- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

PhD position in Neuroscience available immediately (Italy / USA)

by Marco Tamietto

A new European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator grant starts at the University of Torino, Italy, for 5 years (~ 2 million euros). The grant “LIGHTUP – Turning the cortically blind brain to see” is awarded to prof. Marco Tamietto (www.marcotamietto.com) The project investigates the neural correlates of visual awareness and of non-conscious vision in patients with *blindsight* and in non-human primates (macaques) with V1 destruction. To this aim, a broad range of methods will be used, including 3T and 7T (f)MRI, neurophysiological recordings and brain stimulation (TMS). The project is embedded in an outstanding international and interdisciplinary context, including the University of Oxford (UK), Tilburg University (NL) and NIH (USA), with granted access to their excellent facilities. We offer a full-time PhD Student post for 4 years. Applications of highly motivated candidates with interests in systems neuroscience, vision sciences and neuroimaging are welcomed. The successful applicant will be appointed by the University of Torino, but he/she will be expected to spend a significant amount of time at the NIH in Bethesda (USA). In fact, the PhD student will be co-supervised by prof. M. Tamietto and prof. D. Leopold, and the position is specifically focused on behavioural and fMRI studies in non-human primates. For further information please visit http://www.marcotamietto.com or contact Prof. M. Tamietto (marco.tamietto(a)unito.it) or Prof. D. Leopold ( leopoldd(a)mail.nih.gov)

July 27, 2018

[Deadline Approaching] CfP: CI Methods in Processing and Analysis of Neuronal Big Data at BI 2018, Texas, Dec. 7-9.

by Mufti Mahmud

*[Apologies for cross posting.]* *Call for Paper for Special Session on* *Computationally Intelligent Methods in Processing and Analysis of Neuronal Big Data* *11th Brain Informatics Conference (BI 2018), Arlington, Texas, USA, December 7-9, 2018* *Web: http://uta.engineering/conferences/bi-2018/ <http://uta.engineering/conferences/bi-2018/>* Organizers: *Mufti Mahmud1, M Shamim Kaiser2, Ning Zhong3, Nitish V Thakor4* *1 **Computing and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, NG11 8NS – Nottingham, UK* 2*Institute of Information Technology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, 1342 – Dhaka, Bangladesh* 3*Dept. of Life Science and Informatics, Maebashi Institute of Technology, 371-0816 - Maebashi-City, Japan* *4**Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, National University of Singapore, 117456 – Singapore; &* *Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 21205 – MD, USA* *Introduction:* The brain receives and processes information simultaneously coming from diverse sources. The neurons, being the basic information processing units, interconnect to each other to form hierarchical and/or parallel pathways. Technologies related to neural systems engineering have been employed to study these pathways along with processing and modelling of neuronal data for disease diagnosis and brain decoding purposes. Combining both experimental and computational approaches in recent years, thanks to the advancements in neurotechniques, scientists can access large amount of neuronal data and apply computationally intelligent and nature-inspired machine learning techniques including deep learning and reinforcement learning on those data to suggest next generation experimental design aiming to decipher brain’s information processing capabilities and diagnose its diseases. *Scope:* Developing data-intensive and intelligent tools, as well as sophisticated neurotechniques, to process and analyse the neuronal big data is one of the biggest challenges posed to today’s multidisciplinary brain science community. To share recent progress in decoding neuronal information processing, both in healthy and diseased brain, this special session aims to provide a forum for scientists from diverse disciplines including – computer, electrical, biomedical, and neuro engineering – who are looking for more relevant information in interpreting brain functions and diagnosing diseases using expert and computationally intelligent systems. This special session expects to attract papers on recent research progress in the area of intelligent computational tools and techniques in acquiring and processing neuronal big data. The focus areas include, but not limited to, the following: Ø Neural systems engineering and technology to study neural pathways; Ø Processing and modelling of neuronal data for disease diagnosis and brain decoding; Ø Bio-inspired methods for network analysis and pattern recognition in neural data; Ø Novel machine learning techniques for neuronal big data analysis; Ø Application of deep and reinforcement learning to neuronal big data analysis; Ø Computationally intelligent techniques for neuroscience applications; Ø Neuroinformatics (including cloud computing and real-time systems); Ø Cognitive science applications (learning, workload, decision making, etc.) and data analytics; Ø Computational and imaging methods for human brain connectome; and Ø Information analysis in human brain machine interface (invasive, noninvasive). *Submission of papers:* Submit Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) complaint – 10 page – pdf paper to the Special Session following the steps below: Ø Prepare the paper as per the Springer LNCS template from: http://www.springer.com/us/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gui… Ø Visit https://wi-lab.com/cyberchair/2018/bi18/scripts/ws_submit.php?subarea=S Ø Select the link: Special session on Computationally Intelligent Methods in Processing and Analysis of Neuronal Big Data Ø Select the link Submit a New Paper (TYPE I Submission) Ø Provide paper details (i.e., Author(s), Paper Title, Abstract, Keywords, PDF file to upload). *Important dates:* Ø Paper submission deadline: *30 July 2018* Ø Decision notification: *30 August 2018* Ø Special Session date: *7 December 2018* Ø Conference dates: *8-9 December 2018*. With kindest regards, *Mufti Mahmud, PhD* | (Senior) Lecturer of Computing & Technology <https://www.ntu.ac.uk/sat/about/academic_teams/comp_tech.html> | School of Science & Technology <https://www.ntu.ac.uk/sat/> | Nottingham Trent University <https://www.ntu.ac.uk/> Office: ERD200 | Erasmus Darwin Building | Clifton Campus | NG11 8NS – Nottingham | United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)115 84 83202 | Email: mufti.mahmud(a)ntu.ac.uk Meeting requests: https://doodle.com/mufti <http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2037-8348> http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2037-8348 https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=L8em2YoAAAAJ&hl=en https://sites.google.com/site/muftimahmud/ https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/science-technology/mufti-mahmud Senior Member, IEEE <https://www.ieee.org/> & ACM <https://www.acm.org/> Associate Editor, IEEE Access <http://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/> Editorial Board Member, Cognitive Computation <https://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/journal/12559> & Big Data Analytics <https://bdataanalytics.biomedcentral.com/> Student consultation hours: Drop-in sessions on Thursdays between 11.00 am and 12.30 pm. Appointments for a different time can also be arranged through email.

July 24, 2018

Postdoc in Computational and Mathematical Neuroscience (closing 29 July; EPSRC funded)

by James Rankin

**closes soon*, on 29 July* *Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Computational and Mathematical Neuroscience* Location: College of Engineering, Mathematics, Physical Sciences at the University of Exeter (Streatham Campus) Job reference: P62935 Application closing date: *29/07/2018* Interview date: *10/08/2018* Salary From £34,520 on Grade F, dependent on knowledge, skills and experience This new full-time post is available from *1st October 2018* on a fixed term contract basis for *2 years*. The College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to participate in the project Neural oscillator network modelling of auditory stream segregation. This EPSRC funded post is available from 01/10/2018 for 2 years. The successful candidate will join the Systems Biomedicine and Dynamical Systems research groups housed in the recently launched GBP 50m Living Systems Institute at the University of Exeter. These groups house over 50 researchers applying mathematical and computation approaches to study problems in neuroscience, biology and healthcare. The project will benefit from input from colleagues with expertise in neural networks, bifurcation theory, coupled oscillators and numerical methods. The Post: The project will involve developing mathematical and computational models to deepen our understanding of auditory stream segregation. This is a fundamental process in the auditory system that allows us to separate out and focus on distinct sound streams (e.g. voices) in a dynamic noisy environment. This process involves competition in order to resolve different interpretations of a given environment (e.g. different groupings of objects). Many aspects of this process are still not well understood, such as where in the brain segregation of streams is achieved, how the streams are encoded and the driving neural mechanisms. This project will develop a biologically motivated model inspired by a broad cross section of modelling and experimental literature (from anatomical, neurophysiological, brain imaging and behavioural experiments). The models developed will be based on networks of coupled neural oscillators. Neural oscillations are understood to be vital for the encoding of temporal information in auditory streaming. Dynamical systems theory including bifurcation analysis and numerical methods will provide the necessary tools to understand the dynamics of the models developed. About you: - Candidates with quantitative backgrounds (Mathematics, Physics, Engineering) and from Neuroscience programmes with a strong computational component are encouraged to apply. - Applicants will possess a PhD or equivalent in one of these areas or a related field. T - You will also be able to work collaboratively and supervise the work of others. - Programming experience in a high-level language (e.g. Matlab, Python, C/C++) is a must and knowledge of dynamical systems theory is a plus. - Experience working on interdisciplinary projects involving the application of mathematical and computational tools to problems in Biology or Neuroscience will be viewed favourably. The University offers some fantastic benefits including 41 days leave per year, options for flexible working, numerous discounts at leading retailers, onsite gym, cycle to work scheme, sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a new Fertility Treatment Policy; and a stunning campus environment in the heart of Exeter. If you are not currently in Exeter please have a look at our website for some further information on what a beautiful part of the country we are based in. *For further information, please contact Dr James Rankin, email j.a.rankin(a)exeter.ac.uk <j.a.rankin(a)exeter.ac.uk>* https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC1 07GF.open?VACANCY_ID=258266M3V7&WVID=3817591jNg http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/jar226 The University of Exeter is an equal opportunity employer. We are officially recognised as a Disability Confident employer and an Athena Swan accredited institution. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in the workforce.

July 24, 2018

IMBIZO DEADLINE TOMORROW: IBRO Simons Computational Neuroscience Imbizo 2019

by Tim Vogels

Dear all, I’d like to remind you that the deadline for next year's IBRO-Simons computational neuroscience imbizo is TOMORROW Tell your friends, and tell your students, especially your African students, as we are still lacking a proper pipeline to disseminate this information. The Imbizo is a summer school in computational neuroscience and machine learning, hosted January 6th - 27th 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. We are generously sponsored by the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) and the Simons Foundation (Simons). TO APPLY visit https://imbizo.africa <https://imbizo.africa/> IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHETHER YOU CAN AFFORD IT, BY ALL MEANS, APPLY. We have generous merit-based awards and stipends to give away!! The Imbizo is designed to introduce students with backgrounds in analytic fields (computer science, statistics, physics, mathematics, engineering, etc.) to the field of computational neuroscience. It will also benefit advanced experimental biologists who would like to learn more computational skills. It also provides an opportunity for students already working in computational neuroscience to do 3 weeks of intensive, focused work in a different sub-topic of the field. Students should generally be at Masters/early PhD level, and have completed at least a 2nd-year university level course in computer science, statistics, physics or mathematics. Some coding experience will also be helpful. More advanced level students (post-Docs, early career PIs) may also be accepted if they can motivate how the courses at the Imbizo could help their career. Well motivated, exceptional undergraduates will also be considered. African students are especially encouraged to apply. The faculty for 2019 include: Dora Angelaki (Bayor College, Houston) Demba Ba (Harvard Uni, Boston) Sophie Denève (ENS, Paris) Adrienne Fairhall (Univ of Washington, Seattle) Peter Latham (Univ College London) Timothy Lillicrap (Google Deepmind, London) Joseph Raimondo (Univ of Cape Town) Athanassia Papoutsi (IMBB-FORTH, Hellas) Srikanth Ramaswami (EPFL, Lausanne) Blake Richards (Univ Toronto) Andrew Trevelyan (Newcastle Univ., Newcastle) Misha Tsodyks (Weizmann Inst., Rehovot) Tim Vogels (Oxford) Byron Yu (Carnegie Mellon Univ, Pittsburgh) TO APPLY visit https://imbizo.africa <https://imbizo.africa/> "Imbizo" is an isiXhosa word, meaning "A gathering to share knowledge". The aim of the isiCNI is exactly this: to create an environment in which young African and international students can explore computational neuroscience together, forming strong friendships in the process. Three weeks of intensive lectures, tutorials, projects and fun! Who should apply? The Imbizo is designed to introduce students with backgrounds in analytic fields (computer science, statistics, physics, mathematics, engineering, etc.) to the field of computational neuroscience. It will also benefit advanced experimental biologists who would like to learn more computational skills. It also provides an opportunity for students already working in computational neuroscience to do 3 weeks of intensive, focused work in a different sub-topic of the field. Students should generally be at Masters/early PhD level, and have completed at least a 2nd-year university level course in computer science, statistics, physics or mathematics. Some coding experience will also be helpful. More advanced level students (post-Docs, early career PIs) may also be accepted if they can motivate how the courses at the Imbizo could help their career. Well motivated, exceptional undergraduates will also be considered. African students are especially encouraged to apply. What does it cost? The attendance fee for the isiCNI2019 is EUR 1,100.00. Thanks to our generous sponsors, significant bursaries are available to subsidise and waiver student fees, and provide some travel bursaries. Funding will be allocated according to need and merit. Please be sure to complete the relevant section of the application. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHETHER YOU CAN AFFORD IT, BY ALL MEANS, APPLY. We have generous merit-based awards and stipends to give away!!

July 23, 2018

Invitation to Participate in Software Engineering Practices in Cognitive Modelling and Computational Neuroscience Survey

by Furkan Kurtaran

Dear All, As a part of Master's thesis research, I am conducting an online survey on software engineering practices and problems in developing cognitive and neuroscientific architectures/frameworks/simulators and computational models on those platforms. If you have been involved in developing such cognitive/neuroscientific modelling tools and computational models on them, we will be grateful if you could answer our survey questions in the link given below: http://moodle.atilim.edu.tr/anket/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=579941&lang=… [1] The participation is voluntary and anonymous; the survey will take about 10 minutes. We hope to better understand and develop suggestions for improving cognitive modelling and computational neuroscience software from a software engineering point of view at the end of our research. As a symbol of gratitude of your participation, participants who complete the survey will be eligible for a prize draw for a $40 book check from Amazon. Best Regards, -- Furkan Kurtaran Computer Engineering Department Research Assistant Atilim University https://www.atilim.edu.tr/en/compe/page/1595/academic-staff Links: ------ [1] http://moodle.atilim.edu.tr/anket/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=579941&a…

July 23, 2018

Software Development Position -- University of Tübingen

by Andrea Burgalossi

A position as 'Data Analyst & Software Developer' is immediately available in the Burgalossi lab (www.burgalossilab.com) He/she will work closely with neuroscientists for developing software for the analysis of electrophysiological data and animal behavior (rodents). Specific tasks will also involve programming virtual-reality and/or video-tracking hardware, and developing software for the detection and scoring of animal behaviors. A strong quantitative background (e.g. degree in statistics, computer science, physics, mathematics, engineering, etc.) and excellent programming skills (e.g. MATLAB) are necessary. Background in neuroscience and experience in methods for neural data analysis are a plus. Candidates at various levels of academic degree (BSc, MSc, PhD) will be considered for this position. Applications should contain CV and names of at least two referees. Please send your application (or informal inquiries) electronically to Andrea Burgalossi (andrea.burgalossi(a)cin.uni-tuebingen.de) -- Andrea Burgalossi, PhD Cellular and Synaptic Basis of Behaviour Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN) Otfried-Müller-Straße 25 72076 Tübingen Tel: +49-(0)7071-29-88797 Fax: +49-(0)7071-29-25006 Lab web: burgalossilab.com CIN web: http://www.cin.uni-tuebingen.de

July 18, 2018

HFSP postdoc in limbo, and perhaps at ENS

by Alessandro Treves

A postdoc is sought to join a HFSP-funded project to study analog cortical computations in linguistic processes. A collaboration with Naama Friedmann (TAU) and Remi Monasson (ENS) which includes, at SISSA, Sara Andreetta and several PhD students. Ideal candidates are interested in language but have expertise in mathematical approaches to neural computation - complementary to Sara's in behaviour. A fruitful interaction with Remi and his group may lead to a period based in Paris. Applications to be submitted by August 6, 2018, as indicated in https://www.sissa.it/bandi/selezione-pubblica-titoli-conferimento-di-n-1-as… (note: by 1pm!) with starting date Oct 1st. Inquiries at ale(a)sissa.it -- Alessandro Treves http://people.sissa.it/~ale/limbo.html SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy +39-040-3787623 Ambassador (BlaBlaCar) +39-349-2504602

July 16, 2018

Postdoc positions on Consciousness Research at Monash Uni, Australia

by Naotsugu Tsuchiya

Position A: DP180100396 (in collaboration with Masafumi Oizumi, Hiroto Kawasaki, Giulio Tononi) No report paradigm in EEG/MEG/intracranial recordings and the analysis of integrated information across sensory and prefrontal cortex Position B: DP180104128 (in collaboration with Marta Garrido, Ueli Rutishauser, Ralph Adolphs) The analysis of MEG/intracranial recordings, using Granger causality and integrated information We are looking for highly talented postdocs (application from PhD students with a prospect of getting PhD in 1 year are welcomed) for the above two ARC-funded positions. Ideal candidates in both positions would have strong publications, strong programming skills in Matlab/Python, strong background in data analysis, preferably neuroimaging data or neural spikes. The projects include 1) design of various psychophysical paradigms (*pdf <https://academic.oup.com/nc/article/doi/10.1093/nc/niw023/2970153/Are-we-un…>)*, including no-report paradigms (*pdf <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9N0ysU85rs7bEF5d1VVX3J4T3c/view>*), which can be used for subsequent EEG/MEG/intracranial recording experiments and 2) analysis of EEG/MEG/intracranial data using the approximations of integrated information (link1 <http://www.eneuro.org/content/4/5/ENEURO.0085-17.2017>, *link <https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9N0ysU85rs7NFVSQlIza215eVU> *, *link <http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2016/12/02/1603583113.abstract>*, *link <http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.10046…>)* ). Please send the inquiry with your CV to naotsugu.tsuchiya(a)monash.edu. Applicants with most fit background and skills will be contacted for subsequent interview over the internet. The positions will be available until they are filled. Regards Nao Tsuchiya -- -- *Nao (Naotsugu) Tsuchiya* Associate Professor *Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences* Attention and Memory Program School of Psychological Sciences Monash University 770 Blackburn Monash Brain Imaging facility, Clayton, VIC 3800 Australia T: +61 3 9905 4564 E: naotsugu.tsuchiya(a)monash.edu W: homepage: http://users.monash.edu.au/~naotsugt/Tsuchiya_Labs_Homepage http://med.monash.edu.au/psych/email-sig/miccn-email-sig.jpg <http://www.monash.edu/neuro-institute/> 2. Visiting Researcher at Department of Dynamic Brain Imaging, Advanced Telecommunications Research (ATR), Japan 3. Visiting Researcher at CiNet, Osaka University, Japan orcid.org/0000-0003-4216-8701

July 15, 2018

Postdoctoral / Research Specialist position in Neural Circuits and Behavior @ Janelia (USA)

by Reiser, Michael

Postdoctoral / Research Specialist position in Neural Circuits and Behavior https://www.janelia.org/lab/reiser-lab/positions The Reiser lab at the Janelia Research Campus seeks a creative scientist to join our endeavor to understand how the fly brain uses visual information to control behavior. We use behavioral, anatomical, imaging, electrophysiological, and computational techniques to crack the neural circuits for vision and navigation in Drosophila. This is an exciting time to be working on the fly brain. It is the golden age of Drosophila neuroanatomy—full brain connectomes and precise genetic access to nearly every cell type in the brain are on the horizon. It is likely that within the next few years the behavioral methods used for establishing functional roles for identified cell types will become rate limiting. We have developed a number of new instruments and methods for high-content behavioral analysis and are recruiting a scientist to help with the development and application of these new tools. In this position you would lead our efforts to apply these new tools to deeply map behavioral circuits. Many specific projects are possible that are related to active research topics in the lab (visual motion guided behaviors; visual place learning; central modulation of visual circuits). Requirements: - A keen interest in figuring out the brain. - Ph.D. in neuroscience, experimental biology, or a quantitative field. - Familiarity with diverse computing environments. - Experience in animal behavior, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, instrumentation, computer vision, machine learning, and/or computational neuroscience is a big plus. Janelia is a unique, exciting research environment near Washington, D.C., with abundant opportunities for collaboration and learning new things. Interested applicants should apply by email; please include your curriculum vitae and research interests and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to reiserm at janelia.hhmi.org. The Reiser lab is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment. Members of groups underrepresented in science are especially encouraged to apply. HHMI is an equal opportunity employer.

July 15, 2018

Open Ph.D. position on whole-brain calcium imaging at Technical University of Munich

by Gil Westmeyer

We are currently looking for a Ph.D. Student interested in functionally dissecting whole-brain calcium imaging data with cellular resolution obtained from zebrafish larvae undergoing systematic perturbations of neuronal activity. Our laboratory (westmeyerlab.org) at the School of Medicine of Technical University of Munich (https://www.tum.de/nc/en/homepage/) and The Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI) http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/ibmi/ focuses on biological engineering of molecular sensors and actuators for neurobehavioral imaging. We have built a molecular imaging pipeline consisting of state-of-the-art fluorescent imaging techniques including neurobehavioral methods to simultaneously image behavior and brain activity in freely behaving animals (see for example NeuBtracker.org) We complement these dataset with exoeriments conducted by Light Sheet Microscopy and Light Field microscopy to obtain imaging volumes with high temporal sampling and confocal / 2-photon microscopy. We also capture calcium signaling from adult zebrafish and rodent brains using combined acquisitions with optoacoustic tomography or MRI. For our inter-disciplinary work, we are actively collaborating within Europe and in particular also with MIT and Caltech. If you are interested in computational analyses of whole-brain calcium imaging data, please visit westmeyerlab.org and submit a brief statement of your research interests and your CV to Gil Westmeyer.

July 14, 2018

Postdoctoral positions in Rinberg and Shoham labs

by Rinberg, Dmitry

The Rinberg and Shoham labs at NYU Medical School are seeking to fill multiple postdoctoral positions at the interface of computational systems neuroscience and advanced neurotechnology. The goal of our studies is to elucidate how sensory information is represented in the brain, and how the brain extracts information relevant for behavior. We are using rodent olfaction as a model system, and employing multiple modern techniques including one- and two-photon imaging and patterned optogenetics, Si-probe electrophysiology, and psychophysics approaches. In addition to conventional tools, we are developing new cutting edge optical, opto-acoustic and computational tools for bidirectional neural interfacing and applying these tools towards high-precision probing and monitoring of information processing in behaving animals. The postdoctoral researches will be involved in joint and individual lab projects. This is an excellent opportunity for computationally and technologically inclined candidates to find their niche in-between developing cutting edge technologies and applying the technologies to fundamental scientific questions. Our labs are part of NYU’s vibrant world-class hub for computational systems neuroscience, and of NYU Tech4Health, a new biomedical technology development institute. An ideal candidate should have a background in neuroscience, physics/engineering and math. Knowledge and experience in optics, imaging, multi-neuron physiology and computational methods are a big plus. Please contact Dima Rinberg: rinberg(a)nyu.edu<mailto:rinberg@nyu.edu> or Shy Shoham: shoham(a)nyu.edu<mailto:shoham@nyu.edu> See also: www.rinberglab.com<http://www.rinberglab.com>, niel.net.technion.ac.il<http://niel.net.technion.ac.il> ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. =================================

July 12, 2018

Call for Papers: Workshop on Understanding Developmental Disorders at ICDL-EPIROB 2018

by Anja Philippsen

==================================================== Workshop "Understanding Developmental Disorders: >From Computational Models to Assistive Technologies" ==================================================== Website: http://cognitive-mirroring.org/en/events/icdlepirob2018_workshop/ Date: September 17, 2018 (full day) Venue: Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan We invite the submission of short papers (2-4 pages incl. references) to our workshop on "Understanding Developmental Disorders: From Computational Models to Assistive Technologies" which takes place in conjunction with the 8th Joint IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning and on Epigenetic Robotics (ICDL-EPIROB 2018) http://www.icdl-epirob.org The aim of this workshop is to bring together researchers from robotics, developmental psychology and cognitive sciences for discussing computational and theoretical models of developmental disorders and of typical development, and sharing recent advances in robot therapy and assistive technology. Invited speakers include: - Tony Belpaeme (ID Labs, Ghent University, Belgium / CRNS, Plymouth University, UK) - Thusha Rajendran (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh) - Shinichiro Kumagaya (Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo) - Yasuyo Minagawa (Keio University, Tokyo) We encourage submissions about ongoing work from various research fields with the goal of fostering interdisciplinary discussions. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: - Computational models of human cognition and development - Theoretical models of human cognition and development - Robot therapy and assistance for people with disorders - Behavioral or neurocognitive studies on developmental disorders or typical development - Predictive coding - Tojisha-kenkyu (self-study of people with disorders) - Autism spectrum disorder Papers should be 2-4 pages incl. references, following the template of the main conference (pdf, IEE two-column format: http://icdl-epirob2018.ogata-lab.jp/submission/) and submitted via EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=udd18 All accepted papers will be presented during the poster session and in spotlight talks. Submission deadline: August 13, 2018 Notification of acceptance: August 27, 2018 Workshop day: September 17, 2018 (full day) We are looking forward to seeing you at the workshop! For more information and updates please visit our workshop website: http://cognitive-mirroring.org/en/events/icdlepirob2018_workshop/ Organizers: Anja Philippsen and Yukie Nagai, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan -- Anja Philippsen, M.Sc. Researcher, Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan http://developmental-robotics.jp/en/members/anja_philippsen/

July 12, 2018

ESI SyNC Conference 2018 - Integrative Mechanisms of Cognitive Neuroscience

by André Castro

Dear all, we are pleased to announce the 2018 edition of the ESI Systems Neuroscience Conference (ESI SyNC) on the topic of “Integrative Mechanisms of Cognitive Neuroscience" organized by the [Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society](http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/esi-frankfurt/) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The conference will begin in the morning of 30 August and end in the evening of 31 August 2018. Our confirmed invited speakers are the following: - David Melcher (University of Trento, Italy) -- "Temporal rhythms of visual perception" - Dimitri Kullmann (UCL, UK) -- "Hippocampal gamma oscillations: dynamical properties and closed-loop manipulation" - Matteo Carandini (UCL, UK) -- "Local and global neural correlates of vision, action, and reward" - Biyu He (NYU, US) -- tba - Melanie Wilke (DPZ, Germany) -- tba - Wim Vanduffel (KU Leuven, Belgium) -- "Optogenetic interrogation of the attention network in primates" - Anitha Pasupathy (University of Washington, US) -- "Encoding things and stuff: multiplexed form and texture signals in primate V4" - Floris de Lange (Radboud University, Netherlands) -- "How do prior expectations influence sensory computations?" - Hannah Monyer (Heidelberg University, Germany) -- tba - James Bisley (UCLA, US) -- tba This year we have the pleasure to announce as our special guest the choreographer Ildikó Tóth! The registration deadline: 15 August 2018. Please see our [website](http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/esisync/esisync-home/) for more details and updates on the programme. Organising Committee: Wolf Singer Pascal Fries André Castro Tommaso Tosato Ana Broggini Miriam Mueller Renata Vajda

July 11, 2018

PhD Scholarships in Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne

by Uwe Aickelin

I am seeking expressions of interest for PhD scholarships in the School of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Optimisation and Datamining. Established in 1853, the University of Melbourne is consistently ranked among the leading universities in the world, holding the number 1 spot in Australia. The School of Computing and Information Systems is an international research leader in computer science and information systems. In this discipline, the School was ranked number 1 in Australia and 14th in the world in the 2018 QS World University Ranking exercise. These scholarships include a tax-free living allowance of $30,600 per year (2019 rate) for up to 3.5 years. There is potential for the applicants to earn additional money through assistance in undergraduate teaching, and top-up scholarship options are also available. These scholarships are available to applicants of any nationality, who will also be exempt from the full tuition fee costs for the duration of candidature. See this link for more information on the scholarship: https://scholarships.unimelb.edu.au/awards/graduate-research-scholarships I am looking for candidates in the top 5% of their graduating cohort, or with an overall result in the top echelon for their degree. e.g. H1 (80-100%), High Distinction, A, 3.5 out of 4 GPA etc. Students should have completed a master’s degree that included a research project/thesis that accounts for at least 25% of one year's work in a relevant discipline. Please see these pages for further details regarding entry requirements: http://www.eng.unimelb.edu.au/study/degrees/phd/entry-requirements#entry-re… To express your interest in these PhD Scholarships please send your CV including details of two referees, a full copy of your academic transcripts (Bachelor and Master) and a one-page cover letter which outlines your research skills, experience and why this PhD opportunity interests you to uwe.aickelin(a)unimelb.edu.au. Suitable applicants will be contacted for an interview and given further instructions how to submit a formal application. Closing Dates for Expressions of Interest for 2019: 31 July 2018 Uwe Aickelin

July 11, 2018

Post-doc at FIAS - Computational Modeling of Epilepsy: Conducting Interviews at CNS*2018

by Peter Jedlicka

Dear Comp-Neuro community, I would like to inform you that a post-doc position will be available in 2019 in the context of Frankfurt's new Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER). The project focuses on better understanding circuit changes and neuroimmune interactions during the development of epilepsy and is jointly lead by Prof. Jochen Triesch and me. I am attending the CNS*2018 in Seattle (July 13-18). If you are interested, contact me by email and attach your CV so that we can meet for an in-person interview. Best, Peter Jedlicka P.S. If you are not attending CNS, you can send your applications (single pdf file including CV, list of publications, statement of research interests and names and email addresses of three references) to jedlicka(a)em.uni-frankfurt.de and triesch(a)fias.uni-frankfurt.de. The position will be based at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (https://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/en/) Frankfurt has a vibrant Neuroscience community and the successful candidates will work closely together with experimental labs. An ideal candidate will have obtained a PhD/Master Degree in Computational Neuroscience or closely related field and have a strong interest in applying their knowledge to problems of medical relevance. Prior experience with modeling spiking neural networks or compartmental modeling is highly desirable. Experience in modeling epilepsy, neural plasticity and neuro-immune interactions is a plus. -- Peter Jedlicka, MD, PhD Professorship for Computer-Based Modelling in the field of 3R Animal Protection Faculty of Medicine Justus-Liebig-University Rudolf-Buchheim-Str. 6 D-35392 Giessen Phone: ++49 (0)69 179 238 6269 Fax: ++49 (0)641 9941359 NeuroScience Center Clinical Neuroanatomy (Anatomy I) Goethe-University Theodor-Stern-Kai 7 D-60590 Frankfurt am Main Fax: ++49 (69) 6301 6425 Email: jedlicka(a)em.uni-frankfurt.de

July 11, 2018

Fwd: Postdoctoral Research Associate- Neural Interfaces

by Alistair McEwan

Postdoctoral Research Associate- Neural Interfaces - Join an organisation that encourages progressive thinking - 2 year Full Time Fixed Term role with a possibility of extension. Located at Camperdown Campus - Remuneration package: $90K-96K p.a. base salary and competitive employer’s contribution to superannuation *School of Electrical and Information Engineering* *Faculty of Engineering & Information Technologies* *Reference No. 1201/0618F* *About the opportunity * Applications are invited for a *Postdoctoral Research Associate- Neural Interfaces* for long-term implantable therapy in cerebral palsy with Professors Alistair McEwan and Gregg Suaning in the Bioelectronics and Bionics research groups at the University of Sydney, Australia. The role is expected to undertake research and coordinate experimentation and performance testing of an implantable neural stimulator for the acquired brain injuries including cerebral palsy. In this project we will examine electrical stimulation as an established approach for the restoration of muscle movement, but with currently limited utility as a therapy. There are two primary causes for this: poor selectivity in the activation of desired muscles, that may result in unwanted contractions; and the co-activation of efferent (e.g. motor) and afferent (e.g. sensory) fibres. In this ex-vivo study we focus upon solving these two key issues so that electrical stimulation can become a viable therapy in the treatment of acquired brain injuries and in particular, cerebral palsy. Targeted stimulation or blocking of peripheral fibres that lead to rigidity and pain would alleviate these two major areas of unmet need in cerebral palsy. The project involves developing an ex-vivo model and collecting experimental evidence of nerve fibre selectivity for selective activation of targeted muscle groups, capacity to release hypertonic muscles and management of pain to lead to the design of an implantable device for the rehabilitation of people with cerebral palsy. We aim to achieve improved efficacy in selective activation of targeted muscle groups, provide the capacity to release hypertonic muscles and manage pain; and devise a new implantable device for the rehabilitation of people with cerebral palsy to manage muscle movement. We collaborate with labs at Harvard, Case Western, The University of Freiburg, and UCL. More information can be found here: http://sydney.edu.au/engineering/our-research/biomedical-engineering/ institute-of-biomedical-engineering-and-technology/biomedical-devices-and- instrumentation.html https://www.cerebralpalsy.org.au/sstposts/StoryId1522298671037 https://www.cerebralpalsy.org.au/sstposts/StoryId1528960251002 *About you* The University values courage and creativity; openness and engagement; inclusion and diversity; and respect and integrity. As such, we see the importance in recruiting talent aligned to these values in the pursuit of research excellence. We are looking for a *Postdoctoral Research Associate- Neural Interfaces* with: - PhD in Biomedical engineering or a similar field such as bio-electronics, bio-physics or neuroscience. - An understanding of electronics, signal processing, materials, and neurostimulation techniques. - Interest in working with a multi-disciplinary team including physiotherapists, clinicians and families living with cerebral palsy Please refer to the Candidate Information Pack for further information. To be considered, it is essential that you upload a resume and address the online selection criteria. *About us* Cerebral Palsy is the most common childhood disability with life-long impact, no cure, uncertain origins and delayed diagnosis. We work with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance research foundation to develop technology for treatment, intervention, prevention and cure. We focus on opportunities for control of muscle groups, spasticity and sensory perception including pain. While people with spinal cord injury have been the target of motor prosthesis to date there are additional challenges to explore in cerebral palsy such as developmental differences and viable afferent pathways that may convey pain and other sensory signals. We see opportunities in both central and peripheral stimulation and monitoring. Our group has a background in impedance recordings which might be used as a novel monitoring tool or to optimise stimulation patterns. We also use electrical tissue properties to better identify pathological tissue and guide electrical stimulation, electroporation and heating in the management of electrical signaling pathways. The University of Sydney is ranked number 1 in the world for physical therapy, sports therapy and rehabilitation and consistently ranks first or second in Australia for Engineering, Science and Medicine. The University is situated in the vibrant international city of Sydney close to some of the world’s best beaches and natural environments. Since our inception 160 years ago, the University of Sydney has led the research and teaching to improve the world around us. We believe in education for all and that effective leadership makes lives better. These same values are reflected in our approach to diversity and inclusion, and underpin our long-term strategy for growth. We’re Australias first university and have an outstanding global reputation for academic and research excellence. Across 9 campuses, we employ over 7600 academic and non-academic staff who support over 60,000 students. We are undergoing significant transformative change which brings opportunity for innovation, progressive thinking, breaking with convention, challenging the status quo, and improving the world around us. Specific enquiries can be directed to Professor Alistair McEwan at alistair.mcewan(a)sydney.edu.au For more information about the position, or if you require reasonable adjustment or support filling out this application, please contact Emmen Saeed, Recruitment Partner on emmen.saeed(a)sydney.edu.au . If you would like to learn more, please refer to the Candidate Information Pack for the position description and further details *Closing date: 11:30pm 5 August 2018 (Sydney time)* The University of Sydney is committed to diversity and social inclusion. Applications from people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; equity target groups including women, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTIQ; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment. Candidate Information Pack <https://sydney.nga.net.au/publicfiles/sydney/jobs/9B19927D-F815-451C-9D4D-A…> How to apply: - Start your application by clicking the "begin" button. - Login to an existing account <https://sydney.nga.net.au/cp/index.cfm?event=jobs.gotoLogin&CurATC=EXT&CurB…> or reset your password <https://sydney.nga.net.au/cp/index.cfm?event=reg.forgottenPassword&CurATC=E…> - Preview Application Form <https://sydney.nga.net.au/cp/index.cfm?event=jobs.previewApplication&CurATC…> -- ALISTAIR MCEWAN | Ainsworth Chair of Technology and Innovation, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, Biomedical Devices and Instrumentation Coordinator, BMET Institute Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY School of Electrical and Information Engineering, J03 The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 T +61 2 9351 7256 | F +61 2 9351 3847 E alistair.mcewan(a)sydney.edu.au | W sydney.edu.au CRICOS 00026A This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. Please think of our environment and only print this e-mail if necessary.

July 10, 2018

Deadline extended to July 20: Symposium and summer school on the Logistics of Neuronal Function, Frankfurt, Germany

by Jochen Triesch

We invite applications from PhD students and post-docs to participate in a two-week summer course on the Logistics of Neuronal Function in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from August 28 to September 7. Neurons face a variety of logistics challenges. They need to organize the production, transport, storage, and recycling of various molecules such as neurotransmitters, mRNA, and proteins to fill their extensive dendritic and axonal arbors. For example, most proteins have turnover rates of several days, which implies that neurons must organize the production and transport of vast numbers of proteins to maintain their structure and function. Due to their large size compared to other cells of the body, these problems are particularly severe for neurons. It is likely that evolution has driven neurons to find robust and efficient solutions to these challenges. So how do they organize production, transport, delivery, storage, and recycling processes and how are logistic failures related to nervous system disorders? This first workshop and summer school on the logistics of neuronal function bring together leading experimentalists, theoreticians, and method developers to exchange ideas on these fundamental questions. Organizers: Jochen Triesch, Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies Erin Schuman, MPI Brain Research, Frankfurt Tatjana Tchumatchenko, MPI Brain Research, Frankfurt Christian Tetzlaff, Georg-August University, Göttingen Confirmed Speakers of the Giersch International Symposium (August 28 - September 1): Maarten Altelaar, Utrecht, Netherlands Peter W. Baas, Drexel U., USA Upinder S. Bhalla, TIFR, India Long Cai, Caltech, USA Daniel Choquet, Bordeaux, France Guillaume Drion, Liege, Belgium Seth Grant, University of Edinburgh, UK Kristian Franze, U. of Cambridge, UK Lukas Kapitein, Utrecht, Netherlands Ken Kosik, UC Santa Barbara, USA Timothy O’Leary, Cambridge University, UK William W. Lytton, SUNY Downstate, USA Jeremy Niven, U. of Sussex, UK Marianne Renner, Institut du Fer a Moulin, France Erik De Schutter, OIST, Japan Antoine Triller, École Normale Superièure, France Noam Ziv, Technion, Israel Confirmed Giersch Summer School Lecturers (September 3 - 7): Eric Hosy, U Bordeaux, France Timothy O’Leary, Cambridge University, UK William W. Lytton, SUNY Downstate, USA Marianne Renner, Institut du Fer a Moulin, France Christian Tetzlaff, U. Göttingen, Germany Jochen Triesch, FIAS, Germany Special Public Talk by: Nobel Laureate Edvard Moser The third "Giersch International Symposium", will take place at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies. The conference series, funded by STIFTUNG GIERSCH gives young scientists the opportunity to learn from well known, exceptional researchers and to expand their networks. Accommodation and meals are provided free of charge. To apply visit: https://indico.fias.uni-frankfurt.de/event/11/overview and see the instructions there. Required materials include: CV, letter of recommendation from supervisor, poster abstract, and short text specifying the reason for participation. Application Deadline: July 20 Contact: gis2018(a)fias.uni-frankfurt.de -- Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch Johanna Quandt Research Professor Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/~triesch/ Tel: +49 (0)69 798-47531 Fax: +49 (0)69 798-47611

July 10, 2018

PhD position in Neuroscience at the Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Belgium

by Georgios A. Keliris

Postdoc position in Neuroscience at the Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Belgium The Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary is seeking to fill a full-time (100%) vacancy (m/f) in the Department of Biomedical Sciences (Bio-Imaging Lab) under the supervision of Prof. Georgios A. Keliris Post-doc position investigating the role of neuromodulation in learning and memory The goal of the project is to understand the neural mechanisms modulating learning and memory in rats. A multimodal approach and combination of state-of-the-art methods (MRI-imaging, electrophysiology, optogenetics and pharmacogenetics) will be used to uncover both the global network as well as specific cellular mechanisms. This approach will also be employed in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Profile and requirements · You hold a PhD degree in neuroscience, biomedical sciences, or related fields. · You can submit outstanding academic results. · Foreign candidates are encouraged to apply. · Your academic qualities comply with the requirements stipulated in the university’s policy <https://www.uantwerp.be/en/about-uantwerp/mission-vision/three-core-tasks/r…>. · You are quality-oriented, conscientious, creative and cooperative. · You are fluent in English and have strong communication skills, both in writing and oral presentations · You are a team player · Strong background in one or more of: imaging, computational neuroscience, mathematics, programming (e.g. Matlab/Python/C/R/…) will be considered as a bonus We offer · a post-doctoral position for a period of one year, with the possibility of renewal after positive evaluation · the start date is as soon as possible · a dynamic and stimulating work environment. How to apply? · Applications should be submitted to Georgios.Keliris(a)uantwerpen.be <mailto:Georgios.Keliris@uantwerpen.be> and should include a copy of your CV and a cover letter. Please use the following string in the subject: NMPDBILGAK18 · A pre-selection will be made from amongst the submitted applications. · More information about the application and the position can be obtained from Prof. Georgios A. Keliris by email:georgios.keliris@uantwerpen.be <mailto:georgios.keliris@uantwerpen.be> or tel.: +32 3 265 2772 The University of Antwerp is a family friendly organization, with a focus on equal opportunities and diversity. Our HR-policy for researchers was awarded by the European Commission with the quality label 'HR Excellence in research'. Prof. Dr. Georgios A. Keliris FBD/Biomedical Sciences Campus Drei Eiken – D.UC. 107 Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wirijk, BE Georgios.Keliris(a)uantwerpen.be <mailto:Georgios.Keliris@uantwerpen.be> P +32 3 265 27 72 <https://twitter.com/UAntwerpen> <https://www.facebook.com/UAntwerp> <https://plus.google.com/+UantwerpenBe/posts> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-antwerp>

July 10, 2018

TENURE TRACK POSITION IN DATA SCIENCE AT ICTP - TRIESTE

by Matteo Marsili

TENURE TRACK POSITION IN DATA SCIENCE AT ICTP ICTP is seeking applicants for a new tenuree track position in theoretical computer science and data science. The successful applicant will undertake front-line research in the fields related to theoretical computer science and data science (e.g. machine learning and high dimensional statistics, information and coding theory, probabilistic models, combinatorial optimization and computational complexity, rigorous mathematical approaches and statistical physics approaches in computer science, theory of algorithms and high performance computing). He's also expected to assist in developing projects on data science in collaboration with ICTS and ICTP scientific groups. Applicants should have a documented record of excellence in research in theoretical computer science and data science, with at least two years of scientific research experience. For further details please see http://users.ictp.it/general/vn_QLS_DataScience.pdf <http://users.ictp.it/general/vn_QLS_DataScience.pdf> ICTP, based in Trieste, Italy, provides a top class multi-disciplinary research environment in theoretical sciences, with cutting edge research, education and training, and it has been a driving force behind global efforts for the advancement of science in the developing world. Matteo Marsili Senior Research Scientist, Abdus Salam ICTP, Strada Costiera 11, 34014, Trieste Ph: +390402240461, fax: +3904022407461, email: marsili(a)ictp.it

July 10, 2018

Workshop on High Performance Computing Resources for Neuroscience

by Ted Carnevale

High Performance Computing Resources for Parallel Simulations and Data Analysis: NSG and HPAC Saturday, Nov. 3 from 9 AM to noon at downtown San Diego location. SUMMARY This workshop is intended for neuroscientists who need to use high performance computing (HPC) resources for computationally intensive tasks such as large modeling projects or analysis of neuroimaging data. It will examine resources offered by the Neuroscience Gateway Portal (NSG https://www.nsgportal.org/) and The Human Brain Project's High Performance Analytics and Computing Platform (HPAC https://hbp-hpc-platform.fz-juelich.de/) The workshop will combine hands-on instruction on how to use NSG with didactic presentations by NSG and HPAC developers and discussions with experienced users of these resources. The registration deadline for this workshop is Friday Oct. 12, but you should sign up early because space is limited. See https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nsg2018/nsg2018.html for more information and a link to the registration form. OVERVIEW OF NSG AND HPAC NSG eliminates most administrative and technical barriers, providing free CPU time to users, and easy access to widely used software that currently includes BluePyOpt, Brian, CARLsim, DynaSim, EEGLAB, Freesurfer, GENESIS, Human Neocortical Neuroserver (HNN), Large Scale Neural Modeling Simulator (LSNM), MATLAB, MOOSE, NEST, NetPyNE, NEURON, Octave, PyNN, Python, R, TensorFlow, and the Virtual Personalized Multimodal Connectome Pipeline. NSG's web-based interface simplifies the tasks of uploading models or data, specifying job parameters, monitoring job status, and storing and retrieving output data. HPAC provides extensive HPC support for the HBP community. This includes developing and providing the hardware and software infrastructure required for large scale simulations, data management and analysis, visualization, and managing the complex workflows involved in performing these tasks.

July 10, 2018

NEURON course at SFN 2018 meeting

by Ted Carnevale

Using NEURON to Model Cells and Networks Friday, Nov. 2 from 9 AM to 5 PM at a downtown San Diego location. This course provides a practical introduction to building and using models of neurons and networks with NEURON. Covered topics include basic concepts, workflow for building and using models, speeding up simulations with parallel hardware from multicore personal computers to massively parallel supercomputers, using Python with NEURON, and modeling reaction-diffusion with the RxD class. The registration deadline for this course is Friday Oct. 12, but you should sign up early because space is limited. See https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/sd2018/sd2018.html for more information and a link to the registration form. --Ted

July 10, 2018

Conducting Interviews at CNS*2018 - Post-docs @ EPFL, Switzerland

by Eilif Muller

Dear Comp-Neuro community, I wish to inform you of openings for fully funded post-doctoral positions in "Biophysical Neuron Modeling and Dendritic Computation", and in "Simulation Neuroscience" (see details below), at the EPFL Blue Brain Project, Biotech Campus, Geneva, Switzerland. I will be at the CNS*2018 in Seattle, July 13-18. I warmly encourage interested candidates who will be there to get in touch with me by email (incl. CV) to arrange for an in-person interview. For those not going to CNS this year, applications by email are also highly encouraged (see below). Best regards, Eilif ------------- Dr. Eilif Muller Section Manager - Simulation Neuroscience - Cells & Circuits EPFL - Blue Brain Project Biotech Campus Chemin des Mines 9 1202 Geneva Switzerland Tel: +41 21 693 0698 Fax: +41 21 693 5350 www: http://bluebrain.epfl.ch/page-77926-en.html www: http://neuralensemble.org/people/eilifmuller ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The EPFL Blue Brain Project (BBP), located on the Campus Biotech in Geneva, Switzerland, applies advanced data-driven simulations, neuroinformatics, data analytics, and HPC-based approaches to the challenge of understanding the structure and function of the mammalian brain in health and disease. Within the Cells & Circuits Section of the BBP, we are looking to fill the following post-doc positions: *** Post-doctoral Researcher in Simulation Neuroscience *** Postition Shortname: "PostDoc-SimNeuro" We are looking for exceptional candidates to join a diverse and highly motivated multi-disciplinary team working at the interface of neuroscience, physics and computer science. Do you have a PhD in neuroscience, computational neuroscience, computer science, physics or related field, and experience in scientific computing with python or the NEURON simulation environment? Are you a constructive team player with excellent writing and communication skills who thrives in collaborative environments? Then we would like to hear from you! Several research topics across the scales of neuroscience (subcellular molecular processes, ion channels, synapses, neurons, and circuits) in systems such as mammalian neocortex, thalamus, and hippocampus are possible based on the expertise and interests of the candidate. *** Post-doctoral Researcher in Biophysical Neuron Modeling and Dendritic Integration *** Postition Shortname: "PostDoc-NeuronModeling" The primary objective for this position is to strengthen on-going biophysical neuron modeling and validation efforts in the project, by undertaking original scientific research to characterize the role of intrinsic cellular mechanisms in computation and dynamics at the dendritic, neuronal and network level. Candidates are expected to supervise computational neuroscience students, and to develop an intimate knowledge of the employed software in order to interface with engineering teams. The position is in close collaboration with electrophysiology labs, and modeling will go hand in hand with available and newly acquired experimental data. Your profile : * PhD in neuroscience, computational neuroscience, physics or related field * Expert in NEURON and multi-compartment conductance-based modeling as demonstrated by strong publication record * Expert in scientific computing (python, scipy, numpy, hdf5, gsl, Linux, etc.) * Knowledge of whole cell electrophysiology, ion channel experiments * Experience in automated neuron model optimization techniques * Experience in other programming languages (C++), parallel computing and software development (unit testing, continuous integration, version control, debugging and documentation) is of advantage * Experience in supervision of students and teaching * Strong team player and fluent English in speech and writing We offer: * An internationally visible project in simulation-based research in neuroscience having a leading role in the EU FET flagship “Human Brain Project” * A young, dynamic, inter-disciplinary, and international working environment * Very competitive salary Application deadlines: Until positions are filled Term of employment: Fixed-term (CDD) Work rate: 100% Duration: 1 year (renewable) Contact: Please get in touch with me directly by email to arrange an interview at CNS*2018. Otherwise, applicants should submit a cover letter and a detailed CV in PDF format only, with filenames “<surname>_<position-shortname>_CoverLetter” and “<surname>_<positon-shortname>_CV” electronically to jobs.bbp(a)epfl.ch Please refer to the position title in the “subject” field.

July 9, 2018

Job opening for a Research Associate in computational auditory neuroscience at Imperial College London

by Reichenbach, Johann D T

Dear all, I am pleased to announce the opening for a Research Associate in in computational auditory neuroscience in my group at the Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London. The successful candidate will work in an interdisciplinary setting combining computational and experimental methods in human auditory neuroscience. In particular, the project will explore how complex transcranial current stimulation can help to better perceive speech in noise. Full details including information for how to apply is here: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/description/ENG00430/research-assistantasso… Best, Tobias ------------------------------------------- Tobias Reichenbach Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) Department of Bioengineering Imperial College London South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ London, UK http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/reichenbach/

July 9, 2018

Postdoc positions in computational neuroscience at NYU-Shanghai

by Sukbin Lim

Two postdoctoral positions are available in Sukbin Lim's lab at NYU-Shanghai as part of NYU’s global network and the NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science (https://shanghai.nyu.edu/research/brain) The overarching goal of the lab is to understand network interactions and dynamics for learning and memory. We have thrived to provide a mechanistic understanding of local circuits and interactions among local circuits and to develop tools to reverse-engineer the mechanism. More information on the research can be found at http://shanghai.nyu.edu/research/brain/faculty/Sukbin-Lim. Environment: Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU-Shanghai is a multidisciplinary and collaborative research environment. Candidates will be encouraged to collaborate with systems and computational neuroscience labs, computer and data science groups at NYU-Shanghai and NYU. The initial appointment is for one year, renewable up to 3 years subject to progress. Globally competitive compensations will be provided. To Apply: Qualified applicants are expected to hold a Ph.D. by the start date of the position in computational and theoretical neuroscience, or related discipline with strong quantitative training in Mathematics, Physics, Computer Sciences, and Engineering. Strong programming skills (e.g., Python, MATLAB or C/C++) and experience in modeling networks/complex systems will be valued. Knowledge of Neuroscience would be a plus. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. To be considered, please send a curriculum vitae, short research statement and the names and contact information of two references to *sukbin.lim(a)nyu.edu <xinying.cai(a)nyu.edu>*. Also, I can meet with candidates at CNS 2018 meeting in Seattle or Bernstein conference in Berlin.

July 9, 2018

CFP- ACM-THRI Special Issue on Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition (Extended Deadline)

by Amir Aly

*ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction (T-HRI) * CALL FOR PAPERS *(Extended Deadline)* **Apologies for cross posting ** We are happy to call for papers for the journal special issue: *"Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition"* *Webpage: **https://thri.acm.org/CFP-RLHRC.cfm <https://thri.acm.org/CFP-RLHRC.cfm> * <http://cognitive-mirroring.org/en/events/hai2017_workshop/> *I. Aim and Scope *Intelligent robots are rapidly moving to the center of human environment; they collaborate with human users in different applications that require high-level cognitive functions so as to allow them to understand and learn from human behavior within different Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) contexts. To this end, a stubborn challenge that attracts much attention in artificial intelligence is representation learning, which refers to learning representations of data so as to efficiently extract relevant features for probabilistic, nonprobabilistic, or connectionist classifiers. This active area of research spans different fields and applications including speech recognition, object recognition, emotion recognition, natural language processing, language emergence and development, in addition to mirroring different human cognitive processes through appropriate computational modeling. Learning constitutes a basic operation in the human cognitive system and developmental process, where perceptual information enhances the ability of the sensory system to respond to external stimuli through interaction with the environment. This learning process depends on the optimality of features (representations of data), which allows humans to make sense of everything they feel, hear, touch, and see in the environment. Using intelligent robots could open the door to shed light on the underlying mechanisms of representation learning and its associated cognitive processes so as to take a closer step towards making robots able to better collaborate with human users in space. This special issue aims to shed light on cutting edge lines of interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence, cognitive science, neuroscience, cognitive robotics, and human-robot interaction, focusing on representation learning with the objective of creating natural and intelligent interaction between humans and robots. Recent advances and future research lines in representation learning will be discussed in detail in this journal special issue. *II. Potential Topics* Topics relevant to this special issue include, but are not limited to: - Language learning, embodiment, and social intelligence - Human symbol system and symbol emergence in robotics - Computational modeling for high-level human cognitive functions - Predictive learning from sensorimotor information - Multimodal interaction and concept formulation - Language and action development - Learning, reasoning, and adaptation in collaborative human-robot tasks - Affordance learning - Cross-situational learning - Learning by demonstration and imitation - Language and grammar induction in robots *III. Submission* ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, open-access journal using an online submission and manuscript tracking system. To submit your paper, please: - Go to https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/thri and login or follow the "Create an account" link to register. - After logging in, click the "Author" tab. - Follow the instructions to "Start New Submission". - Choose the submission category “*SI: Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition*”. *IV. Timline* - Deadline for paper submission: *August 1*, 2018 - First notification for authors: September 15, 2018 - Deadline for revised papers submission: November 15, 2018 - Final notification for authors: January 15, 2019 - Deadline for submission of camera-ready manuscripts: March 1, 2019 - Expected publication date: May 2019 *V. Guest editors* Takato Horii, The University of Electro-Communications, Japan ( takato(a)uec.ac.jp) Dr. Amir Aly, Ritsumeikan University, Japan (amir.aly(a)em.ci.ritsumei.ac.jp) Dr. Yukie Nagai, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan (yukie(a)nict.go.jp) Prof. Takayuki Nagai, The University of Electro-Communications, Japan ( nagai(a)ee.uet.at.jp) --------------------- *Amir Aly, Ph.D.* Senior Researcher Emergent Systems Laboratory College of Information Science and Engineering Ritsumeikan University 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 Japan

July 6, 2018

[meetings] Call for participation: Barcelona Cognition, Brain and Technology Summer School (BCBT2018)

by Vasiliki Vouloutsi

Dear colleagues, Please find below information regarding the Barcelona Cognition, Brain and Technology summerschool. ------------------------------------------ CALL FOR PARTICIPATION ------------------------------------------ Join us for the annual*"Barcelona Cognition, Brain and Technology summer school -BCBT2018*" to be held 3-14September2018in Barcelona, Spain. The summer school has been part of a series of events organized by the European coordination action Convergent Science Network of Biomimetics and Neurotechnology (_http://csnetwork.eu/ <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__csnetwork.eu_&d=DwMFaQ&…>_). For the 2018 edition of the BCBT summer school, we are counting on thesupport of the Human Brain Project (*HBP*,**humanbrainproject.eu/en),the Institute of Bioengineeringof Catalonia (*IBEC*,ibecbarcelona.eu <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__ibecbarcelona.eu_&d=DwM…>) and the*UPC Campus**Besòs*(eebe.upc.edu/ca/lescola <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__eebe.upc.edu_ca_lescola…>). This is the 11th edition ofBCBT, which has run with great success in previous years thanks to an excellent line-up of outstanding speakersincluding Nobel Laureate winner Edvard Moser and luminaries in the fields of neurosciences, psychology, biology, robotics and AI, such as M. Arbib, S. Grilner, G. Rizzolatti, among many. TheBCBTlectures are available onlineat theConvergentScienceNetwork_lectures youtube channel <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.youtube.com_user_C…>with theBCBTpodcast interviewswith many of theBCBTspeakers.http://csnetwork.eu/talks/podcast <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__csnetwork.eu_talks_podc…> BCBTcaters to students and researchers involved in projects that are in the ambit of “BIO-ICT convergence”, "Brain Inspired ICT", “Cognitive systems-robotics”, “Cognitive and neural systems”, “Foundations of social cognition”. TheBCBTschool promotes a shared systems-level understanding of the functional architecture of the brain and its possible emulation in artificial systems. BCBTwill offer up to 30 student slots for the practical workshops, while as many researchers can register to attend the presentations and discussion sessions as they are interested. The atmosphere of theBCBTsummer school is informal with the goal to stimulate in-depth discussion. There are 2 or 3 presentations in the morning, with the afternoons reserved for tutorials and projects for student participantsand senior scientists with road-mapping workshops and further discussion. For the2018edition, we plan a*1^st week*of the school addressing*System level understanding of the brain and its emulation in advanced technology.*The*2^nd week*will include presentations aimed at the investigation of*Learning and Memory, Brain Function and Behavior**.*Friday14 is reserved for the presentation of the student projects to which everybody is invited. *Application deadline: 20 July2018* BCBTis organized by: Tony Prescott, Sheffield University - UK, Paul Verschure. ICREA and IBEC Barcelona, ES . - Anna Mura, IBEC Barcelona, ES. In collaboration with HBP Barcelona Cognition, Brain and Technology Summer School (BCBT2018) Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, UPC, Spain. 3-14 September 2018 specs.ibecbarcelona.eu/bcbt2018 -- Vicky Vouloutsi, PhD Postdoc Researcher at the laboratory for Synthetic Perceptive, Emotive and Cognitive Systems (SPECS <http://specs-lab.com/>) mail: vvouloutsi(a)ibecbarcelona.eu <mailto:vvouloutsi@ibecbarcelona.eu> LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-vouloutsi-28496133/> researchgate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vasiliki_Vouloutsi>

July 5, 2018

Conducting Interviews at FENS 2018 in Berlin for Neural Engineer / Neuroscientist Opening

by Zanos, Theodoros

We will be at FENS 2018 in Berlin conducting interviews from the 7th to the 12th of July - if interested email tzanos(a)northwell.edu<mailto:tzanos@northwell.edu> with your CV/resume to schedule an interview. Associate Engineer (MS Level) / Postdoctoral Fellow / Neural Engineer The Neural Decoding and Data Analytics Lab at the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is currently recruiting for a Neural Engineer / Neuroscientist (multiple levels). The lab focuses on neural recordings and data analysis methods to gain insights into decoding and encoding mechanisms of the brain and peripheral nerves to and from stimuli, actions and other physiological functions. The lab utilizes a variety of techniques from signal processing, machine learning, optimization, neurophysiology and bioelectronic systems for closed-loop neural recording and stimulation, both in health and in disease models. The ultimate goal is to develop neuromodulation therapies that will observe the state of the organism and the organ system that is targeted, to deliver individualized treatment of diseases in real-time. The successful candidate will develop computational tools, take part in neurophysiology experiments and collect, organize and analyze data, collaborate with other research staff and publish and present data in a timely manner. They will also work collaboratively with other investigators to facilitate their scientific research and training. Furthermore, they will participate in various types of institute and community activities and may apply for grant funding and/or patents as appropriate. Job Responsibilities Include: Develops computational tools for neuroscience research. Perform neurophysiology experiments Performs bioelectronic medicine research. Collaborates with other research staff. Responsible for the planning, collection, organization, analysis and interpretation of research data related to one or more projects Job Type: Full-time Qualifications Associate Engineer (MS Level) - Masters in Engineering, Computer Science or Statistics required Postdoctoral Fellow - Doctorate degree in Engineering, Computer Science or Statistics (Ph.D) required Neural Engineer - Masters in Engineering, Computer Science or Statistics + 3 years of experience required, Doctorate degree preferred Authored/co-authored research papers and/or scientific abstracts, required Experience with various signal processing and machine learning methods, required Strong programming skills of Matlab, required, Python, C++, preferred Research experience in neurophysiology/neuroscience/animal surgery, preferred Knowledge of data analysis software (e.g. Matlab), preferred Theodoros Zanos, PhD Assistant Professor Head, Neural Decoding and Data Analytics Lab Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, Room 1257 The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine 350 Community Drive Manhasset, NY 11030 Tel: (516) 562-0484 Cell: (646) 943-3440 Email: tzanos(a)northwell.edu<mailto:tzanos@northwell.edu> Northwell Health Visit us at Northwell.edu<http://northwell.edu/> [nwh_fi_sm_vrt_pos_rgb 35perc] The information contained in this electronic e-mail transmission and any attachments are intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom or to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this communication is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure of this communication and any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately by telephone and electronic mail, and delete the original communication and any attachment from any computer, server or other electronic recording or storage device or medium. Receipt by anyone other than the intended recipient is not a waiver of any attorney-client, physician-patient or other privilege.

July 5, 2018

“Self-repairing Hardware Paradigms based on Astrocyte-neuron Models” workshop York, UK, 3-5th September 2018

by David Halliday

“Self-repairing Hardware Paradigms based on Astrocyte-neuron Models” is an informal workshop which will be held in the historic city of York from the 3 rd to the 5th of September 2018. The workshop aims to highlight and discuss emerging trends and future directions in the fields of bio-inspired fault tolerant systems, particularly self-repairing spiking neural networks, with applications to autonomous robotic systems (and beyond). The workshop will feature invited position papers from world-leading researchers and industrialists. The workshop website, which includes information on submission and an up-to-date list of invited speakers can be found at https://www.york.ac.uk/spanner-workshop We are currently soliciting abstracts from members of the community who are interested in presenting at this workshop. Abstracts should be no longer than three page of A4 in standard IEEE conference format, and should focus upon the potential for future developments within the field of bio-inspired fault tolerant systems. We welcome contributions that span topics from biological modelling through to hardware and applications. Topics include (but are not restricted to): - Astrocyte-neuron interactions and modelling - Spiking neural networks – models, algorithms and hardware implementations - Training, learning and optimisation in spiking neural networks - Biological models for fault tolerant systems - Implementation of bio-inspired and fault tolerant systems on FPGA - Hardware optimisations for bio-inspired systems - Spiking neural network and bio-inspired controllers for autonomous robotics - Autonomous swarm robotic systems - Fault tolerance in robotic systems - Innovative design techniques for bio-inspired and fault tolerant systems The deadline for submissions is Tuesday 31st July 2018. Please address any questions and submissions to spanner-workshop(a)york.ac.uk Attending the Workshop We welcome attendees from all areas of the bio-inspired and robotics communities. Thanks to funding from the EPSRC, registration is free. We have accommodation for a limited number of places, priority will be given to authors of accepted contributions. We also have a number of student bursaries available, which will provide free accommodation and contribute towards the travel costs of registered PhD students. If you would like to attend, please see the website at https://www.york.ac.uk/spanner-workshop

July 5, 2018

Postdoctoral position on decision neuroscience at Aarhus University and University College London

by Hrvoje Stojic

Postdoctoral position on decision neuroscience at Aarhus University and University College London The Department of Management at Aarhus University and University College London, invites applications for a 2-year postdoctoral position offering applicants an exciting opportunity to join a new research project on the role of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system in learning and decision making. Application deadline: 15th of July 2018. Starting date: 1st of October 2018 or subject to mutual agreement. This project is funded by Lundbeckfonden (http://www.lundbeckfonden.com) and aims to advance our understanding of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system and neural gain by (i) developing new and inexpensive methods for indexing LC-NE activity in learning and decision making tasks using pupil size (pupillometry) and eye movements, (ii) cross-validate the new method with magnetoencephalography (MEG) signatures of neural gain, and (iii) using these methods to investigate the role of the LC-NE system in balancing the exploration and exploitation in reinforcement learning. Overall, the project aims to advance our understanding of how decision makers balance exploration and exploitation and how they attend to and learn from the environment in doing so. The exploration-exploitation trade-off is relevant in a wide range of situations, for instance, in managerial decision making concerning new investments or in consumer decision making between known and unfamiliar products. Our aim is to build a better understanding of the cognitive processes behind these real world decision problems. The project is a joint collaboration between Jacob L. Orquin at Aarhus University and Ray Dolan at the Max Planck UCL Centre, University College London (UCL) (https://www.mps-ucl-centre.mpg.de/en) The successful candidate is expected to contribute to the overall objectives of the project by being involved in all phases of the project, including formulating research questions, experimental designs, analyses, and writing articles. The position is research-oriented, but may involve teaching assignments depending on the interests of the candidate. The candidate will be based at Aarhus University, but will receive an Honorary contract at University College London as parts of the project will be carried out at the Max Planck UCL Centre and Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging at UCL. The candidate will be affiliated at Aarhus University and the Max Planck UCL Centre, London. It is therefore a requirement that the candidate is willing to be in London for a certain period of the project. Candidates must hold a PhD relevant to the academic areas of the project and have experience with data analysis and programming of experiments in at least one programming language such as R, Python, or Matlab. Experience with one or more of the following research areas is desirable: i) eye tracking and pupillometry ii) neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI or MEG iii) computational modeling such as reinforcement learning iv) basic or applied decision making theory. For further information about the position and the department, please contact Jacob L. Orquin, Tel.: +45 22178621, Email: jalo(a)mgmt.au.dk. See the job posting here: http://www.au.dk/om/stillinger/videnskabelige-stillinger/stillinger/Vacancy… Apply online here: https://ssl1.peoplexs.com/Peoplexs22/CandidatesPortalNoLogin/ApplicationFor…

July 5, 2018

EPSRC funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Computational and Mathematical Neuroscience

by James Rankin

*Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Computational and Mathematical Neuroscience* Location: College of Engineering, Mathematics, Physical Sciences at the University of Exeter (Streatham Campus) Job reference: P62935 Application closing date: *29/07/2018* Interview date: *10/08/2018* Salary From £34,520 on Grade F, dependent on knowledge, skills and experience This new full-time post is available from *1st October 2018* on a fixed term contract basis for *2 years*. The College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to participate in the project Neural oscillator network modelling of auditory stream segregation. This EPSRC funded post is available from 01/10/2018 for 2 years. The successful candidate will join the Systems Biomedicine and Dynamical Systems research groups housed in the recently launched GBP 50m Living Systems Institute at the University of Exeter. These groups house over 50 researchers applying mathematical and computation approaches to study problems in neuroscience, biology and healthcare. The project will benefit from input from colleagues with expertise in neural networks, bifurcation theory, coupled oscillators and numerical methods. The Post: The project will involve developing mathematical and computational models to deepen our understanding of auditory stream segregation. This is a fundamental process in the auditory system that allows us to separate out and focus on distinct sound streams (e.g. voices) in a dynamic noisy environment. This process involves competition in order to resolve different interpretations of a given environment (e.g. different groupings of objects). Many aspects of this process are still not well understood, such as where in the brain segregation of streams is achieved, how the streams are encoded and the driving neural mechanisms. This project will develop a biologically motivated model inspired by a broad cross section of modelling and experimental literature (from anatomical, neurophysiological, brain imaging and behavioural experiments). The models developed will be based on networks of coupled neural oscillators. Neural oscillations are understood to be vital for the encoding of temporal information in auditory streaming. Dynamical systems theory including bifurcation analysis and numerical methods will provide the necessary tools to understand the dynamics of the models developed. About you: - Candidates with quantitative backgrounds (Mathematics, Physics, Engineering) and from Neuroscience programmes with a strong computational component are encouraged to apply. - Applicants will possess a PhD or equivalent in one of these areas or a related field. T - You will also be able to work collaboratively and supervise the work of others. - Programming experience in a high-level language (e.g. Matlab, Python, C/C++) is a must and knowledge of dynamical systems theory is a plus. - Experience working on interdisciplinary projects involving the application of mathematical and computational tools to problems in Biology or Neuroscience will be viewed favourably. The University offers some fantastic benefits including 41 days leave per year, options for flexible working, numerous discounts at leading retailers, onsite gym, cycle to work scheme, sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a new Fertility Treatment Policy; and a stunning campus environment in the heart of Exeter. If you are not currently in Exeter please have a look at our website for some further information on what a beautiful part of the country we are based in. *For further information, please contact Dr James Rankin, email j.a.rankin(a)exeter.ac.uk <j.a.rankin(a)exeter.ac.uk>* https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC1 07GF.open?VACANCY_ID=258266M3V7&WVID=3817591jNg http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/jar226 The University of Exeter is an equal opportunity employer. We are officially recognised as a Disability Confident employer and an Athena Swan accredited institution. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in the workforce.

July 4, 2018

Research Associate /Senior Research Associate positions

by Jeffrey Bowers

Research Associate /Senior Research Associate positions University of Bristol Salary: £32,548 to £41,212 per annum Deadline: 20th August 2018 We are seeking to appoint talented computational modelers to join an ERC-funded project entitled “Generalisation in Mind and Machine”. The project explores how well neural networks support human-like generalisation across a range of tasks. Two postdoctoral fellows and two PhD students are working on project, and we are looking to hire two more persons with PhDs (or potentially BSc) in computer science or cognitive psychology (or a related field) with experience working with neural networks. In contrast with the large community of researchers focused on improving the performance of deep networks for applied reasons, the goal of this project is to explore what neural networks tell us about how the brain works. More specifically, the team will be working on questions of generalisation in the domains of object identification, word identification, short-term memory, and games, amongst other areas. A core issue is whether networks need to be include symbolic computations to succeed on some forms of generalisation. For overview of some of the issues we are exploring in the project see: Bowers, J. S. (2017). Parallel Distributed Processing Theory in the Age of Deep Networks. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12, 950-961. For more details regarding the project see our ERC website: http://mindandmachine.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/ This post is available from Oct 1st 2018 (but flexible about start date) and currently has funding secured until Oct 1st 2021. To apply go to: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BKR397/erc-research-associate-senior-research-as… If you have any questions, please get in touch with Jeff Bowers at: j.bowers(a)bristol.ac.uk<mailto:j.bowers@bristol.ac.uk> Jeff Bowers

July 4, 2018

Post-doc in Neurophysiology of Attention at UCLA

by Bisley, James

Apologies for cross-posting We invite applications for a fully funded post-doc position studying the neurophysiology of attention. The work will include recording from &/or the reversible inactivation of cortical areas MT, LIP and FEF 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 http://www.bri.ucla.edu/people/james-w-bisley-phd. 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.

July 3, 2018

Second Call for the Athenea3i postdoc program at the University of Granada

by jtorres

Dear all Please find attached below information concerning the second call for Athenea3i postdoc positions program at the University of Granada (Spain)(similar to Marie Curie postdoc positions). Our group (Granada Computational Neurophysics Lab) is accepting suitable candidates for such positions to be supervised by our Lab members (see our Lab web page http://ergodic.ugr.es/neurofisica/neurofisica.html for further information concerning our group). With my best wishes Joaquin J. Torres Professor of Condensed Matter Physics Granada Computational Neurophysics Lab University of Granada www.ugr.es/~jtorres ============= Dear researcher, The University of Granada (UGR) announces the opening of 10 vacancies for postdoctoral studies. These vacancies are designed for excellent researchers who have experience in the fields of innovation and knowledge transfer. These postdoctoral contracts will last for 3 years with a maximum gross salary of €4,000 per month and €1,500 in supplements depending on different factors such as the researcher's family situation, or aspects derived from the execution of the projects (required training, planned visits, etc.). Selected researchers will join multidisciplinary teams to execute research, innovation and development projects conducted at the UGR and will therefore need a supervisor from this institution. Moreover, researchers will be able to spend time in a different academic institution for an uninterrupted period of between 3 and 9 months, to be scheduled between the 10th and the 18th months of the research project. Researchers may spend this time in either the academic or the business sector. In addition, they may also spend a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 6 months during the last 18 months of the research project in another non-academic institution. Thematic fields: · Environmental Sciences and Chemistry (ENV-CHE) · Economics, Social Sciences and Humanities (ECO-SOC) · Information Science and Engineering (ENG) · Life Sciences (LIFE) · Physics and Mathematics (PHY-MAT) The application period lasts from 4 September to 28 September 2018. The incorporation into the University of Granada is expected to take place between July – September 2019. For more information concerning the call and available vacancies (requirements, activity to be carried out and remuneration), please refer to the webpage: https://athenea3i.ugr.es/ If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact us: athenea3i(a)ugr.es Yours faithfully, International Research Projects Office (OFPI) - Promotion & Advisory Unit Tel. (+34) 958 242 701 Vice-Rectorate for Research and Knowledge Transfer University of Granada

July 3, 2018

project co-founder

by aris giachnis

Hi all, I am a software developer/tech founder so I am a bit out of my water here but I am looking for a partner with neuroscience background after my previous one left the project for academia. Although I cannot share all details about it (but can do upon private request/contact) I can say it is very interesting and involves using neuroscience for security purposes. The technical aspects involve measuring evoked potentials (p300) and developing some algorithms that provide high confidence intervals and later building a hardware prototype. We can be using devices such as OpenBCI for prototyping. There needs to be research on beta testers so it's mainly an RnD project for at least one year. Anyone that is interested in cooperating either as a side project or full time (but without compensation currently until we get funding but getting a piece.of the project is welcome to message me for more information. I am based in Amsterdam but can travel too, face to face is always better. best regards, aris Get Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/ghei36>

July 3, 2018

Bernstein Network Information Booth at FENS Forum 2018 in Berlin

by Kerstin Schwarzwaelder

Dear colleagues, The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience will have an exhibition booth (no. 36) at the upcoming FENS Forum<https://forum2018.fens.org/> in Berlin (July 7 - 11, 2018). The booth will present: * research in the Bernstein Network * open positions * study and training programs * SMART<http://www.smartstart-compneuro.de/>START training program in Computational Neuroscience<http://www.smartstart-compneuro.de/>, * infrastructural facilities: Bernstein Facility for Data Management (G-Node)<http://www.g-node.org/> and Bernstein Facility for High Performance Simulation and Data Analytics <http://www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/EN/Expertise/SimLab/slns/_node.html> (Simulation Laboratory Neuroscience) <http://www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/EN/Expertise/SimLab/slns/_node.html> * Data management service (GIN)<https://web.gin.g-node.org/> and Electrophysiology Analysis Toolkit (Elephant)<http://www.python-elephant.org/> During the following times, G-Node will give demo presentations of their data management service (GIN)<http://www.g-node.org/gin> for storing, sharing, and publishing research data: Sunday, July 8, 14:00-16:00 Monday, July 9, 11:00-13:00 Tuesday, July 10, 14:00-16:00 Wednesday, July 11, 11:00-13:00 Also, there will be a demonstration on data analysis using the Electrophysiology Analysis Toolkit (Elephant)<http://www.python-elephant.org>: Sunday, July, 8, 11:00-13:00 Monday, July 9, 14:00-16:00 Tuesday, July, 10, 11:00-13:00 We are looking forward to welcoming you at our booth no. 36! Best regards, Kerstin Schwarzwälder -- Dr. Kerstin Schwarzwälder Scientific Coordination / Management Officer Please note: Our email addresses have changed. Please use k.schwarzwaelder(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:k.schwarzwaelder@fz-juelich.de> 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 mail: k.schwarzwaelder(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:k.schwarzwaelder@fz-juelich.de> web: www.nncn.de<http://www.nncn.de> Twitter: NNCN_Germany<https://twitter.com/NNCN_Germany> YouTube: Bernstein TV<https://www.youtube.com/user/BernsteinNetwork> Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany<https://www.facebook.com/BernsteinNetwork/> LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany<https://www.linkedin.com/company/bernstein-network-computational-neuroscien…> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/bernstein-network-computational-neuroscien…> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 3, 2018

[Jobs] Researcher at Vicarious

by Swaroop Guntupalli

Vicarious is a start-up building artificial intelligence based on insights from cognitive science and neuroscience. See a recent profile in science magazine: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/05/how-researchers-are-teaching-ai-lear… See our publications for a sample of our research: https://www.vicarious.com/research/ We are funded for the long term to work on the most important problems in the field of Artificial Intelligence. We have a few open positions for researchers with the following qualifications: - PhD in CS/EE/Neuroscience/Physics or related disciplines - Good understanding of probabilistic graphical models, deep learning and other machine learning algorithms - Excellent programming skills - Experience with computer vision algorithms - Computational neuroscience experience and/or interest in the workings of the neocortex Please visit https://www.vicarious.com/careers/ for more details. Feel free to email me if you are interested and would like to know more. Thanks, Swaroop Guntupalli Researcher at Vicarious swaroop(a)vicarious.com

July 1, 2018

Postdoc position in calcium imaging of Fragile X zebrafish

by Geoffrey Goodhill

Geoff Goodhill's lab at the University of Queensland is looking for an experimental postdoc to analyse a zebrafish model of Fragile X syndrome using behavioural and calcium imaging approaches. The salary range is AU$81k-87k (US$60-64k). We are particular interested in how neural coding emerges over development in these fish. The project will involve both high-speed video recording of zebrafish larvae behaviour, and large scale 2-photon recording of GCaMP6s neural activity using confocal and light-sheet microscopy. The successful candidate will work closely with an interdisciplinary team with a strong computational focus. A new review paper discussing some of the relevant background is Avitan L & Goodhill GJ (2018). Code Under Construction: Neural Coding Over Development Trends in Neurosciences, online June 20th https://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/abstract/S0166-2236(18)30158-9 The University of Queensland (UQ) is ranked in the top 3 universities in Australia and the top 100 in the world. The Goodhill lab is part of the Queensland Brain Institute at UQ, a leading neuroscience institute consisting of over 40 labs, including ~100 PhD students and ~100 postdocs. For more details and to apply please see the following link: http://jobs.uq.edu.au/caw/en/job/504708/postdoctoral-research-fellow The closing date is July 25th AEST. Informal enquiries are also welcome. Professor Geoffrey J Goodhill Queensland Brain Institute and School of Mathematics & Physics University of Queensland St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia Email: g.goodhill(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:g.goodhill@uq.edu.au> http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au/professor-geoffrey-goodhill

June 30, 2018

PhD and post-doctoral positions in Electrophysiology / Brain-machine interface at the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada

by Jean Rouat

Dear list, We have PhD and one post-doctoral positions in our research group. Please communicate with my colleague Eric Plourde for further details. 1) PhD positions in Electrophysiology / Brain-machine interface at the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada (co-supervision at the University of Minnesota, USA) for IC implants Auditory implants aim at restoring audition by stimulating a specific structure of the auditory system with an electrode array. The most successful auditory implant, the cochlear implant that stimulates the spiral ganglions in the cochlea, has allowed more than 325 000 people worldwide to regain audition. However, cochlear implants are not appropriate for patients that have a disfunctionnal auditory nerve or for which the cochlea cannot be implanted. Alternative implants have therefore been developed such as the auditory midbrain implant (AMI) that stimulates a structure named the inferior colliculus (IC). One aspect that limits the development of the AMI is the lack of knowledge regarding the optimal approach to stimulate the IC. The proposed project aims at gaining more insight into the optimal design of stimulation patterns for the IC. Objectives: Design optimal inferior colliculus stimulation patterns using adaptive filters specifically adapted for neural signals: the neural activity will be recorded in the auditory cortex and optimal stimulation in the inferior colliculus will be evaluated using a closed-loop approach. A financial support will be provided. Requirements: - Excellent academic record. - Master’s degree in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, physics, biophysics or other related field with a strong background in mathematics and signal processing. - Willing to conduct experiments in electrophysiology to record the neural activity of the auditory system. No prior knowledge in electrophysiology is required. - Excellent ability to communicate in English, knowledge of French is considered an advantage. Interested candidates should send their CV, academic transcripts and relevant publications as well as the names of 2 references to Prof. Eric Plourde. Contact: Eric Plourde, Eng., Ph.D., Université de Sherbrooke (eric.plourde(a)usherbrooke.ca) 2) Postdoctoral position in statistical signal processing / Brain-machine interface at the Université de Sherbrooke A retinal prosthesis aims at giving back vision to blind people. To do so, an external camera captures visual scenes and sends this information to an electrode array, which is positioned in the eye, in order to stimulate directly the retina. The electric pulses from the electrodes are sent to the brain along the optic nerve and interpreted as sight. The objective of this study is to decode a perceived image using Bayesian decoding approaches. Many types of patterns can be used to stimulate the different electrodes comprising the array and not all are efficient. The research proposal aims at simulating a perceived image using an adapted stimulation approach and Bayesian decoding and comparing it with an image obtained with traditional stimulation approaches. The contract is for a 6-months period. Requirements: - Ph.D. degree in statistical signal processing, biomedical engineering, bio-informatics or other related field - Proven publication record - Excellent ability to communicate in English. Interested candidates should send their CV, academic transcripts and relevant publications as well as the names of 2 references to Prof. Eric Plourde. Contact: Eric Plourde, Eng., Ph.D., Université de Sherbrooke (eric.plourde(a)usherbrooke.ca) ==================================================== The Université de Sherbrooke is a French-speaking institution located in the province of Quebec, Canada, and the heart of an international research pole. It is host to more than 40 000 students from over 120 different countries worldwide. (Source: UdeS) ==================================================== Jean Rouat, Prof., coord. IGLU, http://iglu-chistera.github.io Université de Sherbrooke Université de Montréal Member of the centre for Interdisciplinary research Professeur titulaire, Professeur associé in Music Media and Technology NECOTIS: Computational Neurosciences Vision, neuroscience Lab McGill Schulich School of Music and Intelligent Signal Processing FAS- Sciences biologiques 527 Sherbrooke St. West Faculté de génie, GEGI, C1-3108 90 avenue Vincent-d’Indy Montreal, Qc, 2500 boul. de l'université Montréal, Qc, Canada, H3A 1E3 Sherbrooke, Québec Canada, H3C 3J7 Canada, J1K 2R1 Tél.: +1(819)-821-8000 ext. 63864 http://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/rouat http://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/necotis http://www.usherbrooke.ca/gelecinfo/fr/pers/profs/rouj-fr/ Jean.Rouat(a)umontreal.ca ou Jean.Rouat(a)usherbrooke.ca Publications: https://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/rouat/publications/publiDeJRouat.html

June 29, 2018

PhD opening in Machine learning for Neural Encoding of Naturalistic Auditory Scenes

by Nicolas Farrugia

Dear list, We invite applications for a fully-funded PhD between Université de Montréal, computer science department, and IMT Atlantique, Brest, France. The goal is to model the perception of complex natural auditory stimuli using signals on dynamic brain graphs, and deep learning. Details are here : https://t.co/963vd9Pizg and below Deadline for application is July 15th. The project aims to model natural auditory perception using artificial neural networks and graph signal processing, applied to human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalograph (EEG) data. Recent advances in artificial intelligence are largely due to the outstanding performance obtained by deep neural networks on the classification of composite natural stimuli. Deep learning however still faces important challenges with natural auditory perception [1], in particular in complex, noisy scenes involving several simultaneous sources. This thesis will use human neuroimaging data to improve the ability of artificial networks to classify natural auditory stimuli. Recent works have demonstrated the feasibility of building artificial models to link computational musical features with brain activity [2]. Such models perform as well as human listeners on both music, and simple speech discrimination tasks [3]. The internal layers of the deep networks have also been used to predict brain activity related to natural sounds, by modeling each individual voxel of fMRI activity using combinations of feature maps [3]. We propose to investigate extensions of the current approaches to consider graph convolutional networks [4], signal processing on graphs [5], and to model temporal signals on dynamic graphs [6]. We will build a series of artificial models, using extensive recordings of EEG/fMRI brain activity acquired from participants performing auditory tasks of increasing complexity. This PhD project is a collaboration between the laboratories of Dr. Nicolas Farrugia and Dr Vincent Gripon (Brain Inspired Artificial Intelligence Project, at IMT Atlantique, Brest, France), and the lab of Dr. Pierre Bellec (NeuroMod - Courtois Project on Neuronal Modelling - CRIUGM, Department of Computer Science and Operational Research, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Qc, Canada). The candidate will be expected to share their time between Montreal and Brest. IMT Atlantique is a public technological university focusing on the training of engineers at the MSc. level and junior researchers at the PhD level. Université de Montréal is a world-renowned institution, training elite scientist, and is currently one of the main hubs for artificial intelligence and neuroinformatics research in North America.

June 29, 2018

The Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience - recent articles

by Stephen Coombes

The Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience publishes research articles on the mathematical modeling and analysis of all areas of neuroscience. The new Impact Factor of the journal is 2.414 The current list of journal articles is available at http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/ : Investigating the Correlation–Firing Rate Relationship in Heterogeneous Recurrent Networks Andrea K. Barreiro and Cheng Ly https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… Effect of Neuromodulation of Short-term Plasticity on Information Processing in Hippocampal Interneuron Synapses Elham Bayat Mokhtari, J. Josh Lawrence and Emily F. Stone https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… Analysis of an Attractor Neural Network’s Response to Conflicting External Inputs Kathryn Hedrick and Kechen Zhang https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… Saddle Slow Manifolds and Canard Orbits in R^4 and Application to the Full Hodgkin–Huxley Model Cris R. Hasan, Bernd Krauskopf and Hinke M. Osinga https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… Kernel Reconstruction for Delayed Neural Field Equations Jehan Alswaihli, Roland Potthast, Ingo Bojak, Douglas Saddy and Axel Hutt https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… All articles are Open Access. ------------------------------------------------------- Stephen Coombes Professor of Applied Mathematics School of Mathematical Sciences Nottingham, UK Tel: 0115 846 7836 http://www.maths.nott.ac.uk/~sc/ ------------------------------------------------------- This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

June 28, 2018

Postdoc position in Computational Neuroscience - CRM Barcelona

by Klaus Wimmer

A fully funded POSTDOC POSITION in computational neuroscience is available in the lab of Klaus Wimmer, Computational Neuroscience Group at the CRM, Barcelona, Spain. *Profile* We are looking for an enthusiastic and scientifically curious researcher with a strong interest in computational neuroscience. The perfect candidate has a strong mathematical, physical or engineering background, scientific programming skills (Matlab, Python), and a keen interest in biological neural systems. Knowledge in computational neuroscience, dynamical systems, machine learning or advanced statistics is a plus. Good team spirit is a must. *Research topic* The neural basis of decision making and working memory has been studied extensively, yet our understanding of how distributed circuits in the brain perform these cognitive functions is only at the beginning. Models of cortical circuits can shed light on the underlying neural network dynamics. The Postdoc will work on building such models and on cutting-edge analysis of large-scale neural activity recordings (neuronal population recordings, fMRI, EEG). *The lab* The Computational Neuroscience Group is based at the Centre de Recerca Matemàtica at the campus of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. It is a joint effort of Alex Roxin and Klaus Wimmer, and forms part of a larger network of theoretical and systems neuroscience labs in Barcelona. The successful candidate will benefit from a vibrant and stimulating research community and will have the opportunity of enjoying a lively city. More information can be found at: https://sites.google.com/view/wimmerlab *How to apply* Interested candidates should e-mail their application as a single pdf file to Klaus Wimmer, kwimmer(a)crm.cat, with the subject “Postdoc 2018”. The application should include: (1) CV with publication list, (2) a brief description of research experience and interests, (3) contact information for two references. The position is available immediately and applications will be accepted until it is filled. Informal inquiries are welcome. -- Klaus Wimmer Ramón y Cajal researcher at Centre de Recerca Matemàtica Campus de Bellaterra, Edifici C 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) Spain Tel. +34 935 86 85 15 https://sites.google.com/view/wimmerlab

June 27, 2018

fully funded PhD position in computational neuroscience with Prof. Laurenz Wiskott in Bochum, Germany

by Laurenz Wiskott

Please forward this job advertisement to candidates who might be interested. Thanks, Laurenz Wiskott. ___________________________________________________________________________ Open position for a PhD student with Prof. Laurenz Wiskott at the Institute for Neural Computation, Bochum, Germany ___________________________________________________________________________ Institute: Institute for Neural Computation Ruhr-University Bochum Universitaetsstr. 150 D-44801 Bochum, Germany, EU The Institute for Neural Computation is a central research institute at the Ruhr-University Bochum, see https://www.ini.rub.de/. It focuses on the dynamics and learning of perception and behavior on a functional level but is otherwise very diverse, ranging from neurophysiology and psychophysics over computational neuroscience to machine learning and technical applications. Research group: Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott, see http://www.ini.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/PEOPLE/wiskott/ Research topics: We are looking for an outstanding candidate who will be working on a model of the hippocampus and neocortex investigating the interplay between episodic memory and semantic memory. We use methods from neural networks and machine learning. It is also planned to simulate experiments done with humans by our experimental partners in Bochum and Münster. The position is part of a team working jointly on developing a system-level model of hippocampal function for memory and navigation. This is being doing in close interaction with a team working on similar questions from the machine learning perspective. Teaching: There is a teaching load of 3 hours per week during the semester, in particular for a programming course in python. Time: The appointment will be for three years and can then be extended for one more year if needed. Requirements: Candidates should have an education (equivalent to a MSc) in computer science, physics, mathematics, electrical engineering or any related field. Required are strong mathematical and programming skills (ideally in python) as well as the ability to communicate and work well in a team. Salary: Salary is 75% of salary scale TV-L E13. Inquiries: Informal inquiries can be addressed to Prof. Laurenz Wiskott <laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de>. Application: Applications (CV, transcript of records for MSc and BSc, statement of purpose) should be sent as a single file pdf to Prof. Laurenz Wiskott <laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de>. Ruhr-University Bochum is committed to equal opportunity in employment and gender equality in its working environment. We therefore look forward to applications from qualified women. Applications from appropriately qualified handicapped persons are also encouraged.

June 27, 2018

2018 NEURON Summer Course reminder

by Ted Carnevale

If you are interested in this year's NEURON Summer Course but haven't signed up yet, you should act quickly because only a few seats remain available, and the registration deadline is July 16. The course runs from Monday, August 6, through Saturday, August 11, and will be held at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. It will present a thorough introduction to computational modeling of neurons and networks with NEURON, and is suitable for individuals at all levels of expertise. For more information and the on-line registration form, see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/summer2018/summer2018.html --Ted

June 26, 2018

Save your space today: FENS Satellite Symposium "From Scanner to Bedside"

by Markus Butz Ostendorf

Dear colleagues, My apologies for cross postings. There are a few spaces left on the FENS Satellite Symposium "From Scanner to Bedside - What connectome and gene expression say about brain diseases" on 6 July in the beautiful guest house "Harnack House" of the Max-Planck Society in Berlin-Dahlem. Save your space today by registration via the symposium's website: https://www.biomax.com/symposiums/from-scanner-to-bedside/ Free registration, lunch and refreshments provided! Looking forward to seeing you in Berlin Markus -- Dr. rer. nat. Markus Butz-Ostendorf Product Manager Biomax Informatics AG Robert-Koch-Str. 2, 82152 Planegg, Germany Registergericht: Amtsgericht München, HRB 134442 Vorstand: Dr. Klaus Heumann Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates: Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Mewes Tel: +49 89 895574-862 Fax: +49 89 895574-825 Email: markus.butz-ostendorf(a)biomax.com Website: http://www.biomax.com PGP: https://ssl.biomax.de/pgp/

June 26, 2018

PostDoc available in Neuromorphic Computing within the Human Brain Project

by Thomas Nowotny

Dear all, Within sub-project 9 of the Human Brain Project (HBP) we are looking for a PostDoc to work on applications of neuromorphic computing. You will join a dynamic team of researchers in computational Neuroscience and biomimetic robotic control at the University of Sussex and work on cutting edge prototype neuromorphic systems developed at Heidelberg (BrainScaleS, https://electronicvisions.github.io/hbp-sp9-guidebook/pm/pm.html) and Manchester (SpiNNaker, https://electronicvisions.github.io/hbp-sp9-guidebook/mc/mc_index.html) Excellent programming skills and a keen interest in applying neuromorphic computing to interesting problems will be essential. Previous experience with neuromorphic computing and/or machine learning will be a big plus. Deadline: 24 July 2018 Duration: currently funded until end of March 2020; possible extension into the next funding phase of the HBP. Details & apply: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/jobs/research-fellow-in-neuromorphic-computin… Queries: Prof Thomas Nowotny (t.nowotny(a)sussex.ac.uk<mailto:t.nowotny@sussex.ac.uk>) With kind regards, Thomas Nowotny -- Prof Thomas Nowotny Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange School of Engineering and Informatics University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ, UK Phone: +441273678593 FAX: +441273877873

June 25, 2018

Neuronal morphology and structure workshop at CNS - 2018

by André Castro

Dear all, We are pleased to announce the 4th edition of the Neuronal morphology and structure workshop at [CNS*2018](https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2018), Seattle, USA. The workshop will be held at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, July 17 . Our confirmed invited speakers are the following: - Hollis Cline (Scripps Research Institute) (keynote) -- "In vivo time-lapse imaging analysis of neuronal structure and functional plasticity" - Ruth Benavides-Piccione (Instituto Cajal, Spain) -- "The microanatomy of pyramidal cells" - Staci Sorensen[,](http://www.treestoolbox.org/CNS2018_dendrites_workshop/speakers… (Allen Institute, USA) -- "Morphological, electrophysiological and transcriptional descriptions of cortical cell types" - Erik De Schutter (OIST, Japan) -- "The Purkinje cell dendrite causes its unique firing rate-dependent phase response curve" - Uygar Sümbül (Allen Institute, USA) -- "Quantifying neuroanatomy" - Lida Kanari (EPFL, Switzerland) -- "Randomness and structure in artificially generated neuronal networks" - Casey Schneider-Mizell (Janelia Research Campus, USA) -- "The neuroanatomy of connectivity in the Drosophila larva" - Kurt Haas (University of British Columbia, Canada) -- "Dynamic morphometrics: Rapid time-lapse imaging and quantification of experience-driven dendrite growth" - Sophie Laturnus (Universität Tübingen, Germany) -- "A systematic comparison of neural morphology representations for cell type discrimination" - Hongkui Zeng (Allen Institute, USA) -- ''Morphology as a key feature for neuronal cell type classification'' Please see our [website](http://www.treestoolbox.org/CNS2018_dendrites_workshop/index.html) for more details. Organising Committee: Alexander Bird (Ernst Strüngmann Institute and FIAS, Frankfurt) André Castro (Ernst Strüngmann Institute and FIAS, Frankfurt) Hermann Cuntz (Ernst Strüngmann Institute and FIAS, Frankfurt)

June 20, 2018

[jobs][phd]PhD Studentship: Being in the Other's Shoes - Social Cognition in Babies and Robots'

by Dimitri Ognibene

We are looking for the perfect interdisciplinary PhD candidate to find out how humans learn to observe others, how they learn that they are not alone. Are you curious about this? Apply! https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BKG746/phd-studentship-being-in-the-others-shoes… The Schools of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering and Psychology in the Faculty of Science and Health at the University of Essex has an interdisciplinary PhD studentship available focusing on the theme ‘Being in the other’s shoes – Social cognition in babies and robots’. This studentship commences from 14 January 2019, the successful applicant will receive a scholarship for three years (subject to satisfactory progression). The studentship includes: a fee waiver equal to the Home/EU fee (for 2018/19, £ £4,410). International students will need to pay the balance of their fees. a stipend of £14,777 in 2018-19 adjusted according to the directives of the Research Councils UK. In a highly interdisciplinary environment, the PhD student will investigate the role of embodiment in social cognitive development by formulating computational theories, testing them through experimental studies with infants, and closing the loop by re-enacting the experiments with state of the art robots available in the Essex robotics lab. The applicant will also have the opportunity to perform empirical studies and computational modelling on social intelligence to examine disorders of social cognition (lack of engagement, inability to adopt others perspective) and validate the architecture in end user environments (for example robotic companions in homes, hospitals etc.). The University’s centre for Brain Science accounts for one of the most comprehensive and equipped laboratories for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience in the UK’s, which has been featured in media <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-suffolk-26574823/university-of-esse…>. The successful applicant will be part of The Centre for Computational Intelligence, supervised by Dr Mohan and Dr Ognibene and also part of The Centre for Brain Science (Psychology), supervised by Dr Filippetti and Dr Rigato. Address additional questions to: Dr Mohan, (CSEE) vishwanathan.mohan(a)essex.ac.uk <mailto:vishwanathan.mohan@essex.ac.uk> (PI), Dr Ognibene (CSEE) dimitri.ognibene(a)essex.ac.uk <mailto:dimitri.ognibene@essex.ac.uk>, Dr Filippetti (PSYCH) m.filippetti(a)essex.ac.uk <mailto:m.filippetti@essex.ac.uk>, Dr Rigato (PSYCH) srigato(a)essex.ac.uk <mailto:srigato@essex.ac.uk>. -- Dimitri Ognibene, PhD Department of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, UK http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/ <http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/> Skype: dimitri.ognibene -- Dimitri Ognibene, PhD Department of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, UK http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/ Skype: dimitri.ognibene

June 19, 2018

Tenure-track position in Data Analytics and Modeling in Frankfurt, Germany

by Matthias Kaschube

The Department of Computer Science and Mathematics at the Goethe University Frankfurt invites applications for a tenure-track position in Data Analytics and Modeling at the rank of Assistant Professor. Fields of interest include computational neuroscience, machine learning, data mining, and computer vision. We expect the candidate to possess an excellent scientific track record. Experiences with interdisciplinary and/or international collaborations and actively acquiring third-party support are advantageous. The professorship is embedded in the attractive research landscape in the Frankfurt area within and outside of the university, e.g.: https://www.informatik.uni-frankfurt.de/index.php/en/forschung-en <https://www.informatik.uni-frankfurt.de/index.php/en/forschung-en> https://fias.institute/en/ <https://fias.institute/en/> http://www.rmn2.de <http://www.rmn2.de/> The initial tenure-track appointment as Assistant Professor is for six years. The invitation to apply aims to reach early-stage researchers, who have finished their doctorate within the past four years at the date of application. Upon positive evaluation, the incumbent will be promoted to a permanent position at a higher level (W2, corresponding to Associate Professor). The designated salary for the position is initially based on “W1” of the German university scale or equivalent. Goethe University aims at increasing the number of women in research and teaching and therefore particularly encourages qualified female scientists to apply. Applications of scientists from abroad are explicitly requested. Severely disabled applicants with equal qualification and aptitude will be given preferential consideration. Qualified academics with an excellent, internationally recognized research record are invited to submit their application with curriculum vitae (scientific and professional experience), a list of publications (including conference proceedings), a record of teaching activities (including tutor work), a draft of three pages at most on present and planned research, a record of actively acquired third-party funding (including prizes and fellowships), certificates and documents until 23 July 2018 in electronic form (as a single pdf-file) to the Dean of the Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, e-mail: bewerbung(a)fb12.uni-frankfurt.de <mailto:bewerbung@fb12.uni-frankfurt.de> For further details on the position see http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/45303044/fb12#DAM_eng <http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/45303044/fb12#DAM_eng> If you have questions about the position please contact Matthias Kaschube, kaschube(a)fias.uni-frankfurt.de <mailto:kaschube@fias.uni-frankfurt.de>

June 19, 2018

Post-doc in event-driven perception for robots

by Chiara Bartolozzi

The Event-driven perception for robotics (EDPR) laboratory (https://edpr.iit.it/ ) with the iCub Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) is seeking to appoint a postdoctoral fellow, under the supervision of Dr. Chiara Bartolozzi. The selected candidate will join the interdisciplinary team of the iCub project. She/he will contribute to the development of new skills of the iCub robot, based on event-driven sensing. We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic postdoc who will join our team to develop models and architectures capable of interpreting and learning from spatio-temporal information, to extract relevant information and plan appropriate behavior. In particular, the candidate will be in a unique position to exploit recent advances in machine learning, in combination with novel biologically inspired sensors and the accompanying biological-grounded learning models. For full details: https://edpr.iit.it/openings/771:post-doc-position-in-event-driven-percepti… For even more details write to chiara.bartolozzi(a)iit.it<mailto:chiara.bartolozzi@iit.it>

June 19, 2018

Research Associate in Data Science - Dementia

by Wong-Lin, Kongfatt

A new Research Associate post in Data Science is available at Ulster University, UK. The post will be available from 1st August 2018 to 31st January 2019. The successful applicant will join an existing interdisciplinary research team that consists of computer scientists, biomedical scientists and clinicians, and will focus on predictive analytics and modelling of dementia data. For more info, please see: https://atsv7.wcn.co.uk/search_engine/jobs.cgi?SID=amNvZGU9MTczNDIyNyZ2dF90… or contact me. The closing date for the application is 27th June 2018. Best, KongFatt Wong-Lin ----------- E-mail: k.wong-lin(a)ulster.ac.uk https://www.ulster.ac.uk/staff/k-wong-lin This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain information which is covered by legal, professional or other privilege. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager at postmaster(a)ulster.ac.uk and delete this email immediately. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ulster University. The University's computer systems may be monitored and communications carried out on them may be recorded to secure the effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes. Ulster University does not guarantee that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless expressly stated in the body of a separate attachment, the text of email is not intended to form a binding contract. Correspondence to and from the University may be subject to requests for disclosure by 3rd parties under relevant legislation. The Ulster University was founded by Royal Charter in 1984 and is registered with company number RC000726 and VAT registered number GB672390524.The primary contact address for Ulster University in Northern Ireland is Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry BT52 1SA

June 18, 2018

Postdoctoral Position: Wireless optogenetics and electrophysiology in rats.

by Fellous, Jean-Marc - (fellous)

Dear List Members The Computational and Experimental Neuroscience Laboratory is looking to a postdoctoral fellow to work on understanding the computational roles of the multiple levels of the rat hippocampal longitudinal axis. The work will involve state-of-the-art wireless optogenetic manipulations and high-density tetrode recordings in the behaving animal. While some background in experimental neuroscience using these techniques is preferred, the position may be suitable for a motivated computational neuroscientist wanting to learn experimental neuroscience techniques. The project is multi-disciplinary and will involve collaborations with other researchers in the US and abroad, therefore good communication skills are required. Applicant should send a cover letter (email is ok), a CV and the names/contact information of at least two references to Dr. Jean-Marc Fellous (fellous at email.arizona.edu) The search is ongoing and is projected to be completed by October 1st, 2018. Applications will be processed as they are received. More information about the laboratory can be found at: http://amygdala.psychdept.arizona.edu/lab.html The CENL and the University of Arizona are committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive work environment and women and minorities are encouraged to apply. The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Jean-Marc

June 17, 2018

Postdoctoral and doctoral studies in the neuroscience of spatial motion estimation and motor planning

by Andrea Green

POSTDOCTORAL AND DOCTORAL STUDIES IN THE NEUROSCIENCE OF SPATIAL MOTION ESTIMATION AND MOTOR PLANNING Departement de neurosciences, Universite de Montreal Applications are invited for postdoctoral and doctoral studies in systems neuroscience in the laboratory of Dr. Andrea Green. Successful applicants will join a multidisciplinary research group studying how the brain integrates multisensory cues to create estimates of our spatial motion and how such estimates are used in motor planning and control. Research in our group involves computational models of the nervous system, behavioral and neural recording experiments in non-human primates as well as human behavioral studies. Successful applicants will investigate the computation of spatial motion estimates and/or their contribution to voluntary reaching through neural recordings within brainstem-cerebellar circuits or motor cortical regions of non-human primates. All students with a strong background in biological sciences, engineering, mathematics, computer science, physics or psychology and an interest in system-level study of the brain are encouraged to apply. However, prior experience in neurophysiology and/or computational modeling of neural systems is highly desirable. Depending on the applicant's qualifications and interests, they will help to design and conduct behavioral and neurophysiological experiments, analyze data, develop theoretical models of neural systems, prepare manuscripts for publication, and participate in international conferences. For further information, please contact Dr. Andrea Green (andrea.green(a)umontreal.ca) Applicants are asked to send a curriculum vita, copies of academic transcripts, a statement of research interests and the names and contact information for two references, to: Dr. Andrea Green Departement de neurosciences, Universite de Montréal C.P. 6128 Succursale Centre-ville Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, CANADA Tel: 514-343-6111 x3301 Email: andrea.green(a)umontreal.ca Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.

June 15, 2018

Professorship in Artificial Intelligence

by Steuber, Volker

Professor of Artificial Intelligence University of Hertfordshire, UK School of Computer Science, College Lane Campus, Hatfield Salary £58,293 to £64,397 pa dependent on skills and experience FTE: Full time position working 37 hours per week (1.0FTE) Duration of Contract: Permanent position Closing date: 3 September 2018 Applications are invited for an exceptionally well qualified Professor of Artificial Intelligence of international standing who shares our commitment to research-informed teaching, embraces the research impact agenda, and values collegiality. Applicants will strengthen existing activity within the School and develop it further, enhancing the research strengths and external reputation of the School of Computer Science and contributing significantly to its performance in future research assessments and collaborations with public and commercial partners. The successful applicant will connect to and complement the research conducted by the Adaptive Systems Research Group within the Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research. The School hosts the University of Hertfordshire Robot House, a facility ubiquitously equipped with low-cost sensors providing a realistic environment for experiments with robotics in a smart home; a fully-fledged RoboCup lab for development of humanoid robots participating in international competitions, and a large variety of different robotic platforms, including iCub and Baxter. We encourage applications from researchers across a wide spectrum of AI, and particularly encourage applications from researchers working on 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 • 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 • Emerging Topics in AI: computer algebra and AI, topological methods (e.g. persistent homology), modern topics in games and 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 As well as providing research supervision at PhD and MSc level, the School of Computer Science offers modules in Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, neural and evolutionary computing, as well as Artificial Life on the BSc and MSc programmes. Applicants will be committed to a strong research and research-informed teaching agenda, and will actively contribute to increase research impact of the School, in the enthusiastic, welcoming and collegiate environment of the school. Applicants must hold a PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant subject, possess excellent communication skills in English, an internationally excellent research record and reputation, including publications of the highest quality suitable for submission to the REF (UK Research Excellence Framework). Applicants are expected to show evidence of experience and success in research/commercial income generation, engagement with the research impact agenda, engagement with key stakeholders in the relevant Artificial Intelligence community and management and leadership ability. The professor will have opportunity to contribute actively to interdisciplinary research projects at the school and university level. Applications must be made online https://www.herts.ac.uk/contact-us/jobs-and-vacancies/academic-vacancies?, reference 016194?. Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Volker Steuber (Associate Dean Research, v.steuber(a)herts.ac.uk) or Professor William Clocksin (Dean of School, w.clocksin(a)herts.ac.uk) Please note that applications sent directly by email will not be accepted.

June 15, 2018

Tenure-track position at Tufts University

by John Rinzel

Dear computational neuroscience list, The Department of Psychology at Tufts University is seeking applicants at the assistant professor level for a tenure-track position in computational clinical neuroscience to begin September 1, 2019. Further information is here: https://apply.interfolio.com/51438 Inquiries should be emailed to Department Manager Jessica Storozuk ( Jessica.Storozuk(a)tufts.edu) Regards, Ani Patel Aniruddh D. Patel Professor, Dept. of Psychology, Tufts University Senior Fellow, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Azrieli Program in Brain, Mind, & Consciousness http://ase.tufts.edu/psychology/people/patel/

June 15, 2018

[CFP] IROS-2018 Workshop: Towards Intelligent Social Robots: From Naive Robots to Robot Sapiens

by Amir Aly

CALL FOR PAPERS **Apologies for cross posting ** We are pleased to call for papers for the IROS-2018 workshop: "*Towards Intelligent Social Robots: From Naive Robots to Robot Sapiens*" In conjunction with the *IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)** - Madrid - Spain - October * *5th, 2018* *Webpage: **http://intelligent-social-robots-ws.com/* <http://intelligent-social-robots-ws.com/> *I. Aim and Scope *Robots that cook creatively, clean up our rooms dutifully, entertain our guests wittily and keep us company loyally. Robots that assist human users in their daily chores and provide support in times of need. Researchers around the world have envisioned such robot companions for a long time. Thanks to numerous innovations in sensor technology and software development, robots are now increasingly able to plan complex tasks in unknown environments, learn from experience and adapt to changes in the environment. The greatest challenges in robotics now lie in the development of robot skills and high-level AI-based functionalities that enable robots to work effectively in close collaboration with humans. Aside from the numerous technical challenges, which must be overcome before this vision can become a reality, multi-disciplinary research efforts are also invested into the social engineering of robots. In order to engineer “smart” robots that we accept, trust and welcome into our homes, it is paramount that we identify and investigate the factors that affect social interactions between humans and robots. For this purpose, computer scientists, AI researchers, engineers and psychologists tackle important questions that will determine whether robots will be perceived as helpful and reliable companions or as irritating nuisances. How should robots look, behave and communicate with us? What are our expectations of robot behavior in a social context? How can robots learn using the capabilities of their environments to achieve tasks and to address the needs of their human co-inhabitants? What kind of robot intelligence is required for what kind of tasks? In this workshop, participants will discuss with seasoned experts and young researchers what defines social and artificial intelligence for “smart” robots and how modern technological advances can equip robots with such intelligence. As such, this workshop aims to shed light on the intersection between cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and robotics research both from the theoretical and technical perspectives. Recent advances and possible avenues for future research in the field of “smart” robotics are principal topics of discussion during the workshop. ** *This workshop is endorsed by the IEEE Technical Committees*: *Human-Robot Interaction and Coordination, Cognitive Robotics, and Robot Learning*. *II. Keynote Speakers * 1. * Angelo Cangelosi *– University of Manchester/Plymouth – UK 2. *Yiannis Aloimonos *– University of Maryland – USA 3. * Selma Sabanovic *– Indiana University – USA 4. *Michael Beetz* – University of Bremen – Germany 5. *Matthias Scheutz *– Tufts University – USA *III. Submission * 1. For paper submission, use the following EasyChair web link: *Paper Submission <https://easychair.org/account/signin.cgi?key=72898427.c11B4hAVw0ZMhuaQ>* . 2. Use the IEEE style (two-column format – US letter): *IEEE Templates <https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates.html>*. 3. Submitted papers should be limited to 2-6 pages maximum. The primary list of topics covers the following points (but not limited to): - Multimodal human robot interaction - Cognitive modeling of human behavior - Cognitive architectures and strategies for intelligent interaction with the environment - AI and machine learning approaches applied to human-robot-environment interaction - Cloud robotics and ubiquitous computing - Ambient assisted living - Human intention recognition and prediction - Robot acceptance - Social engineering - Language learning, embodiment, and social intelligence - Computational modeling for high-level human cognitive functions - Predictive learning from sensorimotor information - Multimodal interaction and concept formulation - Language and action development - Learning, reasoning, and adaptation in collaborative human-robot tasks - Affordance learning - Learning by demonstration and imitation - Language and grammar induction in robots * IV. Important Dates * 1. Paper submission: *20-August-2018 * 2. Notification of acceptance: *30-August-2018* 3. Camera-ready version:* 7-September-2018 * 4. Workshop: *5-October-2018* *V. Organizers * 1. *Amir Aly *– Ritsumeikan University – Japan 2. *Sascha Griffiths *– Hamburg University – Germany 3. * Verena Nitsch *– Bundeswehr University – Germany 4. *Katerina Pastra* – Cognitive Systems Research Institute – Greece 5. *Tadahiro Taniguchi* – Ritsumeikan University – Japan -------------------- *Amir Aly, Ph.D.* Senior Researcher Emergent Systems Laboratory College of Information Science and Engineering Ritsumeikan University 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 Japan

June 15, 2018

Call for Applications: Symposium and Summer School on the Logistics of Neuronal Function

by Jochen Triesch

We invite applications from PhD students and post-docs to participate in a two-week summer course on the Logistics of Neuronal Function in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from August 28 to September 7. Neurons face a variety of logistics challenges. They need to organize the production, transport, storage, and recycling of various molecules such as neurotransmitters, mRNA, and proteins to fill their extensive dendritic and axonal arbors. For example, most proteins have turnover rates of several days, which implies that neurons must organize the production and transport of vast numbers of proteins to maintain their structure and function. Due to their large size compared to other cells of the body, these problems are particularly severe for neurons. It is likely that evolution has driven neurons to find robust and efficient solutions to these challenges. So how do they organize production, transport, delivery, storage, and recycling processes and how are logistic failures related to nervous system disorders? This first workshop and summer school on the logistics of neuronal function bring together leading experimentalists, theoreticians, and method developers to exchange ideas on these fundamental questions. Organizers: Jochen Triesch, Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies Erin Schuman, MPI Brain Research, Frankfurt Tatjana Tchumatchenko, MPI Brain Research, Frankfurt Christian Tetzlaff, Georg-August University, Göttingen Confirmed Speakers of the Giersch International Symposium (August 28 - September 1): Maarten Altelaar, Utrecht, Netherlands Peter W. Baas, Drexel U., USA Upinder S. Bhalla, TIFR, India Long Cai, Caltech, USA Daniel Choquet, Bordeaux, France Guillame Drion, Liege, Belgium Seth Grant, University of Edinburgh, Scotland Kristian Franze, U. of Cambridge, UK Lukas Kapitein, Utrecht, Netherlands Ken Kosik, UC Santa Barbara, USA Timothy O’Leary, Cambridge University, UK William W. Lytton, SUNY Downstate, USA Jeremy Niven, U. of Sussex, UK Marianne Renner, Institut du Fer a Moulin, France Erik De Schutter, OIST, Japan Antoine Triller, École Normale Superièure, France Noam Ziv, Technion, Israel Confirmed Giersch Summer School Lecturers (September 3 - 7): Eric Hosy, U Bordeaux, France Timothy O’Leary, Cambridge University, UK William W. Lytton, SUNY Downstate, USA Marianne Renner, Institut du Fer a Moulin, France Christian Tetzlaff, U. Göttingen, Germany Jochen Triesch, FIAS, Germany Special Public Talk by: Nobel Laureate Edvard Moser The third "Giersch International Symposium", will take place at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies. The conference series, funded by STIFTUNG GIERSCH gives young scientists the opportunity to learn from well known, exceptional researchers and to expand their networks. Accommodation and meals are provided free of charge. To apply visit: https://indico.fias.uni-frankfurt.de/event/11/overview and see the instructions there. Required materials include: CV, letter of recommendation from supervisor, poster abstract, and short text specifying the reason for participation. Application Deadline: June 30 Contact: gis2018(a)fias.uni-frankfurt.de -- Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch Johanna Quandt Research Professor Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/~triesch/ Tel: +49 (0)69 798-47531 Fax: +49 (0)69 798-47611

June 14, 2018

Bernstein Conference 2018 in Berlin: Registration is open

by Alexandra Stein

BERNSTEIN CONFERENCE 2018 in Berlin Registration is open! Please register here: www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/registration<http://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/registration> Early registration deadline: July 19, 2018 ABSTRACT SUBMISSION: For the details on abstract submission please visit: www.bernstein-network.de/de/bernstein-conference/2018/abstracts<http://www.bernstein-network.de/de/bernstein-conference/2018/abstracts> Deadline for abstracts aimed as contributed talks and posters: June 21, 2018 Deadline for abstracts aimed as posters only: July 17, 2018 **************************************************************************** Satellite Workshops: www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/satellite-workshops<http://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/satellite-work…> Main Conference: www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018<http://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018> PhD Symposium: www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/phd-symposium<http://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/phd-symposium> **************************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference is the largest annual Computational Neuroscience Conference in Europe and now regularly attracts around 500 international participants. This year, the Conference will take place in Berlin from September 26-28, 2018. In addition, there will be a series of pre-conference satellite workshops on September 25-26, 2018. The Bernstein Conference is a single-track conference, covering all aspects of Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology. Sessions for poster presentations are an integral part of the conference. The goal of the satellite workshops is to provide an informal forum for the discussion of timely research questions and challenges. For more information on the conference, please visit: www.bernstein-conference.de<http://www.bernstein-conference.de> CONFERENCE DATE AND VENUE: Satellite Workshops: September 25-26, 2018 Venue: Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin (10 min. walk to Bernstein Main Conference venue) Main Conference: September 26-28, 2018 Venue: Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) Main Building, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin PhD Symposium: September 28-29, 2018 Venue: Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Philippstraße 13, Haus 6, 10115 Berlin NEW THIS YEAR: Postdoc Meeting: September 25, start 7:00 pm Venue: Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin (in the same building as the Satellite Workshops) This event is an informal get-together for post-docs. It is an opportunity to get to know each other, foster collaborations, exchange experiences and ideas. No preparation required, but if you have an idea or a particular topic you want to discuss with your peers, bring it along. Drinks and snacks will be provided. PhD Social Event: September 25, start 8:00 pm Venue: depends on the number of participants Warm-up for PhD Symposium ACCOMMODATION AND HOTEL RESERVATION: We strongly recommend early room booking! The number of available accommodation is limited! We arranged for room contingents in a variety of hotels that you may book by yourself by email or phone. Please follow the instructions at our Accommodations Website (www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/hotels<http://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/hotels>). We would like to emphasize that these room contingents will be held open up to different expiration dates depending on the hotel (or until they are filled). We are looking forward to welcoming you in Berlin! Conference Chair: Andreas Herz Conference Host: Henning Sprekeler Program Chair: Gilles Laurent Program Vice Chair: Susanne Schreiber Workshop Chair: Jakob Macke Workshop Vice Chair: Tatjana Tchumatchenko Technical Organization: Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS): Alexandra Stein, Kerstin Schwarzwaelder BERNSTEIN CONFERENCE 2018 in Berlin Registration is open! Please register here: www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/registration<http://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/registration> Early registration deadline: July 19, 2018 ABSTRACT SUBMISSION: For the details on abstract submission please visit: www.bernstein-network.de/de/bernstein-conference/2018/abstracts<http://www.bernstein-network.de/de/bernstein-conference/2018/abstracts> Deadline for abstracts aimed as contributed talks and posters: June 21, 2018 Deadline for abstracts aimed as posters only: July 17, 2018 **************************************************************************** Satellite Workshops: www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/satellite-workshops<http://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/satellite-work…> Main Conference: www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018<http://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018> PhD Symposium: www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/phd-symposium<http://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/phd-symposium> **************************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference is the largest annual Computational Neuroscience Conference in Europe and now regularly attracts around 500 international participants. This year, the Conference will take place in Berlin from September 26-28, 2018. In addition, there will be a series of pre-conference satellite workshops on September 25-26, 2018. The Bernstein Conference is a single-track conference, covering all aspects of Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology. Sessions for poster presentations are an integral part of the conference. The goal of the satellite workshops is to provide an informal forum for the discussion of timely research questions and challenges. For more information on the conference, please visit: www.bernstein-conference.de<http://www.bernstein-conference.de> CONFERENCE DATE AND VENUE: Satellite Workshops: September 25-26, 2018 Venue: Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin (10 min. walk to Bernstein Main Conference venue) Main Conference: September 26-28, 2018 Venue: Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) Main Building, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin PhD Symposium: September 28-29, 2018 Venue: Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Philippstraße 13, Haus 6, 10115 Berlin NEW THIS YEAR: Postdoc Meeting: September 25, start 7:00 pm Venue: Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin (in the same building as the Satellite Workshops) This event is an informal get-together for post-docs. It is an opportunity to get to know each other, foster collaborations, exchange experiences and ideas. No preparation required, but if you have an idea or a particular topic you want to discuss with your peers, bring it along. Drinks and snacks will be provided. PhD Social Event: September 25, start 8:00 pm Venue: depends on the number of participants Warm-up for PhD Symposium ACCOMMODATION AND HOTEL RESERVATION: We strongly recommend early room booking! The number of available accommodation is limited! We arranged for room contingents in a variety of hotels that you may book by yourself by email or phone. Please follow the instructions at our Accommodations Website (www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/hotels<http://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/hotels>). We would like to emphasize that these room contingents will be held open up to different expiration dates depending on the hotel (or until they are filled). We are looking forward to welcoming you in Berlin! Conference Chair: Andreas Herz Conference Host: Henning Sprekeler Program Chair: Gilles Laurent Program Vice Chair: Susanne Schreiber Workshop Chair: Jakob Macke Workshop Vice Chair: Tatjana Tchumatchenko Technical Organization: Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS): Alexandra Stein, Kerstin Schwarzwaelder -- Dr. Alexandra Stein Head of Bernstein Coordination Site 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 9583 mobile: (+49) 0151 67114645 mail: a.stein(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:a.stein@fz-juelich.de> web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> Twitter: NNCN_Germany YouTube: Bernstein TV Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 14, 2018

Postdoc in systems or computational neuroscience at Brandeis (Boston Area), ,

by Paul Miller

Postdoc in systems or computational neuroscience at Brandeis (Boston Area) The Miller and Katz labs are looking for a postdoctoral researcher with expertise in two or more of the following areas: electrophysiology, optogenetics, animal behavior, data analysis, and/or computational modeling. The postdoc will work on a collaborative project, which is funded by the BRAIN initiative. The project’s goal is to uncover the dynamics and neural circuitry underlying the ongoing consumption decisions that occur when an animal is choosing between different tastes or olfactory stimuli. The ideal candidate will be highly motivated, bring relevant skills based on past experience, be willing and able to develop new project-related skills, and be good at communicating with others in both experimental and computational labs. Any interested candidate should contact Paul Miller at pmiller(a)brandeis.edu <mailto:pmiller@brandeis.edu>, indicating areas of expertise and which areas of the project (in particular experiment versus modeling) are of greatest interest. A C.V. and the names and contact details of three faculty willing to provide recommendations should accompany the application. The position is available as of now and is open until a suitably qualified candidate is appointed. The appointee will work in either the Katz Lab or Miller Lab at Brandeis University in Waltham MA (in the Greater Boston Metro area), a liberal arts college with a very strong research community, particularly in the life sciences. Salary will be on the NIH scale (experience-dependent, starting at $48 432). Brandeis University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity.Women and underrepresented minority candidates are encouraged to apply.Brandeis University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.

June 13, 2018

3rd International MOBI Conference

by Daniel Ferris

11 - 14 JULY, 2018 3RD INTERNATIONAL MOBILE BRAIN/BODY IMAGING CONFERENCE http://mobi2018.bpn.tu-berlin.de/ Berlin, Germany ______ Speakers Diane Damiano Chief of Functional & Applied Biomechanics NIH Arthur Kramer Professor of Psychology & Engineering, Northeastern University Scott Makeig Director Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience Klaus Gramann Chair Biological Psychology and Neuroergonomics, Technical University Berlin Dan Ferris Robert W. Adenbaum Professor of Engineering Innovation, University of Florida Juliet King Director Art Therapy, Indiana University School of Medicine Stefan Debener Chair of Neuropsychology, University of Oldenburg John Foxe Killian J. and Caroline F. Schmitt Chair in Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical center Helen J. Huang Professor, University of Central Florida Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor, University of Houston Thorsten Zander CEO, Zander Laboratories B.V., Amsterdam, The Netehrlands Peter Koenig Chair Neurobiopsychology, University of Osnabrueck Girija Kaimal Professor Creative Arts Therapies, Drexel University Tzyy-Ping Jung Co-Director Center for Advanced Neurological Engineering, UCSD Hirokazu Tanaka Professor School of Information Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Paola Pinti Research Associate Dept. of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London Edmund Wascher Chair of Ergonomics, Leibnitz Research Center for Working Environments and Human Factors Janna Protzak Postdoctoral Researcher, Technische Universitaet Berlin Tim Mullen CEO Qusp Hasan Ayaz Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University Julia Kline Senior Researcher Fitbit, San Francisco Guy Cheron Director Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Université Libre de Bruxelles Eduardo Macagno Professor Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego Tal Shafir Research Fellow, The Emili Sagol Creative Arts Therapies Research Center, University of Haifa Guido Orgs Lecturer, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London Grainne McLoughlin Associate Professor, Cognitive Neuroscience, King’s College London Chin-Teng Lin Director, Computational Intelligence and Brain Computer Interfaces, University of Technology Sydney Martin Seeber Research Scientist, Functional Brain Mapping Lab, University of Geneva Stephanie Scott Researcher, Brain-Computer Interface Laboratory, Colorado State University Lewis Chuang Group leader, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Christer Ahlström Researcher, The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute Sha Xin Wei Director School of Arts, Media + Engineering, Arizona State University Pierfilippo De Sanctis Professor Albert Einstein College New York Conny Kranczioch Research Scientist, Department of Psychology, University Oldenburg Simon Ladouce Impact Fellow, Department of Psychology, University of Stirling Angus Hunter Professor, Health and Sport Science, University of Stirling Hanna Poikonen Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki John Iversen Research Scientist, University of California San Diego Agnieszka Wykowska Social Cognition in Human-Robot Interaction, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genua Elsa Kirchner Robotics Lab, University of Bremen Andreas Mierau Exercise & Sport Science, LUNEX International University of Health, Luxembourg Nadja Schott Professor, Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences -- Daniel P. Ferris, Ph.D. Editor-In-Chief, IEEE-TNSRE editortnsre(a)gmail.com

June 13, 2018

PhD position in neuromorphic engineering - Toulouse, France

by Timothée Masquelier

Beating Roger Federer: Modeling visual learning and expertise through a bioinspired neural network embedded in an electronic device Goal: PhD grant. When: starting from September 2018 (date may be flexible to some extent) Topic: How do expert tennis players, like Roger Federer for example, predict if a ball will bounce in or out the field to decide if it should be played or not? After thousands of trajectory presentations, best champions have developed extraordinary skills in such a task, but little is known on how the visual system turns selective to spatiotemporal properties of the visual stimulus (e.g., 3D position, velocity and acceleration) and learns how to make an efficient use of it. The goal of the project is to build an embedded system – based on FPGA circuits and ARM processor – an artificial neural network which would replicate – and perhaps beat – the visual and anticipatory performances of these expert players. To achieve this goal successfully, we will develop a bio-inspired neural network, based on some of the key properties of human vision: the Smart NeuroCam (GST company) will be used to reproduce the retina functioning. It triggers its message under the form of spikes, in an asynchronous way (without any concept of frame per second), responding to spatial or temporal changes in the pattern of illumination. Several kinds of pre-processing filters can be implemented in VHDL language directly in the FPGA circuits, and the output is then sent to a neural network. The artificial network will learn to use this message, applying a simple learning rule, the Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity (STDP). This rule allows each neuron to become selective to a particular property of the stimulus, completely autonomously and with no supervision. Several layers will be built to allow perceiving more and more complex properties of the visual scene. Once the network will be established, its performances will be assessed in different conditions of learning and compared to those of the best tennis players. The project is funded by a French National Research Agency (ANR), involving two sites and several researchers: − Robin Baurès, Benoit Cottereau, Timothée Masquelier and Simon Thorpe, CerCo, Toulouse. − Michel Paindavoine, GST, Dijon. Where: The candidate will be based at CerCo, Toulouse (France), and will make the interface with the two sites, with regular trips. The computational neuroscience part will be done at Toulouse, and electronic part at Dijon. Tasks: − Matlab (or Python) based simulations of numerical filters. These filters will be applied to the image processing from which spikes are generated and then sent to feed the neural network and STDP learning mechanism. − VHDL coding to implement these numerical filters into the FPGA circuits of the cameras − C/C++ coding of the neural network and STDP mechanism that should work on an embedded ARM processor system − Experimental tests that will allow evaluating the performance of the whole system, from spikes generation to visual properties learning of the embedded system, to predict tennis ball’s trajectories Required skills: − Strong knowledge on electronic, and openness to computational neurosciences − Knowledge in signal-image processing, and artificial neural network − Interest for multidisciplinary research − Ability to turn smoothly autonomous, once the road has been set − Ability to be at the interface of two scientific fields and two working areas − Programming with Matlab and/or Python for simulating the neural network − Programming in VHDL language for FPGA circuits − Programming in C/C++ language for porting the algorithms on ARM microprocessors − French is not a requirement if fluent in English, but willingness to learn would be beneficial Citizenship Eligibility: For security / defense reasons, an evaluation will be made of the candidates before any possible acceptation. Relevant publications for the project: − Masquelier, T., Guyonneau, R. & Thorpe S.J. (2009). Competitive STDP-Based Spike Pattern Learning. Neural Comput, 21(5),1259-1276. − Masquelier, T. & Thorpe, S.J. (2007). Unsupervised learning of visual features through spike timing dependent plasticity. PLoS Comput Biol, 3(2):e31. − Cottereau, B.R., McKee, S.P. & Norcia, A.M. (2014). Dynamics and cortical distribution of neural responses to 2D and 3D motion in human. Journal of Neurophysiology 111(3), 533-543. − SmartNeuroCam de GST : https://gsensing.eu/fr/category/sections/products Contact: Robin Baurès, PhD Associate Professor CerCo, Université Toulouse 3, CNRS CHU Purpan, Pavillon Baudot 31059 Toulouse Cedex 9 – France Office phone: 0033 (0)5 62 74 62 15 Email : robin.baures(a)cnrs.fr Pr Michel Paindavoine GlobalSensing Technologies 14, rue Pierre de Coubertin 21000 Dijon email : michel.paindavoine(a)gsensing.eu -- Timothée Masquelier - timothee.masquelier(a)cnrs.fr - http://cerco.ups-tlse.fr/~masquelier/

June 12, 2018

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER

by Tatiana Pasternak

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN THE NEUROSCIENCE OF PERCEPTUAL DECISIONS Postdoctoral position to study cortical circuitry underlying memory-guided perceptual decisions is available immediately in the laboratory of Dr. Tatiana Pasternak. Experimental approaches include extracellular multi-electrode recordings and inactivation of spiking and LFP activity from prefrontal and extrastriate visual cortical regions of non-human primates during complex behavioral tasks. An important component of the work is a collaboration involving computational modeling aimed at mechanisms underlying maintenance and utilization of visual information in decision-making. Preference will be given to candidates with strong quantitative background with experience in the analysis of physiological data and extracellular recordings. Applicants with strong background in related disciplines of systems neuroscience and/or computer science & engineering are welcome to apply. Experience with MATLAB/Python programming and proficient knowledge of the English language are required. The University of Rochester offers a stimulating research environment and excellent opportunities for interactions and training in cognitive neuroscience and visual science. Interested applicants should send CV and names/contact information of three references to Dr. Pasternak. Please include a cover letter detailing your current research activities, expertise and the reasons for your interest in this position. **************************************** Tatiana Pasternak, Ph.D. Professor Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Departments of Neuroscience, Brain & Cognitive Science, Biomedical Engineering, and Center for Visual Science University of Rochester https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/labs/pasternak.aspx <https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/labs/pasternak.aspx>

June 11, 2018

IBRO Simons Computational Neuroscience Imbizo 2019 - call for applications

by Antrobus, Alexander

The IBRO-Simons computational neuroscience imbizo is a summer school in computational neuroscience and machine learning, hosted each January in Cape Town, South Africa. The event is generously sponsored by the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) and the Simons Foundation (Simons). "Imbizo" is an isiXhosa word, meaning "A gathering to share knowledge". The aim of the isiCNI is exactly this: to create an environment in which young African and international students can explore computational neuroscience together, forming strong friendships in the process. Three weeks of intensive lectures, tutorials, projects and fun! When and where? January 6th - 27th 2019 Cape Town, South Africa TO APPLY: https://imbizo.africa<https://imbizo.africa/> [http://isicni.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/img/Africagrey_trans_small.png]<https://imbizo.africa/> imbizo.africa - #isiCNI2019<https://imbizo.africa/> imbizo.africa The IBRO-Simons Computational Neuroscience Imbizo: a computational neuroscience school in Cape Town, South Africa Faculty for 2019 include: Dora Angelaki (Bayor College, Houston) Demba Ba (Harvard Uni, Boston) Sophie Denève (ENS, Paris) Adrienne Fairhall (Univ of Washington, Seattle) Peter Latham (Univ College London) Timothy Lillicrap (Google Deepmind, London) Joseph Raimondo (Univ of Cape Town) Athanassia Papoutsi (IMBB-FORTH, Hellas) Srikanth Ramaswami (EPFL, Lausanne) Blake Richards (Univ Toronto) Andrew Trevelyan (Newcastle Univ., Newcastle) Misha Tsodyks (Weizmann Inst., Rehovot) Tim Vogels (Oxford) Byron Yu (Carnegie Mellon Univ, Pittsburgh) Who should apply? The Imbizo is designed to introduce students with backgrounds in analytic fields (computer science, statistics, physics, mathematics, engineering, etc.) to the field of computational neuroscience. It will also benefit advanced experimental biologists who would like to learn more computational skills. It also provides an opportunity for students already working in computational neuroscience to do 3 weeks of intensive, focused work in a different sub-topic of the field. Students should generally be at Masters/early PhD level, and have completed at least a 2nd-year university level course in computer science, statistics, physics or mathematics. Some coding experience will also be helpful. More advanced level students (post-Docs, early career PIs) may also be accepted if they can motivate how the courses at the Imbizo could help their career. Well motivated, exceptional undergraduates will also be considered. African students are especially encouraged to apply. What does it cost? The attendance fee for the isiCNI2019 is EUR 1,100.00. Thanks to our generous sponsors, significant bursaries are available to subsidise and waiver student fees, and provide some travel bursaries. Funding will be allocated according to need and merit. Please be sure to complete the relevant section of the application. For more information, please visit https://imbizo.africa<https://imbizo.africa/> [http://isicni.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/img/Africagrey_trans_small.png]<https://imbizo.africa/> imbizo.africa - #isiCNI2019<https://imbizo.africa/> imbizo.africa The IBRO-Simons Computational Neuroscience Imbizo: a computational neuroscience school in Cape Town, South Africa Or contact isicn.imbizo[AT]gmail.com Thanks and regards IBRO-Simons Computational Neuroscience Committee 2019

June 11, 2018

postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience at the IIT - Italy

by Stefano Panzeri

A postdoctoral position is currently available at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, within the new Center for Human Technologies in Genoa, Italy. The research will be jointly supervised by Stefano Panzeri ( https://www.iit.it/people/stefano-panzeri) and Cristina Becchio ( https://www.iit.it/it/people/cristina-becchio) The aim of this project is to investigate, using both neural network models and the mathematical analysis of behavioral, psychophysical and neuroimaging data from cognitive experiments, how motor variability affects action observation and prediction in both typically developing individuals and individuals with autism. The laboratories of the two supervisors offer a wide range of interdisciplinary expertise in computational and cognitive neuroscience, including advanced analysis, neural analyses techniques, neural network modeling, motion tracking, psychophysics and neuroimaging techniques. The laboratories offer a thriving, well-funded research environment with extensive international collaborations and ample opportunities for advanced training and personal scientific growth. We seek candidates holding a PhD in a numerate or neuroscientific scientific discipline, with a solid computational background and a keen interest in neuroscience and cognition. The ideal candidate is a highly motivated and creative individual who wants to work in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary research environment and is willing to interact with both experimental and theoretical cognitive neuroscientists. The formal deadline for applications is *July 9**th** 2018*. However, interested candidates are advised to contact informally Stefano Panzeri ( stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it) *as soon as possible*. The formal application should be sent by email to *jobpost.75446(a)iit.it* <jobpost.75446(a)iit.it>, *quoting “One post-doctoral position at the interface between Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience - CB 75446 CB 75447” in the subject*. The formal application should contain the CV, a brief statement of research interests, and names and email addresses of 2 referees. Please see the following link for further details: https://www.iit.it/careers/openings/opening/767-one-post-doctoral-position-… Yours truly Stefano Panzeri

June 11, 2018

An Electrodynamic Theory of the Brain

by Patirniche, Dinu

Dear Colleagues, What is a meter? If you say a unit length, you are correct. However, the meter is not just any unit of length, but one that is relevant for you as a human. Mature humans are around 1.70m high, and walk comfortably at 1m/s. But why do we use the meter at all, when it comes to expressing events and distances encountered in the brain? A commonly held biophysical dogma says that magnetic interactions occurring among neighboring compartments of biological tissues, such as for example the different neurons in a brain, can be ignored. The typical argument used to give credit to all biophysical theories rooted in electrostatic is related to the observation that the vast majority of all electrical events within living tissues propagate are incredibly low speeds. Thus, since action potentials (APs), that is, sharp fluctuations of the electric field, are seen to propagate at speeds between 1 and 100 m/s, any dynamic induction phenomena arising due to the presence of such an event is apriorily excluded. And indeed, with meter-long sensors there is hardly any significant electrodynamics signals to be recorded. However, acknowledging that the AP is playing a decisive role in the chemical transmission cycle, we could express the AP's speed in units that are relevant to this process. Since the dendritic spine is an integral part of the chemical transmission machinery, we could introduce a new unit of length and call it the "dendritic-spine-head" to mean 1 micro-meter, or 10^-6 m. Thus, referring to the spine as an observer of the AP, this event propagates at 1,000,000 "dendritic-spine-heads"/s. From the perspective of a spine, the production of such an event is anything but a stationary phenomenon, appearing necessary to consider what an electrodynamic theory might say about the interactions between an incoming electrical pulse and a fixed spine. In following this route, I came to the conclusion that all biological organisms can be easily decomposed into a finite set of disjoint, and electrically insulated volumes, that appear to function as a set of nested highly-exotic electromagnetic antennae. If this view can be maintained, understanding brains as room-temperature quantum computers, and life as a globally coherent state within some finite reach, is inevitable. I present this theory in a preprint entitled Dynamic Aspects of Finite Architectures (http://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20815.79527) and invite you to read, comment and share this manuscript. Best regards, Dinu Patirniche.

June 11, 2018

Ph.D. Computational Neuroscience @University of Padova

by suweis infn

Dear all, call are open for Ph.D. position in Computational Neuroscience @ the Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova (http://pnc.unipd.it/phd-neuroscience/) In particular we propose three different projects: - The Critical Brain in Action (http://pnc.unipd.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/P19_Suweis.pdf) - Controllability and Observability of Rat Brain Activity (http://pnc.unipd.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/P17_Vassanelli.pdf) - Intrinsic brain activity and sensory coding in the rodent whisker somatosensory system (http://pnc.unipd.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/P18_Vassanelli.pdf) The deadline for the application is 26 June 2018. Interested candidate can contact me suweis(a)pd.infn.it Please forward this message to collaborators and students. Thanks Samir Suweis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Samir Suweis, Ph.D. https://impactstory.org/u/SamirSuweis <https://impactstory.org/u/SamirSuweis> @SamirSuweis Research Scientist (RTDa) LIPh Lab, Physics Department, University of Padova Tel: +39 049 827 72 51 www.pd.infn.it/~maritan/people/Samir/samir.html

June 10, 2018

Post-doctoral research scientist position for psychophysics in audio-visual virtual reality

by Seeber, Bernhard

Dear List, we are inviting applications for a post-doctoral research scientist to join our team for research on psychoacoustics in complex audio-visual virtual environments. Main responsibilities are: - Development of novel techniques for and auditory experiments in interactive audio-visual virtual reality - Development of analysis methods for behavioral responses and statistical analysis of the results - Research on binaural hearing and auditory scene analysis with normal hearing listeners - Publication in English-language scientific journals and presentations at conferences - Supervision of student projects, assistance with teaching and with raising external funding. The position is full time and will start at the earliest convenient date. Qualifications: - Successfully completed doctoral degree (PhD) in one of the following areas: psychoacoustics, audio technology, virtual reality, acoustics, multimodal interaction, signal processing, or a related area - Knowledge and experience desirable in designing and analyzing psychophysical experiments, models of the auditory system, virtual acoustics, audio signal processing, machine learning, auditory scene analysis, binaural hearing, speech perception and speech tests - Very good programming skills in Matlab, Python, or C/C++ - Excellent written and oral communication skills as well as experience with scientific publications - Interest in basic research and the development of technical systems in virtual reality - Flexibility and good interpersonal skills - Interest in supervising students, helping with teaching, and raising external funds. We offer... you the opportunity to join a dynamic, interdisciplinary team, to work with up-to-date technical equipment including an anechoic chamber hosting an audio-visual virtual reality system, and to learn about the latest methods in hearing research. As part of the DFG collaborative research center "Hearing acoustics: Perceptual principles, Algorithms and Applications" you will work closely with our project partners at the University of Oldenburg. Our close interaction with the Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience Munich (www.bccn-munich.de) the Munich School of BioEngineering (www.bioengineering.tum.de) the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (www.gsn.uni-muenchen.de) the Hearing Research Network Munich, our extensive cooperation with industry and with scientific partners, and the numerous courses offered at TUM create an attractive environment with excellent perspectives for personal development. Please see www.aip.ei.tum.de for further information. Employment is according to the state employees salary scheme (TV-L/E13) and is initially for 1 year with the option for extension to 4 years. Women are explicitly encouraged to apply. Severely handicapped persons will be favored if they are equally qualified. In principle, the position could also be filled part-time. Munich - the city famous for the Oktoberfest, high-end cars and its unique location to the Alps - is a bustling, international and interesting place to live which offers a wide range of opportunities to engage in cultural and leisurely activities - from opera to skiing. Interested? I look forward to answering your questions on the phone (+49 89 289 28282) or by email. Please send your expressive application preferably by email no later than 30 June 2018 to: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernhard Seeber Professorship for Audio Information Processing Technical University of Munich Arcisstrasse 21 80333 Munich Germany Email: aip(a)ei.tum.de. The job advertisement can also be found at: https://portal.mytum.de/jobs/wissenschaftler/NewsArticle_20180608_072800 Kind regards, Bernhard

June 8, 2018

Postdoc position in Geometric Methods for Deep and Reinforcement Learning at RIST

by Luigi Malagò

=========================================================== *Subject*: Postdoc position in Machine Learning (1 year, renewable up to 2.5 years) *Institution*: RIST - Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca *Keywords*: Deep Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Stochastic Optimization, Optimization over Manifolds, Information Geometry, Riemannian Geometry *Application deadline*: 30 June 2018 (applicants are encouraged to apply earlier) *Salary*: around 2190 euro net *Official announcement*: http://rist.ro/en/details/news/postdoc-positio ns-in-deep-learning-and-machine-learning.html =========================================================== Dear colleagues, the Romanian Institute of Science and Technology (RIST) has an opening for a postdoc position, in the context of the DeepRiemann project “Riemannian Optimization Methods for Deep Learning”, funded by European structural funds through the Competitiveness Operational Program (POC 2014-2020). The appointments will be for 1 year, with possible extensions up to 2.5 years. The DeepRiemann project aims at the design and analysis of novel training algorithms for Neural Networks in Deep Learning, by applying notions of Riemannian optimization and differential geometry. The task of the training a Neural Network is studied by employing tools from Optimization over Manifolds and Information Geometry, by casting the learning process to an optimization problem defined over a statistical manifold, i.e., a set of probability distributions. The project is highly interdisciplinary, with competences spanning from Machine Learning to Optimization, Deep Learning, Statistics, and Differential Geometry. The objectives of the project are multiple and include both theoretical and applied research, together with industrial activities oriented to transfer knowledge, from the institute to a startup or spin-off of the research group. The positions will be part of the new Machine Learning and Optimization group http://luigimalago.it/group.html, which performs research at the intersection of Machine Learning, Stochastic Optimization, Deep Learning, and Optimization over Manifolds, from the unifying perspective of Information Geometry. The group is one of two newly-formed groups in Machine Learning at RIST, where about 20 new postdoctoral research associates and research software developers will be hired by 2018. The official job announcement can be seen here: http://rist.ro/en/details/news/postdoc-positions-in-deep-lea rning-and-machine-learning.html Informal inquiries can be sent to Dr. Luigi Malagò <malago(a)rist.ro>, principal investigator of the DeepRiemann project. Application deadline: 30 June 2018 (applicants are encouraged to apply earlier) best regards, Luigi Malagò

June 7, 2018

Postdoc position in computational neuroscience- University of Calgary

by Roberto C Sotero

The Computational Neurophysics Lab at the University of Calgary ( www.soterolab.com) headed by Dr. Roberto C. Sotero, is looking for a talented postdoctoral fellow, interested in working in the field of computational neuroscience, specifically modeling and identifying brain networks from EEG and fMRI data, and developing model-based control methods to steer these networks from their pathological dynamics towards healthy dynamics. As an example, see our recent paper: http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.10061… The perfect candidate has a strong mathematical, physical, or engineering background (or equivalent), programming skills, and a keen interest in biological and neural systems. A PhD in the field of computational neuroscience is a plus. Applications including a CV, the statement of research interests, and the names and contact information of two references should be sent to roberto.soterodiaz(a)ucalgary.ca. Applications will be assessed as they arrive, and the position will remain open until filled. Salary will be based on University of Calgary post-doctoral rates and commensurate with experience. Best regards, Roberto C. Sotero, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Radiology Hotchkiss Brain Institute University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada www.soterolab.com roberto.soterodiaz(a)ucalgary.ca

June 7, 2018

PhD position, University of Innsbruck (Austria)

by Antonio Rodriguez-Sanchez

Ph.D. Student Position in Robot Learning or Computer Vision at U. Innsbruck The research group in Intelligent and Interactive Systems <https://iis.uibk.ac.at/>, led by Profs. Justus Piater and Antonio Rodríguez-Sánchez, has an opening for a Ph.D. student, on a university assistant position that includes minor teaching requirements. The research will be loosely aligned with ongoing research projects <https://iis.uibk.ac.at/research/projects> in the lab: deep learning in computer vision or robotics computational models of biological vision biologically-inspired computer vision robot vision and closed-loop sensorimotor interaction open-ended and intrinsically-motivated robot learning concept discovery by learning robots goal-oriented exploratory learning prediction of action effects robot skill optimization human-robot interaction and collaboration How to Apply Interested applicants should send a letter of motivation, a curriculum vitae including URLs of English-language theses and dissertations, scanned transcripts and diplomas, and contact information of at least two references in PDF to Justus.Piater(a)uibk.ac.at <mailto:Justus.Piater@uibk.ac.at>. Applications will be considered as they are received, until all positions are filled. Starting date is October 2018 or earlier. More details on https://iis.uibk.ac.at/jobs <https://iis.uibk.ac.at/jobs> Priv. Doz. Antonio Rodríguez-Sánchez, PhD Intelligent and Interactive Systems Dept. of Computer Science - Institut für Informatik University of Innsbruck - Universität Innsbruck Austria – Österreich https://iis.uibk.ac.at/public/antonio/ <https://iis.uibk.ac.at/public/antonio/>

June 7, 2018

Combined Postdoc and science manager to be integrated into the Human Brain Project – Data-driven modeling of plasticity combined with project coordination

by Jeanette Hällgren Kotaleski

Dear Colleagues, dear all, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, is currently recruiting a joint postdoc / science manager to be working within the Human Brain Project. Specifically for the above position data-driven modeling of receptor induced cascades such as GPCR dependent cascades involved in neuromodulation and synaptic plasticity will be done. The first year also research coordination and management is an important challenge of the job. Position can be prolonged (up to maximally 2 or 4 years, the latter if one has received a PhD within the last 3 years). More info and how to apply at: https://www.kth.se/en/om/work-at-kth/lediga-jobb/what:job/jobID:208384/wher… All the best, Jeanette Hellgren Kotaleski Prof, Dept Computational Science and Technolgy, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm

June 5, 2018

Master programme in Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience

by Marcus Kaiser

Dear all, Please forward the following to interested final year UG students. our one-year master degree program in Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience at Newcastle University is now accepting student applications. The course focuses on handling brain connectivity datasets, analyzing electrophysiological recordings, and simulating neural activity and development. Applications range from theoretical neuroscience and machine learning to experimental and clinical research. There are more than a dozen faculty members in the areas of Neuroinformatics, Health Informatics, and Neurotechnology within Newcastle University (see overview at http://neuroinformatics.ncl.ac.uk/ ). Close interactions with experimental and clinical researchers are a key component of the course and the dissertation research project. Ongoing research areas in Newcastle include neuroimaging, psychophysics, systems neuroscience (visual, auditory, and motor system), ageing, neurorehabilitation, brain rhythms, brain-machine interfaces, neurochips, and connectomics (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ion ). Newcastle University hosts around 100 principal investigators in the neurosciences. You can find out more about the program and how to apply at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/degrees/computational-neuroscienc… COURSE OUTLINE The MSc in Neuroinformatics is a full-time, one-year advanced masters course designed for students who have a good degree in the biological sciences or the physical sciences (computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering). It provides the specialist skills in core Neuroinformatics courses (such as computing and biology) with a significant focus on the development of research skills. Prior experience with computers or computer programming is not required. The program is ideal for students aiming for careers in industry or academia. The course is based in the School of Computing but there are strong links with biomedicine, engineering, and the Institute of Neuroscience. WHY STUDY AT NEWCASTLE? The MSc in Neuroinformatics is a truly interdisciplinary degree and provides the dual skills necessary to establish a rewarding career in this research area. The Newcastle program has a research focus on data management, network analysis (e.g. Kaiser, Neuroimage, 2011), and simulation. Newcastle is among the pioneers of the field in the UK and hosted the £4m EPSRC-funded CARMEN project for managing and processing electrophysiology data. We are currently involved in the £10m EPSRC/Wellcome Trust-funded CANDO project for developing an implantable optogenetic device for epilepsy patients (http://www.cando.ac.uk/ ). Newcastle has strong links with the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF). Currently, members of the faculty lead Neuroinformatics UK (http://www.neuroinformatics.org.uk/ ) and co-chair the Neuroinformatics Special Interest Group of the British Neuroscience Association (BNA). COURSE CONTENT Semester 1 contains modules to build the basic grounding in, and understanding of, Neuroinformatics theory and applications, mathematics and statistics, and programming. Semester 2 introduces modules that focus heavily on introducing subject-specific research skills and includes options for choosing modules. A major part of the programme is a research project that will occupy approximately six months. This project may be associated with staff in any of the Schools mentioned above, thus providing a wide range of exciting areas in which the newly learnt Neuroinformatics skills can be deployed. HOW TO APPLY Applications for this program are now being accepted. Please see http://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/degrees/computational-neuroscienc… for more information. Best, Marcus -- Marcus Kaiser, Ph.D. FRSB @ConnectomeLab<https://twitter.com/ConnectomeLab> Professor of Neuroinformatics Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems (ICOS) Research Group School of Computing Urban Sciences Building Newcastle University 1 Science Square Science Central Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5TG UK Lab website: http://www.dynamic-connectome.org<http://www.dynamic-connectome.org/>/ Neuroinformatics@Newcastle: http://neuroinformatics.ncl.ac.uk/ Neuroinformatics UK: http://www.neuroinformatics.org.uk/ Neuroinformatics one-year master programme: http://research.ncl.ac.uk/neuroinformatics/study

June 5, 2018

Postdoc in Brain Network Analysis and Modeling at Vanderbilt University

by Mikail Rubinov

Dear Colleagues, The Rubinov lab at Vanderbilt University Biomedical Engineering (http://www.rubinovlab.net) analyzes and models brain networks across modalities, species and scales. Our research interests broadly include: 1) Integrative statistical models of big neuroscience networks. 2) Evolutionary principles of brain network organization. 3) Information transfer in neural systems. 4) Neuropsychiatric connectivity phenotypes. We are recruiting a motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our lab. The position will be based at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and will be supervised by Dr. Mika Rubinov. There will be opportunities to develop exciting research ideas at the intersection of systems neuroscience, evolutionary neuroscience, network science and data science, and to collaborate with leading investigators at Vanderbilt University and Janelia Research Campus (Howard Hughes Medical Institute). The successful applicant should be passionate about neuroscience and understanding the brain, have good programming skills, and a strong background in a quantitative discipline, including but not limited to network science, computational neuroscience, computational biology, mathematics, physics, computer science, or electrical engineering. Preference will be given to applicants with a good publication record and with experience in analysis of complex datasets. The applicant must have completed their PhD by the start of this position. The position will be initially for one year, with possibilities for yearly extensions subject to satisfactory annual reviews. The salary will be commensurate with the applicant’s experience and qualifications. Vanderbilt is an elite research university (https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/vanderbilt-3535) located in Nashville, one of the hottest cities in the US today (http://www.visitmusiccity.com/media/rankings) Applicants are welcome to email Mika Rubinov for more details and information. Please submit the following application materials directly to mika.rubinov(a)vanderbilt.edu 1) A cover statement of the applicant’s fit for this position. 2) Curriculum Vitae. 3) A list of 2-3 key publications. 4) Contact details for 2-3 referees. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. https://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/645613-postdoctoral-research… Best regards, Mika

June 4, 2018

Postdoctoral Position @UPenn in Vision Science & Computational Neuroscience

by Burge, Johannes

I am looking for a postdoctoral researcher to fill an NIH-funded position on the research team in the Natural Vision Lab at the University of Pennsylvania (http://burgelab.psych.upenn.edu<http://burgelab.psych.upenn.edu/>). My lab works to understand how vision works with natural stimuli. We use databases of natural images, statistical learning tools, ideal observer analysis, and behavioral experiments to gain a precise understanding of the processes that support perception. We have ongoing projects across a range of topics in vision and computational neuroscience, but we tend to focus on tasks and coding problems that are directly or indirectly related to motion and depth perception. My lab is also affiliated with the Computational Neuroscience Initiative at Penn, a community of top researchers working on an array of problems in sensation, perception, and cognition. Strong computational and programming skills are necessary, as well as experience designing and running psychophysical experiments. Familiarity with Matlab and Psychtoolbox is required. A solid background in computer graphics and knowledge of C/C++ and object oriented programming is desirable. The lab has a high refresh-rate VPixx ProPixx projector, a haploscope driven by two high-resolution VPixx ViewPixx monitors, and a large suite of custom code for statistical learning and for the analysis of psychometric data. Applicants must have finished their Ph.D. in neuroscience, vision science, engineering, computer science, or related fields and have a demonstrated record of research productivity. The position is available before the end of Summer 2018. The precise start date is flexible. Applicants should send a brief statement of interest, CV, and the names of three references to Johannes Burge (jburge(a)sas.upenn.edu<mailto:jburge@sas.upenn.edu>). Letters will be requested if your candidacy is being seriously considered. Applications will be assessed as they arrive and the position will remain open until filled. Salary will be based on NIH post-doctoral rates and commensurate with experience. ======================== Johannes Burge, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Psychology Neuroscience Graduate Group University of Pennsylvania http://burgelab.psych.upenn.edu jburge(a)sas.upenn.edu (215) 573 6528

June 4, 2018

IBRO-Simons Computational Neuroscience Imbizo 2019: call for Teaching Assistants

by ucgtada＠ucl.ac.uk

The IBRO-Simons Computational Neuroscience Imbizo (isiCNI) is a computational neurosciencesummer school held in Cape Town, South Africa. We are looking for several Post-Doc (oradvanced PhD) researchers to join our team as Teaching Assistants (TAs) for the isiCNI2019 in January 2019. *About the Imbizo:* The school hosts 30 students for an amazing 3 weeks of lectures, tutorials, projects and parties! All this takes place right on Muizenberg beach, between the mountain and the ocean. It's a spectacular location. The dates for the isiCNI2019 are*January 6th - 27th 2019.* The Imbizo is a special experience, with students being totally immersed in academic, social, touristic and cultural activities for the full 3 weeks. This has resulted in student and TA groups from previous schools becoming very close, personally and scientifically. This is fantastic, as a major goal of the isiCNI project is to help young African researchers grow their academic peer and friend group. *About being a TA:* EachTAruns one afternoon tutorial in the first week of the school, which they design themselves. Each TA will teach a different topic, which the TA's choose among themselves, to try and provide students with a broad exposure to problems and methods in comp neuro. EachTAis also assigned 5 students to supervise for project work during the second 2 weeks of the school. TAs are integral in helping run the school. In addition to academic support, they foster good social interaction and academic discussions between students and help 'shy' students meet faculty. They also act as 'social' care-takers, helping to notice and support students who may be feeling ill, not fitting in socially, or generally having difficulties. To fulfil these roles, TAs need to be at all school meals and activities. We will also need a little help processing studentapplications*during August*. *What we provide:* All this is obviously at no cost to TAs. We cover a direct as possible economy class ticket to Cape Town, as well as all board and lodging during the school. In addition, TAs will receive a cash budget for 'hosting purposes' during the school (e.g. buying some beers/ice-creams for students, train tickets, etc.) *I'm interested, how do I apply:* If you think you would like to join us for this amazing experience, please send us a brief CV (2 or 3 pages is fine) toisicn.imbizo(a)gmail.com <mailto:isicn.imbizo@gmail.com>. Please include (as a cover letter or in your email) a short motivational statement for why you would be a good fit. The_*DEADLINE is JUNE 18th 2018*_ We hope to hear from you soon! Let us know if you have any questions. Thanks and regards Dr Peter E. Latham, Dr Tim Vogels, Dr Joseph Raimondo and Alex Antrobus IBRO-Simons Computational Neuroscience Imbizo Committee 2019 #isicni2019 Twitter: @isicni

June 4, 2018

FENS Satellite Symposium: From Scanner to Bedside

by Marcus Kaiser

Dear colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to our FENS Satellite Symposium "From Scanner to Bedside - What do connectome and gene expression say about brain diseases?" chaired by Prof. Marcus Kaiser (Newcastle University) and Dr Markus Butz-Ostendorf (Biomax): https://www.biomax.com/symposiums/from-scanner-to-bedside/ In this FENS satellite symposium on Friday 6 July, research with a high potential for applications in neurology and psychiatry is presented. We want to bring together scientists with clinicians from all disciplines dealing with brain diseases and to provide a forum for discussion and exchange what steps are needed to bring novel techniques into clinical applications. Keynote Lectures are given by PROF. DR. ANDREAS MEYER-LINDENBERG (Zentralinstitut für seelische Gesundheit, Mannheim, Germany) PROF. DR. ED BULLMORE (Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK) PROF. DR. DR. ELISABETH BINDER (Max-Planck Institute for Psychiatry, Munich, Germany) For the full program see https://www.biomax.com/symposiums/from-scanner-to-bedside/ Participation is free but please register at https://ssl.biomax.de/Symposium/register.html Looking forward to welcoming you in Berlin! Best regards from the organizers, Marcus Kaiser & Markus Butz-Ostendorf -- Marcus Kaiser, Ph.D. FRSB @ConnectomeLab<https://twitter.com/ConnectomeLab> Professor of Neuroinformatics Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems (ICOS) Research Group School of Computing Urban Sciences Building Newcastle University 1 Science Square Science Central Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5TG UK Lab website: http://www.dynamic-connectome.org<http://www.dynamic-connectome.org/>/ Neuroinformatics@Newcastle: http://neuroinformatics.ncl.ac.uk/ Neuroinformatics UK: http://www.neuroinformatics.org.uk/ Neuroinformatics one-year master programme: http://research.ncl.ac.uk/neuroinformatics/study

June 2, 2018

Job Vacancy Announcement - Health Scientist Administrator (Program Officer) Computational Neuroscience and Electrophysiology Program

by Michele Ferrante

*Health Scientist Administrator (Program Officer)Computational Neuroscience and Electrophysiology ProgramNational Institute of Mental HealthDepartment of Health and Human Services* The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Research announces openings for Health Scientist Administrators (Program Officer) to guide and manage a grants program supporting basic research in computational neuroscience and electrophysiology. The Program Officer will lead an extramurally-funded and innovative program employing computational and mathematical approaches to modeling dynamical neuronal processes underlying brain signaling from molecules and cells, as well as complex behaviors (e.g., affect, cognition, executive function, and social behavior). Topic areas within this program include empirical and computational studies (theory- and data-driven models), that combine mathematical and computational tools with neurophysiological, neuroanatomical, or neurochemical techniques to identify the biological mechanisms underlying single cell and circuit dynamics. The program supports studies to develop novel analytical and statistical approaches to high dimensional data sets to identify patterns and relationships among mental health relevant variables. Hypothesis-driven studies seeking to integrate diverse levels of analysis, casual manipulations, and theoretical modeling of neural dynamics are of special interest as are studies developing novel computational algorithms and methods for acquisition, analysis and interpretation of neural data in model systems. This position provides an opportunity to impact priorities, develop new research initiatives and to contribute to the advancement of a national program of computational neuroscience research spanning molecular and cellular electrophysiological analyses. Individuals are encouraged to apply who have research experience using a broad range of computational methods and electrophysiology. General responsibilities will include administering and managing an extramural portfolio of research grants, interacting with researchers and program officers for related programs at NIMH, NIH, and other funding agencies, and developing new research initiatives. This position requires working both independently and collaboratively. Strong organizational, oral, written and communication skills are also required. Salary will be commensurate with the experience of the candidate. A full package of federal Civil Service benefits is available, including: retirement, health and life insurance, long term care insurance, leave, and a Thrift Savings Plan (401K equivalent). The successful candidate is subject to a background investigation and public financial disclosure requirements. For medical and scientific specialties, qualification requirements, evaluation criteria, and application instructions, please view the vacancy announcement at https://jobs.nih.gov/globalrecruitment/. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, including a curriculum vitae to *NIMHsearch(a)mail.nih.gov* <NIMHsearch(a)mail.nih.gov>*.* The NIH encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities. HHS and NIH are Equal Opportunity Employers. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/careers/job-vacancy-announcement-health-scie… https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/careers/dnbbs_job_announcement_hsa_computati… Please feel free to reach out (ferrantem(a)nih.gov) for guidance. Regards, Michele …………………………. Michele Ferrante, Ph.D. (ferrantem(a)nih.gov) Program Director: Computational Neuroscience & Computational Psychiatry National Institute of Mental Health 301-435-6782 <(301)%20435-6782>

June 1, 2018

CFP: Workshop on Crossmodal Learning for Intelligent Robotics in conjunction with IEEE/RSJ IROS 2018

by Pablo Barros

**Apologies for cross-posting** 1st CALL FOR PAPERS for the international workshop: * Crossmodal Learning for Intelligent Robotics * in conjunction with IEEE/RSJ IROS 2018 * Madrid, Spain - Friday 5 October 2018 * * Website: http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/WorkshopCLIR18/index.php * I. Aim and Scope The ability to efficiently process crossmodal information is a key feature of the human brain that provides a robust perceptual experience and behavioural responses. Consequently, the processing and integration of multisensory information streams such as vision, audio, haptics and proprioception play a crucial role in the development of autonomous agents and cognitive robots, yielding an efficient interaction with the environment also under conditions of sensory uncertainty. Multisensory representations have been shown to improve performance in the research areas of human-robot interaction and sensory-driven motor behaviour. The perception, integration, and segregation of multisensory cues improve the capability to physically interact with objects and persons with higher levels of autonomy. However, the multisensory input must be represented and integrated in an appropriate way so that they result in a reliable perceptual experience aimed to trigger adequate behavioural responses. The interplay of multisensory representations can be used to solve stimulus-driven conflicts for executive control. Embodied agents can develop complex sensorimotor behaviour through the interaction with a crossmodal environment, leading to the development and evaluation of scenarios that better reflect the challenges faced by operating robots in the real world. This half-day workshop focuses on presenting and discussing new findings, theories, systems, and trends in crossmodal learning applied to neurocognitive robotics. The workshop will feature a list of invited speakers with outstanding expertise in crossmodal learning. II. Target Audience This workshop is open to doctoral students and senior researchers working in computer and cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience and related areas with the focus on crossmodal learning. III. Confirmed Speakers 1. * Yulia Sandamirskaya * Institute of Neuroinformatics (INI), University and ETH Zurich 2. * Angelo Cangelosi * Plymouth University and University of Manchester, UK 3. * Stefan Wermter * Hamburg Universit, Germany IV. Submission 1. Topics of interest: - New methods and applications for crossmodal processing (e.g., integrating vision, audio, haptics, proprioception) - Machine learning and neural networks for multisensory robot perception - Computational models of crossmodal attention and perception - Bio-inspired approaches for crossmodal learning - Crossmodal conflict resolution and executive control - Sensorimotor learning for autonomous agents and robots - Crossmodal learning for embodied and cognitive robots 2. For paper submission, use the following IEEE template: <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/support.php>* 3. Submitted papers should be limited to *2 pages (extended abstract)* or *4 pages (short paper)*. 4. Send your pdf file to barros(a)informatik.uni-hamburg.de AND jirak(a)informatik.uni-hamburg.de Selected contributions will be presented during the workshop as spotlight talks and in a poster session. Contributors to the workshop will be invited to submit extended versions of the manuscripts to a special issue (to be arranged). Submissions will be peer reviewed consistent with the journal practices. V. Important Dates * Paper submission deadline: August 15, 2018 * Notification of acceptance: September 5, 2018 * Camera-ready version: September 15, 2018 * Workshop: Friday 5 October 2018 VI. Organizers * German I. Parisi * Hamburg University, Germany * Pablo Barros * Hamburg University, Germany * Doreen Jirak * Hamburg University, Germany * Jun Tani * Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan * Yoonsuck Choe * Samsung Research & Texas A&M University, TX, USA -- Dr.rer.nat. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Research Associate - Crossmodal Learning Project (CML) Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt-Koelln-Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 40 42883 2535 Fax: +49 40 42883 2515 barros at informatik.uni-hamburg.de https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/people/barros.html https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/

June 1, 2018

Deadline extended to June 15th for abstracts for the 2nd International Youth Conference of Bionic Science and Engineering (IYCBE2018), 7th-9th November 2018, Odense, Denmark

by Jan-Matthias Braun

The deadline for abstract submission has been extended to June 15th, 23:59:59 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The 2nd International Youth Conference of Bionic Engineering (IYCBE2018) will be held on 7th-9th November 2018 in Odense, Denmark. WEBPAGE: http://iycbe2018.sdu.dk/ ****Abstract Submission Instructions and Publication Details**** The abstract should fit into 500 words, the title into 500 characters. Up to one figure or table can also be added. *Direct links to updated templates and all details are available at the conference webpage.* Then, submit your abstract on our submission page until 15th June 2018. https://easychair.org/my/conference.cgi?welcome=1;a=13832989;conf=iycbe2018 All accepted abstracts with oral or poster presentation will be published in Frontiers in Neurorobotics as an e-book. Selected authors may additionally be invited to submit extended versions for a conference Special Issue of Frontiers in Neurorobotics and Journal of Bionic Engineering. ****Plenary Talks**** John Hallam, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark Title: From Lizards to LEGO, and back again? Zhendong Dai, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China Title: Biomimetic on gecko locomotion: revealing the biology mechanism and developing robot for engineering. Han Zhiwu, Jilin University, China Title: Title: Fabrication and Performance of Bionic Strain Component ****Keynote speakers**** Thierry Darmanin, University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, France Title: Tunable Conducting Polymer Nanotubes with Special Wetting Properties Zhiguang Guo, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Title: Bioinspired Separation Materials for Liquid Lubricants Alexander Spröwitz, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Germany Title: Implementing and Testing Bioinspired Mechanisms on Robots to Understand Legged Locomotion Massimo Sartori, University of Twente, Netherlands Title: Neuro-Mechanical Modelling for Man-Machine Interaction Lars Heepe, Kiel University, Germany Title: Biological and Biomimetic Surfaces: Adhesion, Friction, and Applications Limei Tian, Jilin University, China Title: Non-bactericidal coating of bionic surfaces used for anti-biofouling ****Important Dates**** *Extended* Abstract Submission Deadline: 15th June 2018, 23:59:59 UTC – SUBMISSION IS OPEN Notification of Acceptance: 20th August 2018 Camera Ready Submission: 20th September 2018 Early Registration: 20th September 2018 Conference: 7th-9th November 2018 ****Scope of the Conference**** To meet the demand of the bionic scientists for academic communication, the 2nd International Youth Conference of Bionic Engineering (ICBSE2018) will be held on 7th-9th November 2018 in Odense, Denmark. This conference will be supported by the Youth Committee of International Society of Bionic Engineering (ISBE) and Frontiers in Neurorobotics and organized by University of Southern Denmark and Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics. The objective of this interdisciplinary conference is to provide an international forum for youth or outstanding scientists and engineers around the world who are interested in the field of bionic science and engineering. All aspects of bionic science and engineering and application areas are welcome, including, but not limited to, the following topics: Bio-inspired Robotics Bio-inspired Sensors and Actuators Bio-inspired Energy Storage Bio-inspired Flexible Electronics Bio-Inspired Solar Cells Biomimetic Engineering Embodied Artificial Intelligence and Neurorobotics Functional Morphology Musculoskeletal Systems, Biomechanics Biological Interface and Functionalization Biomimetic Materials, Biomimetic Structures Mechanics, Biomimetic Surfaces Biomimetic Design Methodologies Bionic Fluid, Biological Systems and Brain-Inspired Computing and Neuromorphic Systems. ****Awards**** The best abstract, as well as the best poster, will be awarded at the conference. ****Conference Format**** The conference will be single track with additional poster sessions. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE The Honorary Chair: Julian Vincent General Chair: Poramate Manoonpong Vice-General Chairs: Limei Tian, Zhiguang Guo Program Chair: Jørgen C. Larsen Local Arrangement Chair: Danish Shaikh Publication Chairs: Jan-Matthias Braun, Xiaofeng Xiong Registration Chair: Tórur Andreassen Media Operation Chair: Mathias Thor Technical Support: Peter Billeschou, Leon Bonde Larsen, David Docherty

May 31, 2018

CfP: Computationally Intelligent Methods in Processing and Analysis of Neuronal Big Data at BI 2018, Arlington, Texas, USA.

by Mufti Mahmud

*[Apologies for cross posting.]* *Call for Paper for Special Session on * *Computationally Intelligent Methods in Processing and Analysis of Neuronal Big Data* *11th Brain Informatics Conference (BI 2018), Arlington, Texas, USA, December 7-9, 2018* *Web: http://uta.engineering/conferences/bi-2018/ <http://uta.engineering/conferences/bi-2018/>* Organizers: *Mufti Mahmud1, M Shamim Kaiser2, Ning Zhong3, Nitish V Thakor4* *1* *Computing and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, NG11 8NS – Nottingham, UK* 2*Institute of Information Technology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, 1342 – Dhaka, Bangladesh* 3*Dept. of Life Science and Informatics, Maebashi Institute of Technology, 371-0816 - Maebashi-City, Japan* *4**Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, National University of Singapore, 117456 – Singapore; & * *Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 21205 – MD, USA* *Introduction:* The brain receives and processes information simultaneously coming from diverse sources. The neurons, being the basic information processing units, interconnect to each other to form hierarchical and/or parallel pathways. Technologies related to neural systems engineering have been employed to study these pathways along with processing and modelling of neuronal data for disease diagnosis and brain decoding purposes. Combining both experimental and computational approaches in recent years, thanks to the advancements in neurotechniques, scientists can access large amount of neuronal data and apply computationally intelligent and nature-inspired machine learning techniques including deep learning and reinforcement learning on those data to suggest next generation experimental design aiming to decipher brain’s information processing capabilities and diagnose its diseases. *Scope:* Developing data-intensive and intelligent tools, as well as sophisticated neurotechniques, to process and analyse the neuronal big data is one of the biggest challenges posed to today’s multidisciplinary brain science community. To share recent progress in decoding neuronal information processing, both in healthy and diseased brain, this special session aims to provide a forum for scientists from diverse disciplines including – computer, electrical, biomedical, and neuro engineering – who are looking for more relevant information in interpreting brain functions and diagnosing diseases using expert and computationally intelligent systems. This special session expects to attract papers on recent research progress in the area of intelligent computational tools and techniques in acquiring and processing neuronal big data. The focus areas include, but not limited to, the following: Ø Neural systems engineering and technology to study neural pathways; Ø Processing and modelling of neuronal data for disease diagnosis and brain decoding; Ø Bio-inspired methods for network analysis and pattern recognition in neural data; Ø Novel machine learning techniques for neuronal big data analysis; Ø Application of deep and reinforcement learning to neuronal big data analysis; Ø Computationally intelligent techniques for neuroscience applications; Ø Neuroinformatics (including cloud computing and real-time systems); Ø Cognitive science applications (learning, workload, decision making, etc.) and data analytics; Ø Computational and imaging methods for human brain connectome; and Ø Information analysis in human brain machine interface (invasive, noninvasive). *Submission of papers:* Submit Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) complaint – 10 page – pdf paper to the Special Session following the steps below: Ø Prepare the paper as per the Springer LNCS template from: http://www.springer.com/us/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gui… Ø Visit https://wi-lab.com/cyberchair/2018/bi18/scripts/ws_submit.php?subarea=S Ø Select the link: Special session on Computationally Intelligent Methods in Processing and Analysis of Neuronal Big Data Ø Select the link Submit a New Paper (TYPE I Submission) Ø Provide paper details (i.e., Author(s), Paper Title, Abstract, Keywords, PDF file to upload). *Important dates:* Ø Paper submission deadline: *30 July 2018* Ø Decision notification: *30 August 2018* Ø Special Session date: *7 December 2018* Ø Conference dates: *8-9 December 2018*. -- *Mufti Mahmud, PhD* | (Senior) Lecturer of Computing & Technology <https://www.ntu.ac.uk/sat/about/academic_teams/comp_tech.html> | School of Science & Technology <https://www.ntu.ac.uk/sat/> Office: ERD200 | Nottingham Trent University <https://www.ntu.ac.uk/> | Clifton Campus | NG11 8NS – Nottingham, UK Phone: +44 (0)115 84 83202 | Email: mufti.mahmud(a)ntu.ac.uk Meeting requests: https://doodle.com/mufti http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2037-8348 https://sites.google.com/site/muftimahmud/ https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=L8em2YoAAAAJ&hl=en Senior Member, IEEE <https://www.ieee.org/> & ACM <https://www.acm.org/> Associate Editor, IEEE Access <http://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/> Editorial Board Member, Cognitive Computation <https://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/journal/12559> & Big Data Analytics <https://bdataanalytics.biomedcentral.com/>

May 31, 2018

New book: Neural Information Theory

by James V Stone

I'd like to announce the publication of this book: Principles of Neural Information Theory: Computational Neuroscience and Metabolic Efficiency by James V Stone. Reviews, synopsis, and table of contents can be found here: http://sebtelpress.com regards, James V Stone, University of Sheffield, UK.

May 31, 2018

[High Performance Computing] Become a specialist!

by Master in HPC

May 31, 2018

PhD studentship in Biocomputation Research Group, Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research, University of Hertfordshire

by Shabnam Kadir

Applications are invited for a *PhD studentship* on *Computational frameworks for high-dimensional neural data* with *Dr. Shabnam Kadir *in the *Biocomputation Research Group* in the Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research, University of Hertfordshire, U.K. *Project Description* New developments in experimental technology have led to petabytes of raw data being produced by experimental neuroscientists, which are increasingly publicly available, e.g. Allen Institute data http://www.brain-map.org/. In particular, we are in the realm where population recordings of tens of thousands of neurons are feasible thanks to, e.g. a new generation of large dense probes for electrophysiological recordings, imaging using 2-photon microscopy coupled with calcium fluorescent sensors. Large scale neuronal recordings require novel approaches for both processing and quantitative analysis. As well as using techniques from high-dimensional statistics, machine learning, information theory, we aim to explore new approaches from mathematical fields outside statistics, such as algebraic topology. The study of networks is a particularly important topic in neuroscience: neurons communicate with each other electrically via synapses, forming intricate networks. These networks can be studied using techniques from computational topology (e.g. persistent homology, clique topology). These could be used to extract information about subnetworks and assemblies, both from large scale recordings, and via connectomics derived from simulations (Blue Brain Project). We aim in this project to go beyond spike sorting and develop new tools and computational frameworks which would help interpret high dimensional data and interrogate how information is being processed by the brain, e.g. How are sensory stimuli (location in environment, visual and auditory stimuli) encoded? How can we characterise the neural activity associated with memory, attention, decision making and motor control? We shall be collaborating with labs at Imperial, Pennsylvania State University and UCL. More information can be found here: http://www.herts.ac.uk/_ _data/assets/pdf_file/0003/187455/Dec2017-computational-fram eworks-for-high-dimensional-neural-data.pdf *Requirements * We are looking for candidates with the following profile: - Strong first degree in a quantitative field such as mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, computational neuroscience. - Strong programming skills (e.g. Python, MATLAB, C++). - Interest in neuroscience and biology would be helpful. A studentship from the PhD Programme in Computer Science provides approximately £14,750 per annum bursary plus the payment of student fees. Applicants from outside the UK or EU are eligible. Research in Computer Science at the University of Hertfordshire has been recognised as excellent in the latest Research Excellence Framework Assessment (2014), with 50% of the research submitted rated as internationally excellent or world-leading. The Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research provides a very stimulating environment, offering a large number of specialised and interdisciplinary seminars as well as general training and researcher development opportunities. The University is situated in Hatfield, in the green belt just north of London. Please contact *Dr Shabnam Kadir* (s.kadir2(a)herts.ac.uk) for informal enquiries. Application forms are available under http://www.herts.ac.uk/a pply/schools-of-study/computer-science/our-research/the-phd- programme-in-computer-science and should be returned to Mrs Lorraine Nicholls and Mrs Emma Thorogood, Research Student Administrators, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB, Tel: 01707 286083, doctoralcollegeadmissions(a)herts.ac.uk. The short-listing process will begin on 25th June 2018. ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------- Dr Shabnam Kadir Senior Lecturer School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9AB, United Kingdom. Tel. +44 1707 284641 ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------

May 30, 2018

Faculty position in systems neuroscience, U of Montreal

by Paul Cisek

Professor in Systems/Computational Neuroscience Faculty of medicine / Department of neurosciences Mandate description The Département de neurosciences at the Université de Montréal invites applications for a faculty position at the assistant or associate level, in Systems/Computational Neuroscience. We are seeking candidates who use experimental and/or computational approaches to study how large-scale distributed brain networks implement behavioural-level phenomena such as sensorimotor control and decision-making, with a particular emphasis on system-level learning mechanisms. Ideal candidates will either combine multi-electrode, multi-area neurophysiological studies in behaving animals (in particular non-human primates) with sophisticated computational modeling of brain function, or alternatively, will use predominantly computational approaches to study how biologically realistic large-scale and recurrent network models simulate behavioral-level phenomena. The Département de neurosciences offers state of the art laboratory space and animal facilities for rodent and non-human primates research. Montréal is a rich academic environment, with 4 major universities and a strong tradition of systems neuroscience. The candidates will have outstanding opportunities for collaborations with other systems neuroscientists at the Université de Montréal, McGill University, Concordia University and the Université du Québec à Montréal, as well as with leading experts in artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep-learning networks who are centered in the MILA/IVADO at the Université de Montréal. Responsibilities - The appointed candidate will be expected to maintain an active research program, supervise graduate students, have international collaborations, contribute to the academic life of the Department of Neurosciences, and teach undergraduate and graduate courses. - The candidate will collaborate closely with researchers working in three affiliated research centers at University of Montreal: CHU-Ste Justine (Pediatric Hospital), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montréal, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal. - The teaching language is French; consequently, non-French-speaking candidates should become able to teach in French no longer than three years after their appointment. Requirements - The candidate needs to hold a PhD in neurosciences (or equivalent) and demonstrate significant experience at the post-doctoral level in the field of computational neurosciences. - The candidate needs to show exceptional track record in the field, including in sensorimotor control, decision making, neurophysiological studies in living animal, and computational approaches in order to study how neural network are modeling behavior. - The candidate needs to hold teaching experience at graduate and undergraduate levels, as well as experience in supervising post-doctoral fellowships, research assistants, and highly qualified research personal. - We will prioritize candidates with exceptional research productivity with a publication of articles in the best journals in the field, as well as a strong track record of research funding from national and international research agencies. - The ability and interest of the candidate to work in a multidisciplinary team (biochemists, biologists, engineers, bio informaticians, and clinicians) is mandatory. - Have sufficient knowledge of the French language (written and spoken) or be determined to learn it *. General information Posting No: MED 4-18 / 4 Posting period: June 15th, 2018 Salary: The University of Montreal offers a competitive salary and a complete range of employee benefits Start date: Autumn 2018. The announcement will remain open until the selection committee finds an acceptable candidacy. Application procedure Interested candidates should send their curriculum vitae, a letter explaining their motivation, research interest and competence in their area of expertise, and three letters of support, no later than June 15th 2018; at the following address (email correspondence is preferred): Dr Patrick Cossette, directeur Département de neurosciences Faculté de médecine Université de Montréal C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville Montréal (Québec) H3C 3J7 E-mail : nancy.crete(a)umontreal.ca <mailto:nancy.crete@umontreal.ca> *Linguistic Policy The Université de Montréal is a Québec University with an international reputation. French is the language of instruction. To renew its teaching faculty, the University is intensively recruiting the worlds best specialists. In accordance with the institutions language policy, the Université de Montréal provides support for newly-recruited faculty to attain proficiency in French. Confidentiality The Université de Montréal application process allows all regular professors in the Department to have access to all documents unless the applicant explicitly states in her or his cover letter that access to the application should be limited to the selection committee. This restriction on accessibility will be lifted if the applicant is invited for an interview. Equal Access Employment Program Université de Montréal promotes diversity in its workforce and encourages members of visible and ethnic minorities as well as women, Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities to apply. Immigration Requirements We invite all qualified candidates to apply at Université de Montréal. However, in accordance with immigration requirements in Canada, please note that priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Paul Cisek, PhD Département de neurosciences Université de Montréal Physical: 2960 chemin de la tour, local 4117 Montréal, QC H3T 1J4 CANADA Mailing: CP 6128 Succursale centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 CANADA e-mail: <mailto:paul.cisek@gmail.com> paul.cisek(a)gmail.com Web: www.cisek.org/pavel <http://www.cisek.org/pavel>

May 30, 2018

SenseLab survey

by Ted Carnevale

The SenseLab project applies neuroinformatics methods to make it easier to discover, understand, and reuse neuroscience models, and to relate those models to experimental data. We invite you to help guide the future development of ModelDB http://modeldb.yale.edu and the other SenseLab databases by taking this short survey: https://yalesurvey.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2sZuf5bxk99nTnf (Yale recipients: the survey's original URL is https:// yalesurvey.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2sZuf5bxk99nTnf minus the space between // and yalesurvey) The SenseLab Team https://senselab.med.yale.edu/ModelDB/modeldb_credits.cshtml

May 29, 2018

Multiple Openings for Research Scientists and Engineers to Reverse Engineer intelligence

by Lopez, Camila

Hi, Can you please post this job ad? Multiple Openings for Research Scientists and Engineers to Reverse Engineer intelligence We are looking for exceptionally talented researchers that share our vision: to discover new computational principles of brain intelligence and apply these principles to create fundamentally new algorithms for machine intelligence. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in machine learning, computational neuroscience or with strong quantitative background in Mathematics, Statistics, Physics or Computer Science. Our NINAI (Neuro-Inspired Networks for Artificial Intelligence) research team is interdisciplinary and international, with expertise ranging from large-scale neurophysiology and brain circuit analysis to deep learning. POSITIONS: We have opportunities in several project components and multiple locations, and all participants will interact extensively across multiple scientific disciplines and multiple sites. Highest-priority topics include: * Developing new architectures for deep networks * Neuro-inspired networks for real-world tasks * Functional modeling of neuronal microcircuits * Probabilistic inference by population codes * Statistical analysis of large-scale neural data from behaving animals THE TEAM: The project is led by Andreas Tolias (PI) and Xaq Pitkow (co-PI), from Baylor College of Medicine, and includes researchers from Columbia, Cornell, Rice University, University of Toronto, University of Tübingen, the Allen Institute, and Princeton: Matthias Bethge, Liam Paninski, Ankit Patel, Clay Reid, Sebastian Seung, Raquel Urtasun, Chris Xu, Richard Zemel. For detailed information about the team and its members, please see our website, ninai.org<http://ninai.org/>. QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must have a record of productivity, excellent quantitative skills, good communication skills, and creativity. Experience in Machine Learning and in particular Deep Learning is desired. APPLYING: The positions provide a competitive annual salary and benefits, and outstanding scientific opportunities. Applicants should email a CV, letter of research interests, and contact information for three references to info(a)ninai.org<mailto:info@ninai.org>, camilal(a)bcm.edu<mailto:camilal@bcm.edu> and astolias(a)bcm.edu<mailto:astolias@bcm.edu>. We look forward to hearing from you!

May 29, 2018

IEEE Special issue deadline extended!

by Steve Mehrkanoon

Paper Submission Deadline Extended! CALL FOR PAPERS Special issue: Neural Systems Engineering and Mathematical Modelling of Brain dynamics using ECoG/EEG/MEG oscillations and Machine learning methods Journal IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering New Submission Deadline: 01/07/2018 Submission portal: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tnsre-embs Contributions will receive prompt and thorough peer review and will be published online ahead of print after acceptance. In humans, interactions between neuronal circuits, systems and signals among micro-, meso- and macro-scales of brain dynamics underpin the functional organisation of the brain that supports our daily life activity. How efficiently neuronal circuits such as cortico-cortical, cortico-thalamic and thalamo-cortical networks interact among these multiple spatial scales remains to be fully elucidated. Mathematical, computational and experimental neuroscientists apply a variety of methods, techniques and algorithms, both in animals and humans, ranging from single cell recordings to whole brain imaging, in order to identify the core mechanisms that govern the interactions among these scales. Although our knowledge of neural mechanisms, circuits and networks underlying brain dynamics and functions constantly grows, the integration of this knowledge to provide a conceptual framework of emergent behaviour and pattern formation occurring on different levels of spatial organisation remains challenging. Authors are invited to submit original or review articles addressing mechanisms of emergent brain dynamics inferred from the analysis of ECoG/EEG/MEG, on all levels of complexity. Specifically, articles integrating (i) computational neuroscience, and (ii) mathematical models of biologically realistic neuronal networks and machine learning methods are welcome. In this special issue, Guest Editor Dr Steve Mehrkanoon welcomes papers that address many of the challenges of mathematical and computational models of the brain networks and dynamics given the measurement data ECoG/EEG/MEG. The scope of this special issue is interdisciplinary. The list of possible topics includes, but is not limited to: * New developments in computational and mathematical models of mean field theory integrated with ECoG/EEG/MEG modalities. * Multi-modal and combinatorial fusion of ECoG/EEG/MEG data and brain connectivity machine learning. * Development of data-driven machine learning techniques to identify the mechanisms of emergent spatia-temporal dynamics within the framework of network topology. * Development of computational and mathematical models for bridging the scales of brain dynamics. * Cortical network modelling and formal conceptual models of cortical oscillations. * Application of deep learning and machine learning algorithms in functional, structural and effective network analysis and predictive models of brain dynamics. * New cutting-edge numerical analysis and techniques to simulate meso- and macro-scale brain dynamics. * Adaptive mathematical and computational models of network dynamics (e.g., brain development and aging studies). * Statistical methods for assessing individual and population brain connectivity data. Guest Editors 1. Dr Steve Mehrkanoon The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Contact: s.mehrkanoon(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:s.mehrkanoon@uq.edu.au> 1. Professor David Liley Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia Contact: dliley(a)swin.edu.au<mailto:dliley@swin.edu.au> 1. Dr Siamak Mehrkanoon Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Belgium Contact: Siamak.Mehrkanoon(a)esat.kuleuven.be<mailto:Siamak.Mehrkanoon@esat.kuleuven.be> IMPORTANT DATES Extended Submission Deadline: 01/07/2018 Notification Of Acceptance: 31/08/2018 https://tnsre.embs.org/2018/04/13/call-for-papers-special-issue-on-neural-s…) - - - Dr Steve Mehrkanoon Mathematical Neuroscientist, Advance Queensland Research Fellow, Perinatal Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Home: http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/14135 Level 4, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Building 71/918<https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/UQCCR/@-27.448514,153.028703,15z/data=…> Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Qld 4029 T: +61 7 3346 6012 E: s.mehrkanoon(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:j.wixey@uq.edu.au>

May 29, 2018

PhD Position available: Computational methods for longitudinal studies of structural brain connectivity, Deadline 31/5/18

by Emanuele Olivetti

PhD position available (online application details below) Title: Computational methods for longitudinal studies of structural brain connectivity Topic: machine learning / pattern recognition for diffusion MRI data analysis Description: Diffusion MRI provides indirect information of the anatomical structure of the white matter of the brain. Neurological diseases and brain disorders may introduce alterations in such structures. Additionally, after neurosurgery and cognitive rehabilitation, there may be reorganization of the white matter. The goal of this project is to design computational methods to detect and characterize white matter changes over time, disentangling the intrinsic variability of brain recordings from actual anatomical changes, in order to support neuroscientific and clinical inference. References: - https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2016.00554 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2017.00754 Emanuele Olivetti ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: *PhD CIMeC* <phd.cimec(a)unitn.it <mailto:phd.cimec@unitn.it>> Date: Thu, May 24, 2018 at 10:04 AM Subject: PhD Position available: Computational methods for longitudinal studies of structural brain connectivity, Deadline 31/5/18 To: CIMeC is pleased to announce the opening of a call for 11 fellowships for our international PhD Program in Cognitive and Brain Sciences (CIMeC), commencing November 2018 at the University of Trento, Italy. As you will see from the links below, the PhD call is open to several fields of cognitive neuroscience research. Candidates interested in*Computational methods for longitudinal studies of structural brain connectivity <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/topic-specific-grants> *should contact *Emanuele Olivetti *at olivetti(a)fbk.eu <mailto:olivetti@fbk.eu>**immediately*.* * *Admissions*: http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/admission <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/admission> * PhD research areas outline: http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/research-topics <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/research-topics> * PhD Application*summary*: http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/node/118 <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/node/118> * PhD*Application*link:https://webapps.unitn.it/Apply/en/MyUnitn/Home/669/dott/cbs34 <https://webapps.unitn.it/Apply/en/MyUnitn/Home/669/dott/cbs34> * PhD Application*Deadline*:*Thursday May 31, 2018, at 4pm (Italian time)* * *CIMeC*:http://www.unitn.it/cimec <http://www.unitn.it/cimec> This year’s research topics proposed by the Doctoral Program Committee for 5 UNITN grants are visible here:http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/research-topics <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/research-topics>, while the 6 topic-specific grants’ details can be found here:http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/topic-specific-grants <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/topic-specific-grants> _The CIMeC, it’s doctoral program and UNITN in numbers:_ * 2018 UNITrento ranks among top Italian Universities in THE - Times Higher Education * *4-yr program*(Nov. 1, 2018- Oct. 31, 2022). * Why a 4-yr program <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/node/117> * Courses are given in English * 11 positions, 100% funded * Salary: starting at approximately €1.200/mo., net * Winners receive a €4887 tax-free research/mobility budget * Why choose UNITRENTO <http://www.unitn.it/en/ateneo/1629/why-choose-the-university-of-trento> Please feel free to browse theFAQ <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/node/122>pages on our website for further information, or contact the Director of the Programme, Prof. Francesco Pavaniphd.cimec(a)unitn.it <mailto:phd.cimec@unitn.it>. Regards, Leah Mercanti -- Leah Mercanti CIMeC PhD Program Administrator -------------------------------------------------------- CIMeC - Center for Mind/Brain Sciences University of Trento <https://maps.google.com/?q=Trento+Corso+Bettini,+31+I-38068,+Rovereto&entry…> Corso Bettini, 31 <https://maps.google.com/?q=Trento+Corso+Bettini,+31+I-38068,+Rovereto&entry…> I-38068, Rovereto <https://maps.google.com/?q=Trento+Corso+Bettini,+31+I-38068,+Rovereto&entry…> (TN) Tel: +39 0464 80 8617 Fax: +39 0461 28 8690 Skypename: lleahhatwork Email: phd.cimec(a)unitn.it <mailto:phd.cimec@unitn.it> http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/ -- 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.

May 28, 2018

Professorship in Computational Neuroscience

by Steuber, Volker

Professor of Computational Neuroscience University of Hertfordshire School of Computer Science, College Lane Campus, Hatfield, UK Salary £58,293 to £67,437 pa depending on skills and experience FTE: Full time position working 37 hours per week (1.0 FTE). Closing date: 21 June 2018 Duration of Contract: Permanent. Applications are invited for an exceptionally well qualified Professor of Computational Neuroscience of international standing, who shares our commitment to research-informed teaching, embraces the research impact agenda, and values collegiality. Applicants will strengthen existing activity within the School and develop it further, enhancing the research strengths and external reputation of the School of Computer Science and contributing significantly to its performance in future research assessments and collaborations with commercial and public partners. The successful applicant will complement the research conducted by the Biocomputation Research Group within the Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research. As well as providing research supervision at PhD and MSc level, the School of Computer Science offers modules in neural computing and machine learning on the BSc and MSc programmes. Applicants must hold a PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant subject, possess excellent communication skills in English, an internationally excellent research record and reputation, including publications of the highest quality suitable for submission to the REF. Applicants must show evidence of experience and success in research/commercial income generation, engagement with the research impact agenda, engagement with key stakeholders in the Computational Neuroscience community, and management and leadership ability.? Interview Date: Week commencing 17 September 2018. The University offers a range of benefits including a pension scheme, professional development, family friendly policies, child care vouchers, a fee waiver of 50% for all children of staff under the age of 21 at the start of the course, discounted memberships at the Hertfordshire Sports Village and generous annual leave. The University is situated in Hatfield, in the green belt just north of London. Applications must be made online https://www.herts.ac.uk/contact-us/jobs-and-vacancies/academic-vacancies?, reference 016195?. For informal enquiries contact Dr Volker Steuber (v.steuber(a)herts.ac.uk, Head of Biocomputation Research Group, Associate Dean Research) or Prof William Clocksin (w.clocksin(a)herts.ac.uk, Dean of School of Computer Science).

May 25, 2018

PhD Studentship in Multilevel modelling of neuronal function: combining metabotropic pathways and membrane excitability in-silico for the quick screening of drugs

by Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira

PhD Studentship in Quantitative Pharmacology and Neuroscience: Multilevel modelling of neuronal function: combining metabotropic pathways and membrane excitability in-silico for the quick screening of drugs University of Reading - School of Pharmacy Supervisors: Dr Francesco Tamagnini (Pharmacy), Dr Marcus Tindall (Mathematics & Statistics), Prof Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova (University of Exeter, College of Mathematics, Engineering and Physical Sciences). Project overview: Neurons work as information relays. They integrate information received from the environment at the subcellular scale, generating an appropriate electrophysiological response. The understanding of electrical processes happening at the plasma membrane level has been clarified by Hodgkin and Huxley, combining experimental recordings to mathematical modelling of equivalent electrical circuits. However, quantitative models describing the effects of cell signalling on the cellular response are lacking. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter binding both A1 (Gi) and A2 (Gs) receptors. A1 and A2 stimulation results in altered neuronal excitability via K+ permeability changes. In this project, we aim to combine a mathematical model of adenosine receptor signal transduction (Tindall) with the Hodgkin-Huxley model of a neuron (Tsaneva-Atanasova), to generate an in-silico multiscale model of electrophysiological response to chemical stimulation. We will test the predictive capability of the model with whole-neuron patch-clamp recordings (Tamagnini). The mathematical models formulated during the project will utilise the theory of differential equations (ordinary and partial) solved and analysed both numerically and analytically (e.g. dynamical systems theory, asymptotic methods). The successful candidate will be involved in the design and undertaking of wet laboratory experiments for informing the mathematical models. The final aim of this project is to develop and validate a software capable of predicting changes to an artificial neuron based on its exposure to varying concentrations of a given ligand. Eligibility: * Applicants should hold or expect to gain a minimum of a 2:1 Bachelor Degree or equivalent in Mathematics, Engineering or Neuroscience related subjects. The applicant will have a strong background in mathematics and computer coding (Matlab, Python, C++) and a keenness to engage with and learn wet lab techniques (i.e. pipetting, solution making, single cell electrophysiology); * This studentship is open to UK/EU students only. Funding details: * Starts 10/2018; * 3-year award; * Tuition fees plus stipend (Research Council UK 2018/19 rate is currently £14,777). How to apply: To apply for this studentship, please submit an application for a PhD in Pharmacy at http://www.reading.ac.uk/graduateschool/prospectivestudents/gs-how-to-apply…. Important notes: 1. Please quote the reference ‘GS18-018’ in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your online application. 2. When you are prompted to upload a research proposal, please omit this step. Application deadline: 30th June 2018. Further enquiries: Please note that, where a candidate is successful in being awarded funding, this will be confirmed via a formal studentship award letter; this will be provided separately from any Offer of Admission and will be subject to standard checks for eligibility and other criteria. For further details, please contact: f.tamagnini(a)reading.ac.uk.<mailto:f.tamagnini@reading.ac.uk>

May 25, 2018

Faculty position at UNAM Institute of Neurobiology (Mexico)

by Fidel Santamaria

Computational and Genomic Neuroscience at UNAM The Institute of Neurobiology, UNAM (www.inb.unam.mx<http://www.inb.unam.mx>) invites applications for two tenure-track positions, one in Computational Neuroscience and another one in Genomic Neuroscience. We seek experienced scientists with proven record of publications to develop innovative research programs employing on-campus high performance computing resources to complement the current neuroscience research at the Institute. The successful applicants will be expected to establish externally funded research programs, to engage in intramural collaborative projects, to supervise undergraduate and graduate students, and to teach basic and advanced courses in their field of expertise. Applicants should send their CV, addresses of three references, a five-page research proposal and a one-page statement on their views on teaching to ataulfo(a)unam.mx<mailto:ataulfo@unam.mx>. The application deadline is August 15th, 2018. We encourage applications from women. Instituto de Neurobiología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Laboratorio de Neurobiología Molecular y Celular (D15) Juriquilla, Querétaro, QRO CP 76230 Tel. +52 (442) 238-1064 Email ataulfo(a)unam.mx<mailto:ataulfo@unam.mx> atanez(a)gmail.com<mailto:atanez@gmail.com> Skype atanez1

May 24, 2018

Post-baccalaureate research position in neuronal mechanism of episodic memory at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience

by Yingxue.Wang＠mpfi.org

*** Apologies for cross posting*** Post-Baccalaureate Research Experience Summary The Wang Lab at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (links to website<https://yingxuewang.org/>) is inviting applications for the post-baccalaureate research program. This one-year program provides research experience and exposure to students who have graduated from college and are planning to apply to graduate school. We seek highly motivated and independent individuals to join our effort focused on the neuronal mechanisms of learning and episodic memory. Essential Duties & Responsibilities The Wang Lab investigates the circuit underpinnings of episodic memory. In particular, we intend to isolate the hippocampal neuronal activities that are independent of sensory inputs and potentially represent memory traces. We seek to understand how elements of the hippocampal circuit cooperate to generate the internally generated neuronal activities and support the formation and retrieval of memory. Our investigation employs a combination of in vivo electrophysiological, advanced two-photon imaging, optogenetic, and pharmacological approaches, and couples experiments with computational modeling. We encourage applications from candidates who are interested in applying multidisciplinary approaches to examine circuit mechanisms of memory. Education and/or Experience The ideal candidates should have an upcoming or recent bachelor degree in neuroscience or related fields. Candidates holding a degree in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, or physics and interested in understanding the neuronal mechanisms of learning and memory are also welcome to apply. Previous experience with in vivo electrophysiology and/or two-photon imaging, quantitative data analysis and computer programming is preferred. Excellent communication skills and an ability to work well in a team are required. Additional Information Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience is part of the Jupiter Neuroscience Research Campus that also includes the Scripps Research Institute Florida and Florida Atlantic University. It provides a flourishing interdisciplinary research environment for neuroscience. Interested candidates are encouraged to send the following documents to Dr. Yingxue Wang (email address: Yingxue.Wang(a)mpfi.org<mailto:Yingxue.Wang@mpfi.org>): - Curriculum vitae - A statement of motivation and interests (1-2 pages) - Academic certificates and transcripts - The names and contact information of two references Please find more details about this program at https://www.maxplanckflorida.org/education/training-programs/pre/. The official application deadline has already passed. Please address the request directly to the above email address. Best regards, Yingxue Wang Research Group Leader Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience

May 23, 2018

Postdoctoral Position in Brain-Computer Interfaces

by Tomislav Milekovic

The research group Dr. Tomislav Milekovic at the University of Geneva is offering a postdoctoral position financed by the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering and the Swiss National Science Foundation to work on restoring communication and independence of people with tetraplegia and locked-in syndrome using brain-computer interfaces. The successful applicant will work to develop and advance brain-computer interfaces based on electroencephalography (EEG) and intracortical microelectrode array recordings. The ideal candidate will have: 1. Experience in assembling and maintaining brain-computer interface systems 2. Leading brain-computer interface experiments with human or animal subjects 3. Experience in the quantitative analysis of electrophysiological neural signals (EEG, ECoG, LFP, spikes) 4. Background in computational/theoretical neuroscience, physics or mathematics 5. Experience in developing and using neural decoders 6. Experience in C/C++ software development The qualified candidate will benefit from joining a very dynamic and multidisciplinary group working at the interface of neuroscience, engineering and prosthetics. They will collaborate with several labs of the Campus Biotech in Geneva, and be strongly supported by the Wyss center for Bio and Neuroengineering led by Prof. John Donoghue. University of Geneva provides state-of-the-art facilities is one of the leading technical universities worldwide. In addition, University of Geneva offers competitive postdoctoral salaries ranking among the highest in the world. Applications including a CV and the statement of research interests should be sent to tomislav.milekovic(a)unige.ch<mailto:tomislav.milekovic@unige.ch>.

May 23, 2018

Postdoc position in neuronal mechanism of episodic memory at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience

by Yingxue.Wang＠mpfi.org

*** Apologies for cross posting*** Postdoctoral Fellow Summary The Wang Lab at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (links to website<https://yingxuewang.org/>) is inviting applications for postdoctoral positions. Our group seeks highly motivated and independent individuals to join our effort focused on the neuronal mechanisms of learning and episodic memory. Essential Duties & Responsibilities The Wang Lab investigates the circuit underpinnings of episodic memory. In particular, we intend to isolate the hippocampal neuronal activities that are independent of sensory inputs and potentially represent memory traces. We seek to understand how elements of the hippocampal circuit cooperate to generate the internally generated neuronal activities and support the formation and retrieval of memory. Our investigation employs a combination of in vivo electrophysiological, advanced two-photon imaging, optogenetic, and pharmacological approaches, and couples experiments with computational modeling. We encourage applications from candidates who are interested in applying multidisciplinary approaches to examine circuit mechanisms of memory. Education and/or Experience The ideal candidates should have an upcoming or recent Ph.D. or MD/Ph.D. in neuroscience or related fields. Candidates holding a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, or physics and interested in understanding the neuronal mechanisms of learning and memory are also welcome to apply. Previous experience with in vivo electrophysiology and/or two-photon imaging, quantitative data analysis and computer programming is highly preferred. Excellent communication skills and an ability to work well in a team are required. Additional Information Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience is part of the Jupiter Neuroscience Research Campus that also includes the Scripps Research Institute Florida and Florida Atlantic University. It provides a flourishing interdisciplinary research environment for neuroscience. We offer outstanding benefits and salary compensation above the NIH scales. Interested candidates are encouraged to send the following documents to Dr. Yingxue Wang (email address: Yingxue.Wang(a)mpfi.org<mailto:Yingxue.Wang@mpfi.org>): - Curriculum vitae with a list of publications - A statement of research experiences and interests (1-2 pages) - The names and contact information of three references Personal contact can be addressed to the above email address prior to the application.

May 23, 2018

PhD studentships in Neuromorphic computing and Data Science

by Schmuker, Michael

We are offering a several PhD studentships in the Biocomputation group at the University of Hertfordshire. Details here: https://www.herts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/209365/Data-Science-and… Our group translates processes from the brain into algorithms for efficient computing. A particular area of interest is Neural Data Science, where we extract information from complex data sets obtained in neuroscience. Our goal is to shed light on how the brain is processing information and to cast this knowledge into efficient algorithms for pattern recognition and signal processing. We implement such algorithms by leveraging so-called neuromorphic hardware, i.e., specialised computer chips that mimic the massively parallel architecture of the brain, which greatly accelerate brain-inspired neural computing. We are looking for highly motivated candidates with a keen interest in squeezing every bit of information out of complex data sets, to understand how the brain copes with the relentless onslaught of sensory information, and to implement those aspects on a new computer architecture. A diverse choice of topics is available, including but not limited to: • Data mining in neuronal imaging using matrix factorisation and machine learning • Brain-inspired pattern recognition using supervised and unsupervised learning • Olfaction-inspired signal processing and odor recognition for electronic gas sensors It is also possible to suggest topics. Candidates should have excellent programming skills and also some experience in data mining. Previous exposure to low-level hardware programming (e.g. microcontrollers, GPUs) and/or computer engineering is a plus. We collaborate with world-leading neuroscience labs in the UK and abroad to investigate how the brain is processing dynamic sensory information. As a member of the Human Brain Project we pioneer the use of neuromorphic hardware for Data Science. This guarantees a stimulating research environment for a project that aims not only at generating theoretical insight but also validating the findings with experimental scientists and pursuing applications in the real world. Successful candidates are eligible for a research studentship award from the University (approximately GBP 14,777 per annum bursary plus the payment of the standard UK student fees). Applicants from outside the UK or EU are eligible, but will have to pay half of the overseas fees out of their bursary. Please contact Principal Investigator Dr. Michael Schmuker prior to application to scope out a project proposal that is tailored to your background, via email: m.schmuker(a)herts.ac.uk. More info and instructions how to apply are available at https://www.herts.ac.uk/study/schools-of- study/computer-science/our-research/the-phd-programme-in-computer-science . The next short-listing process for studentship applications will begin on 25 June 2018. — Dr Michael Schmuker AFHEA Reader in Data Science Biocomputation Group University of Hertfordshire http://biomachinelearning.net

May 23, 2018

PhD position in systems/computational neuroscience, Leicester, UK

by Okun, Michael (Dr.)

A PhD position is available at Centre for Systems Neuroscience, Leicester, UK. The project will focus on organisation and mechanisms of resting state cortical dynamics, particularly in the infraslow (0.01 - 1 Hz) timescales. Additional details are available at https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=97389 or by contacting Michael Okun (m.okun(a)le.ac.uk) The deadline for applications is 7th of June.

May 22, 2018

OMG- Emotion Recognition Challenge - Final Results

by Pablo Barros

Dear all, I would like to share with you all the results of our first OMG- Emotion Recognition Challenge. Our challenge is based on the One-Minute-Gradual Emotion Dataset (OMG-Emotion Dataset), which is composed of 567 emotion videos with an average length of 1 minute, collected from a variety of Youtube channels. Each team had a task to describe each video with a continuous space of arousal/valence domain. The challenge had a total of 34 teams registered, from which we got 11 final submissions. Each final submission was composed of a short paper describing the solution and the link to the code repository. The solutions used different modalities (ranging from unimodal audio and vision to multimodal audio, vision, and text), and thus provide us with a very complex evaluation scenario. All the submissions were based on neural network models. We split results into arousal and valence. For arousal, the best results came from the GammaLab team. Their three submissions are our top 3 CCC arousal, followed by the three submissions from the audEERING team, and the two submissions from the HKUST-NISL2018 team. For valence, the GammaLab team stays still in first (with their three submissions), followed by the two submissions of ADSC team and the three submissions from the iBug team. Congratulations to you all! We provide a leaderboard on our website ( https://www2.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/OMG-EmotionChallenge/ ), which will be permanently stored. This way, everyone can see the final results of the challenge, have a quick access to a formal description of the solutions and to the codes. This will help to disseminate knowledge even further and will improve the reproducibility of your solutions. We also provide a general leaderboard which will be updated constantly with new submissions. If you are interested in having your score in our general leaderboard, just send us an e-mail following the instructions on our website. I would also to invite you all to the presentation of the challenge summary during the WCCI/IJCNN 2018 in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Best Regards, Pablo -- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Research Associate - Crossmodal Learning Project (CML) Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt-Koelln-Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 40 42883 2535 Fax: +49 40 42883 2515 barros at informatik.uni-hamburg.de https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/people/barros.html https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/

May 22, 2018

Call for Papers: Special Session on Computational Methods for Neuroimaging Analysis, 6-8 September, Portugal

by Tiago Azevedo

Dear all, Below find the call for papers for the special session "Computational Methods for Neuroimaging Analysis". It will be be held during the 15th International Conference on Computational Intelligence methods for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, at Caparica, Portugal, from 6 to 8 September. **Important Dates** Paper submission deadline: 10 June 2018 Acceptance notification: 9 July 2018 Author registration due: 20 July 2018 Camera ready due: 29 July 2018 Conference: 6-8 September 2018 **Link** https://eventos.fct.unl.pt/cibb2018/pages/special-sessions **Aim and scope** There is an increasing need for the application of machine learning (ML) techniques which can perform image processing operations such as segmentation, coregistration, classification and dimensionality reduction in the field of neuroimaging. Although the manual approach often remains the golden standard in some tasks (like segmentation), ML can be utilised to automate and facilitate the work of researchers and clinicians. Frequently used techniques include support vector machines (SVMs) for classification problems, graph-based methods for brain network analysis and recently artificial neural networks (ANNs). Deep ANNs, i.e. deep learning, have proved to be very successful in computer vision tasks owing to the ability to automatically extract hierarchical descriptive features from input images. It has also been used in the medical and neuroimaging domains for automatic disease diagnosis, tissue segmentation and even synthetic image generation. The issue, however, is the relative sample paucity in typical neuroimaging datasets which leads to poor generalisation considering the high number of parameters employed in typical deep neural networks. Consequently, parameter- efficient design paradigms ought to be created. Another approach to investigate degeneration is the study and mapping of the neural connections in the brain known as the connectome. The connectome can be seen as a matrix representing all possible pairwise connections between different neural areas. Researchers study both the structural and functional connectivity in order to understand important brain patterns, such as how the connectome impacts the dynamics of disease spreading, ageing and learning. Topics of interest includes but are not limited to: • Machine learning techniques for segmentation, coregistration, classification or dimensionality reduction of neuroimages   • Deep learning for neuroimaging analysis   • Brain network analysis   • Applications of graph theory to MRI and fMRI data   • Applications of machine learning methodologies for neurodegenerative disease studies   • Computational modelling and analysis of neuroimaging   • Methods of analysis for structural or functional connectivity   • Development of new neuroimaging tools **Session chairs** Tiago Azevedo, University of Cambridge, UK Giovanna Maria Dimitri, University of Cambridge, UK Pietro Liò, University of Cambridge, UK Angela Serra, University of Salerno, Italy Simeon Spasov, University of Cambridge, UK

May 22, 2018

Two postdoc positions at Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon

by Christian Machens

POSTDOC POSITIONS IN COMPUTATIONAL / SYSTEMS NEUROSCIENCE Two postdoctoral positions - one in theory and one in experiment - are available in a joint project between the labs of Alfonso Renart and Christian Machens at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal. Location: The Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown is situated on the waterfront in central Lisbon. English is the official language of the Centre. The center is composed of about 20 main research groups who study diverse topics in neuroscience using advanced, cutting edge techniques. Project: The proposed project will investigate to what extent neural circuits actively compensate random perturbations. The project involves the recordings and partial silencing of neural populations, population-level analysis using dimensionality reduction and other techniques, and the modeling of the results with spiking networks. Relevant background literature: Renart, de la Rocha, et al (2010), Science 327:587-90; Barrett et al (2016), eLife 5:12454; Deneve and Machens (2016), Nat Neurosci 19:375-82. Profile (theory): The ideal candidate should have a PhD with a strong, quantitative background (ideally in fields such as machine learning and/or computational neuroscience). The position is funded for two years with possibility of extension. Profile (experiment): The ideal candidate should have experience in electrophysiology (e.g. recordings from behaving head-fixed mice) and data analysis (e.g. dimensionality reduction methods etc). Applications should include a CV, a statement of research interests (max 1 page), and two letters of recommendation. Feel free to ask any informal questions about the positions if you are interested. Electronic submissions in pdf-format are preferred and should be send to both of the following email addresses: christian.machens(a)neuro.fchampalimaud.org alfonso.renart(a)neuro.fchampalimaud.org

May 21, 2018

project in neuromath & circuit-based neuron classification

by NeuroMorpho Administrator

Dear colleagues, Please find below an advertisement for a postdoc position in my lab. Thanks in advance for spreading the opportunity! Giorgio Ascoli Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Department of Bioengineering The George Mason University Department of Bioengineering, within the Volgenau School of Engineering, is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to contribute to ongoing cutting-edge neuroinformatics research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the BRAIN initiative. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason’s academic and culturally inclusive environment. Responsibilities: The initial focus is on quantitative analysis, modeling, and simulations of neuronal classification, network connectivity, and circuit dynamics. Post-doc will join the Center for Neural Informatics, Structures, and Plasticity (CN3) in George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Engineering in northern Virginia (20 miles west of Washington DC). CN3 is an interdisciplinary, energetic, and creative research group in the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study of the main Fairfax campus. The position entails tight collaborations with faculty and trainees in the Bioengineering, Neuroscience, and Mathematics programs. The successful applicant will work directly with the CN3 director and will have unlimited access to dedicated supercomputer and server facilities, flexible working schedule, salary based on the NIH postdoctoral scale, and state employee benefits. Required Qualifications: The successful candidate is expected to have a Ph.D. in a discipline related to biomedical engineering, applied mathematics, computer science, neuroscience, physics, data science, or related fields. Preferred Qualifications: The incumbent should have research experience with programming and scripting languages (C++, Java, R, MatLab). Working knowledge of network neuroscience, clustering techniques, statistics, graph theory, and/or machine learning are desirable. About Mason: George Mason University, a tier-1 research institution, is considered one of the top “Up and Coming” educational institutions in America by the U.S. News and World Report. It is conveniently located in the Washington D.C., metropolitan area within easy access to several national laboratories and research centers (including the National Institutes of Health and the Janelia Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute), and provides a highly stimulating environment for interdisciplinary science. Biomedical research is a major area of strategic focus for Mason, and the Center for Neural Informatics has been at the forefront of computational neuroscience research since its establishment in 2006. For full consideration, applicants must complete and submit the online application at https://jobs.gmu.edu/postings/42954 [http://jobs.gmu.edu/hr/assets/social_share.jpg]<https://jobs.gmu.edu/postings/42954> Postdoctoral Research Fellow<https://jobs.gmu.edu/postings/42954> jobs.gmu.edu Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Bioengineering The George Mason University Department of Bioengineering, within the Volgenau School of Engineering, is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to contribute to ongoing cutting-edge neuroinformatics research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the BRAIN initiative. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason’s academic and culturally inclusive environment. Responsibilities: The initial focus is on quantitative analysis, modeling, and simulations of neuronal classification, network connectivity, and circuit dynamics. Post-doc will join the Center for Neural Informatics, Structures, and Plasticity (CN3) in George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Engineering in northern Virginia (20 miles west of Washington DC). CN3 is an interdisciplinary, energetic, and creative resea Finalist will be required to submit three letters of recommendation upon request. Review of applications will begin on June 1, 2018, and continue until the position is filled. This position will be renewed annually subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds. Non-resident aliens are welcome to apply. Questions regarding the position should be directed to ascoli(a)gmu.edu<mailto:ascoli@gmu.edu> George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. ---------------- Giorgio Ascoli, PhD University Professor Bioengineering Department, Volgenau School of Engineering Neuroscience Program, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study Director, Center for Neural Informatics, Structures, & Plasticity MS2A1 - George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 Ph. +1(703)993-4383/+1(703)673-8894 Author of “Trees of the Brain, Roots of the Mind” (MIT Press, 2015) Founding Editor-in-Chief, Neuroinformatics

May 21, 2018

Project in neurotechnology/vision in mice in the Roelfsema lab - Amsterdam

by Pieter Roelfsema

Dear colleagues, Please find below an advertisement for a PhD or postdoc position in my lab. Thanks for spreading the advertisement! Pieter Roelfsema A postdoc or PhD-student position is available in the Vision & Cognition group at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam. The aim is to understand visual perception and plasticity elicited by electrical stimulation of the visual cortex in mice, with the ultimate aim to create a visual cortical prosthesis to restore a rudimentary form of vision for the blind. Project description: Visual perception elicited by electrical stimulation of mouse visual cortex Electrical stimulation of the visual cortex elicits a “phosphene”, an artificial percept of light. By stimulating multiple electrodes at the same time, it might prove possible evoke pattern vision. The aims of this project are to (1) develop new methods for electrical stimulation in mice; (2) to study the patterns of activated neurons using two-photon imaging and (3) to test visual perception of electrical percepts and its plasticity in mice. Qualifications We will consider highly motivated, self-driven candidates with a degree in neuroscience, (neuro)psychology, biomedical sciences, natural sciences, material science, mathematics, physics, etc. A high level of written and spoken English and good programming skills are required. The ideal candidate will have experience with neurophysiological techniques, the analysis of neuronal activity in alert animals, and a background in neuroscience. Interest in the translation of fundamental research into clinical applications and collaboration with high-tech companies is a plus. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, etc. Appointment The position involves a fulltime temporary appointment for 3 years (postdoc) or 4 years (PhD student). Starting date: Mid-2018. Salary PhD position: The gross monthly salary coming with a full-time appointment will amount to a minimum of € 2.191 in the first year to € 2.801 in the fourth year (P scale of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities). Postdoctoral position: This will be commensurate with experience and institutional guidelines based on the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities; CAO NU). In addition, an 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus will be provided. We offer an extensive package of fringe benefits. To apply, please send an application letter, CV, and two letters of recommendation to: Tini Eikelboom The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands Telephone: +31-20-5664587 E-mail: t.eikelboom(a)nin.knaw.nl<mailto:t.eikelboom@nin.knaw.nl> Evaluation of candidates will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. We aim to fill the position mid-July 2018.

May 21, 2018