- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Information theory workshop at CNS*2024 -- call for contributed talks

by Joseph Lizier

Dear all, We are pleased to announce that the Workshop on Methods of Information Theory in Computational Neuroscience<https://bit.ly/cns2024itw> will be held once again at the 33rd Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2024<https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2024> conference), in Natal, Brazil. The workshop will be held during sessions over the final day of the main conference, July 24, 2024. Our confirmed speakers so far include the following: * Patricio Orio, University of Valparaíso, Chile * Marilyn Gatica, Northeastern University London, UK * ... more TBA! We would like to call for contributions<https://bit.ly/cns2024itw> of talks. If you are interested in contributing a talk, please send a title and abstract to Marilyn Gatica (marilyn.gatica(a)nulondon.ac.uk<mailto:marilyn.gatica@nulondon.ac.uk>) and Joseph Lizier (joseph.lizier(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:joseph.lizier@sydney.edu.au>). Earlier submissions and those from female/minority speakers will be prioritised. Please pay attention to the registration for CNS*2024 (deadlines and fees) as workshop registration at least is required for attendance, and see our website https://bit.ly/cns2024itw for more details. We hope you will join us there! Organising Committee: Marilyn Gatica (chair) Joseph Lizier (co-chair) Abdullah Makkeh Michael Wibral Pedro Mediano

May 29, 2024

Open PhD position - Brain-inspired computing and Spiking Neural Networks

by Robert Legenstein

The Lab of Robert Legenstein at Graz University of Technology (Austria) https://www.tugraz.at/institute/igi/people/prof-legenstein/ is offering a funded PhD position (Univ. Assistant) in the areas Spiking Neural Networks/Machine Learning/Brain Models/Neuromorphic Hardware. A background in Machine Learning, Computer Science, or Mathematics is desirable, as well as evidence for excellent prior performance as a student. For details and application portal, see https://jobs.tugraz.at/en/jobs/c979f4bb-8292-a539-ff62-6627a4de2995 -- Dr. Robert Legenstein Univ.-Professor Institute of Theoretical Computer Science Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 16b/I, 8010 Graz, Austria http://www.igi.tugraz.at/legi/ Follow @CompLegenstein on Twitter. ++43/316/873-5824 ----------------------------------

May 28, 2024

Last week to register for free for the Basque ASTROTECH Computational Neuroscience Meeting (Bilbao, June 4-6, 2024)

by De Pitta, Maurizio

Dear Colleagues, Please share and disseminate among your networks. The Basque ASTROTECH Computational Neuroscience Meeting is happening next week (June 4–6, 2024) at the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM) in Bilbao, Spain. The meeting is in person only. Attendance is free, but registration is required due to limited seating. Please register here: https://www.bcamath.org/events/ba-cnm-astrotech/en/registration/ The Basque ASTROTECH Computational Neuroscience Meeting presents state-of-the-art neural and glial data analysis and modeling research by leading neurotech researchers based in the Basque Country (Spain). The Basque ASTROTECH Computational Neuroscience Meeting is sponsored by the H2020 ASTROTECH European Training Network and is an excellent opportunity for young researchers and professionals in the Basque Country, Spain, and internationally to learn about some of the latest advancements in neuron-glial paradigms of brain function at the interface of computational neuroscience, machine learning, and neurotech. Attendance at the meeting is free, but pre-registration is required due to limited seating. For more information: Meeting Website: https://sites.google.com/view/basque-astrotech-cns-workshop Registration Website: https://www.bcamath.org/events/ba-cnm-astrotech/en/registration/ I look forward to meeting you in Bilbao next week. Maurizio De Pitta /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The Basque ASTROTECH Computational Neuroscience Meeting Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM), Bilbao, Spain June 4–6, 2024. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ***************** Day 1 (June 4, 2024) ***************** MORNING SYMPOSIUM: Applied And Functional ModellingMultiscale functional and structural brain networks in health and disease Jesus Cortes (BioCruces Hospital Clinic) Multiscale functional and structural brain networks in health and disease Craig Richter (BCBL–Basque Center On Cognition, Brain and Language) Discovering functional networks using coupled cortical oscillations Paolo Bonifazi (BioCruces Hospital Clinic) Linking hubs, embryonic neurogenesis, transcriptomic, and diseases in human brain networks Maurizio De Pitta (BCAM–Basque Center for Applied Mathematics and the Krembil Research Institute) Neuron-Glial Circuits Across the Cognitive Spectrum AFTERNOON LAB. Modeling Neuron-Glial Interactions: From Tripartite-Synapses to Neuron-Glial Networks. Curator: Maurizio De Pitta (BCAM/Krembil) ***************** Day 2 (June 5, 2024) ***************** MORNING SYMPOSIUM: The Attractor Framework in Computational Neuroscience. Miguel Aguilera (BCAM) Nonequilibrium associative memories in neuroscience and machine learning Daniele De Martino (Biofizika Institute) Feedback Ising models neural networks dynamics Dmitry Sinelshchikov (Biofizika Institute and CSIC-UPV/EHU) Nonlinear dynamics in small groups of Hindmarsh-Rose neurons Gorka Zamora-Lopez, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) Emergence of modular and hierarchical neural networks driven by learning of external stimuli AFTERNOON LAB. Glial Functional Readouts: Hodgkin-Huxley models and their extension to Glial Calcium Modeling. Curator: Maurizio De Pitta (BCAM/Krembil) ***************** Day 3 (June 6, 2024) ***************** MORNING SYMPOSIUM. Multi-scale Tools to Model the Brain Christophe Bernard (INSERM and Aix-Marseille University) Digital twin technology to better understand and treat the brain Romina Baila (CODEMART) The Virtual Brain /1: Architectural view over a modeling tool for full brain simulation The Virtual Brain /2: How to Harness The Virtual Brain Capability Ignacio Arganda-Carreras (University of the Basque Country, DIPC, and Biofisika Institute) BiaPy: Bioimage analysis workflow for all audiences AFTERNOON LAB. Physics of the Neuron-Glia-Vascular Tissue. Curator: Michelangelo Volpi (BCAM) ----- Maurizio DE PITTA Principal Investigator Neuron-Glia Interactions Lab (NGILab) Krembil Research Institute, 4KD-509 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, CA +1.416.603.5800 ext. 3290 This e-mail may contain confidential and/or privileged information for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review or distribution by anyone other than the person for whom it was originally intended is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please contact the sender and delete all copies. Opinions, conclusions or other information contained in this e-mail may not be that of the organization. If you feel you have received an email from UHN of a commercial nature and would like to be removed from the sender's mailing list please do one of the following: (1) Follow any unsubscribe process the sender has included in their email (2) Where no unsubscribe process has been included, reply to the sender and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line. If you require additional information please go to our UHN Newsletters and Mailing Lists page. Please note that we are unable to automatically unsubscribe individuals from all UHN mailing lists. Patient Consent for Email: UHN patients may provide their consent to communicate with UHN about their care using email. All electronic communication carries some risk. Please visit the UHN website and search “Using email to Communicate with Your UHN Health Care Team” to learn about the risks of electronic communication and how to protect your privacy. You may withdraw your consent to receive emails from UHN at any time. Please contact your care provider, if you do not wish to receive emails from UHN.

May 28, 2024

Fwd: Fully funded PhD position in Computational Neuroscience at TU Graz, Austria

by Kerstin Lenk

Hello, We have a *fully funded PhD position in Computational Neuroscience at TU Graz*, Austria, available. The project is in collaboration with the University of Regensburg, Germany. *Period:* October 1st, 2024 – September 30th, 2027 (3 years) *Supervisor: *Kerstin Lenk, Institute of Neural Engineering, TU Graz, Austria *Keywords: **Astrocytes; Blood-Brain Barrier; Endothelial Cells; Major Depressive Disorder; Computational Modeling* *Team:* The Computational Neuroscience lab led by Dr. Kerstin Lenk in the Institute of Neural Engineering ( https://www.tugraz.at/institute/ine/research/team-lenk) at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) is looking for a creative and enthusiastic PhD student to join the lab! Our research is focused on the computational neuroscience of astrocytes. Broadly, we study how astrocytes interact with neurons and other glial cells. We are looking for a PhD student who is interested in developing a computational model of the BBB in the following project: *Project Description:* Interactions among astrocytes and endothelial cells (EC) forming blood vessels are essential to building a properly functional blood-brain barrier (BBB). Astrocyte-specific signaling molecules modulate tight junctions (TJ) between EC, thereby controlling BBB sealing properties and, thus, the transendothelial blood-brain trafficking of various substances. Any disruption in these events may lead to the onset of brain disorders. Indeed, an impaired morphology of astrocytes and reduced TJ protein expression characterizes the leaky BBB in postmortem brains of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. Epidemiological data also revealed sex differences in MDD prevalence, with women twice as affected as men. Intriguingly, the disruption of the BBB in female mice induces depression-like behaviors. Thus, there is a high need to investigate sex-dependent cellular and molecular mechanisms that link a leaky BBB with the etiopathogenesis of MDD to identify alternative disease trajectories, which might be targeted by personalized treatments. The project includes experimental and theoretical work, which is highly interconnected, and we will gain much more insights by combining *in vitro*, *in vivo,* and *in silico* studies. The project is funded by FWF (Austrian Science Fund) under the scheme “Weave” (International Projects) and is in collaboration with Dr. Barbara Di Benedetto at the University of Regensburg, Germany. *Candidate:* The candidate should be willing to work on a multidisciplinary project that combines computational modeling and *in vitro*/ *in vivo* experiments in neurosciences. They should have a good level of English, very good mathematical and programming skills, and an interest in neurobiology. *Application*: Please send your application to *kerstin.lenk(a)tugraz.at <kerstin.lenk(a)tugraz.at>* as a single PDF file, including a CV and the contact details of two academic references, *before July 6th, 2024*. Informal inquiries are welcome. -- Ass. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Kerstin Lenk (she/her) Institute of Neural Engineering Graz University of Technology Stremayrgasse 16/4 8010 Graz Tel.: +43-316-873-30712https://www.tugraz.at/institute/ine/research/team-lenk/ twitter@astrocytenet

May 24, 2024

PhD position in neonatal neuroimaging

by Manuel Blesa Cábez

We have a 3’5 years PhD position at the University of Edinburgh in neonatal neuroimaging! The project will investigate the relationship between the neonatal structural connectome and the immune dysregulation in preterm infants. For full details: Elucidating the relationship between the neonatal cerebral connectome and immune dysregulation in preterm infants at University of Edinburgh on FindAPhD.com <https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/elucidating-the-relationship-between-…> The project will be supervised by Prof James Boardman, Dr Manuel Blesa Cábez (myself) and Prof Riccardo Marioni. The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50 and placed 22nd in the 2024 QS World University Rankings. It has an international reputation for innovative research across a wide range of disciplines. The salary is £19,237 per year and the application is open worldwide. Closing date 6 of June! For any informal queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me: manuel.blesa(a)ed.ac.uk

May 24, 2024

Postdoc/student workshop at Washington University in St Louis

by Goodhill, Geoffrey

Opportunity for postdocs and senior graduate students! The recently established Center for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience (ctcn.wustl.edu) at Washington University in St. Louis invites applications from postdocs and senior graduate students, who are using primarily theoretical and computational techniques to study the principles of brain organization and function, for its second Computational Neuroscience Next Generation symposium, September 16-17th 2024: https://ctcn.wustl.edu/next-gen-symposium The CTCN will pay travel expenses for successful applicants. Participants will engage with researchers at CTCN-participating departments over two days, including: - Presenting their work during the symposium, which will also feature leading WashU neuroscientists. - One-on-one meetings with faculty. - Informal discussions with the Washington University computational and theoretical neuroscience community. Being selected as a Next Generation Symposium speaker is an exciting opportunity s to share your research with Washington University computational neuroscientists, to receive feedback, to explore postdoctoral opportunities including CTCN postdoctoral fellowships (https://ctcn.wustl.edu/postdoc-fellows) and to form professional and intellectual relationships with peers, mentors and potential future collaborators. The application form is available at https://ctcn.wustl.edu/next-gen-symposium. The application deadline is June 15th. Professor Geoffrey J Goodhill Departments of Developmental Biology and Neuroscience Director, Center for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience (ctcn.wustl.edu) Affiliate appointments: Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, and Electrical and Systems Engineering Washington University School of Medicine 4370 Duncan Ave. St Louis, MO 63110 g.goodhill(a)wustl.edu https://neuroscience.wustl.edu/people/geoffrey-goodhill-phd

May 24, 2024

[Jobs] [Deadline Approaching] Available Ph.D. Position at the intersection of AI / Psychology / Human-Robot Interaction

by Amir Aly

Dear All *Apologies for cross-posting* We are pleased to announce an opportunity for a funded PhD studentship (*Delivering Functional Imagery Training via Generative AI To Improve Access to Effective Psychological Interventions for Health*) at Plymouth University, UK. The closing date for applications is *29**th May 2024 (**midnight, UK time) **(**The difference in tuition fees between national and international students will be waived for excellent international candidates**)*. Join our interdisciplinary team to shape the future of mental health care. *AI models like ChatGPT* fundamentally change the landscape for the automated delivery of psychological interventions. These models will likely make it possible to deliver *psychologically-informed treatment* at scale, meeting a substantial unmet need for these services. This project will develop datasets and software to deliver *Functional Imagery Training (FIT)* via mobile devices and, ultimately, via *embodied agents (robots)*. As a person-centred intervention, FIT presents an interesting challenge: the practitioner or AI must tailor responses to the content of what the 'client' says, and guide mental imagery exercises based on that personal content. By building an interdisciplinary team of psychologists and machine learning experts this project will deliver real-world impact with broad implications for mental healthcare. More details *about the topic *and *how to apply* are available at: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DHA540/phd-studentship-fit-for-all-delivering-fu… <https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DHA540/phd-studentship-fit-for-all-delivering-fu…> PhD Studentship: FIT for All: Delivering Functional Imagery Training via Generative AI To Improve Access to Effective Psychological Interventions for Health at University of Plymouth <https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DHA540/phd-studentship-fit-for-all-delivering-fu…> jobs.ac.uk are now advertising a PhD Studentship: FIT for All: Delivering Functional Imagery Training via Generative AI To Improve Access to Effective Psychological Interventions for Health. Discover exciting PhD opportunities on jobs.ac.uk. www.jobs.ac.uk If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me, Regards ---------------- *Dr. Amir Aly* Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Programme Manager of Artificial Intelligence Center for Robotics and Neural Systems (CRNS) School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics Room A307 Portland Square, Drake Circus, PL4 8AA University of Plymouth, UK ------------------------------ <http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/worldclass>

May 23, 2024

Mentors Needed for Neuromatch Academy!

by Courtney Dean

Hello! *I invite you to join Neuromatch Academy as a mentor for our online academies in July! *We have outstanding students from over 100 countries, many of whom lack career connections. If you are passionate about nurturing talent in neuroscience or artificial intelligence, please apply here. We are accepting applicants on a rolling basis. *As a mentor, you will provide advice to students about their academic and professional journeys with just one hour per week.* There is no prior preparation required. Here is what you will do: - Mentor a small group of students matched with your expertise and preferences. - Discuss professional development topics of your preference, such as PhD applications, work-life balance, and careers in academia/industry. - Guide students by sharing your experiences and discussing their questions during sessions, which will occur once a week during the course. We offer three dynamic courses: - Computational Neuroscience <https://neuromatch.io/computational-neuroscience-course/> (July 8-26) - Deep Learning <https://neuromatch.io/deep-learning-course/> (July 8-26) - NeuroAI <https://neuromatch.io/neuroai-course/> (July 15-26) -- *we are especially in need of mentors for this course! * Choose a course aligned with your expertise and interests, and we will match you with students eager to explore that field alongside you. Your commitment can shape the future of these fields. Join us in empowering the next generation of scientists! *To sign up and for more information please visit our mentorship program* *webpage:* https://neuromatch.io/mentoring/ If you have any additional questions, please reach out to mentors(a)neuromatch.io. Best, Avisha & Angelo Co-chairs Professional Development | Neuromatch -- *Courtney Dean (she, her) * Project Manager Schedule a meeting with me! <https://calendly.com/courtney-s-dean> c. 720.371.6559

May 22, 2024

Bernstein Conference 2024 - Deadline approaching for contributed talk abstract submission

by Alexander Lammers

Call for Abstracts for the Bernstein Conference 2024 in Frankfurt am Main +++ The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for contributed talks and poster presentations of the Bernstein Conference 2024 in Frankfurt am Main. +++ ____ Each year the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renowned conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs, and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries. www.bernstein-conference.de<http://www.bernstein-conference.de> ____ IMPORTANT DATES * Deadline for contributed talk abstract submission: June 5, 2024, 15:00 CEST * Deadline for travel grant applications: June 12, 2024, 15:00 CEST * Deadline for poster abstract submission: July 10, 2024, 15:00 CEST * Bernstein Conference: September 29 – October 2, 2024 ____ ABSTRACTS We invite the computational neuroscience community to submit their abstracts: Submitted abstracts can either be considered as contributed talks or posters. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Further information can be found here: https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/abstract-submission/ ____ TRAVEL GRANTS To support the participation of young researchers at the Bernstein Conference, the Bernstein Network offers up to 10 Travel Grants, each endowed with 500 €. Further information can be found here: https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/early-career-scientists/t… ____ INVITED SPEAKERS Dmitriy Aronov (Columbia University, USA) Helen Barron (University of Oxford, UK) Elizabeth Buffalo (University of Washington, USA) Alex Cayco Gajic (Ecole Normale Supérieure, France) Jan Drugowitsch (Harvard University, USA) Jakob Macke (University of Tübingen, Germany) Tirin Moore (Stanford University, USA) Mala Murthy (Princeton University, USA) Memming Park (Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal) Susanne Schreiber (Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany) Xiao-Jing Wang (New York University, USA) ____ CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Matthias Kaschube (Conference Chair) Srdjan Ostojic (Program Chair) Tatiana Engel (Program Vice Chair) Maria Eckstein (Workshop Chair) Wiktor Młynarski (Workshop Vice Chair) & Athena Akrami, Mehrdad Jazayeri, Jennifer Li, Scott Linderman, Ashok Litwin-Kumar, Ida Momennejad, Christina Savin, Andrew Saxe, Daniela Vallentin, Friedemann Zenke. ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 52425 Jülich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Jülich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Düren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Stefan Müller Geschäftsführung: Prof. Dr. Astrid Lambrecht (Vorsitzende), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Dr. Ir. Pieter Jansens ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 22, 2024

PhD in computational neurosciences at CerCo (CNRS UMR 5549, Toulouse France)

by MASQUELIER Timothee

Fully funded PhD fellowship in computational neurosciences at the CerCo laboratory (CNRS UMR 5549, Toulouse France) and in collaboration with the IPAL laboratory (IRL 2955, Singapore) Benoit Cottereau / Timothée Masquelier Starting date: Second semester of 2024 Supervisors: Benoit Cottereau, research director at CNRS (CerCo & IPAL, contact: benoit.cottereau(a)cnrs.fr <mailto:benoit.cottereau@cnrs.fr>) and Timothée Masquelier, research director at CNRS (CerCo, contact: timothee.masquelier(a)cnrs.fr <mailto:timothee.masquelier@cnrs.fr>) Keywords: Vision, Computational neurosciences, Artificial intelligence (AI), Spiking neural networks, Event-based cameras, Neuro-ophthalmology. A fully funded PhD fellowships is available to work at the CNRS (Cerco laboratory in Toulouse and also IPAL in Singapore) under the supervision of Benoit Cottereau (CNRS research director) and Timothée Masquelier (CNRS research director). The aim of the project is to develop computational models that explain how the visual system evolves following the onset of pathologies associated with visual field deficits (e.g., in patients with macular degeneration or retinis pigmentosa). We will be specifically interested in the neuroplasticity mechanisms that may underly the visual rehabilitations observed in some animal models of these pathologies (see e.g., Shao et al., 2014; Burnat et al., 2017). It will be realized using spiking neural networks trained with data collected by event-based cameras from partially occluded visual scenes (see e.g., Moore et al., 2021). The outputs of the networks after training will be compared to those observed in neural recordings and/or in behavioural experiments realized in patients (the CerCo has a privileged connection with the Retina Center of the Purpan hospital in Toulouse). The candidates should be willing to work in a multidisciplinary environment which combines AI, neurosciences and ophthalmology, have a good level in English, very good mathematical and programming skills and be interested in neurobiology. Some knowledge in neurosciences/ cognitive sciences would be a plus. The research will mainly take place in Toulouse, a student city (Toulouse is the second university hub in France) with high quality of life located in the south west of France (close to the Pyrenees, the Mediterranean Sea and the Spanish border). Stays in Singapore (a multicultural and attractive city of south-east Asia) are also planned. The position will be fully funded during the three years of the PhD, with standard French salaries. Applications should be sent to benoit.cottereau(a)cnrs.fr <mailto:benoit.cottereau@cnrs.fr> and timothee.masquelier(a)cnrs.fr <mailto:timothee.masquelier@cnrs.fr>, including a CV and 2 names of references. References: - Burnat, K., Hu, T. T., Kossut, M., Eysel, U. T., & Arckens, L. (2017). Plasticity beyond V1: reinforcement of motion perception upon binocular central retinal lesions in adulthood. Journal of Neuroscience, 37(37), 8989-8999. - Moore, J. A., Tuladhar, A., Ismail, Z., Mouches, P., Wilms, M., & Forkert, N. D. (2023). Dementia in Convolutional Neural Networks: Using Deep Learning Models to Simulate Neurodegeneration of the Visual System. Neuroinformatics, 21(1), 45-55. - Shao, Y., Keliris, G. A., Papanikolaou, A., Fischer, M. D., Zobor, D., Jägle, H., ... & Smirnakis, S. M. (2013). Visual cortex organisation in a macaque monkey with macular degeneration. European journal of neuroscience, 38(10), 3456-3464.

May 22, 2024