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PhD scholarship within Data Science and Computational Neuroscience at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

by Kristin Tøndel

The Faculty of Science and Technology at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant 3-year PhD-position related to Data Science and Computational Neuroscience: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/168816/phd-scholarship-withi… Please share with your network. Best regards, Kristin Tøndel

May 16, 2019

[meetings] CfP: Workshop at ICDL-Epirob 2019: Mapping the self

by Matej Hoffmann

** * ******************************************* ** * ICDL-Epirob 2019 Workshop * * Mapping the self: * * infants, robots, and modeling * ******************************************* Key Facts ========= ICDL-Epirob 2019 Workshop, Monday, August 19, 2019 Location: Oslo, Norway at Ingeniørenes hus møtesenter (Engineer’s House Conference Centre) Submission deadline: June 10, 2019 Notification: June 30, 2019 Workshop URL:<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__dyalab.mines.edu_2019_r…>https://sites.google.com/site/matejhof/events/mapping-the-self Main conference URL: https://icdl-epirob2019.org/ Submission link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=irm19 Organizers ========== * Daniela Corbetta <https://psychology.utk.edu/faculty/corbetta.php>(Univ of Tennessee, USA) * Matej Hoffmann <https://sites.google.com/site/matejhof/home>(Prague, Czech Republic) * Jeffrey Lockman <http://www2.tulane.edu/sse/psyc/faculty-and-staff/faculty/lockman.cfm>(New Orleans, USA) * Verena Hafner <https://adapt.informatik.hu-berlin.de/vvh/>(Berlin, Germany) Description =========== Our bodies constitute the interface between our mind and the surrounding world. To interact effectively with the world, babies and robots need to discover the different parts of their bodies, and their physical and mechanical properties. They need to know where their limbs are in space, how far they can extend, how they work, and what range of actions they can achieve with them. Such body representations are essential for developing a sense of the self and for defining the limits of the peripersonal space. The aim of this workshop is to bring together researchers in the fields of developmental psychology, developmental robotics, embodied cognition, body mapping, and computational modeling to create a productive, collaborative, and multidisciplinary forum from which different facets of these fundamental processes linked to body mapping and mapping the self will be explored. The workshop will be organized around three general themes with specific speakers and experts in each area: 1. Body mapping: This theme will group developmental and learning studies in infants, adults, and robots on self-touch, self-exploration of the body, self-localization, and haptic perception to understand how the mapping of the self forms. 2. Defining the peripersonal space: This theme will examine the range and conditions through which our peripersonal space develops, is being perceived, and being modulated through interactions with objects, people, and events in our daily surroundings. This theme will contrast infant, children, and adult studies as well as computational models. 3. Sense of self and body ownership: This third theme will explore how our brain builds a map and sense of ownership of objects as extensions of our own body. Studies and models on tool use learning, prostheses mastery, including studies on the rubber hand illusion will provide a framework to understand how perception and action of inanimate objects can be experienced as functional extensions of our body and self. Confirmed Invited Speakers ======================= Daniela Corbetta (Univ. Tennessee, USA) Jeffrey J. Lockman (Tulane Univ., USA) Sergiu Popescu (Paris Descartes University, France) Matej Hoffmann (Czech Tech. Univ, Czech Rep) Gianluca Baldassarre / Vieri Santucci (CNR, Italy) Jean-Paul Noel (NYU, USA) Rory Bufacchi (Univ. College London, UK) Alban Laflaquiere (AI Lab, Softbank Robotics, France) Benjamin Kuipers (Univ. of Michigan, USA) Tamar Makin (Univ. College London, UK) Dorothy Cowie (Durham, UK) Verena Hafner (Humboldt-Univ., Germany) Target audience ============= Cognitive psychologists, developmental psychologists, developmental roboticists, embodied cognition, cognitive neuroscience, researchers on the self, computational modeling, machine learning Format of contributions ================== We invite participants to submit a 500-word abstract for a single-blind review by the workshop organizers. Selected abstracts will be presented as Posters -- few selected possibly as short talks. The contributions should present findings that are related to any of the three themes of the workshop (body mapping, peripersonal space, and sense of self). This is an especially great opportunity for young researchers who wish to participate in this workshop, share their findings, and interact with experts in this multidisciplinary and emerging research field. The 500-word submissions should be in Word or LaTeX with a title no longer than 120 characters. Please use the following formatting linked here <https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/simple-single-page-abstract-templa…>. Authors’ names and affiliations should be on the abstract. Submission link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=irm19 On behalf of the organizers, Matej Hoffmann * -- Matej Hoffmann, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Cybernetics Faculty of Electrical Engineering Czech Technical University in Prague https://sites.google.com/site/matejhof/home +420 224 357 387

May 14, 2019

Postdoc in Vision at UPenn

by Burge, Johannes

An NIH funded post-doc position is available at the University of Pennsylvania w Johannes Burge. A postdoctoral position is available in Johannes Burge’s lab at the University of Pennsylvania to work on the psychophysics and the computations underlying depth and motion perception. We use both artificial and natural stimuli to probe the function of the human visual system, with a focus on understanding how the pattern of light falling on the back of the eye is used to recover 3D structure and movement in the environment. We have a variety of high-end displays in the lab, the capability for eye tracking and pupillometry, high-fidelity databases of natural signals, and custom software tools for statistical learning. For more information on specific projects please see the lab website: http://burgelab.psych.upenn.edu/contact.html <https://t.co/hSN0qdRoYJ> . Applicants should have a background in at least a subset of psychophysics, eye-tracking, visual optics, computational neuroscience, and will have the opportunity to gain training in any of these areas. The initial appointment is for one year, with the potential for renewal. The start date is flexible but the position is available immediately. The lab is part of the Computational Neuroscience Initiative at UPenn, a multi-disciplinary group of top researchers working on problems in sensation, perception, and cognition. Interested applicants should send a CV, a statement of interest, and at least two references to jburge(a)sas.upenn.edu<mailto:jburge@sas.upenn.edu> I will be available to meet at VSS or to schedule interviews on Skype. Johannes ======================== Johannes Burge, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Psychology Neuroscience Graduate Group University of Pennsylvania http://burgelab.psych.upenn.edu jburge(a)sas.upenn.edu (215) 573 6528

May 14, 2019

INCF Software Carpentry course at SfN, October 17-18

by Malin Sandström

Dear all, INCF will organize a Software Carpentry course ( https://incf.github.io/2019-10-17-sfn/) at SfN in Chicago, on October 17-18. This hands-on workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems. For more information on what will be taught and why, please see the paper “Best Practices for Scientific Computing”; https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.10017… Apply via the form linked on this page, latest *May 31*: https://www.incf.org/node/305 Best regards, Malin Sandström -- Malin Sandström, PhD Community Engagement Officer malin.sandstrom(a)incf.org International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility Karolinska Institutet Nobels väg 15 A SE-171 77 Stockholm Sweden http://www.incf.org

May 14, 2019

Three Positions in the Dutch Research Consortium 'Language in Interaction' (1.0 FTE)

by Verhoef, J.P. (Julia)

Three Positions in the Dutch Research Consortium 'Language in Interaction' (1.0 FTE) Dutch Research Consortium 'Language in Interaction' Vacancy number: 30.06.19 Application deadline: 28 May 2019 [Logo NWO] [Logo Language in Interaction] Responsibilities We are looking for highly motivated candidates to enrich a unique consortium of researchers that aims to cross the boundaries of various disciplines to unravel the neurocognitive mechanisms of language and its interaction with other cognitive systems. This specific project aims to advance our understanding of the mechanisms of fast, flexible linguistic inference by leveraging recent major advances in our understanding of the representations and computations necessary for sequential model-based action planning. Currently, our consortium advertises 2 Postdoc positions and 1 PhD position. These positions provide the opportunity for conducting world-class research as a member of an interdisciplinary team. Work environment The Netherlands has an outstanding track record in the language sciences. The Language in Interaction research consortium, sponsored by a large grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), brings together many of the excellent research groups in the Netherlands with a research programme on the foundations of language. In addition to excellence in the domain of language and related relevant fields of cognition, our consortium provides state-of-the-art research facilities and a research team with ample experience in the complex research methods that will be invoked to address the scientific questions at the highest level of methodological sophistication. These include methods from genetics, neuroimaging, computational modelling, and patient-related research. This consortium realises both quality and critical mass for studying human language at a scale not easily found anywhere else. We have identified five Big Questions (BQ) that are central to our understanding of the human language faculty. These questions are interrelated at multiple levels. Teams of researchers will collaborate to collectively address these key questions of our field. Our five Big Questions are: BQ1: The nature of the mental lexicon: How to bridge neurobiology and psycholinguistic theory by computational modelling? BQ2: What are the characteristics and consequences of internal brain organisation for language? BQ3: Creating a shared cognitive space: How is language grounded in and shaped by communicative settings of interacting people? BQ4: Variability in language processing and in language learning: Why does the ability to learn language change with age? How can we characterise and map individual language skills in relation to the population distribution? BQ5: Inference for language and action planning: Common computations? All successful candidates will become members of our Big Question teams. The research is conducted in an international setting at all participating institutions. English is the lingua franca. What we expect from you Each position has its own requirements and profile. More information on: www.languageininteraction.nl/BQ5-3p.html<https://www.languageininteraction.nl/BQ5-3p.html> General requirements for all positions are: * a degree in linguistics, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, computer science or a related field; * affinity with quantitative analyses; * strong motivation; * excellent proficiency in written and spoken English. What we have to offer * employment: 1.0 FTE; * terms of employment depend on the position applied for; * you will be appointed at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University; * Dutch universities and the institute involved have a number of regulations in place that enable employees to create a good work-life balance; * you will be able to make use of our Dual Career Service<http://www.ru.nl/dualcareerservice> where our Dual Career Officer will assist with family related support, such as child care, and help your partner prepare for the local labour market and with finding an occupation. Are you interested in our excellent employment conditions<http://www.ru.nl/english/arbeidsvoorwaarden?kn>? Other Information The institute involved is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community, and as such encourages applications from women and minorities. Would you like to know more? Further information on: the Language in Interaction Consortium<https://www.languageininteraction.nl/home.html> Further information on: the different positions, including terms of employment<https://www.languageininteraction.nl/BQ5-3p.html> Further information on: our five Big Questions<https://www.languageininteraction.nl/Bigquestions.html> For more information about this vacancy, please contact: additional information can be obtained from the contacts for the different positions. Are you interested? You should upload your application (attn. of Prof. dr. R. Cools) exclusively using the button 'Apply' below. Your application should include (and be limited to) the following attachment(s): * a cover letter quoting at the top the number of the position you apply for * your curriculum vitae, including a list of publications and the names of at least two people who can provide references Please apply before 28 May 2019, 23:59 Amsterdam Time Zone. [Apply]<https://www.ru.nl/applyonline?recid=601989&tk=uk> No commercial propositions please. Kind regards, Julia Verhoef Secretary - Language in Interaction Consortium Radboud University | Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging (DCCN) Room 0.026 Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands |T: +31 (0)24 3666272 E: J.Verhoef(a)donders.ru.nl|<mailto:J.Verhoef@donders.ru.nl|>Office hours: 9-14 hr on Mon - Fri Follow Language in Interaction on Twitter<https://twitter.com/in_interaction> Like Language in Interaction on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/languageininteraction/>

May 14, 2019

Bernstein Conference 2019 in Berlin: Call for Abstracts

by Bernstein Communication

BERNSTEIN CONFERENCE 2019 in Berlin - Abstract submission and registration now open! Early bird registration deadline: July 09, 2019 Please register here: https://www.intercongress.de/cgi-bin/regform_79106.exe?company=79106&event=… <https://www.intercongress.de/cgi-bin/regform_79106.exe?company=79106&event=…> The Bernstein Conference is the largest annual Computational Neuroscience conference in Europe with more than 500 international participants in recent years. The main conference includes two poster sessions, which are an important part of the conference. For more information on the conference, please visit: www.bernstein-conference.de<http://www.bernstein-conference.de> ************************************************************** Satellite Workshops September 17-18, 2019 Main Conference September 18-20, 2019 PhD Symposium September 20-21, 2019 ************************************************************** ABSTRACT SUBMISSION We are inviting the submission of abstracts from all relevant areas. Authors of most accepted abstracts will get the chance for a poster presentation, a small number of abstracts will be selected for contributed talks during the main conference. Please note the earlier submission deadline for authors applying for a talk. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). For abstract submission please visit: bernstein-conference.de/2019/abstracts<https://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2019/abstracts?set…> Submission of an abstract does not replace conference registration.<https://www.intercongress.de/cgi-bin/regform_79106.exe?company=79106&event=…> ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINES: Abstracts aimed as contributed talks and posters: June 13, 2019 Abstracts aimed as posters only: July 03, 2019 SELECTION OF CONTRIBUTED TALKS: The contributed talks will be selected in a (double-)blind review process. Please design your abstract accordingly and ensure that no author or affiliation identifiers are included. Cite all relevant prior work (including your own) only in the passive voice or in the third person (for example, “It has been shown that… [1]” or "They have shown that... [1]”), do not use the words “my” or “our”, and do not include references to funding sources. Abstracts that have not been properly anonymized cannot be considered for contributed talks. TRAVEL GRANTS: To support the participation of young researchers in the Bernstein Conference, the Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) offers 10 Travel Grants, each endowed with 500 €. Application deadline for travel grants: June 21, 2019 Please find further information under bernstein-conference.de/2019/apply-for-a-travel-grant<https://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2019/apply-for-a-t…> ACCOMMODATION AND HOTEL RESERVATION: We have allcocated a certain number of rooms for you in selected hotels and we are cooperating with VisitBerlin, Berlin's tourist platform through which we are able to offer a customized hotel room booking platform. Conference participants can choose between different hotel categories. We strongly recommend early room booking! Please find further information under bernstein-conference.de/2019/hotels<https://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2019/hotels?set_la…> POSTDOC MEETING, Sept 17, 7:00 pm: This event is an informal get-together for post-docs. It is an opportunity to get to know each other, foster collaborations, exchange experiences and ideas. No preparation required, but if you have an idea or a particular topic you want to discuss with your peers, bring it along. Drinks and snacks will be provided. VENUE SATELLITE WORKSHOPS and POSTDOC MEETING Marchstrasse 23 10587 Berlin (10 min. walk from the Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) Main Building) VENUE MAIN CONFERENCE: Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) Main Building Strasse des 17. Juni 135 10623 Berlin VENUE PHD SYMPOSIUM: Bernstein Center Berlin Campus Nord Philippstrasse 13 House 6 10115 Berlin We are looking forward to welcoming you in Berlin! Conference Chair and Host: Henning Sprekeler Program Chair: Susanne Schreiber Program Vice Chair: Elad Schneidman Workshop Chair: Tatjana Tchumatchenko Workshop Vice Chair: Tim Vogels Technical Organization: Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 13, 2019

JOBS: Academic positions at UCL in AI /stats/machine learning for neuroimaging

by Andre Altmann

Forwarded on behalf of Prof. Alexander: Dear all, Please see links below for two new academic positions in neuroimaging, image analysis, and applications in neurology. Both are joint posts between UCL’s Centre for Medical Image Computing (within Computer Science and Medical Physics) and UCL's Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. The roles have a technical focus, but are designed to enable cutting-edge technical development in neuroimage analysis and its rapid translation to application in clinical research and clinical practice. Queries welcome. Deadline 22nd May. Interviews 27th June. All the best. Danny post 1: https://atsv7.wcn.co.uk/search_engine/jobs.cgi?SID=amNvZGU9MTc4NTM5NCZ2dF90… post 2: https://atsv7.wcn.co.uk/search_engine/jobs.cgi?SID=amNvZGU9MTc4NTQwMiZ2dF90… ——————————————————————— Prof. Daniel Alexander Director of the Centre for Medical Image Computing Department of Computer Science UCL Gower Street London WC1E 6BT Tel: 020 7679 2419 ———————————————————————

May 13, 2019

Information theory workshop at CNS*2019 -- call for contributed talks

by Lubomir Kostal

Dear all, We are pleased to announce that the Workshop on Methods of Information Theory in Computational Neuroscience will be held once again at CNS*2019, Barcelona, Spain. The workshop will be held over the final two days of the main conference, July 16 and 17. Our confirmed invited speakers include the following (schedule available soon): * Julijana Gjorgjieva, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt * Takyua Isomura, RIKEN Center for Brain Science * Renaud Jolivet, University of Geneva * Lubomir Kostal, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic * David Kappel, Georg-August University, Goettingen * Wiktor Mlynarski, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Vienna * Adria Tauste, BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center * Raoul Vicente, Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu * Michael Wibral, Georg-August University, Goettingen Also, we would like to call for contributions of talks (25 min + 5 min Q&A). If you are interested in contributing such a talk, please send a title and abstract to Lubomir Kostal (kostal(a)biomed.cas.cz) by Friday May 31, 2019. Earlier submissions will be prioritised. Please see our website (http://www.biomed.cas.cz/~kostal/CNS2019-ITW/) for more details. We hope you will join us there! Lubomir Kostal Joseph Lizier Viola Priesemann Justin Dauwels Taro Toyoizumi Michael Wibral Adria Tauste -------------------------------------------- Upozorneni: Neni-li v teto zprave vyslovne uvedeno jinak, ma tato E-mailova zprava nebo jeji prilohy pouze informativni charakter. Tato zprava ani jeji prilohy v zadnem ohledu ustavy AV CR, v.v.i. k nicemu nezavazuji. Text teto zpravy nebo jejich priloh neni navrhem na uzavreni smlouvy, ani prijetim pripadneho navrhu na uzavreni smlouvy, ani jinym pravnim jednanim smerujicim k uzavreni jakekoliv smlouvy a nezaklada predsmluvni odpovednost ustavu AV CR, v.v.i. Disclaimer: If not expressly stated otherwise, this e-mail message (including any attached files) is intended purely for informational purposes and does not represent a binding agreement on the part of Institutes of CAS. The text of this message and its attachments cannot be considered as a proposal to conclude a contract, neither the acceptance of a proposal to conclude a contract, nor any other legal act leading to concluding any contract; nor does it create any pre-contractual liability on the part of Institutes of CAS.

May 12, 2019

Barcelona summer school for Advanced Modelling of Behavior (BAMB!), September 4-10, 2019 [Second announcement]

by Alexandre Hyafil

The new Barcelona summer school for Advanced Modelling of Behavior (BAMB! <http://www.bambschool.org>) teaches advanced techniques in model-based analysis of behavior (humans and other species) to cognitive and computational neuroscientists at PhD and early career levels. This will be achieved through structured lectures, talks, hands-on tutorials and group project aimed at making knowledge obtained directly applicable to the participants' own research. We want the trainees to acquire both the conceptual bases and the technical skills that will enable them to pursue a full modelling approach on their own when they come back to their lab. The course is intended for PhD students and postdocs in cognitive and computational neuroscience with solid background in computational/quantitative analysis to benefit maximally from the advanced training offered by the course. Proficiency in either Python or Matlab is also required. We will seek a nice blend of experimentalists (cognitive psychology / neuroscience) and theoreticians (with or without experience in cognitive modeling).Female scientists and scientists from underrepresented countries are especially encouraged to apply. Organizers: Chris Summerfield (Oxford / Deepmind) Klaus Wimmer (CRM, Barcelona) Alex Hyafil (UPF/CRM, Barcelona) Confirmed Faculty: Jean Daunizeau (ICM, Paris) Alex Hyafil (UPF/CRM, Barcelona) Kerstin Preuschoff (Geneva) Alfonso Renart (Champalimaud) Maneesh Sahani (UCL) Chris Summerfield (Oxford / Deepmind) Klaus Wimmer (CRM, Barcelona) Angela Yu (UC San Diego) Dates and location: September 4-10, downtown Barcelona, Spain Applications are open until June 3rd. Please see the course website for further details: www.bambschool.org. The summer school benefits from the generous support of the William K. and Katherine W. Estes Fund <https://www.psychologicalscience.org/members/awards-and-honors/estes-fund>, from the Sociedad Española de Neurociencia <http://www.senc.es/> and from the Centre de Recerca Matemática <http://www.crm.cat>.

May 10, 2019

Postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence

by Maxim Bazhenov

Applications are invited for post-doctoral research position in the laboratory of Dr. Maxim Bazhenov at the University of California, San Diego to study memory and learning and to develop neuroscience inspired algorithms capable of continual learning, generalization of knowledge and adaptation to the novel situations and contexts.This project involves close collaboration with the experimental laboratory of Dr. Bruce McNaughton. The ultimate goal of the work is to advance the knowledge of how human and animal brains learn from experience and apply these principles to the artificial systems to enable continuous learning without catastrophic forgetting. The successful candidate will collaborate with a team of researchers to design anatomically realistic neuronal network models of dynamic interactions between the hippocampus and neocortex during learning and memory consolidation in sleep and awake based on experimental data. An ideal candidate should have experience in computational/theoretical neuroscience and a basic knowledge of machine learning. Experience with hierarchical learning, reinforcement learning, and/or goal-directed decision-making would be particularly helpful. The University of California offers excellent benefits. Salary is based on research experience. Applicants should send a brief statement of research interests, a CV and the names of three references to Maxim Bazhenov at mbazhenov(a)ucsd.edu -- Maxim Bazhenov, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Medicine, Neurosciences Graduate Program, UCSD, School of Medicine http://www.bazhlab.ucsd.edu/

May 10, 2019