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

PhD Positions in Brain Imaging Computing at Lehigh University, US
by Yu Zhang 03 Nov '22

03 Nov '22

*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

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[Jobs] 2 Year Postdoc at the Institute for Neural Computation, Bochum, Germany
by Laurenz Wiskott 02 Nov '22

02 Nov '22

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.

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Postdoctoral position for 2-photon imaging and holographic stimulation of neuronal avalanches in the cortex (Dietmar Plenz)
by Plenz, Dietmar (NIH/NIMH) [E] 02 Nov '22

02 Nov '22

A postdoctoral position for 2-photon imaging and holographic stimulation of neuronal avalanches in the cortex of behaving mice is available immediately in the Section of Critical Brain Dynamics of Dietmar Plenz at the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, USA. The successful candidate will join our vibrant, collaborative, and interdisciplinary group to explore function and benefits of critical dynamics such as neuronal avalanches in cortical information processing. Our team utilizes numerous experimental techniques such as 2-photon imaging, controlled single cell stimulation with spatial-light modulation, and extracellular/intracellular recordings to study the emergent dynamics in large neuronal populations in vitro and in vivo. Our experimental approaches are complemented by elaborate computer simulations and theoretical studies in complex systems. We are located in the Porter Neuroscience Research Center on the main NIH campus in Bethesda, which provides ample opportunities to engage with a diverse neuroscience community for non-clinical and clinical research. To qualify for this position, you need a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience/physics or related discipline, some background in systems neuroscience, and an ability to work in a multidisciplinary team. Special considerations are given to applicants with training in imaging, in vivo physiology, laser optics, computational approaches. Advanced programming skills, in MATLAB, and/or Python, are of advantage but not required. The position comes with a commitment of at least 2 years and can be extended for up to 5 years. Interested and qualified individuals should send a copy of their curriculum vitae and names of three references to Dietmar Plenz at plenzd(a)mail.nih.gov<mailto:plenzd@mail.nih.gov>. The NIH is dedicated to building a community in its training and employment programs and encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities. Postdoc Positions at the NIH View - Office of Intramural Training & Education at the National Institutes of Health<https://www.training.nih.gov/postdoc_jobs_nih/view/_31/10120/PIHSNABM_11120…>

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Two postdoc positions in Computational Neuroscience in Shanghai
by yy227 02 Nov '22

02 Nov '22

Dear colleagues, Two open postdoc positions are available in the Computational Neuroscience Lab led by Professor Yuguo Yu at Fudan University, Shanghai, China. We are looking for motivated scientists or engineers with Ph.D in multidisciplinary fields like Physics, Neuroscience, Mathematics, or Computer Sciences, with experience and passion in the study of neural information processing mechanisms and algorithms for brain-inspired intelligence. The major scientific questions studied recently in our groups are: 1. What computational rules or physical principles does the brain circuit follow in the long-term evolution? (Yu Y et al., JCBFM 2018; Wang X et al., PNAS 2020; Yu Y et al., Cerebral Cortex 2022) 2. How to develop Spiking neural networks (SNNs) that mimic information encoding and decoding in the brain and can energy efficiently process Spatio-temporal information through discrete and sparse spikes. (Yu Y et al., J. Neurosci.2014; Du M et al., PLoS Comp.Biol.2018; Zhang J et al., Research 2022) . 3. To develop computational behavior models or deep neural networks for higher cognitive functions, such as inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory, so as to understand the mechanism of cognition and its impairment in psychiatric disorders. For this direction, contact: Prof. Luo, qluo(a)fudan.edu.cn. (Recent publications: JAMA Psychiatry 2019; 76(4):435-445; NeuroImage 2022, 263,119585.) The duration of the postdoc is two years with the possibility of renewal. Postdoctoral fellows will receive a generous salary and an allocation for research and travel expenses. Please email for more details. Basic Qualifications: Candidates should have backgrounds in one or more of the following areas: physics, machine learning, statistics, computational neuroscience, computer science, applied mathematics, or electrical engineering. The candidate will be expected to publish scholarly papers, attend internal, domestic, and international conferences and meetings, as well as take on a mentorship role for undergraduate and graduate students. Contact: Required application documents include a cover letter, CV, a statement of research interests, and up to three representative papers. Candidates are also required to submit the names and contact information for at least three references, and the application is complete only when three letters have been submitted. We encourage candidates to apply by Feb 31, 2022, but will continue to review applications until the positions are filled. Contact Information: Yuguo Yu (yuyuguo(a)fudan.edu.cn) Qiang Luo (qluo(a)fudan.edu.cn) Equal Opportunity Employer Fudan University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, protected veteran status, disability, genetic information, military service, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or other protected status.

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Postdoctoral and doctoral studies in the neuroscience of real-time, embodied decision-making and action planning
by Paul Cisek 01 Nov '22

01 Nov '22

Postdoctoral and doctoral studies in the neuroscience of real-time, embodied decision-making and action planning Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal Applications are invited for postdoctoral and doctoral studies in systems neuroscience, in the laboratories of Paul Cisek and Andrea Green at the University of Montreal. Our research investigates the neural mechanisms of decision-making and action planning in humans and non-human primates using computational models of the nervous system as well as behavioral experiments, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and multi-electrode recording in multiple regions of the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia. New projects will use virtual reality to study naturalistic behavior in both humans and non-human primates and develop computational models of real-time action selection and control. Additional collaborative projects include studies of decision-making during ongoing action and movement through space, MEG studies of dynamic decision-making in humans (with Karim Jerbi), and computational modeling of neural circuits and artificial learning systems (with Guillaume Lajoie and Irina Rish). For more information, see: https://cisek.org/pavel/ and https://neurosciences.umontreal.ca/recherche/les-chercheurs/andrea-green/. Multiple positions are available. All students with a strong background in biological sciences, engineering, mathematics, computer science, physics or psychology and an interest in system-level study of the brain are encouraged to apply. Prior experience in neurophysiology, behavioral neuroscience and/or computational modeling of neural systems is highly desirable. Depending on the applicant's qualifications and interests, they will help to design and conduct behavioral and neurophysiological experiments, analyze data, develop theoretical models of neural systems, prepare manuscripts for publication and participate in international conferences. Interested candidates are asked to send a curriculum vita, copies of academic transcripts, a statement of research interests and the names and contact information for two references, to Paul Cisek (paul.cisek(a)umontreal.ca<mailto:paul.cisek@umontreal.ca>) and Andrea Green (andrea.green(a)umontreal.ca<mailto:andrea.green@umontreal.ca>). Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled, but preference will be given to applications received before November 30, 2022. Interviews will be possible at the Society for Neuroscience meeting (San Diego, CA, November 12-16, 2022). Paul Cisek, PhD Département de neurosciences Université de Montréal Physical: 2960 chemin de la tour, local 4117 Montréal, QC H3T 1J4 CANADA Mailing: CP 6128 Succursale centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 CANADA e-mail: paul.cisek(a)gmail.com<mailto:paul.cisek@gmail.com> Web: www.cisek.org/pavel<http://www.cisek.org/pavel>

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Dec 1 deadline: PhD student opening in the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience lab (Bayet lab) at American University, Washington DC
by Laurie Bayet 01 Nov '22

01 Nov '22

Dr. Bayet (bayet(a)american.edu), assistant professor of Neuroscience at American University, is anticipating *accepting a PhD student for Fall 2023* through the Behavioral, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCaN) program. The *application deadline is Dec 1st*, and prospective students may apply now at: https://www.american.edu/cas/neuroscience/phd/requirements.cfm (GRE optional). Applicants should mention the name(s) of the faculty they are interested in working with within their statement of purpose. The program provides 4 years of funding. Dr. Bayet directs the *Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience lab at American University*, which focuses on *infant cognitive development and high-level vision* research. Current projects in the lab combine electro-encephalography (EEG), eye-tracking, behavioral methods, and/or computational (e.g., machine learning) tools to uncover how infants and young children represent and understand complex visual objects, with particular focus on those visual objects that are relevant to affective, social communication (e.g., facial movements). Dr. Bayet's work has been recognized with a Rising Star award from the Association for Psychological Science (APS), and a Distinguished Early Career Contribution Award from the International Congress of Infant Studies. Learn more at: https://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/bayet.cfm and https://www.bayetlab.com/ The PhD student will have the opportunity to *contribute to ongoing* *NSF-funded research* in collaboration with Drs. Alexis Black (UBC), Lauren Emberson (UBC), and Richard N. Aslin (Haskins/Yale). The project, entitled “*Grounding computational models of vision with infant brain data*”, uses EEG and multivariate “decoding” to characterize infants' neural representations of visual objects, compare them to those of artificial neural networks, and assess relationships between language and visual representations (NSF award # 2122961 <https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2122961>). The Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory is part of the Neuroscience Department (https://www.american.edu/cas/neuroscience/ ) and the Center for Neuroscience and Behavior ( https://www.american.edu/cas/center-neuroscience/ ) at American University. American University provides a stimulating intellectual environment, just 2 miles from downtown Washington DC. DC offers a vibrant research community, and American University enjoys proximity to other notable research institutions such as the National Institutes of Health. With extensive public transit, an exciting cultural and restaurant scene, many museums and public parks, and proximity to other green spaces in the surrounding region (e.g., Appalachian trail, Shenandoah National Park), Washington DC consistently ranks amongst the top US metropolitan areas for quality of life. Prior experience with developmental/neuroimaging research or programming/machine learning (we use Python, Matlab, and/or R) are preferred but not required, as training will be provided. Interested applicants may contact Dr. Bayet at bayet(a)american.edu for any inquiry. Selected recent lab publications: Ashton, K., Zinszer, B. D., Cichy, R. M., Nelson III, C. A., Aslin, R. N., & Bayet, L. (2022). Time-resolved multivariate pattern analysis of infant EEG data: A practical tutorial. *Developmental cognitive neuroscience*, *54*, 101094. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101094 Bayet, L. (2022). How infants learn from a world of faces: Implications for racial biases and mask-wearing. *Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences*, 9(1), 65-72. https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322211068007 Bayet, L., Perdue, K. L., Behrendt, H. F., Richards, J. E., Westerlund, A., Cataldo, J. K., & Nelson III, C. A. (2021). Neural responses to happy, fearful and angry faces of varying identities in 5-and 7-month-old infants. *Developmental cognitive neuroscience*, 47, 100882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100882 Bayet, L., Zinszer, B. D., Reilly, E., Cataldo, J. K., Pruitt, Z., Cichy, R. M., ... & Aslin, R. N. (2020). Temporal dynamics of visual representations in the infant brain. *Developmental cognitive neuroscience* , *45*, 100860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100860 -- Laurie Bayet, PhD (hear name <https://namedrop.io/lauriebayet>) Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, American University (202) 885-1719

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Postdoc position in modelling the effects of neuromodulation on balanced networks
by Fleur Zeldenrust 01 Nov '22

01 Nov '22

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to work on the Vidi project 'Top-down neuromodulation and bottom-up network computation, a computational study' and *study the effects of neuromodulators in balanced networks*. You will use cellular and behavioural data on the effects of dopamine, acetylcholine and serotonin in mouse barrel cortex gathered by our department over the past five years, to bridge the gap between single cell, network and behavioural effects. You will use the balanced network framework to study network activity under neuromodulation. In order to do this, you will develop a balanced network description of the barrel cortex, with realistic barrel cortex properties (see https://doi.org/10.1007/s12021-022-09576-5). Next, you will incorporate the cellular effects of dopamine, acetylcholine and serotonin that we have measured over the previous years (see https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giy147 and https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.12.476007) into the network, and investigate their effects on overall network activity and behaviour. More particularly, through simulations and analytical derivations, you will research the effects of neuromodulators on the stability of the balanced state, synchrony, regularity and chaos. You will build on the single cell data, models and analysis methods available in our group, and your results will be incorporated into our group's further research to develop and validate machine learning and efficient coding models of (somatosensory) perception. We are therefore looking for a team player who can work well with our other group members and is willing to both learn from them and share their knowledge. *Profile* - You hold a PhD in computational neuroscience, mathematics, physics, computer science, AI or a related discipline. - Preferably, you have experience in working with balanced networks and can perform both network simulations and analytical derivations such as mean field approximations and chaos descriptions. - You are a highly motivated, independent, critical, and creative researcher who wants to bridge the gap between real data and abstract theoretical models. - You are a team player, ready to collaborate in a multidisciplinary research group. - You have an excellent command of spoken and written English. - You have experience in coding (Python and/or Matlab). *We are* You will be appointed at the Biophysics of Neural Computation group <https://www.ru.nl/donders/research/theme-4-neural-computation-neurotechnolo…> , Donders Center for Neuroscience <https://www.ru.nl/science/dcn/>, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour <https://www.ru.nl/donders/>., at the Radboud University. <http://www.ru.nl/> This vibrant and multidisciplinary institute studies the organisation and function of neural circuits across scales and techniques, from genes and proteins to behaviour and from in vitro and in vivo experiments to computational modelling. It provides an open and international environment, where young scientists from different backgrounds share a fascination for the interaction between brain structure and function. For postdoctoral researchers, there is a lively community <https://www.ru.nl/donders/talent-education/postdoctoral-researchers/> and specialised support. *We offer* It concerns an employment for 0.8 - 1.0 FTE. - The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of €2,960 and a maximum of €4,670 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience (salary scale 10). - You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. - It concerns a temporary employment for 26 months. - You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen. - Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20. *Practical information and applying* You can apply until 1 December 2022, exclusively on the website below. Kindly address your application to Fleur Zeldenrust. Please fill in the application form and attach the following documents: - A letter of motivation (max. 2 pages). - Your CV including a publication list. - A copy of a first-authored publication. - Contact details of two academic referees. The first round of interviews will take place on Thursday 8 December. You would preferably begin employment on 1 January 2023. See also: https://www.ru.nl/en/working-at/job-opportunities/postdoctoral-researcher-i… -- Fleur Zeldenrust Assistant Professor Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour Donders Centre for Neuroscience Faculty of Science, Radboud University Heyendaalseweg 135, room HG 00.111 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands tel +31 24 36 53195 fleurzeldenrust.nl *Due to my own family/work balance, you may receive emails from me outside of normal working hours. I do not expect a response from you outside of your own working pattern, nor do I expect an immediate response when you are working.*

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Python Package: SER model
by Fabrizio Damicelli 01 Nov '22

01 Nov '22

Dear Computational Neuroscience Community, I would like to point you to a potentially useful Python Package that might be of interest for your research, especially in the realm dynamical models and spreading dynamics on networks. "ser": S(usceptible)E(xcited)R(efractory) model on graphs, a dynamical model of spreading excitations. Code Repository: https://github.com/fabridamicelli/ser As of today, a few people already trust it and the package registers >11K total downloads, ~500/month (pypi.org) and has been used already in a few research projects. A few interesting features: - It is light-weight and fast (`numba` accelerated), i.e. many experiments can be simply run on a laptop - Installation and getting started is easy: `pip install ser` - Example notebooks: https://github.com/fabridamicelli/ser/blob/main/examples The SER model is a classical cellular automaton model used to study all sorts of complex systems, ranging from forest fire dynamics to self-organized criticality in the brain. Despite of the simplicity of its setup, it is capable of generating complex emergent dynamics with absolutely non-trivial higher-order statistical properties. To learn more about the SER model and its applications, you might want to check out these references: - Messe et al. (2018). Toward a theory of coactivation patterns in excitable neural networks. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006084 - Haimovici et al. (2013). Brain Organization into Resting State Networks Emerges at Criticality on a Model of the Human Connectome. doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.178101 - Damicelli et al. (2019). Topological reinforcement as a principle of modularity emergence in brain networks. doi.org/10.1162/netn_a_00085 Check it out and any feedback/suggestions/bug reports are more than welcome (simply open an issue: https://github.com/fabridamicelli/ser/issues). All the best, Fabrizio Damicelli

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