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Postdoc and PhD positions on Biological Deep Learning
by Walter Senn Feb. 22, 2020

Feb. 22, 2020

Dear all A postdoc and two PhD positions devoted to the modeling of learning in deep cortical networks are available in our Computational Neuroscience labs at the University of Bern, Switzerland. Our research is focused on biologically realistic models of spatio-temporal processing in recurrent cortical networks and their relation to reinforcement learning, Bayesian computing, learning to learn, and neuromorphic implementations. The positions are part of the European Human Brain Project and are available from April 1st, 2020, for 3 years (extendable through other funding). We offer a stimulating environment with three research groups in theoretical and computational neuroscience, along with experimental neuroscience at the same Department of Physiology (physio.unibe.ch/gruppen.aspx <http://physio.unibe.ch/gruppen.aspx>), as well as close collaboration with other labs in neuroscience, artificial intelligence and neuromorphic engineering. Ideal candidates should have a strong background in computational neuroscience, machine learning, applied mathematics and/or physics. Please send your CV, publication list, letter of motivation and contact information for at least two references to Walter Senn (walter.senn(a)pyl.unibe.ch <mailto:walter.senn@pyl.unibe.ch>) and Mihai Petrovici (mihai.petrovici(a)pyl.unibe.ch <mailto:mihai.petrovici@pyl.unibe.ch>), with cc to Sabine Herzog (sabine.herzog(a)pyl.unibe.ch <mailto:sabine.herzog@pyl.unibe.ch>). The first evaluation round will begin on March 23rd, 2020. The positions will remain open until filled. With best regards, Mihai Petrovici and Walter Senn

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Postdoc fellowship in parallel computing and neural simulation at Chemnitz University of Technology
by Julien Vitay Feb. 21, 2020

Feb. 21, 2020

Apologies for cross-posting ******************************* A PostDoc position is available at Chemnitz University of Technology in the Department of Computer Science within the Professorship of Artificial Intelligence. He or she should have a Ph.D. in computer science or related fields. Exceptionally, we can also consider Ph.D. candidates in case of extremely good qualifications. The candidate is expected to contribute to research in auto-tuning mechanisms on different hardware platforms to implement biologically inspired neural networks. Thus, a very good experience in parallel computing is absolutely required. Further, the candidate should have an interest in computational neuroscience, particularly at the implementation level of large-scale neural networks. Prior experience with neural simulation tools, e.g. ANNarchy (Vitay, Dinkelbach, Hamker, 2015), NEST or Brian, is advantageous. Good English language skills are necessary. German is initially not required. Funding is obtained from a research project “Auto-tuning for neural simulations on different parallel hardware" from the German research foundation (DFG), coordinated by Dr. Vitay and Prof. Dr. Hamker. The salary is according to German standards (E 13 TV-L). An association with the CRC 1410 Hybrid Societies (https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/hybrid-societies/) is conceivable. The position is initially until 30.06.2021, but extensions are possible. The starting date is May 2020 or soon thereafter. Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the state of Saxony and close to scenic mountains. Major cities nearby are Leipzig and Dresden with a rich tradition of music and culture. Applications should be sent by email (preferably in PDF format) to ( fred.hamker(a)informatik.tu-chemnitz.de) The deadline is on 15.03.2020, but applications will be considered until the position is filled. In addition to a CV, the candidate should provide a detailed description of his/her experience in parallel computing. References: Vitay, J., Dinkelbach, H. U., Hamker, F. H. (2015), ANNarchy: a code generation approach to neural simulations on parallel hardware, Frontiers in Neuroinformatics , 9, 19, doi:10.3389/fninf.2015.00019 -- Professur Künstliche Intelligenz Fakultät für Informatik Technische Universität Chemnitz Straße der Nationen 62 | R. 1/348 (neu: A12.348) 09111 Chemnitz Germany Tel: +49 371 531-39468 Fax: +49 371 531-839468 www.tu-chemnitz.de/~vitay

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Nottingham DTC in AI, PhD positions
by Mark van Rossum Feb. 20, 2020

Feb. 20, 2020

Dear all Applications are invited from UK/EU students for a number of fully-funded PhD studentships in the first cohort of the Nottingham Doctoral Training Centre in Artificial Intelligence, based within the School of Computer Science at the University of Nottingham, starting in autumn 2020. These studentships will start on 1 October 2020 and will be four years in duration. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/SCI1934 A full list of topics that applicants are asked to rank in terms of interest is listed here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/computerscience/studywithus/postgraduateresear… Deadline is very fast: 28 Feb. We might run a second round of recruitment in April/May. This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

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Two postdoctoral positions Essex Brain-Computer Interfaces and Neural Engineering Laboratory
by Poli, Riccardo Feb. 19, 2020

Feb. 19, 2020

Hi, The Brain-Computer Interfaces and Neural Engineering laboratory of the University of Essex is happy to announce two<https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?…> postdoctoral positions<https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?…> in the $5M project "Adaptive joint cognitive systems for complex and strategic decision making: building trust in human-machine teams through brain-computer-interface augmentation, social interaction and mutual learning". The project is supported by the Bilateral Academic Research Initiative (BARI) programme which is jointly funded by the US Department of Defense and the UK Ministry of Defence. The project is in partnership with the University of Oxford, the University of Southern California, the University of California Berkeley, Harvard Medical School and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The Essex part of the project covers the following areas: * Neural and behavioural correlates of metacognition, trust, conformity, errors and low-confidence judgements; Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI); decoding mental states associated with decision-making processes; signal processing and extraction of information from EEG and other physiological signals. * Behavioural, physiological and neural markers of effective group cooperation; effects of different levels and forms of social interaction on group performance; team and teamwork performance indicators; integrating team-member decisions; optimally communicating group decisions and states. * Reinforcement and interpretable machine learning; predictive uncertainty; surrogate ground truth. Duties will include: designing and implementing software for the execution of experiments with audio-visual and textual stimulation; researching and developing robust algorithms for signal processing, statistical inference and extraction of information from EEG and other physiological signals; and producing high-quality journal and conference papers and presentations. Please, feel free to contact me for any questions. I am the PI of the project. Many thanks Riccardo -- -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof Riccardo Poli E-mail: rpoli(a)essex.ac.uk<mailto:rpoli@essex.ac.uk> School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering University of Essex Telephone: (01206) 872338 Wivenhoe Park Facsimile: (01206) 872788 Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK http://csee.essex.ac.uk/staff/rpoli/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------

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Two postdoctoral positions in cellular electrophysiology and neurobiology at SISSA, Italy
by Michele Giugliano Feb. 19, 2020

Feb. 19, 2020

Apologies for cross posting Two postdoctoral positions in cellular electrophysiology and neurobiology ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two postdoctoral positions are available immediately at the Neuroscience Area of SISSA - the International School for Advanced Studies, in the lab of Neuronal Dynamics head by Dr. Michele GIUGLIANO. Both positions are funded for up to 38 months each, on a newly funded EC-Horizon 2020 project called "Ionic Neuromodulation For Epilepsy Treatment (IN-FET)". This project combines neurobiology, nanotechnologies, electrochemistry, and electronics together towards a novel breakthrough technology in brain modulation. At SISSA, we aim at experimentally validating novel routes for cellular and microcircuit stimulation or suppression, in collaboration with a consortium of partners which includes IBM Research Zurich, the University of Geneva, the University of Sheffield, and the Inter-university consortium for Nanoelectronics. We thus search for experts in in vitro electrophysiology (substrate-integrated microelectrode arrays) and patch-clamp recordings (dissociated cell cultures, acute and organotypic brain tissue slices) with a strong background in quantitative data analysis and an interest for interdisciplinary research. The deadline for the application is 19/03/2020 and the link to apply is https://pica.cineca.it/sissa/ar-fe-neur-17-2020/ <https://pica.cineca.it/sissa/ar-fe-neur-17-2020/> More information at: https://www.sissa.it/bandi/selezione-pubblica-titoli-colloquio-conferimento… <https://www.sissa.it/bandi/selezione-pubblica-titoli-colloquio-conferimento…> For any scientific information, email to michele.giugliano(a)sissa.it <mailto:michele.giugliano@sissa.it> For any administrative information, email to assegniricerca(a)sissa.it <mailto:assegniricerca@sissa.it>

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Neural coding in high dimensional, nonlinear systems workshop in Paris
by Trang-Anh Nghiem Feb. 19, 2020

Feb. 19, 2020

Dear Colleagues, We are delighted to announce that our workshop on *neural coding in high dimensional, nonlinear systems* will be held on *March 24th-25 2020*. The event is organised by the European Institute for Theoretical Neuroscience (EITN) and will take place at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) on the Île Saint-Louis in central Paris. *Conference abstract* In this workshop we address mechanisms by which brains encode information. We will discuss how neurons - leaky, stochastic channels - interact nonlinearly to entrain synchrony and resonance phenomena thereby reducing dimensionality in dynamics of the cell assemblies coding particular representations. From unconscious to conscious brain states, spontaneous neural signals increase in dimensionality. Since neural codes likely lie on low dimensional manifolds, we explore collapses in dimensionality within encoding networks as mechanisms supporting neural information specifically in conscious states. We aim to bring together researchers in neuroscience, mathematics, physics, and computer science to explore substrates promoting self-organization of neural dynamics, toward a robust understanding of neural codes important for reverse engineering next generation biomimetic computing architectures. *Confirmed speakers*- Mallory Carlu (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) - Damien Depannemaecker (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) - Alain Destexhe (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) - Leon Glass (McGill University) - Jennifer Goldman (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) - Julie Grollier (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Thales) - Hermann Haken (Universität Stuttgart) - Vincent Hakim (Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris) - Viktor Jirsa (Aix-Marseille University) - Trang-Anh Nghiem (Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris) - Maris Ozols (University of Amsterdam) - Wolf Singer (Ernst Strüngmann Institute, Max Planck Society) - David Ruelle (Paris-Saclay University) - Núria Tort-Colet (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) - Sacha van Albada (Forschungszentrum Jülich) *Attendance is free but registration is mandatory due to a limited number of seats. To apply for registration, please visit the conference website*: https://neuralcoding.sciencesconf.org/. Looking forward, Best wishes, The organisers: Jennifer S. Goldman, Trang-Anh E. Nghiem, Alain Destexhe, Wolf Singer, with the support of the Paris IAS

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CAMP@Bangalore 2020 Course Announcement
by U.S.Bhalla Feb. 19, 2020

Feb. 19, 2020

Dear Colleagues, We would like to announce CAMP@Bangalore 2020 from 29 June 2020 to 14 July 2020. CAMP (Computational Approaches to Memory and Plasticity at NCBS, Bangalore) is a 16-day summer school where students will be trained in theoretical and computational modeling, pertaining to memory and plasticity in the brain, spanning different scales of space, time and complexity. This flavor of CAMP will focus on — Hippocampus beyond Space, and Dimensionality & Manifolds. The course will have lectures, hands-on tutorials, and project work to launch students into the exciting field of computational neuroscience. The course is supported by the Simons Foundation. Students worldwide are encouraged to apply. Accommodation and food will be free for the selected students. There is no registration fee. Students are advised to obtain independent travel grants. Application deadline: 5 March 2020. Referee letters must reach by 7 March 2020 Speakers: Aaron Batista, University of Pittsburgh, USA Alessandro Treves, SISSA, Italy Collins Assisi, IISER Pune, India Kishore Kuchibhotla, Johns Hopkins University, USA Marianne Fyhn, University of Oslo, Norway Marlene Bartos, University of Freiburg, Germany Sachin Deshmukh, IISc Bangalore, India Srdjan Ostojic, ENS Paris, France Suhita Nadkarni, IISER Pune, India Taro Toyoijumi, RIKEN, Japan Torkel Hafting, University of Oslo, Norway Visit the course website http://camp.ncbs.res.in/ for more details about the course and previous CAMPs. Course Organizers: Arvind Kumar (KTH Stockholm) Rishikesh Narayanan (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore) Upinder Bhalla (National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore) Best, Organizers CAMP 2020 Course http://camp.ncbs.res.in/

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DENDRITES 2020: Call for Abstracts extended to Feb. 22nd, 2020
by Yiota Poirazi Feb. 19, 2020

Feb. 19, 2020

Dear friends and colleagues, in response to multiple requests, the deadline for abstract submission to DENDRITES 2020 has been extended to February 22nd. Few spots are available for oral presentations by young students/postdocs, to be based on selected abstracts. DENDRITES 2020 EMBO Workshop on Dendritic Anatomy, Molecules and Function Heraklion, Crete, Greece 27-30 June 2020 http://meetings.embo.org/event/20-dendrites We look forward to welcoming you to Heraklion for another exciting meeting on dendrites and beyond! on behalf of the organizers, Yiota Poirazi -------- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385, GR 70013, Heraklion, Crete GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 Εmail: poirazi(a)imbb.forth.gr Lab site: www.dendrites.gr

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Swartz postdoc in theoretical neuroscience at Harvard
by Blum, Kenneth I. Feb. 18, 2020

Feb. 18, 2020

The Swartz Program at Harvard University seeks applicants for a postdoctoral fellow in theoretical and computational neuroscience. Based on a grant from the Swartz Foundation<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.theswartzfoundation…>, a Swartz postdoctoral fellowship is available at Harvard University with a start date in 2020. Postdocs join a vibrant group of experimental and theoretical neuroscientists at Harvard's Center for Brain Science. The Center for Brain Science includes junior and senior faculty doing research on a wide variety of topics, including neural mechanisms of rodent learning, decision-making, and sex-specific and social behaviors; reinforcement learning in rodents and humans; human motor control; behavioral and fMRI studies of human cognition; circuit mechanisms of learning and behavior in worms, larval flies, and larval zebrafish; circuit mechanisms of individual differences in flies and humans; rodent and fly olfaction; inhibitory circuit development; retinal circuits; and large-scale reconstruction of detailed brain circuitry. Interested applicants should immediately send a CV, statement of research interests, and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to Haim Sompolinsky (haim(a)fiz.huji.ac.il<mailto:haim@fiz.huji.ac.il>), Kenneth Blum (kenneth_blum(a)harvard.edu<mailto:kenneth_blum@harvard.edu>), Sam Gershman (gershman(a)fas.harvard.edu<mailto:gershman@fas.harvard.edu>), or Cengiz Pehlevan (cpehlevan(a)seas.harvard.edu<mailto:cpehlevan@seas.harvard.edu>). Applications should have “Swartz Fellowship” in the subject line. Harvard University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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[meetings] [LM2020] Living Machines 2020 - Second call for papers
by Vicky Vouloutsi Feb. 18, 2020

Feb. 18, 2020

Dear colleagues, Please find below the second call for papers, satellite events, and sponsors for the 9th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems of Living Machines, 28th-31st of July 2020. Apologies for cross-posting but please share this announcement with your colleagues. Looking forward to seeing you in Freiburg, Germany! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Second Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors* *Living Machines. The 9th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems* * 28 – 31 July 2020* To be hosted at the Botanical Garden of Freiburg and the Cluster of Excellence livMatS at the University of Freiburg, Germany Accepted papers will be published in *Springer Lecturer Notes in Artificial Intelligence* *Submission deadline: March 23, 2020* http://livingmachinesconference.eu/2020 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *ABOUT LIVING MACHINES 2020* The development of future real-world technologies will depend strongly on our understanding and harnessing of the principles underlying living systems and the flow of communication signals between living and artificial systems. *Biomimetics* is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of principles from the study of biological systems. The investigation of biomimetic systems can serve two complementary goals. First, a suitably designed and configured biomimetic artefact can be used to test theories about the natural system of interest. Second, biomimetic technologies can provide useful, elegant and efficient solutions to unsolved challenges in science and engineering. *Biohybrid* systems are formed by combining at least one biological component—an existing living system—and at least one artificial, newly-engineered component. By passing information in one or both directions, such a system forms a new hybrid bio-artificial entity. The theme of the conference also encompasses biomimetic methods for manufacture, repair, and recycling inspired by natural processes such as reproduction, digestion, morphogenesis, and metamorphosis. The following are some examples of “Living Machines” as featured at past conferences: * Biomimetic robots and their component technologies (sensors, actuators, processors) that can intelligently interact with their environments. * Biomimetic computers—neuromimetic emulations of the physiological basis for intelligent behavior. * Active biomimetic materials and structures that self-organize and self-repair or show other bio-inspired functions. * Nature-inspired designs and manufacturing processes. * Biohybrid brain-machine interfaces and neural implants. * Artificial organs and body-parts including sensory organ-chip hybrids and intelligent prostheses. * Organism-level biohybrids such as robot-animal or robot-human systems. *ACTIVITIES* The main conference will take the form of a *three-day single-track oral* and *poster presentation program*, *28th July to 31st July 2020*, and will be hosted at the Botanical Garden of Freiburg by the University of Freiburg, Germany, and the Cluster of Excellence “Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS)” (www.livmats.uni-freiburg.de<http://www.livmats.uni-freiburg.de/>). The conference program will include *five plenary lectures* from leading international researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems, and the demonstrations of state-of-the-art living machine technologies. The full conference will be preceded by up to two days of *Satellite Events* hosted at the University of Freiburg. *SUBMITTING TO LIVING MACHINES 2020* We invite both *full papers* and *extended abstracts* in areas related to the conference themes. All contributions will be refereed and accepted papers will appear in the Living Machines Proceedings, published in the *Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence*. Full papers (minimum 8 pages, up to 12 pages) are invited from researchers at any stage in their career and should present significant findings and advances in biomimetic or biohybrid research. More preliminary work is better suited for short paper submission (maximum 4 pages, with a maximum of ten references and no more than three self-citations). Full papers will be accepted for either oral presentation (single track) or poster presentation with a short podium preview. Extended abstracts will be accepted for poster presentations only. Authors of the best full papers will be invited to submitted extended versions of their paper for publication in a special issue of the Taylor & Francis journal *Connection Science*. *SATELLITE EVENTS* Active researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems are invited to propose topics for full or half-day *tutorials*, *symposia* or *workshops* on related themes to be held on 28. July at the Institute for Biology II/III of the University of Freiburg (http://www.bio.uni-freiburg.de/index-en?set_language=en) Attendance at satellite events will attract a small fee intended to cover the costs of the meeting. There is flexibility about the content, organization, and budgeting for these events. Please contact us if you are interested in organizing a satellite event! *EXPECTED DEADLINES* March 23, 2020: Paper submission deadline May 15, 2020: Notification of acceptance May 25, 2020: Camera-ready copy July 28, 29-31, 2020 Workshops and Conference *SPONSORSHIP* Organizations wishing to sponsor the conference in any way and gain the corresponding benefits by promoting themselves and their products through conference publications, conference events, and conference publicity are encouraged to contact the organizers to discuss the terms of sponsorship and necessary arrangements. We also offer a number of attractive options for potential sponsors. *VENUE* Consistent with the Living Machines’ tradition of choosing historical venues at the crossroads between life and human sciences, this year the conference will take place at the Botanical Garden of Freiburg. Freiburg is considered the gateway to the Black Forest and thanks to its geographical location is blessed with mild weather all year round. The city is over 900 years old and known to be the sunniest city(1,740 hours of sunshine/year) in Germany. Freiburg has a beautiful historical inner city and is home to one of the oldest universities and Botanical Gardens in Germany. The Botanical Garden Freiburg will be celebrating its 400 year anniversary in 2020 and is located in the district Herdern near the Botanical Institute of the University of Freiburg. The Botanical Garden invites visitors to enjoy its wonderful greenery and learn about both plants from all around the world and plant-based biomimetics with its biomimetic educational trail. The trail highlights biomimetic inventions based on plants while providing fascinating insights into underlying biological principles. *CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE* *Thomas Speck* University of Freiburg, Germany (Local Chair) *Paul Verschure* IBEC, BIST, ICREA, CSN Foundation (Co-Chair) *Tony Prescott* University of Sheffield, CSN Foundation (Steering Committee) *Anna Mura* IBEC, BIST Barcelona, CSN Foundation (General Organization) *PROGRAM CHAIR* *Vicky Vouloutsi* IBEC, BIST, Barcelona *COMMUNICATION* *Sonja Seidel* University of Freiburg, Germany *Yulia Sandamirskaya* INI, Zurich Univ. and ETH *WORKSHOPS CHAIR* *Falk Esser* University of Freiburg, Germany *LOCAL ORGANIZERS COMMITTEE* *Thomas Speck* University of Freiburg, Germany *Falk Esser* University of Freiburg, Germany *Sonja Seidel* University of Freiburg, Germany Aquest correu electrònic conté informació confidencial emparada pel secret professional. Qualsevol reproducció, distribució o divulgació del seu contingut estan estrictament prohibides. Si vostè no és el destinatari, li preguem no faci difusió ni copiï el seu contingut i ens ho notifiqui el més aviat possible a l'adreça dataprotection(a)ibecbarcelona.eu Este correo electrónico contiene información confidencial amparada por el secreto profesional. Cualquier reproducción, distribución o divulgación de su contenido están estrictamente prohibidas. Si usted no es el destinatario, le rogamos no difunda ni copie su contenido y nos lo notifique de inmediato a la dirección dataprotection(a)ibecbarcelona.eu This electronic transmission contains confidential information covered by professional secrecy. Any reproduction, distribution or disclosure of its contents is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, you are kindly requested not to disseminate nor to copy this transmission and to notify us as soon as possible by email to dataprotection(a)ibecbarcelona.eu .

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