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

Call for Visiting Scholars in Theoretical Sciences at OIST (Application by August 15)
by Kenji Doya 21 Oct '23

21 Oct '23

We are pleased to announce Visiting Scholars in Theoretical Sciences at OIST for a flexible term of 1 to 12 months as below. ***** As part of an initiative to develop a vibrant program in theoretical sciences, OIST invites applications for Visiting Scholars in the Theoretical Sciences. The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) is a research institution with a Ph.D. program. Outstanding graduate students and faculty are being attracted internationally. OIST is beautifully situated on the tropical island of Okinawa, Japan. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in a relevant field and be independent researchers, i.e., should have an academic standing equivalent to senior postdoc, junior group leader, or faculty member at a research-intensive institution. The position has a flexible term of 1 to 12 months taken continuously starting between October 2021 and March 2022 with a preference for longer-term visitors. The appointment may be taken while on leave or sabbatical from another university and comes with housing, research funds, and moving allowance. Successful candidates will be eligible to apply for support with salary, where this is necessary to facilitate the visit. No teaching duties come with the position. OIST is an institution with no departments, aiming to eliminate barriers between people working in different fields. It provides a family-friendly working environment including the multilingual Child Development Center and has proactive policies designed to promote a culture of diversity. OIST is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator, and employer. Further details can be found at https://www.oist.jp/. Applicants should submit a CV including a list of publications, a brief description of their research to date and proposed research while visiting OIST, and the desired period of visit. All visits are subject to the availability of funding. Applications received by August 15, 2021, are guaranteed full consideration. If you have any questions, please send inquiries to: tsvp(a)oist.jp To apply, please go to our Interfolio page, http://apply.interfolio.com/88541 ---- 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

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Up to 6 PhD fellowships in Cognitive Neuroscience at SISSA, Trieste, Italy, to start Oct, 2020
by Alessandro Treves 12 Oct '22

12 Oct '22

SISSA is an elite postgraduate research institution located in Trieste, Italy, and focused on Maths, Physics and Neuroscience. It operates in English: many among its students and faculty are not Italian. The Cognitive Neuroscience Department hosts 6 research labs that study the neuronal bases of time and magnitude processing, visual perception, motivation and intelligence, language and reading, tactile perception and learning, and neural computation. The Department is very inter–disciplinary; our approaches include behavioural, psychophysics, and neurophysiological experiments with humans and animals, as well as computational and mathematical models. Students with diverse backgrounds (physics, math, medicine, psychology, biology) are most welcome to apply. The Department has an exceptional track record with highly competitive funds (recent funding includes 4 ERC and 3 Human Frontiers grants) and publication in top journals (Nature, Science, PNAS, Current Biology). Recent placements after PhD include Harvard, MIT, Columbia and Princeton in the US; the NTNU, Manchester and Radboud in Europe; and Sydney University, Australia. Our alumni have been awarded 4 ERC grants, the 2015 Kandel Young Neuroscientist Prize and the 2017 ICTP Prize. More information about the Department is available at our website https://phdcns.sissa.it. The selection procedure is now open; to learn how to apply, please visit https://phdcns.sissa.it/admission-procedure. Please contact the PhD Coordinator (davide.crepaldi(a)sissa.it) and/or your prospective supervisor for more information and informal enquiries. -- Alessandro Treves SISSA, Cognitive Neuroscience, http://people.sissa.it/~ale/limbo.html if in, rm 241, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy: +39-040-3787623

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Postdoc positions in nanoscale modeling of astrocytes, neurons or synapses
by Erik De Schutter 01 Sep '22

01 Sep '22

The Computational Neuroscience unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (https://www.oist.jp) Japan has been spearheading nanoscale stochastic modeling of astrocytes, neurons and synapses (https://groups.oist.jp/cnu) We have two postdoctoral positions open and Japan is finally issuing visa again. The selected candidates will build on previous work in modeling of cerebellar or hippocampal astrocytes, neurons and synapses using our STEPS software (http://steps.sourceforge.net) research project depending on experience and interests of the candidate. Previous experience in neural modeling required, preferentially as subject of PhD. Competences: A recent PhD in a relevant discipline such as neuroscience, molecular biology, biophysics or biochemistry. Experience in programming in Python. Fluent English conversation and writing skills. Benefits / Offer: A competitive salary and relocation package are offered. This an ideal position to gain experience in a prominent computational neuroscience lab and take part in our international collaborations. Please contact Prof. Erik De Schutter (erik(a)oist.jp) for inquiries.

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2 fully funded PhD positions at the Univ. of Groningen
by Michael Biehl 29 Jul '22

29 Jul '22

Two fully funded (4 years) PhD positions in Neural Networks / Machine Learning / Deep Learning are available at the University of Groningen / NL within the project: "*Robust Learning of **Sparse Representations: * *Brain-inspired Inhibition and **Statistical Physics* *Analysis*". Main supervisors and sub-projects: George Azzopardi (https://www.cs.rug.nl/~george/) "*Push-pull inhibition in deep, convolutional * *(spiking) neural networks*" Michael Biehl (https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl/) "*Statistical physics analysis of learning processes * *in model situations*" For details and your expression of interest please visit https://t.co/VLjgKzPxJp *Apologies for multiple postings.* *Please circulate and distribute further.* -- --------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen The Netherlands https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

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Preparatory workshop for shaping funded research teams in neuromorphic and unconventional computing (Europe only)
by Herbert Jaeger 28 Jul '22

28 Jul '22

The Volkswagen Foundation -- Germany's largest private research funding organization -- launches an initiative for the development of neuromorphic and other non-digital approaches to analyse and engineer computing systems. One action within this initiative is to support the formation of INTERDISCIPLINARY, possibly multi-national research teams. In a preparatory "Ideation" workshop, to be held in Einbeck (Germany) in December 5-8, 2022, European researchers interested in non-digital computing are invited to exchange views and ideas and start networking. The target audience is open-minded postdocs and assistant/junior professors with backgrounds in relevant areas - including but not restricted to materials and devices, microchip technology, optical computing, neuroscience, cognitive modeling, theory of computing, machine learning, complex dynamical systems, or philosophy of computing. The aim of the workshop is the nucleation of research teams who subsequently submit funding proposals for large-scale interdisciplinary research projects. More information can be found at https://www.volkswagenstiftung.de/en/funding/our-funding-portfolio-at-a-gla…. -- Dr. Herbert Jaeger Professor of Computing in Cognitive Materials Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Faculty of Science and Engineering - CogniGron Bernoulliborg Nijenborgh 9, 9747 AG Groningen office: Bernoulliborg 402 phone: +31 (0) 50-36 32473 COVID home office phone: +49 (0) 4209 930403 web: www.ai.rug.nl/minds/

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Workshop on Big Data Neuroscience UT Austin
by Franco Pestilli 27 Jul '22

27 Jul '22

Dear Colleagues, We are excited to announce the 7th annual Big Data Neuroscience (BDN) workshop organized by the Advanced Computational Neuroscience Network <https://neurosciencenetwork.org/ACNN_Workshop_2022.html#home>. The BDN workshop brings together researchers in neuroscience, computer science, statistics, computer engineering, structural biology, neuroinformatics, and related disciplines. The BDN workshop will be held in Austin, Texas, September 15-16, 2022. The themes of the workshops will be on the following topics: (1) Data Governance and Infrastructure, (2) Measurements and Acquisition, (3) Advanced Analysis and Applications, (4) Software, Sharing and Publication, (5) Standards and Validation. We have an exciting line-up of speakers spanning multiple disciplines of science and engineering: James Carson (Kristen Harris’ NeuroNex, UT Austin), Dan Stanzione (TACC), Damian Eke (De Montfort University), Axel Brunger (Stanford University), Martin Paulus (Laureate Institute), Jason McLellan (UT Austin), Jingyu Liu (Georgia State), Jessica Church-Lang (UT Austin), Chen Yu (UT Austin), Angie Laird (Florida International University), Maryann Martone (University of California San Diego), Laura Colgin (The University of Texas at Austin), Franco Pestilli (UT Austin), Piotr Sliz (Harvard University), Yaroslav Halchenko (Dartmouth), Dora Hermes (Mayo Clinic), and David Kennedy (UMass Medical School). In addition to science and engineering, the workshop will host a panel discussion on “Challenges and opportunities for international-scale infrastructure to advance data sharing and equity” with representatives from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Kavli Foundation, Nature Publishing Group, and Wellcome Trust. Registration You can register for the workshop using this form <https://forms.gle/xkAv9dgErAGzXPodA>. The deadline is September 1st, 2022. Call for Posters and Lightning Talks You can submit your abstract here <https://forms.gle/uyBRgaJb91CjoSUr9>. The deadline is August 18, 2022. Travel Scholarships A few travel scholarships for trainees with underrepresented backgrounds and diverse geographical locations are available. Use the abstract submission form to apply for a travel scholarship <https://forms.gle/uyBRgaJb91CjoSUr9>. The deadline is August 18, 2022. Please visit www.neurosciencenetwork.org for more information. Best regards, Franco Pestilli, The University of Texas at Austin Susanne Ressl, The University of Texas at Austin Josiah Leong, University of Arkansas Sharlene Newman, University of Alabama Jessica Turner, Georgia State Ivo Dinov, University of Michigan *FRANCO PESTILLI*, *Ph.D.* | *Associate Professor* Department of Psychology <https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/index.php> | College of Liberal Arts <https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/> | The University of Texas at Austin <https://www.utexas.edu/> he/him | pestilli(a)utexas.edu | web <https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/fp4834> | GitHub <https://github.com/francopestilli> | brainlife.io CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.

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Post-doc in Neurophysiology: Cortical control of free viewing eye movements
by Bisley, James 27 Jul '22

27 Jul '22

Apologies for cross-posting We invite applications for a post-doc position studying the cortical control of free viewing eye movements at UCLA. The work will include recording from the frontal eye field and superior colliculus as well as inactivation experiments in LIP and FEF. For more information about the sort of work done in the lab, check out our publications at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/james.bisley.1/bibliography/public/. UCLA is growing its visual neuroscience footprint and now is an exciting time to be in Los Angeles. Applicants should have a strong background in systems neurophysiology, behavioral training or computational neuroscience and be comfortable working independently on all aspects of the project. Previous experience with NHP recording, the use of open source recording systems and data analysis is desirable. Candidates should hold a PhD in neuroscience, psychology or a related discipline. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. Candidates should send a CV, a brief statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for two references to James Bisley (jbisley(a)mednet.ucla.edu) Cheers, James ________________________________ UCLA HEALTH SCIENCES IMPORTANT WARNING: This email (and any attachments) is only intended for the use of the person or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. You, the recipient, are obligated to maintain it in a safe, secure and confidential manner. Unauthorized redisclosure or failure to maintain confidentiality may subject you to federal and state penalties. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately notify us by return email, and delete this message from your computer.

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Sergey Levine speaking on July 28 in Developing Minds global online lecture series
by Jochen Triesch 26 Jul '22

26 Jul '22

Dear colleagues, On July 28, the Developing Minds global online lecture series will feature Sergey Levine, UC Berkeley, USA: "From Reinforcement Learning to Embodied Learning“ https://sites.google.com/view/developing-minds-series/home The live event will take place via zoom at: 09:00 PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) 16:00 UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) 18:00 CEST (Central European Summer Time) 01:00 JST, July 29 (Japan Standard Time) To participate please register here: https://sites.google.com/view/developing-minds-series/home Abstract Reinforcement learning provides one of the most widely studied abstractions for learning-based control. However, while the RL formalism is elegant and concise, real-world embodied learning problems (e.g., in robotics) deviate substantially from the most widely studied RL problem settings. The need to exist in a real physical environment challenges RL methods in terms of generalization, robustness, and capacity for lifelong learning -- all aspects of the RL problem that are often neglected in commonly studied benchmark problems. In this talk, I will discuss how we can devise a framework for learning-based control that is at its core focused on generalization, robustness, and continual adaptation. I will argue that effective utilization of previously collected experience, in combination with multi-task learning, represents one of the most promising paths for tackling these challenges, and present recent research in RL and robotics that studies this perspective. Bio Sergey Levine received a BS and MS in Computer Science from Stanford University in 2009, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University in 2014. He joined the faculty of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley in fall 2016. His work focuses on machine learning for decision making and control, with an emphasis on deep learning and reinforcement learning algorithms. Applications of his work include autonomous robots and vehicles, as well as computer vision and graphics. His research includes developing algorithms for end-to-end training of deep neural network policies that combine perception and control, scalable algorithms for inverse reinforcement learning, deep reinforcement learning algorithms, and more. Web: https://people.eecs.berkeley.edu/~svlevine/ The talk will also be recored and the recording made available via the web page: https://sites.google.com/view/developing-minds-series/home Stay healthy, Jochen Triesch -- Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch Johanna Quandt Chair for Theoretical Life Sciences Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies and Goethe University Frankfurt http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/~triesch/ Tel: +49 (0)69 798-47531 Fax: +49 (0)69 798-47611

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Several PhD positions in clinical EEG and MEG at SFU, Vancouver
by Vasily Vakorin 26 Jul '22

26 Jul '22

Dear moderators, Can you please post this ad? Thank you. Several PhD positions in clinical EEG and MEG at SFU, Vancouver Several funded Ph.D. positions are available at Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada), at the Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology and the School of Engineering Science. Ph.D. candidates will focus on research in neurophysiology, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG), and machine learning to study clinical populations. Two Ph.D. projects will use clinical routine EEG recorded and evaluated in public hospitals in the process of neurological evaluation to predict patients’ clinical profiles. The other project will apply MEG to explore cortico-cerebellar brain networks in children with autism. Ph.D. candidates are expected to get experience with digital signal processing, multivariate statistics, predictive analytics (deep learning and classical machine learning) and data analysis with applications in clinical and cognitive neuroscience, and further develop scientific programming skills (Python). The ideal start date is September 2022, but in general it is flexible. For more information, please contact Dr. Sam Doesburg, Dr. Teresa Cheung, and Dr. Vasily Vakorin: https://www.bcni-sfu.net . If you are interested, please send your cover letter and CV to vvakorin(a)sfu.ca . Please name the attached files according to the format: Lastname_Firstname_cv.pdf and Lastname_Firstname_coverletter.pdf . Thank you, Vasily Vakorin, Ph.D. Scientist & NeuroInformatics Lead - Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience Institute Adjunct Professor - Biomedical Physiology & Kinesiology Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada Affiliated Researcher - Fraser Health Authority, British Columbia email: vvakorin(a)sfu.ca

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AMALEA workshop September 12-16
by Michael Biehl 26 Jul '22

26 Jul '22

On behalf of Prof. Dr. Nicolai Petkov (www.cs.rug.nl/~petkov) *International workshop on Applications of Machine Learning and Neural Networks* *AMALEA, 12-16 Sept 2022, Cetraro, Calabria, Italy* Dear colleagues and friends, There are a few rooms still available for AMALEA - APPLICATIONS OF MACHINE LEARNING International Workshop, Cetraro, Italy, September 12-16, 2022 http://amalea.web.rug.nl/index.html Venue: Grand Hotel San Michele on the West, Tyrrhenian sea coast of Southern Italy with a surrounding own land estate, golf course, private beach and a conference center. Photo gallery Aim: to provide a discussion forum for scientists from different disciplines where they can inspire and learn from each other, meet new people and form new research alliances. Format: a single track for talks from 10:00-12:30H and 17:00-19:30H in the conference center. Enough time for discussions outside the conference room: during breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Tyrrhenian sea, at lunch in the private beach restaurant, in the afternoon break on the private beach, at dinner on the hotel terrace and after dinner listening to the life piano music in the grand salon. Please visit the workshop website for further information and contact. -- --------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen The Netherlands https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

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Announcement: spiking neural networks workshop Nov 9-10, deadline Sept 28
by Goodman, Daniel F M 22 Jul '22

22 Jul '22

We will be holding the third incarnation of our annual workshop SNUFA<http://snufa.net/2022/> on spiking neural networks. This online workshop brings together hundreds of researchers in the fields of computational neuroscience, machine learning, and neuromorphic engineering to present their work and discuss ways of translating these findings into a better understanding of neural circuits. Topics include artificial and biologically plausible learning algorithms and the dissection of trained spiking circuits toward understanding neural processing. We have a manageable number of talks with ample time for discussions. Key information * The workshop will take place 9-10 November in the afternoons (central europe timezone). * Registration is free but mandatory. Click here to register<https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/snufa-workshop-2022-tickets-387490864607>. * Abstract submission deadline is 28 September. Click here to submit<https://forms.office.com/r/izX1Wimhy6>. * Final decisions by 12 October. Invited speakers * Charlotte Frenkel<https://chfrenkel.github.io/>, TU Delft * Priya Panda<https://intelligentcomputinglab.yale.edu/>, Yale * Yiota Poirazi<http://dendrites.gr/>, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) * Yonghong Tian<https://www.pkuml.org/>, Peking University Abstracts will be made publicly available at the end of the abstract submissions deadline for blinded public comments and ratings. We will select the most highly rated abstracts for contributed talks, subject to maintaining a balance between the different fields of, broadly speaking, neuroscience, computer science and neuromorphic engineering. Abstracts not selected for a talk will be presented as posters, and there is an option to submit an abstract directly for a poster and not a talk if you prefer. The workshop will also feature a debate with all speakers invited. The subject of the debate is yet to be decided - please do get in touch if you have a fun idea! To get a feel for the workshop, take a look at our previous incarnations on YouTube for 2020<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL09WqqDbQWHFvM9DFYkM_GfnrVnIdLRhy> and 2021<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL09WqqDbQWHEqm1_3a620tKUKnC6FgBrG>. Many thanks, and hope to see you there, The SNUFA executive committee, Dan Goodman Friedemann Zenke Katie Schuman Tim Masquelier

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[jobs] 2 year independent Postdoc position in human centered AI (German required)
by Laurenz Wiskott 22 Jul '22

22 Jul '22

The Institute for Neural Computation of the Faculty of Computer Science is looking for a Postdoc (m,f,x) for 2 years, full-time, TVL E13 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 of Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott to be filled October 1st. The project is part of the competence center HUMAINE for human-centered artificial intelligence, see https://humaine.info/, and will be developed in close collaboration with colleagues at RUB and application partners in industry, among others. We offer: * An interesting interdisciplinary environment in the field of Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning. * Opportunity to develop an independent research profile and your own research group. * Opportunity to pursue further scientific qualification. * Diverse and interesting contacts at the university, in transfer, and in industry. * A lot of room for own ideas and initiatives. Your tasks: * Acquiring and maintaining industry contacts. * Scientific advice for companies to help them introduce AI in work processes. * Advising corresponding PhD and student projects. * Coordination of events and teaching of advanced training courses about human-centered AI for developers and decision makers in industry Your profile: * Very good PhD in mathematics, computer science, engineering, or a related field * Solid knowledge in Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning. * Good programming and mathematical skills * Good command of German. * Good organizational and communicative abilities. * Advantageous: + Experience in industry cooperations and interdisciplinary projects. + Programming skills in Python. Our offerings: * Challenging and varied tasks with a high degree of personal responsibility * Support from and cooperation with competent colleagues * A dynamic environment * Fair and flexible working hours * Support in reconciling family and work/academics (including childcare placement, holiday offers, mobile children's room) Additional information: The load of teaching will be calculated according to § 3 of Lehrverpflichtungsverordnung (state of North Rhine-Westphalia). 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…. We are looking forward to receiving your application with the specification ANR: 800 until 08.08.2022, send by e-mail to the following address: laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de extent: full-time duration: temporary beginning: as soon as possible application dateline: 08.08.2022 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. __________________________________________________________________________ Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott room: NB 3/29 Institut für Neuroinformatik phone: +49 234 32-27997 Ruhr Universität Bochum fax: +49 234 32-14210 D-44780 Bochum, Germany https://www.ini.rub.de/PEOPLE/wiskott/ laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de __________________________________________________________________________

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Reminder: SMILES workshop call extended 28th July
by Xavier Hinaut 21 Jul '22

21 Jul '22

The SMILES (Sensorimotor Interaction, Language and Embodiment of Symbols) Workshop will take place both on site and virtually at the ICDL 2022 (International Conference on Developmental Learning). * Call for abstracts : - Deadline extended: July 28th - Abstracts call: from 1/2 page to 2 pages (onsite and virtual participation are possible) - Abstract format: same as ICDL conference https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates.html - Submissions: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com + indicate if you will be onsite or online - Workshop dates: September 12, 2022 - Venue onsite: Queen Mary University of London, UK. - Venue online: via Zoom and Discord group. - Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/B8xbemQS <https://discord.gg/B8xbemQS> Accepted abstract will be asked to make a short video or poster for the workshop. * Workshop Short Description On the one hand, models of sensorimotor interaction are embodied in the environment and in the interaction with other agents. On the other hand, recent Deep Learning development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) models allow to capture increasing language complexity (e.g. compositional representations, word embedding, long term dependencies). However, those NLP models are disembodied in the sense that they are learned from static datasets of text or speech. How can we bridge the gap from low-level sensorimotor interaction to high-level compositional symbolic communication? The SMILES workshop will address this issue through an interdisciplinary approach involving researchers from (but not limited to): - Sensori-motor learning, - Symbol grounding and symbol emergence, - Emergent communication in multi-agent systems, - Chunking of perceptuo-motor gestures (gestures in a general sense: motor, vocal, ...), - Compositional representations for communication and action sequence, - Hierarchical representations of temporal information, - Language processing and language acquisition in brains and machines, - Models of animal communication, - Understanding composition and temporal processing in neural network models, and - Enaction, active perception, perception-action loop. * More info - contact: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com - organizers: Xavier Hinaut, Clément Moulin-Frier, Silvia Pagliarini, Joni Zhong, Michael Spranger, Tadahiro Taniguchi, Anne Warlaumont. - invited speakers (coming soon) - workshop website (updated regularly): https://sites.google.com/view/smiles-workshop/ <https://sites.google.com/view/smiles-workshop/> - ICDL conference website: https://icdl2022.qmul.ac.uk/ <https://icdl2022.qmul.ac.uk/> Xavier Hinaut on behalf of the SMILES workshop organisers: - Xavier Hinaut, Inria, Bordeaux, France - Clément Moulin-Frier, Inria and Ensta ParisTech, Bordeaux, France - Anne Warlaumont, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA - Silvia Pagliarini, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA - Michael Spranger, Sony AI and Sony CSL, Tokyo, Japan - Tadahiro Taniguchi, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan - Junpei Zhong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China Xavier Hinaut Inria Research Scientist www.xavierhinaut.com <http://www.xavierhinaut.com/> -- +33 5 33 51 48 01 Mnemosyne team, Inria, Bordeaux, France -- https://team.inria.fr/mnemosyne <https://team.inria.fr/mnemosyne> & LaBRI, Bordeaux University -- https://www4.labri.fr/en/formal-methods-and-models <https://www4.labri.fr/en/formal-methods-and-models> & IMN (Neurodegeneratives Diseases Institute) -- http://www.imn-bordeaux.org/en <http://www.imn-bordeaux.org/en> --- Our new release of Reservoir Computing library: https://github.com/reservoirpy/reservoirpy <https://github.com/reservoirpy/reservoirpy>

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INCF IC survey on barriers to neuroscience data sharing and reuse - please forward
by Malin Sandström 21 Jul '22

21 Jul '22

The INCF <https://incf.org/> Infrastructure Committee <https://incf.org/about/governance/infrastructure-committee-ic> has created a brief (~2 min) anonymous survey to chart barriers to data sharing and reuse among neuroscience researchers worldwide. The results will be made public, and will be used by INCF and collaborators to develop strategies and activities for supporting the global neuroscience community. To have real impact, the survey needs to reach the broadest possible range of neuroscience researchers. We would be very grateful for your help in spreading the word to your friends and colleagues - the more responses we get, the more valuable and useful the survey will be! Take the survey <https://forms.gle/Gnq8Eb7eMFg1JxBJ7> *No personal data will be collected within this survey, but please note that the survey uses Google Forms; their privacy policies can be found here <https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en-US>. Follow the link to the survey if you agree with these policies. Best regards, Malin Sandström on behalf of the INCF Infrastructure Committee -- 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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Registration for "Simulate with EBRAINS" training is *open*
by Lührs, Anna 21 Jul '22

21 Jul '22

Dear all, We are happy to announce that the registration for our workshop Simulate with EBRAINS How to use EBRAINS research infrastructure and Fenix resources for simulations on a scale from molecules via small and large networks of point or structured spiking neurons to simplified whole brain activity and virtual environments is now open! The workshop will take place virtually from 7-10 November 2022. Registration is free but required. The workshop is open to anyone, with sessions designed for beginners but also at a more advanced level. More information: https://flagship.kip.uni-heidelberg.de/jss/HBPm?m=showAgenda&meetingID=242 <https://flagship.kip.uni-heidelberg.de/jss/HBPm?m=showAgenda&meetingID=242> We are looking forward to e-meet you “there”! Best regards, Anna Lührs on behalf of the organising team

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notice of UCSD postdoctoral position
by Scott Makeig 20 Jul '22

20 Jul '22

We have two postdoctoral positions open in projects to work with the very large and growing corpus of simultaneous EEG, eye tracking, and hand movement data being collected by the Child Mind Institute in New York. These projects are aimed at leading edge advances in EEG and concurrent EEG/behavioral (MoBI) analysis. Please contact me for more information. Basic information about the 1st position is below. Scott Makeig Postdoctoral Scholar - The Institute for Neural Computation (INC) (JPF03263) Job #JPF03263 INSTITUTE NEURAL COMPUTATION / Research / UC San Diego Apply now: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF03263/apply View this position online:https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF03263 APPLICATION WINDOW Open date: July 19th, 2022 Next review date: Tuesday, Jul 26, 2022 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee. Final date: Wednesday, Jul 19, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled. POSITION DESCRIPTION Drs. Scott Makeig and Arnaud Delorme of the Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience (SCCN), at UC San Diego, are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to work on a potentially three-year compute-intensive neuroimaging project between SCCN (sccn.ucsd.edu) and the Child-Mind Institute of New York ( childmind.org) This Healthy Brain Network (HBN) project ( healthybrainnetwork.org) is collecting MR, eye tracking, and high-density EEG data from up to 10,000 children as they perform cognitive tasks and watch movie/animations. This collaboration, with Dr. Michael Milham (CMI/HBN) and colleagues, seeks to (1) develop a library of terms for the Hierarchical Event Descriptor system (HED-3G) (hedtags.org) and open-source tools for annotating events in movies to operate both standalone and in connection with our EEGLAB signal processing environment ( sccn.ucsd.edu/eeglab) running on Matlab. (2) After annotating the HBN short films, the HBM data will be exported to OpenNeuro (openneuro.org) under BIDS standards (bids.neuroimaging.io), and will be made available via the forthcoming NEMAR data portal (nemar.org) for processing on the XSEDE high-performance computer network via the Neuroscience Gateway (NSG, nsgportal.org) The HBN M/EEG and behavioral/eye tracking data will be analyzed at the source and source network levels (Akalin Acar & Makeig, 2021) using advanced applications of Independent Component Analysis (Makeig et al., 1996; Delorme et al., 2012), Bayesian source and network clustering using SCALE- optimized forward head models (Akalin Acar et al., 2016, 2020). Tools and pipelines developed in the project will be made available in EEGLAB and through NSG. Our neuroscientific goal is to model the development of cortical EEG source dynamics and associated eye gaze patterns during viewing of 'moving pictures', and to model and explore individual differences in these processes. The Office of Research Affairs and INC at UC San Diego is committed to academic excellence and diversity. The University of California employs about 5,963 postdoctoral scholars (approx. 1,200 at UCSD) who contribute to the academic community by enhancing the research and education programs of the university. The postdoctoral experience emphasizes scholarship and continued research training. UC's postdoctoral scholars bring expertise and creativity that enrich the research environment for all members of the UC community, including graduate and undergraduate students. Appointment durations vary depending on the length of the research project and availability of funding. Total duration of an individual’s postdoctoral service may not exceed five years, including postdoctoral service at other institutions. The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) is the exclusive representative of the postdoctoral scholars. Applicants should submit their detailed statement of experience and specific qualifications related to this position with their application. Review of applications will commence on July 12, 2022 and will continue until a qualified candidate is selected. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and based on published University of California pay scales. QUALIFICATIONS Basic qualifications (required at time of application) Doctorate degree or its equivalent in fields related to Computational or Cognitive Neuroscience or Biomedical Engineering. Appointment is dependent on academic experience, scholarly achievements, skills and knowledge and needs of the project. Candidates must be able to work remotely as needed, but must be, or be able to be in residence in the United States. Preferred qualifications Postdoctoral or equivalent experience, and commitment to mentoring and research training service to build equitable and diverse scholarly environment. The successful applicant will have a strong background in signal processing and computer science, and an interest in contributing to cognitive neuroscience. -- Scott Makeig, Research Scientist and Director, Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, Institute for Neural Computation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA 92093-0559, http://sccn.ucsd.edu/~scott

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postdoctoral position in U.S.
by Scott Makeig 19 Jul '22

19 Jul '22

Drs. Scott Makeig and Arnaud Delorme of the Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience (SCCN), at UC San Diego, are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to work on an innovative human neuroimaging project between SCCN (*sccn.ucsd.edu <http://sccn.ucsd.edu>*) and the Child-Mind Institute of New York ( childmind.org) This Healthy Brain Network (HBN) project (*healthybrainnetwork.org <http://healthybrainnetwork.org>*) is collecting MR, eye tracking, and high-density EEG data from up to 10,000 children as they perform cognitive tasks and watch movie/animations. This collaboration, with Dr. Michael Milham (CMI/HBN) and colleagues, seeks to (1) develop a library of terms for the Hierarchical Event Descriptor system (HED-3G) (*hedtags.org <http://hedtags.org>*) and open-source tools for annotating events in movies to operate both standalone and in connection with our EEGLAB signal processing environment (*sccn.ucsd.edu/eeglab <http://sccn.ucsd.edu/eeglab>*) running on Matlab. (2) After annotating the HBN short films, the HBM data will be exported to OpenNeuro (*openneuro.org <http://openneuro.org>*) under BIDS standards (bids.neuroimaging.io), and will be made available via the forthcoming NEMAR data portal (*nemar.org <http://nemar.org>*) for processing on the XSEDE high-performance computer network via the Neuroscience Gateway (NSG, *nsgportal.org <http://nsgportal.org>*). The HBN M/EEG and behavioral/eye tracking data will be analyzed at the source and source network levels (Akalin Acar & Makeig, 2021) using advanced applications of Independent Component Analysis (Makeig et al., 1996; Delorme et al., 2012), Bayesian source and network clustering using SCALE- optimized forward head models (Akalin Acar et al., 2016, 2020). Tools and pipelines developed in the project will be made available in EEGLAB and through NSG. Our neuroscientific goal is to model the development of cortical EEG source dynamics and associated eye gaze patterns during viewing of 'moving pictures', and to model and explore individual differences in these processes. See *https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF03263 <https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF03263>* for details. This job search will remain open until filled. Scott -- Scott Makeig, Research Scientist and Director, Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, Institute for Neural Computation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA 92093-0559, http://sccn.ucsd.edu/~scott

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Neuroscience cluster hire at Georgetown University
by Rebekah Evans 19 Jul '22

19 Jul '22

Assistant Professor on the Tenure Track, Neuroplasticity Across the Lifespan (Cluster Hire) -- Georgetown University Medical Center Georgetown University: Medical Center: School of Medicine Location: Washington, DC Open Date: Jun 16, 2022 Deadline: Oct 31, 2022 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time Application: https://apply.interfolio.com/108764 Description The Medical Center at Georgetown University (GUMC), known for its excellence in research and scholarship, is seeking applicants for a Faculty Cluster Hire (https://ofaa.gumc.georgetown.edu/gumc-cluster-hire-initiative/) consisting of six (6) tenure track positions at the rank of Assistant Professor broadly focused on the topic of “Neuroplasticity Across the Lifespan.” This cluster of new hires will join a vibrant neuroscience research community as we continue to expand our institutional priority areas of research on the Mind & Brain and Aging and Age-Related Diseases. This is the inaugural class of cluster hires as GUMC seeks to expand its ranks of tenure-line faculty. Plasticity is a fundamental ability of the nervous system and essential for its normal function. It occurs at the molecular level (e.g. genome and proteome), the level of the cell (e.g., changes in excitability and receptor signaling), the circuit (e.g., changes in connections), and at the systems and cognitive level (e.g., learning, development, memory, recovery and reorganization after injury). There are few, if any, processes more fundamental to the mind and brain than the remarkable ability to change and adapt. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates working on neuroplasticity at any level of analysis, with particular interests in individuals conducting interdisciplinary research relevant to: (1) neuroimaging across the lifespan and in disease, (2) neuroimmunology of brain-immune interactions, (3) cognitive function across the lifespan, (4) large scale omics and/or network modeling, (5) neurophysiology of brain plasticity, and (6) protein folding and misfolding in aging and neurodegeneration. New hires will join one of seven departments at GUMC (Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology; Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, & Biomathematics; Microbiology & Immunology; Neuroscience; Neurology; Pathology; or Pharmacology & Physiology), with the departmental appointment and consideration of joint or secondary appointments to be determined during the course of the interview and hiring process. They may also participate in various NIH T32-funded training programs including Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Neuroscience, Aging and Alzheimer's Research Training Program, Neural Injury and Plasticity (NIP) Training Grant, The Training Program in NeuroHIV, the Neuroscience of Language Training Program and other training programs, all of which recruit outstanding students and postdoctoral fellows. The cluster hires will receive mentorship at the department level and through GUMC's Mentoring Program for New and Early Career Faculty. Competitive space, startup funds, and salary will be provided. Georgetown University Medical Center is strongly committed to an environment that fosters inclusive excellence and diverse working and learning communities. We are particularly eager to consider candidates committed to our institutional mission to continue to build a thriving, collaborative, diverse, inclusive, and welcoming scholarly community. Qualifications • Candidates must meet the standards in scholarship, education, and service for a Tenure Line Assistant Professor ( https://georgetown.box.com/s/2krdblqefi11xugun8u3dyvcv5gbyjd6) Please note that these standards are illustrative and not all inclusive of the standards for this position. • Work on neuroplasticity at any level of analysis, with particular interests in individuals conducting interdisciplinary research relevant to: (1) neuroimaging across the lifespan and in disease, (2) neuroimmunology of brain-immune interactions, (3) cognitive function across the lifespan, (4) large scale omics and/or network modeling, (5) neurophysiology of brain plasticity, and (6) protein folding and misfolding in aging and neurodegeneration. Application Instructions Interested individuals should submit via Georgetown’s electronic platform: (i) a curriculum vitae, (ii) three representative publications, (iii) a statement that describes past engagement with and future commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as applicable to your scholarship, teaching, mentorship, or service (no more than one-page) and (iv) names of three references and contact information. To facilitate blind review, applicants should also submit (v) an anonymized statement of three of your most significant contributions to science to date and future research interests (no more than three pages), without reference to information that would reveal identities, professional titles, journal titles or PhD granting institutions. Preference will be given to applications submitted before October 1, 2022. Rebekah Evans M.Ed., Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Neuroscience Georgetown University 3970 Reservoir Rd. NW, NRB EG31 Washington DC RebekahColemanEvans(a)gmail.com

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SMILES workshop call extended 28th July
by Xavier Hinaut 18 Jul '22

18 Jul '22

The SMILES (Sensorimotor Interaction, Language and Embodiment of Symbols) Workshop will take place both on site and virtually at the ICDL 2022 (International Conference on Developmental Learning). * Call for abstracts : - Deadline extended: July 28th - Abstracts call: from 1/2 page to 2 pages (onsite and virtual participation are possible) - Abstract format: same as ICDL conference https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates.html - Submissions: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com + indicate if you will be onsite or online - Workshop dates: September 12, 2022 - Venue onsite: Queen Mary University of London, UK. - Venue online: via Zoom and Discord group. https://discord.gg/B8xbemQS <https://discord.gg/B8xbemQS> Accepted abstract will be asked to make a short video or poster for the workshop. * Workshop Short Description On the one hand, models of sensorimotor interaction are embodied in the environment and in the interaction with other agents. On the other hand, recent Deep Learning development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) models allow to capture increasing language complexity (e.g. compositional representations, word embedding, long term dependencies). However, those NLP models are disembodied in the sense that they are learned from static datasets of text or speech. How can we bridge the gap from low-level sensorimotor interaction to high-level compositional symbolic communication? The SMILES workshop will address this issue through an interdisciplinary approach involving researchers from (but not limited to): - Sensori-motor learning, - Symbol grounding and symbol emergence, - Emergent communication in multi-agent systems, - Chunking of perceptuo-motor gestures (gestures in a general sense: motor, vocal, ...), - Compositional representations for communication and action sequence, - Hierarchical representations of temporal information, - Language processing and language acquisition in brains and machines, - Models of animal communication, - Understanding composition and temporal processing in neural network models, and - Enaction, active perception, perception-action loop. * More info - contact: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com - organizers: Xavier Hinaut, Clément Moulin-Frier, Silvia Pagliarini, Joni Zhong, Michael Spranger, Tadahiro Taniguchi, Anne Warlaumont. - invited speakers (coming soon) - workshop website (updated regularly): https://sites.google.com/view/smiles-workshop/ - ICDL conference website: https://icdl2022.qmul.ac.uk/ Xavier Hinaut on behalf of the SMILES workshop organisers: - Clément Moulin-Frier, Inria and Ensta ParisTech, Bordeaux, France - Anne Warlaumont, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA - Silvia Pagliarini, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA - Michael Spranger, Sony AI and Sony CSL, Tokyo, Japan - Tadahiro Taniguchi, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan - Junpei Zhong, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China Xavier Hinaut Inria Research Scientist www.xavierhinaut.com <http://www.xavierhinaut.com/> -- +33 5 33 51 48 01 Mnemosyne team, Inria, Bordeaux, France -- https://team.inria.fr/mnemosyne <https://team.inria.fr/mnemosyne> & LaBRI, Bordeaux University -- https://www4.labri.fr/en/formal-methods-and-models <https://www4.labri.fr/en/formal-methods-and-models> & IMN (Neurodegeneratives Diseases Institute) -- http://www.imn-bordeaux.org/en <http://www.imn-bordeaux.org/en> --- Our new release of Reservoir Computing library: https://github.com/reservoirpy/reservoirpy <https://github.com/reservoirpy/reservoirpy>

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Reminder: Mathematics of Neuroscience Symposium, Crete, Greece, 24-25th September 2022
by Ruairidh McLennan Battleday 18 Jul '22

18 Jul '22

Dear All, Just a reminder that there is under a week left to apply to present at the Mathematics of Neuroscience symposium to be held this year in September on Crete, Greece. We have a great list of confirmed speakers and would love to hear from you too. Deadline for submission is the 23rd of July. ------------------ Symposium on the Mathematics of Neuroscience. Crete, Greece, 24-25th September 2022 (www.neuromonster.org) Two decades into the 21st century, can we claim to be any closer to a unified model of the brain? In this exploratory symposium, we invite submissions for short talks and posters presenting general mathematical models of brain function. We give priority to those models that account for brain or behavioural data, or provide simulations to that effect. This year’s theme is life-long learning and discovery. Keynote Speakers Professor Peter Dayan (Director, Department of Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen) “Learning from scratch: Non-parametric models of task acquisition over the long run” Professor Andrew Adamatzky (Director, Unconventional Computing Laboratory, University of the West of England) “Fungal Brain” Symposium Chairs Professor Dan V. Nicolau (King’s College London) Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday (Princeton University) Confirmed Talks Professor Michael Levin (TUFTS) Professor Kobi Kremnitzer (University of Oxford) Professor Marc Howard (Boston University) Professor Kevin Burrage (Queensland University of Technology) Professor Carina Curto (Penn State) Professor Rahul Bhui (MIT) Dr Jonathan Mason (University of Oxford) Dr James Whittington (University of Oxford / Stanford) Dr Ilia Sucholutsky (Princeton University) Dr Sophia Sanborn (UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, University of British Columbia) Dr Christina Merrick (UC San Francisco) Dr Timothy Muller (UCL) Dr Kamila Maria Jóźwik (University of Cambridge) Dr Chris Hillar (Awecom, Inc) Prize Talks Dr Aenne Brielmann (Max Planck Institute, Tübingen) Andrew Ligeralde (Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley) The symposium will be held virtually or in-person on the island of Crete, Greece from the 24-25th of September 2022 (www.neuromonster.org) Submission is by 250-word abstract before the 23rd July 2022, emailed to the organizers Professor Dan V. Nicolau Jr (dan.nicolau(a)kcl.ac.uk) and Dr Ruairidh M. Battleday (battleday(a)princeton.edu)

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Two open PhD positions in Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience
by Alberto Mazzoni 18 Jul '22

18 Jul '22

Dear all, Two open positions to work with Prof. Silvestro Micera at The Biorobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna https://www.santannapisa.it/en/institute/biorobotics/bioelectronics-and-bio… The PhDs will focus on brain decoding of hand functions for neuroprosthetic control and computational neuroscience and will take place in the framework of the of the Italian "Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience" PhD program to apply: https://isas.unicam.it/dni/phd-theoretical-and-applied-neuroscience. See you soon! Alberto Mazzoni -- */////////////////////////////////////////////////////* perché quello del populo è più onesto fine che quello de' grandi, volendo questi opprimere, e quello non essere oppresso N.M.

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ESI SyNC 8-9 Sept. 2022 - The ever-changing brain: Through development and evolution
by Esfandiari, Jahangir 15 Jul '22

15 Jul '22

We are happy to announce that the Ernst Strüngmann Institute Systems Neuroscience Conference 2022 -9th ESI SyNC- will take place in-person this year, on September 8th and 9th at the Ernst Strüngmann Institute in Frankfurt, Germany. A hybrid format will be implemented, such that online participation is also possible. This year’s topic is "The ever-changing brain - through development and evolution". Eleven speakers will discuss their research and views on the development, organization, and evolution of the brain from a wide array of viewpoints: from anatomy to function, from the microcircuit to whole-brain network level, from the origins of cognition in single-celled organisms to complex social behavior in primates. This year’s conference is a great platform to learn about comparative neuroscience, organizational and evolutionary aspects of neural processing, and developmental mechanisms of cognitive and sensory systems. Young researchers will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and raise questions in formal and informal discussions. There will also be a poster session for which we welcome submissions. This year's exciting line-up: * Detlev Arendt (European Molecular Biology Laboratory EMBL, Heidelberg, GER<https://www.embl.org/groups/arendt/>) * Rosa Cossart (Inmed, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, FR<https://www.inmed.fr/en/developpement-des-microcircuits-gabaergiques-cortic…>) * Onur Güntürkün (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, GER<https://www.rd.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/neuro/wiss/sprecher/guentuerkuen.html.en>) * Ileana Hanganu-Opatz (Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, GER<http://www.opatzlab.com/ileana-hanganu-opatz/>) * Suzana Herculano-Houzel (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TE, USA<http://www.suzanaherculanohouzel.com/>) * Marcus Kaiser (University of Nottingham, UK<https://www.dynamic-connectome.org/>) * Pamela Lyon (University of Adelaide, AUS<https://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/pamela.lyon>) * Rogier Mars (University of Oxford, UK and Donders Institute, Nijmegen, NED<http://www.rbmars.dds.nl/lab/lab.html>) * Rebecca Saxe (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA<https://saxelab.mit.edu/>) * Georg Striedter (University of California, Irvine, CA, USA<https://cnlm.uci.edu/striedter/>) * Daniel Takahashi (Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, BRA<https://ethogenesis.science/>) The conference will end with a panel discussion hosted by local experts Gilles Laurent and Alison Barker from the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research. Visit our website<https://www.esi-frankfurt.de/newevent/> to register for in-person or online attendance and to see the latest information on the conference. Space for in-person attendance is limited so go ahead and register as soon as possible! Best regards, The organizing committee Alexander Bird Peter Donhauser Jahangir Esfandiari Pascal Fries Christini Katsanevaki David Poeppel Wolf Singer Renata Vajda ----------------------------------------- Jahangir Esfandiari Ph.D. student, Vinck Department Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) gGmbH for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society Deutschordenstraße 46 60528 Frankfurt am Main Germany E-Mail: jahangir.esfandiari(a)esi-frankfurt.de<mailto:cem.uran@esi-frankfurt.de> Internet: www.esi-frankfurt.de<http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/> Registered at Local Court Frankfurt am Main - HRB 84266 CEO: Prof. David Poeppel, PhD -----------------------------------------

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Call for submissions to the ICDL 2022 workshop on neurodiversity of cognitive feelings
by nagai.yukie＠mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp 14 Jul '22

14 Jul '22

Dear colleagues, We are going to organize the following workshop at IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL 2022), which will be held in London, UK on September 12-15. We invite submissions of extended abstracts (1-2 pages) of ongoing research that focuses on one or several of our listed topics below. Accepted submission will be considered for symposium talks or as part of a poster session. Workshop on Neurodiversity of Cognitive Feelings https://sites.google.com/view/icdl-cognitive-feeling ICDL 2022 https://icdl2022.qmul.ac.uk [ Theme of the workshop ] From the general conception of our own subjective experiences, and from behavioural and neuroimaging research we know that affective emotional states can influence our cognitive functions. While the existence of this relationship is generally accepted, understanding the neural mechanisms that lead to individual diversity remains an open question that requires continued development of understanding and assessment of individual cognitive abilities. One of the suggested pathways includes the perception of emotional sensations that are experienced towards multisensory perception systems with a cognitive feeling. Cognitive feeling can be described as a sense of confidence, knowing, familiarity, distinguishing reality and fluency of information from multisensory perceptual experiences (Clore and Parrott, 1994; Arango-Muñoz 2014). Where emotional sensations, or affective feelings, are the result of perceived multisensory integration such as liking, disliking, or fear, arousal. Each kind of feeling is then providing information about different system. The affective feeling provides information on whether what is perceived is positive or negative with regards to our expectations. The cognitive feeling is the informational source of our expectations, knowing and understanding the multisensory information. The principles of cognitive feeling can be applied in developmental and cognitive robotics (Asada et al. 2009; Tani 2016), predictive coding theories (Friston & Kiebel 2009; Friston 2010), computational psychiatry (Montague et al. 2012), and behavioural studies through the verification of virtual reality-based approaches. [ Welcomed topics ] Affective Neuroscience Affective Computation Interoception Self-awareness and self-recognition Rubber hand illusion and bodily illusion Sense of agency Sense of presence Psychiatric disorder and developmental disorder Consciousness Brain-body interactions Metacognitive feeling [ Keynote speakers ] • Professor Sarah Garfinkel, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK • Dr Sophie Betka, The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland • Professor Tony Prescott, Department of Computer Science, The University of Sheffield, UK [ Submission ] Extended abstract submission guidelines can be found on the workshop website (https://sites.google.com/view/icdl-cognitive-feeling) which should be sent to Sean D. Lynch (lynch.sean(a)mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp) by August 13, 2022. Please write in the subject line “ICDL 2022 neurodiversity workshop submission”. [ Important dates ] Submission deadline: August 13, 2022 Notification of acceptance: August 27, 2022 Workshop: September 12, 2022 [ Organizers ] Sean Lynch (The University of Tokyo) Keisuke Suzuki (Hokkaido University) Yukie Nagai (The University of Tokyo) — Yukie Nagai, Ph.D. Project Professor, The University of Tokyo nagai.yukie(a)mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp | https://developmental-robotics.jp CREST Cognitive Mirroring: https://cognitive-mirroring.org CREST Cognitive Feeling: https://cognitive-feeling.jp

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Scientist - Neural Data Analysis at the Allen Institute
by Anton Arkhipov 11 Jul '22

11 Jul '22

Dear colleagues, A new exciting opportunity is open at the Allen Institute (Seattle, WA): https://alleninstitute.hrmdirect.com/employment/job-opening.php?req=1937290 Scientist - Neural Data Analysis – Systems Neuroscience We are seeking a Scientist to be an essential team member in our ongoing efforts to link transcriptomically defined cell types with the types of functional neural activity in vivo. We are generating systematic datasets of neural activity using 2-photon calcium imaging in the mouse cortex, followed up by spatial transcriptomics, in order to better understand cell-type-specific contributions to neural coding and circuit dynamics. The core responsibility for this position will be the computational analysis of these datasets, including co-registration between the calcium imaging and spatial transcriptomics data, linking these modalities for individual cells. The ideal candidate will have experience with analysis of imaging data, sensory physiology, machine learning, computer vision, and/or spatial transcriptomics. This position sits at the interface of neuroscience and data science, and good coding and analytical skills are a high priority. The Allen Institute believes that team science significantly benefits from the participation of diverse voices, experiences, and backgrounds. High-quality science can only be produced when it includes different perspectives. We are committed to increasing diversity across every team and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for this role. Please see details and apply here: https://alleninstitute.hrmdirect.com/employment/job-opening.php?req=1937290 Best regards, Anton. Anton Arkhipov Associate Investigator T: 206.548.8414 E: antona(a)alleninstitute.org<mailto:antona@alleninstitute.org> [Text Description automatically generated] alleninstitute.org<https://alleninstitute.org> brain-map.org

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TEX2022: Detailed program and registration for online attendance
by Yamil Vidal 08 Jul '22

08 Jul '22

Dear all, We are pleased to share the detailed program for "TEX2022: Bringing together Predictive Processes and Statistical Learning": https://indico.sissa.it/event/59/timetable/#20220719.detailed <https://t.co/tgo3hNEOFF> Registration deadline is this Sunday, 10/7. Come join us! And if you cannot join us in person, you can still join us online (and free of charge). To attend online, please register here: https://sissa-it.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0qgRUCodT02MLGmmiQ4tiA Looking forward to meet you all, Yamil Vidal and Davide Crepaldi Dr. Yamil Vidal Predictive Brain Lab Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging - Donders Institute Nijmegen the Netherlands

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UCL NeuroAI Annual Meeting on Monday, July 11, 1-5 pm BST
by Harsha Gurnani 05 Jul '22

05 Jul '22

The third *UCL NeuroAI Annual Meeting* will be held in *hybrid forma*t on *Monday, July 11, 2022*. The annual half-day UCL NeuroAI <https://www.ucl.ac.uk/research/domains/neuroscience/ucl-neuroai>event features speakers working across the spectrum of machine learning to neuroscience and aims to foster further collaboration and discussion. Join us from *1-5 pm BST* for an exciting set of talks and discussion on goals and prospects for NeuroAI. *Registration is free but needed for access to final details: * https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ucl-neuroai-annual-meeting-tickets-341731838127 -------------------------------- *Event programme:* 1.00pm – Welcome *1.05pm – 2.35pm – Session one* *Kim Stachenfeld (DeepMind) *"Predictions and Relations for Biological and Artificial Reasoning" *Peter Latham (UCL)* Title: TBC *Blake Richards (McGill University)* "Contrastive introspection to rapidly identify contingencies in the environment" *2.35pm - 2.55pm – Comfort break* *2.55pm – 3.55pm – Session two* *Raia Hadsell (DeepMind)* "Embodied AGI and The Future of Robotics" *Panel discussion* *3.55pm - 4.00pm *– Closing remarks -------------------------------- For in-person attendees, the location is Jeremy Bentham Room, Wilkins Building, UCL. Please find links to map and accessibility information on the Eventbrite page <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ucl-neuroai-annual-meeting-tickets-341731838127> . We look forward to seeing you - in person or online! *Co-organizers:* Caswell Barry, Will De Cothi, Asaph Zylbertal, Padraig Gleeson, Harsha Gurnani (University College London), Sebastian Lee (Sainsbury Wellcome Centre and Imperial College London)

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[CFP, Deadline Approaching] MDPI Molecules (IF: 4.927) - Special Issue "Practical Aspects of Molecular Communications"
by Murat Kuşcu 04 Jul '22

04 Jul '22

(Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this CFP) MDPI Molecules (IF: 4.927, ISSN: 1420-3049) Special Issue on Practical Aspects of Molecular Communications https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/molecular_communicati… --------------------------- CALL FOR PAPERS The Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT) is an emerging technology that aims to extend our connectivity to nanoscale and biological environments with collaborative nanonetworks of artificial nanomachines and biological entities integrated into the Internet infrastructure. To enable the IoBNT and its groundbreaking applications, such as continuous intrabody health monitoring, it is imperative to devise low-complexity nanoscale communication techniques suitable for the envisioned nanomachines of simple architectures. The most promising communication technology for realizing the IoBNT is Molecular Communications (MC), as it ubiquitously manifests itself in many complex biological systems in the Universe, and thus, stands as one of the most common communication modalities, optimized from many aspects as a result of billions of years of evolutionary advancement. Making use of this naturally existing technology requires understanding its foundations through our existing modeling and analysis tools. This quest, which started almost 15 years ago, has received increasing attention from ICT researchers, which have been overly inspired by conventional electromagnetic communication technologies in their approach to this radically different paradigm. These theoretical approaches, however, have not always come with sufficient physical relevance. Currently, this emerging field has come to a critical turning point, as many researchers have started to report on initial MC experiments following different approaches and using different materials, while consistently pointing out a discrepancy between the obtained experimental results and the past theoretical work. This reveals the need to rethink the previous efforts and come up with new interdisciplinary strategies, thus building practical MC techniques and developing feasible MC system components, experimental testbeds, and prototypes in order to close the gap between theory and practice, and expedite the transfer of this emerging technology to the market. Among the challenges stated above, this Special Issue is particularly focused on the practical aspects of MC. Therefore, we are calling for technical papers that report on new research with the potential to move this field forward towards its practical applications, as well as surveys/tutorials focusing on the practical challenges of MC research. Hence, its scope encompasses a wide range of interdisciplinary research topics, with some examples listed as follows: ** The physical design, modeling, and implementation of MC system components (e.g., transmitter, receiver, channel); ** The design and implementation of MC testbeds; ** Practical and low-complexity MC methods (e.g., modulation, detection, channel estimation, synchronization, coding methods); ** The testing and validation of MC transceiver/channel models and MC methods; ** Applications of microfluidics, biosensors, and nanomaterials for MC system design; ** Bio-cyber interfaces between MC networks and conventional macroscale networks; ** Synthetic biology-based MC transceiver architectures; ** Optimization of ligand-receptor interactions for MC; ** Biocompatibility and co-existence challenges; ** Energy harvesting and power transfer techniques for MC networks; ** The design and demonstration of MC applications (e.g., those in healthcare, agriculture, biocomputing). --------------------------- Deadline for manuscript submissions: *31** July 2022* --------------------------- Guest Editors Murat Kuscu, Koc University, Turkey (mkuscu(a)ku.edu.tr) Sasitharan Balasubramaniam, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA ( sasi(a)unl.edu) Kerstin Lenk, Graz University of Technology, Austria (kerstin.lenk(a)tugraz.at ) Ergin Dinc, University of Cambridge, UK (ed502(a)cam.ac.uk) Michael Barros, University of Essex, UK (m.barros(a)essex.ac.uk) Bige D. Unluturk, Michigan State University, USA (unluturk(a)msu.edu) --------------------------- Paper submission Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website. Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI. Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2300 CHF (Swiss Francs). --------------------------- Additional information: Please visit the MDPI Molecules Special Issue webpage at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/molecular_communicati… Inquiries can be addressed to Mr. Gavin Fu at: gavin.fu(a)mdpi.com <gavin.fu(a)mdpi.com>, molecules(a)mdpi.com

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SMILES workshop call for abstracts
by Xavier Hinaut 03 Jul '22

03 Jul '22

The SMILES (Sensorimotor Interaction, Language and Embodiment of Symbols) Workshop will take place both on site and virtually at the ICDL 2022 (International Conference on Developmental Learning). * Call for abstracts : - Deadline: July 18th - Abstracts call: from 1/2 page to 2 pages (onsite and virtual participation are possible) - Abstract format: same as ICDL conference https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates.html - Submissions: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com + indicate if you will be onsite or online - Workshop dates: September 12, 2022 - Venue onsite: Queen Mary University of London, UK. - Venue online: via Zoom and Discord group. Accepted abstract will be asked to make a short video or poster for the workshop. * Workshop Short Description On the one hand, models of sensorimotor interaction are embodied in the environment and in the interaction with other agents. On the other hand, recent Deep Learning development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) models allow to capture increasing language complexity (e.g. compositional representations, word embedding, long term dependencies). However, those NLP models are disembodied in the sense that they are learned from static datasets of text or speech. How can we bridge the gap from low-level sensorimotor interaction to high-level compositional symbolic communication? The SMILES workshop will address this issue through an interdisciplinary approach involving researchers from (but not limited to): - Sensori-motor learning, - Symbol grounding and symbol emergence, - Emergent communication in multi-agent systems, - Chunking of perceptuo-motor gestures (gestures in a general sense: motor, vocal, ...), - Compositional representations for communication and action sequence, - Hierarchical representations of temporal information, - Language processing and language acquisition in brains and machines, - Models of animal communication, - Understanding composition and temporal processing in neural network models, and - Enaction, active perception, perception-action loop. * More info - contact: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com - organizers: Xavier Hinaut, Clément Moulin-Frier, Silvia Pagliarini, Joni Zhong, Michael Spranger, Tadahiro Taniguchi, Anne Warlaumont. - invited speakers (coming soon) - workshop website (updated regularly): https://sites.google.com/view/smiles-workshop/ - ICDL conference website: https://icdl2022.qmul.ac.uk/ Xavier Hinaut Inria Research Scientist www.xavierhinaut.com <http://www.xavierhinaut.com/> -- +33 5 33 51 48 01 Mnemosyne team, Inria, Bordeaux, France -- https://team.inria.fr/mnemosyne <https://team.inria.fr/mnemosyne> & LaBRI, Bordeaux University -- https://www4.labri.fr/en/formal-methods-and-models <https://www4.labri.fr/en/formal-methods-and-models> & IMN (Neurodegeneratives Diseases Institute) -- http://www.imn-bordeaux.org/en <http://www.imn-bordeaux.org/en> --- Our new release of Reservoir Computing library: https://github.com/reservoirpy/reservoirpy <https://github.com/reservoirpy/reservoirpy>

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2022 SPARC FAIR Codeathon (prize pool of US$50,000)
by Elisabetta Iavarone 01 Jul '22

01 Jul '22

Dear colleagues, we are looking for exciting projects which use SPARC data <https://sparc.science/data?type=dataset> and/or SPARC tools and resources <https://sparc.science/data?type=sparcPartners&developedBySparc=true&skip=0> for the peripheral nervous system in novel ways, particularly in enhancing, demonstrating, or measuring the findability, accessibility, interoperability, or reusability (FAIR) of the data. *Total prize pool of US$50,000* -- including cash prizes and manuscript publication fees. Project selection has begun, but it’s not too late to suggest a novel topic for consideration. The Codeathon will take place virtually, on 6-8 August. You can find more information on the SPARC codeathon page <https://sparc.science/help/2022-sparc-fair-codeathon>. Codeathon projects should result in code, tools, datasets, or other outputs which are open and freely available. Some coding experience is beneficial, but not necessary, as part of the project involves writing exhaustive documentation of your code and the aim of your project. Examples of projects from earlier codeathons are available on GitHub <https://github.com/SPARC-FAIR-Codeathon>, and here <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OG3I0Oy1HivQNKOipNOZazFYCFVsSSn4Qe_EpSc…> you can find more ideas, such as: - Quantitative Analysis of Image Data - Visualizing experimental protocols - Create a short course on data science using Jupyter Notebook and the SPARC Portal <https://sparc.science/> - Embed o²S²PARC <https://docs.osparc.io/#/> modelling and simulation functionality within the SPARC Portal <https://sparc.science/> Participation in the codeathon is free and you only need access to your own computer and reliable internet connection to work with your team. We are looking forward to receiving your proposals. Best, Elisabetta (on behalf of the organizing committee)

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Fully-funded PhD and PostDoc position (4 years) in Machine / Deep Learning in Translational Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
by Kerstin Ritter 01 Jul '22

01 Jul '22

Dear all, we offer one PostDoc position (4 years, 100%) and one PhD position (4 years, 75%) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin (Berlin, Germany) in Machine / Deep Learning in Translational Psychiatry in a newly established Research Unit 5187 "Precision Psychotherapy" (headed by Prof. Ulrike Lüken). Please see the job advertisements below. Please forward to potential candidates. Thanks, and best wishes, Kerstin (Ritter) ______________________________________________________________ Explainable Machine Learning / Deep Learning in Clinical Neuroimaging and Translational Psychiatry 1) PostDoc position (starting date: autumn 2022, 4 years; 100 %) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin (Berlin, Germany) At Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, we are looking for a motivated and highly qualified PostDoc for methods development at the intersection of explainable machine learning / deep learning and clinical neuroimaging / translational psychiatry. The position will be located in the research groups of Prof. Kerstin Ritter and Prof. John-Dylan Haynes at Charité Berlin. The main task will be to predict response to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy in retrospective data and a prospective cohort of patients with internalizing disorders including depression and anxiety from a complex, multimodal data set comprising tabular data as well as imaging data (e.g., clinical data, smartphone data, EEG, structural and functional MRI data). An additional task will be to contribute to the organization and maintenance of the prospective cohort. This study will be one of several projects in the newly established Research Unit 5187 "Precision Psychotherapy" (headed by Prof. Ulrike Lüken). Requirements for the Postdoc: - Excellent master and PhD degree in relevant field (e.g. computer science, mathematics, physics, psychology, computational neuroscience or related). - Excellent methodological skills (esp. machine learning, deep learning, explainable AI, medical image analysis) - Excellent programming skills in python - Excellent writing and communication skills (in English) - Strong interest in neuroscientific and psychiatric research 2) PhD position (starting date: autumn 2022, 4 years; 75 %) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin (Berlin, Germany) At Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, we are looking for a motivated and highly qualified PhD student for analyzing structural and functional MRI data in patients with internalizing disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety) using machine learning methods. An additional task will be the acquisition of fMRI data together with other PhD students in the newly established Research Unit 5187 "Precision Psychotherapy" (headed by Prof. Ulrike Lüken). The PhD student will be supervised by Prof. Kerstin Ritter, Prof. Ulrike Lüken and Prof. Norbert Kathmann. Requirements for the PhD student: - Excellent master in relevant field (e.g. computer science, mathematics, physics, psychology, computational neuroscience or related). - Very good methodological skills (esp. machine learning, deep learning, statistics, neuroimaging) - Very good programming skills in python - Excellent writing and communication skills (in English and German) - Strong interest in neuroscientific and psychiatric research Please send your application (motivation+CV+references) in one pdf-file (in English or German) asap to: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Kerstin Ritter Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Sauerbruchweg 4, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin E-Mail: kerstin.ritter(a)charite.de Webpage: https://psychiatrie-psychotherapie.charite.de/en/research/translation_and_n…

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