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PhD position in theoretical and experimental neuroscience
by Nicolas P. Rougier July 24, 2020

July 24, 2020

PhD position in theoretical and experimental neuroscience Application deadline: 15/08/2020 What: PhD position in theoretical and experimental neuroscience Where: Bordeaux, France When: October 2020 (3 years duration) Who: Nicolas Rougier (Inria) & Arthur Leblois (CNRS) A PhD position is available at Inria Bordeaux Sud-Ouest center and the Institute of Neurodegenerative Disease in Bordeaux, France. Candidate profile ================= The future PhD candidate must have a strong experience at both the theoretical and experimental level. In particular, the following qualities and skills will be highly valued, if not required: * Solid bases in maths and/or physics; * Previous experience in experimental neuroscience; * Programming experience (Python or similar coding language); * Experience in machine learning or data mining is a plus; * Good English reading/speaking skills. How to apply ============ Please send your application (CV, letter of motivation, and the names and email addresses of one or two persons who can provide recommendation letters) to Dr. Nicolas Rougier (nicolas.rougier(a)inria.fr) and Arthur Leblois (arthur.leblois(a)u-bordeaux.fr) before the 15/08/2020. Proposed research ================= Temporally precise movement patterns underlie many motor skills and innate actions, yet the origin of temporal control in motor behaviors remains unclear. While cortical motor regions traditionally have been viewed as encoding features of motor gestures, these models do not address how sequences of motor gestures are produced or appropriately timed. Recently, a number of studies have suggested that, beyond just representing features of motor output, motor regions may have intrinsic oscillatory dynamics or sequential dynamics to act as their own pattern generators. However, in the order of milliseconds, the neural and anatomical correlates of time processing are still largely unknown because the dominant model, which is based on internal clock fails at giving account on experimental data. Understanding the neural dynamics underlying the acquisition and performance of complex sensorimotor tasks has been hindered by the complexity of the underlying brain networks in common animal models used in neuroscience (e.g. rodents or primates). In particular, the complex interactions between cortical areas (primary and secondary motor cortex in rodents, motor, premotor and supplementary motor areas in primates) related to many different sensorimotor associations and motor skills is daunting. Conversely, in birds, the sensorimotor skill of song production and its learning has a dedicated set of interconnected brain nuclei known as the “song system”, making them an outstanding model to study the neural mechanisms of vocal learning and more generally, of sensorimotor learning. Songbirds indeed rely on learned vocalizations to communicate during courtship or aggressive behaviours. Just as speech learning in humans, vocal learning in young birds requires the coordination of vocal muscles to reproduce previously experienced adult vocalizations. Song learning is also limited to a critical period during development and heavily relies on auditory feedback. The proposed research lies at the interface of neurophysiology, cognitive science, applied mathematics, and theoretical physics. The concepts and methods that will be used will draw on single neuron physiology, electrophysiological studies in behaving animals, statistical mechanics, dynamical system theory, and stochastic differential equations. To this end, we will combine a theoretical approach (development of a mathematical model of the timing system) and an experimental one (chronic neural recording in awake birds, behavioural manipulations). Therefore, a collaboration with a team of physiologists at the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases, and in particular with Arthur Leblois who has a long-established expertise in the neural mechanisms underlying vocal learning in songbirds. The model will be designed under the supervision of Nicolas Rougier who has extensive experience in computational modelling. Predictions of the model will then be tested experimentally by measuring neuronal activity in the brain areas controlling song timing in songbirds under the supervision of Arthur Leblois. Chronic electrophysiological recordings in singing birds are routinely performed in the lab of Arthur Leblois, and will be implemented in a protocol allowing the induction of plasticity in the duration of song syllables in young adult birds over short periods of time.

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PhD position: stimulation of the visual cortex
by Pieter Roelfsema July 22, 2020

July 22, 2020

The Vision & cognition group (Roelfsema lab) at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience has an exciting opportunity for a PhD student position to investigate circuit mechanisms of brain stimulation and its perception Project description Circuit mechanisms of brain stimulation and its perception The rapidly emerging field of neurotechnology is bringing a surge of new technological possibilities for transferring information to the brain for patients with neurological disabilities. To successfully apply these technological advances to clinical applications, a deep understanding of stimulation-based information transfer and its processing at the level of neurons and neuronal circuits is essential. In this project, we will combine novel intracortical neural interfaces devices with electrical microstimulation, optical stimulation, 2-photon calcium imaging, electrophysiology, and behavior to investigate this in the mouse visual cortex. Ultimately, we aim to develop next-generation intracortical stimulation strategies for high-fidelity information transfer into the visual cortex for a visual prosthesis. We expect from you: You are a highly motivated, self-driven candidate. You have an MSc degree (or equivalent) in neuroscience or a related discipline; or an MSc degree in a quantitative discipline (e.g. physics/biophysics, mathematics, engineering) with strong interest and experience in neuroscience. A high level of written and spoken English and good programming skills are essential. An ideal candidate would additionally possess practical experience in collecting and analyzing neurophysiological data from awake, behaving animals. You should expect from us: • Mentoring, supervision and training • Access to state-of-the art infrastructure • A stimulating international research environment Environment The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (www.nin.nl) is the country’s leading fundamental neuroscience research institute, in the international and progressive city of Amsterdam. It provides a critical mass of scientists (spanning more than 27 nationalities) and neuroscience facilities, in a highly interactive, dynamic, multi-cultural environment, with English as the working language. Appointment We offer an exciting job at a dynamic research institute and an attractive package of fringe benefits. The position is for a period of 4 years in total for a PhD student. The first appointment is for one year with the option for an extension for the remaining period pending on an evaluation. Salary The salary will be commensurate with experience and institutional guidelines based on the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities; CAO NU). Full-time monthly salary for a PhD student is € 2.395,- in the 1st year to € 3.061,- in the 4th year before taxes. In addition, an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus are provided. We offer travel expenses, paid parental leave, flexible working hours, 30 days paid leave per year and assistance in finding an accommodation. Starting date The position is available from September 2020, but the starting date can be later. To apply Please send your application to s.wolff(a)nin.knaw.nl including: 1. A Curriculum Vitae 2. An application letter 3. Two reference letters Evaluation of candidates will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. We aim to fill the position in the autumn of 2020. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, etc. Any acquisition further to this advertisement will not be appreciated.

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Virtual Telluride Neuromorphic Engineering Workshop (July 27-31 2020)
by Emre Neftci July 22, 2020

July 22, 2020

We are happy to announce a Virtual Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop 2020 (https://tellurideneuromorphic.org/) this year in replacement of our usual Workshop in Telluride. The workshop will take place from July 27 to July 31 (8am to 10am PDT, or 17:00 to 19:00 CET). The format will be a week of lectures and tutorials on current topics in neuromorphic engineering (two hours per day) followed by four hands-on, collaborative challenges which will be carried out in the month of August. The results of the challenges will be presented on September 10 and 11. More up-to-date information on the list of speakers and the challenges can be found at the 2020 Neuromorphic Workshop website (https://sites.google.com/view/telluride2020/home) The workshop is free to attend and is open to everyone upon registration. Please pass this announcement to other interested parties. Regards, The Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering 2020 Organizing Committee -- Emre Neftci, PhD, Assistant Professor, Neuromorphic Machine Intelligence Lab (http://nmi-lab.org/) Department of Cognitive Sciences, 2308 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway Building, UC Irvine 92697-5100

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[BCI-UC] Final program online
by Moritz Grosse-Wentrup July 21, 2020

July 21, 2020

Dear colleagues: The final program of the 1st BCI Un-Conference is now online: https://bciunconference.univie.ac.at/program/ In addition to the keynotes by Mariska J Vansteensel and Christian Herff, the BCI-UC features nine contributed talks. These talks were selected from 31 submissions by 190 registered participants casting a total of 427 votes. All lectures will be streamed free of charge via Crowdcast this Thursday, July 23rd, from 3 pm to 9:15 pm (CEST) under the following URL: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/1st-brain-computer-interface-unconference/ If you would like to receive future updates about the BCI-UC series, please sign up to the mailing list: https://lists.univie.ac.at/mailman/listinfo/bciuc You are very welcome to also use this mailing list for any announcements that are of interest to the BCI community at large. Best regards, The BCI-UC Organizing Committee: Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Anja Meunier Philipp Raggam Anita Resch Jiachen Xu -- Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Research Group Neuroinformatics Faculty of Computer Science University of Vienna Hörlgasse 6, A-1090 Wien, Austria moritz.grosse-wentrup(a)univie.ac.at +43-1-4277-79610 http://neural.engineering/

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Post-doc position: Visual control
by Fajen, Brett July 21, 2020

July 21, 2020

Please post the job ad below on the computational neuroscience email list. POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE VISUAL CONTROL IN HUMANS AND AERIAL ROBOTS Cognitive Science Department Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute A post-doctoral position is available in the Perception and Action (PandA) Lab at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to study optic flow-based control. The aims of the project are to develop computational and mathematical models of visual perception and control in humans and adapt these models for use on board small aerial robots. The successful candidate will be expected to conduct experiments, develop models, and present research at conferences and in journal articles. This is a one-year position with an anticipated start date in September 2020. The position could be extended beyond one year depending on performance and availability of funding. The PI’s lab is situated within the Cognitive Science Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. Minimum qualifications Candidates for the position must have a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Psychology, or a related field. All degree requirements must be completed by the time the appointment starts. In addition, candidates should have research experience in vision science, a strong quantitative background, and good programming skills. Experience with virtual reality, motion capture, and/or eye tracking is also desirable, although not required. Application information Please contact Brett Fajen at fajenb[at]rpi.edu for information about the application process or with any questions about the position. We welcome candidates who will bring diverse intellectual, geographical, gender and ethnic perspectives to Rensselaer’s work and campus communities. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity, Race/Gender/Veterans/Disability Employer.

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Postdoc position at International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN), the University of Tokyo
by Yukie Nagai July 21, 2020

July 21, 2020

Dear colleagues, Nagai, Yazaki and Tsuji labs at the International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN), the University of Tokyo are seeking a postdoctoral candidate for the transdisciplinary project “The Development of Social Intelligence”. The goal of this project is to identify the neuronal and biological basis of social effects on learning. The successful candidate will be involved in developing experiments in songbirds and human infants in interaction with robots, including the recording and analysis of behavioral, auditory, and physiological measures. The candidate will primarily be supervised by Dr. Nagai, and co-supervised by Dr. Yazaki and Dr. Tsuji. https://ircn.jp/en/careers/20200720-socialintelligence If you are interested in being considered, please send the required documents to yukie(a)ircn.jp. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Job title Project Researcher (Postdoctoral Fellow) 2. Starting Date Negotiable 3. Term The first contract will be ended on March 31, 2021. The contract is renewable on a fiscal year basis (from April 1 to March 31; every year) according to research budget, research activity, and research achievements. Contract can be extended for up to 3 years. 4. Place of Work International Research Center for Neurointelligence The University of Tokyo, Institutes for Advanced Study 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo, 113-0033 JAPAN *This can be changed due to work circumstances. 5. Qualifications (Required) - Ph.D. or equivalent in a related field - Good communication skill in English (Preferred) - Experiences in computer science, cognitive science, neuroscience, and/or psychology will be preferred. 6. Compensation & Benefits - Salary: To be determined in accordance with the University of Tokyo Regulations - Commuter allowance: JPY55,000 per month at maximum - Social Insurance: Eligible for MEXT Mutual Aid Association membership, employees’ pension, employment insurance, and workers’ accident compensation insurance. - Vacation: Annual paid vacation, Sick leave (paid), Special vacation (paid) 7. Working Hours Discretionary labor system, based on 7 hours, 45 minutes per day, or 38 hours 45 minutes per week 8. Holidays Saturdays and Sundays; Statutory public holidays of Japan; Year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 through January 3); Summer holidays 9. Applications and Selection Process - Applications deadline: When the position is filled - Application documents: (a) Cover letter in English (b) Curriculum vita in English (c) Publication list (d) Name and contact address for two references, one of which should be a previous employer - Submission: Interested applicants should send application materials to: yukie(a)ircn.jp with a subject "Application for Project Researcher in Social Intelligence”. - Selection Process: All applications will be screened, and only those qualified will be scheduled for an interview. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- — Yukie Nagai, Ph.D. Project Professor, The University of Tokyo nagai.yukie(a)mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp | http://developmental-robotics.jp CREST Cognitive Mirroring: http://cognitive-mirroring.org

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International Brain Laboratory postdoc position at UCLA
by Hannah M Bayer July 20, 2020

July 20, 2020

The Churchland lab at UCLA has an opening for a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscience who will be part of the International Brain Laboratory (IBL). The IBL (https://www.internationalbrainlab.com/) is a large-scale international collaboration in brain research, which combines the efforts of approximately 50 scientists in 22 laboratories toward understanding the brain-wide basis of a complex behavior. Now in its third year, the IBL has already achieved standardization and replication of the mouse behavioral paradigm across labs and the effort to map the entire mouse brain at single neuron resolution is now underway. Postdocs in the IBL contribute to collecting datasets and building collaborative infrastructure in addition to developing and leading their own personal projects, which are accelerated and enhanced by taking advantage of the IBL experimental and computational tools and by mentoring from the other members of the collaboration. It is expected therefore that IBL postdocs will publish multiple impactful first-author papers in addition to being part of consortium-wide papers. For more information about the advantages of postdoctoral research at IBL, see www.internationalbrainlab.com/postdocs/. The ideal candidate for this position has experience in rodent physiology experiments and in data analysis (ideally using Python). They will have a record of rigorous and creative scientific work, and are excited about the possibility of joining a large, innovative collaboration at the forefront of modern neuroscience. The International Brain Laboratory is committed to opposing all forms of discrimination, raising awareness and tackling the causes and consequences of discrimination. We pledge to provide a learning and working environment in which the rights and dignity of all members are respected and which is free from discrimination, prejudice, intimidation and all forms of harassment including bullying; to making a diverse mix of talented people feel valued, motivated and enabled to do their best work; and to creating a safe, welcoming working environment accessible to all. We encourage individuals who will contribute to achieving these aims to apply. Please send CV and cover letter to Anne.Churchland(a)internationalbrainlab.org

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The Annual BiasWatchNeuro Award for Equity and Inclusivity
by Bias WatchNeuro July 20, 2020

July 20, 2020

We wanted to let you know of this new award, for a department/institute/program that is making special (and effective) efforts to ensure inclusivity and equity for trainees from minoritized and historically marginalized group. We hope you will circulate the below call for nomination among trainees in your department. Letters of nomination are due by end of August, for a September award date (in time for graduate recruiting season). Even if your department does not win this year, letters of nomination for the winning departments will be made public, so other departments can learn and copy their best practices. We are looking forward to a day where all neuroscientists feel welcome and supported in any university. The call for nominations is below, and also at https://biaswatchneuro.com/bwn-award/. > Call for nominations The Annual BiasWatchNeuro Award for Equity and Inclusivity > > Diverse voices and ideas deserve to be heard equitably in science. Since > 2015, BiasWatchNeuro has worked to increase the representation of women in > neuroscience and related fields, emphasizing in particular the > representation of women as invited speakers at conferences. However, women > are not the only group that is confronted with implicit biases and systemic > obstacles in science. Minoritized groups are severely underrepresented at > every level of the academic career path — from undergraduate education to > faculty. Attempts to diversify departments have increased, but the reality > is that many universities and institutions still embody and perpetuate both > the historical influence of being established by men of privilege, and the > persisting effects of systemic racism in our society. Even as more diverse > student bodies are recruited, the culture in many departments and > institutions is not welcoming to and supportive of those that belong to > minoritized groups. Intersectionality adds another layer of disadvantage, > with minoritized women being especially underrepresented and unsupported. > > It is time to change this reality and build a new one, in our departments > and institutions. Black scientists matter. Latinx scientists matter. > LGBTQAI+ scientists matter. First generation scientists matter. Low income > scientists matter. Intersectionality matters. > > BiasWatchNeuro is excited to announce a new Annual Award for Equity and > Inclusivity, awarded to a neuroscience or neuroscience-related department, > institute or program that demonstrates the exceptional creation of a > culture where individuals underrepresented and/or marginalized in STEM feel > integral to the community and thrive. > > We recognize that no department/institute/program is perfect. However, > some are doing much better than others, and should be recognized for this. > Nomination letters for winners and runner ups will be made public (without > the list of signatories, which will remain confidential), to showcase > successful methods for creating an inclusive and equitable culture, and to > provide prospective trainees at all levels with information that can inform > their decisions of where to apply to. We hope that this will help us all > improve our practices and move toward a day in which all neuroscientists > feel seen, respected, and supported. > > Nominations for the 2020 award will be accepted through *August 31, 2020*. Awards > will be announced in September. > > Letter of nomination signed by one or more trainees (current and/or > alumni; including post-bacc/RAs; faculty cannot nominate their current > program) should be sent to biaswatchneuro(a)gmail.com. Letters should > describe in detail specific actions and elements that promote inclusivity > and equity, and their impact on underrepresented/marginalized groups. More > than one letter and/or letters with multiple signatories will be viewed > favorably. > Sincerely, The BiasWatchNeuro team ----------------------------------------------------- Please feel free to send conferences and meetings our way by filling out this <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5ydak4RqHyrVU2BGc17T_SXsFiYB9j_Y…> form. For more information: www.biaswatchneuro.com

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Invitation for papers submission to In Silico Pharmacology
by boris gutkin July 20, 2020

July 20, 2020

On behalf of the In Silico Pharmacology (Springer) editorial board, we would like to invite papers at the interface between computational neuroscience, artificial intelligence, machine learning and neuropharmacology. In Silico Pharmacology provides a forum for peer-reviewed research articles at the cross-roads of computation, neuroscience, pharmacology and toxicology. It is anticipated that all computational and experimental approaches are represented within In Silico Pharmacology. The journal primarily publishes interdisciplinary papers that address computational approaches in multi-scale analysis of bioactive substances from the cellular up to behavioral level as well as drug-design. The journal especially encourages deterministic and stochastic modeling of biological (e.g., biochemical, biophysical and immunological) processes leading to therapeutic advancements, as well as mathematical methods characterizing the pharmacology of substances within the living organism. Papers investigating substance- or material-induced morphological and genetic alterations are also welcome. More information can be found at the journal website: https://www.springer.com/journal/40203/

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PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh
by CHADWICK Angus July 20, 2020

July 20, 2020

Applications are invited for a fully-funded 3 year PhD studentship in Computational Neuroscience with Dr. Angus Chadwick at the Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation in the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh. Applicants should hold, or be close to completion of, an undergraduate or masters degree in physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, or a related subject, and be interested in applying their analytical skills to tackle problems in neuroscience. Highly motivated students with other backgrounds may also apply. Research in our group focuses on the neural circuit computations underlying perceptual and cognitive function, with a focus on vision and spatial navigation. We use a combination of approaches, including 1) analysis and simulation of biological neural networks, 2) development of novel data analytic methods for large-scale neural recordings, and 3) normative models of neural circuit function informed by machine learning and artificial intelligence. Typical techniques used include dynamical systems theory, statistical physics, signal processing and machine learning. We collaborate closely with experimental neuroscience laboratories both in Edinburgh and further afield. A number of projects are available, and there is flexibility to develop a project to suit the interests and skills of the candidate. Edinburgh is a vibrant and international city with a large student population, and has been voted as “best place to live in Britain”. The School of Informatics hosts an internationally-leading research environment in Computational Neuroscience, Machine Learning and Robotics, with close links to the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. Applicants should email Dr. Angus Chadwick directly at angus.chadwick(a)ed.ac.uk with their CV and a brief statement of interest, or for informal enquiries and discussion. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. The start date for the position is flexible (with earliest possible start September 2020). The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

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