- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Tenure Track positions, Bernoulli Insitute, Groningen /NL

by Michael Biehl

If you have a background and strong interest in Machine Learning, Neural Networks, Data Science etc. consider applying (deadline: 16 May) for one of *several Tenure Track Assistant Professorships* *with* *educational profile* at the Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence: The positions will be devoted to Data Science and Systems Complexity: vacancy text <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0…> - Human Centred Artificial Intelligence: vacancy text <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0…> - Machine Learning: vacancy text <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0…> - Programming Languages and Systems: vacancy text <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0…> - - Mathematics with a focus on Interdisciplinary Mathematics Education: vacancy text <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0…> -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen The Netherlands Tel. +31 50 363 3997 https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

May 10, 2021

Postdoctoral research fellowships, SMQB Birmingham, UK

by Michael Biehl

Applications are invited for three 3-year research fellowships (Centre Fellows) are available within the Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine (SMQB), a new strategic activity at the University of Birmingham/UK. Relevant and up to date knowledge in one or more of the following areas: Dynamical Systems, Complex Networks Parameter Inference (including Bayesian Methods) Machine Learning, Neural Networks, Artificial Intelligence Clinical Data Analytics and Visualisation Advanced (Medical) Imaging Diagnostics and Clinical Decision Support Systems For details, see https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CFN306/centre-fellow -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen The Netherlands Tel. +31 50 363 3997 https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

May 10, 2021

ICMNS 2021 - First announcement

by Etienne Tanré

—— We apologize if you receive multiple postings of this announcement—— We are delighted to announce the 7th International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience (ICMNS 2021). Owing to the Coronavirus outbreak, the 7th edition will take place in a virtual format, via Zoom, from the 28th of June to the 1st of July 2021, between 15:00 and 18:00 (GMT+2). ICMNS is an interdisciplinary conference series, bringing together theoretical neuroscientists and mathematicians. The conferences are aimed at scientists interested in using or developing mathematical techniques for neuroscience problems. Plenary speakers will be Olivier Faugeras (Inria Sophia Antipolis Méditerranée, France) Krešimir Josić (University of Houston, USA) Kathrin Ohla (HSU, University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, Germany) This year, 3 out of 4 talks will be given by Early Career speakers, and there is an open call for micro-talks, delivered to the whole audience. A broad set of topics will be covered, including: Single cell and network dynamics Mean field and probabilistic descriptions of neural networks Mathematical models of synaptic plasticity Phase-amplitude reduction, and data-driven modelling Mathematical modelling of perception Please visit our website to view the preliminary programme, and subscribe to our mailing list and YouTube channel: https://www.danieleavitabile.com/icmns2021digital/ <https://www.danieleavitabile.com/icmns2021digital/> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXClLvVl35uBrYIgN8dOZsw <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXClLvVl35uBrYIgN8dOZsw> See you online at ICMNS2021! The Organising Committee Peter Ashwin (University of Exeter, UK) Daniele Avitabile (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands) Evelyn Buckwar (Johannes Kepler University, Austria) Grégory Faye (University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France) Eva Löcherbach (Université Paris 1, Panthéon Sorbonne, France) Wilhelm Stannat (Technische Universität Berlin, Germany) Etienne Tanré (Inria Sophia Antipolis Méditerranée, France) Peter J. Thomas (Case Western Reserve University, USA)

May 7, 2021

Now Open for Applications! Remote Cognitive Science M.Sc.

by mcruz＠uni-osnabrueck.de

Dear all, We’re officially accepting students from all over the world for our new remote and digital program of the Cognitive Science M.Sc. program! Apply now and join us this Winter Semester 2021/22! The Institute of Cognitive Science at Osnabrück University is offering a new digital track of the Cognitive Science M.Sc. program, which is set to start this Winter Semester 2021/22. The DAAD-funded program targets international students who can complete most of the coursework remotely. Possible focus areas include Artificial Intelligence, Neuroinformatics, and Neuroscience. Visit our website for more details: https://vt.uos.de/cosmos Please do not hesitate to contact us (os-cosmos(a)uni-osnabrueck.de) with further inquiries! We look forward to hearing from you. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think would be interested. Best wishes, Misha Cruz Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin OS-COSMOS mishael.g.cruz(a)uni-osnabrueck.de Institut für Kognitionswissenschaften und virtUOS Universität Osnabrück

May 7, 2021

Excellence PhD opening on integration of astrocytes in the Virtual Brain (Aix-Marseille University)

by Christophe Bernard

We are offering one excellence PhD fellowship (3 years) at Aix-Marseille University within the labs of Christophe Bernard (experimental neuroscience) and Viktor Jirsa (theoretical neuroscience) at Institute of Systems Neuroscience - INS, Marseille. The project has the following objectives: A) Incorporating neuron-glia-blood vessel coupling in the generative models used in The Virtual Brain. B) Constant interplay with partners to improve the model (see below). C) Generating testable predictions to be tested experimentally in the same lab (see below). This project is part of the EU high-level training-by-research consortium “Astrotech" (http://www.astrotechproject.eu/ <https://research.ncl.ac.uk/in2pb/>), federating world-leading european groups working in the development of new technologies to explore astrocyte function in the brain. Becoming PhD within the network will offer unique training and interaction opportunities with other Astrotech members, in addition to the specific research conducted in the host lab. More information is available on the EU site: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/636442 The fellowship comes with a competitive salary (beyond national averages) within the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions scheme and with grant money for participating to training, conferences, buying equipment... In addition to the training providing within the “Astrotech" international program, the candidate will also profit ot the local "Neuroschool" graduate program (https://neuro-marseille.org/ <https://neuro-marseille.org/>) offering high-level training (in English language) in integrative neuroscience, research management and soft skills, within one of the largest neuroscience communities in France. Aix-Marseille University is one of few excellence-labelled universities (IDEX) in France, making of interdisciplinary research one of its main axes. Marseille is a vibrant city with wonderful natural surroundings and high-speed train and flight connections to many large cities in Europe. DEADLINE is 15th Dec 2021 The top-ranked candidates are then going to be interviewed orally and finally selected through a competitive, equal-opportunities procedure. Applying candidates are strongly invited to make a parallel inquiry by writing to us directly, including a CV, the name of two references and any other information that you may wish to share. Contact: christophe.bernard(a)univ-amu.fr Christophe Why you should submit your best science to eNeuro: https://www.eneuro.org/content/overview <https://www.eneuro.org/content/overview> Christophe Bernard INS - Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes UMR INSERM 1106, Aix-Marseille Université Equipe Physionet 27 Bd Jean Moulin 13385 Marseille Cedex 05 France christophe.bernard(a)univ-amu.fr +33 4 91 32 42 49 https://ins-amu.fr/physionet <https://ins-amu.fr/physionet>

May 6, 2021

ONLINE SUMMER SCHOOL IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE, August 2021

by Rava A. da Silveira

*CN**EURO**2021* *Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience Summer School* *14 to 21 August 2021 — Online, hosted by Tsinghua University, Beijing and IOB, Basel* *www.cneuro.net <http://www.cneuro.net>* *About CNeuro* How intelligence and behavior emerge from complex and intricate interactions within the brain remains a deep and unsolved mystery, central to an exciting area of interdisciplinary research. The past decade has seen rapid progress in experimental tools that now make it possible to monitor and manipulate brain circuits in unprecedented detail. This evolution presents challenges and opportunities for both experimentalists and theorists, as the complex algorithmics of brain function and the intricate interactions among neurons cannot be approached with experiments alone. Mathematical theory is instrumental in the emergence of theoretical insights and frameworks that can help guide experimental work and identify unifying principles of brain function. The aim of the one-week summer school will be to introduce students with a strong quantitative background (in mathematics, physics, computer science, and engineering) to the emerging field of theoretical and computational neuroscience. The course will bring together leading scientists in the field, who will deliver lectures, take part in small-group discussions, and share their personal experience and views on a range of research topics. The distinguishing feature of CNeuro is the emphasis it places on the role of systematic mathematical theory for understanding the brain, in part by stressing the connections between neuroscience, statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. *Faculty* Vijay Balasubramanian (University of Pennsylvania) Dmitrii Chklovskii (Flatiron Institute) Julijana Gjorgjieva (MPI for Brain Research) Christian Machens (Champalimaud Center) Kanaka Rajan (Mount Sinai) Eric Shea-Brown (University of Washington) *Organizers* Rava Azeredo da Silveira (ENS) Stella Christie (Tsinghua University) Sen Song (Tsinghua University) Louis Tao (Peking University) Xiaoqin Wang (Johns Hopkins University) Quan Wen (USTC) *Application and deadline* Please apply by 31 May 2021; details at www.cneuro.net/cneuro2021.

May 5, 2021

Phd and Postdoc Positions in Neuromorphic Computing and Software at Forschungzentrum Juelich

by Emre Neftci

The newly created Peter Gruenberg Institute-15 led by Emre Neftci at Forschungzentrum Juelich is excited to offer PhD and Postdoc positions in the area of neuromorphic engineering. We are looking for creative researchers with interest in brain-inspired machine learning and neuromorphic hardware. To see full descriptions and apply, please follow these links: https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2021D-049-… https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2021-175-E… Applications are due May 10 and 21 respectively, but we'll continue reading applications until the positions are filled. Please contact me directly for any questions. Emre Neftci -- Emre Neftci, PhD, Assistant Professor, Neuromorphic Machine Intelligence Lab (http://nmi-lab.org/) Department of Cognitive Sciences, 2308 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway Building, UC Irvine 92697-5100

May 5, 2021

Excellent academic resource for junior and senior scholars

by Barbora Wichterlova

Dear All, I would like to share with the community the mentor-mentee platform called Figbox: https://figbox.co/ <https://figbox.co/>. Who is behind figbox? The platform was developed by two postdocs at Yale and Harvard to help Early Career Researchers and PhD students in the field of computational neuroscience, physics, neurobiology, biochemistry, linguistics, physiology and more. Currently there are over 20k mentors and mentees on figbox. What do it actually do? Figbox allows junior scholars to find mentors willing to provide general advice on the following: thesis topics, experimental designs, publication, and more. It also allows junior scholars the ability to receive double-blind reviews of their working papers, sections of their thesis and grants before they officially submit. What do you gain as a mentor? For those who are curious about the benefits of mentoring junior scholars, see: https://figbox.co/benefit/ <https://figbox.co/benefit/> is it free? yes, mentors and mentee can sign up safely and securely using their ORCID account With best regards, BW

May 4, 2021

Workshop on Spatial brain dynamics

by Henrik Anders Lindén

Dear colleagues, We are organizing an online workshop on Spatial brain dynamics on May 11-13 that may be of interest to some of you. For details and registration see https://in.ku.dk/seminars-and-events/upcoming-events/workshop-spatial-brain… The meeting is free but registration is required. Confirmed speakers: - György Buzsáki NYU .N.Y. USA - Sonja Grün, Forschungscentrum Jülich, Germany - Kenneth Harris, UCL, London, UK - Jennifer Li & Drew Robson, Max Planck, Tübingen, Germany - David McCormick, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA - Bruce McNaughton, University of California Irvine, CA, USA - Thomas Mrsic-Flogel , Sainsbury Wellcome Center, UK - Carl Petersen, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland - Terry Sejnowski, Salk Institute, La Jolla , CA, USA All the best, Per Roland and Henrik Lindén Contact: Per E. Roland Professor of Neurodynamics, M.D., PhD Department of Neuroscience Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen per.ebbe.roland(a)sund.ku.dk<mailto:per.ebbe.roland@sund.ku.dk> Henrik Lindén Assistant professor, PhD Department of Neuroscience Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen hlinden(a)sund.ku.dk<mailto:hlinden@sund.ku.dk>

May 4, 2021

NMA application deadline approaching!

by Gunnar Blohm

Applications for the Neuromatch Academy Computational Neuroscience (NMA-CN) and Deep Learning (NMA-DL) courses are approaching fast. Deadline: *May 7, 2021*! Apply as a student (flexible / waivable fee), or paid teaching assistant ($1,500 USD salary). Fore more details, please see here: https://academy.neuromatch.io/ -- Dr. Gunnar BLOHM Neuroscience Graduate Coordinator Professor in Computational Neuroscience Queen's U, Kingston, ON, 18 Stuart Str, Botterell Hall Rm 229 http://www.compneurosci.com/

May 3, 2021

New Book: Models of the Mind: How physics, mathematics, and engineering have shaped our understanding of the brain

by Grace Lindsay

*Models of the Mind: How physics, mathematics, and engineering have shaped our understanding of the brain* by Grace Lindsay Models of the Mind is a popular science book that covers the history and present of computational neuroscience. Each chapter focuses on an individual topic ranging from single neuron models (e.g., leaky integrate-and-fire and Hodgkin-Huxley) through to population models such as the Hopfield Network and onto models of behavior. The book is geared toward a general audience and may be a useful resource for undergraduate courses. More information on the book and how to get it here: https://gracewlindsay.com/2021/02/10/models-of-the-mind-how-physics-enginee… What reviewers have said: "This book is an anthology of the scientific poetry that has illuminated our studies and conceptions of the brain" - Larry Abbott "An engrossing history of science and enlightening guide to neuroscience's current frontiers." - Liam Drew "Grace Lindsay provides a masterful tour of this important frontier, tackling intimidating topics with verve and wit." - Sean Carroll

May 3, 2021

Research Fellow / Postdoc positions in Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics

by pokornam

We are looking for new team members to join the COMPLEX NETWORKS AND BRAIN DYNAMICS GROUP to work on its interdisciplinary projects. The group is part of the Department of Complex Systems, Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences - based in Prague, Czech Republic. We focus on the development and application of methods of analysis and modelling of real-world complex networked systems, with particular interest in the structure and dynamics of human brain function. Our main research areas are neuroimaging data analysis (fMRI & EEG, iEEG, anatomical and diffusion MRI), brain dynamics modelling, causality and information flow inference, nonlinearity and nonstationarity, graph theory, machine learning and multivariate statistics; with applications in neuroscience, climate research, economics and general communication networks. More information about the group at http://cobra.cs.cas.cz/ [1]. For more information on the positions please see https://www.cs.cas.cz/job-offer/COBRA-postdoc-positions-Hlinka3/cs Institute of Computer Science Czech Academy of Sciences Pod Vodarenskou vezi 2 Prague 8, 182 07, Czech Republic [1] Links: ------ [1] http://cobra.cs.cas.cz/

May 3, 2021

Bernstein Conference 2021 - Submission of Satellite Workshop Proposals - Deadline approaching on May 10

by Anja Dorrn

The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for Satellite Workshops at the online Bernstein Conference 2021 ____ BERNSTEIN CONFERENCE Each year the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renown conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries. Due to the ongoing pandemic the Bernstein Conference will be held online, from Sep 21-23, 2021. www.bernstein-conference.de<http://www.bernstein-conference.de> ____ IMPORTANT DATES - Satellite Workshops: September 21, 2021, 2 pm – 10 pm CEST - Main Conference: September 22-23, 2021 - Deadline for Satellite Workshop proposal submission: May 10, 2021 - Notification of workshop acceptance: planned in June 2021 ____ WORKSHOP PROPOSALS Satellite Workshops of the Bernstein Conference provide a stage to discuss topical research questions, novel scientific approaches and challenges in Computational Neuroscience and related fields. Workshops addressing controversial issues, open problems, and comparisons of competing approaches are encouraged. The format should be designed to foster debate, rather than a series of talks. The Workshop Selection Committee will take scientific excellence, topical relevance gender diversity and variety of career levels into account as their selection criteria. Workshop proposals are welcome as flexible formats of 4-8 hours (all workshops will start at 2 pm CEST, but will end based on individual schedules) Workshop Proposal Forms can be downloaded here: https://bit.ly/BC21_workshops Please submit the completed form to bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de> Deadline: May 10, 2021 – not to be extended Workshop organizers and all speakers will receive a waiver for the online conference. ____ WORKSHOP SELECTION COMMITTEE Marion Silies (Workshop Chair) Moritz Helias (Workshop Vice Chair) Matthew Botvinick Megan Carey Peter Dayan Brent Doiron Rainer Friedrich Julijana Gjiorgjieva (Program Chair) Ann Hermundstad Christian Machens (Program Vice Chair) Srdjan Ostojic Nathalie Rochefort Nicole Rust Gasper Tkacik ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de> -- Dr. Anja Dorrn Scientific Coordinator Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9589 web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 3, 2021

Research placement positions at Secondmind Labs

by Hrvoje Stojic

Dear all We have just opened five research placement positions at [Secondmind Labs](https://www.secondmind.ai/labs/), based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The overall area for the placements is Gaussian process models and Bayesian optimisation. The placements are three months long and are typically targeted at PD candidates. More details, including some placement proposals, can be found [here](https://boards.greenhouse.io/secondmind/jobs/5205946002). Note that it is also possible for applicants to propose their own topics for the placement. Kind regards, Hrvoje ----------------------------- Hrvoje Stojic, PhD Web: [https://hstojic.re/](http://hstojic.re/)

May 1, 2021

The Algonauts Project 2021 Challenge- How the Human Brain Makes Sense of a World in Motion

by Gemma Roig

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce a new challenge sponsored by The Algonauts Project <http://algonauts.csail.mit.edu/>: How the Human Brain Makes Sense of a World in Motion. We invite you to join us in a competition to develop the best computer model of how the human brain perceives videos of everyday events. Participants who come up with a model that most closely matches recorded brain data will be invited to present their work at a virtual workshop on Sept. 7, 2021 at this year’s Conference on Cognitive Computational Neuroscience (CCN <https://ccneuro.org/2021/>). Submission deadline: Aug. 15, 2021. The Algonauts Project: http://algonauts.csail.mit.edu/ <http://algonauts.csail.mit.edu/> CCN Workshop: How the Human Brain Makes Sense of a World in Motion Sept. 7, 2021 Organizers will summarize the outcome and provide hands-on tutorials. Challenge winners will present the results of their work. We look forward to seeing you at the workshop in September, and we hope you will consider joining the challenge! Best wishes, The Algonauts Project Team Algonauts 2021 Project Team: Radoslaw Cichy, Freie Universität Berlin Aude Oliva, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Gemma Roig, Goethe University Frankfurt Alex Andonian, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Kshitij Dwivedi, Goethe University Frankfurt Monika Graumann, Freie Universität Berlin Polina Iamshchinina, Freie Universität Berlin Kendrick Kay, University of Minnesota Benjamin Lahner, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alex Lascelles, Massachusetts Institute of Technology N Ratan Murty, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

April 30, 2021

Excellence PhD opening on advanced analyses of monkey recordings in parieto-motor cortices (Aix-Marseille University)

by BATTAGLIA Demian

We are offering one excellence PhD fellowship (3 years) at Aix-Marseille University within the labs of Bjorg Kilavik (experimental electrophysiology; Timone Institute of Neuroscience - INT, Marseille) and Demian Battaglia (computational neuroscience; Institute of Systems Neuroscience - INS, Marseille & University of Strasbourg Institute of Advanced Studies - USIAS). The project will involve the analysis with advanced computational methods (network and activity pattern analyses, machine learning, information theory...) of laminar-specific recordings in parietal and motor cortices of non-human primates. The aim will be to investigate the role of different cortical layers and of their dynamic interactions, mediating the processing and integration of information from bottom-up and top-down sources, in the encoding of motor plans and behaviors. This project corresponds to "ESR1" (https://research.ncl.ac.uk/in2pb/phdprojects/esr1/) within the EU high-level training-by-research consortium "In2PrimateBrains" (https://research.ncl.ac.uk/in2pb/) federating world-leading european groups working in non-human primate neuroscience research. Becoming PhD within the network will offer unique training and interaction opportunities with other In2PrimateBrains members, in addition to the specific research conducted in the host lab. Depending on the profile of the candidate, the PhD project will revolve on the computational analysis side of existing data or may also include the possibility to learn how to acquire new recordings, in a mixed experimental-theoretical project. The fellowship comes with a competitive salary (beyond national averages) within the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions scheme and with grant money for participating to training, conferences, buying equipment... In addition to the training providing within the "In2PrimateBrains" international program, the candidate will also profit ot the local "Neuroschool" graduate program (https://neuro-marseille.org/) offering high-level training (in English language) in integrative neuroscience, research management and soft skills, within one of the largest neuroscience communities in France. Aix-Marseille University is one of few excellence-labelled universities (IDEX) in France, making of interdisciplinary research one of its main axes. Marseille is a vibrant city with wonderful natural surroundings and high-speed train and flight connections to many large cities in Europe. The interesting candidate will file an application through an online form (https://research.ncl.ac.uk/in2pb/phdprojects/) selecting Project "ESR1 - Layer-specific dynamics of parieto-motor networks during visually-guided arm reaching behaviour" as first choice (other projects described on the website can be selected as second and third choice). DEADLINE is 15th May 2021 The top-ranked candidates are then going to be interviewed orally and finally selected through a competitive, equal-opportunities procedure. Applying candidates are strongly invited to make a parallel inquiry by writing to us directly, including a CV, the name of two references and any other information that you may wish to share. Demian Battaglia - demian.battaglia(a)univ-amu.fr Bjorg Kilavik - bjorg.kilavik(a)univ-amu.fr

April 30, 2021

Two Postdoctoral Scholar Positions at Washington University in St. Louis

by Shuo Wang

Our lab will be moving to Washington University in St. Louis in July 2021. We are looking for two highly motivated postdoctoral scholars to work on NSF and DoD funded projects. One postdoctoral scholar will use human single-neuron recordings to study the neural circuits underlying social attention, and the other postdoctoral scholar will use multimodal neuroimaging techniques to study social behavior and brain networks in people with autism. The research will be conducted in a highly collaborative environment using state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, and analytical methods. The postdoctoral scholars will collaborate with an established team of investigators within and outside WashU and have ample opportunity to learn new techniques and methods. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in systems, cognitive, or computational neuroscience, or in physics, electrical engineering, or computer science, with relevant research expertise in neuroscience. Applicants must also have strong programming (Matlab or similar) skills. Individuals with previous human intracranial EEG expertise and/or macaque single-neuron recordings that wish to expand into human single-unit recordings are encouraged to apply. Our lab combines multimodal and advanced measurement techniques with sophisticated computational approaches to understand the neural mechanisms and neural computations underlying social attention, face processing, emotion, memory, and decision making. Overarching questions involve how the brain figures out what is important in the environment, how socially relevant stimuli pop out and attract attention, how faces are processed and represented in general, and how memory is modulated by attention. We are particularly interested in the neural computations underlying these cognitive processes: multimodal approaches allow us to investigate these questions from the microscopic single-neuron and neural circuit level using our state-of-the-art human single-neuron recordings as well as macroscopic level using fMRI, EEG, and intracranial EEG (sEEG and ECoG). These multimodal experimental approaches are powered by sophisticated computational approaches that can deal with complex and large datasets. Shuo Wang, Ph.D. Assistant Professor West Virginia University https://wangshuo45.wixsite.com/shuowang

April 30, 2021

New Master’s programme Applied Data Science in Göttingen, Germany

by Ecker, Alexander

*New Master’s program Applied Data Science in Göttingen, Germany* https://uni-goettingen.de/msc/datascience In the upcoming winter term, we are launching the new international Master’s programme Applied Data Science at the University of Göttingen. The study programme is characterised by its interdisciplinary nature. Students holding a Bachelor’s degree in data science, computer science or mathematics are welcome, as well as graduates from other fields. We want to equip students with both in-depth knowledge of the key mathematical, statistical and computer science methods for Data Science as well as to make sure they understand how to use these methods in an application domain. Currently, the following application domains can be chosen: Computational Neuroscience, Bioinformatics, Medical Data Science, and Digital Humanities. The Göttingen Campus features an amazing variety of data-intensive research from natural and life sciences to social science and humanities. It includes top-notch research institutions like five Max Planck Institutes, the German Primate Center and the German Aerospace Center. Göttingen a university town located in the centre of Germany and Europe, in a region known for its green hills, lovely small towns with half-timbered houses and the Harz Mountains. Well-connected through motorways and high-speed trains, it is a great place to discover Germany and Europe. For further information see https://uni-goettingen.de/msc/datascience or the flyer: https://owncloud.gwdg.de/index.php/s/gBeb11Io6mw9XiR

April 29, 2021

WWNeurise series on naturalistic behavior & applications/recommendations

by William Podlaski

WorldWideNeuRise will host several online talks throughout May-June on the topic of naturalistic behavior from the following speakers: Wednesday, 5 May, 5pm CET Asaf Gal (Kronauer Lab, The Rockefeller University, USA) Daniel Knebel (Ayali Lab, Tel Aviv University, Israel) Wednesday, 19 May, 5pm CET Constanze Lenschow (Lima Lab, Champalimaud Research, Portugal) Takashi Yamaguchi (Lin Lab, NYU, USA) Wednesday, 2 June, 5pm CET Ayelet Sarel (Ulanovsky Lab, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel) Tu Anh Nguyen Thi (el Jundi Lab, University of Wuerzburg, Germany) Wednesday, 16 June, 5pm CET Yael Bitterman (Luethi Lab, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Switzerland) Adam Calhoun (Murthy Lab, Princeton University, USA) For more information, please visit our website (https://neurise.github.io/) find us on WorldWideNeuro (https://www.world-wide.org/Neuro/WWNeuRise/) or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/WWNeuRise) We are actively searching for PhD students and postdocs to give talks in our upcoming seminar blocks. On our website (https://neurise.github.io/) you can find an application form to directly apply, as well as a recommendation form, where you can suggest individuals from your lab, institute, or otherwise who you think might have an interesting story to tell! We are looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming seminars! The organising committee, Ellen Boven (Apps lab, University of Bristol) Christina Buetfering (Häusser lab, University College London) Lucie Descamps (Kentros lab, Norwegian University of Science and Technology) Gily Ginosar (Ulanovsky lab, Weizmann Institute) Loreen Hertäg (Clopath lab, Imperial College London) Joram Keijser (Sprekeler lab, TU Berlin) Bill Podlaski (Machens lab, Champalimaud Research)

April 29, 2021

Open Position for a PhD Candidate at the Donders Centre for Cognition

by Nasir Ahmad

*Dear Colleagues,* *We invite applicants for a PhD position on 'Bio-inspired learning algorithms for efficient and robust neural network models with a focus on neuromorphic computing and control of complex environments'.* https://www.ru.nl/english/working-at/vacature/details-vacature/?recid=11475… This project is embedded within the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) Unit in Radboud AI. The aim is to develop highly effective algorithms for training artificial neural network models which make use of (biologically plausible) information local to the individual nodes of the network. This locality will allow efficient implementation and testing of these algorithms on neuromorphic computing systems. The efficacy of the algorithms will be tested in the context of relevant reinforcement learning tasks using a control system theoretic approach to interaction with modelled environments. This work entails a theoretical (mathematical) development of state-of-the-art biologically plausible learning rules and reinforcement learning strategies alongside implementation/testing of these algorithms in the form of neuromorphic computing algorithms and agent-based artificial neural network modelling. We offer you a full-time (100%) position for 4 years. This project is supervised by Prof. van Gerven, Dr Nasir Ahmad and Dr. Bodo Rueckauer. You will be employed at the Artificial Intelligence department of the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, where you will have the opportunity to collaborate and interact with renowned international experts in machine learning, computational neuroscience and neuromorphic computing. You will also benefit from the extensive training programme of the Donders Graduate School. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to supervise MSc and BSc students in their thesis projects. 10% of your appointment will be devoted to support tasks in the ELLIS unit, such as helping to organise ELLIS activities or (co)supervision of ELLIS-related projects. If you are interested, please follow the link below for more information and instruction on how to apply: https://www.ru.nl/english/working-at/vacature/details-vacature/?recid=11475… The deadline is 16th May 2021. Feel free to email me or Marcel van Gerven ( marcel.vangerven(a)donders.ru.nl) with any questions/thoughts. Best wishes, Nasir Ahmad

April 29, 2021

Doctoral positions in experimental and computational neuroscience in Mainz and Frankfurt, Germany

by Matthias Kaschube

POSITIONS: The groups of Simon Rumpel at the Medical Center of the University of Mainz and Matthias Kaschube at FIAS in Frankfurt, Germany, together have openings for fully funded doctoral positions in experimental and computational neuroscience. The two groups tightly interact on several interdisciplinary joint projects funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Research combines behavioral learning assays, chronic imaging of synapses and activity patterns in the auditory cortex of mice, machine learning-assisted image analysis and data analysis, and neural circuit modelling. The overarching goal of these projects is to gain a deeper understanding of the neural underpinnings of adaptive, yet stable behavior by bridging studies of the dynamic connectome, large scale population activity and behavioral learning. The positions are available immediately. LAB ENVIRONMENTS: The experimental work will be carried out at the Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz offering methodology for advanced approaches in systems neuroscience including two-photon microscopy and molecular interventions using AAV vector systems (www.unimedizin-mainz.de/agrumpel) The theoretical work will be carried out primarily at FIAS, a research institution dedicated to fundamental theoretical research in various areas of science (https://www.fias.science/en/neuroscience/research-groups/matthias-kaschube/) FIAS hosts state-of-the-art facilities and has tight links to neuroscience centers at the Goethe University, the Max-Planck Institute for Brain Research and the Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience. The Rhine-Main area including the cities of Frankfurt and Mainz is a vibrant metropolitan area in the heart of Europe and boasts a rich cultural community. Due to the strong interactive nature, mutual short- and long-term visits in both labs will be part of the project. QUALIFICATIONS: This call for applications is geared towards theoreticians as well as experimentalists, and also offers a unique opportunity to all who see themselves in between the two poles. Selection criteria include scientific enthusiasm, strong experimental or quantitative skills and past research accomplishments. Applicants must have received training and a master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant quantitative discipline including biomedicine, biology, computer science or physics. Previous experience in neurobiology is advantageous but not essential. APPLYING: Applicants should email a brief letter of intent, a detailed CV and the names of at least two scientists who can give references (in a single PDF) to Simon Rumpel (sirumpel(a)uni-mainz.de, emphasis on the experimental aspects) or Matthias Kaschube (kaschube(a)fias.uni-frankfurt.de emphasis on the computational aspects). The position is available immediately, and we look forward to reviewing applications as they arrive. Both Mainz University and FIAS are dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs.

April 29, 2021

3 days remaining to submit a "Trainee Talk" for the second Canadian Computational Neuroscience Spotlight

by Scott Rich

The second edition of the Canadian Computational Neuroscience Spotlight (CCNSv2) is fast approaching, with the meeting taking place this coming May 17-18. We now have a permanent homepage for the meeting at ccnsmeeting.ca where you can see details on our finalized list of speakers and our four fantastic session chairs: Drs. Maurizio De Pitta, Etay Hay, Carmen Canavier, and Bratislav Misic. *There are now three days remaining for trainees (undergrads, grad students, postdocs, and research scientists) to submit an abstract for a "trainee talk" via https://forms.gle/bsbrvZca6F1q62RA6 <https://forms.gle/bsbrvZca6F1q62RA6>*. We anticipate all submissions that reasonably fall under the broad banner of "computational neuroscience" will be accepted unless the demand far exceeds our expectations. Talks will either be 8 minutes (with 2 minutes for questions) or 12 minutes (with 3 minutes for questions) depending on the demand. Four submissions that are both the most meritorious and best correspond with the themes of our sessions will be offered a longer, "spotlight" presentation. Please be sure to register for the meeting itself at https://www.crowdcast.io/e/ccnsv2/register if you submit a trainee abstract. Please feel free to spread the news about our meeting to anyone who might be interested as well! We look forward to seeing you at CCNSv2. Sincerely, – Scott Rich, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Krembil Research Institute – Andreea Diaconescu, Ph.D. Independent Scientist, Krembil Center for Neuroinformatics at CAMH – John Griffiths, Ph.D. Independent Scientist, Krembil Center for Neuroinformatics at CAMH – Milad Lankarany, Ph.D. Scientist, Krembil Research Institute

April 28, 2021

Open PhD Position on Machine Learning for Brain Connectivity in Clinical Neuroscience

by Emanuele Olivetti

We are pleased to announce the opening of one PhD position in neuroinformatics at the International Doctoral School in Cognitive and Brain Sciences (CIMeC) of the University of Trento, Italy. The PhD Grant is funded by the Neuroinformatics Laboratory (NILab) of Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK). The position is part of the “Neusurplan” project, an integrated approach to neurosurgery planning based on multimodal and longitudinal data. Neuroimaging methods, like structural, functional, and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), can be used to investigate the anatomical and functional connectivity of the brain. In this project, the candidate will pursue research on machine learning methods for neuroimaging data analysis to study and characterize brain connectivity, with applications to longitudinal studies and clinical practice. The ideal candidate should have a mixed background in neuroimaging techniques and numerate disciplines, like computer science, engineering, physics, or mathematics. This project is in collaboration with the Division of Neurosurgery, S. Chiara Hospital, Trento (IT). The position is for a 4 year PhD program (Nov. 1, 2020- Oct. 31, 2024). Courses are in English. The salary is starting at approximately €1.200/mo., net. An additional personal budget of around €5.000 is provided for research and mobility. The University of Trento ranks among top Italian Universities ( https://www.unitn.it/en/ateneo/1636/rankings) Fondazione Bruno Kessler ranks first among the Italian research centers in Engineering and Computer Science ( https://magazine.fbk.eu/en/news/fbk-ranks-1st-in-italy-for-scientific-excel… ). Why choose Trento? ( http://www.unitn.it/en/ateneo/1629/why-choose-the-university-of-trento) Important dates: Deadline for application: 25 May 2021 Evaluation interview: 28 June 2021 Beginning of PhD program: 1 November 2021 Apply now: https://www.unitn.it/en/ateneo/1942/announcement-of-selection https://www.unitn.it/drcimec/105/2021-topic-specific-grants-and-descriptions You are kindly invited to contact in advance Emanuele Olivetti ( olivetti(a)fbk.eu) and Paolo Avesani (paolo.avesani(a)unitn.it) Recent related publications: - Giulia Bertò, Daniel Bullock, Pietro Astolfi, Soichi Hayashi, Luca Zigiotto, Luciano Annicchiarico, Francesco Corsini, Alessandro De Benedictis, Silvio Sarubbo, Franco Pestilli, Paolo Avesani, Emanuele Olivetti, "Classifyber, a robust streamline-based linear classifier for white matter bundle segmentation", Neuroimage, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117402 - Gabriele Amorosino, Denis Peruzzo, Pietro Astolfi, Daniela Redaelli, Paolo Avesani, Filippo Arrigoni, Emanuele Olivetti, "Automatic Tissue Segmentation with Deep Learning in Patients with Congenital or Acquired Distortion of Brain Anatomy", Machine Learning in Clinical Neuroimaging and Radiogenomics in Neuro-oncology (MLCN 2020), https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66843-3_2 - Pietro Astolfi, Ruben Verhagen, Laurent Petit, Emanuele Olivetti, Jonathan Masci, Davide Boscaini, Paolo Avesani, "Tractogram filtering of anatomically non-plausible fibers with geometric deep learning", Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI 2020), https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59728-3_29 -- Emanuele Olivetti, Ph.D. Senior Research Scientist at Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK-ICT) NeuroInformatics Laboratory (NILab) http://nilab.fbk.eu Center for Mind and Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento Via delle Regole 101 - 38123 Mattarello (Trento), ITALY olivetti(a)fbk.eu - +39 0461314179 emanuele.olivetti(a)unitn.it - +39 0461282760 -- -- Le informazioni contenute nella presente comunicazione sono di natura privata e come tali sono da considerarsi riservate ed indirizzate esclusivamente ai destinatari indicati e per le finalità strettamente legate al relativo contenuto. Se avete ricevuto questo messaggio per errore, vi preghiamo di eliminarlo e di inviare una comunicazione all’indirizzo e-mail del mittente. -- The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material.

April 28, 2021

Open positions in the Vogels Lab

by Tim Vogels

Dear Colleagues, the Vogels lab has two open postdoctoral positions. TL;DR, if you liked our last NeurIPS paper https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.24.353409v1 <https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.24.353409v1> and you think you can contribute and imagine, oh, the places we’ll go from here,…from one of the most liveable cities in the world, … DO apply. — We are looking for at least two scientists to join the vogelslab.org as postdocs at the @ISTAustria near Vienna. The successful candidate will join an ongoing ERC funded project to discover families of spike-induced synaptic plasticity rules by way of numerical derivation. Together, we will define and explore search spaces of biologically plausible plasticity rules expressed e.g., as polynomial expansions or multi layer perceptrons. We aim to compare the results to various experimental and theoretical data sets, including functional spiking network models, human stem-cell derived neural network cultures, in vitro and in vivo experimental data. We are looking for someone who can expand and develop our multipurpose modular library dedicated to optimization of non-differentiable systems. Due to the modularity of the library, the candidate will have extensive freedom regarding which optimization techniques to use and what to learn in which systems, but being a team player will be a crucial skill. A conceivably successful candidate will have a strong expertise in numerical simulations, and specifically spiking neuron models, and some knowledge in the field of synaptic plasticity. A strong background in applied maths, especially in numerical optimization would be desirable. Some of the questions we ponder: How to express high dimensional rules in However, we can hire more than one person, and we would also be interested in someone who can contribute to design, implementation and maintenance of a library dedicated to performing numerical optimization in non-differentiable systems on large scales. We are thinking about how to simulate spiking neural networks with complex, unsupervised and supervised plasticity rules efficiently, in parallel, on a cluster. Depending on your (flexible, possibly immediate) starting date we can offer up to 4-year contracts with competitive salaries, benefits, vacation time and ample budget for materials and travel in a tranquil and inspiring environment. The Vogelslab, and the IST Austria is located in Klosterneuburg, a historic city northwest of Vienna. The campus is located in the middle of the beautiful landscape of the Vienna Woods, 30 minutes from downtown Vienna, the capital of Austria that consistently scores in the top cities of the world for its high standard of living. If you are interested, send an email with your application to Jessica . deAntoni [at] ist.ac.at. Your application should include your CV, your most relevant publication, contact information for 2 or more references, and a cover letter with a short description of you & your career, and a brief discussion of what you think is the greatest weakness of the above mentioned NeurIPS paper (and maybe how you would go about fixing it). We are looking to build a diverse and interesting environment, so if you bring any qualities that make our lab (and computational neuroscience at large) more diverse than it is right now, please consider applying. We will begin to evaluate applications at the end of April and aim to get back to you with a decision within 5 weeks of your application. We are also looking for people with a strong background in maths and machine learning, and an intense interest in neuroscience. Specifically, we will focus on (GABAergic, <http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv/pub/VogelsScience2011.pdf> codependent <http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv/pub/Hennequin2017.pdf>, and machine-learning inspired <https://fzenke.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ZenkeGanguli2018_SuperSpike.p…>) synaptic plasticity, and modulated <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-018-0276-0> neural network dynamics. <http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv/pub/HennequinNeuron2014.pdf> Finally, we are keen to hear from women and members of underrepresented groups in neuroscience. Please email me with any questions or thoughts. Best wishes, Tim Vogels --- Professor Neurotheory IST Austria vogelslab.org +43 2243 9000 2170

April 27, 2021

Post-doc in the Neurophysiology of Attention & Decision Making at UCLA

by Bisley, James

Apologies for cross-posting We invite applications for a post-doc position studying the interactions of attention and decision making in parietal cortex. The work will include recording from cortical areas MT and LIP while animals perform a visual search task utilizing moving dot patterns. For more information about the sort of work done in the lab, check out our publications at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/james.bisley.2/bibliography/public/. Applicants should have a strong background in systems neurophysiology, behavioral training or computational neuroscience and be comfortable working independently on all aspects of the project. Previous experience with NHP recording and data analysis is desirable. Candidates should hold a PhD in neuroscience, psychology or a related discipline. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. Candidates should send a CV, a brief statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for two references to James Bisley (jbisley(a)mednet.ucla.edu<mailto:jbisley@mednet.ucla.edu>). Cheers, James ________________________________ UCLA HEALTH SCIENCES IMPORTANT WARNING: This email (and any attachments) is only intended for the use of the person or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. You, the recipient, are obligated to maintain it in a safe, secure and confidential manner. Unauthorized redisclosure or failure to maintain confidentiality may subject you to federal and state penalties. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately notify us by return email, and delete this message from your computer.

April 26, 2021

Postdoc position on causal explanations in reinforcement learning at the University of Vienna

by Moritz Grosse-Wentrup

We have an opening for a postdoc position in the Research Group Neuroinformatics at the University of Vienna [1]. The position is funded by the CHIST-ERA project CausalXRL - Causal eXplanations in Reinforcement Learning [2]. The project aims to equip reinforcement learning agents with causal structure learning and reasoning abilities, enabling them to explore their environment more efficiently and justify their actions, e.g., in medical decision support. All work will be done in close collaboration with partners at the University of Sheffield and Inria Lille. The position is available for three years, with an earliest (but reasonably flexible) starting date on July 1st. Salary is according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for university staff at the University of Vienna (job group B1 100% [3]). Our ideal candidate would have * a background in computer science or mathematics, * recently finished their Ph.D. on reinforcement learning or causality, * published first-author papers at internationally recognized machine learning conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, UAI, ECML) or in prominent journals. We will consider all applicants with a strong track record in machine learning or artificial intelligence. We strive to be a heterogeneous research team and particularly welcome applications by women, transgender and intersex candidates, people of colour, disabled applicants and candidates from other underrepresented groups. Disabled applicants will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants. Your application should include a cover letter, a CV, relevant transcripts, and contact information of at least two referees. Please submit your application documents (as one PDF file) to fsg.neuroinformatics(a)univie.ac.at. We will begin screening applications on May 17th. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. Our offices are in downtown Vienna, which has been ranked the most liveable city globally for two years in a row [4]. The University of Vienna is one of Europe's largest universities (with >90k students) and has a vibrant research community. If you have any questions before applying, please contact me at moritz.grosse-wentrup(a)univie.ac.at! 1. https://ni.cs.univie.ac.at/ 2. https://www.chistera.eu/projects/causalxrl 3. https://personalwesen.univie.ac.at/en/jobs-recruiting/job-center/salary-sch… 4. https://www.eiu.com/topic/liveability -- Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Research Group Neuroinformatics Faculty of Computer Science University of Vienna Hörlgasse 6, A-1090 Wien, Austria moritz.grosse-wentrup(a)univie.ac.at +43-1-4277-79610 http://neural.engineering/

April 26, 2021

FINAL call to register for neuroscience workshops!

by Mary

With just 2 weeks to go, this is the final call for participants to register for upcoming neuroscience online courses, organized by ScienceBeam Academy, as described below: 1) “Deep Dive into Event Related Potentials (ERPs) Technique” Online Course Prospective overview of the sessions: 1. Basics of EEG signal and EEG recordings ➢ Overview of the theory behind neural signals (History) ➢ Generation and Propagation of ERP and EEG ➢ Different EEG Recording Systems with its specifics (Amplifier, Electrodes etc.) ➢ 10/20 Electrode System, Reference, Montages, Impedance, etc. ➢ Brain Rhythms and Cognition (Based on Clinical and Research Studies) 2. Basics of ERP Components ➢ ERP Components (MMN, P300, N400, N170, VPP, CNV, Sensory ERP Components, etc.) ➢ Difference Wave, Forward-Inverse Problem ➢ Challenges in ERP Source Localization ➢ Peaks and Components 3. EEG-ERP Prepossessing with Various Preprocessing Pipelines ➢ Basic Principles and Challenges ➢ Filtering, Baseline Correction, Interpolation, Artifact Rejection and Correction, Re-referencing, ICA etc. ➢ Pipelines: MAKATO, HAPPE, BEAP and etc. 4. Experimental Design ➢ Principles of Experimental design for ERP in Clinical and Research Settings ➢ Significance of Measurement Window ➢ Common Design Problems and Solutions ➢ Case Studies on research articles with good and bad design 5. Basic Analysis ➢ Quantifying ERP Amplitudes and Latencies ➢ Introduction to the Analysis tool boxes (EEGLAB, ERPLAB) ➢ FFT, Time Frequency Analysis 6. Common Mistakes (in lack of parameters) ➢ Overlapping ➢ Filtering ➢ Epoching ➢ Baseline Correction ➢ Measurement Window • Instructor: Mrs. Pragati Gupta, M.Sc. in Neuro-psychology from Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, India and a Student Member at Indian Academy of Neuroscience • Course Length: 7-sessions online course • Introductory webinar: https://sciencebeam.com/erplab-webinar/ • Registration: https://sciencebeam.com/pragati-gupta-course/ o Deadline: May 5, 2021 2) “Modeling Electrophysiological Activities: From Single Neuron to Nervous Tissue” Online Course. Theoretical and experimental hands-on course including lab sessions, in which you will learn about extracellular recording from rat models and also working with single-unit and Local Field Potential (LFP) data. Prospective overview of the sessions: 1. Session 1: ➢ Systems and complex system in neurosciences ➢ Origins of electrophysiological signals and measurements ➢ Electrophysiology and relevant features for computational modeling: o Membrane potential o Raster plot o Local field potential 2. Session 2: ➢ Understanding the time evolution of the electrophysiological signals from a dynamical systems point of view. ➢ Introduction to dynamical systems for neurosciences: o Differential equations o Phase space representation o Stability and domain of attraction ➢ Unidimensional and bidimensional models o Dynamics of integrate-and-fire models o Repertoire of 2 D models o Reduction of Hodgkin-Huxley model 3. Session 3: ➢ 2D and Higher dimensions models: o Particular role of the reset o Possibility of chaos ➢ Models of synapses ➢ Limits of models: o Biophysical and mechanistic description o Phenomenology ➢ Introduction to the first lab session (with Brian2 simulator) 4. Session 4: ➢ First Lab Session: o Repertoire of electrophysiological patterns o Models of networks o Global measure on simulations 5. Session 5: ➢ Second lab session: o analysis of the results o relations to the data ➢ Conclusive discussion • Instructor: Dr. Damien Depannmaecker, Post-Doc researcher at Department of Integrative and Computational Neuroscience, Paris Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, France • Course Length: 5-sessions hands-on online course • Introductory webinar: https://sciencebeam.com/modeling-electrophysiological-activities/ • Registration: https://sciencebeam.com/online-course-modeling-electrophysiological-activit… o Deadline: May 20, 2021 If you require any further information, feel free to contact us: workshop(a)sciencebeam.com

April 26, 2021

EBRAINS Training on Model Validation (May 4 - 7) - Extended Deadline

by Shailesh Appukuttan

*EBRAINS Training on Model Validation* *4–7 May 2021* https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ The HBP Education Programme is organising a training on Model Validation. This training will guide modellers and experimentalists in model validation (comparing simulation results to experimental data) using the EBRAINS Model Validation Framework. The training will take place *virtually* over 4 days. Participation in the Training is open to the entire student and researchers community, regardless of whether they are affiliated with the HBP or not. We encourage young scientists to register and aim at an equal gender representation. For a quick overview of the EBRAINS Model Validation Framework, check this short video: *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEq-McLHxD4 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEq-McLHxD4>* There are two parts to the workshop: - *Part 1: **May 4th, 5th* *talks, demos, hands-on tutorials* Deadline for application: *30 April (Friday) 2021* - *Part 2 (optional): **May 6th, 7th* *working on own projects* Deadline for application: *28 April (Wednesday) 2021* *Registration is free of charge for everyone. Visit:* https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ Applicants are allowed to register for only Part (1), in which case they are not required to submit the abstract (mentioned below). *Call for Submissions (for Part 2):* *For the 2nd part of the training,* we invite interested researchers to bring their own models and to send us a short abstract, describing your model. The abstracts should include: • A short description of your model • Simulators/tools used for developing and simulating models • Overview of validation(s) you wish to implement during the training (specify at least one validation test), along with target (experimental) reference data • If you have already some questions or comments, you are welcome to mention them • If your model is already published, please include references at the end of the abstract Please send your abstract latest until *30 April 2021 (Friday), 5pm (CET)* to training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Further information on abstract submission and registration: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ For any further questions, please contact training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Cheers, Shailesh Appukuttan

April 26, 2021

Fully funded PhD Position Panzeri Lab- Computational approaches to study the neural code

by Stefano Panzeri

*Fully funded PhD Position Panzeri Lab - Computational approaches to study the neural code* I am seeking candidates for a PhD position fully funded (including a full stipend) for 4 years in my laboratory. The PhD project can focus on any of the research topics about neural information processing that are of interest to both the candidate and my lab, including: developing mathematical analysis methods and neural network models for studying large scale neural population coding during cognitive tasks, for studying the neural bases of sensory perception and decision making, for linking functional to anatomical connectivity with cellular resolution at the neural population level, and for determining the best theoretical framework to combine recording of neural activity (calcium imaging, electrophysiology, EEG) and intervention on it (optogenetics, TMS). My computational neuroscience lab has developed long-term collaboration with many experimental laboratories including Christopher Harvey (Harvard Medical School), Tobias Donner (UKE), Tommaso Fellin (IIT), Mathew Diamond (SISSA), Alex Thiele (Newcastle), Cristina Becchio (IIT), Alessandro Gozzi (IIT), Mike Lombardo (IIT) and others. The PhD project will likely involve collaborations with one or more experimental lab. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in numerate sciences, and have a strong propensity for interdisciplinary research. No extensive previous experience in neuroscience is needed. However, a keen interest in understanding the brain is essential. The deadline for the formal application is set to *May 21th 2021*, but quite a bit of paperwork is needed. Thus, interested candidates are invited to contact me informally by email (*stefano.panzeri(a)gmail.com <stefano.panzeri(a)gmail.com>*) *as soon as possible,* by attaching their CV and briefly explaining their interest in this position, to initiate discussion about potential PhD projects of interest and to discuss the details of the formal application process. For recent representative publications please see: Runyan, C.A., Piasini, E., Panzeri, S., and Harvey, C.D. (2017). Distinct timescales of population coding across cortex. *Nature* 548, 92-96. Panzeri S., Harvey, C.D. Piasini, E., Latham, P.E. , Fellin, T. (2017) Cracking the neural code for sensory perception by combining statistics, intervention and behaviour. *Neuron* 93: 491-507 G. Pica, E. Piasini, H. Safaai, C.A. Runyan, M.E. Diamond, T. Fellin, C. Kayser, C.D. Harvey, S. Panzeri, (2017) Quantifying how much sensory information in a neural code is relevant for behavior, *Neural Information Processing Systems* (NIPS) 30, 2017, available online H. Safaai, A. Onken, C.D. Harvey, S. Panzeri (2018) Information estimation using nonparametric copulas. *Phys. Rev. E* 98, 053302 E. Chong, M. Moroni, S. Shoham, S. Panzeri, D. Rinberg (2020) Manipulating synthetic optogenetic odors reveals the coding logic of olfactory perception. *Science* 368, 1329. S. Pashkovski, G. Iurilli, D. Brann, D. Chicharro, K. Drummey, K. Franks, S. Panzeri, S.R. Datta (2020). Structure and flexibility in cortical representations of odour space. *Nature*: 583: 253-258 doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2451-1 J-F Patri, A. Cavallo, K. Pullar, M. Soriano, M. Valente, A. Koul, A. Avenanti, S. Panzeri*, C. Becchio* (2020) Transient disruption of the inferior parietal lobule impairs the ability to attribute intention to action. *Current Biology* 30: 4594-4605 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.104 S. Trakoshis, P. Martínez-Cañada, … A. Gozzi, S. Panzeri, and M.V. Lombardo (2020) Intrinsic excitation-inhibition imbalance affects medial prefrontal cortex differently in autistic men versus women. eLIFE 9: e55684. doi.org/10.7554/eLife.55684 D. Ferro, J. van Kempen, M. Boyd, S. Panzeri*, A. Thiele* (2021) Directed information exchange between cortical layers in macaque V1 and V4 and its modulation by selective attention. *PNAS* 118 (12), e2022097118, doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2022097118 Valente, A., Pica, G., Bondanelli, G., Moroni, M., Runyan, C.A., Morcos, A., Harvey, C.D., and Panzeri, S. (2021). Correlations enhance the behavioral readout of neural population activity in association cortex. *Nature Neuroscience*, in press, early preprint available at: https://t.co/QJ3aHlTFad Stefano Panzeri

April 25, 2021

NIH BRAIN postdoc: Computational neuroscience, machine learning & vision

by Michael Beyeler

Assistant Professor Michael Beyeler and his Bionic Vision Lab ( https://bionicvisionlab.org) at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) invite applications for a fully funded postdoctoral position at the intersection of computational neuroscience and machine learning. Funded by the NIH BRAIN Initiative, the goal of this project is to determine how the mouse brain extracts relevant visual features from the rich, dynamic visual input that typifies active exploration, and to investigate how the neural representations of these features can support visual navigation. Under the guidance of Michael Beyeler, and in consultation with Bing Brunton (University of Washington), the role of the candidate is to perform data-driven statistical analyses and develop (deep) predictive models of brain activity based on visual input and several behavioral variables. The data includes one-of-a-kind measures of neural activity in mice navigating through real-world and virtual environments, collected using 2-photon imaging and electrophysiology by our collaborators Spencer Smith (UCSB), Michael Goard (UCSB), and Cris Niell (University of Oregon). This is an opportunity to work on an impactful real-world problem within a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative environment. The successful candidate should have a strong quantitative background with a PhD in computer science, computational neuroscience, cognitive sciences, statistics, or a closely related field. To work effectively in this highly collaborative environment, superior communication, language, and writing skills are required. Expertise in programming and statistical analysis is required as well; previous background in vision, neuroscience or deep learning would be highly beneficial. Candidates should send their CV, expected date of availability, and contact information for 2-3 references to Michael Beyeler (mbeyeler(a)ucsb.edu) Further information: - Position Title: Postdoctoral Fellow - Job Duration: 2 years, full-time - Start Date: asap / negotiable - Required Travel: 0-10% (possibility of interning with our collaborators) -- Michael Beyeler Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences University of California, Santa Barbara bionicvisionlab.org

April 23, 2021

SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting: Tuesday, April 27th by C. Ann Duan

by Laura Long

The Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB) hosts postdoc/student meetings to bring together trainees interested in neural coding and dynamics to discuss ideas and data. In addition to regional meetings in New York, Boston, and the Bay Area, SCGB holds a Global virtual series to connect systems and computational neuroscientists across the world. We would love to see you at this month's Global meeting! Please see event details and Zoom link below. SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-146… Tuesday, April 27th, 9am Eastern Time https://simonsfoundation.zoom.us/j/93633603374?pwd=LytrcVp6MWlPY1dkb2UvbUJW… Passcode: 989252 C. Ann Duan SCGB Postdoctoral Fellow, Chinese Academy of Sciences Incoming Group Leader, Sainsbury Wellcome Centre *Cortical and collicular contributions to decision making in rats and mice* A central goal of behavioral neuroscience is to expose general principles of neural computation that give rise to cognition. Until recently, cognitive functions were thought to mainly rely on cortical areas such as the frontal cortex, while “old” subcortical areas, such as the midbrain superior colliculus (SC), have mostly been associated with sensorimotor processing. Based on these earlier work, we expected the SC to be passively inhibited while animals avoided unwanted reflexive actions. We were surprised to find that the SC played an active and pivotal role in suppressing context-inappropriate behaviors. Since then, my research has focused on understanding how the SC, in coordination with cortex, implements flexible decision making. My talk will cover work in two different decision-making tasks: flexible sensorimotor routing in freely-moving rats and motor planning in head-fixed mice. Using electrophysiology, optogenetics, pathway-specific two-photon calcium imaging, and computational modeling, we found that the SC is particularly important during the memory period in both tasks, when the context information or motor planning signals need to be maintained in the brain in the absence of sensory input and motor output. The participation of SC seems to increase as cognitive demand increases in both behaviors. Together, our experimental and computational work reveal the SC as a key node in the distributed cortico-subcortical network underlying flexible behaviors, and make surprising predictions for how decision making is implemented in brain circuits. *Please note that this meeting is open to all neuroscience postdocs and PhD students, regardless of location or SCGB affiliation (sorry, no PIs). *After Q&A with the speaker, we will open breakout rooms for anyone interested in staying to chat, network, or further discuss the talk. In addition to these breakouts, SCGB Scientific Staff will be available for "office hours" to chat and answer questions about SCGB programs and support. Registration on EventBrite is encouraged but not required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-146… Please contact Laura Long at llong(a)simonsfoundation.org with any questions.

April 22, 2021

Postdoc / Research Fellow positions - Prague, Czech Republic - Institute of Computer Science CAS

by pokornam

POSTDOC / RESEARCH FELLOW POSITION IN BRAIN SIGNAL PROCESSING: VISUAL INFORMATION FLOWS is available to join the Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics group [1] for the project: "Timing of the spatial scene processing in the dorsal and ventral visual stream of the human brain" funded by the Czech Science Foundation. More information and application at: HTTPS://WWW.CS.CAS.CZ/JOB-OFFER/IEEG-POSTDOC-POSITIONS-HLINKA2/EN ___ POSTDOC /RESEARCH FELLOW POSITION IN COMPLEX NETWORK ANALYSIS: CRITICAL EVENTS DETECTION is available to join the Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics group [1] for the project: “MODELLING AND ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS FOR SAFETY OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES“ as part of the National Center of Competence - Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence funded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, and related projects. More information and application at: HTTPS://WWW.CS.CAS.CZ/JOB-OFFER/NCK-POSTDOC-POSITIONS-HLINKA1/EN Institute of Computer Science Czech Academy of Sciences Pod Vodarenskou vezi 2 Prague 8, 182 07, Czech Republic Links: ------ [1] http://cobra.cs.cas.cz/

April 22, 2021

12 PhD fellowships in Neuroscience at Unipd

by Samir Suweis

The Padova Neuroscience Center (http://pnc.unipd.it/ <http://pnc.unipd.it/>) is delighted to announce its second call for at least 12 fully funded PhD fellowships in Neuroscience at the University of Padova. The multidisciplinary PhD program includes research lines and methods from Multimodal Imaging, Molecular-Cellular-System, Cognitive-Affective-Behavioral, Translational-Clinical and Computational Neuroscience. The time-frame for the application is 8th of April-12th of May 2021 (at 1 pm). The details for the application are published at http://pnc.unipd.it/admission/ <http://pnc.unipd.it/admission/>. Interested candidates can also contact us (pnc.generalinfo(a)gmail.com <mailto:pnc.generalinfo@gmail.com>) for further information. Please forward this message to collaborators and students. Thanks **** Padova University <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6ksrtGO-aI> is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe - established in 1222. The University of Padova invests significantly in research activities and projects. Padova, is a small and beautiful town, shaped around the University <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHz98-ERwTs&t=243s>. Low living costs, great food, and you can bike everywhere! Samir Suweis, Ph.D. - - - - - - - - Assistant Professor, LIPh Lab - www.liphlab.com <http://www.liphlab.com/>, Physics & Astronomy Dept. Padova Neuroscience Center University of Padova Tel: +39 049 827 71 74 @SamirSuweis https://suweis.github.io/ <https://suweis.github.io/> Why don't you join the next generation publishing experiment with "Peer Community In" - publish and read at no cost and inject more money into research! Check us out @ https://peercommunityin.org <https://peercommunityin.org/> https://youtu.be/4PZhpnc8wwo <https://youtu.be/4PZhpnc8wwo> @PeerCommunityIn

April 22, 2021

FENS Regional Meeting 2021 - August 25-27 - ONLINE

by Michał Zaręba

*On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to invite you to participate in this year's FENS Regional Meeting (FRM), which takes place online on August 25-27, 2021. Abstracts can be submitted until May 10.* The FRM 2021 <https://fensfrm2021.pl/en> is organized jointly by the Polish Neuroscience Society (PNS) and the Lithuanian Neuroscience Association (LNA) under the auspices and with support from the Federation of the European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), and also with support from the International Brain Research Organization Pan-Europe Regional Committee (IBRO PERC). The FRM 2021 original city venue was Krakow, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Organizing Committee decided to hold the event on-line to ensure all attendees may meet safely. The conference will present the latest developments in neuroscience research and host panel discussions on topics ranging from directions for future development to diversity issues in the academia. The presidential and keynotes lecture of the meeting will be given by: - *Wolfram Schultz *(University of Cambridge, United Kingdom) - *Fiona Doetsch *(University of Basel, Switzerland) - *Virginijus Šikšnys* (Vilnius University, Lithuania) - *Naomi Anne Fineberg* (University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom) - *Jürgen Knoblich* (Institute of Molecular Biotechnology OAW, Vienna, Austria) - *Riita Hari* (Aalto University, Helsinki, Finnland) - *Arturas Petronis *(Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada) - *Amita Sehgal *(University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA) - *Gábor Nyiri *(Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary) More information regarding the conference can be found on the website. <https://fensfrm2021.pl/en>

April 21, 2021

postdoc on psychophysics and modelling of perceptual inference (CRM, Barcelona)

by Alexandre Hyafil

A postdoc position is available under the supervision of Alexandre Hyafil in the group of Computational Neuroscience at the *Center for Research in Mathematics (CRM),* Barcelona, Spain ( http://www.crm.cat/research-group/5/computational-neuroscience/ <http://www.crm.cat/en/Research/ResearchGroups/Neuroscience/Pages/default.as…>). The project will combine modelling and psychophysics (possibly neuroimaging) to study the computational mechanisms underlying human perception. The candidate will benefit from the stimulating environment of Barcelona area in Theoretical and Systems Neuroscience and will have the opportunity of enjoying a lively city (should the pandemics permit). Our lab forms part of a larger interacting network of neuroscience labs in Barcelona ( http://www.barccsyn.org) Candidates should have a PhD in computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience or a related field. Prior experience with psychophysics, neuroimaging, machine learning and/or computational modelling will be valued. Financial support is provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science. Initial appointment: two years. *APPLICATION:* Send a curriculum and motivation letter with a list of two contacts for recommendation letter to alexandre.hyafil(a)gmail.com. Informal enquiries are welcome. *DEADLINE:* until the position is filled

April 21, 2021

Postdoctoral associate positions in Decision Neuroscience and/or Computational Psychiatry (Virginia Tech)

by Pearl Chiu

Dear All, We are seeking talented postdocs at Virginia Tech! Please see the description below for more information. Apologies for cross-posting; please feel free to distribute broadly. Thanks for considering, Pearl --- Postdoctoral Associate Positions in Decision Neuroscience and/or Computational Psychiatry Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Roanoke, Virginia Multiple openings are available immediately in the labs of Dr. Pearl Chiu and Dr. Brooks King-Casas at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion (http://research.vtc.vt.edu/) Projects in the labs use a variety of human neuroscience methods (fMRI, electrochemistry, MEG) to examine motivated behavior and social influences on decision-making with additional methods adapted from behavioral & computational neuroscience, experimental economics, computational psychiatry, and psychology. Ongoing projects focus on processes in individuals with and without psychopathology. Qualified candidates with basic science backgrounds are welcome, and training in applied science will be provided; a subset of projects also involve multi-dimensional biomarker development. For interested candidates, the labs provide plentiful opportunities to examine how neurobehavioral anomalies may be quantified and rehabilitated in depression, substance dependence, post-traumatic stress, personality disorders, and at-risk adolescents. The labs are located in the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion in Roanoke, VA, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The FBRI provides full access to outstanding infrastructure, including three research-dedicated Siemens 3T scanners and a high-throughput computing cluster. The successful candidate will play a lead role in highly collaborative multidisciplinary scientific efforts. Minimum requirements for the position include: 1) a PhD in computational or cognitive neuroscience, engineering, psychology, experimental economics, or a related field; 2) facility with computational neuroscience, signal processing, Bayesian inference, or machine learning; and 3) demonstrated potential for excellence. Please forward a statement of interest and CV. Three letters of recommendation will be required of candidates under final consideration. Consideration of applications will begin immediately and will end when the positions are filled. Salary is competitive and will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. Virginia Tech Carilion is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and is committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Send inquiries and materials to: Pearl Chiu, PhD and Brooks King-Casas, PhD chiup(a)vtc.vt.edu and bkcasas(a)vtc.vt.edu -- Pearl Chiu, PhD Associate Professor Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech VTC School of Medicine Salem VA Medical Center 2 Riverside Circle, R1110 Roanoke VA 24016 +1 540-526-2019 chiup(a)vtc.vt.edu

April 20, 2021

Call for Participation - The Chef's Hat Cup @ IJCAI2021

by Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros

Call For Participation - The Chef's Hat Cup @ IJCAI2021 I. Aim and Scope Most of the current Reinforcement-Learning solutions, although having real-world-inspired scenarios, focus on a direct space-action-reward mapping between the agent's actions and the environment’s state. That translates to agents that can adapt to dynamic scenarios, but, when applied to competitive and/or cooperative cases, fail to assess and deal with the impact of their opponents. In most cases, when these agents choose an action, they do not take into consideration how other agents can affect the state of the scenario. In competitive scenarios, the agents have to learn decisions that a) maximize their chances of winning the game, and b) minimize their adversaries' goals, while in cooperative scenarios b) is inverted. Besides dealing with complex scenarios, such solutions would have to deal with the dynamics between the agents themselves. In this regard, social reinforcement learning is still behind the mainstream applications and demonstrations of the last years. We introduce here the Chef's Hat Cup, a competition that aims at the development of the most challenging artificial players! The competition is separated into two tracks: a competitive and a cooperative scenario. In the first track, the participants will use the already available simulation environment to develop the most effective agents to play the Chef’s Hat card game and be the winner. In the second track, they will have to develop an agent that can increase the chances of a dummy agent winning the game. More information: https://www.whisperproject.eu/chefshat#competition II. Deadlines Starting Date: April 20, 2021 Final submission: June 15, 2021 Winners Announcement: July 06, 2021 III. Team Registration Teams of up to five persons are invited to participate in the competition. You can register by sending the following information: Team name Participant Names and affiliation to this email: pablo.alvesdebarros(a)iit.it IV. Organizers Pablo Barros, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Leandro Honorato, University of Pernambuco, Brazil Marco Matarese, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Alessandra Sciutti, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy ---------------------------------------- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Researcher - CONTACT Unit Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – Center for Human Technologies Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B 16152 Genova, Italy email: pablo.alvesdebarros(a)iit.it website: https://www.pablobarros.net<http://www.pablobarros.net><https://www.p> twitter: @PBarros_br

April 20, 2021

2 postdoc positions in new SPIKEFERENCE project at AI department Donders Institute

by Justus H?botter

The AI department at the Donders Institute has two postdoc positions available for the new SPIKEFERENCE project. The application deadline is 9 May 2021. The SPIKEFERENCE project, co-funded by the Human Brain Project (HBP), aims to control industrial robots with neuroscience-inspired algorithms providing adaptation and conditional hierarchical problem-solving. You will work in close collaboration with the supervisors (Pablo Lanillos, Serge Thill and Marcel van Gerven), other postdocs and a PhD student. You will join an exciting and vibrant young team of experts in ML, AI and neuromorphic computing, and profit from the newly created ELLIS unit in Nijmegen and the HBP community. Postdoc 1. Deep Learning profile - https://solliciteren.ru.nl/cgi-bin/share/og_pxs.pl?target=LI&recid=1148428 This postdoctoral researcher position is framed in a new promising line of research within neuroscience-inspired artificial intelligence linked to adaptation and improvisation. Starting from our current deep active inference models, you will develop novel algorithms for robot perception and action by combining ideas from state representation learning, variational inference and functional models of the brain. Postdoc 2. SpikingNN robot control profile - https://solliciteren.ru.nl/cgi-bin/share/og_pxs.pl?target=LI&recid=1148452 This postdoctoral researcher position will develop SNN models for robot control, inspired by our current deep active inference algorithms and SNN controllers, assess and validate them against current predictive coding SNNs models, and demonstrate the networks on the Neurorobotics platform, from a simple proof of concept in basic environments to initial control of a UR5e. Do you want to shape the future of robot AI? Join Us. Soon the SPIKEFERENCE website will be available with more info. The project will have two amazing external advisors: Karl Friston and Chris Eliasmith Link to the recently awarded project: https://www.ru.nl/donders/news/news/@1309322/ai-scientists-join-human-brain… Pablo Lanillos, Serge Thill, Marcel van Gerven. Dr. Pablo Lanillos www.therobotdecision.com<http://www.therobotdecision.com> Assistant professor in Cognitive Artificial Intelligence | AI Robotics Lab ELLIS Nijmegen Unit Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, the Netherlands p.lanillos @ donders.ru.nl

April 20, 2021

Announcing Neuromatch Academy courses for 2021!

by Mohamed Abdelhack

Dear colleagues, We are excited to announce that Neuromatch Academy (NMA) will offer two courses this year: NMA-Computational Neuroscience: July 5-23, 2021 Content: https://github.com/NeuromatchAcademy/course-content NMA-Deep Learning: Aug 2-20, 2021 Content: https://github.com/NeuromatchAcademy/course-content-dl Applications for interactive students and teaching assistants will be open April 15 to May 7th 2021. Faculty interested in being project mentors can use the same portal to apply. Application Portal: https://portal.neuromatchacademy.org/ What is Neuromatch Academy? Neuromatch Academy (NMA) launched last year as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aimis to provide globally-accessible, high-quality, TA-supported training in computational techniques related to neuroscience. In 2020, NMA designed and ran a fully online 3-week Computational Neuroscience course for 1757 students with 191 teaching assistants (TAs) working in virtual inverted (or flipped) classrooms and on small group projects. Fourteen languages, active community management, and low cost allowed for an unprecedented level of inclusivity and universal accessibility. What’s in a course? Our courses are intensive 3-week programs involving hands-on tutorials developed by experts in the field. We have two tracks for students: interactive and observer. Accepted interactive students are placed into TA-led pods (groups) using the neuromatch algorithm, which matches students with common interests who are in the same timezone and their preferred language for instruction. Interactive students receive personalized support as they work through hands-on tutorials and collaborate on course projects. Officially registered observer track students have full access to the materials, access to NMA course communications (e.g., Discord), and can choose to be matched with other observer track students What does it cost? We charge full-time students/academics a region adjusted small fee for the Interactive track in order to pay for TAs (fee waivers are available to those who need it, no questions asked). Students without an academic affiliation (i.e., industry applicants) are charged the full unsubsidized cost of the school, but can also inquire about waivers. Observer track participants have access to all the content at no cost, but are not placed in TA-led pods. Please see the website (https://academy.neuromatch.io/) for additional information, pre-course resources and volunteer opportunities! Warm Regards, Neuromatch Academy team Follow [@neuromatch](https://twitter.com/neuromatch) on twitter for regular updates!

April 19, 2021

Announcing "Bernstein SmartSteps - Featuring Early Career Scientists"

by Anja Dorrn

The Bernstein SmartSteps<https://www.bernstein-network.de/en/the-network/bernstein-smartsteps/aboutB…> series provides a unique platform for selected Early Career Scientists of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience<https://www.bernstein-network.de/en> to present their research projects to the scientific community. Once a month, starting in April 2021, one PhD candidate and one Postdoc who are ready to take their next (smart) step for their scientific career will discuss their research in an online seminar. Join the Bernstein SmartSteps Series as an audience if you are interested in cutting-edge computational neuroscience and want to watch out for new talents in the field. The live talks will be held in Zoom. A recording will be published in a separate collection on the Bernstein Vimeo Channel. Please register here<https://bit.ly/3e43j5s>, if you would like to join for the live talks. A link to the event in Zoom will be sent shortly before via email. Spring Talks 2021<https://bit.ly/BeSmSt> Thursday, April 29, 4 pm CEST * Gily Ginosar (Ulanovsky lab) | Weizmann Institut, Rehovot, Israel Locally-ordered representation of 3D space in the entorhinal cortex * Friedrich Schuessler (Barak lab) | Technion, Haifa, Israel Recurrent network dynamics lead to interference in sequential learning Thursday, May 20, 4 pm CEST * Claire Meissner-Bernard (Friedrich lab) | Friedrich Miescher Institut, Basel, Schweiz Co-tuned, balanced excitation and inhibition in olfactory memory networks * Samuel Eckmann (Gjorgjieva lab) | Max Planck Institut für Hirnforschung, Frankfurt, Deutschland A theory for Hebbian learning in recurrent E-I networks Thursday, June 10, 4 pm CEST * Paul Pfeiffer (Schreiber lab) | Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Deutschland Capacitance clamp - artificial capacitance in biological neurons via dynamic clamp * Willem Wybo (Morrison lab) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Deutschland Data-driven reduction of dendritic morphologies with preserved dendro-somatic responses -- Dr. Anja Dorrn Scientific Coordinator Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9589 web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 16, 2021

CALL FOR WORKSHOPS AND TUTORIALS - 30th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021)

by Martin Zapotocky

**Organization for Computational Neurosciences 2885 Sanford Ave SW #15359 Grandville, MI 49418 USA** ** *Call for Workshops and Tutorials**at the 30th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021 Online, **July 3-7)***** We are requesting proposals for workshops and tutorials from the international community of computational neuroscientists. Proposals from all levels of faculty as well as advanced postdoctoral fellows are welcome. Tutorials are to be held on the first day and workshops on the last two days of the CNS*2021 Meeting <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-online>. This is an excellent opportunity to reach the large online audience participating in this meeting (with over 1,000 attendees the previous year). Registration for tutorials and workshops is included in the main meeting registration. Please see the links below for detailed information. Questions regarding workshops and tutorials should be addressed to workshops(a)cnsorg.org <mailto:workshops@cnsorg.org> or tutorials(a)cnsorg.org <mailto:tutorials@cnsorg.org>. We are looking forward to your submissions. CALL FOR WORKSHOPS: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-call-for-workshops <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-call-for-workshops> Priority Deadline for proposals: *May 15* Jorge Mejias, Workshops Chair for CNS*2021 CALL FOR TUTORIALS: https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-call-for-tutorials <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-call-for-tutorials> Deadline for proposals: *May 15* Anca Doloc-Mihu, Tutorials Chair for CNS*2021 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OCNS is the international member-based society for computational neuroscientists. Become a member to be eligible for awards and other benefits. Visit our website for more information: https://www.cnsorg.org <https://www.cnsorg.org> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upozorneni: Neni-li v teto zprave vyslovne uvedeno jinak, ma tato E-mailova zprava nebo jeji prilohy pouze informativni charakter. Tato zprava ani jeji prilohy v zadnem ohledu ustavy AV CR, v.v.i. k nicemu nezavazuji. Text teto zpravy nebo jejich priloh neni navrhem na uzavreni smlouvy, ani prijetim pripadneho navrhu na uzavreni smlouvy, ani jinym pravnim jednanim smerujicim k uzavreni jakekoliv smlouvy a nezaklada predsmluvni odpovednost ustavu AV CR, v.v.i. Disclaimer: If not expressly stated otherwise, this e-mail message (including any attached files) is intended purely for informational purposes and does not represent a binding agreement on the part of Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The text of this message and its attachments cannot be considered as a proposal to conclude a contract, neither the acceptance of a proposal to conclude a contract, nor any other legal act leading to concluding any contract; nor does it create any pre-contractual liability on the part of Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

April 16, 2021

Postdoc position available in PET/MRI at MGH, Harvard Medical School

by Wey, Hsiao-Ying

Research Fellow in Simultaneous PET/MR Neuroimaging Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School We are seeking two postdoctoral fellows to join our team to pursue research in simultaneous PET/MR imaging in neuroscience applications. Our research focuses on developing and applying novel PET/MRI methods to investigate the neurochemical underpinnings of psychiatric and neurological disorders. We have projects and training opportunities in the following area: (1) Quantify neuroreceptor dynamics and function with pharmacological challenges in animal models and human subjects, with applications in pain, addiction, and psychiatric disorders; (2) Assess the impacts of neurovascular coupling on PET radiotracer kinetics, with applications in neurodegenerative disorders; and (3) Develop and evaluate novel PET radiotracers for first-in-human study and clinical applications. Our research programs are highly translational spanning from animal models, first-in-human studies, to clinical applications. The appointment as a Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School research fellow will be for 1 year with possibility for extension based on performance and the availability of funding. The positions are available immediately. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated researcher with a desire to begin an independent career related to or involving neuroimaging. The position requires a Ph.D. degree in Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Neuroscience or a related field. However, we will consider candidates of any scientific background. This position requires experience in analysis of medical imaging data. Experience with MRI or PET is a plus. Extremely strong candidates with minimal imaging experience are still encouraged to apply. Strong written and oral English communication skills are required. [cid:clip_image001.png]Additional Skills/Abilities/Competencies The job requires a candidate who is mature, responsible and flexible with excellent organizational and people skills. S/He must be able to work with in a fast-paced environment and should be able to problem-solve/troubleshoot, juggle and prioritize multiple tasks and seek assistance when appropriate. Application Interested applicants should send a cover letter describing research interests and experience, an updated CV, and names and contact information of three references to: Hsiao-Ying (Monica) Wey, Ph.D. (E-mail: hsiaoying.wey(a)mgh.harvard.edu) Please contain “Research Fellow Application: Your Name” in the e-mail subject line. The Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. Best, Hsiao-Ying (Monica) ------ Hsiao-Ying (Monica) Wey, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School Director of Translational Imaging, Chemical Neuroscience Program<https://chemneuro.martinos.org/> A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging <https://www.martinos.org/>Institute for Innovation in Imaging (i3)<https://i3.mgh.harvard.edu/> Massachusetts General Hospital 149 Thirteenth Street, Room 10.110 Charlestown, MA 02129 Phone: (617) 724-1384 Email: hsiaoying.wey(a)mgh.harvard.edu Website: weylab.martinos.org

April 15, 2021

Funding opportunities at NASA HRP solicitation Appendix E

by Reinoud Maex

From: mailman-bounces(a)neuroinformatics.be <mailman-bounces(a)neuroinformatics.be> on behalf of Zawaski, Janice A. (JSC-SD211) <janice.zawaski(a)nasa.gov> Sent: 14 April 2021 04:21 To: comp-neuro-owner(a)neuroinformatics.be Cc: Elgart, S Robin (JSC-SK4)[WYLE LABORATORIES, INC.] Subject: NASA HRP solicitation Appendix E Dear Computational Neuro Owner, My name is Janice Zawaski and I am the Space Radiation Deputy Element Scientist within the NASA Human Research Program (HRP). HRP funds research with the goal of buying down the risks associated with spaceflight such as the effects of space radiation on the CNS. Currently, the NASA Human Research Program has an active solicitation, Appendix E Topic 2, that is focused on utilizing computational brain models to characterize the effects of space radiation exposure. Due to the limited time, Step-1s (1 page LOI) due April 30th, would it be possible for an administrator to send the information below to the Computation Neuroscience Mailing list? I have also included information about our omnibus opportunity Appendix F that is released three times a year. The NASA Human Research Program has released two funding opportunities for research relevant to the Space Radiation Element. Appendix E Flagship Opportunity: https://tinyurl.com/HERO20-HHP<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.c…> Space Radiation Topics: Topic 2. Computational Brain Modeling to Characterize the Effects of Space Radiation Exposure Specific Research Focus Area This topic seeks proposals that focus on identifying, based on historical data / prior research, biophysical parameters and structural features that are altered after radiation exposure and to substitute these into computational brain models in patterns reflecting radiation exposure. The model can then be used to interrogate how network activity is altered and its implications on information processing and network stability – i.e. a perturbation analysis. Network firing statistics, ability to maintain oscillations, etc. would represent some of the potential outcome measures. Due to high complexity of the research required, we encourage cross-discipline collaboration and multi-disciplinary teams, including but not limited to radiation biologists, radiation physicists, computational modelers, neuroscientists, etc. Research Platform Ground-based analogs, Computational. Proposers should discuss radiation parameters with the Space Radiation Element prior to proposal submission. Research proposing in vitro and/or in vivo irradiation experiments will be considered non-responsive. Required Deliverables Development of a computational 3D brain model of the hippocampus and/or prefrontal cortex able to characterize and quantify space radiation effects. Quantification, using the developed model, of space radiation exposure including:  Dose/Fluence Response Characterization  Effect of single ions and/or mixed fields (i.e. Proton and HZE) Desired Deliverable Identification of thresholds for failure modes. Validation of the in silico model based on the comparison to historical experimental behavioral results. Appendix F Omnibus Opportunity: https://tinyurl.com/HERO20-OMNIBUS3<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.c…> Three different categories * Applied Investigations * New Investigator Opportunity (**NEW**) * Early Career Investigator Opportunity (**NEW**) The goal of the Omnibus is to expedite progress in various research areas in a short period of time, NASA is requesting proposals for short-term investigations or technology development projects that provide innovative approaches to any of the risks and associated knowledge gaps contained in the Human Research Program (HRP) Integrated Research Plan (IRP). We strongly encourage researchers from all career stages to participate as part of our ongoing efforts to broaden the expertise of our research community. Additionally, please distribute to any colleagues that might be interested in responding. Step-1 proposals are due April 30 thru the NASA NSPIRES system (NSPIRES - NASA Research Opportunities Online (nasaprs.com)<https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/>) which requires registration. The Element is limited in the specific feedback we can provide regarding proposals but please do not hesitate to contact us with questions. Note that eligibility is limited to USA institutions. Thank you! The Space Radiation Element Team jsc-hrp-space-radiation-element(a)mail.nasa.gov Thank you, Janice Janice Zawaski, Ph.D. Deputy Element Scientist Space Radiation – Human Research Program JSC B21/2147 | Houston, TX 77058

April 15, 2021

PhD position / Bordeaux / Machine learning / Neuroscience

by Nicolas P. Rougier (inria)

Dear colleagues, Inria (https://www.inria.fr/en) and the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases (https://www.imn-bordeaux.org/en/) is opening a PhD position in machine learning and neuroscience. Title: Bags O' Neurons Who: Nicolas P. Rougier (Inria) & Thomas Boraud (CNRS) When: 09/2021 to 09/2024 Where: Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bordeaux, France What: The objective of this PhD is to define the original blueprint of the decision-making network in vertebrate using the newt as a model. More information and application at: https://aap.u-bordeaux.fr/siaap/pub/appel/view/166 Nicolas Rougier https://github.com/rougier https://www.labri.fr/perso/nrougier

April 15, 2021

Open position in Juelich, Germany: Data Steward Neuroscience - Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration in the Hub Information

by Martina Reske

Research data are the foundation of scientific discovery. Establishing the provenance of data, enabling its reusability and ensuring long-term availability increases the value, transparency and visibility of research, and opens possibilities for interdisciplinary research, e.g., through approaches from artificial intelligence. The Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration is an association-wide platform that develops and establishes novel concepts, services and workflows to annotate complex and heterogeneous research data with metadata throughout the various phases of acquisition and processing in support of the FAIR principles HMC will be anchored as a “Metadata Hub” within the Helmholtz research domain Information in order to engage and actively involve the scientific community. The Hub is coordinated by the Institute for Advanced Simulation - Materials Data Science and Informatics (IAS-9) at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Within the Hub Information, the team for Data Science in Electro- and Optophysiology at the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10) headed by Dr. Michael Denker as part of the Statistical Neuroscience group of Prof. Sonja Grün (INM-6) will address the needs from the perspective of the neuroscience community in close coordination with its embedding in international initiatives (e.g., the “Human Brain Project”). The advertised position will link the activities of the INM-6 to the “Metadata Hub Information” when creating tools, establishing use cases, and working on standards for metadata and ontologies. We are looking to recruit a Data Steward Neuroscience - Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration in the Hub Information Your Job: * Support of the Helmholtz-wide establishment of the HMC Hub Information at Forschungszentrum Jülich and in the domain of neuroscience * Organization, integration and utilization of metadata schemas within the neuroscience domain and metadata expert communities within the HMC and the Hub Information * (Co-)Development of domain-specific vocabularies, ontologies and metadata schemas in collaboration with colleagues in the Hub Information and across the HMC, as well as with international neuroscience initiatives (e.g., EBRAINS) * Design and development of conceptual solutions and software to facilitate metadata creation workflows and stimulate metadata recording in neuroscience laboratories * Execution of collaborative projects for implementations in the context of FAIR data principles, supported by further HMC computer scientists * Co-development and operation of a domain-specific consulting format for anchoring metadata management in the research centers and dissemination of HMC developed tools * Representing the HMC and its technologies at scientific seminars, conferences, during educational courses, and to the public * Close cooperation with scientists from neuroscience (e.g., in the context of the Bernstein Network) and building interactions to scientific and engineering disciplines, especially in questions of metadata and in the design of projects supported by HMC * Building competence networks with other data stewards and supporting computer scientists * Preparation of position papers, best practices and publications Your Profile: * Completed study (Master, Diploma) in natural sciences or engineering * PhD degree and neuroscience background is beneficial * Proven knowledge and programming experience in at least one high-level language as well as knowledge in script languages (preferably Python), experience in web-based services for managing software (version control, issue tracking, CI,…) * Practical experience with data / research data management and data analysis in neuroscience * Experience in applying and designing metadata standards is an advantage * High ability to work with an interdisciplinary, international team * Communication and teamwork skills as well as the ability to cooperate * Fluent in English, spoken and written * Ability to work independently, systematically and on one’s own responsibility * Good communication skills with developers and scientists * Enthusiasm for a highly topical subject with great scientific and social relevance * Willingness to travel Our Offer: We work on the very latest issues that impact our society and are offering you the chance to actively help in shaping the change! We support you in your work with: * A position in a creative, dynamic and international team that conducts research at the frontiers of science, where your work will have noticeable impact on shaping the digitization of science * World class science environment at the interface between neuroscience and digital technologies, enabling scientific progress on the most complex known systems * A large research campus in Jülich with green spaces, offering the best possible means for networking with colleagues and pursuing sports alongside work * An attractive workspace at the "Technologiezentrum Aachen" (TZA) close to Aachen downtown, for the cooperation with the HMC team there * Secure employment in a dynamic, international and interdisciplinary context * Comprehensive training courses and individual opportunities for personal and professional further development * Full-time position with the option of slightly reduced<https://www.hrecruiting.de/data/t5ChjatkIfdwmACO/Info_Vollzeitnah_en.pdf> working hours and 30 days of annual leave * Targeted services for international employees, e.g. through our International Advisory Service We offer you an exciting and varied role in an international and interdisciplinary working environment. The position is initially for a fixed term of 1 years, with possible long-term prospects. Salary and social benefits in conformity with the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Civil Service (TVöD). Depending on the applicant`s qualifications and the precise nature of the tasks, salary grade EG 13 TVöD-Bund. Forschungszentrum Jülich promotes equal opportunities and diversity in its employment relations. We also welcome applications from disabled persons. We look forward to receiving your application until 02.05.2021 via our online recruiting system<https://www.hrecruiting.de/obf2/bewerbermanagement.php?kunden_nr=t5ChjatkIf…>. Reference number: 2021-136 -- Dr. Martina Reske Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Jülich Research Centre and JARA Jülich, Germany Work +49.2461.611916 Work Cell +49.151.26156918 Fax +49.2461.619460 www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 14, 2021

EBRAINS Scientific Liaison Officer position at Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Germany

by Abigail Morrison

Dear Colleagues, We have a position open for a Scientific Liaison Officer for EBRAINS at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Jülich Research Centre, Germany. We are looking for candidates with excellent communication skills, a strong scientific background and computing skills to both promote EBRAINS in the neuroscience community, and drive development activities within the Human Brain Project to ensure the requirements of the community are being met. For a full description and details of how to apply, please see the announcement on our website: https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2021-103-E… Closing date: 2 May 2021 All the best, Abigail Morrison -- Prof. Dr. Abigail Morrison IAS-6 / INM-6 / SimLab Neuroscience Jülich Research Center & Computer Science 3 - Software Engineering RWTH Aachen http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-6 http://www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/slns http://www.se-rwth.de Office: +49 2461 61-9805 Fax # : +49 2461 61-9460 Pronouns: she/her ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 14, 2021

30th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021) - CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

by Martin Zapotocky

**Organization for Computational Neurosciences 2885 Sanford Ave SW #15359 Grandville, MI 49418 USA** ** *Call for Abstracts* *30th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021) - ONLINE** **July 3-7, 2021 *The main meeting begins the evening of Saturday July 3rd and runs through Tuesday July 7. It will be preceded by a day of tutorials (Saturday July 3rd) and followed by workshops (Tuesday July 7 mixed with the main meeting and Wednesday July 8 workshops only). *Keynote Speakers:* *Wolf Singer - **Max Plank Institute for Brain Research **Danielle Bassett - **Dept. of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania **Sonia Gruen - **Statistical Neuroscience, Forschungszentrum Juelich **Bill Bialek - **Dept. of Physics, Princeton University* Registration and abstract submission are open. *Abstract submission deadline: May 15th, 2021.* *Accept/reject **notification by June 1**^st ** **Talk/Poster **notification by June 15**^th * Note that one of the authors must register as sponsoring author for the main meeting *before abstract submission*. In case the abstract is not accepted for presentation, the registration fee will be refunded. Submitted abstracts are used for creating the program and for publication. Please follow the formatting guidelines on the submission site. Registration: https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-online-registration <https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-online-registration>Registration fees: https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-registration-fees <https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-registration-fees> Abstract Submission for Main Meeting: https://cns.confmaster.net/ <https://cns.confmaster.net/> For up-to-date conference information, please visit: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-online <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-online> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OCNS is the international member-based society for computational neuroscientists. Become a member to be eligible for awards and other benefits. Visit our website for more information: https://www.cnsorg.org <https://www.cnsorg.org> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upozorneni: Neni-li v teto zprave vyslovne uvedeno jinak, ma tato E-mailova zprava nebo jeji prilohy pouze informativni charakter. Tato zprava ani jeji prilohy v zadnem ohledu ustavy AV CR, v.v.i. k nicemu nezavazuji. Text teto zpravy nebo jejich priloh neni navrhem na uzavreni smlouvy, ani prijetim pripadneho navrhu na uzavreni smlouvy, ani jinym pravnim jednanim smerujicim k uzavreni jakekoliv smlouvy a nezaklada predsmluvni odpovednost ustavu AV CR, v.v.i. Disclaimer: If not expressly stated otherwise, this e-mail message (including any attached files) is intended purely for informational purposes and does not represent a binding agreement on the part of Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The text of this message and its attachments cannot be considered as a proposal to conclude a contract, neither the acceptance of a proposal to conclude a contract, nor any other legal act leading to concluding any contract; nor does it create any pre-contractual liability on the part of Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

April 14, 2021

Call for participation in the Frontiers topic "Advances in brain functional and structural networks modeling via graph theory"

by farras abdelnour

We would like to announce a special issue of Frontiers in Neuroscience titled “Advances in brain func/onal and structural networks modeling via graph theory,” https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20135/advances-in-brain-functio… The aims of this Research Topic are to advance the current understanding of the brain modeled as a mathematical network, develop new and advanced methods capturing the graph relationship between function and structure, propose new analysis methods of brain time series explicitly grounded on underlying structural network, and ultimately apply the resulting knowledge to brain disease and further foster the understanding of the brain’s underlying configuration and dynamics. We welcome submissions focusing on but not limited to the following topics: - Application of tools such as machine learning, deep learning and convolutional neural network to functional imaging data from fMRI to EEG to predict function from structure. - Study of graph properties of structural or functional networks in healthy and non-healthy brains. - Graph signal processing and harmonic analysis applied to brain networks. - Novel methods and modalities for constructing functional and structural networks. Farras Abdelnour Amy Kuceyeski Ashish Raj Yasser Iturria Medina Samuel Deslauriers-Gauthier -- Farras Abdelnour *Guest Associate Editor of the Frontiers Research Topic **"**Advances in brain functional and structural networks modeling via graph theory <https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20135/advances-in-brain-functio…>* *”* farras.abdelnour(a)gmail.com http://sacklerinstitute.academia.edu/FarrasAbdelnour http://www.abdelnour.photos

April 13, 2021

Postdoc position in Litwin-Kumar group at Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia U.

by ashok litwin-kumar

A Postdoctoral Research Scientist position is available in the group of Dr. Ashok Litwin-Kumar at Columbia’s Center for Theoretical Neuroscience. The postdoc will develop tools for the analysis of synapse-level wiring diagrams (“connectomes”) and theoretical methods for understanding how network structure identified by such datasets constrains the dynamics of task-optimized neural networks. The development of such methods is important and timely given the increasing availability and scale of connectomic data. The postdoc will be integrated into the large, vibrant neuroscience community at Columbia University of which the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience forms a key component. They will also have the opportunity to participate in strong existing collaborations with groups at Columbia, Janelia, Cambridge, and elsewhere focused on the generation and analysis of connectome data. Applicants are expected to have a PhD in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics, Neuroscience, Biology, or a related discipline and, preferably, experience in theoretical neuroscience or the statistical analysis of neuroscience data. The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute at Columbia University brings together researchers from different scientific disciplines to transform our understanding of the mind and brain. In this highly interactive research environment, laboratories work together to gain critical insights into human health by exploring how the brain develops, performs, endures and recovers. The Zuckerman Institute is housed in the Jerome L. Greene Science Center, an architectural masterpiece on Columbia University’s Manhattanville campus. All appointments are initially for one year and are renewable for at least three years given satisfactory performance. The salary is competitive. Applicants should apply through Columbia’s job portal: https://pa334.peopleadmin.com/postings/7453 Applications should include the following: 1. CV, including a list of publications 2. Statement of research interests 3. Three letters of reference (reference writers should send their letters directly to yao2107(a)columbia.edu) Columbia University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. Columbia values diversity among its students, staff, and faculty and strongly welcomes applications from women, persons with disabilities, protected veterans, and underrepresented minorities.

April 13, 2021

Statistical neuroscience postdoc in houston

by xaq pitkow

Postdoctoral research position in Statistical Neuroscience POSITION: We seek a highly motivated postdoctoral research fellow for a collaborative team project building statistical models for interpreting large scale neural recordings. The fellows will develop new methods and applications of probabilistic graphical models to infer statistical interactions amongst neurons and with their environment. The tools will be validated in neural network simulations, tested in physiological recordings, and made widely available to the neuroscience community for understanding data from next-generation experiments. TEAM: Fellows will join a lively team led by theorists Krešimir Josić and Xaq Pitkow, and may work with collaborators Genevera Allen, Ankit Patel, Robert Rosenbaum, and Andreas Tolias as well as several other labs interested in applying novel methods we develop. Fellows will also be members of the new Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence housed at the Baylor College of Medicine and supported in part by the NSF NeuroNex program. The Center brings together interdisciplinary researchers from across Houston, including members from Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, University of Houston, and University of Texas Health Sciences. Researchers at the Center contribute diverse expertise in fields including neuroscience, machine learning, statistics, physics, computer science, electrical engineering, and applied mathematics. QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must have outstanding mathematical skills and a PhD in a relevant quantitative discipline, and expertise in probabilistic graphical models or statistical machine learning. APPLYING: Applicants should email a letter of research interests and CV to Camila Lopez (Camila.Lopez(a)bcm.edu) along with contact information for three references. We look forward to hearing from you!

April 13, 2021

NEST Conference 2021 goes virtual — registration & call for contributions open

by Hans Ekkehard Plesser

Dear all, The NEST Initiative is excited to invite everyone interested in Neural Simulation Technology and the NEST Simulator to the NEST Conference 2021. The NEST Conference provides an opportunity for the NEST Community to meet, exchange success stories, swap advice, learn about current developments in and around NEST spiking network simulation and its application. This year's conference will again take place as a virtual conference on Monday/Tuesday 28/29 June 2021 followed by a virtual NEST User Hackathon until Friday 2 July, which offers the opportunity to deep-dive your own code with expert developers at your fingertips. Registration and submission of contributions are now open! We are inviting contributions to the conference, including plenary talks, "posters", breakout sessions and workshops on specific topics. Please register and submit your contribution(s) via the conference website https://nest-simulator.org/conference. Important dates 16 May 2021 — Deadline for submission of contributions and for NEST Initiative Membership applications 08 June 2021 — Notification of acceptance 21 June 2021 — Registration deadline 28 June 2021 — NEST Conference 2021 starts We are looking forward to seeing you all in June! Hans Ekkehard Plesser, Dennis Terhorst & Anne Elfgen -- Prof. Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser Head, Department of Data Science Faculty of Science and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no<mailto:hans.ekkehard.plesser@nmbu.no> Home http://arken.nmbu.no/~plesser

April 13, 2021

Faculty Position at the University of Calgary

by Wilten Nicola

The * Department of Computer Science* seeks an outstanding candidate for a tenure-track position at the * Assistant Professor level in the area of * * Fundamental Data Science* with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2021. The applicant must possess a PhD in Computer Science or a Data Science-related discipline at the time of appointment. The successful candidate must demonstrate evidence of a track record of impactful publications in high quality journals and conferences. The successful applicant needs to contribute to the Faculty's innovative teaching and research initiatives, including our highly successful professional graduate programs in Data Science & Analytics <https://science.ucalgary.ca/data-science>. The successful applicant must have demonstrated expertise in the latest big data processing approaches, data analysis, information presentation and visualization, machine learning, cloud computing, or distributed processing of sensors and computational devices. The candidate must have strong interests in multi-disciplinary approaches in exploring artificially intelligent systems as partners to augment scientific inquiries, support innovative exploration of ideas, and investigate how smart technologies and artificial intelligence can be used to benefit our society and help solve scientific, social, and environmental challenges. *The candidate in Fundamental Data Science ** needs to demonstrate evidence of foundational research in data science and machine-based analytics, thus creating the next generation of artificial intelligence systems (including but not limited to deep learning and explainable AI). We are also seeking applicants with demonstrated evidence of expertise in neuroscience-inspired artificial intelligence to investigate, for example, human/brain-computer interfaces, neuroscience-inspired machine learning architectures, and their applications. * The candidate must have strong interests in multi-disciplinary approaches in supporting the Faculty of Science's Data Science research initiatives and training programs, which we offer in partnership with the Cumming School of Medicine and the Haskayne School of Business. The candidate is expected to contribute to the University of Calgary’s * Growth through Focus * <https://ucalgary.ca/president/unstoppable-growth-through-focus?%2Fgrowth-th…> strategy to promote transdisciplinary scholarship and innovation and empower our students and communities to tackle society’s big problems. The candidate’s teaching obligations will be primarily in our professional graduate Data Science & Analytics <http://science.ucalgary.ca/data-science> programs. *Application Deadline: May 3, 2021 * Please apply online via the link: *https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/6496560-assistant-professor-fundamental-data-science-department-of-computer-science-faculty-of-science <https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/6496560-assistant-professor-fundamental-da…>.* A complete application should be submitted in a single pdf, and include the following: - Cover letter (1-2 pages) - Current curriculum vitae - Research Plan (1-3 pages) - Teaching Philosophy (1-2 pages) - Statement describing the candidate’s contributions, or potential contributions, to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) along with their ability to work with a culturally diverse and international student, staff, and faculty body (up to 1 page) *Applications can be addressed to: Dr. Christian Jacob, Head, Department of Computer Science* The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy <https://www.ucalgary.ca/indigenous-strategy/> in line with the foundational goals of * Eyes High <https://www.ucalgary.ca/eyeshigh>*, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, 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. 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) * *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>*. For more information about the Faculty of Science visit * Careers in the Faculty of Science <https://science.careers.ucalgary.ca/>.* *About the University of Calgary* The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit *ucalgary.ca <http://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.

April 13, 2021

Don't miss the upcoming INCF Assembly on FAIR neuroscience!

by Helena Ledmyr

Join us virtually for the 2021 INCF Assembly on April 19-27, with an exciting program <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/2021/program> covering different aspects of FAIR neuroscience, registration <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/2021/registration> is now open! Members of INCF enjoy heavily discounted registration fees, which are already lowered due to the meeting being virtual this year. You can sign up for membership and see the other benefits here <https://www.incf.org/join-incf/individuals> - one year costs 20 USD for students and postdocs, and 50 USD for regular members. *Please share this with your networks!* The INCF Assembly 2021 aims to provide the neuroscience community with approaches that can be used today to implement the FAIR principles in their research. It also aims to provide tool developers and infrastructure providers with an opportunity to interact with the user community and to interact with other practitioners to advance the field of neuroinformatics. The 2021 INCF Assembly will address topics around FAIR neuroscience such as: - FAIR approaches for neuroscience in general, neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and computational neuroscience - Electrophysiology and computational neuroscience - Data science - Showcase of tools and infrastructures - Open innovation and intellectual property - Information about ongoing work in INCF councils and committees - Funders and publishers roundtable - Workshops on developing standards and a roadmap for FAIR neuroscience The INCF Assembly is the only international meeting that focuses on providing researchers with hands-on training experiences and enabling interaction with software developers and infrastructure providers. We hope to see you online next week! Best wishes, Helena and the INCF Team ----------------------------- Helena Ledmyr, PhD *Director* *Development and Communications* International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility Secretariat Karolinska Institutet. Nobels väg 15A, SE-171 77 Stockholm. Sweden Email: helena.ledmyr(a)incf.org Phone: +46 8 524 870 35 incf.org neuroinformatics.incf.org

April 12, 2021

NIH-funded course on multiscale modeling of brain circuits using NetPyNE/NEURON

by Salvador Dura

Would you like to build a model of brain circuits but don’t know where to start? Want to test a hypothesis or find an explanation for your experimental observations? Our online hands-on course (May 17 to June 1, 2021) will provide you an accelerated introduction to theory, methods, and tools to build brain circuit models at multiple scales (molecular, cellular, network, system, behavior) using the NetPyNE<http://netpyne.org/> and NEURON tools. Our tutors will then work closely with you to help you develop your own model. See all the details and how to apply here: http://dura-bernal.org/netpyne-course-2021

April 11, 2021

New FRONTIERS TOPIC: Memory Processes in Medial Temporal Lobe: Experimental, Theoretical and Computational Approaches

by Vassilis Cutsuridis

Dear colleagues, please consider submitting to the new Frontiers Topic in Systems Neuroscience: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20768/memory-processes-in-media… Regards, --- Vassilis Cutsuridis, PhD, M.Sc, M.A. Senior Lecturer School of Computer Science University of Lincoln UK Tel: +44 (0) 1522 83 5701 Email: vcutsuridis(a)lincoln.ac.uk Web:http://staff.lincoln.ac.uk/vcutsuridis Personal website:http://www.vassiliscutsuridis.org/ "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it" - Robert Swan "The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them" — Sir William Lawrence Bragg, 1890–1971

April 10, 2021

Assistant Professor Position in Cognitive Neurosciences of Language - University of Geneva Switzerland

by Narly Golestani

Dear all, An Assistant Professor Position in Cognitive Neuroscience of Language is available at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. The position will be in the Psychology section of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Science https://www.unige.ch/fapse/, with access to Campus Biotech Facilities "https://www.campusbiotech.ch/en/node/320". This position is opened in the context of the NCCR (National Center of Research Competence) "Evolving Language" - http://www.snf.ch/en/researchinFocus/nccr/evolving-language/Pages/default.a…. The whole application process can be carried in English. It is required that the successful candidate acquire a working command of French within the first two years in the position. The application deadline is on May 19th, 2021 - please see https://jobs.unige.ch/www/wd_portal.show_job?p_web_site_id=1&p_web_page_id=… for more information. We would be most thankful if you could distribute widely. Thanks in advance, and best wishes, Narly Golestani. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brain and Language Lab Prof. Narly GOLESTANI Department of Psychology Campus Biotech 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Genève +41 22 379 53 52 <https://outlook.unige.ch/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=5WTo-p-J-W9FrDydU-0WU4PdMytUGs…>http://www.brainandlanguagelab.org https://twitter.com/brain_lang_lab ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <https://outlook.unige.ch/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=5WTo-p-J-W9FrDydU-0WU4PdMytUGs…>

April 9, 2021

2y PostDoc position on EEG analysis in Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Italy

by Alberto Mazzoni

Dear all, I am looking with Prof. Silvestro Micera for a motivated postdoc with previous experience in EEG analysis for a 2y contract in the neural engineering area of the Institute of Biorobotics of the Scuola Superiore Sant Anna https://www.santannapisa.it/en/computational-neuroengineering-laboratory https://www.santannapisa.it/en/institute/biorobotics/translational-neural-e… Projects include Alzheimer diagnostics, robotic rehabilitation, neuroprosthetics, Impulse Control Disorders in Parkinson. Last but not least, Tuscany is a great place to live! Please spread the voice and contact me if interested. Thanks, best Alberto Mazzoni

April 9, 2021

New FRONTIERS TOPIC: BRAIN CONNECTIVITY, DYNAMICS AND COMPLEXITY

by Stephen José Hanson

Please considering submitting to the new Frontiers Topic in Human Neuroscience: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20807/brain-connectivity-dynami… -- Stephen José Hanson Professor Director RUBIC (University- Wide) Department of Psychology (NK) Cognitive Science Center (NB)

April 9, 2021

[CFP] MDPI Molecules (IF: 3.267, ISSN: 1420-3049) - Special Issue "Practical Aspects of Molecular Communications"

by Murat Kuşcu

MDPI Molecules (IF: 3.267, ISSN: 1420-3049) Special Issue on Practical Aspects of Molecular Communications https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/molecular_communicati… --------------------------- CALL FOR PAPERS The Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT) is an emerging technology that aims to extend our connectivity to nanoscale and biological environments with collaborative nanonetworks of artificial nanomachines and biological entities integrated into the Internet infrastructure. To enable the IoBNT and its groundbreaking applications, such as continuous intrabody health monitoring, it is imperative to devise low-complexity nanoscale communication techniques suitable for the envisioned nanomachines of simple architectures. The most promising communication technology for realizing the IoBNT is Molecular Communications (MC), as it ubiquitously manifests itself in many complex biological systems in the Universe, and thus, stands as one of the most common communication modalities, optimized from many aspects as a result of billions of years of evolutionary advancement. Making use of this naturally existing technology requires understanding its foundations through our existing modeling and analysis tools. This quest, which started almost 15 years ago, has received increasing attention from ICT researchers, which have been overly inspired by conventional electromagnetic communication technologies in their approach to this radically different paradigm. These theoretical approaches, however, have not always come with sufficient physical relevance. Currently, this emerging field has come to a critical turning point, as many researchers have started to report on initial MC experiments following different approaches and using different materials, while consistently pointing out a discrepancy between the obtained experimental results and the past theoretical work. This reveals the need to rethink the previous efforts and come up with new interdisciplinary strategies, thus building practical MC techniques and developing feasible MC system components, experimental testbeds, and prototypes in order to close the gap between theory and practice, and expedite the transfer of this emerging technology to the market. Among the challenges stated above, this Special Issue is particularly focused on the practical aspects of MC. Therefore, we are calling for technical papers that report on new research with the potential to move this field forward towards its practical applications, as well as surveys/tutorials focusing on the practical challenges of MC research. Hence, its scope encompasses a wide range of interdisciplinary research topics, with some examples listed as follows: ** The physical design, modeling, and implementation of MC system components (e.g., transmitter, receiver, channel); ** The design and implementation of MC testbeds; ** Practical and low-complexity MC methods (e.g., modulation, detection, channel estimation, synchronization, coding methods); ** The testing and validation of MC transceiver/channel models and MC methods; ** Applications of microfluidics, biosensors, and nanomaterials for MC system design; ** Bio-cyber interfaces between MC networks and conventional macroscale networks; ** Synthetic biology-based MC transceiver architectures; ** Optimization of ligand-receptor interactions for MC; ** Biocompatibility and co-existence challenges; ** Energy harvesting and power transfer techniques for MC networks; ** The design and demonstration of MC applications (e.g., those in healthcare, agriculture, biocomputing). --------------------------- Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2021 --------------------------- Guest Editors Sasitharan Balasubramaniam, TSSG/Walton Institute, Waterford Institute of Technology (sasib(a)tssg.org) Murat Kuscu, Koc University, Turkey (mkuscu(a)ku.edu.tr) Bige D. Unluturk, Michigan State University, USA (unluturk(a)msu.edu) Kerstin Lenk, Graz University of Technology, Austria (kerstin.lenk(a)tugraz.at ) Ergin Dinc, University of Cambridge, UK (ed502(a)cam.ac.uk) Michael Barros, University of Essex, UK (m.barros(a)essex.ac.uk) --------------------------- Paper submission Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website. Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI. Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions. --------------------------- Additional information: Please visit the MDPI Molecules Special Issue webpage at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/molecular_communicati… Inquiries can be addressed to Ms. Emity Wang at: emity.wang(a)mdpi.com, molecules(a)mdpi.com

April 9, 2021

Reader/Principal Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Hertfordshire

by Volker Steuber

Reader/Principal Lecturer in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) School of Physics Engineering and Computer Science/ Department of Computer Science University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK FTE: Full time position working 37 hours per week (1.0 FTE) Duration of Contract: Permanent Salary: UH9 £51,034 - £60,905 pa dependent on relevant skills and experience Closing date: 9 May 2021 Applications are invited for an academic position as Reader/Principal Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire. The Department has an international reputation for teaching and research, with 64 academic staff, 40 adjunct lecturer staff, and 65 research students and postdoctoral research staff. With a history going back to 1958, the Department teaches one of the largest cohorts of undergraduate students in the UK, and also delivers a thriving online computer science degree programme. Main duties and responsibilities The person appointed will be expected to make a significant contribution to the leadership of research in the department, including gaining research awards as Principal Investigator, the development of the research environment in the department and across the University, and publishing in peer reviewed journal articles and other internationally excellent or world-leading publications in education. To contribute to the development of, and supervise and teach on, doctoral programmes in the UK and internationally in relation to a wide spectrum of AI, especially emerging topics in AI. Possible fields include, but are not limited to: • Machine learning: reinforcement learning, Deep Methods, statistical methods, large scale data modelling/intelligent processing and high-performance learning algorithms • Robotics: embodied and/or cognitive robotics, HRI, robot safety, emotional/social robots, smart homes and sensors, sensor fusion, assistive robotics, soft robotics, adaptive or evolutionary robotic design • Biological and biophysical computation paradigms, systems biology, neural computation • Complex Systems: collective intelligence, adaptive, autonomous and multi-agent/robot systems, collective and swarm intelligence, social and market modelling, adaptive, evolutionary and unconventional computation • Mathematical Modelling: statistical modelling, information-theoretic methods, compressive sensing, intelligent data visualization, multiscale models, optimization; causality • Emerging Topics in AI: computer algebra and AI, topological methods (e.g. persistent homology), algebraic and category-theoretical methods in AI; modern topics in games and AI; quantum algorithms for AI • AI and applications: financial modelling, AI and biology/physics/cognitive sciences • Foundations: fundamental questions of intelligence and computation, emergence of life/intelligence, Artificial Life Preference will be given to candidates that can deliver teaching to Level 7 in a selection of relevant subjects. The appointee will also be expected to lead and develop taught modules in a range of computer science areas. For appointees with the appropriate experience, there will be the possibility of taking up the role of Head of Subject Group within the department of Computer Science. Skills and experience The appointee will strengthen the research culture in the Department by pursuing research as part of a larger research team, seeking external funding, publishing papers, supervising research students, and participating in commercial activity as appropriate. Therefore it is essential that candidates have a track record (e.g. in published, grant-funded research) in Computer Science. Additionally, experience of different types of assessment and higher education quality assurance is an essential requirement of this role. Prior experience of developing modules and/or programmes of study in Computer Science is essential in addition to significant experience of operating in a UK HE Environment, or equivalent professional experience. Readers/Principal lecturers are expected to take on duties in the capacity of leader, and hence experience of academic leader, programme leadership and line management is desirable. Good interpersonal and presentation skills with proficiency in the English Language are essential along with the ability to manage conflicting demands and work to deadlines. Qualifications required Reader/Principal Lecturer applicants must hold a First Degree and a PhD in an appropriate area of Computer Science or an equivalent, relevant postgraduate professional qualifications. In addition, the Reader/Principal Lecturer will be expected to contribute to the leadership and management academic programmes, as well as proactive participation in enterprise, knowledge transfer and/or research and scholarship in the School. There are expectations of leadership and potentially supervisory oversight of groups of staff. Readers/Principal lecturers are also expected to contribute to the richness of the academic environment, through scholarly activity, support events, projects and activities, including open days, outreach, extra curricula initiatives, and potentially act as a representative of the School or University at national or international fora. The School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science is an Athena Swan Bronze award holder, and we are committed to providing a supportive environment and flexible working arrangements. The university also provides an onsite childcare facility and child-centred holiday clubs. Staff work with the university values, which are: Friendly, Ambitious, Collegial, Enterprising, and Student focused. Contact Details/Informal Enquiries: Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Simon Trainis, Head, Department of Computer Science by email: S.A.Trainis(a)herts.ac.uk Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted. Closing Date: 9 May 2021 Interview Dates: TBC but candidates are advised to be available on 16 and 17 June 2021 Apply through https://www.herts.ac.uk/staff/careers-at-herts, Reference Number: 032595 Date Advert Placed: 8 April 2021 Volker Steuber Professor of Computational Neuroscience Biocomputation Research Group School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science University of Hertfordshire College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, UK +44 (0)1707 284350 biocomputation.herts.ac.uk<http://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk>

April 9, 2021

PhD position in computational neuroscience and modeling of salamander spinal locomotor circuits, EPFL, Lausanne Switzerland

by Auke Ijspeert

The Biorobotics laboratory (Biorob, https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob/ <https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob>) at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) has one open *PhD student position* in *computational neuroscience and modeling of salamander spinal locomotor circuits*. The position is part of the ERC Synergy Salamandra project that will start in September 2021, together with Prof. Andras Simon (KTH Sweden) and Prof. Dimitri Ryczko (U. Sherbrooke, Canada). See some info here: https://actu.epfl.ch/news/salamanders-provide-a-model-for-spinal-cord-rege-… The goals of the position are (i) to develop numerical models and simulations of the locomotor circuits in the spinal cord of the salamander, (ii) to analyze their dynamics when coupled to a simulated mechanical model of the body (interactions between central and peripheral mechanisms), and (iii) to investigate their regenerative properties after spinal cord lesions. The models will be based on integrate-and-fire neuron models. The positions are fully funded for 4 years. EPFL is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers extremely competitive salaries and research infrastructure. *Requirements:* Candidates need to have a Master degree in a field related to computational neuroscience, e.g. in computer science, neuroscience, or physics. The ideal candidate for this position should have a strong numerical modeling background, good programming skills, good math background (e.g. in dynamical systems), and interest in locomotion and robotics. *How to apply for the position:* Step 1: The position is only open to applicants who have been accepted by the EPFL doctoral school (see http://phd.epfl.ch/ <http://phd.epfl.ch/>). The first step is therefore to fill the applications for one of the relevant EPFL doctoral programs in neuroscience, or related fields (e.g. computer science or robotics). Step 2: In parallel to step 1, or once accepted by one of the doctoral programs (please specify which doctoral program and the date of acceptance), the application to the position should be sent by email to Prof. Auke Ijspeert and consist of a motivation letter (explaining why you are interested in the project, and why you feel qualified for it) and a copy of the doctoral program application. Informal inquiries about the relevance of an application can be sent to auke.ijspeert(a)epfl.ch <mailto:auke.ijspeert@epfl.ch> (e.g. before or while submitting an application to the doctoral school), but responses can be slow because of a heavy schedule and a filled mail box. *Deadline and starting date:* *The ideal starting date is September 2021* (with some flexibility). Applications will be considered starting *from May 31 2021*, and then continuously until the positions are filled. *Instructions to apply* can be found here: https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob/openings/ Best regards, Auke Ijspeert -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Prof Auke Jan Ijspeert Biorobotics Laboratory EPFL-STI-IBI-BIOROB, ME D1 1226, Station 9 EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne CH 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Office: ME D1 1226 Tel: +41 21 693 2658 Fax: +41 21 693 3705 www:http://biorob.epfl.ch Email:Auke.Ijspeert@epfl.ch -----------------------------------------------------------------

April 8, 2021

New Online Master Program for Cognitive Science M.Sc.

by mcruz＠uni-osnabrueck.de

Dear all, We are very excited to announce that the Institute of Cognitive Science at Osnabrück University will offer a new digital track of the Cognitive Science M.Sc. program! The DAAD-funded program targets international students who can successfully complete most of the coursework remotely. Possible focus areas include Artificial Intelligence, Neuroinformatics, and Neuroscience. In addition to the online coursework, students will be present in Osnabrück for 2-3 weeks every academic year. During this period, students will be able to get to know one another and participate in courses and face-to-face exams. This also gives students a chance to get to know the city of Osnabrück, learn about German culture, and gain insight into the work-life in Germany through possible internships and company visits. The program will be open for applications soon - check out our website (https://www.ikw.uni-osnabrueck.de/en/courses_of_study/master_program/cognit…) for more details. Please do not hesitate to contact us (os-cosmos(a)uni-osnabrueck.de) with further inquiries! We look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, Misha Cruz Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin OS-COSMOS mishael.g.cruz(a)uni-osnabrueck.de Institut für Kognitionswissenschaften und virtUOS Universität Osnabrück Misha Cruz Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin OS-COSMOS mishael.g.cruz(a)uni-osnabrueck.de Institut für Kognitionswissenschaften und virtUOS Universität Osnabrück

April 8, 2021

2 postdoc positions at the Perception, Neuroimaging, and Modeling lab at Georgia Tech

by Xue, Kai

Hi all, The Perception, Neuroimaging, and Modeling lab (PI: Dr. Doby Rahnev, rahnevlab.gatech.edu) has two postdoctoral fellow openings to work on funded projects. The exact topic of research is flexible and could include investigating the neural and/or computational bases of perception, memory, metacognition, attention, expectation, learning, cognitive control, working memory, etc. The Rahnev lab uses a wide range of methods such as fMRI, TMS, psychophysics, computational modeling and concurrent TMS-fMRI. The position is initially for 2 years with a possibility for extension. Candidates will be given the opportunity to conduct studies building on current lab research or developing their own projects ideas. Review begins April 15, 2021 and will continue until both positions are filled. The Rahnev lab, at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, has access to exceptional research facilities. The lab space is conveniently located just steps away from a 3T Prisma MRI scanner at the Center for Advanced Brain Imaging (CABI, cabiatl.com) The lab also houses its own TMS equipment and is pioneering the use of concurrent TMS-fMRI that allows TMS to be delivered inside the MRI scanner. Working in the Rahnev lab presents opportunities for collaborations across several Atlanta-based universities including Georgia Tech, Emory and Georgia State. Georgia Tech is located at the heart of Atlanta, a vibrant, multicultural city that offers many opportunities for engaging in cultural, culinary, sports, and entertainment activities. Our lab aims to create a supportive, fun and productive environment. We are especially interested in maintaining our already diverse team and therefore seek applications from qualified individuals from all demographics and backgrounds. For more information, visit our website at http://rahnevlab.gatech.edu/getinvolved.html. To apply, email (1) your CV, (2) a brief description of what types of research questions you may want to pursue if you join us, and (3) a list of three references (names and email addresses will suffice at this point) to Dr. Rahnev (rahnev(a)psych.gatech.edu) Review begins on April 15, 2021 and will continue until both positions are filled. Best, Kai Kai Xue PNM Lab Manager Georgia Institute of Technology | Department of Psychology 424.402.7816

April 8, 2021

Research Software Engineer - Comp. Neuroscience Project @Harvard

by Mohammadi Shad, Mahmood

Dear Comp-Neuro Community, We have an opening in the FAS Research Computing department at Harvard University related to Computational Neuroscience. Harvard University is hiring a Research Software Engineer (RSE) to support researchers' high-performance scientific software development, numerical analysis, and machine learning (ML) needs. This project plays an essential role in helping facilitate cutting-edge research on the brain. Through regular engagements with researchers, this RSE will help with the refactoring of a legacy software package for clustering electrophysiological neural data (spike sorting). They will improve code design, unit testing, performance of statistical/numerical libraries, cloud-readiness, as well as porting to general-purpose scientific programming languages (Python, C++, Julia). Additionally, the RSE will make a modular software structure to test different clustering and cluster-tracking algorithms utilizing ML and deep learning (DL) techniques. More information: https://www.rc.fas.harvard.edu/about/employment/#Research_Software_Engineer… Best, ---------------- Mahmood M. Shad, PhD Associate Director of Research Software Engineering FAS Research Computing Harvard University 38 Oxford Street, Room 210 Cambridge, MA 02138 Email: mohammadi_shad(a)harvard.edu<mailto:mohammadi_shad@harvard.edu>

April 7, 2021

Postdoc in neural network and robot models of body representations

by Matej Hoffmann

** *Dear colleagues, * *** there is a postdoc openingin the humanoid, cognitive, neuro-, and collaborative robotics group (https://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/research/groups-teams/humanoids/) coordinated by Dr. Matej Hoffmann (https://sites.google.com/site/matejhof/) at the Department of Cybernetics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. In the context of a 5-year project entitled “Whole-body awareness for safe and natural interaction: from brains to collaborative robots” for excellence in fundamental research from the Czech Science Foundation (seehttps://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/news/new-gacr-expro-project <https://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/news/new-gacr-expro-project/>for more information), we seek a postdoctoral researcher to conduct research in some of the following areas: - Neural network models of multisensory integration, body schema, and reaching development - Employing humanoid robots with artificial skin to construct embodied computational models of body and peripersonal space representations The postdoc will independently conduct research and will also be involved in shaping the research of the group and supervising students. Robots and infrastructure The humanoids group has at its disposal several humanoid robots (iCub, 2 Naos - 1 with whole-body sensitive skin) and collaborative or lightweight manipulators (KUKA LBR iiwa, UR10e with Airskin, Kinova Gen3). Additional infrastructure includes several robot hands (Barrett Hand BH8-282, QB Soft Hand) and grippers, a 3D Motion Capture System, impact measuring devices, etc. The group has also access to the facilities of the Research Center for Informatics such as a high-performance computational cluster. International collaborations There is a large group of international experts who have agreed to act as collaborators/advisors on the project. These include experts in - developmental psychology: Dr. Kevin O’Regan (CNRS, Paris), Prof. Jeffrey J. Lockman (Tulane University, New Orleans) - cognitive psychology and neuroscience: Prof. Matthew Longo (Birkbeck University, London), Prof. Tobias Heed (Bielefeld), Prof. Andrea Serino (University of Lausanne), Dr. Jean-Paul Noel (Center for Neural Science at New York University), Drs. M.Gori and Giulia Cappagli (Italian Institute of Technology, Dr. S. Signorini (IRCSS Fondazione Mondino Pavia) Prague There is currently a very lively international ecosystem in the areas of robotics and AI - at the Department and in Prague in general. See, for example, http://rci.cvut.cz/or https://prg.ai/en/. We seek applicants with a background in computational modeling, artificial neural networks or machine learning, with interest in neuroscience. Background in robotics is not required. How to apply. The application should include: -Motivation letter (max. 1 page) - CV (including 2 reference persons) -1 Letter of recommendation (can be from 1 of the reference persons above) Please send the application or inquiries to matej.hoffmann(a)fel.cvut.czwith (“postdoc application” in the subject). The position is open until filled. * -- Matej Hoffmann, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Cybernetics Faculty of Electrical Engineering Czech Technical University in Prague Karlovo namesti 13 121 35 Praha 2, Czech Republic +420 224 357 387 https://sites.google.com/site/matejhof/home https://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/humanoids

April 7, 2021

EBRAINS Training on Model Validation

by Shailesh Appukuttan

*EBRAINS Training on Model Validation* *4–7 May 2021* https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ The HBP Education Programme is organising a training on Model Validation. This training will guide modellers and experimentalists in model validation (comparing simulation results to experimental data) using the EBRAINS Model Validation Framework. The training will take place *virtually* over 4 days. Participation in the Training is open to the entire student and researchers community, regardless of whether they are affiliated with the HBP or not. We encourage young scientists to register and aim at an equal gender representation. *Registration will be open until 20 April 2021 and is free of charge.* *Call for Submissions:* *For the 2nd part of the training,* we invite interested researchers to bring their own models and to send us a short abstract, describing your model. The abstracts should include: • A short description of your model • Simulators/tools used for developing and simulating models • Overview of validation(s) you wish to implement during the training (specify at least one validation test), along with target (experimental) reference data • If you have already some questions or comments, you are welcome to mention them • If your model is already published, please include references at the end of the abstract Please send your abstract latest until *20 April 2021, 5pm (CET)* to training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Further information on abstract submission and registration: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ For any further questions, please contact training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Cheers, Shailesh Appukuttan

April 7, 2021

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience, NI group @ Technische Universität Berlin

by Obermayer, Klaus, Prof. Dr.

Neural Information Processing Group @ Technische Universität Berlin Research Assistant (PhD Position) in Computational Neuroscience Computational models of sleep oscillations during non-REM sleep Salary grade E13 (TV-L Berliner Hochschulen) Duration: 5 years Starting date: June 1st, 2021 Reference number: IV-239/21 Working field: The successful candidate will work the computational modelling of sleep rhythms in the context of memory consolidation during non-REM sleep and on the effect of perturbations by transcranial electrical stimulation (cf. Aspart et al. 2018, PLoS Comput Biol 14, e1006124.; Cakan & Obermayer 2020, PLoS Comput Biol 16, e1007822; Cakan et al., 2021, arXiv:2011.14731v2). She/he is expected to collaborate with the theoretical and experimental/clinical research groups of the DFG-funded CRCs 910 (control of self-organizing nonlinear systems, https://www.itp.tu-berlin.de/sfb910/) and 1315 (mechanisms and disturbances in memory consolidation, https://www.sfb1315.de/) Teaching obligations include the supervision of tutorials for courses of the research group in the machine learning field (Master level). Requirements: Successfully completed university degree (Master, Diplom, or equivalent) in Computational Neuroscience, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or related fields; in-depth knowledge in dynamical systems and machine learning; very good programming skills; very good command of the German and English languages. How to apply: Please send your application with the reference number and with the usual documents (CV, motivation letter, transcripts of records, certificates, and the names of two persons who can provide recommendation letters) to Prof. Dr. Klaus Obermayer, FG Neuronale Informationsverarbeitung, Sekr. MAR 5-6, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany, or preferably by e-mail to klaus.obermayer(a)tu-berlin.de. For information about the research group see https://www.ni.tu-berlin.de/. Please send copies only. Original documents will not be returned. The vacancy is also available on the internet at http://www.personalabteilung.tu-berlin.de/menue/jobs/ Application deadline for full consideration: 7. 5. 2021. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

April 7, 2021

Postdoctoral position in the cognitive neuroscience of aging at UCR and UCI

by Aaron Seitz

A postdoctoral position in the cognitive neuroscience of aging is available at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) to work with a research team including Professors Xiaoping Hu, Aaron Seitz, Ilana Bennett, and Weiwei Zhang at UCR, and in collaboration with Megan Peters at UC Irvine. This opportunity will involve working on a NIA-funded project to understand how individual differences in the structure and function of the locus coeruleus moderate perception and memory in an older adult population. The postdoctoral researcher is expected to take a lead role in the project, including setting up experiments, collecting and analyzing data, training and supervising graduate students and undergraduate research assistants, and disseminating results at conferences and in research publications. Successful candidates should have a strong background in fMRI data collection and analysis, advanced computational and statistical competencies, management skills, creativity and a high-level of conscientiousness. They should also have expertise in one or more of the following areas (and knowledge of the others): cognitive aging, brain aging, psychophysics, perception or memory processes, eye-tracking, metacognition, and the role of the locus coeruleus in cognition. Experience in programming psychophysical experiments, in either MATLAB or Python, is preferred. Researchers must possess a doctoral degree in Psychology, Education, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, or a related field. The primary appointment will be either in the UCR Psychology or Bioengineering Departments, depending upon candidate interest and primary expertise. Working with our diverse research team will provide a unique interdisciplinary research and mentoring experience. Research will be conducted at the UCR Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, which features a 3T Prisma fMRI system with state of the art eye-tracking and psychophysical systems. Applications must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, 1-2 sample publications, statement of research interests, statement of past and/or planned future contributions to advancing diversity and inclusive excellence, and the names of three to five references with phone numbers and emails. Review of applications will begin on April 18, 2021 and may continue until the position is filled. Applications received by April 18, 2021 will receive full consideration. Please send these to Aaron Seitz (aseitz(a)ucr.edu) UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Best, -Aaron ************************************************** Aaron Seitz, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Director of UCR Brain Game Center University of California, Riverside 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521 Ph: (951) 827-6422 Fax: (951) 827-3985 Email: aseitz(a)ucr.edu<mailto:aseitz@ucr.edu> Web: http://faculty.ucr.edu/~aseitz/ BGC: http://braingamecenter.ucr.edu<http://braingamecenter.ucr.edu/> **************************************************

April 6, 2021

Re: [Comp-neuro] My Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds will be published next month by Oxford University Press

by Grossberg, Stephen

Dear Colleagues, I forgot to attach the information about how to get a 30% reduction of the price of my book, bringing the cost down to $24.50, in case you are interested in buying it: Go to: oup.com/academic Enter the following promo code after clicking on the book's file: ASPROMP8. Best, Steve ________________________________ From: Grossberg, Stephen <steve(a)bu.edu> Sent: Thursday, April 1, 2021 11:58 AM To: comp-neuro(a)neuroinformatics.be <comp-neuro(a)neuroinformatics.be> Cc: Grossberg, Stephen <steve(a)bu.edu>; steve(a)cns.bu.edu <steve(a)cns.bu.edu> Subject: My Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds will be published next month by Oxford University Press Dear Colleagues, I am writing to call your attention to the publication next month by Oxford University Press of my Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds in health and disease. The book also has implications for developing increasingly autonomous and adaptive technologies that emulate, and can thus harmoniously interact with, human users. The book discusses many topics about mind and brain. For one, it explains how, where in our brains, and why from a deep computational perspective our brains can learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things about the world. I wrote the book to be self-contained, accessible, and appealing to the general public. In addition to its exposition of how our minds work and how these discoveries inspire new designs in engineering, technology, and AI, I have been able to use that foundation to provide discussions of many topics that are of current interest, including how we see visual art; how mental disorders like Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and disordered sleep are caused; biological bases of creativity and morality; why so many decisions are irrational despite our belief that evolution selects adaptive behaviors; how learned helplessness, self-punitive behaviors, and fetishes may arise and persist; how our brain's design specializes a universal developmental code that it shares with all living cells across multiple species; and how our ceaseless interactions with the external world have shaped the designs that enable us to understand the physical world around us. I hope that, after reading the book Summary and Description below, and the Advance Reviews by 18 leading psychologists, neuroscientists, neural modelers, and technologists, you may be interested in reading the book. If you do, please see the information in the attached flyer for how. Best wishes, Steve Grossberg +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Conscious MIND, Resonant BRAIN: How Each Brain Makes a Mind by Stephen Grossberg 800 pages, $35 (see attached flyer for 30% reduction to $24.50) https://global.oup.com/academic/product/conscious-mind-resonant-brain-97801… SUMMARY • Explores how your mind works, notably how you learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things • Explains how mental disorders can be understood on a continuum with normal behaviors • Creates a computational foundation for applications of autonomous adaptive intelligence in engineering, technology, and AI DESCRIPTION How does your mind work? How does your brain give rise to your mind? These are questions that all of us have wondered about at some point in our lives, if only because everything that we know is experienced in our minds. They are also very hard questions to answer. After all, how can a mind understand itself? How can you understand something as complex as the tool that is being used to understand it? This book provides an introductory and self-contained description of some of the exciting answers to these questions that modern theories of mind and brain have recently proposed. Stephen Grossberg is broadly acknowledged to be the most important pioneer and current research leader who has, for the past 50 years, modelled how brains give rise to minds, notably how neural circuits in multiple brain regions interact together to generate psychological functions. This research has led to a unified understanding of how, where, and why our brains can consciously see, hear, feel, and know about the world, and effectively plan and act within it. The work embodies revolutionary Principia of Mind that clarify how autonomous adaptive intelligence is achieved. It provides mechanistic explanations of multiple mental disorders, including symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and sleep disorders; biological bases of morality and religion, including why our brains are biased towards the good so that values are not purely relative; perplexing aspects of the human condition, including why many decisions are irrational and self-defeating despite evolution's selection of adaptive behaviors; and solutions to large-scale problems in machine learning, technology, and Artificial Intelligence that provide a blueprint for autonomously intelligent algorithms and robots. Because brains embody a universal developmental code, unifying insights also emerge about shared laws that are found in all living cellular tissues, from the most primitive to the most advanced, notably how the laws governing networks of interacting cells support developmental and learning processes in all species. The fundamental brain design principles of complementarity, uncertainty, and resonance that Grossberg has discovered also reflect laws of the physical world with which our brains ceaselessly interact, and which enable our brains to incrementally learn to understand those laws, thereby enabling humans to understand the world scientifically. Accessibly written, and lavishly illustrated, Conscious Mind/Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the most influential scientists of the past 50 years, and will appeal to a broad readership across the sciences and humanities. ADVANCE REVIEWS “A tour de force on How the Brain Works…a masterpiece on brain science and neuro-computing that could only be created by Grossberg.” -- Leon Chua, University of California at Berkeley "Whenever you claim to be "the first to do" this or that in artificial intelligence, it is customary - and correct - to add "with the exception of Stephen Grossberg". Quite simply, Stephen is a living giant and foundational architect of the field." -- Karl J. Friston, University College London "This is a breath-taking book authored by a giant pioneer of the brain and mind." -- Shun-Ichi Amari, RIKEN Brain Science Institute "Professor Grossberg is a rara avis. In an age of increasing specialization, he has a remarkable, unparalleled, gift of seeing connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. And he writes about these with passion, but without compromising accuracy." -- V. S. Ramachandran, University of California San Diego "Stephen Grossberg is a true genius, who has discovered and developed many of the most important concepts and theories about how our brains make our minds. His fundamental contributions to science for over 50 years are richly worthy of a Nobel Prize." -- Leonid Perlovsky, Harvard University "Stephen Grossberg is a "big picture" thinker who has had a remarkably deep influence on many aspects of several fields. It's difficult to overstate the range of his vision and the depth of his thinking, and I expect this book to be required reading in many courses for years to come." -- Stephen Kosslyn, Foundry College “After reading many papers by the author, I always wished that he would present them in a coherent whole. And here it is. A magnificent volume of great science from mind to brain and back, a condensed ars poetica of a great scientist.” -- György Buzsáki, New York University "The current volume charts the remarkable developments that have led Dr. Grossberg to a principled, unified theory of the link between brain and mind. Dr. Grossberg's insights are unparalleled in their breadth and detail, leading us to a scientific understanding of the most remarkable aspect of the mind, consciousness." -- Michael Mozer, Google Brain, Mountain View, CA “Stephen Grossberg is one of the most original and influential theorists in contemporary cognitive science and computational neuroscience. In Conscious MIND Resonant BRAIN, he takes the reader on an eye-opening tour in which he addresses fundamental problems of mind and brain from his unique theoretical perspective. This is an important book that should be of interest to anyone who wonders how a brain can give rise to a mind. -- Daniel L. Schacter, Harvard University “In this book Stephen Grossberg shares the wisdom and encyclopedic knowledge that he acquired over 50 years of research devoted to unravel the mysteries of the human brain. Stephen pioneered the field of theoretical neuroscience and this approach allowed him to discover general principles that govern functions as diverse as visual perception, learning and memory, attention, emotion, decision making and consciousness. It is the essence of overarching principles to be abstract and to sometimes defy intuition, but Stephen succeeds to convey the essential in a language that is readily accessible to the non- expert. He embeds the discussion of neuronal mechanisms in the rich framework of cognitive psychology and elegantly bridges the gap between scientific evidence and subjective experience. He takes the readers by the hand and lets them discover the often surprising philosophical, ethical and societal implications of neurobiological discoveries. For those who enjoy intellectual adventures and wish to explore the boundaries of the known this scholarly written book is a real treasure.” -- Wolf Singer, Max Plank Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt "Although a behavioral modeler and not a neuroscientist, I have followed Stephen Grossberg's research closely for many years, because I regard him as one of the very most creative and insightful neuroscience theorists that the field has seen. His book should be a must read for those wanting to understand how the brain produces mind." -- Richard Shiffrin, Indiana University "How often do we have the chance to hold a true masterpiece? Grossberg's monumental accomplishments developed over multiple decades now written at an accessible level to a broader audience. What a true privilege!" -- Luis Pessoa, University of Maryland “Steve Grossberg is one of the most insightful and prolific writers on biological intelligence. This book is a masterful presentation of fundamental methods of modeling minds, brains and their interactions with the world, many of which are due to the author and his collaborators. The models are presented as mathematical systems, including computing and neural networks. The variables, parameters and functions represent biological and environmental concepts; mathematical conclusions are interpreted as predictions of biological behavior. In many cases these have been verified experimentally. There are illuminating and surprising connections to other disciplines, including art, music and economics. Highly recommended to a general audience.” -- Morris W. Hirsch, University of California at Berkeley "This comprehensive overview of Grossberg’s contributions to our understanding of the mind and brain shows exactly how prescient he, and his colleagues, have been. Whatever one’s specific interest, from visual illusions to mental illness, this book provides a principled treatment of it. The principles flow from Grossberg’s early framing of many of the questions that have come to define computational neuroscience – including his early understanding of the centrality of expectations. Kudos to him for pulling it all together here." -- Lynn Nadel, University of Arizona “This book is not for the faint of heart. Stephen Grossberg has been a giant in the field of computational neuroscience for 60 years. In this book he presents his carefully developed, integrative neurobiological theory on how the nervous system generates our conscious lives. It is bold yet self-reflective and therein challenging to all students trying to figure out how the brain does its tricks. A must read.” -- Michael Gazzaniga, University of California at Santa Barbara "Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the giants of neural networks. The soaring ambition of this book reflects the career achievements of Grossberg's insatiable appetite for understanding how brains work. It is a must-read for those interested in all aspects of how the mind and brain function in health and disease." -- Donald C. Wunsch II, Missouri University of Science and Technology "Grossberg has single-handedly elevated the psychophysics and psychology pioneered by Herman von Helmholtz and William James into a comprehensive mathematical theory of brain and behavior with profound implications and strong empirical support." -- David Hestenes, Arizona State University “An excellent and wide-ranging view of how the brain perceives the world for us by a pioneering brain theoretician.” -- Wolfram Schultz, University of Cambridge

April 2, 2021

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

by angelo.arleo＠inserm.fr

Dear all, The following three PhD positions are currently available at the Vision Institute, Sorbonne University, Paris, France: 1. PhD position in Computational Neuroscience and Deep Learning <http://www.aging-vision-action.fr/ava_files/silversight/PhD.Comput.Neurosci…> 2. PhD position in Behavioral Neuroscience <http://www.aging-vision-action.fr/ava_files/silversight/PhD.Behav.Neurosci.…> 3. PhD position in Experimental/Clinical Neuroscience <http://www.aging-vision-action.fr/ava_files/silversight/PhD.Exp.Clin.Neuros…> Best regards, Angelo Arleo Angelo ARLEO FONTAINE, PhD Director of Research CNRS Head of the Aging in Vision and Action Lab, Director of the Chair Silversight, Institute of Vision, CNRS - INSERM - Sorbonne University, 17, rue Moreau F-75012 Paris, France Phone: +33 (0)1 53 46 26 52 Mobile: +33 (0)6 46 84 09 56 Email: angelo.arleo(a)inserm.fr Website: www.aging-vision-action.fr

April 2, 2021

NIH-funded part-time postdoc or software developer position in computational neuroscience

by Salvador Dura

A part-time Postdoc or Software Developer position is available in the Dura-Bernal Lab<http://dura-bernal.org/> at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences (Brooklyn, New York). The position will focus on the development and dissemination of NetPyNE, a tool for data-driven multiscale modeling of brain circuits. For more details on the software tool see our eLife publication (https://elifesciences.org/articles/44494) and tool website (www.netpyne.org<http://www.netpyne.org/>). For details please see: http://dura-bernal.org/postdoc -- Salvador Durá-Bernal, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center Research Scientist IV, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Lab web: dura-bernal.org<http://dura-bernal.org/>

April 2, 2021

My Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds will be published next month by Oxford University Press

by Grossberg, Stephen

Dear Colleagues, I am writing to call your attention to the publication next month by Oxford University Press of my Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds in health and disease. The book also has implications for developing increasingly autonomous and adaptive technologies that emulate, and can thus harmoniously interact with, human users. The book discusses many topics about mind and brain. For one, it explains how, where in our brains, and why from a deep computational perspective our brains can learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things about the world. I wrote the book to be self-contained, accessible, and appealing to the general public. In addition to its exposition of how our minds work and how these discoveries inspire new designs in engineering, technology, and AI, I have been able to use that foundation to provide discussions of many topics that are of current interest, including how we see visual art; how mental disorders like Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and disordered sleep are caused; biological bases of creativity and morality; why so many decisions are irrational despite our belief that evolution selects adaptive behaviors; how learned helplessness, self-punitive behaviors, and fetishes may arise and persist; how our brain's design specializes a universal developmental code that it shares with all living cells across multiple species; and how our ceaseless interactions with the external world have shaped the designs that enable us to understand the physical world around us. I hope that, after reading the book Summary and Description below, and the Advance Reviews by 18 leading psychologists, neuroscientists, neural modelers, and technologists, you may be interested in reading the book. If you do, please see the information in the attached flyer for how. Best wishes, Steve Grossberg +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Conscious MIND, Resonant BRAIN: How Each Brain Makes a Mind by Stephen Grossberg 800 pages, $35 (see attached flyer for 30% reduction to $24.50) https://global.oup.com/academic/product/conscious-mind-resonant-brain-97801… SUMMARY • Explores how your mind works, notably how you learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things • Explains how mental disorders can be understood on a continuum with normal behaviors • Creates a computational foundation for applications of autonomous adaptive intelligence in engineering, technology, and AI DESCRIPTION How does your mind work? How does your brain give rise to your mind? These are questions that all of us have wondered about at some point in our lives, if only because everything that we know is experienced in our minds. They are also very hard questions to answer. After all, how can a mind understand itself? How can you understand something as complex as the tool that is being used to understand it? This book provides an introductory and self-contained description of some of the exciting answers to these questions that modern theories of mind and brain have recently proposed. Stephen Grossberg is broadly acknowledged to be the most important pioneer and current research leader who has, for the past 50 years, modelled how brains give rise to minds, notably how neural circuits in multiple brain regions interact together to generate psychological functions. This research has led to a unified understanding of how, where, and why our brains can consciously see, hear, feel, and know about the world, and effectively plan and act within it. The work embodies revolutionary Principia of Mind that clarify how autonomous adaptive intelligence is achieved. It provides mechanistic explanations of multiple mental disorders, including symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and sleep disorders; biological bases of morality and religion, including why our brains are biased towards the good so that values are not purely relative; perplexing aspects of the human condition, including why many decisions are irrational and self-defeating despite evolution's selection of adaptive behaviors; and solutions to large-scale problems in machine learning, technology, and Artificial Intelligence that provide a blueprint for autonomously intelligent algorithms and robots. Because brains embody a universal developmental code, unifying insights also emerge about shared laws that are found in all living cellular tissues, from the most primitive to the most advanced, notably how the laws governing networks of interacting cells support developmental and learning processes in all species. The fundamental brain design principles of complementarity, uncertainty, and resonance that Grossberg has discovered also reflect laws of the physical world with which our brains ceaselessly interact, and which enable our brains to incrementally learn to understand those laws, thereby enabling humans to understand the world scientifically. Accessibly written, and lavishly illustrated, Conscious Mind/Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the most influential scientists of the past 50 years, and will appeal to a broad readership across the sciences and humanities. ADVANCE REVIEWS “A tour de force on How the Brain Works…a masterpiece on brain science and neuro-computing that could only be created by Grossberg.” -- Leon Chua, University of California at Berkeley "Whenever you claim to be "the first to do" this or that in artificial intelligence, it is customary - and correct - to add "with the exception of Stephen Grossberg". Quite simply, Stephen is a living giant and foundational architect of the field." -- Karl J. Friston, University College London "This is a breath-taking book authored by a giant pioneer of the brain and mind." -- Shun-Ichi Amari, RIKEN Brain Science Institute "Professor Grossberg is a rara avis. In an age of increasing specialization, he has a remarkable, unparalleled, gift of seeing connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. And he writes about these with passion, but without compromising accuracy." -- V. S. Ramachandran, University of California San Diego "Stephen Grossberg is a true genius, who has discovered and developed many of the most important concepts and theories about how our brains make our minds. His fundamental contributions to science for over 50 years are richly worthy of a Nobel Prize." -- Leonid Perlovsky, Harvard University "Stephen Grossberg is a "big picture" thinker who has had a remarkably deep influence on many aspects of several fields. It's difficult to overstate the range of his vision and the depth of his thinking, and I expect this book to be required reading in many courses for years to come." -- Stephen Kosslyn, Foundry College “After reading many papers by the author, I always wished that he would present them in a coherent whole. And here it is. A magnificent volume of great science from mind to brain and back, a condensed ars poetica of a great scientist.” -- György Buzsáki, New York University "The current volume charts the remarkable developments that have led Dr. Grossberg to a principled, unified theory of the link between brain and mind. Dr. Grossberg's insights are unparalleled in their breadth and detail, leading us to a scientific understanding of the most remarkable aspect of the mind, consciousness." -- Michael Mozer, Google Brain, Mountain View, CA “Stephen Grossberg is one of the most original and influential theorists in contemporary cognitive science and computational neuroscience. In Conscious MIND Resonant BRAIN, he takes the reader on an eye-opening tour in which he addresses fundamental problems of mind and brain from his unique theoretical perspective. This is an important book that should be of interest to anyone who wonders how a brain can give rise to a mind. -- Daniel L. Schacter, Harvard University “In this book Stephen Grossberg shares the wisdom and encyclopedic knowledge that he acquired over 50 years of research devoted to unravel the mysteries of the human brain. Stephen pioneered the field of theoretical neuroscience and this approach allowed him to discover general principles that govern functions as diverse as visual perception, learning and memory, attention, emotion, decision making and consciousness. It is the essence of overarching principles to be abstract and to sometimes defy intuition, but Stephen succeeds to convey the essential in a language that is readily accessible to the non- expert. He embeds the discussion of neuronal mechanisms in the rich framework of cognitive psychology and elegantly bridges the gap between scientific evidence and subjective experience. He takes the readers by the hand and lets them discover the often surprising philosophical, ethical and societal implications of neurobiological discoveries. For those who enjoy intellectual adventures and wish to explore the boundaries of the known this scholarly written book is a real treasure.” -- Wolf Singer, Max Plank Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt "Although a behavioral modeler and not a neuroscientist, I have followed Stephen Grossberg's research closely for many years, because I regard him as one of the very most creative and insightful neuroscience theorists that the field has seen. His book should be a must read for those wanting to understand how the brain produces mind." -- Richard Shiffrin, Indiana University "How often do we have the chance to hold a true masterpiece? Grossberg's monumental accomplishments developed over multiple decades now written at an accessible level to a broader audience. What a true privilege!" -- Luis Pessoa, University of Maryland “Steve Grossberg is one of the most insightful and prolific writers on biological intelligence. This book is a masterful presentation of fundamental methods of modeling minds, brains and their interactions with the world, many of which are due to the author and his collaborators. The models are presented as mathematical systems, including computing and neural networks. The variables, parameters and functions represent biological and environmental concepts; mathematical conclusions are interpreted as predictions of biological behavior. In many cases these have been verified experimentally. There are illuminating and surprising connections to other disciplines, including art, music and economics. Highly recommended to a general audience.” -- Morris W. Hirsch, University of California at Berkeley "This comprehensive overview of Grossberg’s contributions to our understanding of the mind and brain shows exactly how prescient he, and his colleagues, have been. Whatever one’s specific interest, from visual illusions to mental illness, this book provides a principled treatment of it. The principles flow from Grossberg’s early framing of many of the questions that have come to define computational neuroscience – including his early understanding of the centrality of expectations. Kudos to him for pulling it all together here." -- Lynn Nadel, University of Arizona “This book is not for the faint of heart. Stephen Grossberg has been a giant in the field of computational neuroscience for 60 years. In this book he presents his carefully developed, integrative neurobiological theory on how the nervous system generates our conscious lives. It is bold yet self-reflective and therein challenging to all students trying to figure out how the brain does its tricks. A must read.” -- Michael Gazzaniga, University of California at Santa Barbara "Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the giants of neural networks. The soaring ambition of this book reflects the career achievements of Grossberg's insatiable appetite for understanding how brains work. It is a must-read for those interested in all aspects of how the mind and brain function in health and disease." -- Donald C. Wunsch II, Missouri University of Science and Technology "Grossberg has single-handedly elevated the psychophysics and psychology pioneered by Herman von Helmholtz and William James into a comprehensive mathematical theory of brain and behavior with profound implications and strong empirical support." -- David Hestenes, Arizona State University “An excellent and wide-ranging view of how the brain perceives the world for us by a pioneering brain theoretician.” -- Wolfram Schultz, University of Cambridge

April 1, 2021

Job Openings: Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor (Computer Science) at Hong Kong Baptist University (2 vacancies)

by COMP HKBU

The Department of Computer Science at Hong Kong Baptist University, presently offers BSc, MSc, MPhil, and PhD programmes, and is now seeking outstanding applicants for the following faculty positions on tenure-track. Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor (Computer Science) (2 vacancies) (PR0311/18-19) The appointees will perform high-impact research, to teach and supervise students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and to contribute to professional and institutional services. Collaboration with other faculty members in research and teaching is also expected. They will be encouraged to collaborate with colleagues within the Department to contribute to two special thematic applications including (a) health informatics and (b) secure and privacy-aware computing, and to pursue new strategic research initiatives under the Department/Faculty/University. Applicants should possess a PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, and sufficiently demonstrate abilities to conduct high-quality research in areas including but not limited to: Internet of things, Cyber-security, High-performance computing, Big data analytics, and Financial technologies. Applicants should also show strong commitment to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in computer science and/or information systems, possess track record of innovative research and high-impact publications, and be able to bid for and pursue externally-funded research programmes. Initial appointment will be offered on a fixed-term contract of three years. Re-appointment thereafter will be subject to mutual agreement. For enquiry, please contact Dr. William Cheung, Head of Department (email: william(a)comp.hkbu.edu.hk) More information about the Department can be found at http://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk. *Those who have responded to the previous advertisement need not re-apply.* *Rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.* Application Procedure: Applicants are invited to submit their applications at the HKBU e-Recruitment System (jobs.hkbu.edu.hk) with samples of publications, preferably *three best ones* out of their most recent publications/works. They should also request *two referees* to send in confidential letters of reference, with PR number (stated above) quoted on the letters, to the Human Resources Office (Email: recruit(a)hkbu.edu.hk) direct. Those who are not invited for interview 4 months after the closing date may consider their applications unsuccessful. All application materials including publication samples, scholarly/creative works will be disposed of after completion of the recruitment exercise. Details of the University’s Personal Information Collection Statement can be found at http://hro.hkbu.edu.hk/pics. The University reserves the right not to make an appointment for the posts advertised, and the appointment will be made according to the terms and conditions applicable at the time of offer. Review of applications is on-going until the position is filled. URL: https://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk/v1/?page=job_vacancies&id=503

April 1, 2021

Virginia Tech, Assistant/Associate Professor position in Clinical Psychology

by Pearl Chiu

Dear All, We invite applications for a tenure-track/tenured Assistant/Associate Professor position in Clinical Psychology at Virginia Tech. We welcome applicants whose research falls across the range of clinical psychological science, including clinical scientists who use computational (neuro)science approaches! For more information: https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/515515/assistant-or-assoc… If you have questions, feel free to contact me or our search committee chair, Dr. Thomas Ollendick (tho at vt.edu) Please distribute broadly; apologies for cross-posts. Thank you, Pearl -- Pearl Chiu, PhD Associate Professor Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech VTC School of Medicine Salem VA Medical Center 2 Riverside Circle, R1110 Roanoke VA 24016 +1 540-526-2019 chiup(a)vtc.vt.edu

March 31, 2021

Multiple postdoc positions in Computational Neuroscience and neural data analysis

by Arvind Kumar

Join us in our endeavour to create a theoretical framework to understand (and hopefully treat) neurodegenerative brain diseases. Upto 5 postdoctoral positions are available at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden - for building multi-scale models to capture relationship between brain's structure and activity dynamics - to analyse brain connectivity and activity data using topological data analysis - To develop machine learning algos to extract the brain's anatomical connectivity from MRI images. The postdoctoral researchers will become part of an interdisciplinary community of neuroscientists, clinicians, mathematicians and brain imaging experts at KTH and Karolinska Institute Stockholm. These positions are a part of the new interdisciplinary initiative dBRAIN <https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/research/current-research-projects/dbrain/> within the ‘Digital Futures <https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/research/collaborative-projects>’ initiative at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. The goal is to better understand neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. We combine computational modeling, machine learning and topological data analysis to identify causal links among disease biomarkers and disease symptoms. This understanding should improve diagnosis, prediction of the disease progression and suggest better therapies. Contact: Contact the relevant PIs whose names and email addresses are available at dBRAIN <https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/research/current-research-projects/dbrain/> website. -- Dr. Arvind Kumar Computational Brain Science, Div. of Computational Science and Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm Lindstedtsvägen 5. Room#4439 114 28 Stockholm, Sweden. Ph. No. +46-8790-6224 Web: https://www.kth.se/profile/arvindku/ https://arvkumar.github.io/ cricket blog: http://rightarmoverfast.blogspot.com -------- न यः संपृच्छे न पुनर्हवीतवे न संवादाय रमते । तस्मान्नो अद्य समृतेरुरुष्यतं बाहुभ्यां न उरुष्यतम् ॥ ऋग्वेदः मण्डलं - ८. He who has no pleasure in questioning, nor in debate, nor in dialogue, Defend us to-day from him and from his encounter, defend us from his arms.

March 31, 2021

Special Issue “Industrial Big Data and Process Modelling for Smart Manufacturing

by Barna Iantovics

Dear Colleague, The Open Access journal Mathematics (ISSN2227-7390; IF 1.747) is currently running a Special Issue “IndustrialBig Data and Process Modelling for Smart Manufacturing”: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/mathematics/special_issues/Industrial_Big_Data… We (Prof. Hatem Ghorbel, University of Applied Sciences and ArtsWestern Switzerland; Prof. Stefano Carrino, University of Applied Sciences andArts Western Switzerland; Dr. Ivana Budinská, Institute of Informatics SlovakAcademy of Sciences, Slovakia; Prof. Vicente Rodríguez Montequín, University ofOviedo, Spain) are serving as its Guest Editor. All of us are currently takingpart of one of the CHIST-ERA projects funded underthe Big data and process modelling for smart industry (BDSI) call.The topics included in the special issue are aligned with this call, as well asother calls like Object recognition and manipulation by robots: Datasharing and experiment reproducibility (ORMR). We cordially invite you to submit one feature paper to the SpecialIssue. It could be a full review or an original research article. We will behonored if you are able to participate. The submission deadline is 31 October 2021. You maysubmit your manuscript now or up until the deadline. If you plan to submit, ifpossible, we expect to receive your tentative title and submission date. Adiscount over the article processing charge may be considered according to therelevance of the paper and submission date. Don’t hesitate to contact me forfurther details. Yours faithfully, Prof. Hatem Ghorbel University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland Social Network of Machines (SOON) Project Coordinator Project funded under the CHIST-ERA BDSI call

March 30, 2021

PhD in computational neuroscience

by Eirini Mavritsaki

Dear colleagues, Please find below a PhD opportunity in our lab. Best wishes, Eirini Title: An EEG and computational modelling investigation into cultural differences in visual perceptual learning Supervisory Team: Professor Eirini Mavritsaki, Dr Panagiotis Rentzelas, Professor Maxine Lintern, Professor Zoe Kourtzi (University of Cambridge), Stephanie Chua Visual perceptual learning (VPL) refers to the acquisition of visual skills through training which improves our ability to detect useful information in cluttered scenes. Individualism and independence in Western cultures have been associated with differential processing and attentional styles. This research will be based on understanding cross-cultural differences on VPL using EEG and computational modelling work. The ideal applicant should have a good first degree in Psychology/Computer Science. Previous experience in conducting neuropsychological experiments and/or computational modelling work will be highly desirable. Link: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/social-sciences/research/phd_opportunities Contact information: Prof. Eirini Mavritsaki Eirini.mavritsaki(a)bcu.ac.uk<mailto:Eirini.mavritsaki@bcu.ac.uk> 0121 3316361 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Prof. Eirini Mavritsaki, Ph.D., CPsychol , SFHEA Professor of Cognitive Psychology Director of Research and Enterprise for the School of Social Sciences Director of Postgraduate Research Studies for the School of Social Sciences Department of Psychology Faculty of Business Law and Social Sciences Birmingham City University The Curzon Building 4 Cardigan Street Birmingham B4 7BD eirini.mavritsaki(a)bcu.ac.uk<mailto:eirini.mavritsaki@bcu.ac.uk> 0121 331 6361 Please use the link below if you want to book a meeting with me https://calendly.com/eirini-mavritsaki ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 30, 2021

CFP Workshop on Competitive and Cooperative Social Interactions @ IJCAI2021

by Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros

Call For Papers - The Workshop on Competitive and Cooperative Social Interactions @ IJCAI2021 I. Aim and Scope In this workshop, we put together the top-tier researchers on machine learning, in particular social signal processing, and human-robot interaction to discuss, understand and propose possible solutions for our overall topic “Competition and Cooperation: How to integrate machine learning and human-robot interaction in meaningful applications?”. Our intention is to leverage an enriching discussion of the existing problems on competitive and cooperative interactions on the multidisciplinary view of our contributors, and not to present individual solutions for each of the related topics. Our invited speakers, all experts in their respective areas, will discuss the open problems involving social agents' interactions within their specialty. We also invite the submissions of position papers that present a critical view on this topic to complement and widen our discussions. More information: https://www.whisperproject.eu/compcoop II. Potential Topics Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: - Supervised, Unsupervised, and Self-supervised models for social signal processing. - Reinforcement Learning for Multi-agent interaction. - Representation Learning and Decision Making applied for - Competitive and/or Cooperative Scenarios. - Human-Robot interactions in Real-world Competitive and/or Cooperative scenarios. - Ethical aspects of artificial agents and social interactions. - Affective Computing Models and Applications for Multi-Agent Interactions. - Cognitive Models for Social Interaction. - Lifelong and Continual Learning for Interactions with Humans. - Learning with Humans in the Loop. - Developmental Learning for Social Signal Processing. - Explainable Social Agents. - Social Impact of novel Developments on Artificial Agents and Social Interactions. - Cognitive models for Social Interaction. III. Submission The workshop holds a public call for short (up to 4 pages) and long papers (up to 8 pages) that address any of the related topics. We encourage the participants to submit not only contribution papers but also position arguments about the current problems involving any of the related topics. The authors should follow the IJCAI paper template. - Paper submission deadline: May 4, 2021 - Decisions: May 18, 2021 - Camera-ready papers due: June 14, 2020 Submission website: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/CompCoop2021 IV. Organizers Pablo Barros, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Doreen Jirak, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Francisco Cruz, School of IT, Deakin University, Australia German I. Parisi, McD Tech Labs, USA ---------------------------------------- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Researcher - CONTACT Unit Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – Center for Human Technologies Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B 16152 Genova, Italy email: pablo.alvesdebarros(a)iit.it website: https://www.pablobarros.net<http://www.pablobarros.net><https://www.p> twitter: @PBarros_br

March 29, 2021

Two Lectureships at the University of St Andrews

by Tom Otto

Dear Colleagues, The School of Psychology and Neuroscience at St Andrews is offering two lectureships with one position in Neuroeconomics/Decision Making and the other in Behavioural Neuroscience (please see links to the adverts below). Closing Date: 23 April 2021 All the best, Tom https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/3505/0/293925/889/lectur… https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/3193/0/293921/889/lectur… -- Dr. Thomas Otto University of St Andrews School of Psychology and Neuroscience St Mary’s Quad, South Street, St Andrews, KY16 9JP, Scotland Phone: +44 (0)1334 462091 http://lclab.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

March 29, 2021

AMAM2021 (Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines) Call for Abstracts

by Auke Ijspeert

*AMAM 2021 Call for Abstracts* The International Symposium on Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines (AMAM, http://adaptivemotion.org/ <http://adaptivemotion.org/>) is dedicated to stimulate fruitful interactions among biologists and engineers interested in adaptive motion. It aims at bringing together researchers in robotics, biomechanics, neuroscience, sports science, and other fields related to behavior in biological and artificial systems. This year AMAM is holding a virtual, asynchronous conference to highlight work done by early career researchers. The meeting will consist of an online poster session with access to asynchronous chats, a pre-recorded audio or video poster presentation, and synchronous virtual meeting times scheduled by each participant to encourage live conversation and connection across time zones. In addition there will be the traditional hardware demonstration (the Robot Zoo) in a non-traditional promotional video format. The meeting will be held June 22^nd – 25^th . Abstract deadline will be April 1^st 2021. More information can be found at https://amam2021.squarespace.com/ <https://amam2021.squarespace.com/> and will be updated regularly. Please use the contact tab on the webpage if you have any questions at all.

March 28, 2021

Postdoc position in computational neuroscience at Georgia Tech

by Choi, Hannah

Dear all, A postdoctoral researcher position is available in Hannah Choi's group in the School of Mathematics at Georgia Tech. We are a new computational neuroscience group studying the link between structure, dynamics, and computation in data-driven neural networks at multiple scales. We utilize various mathematical tools to probe how efficient neural computation emerges from the underlying network dynamics and architecture, in close collaboration with leading experimental groups. More information about the group is available at hannahchoi.math.gatech.edu. The ideal candidate should have a strong quantitative background, with a PhD in computational neuroscience, applied math, physics, computer science, or other related fields. Previous experience in neuroscience and/or machine learning is preferred but not required. The position would ideally start as soon as possible (Summer or Fall 2021). To apply, please send a CV, a research statement, and the contact information for three references to hannahch(a)gatech.edu<mailto:hannahch@gatech.edu> with the subject line "postdoc application". Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Georgia Tech's campus is in the heart of midtown Atlanta, which has a thriving and collaborative computational neuroscience community spanning multiple institutions and departments. Georgia Tech is an equal education/employment opportunity institution dedicated to building a diverse community, priding itself on its technology resources, collaborations, high-quality student body, and its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Best, Hannah ************************ Hannah Choi, Ph.D. Assistant Professor School of Mathematics Georgia Institute of Technology

March 28, 2021

Paid internships in computational neuroscience

by Salvador Dura

Two paid internships position in computational neuroscience are available in the Dura-Bernal Lab <http://dura-bernal.org/> at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University. Students will have the opportunity to gain research experience and learn cutting edge methods in computational neuroscience: large-scale modeling of neuronal cortical circuits to study brain function and disease; machine learning applied to neuroscience; development of neuroscience software tools. For more details see Research<http://dura-bernal.org/research> and Current Collaborations<http://www.dura-bernal.org/people#collaborators>. For details please see: http://dura-bernal.org/internships. -- Salvador Durá-Bernal, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center Research Scientist IV, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Lab web: dura-bernal.org<http://dura-bernal.org/>

March 27, 2021

CFP 30th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks ICANN 2021, Sept 14-17, ONLINE, Deadline extension

by Paolo Masulli ENNS

30th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks ICANN 2021 https://e-nns.org/icann2021 *ONLINE EVENT* 14 - 17 September 2021 *Deadline extended to April 15, 2021* ============================================================= The International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN) is the annual flagship conference of the European Neural Network Society (ENNS). In 2021 the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics (FMPI), Comenius University in Bratislava, together with the Slovak Society for Cognitive Science, organize the 30th ICANN Conference from the 14th to the 17th of September 2021. *Online event:* Due to the uncertainty regarding the re-opening of Europe during 2021, *ICANN is going fully online this year*. We will still have keynote talks, contributed talks and poster sessions, and nothing changes regarding the conference proceedings in Springer LNCS. * **CONFERENCE TOPICS* ICANN 2021 is a dual-track conference featuring tracks in Brain Inspired Computing and Machine Learning and Artificial Neural Networks, with strong cross-disciplinary interactions and applications. All research fields dealing with Neural Networks will be present at the conference. A non-exhaustive list of topics includes: Machine Learning: Deep Learning, Neural Network Theory, Neural Network Models, Graphical Models, Bayesian Networks, Kernel Methods, Generative Models, Information Theoretic Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Relational Learning, Dynamical Models, Recurrent Networks. Brain Inspired Computing: Cognitive models, Computational Neuroscience, Self-organisation, Reinforcement Learning, Neural Control and Planning, Hybrid Neural-Symbolic Architectures, Neural Dynamics, Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Informatics, Perception and action. Neural Applications for: Bioinformatics, Biomedicine, Intelligent Robotics, Neurorobotics, Language Processing, Image Processing, Sensor Fusion, Pattern Recognition, Data Mining, Neural Agents, Brain-Computer Interaction, Neural Hardware, Evolutionary Neural Networks. *CALL FOR CONTRIBUTED SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS* All scientific communications presented at ICANN 2021 will be reviewed and scientifically evaluated by a panel of experts. The conference will feature two categories of communications: - oral communications (15'+5') - poster communications. *CALL FOR PAPERS* Authors willing to present original contributions in either oral or poster category may submit: - A full paper of maximum 12 pages (including references) to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series with individual DOI. - An extended abstract of maximum 4 pages to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series, without indexing. The number of oral slots is limited. In case the number of requested oral presentations is larger than the available slots the ICANN scientific committee will select which papers will be reassigned to a poster session. This selection will be based on the coherence of the programme and is totally independent of the category of submission. Submission of communications will be on the conference website: https://e-nns.org/icann2021/ *IMPORTANT DATES* Opening of contribution submissions: 15 Feb 2021 Deadline for full paper and extended abstract submission: 15 Apr 2021 Notification of acceptance: 25 May 2021 Camera-ready paper and registration opening: 15 June 2021 Deadline for early registration at discount rate: 30 June 2021 *BEST PAPER AWARDS* ENNS will sponsor a maximum of four best paper awards. *ORGANISATION* General Chairs: Igor Farkaš (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Ľubica Beňušková (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Organising Committee Chairs: Kristína Malinovská (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Sebastian Otte (University of Tübingen, Germany) Alessandra Lintas (ENNS Lausanne, Switzerland) Honorary Chairs: Stefan Wermter, University in Hamburg, Germany (ENNS President) Věra Kůrková, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia (past ENNS President) Communication Chair: Paolo Masulli (Technical University of Denmark, ENNS)

March 26, 2021

Research Associate Position at Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre

by Jiaxiang ZHANG

[Apologize for cross-posting] Dear all, We are seeking an enthusiastic early-career scientist for a research associate position at Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC). The successful candidate will join a collaborative and multidisciplinary research team to work on the neurocognitive mechanisms of human decision-making, integrating multimodal brain imaging (MEG, functional MRI and diffusion MRI) and computational modelling. The post holder will develop computational models that describe data from behavioural and brain imaging experiments, in particular to take a lead role in integrating large-scale computational simulations with imaging results from multiple modalities. The research aims to understand the computational and neurocognitive processes of human decision-making, and how decision deficits may arise due to brain injury or neurodegeneration. The research associate will also be expected to collaborate with other researchers in the team on imaging data analyses and data curation. You will have access to imaging facilities at CUBRIC and several multimodal imaging datasets. Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) houses a unique combination of state-of-the-art facilities and world-leading expertise, with 4 human MRI systems (2 x Siemens Prisma, 1 x Siemens Connectom, 1 x Siemens 7T), MEG, EEG, TMS, tDCS, clinical research units and testing labs. Further details of CUBRIC can be found on our webpage (http://sites.cardiff.ac.uk/cubric) This is a full-time, fixed-term position until February 2023, available to start now. Remote working is possible if COVID-19 restrictions are in place. For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Jiaxiang Zhang ( zhangj73(a)cardiff.ac.uk) A formal application needs to be submitted via the link online ( https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CEQ831/research-associate) *Application deadline: April 6th, 2021.* *Essential Criteria* 1. A PhD degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., mathematics, computer science, engineering, physics or psychology) 2. Research experience or a strong interest in human decision-making 3. Strong experience in computational models of cognitive processes and/or macroscopic neural systems, including the use of neural mass models or neural field models 4. Experience of analysing brain imaging data in one or more modalities (e.g., diffusion MRI, BOLD functional MRI, MEG/EEG), using common software packages 5. Strong programming skills (e.g., Matlab, Python, C/C++ or R) 6. Experience with Unix/Linux environment for data analysis, including bash scripting and parallel computing on high-performance clusters 7. Proven ability to publish high-quality research in peer-reviewed academic journals 8. Knowledge of software development cycles and best programming practices, including coding standards, version control administration, debug and code sharing, with strong commitments to open science practices 9. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, evidenced by publications and/or conference presentations 10. Strong interpersonal skills, including proven ability to work cooperatively within a team while also being able to take the initiative *Desirable Criteria * 1. Experience of brain functional and structural connectivity analyses 2. Experience in statistical methods (e.g., GLM, mixed models, multivariate statistics, hierarchical models and Bayesian statistics) and/or machine learning methods 3. Experience in deep learning models of imaging processing --- Dr. Jiaxiang Zhang Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) School of Psychology Cardiff University Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ https://ccbrain.org

March 25, 2021

INCF Assembly 2021: abstract submission closes March 31!

by Helena Ledmyr

Join us virtually for the 2021 INCF Assembly on April 19-27, with an exciting program <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/2021/program> covering different aspects of FAIR neuroscience! Abstract submission <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/abstract-submission> is open until March 31, and registration <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/2021/registration> is now open . Members of INCF enjoy heavily discounted registration fees, which are already lowered due to the meeting being virtual this year. You can sign up for membership and see the other benefits here <https://www.incf.org/join-incf/individuals> - one year costs 20 USD for students and postdocs, and 50 USD for regular members. The INCF Assembly 2021 aims to provide the neuroscience community with approaches that can be used today to implement the FAIR principles in their research. It also aims to provide tool developers and infrastructure providers with an opportunity to interact with the user community and to interact with other practitioners to advance the field of neuroinformatics. The 2021 INCF Assembly will address topics around FAIR neuroscience such as: - FAIR approaches for neuroscience in general, neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and computational neuroscience - Electrophysiology and computational neuroscience - Data science - Showcase of tools and infrastructures - Open innovation and intellectual property - Information about ongoing work in INCF councils and committees - Funders and publishers roundtable - Workshops on developing standards and a roadmap for FAIR neuroscience The INCF Assembly is the only international meeting that focuses on providing researchers with hands-on training experiences and enabling interaction with software developers and infrastructure providers. We hope to see you online in April! ----------------------------- Helena Ledmyr, PhD *Director* *Development and Communications* International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility Secretariat Karolinska Institutet. Nobels väg 15A, SE-171 77 Stockholm. Sweden Email: helena.ledmyr(a)incf.org Phone: +46 8 524 870 35 incf.org neuroinformatics.incf.org

March 25, 2021

Network Neuroscience Satellite at Networks2021 online conference - Call for contributions

by Daniele Marinazzo

The 2021 Network Neuroscience Satellite <https://netneurosci.github.io/networks2021satellite> of the Networks2021 <https://networks2021.net/> conference will happen online between June 28 and July 2, with the most likely dates being June 30/July 1 (TBC soon). *Background and Motivation:* Recent technological developments have enabled mapping and recording of neural systems with unprecedented coverage and detail. Increasingly, the brain’s structure and function are approached from the perspective of complexity and networks, with theoretical and empirical/computational studies that conceptualize the brain as a complex system, composed of elements and interactions that are dynamically and functionally integrated. Network science offers important conceptual tools, insights, and robust computational methods for dynamic network systems’ analyses. At the intersection of networks and brain science, the interdisciplinary field of Network Neuroscience is now addressing a broad range of both basic and applied scientific questions, regarding many aspects of brain architecture and function. This satellite will provide an opportunity for participants with diverse backgrounds to present cutting-edge research, discuss latest network findings and exchange ideas. *Invited speakers:* - Maurizio Corbetta (University of Padua, Italy) - Plamen Ch. Ivanov (Boston University, United States) - Mariangeles Serrano (University of Barcelona, Spain) - Carolyn Parkinson (University of California Los Angeles, United States) - Dimitri Van De Ville (EPFL and University of Geneva, Switzerland) *Organizing and program committee:* - Richard F. Betzel (Indiana University, United States) - Fabrizio De Vico Fallani (INRIA, France) - Katja Heuer (Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Germany) - Daniele Marinazzo (Ghent University, Belgium) - Olaf Sporns (Indiana University, United States) - Roberto Toro (Pasteur Institute, France) - Emma Towlson (University of Calgary, Canada) - Robin Wilkins (University of North Carolina, United States) The satellite will include a number of* poster and oral presentations* contributed by submission. For the poster sessions we are working to provide a friendly, robust, and inclusive platform to maximize the quality of the interactions. If you would like to present your work, please, follow this link to <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=netneuro2021>Easychair <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=netneuro2021>, select the type of contribution and submit your abstract by *April 9th*. Abstracts should be in pdf format and no longer than 1 page (about 500 words). Please note that we have only a limited number of slots available for oral presentations, and encourage you to consider submitting your work as a poster. We will be holding a dedicated session for the posters. Oral presentations (“Contributed Talks”, 15 minutes) will be selected by the program committee. We welcome submissions from all areas of Network Neuroscience, to include (but not limited to): - Brain transcriptional and gene regulation networks; - Structural brain networks; - Functional brain networks; - Network theory, modeling and analysis; - Network communication and information flow; - Circuit dynamics; - Brain-behavior interactions; - Systems neuroscience; - Clinical applications. Please note that as per the rules of Networks2021, you may not deliver the same oral presentation in this satellite as at the main conference. Posters, however, may be presented at the satellite and at the main conference if appropriate. Communication of accepted submissions and invitations for oral “contributed talks” will be sent by *April 23rd*. The early deadline for registration at the Networks2021 conference is *May 1st*. Please don't forget to visit our webpage <https://netneurosci.github.io/networks2021satellite>, and add yourself with your interests and keywords to the brainweb <https://brain-web.github.io/community/>! -- Daniele Marinazzo Department of Data Analysis Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University Postal address: Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium Office address: Henri Dunantlaan 1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium (directions in the link below) +32 (0) 9 264 6375 <http://www.da.ugent.be/>http://users.ugent.be/~dmarinaz/ Twitter @dan_marinazzo <https://twitter.com/dan_marinazzo> Directions to the office <https://soleway.ugent.be/routes/1250> http://helpdesk.ugent.be/e-maildisclaimer.php

March 25, 2021

Postdoc and research assistant positions in Florida. Sleep and memory spike dynamics

by Carmen Varela

Two positions (*one postdoc and one research assistant/post-bac*) in the laboratory of Dr. Carmen Varela (Psychology Department, Florida Atlantic University; https://www.varelalab.org/) to investigate the role of the thalamus in sleep-dependent memory consolidation. *Keywords*: behaving rodent extracellular electrophysiology, cell population dynamics, thalamic circuits, learning and memory, sleep consolidation, synaptic plasticity, mRNA translation. Start date flexible within 2021. *Project 1 (postdoc; 3 years with possibility of extension):* Cell population dynamics of spike activity in thalamic cells during learning and subsequent NREM sleep consolidation. *Project 2 (research assistant; 1-2 years with possibility of extension):* Synaptic changes evoked by thalamic activity during sleep-dependent memory consolidation. **** Requirements **** Interested candidates please send your curriculum and a brief description of your research interests to varelac(a)fau.edu We are looking for team-oriented candidates, ideally with prior experience with rodent behavior and electrophysiology. Candidates selected for an interview will be asked to provide contact information for up to three references. **** What you get **** · Work on exciting and impactful projects to understand the contribution of higher order thalamic cells to learning and memory. · Develop research skills using state-of-the-art systems, molecular and computational neuroscience techniques. · Mentorship, supportive lab environment, in a rapidly growing neuroscience campus. *Location**:* The Varela laboratory is located in FAU’s Jupiter campus, a rapidly growing neuroscience hub, which also hosts our partners the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and Scripps Research Institute. Best, Carmen Varela, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Psychology Department Florida Atlantic University MC-19, room 106 Jupiter, FL 33458

March 22, 2021

Open Post-doctoral Position in Human Perceptual Neuroscience at NYU

by Hardstone, Richard

The Perception and Brain Dynamics Laboratory (PI: Biyu J. He, Ph.D.) at New York University is currently recruiting for a post-doctoral fellow to study neural mechanisms of human perception and the interaction between perceptual and cognitive systems. We are looking for a candidate with independent critical thinking, strong analytical and quantitative skills, and good interpersonal skills. We are especially interested in candidates with experience in using advanced neuroimaging data analyses to test theories in perceptual/cognitive neuroscience, and/or candidates with experience in large-scale computational modeling. Our laboratory is located on the medical campus of New York University in Manhattan, NY, and is affiliated with the Neuroscience Institute, Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Radiology. The position is expected to start in fall 2021. We provide competitive salary and benefits that adjust for cost of living in New York City. To apply, please send a CV, a cover letter, a statement of scientific and career goals, and names and contacts of three referees to Prof. Biyu Jade He (email: biyu.jade.he(a)gmail.com<mailto:biyu.jade.he@gmail.com>) with the subject line “post-doctoral application 2021”. ------------------------------------------------------------ This email message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain information that is proprietary, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender by return email and delete the original message. Please note, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The organization accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. =================================

March 17, 2021

3x Positions in Reinforcement Learning & Comp Cogn Neuroscience for Healthcare

by Aldo Faisal

Dear All We are looking for machine learning, causal statistics and computational neuroscience minded people to join our rapidly growing team around developing Reinforcement Learning for medical interventions. Recruitment is on a rolling basis, but for administrative purposes we have a first cut-off end of this month. If you want to move beyond Atari games and work on intervention-based Machine Learning that will have impact on medial practice and eventually patient lives - do join us as we have received the unique opportunity to join us to work on the Machine Learning, Computational Cognitive Science and a rapidly growing team working on the hospital IT, regulatory and clinical side of our AI for Healthcare testbed for "Level 2 autonomous medical treatment”. Details below Kind regards Aldo — 3 x Postdoctoral Positions in Reinforcement Learning for Healthcare (AI Clinician) @ Imperial College Job Summary Research Associate salary: £40,858 - £48,340 per annum* Full-time, Fixed term to start ASAP for 2 years with the possibility for extension Our vision is to establish the computational foundations for an „AI clinician“, an AI system informed by millions of patient records that is using Reinforcement Learning (RL) to learn optimal treatment policies for critically ill patients (Komorowksi et Faisal, 2018, Nature Medicine; Gottesman et al, 2019, Nature Medicine). Prof Aldo Faisal, has been awarded a prestigious UKRI Turing AI Fellowship in Reinforcement Learning for Healthcare for which are recruiting up to 3 post-doctoral Research Associates. Our machine learning research goal is centred on developing what is needed as a theoretical foundation for taking our „AI clinician“ proof-of-principle all the way to clinical deployment, and expanding its capabilities and responsibilities. Our Research Associates doing fundamental work will be supported by a team of experienced Researchers and a program grant to take the AI Clinician through the regulatory and technical challenges of clinical deployment. The AI Clinician programme is grounded in the established foundations of clinical decision support systems, which will run as a bed-side recommender system watching over the patients state second-by-second and prompting specific clinical interventions to undertake as the patient state evolves. We are uniquely placed to take our machine learning developments into a meaningful clinical setting, as we have been awarded with generous funding by the UK’s Ministry of Health/NHS-X to setup a globally unique AI for Healthcare testbed for reinforcement learning interventions in 4 intensive care units across Central London. On the clinical side of the AI Clinician we are collaborating with world-leading intensive care clinicians (Anthony Gordon & Matthieu Komorowksi) also at Imperial College. Our project has the support of regulatory experts and specialised medical device units that support us in taking our entire research program all the way to clinical deployment in a live hospital environment. The overall research environment is corresponding to our ambition, the Departments where Aldo Faisal’s research group is based has been consistently ranked top 3 in the UK, and Imperial College has been consistently ranked in the top-10 universities world-wide. Imperial College boasts a world-leading ecosystem of AI for Healthcare research across the breadth of both AI and Medicine, and hosts among other things the pioneering UKRI Centre in AI for Healthcare (directed by Aldo Faisal), as well as the AI network, comprising over 200 faculty and 1000 Research Associates and PhD Students at Imperial that work in AI. Duties and responsibilities The aim of the project is the advancement of foundational Reinforcement Learning methods with the immediate application to clinical intervention and involves the unique opportunity to develop core machine learning theory and see it evaluated with clinical end-users as needed. We are therefore searching for our UKRI Turing AI research programme areas at the interface of: 1. Causal Inference & Reinforcement Learning Despite the parallels between optimal sequential decision making in Causal Inference (Dynamic Treatment Regimens) and continuous control in RL, there has only been some initial work linking these (Barenboim & Pearl, 2016; Johnson et al 2017; Gottesmann et Faisal…, 2019, Nature Med) and we are keen to synthesize these into a common theory. 2. Foundations of Reinforcement Learning Advancing RL methods to cope with partial observability, risk, sparseness or the size of vast data sets, (including Distributional RL & Fusing Off-policy & On-Policy learning; Off-Policy Learning in POMDPs; Neural ODEs for RL), e.g. see Li & Faisal, 2021, AAAI; 3. Explainable AI & Cognitive Neuroscience We believe that Explainability in AI requires us to develop empirical methods for measuring how well humans were explained and how much trust this explanation has caused, establishing a clear link to cognitive neuroscience. E.g. see Beyret, Shafti & Faisal, IROS 2019, Shafti et Faisal, IROS 2020. Location: London Salary: £40,858 to £48,340 per annum Hours: Full Time Contract Type: Fixed-Term/Contract Placed On: 2nd March 2021 Closes: 31st March 2021 Job Ref: ENG01585 How to apply For further details on this opportunity visit https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/ <https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/> and search using vacancy reference number ENG01585. Candidates should also attach: A full CV A short statement indicating what you see are interesting issues relating to the above post and why your expertise is relevant Informal enquiries regarding post please contact Aldo Faisal: aldo.faisal(a)imperial.ac.uk <mailto:aldo.faisal@imperial.ac.uk> For queries regarding the application process contact Jamie Perrins: j.perrins(a)imperial.ac.uk <mailto:j.perrins@imperial.ac.uk> Closing Date: 31st March 2021 (midnight) Apply <https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/description/ENG01585/3-x-research-associate> — Aldo Faisal, PhD Professor of AI & Neurocscience UKRI Turing AI Fellow Director, UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Healthcare Director, Behaviour Analytics Lab, Data Science Institute Dept. of Bioengineering & Dept. Of Computing Imperial College London SW7 2AZ London UK @FaisalLab www.FaisalLab.org aldo.faisal(a)imperial.ac.uk http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.faisal

March 16, 2021

Full-time Research Assistant posion on funded project investigating the neural basis of conscious vision -- Brascamp lab

by Brascamp, Jan

Our lab is seeking to hire a Research Assistant for a funded project investigating the neural basis of conscious vision. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in many aspects of the study including recruiting and scheduling participants, collecting behavioral and neuroimaging data, and organizing and analyzing study data. In addition, this position will involve general lab management, including maintaining ethical protocols, and there will be opportunity to contribute to other ongoing projects in the lab. The research assistant will also have the opportunity to prepare scientific results for publication and presentation, and there will be ample opportunity to learn methods in functional neuroimaging, visual psychophysics, and eye tracking/pupillometry. Accordingly, this position should be viewed as a stepping stone toward gaining entry into graduate or professional school. The ideal candidate should be highly motivated, organized, and capable of working independently, have strong organizational and interpersonal skills, and hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in psychology, neuroscience, or related discipline. Individuals interested in the psychology and neuroscience of visual perception are especially encouraged to apply. Minimum qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, neuroscience, or related field, and previous (undergraduate or post-undergraduate) experience in human subjects research. Experience with vision research is highly desirable. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) is essential. Experience using a programming language (Python, Matlab) is desired, but not necessary. Preference will be given to those who can commit to two years of service. The start date is flexible. Interested applicants should e-mail Dr. Jan Brascamp at brascamp(a)msu.edu and include all required application materials: 1) 1-2 page letter of interest, including interests and long-term career goals/plans. 2) CV 3) Transcript (unofficial or official) 4) Contact information (phone and email address) for three individuals who can provide a reference Applications will be reviewed starting immediately and continue until the position is filled. Any questions about the position may be directed to Dr. Jan Brascamp at brascamp(a)msu.edu

March 16, 2021

Scientific Liaison Officer position at Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Germany

by Abigail Morrison

Dear Colleagues, We have a position open for a Scientific Liaison Officer for EBRAINS at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Jülich Research Centre, Germany. We are looking for candidates with excellent communication skills, a strong scientific background and computing skills to both promote EBRAINS in the neuroscience community, and drive development activities within the Human Brain Project to ensure the requirements of the community are being met. For a full description and details of how to apply, please see the announcement on our website: https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2021-103-E… Closing date: 30 March 2021 All the best, Abigail Morrison -- Prof. Dr. Abigail Morrison IAS-6 / INM-6 / SimLab Neuroscience Jülich Research Center & Computer Science 3 - Software Engineering RWTH Aachen http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-6 http://www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/slns http://www.se-rwth.de Office: +49 2461 61-9805 Fax # : +49 2461 61-9460 Pronouns: she/her ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 16, 2021

Funded PhD position in modelling biological neuro-muscular control in dynamic locomotion with a link to biorobotics (Biomechanics / Biomedical Engineering / (Bio-)physics)

by Compsens

FUNDED PHD POSITION IN MODELLING BIOLOGICAL NEURO-MUSCULAR CONTROL IN DYNAMIC LOCOMOTION WITH A LINK TO BIOROBOTICS (BIOMECHANICS / BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING / (BIO-)PHYSICS) We are currently seeking a highly motivated PHD STUDENT (F/M/D) WE OFFER a FUNDED RESEARCHER POSITION FOR 36 MONTHS in our project „Neuro-muscular contraction in dynamic locomotion“. The project has a strong focus on basic research investigating the function of biological muscles in locomotion and how to transfer important characteristics to novel bio-inspired robotic systems. You will be part of an interdisciplinary multi-center research group with muscle physiology and biorobotics researchers in a team of at least three PhD students. Your contribution will be focused on modelling and simulation of neuro-muscular control. Your contract should start in the first half of 2021. Salary will be based on previous experience. ABOUT US You will become a member of the group /Multi-Level Modeling in Motor Control and Rehabilitation Robotics/ at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH) in Tübingen. The project is in collaboration with the /Dynamic Locomotion Group/ at Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems and the /Department of Motion and Exercise Science /at the University of Stuttgart. Our joint research environment offers an excellent research infrastructure and outstanding graduate schools fostering the development of your career. REQUIREMENTS, CORE SKILLS The ideal candidate should have * A background in BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, (BIO-)PHYSICS, COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE, or closely related * a Masters (or equivalent) degree from a recognized university. Near completion can be considered; * Prior knowledge in multi body dynamics modeling, dynamical systems, system identification, learning, or optimization, is a plus; * Proficient programming experience in Matlab, Python, or similar * Prior experience with neuro-muscular or musculo-skeletal modeling is a plus; * Excellent grades and analytical skills; * Proficient oral and written English skills; * Outstanding candidates with different backgrounds are encouraged to apply To apply The position is will remain open until filled. Applications sent before March 21st will be prioritised. Please send a Cover letter, CV, and transcript of records, along with contact details of two researchers or teachers who would be willing to write a letter of reference (we will contact them directly) to: DANIEL.HAEUFLE(a)UNI-TUEBINGEN.DE HTTPS://WWW.HIH-TUEBINGEN.DE/EN/MOCOM/ I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR APPLICATION! DANIEL HäUFLE

March 16, 2021

Sponsored competition announcement: the Multi-Agent Behavior Challenge

by Ann Kennedy

We are excited to announce the Multi-Agent Behavior (MABe) Challenge, a competition to build improved tools for the detection of multi-agent behaviors in neuroscience data! What: A machine learning competition to build supervised behavior classification tools, hosted on AIcrowd. When: The Challenge runs from March 8 2021 - April 30 2021 Where: https://www.aicrowd.com/challenges/multi-agent-behavior-representation-mode… Why: To understand the brain, we must understand how it controls behavior. The study of that behavior has classically relied on manual annotation of large volumes of videos. Automating the behavior annotation process would allow researchers to increase the speed, volume, and objectivity of their experiments, and to investigate new behaviors they otherwise would not have time to study. What's in it for me: the three challenge tasks share a $9000 prize pool sponsored by Northwestern University and Amazon SageMarker. The first 50 submissions to exceed any task baseline by at least 5% will receive $200 in Amazon SageMaker credits (max 2/team). Top performing teams will also be invited to present their work at the Multi-Agent Behavior Workshop at CVPR 2021 in June (workshop details coming soon). The challenge consists of three tasks: 1) develop methods to classify human-defined behaviors from tracked pose trajectories in a large dataset of videos of socially interacting mice, 2) fine-tune classifications to different annotator styles, and 3) learn to recognize new behaviors of interest from limited training examples. Relevant techniques include supervised learning, many-to-one time series modeling, style transfer/transfer learning, few-shot learning, domain-sensitive data augmentation, and unsupervised feature learning/clustering. Organized by Ann Kennedy (Northwestern University), Jennifer J. Sun (Caltech), Yisong Yue (Caltech), and Pietro Perona (Caltech), with data contributed by Tomomi Karigo and other members of the David Anderson lab (Caltech). Happy classifying!

March 15, 2021

Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Reproducible Neuroimaging Analysis in Toronto

by Sean Hill

The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics (PI Dr. Sean Hill, http://krembilneuroinformatics.ca/) Toronto, is looking to hire a Post-Doctoral Fellow with a strong background in Neuroimaging and Software Engineering. The successful candidate shall spearhead the group's efforts in developing a comprehensive open science platform that captures a range of experimental data, produces a semantic representation that links related scientific content, and provides users with data discovery tools. Working jointly between the Krembil Centre and Radiologics, the successful candidate will be involved cutting-edge development an electronic laboratory notebook platform that enables reproducible human neuroscience workflows. This work will support a global collaborative effort for Accelerating research on Consciousness: An adversarial collaboration to test contradictory predictions of Global Neuronal Workspace and Integrated Information Theory. Led by Dr. Lucia Melloni this project will accelerate research on consciousness by providing decisive, field-transformative evidence in favor of one theory and against the other. It will also establish a groundbreaking model for scientific practices in cognitive neuroscience at large, by demonstrating the impact of team-based adversary research and open data. This will address major riddles in the field, much like established practices in other fields such as physics and genomics have done. Thus, this project may dramatically change the landscape of research—that is, the social practices and norms—in the field of cognitive neuroscience. Full posting details: https://www.camh.ca/-media/files/radiologics__kcni_postdoctoral_fellow_post… For inquiries, please email Dr. Sean Hill (sean.hill(a)camh.ca<mailto:sean.hill@camh.ca>) with the title “Post-Doctoral Fellowship Reproducible Neuroimaging Platform” in the subject line. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. AVIS DE CONFIDENTIALITÉ : Ce message électronique, ainsi que tout fichier qui y est joint, est reserve à l'usage exclusif du destinataire visé et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels et privilégiés. Toute lecture, utilisation, divulgation ou distribution non autorisée est interdite. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire visé, veuillez en aviser l'expéditeur par retour de courriel et détruire toutes les copies du message original.

March 15, 2021

You are invited to register for the Neuroscience Workshops!

by Mary

Dear researchers, neuroscientists, electrophysiologists and enthusiasts, ScienceBeam Academy has the pleasure to invite you to register for upcoming neuroscience online courses as described below: 1) “Deep Dive into Event Related Potentials (ERPs) Technique” Online Course Prospective overview of the sessions: 1. Basics of EEG signal and EEG recordings ➢ Overview of the theory behind neural signals (History) ➢ Generation and Propagation of ERP and EEG ➢ Different EEG Recording Systems with its specifics (Amplifier, Electrodes etc.) ➢ 10/20 Electrode System, Reference, Montages, Impedance, etc. ➢ Brain Rhythms and Cognition (Based on Clinical and Research Studies) 2. Basics of ERP Components ➢ ERP Components (MMN, P300, N400, N170, VPP, CNV, Sensory ERP Components, etc.) ➢ Difference Wave, Forward-Inverse Problem ➢ Challenges in ERP Source Localization ➢ Peaks and Components 3. EEG-ERP Prepossessing with Various Preprocessing Pipelines ➢ Basic Principles and Challenges ➢ Filtering, Baseline Correction, Interpolation, Artifact Rejection and Correction, Re-referencing, ICA etc. ➢ Pipelines: MAKATO, HAPPE, BEAP and etc. 4. Experimental Design ➢ Principles of Experimental design for ERP in Clinical and Research Settings ➢ Significance of Measurement Window ➢ Common Design Problems and Solutions ➢ Case Studies on research articles with good and bad design 5. Basic Analysis ➢ Quantifying ERP Amplitudes and Latencies ➢ Introduction to the Analysis tool boxes (EEGLAB, ERPLAB) ➢ FFT, Time Frequency Analysis 6. Common Mistakes (in lack of parameters) ➢ Overlapping ➢ Filtering ➢ Epoching ➢ Baseline Correction ➢ Measurement Window • Instructor: Mrs. Pragati Gupta, M.Sc. in Neuro-psychology from Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, India and a Student Member at Indian Academy of Neuroscience • Course Length: 7-sessions online course • Introductory webinar: https://sciencebeam.com/erplab-webinar/ • Registration: https://sciencebeam.com/pragati-gupta-course/ o Deadline: March 25, 2021 2) “Modeling Electrophysiological Activities: From Single Neuron to Nervous Tissue” Online Course. Theoretical and experimental hands-on course including lab sessions, in which you will learn about extracellular recording from rat models and also working with single-unit and Local Field Potential (LFP) data. Prospective overview of the sessions: 1. Session 1: ➢ Systems and complex system in neurosciences ➢ Origins of electrophysiological signals and measurements ➢ Electrophysiology and relevant features for computational modeling: o Membrane potential o Raster plot o Local field potential 2. Session 2: ➢ Understanding the time evolution of the electrophysiological signals from a dynamical systems point of view. ➢ Introduction to dynamical systems for neurosciences: o Differential equations o Phase space representation o Stability and domain of attraction ➢ Unidimensional and bidimensional models o Dynamics of integrate-and-fire models o Repertoire of 2 D models o Reduction of Hodgkin-Huxley model 3. Session 3: ➢ 2D and Higher dimensions models: o Particular role of the reset o Possibility of chaos ➢ Models of synapses ➢ Limits of models: o Biophysical and mechanistic description o Phenomenology ➢ Introduction to the first lab session (with Brian2 simulator) 4. Session 4: ➢ First Lab Session: o Repertoire of electrophysiological patterns o Models of networks o Global measure on simulations 5. Session 5: ➢ Second lab session: o analysis of the results o relations to the data ➢ Conclusive discussion • Instructor: Dr. Damien Depannmaecker, Post-Doc researcher at Department of Integrative and Computational Neuroscience, Paris Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, France • Course Length: 5-sessions hands-on online course • Introductory webinar: https://sciencebeam.com/modeling-electrophysiological-activities/ • Registration: https://sciencebeam.com/online-course-modeling-electrophysiological-activit… o Deadline: April 1st, 2021 If you require any further information, feel free to contact me: workshop(a)sciencebeam.com Mary Reae Human Neuroscience Department Manager www.sciencebeam.com WhatsApp Num.: 008613380781282

March 15, 2021

Several funded PhD positions - in Computational Cognition at the interface of Machine Learning, Computational Neuroscience, and AI.

by Prof. Pipa

We offer in total 8 funded PhD positions associated with the graduate school on "Computational Cognition" (https://www.comco-cms.uni-osnabrueck.de/en/open_positions.html) , at the interface between Cognitive Science, Machine learning, Computational Neuroscience, and AI. The RTG Computational Cognition aims at reintegrating Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence. PhD students of the RTG will be educated in both subjects in order to combine the findings of these fields and thus to get a better understanding of human and machine intelligence. Research fields involved in the RTG are Neuroinformatics, NeuroBioPsychology, Bio-Inspired Computer Vision, Knowledge-Based Systems, Cognitive Natural Language Processing & Communication, Cognitive Modeling, Artificial Intelligence, Psycho/Neurolinguistics, Computational Linguistics and Cognitive Computing. The RTG focuses on the integration of two research fields. Further information on the RTG is available at www.comco.uni-osnabrueck.de. Detailed information on the core areas of the offered PhD projects can be obtained from the spokesmen of the RTG, Prof. Dr. Gordon Pipa (gpipa(a)uni-osnabrueck.de) and Prof. Dr. Peter König (pkoenig(a)uni-osnabrueck.de) The RTG is incorporated into the Cognitive Science PhD program founded in 2002. PhD students of the RTG will take advantage of an interdisciplinary environment, which nevertheless focuses on a common research topic and offers a broad range of methodological synergies between the projects. Required Qualifications: Applicants are expected to have an academic degree (Master/Diploma), experience in at least one of the domains listed above, proven experience in interdisciplinary work as well as a good command of the English language. Osnabrück University is committed to helping working/studying parents balance their family and working lives. Osnabrück University seeks to guarantee equality of opportunity for women and men and strives to correct any gender imbalance in its schools and departments. If two candidates are equally qualified, preference will be given to the candidate with disability status. Applications with the usual documentation should be submitted by e-mail in a single PDF file to the director of the Institute of Cognitive Science, Prof. Dr. Gunther Heidemann (gheidema(a)uni-osnabrueck.de) with a cc to office(a)ikw.uni-osnabrueck.de no later than April 19, 2021. To inquire additional information on for example specific research projects you can contact the coordinator Gabriela Pipa (gapipa(a)uos.de) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- Professor and Chair of the Neuroinformatics Department Dr. rer. nat. Gordon Pipa Institute of Cognitive Science, Room 50/218 University of Osnabrueck Wachsbleiche 27, 49090 Osnabrück, Germany tel. +49 (0) 541-969-2277 fax (private). +49 (0) 5405- 500 80 98 home office. +49 (0) 5405- 500 90 95 e-mail: gpipa(a)uos.de webpage: http://www.ni.uos.de research gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gordon_Pipa/?ev=prf_act linkedin: https://de.linkedin.com/in/gordon-pipa-47771539 Personal Assistent and Secretary of the Neuroinformatic lab: Anna Jungeilges Tel. +49 (0)541 969-2390 Fax +49 (0)541 969-2246 Email: anna.jungeilges(a)uni-osnabrueck.de visit us on http://www.facebook.com/CognitiveScienceOsnabruck https://twitter.com/#!/CogSciUOS

March 15, 2021

Modellers Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox, Final Call

by Stewart Heitmann

Modellers Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox, Final Call Final Announcement. The Modeller’s Workshop is an online course for simulating custom dynamical models using the Brain Dynamics Toolbox (bdtoolbox.org<http://bdtoolbox.org>). Participants learn the art of programming differential equations in Matlab and how to use the toolbox to solve those equations interactively. Topics include Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs), Partial Differential Equations (PDEs), Delay Differential Equations (DDEs), Stochastic Differential Equations (SDEs), Auxiliary Plot Functions and command-line tools. Example code is provided in all cases. Course Website https://bdtoolbox.org/p/modellers-workshop/ Important Dates Enrolments close Saturday 20th March 2021. Stewart Heitmann | Computational Scientist Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute | Lowy Packer Building | 405 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Australia E: s.heitmann(a)victorchang.edu.au<mailto:s.heitmann@victorchang.edu.au> | @VictorChangInst Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving and compliance. To find out more visit the Mimecast website.

March 15, 2021

Faculty Positions at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

by Kenji Doya

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (https://www.oist.jp) invites applications for new faculty positions as part of its planned expansion. Applications are invited in, but not limited to, the targeted areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and smart machines. Excellent scholarship and creativity are the main criteria for appointment. Successful candidates are expected to establish an active and independent research program, supervise Ph.D. students, teach graduate courses, and perform university services as required. Appointments will be Tenure-Track or Tenured. The starting date is negotiable. The application deadline is April 30, 2021. Please refer to application information: https://groups.oist.jp/facultypositions OIST offers a world-class research environment with an international research community and opportunities for interdisciplinary research, with currently 81 Research Units and no departmental boundaries (https://www.oist.jp/research-units) Each faculty will run an independent Research Unit with generous internal funding, including funds for several research staff. OIST provides cutting-edge core research facilities, including imaging, sequencing, instrumentation, nanofabrication, and high-performance computing, with dedicated support staff. Research and teaching are conducted in English. The campus is situated in a beautiful subtropical setting in Okinawa, Japan. Please see the video: https://www.oist.jp/news-center/videos/university-future The University strongly encourages applications from women and other underrepresented groups. Inquiries: Dr. Milind Purohit Dean of Faculty Affairs faculty-recruiting(a)oist.jp ---- 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

March 14, 2021

Postdoc positions in the cognitive computational neuroscience of decision making

by Ollie Hulme

We are searching for two researchers to contribute to an ambitious experiment addressing how risky decisions are made & why. Candidates to be at a postdoc level, though those without a PhD can be considered. One position is based at the London Mathematical Laboratory <https://lml.org.uk/>(behavior & theory focus), the other is based in Copenhagen at the Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance <https://www.drcmr.dk/>(neuroimaging focus). There will be substantive opportunities for exchange visits between sites, and (COVID-permitting) summer school training in Italy. Interdisciplinary training will be central to both positions. For more details on the London position see here <https://lml.org.uk/research/economics/research-positions-in-ergodicity-econ… > and for the Copenhagen position see here <https://drcmr.dk/vacancies/item/1114-postdoc-researcher-position-neuroecono…> . Twitter thread here <https://twitter.com/hulme_oliver/status/1369677808872603652?s=20>. -- Ollie Hulme Senior Researcher at the Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance <https://www.drcmr.dk/> Group leader: Computational neuroscience of reward group <https://www.drcmr.dk/reward-and-homeostasis> External Fellow at the London Mathematical Laboratory <https://lml.org.uk/> (+45) 2339 1399

March 12, 2021

Laboratory research coordinator position in systems/cognitive neuroscience

by Ella Striem-Amit

*Laboratory research coordinator position in systems/cognitive neuroscience* The Sensory and Motor Plasticity lab (SAMP Lab, PI: Ella Striem-Amit) at Georgetown University is looking for a full-time laboratory research coordinator. We examine the balance between innate brain organization and experience-dependent plasticity by studying people with sensory and motor deprivation (e.g., blindness, dysmelia) using behavioral and neuroimaging techniques. The Laboratory Research Coordinator will work on projects involving behavioral and fMRI testing of sensorimotor and visual processing, as well as perform administrative duties. The position is particularly suited for a recent graduate from a Neuroscience, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Computer Science or related undergraduate program who is seeking to work in an innovative research environment in preparation for graduate school. The primary duties and responsibilities of this position include: · Running Experiments for the lab: Recruit and interact with study participants and run experiments in the lab (behavioral, fMRI), as well as online behavioral experiments (e.g. Amazon Mechanical Turk). Administrative responsibilities associated with these experiments, including maintaining lab records, participant reimbursements, uploading and organizing data, and managing IRB documentation and reviews. · Maintaining Infrastructure: Responsibility for purchasing and maintaining lab equipment and managing data storage, including fMRI equipment, lab computers, and lab accounts on software and storage services. · Research Projects: Responsibility for carrying out independent research projects and assistance with the research projects of students and postdocs. These projects will involve a combination of behavior and fMRI of actions in healthy and special populations. The laboratory research coordinator will be expected to participate in all aspects of experiment design, analysis, and communication, including creating stimuli and experimental protocols, collecting and analyzing data, writing up results for publication, and presenting findings at conferences. · Additional administrative duties: Interaction with outside vendors, maintenance of laboratory records, assistance with coordinating lab meetings, conference trips and visits. Position duration: *At least two years of commitment is required. * Start time: Flexible, preferably May to August 2021 Requirements: BA/BS in Neuroscience, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Computer Science or related scientific field Experience with scientific computing (Matlab, Python, or R) An ability to solve technical problems independently Strong organizational skills Ability to work well with others Some prior research experience (experience with fMRI analyses an advantage) *To learn more or apply for this position, please email your CV to Ella Striem-Amit (**striemamit(a)fas.harvard.edu* <striemamit(a)fas.harvard.edu>*) with the subject line: **Lab research coordinator **position.* Georgetown University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer fully dedicated to achieving a diverse faculty and staff. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. -- *Ella Striem-Amit (she/her)* Sensory and Motor Plasticity (SAMP) Lab Edwin H. Richard and Elisabeth Richard Assistant Professor Department of Neuroscience Georgetown University Medical Center 3970 Reservoir Rd., NW Washington, DC 20007 http://samp-lab.facultysite.georgetown.edu/

March 11, 2021