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Call for applications: SMART START - a joint training program in Computational Neuroscience for young researchers
by Smart Start Coordination Office Dec. 22, 2016

Dec. 22, 2016

Call for applications Ready for a SMARTSTART into Computational Neuroscience? We invite first and second-year Master students with a background in related fields to apply to our joint training program SMARTSTART. The program aims at complementing previous studies with concepts, theories and techniques of Computational Neuroscience. SMARTSTART consists of two programs. Both of them last one year each and take place at numerous locations of the Bernstein Network and further locations throughout Germany. SMARTSTART 1 provides financial support to then second-year Master students, allowing them to attend supplementary courses and training visits at participating institutions. Students will receive an experienced faculty mentor who will advise and guide them at this educational stage. SMARTSTART 2 provides fully funded positions for pre-PhD students. At the start of the program, these students will have already obtained their Master´s degree and are in the process of selecting a PhD project. SMARTSTART 2 allows them to elaborate their own PhD proposal as a collaborative project between two labs. This comprises exchange visits as well as voluntary attendance of lectures and courses offered by participating institutions. Both SMARTSTART programs will commence the second round in the winter term 2017/18. The Deadline for application is Tuesday, February 28, 2017. More information can be found on our website: www.smartstart-compneuro.de<http://www.smartstart-compneuro.de/> Best regards, Kathrin Hebert -- Smart Start - Joint Training Program in Computational Neuroscience Coordination Office Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9593 mail: smartstart(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:k.hebert@fz-juelich.de> web: http://www.smartstart-compneuro.de/ Twitter: NNCN_Germany<https://twitter.com/NNCN_Germany> YouTube: Bernstein TV<https://www.youtube.com/user/BernsteinNetwork> Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany<https://www.facebook.com/BernsteinNetwork/> LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany<https://www.linkedin.com/company/bernstein-network-computational-neuroscien…><https://www.linkedin.com/company/bernstein-network-computational-neuroscien…> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Announcing Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course 2017
by Erik De Schutter Dec. 22, 2016

Dec. 22, 2016

OKINAWA/OIST COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE COURSE 2017 Methods, Neurons, Networks and Behaviors June 26 to July 13, 2017 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc The aim of the Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course is to provide opportunities for young researchers with theoretical backgrounds to learn the latest advances in neuroscience, and for those with experimental backgrounds to have hands-on experience in computational modeling. We invite graduate students and postgraduate researchers to participate in the course, held from June 26th through July 13th, 2017 at an oceanfront seminar house of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. Applications are through the course web page (https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc) only; January 3 - February 5, 2017. Applicants will receive confirmation of acceptance in March. Like in preceding years, OCNC will be a comprehensive three-week course covering single neurons, networks, and behaviors with ample time for student projects. The first week will focus exclusively on methods with hands-on tutorials during the afternoons, while the second and third weeks will have lectures by international experts. The course has a strong hands-on component based on student proposed modeling or data analysis projects, which are further refined with the help of a dedicated tutor. Applicants are required to propose their project at the time of application. There is no tuition fee. The sponsor will provide lodging and meals during the course and may support travel for those without funding. We hope that this course will be a good opportunity for theoretical and experimental neuroscientists to meet each other and to explore the attractive nature and culture of Okinawa, the southernmost island prefecture of Japan. Invited faculty: • Upinder Bhalla (NCBS, India) • Erik De Schutter (OIST) • Kenji Doya (OIST) • Bard Ermentrout (University of Pittsburgh, USA) • Ila Fiete (University of Texas Austin, USA) • Sonja Grün (Research Centre Jülich, Germany) • Shin Ishii (Kyoto University, Japan) • Jason Kerr (MPI Bonn, Germany) • Bernd Kuhn (OIST) • Subkin Lim (NYU Shanghai, China) • Michele Migliore (Institute of Biophysics, Italy) • David Redish (University of Minnesota, USA) • Reza Shadmehr (Johns Hopkins University, USA) • Greg Stephens (OIST) • Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama (OIST) • Charles Wilson (University of Texas San Antonio, USA)

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[ECSQARU 2017] Second Call for Papers
by Alessandro Antonucci Dec. 21, 2016

Dec. 21, 2016

The Fourteenth European Conference on Symbolic and Quantitative Approaches to Reasoning with Uncertainty SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS http://ecsqaru.idsia.ch The biennial ECSQARU conferences constitute a major forum for advances in the theory and practice of reasoning under uncertainty. Contributions come from researchers interested in advancing the scientific knowledge and from practitioners using uncertainty techniques in real-world applications. The scope of the ECSQARU conferences encompasses fundamental issues, representation, inference, learning, and decision making in qualitative and numeric uncertainty paradigms. Previous ECSQARU events have been held in Marseille (1991), Granada (1993), Fribourg (1995), Bonn (1997), London (1999), Toulouse (2001), Aalborg (2003), Barcelona (2005), Hammamet (2007), Verona (2009), Belfast (2011), Utrecht (2013), and Compiègne (2015). ECSQARU 2017 will be co-located with ISIPTA '17, the Tenth International Symposium on Imprecise Probability: Theories and Applications. The joint event will be held in Lugano (Switzerland), on July 10-14, 2017. ::: SCOPE ::: For ECSQARU 2017 we invite submissions of conference papers on topics which include but are not limited to: - Algorithms for uncertain inference - Applications of uncertain systems - Argumentation systems - Automated planning and acting under uncertainty - Belief functions - Belief revision & merging - Classification & clustering - Decision theory & decision graphs - Default reasoning - Description logics with uncertainty - Foundations of reasoning under uncertainty - Fuzzy sets & fuzzy logic - Game theory - Imprecise probabilities - Inconsistency handling - Information fusion - Learning for uncertainty formalisms - Logics for reasoning under uncertainty - Markov decision processes - Possibility theory & possibilistic logic - Preferences - Probabilistic graphical models - Probabilistic logics - Qualitative uncertainty models - Rough sets - Uncertainty & data ::: INVITED SPEAKERS ::: We are delighted of having the following invited speakers: - Leila Amgoud (IRIT, France) - Alessio Benavoli (IDSIA, Switzerland) - Jim Berger (Duke University, USA) - Didier Dubois (IRIT, France) - Eyke Hüllermeier (Paderborn University, Germany) ::: PROCEEDINGS AND SUBMISSIONS ::: In accordance with the previous conferences, the proceedings of ECSQARU 2015 will be published in the Springer Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence series. Authors are requested to prepare their conference papers in the LNCS/LNAI format. Submitted papers will be evaluated by peer reviews based on originality, significance, technical soundness, and clarity of exposition. Authors of accepted papers are expected to attend the conference to present their work. The instructions for submission and the author kit are available here: http://ecsqaru.idsia.ch/submissions-ecsqaru/ ::: IMPORTANT DATES ::: - Tuesday, February 21, 2017: Paper submission deadline - Tuesday, April 18, 2017: Author notification - Friday, April 28, 2017: Camera-ready copy due ::: IJAR SPECIAL ISSUE ::: Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit an extended version of their work to a special issue of the International Journal of Approximate Reasoning (IJAR, Elsevier). ::: SPRINGER YOUNG RESEARCHER AWARD ::: We also invite applications for the Springer Young Researcher Award. The prize, granted by Springer, will be awarded to one young researcher for excellent research in fields related to the ECSQARU scope. The award is open to Master students, PhD students and young post-doc researchers who have received their PhD in 2016 (or 2017). Applicants should have submitted a paper (not necessarily as first authors) to ECSQARU 2017. Applications should be received by the paper submission deadline (February 21, 2017). _________________________________ Alessandro Antonucci IDSIA Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence Via Cantonale (Galleria 2) CH-6928, Manno-Lugano, CH mail: alessandro(a)idsia.ch skype: alessandro.antonucci tel: +41 916108515 web: www.idsia.ch/~alessandro _________________________________

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Call for Applications: ISSA Summer School 2017
by Yukie Nagai Dec. 21, 2016

Dec. 21, 2016

Call for Applications: ISSA Summer School 2017 https://groups.oist.jp/issa Date: May 22nd – June 2nd, 2017 Venue: Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Osaka, Japan https://cinet.jp/english/contact/ The Initiative for a Synthesis in Studies of Awareness, ISSA for short, is a group of scientists advocating an integrative approach to the study of consciousness and intelligence. ISSA will organize a two-week Summer School, with lectures covering a variety of topics in experimental and computational neuroscience, cognitive science, philosophy, complex systems, robotics and artificial intelligence. Following the lectures in the morning, students will engage in group disucussions and hand-on exercises in psychophysics, MRI, MEG, and robotics in the afternoon. First week: Fundamental lecturers and group discussions • Christof Koch (Allen Institute for Brain Science) • Ryota Kanai (ARAYA Brain Imaging, YHouse) • Larissa Albantakis (U Wisconsin-Madison) • Dan Zahavi (U Copenhagen) • Jun Tani (KAIST) Second week: Special topics and hands-on exercises • Kaoru Amano (CiNet) • Minoru Asada (Osaka U) • Kenji Doya (OIST) • Piet Hut (Institute for Advanced Study, ELSI, YHouse) • Hiroshi Ishiguro (Osaka U, ATR) • Shinji Nishimoto (CiNet) • Mariko Osaka (CiNet) • Nao Tsuchiya (Monash U) • Noriko Yamagishi (CiNet) Application: We invite graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to participate in the summer school. Organizers will provide lodging for all accepted students and travel support for selected students. The applications will be open till December 25, 2016 from the web site (https://groups.oist.jp/issa) The result of selection, based on the research interest, educational background, and the balance of gender and geographic origins, will be notified by February 2017. Co-Sponsors • Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet) • CREST Artificial Consciousness Project (leader: Ryota Kanai) • CREST Social Neuroscience Project (leader: Masahiko Haruno) • Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology • KAKENHI Mental Time Project (leader: Shigeru Kitazawa) • KAKENHI Artificial Intelligence and Brain Science Project (leader: Kenji Doya) • Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) • YHouse (leaders: Piet Hut and Ryota Kanai) Web site: https://groups.oist.jp/issa Contact: Neural Computation Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology ncus (at) oist.jp — Yukie Nagai, Ph.D. Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Osaka University Visiting Researcher, Bielefeld University yukie(a)ams.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp http://cnr.ams.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp/~yukie/

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The Fruit Fly Brain Observatory (FFBO)
by Aurel A. Lazar Dec. 20, 2016

Dec. 20, 2016

We would like to announce that we have released a unique open source platform for investigating fruit fly brain function, in both healthy and diseased brains. Our early version of the FFBO is at: http://fruitflybrain.org <http://fruitflybrain.org/> The Fruit Fly Brain Observatory (i) integrates within a single database, genetic, anatomical, neurophysiological data with computational models. It provides location, morphology, connectivity and biophysical properties of every neuron, (ii) is equipped with powerful executable tools for circuit generation, numerical simulation and user-friendly query and visualization, (iii) automatically generates models of the fly brain that can be simulated efficiently using multiple Graphics Processing Units. There are three main features of the FFBO: NeuroNLP, NeuroGFX and NeuroAPPs. NeuroNLP is natural language user interface for querying the NeuroArch fly brain database. NeuroGFX is a programming interface that automatically translates biological and modeling data into executable code that can be run on a local or cloud-based GPU servers. NeuroAPPs host integrated healthy and diseased models applications of the fruit fly brain. Our project The Fruit Fly Brain Observatory http://fruitflybrain.org <http://fruitflybrain.org/> is one of six finalists in the Open Science Prize Competition https://www.openscienceprize.org <https://www.openscienceprize.org/>. We are a collaborative effort between Columbia University, National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, and University of Sheffield, UK. It would be great if you can let people know about the competition and get them to hopefully vote for us at http://event.capconcorp.com/wp/osp/ <http://event.capconcorp.com/wp/osp/> :-) Aurel http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu <http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/>

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[CALL FOR PAPERS ]The 2017 International Conference on Brain Informatics (BI'17)
by 张铁林 Dec. 19, 2016

Dec. 19, 2016

[CALL FOR PAPERS]The 2017 International Conference on Brain Informatics (BI'17), Informatics Perspective of Investigation on the Brain and Mind Conference Data: November 16-18, 2017, Beijing, China Conference Homepage: http://bii.ia.ac.cn/bi-2017/ Homepage Mirror: http://wi-consortium.org/conferences/bi-2017/ (FULL PAPER SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 2, 2017) ================ ***Conference Introduction *** Brain Informatics (BI) conference series provides a premier forum to bring together researchers and practitioners in the fields of neuroscience, cognitive science, computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, information communication technologies, and neuroimaging technologies. BI'17 addresses the computational, cognitive, physiological, biological, physical, ecological and social perspectives of brain informatics, as well as topics relating to mental health and well-being. It also welcomes emerging information technologies, including but not limited to Internet/Web of Things (IoT/WoT), cloud computing, big data analytics and interactive knowledge discovery related to brain research. BI'17 also encourages submissions that explore how advanced computing technologies are applied to and make a difference in various large-scale brain studies and their applications. BI'17 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. Workshop, Special-Session and Tutorial proposals, and Industry or Demo-Track papers are also welcome. The organizers of Workshops and Special-Sessions are invited to prepare a book proposal based on the topics of the workshop/special session for possible bookpublication in the Springer-Nature Brain Informatics & Health book series. ================ *** Topics and Areas *** Track 1: Cognitive and Computational Foundations of Brain Science Track 2: Investigations of Human Information Processing Systems Track 3: Brain Big Data Analytics, Curation and Management Track 4: Informatics Paradigms for Brain and Mental Health Track 5: Brain-Inspired Intelligence and Computing ================ *** Important Dates*** March 10, 2017: Submission for workshop/special-session proposals March 30, 2017: Notification of workshop/special-session proposal acceptance April 2, 2017: Submission deadline for full papers May 20, 2017: Submission deadline for workshop/special-session papers June 10, 2017: Notification of full paper acceptance June 20, 2017: Notification of workshop/special-session paper acceptance June 20, 2017: Submission deadline for abstracts July 10, 2017: Notification of abstract acceptance November 16, 2017: Tutorials, workshops and special-sessions November 17-18, 2017: Main conference ================ *** Post-Conference Journal Publication *** The Brain Informatics conferences have the formal ties with Brain Informatics journal (Springer-Nature, http://www.springer.com/40708) Accepted papers from the conference, including their Best Paper Award papers, will be expended and revised for possible inclusion in the Brain Informatics journal each year. It is fully sponsored and no any article-processing fee charged for authors of Brain Informatics conference. ================ *** Awards *** Best Paper awards will be conferred at the conference on the authors of (1) the best research paper and (2) the best student paper. ================ *** Organizers*** General Chairs Bo Xu (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) Hanchuan Peng (Allen Institute for Brain Sciences, USA) Qingming Luo (Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China) Program Committee Chairs Yi Zeng(Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) Yong He(Beijing Normal University, China) Jeanette Kotaleski (Karolinska Institute, Sweden) Maryann Martone (University of California, San Diego, USA) Organizing Chairs Ning Zhong (Maebashi Institute of Technology, Japan, and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Internet Technology, Beijing University of Technology, China Jianzhou Yan (Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Internet Technology, Beijing University of Technology, China) Shengfu Lu (Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Internet Technology, Beijing University of Technology, China) Workshop/Special-Session Chairs An'an Li (Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China) Sen Song (Tsinghua University, China) Tutorial Chair Wenming Zheng (South East University, China) Publicity Chairs Shouyi Wang (University of Texas at Arlington, USA) Yang Yang (Maebashi Institute of Technology, Japan, and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Internet Technology, Beijing University of Technology, China) Tielin Zhang (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) Steering Committee Chairs Ning Zhong (Maebashi Institute of Technology, Japan) Hanchuan Peng (Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA) ================ *** Contact Information *** tielin.zhang(a)ia.ac.cn shouyiw(a)uta.edu yang(a)maebashi-it.org ================ (END)

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PhD positions at the University of Exeter: Developing gaze training for skilled upper-limb prosthetic use Ref: 2407
by Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira Dec. 17, 2016

Dec. 17, 2016

About the award This project is one of a number which are funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Doctoral Training Partnership to commence in September 2017. This project is part of a competition for funding. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be awarded the funding. The studentships will provide funding for a stipend which, is currently £14,296 per annum for 2016-2017, research costs and UK/EU tuition fees at Research Council UK rates for 42 months (3.5 years) for full-time students, pro rata for part-time students. Please note that of the 56 projects advertised we expect that up to 20 posts will be filled. Location: University of Exeter, Streatham Campus, Exeter, Devon Supervisors: Main supervisor: Prof Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova<http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298> (University of Exeter) Co-supervisor: Dr Gavin Buckingham<http://sshs.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Gavin_Buckingham> (University of Exeter) Co-supervisor: Dr Sam Vine<http://sshs.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Samuel_Vine> (University of Exeter) Co-supervisor: Dr Greg Wood<http://www.cheshire.mmu.ac.uk/exspsci/ourstaff/profile/index.php?profile_id…> (Manchester Metropolitan University) Co-supervisor: Dr Mark Wilson<http://sshs.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=Mark_Wilson> (University of Exeter) Project Description: Learning to use a prosthetic limb is inherently difficult and requires a huge amount of concentration. Like learning how to wield a new tool for the first time, amputees need to acquire the confidence and dexterity required for skilled action. In order to produce accurate goal-directed movements the motor system requires accurate and timely visual information making the timing and location of the person’s gaze, with relation to the movement of their limbs, critical for skilled behaviour. There is, however, no structured training protocol for use with prosthetic hands. We aim to develop a novel gaze training regime to facilitate the use of a prosthetic hand to skilfully interact with objects. In the first part of the project, the student will undertake an observational study to determine what factors lead some individuals to become skilled with a prosthesis faster than others. We will test large numbers of intact (i.e., without amputation) participants learning to use a state-of-the-art myoelectric prosthetic arm simulator, which is controlled by muscle feedback but ergonomically designed to fit over the wrist of an intact hand. Participants will move objects of different of sizes and weights from one location to another with a range of precision requirements and in the presence of a range of obstacles. Over multiple sessions we will measure hand and object kinematics, fingertip forces, and eye path with a head-mounted eye tracker. We will then develop a data-driven mathematical model of the eye tracking and biomechanical performance data. Statistical analysis of the patterns of eye movement will provide new insights into the ‘signature’ of good performance using the prosthetic arm. The second phase will use the data from Project 1 to develop a training protocol that will adopt the ‘expert signatures’ from project work 1 as a prototype for a trainee to follow. We will focus predominantly on the signature of expertise derived from the gaze behaviour measures and implement a gaze training protocol. We will then test the efficacy of this novel training with new set of intact participants using the prosthetic simulator, tracking their performance in comparison to individuals who will receive a sham training protocol. In the final stage of the project work, the gaze training protocol will be used in a sample of upper-limb-amputees as they learn how to use their new prosthesis. As this state of the project will not be limited to myoelectric prosthetic users, this will also allow us to test the generalizability of our training protocol. The students will be involved in these experiments by running model simulations and data analysis to provide quantitative information for the training protocol as well as focussing on completing the write-up of their PhD thesis. Entry requirements: Applicants should have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK. Applicants with a Lower Second Class degree will be considered if they also have Master’s degree. Applicants with a minimum of Upper Second Class degree and significant relevant non-academic experience are encouraged to apply. All applicants would need to meet our English language requirements by the start of the project http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/. The majority of the studentships are available for applicants who are ordinarily resident in the UK and are classed as UK/EU for tuition fee purposes. If you have not resided in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the studentship, you are not eligible for a maintenance allowance so you would need an alternative source of funding for living costs.To be eligible for fees only funding you must be ordinarily resident in a member state of the EU Applicants who are classed as International for tuition fee purposes are not eligible for funding. Summary Application deadline: 11th January 2017 Number of awards: 1 Value: 3.5 year studentship: UK/EU tuition fees and an annual maintenance allowance at current Research Council rate. Current rate of £14,296 per year Duration of award: per year Contact: Doctoral College Doctoral.College(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:Doctoral.College@exeter.ac.uk> How to apply Click here to apply<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/money/funding/application/> Please be aware you will be asked to upload the following documents: • CV • Letter of application outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake the project. • Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained. This should be an interim transcript if you are still studying. • If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your current proficiency in English. For further details of the University’s English language requirements please see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/. The closing date for applications is midnight on 11 January 2017. Interviews will be held at the University of Exeter between 13 February and 17 February 2017. If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email Doctoral.College(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:Doctoral.College@exeter.ac.uk> or phone +44 (0)1392 722311. Project-specific queries should be directed to the supervisor. During the application process, the University may need to make certain disclosures of your personal data to third parties to be able to administer your application, carry out interviews and select candidates. These are not limited to, but may include disclosures to: • the selection panel and/or management board or equivalent of the relevant programme, which is likely to include staff from one or more other HEIs; • administrative staff at one or more other HEIs participating in the relevant programme. Such disclosures will always be kept to the minimum amount of personal data required for the specific purpose. Your sensitive personal data (relating to disability and race/ethnicity) will not be disclosed without your explicit consent. Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare Department of Mathematics College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences University of Exeter Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QF, UK tel: +44 (0) 1392 723615 email: k.tsaneva-atanasova(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:k.tsaneva-atanasova@exeter.ac.uk> web: http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298

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PhD positions at the University of Exeter: Controlling noise effects in models of excitable cells
by Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira Dec. 17, 2016

Dec. 17, 2016

About the award This project is one of a number which are funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Doctoral Training Partnership to commence in September 2017. The studentships will provide funding for a stipend which, is currently £14,296 per annum for 2016-2017, research costs and UK/EU tuition fees at Research Council UK rates for 42 months (3.5 years) for full-time students, pro rata for part-time students. Supervisors: Main supervisor: Prof Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova<http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298> (University of Exeter) Co-supervisor: Dr Jan Sieber<http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/js543> (University of Exeter) Co-supervisor: Dr Joël Tabak<http://medicine.exeter.ac.uk/about/profiles/index.php?web_id=Joel_Tabak-Szn…> (University of Exeter) Location: University of Exeter, Streatham Campus, Exeter, Devon Project Description: This is a project that combines biological modelling and general mathematical analysis of the influence of noise on multiple-timescale systems. It will give the student the opportunity to work on open mathematical questions and see their results applied in experiments on living cells. Many types of cells such as neurons, heart and hormone-releasing cells generate impulses of electrical activity, organized as single spikes or bursts of impulses. In cells of the pituitary gland – the master hormonal gland of the body – the features of electrical activity patterns determine how much hormone is released into the circulation. Hence, understanding how the characteristic features of electrical activity arise is crucial to understanding how these cells function, and how they may malfunction in disease. Mathematical modelling and analysis techniques have proven very successful in helping unravel fundamental mechanisms controlling the behaviour of excitable cells. Electrical activity is driven by the interactions between ion channels of the cell membrane, which produce noisy electrical currents. The mathematical models of electrical activity thus contain random and deterministic parts, which typically appear as separate terms (e.g., the deterministic drift and the Brownian-motion induced diffusion in stochastic differential equations). In experimental practice this distinction is not as clear. For example, ion channels in cells with electrical activity generate noisy signals, driving systematically the electrical and chemical activity in the cell, which operate also on several time scales. It is still unclear how this randomness influences electrical activity in real cells. This PhD project will investigate how one can use control to identify the systematic (deterministic) component of trajectories in dynamical systems with random inputs (such as ion channel noise) that operate on two or three different time scales (such as spiking or bursting cells). A first goal to separate a systematic, approximately periodic, signal without knowledge of the period using control and geometric methods in a reconstructed phase space. Preliminary investigations with noise on a single time scale interacting with a two-timescale oscillation (spiking) have shown that this is in principle possible. It is an open question how this can be generalized to periodic behaviours with a more complicated geometry (such as bursting), interacting with noise effects that occur on two time scales. Another open question is how the geometric control and noise identification is related to extended time-delayed feedback, which creates a reference signal from a geometric time series of past outputs. Entry requirements: Applicants should have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK. Applicants with a Lower Second Class degree will be considered if they also have Master’s degree. Applicants with a minimum of Upper Second Class degree and significant relevant non-academic experience are encouraged to apply. All applicants would need to meet our English language requirements by the start of the project http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/. The majority of the studentships are available for applicants who are ordinarily resident in the UK and are classed as UK/EU for tuition fee purposes; however up to 9 fully-funded studentships across the DTP are available for EU/EEA applicants not ordinarily resident in the UK. Applicants who are classed as International for tuition fee purposes are not eligible for funding. Summary Application deadline: 11th January 2017 Value: 3.5 year studentship: UK/EU tuition fees and an annual maintenance allowance at current Research Council rate. Current rate of £14,296 per year. Duration of award: per year Contact: Doctoral College: 01392 722737 doctoral.college(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:doctoral.college@exeter.ac.uk> How to apply Click here to apply<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/money/funding/application/> Please be aware you will be asked to upload the following documents: • CV • Letter of application outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake the project. • Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained. This should be an interim transcript if you are still studying. • If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your current proficiency in English. For further details of the University’s English language requirements please see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/. The closing date for applications is midnight on 11 January 2017. Interviews will be held at the University of Exeter between 13 February and 17 February 2017. If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email Doctoral.College(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:Doctoral.College@exeter.ac.uk> or phone +44 (0)1392 722311. Project-specific queries should be directed to the supervisor. During the application process, the University may need to make certain disclosures of your personal data to third parties to be able to administer your application, carry out interviews and select candidates. These are not limited to, but may include disclosures to: • the selection panel and/or management board or equivalent of the relevant programme, which is likely to include staff from one or more other HEIs; • administrative staff at one or more other HEIs participating in the relevant programme. Such disclosures will always be kept to the minimum amount of personal data required for the specific purpose. Your sensitive personal data (relating to disability and race/ethnicity) will not be disclosed without your explicit consent. Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare Department of Mathematics Living Systems Institute University of Exeter Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QF, UK tel: +44 (0) 1392 723615 email: k.tsaneva-atanasova(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:k.tsaneva-atanasova@exeter.ac.uk> web: http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298

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CfP: 18th Int. Conf. on Engineering Applications of Neural Networks
by Simone Scardapane Dec. 16, 2016

Dec. 16, 2016

[Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this CFP] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18th Int. Conf. on Engineering Applications of Neural Networks EANN 2017 (Athens, Greece, August 25-27, 2017) Workshop submission deadline: 11th February, 2017 Paper submission deadline: 20th April, 2017 https://conferences.cwa.gr/eann2017/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Call for Papers -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Authors are invited to submit electronically original, English-language research contributions or experience reports not concurrently submitted elsewhere in ALL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOPICS! Papers should be no longer than 10 pages formatted according to the LNCS Springer style. The program committee may reject papers that exceed this length on the grounds of length alone. In the spirit of the previous EANN conferences, the paper should concentrate on the application rather than just the algorithm or the theory. Submitted papers will be refereed by at least three reviewers for quality, correctness, originality, and relevance. Notification and reviews will be communicated via email. Accepted papers will be presented at the conference and included in the proceedings, which will be published by SPRINGER CCIS “Communications in Computer and Information Science” and they will be available on site. It is important though to follow the instructions in this page to ensure that your paper will be included in the proceedings. Call for Workshops -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proposals for Workshops that examine emerging, innovative, or otherwise provocative issues within the conference area are encouraged as well. Workshop proposals should include a 1-2 page summary of the topic and the names and affiliations of 3-4 panelists who have made a commitment to participate. https://conferences.cwa.gr/eann2017/call-for-workshops/ Areas of interest: https://conferences.cwa.gr/eann2017/areas-of-interest/ Important dates -------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Tutorial and workshops proposals: February 11th, 2017 * Notification of tutorial and workshops proposals: February 12th, 2017 * Paper submission: April 20th, 2017 * Notification of paper acceptance: May 13th, 2017 * Conference Dates: 25-27 August, 2017

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Call for Workshops - Bernstein Conference 2017
by Zrinka Gattin Dec. 14, 2016

Dec. 14, 2016

The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience and the Bernstein Center Göttingen invite proposals for Satellite Workshops. Satellite Workshops will directly precede the Bernstein Conference 2017 in Göttingen. ************************************************************** *Important Dates:* _Workshops: _September 12 - 13, 2017 _Main Bernstein Conference:_ September 13 - 15, 2017 _Deadline for proposal submission:_ March 01, 2017 _Notification of workshop acceptance:_ March 27, 2017 ************************************************************** Since 2013, the Bernstein Conference hosts pre-conference workshops. They provide a stage to discuss topical research questions, novel scientific approaches and challenges in Computational Neuroscience and related fields. Workshops addressing controversial issues, open problems, and comparisons of competing approaches are encouraged. Workshop formats should be designed to foster debate beyond a mere series of talks. The Bernstein Conference started out as the annual meeting of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience and has become the largest annual single-track Computational Neuroscience conference in Europe in recent years. _Workshop time frame:_ September 12, 2017, 13:00 - 18:00 September 13, 2017, 9:00 - 12:30 Workshop proposals are welcome for either half-day or full-day workshops. Workshop costs: NEW THIS YEAR – FINANCIAL SUPPORT: For all accepted workshops the registration is free of charge for organizers and speakers. Organizers will also receive a waiver for the main conference fee. New this year: From the accepted workshops a maximum of ten workshops will be selected to each receive financial support of up to 1.500,00 €. For further information about the conference, please visit the conference website http://www.bernstein-conference.de. INSTRUCTIONS FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS PREPARATION Workshop proposals must contain: 1) Workshop Title 2) Concise description of workshop topic 3) List of potential speakers indicating speaker commitment Please use the Workshop Proposal Form that can be downloaded here: http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/satellite-workshops *Deadline for submission of Workshop proposals: March 01, 2017* Accommodation and Hotel Reservation: We strongly recommend early room booking. The number of available accommodation is limited due to several concurrent events. We arranged for room contingents in a variety of hotels that you may book by yourself by email or phone. Please follow the instructions at our Accommodations Web-site (http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/venue/accommodation) We would like to emphasize that these room contingents will be held open up to different expiration dates depending on the hotel (or until they are filled). The earliest expiration date is already end of May 2017 whereas the majority of offers expire at the 12th of July 2017. We strongly encourage participants to share rooms and to book rooms as a group. Groups of three or four are possible if you book a suite. The room contingent contains a set of suits and apartments. We emphasize that it will be very difficult to book accommodation beyond the expiration dates. Please find a list of the hotels at our Accommodations Web-site. CONTACT: contact(at)bccn-goettingen.de We are looking forward to seeing you in Göttingen! WORKSHOP SELECTION COMMITTEE: Florentin Wörgötter (Chair) Marion Silies (co-Chair) Christian Tetzlaff (co-Chair) Matthias Bethge Laura Busse Claudia Clopath Julia Fischer Alexander Gail Richard Hahnloser Claus Hilgetag Peter Jonas Siegrid Löwel Michael Platt Viola Priesemann Nicole Rust Fred Wolf (Conference Chair) -- Dr Zrinka Gattin Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN) Goettingen Bernstein Focus Neurotechnology (BFNT) Goettingen PhD Program in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience Am Fassberg 17 D-37077 Goettingen Phone: +49 (0)551 5176 418 Fax: +49 (0)551 5176 14418 E-Mail: zrinka(a)nld.ds.mpg.de

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