- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Postdoc in large-scale brain modeling and machine learning

by Jan Fousek

A postdoc position is available at the Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes (http://ins-amu.fr/) Aix-Marseille University, France. Summary The Theoretical Neuroscience Group (Head: Viktor Jirsa) is seeking to fill a post-doctoral position in the context of the project Virtual Brain Cloud to work on development of parameter inference workflows for connectome-based large-scale brain network models (see The Virtual Brain http://www.thevirtualbrain.org) applied to brain imaging data (EEG, MEG, fMRI). In particular, the project will involve the application and evaluation of common Bayesian estimation techniques such as Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo and variational schemes to high-dimensional time-series models of brain activity. These were previously successfully applied in the context of estimation of brain excitability based on personalized brain models and intracerebral electrophysiological recordings of seizure propagation in epileptic patients. The successful candidate will join a team working towards generalizing these approaches for other paradigms such as stimulation or resting state. Qualification Candidates should be have strong background in data fitting (Bayesian inference approaches, Dynamical Causal Modeling (DCM), Monte Carlo techniques). Experience with computational neuroscience (networks, dynamic system theory) and ability to program in a numerically oriented language (R, Python, MATLAB) are valued. The Theoretical Neuroscience Group We are a multi-national team interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying the spatiotemporal organization of large-scale brain networks. Our work comprises mathematical and computational modeling of large-scale network dynamics and human brain imaging data, the development of neuroinformatics tools for studying large-scale brain networks applied to concrete functions, dysfunctions (epilepsy, dementia) and aging. Terms of salary and employment The position is initially for one year, renewable on an annual basis based on performance. Salary will depend on diploma and experience. Operating language in the laboratory is English and French. CONTACT viktor.jirsa(a)univ-amu.fr | Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes https://ins-amu.fr/ -- Jan Fousek INS - Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes UMR INSERM 1106, Aix-Marseille Université 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille https://ins-amu.fr/

April 18, 2019

PhD position - Inverse Reinforcement Learning

by Constantin Rothkopf

The Centre for Cognitive Science at Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Germany invites applications for a Ph.D. Position in Inverse Reinforcement Learning initially limited to a period of three years. Research area The Ph.D. student is expected to work in the domain of inverse reinforcement learning with the particular focus of elucidating human decision making and collective human decision making in the wild, i.e., under real world noisy conditions. The research project is a joint venture between the Bioinspired Communication Lab and the Psychology of Information Processing Lab, both members of the Centre of Cognitive Science at TU Darmstadt. Accordingly, the student will be advised by Prof. Heinz Koeppl, Department of Electrical Engineering and Prof. Constantin Rothkopf, Department of Psychology. Work will involve methodological research in machine learning, design of dedicated human behavioral experiments, and the analysis and further processing of gathered data. What we offer We offer a unique interdisciplinary environment to perform cutting-edge research at one of Germany’s leading universities in the domain of computer science and engineering. The student will be embedded in the ongoing research activities within the Centre for Cognitive Science and will hence have the opportunity to interact with many other cognitive science researchers. The conducted research is expected to culminate in a Ph.D. degree. We offer comprehensive support for dissemination of results through leading scientific journals and through participation in leading international conferences and workshops. Your profile Candidates should have a M.Sc. degree in one of the following fields: computer science, physics, mathematics, engineering, or cognitive science. Candidates are required to have a sincere interest in interdisciplinary research at the crossroad of psychology and computer science. Application We look forward to receiving your application, consisting of a cover letter in which you lay out your interest in the indicated research area, curriculum vitae, copies of certificates and contact details of at least two academic references. Please send your application package as a single PDF file to application(a)bcs.tu-darmstadt.de. Code No. 590. The position is initially advertised till May 3rd 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/

April 18, 2019

Postdoctoral position in multivariate connectivity and computational modeling in fMRI

by Joshua Hartshorne

Second Call. Wanted: Post-doctoral fellow interested in delving into new computational techniques for fMRI analysis. This position is ideal for students with a background in neuroimaging who want to strengthen their technical skills in preparation for a job market that increasingly values advanced analysis methods, or for students with a background in machine learning who want to branch into neuroscience. This Simons Foundation-funded research project will be focused on developing, evaluating, and deploying state-of-the-art multivariate connectivity techniques and other modeling approaches. The initial application will be to a large Autism dataset, and may grow from there depending on progress. The postdoc will work closely with the PIs: Prof. Stefano Anzellotti and Prof. Joshua Hartshorne (Department of Psychology, Boston College). Both PIs run young, small labs, so the post-doc can expect individualized attention and training. Boston College is a research university classified as "Very High Research Activity (R1)" by the Carnegie Classification, and has a bustling Psychology and Neuroscience department with 19 faculty. Graduate students and post-docs in the department regularly go on to prestigious academic appointments (e.g., see https://bit.ly/2PdvK3N) You can learn more about Drs. Anzellotti and Hartshorne at sccnlab.bc.edu and l3atbc.org, respectively. Preferred start date is between June 1 2019 and Jan. 1 2020. Boston College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates from backgrounds underrepresented in psychology/neuroscience are particularly encouraged to apply. The position is funded for two years and may be renewable beyond the second year depending on funding. Salary follows the NIH Postdoc scale. Boston College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates from backgrounds underrepresented in psychology/neuroscience are particular encouraged to apply. To apply, submit a CV, contact information for 2-3 references, and a cover letter highlighting relevant research experiences and interests directly to jkhartshorne(a)gmail.com. Review of application is ongoing and will continue until the position is filled.

April 18, 2019

Dopaminergic Signaling Workshop at OCNS meeting in Barcelona July 16-17

by Canavier, Carmen C.

CNS*2019 Twenty Eighth Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Jul. 16 - 17, 2019 Workshop Title: Dopaminergic Signaling Workshop Organizer: Carmen Canavier, LSU Health Science Center New Orleans, ccanav(a)lsuhsc.edu Brief Description: This workshop will examine dopaminergic signaling from the perspective of the regulation of afferent inputs to dopamine neurons, to plasticity of afferent synapses onto dopamine neurons, to the dynamic diversity of dopamine neuron subpopulations, to plasticity and other forms of dopaminergic signaling in projection areas such as the striatum and prefrontal cortex, with reference to depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson's and addiction. This work is timely in that the diversity of dopaminergic populations is beginning to be appreciated and significant because of the cognitive, motor and motivational functional circuits that rely on dopaminergic signaling. https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2019 Speakers: Joshua Berke Dissociable dopamine dynamics for learning and motivation UCSF Avrama Blackwell TBA George Mason University Carmen Canavier Dynamics of distinct subpopulations of dopamine neurons LSU Health Science Center Kenji Doya State, value and action coding in the striatum Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Daniel Durstewitz Inferring nonlinear dynamics from fMRI recordings in schizophrenia University of Heidelberg Arif Hamid Wave-like spatio-temporal patterns organize dopamine Brown University transients into compartmentalized decision-signals Laurent Venance Dopamine-endocannabinoid interactions mediate bidirectional spike Collège de France timing dependent plasticity in the striatum Martin Vinck TBA Ernst Struengmann Institute for Neuroscience Jeff Wickens Timing of dopamine directs synaptic plasticity Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Denis Zakharov Role of VTA GABAergic neurons in high-frequency firing of dopaminergic neuron Higher School of Economics (Moscow) Larry Zweifel TBA University of Washington

April 17, 2019

Postdoc positions on decision-making in Hamburg

by Bharath Chandra Talluri

***** Posting on behalf of Dr. Konstantinos Tsetsos ******* The University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE, Hamburg, Germany) is inviting highly qualified and motivated candidates to apply for two 3-year postdoctoral positions embedded in the recently established “Decision Neuroscience Group” at the Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, led by Konstantinos Tsetsos. These positions are part of the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant “Information Sampling in Multiattribute Choice” (INFOSAMPLE) awarded to Konstantinos Tsetsos. This project will utilise tools from sensory neuroscience in order to characterise how humans distribute their attention across time during multiattribute decisions. Using this approach we aspire to understand why humans reverse their preferences irrationally, when irrelevant alternatives are added to the choice-set. The postdoctoral researchers will be involved in designing and conducting psychophysical experiments using MEG and pharmacology, in analysing MEG data, and in working with computational models of attention & decision-making. A sufficiently strong quantitative background is required for both positions. Experience with ICA, source reconstruction, frequency tagging (SSVEP) and decoding techniques is desirable. Lack of exposure to these techniques can be compensated with experience in attention/ visual search or decision-making research. The positions are available for three years and may start on the 01.06.2019 or the soonest possible after that date. The positions will be remunerated at salary level E13 TV-KAH, 100%. Applicants should send their CV and publication list, a brief statement of research interests as well as the names of two referees to Dr Konstantinos Tsetsos (k.tsetsos(a)uke.de <mailto:k.tsetsos@uke.de>) until the 10th of May, 2019. Informal inquiries about the positions can also be addressed to K. Tsetsos. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview. Information about the lab: https://www.ktsetsoslab.net <https://www.ktsetsoslab.net/> Further details as well as information on how to apply: https://bit.ly/2XXWlWD <https://bit.ly/2XXWlWD> On behalf of Konstantinos Tsetsos, Bharath Talluri. -- Bharath Chandra Talluri, MSc PhD Student, Cognitive Neuroscience Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology University Medical Centre, Hamburg-Eppendorf Hamburg, Germany @BharathTalluri <https://twitter.com/BharathTalluri> https://bharathtalluri.info/ <https://bharathtalluri.info/>

April 17, 2019

Summer internship. Role of the thalamus in sleep oscillatory dynamics underlying memory consolidation

by Carmen Varela

*Paid Summer Research Internship in Systems Neuroscience* *(MIT, FAU)* We are looking for a talented student that will apply analytical techniques to investigate the role of the thalamus in the oscillatory dynamics that organize the consolidation of episodic memory during sleep. The project will involve the analysis of neural data (single cells, local field potentials) from extracellular recordings in sleeping rats. *Requirements:* Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, demonstrated initiative and dedication, ability to learn fast. Strong analytical skills, including signal processing and programming. EECS, Physics, Computational Neuroscience students encouraged to apply. *What you get: * · Two months of research in systems neuroscience, including the application of analytical techniques to extracellular electrophysiology data. · Spend this summer in the Jupiter campus of Florida Atlantic University, an expanding and interactive neuroscience hub that also holds our partners the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and Scripps Research Institute. · Possibility of visiting MIT in August to present results from your work. *Contact:* Submit resume and a brief paragraph commenting on how your skills and background could be helpful to this neuroscience project. Let Dr. Carmen Varela know when you would be available for an interview. varelac(a)fau.edu https://www.thethalamus.org/

April 16, 2019

Athens International MSc in Neurosciences -- now accepting 2019-20 applications

by Vassilis Cutsuridis

Apologies for cross-posting – please forward to any interested party. / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / *Applications for the 2019-20 MSc programme in* *Athens International Master's in Neurosciences <http://mastermeuroscience.biol.uoa.gr>* *at National and Kapodistian University of Athens, Greece* *are now OPEN.* / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / This cutting-edge Masters programme is a combined effort of several Athens-based departments and research centers including the - Department of Biology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Department of Nursing of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Department of Dentistry of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - School of Medicine of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Foundation for Biomedical Research of the Academy of Athens - National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" - Hellenic Pasteur Institute - Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming” which builds on the multi-disciplinary research profiles of its staff. Teaching and research staff includes Greek and International professors and researchers of Greek and International Universities and Research Centers. *All lectures are taught in English*. The programme equips students with a rigorous grounding in experimental and computational methods of neurosciences; it also provides them with the opportunity to apply the knowledge they acquired in a practical research project, which may be carried out in collaboration with one of the Masters programme’s industry partners. ** COURSE OUTLINE ** ————————— This is a two-year MSc degree programme, consisting of taught modules (12 months) plus research project and dissertation (12 months). It is designed for students with a good degree in the biological / life sciences (psychology, neuroscience, biology, medicine, etc.) or physical sciences (computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering) interested in how the brain and mind works. The core contents of this programme include (i) fundamentals of experimental neurosciences (developmental neuroscience, cellular and molecular neuroscience, neuroanatomy, neurobiological bases of diseases of the nervous system, neuropharmacology, neuroimmunology, neuroendocrinology. behavioral neuroscience, electrophysiology, neuroimaging), (ii) Lab rotations, and (iii) concepts,methods of computational modelling, data analytics and machine learning. Unlike other standard neuroscience programmes (focusing predominantly either on “low-level” or "high-level" aspects of neuroscience), one of the distinctive features of this programme is that it covers the whole spectrum of the neurosciences bridging the gap between molecular and cellular neuroscience to high-level cognitive processes (e.g., language, attention, and decision making) including computational neuroscience and big data analytics. The final research project and dissertation is carried out in collaboration with an external partner, either from academia or industry. ** WHY STUDY IN ATHENS ** -------------------------------------- Aside from mastering neuroscience, you can also enjoy the largest open-air museum during its mostly sunny and dry days. These include Acropolis and Parthenon, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Arch of Hadrian, the Theatre of Dionysus, Panathenaic Stadium-Kallimarmaro, the iconic Temple of Olympian Zeus, pedestrian avenue of Dionysios Areopagitou, Pnyx Hill, Thiseio, Monastiraki, Plaka and etc, that are full of temples and ancient and Byzantine monuments. In addition, Athens has great museums incunding the Acropolis meuseum, the National Archaeological museum, the museum of Modern Art, the museum of Greek Folk Art and of Greek Folk Musical Instruments, the War Museum, the Benaki Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art, the National Gallery, and others. You will also have the opportunity to enjoy excellent nature and coast line and the easily reached Aegean islands. ** TUITION FEES ** ————————— *F**ull time EU students*: 2000 Euros per year *Full time non-EU students*: 3000 Euros per year *Part time students*: 500 Euros per semester during the first two years and 1000 Euros per semester during the third year. ** HOW TO APPLY ** ————————— *Applications for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 Academic Years are now open. * To fill in an application, click on this link and follow the instructions: http://masterneuroscience.biol.uoa.gr/admissions.html <https://bit.ly/2Fi86SB> *NOTE: places are limited.* We recommend submitting an application as soon as possible to ensure a place on the programme. For any further information about the programme, please visit: *http://mastermeuroscience.biol.uoa.gr* <https://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/msc-computational-cognitive-neuroscience/> Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to receiving your application soon! With very best wishes, Professor Spiros Efthimiopoulos ( <M.Garagnani(a)gold.ac.uk>efthis(a)biol.uoa.gr ) — Spiros Efthimiopoulos Professor Director of the Master's Programm: "Athens International Master's Programme in Neurosciences" University of Athens Department of Biology Division of Animal and Human Physiology Central Building, 3nd Floor, Room 38 or 44 157 84 Panepistimiopolis, Ilisia Athens, Greece Tel# ++ 30 210 7274890, ++306974874328 Fax# ++ 30 210 7274635 E-mail: efthis(a)biol.uoa.gr / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

April 16, 2019

Job opening: Visiting Professorship in Machine Learning at Jacobs University

by Herbert Jaeger

Jacobs University Bremen (www.jacobs-university.de) invites applications for a *** 3-year Visiting Professorship in Machine Learning *** The full job description can be found at https://www.jacobs-university.de/visiting-professor-computer-science-mfd-ma… Jacobs University is a small, select, private, research-oriented, English-speaking university with a beautiful campus located at the outskirts of Bremen, a charming old trading seaport in the north of Germany. In the Times Higher Education (THE) worldwide university ranking 2018, Jacobs University ranked in the top 300 in the general ranking, in the 151-175 bracket in Engineering and Technology and in the 176-200 bracket in the Life Sciences. The review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Ideally, a successful candidate can start on this position in August 2019. - Herbert Jaeger ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dr. Herbert Jaeger Professor for Computational Science Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH Campus Ring 28759 Bremen, Germany Phone (+49) 421 200 3215 email h.jaeger(a)jacobs-university.de http://minds.jacobs-university.de ------------------------------------------------------------------

April 16, 2019

[meetings] CfP: Workshop on Naturalistic Non-Verbal and Affective Human-Robot Interactions, IEEE ICDL-EpiRob 2019

by Nicolás Navarro-Guerrero

Apologies for cross-posting. Dear Colleagues, We would like to cordially invite you to submit a paper to the ICDL-EpiRob 2019 workshop on Naturalistic Non-Verbal and Affective Human-Robot Interactions. Call for Contributions and Participation IEEE ICDL-EpiRob workshop on Naturalistic Non-Verbal and Affective Human-Robot Interactions 19th August 2019, Oslo, Norway Website: https://nicolas-navarro-guerrero.gitlab.io/workshop-non-verbal-human-robot-… Humans continually manifest non-verbal and affective cues and expressions used to foster cooperation, mutual understanding and signal trustworthiness. If these cues are not appropriately reciprocated, however, the interaction can be negatively impacted. Moreover, inappropriate reciprocation, or lack thereof, may be the result of misperception and or non-timely reactions. Failure to adequately account for biologically plausible perceptual and temporal facets of interactions may detract from the quality of human-robot interaction and hinder progress in the field of social robotics more generally. Incorporation of naturalistic and adaptive forms of sensorimotor and affective human-robot non-verbal communication is challenging because such interaction is highly dependent on the context and the relationship between the observer and the expresser. Biological species based interaction often requires explicit forms of social signalling such as nodding, nonverbal gestures, emotional expressions, etc., the interpretation of all of which may be highly context-sensitive. Furthermore, naturalistic social signalling may involve a certain degree of mimicry of autonomic responses such as pupil dilation, blinking, blushing, etc. which, in human-robot interaction requires the implementation of time-sensitive perceptual mechanisms currently underused in both commercial and research robotics platforms. In this workshop, we will investigate and discuss to what extent the aforementioned naturalistic social signalling capabilities needs to be accounted for in human-robot interaction and what modalities are more relevant, and in what contexts. The workshop will focus strongly on research motivated by naturalistic empirical data. We hope to provide a discussion friendly environment to connect with research covering complementary interests in the areas of robotics, computer science, psychology, neuroscience, affective computing and animal learning research. The primary list of topics covers the following (but not limited to): * Emotion recognition * Gesture recognition * Social gaze recognition * The development of expression and recognition capabilities * Joint visual attention and activity * Alignment in social interactions * Non-verbal cues in human-robot interaction Invited Speakers Christian Balkenius, Lund University, Sweden Vicky Charisi, Joint Research Centre, European Commission Kerstin Dautenhahn, University of Waterloo, Canada Frank Foerster, University of Hertfordshire, UK Stefanie Höhl, University of Vienna, Austria Yukie Nagai, University of Tokyo, Japan Alessandra Sciutti, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy Important Dates Paper submission deadline: 12th May 2019 Notification of acceptance: 7th June 2019 Camera-ready version: 1st August 2019 Workshop: 19th August 2019 Participants are invited to submit short papers (max. 4 pages) following the standard IEEE conference template, link at the workshop webpage. Send your PDF manuscript indicating [ICDL-EPIROB 2019] in the subject to: nng(a)ieee.org . Selected contributions will be presented during the workshop. Organizers Nicolás Navarro-Guerrero, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark Robert Lowe, University of Gothenburg, Sweden Best regards, Nicolás -- Nicolás Navarro-Guerrero Assistant Professor Department of Engineering, and School of Culture and Society Aarhus University, Denmark E-mail: nng(a)eng.au.dk https://nicolas-navarro-guerrero.github.io/ https://socialrobotics.au.dk/ Aarhus University Finlandsgade 22, building 5125 8200 Aarhus N Denmark Tel.: +45 8715 0000 eng(a)au.dk www.eng.au.dk/en/

April 15, 2019

Fourth International Workshop on Intrinsically-Motivated Open-endedLearning (IMOL2019)

by Jochen Triesch

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the “Fourth International Workshop on Intrinsically-Motivated Open-endedLearning (IMOL2019)”, which will be held at Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) in Frankfurt (Germany) on 1-2-3 July 2019. The organizers of IMOL 2019 will be - Vieri Giuliano Santucci (ISTC – CNR, Rome) - Kathryn Merrick (University of New South Wales, Canberra) - Jochen Triesch (FIAS, Frankfurt) - Gianluca Baldassarre (ISTC – CNR, Rome) Following three previous editions, the highly focused “Fourth International Workshop on Intrinsically-Motivated Open-ended Learning (IMOL2019)” aims to further explore the promise of intrinsically motivated open-ended lifelong learning. The workshop aims to be a highly interactive event with high-profile keynote presentations (see list of confirmed invited speakers at the end of this message). It will foster close interaction among the participants by discussions, poster sessions, and collective round tables directed toward specific objectives. Participation in the workshop is free of charge but limited to a restricted number of participants. Prospective attendees should express their interest by submitting a brief statement on their motivations to participate, their research interests, and their willingness (or not) to contribute with a poster. The submission should be made by following the instructions at http://www.imol-conf.org/ before the deadline of May, 17th. Both senior and early career researchers, including PhD students, are encouraged to submit to ensure a full representation of the community. Topics of interest involve open-ended lifelong learning in autonomous agents and robots, for example: - Autonomous robots lifelong learning - Multi-task reinforcement learning - Deep reinforcement learning - Intrinsic motivations - Curriculum learning - Goal self-generation - Multiple task solution and parameterized skills - Neural/probabilistic representations and abstractions - Architectures for open-ended learning - Goal-based skill learning - Knowledge transfer and avoidance of catastrophic forgetting - Compositionality and chunking - Hierarchies of goals and skills - Mitigating risks of real-world deployment of open-ended learning systems List of confirmed invited speakers - Luc Berthouze - Marc Bellemare - Bruno Castro da Silva - Stephane Doncieux - Kenji Doya - Richard Duro - Verena Hafner - Matej Hoffman - Petar Kormushev - Georg Martius - Yukie Nagai - Nicolás Navarro-Guerrero - Kevin O'Regan - Matthias Rolf - Elmar Rueckert - Bertram E. Shi - Olivier Sigaud - Jochen Steil - Freek Stulp - Céline Teulière - Emre Ugur (more TBC) -- Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch Johanna Quandt Research Professor Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/~triesch/ Tel: +49 (0)69 798-47531 Fax: +49 (0)69 798-47611

April 15, 2019