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EMBO Course “Quantifying Astrocyte Physiology by Models from Genome to Circuits,” April 10–11, 2025, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

by De Pitta, Maurizio

Dear colleagues, Please share and disseminate through your network. On behalf of all the organizers, I am happy to announce that registrations are now open for the EMBO Course on “Quantifying Astrocyte Physiology by Models from Genome to Circuits” hosted by the University of Padua, in Padua, Italy, on April 10–11, 2025 https://sites.google.com/view/embo-satellite-meeting/home The course is a Satellite Event of the EMBO Workshop “Astrocytes: From Molecules to Systems,” which will follow in nearby Venice a couple of days later (April 14–18, 2025). The EMBO Course “Quantifying Astrocyte Physiology by Models from Genome to Circuits” is a two-day intensive course aimed at teaching essential modeling approaches to harness astrocyte biology revolving around four main themes such as (i) astrocyte genomics, (ii) intracellular calcium signaling, (iii) tripartite synapses, (iv) neuron-astrocyte networks. The course is open to researchers of any level in the Academia and Industry. Registration Policy Attendance to the Course is limited to 50 participants due to limited seating. Registrants that are also planning to attend the EMBO Workshop “Astrocytes: From Molecules to Systems” should register through this latter’s website: https://meetings.embo.org/event/25-astrocytes People who will not be selected to attend the EMBO Workshop “Astrocytes: From Molecules to Systems” can still opt to participate in the course by registering through the course website: https://sites.google.com/view/embo-satellite-meeting/home Thank you for your consideration. Maurizio De Pitta ----- Maurizio DE PITTA Principal Investigator Neuron-Glia Interactions Lab (NGILab) Krembil Research Institute, 4KD-509 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, CA +1.416.603.5800 ext. 3290 This e-mail may contain confidential and/or privileged information for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review or distribution by anyone other than the person for whom it was originally intended is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please contact the sender and delete all copies. Opinions, conclusions or other information contained in this e-mail may not be that of the organization. If you feel you have received an email from UHN of a commercial nature and would like to be removed from the sender's mailing list please do one of the following: (1) Follow any unsubscribe process the sender has included in their email (2) Where no unsubscribe process has been included, reply to the sender and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line. If you require additional information please go to our UHN Newsletters and Mailing Lists page. Please note that we are unable to automatically unsubscribe individuals from all UHN mailing lists. Patient Consent for Email: UHN patients may provide their consent to communicate with UHN about their care using email. All electronic communication carries some risk. Please visit the UHN website and search “Using email to Communicate with Your UHN Health Care Team” to learn about the risks of electronic communication and how to protect your privacy. You may withdraw your consent to receive emails from UHN at any time. Please contact your care provider, if you do not wish to receive emails from UHN.

Nov. 4, 2024

EMBO Workshop “Astrocytes: From Molecules to Systems,” April 14–18, 2025, Venice International University, Venice, Italy

by De Pitta, Maurizio

Dear colleagues, Please share and disseminate through your network. On behalf of all the organizers, I am happy to announce that registrations are now open for the EMBO Workshop on “Astrocytes: From Molecules to Systems,” which will take place at the exclusive setting of the Venice International University on San Servolo Island in Venice (Italy) on April 14–18, 2025. https://meetings.embo.org/event/25-astrocytes The EMBO Workshop Astrocytes: From Molecules to Systems is the first international meeting dedicated to astrocytes. It showcases an exceptional line-up of renowned investigators in the field of astrocyte biology to provide a multidisciplinary, comprehensive view of astrocyte research aimed at spurring research in the field for the next decade. Participation in the conference is limited to 160 attendees. The primary selection criterion is the quality of the scientific work. A scientific committee, composed of the Organizers and workshop speakers, will evaluate submitted abstracts based on their relevance to the astrocyte field and alignment with the workshop topics. The presentation of unpublished data is encouraged and will be given priority. We strongly encourage participation from PhD students and postdocs. Selected abstracts will be chosen for short talks, flash talks, and/or poster sessions. Registration: To enroll in selections and access the meeting, please pre-register through the website at the end of this message by January 14, 2025. Confirmed Speakers (in alphabetical order): Amit Agarwal, Heidelberg University, Germany Nicola Allen, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA Amaia Arranz, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Spain Blanca Díaz Castro, University of Edinburgh, UK Won-Suk Chung, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea Laura Civiero, University of Padua, Italy Carmen Falcone, International School for Advanced Studies, Italy Tommaso Felin, Italian Institute of Technology, Italy Fiona Doetsch, University of Basel, Switzerland Bart de Strooper, University College London, UK Maurizio De Pittà, Krembil Research Institute, Canada Blanca Díaz Castro, University of Edinburgh, UK Carole Escartin, CNRS University of Paris-Saclay, France Cristina García Cáceres, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Germany Angela Giangrande, University of Strasbourg, France Inbal Goshen, The Hebrew University, Israel Naomi Habib, The Hebrew University, Israel Dieter Heiland, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Germany Elly Hol, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, The Netherlands Matthew Holt, Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, Portugal Dolores Irala, Duke University Medical Center, USA Stephan Kaeser, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Germany Baljit Khakh, University of California Los Angeles, USA Ksenia Kastanenka, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA Martin Kampmann, University of California, USA Andràs Lakatos, University of Cambridge, UK Pierre Magistretti, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia Keith Murai, McGill University Health Center, Canada Marta Navarrete, Instituto Cajal CSIC, Spain Valentin Nägerl, University of Bordeaux, France Nathalie Rouach, College de France, France Francisco Quintana, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA Aiman Saab, University of Zurich, Switzerland Eduardo Zimmer, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil EMBO Workshop “Astrocytes: From Molecules to Systems” Apr 14–18, 2025 Venice (Italy) https://meetings.embo.org/event/25-astrocytes Thank you for your consideration of the matter. Maurizio De Pitta ----- Maurizio DE PITTA Principal Investigator Neuron-Glia Interactions Lab (NGILab) Krembil Research Institute, 4KD-509 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, CA +1.416.603.5800 ext. 3290 This e-mail may contain confidential and/or privileged information for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review or distribution by anyone other than the person for whom it was originally intended is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please contact the sender and delete all copies. Opinions, conclusions or other information contained in this e-mail may not be that of the organization. If you feel you have received an email from UHN of a commercial nature and would like to be removed from the sender's mailing list please do one of the following: (1) Follow any unsubscribe process the sender has included in their email (2) Where no unsubscribe process has been included, reply to the sender and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line. If you require additional information please go to our UHN Newsletters and Mailing Lists page. Please note that we are unable to automatically unsubscribe individuals from all UHN mailing lists. Patient Consent for Email: UHN patients may provide their consent to communicate with UHN about their care using email. All electronic communication carries some risk. Please visit the UHN website and search “Using email to Communicate with Your UHN Health Care Team” to learn about the risks of electronic communication and how to protect your privacy. You may withdraw your consent to receive emails from UHN at any time. Please contact your care provider, if you do not wish to receive emails from UHN.

Nov. 4, 2024

[seminar.wwtns] World wide VVTNS series: Wednesday, Wednesday 6, 2024, at 11:00 am EST

by David Hansel

[image: VVTNS.png] https://www.wwtns.online <https://streaklinks.com/A9c7PbbpKY7PxB6PaAJWGD3-/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wwtns.on…> - on twitter: wwtns@TheoreticalWide You are cordially invited to the lecture given by Hannah Choi Georgia Tech on the topic of Unraveling information processing through functional networks The lecture will be held on zoom on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at *11:00 am EST * To receive the zoom link: https://www.wwtns.online/register-page *Abstract: *While anatomical connectivity changes slowly through synaptic learning, the functional connectivity of neurons changes rapidly with ongoing activity of neurons and their functional interactions. Functional networks of neurons and neural populations reflect how their interactions change with behaviors, stimulus types, and internal states. Therefore, the information propagation across a network can be analyzed through the varying topological properties of the functional networks. Our study investigates the functional networks of the visual cortex at both the single-cell and population levels. Our analyses of functional connectivity of single neurons, constructed from spiking activity in neural populations of the visual cortex, reveal local and global network structures shaped by stimulus complexity. In addition, we propose a new method for inferring functional interactions between neural populations that preserves biologically constrained anatomical connectivity and signs. Applying our method to 2-photon data from the mouse visual cortex, we uncover functional interactions between cell types and cortical layers, suggesting distinct pathways for processing expected and unexpected visual information. *About VVTNS : Launched as the World Wide Theoretical Neuroscience Seminar (WWTNS) in November 2020 and renamed in homage to Carl van Vreeswijk in Memoriam (April 20, 2022), Speakers have the occasion to talk about theoretical aspects of their work which cannot be discussed in a setting where the majority of the audience consists of experimentalists. The seminars, **held on Wednesdays at 11 am ET,** are 45-50 min long followed by a discussion. The talks are recorded with authorization of the speaker and are available to everybody on our YouTube channel.* ᐧ ᐧ

Nov. 3, 2024

Faculty position of AI and psychology/neuroscience - University of Miami

by Mingbo Cai

*Faculty position of Ai and psychology / neuroscience* The Department of Psychology at the University of Miami invites applications for a full-time, tenure-eligible, or tenure-track faculty member to join our department in August 2025. The opening is part of a College of Arts & Sciences cluster hire dedicated to artificial intelligence (machine learning). Prospective candidates should use artificial intelligence as a core approach in their investigations and/or as a topic of their research. Individuals who also have interests in computational approaches including advanced quantitative techniques are encouraged to apply. The specific area of research is open. Area(s) of focus could include, but are not limited to, basic research on perception, cognition, affect, neurophysiology, language, behavior, mental health, the impact of disparities, learning, development, human computer interaction, deep neural network mechanisms, brain-inspired AI, or computational cognitive neuroscience. The candidate’s research would complement and expand current work in the department using large language models to study naturalistic speech, using machine learning to model emotional communication, and using computational models to explain both neural processing and behavior. Candidates will support and advance UM’s mission to engage in innovative and interdisciplinary AI research across the college and university. The Department of Psychology <https://www.psy.miami.edu/> is a vibrant, collaborative community that includes clinical and psychological sciences faculty across Adult <https://www.psy.miami.edu/graduate/adult-division/>, Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience <https://cbn.psy.miami.edu/>, Child <https://www.psy.miami.edu/graduate/child-division/>, and Health <https://www.psy.miami.edu/graduate/health-division/> Divisions. The mission of the Department is to acquire, advance, and disseminate knowledge within the Psychological and Biobehavioral Sciences, supported through excellent graduate programs <https://www.psy.miami.edu/graduate/doctoral-programs/index.html> and state-of-the-art facilities. The department values and celebrates cultural diversity of all kinds and has an active Diversity and Equity Committee <https://www.psy.miami.edu/about-the-department/dec/index.html>. The greater Miami community is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse metropolitan areas in the country. Applications will be considered at all ranks. Appointment is expected to start on August 15, 2025. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. by the appointment start date. Applications can be submitted via the UM Careers Website <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fumiami.wd…>. Please compile the following documents in *up to five PDFs (each within 5MB) and upload them under the Resume/CV *section of the online application. If you have difficulties uploading any representative publications due to size limitations, please email them directly to our administrative assistant Maria Shah (maria.shah(a)miami.edu) · Letter of interest · Current CV · Research statement · Teaching statement · A statement that explains your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including comment on mentoring underrepresented populations · 3 representative publications · 3-4 references – we will request letters of recommendation for a final pool of applicants Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2024 and continue until the position is filled. Inquiries, requests for information, and nominations can be sent to the Search Co-Chairs, Aaron Heller ( aheller(a)miami.edu) and Daniel Messinger (dmessinger(a)miami.edu) *------------------------------* The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Females, Minorities, Protected Veterans, and/or Individuals with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law. Click here <https://www.hr.miami.edu/careers/eo-ada/index.html> for additional information. Mingbo Cai Assistant Professor Department of Psychology University of Miami

Nov. 2, 2024

Reminder Announcement of BrainCriticality 2024 3-day conference Nov 6 - 8, 2024, NIH, USA

by Plenz, Dietmar (NIH/NIMH) [E]

Please post the following reminder for our upcoming conference which was first announced on your listserv on Oct. 5 (see bottom of this email). +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Hybrid Brain Criticality Conference 2024 from Wed, Nov. 6th - Fri, Nov. 8th is just around the corner! This hybrid meeting will take place at the National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA with ~25 speakers over the course of 3 days. Contributions will cover recent developments in the fields of systems neuroscience and collective phenomena in complex systems with focus on the role of criticality and its implications for normal and abnormal brain dynamics. You can now access the updated conference program, including selected Oral Spotlight presentations, on our website: https://braincriticality.org/<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbraincrit…>. Zoom Access Link (free): To join the conference virtually via Zoom, please use this link: https://nih.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_Nsl-6_QwRWeRI8dyp3emVg#/registr…<https://nih.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_Nsl-6_QwRWeRI8dyp3emVg> By entering your email, you'll gain direct access to the virtual meeting room when it opens. If you're unable to join immediately, you'll receive an email with a direct access link to use later. This same link will remain valid for the entire conference duration. We look forward to welcoming you soon! The Organizers Dietmar Plenz, Lucilla de Arcangelis, Miguel Angel Muñoz, Mauro Copelli, and Demian Battaglia +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thank you very much, Dietmar Plenz, PhD Principal Investigator Section on Critical Brain Dynamics National Institute of Mental Health USA _____________________________________________ From: Plenz, Dietmar (NIH/NIMH) [E] Sent: Saturday, October 5, 2024 1:20 PM To: comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org Subject: Announcement of BrainCriticality 2024 3-day conference Nov 6 - 8, 2024, NIH, USA Brain Criticality Hybrid Meeting November 6 - 8 2024 (in person/virtual) For registration and details see: https://braincriticality.org/<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbraincrit…> This hybrid meeting will take place at the National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA with ~25 speakers over the course of 3 days. Contributions will cover recent developments in the fields of systems neuroscience and collective phenomena in complex systems with focus on the role of criticality and its implications for normal and abnormal brain dynamics. Dietmar Plenz, Ph.D. Senior Investigator Section on Critical Brain Dynamics National Institute of Mental Health USA "Complexity from simple rules"

Nov. 2, 2024

Openings for Postdocs, RAs, and PhD Students in Computational Psychiatry and Neuro-AI (Lin Lab)

by doerlbh＠gmail.com

Dear colleagues, The Lin Lab (Bytes of Minds Lab) at Mount Sinai is actively recruiting Postdoctoral Researchers, PhD Students, and Research Assistants passionate about Computational Psychiatry and Neuro-AI. Led by Dr. Baihan Lin and based within New York’s largest health network, our lab is at the forefront of mental health technology and brain-inspired AI research, combining insights from neuroscience, cognitive science, and machine learning to create adaptive, intelligent systems that can transform mental health care and deepen our understanding of the mind. Why Join Us? - Cutting-edge Research: Our work spans neuro-inspired AI, computational psychiatry, brain-computer interfaces, extended realities (XR), social media analysis, wearable technology, and more. - Interdisciplinary Environment: Engage with advanced neuroscience, machine learning, and cognitive science to create innovative tools for mental health and next-gen neurotechnology. - Unique Positioning: As part of Mount Sinai’s dynamic research community, we have access to extensive data resources and collaborations within a top-tier hospital network, biggest in NY, and ranked #1 in healthcare AI by Nature. We invite interested candidates with a drive to explore the frontiers of mind and machine to join us. For more details, visit linlab.org, or apply directly by emailing Dr. Baihan Lin at baihan.lin(a)mssm.edu. US (and especially NYC-based) candidates preferred, though international applicants are welcome to apply. Best, Baihan Lin, PhD Bytes of Minds Lab (Lin Lab) Departments of AI, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health, Friedman Brain Institute, Center for Computational Psychiatry Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA baihan.lin(a)mssm.edu | linlab.org

Nov. 1, 2024

Invitation to EiNS Seminars: Guillermo Cecchi (IBM Research, USA) - AI Challenges for Large Longitudinal Clinical Trials in Mental Health

by Jose A. Fernandez

Dear Comp-Neuro members, You're cordially invited to join us for the upcoming session of the “Explorations in Neuroscience Seminars” (EiNS). We are excited to feature *Guillermo Cecchi* from the *T.J. Watson Institute at IBM Research, USA*, who will be presenting on “*AI Challenges for Large Longitudinal Clinical Trials in Mental Health.*” The lecture will take place on YouTube Live on *Friday, November 15, 2024, at 3 PM (GMT-3)*. We look forward to your participation! Please note that this talk will be conducted in Spanish. Feel free to share this invitation with anyone who might be interested but isn't on our list. *Link:* https://www.youtube.com/ExactasUNCPBA/live Best wishes, *Jose A. Fernandez-Leon Fellenz*Adjunct Professor UNCPBA - Researcher CONICET CIFICEN (UNCPBA-CICPBA-CONICET) & INTIA (UNCPBA-CICPBA) Dept. of Computer Science and Systems - Exactas-UNCPBA *EMail:* jafernandez(a)intia.exa.unicen.edu.ar *Web:* https://jafphd.intia.exa.unicen.edu.ar/ *NeuroAI Lab:* https://neuro-ai-lab.intia.exa.unicen.edu.ar/ ---------------------- *Title: AI Challenges for Large Longitudinal Clinical Trials in Mental Health - * *Guillermo Cecchi (Institute T.J. Watson – IBM Research, USA)* *Abstract: *The recent experience of accelerated vaccine development under the pressure of the covid pandemic, the massive adoption of consumer electronics and the explosion of AI capabilities signal a dramatic shift in the implementation of clinical trials, which have been particularly ineffective and onerous in mental health. We will present results from ongoing and recently completed large longitudinal clinical trials for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Chronic Pain, Prodromal Psychosis and outcomes across all mental health conditions in which massive streams of clinical data are combined with at-home ultra-high frequency digital information including smart phone use, geolocation, and semi-structured and free-form language to provide a holistic and quasi-real time assessment of the participants, and will discuss the analytic and interpretation challenges that emerge in these demanding studies. *BIO:* https://research.ibm.com/people/guillermo-cecchi *Academic background:* Guillermo Cecchi received an education in Physics (MSc, University of La Plata, Argentina, 1991), Physics and Biology (PhD, The Rockefeller University, 1994-1999), and Imaging in Psychiatry (Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell University 2000-2001). He has been interested in diverse aspects of theoretical biology, including Brownian transport, molecular computation, spike reliability in neurons, song production and representation in songbirds, statistics of natural images and visual perception, statistics of natural language, and brain imaging. In 2001 he joined IBM Research to work on computational approaches to brain function. In recent years, Dr. Cecchi has pioneered the use of a computational linguistics approach to quantify psychiatric conditions from short speech samples, applying it successfully to conditions as diverse as schizophrenia, mania, prodromal psychosis, chronic pain, neurodegeneration, drug and alcohol intake, and psychotherapy. *Areas of research: *Dr. Cecchi directs the Computational Psychiatry and the Neuroimaging groups in IBM Research, and is Associate Director of Analytics for NIH's Advancing Medicines Partnerships - Schizophrenia. From May 2024, Dr. Cecchi is the co-Director of the PREDiCT Center for outcomes forecast across all mental health outpatients in New York City Mt Sinai hospitals (NIH U01 center grant). *About EiNS Seminars*: This online seminar series aims to go beyond the human mind to unlock intelligence across nature and machines. The talks invite a cross-disciplinary exploration of cognitive and decision-making systems, and computational linguistics from biological organisms to Artificial Intelligence. By examining the intricacies of minds embedded in physical bodies or their absence, we aim to uncover novel approaches for developing neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of embodied and cognitive intelligence, exploring how memory, learning, decision-making, environmental awareness, and consciousness manifest across various life forms and AI challenges. Each talk will feature captivating case studies and open dialogue, fostering a collaborative environment for generating fresh perspectives. The talks are recorded only with authorization of the speaker and are available to everybody at https://neuro-ai-lab.intia.exa.unicen.edu.ar/eins-seminars.

Oct. 30, 2024

Complex Networks 2024 – Program & Registration now Available!

by Hocine Cherifi

We’re thrilled to invite you to Complex Networks 2024! The program is now live, featuring an exceptional lineup of keynote speakers, tutorials, presentations, and sessions that showcase the latest developments in complex networks. *Explore the Program:* Our diverse schedule includes thought-provoking keynotes, hands-on tutorials, oral presentations, and interactive poster and lightning sessions. You can view the full program here: [Link to All Files <https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gEuIWHM5NXkd75Q3fun5zuTyp-lbFu_o?us…> ]. *Key Highlights:* - *Tutorials <https://complexnetworks.org/tutorials/> on December 09:* Join specialized tutorials designed to deepen your knowledge and provide practical skills. - *Keynote Speakers <https://complexnetworks.org/keynotes/>:* Gain insights from renowned experts who will share cutting-edge perspectives on complex network research and applications. - *Program at a Glance <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1paPlcRaZmntRoToxc5Rbq8YampNlNLP2/view>* - *Poster Sessions <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fWZkkYijpASQwZHJfCc5RtnikUwmFCCF/view>* - *Oral Sessions <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MwPeu5RdoCPPbdp_8zmslmOfwK735ewZ/view>* - *Lightning Sessions <https://drive.google.com/file/d/12iZxpGrjcJwMCN4K6gDqkGagWFIEyjkG/view>* *Register Now:* Don’t miss the opportunity to engage with leading researchers and practitioners in the field. If you haven’t registered yet, secure your spot here: [https://complexnetworks.org/registration/] <https://complexnetworks.org/registration/> *Conference Dates and Location:* Conference will be held from December 10, 2024 to December 12, 2024 in vibrant Istanbul. In addition to the sessions, enjoy networking opportunities, including a welcome reception and a gala dinner, to foster collaboration and connection. We look forward to seeing you in Istanbul for an enriching and inspiring event! Best regards, Complex Networks 2024 Organizing Committee Join us at COMPLEX NETWORKS 2024 <https://www.complexnetworks.org/> *-------------------------* Hocine CHERIFI University of Burgundy Franche-Comté Laboratoire* I*nterdisciplinaire *C*arnot de *B*ourgogne - ICB UMR 6303 CNRS Editor in Chief Plos Complex Systems <https://plos.org/complex-systems-research-journal/#:~:text=PLOS%20Complex%2….> Founding & Adisory Editor Applied Network Science <https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/> Editorial Board member PLOS One <https://journals.plos.org/plosone/>, IEEE ACCESS <https://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/?http%3A%2F%2Fieeeaccess_ieee_org%2F>, Scientific Reports <https://www.nature.com/srep/>, Journal of Imaging <https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jimaging>, Quality and Quantity <https://www.springer.com/journal/11135/>, Computational Social Networks <https://computationalsocialnetworks.springeropen.com/>, Complex Systems <https://www.complex-systems.com/>

Oct. 30, 2024

Two PhD positions

by Phil Garner

Dear Colleagues, The Idiap Research Institute in partnership with the Department of Mathematics at Mahidol University seek two PhD students to work on Bayesian Optimisation and training techniques for spiking neural networks. Funded by the Swiss NSF, one student will be based in Martigny in the Swiss alps, the other in Bangkok in Thailand. Exchanges between the two are planned. In addition to promising better understanding of biological processes, spiking nets have persuasive low-power implications. However, they present difficulties associated with their many hyperparameters, binary nature and non-differentiability of the emitted spikes. At Idiap, the project will build on our recent work that has shown that spiking networks are plausible solutions for speech processing tasks. The Bayesian approach will be twofold: In a first thread we will attempt to show that prior information can compensate for discontinuities in the error landscape arising from the binary nature. In a second thread, we will use Bayesian Optimisation techniques to handle the increased number of hyperparameters associated with spiking neurons. At Mahidol, the team will be responsible for designing frameworks for LPNet and neural networks to address the vehicle routing problem (VRP). The project will explore the effectiveness of these approaches in solving VRP and identify their limitations. The ultimate aim is to enhance VRP solutions through our spiking neural network (SNN) framework. The ideal student should have a master's (or equivalent) degree in engineering, computer science, physics, or mathematics. They should have a good background in mathematics, statistics, and programming (C/C++, Python, scripting languages). Candidates should have a deep understanding of ANNs and, ideally, familiarity with SNNs. For more information and to apply, for Idiap: https://careers.werecruit.io/en/idiap/offers/phd---bayesian-methods-for-spi… for Mahidol: https://mathematics.sc.mahidol.ac.th/scholarship-for-phd-in-mathematics-swi… The SNSF SPIRIT program is especially concerned with gender and identity inclusivity; we will emphasize this through the hiring process. In this sense, we particularly encourage applications from female candidates. Sincerely, -- Phil Garner http://www.idiap.ch/~pgarner

Oct. 30, 2024

PhD opportunity: computational neuroscience of decision-making and addiction

by mailinglists.4svr4＠simplelogin.com

I am seeking candidates for a potential PhD project at the University of Surrey, investigating how dopamine shapes memory formation and decision-making in healthy and addictive behaviours. Essential Requirements * Strong academic background * Programming skills (or strong willingness to learn) * Advanced statistical knowledge (or strong willingness to learn) * Interest in computational neuroscience and addiction research Funding Information Through the South East Doctoral Training Arc (SEDarc), funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), successful candidates can receive: * Full funding for UK or International students * Living stipend at UKRI rates * Access to advanced research training Previous students from our School have successfully secured these competitive studentships. However, funding is not guaranteed and depends on both the candidate's academic excellence and the strength of the research proposal. If you are interested, please send your CV to c.feherdasilva(a)surrey.ac.uk . I will be happy to discuss the project idea and guide you through the application process. Best regards, Carolina Feher da Silva Lecturer in Psychology University of Surrey Note: This opportunity is open to both UK and International students. The University of Surrey is located in Guildford, 40 minutes from central London.

Oct. 29, 2024

Queers in STEM social London

by Niedernhuber,Maria

Dear all Representatives of LGBT university staff networks in London, as well as the organisation Pride in STEM, are organising a social for queer academics, focusing on STEM. Anyone is welcome. Since our social originated at a cognitive and computational neuroscience conference, queer neuroscientists are very well represented, and we hope that this will be a great opportunity to network for queer people in cognitive and computational neuroscience. This is the sign-up link: <https://www.outsavvy.com/event/23202/queers-in-stem-pub-social> https://www.outsavvy.com/event/23202/queers-in-stem-pub-social. If anyone here is interested in co-organising, please shoot me an email, and feel free to forward the sign-up link to anyone you know who might be interested. We are especially still looking for a contact person at the University of Greenwich and at Royal Holloway University of London, which are not represented in the organising team at the moment, to advertise the social in their local LGBT staff network. Feel free to email me to chat about the initiative, and how to get involved! Have a lovely week! Maria (they/them) --- Maria Niedernhuber Postdoctoral researcher in Cognitive Neuroscience Consciousness and Cognition Lab, University of Cambridge Sleep and Cognition Lab, QMUL

Oct. 29, 2024

[Newsletter] rTAIM Seminar #13 | Ethical Agent or Mere Tool?: A Cautioning Argument for “Moral” Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare | 30 October 2024, 15h00, Online

by steven gouveia

rTAIM (Rebuilding Trust in AI Medicine) Monthly Seminars Seminar #13 Ethical Agent or Mere Tool?: A Cautioning Argument for “Moral” Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Jordan Joseph Wadden (Unity Health Toronto - Canada) Following the 12th rTAIM Online Seminar (by Francesco Prinzi, University of Palermo), we are happy to announce the first seminar of this academic year 2024/2025, the 13th rTAIM Online Seminar, with the participation of Jordan Joseph Wadden (Unity Health Toronto, Canada), on the 30th October 2024, 15h00-16h30 Lisbon Time Zone, via Zoom. ONLINE | Link Zoom<https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/95294324802?pwd=Lt2o4boR0iHYWFtXvu6KdrD…> ID: 952 9432 4802 | Password: 506705 #Seminar 13: To talk of moral machines presupposes that researchers understand enough about how humans come to their own conceptions of the good. Moral epistemology and moral psychology have struggled to describe these facts and processes, and we still don’t have a generalizable conception. However, there appears to be an assumption that ethics can nonetheless be instilled directly into artificial intelligence. This is of special concern in healthcare because algorithms and systems are being designed to recommend treatments and pathways for patients. But finding the right treatment for a patient requires more than just an analysis of the medical facts. Healthcare teams must also weigh preferences, goals, psycho-social needs, religious and spiritual beliefs, quality of life, and so on. Each of these elements has a unique, and often individualized, moral element. This paper presents an argument that healthcare artificial intelligence ought to be viewed as a mere tool, rather than as a (quasi-)moral agent which could act alone in the clinical encounter. I argue that some researchers have become distracted by the AI and robot rights discussions, making them think it’s possible to code ethics into a system when humans still don’t understand how we come to believe our own moral beliefs. Short Bio: Jordan Joseph Wadden, MA, PhD, HEC-C, is a clinical ethicist at Unity Health Toronto in Canada. He is an assistant professor (status only) in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on the ethical implementation of artificial intelligence and machine learning in healthcare. He was the winner of the 2024 Ethics of AI Award at the 3rd International Conference on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. rTAIM Seminars: https://ifilosofia.up.pt/activities/rtaim-seminars https://trustaimedicine.weebly.com/rtaim-seminars.html Organisation: Steven S. Gouveia (MLAG/IF) Mind, Language and Action Group (MLAG) Instituto de Filosofia da Universidade do Porto – UIDB/00502/2020 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) ____________________________________________ Instituto de Filosofia (UI&D 502) Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto Via Panorâmica s/n 4150-564 Porto Tel. 22 607 71 80 E-mail: ifilosofia(a)letras.up.pt<mailto:ifilosofia@letras.up.pt> http://ifilosofia.up.pt/

Oct. 28, 2024

NIH-funded Post-doctoral fellowship - spatial navigation, gait, mobility, EEG, MRI, virtual reality - in biomedical engineering at the University of Florida

by Steve Weisberg

A postdoctoral researcher position studying electrocortical activity during human navigation is available in the laboratory of Dr. Daniel Ferris ( https://faculty.eng.ufl.edu/human-neuromechanics-laboratory) This position is for an initial one-year appointment, and has the potential to be renewed for three additional years based on performance and funding availability. https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/cw/en-us/job/533572/postdoc Join a team studying age- and ADRD-related changes in gait and navigation, including Rachael Seidler, Dan Ferris, and Steve Weisberg. -- --------------------------------------------- *Steven M. Weisberg, PhD * Pronouns: he/him/his Assistant Professor of Psychology University of Florida Director: SCANN Lab <http://scannlab.psych.ufl.edu>

Oct. 28, 2024

[comp-neuro] job advertisement | 1 fully funded PhD position (E13) | Application deadline: Nov.18, 2024

by Daniel Schmid

Vacancy for dissertation/PhD project *Learning Search and Decision Mechanisms in Medical Diagnosis* We are looking for a new PhD student for a fully funded interdisciplinary research project investigating the computational mechanisms underlying the perceptual processes in medical imaging. *Brief project description and goals* Medical experts routinely screen images for signs of abnormality indicative of a disease. Experimental evidence shows that these experts, based on their training, are able to make a diagnose above chance level even after screening images for only a few seconds. Such visual inspection utilizes global ensemble scene statistics, or “scene gist”, to provide contextual guidance information. The goal of the PhD project is to investigate how such global, contextual gist information can be computed and incorporated in machine vision approaches, such as deep neural networks for natural or medical image processing. In particular, a goal is to develop neural mechanisms that can be integrated into existing pre-trained CNNs to compute scene gist for rapid global decision-making and contextual guidance in medical images. Such mechanisms should explain how such global feature compositions are learned to increase the classification specificity and, at the same time, do not equip an observer with the ability to precisely localize such feature compositions indicative of the evidence. At the implementation level, computational units (neurons) in hierarchical CNN architectures will be extended by integrating local bottom-up feature extraction mechanisms with top-down modulatory contextual fields. We focus on these mechanisms to learn the integration of information streams in counter-stream networks by employing novel two-point information integration units inspired by recent findings from neuroscience. These investigations will contribute to develop novel CNN architectures by integrating feedforward and feedback data streams that operate at different spatio-temporal scales and feature types inspired by computational mechanisms in biological vision. The combined global and local information is expected to provide more detailed explanations on a mechanistic level how radiologists steer their attention and search capacities and learn to improve such skills. *Requirements* - MSc degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Cognitive Systems/Science or equivalent relevant background - Experience in computational vision, neural networks, machine learning; with strong mathematical/physics foundation - Experience in developing biologically inspired models – or interested in learning how to develop such mechanisms and models - Experience in analysis of large data and evaluation of results - Strong coding skills - Personal skills: working in a team, but should be able to work independently, is strongly focused and enthusiastic about the project theme, is self-motivated and takes responsibility for reaching milestones - Experience and talent in scientific writing (with proficient written & oral English) *Contact & application* The project is part of the newly founded research training group “KEMAI” that focuses on integrating knowledge and learning based approaches for better medical AI (https://kemai.uni-ulm.de/ for more information). The offered PhD position is fully funded (E13 salary) and also benefits from an interdisciplinary setting, the ability to connect with peers from related projects and a clearly structured PhD program. Application materials are expected until November 18, 2024. They should contain a CV, statement of research interest and background in relation to the KEMAI training group and project theme C2. A cover letter should inform about the expected date of availability and name of two referees. Submit your application via the KEMAI website (preferred) or to Prof. Heiko Neumann (heiko.neumann(a)uni-ulm.de) or reach out for more information. Best regards, Daniel Schmid -- Daniel Schmid, M.Sc. Institute of Neural Information Processing Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology Ulm University James-Frank-Ring D-89081 Ulm Germany e-mail: daniel-1.schmid(a)uni-ulm.de

Oct. 28, 2024

Justin Wood speaking on November 12 in Developing Minds global online lecture series

by Jochen Triesch

Dear colleagues, On November 12, the Developing Minds global online lecture series is proud to host Justin Wood from Indiana University Bloomington, USA, speaking on: "Radical empiricism: The origins of knowledge as a mini-evolution“ Tuesday, November 12, 2024 9:00 am EST (Eastern Standard Time, US) 14:00 UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) 15:00 CET (Central European Time) 23:00 JST (Japan Standard Time) The zoom link/credentials are: https://uni-frankfurt.zoom-x.de/j/62980753356?pwd=0J6BtOaAy20YyanXX1gpkB3Ta… Meeting-ID: 629 8075 3356 Kenncode: 904159 Abstract: What are the origins of knowledge? A common theoretical strategy is to isolate core primitives of the mind, such as systems for reasoning about objects, space, number, agents, and language. The problem with this strategy is it disconnects brain development from general fitting principles that underlie chemistry, evolution, culture, and artificial intelligence. I argue that development can be understood as a “mini-evolution,” in which core mental skills are the products of generic evolution-like fitting processes. In evolution, life started from scratch, and species emerged as DNA adapted to the world via blind fitting. Likewise, in development, knowledge starts from scratch, and mental skills emerge as individual brains adapt to the world via blind fitting. Historically, the main roadblock for testing fitting theories has been the lack of benchmarks and models for measuring whether fitting models learn like brains. To directly compare learning across brains and models, both must be trained with the same data and tested on the same tasks. We propose a solution—called “Newborn Embodied Turing Tests” (NETTs)—in which newborn animals and fitting models are reared in the same environments and tested with the same tasks. I’ll describe a series of NETTs showing that generic fitting models (transformers) develop many core mental skills, including orientation selectivity, visual binding, shape-based vision, invariant object recognition, imprinting, collective behavior, and social preferences. These skills develop spontaneously when generic fitting models fit to prenatal and postnatal experiences. There is no need to postulate mysterious core primitives to explain the rapid development of domain-specific knowledge. Rather, core knowledge can be the product of generic fitting machinery: a radical empiricist view of the origins of knowledge. This mini-evolution view unifies chemistry, evolution, development, culture, and artificial intelligence under a common fitting framework, with shared general principles. Short Bio: Justin Wood is an Associate Professor of Informatics at Indiana University Bloomington. He is affiliated with programs in Animal Behavior, Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, and Psychological & Brain Sciences. He received his B.A. from University of Virginia and M.S. & Ph.D. from Harvard University. Dr. Wood has studied the psychological abilities of a range of populations, including human adults, children, infants, chimpanzees, wild monkeys, starlings, and newborn chicks. He works at the intersection of developmental psychology, neuroscience, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to characterize the origins and computational foundations of intelligence. The talk will be recorded and made available for later viewing. For more information on the talk series and recordings of previous events, please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/developing-minds-series/home Best regards, Jochen Triesch -- Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch Johanna Quandt Chair for Theoretical Life Sciences Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies and Goethe University Frankfurt http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/~triesch/ Tel: +49 (0)69 798-47531 Fax: +49 (0)69 798-47611

Oct. 28, 2024

Re: Join Us for the Statistical Physics of Cognition Workshop – Institute of Physics, London

by Rajpal, Hardik

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce that registrations are now open for the Statistical Physics of Cognition Workshop, taking place on the 25th and 26th of November 2024 at the Institute of Physics, King’s Cross, London. You can register for the event here: https://iop.eventsair.com/spc2024/register We would also like to remind everyone that the abstract submission deadline for the poster session is fast approaching on 31st October 2024. PhD students and early career researchers are particularly encouraged to submit abstracts for this exciting opportunity to share your work. Please submit your abstracts at the following link: https://iop.eventsair.com/spc2024/abstract-submission For further details about the workshop, you can explore the program here: https://iop.eventsair.com/spc2024/programme Additionally, we are thrilled to announce a public event featuring a fireside chat between Prof. John Krakauer and Prof. Karl Friston on the intriguing topic, "Can Reductionism Explain the Mind?" This discussion will take place on the evening of 25th November, followed by a drinks reception. We look forward to welcoming you to an interdisciplinary gathering that will bring together experts from neuroscience and physics to explore cognition in innovative ways. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out, and we hope to see you there! Sincerely, Hardik Rajpal Research Associate Organizing Committee, Statistical Physics of Cognition Workshop Imperial College London From: Rajpal, Hardik via Comp-neuro <comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org> Date: Monday, 7 October 2024 at 12:39 To: comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org <comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org> Subject: [Comp-neuro] Join Us for the Statistical Physics of Cognition Workshop – Institute of Physics, London This email from comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org originates from outside Imperial. Do not click on links and attachments unless you recognise the sender. If you trust the sender, add them to your safe senders list<https://spam.ic.ac.uk/SpamConsole/Senders.aspx> to disable email stamping for this address. Dear Colleagues, We are excited to announce that the Statistical Physics of Cognition workshop will take place on the 25th and 26th of November 2024 at the Institute of Physics, King's Cross, London. This workshop will explore the intersection of physics and neuroscience to better understand cognition, bringing together leading researchers from various disciplines, including statistical mechanics, network science, self-organized criticality, information theory, and more. The programme for the workshop is now live and can be viewed here: https://iop.eventsair.com/spc2024/programme. While registrations open next week, we invite those interested in attending to fill out an expression of interest form in advance: https://iop.eventsair.com/spc2024/registration We especially encourage PhD students and Early Career Researchers to participate by submitting abstracts for poster presentations. This is a great opportunity to present your research, receive feedback from leading experts, and engage in exciting discussions. * Abstract submission deadline: 31st October 2024 * Submit your abstract here: https://iop.eventsair.com/spc2024/abstract-submission We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a thought-provoking event at the frontier of cognitive science and physics. Please feel free to share this announcement with your colleagues, students, and networks. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Best regards, Hardik Rajpal Research Associate Organizing Committee, Statistical Physics of Cognition Workshop Imperial College London

Oct. 25, 2024

World wide VVTNS series: Fifth season opening lecture, Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at 11:00 am EDT

by David Hansel

*Important:* The seminar is at 11 am *EDT* Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 3, 2024 In Europe it ends on Sunday October 27, 2024 [image: VVTNS.png] https://www.wwtns.online <https://streaklinks.com/A9c7PbbpKY7PxB6PaAJWGD3-/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wwtns.on…> - on twitter: wwtns@TheoreticalWide You are cordially invited to the fifth season opening lecture of the online VVTNS series *Karel Svoboda* Allen Institute on the topic of *Illuminating synaptic learning* The lecture will be held on zoom on October 30, 2023, at *11:00 am EDT * To receive the zoom link: https://www.wwtns.online/register-page *Abstract: *How do synapses in the middle of the brain know how to adjust their weight to advance a behavioral goal (i.e. learning)? This is referred to as the synaptic ‘credit assignment problem’. A large variety of synaptic learning rules have been proposed, mainly in the context of artificial neural networks. The most powerful learning rules (e.g. back-propagation of error) are thought to be biologically implausible, whereas the widely studied biological learning rules (Hebbian) are insufficient for goal-directed learning. I will describe ongoing work focused on understanding synaptic learning rules in the cortex in a brain-computer interface task. ᐧ -- *Il n'y a ni obligation ni pression à traiter ou répondre à ce mail en dehors des heures de travail* "В каждой шутке есть доля шутки" 'Life is good ..' (Carl van Vreeswijk, 1962-2022) --------------------------------------- David Hansel Directeur de Recherche au CNRS Co-Group leader Cerebral Dynamics Plasticity and Learning lab., CNRS 45 rue des Saints Peres 75270 Paris Cedex 06 Tel (Cell): +33 607508403 - Fax (33).1.49.27.90.62 *CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY NOTICE:* *This message and the documents that might be attached, are addressed exclusively to their(s) recipient(s) and may contain privileged or confidential information. The access to this information by people other than those designated is not authorized. If you are not the indicated recipient, you are notified that the use, disclosure and / or copying without authorization is prohibited under current legislation. If you have received this message in error, please kindly inform the sender immediately and proceed to its destruction.* ᐧ

Oct. 25, 2024

Software developer at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

by Erik De Schutter

The Computational Neuroscience unit (https://www.oist.jp/research/research-units/cnu) at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan has an opening for a postdoctoral researcher or technician to contribute to the software development of the nanoscale simulator of neuronal electrophysiology and molecular properties STEPS https://steps.sourceforge.net/STEPS/default.php. Initial duration is two years with an option to extend. The software developer will join the STEPS team and contribute to maintenance and further expansion of the software capacities. Recent versions of STEPS improved its parallel performance (http://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fninf.2022.883742/full) and added modeling of vesicles (https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-06276-5) The ideal candidate will have a scientific background but also possess good programming skills, but experienced software engineers can also apply. Competences: For the postdoctoral position a recent PhD is required in a relevant discipline such as neuroscience, molecular biology, biophysics, biochemistry, and for a technician a masters degree is required in a software/computer science related discipline. For either position, we require a talented programmer with experience in C++ and Python. In satisfying these criteria, it is expected that the candidate has some experience of modeling neuronal or other biological processes computationally, but this is not essential if the candidate has a strong enough interest in moving into the field. Fluent English conversation and writing skills are required. Benefits / Offer: A competitive salary and relocation package are offered. This an ideal position to gain experience in a prominent computational neuroscience lab. Contributions of technicians are honored by authorship on relevant publications. Please contact Prof. Erik De Schutter (erik(a)oist.jp) for inquiries.

Oct. 25, 2024

2024 Bonsai Developer Conference

by Joaquin Rapela

Hello, We are excited to invite you to the 2024 Bonsai Developer Conference, taking place from December 2nd to 4th, 2024, at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre in London, UK. This event brings together neuroscience researchers, computational scientists, and software engineers with a shared interest in the Bonsai visual reactive programming language. The conference program and additional details can be found at https://conference.bonsai-rx.org/2024/ About Bonsai ------------ Bonsai https://bonsai-rx.org/ is an open-source reactive visual programming language widely use for neuroscience experimental control. Differently from standard programming languages where control flow is specified by composing sequences of instructions, and checking conditional loops for the occurrence of events, in reactive languages https://introtorx.com/ the control flow is specified by composing event streams. By placing asynchronous data streams front and centre, it becomes much easier to succinctly build complex programs manipulating hundreds of parallel data sources and controllers while retaining interoperability and modularity. Bonsai is a visual programming language where programs are laid out graphically. Each node represents a data stream, and edges represent input dependencies between streams. Parameters can be manipulated dynamically and every stream can be inspected at runtime. This graphical approach allows users with no programming experience to create complex asynchronous programs, and experienced Bonsai users to very quickly deploy and manage entire systems and applications. Bonsai is able to interface with a large number of experimental hardware for neuroscience experimental control, allowing researchers to easily build sophisticated experiments. We look forward to see you in London! Best regards, Goncalo Lopes g.lopes(a)neurogears.org Nicholas Guilbeault n.guilbeault(a)ucl.ac.uk Joaquin Rapela j.rapela(a)ucl.ac.uk

Oct. 22, 2024

Computational Psychology or Neuroscience Assistant Professor Position at the University of Arizona

by Cowen, Stephen Leigh - (scowen)

Hello everyone, The University of Arizona Psychology Department is hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor in computational psychology, computational cognitive science, and/or computational neuroscience. A complete description of the position can be found below. We are looking for an individual with expertise and a publication history in domains such as modeling complex systems and behavior using approaches such as deep learning, machine learning, Bayesian methods, artificial neural networks, reinforcement learning, dynamic systems modelling, network analysis, and large language models. Preference will be given to applicants with the potential to collaborate across disciplines in Cognitive Science and Psychology. See the full posting and apply using the following link: https://arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/20668?c=arizo… The first batch of applications will be reviewed on Nov. 12. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Best, Stephen ------------------------------------------ Stephen Cowen, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Psychology Evelyn F. McKnight Brian Institute Interim Director: Cognition and Neural Systems Graduate interdisciplinary member: Neuroscience, Physiological Sciences, Applied Biosciences, and Cognitive Science The University of Arizona Life Sciences North, Rm 347 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Tucson, AZ 85724-5115 520-626-2615

Oct. 22, 2024

Postdoctoral Opportunity in My Research Group at University of Tennessee Knoxville

by Maroulas, Vasileios

Dear Colleagues, I wanted to bring to your attention a postdoctoral opening in my research group at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) and the Department of Mathematics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The position is at the intersection of topological deep learning and computational neuroscience and it is a collaboration with the US Army Research lab. Please feel free to share the following link with anyone who might be interested in the position: https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/list/25406 Thank you in advance for helping spread the word. Best regards, Vasileios Vasileios Maroulas, Ph.D. Associate Vice Chancellor Director, AI Tennessee Initiative Professor of Mathematics The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Office of Research, Innovation, & Economic Development <https://research.utk.edu/oried/> Andy Holt Tower 1331 Circle Park Drive Knoxville, TN 37996-0100 Department of Mathematics<https://math.utk.edu/> Ayres Hall 1403 Circle Dr. Knoxville, TN 37996 email: vasileios.maroulas(a)utk.edu<mailto:vasileios.maroulas@utk.edu> office: 865-974-4302 LinkedIn: Vasileios Maroulas| LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasileios-maroulas-8721643/>

Oct. 22, 2024

Re: Some scientific history that I experienced relevant to the recent Nobel Prizes to Hopfield and Hinton

by Julie Goulet

Oct. 22, 2024

Re: Some scientific history that I experienced relevant to the recent Nobel Prizes to Hopfield and Hinton

by Sara A. Solla

Stephen, You have an explanation for everything. I was at the NIPS (now NeurIPS) meeting when you were giving a talk, but instead of talking about your work you spent the time allotted to you to complain about Hopfield stealing your ideas. I do not quite remember the year, but I am sure you do - late 1980s? So, yes, you have been complaining about this for as long as I know you. Word limits allow you to mention Hopfield’s 84 paper but not his 82 paper??!! It takes as many characters to write 82 as to write 84. The 82 paper was published at a time before ArXiv, preprints, and online postings, that is to say an actually printed copy became available, and that was in April 82. Your paper, the one where you did it all before, was submitted in August 82. You submitted your paper a few months after the 1982 paper by Hopfield appeared in print in PNAS. Anyone can verify this by looking at the printed versions of these two papers. What nobody can verify is that ‘someone told you that Hopfield knew about your paper’ before writing his. What cannot be verified is that there was a version of your paper that you tried to submit in 1980 to a journal that just happened to disappear. The article from 1971 that I referred to is the one you cited in your first tirade. The paper is about "Pavlovian pattern learning by nonlinear neural networks". According to Google Scholar, it has received 118 citations. And it is NOT because it appeared in a journal that has ceased to exist. It appeared in PNAS. I will assume that the 118 citations is an accurate measure of the interest that the paper has triggered in the 53 years since it was published. That you wrote a review in 1988 and that Michael Cohen wrote an article in 1992 does not give either of you precedence over Hopfield’s 1982 and 1984 papers. The Group on Statistical Physics and Nonlinear Dynamics of the American Physical Society organized a session to discuss the Nobel Prize given to Hopfield and Hinton. You can watch it on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inMeFnIhuA8. My advice to you is to watch this discussion, read the 1982 and 1984 papers by Hopfield, then read your own papers, and try to see what it is that he figured out and that you missed. More than forty years later, it is time for you to look into these papers and acknowledge the crucial differences. If you still do not see it, I will be glad to try to explain it to you. Then you get to Hinton. Once I reminded you that the Prize citation is about the Boltzmann Machine and not about Back Propagation, you stopped criticizing Back Propagation to instead advertise work by James Williamson published in 1996 and 1997. These papers seem not to precede but to follow the 1985 publication of the Boltzmann Machine paper by 11 and 12 years. As for what was the atmosphere of intellectual intimidation in your group, you say that I would not know because I was not there. This is factually incorrect. I was there. I visited. I saw the group dynamics, and I was shocked. I was a young scientist, just a few years beyond my PhD, but I had never seen anything like it. One had to believe, not just agree with but believe in ART to work in your group. I ask you again: if ART provides a solution to every problem, as you advertised then and seem to continue to advertise today, how come there are still unsolved problems? The long note you have published in response to the Physics Nobel Prize is just pathetic. Sara On Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 6:22 PM Grossberg, Stephen <steve(a)bu.edu> wrote: > Dear Sara, > > > > I reply below to your claims. > > > > *From: *Sara A. Solla <sasolla(a)gmail.com> > *Date: *Monday, October 21, 2024 at 5:12 PM > *To: *Grossberg, Stephen <steve(a)bu.edu> > *Cc: *André Fabio Kohn via Comp-neuro <comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org>, > Stephen Grossberg <steve(a)cns.bu.edu> > *Subject: *Re: [Comp-neuro] Re: Some scientific history that I > experienced relevant to the recent Nobel Prizes to Hopfield and Hinton > > You don't often get email from sasolla(a)gmail.com. Learn why this is > important <https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification> > > Stephen, > > You have been complaining about not getting enough credit since I first > met you in the mid 1980s. > > > > That is not true. > > > > You refer to publishing before Hopfield's 1984 paper. You deliberately > ignore his 1982 paper, which received 27946 citations: > Neural networks and physical systems with emergent collective > computational abilities, JJ Hopfield > PNAS, April 15, 1982, 79 (8) 2554-2558 > > > > My post was originally on a web site with strict word limits. That is why > I mentioned Hopfield’s 1984 article, but not his 1982 article. > > > > Section 6 of my 1988 review article: > > > > Grossberg, S. (1988) Nonlinear neural networks: Principles, mechanisms, > and architectures. *Neural Networks*, *1 *, 17-61. > > https://sites.bu.edu/steveg/files/2016/06/Gro1988NN.pdf > > > > reviews Binary, Linear, and Continuous-Nonlinear classical neural network > models by many authors. > > > > This article has been cited 2410 times. > > > > Section 6 shows that the 1982 equation that Hopfield used is a variant of > the 1943 McCulloch-Pitts model. > > > > The Liapunov function for it is just a discrete version of the Liapunov > function for the Additive Model. > > > In contrast, the 1971 student paper you mentioned received 118 citations. > > > > I assume that you mean: > > > > Grossberg, S. (1971). Embedding fields: Underlying philosophy, > mathematics, and applications to psychology, physiology, and anatomy. *Journal > of Cybernetics*, 1, 28-50. > > https://sites.bu.edu/steveg/files/2016/06/Gro1971JoC.pdf > > > > This was a review article published in a journal that ceased to exist in > 1980 (see below) and thus could not be searched well by Google, which began > in 1998. > > > > The article discussed Generalized Additive Models (see its Section 6). > > > > I was able to get articles published proving global limit and oscillation > theorems for Generalized Additive Models in the* Proceedings of the > National Academy of Sciences* between 1967 and 1971; e.g., > > > > Grossberg, S. (1971). Pavlovian pattern learning by nonlinear neural > networks. *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*, 68, 828-831. > > https://sites.bu.edu/steveg/files/2016/06/Gro1971ProNatAcaSci.pdf > > > > See Equations 1, 2, 3, and 4 etc. > > > > Your 1983 paper with Michael Cohen in IEEE Transaction of Man, Systems, > and Cybernetics was received on August 1, 1982, several months after the > 1982 paper by Hopfeld had appeared in print. You did get a good number of > citations on this paper, 3344, but not as good as 27946. > > > > Michael Cohen and I tried to submit it to the *Journal of Cybernetics* in > 1980. > > > > But there was a glitch in the submission process due to the fact that the *Journal > of Cybernetics* unexpectedly stopped publishing that year and our article > got lost in the shuffle, unknown to us for a while. > > > > We resubmitted in 1982, which is why it was published in 1983. > > > > Our results pre-dated Hopfield 1982 and 1984 by two years. > > > > About the difference in citations: > > > > There is a difference between discovery and marketing. I was told that > Hopfield knew about my work before and with Michael Cohen before he went > around the country lecturing about work that we had previously published, > without citation. > > > > You mention a 1982 paper with Michael Cohen; I have not been able to find > it. > > > > I think that was a typo. Michael published the following article in 1992: > > > > Cohen, M. A. (1992). The construction of arbitrary stable dynamics in > nonlinear neural networks. > > *Neural Networks*, 5, 83 – 103. > > https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0893608005800085 > > > > Here is the Abstract: > > > > “In this paper, two methods for constructing systems of ordinary > differential equations realizing any fixed finite set of equilibria in any > fixed finite dimension are introduced; no spurious equilibria are possible > for either method. By using the first method, one can construct a system > with the fewest number of equilibria, given a fixed set of attractors. > Using a strict *Lyapunov function [boldface mine] *for each of these > differential equations, a large class of systems with the same set of > equilibria is constructed. A method of fitting these nonlinear systems to > trajectories is proposed. In addition, a general method which will produce > an arbitrary number of periodic orbits of shapes of arbitrary complexity is > also discussed. A more general second method is given to construct a > differential equation which converges to a fixed given finite set of > equilibria. This technique is much more general in that it allows this set > of equilibria to have any of a large class of indices which are consistent > with the Morse Inequalities. It is clear that this class is not universal, > because there is a large class of additional vector fields with convergent > dynamics which cannot be constructed by the above method. The easiest way > to see this is to enumerate the set of Morse indices which can be obtained > by the above method and compare this class with the class of Morse indices > of arbitrary differential equations with convergent dynamics. The former > set of indices are a proper subclass of the latter, therefore, the above > construction cannot be universal. In general, it is a difficult open > problem to construct a specific example of a differential equation with a > given fixed set of equilibria, permissible Morse indices, and permissible > connections between stable and unstable manifolds. A strict Lyapunov > function is given for this second case as well. This strict *Lyapunov > function [boldface mine] *as above enables construction of a large class > of examples consistent with these more complicated dynamics and indices. > The determination of all the basins of attraction in the general9 case for > these systems is also difficult and open.” > > > > I have never heard anybody referring to you as 'the father of AI'. > > > > As an acolyte of Hopfield, you wouldn’t. > > > > What I do remember is a visit to your group at BU many, many years ago - > in the late 80s or early 90s. I was amazed at finding out that you closely > supervised every word in every slide that anybody in your group was allowed > to show when invited to give a talk. Everybody was under a lot of pressure > to 'stay on message', where the 'message' was your view on things. I had > never encountered a scientific group run as a cult. It made an impression, > but not a positive one. So much for training over 100 people - by teaching > them not to think by themselves. > > > > You describe my devoted teaching as something ugly, even ad hominem. > > > > When I was a student, no one told me how to write an article or how to > prepare and give a talk or poster. I developed a method to enable my > students to grow intellectually and become independent scholars. > > > > When I started working with a new PhD student or postdoc, we discussed > what topics would potentially interest them. Then we read hundreds of > psychological and neurobiological articles together about that topic and > began to discuss the results in them. > > > > For students interested in engineering and AI, we studied all the methods > that were available to solve problems in a targeted problem domain. > > > > I encouraged my students to advance their own concepts about what might be > the underlying mechanisms that generated an article’s data or benchmarks. > Because we studied large amounts of data, favorite concepts often hit a > brick wall and had to be discarded. > > > > We developed a modeling method that I like to call the Method of Minimal > Anatomies. See Figure 2.37 in my 2021 Magnum Opus > > > > https://www.amazon.com/Conscious-Mind-Resonant-Brain-Makes/dp/0190070552 > > > > This Method is just Occam’s Razor applied to neural networks. > > > > As the Figure summarizes, it “Operationalizes the proper level of > abstraction” and “that you cannot ‘derive a brain’ in one step”. Our models > have been getting incrementally developed in a principled way to the > present time. > > > > Your statement that “the message was your [my] view on things” is the > opposite of how we worked. > > > > And how would you know? You were not there. > > > > The proof of the pudding is that all my students got positions that they > wanted after they earned their PhD’s with me. > > > > I was also told by multiple famous scientists that our department sent > them their best postdoctoral fellows. > > > > In fact, various major labs would contact me to let me know that they had > an open position and asked if one of my students was about to graduate. > > > > My students have gone on to successful careers after their postdocs and > other first post-PhD positions. > > > > Around half of them went into academe, and the other half into > engineering, technology, and AI. > > > > Groups of us have periodically gotten together for happy social events, > either at international conferences or in the Boston area. > > > > And they sent me information about their accomplishments and growing > families for many years. > > > > As for back-propagation, this is not what Hinton is cited for in the Nobel > Prize citation. It is for the Boltzmann machine. > > > > Yes, I know that, and I have also noted that my PhD student, James > Williamson, developed statistical neural network models that did not have > problems related to deep Learning. I have elsewhere noted that: > > > Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMS) also have analogs in the Adaptive > Resonance Theory (ART) family of models, but without the problems that > follow from using variants of Deep Learning. > > Here are two of them, both developed by my PhD student, James R. > Williamson: > > Gaussian ARTMAP: A Neural Network for Fast Incremental Learning of Noisy > Multidimensional Maps > https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0893608095001158 > > A Constructive, Incremental Learning Network for Mixture Modeling and > Classification > > http://techlab.bu.edu/files/resources/articles_tt/A%20constructive,%20incre… > > > > Finally, I always wondered: If ART solves all problems, why are there > ML/AI problems that remain to be solved? > > > > I would never claim that. I have always taught that science is never done. > See the Method of Minimal Anatomies. > > > > The fact that you can even think that about my work shows, sad to say, how > biased you have become. > > > > On Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 7:49 AM Grossberg, Stephen via Comp-neuro < > comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org> wrote: > > Dear Comp-neuro colleagues, > > > > Here are some short summaries of the history of neural network > discoveries, as I experienced it, that are relevant to the recent Nobel > Prizes to Hopfield and Hinton: > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++THETHE THE NOBEL > PRIZES IN PHYSICS TO HOPFIELD AND HINTON > FOR MODELS THEY DID NOT DISCOVER: THE CASE OF HOPFIELD > > Here I summarize my concerns about the Hopfield award. > > I published articles in 1967 – 1972 in the Proceedings of the National > Academy of Sciences that introduced the Additive Model that Hopfield used > in 1984. My articles proved global theorems about the limits and > oscillations of my Generalized Additive Models. See sites.bu.edu/steveg for > these articles. > > For example: > > Grossberg, S. (1971). Pavlovian pattern learning by nonlinear neural > networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 68, 828-831. > https://lnkd.in/emzwx4Tw > > This article illustrates that my mathematical results were part of a > research program to develop biological neural networks that provide > principled mechanistic explanations of psychological and neurobiological > data. > > Later, Michael Cohen and I published a Liapunov function that included the > Additive Model and generalizations thereof in 1982 and 1983 before Hopfield > (1984) appeared. > > For example, > > Cohen, M.A. and Grossberg, S. (1983). Absolute stability of global pattern > formation and parallel memory storage by competitive neural networks. IEEE > Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, SMC-13, 815-826. > https://lnkd.in/eAFAdvbu > > I was told that Hopfield knew about my work before he published his 1984 > article, without citation. > > Recall that I started my neural networks research in 1957 as a Freshman at > Dartmouth College. > > That year, I introduced the biological neural network paradigm, as well as > the short-term memory (STM), medium-term memory (MTM), and long-term memory > (LTM) laws that are used to this day, including in the Additive Model, to > explain data about how brains make minds. > > See the review in https://lnkd.in/gJZJtP_W . > > When I started in 1957, I knew no one else who was doing neural networks. > That is why my colleagues call me the Father of AI. > > I then worked hard to create a neural networks community, notably a > research center, academic department, the International Neural Network > Society, the journal Neural Networks, multiple international conferences on > neural networks, and Boston-area research centers, while training over 100 > gifted PhD students, postdocs, and faculty to do neural network research. > See the Wikipedia page. > > That is why I did not have time or strength to fight for priority of my > models. > > Recently, I was able to provide a self-contained and non-technical > overview and synthesis of some of my scientific discoveries since 1957, as > well as explanations of the work of many other scientists, in my 2021 > Magnum Opus > > Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain: How Each Brain Makes a Mind > > https://lnkd.in/eiJh4Ti > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > THE NOBEL PRIZES IN PHYSICS TO HOPFIELD AND HINTON > FOR MODELS THEY DID NOT DISCOVER: THE CASE OF HINTON > > Here I summarize my concerns about the Hinton award. > > Many authors developed Back Propagation (BP) before Hinton; e.g., Amari > (1967), Werbos (1974), Parker (1982), all before Rumelhart, Hinton, & > Williams (1986). > > BP has serious computational weaknesses: > > It is UNTRUSTWORTHY (because it is UNEXPLAINABLE). > > It is UNRELIABLE (because it can experience CATASTROPHIC FORGETTING. > > It should thus never be used in financial or medical applications. > > BP learning is also SLOW and uses non-biological NONLOCAL WEIGHT TRANSPORT. > > See Figure, right column, top. > > In 1988, I published 17 computational problems of BP: > https://lnkd.in/erKJvXFA > > BP gradually grew out of favor because other models were better. > > Later, huge online databases and supercomputers enabled Deep Learning to > use BP to learn. > > My 1988 article contrasted BP with Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART) which I > first published in 1976: > https://lnkd.in/evkfq22G > > See Figure, right column, bottom. > > ART never had BP’s problems. > > ART is now the most advanced cognitive and neural theory that explains HOW > HUMANS LEARN TO ATTEND, RECOGNIZE, and PREDICT events in a changing world. > > ART also explains and simulates data from hundreds of psychological and > neurobiological experiments. > > In 1980, I derived ART from a THOUGHT EXPERIMENT about how ANY system can > AUTONOMOUSLY learn to correct predictive errors in a changing world: > https://lnkd.in/eGWE8kJg > > The thought experiment derives ART from a few facts of life that do not > mention mind or brain. > > ART is thus a UNIVERSAL solution of the problem of autonomous error > correction in a changing world. > > That is why ART models can be used in designs for AUTONOMOUS ADAPTIVE > INTELLIGENCE in engineering, technology, and AI. > > ART also proposes a solution of the classical MIND-BODY PROBLEM: > > HOW, WHERE in our brains, and WHY from a deep computational perspective, > we CONSCIOUSLY SEE, HEAR, FEEL, and KNOW about the world, and use our > conscious states to PLAN and ACT to realize VALUED GOALS. > > For details, see > > Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain: How Each Brain Makes a Mind > > https://lnkd.in/eiJh4Ti > > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > > > _______________________________________________ > Comp-neuro mailing list -- comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org > Mailing list webpage (to subscribe or view archives): > https://www.cnsorg.org/comp-neuro-mailing-list > > To contact admin/moderators, send an email to: > comp-neuro-owner(a)lists.cnsorg.org > To unsubscribe, send an email to comp-neuro-leave(a)lists.cnsorg.org > >

Oct. 22, 2024

[Deadline Nov. 1st][Call for Data & Papers] 2nd International Whole Brain Architecture Workshop (Feb. 24th, 2025)

by Hiroshi Yamakawa

Dear Colleagues, << Abstract submission site is now open; data paper templates are available! >> We are pleased to announce the Second International Whole Brain Architecture Workshop, building on the remarkable success of our inaugural event. (The first online workshop, held in July 2024, attracted over 100 participants and generated significant enthusiasm in the field.) This second workshop will be held on February 24th, 2025 ( https://wba-initiative.org/en/24521/ ). Registration for presentations opens on October 20th, 2024, and we eagerly anticipate your submissions of BRA data. About This Workshop: The development of brain-inspired artificial intelligence, which aims to understand and simulate the computational functions of the brain, is a promising approach to reproducing human-like problem-solving abilities. This ambitious goal requires knowledge from diverse research fields, including neuroscience and cognitive science. Given the vast amount of knowledge needed, it is crucial to accumulate and share standardized design information as open knowledge. This workshop serves as a platform for cooperation and sharing of standardized design information (BRA data) essential for developing brain-inspired AI. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to enhance the academic value of submitted datasets through expert discussions and peer review. Why Participate: • Contribute to the cutting-edge field of brain-inspired AI • Share your research with a global audience of experts • Gain insights from interdisciplinary discussions • Potential for your work to be published on the BRA Editorial System (BRAES) https://ggle.io/6ybj • Access to standardized data paper templates to ensure high-quality submissions We invite submissions of BRA data and accompanying papers. Accepted data and papers will be published on BRAES, with paper DOIs shared on the workshop program page. We believe that this sharing and integration of brain-inspired AI design information will significantly advance the field. Date and Location (hybrid): • Date: February 24th, 2025 (Monday) • Venue: Tokyo, Japan (on-site) and online (details TBA) Important Dates: • BRA Data submission opens: October 20th, 2024 (JST) • Paper abstract submission deadline: November 1st, 2024 (JST) • BRA Data submission deadline: December 20th, 2024 (JST) • Full Paper submission deadline: January 4th, 2025 (JST) • Completed BRA Data submission deadline: January 4th, 2025 (JST) • Paper notification: January 24th, 2025 (JST) New Updates: The submission site for data paper abstracts is now open and accessible at https://ggle.io/79e3 The data paper template is now available for download at https://ggle.io/79e5 For detailed submission guidelines, please visit: https://wba-initiative.org/en/24521/ We look forward to welcoming you and your colleagues to present data and papers and to engage in stimulating discussions that will shape the future of brain-inspired AI. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the Workshop organizers at bra-support(a)wba-initiative.org. Join us in advancing the frontier of brain-inspired artificial intelligence! Best regards, BRA Support Team

Oct. 22, 2024

Re: Some scientific history that I experienced relevant to the recent Nobel Prizes to Hopfield and Hinton

by Grossberg, Stephen

Dear Sara, I reply below to your claims. From: Sara A. Solla <sasolla(a)gmail.com> Date: Monday, October 21, 2024 at 5:12 PM To: Grossberg, Stephen <steve(a)bu.edu> Cc: André Fabio Kohn via Comp-neuro <comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org>, Stephen Grossberg <steve(a)cns.bu.edu> Subject: Re: [Comp-neuro] Re: Some scientific history that I experienced relevant to the recent Nobel Prizes to Hopfield and Hinton You don't often get email from sasolla(a)gmail.com. Learn why this is important<https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification> Stephen, You have been complaining about not getting enough credit since I first met you in the mid 1980s. That is not true. You refer to publishing before Hopfield's 1984 paper. You deliberately ignore his 1982 paper, which received 27946 citations: Neural networks and physical systems with emergent collective computational abilities, JJ Hopfield PNAS, April 15, 1982, 79 (8) 2554-2558 My post was originally on a web site with strict word limits. That is why I mentioned Hopfield’s 1984 article, but not his 1982 article. Section 6 of my 1988 review article: Grossberg, S. (1988) Nonlinear neural networks: Principles, mechanisms, and architectures. Neural Networks, 1 , 17-61. https://sites.bu.edu/steveg/files/2016/06/Gro1988NN.pdf reviews Binary, Linear, and Continuous-Nonlinear classical neural network models by many authors. This article has been cited 2410 times. Section 6 shows that the 1982 equation that Hopfield used is a variant of the 1943 McCulloch-Pitts model. The Liapunov function for it is just a discrete version of the Liapunov function for the Additive Model. In contrast, the 1971 student paper you mentioned received 118 citations. I assume that you mean: Grossberg, S. (1971). Embedding fields: Underlying philosophy, mathematics, and applications to psychology, physiology, and anatomy. Journal of Cybernetics, 1, 28-50. https://sites.bu.edu/steveg/files/2016/06/Gro1971JoC.pdf This was a review article published in a journal that ceased to exist in 1980 (see below) and thus could not be searched well by Google, which began in 1998. The article discussed Generalized Additive Models (see its Section 6). I was able to get articles published proving global limit and oscillation theorems for Generalized Additive Models in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences between 1967 and 1971; e.g., Grossberg, S. (1971). Pavlovian pattern learning by nonlinear neural networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 68, 828-831. https://sites.bu.edu/steveg/files/2016/06/Gro1971ProNatAcaSci.pdf See Equations 1, 2, 3, and 4 etc. Your 1983 paper with Michael Cohen in IEEE Transaction of Man, Systems, and Cybernetics was received on August 1, 1982, several months after the 1982 paper by Hopfeld had appeared in print. You did get a good number of citations on this paper, 3344, but not as good as 27946. Michael Cohen and I tried to submit it to the Journal of Cybernetics in 1980. But there was a glitch in the submission process due to the fact that the Journal of Cybernetics unexpectedly stopped publishing that year and our article got lost in the shuffle, unknown to us for a while. We resubmitted in 1982, which is why it was published in 1983. Our results pre-dated Hopfield 1982 and 1984 by two years. About the difference in citations: There is a difference between discovery and marketing. I was told that Hopfield knew about my work before and with Michael Cohen before he went around the country lecturing about work that we had previously published, without citation. You mention a 1982 paper with Michael Cohen; I have not been able to find it. I think that was a typo. Michael published the following article in 1992: Cohen, M. A. (1992). The construction of arbitrary stable dynamics in nonlinear neural networks. Neural Networks, 5, 83 – 103. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0893608005800085 Here is the Abstract: “In this paper, two methods for constructing systems of ordinary differential equations realizing any fixed finite set of equilibria in any fixed finite dimension are introduced; no spurious equilibria are possible for either method. By using the first method, one can construct a system with the fewest number of equilibria, given a fixed set of attractors. Using a strict Lyapunov function [boldface mine] for each of these differential equations, a large class of systems with the same set of equilibria is constructed. A method of fitting these nonlinear systems to trajectories is proposed. In addition, a general method which will produce an arbitrary number of periodic orbits of shapes of arbitrary complexity is also discussed. A more general second method is given to construct a differential equation which converges to a fixed given finite set of equilibria. This technique is much more general in that it allows this set of equilibria to have any of a large class of indices which are consistent with the Morse Inequalities. It is clear that this class is not universal, because there is a large class of additional vector fields with convergent dynamics which cannot be constructed by the above method. The easiest way to see this is to enumerate the set of Morse indices which can be obtained by the above method and compare this class with the class of Morse indices of arbitrary differential equations with convergent dynamics. The former set of indices are a proper subclass of the latter, therefore, the above construction cannot be universal. In general, it is a difficult open problem to construct a specific example of a differential equation with a given fixed set of equilibria, permissible Morse indices, and permissible connections between stable and unstable manifolds. A strict Lyapunov function is given for this second case as well. This strict Lyapunov function [boldface mine] as above enables construction of a large class of examples consistent with these more complicated dynamics and indices. The determination of all the basins of attraction in the general case for these systems is also difficult and open.” I have never heard anybody referring to you as 'the father of AI'. As an acolyte of Hopfield, you wouldn’t. What I do remember is a visit to your group at BU many, many years ago - in the late 80s or early 90s. I was amazed at finding out that you closely supervised every word in every slide that anybody in your group was allowed to show when invited to give a talk. Everybody was under a lot of pressure to 'stay on message', where the 'message' was your view on things. I had never encountered a scientific group run as a cult. It made an impression, but not a positive one. So much for training over 100 people - by teaching them not to think by themselves. You describe my devoted teaching as something ugly, even ad hominem. When I was a student, no one told me how to write an article or how to prepare and give a talk or poster. I developed a method to enable my students to grow intellectually and become independent scholars. When I started working with a new PhD student or postdoc, we discussed what topics would potentially interest them. Then we read hundreds of psychological and neurobiological articles together about that topic and began to discuss the results in them. For students interested in engineering and AI, we studied all the methods that were available to solve problems in a targeted problem domain. I encouraged my students to advance their own concepts about what might be the underlying mechanisms that generated an article’s data or benchmarks. Because we studied large amounts of data, favorite concepts often hit a brick wall and had to be discarded. We developed a modeling method that I like to call the Method of Minimal Anatomies. See Figure 2.37 in my 2021 Magnum Opus https://www.amazon.com/Conscious-Mind-Resonant-Brain-Makes/dp/0190070552 This Method is just Occam’s Razor applied to neural networks. As the Figure summarizes, it “Operationalizes the proper level of abstraction” and “that you cannot ‘derive a brain’ in one step”. Our models have been getting incrementally developed in a principled way to the present time. Your statement that “the message was your [my] view on things” is the opposite of how we worked. And how would you know? You were not there. The proof of the pudding is that all my students got positions that they wanted after they earned their PhD’s with me. I was also told by multiple famous scientists that our department sent them their best postdoctoral fellows. In fact, various major labs would contact me to let me know that they had an open position and asked if one of my students was about to graduate. My students have gone on to successful careers after their postdocs and other first post-PhD positions. Around half of them went into academe, and the other half into engineering, technology, and AI. Groups of us have periodically gotten together for happy social events, either at international conferences or in the Boston area. And they sent me information about their accomplishments and growing families for many years. As for back-propagation, this is not what Hinton is cited for in the Nobel Prize citation. It is for the Boltzmann machine. Yes, I know that, and I have also noted that my PhD student, James Williamson, developed statistical neural network models that did not have problems related to deep Learning. I have elsewhere noted that: Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMS) also have analogs in the Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART) family of models, but without the problems that follow from using variants of Deep Learning. Here are two of them, both developed by my PhD student, James R. Williamson: Gaussian ARTMAP: A Neural Network for Fast Incremental Learning of Noisy Multidimensional Maps https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0893608095001158 A Constructive, Incremental Learning Network for Mixture Modeling and Classification http://techlab.bu.edu/files/resources/articles_tt/A%20constructive,%20incre… Finally, I always wondered: If ART solves all problems, why are there ML/AI problems that remain to be solved? I would never claim that. I have always taught that science is never done. See the Method of Minimal Anatomies. The fact that you can even think that about my work shows, sad to say, how biased you have become. On Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 7:49 AM Grossberg, Stephen via Comp-neuro <comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org<mailto:comp-neuro@lists.cnsorg.org>> wrote: Dear Comp-neuro colleagues, Here are some short summaries of the history of neural network discoveries, as I experienced it, that are relevant to the recent Nobel Prizes to Hopfield and Hinton: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++THETHE THE NOBEL PRIZES IN PHYSICS TO HOPFIELD AND HINTON FOR MODELS THEY DID NOT DISCOVER: THE CASE OF HOPFIELD Here I summarize my concerns about the Hopfield award. I published articles in 1967 – 1972 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that introduced the Additive Model that Hopfield used in 1984. My articles proved global theorems about the limits and oscillations of my Generalized Additive Models. See sites.bu.edu/steveg<http://sites.bu.edu/steveg> for these articles. For example: Grossberg, S. (1971). Pavlovian pattern learning by nonlinear neural networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 68, 828-831. https://lnkd.in/emzwx4Tw This article illustrates that my mathematical results were part of a research program to develop biological neural networks that provide principled mechanistic explanations of psychological and neurobiological data. Later, Michael Cohen and I published a Liapunov function that included the Additive Model and generalizations thereof in 1982 and 1983 before Hopfield (1984) appeared. For example, Cohen, M.A. and Grossberg, S. (1983). Absolute stability of global pattern formation and parallel memory storage by competitive neural networks. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, SMC-13, 815-826. https://lnkd.in/eAFAdvbu I was told that Hopfield knew about my work before he published his 1984 article, without citation. Recall that I started my neural networks research in 1957 as a Freshman at Dartmouth College. That year, I introduced the biological neural network paradigm, as well as the short-term memory (STM), medium-term memory (MTM), and long-term memory (LTM) laws that are used to this day, including in the Additive Model, to explain data about how brains make minds. See the review in https://lnkd.in/gJZJtP_W . When I started in 1957, I knew no one else who was doing neural networks. That is why my colleagues call me the Father of AI. I then worked hard to create a neural networks community, notably a research center, academic department, the International Neural Network Society, the journal Neural Networks, multiple international conferences on neural networks, and Boston-area research centers, while training over 100 gifted PhD students, postdocs, and faculty to do neural network research. See the Wikipedia page. That is why I did not have time or strength to fight for priority of my models. Recently, I was able to provide a self-contained and non-technical overview and synthesis of some of my scientific discoveries since 1957, as well as explanations of the work of many other scientists, in my 2021 Magnum Opus Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain: How Each Brain Makes a Mind https://lnkd.in/eiJh4Ti ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE NOBEL PRIZES IN PHYSICS TO HOPFIELD AND HINTON FOR MODELS THEY DID NOT DISCOVER: THE CASE OF HINTON Here I summarize my concerns about the Hinton award. Many authors developed Back Propagation (BP) before Hinton; e.g., Amari (1967), Werbos (1974), Parker (1982), all before Rumelhart, Hinton, & Williams (1986). BP has serious computational weaknesses: It is UNTRUSTWORTHY (because it is UNEXPLAINABLE). It is UNRELIABLE (because it can experience CATASTROPHIC FORGETTING. It should thus never be used in financial or medical applications. BP learning is also SLOW and uses non-biological NONLOCAL WEIGHT TRANSPORT. See Figure, right column, top. In 1988, I published 17 computational problems of BP: https://lnkd.in/erKJvXFA BP gradually grew out of favor because other models were better. Later, huge online databases and supercomputers enabled Deep Learning to use BP to learn. My 1988 article contrasted BP with Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART) which I first published in 1976: https://lnkd.in/evkfq22G See Figure, right column, bottom. ART never had BP’s problems. ART is now the most advanced cognitive and neural theory that explains HOW HUMANS LEARN TO ATTEND, RECOGNIZE, and PREDICT events in a changing world. ART also explains and simulates data from hundreds of psychological and neurobiological experiments. In 1980, I derived ART from a THOUGHT EXPERIMENT about how ANY system can AUTONOMOUSLY learn to correct predictive errors in a changing world: https://lnkd.in/eGWE8kJg The thought experiment derives ART from a few facts of life that do not mention mind or brain. ART is thus a UNIVERSAL solution of the problem of autonomous error correction in a changing world. That is why ART models can be used in designs for AUTONOMOUS ADAPTIVE INTELLIGENCE in engineering, technology, and AI. ART also proposes a solution of the classical MIND-BODY PROBLEM: HOW, WHERE in our brains, and WHY from a deep computational perspective, we CONSCIOUSLY SEE, HEAR, FEEL, and KNOW about the world, and use our conscious states to PLAN and ACT to realize VALUED GOALS. For details, see Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain: How Each Brain Makes a Mind https://lnkd.in/eiJh4Ti +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ _______________________________________________ Comp-neuro mailing list -- comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org<mailto:comp-neuro@lists.cnsorg.org> Mailing list webpage (to subscribe or view archives): https://www.cnsorg.org/comp-neuro-mailing-list To contact admin/moderators, send an email to: comp-neuro-owner(a)lists.cnsorg.org<mailto:comp-neuro-owner@lists.cnsorg.org> To unsubscribe, send an email to comp-neuro-leave(a)lists.cnsorg.org<mailto:comp-neuro-leave@lists.cnsorg.org>

Oct. 21, 2024

Re: Some scientific history that I experienced relevant to the recent Nobel Prizes to Hopfield and Hinton

by Sara A. Solla

Stephen, You have been complaining about not getting enough credit since I first met you in the mid 1980s. You refer to publishing before Hopfield's 1984 paper. You deliberately ignore his 1982 paper, which received 27946 citations: Neural networks and physical systems with emergent collective computational abilities, JJ Hopfield PNAS, April 15, 1982, 79 (8) 2554-2558 In contrast, the 1971 student paper you mentioned received 118 citations. Your 1983 paper with Michael Cohen in IEEE Transaction of Man, Systems, and Cybernetics was received on August 1, 1982, several months after the 1982 paper by Hopfeld had appeared in print. You did get a good number of citations on this paper, 3344, but not as good as 27946. You mention a 1982 paper with Michael Cohen; I have not been able to find it. I have never heard anybody referring to you as 'the father of AI'. What I do remember is a visit to your group at BU many, many years ago - in the late 80s or early 90s. I was amazed at finding out that you closely supervised every word in every slide that anybody in your group was allowed to show when invited to give a talk. Everybody was under a lot of pressure to 'stay on message', where the 'message' was your view on things. I had never encountered a scientific group run as a cult. It made an impression, but not a positive one. So much for training over 100 people - by teaching them not to think by themselves. As for back-propagation, this is not what Hinton is cited for in the Nobel Prize citation. It is for the Boltzmann machine. Finally, I always wondered: If ART solves all problems, why are there ML/AI problems that remain to be solved? On Mon, Oct 21, 2024 at 7:49 AM Grossberg, Stephen via Comp-neuro < comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org> wrote: > Dear Comp-neuro colleagues, > > > > Here are some short summaries of the history of neural network > discoveries, as I experienced it, that are relevant to the recent Nobel > Prizes to Hopfield and Hinton: > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++THETHE THE NOBEL > PRIZES IN PHYSICS TO HOPFIELD AND HINTON > FOR MODELS THEY DID NOT DISCOVER: THE CASE OF HOPFIELD > > Here I summarize my concerns about the Hopfield award. > > I published articles in 1967 – 1972 in the Proceedings of the National > Academy of Sciences that introduced the Additive Model that Hopfield used > in 1984. My articles proved global theorems about the limits and > oscillations of my Generalized Additive Models. See sites.bu.edu/steveg for > these articles. > > For example: > > Grossberg, S. (1971). Pavlovian pattern learning by nonlinear neural > networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 68, 828-831. > https://lnkd.in/emzwx4Tw > > This article illustrates that my mathematical results were part of a > research program to develop biological neural networks that provide > principled mechanistic explanations of psychological and neurobiological > data. > > Later, Michael Cohen and I published a Liapunov function that included the > Additive Model and generalizations thereof in 1982 and 1983 before Hopfield > (1984) appeared. > > For example, > > Cohen, M.A. and Grossberg, S. (1983). Absolute stability of global pattern > formation and parallel memory storage by competitive neural networks. IEEE > Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, SMC-13, 815-826. > https://lnkd.in/eAFAdvbu > > I was told that Hopfield knew about my work before he published his 1984 > article, without citation. > > Recall that I started my neural networks research in 1957 as a Freshman at > Dartmouth College. > > That year, I introduced the biological neural network paradigm, as well as > the short-term memory (STM), medium-term memory (MTM), and long-term memory > (LTM) laws that are used to this day, including in the Additive Model, to > explain data about how brains make minds. > > See the review in https://lnkd.in/gJZJtP_W . > > When I started in 1957, I knew no one else who was doing neural networks. > That is why my colleagues call me the Father of AI. > > I then worked hard to create a neural networks community, notably a > research center, academic department, the International Neural Network > Society, the journal Neural Networks, multiple international conferences on > neural networks, and Boston-area research centers, while training over 100 > gifted PhD students, postdocs, and faculty to do neural network research. > See the Wikipedia page. > > That is why I did not have time or strength to fight for priority of my > models. > > Recently, I was able to provide a self-contained and non-technical > overview and synthesis of some of my scientific discoveries since 1957, as > well as explanations of the work of many other scientists, in my 2021 > Magnum Opus > > Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain: How Each Brain Makes a Mind > > https://lnkd.in/eiJh4Ti > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > THE NOBEL PRIZES IN PHYSICS TO HOPFIELD AND HINTON > FOR MODELS THEY DID NOT DISCOVER: THE CASE OF HINTON > > Here I summarize my concerns about the Hinton award. > > Many authors developed Back Propagation (BP) before Hinton; e.g., Amari > (1967), Werbos (1974), Parker (1982), all before Rumelhart, Hinton, & > Williams (1986). > > BP has serious computational weaknesses: > > It is UNTRUSTWORTHY (because it is UNEXPLAINABLE). > > It is UNRELIABLE (because it can experience CATASTROPHIC FORGETTING. > > It should thus never be used in financial or medical applications. > > BP learning is also SLOW and uses non-biological NONLOCAL WEIGHT TRANSPORT. > > See Figure, right column, top. > > In 1988, I published 17 computational problems of BP: > https://lnkd.in/erKJvXFA > > BP gradually grew out of favor because other models were better. > > Later, huge online databases and supercomputers enabled Deep Learning to > use BP to learn. > > My 1988 article contrasted BP with Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART) which I > first published in 1976: > https://lnkd.in/evkfq22G > > See Figure, right column, bottom. > > ART never had BP’s problems. > > ART is now the most advanced cognitive and neural theory that explains HOW > HUMANS LEARN TO ATTEND, RECOGNIZE, and PREDICT events in a changing world. > > > ART also explains and simulates data from hundreds of psychological and > neurobiological experiments. > > In 1980, I derived ART from a THOUGHT EXPERIMENT about how ANY system can > AUTONOMOUSLY learn to correct predictive errors in a changing world: > https://lnkd.in/eGWE8kJg > > The thought experiment derives ART from a few facts of life that do not > mention mind or brain. > > ART is thus a UNIVERSAL solution of the problem of autonomous error > correction in a changing world. > > That is why ART models can be used in designs for AUTONOMOUS ADAPTIVE > INTELLIGENCE in engineering, technology, and AI. > > ART also proposes a solution of the classical MIND-BODY PROBLEM: > > HOW, WHERE in our brains, and WHY from a deep computational perspective, > we CONSCIOUSLY SEE, HEAR, FEEL, and KNOW about the world, and use our > conscious states to PLAN and ACT to realize VALUED GOALS. > > For details, see > > Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain: How Each Brain Makes a Mind > > https://lnkd.in/eiJh4Ti > > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > > _______________________________________________ > Comp-neuro mailing list -- comp-neuro(a)lists.cnsorg.org > Mailing list webpage (to subscribe or view archives): > https://www.cnsorg.org/comp-neuro-mailing-list > > To contact admin/moderators, send an email to: > comp-neuro-owner(a)lists.cnsorg.org > To unsubscribe, send an email to comp-neuro-leave(a)lists.cnsorg.org >

Oct. 21, 2024

[Jobs] Postdoc Available in Theoretical Neuroscience

by Michael Furlong

Job Ad – Postdoctoral Researcher in Theoretical Neuroscience Prof Chris Eliasmith, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Theoretical Neuroscience and heads the Computational Neuroscience Research Group (CNRG) in the Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience (CTN) at the University of Waterloo, is seeking a postdoctoral researcher in Theoretical Neuroscience for a fixed-term appointment. Description: The postdoctoral position will be hosted in the CNRG, with a principal focus on neural modeling to build the next version of the Spaun brain model, the world’s largest functional brain model. The project integrates spiking deep neural networks, motor control, probabilistic inference, navigation, perception and cognition to develop a state-of-the-art, large-scale, spiking, whole-brain model. Applicants should have a PhD, with demonstrated skills in at least one of those areas and a willingness to learn about the others. This project leverages the CNRG’s existing expertise in using neural networks for large-scale brain modeling, originally demonstrated in 2012 with the first version of Spaun. A subsequent version in 2018 significantly extended performance. The latest version currently being built by the CNRG will again break new barriers in the scale and sophistication of whole brain models. Unlike past models, it will be embedded in a sophisticated 3D environment, yet retain the ability to perform a wide variety of tasks, from simple perceptual and motor tasks to challenging intelligence tests. Overall, the long-term goal of the project is to advance the state-of-the-art in large-scale brain models. Additional Information: The successful applicant will be housed in the vibrant Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience (CTN), which includes 7 core and 7 affiliated labs focussed on neural modeling and improving our basic understanding of neural computation. The CTN hosts monthly seminars, a yearly ‘Brain Day’ event, a summer school, and regular social activities. The position is for a fixed term of one year, eight months, with extensions contingent on performance and securing additional funding. Salary is $45,000 - 65,000 CAD per year. To apply, please send a full CV, 3 references and cover letter explaining your background and fit for the job to: Dr. Chris Eliasmith at celiasmith(a)uwaterloo.ca.

Oct. 21, 2024

Re: "Experienced" history of Neural Networks

by James Bower

argg I am sorry, typing too fast Could you change: Any equally interesting conflict I witnessed first hand (with no horse in the race), which even at that time was full of similar claims of precedence. I could tell that story too, but instead, I will simply say that Stephen's recent posting made me a bit nostalgic for the days when you were either were in the “email from Stephen claiming prescience club” or not - I thankfully never was. To An equally interesting conflict I witnessed first hand (with no horse in the race), which even at that time was full of similar claims of precedence. I could tell that story too, but instead, I will simply say that Stephen's recent posting made me a bit nostalgic for the days when you were either in the “email from Stephen claiming prescience club” or not - I thankfully never was. Or I can resubmit Sorry for the extra work Jim Dr. James M. Bower Ph.D. 541-499-7502 Simulating a 17th century landed gentry scientist. Also: Affiliate Professor of Biology Southern Oregon University Visiting Professor of Computational Neuroscience Biocomputation Research Group School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science University of Hertfordshire, UK Linked in <https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-m-bower-130163/> Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_M._Bower> > On Oct 21, 2024, at 11:15 AM, James Bower <bowerj(a)sou.edu> wrote: > > Any equally interesting conflict I witnessed first hand (with no horse in the race), which even at that time was full of similar claims of precedence. > > I could tell that story too, but instead, I will simply say that Stephen's recent posting made me a bit nostalgic for the days when you were either were in the “email from Stephen claiming prescience club” or not - I thankfully never was.

Oct. 21, 2024

Re: "Experienced" history of Neural Networks

by James Bower

opps, Here is the post with a spelling error corrected. Thank you Jim Being historical myself, I thought I might be appropriate for me to respond briefly to Stephen Grossberg’s recent personal recounting and retelling of history. To Witt, I sometimes, for fun, refer to myself as the pet neurobiologist in the early days of the neural network movement. Here is a recent semi-autobiographical (and thus of course certainly somewhat biased) account of those early days I was recently asked to write, which includes how the CNS meeting (as well as this mailing list) emerged from those days. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365925517_NIPS_NeurIPS_and_Neurosc… (PDF) (NIPS) NeurIPS and Neuroscience: A personal historical perspective researchgate.net https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365925517_NIPS_NeurIPS_and_Neurosc… Not included in that account where the other abundant political circumstances surrounding the re-emergence of neural networks, including for example, the revelry between the NIPS meeting and the “International Neural Network Society” and their annual meeting referred to in Stephen Grossberg’s recent post. Any equally interesting conflict I witnessed first hand (with no horse in the race), which even at that time was full of similar claims of precedence. I could tell that story too, but instead, I will simply say that Stephen's recent posting made me a bit nostalgic for the days when you were either were in the “email from Stephen claiming prescience club” or not - I thankfully never was. Anyway, for those interested, from my understanding I think this is a pretty good and balanced history of neural networks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_artificial_neural_networks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_artificial_neural_networks What should be clear from that history, and as also mentioned by Stephen, much of the algorithmic basis for ‘machine learning’ today are based on work done many years ago and therefore that most of the recent innovation in the field is not algorithmic but implementation, given faster and faster computers, cheaper and cheaper memory, and massive amounts of data. Given that, very tricky to assign ‘father or’ or for that matter ‘godfather of’ either. :-) In that light however, one other thing to say, which I could say a lot more about - as will almost certainly be clear in John Hopfield’s Nobel lecture, John was never much interested in the AI implications of his work. From the time I meet him through the rest of his career, he was focused on using the tools he had as a condensed matter physicist to explore questions in biology. In my experience at the time, John was almost uniquely committed to actually understanding the biology, rather than simply imposing his will upon it. That said, there is no question and as I witnessed it myself, publication of “The Hopfield Network” in 1981, re-ignited interest in an approach to AI that had been strongly resisted by the dons of the field at that time, precisely because it was not “explainable” in the then desired sense. Put another way, the role of the engineer in self-learning networks was not to impose their own predisposed assumptions about how to solve a particular problem (sometimes then, unfortunately extended to claims about how the nervous system works), but instead to construct a system that found a solution to the problem. Because of its success machine learning has now become the dominant paradigm in real world AI. But, it is now also increasingly being used as a tool to understand the brain. Too long a discussion for that here, but I have serious concerns about those efforts. In fact, I am giving at talk this week at the University of Oregon on a recent example in the neurobiology of olfaction. It is being webcast, so if anyone is interested, email me and I can send you the URL. In summary then, there is no question in my mind that John Hopfield’s contribution was unique and deserving of the acclaim he is now receiving - but I have to say I feel even better about his award because he never sought it, or expected it, or campaigned to get it, and in fact, is being rewarded for a consequence of his work that was never the real focus of his efforts. Good for you John. Respectfully, Jim Bower Dr. James M. Bower Ph.D. 541-499-7502 Simulating a 17th century landed gentry scientist. Also: Affiliate Professor of Biology Southern Oregon University Visiting Professor of Computational Neuroscience Biocomputation Research Group School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science University of Hertfordshire, UK Linked in <https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-m-bower-130163/> Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_M._Bower> > On Oct 21, 2024, at 11:10 AM, James Bower <bowerj(a)sou.edu> wrote: > > Being historical myself, I thought I might be appropriate for me to respond briefly to Stephen Grossberg’s recent personal recounting and retelling of history. > > To Witt, I sometimes, for fun, refer to myself as the pet neurobiologist in the early days of the neural network movement. > > Here is a recent semi-autobiographical (and thus of course cretainly somewhat biased) account of those early days I was recently asked to write, which includes how the CNS meeting (as well as this mailing list) emerged from those days. > > https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365925517_NIPS_NeurIPS_and_Neurosc… > > Not included in that account where the other abundant political circumstances surrounding the re-emergence of neural networks, including for example, the revelry between the NIPS meeting and the “International Neural Network Society” and their annual meeting referred to in Stephen Grossberg’s recent post. > > Any equally interesting conflict I witnessed first hand (with no horse in the race), which even at that time was full of similar claims of precedence. > > I could tell that story too, but instead, I will simply say that Stephen's recent posting made me a bit nostalgic for the days when you were either were in the “email from Stephen claiming prescience club” or not - I thankfully never was. > > Anyway, for those interested, from my understanding I think this is a pretty good and balanced history of neural networks. > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_artificial_neural_networks > > What should be clear from that history, and as also mentioned by Stephen, much of the algorithmic basis for ‘machine learning’ today are based on work done many years ago and therefore that most of the recent innovation in the field is not algorithmic but implementation, given faster and faster computers, cheaper and cheaper memory, and massive amounts of data. Given that, very tricky to assign ‘father or’ or for that matter ‘godfather of’ either. :-) > > In that light however, one other thing to say, which I could say a lot more about - as will almost certainly be clear in John Hopfield’s Nobel lecture, John was never much interested in the AI implications of his work. From the time I meet him through the rest of his career, he was focused on using the tools he had as a condensed matter physicist to explore questions in biology. In my experience at the time, John was almost uniquely committed to actually understanding the biology, rather than simply imposing his will upon it. > > That said, there is no question and as I witnessed it myself, publication of “The Hopfield Network” in 1981, re-ignited interest in an approach to AI that had been strongly resisted by the dons of the field at that time, precisely because it was not “explainable” in the then desired sense. Put another way, the role of the engineer in self-learning networks was not to impose their own predisposed assumptions about how to solve a particular problem (sometimes then, unfortunately extended to claims about how the nervous system works), but instead to construct a system that found a solution to the problem. > > Because of its success machine learning has now become the dominant paradigm in real world AI. But, it is now also increasingly being used as a tool to understand the brain. Too long a discussion for that here, but I have serious concerns about those efforts. In fact, I am giving at talk this week at the university of oregon on a recent example in the neurobiology of olfaction. > > It is being webcast, so if anyone is interested, email me and I can send you the URL. > > In summary then, there is no question in my mind that John Hopfield’s contribution was unique and deserving of the acclaim he is now receiving - but I have to say I feel even better about his award because he never sought it, or expected it, or campaigned to get it, and in fact, is being rewarded for a consequence of his work that was never the real focus of his efforts. > > Good for you John. > > > Respectfully, > > Jim Bower > > > > > > Dr. James M. Bower Ph.D. > > 541-499-7502 > > Simulating a 17th century landed gentry scientist. > > Also: > > Affiliate Professor of Biology > Southern Oregon University > > Visiting Professor of > Computational Neuroscience > Biocomputation Research Group > School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science > University of Hertfordshire, UK > > Linked in <https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-m-bower-130163/> > > Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_M._Bower> > > > > >

Oct. 21, 2024

Re: Some scientific history that I experienced relevant to the recent Nobel Prizes to Hopfield and Hinton

by Grossberg, Stephen

Dear Comp-neuro colleagues, Here are some short summaries of the history of neural network discoveries, as I experienced it, that are relevant to the recent Nobel Prizes to Hopfield and Hinton: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++THETHE THE NOBEL PRIZES IN PHYSICS TO HOPFIELD AND HINTON FOR MODELS THEY DID NOT DISCOVER: THE CASE OF HOPFIELD Here I summarize my concerns about the Hopfield award. I published articles in 1967 – 1972 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that introduced the Additive Model that Hopfield used in 1984. My articles proved global theorems about the limits and oscillations of my Generalized Additive Models. See sites.bu.edu/steveg<http://sites.bu.edu/steveg> for these articles. For example: Grossberg, S. (1971). Pavlovian pattern learning by nonlinear neural networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 68, 828-831. https://lnkd.in/emzwx4Tw This article illustrates that my mathematical results were part of a research program to develop biological neural networks that provide principled mechanistic explanations of psychological and neurobiological data. Later, Michael Cohen and I published a Liapunov function that included the Additive Model and generalizations thereof in 1982 and 1983 before Hopfield (1984) appeared. For example, Cohen, M.A. and Grossberg, S. (1983). Absolute stability of global pattern formation and parallel memory storage by competitive neural networks. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, SMC-13, 815-826. https://lnkd.in/eAFAdvbu I was told that Hopfield knew about my work before he published his 1984 article, without citation. Recall that I started my neural networks research in 1957 as a Freshman at Dartmouth College. That year, I introduced the biological neural network paradigm, as well as the short-term memory (STM), medium-term memory (MTM), and long-term memory (LTM) laws that are used to this day, including in the Additive Model, to explain data about how brains make minds. See the review in https://lnkd.in/gJZJtP_W . When I started in 1957, I knew no one else who was doing neural networks. That is why my colleagues call me the Father of AI. I then worked hard to create a neural networks community, notably a research center, academic department, the International Neural Network Society, the journal Neural Networks, multiple international conferences on neural networks, and Boston-area research centers, while training over 100 gifted PhD students, postdocs, and faculty to do neural network research. See the Wikipedia page. That is why I did not have time or strength to fight for priority of my models. Recently, I was able to provide a self-contained and non-technical overview and synthesis of some of my scientific discoveries since 1957, as well as explanations of the work of many other scientists, in my 2021 Magnum Opus Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain: How Each Brain Makes a Mind https://lnkd.in/eiJh4Ti ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE NOBEL PRIZES IN PHYSICS TO HOPFIELD AND HINTON FOR MODELS THEY DID NOT DISCOVER: THE CASE OF HINTON Here I summarize my concerns about the Hinton award. Many authors developed Back Propagation (BP) before Hinton; e.g., Amari (1967), Werbos (1974), Parker (1982), all before Rumelhart, Hinton, & Williams (1986). BP has serious computational weaknesses: It is UNTRUSTWORTHY (because it is UNEXPLAINABLE). It is UNRELIABLE (because it can experience CATASTROPHIC FORGETTING. It should thus never be used in financial or medical applications. BP learning is also SLOW and uses non-biological NONLOCAL WEIGHT TRANSPORT. See Figure, right column, top. In 1988, I published 17 computational problems of BP: https://lnkd.in/erKJvXFA BP gradually grew out of favor because other models were better. Later, huge online databases and supercomputers enabled Deep Learning to use BP to learn. My 1988 article contrasted BP with Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART) which I first published in 1976: https://lnkd.in/evkfq22G See Figure, right column, bottom. ART never had BP’s problems. ART is now the most advanced cognitive and neural theory that explains HOW HUMANS LEARN TO ATTEND, RECOGNIZE, and PREDICT events in a changing world. ART also explains and simulates data from hundreds of psychological and neurobiological experiments. In 1980, I derived ART from a THOUGHT EXPERIMENT about how ANY system can AUTONOMOUSLY learn to correct predictive errors in a changing world: https://lnkd.in/eGWE8kJg The thought experiment derives ART from a few facts of life that do not mention mind or brain. ART is thus a UNIVERSAL solution of the problem of autonomous error correction in a changing world. That is why ART models can be used in designs for AUTONOMOUS ADAPTIVE INTELLIGENCE in engineering, technology, and AI. ART also proposes a solution of the classical MIND-BODY PROBLEM: HOW, WHERE in our brains, and WHY from a deep computational perspective, we CONSCIOUSLY SEE, HEAR, FEEL, and KNOW about the world, and use our conscious states to PLAN and ACT to realize VALUED GOALS. For details, see Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain: How Each Brain Makes a Mind https://lnkd.in/eiJh4Ti +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Oct. 21, 2024

Arduino for Neuroscience Workshop, Brighton, Nov 20-22th

by Mateusz Kostecki

Hello! We are happy to announce the first Cambridge Open Lab Workshop, organised in collaboration with the Open Research Technologies Hub. Learn how to apply Arduino in your research! Arduino is a powerful device that you can use to build and program thousands of devices – from weather stations, through smart house applications to drones and robots. It has also recently became a powerful tool used in laboratory – you can use it to control lasers, build automated mazes or stimulus delivery systems for behavioural experiments – and much more. It is easy to learn and doesn’t require previous experience with programming. During our workshop, you will learn everything you need to start building your own devices. We will guide you through the topics ranging from basic electronics, diodes, trough motors and servos to sensors of all types. You will learn how to use Arduino to control different research devices and synchronize them! After the workshop, you will be able to write complex Arduino programs and have a knowledge of electronics that will allow you to design devices used in your lab. Topics: - Basic electronics – from electrons to laws - Controlling devices with Arduino – diodes, motors, servos - Writing code to control lasers in optogenetic experiments - Synchronizing devices with Arduino - Sensing environment – light, temperature, and distance sensors - Wireless communication - Writing complex code in Arduino The workshop will take place at University of Sussex Library, Brighton, Nov 20-22 2024 from 9 AM to 6 PM. The cost of the workshop is GBP 150. Registration form can be found here - https://nenckiopenlab.org/arduino-cam/. The deadline for registration is Oct 30th. Best, Mateusz Kostecki -- --- Mateusz Kostecki PhD Student Knapska Laboratory Nencki Institute 02-093 Warsaw, Pasteura 3, Poland https://twitter.com/mtkostecki https://evolvingbehavior.blog/

Oct. 21, 2024

COSYNE 2025: Abstract submission closes soon; Cosyne DEIA Committee

by Tomas Hromadka

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2025 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING 27 March - 30 March 2025 Montreal, Canada WORKSHOPS 31 March - 01 April 2025 Mont-Tremblant, Canada www.cosyne.org ==================================================== IMPORTANT DATES Abstract submission is now open. Abstract submission deadline: 23 October 2024 11:59pm PST ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE MEETING & WORKSHOPS ---------------------------------------------------- The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks is selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural basis of behavior, sensory and motor systems, circuitry, learning, neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, neuromodulation, and computation with spiking networks. We would like to foster increased participation from experimental groups as well as computational ones. Please circulate widely and encourage your students and postdocs to apply. When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE DEIA COMMITTEE ---------------------------------------------------- Join our 2025 DEIA Committee for @CosyneMeeting!!! The Cosyne DEIA Committee is dedicated to fostering inclusivity. We’re seeking 4 new members to contribute to the planning of the 2025 conference and drive inclusive practices. All career stages are encouraged to join (e.g., faculty, postdocs, and graduate students). For questions, contact the committee co-chairs, Luke Sjulson (@lukesjulson, luke [at] sjulsonlab.org) or Denise Cai (@denisejcai, denisecai [at] gmail.com) The application deadline is 15 November 2024. Join us and make a lasting impact—apply today! https://forms.gle/gqSNuZj2Cb68UevN9 ----------------------------------------------------- COSYNE 2025 COMMITTEES ----------------------------------------------------- ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General Chairs: Bing Brunton (U Washington) and Chandramouli Chandrasekaran (Boston U) Program Chairs: Tatiana Engel (CSHL) and Kevin Franks (Duke) Workshop Chairs: SueYeon Chung (NYU) and Guillaume Lajoie (MILA/U Montreal) Tutorial Chair: Talmo Pereira (Salk) DEIA Committee: Denise Cai (Mount Sinai) and Luke Sjulson (Albert Einstein) Undergraduate Travel Chairs: Kimberly Stachenfeld (DeepMind) and Marcelo Mattar (NYU) Fundraising Chair: Michael Long (NYU) Social Media Chair: Sabera Talukder (Caltech) Audio-Video Media Chair: Carlos Stein Brito (Chamaplimaud) Poster Design: Maja Bialon PROGRAM COMMITTEE Tatiana Engel (CSHL) Co-chair Kevin Franks (Duke) Co-chair Mikio Aoi (UCSD) Arkarup Banerjee (CSHL) Marcus Benna (UCSD) Adrian Bondy (Princeton) Timothy Buschman (Princeton) Celine Cammarata (Duke) Alex Cayco Gajic (Ecole Normale Superieure) Hannah Choi (Gatech) Benjamin Cowley (CSHL) Carina Curto (Brown) Brian DePasquale (Boston U) Sridhar Devarajan (Indian Inst Sci) Laura Driscoll (Stanford) Ann Duan (UCL) Lea Duncker (Stanford) Annegret Falkner (Princeton) Arseny Finkelstein (Tel Aviv U) Rainer Friedrich (Friedrich Miescher Institute) Juan Gallego (Imperial) Matthew Golub (U Washington) Bilal Haider (Georgia Tech) Kiah Hardcastle (Harvard) Ann Hermundstad (Janelia) Michele Insanally (U Pitt) Monika Jadi (Yale) Jonathan Kao (UCLA) Kohitij Kar (York U) Ann Kennedy (Northwestern) Guillaume Lajoie (MILA) Anna Levina (U Tubingen) Laura Lewis (MIT) Camilo Libedinsky (National U Singapore) Ashok Litwin-Kumar (Columbia) Laureline Logiaco (MIT) Emily Mace (Max Planck) Francesca Mastrogiuseppe (Champalimaud) Luca Mazzucato (U Oregon) Jorge Mejias (U Amsterdam) Jonathan Michaels (York U) Eilif Muller (U Montreal) James Murray (U Oregon) Hendrikje Nienborg (NIH) Gouki Okazawa (Chinese Acad Sci) Marino Pagan (U Edinburgh) Hannah Payne (Columbia) Talmo Pereira (Salk) Erin Rich (Mount Sinai) Ben Scott (Boston U) Nicholas Steinmetz (U Washington) Carsen Stringer (HHMI) Marie Suver (Vanderbilt) Tatjana Tchumatchenko (U Bonn) John Tuthill (U Washington) Ali Weber (Bryn Mawr) Brady Weissbourd (MIT) Alex Williams (NYU) Klaus Wimmer (CRM) Brad Wyble (Penn State) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Anne-Marie Oswald (U Pittsburgh) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org ----------------------------------------------------- COSYNE MAILING LISTS ----------------------------------------------------- Please consider adding yourself to Cosyne mailing lists (groups) to receive email updates with various Cosyne-related information and join in helpful discussions. See Cosyne.org -> About-> Mailing lists for details.

Oct. 20, 2024

Post-doctoral Fellow Position available in National University of Singapore

by sc.phua＠nus.edu.sg

Postdoctoral Fellow Position in the Neuron Signaling Laboratory, NUS, Singapore We are actively seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to join us in the following project (This position will be co-supervised with a PI from the Biomedical Engineering Department): Investigating a transcriptional role of primary cilia in striatal neural computation mediating cognitive flexibility Qualifications: The candidate should hold or is going to obtain a PhD in one of the disciplines below: - Biomedical engineering, systems neuroscience, computational neuroscience or related fields. - At least one first-author research publication in a peer-reviewed journal Skills: - Strong motivation and leadership in pursuing challenging scientific questions - An ability to work well with interdisciplinary colleagues - Experience in mentoring and training junior researchers - Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills - Good time and resource management skills Experience: - High proficiency in Python/Matlab (essential requirement) •⁠ ⁠⁠Preferably experience working with neural data (spikes, calcium imaging) at scale •⁠ ⁠⁠Some background in machine learning with strong grounding in statistical methods •⁠ ⁠⁠Familiarity with techniques for dimensionality reduction - Expertise in in vivo brain recording techniques, e.g. microendoscopy, electrophysiology, fiber photometry - Expertise in rodent stereotaxic surgeries Candidates should email (i) a description of research interests, (ii) a CV and (iii) the names of 3 references to Dr. Phua at sc.phua(a)nus.edu.sg . The position is available immediately but we will wait for the candidate with the ideal combination of skills and interests.

Oct. 19, 2024

Two Tenure-Track faculty positions in Applied Mathematics, UW Seattle

by Eric Shea-Brown

Hello comp neuro colleagues! Sharing news of two tenure-track assistant professor positions in at UW Applied Mathematics, in Seattle. Please apply by 10/31! Details here: https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/list/25055 Yours, Eric ________________ Eric Shea-Brown (he/him) Professor, Applied Mathematics + Physiology and Biophysics, ECE Co-director, Computational Neuroscience Center University of Washington

Oct. 18, 2024

One week left: Research Summit on Open Problems for AI (Euston, London, Oct 23-24th)

by Battleday, Ruairidh

AE Autumn Summit on Open Problems for AI. Friends House, Euston, London, Oct 23-24. What are the next set of challenges for AI algorithms? What are the open problems in application? Join the UK’s leading AI researchers, policy makers, and entrepreneurs in this global summit. One week left until the Summit! Some tickets sold out, others still available! www.algopreneurship.org Day 1 (Oct 23rd) - Algorithms We’ll be hearing from Professor Karl Friston <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_J._Friston> (UCL & Verses.ai <http://verses.ai/>), Professor Claudia Clopath <https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/c.clopath> (Imperial), Dr Katja Hofman <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/people/kahofman/>n (Microsoft), Dr Martin Riedmiller <https://sites.google.com/view/riedmiller/home> (Google DeepMind), Professor Tim Rocktäschel <https://rockt.github.io/> (Google DeepMind & UCL) Panels on Fundamental AI research challenges (University of Oxford, DeepMind, Meta <https://ai.meta.com/research/fair-paris/>, XTX Markets <https://xtxmarkets.com/>); New Kinds of AI Research Institution (Kings AI Institute <https://www.kcl.ac.uk/ai>, <https://www.aria.org.uk/>Alan Turing Institute <https://www.turing.ac.uk/>, Advanced Research and Invention Agency <https://www.aria.org.uk/>, Ellison Institute <https://eit.org/>, <https://www.airstreet.com/>Cambridge Consultants <https://www.cambridgeconsultants.com/>) Day 2 (Oct 24th) - Applications Professor Sana Khareghani <https://rai.ac.uk/team/professor-sana-khareghani-2/> (RAI <https://rai.ac.uk/> & KCL), James Donovan <https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-donovan-111a7a122/> (OpenAI), Professor Mounia Lalmas <https://research.atspotify.com/2020/09/mounia-lalmas-roelleke/> (Spotify), Dr Olvier Vince <https://theorg.com/org/basecamp-research/org-chart/oliver-vince> (Basecamp Research <https://basecamp-research.com/>), Professor Eiman Kanjo <https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/e.kanjo> (tinyML/Imperial/Nottingham Trent), Danny Gray <https://jaaq.org/creator/35911> (Just Ask A Question <https://jaaq.org/home>), Tarig Hilal <https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarighilal/> (Akord AI <https://cdi.akord.org/>), Ashley Ramrachia <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-ramrachia-0988675/> ( Academy <https://academy.tech/>), Dr Chanuki Illushka Seresinhe <https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanukiseresinhe/> (Boon/beautifulplaces.ai) Future Leaders Breakout Rooms (UKRI, Future Leaders Development Network <https://www.flfdevnet.com/>, No, 10 Downing Street Data Team, Tony Blair Institute <https://www.institute.global/>, Zeki <https://www.thezeki.com/>, Octopus ventures <https://octopusventures.com/>, Entrepreneur First <https://www.joinef.com/>, Financial Times), Panels on AI and Education Panel (Raspberry Pi <https://www.raspberrypi.org/>, Inversity <https://inversity.co/welcome>, micro:bit <https://microbit.org/>, memrise <https://www.memrise.com/en-us/>, Five Arrows <https://www.rothschildandco.com/en/five-arrows/>); Challenges for AI in Biomedicine Panel (KCL, QMU, Alan Turing Institute, Sonus AI <https://decorte.co.uk/>, Basecamp Research <https://www.basecamp-research.com/>, RedAlpine <https://www.redalpine.com/> ) Student tickets: £10 General: £30 This should be an exciting and productive event, and we expect an audience of 1000 of the UK best AI researchers, policy makers, and entrepreneurs, at student, early stage, and full career levels. -- Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday BMBCh (Oxon) PhD President Thinking About Thinking, Inc <https://thinkingaboutthinking.org> Postdoctoral Research Fellow Center for Brain Science, Harvard University Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT

Oct. 17, 2024

School on the Origins of Life, Behavior and Cognition

by Ahmed El Hady

*School on the Origins of Life, Behavior and Cognition* *March 10-21, 2025* *ICTP-SAIFR, São Paulo, Brazil* */Application Deadline:/ December 28, 2024* School on Origins is an interdisciplinary school that tackles the foundational questions concerning the origins of biophysical systems which include but are not limited to : molecular, cellular, neural and behavioral systems. We aim to find principles shared across systems using tools from statistical physics, mathematical analysis and numerical simulations to explore these questions. We have invited researchers that work both on the experimental and theoretical side to cover a variety of biophysical systems and theoretical approaches. The school is aimed at graduate students either at the master’s or PhD level who have a strong quantitative background and a keen interest to pursue interdisciplinary research. We invite students pursuing degrees in physics, computer science, engineering, or mathematics. Those pursuing degrees in biology need to provide evidence of strong and extensive quantitative background in topics such as calculus, dynamical systems and numerical programming. /There is no registration fee and limited funds are available for travel and local expenses./ *Organizers:* * *Ahmed El Hady* (Cluster of Excellence Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Germany.) * *Antonio C. Roque* (USP Ribeirão Preto, Brazil) * *Daniel Y. Takahashi* (UFRN, Brazil) *Lecturers:* * *Suzanne Still* (University of Hawaii at Mānoa, USA) * *Randall Beer* (Indiana University Bloomington, USA) * *Asif Ghazanfar* (Princeton University, USA) * *Don Katz* (Brandeis University, USA) * *Gandhimohan M. Viswanathan* (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte – UFRN, Brazil) * *Bruno Mota* (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) * *Ana Amador* (University of Buenos Aires, Argentina ) All details and application procedure can be found here: https://www.ictp-saifr.org/solbc2025/ All the best, Ahmed El Hady Dr. Ahmed El Hady Research Group Leader Cluster for Advanced Study of Collective Behavior University of Konstanz / Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz Room ZT 907 Postbox 687 Tel.: +49 7531 88-4742

Oct. 17, 2024

PhD/postdoc positions in NeuroAI

by Adam Gosztolai

Dear Comp-neuro community, I would like to inform you about PhD and postdoc opportunities in my lab in Vienna. We are the Dynamics of Neural Systems Lab, currently generously supported by an ERC Starting grant. We have several exciting projects at the interface of neuro, mathematical modelling (geometry and dynamical systems) and ML. All have broad impact in fundamental ML theory and neuroscience and translational impact in neuroprosthetic interfaces. I also have an open project for someone with strong mathematical and programming skills, e.g., to develop a project like MARBLE (https://arxiv.org/html/2304.03376v3) at the interface of dynamical systems, probabilistic modelling and deep learning. More details on the projects can be found here: https://www.gosztolai-lab.org/news/2024/09/15/Hiring.html Would you be so kind to circulate this among colleagues and interested students? They can contact me directly with questions. All the best, Adam ————— Adam Gosztolai Group leader AI Institute Medical University of Vienna Research Affiliate McGovern Institute for Brain Research MIT gosztolai-lab.org

Oct. 17, 2024

Open PhD Position at El-Boustani Lab - University of Geneva (Switzerland)

by sami El-Boustani

The El-Boustani Lab at the University of Geneva is looking for a highly motivated PhD student to research the plasticity mechanisms underlying the learning of goal-directed sensorimotor associations in mice. This project involves whole-brain mappings, two-photon calcium imaging of neuronal populations, as well as dendritic spine imaging in mice during the acquisition of perceptual decision-making tasks. Genetically encoded tools will be used to dissect the circuits that contribute to the learning of these tasks, and state-of-the-art behavioral modeling will help infer the timescales of synaptic plasticity. Successful applicant will contribute to a collaborative research program focused on understanding how changes in specific sensorimotor synapses underpin the acquisition of new associations. We welcome applicants with diverse quantitative backgrounds, including but not limited to neuroscience, mathematics, physics, and engineering. We are especially interested in applicants with excellent programming skills (e.g., MATLAB, Python), and experience with mouse behavior and/or imaging techniques through cranial windows. Switzerland offers a vibrant neuroscience community with outstanding research conditions and attractive salaries. Candidates should send their CV, at least two references and a brief cover letter describing their previous work and future goals to Sami El-Boustani: <mailto:sami.el-boustani@unige.ch> sami.el-boustani(a)unige.ch<mailto:sami.el-boustani@unige.ch>. Please visit http://elboustani-lab.org/ for more details.

Oct. 16, 2024

2-year postdoc at Neurospin/INM, Paris: Deep phenotyping of learning and decision-making 7T MRI, MEG & computational modeling

by Alexander Paunov

2-YEAR POSTDOCTORAL POSITION AVAILABLE AT NEUROSPIN/INM (PARIS, FRANCE) https://florentmeyniel.weebly.com/uploads/5/9/7/2/59727215/ad_recruitment_p… Project Deep phenotyping of learning and decision-making 7T MRI, MEG & computational modeling Supervisor and contact Dr Florent MEYNIEL https://www.unicog.org/lab/the-computational-brain/ Duration and Dates * Initial duration: two years * Extension possible * Full-time post * Preferred starting date: January 2025 Project description Learning and decision making are intertwined processes in many everyday situations. One example is when you decide where to have lunch: should you go to the nearby coffee shop or to the university cafeteria? Learning depends on choice, because you can learn which option you prefer by trying each option repeatedly, and decision making depends on learning, because you eventually want to select the option you have learned you like best. Uncertainty plays a key role in both learning1–4 and decision making5, especially when the environment is not stationary (e.g., a new brand now runs the nearby coffee shop and you like it less). In the CEA-funded EXPLORE+ collaborative project, we are interested in characterizing the neural representation of uncertainty6–8 and value that emerge from learning and guide decisions. Our approach follows a deep phenotyping approach, attempting to characterize each subject with a large multimodal dataset. We collected data from 16 participants who participated in one behavioral session, two 7T fMRI sessions, and two MEG sessions. The large number of trials allows us to estimate and test different computational models of the decision and learning processes. The 7T MRI and MEG data provide access to the topographical organization of neural representations and their dynamics, respectively, to better understand learning and decision making. One postdoc is currently working on the fMRI data, and we are looking for another postdoc for the MEG dataset. Both postdocs will work together to perform analyses informed by both modalities. The EXPLORE+ project will continue with another previously funded project called BrainSync, which will collect data from 11.7 fMRI and intracranial recordings using the same task, providing an opportunity to extend the current work. Profile Ph.D. in neuroscience, machine learning or psychology, with good programming skills (ideally Python). Previous experience with ideally MEG, EEG or alternatively fMRI, computational modeling. You will be responsible for data analysis (mainly MEG, also fMRI-MEG in collaboration with Alexander Paunov, postdoc working on the fMRI part) and dissemination of results in internal seminars, international conferences and journal articles. The working language of the lab is English. French is not required. Workplace and environment Dr Florent MEYNIEL leads the Computational Brain team (more info here), which is located in two places. * Institute of NeuroModulation (INM), Sainte Anne Hospital, Paris, France. The INM is part of the GHU Paris, Psychiatry & Neurosciences. The INM combines clinical activities and innovative clinical research in psychiatry with basic research in computational neuroscience. Team members spend most of their days here. * NeuroSpin, Paris-Saclay Campus, France. NeuroSpin is part of the CEA (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique). Directed by Prof. Stanislas DEHAENE, NeuroSpin is a world-class brain imaging center equipped with a MEG system (Elekta, Neuromag) and several human MRI scanners (3T Prisma, 7T and 11.7T), all for research purposes only. The community at NeuroSpin is very stimulating, combining MRI physicists, machine learning experts, and cognitive neuroscientists. Team members go there to collect data and collaborate with their colleagues in the Cognitive NeuroImaging Unit. Application procedure Please send an email to Florent Meyniel (florent.meyniel(a)cea.fr) and Alexander Paunov (alexander.paunov(a)gmail.com) * Your CV * a research statement (what you like and want to do) * the contact details of two referees Applications will be considered on a rolling basis (positions will remain open until filled). Salary According to CEA standards. According to experience. References 1. Meyniel, F., Schlunegger, D. & Dehaene, S. The Sense of Confidence during Probabilistic Learning: A Normative Account. PLoS Comput Biol 11, e1004305 (2015). 2. Meyniel, F., Sigman, M. & Mainen, Z. F. Confidence as Bayesian Probability: From Neural Origins to Behavior. Neuron 88, 78–92 (2015). 3. Foucault, C. & Meyniel, F. Two Determinants of Dynamic Adaptive Learning for Magnitudes and Probabilities. Open Mind 8, 615–638 (2024). 4. Meyniel, F. Brain dynamics for confidence-weighted learning. PLOS Comput. Biol. 16, e1007935 (2020). 5. Paunov, A. et al. Multiple and subject-specific roles of uncertainty in reward-guided decision-making. 2024.03.27.587016 Preprint at https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.27.587016 (2024). 6. Walker, E. Y. et al. Studying the neural representations of uncertainty. Nat. Neurosci. 1–11 (2023) doi:10.1038/s41593-023-01444-y. 7. Bounmy, T., Eger, E. & Meyniel, F. A characterization of the neural representation of confidence during probabilistic learning. NeuroImage 268, 119849 (2023). 8. Meyniel, F. & Dehaene, S. Brain networks for confidence weighting and hierarchical inference during probabilistic learning. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 201615773 (2017) doi:10.1073/pnas.1615773114.

Oct. 15, 2024

Call for Workshop Proposals on Complex Systems at FRCCS 2025

by Hocine Cherifi

The organizing committee of *Fr*ance’s International *C*onference on *C* omplex *S*ystems (FRCCS 2025 <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/>) invites proposals for full- or half-day workshops on current or emerging topics in Complex Systems. Workshops provide an interactive platform for in-depth exploration of novel issues or application domains, fostering collaboration across disciplines. We especially welcome multidisciplinary workshops that engage both researchers and practitioners. *Workshop Date:* May 21-23, 2025 *Proposal Deadline:* January 12, 2024 *Workshop Format & Duration* We encourage diverse formats beyond traditional paper presentations, including: - *Discussions*, *demos*, *panels*, and *challenge sessions*. - *Full-day workshops*: 7 hours, including two 30-minute breaks. - *Half-day workshops*: 4 hours, including one 30-minute break. *Organizer Responsibilities* Workshop organizers are responsible for managing their sessions independently, which includes drafting and disseminating the Call for Papers (CFP) for their workshops, reviewing submitted papers, and coordinating with participants. *Proposal Guidelines (2-4 pages in PDF)* Proposals should include the following details: 1. *Title* 2. *Overview*: Key issues, relevance, and associated research areas. 3. *Organizers*: Names, affiliations, and contact information (with one primary contact). 4. *Workshop Format*: Planned structure (talks, panels, etc.). 5. *Duration*: Half-day or full-day. 6. *Call for Submissions* (optional draft). 7. *Expected Submissions and Participants* 8. *Speakers*: Confirmed or pre-contacted (if applicable). 9. *Logistics Needs* (e.g., poster stands, AV equipment). *Incentives* Workshops with more than ten registered contributions will receive a waived registration fee for one organizer or invited speaker. *Important Dates* - *Proposal Submission Deadline* : January 12, 2024 - *Acceptance Notification* : January 26, 2024 - *Workshop Paper Submission Deadline*: March 20, 2024 - *Author Notification* : April 17, 2024 *Submission Link* Submit your proposal via: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/FRCCS2025/. Choose the "Workshop Proposal" track. *Publication* Workshop contributions will be included in the FRCCS 2025 conference companion book (with ISBN). Selected submissions may be invited for publication in partner journals. *Why Organize a Workshop?* By organizing a workshop, you will: - Shape discussions on cutting-edge topics in Complex Systems. - Build networks with leading researchers and practitioners. - Promote interdisciplinary collaboration and share your expertise with an engaged audience. *We look forward to receiving your innovative and exciting workshop proposals!* For more details, visit: https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/workshops-proposals/ Or contact the workshop chair Maria Malek maria.malek(a)cyu.fr Join us at COMPLEX NETWORKS 2024 <https://www.complexnetworks.org/> *-------------------------* Hocine CHERIFI University of Burgundy Franche-Comté Laboratoire* I*nterdisciplinaire *C*arnot de *B*ourgogne - ICB UMR 6303 CNRS Editor in Chief Plos Complex Systems <https://plos.org/complex-systems-research-journal/#:~:text=PLOS%20Complex%2….> Founding & Adisory Editor Applied Network Science <https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/> Editorial Board member PLOS One <https://journals.plos.org/plosone/>, IEEE ACCESS <https://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/?http%3A%2F%2Fieeeaccess_ieee_org%2F>, Scientific Reports <https://www.nature.com/srep/>, Journal of Imaging <https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jimaging>, Quality and Quantity <https://www.springer.com/journal/11135/>, Computational Social Networks <https://computationalsocialnetworks.springeropen.com/>, Complex Systems <https://www.complex-systems.com/>

Oct. 15, 2024

Brains in Space - A virtual colloquium on spatial navigation

by Vinita Samarasinghe

On behalf of Sen Cheng, Sandhiya Vijayabaskaran and Laurenz Wiskott from the Institute of Neural Computation, Faculty for Computer Science, Ruhr University Bochum, I invite you to attend a colloquium series "*Brains in Space: An Interdisciplinary Research Colloquium on Spatial Navigation*". In this colloquium, speakers will present their research in various areas of spatial navigation, including behavioral, neuroscientific, and theoretical approaches. The goal is to foster interdisciplinary discussions along the lines of the review article "A Map of Spatial Navigation for Neuroscience" (Parra-Barrero et al., 2023) that proposes a taxonomy of spatial navigation processes in mammals. The talks will cover a diverse range of topics, from the neural underpinnings of navigation to complex navigation behaviors. Attendees will gain a better understanding of how the mammalian brain represents and navigates through space, as well as learn about several cognitive processes such as learning and memory through the lens of spatial navigation. The colloquium takes place virtually on Tuesday's from 16:00 to 17:30 (CET) and the complete schedule can be found at https://www.ini.rub.de/teaching/courses/colloquium_brains_in_space_an_inter… . The first talk is on October 29th 2024.* * *Confirmed speakers include:* Arne Ekstrom, Klaus Gramann, Michael Hornberger, Russell Epstein, Ed Manley and Behnam Ghazinouri. This colloquium is open to the public. Please feel free to forward this information to any of your colleagues who may be interested. Zoom link: https://ruhr-uni-bochum.zoom-x.de/j/67839364827?pwd=RfcIgK8OUfjkwWTNCf80ARX… [Meeting ID: 678 3936 4827; Passcode: 841644] October 29th: *Klaus Gramann* - TU Berlin *Title:* Mobile Brain/Body Imaging in Actively Navigating Humans *Abstract:* The human brain is embodied, intertwined with our physical form, leveraging this embodiment to enhance perception in complex and dynamically changing environments. Traditional brain imaging techniques have largely ignored these aspects of embodied cognition. However, recent years have witnessed a significant paradigm shift, with established brain imaging technologies being employed outside conventional experimental frameworks to record brain dynamics in actively behaving individuals. This evolution in research methodologies introduces new challenges in both hardware and analytical approaches but allows for unprecedented insights into human brain activity underlying natural cognition. In this presentation, I will provide an overview of research in the Berlin Mobile Brain/Body Imaging Labs that focus on the neural dynamics underlying human navigation using mobile EEG technologies. Utilizing Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI), I will present findings from experiments that examine multisensory integration during navigation, both within classical laboratory protocols and in scenarios that permit full-body movement in virtual and real-world settings. The results reveal substantial changes in brain dynamics in actively behaving participants compared to traditional brain imaging configurations, highlighting important implications for future research directions. We look forward to seeing you. Kind regards, Vinita -- Vinita Samarasinghe Science Manager Arbeitsgruppe Computational Neuroscience Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, NB 3/73 Postfachnummer 110 Universitätstr. 150 D-44801 Bochum Tel: +49 (0)234 32 27996 Email:samarasinghe@ini.rub.de

Oct. 15, 2024

Faculty position in Mathematical Biology

by Alla R Borisyuk

The Department of Mathematics at the University of Utah has an OPEN RANK FACULTY POSITION search in Mathematical Biology (including Computational Neuroscience). Please help us spread the word by forwarding this announcement to anyone who might be interested. For the official job announcement please see www.mathjobs.org/jobs/UofUtah/TTMATHBIO and please let us know if you have any questions. Alla Borisyuk Professor Department of Mathematics University of Utah

Oct. 14, 2024

Creating an inclusive and anti-racist academia – Online Panel Discussion and Q&A – 28th October, 1pm GMT / 2pm CET

by Sidarus, Nura

Creating an inclusive and anti-racist academia Online Panel Discussion with Q&A Monday, October 28 1-2pm GMT / 2-3pm CET Details & registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1027101356807 Despite ongoing efforts to promote anti-racism and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), systemic inequalities persist and academic work often remains limited to Western perspectives, neglecting the rich diversity of global knowledge systems. Women in Cognitive Science-Europe<https://www.womenincogsci.org/wics-europe> is organising this discussion on occasion of the United Kingdom’s Black History Month, making time to recognise the contribution of Black scholars and thought, and foster conversations that challenge the cultural narratives and practices that marginalise people of colour. We believe we all need to work together to fight against all types of discrimination and marginalisation. Panelists will provide evidence and showcase ongoing initiatives to promote a more inclusive and anti-racist academia. Attendees will gain insights into these issues and be inspired to take action in their own contexts. Panelists: * Prof. Felix Ameka, Leiden University, The Netherlands * Prof. Narender Ramnani, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK * Dr. Nura Sidarus, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK Join us and help us spread the word about this event. Everyone is welcome! Details & registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1027101356807 __________________________________________________________ Dr Nura Sidarus (she/her) Lecturer | Chair of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Team Department of Psychology | Office: Wolfson 248 Royal Holloway University of London | Egham | TW20 0EX Affiliate Member | Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL Computations in Agency and Metacognition Lab<https://www.compagencymeta.com/> nura.sidarus(a)rhul.ac.uk<mailto:%20nura.sidarus@rhul.ac.uk> | Personal Website<http://www.nurasidarus.com/> __________________________________________________________ This email, its contents and any attachments are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. In certain circumstances, it may also be subject to legal privilege. Any unauthorised use, disclosure, or copying is not permitted. If you have received this email in error, please notify us and immediately and permanently delete it. Any views or opinions expressed in personal emails are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Royal Holloway, University of London. It is your responsibility to ensure that this email and any attachments are virus free.

Oct. 14, 2024

Apply to the Bertalanffy Doctoral Student Award @ FRCCS 2025

by Hocine Cherifi

*DOCTORAL STUDENT AWARD* <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/doctoral-student-award/> *@ **FRCCS 2025* <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> The Bertalanffy Doctoral Student Award is part of CSS FRANCE's <https://www.cssfrance.org/> global initiative to support early career researchers in their quest to advance the frontiers of science across a broad range of disciplines. It is in place to recognize early career contributions and leadership in research in Complex Systems related fields. It is awarded to young researchers enrolled in a Ph.D. program. This competition consists of presenting your research in simple terms in a five-minute video to a lay audience. Your presentation should be clear, concise, and convincing. *Eligibility* - Eligible candidates must: - Be under 30. - Be enrolled in a Ph.D. program in whatever discipline Complex Systems covers. - Commit to presenting their work at France's International Conference on Complex Systems <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> ( FRCCS 2025) <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> if awarded - Accept and authorize the use and distribution of videos and photos related to the competition, including on social networks - Have informed their thesis supervisor of their participation in the competition - Present a sufficiently advanced state of the doctoral research project - Individuals may only be candidates for this award once in their lifetime. *Important dates* · Application deadline: *March 11, 2025* · Notification to applicants: *April 02, 2025* *Application Instruction* The application package must contain the following: - A CV of the candidate (maximum two pages) - A summary (maximum two pages) presenting the research work, its context, main contribution, and scientific impact. - A 5-minute video presentation. *Application Process* Applications are made via a Google form on the online portal. <https://forms.gle/CEGYgJFV8MoiSQS36> *Note that Google Forms requires you to be signed in to a Google account to upload files and submit your responses. * *Selection Process* FRCCS Award Committee will evaluate all qualified candidates and propose the winner to the Advisory Board of CSS FRANCE, which will make the final decision. *Award Procedure* · The awardee will be recognized and present their work at FRCCS 2025 <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/>. · The awardee will receive a 500-euro prize. · If the awardee is not an author at FRCCS 2025 <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/>, the prize will include an additional coverage of their registration fee. · If the awardee has an accepted submission to FRCCS 2025 <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/>,, they need to pay the registration fee for their contribution. For more information, contact: hocine.cherifi(a)gmail.com Join us at COMPLEX NETWORKS 2024 <https://www.complexnetworks.org/> *-------------------------* Hocine CHERIFI University of Burgundy Franche-Comté Laboratoire* I*nterdisciplinaire *C*arnot de *B*ourgogne - ICB UMR 6303 CNRS Editor in Chief Plos Complex Systems <https://plos.org/complex-systems-research-journal/#:~:text=PLOS%20Complex%2….> Founding & Adisory Editor Applied Network Science <https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/> Editorial Board member PLOS One <https://journals.plos.org/plosone/>, IEEE ACCESS <https://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/?http%3A%2F%2Fieeeaccess_ieee_org%2F>, Scientific Reports <https://www.nature.com/srep/>, Journal of Imaging <https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jimaging>, Quality and Quantity <https://www.springer.com/journal/11135/>, Computational Social Networks <https://computationalsocialnetworks.springeropen.com/>, Complex Systems <https://www.complex-systems.com/>

Oct. 14, 2024

CFP FRCCS 2025 Bordeaux, France May 21 – 23, 2025

by Hocine Cherifi

Fifth France’s International* C*onference on* C*omplex* S*ystems May 21 – 23, 2025 Bordeaux, France *FRCCS 2025* <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> The fifth edition of France’s International Conference on Complex Systems (FRCCS 2025) will be held in Bordeaux, France. This single-track international conference serves as a platform to foster interdisciplinary exchanges among researchers from various scientific disciplines and diverse backgrounds, including sociology, economics, history, management, archaeology, geography, linguistics, statistics, mathematics, and computer science. FRCCS 2025 allows participants to meet yearly in France, exchange and promote ideas, and facilitate the cross-fertilization of recent research work, industrial advancements, and original applications. Moreover, the conference emphasizes research topics with a high societal impact, showcasing the significance of complexity science in addressing complex societal challenges. You are cordially invited to submit your contribution by *February 21, 2025.* Finalized work (published or unpublished) and work in progress are welcome. Three types of contributions are accepted: · *Long Papers* about *original research* (up to 12 pages) · *Short Papers *about* original research* (up to 8 pages) · *Extended Abstract* about *published or unpublished* research (3 to 4 pages). *Keynote Speakers* · Elsa Arcaute, <https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/casa> University College London, UK · Ulrik Brandes <https://sn.ethz.ch/> ETH Zürich Switzerland · Mikko Kivelä, <http://www.mkivela.com/> Aalto University, Finland · Caterina La Porta, <https://www.oncolab.unimi.it/about-caterina/> University of Milan, Italy · *More TBA…* *Publication* o *Papers *will be included in the conference *proceedings edited by Springer* o *Extended abstracts* will be included in the book of abstracts (With ISBN) o *Selected submissions of unpublished work will be invited for publication in special issues (fast track procedure) **of the journals:* o Applied Network Science, <https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/> edited by Springer o Frontiers in Big Data <https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/big-data> edited by Frontiers *Submission * · Submit on CMT Microsoft at: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/FRCCS2025/ <https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/FRCCS2025/> · *Select the Track: FRCCS2025* *Topics include, but are not limited to: * · *Foundations of complex systems * - Self-organization, non-linear dynamics, statistical physics, mathematical modeling and simulation, conceptual frameworks, ways of thinking, methodologies and methods, philosophy of complexity, knowledge systems, Complexity and information, Dynamics and self-organization, structure and dynamics at several scales, self-similarity, fractals - *Complex Networks * - Structure & Dynamics, Multilayer and Multiplex Networks, Adaptive Networks, Temporal Networks, Centrality, Patterns, Cliques, Communities, Epidemics, Rumors, Control, Synchronization, Reputation, Influence, Viral Marketing, Link Prediction, Network Visualization, Network Digging, Network Embedding & Learning. - *Neuroscience, **Linguistics* - Evolution of language, social consensus, artificial intelligence, cognitive processes & education, Narrative complexity - *Economics & Finance* - Game Theory, Stock Markets and Crises, Financial Systems, Risk Management, Globalization, Economics and Markets, Blockchain, Bitcoins, Markets and Employment - *Infrastructure, planning, and environment * - critical infrastructure, urban planning, mobility, transport and energy, smart cities, urban development, urban sciences - *Biological and (bio)medical complexity * - biological networks, systems biology, evolution, natural sciences, medicine and physiology, dynamics of biological coordination, aging - *Social complexity* o social networks, computational social sciences, socio-ecological systems, social groups, processes of change, social evolution, self-organization and democracy, socio-technical systems, collective intelligence, corporate and social structures and dynamics, organizational behavior and management, military and defense systems, social unrest, political networks, interactions between human and natural systems, diffusion/circulation of knowledge, diffusion of innovation - *Socio-Ecological Systems* - Global environmental change, green growth, sustainability & resilience, and culture - *Organisms and populations * - Population biology, collective behavior of animals, ecosystems, ecology, ecological networks, microbiome, speciation, evolution - *Engineering systems and systems of systems* - bioengineering, modified and hybrid biological organisms, multi-agent systems, artificial life, artificial intelligence, robots, communication networks, Internet, traffic systems, distributed control, resilience, artificial resilient systems, complex systems engineering, biologically inspired engineering, synthetic biology - *Complexity in physics and chemistry* - quantum computing, quantum synchronization, quantum chaos, random matrix theory - *Machine learning and AI in the context of Complex Systems* *GENERAL CHAIRS* Jean Loup Guillaume La Rochelle University, France Bruno Pinaud University of Bordeaux, France *PROGRAM CHAIRS* Hocine Cherifi University of Burgundy, France Guy Melançon University of Bordeaux, France Join us at COMPLEX NETWORKS 2024 <https://www.complexnetworks.org/> *-------------------------* Hocine CHERIFI University of Burgundy Franche-Comté Laboratoire* I*nterdisciplinaire *C*arnot de *B*ourgogne - ICB UMR 6303 CNRS Editor in Chief Plos Complex Systems <https://plos.org/complex-systems-research-journal/#:~:text=PLOS%20Complex%2….> Founding & Adisory Editor Applied Network Science <https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/> Editorial Board member PLOS One <https://journals.plos.org/plosone/>, IEEE ACCESS <https://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/?http%3A%2F%2Fieeeaccess_ieee_org%2F>, Scientific Reports <https://www.nature.com/srep/>, Journal of Imaging <https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jimaging>, Quality and Quantity <https://www.springer.com/journal/11135/>, Computational Social Networks <https://computationalsocialnetworks.springeropen.com/>, Complex Systems <https://www.complex-systems.com/>

Oct. 14, 2024

Faculty position in Theoretical/Computational Neuroscience

by Goodhill, Geoffrey

The Department of Neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine is seeking a tenure-track investigator at the level of Assistant Professor to develop an innovative research program in Theoretical/Computational Neuroscience. Applicants should have a demonstrated commitment to neuroscience and a strong background in mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, or a related field and hold a PhD. Areas of interest include (but are not limited to) research on fundamental molecular/cellular/circuit/systems mechanisms of brain architecture/development/function, machine learning methods for neuroscientific data, neuro-AI, and computational cognition/behavior/psychiatry. We seek talented, creative, and ambitious candidates from the entire span of computational neuroscience, and we are especially interested in candidates interested in building collaborations with experimental groups. The successful candidate will join a thriving theoretical/computational neuroscience community at Washington University, including the new Center for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience. In addition, the Department also has world-class research strengths in systems, circuits and behavior, cellular and molecular neuroscience using a variety of animal models including worms, flies, zebrafish, rodents and non-human primates. The Department’s focus on fundamental neuroscience, outstanding research support facilities, and the depth, breadth and collegiality of our culture provide an exceptional environment to launch your independent research program. To apply, submit an application packet including a cover letter describing your interest in our Department, curriculum vitae, a research statement (of no more than 3 pages) to the Faculty Opportunities Portal and arrange for three confidential letters of recommendation to be sent to neurosearch(a)wustl.edu c/o Professor Timothy E. Holy, Vice Chair for Research, Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110. The review of applications will begin on November 4, 2024. Washington University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and broadening opportunity is core mission of the institution. Our department highly values all our researchers, staff and trainees, and we provide an inclusive environment for people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. For more information about the Department, Washington University, and life in St. Louis, visit: https://neuroscience.wustl.edu/assistant-professor-theoretical-computationa… Professor Geoffrey J Goodhill Departments of Developmental Biology and Neuroscience Director, Center for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience (ctcn.wustl.edu) Affiliate appointments: Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, and Electrical and Systems Engineering Washington University School of Medicine 4370 Duncan Ave. St Louis, MO 63110 g.goodhill(a)wustl.edu https://neuroscience.wustl.edu/people/geoffrey-goodhill-phd

Oct. 12, 2024

Cluster Hiring of UT System Research Excellence Regents' Professorships at UTSA

by Dhireesha Kudithipudi

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), MATRIX AI Consortium, invites applications for the position of Full Professor / Associate Professor, to be appointed as a University of Texas System (UT System) Research Excellence Regents' Professor. Successful candidates will be part of a strategic Clustered & Connected Hiring Program (CCP) <https://www.utsa.edu/strategicplan/initiatives/research/strategic-hiring/cc…> focused on Artificial Intelligence, with an anticipated start date in the Fall of the 2025-26 academic year. The University of Texas System recently approved the creation of the Regents’ Research Excellence Program across its four Emerging Research Universities (ERUs), including UTSA. UT System has allocated $55 million across all four ERUs to fund the recruitment of research-active faculty to dramatically grow its national research prominence and federal funding opportunities. The 5 positions open are in areas: 1. *Trustworthy AI/ML Algorithms (eg: neuro-inspired algorithms)* 2. *Neuromorphic AI Accelerators/Chips* 3. *Human-Centered AI* 4. *AI Ethics* 5. *Quantum Encryption for AI Confidentiality* The Regents Professors will be core members of the MATRIX Consortium, which is a central hub for 87 AI scientists, facilitating transdisciplinary research, fostering high-impact collaborations, and offering thought leadership and domain expertise to address the most challenging and complex problems in AI. Areas of interest include Trustworthy AI/ML Algorithms, Neuromorphic AI Accelerators, Human-centered AI, AI Ethics, all of which advance the research thrusts in the MATRIX. MATRIX strives for scientific excellence in developing holistic solutions for human well-being. The team has a successful track record in securing large collaborative grants that generated multiple centers, such as the NSF AI Partner Institute, two NSF EFRI BRAIDs, AFOSR COE in neuro-inspired AI, along with large collaborative projects in AI for healthcare. Apply here: https://zahr-prd-candidate-ada.utshare.utsystem.edu/psc/ZAHRPRDADA/EMPLOYEE… Best Regards, Dhireesha Kudithipudi Founding Director| MATRIX <https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fai.utsa.e…> AI Consortium & NUAI <https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuail…> Research Lab Professor| McDermott Endowed Chair| ECE/CS| UTSA

Oct. 11, 2024

Postdoc positions at U Oregon

by James Murray

Postdoc positions are available at the University of Oregon’s NeuroAI Center (ion.uoregon.edu/neuroai<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ion.uoregon.edu/neuroai__;!!K-Hz7m0Vt54…>) in the Murray and Mazzucato labs. In our research, we seek to uncover the principles of how the brain performs computations related to sensory perception, decision making, and motor control. While previous experience in computational neuroscience and machine learning are desirable, applicants from other quantitative fields (e.g. math, physics, statistics, computer science) who are eager to learn about neuroscience are highly encouraged to apply as well. Some of the scientific questions that motivate our work are * How do different regions of the brain interact to learn new motor skills? * What are the neural mechanisms underlying optimal performance in complex cognitive tasks? * What are the principles that enable brains and artificial agents to learn efficiently from experience while minimizing forgetting? * How can neural circuits generate the complex dynamics enabling naturalistic animal behavior? Our labs aim at building mechanistic models of brain function grounded in a combination of theoretical approaches, neural network-based simulations, and statistical analysis of experimental data. The candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate with a large network of experimental collaborators at University of Oregon and at other institutions with expertise in sensory processing (visual, auditory, and olfactory), motor control, naturalistic behavior, neural engineering, and brain-computer interfaces. The Oregon NeuroAI Center is part of the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon (ion.uoregon.edu<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://https.ion.uoregon.edu__;!!K-Hz7m0Vt54!jj…>), a major hub for systems and theoretical neuroscience research. The successful candidate will also join our International Network for Bio-Inspired Computing (in-bic.org<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.in-bic.org__;!!K-Hz7m0Vt54!jjW_DXqAj…>), a worldwide consortium of NeuroAI groups that provides trainees with an extended network for collaboration, including trainee exchanges, workshops, and schools. The University of Oregon is located in Eugene, Oregon, a vibrant college town in the Pacific Northwest with ample cultural offerings and phenomenal access to outdoor recreation. We offer a competitive salary commensurate with the candidate’s experience, and remote work arrangements may be considered. Our Institute strongly advocates for inclusivity in science, and we encourage applications from underrepresented groups. Required Qualifications Successful candidates will have a PhD in a quantitative field, including physics, neuroscience, mathematics, statistics, computer science, or related fields. Applicants should have a strong quantitative background including at least some coding experience. Application The application can be found here: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/28843. Application reviews will start on December 1st and will continue until the position is filled. Inquiries can be sent to James Murray (jmurray9 at uoregon dot edu) or Luca Mazzucato (lmazzuca at uoregon dot edu). -- James M Murray Assistant Professor Depts. of Biology and Mathematics and Institute of Neuroscience University of Oregon murraylab.uoregon.edu<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://murraylab.uoregon.edu__;!!K-Hz7m0Vt54!j…>

Oct. 11, 2024

1st CFP ESANN 25: Special Session on ML and applied AI in COGNITIVE SCIENCES and PSYCHOLOGY

by Alfredo Vellido

> > > > > * apologies for cross-posting* > > > > **Special Session on ML and applied AI in COGNITIVE SCIENCES and PSYCHOLOGY** > > > > **ESANN 2025**: European Symposium on Artificial Neural Networks, Computational Intelligence and Machine Learning > > 23 to Friday 25 April 2025 > > > > https://www.esann.org/ESANN2025specialsessions#psycho > > > > *************************************************** > > On the wake of the finalisation of the European flagship Human Brain Project and similar initiatives around the world, it has become clear that Cognitive Science has become a data-centric endeavour. Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary research field comprising neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, artificial intelligence, and philosophy. In particular, mental health is an important topic both for Cognitive Science and Healthcare. Data-based approaches stemming from Artificial Intelligence and particularly from Machine Learning are important tools in the pursuit of personalized medicine goals as means for improvement in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. In the medical domain in general, both the trustworthiness of models and the explainability of methods are relevant for the adoption of such machine learning-based approaches in clinical diagnosis and treatment. This session will consider developments in the field of applied Artificial Intelligence for Cognitive Science, with a focus on medical applications. Topics of interest are, among others: > > - Neuroscience > > - Psychology and Psychiatry > > - Neurodegenerative diseases > > - Linguistics > > - Philosophy > > - Artificial Intelligence applications for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of cognitive impairments and pathologies. > > - Patient cohort analysis. > > - Interpretable and explainable artificial intelligence methods in Cognitive Science. > > - Personalized medicine. > > - Artificial Intelligence–based medical devices regulation. > > > > **IMPORTANT DATES** > > Deadline for submissions: 20 November 2024 > > Notification of decisions: 24 January 2025 > > > > We are looking forward to seeing you in Bruges! > > **Organizing Committee**: Caroline König and Alfredo Vellido (UPC Barcelona Tech, Spain), Steffen Moritz (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany), Susana Ochoa (Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Spain) > > >

Oct. 11, 2024

Postdoc Position in Computational Neuroscience and Neuroimaging at UNC-Chapel Hill

by Li, Guoshi

Dear Colleagues, A postdoctoral research associate position is available in the Department of Radiology, at UNC-Chapel Hill (https://guoshi.web.unc.edu/recruit/) The postdoctoral researcher will carry out research on computational neuroimaging and neuroscience using functional/diffusion MRI and PET data. Potential research projects include, but are not limited to, mechanistic identification of excitation-inhibition imbalance in Alzheimer's disease using fMRI/DTI and amyloid and tau PET, large-scale mapping of disrupted circuit interactions in major depressive disorders, and accurate localization of seizure onset zone via multiscale neural model inversion of resting-state fMRI. Initial appointment is for one year, with the possibility of renewal up to 3 years based on mutual agreement. A preferred start date of the position is November/December 2024, although it can be flexible. Candidates should have a strong background in computational neuronal modeling and neuroimaging analysis. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Guoshi Li (guoshi_li(a)med.unc.edu<mailto:guoshi_li@med.unc.edu>) with a CV and a brief description of research interest. Thank you for your attention! Best regards, Guoshi Li https://guoshi.web.unc.edu/

Oct. 10, 2024

Postdoc positions in cognitive neuroscience and computational psychiatry, University of Tuebingen, Germany

by Susan Fischer

**Apologies for cross-posting** Dear colleagues, The "Developmental Computational Psychiatry" lab and the W3 professorship "Computational Psychiatry" led by Tobias Hauser at the University of Tübingen (Germany) is currently hiring new postdocs. The focus of the lab is to better understand the computational and neural mechanisms underlying decision making and learning, and how these processes go awry in patients with mental illnesses. The successful candidates will have the chance to work in a highly dynamic and inspiring environment and to collaborate closely with Prof Peter Dayan and the Max-Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics. Concretely, we are looking for the following candidates: * Postdoc with experimental & neuroimaging background * Postdoc with computational modelling background * Postdoc with experimental computational modelling background More information about the positions can be found here: https://devcompsy.org/join-the-lab/ Interested candidates are encouraged to reach out to Tobias Hauser directly to informally discuss the positions. Best regards, Susan. ************************************************ Susan Fischer Coordinator Alexander von Humboldt Professorship Prof Peter Dayan & W3-Professorship ‘Computational Psychiatry’, Prof Tobias Hauser Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Equal Opportunities Officer Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Max-Planck-Ring 8 72076 Tübingen Germany ************************************************

Oct. 10, 2024

Open-rank Tenure-track Faculty Position in Assistive Technology for Disabilities

by Yu Zhang

*Open-rank Tenure-track Faculty Position in Assistive Technology for Disabilities* The P.C. Rossin College of Engineering & Applied Science at Lehigh University invites applications for an open-rank tenure-track faculty position in the area of Assistive Technology for Disabilities with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2025. The position is aligned with the ongoing Disability Interdependence across the Lifespan using Assistive Technology (DILAT) initiative. Applicants are required to possess an earned Ph.D. in Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or another relevant engineering discipline by the date of hire. The primary departmental affiliation for this position within the Rossin College will be determined based on the alignment of expertise and interests between the candidate and the department. This search seeks candidates who have interdisciplinary expertise and a strong track record of productivity and publishing in one or more of the following research areas: wearable medical devices, robotics, smart assistive devices, rehabilitation devices, prosthetics, and computational approaches to assistive technologies for disabled populations. The successful candidate will be expected to develop platform technologies that can be adapted to address physical, sensory, cognitive, and developmental disabilities across the lifespan. This position is aligned with Lehigh’s strategic research investment in interdisciplinary approaches to improving health through assessments and interventions that occur outside of traditional healthcare settings. This position will leverage collaborations and resources within Lehigh’s College of Health and additional key investments made by the University in the new Health, Science, and Technology (HST) building, a hub of interdisciplinary health/biomedicine research. The successful candidate will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in the affiliated department and contribute to departmental, college, and university service. Candidates must also be committed to the enhancement of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment in which world-class faculty, staff, and students can thrive to their full potential. *Review of Applications* — For full consideration, applications should be received online by November 7, 2024. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Applicants should submit materials at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/28805. Candidates should submit the following materials for evaluation: 1) a cover letter, 2) curriculum vitae (CV), 3) a Research Statement that describes past scholarly contributions and future research directions, 4) a Teaching Statement that describes instructional philosophy and courses that the candidate plans to teach or develop, 5) a statement on contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that describes knowledge, prior DEI experience, and the candidate’s future plans for enhancing community and culture at Lehigh (the Lehigh ADVANCE Center’s guide for understanding and preparing such statements is available here <https://advance.cc.lehigh.edu/sites/advance.cc.lehigh.edu/files/Applicant-F…>), and 6) names and contact information of at least three references. Any inquiries regarding this search should be directed to Professor Yu Zhang, chair of the Search Committee at inbioe(a)lehigh.edu. -- Yu Zhang, PhD Associate Professor Department of Bioengineering Lehigh University

Oct. 9, 2024

PhD/PostDoc in Mainz, Germany

by Janina Hesse

At the Computational Resilience Group in Mainz, we are looking for a PhD student or post doc interested in working at the interface of mathematical modelling of complex systems, advanced data analysis and psychology/ biology, with the aim to understand the neuronal and dynamical foundation of stress resilience. Details here: https://lir-mainz.de/assets/lir_84_doctoral-candidate-or-postdoc_eng_aktuel… With kind regards, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Janina Hesse Group leader Computational Resilience Research Pronouns: she/her Leibniz-Institut für Resilienzforschung (LIR) gGmbH Wallstraße 7 55122 Mainz www.lir-mainz.de<http://www.lir-mainz.de/> Telefon: +49 (0) 6131 89448-44 E-Mail: Janina.Hesse(a)lir-mainz.de [cid:2fdf5eab-1460-426f-9744-1857cc24ee94] Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender: Dr. Frank-Dieter Kuchta Geschaeftsfuehrer: Prof. Dr. Klaus Lieb, Prof. Dr. Beat Lutz (wissenschaftlich), Dr. Thorsten Mundi (kaufmaennisch). HRB 48032, Amtsgericht Mainz Diese E-Mail enthaelt vertrauliche und/oder rechtlich geschuetzte Informationen. Wenn Sie nicht der richtige Adressat sind oder diese E-Mail irrtuemlich erhalten haben, informieren Sie bitte sofort den Absender und loeschen Sie diese E-Mail. Das Kopieren sowie die Weitergabe dieser E-Mail und der darin enthaltenen Informationen ist nicht gestattet. This email may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient (or have received this email in error) please notify the sender immediately and delete this e-mail. Any unauthorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in this email is strictly forbidden. Unsere Hinweise zum Datenschutz finden Sie hier: https://lir-mainz.de/datenschutz

Oct. 9, 2024

M2 and/or PhD in Neuro-AI at CERCO, Toulouse, France

by MASQUELIER Timothee

Hi all, We are looking for a M2 and/or PhD student! Topic: Neuro-AI guided objective hearing assessment and hearing loss compensation. Details here: http://tmasquelier.free.fr/neurogram_M2+PhD_2025.pdf Please forward, distribute, etc. Cheers, Tim ___________________________________________________________________ Timothée Masquelier - timothee.masquelier(a)cnrs.fr - http://cerco.cnrs.fr/pagesp/tim

Oct. 9, 2024

Funded Ph.D. Positions at the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (including comp neuro, medical AI)

by Philipp Berens

The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the Universities of Stuttgart and Tübingen collaborate to offer an interdisciplinary doctoral program, the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS). This doctoral program will accept its ninth generation of doctoral researchers in spring of 2025. This school is a key element of Baden-Württemberg’s Cyber Valley initiative to accelerate basic research and commercial development in artificial intelligence and robotics. We seek students who want to earn a doctorate while contributing to world-leading research in areas such as: • Artificial Intelligence • Biomedical Technology • Computational Cognitive Science • Computer Vision and Graphics • Control Systems and Optimization • Data Science & Visualization • Haptics and Human-Computer Interaction • Machine Learning • Micro- and Nano-Robotics • Natural Language Processing • Neuroscience • Perceptual Inference • Robotics and Human-Robot Interaction • Soft Robotics and Materials Our renowned faculty include Amirreza Aghakhani, Aamir Ahmad, Frank Allgöwer, Kai Arras, Robert Bamler, Christian Baumgartner, Philipp Berens, Matthias Bethge, Michael J. Black, Wieland Brendel, Andrés Bruhn, Andreas Bulling, Martin Butz, Luiz Chamon, Manfred Claassen, Katharina Eggensperger, Benedikt Ehinger, Carsten Eickhoff, Andreas Geiger, Jonas Geiping, Martin A. Giese, Moritz Hardt, Florian Hartmann, Daniel Häufle, Matthias Hein, Philipp Hennig, Christian Holm, Andrea Iannelli, Christoph Keplinger, Katherine J. Kuchenbecker, Hilde Kuehne, Hendrik Lensch, Nicole Ludwig, Sabine Ludwigs, Jakob Macke, Georg Martius, Kristof Meding, Celestine Mendler-Dünner, Michael Mühlebach, Sven Nahnsen, Mathias Niepert, Seong Joon Oh, Antonio Orvieto, Aniket Pal, Nico Pfeifer, Gerard Pons Moll, Michael Pradel, C. David Remy, Kerstin Ritter, Alina Roitberg, Philipp Rothemund, Samira Samadi, Dieter Schmalstieg, Syn Schmitt, Bernhard Schölkopf, Sabine Schulte im Walde, Michael Sedlmair, Thomas Speck, Steffen Staab, Ingo Steinwart, Benjamin Unger, Alexander Verl, Claire Vernade, Ulrike von Luxburg, Daniel Weiskopf, Felix Wichmann, Bob Williamson, Andreas Wortmann, Thomas Wortmann, and Charley Wu. Associated faculty include R. Harald Baayen, Franz Baumdicker, Peter Dayan, Jonathan Fiene, Konstantin Genin, Bedartha Goswami, Ksenia Keplinger, Miriam Klopotek, Anna Levina, Kay Nieselt, Peter Pott, Gunther Richter, Cornelia Sindermann, Maria Wirzberger, and Thomas Wolfers. Intelligent systems that can successfully perceive, act, and learn in complex environments hold great potential for aiding society. We seek doctoral students who are curious, creative, and passionate about research to join our school and help advance human knowledge about intelligent systems. • Admitted students can join our program starting in spring of 2025. • You will be mentored by our internationally renowned faculty. • You will register as a university doctoral student and conduct research. • IMPRS-IS offers a wide variety of scientific seminars, workshops, and social activities. • All aspects of our program are in English. • Your doctoral degree will be conferred when you successfully complete your doctoral project. • Our dedicated staff members will assist you throughout your time as a doctoral student. People with a strong academic background and a master’s degree (conferred or expected soon) in Engineering, Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Mathematics, Control Theory, Neuroscience, Materials Science, Physics, or related fields should apply. IMPRS-IS is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to excellence through diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, gender identity, or any other non-job-related criteria. We believe in the importance of a multicultural community of students, faculty, and staff who seek to advance our commitment to diversity and inclusion. IMPRS-IS strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming. Admission will be competitive. If selected, you will receive funding via an employment contract, subject to the rules of the Max Planck Society and the two participating universities. You can apply at https://imprs.is.mpg.de/application before 11:59 p.m. (23:59) CET on November 15, 2024. Finalists will be invited to selection interviews that will take place from February 13 to 21, 2025. For further information, please visit https://imprs.is.mpg.de -- Professor of Data Science, Director Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health Medical Faculty of the University of Tübingen www.hertie.ai

Oct. 8, 2024

Join Us for the Statistical Physics of Cognition Workshop – Institute of Physics, London

by Rajpal, Hardik

Dear Colleagues, We are excited to announce that the Statistical Physics of Cognition workshop will take place on the 25th and 26th of November 2024 at the Institute of Physics, King's Cross, London. This workshop will explore the intersection of physics and neuroscience to better understand cognition, bringing together leading researchers from various disciplines, including statistical mechanics, network science, self-organized criticality, information theory, and more. The programme for the workshop is now live and can be viewed here: https://iop.eventsair.com/spc2024/programme. While registrations open next week, we invite those interested in attending to fill out an expression of interest form in advance: https://iop.eventsair.com/spc2024/registration We especially encourage PhD students and Early Career Researchers to participate by submitting abstracts for poster presentations. This is a great opportunity to present your research, receive feedback from leading experts, and engage in exciting discussions. * Abstract submission deadline: 31st October 2024 * Submit your abstract here: https://iop.eventsair.com/spc2024/abstract-submission We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a thought-provoking event at the frontier of cognitive science and physics. Please feel free to share this announcement with your colleagues, students, and networks. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Best regards, Hardik Rajpal Research Associate Organizing Committee, Statistical Physics of Cognition Workshop Imperial College London

Oct. 7, 2024

PhD/PostDoc position in Computational Psychiatry, University of Marburg

by Hamidreza Jamalabadi

We are excited to announce an opportunity for a PhD or Postdoctoral researcher to join our lab at the University of Marburg, starting as soon as possible. This position is funded by the prestigious DFG CRC/TRR 393 consortium, a long-term, multicenter project dedicated to understanding the trajectories of affective disorders. The position is initially for two years, with the possibility of extension up to an additional three years (maximum of five years). How to Determine if You Are a Good Fit: - Familiarize yourself with our work: Review the research papers listed below, visit our lab’s website (https://www.psycontrol-lab.de/) and explore the Physics of Cognition workshop we recently organized (https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/program/satellite-worksho…) Ask yourself if these topics align with your research experience or excite your intellectual curiosity- . - Conference Engagement: Do you regularly attend, or aspire to attend, conferences such as CCN, NeurIPS, ICLR, COSYNE, BCCN, BrainModes, OHBM, SfN, ECNP, or Computational Psychiatry? If these events resonate with you, you may find our environment a great fit. What You Will Bring: - A strong motivation to advance the understanding of mental health disorders. - A solid background in Dynamical Systems Theory, Machine Learning, Generative Visual AI, and Neuroimaging. - Proficiency in coding - Excellent command of the English language in writing and speaking. What You Can Expect From Us: - Access to one of the most unique infrastructures in this field including full access to multiple multimodal unique large datasets (N > 3000) in the field, including fMRI, DTI, EEG, and EMA. - Ample computational resources (dedicated CPU, GPU, and RAM) tailored to your needs. - - Collaboration with a highly motivated interdisciplinary team with backgrounds in Engineering, Physics, Psychology, and Medicine. - Strong national and international collaborations through projects like The Adaptive Mind (TAM, https://www.theadaptivemind.de/) and the Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB, https://www.cmbb-fcmh.de/de) and partnerships with labs in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, and the USA. - Dedicated travel funding and the ability to run your own studies. For postdoctoral candidates, there is potential to establish your own research group. If you resonate with our research and approach, please send your CV and a brief statement explaining why you are a good fit and why this opportunity excites you to hamidreza.jamalabadi(a)uni-marburg.de. There is no formal deadline for applications—reviews will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Key Publications Gaziv, G., Lee, M., & DiCarlo, J. J. (2024). Strong and precise modulation of human percepts via robustified ANNs. Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, 36. Durstewitz, D., Koppe, G., & Thurm, M. I. (2023). Reconstructing computational system dynamics from neural data with recurrent neural networks. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 24(11), 693-710. Jamalabadi, H., Koppe, G., Nozari, E., & Hahn, T. (2023). Engineering the Mind: Actionable Technical Requirements for Innovation in Clinical Neuroscience. Stocker, J. E., Koppe, G., Reich, H., Heshmati, S., Kittel-Schneider, S., Hofmann, S. G., ... & Jamalabadi, H. (2023). Formalizing psychological interventions through network control theory. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 13830. Winter, N. R., Blanke, J., Leenings, R., Ernsting, J., Fisch, L., Sarink, K., ... & Hahn, T. (2024). A Systematic Evaluation of Machine Learning–Based Biomarkers for Major Depressive Disorder. JAMA Psychiatry, 81(4), 386-395. Goetschalckx, L., Andonian, A., Oliva, A., & Isola, P. (2019). Ganalyze: Toward visual definitions of cognitive image properties. Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF International Conference on Computer Vision, 5744-5753. Hope to hear from you soon! Best regards, Hamidreza Jamalabadi -- Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Hamidreza Jamalabadi Professor for Computational Psychiatry Psychiatric Control Systems Lab Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Philipps-Universität Marburg Rudolf-Bultmann-Straße 8 35039 Marburg Germany Tel.: +49 6421 5863827 Email: hamidreza.jamalabadi(a)uni-marburg.de hamidreza.jamalabadi(a)psycontrol-lab.de Web: https://www.psycontrol-lab.de/

Oct. 7, 2024

Post-doc position available-Rennes, France - Computational modeling of genetic mutations at cellular level

by fabrice.wendling＠inserm.fr

Dear colleagues Please find below an offer for a Post-Doc/Engineer position in our laboratory, starting in Autumn 2024. The successful candidate will work on a national multidisciplinary project called Innov4epik. This is a hospital-university research project (RHU) involving 10 centers in France. It focuses on pediatric epilepsies caused by genetic mutations inducing alterations in transmembrane ion channels. Please feel free to forward this offer to anyone who might be interested in a topic on electrophysiological signal modeling and processing (LFPs, EEG) in the context of epilepsy. Many thanks in advance. fw --- Post-doc or Research Engineer position offer (ref: RHU2024-MICRO) Computational modeling of genetic mutations at cellular level Context. Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) are a group of severe rare diseases where the combined effect of seizures, most often drug resistant, and the non-seizures consequences of the disease etiology, often genetic, entail a debilitating encephalopathy with drastic effects on the neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and motor abilities of the patients. DEEs due to potassium channel mutations (K-DEEs) are emblematic of this disease presentation. Rationale. The mechanisms underlying the relationship between i) the molecular effect of a gene mutation (KCNB1/KCNT1/KCNA2) on specific voltage gated potassium channel function, and ii) the patient-specific phenotypes observed in scalp-recorded EEG signals remain elusive. Computational models inspired from neuronal physiology is now recognized as a most efficient way to bridge the gap between i) changes occurring at the level of neurons and neuronal circuits and ii) electroencephalographic (EEG) signals recorded in patients containing markers of the underlying pathology. Objective. The objective of the proposed research position is to design novel neuro-inspired models taking into account the molecular effect of a gene mutation on the specific voltage-gated potassium (K) channel function and the specific phenotypes observed in patients (scalp-recorded EEG signals) and in genetically-modified mice (local field potentials) in which downregulation or upregulation of K channels is induced. Methods. Detailed multicompartment models (i.e. including dendrites, soma and axon) will be developed. They will be based on Hodgkin and Huxley's (HH) formalism. They will describe both passive (membrane capacitance, axial resistivity, leakage conductance, and membrane time constant) and active (voltage-gated and ligand-gated ion channels) membrane properties. The channel pathogenic variants of KCNB1/KCNT1/KCNA2 mutations identified in 2 other work packages (1 & 2) will be inserted in the membrane in order to study the impact of the channel mutation on the firing rate curves of considered neuron subtypes, typically pyramidal neurons (PYR), somatostatin (SST-), parvalbumin (PV-), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP-) positive interneurons. Optimization methods will be developed for identifying optimal parameters minimizing the distance between real and simulated electrophysiological signals (LFPs). Models will use the Hodgkin & Huxley formalism. They will be developed in Python. They will extend already-existing models at cellular level. Strong background is available ( <https://perso.univ-rennes1.fr/fabrice.wendling/> https://perso.univ-rennes1.fr/fabrice.wendling/) Scientific domains. Engineering (computational, biomedical); Neurophysiology; Neuroscience; Neurology; Computer Science (implementation of Python routines into an existing software application named COALIA). Scientific environment. This research will benefit from an outstanding clinical research environment, centered around the largest curated K-DEE cohorts, coordinated by the Necker reference center for rare epilepsies (Prof. Rima Nabbout), and assembling an extensive group of experts from various specializations, including clinical, electrophysiological, psychological, computational, translational research, biotechnology and pharma industry. Candidate profile. The research project is at the interface between biomathematics (neuro-inspired models) and neuroscience/neurology (epilepsy). The Post-doc/Engineer fellow (PhD level) will preferably have a strong background in computational neuroscience/systems biology or in electrical engineering with experience in bio-signal processing. Knowledge in electrophysiology and/or EEG analysis would be an asset. Contract The position will be opened November. 1st, 2024 (flexible). The contract is for 3 years (flexible). The employer is the University of Rennes. The competitive salary will be according to experience (2350 Euros net, minimum). The candidate will also have access to the French system benefits. Location in the city of Rennes, France. LTSI-Inserm laboratory, University of Rennes. In addition, the hired person will have the opportunity to actively collaborate with other groups involved in the innov4epik RHU project (2024-2029), funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR). Contact (please provide resume, cover letter and email of 2 references) Pascal Benquet (Prof Univ Rennes, LTSI, France) Email: <mailto:pascal.benquet@univ-rennes.fr> pascal.benquet(a)univ-rennes.fr Fabrice Wendling (DR Inserm, LTSI, France) Email: <mailto:fabrice.wendling@inserm.fr> fabrice.wendling(a)inserm.fr --- Fabrice WENDLING DR Inserm LTSI, Inserm UMR1099 - Université de Rennes Co-directeur équipe Cinetyks Campus de Beaulieu - Bât. 22 35042 Rennes Cedex - France - Tel: +33 2 23 23 56 05 / 62 20 - +33 6 58 25 75 30 Email: <mailto:fabrice.wendling@inserm.fr> fabrice.wendling(a)inserm.fr <https://ltsi.univ-rennes.fr/> https://ltsi.univ-rennes.fr/ <https://perso.univ-rennes1.fr/fabrice.wendling> https://perso.univ-rennes1.fr/fabrice.wendling <https://www.galvani-lab.eu/> https://www.galvani-lab.eu/

Oct. 7, 2024

PhD and PostDoc positions at the Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health at University Tübingen

by Kerstin Ritter

The “Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health” (Hertie AI) at the Faculty of Medicine of the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen is funded by the Gemeinnützige Hertie Stiftung to develop AI algorithms, which detect diseases of the nervous system earlier and treat them better. The Department of Machine Learning for Clinical Neuroscience is currently recruiting PHD CANDIDATES and POSTDOCS. We develop advanced machine and deep learning models to analyze diverse clinical data, including neuroimaging, psychometric, clinical, smartphone, and omics datasets. While focusing on methodological challenges (explainability, robustness, multimodal data integration, causality etc.), the main goal is to enhance early diagnosis, predict disease progression, and personalize treatment for neurological and psychiatric diseases in diverse clinical settings. We seek motivated candidates with strong machine learning skills who are eager to work on real-world medical challenges. Experience with complex medical data—whether imaging, time-series, or tabular—and current machine learning methods like CNNs and transformers is highly valued.  - If you want to join the  Hertie AI  as a PhD student, apply via the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS, https://imprs.is.mpg.de/application) until November 15th. - If you want to join as a Postdoc, please submit your CV (max. 2 pages), a list of publications (max. 2 pages), and a motivation letter via this link: https://jobs.medizin.uni-tuebingen.de/Login/5200 For more information, please visit our career page: https://hertie.ai/earlycareer We offer an exciting and supportive environment with access to state-of-the-art compute facilities, mentoring and career advice through experienced faculty. Hertie AI closely collaborates with the world-class AI ecosystem in Tübingen (e.g. Cyber Valley, Cluster of Excellence “Machine Learning in Science”, Tübingen AI Center). The remuneration is in accordance with TV-L (collective wage agreement for the Public Service of the German Federal States), severely handicapped persons with equal qualifications are given preferential consideration. Since the University of Tübingen aims to increase the proportion of women among its academic staff, women are strongly encouraged to apply. Interview expenses are not covered. Please note the applicable vaccination regulations. Questions can be addressed to hertieai(a)medizin.uni-tuebingen.de Please get in touch! Best wishes Kerstin Ritter _____________________________________________________________ Prof. Dr. Kerstin Ritter Professor of Machine Learning for Clinical Neuroscience Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health Medical Faculty of the University of Tübingen www.hertie.ai

Oct. 6, 2024

Announcement of BrainCriticality 2024 3-day conference Nov 6 - 8, 2024, NIH, USA

by Plenz, Dietmar (NIH/NIMH) [E]

Brain Criticality Hybrid Meeting November 6 - 8 2024 (in person/virtual) For registration and details see: https://braincriticality.org/<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbraincrit…> This hybrid meeting will take place at the National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA with ~25 speakers over the course of 3 days. Contributions will cover recent developments in the fields of systems neuroscience and collective phenomena in complex systems with focus on the role of criticality and its implications for normal and abnormal brain dynamics. Dietmar Plenz, Ph.D. Senior Investigator Section on Critical Brain Dynamics National Institute of Mental Health USA "Complexity from simple rules"

Oct. 5, 2024

Call for Abstracts/Papers - ICICIP2025, Muscat, Oman, February 6-11, 2025

by Pub Conference

*Call for Abstracts/Papers* Conference website: https://conference.cs.cityu.edu.hk/icicip/ The 13th International Conference on Intelligent Control and Information Processing (ICICIP2025) will be held in Muscat, Oman, February 6-11, 2025, following the successes of previous events. As the capital of Oman, Muscat is Oman's largest city with a population of over four million people and numerous tourist attractions. ICICIP2025 aims to provide a high-level international forum for scientists, engineers, and educators to present the state of the art of research and applications in related fields. The conference will feature plenary speeches given by world-renowned scholars, regular sessions with broad coverage, special sessions focusing on popular topics, and post-conference workshops/tutorials in the region. Prospective authors are invited to contribute high-quality papers to ICICIP2025. In addition, proposals for special sessions within the technical scopes of the symposium are solicited. Special sessions, to be organized by internationally recognized experts, aim to bring together researchers in special focused topics. Papers submitted for special sessions are to be peer-reviewed with the same criteria used for the contributed papers. Researchers interested in organizing special sessions are invited to submit formal proposals to ICICIP2025. A special session proposal should include the session title, a brief description of the scope and motivation, names, contact information, and brief biographical information on the organizers. Authors are invited to submit abstract only or full-length papers (8 pages maximum) by the submission deadline through the online submission system. Potential organizers are also invited to enlist five or more papers with cohesive topics to form special sessions. The submission of a paper implies that the paper is original and has not been submitted under review or is not copyright-protected elsewhere and will be presented by an author if accepted. All submitted papers will be refereed by experts in the field based on the criteria of originality, significance, quality, and clarity. The authors of accepted papers will have an opportunity to revise their papers and take consideration of the referees' comments and suggestions. All accepted papers will be submitted for inclusion into IEEE Xplore subject to meeting IEEE Xplore's scope and quality requirements. Selected high-quality papers will be included in several journal special issues. The abstract and paper submission system is now open. Abstract and Paper Submission link: https://openreview.net/group?id=IEEE.org/ICICIP /2025/Conference&referrer=%5BHomepage%5D(%2F)#tab-your-consoles *Abstract Only or Paper Submission Deadline: November 1, 2024*

Oct. 5, 2024

Open Faculty Positions at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology: Apply by Oct. 15, 2024

by Kenji Doya

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) is calling for applications to the tenure-track and tenured faculty positions in Mathematical Sciences, including applied math, statistics, and data sciences. OIST provides innovative, international and interdisciplinary research environment with strong internal funding for research units. Please check the web page for details: https://www.oist.jp/careers/faculty-positions The application deadline is October 15th, 2024. Best wishes, Kenji ---- Kenji Doya <doya(a)oist.jp> Neural Computation Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan Phone: +81-98-966-8594; Fax: +81-98-966-2891 https://groups.oist.jp/ncu

Oct. 5, 2024

Open neuroimaging position E13 100%

by Jochem Rieger

Dear all, we have an open position as project coordinator and developer for open neuroimaging enthusiasts! The E13 salary level position is in our DFG-funded device center "Tools and practices for open neuroimaging". We are looking for a person with neuroimaging experience at the doctoral or pos-doctoral level who will coordinate the project with our international network and develop software tools along the neuroimaging data (pre-)processing pipeline. The announcement is here: https://uol.de/en/job/scientific-software-engineer-or-data-scientist-mfd-fo… The application deadline is October 15th If you have further questions on how you could build your career in the open neuroimaging ecosystem from here please contact jochem.rieger(a)uni-oldenburg.de Looking forward to your application, Jochem -- Jochem Rieger Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Applied Neurocognitive Psychology DFG Center for Open and Reproducible Neuroscience Tools NFDI sections ELSA and metadata DFG Cluster of Excellence Hearing4All Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg Phone: +49 (0)441 798 4533 Web:https://uol.de/en/applied-neurocognitive-psychology github:https://github.com/ANCPLabOldenburg

Oct. 4, 2024

PhD candidate or Post-doctoral research scientist (m/w/d) in cochlear implant research

by Bernhard Seeber

Dear List, For research on Cochlear Implant Modelling and Algorithms we are looking for a PhD candidate or Post-doctoral research scientist (m/w/d) as a full-time position to start at the earliest convenient date (open call). Your responsibilities: - Modeling auditory nerve responses to electrical stimulation and development of neural-model based stimulation strategies for users of auditory neuronal prostheses (cochlear implants) - Developing listening tests to measure performance with novel stimulation strategies in complex listening situations - Statistical analysis of the results - Publication in English-language scientific journals and presentations at conferences - Supervision of student projects, assistance with teaching and with raising external funding. Your qualifications: - (Interest in completing a) Doctoral degree (PhD) in one of the following areas: auditory neuroscience, psychoacoustics, medical physics/audiology, audio technology, signal processing, or a related area - Knowledge and experience desirable in neural modeling and models of the auditory system, designing and analyzing psychoacoustic experiments, direct stimulation of cochlear implants, algorithms for hearing devices, auditory perception, audio signal processing - Very good programming skills in Matlab, Python, or C/C++ - Excellent written and oral communication skills as well as experience with scientific publications - Knowledge and command of the German language desirable for working with cochlear implant users - Flexibility and good interpersonal skills and interest in basic research and medical applications - Interest in supervising students, helping with teaching and raising external funds. Our offer: We offer you the opportunity to join a dynamic, interdisciplinary team, to work with up-to-date technical equipment including sound booths equipped with direct stimulation hardware for cochlear implants, an anechoic chamber hosting an audio-visual virtual reality system, and to learn about the latest methods in hearing research. Our close interaction with the Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience Munich, the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, the Hearing Research Network Munich, our extensive cooperation with industry and with scientific partners, and the numerous talks and courses offered at TUM create an attractive environment with excellent perspectives for personal development. Please see www.aip.cit.tum.de, http://y2u.be/yN7vD1khTOI and www.tum.de for information. We offer a full-time position as academic staff with the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree. Salary is according to the Collective Agreement for the Civil Service of the Länder (TV-L/E13, 100%). The position is initially for 1 year and intended to be extended. TUM strives to raise the proportion of women in its workforce and explicitly encourages applications from qualified women. The position is suitable for disabled persons. Disabled applicants will be given preference in case of generally equivalent suitability, aptitude and professional performance. Your application: I look forward to answering your questions on the phone (+49 89 289 28282) or by email. Please send your expressive application by email no later than 03 November 2024 to Prof. Bernhard Seeber, aip(a)ei.tum.de. As part of your application, you provide personal data to the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Please view our privacy policy on collecting and processing personal data in the course of the application process pursuant to Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union (GDPR) at https://portal.mytum.de/kompass/datenschutz/Bewerbung. By submitting your application you confirm to have read and understood the data protection information provided by TUM. Best, Bernhard -- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernhard U. Seeber Audio Information Processing Department of Computer Engineering School of Computation, Information and Technology Technische Universität München Arcisstrasse 21 D-80333 Munich, Germany Office: +49 89 289-28282 Fax: +49 89 289-28211 Mobile: +49 (0)174 928 6338 Visitors: Theresienstrasse 90, building N5, room N6504 Web: www.aip.cit.tum.de https://www.youtube.com/@audioinformationprocessing Key affiliations: Department of Computer Engineering, CIT Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich Munich Institute of Biomedical Engineering (MIBE) Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI)

Oct. 4, 2024

AE Autumn Summit on Open Problems in AI (Oct 23-24th, Euston, London)

by Battleday, Ruairidh

AE Autumn Summit on Open Problems for AI. Friends House, Euston, London, Oct 23-24. What are the next set of challenges for AI algorithms? What are the open problems in application? Join the UK’s leading AI researchers, policy makers, and entrepreneurs in this global summit. We are pleased to announce our final line-up and reduced ticket prices! www.algopreneurship.org Day 1 (Oct 23rd) - Algorithms We’ll be hearing from Professor Karl Friston <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_J._Friston> (UCL & Verses.ai <http://verses.ai/>), Professor Claudia Clopath <https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/c.clopath> (Imperial), Dr Katja Hofmann <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/people/kahofman/> (Microsoft), Dr Martin Riedmiller <https://sites.google.com/view/riedmiller/home> (Google DeepMind), Professor Tim Rocktäschel <https://rockt.github.io/> (Google DeepMind & UCL) Panels on Fundamental AI research challenges (University of Oxford, DeepMind, Meta <https://ai.meta.com/research/fair-paris/>, XTX Markets <https://xtxmarkets.com/>); New Kinds of AI Research Institution (Kings AI Institute <https://www.kcl.ac.uk/ai>, <https://www.aria.org.uk/>Alan Turing Institute <https://www.turing.ac.uk/>, Advanced Research and Invention Agency <https://www.aria.org.uk/>, Ellison Institute <https://eit.org/>, <https://www.airstreet.com/>Cambridge Consultants <https://www.cambridgeconsultants.com/>) Day 2 (Oct 24th) - Applications Professor Sana Khareghani <https://rai.ac.uk/team/professor-sana-khareghani-2/> (RAI <https://rai.ac.uk/> & KCL), James Donovan <https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-donovan-111a7a122/> (OpenAI), Professor Mounia Lalmas <https://research.atspotify.com/2020/09/mounia-lalmas-roelleke/> (Spotify), Professor Eiman Kanjo <https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/e.kanjo> (tinyML/Imperial/Nottingham Trent), Danny Gray <https://jaaq.org/creator/35911> (Just Ask A Question <https://jaaq.org/home>), Tarig Hilal <https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarighilal/> (Akord AI <https://cdi.akord.org/>), Ashley Ramrachia <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-ramrachia-0988675/> ( Academy <https://academy.tech/>), Dr Chanuki Illushka Seresinhe <https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanukiseresinhe/> (Boon/beautifulplaces.ai) Future Leaders Breakout Rooms (UKRI, Future Leaders Development Network <https://www.flfdevnet.com/>, No, 10 Downing Street Data Team, Tony Blair Institute <https://www.institute.global/>, Zeki <https://www.thezeki.com/>, Octopus ventures <https://octopusventures.com/>, Entrepreneur First <https://www.joinef.com/>), Panels on AI and Education Panel (Raspberry Pi <https://www.raspberrypi.org/>, Inversity <https://inversity.co/welcome>, micro:bit <https://microbit.org/>, memrise <https://www.memrise.com/en-us/>, Five Arrows <https://www.rothschildandco.com/en/five-arrows/>); Challenges for AI in Biomedicine Panel (KCL, QMU, Alan Turing Institute, Sonus AI <https://decorte.co.uk/>, RedAlpine <https://www.redalpine.com/>) Student tickets: £10 General: £30 This should be an exciting and productive event, and we expect an audience of 1000 of the UK best AI researchers, policy makers, and entrepreneurs, at student, early stage, and full career levels. There will be breakouts, and a final reception. We hope to see you there! -- Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday BMBCh (Oxon) PhD President Thinking About Thinking, Inc <https://thinkingaboutthinking.org> Postdoctoral Research Fellow Center for Brain Science, Harvard University Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT

Oct. 4, 2024

Tenure Track Faculty Position in Neuromorphic Computing at the University of Calgary

by Wilten Nicola

*Please note that the Job ad below has been extended until the end of October. * Canada Research Chair (Tier II), *Neuromorphic Technologies,* Biomedical Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering Position Description The Schulich School of Engineering, in partnership with the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), at the University of Calgary invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor with an anticipated start date of January 1, 2025. The selected candidate will be nominated for a Tier II Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Neuromorphic Technologies. Further information about the Canada Research Chairs Program can be found on the Government of Canada’s CRC website ( <https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx> https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx) <https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx> including eligibility criteria. The successful candidate will be appointed to a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) and will be a full member of the HBI. In alignment with the University of Calgary's *Ahead of Tomorrow* strategic plan and in support of its strategic academic and research priorities, the successful candidate will actively contribute to research, student/postdoc supervision, undergraduate and graduate teaching as well as curriculum development. In time, the successful candidate is expected to grow into a leadership role within the department, school, institute, and university. The successful candidate will also provide service to the department, faculty, institute, university, and community and contribute to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces. The successful candidate is expected to establish a strong research program in the area of neuromorphic technologies within BME and the HBI computational neuroscience initiative, with the potential to achieve national and international recognition in the next five to ten years. They will be expected to attract competitive external funding to support their research activities and to attract excellent trainees and staff. They will also be expected to teach a range of undergraduate and graduate courses, related to their area of expertise. In alignment with the University of Calgary's strategic vision, and in support of its strategic priorities of leadership, teaching and research integration, the successful applicant will actively contribute to teaching and curriculum development. The successful candidate will be an emerging scholar with an original, creative, innovative, and forward looking research program, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to become an international leader in the field. Applicants must have earned a PhD in engineering, life sciences, or equivalent. They must have demonstrated evidence of scholarly impact, research productivity, research funding, transdisciplinary collaboration, and the ability to lead a productive independent research group. The ability to attract, supervise and mentor graduate students is essential. Applicants should also show that they have experience in teaching at the graduate and undergraduate level and contributing to their department/school/community. The successful candidate’s research program will focus on advancing one or more areas in the field of Neuromorphic Technologies. Research areas and applications of interest to BME and the HBI include developing 1) new brain-inspired algorithms and neuromorphic hardware, and 2) sensory processing systems suitable for brain-computer applications. Candidates with other related activities in the computational neuroscience/brain computer interface/neuromorphic technologies space are also valued by the University of Calgary and these applicants are encouraged to apply. The research area exemplifies the University of Calgary’s vision of research that is built around areas of excellence, entrepreneurial thinking, innovation, advanced technology, and strong connections to industry and community. The successful candidate will have a mandate to establish a research program that advances critically required knowledge for neuromorphic technologies, that will attract competitive external funding, and to contribute to teaching and graduate student supervision at the University level. They are expected to be or become eligible for registration as a professional engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) ( <https://www.apega.ca/> https://www.apega.ca/) <https://www.apega.ca/>. If any candidates require further information about this criterion, they are encouraged to contact the BME Department Head. The University of Calgary is committed to fostering diversity through cultivating an environment where people with a variety of backgrounds, genders, interests and talents feel welcome and included. In 2016, the Schulich School of Engineering was recognized with the KNOVO Award of Distinction to honour the school’s commitment to diversity and equity. The new Biomedical Engineering Department, with new teaching labs and renovated research labs, is the home of undergraduate (BSc) and graduate (MEng, MSc, PhD) programs and is an anchor for cross-campus transdisciplinary activities in Biomedical Engineering. Biomedical Engineering activities occur across multiple faculties at the University of Calgary (ucalgary.ca/bme <http://www.ucalgary.ca/bme>) <http://www.ucalgary.ca/bme> and involve more than 300 faculty members with current annual research funding exceeding $75M. The university has made significant investments in Biomedical Engineering to date, including the allocation of six Tier 1 and nine Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs. A strong culture of collaboration and cross-disciplinary research excellence is enabled by significant research infrastructure located in multiple centers across campus. The University of Calgary’s transdisciplinary Biomedical Engineering research initiative drives innovations that are saving lives and revolutionizing health care. Biomedical Engineering is led by the Schulich School of Engineering, with the Cumming School of Medicine, and the faculties of Kinesiology, Nursing, Science, and Veterinary Medicine. With collaborative teams focused on human mobility, health monitoring and management including ehealth, advanced biomedical imaging, precision bio-diagnostics, regenerative medicine and novel medical technologies, our researchers are transforming health services and quality of life. The HBI is an institute based in the Cumming School of Medicine that leads the university’s Brain and Mental Health (BMH) research initiative which brings together over 300 full members working in this area from across the university. Following from its vision “Healthy Brains for Better Lives”, the strategic goals of the HBI are to make key, internationally recognized discoveries and transform clinical research in the neurosciences and mental health. To achieve this goal the HBI has created a “NeuroDiscovery Framework”, which aligns research within three themes of Brain & Behaviour, Neural Injury & Repair and Healthy Brain Aging. Each theme is composed of BMH Teams organized in a translational continuum, which includes biomedical, clinical, population and public health researchers. The teams take advantage of several key technology platforms, core facilities (such as optogenetics, neurostimulation, and advanced microscopy) and programs that support them in the pursuit of their research goals, including a nationally recognized computational neuroscience initiative. This highly enriched environment is ideally suited to foster research excellence. The successful candidate will benefit from a rich academic ecosystem, which includes world-class scholars, a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation, and an equitable, diverse, and inclusive university community that supports transdisciplinary research, partnerships and collaborations, and education excellence. The Schulich School of Engineering Strategic Plan, Schulich Momentum, identifies four pillars: 1) Indigenous Engagement, Inclusivity and Reconciliation; 2) Fostering a Community through Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility; 3) Preparing Tomorrow’s Engineering Changemakers; and 4) Elevating Research and Innovation Impact. Similarly, research and educational activities in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute are supported by its “Creating Impact: The Hotchkiss Brain Institute Strategy 2023-2027". The Schulich School of Engineering and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute are both key contributors to the University of Calgary *Ahead of Tomorrow *strategic plan, which emphasizes transdisciplinary scholarship, deeper community integration, and future-focused program delivery. For more information, please visit the Schulich School of Engineering <https://schulich.ucalgary.ca/> <https://schulich.ucalgary.ca/>or Hotchkiss Brain Institute <https://hbi.ucalgary.ca/> <https://hbi.ucalgary.ca/>websites. How to Apply *Interested candidates are encouraged to submit an application online via the 'Apply Now' link*. Please be aware that the application process allows for only four attachments. Your four application attachments should be organized to contain the following (which may require you to merge documents, such as publications): • Cover letter and curriculum vitae, as well as the name and contact information of three referees • Statement of research interests, accomplishments and vision (maximum 2 pages) • Statement of teaching philosophy promoting student learning and success (maximum 2 pages). This can include information on teaching experience, training, and mentoring inside and outside the classroom at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels • Statement on equity, diversity and inclusion (maximum 2 pages) ( <https://www.ucalgary.ca/equity-diversity-inclusion> https://www.ucalgary.ca/equity-diversity-inclusion) <https://www.ucalgary.ca/equity-diversity-inclusion> *Applications are accepted until September 1, 2024.* *Questions may be addressed to: * Dr. Michael Kallos Head, Department of Biomedical Engineering Email: *mskallos(a)ucalgary.ca <mskallos(a)ucalgary.ca>* The University of Calgary adheres to the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and strives to evaluate research impact responsibly and inclusively by explicitly considering discipline-appropriate methods for demonstrating the quality, significance, and societal impact of a broad range of research contributions. The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy <https://www.ucalgary.ca/indigenous-strategy/> <https://www.ucalgary.ca/indigenous-strategy/>committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, and is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do. *The University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here; in particular, we encourage members of equity-deserving groups (women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the **Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion * <https://www.ucalgary.ca/equity-diversity-inclusion>*(* <https://www.ucalgary.ca/equity-diversity-inclusion>*equity(a)ucalgary.ca <equity(a)ucalgary.ca>**) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (**hrhire(a)ucalgary.ca <hrhire(a)ucalgary.ca>**).* *All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. In this connection, at the time of your application, please answer the following question: Are you a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada? (Yes/No) * The University of Calgary recognizes that candidates have varying career paths and that career interruptions can be part of an excellent academic record. Candidates are encouraged but not required to provide any relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions to allow for a fair assessment of their application. Selection committees have been instructed to give careful consideration to, and be sensitive to the impact of career interuptions, when assessing the candidate’s research productivity. Additional Information To learn more about academic opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Academic Careers website <http://careers.ucalgary.ca/pages/academic-careers>. <http://careers.ucalgary.ca/pages/academic-careers> For more information about the Schulich School of Engineering visit schulich.ucalgary.ca <https://schulich.ucalgary.ca/> About the University of Calgary UCalgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university, located in Canada’s most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada’s leader in the creation of start-ups <https://ucalgary.ca/news/ucalgary-top-startup-creator-amongst-research-inst…> . <https://ucalgary.ca/news/ucalgary-top-startup-creator-amongst-research-inst…> <https://www.ucalgary.ca/startsomething>Start something <https://www.ucalgary.ca/startsomething> <https://www.ucalgary.ca/startsomething>today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca <https://www.ucalgary.ca/>. <https://www.ucalgary.ca/> About Calgary, Alberta Calgary is one of the world's cleanest cities and has been named one of the world's most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders - in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from a growing number of world-class dining and cultural events and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour's drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America. Posting Date: May 2024 Closing Date: September 1, 2024

Oct. 3, 2024

[CFP] PSS 2025: Workshop on Post-Singularity Symbiosis@AAAI-25

by Hiroshi Yamakawa

Dear Colleagues, We are reaching out to announce a critical call for papers for the 1st Workshop on Post-Singularity Symbiosis (PSS 2025), to be held as part of the AAAI-25 Workshop Program on March 3 or 4, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. << Paper Submission Deadline - November 24, 2024 >> The rapid advancement of AI technology brings us closer to the potential emergence of superintelligence. While efforts to control and align AI are crucial, we must also confront a challenging reality. In the long term, maintaining complete control over intelligence far surpassing our own may prove difficult. PSS 2025 addresses this critical challenge by exploring strategies for human-superintelligence coexistence. We aim to unite human intellect in preparing for a future where superintelligence becomes dominant, ensuring human survival and welfare in this radically altered world. We've termed this preventive field of study "Post-Singularity Symbiosis," we believe there's an urgent need to expand this research area rapidly. The workshop focuses on three key areas: 1. Superintelligence Analysis 2. Superintelligence Guidance 3. Human Enhancement The probability of human survival in the face of potentially existential AI risks remains unknown. However, the smaller this probability, the more crucial our PSS efforts become. For example, even if the baseline chance of human survival is meager, our well-thought-out collective efforts in PSS might sometimes have the potential to improve this probability significantly. In an extreme case, raising a 1% chance to 10% would mean increasing our odds of survival tenfold. We invite submissions from researchers, practitioners, and thinkers across diverse fields, including AI, cognitive science, philosophy, ethics, policy, and beyond. The scope of potential research topics in PSS is vast and requires a wide range of expertise. We are pleased to announce that Dr. Roman Yampolskiy <https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0_Rq68cAAAAJ&hl=en>, a renowned AI safety researcher, will deliver the keynote address of the workshop. Key Information: - Submission Deadline: November 24, 2024 - Paper Format: Max 8/4/2 pages for full/short/extended abstract papers, respectively (including references) - Review Process: Single-blind - Submission Portal: (It will be published on OpenReview soon; see workshop portal site.) This workshop represents a unique and vital opportunity to contribute to shaping humanity's future in an era of superintelligence. We strongly encourage you to share your insights and join us in this crucial dialogue. For more details about the workshop, potential research topics, and submission guidelines, please visit the workshop portal: https://www.aialign.net/pss-2025 The future of humanity depends on our preparedness for the post-singularity era. We look forward to your contributions and to seeing you at PSS 2025. With urgency and hope, Hiroshi Yamakawa The University of Tokyo / AI Alignment Network PSS 2025 Workshop Organizer

Oct. 3, 2024

Early Career Research Group Leader Position at Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health

by Philipp Berens

The “Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health” (Hertie AI) at the Faculty of Medicine of the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen is funded by the Gemeinnützige Hertie Stiftung to develop AI algorithms, which allows us to detect diseases of the nervous system earlier and to treat them better. Currently, we are seeking to recruit TWO EARLY CAREER RESEARCH GROUP LEADERS (F/M/D) who have recently finished their PhD (<3 years) at the interface of machine learning, neuroscience and clinical applications. We are looking for curious, creative individuals who want to pursue an inspiring research vision based on their track-record of demonstrating the clinical potential of machine learning techniques for better understanding diseases of the nervous system and improving brain health. Potential research topics include but are not limited to: • AI-based analysis of data from wearables, smartphones and other devices for early diagnostics and monitoring therapy success • Machine learning tools for uncovering the genetic and cellular basis of neurological and psychiatric diseases, including AI-enhanced simulations • Use of large-language models in clinical neuroscience We offer an exciting and supportive environment with access to state-of-the-art compute facilities, an initial funding package for 3 years including funding for a PhD student and mentoring and career advice through experienced faculty. Hertie AI closely collaborates with the world-class AI ecosystem in Tübingen (e.g. Cyber Valley, Cluster of Excellence “Machine Learning in Science”, Tübingen AI Center). To apply, please upload a CV (max. 2 pages), a list of publications (max. 2 pages) and a succinct research vision (1 page) as a single file pdf to the e-recruiter platform linked at https://hertie.ai/earlycareer. Application deadline: 8 November 2024 For more information visit https://hertie.ai/earlycareer Questions can be addressed to hertieai(a)medizin.uni-tuebingen.de -- Professor of Data Science, Director Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health Medical Faculty of the University of Tübingen www.hertie.ai

Oct. 2, 2024

1 PhD position in Digital Health at Potsdam University (HPI)

by Eoli, Andrea

Hi everyone, We’re looking for 1 highly motivated PhD student (d/f/m). If you’re interested -or know someone that could be-, please send the CV, a motivation letter, and a recent transcript of records in PDF to Henrike.Heyne(a)hpi.de<mailto:Henrike.Heyne@hpi.de> The project * Topic: “Predicting epilepsy with clinical data from the Mount Sinai Health System” * Who: Co-supervised by 2 PIs, Henrike Heyne<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=S0laek4AAAAJ&hl=en> (Potsdam, Germany) and Isotta Landi<https://profiles.mountsinai.org/isotta-landi> (New York City, USA) * Where: HPI at the Potsdam University, including a 1-year stay at the Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC. * When: start date flexible but ideally ASAP. * Data: real-world structured and unstructured Electronic Health Records, which includes clinical notes, EEG data, and genomic data. * Methods: Disease prediction, deep learning (probably including LLM and image classification). * Funding: Project funded by the Hasso-Plattner Foundation for 3 years (extension possible), travel budget included. Applicants should have * A background in (bio-)informatics, life science, medicine, statistics or related field * Advanced programming skills are a plus (R/python, others) * Experience with genetic and clinical data are a plus * Ability to work independently and in a team * Commitment to an interdisciplinary and international research project * Excellent communication skills in English For any question, please reach out to Henrike.Heyne(a)hpi.de<mailto:Henrike.Heyne@hpi.de> Thanks, Andrea Eoli

Oct. 1, 2024

Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Human Cognition

by Iordan, Coraline Rinn

The University of Rochester’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences seeks to hire an outstanding early-career candidate in the area of Human Cognition. Areas of study may center on any aspect of higher- level cognitive processes such as decision-making, learning and memory, concepts, language and communication, development, reasoning, metacognition, and collective cognition. We particularly welcome applications from candidates researching cognition in human subjects through behavioral, computational or neuroimaging methods. Successful candidates will develop a research program that establishes new collaborations within the department and across the university, and will also be part of a university-wide community engaged in graduate and undergraduate education. The University of Rochester is a distinguished research university, and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences is a dynamic department with interests in the study of perception, motor control, learning, cognition, language, and development through combined neurobiological, computational, and behavioral research (http://www.bcs.rochester.edu/) It offers outstanding opportunities for developing a research program, highly ranked doctoral programs, a vibrant undergraduate major, and a collaborative environment. There is excellent collaboration among faculty across areas, and close ties to other groups in the University, particularly the Center for Visual Science, Neuroscience, Psychology, Education, Psychiatry, the Center for Language Sciences, Computer Science, Data Science, the Eastman School of Music, and Biology. The city of Rochester, NY is a diverse, energetic, LGBTQ+ friendly, and family-friendly community located on Lake Ontario adjacent to the Finger Lakes region with a metropolitan population of 1+ million. Rochester also boasts a thriving arts and music culture, substantial employment opportunities in various sectors, affordable housing, a rich history of social justice, and easy access to urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods. Candidates should hold a PhD degree (or equivalent) in cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, or another relevant domain, and should have considerable research experience. Applicants should submit a CV, a statement of research and teaching interests, a statement discussing the ways in which the applicant’s experiences will shape their pursuits as a member of our faculty and help them add to the University's core values of Meliora (ever better), three representative publications, and contact information of three referees via the following website: https://apply.interfolio.com/153296. Questions concerning this position can be addressed to Prof. Karl Rosengren (karl.rosengren(a)rochester.edu<mailto:karl.rosengren@rochester.edu>), chair of the search committee, or Prof. Dora Biro (dbiro(a)ur.rochester.edu<mailto:dbiro@ur.rochester.edu>), chair of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Rolling review of applications will begin on November 1, 2024. Salary: $106,000 – $111,000 (9-month salary) The referenced pay range represents the full base range of pay for this job. Individual salaries will be determined within the job’s salary range and established based on market data, experience and expertise of the individual, and internal equity considerations. The University of Rochester is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong commitment to diversity, and actively encourages applications from candidates from groups underrepresented in higher education. EOE / Minorities / Females / Protected Veterans / Disabled ----------------------------------------------------- Coraline Rinn Iordan, Ph.D., 🏳️‍🌈 she / her ----------------------------------------------------- PI, Naturalistic Cognition Lab Assistant Professor, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Assistant Professor, Neuroscience Affiliated Faculty, Goergen Institute for Data Science University of Rochester ----------------------------------------------------- www2.bcs.rochester.edu/coraline-iordan<http://www2.bcs.rochester.edu/coraline-iordan> -----------------------------------------------------

Oct. 1, 2024

PhD Position in Neuro-Symbolic AI at Ulm University

by Daniel Braun

1x PhD Position (TVöD E13) in Neuro-Symbolic AI University of Ulm Institute of Neural Information Processing Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology There is a fully funded PhD position available at the Institute of Neural Information Processing, Ulm University. At the institute we are interested in the mathematical foundations of intelligent behaviour in biological and artificial systems. The PhD topic will revolve around the fundamental question of how the abstraction capabilities of classic symbolic knowledge systems can be combined with the sub-symbolic pattern recognition capabilities of neural networks in order to allow neural networks to take existing knowledge into account when making predictions. The PhD position will be part of the newly established DFG graduate school KEMAI (Knowledge Infusion and Extraction for Explainable Medical AI). The structured PhD programme has a duration of 3 years with the possibility of extending for one more year. The candidate will have the opportunity both to make contributions to fundamental questions in AI and cognitive science and to apply their work directly in the context of medical imaging through collaboration with University Clinic. Within the same broad topic area there is a second PhD position available at the Institute of Medical Systems Biology that includes investigation of genetic markers. The applicants should have a strong mathematical background, hold a degree in natural science, mathematics, economics, psychology, computer science, engineering or similar and have a keen interest in neuroscience and artificial intelligence. The University of Ulm is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates should send a CV and a brief statement of interest to Prof. Dr. Dr. Daniel Alexander Braun daniel.braun(a)uni-ulm.de

Sept. 30, 2024

Fully funded trainee positions at CHINTA, TCG CREST, Kolkata

by Subhasis Ray

<Apologies for cross posting> Dear Colleagues, We are looking for self motivated and talented individuals for trainee positions (Research Assistant, PhD student, and Postdoc) at CHINTA, TCG CREST (https://www.tcgcrest.org/institutes/chinta/) in Kolkata, India in the following groups: Dr Agnik Dasgupta: Seeing is Believing: How does the brain develop in a living animal? We utilize optics and genetics to address this question using zebrafish! https://x.com/Agnik85 Dr Anant Jain: Understanding the mechanisms underlying behaviorally relevant synaptic plasticity using electrophysiology, two-photon imaging and behavior: https://www.tcgcrest.org/people/anant-jain/ Dr Subhasis Ray: Understanding neural circuits through experiments and simulations, developing neuro-simulator and scientific software: https://rayslab.github.io/ We have a rolling intake and the trainees will be fully funded by TCG CREST, with suitable adjustments for international candidates. We offer a highly interdisciplinary environment, with several other institutes under TCG CREST (https://www.tcgcrest.org/) conducting research in a wide range of areas such as AI, applied mathematics, and quantum computing. So in addition to biological sciences, students from diverse backgrounds like engineering, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and computer science, are welcome. Please spread the word to anybody who might be interested. Best, Agnik, Anant, and Subhasis ... PS : "Chinta" means "thought" in Sanskrit and related languages.

Sept. 29, 2024

Neurtex Manual Spike Sorting Contest

by Peter N. Steinmetz

I am writing to share a contest that students and postdocs (and possibly others) may be interested in. The Neurtex Manual Spike Sorting Contest is designed to assess how accurately spike sorting works in human intracranial microwire recordings and offers a $5000 first and other prizes. In the contest, participants are asked to perform spike sorting using any method they choose to identify spiking activity in 120 channels. These channels are a mixture of simulated and real recordings so accuracy can be judged directly for the simulated channels. Further details are available at https://neurtex.org/neurtex-manual-spike-sorting-contest/ . If you feel that others may be interested, a small poster announcing the contest which you can use to spread awareness of this opportunity is available at https://neurtex.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Flyer.pdf . cheers, Peter -- Peter N. Steinmetz, MD, PhD Chief Scientist, Neurtex Brain Research Institute PeterNSteinmetz(a)steinmetz.org http://steinmetz.org/peter<https://www.postbox-inc.com>

Sept. 27, 2024

PhD-Researcher and Lecturer, Neurocomputation of Language, Tilburg University (1.0 fte, six years)

by Harm Brouwer

PhD-Researcher and Lecturer, Neurocomputation of Language, Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence (1.0 fte, six years) The Neurocomputation of Language (NCL) lab from the Department of Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence (CSAI) at Tilburg University invites applications for a 6-year position. The successful applicant for this position would spend 60% of their time as a PhD student and 40% as a lecturer. The PhD project would be determined by the successful applicant and the lab director but should employ advanced statistical modeling and/or neurocomputational modeling to address one or more of the core themes of the lab: the nature and time course of language comprehension, the neural representation and computation of meaning, and the cortical organization of the language network. The educational tasks of the candidate could include leading practical sessions, grading assignments and exams, and (eventually) supervising thesis students. Requirements * Master’s degree in (computational) cognitive (neuro)science, neurobiology of language, or a related field. If you expect to obtain your degree before August 2024, you are also eligible. * Good knowledge of statistics and machine learning (practical experience with large language models is a plus). * Excellent knowledge of English and good academic writing skills. What we offer * A full-time position. * The selected candidate will receive a contract for six years. * You will receive a temporary employment contract for the duration of 12 months. A 5-year extension is offered upon a positive assessment. After one year your UFO profile will change to PhD Candidate / Lecturer. In the second year your initial education assignment is 40% and your research assignment is 60%. * A minimum gross salary of €3226- per month up to a maximum of € 4036- in the 6th year. For the duration of 12 months, you are entitled to a allowance. The amount is the difference in salary of scale 10 level 0 and scale PR level 0. * A holiday allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% (annually). * Researchers from outside the Netherlands may qualify for a tax-free allowance equal to 30% of their taxable salary (the 30% tax regulation). The University will apply for such an allowance on their behalf. Note that the 30% rule will be scaled back from 1 January 2024. For new applications, during a five-year term, the scheme will gradually decrease to a 10% rule. More specifically, this means that during the first 20 months of the term, 30% of the salary will be reimbursed untaxed. In the next 20 months, this percentage drops to 20% and during the last 20 months, the untaxed reimbursement is 10% of the salary. * Assistance in finding accommodation (for foreign employees). * Benefits such as an options model for terms and conditions of employment and reimbursement of moving expenses, also including excellent technical infrastructure, savings schemes and excellent sports facilities. The collective labor agreement of the Dutch Universities applies. Information and application More detailed project information can be provided on request: please contact dr. Harm Brouwer (h.brouwer(a)tilburguniversity.edu<mailto:h.brouwer@tilburguniversity.edu>), PI of the Neurocomputation of Language lab. To apply, please submit: * a motivation letter in which you describe why you want to be considered for this position, and why you are the right person to do it; * a full curriculum vitae, demonstrating academic excellence, including publications (if applicable); academic transcripts of your Bachelor and Master’s degrees; * a sample of writing, such as your Master’s thesis or a relevant paper; * contact details of two academic referees. The only way to apply is online<https://tiu.nu/22296>. The position is open until filled. The start date is as soon as possible, but in agreement with the candidate. Neurocomputation of Language lab The Neurocomputational of Language (NCL) lab combines neurocomputational modeling with empirical experimentation to investigate the neural basis of language. Grounded in principles of neural information processing, and informed by empirical insights on the nature and time course of comprehension, our models aim to offer mechanistic explanations of how an interpretation is constructed in real time as spoken or written linguistic signal unfolds on a, more or less, word-by-word basis. See the lab website for more information: https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/about/schools/tshd/departments/dca/lab/ne… The department of Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence (CSAI) The Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence department (https://csai.nl/) at Tilburg University is part of the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences. The department emphasizes innovative research spanning a wide array of fields including computational linguistics and language technology, data-science, human-robot interaction, virtual reality and serious games. CSAI is a member of the Benelux Association for Artificial Intelligence, participates in the Special Interest Group for AI (SIG AI), and also participates in the Confederation of Laboratories for Artificial Intelligence Research in Europe (CLAIRE). Tilburg University and the CSAI department offer a vibrant international environment, with current CSAI staff originating from more than 10 countries. Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences Research and education at the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD) has a unique focus on humans in the context of the globalizing digital society, on the development of artificial intelligence and interactive technologies, on their impact on communication, culture and society, and on moral and existential challenges that arise. The School of Humanities and Digital Sciences consists of four departments: Communication and Cognition, Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Culture Studies and Philosophy; several research institutes and a faculty office. Also the University College Tilburg is part of the School. Each year around 275 students commence a Bachelor or (Pre) Master Program. The School has approximately 2000 students and 250 employees. Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences<https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/about/schools/humanities/> Recruitment code Tilburg University applies the recruitmentcode<https://kmt.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/download/?id=21374> of the Dutch Association for Personnel Management & Organization Development (NVP). Disclaimer The text of this vacancy advertisement is copyright-protected property of Tilburg University. Use, distribution and further disclosure of the advertisement without express permission from Tilburg University is not allowed, and this applies explicitly to use by recruitment and selection agencies which do not act directly on the instructions of Tilburg University. Responses resulting from recruitment by non-contractors of Tilburg Universities will not be handled. -- Dr. Harm Brouwer | Associate Professor Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence | Tilburg University Research Unit Leader | Computational Models of Brain and Behavior Principal Investigator | Neurocomputation of Language lab http://www.hbrouwer.eu/

Sept. 27, 2024

Faculty Position - Computational Neuroscience @ Middlebury College

by Dash, Mike

Dear Colleagues, Middlebury College is currently accepting applications for a tenure-track, computational neuroscientist to begin Fall 2025. If you’re interested in working with talented and motivated undergraduate students, in an academic environment that balances teaching (typically two courses per semester) and research, we encourage you to review our job posting (see below) and apply online: https://apply.interfolio.com/148567 Review of applications begins October 11th, 2024. Thanks, Mike Dash Associate Professor of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience Middlebury College ---------- COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENTIST AT MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE. The Program in Neuroscience invites applications for a tenure-track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor with a preferred focus in computational neuroscience or neurogenomics, beginning in Fall 2025. The Program in Neuroscience is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the growing diversity and excellence of the academic community through their teaching, scholarship, and service. Commitment to inclusive pedagogy, mentoring, and advising a diverse population of students is essential. Applicants should have a Ph.D., postdoctoral experience, demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching, and a proposed research program in computational neuroscience or neurogenomics that involves undergraduate students. The successful candidate is expected to be able to teach a course in cellular and molecular neuroscience and/or behavioral neuroscience. In addition, the candidate will contribute to the neuroscience curriculum with a course in statistics, and an upper-level elective broadly relevant to the field of computational neuroscience or neurogenomics. The candidate will occasionally contribute to Middlebury’s First Year Seminar Program and Winter Term course offerings. All faculty at Middlebury College are also expected to contribute to service to the College including, but not limited to, committee membership and serving as Director or Chair of a Program or Department. Middlebury College is a top-tier liberal arts college with a demonstrated commitment to excellence in both faculty teaching and research. It is also committed to fostering a truly inclusive, open, and supportive learning, teaching, and working environment. The College hires faculty from around the world and a myriad of life experiences, cultures, frames of reference, social identities, and learning perspectives to help cultivate and advance innovation in our curriculum and to provide a rich and varied educational experience to our talented and distinguished student body. To that end, Middlebury College seeks applications from people who would contribute to our increasingly diverse educational community not only through their backgrounds and interests, but in age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, religion, and physical ability.     Middlebury College uses Interfolio to collect all faculty job applications electronically. Email and paper applications will not be accepted. Through Interfolio submit: a letter of application addressed to Professor Mark Spritzer, search committee chair; a curriculum vitae; a statement of teaching philosophy; a statement of research interests and plans; a statement of inclusion; and three current letters of recommendation which speak to teaching ability. At Middlebury, we strive to make our campus a respectful, engaged community that embraces difference, with all the complexity and individuality each person brings. With your application materials, provide a separate statement (1-2 pages) addressing how your teaching, scholarship, mentorship, and/or community service demonstrate a commitment to and/or evidence of engaging with issues of diversity and inclusion. Review of applications will begin on October 11, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. Offers of employment are contingent on completion of a background check. Information on our background check policy can be found here: http://go.middlebury.edu/backgroundchecks. 

Sept. 26, 2024

GCNU-SWC Joint PhD Programme 2025: Applications now open

by Lin, I-Chun

*** Gatsby Unit and Sainsbury Wellcome Centre Joint PhD Programme *** Deadline: 11 November 2024 The Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit (GCNU) and Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC) are launching a 4-year joint PhD programme that aims to bridge the gap between theory and experiments. The two centres provide a unique opportunity for a critical mass of theoreticians and experimentalists to interact closely with one another and with researchers at the Centre for Computational Statistics and Machine Learning (CSML) and related UCL departments/domains such as UCL Neuroscience Domain; Artificial Intelligence; the ELLIS Unit at UCL; Computer Science; Statistical Science; and the nearby Francis Crick and Alan Turing Institutes. The joint programme will provide a rigorous preparation for an interdisciplinary research career. The programme blends aspects of the two existing PhD programmes and is designed to immerse students in both experimental and theoretical thinking. Courses in the first year provide a comprehensive introduction to systems neuroscience, theoretical/computational neuroscience, and machine learning. Students will be part of the broader trainee cohort across both centres, interacting and engaging in scientific discussion with both SWC and GCNU researchers with equal emphasis. Applicants should have a strong analytical and mathematical background, a keen interest in neuroscience, and a relevant first degree (e.g., in Computer Science, Cognitive Psychology, Engineering, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics, Statistics). Full funding is available regardless of nationality. We also welcome applicants who have secured or are seeking funding from other sources. Applications should be submitted directly to us via the online portal. For programme details (including the key differences between the Gatsby Unit PhD programme, the SWC PhD programme, and the joint programme) and how to apply, see www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/study-and-work/gcnu-swc-joint-phd-programme. -- I-Chun Lin, PhD Scientific Programme Manager Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL

Sept. 26, 2024

Leveraging Simulation Neuroscience using Blue Brain's Open Platform at SFN

by Lida Kanari

Dear colleagues,We are thrilled to announce that Blue Brain will be featured at the upcoming SfN 2024 meeting in Chicago. For the first time, we will be offering access to the Blue Brain Open Platform - a comprehensive suite of simulation neuroscience tools designed to enhance your research.As the Blue Brain Project concludes at the end of this year - marking nearly two decades of pioneering work to establish simulation neuroscience as a vital complement to experimental and theoretical approaches - we are proud to release the entire collection of tools, data, and algorithms developed throughout the project.Compiled across nearly 300 publications and 1 petabyte of data, these resources include 260+ public repositories, over 5,000 reconstructed morphologies, more than 100k electrophysiological recordings and 500 e-model, as well as more than 5 detailed models of brain regions, with hundreds of in-vitro simulation experiments - integrated into a single, user-friendly platform for the neuroscience community.We invite you to join our 1-hour workshops at SfN to explore the capabilities of the Blue Brain Open Platform: * Delve into detailed mouse brain data, including experimental and model datasets * Leverage existing models or create custom ones tailored to your research * Design and execute simulation experiments in your own Virtual Lab Sign up for the workshop here: https://forms.gle/jKCAxPzbkCP3P7MT6Our team will also be present at the Blue Brain Project Booth #1852, where we will showcase our range of tools and share our latest findings through over a dozen posters.Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues or anyone interested in exploring the Blue Brain Open Platform as a new tool for simulation neuroscience.We look forward to collaborating with you on the platform! Best regards, Lida Kanari, PhD Group Leader Neuromathematics Blue Brain Project / EPFL Campus Biotech Chemin des Mines 9, CH-1202 Geneva +41 21 693 9656

Sept. 26, 2024

Postdoctoral fellowship positions in functional neurosurgery, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada

by srisaikaew.p＠gmail.com

Dear colleague, The Hodaie lab, led by Dr. Mojgan Hodaie at the Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada, is currently hiring new postdocs. Job description: Job type, Status: Temporary full-time Job function: Research Job duration: 12 months, renewable Required Travel: None Min Education: PhD Min Experience: 1-2 years Salary: Set by Krembil Research Institute, UHN Workplace type: On-Site, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Project / position summary: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an important tool for the non-invasive pre-surgical assessment of peripheral nerve sheath tumors. While conventional MRI sequences provide limited contrast to distinguish between tumor types or between nerve and tumor tissue, diffusion MRI techniques offer the potential for improved pre-surgical assessment. This project is focused on the application of state-of-the-art processing pipelines for diffusion MRI and tractography to provide additional means for neurosurgeons to assess nerve-tumor relationships prior to surgery. In particular, this includes the implementation of diffusion MRI tractography methods tailored to peripheral nerves, high-quality 3D visualizations for presentation and documentation purposes, as well as the implementation of new customized algorithms to cover new analysis objectives. Key responsibilities: - Keeping track of diffusion MRI-based imaging sessions related to peripheral nerve sheath tumors including timely download, image processing, and presentation of results - Selection of appropriate diffusion MRI sequence parameters - Implementation and application of state-of-the-art diffusion MRI and tractography processing pipelines adopted for peripheral nerves - Collaboration with neurosurgeons to define timelines, to identify and understand analysis objectives, and to discuss analysis results interactively - Lead efforts to define, execute and publish research projects in the context of this project This position will allow you to: - Work in a world-class clinical research environment - Present findings at national/international conferences - Publish in excellent journals - Actively engage and network with the large Toronto neuroscience community with one of the highest densities of neuroscientists in North America Job requirements: This position requires the following skills: - A Ph.D. in neuroimaging in neuroscience, psychology, medical physics, or related fields. - Prior experience in any of the following areas: Diffusion MRI processing, diffusion MRI tractography, interest in peripheral nerve imaging - Good knowledge of scripting languages in a Linux-based environment, in particular Bash and Python - Good knowledge of diffusion MRI and tractography processing frameworks, in particular MRtrix3 and FSL - Ability to work independently and deliver on schedule. - Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. - Committed to continuous learning and improvement. More information about the positions can be found here: https://www.hodaielab.com/ Interested candidates are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Mojgan Hodaie directly to discuss the positions. Best regards, Patcharaporn Srisaikaew, PhD Postdoctoral Researcher | Hodaie Surgical Imaging Laboratory, Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour at Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network 135 Nassau St, Toronto, ON, M5T 1M8

Sept. 25, 2024

50+ positions in Machine Learning and AI

by Robert Legenstein

Call for Applications For the recently established Cluster of Excellence CoE Bilateral Artificial Intelligence (BILAI), funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), we are looking for more than 50 PhD students and 10 Post-Doc researchers (m/f/d) to join our team at one of the six leading research institutions across Austria (see below). In BILAI, major Austrian players in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are teaming up to work towards Broad AI. As opposed to Narrow AI, which is characterized by task-specific skills, Broad AI seeks to address a wide array of problems, rather than being limited to a single task or domain. To develop its foundations, BILAI employs a Bilateral AI approach, effectively combining sub-symbolic AI (neural networks and machine learning) with symbolic AI (logic, knowledge representation, and reasoning) in various ways. Harnessing the full potential of both symbolic and sub-symbolic approaches can open new avenues for AI, enhancing its ability to solve novel problems, adapt to diverse environments, improve reasoning skills, and increase efficiency in computation and data use. These key features enable a broad range of applications for Broad AI, from drug development and medicine to planning and scheduling, autonomous traffic management, and recommendation systems. Prioritizing fairness, transparency, and explainability, the development of Broad AI is crucial for addressing ethical concerns and ensuring a positive impact on society. The research team is committed to cross-disciplinary work in order to provide theory and models for future AI and deployment to applications. CoE Research Institutions: Johannes Kepler Universität Linz (JKU Linz) Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien) Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt (AAU) Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) Technische Universität Graz (TU Graz) Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (WU Wien) The call for applications is available at https://www.bilateral-ai.net/jobs/ -- Dr. Robert Legenstein Univ.-Professor Institute of Theoretical Computer Science Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 16b/I, 8010 Graz, Austria http://www.igi.tugraz.at/legi/ Follow @CompLegenstein on Twitter. WebEx meeting room: https://tugraz.webex.com/meet/robert.legenstein ++43/316/873-5824 ----------------------------------

Sept. 25, 2024

School on the Origins of Life, Behavior and Cognition 2025

by Ahmed El Hady

** *School on the Origins of Life, Behavior and Cognition* *March 10-21, 2025* *ICTP-SAIFR, São Paulo, Brazil* */Application Deadline:/December 28, 2024* School on Origins is an interdisciplinary school that tackles the foundational questions concerning the origins of biophysical systems which include but are not limited to : molecular, cellular, neural and behavioral systems. We aim to find principles shared across systems using tools from statistical physics, mathematical analysis and numerical simulations to explore these questions. We have invited researchers that work both on the experimental and theoretical side to cover a variety of biophysical systems and theoretical approaches. The school is aimed at graduate students either at the master’s or PhD level who have a strong quantitative background and a keen interest to pursue interdisciplinary research. We invite students pursuing degrees in physics, computer science, engineering, or mathematics. Those pursuing degrees in biology need to provide evidence of strong and extensive quantitative background in topics such as calculus, dynamical systems and numerical programming. /There is no registration fee and limited funds are available for travel and local expenses./ *Organizers:* * *Ahmed El Hady* (Center for Collective Animal Behavior, Max Planck Institute and Univ.Konstanz, Germany) * *Antonio C. Roque* (USP Ribeirão Preto, Brazil) * *Daniel Y. Takahashi* (UFRN, Brazil) *Lecturers:* * *Suzanne Still* (University of Hawaii at Mānoa, USA) * *Randall Beer* (Indiana University Bloomington, USA) * *Asif Ghazanfar* (Princeton University, USA) * *Don Katz* (Brandeis University, USA) * *Gandhimohan M. Viswanathan* (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte – UFRN, Brazil) * *Bruno Mota* (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) * *Ana Amador* (University of Buenos Aires, Argentina) All details and application procedure can be found here: https://www.ictp-saifr.org/solbc2025/ <https://www.ictp-saifr.org/solbc2025/> . Please let me know if you have any questions, All the best regards, Ahmed El hady Dr. Ahmed El Hady Research Group Leader Cluster for Advanced Study of Collective Behavior University of Konstanz / Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz Room ZT 907 Postbox 687 Tel.: +49 7531 88-4742

Sept. 25, 2024

Senior post-doctoral position in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience

by Matteo Marsili

"Rita Levi-Montalcini" Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship The Quantitative Life Sciences (QLS) section of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) seeks applications for one postdoctoral position starting spring/summer 2025 from outstanding young scientists of any nationality with a strong research record. Candidates should be able to carry active multidisciplinary research in the area of Theoretical and computational neuroscience Candidates from underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply. ICTP is a UNESCO Category 1 research institute supporting science and education in the developing world, and promotes worldwide initiatives for the career development of Women in Science. The QLS section provides a unique international, multidisciplinary research environment for postdoctoral fellows with about 15 group members (faculty, postdocs, graduate students and visitors) an intense program of workshops and conferences, close collaborations with local institutions (SISSA, ICGEB, Trieste University) and internationally-renowned research institutions. Postdoctoral fellows are encouraged, and supported, to participate in activities in developing countries in order to promote the mission of the ICTP and to contribute to the teaching activities of the ICTP QLS Diploma program. Application deadline: 15 December 2024 More information at: https://www.ictp.it/opportunity/rita-levi-montalcini-senior-postdoctoral-fe… <https://www.ictp.it/opportunity/rita-levi-montalcini-senior-postdoctoral-fe…> Matteo Marsili Senior Research Scientist, Abdus Salam ICTP, Strada Costiera 11, 34014, Trieste Ph: +390402240461, fax: +3904022407461, email: marsili(a)ictp.it

Sept. 23, 2024

Gatsby Unit PhD Programme 2025: Applications now open

by Lin, I-Chun

PhD Programme in Theoretical Neuroscience and Machine Learning Deadline: 11 November 2024 The Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit is a leading research centre focused on theoretical neuroscience and machine learning. We study (un)supervised and reinforcement learning in brains and machines; inference, coding and neural dynamics; Bayesian and kernel methods, and deep learning; with applications to the analysis of perceptual processing and cognition, neural data, signal and image processing, machine vision, network data and nonparametric hypothesis testing. The Unit provides a unique opportunity for a critical mass of theoreticians to interact closely with one another and with researchers at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC), the Centre for Computational Statistics and Machine Learning (CSML) and related UCL departments such as Computer Science; Statistical Science; Artificial Intelligence; the ELLIS Unit at UCL; Neuroscience; and the nearby Alan Turing and Francis Crick Institutes. Our PhD programme provides a rigorous preparation for a research career. Students complete a 4-year PhD in either machine learning or theoretical/computational neuroscience, with minor emphasis in the complementary field. Courses in the first year provide a comprehensive introduction to both fields and systems neuroscience. Students are encouraged to work and interact closely with SWC/CSML researchers to take advantage of this uniquely multidisciplinary research environment. Applicants should have a strong analytical and quantitative background, a keen interest in neuroscience, machine learning or both, and a relevant first degree, for example in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Neuroscience or Cognitive Psychology. Full funding is available regardless of nationality. The unit also welcomes applicants who have secured or are seeking funding from other sources. Applications should be submitted directly to us via the online portal. For programme details and how to apply, see www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/study-and-work/gatsby-unit-phd-programme<https://www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/study-and-work/gatsby-unit-phd-programme>. -- I-Chun Lin, PhD Scientific Programme Manager Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL

Sept. 22, 2024

Multiple Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty Positions in Human Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

by Zoran Tiganj

The College of Arts and Sciences <https://college.indiana.edu/> and the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering <https://luddy.indiana.edu/> at Indiana University Bloomington invite applications for multiple open-rank, tenured or tenure-track faculty positions in one or more of the following areas: artificial intelligence, human intelligence, and machine learning to begin in Fall 2025 or after. Appointments will be in one or more departments, including Cognitive Science <https://cogs.indiana.edu/index.html>, Computer Science <https://cs.indiana.edu/index.html>, Informatics <https://informatics.indiana.edu/index.html>, Intelligent Systems Engineering <https://engineering.indiana.edu/?_gl=1*1emk78c*_gcl_au*MTQ4MTUwMTkzLjE3MjIz…..> , Mathematics, <https://math.indiana.edu/index.html> and Psychological and Brain Sciences <https://psych.indiana.edu/index.html>. We encourage applications from scholars who apply interdisciplinary perspectives across these fields to a variety of domains, including cognitive science, computational social sciences, computer vision, education, engineering, healthcare, mathematics, natural language processing, neuroscience, psychology, robotics, virtual reality, and beyond. Reflecting IU’s strong tradition of interdisciplinary research, we encourage diverse perspectives and innovative research that may intersect with or extend beyond these areas. The positions are part of a new university-wide initiative that aims to transform our understanding of human and artificial intelligence, involving multiple departments and schools, as well as the new Luddy Artificial Intelligence Center <https://ai.luddy.indiana.edu/index.html>. *Application Procedures:* To apply, submit a CV, letter of application that describes your research, teaching, and engagement with fostering a diverse and welcoming work environment, and provide the names of three references. References will only be contacted for those candidates moving to advanced stages of consideration. Interested candidates should submit applications at: https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/25788. Application review begins November 1, 2024, but we welcome submissions after this date. We accommodate varied timelines across disciplines to ensure all qualified applicants are considered. The position’s expected start date is August 1, 2025; however, alternative dates can be considered. All queries about the position or the application procedures may be addressed to faculty1(a)indiana.edu. ---- Zoran Tiganj, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Indiana University Bloomington https://homes.luddy.indiana.edu/ztiganj/ <https://homes.luddy.indiana.edu/ztiganj/%E2%80%8B>

Sept. 22, 2024

[Call for Data & Paper] 2nd International Whole Brain Architecture Workshop (Feb. 24th, 2025)

by Hiroshi Yamakawa

Dear Colleagues, << Early Bird Alert: Paper Abstract Submission Deadline - November 1st, 2024 (JST) >> We are pleased to announce the Second International Whole Brain Architecture Workshop, building on the remarkable success of our inaugural event. (The first online workshop, held in July 2024, attracted over 100 participants and generated significant enthusiasm in the field.) This second workshop will be held on February 24th, 2025 ( https://wba-initiative.org/en/24521/ ). Registration for presentations opens on October 20th, 2024, and we eagerly anticipate your submissions of BRA data. About This Workshop: The development of brain-inspired artificial intelligence, which aims to understand and simulate the computational functions of the brain, is a promising approach to reproducing human-like problem-solving abilities. This ambitious goal requires knowledge from diverse research fields, including neuroscience and cognitive science. Given the vast amount of knowledge needed, it is crucial to accumulate and share standardized design information as open knowledge. This workshop serves as a platform for cooperation and sharing of standardized design information (BRA data) essential for developing brain-inspired AI. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to enhance the academic value of submitted datasets through expert discussions and peer review. Why Participate: • Contribute to the cutting-edge field of brain-inspired AI • Share your research with a global audience of experts • Gain insights from interdisciplinary discussions • Potential for your work to be published on the BRA Editorial System (BRAES) https://ggle.io/6ybj We invite submissions of BRA data and accompanying papers. Accepted data and papers will be published on BRAES, with paper DOIs shared on the workshop program page. We believe that this sharing and integration of brain-inspired AI design information will significantly advance the field. Date and Location (hybrid): • Date: February 24th, 2025 (Monday) • Venue: Tokyo, Japan (on-site) and online (details TBA) Important Dates: • BRA Data submission opens: October 20th, 2024 (JST) • Paper abstract submission deadline: November 1st, 2024 (JST) • BRA Data submission deadline: December 20th, 2024 (JST) • Full Paper submission deadline: January 4th, 2025 (JST) • Completed BRA Data submission deadline: January 4th, 2025 (JST) • Paper notification: January 24th, 2025 (JST) For detailed submission guidelines, please visit: https://wba-initiative.org/en/24521/ We look forward to welcoming you and your colleagues to present data and papers and to engage in stimulating discussions that will shape the future of brain-inspired AI. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the Workshop organizers at bra-support(a)wba-initiative.org. Join us in advancing the frontier of brain-inspired artificial intelligence! Best regards, BRA Support Team

Sept. 22, 2024

Responsible AI Initiative at the University of Utah

by Rob MacLeod

Dear Colleagues, The Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute <https://www.sci.utah.edu/> at the University of Utah is pursuing a new initiative in Responsible AI (RAI) and there are fellowships available now for faculty and postdocs. To learn more about the fellowships, please see this link <https://rai.utah.edu/opportunities/>and to learn more about the RAI Initiative, check here <https://rai.utah.edu/>. Of special relevance to this list is the RAI thrust in Behavioral Health and Wellness. Read more about this thrust here <https://rai.utah.edu/about/healthcare-and-wellness/>. Best, Rob Rob MacLeod, PhD Deputy Director, Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute Professor and Vice-Chair of Biomedical Engineering Adjunct Professor of Internal Medicine Senior Investigator, Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI) University of Utah 72 Central Campus Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 Email: macleod(a)sci.utah.edu <mailto:macleod@sci.utah.edu> URL: www.sci.utah.edu/~macleod <http://www.sci.utah.edu/~macleod>

Sept. 20, 2024

SNUFA 2024 abstract submission closing soon

by Friedemann Zenke

This is a friendly reminder that the SNUFA 2024 abstract submission closes soon (deadline Sept 27). SNUFA 2024: 5-6 November (online)--your friendly online focus meeting on spiking neural networks that compute. See https://snufa.net/2024 for details. This year's invited speakers are Chiara Bartolozzi (IIT Genova), David Kappel (University of Bochum), Anna Levina (Uni Tübingen), and Christian Machens (Champalimaud). Like every year, the workshop brings together computational neuroscience, machine learning, and neuromorphic engineering researchers to present their work and discuss how to translate these findings into a better understanding of neural circuits. The workshop is traditionally online. Topics include artificial and biologically plausible learning algorithms and the dissection of trained spiking circuits toward understanding neural processing. We aim to have a manageable number of talks with ample discussion time. SNUFA 2024 is brought to you by Melika Payvand, Laurent Perrinet, Dan Goodman, and Friedemann Zenke. -- https://snufa.net/2024

Sept. 20, 2024

Postdoc positions in cognitive neuroscience and computational psychiatry, University of Tuebingen, Germany

by Susan Fischer

**Apologies for cross-posting** Dear colleagues, The "Developmental Computational Psychiatry" lab and the W3 professorship "Computational Psychiatry" led by Tobias Hauser at the University of Tübingen (Germany) is currently hiring new postdocs. The focus of the lab is to better understand the computational and neural mechanisms underlying decision making and learning, and how these processes go awry in patients with mental illnesses. The successful candidates will have the chance to work in a highly dynamic and inspiring environment and to collaborate closely with Prof Peter Dayan and the Max-Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics. Concretely, we are looking for the following candidates: * Postdoc with experimental & neuroimaging background * Postdoc with computational modelling background More information about the positions can be found here: https://devcompsy.org/join-the-lab/ Interested candidates are encouraged to reach out to Tobias Hauser directly to informally discuss the positions. Best regards, Susan. ************************************************ Susan Fischer Coordinator Alexander von Humboldt Professorship Prof Peter Dayan & W3-Professorship ‘Computational Psychiatry’, Prof Tobias Hauser Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Equal Opportunities Officer Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Max-Planck-Ring 8 72076 Tübingen Germany ************************************************

Sept. 20, 2024

NSF-Simons NITMB Fellows: Now Accepting Applications

by William L. Kath

<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> NSF-Simons NITMB Fellows Program Applications due October 15, 2024 NITMB is seeking early-career researchers who have interest in transforming biological research and inspiring new mathematical discoveries. This opportunity is open to researchers who want to develop mathematical, theoretical, and computational approaches to study any area of biology. Under the mentorship of NSF-Simons NITMB leadership and faculty members, fellows will develop an independent research program and foster collaborations with NITMB faculty members or others outside the Institute. Applicants will need to have completed a doctoral degree by September 2025 in one of the following fields: * Mathematical Sciences * Biological Sciences * Computer Sciences * Engineering * or related fields Click here for the Submission Portal <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> Benefits * Competitive salary * Generous research and travel stipends * Access to NITMB resources and both Northwestern and UChicago campuses * A thriving intellectual community with mentorship from NITMB leadership and Faculty Members * Offices located at the iconic John Hancock Center, 875 N Michigan Ave, in Chicago, Illinois * Guaranteed acceptance to NITMB workshops * No teaching obligations, allowing full dedication to groundbreaking research * Opportunities to lead and participate in NITMB activities and outreach programs Appointments can start as early as April 1, 2025, but no later than September 1, 2025, and will be at the internal University rank of Postdoctoral Scholar. The position is open to individuals who are less than seven years post attainment of their Ph.D. degree. Learn More <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> Application Materials Upload the following documents to the submission portal. * Cover letter * Curriculum vitae * List of publications and preprints * Description of research interests to be pursued at the NITMB * Three Letters of Recommendation from faculty members or senior research scientists who are active in the field of study in question. Uploaded here. <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> Required materials and letters of reference must be received by October 15, 2024. Expected Timeline * Applications due October 15, 2024 * Review Period | October 1 - 31, 2024 * Zoom Interviews | November 11 - 22, 2024 * Notice of Waitlist | week of November 11, 2024 * In-Person Interviews | December 9 - 13, 2024 * Notice of Waitlist | week of December 9, 2024 * Decisions | December 16 - 31, 2024 * Offers | January 6 - 10, 2025 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> The NSF-Simons National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology (NITMB) aims to integrate the disciplines of mathematics and biology in order to transform the practice of biological research and inspire new mathematical discoveries. NITMB is a partnership between Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. It is funded by the National Science Foundation DMS-2235451 and the Simons Foundation MP-TMPS-00005320. LinkedIn <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> X <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> Instagram <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> Facebook <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jodrq9gbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015KxzjW…> NITMB | 875 N Michigan Ave.Suite 4010 | Chicago, IL 60611 US Unsubscribe<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=0…>| Update Profile <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=0…>| Constant Contact Data Notice <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.constantcontact.com/legal/about-cons…>

Sept. 20, 2024

Mouse cortical neurophysiology postdoc position in Jaeger lab at Emory University

by Jaeger, Dieter

The Jaeger lab at Emory University https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/jaegerlab/ is looking to recruit a postdoctoral fellow to work on our NIH funded project in studying the cell-type specific function of motor and premotor cortex in mice. The technical approaches will include mouse behavioral training and behavior analysis, optogenetics, Neuropixels recording, and voltage imaging. A specific objective is to compare normal and Parkinsonian cortical function. The successful candidates will have prior expertise in rodent neurophysiology and a strong background in data analysis. Emory University provides a vibrant and supportive environment for postdoctoral training including grant writing workshops and teaching opportunities, as well as strong training in movement disorders. The Atlanta location allows for affordable living conditions in a cosmopolitan setting with a world class airport. Compensation is dependent on prior experience and is aligned with the NIH NRSA schedule with additional health insurance and other benefits. If interested & qualified, please contact djaeger(a)emory.edu<mailto:djaeger@emory.edu>. Dieter Jaeger Professor, Department of Biology Emory University djaeger(a)emory.edu<mailto:djaeger@emory.edu> https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/jaegerlab/

Sept. 19, 2024

Fwd: CFP: FLAIRS38, Neural Network Special Track, Daytona Beach, FL, May 20-23

by David B

*Neural Networks and Data Mining Special Track* <http://flairs-38.s3-website.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/> *at the * *38th International FLAIRS Conference* <https://www.flairs-38.info/home> Abstract submission deadline: January 20, 2025 Paper submission deadline: January 27, 2025 Paper Acceptance Notification: March 10, 2025 *Daytona Beach, Florida, USA, May 20-23, 2025Call for Papers* The Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Symposium (FLAIRS) is a medium-sized interdisciplinary AI conference which is noted for its double-blind reviewing, free tutorials, and beautiful venues. This special track will be devoted to neural networks and data mining with the aim of presenting new and important contributions in these areas. Papers and contributions are encouraged for any work related to neural networks, data mining, or the intersection thereof. Topics of interest may include (but are not limited to): Applications such as Pattern Recognition, Applications, Generative AI methods and applications, Control and Process Monitoring, Biomedical Applications, Robotics, Text Mining, Diagnostic Problems, Power Systems, Signal Processing; Intelligence analysis, medical and health applications, text, video, and multi-media mining, E-commerce and web data, financial data analysis, cybersecurity, remote sensing, earth sciences, bioinformatics, and astronomy. Neural networks such as new developments in Back Propagation, RBF, SVM, Deep Learning, Ensemble Methods, Kernel Approaches; Hybrid approaches such as Neural Networks/Genetic Algorithms, Causal Nets trained with Backpropagation, Neural Network/Fuzzy Logic and Acceleration of neural network models via software or hardware. Other modeling algorithms such as hidden Markov models, decision trees, statistical methods, or probabilistic methods; case studies in areas of application, or over different algorithms and approaches; graph modeling, pattern discovery, and anomaly detection; feature extraction and selection; post-processing techniques such as visualization, summarization, or trending; preprocessing and data reduction;and knowledge engineering or warehousing. *Submission Guidelines* Papers must follow the FLAIRS template guidelines ( https://www.flairs-38.info/call-for-papers) and be submitted as a PDF through the EasyChair conference system. (Do NOT use a fake name for your EasyChair login; your EasyChair account information is hidden from reviewers.) FLAIRS will not accept any paper which, at the time of submission, is under review for or has already been published or accepted for publication in a journal or another conference. Authors are also required not to submit their papers else where during FLAIRS's review period. These restrictions apply only to journals and conferences, not to workshops and similar specialized presentations with a limited audience and without archival proceedings. Authors will be required to confirm that their submissions conform to these requirements at the time of submission. *Conference Proceedings* Papers will be refereed and all accepted papers will appear in the conference proceedings. *Track Co-chairs:* David Bisant, Central Security Svcs, bisant(a)umbc.edu Steven Gutstein, Booz Allen Hamilton, s.m.gutstein(a)gmail.com Lenin Mookiah, eBay, lenin.world(a)gmail.com *Program Committee Members:* Martin Atzmueller(University of Kassel, Germany) Juan Banda (Montana State University, USA) Lori Bogren (SomaLogic, USA) Chiranjit Dutta (eBay, USA) Sirisha Velampalli (Brane Enterprise, India) Tomasz Palczewski (SAP, USA) Sergei Dolenko (M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation) Sheikh Rabiul Islam (University of Hartford, USA) Lawrence Holder (Washington State University, USA) Diane Cook (Washington State University, USA) Jacek Kukluk (Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, USA) Katrina Kutchko (Verizon Business Solutions, USA) Roberto Santana (University of Basque Country, Spain) Hujun Yin (University of Manchester, UK) Prabin Lamichhane (Mastercard)

Sept. 18, 2024

Faculty positions in ML and AI, Canada

by Luczak, Artur

New job: Tenure Track Associate Professor at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with a focus on the application of AI to e.g. Neuroscience. This position is a prestigious Canada Research Chair (CRC), which comes with generous funding. Here is link: https://uleth.peopleadmin.ca/postings/7749 Best, Artur Luczak https://people.uleth.ca/~luczak/

Sept. 18, 2024

COSYNE 2025: Call for Workshop Proposals; Abstract submission is open

by Tomas Hromadka

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2025 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING 27 March - 30 March 2025 Montreal, Canada WORKSHOPS 31 March - 01 April 2025 Mont-Tremblant, Canada www.cosyne.org ==================================================== IMPORTANT DATES Abstract submission is now open. Workshop proposal submission is now open. Workshop proposal submission deadline: 04 October 2024 Abstract submission deadline: 23 October 2024 ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE MEETING & WORKSHOPS ---------------------------------------------------- The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks is selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural basis of behavior, sensory and motor systems, circuitry, learning, neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, neuromodulation, and computation with spiking networks. We would like to foster increased participation from experimental groups as well as computational ones. Please circulate widely and encourage your students and postdocs to apply. When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. ----------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS ----------------------------------------------------- A series of workshops will be held after the main Cosyne meeting. The goal is to provide an informal forum for the discussion of important research questions and challenges. Controversial issues, open problems, comparisons of competing approaches, and alternative viewpoints are encouraged. Workshop proposals deadline: 04 October 2024 To submit your Cosyne 2025 Workshop Proposal, please visit Cosyne.org -> Workshops -> Call for Proposals The overarching goal of all workshops should be the integration of empirical and theoretical approaches, in an environment that fosters collegial discussion and debate. - There will be 6-10 workshops/day, running in parallel. - Each workshop is expected to draw between 15 and 80 people. - The workshops will be split into morning and late afternoon sessions. - Workshops will be held in Mont-Tremblant, QC, Canada. - Workshop speakers do NOT receive free registration, travel expenses, or accommodation for either the main meeting or the workshop sessions. Organizers should let invited speakers know that they are expected to pay for workshop registration fees. Workshop organizer responsibilities include coordinating workshop participation and content, scheduling all speakers, submitting a final schedule for the workshop program, and moderating the discussion. Organizers can, but need not, be speakers. One complimentary (free) organizer registration is provided per workshop. For workshops with two organizers, the free registration can be given to one of the organizers or split evenly between them. Any required multimedia resources beyond a projector, screen, and microphones will be the responsibility of the workshop organizers to coordinate with Cosyne and the workshop venue A/V staff. EVALUATION CRITERIA As stated above, the goal of Cosyne workshops is to provide an interactive, informal forum for discussions. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to: sensory processing; motor planning and control; functional neural circuits; motivation, reward and decision making; learning and memory; adaptation and plasticity; neural coding; neural circuitry and network models; and methods in computational or systems neuroscience. Workshop proposals will be evaluated by the Cosyne Workshop Chairs, and a subset of the proposals will be selected. The proposals will be evaluated according to the following six metrics (which will be weighted equally): - Relevance to the Cosyne community - Integration of experimental and theoretical issues - Current interest in the topic in the scientific community - Potential for new research directions and interactions to emerge - Distinctive scope/approach compared to other workshops (including previous years’) - Diversity and equity in the proposed speaker (we are looking for representation of women or nonbinary individuals, individuals from other underrepresented groups, and a balance of established and early career researchers) In order to foster discussion within Workshops and reduce overlap between workshops, organizers should inform invited speakers that a speaker can take part in no more than two Workshops. The proposals will include: - Name(s) and email address(es) of the organizers (2 organizers per session is strongly recommended, but 3 will be allowed). - A title. - A brief description of 1) what the workshop will address and accomplish, 2) why the topic is of interest, 3) who is the targeted group of participants. - Names and email addresses of speakers, who should already have agreed to participate should the proposal be accepted. - Proposed workshop length (1 or 2 days). Most workshops will be limited to a single day. If you think your workshop needs two days, please explain why. - A brief resume of the workshop organizer(s) along with a short list of workshop-relevant publications (about half a page total). - A description of how you have addressed diversity and equity in your workshop. Experience has shown that the best discussions during a workshop are those that arise spontaneously. A good way to foster these is to have short talks and long question periods (e.g. 30+15 minutes), and to have plenty of breaks. We recommend keeping the number of talks small (i.e., fewer than 10 talks per day). WORKSHOP COSTS Detailed registration costs, etc, will be at www.cosyne.org. Please note: Cosyne does NOT provide travel funding for workshop speakers. Organizers should let invited speakers know that they are expected to pay for workshop registration fees. Participants are encouraged to register early, in order to qualify for discounted registration rates. One complimentary (free) organizer registration is provided per workshop. For workshops with two organizers, the free registration can be given to one of the organizers or split evenly between them. COSYNE 2025 WORKSHOP CHAIRS Workshop Chairs: SueYeon Chung (NYU) and Guillaume Lajoie (MILA/U Montreal) COSYNE WORKSHOPS CONTACT workshops [at] cosyne.org ----------------------------------------------------- COSYNE 2025 COMMITTEES ----------------------------------------------------- ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General Chairs: Bing Brunton (U Washington) and Chandramouli Chandrasekaran (Boston U) Program Chairs: Tatiana Engel (CSHL) and Kevin Franks (Duke) Workshop Chairs: SueYeon Chung (NYU) and Guillaume Lajoie (MILA/U Montreal) Tutorial Chair: Talmo Pereira (Salk) DEIA Committee: Denise Cai (Mount Sinai) and Luke Sjulson (Albert Einstein) Undergraduate Travel Chairs: Kimberly Stachenfeld (DeepMind) and Marcelo Mattar (NYU) Fundraising Chair: Michael Long (NYU) Social Media Chair: Sabera Talukder (Caltech) Audio-Video Media Chair: Carlos Stein Brito (Chamaplimaud) Poster Design: Maja Bialon PROGRAM COMMITTEE Tatiana Engel (CSHL) Co-chair Kevin Franks (Duke) Co-chair Mikio Aoi (UCSD) Arkarup Banerjee (CSHL) Marcus Benna (UCSD) Adrian Bondy (Princeton) Timothy Buschman (Princeton) Celine Cammarata (Duke) Alex Cayco Gajic (Ecole Normale Superieure) Hannah Choi (Gatech) Benjamin Cowley (CSHL) Carina Curto (Brown) Brian DePasquale (Boston U) Sridhar Devarajan (Indian Inst Sci) Laura Driscoll (Stanford) Ann Duan (UCL) Lea Duncker (Stanford) Annegret Falkner (Princeton) Arseny Finkelstein (Tel Aviv U) Rainer Friedrich (Friedrich Miescher Institute) Juan Gallego (Imperial) Matthew Golub (U Washington) Bilal Haider (Georgia Tech) Kiah Hardcastle (Harvard) Ann Hermundstad (Janelia) Michele Insanally (U Pitt) Monika Jadi (Yale) Jonathan Kao (UCLA) Kohitij Kar (York U) Ann Kennedy (Northwestern) Guillaume Lajoie (MILA) Anna Levina (U Tubingen) Laura Lewis (MIT) Camilo Libedinsky (National U Singapore) Ashok Litwin-Kumar (Columbia) Laureline Logiaco (MIT) Emily Mace (Max Planck) Francesca Mastrogiuseppe (Champalimaud) Luca Mazzucato (U Oregon) Jorge Mejias (U Amsterdam) Jonathan Michaels (York U) Eilif Muller (U Montreal) James Murray (U Oregon) Hendrikje Nienborg (NIH) Gouki Okazawa (Chinese Acad Sci) Marino Pagan (UCL) Chethan Pandarinath (Emory) Angelique Paulk (Harvard) Hannah Payne (Columbia) Talmo Pereira (Salk) Erin Rich (Mount Sinai) Ben Scott (Boston U) Nicholas Steinmetz (U Washington) Carsen Stringer (HHMI) Marie Suver (Vanderbilt) Tatjana Tchumatchenko (U Bonn) John Tuthill (U Washington) Ali Weber (Bryn Mawr) Brady Weissbourd (MIT) Alex Williams (NYU) Klaus Wimmer (CRM) Brad Wyble (Penn State) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Anne-Marie Oswald (U Pittsburgh) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org ----------------------------------------------------- COSYNE MAILING LISTS ----------------------------------------------------- Please consider adding yourself to Cosyne mailing lists (groups) to receive email updates with various Cosyne-related information and join in helpful discussions. See Cosyne.org -> About-> Mailing lists for details.

Sept. 17, 2024

workshop organized by the Neuroscience Gateway project on October 5th starting at 8:30am at the campus of University of Chicago

by Majumdar, Amitava

We are organizing a workshop in Chicago on October 5th , 2024 starting at 8:30 am (Central time) and till 11:30am (Central time) at the campus of University of Chicago. The agenda is provided below. If you are interested in attending, please email Amit Majumdar (amajumdar(a)ucsd.edu) to receive the link to register. Registration is free but due to limited seatings, we are requesting registration and it will also provide the address of the location of the workshop. AGENDA (October 5th, 2024, University of Chicago) 8:30 AM - 8:45 AM Welcome 8:45 AM - 9:15 AM Title: Human Neocortical Neurosolver: A Software Tool for Cell and Circuit Level Interpretation of MEG/EEG signals Authors: Nicholas Tolley, Stephanie Jones Affiliation: Brown University Abstract: MEG/EEG signals are correlated with nearly all healthy and pathological brain functions. However, it is still extremely difficult to infer the underlying cellular and circuit level origins. This limits the translation of MEG/EEG signals into novel principles of information processing, or into new treatment modalities for pathologies. To address this limitation, we built the Human Neocortical Neurosolver (HNN): an open-source software tool to help researchers and clinicians without formal computational modeling or coding experience interpret the neural origin of their human MEG/EEG data. The foundation of HNN is a biophysically-detailed neocortical model, representing a patch of neocortex receiving thalamic and corticocortical drive. The HNN model can be accessed through a user-friendly interactive graphical user interface (GUI) or through a Python scripting interface. Tutorials are provided to teach users how to begin to study the cell and circuit level origin of sensory event related potentials (ERPs) and low frequency rhythms. The package is available to install with a single command on PyPI (pip install hnn_core), is unit tested and extensively documented. HNN is additionally accessible through computing resources offered by the Neuroscience Gateway (NSG) enabling large simulation workloads. We will give an overview of the background of HNN, describe the newest features added to the software, and highlight recent research projects using HNN. 9:15 AM - 9:45 AM Title: The NEMAR Neuromagnetic Data, Tools, and Compute Resource Authors: Scott Makeig1, Kenneth Yoshimoto2, Choonhan Youn2, Dung Troung1, Subhashini Sivagnanam2, Amitava Majumdar2, Arnaud Delorme1 Affiliation: 1Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, 2San Diego Supercomputer Center, University of California San Diego Abstract: The recent BRAIN Initiative, funded by the Obama administration, propelled the creation of archives of publicly and other funded scientific data of all types. For human functional neuroimaging, the OpenNeuro.org archive was funded to collect and publicly share data of all types. Its creator, Russ Poldrack, is an fMRI expert. For other imaging modalities, NIMH funded projects to curate data contributed to OpenNeuro. Our NEMAR.org serves that purpose for 'neuroelectromagnetic' data (EEG, MEG, iEEG). Beyond simple data curation, publication of data quality measures and data visualization, NEMAR exemplifies what I believe should become the basic unit of open science, what I call the 'integrated data, tools, and compute resource' (datcor). By teaming with the Neuroscience Gateway team, NEMAR now supports users worldwide in identifying and performing sophisticated computations on increasing amounts of publicly available data - without need for at-best balky data downloads. 9:45 AM - 10:15AM Title: DANDI: Building a collaborative ecosystem for neuroscientific data Authors: Satrajit Ghosh Affiliation: McGovern Institute, MIT Abstract: The DANDI Archive is a community-oriented platform designed to support the sharing, analysis, and re-use of neurophysiology and microscopy data, using the BRAIN Initiative supported standards for data sharing. By providing an open, FAIR-compliant (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) ecosystem, DANDI facilitates collaborative research in neuroscience. It integrates diverse data types, from electrophysiology to imaging, ensuring that researchers can contribute, discover, access, visualize, and compute on standardized datasets seamlessly. This presentation will highlight the key features of DANDI, including its data management infrastructure, open-source tools, and how it promotes transparency, reproducibility, and interdisciplinary collaboration in neuroscience research. 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM BREAK 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Title: Enhancing Perspectives in Neuroscience Research through Diverse Institutional Partnerships. Author: Elba Serrano Affiliation: New Mexico State University Abstract: Diversity in collaboration is expected to yield more inclusive and representative research outcomes and potentially address more varied needs within a field. By pooling knowledge and resources from different disciplines, institutions, and investigators, researchers can approach problems in neuroscience from multiple angles, leading to more comprehensive and innovative solutions. The nation's 700+ federally designated minority serving institutions (MSIs) comprise about 15% of all degree-granting institutions and educate over 5 million students. This presentation will introduce attendees to the rich constellation of MSIs with a spotlight on Hispanic serving institutions (HSIs), where 65% of the nation's Latino students seek degrees. Drawing on experiences as lead for the NSF HSI National STEM Resource Hub, the speaker will provide an overview of the benefits and challenges in developing collaborations with colleagues at MSIs, as well as strategies for identifying partners and developing authentic relationships that further neuroscience research. 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Title: Bio-realistic modeling of the mouse primary visual cortex using large-scale datasets Authors: Shinya Ito1, Darrell Haufler1, Kael Dai1, Joe Aman1, Javier Galván Frail2, Guozhang Chen3, Claudio Mirasso2, Wolfgang Maass4, Anton Arkhipov1 Affiliation: 1. Allen Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA 2. IFISC, University deles Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain 3. Peking University, Beijing, China 4. Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria Abstract: Accurate models of cortical circuits facilitate a deeper understanding of how neural dynamics are shaped and maintained within the brain. We have developed an enhanced, biologically realistic model of the mouse primary visual cortex (V1), building on the framework established by Billeh et al. (Neuron, 2020). This updated model integrates new synaptic physiology data from Campagnola, Seeman et al. (Science, 2022; portal.brain-map.org/connectivity/synaptic-physiology) and detailed connectomics from the IARPA MICrONS dataset (www.microns-explorer.org) refining its connectivity and synaptic dynamics. The resulting model exhibits stable activity patterns before optimization. Moreover, we utilized TensorFlow-based optimization techniques to align model parameters with physiological data, including Neuropixels recordings, achieving key empirical targets such as firing rates and orientation selectivity. This improved model not only enhances our understanding of cortical processing but will also be made publicly available to support further research. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Organizers: Amit Majumdar, Subhashini Sivagnanam, Kenneth Yoshimoto San Diego Supercomputer Center, University of California San Diego Ted Carnevale, Neuroscience Department, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University Co-organizers: Kimberly Grasch and H. Birali Runesha, University of Chicago -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sept. 17, 2024

Workshop "Data-Driven Discovery: AI and Modeling in Biology" at the Allen Institute

by Anton Arkhipov

Dear Colleagues, We will be livestreaming the upcoming workshop "Data-Driven Discovery: AI and Modeling in Biology" organized by Anton Arkhipov (Allen Institute), Tatiana Engel (Princeton), Michael Brenner (Harvard/Google), and Stephen Saalfeld (Janelia). Hosted by the Allen Institute on September 23-25, 2024, the meeting brings together experts who will discuss how problems in biology are being solved using recent developments in both AI and modeling. Please see the streaming link at the meeting website: https://alleninstitute.org/events/data-driven-discovery-ai-and-modeling-in-… The goal of this meeting is to explore how problems in biology are being solved using cutting-edge computational approaches, with the focus on recent developments in both AI and modeling, including merging the two. Biology is a broad field. We aim to connect researchers across a wide range of computational biology to learn from each others’ approaches. Agenda is below (all times listed as Pacific Standard Time). ================================================== Monday, September 23, 2024 2:00–2:15pm Welcome and opening remarks 2:15–3:15pm KEYNOTE- David Baker, University of Washington Protein design for molecular recognition 3:15–3:45pm Bing Brunton, University of Washington Embodied intelligence through integrated neuromechanical models of natural behavior 3:45–4:15pm Andreas Tolias, Stanford University NeuroAI: Building Digital Twins of the Brain Tuesday, September 24, 2024 9:00–9:30am Matheus Viana, Allen Institute for Cell Science Towards a holistic and quantitative stem cell state landscape 9:30–10:00am Kim Stachenfeld, Columbia University/Google DeepMind Learning to Simulate and Control Fluid Dynamics with Graph Neural Networks 10:00–10:30am Armita Nourmohammad, University of Washington Learning the shape of the protein and immune universe 10:30-11:00am Break 11:00–11:30am Mariano Gabitto, Allen Institute for Brain Science Deep generative models for the multimodal analysis of single-cell datasets 11:30–12:00pm Roy Kishony, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology AI driven science 12:00–12:30pm Stefan Mihalas, Allen Institute Why is the activity in the brain so variable? 12:30-2:00pm Break 2:00–2:30pm Michael Elowitz, California Institute of Technology Many-to-many protein networks as flexible computational modules Wednesday, September 25, 2024 9:00–10:00am KEYNOTE- Emily Fox, Stanford University, insitro Machine Learning for Better Medicines 10:00–10:30am Xiaojun Li, Allen Institute for Immunology Application of AI in Immunology Research 10:30-11:00am Break 11:00–11:30am Gokul Upadhyayula, University of California Berkeley Navigating challenges and opportunities with high-resolution in vivo imaging 11:30–12:00pm Laura Driscoll, Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics Fast and slow learning in artificial and biological networks 12:00–12:30pm Eric Shea-Brown, University of Washington Assigning credit through the "other” connectome 12:30-2:00pm Break 2:00–2:30pm Viren Jain, Google Simulating a zebrafish brain with functional connectomics and AI 2:30–3:00pm Kristin Branson - Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute What can we learn from deep-learning-based forecasting models of biological time series? 3:00–3:30pm Ben Cowley, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Mapping model units to visual neurons reveals population code for social behavior ================================================== Best regards, Anton Arkhipov Investigator, Allen Institute

Sept. 17, 2024

Free hybrid workshop: Linking brain structure & function at the nanoscale

by Audrey Denizot

Dear all, The [ https://team.inria.fr/aistrosight/ | AIstroSight team ] from Inria Lyon, France, is organizing a hybrid workshop on September 26th-27th 2024 entitled "Linking brain structure & function at the nanoscale: an interdisciplinary workshop". This interdisciplinary workshop aims to bring together experts from diverse fields who contribute to improving our understanding of the nanoscale landscape of the nervous system and its impact on brain function, from volume electron microscopy to image analysis, machine learning, deep learning, and computational modeling. Registration is open until September 24th, free but mandatory following [ https://club-de-cellules-gliales.assoconnect.com/collect/description/450527… | this link ] . More information can be found on the workshop website: [ https://adenizot.github.io/workshops/ | https://adenizot.github.io/workshops/ ] Invited speakers: - Carles Bosch, The Francis Crick Institute, England - Corrado Cali, Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Italy - Michael Chirillo, University of Texas, USA - Audrey Denizot, Inria, France - Erik De Schutter, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan - Christel Genoud, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland - Daniel Keller, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland - Constantin Pape, University of Göttingen, Germany - Karin Pernet-Gallay, Université Grenoble Alpes, France - Padmini Rangamani, University of California San Diego, USA - Chris Salmon, McGill University, Canada Best wishes, Audrey Denizot -- Audrey Denizot ------------------------------ PhD, Inria research scientist — — Project-Team AIstroSight — — [ https://team.inria.fr/aistrosight | https://team.inria.fr/aistrosight ] — — — Centre INRIA de Lyon — — — Campus La Doua Bâtiment CEI-2 56, Boulevard Niels Bohr - CS 52132 69603 Villeurbanne - France [ mailto:audrey.denizot@inria.fr | audrey.denizot(a)inria.fr ] | [ https://adenizot.github.io/ | Website ] | [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-denizot-180684201/ | LinkedIn ] | [ https://twitter.com/ADenizot | Twitter ]

Sept. 16, 2024

PhD and postdoc positions in the Zenke Lab at the FMI, Basel, Switzerland.

by Friedemann Zenke

We are looking for new team members! Please consider applying if you want to build models of how the brain learns and simulates a world model. We have several openings at PhD and postdoc levels, including a collaboration with the Keller Lab at the FMI on designing regulatory elements to target distinct neuronal cell types. For more information and example projects, see http://zenkelab.org/jobs Kind regards, Friedemann

Sept. 16, 2024

Faculty positions in Theory, Computation, Data Science at WashU

by Tavoni, Gaia

Cluster hire in Theory, Computation, and Data Science for Understanding Living Systems, Departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis invites applications for tenure-track faculty positions at the rank of assistant or associate professor for a cluster hire in the area of theory, computation, and data science in the departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Life operates across a diversity of scales, from molecular-scale processes shaping cellular function to the delicate dynamic balance of our biosphere as a whole. System-level properties and processes are affected by interactions operating at all scales and between scales. Understanding these interconnected systems requires an interconnected and multidisciplinary research community. From AI-driven advances in protein structure and dynamics, to advanced imaging methods enabled by quantum sensing, to developing entirely new mathematical and computational frameworks to achieve insight from complex data, transformative advances in life sciences will require the synergistic work of scientists working across disciplinary boundaries. This cluster aims to create a hub of researchers using theoretical, computational, artificial intelligence, statistics, and data-science methods to advance life sciences from molecular to ecological scales. Applicants whose research synergizes with current areas of strength at Washington University will be favorably considered. Applicants whose research includes an experimental component but is primarily focused on developing theoretical, computational, and data-science methods will also be favorably considered. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or a closely related field. Candidates for the rank of Associate Professor should have an outstanding academic record of research, publication, teaching, and service commensurate with tenure at this rank. Joint applications exhibiting a high degree of research synergy will be considered. Duties will include conducting research, teaching, advising students, and participating in departmental governance and university service. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at Washington University, and we seek to create inclusive classrooms and environments in which a diverse array of students can learn and thrive. Applications should consist of a cover letter describing how the candidate’s research fits within the theme of the cluster; a detailed curriculum vitae; statements of research directions (3-5 pages), teaching interests (1 page), and contributions towards promoting an inclusive research culture or community at large (1 page); and contact information for at least three references. Applications should be submitted to https://apply.interfolio.com/152466 by Oct. 18, 2024 to receive full consideration. Washington University in St. Louis has a policy to recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or genetic information. *************************************************** Gaia Tavoni, PhD Assistant Professor of Neuroscience Washington University in St Louis ________________________________ The materials in this message are private and may contain Protected Healthcare Information or other information of a sensitive nature. If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that any unauthorized use, disclosure, copying or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify the sender via telephone or return mail.

Sept. 14, 2024

Human Neocortical Neurosolver (HNN) Workshop at SFN

by Gao, Joyce

Dear all, We invite you to join us at SFN 2024 for a hands-on Human Neocortical Neurosolver (HNN) Workshop! HNN is a user-friendly software tool for interpreting the cell and circuit level origin of human MEG and EEG signals (Neymotin et al 2020, https://hnn.brown.edu) You can find out more about HNN and register here: https://hnn.brown.edu/workshop-registration/. Seats are limited, so if you are interested, we recommend signing up today! Our best, Jones Computational Neuroscience Lab Brown University, Carney Institute for Brain Science

Sept. 13, 2024

Research Assistant Position in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at American University, Washington DC

by Laurie Bayet

*Research Assistant Position in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at American University, Washington DC* The Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at American University, located in Washington DC and directed by Dr. Laurie Bayet ( https://www.bayetlab.com/) is currently accepting applications for a full-time, benefits-eligible Research Assistant position to assist on NSF and foundation-funded funded projects investigating infant visual cognition and social communication (e.g., NSF award # 2122961 <https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2122961>). The lab uses electro-encephalography (EEG), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), behavioral measures, and machine learning. The position is ideal for an individual seeking to deepen their research experience in preparation for graduate study. *Applicants should apply electronically at https://american.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/AU/job/Main-Campus-Washington-DC/Res… <https://american.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/AU/job/Main-Campus-Washington-DC/Res…> and submit a CV and cover letter listing the names and contact information of 2-3 references.* Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Prospective applicants may email Dr. Bayet ( bayet(a)american.edu) with any questions. Apologies for cross-posting! *Essential Functions* - *Data Management:* Assisting with data collection in adherence with study protocols, such as: informed consent, EEG, fNIRS, and/or eye-tracking measurements, transferring research data files to the lab server. - *Participant Recruitment and Support:* Outreach, recruitment, and communication with families who participate in the research, such as: designing and implementing outreach/recruitment materials, assessing study eligibility, scheduling study visits, maintaining contact with participating families. - *Data Entry and Processing:* Conduct data entry, data pre-processing, video coding, and data management, in adherence with study protocols. - *Personnel:* Onboarding and supervision of undergraduate research assistants. - *Study General Support:* Assisting with designing and implementing experimental procedures, such as: creating and validating stimuli, surveys, and/or paradigms; monitoring materials and supplies. - *Compliance:* Develop and monitor IRB protocols for approval, modification, or renewal. - *Other duties as assigned by supervisor.* Opportunity to contribute to conference presentations and/or manuscript writing, if desired. Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: The initial position is for 1-year and is renewable contingent upon continued funding, a 6-month probationary period, and successful completion of duties. *Required Education and Experience:* - High school diploma or equivalent required. - 1-3 years' relevant experience, such as undergraduate research experience, is required. - Demonstrated interest in developmental psychology, cognitive science, and/or cognitive neuroscience required, such as from undergraduate coursework or research experience. - Excellent organizational and project management skills are required, including initiative, self-motivation, rigor, attention to details, ability to work independently on multiple tasks, ability to learn new skills in a fast-paced environment, and ability to meet deadlines. - Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required, including comfort interacting professionally with families, infants, and undergraduate students, and ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. - Prior experience in developmental research (e.g., with infants/children) and/or human neuroimaging research (e.g., EEG, MEG, fNIRS) which may include undergraduate research experience (strongly preferred, but not strictly required if has some other relevant research experience). - Flexibility to adapt to changing hours, such as the ability to run study visits with families during weekends, or occasionally during the evening, is required. *Preferred Education and Experience:* - Bachelor's degree in Psychology or Neuroscience or closely related field preferred. - Computational skills and programming experience in Matlab, R, and/or Python preferred, but not strictly required. - Relevant experience with neuroscience/psychology research tools (e.g., NetStation, Psychtoolbox, Datavyu, Children Helping Science, EEGLAB, Homer, BIDS), data analysis, data processing, manuscript preparation, and/or social media or community outreach a plus. - The ability to start in or before January 2025 and the intention to make a 2-years commitment is strongly preferred. *Additional information:* The Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory is part of the Neuroscience Department <https://www.american.edu/cas/neuroscience/> and the Center for Neuroscience and Behavior <https://www.american.edu/cas/center-neuroscience/> at American University. American University provides a stimulating intellectual environment, just 2 miles from downtown Washington DC. DC offers a vibrant research community, and American University enjoys proximity to other notable research institutions such as the National Institutes of Health. With extensive public transit, an exciting cultural and restaurant scene, many museums and public parks, and proximity to other green spaces in the surrounding region (e.g., Appalachian trail, Shenandoah National Park), Washington DC consistently ranks amongst the top US metropolitan areas for quality of life. *Benefits* AU offers a competitive benefits package including a 200% matching retirement plan, tuition benefits for full-time staff and their families, several leadership development certificates, and has been recognized by the American Heart Association as a fit-friendly worksite. Click here to learn about American University's unique benefit options <https://secure-web.cisco.com/1xOwxDSlkRlXlYPPZYWq0QpcjQRmrUewLamlS2mE8G0X9U…> . *Other Details* - Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check. - Employees in staff positions at American University must deliver their services to the university from either the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or perform work on-site at the university. - Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. - American University is an E-Verify <https://secure-web.cisco.com/1XvV9ls4UAniSQMlhDR3Q7UDPXIx7GKNSsIF67po-xqKDS…> employer *Contact Us* For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email theworkline(a)american.edu. *American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.*

Sept. 12, 2024

Link updated: UK PhD studentship opportunity

by Goodfellow, Marc

The University of Exeter, UK, is offering an EPSRC-funded PhD studentship in Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence. This project is open to students with a background in Mathematics, Physics, Computer Sciences, or Natural Sciences, and an interest in Neuroscience. The successful candidate will use recent Neuroscience findings to make Deep Networks learn more sustainably, generalise better, be more resistant to injuries, and be more explainable. For information on the studentship and how to apply, please visit https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/funding/award/?id=5228. The application deadline is midday on Friday 4th October 2024. For more information on this project see https://www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recruitmentsites/documents/Improving_Artif…

Sept. 12, 2024