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Funded Ph.D. Studentship in Computational Modelling and Machine Learning in Decision Neuroscience

by Wong-Lin, Kongfatt

Applications are invited for a funded 3-year Ph.D. studentship in Computational Modelling and Machine Learning in Decision Neuroscience at Ulster University, UK. https://www.ulster.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/find-a-phd/801216 This Ph.D. project aims to develop and apply computational techniques and modelling to understand brain and behavioural data across primate species. Specifically, the project will apply techniques in computational neuroscience, particularly biologically based neural network modelling, to elucidate the mechanisms underlying perceptual decisions abstracted from movements. The project will also use advanced machine learning methods to analyse various types of neural and behavioural data. The Ph.D. project is part of an ambitious externally funded 5-year research project proposes to break new ground by integrating data from multimodal human and non-human primate neurophysiology with computational modelling to gain convergent insights into how and where abstract decision mechanisms take place in the human and monkey brain, and provide an unprecedented, detailed view on the brain’s decision making machinery. The international collaborators are Prof. Michael Shadlen at Columbia University (USA), Prof. Stephan Bickel at Northwell-Hofstra School of Medicine (USA), Prof. Redmond O'Connell at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), and Prof. Simon Kelly at University College Dublin (Ireland). Some relevant references: (i) O'Connell RG, Shadlen MN, Wong-Lin K, Kelly SP. Bridging Neural and Computational Viewpoints on Perceptual Decision-Making. Trends Neurosci. 2018;41(11):838‐852. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2018.06.005 (ii) Atiya NAA, Rañó I, Prasad G, Wong-Lin K. A neural circuit model of decision uncertainty and change-of-mind. Nat Commun. 2019;10(1):2287. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-10316-8 (iii) O'Connell RG, Dockree PM, Kelly SP. A supramodal accumulation-to-bound signal that determines perceptual decisions in humans. Nat Neurosci. 2012;15(12):1729‐1735. doi:10.1038/nn.3248 This timely and exciting project is available in the Computer Science Research Institute and is tenable in the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Magee Campus. The successful Ph.D. candidate will benefit from the expertise of Ulster University’s Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Machine Learning, and Computational Biology communities, and will interact closely with international experimental collaborators. The student will gain valuable skills and knowledge in computational and mathematical modelling, biological signal processing, machine learning, high-performance computing, mathematics/statistics, and brain sciences. All applicants should hold a first or upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, Neuroscience, Biology, or a cognate area. Applications will be considered on a competitive basis with regard to the candidate’s qualifications, skills, experience, motivation and interests. Successful candidates will enrol as of 1st August 2021, on a full-time programme of research studies leading to the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The Ph.D. studentship will comprise fees together with an annual stipend and will be awarded for a period of up to three years subject to satisfactory progress. Additional financial support will be available from the supervisor's research funding for additional specialised training, research meeting and conference attendance, and computational resources. The successful student will be based at the Intelligent Systems Research Centre at Magee campus in Derry~Londonderry, with arguably the largest cluster of computational neuroscientists and neuro-inspired A.I researchers in Ireland. The city was awarded the 2013 UK City of Culture, with affordable living costs. In 2019, Ulster University was ranked 3rd in the UK for research culture and 8th in the UK for overall PhD researcher satisfaction. If you wish to discuss your proposal or receive advice on this project, please contact: Dr. KongFatt Wong-Lin, email: k.wong-lin(a)ulster.ac.uk . Apply online: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/find-a-phd/801216 The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 8th March 2021. Interviews will be held on 25th March 2021, and the starting date is on 1st August 2021. ------------------- Dr. KongFatt Wong-Lin Reader Intelligent Systems Research Centre School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems Ulster University, UK https://www.ulster.ac.uk/staff/k-wong-lin This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain information which is covered by legal, professional or other privilege. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager at postmaster(a)ulster.ac.uk and delete this email immediately. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ulster University. The University's computer systems may be monitored and communications carried out on them may be recorded to secure the effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes. Ulster University does not guarantee that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless expressly stated in the body of a separate attachment, the text of email is not intended to form a binding contract. Correspondence to and from the University may be subject to requests for disclosure by 3rd parties under relevant legislation. The Ulster University was founded by Royal Charter in 1984 and is registered with company number RC000726 and VAT registered number GB672390524.The primary contact address for Ulster University in Northern Ireland is Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry BT52 1SA

Feb. 1, 2021

Save the date: virtual INCF Assembly 19-27 April, 2021

by Helena Ledmyr

Dear INCF community, The INCF Assembly <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/> will be a virtual meeting this year, starting on April 19. The program <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/2021/program-at-a-glance> is currently being fine-tuned and will include: - FAIR approaches for neuroscience in general, neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and computational neuroscience - Electrophysiology, and computational neuroscience - Data science - Showcase of tools, infrastructures - Information about ongoing work in INCF councils and committees - Funders and publishers roundtable - Workshops on developing standards and a roadmap for FAIR neuroscience Abstract submission will reopen within the next couple of weeks, as will registration. If you submitted an abstract for the cancelled 2020 Assembly you will be contacted with the option to keep or retract your abstract. Registration fees are discounted for INCF members - sign up for INCF membership here <https://www.incf.org/join-incf>! We hope to see you at the INCF Assembly <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/> ! All the best Helena ----------------------------- Helena Ledmyr, PhD *Director* *Development and Communications* International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility Secretariat Karolinska Institutet. Nobels väg 15A, SE-171 77 Stockholm. Sweden Email: helena.ledmyr(a)incf.org Phone: +46 8 524 870 35 incf.org neuroinformatics.incf.org

Jan. 29, 2021

Fully funded PhD and postdoc positions in Neuroethology / Systems Neuroscience at Max Planck Institute for Brain Research (Frankfurt, Germany)

by Stempel, Vanessa

Dear colleagues, A fully funded PhD and postdoctoral position are available in the newly installed research group “Instinctive Behaviour Circuits”, headed by Vanessa Stempel at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany. Are you excited about neuroethology and systems neuroscience? Our group works on the neural mechanisms of flexible instinctive behaviours and is looking for PhD students and postdocs to join their team! The lab will employ state-of-the-art in vivo neural activity recordings and manipulation experiments in ethologically-relevant behavioural tasks in mice, and combine these with molecular, cellular and circuit-level analyses in vitro. We're also welcoming applications for BSc and MSc research projects! Please get in touch with us via email at vanessa.stempel(a)brain.mpg.de Best, Vanessa Job ads PhD mpg.de/16351407/phd-student-instinctive-behaviour-circuits<https://www.mpg.de/16351407/phd-student-instinctive-behaviour-circuits> Postdoc mpg.de/16351421/postdoctoral-researcher-instinctive-behaviour-circuits<http://www.mpg.de/16351421/postdoctoral-researcher-instinctive-behaviour-ci…> ___________________________ DR. VANESSA STEMPEL Max Planck Research Group Leader Instinctive Behaviour Circuits Group Max Planck Institute for Brain Research Max-von-Laue-Straße 4 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany www.brain.mpg.de/research/instinctive-behaviour-circuits-group.html

Jan. 29, 2021

Simons Foundation Bridge to Independence (BTI) Award programs

by Alyssa Picchini Schaffer

The Simons Foundation is invested in supporting the next generation of researchers. Our Bridge to Independence (BTI) Award programs promote talented early-career scientists by facilitating their transition to research independence and providing grant funding at the start of their professorships. We are offering such awards through two of our programs: the Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB), and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). These requests for applications (RFAs) are aimed at Ph.D. and M.D. – holding scientists who are currently in training positions and intend to seek tenure-track faculty positions over the next two years (i.e., 2021-2023). Successful applicants will receive a commitment of $495,000 over three years, activated upon assumption of a tenure-track professorship. Visit bit.ly/3i3GNeA for more information on both programs. __________________________________ Alyssa Picchini Schaffer, PhD Senior Scientist & Administrative Director Neuroscience Collaborations *SIMONS FOUNDATION* 160 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10010 646.654.0066 *main * 646.751.1277 *direct * 717.818.8281 *mobile*

Jan. 28, 2021

Undergraduate computational neuroscience research position

by Neymotin, Samuel (NKI)

A new Army Research Office (ARO) undergraduate research apprenticeship program (URAP) position is available for the summer of 2021 at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, NY (https://www.nki.rfmh.org/) Research will be conducted under the mentorship of Samuel Neymotin, Haroon Anwar, and Salvador Dura-Bernal to help achieve the goals of an ARO grant (PI: Neymotin) that aims to train neocortical circuit models to play video games using biologically-plausible learning rules, and to compare the models’ performance against commonly used deep reinforcement learning algorithms. Students will have the opportunity to learn cutting edge methods in computational neuroscience, machine learning, and Python software development, and potentially publish their results. Candidates will be considered based on their experience in computational neuroscience, machine learning, and Python programming. Candidates must be located within commuting distance to Nathan Kline Institute during the apprenticeship period. For consideration, please click the link to “Apply Now” at https://www.usaeop.com/program/undergraduate-apprenticeships/ Make sure to use code U803 (Nathan Kline Institute) and apply by the deadline (March 15, 2021). Letters of recommendation are optional. For questions, email Samuel.Neymotin(a)nki.rfmh.org<mailto:Samuel.Neymotin@nki.rfmh.org> For more information about the URAP visit: http://www.usaeop.com/<https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=1b10bbdd-47344dbc-1b1242e8-0cc47a6d17…> ________________________________ IMPORTANT NOTICE: This e-mail is meant only for the use of the intended recipient. It may contain confidential information which is legally privileged or otherwise protected by law. If you received this e-mail in error or from someone who was not authorized to send it to you, you are strictly prohibited from reviewing, using, disseminating, distributing or copying the e-mail. PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY OF THE ERROR BY RETURN E-MAIL AND DELETE THIS MESSAGE FROM YOUR SYSTEM. Thank you for your cooperation.

Jan. 27, 2021

[jobs] machine learning research scientist at NIMH

by Francisco Pereira

### HIRING: machine learning research scientist The Machine Learning Team at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Bethesda, MD, has an open position for a machine learning research scientist. The NIMH is the leading federal agency for research on mental disorders and neuroscience, and part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ### About the NIMH Machine Learning Team Our mission is to help NIMH scientists use machine learning methods to address a diverse set of research problems in clinical and cognitive psychology and neuroscience. These range from identifying biomarkers for aiding diagnoses to creating and testing models of mental processes in healthy subjects. Our overarching goal is to use machine learning to improve every aspect of the scientific effort. We work with many different data types, including very large brain imaging datasets from various imaging modalities, behavioral data, and picture and text corpora. We have excellent computational resources, both of our own (tens of high-end GPUs for deep learning, several large servers) and shared within the NIH (a cluster with hundreds of thousands of CPUs, and hundreds of GPUs). As a machine learning research group, we develop new methods and publish in the main machine learning conferences (e.g. NeurIPS and ICLR), as well as in psychology and neuroscience journals. Many of our problems require devising research approaches that combine imaging and non-imaging data, and leveraging structured knowledge resources (databases, scientific literature, etc) to generate explanations and hypotheses. You can find more about our work and publications at https://cmn.nimh.nih.gov/mlt ### About the position We are seeking candidates who are capable of combining machine learning, statistical, and domain-specific computational tools to solve practical data analysis challenges (e.g. designing experiments, generating and testing statistical hypotheses, training and interpreting predictive models, and developing novel models and methods). Additionally, candidates should be capable of visualizing and communicating findings to a broad scientific audience, as well as explaining the details of relevant methods to researchers in a variety of domains. Desirable experience that is not required, but will be considered very favorably: - neuroimaging data processing and analysis (any MRI modality, as well as MEG and EEG) - other types of neural data (e.g. neural recording, calcium imaging) - modelling of human and animal learning and decision-making - Bayesian statistical modelling Finally, you should have demonstrable experience programming in languages currently used in data-intensive, scientific computing, such as Python, MATLAB or R. Experience with handling large datasets in high performance computing settings is also very valuable. Although this position requires a Ph.D. in a STEM discipline, we will consider applicants from a variety of backgrounds, as their research experience is the most important factor. This is an ideal position for someone who wants to establish a research career in method development and applications driven by scientific and clinical needs. Given our access to a variety of collaborators and large or unique datasets, there is ample opportunity to match research interests with novel research problems. We also maintain collaborations outside of the NIH, driven by our own research interests. If you would like to be considered for this position, please send francisco.pereira(a)nih.gov a CV, with your email serving as cover letter. We especially encourage applications from women and members of underrepresented groups. If you already have a research statement, please feel free to send that as well. There is no need for reference letters at this stage. Other inquiries are also welcome. Thank you for your attention and interest! ReplyForward <https://drive.google.com/u/0/settings/storage?hl=en&utm_medium=web&utm_sour…> <https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/> <https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/> <https://www.google.com/gmail/about/policy/>

Jan. 27, 2021

[CFP] ICLR 2021 Workshop on "How Can Findings About The Brain Improve AI Systems?"

by Mariya Toneva

ICLR 2021 - Workshop on "How Can Findings About The Brain Improve AI Systems?" Submission deadline: February 26, 2021 Workshop website: https://iclrbrain2ai.github.io/ Contact: brain2ai.2021(a)gmail.com The brain comprises billions of neurons organized into an intricate network of highly specialized functional areas. This biological cognitive system can efficiently process vast amounts of multi-modal data to perceive and react to its ever-changing environment. Unlike current AI systems, it does not struggle with domain adaptation, few-shot learning, or commonsense reasoning. Inspiration from neuroscience has benefited AI in the past: modern convolutional networks mimic the deep, nested information flow in visual cortex, and hippocampal replay of previous experiences has brought about experience replay in reinforcement learning. Recent work at the intersection of neuroscience and AI has made progress in directly integrating neuroscientific data with AI systems and has led to learned representations that are more robust to label corruptions, allow for better generalization in some language tasks, and provide new ways to interpret and evaluate what domain-relevant information is learned by deep neural networks. In this workshop, we aim to examine the extent to which insights about the brain can lead to better AI. We will consider the following (non-exhaustive) list of topics for contribution: - Integration of neuroscientific data at different granularities (neural recordings, neuroimaging etc.) to train AI systems - Brain-inspired inductive biases and ML architectures for AI systems - Neuroscientific data as an evaluation metric for AI systems - Mechanistic insight into cognitive functions (vision, language, decision making, attention, etc.) - Limitations of current AI systems in tasks at which humans excel (compositionality, commonsense reasoning, continual learning, few-shot learning, causality, etc.) - Cross-modality and cross-species comparisons of neuroscientific data with respect to benefits to AI - Datasets that can facilitate the transfer of neuroscientific insight to AI Submit at: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/BRAIN2AI2021/Submission/Index The workshop will feature a diverse set of topics led by the following invited speakers and panelists (in alphabetical order): 1. Anima Anandkumar, California Institute of Technology 2. David Cox, Harvard University 3. Kenji Doya, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University 4. Allyson Ettinger, University of Chicago 5. Alona Fyshe, University of Alberta 6. Jack Gallant, University of California, Berkeley 7. Andrea Martin, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics 8. Kimberly Statchenfeld, DeepMind 9. Josh Tenenbaum, MIT Formatting Instructions: All submissions must be in PDF format. Submissions are limited to four content pages, including all figures and tables; additional pages containing only references are allowed. You must format your submission using the ICLR 2021 LaTeX style files. Submissions that meaningfully violate the ICLR style (e.g., by decreasing margins or font sizes) or page limits may be rejected without further review. All submissions should be anonymous. The review process is double-blind. We also welcome recently (within the last year) published papers that are within the scope of the workshop (without re-formatting). Already-published papers do not have to be anonymous. They are eligible for a spotlight session and will only have a very light review process. Virtual format: The workshop will be geared towards more dynamic and interactive discussion focused on Q&A sessions. Accepted abstracts and papers will result in, at minimum, a pre-recorded spotlight talk. All presenters will be given live virtual “coffee break” rooms during all breaks in the conference schedule to engage in small group discussions with participants. Discussions around talks will be organized in live virtual “breakout” rooms with similar topics and themes so that workshop attendees and presenters can interact in a less formal, discussion-centric setting. Important Dates: Paper submission deadline: 11:59 PM EST, Feb 26, 2021 Author notification: 11:59 PM EST, Mar 26, 2021 Camera-ready papers due: 11:59 PM EST, Apr 15, 2021 Workshop: May 8, 2021

Jan. 26, 2021

2 NEUROSCIENCE / DATA SCIENCE POSITIONS (Deadline: 11 Feb 2021)

by Prata, Diana

2 NEUROSCIENCE / DATA SCIENCE RESEARCH POSITIONS IN LAB AT UNIVERSITY OF LISBON (DPRATALAB.WORDPRESS.COM <http://dpratalab.wordpress.com/>) (Deadline: 11 Feb 2021) 1 RESEARCH POSITION IN BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE Work plan: Statistical analysis of retrospective neuroimaging and clinical data, using artificial intelligence (machine learning) for the development and validation of diagnostic neuroimaging biomarkers, with high potential of clinical applicability; coordination with Portuguese and UK research, IT and medical teams within an academic-entrepreneurial join-venture, with the goal of helping clinical decision-making in neurodegenerative illnesses. Up to 2 years duration. Details in: http://www.eracareers.pt/opportunities/index.aspx?task=global&jobId=130697 <http://www.eracareers.pt/opportunities/index.aspx?task=global&jobId=130697> 1 RESEARCH POSITION IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE Work plan: Statistical analysis of varied psychophysiological data (EEG and/or MRI and/or pupillometry) and write up of scientific articles in clinical study with pharmacological intervention of oxytocin, with the goal of characterizing the role of oxytocin in human brain function in health and in psychosis. Up to 1.5 years duration. Details in: http://www.eracareers.pt/opportunities/index.aspx?task=global&jobId=130890 <http://www.eracareers.pt/opportunities/index.aspx?task=global&jobId=130890> Diana Prata, Phd Principal Investigator & Lecturer, Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, FCUL Visiting Lecturer, IoPPN, King's College London Associate Investigator, CIS, ISCTE-IUL (+351)966595936; https://dpratalab.wordpress.com/ <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdpratalab…>, https://neurocolab.wordpress.com/ <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fneurocola…>.

Jan. 25, 2021

Postdoc position in multimodal imaging of brain dynamics

by Laura Lewis

Dear colleagues, We have an open postdoctoral position in multimodal imaging of brain states, please feel free to circulate the ad below. *Postdoctoral position in multimodal imaging of brain dynamics* We have an opening for a postdoctoral associate to lead multimodal neuroimaging studies of brain function in Laura Lewis' lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University ( http://www.lewisneurolab.org) This position offers the opportunity to develop multimodal neuroimaging and analysis techniques, and study the neural basis and cognitive consequences of sleep and arousal states. We use fast fMRI, simultaneous EEG-fMRI, computational modeling, ultra-high field (7 Tesla) imaging, and other multimodal approaches to measure and analyze brain function across diverse states. Areas of focus include: - fast fMRI/EEG studies of brain dynamics - thalamic and brainstem networks across vigilance states - neural basis of sleep and sleep deprivation - sleep and mood states in major depression - neurovascular coupling and cerebrospinal fluid physiology - sleep and brain function in aging The lab is a fast-paced and interdisciplinary environment that supports its members in achieving their long-term research and career goals, and has strong collaborations throughout the Boston-area computational neuroscience and neuroimaging communities. The position may involve conducting neuroimaging studies at both Boston University and at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital. For more information, see http://www.lewisneurolab.org/positions . This position requires a Ph.D. in neuroscience, engineering, computer science, psychology, or related fields. To apply, please email C.V., a statement describing research experience and future interests and goals, and names of three references to Laura Lewis, ldlewis(a)bu.edu thanks, Laura Lewis Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Boston University https://www.lewisneurolab.org/

Jan. 25, 2021

[2nd BCI-UC] Voting and abstract submission closes this Friday

by Moritz Grosse-Wentrup

Dear colleagues, We have extended the deadline for abstract submission for the 2nd Brain-Computer Interface Un-Conference until this Friday at 11:59 pm CET: https://bciunconference.univie.ac.at/2nd-bci-uc/ The deadline for voting on submitted abstracts is extended accordingly. The BCI-UC committee: Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Anja Meunier Philipp Raggam Jiachen Xu -- Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Research Group Neuroinformatics Faculty of Computer Science University of Vienna Hörlgasse 6, A-1090 Wien, Austria moritz.grosse-wentrup(a)univie.ac.at +43-1-4277-79610 http://neural.engineering/

Jan. 25, 2021