- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Symposium Hippocampal Replay, Emotional Valence and Reinforcement Learning

by Benoît Girard

SYMPOSIUM: Hippocampal Replay, Emotional Valence and Reinforcement Learning WHEN:12th November 2019, 9h30-17h00. WHERE: Sorbonne Université, Paris REGISTRATION: is free but mandatory, on the website: https://replaysinparis.sciencesconf.org/ <https://replaysinparis.sciencesconf.org/administrate-user/register> OVERVIEW: This one-day symposium is dedicated to the replay phenomena in the brain (in the hippocampus, but not exclusively) and how they are related to behavior, especially behavior affected by emotional valence. SPEAKERS: * Karim Benchenane (Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS & ESPCI-ParisTech) * Gabrielle Girardeau (Institut du Fer à Moulin, INSERM & Sorbonne Université, France) * Mehdi Khamassi (ISIR, CNRS & Sorbonne Université, France) * Freyja Olafsdottir (Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, the Netherlands): Role of hippocampal replay in memory and planning * Giovanni Pezzulo (National Research Council, Rome, Italy) * Federico Stella (Donders Institute, Neuroinformatics Department, Radboud University, the Netherlands) * Stéphanie Trouche (Institute for Functional Genomics, CNRS & INSERM & Univ. Montpellier, France) * Michael Zugaro (CIRB, Collège de France, CNRS & INSERM & Université PSL): Hippocampo-Cortical Dynamics Underlying Memory Formation and Consolidation ORGANIZERS: B. Girard, M. Khamassi, K. Benchenane SPONSOR: CNRS -- Benoît Girard, ISIR, Sorbonne Université/CNRS Pyramide T55/65, CC 173 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex http://people.isir.upmc.fr/girard/ Submit your replications to ReScience: https://rescience.github.io/

Oct. 7, 2019

tenure-track position

by Richard Bertram

Applications are invited for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in biomathematics at Florida State University, beginning August, 2020. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in mathematics or a related discipline and postdoctoral experience in some area of biomathematics. The ideal candidate will have experience working with experimental data, and will pursue collaborations with experimental scientists. The position is joint with the Institute of Molecular Biophysics (IMB), whose core mission is to facilitate interdisciplinary research related to the biological sciences on campus. The IMB hosts an interdisciplinary graduate program in Molecular Biophysics, and there is a separate interdisciplinary graduate program in Neuroscience on campus. The new hire could participate in either or both programs, in addition to the graduate program in biomathematics. The Mathematics Department is also an active participant in a new initiative on Data Science at the university, and with this hire seeks to strengthen the ties between mathematical data science and biomathematics. Florida State University is one of two flagship research universities in the State University System of Florida, and is ranked number 18 among all public universities in the country by U.S. News and World Report. The university enrolls over 40,000 students in the main campus of Tallahassee. Tallahassee is located in north Florida and has a population of roughly 190,000. It is adjacent to the Apalachicola National Forest and about twenty-five miles from the Gulf of Mexico, with easy access to pristine beaches and other natural habitats. Tallahassee has a warm climate, with an annual average high temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit and an annual average low temperature of 56 degrees Fahrenheit. The Mathematics Department offers BS, MS, and PhD degrees in biomathematics, as well as degrees in several other areas of mathematics. The biomathematics curriculum includes courses within mathematics as well as courses offered in other departments. There are currently 19 undergraduate majors and 19 MS or PhD students enrolled in the biomathematics program. See http://www.math.fsu.edu/biomath and http://biophysics.fsu.edu for more information. Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research and teaching statements, and four letters of recommendation (at least one of the letters should address the candidate's teaching capability). They should be submitted electronically through MathJobs.org and, in addition, through the FSU Employment and Recruiting Services website http://www.jobs.fsu.edu/ (Job opening ID 46351). Richard Bertram Director, Biomathematics Program Florida State University

Oct. 4, 2019

2 PhD studentships in Systems Neuroscience available at University of Sussex

by Thomas Nowotny

Two PhD student positions in Neuroscience are available at the University of Sussex from 1 February 2020. Project The PhD positions will develop within the project “Peripheral Olfactory Coding: Information Processing outside the Brain” funded by the Leverhulme Trust. This project will investigate early olfactory coding in the model system of the fruit fly Drosophila. Our aim is to test the hypothesis that one key element underlying odour object recognition are non-synaptic interactions between receptor neurons, i.e. information pre-processing outside the brain. Successful candidates will work in one of two areas, depending on interest: Single sensillum recordings (SSRs) on olfactory receptors or behavioural experiments in a wind tunnel. They will be involved in the entire work from experimental design, practical experimentation, selection and execution of data analysis and, depending on interest, computational interpretation in models. You will work closely with Dr Mario Pannunzi, Prof Thomas Nowotny and Prof George Kemenes on this project. Candidate Requirements Candidates should have an MSc or equivalent in natural sciences, ideally in the area of Neuroscience, Physics, Chemistry or Biology. In addition, strong analytical skills and fluency in English are essential for this project. Interest and skills to work in a multi-disciplinary and extensively networked project are important. PhD Salary UK/EU fees and a living allowance in line with UK Research Council rates, currently £15,009 in 2019-20 and rising in line with inflation in future years. Work environment You will join the exciting interdisciplinary environment of Sussex Neuroscience (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/sussexneuroscience/index) and the Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/ccnr/) within which you will work in the groups of Profs Nowotny (http://users.sussex.ac.uk/~tn41/) and Kemenes (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/1469) Colleagues in the groups work on diverse topics ranging from learning and memory in lymnaea stagnalis (pond snail) to the “Brains on Board project” (http://brainsonboard.co.uk/) seeking to emulate bee brains as robotic controllers for navigation. The University of Sussex provides an extremely rich research environment and training opportunities for doctoral researchers. The University is situated in Downs National Park at the edge of the vibrant coastal city of Brighton, known for its cultural richness, tolerance and diversity. The city offers a multitude of cultural activities, a colourful nightlife and is only an hour on the train away from the metropole of London. How to apply Please apply through https://www.sussex.ac.uk/pgapplication/, selecting “Neuroscience PhD” and Thomas Nowotny as the preferred supervisor. Please include a recent CV detailing your academic record and your research experience and a statement of motivation in your application. (At this stage you do not need to upload copies of your diplomas or letters of reference. These we will requested if we decide to further pursue your application.) Further inquiries Please contact: Dr. Mario Pannunzi, project co-supervisor, m.pannunzi(a)sussex.ac.uk<mailto:m.pannunzi@sussex.ac.uk> or Prof. Thomas Nowotny, project supervisor, t.nowotny(a)sussex.ax.uk<mailto:t.nowotny@sussex.ax.uk> Application deadline Application before 12 December 2019 will receive full consideration but the position will remain open for applications until filled. -- Prof Thomas Nowotny Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange School of Engineering and Informatics University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ, UK Phone: +441273678593 FAX: +441273877873

Oct. 4, 2019

2 RESEARCH POSITIONS IN AI-BASED MEDICAL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT @ UNIVERSITY OF LISBON (12 Oct 2019)

by Prata, Diana

2 RESEARCH POSITIONS IN AI-BASED MEDICAL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT @ UNIVERSITY OF LISBON (12 Oct 2019) The goal of this highly translational project is the application of artificial intelligence based algorithms to neuroimaging data for the development of diagnostic models that can help clinicians’ decision-making in neurodegenerative disease, and their validation, in partnership with Portuguese and UK hospitals. 1 - Data Science: Work plan: Coordination of statistical analysis of retrospective neuroimaging and clinical data, using artificial intelligence (machine learning) for the development and validation of neuroimaging biomarkers (diagnostic models) of neurodegenerative illnesses, with high potential of clinical applicability; coordination with scientific and medical teams to set up clinical trials (Beta-user experience for the clinical setting validation of biomarkers). General responsibility, within a team of biomedical engineers and clinicians, for data analysis within an academic-entrepreneurial join-venture between the Biomedical Neuroscience Lab (at Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon) and NeuroPsyAi, Ltd (a neurosciences company). Project approx. 3 years. Details in: http://www.eracareers.pt/opportunities/index.aspx?task=global&jobId=117352 2 - IT: Work plan: Design, set up and curation of: clinical cloud databases, website for user interface with clinicians and researchers, and clinical data in and out transfer with hospitals. General responsibility, within a team of biomedical engineers and clinicians, for maintaining the IT infrastructure of an academic-entrepreneurial join-venture between the Biomedical Neuroscience Lab (at Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon) and NeuroPsyAi, Ltd (a neurosciences company). The project approx. 3 years. Details in: http://www.eracareers.pt/opportunities/index.aspx?task=global&jobId=117350 Diana Prata, Phd Marie Curie Fellow Principal Investigator, Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, FCUL Visiting Lecturer, IoPPN, King's College London Associate Investigator, Centre for Psychological Research and Social Intervention, ISCTE-IUL (+351)966595936; Skype: dianaprata; https://dpratalab.wordpress.com/<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdpratalab…>, https://neurocolab.wordpress.com/<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fneurocola…>, Any unauthorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in this e-mail is strictly forbidden.

Oct. 4, 2019

US CCDC ARL Postdoc

by Garcia, Javier O CIV USARMY FUTURES COMMAND (USA)

I noticed that the ad I posted did not link to the full description. I have included both the short and long forms here. Short Version: We are seeking a motivated postdoctoral candidate to work on an interdisciplinary project to study the neuroscientific and general physiological aspects of group processes as part of the Human Research and Engineering Directorate of the US CCDC Army Research Laboratory. Location of the position is flexible (San Francisco, CA preferred), and the candidate will have the opportunity to travel between sites for this multi-university initiative. Applicants are expected to have a strong analytical background and excellent problem solving skills with a PhD in Neuroscience, Bioengineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related filed. Please see the full ad below, and email any questions to javier.o.garcia.civ(a)mail.mil. _________________________________________________________________________ Postdoctoral Opportunity We are seeking a motivated postdoctoral candidate to work on an interdisciplinary project to study the neuroscientific and physiological aspects of dynamic processes underlying human-human interactions. This project is shared between the Human Research and Engineering Directorate of the US CCDC Army Research Laboratory (PIs: Javier Omar Garcia, PhD and Kanika Bansal, PhD) and several universities. This opportunity supports one of the primary objectives of the Army Research Laboratory's Human Sciences in advancing our understanding of human behavior and predicting performance. Location of the position is flexible (San Francisco, CA preferred), and the candidate will have the opportunity for training at the different sites of this collaborative multi-university initiative. Travel sites include but are not limited to Chicago (Northwestern University), Boston (Northeastern University), New York City (Columbia University), and Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (ARL). Initial appointment will be extendable for up to three years. A successful candidate will receive stipend, travel funds, and benefits. Project description: An overarching goal of the Human Sciences at the US CCDC Army Research Laboratory is to expand our understanding of individual and team behavior, providing the foundational research for individualized teaming technologies within heterogeneous human-agent teams. An important feature of individualized team technologies is the ability to predict future behavior quickly and accurately in dynamic environments for individuals working together for a common goal. Critical to achieving these goals is the capability to predict the impact of within-individual and between-individuals dynamics on the team performance and/or interventions to achieve optimal behavior. We use a variety of physiological (neuronal and non-neuronal) sensors, surveys, and other metrics to infer individual and teaming "states" that may be related to perception, attention, decision-making, or communication at individual, group, and cultural scales. We aim to build advanced data-analysis techniques, technologies, and methodologies to robustly capture individual and team behavior in non-laboratory environments. In this effort, we leverage a wide variety of analytical tools and approaches from fields including but not limited to network science, dynamical systems, machine learning, statistical physics, systems engineering, and neuroeconomics. As part of this project, we are recruiting from a broad range of disciplines. Some recent example publications of previously used techniques are: Bansal, Kanika, et al. "Cognitive chimera states in human brain networks." Science Advances (2019), 5(4), eaau8535. Garcia, Javier O., et al. "Applications of community detection techniques to brain graphs: Algorithmic considerations and implications for neural function." Proceedings of the IEEE (2018), 106 (5), 846-867. Responsibilities: Develop and/or implement human team experiments on research aims. Carry out analysis on complex multi-modal data. Present research results at meetings and engage in publishing results. As part of the role, applicants will have the opportunity to travel for experimentation and development and must have a desire to work with a geographically distributed, energetic, and interdisciplinary team. Qualifications: * A strong analytical background and excellent problem-solving skills with a PhD in Neuroscience, Bioengineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related field. * Proficiency in at least one common programming language (such as Matlab, Python) is a must. * Previous experience with EEG (or complex signals) data acquisition is preferred but not required. * Experience with signal processing and/or data integration is a plus. * Ideal candidates will have an excellent record of scientific publication with a demonstrated ability to work in interdisciplinary collaborative environment, and strong communication and writing skills. Applicants should send their CV to javier.o.garcia.civ(a)mail.mil and/or kanika.bansal(a)columbia.edu

Oct. 4, 2019

Postdoc Opportunity for the US CCDC Army Research Laboratory

by Garcia, Javier O CIV USARMY FUTURES COMMAND (USA)

We are seeking a motivated postdoctoral candidate to work on an interdisciplinary project to study the neuroscientific and general physiological aspects of group processes as part of the Human Research and Engineering Directorate of the US CCDC Army Research Laboratory. Location of the position is flexible (San Francisco, CA preferred), and the candidate will have the opportunity to travel between sites for this multi-university initiative. Applicants are expected to have a strong analytical background and excellent problem solving skills with a PhD in Neuroscience, Bioengineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related filed. Please see attached description for more information and how to apply. Any questions should be directed to javier.o.garcia.civ(a)mail.mil. Thanks! Javier Omar Garcia, PhD Neuroscientist US CCDC Army Research Laboratory, Human Research and Engineering Directorate, Future Soldier Technologies Division, Integrated Capability Enhancement Branch

Oct. 4, 2019

Swartz fellowships in theoretical neuroscience in Seattle: applications open

by Adrienne L Fairhall

The University of Washington's Computational Neuroscience Center is seeking postdoctoral applicants for fellowship positions with the UW Swartz Center for Theoretical Neuroscience. Generously supported by the Swartz Foundation <http://www.theswartzfoundation.org/>, two prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowships are available at the UW CNC. Fellows will join the vibrant, collaborative UW theoretical neuroscience community. This fellowship provides the unique opportunity to work with any of the CNC’s faculty members <https://cneuro-web01.s.uw.edu/people/faculty/>, with the freedom to design and develop projects and new collaborations. Participating faculty members’ research includes theory, computation and data analysis, and members interact extensively with colleagues in quantitative experimentation. Experimental work available for close collaboration at UW includes groups performing large-scale recording (electrophysiology, imaging) and neural manipulation (optogenetics) in diverse behavioral tasks. Collaborations with the Allen Institute for Brain Science are also possible. Successful candidates will have: - A PhD in neuroscience, computer science, mathematics, physics, or a related area - A strong analytical and/or computational background - Track record of productive research, including publications - The initiative to drive projects and collaborations - Strong written and verbal communication skills The Fellowship is available with a starting date in early 2020. Applications are currently being considered beginning October 15, 2019, and will be reviewed on a rolling basis until positions are filled. To apply please send your CV, a 1-2 page summary of research accomplishments, and a 1-2 page statement of research interests, to cncadmin(a)uw.edu; please arrange to have 3 letters of reference sent to the same email address.

Oct. 4, 2019

postdoctoral positions Canavier lab New Orleans- hippocampal modeling

by Canavier, Carmen C.

A second Postdoctoral Researcher position is available in the computational neuroscience lab of Carmen Canavier in the School of Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. The position is to study hippocampal synchronization in close collaboration with electrophysiologist John White. The successful candidate will construct biophysically realistic models of a hippocampal interneurons and embed them in network models. If interested, please apply at https://www.lsuhsc.edu/Administration/hrm/CareerOpportunities/Home/Detail/3… A previously advertised position is also still available. https://www.lsuhsc.edu/Administration/hrm/CareerOpportunities/Home/Detail/3… The primary duties will involve linear and non-linear analyses, writing code, calibrating single neuron models, and generating predictions that lead to additional experiments. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science or a related field of study. Familiarity with nonlinear dynamics, signal processing, and coding in C and or python in a Linux environment is also desirable. If you have questions, please email Dr. Canavier at ccanav(a)lsuhsc.edu<mailto:ccanav@lsuhsc.edu>. LSUHSC is an Equal Opportunity Employer for females, minorities, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

Oct. 3, 2019

NIH-funded Postdoc / Software Engineer position to work on tool for multiscale modeling of brain circuits

by Salvador Bernal

A Postdoc or Software Engineer position is available at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center (Brooklyn, New York) to develop and disseminate NetPyNE, a tool for data-driven multiscale modeling of brain circuits. The position is funded by a recently awarded 5-year NIH grant. For more details on the software tool see our recent eLife publication (https://elifesciences.org/articles/44494) and tool website (www.netpyne.org<http://www.netpyne.org>). The successful candidate would be a salaried employee of the University with a competitive remuneration and benefits package. The position is initially for 1 year with renewal of up to 5 years. Responsibilities: - Improve the software tool to ensure its reliability, robustness and reproducibility. - Collaborate with an external software company to extend the tool's graphical user interface (GUI). - Update the tool's online documentation and develop interactive tutorials. - Organize, prepare and teach conference workshops/tutorials and yearly courses to train users. - Provide ongoing support to neuroscience researchers across the world who use the tool to model different brain regions and phenomena (see www.netpyne.org/models<http://www.netpyne.org/models> and www.netpyne.org/forum<http://www.netpyne.org/forum>) - Encourage, coordinate and manage open source code contributions from interns, graduate students or researchers (usually online via GitHub: https://github.com/Neurosim-lab/netpyne) - Continue ongoing collaborations with other neuroscience initiatives, including Open Source Brain (www.opensourcebrain.org<http://www.opensourcebrain.org>), Neuroscience Gateway (www.nsgportal.org<http://www.nsgportal.org>), Human Neocortical Neurosolver (www.hnn.brown.edu<http://www.hnn.brown.edu>) and Human Brain Project Collaboratory (www.humanbrainproject.eu<http://www.humanbrainproject.eu>). Required: - MSc (or equivalent degree) in Engineering, Computer Science or related discipline. - Expertise programming in Python, including tools for scientific computing (numpy, scipy, pandas, etc), with 5+ years of demonstrable experience. - Experience (3+ years) in collaborative software development as part of a team. - Experience writing unit tests, debugging code, using profiling tools and refactoring existing code bases to improve maintainability. - Proficiency with Git/Github and Linux (shell scripting, ssh, etc) - Experience giving presentations, tutorials and/or product demonstrations. - Spoken and written English language proficiency Desired: - Experience in research/academic environment and/or neuroscience background. - Experience in GUI design/implementation using JavaScript. - Experience with the NEURON simulator using the Python interpreter. - Experience running parallelized large-scale simulations on supercomputers. - Experience in data science, data visualization and machine learning. How to apply: Please send your CV, a brief cover letter, and contact information for 3 references to Salvador Dura-Bernal (salvaordura(a)gmail.com<mailto:salvaordura@gmail.com>) ________________________________ The contents of this email message and any attachments are confidential and are intended solely for the addressee. The information may also be legally privileged. This transmission is sent in trust, for the sole purpose of delivery to the intended recipient. If you have received this transmission in error, any use, reproduction or dissemination of this transmission is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately notify sender by reply email or by (718) 270-HELP.

Oct. 1, 2019

Postdoc position on attention and decision-making

by Hrvoje Stojic

We are searching for a postdoctoral researcher for a 2-year project (with possibility of extension) on attention and decision-making. Project lead: Jacob L. Orquin (Aarhus University) Collaboration: Raymond Dolan and Hrvoje Stojic (University College London), Peter Todd (Indiana University) Location: Aarhus University (Denmark) The project aims to investigate the relation between natural visual input, eye movement control and decision-making processes. It will involve state-of-the-art computational modelling of vision, attention and decision making, and behavioural experiments using eye-tracking. The postdoc will have ample room for defining the project based on own interests. We are looking for candidates with experience in vision or decision making research, in ideal case comfortable with computational modelling and conducting eye-tracking experiments, and good coding abilities in either R, Python, or Matlab. The complete job description and submission link is available here: https://international.au.dk/about/profile/vacant-positions/job/postdoctoral… Closing date: 1 November 2019 Informal inquiries about the position can be directed to Jacob L. Orquin at: jalo(a)mgmt.au.dk Apologies for cross-posting. ----------------------------- Hrvoje Stojic, PhD Postdoctoral researcher University College London Website: http://hstojic.re/

Oct. 1, 2019