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

SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting: Thursday, August 5th by Kayvon Daie
by Laura Long July 20, 2021

July 20, 2021

The Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB) hosts postdoc/student meetings to bring together trainees interested in neural coding and dynamics to discuss ideas and data. In addition to regional meetings in New York, Boston, and the Bay Area, SCGB holds a Global virtual series to connect systems and computational neuroscientists across the world. We would love to see you at this month's Global meeting! Please see event details and Zoom link below. SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-163… Thursday, August 5th, 1pm Eastern Time https://simonsfoundation.zoom.us/j/93637538440?pwd=MnNCeVF1eThKZmVUa2p5bUlR… Passcode: 443599 *Kayvon Daie*Research Associate, Svoboda Laboratory HHMI's Janelia Research Campus *Dissection of the neural circuitry underlying short-term memory* Short-term memory is associated with persistent neural activity without sustained input, arising from the interactions between neurons with brief time constants. A variety of neural circuit models could account for existing measurements of neural activity. To explore which, if any, of these models are most consistent with neural circuitry, we measured coupling between functionally characterized motor cortex neurons in mice performing a memory-guided response task. Targeted two-photon photostimulation of small (<10) groups of neurons produced sparse calcium responses in coupled neurons over approximately 100 μm. Neurons with similar task-related selectivity were preferentially coupled. Photostimulation of different groups of neurons modulated activity in different subpopulations of coupled neurons. Responses of stimulated and coupled neurons persisted for seconds, far outlasting the duration of the photostimuli. Photostimuli produced behavioral biases that were predictable based on the tuning of the photostimulated population, even though photostimulation preceded the behavioral response by seconds. Our results suggest that memory-related neural circuits contain intercalated, recurrently connected modules and that these modules are coupled via long-range “hidden feedforward” connections. *Please note that this meeting is open to all neuroscience postdocs and PhD students, regardless of location or SCGB affiliation (sorry, no PIs). *After Q&A with the speaker, we will open breakout rooms for anyone interested in staying to chat, network, or further discuss the talk. In addition to these breakouts, SCGB Scientific Staff will be available for "office hours" to chat and answer questions about SCGB programs and support. Registration on EventBrite is encouraged but not required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-163… Please contact Laura Long at llong(a)simonsfoundation.org with any questions. Sign up for our mailing list here: https://forms.gle/DZa1b2WCtvw5XFhAA

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Postdoc position in Tuebingen on TMS/ERP projects to understand visual perception/attentional processes
by Zhaoping Li July 20, 2021

July 20, 2021

Two postdoc positions are available at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tuebingen, Germany, to work on projects aimed towards understanding visual attentional and perceptual processes using TMS and/or EEG methodologies. The framework and motivation of the projects can be found at http://www.lizhaoping.org/zhaoping/AGZL_HumanVisual.html. The projects can involve, for example, visual search tasks, stereo vision tasks, visual illusions, and will be discussed during the application process. TMS and/or EEG methodologies can be used in combination with fMRI/MRI, eye tracking, and other related methods as necessary. The postdoc will be working closely with the principal investigator and other members of Zhaoping's team when needed. Candidates should be skilled in visual psychophysics and proficient in programming, previous experience in TMS and/or ERP is a plus. Please send your application by a single pdf file, including your CV, a brief statement of research interests, an approximate date for availability, and names and contacts for three references to jobs.li(a)tuebingen.mpg.de. Applications sent before September 1st will be preferred, but later applications will be considered until the positions are filled. The appointment is for one year, renewable for additional years. Enquiry to li.zhaoping(a)tuebingen.mpg.de 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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PhD position - Neuroscience - University of Antwerp, Belgium
by Georgios A. Keliris July 19, 2021

July 19, 2021

The Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences is looking for a full-time doctoral scholarship holder in the field of Biomedical Sciences/Neuroscience with a focus on using neuromodulation to alleviate deficits in Alzheimer’s disease Position You will work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD thesis in the field of Biomedical Sciences/Neuroscience. The PhD project will use state-of-the-art techniques including MRI, fiberoptic photometry, electrophysiology, behaviour, and neuromodulations tools (chemogenetics/DREADDs and/or optogenetics) specifically targeting neurons in the basal forebrain to alleviate behavioural and brain network deficits of rodent models of neurodegeneration (Alzheimer’s Disease). You will publish scientific articles related to the research project. You will carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for the Bio-Imaging Lab. Profile You hold a Master degree in neuroscience, biomedical sciences, cognitive science, engineering or related fields or you will have obtained it by the time you start work. You can demonstrate excellent study results. Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/about-uantwerp/organisation/mission-and-vision…>. Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/research/management/>. You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation. You have a FELASA C attest or you are willing to obtain one. You are fluent in English and have strong communication skills. Preferably you have experience with (small-animal) imaging or electrophysiology Experience in one or more of: imaging, mathematics, computational neuroscience, programming (e.g., Matlab/Python/C/…) will be considered as a bonus. What we offer We offer a doctoral scholarship for a period of two years. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship can be renewed once for another two-year period. The planned start date is 1 October 2021 or as soon as possible after that date. Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/jobs/what-do-we-offer/salaries/>for doctoral scholarship holders on the pay scales for Contract Research Staff (Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP). You will do most of your work at Campus Drie Eiken (CDE) in a dynamic and stimulating working environment. Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/jobs/uantwerp-as-an-employer/hr-policy/>. Want to apply? You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including 16 August 2021 (by midnight Brussels time). Click on the 'Apply' button, complete the online application form and be sure to include the following attachments: a motivation letter, your academic CV, three names and contact information of people that can provide recommendation letters, any additional certificates that can indicate your competences. The selection committee will review all of the applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision has been made, we will inform you about the next steps in the selection procedure. If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/jobs/apply-online-uantwerp/> or send an email to jobs(a)uantwerpen.be <mailto:jobs@uantwerpen.be>. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact Prof. Georgios Keliris, georgios.keliris(a)uantwerpen.be <mailto:georgios.keliris@uantwerpen.be> and include the following in the title of your email: <QNEUROPOSKEL>. The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/jobs/uantwerp-as-an-employer/hr-excellence-in-…> for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/about-uantwerp/organisation/mission-and-vision…> and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.

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Bernstein Conference 2021 - registration is now open
by Anja Dorrn July 19, 2021

July 19, 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 ____ IMPORTANT DATES & NEWS * Bernstein Conference: September 21-23, 2021 * Registration is now open * Abstract submission deadline: August 3, 2021, 1 pm CEST * Selected Satellite Workshops are now online<https://bit.ly/BC21_workshops> ____ REGISTRATION The participation at the online Bernstein Conference 2021 will be free of charge for all participants. Thus the Bernstein Network contributes to keep the scientific exchange alive in the ongoing challenges during the pandemic. Please register here: https://hopin.com/events/bernstein-conference-2021 ____ ABSTRACTS We invite the computational neuroscience community to submit their abstracts for poster presentations. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Abstract submission is open until August 3, 1 pm CEST. 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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Postdoc in computational neuroscience in New York - Coen-Cagli Laboratory
by Ruben Coen-Cagli July 14, 2021

July 14, 2021

The Laboratory for Computational Neuroscience<https://sites.google.com/site/rubencoencagli> (Coen-Cagli lab) invites applications for a postdoctoral position in the Department of Systems and Computational Biology and Department of Neuroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Einstein) in the Bronx, New York City. Our lab studies how biological sensory systems interpret the surrounding environment. We study how populations of visual-cortical neurons represent and transmit visual information, and how those processes control perception. We combine theories of probabilistic neural coding, machine learning and natural image statistics, psychophysics, and neurophysiology through collaborations. The candidate is expected to perform research related to these topics, and will have the opportunity to interact closely with experimental collaborators and access to datasets including electrophysiology, imaging, and perturbations of large neural populations. Most recent publications: (2021) D. Festa et al. Nature Communications 12:3635<https://rdcu.be/cmy7M> (preprint bioRxiv<https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.17.142182>) (2021) D. Herrera et al. Journal of Vision 21(1):1<https://jov.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2772139> (2021) G. Dehaene et al. PLoS Computational Biology 17(1):e1008138<https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008138>. (2021) D. Herrera et al. Vision Research 187:55-65<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2021.06.007> (preprint bioRxiv<https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.26.441524v1>) (2020) J. Vacher et al. NeurIPS 2020<https://papers.nips.cc/paper/2020/hash/fba9d88164f3e2d9109ee770223212a0-Abs…> spotlight. (2019) R. Coen-Cagli, S. S. Solomon. Journal of Neuroscience 39(37):7344<https://www.jneurosci.org/content/39/37/7344> (preprint biorxiv<https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/12/31/508838>). Applicants must have a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline, with an academic record of scientific excellence and independent research, and a keen interest in interdisciplinary approaches to biological and neural systems. Prior experience should include areas such as computational neuroscience, machine learning, statistics, or computer vision. We are particularly interested in applicants with a genuine interest in linking theoretical and computational work to quantitative analysis of neurophysiology data. Einstein offers a vibrant interdisciplinary environment, with a strong systems and computational contingent. It is located in a quiet neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. The Bronx is one of the most diverse counties in the United States, the birthplace of hip-hop, and home to a rich cultural and sports scene. Einstein is also a short subway ride from Manhattan. Information about working at the Einstein, including benefits and housing for postdocs, can be found at: https://einsteinmed.org/research/belfer-institute/ The position is available immediately, and is funded for several years, with an initial one-year appointment and expectation of extension given satisfactory performance. Salary is competitive and will be commensurate with experience. Candidates should send a single pdf file, consisting of a 1-page motivation letter, CV, and publication list to ruben.coencagli(a)gmail.com. Furthermore, candidates should organize two letters of reference, to be sent to the same e-mail address. The position is open until filled. Albert Einstein College of Medicine is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. The lab strives to be an open, inclusive, harassment-free environment. Ruben is an ally of Black In AI and a member of Einstein's Senate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Ruben Coen Cagli, PhD Department of Systems and Computational Biology, and Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience Albert Einstein College of Medicine 1300 Morris Park Ave. Price 353B Bronx, 10461. NY office: +1.718.678.1150 web: https://sites.google.com/site/rubencoencagli/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…>

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Young post-doc neuromorphic position at Sevilla Microelectronics Institute, Spain.
by bernabe July 13, 2021

July 13, 2021

*Young post-doc neuromorphic position at IMSE* The "Instituto de Microelectrónica de Sevilla" (IMSE) has an opening for a 3-year young post-doc position to join the Neuromorphic Group at IMSE (www.imse-cnm.csic.es/neuromorphs) financed by the Andalusian Regional Government. Gross annual salary is 30k€, which allows for a wealthy life in Sevilla, Spain. Requirements: - Official PhD graduation date must be after June 2016, although earlier dates are possible in case of leaves due to pregnancies, child birth, adoption, major accident or disease. - Deadline for candidacy submission is end of July. Prospective candidates please contact us at bernabe(a)imse-cnm.csic . - More details here: <link> <http://www2.imse-cnm.csic.es/neuromorphs/data/_uploaded/image/Post-doctoral…> The IMSE Neuromorphic Group develops research in Silicon chips and FPGAs for neuromorphic hardware with stronger focus on vision applications. We have developed several DVS (Dynamic Vision Sensor) cameras as well as cortical processing systems and spiking based learning techniques. In the last years we have strongly engaged into exploiting memristors for neuromorphic hardware and have designed full monolithic CMOS-memristive neuromorphic systems. We welcome both, candidates with more hardware profile (either analog or digital) as well as with more computing profile. The successful candidate can participate in any of the active research projects in the group (see www.imse-cnm.csic.es/neuromorphs) can also develop alternative research lines within the neuromorphic field, participate in grant proposals, and advice PhD and MSc students. Please do redistribute. Deadline is very short. Thanks. -- Prof. Bernabe Linares-Barranco, Director, Instituto de Microelectronica de Sevilla (IMSE-CNM), Sevilla, Spain www.imse-cnm.csic.es/~bernabe

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Call for Chapter for Springer Book by M. Murugappan and R. Yuvaraj (Editors)
by Yuvaraj Rajamanickam July 13, 2021

July 13, 2021

Dear Researchers, Good day to you. Currently, we are accepting the high-quality book chapters for our upcoming edited book in *Springer,* titled, *Biomedical signal-based computer-aided diagnosis for neurological disorders*. Please see below for more information. We invite you and your network connections to consider submitting a high-quality paper related to the aim and scope of this book for possible publication. If possible, you could share this CFP in your network for their possible contribution. Please feel free to contact us, if you have any questions. Submission link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=bscadnd2021 Any queries, please feel free to write to us at bookchapter.bscad(a)gmail.com and CC to m.murugappan(a)kcst.edu.kw ; yuvaraj.rajamanickam(a)nie.edu.sg. Major topics to be included in the book are: •Introduction to neurological disorders (ND) and biomedical signal processing. •Basic principles of CAD in ND diagnosis. •Characterization of biomedical signals in ND. •Feature engineering and optimization. •Machine learning techniques in CAD for ND •Deep learning algorithms in CAD for ND •Neural network applications in CAD for ND •Fuzzy logic and optimization techniques •Supervised and unsupervised learning •Case studies related to ND diagnosis. •Challenges in the CAD for ND •Advances and trends in CAD for ND diagnosis. •Open Challenges in CAD in ND diagnosis Important dates •Abstract Submission (max 250 words): 30th July 2021 •Acceptance of abstract: 5th August 2021 •Full chapter submission:15th September 2021 •Authors notification: 15th October 2021 •Camera ready submission: 10th November 2021 •Permission and copyright:20th November 2021 •Publication date: 1st quarter of 2022 Submission guidelines •MS Word, single column, Times New Roman, 11 font size, 1.15 spacing. •References must follow springer style. •Length of the chapter: 20-25 pages (11550 words (approx.)) including references, tables, figures. •Similarity index should be less than 10 % (without reference). •All figures must be supplied as final artwork (e.g., JPEG, PNG, TIFF, etc.) at high-resolution. NO PUBLICATION/ ARTICLE PROCESSING FEE. •All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-blind peer review editorial process. Indexed by Web of Science (WoS), SCOPUS, Google Scholar, SCImago Regards YUVARAJ

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Change of date! Announcing free online spiking neural network workshop Nov 2-3, reg & submissions open
by Goodman, Daniel F M July 12, 2021

July 12, 2021

Apologies for emailing again with this announcement. We originally announced the workshop (included below) for Nov 8-9 but found out that it clashed with SFN online meeting. We have changed the dates to 2-3 November 2021. Please update your diaries accordingly. Many thanks, Dan We are delighted to announce the second edition of the "SNUFA" spiking neural network online workshop, taking place this November 2-3. Free registration and abstract submission is now open at http://snufa.net/2021 This online workshop brings together researchers in the field to present their work and discuss ways of translating these findings into a better understanding of neural circuits. Topics include artificial and biologically plausible learning algorithms and the dissection of trained spiking circuits toward understanding neural processing. We have a manageable number of talks with ample time for discussions. This year’s executive committee comprises Chiara Bartolozzi<https://www.iit.it/people/chiara-bartolozzi>, Sander Bohté<https://homepages.cwi.nl/~sbohte/>, Dan Goodman<https://neural-reckoning.org/>, and Friedemann Zenke<https://fzenke.net/>. The workshop will take place 2-3 November, 2021. Abstract submission will close 1 October, 2021. The workshop will feature invited speakers: * Tara Hamilton<https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Tara.Hamilton>, University of Technology Sydney * Dylan Muir<http://dylan-muir.com/>, SynSense<https://www.synsense-neuromorphic.com/> * Katie Schumann<https://www.ornl.gov/staff-profile/catherine-d-schuman>, Oak Ridge National Laboratory * Henning Sprekeler<https://www.sprekelerlab.org/henning/>, TU Berlin The format will be: * Two half days (European afternoon times) * 4 invited talks * 8 contributed talks * Poster session * Panel debate: “What should be the next big breakthrough in spiking neural networks?” (speakers to be decided) You can see last year’s talks on Crowdcast<https://www.crowdcast.io/e/snufa2020> or the talks and one of the recorded discussions on YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL09WqqDbQWHFvM9DFYkM_GfnrVnIdLRhy>. This workshop was great fun last year and we had around 700 participants! This year should be even better with your contributed talks and posters. Looking forward to seeing you all there! And please forward this announcement to any colleagues or local distribution lists. Many thanks, Dan, Chiara, Sander and Friedemann

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Two Postdoctoral Scholar Positions at Washington University in St. Louis
by Shuo Wang July 11, 2021

July 11, 2021

We are looking for two highly motivated postdoctoral scholars to work on NSF and DoD funded projects. One postdoctoral scholar will use human single-neuron recordings to study the neural circuits underlying social attention, and the other postdoctoral scholar will use multimodal neuroimaging techniques to study social behavior and brain networks in people with autism. The research will be conducted in a highly collaborative environment using state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, and analytical methods. The postdoctoral scholars will collaborate with an established team of investigators within and outside WashU and have ample opportunity to learn new techniques and methods. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in systems, cognitive, or computational neuroscience, or in physics, electrical engineering, or computer science, with relevant research expertise in neuroscience. Applicants must also have strong programming (Matlab or similar) skills. Individuals with previous human intracranial EEG expertise and/or macaque single-neuron recordings that wish to expand into human single-unit recordings are encouraged to apply. Our lab combines multimodal and advanced measurement techniques with sophisticated computational approaches to understand the neural mechanisms and neural computations underlying social attention, face processing, emotion, memory, and decision making. Overarching questions involve how the brain figures out what is important in the environment, how socially relevant stimuli pop out and attract attention, how faces are processed and represented in general, and how memory is modulated by attention. We are particularly interested in the neural computations underlying these cognitive processes: multimodal approaches allow us to investigate these questions from the microscopic single-neuron and neural circuit level using our state-of-the-art human single-neuron recordings as well as macroscopic level using fMRI, EEG, and intracranial EEG (sEEG and ECoG). These multimodal experimental approaches are powered by sophisticated computational approaches that can deal with complex and large datasets. The Wang Neuroscience Lab is housed in the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) in St Louis. WUSM is a world class research intensive academic health center that is consistently ranked among the nation’s research-oriented medical schools. Additionally, it is nationally known for its attractive campus, which borders residential neighborhoods and one of the nation’s largest urban parks. St. Louis is consistently rated a Forbes most affordable city with vibrant music, food and park scene, and has one of the fastest growing start-up communities with impressive accelerator and incubator services available through the Biogenerator, Cambridge Innovation Center, and Cortex Innovation District. Shuo Wang, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Washington University in St. Louis https://sites.wustl.edu/wanglab/

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Deadline extension: CFP Workshop on Spatio-temporal Aspects of Embodied Predictive Processing - STEPP @ ICDL2021
by Stefan Heinrich July 11, 2021

July 11, 2021

Call For Contributions - Workshop on Spatio-temporal Aspects of Embodied Predictive Processing - STEPP @ IEEE ICDL2021 Deadline extended! Aims and Scope: Understanding human intelligence and building strong AI systems is a key challenge for our generation. A particularly puzzling aspect is that the human brain seems to cope very well with the highly variable and uncertain nature of perception and action, regarding both their signal characteristic and how they extend over time. Furthermore, it seems apparent that the information processing in the brain always involves previous bodily experiences and all our senses, thus is embodied and crossmodal. For explaining these characteristics, there are strong accounts that the brain is constantly predicting sensory input and feedback while minimising free energy in the prediction and is hierarchically abstracting the perception as well as hierarchically composing action. Furthermore, it is also hypothesised that mechanistic priors in the brain’s information processing induce a failure of hierarchical inference in the brain, accounting for atypical perception and action of psychiatric disorders. For example, some brains might have developed to focus too strongly on current sensory input while others might focus too strongly on memorised previous experience. A typically developed brain, in contrast, would show a fine balance compared to these two extreme priors. The big open mystery is: how is the brain developing this on a mechanistic level and thus how can this get learned within an AI system? Thus, to lift this mystery, we further need to bring together research from computational neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and artificial intelligence. With this workshop, we particularly want to wrap up different recent hypotheses, models, and experiments and discuss in-depth how to shape future imaging, behavioural, and developmental robotics studies as a complement to computational modelling and bio-inspired artificial intelligent algorithms. As a guiding theme, we aim to approach the following central questions: - How does the brain learn spatio-temporal stochasticity in perception and action? - What is the role of priors in learning spatio-temporal adaptive prediction? - How can developmental robotics help us to study spatio-temporal stochasticity as an analogy to infant learning? We examine these questions with the insight from invited key speakers from complementary fields as well as original contributions in breakout sessions in order to conclude the next steps within in a panel discussion. All information online: https://sites.google.com/view/stepp21/home Keynotes/Panellists: - Jun Tani, Cognitive Neurorobotics, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) - Marcel van Gerven, Artificial Cognitive Systems, Donders Institute, Radboud University - Takuya Isomura, Brain Intelligence Theory, RIKEN Center for Brain Science - Takamitsu Watanabe, Brain Network Dynamics, International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN), The University of Tokyo Contributions: We invite submissions of extended abstracts on ongoing research that focuses on one or several of our guiding questions as contributions. In addition to the live presentation and discussion during the workshop, the contributions will be made public in workshop proceedings. - Extended abstract submission deadline: 25.07.2021 (extended) - Decision & Notification: 01.08.2021 (latest) - Camera-ready version due: 08.08.2021 - Workshop online: 22.08.2021 Submission website: https://sites.google.com/view/stepp21/ => Contribute Organisers: Stefan Heinrich, IRCN, The University of Tokyo, Japan Shingo Murata, Dept. Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Keio University, Japan Yukie Nagai, IRCN & Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Japan Yuichi Yamashita, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Japan -- ************************************************************* Dr. Stefan Heinrich Postdoctoral Project Researcher Cognitive Developmental Robotics Lab The University of Tokyo, Institutes for Advanced Studies, International Research Center for Neurointelligence Email: heinrich.stefan(a)ircn.jp https://developmental-robotics.jp/en/members/stefan_heinrich/ https://ircn.jp/en/ https://stefanheinrich.net/ *************************************************************

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