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[NeurIPS2024] Call for papers: Intrinsically Motivated Open-ended Learning workshop (IMOL@NeurIPS)
by Gaia Molinaro 10 Aug '24

10 Aug '24

We’re glad to announce the Intrinsically Motivated Open-ended Learning workshop at NeurIPS 2024 and are now accepting submissions! Important dates: - Submission deadline: September 11 2024 - Acceptance Notification: October 14 2024 - Workshop date: December 14 or 15 2024 (TBD), in-person @NeurIPS 2024, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Website: <https://larel-workshop.github.io/> https://imol-workshop.github.io/ Workshop Description: The field of IMOL aims at the unified study of the motivational forces, learning architectures, and developmental and environmental constraints that support the development of open-ended repertoires of skills and knowledge over learners' lifetimes. At this full-day in-person NeurIPS workshop, we will gather speakers from a wide diversity of scientific traditions, showcase on-going research via contributed talks and poster sessions, and provide networking opportunities for research and mentorship discussions (see website for detailed program). Submission Formats We welcome two categories of submissions: - 4-page submissions of technical contributions, benchmarks, negative results and opinion papers. - 1-page tiny papers (inspired by the ICLR tiny paper initiative <https://iclr.cc/Conferences/2023/CallForTinyPapers>) showcasing early research ideas to foster discussion and collaboration. Submissions should be on any topics related to the Intrinsically Motivated Open-ended Learning themes across disciplines (machine learning, cognitive sciences, philosophy, psychology, and more). Examples of relevant topics include: - Intrinsic motivation in machines and animals, - Autonomous open-ended learning (OEL), - Autonomous goal generation, - Self-supervised representation learning of states, actions, and skills, - Hierarchical and goal-directed RL, - Curriculum learning, - Interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, - Knowledge and skill transfer, - Continual/lifelong learning, - Open-ended development in children, - Role of metacognitive representations and processes in open-ended learning, - Playful exploration, - Language and sociality in open-ended learning, - Mitigation of risks of open-ended learning, - Philosophical and ethical implications of IMOL. Submission instructions: Submissions must be made via OpenReview <https://openreview.net/group?id=NeurIPS.cc/2024/Workshop/IMOL>. All submissions must be anonymized. Full submissions may be up to 4 pages long (excluding references and appendices) and use the NeurIPS 2024 LaTeX template <https://media.neurips.cc/Conferences/NeurIPS2024/Styles.zip>. Tiny papers should be a single page (excluding references and appendices), using the same template. Appendices can be added to the main PDF. Each paper will receive two reviews, and all reviews will be double-anonymized. Full submissions should report original research, develop novel environments or benchmarks, highlight meaningful negative results, or provide opinions and synthesis of previous works. Authors can submit concise versions of parallel submissions to other conferences such as the NeurIPS main conference or ICLR. We accept dual submission but discourage submitting to multiple NeurIPS workshops. All accepted papers will be available on the workshop website, but no formal workshop proceedings will be published. For any questions, email us at imol.workshop(a)gmail.com or reach us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/IMOLNeurIPS2024! Cheers, The IMOL@NeurIPS 2024 Organizing Committee https://imol-workshop.github.io/ -- *Gaia Molinaro* PhD Student at UC Berkeley Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Lab Website <https://gaiamolinaro.github.io/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/gaia_molinaro> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaiamolinaro/>

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Neuromatch [or Climatematch] Mentors: Join the Impact Scholars Program!
by Hilal Nizamoğlu 09 Aug '24

09 Aug '24

Dear all, [ [ apologies for cross-posting ] ] As a volunteer with Neuromatch Academy, I am pleased to inform you that we have just opened applications for paid mentorship for the Impact Scholars program <https://impact-scholars.neuromatch.io/impact-scholars/intro.html#> (link: https://impact-scholars.neuromatch.io/impact-scholars/intro.html#) This program allows our students to continue and expand on the research projects they initiated during the Academies over a period of six months. Throughout the program, students will receive professional development and mentorship, ultimately culminating in the production of an open-access micropublication. We are looking for mentors who can commit to working approximately 10 hours a month (about 2 hours a week) from October to March. Below are the details of the requirements for mentors. You can find the application links in the mentors section of our website <https://impact-scholars.neuromatch.io/impact-scholars/mentors.html>(link: https://impact-scholars.neuromatch.io/impact-scholars/mentors.html) *Bi-monthly Meetings with Scholars (3 hours/month)* - Meet with scholars twice a month for approximately one hour each session. - Provide guidance, review progress, and help troubleshoot any issues. *Monthly Staff Update Meeting (0.5 hour/month)* - Meet with program staff once a month for about 30 minutes to provide updates on the project group's progress, discuss challenges, and plan next steps. *Task Planning and Coordination (3 hours/month)* - Plan and coordinate project tasks, ensuring they are broken down into manageable components with clear responsibilities for each scholar. - Review and provide feedback on scholars' work to keep them on track with deadlines. *Monitoring Communication Channels (3 hours/month)* - Monitor Discord or other communication channels to provide additional support and answer questions as needed. - Be available for ad-hoc queries and offer guidance to ensure scholars are progressing smoothly. If you have any additional questions, please reach out at impactscholars(a)neuromatch.io Best regards, Hilal Nizamoglu (she/her)

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Post Doc in machine learning for biomedical time series and sleep, Aarhus University
by Kaare Mikkelsen 09 Aug '24

09 Aug '24

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher familiar with machine learning, ideally neural networks implemented with pytorch, to work on unsupervised transfer learning for biomedical time series. In our group, 'Biomedical Machine Learning' (BIML) at Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aarhus University, we have recently begun developing a new method for unsupervised transfer learning, which we have been testing on wearable EEG data (we are closely connected with the Center for ear-EEG). The results are very promising, though there exist multiple challenges still before we have realized the method's full potential. We are now looking to fill a 1-year post doc position to continue this work. Work is on-going to secure additional funding for extending the position further. The primary requirement for the candidate is familiarity with deep learning (ideally the pytorch framework), though experience with transfer learning, or EEG data, or sleep monitoring, is a plus. If this is interesting, please see the full job posting here: Post Doc in machine learning for biomedical time series and sleep, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aarhus University - Ledig stilling på Aarhus Universitet (au.dk) <https://www.au.dk/om/stillinger/job/post-doc-in-machine-learning-for-biomed…> Note that the starting date is somewhat flexible (an earlier start should be possible). Regards Kaare Mikkelsen, Assoc. Prof. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Aarhus University --------------------------------------------------------------------

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Multiple PhD positions in Cognitive Neuroscience at SISSA, Trieste - deadline 27 August 2024
by Eugenio Piasini 09 Aug '24

09 Aug '24

Up to 2 PhD positions in Cognitive Neuroscience are available at SISSA, Trieste, starting October 2024. SISSA is an elite postgraduate research institution for Maths, Physics and Neuroscience, located in Trieste, Italy. SISSA operates in English, and its faculty and student community is diverse and strongly international. The Cognitive Neuroscience group (https://phdcns.sissa.it/) hosts 6 research labs that study the neuronal bases of time and magnitude processing, visual perception, motivation and intelligence, language, tactile perception and learning, and neural computation. Our research is highly interdisciplinary; our approaches include behavioural, psychophysics, and neurophysiological experiments with humans and animals, as well as computational, statistical and mathematical models. Students from a broad range of backgrounds (physics, maths, medicine, psychology, biology) are encouraged to apply. The selection procedure is now open. The application deadline is 27 August 2024. Please apply here (https://www.sissa.it/bandi/ammissione-ai-corsi-di-philosophiae-doctor-posiz…) and see the admission procedure page (https://phdcns.sissa.it/admission-procedure) for more information. Note that the positions available for current admission round are those funded by the "Fondo Sociale Europeo Plus", accessible through the first link above. Please contact the PhD Coordinator Mathew Diamond (diamond(a)sissa.it) and/or your prospective supervisor for more information and informal inquiries.

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Postdoctoral researcher position in the neuroscience of brain motor plasticity in people born without hands
by Ella Striem-Amit 08 Aug '24

08 Aug '24

*Postdoctoral researcher position in the neuroscience of brain motor plasticity in people born without hands* The Sensory and Motor Plasticity Lab, led by Ella Striem-Amit, is recruiting a Postdoctoral researcher to join its team at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., USA. The SAMP lab explores brain organization and experience-dependent plasticity by studying people born blind, deaf, or without hands, using behavioral, computational, and fMRI state-of-the-art analytical techniques. The successful applicant will work on the topic of motor plasticity in people born without hands. Specifically, the project will test how people born without hands engage the motor hierarchy to perform everyday actions with their feet. A large dataset has already been collected to address these questions, and additional data can be collected. For more information about the lab, see samp-lab.facultysite.georgetown.edu <https://samp-lab.facultysite.georgetown.edu/research>. Excellent understanding of and experience with fMRI and data analysis are required. Strong programming skills (Matlab, R or python, etc.) are also required. The position is not limited to US citizens. The start date is fall-winter 2024, but flexible in exceptional circumstances. Funding for this position is available for 3 years, and may be extended. To apply, please email your CV and a brief statement of research interests to Ella Striem-Amit (Ella.StriemAmit(a)georgetown.edu) with the subject line: “post-doc application”. Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis. Georgetown University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer fully dedicated to achieving a diverse faculty and staff. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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Python Package: SER model
by Fabrizio Damicelli 08 Aug '24

08 Aug '24

Dear Computational Neuroscience Community, I would like to point you to a potentially useful Python Package that might be of interest for your research, especially in the realm dynamical models and spreading dynamics on networks. "ser": S(usceptible)E(xcited)R(efractory) model on graphs, a dynamical model of spreading excitations. Code Repository: https://github.com/fabridamicelli/ser As of today, a few people already trust it and the package registers >11K total downloads, ~500/month (pypi.org) and has been used already in a few research projects. A few interesting features: - It is light-weight and fast (`numba` accelerated), i.e. many experiments can be simply run on a laptop - Installation and getting started is easy: `pip install ser` - Example notebooks: https://github.com/fabridamicelli/ser/blob/main/examples The SER model is a classical cellular automaton model used to study all sorts of complex systems, ranging from forest fire dynamics to self-organized criticality in the brain. Despite of the simplicity of its setup, it is capable of generating complex emergent dynamics with absolutely non-trivial higher-order statistical properties. To learn more about the SER model and its applications, you might want to check out these references: - Messe et al. (2018). Toward a theory of coactivation patterns in excitable neural networks. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006084 - Haimovici et al. (2013). Brain Organization into Resting State Networks Emerges at Criticality on a Model of the Human Connectome. doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.178101 - Damicelli et al. (2019). Topological reinforcement as a principle of modularity emergence in brain networks. doi.org/10.1162/netn_a_00085 Check it out and any feedback/suggestions/bug reports are more than welcome (simply open an issue: https://github.com/fabridamicelli/ser/issues) All the best, Fabrizio Damicelli

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Call for Papers: The First Workshop on NeuroAI @ NeurIPS 2024, Vancouver, CA
by Forough Habibollahi 08 Aug '24

08 Aug '24

*Call** for Papers: The First Workshop on NeuroAI @ NeurIPS 2024: Fusing Neuroscience and AI for Intelligent Solutions* We are excited to announce that we are organizing* the First Workshop on NeuroAI @ NeurIPS 2024*, which will showcase research at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence. This workshop aims to bring together leading researchers to present their latest findings in NeuroAI. *Topics of Interest:* - Explainable and interpretable AI in neuroscience - Self-supervised systems in NeuroAI - Neuro-inspired architectures, and computations - Neuronally-plausible learning regimes - Neuro-inspired reasoning and decision-making - Cognitive functions in AI The topics above are NOT exhaustive, and we encourage the submission of research related to how principles and insights from neuroscience can lead to better artificial intelligence and vice versa. Our aim is to foster groundbreaking interdisciplinary research that advances both fields. *Submission Details:* We invite researchers in the field of NeuroAI to submit their papers to this workshop. Submissions should adhere to a page limit of *5 pages *(excluding references and supplementary materials) and must use the NeurIPS 2024 LaTeX template <https://media.neurips.cc/Conferences/NeurIPS2024/Styles.zip>. Authors are encouraged to submit their NeurIPS main conference submissions concurrently to this workshop (excluding any completed and already published work). *Important Dates:* · Submission Deadline: September 7, 2024 · Submission Portal: NeuroAI Workshop Submission Portal <https://openreview.net/group?id=NeurIPS.cc/2024/Workshop/NeuroAI> *The top 4 highly scored submissions will be chosen for spotlight talks.* *Event Details:* · Date: During NeurIPS 2024, 14 or 15 December 2024 (to be confirmed) · Location: In-person in Vancouver, Canada *Enquiries:* For further information, please contact: neuroai.neurips2024(a)gmail.com For more information about the details of the workshop schedule, lineup of speakers, etc. and to stay updated, please check the workshop website: NeuroAI Workshop Website <https://neuroai-workshop.github.io/> We look forward to your submissions and to seeing you at *NeurIPS 2024*! *On behalf of the NeuroAI workshop organizing committee,* *Moein Khajehnejad, **Forough Habibollahi, **Adeel Razi, **Jason Eshraghian, Noor Sajid, Anthony Zador, Yoshua Bengio*

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Application deadline extended: Advanced Neural Data Analysis and Neuroinformatics School (ANDA-NI)
by Michael Denker 06 Aug '24

06 Aug '24

There are still spots available for the Advanced Neural Data Analysis and Neuroinformatics school (ANDA-NI)! Interested in learning more on how to analyze complex cellular and network-level neuroelectrophysiological data in Python using hands-on exercise on the data you care about? Then hurry to apply for the remaining spots! Some of the topics covered: correlation analysis, variability, dimensionality reduction, spectral analysis, causality, data sharing and data representations New extended application deadline: *August 21, 2024* For more information and application procedures, please visit our school application page at https://andani.info

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new book: Electric Brain Signals
by Gaute Einevoll 06 Aug '24

06 Aug '24

We are very pleased to announce our new book: Electric Brain Signals Cambridge University Press, 2024 AUTHORS Geir Halnes, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Torbjørn V. Ness, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Solveig Næss, University of Oslo Espen Hagen, University of Oslo Klas Pettersen, Norwegian Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium Gaute Einevoll, Norwegian University of Life Sciences BOOK DESCRIPTION It is common to study the electric activity of neurons by measuring the electric potential in the extracellular space of the brain. However, interpreting such measurements requires knowledge of the biophysics underlying the electric signals. Written by leading experts in the field, this volume presents the biophysical foundations of the signals as well as results from long-term research into biophysics-based forward-modeling of extracellular brain signals. This includes applications using the open-source simulation tool LFPy, developed and provided by the authors. Starting with the physical theory of electricity in the brain, this book explains how this theory is used to simulate neuronal activity and the resulting extracellular potentials. Example applications of the theory to model representations of real neural systems are included throughout, making this an invaluable resource for students and scientists who wish to understand the brain through analysis of electric brain signals, using biophysics-based modeling. REVIEWS ‘Electric Brain Signals, by the Norwegian group founded by Gaute Einevoll, is the definitive how-to guide for detailed, biophysical modeling of brains, building up from the minuscule ionic currents traversing the cellular membrane, to the observed macro-variables across spatial scales, from the extracellular action potential and local field potential to EEG and MEG signals recorded inside or outside the skull. The book beautifully encapsulates, with easy-to-read prose and associated code, the sophistication of quantitative, mechanistic neuroscience of the twenty-first century necessary to understand the brain and the mind at the time scale of sensory input, motor action, and thought, in both health and disease.’ Christof Koch - Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA; and author of Biophysics of Computation ‘If you love physics, are fascinated with the brain, and wish that neural circuits could be understood from first principles, this book is for you! Gaute Einevoll and his team put together a masterpiece educational resource. Depending on the background and stage of training, the reader can consume it front to back, or use it as a reference book. The first part covers, in detail, the biophysical theory governing generation of the transmembrane and extracellular electrical potential. The second part is a comprehensive guide to simulations of these signals with the focus on data-driven modeling, from the microscopic level of single neurons and neural networks to macroscopic signals observable with noninvasive electro- and magneto-encephalography. This didactic organization, depth of coverage, and impeccable expertise of the authors make this book a top candidate as a textbook for computational neuroscience courses. Supplementary simulation software, freely available on GitHub, is a fantastic addition for research and teaching.’ Anna Devor - Boston University, USA ‘The brain is an electrochemical organ. The laws of electricity are simple. Yet how currents spread in a heterogeneous, non-isotropic milieu, such as the brain, is super complex. This long needed outstanding book provides all the necessary ingredients to comprehend this complexity. Done with the utmost care, this volume is a must-read for both novices and experts in electrophysiology and I bet it will become the foundation of elective graduate courses for many years to come. The text is the systems neuroscience equivalent of the single-neuron Hodgkin–Huxley model.’ György Buzsáki - NYU Neuroscience Institute, USA; and author of Rhythms of the Brain and The Brain from Inside Out ‘This book is a fantastic resource for the computational neuroscience community and beyond. The introductory ‘guide’ is outstanding in its clarity and description for readers with a range of backgrounds. The presentation is rigorous and detailed with many mathematical equations, and yet readable and understandable, with many figures. The authors are to be commended for their clearly defined terminologies and presentation of complex concepts. A gem of a read for anyone wanting to develop an in-depth understanding of electrical brain recordings and models of them.’ Frances K. Skinner - Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/electric-brain-signals/900A8A211004B98… [https://assets.cambridge.org/97813165/10841/large_cover/9781316510841i.jpg]<https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/electric-brain-signals/900A8A211004B98…> Electric Brain Signals<https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/electric-brain-signals/900A8A211004B98…> Cambridge Core - Biological Physics and Soft Matter Physics - Electric Brain Signals www.cambridge.org ******************************* Professor Gaute T. Einevoll Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Aas, Norway; Department of Physics, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway theoretical neuroscience podcast: theoreticalneuroscience.no<https://theoreticalneuroscience.no> popular science podcast: vettogvitenskap.no<https://vettogvitenskap.no> popular science podcast (English only): vettogvitenskap.no/senseandscience<https://vettogvitenskap.no/senseandscience> Co-author of "Electric Brain Signals": www.cambridge.org/electricbrainsignals<http://www.cambridge.org/electricbrainsignals> Co-author of "Principles of computational modeling in neuroscience" (2nd ed): www.cambridge.org/sterratt2<http://www.cambridge.org/sterratt2/> mobile: +47-95124536 email: Gaute.Einevoll(a)nmbu.no<mailto:Gaute.Einevoll@nmbu.no>, Gaute.Einevoll(a)gmail.com Twitter: @gauteeinevoll Blue Sky: @gauteeinevoll.bsky.social Zoom: https://nmbu.zoom.us/my/gauteeinevoll “If you sleep in a democracy, you may wake up with a dictator.”

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PhD position in Göttingen: Optogenetics in the Retina and Computational Neuroscience
by Gollisch, Tim 06 Aug '24

06 Aug '24

A PhD position is available in the lab of Tim Gollisch at the University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany. The PhD project will investigate how optogenetics can be used for vision restoration therapy to treat blindness. The work will involve multielectrode arrays to record spiking activity from isolated retinas of mice that express light-sensitive ion channels in different cell types of the retina. Furthermore, computational tools will be used for model-driven data analysis and assessment of neural coding under optogenetic stimulation. Prior experience with electrophysiology or computational analyses/computer programming will be considered advantageous for the application. The project is part of the newly founded Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Optogenetic Therapies (https://ekfz.uni-goettingen.de/) and will contribute to bringing optogenetic vision restoration towards clinical trials and patient treatment. Furthermore, the research group is embedded in the strong and lively neuroscience research community of Göttingen, including the university, several Max Planck Institutes, the German Primate Center, and the European Neuroscience Institute. We are also part of the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Göttingen. To get a better idea about the research group, see https://www.retina.uni-goettingen.de/. For more information or in case of questions, please send an email to Prof. Tim Gollisch (tim.gollisch(a)med.uni-goettingen.de<mailto:tim.gollisch@med.uni-goettingen.de>). For the official application, please visit https://ekfz.uni-goettingen.de/job.html#PhD and follow the instructions there, and mention in your application that you would like to join Team 2 (Vision), as there are multiple positions available in different teams. The University Medical Center Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer, and women are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants with disabilities and equal qualifications will be given preferential treatment.

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