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Neuromatch 2.0 – an online unconference in neuroscience, May 25-27, 2020

by Grace Lindsay

Announcing Neuromatch 2.0 – an online unconference in neuroscience, May 25-27, 2020. After a successful two-day conference in March, Neuromatch is back for three days this May! This fully online computational neuroscience conference will include invited and submitted talks, a virtual poster session, panels, debates, group discussion, and “mind-matching” events. In partnership with the IEEE Brain Initiative, one day of the conference will focus on neural data analysis. In partnership with eLife, Neuromatch will also feature talks and discussion with early career researchers. Registration and talk/poster submissions are due May 20th. For instructions on how to submit, please see: https://neuromatch.io/instructions/ For more information and to register for the conference, visit our site: https://neuromatch.io/ If you want to participate in the “mind-matching” or group discussion events (where you’ll be algorithmically paired with other scientists based on mutual research interests), don’t forget to include example abstracts so we know your interests! Confirmed Speakers: - Eve Marder (Brandeis University) - Jenny Bizley (UCL) - Richard Naud (U of Ottawa) - Yael Niv (Princeton) - Jakob Macke (TU of Munich) - Asya Rolls (Technion) - Joseph Raimondo (U of Cape Town) - Dan Yamins (Stanford) - Demba Ba (Harvard) - Ilana Witten (Princeton) - Eugenia Chiappe (Champalimaud) - Byron Yu (CMU) - Adrienne Fairhall (U of Washington) - Polina Anikeeva (MIT) Sincerely, Neuromatch 2.0 organizers Dan Goodman (Imperial) Konrad Kording (UPenn) Brad Wyble (Penn State) Titipat Achakulvisut (UPenn) Tim Vogels (Oxford) Chris Rozell (Georgia Tech) Yiota Poirazi (IMBB/FORTH) Grace Lindsay (UCL)

May 7, 2020

Two Post-doc opportunities in machine learning for neurological conditions

by Andre Altmann

Dear Comp-Neuro Community, If you like the challenge of developing novel computational and mathematical solutions to real-world medical challenges, then you will love working with us in the UCL Centre for Medical Image Computing (CMIC) [1] in London, UK. We are looking for two excellent postdoctoral researchers to join the UCL POND[2] team's well-established, supportive, expanding team of computational scientists in developing state-of-the-art data-driven solutions for neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. In this field we lead international initiatives such as EuroPOND[3], TADPOLE Challenge[4], and the new E-DADS consortium[5]. Importantly, we ensure impact by collaborating closely with clinical scientists on our doorstep in London and our network of collaborators across the globe. *Deadline for applications is 25th May*. For details on the roles and to apply: http://pond.cs.ucl.ac.uk/vacancies Best wishes, Andre Altmann Links: [1] https://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-image-computing/ [2] http://pond.cs.ucl.ac.uk/ [3] http://europond.eu/ [4] https://tadpole.grand-challenge.org/ [5] https://e-dads.github.io/

May 7, 2020

Postdoctoral Associate in Computational Neuroscience of Learning and Memory

by Yuri Dabaghian

*Postdoctoral Associate in Computational Neuroscience of Learning and Memory* A NSF-funded postdoctoral position is immediately available in the group of Dr. Yuri Dabaghian at the University of Texas in Houston. The goal of the projects is to understand the hippocampal mechanisms of learning and memory using computational topological and geometric approaches, neuronal network theory. The projects involve both computational modeling and analyses of in-vivo electrophysiological data provided by experimental collaborators. The ideal candidate should have a strong in background Computational Neuroscience, Applied Mathematics, Theoretical Physics or similar. To apply, please send a CV, letter of motivation and the names of two-three references to Yuri Dabaghian (Yuri.A.Dabaghian(a)uth.tmc.edu) Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

May 4, 2020

Fully funded 4-year PhD Position at IIT - Computational approaches to study the neural code

by Stefano Panzeri

Fully funded 4-year PhD Position at IIT - Computational approaches to study the neural code We are seeking candidates for a fully funded 4-year PhD position at the Italian Institute of Technology’s in the lab directed by Stefano Panzeri ( https://www.iit.it/people/stefano-panzeri) We are particularly interested in candidates that wish to work in a project in collaboration with the experimental neurophysiology laboratory of Giuliano Iurilli (https://www.iit.it/people/giuliano-iurilli) We are interested in using mathematical models of neural networks and information theoretic and machine learning analytical tools to understand the principles of neural coding by using as a model the olfactory system. For recent representative publications of Panzeri and Iurilli on relevant topics please see: Chong et al, in press, preprint available at https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/841916v1 van Vugt B, et al, (2018) Science: DOI: 10.1126/science.aar7186 Runyan C. A., et al (2017) Nature: 548: 92-96 Panzeri, S, et al (2017) Neuron 93: 491-507 Iurilli, G. and Datta, R.S. (2017) Neuron 93 , 1180-1197 Safaai, H. et al (2015) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 112(41): 12834–12839 The ideal candidate should have a strong background in numerate sciences, and have a strong propensity for interdisciplinary research. No extensive previous experience in neuroscience is needed. However, a keen interest in understanding the brain is essential. The deadline for the formal application is set to May 27th 2019, but interested candidates are invited me to contact us informally by email ( stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it and Giuliano.urilli(a)iit.it ) as soon as possible, and *no later than May 11th 2020,* by attaching their CV and briefly explaining their interest in this position, to initiate discussion about potential PhD projects of interest. Yours truly, Stefano Panzeri

May 4, 2020

PhD position in theoretical and experimental neuroscience

by Nicolas P. Rougier

PhD position in theoretical and experimental neuroscience Application deadline: 30/05/2020 What: PhD position in theoretical and experimental neuroscience Where: Bordeaux, France When: September 2020 (3 years duration) Who: Nicolas Rougier (Inria) & Arthur Leblois (CNRS) A PhD position is available at the Inria Bordeaux Sud-Ouest center and the Institute of Neurodegenerative Disease in Bordeaux, France. Candidate profile ================= The future PhD candidate must have a strong experience at both the theoretical and experimental level. In particular, the following qualities and skills will be highly valued, if not required: * Solid bases in maths and/or physics; * Previous experience in experimental neuroscience; * Programming experience (Python or similar coding language); * Experience in machine learning or data mining is a plus; * Independence and ability to manage a project; * Good English reading/speaking skills. How to apply ============ Please send your application (CV, letter of motivation, and the names and email addresses of one or two persons who can provide recommendation letters) to Dr. Nicolas Rougier (nicolas.rougier(a)inria.fr) and Arthur Leblois (arthur.leblois(a)univ-bordeaux.fr) before the 30th of May 2020. Proposed research ================= Temporally precise movement patterns underlie many motor skills and innate actions, yet the origin of temporal control in motor behaviors remains unclear. While cortical motor regions traditionally have been viewed as encoding features of motor gestures, these models do not address how sequences of motor gestures are produced or appropriately timed. Recently, a number of studies have suggested that, beyond just representing features of motor output, motor regions may have intrinsic oscillatory dynamics or sequential dynamics to act as their own pattern generators. However, in the order of milliseconds, the neural and anatomical correlates of time processing are still largely unknown because the dominant model, which is based on internal clock fails at giving account on experimental data. Understanding the neural dynamics underlying the acquisition and performance of complex sensorimotor tasks has been hindered by the complexity of the underlying brain networks in common animal models used in neuroscience (e.g. rodents or primates). In particular, the complex interactions between cortical areas (primary and secondary motor cortex in rodents, motor, premotor and supplementary motor areas in primates) related to many different sensorimotor associations and motor skills is daunting. Conversely, in birds, the sensorimotor skill of song production and its learning has a dedicated set of interconnected brain nuclei known as the “song system”, making them an outstanding model to study the neural mechanisms of vocal learning and more generally, of sensorimotor learning. Songbirds indeed rely on learned vocalizations to communicate during courtship or aggressive behaviours. Just as speech learning in humans, vocal learning in young birds requires the coordination of vocal muscles to reproduce previously experienced adult vocalizations. Song learning is also limited to a critical period during development and heavily relies on auditory feedback. The proposed research lies at the interface of neurophysiology, cognitive science, applied mathematics, and theoretical physics. The concepts and methods that will be used will draw on single neuron physiology, electrophysiological studies in behaving animals, statistical mechanics, dynamical system theory, and stochastic differential equations. To this end, we will combine a theoretical approach (development of a mathematical model of the timing system) and an experimental one (chronic neural recording in awake birds, behavioural manipulations). Therefore, a collaboration with a team of physiologists at the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases, and in particular with Arthur Leblois who has a long-established expertise in the neural mechanisms underlying vocal learning in songbirds. The model will be designed under the supervision of Nicolas Rougier who has extensive experience in computational modelling. Predictions of the model will then be tested experimentally by measuring neuronal activity in the brain areas controlling song timing in songbirds under the supervision of Arthur Leblois. Chronic electrophysiological recordings in singing birds are routinely performed in the lab of Arthur Leblois, and will be implemented in a protocol allowing the induction of plasticity in the duration of song syllables in young adult birds over short periods of time.

May 4, 2020

NEST Conference 2020 goes virtual — Call for Contributions

by Hans Ekkehard Plesser

Dear all, The NEST Initiative is excited to invite everyone interested in Neural Simulation Technology and the NEST Simulator to the NEST Conference 2020. The NEST Conference provides an opportunity for the NEST Community to meet, exchange success stories, swap advice, learn about current developments in and around NEST spiking network simulation and its application. This year's conference will take place as a virtual conference on Monday/Tuesday 29/30 June 2020. We are now inviting contributions to the conference, including plenary talks, "posters" and breakout sessions on specific topics. Important dates 01 June 2020 — Deadline for submission of contributions 08 June 2020 — Notification of acceptance 10 June 2020 — Deadline for NEST Initiative Membership applications (registration is free for members in 2020) 22 June 2020 — Registration deadline 29 June 2020 — NEST Conference 2020 starts For more information on how to submit your contribution, register and participate, please visit the conference website https://nest-simulator.org/conference We are looking forward to seeing you all in June! Hans Ekkehard Plesser, Susanne Kunkel, Dennis Terhorst, Anne Elfgen & many more När du skickar e-post till Karolinska Institutet (KI) innebär detta att KI kommer att behandla dina personuppgifter. Här finns information om hur KI behandlar personuppgifter<https://ki.se/medarbetare/integritetsskyddspolicy>. Sending email to Karolinska Institutet (KI) will result in KI processing your personal data. You can read more about KI’s processing of personal data here<https://ki.se/en/staff/data-protection-policy>. _______________________________________________ Neuroinfo mailing list Neuroinfo(a)incf.org<mailto:Neuroinfo@incf.org> https://lists.incf.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/neuroinfo

May 4, 2020

Announcement: Online Seminar Series on Consciousness

by Xerxes D. Arsiwalla

Dear Comp-Neuro Community, Hope you are all doing well in these difficult times! This is to announce a new online seminar series on consciousness that will include regular weekly or bi-weekly talks until the end of 2020 by well known researchers in the field. As in the previous years, part of the seminar will be devoted to discussing new ideas, visions and recent results. This time, we would like to put more emphasis on critically assessing the use of mathematics in studying consciousness. How exactly do mathematical approaches integrate with and depend on neuroscientific and philosophical research? Do they allow to go beyond what non-formal approaches can do? If so, how? To answer these and similar questions, we will host talks, discussion sessions, background lectures and tutorials. Our overall goals in doing so are: - To review the various mathematical approaches that are being used in consciousness science. - To discuss the underlying visions and the current progress of each. - To assess the merits and drawbacks of the mathematical method as a whole in this context. - To develop a rigorous understanding of how precisely mathematics can be used to address the problem of consciousness. - To identify key questions that a mathematical science of consciousness should address. - To help establish a comprehensive methodology of mathematical consciousness research, which is intimately tied to both empirical and conceptual research in neuroscience, philosophy and related disciplines. A partial and developing list of confirmed speakers include: - Karl Friston, University College London - David Balduzzi, DeepMind Google - Chen Song, Cardiff University - Anil Seth, Sackler Center for Consciousness Science, Sussex - Ryota Kanai, Araya Artificial Intelligence, Tokyo - Jenann Ismael, Columbia University in New York - Jennifer Windt, Monash University - Erik Hoel, Allen Discovery Centre - Andrew Haun, Center for Sleep and Consciousness, UW-Madison - Rafi Malach, Weizmann Institute of Science - Catherine Tallon-Baundry, École normale supérieure - Nao Tsuchiya, Consciousness tLab, Melbourne - Liad Mudrik, Tel Aviv University - William Seager, University of Toronto - Selen Atasoy, University of Oxford - Jeffrey Yoshimi, University of California Merced As in the previous events, we hope to create an open-minded and non-dogmatic atmosphere. This is one reason why we would like to cordially invite you all to join the seminar. To do so, simply visit the seminar's website (https://seminar.math-consciousness.org) click on the tab "Join" and follow the explanations there. Further information about the seminar is given in the tab "Details" and will be announced to those who have joined soon. We hope to see many of you online in the next couple of months! Stay safe! The organizers Johannes Kleiner (Munich) Joanna Szczotka (Sussex and Krakow) Xerxes D. Arsiwalla (Barcelona) Sean Tull (Oxford) Robin Lorenz (Oxford)

May 3, 2020

Associate Lecturer (Education-focused) at the University of St Andrews

by Thomas Otto

Please see the vacancy for a position as Associate Lecturer (Education-focused) at the University of St Andrews. This is a full-time, permanent post, which will primarily focus on delivery of Neuroscience content. Please share with interested colleagues, the advertisement can be found at: https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/7074/0/267435/889/associ… -- Dr. Thomas Otto University of St Andrews School of Psychology and Neuroscience St Mary’s Quad, South Street, St Andrews, KY16 9JP, Scotland Phone: +44 (0)1334 462091 http://lclab.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

April 30, 2020

Fully-funded PhD position at the Vision Institute, Sorbonne University, Paris, France

by angelo.arleo＠inserm.fr

Fully-funded PhD position at the Vision Institute, Sorbonne University, Paris, France Job description Applications are invited for a 3-year PhD position to develop clinical endpoints of daily-life activity for low vision patients in order to assess visual restoration. The therapeutic benefits of vision restoration are usually evaluated in clinical studies using conventional functional measures such as visual field and contrast sensitivity. However, these tests are not sufficient to characterize the impact of a visual pathology on patients’ quality of life and autonomy. This project will set forth a set of benchmark measures to evaluate a range of daily life functions (locomotion, spatial orientation, posture, balance, reading) in real or virtual conditions. The main goal is to identify behavioral biomarkers of the benefit of vision restoration solutions (namely optogenetic therapy and retinal implants) in visually impaired patients. The PhD candidate will work hand-in-hand with clinicians of the National Hospital Center for Ophthalmology of the Quinze-Vingts and with researchers of the Vision Institute as well as the Streetlab company. The project will be carried out under the supervision of Dr. Colas Authié and Dr. Angelo Arleo. Requirements & eligibility criteria Applicants should have a quantitative background (engineering, computer science, physics, applied mathematics), and a keen interest in behavioral neuroscience. The ideal candidate should have expertise in virtual reality, motor control, and biometric data analysis. Experience in low-vision or knowledge on machine learning and programming languages (Matlab, C or Python) are a plus. Knowledge of French is important (but not mandatory). Proficiency in oral and written English is required. Successful candidates are expected to work in an interdisciplinary environment with engineers, neuroscientists, and clinicians. Applicants must be in the first four years of their research career and they must not have lived in France more than 12 months during the last 3 years. Benefits The position is funded by the Marie Curie ITN project ENTRAIN-VISION and it will start in fall 2020. It corresponds to a full PhD appointment (36 months) with competitive salary and working conditions, monthly mobility allowance, and family allowance (if family obligations). It also provides continuing education, secondments in the private sector, training modules, and transferable skills courses. Working environment The Vision Institute is one of the top international centers for integrated research on vision and eye diseases. It is located at the heart of Paris, on the campus of the National Hospital Center for Ophthalmology of the Quinze-Vingts. The Vision Institute includes multidisciplinary research laboratories, which share state-of-the-art platforms for human and animal experimentation. It also harbors a Clinical Investigation Center, which fosters translational research. The Streetlab provides a panel of unique platforms (reproducing virtual and real immersive environments) and standardized evaluation solutions to measure autonomy, mobility, and quality of life of visually impaired people. How to apply Applicants should apply to the ENTRAIN-VISION consortium (www.entrain-vision.eu <http://www.entrain-vision.eu/>) by May 29th, 2020. For further inquiries, please contact Colas Authié (colas.authie(a)streetlab-vision.com <mailto:colas.authie@streetlab-vision.com>) and/or Angelo Arleo (angelo.arleo(a)inserm.fr <mailto:angelo.arleo@inserm.fr>). *************************************** Angelo ARLEO FONTAINE, PhD Director of Research CNRS Head of the Aging in Vision and Action Lab, Director of the Chair Silversight, Institute of Vision, CNRS - INSERM - Sorbonne University, 17, rue Moreau F-75012 Paris, France Phone: +33 (0)1 53 46 26 52 Mobile: +33 (0)6 46 84 09 56 Email: angelo.arleo(a)inserm.fr Website: www.aging-vision-action.fr

April 30, 2020

PhD Studentship in Computational Neuroscience and Rehabilitation Robotics at the University of Hertfordshire

by Volker Steuber

PhD Studentship in Computational Neuroscience and Rehabilitation Robotics Biocomputation Research Group Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research University of Hertfordshire, UK Application deadline 1 June 2020 Bursary GBP 15,285 p.a. Applications are invited for PhD positions in the Biocomputation Research Group at the University of Hertfordshire. (http://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk/). Project description Stroke is a major cause of disability in adults. More than 15 million strokes occur every year in the world, and more than 100,000 of these affect patients in the UK. Stroke patients often have an impaired ability to control their upper limbs and need assistance with every-day tasks. Relearning motor skills after stroke is similar to learning new motor skills, for example learning to play tennis, but a problem for stroke survivors is that their impaired movements often restrict the ability to use sensory feedback for re-learning. Rehabilitation robotics has shown promise to augment the rehabilitation process and to offer feedback on performance. However, the personalisation of the therapy to individual needs remains a major challenge to date. The proposed project will use a computational model of the cerebellum that is being developed by the Biocomputation Research Group (biocomputation.herts.ac.uk) to optimise robotic rehabilitation for individual subjects. The cerebellum has been optimised throughout vertebrate evolution to become an adaptive controller of biological skeletomuscular structures that is unrivalled by any artificial adaptive motor control algorithm. This has led and is still leading to the development of a rapidly increasing number of computational models of cerebellar learning, and to the successful applications of these cerebellar models to controlling simulated and real robots. The PhD project will involve the development and application of personalised cerebellar models in order to optimise rehabilitation robots for individual subjects. Applicants should have excellent computational and numerical skills and a very good first degree in computer science, biology, maths, physics, neuroscience, or a related discipline. Successful candidates are eligible for a research studentship award from the University (GBP 15,285 per annum bursary plus payment of the student fees). Applicants from outside the UK or EU are eligible. Research in Computer Science at the University of Hertfordshire has been recognised as excellent in the latest Research Excellence Framework Assessment, with 50% of the research submitted rated as internationally excellent or world leading. The Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research provides a very stimulating environment, offering a large number of specialised and interdisciplinary seminars as well as general training and researcher development opportunities. The University is situated in Hatfield, in the green belt just north of London. Please contact Dr Volker Steuber or Prof Farshid Amirabdollahian for informal enquiries. Application forms are available under https://www.herts.ac.uk/study/schools-of-study/engineering-and-computer-sci… and should be returned to doctoralcollegeadmissions(a)herts.ac.uk. The short-listing process will begin on 1 June 2020.

April 30, 2020