- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

PhD Studentship available on Computational Intelligence for Artificial Agents Cognition and Interaction
by Di Nuovo, Alessandro Jan. 11, 2016

Jan. 11, 2016

Dear all, This is to announce a PhD Studentship available on Computational Intelligence for Artificial Agents Cognition and Interaction The project explores the use of Computational Intelligence techniques to simulate the human-like cognition abilities and use them to address complex real-world problems in which artificial agents should autonomously learn and interact with human beings. In particular, it investigates the novel deep learning paradigm offers a highly biologically plausible way to train neural network architectures with many layers, inspired by the hierarchical organization of the human brain. Impressive results have been obtained in several areas, where deep learning architectures have outperformed state-of-the-art algorithms on various tasks, such as computer vision, automatic speech recognition, natural language processing, and human action recognition. the position advertised within the SHU VC & ACES Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) PhD Scholarship Schemes 2016 (Project n. 6 in Computing and Informatics). Deadline for the application is 29th of January 2016. Please follow the link below for more information. http://www.shu.ac.uk/ad/studentships/ which has general information on the types of scholarships available, eligibility criteria and profiles of 2015 VC scholars (the landing page can also be found by clicking on the featured link on the SHU website home page). From the landing page, applicants can then click through to more detailed application information, according to discipline. Note that students are chosen in competition with students who choose projects in other fields, which means that we would particularly encourage strong applicants with very good academic marks and previous research experience to apply. All applicants are encouraged to contact a prospective supervisor before submitting an application. If you are interested on the project, please contact the project lead: Dr Alessandro Di Nuovo (a.dinuovo(a)shu.ac.uk)

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CNS*2016 Call for Workshop Proposals
by Thomas Nowotny Jan. 11, 2016

Jan. 11, 2016

CNS 2016 Jeju, South Korea: Call for Workshops We are requesting proposals for workshops from the international community of computational neuroscientists. Proposals from all levels of faculty as well as advanced postdoctoral fellows are welcome. This is a great opportunity to organize a small meeting with just a few of the headaches of actually organizing it. Workshop proposal submission instructions for CNS 2016 The last two days (July 6-7) of the 25th annual CNS meeting will be devoted to workshops, in which computationally related neuroscience topics can be presented and discussed. Workshops can be anywhere between one half to two days in duration. Usually several speakers are invited to introduce a unifying theme, but ample time for discussion should also be planned. Submit workshop proposals to: workshops(a)cnsorg.org<mailto:workshops@cnsorg.org>. The Past Meetings page<http://www.cnsorg.org/past-meetings> gives access to archives of workshops held at previous CNS meetings. The proposal should be submitted as a Word or pdf file and MUST include the following sections: 1. Workshop Title 2. Organizers (list primary organizer first; include affiliations and emails) 3. Duration (half day, one or two days, there are 2 sessions per day) 4. Number of expected speakers 5. Brief Description (~150 words; if possible, say why this is significant or timely) 6. Speakers (mark expected or confirmed) Also please note the following rules which were approved by the OCNS Board on July 15, 2013: * Each individual can be the organizer or co-organizer of only one workshop. * The number of confirmed speakers is one of the criteria for accepting the proposal. * Overlapping proposals may be asked to be combined. If the organizers do not wish to combine the proposals, only one of the proposals may be accepted. Workshops submitted before January 31, 2016 will be given priority in acceptance. Workshop proposals arriving after January 31, 2016 will be evaluated based on remaining space for additional workshops. No further workshop acceptances are anticipated after May 15, 2016. We are looking forward to your submissions. Thomas Nowotny, Workshop Organizer CNS*2016 -- Prof. Thomas Nowotny CCNR, Sussex Neuroscience Phone: +44-1273-678593 Engineering and Informatics Fax: +44-1273-877873 University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ http://sussex.ac.uk/informatics/tnowotny

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CfP - MLUB 2016 - International Workshop on Machine Learning for Understanding the Brain
by Emre Akbas Jan. 11, 2016

Jan. 11, 2016

Please accept our apologies if you receive multiple copies of this call. 1st International Workshop on Machine Learning for Understanding the Brain, MLUB 2016 June 28-29 2016, Ankara, Turkey http://mlani.ceng.metu.edu.tr/ * Call for papers: International Workshop on Machine Learning for Understanding the Brain (MLUB) welcomes original and unpublished work on theory, systems, algorithms and applications related to Machine Learning and understanding techniques for modeling and analysis of brain in various modalities, such as, fMRI, sMRI, EEG, MEG, fNIRS. The workshop focuses on but is not limited to the following topics: - Learning and inference on neuroimaging data - Cognitive state classification - Functional Connectivity - Sparse Techniques - Multimodal Learning - Multi-Subject Learning - Efficient Algorithms for Large-Scale Data - Brain Network Embedding - Cognitive Computing - Software Simulation of the Brain - Pattern and Object Recognition - Cognitive Machine Learning - Modeling - Vision Models of the Brain - Memory Model of the Brain - Neural Models of the Brain - Visualization - High-Dimensional Neuroimaging Data Visualization - Brain Network Visualization - Network Summarization - Applications - Resting-State Data Analysis - Task-Based Data Analysis - Diagnosis of Diseases - Brain Computer Interface We call for paper contributions with a maximum length of 4 pages (double-column, IEEE style, PDF) for review. Accepted submissions will be assigned to one of the oral sessions. Every accepted submission has to be presented at the workshop by one of the paper's authors. All accepted and presented submissions will be included in the workshop proceedings and will be published by IEEE Xplore. * Important dates: Paper submission deadline: February 26, 2016 Notification of acceptance: March 22, 2016 Camera ready Submission: March 29, 2016 Workshop: June 28-29, 2016 * Executive Committee Fatos T. Yarman Vural (Middle East Technical University) Tulay Adali (University of Maryland, Baltimore County) Enis Cetin (Bilkent University) Haluk Bingol (Bogazici University) Huseyin Boyaci (Bilkent University) * Technical Program Chairs Sinan Kalkan (Middle East Technical University) Emre Akbas (Middle East Technical University) Mete Ozay (Tohoku University) * For more information: http://mlani.ceng.metu.edu.tr/

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Data Science Engineer
by paulo rodrigues Jan. 8, 2016

Jan. 8, 2016

Dear colleagues, Mint Labs <http://www.mint-labs.com> is looking to fill a R&D position on data science. Mint Labs is a multi-disciplinary science and engineering start-up. The company's mission is to develop technologies to better understand the human brain and the diseases that affect it. Our primary focus is on neuroimaging methods, including MRI, that yield insights into the living brain. *Context* You thrive on the idea of using tools that aid the communication of results such as Ipython notebooks? You are not satisfied with how computational science is currently being done and have ideas on how to make it more effective at curing diseases? You enjoy interacting with new groups of people and are comfortable communicating with dozens to hundreds of scientists? The challenge is to develop analysis systems for multidimensional medical datasets that include imaging. Mint Labs is a SaaS platform that focus on integrating diverse clinical, imaging, genomic, and other data to better evaluate disease progression and response to interventions. *Objectives of the position* - Support the interaction with several external research partners and clients to develop both bioinformatics analysis and visualizations on data in collaboration with neurologists, statisticians and other bioinformaticians. - Work with the newest technologies in data analysis and -omics data. - Create web-accessible records that are reproducible and re-usable of all your analysis. - Work with our software team that develops the web platform to communicate requirements and features for product development. - Automate the execution of new analysis methods using scripting and statistical programming. - Assist in the evaluation and implementation of data and imaging curation tools. - Develop practical methods for non-programmers to communicate reproducible results by integrating new and existing tools into our platform - Detect, model and normalize batch and experimental artifacts in experimental data. *Desired profile, Skills* - You have experience working within a team of scientists, statisticians and software engineers to compile and format large, high-dimensional data sets for downstream analysis. - You have software development experience, including strong programming skills in a high-level language especially Python, R and/or matlab. Experience with Linux shell scripting recommended. - Ideally, you would be experienced with developing advanced ipython notebooks or other interactive frameworks. - Ideally, you are familiar with neuroimaging data types such as anatomical data, diffusion or functional imaging. - You have a graduate degree in a quantitative field such as engineering, applied math, computer science, bioinformatics etc or are an exceptional undergraduate with bioinformatics experience. *A great R&D environment* We're a growing, product-centric team located in Barcelona Spain. We strive on solving hard problems with creative solutions, and have fun during the process - after all we are in Barcelona. As an engineer on our team, you'll tackle the challenges that arise as we build a large-scale system for data processing and distribution. The scale at which our systems must operate requires highly-performing algorithms and data structures. Solving complex distributed systems and ensuring data security are essential. We're looking for independent thinkers with a deep understanding of the problems we are solving who are not afraid to significantly influence how this system is improved. We hire for people, not roles -- if you don't see an interesting job description but believe that you can add value to Mint Labs, we would love to hear from you. In addition, the researcher/engineer will interact closely with top researchers worldwide, using our platform. ***Contact**: * team(a)mint-labs.com, paulo(a)mint-labs.com ***Application**: * Interested candidate should send CV and motivation letter ᐧ

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Neuroimaging Engineer opportunity
by paulo rodrigues Jan. 8, 2016

Jan. 8, 2016

Dear colleagues, Mint Labs <http://www.mint-labs.com> is looking to fill a R&D position on neuroimaging processing. Mint Labs is a multi-disciplinary science and engineering start-up. The company's mission is to develop technologies to better understand the human brain and the diseases that affect it. Our primary focus is on neuroimaging methods, including MRI, that yield insights into the living brain. *Context* The challenge is to develop analysis systems for multidimensional medical datasets that include imaging. Mint Labs is a SaaS platform that focus on integrating diverse clinical, imaging, genomic, and other data to better evaluate disease progression and response to interventions. You thrive in analyzing data, developing pipelines to process imaging data, and integrate multiple data points into meaningful group conclusions? You are experienced in volumetric, diffusion, rs-fMRI studies, and are not shy about Python, bash, R or whatever tool fits the work? *Objectives of the position* The position hinges on processing of very large databases. Important novelties of the project are: - Building predictive models to discriminate multiple pathologies in large inhomogeneous datasets. - Using and improving advanced connectomics and brain-parcellation techniques in dMRI / fMRI. - Support the interaction with several external research partners and clients to develop neuroimaging analysis *Desired profile* We are looking for a doctoral or post-doctoral fellow to hire in beginning of 2016. The ideal candidate would have some, but not all, of the following expertise and interests: - Experience in advanced processing of MRI, dMRI and fMRI - General knowledge of brain structure and function - Good communication skills to write high-impact neuroscience publications - Good computing skills, in particular with Python. Cloud computing experience is desired. *A great R&D environment* We're a growing, product-centric team located in Barcelona Spain. We strive on solving hard problems with creative solutions, and have fun during the process - after all we are in Barcelona. As an engineer in our team, you will tackle the challenges that arise as we build a large-scale system for data processing and distribution. The scale at which our systems must operate requires highly-performing algorithms and data structures. Solving complex distributed systems and ensuring data security are essential. We are looking for independent thinkers with a deep understanding of the problems we are solving who are not afraid to significantly influence how the system can be improved. We hire for people, not roles -- if you don't see an interesting job description but believe that you can add value to Mint Labs, we would love to hear from you. In addition, the post-doc will interact closely with top researchers worldwide, using our platform. ***Contact**: * team(a)mint-labs.com, paulo(a)mint-labs.com ***Application**:* Interested candidate should send CV and a motivation letter

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PhD position in computational neuroscience: Identification of Metastable Cortical Dynamics Underlying Cognitive Decisions (Bournemouth University-IDIBAPS)
by Emili Balaguer-Ballester Jan. 8, 2016

Jan. 8, 2016

PhD position in Computational Neuroscience 'Identification of Metastable Cortical Dynamics Underlying Cognitive Decisions' (Bournemouth University-IDIBAPS Barcelona) A PhD position is available in 3-years fully-funded project 'Identification of Metastable Cortical Dynamics Underlying Cognitive Decisions'; based at Bournemouth University (UK) https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/centre/interdisciplinary-neuroscience-re… and at the Biomedical Research Institute August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS, http://www.idibaps.org/en_index.htm, University of Barcelona, Spain). Do we have analysis tools for a reliable identification of the dynamical processes underlying decision-making? This is a fundamental question, touching the very basics of our understanding of neural computation and hence one of the most exciting topics in neuroscience. However, to reconstruct in detail neural dynamics generating cognitive decisions is a major challenge for current methodologies. This would be a highly significant advance; for instance the identification of stable dynamical patterns of activity in hippocampus deserved to win the last Nobel Prize. The aim of the project is to develop innovative approaches designed for the identification of metastable dynamics underlying cognitive decisions. We aim for the fusion of statistical learning approaches to pattern discovery with methods for identifying neural attractor dynamics and neurocomputational modelling. The novel approach will reconstruct neural dynamics during tasks specifically designed at Sanchez-Vives Lab in rodents and in human subjects at the Bournemouth EEG lab. The training possibilities that this interdisciplinary project offers are multiple and relevant in building-up a high-profile as a neuroscientist. The student will benefit from the vibrant scientific environment of neural computation and neurosciences at BU https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/centre/interdisciplinary-neuroscience-re… and at the cortical networks lab; embedded in the renowned systems neuroscience network in Barcelona http://www.sanchez-vives.org/. Applicants holding a degree in Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science or similar disciplines are welcome. Interest or previous training in neuroscience or laboratory experience and a strong mathematical (dynamical systems, partial differential equations) or machine learning background would be very welcome. The researcher would be based at the Faculty of Science, Bournemouth University, and work with Dr Balaguer-Ballester at the Computational Neuroscience laboratory in the context of the interdisciplinary group for neurosciences; and would spend prolonged periods of time in the Cortical Networks Lab (IDIBAPS, Barcelona) led by Prof Maria Victoria Sanchez-Vives; providing an outstanding opportunity to gain a diverse experience of both neuro-computational and experimental approaches. For formally applying and more information please visit https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/pgr/funded-phd-studentships-in-the-facul… The deadline is on the 29th of February, 2016 BU is a Disability Two Ticks Employer and has signed up to the Mindful Employer charter. Information about the accessibility of University buildings can be found on the BU DisabledGo webpages This email is intended only for the person to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender and delete this email, which must not be copied, distributed or disclosed to any other person. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Bournemouth University or its subsidiary companies. Nor can any contract be formed on behalf of the University or its subsidiary companies via email.

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ECCV 2016 Workshops: Call for Proposals
by Hamdi Dibeklioglu Jan. 8, 2016

Jan. 8, 2016

ECCV 2016 Workshops: Call for Proposals Important dates Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, March 1st, 2016 Notification: Friday, April 1st, 2016 Workshop dates: Saturday 8th, Sunday 9th, Sunday 16th, October 2016 Call for proposal We solicit proposals for workshops that will be held together with the 14th European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV’2016). Workshops will take place on October 10th, 11th and 16th at the same venue as the main conference. We welcome proposals on emerging topics that are anticipated not able to be fully explored in the main conference. The purpose of workshops is to provide a comprehensive forum and encourage in-depth discussion of various technical and application issues in our research field. Workshop registration, venue, as well as proceedings will be handled as part of the main conference by the ECCV organizers. Since both space and time are limited, we expect the selection process to be competitive. The topic coverage, the proposers’ credential, the interested audience, and relevance of the topic will all be considered in the selection process. Proposers may be asked to provide additional information, modify part of the proposals, or combine with another one. Since the camera-ready deadline is set to be July 25, 2016, the proposers must come with a submission/review schedule that meets this deadline. Note this year, the ECCV workshops will be coordinated together with the ACM International Conference on Multimedia. So please specifically address in your proposal if your workshop would of interest to the Multimedia research community. Submission guidelines Proposals should be submitted by email to workshops(a)eccv2016.org by March 1st 2016. The candidate workshop organizers will be notified of the decision on April 1st. Proposals should be in PDF format and include the following information: · Workshop title. · Proposers' names, titles, affiliations, and primary contact email. · Topics that will be covered. · Relevance to the computer vision community · Relevance to the multimedia community · Experience that make the proposers well suited for organizing the workshop. · Rough program outline (including preference for half- or full-day event, estimated numbers of orals, posters, and invited talks). · Names and bios of any tentative/confirmed invited speakers · Anticipated target audience as well as expected number of attendees. · Description of how this proposal relates to previous workshops at CVPR/ICCV/ECCV (be as specific as possible). · Any special space or equipment requests. Contact For any questions, please contact the workshop chairs via workshops(a)eccv2016.org Gang Hua Hervé Jegou http://www.eccv2016.org/

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PhD training opportunity in Systems Neuroscience - London
by Adam Kampff Jan. 8, 2016

Jan. 8, 2016

Dear colleagues, The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre <http://www.ucl.ac.uk/swc/about> for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC) is a new institute funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Wellcome Trust. Located within University College London, the SWC combines advanced molecular, optical, physiology and behaviour approaches to investigate how brain circuits create neural representations and guide behaviour. We are excited to announce a new programme for exceptional PhD candidates. SWC studentships are open to UK and international applicants and cover research expenses, full payment of tuition fees and provide a competitive tax-free stipend in line with the Wellcome Trust stipend scale. SWC PhD students will receive intensive training in experimental techniques, and in conjunction with the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit (co-located with SWC), the programme will provide a comprehensive introduction to theoretical and systems neuroscience. Applicants should have a strong scientific and analytical background, a keen interest in neuroscience, and a relevant first degree. *Application deadline is January 31st, 2016* Enquires should be sent to swc-admissions(a)ucl.ac.uk Full details of our programme, and how to apply, are available here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/swc/phd The research interests of the SWC group leaders are described here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/swc/research Sincerely, Adam Kampff Yoh Isogai Troy Margrie Andrew Murray John O'Keefe

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2nd Call for Applications - 2016 Nengo Summer School
by Peter Blouw Jan. 7, 2016

Jan. 7, 2016

Hello! [All details about this school can be found online at http://www.nengo.ca/summerschool] The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is inviting applications for our 3rd annual summer school on large-scale brain modeling. This two-week school will teach participants how to use the Nengo software package to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models to run in simulation and on neuromorphic hardware. Nengo has been used to build what is currently the world's largest functional brain model, Spaun [1], and provides users with a versatile and powerful environment for designing cognitive and neural systems to run in simulated and real environments. We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, research associates, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals. No specific training in the use of modeling software is required, but we encourage applications from active researchers with a relevant background in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, robotics, neuromorphic engineering, computer science, or a related field. For a look at last year's summer school, check out this short video: https://goo.gl/wy4dNC [1] Eliasmith, C., Stewart T. C., Choo X., Bekolay T., DeWolf T., Tang Y., Rasmussen, D. (2012). A large-scale model of the functioning brain. Science. Vol. 338 no. 6111 pp. 1202-1205. DOI: 10.1126/science.1225266. [ http://nengo.ca/publications/spaunsciencepaper] ****Application Deadline: February 15, 2016**** *Format*: A combination of tutorials and project-based work. Participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on testing hypotheses, modeling neural or cognitive data, implementing specific behavioural functions with neurons, expanding past models, or providing a proof-of-concept of various neural mechanisms. Hands-on tutorials, work on individual or group projects, and talks from invited faculty members will make up the bulk of day-to-day activities. A project demonstration event will be held on the last day of the school, with prizes for strong projects! *Topics Covered*: Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to: - build perceptual, motor, and sophisticated cognitive models using spiking neurons - model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data - use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model - integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models - interface Nengo with various kinds of neuromorphic hardware (e.g. SpiNNaker) - interface Nengo with cameras and robotic systems - implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models - and much more… *Date and Location*: June 5th to June 17th, 2016 at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. *Applications*: Please visit http://www.nengo.ca/summerschool, where you can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an application form listing required materials. If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact Peter Blouw (pblouw(a)uwaterloo.ca) We look forward to hearing from you!

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Marie Curie PhD position in Vienna
by Frank Rattay Jan. 7, 2016

Jan. 7, 2016

Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher (PhD) position is available in Vienna at TU Wien. Title: Simulation of the synaptic exocytosis of bipolar cells in the electrically stimulated retina. The position is funded by the European Commission in the framework of the H2020 Marie Sk?odowska Curie Initial Training Network 'switchBoard'. The switchBoard project aims at training 15 young scientists at the interface of neurobiology, information processing and neurotechnology, with focus on synaptic physiology, transgenic technology, models of retinal degeneration, method development and the application of retinal circuit principles for signal processing in artificial vision chips. The proposed project aims to develop a model that predicts glutamate release from ON and OFF bipolar cells evoked by electrical stimulation by an electrode array, as used in current retinal implants. Details: http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/jobDetails/34049001

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