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15 PhD positions for PACE, an EU funded Innovative Training Network for understanding Perception and Action in Complex Environments

by Laurent Perrinet

Dear colleagues, PACE (Perception and Action in Complex Environments) is an Innovative Training Network funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie program of the European Union starting on April 1st, 2015. The network involves 10 academic and private full partners, from 6 European and associated countries (France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, UK, Israel), plus 5 associated partners (private companies and public organizations). The network gathers a broad range of expertise from experimental psychology, cognitive neurosciences, brain imaging, technology and clinical sciences as well as transferable skills. The PACE network promotes interdisciplinary research and training in the field of human movement sciences with a strong emphasis on perception-action coupling in complex environments. We focus on changes of this coupling across lifespan and in pathological diseases affecting the nervous system. The goal is to train PhD students through collaborative research projects, international courses and workshops. -> 15 PhD positions, starting next fall, are offered across the different network sites. You can find a short description of the proposed PhD projects at the following link: http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/IMG/pdf/PACE_Table_positions.pdf Applications are welcome immediately and until the end of May (but some specific timing constraints may be enforced in some of the partners' sites: please get more information from local contacts). You will find further general information (sections 1 to 3), eligibility and application conditions (section 4) here: http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/-ITN-Marie-Curie-network-PACE Thanks for distributing this announcement to potential candidates, Laurent -- Laurent Perrinet - INT (UMR 7289)/CNRS http://invibe.net/LaurentPerrinet

May 25, 2015

open PhD position at INT-Marseille, France: Predicting and selecting sensory events: inference for smooth eye movements

by Laurent Perrinet

Dear colleagues, Applications are welcome immediately and until the end of May for a PhD position at INT-Marseille, France: Predicting and selecting sensory events: inference for smooth eye movements In everyday life, we constantly need to track relevant moving targets in complex environments with our eyes such as, for instance, when we try to catch someone running in the crowd. However, this seemingly simple task demands to deal with several dynamic sources of uncertainty, related to intrinsic, target-related properties or to external, environment-related factors. In addition, one single object has to be selected at a time for accurate visual processing and ocular tracking in presence of a multitude of competing signals. The PhD project aims at understanding the /dynamic inference and decision processes underlying smooth eye movements/. The PhD fellow will conduct psychophysics and oculomotor recordings on healthy subjects, as well as modeling work, in order to elucidate the effects of sensory uncertainty on the accuracy and the dynamics of visuomotor decisions. Bayesian Inference will provide a general and solid framework for behavioral models. Oculomotor decision times, such as those characterizing the dynamic switch between smooth pursuit and saccades during motion tracking, or transitions between two alternative tracking solutions, will be modeled and benchmarked against the predictions of current models of choice reaction times ("accumulation-to-threshold" models). A potential development of the project, through the PACE European network’s collaborations and secondments (http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/-ITN-Marie-Curie-network-PACE) is to compare dynamic inference for smooth eye movements with other types of movements such as reaching, hitting or manual tracking.To obtain further information or send applications (including a full CV, a letter of motivation, 2 reference names), please contact: Anna.Montagnini(a)univ-amu.fr, Laurent.Perrinet(a)univ-amu.fr or Guillaume.Masson(a)univ-amu.fr. Applications are welcome immediately and until the end of May 2015. Site: InVIBE Team (Inference in Vision and Behavior) - Institut de Neuroscience de la Timone, CNRS & Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille FRANCE – http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/ PhD Supervisors: Guillaume Masson, Anna Montagnini and Laurent Perrinet Position details: This position is funded by the Marie Skodowska-Curie program of the H2020 European Union program, as part of the Innovative Training Network PACE (Perception and Action in Complex Environments). Eligibility : Applicants must hold a Master Degree in Neurosciences or Psychology, or equivalent. Application from students with a background in Physics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Sciences and willing to shift towards neurosciences are encouraged. Under-graduate students from Medicine are also encouraged to apply. Applicants must not have carried out Research activities for more than 4 years after their Master degree (or equivalent) and must not already hold a PhD degree. *EU Conditions of Mobility of Early-Stage Researchers:* Applicants can be of any nationality. They must comply with the rule for trans-national mobility: at the time of recruitment by the host organization, students must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in the country of their host organization for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date. Microsoft Word - ESR1_Description_new.doc Thanks for distributing this announcement to potential candidates, Laurent -- Laurent Perrinet - INT (UMR 7289)/CNRS http://invibe.net/LaurentPerrinet

May 25, 2015

Postdoctoral Position in Human Intracranial Physiology at the National Institutes of Health

by Zaghloul, Kareem (NIH/NINDS) [E]

A full-time post-doctoral position focused on understanding the neural correlates of human cognitive function is available in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the NIH. This position involves studies focused on analyzing and manipulating human intracranial electrophysiological signals, including single-unit activity, local field potentials, and electro corticography (ECoG), captured from patients with medically refractory epilepsy and from patients receiving deep brain stimulation surgery. Manipulations of cortical signals include the use of electrical stimulation and real-time closed-loop feedback. Post-doctoral fellows will join a laboratory aimed at understanding the neural mechanisms that underlie human memory and decision making and at developing novel and innovative techniques to directly communicate with those circuits. We are seeking candidates that are highly creative, motivated, and independent with a Ph.D. in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, or a related field. Candidates must have a strong research background, with a record of relevant publications. Candidates will be encouraged and expected to participate in independent laboratory research, and will be expected to write scholarly manuscripts. Candidates must be able to lead and work well in a team. Candidates should have strong computational, quantitative, and/or engineering skills, with proficiency in developing custom code (Matlab, Python, etc.) for data analysis preferred. Past medical research is not required, but candidates must be willing to perform experiments in a clinical setting. Candidates will interact with clinical staff, graduate students, research fellows, and must have excellent spoken and written English skills. Applicants should submit a brief statement of research activities and interests, a current CV, and names and contact information of at least three references. Salary will be commensurate with experience and accomplishments. To arrange a meeting with the PI and to send materials required for consideration for this appointment please contact Dr. Zaghloul at: zaghloulka(a)mail.nih.gov<mailto:zaghloulka@mail.nih.gov> NIH, an agency of DHHS, is an equal opportunity employer.

May 25, 2015

JNNS2015 Call for Papers

by Yoichi Miyawaki

25th Annual Conference of Japanese Neural Network Society (JNNS 2015) Call for Papers Date: September 2(Wed) – 4(Fri), 2015 Place: The University of Electro-Communications (Chofu, Tokyo) Web site:　https://jnns2015.im.uec.ac.jp/en/ Details of call for papers: https://jnns2015.im.uec.ac.jp/en/cfp/ 25th Annual Conference of Japanese Neural Network Society (JNNS 2015) will be held at The University of Electro-Communications (Chofu, Tokyo) during September 2 (Wed) – 4 (Fri), 2015. This is an annual conference of Japanese Neural Network Society (JNNS). In this year, the conference is jointly held with Japan Society for Fuzzy Theory and Intelligent Informatics (SOFT). === Plenary Lecture === Title: Neuromorphic Computing in IBM Speaker: Koichi Kajitani (IBM Research-Tokyo) === Invited Lecture === Title: TBA Speaker: Kunihiko Fukushima (Fuzzy Logic Systems Institute) === Symposium === 1. Present status and problems of brain and mathematical models, and future prediction Speakers: Shinya Nishida (NTT CS Lab), Shinji Nishimoto (CiNet/Osaka Univ.), Hiroshi Yamakawa (dwango) 2. High-performance computing technology accelerates neural network simulation Speakers: Jun Igarashi (OIST), Tetsuya Asai (Hokkaido Univ.), Hirotsugu Okuno (Osaka Univ.), Tadashi Yamazaki (The Univ. of Electro-Communications) 3. Approach of deep learning: from JNNS’s point of view Speakers: Hideki Aso (AIST), Masato Okada (The Univ. of Tokyo), Izumi Ohzawa (Osaka Univ.), Koichi Shinoda (Tokyo Inst. of Technology) === Call of Papers === Submissions are solicited for JNNS 2015 from wide areas of research topics with respect to neural systems, including physiology, psychology, brain imaging, sensation/perception, recognition, motor, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, robotics, mathematical models, learning theory, signal processing, data measurement/analysis technology, machine learning, hardware/software technology, high-performance computing, and algorithm. Members in JNNS or assent societies are eligible to be a presenter. Those who are joining in JNNS 2015 from abroad are welcome to be a presenter if they are non-members. Applicants can be a presenter for only one presentation, but can be listed as coauthors for multiple presentations. JNNS 2015 very welcomes active submissions from private companies as well as academic institutes. See https://jnns2015.im.uec.ac.jp/en/cfp/ for more details. === Schedule === Registration/submission start: May 8 (Friday), 2015 Registration/submission close: June 8 (Monday), 2015 Notice of acceptance (incl. results of talk selection): July 17 (Friday), 2015 Early registration deadline: July 31 (Friday), 2015 (for presenters) August 14 (Friday), 2015 (for others) === Organizing committee === Yutaka Sakaguchi (Chair, The Univ. of Electro-Communications) Shunji Sato (The Univ. of Electro-Communications) Hayaru Shouno (The Univ. of Electro-Communications) Yoichi Miyawaki (The Univ. of Electro-Communications) Tadashi Yamazaki (The Univ. of Electro-Communications) === Sponsor === Japanese Neural Network Society === Cosponsor === Japan Society for Fuzzy Theory and Intelligent Informatics (SOFT) === Contact address === E-mail： contact(a)jnns2015.im.uec.ac.jp

May 25, 2015

BIH'15 @ Imperial College London: Bring the Human Brain Projects of the world to one place

by Caroline Li

Call for Abstracts Co-Chaired by Prof Karl Friston & Prof Yike Guo @ Imperial College London (Aug 30 - Sep2, 2015), BIH'15 crosses the disciplines of neuroscience, cognitive science, computer science, signal processing, and neuroimaging. It also draws special attention to informatics for brain science, human behaviour and health. International Conference on Brain Informatics and Health (BIH'15) Venue: Imperial College London, London, UK, Time: Aug 30-Sep 2, 2015 www.braininformatics.london<http://www.braininformatics.london> Abstract Submission Deadline: June 16, 2015 ***************** Conference Theme: Brain informatics has emerged as a distinct field of research. It crosses the disciplines of neuroscience, cognitive science, computer science, signal processing, and neuroimaging technologies. The data driven nature of brain research made brain informatics an important field of data science. Following the success of past conferences in this series, BIH'15 will take place at Imperial College London, in UK. For the first time, BIH gathers the researchers from major international brain research projects to form a forum for reviewing the progress of brain informatics research and its applications to human health and building up international collaboration. The conference will also organise an exhibition from industrial and research community. BIH'15 draws special attention to informatics for brain science, human behaviour and health. BIH'15 will address informatics approaches to both the brain and behaviour research with a strong emphasis on emerging trends of big data analysis and management technology for brain research, behaviour learning, and real-world applications of brain science in human health and wellbeing. The distinguished speakers include: Keynote Speakers Allan Jones, CEO, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA; Henry Markram, Director, Blue Brain Project; Coordinator, Human Brain Project, EPFL, Switzerland; David Van Essen, PI, Human Connectome Project, Washington University School of Medicine, USA; Feature Speakers Giorgio Ascoli, (Founding Director, Center for Neural Informatics, George Mason University, USA); Henry Kennedy, (Director of Research, Stem-cell and Brain Research Institute, France); Barbara Sahakian, (University of Cambridge, UK); Nelson Spruston, (Scientific Program Director, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), USA); Paul Verschure, (Director, the Lab of SPECS at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Spain); BIH'15 welcomes paper submissions (full paper and abstract submissions). Both research and application papers are solicited. All submitted papers will be reviewed on the basis of technical quality, relevance, significance and clarity. Accepted full papers will be included in the proceedings by Springer LNCS/LNAI. ================================= ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS & PUBLICATIONS: Submission Deadline: June 16, 2015 Each abstract is limited to 500 words. Experimental research is particularly welcome. Accepted abstract submissions will be included in the conference program, and will be published as a single, collective proceedings volume. Title: Include in the title of the abstract all words critical for a subject index. Write your title in sentence case (first letter is capitalized; remaining letters are lower case). Do not bold or italicize your full title. Author: List all authors who contributed to the work discussed in the abstract. The presenting author must be listed in the first author slot of the list. Be prepared to submit contact information as well as conflict of interest information for each author listed. Abstract: Enter the body of the abstract and attach any applicable graphic files or tables here. Do not re-enter the title, author, support, or other information that is collected in other steps of the submission form. Presentation Preference: Authors may select from three presentation formats when submitting an abstract: "poster only,", "talk preferred" or "no preference." The "talk preferred" selection indicates that you would like to give a talk, but will accept a poster format if necessary. Marking "poster only" indicates that you would not like to be considered for an oral-presentation session. Selecting "no preference" indicates the author's willingness to be placed in the best format for the program. Each abstract requires one sponsoring attendee (i.e. someone who registered and is attending the conference). A single attendee can not sponsor more than two abstracts or papers. Oral presentations will be selected from both full length papers and abstracts. *** Contact Information *** BrainInformatics2015(a)gmail.com<mailto:BrainInformatics2015@gmail.com>

May 22, 2015

PhD grant on Computational Methods for Brain Connectivity Analysis

by Diego Sona

The Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science (DISI) at the University of Trento and its research partners Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), will invite applications for an open PhD position covered by scholarship in the area of “Computational Methods for Brain Connectivity Analysis”. The deadline for applications is May 27, 2015, before 14:00, CET. The PhD aims at carrying out research activity on machine learning methodologies for brain connectivity data analysis. The main goal is to design and to deploy machine learning algorithms for open challenges such as the detection of the main structural and functional pathways of the brain, the characterisation of the differences with respect to altered brain connections, the inter-individuals analysis of brain connectivity structures. The PhD grant is jointly supported by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT). The research activity will take place at the Neuroinformatics Laboratory (NILab) in Trento and the Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision department (PAVIS) in Genova. NILab is an interdisciplinary laboratory raised as joint initiative between the Centre for Information Technology of FBK and the Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences of University of Trento (CIMeC). PAVIS is a computer vision department recently created in IIT. The University of Trento ranks 1st among the Italian Universities in the rankings of Times Higher Education and CIMeC ranks 1st for quality of research in the ranking of the Italian National for the Evaluation of Universities and Research (ANVUR). CIMeC has 6 ERC starting grants and 1 advanced grant. Trento ranks 1st in the annual survey on quality of life in Italian cities conducted by daily Il Sole 24 Ore. Details on the PhD School and a link to the online application are provided below. If you are interested, you may contact us in advance at the following address: info.nilab(a)fbk.eu <mailto:info.nilab@fbk.eu> & pavis(a)iit.it <mailto:info.nilab@fbk.eu> Links - PhD School: http://ict.unitn.it <http://ict.unitn.it/> - FBK: http://www.fbk.eu <http://www.fbk.eu/> - CIMeC: http://www.cimec.unitn.it <http://www.cimec.unitn.it/> - NILab: http://nilab.fbk.eu <http://nilab.fbk.eu/> - PAVIS: http://iit.it/pavis <http://iit.it/pavis> Diego Sona --------------------------------------------------------- Pattern Analysis & Computer Vision (PAVIS) Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy Phone: +39 010 71781 819 E-mail: diego.sona(a)iit.it www.iit.it/pavis.html ---------------------------------------------------------

May 22, 2015

computational neuroscience PhD projects

by Andre Van Schaik

I am looking for highly qualified PhD students for two computational neuroscience projects in the MARCS Institute at the University of Western Sydney, Australia to start in early 2016. The first project is on Bayesian Inference in Spiking Neural Networks in which we aim to build a computer model of how Bayesian Inference can be implemented in a network of spiking neurons. The second project aims to map a functional behaviour (such as pattern learning and inference) onto a model of cortex, and implement this on our FPGA based simulator, which is able to simulate many million of neurons in real-time. More details on the projects, and a host of other available projects can be found at: http://www.uws.edu.au/bioelectronics_neuroscience/bens/postgraduate/phd_opp…. The student would need to be self funded, or successfully obtain funding through one of two funding opportunities we currently have available: The University of Western Sydney offers scholarships and fee waivers to top local and international applicants. This scheme opens on June 10 and closes on June 26, 2015. (There will be a second round in October) http://www.uws.edu.au/graduate_research_school/grs/scholarships. The Australian government offers Endeavour Scholarships. This scheme is now open and closes on June 30, 2015. https://internationaleducation.gov.au/Endeavour%20program/Scholarships-and-…. These scholarships are competitive. Applicants should have at least an Honours 1 undergraduate degree, or equivalent, excellent English language skills. Having published in peer reviewed journals and conferences, and/or being about to finish, or having finished a Masters degree with a more than 50% research component will be a significant plus for these applications. If you are interested, please contact me at a.vanschaik(a)uws.edu.au. Andre van Schaik

May 21, 2015

Postdoc position in Sleep and Cognition lab (EEG/ERP)

by Sara C. Mednick

We are seeking a postdoc researcher in Sara Mednick’s Sleep and Cognition (SaC) Lab in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. This researcher will be investigating mechanisms of memory formation during waking and sleep. Successful candidates may have any of the following skills: experience in memory or sleep research (human or animal), EEG/ERP methodologies, programming skills, applying signal processing and non-linear analysis techniques to EEG recordings. Position is available in the fall of 2015. Researchers must possess a doctoral degree. The University of California offers excellent benefits. Salary is based on research experience. The initial appointment is for 1 year with a possibility of extension. Please send your CV, statement of research interests and the names of three references or make inquires to Sara C. Mednick smednick(a)ucr.edu. -- Assistant Professor University of California, Riverside Department of Psychology Sleep and Cognition (SaC) Lab www.saramednick.com www.sleepandcognitionlab.org TEDx Talk <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MklZJprP5F0> Amandla awethu!

May 20, 2015

PhD Positions on Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics

by Giulio Sandini

9 PhD Positions (if you are truly interested in contributing to an interdisciplinary environment) Within the doctoral School on Bioengineering and Robotics the curriculum "Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies" offers interdisciplinary training at the interface between robotics and neuroscience. The general objective of the program is to form scientists and research technologists capable of dealing with multidisciplinary projects involving aspects of engineering, technology and life-sciences. The PhD themes offered this year by the "Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences" (RBCS) department of IIT (www.iit.it/rbcs<http://www.iit.it/rbcs>) are focusing on the SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF ACTION AND INTERACTION by addressing the study of the embodied and cognitive interaction between humans and machines and its technological and social outcomes. In RBCS we are merging top-level neuroscience research and top-level robotics research by sharing fundamental scientific objectives arising from the study of: * goal-directed action * speech recognition and language * the foundations of physical and social interaction * the exploitation of sensory and motor rehabilitation. RBCS is where the iCub humanoid robot is used to investigate the language of embodied, human-human and human-robot communication and it is also the place where studies of how visual, haptic and tactile integration develops in normal as well as sensory-impaired children. RBCS is where technologies for robotic rehabilitation devices are developed and tested in joint labs established in clinical environments such as the "Giannina Galsini" pediatric hospital, and the "Istituto Chiossone" for blind and low vision children in Genova, and the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) in Volterra. The ideal candidates are students with a higher level university degree willing to invest extra time and effort in blending into a multidisciplinary team composed of neuroscientists, engineers, psychologists, physicists working together to investigate brain functions and realize intelligent machines, rehabilitation protocols and advanced prosthesis. Some of the themes proposed offer the students the possibility of participating in international collaborations through EU supported exchange of researchers within dedicated Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions. Application deadline: 10 June 2015, 12pm Italian time General Scientific Information: giulio.sandini(a)iit.it<mailto:giulio.sandini@iit.it> Administrative Information: Ilaria.dallorto(a)iit.it<mailto:Ilaria.dallorto@iit.it> See below the information about individual themes. HOW TO APPLY Applications must be submitted online, instructions for applicants are available here: http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply (Cognitive Sciences, Interactive and Rehabilitation Technologies) The full description of the individual themes is available here: http://www.iit.it/images/phd-xxxi/RES.THEMES.COGNIROB.INTER.pdf) LIST OF THEMES PROPOSED BY IIT-RBCS (of the 13 themes only 9 will be assigned to the 9 best applicants) 1. ASSESSMENT OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO ENHANCE RESIDUAL SENSORY ABILITIES (Contacts: luca.brayda(a)iit.it<mailto:luca.brayda@iit.it> , fabrizio.leo(a)iit.it<mailto:fabrizio.leo@iit.it> ) 2. SIMULTANEOUS MULTIMODAL FORCE AND MOTION ESTIMATION (Contacts: francesco.nori(a)iit.it<mailto:francesco.nori@iit.it> ) 3. FAST AND ROBUST WHOLE-BODY MOTION WITH VARIABLE STIFFNESS ACTUATORS (Contacts: francesco.nori(a)iit.i<mailto:francesco.nori@iit.i> t, luca.fiorio(a)iit.it<mailto:luca.fiorio@iit.it> ) 4. SECOND-PERSON MOTOR COGNITION: HANDS IN INTERACTION (Contacts: cristina.becchio(a)unito.it<mailto:cristina.becchio@unito.it> ) 5. NEURAL AND MOTOR BASES OF SOCIAL INTERACTION (Contacts: thierry.pozzo@iit<mailto:thierry.pozzo@iit> ; alberto.inuggi(a)ii.it<mailto:alberto.inuggi@ii.it> ; alessandro.dausilio(a)iit.it<mailto:alessandro.dausilio@iit.it> ) 6. MULTISENSORY INTEGRATION AND CROSS-MODAL COMMUNICATION (Contacts: monica.gori(a)iit.it<mailto:monica.gori@iit.it> ) 7. AUGMENTED SENSORIMOTOR INTERACTION Contacts: alessandro.dausilio(a)iit.it<mailto:alessandro.dausilio@iit.it> ; leonardo.badino(a)iit.it<mailto:leonardo.badino@iit.it> ; luciano.fadiga(a)iit.it<mailto:luciano.fadiga@iit.it> ) 8. MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING IN HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION (Contact: alessandra.sciutti(a)iit.it<mailto:alessandra.sciutti@iit.it> ) 9. SPEAKING IN CONCERT (Contacts: leonardo.badino(a)iit.it<mailto:leonardo.badino@iit.it> , alessandro.dausilio(a)iit.it<mailto:alessandro.dausilio@iit.it> , luciano.fadiga(a)iit.it<mailto:luciano.fadiga@iit.it> ) 10. THE CONTROL AND REPRESENTATION OF ARTICULATED OBJECTS: INSIGHTS FROM ROBOTS (Contacts: gabriel.baud-bovy(a)iit.it<mailto:gabriel.baud-bovy@iit.it> , francesco.nori(a)iit.it<mailto:francesco.nori@iit.it> ) 11. CONTROL AND REPRESENTATION OF ARTICULATED OBJECTS: HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN SIGHTED AND BLIND ADULTS AND CHILDREN (Contacts: gabriel.baud-bovy(a)iit.it<mailto:gabriel.baud-bovy@iit.it> , monica.gori(a)iit.it<mailto:monica.gori@iit.it> ) 12. MODELING OF THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING PROPRIOCEPTION FOR REHABILITATION (Contacts: valentina.squeri(a)iit.it<mailto:valentina.squeri@iit.it> , jacopo.zenzeri(a)iit.it<mailto:jacopo.zenzeri@iit.it> ) 13. DEVELOPMENT OF A RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTING DATA SCIENCE IN AN INTERDISCIPLINARY ENVIRONMENT (Contacts: marco.jacono(a)iit.it<mailto:marco.jacono@iit.it> , elisa.molinari(a)iit.it<mailto:elisa.molinari@iit.it> , alessandro.bruchi(a)iit.it<mailto:alessandro.bruchi@iit.it> ) -- Prof. Giulio Sandini Director Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego, 30 - 16163 Genova Italy http://www.iit.it/rbcs

May 20, 2015

PhD position, University of Genoa, Italy – "Multidimensional peripersonal space sensing"

by Silvio P. Sabatini

Applications are invited for one full-time PhD studentship (with scholarship) for a period of 3 years, at the PSPC-lab of the Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and System Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, Italy. * RESEARCH THEME "Integration of motion-in-depth multi-sensory information flows in the peripersonal space". Description: While there is a growing evidence that the space immediately around the body (i.e., the peripersonal space) is coded in a distributed way across several coexisting reference frames, our knowledge of how different representations are aligned, adapt, and interact is still in its infancy. Where, when, and how does the brain implement the internal models underlying the sensorimotor transformations that guide both our actions and perceptions? Is the encoding of sensory information static, or does it change dynamically as the action unfolds? Looking for answers to these questions should help understanding how an agent should use sensing and proprioception-like signals dynamically to build sensorimotor representations of peripersonal space and self-calibrate. Within the research framework developed in the PSPC lab at DIBRIS, the goal of the project is to investigate how different cross-modal information can enable arm and hand-related actions in the peripersonal space. Specifically, the focus will be on the development of a neuromorphic cognitive system for detecting/encoding motion-in-depth multimodal information flows relative to body parts. The underlying models, besides advancing experimental predictions about neuronal activity, are expected to drive learning of meaningful interactions with the environment thus achieving fluid multi-dimensional motor control in the presence of multiple sensory channels, and with minimal a priori knowledge. Requirements: background in bioengineering, computer science, physics or related disciplines, strong interest in computational and theoretical neuroscience. The project will provide the opportunity to work on neural modeling, visual psychophysics, robotics, or a combination of them. Experimental, modeling, and theoretical approaches might be pursued with a different accent according to personal attitude. Ongoing cooperation, at international level, with research groups of different disciplines, will ensure a highly interdisciplinary and stimulating environment. The position will start on Nov 1st 2015. * HOW TO APPLY Candidates must have: - a University degree at Master level (or expect to obtain it by 31 October 2015) in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics or related disciplines - strong interest in computational neuroscience, and an open mind for interdisciplinary research. Online application is available till June 10, 2015 at 12.00 noon (Italian time). Full details on the call and the application procedure will soon be available at: http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/XXXI/ENG/ and http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply Applicants are strongly requested to contact me (silvio.sabatini(a)unige.it) providing CV and qualifications, and a description of the research interests. * WHERE DIBRIS is a unique inter-school department of the University of Genoa, bridging together researchers from the former Science and Engineering Faculties. It offers an excellent multidisciplinary, interactive and collaborative research environment combining expertise in computer vision, computational neuroscience, neuromorphic computing, robotics and mechatronics. PSPC-Lab (www.pspc.unige.it) has a long-standing expertise in visual coding and multidimensional signal representation, robot perception and computer vision. In the last five years, the lab’s research activity focused on the analysis of the structural mechanisms of visuo-spatial cognition, responsible for orienting and interacting in the 3D space. Regards, -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Silvio P. SABATINI, PhD [PSPC Research Group] Professor of Bioengineering DIBRIS - University of Genova | e_mail:silvio.sabatini@unige.it Via Opera Pia, 11A | phone: +39 010 3532092/3532794 I-16145 Genova (ITALY) | fax: +39 010 3532289/3536533 URL:http://pspc.unige.it --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Imagination is more important than knowledge..." [Albert Einstein]

May 20, 2015