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

(Call for papers) Adaptive Machines: Leveraging Neuroscience for Lifelong Learning Systems

by Andrea Soltoggio

Dear All, This is a reminder of the upcoming deadline (30th of September) to submit to the Research Topic “Adaptive Machines: Leveraging Neuroscience for Lifelong Learning Systems”, co-hosted by Frontiers in Neuroscience, Robotics and AI, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Neurorobotics and Computational Neuroscience. Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20053/adaptive-machines-leverag… Description: Artificial intelligence has always sought inspiration in the brain. Artificial neural networks (ANNs), in particular, were modeled after their biological counterparts (biological neural networks, BNNs). However, state-of-the-art deep networks are drastically different from BNNs. Their architectures (at both the single-neuron and macro levels), learning algorithms, and failure conditions share little in common with brain circuit dynamics. In particular, state-of-the-art deep learning is optimized for single, well-defined, static tasks. Deep networks struggle to learn multiple or evolving tasks over time (i.e., continual learning) or to adjust their processing based on environmental conditions. They are also less modular than BNNs, and thus less energy efficient, and utilize little-to-no feedback signals. We believe that deep networks suffer from these limitations because their modeling of brain dynamics is too superficial. Modeling more sophisticated neural mechanisms is therefore key for deep networks to achieve continual or lifelong learning and to cope with open-ended, dynamic environments. The goal of this Research Topic is to publish novel models and/or algorithms that expand the capabilities of deep learning (e.g., achieve better continual learning) by incorporating additional properties of BNNs. We are also interested in neuroscience research that elucidates mechanisms that can be leveraged by the AI community. Neuroscience has uncovered a wide range of learning and regulatory mechanisms, at scales ranging from single molecules to the entire nervous system, that help the brain learn, remember, and adapt. These include replay (systems-level consolidation), neuromodulation, neurogenesis, neuroevolution, attention, homeostatic plasticity, and synaptic consolidation. There exist some deep learning techniques motivated by these mechanisms (e.g., experience replay or attention networks), but they have rarely been used for lifelong learning. As such, our focus will be on approaches that leverage brain-like principles---ideally biologically well-grounded---to solve problems currently beyond the capabilities of the state of the art. We will also welcome neuroscience research that helps to elucidate the brain’s mechanisms, in the hope that they can be used by the next generation of machine learning models. The scope of this Research Topic covers: (1) biologically inspired techniques in deep learning (2) neuroscience research on how the brain facilitates learning and adapts to different contexts We seek to address continual or lifelong learning, transfer learning, and other ML scenarios that go beyond the traditional, train-then-test learning paradigm. Since machine learning is an experimental field, a paper must include experimental results to be accepted; however, we encourage authors to include theoretical analyses of their methods. We aim to collect the following types of manuscripts: Original Research and Brief Research Reports. Since the goal of this Research Topic is to publish highly novel, experimentally grounded work, we are not interested in Reviews (Systematic, Policy and Practice, etc.), General Commentaries, or Opinions. In addition, since the editorial board does not include medical experts, we cannot accept Clinical Trials or Study Protocols. The Research Topic is edited by Rolando Jose Estrada, Georgia State University, USA Andrea Soltoggio, Loughborough University, UK Praveen K. Pilly, HRL Laboratories, USA Vincenzo Lomonaco, University of Pisa, Italy, Davide Maltoni, University of Bologna, Italy. Please consider submitting your original research to this Research Topic. Do not hesitate to get in touch if you wish to discuss your contribution. Best wishes, Andrea -- Dr. Andrea Soltoggio (he/him or they/them) Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Artificial Intelligence Department of Computer Science, School of Science & Intelligent Automation Centre https://www.intelligent-automation.org.uk/about-us/centre-staff & Centre for Information Management https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/sbe/cim/ Haslegrave Building, N.2.03 Loughborough University LE11 3TU, UK Email: a.soltoggio(a)lboro.ac.uk<mailto:a.soltoggio@lboro.ac.uk> Web: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/compsci/staff/dr-andrea-soltoggio.html

Sept. 17, 2021

ISRC Computational Neuroscience, Neurotechnology and Neuro-inspired AI Autumn School (ISRC-CN3)

by Wong-Lin, Kongfatt

Dear All, We are excited to announce that our ISRC Computational Neuroscience, Neurotechnology and Neuro-inspired AI Autumn School (ISRC-CN3) is now live and open for registration at the following link: https://store.ulster.ac.uk/product-catalogue/faculty-of-computing-engineeri… This Autumn School (from 25th October to 29th October), which will be conducted in a hybrid format, is organised by our Intelligent Systems Research Centre (ISRC) at Ulster University, Magee campus. More details can be found at the website: https://sites.google.com/view/isrc-cn3/home<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> If you have any further queries about this event, please contact Dr. KongFatt Wong-Lin (k.wong-lin(a)ulster.ac.uk) 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

Sept. 17, 2021

Postdoctoral Associate in Neural Circuits of Learning and Memory

by Yuri Dabaghian

NIH-funded postdoctoral position is immediately available in the group of Dr. Yuri Dabaghian in the Department of Neurology at McGovern Medical School of the University of Texas, Houston. We are looking for scientists with research interests at the intersection of mathematics, physics, and neuroscience, in the general area of emergent phenomena and representations, network dynamics, topological data analyses. Some projects aim to explain electrophysiological data patterns, some are theoretically motivated. Specifically, we are interested in circuit mechanisms of learning and memory and their involvement in neurological disorders, notably Alzheimer's Disease. Successful candidates will develop data-driven hippocampal neuronal network models explaining spatial learning dynamics, develop and creatively apply tools for the data analysis including novel methods of brain waves (EEG) analyses, Topological Data Analysis of spiking data, etc. The Position requires strong background in quantitative disciplines (PhD and ongoing interest in computational or theoretical neuroscience, physics, mathematics, or related), plus willingness to do programming and to analyze experimental data. Previous experiences in data analyses are preferred but not required. All Appointments are initially for one year and are renewable for at least three years given satisfactory performance. The salary is competitive. The postdoc will be integrated into the large, vibrant neuroscience community of the Texas Medical Center and have the opportunity to participate in collaborations with groups at Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University. To apply, please send application materials including a detailed CV, a brief statement of research interests, and contact information of 3 references to Dr. Yuri Dabaghian at [Yuri.A.Dabaghian [at] uth.tmc.edu) The position is available immediately, until filled. For Additional information and informal inquiries, please contact Dr. Dabaghian. We Strive for a diverse and inclusive environment, and encourage applications from members of any identity.

Sept. 17, 2021

COSYNE 2022: Meeting announcement

by Tomas Hromadka

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2022 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING 17 - 20 March 2022 Lisbon, Portugal WORKSHOPS 21 - 22 March 2022 Cascais, Portugal www.cosyne.org ==================================================== ---------------------------------------------------- MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT ---------------------------------------------------- The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks is selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. All abstract submissions will be reviewed double blind. The deadline for Abstract submission will be 20 November 2021. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural basis of behavior, sensory and motor systems, circuitry, learning, neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, neuromodulation, and computation with spiking networks. We would like to foster increased participation from experimental groups as well as computational ones. Please circulate widely and encourage your students and postdocs to apply. IMPORTANT DATES Abstract submission opens: 15 October 2021 Travel grant submission opens: 01 November 2021 Abstract submission deadline: 20 November 2021 When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General Chairs: Anne-Marie Oswald (U Pittsburgh) and Srdjan Ostojic (Ecole Normale Superieure Paris) Program Chairs: Laura Busse (LMU Munich) and Tim Vogels (IST Austria) Workshop Chairs: Anna Schapiro (U Penn) and Blake Richards (McGill) Tutorial Chair: Kanaka Rajan (Mount Sinai) DEIA Committee: Bianca Jones Martin (Columbia), Gabrielle Gutierrez (Columbia), and Stefano Recanatesi (U Washington) Undergraduate Travel Chairs: Angela Langdon (Princeton) and Bob Wilson (U Arizona) Fundraising Chair: Michael Long (NYU) Social Media Chair: Grace Lindsay (Columbia) Poster Design: Maja Bialon PROGRAM COMMITTEE Laura Busse (U Munich) Tim Vogels (IST Austria) Athena Akrami (UCL) Omri Barak (Technion) Brice Bathellier (Paris) Bing Brunton (U Washington) Yoram Burak (Hebrew University) SueYeon Chung (Columbia) Christine Constantinople (NYU) Victor de Lafuente (UNAM Mexico) Jan Drugowitsch (Harvard) Alexander Ecker (Göttingen) Tatiana Engel (Cold Spring Harbor) Annegret Falkner (Princeton) Kevin Franks (Duke) Jens Kremkow (Berlin) Andrew Leifer (Princeton) Sukbin Lim (Shanghai) Scott Linderman (Stanford) Emilie Mace (MPI Neurobiology) Mackenzie Mathis (EPFL Lausanne) Ida Momennejad (Microsoft) Jill O'Reilly (Oxford) Il Memming Park (Stony Brook) Adrien Peyrache (McGill Montréal) Yiota Porazi (FORCE) Nathalie Rochefort (Edinburgh) Christina Savin (NYU) Daniela Vallentin (MPI Ornithology) Brad Wyble (U Penn) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org COSYNE MAILING LISTS Please consider adding yourself to Cosyne mailing lists (groups) to receive email updates with various Cosyne-related information and join in helpful discussions. See Cosyne.org -> Mailing lists for details.

Sept. 16, 2021

Online workshop "Towards multipurpose neural network models II: Model testing and model fitting"

by Anton Arkhipov

Dear Colleagues, Registration is now open for the online workshop "Towards multipurpose neural network models II: Model testing and model fitting" organized by Gaute Einevoll (NMBU/University of Oslo) and Anton Arkhipov (Allen Institute, Seattle) and supported by the European Institute for Theoretical Neuroscience (EITN). Please join us for three days of talks about cutting-edge science by fantastic speakers, as well as panel discussions. Dates: September 29 – October 1, 2021 Time: 8AM – 12:15PM US Pacific time / 5PM – 9:15PM Central European Time Daily. Registration: https://cnrs.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_saMXfg31Roe4tqHbWtTdFg Please see the agenda below and more details at this web page: https://www.eitn.org/index.php/calendar-event/eventdetail/750/-/workshop-on… We hope to see you there! Wednesday, September 29, 2021 Gaute Einevoll (NMBU/U. Oslo) Introduction Jacob Macke (U. Tübingen) Keynote. Simulation-based inference: Bridging the gap between mechanistic models and machine learning. Aaron Milstein (Rutgers U.) Nested parallel simulation and multi-objective optimization of neuronal cell and circuit models Atle Rimehaug (U. Oslo) Enhancing model constraints by utilizing current source densities Kristin Tøndel (NMBU) Facilitating optimization using metamodelling Frances Skinner (Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, and University of Toronto) Clarity in model development and goals leads to model linkages and biological insights Panel debate – All participants of the day. Thursday, September 30, 2021 Anton Arkhipov (Allen Institute) Introduction James DiCarlo (MIT) Keynote. Reverse Engineering Visual Intelligence Sharon Crook (Arizona State U.) Testing the Data-driven Model Szabolcs Kali (Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary) Systematic construction and evaluation of models of rodent hippocampal neurons Peter Jedlicka (U. Giessen) Building consistent and robust models of hippocampal granule cells and CA1 pyramidal cells Stefan Mihalas (Allen Institute) Computing with a mess: How nonstationary, heterogeneous and noisy components help the brain’s computational power Panel debate – All participants of the day. Friday, October 1, 2021 Markus Covert (Stanford) Special lecture. Simultaneous cross-evaluation of heterogeneous E. coli datasets via mechanistic simulation Kanaka Rajan (Mount Sinai) Keynote. Data-constrained neural network models of adaptive learning in the brain Julijana Gjorgjeva (Max Planck Institute and TUM) Biologically plausible learning in developing networks Carsen Stringer (Janelia) Rastermap: Extracting structure from high-dimensional neural data Arvind Kumar (KTH Stockholm) Structure and activity dynamics relationship in biological neuronal networks: Measurements and models Panel debate – All participants of the day.

Sept. 14, 2021

PhD position in computational neuroscience/machine learning at UC Santa Barbara

by Michael Beyeler

The Bionic Vision Lab lab at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) invites applications for a fully funded PhD position to develop computational models of neural activity in mice navigating through real-world and virtual environments. The successful candidate will have a strong quantitative background that includes machine learning, programming experience, and a thorough interest in neuroscience. This is an opportunity to work on an impactful real-world problem within a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative environment. Interested applicants should send a CV and transcript (unofficial is fine) to Michael Beyeler (mbeyeler(a)ucsb.edu) Official applications will have to be submitted through UCSB Grad Admissions before the application deadline indicated below. All genders welcome. Application deadline: December 1, 2021 Start date: Fall 2022 UCSB is a dynamic research institution, particularly in physical sciences and engineering, and was recently rated one of the Top 5 public schools in the United States (US News & World Report). Neuroscience research is well established here, featuring >35 faculty members whose research interests span the range from molecular to theoretical neuroscience.

Sept. 14, 2021

Call for community feedback on the endorsement of Neurolucida XML as a standard

by Malin Sandström

Dear all, INCF is seeking community feedback and comments on the review of the MBF neuromorphological file format v 4.0, a format for digital reconstruction & modeling structure for microscopic anatomies, also known as “Neurolucida XML”, which has been submitted to INCF for endorsement as a community standard. If you have experience of using Neurolucida XML, we ask you to read the review report and comment based on your experiences, especially if you share or reuse data in the format, or work on models or tools that use the format. Link to the review: https://f1000research.com/documents/10-712 *Why endorse community standards? * INCF (incf.org) has implemented a formal procedure for evaluating and endorsing community standards and best practices in support of the FAIR principles. Our mission is to make neuroscience more open and FAIR, to ensure that research funds and efforts are well invested, and that neuroscientific findings are robust and replicable. Open community review is a very important step in the process. Quality community standards are necessary to make FAIR resources and processes work, but too many neuroscience communities lack robust standards or have competing incompatible standards. The rapid development of new techniques also means that there is a continuous need for new and updated standards, and that old standards need an active developer and user community keeping them up to date. By endorsing standards, INCF wants to make it easy to find the best, most reliable standard appropriate for your research, and ensure recognition for community members investing their time and effort in standards. The review criteria (https://incf.org/incf-standards-review-criteria-v20) include Openness; FAIRness; Design, Testing and Implementation; Governance; Adoption and use; Stability and support; Extensibility; Comparison (similarity to other standards). -- Malin Sandström, PhD Community Engagement Officer malin.sandstrom(a)incf.org ORCID: 0000-0002-8464-2494 International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility Karolinska Institutet Nobels väg 15 A SE-171 77 Stockholm Sweden http://www.incf.org

Sept. 14, 2021

workshop on Brain Criticality: The Past, the Present and the Future

by Claudius Gros

You are invited to attend the upcoming Bernstein workshop on Brain Criticality: The Past, the Present and the Future https://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2021-online/satell… Tuesday, September 21, 2021, 2pm CEST It is free, but you need to register with the Bernstein conference (see link above). 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 ###

Sept. 14, 2021

Bernstein Conference 2021 - abstracts are published

by Anja Dorrn

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 * Abstracts are published * Registration is open and free of charge * PhD Symposium on September 24, 2021 ____ ABSTRACTS All accepted abstracts are now published online and are citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Please find them here: https://abstracts.g-node.org/conference/BC21/abstracts#/ ____ 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 ____ PHD SYMPOSIUM The Bernstein PhD Symposium on September 24, 2021 is an opportunity for junior researchers to meet their peers, share their experience and make new connections. This year's topic is Gaming meets neuroscience. Please register here: https://hopin.com/events/bernstein-phd-symposium-2021 ____ 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 -- 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), Dr. Astrid Lambrecht, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sept. 13, 2021

Biologically plausible models of path planning in humans and rodents

by Jeffrey Krichmar

Dear Colleagues, We recently published two papers on biologically plausible models of path planning that simulate and analyze navigation strategies in rodents and humans. Some of the ideas presented in these papers may be applicable to autonomous systems. If you are interested, please see: Krichmar, J.L., and He, C. (2021). Importance of Path Planning Variability: A Simulation Study. Topics in Cognitive Science. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tops.12568 Individuals vary in the way they navigate through space. Some take novel shortcuts, while others rely on known routes to find their way around. We wondered how and why there is so much variation in the population. To address this, we first compared the trajectories of 368 human subjects navigating a virtual maze with simulated trajectories. The simulated trajectories were generated by strategy-based path planning algorithms from robotics. Based on the similarities between human trajectories and different strategy-based simulated trajectories, we found that there is a variation in the type of strategy individuals apply to navigate space, as well as variation within individuals on a trial-by-trial basis. Moreover, we observed variation within a trial when subjects occasionally switched the navigation strategies halfway through a trajectory. In these cases, subjects started with a route strategy, in which they followed a familiar path, and then switched to a survey strategy, in which they took shortcuts by considering the layout of the environment. Then we simulated a second set of trajectories using five different but comparable artificial maps. These trajectories produced the similar pattern of strategy variation within and between trials. Furthermore, we varied the relative cost, that is, the assumed mental effort or required timesteps to choose a learned route over alternative paths. When the learned route was relatively costly, the simulated agents tended to take shortcuts. Conversely, when the learned route was less costly, the simulated agents showed preference toward a route strategy. We suggest that cost or assumed mental effort may be the reason why in previous studies, subjects used survey knowledge when instructed to take the shortest path. We suggest that this variation we observe in humans may be beneficial for robotic swarms or collections of autonomous agents during information gathering. Krichmar, J.L., Ketz, N.A., Pilly, P.K., and Soltoggio, A. (2021). Flexible Path Planning through Vicarious Trial and Error. bioRxiv, 2021.2009.2008.459317. https://www.biorxiv.org/node/2148912.abstract Flexible planning is necessary for reaching goals and adapting when conditions change. We introduce a biologically plausible path planning model that learns its environment, rapidly adapts to change, and plans efficient routes to goals. Unlike prior models of hippocamapl replay, our model addresses the decision-making process when faced with uncertainty. We tested the model in simulations of human and rodent navigation in mazes. Like the human and rat, the model was able to generate novel shortcuts, and take detours when familiar routes were blocked. Similar to rodent hippocampus recordings, the neural activity of the model resembles neural correlates of Vicarious Trial and Error (VTE) during early learning or during uncertain conditions. Similar to rodent studies, after learning, the neural activity resembles forward replay or preplay predicting a future route, and VTE activity decreases. We suggest that VTE, in addition to weighing possible outcomes, is a way in which an organism may gather information for future use. Best regards, Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma(a)uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma

Sept. 10, 2021