November 2022 - Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Software Engineering and PostDoc position at EPFL

by Mathis Alexander

My group has two openings: * Software engineer position in NeuroAI * SNSF-funded Postdoc position to model the sensorimotor system (see second half of the email) Thank you! Software engineer position in NeuroAI The Alexander Mathis Group of Computational Neuroscience & AI (UPAMATHIS, https://mathisgroup.org<https://mathisgroup.org/>) at EPFL (Lausanne & Geneva, Switzerland) is looking for a software engineer to support the research in Computer Vision, Machine Learning and modeling the Brain. Part (50% effort) of this position would also support our work collaboratively with the Mathis Laboratory<http://www.mackenziemathislab.org/> on DeepLabCut - a popular animal pose estimation system https://github.com/DeepLabCut/DeepLabCut EPFL<https://www.epfl.ch/de/> is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers extremely competitive salaries and research infrastructure. Requirements: Candidates minimally should have a bachelor’s in Computer Science or related fields, and a masters degree or PhD is preferred. * Candidates without a PhD must be from Switzerland or the EU, PhD holders can be from anywhere in the world * Work is onsite at Campus Biotech in Geneva, Switzerland * Excellent English verbal and written communication skills and proven record of effective communication, both written and verbal, with scientists is required An ideal candidate would have prior experience in: * 3+ years of experience in Python & Machine Learning related technologies such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX. * 2+ years of professional software development experience * Experience building and scaling systems both on-premise and the cloud. * A record of experience working with scientists and other research engineers Deadline and starting date: Applications are requested starting from November 15 2022 and will then be processed as they arrive until the position is filled. The ideal starting date is winter or spring 2023. How to apply: Applications should consist of a motivation letter, a CV, two relevant GitHub repositories, and the email addresses of two or more referees. Please send your application and any inquiry by email to alexander.mathis(a)epfl.ch<mailto:alexander.mathis@epfl.ch>. Additional information about our research can be found at https://www.mathisgroup.org<https://www.mathislab.org/> Related work: Lauer, …, Mathis & Mathis Nature Methods<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-022-01443-0> 2022 SNSF-funded Postdoc position to model the sensorimotor system The Alexander Mathis Group of Computational Neuroscience & AI (UPAMATHIS, https://mathisgroup.org<https://mathisgroup.org/>) at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) has one open postdoc position in to model the sensorimotor system funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The goal is to build deep learning models of the sensorimotor system with a particular focus on proprioception based on known anatomical, pharmacological, lesion, behavioral and physiological data. We will then test predictions with our experimental collaborators. EPFL<https://www.epfl.ch/de/> is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers extremely competitive salaries and research infrastructure. Related work: DMAP: a Distributed Morphological Attention Policy for Learning to Locomote with a Changing Body<https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.14218> Alberto Silvio Chiappa, Alessandro Marin Vargas, Alexander Mathis. NeurIPS (in press), 2022. Contrasting action and posture coding with hierarchical deep neural network models of proprioception <https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.06.081372v3> Kai J. Sandbrink*, Pranav Mamidanna*, Claudio Michaelis, Matthias Bethge, Mackenzie Weygandt Mathis**, Alexander Mathis**, BioRxiv, 2022. Requirements: Candidates should have a Ph.D. and a strong publication record in computational neuroscience or related fields. An ideal candidate would have prior experience in: * Reinforcement learning * Machine learning * Modeling neural data * Biomechanics * Fluency in oral and written English is required. Deadline and starting date: Applications are requested starting from November 15 2022 and will then be processed as they arrive until the position is filled. The ideal starting date is spring 2023. How to apply: Postdoctoral applications should consist of a motivation letter, a CV, two relevant publications, and the email addresses of two or more referees. Please send your application and any inquiry by email to alexander.mathis(a)epfl.ch<mailto:alexander.mathis@epfl.ch>. Additional information about our research can be found at https://www.mathislab.org<https://www.mathislab.org/> [cid:clip_image001.png] Alexander Mathis Tenure Track Assistant Professor people/alexander.mathis mathislab.org<http://mathislab.org>

Nov. 10, 2022

Funded PhD Scholarship in Developmental Neurorobotics at Sheffield Hallam University (UK)

by Di Nuovo, Alessandro

About the Project This scholarship will support the PhD candidate to carry out frontier research in Developmental Neurorobotics, a combination of Neuromorphic Computing and Cognitive Developmental Robotics. The PhD candidate will work with the Professor Alessandro Di Nuovo and his team, who have been awarded funding by the EPSRC for his research in the field. We are looking for an outstanding student to work with the team of a new EPSRC project. The research will pioneer the new developmental neuromorphic paradigm, which will be a synergic combination that will go beyond the limitations of the individual paradigms: neuromorphic computing will provide efficient brain-like resources able to process a more accurate representation of the real world, meanwhile developmental robotics will deliver the missing learning mechanisms for complex applications of neuromorphic spiking neural networks. The short-term objective is to demonstrate feasibility and lay the foundation of a biologically plausible framework to simulate the human-like learning process of numerical and abstract cognition, a fundamental characteristic of human intelligence. The team long-term goal is to create an artificial mind for robots that 'grows up' like a child's brain. This will be underpinned by neuromorphic computing which emulates the deep-lying architecture of the brain and will allow it to interpret and adapt to situations. As well as enabling the creation of robots with a human-like ability to reason, behave and interact the creation of an artificial mind will boost research in life sciences disciplines such as neuroscience by allowing researchers to run biologically realistic simulations to test theories. By simulating information on the inner workings of the brain that could not otherwise be detected, it could enhance our understanding of neurodevelopmental and learning disorders and lead to new treatments. Eligibility Information on entry requirements can be found here<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=147190&type=184&DID=6…> The ideal candidate should have a Masters degree in Neuromorphic Computing, Computational Neuroscience, Machine Learning, or closely related disciplines in AI and Robotics, excellent programming skills and experience in interdisciplinary research. How to apply Your application should be emailed to industry-innovation-admissions(a)shu.ac.uk<javascript:void(0)> Any interested candidates must contact the lead academic, Prof. Alessandro Di Nuovo, a.dinuovo(a)shu.ac.uk<javascript:void(0)>, to discuss your application. The application should explain how the candidate knowledge, skills and experience are relevant to the project short and long-term objectives. For information on how to apply please visit https://www.shu.ac.uk/research/degrees<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=147190&type=184&DID=6…> ________________________________ Funding Notes The PhD studentship provides tuition fees at UK level and a maintenance bursary at the UK Research Councils' national minimum doctoral stipend rate (£17,668 for 2022/23). The scholarship is available for three years of full-time. ________________________________ References Di Nuovo, A., McClelland (2019). Developing the knowledge of number digits in a child-like robot. Nature Machine Intelligence, 1(12), 594-605. Di Nuovo, A., & Jay, T. (2019). Development of numerical cognition in children and artificial systems: a review of the current knowledge and proposals for multi-disciplinary research. Cognitive Computation and Systems, 1(1), 2-11. Di Nuovo, A., & Cangelosi, A. (2021). Abstract Concept Learning in Cognitive Robots. Current Robotics Reports, 2(1), 1-8. Roy, Jaiswal, Panda, (2019). Towards spike-based machine intelligence with neuromorphic computing. Nature, 575(7784), 607-617. Krichmar (2018). Neurorobotics-A Thriving Community and a Promising Pathway Toward Intelligent Cognitive Robots. Frontiers in Neurorobotics, Vol. 12, p. 42. Furber (2016). Large-scale neuromorphic computing systems. Journal of Neural Engineering, 13(5), 51001. Sengupta, et al. (2019). Going deeper in spiking neural networks: VGG and residual architectures. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13, 95. Quax, D'Asaro,van Gerven, (2020). Adaptive time scales in recurrent neural networks. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 11360.

Nov. 10, 2022

Open PhD and post-doc positions at the University of Bern

by Jean-Pascal Pfister

Applications are invited for two PhD student positions and one post-doc position at the University of Bern. The positions are funded by a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation which is entitled “Why Spikes?”. This project aims at answering an almost 100 year old question in Neuroscience: “What are spikes good for?”. Indeed, since the discovery of action potentials by Lord Adrian in 1926, it has remained largely unknown what the benefits of spiking neurons are, when compared to analog neurons. Traditionally, it has been argued that spikes are good for long-distance communication or for temporally precise computation. However, there is no systematic study that quantitatively compares the communication as well as the computational benefits of spiking neuron w.r.t analog neurons. The aim of the project is to systematically quantify the benefits of spiking at various levels. The PhD students and post-doc will be supervised by Prof. Jean-Pascal Pfister (Theoretical Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology, University of Bern). The PhD candidates (resp. post-doc candidate) should hold a Master (resp. PhD) degree in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Computational Neuroscience, Neuroscience or a related field. She/he should have keen interests in developing theories that can be tested experimentally. Preference will be given to candidates with strong mathematical and programming skills. Expertise in stochastic dynamical systems, point processes, control theory and nonlinear Bayesian filtering will be a plus. The applicant should submit a CV (including contacts of two referees), a statement of research interests, marks obtained for the Master to Jean-Pascal Pfister (jeanpascal.pfister(a)unibe.ch) The position is offered for a period of three years and can be extended. The preferred starting date is February 2023. Salary scale is provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation (http://www.snf.ch/SiteCollectionDocuments/allg_doktorierende_e.pdf) Deadline for application is the 30th of November 2022 or until the position is filled. --------------------------------- Prof. Jean-Pascal Pfister Theoretical Neuroscience Group Physiology Department, University of Bern 5 Bühlplatz, CH-3012 Bern, CH e-mail: jeanpascal.pfister(a)unibe.ch URL: http://www.physio.unibe.ch/~pfister/

Nov. 7, 2022

Gatsby Unit PhD Programme in Theoretical Neuroscience and Machine Learning -- deadline 13 November

by Maneesh Sahani

Applications to the Gatsby Unit PhD programme close soon. See www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/study-and-work/phd-programme The Gatsby Unit is a leading research centre focused on theoretical neuroscience and machine learning. We study (un)supervised and reinforcement learning in brains and machines; inference, coding and neural dynamics; Bayesian and kernel methods, and deep learning; with applications to the analysis of perceptual processing and cognition, neural data, signal and image processing, machine vision, network data and nonparametric hypothesis testing. The unit provides a unique opportunity for a critical mass of theoreticians to interact closely with one another, with the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC), the Centre for Computational Statistics and Machine Learning (CSML), other research groups in related UCL departments, and the nearby Alan Turing and Francis Crick Institutes. Students complete a 4-year PhD in either machine learning or theoretical neuroscience, with minor emphasis in the complementary field. Courses in the first year provide a comprehensive introduction to both fields and systems neuroscience. Students are encouraged to work and interact closely with researchers at the SWC and/or CSML to take advantage of this uniquely multidisciplinary research environment. Applicants should have a strong analytical and quantitative background, a keen interest in neuroscience, machine learning or both, and a relevant first degree, for example in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Neuroscience or Cognitive Psychology. Full funding is available regardless of nationality. The unit also welcomes applicants who have secured or are seeking funding from other sources. Applications should be submitted directly via our online portal. -- Maneesh Sahani, Ph.D. Professor of Theoretical Neuroscience and Machine Learning Director, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG

Nov. 4, 2022

IBI Data Governance Symposium at Neuroscience 2022 San Diego, Nov. 14, 18:30-

by Kenji Doya

If you are attending Neuroscience 2022 in San Diego, please come join the satellite symposium by International Brain Initiative (IBI) Data Standards and Sharing Working Group: Developing an International Data Governance Framework to Accelerate Global Neuroscience Research https://brainminds-beyond.jp/satelliteopen@sfn_2022_ibi_data_WG.html Monday, November 14th, 2022, 18:30 – 20:40 PST Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Level 4, Sapphire 400AB Opening: Jan Bjaalie, Kenji Doya Keynote: Open science at the Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, Karel Svoboda Flash talks on data sharing by brain initiatives around the world Updates from Data WG Task Forces Data Governance: Damian Eke, Franco Pestilli, Matthew Brown Data Catalog: Sean Hill, Tom Johnstone Training: Sharon Crook, Tina Kokan Open Discussion over drinks and snacks Closing: Maryann Martone Pre-registration is not required but attendance is limited to 100, first-come-first-served. If you are interested in joining, please leave a note here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IBI_data_interest For any question, please contact: ibidatawg(a)gmail.com See you in San Diego! Kenji ---- Kenji Doya <doya(a)oist.jp> Neural Computation Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan Phone: +81-98-966-8594; Fax: +81-98-966-2891 https://groups.oist.jp/ncu

Nov. 4, 2022

Post-doc on Spiking models for energy-efficient Continuous Learning AI

by Xavier Otazu Porter

We are seeking postdocs to join the Learning and Machine Perception (LAMP) team in beautiful Barcelona. The positions are for two years and will remain open until good candidates are found. The project focuses on research lines that explore the potential of Continual AI to address the challenges of sustainable-AI. Living allowance of 31-36k€/year (gross salary) depending on experience. More information on: http://wwwo.cvc.uab.es/lamp/?p=1389 Xavier Otazu Computer Vision Center<http://www.cvc.uab.cat> CONFIDENTIALITY WARNING<http://www.cvc.uab.es/?page_id=7475>

Nov. 4, 2022

Postdoctoral position in astrocyte modeling at EPFL, Switzerland

by Daniel Keller

The Blue Brain Project at EPFL in Switzerland has an open postdoctoral position for modeling of astrocyte signaling pathways within the context of large-scale brain simulations, using numerical solution of differential equations as well as other techniques. Qualified candidates should hold a doctorate in a science or technical domain. For more information or to apply, please see: https://recruiting.epfl.ch/Vacancies/2032/Description/2

Nov. 4, 2022

Job Opportunity at INCF!

by INCF

Job Opportunity at INCF! Stockholm, SE: Want to join a friendly, international group passionate about neuroinformatics and the FAIR scientific environment? We’re hiring! The role includes: - managing INCF's scientific committees & councils, - developing communications materials, - maintaining training & education content, - maintaining updates on working group activities, - managing mentorship programs, and - assisting with INCF events. Candidates should be highly organized and service-minded with excellent written and spoken English. We are looking for a self-motivated and independent neuroscientist, computer scientist, or data scientist, preferably with experience in community engagement, open science practices, and scientific communications. The candidate should have strong time management skills and be able to multitask. Interpersonal skills are essential and we emphasize the person’s ability to contribute to a friendly work environment. Skills required: - MSc or PhD in computational neuroscience, neuroscience, data science, or computer science - Fluency in English - Strong organizational skills - Ability to prioritize tasks - Excellent and proven team-working ability - Tactful and diplomatic verbal and written interpersonal communication skills - Proficiency in MS Office - Proficiency in scientific writing (blog-style) - Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (mainly InDesign and Photoshop) Skills desirable: - Knowledge of Google apps, Zoom, Doodle, and other similar web applications for office use - Familiarity with social media platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube) - Graphical/layout skills Learn more and apply by November 30: bit.ly/INCFjobad /The INCF Team

Nov. 3, 2022

PhD Positions in Brain Imaging Computing at Lehigh University, US

by Yu Zhang

*PhD Positions in Brain Imaging Computing at Lehigh University, USA* The Brain Imaging and Computation Laboratory (BIC Lab) at Lehigh University has opening PhD positions in brain imaging computing. *Position description:* The research projects will focus on developing and applying a variety of machine learning/deep learning methods for brain imaging analysis and prediction. The successful applicants will contribute to research and development in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven neural biomarker discovery using advanced neuroimaging techniques (e.g., MRI and EEG) for precision medicine of brain diseases and brain-computer interaction. *Qualifications:* Successful applicants will have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, or other related fields, and strong motivation to do high-quality research in novel brain imaging computing with machine learning. Additionally, strong quantitative skills and a programming background (Matlab and/or Python) are important. Previous research experiences in related fields and scientific publications in journals/conferences are preferred. *Lehigh University:* Lehigh University is a premier research university in the United States, consistently ranked in the top tier of national research universities each year. It is a coeducational, nondenominational, private university that offers a distinctive academic environment for undergraduate and graduate students from across the globe. The University campus is located in Pennsylvania’s scenic Lehigh Valley, with a driving distance of 1 hour to Philadelphia and of 2 hours to New York City. The application materials will be reviewed immediately once received. The expected starting time is in Spring or Fall 2023. Interested candidates should send their CV and a cover letter describing research accomplishments and interests to Dr. Yu Zhang at yuzi20(a)lehigh.edu Yu Zhang, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Bioengineering Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Lehigh University Webpage: http://yuzhangresearch.weebly.com/ Email: yuzi20(a)lehigh.edu

Nov. 3, 2022

[Jobs] 2 Year Postdoc at the Institute for Neural Computation, Bochum, Germany

by Laurenz Wiskott

The Institute for Neural Computation of the Faculty for Informatics is looking for a postdoc (m,f,x) in the field of Computational Neuroscience for 2 years, 39,83 hours per week, E13 TVL The Institute for Neural Computation is part of the Faculty of Computer Science at the Ruhr-University Bochum, 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 postdoc in the group „Theory of Neural Systems“ of Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott to be filled as soon as possible. The position is planned for two years with salary level 100% TV-L E13, the standard German salary for postdocs. This position offers the opportunity to develop your own research profile and establish an independent research group. The research topic should be in the field of computational neuroscience on a system level, in particular modeling the visual system, episodic memory, or navigation in mammals. Collaborations with colleagues at the institute are welcome. extent: full-time duration: temporary beginning: as soon as possible application deadline: 21.11.2022 Your tasks: Independent research projects and publications. Acquiring third party funding. Teaching. A lot of room for own ideas and initiatives. Supervising student projects and your own PhD projects. Active participation in the local research environment. Your profile: Active participation in the local research environment. Solid knowledge in Computational Neuroscience. Potential to develop an original independent research agenda in one of the above-mentioned topics. Our offerings: An interesting interdisciplinary environment in the field of experimental and computational neuroscience / machine Learning. Opportunity to develop an independent research profile and your own research group. Opportunity to pursue further scientific qualification. A lot of room for own ideas and initiatives. Additional information: At the request of the applicant (m,f,x), the staff council may be involved in selection interviews. The load of teaching will be calculated according to § 3 of Lehrverpflichtungsverordnung (state of North Rhine-Westphalia). The Ruhr-Universität Bochum is one of Germany’s leading research universities, addressing the whole range of academic disciplines. A highly dynamic setting enables researchers and students to work across the traditional boundaries of academic subjects and faculties. To create knowledge networks within and beyond the university is RUB’s declared aim. The Ruhr-Universität Bochum stands for diversity and equal opportunities. For this reason, we favour a working environment composed of heterogeneous teams, and seek to promote the careers of individuals who are underrepresented in our respective professional areas. The Ruhr-Universität Bochum expressly requests job applications from women. In areas in which they are underrepresented they will be given preference in the case of equivalent qualifications with male candidates. Applications from individuals with disabilities are most welcome. Contact details for your application: Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott, Phone: +49234 32 27997 Travel expenses for interviews cannot be refunded. For information on the collection of personal data in the application process see: https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/en/information-collection-personal-data-appl…. ANR: 1267 until 21/11/2022 Applications (CV, transcript of records for PhD, MSc and BSc, statement of purpose) should be sent as a single pdf file to laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de.

Nov. 2, 2022