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Postdoc position: Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH and UZH Zurich
by Hazem Toutounji Nov. 25, 2019

Nov. 25, 2019

We seek a postdoctoral researcher with deep interest in human reinforcement learning and decision-making to work on the newly funded project: *Learning and Exploration under Perceptual and Value Uncertainty* Organisms often face the challenge of navigating a world riddled with many sources of uncertainty, be it ambiguous sensory inputs or unreliable behavioral outcomes. Most existing research only considered either of these two sources of uncertainty in the contexts of perceptual decision making for the former, and reinforcement learning and value-based decision making for the latter. The goal of the project is to develop a unifying experimental and theoretical account of human adaptive behavior subject to both perceptual and value uncertainty. The post of 1-year is at the Institute of Neuroinformatics (ini.uzh.ch <http://www.ini.uzh.ch>) of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, in close collaboration with Rafael Polania’s Decision Neuroscience Lab ( decision.ethz.ch <http://www.decision.ethz.ch>). *Preferable starting date:* February 1st, 2020. The post involves psychophysics and data-driven computational modelling. Candidates should have a PhD in cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, computational science, or a related field. Preference will be given to applicants with prior experience in designing and conducting psychophysics experiments, in addition to having strong programming (MATLAB or python), computational and statistical skills. *How to apply:* Please write to Hazem Toutounji (hazem(a)ini.ethz.ch) using the email as a cover letter, preferably before December 9th, 2019. Later applications will be considered until the post is filled. The application should include CV, list of publications and preprints, and contact information of 1-3 potential referees, in addition to a short summary (max. 300 words) of most relevant paper, describing your contribution. -- Dr. rer. nat. Hazem Toutounji Institute of Neuroinformatics University of Zurich and ETH Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland office: +41-44-635-3063 twitter: @HazemToutounji

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University of Sussex funded PhD positions: Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship Programme, “From Sensation and Perception to Awareness”
by Miguel Maravall Nov. 25, 2019

Nov. 25, 2019

Dear colleagues, We are inviting applications for our interdisciplinary Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship Programme at the University of Sussex, “From Sensation and Perception to Awareness”, for entry in September 2020. Could you please kindly distribute to interested students. Thank you Best wishes Miguel Maravall FUNDED PHD POSITIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX The University of Sussex invites applications for PhD studentship awards within its Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship Programme entitled “From Sensation and Perception to Awareness”, directed by Jamie Ward and Anil Seth. The prestigious Sussex Leverhulme Trust Doctoral Scholarship Programme<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=3783&type=185&url=htt…> brings together doctoral researchers from different disciplines to advance our understanding of the interactions between sensing, perception, and awareness in humans, animals, and machines. The Programme will support an intake of up to NINE students starting in September 2020. PhD students will be registered within one of the participating schools (Life Sciences, Informatics, Psychology, Media Film & Music, and Brighton and Sussex Medical School). The closing date for applications is January 31st, 2020. For further details, including how to apply, see… https://www.findaphd.com/phds/program/studentships-available-from-the-unive…

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COSYNE 2020: Registration; Travel grants; Cosyne Tutorials
by Tomas Hromadka Nov. 25, 2019

Nov. 25, 2019

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2020 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING 27 February - 01 March 2020 Denver, Colorado WORKSHOPS 02 March - 03 March 2020 Breckenridge, Colorado www.cosyne.org ==================================================== IMPORTANT DATES Online registration is now open. Travel grant submission is now open. Travel grant application deadlines 31 December 2019, 11.59PM PST (*Undergraduate* Travel Grant) 14 January 2020, 11.59PM PST (Other travel grants) TAs wanted for a tutorial session. ----------------------------------------------- TRAVEL GRANTS ----------------------------------------------- Applications are now open for travel grants to attend the conference. Each awardee will receive at least $500 to help offset the costs of travel, registration, and accommodations. Larger grants may be available to those traveling from outside North America. Special consideration is given to scientists who have not previously attended the meeting, under-represented minorities, students who are attending the meeting together with a mentor, undergraduate students, and authors of submitted Cosyne abstracts. We currently offer five travel grant programs for New Attendees, Presenters, Mentors, Undergraduates, and Childcare travel grants. For details on applying, see Cosyne.org -> Travel grants. ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE TUTORIALS ---------------------------------------------------- Cosyne 2019 will host two tutorial sessions on 27 February 2020. For details on Cosyne tutorials please visit Cosyne.org -> Tutorials 20. Tutorial 1: Cosyne 2020 Tutorial session sponsored by the Simons Foundation Topic: Normative approaches to understanding neural coding and behavior Speaker: Ann Hermundstad Ann Hermundstad is a Group Leader in the Computation & Theory research core at Janelia Research Campus. She studies how the brain creates and uses adaptive sensorimotor representations to generate flexible behavior. Her lab uses a combination of theory, modeling, and data analysis to explore how neural circuits can do this efficiently and flexibly, and works in close collaboration with experimentalists to test these ideas in biological systems. *We are recruiting TAs for the tutorial session. If interested, please see Cosyne.org -> Tutorials 20 for details on how to apply.* Tutorial 2 Topic: Neurodata without Borders Tutorial NWB is a data standard for neurophysiology, providing neuroscientists with a common standard to share, archive, use, and build common analysis tools for neurophysiology data. Navigating the Allen Brain Observatory ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE ---------------------------------------------------- The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks is selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. For details on workshop proposals please see below or visit Cosyne.org -> Workshops. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural basis of behavior, sensory and motor systems, circuitry, learning, neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, and computation with spiking networks. This year we would like to foster increased participation from experimental groups as well as computational ones. Please circulate widely and encourage your students and postdocs to apply. COSYNE INVITED SPEAKERS Matthew Botvinick (Deepmind/Princeton) Megan Carey (Champalimaud) John Cunningham (Columbia) Gul Dolen (Hopkins) Rainer Friedrich (FMI Basel) Sam Gershman (Harvard) Lisa Giocomo (Stanford) Christopher Harvey (Harvard) Mehrdad Jazayeri (MIT) Wei Ji Ma (NYU) Hendrikje Nienborg (Tuebingen/NIH) Linda Wilbrecht (Berkeley) Marta Zlatic (Janelia) ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General Chairs: Eugenia Chiappe (Champalimaud) and Christian Machens (Champalimaud) Program Chairs: Anne-Marie Oswald (U Pittsburgh) and Srdjan Ostojic (Ecole Normale Superieure Paris) Workshop Chairs: Catherine Hartley (NYU) and Blake Richards (McGill) Undergraduate Travel Chairs: Angela Langdon (Princeton) and Robert Wilson (U Arizona) Diversity Chairs: Eva Dyer (Georgia Tech, Emory) and Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Publicity Chair: Adam Calhoun (Princeton) Development Chair: Michael Long (NYU) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE MAILING LISTS ---------------------------------------------------- Please consider adding yourself to Cosyne mailing lists (groups) to receive email updates with various Cosyne-related information and join in helpful discussions. See Cosyne.org -> Mailing lists for details.

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Postdoctoral Researcher position at U Goettingen, Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks
by von Behren, Christina Nov. 22, 2019

Nov. 22, 2019

Dear list, We would like to draw your attention to the postdoc opportunity below: The Department of Data-driven Analysis of Biological Networks at the Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen invites applications for a position as Postdoctoral Researcher (all genders welcome) This position is available starting from April 1st, 2020. It is a full time position with a limited contract of 3 years and the possibility of extension. Salary and working hours will be according to the German grade 13 TV-L (100%, currently 39.80 hours per week). The position will be associated with the group of Prof. Michael Wibral at the Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks. We are recruiting a Postdoc for the interdisciplinary research project "Deep learning techniques for association studies of transcriptome and system dynamics in tissue morphogenesis" funded by the Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony within the research initiative Niedersächsisches Vorab "Big Data in the Life Sciences of the Future". The project aims for establishing the fundamental principles for generating tools for the identification of individual cells that are key to the dynamics of embryonic development via the automation of digital, dynamic tissue reconstruction from large-scale live imaging data and the use of local information dynamics. We are looking for candidates with an excellent PhD in physics, mathematics, computer science or a closely related field, who are committed to pursuing a career in research. The successful applicant will participate in research on the real-time application of novel information theoretic measures applied to imaging data from developing embryonic tissue. The ideal candidate should have excellent skills in scientific writing, experience with the application of information theory to biological data, and should have demonstrated her/his ability to work independently. Coding skills in a language relevant to data analysis (e.g. Python, Julia, R, Scala, Java) are considered as an advantage. We offer the opportunity to become a member of a vibrant community dedicated to innovative research and teaching at the frontier of the exact and biological sciences, and to connect to the latest developments in information theory, including partial information decompositions. The Göttingen Campus is a leading center of biophysics and neuroscience in Europe hosting numerous internationally renowned research institutions, including the University and its Medical Center, the three life science Max Planck Institutes, the European Neuroscience Institute, the German Primate Center, and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN) Göttingen. The Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN) is a newly founded transdisciplinary institute. Its mission is to foster frontier research at the border of the exact and biological sciences and to develop advanced mathematical and computational concepts for the analysis of biological networks. The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The mission of the University is to employ a greater number of severely disabled persons. Applications from severely disabled persons with equivalent qualifications will be given preference. Please send your e-mail application, preferably in one single PDF-document, including a letter of interest, your curriculum vitae with a list of publications, copies of your certificates and contact information of at least two references by December 31st, 2019 to e-mail address bianca.spitalieri(a)biologie.uni-goettingen.de<mailto:bianca.spitalieri@biologie.uni-goettingen.de> (Subject: PostDoc and ID). Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, Department of Data-driven Analysis of Biological Networks, Mrs Bianca Spitalieri, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen. If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Michael Wibral, via e-mail: michael.wibral(a)uni-goettingen.de<mailto:michael.wibral@uni-goettingen.de>. Please note: With submission of your application, you accept the processing of your applicant data in terms of data-protection law. Further information on the legal basis and data usage is provided in the Information General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Please see http://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/305402.html?cid=14701 Kind regards, Christina von Behren ------ Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience Goettingen University of Goettingen Postal address: Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine Hermann-Rein-Str. 3 37075 Goettingen Germany Phone: +49-(0)551-39-26674

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Postdoc/PhD position: Biologically inspired DNN for neuronal and behavioral analyses.
by Luczak, Artur Nov. 22, 2019

Nov. 22, 2019

Dear All, Our lab seeks highly motivated individuals with strong computational backgrounds to work at the interface of neuroscience and machine learning. We are especially interested in application of deep neural networks to improve our understanding of neuronal data, and application of recent neuroscience findings to improve performance of deep neural networks. In our lab we also record activity of hundreds of neurons in normal and epileptic animals, and successful candidate is welcome to participate in those projects. Preferred candidate should have strong background in modeling neurons and networks, and should be very familiar with models of synaptic plasticity (e.g. BCM). Our lab at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience in Lethbridge is located in the sunniest area of Canada and next to scenic Rocky Mountains. For more information please contact: Artur Luczak (Luczak(a)uleth.ca) Relevant papers from our lab: Ryait et al. PLoS Biology 2019: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.30005… Neumann et al. Brain 2017 http://people.uleth.ca/~luczak/papers/Luczak_Brain2017.pdf Luczak et al. Nature Rev Neurosci. http://people.uleth.ca/~luczak/papers/Luczak_nrn2015final.pdf Best, Artur http://lethbridgebraindynamics.com/artur_luczak

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Postdoc position at the SimLab Neuroscience, Juelich, Germany
by Abigail Morrison Nov. 21, 2019

Nov. 21, 2019

Dear colleagues, we have a postdoc position available in the SimLab Neuroscience, Juelich Research Centre, Germany. We are looking for candidates with a proven track record in developing scientific software who are interested in developing an HPC-amenable neuronal simulator and engaging with the neuroscience community. For a full description and details of how to apply, please see the announcement on our website: https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2019-415-E… All the best, Abigail Morrison -- Prof. Dr. Abigail Morrison IAS-6 / INM-6 / SimLab Neuroscience Jülich Research Center & Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience Ruhr-University Bochum http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-6 http://www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/slns http://www.ikn.psy.ruhr-uni-bochum.de Office: +49 2461 61-9805 Fax # : +49 2461 61-9460 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Neurobiology Events at EMBL Heidelberg in 2020
by Julie Heinecke Nov. 21, 2019

Nov. 21, 2019

The EMBL is one of the world’s leading research institutions, and Europe’s flagship laboratory for the life sciences. We have an extensive course and conference programme, with many multiple related to neurobiology taking place at EMBL Heidelberg, Germany in 2020. Please see our events below. 8 Mar - 11 Mar 2020 EMBL Conference: Advances in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine https://www.embl.de/training/events/2020/STM20-01/index.html <https://www.embl.de/training/events/2020/STM20-01/index.html> 15 Mar - 18 Mar 2020 EMBO | EMBL Symposium: Inter-Organ Communication in Physiology and Disease https://www.embo-embl-symposia.org/symposia/2020/EES20-02 <https://www.embo-embl-symposia.org/symposia/2020/EES20-02?_ga=2.140139891.1…> 6 May - 9 May 2020 EMBO Workshop: Microglia 2020 https://www.embl.de/training/events/2020/GLI20-01/index.html <https://www.embl.de/training/events/2020/GLI20-01/index.html> 11 May - 14 May 2020 EMBO | EMBL Symposium: Cellular Mechanisms Driven by Liquid Phase Separation https://www.embo-embl-symposia.org/symposia/2020/EES20-04 <https://www.embo-embl-symposia.org/symposia/2020/EES20-04> 14 Sep - 17 Sep 2020 EMBO | EMBL Symposium: The Neurovascular Interface https://www.embo-embl-symposia.org/symposia/2020/EES20-08 <https://www.embo-embl-symposia.org/symposia/2020/EES20-08> 21 Oct - 24 Oct 2020 EMBO | EMBL Symposium: Organoids: Modelling Organ Development and Disease in 3D Culture https://www.embo-embl-symposia.org/symposia/2020/EES20-11 <https://www.embo-embl-symposia.org/symposia/2020/EES20-11> 28 Oct - 31 Oct 2020 EMBO Workshop: Neuroepigenetics: From Cells to Behaviour and Disease https://www.embl.de/training/events/2020/NEG20-01/index.html <https://www.embl.de/training/events/2020/NEG20-01/index.html> 8 Nov - 11 Nov 2020 EMBO | EMBL Symposium: Biological Oscillators: Design, Mechanism, Function https://www.embo-embl-symposia.org/symposia/2020/EES20-12 <https://www.embo-embl-symposia.org/symposia/2020/EES20-12> Julie Heinecke, PhD Marketing Team Lead European Molecular Biology Laboratory Course and Conference Office Meyerhofstr. 1 D-69117 Heidelberg Germany Tel: +49 6221 387 8359 Fax: +49 6221 387 8158 Visit www.embl.org/events <http://www.embl.org/events> for a list of all EMBL events and subscribe to our newsletter at www.embl.org/events/newsletter/signup <http://www.embl.org/events/newsletter/signup>. Follow us on: Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/EMBLEvents/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/EMBLEvents> | Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/emblevents/> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/embl-events-716b1531/> | YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/user/emblmedia/playlists?sort=dd&view=50&shelf_id=4> | EMBL Events Blog <https://blogs.embl.org/events/>

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FW: Fries Lab PhD and Postdoc positions
by Ben S Nov. 21, 2019

Nov. 21, 2019

The Fries Lab at the Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) aims to fill Several positions for PhD candidates and Postdocs in Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience in the course of 2020 and early 2021. The Fries Lab investigates rhythmic neuronal synchronization and its functional roles for attention and memory (www.esi-frankfurt.de/pf <http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/pf> ). Interactions between different brain areas are studied with multi-site electrophysiology and optogenetics in awake behaving marmoset and macaque monkeys, magnetoencephalography in human subjects, and advanced data analysis. The new lab members will join existing teams with extensive expertise in the relevant techniques, and will typically combine experimental projects with data analysis projects on existing datasets. ESI provides an outstanding infrastructure. All positions are for four years and are core funded by ESI for their full duration. Positions can start at any time in 2020 or early 2021, and this call will remain open until all positions are filled. PhD candidates interested in joining the lab in late 2020 or early 2021 are encouraged to apply to the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Neural Circuits (www.brain.mpg.de/registration <http://www.brain.mpg.de/registration> ) with a deadline on 1 December 2019, and to send their application material in parallel directly to ESI at the below mentioned e-mail address. PhD candidates should have a B.Sc. or a M.Sc. or an equivalent qualification in neuroscience or a neuroscience-related discipline like medicine, psychology, physics or biology. Correspondingly, Postdoc candidates should have or expect a Ph.D. in neuroscience or a neuroscience-related discipline. Experience with in-vivo electrophysiology or MEG and with data analysis is a plus. Yet, the main criteria are a strong academic track record and a dedication to perform excellent brain research. Applications should include a motivation letter, a curriculum vitae, copies of the school leaving exam and university degrees, lists of university courses with obtained grades, and the names and e-mail addresses of two scientists, who can provide references (do not include reference letters). Please send your application materials in electronic format (ideally in one PDF file) to: renata.vajda(a)esi-frankfurt.de <mailto:renata.vajda@esi-frankfurt.de> . Prof. Dr. Pascal Fries Director, Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society Deutschordenstr. 46, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany Web: <http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/> www.esi-frankfurt.de Mail: <mailto:pascal.fries@esi-frankfurt.de> pascal.fries(a)esi-frankfurt.de Tel: +49 (0)69 96769 501 Fax: +49 (0)69 96769 555 <http://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=d3U-6zUAAAAJ&view_op=list_wo rks&pagesize=100> Pascal Fries @ Google Scholar Sitz der Gesellschaft: Frankfurt am Main Registergericht: Amtsgericht Frankfurt - HRB 84266 Geschäftsführer: Prof. Dr. Pascal Fries

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Developing advanced nanotechnology for neuroscience: 2 postdoc positions available
by Michele Giugliano Nov. 20, 2019

Nov. 20, 2019

The positions are funded for up to 42 months on a newly funded EC-Horizon 2020 project called "Ionic Neuromodulation For Epilepsy Treatment (IN-FET)", combining neurobiology, nanotechnologies, electrochemistry, and electronics together for designing a breakthrough novel technology in brain modulation. 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 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 link to the text of the call is https://www.sissa.it/bandi/selezione-pubblica-titoli-colloquio-conferimento… <https://www.sissa.it/bandi/selezione-pubblica-titoli-colloquio-conferimento…> The deadline for the application is 14/01/2020 at 13.00 and the link to apply is https://pica.cineca.it/sissa/ar-fe-neur-45-2019/ <https://pica.cineca.it/sissa/ar-fe-neur-45-2019/> For any information, email to assegniricerca(a)sissa.it <mailto:assegniricerca@sissa.it>

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PhD position: modeling sequential human behavior, Centre for Cognitive Science @ TU Darmstadt
by Constantin Rothkopf Nov. 20, 2019

Nov. 20, 2019

A PhD position is available in the lab of Constantin Rothkopf (https://www.pip.tu-darmstadt.de/) at the Centre for Cognitive Science (https://www.tu-darmstadt.de/cogsci/) at Technical University Darmstadt. The lab investigates sequential decision making and control under uncertainty in humans, how we actively use our visual system to take decisions and guide actions. Our work often involves behavioral experiments measuring eye movements and developing computational models in tasks ranging from psychophysical detection tasks to catching balls, navigation in VR, or reasoning about physics. We offer a supportive and interdisciplinary environment based on scientific curiosity with local and international collaborations. Candidates should have a Masters degree in cognitive science, computer science, psychology, neuroscience, or a related discipline. Preference will be given to candidates with evidence of strong quantitative and computational skills. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to interact closely with the existing team in our lab, as well as other colleagues at the Centre including Frank Jäkel, Kristian Kersting, Jan Peters, and Stefan Roth. If you are interested, please send an informal inquiry to constantin.rothkopf(a)cogsci.tu-darmstadt.de. Full applications including a CV, a brief (max. 2 pages) cover letter explaining your research interests, why you would like to study in the lab, your longer term career goals, and the names and contact details of up to 3 academic references need to be sent to dekanat(a)humanw.tu-darmstadt.de until November 25th 2019, but later applications will be considered until the position is filled. -- Constantin A. Rothkopf, PhD http://www.pip.tu-darmstadt.de/ http://www.cogsci.tu-darmstadt.de/ http://www.ai-da.tu-darmstadt.de/

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