February 2021 - Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Up to 6 PhD fellowships in Cognitive Neuroscience at SISSA, Trieste, Italy, to start Oct, 2020
by Alessandro Treves 12 Oct '22

12 Oct '22

SISSA is an elite postgraduate research institution located in Trieste, Italy, and focused on Maths, Physics and Neuroscience. It operates in English: many among its students and faculty are not Italian. The Cognitive Neuroscience Department hosts 6 research labs that study the neuronal bases of time and magnitude processing, visual perception, motivation and intelligence, language and reading, tactile perception and learning, and neural computation. The Department is very inter–disciplinary; our approaches include behavioural, psychophysics, and neurophysiological experiments with humans and animals, as well as computational and mathematical models. Students with diverse backgrounds (physics, math, medicine, psychology, biology) are most welcome to apply. The Department has an exceptional track record with highly competitive funds (recent funding includes 4 ERC and 3 Human Frontiers grants) and publication in top journals (Nature, Science, PNAS, Current Biology). Recent placements after PhD include Harvard, MIT, Columbia and Princeton in the US; the NTNU, Manchester and Radboud in Europe; and Sydney University, Australia. Our alumni have been awarded 4 ERC grants, the 2015 Kandel Young Neuroscientist Prize and the 2017 ICTP Prize. More information about the Department is available at our website https://phdcns.sissa.it. The selection procedure is now open; to learn how to apply, please visit https://phdcns.sissa.it/admission-procedure. Please contact the PhD Coordinator (davide.crepaldi(a)sissa.it) and/or your prospective supervisor for more information and informal enquiries. -- Alessandro Treves SISSA, Cognitive Neuroscience, http://people.sissa.it/~ale/limbo.html if in, rm 241, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy: +39-040-3787623

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Postdoc in neural data analysis
by Mark Humphries 26 Jun '22

26 Jun '22

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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Explainable AI: Overcoming problems of Deep Learning problems with Adaptive Resonance
by Grossberg, Stephen 09 Apr '22

09 Apr '22

Dear Colleagues, There's currently a lot of interest in AI, notably Deep Learning, and in achieving autonomous adaptive intelligence. The following new article summarizes foundational problems of reliability and trustworthiness of Deep Learning, explains how Adaptive Resonance overcomes them, and outlines a blueprint for achieving autonomous adaptive intelligence: Grossberg, S. (2020). A path towards Explainable AI and autonomous adaptive intelligence: Deep Learning, Adaptive Resonance, and models of perception, emotion, and action. Frontiers in Neurobotics, June 25, 2020. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbot.2020.00036 Best, Steve Grossberg

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Postdoc at the University of Leicester to work on human single cell recordings
by Quian Quiroga, Rodrigo (Prof.) 23 Nov '21

23 Nov '21

The Centre for Systems Neuroscience at the University of Leicester, UK, offers a 3-years postdoc position to study single cell recordings in humans – performed in epileptic patients for curative surgery. The project will investigate concept cells (a.k.a. Jennifer Aniston neurons) – that means, neurons in the hippocampus and surrounding areas that selectively fire to specific concepts, like different pictures and the written or spoken name of a particular person (e.g. Quian Quiroga et al, Nature 2005; Quian Quiroga Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2012), which are involved in declarative memory functions. For more details see: www.le.ac.uk/csn The successful candidate will contribute to performing recordings with patients in collaborating hospitals and the analysis of the data to investigate the role of these neurons in memory. He/She should have very good quantitative skills (data processing, and programing e.g. in Matlab) and a strong background or interest in neuroscience. He/She should be able to work both independently and as part of a research team within the Centre for System Neuroscience at Leicester and with our external collaborators. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made to Paula Warrington, Research Centre Manager, csn(a)le.ac.uk or 0116 252 3249. To apply, please use this link: https://jobs.le.ac.uk/vacancies/1393/research-associate.html The applications should include a curriculum vitae and a brief description of their scientific interests The closing date for the applications is 21st October 2019. Cheers, Rodrigo Rodrigo Quian Quiroga Centre for Systems Neuroscience University of Leicester www.le.ac.uk/csn

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CFP Frontiers Research Topic: Affective Shared Perception
by Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros 20 Apr '21

20 Apr '21

Call For Papers - Frontiers Research Topic: Affective Shared Perception I. Aim and Scope Our perception of the world depends on both sensory inputs and prior knowledge. This applies in general to sensing and has particular implications for affective understanding. Humans adapt their social and affective perception as a function of the current stimulation, of the context, of the history of the interaction, and as of the status of the partner. This influences their behavior, which in turn modifies the social and affective perception of both partners and the evolution of the interaction. Understanding shared perception as part of affective processing will allow us to tackle this problem and to provide the next step towards a real-world affective computing system. The goal of this research topic is to present and discuss new findings, theories, systems, and trends in affective shared perception and computational models. We are interested in collecting interesting and exciting research from researchers on the areas of social cognition, affective computing, and human-robot interaction, including also, but not restricted to specialists in computer and cognitive science, psychologists, neuroscientists, and specialists in bio-inspired solutions. We envision that it will allow us to tackle the existing problems in this area and it will provide the next step towards a real-world affective computing system. II. Potential Topics Topics include, but are not limited to: - Affective perception and learning - Affective modulation and decision making - Developmental perspectives of shared perception - Machine learning for shared perception - Bio-inspired approaches for affective shared perception - Affective processing for embodied and cognitive robots - Multisensory modeling for conflict resolution in shared perception - New psychological findings on shared perception - Assistive aspects and applications of shared affective perception III. Submission - Abstract - 24 October 2020 - Paper Submission - 21 February 2021 IV. Guest Editors Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy Alessandra Sciutti, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy Ginevra Castellano, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden Yukie Nagai, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyō, Japan ---------------------------------------- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Researcher - CONTACT Unit Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – Center for Human Technologies Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B 16152 Genova, Italy email: pablo.alvesdebarros(a)iit.it website: https://www.pablobarros.net<http://www.pablobarros.net><https://www.p> twitter: @PBarros_br

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Postdoc (3 yrs) in dynamical reconfigurations of neural populations during movement
by Mark Humphries 09 Mar '21

09 Mar '21

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 by developing new computational algorithms for dynamic systems, and applying them to 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: 10th January 2020 Full details, and to apply: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/SCI182819X1 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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PhD in ML and AI - two VC Scholarships
by Konstantin Nikolic 02 Mar '21

02 Mar '21

Two Vice-Chancellor Scholarship PhD positions in Machine Leaning are available in the “Learning and Intelligence” group of Prof Konstantin Nikolic at University of West London, UK. The group’s interests are mostly in modelling biological systems and AI/ML related to bio-inspired themes. Potential project topics include (but are not limited to, since these scholarships are not project linked): Learning in Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs), Neuromorphic robots controlled by SNNs (available are SpiNNaker boards, Dynamic Vision Sensors, etc, for example see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=135fH21QXtg) Data-driven ML algorithms based on information theory and their applications (such as medical diagnostics, video/image analysis, financial/economic or some other large dataset analysis), Neural microcircuits of learning and cognitive modelling, etc. We are also interested in developing ML algorithms for controlling neuromodulatory implants. Research related to Theoretical and Computational neuroscience could be also interesting, especially if exploring some new ideas related to learning in relatively simple biological systems. The researchers will be based in the School of Computing and Engineering at University of West London, with possible close collaboration with the Centre for Bio-Inspired Technology at Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London. Informal enquires can be directed to konstantin.nikolic(a)uwl.ac.uk<mailto:konstantin.nikolic@uwl.ac.uk>. The School enjoys state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure and continues to invest heavily in its improvement. The UWL, sourcing its origins from the Lady Byron School in 1860, is a leading modern university in the UK, consistently progressing in the league tables for the past several years. The life on campus is enriched with frequent high-quality live performances and plays given by the students from our London College of Music and London School of Film, Media and Design, the two hubs of talent and creativity. The positions are advertised here: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CCB695/phd-in-machine-learning-and-artificial-in…<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jobs.…> Konstantin Nikolic, PhD Professor in Computer Science (AI, ML, Data) at University of West London Viiting Professor at Imperial College London (Institute of Biomedical Engineering) School of Computing and Engineering University of West London Ealing campus St Mary’s Road London W5 5RF UK email: konstantin.nikolic(a)uwl.ac.uk<mailto:konstantin.nikolic@uwl.ac.uk>, k.nikolic(a)imperial.ac.uk<mailto:k.nikolic@imperial.ac.uk> web: https://www.uwl.ac.uk/users/konstantin-nikolic, https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/k.nikolic

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Modellers Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox
by Stewart Heitmann 01 Mar '21

01 Mar '21

Modeller’s Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox Online Course. Enrolments open 1-20 March 2021. This is a practical self-paced course for researchers and students who wish to program their own dynamical models using the Brain Dynamics Toolbox (bdtoolbox.org<https://bdtoolbox.org/>). Participants learn the art of programming differential equations and how to use the toolbox to solve those equations interactively. Topics include programming Ordinary Differential Equations, Partial Differential Equations, Delay Differential Equations, Stochastic Differential Equations, Auxiliary Plot Functions and command-line tools. Example code is provided in all cases. Course Website https://bdtoolbox.org/p/modellers-workshop/ Important Dates Early-bird enrolments ($125) close Sunday 6th March, 2021. Late enrolments ($150) close Saturday 20th March, 2021. Stewart Heitmann Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving and compliance. To find out more visit the Mimecast website.

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[CFP] Submission deadline extended to Mar 5: ICLR Workshop on How Can Findings About The Brain Improve AI Systems?
by Mariya Toneva 28 Feb '21

28 Feb '21

ICLR 2021 - Workshop on "How Can Findings About The Brain Improve AI Systems?" Submission deadline: extended to March 5, 2021 Workshop website: https://iclrbrain2ai.github.io/ Contact: brain2ai.2021(a)gmail.com We will consider the following (non-exhaustive) list of topics for contribution: - Integration of neuroscientific data at different granularities (neural recordings, neuroimaging etc.) to train AI systems - Brain-inspired inductive biases and ML architectures for AI systems - Neuroscientific data as an evaluation metric for AI systems - Mechanistic insight into cognitive functions (vision, language, decision making, attention, etc.) - Limitations of current AI systems in tasks at which humans excel (compositionality, commonsense reasoning, continual learning, few-shot learning, causality, etc.) - Cross-modality and cross-species comparisons of neuroscientific data with respect to benefits to AI - Datasets that can facilitate the transfer of neuroscientific insight to AI Submit at: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/BRAIN2AI2021/Submission/Index The workshop will feature a diverse set of topics led by the following invited speakers and panelists (in alphabetical order): 1. Anima Anandkumar, California Institute of Technology 2. David Cox, Harvard University 3. Kenji Doya, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University 4. Allyson Ettinger, University of Chicago 5. Alona Fyshe, University of Alberta 6. Jack Gallant, University of California, Berkeley 7. Andrea Martin, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics 8. Kim Stachenfeld, DeepMind 9. Josh Tenenbaum, MIT

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Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Associate position in the Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience group at Drexel University
by Ilya Rybak 26 Feb '21

26 Feb '21

The Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience group at the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (https://drexel.edu/medicine/about/departments/neurobiology-anatomy/research…) has an open Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Associate position in computational neuroscience to work on computational modeling of neural circuits in the brainstem and spinal cord involved in the neural and biomechanical control of mammalian locomotion. The modeling studies in the group are performed in close, interactive collaborations with several leading laboratories in the US, Canada and Europe performing the related experimental investigations, as well as with several investigators and groups focusing on control of legged robot locomotion. The successful applicant should have strong programming skills, some background in neuroscience and experience in modeling of biological neurons and neural networks. Some mathematical background is desirable. An experience in computational modeling of biomechanics is a plus. If you are interested, please email your CV, statement of research interest, and names of three references to Ilya Rybak (rybak(a)drexel.edu<mailto:rybak@drexel.edu>). The position will remain open until filled. ================================= Ilya A. Rybak, Ph.D. Professor Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy Drexel University College of Medicine 2900 Queen Lane Philadelphia, PA 19129 USA Tel.: (215) 991-8596 Email: rybak(a)drexel.edu https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=rybak+IA&sort=date <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ilya_Rybak/publications/> http://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=SnA068QAAAAJ http://rybak-et-al.net http://www.drexel.edu/medicine/About/Departments/Neurobiology-Anatomy/Resea…

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Job opening in Juelich, Germany: Coordinator Software Development -, Neuronal Data Analysis Tools
by Martina Reske 26 Feb '21

26 Feb '21

The Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM) at the Jülich Research Center in Germany investigates the structure and function of the brain. The subinstitute Computational and Systems Neuroscience (INM-6) consists of 6 groups that conduct research in the field of computational and systems neuroscience. The Statistical Neuroscience group headed by Prof. Sonja Grün develops computational methods to analyze the joint activity of neuronal networks, and applies these methods to experimental data in the context of international collaborations. As part of the group, the team for Data Science in Electro- and Optophysiology Behavioral Neuroscience, headed by Dr. Michael Denker, develops software tools and processes to support reproducible data acquisition, analysis and model validation using state-of-the-art approaches from neuroinformatics in the spirit of co-design with scientists and closely integrated with the EBRAINS services of the Human Brain Project. To strengthen our international and interdisciplinary team we are looking to recruit a Coordinator Software Development - Neuronal Data Analysis Tools Your Job: * Agile development, maintenance, coordination and distribution of the open-source Elephant analysis software (python-elephant.org) and closely related software tools, including handling inquiries and contributions via issue systems and similar channels * Design of implementations of library features and statistical analysis tools for neuronal data * Development of solutions for software packaging, including deployment on HPC systems * Maintenance and improvement of the interactive software documentation, including content for the presentation of the software on the web and on social media * Parallelization of analysis codes using modern technologies * Development of a service-based architecture for analysis tasks * Review and evaluation of software contributions from a world-wide community with respect to scientific content, the code maturity, and the possibility to be integrated into the Elephant software * Co-design and dissemination of generic conceptual guidelines and project-specific implementations for scientific workflows * Close interaction with developers of EBRAINS and across the globe * Representing the technology at scientific conferences, during educational courses, to the public, and within the framework of the EU Flagship Project “Human Brain Project” Your Profile: * Completed study (Master) in natural sciences, computer science or mathematics * Very good expertise in the programming languages Python and C/C++; knowledge of Matlab and web-based technologies (e.g., javasscript); experience with parallelization techniques (e.g., MPI) and in the standard Linux tools; experience in web-based services for managing software (version control, issue tracking, CI,…) * Experience in implementing scientific analysis methods and creating documentation and course material * Experience in maintaining open source software projects * High ability to work in an interdisciplinary, international team * Structured and organized style of working * Fluent in English, spoken and written * Ability to work independently, systematically and on one’s own responsibility * Good communication skills with software developers and scientists * Willingness to travel Note that it is not necessary to fulfil all of these requirements in order to be considered for the position Our Offer: We work on the very latest issues that impact our society and are offering you the chance to actively help in shaping the change! We support you in your work with: * A position in a creative and international team that conducts research at the frontiers of science, themes ranging from computational neuroscience to simulation technology * World class science environment at the interface between neuroscience and technology on the most complex known systems * Excellent scientific equipment including the fastest supercomputer in Europe * Comprehensive training courses and individual opportunities for personal and professional further development * Extensive company health management * Ideal conditions for balancing work and private life, as well as a family-friendly corporate policy * Flexible working hours and 30 days of annual leave * Targeted services for international employees, e.g. through our International Advisory Service We offer you an exciting and varied role in an international and interdisciplinary working environment. Limited until 31.03.2023, with possible long-term prospects. Salary and social benefits in conformity with the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Civil Service (TVöD). Depending on the applicant`s qualifications and the precise nature of the tasks, salary grade 13-14 TVöD-Bund. Forschungszentrum Jülich promotes equal opportunities and diversity in its employment relations. We also welcome applications from disabled persons. We look forward to receiving your application until 28.03.2021 via our Online-Recruitment-System<https://www.hrecruiting.de/obf2/index.php?kunden_nr=t5ChjatkIfdwmACO&link_i…>! Kind regards Martina -- Dr. Martina Reske Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Jülich Research Centre and JARA Jülich, Germany Work +49.2461.611916 Work Cell +49.151.26156918 Fax +49.2461.619460 www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Assistant Professor / Postdoc position in computational neuroscience and/or developmental robotics at the University of Tokyo
by Yukie Nagai 26 Feb '21

26 Feb '21

Dear colleagues, The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN) at the University of Tokyo is looking for highly motivated full-time Assistant Professor / Postdoc researchers in the field of computational neuroscience and/or developmental robotics. The selected candidates will join Cognitive Developmental Robotics Laboratory head by Prof. Yukie Nagai and have the opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary research integrating computer science, robotics, neuroscience, cognitive science, and psychology. If you are interested in being considered, please send the required documents to yukie(a)ircn.jp. Assistant Professor / Postdoc Researcher at IRCN, the University of Tokyo https://ircn.jp/en/careers/postdoctoral-fellow-project-researcher-nagai-lab… Cognitive Developmental Robotics Laboratory (Nagai Lab) http://developmental-robotics.jp --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Job title: Project Assistant Professor / Project Researcher (Postdoctoral Fellow) 2. Starting Date: Negotiable 3. Term: The first contract will be ended on March 31, 2022. The contract is renewable on a fiscal year basis (from April 1 to March 31; every year) according to research budget and research achievements. 4. Place of Work International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo, 113-0033 JAPAN 5. Qualifications (Required) - Ph.D. in Computer Science, Ph.D. in Engineering, or equivalent in a related field - Good communication skill in English (Preferred) - Experiences in computational neuroscience, neural network, machine learning, and/or developmental robotics are preferred. 6. Compensation & Benefits - Salary: To be determined in accordance with the University of Tokyo Regulations - Commuter allowance: JPY55,000 per month at maximum - Social Insurance: Eligible for MEXT Mutual Aid Association membership, employees’ pension, employment insurance, and workers’ accident compensation insurance. - Vacation: Annual paid vacation, Sick leave (paid), Special vacation (paid) 7. Working Hours Discretionary labor system, based on 7 hours, 45 minutes per day, or 38 hours 45 minutes per week 8. Holidays Saturdays and Sundays; Statutory public holidays of Japan; Year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 through January 3); Summer holidays 9. Applications - Deadline: When the position is filled - Application documents: (a) Cover letter in English (b) Curriculum vita in English (c) Publication list (d) Name and contact address for two references, one of which should be a previous employer - Submission: Interested applicants should send application materials to: yukie(a)ircn.jp 10. Selection Process All applications will be screened, and only those qualified will be scheduled for an online interview. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- — Yukie Nagai, Ph.D. Project Professor, The University of Tokyo nagai.yukie(a)mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp | http://developmental-robotics.jp CREST Cognitive Mirroring: http://cognitive-mirroring.org

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Computational postdoctoral position in the lab of Nancy Kopell
by McCarthy, Michelle M 25 Feb '21

25 Feb '21

The group of N. Kopell has an opening for an energetic postdoctoral fellow who will work with experimentalists Don Arnold, Scott Fraser and others on fear conditioning and extinction in zebra fish. Such learning is known to involve temporally complex alterations in multiple brain rhythms in multiple areas of the brain, and the postdoc will work with the Kopell group and the experimentalists to understand the origin of the rhythmic changes and the effects on plasticity needed for conditioning and extinction. The relevant data involve state of the art imaging with a spatial resolution of single spines and temporal resolution fast enough to record fast brain oscillations. The relevant computations will involve networks of biophysically detailed model neurons. The successful applicant will have some background in neuroscience and experience in coding with biophysically detailed equations. Some mathematical background is desirable. If you are interested, please email Kopell: nk(a)bu.edu<mailto:nk@bu.edu>, and have three letters of recommendation sent to her via email. Also include a CV and a statement of research interests.

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Shanahan Foundation Fellowship at the Interface of Data and Neuroscience
by Adrienne L Fairhall 25 Feb '21

25 Feb '21

We are thrilled to announce the *Shanahan Foundation Fellowship at the Interface of Data and Neuroscience* co-hosted by the Allen Institute and the University of Washington (through its eScience Institute and the Computational Neuroscience Center) in Seattle. The fellowships are funded by the Shanahan Family Foundation and the Allen Institute. This three-year data science postdoctoral fellowship program aims to *Integrate Data Scientists into Neuroscience Research*. Fellows will receive interdisiplinary co-mentorship by scientists from the Allen Institute and University of Washington. Data science is broadly interpreted to include those with PhD level training in relevant areas including physical sciences, mathematics, statistics and computer science. Please see details and application instructions here: https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/careers/shanahan-founda…

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Shanahan Foundation Fellowship at the Interface of Data and Neuroscience
by Anton Arkhipov 25 Feb '21

25 Feb '21

Announcing the Shanahan Foundation Fellowship at the Interface of Data and Neuroscience co-hosted by the Allen Institute and the University of Washington (through its eScience Institute and the Computational Neuroscience Center) and directed by Christof Koch, Ph.D.<https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/about/team/staff-profil…>, Chief Scientist for the MindScope Program at the Allen Institute. The fellowships are funded by the Shanahan Family Foundation and the Allen Institute. This three-year data science postdoctoral fellowship program aims to Integrate Data Scientists into Neuroscience Research and provides Multidisciplinary, Multi-organizational Co-Mentorship (from the Allen Institute and University of Washington). Please see details and application instructions here: https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/careers/shanahan-founda… Anton Arkhipov Associate Investigator T: 206.548.8414 E: antona(a)alleninstitute.org<mailto:antona@alleninstitute.org> [Text Description automatically generated] alleninstitute.org<https://alleninstitute.org> brain-map.org

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CFP for PhD candidates in SPIKE NEURAL NETWORK FOR ATMOSPHERIC DATA MINING
by Chaabane Djeraba 25 Feb '21

25 Feb '21

The FOX research team from the CRIStAL laboratory (UMR CNRS) of Lille University - FR, in collaboration with bio-inspired team of Kent University - UK is looking for PhD student candidates on the following subject : SPIKE NEURAL NETWORK FOR ATMOSPHERIC DATA MINING Title : SPIKE NEURAL NETWORK FOR ATMOSPHERIC DATA MINING Abstract of the PhD subject : The objective of the PhD thesis is the study of bio-inspired pattern recognition of atmospheric phenomena, from earth observation satellite. In particular, the thesis project studies neuromorphic learning approach for the classification of spatiotemporal image sequences available in large quantities and without terrain truth or with very limited terrain truth. The data are aerosols, collected from earth observation satellites. The results of the thesis will contribute to make a large amount of atmospheric data accessible, even exploitable by the scientific community in the domain of the detection, tracking and prediction of the air quality. We are looking for excellent PhD candidates in thre domain of AI applied to atmospheric data. Key words : Spike neural network, Machine learning, Artificial intelligence, atmospheric data mining Candidates must hold a Master degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics. Experience in one or more of the following is a plus: • image processing, computer vision; • machine learning; • research methodology (literature review, experimentation…). Candidates should have the following skills: • good proficiency in English, both spoken and written; • scientific writing; • programming (experience in Python, Java or C++). More details are available here : https://filesender.renater.fr/?s=download&token=76a3ba06-63af-43a7-a34a-40e… The PHD thesis will be funded in the framework of the AI_PhD@Lille program. http://www.isite-ulne.fr/index.php/en/phd-in-artificial-intelligence/ http://www.isite-ulne.fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Thèses-IA_Campagne2021_… www.isite-ulne.fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Thèses-IA_Campagne2021_I_Site… The candidate will be funded for 3 years; he/she is expected to defend his/her thesis and graduate by the end of the contract. The monthly gross salary is around 2000€, including benefits (health insurance, retirement fund, and paid vacations). Additional financial support is expected in the framework of the AI_PhD@Lille program. The position is located in Lille, France. With over 110 000 students, the metropolitan area of Lille is one France's top education student cities. The European Doctoral College Lille Nord-Pas de Calais is headquartered in Lille Metropole and includes 3,000 PhD Doctorate students supported by university research laboratories. Lille has a convenient location in the European high-speed rail network. It lies on the Eurostar line to London (1:20 hour journey). The French TGV network also puts it only 1 hour from Paris, 35 mn from Brussels, and a short trips to other major centres in France such as Paris, Marseille and Lyon. We look forward to receiving your application as soon as possible, but no later than 20.03.2021. — Chaabane Djeraba (PhD), Professeur, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille, UMR 9189 CRIStAL, F-59000 Lille, Bat. IRCICA, 50 avenue Halley, 59650 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France, chabane.djeraba(a)univ-lille.fr

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Open Master, PhD and Postdoc positions in Germany
by Tatjana Tchumatchenko 25 Feb '21

25 Feb '21

Dear friends and colleagues, I would appreciate if you could spread the word among your students and postdocs. My group which is now at the University of Bonn is looking for Master Students, PhD Students and Postdocs Master Students, PhD Students or Postdocs interested in understanding how neuronal networks work, how they respond to stimuli and what role connectivity and single neuron dynamics play for the activity of the brain. Though the focus of my research is on the theory side, my lab has close ties to experimentally oriented labs and Master projects could include both theory and experiments. We are looking for bright and hard-working students with a life-science or quantitative background (physics, math, biology etc). The following PhD projects are currently open: 1) A project exploring the intersection of protein dynamics and machine learning 2) A project designing models describing protein dynamics in dendrites and analyzing imaging data, https://jobrxiv.org/job/institute-of-experimental-epileptology-and-cognitio… The postdoctoral position will address the relation between neurological diseases, protein dynamics and network activity. When applying please attach a CV (with a publication record) and a current copy of academic transcripts and mention at least one academic reference. For more information, please contact Prof. Tatjana Tchumatchenko via email tatjana.tchumatchenko(a)uni-bonn.de https://twitter.com/TTchumatchenko www.tchumatchenko.de

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PhD position in cognitively-inspired reinforcement learning for robotics at Sheffield, UK
by Aditya Gilra 25 Feb '21

25 Feb '21

Dear all, Announcing a PhD position with Dr Aditya Gilra and Dr James Law at the University of Sheffield, UK on "Incorporating self- and world-models in neural networks for flexible robot learning and control". The position is funded for 3.5 years by the EPSRC. Details at: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/incorporating-self-and-world-models-i… Candidates will be interviewed on a rolling basis as the applications come in. International (non-UK) candidates are advised to apply well in advance of the 7th March deadline. Don't hesitate to email back for further details. Best, Aditya. -- Aditya Gilra, Lecturer (Assistant Professor), Machine Learning Group <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dcs/research/groups/machine-learning> & Neuroscience Institute <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/neuroscience-institute/research/computational-a…> , Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, UK. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dcs/people/academic/aditya-gilra http://www.adityagilra.net/

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Three Post-Doc / Research Associate positions in 'Causal eXplainable Reinforcement Learning' project at Sheffield / Vienna / Lille
by Aditya Gilra 25 Feb '21

25 Feb '21

Dear All, Announcing three post-doc / research associate openings to work closely together as part of a ~3 year Chist-Era project, to develop causal inference methods for explainable actions in reinforcement learning ( https://www.chistera.eu/projects/causalxrl) starting in ~Q2, 2021: -> At the University of Sheffield with Dr Aditya Gilra and Prof Eleni Vasilaki, with an emphasis on biologically-plausible neural circuits -- https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CEH708/research-associate-in-causal-explainable-… (Deadline: 18th March 2021, but might be extended). -> At the University of Vienna with Prof Moritz Grosse-Wentrup, with an emphasis on causal inference and brain-computer interfaces -- https://ni.cs.univie.ac.at/ (ad to appear). -> At INRIA Lille with Prof Philippe Preux, with an emphasis on reinforcement learning and applications -- https://jobs.inria.fr/public/classic/en/offres/2020-03209 (Deadline: 31st March 2021). Please feel free to email back for any further information. Best, Aditya. -- Aditya Gilra, Lecturer (Assistant Professor), Machine Learning Group <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dcs/research/groups/machine-learning> & Neuroscience Institute <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/neuroscience-institute/research/computational-a…> , Department of Computer Science <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dcs>, University of Sheffield <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/>, UK. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dcs/people/academic/aditya-gilra http://www.adityagilra.net/

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Call for a Postdoctoral Researcher in Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience
by Sidarus, Nura 24 Feb '21

24 Feb '21

Dear colleagues, Applications are invited for a Post-doctoral Researcher to work with Dr Nura Sidarus as part of the ESRC funded project “A Computational Approach to Understanding Maladaptive Cognition in Depression”, at Royal Holloway University of London. The project will investigate the neurocomputational mechanisms of maladaptive cognition underlying depressive symptoms, through online, clinical, and neuroimaging studies focusing on attribution and value-based decision-making and learning. We are looking for talented, highly-skilled and motivated researchers with a PhD in a related field (e.g. neuroscience, psychology or cognitive science), with considerable experience applying mathematical modelling techniques to data. Strong abilities in programming and statistics are essential. Expertise in neuroscience of mental health and fMRI are highly desirable. The preferred start date is Summer 2021, or as soon as can be arranged, for up to December 2022. Informal enquiries may be made to Dr Nura Sidarus at Nura.Sidarus(a)rhul.ac.uk<mailto:Nura.Sidarus@rhul.ac.uk> and more information about the grant can be found here<https://gtr.ukri.org/project/87F3B93A-C9BD-4240-BBDC-7596C165DFBF>. Deadline: 6 April 2021 Full details and how apply at: https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=0221-029<https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=0221-029> Best wishes, Nura. __________________________________________________________ Dr Nura Sidarus (she/her) Lecturer | Department of Psychology Royal Holloway University of London | Egham | Surrey | TW20 0EX Office: Wolfson 248 | Tel: +44 (0) 1784 44 3717 Affiliate Member | Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL nura.sidarus(a)rhul.ac.uk<mailto:%20nura.sidarus@rhul.ac.uk> | www.nurasidarus.com<http://www.nurasidarus.com/> __________________________________________________________ This email, its contents and any attachments are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. In certain circumstances, it may also be subject to legal privilege. Any unauthorised use, disclosure, or copying is not permitted. If you have received this email in error, please notify us and immediately and permanently delete it. Any views or opinions expressed in personal emails are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Royal Holloway, University of London. It is your responsibility to ensure that this email and any attachments are virus free.

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Tenure Track in Complex Systems/Neurophysics
by Andre Longtin 24 Feb '21

24 Feb '21

Tenure-track Position in Theoretical Physics of Complex Systems University of Ottawa, Faculty of Science The Department of Physics of the University of Ottawa seeks to fill a tenure-track position in theoretical physics of complex systems. Theoretical neurophysics/artificial intelligence is the main target area for this search, but strong applicants working in complex systems more broadly applied to biological physics, condensed matter physics, photonics, statistical physics, and nonlinear dynamics will be considered. Title of the position: Assistant level but exceptional candidates at higher academic levels are also encouraged to apply. Duties: The functions of a member of the academic staff include, in varying proportions: a) teaching activities; b) scholarly activities pertaining to research and/or professional work; c) academic service activities, d) supervision of graduate students. Terms: Tenure-track position. Wage: As per collective agreement. Benefits package: The University of Ottawa provides a complete compensation package which includes long term disability, basic group life insurance, supplementary health insurance, University of Ottawa Pension Plan, optional life insurance and paid leaves (including maternity, parental and academic leaves: https://hrdocrh.uottawa.ca/info/en-ca/apuo/index.html) Location of work: Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, STEM Complex, 150 Louis-Pasteur, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5. Contact information: James Harden, Chair, Department of Physics: phychair(a)uottawa.ca<mailto:phychair@uottawa.ca> . Skills requirements: * Education: Ph.D. or equivalent in Physics. * Work experience: Due to the bilingual nature of our major undergraduate program, the successful candidate should be able to teach in French within a year of the appointment. The candidate is expected to lead a vigorous research program, and to contribute to teaching in the major and honors BSc in Physics as well as at the graduate level. We expect a demonstrated interest in interacting with other theorists and experimentalists in the department as well as in the Centre for Neural Dynamics and the Brain and Mind Research Institute, the Centre for Research in Photonics, the Max Planck-uOttawa Centre for Extreme and Quantum Photonics, and/or the Centre for Advanced Materials Research. Posting No.: 21016-SCI www.uottawa.ca/vice-president-academic/faculty-relations/faculty-recruitmen… Application deadline: April 30, 2021. The application material consists of a CV, a two-page summary of research plans and a one-page teaching statement, along with the contact information for three referees. The application should be emailed to Sophie Grimard (sgrimard(a)uottawa.ca<mailto:sgrimard@uottawa.ca>), secretary to the Chair Prof. James Harden, by April 30, 2021. The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff, and faculty. Accordingly, we strongly encourage applications from Indigenous persons, visible minorities members (racialized persons), persons with disabilities, women, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with equitable, diverse and inclusive communities. Candidates who wish to be considered as a member of one or more designated groups are asked to complete the confidential Self-Identiﬁcation Questionnaire, to be completed at the time of application. Please take note of this posting number. This questionnaire can be found online. According to government policy, all qualified candidates are invited to apply; however, preference will be given to Canadians and permanent residents. When submitting your application, please indicate if you are legally entitled to work in Canada. The University of Ottawa provides accommodations for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you are invited to proceed in the selection process, please notify us of any accommodations that you require by contacting the Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty Relations at 613-562-5958. Any information you send us will be handled respectfully and in complete confidence. The University of Ottawa is proud of its 160-year tradition of bilingualism. Through its Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, the University provides training to staff members and to their spouses in their second official language. At the time of tenure, professors are expected to have the ability to function in a bilingual setting. Notice of Collection of Personal Information In accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Ontario) and with University Policy 90, your personal information is collected under the authority of the University of Ottawa Act, 1965 and is intended to be used for the purpose of and those consistent with your employment application and the administration of your employment relationship, if established. If you have any questions regarding this collection of personal information, please contact Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty Relations at (613) 562-5958 or by email at vra.affairesprofessorales(a)uottawa.ca<mailto:vra.affairesprofessorales@uottawa.ca>.

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'What is self-organizaton?' -- Entropy sepcial issue
by Claudius Gros 24 Feb '21

24 Feb '21

Dear colleagues Together with Damian Zanette, we are editing a an Entropy special issue around a question, that is of particular interest to the neurosciences: 'What is self-organizaton?' Deadline: 15 October 2021 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/entropy/special_issues/self_organzation ------ info ------ Many of us have used the notion of `self-organization' in our studies. What is it precisely, though? A constituent element could be, e.g., the emergence of non-trivial properties from comparatively simple rules. What would simple, non-trivial or complex emergence mean in this context? In this Special Issue, we invite viewpoints, perspectives, and applied considerations on questions regarding the notions of self-organization and complexity. Examples include: Routes In how many different ways can self-organization manifest itself? Would it be meaningful, or even possible, to attempt a classification? Detection Can we detect it automatically, either the process or the outcome? Or do we need a human observer to classify a system as `self-organizing'? This issue may be related to the construction of quantifiers, e.g., in terms of functions on phase space, such as entropy measures. Complexity Is a system self-organizing only when the resulting dynamical state is `complex'? What does `complex' mean exactly? Are there many types of complexity, or just a single one? E.g., it has never been settled whether complexity should be intensive or extensive, if any. Domains Where do we find self-organizing processes? Are the properties of self-organizing systems domain-specific or universal? In which class of systems does self-organization show up most clearly? We are looking forward to your contribution! Claudius Gros %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ### ### Prof. Dr. Claudius Gros ### http://itp.uni-frankfurt.de/~gros ### ### Complex and Adaptive Dynamical Systems, A Primer ### A graduate-level textbook, Springer (2008/10/13/15) ### ### Life for barren exoplanets: The Genesis project ### https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10509-016-2911-0 ###

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INCF/OCNS Software WG: Dev sessions on Brian (11th Feb) and NeuroFedora (16th Feb)
by Ankur Sinha 22 Feb '21

22 Feb '21

Hello everyone, Apologies for the cross-posts. The INCF/OCNS Software Working Group (WG)[1] is happy to announce its first set of "Dev sessions" where members of the developer teams of commonly used neuroscience software will introduce their software and then discuss their *development* pipelines. The aim of these sessions is to stimulate discussion of the development practices and tools used by different teams to improve the software we use while also improving our knowledge of these practices and tools. We also hope to encourage more users of these tools to contribute to their development to ensure their longevity. Two sessions are currently scheduled: - Marcel Stimberg will speak about the development of the Brian simulator on Feb 11, 2021 1700 UTC[2]. Zoom link: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/91389216854?pwd=cFVWaXRYVFRUdll2c09Xb3dBS2FWQT09 - Ankur Sinha will speak about the development of the NeuroFedora Linux distribution on Feb 16, 2021 1700 UTC[3]. Zoom link: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/94964460359?pwd=MTJmWEY1NHRxd3l4ZGdtTS9NQ1FaZz09 (To prevent spamming/trolling during these sessions, you will need to login to your Zoom account to join them. These sessions will be recorded and made available for later viewing also.) Sessions on GeNN and Neurolib will also follow shortly. If you develop software for neuroscience, we would love to hear about your development pipeline. Please get in touch with the Software WG either on INCF's Neurostars platform[4] or on our GitHub repository[5]. The WG is a community based group that is open to everyone at all levels of their careers (academic or otherwise). Please introduce yourself to the community on our channels to get involved. [1] https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/pages/about.html [2] https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/2021/02/07/dev-session-marcel-stimberg-br… [3] https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/2021/02/07/dev-session-ankur-sinha-neurof… [4] https://neurostars.org/t/ocns-infrastructure-software-tools-sig-meet-and-gr… [5] https://github.com/OCNS/SoftwareWG/issues On behalf of the WG, -- Thanks, Regards, Ankur Sinha (He / Him / His) Research Fellow at the Silver Lab | http://silverlab.org/ Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, & Pharmacology University College London, London, UK Time zone: Europe/London

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PhD Student position at the interface of neuroscience and machine learning
by Rava A. da Silveira 20 Feb '21

20 Feb '21

The lab of Rava Azeredo da Silveira invites applications for a *PhD Student position* at the *interface of computational neuroscience and machine learning*, at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) in Switzerland, an associated institute of the University of Basel. Research projects will involve modeling and data analysis; some projects will be carried out in the framework of collaborations with experimental labs. Questions will be chosen from a range of topics involving neural representations as relating to behavior, neural coding, dynamics and learning. Candidates with backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence, physics, computer science, and engineering are welcome. Experience with data analysis and proficiency with numerical methods, in addition to familiarity with mathematical and statistical methods, are desirable. Equally desirable are a spirit of intellectual adventure, eagerness, and drive. The positions will come with highly competitive work conditions and salaries. *Application deadline:* For full consideration, please apply by 15 March 2021. *How to apply:* Please send the following information *in one single PDF, to * *silveira(a)iob.ch* <silveira(a)iob.ch>*:* 1. letter on motivation and interests; 2. curriculum vitæ; 3. transcripts of undergraduate and Master grades. In addition, please arrange for three letters of recommendations to be sent to the same email address. In all email correspondence, please include the mention “APPLICATION-PHD” in the subject header, otherwise the application will *not* be considered. *** *The Silveira** Lab* focuses on a range of topics, which, however, are tied together through a central question: How does the brain represent and manipulate information? Among the more concrete approaches to this question, the lab analyses and models neural activity in circuits that can be identified, recorded from, and perturbed experimentally, such as visual neural circuits in the retina and the cortex. Establishing links between physiological specificity and the structure of neural activity yields an understanding of circuits as building blocks of cerebral information processing. On a more abstract level, the lab investigates the representation of information in populations of neurons, from a statistical and algorithmic—rather than mechanistic—point of view, through theories of coding and data analyses. These studies aim at understanding the statistical nature of high-dimensional neural activity in different conditions, and how this serves to encode and process information from the sensory world. In the context of cognitive studies, the lab investigates mental processes such as inference, learning, and decision-making, through both theoretical developments and behavioral experiments. A particular focus is the study of neural constraints and limitations and, further, their impact on mental processes. Neural limitations impinge on the structure and variability of mental representations, which in turn inform the cognitive algorithms that produce behavior. The lab explores the nature of neural limitations, mental representations, and cognitive algorithms, and their interrelations.

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Postdoc opening at the interface of cognitive science and machine learning
by Rava A. da Silveira 20 Feb '21

20 Feb '21

The lab of Rava Azeredo da Silveira invites applications for a *Postdoctoral Researcher* position at the *interface of theoretical/computational cognitive science and machine learning* at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) in Switzerland, an associated institute of the University of Basel. Research questions will be chosen from a range of topics involving models of decision making, learning, and memory, with a particular focus on the structure of human inference, the nature of internal representations/latent variables, and behavioral variability. While the projects will be primarily theoretical, they will involve data analysis and may be complemented with behavioral experiments or carried out in collaboration with experimental labs. Candidates with backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence, physics, computer science, engineering, and psychology are welcome. Experience with data analysis and proficiency with numerical methods, in addition to familiarity with neuroscience topics and mathematical and statistical methods, are desirable. Equally desirable are a spirit of intellectual adventure, eagerness, and drive. The positions will come with highly competitive work conditions and salaries. *Application deadline:* For full consideration, please apply by 15 March 2021. *How to apply:* Please send the following information *in one single PDF, to * *silveira(a)iob.ch* <silveira(a)iob.ch>*:* 1. letter of motivation; 2. statement of research interests, limited to two pages; 3. curriculum vitæ including a list of publications; 4. any relevant publications that you wish to showcase. In addition, please arrange for three letters of recommendations to be sent to the same email address. In all email correspondence, please include the mention “APPLICATION-POSTDOC” in the subject header, otherwise the application will *not* be considered. *** *The Silveira** Lab* focuses on a range of topics, which, however, are tied together through a central question: How does the brain represent and manipulate information? Among the more concrete approaches to this question, the lab analyses and models neural activity in circuits that can be identified, recorded from, and perturbed experimentally, such as visual neural circuits in the retina and the cortex. Establishing links between physiological specificity and the structure of neural activity yields an understanding of circuits as building blocks of cerebral information processing. On a more abstract level, the lab investigates the representation of information in populations of neurons, from a statistical and algorithmic—rather than mechanistic—point of view, through theories of coding and data analyses. These studies aim at understanding the statistical nature of high-dimensional neural activity in different conditions, and how this serves to encode and process information from the sensory world. In the context of cognitive studies, the lab investigates mental processes such as inference, learning, and decision-making, through both theoretical developments and behavioral experiments. A particular focus is the study of neural constraints and limitations and, further, their impact on mental processes. Neural limitations impinge on the structure and variability of mental representations, which in turn inform the cognitive algorithms that produce behavior. The lab explores the nature of neural limitations, mental representations, and cognitive algorithms, and their interrelations.

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Valentin Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience - call for nominations!
by Alexandra Stein 18 Feb '21

18 Feb '21

Dear Colleagues, The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites nominations for the Valentin Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience. The Bernstein Network presents the award biennially to a scientist in recognition of outstanding research that contributes to the understanding of the functioning of the brain. The major criterion for the award is the impact or potential impact of the recipient's research on the field of brain science. In the spirit of Valentin Braitenberg's own research, special emphasis is given to theoretical studies elucidating the functional implications of brain structures and their neuronal network dynamics. The awardee receives €5.000 prize money, donated by the Autonome Provinz Bozen Südtirol, as well as a Golden Neuron pin. The award will be presented in a special award ceremony at the online Bernstein Conference 2021, followed by a keynote lecture of the Braitenberg Awardee. Nominations may be submitted by scientists working in the field of computational neuroscience and should include the following documents: - One-page laudation, in which the scientific work of the candidate is honored with regard to the award criteria - CV and list of publications Deadline for nominations is April 30, 2021 by email to a.stein(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:a.stein@fz-juelich.de> Please note that self-nominations are not permitted. The call for nominations can be found under the following URL: https://www.bernstein-network.de/en/the-network/awards/Call_Braitenberg_2020<http://www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/braitenberg_award> For inquiries please contact a.stein(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:a.stein@fz-juelich.de>. Best regards, Alexandra Stein -- Dr. Alexandra Stein Head of Bernstein Coordination Site Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9583 mobile: (+49) 0151 67114645 mail: a.stein(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:a.stein@fz-juelich.de> web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> Twitter: BernsteinNeuro YouTube: Bernstein TV LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Faculty Position in Comp-Neuro / ML at Champalimaud - Deadline February 28, 2021
by Christian Machens 18 Feb '21

18 Feb '21

Faculty Position in Computational Neuroscience / Machine Learning at Champalimaud Research - Deadline February 28, 2021 The Champalimaud Foundation (CF) invites applications for Group Leaders to join a dynamic and highly collaborative international research institute in Lisbon, Portugal. Champalimaud Research (CR) is seeking to expand its Neuroscience Programme (CNP) with one Junior Group Leader (Assistant Professor equivalent). About you We welcome applicants with expertise in modern Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Suitable research areas for the recruited applicant include statistical methods for complex, high-dimensional datasets, artificial neural networks, computer vision, reinforcement learning, and control theory. We will consider candidates that work on foundational issues in these fields, as well as candidates who take more applied approaches. The ideal candidate should present a research program with both fundamental research and applied elements, and have a strong desire to collaborate with existing teams within CR and CF, including the Champalimaud Clinical Centre. Special attention will be given to applications of individuals from underrepresented groups. About the position To promote risk-taking research, generous support for salary, start-up and annual running costs will be provided. Researchers will be based at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown (CCU), a highly interactive and innovative scientific environment where the Neuroscience Programme is composed of groups applying a range of theoretical and experimental approaches to understand the algorithmic, physiological and circuit mechanisms of behaviour. Researchers routinely collect rich datasets ripe for development and application of new analysis tools or comparison with theory. These datasets include high dimensional neurophysiological and imaging data, to -omics, and various measures of behaviour. About us The Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown is situated on the waterfront in Lisbon. English is the official language of the Centre. Lisbon has a sunny Atlantic-Mediterranean climate, vibrant culture, international schools, convenient housing options and is considered one of the world’s safest cities. About the application Applications should include a (1) detailed scientific curriculum vitae, which may include any mentoring, outreach, or policy experiences, (2) a brief summary of past accomplishments (max. two pages), (3) a description of future research plans (max. four pages), (4) three key publications (pdf-files preferred, preprints welcome) along with (5) brief (~200 word each) descriptions of their significance, and (6) contact details for three individuals who can provide recommendation letters upon request. Applications or informal inquiries should be addressed to careers(a)research.fchampalimaud.org <mailto:careers@research.fchampalimaud.org> with the subject “Neuro GL Call 2020 – YOUR LAST NAME”. The deadline for the applications is February 28, 2021 and review of applications will begin in March, 2021. Non-discrimination and equal access policy The Champalimaud Foundation actively promotes non-discrimination and equal access, so that no candidate may be privileged, favored, prejudiced or deprived of any right or excluded from any duty on the basis of age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, disability, chronic illness, language, nationality, territory of origin, family status (marital, pregnancy and maternity, having or not having dependents), socioeconomic situation, education, religion, political or ideological beliefs, trade union membership, or on any other grounds which are not deemed relevant for the performance of the duties associated with the advertised position.

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INCF/OCNS Software WG: Dev session on Neurolib (23rd Feb)
by Ankur Sinha 18 Feb '21

18 Feb '21

Hello everyone, Apologies for the cross-posts. The INCF/OCNS Software Working Group (WG)[1] is happy to announce the next "Dev session" on Neurolib[2] where Caglar Cakan will introduce the software and then discuss its *development* pipeline. The session will be held on Feb 23, 2021 at 1700 UTC[3]. Zoom link: https://tu-berlin.zoom.us/j/68960683644?pwd=a2JTTS8xZXhwY0ZtQ0J0aktRVW52Zz09 The aim of these sessions is to stimulate discussion of the development practices and tools used by different teams to improve the software we use while also improving our knowledge of these practices and tools. We also hope to encourage more users of these tools to contribute to their development to ensure their longevity. The abstract of the talk is below: neurolib is a computational framework for whole-brain modelling written in Python. It provides a set of neural mass models that represent the average activity of a brain region on a mesoscopic scale. In a whole-brain network model, brain regions are connected with each other based on structural connectivity data, i.e. the connectome of the brain. neurolib can load structural and functional data sets, set up a whole-brain model, manage its parameters, simulate it, and organize its outputs for later analysis. The activity of each brain region can be converted into a simulated BOLD signal in order to calibrate the model to empirical data from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Extensive model analysis is possible using a parameter exploration module, which allows to characterize the model’s behaviour given a set of changing parameters. An optimization module allows for fitting a model to multimodal empirical data using an evolutionary algorithm. Besides its included functionality, neurolib is designed to be extendable such that custom neural mass models can be implemented easily. neurolib offers a versatile platform for computational neuroscientists for prototyping models, managing large numerical experiments, studying the structure-function relationship of brain networks, and for in-silico optimization of whole-brain models. ----- If you develop software for neuroscience, we would love to hear about your development pipeline. Please get in touch with the Software WG either on INCF's Neurostars platform[4] or on our GitHub repository[5]. The WG is a community based group that is open to everyone at all levels of their careers (academic or otherwise). Please introduce yourself to the community on our channels to get involved. [1] https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/pages/about.html [2] https://neurolib-dev.github.io/ [3] https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/2021/02/12/dev-session-caglar-cakan-neuro… [4] https://neurostars.org/t/ocns-infrastructure-software-tools-sig-meet-and-gr… [5] https://github.com/OCNS/SoftwareWG/issues On behalf of the WG, -- Thanks, Regards, Ankur Sinha (He / Him / His) Research Fellow at the Silver Lab | http://silverlab.org/ Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, & Pharmacology University College London, London, UK Time zone: Europe/London

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two faculty positions at Imperial College in 'intelligent systems' (deadline March 1st)
by Goodman, Daniel F M 18 Feb '21

18 Feb '21

We are hiring two new faculty positions in the Electrical Engineering department at Imperial College, deadline March 1st. The advert below talks about machine learning and computer vision, but actually we're open to anything that will complement the existing interests of our group (robotics, machine learning, computational neuroscience). In particular, we're looking for people who can develop new collaborations with our group, so interdisciplinary researchers touching on any of these topics please do apply! I'd also like to add that we'd particularly encourage applications from women and other groups that are underrepresented in our department. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/description/ENG01538/lecturersenior-lecturer Please do feel free to get in touch for more info. Dan

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15 PhD positions translational vision science, OptiVis
by Peter König 17 Feb '21

17 Feb '21

15 PhD positions in Translational Vision Science It is essential to know what visually impaired individuals can do with their residual vision in daily life activities, otherwise known as their "functional vision". Conventional ophthalmic tests (e.g. visual field tests) are able to detect the extent of a visual defect, but they yield little information about functional vision. This lack of appropriate tests impedes the optimal practice of diagnostics (in ophthalmic and neurological care, in particular of children and elderly), rehabilitation and classification (essential in sports competitions). Our European MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE Innovative Training Network (ITN) OptiVisT aims to resolve this by (1) gaining new Insights: i.e. a fundamental understanding of the visual demands of activities of daily living and sports; (2) developing Solutions: i.e. creating new objective, inclusive and engaging tools for testing, training and augmenting functional vision; and (3) the Application of 1 and 2: evaluating the effectiveness of our new tools in diagnostics, rehabilitation and classification in practice. Are you, like us, fascinated by vision, the brain and technology and consider it important to help visually impaired people? Do you have an inquisitive mind, and are you looking for a PhD position embedded in an international innovative training network in which you can develop your research, technical or clinical skills? Then consider applying with OptiVisT and join one of our 15 PhD projects (overview below). We offer PhD positions in academia, medical, technology and rehabilitation institutes, and high-tech companies. Curious to see and hear more about what it means to be part of such Innovative Training Network? Check out these two short movies about our previous ITNs NextGenVis and EGRET+. If you are interested in one of our PhD positions, visit our website (www.optivist.eu) for more information on our application procedures. The deadline for applying for this project is February 28th, 2021. General questions can be directed to info(a)optivist.eu. Project specific questions can be directed to the project contacts as mentioned on the website. Best, Peter König (on behalf of the Optivis Consortium)

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Research Topic in Frontiers in Neuroprosthetics
by Marianna Semprini 16 Feb '21

16 Feb '21

Dear colleagues, We are excited to announce a Research Topic in Frontiers in Neuroscience - section Neuroprosthetics titled "Improving Neuroprosthetics through Novel Techniques for processing Electrophysiological Human Brain Signals". This research topic focuses on innovative approaches for translating current research results into useful clinical applications providing novel therapeutic possibilities in the neurorehabilitation and neuroprosthetic field. The development of these novel solutions could help people with disabilities to overcome their daily obstacles and achieve a better quality of life. We are thus widely open to contributions that target: * novel experimental designs, clinical protocols, and applications involving brain signals in the context of neurorehabilitation; * techniques for off-line signal processing, e.g. investigation of brain activity (EEG, EcoG, stereo-EEG, MEG), characterization of brain oscillations, decoding of information in the brain (e.g. sensory and/or motor); * techniques for on-line signal processing, e.g. novel hardware design for treating human brain signals; * assessment of plastic changes following a neurorehabilitation treatment or upon usage of a prosthetic device, e.g. novel biomarkers based on electrophysiological recordings, computational models for understanding reconfiguration mechanisms; * standardized methods to store and process data, in agreement with the FAIR principles. We accept submissions of manuscripts as Original Research, Systematic Review, Review (and mini-Review), Perspective, Clinical Trial, Case Report, Brief Research Report. Deadline for manuscript submission is June 5th, 2021. More information can be found here<https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/18352/improving-neuroprosthetic…>. We look forward to your contributions. The Research Topic co-editors, Marianna Semprini Gabriele Arnulfo Ioannis Delis Felix Siebenhühner Gianluca Susi Marianna Semprini, PhD Rehab Technologies IIT-INAIL Lab Phone : 010 71781 212 ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova Site: www.iit.it

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10 PhD/Postdoc positions on metrology for AI in medicine at PTB Germany
by Haufe, Stefan 16 Feb '21

16 Feb '21

Dear colleagues, I would be grateful if you could circulate the following announcement. Ten PhD or Postdoc positions are available at the German national metrology institute (PTB) in Berlin and Braunschweig: Topics are centered around metrological aspects (robustness, uncertainty, interpretability) of artificial intelligence in medicine. This includes projects on M/EEG and fMRI inverse problems as well as explainable AI in neuroscience. Please go to is.gd/WYHec1 for details and instructions on the application process. Further information is available under the following links: * on the general research program these positions are embedded in: is.gd/24hYaD * on PTB's AI strategy for medicine: is.gd/Y0cYWv * press release: is.gd/ukCIh9 Candidates specifically interested in one of the first three projects 1. Towards standardized quality control for artificial intelligence systems in critical care (is.gd/HpWzAh) 2. Machine learning and uncertainty quantification for bioelectromagnetic inverse solutions and signal separation methods (is.gd/cdWi1E) 3. Advancing the theory and practice of machine learning model explanations in biomedicine (is.gd/3iPwnu) are encouraged to get in touch with me through haufe_ptb_applications at mailbox dot org . Best wishes, Stefan Haufe

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PhD position: Machine learning for big sleep data
by Martin Dresler 16 Feb '21

16 Feb '21

Hi, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences and the Donders Institute Sleep & Memory Lab are looking for a joint PhD candidate combining data science/AI, wearable EEG technology, and sleep research. In this project, we will use machine learning to investigate big sleep data, using both large open sleep EEG datasets and novel studies with multiple repeated sleep EEG recordings via full polysomnography and sleep EEG wearables in naturalistic home-based settings. The results will be fed back into the development of sleep EEG software and hardware, and clinical applications in psychiatry and neurology. Further info: https://dreslerlab.org/phd-position Cheers, Martin -- Donders Sleep & Memory Lab, Radboud University Medical Center Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, Netherlands https://dreslerlab.org

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PhD position in Computational Neuroscience with Prof. Laurenz Wiskott at the Institute for Neural Computation, Bochum, Germany
by Laurenz Wiskott 12 Feb '21

12 Feb '21

The Ruhr-Universität Bochum is one of the leading research universities. The university draws its strengths from both the diversity and the proximity of scientific and engineering disciplines on a single, coherent campus. This highly dynamic setting enables students and researchers to work across traditional boundaries of academic subjects and faculties. One particular strength of RUB are the neurosciences. The Institute for Neural Computation is a central research institute, see https://www.ini.rub.de/. It focuses on the dynamics and learning of perception and behavior on a functional level but is otherwise very diverse, ranging from neurophysiology and psychophysics over computational neuroscience to machine learning and technical applications. There is an open position for a research assistant / Phd-student in the group „Theory of Neural Systems“ of Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott to be filled at the earliest possible date. The appointment will be for three years. Salary is 29,87 h/w of salary scale TV-L E13. The load of teaching will be calculated according to §3 of Lehrverpflichtungsverordnung (state of North Rhine-Westphalia). Tasks: * Development of a model of the hippocampus to store episodic sequences and its application to navigational experiences with the goal to better understand the neural basis of memory-based navigation. * Support in teaching. We offer: * An interesting interdisciplinary environment in the field of Computational Neuroscience / Machine Learning. * Room to develop your own ideas in the project. * Infrastructure to integrate well into the institute and the group. * Opportunity to do a PhD (Dr). Requirements: * Very good Master in mathematics, computer science, engineering, or a related field. * Good programming and mathematical skills. * Interest in neuroscientific research questions. Advantageous: * Good communication and teamwork skills. * Experience in interdisciplinary projects. * Programming skills in Python. Applications (CV, transcript of records for MSc and BSc, statement of purpose) should be sent as a single pdf file to laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de. Application period ends on March 7, 2021. Travel expenses for interviews will not be refunded. Ruhr-University Bochum is committed to equal opportunity in employment and gender equality in its working environment. We therefore look forward to applications from qualified women. Applications from appropriately qualified handicapped persons are also encouraged.

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Machine Learning PhD studentship
by Michael Biehl 12 Feb '21

12 Feb '21

Applications are invited for a *3-year fully funded PhD Studentship* Tentative starting date: 1 April 2021. Title: *Integrated machine learning approaches to dissect the link between androgen excess * *and metabolic disease in women* In this interdisciplinary project, supervised and unsupervised machine learning techniques including but not limited to neural networks and prototype-based metric learning will be applied to analyse steroid metabolome, global non-targeted metabolome and clinical phenotype data. For detailed information, application procedure etc. see https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/integrated-machine-learning-approache… -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen The Netherlands Tel. +31 50 363 3997 https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

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postdoc position involving psychophysics and fMRI to study visual consciousness
by Brascamp, Jan 11 Feb '21

11 Feb '21

The Brascamp Lab for Visual Neuroscience at Michigan State University is seeking a Research Associate (postdoc) to begin in the Spring of 2021. The Research Associate will be researching the neural basis of conscious vision, as part of a multi-site project funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation and performed at Michigan State University in collaboration with researchers at NYU, UC Irvine, and Boston University. The work involves visual psychophysics and functional neuroimaging. The Brascamp Lab is located within the Department of Psychology and is a part of the Department's Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience group, which provides an excellent research and training environment with faculty expertise covering a broad range of topics in perception and cognitive psychology. The Research Associate will be stationed at MSU, and the project may require a limited time spent in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for data acquisition. This is initially a two-year position with the possibility of extension. Minimum Requirements include a Ph.D. in vision science, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, or a related field. Applicants should have a strong publication record, experience with psychophysics and human neuroimaging, strong programming skills (Python or related language(s)), and strong statistical training. Desired Qualifications: the ideal candidate will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to work independently. Please send inquiries or application materials (a letter of interest, CV, and contact information of three references) to brascamp(a)msu.edu<mailto:brascamp@msu.edu>. Review of applications will begin immediately.

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Call for submissions: Frontiers Research Topic on “Neuroinformatics of Large-Scale Brain Modelling”
by John Griffiths 11 Feb '21

11 Feb '21

Dear all, We are excited to announce an upcoming Research Topic, jointly within Frontiers in Neuroinformatics and Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, on “Neuroinformatics of Large-Scale Brain Modelling”. This Research Topic will document the various ways in which neuroinformatics approaches are being applied in large-scale brain modelling, informing readers on both established practices and emerging techniques. We seek Original Research, Review, Mini-Review, Hypothesis and Theory, Perspective, and Opinion articles that cover, but are not limited to, the following topics: - Ontologies, systems, and tools for definition and specification of large-scale neural models - New approaches to parameter optimization, parameter space exploration, and systematic tracking of simulation behaviour across parameter combinations - Informing neural models with genetic and multi-omic data from large-scale databases and individual patients/subjects - Systematic computational modelling studies on large numbers of subjects, and/or using large-scale open-access datasets (HCP, ABCD, etc.) - ‘Hybrid’ modelling schemes that combine mean-field with spiking network models - ‘Hybrid’ approaches to defining connectivity in large-scale brain models (e.g. supplementing tractography with microscopy data for higher-resolution subcortical connectivity structure) - Simulations using high-resolution neuroanatomical data from initiatives such as BigBrain, Allen Institute, etc. - ‘High-density’ (large number of regions; small parcels) connectome-based neural mass modelling - Other neuroinformatics challenges and solutions in large-scale brain simulations - Comparisons between detailed spiking/morphological simulations and neural mass model simulations - Comparisons between models based on high-resolution and low-resolution Allen atlas connectivities Full details can be found on the research topic webpage at: www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/16641/neuroinformatics-of-large-scale-b… If you are considering submitting, please submit an abstract by Fri 26 Feb 2021. Deadline for submission of full manuscripts is Fri 30th July 2021. We look forward to your hearing from you and sharing this exciting work with the community. Your Research Topic co-editors, John Griffiths Padraig Gleeson Kelly Shen -- Dr. John D. Griffiths Independent Scientist @ Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, CAMH, Toronto Assistant Professor @ Department of Psychiatry & Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto www.grifflab.com ~~~ Frontiers in Neuroinformatics & Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience joint Research Topic: “Neuroinformatics of Large-Scale Brain Modelling” *Eds. John Griffiths, Kelly Shen, Padraig Gleeson* *Now accepting submissions! * Abstract deadline 26 Feb 2021. Manuscript deadline 30 July 2021. See topic page here <https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/16641/neuroinformatics-of-large…> for more info

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Visiting Assistant professor position (3yr - Psychology, broad)
by Blustein_Daniel 10 Feb '21

10 Feb '21

Dear colleagues, We are looking to hire a 3-year Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, USA. This is a teaching heavy position but the job posting is broad and we would be very open to hiring someone working in computational neuroscience. Job ad: https://jobs.rhodes.edu/postings/3525 If you have any questions about the position, department or school, please reach out to me at blusteind(a)rhodes.edu<mailto:blusteind@rhodes.edu> Sincerely, Dan Blustein, PhD Assistant Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience Rhodes College 901-843-3963

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Postdoctoral positions at PONS Centre Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
by Winterer, Jeanne 10 Feb '21

10 Feb '21

The Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS) at the Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Charité- Universitätsmedizin Berlin has two postdoctoral positions to offer: 1. Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Population Neuroscience The PONS Centre at the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin is seeking a talented and highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to investigate environmental influences on brain development and behaviour, with a particular emphasis on global mental health. The PONS Centre aims to identify risk constellations and neurobehavioral trajectories for mental disorders and their moderation by global environmental challenges. The research will involve comparative analyses of large scale behavioural neuroimaging datasets in Europe, India, China and USA. Applying advanced statistical methods and innovative methodology, such as remote sensing satellite data, the project seeks to investigate how environmental challenges associated with urbanization, climate change, pollution or pandemics shape brain structure/function and behaviour. PONS Charité works in close collaboration with its partner institute PONS Fudan, at the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai. Areas of responsibility: • Take a leading role in development, adaptation and implementation of state of the art stratification and prediction techniques, including advanced representational approaches. • Apply these approaches to large scale, high dimensional datasets involving neuroimaging, behavioural, environmental and –omics. • Take a leading role in the publication and dissemination of data. • Present at academic meetings and contribute to the visibility of the project and its aims. • Work as a conscientious and committed member of the team in order to achieve the aims of the project. • Assist with the supervision of PhD and MSc candidates and with the general running of the group. Qualifications: • PhD in a relevant discipline (computer science, biomathematics) awarded, or thesis submitted, or thesis near completion. • A very good understanding of biomathematical and computer science methods applicable for phenotype stratification and prediction. • Experience of working with behavioural, epidemiologic and/or biological datasets. • Thorough conceptual understanding and experience in machine learning or/and deep learning methodology. • Evidence of the ability to publish in high-impact scientific journals. • Strong interpersonal skills, including willingness to introduce and help other colleagues with mathematics/statistics skills. • Good organisational skills. • Professional and enthusiastic attitude. • German language skills desirable, but not essential. 1. Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Precision Medicine The PONS Centre is seeking a postdoctoral fellow for a research programme funded by the European Research Council to develop the framework of a novel psychiatric taxonomy based on quantifiable neurobehavioural measures. This will be achieved by relating functional and structural neuroimaging measures as well as (epi-)genomic and environmental characterisations to behavioural symptom groups in both cross-sectional and longitudinal data. Being defined by shared neural mechanisms, these symptom groups will provide markers for stratification and prediction of mental illness. The work will involve a good understanding of the neural correlates of behaviour, and experience in the analysis of neuroimaging data using advanced statistics. PONS Charite works in close collaboration with its partner institute PONS Fudan, at the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai. Areas of responsibility: • To contribute to the development of a framework for a novel psychiatric taxonomy based on quantifiable neurobehavioural measures. • To relate functional and structural neuroimaging measures as well as (epi-)genomic and environmental characterisations to behavioural symptom groups in both cross-sectional and longitudinal data • The publication, report generation and dissemination of data arising from this project • Attend and present at academic meetings and contribute to the visibility of the project and its aims. • Assist with the supervision of PhD and MSc candidates and with the general running of the group • Undertake any other reasonable duties that may be relevant to the role outline Qualifications: • PhD in psychology, neuroscience, sociology, computer science or a related discipline - awarded, or thesis submitted • Experience in imaging genetics and behavioural research • Experience in multimodal analyses of behavioural assessments, neuroimaging and –omics data using advanced statistics • Evidence of the ability to publish in high-impact scientific journal. • Excellent written and verbal communication • Professional and enthusiastic The starting date of both postdoctoral positions would be the 1st of May 2021 with a length of 20 months of employment (40 hrs/week). Applicants should send the application materials to Jeanne.winterer(a)charite.de. Application information includes cover letter, including research plan, CV, Certificates, list of publications. Application material can be submitted until the 15th of March 2021. Contact information: For questions, please do not hesitate to contact Professor Gunter Schumann, email: gunter.schumann1961(a)gmail.com<mailto:gunter.schumann1961@gmail.com> and Jeanne Winterer, email: Jeanne.winterer(a)charite.de<mailto:Jeanne.winterer@charite.de>.

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Postdoctoral positions at NIPS in Japan: Computational modeling of synaptic biochemical signaling
by Hidetoshi URAKUBO 08 Feb '21

08 Feb '21

Dear researchers: We invite applications for a postdoctoral researcher in the area of mathematical/computational modeling of biochemical signaling in neuronal synapses. Based on a grant (#), A new collaborative project with Kyoto U and Nagoya U has been launched for the modeling of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of synaptic molecules. The successful candidate will develop computational/theoretical models that describe the LLPS and simulate the spatiotemporal dynamics of synaptic biochemical signaling, to elucidate how our learning and memory are organized. We expect who will conduct Monte Carlo simulation under the scheme of the Flory-Huggins (FH) theory, as well as the reaction-diffusion simulation of biochemical molecules. (#) Spatiotemporal dynamics of intracellular components, CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Japan. https://www.jst.go.jp/kisoken/crest//en/research_area/ongoing/area2020-1.ht… We are also conducting a long-standing project on electron microscopic (EM) connectomics. We will welcome the applicants who can contribute to this project from the informatics aspect. National Institute for physiological science (NIPS) is a high-quality national institute for neuroscience in Japan, like Riken CBS. NIPS is located in Aichi prefecture, the middle part of Japan. https://www.nips.ac.jp/eng/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aichi_Prefecture http://www2.aia.pref.aichi.jp/tope/foreigner.html Please feel free to ask questions about this research position to Hidetoshi Urakubo (urakubo(a)nips.ac.jp) 1. Job title Full-time Postdoctral Researcher 2. Begin date April 1st 2021 (negotiable) 3. Appointment period Annually renewed based on evaluation. Up to Sep/2025. 4. Workplace NIPS, Okazaki, Japan http://www.nips.ac.jp/circuit/ 5-1 Myodaiji-Higashiyama, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan 5. Qualifications Applicants must: - have Ph.D. (or be near the completion of the degree). - have strong motivations and ambitions to participate in the research above. 6. Compensation Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Social insurance will be applied. Days off include public holidays, New Year's holidays (Dec. 29 - Jan 3), summer vacation, and sick leave. These and other provisions are in accordance with NIPS regulations. Please inquire it with your CV if the salary information is needed at the early stage of selection. 7. Required documents Please send the following five materials to the email address below: 7-1. Complete CV 7-2. List of publications 7-3. Reprints of 1 to 3 major publications 7-4. Document (one or two pages in A4 or letter size) describing: - Summary of your previous research - Interests and proposal for research - Technical skills (programming skills, etc) 7-5. Two letters of recommendation (including one from the current supervisor, if available) 8. Deadline February 28 (Sun), 2021 (will be extended) 9. Selection Selection will be made based on application screening and interviews. 10. Application and Contact Hidetoshi Urakubo, Ph.D. Email: urakubo(a)nips.ac.jp Project Assistant Professor, Division of Cerebral Circuitry, Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS), 5-1 Myodaiji-Higashiyama, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan Phone: +81-564-59-5280 https://researchmap.jp/urakubo?lang=en http://www.nips.ac.jp/circuit/

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Special issue: Information Processing in Neuronal Circuits-Journal Biology
by alireza valizadeh 08 Feb '21

08 Feb '21

CFP: Special issue on “*Information Processing in Neuronal Circuits and Systems*” Dear colleagues, Together with Claudio Mirasso we are organizing a special issue in the journal “Biology” on the topic “*Information Processing in Neuronal Circuits and Systems*”. We would like to invite you to contribute your research to this special issue. For more information please visit the website https://www.mdpi.com/journal/biology/special_issues/neuronalcircuits Submission deadline: *7 May, 2021*. *Special Issue Information* The question of how the brain integrates the multiplicity of local processes dispersed throughout its entire anatomy is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Such integration is mediated by information exchange between brain areas, and other parts of the nervous system, through routes that can change rapidly to provide a flexible effective connectivity despite the rigidity of the anatomical connections. The flexibility of the information routing and effective connectivity are consequences of the multi-stability of the collective dynamics of the neuronal networks. In other words, a single structural connection can support plenty of degenerate dynamic states for each of which a special pattern of information transfer between the nodes can take place. Collective neuronal oscillations are hypothesized to provide such a basis for the dynamic communication between brain regions. In this Special Issue, the notion of information transfer and routing in neuronal circuits and systems will be addressed with a focus on shedding light on the mechanisms that regulate information transmission in the brain and in the nervous system in general. Please contact us in case you need more information about this special issue. Best, Alireza Valizadeh Topic editors: Claudio R. Mirasso, Universitat Illes Balears, Instituto de Física Interdisciplinar y Sistemas Complejos, Spain (claudio(a)ifisc.uib-csic.es) Alireza Valizadeh, Institute for advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, Iran ( valizade(a)iasbs.ac.ir) -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alireza Valizadeh Associate professor Neurophysics lab, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS) School of cognitive sciences, Institute for research in fundamental sciences (IPM) Zanjan, Iran Tel:(+98) 24 3315 2120 Fax:(+98) 24 3315 2104 valizade(a)iasbs.ac.ir Web: http://www.iasbs.ac.ir/~valizade/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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PhD studentship on “Computational modelling of spiking neural network self-organization” at the University of Surrey (UK)
by roman bauer 07 Feb '21

07 Feb '21

*Computational modelling of spiking neural network self-organization* A PhD studentship is available in the lab of Dr Roman Bauer at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Surrey (Guildford, UK). The successful candidate will use computer simulations to study how spiking neural networks can give rise to function, such as classification/prediction of spatio-temporal (visual or auditory) signals. This will contribute to novel technologies for neurally inspired computing, and help shine light shine on how neuronal circuits in the brain operate. This particular PhD studentship will be conducted in co-operation with the BioDynaMo collaboration, where open-source code for the neuroinformatics/computational neuroscience research community is developed. Successful applicants will become part of a vibrant PhD community and will benefit from the strong research environment and high international visibility of the Department. Its researchers publish regularly in top conferences and journals and are renowned experts in their fields, developing innovative, practical solutions to real world problems. The Department has strong links with industry and active collaborations with academic institutions worldwide. *Background:* The ideal candidate will have experience in computer science / physics / mathematics or similar. Proficiency in an object-oriented programming language is required. Previous experience in the modelling and simulation of spiking neural networks would be desired. *Funding:* Each PhD studentship comes with a stipend of £16,000 per annum plus tuition fees covered for the duration of 3 years for UK/EU candidates. International candidates are welcome to apply but will need to cover the difference between the UK/EU and overseas fees. More details including instructions for the application can be found at: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/studentships/phd-studentships-com…. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact the lead supervisor Dr Roman Bauer (r.bauer(a)surrey.ac.uk) Application deadline is 21st of February, 2021.

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Focus on Criticality and Complexity in Brain Dynamics
by Claudius Gros 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

Dear colleagues A short reminder: Together with Dante Chialvo, we are editing a Focus on Criticality and Complexity in Brain Dynamics Journal of Physics: Complexity Deadline 30 April 2021 https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/2632-072X/page/Focus_on_Criticality_and_… exity_in_Brain_Dynamics Among others, we are especially interested in compact perspectives, e.g. on -- experimental and theoretical methodology -- 'critical' assessments of underlying concepts -- controversial viewpoints We hope that the focus on brain criticality and complexity will be a place to assess where the field stands and where the fields needs to go. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any further information. We are looking forward to your contribution! Claudius Gros ### ### Prof. Dr. Claudius Gros ### http://itp.uni-frankfurt.de/~gros ### ### Complex and Adaptive Dynamical Systems, A Primer ### A graduate-level textbook, Springer (2008/10/13/15) ### ### Life for barren exoplanets: The Genesis project ### https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10509-016-2911-0 ###

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Open Position: Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Reproducible Neuroimaging Analysis
by Sean Hill 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics has an open position for a postdoc with experience in neuroimaging and software engineering: "Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Reproducible Neuroimaging Analysis” The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics (PI Dr. Sean Hill, http://krembilneuroinformatics.ca/)Toronto, is looking to hire a Post-Doctoral Fellow with a strong background in Neuroimaging and Software Engineering. The successful candidate shall spearhead the group's efforts in developing a comprehensive open science platform that captures a range of experimental data, produces a semantic representation that links related scientific content, and provides users with data discovery tools. Working jointly between the Krembil Centre and Radiologics, the successful candidate will be involved cutting-edge development an electronic laboratory notebook platform that enables reproducible human neuroscience workflows. This work will support a global collaborative effort for Accelerating research on Consciousness: An adversarial collaboration to test contradictory predictions of Global Neuronal Workspace and Integrated Information Theory. Led by Dr. Lucia Melloni research on consciousness by providing decisive, field-transformative evidence in favor of one this project will accelerate theory and against the other. It will also establish a groundbreaking model for scientific practices in cognitive neuroscience at large, by demonstrating the impact of team-based adversary research and open data. This will address major riddles in the field, much like established practices in other fields such as physics and genomics have done. Thus, this project may dramatically change the landscape of research—that is, the social practices and norms—in the field of cognitive neuroscience. https://www.templetonworldcharity.org/projects -database/accelerating-research-consciousness- adversarial -collaboration-test-contradictory The platform will enable researchers to define their experiment protocols, capture and manage experiment metadata associated with these protocols, and publish the resulting data sets to a semantically enabled search engine. The platform will provide the basis for creating interactive publications from which each analysis result and figure is linked through structured provenance record to its original source data and analysis pipelines. • To develop an open source electronic laboratory notebook to support reproducible analysis of data that encompasses the most commonly used techniques in human neuroscience: fMRI, MEG, EEG and ECoG. • To develop standards for data annotation and exchange of data and metadata. • To publish those metadata via a semantically-enabled search engine. • The platform will build on several key components. The e -notebook will advance the pilot software currently in development and will include a user-friendly app-based interface to define the structure and content of experiments including the most common cognitive neuroscience experimental methods (fMRI, EEG, MEG, and ECOG). • The system will integrate XNAT, developed in Dr. Marcus’ laboratory at Washington University andatRadiologics(Marcusetal,2007) and BlueBrainNexus(bluebrainnexus.io)platform developed by a team led by Dr. Hill (Kaufmann et al., 2018). XNAT and Nexus are widely-used, open source applications that have been instrumental in advancing reproducible science. The successful candidate will have a PhD in neuroscience, engineering, physics, psychology, or related area, a track record for independent research, and a strong publication record. Strong programming skills and familiarity with neuroimaging data (s/d/fMRI and/or M/EEG) are required; experience with software development, semantic databases and data models are advantageous. For inquiries, please email David Rotenberg (David.Rotenberg(a)camh.ca) with the title “Post-Doctoral Fellowship Reproducible Neuroimaging Platform” in the subject line." https://www.camh.ca/en/science-and-research/institutes-and-centres/krembil-… — Sean Hill, Ph.D. Scientific Director, Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics Senior Scientist, Campbell Family Research Institute Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Professor, University of Toronto Faculty Affiliate, Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Co-lead, University of Toronto Temerty Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education in Medicine (T-CAIREM) Titular Professor, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland KrembilNeuroinformatics.ca CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. AVIS DE CONFIDENTIALITÉ : Ce message électronique, ainsi que tout fichier qui y est joint, est reserve à l'usage exclusif du destinataire visé et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels et privilégiés. Toute lecture, utilisation, divulgation ou distribution non autorisée est interdite. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire visé, veuillez en aviser l'expéditeur par retour de courriel et détruire toutes les copies du message original.

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Open postdoc position in plasticity in action execution (Washington DC)
by Ella Striem-Amit 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

*Postdoctoral researcher position in plasticity in action execution* The SAMP Lab (Sensory and motor plasticity, Ella Striem-Amit’s lab) at Georgetown University (Washington DC, USA) is looking for a passionate and dedicated Postdoctoral researcher to work on a project on plasticity and abstractness in action execution. The SAMP lab explores the balance between innate brain organization and experience-dependent plasticity by studying models of sensory and motor deprivation using behavioral and fMRI state of the art analytical techniques. Specifically, in this project we will explore neural action representations which are independent from the body part used to execute them, studying people born without hands. For detail of the lab see *samp-lab.facultysite.georgetown.edu <http://samp-lab.facultysite.georgetown.edu/>*, and a relevant recent publication: *www.pnas.org/content/117/45/28433 <http://www.pnas.org/content/117/45/28433>*. Excellent understanding of and experience with fMRI and data analysis are required. Strong programming skills (Matlab/R/python, etc.) are also a requirement. Experience with behavioral methods used in motor control and mapping is desirable but not a requirement. The position is not limited to US citizens. The start date is flexible, but preferably May-July 2021.This position is available for two years, and can be extended further based on performance. To apply, please send your CV, a brief statement of research interests and a copy of your recent, representative publication by email to Dr. Ella Striem-Amit (*Ella.StriemAmit(a)georgetown.edu <Ella.StriemAmit(a)georgetown.edu>*) with the subject line: “post-doc application”. Georgetown University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer fully dedicated to achieving a diverse faculty and staff. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. -- *Ella Striem-Amit (she/her)* Sensory and Motor Plasticity (SAMP) Lab Edwin H. Richard and Elisabeth Richard Assistant Professor Department of Neuroscience Georgetown University Medical Center 3970 Reservoir Rd., NW Washington, DC 20007 http://samp-lab.facultysite.georgetown.edu/

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Announcing the 1st Brain-Computer Interface Un-Conference (BCI-UC)
by Moritz Grosse-Wentrup 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

Dear Colleagues: We cordially invite you to the 1st Brain-Computer Interface Un-Conference (BCI-UC)! https://bciunconference.univie.ac.at/ The 1st BCI-UC is an entirely virtual event that takes place on July 23rd 2020 from 3 pm to 9:30 pm (CEST). It differs in various ways from traditional conferences in our field: * All presentations are publicly streamed via Crowdcast. * Anybody can apply for a presentation slot by submitting an abstract. All registered attendees can up-vote their favorite abstracts. In this way, the whole community decides which presentations they would like to see presented at the conference. * Voting commences on Monday, June 29th at 8 am (CEST) and ends on Thursday, July 16th at 12 midnight (CEST). The authors of the top-rated abstracts are invited to present their work at the conference. * Registration (free of charge) is required for submitting an abstract and to up-vote submissions. In addition to the contributed talks, the 1st BCI Un-Conference features two keynotes presentations: 1. Mariska J Vansteensel (UMC Utrecht Brain Center): Towards the Daily Life Implementation of ECoG-BCIs 2. Christian Herff (Maastricht University): Decoding Speech from Invasive EEG Please join us in exploring this new way of disseminating research in our community! The BCI-UC Organizing Committee: Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Anja Meunier Philipp Raggam Anita Resch Jiachen Xu -- Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Research Group Neuroinformatics Faculty of Computer Science University of Vienna Hörlgasse 6, A-1090 Wien, Austria moritz.grosse-wentrup(a)univie.ac.at +43-1-4277-79610 http://neural.engineering/

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Postdoctoral Position in Computational Neuroscience at the Institute for Neural Computation
by Vinita Samarasinghe 05 Feb '21

05 Feb '21

*Pending funding approval*, Prof. Sen Cheng, Institute for Neural Computation at the Ruhr University Bochum, invites applications for a full time (currently 39.83 hours/week) *Postdoctoral position (TV-L E13) in Computational Neuroscience <https://www.ini.rub.de/the_institute/jobs/postdoctoral_position_in_computat…>. * The position starts 01.07.2021 and is funded for three years. *Job description* The position is part of the Collaborative Research Center “Extinction Learning” (SFB 1280) and expected to study the principles underlying spatial learning and its extinction with reinforcement learning models. A particular focus is the role of episodic-like memory in learning and extinction processes. The research group is highly dynamic and uses diverse computationalmodeling approachesincludingbiological neural networks, cognitive modeling, and machine learning to investigatelearning and memory in humans and animals. For further information see www.rub.de/cns <http://www.rub.de/cns>. *Your Profile: * Candidates must have * a doctorate degreein neuroscience, physics, mathematics, electrical/biomedical engineering or a closely related field, * relevant experience in mathematical modeling, * excellent programming skills (e.g., Python, C/C++, Matlab), * excellent communication skills in English * the ability to work well in a team. Research experience in neuroscience would be a further asset. The Ruhr University Bochum is home to a vibrant research community in neuroscienceand cognitive science. The Institute for Neural Computation is an independent research unit and combines different areas of expertise ranging from experimental and theoretical neuroscienceto machine learning androbotics. Please send your application, including CV, transcripts and research statement electronically, as a single PDF file, to samarasinghe(a)ini.rub.de <mailto:samarasinghe@ini.rub.de>. In addition, at least two academic references mustbe sent independently to the above email address. The deadline for applications is April11^th , 2021. Travel costs for interviews will not be reimbursed. The Ruhr University Bochum is committed to equal opportunity. We strongly encourage applications from qualified women and persons with disabilities. We are committed to providing a supportive work environment for female researchers, in particular those with young children. Our university provides mentoring and coaching opportunities specifically aimed at women in research. We have a strong research network with female role models and will provide opportunities to networkwith them. Wherever possible, events will be scheduled during regular childcare hours. Special childcare will be arranged if events have to be scheduled outside of regular hours, in case of sickness and during school or daycare closures. Where childcare is not an option parents will be offered a home office solution. -- Vinita Samarasinghe M.Sc., M.A. Science Manager Arbeitsgruppe Computational Neuroscience Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, NB 3/26 Postfachnummer 110 Universitätstr. 150 D-44801 Bochum Tel: +49 (0)234 32 27996 Email: samarasinghe(a)ini.rub.de

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FENS job advertisement for Executive Director position
by Helena Ledmyr 04 Feb '21

04 Feb '21

The Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, FENS, seeks an outstanding association executive or executive‐scientist to serve as its next Executive Director. The new Executive Director should have experience in leading a scientific organisation, knowledge of current trends and issues facing life sciences and particularly neuroscience, and understand the legislative process and public policy, as well as the financial tenets of a non‐profit organisation. This is a full-time position based in Brussels, Belgium. Reviewing of applications will begin on 15 February 2021 and applications will be accepted until the position has been filled. https://www.fens.org/News-Activities/News/2021/02/FENS-ED-position/ All the best Helena ----------------------------- Helena Ledmyr, PhD *Director* *Development and Communications* International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility Secretariat Karolinska Institutet. Nobels väg 15A, SE-171 77 Stockholm. Sweden Email: helena.ledmyr(a)incf.org Phone: +46 8 524 870 35 incf.org neuroinformatics.incf.org

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2 Yr RA in Mathematical Neuroscience
by Stephen Coombes 04 Feb '21

04 Feb '21

2 Yr RA in Mathematical Neuroscience, Nottingham, UK Deadline Mar 8 2021 We are looking for a researcher, whose expertise lies in Mathematical Neuroscience, to work with Professor Stephen Coombes on an EPSRC- funded project entitled “White matter networks”. The central aim of the project is to build a new mathematical framework for biologically motivated neural networks to help understand the important contribution that activity-dependent regulation of myelination can make to patterns of rhythmic activity known to subserve important aspects of large-scale brain dynamics and its dysfunction. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/SCI012521 Informal enquiries to Professor Stephen Coombes: stephen.coombes(a)nottingham.ac.uk<mailto:stephen.coombes@nottingham.ac.uk> ------------------------------------------------------------------ Stephen Coombes Professor of Applied Mathematics School of Mathematical Sciences Nottingham, UK Tel: 0115 846 7836 https://www.maths.nottingham.ac.uk/plp/pmzsc/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ 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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Postdoctoral Researchers in Computational Neuroscience in Alberta, Canada
by Wilten Nicola 04 Feb '21

04 Feb '21

We are recruiting talented postdoctoral researchers to participate in a cutting-edge International Network for Brain-Inspired Computation that includes nodes in Montreal, Paris, and the Pacific Northwest of the US and Canada (e.g. University of Washington, Allen Brain Institute). We seek researchers investigating the intersection of mathematics, physics, and neuroscience with interest in the general area of complex network dynamics and emergent activity patterns or representations that drive biological computation. The ideal candidates will have a quantitative background (e.g. PhD in mathematics, physics, computer science) along with experience in applying this background to neuroscience. These postdoctoral positions are partially funded by the Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences and are aimed to strengthen the link between the Campus Alberta computational neuroscience community at the University of Calgary (Complexity Science Group, Hotchkiss Brain Institute) and the University of Lethbridge (Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience) with the other network members including the Computational Neuroscience Center at the University of Washington. Specifically, we are looking for postdoctoral candidates for the following two research themes: Theme 1: Investigating how connectivity and dynamics drive network representations. What principles predict how the connectivity structure of neural networks – their connectomes – combine with the dynamics of nodes and edges to control the dynamics and statistics of the network? Theme 2: How learning drives network representations. What mathematical principles predict how learning rules, either in artificial or biological networks, select network representations that solve particular computations? For both themes, a variety of world-class data sets on the structure and function of the brain are available to guide theoretical advances in the understanding of brain computation, particularly in learning, perception, decision making, and the effects of drugs such as amphetamine and psychedelics. The positions are open immediately with primary locations in either Calgary or Lethbridge. The specific start date has to be within five years of being awarded a PhD degree. The positions are for up to two years and they include an annual stipend in the range of CAD$40,000 – $48,000 plus benefits. Opportunities for brief residences in partner nodes (Montreal, Seattle, or Paris) are also available. Interested candidates should submit their application package including a cover letter, their CV with a list of publications, brief statement of research interests and their possible start dates in PDF format to Dr. Jörn Davidsen (davidsen(a)phas.ucalgary.ca) Dr. Wilten Nicola ( wilten.nicola(a)ucalgary.ca) and Dr. Aaron Gruber (aaron.gruber(a)uleth.ca) Applicants should arrange for at least two letters of reference to be sent as well. Review of applications will begin February 28th, 2021, and continue until the position is filled. For additional information and informal inquiries, please contact Dr. Davidsen, Dr. Nicola or Dr. Gruber. We strive for a diverse and inclusive environment, and encourage applications from members of any identity.

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Scientist position at the Allen Institute: Functional Roles of Transcriptomically Defined Cell Types
by Anton Arkhipov 03 Feb '21

03 Feb '21

A new exciting opportunity is open at the Allen Institute (Seattle, WA): Scientist I – Functional Roles of Transcriptomically Defined Cell Types https://alleninstitute.hrmdirect.com/employment/job-opening.php?req=1500542 The scientist will join a new collaborative project at the Allen Institute, co-lead by Drs. Anton Arkhipov and Saskia de Vries. The position reports to Dr. Arkhipov. In this project, we perform calcium imaging of neural activity in the visual cortex of awake mice, followed by in situ characterization of the genes expressed in these neurons. The Scientist will carry out computational analyses to study the relationships between the transcriptomic cell types and the types of functional visual responses. This is a highly challenging, uncharted area of data analysis. We are looking for an excellent computational scientist who will advance the knowledge and analysis methods at this cutting edge of science. Join us to investigate one of the most fundamental questions in neuroscience – how the transcriptomic cell types are related to the types of functional neuronal responses in vivo! See details and apply here: https://alleninstitute.hrmdirect.com/employment/job-opening.php?req=1500542 Anton Arkhipov Associate Investigator T: 206.548.8414 [cidimage001.png(a)01D5B043.A5662590] www.alleninstitute.org<http://www.alleninstitute.org/>

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Deadline to March 21, 2021 - CfP: Special Issue on Probabilistic Inference in Goal-Directed Human and Animal Decision- Making - Entropy an Open Access Journal by MDPI (IF: 2.494; Indexed within Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), MathSciNet, Inspec, PubMed, PMC, and many other databases)
by Domenico Maisto 02 Feb '21

02 Feb '21

Dear Colleagues, You are cordially invited to submit a manuscript to the Entropy Special Issue "Probabilistic Inference in Goal-Directed Human and Animal Decision-Making" https://www.mdpi.com/journal/entropy/special_issues/probabilistic_inference Deadline for manuscript submissions: 21 March 2021. Please find further information below. With best regards, Domenico Maisto ================================================================ Open Access Journal ENTROPY by MDPI Special Issue on Probabilistic Inference in Goal-Directed Human and Animal Decision-Making ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Special Issue aims to focus on recent advances in probabilistic inference in goal-directed human and animal decision making, and we welcome submissions that: - Shed light on the computations of neuronal circuits involved in goal-directed decision making, with a focus on the inferential mechanisms involved; - Propose novel probabilistic models and methods in decision making including (but not limited to) information-theory approaches, statistical and free- energy minimization, hierarchical models, and deep networks; - Introduce decision-making applications in ethological, social, psychological, psychiatric, robotics, and computer science research. Guest Editors Dr. Francesco Donnarumma Dr. Domenico Maisto Dr. Ivilin Stoianov Entropy is an Open Access Journal by MDPI with high visibility (indexed within Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), MathSciNet, Inspec, PubMed, PMC, and many other databases), excellent citescore (IF: 2.494; 2019 Scopus data: 3.7, which equals rank 8/62 (Q1) in 'Mathematical Physics', 14/54 (Q2) in 'Physics and Astronomy', 210/670 (Q2) in 'Electrical and Electronic Engineering', and 104/300 (Q2) in 'Information Systems’), and rapid publication. -- Domenico Maisto, PhD Institute for High-Performance Computing and Networking (ICAR), Italian National Research Council (CNR) Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131, Napoli Italy Phone: +39 0644595208 (Rome), +39 0816139507 (Naples) Fax: +39 0644595243 (Rome), +39 0816139531 (Naples) e-mail: domenico.maisto(a)icar.cnr.it

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PhD student position in neuroengineering at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland)
by Milekovic Tomislav 02 Feb '21

02 Feb '21

PhD student position in the lab of Prof. Gregoire Courtine at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) A computational approach to personalize and optimize clinical treatments for people with chronic hemodynamic instability caused by neurological disorders Location The laboratory of Prof. Gregoire Courtine at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland, is looking to fill a fully funded PhD position. The qualified candidate will benefit from joining a very dynamic and multidisciplinary group working at the interface of computational neuroscience, neuroengineering, prosthetics and biology. EPFL provides state-of-the-art facilities and is one of the leading technical universities worldwide. PhD salaries at EPFL rank the highest in the world. Opportunity The offered position will be based at the Defitech Center for interventional Neurotherapies (NeuroRestore) - a research and innovation center joining EPFL’s lab of Prof. Gregoire Courtine and the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) lab of Prof. Jocelyne Bloch. NeuroRestore conceives, develops and applies medical therapies aimed to restore neurological functions. To this end, NeuroRestore integrates implantable neurotechnologies with innovative treatments developed through rigorous preclinical and clinical studies. By working with our network of vibrant high-tech start-ups and established medical technology companies, NeuroRestore is committed to validate our medical therapy concepts. The overarching goal of NeuroRestore is to see our medical therapies used every day in hospitals and rehabilitation clinics worldwide. Project Description Neurological disorders that disrupt the communication between the brain and the spinal cord can induce inability to adequately regulate blood pressure. This hemodynamic instability threatens survival, increases cardiovascular disease risk, and reduces quality of life. Such hemodynamic instability results from the interruption of supraspinal efferent commands to sympathetic circuits located in the spinal cord, which prevents the natural baroreflex from controlling these circuits to adjust peripheral vascular resistance. We previously showed that epidural electrical stimulation (EES) of the spinal cord can compensate for interrupted supraspinal commands to motor circuits below injury, which restored walking after paralysis. We also leveraged these concepts to develop EES protocols that restore hemodynamic stability after spinal cord injury. Nonetheless, other neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, also induce hemodynamic instability. Effective clinical solutions for these patients are not yet available. The successful candidate will work to develop and implement an EES therapy to alleviate hemodynamic instability in people with Parkinson’s disease. They will use develop approaches to initialize stimulation protocols for this therapy and engineer algorithms that will automatize this process. They will develop computational techniques to identify optimal spinal cord stimulation locations and devise physiological experiments to guide the surgeons when implanting the spinal leads to target those optimal locations. They will develop software that wile automatize these pre-operative panning and intra-operative assistance procedures. They will assist with organizing a clinical trial of their therapeutic concept and analyze the physiological and behavioral data acquired during the trial. On all of these tasks, the successful candidate will benefit from our solutions and experiences from developing spinal cord injury treatments. Requirements * Master’s Degree in Physics, Computer Science, Microengineering, Engineering or related * Proficiency in Matlab or Python * Proficiency in and some programming language (e.g. C++, C#, Java) * Experience with analysis of data * Good written and verbal skills in English Contact Applications including a CV and a cover letter describing your background and interest should be sent to PDHEMO.Courtine(a)gmail.com. Informal inquiries are welcome and should be sent to tomislav.milekovic(a)epfl.ch.

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PhD-positions in computational neuroscience at the University of Oslo as part of CompSci grant in EU Horizon 2020
by Gaute Einevoll 01 Feb '21

01 Feb '21

CompSci is a Doctoral Programme launched and managed by the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Oslo (UiO). It is partly funded by the EU Horizon 2020 under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) - Co-funding of Regional, National and International Programmes (COFUND). The CompSci Doctoral Program will recruit 32 PhDs in two calls. In this Call, we open for applications to the 1st cohort of 16 PhD fellowship positions, that will join our PhD programme starting autumn 2021 at UiO. The possible PhD-projects span over a wide range of topics where methods from computational science are applied to different fields in the natural sciences: https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/ Four of the possible projects in Call 1 are within computational neuroscience: * Bio-inspired neural networks for navigation<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/bioscience/bio-inspired-neur…> Supervisors: Anders Malthe-Sørenssen<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/malthe-sorenssen…>, Gaute T. Einevoll<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/einevoll.html> * Large-scale recordings of neurons to reveal mechanisms of learning and memory<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/bioscience/learning-and-memo…> Supervisors: Marianne Fyhn<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/fyhn.html>, Anders Malthe-Sørenssen<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/malthe-sorenssen…> * Large-scale network simulations of mouse visual cortex<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/bioscience/neural-networks.h…> Supervisors: Gaute T. Einevoll<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/einevoll.html>, Marianne Fyhn<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/fyhn.html> * Modelling systems levels changes in brain aging induced by genome instability<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/bioscience/brain-aging.html> Supervisors: Hilde Nilsen<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/nilsen.html>, Gaute T. Einevoll<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/einevoll.html> For information about how to apply, see https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/193610/compsci-call-1-marie-… . The extended application deadline for Call 1 is: March 1st 2021 Questions about the individual projects should be sent to the supervisors listed above. ******************************* Professor Gaute T. Einevoll Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Aas, Norway; Department of Physics, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway mobile: +47-95124536 email: Gaute.Einevoll(a)nmbu.no<mailto:Gaute.Einevoll@nmbu.no>, web: www.nmbu.no/ans/gaute.einevoll<http://www.nmbu.no/ans/gaute.einevoll>, cinpla.org<http://cinpla.org> twitter: https://twitter.com/gauteeinevoll podcast: https://vettogvitenskap.no podcast (English only): https://vettogvitenskap.no/senseandscience

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Funded Ph.D. Studentship in Computational Modelling and Machine Learning in Decision Neuroscience
by Wong-Lin, Kongfatt 01 Feb '21

01 Feb '21

Applications are invited for a funded 3-year Ph.D. studentship in Computational Modelling and Machine Learning in Decision Neuroscience at Ulster University, UK. https://www.ulster.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/find-a-phd/801216 This Ph.D. project aims to develop and apply computational techniques and modelling to understand brain and behavioural data across primate species. Specifically, the project will apply techniques in computational neuroscience, particularly biologically based neural network modelling, to elucidate the mechanisms underlying perceptual decisions abstracted from movements. The project will also use advanced machine learning methods to analyse various types of neural and behavioural data. The Ph.D. project is part of an ambitious externally funded 5-year research project proposes to break new ground by integrating data from multimodal human and non-human primate neurophysiology with computational modelling to gain convergent insights into how and where abstract decision mechanisms take place in the human and monkey brain, and provide an unprecedented, detailed view on the brain’s decision making machinery. The international collaborators are Prof. Michael Shadlen at Columbia University (USA), Prof. Stephan Bickel at Northwell-Hofstra School of Medicine (USA), Prof. Redmond O'Connell at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), and Prof. Simon Kelly at University College Dublin (Ireland). Some relevant references: (i) O'Connell RG, Shadlen MN, Wong-Lin K, Kelly SP. Bridging Neural and Computational Viewpoints on Perceptual Decision-Making. Trends Neurosci. 2018;41(11):838‐852. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2018.06.005 (ii) Atiya NAA, Rañó I, Prasad G, Wong-Lin K. A neural circuit model of decision uncertainty and change-of-mind. Nat Commun. 2019;10(1):2287. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-10316-8 (iii) O'Connell RG, Dockree PM, Kelly SP. A supramodal accumulation-to-bound signal that determines perceptual decisions in humans. Nat Neurosci. 2012;15(12):1729‐1735. doi:10.1038/nn.3248 This timely and exciting project is available in the Computer Science Research Institute and is tenable in the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Magee Campus. The successful Ph.D. candidate will benefit from the expertise of Ulster University’s Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Machine Learning, and Computational Biology communities, and will interact closely with international experimental collaborators. The student will gain valuable skills and knowledge in computational and mathematical modelling, biological signal processing, machine learning, high-performance computing, mathematics/statistics, and brain sciences. All applicants should hold a first or upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, Neuroscience, Biology, or a cognate area. Applications will be considered on a competitive basis with regard to the candidate’s qualifications, skills, experience, motivation and interests. Successful candidates will enrol as of 1st August 2021, on a full-time programme of research studies leading to the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The Ph.D. studentship will comprise fees together with an annual stipend and will be awarded for a period of up to three years subject to satisfactory progress. Additional financial support will be available from the supervisor's research funding for additional specialised training, research meeting and conference attendance, and computational resources. The successful student will be based at the Intelligent Systems Research Centre at Magee campus in Derry~Londonderry, with arguably the largest cluster of computational neuroscientists and neuro-inspired A.I researchers in Ireland. The city was awarded the 2013 UK City of Culture, with affordable living costs. In 2019, Ulster University was ranked 3rd in the UK for research culture and 8th in the UK for overall PhD researcher satisfaction. If you wish to discuss your proposal or receive advice on this project, please contact: Dr. KongFatt Wong-Lin, email: k.wong-lin(a)ulster.ac.uk . Apply online: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/find-a-phd/801216 The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 8th March 2021. Interviews will be held on 25th March 2021, and the starting date is on 1st August 2021. ------------------- Dr. KongFatt Wong-Lin Reader Intelligent Systems Research Centre School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems Ulster University, UK https://www.ulster.ac.uk/staff/k-wong-lin This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain information which is covered by legal, professional or other privilege. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager at postmaster(a)ulster.ac.uk and delete this email immediately. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ulster University. The University's computer systems may be monitored and communications carried out on them may be recorded to secure the effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes. Ulster University does not guarantee that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless expressly stated in the body of a separate attachment, the text of email is not intended to form a binding contract. Correspondence to and from the University may be subject to requests for disclosure by 3rd parties under relevant legislation. The Ulster University was founded by Royal Charter in 1984 and is registered with company number RC000726 and VAT registered number GB672390524.The primary contact address for Ulster University in Northern Ireland is Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry BT52 1SA

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