- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Apply now for the Computational Neuroscience Imbizo 2026 - application form closes July 1, 2025

by Spiros Chavlis

Dear friends and colleagues, Student applications for the next Imbizo are OPEN. Don’t let this opportunity slip by if you are hoping to join the most diverse neuroscience summer school at the most beautiful beach in the world! If you know anyone who would benefit from an extraordinary computational neuroscience summer school, please distribute this information as widely as you can: SIMONS COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE IMBIZO (#Imbizo2026) 11 January - 1 February 2026, Noordhoek Beach, Cape Town, South Africa https://imbizo.africa/ Application deadline: 1st July 2025 at 20:00 UTC The Imbizo is a southern hemisphere summer school aiming to promote computational neuroscience in Africa. It will bring together international and local students under the tutelage of the world's leading experts in the field. Like its international sister courses, this three-week summer school aims to teach central ideas, methods, and practices of modern computational neuroscience through a combination of lectures and hands-on project work. Mornings will be devoted to lectures on topics across the breadth of computational neuroscience, including experimental underpinnings and machine learning analogues. The rest of the day will be spent working on research projects under the close supervision of expert tutors and faculty. Individual research projects will focus on the modeling of neurons, neural systems, behavior, the analysis of state-of-the-art neural data, and the development of theories to explain experimental observations. It also includes a week focused on neuroscience-inspired machine learning! Who should apply? This course is aimed at Masters and early-PhD level students, though Honors or advanced Undergraduates may also apply. Postdoctoral students who can motivate why the course would benefit them are also encouraged to apply. Students should have sufficient quantitative skills (e.g., a background in mathematics, physics, computer science, statistics, engineering, or related fields). Some knowledge of neural biology will be useful but not essential. Experimental neuroscience students are encouraged to apply but should ensure that they have a reasonable level of quantitative proficiency (i.e., at least second-year level mathematics or statistics and have done at least one course in computer programming). Course fees and Scholarships: Course Fee: €1,550 includes all accommodation, meals, social activities, and ground transport in Cape Town. Thanks to our generous sponsors, significant financial assistance is available to reduce and waive fees for students, particularly for African applicants. We also hope to provide some limited travel bursaries for international students. If you need financial assistance to attend Imbizo, please state so clearly in the relevant section of your application. Scholarships on offer: (a) Full Scholarship includes a waived course fee (€1,550) and your economy class travel to Cape Town, which will be booked by the Imbizo. (b) Partial Scholarship includes a waived course fee (€1,550) and a set financial contribution towards your travel costs (paid after arrival in Cape Town). The amount will vary on a case by case basis. (c) Course Scholarship includes a waived course fee (€1,550), but you will be responsible for booking and paying for your own travel costs to Cape Town. Note: (a) You must ensure you have a valid passport until at least 31st of July 2026 when applying. (b) Visa application and related costs remain the responsibility of all accepted students. Important dates: Applications CLOSE: 1st July 2025 at 20:00 UTC References SUBMITTED: 7th July 2025 at 20:00 UTC Outcomes NOTIFIED: mid-August 2025 Accept BY: 1 week after notifications Imbizo STARTS: 11 January 2026 Imbizo ENDS: 1 February 2026 Information and application https://imbizo.africa/ Questions? isicn.imbizo.planning [AT] gmail.com What is an Imbizo? \ɪmˈbiːzɒ\ | Xhosa - Zulu A gathering of the people to share knowledge. View our past FACULTY and TAs: https://imbizo.africa/people/ Imbizo 2026 Organizing Committee Arif Hamid (University of Minnesota) Adrienne Fairhall (University of Washington) Xaq Pitkow (Carnegie Mellon University) Emma Vaughan (Imbizo Logistics) Spiros Chavlis (IMBB-FORTH)

May 8, 2025

6th International Conference on Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI (Split, Croatia, 27-30 May 2025) - final schedule announced; abstract submission and attendance still open

by Battleday, Ruairidh

6th International Conference on Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI (Split, Croatia, 27-30 May 2025) - final schedule announced; abstract submission and attendance still open! —--------- Final schedule announced for our upcoming conference on the Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI in sunny Split, Croatia. In this high-profile conference, we profile foundational research into the basis of intelligence from the perspective of neural data, neural theory, cognitive science, and machine learning & artificial intelligence (AI). www.neuromonster.org Thank you to all those that have submitted—the quality has been exceptional. - Abstract submissions are rolling - Student admission $50 - General admission $100 Keynote Speakers Professor Wolfgang Maas (Graz), Professor Eve Marder (Brandeis), Professor Jay McClelland (Stanford), Professor Christine Constantinople (NYU), Dr Kim Stachenfeld (DeepMind), Dr Ida Momennejad (Microsoft Research), Professor Jacob Foerster (Oxford / Meta). Invited Speakers Professor Alex Cayco-Gajic (ENS) Dr Jenelle Feather (Flatiron Institute) Dr Joao Barbosa (Institute for Neuromodulation) Tejas Ramdas (Harvard) Professor Vijay Namdoodiri (UCSF) Professor Annegret Falkner (Princeton) Dr Chris Hillar (New Theory AI) Dr Juan Gallego (Imperial) Professor Bonan Zhao (Edinburgh) Professor Lisa-Marie Vortmann (Groningen) Felix Sosa (Harvard) Dr Mathias Sablé-Meyer (Harvard / MIT) Dr Lio Wong (MIT) Dr Chen Sun (Mila) Session Chairs Dr Valeria Fascianelli (Columbia; Neural data) Dr Francesca Mignacco (CUNY & Princeton; Neural data) Dr James Whittington (Oxford & Stanford; Neural theory) Dr Maria Eckstein (DeepMind; Cognitive science) Mikey Lepori (Brown & DeepMind; Machine learning & AI) Location The conference will be held in the ancient port town of Split, Croatia, on the Dalmatian Coast. Submissions The submission format is an abstract of 250 words, and we invite submissions for each session via the following Google form: https://forms.gle/a9JDH5B4Z5otS69Y7 These will be accepted for poster, with the best 6 papers in each session category given an additional spotlight talk. We have a very open acceptance policy, and are happy to hear about relevant work that has been submitted to other events. We look forward to seeing some of you there! The Organizing Committee. Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday (Harvard & MIT) Dr James Whittington (Oxford & Stanford) Dr Ivana Kaljc (DeepMind) Professor Dan V. Nicolau Jr (Kings College London) -- Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday BMBCh (Oxon) PhD President Thinking About Thinking, Inc <https://thinkingaboutthinking.org> Postdoctoral Research Fellow Center for Brain Science, Harvard University Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT

May 7, 2025

ICONIP2025 Call for Papers: Submission deadline May 22nd

by Kenji Doya

Due to many requests, we are extending the paper submission deadline of ICONIP 2025 Okinawa to May 22nd. ***** The 32nd International Conference on Neural Information Processing (ICONIP) 2025 Date: November 20 to 24, 2025 Venue: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST): https://www.oist.jp Web site: https://iconip2025.apnns.org Keynote Speakers: • Asako Kanezaki, Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan • Yew Soon Ong, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore • Jun Tani, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan Honorary Chairs: Shun-ichi Amari, Kunihiko Fukushima General Chairs: Kenji Doya, Maryam Doborjeh We invite paper submissions across a broad spectrum of topics in machine learning, computational neuroscience, and neural network applications. The conference will be in person. All presenters must be on-site. We use OpenReview for paper submission and reviewing. Accepted papers are published in Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) or Communications in Computer and Information Science (CCIS), and become open access in OpenReview. For more details, please visit the Call for Papers page: https://iconip2025.apnns.org/call-for-papers Important Dates Paper submission deadline: May 22nd Notification of acceptance: July 15th Camera ready submission: August 15th Registration deadline: August 15th Conference dates: November 20-24 We look forward to receiving diverse and high-quality submissions from researchers around the world! Inquiry: iconip2025(a)apnns.org ---- 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

May 7, 2025

LOD 2025 Call for papers: 11th International Conference on Learning, Optimization and Data - LOD 2025, 21-24 September, Riva del Sole Resort & SPA @ Tuscany * Submission Deadline: May 23 *

by ICAS Organizing Committee

* Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this announcement. * * Please kindly help forward it to potentially interested authors/attendees, thanks! * The 11th International Conference on Learning, Optimization and Data - LOD 2025, 21-24 September, Riva del Sole Resort & SPA, Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto) Tuscany, Italy LOD 2025, An Interdisciplinary Conference: Deep Learning, Foundation Models & Artificial Intelligence without Borders https://lod2025.icas.events/ lod(a)icas.cc SATELLITE EVENT: 3rd International Meeting on Foundation Models - IMFM2025 https://lod2025.icas.events/imfm2025/ PAPERS SUBMISSION: All papers must be submitted using EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=lod2025 *Paper Submission deadline: May 23 (AoE)* CALL FOR PAPERS: https://lod2025.icas.events/call-for-papers/ Please prepare your paper using the Springer Nature - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) template. Papers must be submitted in PDF. TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS: When submitting a paper to LOD 2025, authors are required to select one of the following three types of papers: * Long Paper / Late breaking paper: original novel and unpublished work (min. 12 pages, max. 15 pages in Springer LNCS format); the long papers and the late breaking papers, if accepted, will be published in the Springer-Nature LNCS conference proceedings. * Short Paper: an extended abstract of novel work (min. 6 pages, max. 11 pages in Springer LNCS format); the short papers, if accepted, will be published in the Springer-Nature LNCS conference proceedings. * work for oral presentation only (no page restriction; any format). For example, work already published elsewhere, which is relevant, and which may solicit fruitful discussion at the conference; Articles/Abstracts accepted in this special session will not be published in the Conference Proceedings by Nature-Springer LNCS. * work for poster presentation only (no page restriction; any format). For example, work already published elsewhere, which is relevant, and which may solicit fruitful discussion at the conference. Articles/Abstracts accepted in this special session will not be published in the Conference Proceedings by Nature-Springer LNCS. LOD 2025 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: TBAhttps://lod2025.icas.events/keynote/ PAST LOD KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: https://lod2025.icas.events/past-keynote-speakers/ BEST PAPER AWARD: https://lod2025.icas.events/best-paper-award/ PROGRAM COMMITTEE: 200+ confirmed PC members! https://lod2025.icas.events/program-committee/ VENUE: https://lod2025.icas.events/venue/ The venue of LOD 2025 will be Riva del Sole Resort & SPA @ Tuscany LOD 2025 is a Residential Conference, all participants (invited speakers, authors, organizers, chairs, participants) must book and stay at the Riva del Sole Resort and Spa. No exceptions are allowed. https://lod2024.icas.events/lod-2024-a-residential-conference/ Riva del Sole Resort & SPA a: Località Riva del Sole - Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto, CAP 58043‚ Tuscany - Italy p: +39-0564-928111 f: +39-0564-935607 e: booking.events(a)rivadelsole.it w: www.rivadelsole.it/en ACTIVITIES: https://lod2025.icas.events/activities/ Submit your research work today! https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=lod2025 See you in the beautiful Tuscany in September! Best regards, LOD 2025 Organizing Committee. https://lod2025.icas.events/ lod(a)icas.cc Past Editions: https://lod2025.icas.events/past-editions/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/2236577489686309/ https://twitter.com/TaoSciences https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12092025/ LOD2025 Poster: https://lod2025.icas.events/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2024/11/LOD-2025-po… Obviously, this is only a Call for Papers, to have complete and updated information we recommend you access the relevant website: https://lod2025.icas.events/ * Apologies for multiple copies. Please forward to anybody who might be interested, thanks! * *8th Advanced Course on Data Science & Machine Learning - ACDL 2025, **9**-13 June*, Riva del Sole Resort & SPA, Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto) – Tuscany, Italy *An Interdisciplinary Residential Course: from Deep Learning to Generative Artificial Intelligence* *Early Registration: by May 9, 2025 (AoE)* https://acdl2025.icas.events/registration/ https://acdl2025.icas.events/ acdl(a)icas.cc The Course is equivalent to 8 ECTS points for the PhD Students and the Master Students attending the Course. *11th International Conference on Learning, Optimization and Data – LOD 2025, *21–24 September Riva del Sole Resort & SPA, Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto) Tuscany, Italy https://lod2025.icas.events/ lod(a)icas.cc *5th Advanced Course ** and Symposium **on Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience – ACAIN 2025,* 21–24 September Riva del Sole Resort & SPA, Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto) Tuscany, Italy https://acain2025.icas.events/ acain(a)icas.cc *Symposium **Author Registration Deadline: May 23 * *Course Early Registration Deadline: May 23* The Course is equivalent to 8 ECTS points for the PhD Students and the Master Students attending the Course. *ICAS - The Interdisciplinary Centre of Advanced Studies* *https://icas.cc/* <https://icas.cc/>

May 7, 2025

Two PhD positions in computational neuroscience, Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

by Timothée Proix

Two Ph.D. positions are available under the supervision of Timothée Proix in the Neural Dynamics Lab (https://nldab.ch) at the Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich, in Switzerland. The project consists in modeling neural computations involved in speech processing. The candidates will develop theoretical models, using dynamical systems and machine learning tools. The models will be fit to single-cell intracranial recordings from human participants. Candidates should have a strong background in physics, computer science, mathematics, or related fields. Programming skills in Python and knowledge of dynamical systems are required. Previous experience in neuroscience will be appreciated. The research will be conducted at the Institute of Neuroinformatics in Zurich, a vibrant and stimulating environment for neuroscience research. The positions are funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, and salaries are in accordance with their guidelines. The ideal start date is September 2025, with some flexibility. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. To apply, please send a motivation letter, CV, and contact information for 2-3 references, as well as any other relevant documents to timothee.proix (at) unige.ch.

May 7, 2025

Prestigious Lecture Series - Live Talk by Prof. Tony Prescott - University of Sheffield

by Amir Aly

Dear All * *Apologies for cross-posting** I’m pleased to share that the next talk of the *CRNS Talk Series* at the University of Plymouth, scheduled for May 14th, will be an *IEEE-RAS* *co-sponsored Prestigious Lecture.* *Prof. Tony Prescott *from the University of Sheffield will deliver a talk on Wednesday, *May 14th *from *11:00 AM - 12:30 PM* (*London time*) over Zoom. *Thank you for forwarding the invitation to any of your colleagues who might be interested*. >> *Events*: The CRNS talk series will cover a wide range of topics including Social and Cognitive Robotics, Computational Neuroscience, Developmental Psychology, Computational Linguistics, Cognitive Vision, AI and Machine Learning, and healthcare. More details are available here: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/robotics-neural-systems/whats-on <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.plymo…> >> *Link for the next event*: According to IEEE regulations, registration to the event is required (*Registration Link <https://events.vtools.ieee.org/event/register/484198>*). A Zoom link will be sent to registered persons prior to the event. >> *Title of the talk: **Analysis and Synthesis of the Embodied Self: A Robotics Perspective* *Abstract*: This talk will consider the specific challenge of synthesizing a robot “sense of self”. The starting point is an analysis of the human self that sees it as brought into being by the activity of a set of transient self-processes instantiated by the brain and body. I propose that we can better understand this self-system, and thereby this core aspect of the human condition, through embodied (robotic) modelling. The self begins with the brain’s discovery of the body, of its ability to control it, and of the distinctive dynamics of interoceptive compared to exteroceptive sensory signals. These processes give rise to a minimal sense of self as a bounded agent, upon which layers of reflective self-processes are constructed that extend the self in space and time and that allow the recognition of other selves. To illustrate the talk, I will discuss ongoing attempts to create a sense of self for robots within my own lab and others. >> If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me, Regards -------------------------------------------- *Dr. Amir Aly*, PhD, FHEA, SIEEE Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Programme Manager of Artificial Intelligence UK and Ireland IEEE RAS Chapter Vice Chair Director of the Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems (CRNS) School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics Room A307 Portland Square, Drake Circus, PL4 8AA University of Plymouth, UK

May 6, 2025

Brains in Space - 20.05.25 - Thomas Wolbers (DZNE Magdeburg)

by Vinita Samarasinghe

It is time for *Brains in Space* again! This semester we invite you to talks by: Thomas Wolbers (DZNE Magdeburg), James McLaren (Universität Oldenburg), Xiangshuai Zeng (Ruhr University Bochum), and Lukas Kunz (Universität Bonn). The colloquium takes place virtually on Tuesday's from 16:00 to 17:30 (CEST) and the complete schedule can be found at https://www.ini.rub.de/teaching/courses/colloquium_brains_in_space_an_inter…. The first talk is on May 20th 2025 and is open to the public. Please feel free to forward this information to any of your colleagues who may be interested. May 20th: *Thomas Wolbers* - DZNE Magdeburg *Title:* Mechanisms of Navigational decline in human ageing Zoom link: https://ruhr-uni-bochum.zoom-x.de/j/67839364827?pwd=RfcIgK8OUfjkwWTNCf80ARX… [Meeting ID: 678 3936 4827; Passcode: 841644] We look forward to seeing you. Kind regards, Vinita -- Best, Vinita Vinita Samarasinghe M.Sc., M.A. Science Manager Arbeitsgruppe Computational Neuroscience <https://rub.de/cns> Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, NB 3/73 Postfachnummer 110 Universitätstr. 150 44801 Bochum Tel: +49 (0)234 32 27996 Mobile: +49 (0)1512 7278698 Email: samarasinghe(a)ini.rub.de

May 6, 2025

World wide VVTNS series (fifth season): Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 11:00 am EDT| Mark van Rossum, University of Nottingham

by David Hansel

[image: VVTNS.png] https://www.wwtns.online <https://streaklinks.com/A9c7PbbpKY7PxB6PaAJWGD3-/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wwtns.on…> - on twitter: wwtns@TheoreticalWide You are cordially invited to the lecture Mark van Rossum University of Nottingham Energy efficient learning in neural networks The lecture will be held on zoom on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at *11:00 am EDT * To receive the link: https://www.wwtns.online/register-page *Abstract: *The brain is one of the most energy intense organs. Some of this energy is used for neural information processing, however, fruitfly experiments have shown that also learning is metabolically costly. We will present estimates of this cost and introduce a general model of this cost, and compare it to costs in computers. Next, we turn to a supervised artificial network setting and explore a number of strategies that can save energy needed for plasticity. Either by modifying the objective function, by restricting plasticity, or by using less costly transient forms of plasticity. Finally, we will discuss adaptive strategies and possible relevance for biological learning. *About VVTNS : Launched as the World Wide Theoretical Neuroscience Seminar (WWTNS) in November 2020 and renamed in homage to Carl van Vreeswijk in Memoriam (April 20, 2022), 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

May 4, 2025

2025 Gatsby Unit PhD Programme - Apply by 27 May

by Lin, I-Chun

We have an opportunity for students to join our PhD programme this September. PhD Programme in Theoretical Neuroscience and Machine Learning Deadline: Tuesday 27 May 2025 The Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit is a leading research centre focused on theoretical neuroscience and machine learning. We study (un)supervised and reinforcement learning in brains and machines; inference, coding and neural dynamics; Bayesian and kernel methods, and deep learning; with applications to the analysis of perceptual processing and cognition, neural data, signal and image processing, machine vision, network data and nonparametric hypothesis testing. The Unit provides a unique opportunity for a critical mass of theoreticians to interact closely with one another and with researchers at the Sainsbury WellcomeCentre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC), the Centre for Computational Statistics and Machine Learning (CSML) and related UCL departments such as Computer Science; Statistical Science; Artificial Intelligence; the ELLIS Unit at UCL; Neuroscience; and the nearby Alan Turing and Francis Crick Institutes. Our PhD programme provides a rigorous preparation for a research career. Students complete a 4-year PhD in either machine learning or theoretical/computational neuroscience, with minor emphasis in the complementary field. Courses in the first year provide a comprehensive introduction to both fields and systems neuroscience. Students are encouraged to work and interact closely with SWC/CSML researchers to take advantage of this uniquely multidisciplinary research environment. Applicants should have a strong analytical and quantitative background, a keen interest in neuroscience, machine learning or both, and a relevant first degree, for example in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Neuroscience or Cognitive Psychology. Full funding is available regardless of nationality. The unit also welcomes applicants who have secured or are seeking funding from other sources. Applications should be submitted directly to us via the online portal. For programme details and how to apply, see www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/study-and-work/gatsby-unit-phd-programme<https://www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/study-and-work/gatsby-unit-phd-programme>. -- I-Chun Lin Scientific Programme Manager Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL

May 2, 2025

Neuronal Spike Timing: Precision, Reliability, and the Neural Code from 1995-2025

by Paul Tiesinga

Dear Colleague In 1995 Mainen and Sejnowski published a striking result showing neurons in mammalian neocortex are capable of producing precise, reliable spike trains in response to fluctuating inputs. This work inspired sustained inquiry into the role of spike timing in sensory, motor and cognitive processes, including learning and memory, as well as theoretical investigations into neural coding, plasticity, and the mechanisms of precise spike timing. In recognition of the 30th anniversary of this seminal paper, Biological Cybernetics invites submissions to a special article collection on the topic “Neuronal Spike Timing: Precision, Reliability, and the Neural Code from 1995-2025.” Whether you have contributed to past research in this area and would like to write a retrospective review, or if you are actively pursuing new research building on spike timing, we encourage you to submit an article to this collection. The submission window will remain open from May 1 - November 1, 2025. Full details of the call for submissions are available at https://link.springer.com/collections/aadfbhcbii. We look forward to receiving your submission. Please direct inquiries regarding scope and suitability to pjthomas(a)case.edu and p.tiesinga(a)science.ru.nl. Sincerely Peter Thomas, Case Western Reserve University Paul Tiesinga, Radboud University

April 30, 2025