- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Openings at the interface of Computational Neuroscience and AI
by sa474 Sept. 13, 2020

Sept. 13, 2020

Dear Colleagues, I would like to announce three new openings, 2 PhD candidate positions and 1 Research Assistant position, in my Lab at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in Spain, to participate in research projects related to Artificial Intelligence, Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, and their interface. Candidates for these positions are expected to have a quantitative background and strong interests in at least one of the following goals: - Apply state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms and/or neural circuit modeling to address questions in Life Sciences and Physics. - Adapt computationally efficient cognitive mechanisms into AI architectures (such as deep neural networks) aiming for more powerful learning algorithms. - Identify physiological mechanisms of brain function and dysfunction, in particular, the neural substrates of learning governing flexible, goal-directed behavior. Candidates should have a background in Computer Science, Electric Engineering, Physics, Math, Biology, or similar, and good programming skills (e.g., Python, R, Matlab, JavaScript, C++). Knowledge of dynamical systems modeling, time series analysis, machine learning and/or computational neuroscience would be an advantage. Candidates for the PhD positions should also have a Master degree, and candidates for the Research Assistant position should have a Bachelor degree, or similar. Gross salary for the PhD candidates and for the Research Assistant will be around 1400 €/month. Candidates from under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Our Lab is inclusive and committed to equity and diversity. The administrative period to apply at UPV will be from Sept 21 to Oct 2, 2020. The start date will be in November 2020. Candidates interested in these openings please contact me (Salva Ardid, E-mail: sardid at upv dot es) as soon as possible to know more about the selection process. Please provide an informal motivation letter (it can be embedded in the email body), a brief CV/resume, and the name and contact information of two referees willing to support your application with a recommendation letter. A brief note on our Lab’s location: Our group is located at the UPV campus in Gandia. Gandia is a historical, cultural, and touristic city located on the shoreline of eastern Spain, 65 km (40 mi) south of València (about 1 hour by train/car). València is the third most popular city in Spain after Barcelona and Madrid. The cost of living of València is significantly lower than that of Barcelona and Madrid (and this is even further the case for Gandia). Salva Ardid GenT Distinguished Research Group Leader Universitat Politècnica de València Paranimf 1 Edifici D, Despatx D-210 Gandia, 46730 Spain Web: https://sardid.github.io E-mail: sardid at upv dot es

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New book 'Changing Connectomes' (MIT Press)
by Marcus Kaiser Sept. 12, 2020

Sept. 12, 2020

Dear all, My book on Connectome organization and development has now been published. The book gives an up-to-date overview of the field of connectomics, introducing concepts and mechanisms underlying brain network change at different stages. >From the synopsis: “This book provides an overview of network features of the brain, how these features emerge during evolution and brain development, and how alterations ranging from normal aging to developmental and neurodegenerative disorders affect brain networks. By including an introduction to concepts of network analysis, it will also be accessible to researchers who are new to the field of connectomics. Finally, through Matlab code examples, it will allow researchers to understand and extend the shown mechanisms of connectome development.” In case you're interested, the book is on sale on with Amazon and other booksellers: Amazon USA: https://t.co/ju0gtVANOQ Amazon UK: https://t.co/Oqqiu0tG4r Amazon Germany: https://t.co/JuvIfhSNfc Other booksellers: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/changing-connectomes Best, Marcus -- Marcus Kaiser, Ph.D. FRSB @ConnectomeLab Professor of Neuroinformatics Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems (ICOS) Research Group, School of Computing, Newcastle University, UK Guanci Visiting Professor Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Rui Jin Hospital, Functional Neurosurgery Unit, China Book: Changing Connectomes https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/changing-connectomes Lab website: http://www.dynamic-connectome.org/ Neuroinformatics UK: http://www.neuroinformatics.org.uk/

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Ph.D. Position: Theoretical models of adaptive signal processing and learning mechanisms in dendritic trees
by Tetzlaff, Christian Sept. 11, 2020

Sept. 11, 2020

Dear all, The Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen invites applications for a Ph.D. position German Salary Scale TV-L E13, 66% (of 39.8 weekly hours) for 3 years. The successful candidate will be part of an international research project aiming to extend the existing theories for adaptive signal processing and learning mechanisms in dendritic trees and possible technological applications thereof. The position should be filled by 1st of November or soon thereafter. This post is designed to foster young researchers and give the successful applicant the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree. The position will be affiliated with the groups of Dr. Christian Tetzlaff and Prof. Florentin Wörgötter, who are investigating the emergence of complex behavior from the interplay of diverse neuronal and synaptic processes of neuronal networks (see, e.g., Tetzlaff et al., 2015, Scientific Reports; Li et al., 2016, PLoS One). The aim of the research project is to deepen our understanding of adaptive dendritic processing and uncover methods for employing these mechanisms in technological and machine learning applications. Suitable candidates should hold a Master degree in Physics or Computer Science preferably with some additional experiences in Computational Neuroscience and Machine Learning. We expect excellent mathematical and coding skills (e.g., Python, Matlab, C++) as well as skills in scientific communication (including proficiency in English). The candidate should be curious, highly motivated, self-organized, and show a keen interest to work within the connection between two lively research teams and to perform leading-edge research. The Göttingen Campus is a leading center of neuroscience in Europe hosting numerous internationally renowned research institutions, including the University and its Medical Center, the three life science Max Planck Institutes, the European Neuroscience Institute, the German Primate Center, and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN) Göttingen. The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The mission of the University is to employ a greater number of severely disabled persons. Applications from severely disabled persons with equivalent qualifications will be given preference. Please send your e-mail application, preferably in one single PDF-document, including a letter of interest, your curriculum vitae, copies of your certificates and contact information of at least two references until 4th of October to Dr. Christian Tetzlaff, e-mail: tetzlaff(a)phys.uni-goettingen.de<mailto:tetzlaff@phys.uni-goettingen.de>. Please see the job advertisement using the following link: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/305402.html?cid=15185. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Christian Tetzlaff Junior Research Group Leader Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics Georg-August University Friedrich-Hund Platz 1 37077 Göttingen Phone: +49 (0)551 39 26 932 E-Mail: tetzlaff(a)phys.uni-goettingen.de<mailto:tetzlaff@phys.uni-goettingen.de>

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PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience (Visual Attention Models)
by Fred Hamker Sept. 11, 2020

Sept. 11, 2020

The lab of Fred Hamker at Chemnitz University of Technology is offering a PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience (Visual Attention Models). The position is for three years, starting as soon as possible. The research position is funded by a DFG research grant and focuses on the modelling of RF dynamics during attention and eye movements. For the formal job search in german, please refer to: https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/verwaltung/personal/stellen/257030_1_EPu.php <https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/verwaltung/personal/stellen/257030_1_EPu.php> German language skills are not required, but the willingness to learn German would be useful. Applications should be sent by email (preferably in PDF format) to (fred.hamker(a)informatik.tu-chemnitz.de <mailto:fred.hamker@informatik.tu-chemnitz.de>) as soon as possible. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the state of Saxony in Germany and close to scenic mountains. Major cities nearby are Leipzig and Dresden with a rich tradition of music and culture. Our recent prior work in this field: Bergelt J, Hamker FH. (2019) Spatial updating of attention across eye movements: A neuro-computational approach. Journal of vision, 19:10. doi:10.1167/19.7.10 Ziesche A, Bergelt J, Deubel H, Hamker FH. (2017) Pre- and post-saccadic stimulus timing in Saccadic Suppression of Displacement – a computational model. Vision Research, 138:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2017.06.007 Hartmann TS, Zirnsak M, Marquis M, Hamker FH, Moore T. (2017) Two types of receptive field dynamics in area V4 at the time of eye movements? Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 11:13. doi:10.3389/fnsys.2017.00013 Bergelt J, Hamker FH. (2016) Suppression of displacement detection in the presence and absence of eye movements: A neuro-computational perspective. Biological Cybernetics, 110:81-89. doi:10.1007/s00422-015-0677-z Beuth F, Hamker FH. (2015) A mechanistic cortical microcircuit of attention for amplification, normalization and suppression. Vision Research, 116, 241-257. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2015.04.004

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Group Leader Position(s) in the Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest
by Balazs Ujfalussy Sept. 11, 2020

Sept. 11, 2020

Group Leader Position(s) in the Institute of Experimental Medicine The Institute of Experimental Medicine in Budapest, Hungary invites applications for independent scientific group leader positions. The Institute, an internationally renowned Center of Excellence in neuroscience, hosts scientific groups in diverse fields of neuroscience applying molecular, anatomical, physiological, pharmacological and behavioral approaches, and offers several state-of-the-art core facilities supporting research (see detailed information at http://koki.hu/english/introduction-106273) The successful applicant(s) is(are) expected to establish an internationally competitive research group that integrates into and strengthens the existing research profile of the Institute, and preferably offers interdisciplinary cooperation opportunities. The successful applicant(s) should have a Ph.D. in natural sciences and should be an international expert in experimental or computational neuroscience. Requirements are strong scientific track-record, demonstrating independent research leadership abilities, international experience, competence in supervising a scientific team and excellent cooperation skills. Applications should include (1) a CV, (2) a full publication list and 5 selected (most important) publications, (3) the summary of research achievements (max. 2 pages), (4) scientific concept and plans (2 pages) and (5) presentation of leadership and cooperation experience (half a page). The applications should be submitted by 21st September 2020 by email to: igazgato(a)koki.mta.hu Zoltan Nusser Director Institute of Experimental Medicine Prof. Zoltan Nusser Laboratory of Cellular Neurophysiology Institute of Experimental Medicine H-1083 Budapest, Szigony street 43. Phone: +36-1-210 9983 Fax: +36-1-210 9984 E-mail: nusser.zoltan(a)koki.mta.hu www.nusserlab.hu

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PhD studentship in Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience
by Shabnam Kadir Sept. 9, 2020

Sept. 9, 2020

*PhD in Computational & Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Hertfordshire, UK* An exciting full-time funded PhD opportunity has arisen at the University of Hertfordshire associated to a collaborative project with King’s College London and Brunel University London funded by the US Air Force. The project aims to build an explorative and predictive model of the brain that is sensitive to the transitions between sustained attention and mind-wandering states using an already collected simultaneously acquired EEG/fMRI dataset. Towards this goal, novel methods for characterizing, sequencing, and predicting neural dynamics at two complementary spatio-temporal resolution levels will be developed: level 1) electroencephalography (EEG) microstates, which are short quasi-stable topographies of brain electrical activity as measured at the scalp; and level 2) functional connectivity maps derived from the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data. *Requirements* We are seeking to appoint a graduate in Computer Science, Bioengineering, Physics, Mathematics, Neuroscience, or related fields, with an interest in cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging, who has proven programming skills (e.g., Python, Matlab, C++). Knowledge of signal processing, time-series analysis, and machine learning would be an advantage. Previous experience of EEG and/or fMRI data analysis is highly desirable. The 3-year full-time PhD studentship includes a stipend of £15,285 per annum in addition to covering tuition fees. *Only EU and UK citizens are eligible to apply.* The start date of the PhD will be January 2021. The PhD will be supervised by *Dr Shabnam Kadir* (University of Hertfordshire), *Dr Elena Antonova* (Brunel University London), *Prof Robert Leech* (Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London), and *Prof Chrystopher Nehaniv* (University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, and University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada). Interested candidates are encouraged to make informal inquiries with *Dr Shabnam Kadir* (s.kadir2(a)herts.ac.uk) before making a formal application. Full details available here: http://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk/2020/08/25/phd-in-computational-cognitive… To apply, submit an application form (downloadable from https://www.herts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/31105/uh-application-fo…) together with a cover letter, CV, and scanned copies of university transcripts and degree certificates (BSc, and if relevant MSc) via email to doctoralcollegeadmissions(a)herts.ac.uk, cc-ing Dr Kadir on s.kadir2(a)herts.ac.uk and Dr Antonova on elena.antonova(a)brunel.ac.uk *Closing Date for the applications: 28 September 2020.* -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Shabnam Kadir Senior Lecturer School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9AB, United Kingdom. Tel. +44 1707 284641 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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PhD Opportunities for the Cognitive Anteater Robotics Laboratory at UC Irvine
by Jeffrey Krichmar Sept. 8, 2020

Sept. 8, 2020

Dear Colleagues, We are recruiting PhD students for the Fall of 2021 in the Department of Cognitive Sciences and the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine. Students will have the opportunity to work in the Cognitive Anteater Robotics Laboratory, which conducts research in assistive robotics, computational neuroscience, machine learning, neural networks, neuromorphic engineering and neurorobotics. Applicants should have a strong mathematical and computer programming background, as well as good communication skills. Current Federally funded projects include: · Artificial Intelligence for Novelty Detection · Cognitive Maps in Rats, Robots and Men · Lifelong Learning Machines · Sparse Predictive Coding for Efficient Visual Navigation More information about the lab, recent publications, software, and videos can be found at: · http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma · https://www.youtube.com/user/cognitiveroboticsuci/videos Successful applicants will receive funding toward their Ph.D. for at least 5 years. Students interested in applying can contact me at: jkrichma(a)uci.edu Details about the graduate programs can be found at: · https://www.cogsci.uci.edu/graduate/index.php · https://www.ics.uci.edu/grad/admissions/index About UCI (www.uci.edu) In 1965, the University of California, Irvine was founded with a mission to catalyze the community and enhance lives through rigorous academics, cutting-edge research, and dedicated public service. Today, we draw on the unyielding spirit of our pioneering faculty, staff and students who arrived on campus with a dream to inspire change and generate new ideas. We believe that true progress is made when different perspectives come together to advance our understanding of the world around us. And we enlighten our communities and point the way to a better future. At UCI, we shine brighter. Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma(a)uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma

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OCNS Software/Tools/Infrastructure Special Interest Group (SIG)
by Ankur Sinha Sept. 7, 2020

Sept. 7, 2020

Hello everyone, (Please excuse the cross posts.) At this year's annual CNS meeting[0], the Organization for Computational Neurosciences (OCNS) discussed the formation of OCNS Special Interest Groups (SIGs). The idea is for the OCNS membership to be able to self-organise, based on common interests, to work on various tasks/projects to develop themselves and computational neuroscience in general[1]. The OCNS Board will enable SIGs by providing them with the necessary resources. As you will see on the Neurostars topic, a number of OCNS members have expressed interest in different SIGs. In my capacity as the current OCNS webmaster, I'd like to focus on the software/tools/infrastructure that is critical for computational neuroscience research. From the topic on Neurostars[2]: "Computational neuroscience cannot exist without the tools that we all rely on. So, this SIG will focus on these. We’ll find and discuss tools, we will learn how to use them, we will test and review them, we will file bugs to inform the developers of issues, and finally we will try to learn how they work and try to get involved in their development---to ensure that these tools that we rely on remain in good shape by having communities looking after them. While we do all of this, we will improve our knowledge of transferable skills: anything involved in modern software development (which are not limited to only writing tools, but are extremely important/useful when developing models using these tools)." Please join the discussion on Neurostars if this interests you. We will start to mobilise in the next few weeks. You can learn more about OCNS membership here[3]. [0] https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2020 [1] https://neurostars.org/t/cns-2020-ocns-members-meeting/15273/3?u=sanjayanku… [2] https://neurostars.org/t/ocns-infrastructure-software-tools-sig-meet-and-gr… [3] https://www.cnsorg.org/join-ocns -- Thanks, Regards, Ankur Sinha (He / Him / His) OCNS webmaster | https://www.cnsorg.org/ Research Fellow at the Silver Lab | http://silverlab.org/ Time zone: Europe/London

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Call for papers : Cognitive Computation - Springer Journal, Special Issue on Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks
by Zhe Sun Sept. 6, 2020

Sept. 6, 2020

Dear all, Please find below the call for papers for the journal of Cognitive Computation, Special Issue on Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks. The submission deadline is April 1, 2021. Call For Papers: Journal : Cognitive Computation Special Issue : Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks https://www.springer.com/journal/12559/updates/18336610?fbclid=IwAR28sBPPk0… Scope and Motivation During the past 10 years, many experiments have been implemented with the aim of improving our understanding on the brain’s structure and function. Alongside, simulation neuroscience has become an important strategy to investigate how the brain works. The Human Connectome Project in the US started in 2009, and aimed to provide a big human brain mapping dataset on which many brain models have already been tested. In the Human Brain Project in the EU, a large-scale virtual rodent brain simulation is being built with the purpose of revealing various brain activities. In Japan, whole human-scale brain simulations on the Fugaku supercomputer are being established to investigate how neural networks develop their learning process. On the other hand, the foundation of cognitive computing and control mechanism can be revealed from the simulations of brain circuits and the neural dynamics. Moreover, these are also critical to improve current artificial intelligent systems and for building brain intelligence level algorithms. In this special issue, we invite researchers to present their state-of-the-art approaches, introduce recent advances and therefore show the potential of brain-simulation-related technologies. Guest Editors Jordi Solé-Casals (jordi.sole(a)uvic.cat) Cesar F. Caiafa (ccaiafa(a)fi.uba.ar) Zhe Sun (zhe.sun.vk(a)riken.jp) Vassilis Cutsuridis (vcutsuridis(a)lincoln.ac.uk) Topics Topics include but are not limited to: • Brain Connectivity mapping and functional mapping • Data analysis methods for connectome data • Multi-scale neural system simulation • Neuromorphic hardware • High-performance computing system for large scale simulations • Neural system inspired spiking neural network • Neuro-robotics systems • Sensorimotor learning model Deadlines Submissions Deadline: April 1, 2021 First notification of acceptance: June 1, 2021 Submission of revised papers: August 1, 2021 Final notification to the authors: Oct 1, 2021 Submission of final/camera-ready papers: Nov 1, 2021 Publication of special issue: Nov 22, 2021 Submission Instruction: Prepare your paper in accordance with the Journal guidelines: www.springer.com/12559. Submit manuscripts at: http://www.editorialmanager.com/cogn/. Select “SI: Granular Computing and Three-Way Decisions for Cognitive Analytics” for the special issue under “Additional Information.” Your paper must contain significant and original work that has not been published nor submitted to any journals. All papers will be reviewed following standard reviewing procedures of the Journal. If you have questions, please send us an e-mail. Best wishes, Sun Zhe --------------------------------------------------------- Zhe Sun, PhD Research Scientist RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics Image Processing Research Team RIKEN, Japan 国立研究開発法人　理化学研究所光量子工学研究センター　画像情報処理研究チーム研究員　孫　哲 E-mail： zhe.sun.vk(a)riken.jp sunzhe839(a)gmail.com Tel :　048-462-1111　(ext. 7828) ---------------------------------------------------------

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PhD position: Machine learning to record and enhance sleep and lucid dreaming
by Martin Dresler Sept. 3, 2020

Sept. 3, 2020

Hi, Arenar B.V. and the Donders Institute offer a joint PhD position combining data science/AI and wearable EEG technology with sleep/dream research. In this project, the wearable sleep EEG headband iBand+ will be further developed and applied in several experimental studies. First, we will develop automatic sleep stage detection algorithms using machine learning strategies. We will then implement closed-loop acoustic stimulation procedures to enhance sleep slow oscillations to improve deep sleep. We will further develop combined acoustic and visual stimulation procedures which will allow to enhance self-awareness during sleep (i.e. lucid dreaming) and subsequent mood in the morning. The validity and efficacy of these procedures will be tested experimentally in large longitudinal studies in naturalistic home-based settings. The successful candidate will be centrally involved in the development, will lead different research projects within this general framework; will be closely involved in daily supervision of MSc students assisting the project; and will participate in the vibrant Donders Graduate School. Job details • 4 years at Donders, extension to permanent position at Arenar possible • Deadline: 31 August 2019 • Starting date: October/November, but somewhat flexible • Salary: starting with € 40000 gross per year Candidate profile • MSc-level background in Data Science, ML, AI, computer sciences, or adjacent field; • Proficiency in Python, C, C++, statistics • Interest in sleep, lucid dreaming, meditation • The capacity to participate in a collaborative, interdisciplinary, international research environment; • Fluency in written and spoken English. Candidates who only partially meet this profile are nonetheless strongly encouraged to apply! Organization The PhD project is a collaboration between Arenar B.V. and the Donders Institute. Arenar B.V. is a Dutch technology start-up based in Nijmegen, founded in 2016 by a team of engineers/developers with a combined technical industry experience exceeding 40 years working at leading technology companies such as NXP, Philips, Texas Instruments. Work in Arenar’s small enthusiastic team offers plenty of flexibility, responsibility and lots of influence on the product development. In particular, Arenar develops the iBand+ ( http://www.ibandplus.com) and many more upcoming innovative products. The project is embedded in the infrastructure of the Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, providing a unique and stimulating learning environment for young researchers, including a high-profile graduate school and in-house methodological expert courses. Sleep research is a vibrant and rapidly growing field at the Donders Institute, with several new research groups in human and animal sleep research. The project is further embedded in the Radboud University Medical Center. Radboud UMC strives to be a leading developer of sustainable, innovative and affordable healthcare to improve the health and wellbeing of people and society in the Netherlands and beyond. Application Please apply with a brief motivation letter explaining your interest and qualifications regarding the position, your prior research/work experience, a CV, and contact information of two professional references: https://www.radboudumc.nl/en/vacancies/70061-phd-candidate-machine-learning… For specific questions about this position, please contact martin.dresler(a)donders.ru.nl Cheers, Martin -- Donders Sleep & Memory Lab, Radboud University Medical Center Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, Netherlands https://dreslerlab.org

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