May 2024 - Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

MESEC WORKSHOP 2024: Non-ordinary States of Consciousness
by RUBÉN HERZOG May 15, 2024

May 15, 2024

Dear comp-neuro-list readers *We invite you to apply to the MESEC WORKSHOP 2024 on Non-ordinary states of consciousness* Join us for an interdisciplinary workshop that brings together researchers from various fields to investigate non-ordinary states of consciousness, such as those induced by psychedelics, meditation, and hypnosis. This collaborative event provides a unique opportunity to engage with leading experts and explore these states from both first-person and third-person perspectives. This unique 7-day interdisciplinary workshop, held from August 31st to September 8th in the beautiful setting of Campomoro, Corsica, brings together researchers from various fields to explore states of consciousness induced by psychedelics, meditation, hypnosis, and more. Participants will work closely with keynote speakers to create research proposals integrating insights from multiple perspectives. The scientific chair is the esteemed Thomas Metzinger, past president of the German Cognitive Science Society and the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness. Confirmed speakers include: * Christopher Timmerman, Imperial College London * Aviva Berkovich-Ohana, University of Haifa * Katrin Preller, University of Zurich * Guillaume Dumas, University de Montréal The workshop offers a stimulating environment to gain exposure to diverse methodologies, contribute to advancing consciousness research, and develop new collaborations. Postdocs and PhD students interested in expanding their knowledge are encouraged to apply. Participation fees of €750 cover 8 nights accommodation, meals, airport transport, and the workshop fee. As we are trying to make our event as inclusive and accessible as possible, bursaries based on the quality of the application are available to help cover costs for those who need assistance to attend. Don't miss this opportunity - submit your application at https://mesec.co/event/seminar_2024 by May 18th! Feel free to reach out to info(a)mesec.co with any questions. Best regards, On behalf of the The MESEC 2024 Team Rubén Herzog, PhD.

1 0

Postdoctoral position in "Higher-order interactions in brain networks" (Marseille, France)
by Andrea Brovelli May 14, 2024

May 14, 2024

Postdoctoral position (1+1 years duration) Centre de Physique Théorique, Marseille <http://www.cpt.univ-mrs.fr/> and Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone, Marseille <https://www.int.univ-amu.fr/> Project Title: Higher-order interactions in human brain networks supporting causal learning Supervisors:Alain Barrat (CPT, Marseille) <http://www.cpt.univ-mrs.fr/~barrat>andAndrea Brovelli (INT, Marseille) <https://www.int.univ-amu.fr/member/brovelli.a> *Project abstract*: Learning is a brain network phenomenon thought to arise from synergistic interactions between multiple brain regions. Although central, this hypothesis has never been fully tested, yet. Indeed, progress has been limited by the lack of approaches for studying brain interactions beyond pairwise relations, the so-called higher order interactions (HOIs). Our objective is to build a theoretical and data analysis framework to demonstrate the role of HOIs in human brain networks supporting causal learning. The Hinteract project will be composed of three scientific work packages (WPs). WP1 will develop a novel informational theoretical approach to infer task-related (functional) HOIs from neural time series and will characterise HOIs supporting causal learning using a multiscale dataset including magnetoencephalography (MEG) and intracranial stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) data. WP2 will develop a network science formalism to analyse the structure and dynamics of functional HOIs patterns, and it will characterise the hierarchical organisation of learning-related HOIs inferred in WP1. WP3 will compile and share the neuroinformatics tools developed in the project and it will make it interoperable with the EBRAINS infrastructure. Overall, our project will reveal whether causal learning is supported by cerebral HOIs, and produce a theoretical and computational framework for the study of HOIs in brain networks that will be shared with the scientific community. Workpackages: WP1: Inference of learning-related high-order interactions in the brain WP2: Analysis of learning-related high-order interactions in the brain using network science approaches WP3: Integrated neuroinformatics tools for HOI analysis and sharing on EBRAINS infrastructure The _hired postdoctoral researcher will mainly work on WP2_, i.e., on the development of new formalisms and methods to apply to higher order interaction patterns identified in the data analyzed in WP1. We are looking for a candidate with a strong background in statistical physics, complex networks, computational neuroscience and programming, and a strong interest in interdisciplinary work. Having already worked on higher order networks is a plus but not required. The hired postdoctoral researcher will be based in the CPT on the Luminy Campus (south of Marseille) but will also devote a significant part of their time at the INT in the La Timone campus. *Position starting date:*October 1st, 2024 (negotiable) *Duration of the position:*1 year, renewable *Deadline for applications: June 15th, 2024* *TO APPLY*: * please send CV and motivation letter, and * have your supervisors send directly two letters of recommendation, *within June 15th, 2024*to alain.barrat @ cpt.univ-mrs.fr*and*andrea.brovelli @ univ-amu.fr

1 0

REMINDER: World wide VVTNS series: Wednesday, May 15 at 11am (EDT), Agostina Palmigiano, Gastby Unit, London | Mechanisms underlying responses to optogenetic perturbations
by David Hansel May 14, 2024

May 14, 2024

[image: VVTNS.png] https://www.wwtns.online - on twitter: wwtns@TheoreticalWide You are cordially invited to the lecture given by Agostina Palmigiano Gatsby Unit, London on the topic of "Mechanisms underlying responses to optogenetic perturbations*"* The lecture will be held on zoom on *May 15, 2024*, at *11:00 am EDT * To receive the zoom link: https://www.wwtns.online/register-page *Abstract: *Optogenetic stimulation is a powerful tool to probe neural circuits. Yet, its effect on neural dynamics can be counterintuitive. Here, we analyzed and theoretically modeled neuronal responses to visual and optogenetic inputs in mouse and monkey V1. We found that in both species, optogenetic activation of excitatory neurons had weak or no effects on the distribution of firing rates across the population, but strongly modulated single-cell activity, a phenomenon which we call neuronal reshuffling. Through theoretical analysis and numerical investigations, we show that neuronal reshuffling emerges in strongly-coupled, randomly-connected networks via strong feedback inhibition, provided that the optogenetic input is sufficiently heterogeneous and weak. As perfect reshuffling was observed only when measuring cells whose orientation preference matched the orientation of the presented stimulus (in the monkey data), we extended our analysis to networks with a connection probability and inputs that depend on the cell's feature preference. We show that this model can be theoretically described as interactions between the tuned activity, encoding sensory features, and the untuned baseline activity. Finally, we show that these models can produce rate reshuffling via strong, effective inhibition of the tuned response by the untuned baseline and work out an intuition for this phenomenon. *About VVTNS : Created as the World Wide Neuroscience Seminar (WWTNS) in November 2020 and renamed in homage to Carl van Vreeswijk in Memoriam (April 20, 2022), its aim is to be a platform to exchange ideas among theoreticians. Speakers have the occasion to talk about theoretical aspects of their work which cannot be discussed in a setting where the majority of the audience consists of experimentalists. The seminars, **held on Wednesdays at 11 am ET,** are 45-50 min long followed by a discussion. The talks are recorded with authorization of the speaker and are available to everybody on our YouTube channel.* ᐧ ᐧ ᐧ ᐧ ᐧ ᐧ

1 0

Summer School in Computational Neuroscience, Neurotechnology and Neuro-inspired AI
by O'Donnell, Cian May 14, 2024

May 14, 2024

We invite applications for our 4th annual Summer School in Computational Neuroscience, Neurotechnology and Neuro-inspired AI (ISRC-CN3), hosted at the Intelligent Systems Research Centre (ISRC) in the Derry/Londonderry campus of Ulster University, Northern Ireland. The School runs from August 26th to 30th 2024 in hybrid mode with both in-person and online attendees. There have been rapid advancements and investments in research and development in brain sciences, neurotechnology, neural data modelling and neuro-inspired artificial intelligence (AI). The Computational Neuroscience, Neurotechnology and Neuro-inspired AI (CN3) Summer School aims to train the next generation of researchers on these state-of-the-art developments. This short course will touch on the areas of computational neuroscience, neural data science, neurotechnology and neuro-inspired AI. Current lecture list (to be finalised): * Introductory neuroscience * Mathematics for neuroscience * Computational modelling of plasticity and learning in brains * Computational modelling of neuronal and glial interactions * Modelling the dynamics of decision-making * Neural Signal Processing * Brain Hyperscanning * Neurotechnology and its application for disorders of consciousness * BCI-controlled exoskeleton for neuro-rehabilitation * Spiking Neural Networks and their applications * Introduction to Continual Learning * Neuro-inspired Large Language Models * Neuromorphic Computing and Applications * Research ethics in Neuroscience, Neurotechnology and AI There will also be daily computer lab sessions and group projects. How is this course different to other schools? Some key benefits: * Crash-course on a broad set of topics. * Compressed 5-day duration. * Targeted at people new to or curious about these fields, who want to learn more. Little background knowledge assumed. * Registration costs kept low and subsidised housing, to encourage a diverse attendee pool. The 2023 School hosted 143 participants from 34 countries, with 41 attending in-person. The school is primarily targeted at PhD student level but we also welcome applications from MSc students, postdoctoral researchers, academic faculty, and industrial researchers. Some attendee feedback: * “… mind-opening experience …to listen to the great work of top-notch researchers” * “…friendly environment which I felt even in online experience” * “…lectures were not only interesting on their own but were ordered in such a way that they built on top of each other …and I felt I had built a good foundation on various topics in neuroscience that I can revisit later” For more information and application, please visit the website at: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/faculties/computing-engineering-and-the-built-envi… Deadline for In-Person Application: 15 June 2024 Deadline for Online Application: 10 August 2024 This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain information which is covered by legal, professional or other privilege. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager at postmaster(a)ulster.ac.uk and delete this email immediately. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ulster University. The University's computer systems may be monitored and communications carried out on them may be recorded to secure the effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes. Ulster University does not guarantee that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless expressly stated in the body of a separate attachment, the text of email is not intended to form a binding contract. Correspondence to and from the University may be subject to requests for disclosure by 3rd parties under relevant legislation. The Ulster University was founded by Royal Charter in 1984 and is registered with company number RC000726 and VAT registered number GB672390524.The primary contact address for Ulster University in Northern Ireland is Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry BT52 1SA

1 0

CFP COMPLEX NETWORKS 2024 Istanbul Turkey December 10 - 12, 2024
by Genevieve Jourdain-Lambert May 13, 2024

May 13, 2024

13 *th **International Conference on Complex Networks & Their Applications* Istanbul, Turkey December 10 - 12, 2024 COMPLEX NETWORKS 2024 <https://complexnetworks.org/> You are cordially invited to submit your contribution until *September 03, 2024*. *SPEAKERS* · Federico Battiston <https://people.ceu.edu/federico_battiston> Central European University, Austria · Tina Eliassi-Rad <https://www.khoury.northeastern.edu/people/tina-eliassi-rad/> Northeastern University, USA · Frank Emmert-Streib <https://www.tuni.fi/en/frank-emmert-streib> Tampere University, Finland · Filippo Menczer <https://cnets.indiana.edu/fil/> Indiana University, USA · Luciano Pietronero <http://www.lucianopietronero.it/> University of Rome, Italy *TUTORIALS (December 09, 2024)* · Alessandro Galeazzi <https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DK0tXAIAAAAJ&hl=en> University of Padova, Italy · Clara Stegehuis <https://www.clarastegehuis.nl/> Twente University, The Netherlands *PUBLICATION* Full papers (not previously published up to 12 pages) and Extended Abstracts (about published or unpublished research up to 4 pages) are welcome. · *Papers *will be included in the conference *proceedings edited by Springer* · *Extended abstracts* will be published in the *Book of Abstracts (with ISBN)* Extended versions will be invited for publication in *special issues of international journals:* o PLOS Complex Systems <https://journals.plos.org/complexsystems/> edited by PLOS <https://plos.org/>. o PLOS <https://journals.plos.org/plosone/> One <https://journals.plos.org/plosone/> edited by PLOS <https://plos.org/> o Applied Network Science <https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/> edited by Springer Nature <https://www.springernature.com/gp> o Social Network Analysis and Mining <https://link.springer.com/journal/13278> edited by Springer Nature <https://www.springernature.com/gp> o Entropy <https://www.mdpi.com/journal/entropy> edited by MDPI <https://www.mdpi.com/> o Advances in Complex Systems <https://www.worldscientific.com/toc/acs/24/02> edited by World Scientific o Complex Systems Journal <https://www.complex-systems.com/> *SUBMISSION:* *https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/COMPLEXNETWORKS2024/* <https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/COMPLEXNETWORKS2024/> *TOPICS* *Topics include, but are not limited to: * o Models of Complex Networks o Structural Network Properties and Analysis o Complex Networks and Epidemics o Community Structure in Networks o Community Discovery in Complex Networks o Motif Discovery in Complex Networks o Network Mining o Network embedding methods o Machine learning with graphs o Dynamics and Evolution Patterns of Complex Networks o Link Prediction o Multilayer Networks o Network Controllability o Synchronization in Networks o Visual Representation of Complex Networks o Large-scale Graph Analytics o Social Reputation, Influence, and Trust o Information Spreading in Social Media o Rumour and Viral Marketing in Social Networks o Recommendation Systems and Complex Networks o Financial and Economic Networks o Complex Networks and Mobility o Biological and Technological Networks o Mobile call Networks o Bioinformatics and Earth Sciences Applications o Resilience and Robustness of Complex Networks o Complex Networks for Physical Infrastructures o Complex Networks, Smart Cities and Smart Grids o Political networks o Supply chain networks o Complex networks and information systems o Complex networks and CPS/IoT o Graph signal processing o Cognitive Network Science o Network Medicine o Network Neuroscience o Quantifying success through network analysis o Temporal and spatial networks o Historical Networks *GENERAL CHAIRS* Hocine Cherifi (University of Burgundy, France) Murat Donduran (Yildiz Technical University, Turkey) Luis M. Rocha (Binghamton University, USA) *PROGRAM CHAIRS* Chantal Cherifi (University of Lyon, France) Onur Varol (Sabanci University, Turkey

1 0

position at NIH: Data Scientist and Senior Advisor to the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse
by Francisco Pereira May 13, 2024

May 13, 2024

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is seeking a GS-15 Data Scientist for the Office of the Director. The incumbent of this position will serve as a Data Scientist and Senior Advisor to the NIDA Director and other leadership positions, on matters related to health informatics and data science, data management, emerging technologies, opportunities for collaboration, data standards and policy within the scope of the NIDA mission. The incumbent will plan and carry out quality control programs and select statistical methods for use in quality control analysis and ensure the reliability and consistency of the data while measuring the data limitations. Additionally, the selectee will provide technical expertise and project leadership necessary to advance strategic initiatives in the use and effectiveness of data- and knowledge-driven methods in the organization; and develop collaborations with researchers and administrators applying technical expertise to support a variety of use cases related to neuroscience. Some of the duties include but are not limited to the following: - Serves as a principal advisor to the NIDA Director and senior leadership on health informatics and data science, data management, and emerging technologies. - Contribute as a recognized expert in the design and implementation of computer-based solutions, including tools, techniques and practices that broaden the use of NIDA data sets and knowledge bases and ensure access to research data throughout its lifecycle. - Serve as the Institute's subject matter expert (SME) on issues and matters related to new, novel, and/or emerging technologies and areas in data analytics and their application to supporting the Institute's research portfolio; business process improvements and enhancements; data policies related to privacy, accessibility, and interoperability; and applied data science. - Serve as a member of committees or workgroups at the agency or department level as well as on interdepartmental groups. In this capacity, the incumbent provides professional expertise as well as representing NIDA on matters relating to policy and interpretation of resource requirements for data science. - Represent the organization at professional meetings and conferences where the focus is addiction-related data science and neuroinformatics. The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree or graduate/higher level degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, or data science. The successful candidate will also possess extensive knowledge of and documented experience working in neuroscience, addiction science, and/or substance use disorder research. The candidate must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration. https://www.usajobs.gov/job/782086300

1 0

Research Positions at OIST Neural Computation Unit
by Kenji Doya May 12, 2024

May 12, 2024

Neural Computation Unit (prof. Kenji Doya) at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) has multiple open research positions. 1. Theory and experimental investigation of Bayesian inference and reinforcement learning by the cortex, basal ganglia, and neuromodulator systems • Unified Theory of Prediction and Action: https://unifiedtheory.jp/en/organization/a03-doya/ • Moonshot R&D Program: https://www.jst.go.jp/moonshot/en/program/goal9/9D_miyazaki.html 2. Data-driven construction of neural network models and large-scale simulation • Brain/MINDS 2.0 Digital Brain Project: https://groups.oist.jp/ncu/digital-brain-project • Fugaku Whole Brain Simulation Project: https://brain-hpc.jp/en/ 3. Application of wearable devices for monitoring mind and body state to support healthy life • Bioconvergence Center of Innovation: https://bioconvergence.jp/en/ 4. Flexible and robust reinforcement learning and meta-learning algorithms 5. Development of smartphone robots for multi-agent learning and embodied evolution If you are interested, please visit our web site: https://groups.oist.jp/ncu and apply by the web form: https://groups.oist.jp/ncu/oist-neural-computation-unit-job-application-form If you are interested to join as a PhD student or an intern, please apply from OIST Graduate School admission site: https://admissions.oist.jp/ Best wishes, Kenji ---- Kenji Doya <doya(a)oist.jp> Neural Computation Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan Phone: +81-98-966-8594; Fax: +81-98-966-2891 https://groups.oist.jp/ncu

2 1

Positions at the University of Helsinki
by Rich, Scott May 10, 2024

May 10, 2024

Dear Comp-Neuro Listserv, I’m forwarding along this notice on behalf of a colleague. Apologies for any potential double postings! Happy to share that we are looking for two new systems neuroscientists and/or computational neuroscientists at the Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Finland. The PI position is 5+4 years, salary is covered fully, and no teaching load. After the 9 years, it would be likely that a professor position would open up and the PI could apply for full profesor, but they could also obtain grants and stay as a PI in the Neuroscience Center without teaching. Finland is an awesome place to live and have a family. https://jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki-Two-group-leader-positions%2C-Neurosc… ___________ Sincerely, Scott Rich, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, University of Connecticut Department of Physiology and Neurobiology pnb.uconn.edu/person/scott-rich/ <http://pnb.uconn.edu/person/scott-rich/>richlab.pnb.uconn.edu<http://richlab.pnb.uconn.edu/>

1 0

INCF/OCNS Software Working Group sessions: Pierre Yger: SpikeInterface: 14 May 1500 UTC
by Ankur Sinha May 9, 2024

May 9, 2024

Dear all, Apologies for the cross posts. Pierre Yger will present SpikeInterface at the next open INCF/OCNS Software Working Group (WG) session on May 14 at 1500 UTC. There will be a Q&A session after the presentation, followed by WG business. Please find the abstract and joining information below: - When: May 14, 1500 UTC - Where: Zoom (https://ucl.zoom.us/j/91017703246?pwd=RmdwMW9xL0FFaFVVL0Z6dUtnbkplZz09) - Web page: https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/2024/05/07/wg-meeting-14-may-2024-spikein… Abstract: - https://elifesciences.org/articles/61834 - https://spikeinterface.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ Much development has been directed toward improving the performance and automation of spike sorting. This continuous development, while essential, has contributed to an over-saturation of new, incompatible tools that hinders rigorous benchmarking and complicates reproducible analysis. To address these limitations, we developed SpikeInterface, a Python framework designed to unify preexisting spike sorting technologies into a single codebase and to facilitate straightforward comparison and adoption of different approaches. With a few lines of code, researchers can reproducibly run, compare, and benchmark most modern spike sorting algorithms; pre-process, post-process, and visualize extracellular datasets; validate, curate, and export sorting outputs; and more. In this paper, we provide an overview of SpikeInterface and, with applications to real and simulated datasets, demonstrate how it can be utilized to reduce the burden of manual curation and to more comprehensively benchmark automated spike sorters. -- 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

1 0

Summer School for Primate Cognitive Neuroscience 2024, Bad Bevensen, Germany
by Igor Kagan May 8, 2024

May 8, 2024

Dear colleagues, Applications are still being accepted for the third Summer School for Primate Cognitive Neuroscience <https://www.dpz.eu/index.php?id=4297>, taking place July 28 - August 09, 2024, in Bad Bevensen, Germany (see http://www.dpz.eu/pcn2024).The application deadline is May 17. This Summer School is intended for PhD students and early postdocs from the field of cognitive and systems neuroscience working with non-human primates and will provide an outstanding training and networking opportunity for young researchers. Teaching will focus on cognitive processes in primate sensory and motor systems as well as on social settings and decision making, and will include important and novel results and methodologies. Topics of animal welfare, ethics, and media outreach will also be covered. A poster presentation about current research of the participant is expected. Selection of applicants is competitive. Since funding of this School is mostly covered (including meals and accommodation for the two weeks), only a reduced participation fee is required (1000 EUR). A limited number of travel grants is also available for international participants. Organizers: Hans Scherberger Stefan Treue Alexander Gail Igor Kagan Raymundo Báez-Mendoza -- Dr. Igor Kagan Head of Decision and Awareness Group, German Primate Center (DPZ) Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany

1 0