- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Now hiring: The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, CAMH - Toronto, Canada

by Sean Hill

The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics (www.krembilneuroinformatics.ca<http://www.krembilneuroinformatics.ca>) based at CAMH (www.camh.ca<http://www.camh.ca>), and fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Canada, is hiring world-leading specialists to transform our understanding of mental health by organizing, integrating, analyzing, visualizing and modelling data across all levels of the brain —from genes to circuits to behaviour. This multimodal data is gathered across the clinical environment including genetic, epigenetic, MRI, DTI, fMRI, hd-EEG, actigraphy and electronic medical record data. Teams will employ state-of-the-art techniques including topological data analysis, machine learning and multiscale computational modeling to accelerate identification and treatment of mental health disorders. Research is performed in an open, team science environment, with an emphasis on reproducible data-driven research and a patient-centric approach. A focus on global collaboration is key to transforming our understanding of mental health and its treatment. The centre will operate as an incubator for medical technologies to identify, manage and treat mental illness, while shaping policy at national and global levels. The centre is expanding with the following openings (see http://krembilneuroinformatics.ca/apply for full details and to apply): *Independent Scientist for Computational Genomics The Independent Scientist for Computational Genomics will build and lead a team of talented bioinformatics researchers, computational biologists, and computer scientists who employ and develop state-of-the-art genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic analyses and predictive models to provide new insights into mental health and brain disorders in a data driven way, making outcome predictors and identifying optimal intervention opportunities. *Independent Scientist for Brain Circuit Modelling The Independent Scientist for Brain Circuit Modelling will build and lead a team responsible for the development, simulation and analysis of dynamic and perturbable computational models of biophysically detailed brain circuitry (for both preclinical and human brains), integrating genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic data, and ion channel, cellular and synaptic biophysics. The team will work in close collaboration with other groups involved in detailed biophysical modeling, e.g. the Blue Brain Project and Allen Institute for Brain Science. The team will also be responsible for curating and maintaining data, literature and models to enable data-driven modeling of brain circuitry in health and disease, in addition to the concurrent construction of atlases, development of analysis approaches and identification of biomarkers to define mental health and brain disorders in a data driven way, such as aberrant dynamical processes. *Independent Scientist for Whole Brain Modelling The Independent Scientist for Whole Brain Modelling will build and lead a team responsible for the development of dynamic and perturbable causal models of the human brain, in health and in the context of mental illness, incorporating multi-modal neuroimaging and expression data including, but not limited to, structural, functional, diffusion and spectrometry MRI, PET/CT and EEG. The team will also be responsible for the concurrent construction of atlases, development of analysis approaches and identification of biomarkers to define mental health and brain disorders in a data driven manner. *Independent Scientist for Whole Person Modelling The Independent Scientist for Whole Person Modeling will build and lead a team responsible for the development and application of predictive modeling approaches for individual citizen, patient and population trajectories and outcomes. This includes tools, pipelines and approaches for the exploration, visualization and analysis of complex high-dimensional data, with the aim of the data-driven definition of mental health and brain disorders, and the establishment of outcome predictors and identification of optimal intervention opportunities. *Independent Scientist for Brain and Health Knowledge Management The Independent Scientist for Brain and Health Knowledge Management will build and lead a team responsible for organizing and disseminating data, models and literature related to the definition and treatment of mental health disorders to support both researchers and clinicians. This team will maintain and curate ontologies of brain disorders and link to data, analyses, visualizations, literature and models supporting their definition. This clinical support platform will support reasoning and inference across definitions and datasets to bridge psychiatric and neurological disorders. *Knowledge Engineering Lead The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics is launching a knowledge engineering initiative to structure and map vast quantities of clinical and research data into a unified schema and develop a knowledge graph. This initiative will lay the technical foundation to support supervised and unsupervised content discovery, enable data mining, and facilitate interactive modes of engagement with our data corpus. A new Knowledge Engineering team is being established to spearhead the implementation of this initiative. This is a unique opportunity to partner with world-class researchers in the creation of unprecedented knowledge discovery tools. *Brain Imaging Data Engineer The Brain Imaging Data Engineer role will be accountable for managing and enhancing the solution for collecting, storing, curating and integrating brain imaging data sets across the organization, including, but not limited to the following modalities: MRI, PET and EEG. You will work closely with the senior architects on the technology team as well as collaborating with scientific leads. You will be accountable to evolve the technology solution to keep up with industry changes to ensure the solution remains optimal. *Molecular Data Engineer The Molecular Data Engineer role will be accountable for managing and enhancing the solution for collecting, storing, curating and integrating molecular data sets across the organization. You will work closely with the senior architects on the technology team as well as collaborating with scientific leads. You will be accountable to evolve the technology solution to keep up with industry changes to ensure the solution remains optimal. *Senior Project Manager – BrainHealth Databank The Senior Project Manager will work with multiple stakeholders both internal and external to CAMH and be responsible for the hands-on leadership and oversight for the development and execution of work plans, accountabilities, and timelines associated with the BrainHealth Databank initiative. The BrainHealth Databank platform will be specifically designed to support multidimensional phenotyping studies that combine digital phenotyping and laboratory-based data across existing and future clinical studies at CAMH. All data will be organized within the knowledge graph of the BrainHealth Databank. The platform will support configuration of studies that integrate common data elements and CRFs, wearable and mobile devices, voice samples, electronic medical record (EMR) extracts, outcome assessments and health care system usage. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. AVIS DE CONFIDENTIALITÉ : Ce message électronique, ainsi que tout fichier qui y est joint, est reserve à l'usage exclusif du destinataire visé et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels et privilégiés. Toute lecture, utilisation, divulgation ou distribution non autorisée est interdite. 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March 22, 2018

Re: [Comp-neuro] [meetings] **DEADLINE EXTENDED to APRIL 2ND, 2018** Final CFP, Special session - Hybrid Life: Approaches to integrate biological, artificial and cognitive systems, ALife 2018 (Tokyo)

by Manuel Baltieri

**DEADLINE EXTENDED to APRIL 2ND, 2018** ********** Final Call for Papers ********** Special session - Hybrid Life: Approaches to integrate biological, artificial and cognitive systems https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/ <https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/> 2018 Artificial Life conference (ALife) Tokyo, JAPAN, 23-27 July 2018 - http://2018.alife.org/ <http://2018.alife.org/> Invited panelists: Ryota Kanai, Jun Tani, Masahiko Inami and Mizuki Oka. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION: The main focus of ALife research is the study of natural systems with the goal of understanding what life is. More concretely, ALife defines ways to investigate processes that contribute to the formation and proliferation of living organisms. In this session we focus on three common approaches to tackle this investigation, proposing ways to integrate, extend and possibly improve them. More specifically we refer to: 1) the formalisation of the necessary properties for the definition of life, 2) the implementation of artificial agents, and 3) the study of the relation between life and cognition. For this special session we propose to start from these well-established Alife methodologies, and extend them through: a unified formal language for the description and modelling of living, as well as artificial and cognitive systems, e.g. control theory, Bayesian inference, dynamical systems theory, etc., the exploration of biological creatures enhanced by artificial systems (or artificial systems augmented with organic parts) in order to investigate the boundaries between living and nonliving organisms, and the evaluation of coupled biological-artificial systems that could shed light on the importance of interactions among systems for the study of living and cognitive organisms. This special sessions aims to invite contributions from alife as well as the fields of psychology, computational neuroscience, HCI, theoretical biology, artificial intelligence, robotics and cognitive science to discuss current research on the formalisation, combination and interaction of artificial/living/cognitive systems from theoretical, modelling and implementational perspectives. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: Formalisation of life and cognition (e.g. dynamical systems theory, stochastic optimal control, Bayesian inference, etc.) Cognitive robotics Autopoiesis Life-mind continuity thesis Systems biology Origins-of-life theories with relationships to artificial and cognitive systems Animal-robot interaction Bio-inspired robotics Bio-integrated robotics Human-machine interaction Augmented cognition Sensory substitution Interactive evolutionary computation Artificial perception PANELISTS: Ryota Kanai Ryota Kanai is a neuroscientist working on the computational principles underlying consciousness and the brain, and the founder and CEO of an AI startup, Araya, Inc. in Tokyo. His goal is to create artificial consciousness using intrinsic motivation, deep neural networks, and integrated information while taking inspirations from neuroscience. He formerly led a cognitive neuroscience lab at the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science at the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. Araya Inc.: http://www.araya.org/ <http://www.araya.org/> <http://www.araya.org/>Jun Tani Jun Tani is a Full Professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa, Japan. He is directing the Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit. He has investigated the problem of embodied cognition by applying the predictive coding framework to neurorobotics experimental study for more than 20 years. His study has been summarized in his book, “Exploring Robotic Minds: Actions, Symbols, and Consciousness as Self-Organizing Dynamic Phenomena." published from Oxford Univ. Press in 2016. CNRU at OIST: https://groups.oist.jp/cnru <https://groups.oist.jp/cnru> Masahiko Inami Masahiko (Masa) Inami is a Professor in the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He is also directing the Inami JIZAI Body Project, JST ERATO. His research interest is in Augmented Human, human I/O enhancement technologies including perception, HCI and robotics. He received BE and MS degrees in bioengineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and PhD in the Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) from the University of Tokyo in 1999. He joined the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Tokyo, and in 1999, he moved to the University of Electro-Communications. In April 2008, he joined Keio University, where he served as a Professor of the Graduate School of Media Design and the Vice-director of the International Virtual Reality Center till October 2015. In November 2015, he rejoined the University of Tokyo. His installations have appeared at Ars Electronica Center. He proposed and organized the Superhuman Sports Society. InamiLab at Todai: https://inamilab.org <https://inamilab.org/> Mizuki Oka Mizuki Oka is an associate Professor at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. Obtained the International Baccalaureate at the United World College of the Adriatic in 1998. Studied computer science at the University of Tsukuba where she obtained the Doctor of Engineering in 2008. Served also as a research fellow for the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science from 2005 to 2008. Worked at the Center for Knowledge Structuring at the University of Tokyo as a post-doc from 2008 to 2013 in Japan. Gave a talk at TEDxTokyo in 2012 and at TEDxTsukuba in 2013. Her current research interests are Web Science and Artificial Life. She is also a founder of ALife Lab. and CO-CEO of Alternative Machine Inc. Personal website: http://mizoka.jp/english/ <http://mizoka.jp/english/> Important Dates 2nd April 2018 – Paper submission deadline 7th May 2018 – Paper acceptance notification 4th June 2018 – Camera-ready version 23-27th July 2018 – Artificial Life conference (ALife), Tokyo, Japan Paper Submission Papers and abstracts submitted to this special sessions will be reviewed by a selected group of experts from the a-life community as well as from other key areas, specifically chosen for this review process. If you are submitting to a special session you will be given the opportunity to select it during the submission process. Submissions to special sessions follow the same format, instructions and deadlines of regular ALife papers, as specified here http://2018.alife.org/instructions-for-authors/ <http://2018.alife.org/instructions-for-authors/>. Organizers Manuel Baltieri, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. m.baltieri(a)sussex.ac.uk <mailto:m.baltieri@sussex.ac.uk> Keisuke Suzuki, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. k.suzuki(a)sussex.ac.uk <mailto:filippo.m.bianchi@uit.no> Hiroyuki Iizuka, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan hiroyukiiizuka(a)gmail.com <mailto:hiroyukiiizuka@gmail.com> Contacts For questions, enquiries and more information please check our website https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/ <https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/> or get in touch with Manuel, m.baltieri [at] sussex.ac.uk. All the best, Manuel, Keisuke, Hiro

March 21, 2018

Abstract submission for Neuroinformatics 2018 in Montréal, Canada is open!

by congress

Dear all, Abstract submission for Neuroinformatics 2018 in Montréal, Canada on August 9-10 is now open! The annual INCF Congress provides a meeting place for researchers in all fields related to neuroinformatics. Join us for keynotes from top neuroscientists, community sessions and poster- and demo sessions. Neuroinformatics 2018 will be a great opportunity to introduce new participants to the field of neuroinformatics and highlight new and innovative tools and approaches. Providing a forum for infrastructure providers and developers of tools, standards, and best practices to help define the capabilities of the global network, receive training on how to participate in the Open, FAIR and Citable global network and learn how to provide better services to their constituents. *Abstract submission deadline is April 30: **neuroinformatics2018.org/abstracts <http://neuroinformatics2018.org/abstracts>* Registration will open shortly. More information: *neuroinformatics2018.org <http://www.neuroinformatics2018.org>* Please spread this information to anyone you feel would be interested in attending. *The International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF) is an international non-profit organization devoted to advancing the field of neuroinformatics and global collaborative brain research. Learn more about INCF www.incf.org <http://www.incf.org/>* *We look forward to seeing you in Montréal!* Best Regards The INCF Secretariat <http://www.neuroinformatics2018.org> <http://www.neuroinformatics2018.org>

March 21, 2018

DynaSim: A MATLAB/GNU Octave Toolbox for Neural Modeling and Simulation

by Jason Sherfey

Dear Colleagues, We are happy to announce the release of DynaSim, an open-source MATLAB/GNU Octave toolbox for rapid prototyping of neural models and batch simulation management. It was designed to speed up and simplify the process of generating, sharing, and exploring network models of neurons with one or more compartments; it is the first, comprehensive neural modeling and simulation platform developed in MATLAB. It provides C compilation, optimized vector calculations, multi-core processing, and support for compute clusters to overcome the traditionally slow simulation speeds of MATLAB. It is also available for high performance computing via the Neuroscience Gateway web portal. A paper introducing DynaSim was recently published in Frontiers in Neuroinformatics: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fninf.2018.00010/full. Documentation is available online at http://dynasimtoolbox.org. We hope this tool reduces barriers for investigating dynamics in neural models, facilitates collaborative modeling, and complements other tools being developed in the neuroinformatics community. Most of all, we hope you find this toolbox useful! Please direct questions to the lead developer, Jason Sherfey < sherfey(a)mit.edu> or the user mailing list: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/dynasim-users. Best regards, Jason Dr. Jason Sherfey Postdoctoral Research Fellow Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Picower Institute for Learning & Memory http://JasonSherfey.com

March 20, 2018

PhD/postdoc in Sensory and Behavioral Neuroscience, Gjorgjieva and Grunwald Kadow Labs in Frankfurt/Munich

by Gjorgjieva, Julijana

Reminder and deadline extension: The labs of Julijana Gjorgjieva (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany) and Ilona Grunwald Kadow at the TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Germany invite applications for a fully-funded position (Postdoc or PhD student). We are looking for highly-motivated individuals with a strong quantitative background (in mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, or related fields), experience in programming and data analysis, and a desire to develop cutting-edge experimental techniques. Previous background in neuroscience, imaging or behavioral analysis is a plus! The project will examine the neural basis of need and effort-based decision-making in a collaboration between the Gjorgjieva lab, which develops theoretical models of neural circuit processing, and the Grunwald Kadow lab, which studies neural circuits underlying sensory processing and decision making in animal models. The project aims to uncover circuit principles and behavioral readouts of motivation, persistence, and value perception as a function of internal state or experience (e.g. hunger). In particular, the Grunwald Kadow lab is collecting rich data sets of behavioral trajectories of single Drosophila flies as well as functional imaging data (i.e. multiphoton and light-sheet) of neuronal populations (e.g. modulatory neurons). The project will aim to develop advanced analysis techniques that extract key statistical features of the behavioral trajectories and imaging data, and build mathematical models that reproduce the data and make new predictions to be further tested experimentally. By combining behaviour, genetics and imaging, we will also develop neural circuit models that involve several brain areas, including sensory brain areas and higher cognitive regions of the fly brain (i.e. mushroom body). References: S. Sayin J. Gjorgjieva, I. C. Grunwald Kadow (2018). A neural circuit arbitrates between perseverance and reward in hungry Drosophila. BioRxiv doi.org/10.1101/259119<http://doi.org/10.1101/259119> J. Gjorgjieva, G. Drion and E. Marder (2016). Computational implications of biophysical diversity and multiple timescales in neurons and synapses for circuit performance. Curr Opin Neurobiol 37:44-52. Lewis L, Siju KP, Aso Y, Friedrich AB, Bulteel AJB, Rubin GM, Grunwald Kadow IC (2015). A higher brain circuit for immediate integration of conflicting sensory information in Drosophila. Current Biology PMID: 26299514, doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.07.015 Application: The position will be based at the Technical University of Munich, with frequent visits to the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, two of the most exciting and international cities in Germany. The application deadline has been extended to: April 15, 2018. Applicants will be considered until the position is filled. For further information please visit: http://www.cns.wzw.tum.de and http://www.neuro.wzw.tum.de or email gjorgjieva(a)brain.mpg.de and ilona.grunwald(a)tum.de. To apply, please email the following to: neuro(a)wzw.tum.de (ref. GGK application) 1. A curriculum vitae 2. A letter of motivation explaining your scientific interests, your strengths when working on a problem, why us etc. 3. Contact details for 2 referees 4. A written sample of scientific research, e.g. a manuscript, thesis, or code etc. ----------------------------------------- Julijana Gjorgjieva, PhD Research Group Leader Max Planck Institute for Brain Research Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, Frankfurt Assistant Professor of Computational Neuroscience Technical University of Munich, WZW Freising office: +49 69 850033 3600 http://cns.wzw.tum.de

March 20, 2018

Cajal Course in Computational Neuroscience -- Deadline April 2

by Jakob Macke

Dear colleagues, final reminder and line-up for the Cajal Computational Neuroscience Course in Lisbon this summer. We extended the deadline to April 2, so there is still time to apply! Best, Jakob Macke CAJAL COURSE IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE 12 August - 1 September 2018, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal http://www.cccn.pt Applications deadline: 2 April 2018 (midnight, CET time) DIRECTORS • Joe Paton (Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal) • Jakob Macke (TU Darmstadt & Research Center Caesar Bonn, Germany) • Christian Machens (Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal) Computational Neuroscience is a rapidly evolving field whose methods and techniques are critical for understanding and modelling the brain, and also for designing and interpreting experiments. Mathematical modeling is an essential tool to cut through the vast complexity of neurobiological systems and their many interacting elements. This three-weeks school teaches the central ideas, methods, and practice of modern computational neuroscience through a combination of lectures and hands-on project work. Each morning is devoted to lectures given by distinguished international faculty on topics across the breadth of experimental and computational neuroscience. During the rest of the day, students work on research projects in teams of 2-3 people under the close supervision of expert tutors and faculty. Research projects will be proposed by faculty before the course, and will include the modeling of neurons, neural systems, and behavior, the analysis of state-of-the-art neural data (behavioral data, multi-electrode recordings, calcium imaging data, connectomics data, etc.), and the development of theories to explain experimental observations. The course is designed for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from a variety of disciplines, including neuroscience, physics, electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics and psychology. Students are expected to have a keen interest and basic background in neurobiology, a solid foundation in mathematics, as well as some computer experience. A four-day pre-school in mathematics and programming is offered for students that want to catch up on their math and programming skills. A maximum of 24 students will be accepted. Students of any nationality can apply. We specifically encourage applications from researchers who work in the developing world. Stipends are available. More information on the course website, http://www.cccn.pt Apply here: http://www.fens.org/Training/CAJAL-programme/CAJAL-courses-2018/CCCN-2018/A… Contact address: Simone Zacarias, simone.zacarias(a)research.fchampalimaud.org Confirmed faculty: Matthias Bethge, University of Tübingen Kevin Briggman, Research Center Caesar, Bonn, Germany Megan Carey, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal Claudia Clopath, Imperial College London, UK Sophie Deneve, ENS Paris, France Rainer Engelken, Columbia University, US Julijana Gjorgjieva, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany Pedro Goncalves, Research Center Caesar, Bonn, Germany Michael Häusser, Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, UK Andreas Herz, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Germany Simon Laughlin, University of Cambridge, UK Gilles Laurent, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany Máté Lengyel, University of Cambridge, UK Jennifer Linden, UCL Ear Institute, UK Elliot Ludvig, Warwick University, UK Anthony Movshon, New York University, USA Maneesh Sahani, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL, UK Cristina Savin, New York University, USA Jeffrey Taube, Dartmouth College, USA Eero Simoncelli, New York University, USA Tim Vogels, Oxford University, UK Byron Yu, Carnegie Mellon University, USA Jakob Macke www.mackelab.org

March 20, 2018

postdoctoral positions in theoretical neuroscience at the Kavli Institute in Trondheim

by Yasser Roudi

Postdoctoral positions in theoretical/computational neuroscience are available at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience/Centre for Neural Computation in Trondheim, Norway. The position(s) is a part of the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience. The Centre for Neural Computation is a recently established centre of excellence funded for 10 years by the Norwegian Research Council. We offer an international and multidisciplinary environment in which creativity and scientific discourse is valued and stimulated. Through our widespread network of international collaborations, unique career possibilities are offered. See http://www.ntnu.no/cbm/ for detailed information. The position will be part of the group headed by Professor Yasser Roudi. The position/s will be for 2 years. The successful applicant will take part in mainly independent research in theoretical neuroscience and statistical inference within the Roudi group. The specifics of the projects are up to agreement and discussion and new and novel ideas are highly welcome. Developing models of grid cells and their interactions with hippocampus as well as analysis of neural data from these areas will be one possible directions of research that can be taken during the tenure of the position. For more Information and details about how to apply please see https://www.jobbnorge.no/ledige-stillinger/stilling/149615/post-doc-kavli-i…

March 19, 2018

FENS Satellite Meeting on "Receptive Fields: Analysis, Models and Applications": 6 July 2018 - applications open

by Anthony Burkitt

Dear Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the FENS Satellite Meeting on "Receptive Fields: Analysis, Models and Applications", to be held on 6th July 2018. Applications are open at the Workshop website: fenscibf2018.eventbrite.com.au<http://fenscibf2018.eventbrite.com.au> RECEPTIVE FIELDS: ANALYSIS, MODELS AND APPLICATIONS At this FENS satellite meeting, eight world-leading researchers will discuss the latest advances on the formation and analysis of visual receptive fields and place maps, bringing together insights and discoveries from around the world. Topics will include state-of-the-art experimental and computational approaches to receptive field analysis, visual pathways, place maps and adaptation to the statistics of the visual environment. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: • Tatyana Sharpee SALK Institute, USA • Michael Ibbotson National Vision Research Institute, Australia • Yves Fragnac CNRS, France • Jose-Manuel Alonso State University of New York, USA • TR Vidyasagar University of Melbourne, Australia • Dirk Jancke Ruhr University, Germany • Elizabeth Zavitz Monash University, Australia • Simon Schultz Imperial College, UK MEETING DETAILS DATE: Friday, 6 July 2018 TIME: 9am – 5pm CEST / Germany (Berlin) Time VENUE: Hotel NH Collection Berlin Friedrichstraße, Friedrichstraße 96, 10117 Berlin, Germany COST: Early bird fee by 6 April 2018 - €30 ; Standard fee by 22 June 2018 - €50 ; Registration includes refreshments, lunch and snacks. REGISTER HERE URL: fenscibf2018.eventbrite.com.au<http://fenscibf2018.eventbrite.com.au> CONTACT Email: Tenille Ryan (tryan(a)aco.org.au<mailto:tryan@aco.org.au>)

March 18, 2018

Failures of adaptively timed hippocampal learning during memory consolidation and Fragile X syndrome

by Grossberg, Stephen

The following two articles model how failures of adaptively timed learning and incentive motivational support by hippocampus (i.e., failure of “time cells”) can cause clinical problems in memory consolidation and Fragile X syndrome: ***************** Franklin, D. J., and Grossberg, S. (2017). A neural model of normal and abnormal learning and memory consolidation: Adaptively timed conditioning, hippocampus, amnesia, neurotrophins, and consciousness. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 17, 24-76. http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13415-016-0463-y This article explains and simulates the kinds of data that many cognitive neuroscientists have reported after the famous case of the amnesic patient HM; namely, how, after some learning occurs, early vs. late lesions of amygdala, hippocampus, or orbitofrontal cortex can cause very different memory consolidation problems. ***************** Grossberg, S., and Kishnan, D. (2018). Neural dynamics of autistic repetitive behaviors and Fragile X syndrome: Basal ganglia movement gating and mGluR-modulated adaptively timed learning. Frontiers in Psychology, Psychopathology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00269. This article explains how Fragile X syndrome can be caused when mGluR-mediated adaptively timed hippocampal learning and support of motivated attention fail.

March 17, 2018

Call for papers - Special issue on Operations Research for Neuroscience II

by Ruben A. Tikidji-Hamburyan

Dear Colleagues, ~~~ Apologies for cross-posting ~~~ We are happy to announce a second special issue on Operations Research for Neuroscience. The special issue will be published in the journal Annals of Operations Research, Springer. We strongly encourage the submission of manuscripts which propose further developments of modern formal theories (such as the free-energy principle, integrated information, Bayesian inference, etc). The use of methods from modern operations research in neuroscience is a prerequisite for any paper submitted to this special issue to enter the reviewing process. Submission deadline: December 1, 2018 Please find the CfP as plain text below or as a pdf file here: CfP - ANOR SI OR for Neuroscience <https://sites.google.com/site/rubentikidjihamburyan/research/CfP-ANOR_SI_OR…> Best, Ruben ____________________________________________________ ― Call for Papers ― Annals of Operations Research Special Issue Operations Research for Neuroscience II ____________________________________________________ After the positive and encouraging response from the scientific and wider community to the special issue Operations Research for Neuroscience, the journal Annals of Operations Research (Springer) now invites submissions of papers to a second special issue on the same subject, called Operations Research for Neuroscience II. Neuroscience, a multidisciplinary science, is concerned with the study of the structure and functions of the nervous system. It comprises aspects of physiology, cellular and molecular biology, as well as behavioral and cognitive science. Recent technological and theoretical advances offer promising opportunities for better understanding of the nervous system at the quantitative level. New optogenetic, in vitro and in vivo multielectrode recording, neuroimaging, brain imaging, and other modern techniques provide high-quality data that can be used in elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of information processing in the nervous system. The rapidly growing pool of experimental data has triggered the development of new mathematical models that can provide new insights into the functioning of the nervous system at various scales, ranging from that of molecular biology to that of the organizational principles of behavior and cognition. Sophisticated analyses of intracellular signaling or dynamics in heterogeneous neural networks, conditional behavior, or connections of brain regions in decision-making lead to theoretical problems, addressed by operations research. Although, operations research is actively used in bottom-up approaches--from experimental observation to consistent theory-- it also widely overlaps modern and rapidly developing formal theories, for example the free-energy principle, integrated information theory, and may others. The special issue will cover a broad range of topics in the field of neuroscience using operations research approaches, methods, and theories. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following areas and methodologies of neuroscience: o intracellular signaling and regulation o synaptic plasticity o dynamics in heterogeneous neural networks o intelligent systems and control o perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral functions o learning and memory o spatio-temporal network analysis o behavioral economics and finance o linguistics and cognition o combinatorial optimization o signal and information processing o neuroimaging and functional brain imaging processing o computational modeling and simulation o formal theoretical approaches: the free-energy principle, integrated information, Bayesian inference, etc. The use of methods from modern operations research in neuroscience is a prerequisite for any paper submitted to this special issue to enter the reviewing process. Annals of Operations Research is abstracted and indexed in the following databases: Science Citation Index, Science Citation Index Expanded (SciSearch), Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, SCOPUS, INSPEC, Zentralblatt Math, Google Scholar, EBSCO, CSA, ProQuest, ABS Academic Journal Quality Guide, Academic OneFile, Academic Search, Computer Abstracts International Database, Computer Science Index, CSA Environmental Sciences, Current Contents/Engineering, Computing and Technology, DBLP, ECONIS, Expanded Academic, International Abstracts in Operations Research, Mathematical Reviews, OCLC, SCImago, STMA-Z, Summon by ProQuest. The Special Issue is officially endorsed by EURO Conference 2018, Valencia. Guest Editors: Erik Kropat, Ruben A. Tikidji-Hamburyan, Gerhard-Wilhelm Weber Important Date: Submission deadline of full papers: December 1, 2018. Submission Details: The format of manuscripts for the Annals of Operations Research as well as guidelines can be found on the web page of Springer, the publisher of the journal: http://www.springer.com/journal/10479/submission. Authors should submit a cover letter mentioning that the paper is for a special issue and a manuscript via the journal's online submission site: http://www.editorialmanager.com/anor. When prompted, please select the article type “S.I.: OR in Neuroscience II”. All papers submitted for publication will be carefully refereed. In case of any question please contact by e-mail one of the following guest editors: Dr. Erik Kropat Department of Computer Science Universität der Bundeswehr München Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39 85577 Neubiberg, Germany E-mail: erik.kropat(a)gmx.de Dr. Ruben A. Tikidji-Hamburyan Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy Health Sciences Center, Louisiana State University New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA E-mail: rtikid(a)lsuhsc.edu Prof. Dr. Gerhard-Wilhelm Weber Faculty of Engineering Management Chair of Marketing and Economic Engineering Poznan University of Technology ul. Strzelecka 11 60-965 Poznan, Poland E-mail: gerhard.weber(a)put.poznan.pl

March 15, 2018