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

Postdoctoral Researcher position at Goettingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, University of Goettingen
by von Behren, Christina 16 Dec '24

16 Dec '24

Dear Scientists, The Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN)<https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/608362.html> invites applications for a position of Postdoctoral Researcher in Computational Biophysics (all genders welcome) The position will be full-time (currently 39,8 hours/week), German pay grade 13 TV-L, starting as soon as possible. The CIDBN Department "Physics of Biological Systems", headed by Prof. Fred Wolf, offers a fixed-term contract until June 30, 2025 with the perspective of an extension commensurate with building a competitive track record at the frontier of computational biophysics and neural circuit theory. Information is processed in brain circuits through the coordinated action of large-scale circuits of neurons and synapses. Ultimately, it is the nano-scale molecular architecture of neuronal synapses that can make or break the power of neural circuit computation. Progress in a broad suite of nanoscopy techniques is currently uncovering the molecular-level design of synapses subserving functions such as working memory or sensory coding. The spatio-temporal operation of these nano-machines and the efficiency of their design, however, remain to be understood and are core research aims of the Göttingen Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1286 "Quantitative Synaptology"<https://www.sfb1286.de/?lang=en>. We are inviting applications from theoretical biophysicists, molecular systems biologists, or computational scientists with an ambition to pioneer computational studies of synaptic functional design. We offer a stimulating environment of theoretical neuroscientists, neural data-scientists, and cutting-edge experimentalists associated with CRC 1286. In addition, the institute provides dedicated support for high-performance computing. We are dedicated to supporting the growth of original research personalities at the frontier of computational science and neural circuit theory. The successful applicant will hold an excellent PhD in physics, applied mathematics, computer science, or equivalent, and have a strong interest in high-performance computing in neuroscience or cellular systems biology. We expect excellent analytical and coding skills, interest in working in a transdisciplinary team as well as excellence in scientific writing and reasoning. Experience in non-equilibrium statistical physics, stochastic dynamics, membrane biophysics, ion-channel and biochemical kinetics, buffered Ca-diffusion, and Ca-exocytosis coupling would be advantageous. The Göttingen Campus is a leading center of neuroscience in Europe hosting numerous internationally renowned research institutions, including the University, the University Medical Center, two life science Max Planck Institutes, the European Neuroscience Institute, the German Primate Center, and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Göttingen. The CIDBN is a newly founded transdisciplinary institute whose mission is to foster frontier research at the border of the exact and biological sciences. The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The mission of the University is to employ a greater number of severely disabled persons. Applications from severely disabled persons with equivalent qualifications will be given preference. Please send your e-mail application in one single PDF-document, including a letter of motivation, your curriculum vitae with a list of publications, copies of your certificates and contact information of two references to cidbn(a)uni-goettingen.de<mailto:cidbn@uni-goettingen.de> (subject: Postdoc CIDBN). The position remains open until filled. Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks Heinrich-Düker-Weg 12, 37073 Göttingen. If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Fred Wolf via e-mail: fred.wolf(a)ds.mpg.de<mailto:fred.wolf@ds.mpg.de>. Please note: With submission of your application, you accept the processing of your applicant data in terms of data-protection law. Further information on the legal basis and data usage is provided in the Hinweisblatt zur Datenschutzgrundverordnung (DSGVO) https://www.uni-goettingen.de/hinweisdsgvo <https://www.uni-goettingen.de/hinweisdsgvo%20> Best regards, Christina von Behren ------ Goettingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Goettingen University of Goettingen Heinrich-Dueker-Weg 12 37073 Goettingen Germany Tel.: +49-(0)551-39-26674

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Late-breaking poster abstract submission for the 32nd Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting ends on June 15
by Rubchinsky, Leonid L 11 Dec '24

11 Dec '24

Dear Colleagues, We would like to remind that the late-breaking poster abstracts submission at CNS*2023 ends on June 15. CNS*2023, 32nd Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting, will be in Leipzig, Germany, on July 15-19, 2023. The information about the meeting and abstract submission can be found here: Registration: https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2023-registration Abstract submission: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2023-abstract-submission CNS*2023 information: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2023 With kind regards, Leonid Rubchinsky OCNS Vice President *********************** Leonid Rubchinsky, PhD Professor Department of Mathematical Sciences, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine 402 N. Blackford St Indianapolis, IN 46202-3216 lrubchin(a)iupui.edu http://www.math.iupui.edu/~lrubchin ***********************

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Python Package: SER model
by Fabrizio Damicelli 08 Aug '24

08 Aug '24

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

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Fully-funded PhD in machine-learning for analysing subject's decisions (Nottingham, UK)
by Mark Humphries 22 Apr '24

22 Apr '24

A fully-funded PhD is available with Dr Silvia Maggi and Professor Mark Humphries (University of Nottingham) and Dr Hazem Toutonji (University of Sheffield). Decision-making happens in dynamic environments. Understanding how subjects respond to such a fast-changing world requires approaches that can track subject's choice strategies at the resolution of single trials. We recently developed a Bayesian inference algorithm (Maggi et al., 2023, bioRxiv) that enables trial-resolution tracking of learning and exploration during learning. This project will build on this work to solve crucial problems of determining which of a set of behavioural strategies a subject is using and how to incorporate evidence uncertainty into its detection of the learning of strategies and transitions between them. Using the extended algorithm on datasets of rodents and humans performing decision tasks will let us test a range of hypotheses for how correct decisions are learnt and what innate strategies are used. Application deadline: November 30th 2023 PhD start date: February 1st 2024 Please send all queries to Silvia (silvia.maggi(a)nottingham.ac.uk) or Mark (mark.humphries(a)nottingham.ac.uk) Full details and how to apply here: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/cognitive-flexibility-in-dynamic-deci… Professor Mark Humphries | Professor of Computational Neuroscience Lab: humphries-lab.org<https://www.humphries-lab.org/> Twitter: @markdhumphries Public blog: https://medium.com/the-spike Book: "The Spike: An Epic Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds" (Princeton UP) out now in paperback: https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691241487/the-spike This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

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Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biocomputation at the University of Hertfordshire, UK
by Volker Steuber 02 Apr '24

02 Apr '24

Post Title: Research Fellow in Biocomputation SBU/Department: School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science ________________________________ FTE: 1 FTE (working 37 hours per week) Duration of Contract: Fixed term Contract (3 years) Salary: UH7 £36,333 pa with potential to progress to £43,155 pa on achieving designated skills and experience Annual Leave: 35 days plus standard public holidays and an additional 4 days including the closure of our office between Christmas and New Year Location: College Lane Campus, Hatfield, UK Closing Date: 14th June 2023 Interview Date: To be confirmed Reference Number: 048016 Date advert placed: 17th May 2023 Main duties and responsibilities We are seeking a full-time Research Fellow to join the Biocomputation Research Group in the School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Hertfordshire to conduct high-quality research in Computational Neuroscience. The successful candidate’s research will involve synergistic collaborations with a multidisciplinary team to investigate brain processes using methodologies such as computational modelling, machine learning and AI. Research to be conducted could, e.g., comprise modelling brain circuits like the olfactory bulb or the cerebellum and simulating and analysing their function. Additional impact could arise in machine learning, AI, data science, neurorobotics and neuromorphic computing. The successful candidate will be expected to establish a programme of research in collaboration with colleagues at UH and partner organisations in the UK and abroad. Leading the preparation and publication of research manuscripts is a key aspect of the role. Contributions to the preparation of research proposals and applications for funding to external bodies, such as the European Commission and the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are expected. The postholder will create opportunities to maximise research activities, capturing relevant evidence to support impact and engaging with external partners and stakeholders. Skill and experience required * Strong theoretical, computational and programming background in computational modelling and/or machine learning and/or data science and/or AI. * Background and expertise in computational neuroscience (e.g. spiking neural networks, brain function and anatomy, analysis of brain data). * Demonstrated experience to conduct independent research in computational neuroscience or a related field, e.g., through published research papers or monographs. * Applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English * The applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills. Qualifications required • An undergraduate honours degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Neuroscience, or a related discipline and a PhD (or expectation that one will soon be awarded) in a relevant discipline. An appointment to this role may require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate. Contact Details/Informal Enquiries: Professor Volker Steuber, v.steuber(a)herts.ac.uk Professor Michael Schmuker, m.schmuker(a)herts.ac.uk Apply through: https://www.jobs.herts.ac.uk/go/048016 Our vision is to transform lives: UH is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and building a diverse community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of their protected characteristics and recognise there are different ways applicants may achieve the criteria in this document. We offer a range of employee benefits including generous annual leave, flexible location opportunities within the UK, discounted Sports Village memberships and free Active Staff sessions, personal and professional development and family-friendly policies. Volker Steuber Professor of Computational Neuroscience Biocomputation Research Group School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science University of Hertfordshire College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, UK biocomputation.herts.ac.uk<http://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk>

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Postdoc Position in Moral Artificial Intelligence (Jointly sponsored by Duke and CMU)
by Dr Jana Schaich Borg, Ph.D. 11 Mar '24

11 Mar '24

Postdoc available in our interdisciplinary Moral AI group! Description: We have an opening for a joint two-year postdoctoral position at the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University and the Social Science Research Institute, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, and Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University (with the possibility of renewal for a third year). The postdoc can be employed through any of these departments in either University, depending on their preference. The candidate is expected to live in either Pittsburgh or Durham depending on their chosen home department, but will be asked to travel occasionally to the other location. The focus of the position is on conducting impactful research on moral artificial intelligence, addressing problems such as: Designing artificial intelligence systems to model and predict human moral judgments Designing effective elicitation mechanisms and interfaces to capture moral preferences Developing techniques for implementing and evaluating AI systems that are based on these modeled preferences, and assessing the dynamic impact of these systems on the preferences and behavior of users who interact with them Qualifications: Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in computer science, statistics, mathematics, computational neuroscience, computational cognitive science, or related technical fields and have expertise in Machine Learning and AI / statistics / data science. Additional background in moral psychology, moral philosophy, (AI or other) ethics, HCI, social decision-making and/or social science is preferred, but not required. Interested applicants should apply online <https://apply.interfolio.com/113237> <https://apply.interfolio.com/113237> (https://apply.interfolio.com/113237) or contact Dr. Jana Schaich Borg via email (js524(a)duke.edu) including a CV and statement of research interests, and the name of three referees that can provide letters of recommendation. We are strongly committed to a diverse academic environment and place high priority on attracting underrepresented candidates.

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Postdoctoral Researcher in Computational Neuroscience: Effects of Neuromodulation on Learning in SRNNs
by Fleur Zeldenrust 05 Feb '24

05 Feb '24

*The 'Biophysics of Neural Computation' group in Nijmegen (PI: dr. Fleur Zeldenrust) is looking for a postdoctoral researcher (26 months) to study the effects of neuromodulators in biologically realistic networks and learning tasks in the Vidi project 'Top-down neuromodulation and bottom-up network computation, a computational study'. You will use cellular and behavioural data gathered by our department over the previous five years on dopamine, acetylcholine and serotonin in mouse barrel cortex, to bridge the gap between single cell, network and behavioural effects.* The aim of this project is to explain the effects of neuromodulation on task performance in biologically realistic spiking recurrent neural networks (SRNNs). You will use biologically realistic learning frameworks, such as force learning, to study how network structure influences task performance. You will use existing open source data to train a SRNN on a pole detection task <https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0896627315002512> (for rodents using their whiskers) and incorporate realistic network properties of the (barrel) cortex based on our *lab's measurements <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12021-022-09576-5>*. Next, you will incorporate the cellular effects of dopamine, acetylcholine and serotonin that we have measured (see *this paper <https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giy147>* and *this preprint <https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.12.476007v1>*) into the network, and investigate their effects on task performance. In particular, you will research the effects of biologically realistic network properties (balance between excitation and inhibition and the resulting chaotic activity, non-linear neuronal input-output relations, patterns in connectivity, Dale's law) and incorporate known neuron and network effects. You will build on the single cell data, network models and analysis methods available in our group, and your results will be incorporated into our group's further research to develop and validate efficient coding models of (somatosensory) perception. We are therefore looking for a team player who can collaborate well with the other group members, and is willing to both learn from them and share their knowledge. *Your profile:* Profile - You hold a PhD in computational neuroscience, mathematics, physics, computer science, AI or a similar computational field. - You have experience in working with machine learning models in (computational) neuroscience and are able to perform network simulations, analytical derivations and advanced data analysis. - You are a highly motivated, independent, critical and creative researcher who wants to bridge the gap between real data and abstract theoretical models. - You are a team player, ready to collaborate in a diverse multidisciplinary research group. - You have an excellent command of spoken and written English. - You have experience in coding (Python and/or Matlab). We are *Our profile:* You will be appointed at the *Biophysics of Neural Computation <https://www.ru.nl/donders/research/theme-4-neural-computation-neurotechnolo…>* group, *Donders Centre for Neuroscience <https://www.ru.nl/science/dcn/>*, *Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour <https://www.ru.nl/donders/>*. <https://www.ru.nl/donders/> This vibrant and multidisciplinary institute studies the organisation and function of neural circuits across scales and techniques, from genes and proteins to behaviour and from in vitro and in vivo experiments to computational modelling. It is an open and international environment, where young scientists from different backgrounds share a fascination for the interaction between brain structure and function. Postdoctoral researchers enjoy a *lively community <https://www.ru.nl/donders/talent-education/postdoctoral-researchers/>* and specialised support. *We offer:* We offer - It concerns an employment for 0.8 - 1.0 FTE. - The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of €3,226 and a maximum of €5,090 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience (*salary scale 10 <https://www.ru.nl/en/staff/services/salary-and-selection-model/salary/amoun…>* ). - You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. - You will be employed on the basis of a temporary contract for 26 months. - You will be able to use our *Dual Career and Family Care Services <https://www.ru.nl/en/staff/services/living-working-and-studying-netherlands…>*. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen. - Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose *between 30 or 41 <https://www.ru.nl/en/staff/services/employment-conditions/working-time/flex…>* <https://www.ru.nl/en/staff/services/employment-conditions/working-time/flex…>days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20. *Please, apply via the website before February 11th: * https://www.ru.nl/en/working-at/job-opportunities/postdoctoral-researcher-i… Profil -- Fleur Zeldenrust Associate Professor Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour Donders Centre for Neuroscience Faculty of Science, Radboud University Heyendaalseweg 135, room HG 00.111 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands tel +31 24 36 53195 fleurzeldenrust.nl *Due to my own family/work balance, you may receive emails from me outside of normal working hours. I do not expect a response from you outside of your own working pattern, nor do I expect an immediate response when you are working.*

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Announcing Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course 2024 (OCNC 2024)
by Erik De Schutter 24 Jan '24

24 Jan '24

OKINAWA/OIST COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE COURSE 2024 Methods, Neurons, Networks and Behaviors June 17 to July 4, 2024 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc The aim of the Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course is to provide opportunities for young researchers with theoretical backgrounds to learn the latest advances in neuroscience, and for those with experimental backgrounds to have hands-on experience in computational modeling. We invite graduate students and postgraduate researchers to participate in the course, held from June 17th through July 4th, 2024 at an oceanfront seminar house of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. Applications are through the course web page (https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc) only; January 1 - January 31, 2024. Applicants will receive confirmation of acceptance end of March. Like in preceding years, the 19th OCNC will be a comprehensive three-week course covering single neurons, networks, and behaviors with ample time for student projects. The first week will focus exclusively on methods with hands-on tutorials during the afternoons, while the second and third weeks will have lectures by international and local experts. The course has a strong hands-on component based on student proposed modeling or data analysis projects, which are further refined with the help of a dedicated tutor. Applicants are required to propose their project at the time of application. There is no tuition fee. The sponsor will provide lodging and meals during the course. We hope that this course will be a good opportunity for theoretical and experimental neuroscientists to meet each other and to explore the attractive nature and culture of Okinawa, the southernmost island prefecture of Japan. Lecturers: Erik De Schutter (OIST) Kenji Doya (OIST) Tomoki Fukai (OIST) Izumi Fukunaga (OIST) N. Alex Cayco Gajic (École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France) Yukiko Goda (OIST) Arvind Kumar (KTH, Stockholm, Sweden) Bernd Kuhn (OIST) Matthew Larkum (Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany) Hakwan Lau (RIKEN CBS, Tokyo, Japan) Sukbin Lim (NYU Shangai, China) Gerald Pao (OIST) Thomas Parr (Oxford University, UK) Sam Reiter (OIST) Kazumasa Tanaka (OIST)

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CFP: IEEE WCCI 2024
by Junichiro Yoshimoto 12 Jan '24

12 Jan '24

-- Apologies in advance for multiple postings — IEEE WCCI 2024 Call for Papers June 30 - July 5, 2024 @ Yokohama, Japan https://2024.ieeewcci.org SCOPE IEEE WCCI 2024 is the world’s largest technical event on computational intelligence, featuring the three flagship conferences of the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (CIS) under one roof: The International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), the IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems (FUZZ-IEEE) and the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (IEEE CEC). IJCNN 2024: The International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN) covers a wide range of topics in the field of neural networks, from biological neural networks to artificial neural computation. IEEE CEC 2024 The IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (IEEE CEC) covers all topics in evolutionary computation from theory to real-world applications. FUZZ-IEEE 2024 The IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems (FUZZ-IEEE) covers all topics in fuzzy systems from theory to real-world applications. IMPORTANT DATES - 15 January 2024: Paper Submission Deadline - 15 March 2024: Paper Acceptance Notification - 1 May 2024: Final Paper Submission & Early Registration Deadline - 30 June - 5 July 2024: IEEE WCCI 2024 Yokohama, Japan PAPER SUBMISSION Please read the paper submission guidelines (https://2024.ieeewcci.org/submission) before submitting your papers. * Each paper should not reveal author's identities (double-blind review process). * Papers will be checked for plagiarism. The Program Committee reserves the right to desk-reject a paper if it contains elements that are suspected to be plagiarized. * Submissions should be original and not currently under review at another venue. * Each paper is limited to 8 pages, including figures, tables, and references. A maximum of two extra pages per paper is allowed (i.e, up to 10 pages), at an additional charge of $100 per extra page. * All papers must be submitted through the IEEE WCCI 2024 online submission system. * For special session papers, please select the respective special session title under the list of research topics in the submission system. * In order for your papers to be included in the congress program and in the proceedings, final accepted papers must be submitted, and the corresponding registration fees must be paid by May 1, 2024 (11:59 PM Anywhere on Earth). * IEEE WCCI 2024 will present the Best Overall Paper Awards and the Best Student Paper Awards to recognize outstanding papers published in each of the three conference proceedings (IJCNN 2024, FUZZ-IEEE 2024, IEEE CEC 2024). The awards will be judged by an Awards Committee and the recipient of each award will be given a certificate of the award and a cash prize. * It is the policy of WCCI 2024 that new authors cannot be added at the time of submitting final camera ready papers. Please ensure that you are following this guideline to avoid any issues with publication. If you encounter any problems with the submission of your papers, please contact the WCCI 2024 Paper Submission Chairs. PAPER SUBMISSION SYSTEM WCCI 2024 adopts EDAS as the submission system, available at the following link: https://edas.info/N31614

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CfP Social Interaction for Human and Virtual Agents
by Treur, J. (Jan) 29 Dec '23

29 Dec '23

SIHVA 2024: Computational Modeling of Social Interaction for Human and Virtual Agents Special Session at the 16th Asian Conference on Intelligent Information and Database Systems (ACIIDS 2024) 15-18 April 2024, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE Website: https://aciids.pwr.edu.pl/2024/session.php?acronym=SIHVA Organizers Sophie C.F. Hendrikse University of Amsterdam, Psychological Methods Group E-mail: s.c.f.hendrikse(a)uva.nl<mailto:s.c.f.hendrikse@uva.nl> Jan Treur Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Social AI Group E-mail: j.treur(a)vu.nl<mailto:j.treur@vu.nl> Objectives From a Computer Science or AI perspective, social interaction for human or virtual agents might simply be modeled like exchange of information. However, as many researchers involved in this area know, in a realistic context there is much more to it than that. Some examples of quite relevant aspects are how information about the other agent is represented and interpreted, how the interaction behaviour is context-sensitive and has flexibility in responses, and can be adaptive over time, for example, like in bonding. Research on all of such and other relevant aspects can be addressed in this track. Topics Some of the specific topics covered are (but the scope is not limited to these): * Multimodal interaction * Representing and learning about the other agent, self-other distinction * Social contagion and mirroring * Emergence of similarity during social interaction: homophily, synchrony * Adaptivity of interaction behaviour over shorter and longer time periods * Interpersonal regulation of emotions between agents * Joint-decision making * Collaborative learning * Artificial social systems * Social affective computing * Socially intelligent agents and multi-agent systems Important dates Paper submission: January 5, 2024 (2nd extension) Notification of acceptance: February 28, 2024 Camera-ready papers: March 15, 2024 Registration & payment: March 15, 2024 Conference date: April 15-18, 2024

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Postdoctoral fellowships at the Neuromathematics Center in Sao Paulo State, Brazil
by Antonio Roque 27 Dec '23

27 Dec '23

Positions for Postdoctoral Researchers The Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics (NeuroMat), hosted by the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil, and funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), is offering post-doctoral fellowships for recent PhDs with outstanding research potential. The fellowship will involve collaborations with research teams and laboratories associated with NeuroMat. The research to be developed by the post-doc fellow shall be strictly related to ongoing research lines developed by the NeuroMat team that can be consulted at our website. The project may be developed at the laboratories of USP, campuses of São Paulo or Ribeirão Preto, or at UNICAMP, Campinas, in person. We seek candidates capable of developing independent research in one of the research lines below. 1. Stochastic modeling of neurobiological data. 2. Acquisition, processing, and quantitative analysis of neurobiological data. 3. Instrumentation development associated with brain stimuli. Candidates to the first research line are required to have a strong background in probability theory with emphasis on stochastic processes. Candidates to the second research line are required to have a strong background in neuroscience with previous experience in neurophysiological data acquisition, processing and analysis, and knowledge of computer programming. Candidates to the third research line are required to have a strong background in electronic instrumentation, robotics, programing, and safety in medical equipment. The initial appointment is for one year, with a possible extension, conditional on research progress. The fellowship is competitive at an international level, and fellows benefit from extra funds for travel and research expenses plus limited support for relocation expenses. Application Instructions: Applicants should complete and submit the application form <https://neuromat.numec.prp.usp.br/postdoc/new/>. The following documents and information are requested (please see the form for further details): - Summary of the CV, in the format required by FAPESP (see fapesp.br/en/6351 <http://www.fapesp.br/en/6351> for instructions); - List of publications, with links to those available online. - A summary of the research plan for the next year, up to 5 pages in length. This document must explicitly state for which of the three research lines the candidate has applied. It should also address how this research plan fits within the framework of the NeuroMat research program <https://neuromat.numec.prp.usp.br/scientific-project/>. - Pointers to other research related output, such as software, web pages, and so forth. Candidates should be willing to send copies of publications, if requested. - Any further information deemed relevant to the application. In addition to the above, we require at least two recommendation letters. Those should be mailed by the recommenders directly to postdoc-appl(a)numec.prp.usp.br. Timetable: Candidates are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience until the deadline of February 02, 2024. Appointment is expected to start by March 2024. The initial period of the position lasts for 12 months, with possible renewals to up to the end of the project, July 31, 2025. This opportunity is open to candidates of any nationality. The selected candidates will be awarded FAPESP Postdoctoral fellowships in the amount of BRL 9,047.40 monthly and a research contingency fund, equivalent to 15% of the annual value of the fellowship, which should be spent on items directly related to the research activity. More details on FAPESP's postdoctoral fellowships are available at: fapesp.br/en/5427 <http://www.fapesp.br/en/5427>. -- Antonio C. Roque Professor Associado Departamento de Fisica FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto-SP Brazil - Brasil antonior(a)usp.br <antonior(a)ffclrp.usp.br> aroquesilva(a)gmail.com www.sisne.org ORCID: 0000-0003-1260-4840 <https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1260-4840> ResearcherID: C-2316-2011 <http://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/C-2316-2011> Google Scholar: GqHWF74AAAAJ <http://scholar.google.com.br/citations?user=GqHWF74AAAAJ> CV Lattes: 4609096963207702 <http://lattes.cnpq.br/4609096963207702>

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First Call for Papers: RaPID-5@LREC-COLING 2024
by Dim X 27 Dec '23

27 Dec '23

************************************************************************************* *First Call for Papers:* The 5th workshop on: "*Resources and ProcessIng of linguistic, para-linguistic and extra-linguistic Data from * * people with various forms of cognitive/psychiatric/developmental impairments*" *Workshop*: co-located with LREC-COLING 2024 | Turin, Italy | May 21st, 2024 RaPID-5 serves as an interdisciplinary platform for researchers to exchange insights, methods, and experiences related to collecting and processing data from individuals with mental, cognitive, neuropsychiatric, or neurodegenerative impairments. The workshop focuses on creating, processing, and applying such data resources from individuals at different stages and severity levels of these impairments. The ultimate goal of RaPID-5 is to facilitate the study of relationships among linguistic, paralinguistic, and extra-linguistic observations, with applications ranging from aiding diagnosis to enhancing monitoring and predicting individuals at higher risk, ultimately promoting multidisciplinary collaboration across clinical, language technology, computational linguistics, and computer science communities. *Submission deadline*: Sun., 31st of March, 2024 (anywhere on earth) *Paper submission*: https://softconf.com/lrec-coling2024/rapid2024/ *Website and more details*: https://spraakbanken.gu.se/en/rapid-2024 *Contact*: Dimitrios Kokkinakis *Contact email*: dimitrios.kokkinakis(a)gu.se *Organizing committee*: - Kathleen C. Fraser, National Research Council, Canada; - Dimitrios Kokkinakis, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; - Kristina Lundholm Fors, Lund University, Sweden; - Charalambos K. Themistocleous, University of Oslo, Norway - Athanasios Tsanas, The University of Edinburgh, UK - Fredrik Öhman, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden **************************************************************************************

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Neuro-AI Conference in Chile, April 2024
by Christopher Pack, Dr. 26 Dec '23

26 Dec '23

Abstract submission is now open for the Pucón Summit on Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, to be held in Pucón, Chile, from April 8-12, 2024. The Summit will aim to explore the intersection of neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence (AI), with a particular focus on mechanisms of learning. This event will provide a platform for AI and experimental neuroscience researchers to delve into the mechanisms of learning at the cellular, systems, and behavioral levels. The meeting aims to address three fundamental questions that have been the subject of intense research and theoretical debate: 1) What cellular mechanisms enable learning on different timescales? 2) How do brain networks modify their connectivity to support adaptive behaviors? 3) How do popular AI learning algorithms relate to biological mechanisms of learning at the cellular and systems levels? The emphasis will be on exchanging information between theoretical and experimental scientists. How can AI generate testable predictions for neuroscientists? How can neuroscientific discoveries inform the next generation of AI models? More information is available at the website: https://plena.cenia.cl/<https://plena.cenia.cl/registration/> This five-day meeting will involve talks in the morning, free afternoons for speakers, workshops for students, and round table discussions in the evenings. There is also a possibility of satellite workshops and other activities involving trainees before and after the meeting. Important dates Abstract submission: January 24, 2024 Early registration: February 2, 2024 Regular registration: March 5, 2024 Keynote speakers Sara Solla (Northwestern University) Nelson Spruston (HHMI) Full list of invited talks: https://plena.cenia.cl/speakers/ Chile is renowned for its beautiful landscapes, rich culture, and vibrant research community. We have selected the city of Pucón, as an exceptional venue providing a secluded and conducive environment for stimulating conversations, fruitful collaborations, and unique outdoor activities (i.e., Volcano trekking, river rafting, lake activities, etc.). We hope to see you there. Regards, The Scientific Committee [cid:image003.jpg@01DA37E3.2F598230]Roberto Araya (U. Montreal, Canada) Christopher Pack (McGill University, Canada) Pedro Maldonado (Universidad de Chile, Chile) Markus Diesmann (Jülich Research Center, Germany) For any questions, please contact us by email: plena(a)cenia.cl<mailto:plena@cenia.cl>

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COSYNE 2024: Travel grants; Pre-Cosyne Brainhack
by Tomas Hromadka 24 Dec '23

24 Dec '23

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2024 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING 29 February - 03 March 2024 Lisbon, Portugal WORKSHOPS 04 March - 05 March 2024 Cascais, Portugal www.cosyne.org ==================================================== IMPORTANT DATES Registration is now open Travel grants applications are now open. Travel grant applications deadlines: *31 December 2023, 11.59PM PST (Undergraduate Travel Grant)* 24 January 2024, 11.59PM PST (Other travel grants) ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE MEETING & WORKSHOPS ---------------------------------------------------- The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks is selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural basis of behavior, sensory and motor systems, circuitry, learning, neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, neuromodulation, and computation with spiking networks. ----------------------------------------------- TRAVEL GRANTS ----------------------------------------------- Applications are now open for travel grants to attend the conference. Each awardee will receive at least $500 to help offset the costs of travel, registration, and accommodations. Larger grants may be available to those traveling from outside Europe. Special consideration is given to scientists who have not previously attended the meeting, under-represented minorities, students who are attending the meeting together with a mentor, undergraduate students, and authors of submitted Cosyne abstracts. We currently offer five travel grant programs for New Attendees, Presenters, Mentors, Undergraduates, and Childcare travel grants. For details on applying, see www.cosyne.org/travel-grants. ----------------------------------------------------- PRE-COSYNE BRAINHACK ----------------------------------------------------- Pre-COSYNE Brainhack is a satellite event and hackathon from 27-28 February 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, immediately preceding the COSYNE conference. This hackathon brings together people who are passionate about open science, open-source tools, and collaboration around computational and systems neuroscience. It provides an opportunity for people from different institutions to work together on projects of shared interest and learn from each other. Anyone is welcome to participate. Space is limited to 25 people. To learn more and apply, please visit the Pre-COSYNE Brainhack website: https://pre-cosyne-brainhack.github.io/hackathon2024 ----------------------------------------------------- COSYNE 2024 SPEAKERS ----------------------------------------------------- Blaise Aguera y Arcas (Google Research) Dora Angelaki (NYU) Silvia Arber (U Basel) Laura Busse (LMU Munich) Lars Chittka (Queen Mary U) Kafui Dzirasa (Duke U) Elizabeth Hong (Caltech) Alex Pouget (U Geneva) Rajesh Rao (U Washington) Mac Shine (U Sydney) David Sussillo (Meta Reality Labs & Stanford) Claire Wyart (ICM Brain & Spine Institute) ----------------------------------------------------- COSYNE 2024 COMMITTEES ----------------------------------------------------- COSYNE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General Chairs: Jessica Cardin (Yale) and Blake Richards (McGill) Program Chairs: Bing Brunton (U Washington) and Chandramouli Chandrasekaran (Boston U) Workshop Chairs: SueYeon Chung (NYU/Flatiron) and Andrew Saxe (Oxford) Tutorial Chair: Il Memming Park (Champalimaud) Undergraduate Travel Chairs: Kimberly Stachenfeld (DeepMind) and Marcelo Mattar (NYU) DEIA Committee: Hysell Oviedo (Washington U) and Luke Sjulson (Albert Einstein) Fundraising Chair: Michael Long (NYU) Social Media Chair: Sabera Talukder (Caltech) Audio-Video Media Chair: Carlos Stein Brito (Champalimaud) Poster Design: Maja Bialon COSYNE PROGRAM COMMITTEE Bing Brunton (U Washington) Co-chair Chandramouli Chandrasekaran (Boston U) Co-chair Yashar Ahmadian (U Cambridge) Athena Akrami (UCL) Timothy Buschman (Princeton) Alex Cayco Gajic (Ecole Normale Superieure) Hannah Choi (Gatech) Brian DePasquale (Boston U) Sridhar Devarajan (Indian Inst Sci) Laura Driscoll (Stanford) Ann Duan (UCL) Lea Duncker (Stanford) Annegret Falkner (Princeton) Rainer Friedrich (Friedrich Miescher Institute) Juan Gallego (Imperial) Matthew Golub (U Washington) Bilal Haider (Georgia Tech) Kiah Hardcastle (Harvard) Kameron Harris (W Washington U) Santiago Jaramillo (U Oregon) Jonathan Kao (UCLA) Kohitij Kar (York U) Ann Kennedy (Northwestern) Guillaume Lajoie (MILA) Laura Lewis (MIT) Camilo Libedinsky (National U Singapore) Scott Linderman (Stanford) Ashok Litwin-Kumar (Columbia) Emily Mackevicius (Basis) Jorge Mejias (U Amsterdam) Leenoy Meshulam (U Washington) Jonathan Michaels (York U) James Murray (U Oregon) Hendrikje Nienborg (NIH) Gouki Okazawa (Chinese Acad Sci) Marino Pagan (UCL) Chethan Pandarinath (Emory) Il Memming Park (Champalimaud) Hannah Payne (Columbia) Talmo Pereira (Salk) Supratim Ray (Indian Inst Sci) Erin Rich (Mount Sinai) Ben Scott (Boston U) Alireza Soltani (Dartmouth) Nicholas Steinmetz (U Washington) Carsen Stringer (HHMI) Marie Suver (Vanderbilt) Aparna Suvrathan (McGill) John Tuthill (U Washington) Ali Weber (Bryn Mawr) Brady Weissbourd (MIT) Alex Williams (NYU) Klaus Wimmer (CRM) Brad Wyble (Penn State) Dan Yamins (Stanford) COSYNE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Anne-Marie Oswald (U Pittsburgh) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) COSYNE CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org ----------------------------------------------------- COSYNE MAILING LISTS ----------------------------------------------------- Please consider adding yourself to Cosyne mailing lists (groups) to receive email updates with various Cosyne-related information and join in helpful discussions. See www.cosyne.org/mailing-lists lists for details.

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Job offer: schizophrenia, pharmacology, modeling
by BREYTON Martin 23 Dec '23

23 Dec '23

Dear all, Please find below the description for an available position at INS in Marseille, France: Main contact : Dr Martin Breyton martin.breyton(a)univ-amu.fr<mailto:martin.breyton@univ-amu.fr> Additional contacts : romain.guilhaumou(a)ap-hm.fr<mailto:romain.guilhaumou@ap-hm.fr>, spase.petkoski(a)univ-amu.fr<mailto:spase.petkoski@univ-amu.fr> REPORTS (bRain modEling and PharmacOclinical Response To Schizophrenia) Description: Schizophrenia affects approximately 0.7 to 1% of the world's population. Although there is a large available therapeutic panel, the clinical effectiveness of the antipsychotics used remains limited with 30 to 50% of schizophrenic patients showing an insufficient response to treatment. At the pharmacological level, drug response results from the interaction of genetic (e.g. drug-metabolizing enzymes, drug transporters, drug targets), personal (e.g. age, sex, disease states, treatment adherence) and environmental factors (e.g. smoking, diet, alcohol habits, drug-drug interactions) that produce interindividual differences in terms of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (de Leon et al., 2009). Currently, only fluid biomarkers are available to optimize exposure to antipsychotics (Therapeutic drug monitoring, TDM and Pharmacogenetics, PGx), but no biomarker is available to optimize the next steps, i.e, the interaction with the receptors, the signal transduction and finally the translation to clinical effect. To fill this void, neuroimaging is a strong candidate and a number of plausible neuroimaging biomarkers have been identified (Kraguljac et al. 2021). Indeed, a modulation of brain connectivity related to response to antipsychotic medication has been described (Mehta et al. 2021). Understanding this modulation thanks to modeling will allow an early stratification of patients before treatment and then an optimization of the treatment for each individual patient (allowing more reliable as well as earlier optimized management). Available data: 100 schizophrenic patients, pharmaco-clinical data, neuroimaging (T1, T2, DTI, rs-fMRI) We are looking for a young researcher (engineer, PhD) from Neurosciences to contribute to this project by performing/participating in the following tasks: * Management, preprocessing and analysis of the clinical database to identify sub-groups of patients at high risk of inadequate antipsychotic drug exposure * Preprocessing and analysis of the neuroimaging data: extraction of biomarkers and comparison between groups * Personalized brain modeling using The Virtual Brain (Sanz-Leon et al. 2015) The ideal candidate should be: * Proficient in Python programming * Familiar with neuro-imaging data * Familiar with computational neurosciences concepts and/or machine learning * Curious about schizophrenia and pharmacology * Have some prior experience in research (internship, publication…) The candidate would work in the Theoretical Neuroscience Group at the Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes (INS, UMR1106, Marseille) under a research engineer contract or similar for 20 months. They will be supervised by a team of pharmacologists and computational neuroscientists. Depending on the quality of the collaboration, and on the advancement of the project, there will be possibilities to extend the collaboration and work on other related projects at INS. References: Kraguljac, Nina V., William M. McDonald, Alik S. Widge, Carolyn I. Rodriguez, Mauricio Tohen, et Charles B. Nemeroff. 2021. « Neuroimaging Biomarkers in Schizophrenia ». The American Journal of Psychiatry 178 (6): 509‑21. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20030340. Leon, Jose de. 2009. « The Future (or Lack of Future) of Personalized Prescription in Psychiatry ». Pharmacological Research 59 (2): 81‑89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2008.10.002. Mehta, Urvakhsh Meherwan, Ferose Azeez Ibrahim, Manu S. Sharma, Ganesan Venkatasubramanian, Jagadisha Thirthalli, Rose Dawn Bharath, Nicolas R. Bolo, Bangalore N. Gangadhar, et Matcheri S. Keshavan. 2021. « Resting-State Functional Connectivity Predictors of Treatment Response in Schizophrenia – A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis ». Schizophrenia Research 237 (novembre): 153‑65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2021.09.004. Sanz-Leon, Paula, Stuart A. Knock, Andreas Spiegler, et Viktor K. Jirsa. 2015. « Mathematical framework for large-scale brain network modeling in The Virtual Brain ». NeuroImage 111 (mai): 385‑430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.01.002.

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Postdoctoral positions in computational neuroscience
by Richard Naud 22 Dec '23

22 Dec '23

Centre for Neural Dynamics and Artificial Intelligence, University of Ottawa We are recruiting two postdoctoral fellows. One for a project on large scale spiking neural networks, another for a project involving analysis of high-throughput neural data. The successful candidate will become an integral part of the Neural Coding lab and participate in a collaborative research environment. Ottawa is a vibrant city, capital of Canada. For more information, see https://neurodynamic.uottawa.ca/ottawa.html. For past publications related to this research, see Richard Naud’s google scholar page: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=2HXsblgAAAAJ&hl=en And website: https://neurodynamic.uottawa.ca/neuralcoding/index.html Qualifications: Ph. D. in theoretical neuroscience, computer science, or engineering. Start date: As soon as a suitable candidate is found. Submit: CV, statement of research interest and contact for 3 references. Duration: 2 years. Deadline: We will start reviewing applications January 15, 2024. Contact: rnaud(a)uottawa.ca<mailto:rnaud@uottawa.ca> (Richard Naud)

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PhD position call in Barcelona
by Diego Vidaurre 22 Dec '23

22 Dec '23

Hello, There is an open call for a PhD in Barcelona working on machine learning using rich longitudinal neuroimaging, genetics and behavioural data, with the aim of predicting disease trajectories in dementia. The position would be in the Centre de Reserca Matemàtica and the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, with me as one of two primary supervisors. Deadline would be mid January. In there is anyone interested, please get in touch. (And please distribute if you can) Thanks d

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PhD project in recurrent neural network models of neural dynamics
by Mark Humphries 22 Dec '23

22 Dec '23

A 4-year fully-funded PhD studentship project with Professor Mark Humphries and Professor Stephen Coombes is available for October 2024 start, through the University of Nottingham's BBSRC Doctoral Training Programme. The striatum is central to an extraordinary range of disorders, from Parkinson's disease to OCD, but our best models for its function are outdated and contradicted by recent data. In this project, we will test the hypothesis that the striatum is a special class of recurrent neural networks (RNNs) that use purely inhibitory connections. We will build and analyse this class of networks, deriving predictions for the computations that striatum performs, and for the activity of neuron populations in the striatum. We will then test these predictions in two large-scale datasets of population recordings from striatum in freely-exploring mice from the studies of Klaus et al (Neuron, 2017) and Markowitz et al (Cell, 2018). The DTP offers 2 lab rotations and wide-ranging training modules. If successful, the PhD student will join the Humphries' lab ( https://www.humphries-lab.org/) and be part of the School of Psychology's extensive postgraduate support network. Closing date:12 noon (GMT) Friday 12th January 2024. For full studentship details and how to apply see here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/bbdtp/apply/how-to-apply.aspx Professor Mark Humphries | Professor of Computational Neuroscience Lab: humphries-lab.org<https://www.humphries-lab.org/> Twitter: @markdhumphries Public blog: https://medium.com/the-spike Book: "The Spike: An Epic Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds" (Princeton UP) out now in paperback: https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691241487/the-spike This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

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Book: Principles of Computational Modelling in Neuroscience
by Gaute Einevoll 21 Dec '23

21 Dec '23

We are very pleased to announce our new book: Principles of Computational Modelling in Neuroscience 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press, October 2023 Hardback, paperback and ebook. URL: www.cambridge.org/highereducation/isbn/9781108716420 David Sterratt, University of Edinburgh U.K. Bruce Graham, University of Stirling U.K. Andrew Gillies, Psymetrix Limited Gaute Einevoll, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) David Willshaw, University of Edinburgh U.K. Taking a step-by-step approach to modelling neurons and neuralcircuitry, this textbook teaches students how to use computational techniques to understand the nervous system at all levels, using case studies throughout to illustrate fundamental principles. Starting with a simple model of a neuron, the authors gradually introduce neuronal morphology, synapses, ion channels and intracellular signalling. This fully updated new edition contains additional examples and case studies on specific modelling techniques, suggestions on different ways to use this book, and new chapters covering plasticity, modelling extracellular influences on brain circuits, modelling experimental measurement processes, and choosing appropriate model structures and their parameters. The online resources offer exercises and simulation code that recreate many of the book's figures, allowing students to practice as they learn. Requiring an elementary background in neuroscience and high-school mathematics, this is an ideal resource for a course on computational neuroscience. Key features: Presents all models within the context of biological scenarios to connect computational models with real neurobiology. Highlights and explains mathematical details in boxes alongside the main text, so readers can follow the discussion easily and clearly. Shows how to choose an appropriate model structure and to set its parameter values. Demonstrates how to translate a mathematical formulation of a model into a simulation. Prof. Bruce Graham, Emeritus Professor of Computing Science Division of Computing Science and Mathematics, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA Coauthor of "Principles of Computational Modelling in Neuroscience", CUP, 2nd Edition 2023<https://www.cambridge.org/highereducation/books/principles-of-computational…>.

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NEST Conference 2024 — Save the date 17/18 June 2024
by Hans Ekkehard Plesser 21 Dec '23

21 Dec '23

Dear Colleagues, The NEST Initiative is excited to invite everyone interested in Neural Simulation Technology and the NEST Simulator to the NEST Conference 2024. Save the date for the virtual conference taking place on June 17–18, 2024! The annual NEST Conference provides an opportunity for the NEST Community to meet, exchange success stories, swap advice, learn about current developments in and around NEST spiking network simulation and its application. We particularly encourage young scientists to participate in the conference! Registration and abstract submission will open early next year. For more information on the event please visit the conference website https://nest-simulator.org/conference. We are looking forward to seeing you in June and wish you happy holidays and a good start into the new year! Hans Ekkehard Plesser and colleagues [Image] -- Prof. Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser Department of Data Science Faculty of Science and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no<mailto:hans.ekkehard.plesser@nmbu.no> Home http://arken.nmbu.no/~plesser

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PhD position in computational psychiatry / computational neuroscience
by Klaus Obermayer 21 Dec '23

21 Dec '23

* * *Neural Information Processing Group @ Technische Universität Berlin (Berlin, Germany))* Faculty IV - Institute of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science *PhD Position in Computational **Psychology**(salary level TV-L E13 100%)* *Visual Information Sampling Using Eye-movements and Overt Attention in Dynamic Scenes*** *Reference number:*IV-790/23 (starting date: May 1st, 2024/ for up to threeyears / closing date for applications for full consideration: January 18th, 2024 / applications will be accepted until the position is filled). *Working field:*This position is part of an interdisciplinary project between psychology, computational neuroscience, and computervision. The successful candidate will conduct model-based data analyses of human behavioral and eye-tracking data andwill perform the computational modelling of eye-movement patterns with help of the ScanDy saccade predictionframework(cf. Roth N., Rolfs M., Hellwich O., and Obermayer K. (2023), Objects Guide Human Gaze Behavior in Dynamic Real-World Scenes, PLoS Comput. Biol. 19, e1011512). Investigations will address the relationship between task, gaze behavior, and scene memorization wheninspecting dynamic scenes andthemechanisms and functional consequences of inter-individual differences inhuman visual sampling strategies. The candidate is supposed to join the PhD program of the Cluster of Excellence “Science of Intelligence” (https://www.scienceofintelligence.de/, specifically projects PJ 01 and PJ 57) which this position is part of. Information about our research group can also be found at https://www.tu.berlin/en/ni. *Requirements:*Successfully completed university degree (Master, Diplom or equivalent) in Computational Neuroscience, ComputerScience, Physics, Mathematics, or related fields. Applicants should have very good programming skills, a very good command of the Englishlanguage, a solid mathematicalbackground, competence in machine learning, and a strong interest in visual perception. Working experience in the fieldof computational neuroscience and an additional background in psychology and / or neuroscience is an advantage. Please send your application with the usual documents only by e-mail to Prof. Dr. Obermayer at*klaus.obermayer(a)tu-berlin.de*, quoting the *reference number*.

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The Canadian Neuroanalytics Scholars (CNS) Program
by Joern Davidsen 20 Dec '23

20 Dec '23

The Canadian Neuroanalytics Scholars (CNS) Program The Canadian Neuroanalytics Scholars (CNS) Program is now accepting Notices of Intent for the 2024 recruitment cycle. Up to 10 scholars will be awarded $70,0000 per year for up to two years, plus access to training and mentorship from CNS Program partners. Who is eligible? The applicant must: * Be affiliated with a Canadian post-secondary institution * Have less than 5 years of full-time training after completion of a doctoral degree * Current PhD students can apply if their degree will be completed before the program start date The proposed supervisor must: * Hold a full-time faculty position at a degree-granting research institution in Canada, such as the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) at the University of Calgary which is one of the Partner Institutes of the CNS Program (potential supervisors in Computational Neuroscience at the HBI can be found here<https://hbi.ucalgary.ca/computational-neuroscience/graduate-specialization/…>) * Conduct research primarily in the field of neuroscience * Only supervise one scholar awarded from this competition; i.e., a supervisor can only be associated with a single applicant Info Sessions: December 21, 9 am MT | Registration<https://em.ucalgary.ca/MTYxLU9MTi05OTAAAAGQHSqYb0R5x2IpQ_ao-XT-9nQ9ZVBFSQ5I…> more in January (see link below) NOI Deadline: January 31, 2024 12 pm (noon) MT Details and Application<https://em.ucalgary.ca/MTYxLU9MTi05OTAAAAGQHSqYb8HOeVw0opHaxQ77YPFe2LoYmeRG…> --- Dr. Jörn Davidsen Professor of Physics & Humboldt Research Fellow University of Calgary www.ucalgary.ca/davidsen<http://www.ucalgary.ca/davidsen>

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Post-doctoral research scientist position: Communication in complex audio-visual virtual environments
by Bernhard Seeber 20 Dec '23

20 Dec '23

Dear List, we are inviting applications for a post-doctoral research scientist to join our team for research on communication in complex audio-visual virtual environments. Your responsibilities: - Development of novel techniques for investigating communication ability in interactive audio-visual virtual reality involving the analysis of body, head and facial movements and of gestures - Development of analysis methods for behavioral responses and statistical analysis of the results - Research on binaural hearing and speech in complex acoustic conditions with normal hearing listeners - Publication in English-language scientific journals and presentations at conferences - Supervision of student projects, assistance with teaching and with raising external funding. Your qualifications: - Successfully completed doctoral degree (PhD) in one of the following areas: psychoacoustics, audio technology, virtual reality, speech, multimodal interaction, signal processing, or a related area - Knowledge and experience desirable in designing and analyzing psychophysical experiments, virtual reality techniques, behavior analysis, audio signal processing, machine learning, auditory scene analysis, binaural hearing, speech perception and speech tests - Very good programming skills in Matlab, Python, or C/C++ - Excellent written and oral communication skills as well as experience with scientific publications - Interest in basic research and the development of complex technical systems in virtual reality - Flexibility and good interpersonal skills - Interest in supervising students, helping with teaching and raising external funds. Our offer: We offer you the opportunity to join a dynamic, interdisciplinary team, to work with cutting-edge technical equipment, including an interactive audio-visual virtual reality system hosted in an anechoic chamber, and to learn about the latest methods in hearing research. As part of the DFG collaborative research center "Hearing acoustics: Perceptual principles, Algorithms and Applications" (https://uol.de/en/sfb-1330-hearing-acoustics) you will work closely with our project partners at the University of Oldenburg. Our close interaction with the Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience Munich, the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, the Hearing Research Network Munich, our extensive cooperation with industry and with scientific partners, and the numerous talks and courses offered at TUM create an attractive environment with excellent perspectives for personal development. Please see www.aip.cit.tum.de, http://y2u.be/yN7vD1khTOI and www.tum.de for information. The position is available from 01.04.2024 and initially limited to 30.06.2026. Salary is according to the Collective Agreement for the Civil Service of the Länder (TV-L/E13, 100%). TUM strives to raise the proportion of women in its workforce and explicitly encourages applications from qualified women. The position is suitable for disabled persons. Disabled applicants will be given preference in case of generally equivalent suitability, aptitude and professional performance. Munich - the city famous for the Oktoberfest, high-end cars and its unique location to the Alps - is a bustling, international and interesting place to live which offers a wide range of opportunities to engage in cultural and leisurely activities - from opera to skiing. Interested? I look forward to answering your questions on the phone (+49 89 289 28282) or by email. Please send your expressive application by email no later than 31 January 2024 to Prof. Bernhard Seeber, aip(a)ei.tum.de. As part of your application, you provide personal data to the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Please view our privacy policy on collecting and processing personal data in the course of the application process pursuant to Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union (GDPR) at https://portal.mytum.de/kompass/datenschutz/Bewerbung. By submitting your application you confirm to have read and understood the data protection information provided by TUM. The job advertisement can also be found at: https://portal.mytum.de/jobs/wissenschaftler/NewsArticle_20231220_160335 Have a merry Christmas and all the best for the new year! Bernhard -- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernhard U. Seeber Audio Information Processing Department of Computer Engineering School of Computation, Information and Technology Technische Universität München Arcisstrasse 21 D-80333 Munich, Germany Office: +49 89 289-28282 Fax: +49 89 289-28211 Mobile: +49 (0)174 928 6338 Visitors: Theresienstrasse 90, building N5, room N6504 Web: www.ce.cit.tum.de/aip https://www.youtube.com/@audioinformationprocessing www.bseeber.de Key affiliations: Department of Computer Engineering, CIT Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich Munich Institute of Biomedical Engineering (MIBE) Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI)

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PhD positions in Neuroscience at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown
by Memming Park 19 Dec '23

19 Dec '23

Applications are now open <https://fchampalimaud.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b9d91fb510403415e68…> for the International <https://fchampalimaud.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b9d91fb510403415e68…>Neuroscience Doctoral <https://fchampalimaud.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b9d91fb510403415e68…> Programme <https://fchampalimaud.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b9d91fb510403415e68…>. A central goal of the programme is to foster inquiry and discovery by encouraging active participation, critical thinking, and problem-solving among the students. Top evaluated candidates will receive an offer to participate in the PhD programme, which nominally comprises an initial year of classes and lab rotations followed by research in the selected lab. Students will apply for fellowships as part of the curriculum, but success in acquiring external fellowships is not required. A full list of laboratories and their research can be found here <https://fchampalimaud.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b9d91fb510403415e68…> . We’re seeking talented students from all over the world, and from a range of different backgrounds – from life sciences to physics, from mathematics to computer science – to work at the frontiers of knowledge in a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative environment. English is the main language. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via email: appindp(a)research.fchampalimaud.org Deadline: January 31, 2024 Interviews and open house: Early-mid March 2024 Final results: End of March 2024 2024 edition starting date: September 2024 --- Group Leader, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal Neural Dynamics = CATNIP Lab http://catniplab.github.io/

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PhD position on reservoirs with dynamic synapses (Göttingen, Germany)
by Fauth, Michael 19 Dec '23

19 Dec '23

The Institute of Biophysics at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany, is looking to fill a Ph.D. position (German Salary Scale TV-L E13, 75% (29.85 weekly hours) for 3 years). This post is designed to foster young researchers and give the successful applicant the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree. The position should be filled by March 1rst 2024 or soon thereafter. The positions will be affiliated with the groups of Dr. Michael Fauth and Prof. Florentin Wörgötter. The Project: Based on mathematical modeling and analysis, we aim to understand how the dynamics of synapses (e.g., synaptic plasticity) will not only shape neuronal activities in recurrent neuronal networks, but also carry out computation. We propose that networks optimally exploit this computational power through continuous rewiring of synapses -- that is creating synapses with different properties and stabilizing synapses with the right dynamics at the right place. We will test this using the abstract framework of reservoir/echo state networks and envision applications both in neuroscience and machine learning. Your Profile: Suitable candidates should have - a Master degree or Diplom in physics, mathematics, computer science or comparable subjects, - excellent mathematical and coding skills (e.g., Python, C++), in particular: -- solid knowledge about linear algebra, differential equations and dynamical systems as well as their numerical simulation, -- basic knowledge in machine learning and optimization as well as computational neuroscience, - good skills in scientific communication (including proficiency in English), - the ability to self-organize and independently solve problems, - and the motivation to perform leading-edge research in a lively, multidisciplinary research environment Optimally, you also have first experiences with - echo state networks and reservoir computing - stochastic processes - information theory - using GPUs for fast computing The Göttingen Campus is a leading center of neuroscience in Europe hosting numerous internationally renowned research institutions, including the University and its Medical Center, the three life science Max Planck Institutes, the European Neuroscience Institute, the German Primate Center, and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN) Göttingen. The PhD candidate should enroll into the Göttingen Graduate School for Neuroscience, Biophysics and Molecular Bioscience to profit from their excellent training and supervision infrastructure. The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The mission of the University is to employ a greater number of severely disabled persons. Applications from severely disabled persons with equivalent qualifications will be given preference. Please send your e-mail application, preferably in one single PDF-document, including a letter of interest, your curriculum vitae, copies of your certificates and contact information of at least two references until 21th of January, 2024 to Dr. Michael Fauth, e-mail: mfauth[at]gwdg.de. (Online-)Interviews will likely be held on February 5-7th. We will ask the candidates to give a 10min talk about their previous work (e.g. thesis project). If you have any questions, please contact Dr Michael Fauth via the above e-mail. Please note: With submission of your application, you accept the processing of your applicant data in terms of data-protection law. Further information on the legal basis and data usage is provided in the Hinweisblatt zur Datenschutzgrundverordnung (DSGVO) https://www.uni-goettingen.de/hinweisdsgvo

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12 PhD positions and 2 PostDoc positions on "Curiosity" - Göttingen
by Viola Priesemann 19 Dec '23

19 Dec '23

Dear all, in Göttingen, we have 12 open PhD positions and 2 PostDoc Positions within our new "Graduiertenkolleg" - PhD school on "Curiosity", starting summer 2024. We will investigate "curiosity" jointly from the perspective of computational neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence. https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/681631.html PIs include Nivedita Mani, Alex Ecker, Claudia Fichtel, Julia Fischer, Julia Ostner, Hannes Rakoczy, Anne Schacht, Sascha Schroeder, Caspar Schwiedrzik, Oliver Schuelke, Fabian Sinz, Michael Wibral, Florentin Woergoetter, and myself (Viola Priesemann). Please find all open positions here: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/open+positions/681638.html On Wednesday, 20.12.2023 at 12:00 (CET) we will host an informal information session. For any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me (application.priesemann(a)ds.mpg.de) or our coordinator Rowan Titchener rtg2906(a)uni-goettingen.de. Best regards, Viola Priesemann -- 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

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Computational neuroscientist positions at Nathan Kline Institute
by Neymotin, Samuel (NKI) 18 Dec '23

18 Dec '23

Several postdoctoral scientist positions are available at the Nathan Kline Institute (NKI) for Psychiatric Research (https://www.nki.rfmh.org<https://www.nki.rfmh.org/>) to work on computational neuroscience research funded by NIH and DoD grants. NKI offers the scientists a highly interdisciplinary environment spanning research at cutting-edge electrophysiology labs, high-performance computing for computational neuroscience, and human fMRI behavioral experiments and data analysis. The funded grants at NKI involve collaborations with leading research institutions including Columbia, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, University of Texas, SUNY Downstate, University of Tennessee, Carnegie Mellon University, Brown, and Stanford. Our NIH-funded projects rely on recently developed, detailed biophysical circuit models of the auditory system. Postdocs will use the models to investigate the brain's dynamic circuit motifs underlying internal vs. external-oriented processes in the auditory and interconnected brain areas. Postdocs will build upon models constrained by electrophysiology data and use the models to devise neuromodulation strategies for inducing/suppressing circuit dynamics, testable in vivo. NKI also has NIMH funding to investigate the origin of electrophysiological biomarkers observed in the auditory system of animal models of schizophrenia (mismatch negativity, altered oscillatory patterns), and using modeling to predict circuit-level origins and treatments. An additional NIH-funded BRAIN award uses modeling of the auditory system to optimize new DISC electrodes developed by our colleagues at UTexas, which could dramatically improve brain computer interfaces. Our DoD projects involve developing computational models of the hippocampal and entorhinal cortex circuits used in spatial navigation, higher level decision making circuits including prefrontal cortex, and integrating these circuit models with agents learning to solve spatial navigation tasks using neurobiologically-inspired learning rules. Postdocs will also integrate these models with basal ganglia models that weigh evidence/context for improved decision-making (developed by colleagues at CMU). Postdocs will also work with applied mathematicians and data scientists at University of Tennessee to use topological data analysis to improve understanding the structure and representations of neuronal circuits used in spatial reasoning, facilitated through detailed circuit modeling. Postdocs will also have the opportunity to collaborate with Army Research Lab computational neuroscientists and mathematicians, with the ultimate aim of using the models developed to improve human-agent teaming. Applicants should have a strong background in: multiscale neural modeling using NEURON/NetPyNE, Python software development, neural/electrophysiology data analysis, machine learning, software development, writing/presenting research, and applying for grants. To apply for positions, email a CV and cover letter to Sam Neymotin (samuel.neymotin(a)nki.rfmh.org) The position requires presence at NKI (Orangeburg, New York), with part-time telecommuting allowed. ________________________________ IMPORTANT NOTICE: This e-mail is meant only for the use of the intended recipient. It may contain confidential information which is legally privileged or otherwise protected by law. If you received this e-mail in error or from someone who was not authorized to send it to you, you are strictly prohibited from reviewing, using, disseminating, distributing or copying the e-mail. PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY OF THE ERROR BY RETURN E-MAIL AND DELETE THIS MESSAGE FROM YOUR SYSTEM. Thank you for your cooperation.

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M2 internship on bifurcation detection at Institut de Neuroscience des Systèmes (INS) Marseille, France.
by DEPANNEMAECKER Damien 18 Dec '23

18 Dec '23

Dear all, Could you please forward the announcement below to any interested and motivated students? Thanks a lot Damien Depannemaecker M2 internship on bifurcation detection Brief description: For causal estimation in brain pathological conditions, models offer crucial insights into neurophysiological mechanisms. Model-based inference involves constructing a statistical or mechanistic model that captures the essential features of the data-generating process. In this context, simulation-based inference (SBI) using deep neural networks provides an invertible map between parameters and data features. Therefore, there is a need to automatically extract the low-dimensional informative data features, to train the neural networks, the so-called Normalizing-Flows. In this project, our goal is to utilize machine learning algorithms to provide input into the SBI pipeline. The data for this project will be, simulated data from models at different scales and corresponding electrophysiological data such as patch-clamp and intracranial stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) recordings. The objective is to classify seizure onset and bifurcation patterns from the complex biophysical models. The trainee will benefit from the support of the various skills available within our teams. When: For 5 months, the starting date is flexible in the first semester of 2024. Where: Institut de Neuroscience des Systèmes (INS) Théoretical Neuroscience Group (TNG) Faculté de Medécine, Aix-Marseille Université, 27, Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France How to Apply: Send a CV, motivation letter, and two letters of recommendation to: meysam.hashemi(a)univ-amu.fr damien.depannemaecker(a)univ-amu.fr marmaduke.woodman(a)univ-amu.fr

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Fully Funded PhD Position in Theoretical Neuroscience at Donders Institute in the group of Federico Stella
by Stella, F. (Federico) 17 Dec '23

17 Dec '23

A fully-funded 4-year PhD position in the group of Federico Stella at Donders Institute in Nijmegen, NL is now available. I have recently started my own group at Radboud University and in the context of my research in theoretical neuroscience I am currently looking for a PhD student starting as early as possible in 2024. The project will focus on the computational investigation of the role of neural reactivations in memory. Since their discovery neural reactivations happening during sleep have emerged as an exceptional tool to investigate the process of memory formation in the brain. This phenomenon has been mostly associated with the hippocampus, an area known for its role in the processing of new memories and their initial storage. Continuous advancements in data acquisition techniques are giving us an unprecedented access to the activity of large-scale networks during sleep, in the hippocampus and in other cortical regions. At the same time, our theoretical understanding of the computations underlying neural reactivations and more in general memory representations, has only began to take shape. Combining mathematical modeling of neural networks and analysis of existing dataset, we will address some key aspects of this phenomenon such as: 1) The role of different sleep phases in regulating the reactivation process and in modulating the evolution of a memory trace. 2) The relationship of hippocampal reactivations to the process of (semantic) learning and knowledge generalization. 3) The relevance of reactivation statistical properties for learning in cortico-hippocampal networks. The successful candidate will carry out their studies at the Donders Institute of Radboud University in Nijmegen. The project will expose the student to a highly interdisciplinary context, rich in experimental and theoretical expertise. Moreover the project will take place in the context of a wider range of scientific collaborations already established in the lab. The ideal candidate has a strong interest in neuroscience; a background in theoretical physics, math or similar quantitative disciplines (familiarity with statistical mechanics and/or dynamical systems is very welcomed); and some degree of computational and programming skills (ideally, knowledge of Matlab and/or Python) The ideal candidate must also be able to carry out their work in an independent, and highly collaborative manner. The starting date is flexible but should be in the first part of 2024. Interested candidates should submit their application to Federico Stella (federico.stella(a)donders.ru.nl) before 14th of January including a CV and a research interest statement. Interviews with short-listed candidates will be held online later in January 2024.

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New Cognitive Science Master's program (cog-SUP) at Sorbonne Université and Université Paris Cité
by Mehdi Khamassi 15 Dec '23

15 Dec '23

We are happy to announce the birth of cog-SUP, a new interdisciplinary Master's program in Cognitive Science jointly offered by Sorbonne Université and Université Paris Cité. https://cog-sup.fr cog-SUP is an heir of the Cogmaster (2004-2025), itself a descendant of the DEA of Cognitive Science (1987-2004). As such, our pedagogical team and program benefit from more than 35 years of teaching experience in Cognitive Science in Paris. We offer *a broad interdisciplinary openness and a fundamentally collaborative spirit*, bringing together professors, researchers and students from very different backgrounds, united by common research questions. The large majority of courses are in English (except otherwise stated). The program is structured around *a unified core curriculum complemented by six robust disciplinary tracks*. To maintain a well-balanced and foundationally sound interdisciplinary education, cog-SUP is organized into six tracks: (1) psychology, (2) philosophy, (3) computational linguistics, (4) neuroscience, (5) computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence, (6) cognitive science and society. The program proposes innovative teaching methods, new contents addressing contemporary issues. We are particularly attentive to the human, ecological, societal and ethical issues of cognitive science. The program promotes scientific excellence and human values, within a French open university model, and includes important contributions from academics at CNRS, INSERM, EHESS, APHP, among other institutions. Applications for the M1 year will soon be open at https://cog-sup.fr/application/ *Application deadline: *10 March 2024 *Beginning of the M1-level of the program: *1 September 2024 Applications for the M2 year will take place in the Spring of 2025 for the 2025-2026 academic year. *Beginning of the M2-level of the program: *1 September 2025 -- Mehdi Khamassi, PhD, HDR Research director (DR2) at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics Sorbonne Université, Paris, France http://www.isir.upmc.fr Co-resp. of modeling major for the Cogmaster program (until Summer 2025) Ecole Normale Supérieure (PSL University), EHESS, Univ. Paris Cité https://cogmaster.ens.psl.eu Co-director of the new master's program in Cognitive Science (cog-SUP) Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité https://cog-sup.fr Visiting Researcher at the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems National Technical University of Athens, Greece https://www.iccs.gr/en/?noredirect=en_US Main contact details: Mehdi Khamassi Sorbonne Université, Campus Pierre et Marie Curie - ISIR - BC 173 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France tel: + 33 1 44 27 28 85 cell: +33 6 50 76 44 92 email:mehdi.khamassi@sorbonne-universite.fr https://pages2.isir.upmc.fr/mkhamassi/

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Fully Funded Summer Internships at CCN (Flatiron Institute, NYC)
by Matthew Turner 15 Dec '23

15 Dec '23

Dear all, The Center for Computational Neuroscience at the Flatiron Institute of the Simons Foundation will be offering our fully-funded summer internships once again in 2024. More details are included below and on the application page <https://apply.interfolio.com/137388>, and applications are due by February 2, 2024. Please feel welcome to share widely and contact me with any questions. *Summer Interns (Undergraduate, Graduate, and Pre-Doctoral)* *ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW* The Center for Computational Neuroscience (CCN) aims to develop theories, models, and computational methods that deepen our knowledge of brain function — both in health and in disease. CCN takes a “systems" neuroscience approach, building models that are motivated by fundamental principles, that are constrained by properties of neural circuits and responses, and that provide insights into perception, cognition and behavior. This cross-disciplinary approach not only leads to the design of new model-driven scientific experiments, but also encapsulates current functional descriptions of the brain that can spur the development of new engineered computational systems, especially in the realm of machine learning. CCN is one of five centers that make up the Flatiron Institute, an internal scientific unit of the Simons Foundation, focused on computational aspects of a wide range of basic science. The general mission of the Flatiron Institute is to advance scientific research through computational methods, including theory, modeling, simulation and data analysis. CCN’s core research groups include computational vision <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/flatiron/center-for-computational-neurosci…> (Eero Simoncelli <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/people/eero-p-simoncelli/>, PI), neural circuits and algorithms <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/flatiron/center-for-computational-neurosci…> (Dmitri ‘Mitya’ Chklovskii <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/people/dmitri-mitya-chklovskii/>, PI), neuroAI and geometric data analysis <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/flatiron/center-for-computational-neurosci…> (SueYeon Chung <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/people/sueyeon-chung/>, PI), statistical analysis of neural data <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/flatiron/center-for-computational-neurosci…> (Alex Williams <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/people/alex-williams/>, PI). Candidates must select a primary group for their application, and can optionally indicate a secondary group. Candidates specifically interested in contributing to open source software projects at CCN should indicate the NeuroRSE group <https://neurorse.flatironinstitute.org/events/2023/11/17/summer-2024-intern…> as their secondary group. *POSITION SUMMARY * CCN invites applications for paid summer internship positions by motivated students in computational neuroscience, physics, electrical engineering, machine learning, computer science or related fields. The purpose of this Summer Internship Program is to allow students studying in a relevant field the opportunity to be employed at the CCN for the purpose of collaborating on a research project with one or more CCN staff mentors. Knowledge of neuroscience is helpful but not required. Interested applicants should review the research group pages listed above, and should describe in their research statement the project on which they'd like to collaborate and the research group(s) with whom they’d like to work. Undergraduate students will be appointed with the title of Summer Research Assistant, graduate students will be appointed with the title of Summer Research Associates, and advanced doctoral students (defined as doctoral students who have passed comprehensive/qualifying exams and are actively working on their thesis) will be appointed as Summer Predoctoral Scholars. CCN Summer Interns are invited to participate as full members of the CCN and Flatiron communities during their term of residency. CCN Summer Interns are assigned a primary mentor and research group within the center, are invited to attend and present within their research group’s meetings, and are also invited to participate in meetings of CCN’s other research groups as well as center- and Flatiron-wide activities such as guest lectures, training on use of the Institute’s robust scientific computing resources, and intern social activities. Finally, Summer Interns will be invited to present their work at an Institute-wide symposium held at the end of the residency period. The CCN Summer Internship Program will take place in-person at the Simons Foundation’s offices in New York City. CCN will provide eligible Summer Interns roundtrip travel to New York City and subsidized housing for the duration of their employment. Intern appointment titles and compensation will be determined based on the intern’s education level and experience. Visit the Summer at Simons page <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/summer-at-simons/>to learn more. *ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/RESPONSIBILITIES* ● Reporting to the assigned mentor in the CCN, the projects will involve analysis of neuroscience data and modeling networks, applying the skills of analytical calculations and computer programming ● Perform any other duties or tasks as assigned or required *MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS* *Education:* ● Candidates should be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral degree program in computational neuroscience, electrical engineering, physics, computer science or related fields. ● Candidates must have permission to participate in the program from their dissertation advisor/PI (CCN PIs will be in touch with advisors directly to confirm). *Experience:* ● Experience with research projects in electrical engineering, computer science physics or related fields is helpful. *Related Skills & Other Requirements:* ● The successful applicant should have experience with programming in Matlab, Python, or C ● The applicant should have satisfactorily completed Cal III and Linear Algebra (NeuroRSE applicants are exempt from this requirement) ● The applicant should have experience with basic optimization and machine learning techniques (Helpful but not required for NeuroRSE candidates) ● Elementary knowledge of neuroscience is helpful *Summer Internship Program and Deadlines* ● Summer Internship Period: May 28 to August 9, 2024 ● Deadline to apply: February 2, 2024 Decisions will be made on a rolling basis through Friday, March 15, 2024. *REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS* ● Curriculum vitae with bibliography; ● Research statement of no more than two pages describing the candidate’s past research experience, the research project on which the candidate would like to work, and the CCN research group(s) with whom the candidate would like to collaborate. *COMPENSATION* ● Interns at the Research Assistant (undergraduate) level will earn $20.00 per hour ● Interns at the Research Associate (graduate) level will earn $25.00 per hour ● Interns at the Predoctoral Researcher (advanced doctoral students) will earn $28.85 per hour. *THE SIMONS FOUNDATION'S DIVERSITY COMMITMENT* Many of the greatest ideas and discoveries come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences, and we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment. The Simons Foundation actively seeks a diverse applicant pool and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply. We provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic disposition, neurodiversity, disability, veteran status or any other protected category under federal, state and local law. To apply, please visit: https://apply.interfolio.com/137388 Cordially, MATTHEW B. TURNER any pronouns Senior Manager for Center Administration | Center for Computational Neuroscience Co-Chair, Flatiron Institute Professional Development Committee Flatiron Institute 917.363.1095 mobile mturner(a)flatironinstitute.org 162 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010 simonsfoundation.org/flatiron <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/flatiron/>

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Full time Lecturer in Computational/Cognitive Neuroscience (Manchester, UK)
by Caroline Lea-Carnall 14 Dec '23

14 Dec '23

The University of Manchester wishes to appoint a full-time Lecturer in Computational Neuroscience / Experimental Psychology / Cognitive Neuroscience (Teaching and Research) to join the Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience at the University of Manchester. The successful applicant will have a research profile that has a strong fit to key research themes in the Division. Candidates with demonstrable skills and interests in applying computational approaches to central research questions in experimental psychology and/or cognitive neuroscience are particularly encouraged to apply. The successful applicant will contribute to undergraduate and masters level teaching with a particular focus on contemporary technical research skills (e.g. Python, GitHub, advanced statistical analysis in R). Application deadline: 11th December 2023 Full details and how to apply here: https://www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetail?isPreview=Yes&jobid=27033&a… Caroline Lea-Carnall, PhD | Lecturer in Neuroscience | School of Health Sciences | Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health The University of Manchester | Room 3.07d, Zochonis Building | Oxford Road | Manchester M13 9PG

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Faculty Positions in Human Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at Indiana University-Bloomington
by Zoran Tiganj 13 Dec '23

13 Dec '23

The College of Arts and Sciences and the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University Bloomington invite applications for *three* tenured Associate Professor positions in one or more of the following areas: *human intelligence, artificial intelligence, and machine learning* to begin in Fall 2024 or after. Appointments will be in one or more departments, including Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Informatics, and Psychological and Brain Sciences. The positions are part of a new initiative that aims to transform our understanding of human and artificial intelligence, centered around the new Mind Brain Machine Quadrangle and the Luddy Artificial Intelligence Center. IU has long been an international leader in research on cognition across humans, animals, and artificial systems, and how intelligence manifests in embodied cognition. These hires build on existing strengths to position IU at the forefront of new research innovations in our understanding of human and animal cognition, the development of intelligent computing technologies, and the use of machine learning applied to a wide range of phenomena. *Qualifications: *Applicants must have a PhD in cognitive science, computer science, neuroscience, psychology, or a related field, and a record of scholarship, teaching, and professional experience appropriate for a tenured professorship at IU Bloomington. The positions are open at the associate professor levels, but exceptional candidates at the full and assistant professor level may be considered. To advance scholarly innovation and excellence, we especially welcome candidates who will broadly increase the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion through any of the following: their lived experience, research, teaching, and/or mentoring. Candidates should be able to work effectively in an interdisciplinary team environment. *Application Procedures:* To apply, submit a CV, letter of application that describes your research, teaching, and engagement with fostering a diverse and welcoming work environment, and be prepared to provide the names of six references. References will only be contacted for those candidates moving to advanced stages of consideration. Interested candidates should submit applications at: https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/21731. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. *Applications received by January 5, 2024 will be given full consideration.* The position’s expected start date is August 1, 2024; however, alternative dates can be considered. All queries about the position or the application procedures may be addressed to faculty1(a)indiana.edu. Indiana University is an equal employment and affirmative action employer and a provider of ADA services. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment based on individual qualifications. Indiana University prohibits discrimination based on age, ethnicity, color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status. -------------- Zoran Tiganj, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Indiana University Bloomington https://homes.luddy.indiana.edu/ztiganj/ <https://homes.luddy.indiana.edu/ztiganj/%E2%80%8B>

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PhD scholarship in neuroimaging and computational neuroscience (IIT, Italy)
by Jean-Charles Rene' Pasquin Mariani 13 Dec '23

13 Dec '23

Dear comp-neuro list, We propose a four-year studentship aiming to provide students with a multi-disciplinary training in conducting research at the interface of brain functional imaging and computational neuroscience. The project, in partnership with the university of Trento, is directed by Alessandro Gozzi (Functional Neuroimaging Lab, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy) and co-supervised by Stefano Panzeri (Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Centre for molecular biology, , Hamburg, Germany). Please refer to this website<https://www.fens.org/careers/job-market/job/116962> for the full offer. See you soon at the doorsteps of the Dolomites. BW, JC Mariani

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Swartz postdoctoral fellowship in theoretical neuroscience at Harvard
by Blum, Kenneth I. 13 Dec '23

13 Dec '23

The Swartz Program at Harvard University seeks applicants for a postdoctoral fellow in theoretical and computational neuroscience. Based on a grant from the Swartz Foundation, a Swartz postdoctoral fellowship<https://cbs.fas.harvard.edu/research/theory/#swartz> is available at Harvard University with a start date in the summer or fall of 2024. Postdocs join a vibrant group of theoretical<https://websites.harvard.edu/cbs/research/theory/> and experimental neuroscientists plus theorists in allied fields at Harvard’s Center for Brain Science<https://websites.harvard.edu/cbs/>. The Center for Brain Science includes faculty doing research on a wide variety of topics, including neural mechanisms of rodent learning, decision-making, and sex-specific and social behaviors; reinforcement learning in rodents and humans; human motor control; behavioral and fMRI studies of human cognition; circuit mechanisms of learning and behavior in worms, larval flies, and larval zebrafish; circuit mechanisms of individual differences in flies and humans; rodent and fly olfaction; inhibitory circuit development; retinal circuits; and large-scale reconstruction of detailed brain circuitry. Applications will be considered immediately and continuing until the position is filled. Interested applicants should immediately send a CV, statement of research interests, and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to Haim Sompolinsky (haim(a)fiz.huji.ac.il<mailto:haim@fiz.huji.ac.il>) or Kenneth Blum (kenneth_blum(a)harvard.edu<mailto:kenneth_blum@harvard.edu>). Applications should have “Swartz Fellowship” in the subject line. We strongly welcome applications from persons from underrepresented groups. Harvard University is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, protected veteran status, disability, genetic information, military service, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or other protected status.

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Exciting news from INCF: Neuroscience Community & Neuroinformatics special collection
by INCF 13 Dec '23

13 Dec '23

Exciting news from INCF: 1. Launch of *Neruoscience Community* 2. Contribute to *Neuroinformatics* special collection *1. Launch of Neuroscience Community* Together, INCF and GA4GH has launched the *Neuroscience Community*, connecting global neuroscience and genomic data, and developing standards and systems needed to power data visiting! This new group unites collaborators from around the world to share best practices and improve standards that will expand the responsible use of data. Learn more <http://bit.ly/INCFandGA4GH> *2. Contribute to Neuroinformatics special collection* Are you developing training in computational neuroscience, data science, data management, or neuroinformatics? Please consider sending your work to the special collection at *Neuroinformatics* - Bridging the gap: How neuroinformatics is preparing the next generation of neuroscience researchers. Even better, the collection is guest-edited by INCF! Learn more <https://link.springer.com/collections/hfghcbgaeg>

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Call for Abstracts – Neural Traces 2024: Advanced M/EEG Methods and Clinical Applications Workshop
by Nguyen, Tien Dung 13 Dec '23

13 Dec '23

Neural Traces 2024: Advanced M/EEG Methods and Clinical Applications Workshop April 10-12, 2024 @ PTB Berlin, Germany https://neuraltraces2024.org<https://neuraltraces2024.org/> | Submission deadline: January 8, 2024 | Registration opening: February 1, 2024 Neural Traces is an onsite, three-day workshop on methods in electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography (M/EEG) and their clinical applications. Advances in M/EEG, and the methods employed to extract information from their corresponding signals, have increasingly contributed to our understanding of brain function and network connectivity. In this workshop, we review various methods that have been developed to enable accurate source imaging from these electrophysiological modalities. We also discuss M/EEG signal extraction and interpretation in the context of various neurological and psychiatric disorders. We are soliciting extended abstract submissions for contributed oral and poster presentations. Topics Suitable submissions may cover but are not limited to the following topics: I. Advanced M/EEG data analysis methods: * Signal processing and time series modeling * Forward and inverse modeling * Machine learning and multivariate modeling * Open science (software, data, standards, protocols, ...) II. Clinical applications of M/EEG: * Movement disorders * Aging and dementia * Psychiatric and developmental disorders * Epilepsy * Sleep and consciousness disorders Submission guidelines Title, author list and affiliations, 700-word (maximum) extended abstract outlining the study's background, approach, (preliminary) findings and significance, and references. Optional: figure with a 150-word (maximum) description Registration and on-site participation is required for presenters. Please visit https://neuraltraces2024.org<https://neuraltraces2024.org/> for abstract submission, registration, and further information about the workshop. Important dates * January 8, 2024: Abstract submission closes * February 1, 2024: Workshop registration opens Workshop hosts and support Neural Traces 2024 is organized by the Brain and Data Science Group at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Machine Learning and Inverse Modeling Group at PTB Berlin, and the Uncertainty, Inverse Modeling and Machine Learning (UNIML) Group at Technische Universität Berlin. The Workshop is partially supported by the European Research Council (Funding ID: 758985) and the Helmholtz Fund.

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Modelling with NeuroML: ecosystem updates and pre-print
by Ankur Sinha 13 Dec '23

13 Dec '23

Dear all, This is to alert you to the availability of exciting new resources for the model description language NeuroML and a recently posted bioRxiv preprint on the ecosystem of NeuroML-compliant tools for data-driven modelling of neurons and circuits. In the preprint (doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.12.07.570537) we provide a major update on the current scope of the NeuroML standard, the software ecosystem and describe the newly extended online resources for helping researchers incorporate NeuroML into their modelling work. We show how the modular nature and hierarchical structure of NeuroMLv2, combined with the flexibility of coding in Python, has created a powerful "building block" approach for constructing standardised models from scratch. Moreover, we illustrate how the ecosystem of NeuroML compliant tools supports users at all stages of the model development life cycle. This includes automated model validation, advanced analysis, visualisation, and sharing/reuse of models. The paper demonstrates how NeuroML unifies and standardises the diverse approaches to biologically-detailed computational modelling of neural systems, by enabling an ecosystem of interoperable tools that support the FAIR principles and promotes open, transparent and reproducible science. In the newly updated NeuroML online resources (https://docs.neuroml.org) we provide tutorials on how to use NeuroML to build, validate and share standardised models together with extensive documentation on this INCF approved community standard. We hope you find these resources useful for your modelling work. On behalf of the NeuroML community, Ankur Sinha, Padraig Gleeson, and Angus Silver. -- 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

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Seventh Groningen Spring School on Cognitive Modeling
by Jelmer Borst 13 Dec '23

13 Dec '23

– ACT-R, Nengo, PRIMs – Date: 8-12 April 2024 Location: Groningen, the Netherlands Fee: € 305 (late fee after March 7 will be € 355) More information and registration: http://www.ai.rug.nl/springschool/ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Dear colleagues and students, We are excited to announce the seventh Spring School on Cognitive Modeling in Groningen, from 8-12 April 2024! The Spring School will cover three different modeling paradigms: ACT-R, Nengo, and PRIMs. Each of these topics consists of a series of lectures, as well as a number of hands-on exercises (tutorials). Past years have shown that students get most out of the spring school if they really immerse themselves into one modeling paradigm. We therefore recommend you choose one topic for which you will attend both the lectures as well as the tutorials. In addition, you can select a second paradigm, for which you attend the lectures only. To give students a broader picture, there will be multiple guest lectures throughout the week. These lectures will give an introduction to other modeling paradigms, as well as practical research examples to show you what can be done with the modeling paradigms presented! Everyone is encouraged to attend those lectures. To round off the program, there will be a poster session, where students present themselves and their research, as well as a city tour, and our (in)famous spring school dinner. Registration is now open. Please feel free to forward the information to anyone who might be interested in the Spring School, and let us know if you have any questions! We are looking forward to welcoming you (again) in Groningen, The Spring School team springschool(a)rug.nl <mailto:springschool@rug.nl> – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ACT-R Teachers: Jelmer Borst & Stephen Jones (University of Groningen) Website: http://act-r.psy.cmu.edu <http://act-r.psy.cmu.edu/> ACT-R is a high-level cognitive theory and simulation system for developing cognitive models for tasks that vary from simple reaction time experiments to driving a car, learning algebra, and air traffic control. ACT-R can be used to develop process models of a task at a symbolic level. Participants will follow a compressed five-day version of the traditional summer school curriculum. We will also cover the connection between ACT-R and fMRI. Nengo Teacher: Terry Stewart (University of Waterloo) Website: http://www.nengo.ca <http://www.nengo.ca/> Nengo is a toolkit for converting high-level cognitive theories into low-level spiking neuron implementations. In this way, aspects of model performance such as response accuracy and reaction times emerge as a consequence of neural parameters such as the neurotransmitter time constants. It has been used to model adaptive motor control, visual attention, serial list memory, reinforcement learning, Tower of Hanoi, and fluid intelligence. Participants will learn to construct these kinds of models, starting with generic tasks like representing values and positions, and ending with full production-like systems. There will also be special emphasis on extracting various forms of data out of a model, such that it can be compared to experimental data. PRIMs Teacher: Niels Taatgen (University of Groningen) Website: https://www.ai.rug.nl/~niels/prims/index.html How do people handle and prioritize multiple tasks? How can we learn something in the context of one task, and partially benefit from it in another task? The goal of PRIMs is to cross the artificial boundary that most cognitive architectures have imposed on themselves by studying single tasks. It has mechanisms to model transfer of cognitive skills, and the competition between multiple goals. In the tutorial we will look at how PRIMs can model phenomena of cognitive transfer and cognitive training, and how multiple goals compete for priority in models of distraction.

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ICMNS 2024 deadline extension for contributed talks and posters
by Avitabile, D. (Daniele) 12 Dec '23

12 Dec '23

Dear All, We remind you of the open call for contributed talks and posters for ICMNS 2024, which will take place at University College Dublin on the 12th-14th June 2024. In addition to plenary and invited talks, the conference will feature contributed talks and a poster session. Following a review process, presenters of contributed talks may be offered a slot in one of our plenary sessions. We have extended the deadline for submitting contributed talks and posters to the 16th of January 2024 at 23:59 (GMT), so that there will be one last chance to collect contributions after the Christmas break. This will be the final deadline for submissions. You can submit your contribution and read more about the conference at our website danieleavitabile.com/icmns24 We look forward to receiving your contributions. Daniele Avitabile, Áine Byrne, and Jonathan Rubin

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A podcast about how I introduced neural networks in 1957 and discovered how resonant brain states may become conscious
by Grossberg, Stephen 12 Dec '23

12 Dec '23

Dear Comp-neuro colleagues, I have attached below the title and url of a two-hour video podcast about my life and work developing neural network models of how our brains make our minds, and applying them to solve large-scale problems in engineering, technology, and AI. The podcast discussion is wide-ranging, including: How I came to introduce neural networks in 1957 as a college Freshman, and How I came to model how resonant brain processes embody conscious awareness. The title of the podcast is: How Do Resonant Brains Make Conscious Minds? Towards Solving the Hard Problem of Consciousness https://lnkd.in/eS8n-ZTj This is a discussion with Tevin Naidu from his series Mind-Body Solution. The podcast was motivated by my Magnum Opus CONSCIOUS MIND, RESONANT BRAIN: HOW EACH BRAIN MAKES A MIND https://lnkd.in/eiJh4Ti that I wrote to be self-contained and non-technical for a general audience. Best, Steve Grossberg Stephen Grossberg Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems Director, Center for Adaptive Systems Emeritus Professor of Mathematics & Statistics, Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering Boston University sites.bu.edu/steveg/ steve(a)bu.edu<mailto:steve@bu.edu> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Grossberg http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3BIV70wAAAAJ&hl=en https://sites.bu.edu/steveg/files/2021/08/Grossberg-CV-8-14-21.pdf https://youtu.be/9n5AnvFur7I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hBye6JQCh4

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Support the EPSRC/MRC Neurodevelopmental Network Reliability Group!
by Fabrizi, Lorenzo 12 Dec '23

12 Dec '23

Hi all, RESPECT 4 Neurodevelopment<https://respect4neurodevelopment.com/> is an EPSRC/ MRC funded UKRI-Network Plus; which aims to make transformative changes in developing child-specific neurotechnologies for the clinic and home. One of the missions of the network is to understand issues around Reliability in EEG, fNIRS and MRI in Neurodevelopment. 🔬🧠👶 We need your support in writing a White Paper that discusses the reliability of neurotech by completing a 10 min questionnaire about what reliability means to you and the procedures you follow in your lab or company to assess reliability. Please find the questionnaire here<https://forms.gle/y9oxZ7RS5t6JYpK37> and complete it before 15th of January 2024. Many thanks from the EPSRC/MRC Neurodevelopmental Network Reliability Group. Lorenzo Fabrizi, PhD Associate Professor Medical Research Foundation Fellow Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology Department Room G17A, Medawar Building Bloomsbury Campus University College London Gower St, London WC1E 6BT office tel. 02031081888 (int. 51888)

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Postdoctoral position in the Rich Lab and the University of Connecticut
by Scott Rich 11 Dec '23

11 Dec '23

Dear Comp-Neuro Listserv, The official posting for the open Postdoctoral position in my lab, opening in January at the University of Connecticut's Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, is available here: https://jobs.hr.uconn.edu/cw/en-us/job/498073/postdoctoral-research-associa… <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjobs.hr.u…> I encourage anyone interested in pursuing postdoctoral research in computational neuroscience, particularly those interested in using biophysically motivated models to understand the role of heterogeneity in driving physiologically-relevant brain function, to apply. If you are interested in joining the lab as a graduate student, you can still apply to the department following the guidelines outlined here: https://pnb.uconn.edu/graduate/graduate-application-and-admission-informati… In addition, if you're applying to either position, please also fill out this Google Form so that I know to keep an eye out for your application: https://forms.gle/r4m5VNZQJDAjKgcM8 Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you might have. Sincerely, Scott Rich

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ICANN 2024 - Call for Workshops and Special Sessions
by Sebastian Otte 11 Dec '23

11 Dec '23

Call for Workshops and Special Sessions The International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN) is the annual flagship conference of the European Neural Network Society (ENNS). In 2024, the ICANN will take place in Lugano, Switzerland. Conference Dates: September 17 to September 20, 2024 Conference Venue: Campus of the University of Southern Switzerland and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via la Santa 1, 6962 Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland. Conference Webpage: https://icann2024.org We invite prospective organizers to submit Workshop and Special Session Proposals. Special Sessions focus on specific topics within the general scope of the conference. Their goal is to provide a forum for focalized discussions on state-of-the-art research in their specific field. Special Sessions have the same duration as a standard session (2 hours), and submissions should follow the same format as for the main conference track (12-15 pages, Springer format, peer reviewed). The internal organization of Special Sessions is up to the organizer (for example, it is possible to reserve more time for some distinguished speaker, or for a demonstration). Workshops have a broader focus than Special Sessions; they have the goal to showcase specific methods and applications to the general conference audience. While workshops normally feature peer-reviewed submissions, this is not obligatory for invited speaker(s). They can usually take up the entire conference day (or even more) and may feature a free format with presentations, panel discussions, brainstorming, etc. The program chairs are happy to discuss specific arrangements with prospective organizers. The organizer has the tasks of helping to publicize the special session/workshop, providing a list of scientists who would be invited to submit articles, organizing the review process (if appropriate), and finally chairing the session. Please send a short description of your proposal, including the responsible chairs, to program-committee(a)icann2024.org. We will then get in touch with you. For each accepted Workshop, we offer one free conference registration. Deadline for Workshop and Special Session Proposals: February 1, 2024. Direct all questions to program-committee(a)icann2024.org. Thanks for your contribution! Link to this call: https://e-nns.org/icann2024/call-for-workshops-and-special-sessions/

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Undergraduate Volunteers and Travel Prize for Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI Convention, Rome, 28-31st May 2024
by Battleday, Ruairidh 11 Dec '23

11 Dec '23

The organizing committee is recruiting two volunteers to help prepare for and run the 5th International Convention on the Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI: www.neuromonster.org This year's conference is to be held in Rome, 28th-31st May 2024. We are seeking two undergraduate students at British universities to help with conference organization. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and a response sent as soon as a decision is made, via the following link: https://forms.gle/RETRucgZEYPRnfoc8 *Position 1: website and registrations (30 hours before and during the conference)* This position will involve keeping the website updated with speaker information (via Squarespace), ensuring speakers complete registration, and ensuring people that register online complete the full registration process. It will also involve helping the Italian staff with the registration desk on the first day. *Position 2: AV equipment, zoom, and processing recordings (30 hours during and after the conference)* This position will involve making sure the virtual components of the conference are running smoothly, and processing talk recordings after the conference. *Benefits* This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in cognitive science, computational neuroscience, or machine learning and artificial intelligence to become involved in a major international event! Through it, you will meet established and rising stars in the field, gain an appreciation of what research at a graduate level and beyond is like, and understand the workings of a nonprofit and conference. Our previous iterations have been called "the best conference ever" by many attendees! *Requirements* We are looking for two undergraduate students reading for degrees related to cognitive science, computational neuroscience, or machine learning and artificial intelligence at *British Higher Education *universities and / or institutions. Most of all, we are looking for enthusiastic young scientists interested in careers in these three fields! You may apply with a friend or colleague and split the two positions. Conversational-level Italian is preferred, but not essential. *Remuneration* We will cover flights to Rome for the conference from the UK, as well as accommodation and a modest food and drink budget. Any further questions, please feel free to email battleday(a)thinkingaboutthinking.org. -- Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday BMBCh (Oxon) PhD Executive Director Thinking About Thinking Postdoctoral Research Fellow Center for Brain Science, Harvard University Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT

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DENDRITES 2024 call for abstracts
by Julijana Gjorgjieva 10 Dec '23

10 Dec '23

DENDRITES 2024 EMBO Workshop on Dendritic Anatomy, Molecules and Function 21-24 May 2024, Chania, Crete, GREECE https://meetings.embo.org/event/24-dendrites Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the solicitation of abstracts for short oral or poster presentations at the EMBO Workshop on DENDRITES 2024, which will take place in Chania, Crete on 21-24 May 2024. This is the 5th of a very successful series of meetings on the island of Crete that is dedicated to dendrites. The meeting will bring together scientific leaders from around the globe to present their theoretical and experimental work on dendrites. The meeting program is designed to facilitate discussions of new ideas and discoveries, in a relaxed atmosphere that emphasizes interaction. Please register and submit your abstract online at: https://meetings.embo.org/event/24-dendrites No payment is required for abstract submission. Submissions of abstracts are due by February 9th, 2024. Notifications will be provided by March 1st, 2024 Registration payment due by April 15th, 2024 Potential attendees are strongly encouraged to submit an abstract as presenters will have registration priority. For more information about the conference, please refer to our web site or send email to info(a)mitos.com.gr We look forward to seeing you in person at DENDRITES 2024! The organizers, Julijana Gjorgjieva, Mark Harnett, Lucy Palmer and Yiota Poirazi ----------------------------------------- Julijana Gjorgjieva, PhD Professor of Computational Neuroscience Technical University of Munich School of Life Sciences Maximus-von-Imhof-Forum 3 85354 Freising, Germany office: +49 8161 71 2709 https://www.mls.ls.tum.de/compneuro/

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Invitation to participate in a study on scientific reasoning
by Dubova, Marina Aleksandrovna 07 Dec '23

07 Dec '23

Dear colleague, We are conducting an online study to explore how scientists, like yourself, learn about the world. We are inviting you to participate in the experiment. Study Details The study takes roughly 30 minutes, during which you will be exploring the functions of a fictional brain area by conducting scientific experiments. Your objective will be to learn the link between this neural area and behavioral outcomes. Eligibility 18+ years old Current PhD student or higher in Neuroscience or a similar field (including postdocs, junior & senior faculty, research scientists, etc) Residing in the US Compensation You will receive $10 reimbursement through Paypal, Venmo, or a gift card of your choice. If you are interested in participating in the study, please email Marina Dubova at mdubova(a)iu.edu<mailto:mdubova@iu.edu> to sign up. Thank you for considering participating in this study. Your participation could help shape our understanding of how scientists learn about the world and how this learning could be improved. Best, Marina Dubova and Robert Goldstone Indiana University Cognitive Science Program

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[jobs] 2 four year PhD Scholarships at International Graduate School of Neuroscience in Bochum, Germany
by Laurenz Wiskott 06 Dec '23

06 Dec '23

Dear All, the International Graduate School of Neuroscience (https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/igsn/index.html) at Ruhr University Bochum (https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/de) offers two four year PhD Scholarships financed through the DAAD (https://www.daad.de/en/) for experimentalists as well as computational people. For details see: * General Information: https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/igsn/admission/daad-information.html * Requirements: https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/igsn/admission/daad-requirements.html + Please read this carefully before applying. * Application: https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/igsn/admission/daad-application.html + Deadline is 31.1.2024 Best, Laurenz Wiskott. __________________________________________________________________________ Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott room: NB 3/29 Institut für Neuroinformatik phone: +49 234 32-27997 Fakultät für Informatik fax: +49 234 32-14210 Ruhr Universität Bochum laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de D-44780 Bochum, Germany https://www.ini.rub.de/PEOPLE/wiskott/ __________________________________________________________________________

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Postdoc on Dravet syndrome modeling: Inria (Montpellier, France) and BCAM (Bilbao, Spain)
by Mathieu Desroches 06 Dec '23

06 Dec '23

Dear all, We have funds for a two-year postdoc on Dravet syndrome modeling. This is part of an international collaboration between Inria (Bordeaux, Montpellier, Sophia Antipolis, France) and BCAM - the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (Bilbao, Spain), involving Fabien Campillo <https://www-sop.inria.fr/members/Fabien.Campillo/index.html>, Pierre Del Moral <https://people.bordeaux.inria.fr/pierre.delmoral/>, Mathieu Desroches <https://www-sop.inria.fr/members/Mathieu.Desroches/> and Serafim Rodrigues <https://www.bcamath.org/en/research/areas/m3a/mcen>. The postdoc will be based at Inria, in Montpellier. The aim of the project is to develop a multiscale model of Dravet syndrome, from ionic channels of interacting neurons to large neural populations. We will use various modeling frameworks, adapted to the scale, from piecewise-deterministic Markov processes to mean-field formalism. The postdoc will perform a mathematical analysis of the models, extensive numerical simulations as well as data analysis using neural recordings from our experimental partners. Regarding profiles that we are seeking, familiarity of the candidate with mathematical modeling in Neuroscience and Markov processes. Ability and willingness to do programming, as well as analyse experimental data, will also be a strong point to select candidates. Please apply online via the following page (deadline: Dec. 31st): https://jobs.inria.fr/public/classic/en/offres/2023-06688 https://jobs.inria.fr/public/classic/en/offres/2023-06688 If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us directly: Fabien Campillo: fabien.campillo(a)inria.fr <mailto:Fabien.campillo@inria.fr> Mathieu Desroches: mathieu.desroches(a)inria.fr <mailto:mathieu.desroches@inria.fr> Best, Mathieu Desroches. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Mathieu Desroches Research Director (Directeur de Recherche) MathNeuro <https://team.inria.fr/mathneuro/> Project Team Leader Centre Inria d'Université Côte d'Azur, France https://www-sop.inria.fr/members/Mathieu.Desroches/

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[Journals] [CFP] Reminder of Special Issue: NeuroDesign in Human-Robot Interaction: The Making of Engaging HRI Technology Your Brain Can’t Resist (Deadline Extension - Dec 29)
by NeuroDesign in HRI 06 Dec '23

06 Dec '23

Dear Esteemed Roboticist, Neuroscientists, Psychologists and Designers, I hope this email finds you well in your bustling schedule. Just a sweet reminder that the deadline for submitting your paper for the Journal - Frontiers in Robotics and AI, special research topic: NeuroDesign in Human-Robot Interaction, is approaching on December 29th. We truly cherish your insights and are looking forward to reading your contribution. Specifically, for those focusing on the design and theoretical aspects of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), we are particularly interested in submissions that explore the brain's or neural mechanisms' roles in processing information during HRI from cognitive and psychological perspectives. Understanding the fundamental design methodologies, such as robot morphology and interactive behaviors, or theoretical principles, including algorithms and philosophical concepts, is crucial. These insights will guide us in creating more engaging and seamless interactions. Therefore, we are especially eager to receive submissions in the fields of cognitive robotics or neurorobotics, particularly those incorporating user studies in their design of HRI. If you foresee any challenges in meeting the deadline, we kindly request that you notify us as soon as possible. This will allow us to make the necessary adjustments. Depending on your individual circumstances, we may consider extending the deadline to January 2024. Thank you for your commitment and contributions to our field. We eagerly look forward to your submission. Wishing you a wonderful day and smooth writing! Warm regards, Topic Editors NeuroDesign in Human-Robot Interaction For more information, visit our website at https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/51072/neurodesign-in-human-robo… or contact the topic editors at neurodesign.hri(a)gmail.com. On Thu, Nov 9, 2023 at 9:08 PM NeuroDesign in HRI <neurodesign.hri(a)gmail.com> wrote: > (Call for Papers & Deadline Extension) > > NeuroDesign in Human-Robot Interaction: The Making of Engaging HRI > Technology Your Brain Can’t Resist > > We are pleased to announce a call for papers and the extension of the > deadline for the special issue - “NeuroDesign in Human-Robot Interaction: > The making of engaging HRI technology your brain can’t resist”. This > special issue will be published in the research topic of the journal - Frontiers > in Robotics and AI and Frontiers in Neurorobotics. In this special issue, > we will discuss the fascinating Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) research with > the interfacing of applied neuroscience, psychology and design > methodologies. > > Scope of submissions: > > The complex tapestry of human biology, consciousness, and cognition > presents a unique challenge for technology designed to interact with us. > This complexity demands a multidisciplinary approach that leverages > insights from neuroscience, behavioral psychology, cognitive science, and > artificial intelligence to address the barriers that currently hinder > natural and effective human-robot interaction. > > This special issue aims to bridge the gap between laboratory research and > practical applications, guiding the development of HRI strategies that are > not only technically proficient but also intuitive, engaging, and > cognitively harmonious with human operators. > > Topics: > > We invite original research, review articles, and perspective pieces that > contribute to the following non-exhaustive list of topics: > > 1. Neuroscience-Driven HRI Strategies: > > - Use of neuroimaging tools (fMRI, EEG, fNIRS) to decode brain > activities that can enhance HRI. > > - Translational neuroscience methods to inform and refine HRI design. > > 2. Iterative Development and Brain-Centric Interfaces: > > - Insights from iterative design processes to craft improved human, > brain, and robot interfaces. > > - Integration of human and robot in a symbiotic closed-loop system > through innovative I/O interfaces. > > 3. Invasive and Non-Invasive NeuroDesign Applications: > > - Development of smart wearables, exoskeletons, or implantable devices > monitoring brainwaves and physiological signals. > > - Design of interfaces to track and influence mechanical movements in > tandem with human motion. > > 4. Neurofeedback Devices for Emotional and Behavioral Regulation: > > - Application of devices such as tDCS, tMS, NMES for neural or muscular > stimulation. > > - Exploration of neurofeedback's role in modulating emotional and > behavioral states in HRI contexts. > > 5. AI and Machine Learning in NeuroDesign: > > - Co-design of hardware and software integrating AI to enhance the user > experience. > > - Implementation of machine learning algorithms for a brain-centered > approach in perception and cognition. > > Submission Deadline: > > December 29, 2023 (extended) > > Discounts and Fee Support: > > 1. Frontiers institutional agreements: > https://www.frontiersin.org/about/institutional-partnerships > <https://www.frontiersin.org/about/institutional-partnerships> > > 2. Open-access funding sources: > https://oad.simmons.edu/oadwiki/OA_publication_funds > <https://oad.simmons.edu/oadwiki/OA_publication_funds> > > 3. Frontiers’ fee support program: > https://frontiersin.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9YqUCmY73k4Gm0u > <https://frontiersin.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9YqUCmY73k4Gm0u> > > Additionally, separate to fee support, we are currently offering 25% > discounts for Type-A articles and 50% discounts for Type-B articles received > before the manuscript deadline. This is on a first-come-first-served basis. > > A-Type Articles: Original Research, Systematic Review, Methods, Review, > Policy and Practice Reviews, Hypothesis & Theory, Clinical Trial, > Registered Report, Technology and Code > > B-Type Articles: Mini Review, Perspective, Case Report, Brief Research > Report > > > How to Submit: > > Please submit your full paper through the journal’s online submission > system. For more information, visit our website at > > > https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/51072/neurodesign-in-human-robo… > > or contact the topic editors at neurodesign.hri(a)gmail.com. > > We look forward to your contribution to this cutting-edge topic at the > intersection of technology, brain research, and human-robot symbiosis. > > > Sincerely yours, > > Topic Editors > > NeuroDesign in Human-Robot Interaction >

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CFP - IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning 2024 (Deadline extension)
by nagai.yukie＠mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp 06 Dec '23

06 Dec '23

Dear colleagues, IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning 2024 May 20–23, 2024 Austin, TX, USA Website: https://la.utexas.edu/users/dil/ICDL_Austin_2024/ Deadline for full paper submissions: December 15, 2023 January 8, 2024 (no further extension) Deadline for 1-page poster abstracts and journal track poster submissions: March 1, 2024 The IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL) conference is a unique meeting gathering researchers from computer science, robotics, psychology, neuroscience, and other disciplines to share and discuss research on how humans and other animals learn and develop and how this can inform and be informed by robotics and machine learning systems. Full papers and other submissions are invited on a range of topics including but not limited to: ● Embodied learning and development in biological systems and robots ● Developmental stages and sensitive periods ● Emergence of verbal and nonverbal communication ● Curiosity, intrinsic motivations, exploration, play and active learning ● Architectures for lifelong learning ● Emergence of body and affordance perception ● Learning control of body movement ● Emotional development and the role of emotion in learning ● Prediction, planning, and problem solving ● The relationship between evolution and development ● Epistemological foundations and philosophical issues ● Robotic and computational models of human and animal development ● Developmentally-inspired machine learning ● Human-robot interaction in developmental contexts ● Applications of machine learning to human and animal development Submissions may take the form of full (6-page) papers, 1-page poster abstracts, journal track posters, and workshops or tutorials. Please see below for details on each submission type. Decisions regarding acceptance will be based on technical quality, novelty, and expected interest to the conference’s interdisciplinary audience. In addition to talks and posters originating from these submissions, the conference will feature a keynote speaker as well as several invited symposia showcasing recent research on a set of themes, with different disciplines and perspectives featured, to prompt lively and productive discussion at the conference. [ Submission types ] ● Full six-page papers Papers of at most 6 pages in IEEE double column format will undergo peer-review, and accepted and presented submissions will be included in the conference proceedings published by IEEE Xplore. Up to two extra pages are acceptable for a publication fee of $100 per page. Accepted papers will be invited for presentation either in oral or poster format. ● Workshops & Tutorials Half-day workshop and tutorials will be held on May 20, 2024 (the first day of the meeting). Proposals should be no more than two pages and should include a title, an abstract, a description of the workshop or tutorial concept, the target audience, a list of presenters, information on whether the session will be open to paper or poster submission, and a link to the workshop or tutorial website if applicable. ● 1-page poster abstracts To encourage discussion of late-breaking results or for work that is not sufficiently mature for a full paper, we will accept 1-page abstracts. These submissions will not be included in the conference proceedings. Accepted abstracts will be presented during the poster session. ● Journal-track posters Journal track poster submissions must be about a journal paper that has been published recently (no earlier than December 2022), on a topic relevant to ICDL. More detailed instruction regarding paper/abstract submissions is given in the conference website. Best regards, Yukie Nagai, on behalf of the organizing committees — Yukie Nagai, Ph.D. Project Professor, The University of Tokyo nagai.yukie(a)mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp | https://developmental-robotics.jp CREST Cognitive Feelings: https://cognitive-feeling.jp CREST Cognitive Mirroring: https://cognitive-mirroring.org

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3yr CRCNS Postdoctoral Position in Barcelona
by Alex Roxin 05 Dec '23

05 Dec '23

The group of Alex Roxin https://sites.google.com/site/alexanderroxin/home at the Centre de Recerca Matemàtica https://www.crm.cat/_neuroscience/ is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to work on models of the formation and long-term dynamics of memories in the Hippocampus. This project is a collaboration with the Wang lab at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience https://mpfi.org/science/our-labs/wang-lab/ in the framework of the CRCNS program, to study the role of acetylcholine in memory formation. The postdoctoral candidate should have strong quantitative skills. The theoretical side of the project will involve data analysis, modelling, and analytical and numerical analysis of the model. Yearly meetings between the two groups will be held in Barcelona and Florida. The postdoctoral researcher will be expected to spend a brief period of time, dates and duration to be determined, at the Wang Lab in Florida. The project officially ends in November 2026 and hence the position can be for a maximum of three years, although this depends on the start date. Interested and highly motivated applicants should send a CV, cover letter and up to three letters of recommendation to Alex Roxin at aroxin(a)crm.cat. Please specify your availability for the start date in the application. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. *Project Summary:* * Nearly a century of clinical and experimental work has shown the hippocampus to be crucial for enabling us to find our way around an environment (spatial memory) and remembering events that occur in our lives (episodic memory). Yet, the neuronal mechanisms underlying the formation and retention of these memories remain largely unknown. The hippocampus receives various neuromodulatory inputs. Among them, cholinergic inputs are critical for forming new memories and regulating memory stability. Cholinergic innervation of the hippocampus progressively degenerates in patients with Alzheimers disease, and the neuronal response to acetylcholine weakens with aging. Thus, addressing how cholinergic activity mediates changes at the cellular, circuit, and behavior levels as memory forms and stabilizes is key to understanding mnemonic processing in health and disease. Ample in vitro evidence suggests muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) modulate synaptic plasticity -- the molecular correlate of learning and memory. However, in vivo evidence for the role of mAChRs in shaping neuronal dynamics during learning remains scarce. In the hippocampal CA1* *region, mAChRs are expressed in multiple cell types and cellular compartments, making it difficult to decipher the contribution of individual elements to the overall network effects of acetylcholine. In CA1 pyramidal neurons, mAChRs are densely clustered at the proximal dendrites, co-localized with the CA3 inputs that convey information about the stored memory. These receptors are ideally situated to modulate pyramidal neurons response to CA3* *inputs and to shape neuronal dynamics through synaptic plasticity. In this project, we hypothesize that mAChRs located on CA1 pyramidal neurons mediate both the formation and stability of the memory-related dynamical activity patterns generated by these neurons. To test this hypothesis, we combine theoretical modeling with in vivo experiments that leverage* *newly developed neuropharmacological tools to target muscarinic acetylcholine receptors with cell-type specificity. Our objective is to elucidate the cholinergic control of plasticity over two distinct stages of the memory process memory formation and stability across multiple levels from cell-typespecific acetylcholine receptors to the development of memory-related neuronal dynamics, and finally to the refinement of behavior.* -- Alex Roxin Computational Neuroscience Group Centre de Recerca Matemàtica Campus de Bellaterra, Edifici C 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) https://sites.google.com/site/alexanderroxin/home

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APPLY TO THE THOM YOUNG RESARCHER AWARD
by hocine Cherifi 05 Dec '23

05 Dec '23

*YOUNG RESARCHER AWARD* <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/young-resarcher-award/> *@ **FRCCS 2024* <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> The Young Researcher Award is part of CSS FRANCE's <https://www.cssfrance.org/> global initiative to support early career researchers in their quest to advance the frontiers of science across a broad range of disciplines. It is in place to recognize early career contributions and leadership in research in Complex Systems related fields. It is awarded to young researchers up to *five years* after the Ph.D. completion (date of Ph.D. defense) and the deadline of the call for nomination. *Eligibility* - Applications for this award are welcomed by academia, business, and government scientists. - Eligible candidates should not be older than 35 years. - There should be no more than five years between the date of the Ph.D. defense and the deadline of the call for nomination. - Self-nominations are accepted and encouraged. - Any young researcher can be nominated in whatever discipline Complex Systems covers. - Candidates must commit to presenting their work at FRCCS if awarded. *Important dates* · Application deadline: *March 04, 2024* · Notification to applicants: *April 02, 2024* *Application Instruction* *For self-nomination* The application package must contain: - A CV of the candidate (maximum two pages) - Research achievement: a letter describing the context and relevance of the achievement, its scientific impact, and why it deserves an award (maximum two pages). - A long-term research project (maximum two pages) *For supporter nomination* - A CV of the candidate (maximum two pages) - Research achievement: a letter describing the context and relevance of the achievement, its scientific impact, and why it deserves an award (maximum two pages). - A statement from the candidate (maximum two pages) reflects their understanding of how the original scientific research moved science forward. *Application Process* Applications are made via a google form: Fill out the self-nomination form <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7JjwOEPF0YYBRHWomS3o-fZ3YXu0a5QU…> or the Supporter nomination form <https://forms.gle/bkVFg9pUvt2f4K1p9> *Note that Google Forms requires you to be signed in to a Google account to upload files and submit your responses. * *Selection Process* FRCCS Award Committee will evaluate all qualified candidates and propose the winner to the Advisory Board of CSS FRANCE, which will make the final decision. *Award Procedure* A prize of 1000 euros is awarded to the winner. The award also covers the registration fee of FRCCS <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> 2024 to facilitate attendance at the conference. The awardee will be recognized and present his (her) work at FRCCS <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> 2024. For more information contact: hocine.cherifi(a)gmail.com

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PhD position at Universitat de les Illes Balears
by Catalina Vich Llompart 05 Dec '23

05 Dec '23

The Dynamical Systems group at Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB) is seeking applications for a PhD student. This Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience (CRCNS) funded position will focus on decision making, linking computational models and mathematical analysis to human and rodent data. The successful candidate will be mentored, supervised and trained directly by C.Vich, but they will also work and interact with Prof. Timothy Verstynen (CMU, Psychology) and Prof. Jonathan Rubin (University of Pittsburgh, Mathematics) so they will have to occasionally visit the USA team. The project specifically focuses on how dynamics of cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic pathways map to cognitive models of adaptive decision-making, and how these circuits regulate information flow in the mammalian brain. This position will be renewed annually for up to 3 years. Preferred skills from the PhD student: We are looking for highly motivated and self-driven candidate with strong interest in computational neuroscience and significant computational expertise. To be accepted in the PhD program, a MSc degree is required, preferably in mathematical biology, computational biology, dynamical systems or related disciplines. Students who do not hold a MSc degree but hold an undergraduate degree of 300ECTS are also encouraged to apply. A high level of written and spoken English and good programming skills (preferably python) are prioritized. Environment The Universitat de les Illes Balears (https://www.uib.eu <https://www.uib.eu/>) is located in Mallorca, the highest island of the Balearic Islands, at the foot of the Tramuntana mountains, an area declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, as well as being just a few kilometres from Mallorca’s finest beaches. It is also ranked among the top 5 Spanish universities in education and in research quality. The university is well connected with the main city, Palma, and other villages. In fact, it has a bus and underground service with good timetables and frequencies. The accepted student will be a member of the group of Dynamical Systems (SSDD, http://www.ssdd.uib.es <http://www.ssdd.uib.es/>) and the institute of Applied Computing and Community Code (IAC3, http://iac3.uib.es <http://iac3.uib.es/>), with ample opportunities to interact with other young researchers in the fields of physics and mathematics in a highly interactive, dynamic, and multi-cultural environment. To apply For details on how to apply, please contact Catalina Vich by email at catalina.vich(a)uib.es <mailto:catalina.vich@uib.es> showing your interest on applying for this position. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, etc. Demographic and cultural diversity will be considered in the selection of the trainee.

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Apply to the Bertalanffy Doctoral Student Award
by hocine Cherifi 05 Dec '23

05 Dec '23

*DOCTORAL STUDENT AWARD* <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/doctoral-student-award/> *@ **FRCCS 2024* <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> The Bertalanffy Doctoral Student Award is part of CSS FRANCE's <https://www.cssfrance.org/> global initiative to support early career researchers in their quest to advance the frontiers of science across a broad range of disciplines. It is in place to recognize early career contributions and leadership in research in Complex Systems related fields. It is awarded to young researchers enrolled in a Ph.D. program. This competition consists in presenting your research in simple terms in a five minutes video to a lay audience. Your presentation should be clear, concise, and convincing. *Eligibility* - Eligible candidates must: - Be under 30. - Be enrolled in a Ph.D. program in whatever discipline Complex Systems covers. - Commit to presenting their work at the French Regional Conference on Complex Systems <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> FRCCS <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> if awarded - Accept and authorize the use and distribution of videos and photos related to the competition, including on social networks - Have informed their thesis supervisor of their participation in the competition - Present a sufficiently advanced state of the doctoral research project *Important dates* · Application deadline: *March 04, 2024* · Notification to applicants: *April 02, 2024* *Application Instruction* The application package must contain the following: - A CV of the candidate (maximum two pages) - A summary (maximum two pages) presenting the research work, its context, main contribution, and scientific impact. - A 5 minutes video presentation. *Application Process* Applications are made via a google form on the online portal. <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe49vdpumpzjVJJ7_mWgC5zKSLS1AqelD_…> *Note that Google Forms requires you to be signed in to a Google account to upload files and submit your responses. * *Selection Process* FRCCS Award Committee will evaluate all qualified candidates and propose the winner to the Advisory Board of CSS FRANCE, which will make the final decision. *Award Procedure* A prize of 500 euros is awarded to the winner. The award also covers the registration fee of FRCCS <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> 2024 to facilitate attendance at the conference. The awardee will be recognized and present his (her) work at FRCCS <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> 2024. For more information contact: hocine.cherifi(a)gmail.com

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4 year fully-funded PhD studentship in ML and Parkinson’s disease at Nottingham
by Mark Humphries 04 Dec '23

04 Dec '23

A 4-year fully-funded PhD studentship with Prof Mark Humphries and Dr JeYoung Yung at the University Of Nottingham is available to start September 2024. “Optimising patient selection for Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson’s disease using multimodal machine learning” Parkinson’s disease has debilitating motor symptoms of tremor in the limbs, slowness of movement, and freezing, unable to move. A highly effective treatment is electrical stimulation deep in the motor regions of the midbrain. But surgery for this deep brain stimulation is only offered to around 2% of all patients, and about a quarter of those who receive it have poor outcomes. Optimising the selection of patients for deep brain stimulation will widen access to treatment, improve treatment outcomes, and prevent harm. The goal of this project is to test how fusing clinical data, neuroimaging, and video assessments could optimise the selection of patients. The project will be in collaboration with MachineMedicine (London), a MedTech company specialising in Parkinson’s disease, and the movement disorders clinical team at St George’s Hospital, London. In joining this collaboration, the PhD student will be trained in data-science and machine learning tools, including how to extract and analyse MRI and fMRI data, in fusing data across modalities, and in developing a machine-learning pipeline for predicting patient outcomes. These predictions will be tested against the 12-month follow-up data from the St George’s trial patients. The student’s further training will include a 3-month placement at MachineMedicine, and visits to St George’s clinic. Closing date:12 noon (GMT) Friday 12th January 2024. For full studentship details and how to apply see here: https://more.bham.ac.uk/mrc-aim/phd-opportunities/ Send all enquires to mark.humphries(a)nottingham.ac.uk<mailto:mark.humphries@nottingham.ac.uk> This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

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Fully-funded PhD in mathematical neuroscience (Sheffield, UK)
by Hazem Toutounji 03 Dec '23

03 Dec '23

A fully-funded PhD in mathematical neuroscience is available with Dr Hazem Toutounji and Professor Eleni Vasilaki (University of Sheffield, UK). *Project title: *What can self-connected neurons do? A unifying theory of autaptic neural function in invertebrates and mammals The neuron is the fundamental building block in the nervous systems of all animal species, from C. elegans with its 302 neurons, to humans with their highly evolved cortex alone containing more than 10 billion neurons. The action potential, or spike, is the basic unit of neural signalling. Most neurons communicate through chemical synapses, which project from the axon of one neuron to the cell body or dendrites of another. An autapse is a synapse connecting the neuron to itself. In this project, we will use mathematical modelling to achieve two objectives: 1. Investigate the different roles of autapses in neural processing as observed experimentally. 2. Explore autapses as a potential route to chaos and its role in healthy and pathological neural function. The position is open to UK and overseas applicants. The ideal candidate will have a strong command of mathematical analysis and programming skills. Prior knowledge of dynamical systems theory is desirable. Application deadline: 5pm GMT 24 January 2024 For full details and how to apply see: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/what-can-self-connected-neurons-do-a-… *Please note: *Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to contact me ( h.toutounji(a)sheffield.ac.uk) to discuss your interest in and suitability for the project prior to submitting your application. -- *Dr. rer. nat. Hazem Toutounji (they / them)* *Lecturer in Computational Neuroscience and ECR Champion* *The Neural Dynamics and Computation Lab* Department of Psychology The Neuroscience Institute Insigneo Institute for in silico Medicine University of Sheffield ICOSS Building, 4th floor, desk 5 219 Portobello, Broomhall Sheffield S1 4DP, UK

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AREADNE 2024 Call for Abstracts
by John Pezaris 01 Dec '23

01 Dec '23

AREADNE 2024 Research in Encoding and Decoding of Neural Ensembles Eliopoulos Conference Center, Milos, Greece 25-29 June 2024 http://areadne.org info(a)areadne.org Dear Colleague, We are pleased to announce solicitation of abstracts for poster presentation at AREADNE 2024, 25-29 June 2024, our tenth meeting, to be held at the Eliopoulos Conference Center in Milos, Greece. Note that this is a change in location from previous meetings. Continuing with the same highly successful format, AREADNE 2024 will bring scientific leaders from around the world to present their theoretical and experimental work on the functioning of neuronal ensembles. The meeting will provide an informal and beautiful setting in which attendees can discuss their recent ideas and discoveries, with a relaxed pace that emphasizes interaction. Please see the Call for Abstracts for additional details, including links for templates, at http://areadne.org/call-for-abstracts Submissions of abstracts for poster presentations are due by 26 Jan 2024; notifications will be provided by late February 2024. We strongly encourage potential attendees to submit an abstract as presenters have registration priority. For information about the conference, please refer to the main web page http://areadne.org or send email to us at info(a)areadne.org . We hope to see you at AREADNE 2024! Best, - J. --- John S. Pezaris, Ph.D. AREADNE 2024 Co-Chair Harvard Medical School Massachusetts General Hospital 55 Fruit Street Boston, MA 02114, USA info(a)areadne.org

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MSc Internship - Evolving Reservoir Meta-RL - Inria, Bordeaux, France
by Xavier Hinaut 01 Dec '23

01 Dec '23

Please find below an offer for an intership from February/March to July/August 2024 in Mnemosyne team at Inria, Bordeaux, France # Title Title: Evolving Reservoirs for Meta Reinforcement Learning # Supervision Xavier Hinaut, Mnemosyne team, Inria Bordeaux Potential collaboration with Clément Moulin-Frier (Flowers Team) & Pierrick Legrand (Astral Team) # Duration: 6 months, spring/summer 2024. Level: Master 2 research internship # Keywords: meta reinforcement learning, reservoir computing, evolutionary computation, neuroevolution, simulation environments, scientific programming with Python. # Research team & internship location Mnémosyne Team: Inria Bordeaux Sud-Ouest, LABRI & Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives (Centre Broca Aquitaine, Carreire campus) https://team.inria.fr/mnemosyne # Project How can a reinforcement learning (RL) agent autonomously learn a diversity of skills with minimal external supervision? Recent works have shown that a single goal-conditioned policy can be trained to solve multiple tasks in parallel (see e.g. Colas et al., 2021 for a recent review). Other works in Meta Reinforcement Learning (Meta-RL) have shown that artificial agents can “learn how to learn” (hence the term meta-learning) multiple skills without having access to goal-related information (see e.g. Weng, 2019 for an introduction). Meta-RL aims at equipping agents with the ability to generalize to tasks or environments that have not been encountered during training. Two nested processes of adaptation are traditionally considered: an outer adaptation loop optimizing the hyperparameters of an inner adaptation loop. The inner adaptation loop can be a standard RL algorithm operating on a given environment. The outer loop is tuning the hyperparameters of the inner loop such that it performs well on a wide distribution of environments. The end result of this nested training process is an algorithm that learns how to learn, i.e. learns how to adapt to tasks that have never been encountered during training. Works differ in the optimization technique and adaptation mechanism they consider in the two loops. The outer loop often optimizes higher-level structures such as the architecture of a neural network (Baker et al., 2017), the morphology (Gupta et al., 2021), a curiosity module providing intrinsic rewards (Alet et al., 2020) or plasticity rules (Najarro & Risi, 2021), employing either evolutionary or gradient-based optimization. In parallel, Reservoir Computing (RC, (Jaeger 2001+)) is particularly well suited for extracting information from data stream with complex temporal dynamics (e.g. weather forecast or language). It is a machine learning paradigm on sequential data where a recurrent neural network is only partially trained (e.g. only training a linear readout). One of the major interests of these recurrent neural networks is their reduced computational cost and the possibility to learn both in on-line and off-line fashion. They have been successfully applied on a wide variety of tasks, from prediction/generation of chaotic timeseries to discrimination of audio sequences, such as bird song recognition. They offer de facto a fast, simple yet efficient way to train RNNs. This "reservoir of computations" works thanks to random projections in large dimensions, and is thus similar to temporal Support Vector Machines (SVM). In this internship, we will explore how Reservoir Computing can be leveraged in the context of Meta-RL. In this context, we will consider evolving the architecture of a reservoir for performing well on a wide range of RL tasks (see Seoane, 2019 for theoretical arguments on this evolutionary perspective). For this aim, we will use the ReservoirPy Python library developed in the Mnemosyne team (Trouvain & Hinaut, 2022) that we will interface with evolutionary computation algorithms (e.g. Tang et al., 2022). The project will involve: ● Designing of a wide range of RL tasks in an existing simulation environment (ex MuJoCo) ● Learning how to learn multiple tasks without access to the goal information (i.e. meta-RL with a reservoir). ● Evolve reservoir architectures for meta-RL with evolutionary methods # How to apply Contact xavier.hinaut(a)inria.fr with a CV and letter of motivation. We also recommend sending documents or reports describing previous projects you have been working on (even if they are not directly related to the topic), as well as your grades and links to some of your code repositories. # Requirements We are looking for highly motivated MSc students (Master II). Programming skills and prior experience with Python and deep learning frameworks (Pytorch, Tensorflow) are expected. # Other internship offers https://github.com/neuronalX/internships/ # References Alet, F., Schneider, M. F., Lozano-Perez, T., & Kaelbling, L. P. (2020). Meta-learning curiosity algorithms. International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR 2020). https://openreview.net/forum?id=BygdyxHFDS Baker, B., Gupta, O., Naik, N., & Raskar, R. (2017). Designing neural network architectures using reinforcement learning. ArXiv:1611.02167 [Cs]. http://arxiv.org/abs/1611.02167 Botvinick, M., Ritter, S., Wang, J. X., Kurth-Nelson, Z., Blundell, C., & Hassabis, D. (2019). Reinforcement Learning, Fast and Slow. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 23(5), 408–422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2019.02.006 Colas, C., Karch, T., Sigaud, O., & Oudeyer, P.-Y. (2021). Intrinsically Motivated Goal-Conditioned Reinforcement Learning: A Short Survey. ArXiv:2012.09830 [Cs]. http://arxiv.org/abs/2012.09830 Gupta, A., Savarese, S., Ganguli, S., & Fei-Fei, L. (2021). Embodied intelligence via learning and evolution. Nature Communications, 12(1), 5721. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25874-z Jaeger, H. (2007). Echo state network. Scholarpedia, 2(9), 2330. https://doi.org/10.4249/scholarpedia.2330 Najarro, E., & Risi, S. (2021). Meta-Learning through Hebbian Plasticity in Random Networks. ArXiv:2007.02686 [Cs]. http://arxiv.org/abs/2007.02686 Sakemi, Y., Morino, K., Leleu, T., & Aihara, K. (2020). Model-size reduction for reservoir computing by concatenating internal states through time. Scientific Reports, 10(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78725-0 Seoane, L. F. (2019). Evolutionary aspects of reservoir computing. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 374(1774), 20180377. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2018.0377 Tang, Y., Tian, Y., & Ha, D. (2022). EvoJAX: Hardware-Accelerated Neuroevolution. Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference Companion, 308–311. https://doi.org/10.1145/3520304.3528770 Trouvain, N., & Hinaut, X. (2022). reservoirpy: A Simple and Flexible Reservoir Computing Tool in Python. https://hal.inria.fr/hal-03699931 https://github.com/reservoirpy/reservoirpy Weng, L. (2019, June 23). Meta Reinforcement Learning. https://lilianweng.github.io/posts/2019-06-23-meta-rl/ Xavier Hinaut Inria Research Scientist www.xavierhinaut.com -- +33 5 33 51 48 01 Mnemosyne team, Inria, Bordeaux, France -- https://team.inria.fr/mnemosyne & LaBRI, Bordeaux University -- https://www4.labri.fr/en/formal-methods-and-models & IMN (Neurodegeneratives Diseases Institute) -- http://www.imn-bordeaux.org/en --- Our Reservoir Computing library: https://github.com/reservoirpy/reservoirpy

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Postdoc Position in Computational/Theoretical Neuroscience (Western University)
by Lyle Muller 01 Dec '23

01 Dec '23

The lab of Lyle Muller (http://mullerlab.ca) at Western University (London, Ontario) has a postdoctoral position available in computational and theoretical neuroscience. This position will involve collaboration between our laboratory and researchers with expertise in advanced methods of brain imaging (Mark Schnitzer, Stanford), neuroengineering (Duygu Kuzum, UCSD), theoretical neuroscience (Todd Coleman, Stanford), and neurophysiology of visual perception (John Reynolds, Salk Institute for Biological Studies). In collaboration with this multi-disciplinary team, this researcher will apply new signal processing techniques for multisite spatiotemporal data to understand cortical dynamics during visual perception. This project will also involve development of spiking network models to understand the mechanisms underlying observed activity patterns. The project may include intermittent travel between labs to present results and facilitate collaborative work. This research will involve in-depth analyses of neural recordings and computational modeling. Prior experience with scientific computing languages (MATLAB, Julia, or Python) and signal processing is preferred. Western University offers an excellent research environment and support. Candidates can write to lmuller2(a)uwo.ca<mailto:lmuller2@uwo.ca> with a CV. Selected applicants will be interviewed on a rolling basis starting immediately. Both the involved labs and the University are deeply committed to fostering diversity and scientific outreach. Applications from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged, and any interested applicants are welcomed to write the PI directly with questions about the research environment. -- Lyle Muller http://mullerlab.ca

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