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Postdoc position, Computational neuroscience, Prague
by Lubomir Kostal 12 Jun '14

12 Jun '14

The Department of Computational Neuroscience, Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, invites applications for a one-year postdoctoral position (with a possibility of extension) to a motivated person working in the field of theoretical neuroscience. The department is well internationally established, with stable high-quality publication output, international collaborations and organizational activities. The research is theory-based, experimental data are obtained either within national or international collaborations. A computer cluster for numerically intensive calculations is available. See the group www at: http://comput.biomed.cas.cz/ Requirements: Priority will be given to applicants from EU countries with focus on information theory, estimation theory or stochastic point processes. Hosting conditions: - salary: 31.000,- CZK (1200 EUR) base pay. Alternatively, the possibility to apply for a Marie-Curie Fellowship is open - subsidized accommodation in the institutional campus (serviced apartments, approx. 4.000 CZK/month rental) - starting date: January 2015 How to apply: Interested applicants should email the following material to Lubomir Kostal (kostal(a)biomed.cas.cz) 1) CV with research experience, list of publications, scientific and technical skills 2) description of research interests and motivation for the position 3) names of 2 scientists who can supply a letter of recommendation Deadline for applications: October 31, 2014 For more information on the position contact: Lubomir Kostal Institute of Physiology AS CR Dept. of Computational Neuroscience Videnska 1083 142 20 Prague 4 Czech Republic E-mail: kostal(a)biomed.cas.cz www: http://www.biomed.cas.cz/~kostal/

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Cognitive Computation journal (Springer): Table of Contents, Vol.6, No.2 / June 2014 Issue
by Dr Amir Hussain 11 Jun '14

11 Jun '14

Dear Colleagues: (with advance apologies for any cross-postings) We are delighted to announce the publication of Volume 6, No.2 / June 2014 Issue, of Springer's Cognitive Computation journal - www.springer.com/12559 The individual list of published articles (Table of Contents) for this Issue can be viewed here (and also at the end of this message, followed by an overview of the previous Issues/Archive listings): http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/2/ You may also be interested in the journal's seminal Special Issue (Sep 2013 Issue): In Memory of John G Taylor: A Polymath Scholar, by Guest Editors: Vassilis Cutsuridis and Amir Hussain (the Guest Editorial is available here: http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs12559-013-9226-z.pdf and full listing of articles can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/3/page/1) A list of the journal's most downloaded articles (which can always be read for FREE) can be found here: http://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/journal/12559?hideChart=1#realt… Other 'Online First' published articles not yet in a print issue can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/121361/?Content+Status=Accepted All previous Volumes and Issues of the journal can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/volumesAndIssues/12559 ======================================================= NEW: ISI-SCI 5 year Impact Factor for Cognitive Computation: 1.137 ======================================================= As you will know, Cognitive Computation was selected for coverage in Thomson Reuter’s products and services in 2011. Beginning with V.1 (1) 2009, this publication is now indexed and abstracted in: ♦ Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch®) ♦ Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition ♦ Current Contents®/Engineering Computing and Technology ♦ Neuroscience Citation Index® Cognitive Computation also received its first Impact Factor of 1.0 (Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports® 2011) in 2011 0.867(Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports® 2011) in 2012 ============================================ Reminder: New Cognitive Computation "LinkedIn" Group: ============================================ To further strengthen the bonds amongst the interdisciplinary audience of Cognitive Computation, we have set-up a "Cognitive Computation LinkedIn group", which has over 700 members already! We warmly invite you to join us at: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3155048 For further information on the journal and to sign up for electronic "Table of Contents alerts" please visit the Cognitive Computation homepage: http://www.springer.com/12559 or follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/CognComput for the latest On-line First Issues. For any questions with regards to LinkedIn and/or Twitter, please contact Springer's Publishing Editor: Dr. Martijn Roelandse: martijn.roelandse(a)springer.com Finally, we would like to invite you to submit short or regular papers describing original research or timely review of important areas - our aim is to peer review all papers within approximately six-eight weeks of receipt. We also welcome relevant high quality proposals for Special Issues - four are already planned for 2014-15 (for CFPs, see: http://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/journal/12559?detailsPage=press ) With our very best wishes to all aspiring readers and authors of Cognitive Computation, Professor Amir Hussain, PhD (Editor-in-Chief: Cognitive Computation) E-mail: ahu(a)cs.stir.ac.uk (University of Stirling, Scotland, UK) Professor Igor Aleksander, PhD (Honorary Editor-in-Chief: Cognitive Computation) (Imperial College, London, UK) http://www.springer.com/12559 Also consider your work for related Book Series: SpringerBriefs on Cognitive Computation: http://www.springer.com/series/10374 NEW: Springer Series on Socio-Affective Computing: http://www.springer.com/series/13199 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents Alert -- Cognitive Computation Vol 6 No 2, June 2014 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Decoding Word Information from Spatiotemporal Activity of Sensory Neurons Kazuhisa Fujita , Yusuke Hara , Youichi Suzukawa & Yoshiki Kashimori http://bit.ly/UteVVm Yes and No: Match/Mismatch Function in Cognitive Robots Pentti O. A. Haikonen http://bit.ly/1oNarUn Shape Description and Recognition Method Inspired by the Primary Visual Cortex Hui Wei & Hu Li http://bit.ly/1oNay28 A Computational Model of Semantic Memory Categorization: Identification of a Concept’s Semantic Level from Feature Sharedness Ana Teresa Santos , J. Frederico Marques & Luís Correia http://bit.ly/1l0GTCH Displaying and Regulating Different Social Response Patterns: A Computational Agent Model Jan Treur http://bit.ly/1mH53xC Novel Two-Stage Audiovisual Speech Filtering in Noisy Environments Andrew Abel & Amir Hussain http://bit.ly/1oTN5KV Model-Based Human Gait Recognition Via Deterministic Learning Wei Zeng , Cong Wang & Yuanqing Li http://bit.ly/TJegOW A New Hand Image Database Simultaneously Acquired in Visible, Near-Infrared and Thermal Spectrums Marcos Faundez-Zanuy , Jiri Mekyska & Xavier Font-Aragonès http://bit.ly/1hOk0SE Classification of Music-Induced Emotions Based on Information Fusion of Forehead Biosignals and Electrocardiogram Mohsen Naji , Mohammd Firoozabadi & Parviz Azadfallah http://bit.ly/1oNbjrU A Meta-Cognitive Learning Algorithm for an Extreme Learning Machine Classifier R. Savitha , S. Suresh & H. J. Kim http://bit.ly/Syy8Tv Fast Face Recognition Via Sparse Coding and Extreme Learning Machine Bo He , Dongxun Xu , Rui Nian , Mark van Heeswijk , Qi Yu , Yoan Miche & Amaury Lendasse http://bit.ly/1n5CWtb --------------------------------------------------- Previous Issues/Archive: Overview: --------------------------------------------------- All previous Volumes and Issues can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/volumesAndIssues/12559 Alternatively, the full listing of the Inaugural Vol. 1, No. 1 / March 2009, can be viewed here (which included invited authoritative reviews by leading researchers in their areas - including keynote papers from London University's John Taylor, Igor Aleksander and Stanford University's James McClelland, and invited papers from Ron Sun, Pentti Haikonen, Geoff Underwood, Kevin Gurney, Claudius Gross, Anil Seth and Tom Ziemke): http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/1/ The full listing of Vol. 1, No. 2 / June 2009, can be viewed here (which included invited reviews and original research contributions from leading researchers, including Rodney Douglas, Giacomo Indiveri, Jurgen Schmidhuber, Thomas Wennekers, Pentti Kanerva and Friedemann Pulvermuller): http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/2/ The full listing of Vol.1, No. 3 / Sep 2009, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/3/ The full listing of Vol. 1, No. 4 / Dec 2009, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/4/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 1 / March 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/1/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 2 / June 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/2/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 3 / Aug 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/3/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 4 / Dec 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/4/ The full listing of Vol.3, No.1 / Mar 2011 (Special Issue on: Saliency, Attention, Active Visual Search and Picture Scanning, edited by John Taylor and Vassilis Cutsuridis), can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/1/ The Guest Editorial can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/hu2245056415633l/ The full listing of Vol.3, No.2 / June 2011 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/2/ The full listing of Vol. 3, No. 3 / Sep 2011 (Special Issue on: Cognitive Behavioural Systems, Guest Edited by: Anna Esposito, Alessandro Vinciarelli, Simon Haykin, Amir Hussain and Marcos Faundez-Zanuy), can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/3/ The Guest Editorial for the special issue can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/h4718567520t2h84/ The full listing of Vol. 3, No. 4 / Dec 2011 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/4/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.1 / Mar 2012 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/4/1/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.2 / June 2012 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/4/2/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.3 / Sep 2012 (Special Issue on: Computational Creativity, Intelligence and Autonomy, Edited by: J. Mark Bishop and Yasemin J. Erden) can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/4/3/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.4 / Dec 2012 (Special Issue titled: "Cognitive & Emotional Information Processing", Edited by: Stefano Squartini, Björn Schuller and Amir Hussain, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/4/4/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.1 / March 2013 Special Issue titled: Computational Intelligence and Applications Guest Editors: Zhigang Zeng & Haibo He, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/1/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.2 / June 2013 Special Issue titled: Advances on Brain Inspired Computing, Guest Editors: Stefano Squartini, Sanqing Hu & Qingshan Liu, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/2/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.3 / Sep 2013 Special Issue titled: In Memory of John G Taylor: A Polymath Scholar, Guest Editors: Vassilis Cutsuridis & Amir Hussain, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/3/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.4 / Dec 2013, which includes regular papers (including an invited paper by Professor Ron Sun, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA, titled: Moral Judgment, Human Motivation, and Neural Networks), and a Special Issue titled: Advanced Cognitive Systems Based on Nonlinear Analysis. Guest Editors: Carlos M. Travieso and Jesús B. Alonso, can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/4/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 6, No.1 / Mar 2014, can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/1/page/1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159. -- The University of Stirling has been ranked in the top 12 of UK universities for graduate employment*. 94% of our 2012 graduates were in work and/or further study within six months of graduation. *The Telegraph The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

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Graduate studies in comp.life.sci: comp.neuro, sys.bio, networks, appl.math, bioinf ... Jacobs University, Germany
by Jens Christian Claussen 11 Jun '14

11 Jun '14

Invitation for a NEW study program in Computational Life Science in Bremen, Germany Jacobs University Bremen, Germany, welcomes (late) applications (EU citizens or holders of visa for Germany or a EU country only) for the new graduate program (MSc and integrated PhD): http://www.jacobs-university.de/complife-graduate-program For best consideration, please do apply until June 15, latest mid-July, with the usual documents, and a letter/essay of motivation, and be prepared to select one research group for the first lab rotation, see the group pages: http://www.jacobs-university.de/comp-life-graduate-program/complife-groups with the research directions of the core faculty research areas: Computational Neuroscience Bioinformatics Medical Imaging Computational Systems Biology Theoretical Physics Ecological Modeling Mathematics Mathematical Modeling of Medical Processes If you already hold a Master of Science degree in a relevant discipline, and you apply for iPhD track only, please get also in touch with a group leader (in parallel to your application) as all PhD positions are funded within the groups. Applications for CompLife and for the current Computational Biology Branch of MoLife will be handled equivalently this year, so a double application is not necessary. The extended launch of the CompLife program will be for Fall 2015 - stay tuned! We offer reduced study fees for highly skilled applicants! In addition, there may be a small number of departmental stipends available (competitive, apply asap!). Jacobs University is a great international and renowned place for study and research. We warmly welcome applications from all countries (currently students are from 100+ countries)! Looking forward to your application! With best regards, Jens Christian Claussen -- PD Dr. Jens Christian Claussen j.claussen(a)jacobs-university.de Systems Biology Lab - Jacobs University Bremen +49-421-2003240 http://sysbio.jacobs-university.de/website/claussen http://jclaussen.user.jacobs-university.de/ http://webmail.inb.uni-luebeck.de/%7Eclaussen/ Networks, Physics, Socioeconomic Systems? http://www.dpg-physik.de/dpg/gliederung/fv/soe/index.html MSc in Computational Life Science? PhD in Systems Biology? Go here: http://www.jacobs-university.de/ses/complife

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PhD position, computational neuroimaging, Dresden/Germany
by Stefan Kiebel 11 Jun '14

11 Jun '14

Dear all, Please find attached an advert for a PhD position. The position is ideal for someone who would like to work at the interface between computational modelling and neuroimaging experiments. With best wishes, Stefan Kiebel --------- The Department of Psychology, Institute of General Psychology, Biopsychology and Methods of Psychology, Chair of Neuroimaging (Prof. Dr. Stefan Kiebel) invites applications for a Member of academic staff / PhD student (E 13 TV-L) with 50 % of the fulltime weekly hours. The position will start (ideally) on 01.10.2014. The PhD position is initially limited for 3 years. A contract extension for a fourth year is possible. The period of employment is governed by the Fixed Term Research Contracts Act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz - WissZeitVG). The main research goal is the development and experimental testing of novel computational models of decision making. The computational models typically employ Bayesian inference and experiments are performed using fMRI and EEG. The Chair of Neuroimaging has full access to all experimental facilities at the Neuroimaging Center at the TU Dresden. The Neuroimaging Center is equipped with a research-only MRI scanner (Siemens 3T TIM Trio), MRI-compatible EEG and eye tracking, and a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) unit. All experimental facilities are supported by experienced physics and IT staff. For computational work, the group has access to the TU Dresden high-performance computing clusters. The Chair of Neuroimaging will be newly established at the TU Dresden, and will move from the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig (http://www.cbs.mpg.de/depts/n-3/dyn/@@index.html) to Dresden. Tasks: The PhD student will work on a series of projects in the area of decision making using computational modelling of behavioural and neuroscientific data. Requirements: The candidate should have either (i) a university degree in psychology or cognitive neuroscience and a strong interest in computational modeling, or (ii) a university degree in mathematics, computational neuroscience, physics, or similar with a strong interest in performing neuroimaging experiments for testing computational models. The position is ideal for candidates interested in research at the interface between computational modeling and experimental neuroimaging. For questions or an informal discussion about this position please contact Prof. Stefan Kiebel (stefan.kiebel(a)tu-dresden.de) Applications from women are particularly welcome. The same applies to people with disabilities. Applicants should send their application documents (cover letter including a brief description of personal qualifications and future research interests, CV and contact details of two personal references) until 07.07.2014 (stamped arrival date of the university central mail service applies) - preferentially via e-mail as a single PDF-file - to julia.herdin(a)tudresden.de (Please note: We are currently not able to receive electronically signed and encrypted data.) or to TU Dresden, Fakultät Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften, Fachrichtung Psychologie, Institut für Allgemeine Psychologie, Biopsychologie und Methoden der Psychologie, Professur für Neuroimaging, Herrn Prof. Dr. Stefan Kiebel, 01062 Dresden. -- Stefan Kiebel, Ph.D. Professor of Neuroimaging Dept of Psychology Technical University Dresden, Germany Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany http://www.cbs.mpg.de/~kiebel

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Posdoc job opening in Computational/Systems Neuroscience
by Chen, Zhe 10 Jun '14

10 Jun '14

Postdoctoral Fellow in Systems/Computational Neuroscience New York University School of Medicine New York, NY Applications are now being accepted for a postdoctoral fellow position to combine computational and experimental techniques to study the neural mechanism of attention of thalamus-neocortical circuits using a healthy or diseased rodent model. The applicant will work closely with Dr. Zhe (Sage) Chen and Dr. Mike Halassa at the New York University School of Medicine, with cross-disciplinary training in computational and systems (experimental) neuroscience, including rodent behavior and electrophysiology. The applicant will have great opportunities to interact with a large and growing neuroscience community at the NYU campus, including the Neuroscience Institute (http://neuroscience.med.nyu.edu<http://neuroscience.med.nyu.edu/>), Center for Neural Science (http://www.cns.nyu.edu<http://www.cns.nyu.edu/>), Department of Neuroscience & Physiology (http://neuro-physio.med.nyu.edu<http://neuro-physio.med.nyu.edu/>), and Department of Psychiatry (http://psych.med.nyu.edu<http://psych.med.nyu.edu/>). This position is available from September 2014, and will be funded for two years and renewable. Applications must have a PhD degree in Neuroscience, Engineering (Biomedical or Electrical), Statistics, Physics, or a related discipline. The desired applicant is expected to be highly motivated and work independently as well as cooperatively with other colleagues in the research projects. Ability to learn new techniques and resolve new research challenges is essential. Previous training in some areas, such as neural data analysis, computational neuronal modeling, computer programming (MATLAB/Python/C), neural interfaces, optogenetics, in vivo neural recordings at the system levels, is preferred. Research experience with rodent neural circuits is a plus. To apply, please send an email along with (i) curriculum vitate; (ii) a cover letter describing research accomplishments and interests; (iii) the names and contact information of two to three references to: Dr. Zhe (Sage) Chen (zhe.chen3(a)nyumc.org<mailto:zhe.chen3@nyumc.org>) or Dr. Mike Halassa (michael.halassa(a)nyumc.org<mailto:michael.halassa@nyumc.org>) with a subject line “Postdoc application”. ------------------------------------------------------------ This email message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain information that is proprietary, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender by return email and delete the original message. Please note, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The organization accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. =================================

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Graduate studies in the neuroscience of spatial motion estimation and motor planning
by Andrea Green 10 Jun '14

10 Jun '14

Graduate studies in the neuroscience of spatial motion estimation and motor planning Département de Neurosciences, Université de Montréal Applications are invited for doctoral and postdoctoral studies in systems neuroscience in the laboratory of Dr. Andrea Green. The successful applicant will join a multidisciplinary research group studying how the brain integrates multisensory cues to create estimates of our spatial motion and how such estimates are used for perception and motor planning. Research in my laboratory involves computational models of the nervous system, behavioral and neural recording experiments in non-human primates as well as human behavioral studies. Depending on the applicant's qualifications and interests, they will help to design and conduct behavioral and/or neurophysiological experiments, analyze data, develop theoretical models of neural systems, prepare manuscripts for publication, and participate in international conferences. While students with a strong background in biological sciences, engineering, mathematics, or computer science, are particularly encouraged to apply, all motivated students with an interest in understanding the brain will be considered. The successful applicant will receive a competitive salary in accordance with university guidelines. For further information, please contact Dr. Andrea Green (andrea.green(a)umontreal.ca) Applicants are asked to submit a curriculum vita, a transcript of previous studies, and the contact information for two references to: Dr. Andrea Green andrea.green(a)umontreal.ca Tel: 514-343-6111 x3301 Département de Neurosciences, Université de Montréal C.P 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, CANADA Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.

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Reminder: Valentino Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience - Call for Nominations
by Kerstin Schwarzwälder 10 Jun '14

10 Jun '14

Dear Colleagues, Please let me remind you that the Bernstein Association for Computational Neuroscience <http://www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-association> invites nominations for the *Valentino Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience.* The award is biannually presented by the Bernstein Association to a scientist in recognition of outstanding research that contributes to our understanding of the functioning of the brain. The major criterion for the award is the impact or potential impact of the recipient's research on the field of brain science. In the spirit of Valentino Braitenberg's research, special emphasis is given to theoretical studies elucidating the functional implications of brain structures and their neuronal network dynamics. The crucial work should preferentially have been carried out in a European institution. The awardee receives a €5.000 prize donated by the Autonome Provinz Bozen Südtirol as well as complimentary participation (registration, travel, and hotel accomodation) in the Bernstein Conference 2014. Here, the prize is awarded together with a Golden Neuron pin badge in a special ceremony that includes the Valentino Braitenberg lecture given by the awardee. Nominations may be submitted by scientists working in the field of Computational Neuroscience and should include the following documents: * One-page laudation, in which the scientific work of the candidate is honored with regard to the award's criteria * CV and list of publications *Deadline for nominations is June 16, 2014* by e-mail to info(a)bcos.uni-freiburg.de The call for nominations can be found under the following URL: www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-association/valentino-braitenberg-award-for-comput… For inquiries please contact info(a)bcos.uni-freiburg.de Best regards, Kerstin Schwarzwälder -- Dr. Kerstin Schwarzwälder Bernstein Coordination Site of the National Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg Hansastr. 9A 79104 Freiburg Germany phone: +49 761 203 9594 fax: +49 761 203 9585 schwarzwaelder(a)bcos.uni-freiburg.de www.nncn.de Twitter: NNCN_Germany <http://twitter.com/NNCN_Germany> YouTube: Bernstein TV <http://www.youtube.com/user/BernsteinNetwork> Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany <https://www.facebook.com/BernsteinNetwork> LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany <http://www.linkedin.com/company/bernstein-network-computational-neuroscienc…>

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Integrative Brain Function Workshop: Multi-modal approaches to understand brain functions
by Joseph Lizier 10 Jun '14

10 Jun '14

Dear All, Please find below details of the Integrative Brain Function Workshop: Multi-modal approaches to understand brain functions, to be held in Melbourne on Monday 30 June. Integrative Brain Function Workshop Multi-modal approaches to understand brain functions The goal of this workshop is to offer an opportunity for neuroscientists with various backgrounds to interact and exchange ideas. Specifically, we encourage participation of neuroscientists who are interested in understanding the neural systems at the perceptual and behavioural level and who try to combine multiple methodologies, such as electrophysiology, imaging, advanced signal processing and computational modelling. Date: Monday June 30, 2014. (from 9am) Deadline for abstracts: June 9 Location: Monash Biomedical Imaging facility, 770 Blackburn Rd, Clayton VIC, Australia. Keynote speaker: David Leopold from NIH/NIMH, USA Cortical circuits underlying social visual perception in the primate brain Speakers: Elizabeth Zavitz (Monash University) Population coding of motion direction in marmoset area MT is rapid and sustained Alex Fornito (Monash University) Mapping the context-dependent organization of large-scale brain networks with fMRI Farshad Mansouri (Monash University) The role frontal pole cortex (area 10) in cognitive flexibility and executive control Ben Fulcher (Monash University) Highly comparative time-series analysis for neuroscience Stefan Bode (University of Melbourne) The application of multivariate pattern classification analysis to fMRI and EEG data Spencer Chen (University of Sydney) Population correlations and spatial discrimination in area MT Dean Freestone (University of Melbourne) Estimation of Functional Dynamics using Data-Driven Mesoscopic Nerual Modeling Rory Townsend (University of Sydney) Detecting spatiotemporal dynamics in primate neural oscillations Joseph Lizier (CSIRO, Sydney) Local active information storage in distributed cortical information processing Steven Petrou (the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health) Revealing pathological mechanisms in genetic epilepsy Enquiries please contact Nao Tsuchiya Click here to Register http://www.med.monash.edu.au/psych/research/activities/seminars.html -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nao (Naotsugu) Tsuchiya, Ph.D. 1. Associate Professor School of Psychological Sciences Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University 2. ARC Future Fellow homepage: http://users.monash.edu.au/~naotsugt/Tsuchiya_Labs_Homepage/Main.html

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Method development for coupled EEG-fMRI (2x full EPSRC PhD studentships)
by Etienne B. Roesch 07 Jun '14

07 Jun '14

Method development for coupled EEG-fMRI (2x full EPSRC PhD studentships) The goal of the project is to develop novel methods for the joint analysis of signals from electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), when they are obtained concurrently. Technological advances of the last 10 years make it possible for scientists to record both modalities concurrently, in what is now known as coupled EEG-fMRI. By simultaneously recording these two modalities, scientists can potentially say where and when neural activity is occurring, whereas previously researchers had to settle for one or the other. This engineering feat, however, has not yet been met with the ability to make use of the combination of these signals to infer more knowledge than would otherwise be gathered in separate experiments. Filling this gap is the ambition of the present project. This is a method project, which requires skills and knowledge in neuroscience, applied mathematics/statistics/physics and programming. Candidates who have a strong background in at least two of these three fields are encouraged to apply, if they are enthusiastic about the third. Two full studentships are available, and we expect to appoint one candidate who is stronger in empirical work and a second who is stronger in analytics. Candidates are expected to have had some prior exposure to at least one of the two modalities, but will receive training in both. The two students will be supervised by Dr. Etienne Roesch and receive support from Dr. Michael Lindner and Prof. Tom Johnstone, with R&D support from Brain Products, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of MRI-compatible EEG systems. The group led by Dr. Roesch fosters interdisciplinary thinking, and students will have the opportunity to engage in ongoing empirical and modelling work related to perception and action. The Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN) is host to a research-dedicated 3T Siemens TRIO, with a full license for sequence development, and a full suite of MR-compatible systems. Additionally, the students will be granted access to the cluster of NVIDIA Tesla GPUs and other facilities at CINN, as well as at the Brain Embodiments Laboratory, in the School of Systems Engineering. The University of Reading is ranked as one of the UK’s 20 most research-intensive universities and as one of the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education 2013). Our campus was voted first in the Times Higher Education Student Experience survey and has a Green Flag Award. It is situated 25 minutes West of London. Reading University Students’ Union was voted the 6th best in the UK (National Student Survey 2012). Essentials: Commitment to academic research and personal development; Ability to work collaboratively; Effective interpersonal and communication skills, including writing to a high standard, document preparation for technical notes and journal papers; Experience of work in interdisciplinary settings; Attention to details. Desirables: Self-guided work in developing statistical designs and approaches in research; Creative approach to problem solving; Ability to work independently; Experience in giving presentations and conveying complex ideas clearly. Eligibility: Applicants should hold a minimum of a UK Honours Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in a relevant subject. Please note that due to restrictions on the funding this studentship is for UK/EU applicants only. Funding Details: Studentship will cover Home/EU Fees, pay the Research Council minimum stipend (£13,863 in 2014/15) for up to 3 years and include funding for international conferences. How to apply: To apply for this studentship please submit an application for a PhD in Cybernetics (full time) to the University – see http://www.reading.ac.uk/Study/apply/pg-applicationform.aspx . In the section ‘Research proposal’, please upload or copy-paste your covering letter. When prompted as part of your online application, you should provide details of the funding you are applying for, quoting the reference GS14-68. Once you have submitted your application, you should receive an email to confirm receipt of your online application. Please forward this email, along with your covering letter and CV (as pdf), to Dr. Etienne B. Roesch, e.b.roesch(a)reading.ac.uk, by the application deadline. Application Deadline: Monday 14th July 2014 (interviews in August) Further Enquiries: Please contact Dr. Etienne B. Roesch, e.b.roesch(a)reading.ac.uk. ––– Dr. Etienne B. Roesch Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Cognitive Science University of Reading, UK http://doodle.com/MeetWithEtienne Too brief of an email? Here's why! http://emailcharter.org

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an emerging neural theory of grid and place cell development: and navigation: modules, spiking dynamics, cholinergic inactivation, oscillations, and attention
by Stephen Grossberg 06 Jun '14

06 Jun '14

The following articles summarize an emerging neural theory of how grid and place cells develop neurophysiological properties that support navigational behaviors, including properties of modular organization, spiking dynamics, effects of cholinergic inactivation, oscillations, and attention. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Grossberg, S., and Pilly, P. K. (2014). Coordinated learning of grid cell and place cell spatial and temporal properties: multiple scales, attention, and oscillations. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B., 369, 20120524, http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/369/1635/20120524.full.pdf+h… Abstract. A neural model proposes how entorhinal grid cells and hippocampal place cells may develop as spatial categories in a hierarchy of self-organizing maps. The model responds to realistic rat navigational trajectories by learning both grid cells with hexagonal grid firing fields of multiple spatial scales, and place cells with one or more firing fields, that match neurophysiological data about their development in juvenile rats. Both grid and place cells can develop by detecting, learning, and remembering the most frequent and energetic co-occurrences of their inputs. The model’s parsimonious properties include: Similar ring attractor mechanisms process linear and angular path integration inputs that drive map learning; the same self-organizing map mechanisms can learn grid cell and place cell receptive fields; and the learning of the dorsoventral organization of multiple spatial scale modules through medial entorhinal cortex to hippocampus may use mechanisms homologous to those for temporal learning through lateral entorhinal cortex to hippocampus (“neural relativity”). The model clarifies how top-down hippocampus-to-entorhinal attentional mechanisms may stabilize map learning, simulates how hippocampal inactivation may disrupt grid cells, and explains data about theta, beta, and gamma oscillations. The article also compares the three main types of grid cell models in light of recent data. **************************************************************************************************************** Pilly, P.K., and Grossberg, S. (2013). Spiking neurons in a hierarchical self-organizing map model can learn to develop spatial and temporal properties of entorhinal grid cells and hippocampal place cells. PLOS ONE, http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0060599 Abstract. Medial entorhinal grid cells and hippocampal place cells provide neural correlates of spatial representation in the brain. A place cell typically fires whenever an animal is present in one or more spatial regions, or places, of an environment. A grid cell typically fires in multiple spatial regions that form a regular hexagonal grid structure extending throughout the environment. Different grid and place cells prefer spatially offset regions, with their firing fields increasing in size along the dorsoventral axes of the medial entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. The spacing between neighboring fields for a grid cell also increases along the dorsoventral axis. This article presents a neural model whose spiking neurons operate in a hierarchy of self-organizing maps, each obeying the same laws. This spiking GridPlaceMap model simulates how grid cells and place cells may develop. It responds to realistic rat navigational trajectories by learning grid cells with hexagonal grid firing fields of multiple spatial scales and place cells with one or more firing fields that match neurophysiological data about these cells and their development in juvenile rats. The place cells represent much larger spaces than the grid cells, which enable them to support navigational behaviors. Both self-organizing maps amplify and learn to categorize the most frequent and energetic co-occurrences of their inputs. The current results build upon a previous rate-based model of grid and place cell learning, and thus illustrate a general method for converting rate-based adaptive neural models, without the loss of any of their analog properties, into models whose cells obey spiking dynamics. New properties of the spiking GridPlaceMap model include the appearance of theta band modulation. The spiking model also opens a path for implementation in brain-emulating nanochips comprised of networks of noisy spiking neurons with multiple-level adaptive weights for controlling autonomous adaptive robots capable of spatial navigation. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Pilly, P.K., and Grossberg, S. (2014) How does the modular organization of entorhinal grid cells develop? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.0037, http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00337/full Abstract. The entorhinal-hippocampal system plays a crucial role in spatial cognition and navigation. Since the discovery of grid cells in layer II of medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), several types of models have been proposed to explain their development and operation; namely, continuous attractor network models, oscillatory interference models, and self-organizing map (SOM) models. Recent experiments revealing the in vivo intracellular signatures of grid cells (Domnisoru et al., 2013; Schmidt-Heiber and Hausser, 2013), the primarily inhibitory recurrent connectivity of grid cells (Couey et al., 2013; Pastoll et al., 2013), and the topographic organization of grid cells within anatomically overlapping modules of multiple spatial scales along the dorsoventral axis of MEC (Stensola et al., 2012) provide strong constraints and challenges to existing grid cell models. This article provides a computational explanation for how MEC cells can emerge through learning with grid cell properties in modular structures. Within this SOM model, grid cells with different rates of temporal integration learn modular properties with different spatial scales. Model grid cells learn in response to inputs from multiple scales of directionally-selective stripe cells (Krupic et al., 2012; Mhatre et al., 2012) that perform path integration of the linear velocities that are experienced during navigation. Slower rates of grid cell temporal integration support learned associations with stripe cells of larger scales. The explanatory and predictive capabilities of the three types of grid cell models are comparatively analyzed in light of recent data to illustrate how the SOM model overcomes problems that other types of models have not yet handled. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************** Pilly, P.K., and Grossberg, S. (2013). How reduction of theta rhythm by medial septum inactivation may covary with disruption of entorhinal grid cell responses due to reduced cholinergic transmission. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, doi: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00173, http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fncir.2013.00173/full?utm_source… Abstract. Oscillations in the coordinated firing of brain neurons have been proposed to play important roles in perception, cognition, attention, learning, navigation, and sensory-motor control. The network theta rhythm has been associated with properties of spatial navigation, as has the firing of entorhinal grid cells and hippocampal place cells. Two recent studies reduced the theta rhythm by inactivating the medial septum (MS) and demonstrated a correlated reduction in the characteristic hexagonal spatial firing patterns of grid cells. These results, along with properties of intrinsic membrane potential oscillations (MPOs) in slice preparations of medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), have been interpreted to support oscillatory interference models of grid cell firing. The current article shows that an alternative self-organizing map (SOM) model of grid cells can explain these data about intrinsic and network oscillations without invoking oscillatory interference. In particular, the adverse effects of MS inactivation on grid cells can be understood in terms of how the concomitant reduction in cholinergic inputs may increase the conductances of leak potassium (K+) and slow and medium after-hyperpolarization (sAHP and mAHP) channels. This alternative model can also explain data that are problematic for oscillatory interference models, including how knockout of the HCN1 gene in mice, which flattens the dorsoventral gradient in MPO frequency and resonance frequency, does not affect the development of the grid cell dorsoventral gradient of spatial scales, and how hexagonal grid firing fields in bats can occur even in the absence of theta band modulation. These results demonstrate how models of grid cell self-organization can provide new insights into the relationship between brain learning and oscillatory dynamics. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Stephen Grossberg Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems Professor of Mathematics, Psychology, and Biomedical Engineering Director, Center for Adaptive Systems http://cns.bu.edu/~steve steve(a)bu.edu

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