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NEURON Summer Course early registration discount
by Ted Carnevale April 9, 2015

April 9, 2015

Applicants who sign up for "NEURON Fundamentals" or "Parallel Simulation with NEURON" by Monday, April 20, are eligible for an early registration discount: $150 for those who plan to stay on campus, $100 for those who make their own housing arrangements. Qualified applicants who sign up for both courses are eligible for an additional $100 discount. For more information about these courses and an online application form, see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nscsd2015/nscsd2015.html or contact ted dot carnevale at yale dot edu

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GEM4 Meeting on Brain Mechanics
by Nathan Urban April 9, 2015

April 9, 2015

The deadline for student applications for the 10th anniversary GEM4 involving linking biology and mechanics on Mechanobiology of the Brain is next week (April 15). The final program for this 2 week course (June 22-July 3, 2015 at Carnegie Mellon University) with lectures and labs is at http://www.ices.cmu.edu/gem4. Best wishes and thanks again. Sincerely, Philip LeDuc Jimmy Hsia Subra Suresh

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Tenth Advanced Statistics and Data Mining Summer School (Madrid) - Early registration reminder
by asdm＠fi.upm.es April 9, 2015

April 9, 2015

Dear colleagues, We would like to remind you that the early registration period for the Advanced Statistics and Data Mining Summer School is open until June 7th. The summer school will be held in Boadilla del Monte, near Madrid, from June 29th to July 10th. As in previous years, the school comprises 12 week-long courses (15 lecture hours each), given during two weeks (six courses per week). Attendees may register in each course independently. No restrictions, besides those imposed by timetables, apply on the number or choice of courses. Extended information on course programmes, price, venue, accommodation and transport is available at the school's website: http://www.dia.fi.upm.es/ASDM Please, send this information to your colleagues, students, and whoever you think may find it interesting. Best regards, Pedro Larranaga, Concha Bielza, Bojan Mihaljevic and Laura Anton-Sanchez. -- School coordinators. *** List of courses and brief description *** * Week 1 (June 29th - July 3rd, 2015) * 1st session: 9:45-12:45 Course 1: Bayesian Networks (15 h) Basics of Bayesian networks. Inference in Bayesian networks. Learning Bayesian networks from data. Real applications. Practical demonstration: GeNIe, Weka, Bayesia, R. Course 2: Time Series(15 h) Basic concepts in time series. Descriptive methods for time series. Linear models for time series. Extensions. Practical demonstration: R. 2nd session: 13:45-16:45 Course 3: Supervised Pattern Recognition (15 h) Introduction. Assessing the performance of supervised classification algorithms. Preprocessing. Classification techniques. Combining multiple classifiers. Comparing supervised classification algorithms. Course 4: Bayesian Inference (15 h) Introduction: Bayesian basics. Conjugate models. MCMC and other simulation methods. Regression and Hierarchical models. Model selection. Practical demonstration: R and WinBugs. 3rd session: 17:00 - 20:00 Course 5: Neural Networks and Deep Learning (15 h) Introduction. Training algorithms. Learning and Optimization. MLPs in practice. Deep Networks. Course 6: Unsupervised Pattern Recognition (15 h) Introduction to clustering. Data exploration and preparation. Prototype-based clustering. Density-based clustering. Graph-based clustering. Cluster evaluation. Miscellanea. Conclusions and final advise. Practical session: R. * Week 2 (July 6th - July 10th, 2015) * 1st session: 9:45-12:45 Course 7: Statistical Inference(15 h) Introduction. Some basic statistical test. Multiple testing. Introduction to bootstrap methods. Introduction to Robust Statistics. Practical demonstration: R. Course 8: Bayesian Classifiers (15 h) Discrete predictors. Gaussian Bayesian networks-based classifiers. Other Bayesian classifiers. Bayesian classifiers for: positive and unlabeled data, semi-supervised learning, data streams, temporal data. Practical session: R. 2nd session: 13:45-16:45 Course 9: Text Mining (15 h) Introduction. Fundamentals. Language Modeling. String Processing. Text Classification. Information Extraction. Practical session: GATE (optionally, python). Course 10: Feature Subset Selection (15 h) Introduction. Filter approaches. Embedded methods. Wrapper methods. Advanced topics. Practical session: R and Weka. 3rd session: 17:00-20:00 Course 11: Support Vector Machines and Convex Optimization (15 h) Introduction. SVM models. SVM learning algorithms. Convex non differentiable optimization. Course 12: Hidden Markov Models (15 h) Introduction. Discrete Hidden Markov Models. Basic algorithms for Hidden Markov Models. Semicontinuous Hidden Markov Models. Continuous Hidden Markov Models. Unit selection and clustering. Speaker and Environment Adaptation for HMMs. Other applications of HMMs. Practical session: HTK.

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PhD or Post-Doc Position for facial expression recognition
by Fred Hamker April 8, 2015

April 8, 2015

A PhD (E 13 TV-L, 75%) or postdoctoral (E 13 TV-L) position is available at the Technical University of Chemnitz (Germany) in the Department of Computer Science. The position is funded initially until 30.09.2017, but is renewable pending availability of future funds. Starting date is as soon as possible. The research position is focused on facial expression recognition using methods of machine learning (e.g. active appearance models, deep learning) and neuro-computational modeling (e.g. brain inspired techniques for visual object recognition). The position is funded by a grant from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The candidate should have good programming experience and solid english language skills. A formal job search is available in german: https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/verwaltung/personal/stellen/257030_5_Re.php Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the state of Saxony and close to scenic mountains. Major cities nearby are Leipzig and Dresden with a rich tradition of music and culture. Applications should be sent by email (preferably in PDF format) to (fred.hamker(a)informatik.tu-chemnitz.de) as soon as possible. Applications shall be sent by April 30th, but later applications will be considered until the position is filled. -------------------- Prof. Dr. Fred H Hamker Artificial Intelligence & Neuro Cognitive Systems Department of Computer Science Chemnitz University of Technology Strasse der Nationen 62 D - 09107 Chemnitz Germany Tel: +49 (0)371 531-37875 Fax: +49 (0)371 531-25739 email: fred.hamker(a)informatik.tu-chemnitz.de www: http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/informatik/KI/

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7th International Summer School in Biomedical Engineering „New Instrumentation for brain measurements and stimulation“, 17th - 29th August 2015 in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany
by Uwe Graichen April 8, 2015

April 8, 2015

Dear colleagues, we are pleased to announce the 7th International Summer School in Biomedical Engineering on "New Instrumentation for brain measurements and stimulation" August, 17-29, 2015 in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany. This event stands in the tradition of a series of successful summer schools on hot themes in biomedical engineering, dedicated to intense learning in the fruitful atmosphere of tight interaction between students and world-leading specialists. This year’s summer school is devoted to new hardware technologies for measuring and stimulating the brain, such as dry electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes, optically pumped magnetic field sensors, neuronal current imaging based on low-field magnetic resonance and multichannel transcranial current stimulation. In particular, the 7th International Summer School on Biomedical Engineering will focus on ways how these new technical advances may help to overcome current limitations in human neurosciences and medicine. It will cover both theoretical foundations and practical applications. We aim at a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Thus, we will develop a critical view on current applications and possible future developments. The second important aim of the summer school consists in providing contact with both leading experts in the field and other students with similar interests, thereby facilitating the exchange of ideas on latest developments in the field. Target Group: - PhD students - Advanced Master students - Researchers entering the field of brain measurement and stimulation techniques Further Information about the 7th International Summer School in Biomedical Engineering: www.iss2015.org We would be happy to receive your application. Please pass this announcement to your colleagues who might be interested. Sincerely, Jens Haueisen and Thomas Knösche

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15 PhD positions for PACE, an EU funded Innovative Training Network for understanding Perception and Action in Complex Environments
by Laurent Perrinet April 8, 2015

April 8, 2015

Dear colleagues, PACE (Perception and Action in Complex Environments) is an Innovative Training Network funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie program of the European Union starting on April 1st, 2015. The network involves 10 academic and private full partners, from 6 European and associated countries (France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, UK, Israel), plus 5 associated partners (private companies and public organizations). The network gathers a broad range of expertise from experimental psychology, cognitive neurosciences, brain imaging, technology and clinical sciences as well as transferable skills. The PACE network promotes interdisciplinary research and training in the field of human movement sciences with a strong emphasis on perception-action coupling in complex environments. We focus on changes of this coupling across lifespan and in pathological diseases affecting the nervous system. The goal is to train PhD students through collaborative research projects, international courses and workshops. 15 PhD positions, starting next fall, are offered across the different network sites. You can find a short description of the proposed PhD projects at the following link: http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/IMG/pdf/PACE_Table_positions.pdf Applications are welcome immediately and until the end of May (but some specific timing constraints may be enforced in some of the partners' sites: please get more information from local contacts). You will find further general information (sections 1 to 3), eligibility and application conditions (section 4) here: http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/-ITN-Marie-Curie-network-PACE Thanks for distributing this announcement to potential condadates, Laurent -- Laurent Perrinet - INT (UMR 7289)/CNRS http://invibe.net/LaurentPerrinet

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PhD positions available at the University of Genova
by Paolo Massobrio April 8, 2015

April 8, 2015

We are seeking highly motivated candidates for two PhD positions (3 years) in Bioengineering at the Neuroengineering and Bio-Nano Technology Group (NBT <http://www.nbtunige.it/> ), University of Genova <http://www.unige.it/> , Genova, ITALY. Our labs are located in Genova <http://www.turismo.comune.genova.it/spip.php?lang=en> , a small beautiful town in northern Italy, both from historical (its historical center is the largest of Europe) and naturalistic point of view (sea and mountains coexist creating a unique landscape). Genova is only 1.30h away from Milan by train and connected by plane to Rome (1.00h), London (2h) and Paris (1.30h). The successful candidate will be involved in a research project focused on the study of the computational properties of cortical assemblies coupled to micro-electrode arrays. The two PhD projects are the following: 1. 2D and 3D neuronal networks coupled to microtransducer arrays for the development of in vitro neurotoxicity tests We are interested to investigate how computational properties emerge in 2D and 3D neuronal populations and how information processing and transmission is related to the topological properties of neuronal networks. In this project, we propose to develop a systematic and controlled experimental approach for investigating the dynamics of 2D and 3D neuronal networks coupled to innovative high-density devices by means of advanced analysis tools. We plan to extensively characterize and compare 2D and 3D neuronal cultures by means of electrical and chemical stimulation. Within this framework we seek at developing a new in vitro and automated system for neurotoxicity tests. In the last part of the project we foresee to challenge our experimental models with chemical substances and to study the electrophysiological response with respect to specific parameters (biomarkers). 2. Development of computational models of neuronal assemblies to understand their computational properties as a function of different network topologies The present project aims at investigating how to effectively interact with neuronal systems by understating the role of the network connectivity in the computational properties of small/large/interacting neuronal networks. In particular, during the three-year research project, different computational network models will be developed and investigated, in order to: i) characterize the spontaneous activity of networks of neurons with different architectures. In particular, 2D uniform/homogeneous networks, 2D interconnected networks made up of few sub-populations (from 2 up to 4), and 3D structures will be taken into account. The observed dynamics will be investigated by checking whether particular configurations may promote phenomena like synchronization, emergence of critical phenomena, interplay between structural and functional connectivity; ii) characterize the stimulus-evoked activity induced by electrical stimulation in networks of neurons with different architectures. It will be investigated whether the evoked responses (i.e., the I/O function) can be modulated by structural connectivity. Candidates must have a master degree (or equivalent) in physics, engineering, mathematics or a related field. Essential skills comprise Matlab and/or C++/C# programming, as well as experience in computational neuroscience. If you are really interested, please send your CV, the name and contact details of two references, a description of your personal qualifications, and a description of your research interests indicating which of the two positions you are interested in. Please, be sure to satisfy the aforementioned requirements (master degree and essential skills). Before the hiring, candidates will be tested to verify the effective knowledge. Important dates are: Deadline: 15th May 2015. Starting Date: 1st November 2015 For submissions and informal inquiries, please contact Paolo Massobrio (paolo.massobrio(a)unige.it <mailto:paolo.massobrio@unige.it> ) Best regards Paolo _________________________________________________ Paolo Massobrio, PhD Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Neuroengineering and Bio-Nano Technology - NBT - Lab Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and System Engineering - DIBRIS University of Genova Via Opera Pia 11A, 16145, GENOVA, ITALY Phone: +39-010-3532761 Fax: +39-010-3532764 URL: <http://www.dibris.unige.it/> www.dibris.unige.it; <http://www.nbtunige.it/> www.nbtunige.it <http://sites.google.com/site/paolomassobrio/> http://sites.google.com/site/paolomassobrio/ E-mail: <mailto:paolo.massobrio@unige.it> paolo.massobrio(a)unige.it

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programmer/data analyst position at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, NY
by Susana Martinez-Conde April 7, 2015

April 7, 2015

A programmer/data-analyst position is available in the Martinez-Conde lab at SUNY Downstate, in Brooklyn, NYC (a 25-minute subway ride to Times Square). The Martinez-Conde lab (http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com) focuses on the intersection between perception, cognition, oculomotor behavior, and their neural underpinnings. Representative publications can be downloaded from http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com/publications. Candidates should have extensive programming experience in C++ and Matlab/Python, as well as a strong mathematical background as demonstrated by college transcripts. A Masters/Ph.D. in Engineering/Physics/Mathematics/Computer science/Neuroscience is preferred. Knowledge of neuroscience (or a strong desire to learn) is a plus. Foundational and translational research projects typically involve data analyses (eye movements, neural activity, perceptual reports, electrodermal activity, pupil responses, heart rate, respiration rate) and computational modeling, as well as behavioral/psychophysical and/or neurophysiological experiments. Expertise analyzing data and/or programming experiments in any of these areas is a plus. Please email CV/resume and college transcripts to Prof. Martinez-Conde (Susana.Martinez-Conde(a)downstate.edu <mailto:Susana.Martinez-Conde@downstate.edu> ). ---------------------------------------------------------------- Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD Director, Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience Division of Neurobiology Barrow Neurological Institute 350 W. Thomas Rd Phoenix AZ 85013, USA Phone: +1 (602) 406-3484 Fax: +1 (602) 406-4172 Email: smart(a)neuralcorrelate.com <mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com> http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com

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Brown University: Computational Neuroscience Post-Doctoral Opportunity
by Stephanie Jones April 6, 2015

April 6, 2015

Brown University: Computational Neuroscience Post-Doctoral Opportunity A NIH funded post-doctoral position is available to work with Dr. Stephanie Jones at Brown University and Dr. Matti Hamalainen at Mass. General Hospital on developing and analyzing biophysically principled computational neural models to study human MEG/EEG measured brain activity in health and disease. The post-doc hired will work among a team of researcher at Brown University, Mass. General Hospital in Boston, and Rhode Island Hospital who are advancing methods to image and interpret non-invasively measured human brain activity. Our group is integrating computational modeling, MEG/EEG, and invasive intra-operative recordings in humans to advancing methods to image and interpret non-invasively measured human brain activity in the context of sensorimotor function. Areas of study in our group include attention, perception, motor function, Parkinson’s Disease and Essential Tremor. Interested candidates should have experience in computational modeling methods and a strong quantitative and coding background. Please send a CV, statement of research interests, and three letters of recommendation to Stephanie_Jones(a)Brown.edu.

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CFP: 9th International Conference on Bio-inspired Information and Communications Technologies (BICT 2015, formerly BIONETICS)
by Masafumi HASHIMOTO April 5, 2015

April 5, 2015

CFP: 9th International Conference on Bio-inspired Information and Communications Technologies (BICT 2015, formerly BIONETICS) http://www.bionetics.org/ Paper submission deadline extended: August 3, 2015 December 3 (Thu) - December 5, 2015 (Sat) New York City, NY, USA Sponsored by European Alliance for Innovation (EAI) and Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science In-corporation with ACM (Pending) BICT 2015 aims to provide a world-leading and multidisciplinary venue for researchers and practitioners in diverse disciplines that seek the understanding of key principles, processes and mechanisms in biological systems and leverage those understandings to develop novel information and communications technologies (ICT). BICT 2015 targets two thrusts: THRUST 1: Indirect Bioinspiration (ICT designed after biological principles, processes and mechanisms). Examples include evolutionary computation, artificial gene regulatory networks, neural networks/computation, swarm intelligence, cellular automata, artificial immune systems, amorphous computing, artificial life, artificial chemistry, reaction-diffusion computing, self-organization, chaotic systems, social networks, game theory, computational epidemics, agent-based modeling, and nature-inspired models and calculi. THRUST 2: Direct Bioinspiration (ICT utilizing biological materials and systems). Examples include biosensing, molecular assembly, cellular computing, molecular computing/communication, membrane computing, bacterial computing/communication, DNA computing and memory, Physarum computing, quantum computing, biometric security/authentication, brain-computer interfaces and energy harvesting from biological sources. Expected, but not exclusive, topics are: * Signal/information processing and communication for bio-inspired ICT * Data management and analytics for bio-inspired ICT * Algorithms and their applications for bio-inspired ICT * Formal models and methods for bio-inspired ICT * Bio-inspired software and hardware systems * Modeling, simulations and empirical experiments of bio-inspired ICT * Self-* and stability properties in bio-inspired ICT * Security, robustness and resilience in bio-inspired ICT * Design, configuration, performance and management issues in bio-inspired ICT * Tools, testbeds and deployment aspects in bio-inspired ICT * Applications, experiences and standardization of bio-inspired ICT Application domains include, but not limited to, autonomic computing, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, computer networks, computer vision, data mining, e-health, green computing and networking, grid/cloud computing, intelligent agents, mechanical engineering, nanoscale/molecular computing and communication, optimization, pervasive computing, robotics, security, social networks, software engineering and systems engineering. IMPORTANT DATES: Regular paper submission due: August 3 Short and poster/demo paper submission due: September 22 Notification for regular papers: September 21 Notification for short and poster/demo papers: October 1 Camera ready due: October 15 SPECIAL TRACKS: In addition to the regular track that covers general/mainstream topics, BICT 2015 features the following special tracks that focus on specific, emerging or underrepresented topics. * Anthropomorphic Robot and Physiological Information for Cares and Daily Communication (ARPI) * Artificial, Biological and Bio-Inspired Intelligence (ABBII) * Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering (AISE) * Bio-inspired Algorithms and Technologies for Cyber Security and Defense Applications (DEFENSE) * Bio-Inspired Communications and Computing (BICC) * Bio-inspired Wireless Network Security (BWNS) * Biological Computing and Bio-medical Informatics (BCBI) * Biologically Inspired Computer Vision Models and Techniques (BioVis) * BioNanoNetworks: Modeling, Design, Performance and Applications (BMDPA) * Combinatorial Optimization (COP) * Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) * Computational Intelligence on Information Security (CIIS) * Engineering Applications from Bio-Molecular Networks (EmNet) * Game Theory and its Applications (GTA) * Molecular Communication and Networking (MCN) * Modularization for Practical Software Engineering (MPSE) * Nano-networks and Communication in Bacteria Populations (NCBP) * Physarum Computing (PhysComp) * Soft Computing on Brain-Body Area (SCBBA) * Swarm Robotics (SR) * Topology-driven bio-inspired methods and models for complex systems (TOPDRIM4Bio) CO-LOCATED WORKSHOPS: * Bioinformatics 2015 * Brain-Inspired Information Communication Technologies (BIICT) * Computational Models of the Visual Cortex (CMVC): Hierarchies, Layers, Sparsity, Saliency and Attention * Int'l Workshop on Electro-Chemical Signaling in Neuron Organelles (ESNO) * The First Int'l Workshop on Combining Machine Learning and Search-BasedSoftware Engineering (MLSBSE) * Int'l Workshop on Physarum Transport Networks (PhysNet) PAPER SUBMISSION: Authors are invited to submit regular papers (up to 8 pages each), short papers (up to 4 pages each) or poster/demo papers (up to 2 pages each) in ACM's paper template. Up to two extra pages are allowed for each paper with extra page charges. See http://bionetics.org/2015/show/initial-submission for more details. PUBLICATION: All accepted paper will be published through ACM Digital Library and submitted for indexing by SI, EI Compendex, Scopus, ACM DL, Google Scholar and many more. Selected papers will be considered for publication in leading journals including: * IEEE Transactions on NanoBioscience * ACM/Springer Mobile Networks and Applications * Elsevier Information and Software Technology * Elsevier Information Sciences * Springer Software Quality Journal * Elsevier Nano Communication Networks Journal * Springer Complex Adaptive Systems Modeling * Int'l Journal of Soft Computing and Networking KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: * Dmitri Chklovskii, Simons Foundation, USA * Simon Garnier, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University, USA * Radu Marculescu, Carnegie Mellon University, USA * Bud Mishra, New York University, USA * Maurizio Porfiri, New York University, USA * Yechiam Yemini, Columbia University, USA FEATURED SPEAKERS IN CO-LOCATED WORKSHOPS: * Emanuela Merelli, University of Camerino, Italy GENERAL CHAIRS: Jun Suzuki, University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA Tadashi Nakano, Osaka University, Japan Henry Hess, Columbia University, USA PC CHAIRS: William Casey, Carnegie Mellon University, SEI, USA Adriana Compagnoni, Stevens Institute of Technology, USA Simon Garnier, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University Mario Koeppen, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan

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