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CFP Special Session on "Neurocomputation and Cognition" WCCI-IJCNN 2020

by Alex Frid

*Special Session on "Neurocomputation and Cognition"* 2020 IEEE International Joint Conference on Neural Networks - World Congress on Computational Intelligence (IJCNN-WCCI) July 19-24 2020, Glasgow, UK *Important Dates:* Paper submission: 15 January 2020 Notification of acceptance: 15 March 2020 *Aims and Scope:* The field of neurocomputation is concerned with the possibility of computation in computers by following the paradigm and analysis of computation that occurs in neurons and the brain. In recent years this has resulted in breakthroughs in pattern recognition, machine learning theory, clustering, associative memory and fault tolerant computation. Consequently, the precision resulting from the computational and mathematical viewpoint has led to insights helping to clarify aspects of one of the ultimate human research endeavors: understanding the manner in which human thought emerges from the organization of the human brain. A session on this topic was presented in Rio de Janeiro IJCNN 2018 and was very successful. Extended papers developed from this session have been submitted to a special issue of the veteran journal Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence and this issue is scheduled to appear early in 2020. We will again look into the possibility of another special issue with an established veteran journal. *Topics:* The special session invites submissions in any of the following (and related) areas: - Neurocomputation techniques as related to human cognitive issues - Neurocomputational Models of Embodied Natural Language Processing - Understanding brain information processing underlying real-world tasks. - Validation of cognitive models using machine learning methods - Computational Biomarkers for Diseases - Computational Biomarkers for Cognitive Activity - Neurocomputational and Architectural Models of Creativity - Use of Neurocomputation and Machine Learning Tools to identify Physiological Features - Biologically Inspired Neural Computing - Analysis of Time Dependent Information in cognition *Submission:* https://ieee-cis.org/conferences/ijcnn2020/upload.php Under "Main research topic*" select “S51. Neurocomputation and Cognition” *More details at:* https://neurocomputation.wordpress.com/2020-ieee-wcci-special-session/ *Organizers:* Prof. Larry M. Manevitz – Director Neuro-computation Laboratory <https://neurocomputation.wordpress.com/>, Caesarea Rothschild Institute and Department of Computer Science, U. Haifa, Haifa, Israel and Department of Computer Science, Ariel University, Israel (corresponding organizer) manevitz(a)cs.haifa.ac.il Dr. Alex Frid – Laboratory of Clinical Neurophysiology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, The Technion (Israel Institute of Technology), Haifa, Israel, alex.frid(a)gmail.com Dr. Hananel Hazan – Levin Lab, Department of Biology <https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/levin/>, Tufts University, Boston, USA, hananel(a)hazan.org.il, personal site <https://hananel.hazan.org.il/> Prof. Bernardete Ribeiro – Department of Computer Science, Coimbra University, Coimbra, Portugal, bribeiro(a)dei.uc.pt, personal site <https://eden.dei.uc.pt/~bribeiro/pagina/>

Jan. 5, 2020

Open PhD and PostDoc positions in Spiking Neural Network Learning

by Robert Legenstein

The Lab of Robert Legenstein at TU Graz is offering funded PhD and PostDoc positions in the area Deep Learning in Spiking Neural Networks for Neuromorphic and Memristive Hardware. A background in Deep Learning, Computer Science, or Mathematics is desirable, as well as evidence for excellent prior performance as a student. Successful candidates will work on learning algorithms for spiking neural networks in the interdisciplinary consortium of one of two projects: a) SYNCH (EU): We collaborate with Hardware experts who will implement the developed algorithms in cooperation with our team in a spiking neural network chip. The chip will be applied to various tasks within a brain-silicon hybrid system such as the classification of recorded brain network states. (see https://synch.eucoord2020.com/ for a description) b) SMALL (Chist-Era) We will develop learning algorithms for spiking neural networks and collaborate with experts for neuromorphic and memristive hardware with the goal to implement proof-of-concept ultra-low-power machine learning solutions. (see https://www.tugraz.at/institute/igi/people/prof-legenstein/projects/ for a brief description). Please send your application including a CV, any prior thesis and/or work by 31. Jan 2020 to robert.legenstein(a)igi.tugraz.at Dr. Robert Legenstein Institute Head Institute of Theoretical Computer Science Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 16b/I, 8010 Graz, Austria http://www.igi.tugraz.at/legi/ Follow @CompLegenstein on Twitter. ++43/316/873-5824 ----------------------------------

Jan. 5, 2020

Postdoctoral Swartz Fellowship Positions in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at Yale University

by Murray, John

*** APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JANUARY 15, 2020. *** Postdoctoral Swartz Fellowship Positions in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at Yale University The Swartz Center in Theoretical Neurobiology at Yale University invites applications for up to two postdoctoral positions in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience, with flexible start date in 2020. Competitive candidates include those with a strong quantitative background who wish to gain neuroscience research experience. We especially encourage candidates with an interest in collaborating directly with experimental neuroscientists. The candidates will be expected to perform theoretical/computational studies relevant to one or more laboratories of the Swartz Center at Yale (for a list of affiliated faculty, see: https://medicine.yale.edu/neuroscience/swartz/corelabs.aspx) and will be encouraged to participate in an expanding quantitative biology environment. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree by the time of beginning the fellowship. Please send a Curriculum Vitae, selected reprints, contact information for three references, and a statement of research interests including the laboratories of interest at Yale. All application materials should be sent electronically to the following e-mail address: john.murray(a)yale.edu<mailto:john.murray@yale.edu> Applications will be reviewed as they are received, but priority will be given to those received on or before January 15th, 2020. For any questions, please contact John Murray<mailto:john.murray@yale.edu?subject=Swartz%20fellowship>. Yale University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Yale values diversity in its faculty, students, and staff and especially welcomes applications from women and underrepresented minorities. John D. Murray ----------------------------------------------- Assistant Professor Department of Psychiatry Yale University School of Medicine murraylab.yale.edu<http://murraylab.yale.edu/> -----------------------------------------------

Jan. 4, 2020

Postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience at Emory

by Prinz, Astrid A

Postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience Prinz lab, Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to model sympathetic neurons and circuits and their plasticity and homeostasis in the context of spinal cord injury. The position is part of an NIH-funded, collaborative research project with the Hochman lab at Emory’s Department of Physiology. The Prinz lab is embedded in a highly interactive research environment of multiple computational and experimental neuroscience labs in the Department of Biology, at Emory University, and in the wider Atlanta area neuroscience community. The ideal candidate has a strong background in neuroscience and computer modeling. Experience with electrophysiology is desirable, although not required. The position is available immediately. Further information on the lab is located at http://www.biology.emory.edu/research/Prinz/index.html. To apply, please submit a CV, description of research interests, and contact information for two references to astrid.prinz(a)emory.edu<mailto:astrid.prinz@emory.edu> . Pre-application inquiries are also accepted at the same address. ________________________________ This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender by reply e-mail message and destroy all copies of the original message (including attachments).

Jan. 3, 2020

CfP 29th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks ICANN 2020, Sept 15-18, Bratislava, SK

by Paolo Masulli ENNS

29th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks ICANN 2020 https://e-nns.org/icann2020 *Bratislava, Slovakia** **15 - 18 September 2020* ============================================================ The International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN) is the annual flagship conference of the European Neural Network Society (ENNS). In 2020 the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics (FMPI), Comenius University in Bratislava, together with the Slovak Society for Cognitive Science, organize the 29th ICANN Conference from the 15th to the 18th of September 2020 in Bratislava, Slovakia. *CONFERENCE TOPICS* ICANN 2020 is a dual-track conference featuring tracks in Brain Inspired Computing and Machine Learning and Artificial Neural Networks, with strong cross-disciplinary interactions and applications. All research fields dealing with Neural Networks will be present at the conference. A non-exhaustive list of topics includes: Machine Learning: Deep Learning, Neural Network Theory, Neural Network Models, Graphical Models, Bayesian Networks, Kernel Methods, Generative Models, Information Theoretic Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Relational Learning, Dynamical Models, Recurrent Networks. Brain Inspired Computing: Cognitive models, Computational Neuroscience, Self-organisation, Reinforcement Learning, Neural Control and Planning, Hybrid Neural-Symbolic Architectures, Neural Dynamics. Neural Applications for: Bioinformatics, Biomedicine, Intelligent Robotics, Neurorobotics, Language Processing, Image Processing, Sensor Fusion, Pattern Recognition, Data Mining, Neural Agents, Brain-Computer Interaction, Neural Hardware, Evolutionary Neural Networks. *CALL FOR CONTRIBUTED SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS* All scientific communications presented at ICANN 2020 will be reviewed and scientifically evaluated by a panel of experts. The conference will feature two categories of communications: - oral communications (15'+5') - poster communications Call for Special Sessions: ICANN2020 organizers cordially invite internationally recognised experts to organise Special sessions and workshops within the general scope of the conference. Special Session Proposal request should be sent to icann2020(a)fmph.uniba.sk Call for Papers: Authors willing to present original contributions in either oral or poster category may submit: - A full paper of about 10-12 pages to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series with individual DOI. - An extended abstract of suggested 4 pages to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series, without indexing. The number of oral slots is limited. In case the number of requested oral presentations is larger than the available slots the ICANN scientific committee will select which papers will be reassigned to a poster session. This selection will be based on the coherence of the programme and is totally independent of the category of submission. Submission of communications will be online. More details will be made available soon on the conference website: https://e-nns.org/icann2020/ *IMPORTANT DATES* Deadline for special sessions submission: 1 February 2020 Opening of contribution submissions: 1 February 2020 *Deadline for full papers and extended abstracts submission: 15 March 2020* Notification of acceptance: 1 May 2020 Camera-ready paper upload and registration opening: 1 June 2020 Deadline for early registration at discount rate: 15 June 2020 Conference dates: 15-18 September 2020 *BEST PAPER AWARDS* ENNS will sponsor a maximum of four best paper awards, two in the Brain Inspired Computing track (one poster and one oral communication) and, analogously, two in the Machine Learning Research track. All awards will be presented during the final ceremony. *TRAVEL GRANTS* The European Neural Network Society sponsors a number of Student Travel Grants covering part of the costs for attending ICANN. Details will be provided on the conference website. *ORGANISATION* General Chairs: Igor Farkaš (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Ľubica Beňušková (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Organising Committee Chairs: Juraj Bánovský (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia), Alessandra Lintas (ENNS Lausanne, Switzerland) Honorary Chairs: Stefan Wermter, University in Hamburg, Germany (ENNS President) Věra Kůrková, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia (past ENNS President) Publicity Chair: Kristína Malinovská (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Communication Chair: Paolo Masulli (Technical University of Denmark, ENNS) -- Paolo Masulli ENNS

Jan. 3, 2020

[CFP] Call for Abstracts: Symposium on Advances in Neural Modelling of Multisensory Integration at the 20th International Multisensory Research Forum (IMRF) in Ulm, Germany, June 22-25, 2020

by Danish Shaikh

Dear colleagues, Happy New Year to you all! I am planning to organise a symposium on "Advances in Neural Modelling of Multisensory Integration" at the 20th International Multisensory Research Forum (https://cops.ifp.uni-ulm.de/imrf2020/index.php) hosted by Ulm University in Germany, June 22-25, 2020. The goal of this symposium to bring together researchers working on neural models of multisensory integration (MSI) via mathematical/computational/machine learning/AI approaches to present their work and to discuss promising future directions and applications. In this regard, I would like to request potential contributors to contact me at danish(a)mmmi.sdu.dk<mailto:danish@mmmi.sdu.dk> with a title and abstract (max. 250 words), latest by 19 January 2020. The symposium will allow for the presentation of abstracts as a 15-minute oral presentation with additional time for Q&A. Potential topics for abstract submissions to the symposium include (but are not limited to): * Mathematical/computational/machine learning/connectionist/AI approaches to modelling MSI * Single-neuron and/or network models of neural mechanisms underlying multisensory binding, cue combination, multisensory effects and developmental MSI * Neural plasticity, learning and memory models for MSI * Applications of MSI models IMPORTANT DATES: Title and abstract submission deadline: 19 January 2020 (Anywhere on Earth time - https://time.is/Anywhere_on_Earth) Notification of acceptance: TBA IMRF 2020 conference dates: 22-25 June 2020 IMRF 2020 VENUE: "Donauhalle" next to the Danube river in beautiful Ulm, Germany SYMPOSIUM ORGANISERS: Danish Shaikh, University of Southern Denmark (danish(a)mmmi.sdu.dk<mailto:danish@mmmi.sdu.dk>) Best regards Danish Shaikh Assistant Professor SDU Bioinspired Robotics, The Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute T +45 65 50 95 26 <tel:+4565509526> danish(a)mmmi.sdu.dk <mailto:danish@mmmi.sdu.dk> University of Southern Denmark Campusvej 55 DK-5230 Odense M www.sdu.dk <http://www.sdu.dk> [http://cdn.sdu.dk/img/sdulogos/SDU_BLACK_signatur.png]

Jan. 3, 2020

Job Opening: Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor (Computer Science) at Hong Kong Baptist University

by COMP HKBU

The Department of Computer Science at Hong Kong Baptist University, presently offers BSc, MSc, MPhil, and PhD programmes, is now seeking outstanding applicants for the following faculty positions on tenure-track. *Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor (Computer Science) (PR0311/18-19) * The appointees will perform high-impact research; to teach and manage programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as to contribute to professional and institutional services. Collaboration with other faculty members in research and teaching is also expected. They will be encouraged to collaborate with colleagues within the Department to contribute to two special thematic applications including (a) health informatics and (b) secure and privacy-aware computing, and/or outside the Department to contribute to interdisciplinary research projects under our University’s Research Cluster on Data Analytics and A.I. in X. Applicants should possess a PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, and sufficiently demonstrate abilities to conduct high-quality research in one of the Department’s key research areas: (i) computational intelligence, (ii) databases and information management, (iii) networking and systems, and (iv) pattern recognition and machine learning. Applicants should also show strong commitment to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in computer science and/or information systems, possess track record of innovative research and high-impact publications, and be able to bid for and pursue externally-funded research programmes. Special consideration will be given to candidates with research background related to financial technologies, and secure and privacy-aware computing. Initial appointment will be made on a fixed-term contract of three years. Re-appointment thereafter will be subject to mutual agreement. For enquiry, please contact Dr. William Cheung, Head of Department (email: william(a)comp.hkbu.edu.hk) More information about the Department can be found at http://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk. Those who have responded to the advertisement posted in March 2019 need not re-apply. *Rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.* *Application Procedure*: Applicants are invited to submit their applications at the HKBU e-Recruitment System (jobs.hkbu.edu.hk) with samples of publications, preferably three best ones out of their most recent publications/works. Applicants should also request two referees to send in confidential letters of reference, with PR number (stated above) quoted on the letters, to the Personnel Office (Email: recruit(a)hkbu.edu.hk) direct. Those who are not invited for interview 4 months after the closing date may consider their applications unsuccessful. All application materials including publication samples, scholarly/creative works will be disposed of after completion of the recruitment exercise. Details of the University’s Personal Information Collection Statement can be found at http://pers.hkbu.edu.hk/pics. The University reserves the right not to make an appointment for the posts advertised, and the appointment will be made according to the terms and conditions applicable at the time of offer. Closing Date: *25 January 2020 (or until the positions are filled)* URL: https://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk/v1/?page=job_vacancies&id=503

Jan. 2, 2020

PhD AND POSTDOC POSITIONS IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE IN BASEL, SWITZERLAND

by Rava A. da Silveira

*Several DOCTORAL and POSTDOCTORAL openings in the lab of RAVA AZEREDO DA SILVEIRA at the IOB, University of Basel* We invite applications for several Ph.D. and postdoctoral positions at the IOB, University of Basel, in Switzerland. Research questions will be chosen from a broad range of topics in theoretical/computational neuroscience and cognitive science (see the description of the lab’s activity, below). Candidates with backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence, physics, computer science, engineering, biology, and psychology are welcome. Experience with data analysis and proficiency with numerical methods, in addition to familiarity with neuroscience topics and mathematical and statistical methods, are desirable. Equally desirable are a spirit of intellectual adventure, eagerness, and drive. Doctoral and postdoctoral salaries will be highly competitive. *Deadline* For full consideration, please apply by 30 January 2020. *How to apply* Please send a letter of motivation, a statement of research interests limited to two pages, a curriculum vitae including a list of publications, and any relevant publications to rava(a)iob.ch, and arrange for three letters of recommendations to be sent to the same address. In all email correspondence, please include the mention “APPLICATION-BASEL-PHD” or “APPLICATION-BASEL-POSTDOC” in the subject header, otherwise the application will not be considered. *Description of the lab’s activity* Rava Azeredo da Silveira’s lab focuses on a range of topics in theoretical and computational neuroscience and cognitive science. These topics, however, are tied together through a central question: How does the brain represent and manipulate information? Among the more concrete approaches to this question, the lab analyses and models neural activity in circuits that can be identified, recorded from, and perturbed experimentally, such as visual neural circuits in the retina and the cortex. Establishing links between physiological specificity and the structure of neural activity yields an understanding of circuits as building blocks of cerebral information processing. On a more abstract level, the lab investigates the representation of information in populations of neurons, from a statistical and algorithmic -- rather than mechanistic -- point of view, through theories of coding and data analyses. These studies aim at understanding the statistical nature of high-dimensional neural activity in different conditions, and how this serves to encode and process information from the sensory world. In the context of cognitive studies, the lab investigates mental processes such as inference, learning, and decision-making, through both theoretical developments and behavioral experiments. A particular focus is the study of neural constraints and limitations and, further, their impact on mental processes. Neural limitations impinge on the structure and variability of mental representations, which in turn inform the cognitive algorithms that produce behavior. The lab explores the nature of neural limitations, mental representations, and cognitive algorithms, and their interrelations.

Dec. 29, 2019

PhD AND POSTDOC POSITIONS IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE AT ENS, PARIS

by Rava A. da Silveira

*Several DOCTORAL and POSTDOCTORAL openings in the lab of RAVA AZEREDO DA SILVEIRA at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris* We invite applications for several Ph.D. and postdoctoral positions at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, in Paris. Research questions will be chosen from a broad range of topics in theoretical/computational neuroscience and cognitive science (see the description of the lab’s activity, below). Candidates with backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence, physics, computer science, engineering, biology, and psychology are welcome. Experience with data analysis and proficiency with numerical methods, in addition to familiarity with neuroscience topics and mathematical and statistical methods, are desirable. Equally desirable are a spirit of intellectual adventure, eagerness, and drive. Doctoral and postdoctoral salaries will be competitive, appreciably higher than standard French salaries. The ENS, together with a number of neighboring institutions (College de France, Institut Curie, ESPCI, Sorbonne Université, and Institut Pasteur), offers a rich scientific and intellectual environment, with a strong representation in computational neuroscience and related fields. *Deadline:* For full consideration, please apply by 30 January 2020. *How to apply:* Please send a letter of motivation, a statement of research interests limited to two pages, a curriculum vitae including a list of publications, and any relevant publications to rava(a)ens.fr, and arrange for three letters of recommendations to be sent to the same address. In all email correspondence, please include the mention “APPLICATION-PARIS-PHD” or “APPLICATION-PARIS-POSTDOC” in the subject header, otherwise the application will not be considered. *Description of the lab’s activity:* Rava Azeredo da Silveira’s lab focuses on a range of topics in theoretical and computational neuroscience and cognitive science. These topics, however, are tied together through a central question: How does the brain represent and manipulate information? Among the more concrete approaches to this question, the lab analyses and models neural activity in circuits that can be identified, recorded from, and perturbed experimentally, such as visual neural circuits in the retina and the cortex. Establishing links between physiological specificity and the structure of neural activity yields an understanding of circuits as building blocks of cerebral information processing. On a more abstract level, the lab investigates the representation of information in populations of neurons, from a statistical and algorithmic -- rather than mechanistic -- point of view, through theories of coding and data analyses. These studies aim at understanding the statistical nature of high-dimensional neural activity in different conditions, and how this serves to encode and process information from the sensory world. In the context of cognitive studies, the lab investigates mental processes such as inference, learning, and decision-making, through both theoretical developments and behavioral experiments. A particular focus is the study of neural constraints and limitations and, further, their impact on mental processes. Neural limitations impinge on the structure and variability of mental representations, which in turn inform the cognitive algorithms that produce behavior. The lab explores the nature of neural limitations, mental representations, and cognitive algorithms, and their interrelations.

Dec. 29, 2019

Postdoctoral Positions in Theoretical Neuroscience @ Higher School of Economics, Moscow Russia

by boris gutkin

Post-doctoral position in Theoretical Neuroscience DEADLINE 9 February More Information: https://iri.hse.ru/cognitive_neuroscience3 <https://iri.hse.ru/cognitive_neuroscience3> Application link: https://iri.hse.ru/polls/323647081.html The Higher School of Economics Centre for Cognition & Decision Making <https://www.hse.ru/en/cdm-centre/> of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience in Moscow, Russia, invites applications for postdoctoral research positions in computational and mathematical approaches to understanding neural function and cognition at Theoretical Neuroscience Group (TNG). Research interests of the TNG at the Centre for Cognition and Decision Making are wide ranging, carried out in collaboration with the experimental labs at the Center. Current research topics include computational psychiatry, computational neuroeconomics, information processing in neurons and circuits, as well as role of oscillations in cognition. The candidate will have the opportunity to further define and expand the Group’s research programme. We are seeking highly qualified and motivated candidate with backgrounds in quantitative disciplines: applied mathematics, physics, computer science or engineering. Knowledge of biology, neuroscience and ability to work with data is highly desired. Candidates will be trained in model building, analysis and will be offered advanced training in neuroscience and cognitive psychology. Candidates will have an opportunity to develop independent research projects and collaborations under the direction of the group leading scientists. The TNG is a structural part of the HSE’s Centre for Cognition & Decision Making <https://www.hse.ru/en/cdm-centre/> with ample collaboration opportunities within the Centre with other research groups, both within Russia and internationally. This new international group is tightly linked with the Group for Neural Theory at the Ecole Normale Superior <http://iec-lnc.ens.fr/group-for-neural-theory/?lang=en> in Paris, where research internships and visiting positions can be made available. Application Process Applications must be submitted online. Please provide a CV, a statement of research interest and a recent research paper submitted via an online application form. At least two letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the International Faculty Recruitment Office at fellowship(a)hse.ru <mailto:fellowship@hse.ru> before the application deadline. Please note that direct applications to the hiring department may not be reviewed. More information can be also obtained from boris.gutkin(a)hse.ru

Dec. 28, 2019