June 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 Oct. 12, 2022

Oct. 12, 2022

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 June 26, 2022

June 26, 2022

A 3 year postdoc post is available in the lab of Prof Mark Humphries, at the University of Nottingham (UK) In this project, our aim is to test the overarching hypothesis that movement transitions are encoded by the same neural population reconfiguring its joint activity, for both rhythmic and discrete movements. We will tackle this question using newly-available population recordings during rhythmic movement transitions in Aplysia and discrete arm movement transitions in monkeys, The Humphries’ group researches fundamental insights into how the joint activity of neurons encodes information about and actions in the world. For more see: https://www.humphries-lab.org Queries: mark.humphries(a)nottingham.ac.uk Deadline: 5th September Full details, and to apply: https://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?id=27005&forced=2 [http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/org/images/socialmedia.png]<https://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?id=27005&forced=2> Job Vacancy at the University of Nottingham: Research Associate/Fellow (Fixed term)<https://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?id=27005&forced=2> Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research fellow to join the Humphries’ group on the MRC-funded project “Uncovering the neural basis of movement transitions”. The Humphries’ group researches fundamental... jobs.nottingham.ac.uk Professor Mark Humphries | MRC Senior non-Clinical Fellow | Chair in Computational Neuroscience Lab: humphries-lab.org<https://www.humphries-lab.org/> Twitter: @markdhumphries Public blog: https://medium.com/the-spike This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

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Explainable AI: Overcoming problems of Deep Learning problems with Adaptive Resonance
by Grossberg, Stephen April 9, 2022

April 9, 2022

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.) Nov. 23, 2021

Nov. 23, 2021

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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Post doc in Cognitive-Computational Neuroscience at University College London (discrete and continuous human action control under threat)
by Dominik R. Bach Oct. 21, 2021

Oct. 21, 2021

*Post doc in Cognitive-Computational Neuroscience at University College London: discrete and continuous human action control under threat* We are looking for a research fellow in an ERC-funded research project "Action selection under threat - the complex control of human defence" led by Dr Dominik Bach (http://bachlab.org <http://bachlab.org>) and based at University College London, Max-Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry (https://www.mps-ucl-centre.mpg.de/en <https://www.mps-ucl-centre.mpg.de/en>) and Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/ <http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/>). The overarching goal of the project is to understand the cognitive-computational control of human motor behaviour under acute, immediate threat. We investigate this in an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment, in which people can move to avoid a large number of different threats. As part of this project, the candidate will build and test explicit computational models of discrete and continuous action control and action updating under constraints of time pressure and unaffordable costs. We seek applicants with established cognitive-computational modelling skills and a PhD in computational neuroscience, robotics with focus on action planning, computer science/mathematics/physics with a focus on decision science, or in a related area. We are looking for an individual who is strongly motivated to pursue an academic career and is excited by the opportunities for personal and career development this position can provide. The post is available from October 2021 and funded for up to 3 years with initial appointment for 1 year. Starting salary is on UCL grade 7, ranging from £36,028 to £43,533 per annum, inclusive of London Allowance, superannuable. More information and access to the UCL online application portal: https://is.gd/VwTJCA <https://is.gd/VwTJCA> Please contact d.bach(a)ucl.ac.uk <mailto:d.bach@ucl.ac.uk> for any queries about the project or role. *Closing date: 16 July 2021* Interviews will be held remotely in July. Apologies for cross-posting. -- ----------------------- Dominik R Bach MBBS PhD Principal Research Fellow Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London http://bachlab.org | @bachlab_cog

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Tutorials on Allen Institute data and tools for computational neuroscience at CNS*2021
by Anton Arkhipov June 30, 2021

June 30, 2021

Dear all, Please join us for pre-CNS*2021 tutorials on June 30 and July 1: “From synapses to behavior – using open data, tools, and models from the Allen Institute in computational neuroscience”. https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-tutorials#SA5 The Allen Institute recently released multiple free resources focusing on the structure and function of brain circuits, including data, associated analysis software, and models integrating the data to enable bio-realistic simulations. We will introduce several of these resources in a series of 1-hour sessions. The resources covered will include characterization of cell types and synapse types, 2-photon calcium imaging and Neuropixels electrophysiology in vivo, a visual behavior dataset, and bio-realistic models and modeling software. Wednesday, June 30, 2021 11:30 am – 11:45 am EST (8:30 am – 8:45 am PST) - Introduction 11:45 am – 12:45 pm EST (8:45 am – 9:45 am PST) - Synaptic Physiology (Luke Campagnola) 12:45 pm – 1:00 pm EST (9:45 am – 10:00 am PST) - Break 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST (10:00 am – 11:00 am PST) - Visual Coding 2-photon (Saskia de Vries) 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST (11:00 am – 12:00 pm PST) - Visual Coding Neuropixels (Josh Siegle) Thursday, July 1, 2021 11:30 am – 11:45 am EST (8:30 am – 8:45 am PST) - Introduction 11:45 am – 12:45 pm EST (8:45 am – 9:45 am PST) - PatchSeq (Nathan Gouwens) 12:45 pm – 1:00 pm EST (9:45 am – 10:00 am PST) - Break 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST (10:00 am – 11:00 am PST) - Visual Behavior (Alex Piet) 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST (11:00 am – 12:00 pm PST) - Bio-realistic model of the mouse primary visual cortex (Anton Arkhipov and Kael Dai) Please register for CNS*2021 and join us for the tutorials! https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-quick Best wishes, Anton. 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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Last chance to register: TEX2021 - Bringing together Predictive Processes and Statistical Learning
by Yamil Vidal June 29, 2021

June 29, 2021

Last chance to register!! TEX2021 - Bringing together Predictive Processes and Statistical Learning A free online symposium organized by Yamil Vidal and Davide Crepaldi. We have few available spots left so do not wait until the last minute to register. Description: While the research communities studying Predictive Processes and Statistical Learning sprout from different traditions, they share a core interest in how our brains pick up on patterns in the environment. In this two-days symposium we will bring these communities closer by sharing talks by some of the leading researchers of these fields. When: 1st and 2nd of July (15:00 to 18:30, CET) Speakers: - Tristan Bekinschtein (Consciousness and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge) - Lucia Melloni (Department of Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. Department of neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine) - Padraic Monaghan (Department of Psychology, Lancaster University) - Maria Chait (Ear Institute, University College London) - Floris de Lange (Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen) - Caspar Schwiedrzik (Neural Circuits and Cognition Lab, European Neuroscience Institute Goettingen. Perception and Plasticity Group, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research) - Lori Holt (Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University) - Nicola Molinaro (BCBL, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language) Schedule and more info at the registration form: https://sissa-it.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nBOv5NWZQ36HSH7nyffazg We would be very happy to count you among the attendees. Please spread the word. Best regards, Yamil and Davide Dr. Yamil Vidal Cognitive Neuroscience Sector Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati - SISSA via Bonomea, 265 34136 Trieste, ITALY

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Robustness, Adaptability and Critical Transitions in Living Systems satellite - Conference on Complex Systems 2021 Lyon, France
by Samir Suweis June 29, 2021

June 29, 2021

We are glad to announce the 4th hybrid (on site + virtual) edition of ReACT satellite <https://liphlab.github.io/REACT2021/> during the CCS 2021 <https://ccs2021.univ-lyon1.fr/> in Lyon, France - 25-29/10/2021 Confirmed invited speakers: Anna Levina (University of Tubingen) and Sergi Valverde (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Organizing commettee: Samir Suweis (UNIPD), Giorgio Nicoletti (UNIPD), Sandro Azaele (UNIPD), Jacopo Grilli (ICTP) Abstract submission open through EasyChair <https://easychair.org/account/signin_timeout?l=JRR3vhQlzxctciXkPU1pGc#>. Deadline 31 July 2021 All info are available also on the satellite website: https://liphlab.github.io/REACT2021/ <https://liphlab.github.io/REACT2021/> ***** After the success of the Satellite at ECCS 2014, CCS 2016, and CCS 2018, the ReACT Satellite: Robustness, Adaptability and Critical Transitions in Living Systems is back for a fourth edition at CCS 2021 in Lyon, France. We are very pleased to announce that the Satellite will be host in an hybrid format, welcoming participants both online and in person! The Satellite will last half a day and will take place during the main conference (25th - 29th October, 2021). The exact date and times will be announced soon. Living systems are characterized by the recurrent emergence of patterns: power-laws distributions, long-range correlations and structured self-organization in living matter are the norm, rather than the exception. All these features are also typical of systems poised near a critical point. The great lesson from Physics is that criticality can emerge as a collective behaviour in a many-body system with simple interactions and its characteristics depend only on few details, like the dimensionality or the symmetries. One of the most striking feature of living systems is that they are structured as evolving systems were interactions can turn-on or off, as well as strengthening and weakening, reconfiguring the system connectivity. Thus, by rearranging both the structural and functional topology, living interacting systems may demonstrate unique evolvability, scalability and adaptability properties. Among these systems, the brain is probably one of the most impressively complex and has received a considerable amount of attention in recent years, aided by the vast amount of experimental data available. The idea that the collective behavior of neurons might emerge from a self-organized critical state has been widely studied, from its fundamental mechanisms to its functional advantages, and it poses a fascinating question that is far from being answered. It is of crucial importance to make further steps in the understanding of the main properties that simultaneously confer to these systems high level of adaptability, robustness and optimality. If we can “learn” from evolution and unravel the basic principles then we would be able to both better manage/supervise these systems and also design more optimal and sustainable new systems. ***************** Samir Suweis www.liphlab.com Tel: +39 049 827 71 74

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[CFP] 2nd call for abstracts (+deadline extended to July 16th): Computational Cognition workshop (COMCO 2021)
by Juliane Schwab June 29, 2021

June 29, 2021

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[JOBS] PhD @ Italian Institute of Technology, Ferrara
by Alessandro D'Ausilio June 29, 2021

June 29, 2021

PHD PROGRAM in TRANSLATIONAL NEUROSCIENCES AND NEUROTECHNOLOGIES The Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC) @ Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), is opening 3 PhD positions starting in November 1st, 2021. Research areas: - Improving performance and biocompatibility of electrode arrays for brain-computer interfaces - Organic neuroelectronics for multimodal recordings and stimulation of the brain in vivo - Hardware and software development for innovative exploration of brain signals - Machine learning applications to multimodal brain and speech signals - Investigation of sensorimotor functions in animal models - Cortical recordings in human patients during awake Neurosurgery - Human non-invasive neurophysiology of speech and sensorimotor communication Who: chemists, physicists, materials scientists, computer scientists, biomedical/electrical engineers, biologists, biotechnologist, medical doctors and experimental psychologists eager to work in an international and multidisciplinary team. Where: The CTNSC (https://www.iit.it/it/ctnsc-unife <https://www.iit.it/centers/ctnsc-unife>) is hosted by the University of Ferrara (UNIFE) in a prestigious historical building in the city center. Ferrara is a well connected renaissance city (30-min to Bologna, 40-min to Padua, 60-min to Venice; 2 nearby international airports), bustling with students (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/733 <https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/733>). General INFO: http://www.unife.it/studenti/dottorato/it/corsi/riforma/neuroscience <http://www.unife.it/studenti/dottorato/it/corsi/riforma/neuroscience> Application INFO: http://www.unife.it/studenti/dottorato/concorsi/selection <http://www.unife.it/studenti/dottorato/concorsi/selection> DEADLINE: July 23rd, 2021

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Tutorial on NEURON and NetPyNE at CNS*2021
by McDougal, Robert June 28, 2021

June 28, 2021

(Apologies for cross-posts.) Interested in learning how to build biophysically detailed neuronal models with NEURON and NetPyNE? Join us for a tutorial at CNS*2021 on Saturday, July 3rd starting at 10am EDT: Time (New York City / EDT) Presenter Subject 10:00 - 10:30 Bill Lytton Overview: implementing the conceptual model 10:30 - 11:50 Robert McDougal NEURON scripting basics 11:50 - 12:00 coffee break 12:00 - 1:00 Adam Newton Reaction-Diffusion 1:00 - 1:30 lunch break 1:30 - 2:50 Salvador Dura-Bernal NetPyNE GUI-based tutorials 2:50 - 3:00 coffee break 3:00 - 4:00 Salvador Dura-Bernal NetPyNE programming tutorial For more information, see: https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/courses/2021-cns-neuron-netpyne-tutorial Register for CNS*2021 to attend; see https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-registration-fees

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PhD position with Prof. Laurenz Wiskott at the Institute for Neural Computation, Bochum, Germany
by Laurenz Wiskott June 28, 2021

June 28, 2021

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 is interdisciplinary research in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, see https://ml-ai.rub.de/. 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 15th of September. The appointment will be for three years. Salary is 75% of salary scale TV-L E13. Task: • Develop a cognitive system that learns to behave reasonably in new situations based on few episodic experiences. Central to the system shall be an episodic and a semantic memory. The application domain will be navigation. The candidate is free to put the focus on machine learning techniques or on the modeling of natural cognition. We offer: • An interesting interdisciplinary environment in the field of Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence / Computational Neuroscience. • 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 interdisciplinary research questions and cooperations. Advantageous: • Experience in Machine Learning and/or Computational Neuroscience. • 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. 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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Bernstein Conference 2021 - Deadline for Contributed Talks extended until July 7
by Anja Dorrn June 28, 2021

June 28, 2021

Each year the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renown conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries. Due to the ongoing pandemic the Bernstein Conference will be held online. <www.bernstein-conference.de>www.bernstein-conference.de ____ IMPORTANT DATES & NEWS * Bernstein Conference: September 21-23, 2021 * Abstract submission open: * Deadline for submission of abstracts to be considered for Contributed Talks: extended to July 7, 2021, 1 pm CEST * Deadline for abstract submission: August 3, 2021 * Selected Satellite Workshops are now online<https://bit.ly/BC21_workshops> * Registration will open soon and be free of charge ____ ABSTRACTS We invite the computational neuroscience community to submit their abstracts: Submitted abstracts can either be considered as contributed talks or posters. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Abstract submission is open. Further information can be found here: https://bit.ly/BC21_abstracts ____ INVITED SPEAKERS Keynote Timothy Behrens (University of Oxford, UK) Invited Talks Athena Akrami (University College London, UK) Nadine Gogolla (Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany) Guillaume Hennequin (University of Cambridge, UK) Jennifer Li & Drew Robson (Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany) Scott Lindermann (Stanford University, USA) Ashok Litwin-Kumar (Columbia University, New York City, USA) Ida Momennejad (Microsoft Research, New York City, USA) Cristina Savin (New York University, USA) Marion Silies (Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany) Daniela Vallentin (Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany) ____ CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Christian Leibold (Conference Chair) Julijana Gjiorgjieva (Program Chair) Christian Machens (Program Vice Chair) Marion Silies (Workshop Chair) Moritz Helias (Workshop Vice Chair) & Matthew Botvinick, Megan Carey, Peter Dayan, Brent Doiron, Rainer Friedrich, Ann Hermundstad, Srdjan Ostojic, Nathalie Rochefort, Nicole Rust, Gasper Tkacik ____ For any further questions, please contact: <bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de> bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de -- Dr. Anja Dorrn Scientific Coordinator 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 9589 web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.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, Dr. Astrid Lambrecht, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Program and preliminary schedule for CNS*2021 Online
by Martin Zapotocky June 28, 2021

June 28, 2021

**Organization for Computational Neurosciences 2885 Sanford Ave SW #15359 Grandville, MI 49418 USA*** Program and preliminary schedule available for 30th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021 Online, **July 3-7)***** The program of the CNS*2021 Meeting can now be viewed at https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-calendar <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-calendar> Please note that this year, the main days of the meeting (*July 3-7*) are preceded by software tutorials on *J**une 28-29*, and satellite tutorials on *June 30 - July 2*. For registration information, please visit https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-registration-fees <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-registration-fees> Following registration, the attendees can use the conference Sched page to access detailed information for each session and to assemble a personalized schedule. Instructions are sent upon registration. Please follow the Sched page for up-to-date information on the event schedule. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OCNS is the international member-based society for computational neuroscientists. Become a member to be eligible for awards and other benefits. Visit our website for more information: https://www.cnsorg.org <https://www.cnsorg.org> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Open postdoctoral position in Niv lab at Princeton University
by Angela Langdon June 25, 2021

June 25, 2021

The lab of Dr Yael Niv in the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology at Princeton University is looking for a talented and motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our team to study the neural mechanisms of reward prediction and learning in animals. This position is to work primarily with Dr Angela Langdon on a NIDA-funded project modeling behavior and neural recording data from rodents in a reward learning task (start date: as soon as possible). The ideal candidate will 1) have experience in computational or theoretical modeling, such as reinforcement learning, Bayesian inference, machine learning and/or neural circuit modeling; 2) be excited about mapping theories of learning and decision making onto behavior and its neural basis; 3) be keen to work in a collaborative and interdisciplinary scientific environment. More broadly, members of the lab study the behavioral and neural computations that support learning and decision making, and their interaction with attention and memory mechanisms. Our research spans a diverse set of theoretical tools from reinforcement learning, Bayesian inference and machine learning alongside various empirical techniques, including targeted behavioral experiments, eye tracking and fMRI. In addition, we work closely with our collaborators on model-guided analysis of animal behavior and neural activity across a number of learning paradigms – the current position is for a project in this domain, working with existing neural and behavioral data from rodents. We have a particular interest in research that can shed light on the changes to learning and decision making that are prevalent in a range of clinical disorders. The Princeton Neuroscience Institute and the Psychology Department at Princeton are highly interdisciplinary and collaborative, and provide excellent support for career development. You will be joining a vibrant and international research group, and will have opportunities to interact with and learn from a large number of researchers in cognitive and computational neuroscience. To apply, send your CV and statement of research interests to Yael Niv: yael(a)princeton.edu <mailto:yael@princeton.edu> and Angela Langdon: alangdon(a)princeton.edu <mailto:alangdon@princeton.edu>.

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Workshop on Clinical Computational Neuroscience at OCNS*2021
by Laure Buhry June 25, 2021

June 25, 2021

Dear all, We would like to announce the Workshop on *“Clinical computational neuroscience: How computational neuroscience can solve problems from the clinic”,* which will be held on *July 7th* during the OCNS annual meeting from 9:30 am to 5:45 am (Paris time) / 3:30 am to 11:45 am (NY time)/ 5:30 pm to 1:45 am (Sydney time). Please keep in mind that for workshop attendance a registration at the main conference (https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-registration-fees) is necessary. More information here: https://xenia-kobeleva.com/CNS2021/ We would love to see you there! Organizing Committee: Laure Buhry (co-chair) Xenia Kobeleva -- Dr Laure Buhry Associate Professor LORIA UMR CNRS 7503 - INRIA - University of Lorraine, France

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Postdoc position in neuronal network modelling and simulation
by Andrew Davison June 24, 2021

June 24, 2021

Dear colleagues, A postdoc position in neuronal network modelling and simulation is available within the Neuroinformatics research group of the Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, as part of the Human Brain Project (https://neuropsi.cnrs.fr/en/departments/icn/group-leader-andrew-davison/) The large number of different simulation environments in neuroscience presents both a problem and an opportunity. Since each simulator has its own programming interface and output data format, reproducing, reusing, or combining models written for different simulators typically presents considerable difficulty. On the other hand, since each simulation environment has a different balance between efficiency, flexibility, scalability and user-friendliness, we can choose the most appropriate one for a given problem, or cross-check the results obtained with different tools. Simulator-agnostic model representation languages such as NeuroML and PyNN allow us to preserve the advantages of simulator diversity while reducing or eliminating the disadvantages, thereby making reproducibility and reuse much easier. Such languages let us take a single model description and simulate it in different environments without having to reimplement the model each time. The aim of this project is to expand the scope of PyNN from networks of simplified neuron models, such as integrate-and-fire, to networks consisting of biophysically- and morphologically-detailed neuron models, targeting the NEURON and Arbor simulators, the SpiNNaker and BrainScaleS neuromorphic computing systems, and interoperability with NeuroML and the SONATA format. We offer a flexible and collaborative working environment, including remote working up to two days per week. For more details and to apply, see https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR9197-ANDDAV-007/Default.aspx?lang=EN Informal enquiries are welcome, contact andrew.davison(a)cnrs.fr Andrew Davison, PhD Group leader, Neuroinformatics Department for Integrative and Computational Neuroscience (ICN) NeuroPSI - Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience CNRS - Université Paris-Saclay 1, avenue de la Terrasse 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette France Tel: +33 1 69 82 34 51 Twitter: @apdavison https://neuropsi.cnrs.fr/en/departments/icn/group-leader-andrew-davison/

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Tutorial on "Understanding early visual receptive fields from efficient coding principles"
by Zhaoping Li June 24, 2021

June 24, 2021

Understanding principles of efficient coding can enable you to answer questions such as: why should the input contrast response function of a neuron take its particular form? Why do retinal ganglion cells have center-surround receptive fields? How correlated or uncorrelated should the visual responses from different retinal ganglion cells be? Why do receptive fields of retinal ganglion cells increase their sizes in dim light? How could visual coding depend on animal species? Why are color selective V1 neurons less sensitive to visual motion signals? How can one predict the ocular dominance properties of V1 neurons from developmental conditions? How should neurons adapt to changes in visual environment? This tutorial guides you on how to answer such questions. It contains: (1) A list of 45 short video lecture clips (about 10 minutes each on average) on YouTube, see http://www.lizhaoping.org/zhaoping/EfficientVisualCoding_Playlist.html (2) In addition to (1), you can join CNS *2021 (see https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-tutorials#T3 ), which enables social interactions with the lecturer and other students via Discord, and on July 3rd (the tutorial day) for highlights, Q&As, and discussions. best, Li Zhaoping -- Li Zhaoping Ph.D. Prof. of Cognitive Science, University of Tuebingen Head of Dept of Sensory and Sensorimotor Systems, Max Planck Institute of Biological Cybernetics Author of "Understanding vision: theory, models, and data", Oxford University Press, 2014 www.lizhaoping.org

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CNS*2021 Workshop: Computational approaches for studying astrocyte dynamics and astrocyte-neuron communication (July 6-7, Online)
by Marsa Taheri June 23, 2021

June 23, 2021

Dear all, We are pleased to announce a workshop on “*Computational approaches for studying astrocyte dynamics and astrocyte-neuron communication*” at this year’s Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021). This workshop will run over 2 half-days: July 6-7 (9 am – 12:30 pm UTC-7). ------------------- *Brief Description*: Exciting experimental studies in the last decade have led to an entirely new body of work on the participation of astrocytes in normal and pathological brain function. However, the development of a solid theoretical framework to support and quantify some of the pathways has been somewhat limited, first, due to the lack of intensive collaboration between experimentalists and theorists, and second, due to a persistent neurocentrist view of brain function. Please join us to hear from an incredible lineup of speakers, bringing together specialists, theorists, and experimentalists in the field of astrocyte-neuron signaling: Yukiko Goda, Riken, Japan Alla Borisyuk, University of Utah, USA Jennifer Shih, MIT, USA Annalisa Scimemi, University of Albany, USA Guoqiang Yu, Virginia Tech, USA Laszlo Heja, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary Anup Pillai, University of Ottawa, Canada Renaud Jolivet, Université de Genève, Switzerland Max Collard, UCSF, USA Audrey Denizot, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan Ron Refaeli, The Hebrew University, Israel Kerstin Lenk, Graz University of Technology, Austria ------------------- More information on the workshop at: https://astrocytenet.org/cns2021-online-workshop/ Register and gain access to all CNS*2021 presentations, tutorials, and workshops at: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021 We look forward to your participation! *On behalf of the workshop organizers:* *Kerstin Lenk*, Institute for Neural Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria *Audrey Denizot*, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Computational Neuroscience Unit, Onna-Son, Japan *Barbara Genocchi*, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, BioMediTech, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland *Suhita Nadkarni*, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (IISER Pune), Pune, India *Marsa Taheri*, Department of Neurobiology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA Contact information: cns2021.astro.workshop(a)gmail.com

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Software WG satellite tutorials at CNS*2021 on Bash, Git, and Python: June 28, 29 2021
by Ankur Sinha June 23, 2021

June 23, 2021

Dear all, Apologies for the cross-posts. The INCF/OCNS Software Working Group is running three beginner/intermediate level satellite tutorials on Bash, Git, and Python at CNS*2021. These tutorials are on Monday and Tuesday (28/29 June). They are intended for both complete beginners and occasional/regular users who are looking to expand and refresh their skills. More information on these, including topics that we will cover can be seen on our website: https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/2021/06/09/software-wg-tutorials-at-cns-2… - Effective use of Bash (Felix B. Kern): 28 June, 2021 1200 UTC - Effective use of Git (Ankur Sinha): June 28, 2021 1700 UTC - Python for beginners (Joe Graham, Shailesh Appukuttan, Ankur Sinha): 29 June, 2021 1300 UTC One can register for CNS*2021 here to gain access to excellent set of tutorials/workshops/posters and oral presentations that are being organised this year: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021 More information on the Software working group, our work, how you can contact us, and how you can join us (it is open to all) is here: https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/index.html On behalf of the Software 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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Post-doc position on machine learning and human motion/physiological data analysis at AIST, Japan
by 平山淳一郎 June 23, 2021

June 23, 2021

Dear colleagues, We invite applications for a postdoctoral researcher position on machine learning and human motion/physiological data analysis, available at Mathematical Neuroscience Research Group, Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) (https://www.aist.go.jp/index_en.html) Japan. The successful candidate will join a collaborative project with ATR, Kyoto University and Hokkaido University on human-AI co-evolution, funded by NEDO (https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/) and conduct research on machine learning modeling and analysis of human motion data and/or related physiological signals from the brain and body, depending on his/her interests. The starting date is negotiable, with a preference for candidates who can start early. The initial appointment will be until March 2022, with the possibility of extension until March 31, 2025. Salary for the postdoctoral fellow will follow the AIST guideline. To apply, please visit https://jrecin.jst.go.jp/seek/SeekJorDetail?fn=3&ln=1&id=D121020014&ln_jor=1 and send the required application documents to junichiro.hirayama(a)aist.go.jp. The deadline of application is August 31, 2021. The deadline may be extended until the position is filled. -- Jun-ichiro Hirayama Senior Researcher Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) junichiro.hirayama(a)aist.go.jp https://staff.aist.go.jp/junichiro.hirayama

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Postdoctoral positions in the Geffen lab at the University of Pennsylvania
by Maria Geffen June 22, 2021

June 22, 2021

The Geffen laboratory <http://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing> at the University of Pennsylvania <http://www.upenn.edu/> has multiple postdoctoral positions open in systems neuroscience with the broad goal of understanding the neuronal circuits for auditory perception and learning. We are looking for energetic and talented scientists interested in studying the function of the brain. The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to learn and apply a host of systems neuroscience techniques, including two-photon imaging of population activity, optogenetic manipulations, large-scale electrophysiology and behavior in mice. Prior experience with some of these methods is preferred, but not required. Depending on the candidate’s interests, all projects provide an opportunity to learn and apply advanced computational methods, including dynamic systems analysis of neuronal population activity; Bayesian approaches for understanding the relation between neuronal activity and behavior; machine learning methods to understand large-scale neuronal activity. We currently have openings for postdoctoral fellows for three projects: (1) Neuronal mechanisms for predictive coding: Auditory perception relies on predicting statistics of incoming signals, be it identifying the speech of a conversation partner in a crowded room or recognizing the sound of a babbling brook in a forest. The human brain detects statistical regularities in sounds as a fundamental aspect of prediction, evidenced by reduced responses to repeated sound patterns and enhanced responses to unexpected sounds. Multiple studies demonstrate that the neuronal responses to regular signals are reduced through adaptation, which can contribute to prediction. However, adaptation alone is not sufficient to account for prediction and studies at cellular and neuronal population levels in animals thus far lend only partial support to existing theories of predictive coding. The goal of the project is to close this gap in knowledge and to determine the circuits that predict signals and detect statistical regularity and its violation in auditory behavior. Funded by NIH NIDCD. (2) Neuronal circuits for learning-driven changes in auditory perception: Everyday auditory behavior depends critically on learning-driven changes in auditory perception that rely on neuronal plasticity within the auditory pathway. By combining state-of-the-art optogenetic, electrophysiological, behavioral and computational approaches, the project seeks to identify the function of specific circuit elements in auditory learning. Funded by NIH NIDCD. (3) Neuronal mechanisms for hearing under uncertainty: In everyday life, because both sensory signals and neuronal responses are noisy, important cognitive tasks, such as auditory categorization, are based on uncertain information. To overcome this limitation, listeners incorporate other types of signals, such as the statistics of sounds over short and long time scales and signals from other sensory modalities into their categorization decision processes. This project will identify the contribution of specific cell types to categorization and the neuronal mechanisms for how contextual signals bias auditory categorization. In collaboration with Dr. Yale Cohen <https://auditoryresearchlaboratory.weebly.com/> and Dr. Konrad Kording <http://kordinglab.com/>, funded by NIH BRAIN Initiative. Our laboratory is a close community of fun-loving scientists, striving to help each other while exploring the mysteries of the brain. Our trainees have won numerous awards and have been awarded government and private foundation grants. We value diversity and promote equity in the scientific community and beyond <https://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing/philosophy/>. The systems neuroscience community at the University of Pennsylvania is top-notch and highly collaborative, and postdoctoral fellows will have opportunities to engage in interdepartmental initiatives, including MindCore <https://mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/>, MINS <https://www.med.upenn.edu/ins/> and CNI <https://www.cni.upenn.edu/>. Penn has a gorgeous campus and offers many cultural activities. Philadelphia is a beautiful city with world-class music, food and entertainment. To apply, please email Dr. Geffen at mgeffen(a)pennmedicine.upenn.edu <mailto:mgeffen@pennmedicine.upenn.edu> : a cover letter (summarize your prior research experience, why you are interested in the position, and your future plans) and your CV. __________________________ Maria N. Geffen, Ph.D. (she/her) Associate Professor Department of Otorhinolaryngology Department of Neuroscience Department of Neurology Stemmler Hall G14 3450 Hamilton Walk Philadelphia PA 19104 (215)898-0782 mgeffen(a)pennmedicine.upenn.edu http://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing Twitter: @neimarkgeffen

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Three Assistant Professor Positions at University of Sussex
by Thomas Nowotny June 22, 2021

June 22, 2021

Dear all, The School of Engineering and Informatics at the University of Sussex is seeking to hire three Assistant Professors (“Lecturers”, permanent position) in Computer Science and AI. One of the positions is particularly focused on a researcher with interests in one or more of the following areas: machine learning, ethical AI, computational Neuroscience, complexity science, consciousness science and bio-inspired AI and robotic control. They should be able to teach general subjects in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate levels. They will work within the Artificial Intelligence Research Group, including opportunities to interact with the robotics group in the Department of Engineering. The AI Research Group at the University of Sussex was created through the merger of the Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems (EASy) and the Data Science groups. We conduct research and teach a wide range of AI related topics, often cross-disciplinary and with a unique Sussex angle. We collaborate internationally and locally with academics, businesses, and public stakeholders, working at the frontiers of knowledge, on solving real-world problems, and in policy and public outreach. Applications should be accompanied by a full CV, and statements of future research plans and ways in which the applicant could contribute to teaching across the School. Please contact Dr Ian Mackie I.Mackie(a)sussex.ac.uk<mailto:I.Mackie@sussex.ac.uk> , Head of the Department of Informatics, for informal enquiries. The full job advert is posted at https://t.co/K0CdIYx6xH?amp=1 including a detailed person specification and details how to apply. Please get in touch if you are interested in these positions and forward to any interested colleagues. Kind regards, Thomas -- Prof Thomas Nowotny Head of the AI Research Group Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange School of Engineering and Informatics University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ, UK Phone: +44-1273-678593 FAX: +44-1273-877873

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Post-doc / research associate position in neural reinforcement learning using causal models (Sheffield, UK, 33 months, deadline 4th July)
by Aditya Gilra June 22, 2021

June 22, 2021

Dear All, We're looking for a post-doc / research associate to work on bio-plausible neural networks that learn causal models of the environment and utilize these to plan and explain actions in reinforcement learning. The position is for 33 months at the University of Sheffield, UK. Read more at: https://www.chistera.eu/projects/causalxrl . Apply via (deadline: 4th July): https://jobs.shef.ac.uk/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/hrrcf_a_posting_apply?PARAM=cG… 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

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WWNeuRise series on neuromodulation & applications/recommendations
by William Podlaski June 21, 2021

June 21, 2021

WorldWideNeuRise will host several online talks throughout June-July on the topic of neuromodulation in the brain from the following speakers: Wednesday, 30 June, 5pm CET Lindsay Collins (McCormick Lab, University of Oregon, USA) Cristina Colangelo (Blue Brain Project, EPFL, Switzerland) Wednesday, 14 July, 5pm CET Jasmine Pickford (Apps Lab, University of Bristol, UK) Luke Coddington (Dudman Lab, Janelia Research Campus, USA) Wednesday, 28 July, 5pm CET Rohan Sharma (Suhita Lab, IISER Pune, India) Ines Guerreiro (Gutkin Lab, Ecole Normale Superieure, France) For more information, please visit our website (https://neurise.github.io/) find us on WorldWideNeuro (https://www.world-wide.org/Neuro/WWNeuRise/) or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/WWNeuRise) We are actively searching for PhD students and postdocs to give talks in our upcoming seminar blocks. On our website (https://neurise.github.io/) you can find an application form to directly apply, as well as a recommendation form, where you can suggest individuals from your lab, institute, or otherwise who you think might have an interesting story to tell! We are looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming seminars! The organising committee, Ellen Boven (Apps lab, University of Bristol) Christina Buetfering (Häusser lab, University College London) Lucie Descamps (Kentros lab, Norwegian University of Science and Technology) Gily Ginosar (Ulanovsky lab, Weizmann Institute) Loreen Hertäg (Clopath lab, Imperial College London) Joram Keijser (Sprekeler lab, TU Berlin) Bill Podlaski (Machens lab, Champalimaud Research)

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