July 2025 - Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Research Fellow / Postdoc positions in Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics – Ref. 2025/21

by Jaroslav Hlinka

Research Fellow / Postdoc positions in Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics – Ref. 2025/21 We are looking for new team members to join the Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics group <http://cobra.cs.cas.cz/>to work on its interdisciplinary projects. The group is part of the Department of Complex Systems, Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences - based in Prague, Czech Republic,https://www.cs.cas.cz/ <https://www.cs.cas.cz/>. We focus on the development and application of methods of analysis and modelling of real-world complex networked systems, with particular interest in the structure and dynamics of human brain function. Our main research areas are neuroimaging data analysis (fMRI & EEG, iEEG, anatomical and diffusion MRI), brain dynamics modelling, causality and information flow inference, nonlinearity and nonstationarity, graph theory, machine learning and multivariate statistics; with applications in neuroscience(epilepsy, schizophrenia, depression; and spontaneous dynamics of healthy brain), climate research, economics and general communication networks. More information about the group at Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics group <https://cobra.cs.cas.cz/> site. We offera full-time position with the following benefits: * Flexible working conditions including negotiable part time contract. * Monthly gross salary: 54 – 72 thousand CZK based on qualifications and experience. * Additional bonuses depending on performance. * Travel funding for conferences and research stays. * Five weeks of paid vacation on top of public holidays; social and health care insurance; child care facilities in the Institute’s building; highly attractive and safe location (Prague). * No teaching duties. We encourage you to apply, if you: * Hold a Ph.D. (Ph.D. student/Research Assistant positions available as well, see informal inquiries contact). * Have strong mathematical, statistical, data analysis, and/or machine learning skills. * Are a curious, self-motivated, hard-working, team-spirited researcher. * Are fluent in English. * Your prior experience with time series and network analysis is advantageous, but not required. Conditions of the contract: * Contract is for 3 -36 months duration. * Positions are available immediately or upon agreement. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, until filled. To apply, submit your application to jobs(a)cs.cas.cz <http://jobs@cs.cas.cz>and include: 1. Curriculum Vitae with a list of publications. 2. Ideally two letters of recommendation, sent by the referees directly to jobs(a)cs.cas.cz <http://jobs@cs.cas.cz>. 3. The Ref. No. 2025/21. 4. Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position. For informal inquiries feel free to contact the group leader Ing. Mgr. Jaroslav Hlinka, Ph.D. <https://www.cs.cas.cz/staff/hlinka/en>: hlinka(a)cs.cas.cz -- Jaroslav Hlinka Head of the Department of Complex Systems Deputy Director, Institute of Computer Science Czech Academy of Sciences Pod Vodarenskou vezi 2 Prague 8, 182 00, Czech Republic Tel: (+420) 26605 3808 E-mail: hlinka(a)cs.cas.cz Web: http://www.cs.cas.cz/hlinka/ Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics Group (COBRA): http://cobra.cs.cas.cz Brain Dynamics consortium project (BRADY): https://brady.cs.cas.cz/

July 6, 2025

Max Planck Group Leader positions at Biological Cybernetics

by Peter Dayan

Max Planck Research Group Leaders at the MPI for Biological Cybernetics, Tuebingen, Germany. The aim of the MPI for Biological Cybernetics is to understand normal and dysfunctional information processing in the brains of humans and animals. We use experimental, theoretical and computational methods to elucidate the characteristics and implementations of the cascades of plastic and recurrent interactions that transform sensory data into perceptions, interoceptions, memories, appropriate choices of actions, and external and internal motor output. We are richly multidisciplinary, have excellent facilities for neuroimaging in humans and capacity for work in animal model systems. We have close links with neighbouring Max Planck Institutes and the University of Tuebingen that cover systems neuroscience, machine learning, and beyond. The working language of the Institute is English. We seek to recruit two independent research groups working in relevant areas and collaborating with each other, departments at the Institute and beyond. Funding covers a set-up package, the position of the group leader (equivalent to a German W2 professorship), one post-doctoral and one or two PhD student fellowships, a technician, secretarial support, plus consumables. It lasts in the first instance for 6 years, with the possibility of a merit-based extension for 3 further years. We seek talented candidates with successful track records who are interested in coming to build a Max Planck Research Group in this environment. Applications should include a CV, a list of publications, summaries of scientific achievements and research plans, and the names and contact details of three referees. Applications should be sent in PDF format no later than 15th August 2025 to: kyb-application(a)tuebingen.mpg.de Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an on-site interview on 11th November 2025. The Institute and the Max Planck Society seek to enhance the proportion of women in areas where they are underrepresented, and they are therefore specially encouraged to apply. The Max Planck Society aims to hire more disabled people, and applications from them are also most welcome. Informal inquiries can be addressed to Peter Dayan via: kyb-inquiry(a)tuebingen.mpg.de The Max-Planck-Gesellschaft is an independent, non-profit research organization that primarily promotes and supports basic research. The society currently operates over 80 institutes and research facilities with more than 23,400 employees, including 4,400 scientists.

July 4, 2025

Systems Vision Science Symposium (Aug. 20-22) – Program available

by Pavlovic, Maria

<https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/contributions-for-symposium/> Systems Vision Science Symposium - <https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/contributions-for-symposium/> Aug. 20-22, 2025 in Tübingen, Germany The program is now available here: <https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/contributions-for-symposium/> https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/contributions-for-symposium/ Space is limited to 100 attendants <https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/contributions-for-symposium/> registration to the symposium is accepted until space is filled! -------------------------------- We are pleased to announce our symposium's keynote speaker: Tadashi Isa. Invited speakers of the Systems Vision Science Summer School and Symposium include: Marco Bertamini, David Brainard, Peter Dayan, Andrea van Doorn, Roland Fleming, Pascal Fries, Wilson S Geisler, Robbe Goris, Sheng He, Tadashi Isa, Tomas Knapen, Jan Koenderink, Laurence Maloney, Keith May, Marcello Rosa, Jonathan Victor, Li Zhaoping. -------------------------------- We invite you to participate in the symposium. The symposium is in the general topic of Systems Vision Science, which promotes the combination of computational, behavioral, and neuroscience methods to discover functions and algorithms for vision in various brain regions and their implementations in neural circuits. To maximize exchanges during the symposium, each poster will be displayed throughout the symposium, which includes four poster sessions (two daytime sessions and two evening sessions), in a venue next to the lecture hall and coffee breaks to give enough time for discussions, networking and knowledge exchange. -------------------------------- Please direct inquiries to <mailto:svs.summerschool@tue.mpg.de> svs.summerschool(a)tue.mpg.de <https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/> https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/ -------------------------------- Organizing team: Li Zhaoping Maria Pavlovic Vladislav Aksiotis Junhao Liang Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics University of Tuebingen

July 3, 2025

CNS*2025 workshop "Bridging Complexity and Abstraction: Large-Scale Mechanistic Models of Brain Circuits from Biophysically Detailed to Simplified Representations", 9th July 14:00 to 17:30

by Srikanth Ramaswamy

July 2, 2025

BabyBench Competition Announcement

by Jochen Triesch

Dear colleagues, We are thrilled to announce the official start of the first BabyBench Competition featured at the IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL) 2025! The topic of this first edition will be how infants discover their own bodies. Can you help the multimodal infant model MIMo learn two typical infant behaviors: self touch and hand regard? What is BabyBench? BabyBench is a Multimodal Benchmark of Infant Behaviors for Developmental Artificial Intelligence. The goal of the competition is to devise learning algorithms that allow MIMo to obtain important milestones of cognitive development. We provide the embodiment, the simulation environments, and the evaluation metrics; all you need is to implement your ideas. Are you up for the challenge? Important dates • Submission deadline: September 1, 2025 • Winner announcement at ICDL: September 19, 2025 Why Participate? • Low Entry Barrier: Get started quickly using our pre-defined, user-friendly simulation environment. Whether you're a seasoned researcher or a curious newcomer, the BabyBench platform is designed to let you focus on modeling, not engineering. • The winner will receive a €150 prize sponsored by the IEEE RAS TC Cognitive Robotics. • All finalists will receive a certificate at the IEEE ICDL. • Contribute to the Developmental AI community! For more information visit https://babybench.github.io/2025 Main contact point: Francisco Lopez (fcomlop(a)gmail.com) Feel free to forward this to anyone who might be interested! Warm regards, The BabyBench 2025 Organizing Team Francisco M. López (Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies) Valentin Marcel (Czech Technical University in Prague) Xavier Hinaut (INRIA Bordeaux) Jochen Triesch (Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies) Matej Hoffmann (Czech Technical University in Prague)

July 2, 2025

[CfP] NeuRobots 2025 @ IROS – Workshop on Neuromorphic Perception (Deadline: Aug 24)

by Sebastian Otte

======================================================================== CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS — NEUROBOTS 2025 Workshop on Neuromorphic Perception for Real-World Robotics In conjunction with IROS 2025 October 24, 2025 – Hangzhou, China Room 102A – Morning Session ======================================================================== Are you developing neuromorphic or event-based vision systems that operate in real-time on physical robotic platforms and are validated in the real world? NeuRobots 2025 is the venue to present your work. We welcome contributions in the following categories: - Full-length conference/journal papers (accepted at IROS or a related venue) - Extended abstracts (2-4 pages, excluding references) - Demos (video + 1-page description) *** Submission Deadline: August 24, 2025 (AoE) *** Submit and find more info here: https://sites.google.com/view/neurobots2025/home ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scope: NeuRobots 2025 focuses on real-world applications of neuromorphic and event-based perception, including: - Event-based vision and data representations - Spiking neural networks and bio-inspired algorithms - Real-time perception pipelines - Hybrid sensing (traditional + neuromorphic) - Hardware implementations (ASIC, FPGA, etc.) We are especially interested in systems that go beyond simulation and demonstrate clear advantages in dynamic, real-world environments. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Confirmed Speakers: - Guido De Croon (TU Delft) - Mina Khoei (SynSense) - Jörg Conradt (KTH) - Luna Gava (Italian Institute of Technology) - Suman Ghosh (TU Berlin) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Organizers: Andreas Ziegler (University of Tübingen) Arren Glover (Italian Institute of Technology) Tobi Delbruck (University and ETH Zürich) Yulia Sandamirskaya (ZHAW) Sebastian Otte (University of Lübeck) Giulia D’Angelo (Czech Technical University in Prague) Luca Peres (University of Manchester) Jingyue Zhao (Qiyuan Lab) We look forward to your submissions! ========================================================================

July 2, 2025

Subject: PhD Position – Computational Modeling of Dopamine Dynamics (Ruhr University Bochum)

by Robert Schmidt

Subject: PhD Position – Computational Modeling of Dopamine Dynamics (Ruhr University Bochum) The Neural Data Science Group (PI: Prof. Dr. Robert Schmidt, https://www.ini.rub.de/the_institute/people/robert-schmidt/) located in the Faculty of Computer Science at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), invites applications for a 3-year PhD position (75%, TV-L E13) in computational neuroscience, starting as soon as possible. The position is part of a DFG-funded project and embedded in the new research building THINK (Center for Theoretical and Integrative Neuroscience and Cognitive Science). The project develops a biophysical computational model of striatal dopamine signaling, simulating release, diffusion, uptake, and receptor binding to uncover the structure of dopamine “landscapes” in health and disease (e.g. Parkinson’s disease). The aim is to bridge this mechanistic modeling with dopamine’s cognitive functions in action selection, behavioral flexibility, and reinforcement learning. ⸻ Your profile: • Master’s degree in computational neuroscience, computer science, (bio-)physics, or a related field • Strong programming skills (Python, C/C++) • Interest in biophysical models of neural systems and data-driven neuroscience • Team-minded, self-motivated, and fluent in English We offer: • A 3-year position (75%, TV-L E13) with the opportunity to pursue a PhD in Computer Science • An interdisciplinary and collaborative environment within the RUB’s thriving Faculty of Computer Science (https://informatik.rub.de/en/) • Research integration in the Institute for Neural Computation (https://www.ini.rub.de) and the research building THINK (https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/think/) • Access to high-performance computing resources, mentoring, and career development support ⸻ Application: Send a single PDF including your CV, transcript(s), short statement of interest, and contact info for 1–2 referees to: robert.schmidt(a)rub.de The application deadline is the 15th July, 2025. -- Prof. Dr. Robert Schmidt Neural Data Science www.ini.rub.de/the_institute/people/robert-schmidt/ Institute for Neural Computation Faculty of Computer Science Ruhr-Universität Bochum Universitätsstr. 150 44801 Bochum, Germany

July 1, 2025

Senior ML Research Engineer (NeuroAI) at Kempner Institute, Harvard University

by Shad, Max

Dear colleagues, We're hiring a Senior ML Research Engineer (NeuroAI) at the Kempner Institute<https://kempnerinstitute.harvard.edu/> for the Study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence at Harvard University. We're looking for someone at the intersection of machine learning and computational neuroscience to contribute to our NeuroAI research projects. This is a unique opportunity to collaborate closely with leading researchers in neuroscience, AI, and related fields and work on one of the largest academic AI clusters in the US. Position details and application link: Https://careers.harvard.edu/job/senior-ml-research-engineer-in-cambridge-ma…<https://careers.harvard.edu/job/senior-ml-research-engineer-in-cambridge-ma…> Please feel free to share this with anyone who might be interested in the role. Best, Max Max Shad, PhD Senior Director for AI/ML Research Engineering Kempner Institute | Harvard University

July 1, 2025

What can you do with 1000 neurons?

by Nicolas P. Rougier (inria)

Dear all, There exists a lot of computational models of decision making that can give account on this or that experimental data. The question is whether we can adapt these models to solve an actual decision task? You'll find at https://github.com/rougier/braincraft the rules of a simple decision making challenge. Roughly, you have have 1000 neurons (leaky rate models), 100 seconds of training time and 10 runs for evaluation. The difficulty comes from the imposed constraints. The first challenge runs from now until August 31 and we'll see if it can be solved (one way or the other). Best, Nicolas Rougier -- Nicolas P. Rougier —— www.labri.fr/perso/nrougier Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bordeaux

July 1, 2025