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

PhD studentships at University of Hertfordshire, UK
by Nada Yousif 17 Mar '22

17 Mar '22

Applications are invited by the Centre for Future Societies Research for three fully funded PhD studentships at the University of Hertfordshire. These research studentships will be part of the University Alliance (UA) Doctoral Training Alliance in Future Societies, and include the proposed project: "Low-cost, accessible neurostimulation, experiments and simulations" to be supervised by Dr Nada Yousif and Prof Volker Steuber. The PhD project will combine experimental cerebellar stimulation and computational modelling of the cerebellum to show the feasibility of low-cost, accessible non-invasive neurostimulation for treating movement disorders. Please see the Centre for Future Societies Research web page where project details are held on https://www.herts.ac.uk/research/centres/centre-for-future-societies-resear… and the external advert on https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CND466/three-fully-funded-phd-research-studentsh…. Closing date for applications: 22nd April 2022. Interviews will start soon after the closing date. Studentship start date: September 2022. For informal enquiries contact Dr Nada Yousif (n.yousif(a)herts.ac.uk<mailto:n.yousif@herts.ac.uk>) or Prof Volker Steuber (v.steuber(a)herts.ac.uk<mailto:v.steuber@herts.ac.uk>, biocomputation.herts.ac.uk<http://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk/>). Dr Nada Yousif School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science University of Hertfordshire +44 (0)1707 284129 n.yousif(a)herts.ac.uk<mailto:n.yousif@herts.ac.uk> go.herts.ac.uk/nada_yousif https://sites.google.com/view/nada-yousif/home

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EBRAINS Brain Simulation School 2022, 30 May – 3 June 2022, REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 30 April 2022
by Luca Leonardo Bologna 17 Mar '22

17 Mar '22

We are glad to announce the *EBRAINS Brain Simulation School 2022* to be held in Palermo, Italy, from 30 May to 3 June, 2022. The EBRAINS Brain Simulation School 2022 aims at introducing the participants to the latest achievements and innovations of the *digital infrastructure for brain research EBRAINS* (ebrains.eu), created by the Human Brain Project. The School will offer tutorials on EBRAINS Tools and eServices. The students will be presented with the overview of the EBRAINS research platform, discussed by the leaders of the Human Brain Project, and gain practical skills in using EBRAINS resources to implement cellular and network level computational models, to use *EBRAINS Computing Services* configure and run simulations, and to visualise/analyse the results. Through tutorials, interactive sessions and hands-on activities, attendees will learn how to interact with EBRAINS to *carry out their own research*, to set up and manage a data-driven collaborative project, or to use the EBRAINS platform to interact with internal and external databases. The *target audience* of this school are advanced master students, doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers in biomedical and technology sciences, from medicine, biology, psychology, to mathematics, informatics, information technology, physics, chemistry, who would like to get an *introduction to the neuroinformatics and computational neuroscience tools available in the EBRAINS Infrastructure*. Registrations close on *30 April, 2022*. The event is limited to *40 participants*. Registration and Program are available on the School website: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/BRAINSIM/ The School Scientific Chairs & Organizers Michele Migliore, Aušra Saudargienė, Francesca Spataro, Alessia Bonafede

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Postdoc at Harvard (Drugowitsch Lab) in computational neuroscience
by Jan Drugowitsch 14 Mar '22

14 Mar '22

Location: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Start: summer 2022 or after We are looking for a highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow to work in the field of computational and systems neuroscience in the group of Jan Drugowitsch - Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School (https://drugowitschlab.hms.harvard.edu/). The group works on questions of decision-making and navigation under uncertainty, ranging from the level of neural populations to that of behavior. We have strong ties to, and frequently collaborate with, experimental labs. The postdoctoral fellow will develop state-of-the-art theories of neural computations using machine learning, neural networks, dynamical systems analysis, and reinforcement learning, and will analyze the neural data collected by experimental collaborators. The position starts in or after June 2022, and is funded for several years, with an initial one-year appointment and expectation of extension given satisfactory performance. Salary depends on experience and is at levels above the NIH scale. Expected background: Candidates should have a strong analytical background, such as in computational neuroscience, physics, mathematics, engineering, or related, and feature an interest in the role of computation in neural populations and in theoretical neuroscience in general. Experience or familiarity with related machine-learning fields is also desirable. Application: Candidates should send a single pdf file, consisting of a 1-page motivation letter, CV, and publication list to jan_drugowitsch(a)hms.harvard.edu. If they are considered suitable candidates, they will be requested to additionally organize two letters of reference. The position is open until filled. Dr. Drugowitsch will be available at the Computational and Systems Neuroscience Conference (Cosyne), to take place in Portugal, March 17-22, for questions and further information about the opening. Harvard is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Jan Drugowitsch Assistant Professor in Neurobiology Harvard Medical School https://drugowitschlab.hms.harvard.edu/

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NeuroBridges 2022
by Ahmed El Hady 13 Mar '22

13 Mar '22

*NeuroBridges 2022* *A Mediterranean, Middle Eastern Summer School in Neuroscience* *Application opens March 15, 2022* *Website: **___http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2022.html_* ** *NeuroBridges2022* is a summer school which will take place between September 4 and September 15, 2022 in Le Centre de Conferences Internationales de Cluny, France (CCIC) <https://streaklinks.com/A90svF509Dfx1gAIfQKAz1pX/https%3A%2F%2Fcollegecluny…>. The school will provide an overview of theoretical and experimental frameworks used to study a variety of *decision making* processes. It will cover a different model systems from rodents to humans and a plethora of decision making mechanisms. Another objective of Neurobridges is to bring together *Mediterranean and Middle Eastern scientists*, in order to promote scientific cooperation between young researchers from these countries. The organizers of NeuroBridges are convinced that such scientific collaborations can lead to personal relations, which eventually may alleviate the political distress in the Middle East. The school is intended for graduate students and postdocs, primarily (but not only) from the Middle East and the Mediterranean region either working in their home countries or abroad. Applicants should have some background in related fields in neuroscience or cognitive psychology. All costs of registration and accommodation will be covered by the organizers. For more information and application, visit our website:_http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2022.html_ *NeuroBridges2022 Faculty:* Carlos Brody (Princeton), Ahmed El Hady (Princeton/Konstanz), David Hansel (CNRS), Ifat Levy (Yale), Yonatan Loewenstein (Hebrew U.), Najib Majaj (NYU), Mike Shadlen (Columbia U.), Eyal Winter (Hebrew U.) and Yoram Yovell (Hadassah Hebrew U. Medical Center) *NeuroBridges* is co-organized by Ahmed El Hady (Princeton Neuroscience Institute, USA), Yonatan Loewenstein (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel) and David Hansel (CNRS, Paris, France). *NeuroBridges2022* is supported by the Simons Foundation (USA) and CNRS (France) and is in partnership with WWTNS (wwtns.online). *Contact us:*_neurobridges2022@gmail.com <mailto:neurobridges2022@gmail.com>_

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job: machine learning research scientist at NIMH
by Francisco Pereira 12 Mar '22

12 Mar '22

## HIRING: machine learning research scientist The Machine Learning Team at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Bethesda, MD, has an open position for a machine learning research scientist. The NIMH is the leading federal agency for research on mental disorders and neuroscience, and part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ## About the NIMH Machine Learning Team Our mission is to help NIMH scientists use machine learning methods to address research problems in clinical and cognitive psychology and neuroscience. These range from identifying biomarkers for aiding diagnoses to creating and testing models of mental processes in healthy subjects. Our overarching goal is to use machine learning to improve every aspect of the scientific effort, from helping discover or develop theories to generating actionable results. We work with many different data types, including very large brain imaging datasets from various imaging modalities, behavioral data, and picture and text corpora. We have excellent computational resources, both of our own (tens of high-end GPUs for deep learning, several large servers) and shared within the NIH (a cluster with hundreds of thousands of CPUs, and hundreds of GPUs). As a machine learning research group, we develop new methods and publish in the main machine learning conferences (e.g. NeurIPS and ICLR), as well as in psychology and neuroscience journals. Many of our problems require devising research approaches that combine imaging and non-imaging data, and leveraging structured knowledge resources (databases, scientific literature, etc) to generate explanations and hypotheses. You can find more about our work and recent publications at https://cmn.nimh.nih.gov/mlt ## About the position We are seeking candidates who are capable of combining machine learning, statistical, and domain-specific computational tools to solve practical data analysis challenges (e.g. designing experiments, generating and testing statistical hypotheses, training and interpreting predictive models, and developing novel models and methods). Additionally, candidates should be capable of visualizing and communicating findings to a broad scientific audience, as well as explaining the details of relevant methods to researchers in a variety of domains. Required experience: - deep learning, using PyTorch or Tensorflow Desirable experience: - reinforcement learning - Bayesian statistical modelling - other types of modelling of human/animal learning and decision-making - neuroimaging data processing/ analysis (any MRI modality, MEG, or EEG) - other types of neural data (e.g. neural recording, calcium imaging) all in the context of substantial research projects, ideally having led to submitted or published articles. Finally, you should have demonstrable experience programming in languages currently used in data-intensive, scientific computing, such as Python, MATLAB or R. Experience with handling large datasets in high performance computing settings is also very valuable. Although this position requires a Ph.D. in a STEM discipline, we will consider applicants from a variety of backgrounds, as their research experience is the most important factor. Backgrounds of team members include computer science, statistics, mathematics, and biomedical engineering. This is an ideal position for someone who wants to establish a research career in method development and applications driven by scientific and clinical needs. Given our access to a variety of collaborators and large or unique datasets, there is ample opportunity to match research interests with novel research problems. We also maintain collaborations outside of the NIH, driven by our own research interests or community impact. If you would like to be considered for this position, please send francisco.pereira(a)nih.gov a CV, with your email serving as cover letter. We especially encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups in the machine learning research community. If you already have a research statement, please feel free to send that as well. There is no need for reference letters at this stage. Other inquiries are also welcome. Thank you for your attention and interest!

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SCGB Virtual Postdoc/Student Meeting: Monday, March 14 by James Roach
by Laura Long 12 Mar '22

12 Mar '22

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 our next Global meeting! Please see event details and the Zoom link below. SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-277… Monday, March 14th, 1pm Eastern Time https://simonsfoundation.zoom.us/j/97652465539?pwd=YkdYaTBGOGU0c1NyUzV1d1Jr… Passcode: 188122 *James Roach*Postdoctoral Researcher, Churchland Laboratory University of California, Los Angeles *Two roles for choice selective inhibition in decision-making circuits* During perceptual decision-making, the firing rates of cortical neurons reflect upcoming choices. Recent work showed that excitatory and inhibitory neurons are equally selective for choice. However, the functional consequences of inhibitory choice selectivity in decision-making circuits are unknown. We developed a circuit model of decision-making which accounts for the specificity of inputs to and outputs from inhibitory neurons. We found that selective inhibition expands the space of circuits supporting decision-making, allowing for weaker or stronger recurrent excitation when connected in a competitive or feedback motif. The specificity of inhibitory outputs sets the trade-off between speed and accuracy of decisions by altering the attractor dynamics in the circuit. Recurrent neural networks trained to make decisions display the same dependence on inhibitory specificity and the strength of recurrent excitation. Our results reveal two concurrent roles for selective inhibition in decision-making circuits: stabilizing strongly connected excitatory populations and maximizing competition between oppositely selective populations. *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-277… Please contact Laura Long at llong(a)simonsfoundation.org with any questions.

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Multiple Postdoctoral Scholar Positions at Washington University in St. Louis
by Shuo Wang 11 Mar '22

11 Mar '22

We are looking for multiple highly motivated postdoctoral scholars to work on NSF, DoD, and NIH funded projects. Projects include but are not limited to using human single-neuron recordings to study the neural circuits underlying social attention and using fMRI to study face perception 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. 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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Applications open for BRAINS: please forward!
by Adrienne L Fairhall 11 Mar '22

11 Mar '22

Dear colleagues, Applications are now open for an NINDS funded, national professional development program dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion in neuroscience (*BRAINS: Broadening the Representation of Academic Investigators in NeuroScience*. BRAINS uses a unique cohort-based professional development approach to explicitly address the inclusion, retention, and advancement of early career (post Ph.D. and pre-tenure) neuroscientists from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups. The BRAINS experience positively impacts participants’ career trajectories, especially in academic neuroscience, and creates perpetually empowering communities. For more information about our program, visit the BRAINS website [https://advance.washington.edu/brains/]. To apply, go to: https://advance.washington.edu/brains/program/application. Applications will be accepted until April 25, 2022. If you have questions, feel free to contact Sheri Mizumori (mizumori(a)uw.edu ).

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Neuro tool projects with INCF in Google Summer of Code - open to all beginners to open source
by Malin Sandström 11 Mar '22

11 Mar '22

Dear all, tell your friends and colleagues - for the first time, the Google Summer of Code <https://summerofcode.withgoogle.com> Program is open to all beginners and newcomers to open source. INCF participates as a mentoring organization for the 12th time. This year, we offer 50 different projects suggested and mentored by tool developers in the neuroscience community. If you are interested in becoming an open source contributor, this program is a fantastic opportunity! Links: INCF Ideas List for 2022 <https://docs.google.com/document/d/131tHl3Ao3aJ_KbfOdZbeDog3sovhHhx_5fobchc…> Google Summer of Code FAQ <https://developers.google.com/open-source/gsoc/faq> Google Summer of Code 2022 timeline <https://developers.google.com/open-source/gsoc/timeline>Recommendations for GSoC contributors <https://www.incf.org/recommendations-gsoc-contributors> Google Summer of Code guides for mentors and students <https://developers.google.com/open-source/gsoc/resources/guide> Read our blog about GSoC 2022 <https://incf.org/blog/incf-applies-gsoc-2022> Best regards, Malin INCF Org Admin for GSoC 2022 -- 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

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Call for Abstracts: 31st Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2022) in Melbourne
by Thomas Nowotny 10 Mar '22

10 Mar '22

Organization for Computational Neurosciences Call for Abstracts We are inviting abstracts for the 31st Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2022) - Melbourne, Australia July 16-20, 2022 The main meeting begins the evening of Saturday, July 16 and runs through Tuesday, July 19. It will be preceded by a day of tutorials (Saturday, July 16) and followed by workshops (Tuesday, July 18 mixed with the main meeting and Wednesday, July 19 workshops only). Keynote Speakers Michael Breakspear,<https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/michael-breakspear> The University of Newcastle Tara Hamilton, University of Technology Sydney Joseph Lizier<https://www.sydney.edu.au/engineering/about/our-people/academic-staff/josep…>, The University of Sydney Kristin Sellers<https://profiles.ucsf.edu/kristin.sellers>, University of California, San Francisco Registration and abstract submission will open Monday, March 14th. Abstract submission deadline: April 15th, 2022. Note that one of the authors must register as sponsoring author for the main meeting before abstract submission. In case the abstract is not accepted for presentation, the registration fee will be refunded. Submitted abstracts are used for creating the program and for publication. Please follow the formatting guidelines on the submission site. Travel awards are available for student and postdoc members of OCNS. Please apply using the drop-down box on the abstract submission form and note that an extended abstract is required when applying for a travel award or oral presentation format. Registration: https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2022-registration Abstract submission for main meeting: https://cns.confmaster.net/ For up-to-date conference information, please visit: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2022 Workshop proposals are being accepted at: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2022-call-for-workshops Tutorial proposals are being accepted at: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2022-call-for-tutorials Thomas Nowotny, Vice-President OCNS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OCNS is the international member-based society for computational neuroscientists. Become a member to be eligible for awards and other benefits. Visit our website for more information: http://www.cnsorg.org<http://www.cnsorg.org/> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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