- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

WiMR 2025 - deadline approaching
by Vinita Samarasinghe 29 Jan '25

29 Jan '25

The deadline for the Women in Memory Research program is approaching. Please pass this information on to anyone whom you think might be interested in pursuing a PhD in the field. The*deadline *is*February 15th 2025. * *Women in Memory Research 2025* The research unit “Constructing scenarios of the past” seeks to promote women in memory research. The program WiMR 2025 is made possible through a grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and collaboration with the Ruhr University Bochum. Come and learn what an academic career looks likeand discover its advantages. During your week at the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB)you will participate in GEM 2025 where you will hear about the latest research in generative episodic memory, be given the opportunityto present your research and meet with female scientists from the field. Before and after GEM you'll be introduced to Bochum, the RUB and the FOR 2812 labs <https://for2812.rub.de/projects/>. Our participating senior scientists include: Ali Boyle, London School of Economics; Iris Engelhard, Utrecht University; Xenia Kobeleva, Ruhr U. Bochum; Sabine Seehagen, Ruhr U. Bochum; Kristina Liefke, Ruhr University Bochum. Sounds exciting? *Who can apply:* Womenmasters students in their final year of study and recently graduated masters students who are looking into an academic career in the area of memory research/neuroscience. Applicants must have excellent grades and be able to communicate in English. Selection of participants is competitive. We only have 12 spots! *How to apply:* Send your application including a one page letter of motivation, a current CV, masters transcripts and a letter of recommendation from one of your professors. Your application should be sent, as a single PDF document, to Vinita Samarasinghe @ for2812+gem(a)rub.de <mailto:for2812@rub.de> by February 15, 2025 with the subject line "WiMR - application". If you need child care or any other support please note this in your application. Applications will be evaluated and ranked after the deadline has passed and notifications will be sent out by 28.02.2025. If you accept, you must register for GEM 2025. *What to expect from us:* We will provide bed and breakfast (single occupancy), cover travel costs (restrictions apply) and provide some meals. The program is offered in English. *What we expect from you:* You are present for all of the program and that you present your current research in the form of a poster at GEM 2025. *Tentative program: * 02.06.2025 AM Welcome to Bochum PM GEM 2025 03.06.2025 GEM 2025 04.06.2025 AM GEM 2025 PM Fireside chat with senior memory researchers 05.06.2025 Lab visits 06.06.2025 Workshop *Questions? * Visit our website at https://for2812.rub.de/wimr2025 for more information. Please feel free to get in touch with Vinita Samarasinghe (for2812(a)rub.de <mailto:for2812@rub.de>) if you have any questions. -- Vinita Samarasinghe M.Sc., M.A. Science Manager Arbeitsgruppe Computational Neuroscience Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, NB 3/73 Postfachnummer 110 Universitätstr. 150 D-44801 Bochum Tel: +49 (0)234 32 27996 Email:samarasinghe@ini.rub.de

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6th International Conference on Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI (Split, Croatia, 27-30 May 2025)
by Battleday, Ruairidh 29 Jan '25

29 Jan '25

We are delighted to announce the 6th International Conference on the Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI, to be held in the National Theatre, Split, Croatia, 27-30th May 2025: www.neuromonster.org In this high-profile conference we examine computational accounts of the brain and mind. We then take findings and theory back into the creation of robust, generalizable, and scalable AI. We hear from leading researchers over four days, spanning biocomputation, neural theory, cognitive science, and machine learning & artificial intelligence (AI). Each day will have keynotes, invited speakers, a poster session, and 6 spotlight talks invited from abstract submissions. Abstract submissions and early bird registration are open (see below). The first 100 tickets can get an extra 20% off using discount code SUPEREARLYNM25. Keynote Speakers Professor Jay McClelland (Stanford & DeepMind) Professor Wolfgang Maass (Graz) Professor Christine Constantinople (NYU) Professor Jakob Foerster (Oxford & Meta) Dr Ida Momennejad (Microsoft) Session Chairs Dr Valeria Fascianelli (Columbia; Biocomputation) Dr Francesca Mignacco (NYU & Princeton; Biocomputation) Yasmine Ayman (Harvard; Neural theory) Dr James Whittington (Oxford & Stanford; Neural theory) Professor Bill Thompson (UC Berkeley; Cognitive science) Dr Maria Eckstein (DeepMind; Cognitive science) Mikey Lepori (Brown & DeepMind; Machine learning & AI) Professor Ilia Sucholutsky (NYU; Machine learning & AI) Location The conference will be held at Croatia’s National Theatre in Split, 10 minutes walk from the ancient harbour. Split is served by two nearby international airports (Split and Dubrovnik) with low-price carriers as well as several ferry lines from the wider Mediterranean. 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. Submission deadline is 2nd March AOE. Super-early bird tickets A limited number of early-bird registrations have been posted on our website! Normal registration will follow after the submission deadline. The first 100 tickets can get an extra 20% off using discount code SUPEREARLYNM25. Come and join the fun! Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday (Harvard & MIT) Dr James Whittington (Oxford & Stanford) Dr Ivana Kajic (DeepMind) Professor Dan V. Nicolau Jr (Kings College London) The Organizing Committee. -- 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

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Summer Workshop on the Dynamic Brain -- applications due Feb 1st, 2025
by Eric Shea-Brown 27 Jan '25

27 Jan '25

Please apply to come join us at the Summer Workshop on the Dynamic Brain, co-organized by the Allen Institute and the University of Washington’s Computational Neuroscience Center. The course takes place at Friday Harbor Laboratory in the beautiful San Juan Islands. This 2-week residential program is intended for researchers at the PhD student and postdoctoral level with an interest in developing and expressing their computational skillsets. This is done through workshops, lectures, and hands on, mentored projects using exciting and large-scale neurophysiology, population dynamics, behavior, and connectivity datasets. Additional info and application link can be found on the SWDB website. <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://alleninstitute.org/events/summer-worksh…>

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Calling for Applications: WBAI Incentive Award—Supporting Your Challenge in Brain-Inspired AGI
by 山川宏 27 Jan '25

27 Jan '25

Dear all, The Whole Brain Architecture Initiative (WBAI) is delighted to announce that we welcome candidates for our annual WBAI Incentive Award. This award is dedicated to supporting whole brain architecture research. https://wba-initiative.org/en/25135/ ### About the Award The WBAI Incentive Award honors individuals or teams who have contributed outstandingly to developing brain-inspired artificial general intelligence (AGI). Past awardees have pushed the boundaries of AI technology and its applications, leading to significant breakthroughs. Examples of Previous Awardees - David Rawlinson (2024 Award) Explored neural architectures based on biological approaches. - Sun Yuwei (2023 Award) Developed algorithms leveraging global workspace theory. - Matthew Crosby & Benjamin Beyret (2020 Award) Created virtual environments to evaluate animal intelligence, fostering worldwide research collaboration. See more past awardees here ( https://wba-initiative.org/en/wbaiia_awardees/ ). Who knows—you could be the next to shine! ### Application Details - Eligibility Individuals, teams, or organizations (no age or affiliation restrictions) - Basis for Selection Research and development achievements from the past five years (up to the end of 2024), including research papers, datasets, software, etc. - Application Period February 1, 2025 – April 30, 2025 - Prize A certificate and a monetary award of 50,000 JPY ### How to Apply Submit your application via the form below: https://gogl.to/3Kyb Additional materials may be requested if necessary. ### Award Ceremony The award ceremony will be held at the 10th Whole Brain Architecture Symposium, scheduled for summer or fall 2025. ### Be Part of Creating the Future Your research could be the key to advancing brain-inspired AI technology. Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your work and contribute to shaping the future of AI. --- Whole Brain Architecture Initiative (WBAI) Chairperson: Hiroshi Yamakawa

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[Call for Participation] The 2nd International Whole Brain Architecture Workshop (Feb 24th AM (JST) ) [Hybrid]
by ymkw＠wba-initiative.org 27 Jan '25

27 Jan '25

Dear, all, This is Hiroshi Yamakawa from the Whole Brain Architecture Initiative (WBAI), a specified non-profit organization. We are pleased to announce that, as detailed below, we will be holding "The 2nd International Whole Brain Architecture Workshop. " This workshop is a key activity of WBAI to develop human-brain-inspired artificial intelligence. Specifically, we aim to share and utilize Brain Reference Architecture (BRA) data and related data papers, which serve as standardized design specifications for human brain-inspired AI. This workshop will allow researchers and experts from various fields, including neuroscience, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence, who work toward understanding and mimicking brain computational functions to share and utilize such data. This workshop will be held during the first Hackathon of the Transformative Research Area (A), "Biology of Behavior Change." We look forward to your participation. 【Event Details】 Date & Time: Monday, February 24, 2025, 9:00-12:00 (JST) Format: Hybrid (General participants are limited to online participation.) (On-site venue: Tokyo Nihonbashi Life Science Hub 8F LSH-D Meeting Room) Language: English Participation Fee: Free 【How to Register】 For general participation (online), please fill out the registration form via the link below: https://gogl.to/3KLz *Registered participants will receive Zoom meeting registration information (URL) the day before and on the event day. 【Organization】 Organizer: The Whole Brain Architecture Initiative (NPO) Supported by: Transformative Research Areas (A) "Biology of Behavior Change" Executed by: The WBA Event Operations Group Program Chair: Yoshimasa Tawatsuji Executive Chair: Hiroshi Yamakawa 【Detailed Information】 For more information, visit https://wba-initiative.org/24521/ If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at: bra-support(a)wba-initiative.org Best regards, Hiroshi Yamakawa Chairperson The Whole Brain Architecture Initiative

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Announcing Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course 2025 (OCNC 2025)
by Erik De Schutter 27 Jan '25

27 Jan '25

The aim of the Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course is to provide opportunities for young researchers with theoretical backgrounds to learn the latest advances in neuroscience, and for those with experimental backgrounds to have hands-on experience in computational modeling. We invite graduate students and postgraduate researchers to participate in the course, held from June 23th through July 10th, 2025 at an oceanfront seminar house of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. Applications are through the course web page (https://www.oist.jp/conference/ocnc-2025) only; January 1 - January 31, 2025. Applicants will receive confirmation of acceptance end of March. Like in preceding years, the 2025 OCNC will be a comprehensive three-week course covering single neurons, networks, and behaviors with ample time for student projects. The first week will focus exclusively on methods with hands-on tutorials during the afternoons, while the second and third weeks will have lectures by international and local experts. The course has a strong hands-on component based on student proposed modeling or data analysis projects, which are further refined with the help of a dedicated tutor. Applicants are required to propose their project at the time of application. For the first time we charge a modest tuition fee of 60,000JPY. The sponsor will provide lodging and meals during the course. We hope that this course will be a good opportunity for theoretical and experimental neuroscientists to meet each other and to explore the attractive nature and culture of Okinawa, the southernmost island prefecture of Japan. Lecturers: Erik De Schutter (OIST) Kenji Doya (OIST) Tomoki Fukai (OIST) Yukiko Goda (OIST) Bernd Kuhn (OIST) Alexander Mathis (EPFL, Switzerland) Mackenzie Mathis (EPFL, Switzerland) Lucy Palmer (University of Melbourne, Australia) Gerald Pao (OIST) Padmini Rangamani (University of California, San Diego, USA) Sam Reiter (OIST) Yu Takagi (National Institute of Informatics) Kazumasa Tanaka (OIST) Tim Vogels (IST Austria) Jeff Wickens (OIST)

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ICANN 2025 - Call for Papers, Special Sessions, Workshops and Tutorials
by Sebastian Otte 26 Jan '25

26 Jan '25

=============================================================================== ICANN 2025 - CALL FOR PAPERS, SPECIAL SESSIONS, WORKHOPS AND TUTORIALS =============================================================================== The 34th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks ICANN 2025 is one of the premier conferences in the field of artificial intelligence, neural networks, neuroscience and brain-inspired computing in Europe, organized in collaboration with the European Neural Network Society ENNS. In 2025, the ICANN will take place in Kaunas, Lithuania. Conference Dates: September 9 to September 12, 2025 Conference Venue: Campus of Vytautas Magnus University and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania Conference Webpage: https://e-nns.org/icann2025/ General co-Chairs: Yoshua Bengio (Université de Montréal, Canada) Viktor Jirsa (Aix-Marseille Université, France; EBRAINS) Ausra Saudargiene (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences/Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Linas Petkevičius (Vilnius University, Artificial intelligence Association of Lithuania, Lithuania) Prof. Yoshua Bengio is a Turing Award laureate and is globally recognized as a pioneer of deep learning and artificial neural networks, driving groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence. Prof. Viktor Jirsa is renowned for his work in theoretical neuroscience and Virtual Brain Twins, serving as Chief Science Officer of EBRAINS, Europe’s research infrastructure in digital neuroscience. With the exceptional leadership and expertise of the Chairs, ICANN 2025 promises to be a transformative event with the dual track of Artificial Intelligence & Deep Learning and Neuroscience. The ICANN attracts a global audience of researchers, practitioners & industry experts and provides a forum for the presentation of cutting-edge research papers and invited keynote talks by leading experts. It includes workshops and tutorials, as well as engaging demo sessions. In 2025, ICANN will continue its proud tradition of being a dynamic and interactive conference, fostering collaboration across academia and industry. =============================================================================== We invite prospective authors to submit original and innovative papers in the following areas: AI and Machine Learning: Theory and Foundations of Neural Networks, Novel Neural Network Architectures, Topics in Neural Networks, Large Language Models, Explainable AI, Machine Learning for Graphs, Graph Neural Networks, Clustering, Reinforcement Learning, New Topics in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Neurorobotics Neuroscience: Cognitive and Theoretical/Computational Neuroscience, Brain-Inspired Computing, Neuromorphic Systems, Digital Twins and Virtual Brain models Applications: Human-Computer Interaction, Biosignal Processing, Medicine and Physiology, Speech and Language Processing, Computer Vision, Robotics, Climate and Environment, General Applications of Machine Learning Call for Papers Authors willing to present original contributions in either the oral or poster category are invited to submit: - A full paper of 6-12 pages (including references) to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series with individual DOI. - An extended abstract of maximum 2 pages to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series, without individual indexing. Papers will undergo rigorous peer review; the Program Committee will make the final decision on which papers will be included in the conference program. Selected papers will be assigned to oral sessions (15 minutes presentation + 5 minutes questions) and poster sessions, depending on the number of submissions; this assignment does in no way incur a judgment on paper quality. Note that presentation rules for workshops and special sessions may differ. All accepted papers will be published in the Springer LNCS series. Papers must be written in English language and must conform to the format defined in the Author’s Kit, available on the conference webpage at: https://e-nns.org/icann2025/submission The ICANN 2025 will be an in-person conference. At least one co-author of each paper must physically attend the conference in Kaunas to present the work. Call for Special Sessions, Workshops and Tutorials We invite prospective organizers to submit Special Sessions, Workshops and Tutorials. For details and updates, as well as for the final list of workshops and special sessions, please check: https://e-nns.org/icann2025/call-for-papers-2/call-for-workshops-and-specia… KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Emmanuel Bengio (Valence Labs/Recursion, Canada) Viktor Jirsa (Aix-Marseille Université, France; EBRAINS) Christiane Woopen (University of Bonn, Germany) Oher keynote speakers to be announced. CONFIRMED TUTORIALS Dr. Emmanuael Bengio will give a Tutorial on GflowNets. Prof. Viktor Jirsa and his team will provide a Tutorial on The Virtual Brain, an open-source neuroscience platform designed to simulate and model personalised human brain models. CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Program Chairs Walter Senn (University of Bern, Switzerland) Ausra Saudargiene (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences/Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Alessio Micheli (University of Pisa, Italy) Marcello Sanguineti (University of Genova, Italy) Igor Tetko (Helmholtz Munich, Germany) Alessandro Villa (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) Communication Chairs Sebastian Otte (University of Lübeck, Germany) Jurgita Kapociute-Dzikiene (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Honorary Chairs Vera Kurkova (Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague) Alessandro Villa (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) Stefan Wermter (University of Hamburg, Germany) Local Organizing Committee Ausra Saudargiene (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences/Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Linas Petkevičius (Vilnius University, Artificial intelligence Association of Lithuania, Lithuania) Jurgita Kapociute-Dzikiene (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Workshop, Tutorials and Special Session Chairs Povilas Daniusis (Neurotechnology/Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Dalius Matuzevičius (VilniusTech) Sponsorship Chair Dalia Breskuvienė (Vilnius University) Diversity & Inclusion Chair Kamilė Dementavičiūtė (Vinted) Steering Committee Stefan Wermter (University of Hamburg, Germany) Angelo Cangelosi (University of Manchester, UK) Igor Farkaš (Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Chrisina Jayne (Teesside University, UK) Matthias Kerzel (University of Hamburg, Germany) Alessandra Lintas (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) Kristína Malinovská (Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Jaakko Peltonen (Tampere University, Finland) Brigitte Quenet (ESPCI Paris, France) Roseli Wedemann (Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil) Sebastian Otte (University of Lübeck, Germany) IMPORTANT DATES - Opening of submission portal: 15 February 2025 - Deadline for full paper and abstract submission: 15 March 2025 - Final notification of Acceptance or Rejection: 15 May 2025 - Camera-ready paper upload and author registration: 1 June 2025 For questions, please contact: icann-2025-program-committee(a)googlegroups.com Link to this call: https://e-nns.org/icann2025/call-for-papers

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World Wide VVTNS series (fifth season): Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 11:00 am EST| Hadas Benisty, Technion, Haifa
by David Hansel 26 Jan '25

26 Jan '25

[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 given by Hadas Benisty Technion, Haifa on the topic of A Geometric Approach for the Study of Functional Connectivity Dynamics The lecture will be held on zoom on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at *11:00 am EST * To receive the link: https://www.wwtns.online/register-page *Abstract: * Functional connectivity has been the focus of many research groups aiming to study the interaction between cells and brain regions. A standard method for analyzing connectivity is to statistically compare pairwise interactions between cells or brain regions across behavioral states or conditions. This methodology ignores the intrinsic properties of functional connectivity as a multivariate and dynamic signal, expressing the correlational configuration of the network. In this talk, I will present a geometric approach, combining Graph Theory and Riemannian Geometry to build "a graph of graphs" and extract the latent dynamics of the overall correlational structure. Using this approach, we formulate the statistical relations between network dynamics and spontaneous behavior as a second-order Taylor’s expansion. Our analysis shows that fast fluctuations in functional connectivity of large-scale cortical networks are closely linked to variations in behavioral metrics related to the arousal state. We further expand this methodology to longer time scales to study the effect of dopamine on network dynamics in the primary motor cortex (M1) during learning. We developed a series of analysis methods indicating that as animals learn to perform a motor task, the network of pyramidal neurons in layer 2-3 gradually and monotonically reorganizes toward an "expert" configuration. Our results highlight the critical role of dopamine in driving synaptic plasticity: Blocking dopaminergic neurotransmission locally in M1 prevented motor learning at the behavioral level and concomitantly halted plasticity changes in network activity and in functional connectivity. *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 ᐧ

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Save the date: UK Neural Computation meeting July 8-10th, Sheffield
by Mark Humphries 24 Jan '25

24 Jan '25

Save the date! The UK Neural Computation meeting is in Sheffield for 2024, the gathering of the UK’s computational and systems neuroscience community 8 July: ECR day 9-10 July: main meeting 11 invited speakers, 4 talks from abstracts and loads of posters Abstract submission and registration opening soon Please spread the word! More details: https://neuralcomputation.uk/ Enquiries: uknc24(a)sheffield.ac.uk<mailto:uknc24@sheffield.ac.uk> Organisers Hannes Saal (Sheffield) Stuart Wilson (Sheffield) Mark Humphries (Nottingham) This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

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[CFP] ICLR 2025 workshop I Can't Believe It's Not Better: Challenges in Applied Deep Learning
by Jennifer Williams 23 Jan '25

23 Jan '25

*ICLR 2025 <https://iclr.cc/> Workshop: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better: Challenges in Applied Deep Learning* *Call for Papers: *This workshop focuses on negative results, failed experiments, and unexpected challenges encountered when applying deep learning to real-world problems across industry and science. By openly sharing these hurdles, we aim to advance the field through transparency, foster learning, and prevent repeated missteps. *We welcome submissions* that apply deep learning to various domains including, but not limited to, neuroscience, healthcare, psychology and feature: 1. A real-world use case where deep learning was applied. 2. An existing deep learning solution proposed in the literature. 3. An observed negative or unexpected outcome. 4. An analysis of why the approach did not work as anticipated. Possible reasons may include data issues, model assumptions, interpretability gaps, scalability challenges, or deployment constraints. Submissions will be evaluated based on rigor, novelty, clarity, reproducibility, and the depth of their insights. *Key Dates:* • Submission Deadline: February 3, 2025 (11:59 pm AOE) • Acceptance Notification: March 5, 2025 • Workshop: April 27 or 28, 2025 Accepted papers will appear on OpenReview and the workshop website, with the option for inclusion in PMLR proceedings <https://proceedings.mlr.press/>. We will also nominate outstanding submissions for spotlight talks and two awards: the “Entropic Award” for the most surprising negative result and the “Didactic Award” for the most pedagogically valuable paper. For more information on our past workshops, the ICBINB initiative, and submission details, please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/icbinb-2025/call-for-papers We look forward to your contributions! Sincerely, The I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better Organizing Team

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