- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Postdoc position on causal explanations in reinforcement learning at the University of Vienna

by Moritz Grosse-Wentrup

We have an opening for a postdoc position in the Research Group Neuroinformatics at the University of Vienna [1]. The position is funded by the CHIST-ERA project CausalXRL - Causal eXplanations in Reinforcement Learning [2]. The project aims to equip reinforcement learning agents with causal structure learning and reasoning abilities, enabling them to explore their environment more efficiently and justify their actions, e.g., in medical decision support. All work will be done in close collaboration with partners at the University of Sheffield and Inria Lille. The position is available for three years, with an earliest (but reasonably flexible) starting date on July 1st. Salary is according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for university staff at the University of Vienna (job group B1 100% [3]). Our ideal candidate would have * a background in computer science or mathematics, * recently finished their Ph.D. on reinforcement learning or causality, * published first-author papers at internationally recognized machine learning conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, UAI, ECML) or in prominent journals. We will consider all applicants with a strong track record in machine learning or artificial intelligence. We strive to be a heterogeneous research team and particularly welcome applications by women, transgender and intersex candidates, people of colour, disabled applicants and candidates from other underrepresented groups. Disabled applicants will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants. Your application should include a cover letter, a CV, relevant transcripts, and contact information of at least two referees. Please submit your application documents (as one PDF file) to fsg.neuroinformatics(a)univie.ac.at. We will begin screening applications on May 17th. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. Our offices are in downtown Vienna, which has been ranked the most liveable city globally for two years in a row [4]. The University of Vienna is one of Europe's largest universities (with >90k students) and has a vibrant research community. If you have any questions before applying, please contact me at moritz.grosse-wentrup(a)univie.ac.at! 1. https://ni.cs.univie.ac.at/ 2. https://www.chistera.eu/projects/causalxrl 3. https://personalwesen.univie.ac.at/en/jobs-recruiting/job-center/salary-sch… 4. https://www.eiu.com/topic/liveability -- Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Research Group Neuroinformatics Faculty of Computer Science University of Vienna Hörlgasse 6, A-1090 Wien, Austria moritz.grosse-wentrup(a)univie.ac.at +43-1-4277-79610 http://neural.engineering/

April 26, 2021

FINAL call to register for neuroscience workshops!

by Mary

With just 2 weeks to go, this is the final call for participants to register for upcoming neuroscience online courses, organized by ScienceBeam Academy, as described below: 1) “Deep Dive into Event Related Potentials (ERPs) Technique” Online Course Prospective overview of the sessions: 1. Basics of EEG signal and EEG recordings ➢ Overview of the theory behind neural signals (History) ➢ Generation and Propagation of ERP and EEG ➢ Different EEG Recording Systems with its specifics (Amplifier, Electrodes etc.) ➢ 10/20 Electrode System, Reference, Montages, Impedance, etc. ➢ Brain Rhythms and Cognition (Based on Clinical and Research Studies) 2. Basics of ERP Components ➢ ERP Components (MMN, P300, N400, N170, VPP, CNV, Sensory ERP Components, etc.) ➢ Difference Wave, Forward-Inverse Problem ➢ Challenges in ERP Source Localization ➢ Peaks and Components 3. EEG-ERP Prepossessing with Various Preprocessing Pipelines ➢ Basic Principles and Challenges ➢ Filtering, Baseline Correction, Interpolation, Artifact Rejection and Correction, Re-referencing, ICA etc. ➢ Pipelines: MAKATO, HAPPE, BEAP and etc. 4. Experimental Design ➢ Principles of Experimental design for ERP in Clinical and Research Settings ➢ Significance of Measurement Window ➢ Common Design Problems and Solutions ➢ Case Studies on research articles with good and bad design 5. Basic Analysis ➢ Quantifying ERP Amplitudes and Latencies ➢ Introduction to the Analysis tool boxes (EEGLAB, ERPLAB) ➢ FFT, Time Frequency Analysis 6. Common Mistakes (in lack of parameters) ➢ Overlapping ➢ Filtering ➢ Epoching ➢ Baseline Correction ➢ Measurement Window • Instructor: Mrs. Pragati Gupta, M.Sc. in Neuro-psychology from Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, India and a Student Member at Indian Academy of Neuroscience • Course Length: 7-sessions online course • Introductory webinar: https://sciencebeam.com/erplab-webinar/ • Registration: https://sciencebeam.com/pragati-gupta-course/ o Deadline: May 5, 2021 2) “Modeling Electrophysiological Activities: From Single Neuron to Nervous Tissue” Online Course. Theoretical and experimental hands-on course including lab sessions, in which you will learn about extracellular recording from rat models and also working with single-unit and Local Field Potential (LFP) data. Prospective overview of the sessions: 1. Session 1: ➢ Systems and complex system in neurosciences ➢ Origins of electrophysiological signals and measurements ➢ Electrophysiology and relevant features for computational modeling: o Membrane potential o Raster plot o Local field potential 2. Session 2: ➢ Understanding the time evolution of the electrophysiological signals from a dynamical systems point of view. ➢ Introduction to dynamical systems for neurosciences: o Differential equations o Phase space representation o Stability and domain of attraction ➢ Unidimensional and bidimensional models o Dynamics of integrate-and-fire models o Repertoire of 2 D models o Reduction of Hodgkin-Huxley model 3. Session 3: ➢ 2D and Higher dimensions models: o Particular role of the reset o Possibility of chaos ➢ Models of synapses ➢ Limits of models: o Biophysical and mechanistic description o Phenomenology ➢ Introduction to the first lab session (with Brian2 simulator) 4. Session 4: ➢ First Lab Session: o Repertoire of electrophysiological patterns o Models of networks o Global measure on simulations 5. Session 5: ➢ Second lab session: o analysis of the results o relations to the data ➢ Conclusive discussion • Instructor: Dr. Damien Depannmaecker, Post-Doc researcher at Department of Integrative and Computational Neuroscience, Paris Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, France • Course Length: 5-sessions hands-on online course • Introductory webinar: https://sciencebeam.com/modeling-electrophysiological-activities/ • Registration: https://sciencebeam.com/online-course-modeling-electrophysiological-activit… o Deadline: May 20, 2021 If you require any further information, feel free to contact us: workshop(a)sciencebeam.com

April 26, 2021

EBRAINS Training on Model Validation (May 4 - 7) - Extended Deadline

by Shailesh Appukuttan

*EBRAINS Training on Model Validation* *4–7 May 2021* https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ The HBP Education Programme is organising a training on Model Validation. This training will guide modellers and experimentalists in model validation (comparing simulation results to experimental data) using the EBRAINS Model Validation Framework. The training will take place *virtually* over 4 days. Participation in the Training is open to the entire student and researchers community, regardless of whether they are affiliated with the HBP or not. We encourage young scientists to register and aim at an equal gender representation. For a quick overview of the EBRAINS Model Validation Framework, check this short video: *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEq-McLHxD4 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEq-McLHxD4>* There are two parts to the workshop: - *Part 1: **May 4th, 5th* *talks, demos, hands-on tutorials* Deadline for application: *30 April (Friday) 2021* - *Part 2 (optional): **May 6th, 7th* *working on own projects* Deadline for application: *28 April (Wednesday) 2021* *Registration is free of charge for everyone. Visit:* https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ Applicants are allowed to register for only Part (1), in which case they are not required to submit the abstract (mentioned below). *Call for Submissions (for Part 2):* *For the 2nd part of the training,* we invite interested researchers to bring their own models and to send us a short abstract, describing your model. The abstracts should include: • A short description of your model • Simulators/tools used for developing and simulating models • Overview of validation(s) you wish to implement during the training (specify at least one validation test), along with target (experimental) reference data • If you have already some questions or comments, you are welcome to mention them • If your model is already published, please include references at the end of the abstract Please send your abstract latest until *30 April 2021 (Friday), 5pm (CET)* to training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Further information on abstract submission and registration: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ For any further questions, please contact training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Cheers, Shailesh Appukuttan

April 26, 2021

Fully funded PhD Position Panzeri Lab- Computational approaches to study the neural code

by Stefano Panzeri

*Fully funded PhD Position Panzeri Lab - Computational approaches to study the neural code* I am seeking candidates for a PhD position fully funded (including a full stipend) for 4 years in my laboratory. The PhD project can focus on any of the research topics about neural information processing that are of interest to both the candidate and my lab, including: developing mathematical analysis methods and neural network models for studying large scale neural population coding during cognitive tasks, for studying the neural bases of sensory perception and decision making, for linking functional to anatomical connectivity with cellular resolution at the neural population level, and for determining the best theoretical framework to combine recording of neural activity (calcium imaging, electrophysiology, EEG) and intervention on it (optogenetics, TMS). My computational neuroscience lab has developed long-term collaboration with many experimental laboratories including Christopher Harvey (Harvard Medical School), Tobias Donner (UKE), Tommaso Fellin (IIT), Mathew Diamond (SISSA), Alex Thiele (Newcastle), Cristina Becchio (IIT), Alessandro Gozzi (IIT), Mike Lombardo (IIT) and others. The PhD project will likely involve collaborations with one or more experimental lab. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in numerate sciences, and have a strong propensity for interdisciplinary research. No extensive previous experience in neuroscience is needed. However, a keen interest in understanding the brain is essential. The deadline for the formal application is set to *May 21th 2021*, but quite a bit of paperwork is needed. Thus, interested candidates are invited to contact me informally by email (*stefano.panzeri(a)gmail.com <stefano.panzeri(a)gmail.com>*) *as soon as possible,* by attaching their CV and briefly explaining their interest in this position, to initiate discussion about potential PhD projects of interest and to discuss the details of the formal application process. For recent representative publications please see: Runyan, C.A., Piasini, E., Panzeri, S., and Harvey, C.D. (2017). Distinct timescales of population coding across cortex. *Nature* 548, 92-96. Panzeri S., Harvey, C.D. Piasini, E., Latham, P.E. , Fellin, T. (2017) Cracking the neural code for sensory perception by combining statistics, intervention and behaviour. *Neuron* 93: 491-507 G. Pica, E. Piasini, H. Safaai, C.A. Runyan, M.E. Diamond, T. Fellin, C. Kayser, C.D. Harvey, S. Panzeri, (2017) Quantifying how much sensory information in a neural code is relevant for behavior, *Neural Information Processing Systems* (NIPS) 30, 2017, available online H. Safaai, A. Onken, C.D. Harvey, S. Panzeri (2018) Information estimation using nonparametric copulas. *Phys. Rev. E* 98, 053302 E. Chong, M. Moroni, S. Shoham, S. Panzeri, D. Rinberg (2020) Manipulating synthetic optogenetic odors reveals the coding logic of olfactory perception. *Science* 368, 1329. S. Pashkovski, G. Iurilli, D. Brann, D. Chicharro, K. Drummey, K. Franks, S. Panzeri, S.R. Datta (2020). Structure and flexibility in cortical representations of odour space. *Nature*: 583: 253-258 doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2451-1 J-F Patri, A. Cavallo, K. Pullar, M. Soriano, M. Valente, A. Koul, A. Avenanti, S. Panzeri*, C. Becchio* (2020) Transient disruption of the inferior parietal lobule impairs the ability to attribute intention to action. *Current Biology* 30: 4594-4605 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.104 S. Trakoshis, P. Martínez-Cañada, … A. Gozzi, S. Panzeri, and M.V. Lombardo (2020) Intrinsic excitation-inhibition imbalance affects medial prefrontal cortex differently in autistic men versus women. eLIFE 9: e55684. doi.org/10.7554/eLife.55684 D. Ferro, J. van Kempen, M. Boyd, S. Panzeri*, A. Thiele* (2021) Directed information exchange between cortical layers in macaque V1 and V4 and its modulation by selective attention. *PNAS* 118 (12), e2022097118, doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2022097118 Valente, A., Pica, G., Bondanelli, G., Moroni, M., Runyan, C.A., Morcos, A., Harvey, C.D., and Panzeri, S. (2021). Correlations enhance the behavioral readout of neural population activity in association cortex. *Nature Neuroscience*, in press, early preprint available at: https://t.co/QJ3aHlTFad Stefano Panzeri

April 25, 2021

NIH BRAIN postdoc: Computational neuroscience, machine learning & vision

by Michael Beyeler

Assistant Professor Michael Beyeler and his Bionic Vision Lab ( https://bionicvisionlab.org) at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) invite applications for a fully funded postdoctoral position at the intersection of computational neuroscience and machine learning. Funded by the NIH BRAIN Initiative, the goal of this project is to determine how the mouse brain extracts relevant visual features from the rich, dynamic visual input that typifies active exploration, and to investigate how the neural representations of these features can support visual navigation. Under the guidance of Michael Beyeler, and in consultation with Bing Brunton (University of Washington), the role of the candidate is to perform data-driven statistical analyses and develop (deep) predictive models of brain activity based on visual input and several behavioral variables. The data includes one-of-a-kind measures of neural activity in mice navigating through real-world and virtual environments, collected using 2-photon imaging and electrophysiology by our collaborators Spencer Smith (UCSB), Michael Goard (UCSB), and Cris Niell (University of Oregon). This is an opportunity to work on an impactful real-world problem within a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative environment. The successful candidate should have a strong quantitative background with a PhD in computer science, computational neuroscience, cognitive sciences, statistics, or a closely related field. To work effectively in this highly collaborative environment, superior communication, language, and writing skills are required. Expertise in programming and statistical analysis is required as well; previous background in vision, neuroscience or deep learning would be highly beneficial. Candidates should send their CV, expected date of availability, and contact information for 2-3 references to Michael Beyeler (mbeyeler(a)ucsb.edu) Further information: - Position Title: Postdoctoral Fellow - Job Duration: 2 years, full-time - Start Date: asap / negotiable - Required Travel: 0-10% (possibility of interning with our collaborators) -- Michael Beyeler Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences University of California, Santa Barbara bionicvisionlab.org

April 23, 2021

SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting: Tuesday, April 27th by C. Ann Duan

by Laura Long

The Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB) hosts postdoc/student meetings to bring together trainees interested in neural coding and dynamics to discuss ideas and data. In addition to regional meetings in New York, Boston, and the Bay Area, SCGB holds a Global virtual series to connect systems and computational neuroscientists across the world. We would love to see you at this month's Global meeting! Please see event details and Zoom link below. SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-146… Tuesday, April 27th, 9am Eastern Time https://simonsfoundation.zoom.us/j/93633603374?pwd=LytrcVp6MWlPY1dkb2UvbUJW… Passcode: 989252 C. Ann Duan SCGB Postdoctoral Fellow, Chinese Academy of Sciences Incoming Group Leader, Sainsbury Wellcome Centre *Cortical and collicular contributions to decision making in rats and mice* A central goal of behavioral neuroscience is to expose general principles of neural computation that give rise to cognition. Until recently, cognitive functions were thought to mainly rely on cortical areas such as the frontal cortex, while “old” subcortical areas, such as the midbrain superior colliculus (SC), have mostly been associated with sensorimotor processing. Based on these earlier work, we expected the SC to be passively inhibited while animals avoided unwanted reflexive actions. We were surprised to find that the SC played an active and pivotal role in suppressing context-inappropriate behaviors. Since then, my research has focused on understanding how the SC, in coordination with cortex, implements flexible decision making. My talk will cover work in two different decision-making tasks: flexible sensorimotor routing in freely-moving rats and motor planning in head-fixed mice. Using electrophysiology, optogenetics, pathway-specific two-photon calcium imaging, and computational modeling, we found that the SC is particularly important during the memory period in both tasks, when the context information or motor planning signals need to be maintained in the brain in the absence of sensory input and motor output. The participation of SC seems to increase as cognitive demand increases in both behaviors. Together, our experimental and computational work reveal the SC as a key node in the distributed cortico-subcortical network underlying flexible behaviors, and make surprising predictions for how decision making is implemented in brain circuits. *Please note that this meeting is open to all neuroscience postdocs and PhD students, regardless of location or SCGB affiliation (sorry, no PIs). *After Q&A with the speaker, we will open breakout rooms for anyone interested in staying to chat, network, or further discuss the talk. In addition to these breakouts, SCGB Scientific Staff will be available for "office hours" to chat and answer questions about SCGB programs and support. Registration on EventBrite is encouraged but not required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-146… Please contact Laura Long at llong(a)simonsfoundation.org with any questions.

April 22, 2021

Postdoc / Research Fellow positions - Prague, Czech Republic - Institute of Computer Science CAS

by pokornam

POSTDOC / RESEARCH FELLOW POSITION IN BRAIN SIGNAL PROCESSING: VISUAL INFORMATION FLOWS is available to join the Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics group [1] for the project: "Timing of the spatial scene processing in the dorsal and ventral visual stream of the human brain" funded by the Czech Science Foundation. More information and application at: HTTPS://WWW.CS.CAS.CZ/JOB-OFFER/IEEG-POSTDOC-POSITIONS-HLINKA2/EN ___ POSTDOC /RESEARCH FELLOW POSITION IN COMPLEX NETWORK ANALYSIS: CRITICAL EVENTS DETECTION is available to join the Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics group [1] for the project: “MODELLING AND ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS FOR SAFETY OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES“ as part of the National Center of Competence - Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence funded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, and related projects. More information and application at: HTTPS://WWW.CS.CAS.CZ/JOB-OFFER/NCK-POSTDOC-POSITIONS-HLINKA1/EN Institute of Computer Science Czech Academy of Sciences Pod Vodarenskou vezi 2 Prague 8, 182 07, Czech Republic Links: ------ [1] http://cobra.cs.cas.cz/

April 22, 2021

12 PhD fellowships in Neuroscience at Unipd

by Samir Suweis

The Padova Neuroscience Center (http://pnc.unipd.it/ <http://pnc.unipd.it/>) is delighted to announce its second call for at least 12 fully funded PhD fellowships in Neuroscience at the University of Padova. The multidisciplinary PhD program includes research lines and methods from Multimodal Imaging, Molecular-Cellular-System, Cognitive-Affective-Behavioral, Translational-Clinical and Computational Neuroscience. The time-frame for the application is 8th of April-12th of May 2021 (at 1 pm). The details for the application are published at http://pnc.unipd.it/admission/ <http://pnc.unipd.it/admission/>. Interested candidates can also contact us (pnc.generalinfo(a)gmail.com <mailto:pnc.generalinfo@gmail.com>) for further information. Please forward this message to collaborators and students. Thanks **** Padova University <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6ksrtGO-aI> is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe - established in 1222. The University of Padova invests significantly in research activities and projects. Padova, is a small and beautiful town, shaped around the University <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHz98-ERwTs&t=243s>. Low living costs, great food, and you can bike everywhere! Samir Suweis, Ph.D. - - - - - - - - Assistant Professor, LIPh Lab - www.liphlab.com <http://www.liphlab.com/>, Physics & Astronomy Dept. Padova Neuroscience Center University of Padova Tel: +39 049 827 71 74 @SamirSuweis https://suweis.github.io/ <https://suweis.github.io/> Why don't you join the next generation publishing experiment with "Peer Community In" - publish and read at no cost and inject more money into research! Check us out @ https://peercommunityin.org <https://peercommunityin.org/> https://youtu.be/4PZhpnc8wwo <https://youtu.be/4PZhpnc8wwo> @PeerCommunityIn

April 22, 2021

FENS Regional Meeting 2021 - August 25-27 - ONLINE

by Michał Zaręba

*On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to invite you to participate in this year's FENS Regional Meeting (FRM), which takes place online on August 25-27, 2021. Abstracts can be submitted until May 10.* The FRM 2021 <https://fensfrm2021.pl/en> is organized jointly by the Polish Neuroscience Society (PNS) and the Lithuanian Neuroscience Association (LNA) under the auspices and with support from the Federation of the European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), and also with support from the International Brain Research Organization Pan-Europe Regional Committee (IBRO PERC). The FRM 2021 original city venue was Krakow, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Organizing Committee decided to hold the event on-line to ensure all attendees may meet safely. The conference will present the latest developments in neuroscience research and host panel discussions on topics ranging from directions for future development to diversity issues in the academia. The presidential and keynotes lecture of the meeting will be given by: - *Wolfram Schultz *(University of Cambridge, United Kingdom) - *Fiona Doetsch *(University of Basel, Switzerland) - *Virginijus Šikšnys* (Vilnius University, Lithuania) - *Naomi Anne Fineberg* (University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom) - *Jürgen Knoblich* (Institute of Molecular Biotechnology OAW, Vienna, Austria) - *Riita Hari* (Aalto University, Helsinki, Finnland) - *Arturas Petronis *(Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada) - *Amita Sehgal *(University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA) - *Gábor Nyiri *(Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary) More information regarding the conference can be found on the website. <https://fensfrm2021.pl/en>

April 21, 2021

postdoc on psychophysics and modelling of perceptual inference (CRM, Barcelona)

by Alexandre Hyafil

A postdoc position is available under the supervision of Alexandre Hyafil in the group of Computational Neuroscience at the *Center for Research in Mathematics (CRM),* Barcelona, Spain ( http://www.crm.cat/research-group/5/computational-neuroscience/ <http://www.crm.cat/en/Research/ResearchGroups/Neuroscience/Pages/default.as…>). The project will combine modelling and psychophysics (possibly neuroimaging) to study the computational mechanisms underlying human perception. The candidate will benefit from the stimulating environment of Barcelona area in Theoretical and Systems Neuroscience and will have the opportunity of enjoying a lively city (should the pandemics permit). Our lab forms part of a larger interacting network of neuroscience labs in Barcelona ( http://www.barccsyn.org) Candidates should have a PhD in computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience or a related field. Prior experience with psychophysics, neuroimaging, machine learning and/or computational modelling will be valued. Financial support is provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science. Initial appointment: two years. *APPLICATION:* Send a curriculum and motivation letter with a list of two contacts for recommendation letter to alexandre.hyafil(a)gmail.com. Informal enquiries are welcome. *DEADLINE:* until the position is filled

April 21, 2021