- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Final call for submissions: CogFeel Workshop at ALIFE 2023 (extended deadline: June 06)

by Jie Mei

*Apologies for cross-posting* We have decided to extend the submission deadline of the CogFeel Workshop from May 26 to June 06. Workshop information: Venue: ALIFE 2023, Sapporo, Japan Submission deadline: June 06 Notification of acceptance: June 13 Workshop date: July 25th, 2023 Title: Cognitive feelings: Towards multi-disciplinary approaches for realizing artificial systems with cognitive capacities Website: https://sites.google.com/view/cogfeel-alife-2023/ Workshop organizers: Jie Mei, International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo Hiroki Kojima, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry and The University of Tokyo Yuichi Yamashita, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry Yukie Nagai, International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo Summary: In recent years, an increasing number of cross-disciplinary approaches have been proposed to deepen our understanding of living systems and their interactive, evolutionary, and adaptive aspects. However, we have not fully achieved the emergence of intelligence and mind in artificial systems. To facilitate discussions on how cognitive capacities of artificial living systems could be improved and potentially propose a framework for exploring the origin, emergence and evolution of perception and emotions, we are organizing a workshop (CogFeel @ ALIFE 2023: https://sites.google.com/view/cogfeel-alife-2023) in conjunction with the 2023 Conference on Artificial Life (ALIFE 2023). We reinforce the role of cognitive feelings (i.e., feelings about one’s mental processes, encompassing senses of knowing, confidence, reality, and fluency, etc.) as an integrated component contributing to developmental individuality and diversity. We also recognize the difficulty in implementing (subjective) feelings in artificial systems which requires the differentiation whether these systems possess feelings or just behave as so. For a comprehensive perspective on how individual- and population-level diversity in cognitive and behavioral capacities emerges, in this workshop, we encourage discussions on methods and findings in disciplines including but not limited to: - Robotics, - Computational and behavioral neuroscience, - Psychology, - Virtual/augmented reality, and - Artificial intelligence, etc. We welcome submissions on topics within the fields of (neuro)robotics, computational and behavioral neuroscience, psychology, virtual/augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. We also encourage contributions from other relevant disciplines. Submissions should be in the form of extended abstracts (maximum 2 pages) or research articles (maximum 8 pages). We are planning to organize a special issue in partnership with a top academic journal where extended versions of selected contributions will be published. Please submit your contribution to cogfeelalife2023(a)gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you at the CogFeel Workshop!

June 2, 2023

PhD / PostDoc position (4 years, 100%) in "ML / DL in Neuroimaging for Psychiatric Research" at Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin

by Kerstin Ritter

Dear all, we offer a PhD / PostDoc position (4 years, 100%) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin (Berlin, Germany) in “Machine / Deep Learning in Neuroimaging for Psychiatric Research” in the framework of the TRR 265 "Losing and regaining control over drug intake". Please see the job advertisement below and forward to potential candidates. ____________________________________________________ Job opening: PhD / PostDoc Position (100%, 4 years) “Machine / Deep Learning in Neuroimaging for Psychiatric Research” We are seeking a highly motivated and talented individual to join our research team as a PhD student / Postdoc who would apply machine learning to substance addiction research. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop innovative and explainable machine/deep learning algorithms that can identify patterns and predictors of alcohol addiction and cannabis use disorder using structural brain MRI, Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMA), and psychometric questionnaires. A key aspect of this research will be accounting for confounding variables, such as age or comorbidities, to ensure robust and reliable results. This project is part of the TRR265 research consortium (https://www.trr265.org/en) The position will be in the lab of Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Kerstin Ritter (https://psychiatrie-psychotherapie.charite.de/en/research/translation_and_n…) Salary grade: TV-L E13 (100%) Starting date: August 01, 2023, for ~ 4 years Soft application deadline: June 25th, 2023 The position would remain open until filled. Qualifications: - Master’s degree with excellent grades in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Physics, Computational Neuroscience or a related field - Experience with data analysis, visualization, and developing machine learning algorithms - Strong programming skills in Python and PyTorch, and experience working with linux servers and GitHub - Some prior experience with publishing research papers and working independently on open research questions - Excellent written and oral communication skills Ideal additional qualifications: - Familiarity with developing explainable deep learning algorithms and benchmarking model performance - Prior experience with psychiatric research - Prior experience with neuroimaging - Familiarity with analyzing healthcare data such as ecological momentary assessments and psychometric questionnaires -Prior experience with publishing open-source research code To apply, please submit: CV with contact information of 2-3 references Short motivation letter (max 1 page) mentioning the skills you can bring to this project Master’s / PhD degree transcript (if available) Please send your application asap to Roshan Rane (roshan.rane(a)charite.de) and Kerstin Ritter (kerstin.ritter(a)charite.de) _____________________________________________ Looking forward to your applications! Thank you, best wishes, Kerstin (Ritter) _______________________________________________ Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Kerstin Ritter (née Hackmack) Juniorprofessor for Computational Neuroscience Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany kerstin.ritter(a)charite.de

June 1, 2023

Fw: New conference on subcortical sensory circuits, 2023, EMBL, Germany

by Maria Leite

[Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this Call for Participation] Dear colleagues, we invite you to participate in the Conference on Subcortical sensory circuits: visual, auditory, somatosensory, and beyond Date: November 28- December 1, 2023 Location: EMBL ATC, Heidelberg, Germany Conference website: https://www.embl.org/about/info/course-and-conference-office/events/ssc23-0… This conference will focus on different subcortical circuits involving various sensory modalities and revisit their increasingly complex and interconnected contributions to perception, behavior, and cognition. The meeting will take place at EMBL Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, and features many exciting speakers such as keynotes Karel Svoboda, Allen Institute, USA and Sabine Kastner, Princeton University, USA. Abstract Submission: Nearly half of the talks will be selected from the submitted abstracts. The submission can be made by visiting the conference website and the deadline is September 5. Registration: The registration for the conference is already open. Financial Support: Financial assistance in the form of fee waivers and travel grants is available.

May 30, 2023

Survey of user experiences in modeling

by Anton Arkhipov

Dear Colleagues, Our NIH BRAIN Initiative-sponsored project (1U24NS124001) is conducting an annual survey of the needs and experiences of users in neuroscience modeling. Would you be so kind to help us by filling out this brief survey? https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023NeuralModelingSoftware It will take only 5 minutes, and the results will help guide future development of software and documentation for the community. Whether you use our tools or not, an expert or novice in modeling, we’d love to hear from you! Thank you so much. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out by email. Best regards, Anton. Anton Arkhipov Investigator E: antona(a)alleninstitute.org<mailto:antona@alleninstitute.org> [Text Description automatically generated] alleninstitute.org<https://alleninstitute.org> brain-map.org

May 30, 2023

Postdoc positions in ML/Neuro at Tübingen University

by Jakob Macke

Dear colleagues, We have several openings for Postdoctoral Researchers to work at the intersection of Machine Learning and Computational Neuroscience funded by the ERC Consolidator Grant “DeepCoMechTome: Using deep learning to understand computations in neural circuits with Connectome-constrained Mechanistic Models“. The goal of DeepCoMechTome is to develop simulation-based machine learning tools that will make it possible to build neural network models that are both biologically realistic and computationally powerful. Some relevant prior work can be found in https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.11.532232v1. We are looking for candidates with a strong quantitative background and PhD in a relevant discipline, ideally in computational neuroscience, machine learning or numerical simulation, a genuine interest in collaborative work at the interface of machine learning and neuroscience, and strong programming skills (ideally Python and relevant deep learning frameworks). Our research group (https://www.mackelab.org <https://www.mackelab.org/>) develops methods in machine learning and artificial intelligence to accelerate scientific discovery, with a particular focus on neuroscience. We aim to provide an interdisciplinary, collaborative and supportive work environment which emphasizes diversity and inclusion. We are embedded in Tübingen’s internationally renowned research community in artificial intelligence and computational neuroscience, including the Cyber Valley Initiative, the Tübingen AI Center, the ELLIS initiative, the Excellence Cluster Machine Learning, the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, the Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health and dedicated MSc Programs in Machine Learning and Computational Neuroscience. We are situated in the AI Research Building, in close proximity to the Max Planck Institutes for Intelligent Systems and Biological Cybernetics, and participate in the two International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) `Intelligent Systems’ and`Mechanisms of Mental Function and Dysfunction’. The University of Tübingen is committed to equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion. In case of equal qualification and experience, physically challenged applicants are given preference. The University of Tübingen aims at increasing the share of women in science and highly encourages female scientists to apply. We also explicitly encourage scientists from outside Germany to apply. Please submit your application materials to mls-jobs(a)inf.uni-tuebingen.de <mailto:mls-jobs@inf.uni-tuebingen.de>, including a CV with publication list, a statement of research interests (max. two pages), contact details of two referees, and a link to a code repository (or work samples). Application deadline is June 20, 2023. Candidates are encouraged to send their application material early, as we will start reviewing applications before the deadline. Initial fixed-term contracts will be for 3 years at level E13 TV-L with possible extensions, starting date is flexible. Part-time positions are possible. Hiring is carried out by the Central Administration. For further details and instructions, see www.mackelab.org/jobs <http://www.mackelab.org/jobs>. Best, Jakob Macke Prof. Dr. Jakob Macke Machine Learning in Science; Cluster of Excellence "Machine Learning”, University of Tübingen Adjunct Senior Research Scientist, Department of Empirical Inference; Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Tübingen Director, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience www.mackelab.org <http://www.mackelab.org/>

May 26, 2023

Fully funded PhD Opportunity: Brain Dynamics and Motor Skill Learning in Surgery - deadline 8 June 2023

by aomurtag

An exciting PhD studentship position available in the Engineering department at Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom, for highly competitive candidates with excellent qualifications. Application deadline: 8th of June 2023. Project title: Brain Dynamics and Motor Skill Learning in Surgery The project involves the use of EEG and fNIRS recordings from task performing human subjects and Matlab programming and signal analysis in order to discover patterns related to cognitive load and motor skill. For more information: NTU link: https://lnkd.in/gfbiYQRM Find-a-phd link: https://lnkd.in/gQgPrUiE Application instructions: https://lnkd.in/grUFevV5

May 25, 2023

Call for Abstracts for the Bernstein Conference 2023 in Berlin - Contributed talks and posters

by Bernstein Communication

Call for Abstracts for the Bernstein Conference 2023 in Berlin - Contributed talks and posters +++ The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for Contributed Talks of the Bernstein Conference 2023 in Berlin. +++ ____ Each year the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renown conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries. www.bernstein-conference.de ____ IMPORTANT DATES * Bernstein Conference: September 26 - 29, 2023 * Deadline for submission of abstracts to be considered for Contributed Talks: June 21, 2023 * Deadline for poster abstract submission: July 19, 2023 ____ ABSTRACTS We invite the computational neuroscience community to submit their abstracts: Submitted abstracts can either be considered as contributed talks or posters. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Further information can be found here: https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/abstract-submission/<https://bit.ly/BC_submission> ____ INVITED SPEAKERS Keynote Marlene Cohen (University of Chicago, USA) Invited Talks Tiago Branco (Sainsburry Wellcome Center, UK) Stefano Fusi (Columbia University, USA) Ann Kennedy (Northwestern University, USA) Julija Krupic (University of Cambridge, UK) Wiktor Mlynarski (Institute of Science and Technology, Austria / LMU Munich, Germany) Adrien Peyrache (McGill University, Canada) Kanaka Rajan (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA) Christopher Summerfield (University of Oxford and Deepmind, UK) Julia Veit (Albert-Ludwigs-Univesität Freiburg, Germany) ____ CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Robert Gütig (Conference Chair) Tatjana Tchumatchenko (Program Chair) Srdjan Ostojic (Program Vice Chair) Anna Levina (Workshop Chair) Maria Eckstein (Workshop Vice Chair) & Athena Akrami, Ann Hermundstad, Mehrdad Jazayeri, Christian Leibold, Ashok Litwin-Kumar, Ida Momennejad, Nicole Rust, Andrew Saxe, Daniela Vallentin, Friedemann Zenke. ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de -- Dr. Dorthe Kaufhold Scientific Management and Coordination Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9a | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: +49 761 203-9589 mail: bernstein.communication(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:bernstein.communication@fz-juelich.de> web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> Twitter: BernsteinNeuro Mastodon: BernsteinNetwork(a)mastodon.world<mailto:BernsteinNetwork@mastodon.world> LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Stefan Müller Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Dr. Ir. Pieter Jansens, Prof. Dr. Astrid Lambrecht, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 25, 2023

PhD position - Model-predictive control of brain plasticity for optimal non-invasive brain stimulation

by Caroline Lea-Carnall

We are looking for a PhD student to come and work with us at the University of Manchester. Please get in touch via the link below if you are interested! About the Project Neuroplasticity is the mechanism that underpins the brain’s ability to learn or recover from traumatic events, but also its deterioration underlies several Neurodegenerative diseases and mental illnesses. It is an umbrella term that encompasses multiple processes occurring at different spatial and temporal scales (1, 2). The most commonly discussed type of plasticity is long-term potentiation (LTP) which is defined as an increase in efficacy between synapses of two neurons. Experiments designed to measure LTP are often done in cell slices or cultures using patch-clamp techniques. However, we often want to promote (and measure) plasticity in humans in-vivo but it is not clear how changes in synaptic efficacy manifest in macroscopic non-invasive imaging measurements such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), or electroencephalography (EEG) that are available for use in humans. This project aims to link our detailed cellular-level knowledge of plasticity processes with systems-level observations in humans and is focused on answering the following 2 questions: 1. How can we modulate plasticity non-invasively in the brain? 2. How can we measure plasticity in vivo? To answer these questions you will combine mathematical/computational modelling of biophysically realistic large-scale neural networks that exhibit plasticity with cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques to test the model predictions. The model will be adapted so that its output can be compared to the three major imaging techniques described above and you will determine how changes in connectivity between and within brain regions in the model predict changes in our imaging metrics. There will be a particular focus on developing an EEG marker of plasticity as this currently does not exist. Finally, you will test the model predictions in an imaging study combining brain stimulation, EEG, MRI and MRS in a proof-of-concept experiment in humans. This will provide us with a deeper understanding of how to modulate and measure plasticity that can be deployed in the future for medical applications of brain stimulation such as in Parkinson’s disease, depression and pain control. Link to project: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/epsrc-dtp-model-predictive-control-of…

May 25, 2023

PhD and postdoc positions to investigate the biophysical basis of neural computation with machine learning

by pedro goncalves

Dear all, Our lab was recently founded at the Neuro-Electronics Flanders (NERF), Belgium. We are currently exploring a range of exciting topics at the intersection between computational neuroscience and probabilistic machine learning. In this context, we are looking for a PhD and a postdoc interested in using computational tools to investigate how the complex biophysics of single neurons gives rise to the dynamics of neural populations. These projects will make use of our previously developed machine learning methods, and depending on the selected candidates' interests, can involve further method development. More details about the positions and the lab can be found at http://jobs.vib.be/j/57438 http://jobs.vib.be/j/57439 Best wishes, Pedro Gonçalves --------------- Pedro Gonçalves Principal Investigator at NERF, a joint research initiative by imec, VIB, and KU Leuven https://goncalveslab.sites.vib.be/en

May 24, 2023

Information theory workshop at CNS*2023 -- call for contributed talks

by Joseph Lizier

Dear all, We are pleased to announce that the Workshop on Methods of Information Theory in Computational Neuroscience<https://bit.ly/cns2023itw> will be held once again at the 32nd Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2023<http://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2023> conference), in Leipzig, Germany. The workshop will be held during sessions over the final two days of the main conference, July 18 and 19, 2023. Our confirmed speakers so far include the following: * Jürgen Jost, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig * Sarah Marzen, Claremont Colleges, USA * Demian Battaglia, University of Strasbourg * Marilyn Gatica, University of Nottingham * Pedro Mediano, Imperial College London * Nadine Spychala, Univeristy of Sussex * Andreas C. Schneider, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen * ... more TBA! We would like to <https://abzinger.github.io/202307-CNS2023-ITW.html#call> call for further contributions<https://bit.ly/cns2023itwcall> of talks. If you are interested in contributing a talk, please send a title and abstract to Abdullah Makkeh (abdullah.alimakkeh(a)uni-goettingen.de<mailto:abdullah.alimakkeh@uni-goettingen.de>). Earlier submissions and those from female/minority speakers will be prioritised. Please pay attention to the registration for CNS*2023 (deadlines and fees) as workshop registration at least is required for attendance, and see our website https://bit.ly/cns2023itw for more details. We hope you will join us there! Organising Committee: Abdullah Makkeh (co-chair) Michael Wibral (co-chair) Joseph Lizier Pedro Mediano

May 23, 2023