetics. Our research programs are highly translational spanning from animal models, first-in-human studies, to clinical applications. The appointment as a Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School research fellow will be for 2 years with possibility for extension based on performance and the availability of funding. The positions are available immediately. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated researcher with a desire to begin an independent career related to or involving neuroimaging. The position requires a Ph.D. degree in Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Neuroscience or a related field. However, we will consider candidates of any scientific background. This position requires experience in the acquisition and analysis of functional MRI and/or PET data. Extremely strong candidates with neuroscience backgrounds and minimal imaging experience are still encouraged to apply. Strong written and oral English communication skills are required. Additional Skills/Abilities/Competencies The job requires a candidate who is mature, responsible and flexible with excellent organizational and people skills. S/He must be able to work with in a fast-paced environment and should be able to problem-solve/troubleshoot, juggle and prioritize multiple tasks and seek assistance when appropriate. Application Interested applicants should send a cover letter describing research interests and experience, an updated CV, and names and contact information of three references to: Hsiao-Ying (Monica) Wey, Ph.D. (E-mail: hsiaoying.wey(a)mgh.harvard.edu) Please contain “Research Fellow Application: Your Name” in the e-mail subject line. The Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. Best, Hsiao-Ying (Monica) ------ Hsiao-Ying (Monica) Wey, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging Institute for Innovation in Imaging (i3) Massachusetts General Hospital 149 Thirteenth Street, Room 10.110 Charlestown, MA 02129 Phone: (617) 724-1384 Email: hsiaoying.wey(a)mgh.harvard.edu The information in this e-mail is intended only for the person to whom it is addressed. If you believe this e-mail was sent to you in error and the e-mail contains patient information, please contact the Partners Compliance HelpLine at http://www.partners.org/complianceline . If the e-mail was sent to you in error but does not contain patient information, please contact the sender and properly dispose of the e-mail.

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Postdoc at Bristol
by Cian O'Donnell Aug. 15, 2019

Aug. 15, 2019

A postdoctoral position is available in the group of Cian O'Donnell at University of Bristol, UK (https://seis.bristol.ac.uk/~co15268) You would work on understanding learning and memory using computational/mathematical modelling of synaptic plasticity, bringing in ideas from the fields of systems biology and machine learning/statistics. Local collaborators on the project will be Nick Whiteley (Mathematics; https://sites.google.com/view/nickwhiteley/) and Tom Gorochowski (Life Sciences; https://biocomputelab.github.io) You would also be joining our lively Bristol Computational Neuroscience Unit: https://bristolcnu.github.io The position is funded for up to three years by a grant from the Leverhulme Trust titled "Generalisable neural learning using noisy synapses". Ideal starting date would be Nov/Dec 2019. Application deadline is 5th Sept 2019, please apply online here: https://bit.ly/2L0LSEr Please contact me directly for informal enquiries: cian.odonnell(a)bristol.ac.uk

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Postdoctoral Position in Neuroimaging at Columbia University
by Ramphal, Bruce (NYSPI) Aug. 14, 2019

Aug. 14, 2019

T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship Available at Columbia University We are currently seeking applicants with EEG or MRI experience for a postdoctoral position in our Interdisciplinary Training in Life Course Environmental Epidemiology T32 program administered by the Department of Epidemiology. Continued funding will be available contingent on candidate making acceptable progress. Candidate should have an interest in using neuroimaging to study the effects of environmental exposures on brain structure, function, and neurodevelopment (https://www.ebblab.com) The candidate will work with investigators in the departments of psychiatry - division of child and adolescent psychiatry, environmental health sciences and epidemiology, and the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH, https://ccceh.org) The position is intended to foster a research career fusing interests in brain development and adverse environmental exposures. Possible areas of study include but are not limited to: effects of early life stress (ELS) on the neural correlates of language and bilingualism, effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke or nicotine on infant brain development and attention function, or associations between environmental exposures, mother-infant interactions, and child neurodevelopmental outcomes. The position is open now for one year of funding through 6/2020, with the possibility for continued funding with adequate progress. Please contact Dr. Amy Margolis for more information, and send CV and brief letter of interest to amy.margolis(a)nyspi.columbia.edu.

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Project Manager opening @ the Max Planck Institute (Frankfurt, Germany)
by Lucia Melloni Aug. 14, 2019

Aug. 14, 2019

Dear all, Please help us spread the word and to reach out to potential candidates! We have an opening for a Project Manager position in my group at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. The prospective candidate will be in charge of managing a very exciting large-scale international collaboration involving 11 institutions across Europe, the US and China running an adversarial collaboration project aimed at understanding the neural foundations of consciousness. This is an ideal opportunity for someone willing to take challenges, with a keen interest in organisational and managerial aspects of science and who wants to gain insight into large scale projects including handling of subcontracts. Prior experience in an academic research institution is a big plus.This is a full-time position for 3 years with a possibility for extension. More information on the job requirements and the position can be found here: https://www.aesthetics.mpg.de/institut/jobs/project-manager-research-group-… <https://www.aesthetics.mpg.de/institut/jobs/project-manager-research-group-…> For enquiries concerning this job opportunity please contact Dr. Lucia Melloni: lucia.melloni(a)ae.mpg.de <mailto:lucia.melloni@ae.mpg.de>. Please submit your application - preferably online in a single pdf - including a CV and a cover letter describing your background, experience and motivation as well as the names of two references, who have previously agreed to be contacted, no later than September 6, 2019 to: job(a)ae.mpg.de <mailto:job@ae.mpg.de> Looking forward to the applications! Best wishes, Lucia Melloni

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Call for Papers: NeurIPS2019 Workshop on Biological and Artificial Reinforcement Learning
by Sara Zannone Aug. 13, 2019

Aug. 13, 2019

Call for Papers NeurIPS2019 Workshop Biological and Artificial Reinforcement Learning Workshop website: https://sites.google.com/view/biologicalandartificialrl Submission deadline: September 7, 11:59 PM Pacific Time, 2019 Contact: BiologicalArtificialRL(a)gmail.com We invite you to submit papers (up to 5 pages, excluding references and appendix) in the NeurIPS 2019 format. The focus of the work should relate to biological and/or artificial reinforcement learning. Potential topics include but are not limited to: - Benchmark tasks that can compare/contrast capabilities of artificial vs biological agents - Hierarchical RL/ skill learning - Inductive biases and priors - Representations for RL - Model-based/ Model-free learning - Lifelong learning - Intrinsic motivation/ learning in absence of extrinsic rewards - Role of memory in learning In line with the guidelines defined by the NeurIPS organising committee, we can only accept original work that is not published in the main NeurIPS conference. However, we welcome published work from other non-machine learning focused venues, particularly work that has previously appeared in Neuroscience or Cognitive Science venues such as Cosyne, RLDM, CogSci and CCN. Submission link: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/NeurIPSWSBARL2019/ For any enquiries please reach out to us at BiologicalArtificalRL(a)gmail.com . On behalf of the organizers, Raymond Chua, Feryal Behbahani, Sara Zannone, Rui Ponte Costa, Claudia Clopath, Blake Richards, Doina Precup

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Luminous Workshop on Consciousness - University of Oxford - Call for Abstracts
by Aureli Soria Frisch Aug. 8, 2019

Aug. 8, 2019

————————————————— Luminous Workshop on Consciousness ————————————————— Dear Group members, If you are interested in research about the mind, and particularly on consciousness and how to measure and alter it, please read further. In the framework of the Luminous Project (http://www.luminous-project.eu/ <http://www.luminous-project.eu/>), a workshop will take place in November at the University of Oxford, around the following axes: consciousness, its measurement and modification, computational modelling of consciousness, and the related ethical issues and dilemmas arising from these matters. Book 21st November in your agenda now. To read more, find here the main page of the event with additional details: http://www.luminous-project.eu/index.php/workshop-studying-measuring-and-al… <http://www.luminous-project.eu/index.php/workshop-studying-measuring-and-al…> A Call for Abstracts has been issued requesting for contributions, see the specific information at: http://www.luminous-project.eu/index.php/call-for-abstracts-workshop-studyi… <http://www.luminous-project.eu/index.php/call-for-abstracts-workshop-studyi…> Note also that the day before the workshop itself, an open public lecture on these same subjects will take place in the evening (registration details for this lecture are to be provided as they become available). Hoping to see you in Oxford, we send you in the meantime our kindest greetings, Organising Committee: Katie Warnaby & Jostein Holmgren, University of Oxford; Aureli Soria-Frisch & Eleni Kroupi, Starlab; Julia Moser & Hubert Preissl, University of Tubingen ________________________________________ Aureli Soria-Frisch (Dr.-Ing.) Director of Neuroscience Starlab Consulting Division Barcelona Offices: Av. Tibidabo, 47 bis - 08035 Barcelona - Spain tel. +34 93 254 03 70, +34 93 254 03 66, Ext -02 skype aureli.soria-frisch twitter @aurelisofr linkedin es.linkedin.com/pub/aurelisoriafrisch <http://es.linkedin.com/pub/aureli-soria-frisch/6/b93/294/>________________________________________ Starlab, Living Science http://starlab.es <http://starlab.es/> Click here <http://www.starlab.es/email_confidentiality_and_data_protection_policy> to read our e-mail confidentiality and data protection policy

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call for papers: NeurIPS 2019 Workshop on ‘Context and Compositionality in biological and artificial neural systems’
by Alexander Huth Aug. 7, 2019

Aug. 7, 2019

(Apologies for cross-post) NeurIPS 2019 - Workshop on ‘Context and Compositionality in biological and artificial neural systems’ Vancouver Convention Center, Vancouver CANADA Fri Dec 13th or Sat Dec 14th https://context-composition.github.io <https://context-composition.github.io/> Workshop abstract: The ability to integrate semantic information across narratives is fundamental to language understanding in both biological and artificial cognitive systems. There have been enormous strides in NLP and Machine Learning to develop architectures and techniques that effectively capture these effects. We have moved away from traditional bag-of-words approaches that ignore temporal ordering to RNNs, Temporal CNNs and Transformers that incorporate contextual information at varying timescales. While these architectures have lead to SoTA performance on many difficult language understanding tasks, it is unclear what representations these networks learn and how exactly they incorporate context. Interpreting these networks, systematically analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of different elements, such as gating or attention, and reflecting on the capacity of the networks across various timescales are open and important questions. On the biological side, recent work in neuroscience suggests that areas in the brain are organized into a temporal hierarchy in which different areas are not only sensitive to specific semantic information but also to the composition of information at different timescales. Computational neuroscience has moved in the direction of leveraging deep learning to gain insights about the brain. By answering questions on the underlying mechanisms and representational interpretability of these artificial networks, we can also expand our understanding of temporal hierarchies, memory and capacity effects in the brain. In this workshop we aim to bring together researchers from machine learning, NLP, and neuroscience to explore and discuss how computational models should effectively capture the multi-timescale, context-dependent effects that seem essential for processes such as language understanding. We believe that this will not only lead to a deeper understanding of biological language systems but also better artificial systems that can leverage these insights and understand language better. Call For Papers Paper submission deadline: Mon September 9th, 2019 22:00 PM UTC Decision Notification: Sun September 29th, 2019 22:00 PM UTC Submit at: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/CNTXTCOMP2019/ <https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/CNTXTCOMP2019/> The site will start accepting submissions on August 7th. We invite paper submissions on the following topics, or any related or relevant work: • Contextual sequence processing in the human brain • Compositional representations in the human brain • Systematic generalization in deep learning • Compositionality in human intelligence • Compositionality in natural language • Understanding composition and temporal processing in neural network models • New approaches to compositionality and temporal processing in language • Hierarchical representations of temporal information • Datasets for contextual sequence processing • Applications of compositional neural networks to real-world problems Formatting Instructions: All submissions must be in PDF format. Submissions are limited to four content pages, including all figures and tables; additional pages containing only references are allowed. You must format your submission using the NeurIPS 2019 LaTeX style file. Submissions that violate the NeurIPS style (e.g., by decreasing margins or font sizes) or page limits may be rejected without further review. All submissions should be anonymous. Accepted papers will be presented during a poster session, with spotlight oral presentations for exceptional submissions. The accepted papers will be made publicly available as non-archival reports, allowing future submissions to archival conferences or journals. The review process is double-blind. We also welcome published papers that are within the scope of the workshop (without re-formatting, if the paper is already 4 pages or shorter). Already-published papers do not need to be anonymous. They are eligible for poster sessions and will only have a very light review process. Please redirect questions and all future correspondence to shaileejain(a)utexas.edu <mailto:shaileejain@utexas.edu>. Workshop Organizing Committee Javier Turek, Alexander Huth, Shailee Jain, Christopher Honey, Tal Linzen, Leila Wehbe, Emma Strubell, Kyunghyun Cho and Alan Yuille -- ALEXANDER G. HUTH, PhD | Assistant Professor The University of Texas at Austin Departments of Computer Science & Neuroscience

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Open Source Brain workshop 2019: Call for presentations/demos of open datasets and tools
by Gleeson, Padraig Aug. 7, 2019

Aug. 7, 2019

[Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this due to cross-posting] The 2019 Open Source Brain workshop will be held in Alghero, Sardinia on 9-11th September 2019. There are a number of presentation slots still available for attendees to present open experimental data sets/databases/tools/simulators/libraries relevant to the goals of the meeting. Full details: http://www.opensourcebrain.org/docs/Help/Meetings#OSB_2019 Open Source Brain (http://www.opensourcebrain.org) is a platform for sharing and collaboratively developing models in computational neuroscience. Models of cells and circuits in standardised formats can be visualised, analysed and simulated through a standard web browser. A key driver for the development of this technology is to improve accessibility, scientific scrutiny, reproducibility and reuse of models of brain function. The platform is described in a recent paper in Neuron: https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(19)30444-1 The 2019 OSB Workshop will highlight the latest features of OSB and engage current and future users of the platform through invited talks, posters, hands on demonstrations, and user presentations. Since we are substantially expanding the functionality of Open Source Brain to enable sharing of standardized experimental data used to build and test the models of neurons and circuits, this year’s meeting will have two key themes: 1) Accessible sharing of cellular neuroscience data Through support for the Neurodata Without Borders (NWB) format, OSB will facilitate sharing of multiple types of experimental data used to constrain computational models, including electrophysiological recordings, Ca2+ fluorescence imaging, 2D, 3D and 4D imaging and behavioural data. Challenges, requirements and solutions to data standardization will be discussed. 2) Modelling cortical structures across scales Cortical networks are modelled at many scales from abstract representations of interacting populations (neural masses) to networks of biophysically and morphologically detailed cell models. NeuroML is being expanded to cover a greater range of these models, which will allow them to be shared and simulated on OSB, facilitating comparison of models and ideas between researchers. This ongoing work is taking place as part of the SIG on Standardised Representations of Network Structures<https://www.incf.org/activities/standards-and-best-practices/incf-special-i…>. Registration The registration fee for the meeting for 3 days will be £130. This will help cover organisation and speaker costs, meeting room hire, lunch, tea and coffee for 3 days and one workshop dinner. Please register here<https://onlinestore.ucl.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/faculty-of-life-scienc…>. Registration closes on 1st September 2019. Confirmed speakers Yazan Billeh (Allen Institute, USA) Matteo Cantarelli (MetaCell Ltd) Alex Cayco Gajic (UCL, UK & École Normale Supérieure, France) Sharon Crook (Arizona State University, USA) Jeffrey S. Diamond (NINDS, USA) Ian Duguid (University of Edinburgh, UK) Matt Earnshaw (University College London, UK) Jan Fousek (Aix Marseille Université, France) Padraig Gleeson (University College London, UK) Boris Marin (Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil) Diego Restrepo (University of Colorado, USA) Oliver Reubel (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, USA) Simon Schultz (Imperial College, UK) Angus Silver (University College London, UK) Sacha van Albada (Jülich Research Centre, Germany) For more details please see: http://www.opensourcebrain.org/docs/Help/Meetings#OSB_2019 The OSB 2019 organising committee Padraig Gleeson Matt Earnshaw Angus Silver

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Registration open for #ABC2019 & #MARR2019 | CAMBRIDGE | 11-13 SEPT 2019
by Máté Lengyel Aug. 6, 2019

Aug. 6, 2019

<http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/events/ABC2019/> #ABC2019 & #MARR2019 | CAMBRIDGE | 11-13 SEPT 2019 <http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/events/ABC2019/> Cambridge Neuroscience invites you to #ABC2019 & #MARR2019 Updated programmes now online! THE 7TH CAMBRIDGE NEUROSCIENCE SYMPOSIUM ‘ARTIFICIAL AND BIOLOGICAL COGNITION’ IS AN INTERNATIONAL MEETING, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 12-13TH 2019 AT THE WEST ROAD CONCERT HALL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE. Abstract submission extended until August 16th 2019! #ABC2019 <http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/events/ABC2019/> comprises seven sessions including ‘Reinforcement Learning’, ‘Navigation’, ‘Robotics’, ‘Communication’, ‘Vision’ ‘Mental Health’ and ‘Neuroethics of AI’. The programme features many distinguished national and international speakers. This is generally a very popular meeting, which attracts an international audience of up to 500 delegates. The Alan Hodgkin and Andrew Huxley plenary lectures are a major feature within the programme. We are delighted to welcome Demis Hassabis and Catherine Dulac to Cambridge. In addition to all of the refreshment breaks there are additional fun opportunities to network at a drinks reception, followed by a Gala dinner, at Trinity College in the evening on September 12th 2019; and a drinks reception following the close of the symposium on September 13th. #Marr2019 <http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/events/ABC2019/pages/about-marr.html>: In addition, we are hosting a special satellite meeting to celebrate David Marr, one of the founding fathers of computational neuroscience, on the 50th anniversary of his thesis. Come join us at St John’s College on Wednesday 11th September 2019 for ‘David Marr, 50 years on’. We will be raising a glass to David Marr on the stunning rooftop terrace of Newnham College following the meeting. <http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/events/ABC2019/> <http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/events/ABC2019/pages/abc-programme.html> <http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/events/ABC2019/pages/marr-programme.html> <http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/events/ABC2019/pages/registration.html> Contact: coordinator(a)neuroscience.cam.ac.uk <mailto:coordinator@neuroscience.cam.ac.uk> Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CamNeuro <https://twitter.com/CamNeuro> Cambridge Neuroscience: https://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/ <mailto:coordinator@neuroscience.cam.ac.uk> -- Dr Dervila Glynn Cambridge Neuroscience IRC Coordinator Room 402, Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, United Kingdom Email: coordinator(a)neuroscience.cam.ac.uk <mailto:coordinator@neuroscience.cam.ac.uk> Phone: 00 44 (0)1223 334063 Web: http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/ <http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/> Join the conversation on @CamNeuro <https://twitter.com/CamNeuro>

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Postdoc and PhD student position using EEG & neural networks to investigate language (Potsdam, Germany)
by Milena Rabovsky Aug. 5, 2019

Aug. 5, 2019

Dear colleagues, I am looking for a Postdoc and a PhD student to join my newly established Cognitive Neurosciences Lab at the University of Potsdam (Germany) as described in more detail below, and would be very grateful if you forward this announcement to potentially interested candidates. Many thanks and best wishes, Milena Rabovsky --------------------------------------- Cognitive Neurosciences Lab at the University of Potsdam Postdoctoral and PhD student position The newly established Cognitive Neurosciences Lab at the University of Potsdam (PI Milena Rabovsky) is looking for a Postdoc to focus on neural network modeling of brain potentials during sentence comprehension and a PhD student to investigate prediction and adaptation during language comprehension using EEG. The positions are funded by an Emmy Noether grant from the German Research Foundation focused on investigating the processing of language and meaning in the brain using EEG and deep neural network models (see e.g., Rabovsky, Hansen, & McClelland, 2018, Nature Human Behaviour). Preferred starting date for both positions is November 1, 2019 (but can be discussed). Postdoc position The salary and benefits are determined by the collective bargaining agreement for public employees in Germany (TV-L 13 Ost, 100%). This is a temporary position initially limited to a term of 24 months (with possible extension). Project and responsibilities The goal of this project is to train a neural network model of sentence comprehension that has been successfully used to simulate language related brain potentials (Rabovsky, Hansen, & McClelland, 2018, Nature Human Behaviour) on a large-scale semantically labeled training corpus. Prospectively, the trained model will allow for (in collaborations with others in the lab) the simulation of language related brain potentials using stimulus materials from empirical experiments, and the comparison of representations in the model with representations in the brain via representational similarity analysis. Requirements - very good Master and PhD in relevant field (Cognitive Sciences, Computer Science, Computational Linguistics, Machine Learning, Data Science, Computational Neuroscience, etc.) - excellent computational skills (e.g., MATLAB, Python,…) - deep learning/ deep neural network modeling skills - capacity to work independently - excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills (in English) - strong interest in several aspects of the lab’s research focus, i.e., neural network models, cognitive neurosciences, language, meaning - high motivation and commitment In addition, the ideal candidate has - experience with deep neural network language models - excellent track record in a relevant field PhD student position The salary and benefits are determined by the collective bargaining agreement for public employees in Germany (TV-L 13 Ost, 65%; please note that 65% of full staff member positions are the current norm for PhD student positions in Germany). This is a temporary position initially limited to a term of 36 months (with possible extension). Project and responsibilities The goal of this project is to investigate the relation between prediction errors and adaptation/ learning during language comprehension, as reflected in event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Specific tasks include designing and programming the experiments, collecting and analyzing the data (behavioral and EEG), interpretation of the results as well as presentation of the results at international conferences and publication of the results in international peer-reviewed journals. Requirements - very good Master in relevant field (Cognitive Sciences, Cognitive Neurosciences, Psychology, etc.) - experience with and interest in neuroscientific methods (preferably EEG) - solid statistical skills - good programming skills (e.e., MATLAB, Python, R,…) - excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills (in English) - strong interest in several aspects of the lab’s research focus, i.e., cognitive neurosciences, prediction, adaptation, language, meaning, event-related brain potentials - high motivation and commitment In addition, the ideal candidate has - excellent skills in advanced statistical analyses - experience in research on language, prediction and/ or implicit memory The University strives to maintain gender balance among its staff. Severely disabled applicants shall receive preference in case of equal qualifications. We expressly invite applications from people with migration backgrounds. Please send your application (including letter of motivation, CV, at least 1 [PhD position] or 2 [Postdoc position] names of potential referees, copies of academic certificates) as a single pdf file to bewerbung(a)uni-potsdam.de until August 31 for full consideration (late applications may be considered until the position is filled). Please direct informal inquiries to Milena Rabovsky at milena.rabovsky(a)gmail.com. The official ads can be downloaded here (there are some aspects that relate to German laws and may be confusing for potential international applicants - please get in touch if you have questions!) Postdoc position: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/fileadmin01/projects/verwaltung/docs/Dezernat3/A… PhD student position: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/fileadmin01/projects/verwaltung/docs/Dezernat3/A…

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Job Opening: Research Assistant Professor in Data Science and Engineering at Hong Kong Baptist University
by COMP HKBU Aug. 5, 2019

Aug. 5, 2019

The Department of Computer Science at Hong Kong Baptist University, presently offering BSc, MSc, MPhil, and PhD programmes, invites outstanding applicants for the following position. *Research Assistant Professor in Data Science and Engineering (PR0059/19-20)* The Research Assistant Professor position is created and funded as part of the strategic research development initiatives in the Department. The appointee will be provided with a conducive research environment, and will work within an established group of faculty in the Department. He/she is also expected to perform group-based high-impact research and to undertake some teaching duties. Applicants should possess a PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, and demonstrate abilities to conduct high-quality research in one of the following areas: (i) data analytics and information management; (ii) data security and privacy. Initial appointment will be made on a fixed-term contract of two to three years. Re-appointment thereafter will be subject to mutual agreement. For enquiry, please contact Prof Jianliang Xu (email: xujl(a)comp.hkbu.edu.hk. More information about the Department can be found on its website ( http://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk) *Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.* *Application Procedure:* Applicants are invited to submit their applications at the HKBU e-Recruitment System (jobs.hkbu.edu.hk) with samples of publications, preferably three best ones out of their most recent publications/works. Applicants should also request two referees to send in confidential letters of reference, with *PR* number (stated above) quoted on the letters, to the Personnel Office (Email: recruit(a)hkbu.edu.hk) direct. Those who are not invited for interview four months after the closing date may consider their applications unsuccessful. All application materials including publication samples, scholarly/creative works will be disposed of after completion of the recruitment exercise. Details of the University's Personal Information Collection Statement can be found at http://pers.hkbu.edu.hk/pics. The University reserves the right not to make an appointment for the post advertised, and the appointment will be made according to the terms and conditions then applicable at the time of offer. *Closing date: 30 August 2019 (or until the position is filled)* URL: https://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk/v1/?page=job_vacancies&id=532

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Lab manager position available in in the Max Planck Institute in Tuebingen Germany
by Zhaoping Li Aug. 3, 2019

Aug. 3, 2019

*The Department for Sensory and Sensorimotor Systems of the **Max-Planck-Institute for Biological **Cybernetics*studies the processing of sensory information (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactoy) in the brain and the use of this information for directing body movements and making cognitive decisions. Theresearch is highly interdisciplinary, and usestheoretical and experimental approaches, including human psychophysics, and animal behavior, imaging, electrophysiology, and computational modelling. Department website:_https://www.kyb.tuebingen.mpg.de/sensory-and-sensorimotor-systems_ We are currently looking for a *Lab Manager (m/f/d) 100%* to join us at the next possible opportunity. *Responsibilities* You will support, coordinate, and/or manage * scientific equipment and purchases * IT/programming * website, wiki, and social media content * general administrative processes at the department * project planning and managing deadlines * internal and external workshops and other events *Requirements* * Completed university degree (Master’s level) in natural sciences (Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Biology or a similar field), ideally a PhD * Strong command of both English and German**(at least C1 level) * Good skills in IT/programming * The willingness and capability to learn about the research topics * Very strong management and organizational skills * Team player * Independent and responsible * A high level of resilience and professionalism *We offer:* We offer highly interesting, challenging and varied tasks; you will work closely and collaboratively with scientists, students, programmers, administrative staff, and IT support to help achieve the scientific goals of the department. A dedicated team awaits you in an international environment with regular opportunities for further education and training. The salary is paid in accordance with the collective agreement for the public sector (TVoeD Bund), according to your qualifications. This position is initially limited to two years, with the possibility of a permanent contract. The Max-Planck-Society seeks to employ more handicapped people and strongly encourages them to apply. Furthermore, we actively support the compatibility of work and family life. The Max-Planck-Society also seeks to increase the number of women in leadership positions and strongly encourages qualified women to apply. The Max-Planck-Society strives for gender equality and diversity. *Your application* Your application must contain a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, and relevant certificates. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered. The position is available immediately and will be open until filled. Preference will be given to applications received by *August 31, 2019. *We look forward to receiving your online application by E-Mail in PDF format (in one file) to:_lizhaopinglab@tuebingen.mpg.de <mailto:lizhaopinglab@tuebingen.mpg.de>_, where also informal inquiries can be addressed.

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Postdoc position in modeling in vivo dendritic activity of cortical pyramidal neurons
by Erik De Schutter Aug. 3, 2019

Aug. 3, 2019

The Computational Neuroscience Unit (https://groups.oist.jp/cnu) of Prof. Erik De Schutter at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) is starting a project on modeling behaviorally relevant dendritic activity in layer 5 cortical pyramidal neurons. This will be a collaboration with Prof. Wen-Biao Gan at the New York University School of Medicine (https://med.nyu.edu/faculty/wenbiao-gan) who will provide in vivo data to constrain the models. The goal is to build quantitative models that capture how synaptic input drives dendritic calcium spiking in the apical tuft, how this activity is transmitted down the apical dendrite and changes somatic output as demonstrated, for example, in Cichon and Gan, Nature 2015. Candidates should have a PhD in (computational) neuroscience with good knowledge of dendritic physiology and experience in using the NEURON software to simulate compartmental models of neurons. Previous experience in modeling pyramidal neurons is a plus but not required. OIST is a young, fast-growing research-oriented interdisciplinary graduate university, located on the subtropical paradise island of Okinawa (https://www.visitokinawa.jp/) Despite being a newcomer in the academic world, OIST was recently ranked as #10 in the world on the Normalized Nature Index (https://www.natureindex.com/annual-tables/2019/institution/academic-normali…) It offers attractive financial and working conditions in an English language graduate university. Starting date any time before begin 2020. Send curriculum vitae, summary of research interests and experience, and the names of three referees to Prof. Erik De Schutter at erik(a)oist.jp

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Fwd: [Job][Postdoc]: 4yrs senior researcher position and Phd scholarship on Modelling beliefs dynamics of social media users with machine learning methodologies at University of Essex funded by VolkswagenStiftung (Volkswagen Foundation)
by Dimitri Ognibene Aug. 1, 2019

Aug. 1, 2019

** Apologies for cross-postings ** Dear Colleagues, I would be very grateful if you could forward this job advert to anybody who could be interested. The highlight is on machine learning for user interaction modelling. Here are some information for the positions. ** Application deadline 14th of August** To apply https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?… <https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?…> https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BTV423/senior-research-officer-in-social-media-m… <https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BTV423/senior-research-officer-in-social-media-m…> A PhD scholarship on the same topics is also out with deadline on the 30th of August Check <http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/jobs>http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/ <http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/>jobs Kind regards, Dimitri *Postdoc and Phd Positions in: Modelling beliefs dynamics of social media users with machine learning methodologies at University of Essex funded by VolkswagenStiftung (Volkswagen Foundation)* Project: Courage Applications are invited for a 4 years position of Senior Postdoctoral Research Officer and a PhD shcolarship on ht project “COURAGE: A Social Media Companion Safeguarding and Educating Students”. This project is an international collaboration funded by VolkswagenStiftung (Volkswagen Foundation) as part of the Artificial Intelligence and the Society of the Future funding initiative. The project partners include the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Spain), the Istituto per le Tecnologie Didattiche of the National Council of Research ITD-CNR (Italy), Hochschule Ruhr West (Germany) and the Rhine-Ruhr Institute for System Innovation (Germany). The project aims to develop a Virtual Social Media Companion that educates and supports teenage school students facing the threats of social media such as discrimination and biases as well as hate speech, bullying, fake news and other toxic content. The project involves a substantial experimentation aspect in collaboration with multiple schools around Europe. It will thus provide a unique chance to perform interventions to test the validity of social interaction theories and governance methods. The Essex team will drive two strands of this work, the machine-learning-based user beliefs dynamics modelling aspect and the process of analysing visual and textual content. More specifically, we aim at developing Bayesian computational models of beliefs dynamics of social media users to support governance and educational strategies. These models will also be applied to evaluate socially relevant variables, such as trust and inclusion. We will build on and implement state-of-the-art CV, NLP & AI methods to provide measurements of sentiment, bias, hatefulness, veracity, polarization, and sensationalism of social media content. In addition, we will drive forward the state of the art in detecting hate speech and biased content. The companion will actively counteract this kind of content, balancing it with opposite perspectives and proposing specifically themed challenges adopting ideas used in games. The successful candidate will be based in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering at Colchester Campus of The University of Essex. The post is available for four years with a start date from September 2019. To apply: https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?… <https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jobs.ac.uk%2Fjob%2FBSW396%2F…> For more information: https://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/jobs?authuser=0 <https://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/jobs?authuser=0> Applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. Dimitri Ognibene <mailto:dimitri.ognibene@essex.ac.uk> (dimitri.ognibene(a)essex.ac.uk <mailto:dimitri.ognibene@essex.ac.uk>) for informal enquiries and further information on research objectives. -- Dimitri Ognibene, PhD Lecturer in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Department 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

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Postdoctoral fellowships at the Neuromathematics Center in Sao Paulo State, Brazil
by Antonio Roque Aug. 1, 2019

Aug. 1, 2019

*Positions for Postdoctoral Researchers* The Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics (NeuroMat), hosted by the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), is offering two post-doctoral fellowships for recent PhDs with outstanding research potential. The research will involve collaborations with experimental and theoretical groups and laboratories associated to NeuroMat. The research to be developed by the post-doc fellows shall be strictly related to ongoing research lines developed by the NeuroMat team. The project may be developed at USP (main campus, São Paulo), USP campus Ribeirão Preto or University of Campinas (UNICAMP). We seek candidates capable of developing independent research in one of the research lines below. 1. Stochastic and/or computational modeling of the brain functioning; 2. Acquisition, processing and quantitative analysis of electrophysiological data; 3. Biomedical devices for neuroscience research. Candidates to the first research line are required to have at least one of the profiles below: - A strong background in probability theory with emphasis on stochastic processes. Previous knowledge of rigorous statistical mechanics or random graphs will be favorably considered; - A strong mathematical and / or computational background and experience with computers and programming. Previous experience with development and / or simulation of neural brain models, complex networks, and parallel computing will be favorably considered. Candidates to the second research line are required to have at least one of the profiles below: - A strong background in neuroscience with previous experience in neurophysiological data acquisition, processing and analysis, and knowledge of computer programming; - A strong background in computer science with experience in the development of algorithms, software tools and data bases. Previous research experience in neuroscience or related areas will be favorably considered. Candidates to the third research line are required to have at least one of the profiles below: - A strong background in electromagnetism and biomedical engineering. Previous knowledge of transcranial magnetic stimulation or magnetic / electric field simulation will be favorably considered; - A strong background in computer science and control software development expertise. Previous experience with neuroscience and neuronavigation systems will be favorably considered. Previous experience with multidisciplinary research teams is welcome for all the above research lines. The initial appointment is for one year, with a possible extension to up to four years, conditional on research progress. The fellowship is competitive at international level, and fellows benefit from extra funds for travel and research expenses plus limited support for relocation expenses. *Application Instructions* Applicants should complete and submit the application form. The following documents and information are requested (please see the form for further details): - Summary of the CV, in the FAPESP format (see www.fapesp.br/en/6351 for instructions); - List of publications, with links to those available online; - A summary of the research plan for the next year, up to 5 pages length. It should explicitly state for which of the three above profiles the candidate is applying. It should also address its place within the framework of the NeuroMat research program. - Pointers to other research-related output, such as software, web pages. Candidates should be willing to send copies of publications, if requested; - Any further information deemed relevant to the application. In addition to the above, we require at least 2 recommendation letters. Those should be mailed by the recommenders directly to postdoc-appl(a)numec.prp.usp.br. *FAPESP requirements* a. The candidate should have concluded a doctorate less than seven years before the beginning of the PD fellowship. b. The fellowship demands full-time dedication to the research project (except under conditions outlined in resolution PR No 13/2009, 15 July 2009). c. The fellowship holder may not hold any formal or informal employment nor receive, during the term of the fellowship, a fellowship from another entity, salary or remuneration deriving from the exercise of activities of whatever nature (except under conditions outlined in the decree PR No 13/2009, 15 July 2009). For more information about the scholarships see http://www.fapesp.br/bolsas/pd. *Timetable* Candidates are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience until August 27, 2019. Appointments are expected to start by October 1st, 2019. The initial period of the position lasts for 12 months, with possible renovations for up to four years. This opportunity is open to candidates of any nationality. The selected candidates will be awarded FAPESP Post-Doctoral fellowships in the amount of R$ 7,373.10 monthly and a research contingency fund, equivalent to 15% of the annual value of the fellowship, which should be spent in items directly related to the research activity. Check the rules of FAPESP post-doctoral fellowships at: http://www.fapesp.br/en/5427. -- Dr. Antonio C. Roque Professor Associado Departamento de Fisica FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto-SP Brazil - Brasil E-mails: antonior(a)usp.br <antonior(a)ffclrp.usp.br> aroquesilva(a)gmail.com URL: www.sisne.org Tels: +55 16 3315-3768 <+55%2016%203315-3768> (sala/office); +55 16 3315-3859 <+55%2016%203315-3859> (lab) FAX: +55 16 3315-4887 <+55%2016%203315-4887>

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