January 2023 - Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Postdoctoral fellowship at the Gatsby Unit

by Lin, I-Chun

The Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit invites applications for a postdoctoral Training Fellowship under the guidance of Professor Maneesh Sahani and Professor Jennifer Linden (UCL Ear Institute). You will focus on an investigation of the computational principles that underlie the formation of perceptual representations. The goal is to apply state-of-the-art unsupervised inferential approaches to learn models of acoustic environments, and evaluate the fidelity with which they reproduce neural recordings in the auditory cortex from animals raised in either routine or altered acoustic settings. Deadline: 28 February 2023. For detailed information on the role and how to apply, visit www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/vacancies About the Gatsby Unit Established in 1998 through a generous grant from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Gatsby Unit has been a pioneering centre for research in theoretical neuroscience and machine learning. The Unit provides a unique multidisciplinary research environment with strong links to the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, the ELLIS Unit at UCL, and other neuroscience and machine learning groups at UCL and beyond. -- I-Chun Lin, PhD Scientific Programme Manager Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL

Jan. 31, 2023

Postdoc/Engineering position at the Cleveland Clinic in Brain-Machine Interfacing/Neural Interfacing

by Dawn Taylor

*Postdoctoral/Engineering Position in* *Brain-Machine Interfacing / Neural Interfacing* *at The Cleveland Clinic* We are seeking outstanding postdoctoral candidates and/or engineers for research in brain-machine interfacing and restoration of sensorimotor function via electrical stimulation of the nervous system. We have multiple ongoing projects applicants could get involved with spanning BMI-controlled neuroprosthetics, deep brain stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, and intracortical microstimulation. Our primary project is an NIH R01-funded project that is part of a larger government funded clinical trial (ReHAB: *Re*connecting the *H*and and *A*rm to the *B*rain) to restore arm function to paralyzed individuals by using their intracortical brain signals to control peripheral nerve stimulators that reanimate their paralyzed muscles. The specific focus of this five-year NIH-funded project (PIs: *Drs. Dawn Taylor* and *Bolu Ajiboye*) is to improve brain-controlled limb movements by more effectively modulating limb stiffness (i.e. degree of co-contraction of antagonist muscle) to improve limb stability while also minimizing muscle fatigue. Additionally, we have new funding for restoring proprioception via intracortical microstimulation in area 3a in animal models. We also are conducting research into improving deep brain stimulation and alternative peripheral neurostimulation therapies for Parkinson’s’ disease. Research activities include working with animal models and humans as well as neural and biomechanical simulations. Ideal candidates will have experience/familiarity in some or all of the following: intracortical recordings in animals, non-human primates and/or humans; cortical and/or peripheral nerve stimulation for restoration of movement and sensation; real-time neural signal processing; writing custom programs to control multiple pieces of hardware and control objects in a virtual environment (matlab skills preferred); computational or biomechanical modeling. An advanced degree in Biomedical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Neurosciences is preferred but other applicants will be considered. This is a great opportunity to work with our large interdisciplinary team of researchers, engineers and clinicians to gain a wide range of skills beneficial for your future neural or rehab-related career. Interested candidates should submit their curriculum vitae to Dawn Taylor, PhD ( dawn.taylor(a)case.edu) The Cleveland Clinic is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates. -- Dawn M. Taylor, Ph.D. Associate Staff, Dept. of Neuroscience, Cleveland Clinic Research Scientist, Cleveland VA Medical Center, Functional Electrical Stimulation Center Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering & of Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute 9500 Euclid Ave. / NC30 Cleveland, OH 44195 email: dxt42(a)case.edu or taylord8(a)ccf.org Phone: (216) 636-0140 Fax: (216) 444-7927

Jan. 31, 2023

PhD or PostDoc in Computational Neuroscience - Max Planck Institute, Göttingen, Germany

by Viola Priesemann

*Unsupervised Local Learning and Efficient Coding * Our group investigates learning and self-regulation in neural and social networks. By putting both side-by-side, we carve out the principles of self-regulation in living networks. The PhD / PostDoc projects are open topic. If you are interested to understand the principles or implementation of learning in living systems in the context of *efficient coding and its implementation via (unsupervised) local learning rules,* in the context of our ongoing work (e.g. [1-5]), we welcome your application. In our group, we combine approaches from statistical physics, data science, control theory, and information theory to carve out how local, unsupervised learning shapes network function. Potential collaborations with our colleagues from theory and experiment e.g. in Göttingen, Bonn, Tübingen, or Oxford are possible and encouraged. *Deadline*: February 10, 2023 (first position) and April 30, 2023 (second position). It should not matter, which application deadline you choose. *Further Details: * https://www.viola-priesemann.de/open-positions-2/ or https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/two-phd-mfx-or-postdoc-positions-m… Please note also our complementary open position on self-organization in social networks. *References: *[1]Zierenberg, Wilting & Priesemann, PRX 2018 <https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031018> [2] Mikulasch, Rudelt & Priesemann, <https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2021925118>PNAS 2021 <https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2021925118> [3] Jaehne et al., Cell Reports, 2021 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124721001558> [4] Rowland et al., biorxiv, 2021 <https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.28.474343v1.abstract> [5] Mikulasch, Rudelt, Wibral & Priesemann, TINS 2022 <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166223622001862> -- Summer school on infodemics and pandemics:https://summerschool.infodemics.info/ Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann Max-Planck-Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization & Georg-August-University Göttingen Am Fassberg 17, 37077 Göttingen https://priesemann-group.github.io www.viola-priesemann.de viola.priesemann(a)ds.mpg.de

Jan. 30, 2023

Konstanz School of Collective Behavior 2023

by Ahmed El Hady

*Konstanz School of Collective Behavior 2023* *Konstanz, Germany * *Deadline to apply: March 30th, 2023* The Konstanz School of Collective Behavior (KSCB) will take place between /31 July 2023 – 12 August 2023/ at the cluster of excellence Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour (CASCB) at the University of Konstanz <https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/>. Uni Konstanz is an elite University of Excellence and ranked #1 young university in Germany with “Collective Behaviour" <https://www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/collective-behaviour/> as one of five research foci. Konstanz <https://www.konstanz.de/start> is a vibrant, small city located on the border between Germany and Switzerland, on the shores of the Bodensee (Lake Constance). Over two weeks, students will delve deeply into the topic of collective behaviour with lectures, hands-on tutorials, and projects, making it a unique and unforgettable experience. The school faculty will cover collective behaviors across a variety of species from worms ,drosophila, fish to non – human primates and human. A set of tutorials delving into state-of-the-art quantitative methods used to study collective behavior will complement the lectures. At the end of the school, students will work on independent projects guided by our resident faculty. Accommodation will be provided and paid by the organizers. A limited number of travel awards will be provided and a registration fee will be due (300 euros) once the student is admitted to the Konstanz School of Collective Behaviour. The registration fee will be waived to those coming from underrepresented minorities and those in need of financial support. For further information and application, visit our website: _https://www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/kscb/application-procedure/ <https://www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/kscb/application-procedure/> _ __ *KSCB 2023 faculty (still more to come ) : *Orit Peleg , Kevin Lala, Einat Couzin, Liang Li, Jake Graving, Armin Bahl, Katrin Vogt, Wataru Toyokawa, Serena Ding, Heiko Hamann *Contact us at: **ahmed.el-hady(a)uni-konstanz.de <mailto:ahmed.el-hady@uni-konstanz.de> * ** *All the best regards,* ** Ahmed El Hady On behalf of the KSCB organizational committee

Jan. 30, 2023

Postdoc position in Computational Neuroscience

by andrea.alamia＠cnrs.fr

We are looking for a post-doc to work with us at the Centre de Recherche de Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo) in Toulouse, France. The project will be led by Andrea Alamia and funded by the European Research Council (ERC). Work environment The successful applicant will join the Centre de Recherche de Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo) in a lively research institute in Toulouse, a thriving Southern France city. CerCo is a research center created by the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the University Paul Sabatier, composed of over 30 research scientists and around 40 doctoral and post-doctoral students. The applicant will join the NeuroAI team, with a strong focus on computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence. The team has access to different experimental facilities, such as EEG, TMS, and fMRI, as well as computational resources (clusters and local GPUs). The project The project is part of an ERC starting grant investigating the role of oscillatory traveling waves in cognitive functions. Our primary goal is to study neural oscillations within and between cortical regions, as well as cortical-thalamic interactions. Our approach's novelty consists of framing the model in the light of Predictive Coding principles, using a computational approach based on spiking and deep neural networks. We'll compare the results of the simulations against experimental recordings of human participants (mostly EEG) to validate and assess the model's predictions. Requirements • Applicants should hold a PhD in computational neuroscience, computer science, engineering, cognitive science, or similar. • Ability to work independently, developing ideas and interests within the project's scope. • A solid mathematical background and excellent computing skills, including programming (e.g., MATLAB, Python). Experience with system theory, models of cortical circuits, and knowledge of neural oscillations are not strictly necessary but highly appreciated. • Fluent in English in both speaking and writing. No knowledge of French is required. The position will run for one year and is renewable for up to 3 years; its starting date is flexible (between March and October 2023). Salary depends on experience and will be determined following CNRS guidelines. To apply, please send a CV, including the name of two potential references, and a summary of research interests to Andrea Alamia (andrea.alamia at cnrs.fr). Review of applications will remain ongoing until the position is filled.

Jan. 30, 2023

Software WG: Software Highlight: Dendrify, a framework for incorporating dendrites to spiking neural networks

by Ankur Sinha

Dear all, Apologies for the cross-posts. Please join us for the INCF/OCNS Software Working Group's next Software Highlight session: https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/2023/01/27/dev-session-michalis-pagkalos-… Michalis Pagkalos will introduce and discuss Dendrify, a framework for incorporating dendrites to spiking neural networks, in this session. - Date: February 7, 1600 UTC (Click here to see your local time[1]) (Add to calendar[2]). - Zoom: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/91907842769?pwd=bnEzTU9Eem9SRmthSjJIRElFZ0xwUT09 The abstract for the talk is below: Current SNNs studies frequently ignore dendrites, the thin membranous extensions of biological neurons that receive and preprocess nearly all synaptic inputs in the brain. However, decades of experimental and theoretical research suggest that dendrites possess compelling computational capabilities that greatly influence neuronal and circuit functions. Notably, standard point-neuron networks cannot adequately capture most hallmark dendritic properties. Meanwhile, biophysically detailed neuron models can be suboptimal for practical applications due to their complexity, and high computational cost. For this reason, we introduce Dendrify, a new theoretical framework combined with an open-source Python package (compatible with Brian2) that facilitates the development of bioinspired SNNs. Dendrify allows the creation of reduced compartmental neuron models with simplified yet biologically relevant dendritic and synaptic integrative properties. Such models strike a good balance between flexibility, performance, and biological accuracy, allowing us to explore dendritic contributions to network-level functions while paving the way for developing more realistic neuromorphic systems. - Manuscript: Introducing the Dendrify framework for incorporating dendrites to spiking neural networks | Nature Communications [3] - Source code: Poirazi-Lab/dendrify: Introducing dendrites to spiking neural networks. Designed for the Brian 2 simulator [4]. - Documentation: https://dendrify.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ [1] https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Software+Highligh… [2] https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/extras/ics/20230207-dendrify.ics [3] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35747-8 [4] https://github.com/Poirazi-Lab/dendrify Please subscribe to the working group's mailing list for reminders, more updates, and to contact us: https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/pages/contact.html On behalf of the working group, -- Thanks, Regards, Ankur Sinha (He / Him / His) | https://ankursinha.in Research Fellow at the Silver Lab, University College London | http://silverlab.org/ Free/Open source community volunteer at the NeuroFedora project | https://neuro.fedoraproject.org Time zone: Europe/London

Jan. 30, 2023

Rovereto workshop on Concepts, Actions and Objects (CAOs), May 4-6, 2023, Rovereto, Italy

by Moritz Wurm

Save the date After a long break imposed by the COVID emergency, we are happy to announce that the CAOs workshop will be back this spring! The 14th edition of the Rovereto workshop on Concepts, Actions and Objects (CAOs), is taking place at the Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, May 4-6, 2023, in Rovereto, Italy. As usual, we are happy to announce an exciting list of speakers: Yanchao Bi (Beijing Normal University, China) Christian Doeller (Max Planck Institute, Germany) Beth Jefferies (York University, UK) Bob Kentridge (Durham University, UK) Gilles Vannuscorps (Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium) Gabriella Vigliocco (University College London) Melissa Võ (Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany) The goal of CAOs is to provide a unique forum for researchers from a range of perspectives who are interested in Concepts, Actions, and Objects to come together to discuss their research and develop new directions and collaborations. The workshop differs from larger conferences in so far as there are a small number of speakers (all invited) and there are no concurrent talks. In addition to the individual talks, there will be a poster session for students, post-docs and young researchers to present their work. Registration for the workshop will open soon. The CAOs workshop is sponsored by the Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy -- Moritz Wurm, PhD Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy moritz.wurm(a)unitn.it +39 0461-28 8632 https://sites.google.com/site/moritzfwurm

Jan. 30, 2023

Postdoc position at University of Texas Southwestern

by Brad Lega

A postdoc position is available at UT Southwestern, in Dallas, Texas, in the lab of Dr. Brad Lega. Successful candidates will join a diverse team of researchers studying human memory, including brain computer interface devices. Candidates will have the opportunity to work on one or more of the following topics: 1. Human single unit activity during memory behavior 2. Network/connectivity models of brain activity in humans 3. Brain stimulation paradigms for memory restoration. For more details, see: https://labs.utsouthwestern.edu/texas-computational-memory-lab Brad Lega UT Southwestern Dept of Neurosurgery email: bradlega(a)gmail.com

Jan. 26, 2023

Postdoc position in Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience

by Andrea Alamia

We are looking for a post-doc to work with us at the Centre de Recherche de Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo) in Toulouse, France. The project will be led by Andrea Alamia and funded by the European Research Council (ERC). Work environment The successful applicant will join the Centre de Recherche de Cerveau et Cognition (CerCo) in a lively research institute in Toulouse, a thriving Southern France city. CerCo is a research center created by the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the University Paul Sabatier, composed of over 30 research scientists and around 40 doctoral and post-doctoral students. The applicant will join the NeuroAI team, with a strong focus on computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence. The team has access to different experimental facilities, such as EEG, TMS, and fMRI, as well as computational resources (clusters and local GPUs). The project The project is part of an ERC starting grant investigating the role of oscillatory traveling waves in cognitive functions. Our primary goal is to study neural oscillations within and between cortical regions, as well as cortical-thalamic interactions. Our approach's novelty consists of framing the model in the light of Predictive Coding principles, using a computational approach based on spiking and deep neural networks. We'll compare the results of the simulations against experimental recordings of human participants (mostly EEG) to validate and assess the model's predictions. Requirements · Applicants should hold a PhD in computational neuroscience, computer science, engineering, cognitive science, or similar. · Ability to work independently, developing ideas and interests within the project's scope. · A solid mathematical background and excellent computing skills, including programming (e.g., MATLAB, Python). Experience with system theory, models of cortical circuits, and knowledge of neural oscillations are not strictly necessary but highly appreciated. · Fluent in English in both speaking and writing. No knowledge of French is required. The position will run for one year and is renewable for up to 3 years; its starting date is flexible (between March and October 2023). Salary depends on experience and will be determined following CNRS guidelines. To apply, please send a CV, including the name of two potential references, and a summary of research interests to Andrea Alamia (andrea.alamia at cnrs.fr). Review of applications will remain ongoing until the position is filled.

Jan. 26, 2023

Postdoc position in Prague

by Helmut Schmidt

A postdoc position is available at the Institute of Computer Science, Czech Academy of Sciences, under the supervision of Dr. Helmut Schmidt. The successful candidate will join a diverse team of researchers who work at the interface of neuroimaging and computational neuroscience, and will have the opportunity to work on one or more of the following topics: 1. the development of mathematical models of cortical microcircuits that are both biologically realistic and computationally efficient; 2. the integration of state-of-the-art mean field models of cortical activity into whole-brain network models, with a strong emphasis on realistic long-range axonal signal transmission; 3. the application of such models to neuroimaging data (EEG and fMRI). For more details see: https://www.cs.cas.cz/job-offer/Postdoc-positions-Schmidt3-2023/en -- Helmut Schmidt Institute of Computer Science The Czech Academy of Sciences email: schmidt(a)cs.cas.cz web: https://www.cs.cas.cz/staff/schmidt/en

Jan. 26, 2023