- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Post-doctoral Researcher in Computational modelling of thalamo-cortical circuits (Blue Brain Porject, Switzerland)

by Armando Romani

Blue Brain Porject (Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland) is looking for a* Post-doctoral Researcher in Computational modelling of thalamo-cortical circuits*. The goal of this project is to leverage the Blue Brain software and existing thalamic models to build and validate biologically-accurate models of thalamo-cortical circuitry. Modelling these circuits is a crucial step to investigate brain functions, such us sensory transmission, sleep rhythms, wakefulness, alertness. The successful candidate would be responsible for gathering data about thalamo-cortical circuits from the literature, open-access datasets and in vitro studies in collaboration with the experimental lab. Interactions with biology and experimental experts would be fundamental to validate and confirm model predictions. In addition, the candidate would provide guidance and scientific expertise to the technical teams and contribute to the on-going refinement of workflows and tools to build data-driven unifying brain tissue models. Furthermore, the candidate will work in collaboration with engineering teams on visualization, high performance computing, data integration and with project managers to define objectives and timelines to achieve overarching objectives and meet aggressive deadlines. Follow the link below to learn more about the position and how to apply. https://recruiting.epfl.ch/Vacancies/827/Description/2 — Armando Romani, PhD Junior Group Leader - Simulation Neuroscience Division EPFL - Blue Brain Project Campus Biotech Chemin des Mines 9 CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland Phone +41 (0)21 693 7190

Oct. 16, 2019

Human Neocortical Neurosolver New Features & SFN 2019 Demos

by Stephanie Jones

We are happy to announce several exciting developments with the new Human Neocortical Neurosolver (HNN) software designed for cell and circuit interpretation of human EEG/MEG. 1. An updated version of HNN with a new, frequently requested feature of parameter optimization (with a tutorial) is now available. Check it out at hnn.brown.edu. 2. HNN will be presented with live demonstrations at SFN 2019 in Chicago, IL. Sunday October 20th 11-11:30am Carney Booth 2129 Sunday October 20th 6:30-8:30pm BRAIN Initiative Alliance Tools & Technology Social Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Ballroom CD Monday October 21th 11-11:30am Carney Booth 2129 Monday October 21st 6:45pm Open-Source Technology Social Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Room N135 Wednesday October 23rd 1-5pm McCormick Place: Hall A. Poster 729.06 3. A HNN methods paper is now available on bioRxiv (Neymotin et al, BioRxiv 2019:740597. https://doi.org/10.1101/740597 <https://doi.org/10.1101/740597>) ******************************************* Stephanie R. Jones, PhD Associate Professor Brown University Department of Neuroscience Stephanie_Jones(a)Brown.edu https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/ <https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/> Human Neocortical Neurosolver https://hnn.brown.edu <https://hnn.brown.edu/>

Oct. 16, 2019

AREADNE 2020 Conference Announcement

by John Pezaris

AREADNE 2020 Research in Encoding and Decoding of Neural Ensembles Nomikos Conference Centre, Santorini, Greece 16-20 June 2020 http://areadne.org info(a)areadne.org The AREADNE conferences bring scientific leaders from around the world to present their recent findings on the functioning of neuronal ensembles in an informal yet spectacular setting on Santorini. The conference series emphasizes interaction with a size and pace that encourages in-depth discussion. Interested researchers are strongly encouraged to submit an abstract for poster presentation as attendance is strictly limited, and the conference typically sells out. Abstract submission deadline is 24 Jan 2020. Send us your best work!

Oct. 15, 2019

Reminder: 1st Elephant User Workshop for Reproducible Data Analysis in Electrophysiology, Paris, Nov 4-6, 2019

by Michael Denker

Reminder for the ***1st Elephant User Workshop*** --Accelerate Structured and Reproducible Data Analysis in Electrophysiology-- Paris, France Nov 4-6, 2019 Summary: In this workshop, users will be trained in the use of community-driven tools developed in the context of the Human Brain Project to analyze electrophysiological data, such as spike train data or LFP time series. In addition, participants receive help in integrating their own data into such analysis workflows. The topics covered will be: * reading and manipulating electrophysiology data in Python using Neo [1] * analysis of such data using Elephant [2] * best practices for integrating metadata into your workflow to aid the analysis process * best practices for structuring of analysis results * tracking data analysis pipelines using the HBP Knowledge Graph [3] * collaboration and sharing using the HBP Collaboratory [4] For more information and registration, check out: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/participatecollaborate/infras… Organizers: Andrew Davison | French National Centre for Scientific Research, France Michael Denker | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany Martina Schmalholz | Heidelberg University, Germany References: [1] Neo, https://neo.readthedocs.io [2] Elephant, https://elephant.readthedocs.io [3] HBP Knowledge Graph, https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/explore-the-brain/ [4] HBP Collaboratory, https://collab.humanbrainproject.eu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oct. 15, 2019

Neuroimaging data scientist position in Marseille, France

by Sylvain Takerkart

Neuroimaging Data Scientist Multimodal neuroimaging study of cerebellar anomalies in Parkinson’s disease The project SENCE (Movement disorders in Parkinson’s disease: The role of somatosensory deficits and cerebellar anomalies) is funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) and conducted in collaboration with the University of Oxford (Medical Research Council - MRC). It investigates the anatomical anomalies and abnormal metabolism of the cerebellum resulting from basal ganglia deregulation in Parkinson’s Disease (PD), which may contribute substantially to motor deficits. To this aim, we collect in PD patients (and healthy controls) an original multimodal neuroimaging dataset, comprising anatomical, diffusion-weighted (DWI), and resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI), as well as FDG-PET images, complemented by behavioural and electrophysiological recordings (EEG/intracranial LFP) collected in the same participants during motor tasks performed ON/OFF dopaminergic medication and/or ON/OFF deep brain stimulation (using open- or closed-loop adaptive stimulation protocols). -- Missions -- The data scientist will be responsible to set-up processing pipelines dedicated to analyzing the different neuroimaging scan types (MRI and PET), both at the full-brain level and with a particular focus on the characterization of the anatomy, connectivity and metabolism of the cerebellum. These neuroimaging results will also be combined with behavioural and electrophysiological data which will be analysed by other members of the project team. Furthermore, the data scientist will organize the raw and processed data in a standardized fashion to make it accessible to all the consortium and to the scientific community at large. These missions fall into our commitment to reproducible science through open code and data. -- Profile -- This position is for a candidate who is comfortable (or proficient) with computer programming (python will be our language of choice; matlab will also be used) and has good knowledge and/or experience in signal and image processing. It can be of interest to different types of profiles. You are a young graduate (BSc or MSc) either in data science, in electrical engineering or in neuroscience and you want to be at the heart of an innovative medical imaging project, with the possibility to continue as a PhD student. Or you already have a PhD in a relevant field and you want to take this opportunity to fulfill the aforementioned missions while getting further involved in the research aspects of the project, which should offer excellent opportunities for publications in neuroscience or methodological journals. -- Working environment -- The Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (INT) is one of the top French neuroscience research institutes with 150 staff members gathered in 10 inter-disciplinary teams examining different aspects of the cerebral organization. It is located on the medical campus of Aix-Marseille University. The successful candidate will join the SENCE project’s team within INT and will interact with cognitive neuroscientists, theoretical neuroscientists as well as specialists in neuroimaging data acquisition and processing. Marseille, the second largest city in France, is a vibrant inter-cultural hub located on the Mediterranean shore, and only 2h away from the Alps mountains. The position is initially open for one year, with a possible renewal for two more years. Starting date can be as early as December 2019 and can be postponed until the position is fulfilled. If you are interested, please send your resume and cover letter to: Sylvain_DOT_Takerkart_AT_univ-amu_DOT_fr and Nicole_DOT_Malfait_AT_univ-amu_DOT_fr -- Sylvain Takerkart Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone (INT) UMR 7289 CNRS-AMU Marseille, France tél: +33 (0)4 91 324 007 http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/_TAKERKART-Sylvain_?lang=en

Oct. 15, 2019

ANDA 2020 - G-Node Advanced Neural Data Analysis Course, April 14-30, 2020, Jülich, Germany

by Thomas Wachtler

ANDA 2020 - G-NODE ADVANCED NEURAL DATA ANALYSIS COURSE April 14 - 30, 2020 Haus Overbach, Jülich-Barmen, Germany Techniques to record neuronal data from populations of neurons are rapidly improving. Simultaneous recordings from hundreds of channels are possible while animals perform complex behavioral tasks. The analysis of such massive and complex data becomes increasingly challenging. This advanced course aims at providing deeper training in state-of-the-art analysis approaches in systems neuroscience. The course is addressed to excellent master and PhD students and young researchers who are interested in learning advanced techniques in data analytics and in getting hands-on experience in the analysis of electrophysiological data. Internationally renowned researchers will give lectures on statistical data analysis and data mining methods with accompanying exercises. Students will define and perform their own analyses on provided data to solve a challenge. Participants are required to have a strong interest in data analysis, a background in a mathematical or related field, knowledge of algebra, matrix operations, and statistics, and need to have solid programming experience (preferably in Python). FACULTY · Moshe Abeles, Hebrew Univ. Jerusalem, Israel · Michael Denker, Jülich Research Center, Germany · Udo Ernst, Univ. Bremen, Germany · Sonja Grün, Jülich Research Center, Germany · Adam Kohn, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA · Jakob Macke, TU Munich, Germany · Luca Mazzucato, Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, USA · Martin Nawrot, Univ. of Cologne, Germany · Yifat Prut, Hebrew Univ. Jerusalem, Israel · Hansjörg Scherberger, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany · Thomas Wachtler, LMU Munich, Germany TOPICS COVERED Single neuron properties and statistics · Stochastic processes · Surrogate methods · Detection of spatio-temporal patterns · Unitary Events · Statistical analysis of massively parallel spike data · Higher-order correlation analyses · Elephant toolbox · Spike-LFP relationship · Population coding · State space analysis · Machine learning · Data mining · Research data management and reproducibility REQUIREMENTS Applicants should be familiar with linear algebra, probability, differential and integral calculus and experienced using Python or Matlab. Preparatory reading material will be provided. Students should bring their own laptops and should be able to install software on their system. Students that do not have a suitable laptop should indicate this immediately after acceptance to the course. We will be able to provide a small number of laptops for the time of the course. COURSE FEE A course fee of 1000 Euros will be charged to cover costs for accommodation and meals. Limited financial support may be available for students that otherwise would not be able to attend, which is to be indicated in the application. HOUSING Accommodation in 2-bed rooms for students will be provided at the course site. HOW TO APPLY The application should include · a letter of motivation (max 1 page) · curriculum vitae (please indicate the relevant courses you have taken) · description of programming experience · a letter of recommendation. Please send all documents as a single PDF file to <advanced-course(a)g-node.org>. APPLICATION DEADLINE Applications must be received by NOVEMBER 15, 2019. Early application is encouraged. For further information see http://www.g-node.org/anda

Oct. 15, 2019

Open-Rank Position: Bilkent University

by Hulusi Kafaligonul

*Open-Rank Position, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center and National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM) at Bilkent University* Bilkent University invites faculty applications (rank open) for a position in the Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center and National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM). The strategic plan includes an expansion of research related to molecular and cellular neuroscience. Accordingly, we seek applications from promising or established scholars who have worked in this or a related field, and who integrates or plans to integrate neuroimaging in their studies. The newly built research center has spacious state-of-the-art molecular and cellular laboratories, in addition to animal research facilities. An Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience offers Master's and PhD programs that was opened five years ago. Finally, there are also human psychophysics, EEG laboratories and two MRI scanners (3T and 1.5T) with plans to purchase a high field scanner (7T) for animal studies. Bilkent is located in Ankara, Turkey's metropolitan capital with daily direct flights to Istanbul and other major European cities. Bilkent University also provides faculty members and their families with free housing and access to private health insurance. Qualifications and Responsibilities: Applicants should have a PhD in neuroscience or related discipline, and should have an excellent publication record (requirements vary with rank). A demonstrated ability or the potential to secure external research funding will be a strong advantage. Faculty members are expected to maintain productive research programs. Successful applicants will teach during the Fall and Spring semesters with no teaching requirement during summer, and supervise PhD and Master's students. Appointment: This full-time appointment will begin in September 2020 (negotiable). Salary will be internationally competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. *Application Procedure* Applicants should submit 1. a cover letter; 2. CV; 3. research statement; 4. teaching statement; 5. pdf copies of 3 representative publications; and 6. contact information for 3-5 professional references. Review of applications will commence on November 30, 2019 and continue until the position is filled. Inquiries about the university should be directed to Hulusi Kafaligonul athulusi(a)bilkent.edu.tr <mailto:hulusi@bilkent.edu.tr>or +90 312 290 3016.To apply please go to the following link: https://stars.bilkent.edu.tr/staffapp/UMRAM2019For more information, please visit the following websites: beyin.bilkent.edu.tr <http://beyin.bilkent.edu.tr/> umram.bilkent.edu.tr <http://umram.bilkent.edu.tr/> neuro.bilkent.edu.tr <http://neuro.bilkent.edu.tr/> bilkent.edu.tr <http://bilkent.edu.tr/> -- Hulusi Kafaligonul Assistant Professor National Magnetic Resonance Research Center Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey http://hulusi.bilkent.edu.tr/ -- Bu e-posta virüslere karşı Avast antivirüs yazılımı tarafından kontrol edilmiştir. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Oct. 14, 2019

PhD and Postdoc positions in Frankfurt, Germany

by Martin Vinck

Apologies for cross-posting: The laboratory of Dr. Martin Vinck at the Ernst Struengmann Institute for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society <http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/esi-frankfurt/>is seeking multiple Postdocs and PhDs for experimental projects in marmoset (ideally starting early spring of 2019). We will study predictive processing in the visual system, test new models of object recognition, and the contribution of different cell types to neural coding. Data will be collected with chronic, high-density silicon probes including wireless recordings during (freely moving) natural behavior (using the eCube white matter system). A part of the project involves optogenetics. Additional training in high-density electrophysiology can be acquired by participation in projects in mice. You will work closely together with computational scientists in our laboratory working on deep learning and state space analyses. The main focus of the project is the interpretation of neural activity from artificial neural networks (in particular recurrent and predictive neural networks) and the study of population coding. We are looking for candidates with a biology or medicine background and experience in behavioral training and electrophysiology. Frankfurt is an internationally oriented city with many neuroscience institutes in the neighbourhood, e.g. the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research <http://brain.mpg.de/home.html>, the FIAS <https://fias.institute/>, the Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience <https://www.izn-frankfurt.de/en/>, and the institute for Empirical Aesthetics. Interested candidates are invited to send their application materials in electronic form (PDF format) to martin.vinck(a)esi-frankfurt.de. The first deadline for applications is 7 of November 2019. Applications should contain a letter of intent, a detailed curriculum vitae, lists of university courses completed with marks obtained, and the names of at least two scientists who can give references (or at least two reference letters). The advertisement will be valid until positions are filled. Positions are not yet filled.

Oct. 12, 2019

PhD studentship in Bristol

by Cian O'Donnell

We are looking for a computational neuroscience PhD student to start September 2020 to do computational modelling of synaptic plasticity in neurodevelopmental brain disorders. You would mainly be based in the University of Bristol in the group of Cian O’Donnell, and co-supervised by Krasi Tsaneva-Atanasova (University of Exeter) and Jeremy Hall (Cardiff University). Your background can be flexible but training in neuroscience, mathematical modelling and/or scientific programming would be beneficial. Usually we use Julia, Python or Matlab programming languages. Project outline: Autism and Schizophrenia, two of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, have been linked with ~100 different genetic mutations each. Many of the implicated genes code for proteins involved in synaptic plasticity. It may be that these distinct mutations converge to give similar alterations to the “rules of synaptic plasticity”, and therefore affect learning and development. L-type calcium channel are one notable example, frequently popping up in risk gene lists and known to play crucial roles in synaptic plasticity. In this PhD project you would extend our existing biophysical models of calcium signalling at rodent hippocampal synapses to try to figure out the role of dysfunctional L-type calcium ion channels in these brain disorders. A more detailed project description can be found here: https://www.gw4biomed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2019/09/Computationa… The project will involve numerical simulations with Cian O’Donnell (Bristol), mathematical analysis of reduced models with Krasi Tsaneva-Atanasova (Exeter), using electrophysiological and calcium imaging data from genetic animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders collected in the lab of Jeremy Hall (Cardiff). You would apply directly to the MRC GW4 BioMed PhD program (https://www.gw4biomed.ac.uk) which spans Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter and Bath Universities. Application deadline is 25th November and open only to UK or EU citizens or residents (see GW4Biomed site for eligibility details). Please contact Cian O’Donnell (cian.odonnell(a)bristol.ac.uk<mailto:cian.odonnell@bristol.ac.uk>) to discuss before applying. More info on Cian O’Donnell’s group: https://seis.bristol.ac.uk/~co15268 And the lively Bristol Computational Neuroscience Unit: https://bristolcnu.github.io Krasi Tsaneva-Atanasova: https://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298 Jeremy Hall: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/57718-hall-jeremy

Oct. 12, 2019

2 Postdocs and 1 Project Manager on H2020 grant

by Michele Giugliano

2 Post-doctoral positions and 1 Project Manager position are available at the newly established Neural Dynamics Laboratory of the International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA) of Trieste, Italy (http://phdneurobiology.sissa.it/eng/faculty/michele-giugliano.aspx <http://phdneurobiology.sissa.it/eng/faculty/michele-giugliano.aspx>). The positions are funded for up to 42 months on a new EC-Horizon 2020 initiative called "Ionic Neuromodulation For Epilepsy Treatment (IN-FET)", combining neurobiology, nanotechnologies, electrochemistry, and electronics together for designing a breakthrough novel technology in brain modulation. The research positions aim to experimentally validate 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 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 a strong interest for interdisciplinary research. The Project Manager position aims at supporting the organization, dissemination, and reporting activities in the context of EC-funded project and partially at supporting scientific software development. We search for candidates with previous experience in management of H2020 project, and fluent with the reporting EC online platform (e.g. Participant Portal) who might also be interested in providing partial support for content management of a web site as well as for scientific software applications development. Please direct informal inquiries, a CV and a brief statement of interest, to Prof. Michele GIUGLIANO (michele.giugliano AT sissa.it) Direct application soon available from the SISSA's website: https://www.sissa.it/recruitment <https://www.sissa.it/recruitment>

Oct. 11, 2019