- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Neuroinformatics 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on August 20-21!

by INCF Congress

Neuroinformatics 2017 will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on August 20-21! We have an exiting program lined up, you can see the full program and speakers here: http://neuroinformatics2017.org/program/ The annual INCF Congress provides a meeting place for researchers in all fields related to neuroinformatics. Join us for keynotes from top neuroscientists, community sessions and poster- and demo sessions. This meeting is especially useful for anyone who is developing neuroscience tools and methods, working on better ways to handle neuroscience data, and looking for cross-disciplinary collaborations. More information: http://neuroinformatics2017.org/ Please spread this information to anyone you feel might be interested in attending. We look forward to seeing you in Kuala Lumpur! Best wishes, the INCF Secretariat *The International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF) is an international non-profit organization devoted to advancing the field of neuroinformatics and global collaborative brain research. Learn more about INCF at www.incf.org <http://www.incf.org>*

July 27, 2017

Human Brain Project: calls are open to join the project in the next project phase

by "Lührs, Anna"

Dear colleagues, As most of you know, the Human Brain Project (HBP) is a Horizon2020 FET Flagship project with a duration of 10 years. One of the main objectives is to build and operate a European Scientific Research Infrastructure for brain research, cognitive neuroscience and other brain-inspired sciences. The HBP recently opened four Calls for Expression of Interest (CEoI), through which new partners can join the HBP Consortium in the next project phase, April 2018 - March 2020. One of the Calls is about "Co-designing the HBP digital infrastructure for advancing the understanding of multilevel brain organisation”. The available budget of EUR 1,839,424.00 will be split between two selected proposals. The submission deadline for this and the others calls is 30 September 2017, 17:00 CEST. More information about the call mentioned above: http://opencalls.humanbrainproject.eu/forms/16/overview <http://opencalls.humanbrainproject.eu/forms/16/overview> The overview of all open calls is published here: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/collaborate/open-calls/ <https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/collaborate/open-calls/> Questions regarding the CEoI about co-designing the HBP infrastructure can be sent to: codesigning-hbp(a)opencalls.humanbrainproject.eu <mailto:codesigning-hbp@opencalls.humanbrainproject.eu> Best regards, Anna Lührs Simulation Lab Neuroscience Division HPC in Neuroscience Phone: +49 2461 61 8931 Jülich Supercomputing Centre E-mail: a.luehrs(a)fz-juelich.de Institute for Advanced Simulation http://www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 27, 2017

One PhD and one PostDoc Position in Theoretical Neuroscience at the Georg-August University of Göttingen available

by Tetzlaff, Christian

The research groups of Prof. Florentin Wörgötter and Dr. Christian Tetzlaff offer one fully-funded PhD and one fully-funded PostDoc position for 4 years. Both groups are based in the Faculty of Physics of the University of Göttingen and work interdisciplinary on the field of self-organizing neural networks with focus on learning, plasticity, and memory. The research goals of both positions are to develop and analyze new theoretical models of learning-related molecular dynamics in dendritic spines. These projects will be in direct cooperation with experimental groups from the Göttingen Campus (e.g., together with the labs of Prof. Silvio Rizzoli and Prof. Stefan Hell) and they are part of a new established collaborative research center (SFB 1286 - "Quantitative Synaptology") at the University of Göttingen, Medical Center Göttingen, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, and Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. The PhD student will have the opportunity to become member of the Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences. Ideal candidates have experience and interest for mathematical and computational methods as well as for fundamental cell biology. The closing date is 30th of September 2017. Start date is as soon as possible. Applications should be send electronically (preferably one pdf-document) to: tetzlaff(a)phys.uni-goettingen.de<mailto:tetzlaff@phys.uni-goettingen.de> and worgott(a)gwdg.de<mailto:worgott@gwdg.de>

July 26, 2017

PhD and Postdoc positions in cognitive neuroscience in Bordeaux

by Alexandre Zenon

PhD and Postdoc positions in Cognitive Neuroscience in Bordeaux, France Applications are invited for a PhD and a post-doctoral position in cognitive neuroscience at the INCIA, Bordeaux, France. The 3-year positions are funded by the Junior Chair from IDEX Bordeaux. The successful candidates will work on the theoretical development and experimental validation of a neurobiological model of cognitive effort and cognitive fatigue, based on information theory. This work will involve behavioural experiments, neuroimaging and computational modelling. Requirements: Postdoctoral applicants must hold a PhD in neuroscience with strong experience in computational modelling and/or neuroimaging. PhD applicants must hold a Master's degree in a neuroscience-related field (e.g. medicine, biology, psychology, ...). Previous experience in research and data analysis will be valued. Expected start date: Autumn 2017 Send applications with CV, 2 letters of recommendation and motivation letter to alexandre.zenon(a)u-bordeaux.fr<mailto:alexandre.zenon@u-bordeaux.fr>

July 25, 2017

Please post: postdoctoral fellowship available

by Andy Edwards

Postdoctoral fellowship in computational neuroscience: Simula, Oslo Simula Research Laboratory is pleased to offer a 4-year postdoctoral fellowship in computational modelling of multiscale processes in neuroplasticity. Please see the full position description and requirements at our applications page: https://www.simula.no/about/job/postdoctoral-fellowship-neur al-systems-modeling Andy Edwards Senior Scientist Simula Research Laboratory

July 25, 2017

MBCC 2017: ICCV Workshop on Mutual Benefits of Cognitive and Computer Vision - Call For Papers

by Christopher Kanan

## CALL FOR PAPERS (CfP) ## ICCV International Workshop on ‘Mutual Benefits of Cognitive and Computer Vision (MBCC)’ 29 October 2017 Venice, Italy (https://sites.google.com/site/mbcc2017w/home) _____________ Aim and Scope As researchers working at the intersection of biological and machine vision, we have noticed an increasing interest in both communities to understand and improve on each other’s insights. Recent advances in machine learning (especially deep learning) have led to unprecedented improvements in computer vision. These deep learning algorithms have revolutionized computer vision, and now rival humans at some narrowly defined tasks such as object recognition (e.g., the ImageNet Large Scale Visual Recognition Challenge). In spite of these advances, the existence of adversarial images (some of which have perturbations imperceptible to humans) and rather poor generalizability across datasets point out the flaws present in these networks. On the other hand, the human visual system remains highly efficient at solving real-world tasks and capable of solving many visual tasks. We believe that the time is ripe to have extended discussions and interactions between researchers from both fields in order to steer future research in more fruitful directions. This workshop will compare human vision to state-of-the-art machine perception methods, with specific emphasis on deep learning models and architectures. Our workshop will address many important questions. They include: 1) What are the representational differences between human and machine perception? 2) What makes human vision so effective? and 3) What can we learn from human vision research? Addressing these questions is not as difficult as previously thought due to technological advancements in both computational science and neuroscience. We can now measure human behavior precisely and collect huge amounts of neurophysiological data using EEG and fMRI. This places us in a unique position to compare state-of-the-art computer vision models and human behavioral/neural data, which was impossible to do a few years ago. However, this advantage also comes with its own set of problems: Which task/metric to use for comparison? What are the representational similarities? How different are the computations in a biological visual system when compared to an artificial vision system? How does human vision achieve invariance? This workshop is a great opportunity for researchers working on human and/or machine perception to come together and discuss plausible solutions to some of the aforementioned problems. ______ Topics for submission include but are not limited to: - architectures for processing visual information in the human brain and computer vision (e.g. feedforward vs feedback, shallow vs deep networks, residual, recurrent, etc) - limitations of existing computer vision/deep learning systems compared to human vision - learning rules employed in computer vision and by the brain (e.g. unsupervised/semi-supervised learning, Hebb rule, Spike timing dependent plasticity) - representations/features in humans and computer vision - tasks/metrics to compare human and computer vision (e.g. eye fixation, reaction time, rapid categorization, visual search) - new benchmarks (e.g. datasets) - generalizability of machine representation to other tasks - new techniques to measure and analyze human psychophysics and neural signals - the problem on invariant learning - conducting large-scale behavioral and physiological experiments (e.g., fMRI, cell recording) ______________ Invited Speakers We have invited leading researchers from both Cognitive Science and Computer Vision to inspire discussions and collaborations. 1. Michael Tarr, Carnegie Mellon University 2. Davide Zoccolan, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy ___________________ Submission Guidelines We are inviting both full paper (5-8 pages) and extended abstract (2-4 pages) submissions to the workshop. Submitted papers must follow the ICCV paper format and guidelines (available on the ICCV 2017 webpage). All submissions will be handled via the CMT website: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/MBCC2017/ Full papers: The submitted papers should have a maximum length of 8 pages, including figures and tables; additional pages must contain only cited references. The review will be double-blind. Please make sure all authors or references to authors are anonymized. Full paper submissions must not have been published before. Extended abstracts: We invite submissions of extended abstracts of ongoing or already published work as well as demos or prototype systems (ICCV format). Authors are given the opportunity to present their work to the right audience. The review will be single-blind. ______________ Important Dates Full Paper submission: August 1st, 2017 Extended Abstract submission: August 5th, 2017 Notification of acceptance: August 15th, 2017 Camera-ready paper due: September 30th, 2017 Workshop: October 29th, 2017 (Morning Session) _____________________________ Workshop Organizing Committee Ali Borji, University of Central Florida Pramod RT, Indian Institute of Science Elissa Aminoff, Fordham University Christopher Kanan, Rochester Institute of Technology _______ Contact mbccw.iccv2017(a)gmail.com

July 23, 2017

BCBT2017 Summer School. Registration deadline August 1st!

by BCBT, Bústia Compartida

*Registration deadline postponed: 1 August 2017* For more information on how to apply, please go to BCBT2017-Eventum UPF <https://eventum.upf.edu/9240/detail/bcbt-2017.html> ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------ *Barcelona Cognition, Brain and Technology Summer School -BCBT2017* University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. 28 August - 8 September 2017 BCBT2017-Eventum UPF <https://eventum.upf.edu/9240/detail/bcbt-2017.html> Join us for the 10th edition of *"Barcelona Cognition, Brain and Technology summer school - BCBT2017 *" be held 28 August-8 September 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. The BCBT summer school is positioned at the interface between biology and future and emerging technologies with an emphasis on the principles underlying brains and their translation to avant-garde technologies. BCBT promotes a shared systems-level understanding of the functional architecture of the brain and its possible emulation in artificial systems. 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/ <http://csnetwork.eu/>*). This year the school is supported by the ERC project CDAC <http://specs.upf.edu/projects/2810> that investigates the role of consciousness in adaptive behavior combining empirical, computational and robot-based approach. BCBT is also supported by EPISENSE <https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/sp3>, a subproject of the Human Brain Project <https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/>(HBP) that investigates brain mechanisms of perception and memory. This is the 10th year of BCBT, which has run with great success in previous years thanks to an excellent line-up of outstanding speakers (see bcbt.upf.edu for previous editions of the school). BCBT lectures <https://www.youtube.com/user/ConvergentScienceNw/playlists> are available online with the BCBT *Podcast interviews *with many of the BCBT speakers. BCBT caters 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”. BCBT will 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 the BCBT summer school is informal with the goal to stimulate in-depth discussion. There are 1 or 2 presentations in the morning, with the afternoons reserved for tutorials and projects for student participants and road-mapping workshops or further discussion for senior scientists. For the 2017 edition, we plan a *1st week* of the school addressing *Neural basis of Consciousness *while the *2nd week* will include presentations aimed at the investigation of *Evolutionary and Developmental aspects of nervous systems and behavior.* Friday 8 is reserved for the presentation of the student projects to which everybody is invited. *BCBT is organized by* Paul Verschure, ICREA and University Pompeu Fabra Barcelona, ES, Tony Prescott, Sheffield University, UK Anna Mura, University Pompeu Fabra Barcelona, ES

July 23, 2017

NeuroMorpho.Org v7.2 released July 19th, 2017

by NeuroMorpho Administrator

Dear colleagues, We’re pleased to announce the July 19, 2017 release of Version 7.2 of NeuroMorpho.Org<http://neuromorpho.org/>, adding 7721 reconstructions from 83 new datasets. The repository now provides access to 70,025 cells and passed 7 million downloads in 163 countries. Please visit the What’s new page<http://neuromorpho.org/WIN.jsp> for details on the added data and other updates. The literature coverage was also updated to include publications through June 2017. We are continuously grateful to all the data contributors<http://neuromorpho.org/acknowl.jsp#DC> who freely share their hard-won tracings with the community. We appreciate any and all feedback and comments. Our apologies if you receive multiple versions of this message through cross-listing. Sincerely, The NeuroMorpho.Org team<http://neuromorpho.org/acknowl.jsp#NMO> ---------------- Giorgio Ascoli<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/cn3/ascoli>, PhD University Professor Bioengineering Department<http://bioengineering.gmu.edu/>, Volgenau School of Engineering<http://volgenau.gmu.edu/> Neuroscience Program<http://neuroscience.gmu.edu/>, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/> Director, Center for Neural Informatics, Structures, & Plasticity<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/cn3> MS2A1 - George Mason University<http://gmu.edu/>, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 Ph. +1(703)993-4383/+1(703)673-8894 Author of “Trees of the Brain, Roots of the Mind<http://www.amazon.com/Trees-Brain-Roots-Giorgio-Ascoli/dp/0262028980/>” (MIT Press, 2015<http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/trees-brain-roots-mind>) Founding Editor-in-Chief, Neuroinformatics<http://link.springer.com/journal/12021>

July 21, 2017

8th NeuralEnsemble CodeJam workshop

by Andrew Davison

Dear colleagues, You are invited to participate in the 8th NeuralEnsemble CodeJam workshop, which will take place 13th-15th September 2017 in Lausanne, Switzerland. http://neuralensemble.org/meetings/CodeJam8/ The goal of the CodeJam is to catalyze open-source, collaborative software development in computational and systems neuroscience and neuroinformatics, by bringing together researchers, students and engineers to share ideas, present their work, and write code together. Mornings are dedicated to invited and contributed talks, leaving the afternoons free for discussions, tutorials and code sprints. CodeJam #8 is sponsored by the Human Brain Project Best regards, Andrew -- Andrew Davison, PhD Unité de Neurosciences, Information et Complexité (UNIC) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 1, avenue de la Terrasse 91198 Gif sur Yvette France Tel: +33 1 69 82 34 51 http://www.andrewdavison.info/

July 21, 2017

PhD studentship in Computational Neuroscience/Machine Learning

by Vassilis Cutsuridis

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience/Machine learning MLearn Research Group School of Computer Science University of Lincoln UK Applications are invited for a PhD position in the MLearn Research Group at the University of Lincoln. Projects involve the development and simulation of models of neurons and neuronal networks hippocampal memory functions (Cutsuridis V, et al. (2010). Encoding and retrieval in the hippocampal CA1 microcircuit model. *Hippocampus*, 20(3): 423-446) <http://vassiliscutsuridis.com/docs/Journal_papers/CutCobGraHippo2010.pdf> and/or applications of machine learning (deep learning) techniques for the analysis of data. A description of our research interests and a list of publications can be found on our webpage (http://mlearn.lincoln.ac.uk/) Applicants should have excellent computational and numerical skills and a very good first degree in computer science, biology, maths, physics, neuroscience, or a related discipline. Successful candidates are eligible for a research studentship award from the University (GBP 14,553 per annum bursary plus payment of the student fees). This studentship is only open to UK and EU students. The ideal candidate should be highly motivated, technically skilled, a team player and driven to push forward the development of the next generation of deep associative memory neural-networks. Your written and spoken English skills should be excellent. As a PhD student, you may also have the opportunity to teach as a demonstrator in the School of Computer Science. Research in Computer Science at the University of Lincoln has been recognised as internationally excellent and world leading. The School of Computer Science 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 Lincoln, two hours north of London. Please contact Dr Vassilis Cutsuridis (vcutsuridis(a)lincoln.ac.uk) or Prof. Stefanos Kollias (skollias(a)lincoln.ac.uk) for informal enquiries. If you’re interested in this position and you would like to apply, please send your CV, statement of research interests, three reference letters and a photo to Dr. Vassilis Cutsuridis: vcutsuridis(a)lincoln.ac.uk Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as possible. Kind regards, Vassilis --- Dr Vassilis Cutsuridis School of Computer Science University of Lincoln Lincoln LN6 7TS U.K. Tel: +44 (0) 1522 83 5107 Email: vcutsuridis(a)lincoln.ac.uk Web: http://staff.lincoln.ac.uk/vcutsuridis Personal Web: http://www.vassiliscutsuridis.com/

July 20, 2017

Neuromodulation of Neural Microcircuits NM2 Conference 2017

by Ramaswamy Srikanth

We are delighted to announce the upcoming <https://nm2.epfl.ch> Neuromodulation of Neural Microcircuits (<https://nm2.epfl.ch>NM2) Conference 2017<https://nm2.epfl.ch>. The NM2 Conference will be held at the EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland on the 18th and 19th of Sep. 2017 and at the Campus Biotech in Geneva, Switzerland on the 20th of Sep. 2017. Neuromodulators dynamically reconfigure neural microcircuits and shape brain states by controlling the function of neurons and glia, dendrites, and synapses. NM2 will bring together world-leading experts to: • Identify the state-of-the-art mechanisms of the neuromodulation of neural microcircuits • Illuminate various strategies enabling the measurement of neuromodulatory states in brain health and disease • Integrate knowledge to build a unifying view of the neuromodulation of different brain regions • Inform and attract new talent to drive forward neuromodulation research • Inspire future directions that will transform our understanding of the neuromodulation of brain function and dysfunction and therapeutic intervention NM2 has an exciting program<https://nm2.epfl.ch/page-145616-en.html> with a stimulating lineup of speakers<https://nm2.epfl.ch/page-145624-en.html>! Please mark your calendars to participate in shaping the future course of neuromodulatory research! Registration<https://nm2.epfl.ch/page-145625-en.html> includes coffee breaks, lunch, refreshments and poster sessions. PhD. students and postdocs are particularly encouraged to apply for several travel awards<https://nm2.epfl.ch/page-146294-en.html> by submitting poster abstracts<https://nm2.epfl.ch/page-146294-en.html>. Some abstracts will be selected for flash talks. Early bird registration is open until July 31st, 2017. Abstract submission is open until August 13th, 2017. We look forward to welcoming you at NM2 in beautiful Switzerland! Best regards from the scientific committee of NM2, Srikanth Ramaswamy Henry Markram Mriganka Sur Anita Disney Menahem Segal Michael Hasselmo Seung-Hee Lee Alexander Thiele Amy Arnsten [cid:CCBC7D9D-9041-4146-88BA-CC744BDBB811@epfl.ch]

July 20, 2017

PhD scholarship "Deep Learning in clinical neuroimaging", Charité Berlin

by Kerstin Ritter

Dear all, I am offering a PhD scholarship in "Deep Learning in clinical neuroimaging" at Charite Berlin, starting in October 2017 (initially for 2 years). See announcement below: _________________________________________ Deep Learning in clinical neuroimaging PhD scholarship (starting October 2017, initially for 2 years) At the Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging and Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (Charite), we are looking for a motivated and highly talented PhD student for various research questions within the interdisciplinary field of deep learning and clinical neuroimaging. In particular, we employ convolutional neural networks for finding new representations from neuroimaging data in order to predict disease conversion and future clinical disability in neurological as well as psychiatric diseases. Whereas previous disease decoding approaches mostly relied on expert-based extraction of features in combination with standard classification algorithms and thus strongly depend on the choice of data representation, convolutional networks are capable of learning hierarchical information directly from raw imaging data. By this, they have a great potential for finding unexpected and latent data characteristics and might perform as a real “second reader”. A major focus will be on visualization techniques to make the learned content of convolutional neural networks visible. Requirements for the PhD student: - Very good degree in computer science, mathematics, physics, psychology, computational neuroscience or related subject. - Very good programming skills (e.g. Python) - Experience in machine learning - Good writing and communication skills (in English) Please send your application (motivation+CV) in one pdf-file (in English or German) to: Dr. Kerstin Ritter Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, Bernstein-Zentrum für Computational Neuroscience Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Sauerbruchweg 4, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin Tel.: + 49 30 450 539364; Email: kerstin.ritter(a)bccn-berlin.de _________________________________________________ Thank you very much! Best wishes, Kerstin Ritter _______________________________________________ Dr. rer. nat. Kerstin Ritter, nee Hackmack Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Sauerbruchweg 4, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin

July 20, 2017

Creating a list of important computational predictions

by Yiota Poirazi

Dear all, I believe you would agree that, the greatest recognition of our computational work comes with the experimental verification of our computational predictions. To highlight the most important outcomes of our theoretical work and facilitate a closer interaction with experimental labs so as to increase the chances of our predictions being experimentally tested, I would like to encourage you to nominate your favorite prediction at the following google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJZ2RrXJ0nZonIuyNzN0Cl gXDKDb7xTzoJOiqZTGxm9Kh7ow/viewform?c=0&w=1&usp=mail_form_link This effort started during the CNS 2017 meeting in Antwerp with the support of the OCNS Board. The resulting list will be posted on the CNS 2017 web site and disseminated in social media, as a reference for experimentalists. Thank you very much for supporting this important effort! Best wishes, Yiota Poirazi -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Computational Biology Laboratory Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385, GR 70013, Heraklion, Crete GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 Εmail: poirazi(a)imbb.forth.gr Lab site: www.dendrites.gr FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence <http://www.fens.org/Outreach/FENS-Kavli-Network-of-Excellence/> -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by *E.F.A. Project* <http://www.efa-project.org>, and is believed to be clean. Click here to report this message as spam. <http://mailgate1.imbb.forth.gr/cgi-bin/learn-msg.cgi?id=4BCD7A00A1.A57D7&to…> -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Computational Biology Laboratory Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385, GR 70013, Heraklion, Crete GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 Εmail: poirazi(a)imbb.forth.gr Lab site: www.dendrites.gr FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence <http://www.fens.org/Outreach/FENS-Kavli-Network-of-Excellence/>

July 20, 2017

2nd Announcement: Computational Neuroscience in Africa: isiCN IMBIZO 18

by Tim Vogels

Dear all, we would like to draw your attention to the IBRO SIMONS COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE IMBIZO #isiCNI2018 Get to know (and help to build) African Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience. from 7 - 28 January 2018, Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town, South Africa http://isicni.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk <http://isicni.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/> Application deadline: 15th August 2017 The #isiCNI2018 is a southern hemisphere summer school aiming to promote computational neuroscience in Africa. It will bring together international and local students under the tutelage of the world's leading experts in the field. Like its international sister courses, this three-week summer school aims to teach central ideas, methods, and practices of modern computational neuroscience through a combination of lectures and hands-on project work. Mornings will be devoted to lectures on topics across the breadth of experimental and computational neuroscience. The rest of the day will be spent working on research projects under the close supervision of expert tutors and faculty. Individual research projects will focus on the modelling of neurons, neural systems, behaviour, the analysis of state-of-the-art neural data, and the development of theories to explain experimental observations. Who should apply? This course is aimed at Masters and PhD level students though Honours or Postdoctoral students may also apply. Students should sufficient quantitative skills, (e.g. a background in mathematics, physics, computer science, statistics, engineering or related field). Some knowledge of neural biology will be useful but not essential. Experimental neuroscience students are encouraged to apply, but should ensure that they have a reasonable level of quantitative proficiency (i.e. at least second-year level mathematics or statistics and have done at least one course in computer programming). Please distribute this information as widely as you can. Essential details * Fee (which covers tuition, lodging, and meals): 1100 EUR * Generous scholarships and travel stipends are available based on merit and need * Application deadline: 15th August 2017 * Notification of results: End of September 2017 Information and application http://isicni.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk <http://isicni.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/> Application form http://tinyurl.com/yc6zbvpo <http://tinyurl.com/yc6zbvpo> Questions? isicn.imbizo(a)gmail.com <mailto:isicn.imbizo@gmail.com> What is an Imbizo? \ɪmˈbiːzɒ\ | Xhosa - Zulu A gathering of the people to share knowledge. FACULTY Larry Abbott - Columbia University Adrienne Fairhall - Washington University Surya Ganguli* - Stanford University Peter Latham - University College London Blake Richards - University of Toronto Timothy Lillicrap - Google DeepMind Mate Lengyel - University of CambridgeJoseph Raimondo - University of Cape Town Yiota Poirazi - Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas Srikanth Ramaswamy - EPFL Lausanne Tim Vogels - University of Oxford Byron Yu - Carnegie Mellon University Alex Antrobus (Gatsby Unit, UCL) Athanasia Papoutsi (Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas) William Podladski (University of Oxford ) Friedemann Zenke (Stanford University / University of Oxford) and others, to be announced *not confirmed DIRECTORS Peter Latham (Gatsby Unit for Computational Neuroscience, UCL, UK) Joseph Raimondo (University of Cape Town, South Africa) Tim Vogels (University of Oxford, UK) Sponsors The isiCNI is made possible by the generous support from the Simons Foundation (https://www.simonsfoundation.org <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/>) and IBRO, the International Brain Research Organisation (http://ibro.info <http://ibro.info/>) Organizational Affiliates University of Cape Town, University College London, University of Oxford, TReND in Africa <http://trendinafrica.org/>, CNCB <http://www.cncb.ox.ac.uk/>, Gatsby Foundation <http://www.gatsby.org.uk/>, IBRO African Center for Advanced Training in Neurosciences at UCT

July 20, 2017

Aspects of Neuroscience - Hackathon: Call for proposals (01.08) - Warsaw, 18-19th November

by Daniel Borek

On the weekend of 18-19th November, the first edition of Aspects of Neuroscience - Hackathon will take place. During this two-day event dedicated to students and PhD students, we will work in teams on neuroscience-related projects. The aim of the event is to meet new, enthusiastic researchers, to share the knowledge on data mining and brain research, but also to share the data and promote open science. We provide with a list of proposed open-access datasets, but we also encourage participants to share their own data during the event. At the moment, we opened the call for project proposals. The proposals can include various forms of a group activity, e.g., data analysis, app development, a discussion club on a particular topic, developing a software etc. Each proposal should indicate: [1] a title and abstract for the project; [2] a list of 1-5 key papers summarising the subject (which the participants should become familiar with before starting the project); [3] a list of requirements for taking part in the project (education level / English level / programming language required); [4] a maximum number of participants [5] a name of an author of the project, and a name of a senior researcher which will supervise the project during the Hackathon [6] what can the participant gain from the project? [7] an information on whether or not there is a plan for extending this work to a paper in case the results are promising An exemplary proposal is in link https://www.dropbox.com/s/ojui2h0wcz82mgy/EXEMPLARYPROPOSAL.pdf?dl=0 Location: University of Warsaw (Further information will be provided soon) Deadline for project proposals: 01.08.2017 Announcement of projects: 15.08.2017 Deadline for registration of participants: 01.11.2017 Please send your proposals to the conference email: neuroaspects(a)uw.edu.pl Proposals will be evaluated by members of our scientific committee before 15.08.2017 Main organizers: Michał Bola, PhD (Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Warsaw, Poland) Natalia Bielczyk, MSc (Statistical Imaging Neuroscience Research Group, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands) Daniel Borek, MSc (Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland) Beata Goźlińska (Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland) LIST OF EXAMPLARY OPEN ACCESS DATASETS: [1] calcium imaging datasets: Karl Svoboda https://crcns.org/data-sets/ssc [2] fMRI + DTI: Human Connectome Project http://www. humanconnectome.org/data/ [3] gene expression open-access database: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/ + information on gene function: www.uniprot.org [4] EEG, MRI & behavioural data from N=644 children & adolescents: http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/06/13/149369 [5] EEG data: http://neurotycho.org/ [6] Research data supporting "Brain connectivity during propofol sedation https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/252736

July 19, 2017

PhD positions on Translational Neurosciences and Neurotechnologies - IIT@UniFe

by Alessandro D'Ausilio

PHD PROGRAM in TRANSLATIONAL NEUROSCIENCES AND NEUROTECHNOLOGIES The Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC) at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) is looking for up to 4 highly motivated, full-time PhD students to work in the core research areas of the Center. At the CTNSC we focus our efforts in two integrated directions. On one side we are studying how the brain builds communicative and linguistic representations. On the other side we are designing new brain interfaces, specifically conceived for human use, to record and computationally decode neural signals. The CTNSC is hosted by the Section of Physiology of the University of Ferrara, one of the oldest in Italy (founded in 1391). In terms of its size, facilities, quality and quantity of education and research, the university is a point of excellence within Italy. The PhD student will work in Ferrara, in an international and multidisciplinary team including biomedical engineers, biologists, computer scientists, psychologists and medical doctors. The PhD positions will cover the following core areas of CTNSC: A01 Improving performance and biocompatibility of electrode arrays for brain-computer interfaces A02 Functional investigation of innovative neural interfaces A03 Investigation of sensorimotor functions in animal models (NH primates and rats) A04 Machine learning applications to multimodal brain and speech signals A05 Human neurophysiology of speech and sensorimotor communication A06 Cortical recordings in human patients during awake Neurosurgery A07 Hardware and software development for innovative exploration of brain signals DEADLINE: 1st AUGUST 2017 CTNSC Info: https://www.iit.it/centers/ctnsc-unife PhD page [ITA]: http://www.unife.it/studenti/dottorato/corsi/riforma/neuroscienze How to participate to the selection [ITA/ENG]: http://www.unife.it/studenti/dottorato/modulistica/Guidaconcorso.pdf

July 19, 2017

Postdoc + 2 PhD students in limbo, SISSA, Trieste

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). Ideal candidates have a flair for (some) language, come from a background we have not thought of and seek to get to places where they have not been, at the crossroads between neuroscience, complex systems, and poetry. Two PhD students from outside Italy are sought to later join as ESRs the EU Training Network M-GATE, on hippocampal memory functions. A network of 7 institutes + 4 companies, coordinated by Francesco Battaglia (Nijmegen). Ideal candidates, who can be of any nationality but must not have spent much time in Italy in the last 3 years, enjoy analytical, mathematical and computational excursions when in search of fundamental network understanding. Deadline August 31st, 2017. Formal applications eventually needed, but please see first obsolete limbo information http://people.sissa.it/~ale/limbo.html and contact ale(a)sissa.it well in advance. -- 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 18, 2017

CNS 2017 workshop:

by s.a.vangils＠utwente.nl

Please post: Dear all, We cordially invite you to attend our workshop at CNS2017, Thursday July 20: “Recent Developments in Epilepsy Modelling” Epilepsy is a chronic disease of the CNS characterized by the occurrence of seizures. It affects ~1% of the people worldwide, and ⅓ of the affected population does not respond to anticonvulsant drugs. This limited success of anticonvulsant treatment is, in part, due to our limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms that are responsible for the pathological behavior. Translational research can play an important role in the unravelling of the mechanisms that may be responsible. As more and better experimental data become available, it is important to be able to integrate these data with modeling approaches in order to test hypotheses and to improve insight and produce more individualized models. In this workshop a number of active researchers in the field come together to discuss their latest results ranging from computational models on different scales to statistical methods to evaluate the use of biomarkers. Speakers: Victor Jirsa, Fabrice Wendling, Wytse Wadman, Geertjan Huiskamp, Jurgen Hebbink, Bill Lytton, Peter Taylor, Stiliyan Kalitzin, Marc Goodfellow and Stephan van Gils. For details visit: http://wwwhome.math.utwente.nl/%7Egilssa/cns2017/?<http://wwwhome.math.utwente.nl/~gilssa/cns2017/?> With kind regards, Wim van Drongelen en Stephan van Gils Prof. Dr. S.A. (Stephan) van Gils Department of Applied Mathematics University of Twente P.O. Box 217 7500 AE Enschede Chair: Applied Analysis +31-53-4894272 (tel Secretary) +31-53-4893410 (tel Office)

July 17, 2017

Review article: Towards building a more complex view of the lateral geniculate nucleus: Recent advances in understanding its role

by Masoud Ghodrati

Dear vision scientists, We would like to draw your attention to our recent review paper entitled "Towards building a more complex view of the lateral geniculate nucleus: Recent advances in understanding its role <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301008215300757>" published in Progress in Neurobiology, Jun 2017. We hope that this review can link different findings about the LGN function and opens new research avenues in the field. *Recent evidence shows that lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) has more sophisticated functions than a mere relaying hub. We provide a rather unfiltered and eclectic review of the LGN functions, with some focus on its computational role, as well as its role in higher level cognitive process (specifically higher level vision). **In particular, we argue that the LGN has a variety of complex nonlinear behaviors (perhaps the most interesting nonlinearity involves feedback from cortex). We suggest further development of feedback models of high-level vision considering the LGN function. Because of LGN’s contribution in temporal aspects of object processing, modeling LGN function particularly becomes more important when considering non-stationary stimuli (such as videos). Predictive coding and expectation coding models are in this direction.* Actual link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301008215300757 Here is authors’ free PDF version of the manuscript: https://goo.gl/KCmUR7 Best -- *_____________________________________________________________* Masoud Ghodrati, Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. E-mails: masoud.ghodrati(a)monash.edu Web pages (Personal) : https://sites.google.com/site/masoudghodrati1985/ *_____________________________________________________________*

July 17, 2017

Open postdoctoral position in human intracranial electrophysiology: Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, West Virginia University

by Shuo Wang

*** Sorry for multiple postings*** We invite applicants with strong motivation in investigating the neural mechanisms of face processing and visual attention/saliency to apply for a postdoctoral position at the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (BRNI), West Virginia University. The applicant will work on intracranial single-unit recordings from human subjects, investigating questions related to face processing and/or visual attention and visual saliency. This will include experimental work with patients (electrophysiology and behavior), data processing and analysis, spike-train analysis, and experimental design. The applicant will have access to state-of-the art equipment, facilities and analytical methods and this research will be in a highly collaborative environment. The applicant will not only collaborate with investigators at the BRNI, but also be part of an established team of investigators at both Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Dr. Ueli Rutishauser) and the California Institute of Technology (Dr. Ralph Adolphs), with ample opportunity to learn new techniques and methods. Candidates should have a recent PhD in systems, cognitive, or computational neuroscience with a track-record of first-author publications. Strong programming (Matlab or similar), data analysis, statistics and electrophysiology skills are essential. Excellent written and oral English communication skills are required, including the ability to communicate with patients and their families. Individuals with previous human intracranial EEG experience and/or macaque single neuron recordings that wish to expand into human single-unit recordings are encouraged to apply. Interested applicants should send a CV, including a list of publications, a brief description of research interests and analysis skills, and contact information for 2-3 reference letters to Shuo Wang (shuo.wang(a)mail.wvu.edu) Informal inquiries are welcome. Further information about the lab can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/shuowangsocialneuroscience/.

July 17, 2017

Methods of Information Theory workshop at CNS*2017

by Joseph Lizier

Dear all, Please note that the final schedule and speaker abstracts are available for the following workshop at CNS*2017 in Antwerp this week: Workshop on Methods of Information Theory in Computational Neuroscience 19 and 20 July 2017 Methods originally developed in Information Theory have found wide applicability in computational neuroscience. Beyond these original methods there is a need to develop novel tools and approaches that are driven by problems arising in neuroscience. A number of researchers in computational/systems neuroscience and in information/communication theory are investigating problems of information representation and processing. While the goals are often the same, these researchers bring different perspectives and points of view to a common set of neuroscience problems. Often they participate in different fora and their interaction is limited. The goal of the workshop is to bring some of these researchers together to discuss challenges posed by neuroscience and to exchange ideas and present their latest work. The workshop is targeted towards computational and systems neuroscientists with interest in methods of information theory as well as information/communication theorists with interest in neuroscience. Program: Wed 19 July (Room C.101): * 09:00 Raul Vicente, University of Tartu -- "Estimating and applying partial information decomposition to complex systems" * 09:45 Jil Meier, Delft University of Technology -- "The epidemic spreading model and the direction of information flow in brain networks" * 11:00 Karl Friston, University College London -- "Active inference and artificial curiosity" * 11:45 Taro Toyoizumi, RIKEN Brain Science Institute -- "A Local Learning Rule for Independent Component Analysis" * 14:00 Fleur Zeldenrust, Radboud Universiteit -- "Estimating the information extracted by a single spiking neuron from a continuous input time series" * 14:30 Pedro Martinez Mediano, Imperial College London -- "Integrated Information Theory Without the Hot Air" * 15:00 Mehrdad Salmasi, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich "Information rate of a synapse during short-term depression" * 16:00 Tatjana Tchumatchenko, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt -- "Information coding of mean and variance modulating signals in cortical neurons" * 16:45 Renaud Jolivet, University of Geneva -- "Energy-efficient information transfer at synapses" * 17:30 Rodrigo Cofre, University of Geneva and Universidad de Valparaíso -- "Information Entropy Production and Large deviations of Maximum Entropy Processes from Spike Trains" Thu 20 July (Room C.101): * 09:00 Lionel Barnett, University of Sussex -- "Information Transfer in Continuous and Discrete Time" * 09:45 Joseph T. Lizier, The University of Sydney "An estimator for transfer entropy between spike trains" * 11:00 Viola Priesemann, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-organization, Goettingen -- "Quantifying Information Storage and Modification in Neural Recordings" * 11:45 Demain Battaglia, Aix-Marseille University -- "Discrete information processing states in anesthetized rat recordings" * 14:00 Selin Aviyente, Michigan State University "Directed Information: Application to EEG during cognitive control" * 14:45 Adrià Tauste, Universitat Pompeu Fabra -- "Directed information flow within the thalamo-cortical network" * 16:00 Daniele Marinazzo, University of Ghent -- "Synergy and redundancy in dynamical systems: towards a practical and operative definition" * 16:45 Lubomir Kostal, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic -- "Reference frame independence as a constraint on the mutual information decomposition" * 17:30 Robin Ince, University of Glasgow -- "Quantifying representational interactions in neuroimaging and electrophysiological data using information theory" Organisers: Joseph T. Lizier -- chair, The University of Sydney Viola Priesemann, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-organisation Justin Dauwels, Nanyang Technological University Taro Toyoizumi, RIKEN Brain Science Institute Alexander G. Dimitrov, Washington State University Lubomir Kostal, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Michael Wibral, Goethe University, Frankfurt

July 16, 2017

CNS2017 workshop on "Neuronal Oscillations: mechanisms and functionality"

by Frances Skinner

Please post: Dear all, We invite you to attend our workshop an CNS2017 tthis year. "Neurona*l Oscillations: mechanisms and functionality"* Oscillations at various frequency ranges have been observed in several brain structures (hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, olfactory bulb and others). They are believed to be important for cognitive functions such as learning, memory, navigation and attention. These rhythms have been studied at the single cell level, as the result of the interaction of a neuron’s intrinsic properties, at the network level, as the result of the interaction between the participating neurons and neuronal populations in a given brain region, and at higher levels of organization involving several of these regions. Recent advances in this field have benefited from the interaction between experiment and theory, and models with varying levels of detail. The purpose of this workshop is to bring together modelers, experimentalists and theorists with the goal of sharing and discussing their current results and ideas on the underlying mechanisms that govern the generation of these rhythms at various levels of organization, and their functional implications. An additional goal is to discuss what we mean by an explanation in the context of this workshop. To this end, speakers will be encouraged to address this issue from the perspective of Aristotle's four causes (efficient, material, formal and final causes) <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2015/entries/aristotle-causality/>. Please see 'What is computational neuroscience? (XVI) What is an explanation?' <http://romainbrette.fr/2013/06/>. Speakers: Day 1: F Skinner, J White, M Bezaire, V Cutsuridis, J Guzman, L Rubchinsky, D Levenstein, F Battaglia, M Bartos, J Mejias Day 2: C. Borgers, C Canavier, M Cunningham, J Lefebvre, A Peyrache, H Rotstein, B Pesaran, A Saudargiene For more details, please visit http://vassiliscutsuridis.com/workshop/CNS2017web.htm Thank you, Frances (on behalf of the organizers) -- Frances Skinner, PhD Krembil Research Institute/UHN and Univ Toronto www.skinnerlab.org

July 14, 2017

postdoc in Barcelona to do single cell recordings in humans

by Quian Quiroga, Rodrigo (Prof.)

*** Apologies for multiple postings*** Dear all, Please see below details of a postdoc position at the Barcelona ßeta Brain Research Center to study memory mechanisms by performing single cell recordings in humans in collaboration with Hospital del Mar. Cheers, Rodrigo Postdoc Position Barcelona ßeta Brain Research Center (BBRC) The Barcelona ßeta Brain Research Center (BBRC) offers a fully funded postdoc position at the research group headed by Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga. The group is part of a new Research Program on Memory, complementary to ongoing research at BBRC dealing with the Prevention of Alzheimer Disease. The group is associated to the epilepsy group headed by Dr. Gerardo Conesa at Hospital del Mar, a health center close to BBRC. Research will involve the study single cell recordings in humans. These recordings are performed in epileptic patients for curative surgery. In particular, the project will investigate concept cells (a.k.a. Jennifer Aniston neurons) – that means, neurons in the hippocampus and surrounding areas that selectively fire to specific concepts, like different pictures and the written or spoken name of a particular person (e.g. Quian Quiroga et al, Nature 2005; Quian Quiroga Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2012), which are involved in declarative memory functions. The successful candidate will contribute to performing recordings with patients at the Hospital del Mar and the analysis of the data to investigate the role of these neurons in memory formation, consolidation, long-term coding and recall. Candidates should have excellent quantitative skills (data processing, and programming, preferably in Matlab) and ideally, a strong background in neuroscience and experience with neurophysiology recordings. They should be able to work both independently and as part of a research team within the BBRC. The position is initially offered for 2 years, with the possibility to extend it for another 2 years. Salary will be competitive, depending on experience. The closing date for the applications is Monday 25th August 2017. Start date will be in October 2017. For application details and further particulars see: https://fpmaragall.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2014/07/Postdoc_Neural… Informal inquiries are welcome and should be submitted electronically to: rh(a)fpmaragall.org Rodrigo Quian Quiroga Centre for Systems Neuroscience University of Leicester www.le.ac.uk/csn

July 14, 2017

CNS meeting 2017 workshop on "Recent methods and analyses for neuronal population recordings"

by Valentina Pasquale

Dear all, I would like to remind you about the WORKSHOP "RECENT METHODS AND ANALYSES FOR LARGE-SCALE NEURONAL POPULATION RECORDINGS" | JULY 19TH-20TH IN ANTWERP @ CNS MEETING 2017 http://www.computational-neuroscience-of-sensory-systems.org/workshop-on-re… Abstract: Understanding how assemblies of neurons encode information requires recording large populations of cells in the brain. In recent years, progress in population calcium imaging and multichannel electrophysiology opened the possibility to record from hundreds or even thousands of neurons simultaneously. While these techniques offer unprecedented chances to monitor large neural circuits, they also push for the design of new algorithms to gather and process information from such high-dimensional datasets. The workshop "Recent methods and analyses for large-scale neuronal population recordings", which will be held on July 19th-20th in Antwerp at the CNS meeting 2017, will gather leading experimentalists and theoreticians to discuss latest computational methods and analyses used to process such large-scale neuronal population recordings, both in vivo and in vitro. Focusing on high-density electrophysiology and calcium imaging, it will review recent advances in neuroinformatics research, including spike sorting techniques and characterization of neural assemblies' spatio-temporal activity. Organizers: Valentina Pasquale (IIT), Michela Chiappalone (IIT), Pierre Yger (Institut de la Vision, France) Speakers: July 19th * Matthias Hennig (University of Edinburgh, Scotland) * Felix Franke (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) * Nick Steinmetz (University College London, UK) * Pierre Yger (Institut de la Vision, France) * Thomas Deneux (UNIC, CNRS, France) * Marius Pachitariu (University College London, UK) * Stephen J. Eglen (University of Cambridge, UK) * Adrien Peyrache (McGill University, Canada) July 20th * George Dimitriadis (Sainsbury Welcome Centre, UK) * Gaute Einevoll (NMBU, Norway) * Yannick Bornat (IMS Bordeaux, France) * Ulisse Ferrari (Institut de la Vision, France) * Sonja Grün (Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany) * Valentina Pasquale (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy) * Arno Onken (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy) * Paolo Bonifazi (Ikerbasque, Bilbao, Spain) For further information, please visit: http://www.computational-neuroscience-of-sensory-systems.org/workshop-on-re… Best, Valentina Pasquale valentina.pasquale(a)iit.it<mailto:valentina.pasquale@iit.it> ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA Optical Approaches to Brain Function Lab Via Morego, 30 16163 Genova t: +39 010 71781 475 f: +39 010 71781 230 www.iit.it<http://www.iit.it/>

July 14, 2017

Open PhD position computational neuroscienceB

by Claudius Gros

I would like to brink your attention our PhD-program in Computational Neurosciences / Complex Dynamical Systems at the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany Field(s): computational neurosciences, complex systems, theory neural networks, simulated robotics, dynamical systems. Application deadline: August 11, 2017 Contact: Prof. Claudius Gros, cgr[(a)]itp.uni-frankfurt.de We are developing new models and generative principles for the brain using a range of toolsets from dynamical systems theory and computational neurosciences. Examples are new objective functions and generating functionals for the sensori-motor loop, transient state dynamics and self-limiting Hebbian plasticity rules. Several subjects are available for the announced PhD thesis including the generation of transient state dynamics through short-term synaptic plasticity, the study of the stationarity principle for statistical learning and/or the generation of motor primitives through self-organized embodiment within the sensori-motor loop. The work will include analytic investigations and numerical simulations of neural networks and/or of simulated robots, using the toolset of dynamical systems theory. The candidate must have a Diploma/Master in physics, an excellent academic track record and good computational skills. Experience or strong interest in the fields of complex systems, computational neurosciences, dynamical systems theory and/or artificial or biological cognitive systems is expected. The degree of scientific research experience needs to be on the level of a German Diploma/Master The appointment will start summer/fall 2017, for up to three years. Interested applicants must submit a curriculum vitae, a list of publications and copies of the academic record. Name, affiliation and email of one or more potential references are to be given. Claudius Gros http://www.itp.uni-frankfurt.de/~gros General information on the University of Frankfurt and its employment policy. With its around 46000 students and 4600 employees, the Goethe University in Frankfurt is the largest university in the state of Hessen and an internationally renowned, important regional employer. Numerous quality and performance oriented internal reforms have been initiated in the recent years. The reorganized campuses for natural sciences and humanities offer an ideal environment for research and education. Since 2008, the Goethe University is a foundation under public law and enjoys full administrative autonomy. The fixed-term employment of the academic staff is subject to the provisions of the Temporary Science Employment Law (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz) and the Hessian Higher Education Act (Hessisches Hochschulgesetz). The University advocates gender equality and therefore strongly encourages women to apply. People with disabilities are given preference if equally qualified. ### ### Prof. Dr. Claudius Gros ### http://itp.uni-frankfurt.de/~gros ### ### Complex and Adaptive Dynamical Systems, A Primer ### A graduate-level textbook, Springer (2008/10/13/15) ### ### Mageia, das Buch der Farben ### http://www.buchderfarben.de ###

July 12, 2017

Vice Chancellor's 5-year Research Fellowship in Biocomputation, Mental Health and Wellbeing (University of Hertfordshire, U.K.)

by Steuber, Volker

Research Fellow: Biocomputation, Mental Health and Wellbeing University of Hertfordshire - School of Computer Science Location: Hatfield Salary: £32,004 to £38,183 Grade 7 p.a. Hours: Full Time Contract Type: Fixed-Term/Contract Placed on: 27th June 2017 Closes: 21st August 2017 Job Ref: 014834 FTE 1.0 FTE working 37 hours per week Duration of Contract: Fixed term contract 5 years from October 2017 Qualifications required: Very strong PhD degree in a quantitative research-oriented discipline, examples are computer science, mathematics, physics and neuroscience; excellent programming skills in at least one major computer language (essential), and very strong mathematical background, with particular emphasis on areas such as computer algebra, Krohn-Rhodes algebraic automata theory and language theory, discrete/continuous/constructive dynamical systems theory, group theory, algebraic topology, information theory, probability theory and statistics, and mathematical methods for computational intelligence. Background in computational neuroscience, including processing and analysis of EEG data, especially EEG microstates, is highly desirable. Experience writing high-quality research publications (essential) and grant applications (desirable), as well as excellent communication skills (essential). Successful history of working in multidisciplinary teams (highly desirable). Description of the research activity and area: Algorithms and Biocomputation are growing areas of research excellence at the University of Hertfordshire. This Fellowship targets the development and application of our novel computational and mathematical methods (e.g., automata-, language-theoretic and algebraic methods; computational mechanics and Krohn-Rhodes computational algebraic biology) to biological systems. The Research Fellow will support ongoing and future work characterizing the neurodynamical spatio-temporal structure of human mental states led by Professor Chrystopher L. Nehaniv and external collaborator Dr Elena Antonova (Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London). Our current BIAL Foundation grant focuses on using EEG microstate ‘grammars’ to distinguish different mental states in expert meditators. EEG microstates are quasi-stable maps of electric potential landscapes of short duration, typically classed in a small number of discrete types analogous to ‘letters’ of an alphabet. The tendency for simple EEG microstate transitions between certain pairs of these discrete types has already been shown to characterize clinical populations (people with schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s vs. healthy controls). Our current research targets finer understanding of richer temporal neurodynamical structure and patterns, using these novel computational methods, toward harnessing their potential eventually for applications in Health and Wellbeing as a diagnostic tool for different clinical populations. The Fellow will reinforce the established collaboration with KCL, supporting validation and development of our methods toward their eventual application in clinical diagnosis and mental illness prevention, as well as in promotion of wellbeing. The Fellow will be expected to publish in high-impact journals and present conference papers together with Professor Nehaniv and Dr Antonova, to contribute to writing grant applications to national and international funding bodies [e.g., Wellcome Trust, EPSRC/BBSRC/MRC, European Commission, and other funding agencies], and contribute to REF outputs of the School of Computer Science. In accord with the CONCORDAT for professional development of researchers, the candidate may be afforded the opportunity to undertake a limited amount of appropriate teaching (upon mutual agreement). The Royal Society / Wolfson Biocomputation Research Laboratory at the University of Hertfordshire has a long history of interdisciplinary innovation in computational methods for systems biology and neural systems, as well as applications of bioinspired-methods to other fields. It enjoys close interdisciplinary links to the Adaptive Systems and Algorithms Research Groups, whose interests include mathematical computer science, compilers, security, networks, artificial Intelligence robotics, artificial life, language acquisition, human-robot interaction, etc., and have labs equipped with humanoid and non-humanoid robots, as well as 3D printing facilities. External research connections to UK, European and international partners (e.g. University of California, Berkeley; Univ. Debrecen and Renyi Institute, Hungary; Sardex, Italy; etc) are supported through numerous research council and EC-funded collaborations and projects. Skills and experience needed: The Fellow will have established him/herself as an independent researcher, capable of establishing a programme of research activity within the scope of the project. S/he will have excellent oral and written communication skills in both spoken and written English and a track record of publications in high impact journals. The Fellow will be expected to build capacity in the area of Biocomputation and participate in attracting external funding, previous success being a desirable attribute. S/he should be able to establish good working relationships, and work closely with members of the Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research and the School of Computer Science, at the University of Hertfordshire and with partner organisations as appropriate. The fellow should have knowledge of research methodology appropriate for the subject area and knowledge of appropriate databases for the discipline and ability to conduct literature searches in the discipline using appropriate electronic resources. Contact Details: Informal enquiries can be made to Professor Chrystopher L. Nehaniv, email: C.L.Nehaniv(a)herts.ac.uk<mailto:C.L.Nehaniv@herts.ac.uk> tel: +44 1707 284470<tel:01707%20284470> 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. To make a formal application, follow links and apply on-line: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BCH822/research-fellow-biocomputation-mental-heal…

July 12, 2017

Postdoc Position: Learning Dynamics in Recurrent Networks

by Shouval, Harel

A postdoc position is available in the Shouval lab. The Postdoc will work on a project funded by the BRAIN grant: “Learning spatio-temporal statistics from the environment in recurrent networks”. In this project we will model both recurrent network models, and also the learning rules that allow them to learn their dynamics from environmental cues. This project is a collaboration between the lab of Harel Shouval at the University of Texas in Houston, and the lab of Nicolas Brunel at Duke. This is a two-year position and it can start immediately. The Shouval lab is a leader in developing models of synaptic plasticity and understanding their impact on learning and memory. The models we develop span from the molecular level and up to the systems level. In our some of our recent work we study the impact of synaptic plasticity on recurrent network dynamics and on incorporating reinforcement learning into biophysical plasticity models. We use both computational and analytical techniques to study these issues. The Shouval lab is located in the department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, in the UT medical school. Houston has a thriving Neuroscience community and it is an excellent environment for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience. There is a high concentration of Theoretical Neuroscience labs at the different Houston area Universities (Baylor, Rice, UH, UT). Our Theoretical Neuroscience community is highly collaborative and there is a joint organization to foster these collaborations; the Gulf Coast Consortium in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience (GCC-TCN). We hold an annual conference, joint graduate courses and a journal club. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in Computational Neuroscience with strong analytical and computational skills. I will also consider candidates with a background in the Physical or Computational Sciences who would like to become a Theoretical Neuroscientists. If you want to apply please send me your CV, and a brief cover letter that includes names of possible references. I will also be happy to answer any question you might have about the project or the position. Harel Shouval Professor Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy The University of Texas Medical School, Houston Director of the Neuroscience Graduate program Email: harel.shouval(a)gmail.com<mailto:harel.shouval@gmail.com> Web: https://med.uth.edu/nba/faculty/harel-shouval/

July 11, 2017

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF BRAIN NETWORKS at Stanford University

by Aarthi Padmanabhan

The Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in human brain network analysis and modeling. We seek candidates with strong research backgrounds in one or more of the following areas: resting-state and task-evoked fMRI connectivity, structural HARDI-based connectivity, neurophysiological modeling of brain networks, Bayesian modeling, machine learning, and deep neural networks. Candidates must have strong computational skills and a PhD in computational neuroscience, computer science, physics, biomedical engineering or related fields. This is an exciting opportunity to work on multiple NIH- and Stanford-funded projects using multimodal (fMRI, optogenetic, DTI, EEG) brain imaging techniques in multiple clinical populations and normative groups. The successful candidate will develop a vigorous research program that contributes to, and complements, ongoing research studies. The candidate will have access to state-of-the-art brain imaging and HPC/GPU facilities. Please email a CV, statement of research interests and relevant background, and names of three referees to Drs. Vinod Menon and Aarthi Padmanabhan at scsnl.stanford+postdoc(a)gmail.com<mailto:scsnl.stanford@gmail.com> Aarthi Padmanabhan, PhD Scientific Research Director Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford University School of Medicine

July 11, 2017

Neuroscience Gateway Workshop at SFN 2017 meeting

by Ted Carnevale

Using the Neuroscience Gateway Portal for Parallel Simulations Saturday, Nov. 11 from 9 AM to noon at downtown Washington DC location. This workshop combines didactic presentations and hands-on instruction on how to use the Neuroscience Gateway Portal (NSG) for computationally intensive simulations and data analysis. NSG eliminates most technical and adminstrative barriers to using high performance computing resources, and even gives away free CPU time on parallel supercomputers. Software currently installed on NSG includes BluePyOpt, Brian, CARLsim, Freesurfer, GENESIS, MATLAB, MOOSE, NEST, NEURON, PyNN, and the Virtual Personalized Multimodal Connectome Pipeline. The registration deadline for this workshop is Friday Oct. 27, but you should sign up early because space is limited. See https://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nsg2017/nsg2017.html for more information and a link to the registration form. --Ted

July 11, 2017

NEURON course at SFN 2017 meeting

by Ted Carnevale

Using NEURON to Model Cells and Networks Friday, Nov. 10 from 9 AM to 5 PM at a downtown Washington DC 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 reactive diffusion with the RxD class. The registration deadline for this course is Friday Oct. 27, but you should sign up early because space is limited. See http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/dc2017/dc2017.html for more information and a link to the registration form. --Ted

July 11, 2017

Announcing the workshop on cloud-based BCIs at the BCI Conference 2017

by Vinay Jayaram

Dear all, We are happy to announce to potential attendees of the 7th BCI Conference in September 2017 that Workshop 1 (Cloud-based BCIs: challenges and opportunities of home-use systems for big data collection) is now calling for abstracts about work on BCIs for home use. This workshop is intended to bring together the various subfields of the BCI community to focus on some of the most pressing issues in the field: Robust machine learning with large datasets, low-cost and robust hardware, and applications for use without expert assistance. We are also happy to confirm Dr. Tim Mullen (Qusp Neurotechnologies) and Prof. Brian Murphy (BrainWaveBank) as keynote speakers for our workshop. More information and the workshop schedule can be found here https://webdav.tuebingen.mpg.de/graz2017/. Interested parties are invited to submit a 200-word abstract about the work they would like to present either via the website or to cloudbci(a)tuebingen.mpg.de by 4 August. Looking forwards to seeing you in Graz, Vinay Jayaram -- Vinay Jayaram PhD Student Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Spemannstrasse 34, 72076 Tübingen, Germany

July 11, 2017

Two PI positions in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Trento, Italy

by moritzwurm

Call for Expression of Interest for two Assistant Professor positions. More senior candidates will also be considered. *Cognitive Neuroimaging Principal Investigator, University of Trento, Neuroimaging Labs (LNiF), Center for Mind-Brain Sciences (CIMeC), Trento, Italy* The Center for Mind-Brain Sciences (CIMeC) at the University of Trento, Italy, invites expressions of interest from highly motivated scholars in view of the opening of two principal investigator positions at the level of assistant professor (3 years + potential 2 year extension). Candidates who have already a tenured position elsewhere would be considered directly for a tenure-track assistant professor/tenured associate professor. /Research Profile/ The ideal candidate should have an established track record of _research in any area of cognitive neuroimaging studies, preferably fMRI_. The successful candidates will work in the Neuroimaging Labs (LNiF: http://www.cimec.unitn.it/en/69/neuroimaging-labs-lnif) at the Center for Mind-Brain Sciences (CIMeC: http://web.unitn.it/en/cimec) They are expected to develop their own research program but also to interact actively with other CIMeC faculty using different methodologies to address various aspects of cognitive functioning. Knowledge of Italian is appreciated but not required. /Teaching/ The successful candidates are expected to contribute to the Center’s teaching mission at the PhD and MSc level. Instruction is in English. Successful candidates will negotiate the possibility of supervising PhD students who are fully funded by the University. The teaching duties at the MSc level vary depending on academic rank. Assistant professors are expected to teach 60 hrs/year, tenure-track assistant professors 90 hrs/year, tenured associate professors 120 hrs/year. UniTN and CIMeC The University of Trento consistently ranks as a top Italian university in both national Research Assessment Evaluations (RAE) and University Surveys.In the latest RAE the University of Trento as a whole ranks 1st among medium-sized universities. The CIMeC's goal is to foster cutting-edge research on cognition and its neural basis, and to support the dissemination of these findings internationally and within the local community. As an interdisciplinary research and teaching center, it draws on faculty from several departments, including Psychology and Cognitive Science, Linguistics and Philosophy, Physics, Mathematics, and Information Engineering and Computer Science. Current faculty members come from Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, USA, Canada, Argentina, Israel, and the United Kingdom. Although a relatively small group, CIMeC faculty have won many competitive national and international grants, including 1 European Research Council (ERC) advanced grant, 1 ERC consolidator grant, 6 ERC starting grants, other European Framework grants, and highly competitive grants awarded by the local government. The Center has consistently been ranked the leading cognitive neuroscience research unit in Italy. It is part of the Erasmus Mundus European Master Program in Language and Communication Technologies. Expressions of interest in English should include a brief motivation letter and a Curriculum Vitae and should be addressed to Dr. Alfonso Caramazza (alfonso.caramazza(a)unitn.it) <mailto:alfonso.caramazza@unitn.it%29>, who chairs a committee that includes Drs. Mel Goodale and Alex Martin.

July 11, 2017

PhD studentship: "The risk of unknowingly disclosing personal information through eye tracking and webcam technology"

by Durant, Szonya

Leverhulme Magna Carta Doctoral Scholarship Department of Psychology and Department of Computer Science, Royal Holloway, University of London Project: The risk of unknowingly disclosing personal information through eye tracking and webcam technology Supervisors: Dr Szonya Durant (Dept. of Psychology), Dr Dawn Watling (Dept. of Psychology) and Dr Zhiyuan Luo (Dept. of Computer Science) Applications are invited for a funded full-time studentship for doctoral research, Awarded under the Leverhulme Magna Carta Doctoral Centre starting in September 2017 (with the possibility of extending the start date until January 2018 at the very latest). The scholarship covers UK and European Union tuition fees and an annual stipend towards living expenses. The 2017/18 value of the stipend is £16,553. The Research Project This project will assess the risk of unknowingly disclosing personal information over social media, simply through how we move our eyes when interacting with or scanning social media. We aim to examine what personal information (e.g. age, sex, aspects of personality) can be determined from eye movement patterns whilst scanning social media using machine learning. This interdisciplinary PhD project draws on the fields of sensory neuroscience, in particular, the experimental study of eye movements and the latest cutting edge computer science developments in machine learning. The novelty of the proposed interdisciplinary approach promises to yield original insights that will expand the knowledge and understanding in both fields of study and have impact for our understanding of issues around internet privacy. This project is supervised by three experts in their field, the primary PhD supervisor (Dr Szonya Durant<https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/szonya-durant(64105598-7…>) and two co-supervisors (Dr Dawn Watling<https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/dawn-watling(70194d88-af…>and Dr Zhiyuan Luo<https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/zhiyuan-luo(cb78d990-b10…>). Both Dr Durant and Dr Watling are based in The Department of Psychology, which has an active and expanding postgraduate research community, is well-equipped for research. It was ranked 6th out of 82 UK Psychology Departments in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), with 93% of the research classified as world-leading or internationally excellent. Research in the Department spans a breadth of topics across psychological sciences and neuroscience and is supported by excellent facilities - further information on the research environment can be found here<https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/psychology/research/home.aspx>. Dr Luo is based in the Department of Computer Science, one of the UK's leading centres for research into Computer Science - further information on the research environment can be found here<https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/computerscience/research/home.aspx>. In the most recent Research Excellent Framework (REF 2014), it was ranked 11th in the UK for the quality of research output, with a third of publications recognised as world leading, and a further half internationally excellent (87% in total). Both departments are situated on a beautiful campus close to London. Applicants should ideally hold, or be predicted to achieve, a first class undergraduate degree or equivalent in Cognitive or Computer Sciences or related disciplines (minimum requirement: 2.1). An MSc in a Cognitive or Computer Sciences related subject is desirable but not essential. The ideal candidate will have strong skills in computer programming and data analysis. Eye tracking and experimental design experience would be advantageous. The Scholarship The scholarship will fund a full-time PhD for three years, during which time a full academic training programme will be provided. The successful candidate will be engaged in all aspects of the research project, including engaging with and disseminating findings to external stakeholders. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the activities of the Magna Carta Doctoral Centre as well as the postgraduate research community in the Department of Psychology including contributing to teaching. For further details about the Leverhulme Magna Carta Doctoral Centre, please see: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/iquad/news/articles/leverhulmemagnacartadoc… https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/researchdegrees/feesandfunding/le… Informal enquiries about the project should be directed to: szonya.durant(a)rhul.ac.uk<mailto:szonya.durant@rhul.ac.uk>. Fulldetails on how to make an application are shown on our Departmental Website<https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/psychology/prospectivestudents/postgraduate…>(select tab "3. Leverhulme Magna Carta Studentships") and in the College Webpages<https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/researchdegrees/applying/applicat…>. For further details on the application process please contact: Sharon Clutterbuck on psyoffice(a)rhul.ac.uk<mailto:psyoffice@rhul.ac.uk>. Closing date: 5pm on Tuesday 1st August 2017 (may be extended if not enough applications are received for the September start date) Interview dates: 7-18 August (can be flexible around existing commitments) ********************************************************************** Szonya Durant Department of Psychology Royal Holloway, University of London Egham TW20 0EX 01784 276522

July 11, 2017

2 PhD in computational cognitive neuroscience / comp linguistics, Uni Birmingham, UK

by Uta Noppeney

The Computational Cognitive Neuroimaging Group at the University of Birmingham, UK, is seeking two enthusiastic PhD candidates with strong analytical and quantitative abilities for the projects: 1. Robust audiovisual speech recognition in man and machine https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=87556 2. Who does what to whom - Syntactic parsing in man and machine https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=87595 Applicants should have a background in computer science, neuroscience, computational linguistics, psychology, physics or related areas. Prior experience in statistical analysis and/or machine learning would be an advantage. The PhD positions are open to UK and EU nationals. A full 4 year studentship award comprises of an annual stipend at £14,553 for 2017/18 (pro rota for part-time) and full payment of tuition fees at UK/EU level of £4,195 in 2017/18. Application deadline 28th July 2017. For further information, please see http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgr/epsrc-studentships/index.aspx, links above or email Prof Uta Noppeney (U.Noppeney(a)bham.ac.uk)

July 11, 2017

Job position: PhD / Post-Doc researcher: Deep-Learning and EEG/ECG

by Martijn Arns

Dear colleagues, We have a vacancy for a PhD or Post-Doc researcher with a focus on applying and developing Deep Learning on EEG and ECG data. See below application text and also: https://www.brainclinics.com/vacature Feel free to distribute with interested colleagues. Research Institute Brainclinics is specialized in applied neuroscience with a focus on mood, concentration, and sleep problems as often seen in psychiatric disorders such as depression, ADHD, OCD, and insomnia. Furthermore, Brainclinics is specialized in research into neuromodulation techniques such as rTMS, tDCS and neurofeedback, personalized medicine, Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), chronobiology, sleep and the circadian system. Within our team we are currently looking for a PhD-candidate or Post-Doc Researcher that will focus on developing and evaluating Deep-Learning techniques applied to psychophysiological data such as EEG and ECG, to extract new knowledge from large datasets to foster the RDoC and personalized medicine approaches we investigate. As PhD-candidate/Post-Doc at Brainclinics, you will work in a varied research team consisting of several PhD-candidates as well as senior researchers. You will contribute to innovation in EEG/ECG analysis techniques, support current PhD-candidates with your technical skills, and develop your own research line focusing on Deep-Learning techniques applied to EEG/ECG. To be eligible for application, you need to have demonstrable experience with the techniques listed below. Especially experience with Deep-Learning techniques is a requirement. We expect: • A Master’s degree and/or PhD in a relevant discipline, e.g., (cognitive) neuroscience, physics etc. • Scientific ambition and drive • Knowledge of python and one more higher programming language (e.g. C#) • Knowledge in matrix computation (e.g. MATLAB) • Knowledge of AI-concepts • Knowledge of time series computation • Accented knowledge of Deep learning techniques with net architectures and layer structures such as convolutional layers and LSTM layers • Experience with neuropsychiatric disorders We offer: • A professional, efficient and innovative research team • A minimum contract for 32 hrs, with possible extension to 40 hrs. • A salary in line with the University CAO Apply If you’re interested in this position and you would like to apply, please send your motivation with CV and photo to Dr. Martijn Arns: martijn(a)brainclinics.com<mailto:martijn@brainclinics.com> Only applications that meet the criteria above will be evaluated. Closing date for this application is August 21st, 2017. Kind regards, Martijn Arns, PhD Research Institute Brainclinics Utrecht University Dept. of Experimental Psychology Twitter: @Brainclinics Bijleveldsingel 34 6524 AD Nijmegen The Netherlands Tel: +31(0)24-7503505 GSM: +31 (0)6-48177919 E-mail: martijn(a)brainclinics.com<mailto:martijn@brainclinics.com> URL: www.brainclinics.com<http://www.brainclinics.com/>

July 11, 2017

Tenure track and mid-career positions at ELSC

by Yoram Burak

Please see the two ads below, for faculty positions at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences. The application deadline for the searches is September 1, 2017. --- *Tenure Track Positions at ELSC* Following the recent inauguration of the new home <https://elsc.huji.ac.il/index.php?q=building> for the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) <https://elsc.huji.ac.il/>, we are offering tenure-track positions at the lecturer and senior lecturer levels (roughly equivalent to assistant professor level). We are looking for excellent *early-stage scientists* who aspire to establish active innovative and interdisciplinary research programs *in neuroscience*. *ELSC builds upon Hebrew University’s <http://new.huji.ac.il/en> record of excellence and innovation in its multidisciplinary approach to brain sciences. * *ELSC provides a thriving interface between theoretical and experimental neuroscience across levels.* We offer: ü State-of-the-art, individually-designed laboratories and research facilities ü Competitive start-up funding ü Top ranking Ph.D. interdisciplinary program ü Ph.D. and post-doc fellowships ü State-of-the-art central research facilities ü Outstanding academic milieu *We seek to recruit scientists in the following areas:* 1. Theoretical and computational neuroscience 2. Cognitive neuroscience & human brain imaging 3. Neural circuits and behavior 4. System neuroscience in NHP 5. Molecular neuroscience *Application requirements:* ü Curriculum vitae ü A letter of intent ü An outline of future research and scientific vision ü Reference letters from the PhD advisor and Post-Doctoral host ü Three to five publications that best represent their research work ü Names of 2-3 additional colleagues willing to provide letters of reference *Applications Deadline: Sep 1, 2017* *Applications materials have to be submitted on-line <https://elsc.huji.ac.il/content/new-academic-tenure-track-positions-elsc>* *For further information, please contact Ms. Idit Nusilevitz:* *brain(a)elsc.huji.ac.il* <brain(a)elsc.huji.ac.il>*; phone: 972-2-6585375 <02-658-5375>* *Mid-Career Neuroscientists Positions at ELSC* Following the recent inauguration of the new home <https://elsc.huji.ac.il/index.php?q=building> for the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) <https://elsc.huji.ac.il/>, we are looking for excellent *Mid-career neuroscientists* (associate or full professor) who aspire to establish active innovative and interdisciplinary research. *ELSC builds upon Hebrew University <http://new.huji.ac.il/en>’s record of excellence and innovation in its multidisciplinary approach to brain sciences.* *ELSC provides a thriving interface between theoretical and experimental neuroscience across levels.* We offer: ü Large, individually-designed *laboratories* ü State-of-the-art central *research facilities* ü Competitive *transition* and *start-up* funding ü Ph.D. and *post-doctoral fellowships* ü An Outstanding academic milieu *We seek to recruit mid-career scientists with a proven track record, in all areas of neuroscience.* To apply, please send *Curriculum Vitae* and a *Letter of Intent* directly to <elsc-director(a)elsc.huji.ac.il> *Applications Deadline: Sep 1, 2017* For information about ELSC see *http://elsc.huji.ac.il/ <http://elsc.huji.ac.il/>* For information please contact Ms. Idit Nusilevitz: brain(a)elsc.huji.ac.il; phone: 972-2-6585375 <02-658-5375>

July 11, 2017

Subject:, postdoc position at Georgia Tech: intersection of visual modeling and computer vision

by Christopher Rozell

A postdoc position at the intersection of Computational Neuroscience, Machine Learning, and Computer Vision is available with the group of Christopher Rozell at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA). We are looking for a highly motivated and creative individual who enjoys working in an exciting interdisciplinary research environment. The research project centers around modeling the visual perception of objects undergoing attribute changes. Applicants should hold a PhD in a related discipline with a strong research record. Experience in areas such as modeling of visual perception, manifold learning, and general computer vision are all positives. The position has significant flexibility and the lab is committed to the professional development of the members, making it valuable preparation for people who are interested in academic, industrial or entrepreneurial careers. The position has no mandatory teaching or administrative duties, but the successful candidate will take an active role in mentoring students and further developing the research program. Excellent (written and oral) communication skills in English, strong coding skills, and ability to work on an interdisciplinary team are all required. The start date is flexible but ideally would be as soon as possible. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. Georgia Tech has competitive benefits (including comprehensive medical insurance) and is an equal opportunity employer. Georgia Tech's campus in the heart of midtown Atlanta, which is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas (and entrepreneurial communities) in the United States. Atlanta boasts a wide range of opportunities for recreation, culture, and easy access to domestic and international transportation. Candidates should send a CV, a statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for three references to Dr. Rozell at (crozell -at- gatech -dot- edu). Applications are currently being reviewed and will continue until the position is filled.

July 10, 2017

3 Phd/PostDoc position PhD position Industrial Robotics and Design of Electronics Equipment - University of Cadiz (Spain).

by Arturo Morgado

University of Cadiz (Spain) are available 3 Phd/PostDoc position at the Applied Robotics Research Group to participate in R&D collaborative projects with companies. You can find details here: <http://vrteit.uca.es/convocatorias/personal-conv/programa-de-atraccion-de-t…> http://vrteit.uca.es/convocatorias/personal-conv/programa-de-atraccion-de-t… Doctorates with experience in the field of transference and innovation in Industrial Robotics and Design of Electronics Equipment. A minimum of 15-year seniority in their grade (Distinguished Researcher) is required for 1 of them (VTIT‐IDROB‐4 position). For the 2 remaining (ASCETI) the minimum applied is two years since the completion of the doctoral thesis (VTIT‐AROB‐13 and VITI‐ADEE‐17 positions). Candidates must speak Spanish and English. Contracts will have a duration of 4 years with a gross salary of 52000 EUR per year plus a yearly bonus of 3000 EUR, in the case of the young researcher (ASCETI), for reaching a minimum of objectives. In the case of the Distinguished Researcher, this amount will rise up to 100.000 EUR. The researchers object of the contract, will be part of a multidisciplinary team and will undertake industrial development, research and innovation projects for the University of Cádiz (Spain) in collaboration with companies of international scope in the area of Cadiz. Moreover, each researcher will be mentoring a doctoral candidate (who will hold a pre-doctoral contract) and will be his/her Thesis Director. The areas of work are as follows: Industrial Robotics and Design of Electronics Equipment. The period established for receiving application goes from 30th of June to 19th of July 2017. The incorporation of the researcher in the University of Cádiz is due in September 2017. Please, click on the following <http://www.uca.es/personal/portal.do?TR=C&IDR=288> http://www.uca.es/personal/portal.do?TR=C&IDR=288 in order to submit your application form. Any question don’t hesitate to contact us: <mailto:industrial.innovation@uca.es> industrial.innovation(a)uca.es and <mailto:arturo.morgado@uca.es> arturo.morgado(a)uca.es. Best regards. --------------------------------- Arturo Morgado Estévez. <mailto:arturo.morgado@uca.es> arturo.morgado(a)uca.es Head Applied Robotics Research Group. TEP-940. Department of Engineering in Automation, Electronics, Architecture and Computer Networks. Faculty of Engineering. University of Cadiz (Spain). Avenida de la Universidad de Cádiz, nº 10, CP 11519, Puerto Real (Cádiz), Spain.

July 10, 2017

PhD position in Computational Neuroscience/Nonlinear Dynamics on synaptic plasticity - INRIA Sophia Antipolis France

by Romain Veltz

A PhD scholarship in mathematical and computational neuroscience on The modelling of excitatory synapses in healty / pathological condition is available at INRIA Sophia Antipolis <https://www.inria.fr/centre/sophia/>, within the Team MathNeuro <https://team.inria.fr/mathneuro/> in collaboration with Dr Marie's team at the Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC, Sophia Antipolis). This 3 year funded PhD scholarship starts in September 2017 or January 2018. Candidate The ideal candidate should have a background in nonlinear dynamics, stochastic analysis and computational neuroscience. He/she should also have strong ability to program in Python / C / Matlab / Julia. French is not a requirement if fluent in English, but willingness to learn would be beneficial. Applications Send CV, transcripts and contact informations of two persons we could reach for recommendation to romain.veltz(a)inria.fr <mailto:romain.veltz@inria.fr> and marie(a)ipmc.cnrs.fr <mailto:marie@ipmc.cnrs.fr>. Supervisors Dr Romain Veltz (INRIA) Dr Helene Marie (IPMC) Project description Synaptic plasticity is one of the fundamental phenomena which shape neural networks. It is thought to be the basis of our memory and learning capabilities. Synaptic plasticity have been modelled recently [1,2,3] but at a phenomenological level. It is for example quite difficult to link these model internal variables to the synapse biophysics. Another issue is noise. Whereas in many models, noise is added as cherry on top, it is in fact internally generated given the small number of synaptic constituants [4]. The project will focus on the development of a stochastic model of the postsynaptic side of an excitatory synapse, in healthy / Alzheimer conditions, which describes the behaviour of the first biochemical molecules targeted upon arrival of Glutamate. More precisely, the project will first aim at modelling the early phase plasticity (LTP, LTD, STDP) in light of recent experimental data [5,6] with aim to take into account data provided by Dr Marie's lab concerning deficient synapses observed in Alzheimer’s disease like conditions. The project will involve a mix of high performance scientific computation, nonlinear dynamics, stochastic analysis, and an enthusiasm for learning about plasticity mechanisms in general. References Clopath, Claudia, Lars Büsing, Eleni Vasilaki, et Wulfram Gerstner. « Connectivity reflects coding: a model of voltage-based STDP with homeostasis ». Nature Neuroscience 13, nᵒ 3 (mars 2010): 344‑52. doi:10.1038/nn.2479. Graupner, Michael, et Nicolas Brunel. « Calcium-Based Plasticity Model Explains Sensitivity of Synaptic Changes to Spike Pattern, Rate, and Dendritic Location ». Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 22 février 2012. doi:10.1073/pnas.1109359109. Costa, Rui Ponte, Robert C. Froemke, P. Jesper Sjöström, et Mark CW van Rossum. « Unified Pre- and Postsynaptic Long-Term Plasticity Enables Reliable and Flexible Learning ». ELife 4 (26 août 2015): e09457. doi:10.7554/eLife.09457. Ribrault, Claire, Ken Sekimoto, et Antoine Triller. « From the Stochasticity of Molecular Processes to the Variability of Synaptic Transmission ». Nature Reviews Neuroscience 12, nᵒ 7 (juillet 2011): 375‑87. doi:10.1038/nrn3025. Fujii, Hajime, Masatoshi Inoue, Hiroyuki Okuno, Yoshikazu Sano, Sayaka Takemoto-Kimura, Kazuo Kitamura, Masanobu Kano, et Haruhiko Bito. « Nonlinear Decoding and Asymmetric Representation of Neuronal Input Information by CaMKIIα and Calcineurin ». Cell Reports 3, nᵒ 4 (25 avril 2013): 978‑87. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2013.03.033. Tigaret, Cezar M., Valeria Olivo, Josef H.L.P. Sadowski, Michael C. Ashby, et Jack R. Mellor. « Coordinated activation of distinct Ca2+ sources and metabotropic glutamate receptors encodes Hebbian synaptic plasticity ». Nature Communications 7 (13 janvier 2016): 10289. doi:10.1038/ncomms10289.

July 10, 2017

[call for papers] Entropy: special issue on "Information Theory in Neuroscience"

by Eugenio Piasini

(apologies for cross-posting) Dear all, The journal Entropy is currently running a Special Issue entitled "Information Theory in Neuroscience", that we believe could be of interest for the members of this list. As the ultimate information processing device, the brain naturally lends itself to be studied with information theory. Application of information theory to neuroscience has spurred the development of principled theories of brain function, has led to advances in the study of consciousness, and to the development of analytical techniques to crack the neural code, that is to unveil the language used by neurons to encode and process information. In particular, advances in experimental techniques enabling precise recording and manipulation of neural activity on a large scale now enable for the first time the precise formulation and the quantitative test of hypotheses about how the brain encodes and transmits across areas the information used for specific functions. This Special Issue emphasizes contributions on novel approaches in neuroscience using information theory, and on the development of new information theoretic results inspired by problems in neuroscience. Research work at the interface of neuroscience, Information Theory and other disciplines is also welcome. Deadline for manuscript submission: 1 December 2017 For more information: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/entropy/special_issues/neuro Eugenio Piasini and Stefano Panzeri, Italian Institute of Technology Guest Editors

July 10, 2017

3 PhD/PostDoc positions in neuromorphic systems

by elisabetta chicca

Dear colleagues, 2 PhD/PostDoc positions are available at the Neuromorphic Behaving Systems group (https://www.cit-ec.de/en/nbs) Faculty of Technology and Center of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology at Bielefeld University. You can find details here: http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/Universitaet/Aktuelles/Stellenausschreibungen/ Anzeigen/Wiss/wiss17164_englisch.pdf Another PostDoc position is available at the Cognitronics and Sensor Systems Group (http://www.ks.cit-ec.uni-bielefeld.de, same affiliation as above) for a project in collaboration with the Neuromorphic Behaving Systems group. Unfortunately the call is written in German (see link below), but you can contact me (chicca(a)cit-ec.uni-bielefeld.de) if you are interested in details. http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/Universitaet/Aktuelles/Stellenausschreibungen/ Anzeigen/Wiss/wiss17151.pdf The deadline for all positions is July 19. Best regards, Elisabetta Chicca -- Prof. Dr. Elisabetta Chicca CITEC - Bielefeld University Inspiration 1 33619 Bielefeld - Germany Email: chicca(a)cit-ec.uni-bielefeld.de Tel.: +49 521 106-12043 Fax : +49 521 106-12348

July 7, 2017

tDCS workshop with Frank Padberg and Andre Brunoni

by Martijn Arns

Dear colleagues, we are happy to announce a special 2-day tDCS workshop with Frank Padberg and Andre Brunoni to be held in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. This workshop is particularly suited to researcher, psychologists and psychiatrists interested in applying the technique of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), looking for a unique opportunity to learn and discuss its clinical application with highly regarded experts in the field. Professor Dr. Frank Padberg (Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich) will offer expert insight into how tDCS can be applied in a range of psychiatrist disorders, followed by the state-of-the-art application of tDCS in Depression with Dr. Andre Brunoni (University of São Paulo, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich). Working closely with our guest presenters, participants wil gain an understanding of basic applications of tDCS to build up to advanced methods. Also see following link for more information and sign-up information: http://www.neurocaregroup.com/brunoni-padberg-tdcs-workshop-october-2017.ht… Kind regards, Martijn Arns, PhD Director / Researcher Research Institute Brainclinics Chief Scientific Officer neuroCare Group Twitter: @brainclinics / @neuroclinics Bijleveldsingel 34 6524 AD Nijmegen The Netherlands Tel: +31 24-7503505 GSM: +31 6-48177919 Fax: +31 24-8901447 E-mail: martijn(a)brainclinics.com<mailto:martijn@brainclinics.com> URL: www.brainclinics.com<http://www.brainclinics.com/>

July 7, 2017

Computational Neuroscience Job at the Krembil Research Institute

by Frances Skinner

https://www.recruitingsite.com/csbsites/uhncareers/JobDescription.asp?SiteI… <https://www.recruitingsite.com/csbsites/uhncareers/JobDescription.asp?SiteI…> Job Posting #8045761 Position: Computational Neuroscience Research Scientist Site: Krembil Research Institute/Toronto Western Hospital Department: Research Reports to: Director Status: Permanent Full-time The Krembil Research Institute at the University Health Network in Toronto Canada invites applicants to apply for a Scientist position in the area of Computational Neuroscience. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in a relevant field, research expertise and experience in mathematical and computational modeling, and research interests that complement those of the Institute in neurobiology and neurodegeneration. Candidates whose research interests encompasses cellular, micro/macro circuits and/or large scale brain models, and who have collaborative experimental experience are especially encouraged. The successful candidate will have the ability to establish an independent, well-funded program and will be eligible for appointment at the appropriate level within the University of Toronto. The Krembil is one the principal research institutes of the University Health Network of academic teaching hospitals associated with the University of Toronto; the Krembil is also one of the largest research institutes in Canada focusing on human neurological disease from both a basic science and clinical research perspective. The University Health Network (UHN) is Canada's largest academic medical centre, comprising four major teaching hospitals. Qualified applicants must attach their letter of interest, research plan, resume PDF format to the online application and complete some initial screening questions. The search committee will begin to review applications in September with a potential start date in Winter 2018. Posted Date: June 22, 2017 Closing Date: Until filled UHN thanks all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. UHN is a respectful, caring, and inclusive workplace. We are committed to championing accessibility, diversity and equal opportunity. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process providing the applicant has met the Bona-fide requirements for the open position. Applicants need to make their requirements known when contacted.

July 6, 2017

Summer school on Advanced Computational Neuroscience, Germany

by Alexander Schmidt

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Advanced COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE Summer School in Göttingen, Germany “Neural circuit theories for primate cognition” September 02nd - 10th, 2017 *REGISTRATION **DEADLINE *Ju**ly**2**3**, 201**7**** %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Please, feel free to distribute this email to students and postdocs potentially interested in the school. The aCNS school within the Advanced Computational Neuroscience School in the Emotion-Cognition-Link-Series is a *9**-day intensive course* in *mathematical and computational neuroscience*. It offers an intensive pedagogy of advanced mathematical and computational tools to students working in computational neuroscience and already familiar with its interdisciplinary nature and is designed to qualify young researchers to push the frontiers of the field. The following researchers are in charge of the 4 two-day theoretical blocks and 4 evening lectures: * Nicolas Brunel <https://galton.uchicago.edu/%7Enbrunel/>, /University of Chicago/, Chicago, USA * Alexander Gail <https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/57950.html>, /German Primate Center/, Göttingen, Germany * Raoul Memmesheimer <https://memmesheimer.net/>, /University of Bonn/, Bonn, Germany * John Beggs <http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eiubphys/faculty/jmbeggs.shtml>, /University of //Indiana/, Bloomington, USA * Julia Fischer <http://www.dpz.eu/en/unit/cognitive-ethology/about-us.html>, /German Primate Center/, Göttingen, Germany * Eckart Altenmüller <https://www.immm.hmtm-hannover.de/en/institute/people/eckart-altenmueller/>, /University for Music and Theater/, Hanover, Germany * Annekathrin Schacht <http://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/356202.html>, /University of Göttingen/, Göttingen, Germany * Georg Martius <https://is.tuebingen.mpg.de/person/gmartius>, /M//PI//for Intelligent Systems/, Tübingen, Germany The consecutive two day thematic blocks are dedicated to mathematical approaches to circuit dynamics. Each lecturer will give a self-contained introduction to a particular set of theoretical tools in a block of two morning lectures. In the afternoon, participants will work on problem sets designed to develop proficiency in both the mathematical and computational tools learned earlier that day. An additional set of evening ‘easy’ lectures will give the opportunity to discuss significant advances in the field. The course takes place at the Department of Nonlinear Dynamics of the Max-Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen. Registration fee is 200 €. Course language is English. Housing is provided by the school. Travel grants can be applied for. *Only 15 participants will accepted. We invite applicants to apply by filling out the application form at:* *www.bccn-goettingen.de* <http://www.bccn-goettingen.de/events/cns-course> *and have their reference letters submitted by *July 23, 2017*.* Best regards and looking forward to seeing you in Göttingen, B. Feulner, D. Regel, A. Schmidt and J. Wilting (local committee, PhD students) on behalf of the course directors Prof. F. Wolf and Prof. A. Schacht

July 6, 2017

New Book: The Rewiring Brain

by Arjen van Ooyen

Dear colleagues, We would like to draw your attention to our recently published book: *The Rewiring Brain: A Computational Approach to Structural Plasticity in the Adult Brain*, van Ooyen, A, and Butz-Ostendorf, M, eds, Academic Press, June 2017. For more information (preview) and to order the book, go to https://www.elsevier.com/books/the-rewiring-brain/van- ooyen/978-0-12-803784-3 Also see https://anvooyen.home.xs4all.nl/papers/TheRewiringBrain.html *Description* The adult brain is not as hard-wired as traditionally thought. By modifying their small- or large-scale morphology, neurons can make new synaptic connections or break existing ones (structural plasticity). Structural changes accompany memory formation and learning, and are induced by neurogenesis, neurodegeneration and brain injury such as stroke. Exploring the role of structural plasticity in the brain can be greatly assisted by mathematical and computational models, as they enable us to bridge the gap between system-level dynamics and lower level cellular and molecular processes. However, most traditional neural network models have fixed neuronal morphologies and a static connectivity pattern, with plasticity merely arising from changes in the strength of existing synapses (synaptic plasticity). In *The Rewiring Brain*, the editors bring together, for the first time, contemporary modeling studies that investigate the implications of structural plasticity for brain function and pathology. Starting with an experimental background on structural plasticity in the adult brain, the book covers computational studies on homeostatic structural plasticity, the impact of structural plasticity on cognition and cortical connectivity, the interaction between synaptic and structural plasticity, neurogenesis-related structural plasticity, and structural plasticity in neurological disorders. Structural plasticity adds a whole new dimension to brain plasticity, and *The Rewiring Brain* shows how computational approaches may help to gain a better understanding of the full adaptive potential of the adult brain. The book is written for both computational and experimental neuroscientists. Key features: · Reviews the current state of knowledge of structural plasticity in the adult brain. · Gives a comprehensive overview of computational studies on structural plasticity · Provides insights into the potential driving forces of structural plasticity and the functional implications of structural plasticity for learning and memory · Serves as inspiration for developing novel treatment strategies for stimulating functional repair after brain damage *Book Contents* Editorial *Arjen van Ooyen and Markus Butz-Ostendorf* Section I. Experimental background 1. Structural plasticity and cortical connectivity *Vassilis Kehayas and Anthony Holtmaat* 2. Structural plasticity induced by adult neurogenesis *Gregory W. Kirschen, Kurt A. Sailor, and Shaoyu Ge* 3. Structural neural plasticity during stroke recovery *Kimberly Gerrow and Craig E. Brown* 4. Is lesion-induced synaptic rewiring driven by activity homeostasis? *Markus Butz-Ostendorf and Arjen van Ooyen* Section II. Homeostatic structural plasticity 5. Network formation through activity-dependent neurite outgrowth: a review of a simple model of homeostatic structural plasticity *Arjen van Ooyen* 6. Clustered arrangement of inhibitory neurons can lead to oscillatory dynamics in a model of activity-dependent structural plasticity *Rosanna C. Barnard, Istvan Z. Kiss, Simon F. Farmer, and Luc Berthouze* 7. A detailed model of homeostatic structural plasticity based on dendritic spine and axonal bouton dynamic *s**Markus Butz-Ostendorf and Arjen van Ooyen* 8. Critical periods emerge from homeostatic structural plasticity in a full-scale model of the developing cortical column *Sebastian Rinke, Mikael Naveau, Felix Wolf and Markus Butz-Ostendorf* 9. Lesion-induced dendritic remodeling as a new mechanism of homeostatic structural plasticity in the adult brain *Steffen Platschek, Hermann Cuntz, Thomas Deller, and Peter Jedlicka* Section III. Structural plasticity and connectivity 10. The role of structural plasticity in producing nonrandom neural connectivity *Paul Miller* 11. Structural plasticity and the generation of bidirectional connectivity *Daniel Miner, Felix Z. Hoffmann, Florence Kleberg, and Jochen Triesch* 12. Spike timing-dependent structural plasticity of multicontact synaptic connections *Moritz Deger* 13. Selection of synaptic connections by wiring plasticity for robust learning by synaptic weight plasticity *Naoki Hiratani and Tomoki Fukai* Section IV. Structural plasticity and learning and memory 14. Within a spine's reach *Will DeBello and Karen Zito* 15. Impact of structural plasticity on memory capacity *Panagiotis Bozelos and Panayiota Poirazi* 16. Long-term information storage by the interaction of synaptic and structural plasticity *Michael Fauth, Florentin Wörgötter, and Christian Tetzlaff* 17. Impact of structural plasticity on memory formation and decline *Andreas Knoblauch* Section V. Neurogenesis-related structural plasticity 18. Adult neurogenesis and synaptic rewiring in the hippocampal dentate gyrus *Arjen van Ooyen, Gertraud Teuchert-Noodt, Keren Grafen, and Markus Butz-Ostendorf* 19. Modifications in network structure and excitability may drive differential activity dependent integration of granule cells into dentate gyrus circuits during normal and pathological adult neurogenesis *Quinton Skilling, James Roach, Alison L. Althaus, Geoffrey G. Murphy, Leonard Sander, and Michal Zochowski* 20. Computational perspectives on adult neurogenesis *Kristofor D. Carlson, Fredrick Rothganger, and James B. Aimone* 21. Restricted boltzmann machine models of hippocampal coding and neurogenesis *Rory Finnegan, Mark Shaw, and Suzanna Becker* Section VI. Structural plasticity and pathology 22. Modeling the impact of lesions in the brain *Sol Lim, Frances Hutchings, and Marcus Kaiser* 23. Network models of epilepsy-related pathological structural and functional alterations in the dentate gyrus *Ivan Raikov, Mark Plitt, and Ivan Soltesz* 24. Computational models of stroke recovery *Vittorio Sanguineti* 25. Neural plasticity in human brain connectivity: the effects of deep brain stimulation *Tim J. van Hartevelt, Henrique M. Fernandes, Angus B. A. Stevner, Gustavo Deco, and Morten L. Kringelbach*

July 6, 2017

CFP - HAI 2017 Workshop: Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition

by Amir Aly

CALL FOR PAPERS **Apologies for cross posting ** The full day workshop: "*Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition*" In conjunction with the *5th International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction* *- Bielefeld - Germany - October * *17th, 2017* *Webpage: **http://cognitive-mirroring.org/en/events/hai2017_workshop/* <http://cognitive-mirroring.org/en/events/hai2017_workshop/> *I. Aim and Scope *Creating intelligent and interactive robots has been subject to extensive research studies. They are rapidly moving to the center of human environments so that they collaborate with human users in different applications, which requires high-level cognitive functions so as to allow them to understand and learn from human behavior. To this end, an important challenge that attracts much attention in cognitive science and artificial intelligence, is the “Symbol Emergence” problem, which investigates the bottom-up development of symbols through social interaction. This research line employs representation learning based models for understanding language and action in a developmentally plausible manner so as to make robots able to behave appropriately on their own. This could open the door to robots to understand syntactic formalisms and semantic references of human speech, and to associate language knowledge to perceptual knowledge so as to successfully collaborate with human users in space. Another interesting approach to study representation learning is “Cognitive Mirroring”, which refers to artificial systems that could make cognitive processes observable, such as the models that could learn concepts of objects, actions, and/or emotions from humans through interaction. A key idea of this approach is that robots learn individual characteristics of human cognition rather than acquiring a general representation of cognition. In this way, the characteristics of human cognition become observable and can be measured as modifications in model parameters, which is difficult to verify through neuroscience studies only. In this workshop, we invite researchers in artificial intelligence, cognitive science, cognitive robotics, and neuroscience to share their knowledge and research findings on representation learning, and to engage in cutting-edge discussions with other experienced researchers so as to help promoting this research line in the Human-Agent Interaction (HAI) community. *II. Keynote Speakers * 1. *Beata Joanna Grzyb *– Radboud University – The Netherlands 2. *Thomas Hermann*– Bielefeld University – Germany 3. *Tetsuya Ogata *– Waseda University – Japan 4. *Erhan Oztop *– Ozyegin Universiy – Turkey 5. * Stefan Wermter *– University of Hamburg – Germany *III. Submission * 1. For paper submission, use the following EasyChair web link: *Paper Submission <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rlhrc2017>*. 2. Use the ACM SIGCHI format: *ACM SIGCHI Templates <http://www.sigchi.org/publications/chipubform>*. 3. Submitted papers should be limited to 2-4 pages maximum. The primary list of topics covers the following points (but not limited to): - Computational model for high-level cognitive capabilities - Predictive learning from sensorimotor information - Multimodal interaction and concept formulation - Human-robot communication and collaboration based on machine learning - Learning supported by external trainers by demonstration and imitation - Bayesian modeling - Learning with hierarchical and deep architectures - Interactive reinforcement learning * IV. Important Dates * 1. Paper submission: *01-September-2017* 2. Notification of acceptance: *15-September-2017* 3. Camera-ready version: *30-September-2017* 4. Workshop: *17-October-2017* *V. Organizers * 1. *Takato Horii *– Osaka University – Japan 2. *Amir Aly *– Ritsumeikan University – Japan 3. *Yukie Nagai *– National Institute of Information and Communications Technology – Japan 4. * Takayuki Nagai *– The University of Electro-Communications – 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

July 5, 2017

TECHNE AHRC Funded PhD Studentship: "Using Depth of Field to Guide Attention and Convey Narrative Structure"

by Durant, Szonya

TECHNE AHRC Funded PhD Studentship: "Using Depth of Field to Guide Attention and Convey Narrative Structure" Royal Holloway, University of London - The Department of Psychology and the Department of Media Arts Qualification type: PhD Location: London, Egham Funding for: UK Students, EU Students Funding amount: £16,553 plus fees at Home/EU rate. Closes: 1st August 2017 Supervisors: Dr Szonya Durant (Dept. of Psychology) and Mr Adam Ganz (Dept. of Media Arts). Applications are invited for a National Productivity Investment Fund PhD studentship funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council starting in October 2017. The studentship includes a stipend of £16,553 (plus fees at home/EU rates) for three years. There is an additional NPIF £550 per year to facilitate engagement with the Partner, and students can apply for an additional six months stipend to engage in extended development activities such as work placements. As a TECHNE student, the person selected will have full access to the TECHNE Doctoral Training Partnership development activities and networking opportunities, joining a cohort of about 50 students per year from across seven universities in London and the south-east. See www.techne.ac.uk<http://www.techne.ac.uk/>. TECHNE students can apply for additional funding to support individual or group training and development activities. This interdisciplinary PhD project draws on the fields of sensory neuroscience, in particular, the experimental study of eye movements and film and media studies, and in particular the study of visual perception, narrative comprehension, and affective response in relation to film editing. The novelty of the proposed interdisciplinary approach promises to yield original insights that will expand the knowledge and understanding in both disciplines. It expands the new discipline of psychocinematics by looking at how audiences perceive (and thus how filmmakers can use) a new element of film grammar - the ability to vary depth of field within in a shot which has been developed by our industrial partner Cinefade. The primary PhD supervisor is based in the Department of Psychology, which has an active and expanding postgraduate research community, is well-equipped for research. It was ranked 6th out of 82 UK Psychology Departments in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), with 93% of our research classified as world-leading or internationally excellent. Research in the department spans a breadth of topics across psychological sciences and neuroscience and is supported by excellent facilities - further information on the research environment can be found here<https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/psychology/home.aspx>. The second supervisor is based in the Media Arts Department, a top 10 REF department led by award-winning world-class experts and leading industry practitioners, which provides a professional working environment for the development of media practice skills and creativity. Both departments are situated on our beautiful Egham campus close to London. Applicants should ideally hold, or be predicted to achieve, a first class undergraduate degree or equivalent in Psychology, Media Arts, or related disciplines (minimum requirement: 2.1). An MSc in a psychology- or cinematography-related subject is desirable but not essential. The ideal candidate will have strong skills in experimental design and statistical analysis, and some experience of lens-based media, film editing, computer programming, and eye tracking would be advantageous. The project will involve a 6 months placement working with CineFade Ltd which will involve trips to various UK locations to meetings with their clients. Applicants must meet the RCUK residency requirements as described in paragraphs 43-46 of the 'Conditions of Research Council Training Grants<http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/documents/documents/termsconditionstraininggrants-pdf/>' and comply with conditions set out in the AHRC Training Grant Funding Guide<http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/skills/phdstudents/currentawardholders/>. Informal enquiries about the project should be directed to szonya.durant(a)rhul.ac.uk<mailto:szonya.durant@rhul.ac.uk> or adam.ganz(a)rhul.ac.uk<mailto:adam.ganz@rhul.ac.uk>. Full details on how to make an application are shown on our Departmental Website<https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/psychology/prospectivestudents/postgraduate…> (select "tab 2 - Research Council UK Funded Studentships") and in the College Webpages<https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/researchdegrees/applying/applicat…>. For further details on the application process please contact Sharon Clutterbuck (psyoffice(a)rhul.ac.uk<mailto:psyoffice@rhul.ac.uk>). Closing date: 5pm on Tuesday 1st August 2017. Interview dates: 7-18 August (can be flexible around existing commitments). Szonya Durant Department of Psychology Royal Holloway, University of London Egham TW20 0EX 01784 276522

July 5, 2017

Bernstein Conference 2017 in Göttingen - early room booking strongly recommended !

by Kerstin Schwarzwaelder

Dear colleagues, Please let me remind you that the number of available accommodation for the Bernstein Conference 2017 in Göttingen is very limited due to several concurrent events. Thus, we strongly recommend early room booking! Many Hotels in Göttingen are already booked out for that week! The local organizers of the Bernstein Conference arranged for room contingents in a variety of hotels that you may book by yourself by email or phone. Please follow the instructions at the Accommodations Website (www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/venue/accommodation<http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/venue/accommodation>). 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). Many expiration dates were already mid of June 2017. We strongly encourage participants to share rooms and to book rooms as a group. We emphasize that it will be very difficult to book accommodation beyond the expiration dates. Please find a list of the hotels at the Accommodations Website of the Bernstein Conference. Dates of the Bernstein Conference 2017: ************************************************************** Satellite Workshops September 12-13, 2017 Main Conference September 13-15, 2017 PhD Symposium September 12 & 15, 2017 ************************************************************** Venue of the Bernstein Conference 2017: ************************************************************** The Central Lecture Hall (Zentrales Hörsaal Gebäude, ZHG) Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5 37073 Göttingen, Germany ************************************************************** Website of the Bernstein Conference 2017: ************************************************************** www.bernstein-conference.de<http://www.bernstein-conference.de> ************************************************************** 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 4, 2017

Research positions in Neuromorphic computing in Singapore

by Yansong Chua

Multiple scientist and engineer positions are open for a 4-year neuromorphic program in Singapore, at the Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R), A*STAR. The program is a multi-disciplinary effort, that straddles across the hardware (neuromorphic chip with RRAM, on-chip learning), middleware (emulator) and software (learning algorithms), and we aim to develop a demonstrating application system at end of the program. The program hence presents an unique research opportunity for candidates hoping to build a complete neuromorphic learning system. We are now in the early stages of the program and are actively recruiting talented scientists who would be excited to work on any aspects of the program (hardware, middleware, software and system integration). Multiple top-ranked universities and research institutes in Singapore (NUS, NTU, IME, IHPC, I2R) are working on the program. The work package I am in-charge of is primarily involved in the design of better algorithms for spiking neural networks. To this end, successful candidates will conduct research in one or more of the following areas: - Neuronal encoding: how to better encode external stimuli into spike based representations to facilitate decoding with high fidelity and also better learning performance (in terms of accuracy and power efficiency). - Supervised learning: given that spiking neural networks are asynchronous and sparse in their activities, the design of supervised learning algorithms that can fully capitalize on these properties becomes critical. - Mapping of state-of-art deep learning networks to spiking networks. Neuromorphic learning algorithms are still solving fairly simple problems compared to deep learning. For this, we would like to systematically borrow from the deep learning community networks and learning algorithms that can quickly boost the capabilities of spiking neural networks. - Unsupervised learning. STDP is well suited for unsupervised learning in spiking neural networks, and we would like to further advance STDP learning in spiking neural networks (both theory and applications). Preference will be given to candidates who can document knowledge in deep learning, spiking neural networks or signal processing (with interest in spiking neural networks). Candidates must have a PhD (for scientists) or MS/BS (for engineers) in computer science, computational neuroscience or related fields. Strong programming and quantitative skills are highly desired. Candidates should be proficient in spoken and written English. The appointment will be for 3 years, and extended for another 1 year, after review. Salaries are commensurate with internationally-competitive salaries and benefits. The start date is flexible and applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. Other benefits include: - Funding for international conferences and training courses - Collaboration opportunities with an excellent network of international scientists Candidates please send your curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests and three references to Dr. Yansong Chua (chuays(a)i2r.a-star.edu.sg ).

July 4, 2017

Computer scientist or Scientific programmer in the Department of Neural Systems and Coding

by Friedrich Kretschmer

Computer scientist or Scientific programmer The Max Planck Institute for Brain Research <https://www.mpg.de/151405/hirnforschung?section=all> in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, is an innovative and growing research facility of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science. The Department of Neural Systems and Coding <https://brain.mpg.de/research/laurent-department.html> (Prof. Dr. Dr. Gilles Laurent) is part of the interdisciplinary neuroscience campus in Frankfurt/Riedberg where the new MPI building is located. Research in the Department aims to understand the physiology of perception with an experimental focus centered on neural computation, neuronal coding and integration. To support our international team of biologists, computer scientists and physicists, we invite applications for a full time staff position as Computer scientist or Scientific programmer, starting as soon as possible, initially with a fixed-term contract for two years. Your profile & our requirements We seek a self-driven and interactive individual with the following skill set: * advanced programming skills and strong understanding of OOP concepts * strong experience working with MATLAB or Python. * proficient understanding of code versioning tools * practical knowledge of best coding practices * experience with management, storage and access of large datasets * cross platform development for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux platforms. Applicants should be familiar with a scientific environment. Knowledge of computational neuroscience and practice in other programming languages (C, C++, R), as well as computer vision, image processing, object recognition, automatic processing and control of behavioral experiments would be of advantage. Candidates are expected to hold a degree in a quantitative field involving computational work, such as computer science, physics, applied math, electrical engineering or comparable research experience. Graduate work at Masters or PhD level (science exposure) is a plus. Our offer We offer a competitive salary based on the collective wage agreement for government service wWorkers (TVöD Bund) depending on qualifications and professional experience as well as various fringe benefits in accordance with public service provisions. You can expect an interesting, responsible and varied job in a young, international and interdisciplinary team. Your application The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunity employer and is striving to increase the proportion of women in areas where they are under-represented. It therefore expressly encourages female applicants. The Max Planck Society is striving to employ more individuals with disabilities. It therefore expressly encourages applicants with disabilities. Please submit your application (in English, single PDF file) by email (HR(a)brain.mpg.de <mailto:HR@brain.mpg.de>) until *July 31, 2017* to Max Planck Institute for Brain Research -Human Resources- Max-von-Laue-Str. 4 60438 Frankfurt am Main Germany

July 3, 2017

Neuroinformatics 2017 in Kuala Lumpur!

by congress

Dear all, It is high time to register for Neuroinformatics 2017, August 20-21, in Kuala Lumpur! See full program and speakers here: *http://neuroinformatics2017.org/program/* <http://neuroinformatics2017.org/program/> *Register by July 15th to get early bird registration rates: * *http://neuroinformatics2017.org/register/ <http://neuroinformatics2017.org/register/>* The annual INCF Congress provides a meeting place for researchers in all fields related to neuroinformatics. Join us for keynotes from top neuroscientists, community sessions and poster- and demo sessions. This meeting is especially useful for anyone who is developing neuroscience tools and methods, working on better ways to handle neuroscience data, and looking for cross-disciplinary collaborations. *http://neuroinformatics2017.org/* <http://neuroinformatics2017.org/> Please spread this information to anyone you feel might be interested in attending! *The International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF) is an international non-profit organization devoted to advancing the field of neuroinformatics and global collaborative brain research. Learn more about INCF www.incf.org <http://www.incf.org/>* *We look forward to seeing you in Kuala Lumpur!* Best Regards INCF Secretariat

July 3, 2017

PhD position in Theoretical Neuroscience/Nonlinear Dynamics - Ile De France (Paris)

by A. Torcini

More details here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nowtt4cb3d69xfi/project_phd.pdf?dl=0 Title of the PhD project: Exact Reduction of Multiscale Neural Dynamics Goal: PhD grant without teaching duties, 3 years, fully funded, 1400 euros/month (with teaching duties in french the salary can increase to 1600 euros/month) When: starting from 1st October 2017 Keywords: Dynamics of neural networks; Mean field analysis; Microscopic and Macroscopic statistical analysis; Linear and nonlinear instabilities; Lyapunov exponents Where: The candidate will be based at the Universite' de Cergy-Pontoise, Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modélisation in Cergy-Pontoise, Ile de France (France) under the supervision of Prof Alessandro Torcini and with the co-supervision of Dr. E. Montbrió at the Center for Brain and Cognition, Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona, Spain). Required titles/skills: - Master Title (M2) in Theoretical Physics or in Appled Mathematics or in related subjects - Strong knowlegde of statistical mechanics, nonlinear dynamics, applied mathematics - Strong ability to program in Fortran or in C language - Knowledge in computational neuroscience - Interest for multidisciplinary research - Ability to turn smoothly autonomous, once the road has been set - Programming with Matlab and/or Python - French is not a requirement if fluent in English, but willingness to learn would be beneficial How to apply and more details can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nowtt4cb3d69xfi/project_phd.pdf?dl=0 Funding: The project is funded by the Initiative of Excellence Paris Seine, within the programme of the French Government "Investissemensts d'Avenir "

July 2, 2017

LAWCN 2017 - Submission Deadline Extended: July 15, 2017

by Christian Brackmann

Due to new partnerships with IBRO (International Brain Research Organization), SPRINGER, IEEE-RITA, CCIS/ISI Proceedings and numerous requests, the submission deadline was extended to July 15, 2017! Apologies for cross-posting and/or duplicate posts. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR PAPERS LATIN AMERICAN WORKSHOP ON COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE 2017 Paper Submission Deadline: July 15, 2017 (extended) November 22-24, 2017 Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. http://www.inf.ufrgs.br/lawcn/ Contact: lawcn2017(a)easychair.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computational neuroscience is the study of brain function regarding the information processing properties of the structures that make up the nervous system. It is an interdisciplinary science that links the diverse fields of neuroscience, as cognitive science, medicine, psychology, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics and even philosophy. The Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), located in Porto Alegre, in the south of Brazil, has promoted a more restricted version of this Workshop in November 2012. Since then, participants and investigators in the interdisciplinary fields related to Computational Neuroscience are claiming to resume the realization of this event. In this sense, with a broader scope aiming to encourage young researchers and graduate master and doctorate students in all Latin America, this edition will have three main topics: a) neuroscience, b) neuroengineering and c) artificial intelligence and related techniques. The Workshop will consist mainly of the following activities: 1. presentation of up to 8 key renowned international and national researchers; 2. presentation of up to 50 oral presentations; 3. presentation of poster presentations; 4. presentation of practical applications in neuroscience, both from University and from companies active in the field; and 5. practical demonstration of the A2200 Enigma machine, which belongs to the Informatics Institute, as a special tribute to the 105th Birthday Anniversary of Alan Turing, considered one of the founding fathers of Computer Science. All participants who investigate and contribute to the understanding of the properties of the brain, such as Medicine, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, Psychology, Philosophy and others are welcomed. Issues related to the support of Communication and Information Technology and High-Performance Computing in Neuroscience will receive particular attention. UFRGS is happy to welcome LATIN AMERICAN WORKSHOP ON COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE (LAWCN) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. GENERAL INFORMATION IMPORTANT DATES * June 30, 2017 July 15, 2017: Submission deadline for papers * September 04, 2017: Notification of acceptance * September 25, 2017: Camera-ready papers and copyrights waivers * November 13, 2017: Posters Image Files due, which will be digitally presented * November 22-24, 2017: Workshop, UFRGS - Porto Alegre, Brazil. SCOPE LAWCN 2017 covers all aspects of Computational Neuroscience. Although the interdisciplinary nature of the Conference and the stimulus to work at intersections and the frontiers of different disciplines, for the sake of clarifying the scope of the Workshop, topics will be presented on the three main axes. The interest topics include (but are not limited to): a) Neuroscience: * Sensory processing * Network dynamics * Reinforcement learning * Motivation and decision making * Statistical approaches in neuroscience * Systems Neuroscience * Learning and memory Attention * Arousal of Sensory-Motor Integration Learning in networks * Ethical and philosophical issues related to Neuroscience * Educational issues b) Neuroengineering: * Large-scale recordings * Neural signal processing * Neuromodulation * Neuroprosthetics * Robotics * Biomedical devices development * Humanoid robots * Robots for Elderly People * Sensing in Robotics * Fusion of Sensors * Hardware implementations in Neuroscience * Software implementations in Neuroscience * Brain-Computer Interfaces: design and applications * Ethical and philosophical issues related to Neuro-engineering * Educational issues c) Artificial Intelligence and related techniques: * Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Neuroscience * Bioinformatics * Clustering and Applications * Computer Vision, Cognitive and Humanoid Vision * Databases, Data Mining, Intelligent Data Analysis, Knowledge-based Systems and Linguistic Tools * Data Visualization and Applications * Deep Learning * Statistical Pattern Recognition/Document Processing and Recognition * Fuzzy and Hybrid Techniques * Geometric Algebra Application in Perception-Action * High-Performance Computing for Pattern Recognition * Image Coding, Processing, and Analysis * Kernel Machines * Mathematical Theory of Computational Neuroscience * Neural Networks * Parallel and Distributed Applications for Computational Neuroscience * Robotics and Humanoids * Shape and Texture Analysis * Signal Processing and Analysis * Spatio-temporal Analysis * Ethical and philosophical issues related to Artificial Intelligence * Educational issues KEYNOTE SPEAKERS LAWCN Organizing Committee is proud to announce the confirmation of the following invited talks: Dr. Francisco Sotres Bayón, Professor of Neurosciences at the National Autonomous University of México(UNAM ), México Title of the talk : Understanding the Brain mechanisms of learned and innate motivational conflicts Dr. Laurence Devillers,Professor of Computer Science at Paris-Sorbonne University,Paris,France Title of the talk : Affective and Social Robotics : engagement,evaluation and ethics Dr. Sen Cheng, Professor of Computational Neuroscience at the Ruhr University Bochum(RUB),Bochum, Germany Title of the talk : Intrinsic Sequences in the hippocampus for spatial navigation and memory storage Dr. Vinicius Rosa Cota, Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Federal University of São João del-Rei (UFSJ), São João del-Rei, Brazil Title of the talk : Toward a neural prosthesis to the epileptic brain by tackling neural hyper synchronism The confirmation of other invited speakers will be done soon. REGISTRATION FEES - Until 30/06/2017 15/07/2017 Undergraduate Student: R$ 100,00 Graduate Student: R$ 150,00 Professionals: R$ 200,00 - Until 13/10/2017 Undergraduate Student: R$ 125,00 Graduate Student: R$ 175,00 Professionals: R$ 225,00 - From 14/10/2017 Undergraduate Student: R$ 150,00 Graduate Student: R$ 200,00 Professionals: R$ 250,00 Registrations can be done at: http://www2.fundacaomedica.hcpa.ufrgs.br/siafnet/hinscricoesemcursosv3.aspx… PAPER SUBMISSION AND PUBLICATIONS - Papers should be submitted exclusively through EasyChair website: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=lawcn2017 - Papers will be evaluated based on their originality, quality, and significance of the theoretical and practical contribution to Computational Neuroscience; - Only papers presented at the conference will be included in the proceedings; - All papers (Short and Full) and Digital Posters must be in PDF format and include abstract, figures, tables and references in the minimum/maximum amount of pages (according to the category desired); - Papers can be submitted in four categories (see image bellow): - Short paper not related directly to Computer Science: - Length: between 3 and 8 pages - Languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese - Short paper related to Computer Science: - Length: between 6 and 8 pages - Language: English - Full paper not related directly to Computer Science: - Length: between 10 and 15 pages - Languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese - Full paper related to Computer Science: - Length: between 10 and 15 pages - Language: English - Papers that are not related directly to Computer Science will be published in the Latin-American Workshop on Computational Neuroscience Proceedings and can be submitted in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Papers that are related to Computer Science will be published in Springer-Verlag Communications in Computer and Information Science (CCIS) Proceedings (ISSN 1865-0929), and the best papers will be indicated to be published in Education, Technology and Culture (ISSN 1808-0588) or IEEE-RITA (ISSN 1932-8540). - Papers (Short and Full) can be selected by the Program Committee for Oral or Poster presentations, regardless its length and category. - At least one author of each accepted paper for oral or poster presentation must register at the conference. If more than one paper per author is accepted, there is an extra registration fee; - Since LAWCN has goals to foster and encourage investigation careers of young and talented researchers, the Program Committee will select the best papers to be published in indexed journals. Contacts with editors have already been made and will continue until the realization of the Workshop to stimulate Science divulgation. - One of the authors must sign and attach a disclosure form if the paper is accepted; - More details about the papers submission process can be found on the Congress web page. LAWCN AWARDS The Program Committee will select the three best oral presentations (one for each main topic of the event) during the workshop. One of the authors of these papers will be entitled to a prize that will consist of amounts up to USD 300 for registration in scientific events in areas related to the Workshop and which occur in 2018, as well as free registration for the next edition of LAWCN. These awards will depend on the amount obtained by the registrations. ORGANIZERS General Chair: Prof. Dr. Dante Augusto Couto Barone, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Deputy General Chair: Prof. Dr. Marino Bianchin, Medicine Faculty, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Organizing Committee: Christian Puhlmann Brackmann IFFAR, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil Dante Augusto Couto Barone UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Eduardo Oliveira Teles IFBA, Camaçari, BA, Brazil Heron Pereira UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Jaime Andres Riascos Salas UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Marino Muxfeldt Bianchin UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Paulo Rogério de Almeida Ribeiro UFMA, São Luís, MA, Brazil Pedro Schestatsky UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Rodrigo Alejandro Sierra UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Program Committee: Alexandre César Muniz de Oliveira, Informatics Department, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, Brazil Antônio Carlos Roque, Physics and Mathematics Department, São Paulo University (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil Areolino de Almeida Neto, Informatics Department, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, Brazil Christian Haag Kristensen, Psychology Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Dante Augusto Couto Barone, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Diana Adamatti, Center of Computational Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil Edson Prestes e Silva Junior, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Eduardo López-Larraz, Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany Eduardo Vicentini de Medeiros, Experimental Philosophy and Cognitive Studies Laboratory, Vale do Rio dos Sinos University (UNISINOS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Fabrício Lima Brasil, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences, Santos Dumont Institute (ELS IINN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Felipe Meneguzzi, Informatics Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Francisco Sotres Bayón, Celular Physiology Institute, National Autonomous University of México (UNAM), México Frederico Augusto Casarsa de Azevedo, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany Gustavo Gauer, Psychology Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Hougelle Simplício Gomes Pereira, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences, Santos Dumont Institute (ELS IINN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Jés de Jesus Fiais Cerqueira, Electrical Engineer Department, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Brazil Jim Tørresen, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo (UiO), Oslo, Norway Juan Verdejo-Román, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain Luciana Porcher Nedel, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Luis Fernando Cardenas Parra, Psychology Department, Los Andes University, Bogotá, Colombia Marco Rocha Curado, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany Marcos Yuzuru de Oliveira Camada, Electrical Engineering Graduate Course, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Brazil Marino Muxfeldt Bianchin, Medicine Faculty, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Miguel Perez Garcia, Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain Olavo Amaral, Biochemical Medicine Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Patricio Donnelly Kehoe, Scientific and Technological Center of Rosario, National University of Rosario (UNR),Rosario, Argentina Paulo Rogério de Almeida Ribeiro, Computer Engineering Department, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, Brazil Pedro Schestatsky, Medicine Faculty, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Reinhold Scherer, Institute of Neural Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria Renan Cipriano Moioli, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences, Santos Dumont Institute (ELS IINN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Risto Ilmoniemi, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering,Aalto University, Helsinki,Finland Rodrigo Alejandro Sierra, Biosciences Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Rukiye Uzun, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering,Bulent Ecevit University (BEU), Zonguldak, Turkey Sen Cheng, Computational Neuroscience Institute, Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), Bochum, Germany Silvio Cesar Cazella, Department of Exact and Applied Social Sciences,Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Victor Christian Paredes Cauna, Texas A&M University, Bryan/College Station, USA Vinicius Rosa Cota, Electrical Engineering Department, Federal University of São João del-Rei (UFSJ), São João del-Rei, Brazil -- *Christian Puhlmann Brackmann* Professor at Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology Farroupilha (IFFAR) Doctoral Student / Computers in Education - Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) http://lattes.cnpq.br/3440794204799048 christian(a)brackmann.com.br (Skype) cpbrackmann(a)inf.ufrgs.br +55 55 98100 1819 ** *“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”* Nelson Mandela

July 1, 2017

CFP: A Standard Model of the Mind

by Christian Lebiere

Invitation to submit a position paper to the AAAI 2017 Fall Symposium on A Standard Model of the Mind The purpose of this symposium is to engage the international research community in developing a standard model of the mind, with a focus specifically on human-like minds, which include human minds but also artificial minds that are either inspired by human ones or are similar because of common functional goals. The notion of a standard model has its roots in particle physics, where it is assumed to be internally consistent, yet still have major gaps; and serves as a cumulative reference point for the field while driving efforts to both extend and revise it. A standard model of the mind could yield similar benefits while also guiding experimentation, application, extension, interpretation, evaluation, and comparison. The intent is not to develop a single implementation, model or theory that everyone would abide by and agree is correct. What is sought is a statement of the best consensus given the community's current understanding of the mind, plus a sound basis for further refinement as more is learned. A beginning was made at the 2013 AAAI Fall Symposium on Integrated Cognition, followed by an effort to capture and extend that initial consensus. Truly creating a standard model requires participation by researchers from across the community; hence this symposium. Format Working sessions will focus on the concept, framework, major components, and initial draft of a standard model; on mapping of existing architectures onto the model; and on summarizing the results and looking to the future. Each session will consist of an introduction, brief statements by 3-4 panelists on their position papers, and a moderated panel discussion. The focus will be on interactions that lead to a written summary document. Submissions Position papers (up to 6 pages) can be submitted to sm(a)ict.usc.edu by July 21, 2017. They should address fundamental issues with the concept of a standard model, outline proposals for such a model, or suggest specific contents. While contributions from all perspectives will be considered, those arising from a cognitive architecture approach — and yielding implications for the computational structure and function of the mind and its parts — are expected to be most directly relevant. Organizing Committee John Laird (University of Michigan, laird(a)umich.edu) Christian Lebiere (Carnegie Mellon University, cl(a)cmu.edu) Paul S. Rosenbloom (University of Southern California, rosenbloom(a)usc.edu) For More Information People considering writing position papers are encouraged to visit the symposium website (http://sm.ict.usc.edu) which has additional background resources. You can also contact any member of the organizing committee.

June 29, 2017

Final call for abstracts: June 30th for the Integrated Systems Neuroscience 2017 meeting (Manchester, UK)

by Mark Humphries

We announce the final call for abstracts for the Integrated Systems Neuroscience meeting (7-8th September 2017, Manchester, UK). Abstract submission deadline: June 30th 2017 (Decision: July 28th) (Registration deadline: August 11th ) For abstract submission information and registration, please visit: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/conferences-meetings/isn2017/ Meeting information: The goal of this meeting is to present the state-of-the-art in integrated systems and computational approaches to key neural circuits. A poster session with wine reception will be held on the first evening. Confirmed speakers: Rune Berg (Copenhagen University) Tiago Branco (Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits) Neil Burgess (Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL) Megan Carey (Champalimaud Institute, Lisbon) Claudia Clopath (Imperial College, London) Kate Jeffery (UCL) Christian Machens (Champalimaud Institute, Lisbon) Jonathan Pillow (Princeton) Simon Peron (New York University) Manuel Zimmer (IMP, Austria) Organisers: Mark Humphries & Rasmus Petersen (University of Manchester) Sponsors: we gratefully acknowledge the support of the Medical Research Council _____________________________________________________________________________ Dr Mark Humphries | MRC Senior non-Clinical Research Fellow | Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health http://www.systemsneurophysiologylab.manchester.ac.uk/

June 27, 2017

OCNS 2017 meeting workshop on high performance computing

by Ted Carnevale

What: Workshop on High Performance Computing Resources for Large Scale Simulations When: 14:00 - 18:00 on Thursday, July 20, 2017 Where: CNS 2017 meeting in Antwerp, Belgium Who: Organized by A Majumdar and S Sivagnanam (UCSD) and T Carnevale (Yale) See how neuroscientists engaged in large scale simulation projects, and developers of powerful tools for computational neuroscience research, are making productive use of high performance computing resources. Learn about the tools they are developing. Find out how you can use those tools in your own research. Speakers to include A Majumdar, S Sivagnanam, and T Carnevale S Dura-Bernal, S Neymotin, W Lytton (SUNY Downstate) M Migliore, C Lupascu, L Bologna, R Migliore (NRC, Palermo) P Gleeson (UCL) A Peyser (Juelich) C Weaver (Franklin and Marshall) M Bezaire (BU) For abstracts and other information see http://www.nsgportal.org/NSGWorkshop-OCNS-2017.html --Ted

June 26, 2017

Re: [Comp-neuro] Recruiting at Neurala in Boston, MA-Exciting Opportunities!

by Lisa Martin-Garlic

> Hello! > > I am actively recruiting for Neurala in Boston, MA. We are hiring > Engineers, Research Scientist, Marketers, Project Managers and Sales! > > Neurala, Inc. (http://www.neurala.com) is a software company that > developed The Neurala Brain— Deep Learning neural network software that > makes smart products like inspection cameras, robots, drones, toys, > consumer electronics and self-driving cars more autonomous, engaging and > useful. Neurala software is based on extensive research and development > efforts, including technology that Neurala developed for NASA for planetary > exploration and for the U.S. Air Force Research Labs. Neurala, named one of > the 50 most influential companies in the robotics industry, has secured in > excess of $16M in funding from some of the largest and most innovative > venture firms in US and Europe. > > Please check out our job postings at http://www.neurala.com/about/careers/ and > if you are interested in learning more please email me at > lmartin(a)mlhired.com or lisa(a)neurala.com > > Thank you! > > Lisa > > > -- > > > Lisa Martin-Garlic > M&L Recruiting (@Neurala) > 617-943-9521 <(617)%20943-9521> > lmartin(a)mlhired.com > lisa(a)neurala.com > >

June 26, 2017

ICAM-I2CAM Symposium on Mathematical and computational approaches to the 'Big Data' challenge in neuron-glia interactions

by Maurizio De Pittà

Dear colleagues, please share with your peers, students and whoever may be interested. We would like to invite you to the forthcoming ICAM-I2CAM <http://icam-i2cam.org/> Symposium on "*Mathematical and computational approaches to the 'Big Data' challenge in neuron-glia interactions*" hold in Edinburgh, UK on *July 9, 2017* during the XIII Euroglia meeting <http://www.glia2017.eu/?s=welcome>. The aim of the symposium is to bridge between experiments and modeling studies in in quantitative research on glia. The symposium hosts a panel of four internationally renowned scientists with multidisciplinary expertise in physics, engineering, quantitative biology and statistics, whose shared research interests are in developing computational approaches to study different types of glia: oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and microglia. The four speakers will discuss some of the latest findings of current quantitative research on neuron-glia interactions, providing a concise, mind-provoking overview of the open challenges in the field. ------------------------------------- Symposium program <http://www.glia2017.eu/?s=meeting-schedule> ------------------------------------- David Attwell (University College London, UK) Tuning of axonal conduction speed by myelinated axon morphology Maurizio De Pittà (The University of Chicago, USA) Conditions for the observation of regulation of synaptic transmission by gliotransmitters Elena Galea (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain) Spatial analysis of astrocytes in health and in Alzheimer’s disease Levi Wood (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA) Multivariate regression profiling of cytokines in Alzheimer´s disease ------------------------------------- Symposium details ------------------------------------- ICAM-I2CAM Symposium on "*Mathematical and computational approaches to the 'Big Data' challenge in neuron-glia interactions*", Kilsyth Room, International Conference Center, Edinburgh, UK, July 9, 2017, 10am-12pm. ------------------------------------- The Institute for Complex and Adaptive Matter (ICAM-I2CAM <http://icam-i2cam.org/index.php/about>) is a trans-academic International Research Institute with a rich research agenda focusing on the study of matter to understand emergent behaviors. ICAM-I2CAM is constituted of 70+ universities worldwide and offers interesting founding opportunities to its members for Educational and Research programs as well as for the organization of scientific events. To find out more, please visit ICAM-I2CAM homepage <http://icam-i2cam.org/index.php>. ----- Maurizio De Pitta' https://sites.google.com/site/mauriziodepitta/home

June 26, 2017

University of Surrey -- Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in Machine Learning and Computational Intelligence

by a.gruning＠surrey.ac.uk

We are advertising for a new permanent academic post: https://jobs.surrey.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=039217 Closing date: of 28 June 2017 -- Brief? Here's why: http://emailcharter.org<http://emailcharter.org/> Dr Andre Gruning Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) Department of Computer Science University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH United Kingdom

June 23, 2017

A survey on sparse representation

by 桂

Dear all, The following paper is a survey on sparse representation. We focus on applying sparse representation to feature selection. J. Gui, Z. Sun, S. Ji, D. Tao, and T. Tan, "Feature Selection Based on Structured Sparsity: A Comprehensive Study", IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems, vol. 28, no. 7, pp. 1490-1507, 2017. The paper and matlab code can be downloaded from http://www.escience.cn/people/guijie/Publication.html. If you have any problem, feel free to contact me. Best regards! -- ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊ Associate Professor Jie (Joe) Gui, Ph.D., SMIEEE Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Hefei 230031, Anhui, China Homepage: http://www.escience.cn/people/guijie/index.html ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

June 22, 2017

Last Call for Papers - LAWCN 2017

by Christian Brackmann

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR PAPERS Paper Submission Deadline: June 30, 2017 LATIN AMERICAN WORKSHOP ON COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE 2017 November 22-24, 2017 Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. http://www.inf.ufrgs.br/lawcn/ Contact: lawcn2017(a)easychair.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computational neuroscience is the study of brain function regarding the information processing properties of the structures that make up the nervous system. It is an interdisciplinary science that links the diverse fields of neuroscience, as cognitive science, medicine, psychology, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics and even philosophy. The Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), located in Porto Alegre, in the south of Brazil, has promoted a more restricted version of this Workshop in November 2012. Since then, participants and investigators in the interdisciplinary fields related to Computational Neuroscience are claiming to resume the realization of this event. In this sense, with a broader scope aiming to encourage young researchers and graduate master and doctorate students in all Latin America, this edition will have three main topics: a) neuroscience, b) neuroengineering and c) artificial intelligence and related techniques. The Workshop will consist mainly of the following activities: 1. presentation of up to 8 key renowned international and national researchers; 2. presentation of up to 50 oral presentations; 3. presentation of poster presentations; 4. presentation of practical applications in neuroscience, both from University and from companies active in the field; and 5. practical demonstration of the A2200 Enigma machine, which belongs to the Informatics Institute, as a special tribute to the 105th Birthday Anniversary of Alan Turing, considered one of the founding fathers of Computer Science. All participants who investigate and contribute to the understanding of the properties of the brain, such as Medicine, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, Psychology, Philosophy and others are welcomed. Issues related to the support of Communication and Information Technology and High-Performance Computing in Neuroscience will receive particular attention. UFRGS is happy to welcome LATIN AMERICAN WORKSHOP ON COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE (LAWCN) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. GENERAL INFORMATION IMPORTANT DATES * June 30, 2017: Submission deadline for papers * August 20, 2017: Notification of acceptance * September 10, 2017: Camera-ready papers and copyrights signatures * November 13, 2017: Digital Posters due, which will be digitally presented * November 22-24, 2017: Workshop, UFRGS - Porto Alegre, Brazil. SCOPE LAWCN 2017 covers all aspects of Computational Neuroscience. Although the interdisciplinary nature of the Conference and the stimulus to work at intersections and the frontiers of different disciplines, for the sake of clarifying the scope of the Workshop, topics will be presented on the three main axes. The interest topics include (but are not limited to): a) Neuroscience: * Sensory processing * Network dynamics * Reinforcement learning * Motivation and decision making * Statistical approaches in neuroscience * Systems Neuroscience * Learning and memory Attention * Arousal of Sensory-Motor Integration Learning in networks * Ethical and philosophical issues related to Neuroscience * Educational issues b) Neuroengineering: * Large-scale recordings * Neural signal processing * Neuromodulation * Neuroprosthetics * Robotics * Biomedical devices development * Humanoid robots * Robots for Elderly People * Sensing in Robotics * Fusion of Sensors * Hardware implementations in Neuroscience * Software implementations in Neuroscience * Brain-Computer Interfaces: design and applications * Ethical and philosophical issues related to Neuro-engineering * Educational issues c) Artificial Intelligence and related techniques: * Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Neuroscience * Bioinformatics * Clustering and Applications * Computer Vision, Cognitive and Humanoid Vision * Databases, Data Mining, Intelligent Data Analysis, Knowledge-based Systems and Linguistic Tools * Data Visualization and Applications * Deep Learning * Statistical Pattern Recognition/Document Processing and Recognition * Fuzzy and Hybrid Techniques * Geometric Algebra Application in Perception-Action * High-Performance Computing for Pattern Recognition * Image Coding, Processing, and Analysis * Kernel Machines * Mathematical Theory of Computational Neuroscience * Neural Networks * Parallel and Distributed Applications for Computational Neuroscience * Robotics and Humanoids * Shape and Texture Analysis * Signal Processing and Analysis * Spatio-temporal Analysis * Ethical and philosophical issues related to Artificial Intelligence * Educational issues KEYNOTE SPEAKERS LAWCN Organizing Committee is proud to announce the confirmation of the following invited talks: Dr. Francisco Sotres Bayón, Professor of Neurosciences at the National Autonomous University of México(UNAM ), México Title of the talk : Understanding the Brain mechanisms of learned and innate motivational conflicts Dr. Laurence Devillers,Professor of Computer Science at Paris-Sorbonne University,Paris,France Title of the talk : Affective and Social Robotics : engagement,evaluation and ethics Dr. Sen Cheng, Professor of Computational Neuroscience at the Ruhr University Bochum(RUB),Bochum, Germany Title of the talk : Intrinsic Sequences in the hippocampus for spatial navigation and memory storage Dr. Vinicius Rosa Cota, Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Federal University of São João del-Rei (UFSJ), São João del-Rei, Brazil Title of the talk : Toward a neural prosthesis to the epileptic brain by tackling neural hyper synchronism The confirmation of other invited speakers will be done soon. REGISTRATION FEES - Until 30/06/2017 Undergraduate Student: R$ 100,00 Graduate Student: R$ 150,00 Professionals: R$ 200,00 - Until 13/10/2017 Undergraduate Student: R$ 125,00 Graduate Student: R$ 175,00 Professionals: R$ 225,00 - After 14/10/2017 Undergraduate Student:R$ 150,00 Graduate Student:R$ 200,00 Professionals:R$ 250,00 Registrations can be done at: http://www2.fundacaomedica.hcpa.ufrgs.br/siafnet/hinscricoesemcursosv3.aspx… PAPER SUBMISSION AND PUBLICATIONS - Papers should be submitted exclusively through EasyChair website: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=lawcn2017 - Papers will be evaluated based on their originality, quality, and significance of the theoretical and practical contribution to Computational Neuroscience; - Only papers presented at the conference will be included in the proceedings; - All papers (Short and Full) and Digital Posters must be in PDF format and include abstract, figures, tables and references in the minimum/maximum amount of pages (according to the category desired); - Papers can be submitted in four categories (see image bellow): - Short paper not related directly to Computer Science: - Length: between 3 and 8 pages - Languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese - Short paper related to Computer Science: - Length: between 6 and 8 pages - Language: English - Full paper not related directly to Computer Science: - Length: between 10 and 15 pages - Languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese - Full paper related to Computer Science: - Length: between 10 and 15 pages - Language: English - Papers that are not related directly to Computer Science will be published in the Latin-American Workshop on Computational Neuroscience Proceedings and can be submitted in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Papers that are related to Computer Science will be published in Springer-Verlag Communications in Computer and Information Science (CCIS) Proceedings (ISSN 1865-0929), and the best papers will be indicated to be published in Education, Technology and Culture (ISSN 1808-0588) or IEEE-RITA (ISSN 1932-8540). - Papers (Short and Full) can be selected by the Program Committee for Oral or Poster presentations, regardless its length and category. - At least one author of each accepted paper for oral or poster presentation must register at the conference. If more than one paper per author is accepted, there is an extra registration fee; - Since LAWCN has goals to foster and encourage investigation careers of young and talented researchers, the Program Committee will select the best papers to be published in indexed journals. Contacts with editors have already been made and will continue until the realization of the Workshop to stimulate Science divulgation. - One of the authors must sign and attach a disclosure form if the paper is accepted; - More details about the papers submission process can be found on the Congress web page. LAWCN AWARDS The Program Committee will select the three best oral presentations (one for each main topic of the event) during the workshop. One of the authors of these papers will be entitled to a prize that will consist of amounts up to USD 300 for registration in scientific events in areas related to the Workshop and which occur in 2018, as well as free registration for the next edition of LAWCN. These awards will depend on the amount obtained by the registrations. ORGANIZERS General Chair: Prof. Dr. Dante Augusto Couto Barone, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Deputy General Chair: Prof. Dr. Marino Bianchin, Medicine Faculty, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Organizing Committee: Christian Puhlmann Brackmann IFFAR, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil Dante Augusto Couto Barone UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Eduardo Oliveira Teles IFBA, Camaçari, BA, Brazil Heron Pereira UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Jaime Andres Riascos Salas UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Marino Muxfeldt Bianchin UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Paulo Rogério de Almeida Ribeiro UFMA, São Luís, MA, Brazil Pedro Schestatsky UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Rodrigo Alejandro Sierra UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Program Committee: Alexandre César Muniz de Oliveira, Informatics Department, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, Brazil Antônio Carlos Roque, Physics and Mathematics Department, São Paulo University (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil Areolino de Almeida Neto, Informatics Department, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, Brazil Christian Haag Kristensen, Psychology Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Dante Augusto Couto Barone, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Diana Adamatti, Center of Computational Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil Edson Prestes e Silva Junior, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Eduardo López-Larraz, Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany Eduardo Vicentini de Medeiros, Experimental Philosophy and Cognitive Studies Laboratory, Vale do Rio dos Sinos University (UNISINOS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Fabrício Lima Brasil, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences, Santos Dumont Institute (ELS IINN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Felipe Meneguzzi, Informatics Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Francisco Sotres Bayón, Celular Physiology Institute, National Autonomous University of México (UNAM), México Frederico Augusto Casarsa de Azevedo, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany Gustavo Gauer, Psychology Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Hougelle Simplício Gomes Pereira, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences, Santos Dumont Institute (ELS IINN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Jés de Jesus Fiais Cerqueira, Electrical Engineer Department, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Brazil Jim Tørresen, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo (UiO), Oslo, Norway Juan Verdejo-Román, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain Luciana Porcher Nedel, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Luis Fernando Cardenas Parra, Psychology Department, Los Andes University, Bogotá, Colombia Marco Rocha Curado, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany Marcos Yuzuru de Oliveira Camada, Electrical Engineering Graduate Course, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Brazil Marino Muxfeldt Bianchin, Medicine Faculty, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Miguel Perez Garcia, Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain Olavo Amaral, Biochemical Medicine Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Patricio Donnelly Kehoe, Scientific and Technological Center of Rosario, National University of Rosario (UNR),Rosario, Argentina Paulo Rogério de Almeida Ribeiro, Computer Engineering Department, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, Brazil Pedro Schestatsky, Medicine Faculty, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Reinhold Scherer, Institute of Neural Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria Renan Cipriano Moioli, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences, Santos Dumont Institute (ELS IINN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Risto Ilmoniemi, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering,Aalto University, Helsinki,Finland Rodrigo Alejandro Sierra, Biosciences Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Rukiye Uzun, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering,Bulent Ecevit University (BEU), Zonguldak, Turkey Sen Cheng, Computational Neuroscience Institute, Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), Bochum, Germany Silvio Cesar Cazella, Department of Exact and Applied Social Sciences,Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Victor Christian Paredes Cauna, Texas A&M University, Bryan/College Station, USA Vinicius Rosa Cota, Electrical Engineering Department, Federal University of São João del-Rei (UFSJ), São João del-Rei, Brazil -- *Christian Puhlmann Brackmann* Professor at Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology Farroupilha (IFFAR) Doctoral Student / Computers in Education - Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) http://lattes.cnpq.br/3440794204799048 christian(a)brackmann.com.br (Skype) cpbrackmann(a)inf.ufrgs.br +55 55 98100 1819 ** *“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”* Nelson Mandela

June 22, 2017

14 PhD position for 3 years each

by Dominik Endres

The Research Training Group (RTG) 2271 “Expectation Maintenance vs. Change in the Context of Expectation Violations: Connecting Different Approaches” is funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). The overarching goal of this RTG is to investigate why and when organisms (humans, animals) change or maintain generalized expectations in the face of disconfirming evidence. Fourteen doctoral students will be funded in each cohort (3 years per cohort). Vacant positions are advertised here: http://www.uni-marburg.de/fb04/forschung/phdprogram/index_html The dissertation projects in this RTG cover a range of topics related to expectation maintenance vs. expectation change in various contexts, including mathematical psychology, cognitive modeling, clinical psychology, educational psychology, social psychology, or biological psychology. Thirteen researchers (“Principal Investigators”) from the Department of Psychology at Philipps University Marburg are involved in the RTG. You can find more information about these researchers, the research program and the qualification program on the above website. APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 30th 2017 -- Prof. Dr. Dominik Endres AE Theoretische Neurowissenschaft Allgemeine und Biologische Psychologie FB Psychologie, Gutenbergstr 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany Tel. +49-(0)6421-28-23818

June 21, 2017

12 month postdoc position in Insect Robotics @ Edinburgh (fwd)

by Barbara Webb

We have a 12 month RA vacancy, from 1 Sept 2017, on the EPSRC project "Exploiting invisible cues for low-cost outdoor robot navigation" which looks at how insects use ultraviolet and polarised light as cues, and how we could copy this on robots. Experience/interest in modelling natural sensory and neural systems, and robot sensing and navigation, would be ideal, and excellent programming skills required. We would expect the candidate to have a PhD or be nearing completion of a PhD in a relevant area. Please see the official link below for full details or contact me direct with any questions. https://www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk/pls/corehrrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobs… Barbara Webb -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

June 21, 2017

PhD at CerCo, 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 2017 (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 networkwhich 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:* We discourage Iranian students to apply, since most likely the CNRS will not accept them for security/defense reasons, unfortunately. *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 by 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 <05%2062%2074%2062%2015> 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 20, 2017

PhD student candidate, “Multi-scale epileptic networks”

by Paolo Bonifazi

Thank you for your attention - I apologize for possible multiple posting. At the Biocruces Health Research Institute (Bilbao, Spain) we are looking for a PhD student to develop and carry on a project entitled “Multi-scale epileptic networks”, financed by the Spanish Ministry (MINECO) and leaded by Dr. Paolo Bonifazi (Ikerbasque Tenure Track Researcher at Biocruces, member of the Computational Neuroimaging laboratory leaded by Prof. J. Cortes; http://www.jesuscortes.info) in collaboration with the Cruces University Hospital (Bilbao, Spain), the Ruber International Hospital (Madrid, Spain) and the University of Bari (Italy; Dr. S. Stramaglia). The project, aimed at studying longitudinally the multi-scale topology of human epileptic networks, combines electrophysiological data recorded through deep electrodes (implanted in epileptic patients undergoing surgery), with functional and diffusion MRI (acquired before the electrodes implant and post surgery after about six and twelve months). Depending on the interest of the candidates, the project might also involve epileptic animal model studies (using optogenetics, in-vivo electrophysiology and/or high field MRI, in collaboration with other local research institutions). The motivated Spanish or International candidates, possibly with a background in either Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science or Engineering, should contact as soon as possible (best if within Wednesday the 20th of June) Dr. Paolo Bonifazi (paol.bonifazi(a)gmail.com or paolo.bonifazi(a)osakidetza.eus) for detailed information. The PhD fellowship (for a maximum of 4 years) is funded by the Basque Government and the Ikerbasque Foundation (http://www.ikerbasque.net/) Deadline for the PhD fellowship application is 2nd of July. ==================== Paolo Bonifazi, PhD Ikerbasque Tenure Track Researcher Computational Neuroimaging Laboratory Biocruces Health Research Institute Hospital Universitario Cruces Plaza de Cruces, s/n E-48903. Barakaldo, Spain Tel +34 94 600 6000 (ext. 5298) Email: paol.bonifazi(a)gmail.com; paolo.bonifazi(a)osakidetza.eus http://www.ikerbasque.net/paolo-bonifazi

June 15, 2017

Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 2017

by Zrinka Gattin

*Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 201**7* * **New deadline for abstract submission:* June 28, 2017 for abstracts aimed as contributed talks and posters July 31, 2017 abstracts aimed as posters only ************************************************************** Satellite Workshops September 12-13, 2017 Main Conference September 13-15, 2017 PhD Symposium September 12 & 15, 2017 ************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference started out as the annual meeting of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience and has become the largest annual Computational Neuroscience conference in Europe with more than 500 international participants in recent years. This year the conference is organized by the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Göttingen. The main conference (Sep 13-15, 2017) will be accompanied by satellite workshops (Sep 12-13, 2017) and a PhD symposium (Sep 12 & 15, 2017). An important part of the main conference will be the two poster sessions. We are now inviting the submission of abstracts from all relevant areas. Authors of most accepted abstracts will get the chance for a poster presentation, a small number of abstracts will be selected for contributed talks during the main conference. Please note the earlier submission deadline for authors applying for a talk. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). *DETAILS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION:* Please note that the submission of an abstract does not replace the conference registration (www.bernstein-conference.de/registration <http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/registration>). Poster space is limited and early submission is encouraged. For abstract submission visit: www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2017/abstracts <http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/abstracts> *ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINES:* Posters to be considered as contributed talks: June 28, 2017 Other posters: July 31, 2017 *TRAVEL GRANTS* To support the participation of young researchers at the Bernstein Conference, the Bernstein Coordination Site offers 10 Travel Grants, each endowed with 500 €. Please find further information under www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2017/travel-grant <http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/travel-grant> *CONFERENCE DETAILS:* Conference registration is *OPEN* Early registration deadline: July 09, 2017 *ACCOMMODATION AND HOTEL RESERVATION:* *We strongly recommend early room booking!* *The number of available accommodation is limited due to several concurrent events. And many Hotels in Göttingen are already booked out for that week!* 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 (http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/venue/accommodation) 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). Many expiration dates are already mid of June 2017. We strongly encourage participants to share rooms and to book rooms as a group. *We emphasize that it will be very difficult to book accommodation beyond the expiration dates. * Please find a list of the hotels at our Accommodations Website. VENUE Satellite Workshops, Main Conference and PhD Symposium: The Central Lecture Hall (ZHG), Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany VENUE Public Lecture: Alte Mensa, Wilhelmsplatz 1, 37073 Göttingen, Germany, September 13, 2017, 8 pm For more information on the conference, please visit the websitehttp://www.bernstein-conference.de We are looking forward to welcoming you in Göttingen! Program chair: Fred Wolf Koordinator: Zrinka Gattin Co-Organizers: Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS): Alexandra Stein, Kerstin Schwarzwaelder -- Dr Zrinka Gattin Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN) Goettingen Bernstein Focus Neurotechnology (BFNT) Goettingen PhD Program in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience Am Fassberg 17 D-37077 Goettingen Phone: +49 (0)551 5176 418 Fax: +49 (0)551 5176 14418 E-Mail:zrinka@nld.ds.mpg.de

June 14, 2017

Chair and Director in Neural Computation Research Group - University of Nottingham

by Stephen Coombes

Dear all, The University of Nottingham is looking to appoint an outstanding individual as Chair and Director to lead the development of a new Neural Computation Research Group. This will be a joint appointment between the Schools of Mathematical Sciences and Psychology. For further information please follow the link below to the full job advert: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/PROF176717 The closing date is Friday, 7th July 2017. Best regards, Steve ------------------------------------------------------- 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 send it back to me, and immediately delete it. Please do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this message or in any attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an attachment may still contain software viruses which could damage your computer system, you are advised to perform your own checks. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored as permitted by UK legislation.

June 14, 2017

Postdoctoral position on the Inventive Use of Mathematics

by Christian Lebiere

A post doctoral position is available on a NSF project studying how mathematical knowledge is learned and then used in inventive ways. Candidates with a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, computer science, or related fields are encouraged to apply. The project has taken many approaches to this question including behavioral studies, neural imaging, and computational modeling. The involvement of the post doc in this position will depend on their strengths, interests, and what they want to lean. The position has funding for at least 2 years. Interested candidates should send inquiries and applications (CV, research interests, references) to John Anderson (ja(a)cmu.edu)

June 12, 2017

[INNS-BigData 2018] Call for Papers

by Teng Teck Hou

[Apologies for cross-postings] ########################################################### CALL FOR PAPERS The 3rd INNS Conference on Big Data 2018 April 17-19, 2018, Bali, Indonesia Homepage: http://www.innsbigdata2018.org #######################Description:###################### The International Neural Network Society (INNS) is the premiere organization for individuals interested in a theoretical and computational understanding of the brain and applying that knowledge to develop new and more effective forms of machine intelligence. INNS was formed in 1987 by the leading scientists in the neural network field. Researchers and colleagues who work in the area of big data and machine learning, we are happy to announce "The 3 rd INNS Conference on Big Data and Deep Learning 2018 (INNS BDDL 2018) will be held on April 18 19, 2018 in Sanur Bali, Indonesia. The aim of this conference is to create a valuable and important forum for scientists and engineers throughout the world to present the latest research findings and idea at the forefront of Big Data and Deep Learning. Accepted papers will be published by Elsevier, Scopus indexed. Several papers will be selected for possible publication in top journals. The conference will feature a comprehensive technical program with technical tracks on: Track 1: Big Data Track 2: Big Data Algorithms Track 3: Deep Learning Track 4: Application Areas Important Dates ################################################################### * Tutorial and workshop proposals (Submission) 15 September 2017 * Tutorial and workshop proposals (Decision) 30 September 2017 * Paper submission 2 November 2017 * Decision notification 31 December 2017 * Conference 17 - 19 April 2018 ################################################################### Previous INNS Conference: INNS 2016 in Thessaloniki, Greece INNS 2015 in San Francisco, USA #################### Organizing committees ############### General chairs Seiichi Ozawa, Kobe University, Japan Ah-Hwee Tan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Program Chairs Plamen P. Angelov, Lancaster University, UK Asim Roy, Arizona State University, USA Mahardhika Pratama, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Local Committee Chairs Dieky Adzkiya, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Advisory Board Yew-Soon Ong, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Robert Kozma, University of Memphis, USA Sankar K. Pal, Indian Statistical Institute, India Haibo He, University of Rhode Island, USA Witold Pedrycz, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada Leszek Rutkowski, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Nikola Kasabov, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand Fernando Gomide, University of Campinas, Brazil Marley Vellasco, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Yoonsuck Choe, Texas A&M University Minho Lee, Kyungpook National University, South Korea Bao-Liang Lu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China Irwin King, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong kong Mohammad Nuh, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Joni Hermana, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Heru Setyawan, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Tutorials/Workshop Chairs Igor Skrjanc, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Sundaram Suresh, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Poster Sessions Chairs Eko Setiadji, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Agus Salim, La Trobe University, Australia Special Sessions Chairs Justin Wang, La Trobe University, Australia Yongping Pan, National University of Singapore, Singapore Panel Chairs Sreenatha Anavatti, University of New South Wales, Australia Mukesh Prasad, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia Achmad Affandi, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Awards Chairs Tapabrata Ray, University of New South Wales, Australia Dejan Dovzan, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Richard J. Oentaryo, McLaren Applied Technologies, Singapore Publication Chairs Edwin Lughofer, Johannes Kepler University, Austria Jose Antonio Iglesias, Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain Moamar Sayed?Mouchaweh, Institute Mines Telecom Lille Douai, France Publicity Chair Simone Scardapane, Sapienza University, Italy Teng Teck Hou, Singapore Management University, Singapore Hendro Nurhadi, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia International Liaison Chairs Yun Sing Koh, University of Auckland, New Zealand Deepak Puthal, University of Technology Sydney, Australia Wirawan, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Webmaster Mohamad Abdul Hady, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Andri Ashfahani, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Choiru Zain, La Trobe University, Australia ###### Topics and Areas include, but not limited to the following###### >>BIG DATA Autonomous, online, incremental learning in big data High dimensional data, feature selection, feature transformation for big data Scalable algorithms for big data Big data analytics Data stream analytics Parallel & distributed computing for big data analytics (cloud, map-reduce, etc.) Online learning Online multimedia/stream/text analytics Link and graph mining Big data and cloud computing, large scale stream processing on the cloud Big data and collective intelligence/collaborative learning Big data and hybrid systems Big data and self-aware systems Big data and infrastructure Big data visualization >>Big Data Algorithm Neuromorphic hardware for scalable machine learning Evolving systems for big data analytics Evolutionary systems and big data Fuzzy systems and big data Cognitive modelling and big data Probabilistic approach for big data Concept drift detection for big data Granular computing for big data Transfer learning for big data >>Deep Learning Deep belief network Convolutional neural network Long short term memory Deep network architecture Deep autoencoder Deep stacked network Deep learning for natural language processing Deep learning for machine vision Evolving deep network Transfer learning in deep learning Online deep learning >>Application Areas Banking and Securities Communications, Media and Entertainment Healthcare Providers Education Manufacturing & Natural Resources Government Insurances Retail & Wholesale Trade Transportation Energy & Utilities, Etc.

June 11, 2017

Call for abstracts: Integrated Systems Neuroscience 2017 meeting (September 7-8, Manchester, UK)

by Mark Humphries

We announce the second call for abstracts for the Integrated Systems Neuroscience meeting (7-8th September 2017, Manchester, UK). Abstract submission deadline: June 30th 2017 (Decision: July 28th) (Registration deadline: August 11th ) For abstract submission information and registration, please visit: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/conferences-meetings/isn2017/ Meeting information: The goal of this meeting is to present the state-of-the-art in integrated systems and computational approaches to key neural circuits. A poster session with wine reception will be held on the first evening. Confirmed speakers: Rune Berg (Copenhagen University) Tiago Branco (Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits) Neil Burgess (Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL) Megan Carey (Champalimaud Institute, Lisbon) Claudia Clopath (Imperial College, London) Kate Jeffery (UCL) Christian Machens (Champalimaud Institute, Lisbon) Jonathan Pillow (Princeton) Simon Peron (New York University) Manuel Zimmer (IMP, Austria) Organisers: Mark Humphries & Rasmus Petersen (University of Manchester) Sponsors: we gratefully acknowledge the support of the Medical Research Council _____________________________________________________________________________ Dr Mark Humphries | MRC Senior non-Clinical Research Fellow | Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health http://www.systemsneurophysiologylab.manchester.ac.uk/

June 9, 2017

Postdoctoral position and lab/manager position available in the Zacks lab

by Jeff Zacks

Dear Colleagues, We have two positions available in the lab; one for a postdoctoral fellow, one for a lab manager/research assistant. Please pass these along to any graduating seniors or nearly-done PhD students you think would be appropriate. Thanks! Jeff Zacks Jeffrey M. Zacks, Ph.D. Associate Chair, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences Professor of Radiology Washington University in Saint Louis 1 Brookings Drive St. Louis, MO 63130-4899 314-935-8454 314-935-7588 (fax) jzacks(a)wustl.edu <mailto:jzacks@wustl.edu> http://dcl.wustl.edu/~jzacks 1) Postdoctoral position in the computational cognitive neuroscience of event cognition Dynamic Cognition Lab, Washington University The Dynamic Cognition Lab, headed by Jeff Zacks, seeks a postdoctoral researcher to work on an ONR-funded project examining comprehension and memory of complex, naturalistic events. This effort will involve computational modeling, behavioral experiments, and pattern-based fMRI. It will engage collaborators at Wash U, and also at UC Davis, Princeton, Harvard, and NYU. The position is funded for three years with potential for extended funding. Ideally, candidates will be available to start in Fall 2017. Potential applicants may want to have a look at the lab web site (dcl.wustl.edu <http://dcl.wustl.edu/>) for information on current related research. (See also psychweb.wustl.edu, and neuroscience.wustl.edu for information on related resources.) A PhD in Psychology or Neuroscience is required for this position. Desirable additional qualifications include: * Previous experience with neuroimaging, especially MVPA * An interest in event cognition and memory * A promising publication record To apply, please send a statement of research interests and CV, and have two letters of evaluation sent by faculty familiar with your work. Email submission is fine; please send application materials or questions about the position to jzacks(a)wustl.edu. If you prefer paper mail the address is: Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences Washington University Saint Louis, MO 63130 2) Lab manager/research assistant Washington University in St. Louis, Psychology Department Seeking a motivated associate to assist with behavioral and functional MRI experiments, starting summer 2017. An ideal candidate would be a newly-graduated undergraduate who has a strong curiosity about cognitive and computational neuroscience, and has relevant coursework and laboratory experience in this area. Duties will include interacting with human participants, data collection and analysis, and also managerial functions such as scheduling facilities and coordinating with other research team members. Required qualification: * Undergraduate degree in psychology, neuroscience, or a related field. Desirable qualifications: * Programming skills * Research experience with human subjects * Experience with functional MRI * Experience with film production This full-time, federally funded position provides a great opportunity to gain experience before going on to an advanced degree. St. Louis is a vibrant, affordable city, and Washington University has a rich community of cognitive scientists and neuroscientists. Two-year commitment required. Health benefits provided. To apply, see the PDF application at the Dynamic Cognition Laboratory website, http://dcl.wustl.edu. Jeffrey M. Zacks, Ph.D. Washington University Department of Psychology Campus Box 1125 St. Louis, MO 63130-4899 314.935.8454 jzacks(a)wustl.edu

June 8, 2017

Fully-funded PhD studentship in "Data-driven null models for big data networks"

by Mark Humphries

We seek PhD candidates for the project "Data-driven null models for big data networks", supervised by Dr Mark Humphries at the University of Manchester. We are developing network theory approaches to analysing data in systems neuroscience (Humphries, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1101/115485 ). The aim of this PhD project is to develop an analysis framework for separating signal from noise in data-driven networks. We will develop new, flexible data-driven null models for network structure - models that will predict noise. Using these models, we will create powerful ways of extracting the signal network from observed data. With these signal networks, we will then explore how they change the conclusions we can draw from our observed data, what large-scale structures they uncover in the networks, and how they can track changes to networks over time. Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as possible. This studentship is MRC-funded, so only open to UK and EU students. More information, and how to apply: https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=78216&LID=1020 Questions: mark.humphries(a)manchester.ac.uk<mailto:mark.humphries@manchester.ac.uk> Our lab: http://www.systemsneurophysiologylab.manchester.ac.uk/ _____________________________________________________________________________ Dr Mark Humphries | MRC Senior non-Clinical Research Fellow | Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health http://www.systemsneurophysiologylab.manchester.ac.uk/ [0da17e2a-9ed5-496a-b161-9fd4491ce5c7]@markdhumphries <https://twitter.com/markdhumphries> Public blog: https://medium.com/the-spike

June 8, 2017

Postdoc and a PhD Studentship available in Computational and Systems Neuroscience

by Christopher Buckley

A postdoc and a PhD studentship are available on the BBSRC funded project entitled "Distributed neural processing of self-generated visual input in a vertebrate brain” at the University of Sussex, UK. Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Systems Neuroscience A post-doctoral position funded by the BBSRC is available in the groups of Dr Christopher L Buckley (School of Engineering and Informatics) and Prof. Leon Lagnado (School of Life Sciences) on a project titled “Distributed neural processing of self-generated visual input in a vertebrate brain”. We will characterise the neural circuits involved in the interactions between the sensory and motor systems using state-of-the-art light-sheet microscopy to image neural activity across the brain of zebrafish behaving in a virtual reality environment (Nature. 2013;493: 466–468). Sussex Neuroscience (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/sussexneuroscience) is one of the foremost centres for Neuroscience research in the UK and has particular strengths in in vivo imaging and systems neuroscience. The University is 10 mins from the diverse and culturally rich town of Brighton. Applicants must have a Ph.D and research experience in neuroscience (or closely related discipline). A quantitative approach is essential and experience with programming is a distinct advantage. More information about the project is available at https://tinyurl.com/kjtxoq9. Informal enquiries are welcome and can be made to Chris Buckley (c.l.buckley(a)sussex.ac.uk) or Leon Lagnado (l.lagnado(a)sussex.ac.uk) Applications: Please see http://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/jobs/research-fellow-in-systems-neuroscience for more details. Deadline: August 1st PhD Studentship A PhD studentship in Computational and Systems Neuroscience on the same project is available in the groups of Dr Christopher L Buckley (Department of Informatics) and Prof. Leon Lagnado (School of Life Sciences) at the University of Sussex from September 2017. The position will involve computational modeling and “big-data” analysis as well as experiments. Appropriate backgrounds therefore include physical and computational science as well as neuroscience. Experience with programming and a quantitative approach are essential. More information about the project is available at https://tinyurl.com/kjtxoq9. Informal enquiries can be made to Chris Buckley (c.l.buckley(a)sussex.ac.uk) or Leon Lagnado (l.lagnado(a)sussex.ac.uk) Sussex Neuroscience is one of the foremost centers for Neuroscience research in the UK and the University of Sussex has a beautiful campus on the outskirts of the lively South Coast town of Brighton. Application: Please apply through the post-graduate application system of the University of Sussex (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/apply) Please include a brief statement of your scientific interests and skills/experience in the mandatory “research proposal”, including how you would imagine your role in the project (max 2 pages) and include a full CV. Indicate Dr Christopher L Buckley as your preferred advisor and clearly state the title of the studentship. When you apply, please send a copy of your application documents to c.l.buckley(a)sussex.ac.uk. Funding Notes The studentship includes a three year stipend at a standard rate (currently £14,296 per annum) and, in addition, fees at the UK/EU rate. Since the studentship only covers fees at the UK/EU rate, overseas applicants are kindly requested to state in their application how they propose to cover the difference between UK/EU and overseas fees. Deadline: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis but candidates applying before 15 July can be sure to be considered. Christopher L Buckley Lecturer in Neural Computation University of Sussex Department of Informatics Sussex Neuroscience Falmer Brighton, UK email: c.l.buckley(a)sussex.ac.uk twitter: @drclbuckley

June 8, 2017

Registration Open - EPFL Online Course: Simulation Neuroscience I

by Eilif Muller

Dear Colleagues, I would like to bring to your attention this upcoming new course on Simulation Neuroscience we are offering online, leveraging the HBP Brain Simulation Platform. It is the first of 3 planned courses through which we will teach students to construct and simulate data-driven microcircuits, like the Blue Brain cortical model. More details are below. Many thanks for forwarding to students who may be potentially interested. Best regards, Eilif ===== ANNOUNCEMENT ===== The Center for Digital Education of the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland in cooperation with the Blue Brian Project is welcoming students to participate in a new online course entitled: Simulation Neuroscience I - Reconstruction of a single neuron Faculty: Prof. Henry Markram, Prof. Idan Segev, Prof. Sean Hill, Prof. Felix Schuermann, Samuel Kerrian, Lida Kanari, Werner Van Geit, Dr. Srikanth Ramaswamy, Dr. Eilif Muller Abstract: Simulation Neuroscience is an emerging approach to integrate the knowledge dispersed throughout the field of neuroscience. The aim is to build a unified empirical picture of the brain, to study the biological mechanisms of brain function, behaviour and disease. This is achieved by integrating diverse data sources across the various scales of experimental neuroscience, from molecular to clinical, into computer simulations. In a series of three courses, you will learn to use the state-of-the-art modelling tools of the Human Brain Project Brain Simulation Platform to simulate neurons, build neural networks, and perform your own simulation experiments. This is the first course of the series that will teach you how to digitally reconstruct a single neuron. We invite you to join us and share in our passion to reconstruct, simulate and understand the brain! The course is targeted at senior bachelor, master or PhD students in science or engineering fields looking for an introduction to Simulation Neuroscience. It is a 6 week course, with an estimated course load of 5-7 hours per week. The registration deadline is June 13, 2017 The start date of the course is June 15, 2017 Registration is limited due to available compute resources, on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information: https://actu.epfl.ch/news/mooc-simulation-neuroscience-reconstruction-of-a-… ------------- Dr. Eilif Muller Section Manager - In Silico Neuroscience - Experimentation EPFL - Blue Brain Project QIJ 3ème étage CH-1015 Lausanne 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

June 7, 2017

Permanent academic positions in computational neuroscience/ machine learning at assistant and associate professor level

by Eleni Vasilaki

There are two permanent academic openings in the Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, in the area of Computational Neuroscience within the Machine Learning group. Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Reader in Machine Learning and Computational Neuroscience. Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Reader in Machine Learning and Robotics. Lecturer is roughly equivalent to Assistant professor and Senior Lecturer/Reader to Associate Professor in the US system. Since it was established in 1982, the Department of Computer Science at the University of Sheffield has attained an international reputation for its research and teaching. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise, we were ranked 5th out of 89 departments in the UK for computer science research. For more information please see: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dcs/jobs/index Prof. Eleni Vasilaki, DPhil CEng MIET Computer Science, University of Sheffield, www.dcs.shef.ac.uk/~eleni

June 6, 2017

Call for participation and posters: IMOL2017 – Third International Workshop on Intrinsically Motivated Open-ended Learning

by Gianluca Baldassarre <gianluca.baldassarre＠istc.cnr.it>

*** Apologies for cross-posting *** Dear colleagues, this mail is to invite you to "IMOL2017 – Third International Workshop on Intrinsically Motivated Open-ended Learning" that will be held in Rome, October 4th-5th-6h, 2017. IMOL 2017 is the third international workshop on Intrinsically Motivated Open-ended Learning. Following previous editions, IMOL 2017 aims to further explore the promise of intrinsically motivated open-ended lifelong learning in robots and artificial systems. *We are opening the call for participation and posters (more details on the website and below) with deadline July 16th, 2017*. More info available at imol-conf.org and below. Best wishes, the organizers: Gianluca Baldassarre, Vieri Giuliano Santucci, Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, Andrew Barto ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------- *IMOL2017 – Third International Workshop on Intrinsically Motivated Open-ended Learning* Organizers: Gianluca Baldassarre, Vieri Giuliano Santucci, Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, Andrew Barto We are pleased to announce the “Third International Workshop on Intrinsically-Motivated Open-ended Development (IMOL2017)”, which will be held in Rome, Italy, on 4-5-6 October 2017 in a beautiful central location. <http://www.residenzadiripetta.com/it/> All information regarding the workshop, including an extended description of the its scope, can be found in the website imol-conf.org Following two previous workshops, the highly focused “Third International Workshop on Intrinsically-Motivated Open-ended Development (IMOL2017)” aims to further explore the promise of intrinsically motivated open-ended lifelong learning. The workshop aims to be a highly interactive event. To this purpose, it will feature high profile keynote presentations and the participation of an audience of about 60 people. It will foster close interaction among the participants by enabling intense peer-to-peer discussions, poster sessions, and collective round tables directed toward specific objectives. It will take place at a lovely venue in the center of Rome fostering interactions, with evenings devoted to autonomous exploration of the city. It will be followed by a call for papers to be published in an open journal special issue (e.g. a Frontiers in Neurorobotics Research Topic). *Aims of the Workshop* The Workshop will occur over three whole days, with the last session of each day dedicated to a plenary discussion targeting three important topics: (1) The identification of the most important open challenges in the field of autonomous open-ended lifelong learning, with the aim of compiling a list of high-impact goals identified as important next-steps. (2) The definition of one or more benchmarks for evaluating models and architectures for autonomous open-ended learning (at a later date, an open competition will be held based on the benchmark). (3) The identification of the most promising approaches and techniques to tackle the open challenges identified under point (1). *Topics of interest* - Autonomous robots lifelong learning - Multi-task reinforcement learning - Deep reinforcement learning - Intrinsic motivations - Curriculum learning - Goal self-generation - Multiple task solution and parameterized skills - Neural/probabilistic representations and abstractions Architectures for open-ended learning - Goal-based skill learning - Knowledge transfer and avoidance of catastrophic forgetting - Compositionality and chunking - Hierarchies of goals and skills - Mitigating risks of real-world deployment of open-ended learning systems *Current list of invited speakers* - Baldassarre, Gianluca - Barto, Andrew - Bellemare, Marc - Calinon, Sylvain - Cangelosi, Angelo - Konidaris, George - Merrick, Kathryn - Natale, Lorenzo - O’Regan, Kevin - Oudeyer, Pierre-Yves - Peters, Jan - Polani, Daniel - Reinhart, Felix - Rolf, Matthias - Ruecker, Elmar - Santucci, Vieri Giuliano - Stulp, Freek - Triesch, Jochen - Uchibe, Eiji *Call for Application* Participation in the workshop is free of charge and includes the lunches for the three days. However, the workshop is limited to a restricted number of people given the capacity of the venue and the aim of the event. Prospective attendees should express their interest in participating by submitting the form downloadable from the link below, and their willingness (or not) to contribute a poster. In this case, people is also invited to submit a short/extended abstract (max 2 pages), possibly including figures. The submissions will be selected on the basis of the quality and of how well they fit the workshop’s aims. Both senior and young researchers, including Ph.D. students, are encouraged to submit to ensure a full representation of the community. Moreover, applicants are also requested to indicate in the form their willingness to participate in a special issue in Frontiers in Neurorobotics. This request aims to investigate the overall interest for the initiative, which will be followed by a standard Frontiers call after the workshop. Application deadline: July 16th, 2017 Notification of acceptance: July 27th, 2017 Please submit the form downloadable here <http://www.imol-conf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMOL2017_ApplicationFor…> and the optional abstract (subject: “IMOL2017 submission: name, last name”) to: *imol.conf(a)gmail.com <imol.conf(a)gmail.com>* ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------- -- .|.CS...|.......|...............|..|......US.|||.|||||.||.||||..|...|....... Gianluca Baldassarre, Ph.D., Laboratory of Computational Embodied Neuroscience, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (LOCEN-ISTC-CNR), Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, I-00185 Roma, Italy E-mail: gianluca.baldassarre(a)istc.cnr.it Web: http://www.istc.cnr.it/people/gianluca-baldassarre Tel: +39 06 44 595 231 Fax: +39 06 44 595 243 Motto: 'Learn from the past, live in(tensely) the present, dream for the future' Life mission statement: 'Serve humanity through core knowledge' ...CS.|||.||.|||.||..|.......|........|...US.|.|....||..|..|......|.........

June 5, 2017

We're hiring! New open position at LANVIE - University of Geneva

by Margherita Mauri

Dear All, We are recruiting a research assistant/postdoc for a full time position at the LANVIE https://www.unige.ch/medecine/psyat/en/research-groups/935frisoni/ Please find the job description below: * Field: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cognitive disorders 1. Study of AD biomarkers 2. Study of the biological basis of cognitive impairment due to Suspected Non-Alzheimer Pathology (SNAP) and of the interplay between amyloidosis and tau-related Neurodegeneration * Projects: 1. Epinettes database - A clinical database for diagnosis and prognosis of patients consulting at the Memory Clinics of the HUG 2. SNAP - Study of the biological basis of cognitive impairment due to Suspected Non- Alzheimer Pathology 3. Human Brain Project (HBP) - Medical Informatics Platform * Tasks: 1. Image analysis: Analysis of MRI and PET images of the brain finalised to the extraction and study of AD imaging biomarkers and cognitive pathologies (Freesurfer, FSL, Matlab, SPM) 2. Didactics: didactic activities management; MSc student supervision 3. Project management: Clinical ethical submissions; Work and data management; Communication and team management 4. Research tasks: Identification of new research opportunities and submission of project funding applications; presentation of research results according to need, participation in international and local conferences and publication in scientific journals; Identification, development and maintenance of collaborative relationships with current and future KOLs, scientific experts, scientific groups and study sites; Participation in working groups, boards, commission representing a project or the Team ; 5. To be customized basing on CV. Should you are interested in this position, please send your CV, cover letter and list of publication to margherita.mauri(a)unige.ch. Best regards, Margherita Margherita MAURI Assistante de Recherche Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève et Université de Genève LANVIE - Laboratoire de Neuroimagerie du Vieillissement, Chemin du Petit Bel-Air 2 (Bâtiment Voirons) CH 1225 - Chêne Bourg

May 31, 2017

Call for Abstracts: Information Processing in Complex Systems

by Eckehard Olbrich

Call for Abstracts The Information Processing in Complex Systems (IPCS'17 https://ipcs.computationalscience.nl/) satellite meeting is organized during the Conference on Complex Systems. Our objective is to provide a forum for researchers who follow an information-theoretic approach to complex systems. Here they can present recent achievements and discuss promising hypotheses and further research directions. It will be a one-day event in September 20, 2017, as part of the Conference on Complex Systems (CCS'17 <http://ccs17.unam.mx/>). This conference is the official annual conference of the Complex Systems Society and is scheduled to convene in September 17-22, 2017. Background All systems in nature can be considered from the perspective that they process information. Information is registered in the state of a system and its elements, implicitly and invisibly. As elements interact, information is transferred. Indeed, bits of information about the state of one element will travel – imperfectly – to the state of the other element, forming its new state. This storage and transfer of information, possibly between levels of a multi level system, is imperfect due to randomness or noise. From this viewpoint, a system can be formalized as a collection of bits that is organized according to its rules of dynamics and its topology of interactions. Mapping out exactly how these bits of information percolate through the system reveals fundamental insights in how the parts orchestrate to produce the properties of the system. A theory of information processing would be capable of defining a set of universal properties of dynamical multi level complex systems, which describe and compare the dynamics of diverse complex systems ranging from social interaction to brain networks, from financial markets to biomedicine. Each possible combination of rules of dynamics and topology of interactions, with disparate semantics could be translated into the language of information processing which in turn will provide a lingua franca for complex systems. Based on the success of the previous year, IPCS’17 will again combine classical and quantum information approaches. If you would like to attend this scientific discourse then you only need to register for CCS’17. Note that the deadline for early registration is June 15. Abstract Submission We invite abstracts for oral presentations of work where information theory is used to tackle a complex systems problem. Our submission page (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ipcs17) is open until June 30, 2017. Please keep the word count for the abstract to max. 300. There is the possibility to upload an extended anstract (single page pdf, one figure). Organizing committee Rick Quax (University of Amsterdam) Eckehard Olbrich (MPI Leipzig) Mile Gu (Nanyang Institute of Technology) Manlio de Domenico (Universitat Rovira i Virgili) For further informations or questions please contact ipcs17(a)easychair.org -- Dr. Eckehard Olbrich Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences Inselstrasse 22 D-04103 Leipzig Germany Tel.: +49 341 9959 568 Fax: +49 341 9959 658 E-mail: olbrich(a)mis.mpg.de

May 31, 2017

PhD Studentships in Computational Neuroscience

by Steuber, Volker

PhD Positions in Computational Neuroscience Biocomputation Research Group Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research University of Hertfordshire UK Applications are invited for PhD positions in the Biocomputation Research Group at the University of Hertfordshire. Projects involve the development and simulation of models of neurons and neuronal networks to study information processing in the cerebellum or olfactory system and /or the application of machine learning techniques for the analysis of neural data. A description of our research interests and a list of publications can be found on our webpage (http://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk/).? Applicants should have excellent computational and numerical skills and a very good first degree in computer science, biology, maths, physics, neuroscience, or a related discipline. Successful candidates are eligible for a research studentship award from the University (GBP 14,553 per annum bursary plus payment of the 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, 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 Volker Steuber for informal enquiries. Application forms are available under http://www.herts.ac.uk/apply/schools-of-study/computer-science/our-research… and should be returned to Mrs Lorraine Nicholls, Research Student Administrator, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB, Tel: 01707 286083. The short-listing process will begin on 16 June 2017.

May 31, 2017

Extended Deadline: Coupling & Causality in Complex Systems, Sep 25-27, Cologne, Germany

by Michael von Papen

============================================================== CALL FOR PAPERS (*Extended Deadline June 15*, 2017) http://c3s.uni-koeln.de ============================================================== INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: *Coupling and Causality in Complex Systems* September 25-27, 2017, Cologne, Germany -------------------------------------------------------------- The interdisciplinary conference Coupling and Causality in Complex Systems (C3S) is hosted by the Competence Area 3: Quantitative Modeling of Complex Systems of the University of Cologne (UoC), Germany. It is organized by the Institute of Geophysics & Meteorology, UoC, the Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf and the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Research Center Juelich. -------------------------------------------------- *Invited Speakers* Jörg Breitung - Macroeconomic Policy Institute, University of Cologne, Germany David Gross - Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Cologne, Germany Philip Holmes - Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering / Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, USA Ankit Khambhati - Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, USA Laura Marzetti - Department of Neuroscience, Università degli Studi "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti - Pescara Arkady Pikovsky - Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University Potsdam, Germany Michael Rosenblum - Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University Potsdam, Germany Jakob Runge - The Grantham Institute for Climate Change, Imperial College London -------------------------------------------------- *Preliminary Session Program* We will have different sessions with differing topics and each session will be opened by one of the invited speakers. Here is a preliminary version of our program: Session 1 Synchronization I Arkady Pikovsky Session 2 Synchronization II Silvia Daun Session 3 Coupled oscillators I Phil Holmes Session 4 Coupled oscillators II Michael Rosenblum Session 5 Phase coupling Laura Marzetti Session 6 Network structures Ankit Khambati Session 7 Bayesian networks David Gross Session 8 Granger causality I Jörg Breitung Session 9 Granger causality II Esther Florin Session 10 Causal network measures Jakob Runge Further topics of interest for the conference include, amongst others, research and methods development on: functional connectivity, (partial directed) coherence, network topology, graph-theoretic measures, directed graphs, nonlinear dynamics of complex systems, complex spatio-temporal systems, mutual information and transfer entropy. -------------------------------------------------------------- *Scientific Organizing Committee* Silvia Daun - Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Center Jülich, Germany Esther Florin - Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Psychology, Düsseldorf, Germany Joachim Gross - Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Glasgow, UK Michael von Papen - Institute of Geophysics & Meteorology, Cologne, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Center Jülich, Germany -------------------------------------------------------------- *Abstract* Complex systems such as the human brain, Earth’s climate and economy are characterized by a multitude of coupled processes on different spatial and temporal scales. In order to better understand the dynamics of the system at hand each scientific area has developed specific tools to identify, model and quantify these processes. The conference Coupling and Causality in Complex Systems (C3S) will present a collection of these approaches with the aim to provide scientists with new analysis strategies for their field. The conference focuses on how to characterize a complex system and on the methods for estimating and modeling of statistical coupling (e.g. network coherence, creation and modulation of small networks and local or long-range synchronization by cross frequency phase-phase and phase-amplitude coupling) and causality (e.g. Granger causality, transfer entropy). Therefore, data analysts from different study fields including neuroscience, mathematics, physics, biology, and economy will present their approaches with a particular focus on the methods they use. The aim of this conference is to foster discussions and the transdisciplinary exchange of advanced techniques, methods, and algorithms, thereby stimulating potential future collaborations. -------------------------------------------------------------- *PAPER SUBMISSION AND REGISTRATION* Authors are invited to submit conference abstracts with up to 400 words. Authors of exceptional abstracts will be given the opportunity to present their research in a talk. However, poster sessions will be provided with ample time for discussions. For your submission, please use the conference website c3s.uni-koeln.de. To register, please send an email with the subject "registration" to c3s-conference(a)uni-koeln.de. Please be sure to include your full name, your affiliation and whether you qualify as student (also PhD candidates) or not. The registration fee will cover snacks and refreshments during coffee breaks, lunch and a dinner with all participants. Early-bird registration is available until July 10 with a reduced fee of 100 EUR (50 EUR for students), after July 10 the registration fee will be 200 EUR (100 EUR for students). -------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT DATES Paper Submission deadline: June 15, 2017 Author Notification: end June, 2017 Early-bird registration: July 10, 2017 Conference: September 25-27, 2017 ============================================================== Please find the call for papers and more information at the conference website: http://c3s.uni-koeln.de. For questions regarding the conference feel free to contact us via c3s-conference(a)uni-koeln.de. -- ------------------------------------------ UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE Institute of Geophysics & Meteorology Coordinator of Competence Area III: Quantitative Modeling of Complex Systems Dr. Michael von Papen Email: m.papen(a)uni-koeln.de http://www.uni-koeln.de/~vpapenm http://complexsystems.uni-koeln.de ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 30, 2017

Call for Abstracts: Workshop on Social Learning and Cultural Evolution (SlaCE 2017)

by Julien Hubert

Dear Colleagues, This is a call for abstracts for the Second International Workshop on “Social Learning and Cultural Evolution (SlaCE)”, which will be held at ECAL 2017 in Lyon, France. Organizers: Julien Hubert, j.g.hubert(a)vu.nl <mailto:j.g.hubert@vu.nl> Jacqueline Heinerman, j.v.heinerman(a)vu.nl <mailto:j.v.heinerman@vu.nl> Evert Haasdijk, e.haasdijk(a)vu.nl <mailto:e.haasdijk@vu.nl> Chris Marriott, dr.chris.marriott(a)gmail.com <mailto:dr.chris.marriott@gmail.com> James Borg, j.borg(a)keele.ac.uk <mailto:j.borg@keele.ac.uk> Peter Andras, p.andras(a)keele.ac.uk <mailto:p.andras@keele.ac.uk> Submission deadline: June 27, 2017 Notification of acceptance: July 27, 2017 Submission website: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=slace2017 <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=slace2017> Workshop website: http://www.climbinggiants.com/slace/2/index.html <http://www.climbinggiants.com/slace/2/index.html> Contact e-mail: j.g.hubert(a)vu.nl <mailto:j.g.hubert@vu.nl> ********* DESCRIPTION ******** In social species, learning from others, i.e. social learning, is one of the cornerstones of cognitive development. Social learning has been shown to increase the learning speed of individuals, but also enables them to reach a higher performance in comparison with learning individually. Social learning also enables local populations to develop a culture that can evolve over time. Realising social learning in artificial systems faces many challenges requiring inputs from machine learning, robotics and evolutionary biology. The aim of this workshop is to promote discussions on social learning and cultural evolution with a special emphasis on the future of of the field. Social learning has been actively studied in psychology but is still in its infancy in artificial systems. Many open questions remain, such as when is social learning advantageous, or what kind of information should be transferred. These questions have been studied but a consensus has yet to be reached, mainly because of the difficulty to compare results in social learning due to the absence of a common research framework. This workshop is devoted to discuss and establish such a framework that will push the research forward. The core of the workshop will consist of short presentations from contributors on their work in the field (current or historical), collective research goals and milestones in social learning and cultural evolution or new concepts, modelling techniques or research questions. Presenters are encouraged to address any of the following topics (though this list is not exhaustive): - Social Learning Mechanisms - Social Information Transfer - Transfer learning - The interaction between social and non social learning - The interaction between learning and evolution - Environmental Variability, Environmental Complexity, and Social Learning - Social Learning Strategies - Social Learning and Life History Evolution - Models of Learning in Nature - The Evolution of Culture - Communication - Social Networks and Social Contagion on networks - Group structure and learning bias - Social Robotics - Grounded (Animat) models of Social Learning - Do our definitions match those used in other related fields (i.e Imitation, Culture, ...) - Human Cultural Evolution (Cumulative Culture) - Co-operation - Gene-Culture Co-Evolution/ Dual Inheritance Theory - Philosophy of Culture - Memetics The workshop will conclude with a fishbowl discussion on the future of Social Learning and Cultural Evolution research in ALife. We ask potential contributors to submit an extended abstract (1 page). We are open to presenters who are contributing during the main ECAL conference to also talk about their work during the workshop in order to have additional discussions. PhD students and young career academics who are new to the field are encouraged to submit to this workshop. SLACE-2017 will be held on September 4th 2017, at ECAL 2017 Kind Regards, Julien, James, Jacqueline, Evert, Chris and Peter — Julien Hubert, PhD Computational Intelligence Group Computer Science Department Faculty of Sciences - VU University Amsterdam

May 28, 2017

Open position: PhD in signal processing / computational & clinical neuroscience

by Alan

Dear all, Please find an open position for a PhD in signal processing / computational & clinical neuroscience *Project title: ** *NeuroCog – Parkinson action (https://neurocog.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr) Funding body: UGA Contract duration: 3 years Starting date: From September 2017 on. *Job description:* The successful candidate will develop new TMS/EEG methods (acquisition and processing) for early Parkinson’s disease diagnosis that will quantify the impairment of cortical excitability. *Requested expertise: ** *Computer science / Signal processing / Parkinson’s disease / Neuroimaging / Brain stimulation *Project scientific summary:* Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most frequent neurodegenerative disorder. Unfortunately, there is no cure for PD and no neuroprotective treatment and about 95% of patients will become demented within 25 years after the diagnosis. The presentation and evolution of PD is highly heterogeneous between patients and some PD phenotypes are more at risk of having a more severe and progressive course of the disease. In particular, although cognitive deficits are very frequent in old patients, in younger patients it is difficult to predict whether they will develop early cognitive disturbances. For this PhD project, we assume that in PD patients with a subtype characterized by prevalent cognitive issues, the impairment of cortical excitability in the fronto-parietal networks would be a new biomarker detectable at an early disease stage. We will thus study the cortical excitability using innovative methodologies that will be first developed in healthy subjects (Harquel et al, 2016; in press) and then longitudinally tested in a cohort of de novo PD patients. Overall, this project investigates PD phenotypes under a neurophysiological perspective that is highly innovative. *Host research groups:* The main goal of the primary host research group (Brain Stimulation & Systems Neuroscience, PI: Olivier David) is to study large-scale brain networks in order to develop new applications of brain stimulation in the field of psychiatry, movement disorders and epilepsy using a translational approach based on clinical and preclinical research. The secondary host lab (Laboratory of Psychology and Neurocognition, PhD co-director: Dr A. Chauvin) is a Cognitive Science Research Unit affiliated to the CNRS (National Institute of Biological Sciences, section 26) and to two universities (University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble and University of Savoie Mont Blanc, Chambery). Members of the LPNC who compose the TMS group have an interdisciplinary approach which encompasses engineering, experimental psychology; computational and mathematical modelling; neuropsychology; cognitive psychiatry; and neuroimaging. In addition, the PhD fellow will be in constant interaction with the Movement Disorder Unit of CHUGA (PI: Pr E Moro) and other research groups within the NeuroCog project working on the same cohort of PD patients. Very close interactions between experimentalists, methodologists and clinicians, will offer an optimal environment to develop skills of young scientists. Contacts: Dr Olivier David, Research Director, Inserm, Olivier.David(a)inserm.fr. Dr Alan Chauvin, Assistant Professor, UGA, Alan.Chauvin(a)univ-grenoble-alpes.fr. *Please send application including CV, statement of research interests, and the names and full contact details of at least two referees.** * References: Harquel, S., Bacle, T., Beynel, L., Marendaz, C., Chauvin, A., & David, O. (2016). Mapping dynamical properties of cortical microcircuits using robotized TMS and EEG: Towards functional cytoarchitectonics. NeuroImage, 135, 115–124. Harquel, S., Diard, J., Raffin, E., Passera, B., DallIgna, G., Marendaz, C., et al. (In press). Automatized set-up procedure for transcranial magnetic stimulation protocols. NeuroImage -- New E-mail : Alan.Chauvin(a)univ-grenoble-alpes.fr -- Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition LPNC CNRS UMR 5105 Université Grenoble Alpes(UGA) Batiment Science de l'Homme et Math (BSHM) 38041 Grenoble Cedex 09 Alan.Chauvin(a)univ-grenoble-alpes.fr 33 (0) 476 825 926

May 26, 2017

Two Research Associate/Assistant Positions in Interpersonal Neural Connectivity at Cambridge University

by Dr V Leong

--- TWO RESEARCH ASSOCIATE/ASSISTANT POSITIONS IN INTERPERSONAL NEURAL CONNECTIVITY AVAILABLE --- The Baby-LINC Lab at Cambridge University is seeking two highly-skilled and motivated post-doctoral researchers to join our multidisciplinary data analysis team! We have recently completed an ESRC-funded large-scale EEG hyperscanning study on mother-infant neural coupling in relation to early learning. We are interested in understanding the interpersonal neural oscillatory dynamics that underpin different mother-infant social interactional states (such as joint attention versus inattention). We are also interested in characterizing the topology of coupled neural networks during successful learning and information transfer within mother-infant dyads. Candidates should be able to demonstrate strong technical expertise in one or more of the following areas : 1) Neural connectivity analysis 2) Signal processing (artifact identification and denoising) 3) Information theoretic analysis 4) Machine learning (including Bayesian learning) Applicants should have already obtained (or be about to complete) a PhD in a relevant subject, which may include (but is not limited to) the fields of computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, biomedical physics, and engineering. Excellent programming skills are essential as the post-holder(s) will be expected to contribute to the lab’s in-house library of custom-built analysis scripts. Experience with EEG/MEG analysis is desirable. Excellent organisational and communication skills are essential, as the candidate must work well as part of a larger research team which includes international collaborators. This is an exciting opportunity to join pioneering research in the field of interpersonal neuroscience, at a time when there is growing interest and momentum. Two posts are available. One post, appointed through the University of Cambridge, is available at the level of Research Associate (post-doctoral) or Research Assistant (PhD to be awarded), on a 50% part-time basis. A second full-time (100%) post is available at the level of Research Associate only. This second post will be appointed through Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), but the post-holder will be entirely based in Cambridge. All suitable applicants will automatically be considered for both posts, unless the candidate indicates otherwise. We would like both successful candidates to begin as soon as possible, and no later than 1st August 2017, but flexible working arrangements can be considered. Informal enquiries are welcome, and can be made to Dr Victoria Leong by email (vvec2(a)cam.ac.uk) or telephone (+ 44 1223 333567). For further information, and to apply : http://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/13871/ -- Victoria Leong, PhD Assistant Professor of Psychology Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) Affiliated Lecturer Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge (UK)

May 25, 2017

Postdoc in Connectomics at UPenn

by Ragini Verma

Postdoctoral positions in diffusion imaging are available immediately at the Section of Biomedical Image Analysis (SBIA), Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Candidates must have a background in Electrical or Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Math or MR Physics, with experience in diffusion imaging. Knowledge of maine learning techniques is a plus. Current projects involve work on connectomics, multi-compartment models, edema-invariant tractography and joint structural-functional connectivity analysis and their application to brain tumors, traumatic brain injury and autism. Good programming skills is a must. All projects have a strong emphasis on method development (for technical publications) but require subsequent clinical application of the same. The positions call for interaction with clinical collaborators. Please contact the head of the diffusion group, Ragini Verma (Associate Professor of Radiology) at Ragini.Verma(a)gmail.com and Ragini.Verma(a)uphs.upenn.edu <https://mail.uphs.upenn.edu/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=y44JoDKtWxPkUtTXoC_Nf05OEJx…> .

May 25, 2017

2017 Cell Modeling Workshop

by Greg Hood

Dear Colleague, We would like to make you aware of the following workshop to be held at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center: CELL MODELING WORKSHOP Workshop Dates: June 26 - 28, 2017 Application Deadline: June 2, 2017 For more details, or to apply visit: http://mmbios.org/cmw2017 This workshop will cover theory and practice for the design and simulation of cell models focused on diffusion-reaction systems such as neurotransmission, signaling cascades, and other forms of biochemical networks. During the workshop, participants will learn how to use the tools developed by MMBioS to create, run, and analyze models of cellular microphysiology and apply them to their own research questions. This workshop lasts three full days, and attendees are strongly encouraged to bring ideas/data for their own simulation projects. The daily schedule includes theoretical and practical lectures, instructor-guided hands-on tutorials, and opportunities for one-on-one interaction with the instructors on individual project development.

May 25, 2017

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience of perceptual decision-making at UPF (Barcelona)

by Alexandre Hyafil

One fully funded PhD position is available under the supervision of Alexandre Hyafil in the group of Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience of Rubén Moreno Bote. The group is part of the *Center for Brain and Cognition* at the University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain ( https://www.upf.edu/web/ruben-moreno-bote) The candidate will study theoretical models of perception in complex environments and design and analysis human experiments to directly test these models. He/she could also be involved in the design and analysis of animal behavioral and multielectrode neural data. Candidates should have *Physics*, *Mathematics* or *Machine Learning* background, ideally with knowledge of *Neuroscience* or *Computational Neuroscience*, and interested in theory and applications. We will also consider candidates with *Psychology* background interested in computational modeling. The candidate will benefit from the stimulating environment of Barcelona area in Theoretical and Systems Neuroscience. Our lab forms part of a larger network of neuroscience labs in Barcelona (http://www. barcelonaneuroscience.com) Candidates, please send a full CV and an extract of grades for degree and master studies should be sent to alexandre.hyafil(a)upf.edu. Deadline: until the position is filled. Starting date: any time between October 2017 and January 2018.

May 24, 2017

Post-doctoral Position in Computational Neuroscience

by sujith vijayan

The Neural Dynamics and Neural Engineering Lab at Virginia Tech has an opening for a post-doctoral position in computational neuroscience. This position is for three years and is being funded by the Army Research Office (ARO). The research project will involve employing biophysically based computational models to examine the role of rhythmic activity in the expression of emotional memories during behavior and their consolidation during sleep. An additional aim is to employ the models developed to gain insights into the pathophysiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Candidates should have a Ph.D. in applied mathematics, computer science, engineering, computational neuroscience, or a related field. Strong programming skills and/or prior experience in modeling would be an asset. Interested candidates should send a CV, a statement of research interests, and the contact information for three references to svijayan9(a)gmail.com. Arrangements can be made to meet with candidates at the Sleep conference in Boston (June 3-7) or at the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) conference in Pittsburgh (July 10-14). Best, Sujith

May 22, 2017

Postdoctoral Position in Primate Circuits/Systems Neuroscience, Hoffman Lab

by Hoffman, Kari

Postdoctoral Research Position in Neural Circuits of Learning and Memory in Non-human Primates Vanderbilt University, Dr. Kari Hoffman The Perception and Plasticity lab (PI: Kari Hoffman) at Vanderbilt University is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to investigate the neural circuit dynamics underlying memory formation and flexible learning in macaques. Approaches include 1) multi-site electrode array recordings and closed-loop stimulation during visual exploration and 2) high-density wireless recordings during freely-moving tasks and in sleep to identify neural correlates of learning. See http://wp.me/P5TndN-m. Successful candidates will have a PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Neuroscience, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Psychology) and be able to work both independently and as part of a team. Applicants should have experience with macaque behavior or neural ensemble analysis, proficiency in programming/scripting and statistical modeling, and a record of published work related to the areas of interest. The candidate will join a vibrant research community of systems and integrative neuroscience and vision science at Vanderbilt University, including the Vanderbilt Brain Institute and the Vanderbilt Vision Research Center. Vanderbilt University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. The start date is flexible. Funding is available for at least three years. The initial appointment will be for one year, with the opportunity for renewal. Applicants should email kari.hoffman(a)vanderbilt.edu<mailto:kari.hoffman@vanderbilt.edu> with a research statement summarizing area of interest, previous accomplishments, and long-term research goals; a CV; and contact information for three references.

May 19, 2017

BBP- Postdoctoral Position in Neuro-Glia-Vasculature Modeling

by Daniel Keller

BBP- Postdoctoral Position in Neuro-Glia-Vasculature Modeling A postdoctoral position in modeling of neuro-glia-vasculature is available at the Blue Brain Project at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland (www.epfl.ch) The Blue Brain Project, based in Geneva, Switzerland, performs large-scale simulations of the brain. The neuro-glia-vasculature project will extend the model of astrocytes and vasculature to include better prediction of blood flow and energy usage.The position entails development of methods and systems to perform multi-scale modeling and integrate knowledge of the signaling pathways involved in glial messaging. The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience or related field. Experience in modeling of metabolism, blood flow, and/or biochemical signaling cascades is desired. Strong biology and mathematical background, as well as coding competence in Python, C++, and NEURON would also be useful for the position. We are looking for highly motivated individuals to be part of a highly multidisciplinary group working at the interface of neuroscience, physics and computer science. Candidates should possess good writing, collaboration, and communication skills. Selected candidates will join a prestigious project that is pioneering simulation neuroscience research, composed of a young, dynamic, interdisciplinary, and international team. We offer a state-of-the-art working environment based at the Biotech Campus in Geneva ( http://www.campusbiotech.ch/en/ ) with access to cutting edge simulation, informatics and computing facilities. Post-doctoral contracts are generally for one year, renewable for up to two years.Salaries are quite competitive as well, even after taking into account differences in the cost of living. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and a detailed CV in PDF format only, with file name “Surname_position _Cover Letter” and “Surname_positon _CV” electronically to jobs.bbp(a)epfl.ch Please use the reference of the position title in the “object” field.

May 19, 2017

PhD position in computational cognitive neuroscience at University of Groningen

by Marieke van Vugt RUG

Dear colleagues, We have a new PhD position in computational cognitive neuroscience as part of a larger COFUND grant to the Data Science and Systems Complexity centre of the University of Groningen. You will work in an interdisciplinary team of scientists from Cognitive Modeling and Control Engineering (including myself and Prof. Ming Cao), on a project that you will be able to help design. The link to the 18 projects (including the computational cognitive neuroscience project in collaboration with Cardiff University) is http://www.rug.nl/research/fse/themes/dssc/cofund/training/ <http://www.rug.nl/research/fse/themes/dssc/cofund/training/> The DSSC Research Training Programme is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie COFUND action developed at the University of Groningen that will train 10 PhD students for 4 years to be part of the next generation of interdisciplinary data and complexity experts. Brief description of the COFUND project: Today’s world is a highly complex system that is producing massive amounts of data daily. We can only progress towards urgent global priorities such as sustainable energy, personalized healthcare, safety or the creation of the data- driven economy if we can predict and control the dynamic nature of such systems. This challenge calls for an integrated approach that uses data to understand the behaviour of complex systems and for experts who can handle data and complexity problems for society at large. For more details, DSSC COFUND website is www.rug.nl/dssc-cofund <http://www.rug.nl/dssc-cofund>. Applications should be submitted online <http://www.rug.nl/about-us/work-with-us/job-opportunities/overview?details=…> by July 15th. The PhD could start anywhere between October 2017 and March 2018. Kind regards, Marieke van Vugt -------------------------------------------------------------------- Marieke van Vugt, PhD Assistant Professor, Cognitive Modelling Group University of Groningen Bernoulliborg, room 326 Nijenborgh 9 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands phone: +31-6-5195-4984 (cell) +31-50-363-9487 (office) http://www.ai.rug.nl/~mkvanvugt <http://www.ai.rug.nl/~mkvanvugt> twitter: @mvugt m.k.van.vugt(a)rug.nl <mailto:m.k.van.vugt@rug.nl> / mkvanvugt(a)gmail.com

May 18, 2017

SCiNDU conference call for abstracts

by Geoffrey Goodhill

SYSTEMS AND COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE DOWNUNDER (SCiNDU) Joint meeting with the 2017 QBI Plasticity Workshop and the 10th Australasian Workshop on Neuro-Engineering and Computational Neuroscience Dec 13-15th 2017 Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au/scindu Confirmed speakers: Polina Anikeeva (MIT) Bernard Balleine (UNSW) Daphne Bavelier (U Geneva) John Bekkers (ANU) Kwabena Boahen (Stanford) Tobias Bonhoeffer (Max Planck Martinsried) Rosa Cossart (INMED Marseille) Kenji Doya (Okinawa) Adrienne Fairhall (U Washington) Marta Garrido (U Queensland) Alex Pouget (U Geneva) Pankaj Sah (U Queensland) Andre van Schaik (Western Sydney) Rafael Yuste (Columbia) Abstract submissions for poster presentation are welcome, deadline Oct 1st. Some submissions will be selected for oral presentation. See http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au/scindu for more details. 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 http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au/professor-geoffrey-goodhill

May 18, 2017

POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE, TRUCCOLO LAB, BROWN UNIVERSITY

by Wilson Truccolo

Applications for post-doctoral positions are invited for the Laboratory of Dr. Wilson Truccolo in the Department of Neuroscience at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. The positions are for the development of data-driven stochastic models of multiscale neural dynamics. Neural data consist of recordings of ensembles of single-neurons and high-density local field potentials obtained via multiple intracortical microelectrode arrays implanted in human and non-human primates. Current research projects include: (1) Role of neuronal network intrinsic dynamics in encoding and decoding of sensorimotor information. (2) Multiscale neocortical dynamics in human focal epilepsy: seizure transition, propagation and termination. (3) Precursor signatures of focal seizure transitions, prediction and control. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in computational/theoretical neuroscience and modeling of stochastic neural dynamics. Related publications can be found on the Truccolo lab website ( http://www.truccololab.com/ <http://dl.dropbox.com/u/983891/Truccolo_home.htm>). Inquiries should be addressed to Dr. Truccolo (wilson_truccolo(a)brown.edu) Applications including a CV, statement of research interests, and the names and full contact details of three referees should be sent to wilson_truccolo(a)brown.edu. -- Wilson Truccolo, Ph.D. Pablo J. Salame '88 Goldman Sachs Assistant Professor of Computational Neuroscience Department of Neuroscience & Institute for Brain Science, Brown University Lab website: http://www.truccololab.com/

May 17, 2017

CFP: Latin American Workshop on Computational Neuroscience 2017

by Christian Brackmann

------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------- CALL FOR PAPERS Paper Submission Deadline: June 30, 2017 LATIN AMERICAN WORKSHOP ON COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE 2017 November 22-24, 2017 Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. http://www.inf.ufrgs.br/lawcn/ Contact: lawcn2017(a)easychair.org ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------- Computational neuroscience is the study of brain function regarding the information processing properties of the structures that make up the nervous system. It is an interdisciplinary science that links the diverse fields of neuroscience, as cognitive science, medicine, psychology, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics and even philosophy. The Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), located in Porto Alegre, in the south of Brazil, has promoted a more restricted version of this Workshop in November 2012. Since then, participants and investigators in the interdisciplinary fields related to Computational Neuroscience are claiming to resume the realization of this event. In this sense, with a broader scope aiming to encourage young researchers and graduate master and doctorate students in all Latin America, this edition will have three main topics: a) neuroscience, b) neuroengineering and c) artificial intelligence and related techniques. The Workshop will consist mainly of the following activities: 1. presentation of up to 8 key renowned international and national researchers; 2. presentation of up to 50 oral presentations; 3. presentation of poster presentations; 4. presentation of practical applications in neuroscience, both from University and from companies active in the field; and 5. practical demonstration of the A2200 Enigma machine, which belongs to the Informatics Institute, as a special tribute to the 105th Birthday Anniversary of Alan Turing, considered one of the founding fathers of Computer Science. All participants who investigate and contribute to the understanding of the properties of the brain, such as Medicine, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, Psychology, Philosophy and others are welcomed. Issues related to the support of Communication and Information Technology and High-Performance Computing in Neuroscience will receive particular attention. UFRGS is happy to welcome LATIN AMERICAN WORKSHOP ON COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE (LAWCN) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. GENERAL INFORMATION IMPORTANT DATES * June 30, 2017: Submission deadline for papers * August 20, 2017: Notification of acceptance * September 10, 2017: Camera-ready papers and copyrights signatures * November 13, 2017: Digital Posters due, which will be digitally presented * November 22-24, 2017: Workshop, UFRGS - Porto Alegre, Brazil. SCOPE LAWCN 2017 covers all aspects of Computational Neuroscience. Although the interdisciplinary nature of the Conference and the stimulus to work at intersections and the frontiers of different disciplines, for the sake of clarifying the scope of the Workshop, topics will be presented on the three main axes. The interest topics include (but are not limited to): a) Neuroscience: * Sensory processing * Network dynamics * Reinforcement learning * Motivation and decision making * Statistical approaches in neuroscience * Systems Neuroscience * Learning and memory Attention * Arousal of Sensory-Motor Integration Learning in networks * Ethical and philosophical issues related to Neuroscience * Educational issues b) Neuroengineering: * Large-scale recordings * Neural signal processing * Neuromodulation * Neuroprosthetics * Robotics * Biomedical devices development * Humanoid robots * Robots for Elderly People * Sensing in Robotics * Fusion of Sensors * Hardware implementations in Neuroscience * Software implementations in Neuroscience * Brain-Computer Interfaces: design and applications * Ethical and philosophical issues related to Neuroengineering * Educational issues c) Artificial Intelligence and related techniques: * Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Neuroscience * Bioinformatics * Clustering and Applications * Computer Vision, Cognitive and Humanoid Vision * Databases, Data Mining, Intelligent Data Analysis, Knowledge-based Systems and Linguistic Tools * Data Visualization and Applications * Deep Learning * Statistical Pattern Recognition/Document Processing and Recognition * Fuzzy and Hybrid Techniques * Geometric Algebra Application in Perception-Action * High-Performance Computing for Pattern Recognition * Image Coding, Processing, and Analysis * Kernel Machines * Mathematical Theory of Computational Neuroscience * Neural Networks * Parallel and Distributed Applications for Computational Neuroscience * Robotics and Humanoids * Shape and Texture Analysis * Signal Processing and Analysis * Spatio-temporal Analysis * Ethical and philosophical issues related to Artificial Intelligence * Educational issues KEYNOTE SPEAKERS LAWCN Organizing Committee is proud to announce the confirmation of the following invited talks: Dr. Francisco Sotres Bayón, Professor of Neurosciences at the National Autonomous University of México(UNAM), México Title of the talk: Understanding the Brain mechanisms of learned and innate motivational conflicts Dr. Laurence Devillers, Professor of Computer Science at Paris-Sorbonne University, Paris, France Title of the talk: Affective and Social Robotics: engagement, evaluation, and ethics Dr. Sen Cheng, Professor of Computational Neuroscience at the Ruhr University Bochum(RUB), Bochum, Germany Title of the talk: Intrinsic Sequences in the hippocampus for spatial navigation and memory storage Dr. Vinicius Rosa Cota, Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Federal University of São João del-Rei (UFSJ), São João del-Rei, Brazil Title of the talk: Toward a neural prosthesis to the epileptic brain by tackling neural hyper synchronism The confirmation of other invited speakers will be done soon. REGISTRATION FEES - Until 30/06/2017 Undergraduate Student: R$ 100,00 Graduate Student: R$ 150,00 Professionals: R$ 200,00 - Until 13/10/2017 Undergraduate Student: R$ 125,00 Graduate Student: R$ 175,00 Professionals: R$ 225,00 - After 14/10/2017 Undergraduate Student: R$ 150,00 Graduate Student: R$ 200,00 Professionals: R$ 250,00 Registrations can be done at http://www2.fundacaomedica. hcpa.ufrgs.br/siafnet/hinscricoesemcursosv3.aspx? 1598,I+LAWCN+-+LATIN+AMERICAN+WORKSHOP+ON+COM PAPER SUBMISSION AND PUBLICATIONS - Papers should be submitted exclusively through EasyChair website: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=lawcn2017 <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=lawcn2017> - Papers will be evaluated based on their originality, quality, and significance of the theoretical and practical contribution to Computational Neuroscience; - Only papers presented at the conference will be included in the proceedings; - All papers (Short and Full) and Digital Posters must be in PDF format and include abstract, figures, tables and references in the minimum/maximum amount of pages (according to the category desired); - Papers can be submitted in four categories (see image bellow): - Short paper not related directly to Computer Science: - Length: between 3 and 8 pages - Languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese - Short paper related to Computer Science: - Length: between 6 and 8 pages - Language: English - Full paper not related directly to Computer Science: - Length: between 10 and 15 pages - Languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese - Full paper related to Computer Science: - Length: between 10 and 15 pages - Language: English - Papers that are not related directly to Computer Science will be published in the Latin-American Workshop on Computational Neuroscience Proceedings and can be submitted in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Papers that are related to Computer Science will be published in Springer-Verlag Communications in Computer and Information Science (CCIS) Proceedings (ISSN 1865-0929), and the best papers will be indicated to be published in Education, Technology and Culture (ISSN 1808-0588) or IEEE-RITA (ISSN 1932-8540). - Papers (Short and Full) can be selected by the Program Committee for Oral or Poster presentations, regardless its length and category. - At least one author of each accepted paper for oral or poster presentation must register at the conference. If more than one paper per author is accepted, there is an extra registration fee; - Since LAWCN has goals to foster and encourage investigation careers of young and talented researchers, the Program Committee will select the best papers to be published in indexed journals. Contacts with editors have already been made and will continue until the realization of the Workshop to stimulate Science divulgation. - One of the authors must sign and attach a disclosure form if the paper is accepted; - More details about the papers submission process can be found on the Congress web page. LAWCN AWARDS The Program Committee will select the three best oral presentations (one for each main topic of the event) during the workshop. One of the authors of these papers will be entitled to a prize that will consist of amounts up to USD 300 for registration in scientific events in areas related to the Workshop and which occur in 2018, as well as free registration for the next edition of LAWCN. These awards will depend on the amount obtained by the registrations. ORGANIZERS General Chair: Prof. Dr. Dante Augusto Couto Barone, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Deputy General Chair: Prof. Dr. Marino Bianchin, Medicine Faculty, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Organizing Committee: Christian Puhlmann Brackmann IFFAR, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil Dante Augusto Couto Barone UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Eduardo Oliveira Teles IFBA, Camaçari, BA, Brazil Heron Pereira UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Jaime Andres Riascos Salas UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Marino Muxfeldt Bianchin UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Paulo Rogério de Almeida Ribeiro UFMA, São Luís, MA, Brazil Pedro Schestatsky UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Rodrigo Alejandro Sierra UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Program Committee: Alexandre César Muniz de Oliveira, Informatics Department, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, Brazil Antônio Carlos Roque, Physics and Mathematics Department, São Paulo University (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil Areolino de Almeida Neto, Informatics Department, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, Brazil Christian Haag Kristensen, Psychology Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Dante Augusto Couto Barone, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Diana Adamatti, Center of Computational Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil Edson Prestes e Silva Junior, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Eduardo López-Larraz, Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany Eduardo Vicentini de Medeiros, Experimental Philosophy and Cognitive Studies Laboratory, Vale do Rio dos Sinos University (UNISINOS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Fabrício Lima Brasil, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences, Santos Dumont Institute (ELS IINN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Felipe Meneguzzi, Informatics Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Francisco Sotres Bayón, Celular Physiology Institute, National Autonomous University of México (UNAM), México Frederico Augusto Casarsa de Azevedo, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany Gustavo Gauer, Psychology Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Hougelle Simplício Gomes Pereira, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences, Santos Dumont Institute (ELS IINN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Jés de Jesus Fiais Cerqueira, Electrical Engineer Department, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Brazil Jim Tørresen, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo (UiO), Oslo, Norway Juan Verdejo-Román, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain Luciana Porcher Nedel, Informatics Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Luis Fernando Cardenas Parra, Psychology Department, Los Andes University, Bogotá, Colombia Marco Rocha Curado, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany Marcos Yuzuru de Oliveira Camada, Electrical Engineering Graduate Course, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Brazil Marino Muxfeldt Bianchin, Medicine Faculty, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Miguel Perez Garcia, Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain Olavo Amaral, Biochemical Medicine Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Patricio Donnelly Kehoe, Scientific and Technological Center of Rosario, National University of Rosario (UNR),Rosario, Argentina Paulo Rogério de Almeida Ribeiro, Computer Engineering Department, Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), São Luís, Brazil Pedro Schestatsky, Medicine Faculty, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Reinhold Scherer, Institute of Neural Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria Renan Cipriano Moioli, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences, Santos Dumont Institute (ELS IINN), Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Risto Ilmoniemi, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering,Aalto University, Helsinki,Finland Rodrigo Alejandro Sierra, Biosciences Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil Rukiye Uzun, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering,Bulent Ecevit University (BEU), Zonguldak, Turkey Sen Cheng, Computational Neuroscience Institute, Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), Bochum, Germany Silvio Cesar Cazella, Department of Exact and Applied Social Sciences,Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Victor Christian Paredes Cauna, Texas A&M University, Bryan/College Station, USA Vinicius Rosa Cota, Electrical Engineering Department, Federal University of São João del-Rei (UFSJ), São João del-Rei, Brazil

May 17, 2017

Information theory workshop at CNS*2017 -- call for contributed talks

by Joseph Lizier

Dear all, We are pleased to announce the Workshop on Methods of Information Theory in Computational Neuroscience, at CNS*2017, Antwerp, Belgium. The workshop will be held over the final two days of the main conference, July 19 and 20. Our confirmed invited speakers include the following (schedule available soon): * Selin Aviyente, Michigan State University -- "Directed Information: Application to EEG during cognitive control" * Lionel Barnett, University of Sussex -- "Information Transfer in Continuous and Discrete Time" * Karl Friston, University College London -- "Active inference and artificial curiosity" * Renaud Jolivet, University of Geneva -- "Energy-efficient information transfer at synapses" * Lubomir Kostal, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic -- "Reference frame independence as a constraint on the mutual information decomposition" * Joseph T. Lizier, The University of Sydney -- "Estimating information transfer between spike trains" * Daniele Marinazzo, University of Ghent -- "Synergetic and redundant information flow detected by unnormalized Granger causality: application to resting state fMRI" * Jil Meier, Delft University of Technology -- "The epidemic spreading model and the direction of information flow in brain networks" * Viola Priesemann, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-organization, Goettingen -- TBA * Adrià Tauste, Universitat Pompeu Fabra -- TBA * Tatjana Tchumatchenko, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt -- TBA * Taro Toyoizumi, RIKEN Brain Science Institute -- "A Local Learning Rule for Independent Component Analysis" * Raul Vicente, University of Tartu -- TBA Also, we would like to call for contributions of talks (25 min + 5 min Q&A). If you are interested in contributing such a talk, please send a title and abstract to Joseph Lizier (joseph.lizier(a)sydney.edu.au) by Friday June 2, 2017. Please see our website http://bit.ly/cns2017itw for more details. We hope you will join us there! Organising Committee: Joseph Lizier Viola Priesemann Justin Dauwels Taro Toyoizumi Alexander Dimitrov Lubomir Kostal Michael Wibral

May 17, 2017

Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 2017

by Zrinka Gattin

*Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 201**7* *** **Deadline for abstract submission:* June 14, 2017 for abstracts aimed as contributed talks and posters July 31, 2017 abstracts aimed as posters only ************************************************************** Satellite Workshops September 12-13, 2017 Main Conference September 13-15, 2017 PhD Symposium September 12 & 15, 2017 ************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference started out as the annual meeting of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience and has become the largest annual Computational Neuroscience conference in Europe with more than 500 international participants in recent years. This year the conference is organized by the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Göttingen. The main conference (Sep 13-15, 2017) will be accompanied by satellite workshops (Sep 12-13, 2017) and a PhD symposium (Sep 12 & 15, 2017). An important part of the main conference will be the two poster sessions. We are now inviting the submission of abstracts from all relevant areas. Authors of most accepted abstracts will get the chance for a poster presentation, a small number of abstracts will be selected for contributed talks during the main conference. Please note the earlier submission deadline for authors applying for a talk. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). *DETAILS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION:* Please note that the submission of an abstract does not replace the conference registration (www.bernstein-conference.de/registration <http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/registration>). Poster space is limited and early submission is encouraged. For abstract submission visit: www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2017/abstracts <http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/abstracts> *ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINES:* Posters to be considered as contributed talks: June 14, 2017 Other posters: July 31, 2017 *TRAVEL GRANTS* To support the participation of young researchers at the Bernstein Conference, the Bernstein Coordination Site offers 10 Travel Grants, each endowed with 500 €. Please find further information under www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2017/travel-grant <http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/travel-grant> This year for the first time, the Bernstein Association offers Travel Grants for participation in the Bernstein Conference. Each of the 10 Travel Grants is endowed with 500 €. Please find further information under the link:www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2017/travel-grant *CONFERENCE DETAILS:* Conference registration is *OPEN* Early registration deadline: July 09, 2017 *ACCOMMODATION AND HOTEL RESERVATION:* *We strongly recommend early room booking!* *The number of available accommodation is limited due to several concurrent events. And many Hotels in Göttingen are already booked out for that week!* 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 (http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2017/venue/accommodation) 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). Many expiration dates are already mid of June 2017. We strongly encourage participants to share rooms and to book rooms as a group. *We emphasize that it will be very difficult to book accommodation beyond the expiration dates. * Please find a list of the hotels at our Accommodations Website. VENUE Satellite Workshops, Main Conference and PhD Symposium: The Central Lecture Hall (ZHG), Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany VENUE Public Lecture: Alte Mensa, Wilhelmsplatz 1, 37073 Göttingen, Germany, September 13, 2017, 8 pm For more information on the conference, please visit the websitehttp://www.bernstein-conference.de We are looking forward to welcoming you in Göttingen! Program chair: Fred Wolf Koordinator: Zrinka Gattin Co-Organizers: Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS): Alexandra Stein, Kerstin Schwarzwaelder -- Dr Zrinka Gattin Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN) Goettingen Bernstein Focus Neurotechnology (BFNT) Goettingen PhD Program in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience Am Fassberg 17 D-37077 Goettingen Phone: +49 (0)551 5176 418 Fax: +49 (0)551 5176 14418 E-Mail:zrinka@nld.ds.mpg.de

May 17, 2017

Abstract submission and registration open for Integrated Systems Neuroscience 2017 meeting (September 7-8, Manchester, UK)

by Mark Humphries

We are excited to announce that registration and abstract submission is open for the second Integrated Systems Neuroscience meeting (7-8th September 2017, Manchester, UK) For registration and abstract submission information, please visit: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/conferences-meetings/isn2017/ Deadlines: Abstract submission: June 30th 2017 (Decision: July 28th) Registration: August 11th Meeting information: The goal of this meeting is to present the state-of-the-art in integrated systems and computational approaches to key neural circuits. A poster session with wine reception will be held on the first evening. Confirmed speakers: Rune Berg (Copenhagen University) Tiago Branco (Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits) Neil Burgess (Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL) Megan Carey (Champalimaud Institute, Lisbon) Claudia Clopath (Imperial College, London) Kate Jeffery (UCL) Christian Machens (Champalimaud Institute, Lisbon) Jonathan Pillow (Princeton) Simon Peron (New York University) Manuel Zimmer (IMP, Austria) Organisers: Mark Humphries & Rasmus Petersen (University of Manchester) Sponsors: we gratefully acknowledge the support of the Medical Research Council _____________________________________________________________________________ Dr Mark Humphries | MRC Senior non-Clinical Research Fellow | Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health http://www.systemsneurophysiologylab.manchester.ac.uk/

May 16, 2017

One PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience at the University of Bremen, Germany

by David Rotermund

The Computational Neuroscience lab at the University of Bremen headed by Dr. Udo Ernst offers a PhD position in the field of Neural Network Modelling and Data Analysis. Successful candidates will join an international research group dealing with Neural Dynamics, Criticality in Neural Systems, Information Processing and Feature Integration in the Visual System (www.bernstein.uni-bremen.de) The project in the SPP 1665 "Resolving and manipulating neuronal networks in the mammalian brain - from correlative to causal analysis" funded by the DFG is entitled: "Interareal phase coherence as a mechanism for attention-dependent neuronal signal routing" The visual system selectively processes information in dependence on the current behavioral task. However, the neural mechanisms underlying flexible computation in the brain are presently not known. In our troica project, engineers, neurobiologists and theoreticians collaborate to investigate this important topic for understanding brain function. Your task will be to build and to simulate selective information processing in neural models of the visual system, and to compare your results to data from electrophysiological recordings and intracortical microstimulation performed in rats and macaque monkeys. You will work in a highly interdisciplinary, exciting research environment which is embedded into the "Schwerpunktsprogramm 1665" funding twelve similar projects throughout Germany (http://www.spp1665.de) The position is funded with a salary comparable to a 65 % TVL13 position and comes with support for 3 years and direct supervision by the principal investigator. Ideal candidates have a MSc in Neuroscience, Physics, or Computer Sciences. They must have a strong background in physics and/or computational neuroscience and solid programming experience, ideally in Matlab or Python. Above all, they must have a strong motivation, a sense for responsibility, interest for detailed analysis, and a distinct desire to learn. Fluency in English is required (both written and spoken). If you are interested, please send your complete application at your earliest convenience by e-mail (see detailed instructions below) to ajanssen(a)neuro.uni-bremen.de. Severely disabled applicants and women with essentially identical and personal suitability will be preferentially selected. === Detailed instructions for applicants === Your application must comprise: == Motivation letter == Your 1-2 page essay should reply the following questions: * What is your background? In which fields have you worked before and how do you think this can be useful for the present job? * What attracts you to the field of neuroscience? * Which problem(s) in neuroscience are you most interested in? * Which kind of person are you (e.g. creative, analytic, communicative, pragmatic, etc.) and how do you approach a research problem? * What are your plans for your future career? == Curriculum Vitae == Send a classical tabular CV with your contact details, your date-of-birth, a current photograph, and all stages of education and employment. == List of skills, awards, publications == List your skills, especially proficiency in languages (including the level of proficiency), that you think might be useful for the job. Also list awards you might have got and peer-reviewed papers, in case there are some. == Contact details of two academic references == One of the references should be your MSc advisor. Please contact the references prior to listing their names so that they are not surprised if they get contacted. Your application can be in English or German, whatever language you are more familiar with. Please send your application to ajanssen(a)neuro.uni-bremen.de! All documents must be in PDF format and must not be compressed. Combine all documents to a single PDF file or at least name the separate files appropriately. If we find your application interesting, we will let you know within three to four weeks and potentially ask for more documents.

May 16, 2017

Postdoctoral position (Cogn Neuro) in Milwaukee, WI

by Adam S Greenberg

Please email me If you'd like to meet face-to-face to discuss this position during the 2017 Vision Sciences Society Meeting in Florida. Postdoctoral Research Position in Cognitive Neuroscience Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee The Sensory Neuroscience, Attention, & Perception Laboratory (SNAP Lab) of Dr. Adam Greenberg is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to begin late Summer/early Fall 2017 (flexible start date). We study the neural mechanisms of attention and perception in humans using a large range of cognitive neuroscience tools including neuroimaging (fMRI, diffusion imaging), TMS, computational modeling, and neuropsychological methods. Please find additional laboratory details at http://snaplaboratory.com. This fully funded position was created to coincide with multiple grant-funded studies of visual/auditory attention in both normal volunteers and cancer patients. Thus, a wide range of specific projects are possible along with the possibility of writing manuscripts on existing data. New project development is also strongly encouraged. Successful candidates will have a PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, etc.), should be highly motivated, and able to work both independently and as part of a team. Experience with TMS is especially desirable, as is a strong background in attention and perception. Experience with other techniques used in the lab are welcome but not required. Proficiency in programming/scripting (e.g., MATLAB, Linux shells) is necessary. Initial appointment will be full-time for one year, with renewal contingent upon productivity. UW-Milwaukee is an R1 (Carnegie Classification) public, urban research university. Neuroscience faculty in the department cover a large range of research including the neurobiology of learning & memory, aging, addiction, sleep, emotion, and of course attention and perception. The program has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years, particularly in cognitive neuroscience, and is an integral part of a large neuroscience community in the Milwaukee area. Milwaukee is a vibrant, affordable city on the shores of Lake Michigan (90 miles from Chicago) with a high quality of life and a thriving urban culture, food, arts, & music scene. An award-winning network of parks and biking/hiking trails allow for plentiful outdoor activities during all seasons. Applications should be addressed to Adam Greenberg (by email to SNAPLab-Postdoc(a)uwm.edu<mailto:snaplab-postdoc@uwm.edu>) including (1) a statement of research interests that discusses your fit with the lab, (2) a current CV, and (3) the names/emails of three references. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. ___________________________ Adam Greenberg, Ph.D. Assistant Professor University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Psychology P.O. Box 413 Milwaukee, WI 53201 email: agreenb(a)uwm.edu<mailto:agreenb@uwm.edu> Tel. (414) 229-1106 Fax (414) 229-5219 http://www.snaplaboratory.com/ Twitter: @SNAPLabUWM ___________________________

May 15, 2017

Fully funded PhD position on computational methods for brain connectivity analysis

by Diego Sona

We are seeking candidates for a PhD position entitled “Computational Methods for Brain Connectivity Analysis” which mainly concerns with the development of novel approaches (based on pattern recognition and machine learning methodologies) for the brain connectivity analysis of neuroimaging data (fMRI, rsMRI, DTI, MEG, EEG, etc.). The PhD grant is jointly supported by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT). The research activity will take place at the Neuroinformatics Laboratory (NILab, https://nilab.fbk.eu/ <https://nilab.fbk.eu/>) and the Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision Department (PAVIS, http://pavis.iit.it/ <http://pavis.iit.it/>). NILab is an interdisciplinary laboratory raised as joint initiative between the Centre for Information Technology of FBK and the Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences of University of Trento (CIMeC, http://www.cimec.unitn.it <http://cimec.unitn.it/>). The applicant should have a strong background in machine learning and pattern recognition methodologies with a keen interest in neuroscience. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary environment. Interested candidates are invited to contact Paolo Avesani (avesani(a)fbk.eu <mailto:avesani@fbk.eu>) and Diego Sona (diego.sona(a)iit.it <mailto:diego.sona@iit.it>) by emailing their CV and a short statement of interest in this position. The candidates must in any case formally apply for the PhD grant following the instructions in the call published by Università degli studi di Trento (see the application webpage http://ict.unitn.it/application/ict_doctoral_school <http://ict.unitn.it/application/ict_doctoral_school>) referring to position A3. Deadline for formal application is May 31, 2017, hrs. 04.00 PM (Italian time, GMT +2) For further information on the position and the application process refers to the following links http://ict.unitn.it <http://ict.unitn.it/application/ict_doctoral_school> http://ict.unitn.it/application/project_specific_grants <http://ict.unitn.it/application/project_specific_grants>

May 11, 2017

Deadline extended to 21st May: Joint OCCAM / socSMC Workshop on "Mechanisms and models of social interaction"

by Peter König

Deadline for abstract submission and registration extended to 21st May! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ OCCAM / socSMC Workshop on "Mechanisms and models of social interaction" in Osnabrück from the 6th to 8th July 2017 (http://www.occam-os.de/occam.html) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tamil Asfour*, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Verena Hafner*, Humboldt-Universität of Berlin Ivan Herreros*, UPF Barcelona Concetta Morrone*, University of Pisa Bernhard Hommel*, Leiden University Ivana Konvalinka*,Technical University of Denmark Simone Schütz-Bosbach*, LMU Munich Markus Siegel*, University Tübingen Luciano Fadiga*, University of Ferrara Tobias Heed*, University of Bielefeld Basil Wahn*, Osnabrück University Ophelia Deroy*, University of London Susan Brennan, Stony Brooks University Thomas Metzinger*, University Mainz Merle Faihurst*, University of London Hauke Heekeren*, Free University Berlin The OCCAM (Osnabrück Computational Cognition Alliance Meeting) is organized by Gordon Pipa, Frank Jäkel and myself and brings together well established outstanding researchers as well as young promising scientists. This year, the 6th workshop of the series, jointly with the socSMCs project and coordinates with Andreas Engel (http://socsmcs.eu/) we focus on social interactions. The topic comprises theoretical, computational, physiological and robotics approaches. The program includes full length talks (see above), student presentations, a poster session, guided poster tours and a public talk to the general audience. We go to great length to actively involve all participants. Furthermore, there will also be time for informal discussions. Osnabrück is a charming town with a long history many places worth visiting (https://www.osnabrueck.de/english.html) It is conveniently located at the intersection of major train routes and has a local airport with good connections to major hubs (Frankfurt, Munich, London-City Airport) as well as a selection of further direct connections. More detailed travel information can be at http://www.occam-os.de/travel-info.html. We'd be happy if this meeting is of interest to you or your students and hope to welcome you in Osnabrück in summer 2017. Best, Peter, Gordon, Frank & Andreas -- Prof. Dr. Peter König Institute of Cognitive Science University Osnabrück Wachsbleiche 27 49090 Osnabrück +49 541 969 2399 http://cogsci.uni-osnabrueck.de/~NBP/

May 11, 2017