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Postdoc position jointly at UCSD/CMU (Coleman/Grover labs).
by Pulkit Grover Jan. 6, 2019

Jan. 6, 2019

Postdoctoral position in Coleman lab at UCSD and Grover lab at CMU in theory and data analysis: modeling, monitoring, and modulating the enteric nervous system A postdoc position at the intersection of theoretical and computational neuroscience is available working jointly with the labs of Todd Coleman at UC San Diego and Pulkit Grover at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA). The team's goal is to develop advanced theoretical techniques, closely with validation in realistic computational models, for noninvasive detection, tracking, and modulation of neural activity of the enteric nervous system. The role of the postdoc will be to lead computational modeling, simulations, and data analysis for these systems. The postdoc will collaborate with information theorists, experimentalists, and clinicians. The postdoc will be based in UCSD, and is expected to travel a few times between UCSD and CMU to learn from the existing approaches and coordinate efforts of the two teams. This is an opportunity to work on a challenging and applicable scientific problem in a highly interdisciplinary and vibrant environment. Requirements: PhD in a related discipline (Engineering, Computer Science, Neuroscience, or Biomedical Engineering) with a strong theoretical and computational record. Background in basic cellular neurophysiology is recommended but not mandatory. The labs are committed to the professional development of the members, making this position a valuable preparation for those interested in academic, industrial or entrepreneurial careers. The position has no mandatory teaching or administrative duties. The ideal start date is Mar 2019, but early applications will also be accepted. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be competitive, and commensurate with relevant experience. Candidates should send a CV, a statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for three references to tpcoleman(a)ucsd.edu and pulkit(a)cmu.edu with the subject line “enteric-system postdoc”. Application review will proceed until the position is filled.

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NeuroFedora: A ready to use Free/Open source software platform for neuroscience
by Ankur Sinha Jan. 4, 2019

Jan. 4, 2019

Hello everyone, We would like to announce the NeuroFedora initiative[1] that we have recently begun working on. Our goal is to provide a ready to use, Free/Open source environment for researchers to use, to enable Free/Open Neuroscience[2]. NeuroFedora is based on the Fedora Linux distribution[3] that is part of the RedHat/Scientific Linux/CentOS eco-system. It is still in the early stages, but we already have a few of the commonly used computational neuroscience simulators available for use: - NEST - Genesis - Moose - Brian2 Neuron, PyNN, and a host of other tools are currently being worked upon for inclusion also. More information can be found in the documentation[1]. We welcome feedback, comments, ideas, and discussion to improve NeuroFedora. It is purely a volunteer driven community project, so we welcome contributions in all forms. You can get in touch with us using the communication channels listed here[4]. [1] https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/neurofedora/overview/ [2] http://opensourceforneuroscience.org/ [3] https://getfedora.org/ [4] https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/neurofedora/overview/#_communicating_a… -- Thank you, Regards, On behalf of the NeuroFedora team, Ankur Sinha PhD candidate in computational neuroscience at UH Biocomputation Volunteer at the Free/Open source Fedora project https://ankursinha.in https://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Ankursinha Time zone: Europe/London

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Post-Doc in Social Neuroscience
by Prata, Diana Jan. 4, 2019

Jan. 4, 2019

Happy new job! Two new Post-Doc positions opened at the Biomedical Neuroscience Lab (https://dpratalab.wordpress.com/; PI: Dr Diana Prata, with double affiliation in King’s College London), at the University of Lisbon - for research in human social neuroscience and the oxytocin and the dopamine systems in a highly interdisciplinary 3-year project involving pharmacology, genetics and a range of psychophysiological techniques. Expertise in fMRI and/or EEG highly preferred; and in eye-tracking and SCR favourable. Negotiable salary. Open until 26th of Jan 2019. We look forward to welcoming you!: http://www.eracareers.pt/opportunities/index.aspx?task=global&jobId=106526 Diana Prata, Phd Marie Curie Fellow Principal Investigator (Biomedical Neuroscience Lab), Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, FCUL Visiting Lecturer, IoPPN, King's College London

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Faculty positions in Computational Neuroscience at Imperial College London. Deadline 13 Jan
by Clopath, Claudia Jan. 3, 2019

Jan. 3, 2019

Imperial College London is hiring at the level of Assistant Professor and Associate Professor (in the UK called Lecturers/Senior Lecturers) at the interface between Engineering and Biology broadly speaking, i.e. including Computational Neuroscience. Deadline 13th of January. Original advert: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/description/ENG00620/lecturerssenior-lecture…

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Call for applications - 2019 Nengo Summer School
by Peter Blouw Jan. 3, 2019

Jan. 3, 2019

[All details about this school can be found online at https://www.nengo.ai/summerschool] The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is excited to announce our 6th annual Nengo summer school on large-scale brain modelling and neuromorphic computing. This two-week school will teach participants to use the Nengo simulation package to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models to run both in simulation and on neuromorphic hardware. Summer school participants will be given on-site access to Loihi, Intel’s new neuromorphic research chip [1], and will learn to run high-level applications on Loihi using Nengo! More generally, Nengo provides users with a versatile and powerful environment for designing cognitive and neural systems, and has been used to build what is currently the world's largest functional brain model, Spaun [2], which includes spiking deep learning, reinforcement learning, adaptive motor control, and cognitive control networks. For a look at last year's summer school, check out this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwtYgBB2N6I We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals with a relevant background. [1] Davies, et al. (2018). Loihi: A neuromorphic manycore processor with on-chip learning. IEEE Micro. Vol. 38 no. 1 pp. 82-99. [ https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8259423] [2] Eliasmith, C., Stewart T. C., Choo X., Bekolay T., DeWolf T., Tang Y., Rasmussen, D. (2012). A large-scale model of the functioning brain. Science. Vol. 338 no. 6111 pp. 1202-1205. DOI: 10.1126/science.1225266. [ http://compneuro.uwaterloo.ca/files/publications/eliasmith.2012.pdf] ***Application Deadline: February 15, 2019*** Format: A combination of tutorials and project-based work. Participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on testing hypotheses, modeling neural or cognitive data, implementing specific behavioural functions with neurons, expanding past models, or providing a proof-of-concept of various neural mechanisms. Hands-on tutorials, work on individual or group projects, and talks from invited faculty members will make up the bulk of day-to-day activities. A project demonstration event will be held on the last day of the school, with prizes for strong projects! Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to: - interface Nengo with neuromorphic hardware (e.g. Loihi, SpiNNaker) - build perceptual, motor, and cognitive models using spiking neurons - model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data - use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model - integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models - interface Nengo with cameras and robotic systems - implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models - and much more… Date and Location: June 9th to June 21st, 2019 at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Applications: Please visit http://www.nengo.ai/summerschool, where you can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an application form listing required materials. If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact Peter Blouw (peter.blouw(a)appliedbrainresearch.com) The school is also partly supported by ONR and ABR, Inc. We look forward to hearing from you!

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PhD in Computational and Mathematical Neuroscience (EPSRC funded, 3.5 yrs, Sept 2019 start)
by James Rankin Jan. 3, 2019

Jan. 3, 2019

*PhD in Computational and Mathematical Neuroscience (EPSRC funded, 3.5 yrs, Sept 2019 start)* General information & apply (funding is primarily targeted at UK students): http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/index.php?id=3386 Project description: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/phdprojects/Rankin-EPSRC-DTP-Project.pdf *Closing date 7th Jan 2019* This interdisciplinary project will develop computational and mathematical models of the auditory system to understand how complex stimuli like speech are encoded by spiking neurons in the midbrain. The auditory midbrain is a key hub in the auditory processing pathway, functioning as an important junction that relays and shapes neural signals as they ascend towards auditory cortex. Knowledge of the way in which complex sounds, e.g. speech, are encoded in the midbrain is crucial for understanding how dysfunction in the earlier auditory processing pathway (cochlea, auditory nerve, cochlear nucleus) leads to different types of hearing loss (a problem affecting 1 in 6 people in the UK). Working with neural recordings from the auditory midbrain in gerbils, a commonly-used animal for the study of low-frequency hearing, this project will develop mathematical and computational models of the auditory processing pathway. The aim is to understand the different roles of the patterns of inputs to midbrain neurons and their intrinsic response properties (e.g. their spiking rate) in shaping their responses to complex sounds. The project will use a dynamical systems approach to model the intrinsic properties of individual neurons in the midbrain in a biologically plausible way (working with, e.g. adaptive exponential integrate-and-fire neurons or the Hodgkin-Huxley equations). Inputs to these neurons will be based on established cochlear models and the biological details of the auditory nerve and cochlear nucleus. The resulting model will produce firing patterns directly comparable with neural recordings provided by the experimental supervisor. This data will be used to train and parameter fit the model using e.g. Bayesian optimisation or genetic algorithms. The resultant model will have explanatory power for the extent to which midbrain responses are shaped by its inputs from cochlear nucleus. Further, it will make predictions, testable in new experiments, of how midbrain responses will be affected by different dysfunctions of the early auditory system relating to hearing loss. The successful candidate will receive training dynamical systems theory and in the development and analysis of individual neuron and neural network models. An interdisciplinary approach, incorporating known biological details of the auditory processing pathway, will require the candidate to learn the relevant biology and neuroscience along with mathematical and computational techniques. The project will involve working closely with experimental neuroscientists and experimental data. This project provides a unique opportunity to receive training in mathematical modelling in close collaboration with experimentalists using cutting-edge methods recording spikes simultaneously from hundreds of neurons. Experience working on such interdisciplinary projects is highly sought after. Candidates with quantitative backgrounds (mathematics, physics, engineering) and from neuroscience programmes are encouraged to apply. Programming experience, knowledge of dynamical systems theory and experience in biological modelling are a plus. For further information, please contact me at the email address above. *For further information, please contact Dr James Rankin, email j.a.rankin(a)exeter.ac.uk <j.a.rankin(a)exeter.ac.uk>* http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/jar226

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NIH-funded Postdoctoral Position at the Italian Institute of Technology
by Stefano Panzeri Jan. 3, 2019

Jan. 3, 2019

I am seeking to hire one or more postdoctoral scientists to research with me and my Neural Computation laboratory at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. The project, funded by a Brain Initiative multi-PI RO1 Grant from the National Institute of Health, will be performed in collaboration with my experimental collaborators Christopher Harvey (Harvard Medical School) and Wei-Chung Lee (Children’s Hospital). The proposed computational research will use data-driven models of recurrent neural networks and information-theoretic methods to analyze functional activity of hundreds of neurons recorded during cognitive tasks, together with anatomical electron-microscopy data collected from the same subjects and brain regions. The aim of the project is to establish novel and firm relationships between the anatomical structure of a cortical microcircuit and its neural population coding function. The laboratory offers a wide range of interdisciplinary expertise in computational neuroscience, including both advanced neural analysis techniques and neural network modeling. The laboratory also offers a thriving, well-funded and ambitious research environment with extensive international collaborations and ample opportunities for advanced training and personal scientific growth. We seek candidates holding a PhD in a numerate or neuroscientific discipline, with a solid computational background and a keen interest in neuroscience. They must be highly motivated and creative individuals who want to work in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary research environment and be willing to interact with both experimental and theoretical neuroscientists. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to conduct research at either the IIT in Italy, or at the IIT outstation at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, depending on the nature of the agreed research and on personal preferences. For representative recent publications from the PI, see: Runyan C. A., et al (2017) Distinct timescales of population coding across cortex, *Nature*: 548: 92-96. Panzeri S., et al (2017) Cracking the neural code for sensory perception by combining statistics, intervention and behaviour. *Neuron* 93: 491-507 Safaai, H., et al (2015) Modelling the effect of Locus Coeruleous firing on single trial cortical state dynamics and sensory processing. *Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA* 112(41): 12834–12839 Further information about my research can be found at my IIT and Google Scholar web pages: https://www.iit.it/people/stefano-panzeri https://scholar.google.it/citations?user=C-HCQ9cAAAAJ&hl=en Applications (full CV, statement of research interest and name and contact of 2 referees) should be sent by e-mail to stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it, quoting “Postdoctoral position in Computational Neuroscience” in the subject line. The deadline for applications is January 31th, 2019. Applications will be examined until the position is filled. Interested applicants are advised to contact me by email informally *as soon as possible* to discuss about the science and the position informally. Thanks! Stefano Panzeri

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CFP 28th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks ICANN 2019, Sept 17-19, Munich, DE
by Paolo Masulli ENNS Jan. 2, 2019

Jan. 2, 2019

28th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks http://icann2019.org Munich, Germany 17 - 19 September 2019 Special event: BIGCHEM (http://bigchem.eu) final meeting ============================================================ The International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN) is the annual flagship conference of the European Neural Network Society (ENNS). In 2019 the Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH (HMGU) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) together with the "Big Data in Chemistry" Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network European Industrial Doctorate project (BIGCHEM) organize the 28th ICANN Conference from the 17th to the 19th of September 2019 in Munich, Germany. CONFERENCE TOPICS ICANN 2019 is a dual-track conference featuring tracks in Brain Inspired Computing and Machine Learning and Artificial Neural Networks, with strong cross-disciplinary interactions and applications. All research fields dealing with Neural Networks will be present at the conference. A non-exhaustive list of topics includes: Machine Learning: Deep Learning, Neural Network Theory, Neural Network Models, Graphical Models, Bayesian Networks, Kernel Methods, Generative Models, Information Theoretic Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Relational Learning, Dynamical Models Recurrent Networks. Brain Inspired Computing: Cognitive models, Computational Neuroscience, Self-organisation, Reinforcement Learning, Neural Control and Planning, Hybrid Neural-Symbolic Architectures, Neural Dynamics. Neural Applications for: Bioinformatics, Biomedicine, Intelligent Robotics, Neurorobotics, Language Processing, Image Processing, Sensor Fusion, Pattern Recognition, Data Mining, Neural Agents, Brain-Computer Interaction, Neural Hardware, Evolutionary Neural Networks. Special session (BIGCHEM): Big Data analysis in chemistry, chemoinformatics, use of deep learning to predict molecular properties, drug-discovery, modelling and prediction of chemical reaction data, synthetic route prediction, structure generation, molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemistry. CALL FOR CONTRIBUTED SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS All scientific communications presented at ICANN 2019 will be reviewed and scientifically evaluated by a panel of experts. The conference will feature three categories of communications: - oral communications (15'+5') - poster communications - demonstrations Call for Special Sessions: ICANN2019 organizers cordially invite internationally recognised experts to organise Special Sessions (including workshops and competitions) within the general scope of the conference. Special Session Proposal request should be sent to icann2019(a)bigchem.eu Call for Papers: Authors willing to present original contributions in either oral or poster category may submit: - a proceedings paper manuscript of about 10 - 12 pages to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series with individual DOI - extended abstracts of a maximum length of 2 pages to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series. The number of oral slots is limited. In case the number of requested oral presentations is larger than the available slots the ICANN scientific committee will select which papers will be reassigned to a poster session. This selections will be based on the coherence of the programme and is totally independent of the category of submission. Submission of communications will be online. More details will be made available soon on the conference website: http://icann2019.org IMPORTANT DATES Deadline of special sessions submission: 1 February 2019 Opening of contribution submissions: 1 February 2019 Submission of demonstration proposals: 1 March 2019 Deadline of proceedings paper submission: 15 March 2019 Deadline of extended abstracts submission: 1 April 2019 Notification of acceptance: 1 May 2019 Camera-ready paper and registration opening: 1 June 2019 Deadline early registration at discount rate: 15 June 2019 Conference dates: 17-19 September 2019 BEST PAPER AWARDS ENNS will sponsor a maximum of four best paper awards, two in the Brain Inspired Computing track (one poster and one oral communication) and, analogously, two in the Machine Learning Research track. All awardees will be presented during the final ceremony. TRAVEL GRANTS The European Neural Network Society sponsors a number of Student Travel Grants covering part of the costs for attending ICANN. Details on the conference website. ORGANISATION General Chair: Igor Tetko (ENNS/HMGU Munich, Germany) and Fabian Theis (HMGU/TUM Munich, Germany) Organising Committee Chairs: Monica Campillos (HMGU Munich, Germany), Alessandra Lintas (ENNS Lausanne, Switzerland) Honorary Chair: Vera Kurkova, Czech Academy of Sciences (ENNS President) Communication Chair: Paolo Masulli (ENNS Lausanne, Switzerland) -- Paolo Masulli European Neural Network Society https://e-nns.org

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Post-doc or engineer: image analysis to study astrocyte-synapse/circuit signaling in Lausanne/Switzerland
by Carlos Vivar Rios Dec. 30, 2018

Dec. 30, 2018

We seek a highly motivated post-doc or engineer with solid experience in computer programming and analysis of biological fluorescence signals (e.g. 3D two-photon and microendoscopy Ca2+ imaging), to develop innovative analytical pipelines for studying astrocyte-synapse/circuit computations. Research in our lab is interdisciplinary and focuses on decoding the mode of astrocyte communication and the role of astrocytes in synaptic/circuit functions in the normal and pathologic brain. More info at: https://www.fbm.unil.ch/dnf/group/glia-an-active-synaptic-partner. Publications at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Volterra+A Website at: https://www.fbm.unil.ch/dnf/group/glia-an-active-synaptic-partner Relevant papers: - Savtchouk et al. Front Cell Neurosci, 12:98 (2018); - Bindocci et al., Science, 356.6339 (2017); - Volterra A et al., Nat Rev Neurosci 15:327-35 (2014); - Di Castro et al. Nat Neurosci, 14(10):1276-84 (2011) The ideal candidate is a highly interactive team player in a multidisciplinary English-speaking team; must have solid background in image analysis approaches, experience with most common analysis tools (Imaris, ImageJ, etc), excellent computer programming skills (Python, MATLAB) and knowledge in design of analysis pipeline (linux/windows-based). Expected tasks include: 1) develop both novel analysis approaches and existing programs/interfaces to fit the evolving lab needs in day-by-day interaction with biologists. 2) Maintain and extend our large existing codebase of dedicated analysis scripts for extract and analyze imaging datasets (using proper documentation and exploiting GitHub) and 3) keep track of novel technological and algorithmic developments. Requirements: documented record of productivity, excellent command of English, communication skills and team-working capacity. Applicants should send (as a single PDF file): motivation letter, detailed curriculum vitae, and contact information for 2 references, by email to volterralab(a)gmail.com<mailto:volterralab@gmail.com>, indicating “Candidate - data analysis” in the subject field. Job Information Closing date: 2019-01-15 Employment start date: 2019-03-01 Contract length: Typical post-doc contract may last up to 5 years and renewals are 1+2+2 years Institution: University of Lausanne Department: Fundamental Neuroscience|volterra Kind regards, Carlos Vivar Rios UNIL - Université de Lausanne Département des Neurosciences Fondamentales Groupe de Andrea VOLTERRA Bugnon 9 | CH-1005 | Lausanne | Suisse +34 666 05 42 42 carlos.vivarrios(a)unil.ch<mailto:carlos.vivarrios@unil.ch>

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PhD Studentships in Systems/Computational Neuroscience
by Jian Liu Dec. 26, 2018

Dec. 26, 2018

PhD Studentships in Systems/Computational Neuroscience Centre for Systems Neuroscience at the University of Leicester, UK. www.le.ac.uk/csn A number of PhD studentships are available in a wide range of research topics. Please find the details of all the projects below. The deadlines are different. Please contact the PIs on the list, or Dr. Jian K. Liu directly: Project: Neural mechanisms of memory formation, consolidation and recall PI: Prof R Quian Quiroga https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/neural-mechanisms-of-memory-formation… Project: Towards a Functional Model for Associative Learning and Memory Formation PI: Dr Jian K. Liu, Prof Rodrigo Quian Quiroga https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/towards-a-functional-model-for-associ… Project: Dynamics of a minimal neuronal network with multisynaptic dendrites PI: Dr Jian K. Liu, Dr. V Marra https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/dynamics-of-a-minimal-neuronal-networ… Project: Interpretation of social behaviours among mice with Parkinson’s disease PI: Dr. H Zhou, Dr Jian K. Liu https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/interpretation-of-social-behaviours-a… Project: Serotonergic modulation of functional connectivity in cortical microcircuits PI: Dr M Okun, Prof Rodrigo Quian Quiroga https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/serotonergic-modulation-of-functional… -- ************************************************************************** Jian K. Liu, Ph.D. Mathematics Centre for Systems Neuroscience Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour University of Leicester, Leicester, UK Phone: +44 (0)116 373-6860 email: jian.liu(a)leicester.ac.uk <jl634(a)leicester.ac.uk> Webpage: https://sites.google.com/site/jiankliu ************************************************************************** <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…> Virus-free. www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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SoAIR 2019 [Extended Deadline]: JST-CREST / IEEE-RAS Spring School on "Social and Artificial Intelligence for User-Friendly Robots" in Japan
by Amir Aly Dec. 26, 2018

Dec. 26, 2018

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS **Apologies for cross posting ** We are pleased to call for applications for the *JST-CREST / IEEE-RAS* spring school on: "*Social and Artificial Intelligence for User-Friendly Robots*" * Which will be held from 17-24 March, 2019 in Shonan Village, Japan *after the *Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)* conference that will be held in the near South Korea. *Webpage: **https://inic8.bitbucket.io/SoAIR19/* <https://inic8.bitbucket.io/SoAIR19/> *I. Aim and Scope *Autonomous and intelligent systems are progressively moving into spaces, which have previously been predominantly shaped by human agency. Unlike in the past where machines obediently served their human operators, machines now increasingly act without the intervention of a human. Artificial intelligence is meeting new challenges in the world, though human-like intelligence may still be a distant goal. Robots in factories are coming out of their cages. Autonomous cars are being tested on streets with regular human-driven cars. The private household is changing with the appearance of not only robotic vacuum cleaners, but also with the first-generation of social robots and smart devices. The challenges that face both the robotics and artificial intelligence communities are how the necessary intelligence for such new environments can be created as well as how to make artificial agents capable of not only solving tasks at hand but also considering social environments around them during interaction with human users so as to behave appropriately. Within the school, we plan to address the tension created by the balance between task-specific artificial intelligence and the demands of sociability required to function effectively in human-centered environments. ** *Who should apply?* We invite *Masters and PhD students* as well as *post-doctoral candidates and researchers from industry* with relevant research background to apply for this spring school. *Additional support could be available based on eligibility.* ** *This spring school is a Technical Education Program (TEP) endorsed and supported by JST-CREST / IEEE-RAS*. ** *The school aims at bridging the gap between social and cognitive Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Autonomous Vehicles (AV) through high level talks, tutorials, and hands-on workshops (the program will be announced soon).* *II. Keynote Speakers: * 1. * Takayuki Nagai, *Osaka University, Japan 2. * Jun Tani *– Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Japan 3. *Daniele Magazzeni *– King's College London, UK 4. * Yukie Nagai *– National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan 5. * Tetsuya Ogata* – Waseda University, Japan 6. *Mohamed Chetouani *– University of Pierre and Marie Curie (UPMC), France 7. *Silvia Rossi* – University of Naples, Italy 8. *Agnieszka Wykowska *– Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy 9. *Tetsunari Inamura *– National Institute of Informatics (NII), Japan 10. *Amit Kumar Pandey *– SoftBank (Aldebaran) Robotics, France 11. *Mehul Bhatt* – Orebro University, Sweden (Tutorial) 12. *Mohsen Kaboli –* Bavarian Motor Works (BMW), Germany (Tutorial) 13. *Francesco Maurelli *– Jacobs University, Germany (Preparing Marie Curie funding proposal) 14. *Atsuko Nakatsuka* – Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan (Preparing JSPS funding proposal) *III. Submission * The applications must include the following files (combined into one file). No other documents would be necessary (More information is available on the school's webpage). 1. *Curriculum vitae*: A CV detailing relevant aspects of the candidate's academic career that demonstrates her/his relevance to the school theme. Please consider including the list of publications. 2. *Research abstract*: A 200-word research abstract that the candidate intends to present during the school. 3. *Letter of recommendation*: A brief letter from the academic advisor or the employer of the candidate supporting her/his application. Please also indicate if additional support would be required to attend the school. *Application submission*: Please use the following EasyChair web link:* Application Submission <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=soair2019>.* *IV. Important Dates * 1. Application submission *[Extended]*: *10-January, 2019 * 2. Notification of acceptance: *14-January, 2019 * 3. Spring School: *17-24 March, 2019* *V. Organizers * 1. *Amir Aly *– Ritsumeikan University – Japan 2. *Franziska Kirstein *– Blue Ocean Robotics, Denmark 3. * Shashank Pathak *– Visteon Corporation, Germany --------------------- *Amir Aly, Ph.D.* Senior Researcher Emergent Systems Laboratory College of Information Science and Engineering Ritsumeikan University 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 Japan

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Post-doc vacancies in Lisbon
by Prata, Diana Dec. 25, 2018

Dec. 25, 2018

Two new Post-Doc positions opened at the Biomedical Neuroscience Lab (https://dpratalab.wordpress.com/; PI: Dr Diana Prata, with double affiliation in King’s College London), at the University of Lisbon - for research in human social neuroscience and the oxytocin system in a 3 year project. Expertise in fMRI and/or EEG highly preferred; and in eye-tracking and SCR favourable; with negotiable salary. Open until 28th of Dec 2018. Please apply or divulge. We look forward to welcoming you!: http://www.eracareers.pt/opportunities/index.aspx?task=global&jobId=106522 Diana Prata, Phd Marie Curie Fellow Principal Investigator (Biomedical Neuroscience Lab), Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, FCUL Visiting Lecturer, IoPPN, King's College London

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Groningen Spring School on Cognitive Modeling
by Jelmer Borst Dec. 24, 2018

Dec. 24, 2018

Fourth Groningen Spring School on Cognitive Modeling – ACT-R, Nengo, & PRIMs – Date: April 8-12, 2019 Location: Groningen, the Netherlands Fee: € 250 (late fee after February 15 will be € 300) More information and registration: www.cognitive-modeling.com/springschool We are happy to announce the fourth Groningen Spring School on Cognitive Modeling (April 8-12, 2019). This year, the Spring School will cover three different modeling paradigms: ACT-R, Nengo, and PRIMs. Moreover, we are finalising a fourth tutorial on error-driven learning, more details on that will follow soon. Each day will consist of theory lectures, one on each paradigm. Each modeling paradigm also includes hands-on assignments. Although students are free to choose the number of lectures they attend, we recommend students to sign up for lectures on two of the modeling paradigms, and complete the tutorial units for one of the paradigms. At the end of most days there will be a plenary research talk, to show how these different approaches to modeling are applied. On the first day, spring school students are asked to present their own research in a poster session. Like last year, we again offer the opportunity for project students to attend. The idea is that you have attended the spring school in an earlier year and now come back in the week of the spring school to work on your own modeling project under our supervision. Registration is now open. Admission is limited, so register soon! See the website www.cognitive-modeling.com/springschool for more information. Please feel free to forward the information to anyone who might be interested in the Spring School. ______________ ACT-R Teachers: Jelmer Borst & Katja Mehlhorn (University of Groningen) Website: http://act-r.psy.cmu.edu. ACT-R is a high-level cognitive theory and simulation system for developing cognitive models for tasks that vary from simple reaction time experiments to driving a car, learning algebra, and air traffic control. ACT-R can be used to develop process models of a task at a symbolic level. Participants will follow a compressed five-day version of the traditional summer school curriculum. We will also cover the connection between ACT-R and fMRI. Nengo Teacher: Terry Stewart (University of Waterloo) Website: http://www.nengo.ca Nengo is a toolkit for converting high-level cognitive theories into low-level spiking neuron implementations. In this way, aspects of model performance such as response accuracy and reaction times emerge as a consequence of neural parameters such as the neurotransmitter time constants. It has been used to model adaptive motor control, visual attention, serial list memory, reinforcement learning, Tower of Hanoi, and fluid intelligence. Participants will learn to construct these kinds of models, starting with generic tasks like representing values and positions, and ending with full production-like systems. There will also be special emphasis on extracting various forms of data out of a model, such that it can be compared to experimental data. PRIMs Teacher: Niels Taatgen (University of Groningen) Website: http://www.ai.rug.nl/~niels/actransfer.html How do people handle and prioritize multiple tasks? How can we learn something in the context of one task, and partially benefit from it in another task? The goal of PRIMs is to cross the artificial boundary that most cognitive architectures have imposed on themselves by studying single tasks. It has mechanisms to model transfer of cognitive skills, and the competition between multiple goals. In the tutorial we will look at how PRIMs can model phenomena of cognitive transfer and cognitive training, and how multiple goals compete for priority in models of distraction. -- Jelmer Borst Assistant Professor University of Groningen Dept. of Artificial Intelligence E: j.p.borst(a)rug.nl W: http://www.jelmerborst.nl/

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A databank for intracellular electrophysiological recordings of adult somatosensory cortex
by Fleur Zeldenrust Dec. 24, 2018

Dec. 24, 2018

Dear all, It is our pleasure to share with you a large database of whole-cell intracellular recordings from 315 neurons located in the supragranular layers (L2/3) of the primary somatosensory cortex in adult mice (9-45 weeks old) from both sexes (females, N=195; males, N=120). Data include 361 somatic current-clamp (CC) and 476 voltage-clamp (VC) experiments, recorded using a step-and-hold protocol (CC, N=257; VC, N=46), frozen noise injections (CC, N=104) and triangular voltage sweeps (VC, 10 (N=132), 50 (N=146) and 100 ms (N=152)), from regular spiking (N=169) and fast-spiking neurons (N=66). We believe that this database will particularly benefit computational modellers, as the data can be used to systematically study the properties of somatic integration, and the principles of action potential generation across sexes and across electrically characterised neuronal classes in adulthood. Understanding the principles of the somatic transformation of postsynaptic potentials into action potentials will shed light onto the computational principles of intracellular information transfer in single neurons and information processing in neuronal networks, helping to recreate neuronal functions in artificial systems. So feel free to use the data for your (cortical) cell models! The data can be found here: http://gigadb.org/dataset/100535 The paper can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giy147 Best regards and happy holidays, Angelica da Silva Lantyer Niccolò Calcini Ate Bijlsma Koen Kole Melanie Emmelkamp Manon Peeters Wim J. J. Scheenen Fleur Zeldenrust Tansu Celikel -- Fleur Zeldenrust Assistant Professor Department of Neurophysiology Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour Faculty of Science, Radboud University Heyendaalseweg 135, postvak 33, kamer 02.204 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands tel +31 24 36 53195 fleurzeldenrust.nl

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SSCND9 - Call for applications
by Richard Naud Dec. 21, 2018

Dec. 21, 2018

Dear comp-neuro, We are happy to announce the ninth Summer School of the Centre for Neural Dynamics<http://www.neurodynamic.uottawa.ca/summer.html> At the University of Ottawa May 26 - June 7, 2019 The course is intended for graduate students and undergraduate students in their third and fourth year of study in the physical sciences (e.g. physics, applied mathematics, engineering, computer science) and the life sciences (e.g. neuroscience, biology, physiology, human kinetics) who wish to develop their skills in neural data analysis and in mathematical modeling of neural activity. The topics will range from cellular to systems neuroscience, with applications in medicine. Individuals outside of academia may also participate. The first week will consist of 3 hours of lectures in the mornings followed by an afternoon of relatedcomputer-based laboratories. The second week will consist of 3 hours of lectures in the mornings, followed by an afternoon of interactive discussions and brainstorming activities. Each day will focus on a different subject in systems neuroscience and/or medicine. Participants will work in small groups with mentors, and will be prepared for these activities by directed readings. Later in the afternoon, groups will convene into a plenary session with our experts to identify proper computational questions and associated timely research projects on the focus theme. All classes will be held on the main downtown campus of the University of Ottawa. The course can also be taken for credit, since it is a University of Ottawa three-credit graduate course (NSC8104). The mark will be based on work done in the computer laboratories and a project. All students receive a letter stating that they satisfactorily participated in the school, regardless of whether they take the course for credit. Those taking it for credit will receive their mark from the University of Ottawa Registrar's Office later in the summer. Important Dates January 6, 2019: Registration opens. February 15, 2019: Application deadline (including letter of recommendation). Faculty * Prof. André Longtin (uOttawa) * Prof. Richard Naud (uOttawa) * Prof. John Lewis (uOttawa) * Prof. Jean-Philippe Thivierge (uOttawa) * Prof. Jean-Claude Béïque (uOttawa) * Prof. Maurice Chacron (McGill) * Prof. Jonathan Rubin (U Pitt) * Prof. Simon Chen (uOttawa) * Prof. Blake Richards (McGill,MILA) * Prof. Steve Prescott (U Toronto) * Dr. Saskia De Vries (Allen Institute) Organizers André Longtin Richard Naud John Lewis

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MSc and PhD programmes in Computational Neuroscience
by Mark van Rossum Dec. 21, 2018

Dec. 21, 2018

Dear all Applications are invited for our new MSc and PhD programmes in Computational Neuroscience in Nottingham. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/courses/psychology/computational-neuro… https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/courses/doctoral-training-programmes/e… Merry Christmas and a happy 2019 -- Mark van Rossum, Professor, Schools of Psychology and Maths, U Nottingham Psych Bldg Rm LG.19, +44-115-74-86851, +44-7722049644(m) This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

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A review of the year in (systems) neuroscience, from The Spike
by Mark Humphries Dec. 21, 2018

Dec. 21, 2018

Systems neuroscience is a fascinating, if daunting, subject - daunting to keep up with, even more daunting to dive into for the first time That’s why I launched The Spike in 2016, as a platform to bring the triumphs and challenges of systems neuroscience to a broad audience As a great place to start, we’ve just published our review of 2018, https://medium.com/the-spike/2018-a-mildly-muddled-review-of-the-year-in-ne… And read the rest here: https://medium.com/the-spike Enjoy! Prof Mark Humphries @markdhumphries This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

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Faculty position in AI and Neuroscience, Cambridge
by Máté Lengyel Dec. 20, 2018

Dec. 20, 2018

Faculty position in AI and Neuroscience Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK Applications are invited for a University Lectureship (~ US Assistant Professor equivalent) at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Neuroscience (including Cognitive Science) in the Computational and Biological Learning Lab (cbl.eng.cam.ac.uk). CBL combines expertise in computational neuroscience and cognitive science (Mate Lengyel, Guillaume Hennequin, Rich Turner) and machine learning (Zoubin Ghahramani, Carl Rasmussen, Rich Turner, Jose Miguel Hernandez-Lobato). We particularly encourage applicants who would complement our current research activities. The successful applicant’s research should use AI-inspired computational and theoretical approaches to neuroscience (including computational cognitive science), or conversely, biological intelligence-inspired approaches to AI (with an emphasis on machine learning-based approaches), and may combine these approaches with behavioural experiments. This is a linked post offered in association with Wolfson College, and the successful applicant will be elected to an Official Fellowship of the College. Informal enquiries are welcome to: Mate Lengyel <m.lengyel(a)eng.cam.ac.uk> Guillaume Hennequin <g.hennequin(a)eng.cam.ac.uk> Richard Turner <ret26(a)cam.ac.uk> Timeline: - Closing date of applications: Friday, 1 February 2019 - Interviews: March-April 2019 - Decision expected: April 2019 Further information and details of the application process can be found at http://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/19416/ The University of Cambridge values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity. -- Mate Lengyel Professor of Computational Neuroscience Computational and Biological Learning Lab Cambridge University Engineering Department Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK tel: +44 (0)1223 748 532, fax: +44 (0)1223 765 587 email: m.lengyel(a)eng.cam.ac.uk web: www.eng.cam.ac.uk/~m.lengyel

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Research positions in Neuromorphic computing in Singapore
by Yansong Chua Dec. 19, 2018

Dec. 19, 2018

Multiple scientist and engineer positions are open for a neuromorphic program (on-going till 2021) in Singapore, at the Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R), A*STAR. The program is a multi-disciplinary effort, that straddles across the hardware (neuromorphic chip with RRAM, on-chip learning), middleware (emulator) and software (learning algorithms), and we aim to develop a demonstrating application system at end of the program. The program hence presents an unique research opportunity for candidates hoping to build a complete neuromorphic learning system. We are now in the second year of the program and have made good progress on all three aspects of the program. We have still a few openings for talented scientists and both software and hardware engineers who would be excited to work on any aspects of the program (hardware, middleware, software and system integration). Multiple top-ranked universities and research institutes in Singapore (NUS, NTU, IME, IHPC, I2R) are collaborating on the program. The work package I am in-charge of is primarily involved in the design of better algorithms for spiking neural networks. To this end, successful candidates will conduct research in one or more of the following areas: - Neuronal encoding: how to better encode external stimuli into spike based representations to facilitate decoding with high fidelity and also better learning performance (in terms of accuracy and power efficiency). - Supervised learning: given that spiking neural networks are asynchronous and sparse in their activities, the design of supervised learning algorithms that can fully capitalize on these properties becomes critical. - Mapping of state-of-art deep learning networks to spiking networks. Neuromorphic learning algorithms are still solving fairly simple problems compared to deep learning. For this, we would like to systematically borrow from the deep learning community networks and learning algorithms that can quickly boost the capabilities of spiking neural networks. - Unsupervised learning. STDP is well suited for unsupervised learning in spiking neural networks, and we would like to further advance STDP learning in spiking neural networks (both theory and applications). Preference will be given to candidates who can document knowledge in deep learning, spiking neural networks or signal processing (with interest in spiking neural networks). Candidates must have a PhD (for scientists) or MS/BS (for engineers) in computer science, computational neuroscience or related fields. Strong programming and quantitative skills are highly desired. Candidates should be proficient in spoken and written English. The appointment will be for 3 years, and extended for another 1 year, after review. Salaries are commensurate with internationally-competitive salaries and benefits. The start date is flexible and applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. Other benefits include: - Funding for international conferences and training courses - Collaboration opportunities with an excellent network of international scientists Candidates please send your curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests and three references to Dr. Yansong Chua (chuays(a)i2r.a-star.edu.sg)

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Joint A*STAR (Singapore) and King’s College London PhD Studentship
by Yansong Chua Dec. 19, 2018

Dec. 19, 2018

We would like to encourage potential PhD candidates interested to work on understanding the role of stochastic neuron models in neuromorphic computing to apply for the above PhD studentship. We are including below a non-technical introduction to the project involved. The candidate will be jointly supervised by Prof. Osvaldo Simeone, Professor of Information Engineering, King's College London and Dr. Yansong Chua, Institute for Infocomm Research, A*STAR. For further queries, we maybe reached at: Prof Simeone: osvaldo.simeone at kcl.ac.uk Dr Chua: chuays at i2r.a-star.edu.sg More application details are also available at https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/funding-opportunities/doctoral-research-oppo… https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/funding-opportunities/doctoral-research-oppo… For all its recent breakthroughs, modern machine learning based on deep neural networks is becoming increasingly unaffordable in terms of computing and energy resources needed to run training algorithms that achieve state-of-the-art performance. This poses possibly insurmountable challenges for the implementation of efficient learning methods on resource-limited devices such as smart sensors or wearables. A possible solution to this problem is the adoption of the new paradigm of neuromorphic computing, which relies on energy-efficient sparse spike-domain processing and communication that are inspired by the operation of the brain. Whether Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) can overcome the limitations of conventional deep networks for the implementation of low-power machine learning is a fundamental question that is currently being investigated by major technology companies and universities. In this project, this issue will be tackled both theoretically and through hands-on experiments by leveraging the complementary expertise of the respective research teams at KCL and A*STAR. Specifically, this research will seek to understand whether conventional deterministic models for SNNs can be improved by probabilistic models, which are typically used in neuroscience to model the brain operation, in terms of accuracy, speed, and robustness. In the first two years, at KCL, the project will concentrate on deriving models and learning rules for probabilistic SNNs. In the last two years, at A*STAR, the research will shift to aspects related to implementation, with a focus on the comparison between deterministic and probabilistic SNNs and on the use of nano-scale devices for the implementation of probabilistic SNNs.

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Call for abstracts, AMAM 2019, Adaptive motion in animals and machines, Aug 19-23 2019, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
by Auke Ijspeert Dec. 19, 2018

Dec. 19, 2018

AMAM 2019, Adaptive Motion in Animals and Machines, Aug 19-23 2019, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland https://amam2019.epfl.ch/ Call for abstracts and robot demonstrations, deadline March 8th, 2019 Investigating how animals and humans excel at adaptive movements can help engineers to improve the adaptive capabilities of robots. In return, robots can serve as scientific tools to explore the basic principles of biological systems, in particular the neuromechanical mechanisms underlying their fascinating motor abilities. AMAM 2019 is the 9th international symposium dedicated to stimulate fruitful interactions among biologists and engineers interested in adaptive motion. It aims at bringing together researchers in robotics, biomechanics, neuroscience, sports science, and other fields related to motor behavior in biological and artificial systems. Previous symposia were held in Montreal, Canada (2000); Kyoto, Japan (2003); Ilmenau, Germany (2005); Cleveland, USA (2008); Awaji, Japan (2011); Darmstadt, Germany (2013); Cambridge, USA (2015); and Sapporo, Japan (2017). Two-page abstract contributions are invited from all areas pertaining to adaptive motion in animals and machines. Accepted abstracts will be presented in poster sessions. Invited talks will be presented in oral sessions in a single track (see the exciting list of speakers below). We also encourage participants to contribute hardware demonstrations, as part of the ‘Robot Zoo’@AMAM2019. See https://amam2019.epfl.ch/ for instructions. Important dates: * Jan 18th, 2019 Opening of the extended abstract submission * March 8th, 2019 Deadline of extended abstracts submission * April 12th, 2019 Notification of acceptance for extended abstracts * May 31st, 2019 Deadline of submission for Robot Zoo (Robot Demos) * August 19-23, 2019 Conference Sponsors: Maxon https://www.maxonmotor.com Plenary speakers: * Grégoire Courtine, EPFL, Switzerland * Monica Daley, Royal Veterinary College, UK * Dario Floreano, EPFL, Switzerland * Radhika Nagpal, Harvard University, USA * Lena Ting, Emory University & Georgia Institute of Technology, USA * Herman van der Kooij, University of Twente & Delft University of Technology, Netherlands Invited speakers: * Shinya Aoi, Kyoto University, Japan * David Franklin, Technische Universität München, Germany * John Hutchinson, Royal Veterinary College, UK * Tetsuya Iwasaki, University of California, Los Angeles, USA * Katsu Kagaya, Kyoto University, Japan * Sangbae Kim, MIT, USA * Megan Leftwich, The George Washington University, USA * David Lentink, Stanford University, USA * Charlotte Le Mouel, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Germany * Poramate Manoonpong, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark * Kamilo Melo, EPFL, Switzerland * Katja Mombaur, Heidelberg University, Germany * Beth Mortimer, University of Oxford, UK * Ulrike Müeller, California State University, Fresno, USA * Jamie Paik, EPFL, Switzerland * Pavan Ramdya, EPFL, Switzerland * Chris Richards, Royal Veterinary College, UK * Nidhi Seethapathi, University of Pennsylvania, USA * Simon Sponberg, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA * Emily Standen, University of Ottawa, Canada * Dagmar Sternad, Northeastern University, USA * Barbara Webb, University of Edinburgh, UK * Rob Wood, Harvard University, USA * Kotaro Yasui, Tohoku University, Japan Program Committee: * Hitoshi Aonuma, Hokkaido University, Japan * Jordan Boyle, Leeds University, UK * Monica Daley, Royal Veterinary College, UK * Koh Hosoda, Osaka University, Japan * Fumiya Iida, Cambridge, UK * Auke Ijspeert, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland * Akio Ishiguro, Tohoku University, Japan * Masato Ishikawa, Osaka University, Japan * Takeshi Kano, Tohoku University, Japan * Sangbae Kim, MIT, USA * Jun Nishii, Yamaguchi University, Japan * Dai Owaki, Tohoku University, Japan * Andre Seyfarth, TU Darmstadt, Germany * Emily Standen, University of Ottawa, Canada * Dagmar Sternad, Northeastern University, USA * Barry Trimmer, Tufts University, USA * Eric Tytell, Tufts University, USA * Hartmut Witte, TU Ilmenau, Germany Local organization committee: * Jonathan Arreguit * Alessandro Crespi * Florin Dzeladini * Peter Eckert * Sylvie Fiaux * Anne Koelewijn * Mehmet Mutlu * Laura Páez * Amy Wu -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Prof Auke Jan Ijspeert Biorobotics Laboratory EPFL-STI-IBI-BIOROB, ME D1 1226, Station 9 EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne CH 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Office: ME D1 1226 Tel: +41 21 693 2658 Fax: +41 21 693 3705 www:http://biorob.epfl.ch Email:Auke.Ijspeert@epfl.ch -----------------------------------------------------------------

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2 Postdoc positions in Social Neuroscience - Portugal
by Agustin Petroni Dec. 18, 2018

Dec. 18, 2018

The Biomedical Neuroscience Lab, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon ( https://dpratalab.wordpress.com/) is seeking candidates for two postdoctoral positions, one in fMRI and the other in EEG. The selected candidates will be part of a project that studies the physiological bases of social reinforcement learning in healthy subjects and patients, in particular the oxytocin system. Applications should be sent via e-mail to diana.prata(a)kcl.ac.uk, including a CV with publications and a letter of interests by December 28th. The salary is competitive according to the cost of living in Portugal, and will be dependent on experience. Both positions are funded for a maximum of three years. Official call http://www.eracareers.pt/opportunities/index.aspx?task=global&jobId=106522

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Job Opening: Exploring Metrics of Consciousness in the Mouse (at the Allen Institute for Brain Science)
by Anton Arkhipov Dec. 18, 2018

Dec. 18, 2018

A new exciting job opportunity is open at the Allen Institute for Brain Science: Scientist I – Exploring Metrics of Consciousness in the Mouse. Please apply here: http://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/careers/job-search/ Follow the link above and then choose the position “Scientist I – Exploring Metrics of Consciousness in the Mouse” from the list of all available positions. Please feel free to contact me with any questions: antona(a)alleninstitute.org<mailto:antona@alleninstitute.org>. Thanks! Scientist I – Exploring Metrics of Consciousness in the Mouse We are seeking a Scientist to join a project dedicated to measuring consciousness in humans and animals, and establishing mechanistic underpinnings of consciousness. This is a collaboration between the laboratory of Prof. Giulio Tononi at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and scientists at the Allen Institute of Brain Science under Dr. Christof Koch, in the groups of Associate Investigators Anton Arkhipov and Shawn Olsen. The scientist in this position will focus on estimating consciousness in the mouse brain by applying the differentiation and integrated information metrics, developed by our collaborators, to cortical neuronal activity measured in awake mice using optical physiology and electrophysiology (Neuropixels) recordings at the Allen Institute. The scientist will also contribute to the analysis of perturbative experiments in mice, where electrical stimulation will be delivered via an extracellular electrode and cortical activity will be simultaneously recorded. Studying data from these experiments under various conditions of consciousness and non-consciousness (awake, sleep, anesthesia) and ultimately with perturbations (via pharmacology and/or optogenetics), we aim to elucidate the contributions of different parts of the brain to consciousness. The focus of this work is to extend and validate certain predictions from the Integrated Information Theory of Consciousness (IIT). JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: • Analyze optical physiology and electrophysiology recordings to measure differentiation and integrated information. • In collaboration with theoreticians and experimentalists in house and at other institutions, explore how various neuronal populations and circuit architectures may underlie the trends observed in physiological recordings. • Publish/present findings in peer-reviewed journals/scientific conferences. REQUIRED QUALIFCATIONS: • PhD degree in Neuroscience, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related fields. • Strong publication record • 0-2 years’ experience in computational science such as: neuroscience and/or systems neuroscience, computational physics, biophysics, and related disciplines. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: • Strong background in scientific programming is a plus. • Candidates with strong background in experimental systems neuroscience, willing to switch to computational work, are encouraged to apply. Anton Arkhipov Associate Investigator antona(a)alleninstitute.org<mailto:antona@alleninstitute.org> T: 206.548.8414 www.alleninstitute.org<http://www.alleninstitute.org>

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CNS*2019 Barcelona: Call for Workshop Proposals and Tutorials
by Sharon Crook Dec. 18, 2018

Dec. 18, 2018

Organization for Computational Neurosciences 2885 Sanford Ave SW #15359 Grandville, MI 49418 USA We request proposals for workshops and tutorials from the international community of computational neuroscientists. Proposals from all levels of faculty as well as advanced postdoctoral fellows are welcome. This is a great opportunity to organize a small meeting or introduce novel methodology through a tutorial with only a few of the headaches of organizing it. We look forward to your submissions. CALL FOR WORKSHOPS (see below and also https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2019-call-for-workshops) Martin Zopotocky, Workshop Organizer, CNS*2019 CALL FOR TUTORIALS (see below and also https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2019-call-for-tutorials) Hermann Cuntz, Tutorial Organizer, CNS*2019 1. WORKSHOP PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS FOR CNS*2019, BARCELONA Workshops, in which computationally related neuroscience topics can be presented, will take place during the last two days (July 16 and July 17 2019) of the 28th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2019) For each workshop, usually several speakers are invited to introduce a unifying theme, but ample time for discussion should also be planned. Please note that there is a change in the format of the meeting compared to previous years. The main meeting will conclude on July 16, with a keynote lecture and a poster session taking place in the afternoon. The morning of July 16 is reserved for workshops. A goal of this "mixed day" of the meeting is to facilitate an overlap of attendance. Participants who have registered for either the main meeting or the workshops will be allowed to attend all of the events on July 16 (workshops, keynote, poster session). The last day of the meeting, July 17, is reserved for workshops, as in the previous years (workshop registration will be required to attend). Accordingly, the possible duration of a workshop is anywhere from 0.5 days (one session lasting 3.5 hours) to 1.5 days (three half-day sessions). Half-day workshops will be preferentially scheduled for July 16. They will thus offer the opportunity to attract a wider audience still present for the main meeting. Submit workshop proposals to: workshops(a)cnsorg.org. The Past Meetings page (https://www.cnsorg.org/past-annual-meetings) gives access to archives of workshops held at previous CNS meetings. The proposal should be submitted as a Word or pdf file and MUST include the following sections: * WORKSHOP TITLE * ORGANIZERS (list primary organizer first; include affiliations and emails) * WORKSHOP DURATION * NUMBER OF EXPECTED SPEAKERS * BRIEF DESCRIPTION (~150 words; if possible, say why this is significant or timely) * SPEAKERS (mark expected or confirmed) Also please note the following rules which were approved by the OCNS Board on July 15, 2013: * Each individual can be the organizer or co-organizer on only one workshop. * The number of confirmed speakers is a criterion for accepting the proposal. * Overlapping proposals may be asked to be combined. If the organizers do not wish to combine the proposals, only one of the proposals may be accepted. DEADLINE: Workshops submitted before January 31, 2019 will be given priority in acceptance. Workshop proposals arriving after January 31, 2019 will be evaluated based on remaining space for additional workshops. No further workshop acceptances will be anticipated after May 15, 2019. 2. TUTORIAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS FOR CNS*2019, BARCELONA Tutorials are intended as introductions into main methodologies of various fields in computational neuroscience. Tutorials are particularly tailored for early stage researchers as well as researchers entering a new field in computational neuroscience. The tutorials will be held on the first day of the meeting, July 13 2019, with a typical total attendance of approximately 100 attendees, allowing for four concurrent sessions during the day. Three different formats are available: * Introductory FULL DAY courses (incl. some reimbursement for the tutors) * Specialized HALF DAY tutorials (incl. some reimbursement for the tutors) * 30 MINUTES software showcase (no funding available) Submit tutorial proposals to: tutorials(a)cnsorg.org. Please compare with last year's tutorials at https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2018-tutorials. Note that our new format, the showcases, will be combined into one continuous afternoon program. The proposal should be submitted as a Word or pdf file and MUST include the following sections: * TUTORIAL TITLE * ORGANIZERS (list primary organizer first; include affiliations and emails) * FORMAT (full day, half day, showcase) * BRIEF DESCRIPTION (max. 300 words; include links to relevant software) DEADLINE: Tutorial proposals should be submitted before January 31, 2019. Registration: Workshop registration will occur through the OCNS registration web site for CNS*2019. All workshop participants, including speakers must register. Each workshop is eligible to receive registration waivers for 2 speakers. Travel awards: A limited number of Travel Awards will be available for organizers or speakers. Priority will be given to postdocs and early career faculty. Travel Award amounts will be variable, depending on distance traveled. Please indicate which speakers you would like to be considered for this mechanism but take into account that there likely will be fewer Travel Awards than workshops.

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PhD studentships available at the University of Sussex
by Anil Seth Dec. 18, 2018

Dec. 18, 2018

Ph.D. Scholarships available at the University of Sussex: From sensation and perception to awareness. We are delighted to invite applications for the second round of the Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship Programme in ‘From Sensation and Perception to Awareness’, hosted across multiple Schools at the University of Sussex. Up to eight fully funded positions will be awarded (for UK/EU applicants), starting Sep 2019. The aim of the programme is to bring together doctoral researchers from different disciplines to advance our understanding of the interactions between sensing, perception, and awareness in humans, animals, and machines. Applicants can select from a range of projects or propose their own. Pre-specified projects are divided into three main themes: (i) Human-computer interaction and digital arts, (ii) human cognitive neuroscience and computational neuroscience, and (iii) sensory neuroscience. For more details and for how to apply please see https://www.findaphd.com/search/PhdDetails.aspx?CAID=3783 and https://www.sussex.ac.uk/sensation/applications. For more on the Programme please visit https://www.sussex.ac.uk/sensation/, and follow us on Twitter @SensationSussex. Email enquries to Leverhulme(a)sussex.ac.uk<mailto:Leverhulme@sussex.ac.uk>. Application deadline is 31 January 2019. The programme is co-directed by Anil Seth (Engineering and Informatics) and Jamie Ward (Psychology). ------------------------------------------- Anil K. Seth, D.Phil. University of Sussex, UK Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Co-Director, Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science Editor-in-Chief, Neuroscience of Consciousness Senior Fellow, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Engagement Fellow, Wellcome Trust www.anilseth.com<http://www.anilseth.com>, www.neurobanter.com<http://www.neurobanter.com> @anilkseth

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Announcement of Spring School on Computational Cognitive Science, March 25th to 31st 2019 in Freiburg, Germany
by Jannis Born Dec. 18, 2018

Dec. 18, 2018

We are excited to announce that registration is now open for our new, NENS-awarded spring school (“I²C²S³”, International Interdisciplinary Computational Cognitive Science Spring School). Its first iteration will take place in the period of March 25th – 31th, 2019 at the Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany. This annual spring school is designed for researchers and students from all fields with an interest in computational approaches to the brain and cognitive sciences. We encourage all participants to present their own research in the format of a poster or a Blitz talk. Following a five-day educational program with a mixture of invited talks and instructive tutorials, the event will conclude with an optional two-day Hackathon. Attendees can receive one ECTS-point for their participation in the event. Registration is free, apart from a 20 Euro deposit. Master or PhD students currently residing outside of Germany are eligible to apply for one out of 4 stipends of 750 Euro (generously provided by FENS/IBRO-PERC) to cover the costs associated with their attendance. Registration will be closed on February 16th 2019 11:59pm. Preliminary list of speakers: * Radoslaw Martin Cichy (Free University Berlin, Department of Psychology and Education) * Frank Jäkel (Technische Universität Darmstadt, Centre for Cognitive Science) * Falk Lieder (MPI Intelligent Systems, Tübingen, Rationality Enhancement Group) * Timo Flesch (University of Oxford, Human Information Processing Lab) * Michael Tangermann (University of Freiburg, Brain State Decoding Lab) * Stefan Rotter (Bernstein Center Freiburg, Computational Neuroscience Lab) * Carsten Mehring (Bernstein Center Freiburg, Neurobiology and Neurotechnology) * Peggy Series (University of Edinburgh, Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation) * Lilian Weber (ETH Zurich, Translational Neuromodeling Unit) For a preliminary program, please visit our webpage at http://iiccsss.eu/. Please do not hesitate to write us an email (info(a)iiccsss.eu) if you have any questions. Feel free to spread this announcement to your friends and colleagues. We look forward to seeing you @IICCSSS2019. Sincerely, The organization committee -- Jannis Born Maryna Kapitonova Jan Kirchner Lukas Vogelsang

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Announcing Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course 2019
by Erik De Schutter Dec. 18, 2018

Dec. 18, 2018

OKINAWA/OIST COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE COURSE 2019 Methods, Neurons, Networks and Behaviors June 24 to July 11, 2019 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc The aim of the Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course is to provide opportunities for young researchers with theoretical backgrounds to learn the latest advances in neuroscience, and for those with experimental backgrounds to have hands-on experience in computational modeling. We invite graduate students and postgraduate researchers to participate in the course, held from June 24th through July 11th, 2019 at an oceanfront seminar house of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. Applications are through the course web page (https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc) only; January 1 - February 2, 2019. Applicants will receive confirmation of acceptance in March. Like in preceding years, the 16th OCNC will be a comprehensive three-week course covering single neurons, networks, and behaviors with ample time for student projects. The first week will focus exclusively on methods with hands-on tutorials during the afternoons, while the second and third weeks will have lectures by international experts. The course has a strong hands-on component based on student proposed modeling or data analysis projects, which are further refined with the help of a dedicated tutor. Applicants are required to propose their project at the time of application. There is no tuition fee. The sponsor will provide lodging and meals during the course and provides partial travel support. We hope that this course will be a good opportunity for theoretical and experimental neuroscientists to meet each other and to explore the attractive nature and culture of Okinawa, the southernmost island prefecture of Japan. Invited faculty: • Claudia Clopath (Imperial College, UK) • Erik De Schutter (OIST) • Kenji Doya (OIST) • Tomoki Fukai (OIST) • Wenbiao Gan (New York University, USA) • Geoff Goodhill (University of Queensland, Australia) • Jun Izawa (Tsukuba University, Japan) • Mike Hausser (University College London, UK) • Bernd Kuhn (OIST) • Eve Marder (Brandeis University, USA) • Peggy Series (University of Edinburgh, UK) • Greg Stephens (OIST) • Taro Toyoizumi (RIKEN BSI, Japan) • Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama (OIST) • Yi Zeng (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China)

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Postdoctoral position(s) available in group of N. Kopell
by Nancy Kopell Dec. 17, 2018

Dec. 17, 2018

A 2-year (extendable) postdoctoral fellow position in computational neuroscience is available at Boston University with Nancy Kopell. The successful candidate will build neural models capable of simulating neural dynamics underlying the oscillatory behavior involved in auditory cognition, particularly in relation to active sensing and speech processing. The goal of this work is to better elucidate cellular and network pathways in the brain that underlie auditory and visual cognition. There will be opportunities for interaction with a large community of experimental and computational neuroscientists via the Conte Center for Basic Neuroscience Research, a highly networked group that includes Boston University, Columbia University Medical Center, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Princeton University and UC Berkeley. The Conte Center contains members with expertise in vivo and in vitro physiology, fMRI, EcOG, data analysis, and dynamical systems modeling. In addition to the above opening, there may also be positions to work with Kopell and experimentalists on a modeling project involving interactions of pyramidal cells and multiple kinds of interneurons to form cognitively important cell assemblies. Applications for such positions are also welcome. Qualified candidates should have a strong mathematics or physics background, preferentially with experience in dynamical systems, as well as strong programming experience. Preference will be given to candidates with experience using detailed biophysical models. Experience with experimental neuroscience is also helpful. The deadline for applications is Feb 1, 2019. Interested candidates should email a CV, statement of research interests, three letters of recommendation, and if applicable, relevant publications to xiaoshi(a)bu.edu. Applications should include a listing of those sending letters of recommendation. Boston University is an equal opportunity employer.

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Columbia Workshop on Brain Circuits, Memory and Computation 2018
by Aurel A. Lazar Dec. 16, 2018

Dec. 16, 2018

Columbia Workshop on Brain Circuits, Memory and Computation 2018 <http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/workshops/bcmc/2018> BCMC 2018 March 15-16, 2018 Center for Neural Engineering and Computation <http://cnec.columbia.edu/> Columbia University, New York, NY, USA Overview The goal of the workshop is to bring together researchers interested in developing executable models of neural computation/processing of the brain of model organisms. Of interest are models of computation that consist of elementary units of processing using brain circuits and memory elements. Elementary units of computation/processing include population encoding/decoding circuits with biophysically-grounded neuron models, non-linear dendritic processors for motion detection/direction selectivity, spike processing and pattern recognition neural circuits, movement control and decision-making circuits, etc. Memory units include models of spatio-temporal memory circuits, circuit models for memory access and storage, etc. A major aim of the workshop is to explore the integration of various sensory and control circuits in higher brain centers. A Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon <http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/hackathons/ffbh/2018> is being conducted in conjunction with the workshop. Workshop participants are welcome to attend the hackathon. Registration Registration is free but all participants have to register <https://bcmc2018.eventbrite.com/>. Thank you! Organizer and Program Chair Aurel A. Lazar <http://www.ee.columbia.edu/~aurel>, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University. Program Overview (Confirmed Speakers) Misha B. Ahrens <https://www.janelia.org/lab/ahrens-lab>, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA. Davi Bock <https://www.janelia.org/lab/bock-lab>, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA. Claude Desplan <https://wp.nyu.edu/desplanlab/>, Department of Biology, New York University. Mark A. Frye <http://www.fryelab.net/>, Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles. C. Giovanni Galizia <http://neuro.uni-konstanz.de/03team/content/galizia.html>, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz. Maria N. Geffen <https://geffenlab.weebly.com/maria.html>, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania. Hokto Kazama <http://kazama.brain.riken.jp/index.php>, Riken Brain Science Institute, Tokyo. Donggen Luo <http://mgv.pku.edu.cn/?co=posts&ac=faculty&catalog=enpiintro&pname=en_Dongg…>, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing. Thomas Nowotny <http://www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/206151>, Department of Informatics, University of Sussex. Pavan Ramdya <https://ramdya-lab.epfl.ch/home>, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne. Aravinthan D.T. Samuel <https://scholar.harvard.edu/aravisamuel/home>, Department of Physics and center for Brain Science, Harvard University. Simon G. Sprecher <http://www.sprecherlab.com/simon-sprecher/>, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg. Seth Tomchik <http://www.scripps.edu/tomchik/>, The Scripps Research Institute Florida. Joshua T. Vogelstein <http://jovo.me/>, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Computational Medicine, Johns Hopkins University. Scott Waddell <https://www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/research/waddell-group>, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford. Anthony M. Zador <http://zadorlab.cshl.edu/>, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Aurel http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu

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New method for single-trial electrophysiology analysis
by Rapela, Joaquin Dec. 15, 2018

Dec. 15, 2018

Hello, We have recently published an article reporting a new method to study temporal expectation on single trials of the EEG (Rapela et al., 2018). Using this method (in an audio-visual attention-shifting oddball task) we discovered a new behaviorally-relevant effect of temporal expectation on the single-trial phase coherence of the EEG. I am interested in checking if this effect can be observed in other experiments. Thus, I would like to collaborate with, or help to, a scientist that is interested in studying with our method single-trial effects of temporal expectation on his/her electrophysiological recordings (EEG, MEG, ECoG, MEA, single units, etc). If this could interest you, please email me at joaquin_rapela(a)brown.edu. Our article appears in Neural Computation and a preprint of it can be found on my web page https://sccn.ucsd.edu/~rapela/pub.htm Code implementing our method appears in https://github.com/joacorapela/singleTrialEEGPredictions Joaquín Rapela, Marissa Westerfield, Jeanne Townsend (2018a). A new foreperiod effect on single-trial phase coherence. Part I: existence and relevance. Neural Computation 30(9): 2348-83. Abstract This letter makes scientific and methodological contributions. Scientifically, it demonstrates a new and behaviorally relevant effect of temporal expectation on the phase coherence of the electroencephalogram (EEG). Methodologically, it introduces novel methods to characterize EEG recordings at the single-trial level. Expecting events in time can lead to more efficient behavior. A remarkable finding in the study of temporal expectation is the foreperiod effect on reaction time, that is, the influence on reaction time of the delay between a warning signal and a succeeding imperative stimulus to which subjects are instructed to respond as quickly as possible. Here we study a new foreperiod effect in an audiovisual attention-shifting oddball task in which attention-shift cues directed the attention of subjects to impendent deviant stimuli of a given modality and therefore acted as warning signals for these deviants. Standard stimuli, to which subjects did not respond, were interspersed between warning signals and deviants. We hypothesized that foreperiod durations modulated intertrial phase coherence (ITPC, the degree of phase alignment across multiple trials) evoked by behaviorally irrelevant standards and that these modulations are behaviorally meaningful. Using averaged data, we first observed that ITPC evoked by standards closer to the warning signal was significantly different from that evoked by standards further away from it, establishing a new foreperiod effect on ITPC evoked by standards. We call this effect the standard foreperiod (SFP) effect on ITPC. We reasoned that if the SFP influences ITPC evoked by standards, it should be possible to decode the former from the latter on a trial-by-trial basis. We were able to do so showing that this effect can be observed in single trials. We demonstrated the behavioral relevance of the SFP effect on ITPC by showing significant correlations between its strength and subjects' behavioral performance. Cordially, Joaquin

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Paid Internship in Systems Neuroscience -- Memory Consolidation (joint project between MIT and FAU)
by Carmen Varela Dec. 15, 2018

Dec. 15, 2018

*Joint research project between MIT and FAU* Spend the Spring semester (2019) visiting two booming neuroscience hubs: Jupiter, Florida and Boston, Massachusetts We are looking for a talented student that will apply analytical techniques to study the dynamics of cellular interactions that underlie the consolidation of memory during sleep. The project will involve the analysis of neural data (single cells, local field potentials) recorded from multiple brain areas (neocortex, thalamus, hippocampus) in sleeping rodents. The project is a collaboration between the laboratories of Drs. Carmen Varela (Florida Atlantic University, FAU) and Matthew Wilson (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT). *Requirements:* Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, demonstrated initiative and dedication, ability to learn fast. Strong analytical skills, including signal processing and programming. Majors in EECS, Physics and Neuroscience are encouraged to apply. *What you get: * · A paid semester of research (with possibility of extension) in systems neuroscience, including the application of analytical skills to electrophysiology data. · Learn about neuroscience opportunities in two thriving environments, MIT and FAU: the Jupiter campus of FAU is a rapidly growing neuroscience hub that also holds our partners the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and Scripps Research Institute. Gain additional direct insight into MIT’s established programs and laboratories. · Possibility of presenting results from your work at a neuroscience conference. *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. carmenv(a)mit.edu https://www.thethalamus.org/

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Open Post Doc Position on Bayesian Computational Modelling for multimodal social interaction
by Dimitri Ognibene Dec. 14, 2018

Dec. 14, 2018

[Apologies for cross-posting] Dear Colleagues, I would be grateful if you could help me spreading the word about this position in the Essex Brain-Computer Interface and Neural Engineering (BCI-NE) Laboratory that I recently joined. Thank you very much, Dimitri We are looking for a Post Doctoral Research Associate to collaborate at the development of Bayesian (DCM and Active Inference) computational models of multimodal social interaction taking into account the role of human chemosignals perception. This will involve also the development of robust algorithms for signal processing, statistical inference and extraction of information from EEG and other physiological signals, as well as the design and implementation of software for the execution of experiments with adaptive VR stimulation. Application closing date 02/01/2019 Application Links https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BOO174/senior-research-officer <https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BOO174/senior-research-officer> https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?… <https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?…> Job reference REQ02121 Job Details The School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, the Department of Psychology, and the Essex Brain-Computer Interfaces and Neural Engineering Lab are pleased to announce this postdoctoral position in the Horizon 2020 project "POTION: Promoting social interaction through emotional body odours”. The project will last five years and start in January 2019 and includes partners from the Universities of Pisa (Italy), Padova (Italy), and Essex (UK), the Universitat Politecnica De Valencia (Spain), the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), and the Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), and three companies ISPA CRL (Portougal), SRA Instruments (France) and Feel-Ing s.r.l. (Italy). POTION proposes a novel technological paradigm to delve deeper into understanding meaningful social interaction, combining new knowledge about the chemical composition of human social chemosignals together with a novel olfactory-based technology designed to drive social behaviour. Duties of the Role The Essex team's work on the project focuses on the development of Bayesian (DCM and Active Inference) computational models of multimodal social interaction. This models will be applied to evaluate socially relevant variables, such as trust, presence and inclusion as well as to generate optimal stimuli in artificially mediated social interactions. In particular, the models will cover the role of human chemosignal perception in social interactions. The models will be identified and tested using neurophysiological data (e.g. EEG), peripheral physiological activation (i.e., ECG, RESP, EDA) and behavioural changes (i.e., f-EMG) collected using VR scenarios of increasing complexity. The successful applicant will research and develop Bayesian (DCM and Active Inference) computational models of multimodal social interaction with an emphasis on the role of human chemosignals. They will also develop robust algorithms for signal processing, statistical inference and extraction of information from EEG and other physiological signals, design and implement software for the execution of experiments with VR stimulation, and contribute to the reporting and dissemination of the project. Skills and qualifications required Applicants are expected to hold a PhD (or be close to completion) in Computational Neuroscience, Brain-computer Interfaces, Neural Engineering, Psychology, Machine Learning, Statistics, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science or a closely related discipline, or equivalent professional experience or practice. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in computational modelling of social interaction, signal processing, statistical modelling of neural signals and processes, brain-computer interfaces, and virtual reality interfaces. Applicants are also expected to have a strong publication record (relative to their career stage) as first author, ideally including publications in 1st quartile journals in relevant areas. We strongly encourage women to apply as they are currently under-represented in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering. At the University of Essex internationalism is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally-oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries and a university where you can find the world in one place. Who we are University of Essex has just been awarded the prestigious title of "University of the Year" by the Times Higher Education for "transforming the lives of a growing student body” and " putting both staff and students first" The School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (CSEE) at the University of Essex has an outstanding reputation for teaching and high-quality research in artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, brain-computer interfaces, computer games, evolutionary computation, human language technology, robotics, networks and optoelectronics. Particularly relevant to this application is our research in artificial intelligence and in life and medical sciences applications, which was judged as world-leading in the recent Research Excellence Framework, the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. An important centre spanning both areas is the Essex Brain-Computer Interface and Neural Engineering (BCI-NE) Laboratory. The BCI lab was founded in 2004 by Dr Citi among others, and is one of the largest and best equipped in Europe. For over a decade, it has produced highly visible internationally leading research, with international collaborators at MIT, Berkley, the European Space Agency, and many others. Our members have led high-profile externally funded projects in the area of Assisted Living Technologies. Since 2007 our research has featured prominently in the UK’s Department of Health’s annual report on research and development work relating to assistive technology, e.g. see the 2012 report, which was presented to parliament. The successful applicant will work in collaboration with the Department of Psychology at the University of Essex. This department was ranked 13th out of more than 100 in the UK in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014 <http://www.essex.ac.uk/research/ref>), with 90% of our research rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. Academic staff in the department have wide-ranging and world-leading expertise in vision, cognition, cognitive neuroscience, health and social psychology. Students and staff make use of facilities in the Centre for Brain Science, a purpose-built facility dedicated to research and with considerable resources for understanding brain and behaviour. The research facilities are located on our Colchester Campus, which is set within 200 acres of beautiful parkland <https://www.essex.ac.uk/about/wivenhoe-park>, located two miles from the historic town centre of Colchester <https://www.essex.ac.uk/life/colchester-campus/local-area> – England's oldest recorded town. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour. Home to over 13,000 students from more than 130 countries, our Colchester Campus is the largest of our three sites, making us one of the most internationally diverse campuses on the planet - we like to think of ourselves as the world in one place. Colchester has a relatively low cost of living, while being well connected to London, the coast, and areas of natural beauty in East Anglia. Please see the link below for a full job description and person specification which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role plus more information relating to the post. We recommend you read this information carefully before making an application. Applications should be made on-line, but if you would like advice or help in making an application, or need information in a different format, please telephone the Resourcing Team (+44 1206 876559 <tel:+44%201206%20876559>). Feel free to contact us (Dr Citi, (CSEE) lciti(a)essex.ac.uk <mailto:vishwanathan.mohan@essex.ac.uk> (PI), Dr Ognibene (CSEE) dimitri.ognibene(a)essex.ac.uk <mailto:dimitri.ognibene@essex.ac.uk>, Dr Foulsham (PSYCH) foulsham(a)essex.ac.uk) for an informal discussion about this post. Job reference REQ02121 Application closing date02/01/2019 Application Links https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BOO174/senior-research-officer <https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BOO174/senior-research-officer> https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?… <https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?…> -- Dimitri Ognibene, PhD Lecturer in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Department of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, UK http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/ Skype: dimitri.ognibene

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Postdoc position in Geometric Methods for Machine Learning and Deep Learning at RIST
by Luigi Malagò Dec. 14, 2018

Dec. 14, 2018

=========================================================== *Subject*: Postdoc position in Machine Learning (1 year, renewable up to 2 years) *Institution*: RIST - Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca *Keywords*: Geometry of Latent Spaces, Optimization over Manifolds, Information Geometry, Natural Gradient, Riemannian Geometry *Application deadline*: 10 October 2018 (applicants are encouraged to apply earlier) *Salary*: around 2200 euro net *Official announcement*: http://rist.ro/en/details/news/postdoc-positions-in-deep-learning-and-machi… =========================================================== Dear colleagues, the Romanian Institute of Science and Technology (RIST) has an opening for a postdoc position, in the context of the DeepRiemann project “Riemannian Optimization Methods for Deep Learning”, funded by European structural funds through the Competitiveness Operational Program (POC 2014-2020). The appointments will be for 1 year, with possible extensions up to 2 years. The DeepRiemann project aims at the design and analysis of novel training algorithms for Neural Networks in Deep Learning, by applying notions of Riemannian optimization and differential geometry. The task of the training a Neural Network is studied by employing tools from Optimization over Manifolds and Information Geometry, by casting the learning process to an optimization problem defined over a statistical manifold, i.e., a set of probability distributions. The project is highly interdisciplinary, with competences spanning from Machine Learning to Optimization, Deep Learning, Statistics, and Differential Geometry. The objectives of the project are multiple and include both theoretical and applied research, together with industrial activities oriented to transfer knowledge, from the institute to a startup or spin-off of the research group. The positions will be part of the new Machine Learning and Optimization group https://rist.ro/en/teams.html, which performs research at the intersection of Machine Learning, Stochastic Optimization, Deep Learning, and Optimization over Manifolds, using geometric methods based on Information Geometry. The group is one of two newly-formed groups in Machine Learning at RIST. The official job announcement can be seen here: http://rist.ro/en/details/news/postdoc-positions-in-deep-learning-and-machi… Informal inquiries can be sent to Dr. Luigi Malagò <malago(a)rist.ro>, principal investigator of the DeepRiemann project. Application deadline: 10 October 2018 (applicants are encouraged to apply earlier) best regards, Luigi Malagò

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PhD position - Inverse Reinforcement Learning
by Constantin Rothkopf Dec. 14, 2018

Dec. 14, 2018

The Centre for Cognitive Science at Technische Universität 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 Technische Universität Darmstadt is striving to increase the proportion of women in its staff and therefore particularly invites women to apply. Applicants with a degree of disability of at least 50% or equivalent are preferred in the case of equal aptitude. Part-time employment is generally possible. We look forward to receiving your application, consisting of a cover letter in which you rationalize your interest in the indicated research area, curriculum vitae, copies of certificates and contact details of at least two academic references. Your application package should be sent as a single PDF file to application(a)bcs.tu-darmstadt.de

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"The Spike": the key stories about neuroscience, from neuroscientists
by Mark Humphries Dec. 13, 2018

Dec. 13, 2018

If you're interested in keeping up with the cutting edge of neuroscience, you might like to know about The Spike: https://medium.com/the-spike [https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*H6cV11b9xeYl-Q8ybx7Rmg.png]<https://medium.com/the-spike> The Spike – Medium<https://medium.com/the-spike> medium.com The science of the brain, from the scientists of the brain. The Spike's mission is to convey the triumphs, tragedies and challenges of systems and computational neuroscience to a broad audience; while keeping you, the reader, entertained along the way. Founded in 2016, we publish stories from a diverse array of writers. Our >400 unique visitors each day reflect a diverse readership from across AI, machine learning, psychology, psychiatry, neurology, clinical neurosciences, and beyond. And, of course, the public! Popular recent stories include: "Why you should (or shouldn't) get a PhD in Neuroscience" by Ashley Juavinett: <https://medium.com/the-spike/preparing-for-a-neuroscience-phd-6a0bb4ee5275?…> https://medium.com/the-spike/why-you-should-or-shouldnt-get-a-phd-in-neuros… [https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*X-GdSTSuz569RsB95GxGbA.jpeg]<https://medium.com/the-spike/why-you-should-or-shouldnt-get-a-phd-in-neuros…> Why you should (or shouldn’t) get a PhD in Neuroscience<https://medium.com/the-spike/why-you-should-or-shouldnt-get-a-phd-in-neuros…> medium.com A few good reasons why you should get a neuroscience PhD You’ll open doors to different careers, and higher (paying) positions. There are certain jobs that require a PhD. "Brains as Analog Computers" by Corey Maley: https://medium.com/the-spike/brains-as-analog-computers-fa297021f935 [https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*J3tX8SxApeRHo7HwNBv19A.png]<https://medium.com/the-spike/brains-as-analog-computers-fa297021f935> Brains as Analog Computers – The Spike – Medium<https://medium.com/the-spike/brains-as-analog-computers-fa297021f935> medium.com Algorithms. One idea, explored in a previous blog post in this very forum, is that the brain is a computer because what it does can be described in terms of algorithms.Unfortunately, this view has ... "A not entirely serious future history of neuroscience" by me: https://medium.com/the-spike/a-not-entirely-serious-future-history-of-neuro… [https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*jvbMd-eEkRfqmzkN6wMkwQ.jpeg]<https://medium.com/the-spike/a-not-entirely-serious-future-history-of-neuro…> A not entirely serious future history of neuroscience - Medium<https://medium.com/the-spike/a-not-entirely-serious-future-history-of-neuro…> medium.com Author’s note: resting for a moment in a dark corner of the Society for Neuroscience conference’s poster hall, on the quiet solitude of the Wednesday afternoon in the History of Neuroscience ... How to keep up to date with The Spike: Bookmark the homepage Follow us on Medium Follow us on Twitter @markdhumphries Happy reading, Prof Mark Humphries <https://medium.com/the-spike> This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

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Postdoctoral Position in the Epilepsy, Cognition, and Development Laboratory (ECDL)
by Pulkit Grover Dec. 13, 2018

Dec. 13, 2018

Dear all, Please see an exciting opportunity for a machine-learning postdoc position in an impactful and influential lab in University of Pittsburgh. Posting on behalf of Dr. Taylor Abel from University of Pittsburgh pediatrics neurosurgery. Best, Pulkit *Postdoctoral Position in the Epilepsy, Cognition, and Development Laboratory (ECDL) * We are seeking a full-time postdoctoral researcher to work on a project that seeks to understand the neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying visual recognition and how these mechanisms emerge in human development. A background in machine learning analysis is ideal. A background in electrophysiology and behavioral methods is desirable. The project will involve collection and analysis of human brain recordings in epilepsy surgery patients, so candidates would ideally be comfortable working in a clinical environment. The ideal start date is Feb 2019, but application review will continue until the positions are filled. The position is initially for at least 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be competitive, and commensurate with relevant experience. University of Pittsburgh has competitive benefits (including comprehensive medical insurance) and is an equal opportunity employer. The ECDL is based at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. There is close collaboration with Marlene Behrmann, Avniel Ghuman, and Pulkit Grover through the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition. Please send your CV to and provide 3 email addresses for reference to Dr. Taylor Abel abeltj(a)upmc.edu.

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Research associate / Postdoc for computational neuroscience - TU Dresden
by Dimitrije Markovic Dec. 13, 2018

Dec. 13, 2018

The Chair of Neuroimaging<https://tu-dresden.de/mn/psychologie/ifap/ni?set_language=en> at TU Dresden, Germany is offering a postdoc position. The position is funded by the Excellence Cluster "Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop" (CeTI), https://www.ceti.one/. The position is available for three years initially but can be extended. CeTI-position_Kiebel_1 - Research associate / Postdoc for computational neuroscience Topic: Computational modelling of sequences of goal-directed actions and multisensory integration Tasks: This position will develop computational models how humans integrate multisensory sensory input while performing sequences of goal-directed actions. We will be using Bayesian inference techniques in combination with nonlinear dynamic systems to model the perception of observed human movements and the inference of intent. This position is embedded in the newly funded research excellence cluster 'Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI<https://www.ceti.one/>)' and will work alongside cognitive neuroscientists, roboticists, psychologists, engineers and computer scientists. In collaboration with experimenters, the candidate will use the developed models to experimentally test predictions about how humans use multisensory information during goal-reaching. Requirements: We are looking for a candidate with a PhD degree in computational neuroscience, physics, maths, robotics, computer science, or related fields, ideally with expertise in computational models of human behaviour. Additional expertise in Bayesian inference, EEG, eye tracking analysis, or multisensory integration is a plus. The excellence cluster CeTI and TU Dresden provide an outstanding scientific infrastructure and ideal environment for interdisciplinary collaboration. For computational work, the group has access to the TU Dresden high-performance computing clusters. Experiments by collaborators will be performed at the Neuroimaging Centre Dresden (http://www.nic-tud.de) All computing and experimental facilities are supported by experienced physics and IT staff. For questions about this position please contact Prof. Stefan Kiebel (stefan.kiebel(a)tu-dresden.de<mailto:stefan.kiebel@tu-dresden.de>). How To Apply: [X] Please submit your comprehensive application including the usual documentation (CV, cover letter including a brief summary of research interests, and two references), by January 18th, 2019 (stamped arrival date of the university central mail service applies) with the reference "CeTI-position_Kiebel_1" in the subject header preferably via the TU Dresden SecureMail Portal https://securemail.tu-dresden.de<https://securemail.tu-dresden.de/> or S/MIME encrypted by sending it as a pdf document to positions(a)ceti.tu-dresden.de<mailto:positions@ceti.tu-dresden.de> and stefan.kiebel(a)tu-dresden.de<mailto:stefan.kiebel@tu-dresden.de> or by mail to: TU Dresden, Sprecher des Exzellenzclusters CeTI, Herrn Prof. Frank H. P. Fitzek, Helmholtzstr. 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany. Please submit copies only as your application documents will not be returned. We look forward to your applications! The CeTI Team

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Tenure-Track Position in Systems Neuroscience - University of Ottawa
by John Lewis Dec. 12, 2018

Dec. 12, 2018

Tenure-Track Position in Systems Neuroscience The Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa (Canada) is hiring a tenure-track assistant professor in systems neuroscience. We are particularly interested in candidates who combine experimental and computational approaches to study the neural mechanisms of animal behaviour. Application deadline is January 30, 2019 For details, please see https://www.uottawa.ca/vice-president-academic/faculty-relations/faculty-re… (under the Faculty of Science, Department of Biology tab) Specific questions can be directed to john.lewis(a)uottawa.ca<mailto:john.lewis@uottawa.ca>

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Stanford University Postdoctoral Fellowship
by Christina Atkinson Dec. 12, 2018

Dec. 12, 2018

Stanford University’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences is seeking to hire full time post-doctoral fellows for their Cognitive & Systems Neuroscience Laboratory. This lab is headed by Dr. Vinod Menon who has broad multidisciplinary expertise that spans several scientific disciplines and has published extensively on various aspects of human cognition and brain function. Explore our lab website for more information: http://med.stanford.edu/scsnl.html Please distribute job posting (below) appropriately in your department. We thank you for your support. POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF BRAIN NETWORKS Currently Available: The Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in computational modeling of human brain imaging data using deep neural networks. The successful candidate will be involved in a multidisciplinary project that seeks to develop novel computational frameworks for robust identification of neurobiological signatures of psychiatric and neurological disorders combining deep learning and convolution networks and dynamic brain circuit analyses with task and resting-state fMRI. Clinical disorders currently under investigation include autism, ADHD, anxiety and mood disorders, learning disabilities, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease. We seek talented and highly-motivated individuals with a strong background in at least one of these areas: deep learning algorithms and optimization (theory and practical implementations); computational modeling, statistical inference, and machine learning, especially as applied to fMRI and MRI data. The candidate will have access to multiple large datasets and state-of-the-art computational resources, including HPCs and GPGPUs. Please email a CV, statement of research interests and relevant background, and have three letters of reference sent to Drs. Vinod Menon and Aarthi Padmanabhan at scsnl.stanford+postdoc(a)gmail.com<mailto:scsnl.stanford@gmail.com>

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EPFL Neuro Faculty Positions - deadline 14th December 2018
by Petersen Carl Dec. 11, 2018

Dec. 11, 2018

Dear Colleague, The Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) has launched a new neuroscience initiative and as part of this initiative we are in the process of hiring three new professors in the field of neuroscience and engineering. The search is broad and we are interested in all aspects of neuroscience. We are hiring at the Assistant Tenure Track level, as well as the Associate Tenured level. https://professeurs.epfl.ch/page-158407-en.html NeuroSearch(a)epfl.ch If you are interested. then please apply for these faculty positions before 14th December 2018. Woman are particularly encouraged to apply. Thank you for your time and help. Best wishes, Carl. ------------------------------------------ Prof. Carl Petersen, Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. email: carl.petersen(a)epfl.ch www: http://lsens.epfl.ch/

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CFP: TAC | Special Issue on Automated Perception of Human Affect from Longitudinal Behavioral Data
by Pablo Barros Dec. 11, 2018

Dec. 11, 2018

2nd CALL FOR PAPERS IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing Special Issue on Automated Perception of Human Affect from Longitudinal Behavioral Data Website: https://www2.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/omgchallenges/tacSpecialIssue201… I. Aim and Scope Research trends within artificial intelligence and cognitive sciences are still heavily based on computational models that attempt to imitate human perception in various behavior categorization tasks. However, most of the research in the field focuses on instantaneous categorization and interpretation of human affect, such as the inference of six basic emotions from face images, and/or affective dimensions (valence-arousal), stress and engagement from multi-modal (e.g., video, audio, and autonomic physiology) data. This diverges from the developmental aspect of emotional behavior perception and learning, where human behavior and expressions of affect evolve and change over time. Moreover, these changes are present not only in the temporal domain but also within different populations and more importantly, within each individual. This calls for a new perspective when designing computational models for analysis and interpretation of human affective behaviors: the computational models that can timely and efficiently adapt to different contexts and individuals over time, and also incorporate existing neurophysiological and psychological findings (prior knowledge). Thus, the long-term goal is to create life-long personalized learning and inference systems for analysis and perception of human affective behaviors. Such systems would benefit from long-term contextual information (including demographic and social aspects) as well as individual characteristics. This, in turn, would allow building intelligent agents (such as mobile and robot technologies) capable of adapting their behavior in a continuous and on-line manner to the target contexts and individuals. This special issue aims at contributions from computational neuroscience and psychology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and affective computing, challenging and expanding current research on interpretation and estimation of human affective behavior from longitudinal behavioral data, i.e., single or multiple modalities captured over extended periods of time allowing efficient profiling of target behaviors and their inference in terms of affect and other socio-cognitive dimensions. We invite contributions focusing on both the theoretical and modeling perspective, as well as applications ranging from human-human, human-computer and human-robot interactions. II. Potential Topics Given computational models, the capability to perceive and understand emotion behavior is an important and popular research topic. That is why recent special issues on the IEEE Journal on Transactions on Affective Computing covered topics from emotion behavior analysis “in-the-wild” to personality analysis. However, most of the research published by these specific calls treat emotion behavior as an instantaneous event, relating mostly to emotion recognition, and thus neglect the development of complex emotion behavior models. Our special issue will foster the development of the field by focusing excellent research on emotion models for long-term behavior analysis. The topics of interest for this special issue include, but are not limited to: - New theories and findings on continuous emotion recognition - Multi- and Cross-modal emotion perception and interpretation - Lifelong affect analysis, perception, and interpretation - Novel neural network models for affective processing - New neuroscientific and psychological findings on continuous emotion representation - Embodied artificial agents for empathy and emotion appraisal - Machine learning for affect-driven interventions - Socially intelligent human-robot interaction - Personalized systems for human affect recognition III. Submission Prospective authors are invited to submit their manuscripts electronically, adhering to the IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing guidelines ( https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=5165369) Please submit your papers through the online system ( https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/taffc-cs) and be sure to select the special issue: Special Issue/Section on Automated Perception of Human Affect from Longitudinal Behavioral Data. IV. IMPORTANT DATES: Submissions Deadline: 15th of January 2019 Deadline for reviews and response to authors: 06th of April 2019 Camera-ready deadline: 05th of August 2019 V. Guest Editors Pablo Barros, University of Hamburg, Germany Stefan Wermter, University of Hamburg, Germany Ognjen (Oggi) Rudovic, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States of America Hatice Gunes, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom -- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Research Associate - Crossmodal Learning Project (CML) Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt-Koelln-Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 40 42883 2535 Fax: +49 40 42883 2515 barros at informatik.uni-hamburg.dehttp://www.pablobarros.nethttps://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/people/barros.htmlhttps://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/

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International Student Fellowship at the PhD level in Computational Neuroscience
by Vinita Samarasinghe Dec. 11, 2018

Dec. 11, 2018

Prof. Sen Cheng, Institute for Neural Computation at the *Ruhr University Bochum* in Germany, invites applicants for an International Student Fellowship to be awarded through the international research training group “Integration and Representation of Sensory Processes” (SFB 874). After successful completion of this 4 month fellowship, the student might be offered a PhD position for a further 3 years. The work will focus on studying the interaction between neocortex and hippocampus using spiking neural network models. The position is part of the project "Theory of the interplay between sensory cortices and hippocampus in memory formation and retrieval", which is funded by the German Research Foundation as part of the collaborative research center SFB 874. The appointment will be initially from 01.03.2019-30.06.2019. Candidates should have an excellent university degree in neuroscience, physics, mathematics, engineering or a related field and be eligible to enroll in a relevant PhD program at the Ruhr University. Competence in mathematical modeling and excellent programming skillsare mandatory. Familiarity with computational neuroscience or computational cognitive modeling would be a further asset. Only candidates who have not previously lived in Germany will be considered. For further information regarding the IRTG fellowship please visit https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/sfb874/integrated_research_training_group/fe… The Ruhr University Bochum is home to a vibrant research community in neuroscience and cognitive science. The Institute for Neural Computation is an independent research unit and combines different areas of expertise ranging from experimental and theoretical neuroscience to machine learning and robotics. For further information see www.rub.de/cns <http://www.rub.de/cns>. To apply please send a statement of your motivation and research interests, academic transcripts, and a complete CV to samarasinghe(a)ini.rub.de <mailto:samarasinghe@ini.rub.de> in a single PDF file. Please, also request from at least two academic referees that they send letters of reference directly to the same email address. The deadline for applications is 15.01.2019. The Ruhr University Bochum is committed to equal opportunity. We strongly encourage applications from qualified women and persons with disabilities. -- Vinita Samarasinghe M.Sc., M.A. Science Manager Arbeitsgruppe Computational Neuroscience Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, NB 3/26 Universitätstr. 150 D-44801 Bochum Tel: +49 (0)234 32 27316 Email: samarasinghe(a)ini.rub.de Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8-11

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Postdoc on resting state analysis in Glasgow
by Robin Dec. 10, 2018

Dec. 10, 2018

Postdoc developing information theoretic methods for resting state analysis A 2-year postdoc position is available working with Dr. Robin Ince at the University of Glasgow. The project is funded by the Wellcome Trust and will involve developing and applying multivariate information theoretic methods to resting state fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project. The position will also involve collection of simultaneous EEG-fMRI resting state data in Glasgow. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise with numerical programming (MATLAB or Python) and be familiar with neuroimaging data and analysis. Glasgow is a friendly, lively and welcoming city with a reasonable cost of living and close proximity to the beautiful Highlands and a wide range of outdoor activities. International applicants should note that Glasgow voted 67% in favour of remaining in the EU and is the second most welcoming city to foreigners in the mainland UK (after London) [1], as well as being one of the safest cities in the UK [2]. The Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging (CCNi) at the Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology (INP) is a collaborative and stimulating environment with a full suite of world-class facilities, including EEG, MEG, 3T fMRI, 7T fMRI, EEG-fMRI, TMS, and extensive computational resources (~2500 cores, ~15TB RAM). The position is a Research Assistant on Grade 6 of the University of Glasgow salary scale: £28,660 - £32,236 (plus ~18% employer contributions to USS defined benefit pension). Apply online at https://www.gla.ac.uk/it/iframe/jobs/ Search for ref: 023869 Closing date for applications Jan 13th 2019. Flexible start date. Any questions about the project, position or application process please contact robin.ince(a)glasgow.ac.uk Institute of Neuroscience & Psychology College of Medical Veterinary & Life Sciences University of Glasgow [1] Eurostat Urban Europe Report 2016. [2] Mercer Quality of Living Ranking 2016.

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SMARTSTART Program accepts the next round of applications
by SMARTStart Dec. 10, 2018

Dec. 10, 2018

Dear colleagues, please be invited to share the information on the training program SMARTSTART Computational Neuroscience with your students: **** On January 1, 2019, the SMARTSTART Program accepts the next round of applications. The program offers students and prospective doctoral students the opportunity to complement their previous studies with concepts, theories and techniques of computational neuroscience. Target groups are: 1. students who are enrolled in a relevant Master's program in Germany during the funding period Sep 19 - Sep 20 (SMARTSTART 1) and 2. students who have successfully completed a relevant Master's program at the start of their funding period without having started a doctoral project (SMARTSTART 2). Applications can be submitted from January 1 until February 28, 2019 at the application platform on https://www.smartstart-compneuro.de/ SMARTSTART is the Joint Training Program in Computational Neuroscience of the Bernstein Network; the program is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. The program was launched in 2016 with the support of the Volkswagen Foundation. Since then, more than 60 students have successfully completed the program. Many of them are currently continuing their research projects as doctoral projects. **** Kind regards, Janina Radny - SMARTSTART coordinator -- Smart Start - Joint Training Program in Computational Neuroscience Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience Smart Start Coordination Office at the Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg postal address: Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9593 mail: smartstart(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:smartstart@fz-juelich.de> web: www.smartstart-compneuro.de<http://www.smartstart-compneuro.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher 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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PhD Studentships available in Prof K Tsaneva-Atanasova's group at the University of Exeter
by Tsaneva, Krasimira Dec. 7, 2018

Dec. 7, 2018

A number of Open PhD Positions are available at the University of Exeter: * Interactive virtual reality for individuals with complex PTSD (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/phdprojects/Tsaneva-Atanasova-EPSRC-DTP-Pro…<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/phdprojects/Tsaneva-Atanasova-EPSRC-DTP-Pro…>). Apply to University of Exeter: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/index.php?id=3386 * Noise-cancelling technology for clock neurones (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/phdprojects/Sieber-EPSRC-DTP-Project.pdf) Apply to University of Exeter: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/index.php?id=3386 * Non-linear Dynamics of Human Locomotion (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/phdprojects/Williams-EPSRC-DTP-Project.pdf)<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/phdprojects/Williams-EPSRC-DTP-Project.pdf>. Apply to University of Exeter: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/index.php?id=3386 Please feel free to contact me on the email address below should you have any further questions. ________________________________ Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare Associate Dean (International and Development) College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences Living Systems Institute, T02.17 University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK email: k.tsaneva-atanasova(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:k.tsaneva-atanasova@exeter.ac.uk> tel: +44 (0) 1392 723615 web: http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298 ________________________________ Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare Associate Dean (International and Development) College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences Living Systems Institute, T02.17 University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK email: k.tsaneva-atanasova(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:k.tsaneva-atanasova@exeter.ac.uk> tel: +44 (0) 1392 723615 web: http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298 ________________________________ Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare Associate Dean (International and Development) College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences Living Systems Institute, T02.17 University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK email: k.tsaneva-atanasova(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:k.tsaneva-atanasova@exeter.ac.uk> tel: +44 (0) 1392 723615 web: http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298

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Call for Proposals: Local Organizers for CNS*2020
by Sharon Crook Dec. 7, 2018

Dec. 7, 2018

We look forward to seeing all of you next summer at the 2019 Computational Neuroscience meeting in Barcelona! However, it is already time to begin planning for CNS*2020. OCNS requests proposals from candidate local organizers to hold CNS*2020 at a location outside of Europe, preferably in North or South America. Groups or individuals interested in organizing the 2020 meeting should submit a proposal following the extensive on-line instructions and using the on-line templates at: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2020-local-organizer. Proposals should be submitted by email to the OCNS President at president(a)cnsorg.org no later than February 1, 2019.The OCNS Board Members will consider the proposals, contact local organizers for more information if necessary, and select a location in a timely agreement between OCNS and the potential local organizers. As usual, the selected location will be officially announced at the CNS Meeting in July. An earlier email to the OCNS President declaring the intent to submit a proposal would be appreciated, but is not required. Thank you! Your Organization for Computational Neuroscience Team

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CFP: Advances in HCI: SI on Advancing Big Data in Speech Computation
by Friedhelm Schwenker Dec. 7, 2018

Dec. 7, 2018

CALL FOR PAPERS Advances in Human-Computer Interaction Special Issue on Advancing Big Data in Speech Computation Hindawi Submission Deadline: Friday, 31 May 2019 Publication Date: October 2019 Big Data is an emerging topic in a broad variety of research areas, with the promise to allow predictive user behavior analytics for a wide variety of speech patterns like emotions, sentiment, personality, and pathology. With the emerging voice assistants, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, speech interaction has attracted increasing attention. In addition, further speech-based HCI-systems could benefit from big data computation, such as Speech-to-Speech translation systems, conversational agents, and educational systems. Unfortunately, when dealing with speech computation tasks, oen only comparably small amounts of data are available, or the collection is cumbersome.Thus, advanced methods such as transfer learning, active learning, data synthesis, and (semi-)automatic annotation methods or domain-/topic-adaptation are needed. This special issue welcomes original research papers concerned with the big data exploitation of speech data, particularly in HCI-related contexts. We encourage researchers to submit review articles describing the current state of the art in speech-based big-data analyses. Submissions dealing with data synthesis or recordings and automatic annotation of large sets of speech data are highly encouraged. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following: * Speech data transfer learning and active learning for HCI systems * (Semi-) Automatic speech data analyses for HCI systems * Big data language modeling for HCI systems * Generative adversarial networks for speech-based HCI behavior analytics * Methods review for big data in advancing speech-based HCI * Comparison of big data and small data approaches for speech-based HCI * Application of Big data methods for speech based HCI-systems Authors can submit their manuscripts through the Manuscript Tracking System at https://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/ahci/abd/. Papers are published upon acceptance, regardless of the Special Issue publication date. Lead Guest Editor Ingo Siegert, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany ingo.siegert(a)ovgu.de Guest Editors Anna Esposito, Università della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy anna.esposito(a)unicampania.it Friedhelm Schwenker, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany friedhelm.schwenker(a)uni-ulm.de Gennaro Cordasco, Anna Esposito, Università della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy gennaro.cordasco(a)unicampania.it -- PD Dr. Friedhelm Schwenker University of Ulm Institute of Neural Information Processing D-89069 Ulm, Germany phone: +49-731-50-24159 fax: +49-731-50-24156 email: friedhelm.schwenker(a)uni-ulm.de www: http://www.uni-ulm.de/in/neuroinformatik/mitarbeiter/f-schwenker.html

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PhD Studentships in Neuroscience/Psychology at the University of Leicester
by Jian Liu Dec. 6, 2018

Dec. 6, 2018

PhD Studentships in Neuroscience/Psychology at the University of Leicester, UK. Centre for Systems Neuroscience www.le.ac.uk/csn Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour https://le.ac.uk/npb A number of PhD studentships are available in a wide range of research topics. Please find the details of all the projects below. Please contact the PIs on the list: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/phd-research-projects/department-of-neuroscie… Jian K. Liu, Ph.D. Mathematics Centre for Systems Neuroscience Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour University of Leicester, Leicester, UK Phone: +44 (0)116 373-6860 Webpage: https://sites.google.com/site/jiankliu

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3 Faculty Positions in Psychology at the University of Leicester
by Jian Liu Dec. 6, 2018

Dec. 6, 2018

LECTURER IN PSYCHOLOGY https://jobs.le.ac.uk/vacancies/621/lecturer-in-psychology.html Vacancy ID:621 Location:Leicester Department:Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour Vacancy terms:Full-time permanent Salary details:Grade 8 £39,609 to £48,677 per annum Hours per week:37.5 Advert closes midnight on:02 Jan 2019 About the role We are looking for an excellent researcher to develop and enhance the reputation of the Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour. This post provides the opportunity for those with excellent academic potential to contribute to high quality research and teaching within the Department. You will be expected to contribute to raising levels of research activity, research income, teaching excellence and the overall visibility of the Department. You will undertake high quality individual and collaborative research in line with the Department’s aim of producing world-leading research with meaningful impact. You will contribute to undergraduate teaching primarily in the School of Psychology and be involved in postgraduate training at MSc and PhD level. About you The successful applicant will be an experienced researcher, as demonstrated by publications in leading peer-reviewed journals. You will be undertaking high quality teaching in cognate areas and across the discipline of psychology. You will have an international research profile that will integrate, complement and strengthen our existing NPB Department expertise. We are particularly interested in recruiting researchers in developmental psychology, behaviour (e.g. learning and memory) or artificial intelligence/human-machine interaction. Additional information Leicester is a leading University committed to international excellence, world-changing research and high quality, inspirational teaching. We are strongly committed to inclusivity, promoting equality and celebrating diversity among our staff and students. Our strength is built on the talent of our scholars, drawn to us by a mutual passion for discovery. We seek to embed an adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit into our research culture, and to create an environment in which both disciplinary excellence and interdisciplinarity thrive. In return for your hard work, we offer a working environment that is committed to inclusivity, through promoting equality and valuing diversity. We offer a competitive salary package with excellent pension scheme, a generous annual leave allowance and an online portal that offers a range of lifestyle benefits and discounts. Located close to Leicester city centre, our award winning campus benefits from a wide range of cafes, a fully equipped sports centre and nursery facilities. Further information regarding our extensive range of staff benefits is available here. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made to: Professor Ian Forsythe, Head of the Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, on idf(a)leicester.ac.uk Professor John Maltby, Professor of Differential Psychology, on jm148(a)leicester.ac.uk Professor Kevin Paterson, Professor of Experimental Psychology, on kbp3(a)leicester.ac.uk Dr Jose Prados, Head of the School of Psychology, on jpg19(a)leicester.ac.uk

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[jobs] Research Associate Intelligent Adaptive Systems (e.g neural networks, nlp or robotics)
by Wermter, Stefan Dec. 6, 2018

Dec. 6, 2018

The Knowledge Technology Research Institute at the University of Hamburg invites applications for a Research Associate (Postdoc or postdoc-level/ final year PhD candidate) in accordance with Section 28 subsection 2 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act (Hamburgisches Hochschul- gesetz, HmbHG). The position commences on 1 Feb 2019 or as soon as possible and is for three years plus a three year extension option subject to the availability of resources. Responsibilities: Duties include teaching and research in the knowledge technology institute. Research associates can also pursue independent research and further academic qualifications as well as acquire teaching experience. These duties are intended to promote academic achieve- ment. Therefore, at least one-third of set working hours will be made available for the associate's own academic work. Specific Duties: The successful candidate will manage the international Master Programme in Computer Science (Intelligent Adaptive Systems) as well as contribute to teaching (4hrs/teaching week). Furthermore, the candidate is expected to conduct research in the area of Knowledge Technology and Intelligent Systems. Requirements: A university degree in a relevant subject plus doctorate prefered. Academic degree preferably in computer science qualifying the post holder to carry out the above-mentioned responsibilities. In particular, an MSc or PhD in Artificial Intelligence or Computer Science is essential. This post is open to Postdocs or experienced PhD candidates. Your demonstrated research interests should be in the areas of Knowledge Technology and Intelligent Systems (e.g. Neural Networks, Robotics, Natural Language Processing, Vision, or Knowledge Representation etc). You should have published in a field relevant to this post. We are also looking for very good communication skills and teamwork; a very good command of both German and English is a requirement. Experience with teaching or organisation of MSc programmes is considered an advantage. The job is remunerated at the salary level TV-L 13. The position is full-time and comprises 39 hours per week. The fixed-term nature of this contract is based upon Section 2 of the Academic Fixed-Term Labor Contract Act (Wissenschaftszeitver- tragsgesetz, WissZeitVG). The initial fixed term is three years. The contract provides for a maximum extension of another three years de- pending on the associate's achievements during the first stage. The University aims to increase the number of women in research and teaching and explicitly encourages women to apply. Equally qualified female applicants will receive preference in accordance with the Hamburg Equality Act (Hamburgisches Gleichstellungsgesetz, HmbGleiG). Severely disabled applicants will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants. For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Stefan Wermter, Head of Knowledge Technology Institute or consult our website at https://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/ https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/about/job/files/open-position… Applications should include an application letter, full curriculum vitae, pdf of best international publications, copies of degree certificates, evidence for required German and English language. The application deadline is 19 Dec 2018. Please email applications in a single pdf file to: Ms Katja Koesters, katja.koesters(a)informatik.uni-hamburg.de *********************************************** Professor Dr. Stefan Wermter Director of Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt Koelln Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Email: wermter AT informatik.uni-hamburg.de http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~wermter/ http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/WTM/ ***********************************************

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