- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Conference announcement: "The neuroscience of decision-making"
by Paul Cisek Jan. 28, 2016

Jan. 28, 2016

38th International Symposium of the GRSNC The neuroscience of decision-making May 2-3, 2016 Université de Montréal WEBSITE: <http://www.grsnc.umontreal.ca/38s/> http://www.grsnc.umontreal.ca/38s/ PROGRAM: <http://www.grsnc.umontreal.ca/38s/prog_e.html> http://www.grsnc.umontreal.ca/38s/prog_e.html REGISTRATION: <http://appl.grsnc.umontreal.ca/en/symposium/38s/registration.cfm> http://appl.grsnc.umontreal.ca/en/symposium/38s/registration.cfm POSTER: <http://www.grsnc.umontreal.ca/38s/38s_poster.pdf> http://www.grsnc.umontreal.ca/38s/38s_poster.pdf We are pleased to announce the 38th symposium of the Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central (GRSNC) which is entitled "The neurosciences of decision-making". This symposium will be held on May 2-3, 2016 at the Université de Montréal, Pavillon 3200 Jean-Brillant, room B-2245 and the organizers are Drs Paul Cisek (UdeM), Alain Dagher (McGill), Lesley Fellows (McGill), John Kalaska (UdeM) et Peter Shizgal (Concordia). Research on the neural bases of decision-making has experienced a rapid growth in the last 20 years. It addresses a great diversity of questions, ranging from how animals weigh the costs and benefits of different actions to what goes wrong when humans exhibit maladaptive behavior, such as in addiction. In this symposium, we will discuss cutting-edge research on this topic, reviewing the progress that has been made and addressing the central open questions facing this rapidly developing field. In planning the sessions, we have paid particular attention to issues that stretch from the most basic neuroscience all the way to clinical applications. We will highlight converging evidence from the full range of neuroscientific methods applied in this field, considered within a diversity of conceptual frameworks. There will be four sessions of presentations by invited speakers from around the world as well as two contributed poster sessions. The presentations are regrouped in for sessions: * Brain representations of value: Common or multiple (Chairperson: Peter Shizgal) * Encoding and learning values: Neural and computational mechanisms (Chairperson: Alain Dagher) * Decision in the wild (Chairperson: John Kalaska) * Diseases and deviances (Chairperson: Lesley Fellows) Lecturers: Joshua D. Berke, Thomas Boraud, Paul Cisek, Alain Dagher, Peter Dayan, Nathaniel Daw, Lesley Fellows, J. Randall Flanagan, Michael J. Frank, Karl Friston, Hugh Garavan, Paul W. Glimcher, Joseph Kable, Elizabeth A. Murray, Michael L. Platt, David Redish, Michael N. Shadlen, Peter Shizgal, Daphna Shohamy and Jonathan D. Wallis. Submissions are invited for poster presentations. The deadline for submission is March 31, 2016 We would appreciate if you could forward this message to colleagues and students. Manon Dumas for the organizing committee Groupe de recherche sur le système nerveux central (GRSNC) Université de Montréal Département de neurosciences Pavillon Paul-G.-Desmarais, bureau 4115 Courriel: <mailto:m.dumas@umontreal.ca> m.dumas(a)umontreal.ca Téléphone: (514) 343-6366 Télécopieur: (514) 343-6113

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Research Internship position at Numenta
by Subutai Ahmad Jan. 28, 2016

Jan. 28, 2016

RESEARCH INTERNSHIP POSITION IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING NUMENTA, Inc. About Numenta: Numenta was founded in 2005 and is a leader in the emerging field of machine intelligence. Its biologically inspired technology is based on a detailed and evolving theory of the neocortex first described in co-founder Jeff Hawkins’ book, On Intelligence. The current technology can be applied to anomaly detection in servers and applications, human behavior, and geo-spatial tracking data. Numenta is focused on understanding the computational principles behind the cortex in detail, and implementing practical systems that operate on those principles. NuPIC, Numenta's open source code base, is one of the top three most active machine learning projects on Github. For more details, please see www.numenta.com Job description: The Research Group at Numenta is looking for outstanding MS or PhD students or other research scientists for a paid internship during the Spring, Summer or Fall 2016. We are looking for candidates with expertise in Machine Learning, Computational Neuroscience and/or Natural Language Processing. Preference given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas: sequence learning, natural language processing, neuron modeling, and computational models of cortex. Numenta's interns will get exposure to all aspects of Hierarchical Temporal Memory (HTM) learning algorithms, participate in leading edge research in computational neuroscience, and get full clearance to publish their work and research source code. The internship commitment is for 3 to 4 months full time (longer appointments up to one year may be possible). We are located in Silicon Valley (Redwood City, CA). What you can expect to learn and how you might contribute: - The challenges of designing and implementing detailed models of cortical function that can be applied to real-world problems - Gain experience solving hard problems in domains such as natural language processing, streaming analytics, sensorimotor inference, and/or reinforcement learning - Participate in designing functional models of Layers 2/3, 4, 5, and 6, thalamocortical circuits, feedback circuits, and sensorimotor processing - Learn how to contribute to a top open source project, and improve your software engineering skills - Obtain a detailed understanding of Hierarchical Temporal Memory Desired qualifications: - Currently enrolled in a PhD program, or a recent PhD graduate, or equivalent research experience - Strong research background in machine learning or machine intelligence - Strong research background in computational neuroscience - Excellent algorithmic problem solving skills, and the ability to implement solutions in Python, C/C++, Java, etc. - Established track record of publications in leading peer reviewed conferences and journals - Excellent programming skills - Working knowledge of HTM algorithms a plus - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to work in a team oriented environment - A belief that the best way to build intelligent machines is to understand the cortex How to apply: Qualified applicants should send the following to interns(a)numenta.com: - Cover letter describing their specific interest in Numenta. Please include any relevant experience with HTM algorithms or NuPIC. - Resume or CV, including list of relevant courses and published papers. Numenta is an equal opportunity employer supporting workforce diversity. IMPORTANT NOTE: Numenta is unable to consider internship applications from international researchers unless they are US Citizens, hold a Green Card, or are currently enrolled in a US University and eligible for OPT.

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Postdocs integrated into the Human brain Project – specifically data-driven modeling at the subcellular or network levels, or tool development/support
by Jeanette Hällgren Kotaleski Jan. 28, 2016

Jan. 28, 2016

Dear Colleagues, dear all, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, is currently recruiting postdocs to be working within the Human Brain Project. 1) Postdoc/application expert – specifically development of brain modeling tools: Specifically for the current position software applications providing user-friendly interface to cellular-level modelling tools will be developed, supported and used. These will include an optimization framework (for fitting electrical models of neurons to their observed electrical behaviour) and also a morphology pipeline (the tool used to analyse and validate neuron morphologies). More info and how to apply at: https://intra.kth.se/en/anstallning/karriar/karriar-och-kompetensutveckling… 2) Postdoc in computational systems (neuro)biology – specifically synaptic plasticity and neuromodulation: Specifically for the above position data-driven modeling of receptor induced cascades such as GPCR dependent cascades involved in neuromodulation and synaptic signaling will be done. More info and how to apply at: https://intra.kth.se/en/anstallning/karriar/karriar-och-kompetensutveckling… 3) Postdoc in brain simulations - specifically motor control and selection of behaviour: Specifically for the position, modeling of motor control and learning with basal ganglia as important components will be done. The modeling tools are mainly Nest and Neuron. More info and how to apply at: https://intra.kth.se/en/anstallning/karriar/karriar-och-kompetensutveckling… All the best, Jeanette Hellgren Kotaleski Prof, School of Computer Science and Communication, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm

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Master in Brain and Cognition focus on Computational Neuroscience
by Ruben Moreno Bote Jan. 28, 2016

Jan. 28, 2016

Master in Brain and Cognition focus on Computational Neuroscience, Barcelona, Spain. Call for applicants. The Master in Brain and Cognition being offered at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona Spain (http://www.upf.edu/mbc/) opens the rolling application period (deadline is 26th of June 2016). The core of the master's programme is composed of the research groups at UPF's Center for Brain and Cognition (http://cbc.upf.edu) In this email, we emphasize the possibility of participation of outstanding candidates with strong quantitative background, such as physics, mathematics or machine learning eager to learn about computational neuroscience. Candidates with these backgrounds could perform research activity with the following experts in computational neuroscience: Gustavo Deco (http://cns.upf.edu/) Albert Compte (http://complab.fcrb.es/complab/pres) Rubén Moreno-Bote (https://portal.upf.edu/web/ruben-moreno-bote) Overall, the groups participating at the Master are directed by renowned scientists in areas such as computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, psycholinguistics, vision, multisensory perception, human development and comparative cognition https://www.upf.edu/mbc/who_are_we2.html . Students will be exposed to the ongoing research projects at the Center for Brain and Cognition and will be integrated in one of its main research lines, where they will conduct original research for their final project. Please visit the Master’s web page or contact mbc(a)upf.edu for further information. Scientific-related questions such as fit of quantitative backgrounds can be consulted to Rubén Moreno-Bote, ruben.moreno(a)upf.edu -- Rubén Moreno Bote Serra Húnter Professor Dept. of Information and Communication Technologies University Pompeu Fabra La Nau building, office 51017 08018 Barcelona, Spain http://www.upf.edu/pdi/ruben-moreno-bote

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Computational & Cognitive Neuroscience Summer School, in Shanghai
by Murray, John Jan. 28, 2016

Jan. 28, 2016

We are pleased to announce the 6th Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN) Summer School which will take place July 9-27, 2016, on the campus of NYU-Shanghai in Shanghai, China. Designed to emphasize higher cognitive functions and their underlying neural circuit mechanisms, the course aims at training talented and highly motivated students and postdoctoral fellows from Asia and other countries in the world. Applicants with quantitative (including Physics, Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science) or experimental background are welcomed. The lectures will introduce the basic concepts and methods, as well as cutting-edge research on higher brain functions such as decision-making, attention, learning and memory. Modeling will be taught at multiple levels, ranging from single neuron computation, microcircuits and large-scale systems, to normative theoretical approach. Python-based programming labs coordinated with the lectures will provide practical training in important computational methods. Course information is available on the CCN official website: www.ccnss.org<http://www.ccnss.org> Applications are being accepted now through the Cold Spring Harbor Asia website: http://www.csh-asia.org/2016meetings/s-cosyne16.html The application deadline is March 15. Organizers: - Xiao-Jing Wang (New York University) - Zach Mainen (Champalimaud Neuroscience Program) - Si Wu (Beijing Normal University) - Eric DeWitt (Champalimaud Neuroscience Program) - John D. Murray (Yale University) Lecturers: - Yang Dan (University of California, Berkeley) - Gustavo Deco (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) - Stanislas Dehaene (College de France) - Bob Desimone (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) - Michael Hausser (University College London) - Quentin Huys (University of Zurich) - Razvan Pascanu (Google) - Philip Sabes (University of California, San Francisco) - Mariano Sigman (Universidad Torcuato Di Tella) - Mike Shadlen (Columbia University) - Misha Tsodyks (Weizmann Institute) - Daniel Yamins (Stanford University) Feel free to direct any questions to: john.murray(a)yale.edu<mailto:john.murray@yale.edu>

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Postdoctoral research position at the University of Houston
by Kresimir Josic Jan. 27, 2016

Jan. 27, 2016

We are looking for a postdoctoral associate with a background in applied mathematics and/or computational neuroscience. The successful applicant will work with Krešimir Josić at the University of Houston and Zack Kilpatrick at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The goal of the project is to use linear response theory and its extensions to predict how patterns of activity and structure of neuronal networks co-evolve. This is a collaborative project with Brent Doiron (Pitt) and Eric Shea-Brown (UW, Seattle). This position is expected to run September 1, 2016 through August 31, 2018. Interested applicants can apply online at at the University of Houston jobs website: https://jobs.uh.edu/postings/28856 <https://jobs.uh.edu/postings/28856> Please contact Krešimir Josić (josic(a)math.uh.edu <mailto:josic@math.uh.edu>) or Zack Kilpatrick (zpkilpat(a)math.uh.edu <mailto:zpkilpat@math.uh.edu>) if you have any questions. The University of Houston is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution. Minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Additionally, the University prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

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4th Baltic-Nordic Summer School on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2016)
by Daniel Wójcik Jan. 27, 2016

Jan. 27, 2016

4th Baltic-Nordic Summer School on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2016) Understanding neurons, cognition and behavior through neuroinformatics Place: Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, and Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw Warsaw, Poland Time: June 15-18, 2016 More information and applications at http://bit.do/bnni2016 Important dates: 21 February 2016 Application deadline 13 March 2016 Acceptance notification 15-18 June 2016 Summer School We invite advanced master students, doctoral students, and postdoctoral researchers to participate in the BNNI 2016 to be held at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology and the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw. The course is interdisciplinary and covers modeling at different levels of organization of the brain, analysis of neural data, brain atlases, and other aspects of neuroinformatics. The course combines lectures, tutorials and computer exercises. This summer school is the fourth in the series of the Baltic-Nordic Courses on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2013 in Kaunas, BNNI 2014 in Tampere, BNNI 2015 in Tartu). The target audience of the course will be advanced master students, doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers in natural and life sciences, from physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, informatics and information technology, to biology, medicine, and psychology, who would like to get an introduction to neuroinformatics and computational neuroscience. Some experience with programming and quantitative reasoning as well as strong interest in computational and mathematical modeling of the brain are required to benefit from the school. Faculty includes Piotr Durka, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland Gaute Einevoll, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway Bruce Graham, University of Stirling, United Kingdom Marja-Leena Linne, Tampere University of Technology, Finland Szymon Łęski, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland Arnd Roth, University College London, UK Ausra Saudargiene, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania Eleni Vasilaki, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom Daniel Wójcik, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland Jarosław Żygierewicz, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland Venue The lectures will be held at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the computer classes in the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw. The two buildings are next to each other, they are located at the center of Ochota campus, encompassing a number of university departments and research institutes. Practical arrangements There is a small tuition fee of 100 euros. The organizers will provide teaching, meals and coffee during the course. The participants are expected to cover their travel and health insurance expenses as well as lodging. Small financial support is available for those without funding. Inexpensive lodging for all the students will be organized. The course is supported by the IBRO-PERC committee, University of Warsaw, and the Nencki Institute We are looking forward to welcome you at the BNNI 2016 in Warsaw, Poland! -- Prof. Daniel K. Wojcik Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Head PhD Studies, Head Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology 3 Pasteur St, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland tel: (+48 22) 5892348 fax: (+48 22) 8225342 skype: danek8317 http://dwojcik.pl/ http://neuroinflab.wordpress.com/ http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0812-9872

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Announcement of job opening: Scientist (postdoctoral) position on analysis of Electron Microscopy datasets
by Nuno da Costa Jan. 26, 2016

Jan. 26, 2016

Dear Sir/Madam I would like to announce the following job opening in computational neuroscience mailing list POSITION SUMMARY We are seeking a neuroscientist to lead the effort in image processing , reconstruction and analysis of large scale Electron Microscopy datasets. The scientist will be an essential member of the Neural Coding team studying the relationship between neural circuits and neural dynamics by combining in vivo functional imaging with ex vivo state of the art Electron Microscopy. JOB RESPONSIBILITIES · Collaborate with others to develop a scalable and high throughput image processing pipeline for peta-scale Electron Microscopy datasets. · Collaborate with others to develop a workflow for morphological reconstruction of Electron Microscopy datasets. · Work closely with a team of anatomists, physiologists, theoreticians and modelers to analyze and interpret the relationship between structure and function in cortical networks. · Publish/present findings in peer-reviewed journals/scientific conferences. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS · PhD in Computer Science, Neuroscience, Physics, Biology or related scientific field. (Required) · Excellent programming skills (Required) · A strong interest in understanding neuroanatomy and functional connectivity. (Required) · Experience with large scale datasets. (Preferred) · Experience with Electron Microscopy. (Preferred) Many thanks Nuno Nuno Macarico da Costa Assistant Investigator T: 206.548.8437 [cid:5047F5CE-4C9A-45E6-A13D-A46F96F5F6E6] www.alleninstitute.org<http://www.alleninstitute.org/>

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Sense 2 Synapse Conference, Saturday April 16, The Rockefeller University, New York City
by Christoph Kirst Jan. 26, 2016

Jan. 26, 2016

Dear all, *Sense 2 Synapse* is back and is going to be held on *Saturday, April 16* at *The Rockefeller University,**New York City*, Carson Family Auditorium this year Our confirmed keynote speakers are: *Jeffrey Holt (Harvard University) Vanessa Ruta (Rockefeller University) Anthony Zador (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) Mike Shadlen (Columbia University)* Sense to Synapse is an annual conference for scientists working on the biology of sensory transduction, subsequent neural processing and perception. Primary target audience are scientists from New York-tristate area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut), but the event is open to everyone interested in sensory systems. Please save the date; registration will open soon on sense2synapse.com <http://sense2synapse.com>. Give a short talk, present a poster, or just come to network with other scientists. As usual we will have great food, coffee and science. Information on last years event can be found here: http://sense2synapse.com/html/about.html. We hope to see you there! Christoph Krist Tobias Bartsch Gonzalo Otazu (Organizing committee S2S 2016)

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Re: [Comp-neuro] Postdoctoral Position using High-Density Electrophysiology in Behaving Primates
by Nicho Jan. 26, 2016

Jan. 26, 2016

*Postdoctoral Position in Multi-Electrode Cortical Recording and Stimulation in Behaving Primates* A postdoctoral position is available in 2016 to investigate the neural basis of visuo-motor behavior.This project involves high density multi-electrode array recordings and stimulation from motor and premotor cortical sites in monkeys performing complex reaching and grasping movements.Experiments seek to investigate spatio-temporal patterning in single unit and local field potential activity that encodes different aspects of these movements.These experiments also seek to develop decoding algorithms for possible application in brain-machine interfaces.Facilities include a fully equipped electrophysiological laboratory with three 128-channel acquisition systems, a two-link exoskeletal robot, and a camera-based, motion capture system.Expertise in multi-electrode, behavioral electrophysiology is preferred.A strong mathematical, computational, or engineering background is also desirable.Applicants should send a CV and names and addresses of two or three references to Dr. Nicholas Hatsopoulos, Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago, 1027 East 57^th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 or by e-mail to nicho(a)uchicago.edu <mailto:nicho@uchicago.edu>.

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Postdoc position - human intracranial electrophysiology
by Brett Foster Jan. 26, 2016

Jan. 26, 2016

Postdoctoral position in human intracranial electrophysiology and memory – Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine (Houston). We invite applicants for a postdoctoral research position at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, focused on studying human episodic memory using intracranial recordings. Specifically, the project will focus on tracking cortical dynamics during the encoding and retrieval of visual stimuli by combining human electrocorticography (ECoG) measurements with multivariate statistical techniques (e.g. machine learning). Applicants should have a PhD in cognitive/computational neuroscience with prior training in the recording and analysis of electrophysiological data. The successful applicant will have expertise in programming time series analysis and multivariate statistics (e.g. matlab/python/r). Previous experience with human intracranial data is ideal but not essential. The successful applicant will also have excellent standards of written English, and data presentation, as shown through previously published work. The position is available from June 2016, for an initial appointment of one year, with renewal subject to review. Salary will be consistent with NIH standards and level of experience. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applicants should send a letter of interest, CV, and 2-3 letters of reference (all pdf) to Dr. Brett Foster: brett.l.foster(a)gmail.com Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Equal Access Employer.

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ANNPR 2016: Call for Papers
by Dr. Schwenker Jan. 25, 2016

Jan. 25, 2016

**** Please apologize cross-postings. Call for Papers IAPR TC3 International Workshop on Artificial Neural Networks in Pattern Recognition (ANNPR 2016) September 28-30, 2016 Ulm University, Ulm, Germany ANNPR 2016 invites papers that present original work in areas of neural networks, machine learning and pattern recognition, focusing on both theoretical and applied aspects. Topics of interest include, but not limited to: Methodological Issues - Supervised learning - Unsupervised learning - Combination of supervised and unsupervised learning - Feed-forward, recurrent, and competitive neural nets - Kernel machines - Hierarchical modular architectures and hybrid systems - Combination of neural networks and Hidden Markov models - Multiple classifier systems and ensemble methods - Probabilistic graphical models - Kernel methods - Deep architectures Applications in Pattern Recognition - Image processing and segmentation - Handwritten recognition and Document analysis - Sensor-fusion and multi-modal processing - Feature extraction, dimension reduction - Clustering and vector quantization - Speech and speaker recognition - Data, text, and web mining - Bioinformatics/Cheminformatics Important Dates Paper submission: May 4, 2016 Notification of acceptance: June 22, 2016 Camera ready due: July 6, 2016 Workshop: September 28-30, 2016 General Chairs Friedhelm Schwenker, Ulm University, Germany Hazem Abbas, German University of Cairo, Egypt Neamat El Gayar, Cairo University, Egypt Edmondo Trentin, University of Siena, Italy For more information, please visit us: http://neuro.informatik.uni-ulm.de/ANNPR2016/ -- Dr. Friedhelm Schwenker University of Ulm Institute of Neural Information Processing D-89069 Ulm, Germany phone: +49-731-50-24159 fax: +49-731-50-24156 email: friedhelm.schwenker(a)uni-ulm.de www: http://www.uni-ulm.de/in/neuroinformatik/mitarbeiter/f-schwenker.html

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Two fully funded PhD positions in Computational Neuroscience at Georgia State University
by Yaroslav Molkov Jan. 25, 2016

Jan. 25, 2016

Two fully funded doctoral student positions in computational neuroscience for the duration of up to four years with very competitive compensation are available in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Georgia State University. The successful candidates will work with Dr. Yaroslav Molkov and his collaborators on a number of projects including neural control of breathing and locomotion, motor control, body temperature control, etc. For more details, see https://sites.google.com/site/ymolkov/home. The University: http://www.gsu.edu Georgia State University is the Southeast's leading urban research institution. It is on the list of the top 100 public universities for doctoral degrees awarded. More than 250 fields of study are offered through some 55 accredited degree programs at the bachelor's, master’s, specialist and doctoral levels. Our student body is the best qualified and most diverse in our history. More than 40,000 students are seeking degrees at Georgia State, and more than 28,000 of them are on campus each semester. Students come to our campus from every county in Georgia, every state in the nation and 160 countries. The campus is located in the heart of downtown Atlanta. The Department: http://mathstat.gsu.edu Currently, the department has twenty seven tenured or tenure-track faculty members, fourteen lecturers and academic professionals, and about eighty graduate students. The Department’s faculty members are very active in research and publication. They regularly publish in top-ranked journals, more than 1/3 of the research faculty members are supported by various federally funded grants, and several members have been serving on editorial boards of journals. They have been directing PhD dissertations and MS theses within the department, joint with other departments of the College of Arts and Sciences, and in conjunction with other universities. Please apply at http://cas.gsu.edu/graduate-studies/admissions/ For additional information, contact Dr. Molkov or Dr. Florian Enescu, Graduate Director, Tel: (404) 413-6442, Email: fenescu(a)gsu.edu. ================================= Yaroslav Molkov, PhD Associate Professor Department of Mathematics & Statistics Georgia State University 30 Pryor St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, Room 722 Phone: (404) 413-6422 Email: ymolkov(a)gsu.edu

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Real World Eye Tracking Course
by Durant, Szonya Jan. 25, 2016

Jan. 25, 2016

Real World Eye Tracking Course An introductory course to using eye tracking in real world situations Organized jointly by Acuity Intelligence Ltd. and Dept. of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London Systems used in mini-projects: Tobii Glasses 2, TX300, SMI eye tracking glasses Software used: Tobii Studio, Tobii Glasses 2 software, SMI iView, BeGaze Further possible system demonstrations: Ergoners Dikabils, EyeLink Course outline: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/psychology/documents/pdf/course-outline.pdf<https://www.royalholloway..ac.uk/psychology/documents/pdf/course-outline.pdf> Further details: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/psychology/documents/pdf/further-details.pdf Course dates: 9.30am 25 April - 5.30pm 26 April 2016 Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom Prices: Industry £800, HEI staff £400, Postgraduate students £80 (participants can be based in any country) Deadline for registration: 1 Feb 2016 Link for registration: http://onlinestore.rhul.ac.uk/browse/category.asp?compid=1&modid=1&catid=643<http://onlinestore..rhul.ac.uk/browse/category.asp?compid=1&modid=1&catid=6…> Contact: sales(a)acuity-intelligence.com<mailto:sales@acuity-intelligence..com> ********************************************************************** Szonya Durant Department of Psychology Royal Holloway, University of London Egham TW20 0EX 01784 276522 ********************************************************************** Szonya Durant Department of Psychology Royal Holloway, University of London Egham TW20 0EX 01784 276522

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Announcing: Computational Approaches to Memory and Plasticity summer course, July 2016
by U.S.Bhalla Jan. 25, 2016

Jan. 25, 2016

CAMP@Bangalore 2016 will run from 1 July to 16 July 2016. Please see the course website at http://camp.ncbs.res.in/ CAMP @ Bangalore (Computational Approaches to Memory and Plasticity at NCBS, Bangalore) is a 16-day summer school on the theory and simulation of learning, memory and plasticity in the brain. There is a special emphasis on multiscale phenomena in learning and memory: How do molecular, electrical, and network levels of computation come together to give memory? The course will start with remedial tutorials on neuroscience / math / programming and then work upwards from sub-cellular electrical and chemical signaling in neurons, and onward to micro-circuits and networks. Students worldwide are encouraged to apply. Accommodation and food will be free for the selected students. There is no registration fee. Students are advised to obtain independent travel grants. Last date for applications: 21 February 2016. Instructors include: Tomoki Fukai, (RIKEN BRAIN SCIENCE INSTITUTE, Japan) Alain Destexhe (CNRS, France) Misha Tsodyks (Weizmann Institute, Israel) Upinder Bhalla (NCBS, Bangalore) Rishikesh Narayanan (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore) Arvind Kumar (KTH, Stockholm) Sumantra Chattarji (NCBS, Bangalore) Suhita Nadkarni (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune) Raghav Rajan (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune) Course Organizers: Upinder Bhalla (NCBS, Bangalore) Arvind Kumar (KTH Stockholm) Rishikesh Narayanan (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore)

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Postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience at Harvard
by Jan Drugowitsch Jan. 25, 2016

Jan. 25, 2016

*Postdoctoral position in the Drugowitsch Lab in computational neuroscience* *Location*: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA *Start*: May 2016 or after We are looking for a highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow to work in the field of computational and systems neuroscience in the group of Jan Drugowitsch - Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School ( http://neuro.hms.harvard.edu/people/faculty/jan-drugowitsch) The group works on questions of decision-making and navigation under uncertainty, ranging from the level of neural populations to that of behavior. The candidate is expected to perform research related to these topics. Close interaction and collaboration with other members of the department is anticipated. Candidates should have a strong analytical background (e.g., computational neuroscience, physics, mathematics, engineering, etc.) and feature an interest in the role of computation in neural populations and in theoretical neuroscience in general. Experience or familiarity with related machine-learning fields is also desirable. Previous experience should include sufficient programming skills to run numerical simulations, Bayesian methods, and expertise in the analysis of dynamical systems. The position starts in or after May 2016, and is funded for several years, with an initial one-year appointment and expectation of extension given satisfactory performance. Salary depends on experience and is at levels above the NIH scale. Candidates should send a single pdf file, consisting of a 1-page motivation letter, CV, and publication list to jan_drugowitsch(a)hms.harvard.edu. Furthermore, candidates should organize two letters of reference, to be sent to the same e-mail address. The position is open until filled. Jan Drugowitsch will be available at the Cosyne conference and workshops for question about the position.

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Fellowships for Image Based Modeling Summer Course in Park City, Utah
by Rob MacLeod Jan. 25, 2016

Jan. 25, 2016

Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to inform you that the fellowship application and registration are now open for the Image Based Biomedical Modeling (IBBM) Summer Course in July, 2016. We encourage you to forward this email to your group and your community. If you have any question please let me know. Fellowship Application Deadline : March 15, 2016 Early Bird Registration Deadline: May 15, 2016 Registration Deadline: June 10, 2016 We look forward to welcoming you to Utah this summer. Best, The IBBM Team Park City Summer Course in Image Based Biomedical Modeling July 11-21, 2016 Newpark Resort in Park City, Utah ibbm.sci.utah.edu <http://ibbm.sci.utah.edu/> Contact: ibbm(a)sci.utah.edu <mailto:ibbm@sci.utah.edu> For Graduate Students, Postdocs, Faculty, and Industry. We invite students underrepresented in health-related sciences to apply. This course creates field-specific expertise and hands-on experience in bioelectric or biomechanical problems that arise in current biomedical research and clinical practice. It provides training in numerical methods, image analysis, and computational tools necessary to carry out end-to-end, image-based, subject-specific simulations in bioelectricity or biomechanics, using freely available software. Organizers: Rob Macleod, Jeff Weiss, and Ross Whitaker Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

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MSc program in Neural Systems and Computation - University of Zurich and ETH Zurich
by Michael Pfeiffer Jan. 25, 2016

Jan. 25, 2016

We are inviting applications for the MSc program in Neural Systems and Computation, an interdisciplinary program offered as a Joint Master Program by the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland. The program offers a theoretical and laboratory training in neural computation and systems neuroscience. It offers hands-on knowledge of data gathering, analysis and scientific presentation. Students join an international and interdisciplinary research community with expertise in neuroinformatics, advanced experimental techniques and neuromorphic engineering. Further information can be found on our homepage http://www.nsc.uzh.ch. We offer a specialized full-time Masters program open to students with a Bachelor’s degree in the following disciplines: neurosciences, information technology, electrical engineering, biology, physics, computer sciences, chemistry, mathematics, and mechanical/chemical/control engineering. The core courses (all offered in English) provide a common foundation for students with different educational backgrounds, and cover the following: 1. Systems Neurosciences 2. Neural Computation and Theoretical Neuroscience 3. Neurotechnologies and Neuromorphic Engineering The application deadline for students starting in Fall Semester 2016 is *February 15th 2016*. Details about the application process and required documents can be found here: http://www.nsc.uzh.ch/?page_id=10 Mentors of the program are Richard Hahnloser, Kevan Martin, Klaas Enno Stephan, Giacomo Indiveri, Jean-Pascal Pfister, Mehmet Fatih Yanik, Bruno Weber, Fritjof Helmchen, Valerio Mante, Ruedi Stoop, Tobi Delbruck, Daniel Kiper, Shih-Chii Liu, Michael Pfeiffer, Matthew Cook, Arko Ghosh, and Wolfger von der Behrens. The program is affiliated with the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Faculty (MNF) at the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Information Technology and Electrical Engineering Department (D-ITET) of the ETH Zurich. All applications are handled by the University of Zurich. Application documents should be sent by email to nsc(a)ini.uzh.ch. Best regards, Michael Pfeiffer -- ========================================= Dr. Michael Pfeiffer Postdoc, Program coordinator NSC Institute of Neuroinformatics University of Zurich and ETH Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland Tel. +41 44 635 30 45 Fax +41 44 635 30 53 pfeiffer (at) ini.phys.ethz.ch http://www.ini.uzh.ch/~pfeiffer/ =========================================

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SSNR2016: Second Announcement
by Jaime Ibánez Pereda Jan. 25, 2016

Jan. 25, 2016

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We apologize if you receive multiple copies of this announcement ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *This year the Summer School of Neurorehabilitation and the Demove symposium come together !!!* *2016 School and Symposium in Advanced Neurorehabilitation (SSNR2016)* Baiona, Spain June 6-10 http://www.ssnr2016.org info(a)ssnr2016.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear colleagues, On behalf of all the organizers it is our pleasure to invite you to the *2016 School and Symposium in Advanced Neurorehabilitation (SSNR2016)* that will take place in Baiona (Spain) from June 6-10, 2016. SSNR2016 will provide in depth education on advanced procedures for neurorehabilitation of motor dysfunction, covering -at the basic and advanced levels- practical applications based on innovative neuroprosthetic systems, robotic interfaces and other combinational approaches. This year the Summer School of Neurorehabilitation and the Demove Symposium meet in an intense week to offer you exceptional opportunities to increase your skills and knowledge in the astonishing field of Neural Engineering and Rehabilitation. We are looking forward to welcoming you in Baiona (Spain) on June 2016! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *- Registration -* *Prospective applicants to the School* must fill in the Application Form by March 15, 2016. The admission to the School will be decided upon a selection made by the Steering Committee and until the maximum number of registrations is reached. Earlier registrations will be given priority. Notification of the acceptance will be made by April 1, 2016. The School will begin with a welcome cocktail in the evening of the 5th of June (2016) and it will end on Friday, 10th June 2016. *Participants to the Symposium* can send their contributions by March 15, 2016. After a selection process, accepted articles will be announced to authors by April 1, 2016. The Symposium will take place on the 9th and 10th of June (2016). This Symposium is an integral part of the School, thus School applicants are encouraged to submit their contributions. *- Important Deadlines and Registration Fees-* *School deadlines:* Application: 15/3/2016 Notification: 1/4/2016 Payment: 1/5/2016 Fee (School + Symposium + Half-board accommodation + Welcome Reception + Gala dinner + Social program): 1090 € *Symposium deadlines:* Submission: 15/3/2016 Notification: 1/4/2016 Final submission & payment: 1/5/2016 General fee (Symposium + Lunch + Gala dinner + Social program): 450 € Students fee (Symposium + Lunch + Gala dinner + Social program): 300 € *- Confirmed Plenary speakers-* Prof. Thomas Sinkjaer, Aalborg University (Symposium Keynote Speaker) Prof. John Rothwell, University College London (Symposium Keynote Speaker) Prof. José Principe. University of Florida, USA (School Plenary Speaker) Prof. Zev Rymer. Northwestern University, USA(School Plenary Speaker) Prof. Walter Paulus, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany (School Plenary Speaker) Dr. Francesco Lacquaniti, Fondazione Santa Lucia – Rome, Italy (School Plenary Speaker) Prof. David Lloyd, Griffith University – Brisbane, Australia (School Plenary Speaker) Prof. Herman van der Kooij, University of Twente, The Netherlands (School Plenary Speaker) Prof. Eric Perreault, Northwestern University, USA (School Plenary Speaker) Prof. Etienne Burdet, Imperial College, UK (School Plenary Speaker) Prof. Dominique Durand, Case Western University, USA (School Plenary Speaker) *-Confirmed Workshops-* WS1 - Neural interfaces and Wearable robotics in rehabilitation: a clinical perspective Organizer: Jose L. Pons, CSIC. WS2 - Muscle synergies: Looking into the CNS Organizer: Diego Torricelli, CSIC WS3 - Human neuromusculoskeletal modeling Organizers: Massimo Sartori, University Medical Center Goettingen, and Monica Reggiani, University of Padova WS4 - Brain Computer Interfaces: principles and applications in neurorehabilitation Organizer: Arnau Espinosa, Guger Technologies OG WS5 - Virtual Reality and Gaming in Rehabilitation Organizer: A. Gil-Agudo (Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos de Toledo) & Iris Dimbwadyo (La Salle University, Madrid) WS6 – DEMOVE Workshop on ‘Advanced EMG Processing for Man-Machine Interfacing in Neurorehabilitation’ Organizer: Silvia Muceli, Francesco Negro and Utku S. Yavuz. University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany For further and up-to-date information, please visit the conference website: http://www.ssnr2016.org Prof. D. Farina & Prof. José L. Pons Co-Chairs SSNR2016 http://www.ssnr2016.org

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Postdoctoral Research Associate Position in Infant Brain Mapping at UNC-Chapel Hill
by gangli Jan. 24, 2016

Jan. 24, 2016

A postdoctoral research associate position is available at the Infant Brain Mapping Lab of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill). Our current focuses are to better understand the dynamic and critical early brain development in both health and disease, via multimodal neuroimaging analysis. The successful candidate will support our efforts either in advancing neuroimaging analysis technologies or in neuroscience applications. We are seeking highly motivated individuals who have extensive research experience in neuroimaging analysis (e.g., structural, diffusion or functional MRI) and demonstrated academic excellence, including publications in first-class journals and conferences. The candidate should have a Ph.D. (or equivalent) in Neuroscience, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics/Statistics, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or related fields. Good command of programming tools including Matlab, C++, Linux, and scripting are necessary to carry out the research work in this group. The successful candidate will be part of a diverse group including neuroscientists, radiologists, psychologists, physicists, biostatistician, and computer scientists, and will build upon the group's extensive foundation on neuroimaging analysis. If interested, please email resume to Dr. Gang Li (gang_li(a)med.unc.edu <https://outlook.unc.edu/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=r-ilRGXKGkv6jOyzGz3FjAPbDG9VNfM…> ). For more information, please visit: http://www.unc.edu/~gangl/contact.html <https://outlook.unc.edu/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=HcVZFV_dUot9RdWseT8XGNDO-UYKJHN…> .

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Intensive summer course at Princeton
by Carlos Brody Jan. 22, 2016

Jan. 22, 2016

Announcing a 4-week Intensive Summer Course at Princeton Neurotechnologies for Analysis of Neural Dynamics Directors: David W. Tank and Michael Berry, Princeton University, Dates: June 12 – July 9, 2016. Application Form and Course Schedule: NAND.princeton.edu <http://nand.princeton.edu/> Application Deadline: Rolling admissions starting February 1, 2016. This course is designed to emphasize the major ways that scientists trained in the physical and information sciences contribute to the advance of neuroscience. It will introduce students with quantitative training in the physical sciences, mathematics or engineering to the concepts and research methodologies of modern neuroscience. Topics covered will range from cellular biophysics to systems neuroscience, including particularly imaging methods for the study of single neurons, networks of neurons and human brain dynamics during execution of behavioral computations. The course will be unique in its focus on neural dynamics at several scales of complexity – cells, circuits, intact brains – and the combination of didactic lectures and laboratory exercises, including cellular biophysics, synaptic interactions and plasticity in neuronal networks, and fMRI imaging of targeted brain regions in human subjects. The course includes substantive instruction in neurotechnologies, ranging from large-scale multi- electrode and optical recording, optogenetic stimulation and mathematical analysis of neural dynamics within the datasets produced by these methods. The capstone of this course will be one-week student-designed research projects integrating concepts and methodologies encountered during the initial formal lectures and laboratory exercises. Women and under-represented minorities are encouraged to apply.

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CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS: VECPAR 2016 - High Performance Computing for Computational Science
by Carlos Ferreira Jan. 22, 2016

Jan. 22, 2016

As part of the 12th VECPAR International Meeting on High Performance Computing for Computational Science, we are seeking proposals for affiliated workshops. The workshops should be focused in fresh topics related to parallel and distributed computational science, from theory to practice, where new ideas, subjects, open problems and works on progress can be discussed and explored. The accepted workshops will be held on 1st of July 2016 and may be organized as half- or full-day. IMPORTANT DATES Deadline for workshop proposals: February 15th, 2016 Notification of acceptance: February 19th, 2016 Deadline for paper submission: To be defined by the chairs Author notification: To be defined by the chairs Camera-ready version of papers: May 15th, 2016 PROPOSALS GUIDELINES Workshop title and acronym; Workshop description (150-200 words) to be included in the VECPAR website; Name and short bio of the workshop proponents; A list of the tentative program committee. Responsibilities of the Workshop Chairs: Prepare a dedicated call for papers; Maintain the workshop website; Define the workshop program committee; Select the papers by a peer review process. PROCEEDINGS The papers of the workshops will be published under the Springer LNCS series. The authors may be asked to revise the paper after the conference in order to meet the series requirements. BUDGET VECPAR 2016 will not pay for travel or other arrangements for workshop organizers or any of their invited guests. HOW TO SUBMIT The workshop proposals should be sent by email to the Workshops Chair: João Manuel R. S. Tavares Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Portugal tavares(a)fe.up.pt Carlos Ferreira [http://www2.isep.ipp.pt/assinatura_email/EMAIL_ISEP.png] ISEP | Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 431 4249-015 Porto - PORTUGAL tel. +351 228 340 500 | fax +351 228 321 159 mail(a)isep.ipp.pt | www.isep.ipp.pt<http://www.isep.ipp.pt>

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2 comp neuro PhD studentships in the Clopath lab
by Claudia Clopath Jan. 21, 2016

Jan. 21, 2016

We are pleased to advertise 2 PhD studentships at Imperial College London. They are both collaborative and consist of a main computational part and a small experimental part. http://www.imperial.ac.uk/neurotechnology/cdt/projects/computation_for_moto… http://www.imperial.ac.uk/neurotechnology/cdt/projects/hear_with_plasticity/ Application deadline: 29th of January Best, Claudia Clopath http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/c.clopath/ ****** Biologically inspired computation for real-time motor learning Supervisors: Paul Chadderton Claudia Clopath An important area of robotics research is focused on developing machines that can learn and adapt to changing environments as efficiently as animals. Biological principles underlying the acquisition of motor skills are likely to inspire these new technologies. The aim of our project is to characterise computational principles of motor learning in real time using novel neurophysiological data from a uniquely tractable and well-controlled system, the whisker circuitry of the cerebellar cortex. Neural recordings will reveal how the brain adapts during learning, and will then be used to develop and apply a biologically constrained computational model in an actively sensing robot. ****** Learning to hear with plasticity across multiple timescales Supervisors: Dan Goodman Claudia Clopath Paul Chadderton Humans have a remarkable ability to understand speech in noisy environments such as a crowded pub. Despite advances in speech recognition, the question of how we do this remains largely unsolved. This project aims at understanding how the brain adapts and learns to cope with these difficult listening situations, with the goal of developing better technology for speech processing. It will involve (1) developing mathematical and computational models of hearing and neural adaptation and plasticity, (2) experimental testing (including training in animal electrophysiology and human psychoacoustics), and (3) technology development for speech recognition, hearing aids and cochlear implants. The candidate should be willing to learn experimental techniques (animal electrophysiology and/or human psychophysics), but is not required to have any previous experience.

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PhD positions at NJIT (Fall 2016)
by Victor Matveev Jan. 21, 2016

Jan. 21, 2016

Dear colleagues, The Department of Mathematical Sciences at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is inviting strong candidates to apply to one of our graduate Ph.D. program tracks: (1) Applied Mathematics, or (2) Applied Probability & Statistics. The Department's research areas span Mathematical Biology & Computational Neuroscience, Fluid Dynamics & Materials Science, Wave Propagation, Scientific Computing, and Applied Probability and Statistics, including Biostatistics. Teaching and research assistantships are available, and include a tuition waiver and a competitive stipend. For more information, please email us (math(a)njit.edu, CC to: matveev(a)njit.edu, kondic(a)njit.edu) and visit the following pages: http://catalog.njit.edu/graduate/science-liberal-arts/mathematical-sciences… http://catalog.njit.edu/graduate/admissions-financial-support/admissions/ http://math.njit.edu https://web.njit.edu/~matveev/NJIT_DMS_PhD_flyer.pdf Although the NJIT Admissions site lists December 15 2015 as the deadline, applications for Fall 2016 are still considered; we recommend submitting all application materials by February 8, 2016. Sincerely -- Victor Matveev -- _________________________________________________ Victor Matveev, Associate Professor Applied Math, Biophysics & Computational Neuroscience Department of Mathematical Sciences New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ 07102-1982 Office: Cullimore Hall 616 E-mail:matveev@njit.edu http://web.njit.edu/~matveev/

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ICLR 2016 Workshop Track - Call for Extended Abstracts
by Hugo Larochelle Jan. 21, 2016

Jan. 21, 2016

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4th International Conference on Learning Representations - Workshop Track (ICLR 2016) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Website: http://www.iclr.cc/ Workshop Track - Extended abstract deadline: February 18th, 2016 Location: Caribe Hilton, San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 2-4, 2016 Overview -------- It is well understood that the performance of machine learning methods is heavily dependent on the choice of data representation (or features) on which they are applied. Despite the importance of representation learning to machine learning and to application areas such as vision, speech, audio and NLP, there was no venue for researchers who share a common interest in this topic. The goal of ICLR has been to help fill this void. A non-exhaustive list of relevant topics: - unsupervised, semi-supervised, and supervised representation learning - metric learning and kernel learning - dimensionality expansion - sparse modeling - hierarchical models - optimization for representation learning - learning representations of outputs or states - implementation issues, parallelization, software platforms, hardware - applications in vision, audio, speech, natural language processing, robotics, neuroscience, or any other field ICLR features two tracks: a Conference Track and a Workshop Track. However, this year, conference and workshop submissions are reviewed separately, in two different periods. With the Conference Track already under way, this call for extended abstract is in relation to the Workshop Track. Extended abstracts submitted to the Workshop Track should be 2-3 pages long (excluding references) and describe late-breaking developments. This track is meant to carry on the tradition of the former Snowbird Learning Workshop. These contributions are considered as workshop papers (and can be published elsewhere). They will be lightly reviewed by ICLR reviewers. Note that some of the conference submissions that are not accepted to the Conference Track will also be invited to be presented under the Workshop Track. ICLR Submission Instructions - Workshop Track --------------------------------------------- By February 18th, 2016, 2:00 PM Pacific Standard time, authors must submit the PDF of their extended abstract to openreview. For more information on preparing your extended abstract, including style files and the URL for the openreview ICLR 2016 Workshop Track website, please see http://www.iclr.cc/doku.php?id=iclr2016:main Acceptance decisions of extended abstract will be sent by March 28th. At least one author of each accepted extended abstract will be required to register to the ICLR event and present their work in poster format. Organizers ---------- Yoshua Bengio, Université de Montreal, General Chair Yann LeCun, New York University and Facebook, General Chair Hugo Larochelle, Twitter and Université de Sherbrooke, Senior Program Chair Brian Kingsbury, IBM Watson Group, Program Chair Samy Bengio, Google, Program Chair Contact ------- The organizers can be contacted at iclr2016.programchairs(a)gmail.com

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Senior software developer position available at the SimLab Neuroscience, Juelich Research Centre
by Abigail Morrison Jan. 20, 2016

Jan. 20, 2016

Dear colleagues, we are looking to recruit a senior scientific software developer at the Simulation Lab Neuroscience at the Juelich Research Centre, Germany. Our focus is on exploiting high performance computing to solve fundamental problems in neuroscience. If you have an interest in leading and participating in projects to develop innovative neuroinformatics applications on Europe's finest supercomputers, we would like to hear from you. For a full description and details of how to apply, please see the announcement on our website: http://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2016-001-EN… All the best, Abigail Morrison -- Prof. Dr. Abigail Morrison IAS-6 / INM-6 / SimLab Neuroscience Jülich Research Center & Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience Ruhr-University Bochum http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-6 http://www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/slns http://www.ikn.psy.ruhr-uni-bochum.de Office: +49 2461 61-9805 Fax # : +49 2461 61-9460 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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4 Year Lecturer Position at QUT Across Robotics, Neuroscience and Computer Vision - final call for applications
by Michael Milford Jan. 20, 2016

Jan. 20, 2016

We have a 4 year Lecturer Position available at QUT to work closely with my research group at the boundary between robotics, neuroscience and computer vision, developing Frankenstein models of visual and spatial intelligence that combine the best performing and best understood parts of human, animal and insect brains. Here's the ad: http://tinyurl.com/nzdujv3 Some of the highlights: * You'll get to push the boundaries of our understanding of the brain and how we can model it to create new technologies and capabilities for robotics and AI * Minimize that start-up lag: you'll land in the middle of a large research group and have the opportunity to immediately get involved in the supervision of several PhD students working in the area - in fact, your ability to effectively lead and supervise PhD students is critical to this role * Tap into collaborations with some of the world's top roboticists, neuroscientists and computer vision researchers at leading international institutions including David Cox at Harvard University, Michael Hasselmo at Boston University, Andrew Davison at Imperial College London, Barbara Webb at Edinburgh University and many more. * Get access to top local researchers and major projects including the $19,000,000 Australian Centre for Robotic Vision, the $676,000 project this position is associated with, as well as multiple other projects including a $3,000,000 Strategic Investment in Farm Robotics. * You'll have the opportunity to teach into some of the most fun, engaging and fulfilling robotics-related units at our university. Videos of some of the units we teach can be found at https://youtu.be/FBEINbpovBE and https://youtu.be/_2mp98Sk6fQ. * Work in the heart of Brisbane, a modern bustling city of 2 million people, located near to amazing beaches and vast swathes of untouched wilderness. If you love hiking / running / cycling / swimming / surfing / parasailing, you can find it here. Catch a short flight and you're on the Great Barrier Reef or in the Barossa Valley. * Be immersed in a large, very successful and sociable robotics group of more than a hundred academics, postdocs and students, in a brand new building space. Here's the ad again: http://tinyurl.com/nzdujv3 Best regards, Michael Michael Milford Associate Professor | ARC Future Fellow | Microsoft Faculty Fellow | Chief Investigator, Australian Centre for Robotic Vision Australian Centre for Robotic Vision | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science School Science and Engineering Faculty | Queensland University of Technology

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PhD position at University of Birmingham, UK
by Joseph Galea (School of Psychology) Jan. 18, 2016

Jan. 18, 2016

My name Is Joe Galea and I am a lecturer in Psychology at the University of Birmingham, UK. As part of an ERC starting grant I am looking for a PhD student for Sept/Oct 2016. Details can be found here: http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=46778&LID=148 I am really looking for someone with programming experience (computational modelling and/or programming robotics) who may want to apply this knowledge to the human/motor control domain. Anyone interested can email me: j.galea(a)bham.ac.uk<mailto:j.galea@bham.ac.uk> Many thanks, Joseph Galea School of Psychology University of Birmingham, UK.

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The International Conference on NeuroRehabilitation (ICNR2016)
by Jaime Ibánez Pereda Jan. 18, 2016

Jan. 18, 2016

------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------- We apologize if you receive multiple copies of this announcement ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------- The International Conference on NeuroRehabilitation (ICNR2016) Segovia, Spain October 18-21 http://www.icnr2016.org info(a)icnr2016.org ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------- Dear colleagues, On behalf of all the organizers, it is our pleasure to invite you to the 3rd International Conference on NeuroRehabilitation (ICNR2016) that will take place in 'La Granja de San Ildefonso', Segovia (Spain) from October 18-21, 2016. Restoring human motor and cognitive function has been a fascinating research area during the last century. Interfacing the human nervous system with mechatronic systems to restore neuromotor abilities is facing its crucial passage between research and actual clinical reality, enhancing the potentialities of therapists, clinicians, and researchers to rehabilitate, diagnose and generate knowledge. The 2016 International Conference on Neurorehabilitation will bring together researchers and students from the fields of Clinical Rehabilitation, Applied Neurophysiology, and Biomedical Engineering to promote, feed and encourage this therapeutic global shift. We are looking forward to welcoming you in Segovia on October 2016! ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------- *- Registration -* Prospective authors will submit extended abstract contributions (2 pages). All contributions will be peer-reviewed. Accepted contributions will appear in the Conference Proceedings, which will be published as a book by Springer. Also, the authors of the best papers of ICNR2016 will be invited to submit a substantially extended version of their papers for their publication in a special issue of the International Journal of Neural Systems (Impact Factor: 6.507). Participants can send their contributions by April 1, 2016, through the following Easychair link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=icnr2016 After a selection process, accepted articles will be announced to authors on May 15, 2016. *- Important Deadlines and Registration Fees -* Conference Registration deadlines and fees (including welcome reception and gala dinner): Early student (until August 1): 300€ Early regular (until August 1): 550€ Student (after August 1): 450€ Regular (after August 1): 750€ Regular single day attendance: 300€ Preconference Workshop deadlines and fees: Early Workshop students (until August 1): 100€ Early Workshop regular (until August 1): 150€ Workshop students (after August 1): 150€ Workshop regular (after August 1): 250€ * If you also participate in the Conference, you will receive a 75€ discount in the Conf. Registration Fee. *- Confirmed Plenary speakers -* Prof. Alvaro Pascual-Leone, M.D., Ph.D., Harvard (USA) Marco Molinari, M.D., Ph.D., IRCCS Fondazione S. Lucia (Italy) Dario Farina, Ph.D., University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August University (Germany) John B. Troy, Ph.D., Northwestern University, (USA) Hitoshi Hirata, M.D., Nagoya Universtiy, (Japan) Jonathan Wolpaw, M.D., Ph.D., Wadsworth Center (USA) ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------- For further and up-to-date information, please visit the conference website: http://www.icnr2016.org Prof. José L. Pons & Prof. Jose M. Azorín Co-Chairs ICNR2016 http://www.ICNR2016.org <http://www.icnr2016.org/>

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Interdisciplinary post-doctoral position in cognitive neuroscience
by Schurger Lab Jan. 18, 2016

Jan. 18, 2016

Brain-behavior forecasting: Neural antecedents of spontaneous self-initiated movement and the forecasting of behavior from brain activity Interdisciplinary post-doctoral position in cognitive neuroscience Starting date: Fall 2016 Duration: 2 years (renewable for one additional year) The French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) invites applications for a post-doctoral position in the Cognitive Neuroimaging Group, at the NeuroSpin Research Center near Paris, France, as part of the research team of Dr. Aaron Schurger. The Schurger lab focuses on understanding how decisions are made and actions initiated spontaneously, without an external sensory cue, and how time series of neural activity (now) can be used to forecast behavior (seconds or minutes from now). We pursue this research using a combination of behavioral experiments, neuroimaging, computational modeling, time-series analyses, and machine learning techniques. We are particularly interested in attracting applicants from meteorology, macroeconomics, machine learning, statistics and other disciplines that involve a mastery of time series analysis, statistical learning, forecasting, and/or forecast verification. Applicants should have a obtained a PhD in a relevant discipline prior to the starting date, and should have strong skills in at least some of the following areas: computer programming (MatLab, Python, C, C++), statistics, signal processing, computational, mathematical, and/or neural network modeling, statistical learning / machine learning / mutivariate pattern classification, time series analysis, forecasting. Resources available at NeuroSpin include Siemens 3T and 7T MRI scanners; high-density EEG (EGI Inc.); Elekta NeuroMag 306-channel MEG (allowing for the simultaneous recording of EEG); eye tracking (available for MRI, MEG, and behavioral experiments); an in-house team of experts in signal processing and statistical learning; a dedicated staff handling subject recruitment, scheduling, and payment; various Nespresso devices; and proximity to Paris. Applicants should send a CV, letter of motivation (max 2 pages), and a list of three references via e-mail to aaron.schurger(a)gmail.com. Review of applicants will begin immediately, and will continue until the positions are filled. The NeuroSpin Research Center is located on the campus of the CEA-Saclay, near Orsay, about 18 km southwest of Paris. For more information on the NeuroSpin Research Center and the Cognitive Neuroimaging Group: http://www-centre-saclay.cea.fr/fr/Visite-guidee-de-NeuroSpin http://meg-france.in2p3.fr/_lesCentres/Neurospin_en.php http://www-dsv.cea.fr/en/institutes/institute-of-biomedical-imaging-i2bm/de… http://www.unicog.org/pm/pmwiki.php -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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DENDRITES 2016, June 18-21, Crete: CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
by Yiota Poirazi Jan. 18, 2016

Jan. 18, 2016

Dear Colleagues, You are kindly invited to attend the EMBO Workshop on Dendritic Anatomy, Molecules and Function (DENDRITES 2016) in Crete. Dendrites provide the substrate for inter-neuronal communication, and their nonlinear properties play a key role in information processing. Following a very successful meeting in 2014, Dendrites 2016 aims to bring together scientists from around the world to present their research on dendrites, ranging from the molecular to the anatomical and biophysical levels. With the backdrop of an informal yet spectacular setting on Crete, the meeting has been carefully planned not only to satisfy our scientific curiosity but also to foster discussion and encourage interaction between attendees well beyond traditional presentations. In this spirit, the workshop will also provide a soft skills day for the training of young researchers in subjects such as scientific writing/publication issues, fundraising and gender balance. Abstract submission for poster and oral presentation is open until *February 15, 2016*** On behalf of the organizing committee, Yiota Poirazi ------------------------------------------------------- EMBO Workshop on Dendritic Anatomy, Molecules and Function (DENDRITES 2016) Heraklion, Crete, Greece June 18-21, 2016 http://dendrites2016.gr/ <http://www.dendrites2016.gr/> _Invited speakers (scientific talks): _ Claudia Clopath Daniel Dombeck Casper Hoogenraad Arthur Konnerth Attila Losonczy Judit Makara Rishikesh Narayanan Elly Nedivi Jackie Schiller Erin Schuman Idan Segev Nelson Spruston Greg Stuart _Invited speakers (Career Issues in academia):_ Monica Di Luca, FENS President: "Publication issues: right time for a reality check" Camilla Belone, FENS-Kavli Scholar: "Retention of women in high levels of neuroscience - Perspectives" Emre Yaksi, FENS-Kavli Scholar: "Funding opportunities in Neuroscience: how to write a successful grant proposal" Matthew Larkum: "How to write an influential scientific publication" *CALL FOR ABSTRACTS* We are soliciting abstracts for oral and poster presentations. We welcome both experimental and theoretical contributions addressing novel findings, methods or databases related to dendrites that fall into one or more of the following domains: * morphological and functional characterizations, * dendritic integration and compartmentalization, * dendritic channel distribution and their functional implications, * molecular pathways and signaling networks, * RNA trafficking and local protein synthesis, * functional or structural plasticity and homeostasis, * the role of dendrites in complex processes, including learning/memory, neural computations etc. Please note that places are limited and subject to availability. Attendees are highly encouraged to submit abstracts for presentations, since presenters will be given priority for registration. Instructions for on-line submission can be found at http://www.dendrites2016.gr/call-for-papers *Important dates * * Abstract submission opens: December 15th, 2016 * Abstract submission closes: February 15th, 2016 * Notification of abstract acceptance: February 29th, 2016 * Notification of oral/poster presentation: early March 2016 _Organizing committee:_ Yiota Poirazi, IMBB-FORTH Michael Hausser, UCL * * Matthew Larkum, Humboldt University IMPORTANT NOTE: The Workshop takes place on the island of Crete and is followed by the AREADNE 2016 meeting <http://areadne.org/> (June 22-26th, 2016), focusing on Research in Encoding And Decoding of Neural Ensembles, on the neighboring island of Sandorini. DENDRITES 2016 participants are encouraged to consider attending both meetings. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Please see the conference web site http://dendrites2016.gr/ or send an email to info(a)dendrites2016.gr <mailto:info@dendrites.gr> -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Director of Research Computational Biology Laboratory Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385 GR 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 <tel:+30%202810%20391139> Fax: +30 2810 391101 <tel:+30%202810%20391101> Εmail: poirazi(a)imbb.forth.gr <mailto:poirazi@imbb.forth.gr> http://www.dendrites.gr Chair http://www.fens.org/Outreach/FENS-Kavli-Network-of-Excellence/

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[INNS-BigData 2016] Call for Papers
by Teng Teck Hou Jan. 17, 2016

Jan. 17, 2016

[Apologies for cross-postings] ########################################################### CALL FOR PAPERS The 2nd INNS Conference on Big Data 2016 October 23-25, 2016, Thessaloniki, Greece http://conferences.cwa.gr/inns-big-data2016/ ########################################################### Big data is not just about storage of and access to data. Analytics play a big role in making sense of that data and exploiting its value. But learning from big data has become a significant challenge and requires development of new types of algorithms. Most machine learning algorithms can't easily scale up to big data. Plus there are challenges of high-dimensionality, velocity and variety. The neural network field has historically focused on algorithms that learn in an online, incremental mode without requiring in-memory access to huge amounts of data. This type of learning is not only ideal for streaming data (as in the Industrial Internet or the Internet of Things), but could also be used on stored big data. Neural network technologies thus can become significant components of big data analytics platforms and this second edition of INNS Conference on Big Data will continue on this collaborative adventure with big data and other learning technologies. Thus the aim of this conference is to promote new advances and research directions in efficient and innovative algorithmic approaches to analyzing big data (e.g. deep networks, nature-inspired and brain-inspired algorithms), implementations on different computing platforms (e.g. neuromorphic, GPUs, clouds, clusters) and applications of Big Data Analytics to solve real-world problems (e.g. weather prediction, transportation, energy management). #################### Important dates ##################### - Tutorial and workshops proposals: February 15th, 2016 - Notification of tutorial and workshops proposals: February 20th, 2016 - Paper submission: April 30th, 2016 - Notification of paper acceptance: May 30th, 2016 - Camera-ready submission (AISC): June 11th, 2016 - Early registration: June 20th, 2016 Registration deadline: papers without confirmed registration by June 24th 2016 risk their inclusion in the proceedings ########################################################## #################### Invited speakers #################### - Francesco Bonchi, ISI Foundation, Torino, Italy - Stephen Furber, University of Manchester, UK - Rudolf Kruse, OVG University of Magdeburg, Germany - Piotr Mirowski, Google Deep Mind, London, UK ########################################################## #################### Organizing committees ############### General Chairs - Plamen Angelov, Lancaster University, UK - Yannis Manolopoulos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece Program Chairs - Lazaros Iliadis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece - Asim Roy, Arizona State University, Tempe USA - Marley Vellasco, PUC-Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Advisory Board - Nikola Kasabov, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand - Ali Minai, University of Cincinnati, USA - Danil Prokhorov, Toyota Tech Center, Michigan, USA - Theodore Trafalis University of Oklahoma, USA - G. Kumar Venayagamoorthy, Clemson University, USA Tutorials/Workshop Chairs - Apostolos Papadopoulos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece - Bernardete Ribeiro, Portugal Poster Session Chairs - Yi Lu Murphey, University of Michigan-Dearborn, USA Special Sessions Chairs - Irwin King, Chinese University of Hong Kong, China - Luca Oneto, University of Genoa, Italy Panel Chairs - Leonid Perlovsky, Harvard University, Boston, USA Awards Chair - Araceli Sanchis de Miguel, Carlos III University, Spain Competitions Chairs - Adel Alimi, University of Sfax, Tunisia Publication Chairs - Mariette Awad, American University of Beirut, Lebanon - Danilo Mandic, Imperial College, London, UK Publicity Chairs - Jose Antonio Iglesias Martinez, Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain - Simone Scardapane, The Sapienza University of Rome, Italy - Teck Hou Teng, Singapore Management University, Singapore International Liaison Chairs - Petia Georgieva, University of Aveiro, Portugal - De-Shuang Huang, Tongji University, Shanghai, China Local Organizing Committee: - Anastasios Gounaris, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece WebMaster - Yannis Karydis, Ionian University, Greece ########################################################## ############# Paper Submission and Publication ########### * Original works submitted as a regular paper limited to a maximum of 14 pages in Springer format will be published in the proceedings to be available electronically as a Springer book in ADVANCES IN INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS AND COMPUTING Series, to download for delegates. * It will be peer-reviewed by at least three PC members on the basis of technical quality, relevance, originality, significance and clarity. * At least one author of an accepted submission to the conference should register with a regular fee to present their work at the conference. ########################################################## #################### Awards ############################## * Best papers will be selected and awarded as follows: - Best regular paper - Best student paper * This will be based on a combination of reviewers' comments, presentations and importance and quality judged by a panel. * Best paper awards (500 Euros) are donated by the sponsor Springer Verlag, Germany and will be commemorated by a certificate. ########################################################## ###### Topics and Areas include, but not limited to ###### * Autonomous, online, incremental learning - theory, algorithms and applications in big data * High dimensional data, feature selection, feature transformation - theory, algorithms and applications for big data * Scalable algorithms for big data * Learning algorithms for high-velocity streaming data * Big data streams analytics * Deep neural network learning * Machine vision and big data * Brain-machine interfaces and big data * Cognitive modeling and big data * Embodied robotics and big data * Fuzzy systems and big data * Evolutionary systems and big data * Evolving systems for big data analytics * Neuromorphic hardware for scalable machine learning * Parallel and distributed computing for big data analytics (cloud, map-reduce, etc.) * Big data and collective intelligence/collaborative learning * Big data and hybrid systems * Big data and self-aware systems * Big Data and infrastructure * Big data analytics and healthcare/medical applications * Big data analytics and energy systems/smart grids * Big data analytics and transportation systems * Big data analytics in large sensor networks * Big data and machine learning in computational biology, bioinformatics * Recommendation systems/collaborative filtering for big data * Big data visualization * Online multimedia/ stream/ text analytics * Link and graph mining * Big data and cloud computing, large scale stream processing on the cloud ########################################################## #################### Co-Sponsors ######################### * International Neural Network Society (INNS) * Springer ##########################################################

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Postdoctoral position in analyzing and modeling dendritic morphology and growth
by Erik De Schutter Jan. 15, 2016

Jan. 15, 2016

Postdoctoral researcher and staff scientist positions are available in the Computational Neuroscience Unit <https://groups.oist.jp/cnu> of Prof. Erik De Schutter at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University <http://www.oist.jp/>, Japan. We are looking for a postdoc with a (computational) neuroscience background to study the morphology and growth of neuronal dendrites in the olivocerebellar system. We investigate this from the perspective of neuron populations and consider the relations between neighboring dendrites explicitly (Context-aware modeling of neuronal morphologies <http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnana.2014.00092/abstract>). Experience required in either (semi-automated) reconstruction of neural structures or in analysis and modeling of neural morphology. Depending on experience and interest the focus of the research can be analysis of in vivo and EM data and/or modeling the growth of forests of dendrites. You will collaborate with scientists at OIST and abroad in addition to the daily interaction with other researchers and students in the lab who are working on cerebellar modeling projects, analyzing cerebellar recordings or developing software. We offer attractive financial and working conditions in an English language graduate university that emphasizes interdisciplinary research, located on the beautiful subtropical island of Okinawa. Send curriculum vitae, a summary of research interests and experience, and the names of three referees to Prof. Erik De Schutter at erik(a)oist.jp <mailto:erik@oist.jp> Prof. Erik De Schutter Computational Neuroscience Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-Son Okinawa 904-0495 JAPAN phone: +81-98-966-8727 fax: +81-98-966-8718 erik(a)oist.jp <mailto:erik@oist.jp> http://groups.oist.jp/cnu <http://groups.oist.jp/cnu>

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Postdoctoral postion in development of model description languages
by Erik De Schutter Jan. 15, 2016

Jan. 15, 2016

Postdoctoral researcher or staff scientist positions are available in the Computational Neuroscience Unit <https://groups.oist.jp/cnu> of Prof. Erik De Schutter at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University <http://www.oist.jp/>, Japan. We are looking for a postdoc with a computer science or engineering background who is interested in the development of XML-based methods for model description and simulation. You will collaborate with international colleagues on further development of NIneML (http://nineml.net) and deploy it within the research group, possibly also use it for your own network modeling research. Previous experience related to collaborative projects in computational neuroscience or systems biology preferred. You will interact with other researchers and students in the lab who are working on cerebellar modeling projects or analyzing cerebellar recordings. We offer attractive financial and working conditions in an English language graduate university that emphasizes interdisciplinary research, located on the beautiful subtropical island Okinawa. Send curriculum vitae, a summary of research interests and experience, and the names of three referees to Prof. Erik De Schutter at erik(a)oist.jp <mailto:erik@oist.jp> Prof. Erik De Schutter Computational Neuroscience Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-Son Okinawa 904-0495 JAPAN phone: +81-98-966-8727 fax: +81-98-966-8718 erik(a)oist.jp <mailto:erik@oist.jp> http://groups.oist.jp/cnu <http://groups.oist.jp/cnu>

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Funding for M.Sc and Ph.D Research Visits in Berkeley for Germans - Integrating Deep Learning and Knowledge Representation
by Manfred Eppe Jan. 14, 2016

Jan. 14, 2016

Dear Community, The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers the very attractive 'FITweltweit' program to support German Computer Science and Informatics students who want to carry out M.Sc or Ph.D research abroad, for a period of 1 to 6 months. The AI group of the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI) at Berkeley is currently investigating the integration of deep neuronal Machine Learning and Knowledge Representation and Reasoning. Towards this, we are looking for motivated and skilled students who plan to write their thesis in this area, and who are interested in collecting experience in the wonderful city of Berkeley, California, near Silicon Valley in the San Francisco bay area. For details about eligibility and the program in general please consider the following DAAD website (note that, unfortunately, only students who are currently involved in the German academic systems can be funded): https://www.daad.de/ausland/studieren/stipendium/de/19047-internationale-fo… The local supervisor at Berkeley is Manfred Eppe, who primarily has a background in AI, Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, and Cognitive Robotics. While there are also Machine Learning Experts at ICSI, it would be useful if the interested student had another supervisor with a background in Machine Learning at the home university in Germany, or if the student already had an exceptionally strong record and research experience in Machine Learning. Possible research topics include, but are not limited to: * Symbol Grounding and Conceptualization in Deep Feature Networks * Representation and Exploitation of Relations between Features in Deep Networks * Semantic and Symbolic Visualization of Deep Networks * Supporting Reinforcement Learning with Classical Action Planning or Formal Reasoning * Semantic Classification and Object Recognition * Evolutionary Linguistics and Emergent Semantics with Neuronal Nets Application domains include, but are not limited to: * Robotics * Multi Agent Systems * Planning and Scheduling * Qualitative Spatial and Temporal Reasoning * Computer Vision * AI in Computer Games * Natural Language Understanding The FITweltweit fellowship is offered by the DAAD, and the prospective student is ultimately responsible himself for preparing the DAAD application. We have no influence on the success of an application, but we offer support in preparing the research plan and other paperwork, such as visa-related issues. It has been reported that the acceptance rate for the FITweltweit program is relatively high. According to the details provided on the DAAD website, research visits can last between 1 and 6 months, with financial support of monthly 925 EUR for Master students and 1350 EUR for doctoral students, plus travel allowance for the flight in both cases. We recommend to stay for at least 3 months (better 6). We offer a comfortable infrastructure within an internationally renowned research institute with office space, help to finding housing and accommodation in the bay area, as well as a very friendly and supportive working atmosphere (with free coffee, too!). We ask the interested student to send us a CV and an extended preliminary abstract about the planned research (max. 1 page). The CV should include relevant courses that you have taken at university. In your email, please also indicate the period in which you plan to come. Herein, please allow for a buffer and be conservative with your planning. Consider that it takes around three months for the DAAD to send you a decision about the application, and around 1-2 months to obtain the visa. Please note that the research visit should happen in 2016. Please send your documents by 1st February 2016 to eppe(a)icsi.berkeley.edu, and please get in touch earlier if you have any questions. Best Regards, Manfred Eppe -- - Dr. Manfred Eppe International Computer Science Institute University of California at Berkeley 1947 Center Street, 6th floor Berkeley, CA 94704 California, USA phone (USA): +1 510 646 3318 phone (Germany): +49 176 2153 2311 web: www.manfred.eppe.eu mail: eppe(a)icsi.berkeley.edu skype: manfred.eppe ************************** ****** Sapere Aude! ****** **************************

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Lectureship in "data science"
by Thomas Nowotny Jan. 14, 2016

Jan. 14, 2016

The School of Engineering and Informatics at the University of Sussex is appointing lecturers in computer science, including one lecturership in ³data science² <http://www.sussex.ac.uk/aboutus/jobs/566>. Even though the advert doesn¹t give it justice, this includes the relevant areas of Computational Neuroscience and the new lecturer would be free to join the Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems (EASy) group (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/easy/) at Sussex. The University of Sussex (http://www.sussex.ac.uk) is located on the South Coast of England in the beautiful sea-side town of Brighton. Interested people working in relevant areas of Computational Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics are strongly encouraged to apply. Feel free to contact me for informal enquiries and please circulate in your professional networks. With kind regards, Thomas Nowotny -- Prof. Thomas Nowotny CCNR, Sussex Neuroscience Phone: +44-1273-678593 Engineering and Informatics Fax: +44-1273-877873 University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ http://sussex.ac.uk/informatics/tnowotny

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FACULTY POSITION IN QUANTITATIVE LIFE SCIENCES AT ICTP, TRIESTE ITALY
by Matteo Marsili Jan. 14, 2016

Jan. 14, 2016

FACULTY POSITION IN QUANTITATIVE LIFE SCIENCES AT THE ABDUS SALAM INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR THEORETICAL PHYSICS (ICTP). ICTP is seeking applicants for a new faculty position in its recently established Quantitative Life Sciences (QLS) research section. QLS responds to the theoretical challenges arising from recent advances in large-scale experiments in biology and neurosciences. The successful applicant will play a leading role in establishing the new section, promoting cutting-edge research in quantitative biology and supervising graduate students. Areas of interest include systems biology, biological networks, systems and computational neuroscience. Applicants should have an outstanding international reputation with at least 4 years of scientific research experience. The position, which will start in October 2015, will be at the P3 UNESCO level, with a starting salary of $78100. Other benefits include family allowance, home travel, education grant for dependent children, pension plan and medical insurance. Full details of the position, along with a link to the UNESCO online application, are available on ICTP's employment webpage and at http://www.ictp.it/about-ictp/personnel-office/employment.aspx <http://www.ictp.it/about-ictp/personnel-office/employment.aspx> The deadline is 3 June 2015. For further information please contact ICTP's Personnel Office at personnel_office(a)ictp.it <mailto:personnel_office@ictp.it>. ICTP, based in Trieste, Italy, provides a top class multi-disciplinary research environment in theoretical sciences, with cutting edge research, education and training, and it has been a driving force behind global efforts for the advancement of science in the developing world.

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Job Posting: Research Engineer/Scientist, Brain-Computer Interface, Machine Learning, Computational Neuroscience
by Behnood Gholami Jan. 14, 2016

Jan. 14, 2016

*AreteX Systems, Inc. – New York, NY* AreteX Systems, a medical technology startup company accelerating the use of information technology in healthcare, has an immediate opening for a Research Engineer/Scientist in its office located in New York City. The position involves developing signal processing algorithms for innovative biomedical technologies involving physiological signals. We are looking for a self-motivated, highly talented individual with an excellent background in signal processing, machine learning, and brain-computer interface. The successful candidate will work closely with a team of physicians, nurses, engineers, and scientists in designing new clinical decision support systems. Candidates with experience in the analysis of experimental data derived from---but not limited to---auditory/visual/cross-sensory psychophysical, EEG, ECG, and galvanic-skin conductance, data would be given a higher priority. *Minimum Requirements:* - MS or PhD in electrical engineering, computer science, biomedical engineering, applied mathematics, or a similar discipline. - Knowledge of advanced concepts in signal processing. - Research experience in biosignal analysis or brain-computer interface applications. - Knowledge of methods, theory, and application of machine learning techniques. - Proficient at writing technical papers/reports/presentations. - Experience with Python. *Preferred Qualifications:* - Prior expertise and exposure using non-invasive human physiological measures such as EEG, ECG, galvanic-skin conductance (electrodermal activity), or other categorically similar methodologies. - Prior experience with mechanical ventilation and fluid management technologies in the intensive care units. - Knowledge of control systems design and dynamical systems modeling. - Prior experience in feature extraction from physiological signals. - Experience working with quantitative methods of neural data analysis. Send your cover letter and CV to info(a)aretexeng.com.

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postdoc and PhD positions Max Planck Research Group Neural Circuits
by Johannes Seelig Jan. 14, 2016

Jan. 14, 2016

The Max Planck Research Group "Neural Circuits" at the center of advanced european studies and research (caesar) in Bonn, Germany, is looking for postdocs (Reference: Postdoc Neural Circuits 2016) and Ph.D. students (Reference: Ph.D. Neural Circuits 2016). The main focus of Johannes Seelig’s lab is to understand adaptive neural circuits underlying sensorimotor integration and the impact of neuromodulators on these circuits. We apply the latest tools and methods in two photon imaging, optogenetics, and electrophysiology to relate the activity of populations of neurons in behaving animals to computational models of neural circuits. We are looking for candidates with a strong quantitative background in neuroscience, biophysics or related fields (physics, chemistry, engineering, molecular biology). A strong expertise in optical imaging, data analysis, programming, instrumentation, and previous work in a genetic model organism (such as fruit fly or mouse) would be ideal. Caesar is part of a cluster for neuroscience in the Bonn-Cologne region, comprising the universities of Bonn and Cologne, the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and two Max Planck Institutes. The Institute hosts the International Max Planck Research School for Brain & Behavior and is involved in the Bonn International Graduate School of Neuroscience. More information on the group can be found at http://www.caesar.de/seelig.html. Please send an email to johannes.seelig(a)caesar.de<mailto:johannes.seelig@caesar.de> for informal enquiries and/or submit your application at our job portal: www.caesar.de<http://www.caesar.de> Johannes Seelig research center caesar - center of advanced european studies and research, an associate of the Max Planck Society Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2 53175 Bonn Germany email: johannes.seelig(at)caesar.de <file://localhost/javascript/linkTo_UnCryptMailto('nbjmup+kpibooft:tffmjhAdbftbs:ef')%3B>phone: +49 (0)228 9656-190 fax: +49 (0)228 9656-9190

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Meeting on Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity
by Mark van Rossum Jan. 14, 2016

Jan. 14, 2016

Discussion meeting at the Royal Society, London, April 19 & 20, 2016 Integrating Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity You are kindly invited to this meeting organized by Kevin Fox and Michael Stryker which will bring together computational and experimental neuroscientists to discuss how interactions between Hebbian plasticity and homeostatic plasticity occur and how they can be detected and interrogated at the systems level. Talks by: John Lisman, Taro Toyozumi, Brent Doiron, Mark van Rossum, Wulfram Gerstner, Gina Turrigano, Philip Haydon, Lu Chen, Hey-Kyoung Lee, Michael Stryker, Kevin Fox, Daniel Feldman, Tara Keck, Frank Sengpiel and Mark Hübener. Register at https://royalsociety.org/events/2016/04/integrating-plasticity/ Poster deadline March 11th. -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

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study abroad programs in Budapest
by Érdi Péter Jan. 14, 2016

Jan. 14, 2016

Dear All: BSCS-US announces its two programs in Budapest for 2016. 1. Our regular program: BSCS - BUDAPEST SEMESTER IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY TO NEUROSCIENCE will be held in the Fall of 2016, see http://www.bscs-us.org/ . 2. We opened also a new program now in its second year: ***************************************** Systems Neuroscience: a study abroad summer program Program start/end dates June 12th- Aug 5th, 2016 The BSCS Systems Neuroscience Program takes place at and academically supervised by the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapest **************************************** For details, see: http://sysneuro-semester.org/ Inquiry: Péter Érdi (SysNeuro Director; BSCS Co-Director) perdi(a)kzoo.edu bscs(a)bscs-us.org, jhegedus(a)kzoo.edu

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Call for Workshops and Tutorials at Alife
by Izquierdo, Eduardo J. Jan. 13, 2016

Jan. 13, 2016

CALL FOR WORKSHOPS AND TUTORIALS The ALife XV Organizing Committee invites proposals for Tutorials and Workshops to be held in conjunction with the Fifteenth International Conference on the Synthesis and Simulation of Living Systems (ALife XV), which will be held in Cancun, Mexico on July 4th-8th, 2016. http://xva.life<http://xva.life/> If accepted, ALife will provide the onsite logistics (seminar rooms, projectors, coffee breaks, and lunches) and links from the main conference website. All other organizational issues – including separate review process and proceedings publication, if any – are taken care of by the workshop chairs. Therefore, any workshop-specific requests from participants should be exclusively addressed to them, not to the ALife committee. The internal organization of the satellite workshops and tutorials (website, paper submission, invited talks, proceedings, all deadlines except registration) is entirely left up to their respective organizers. Participation in workshops and tutorials requires conference registration. IMPORTANT DATES Submission of Workshop/Tutorial Proposals is open now. We will receive applications until January 15th, 2016. The notification of acceptance will be given within two weeks of receiving the proposal. Workshop/Tutorial Information and/or submission proposal: workshops(a)xva.life<mailto:workshops@xva.life> WORKSHOP PROPOSALS The ALife XV workshops are intended to be forums to present and discuss new approaches, visions, or critical reflections within a research area. They provide an excellent opportunity to meet people with similar interests, to be exposed to cutting-edge research and to exchange ideas in an informal setting. The organizers of an accepted workshop are responsible for its coordination and its publicity (e.g., for sending out call for papers/abstracts), for collecting and reviewing the papers/abstracts, and for maintaining a webpage providing a list of accepted talks. The workshops are typically half day long. The format can be decided by the organizers who are encouraged to plan interactive sessions. TUTORIAL PROCESS ALife XV tutorials will be presented by domain experts to cover current topics relevant to artificial life researchers and practitioners. Each tutorial will be 3 hours long, then we encourage to include into the tutorial also demos and interactive activities. Accepted tutorial’s slide sets will be published on ALife XV website. SUBMISSION PROCESS Each tutorial/workshop proposal should include: 1) title of the workshop/tutorial 2) name(s) and affiliation(s) of the organizer(s)/inspector(s), with relative contact details 3) a short CV of the organizer(s)/instructor(s) 4) a brief description (half-page) of the workshop/tutorial topics Only for workshops: 5) potential target participants and audience 6) roughly approximated number of participants 7) rough estimate of the number of talks All proposals must be sent to: workshops(a)xva.life<mailto:workshops@xva.life> Looking forward to your submissions. Best wishes, Eduardo J. Izquierdo, ALife XV Workshop Chair Assistant Professor, Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University

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Postdoc positions in Systems Neuroscience at McGill University (Adrien Peyrache)
by Adrien Peyrache Jan. 13, 2016

Jan. 13, 2016

Dear colleagues, We are looking for talented and enthusiastic postdoc candidates to join our team at McGill University (Montreal Neurological Institute). The lab focuses on the neuronal dynamics underlying spatial navigation, sleep and learning and uses cutting-edge techniques combining high density electrophysiological recordings and optogenetics in behaving animals. Starting date: summer 2016. The successful candidate should have either a strong background in neurophysiology or computational neuroscience. Candidates should send a resume, a brief statement of research interests and the names of two references to Dr. Adrien Peyrache ( adrien.peyrache(a)gmail.com) The candidates must hold a PhD for less than 3 years. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. McGill University is committed to equity in employment and diversity. It welcomes applications from Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, persons of minority sexual orientation or gender identity, visible minorities, women, and others who may contribute to diversification.

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2016 QBio, abstract submission Jan 22
by Jesus Cortes Jan. 13, 2016

Jan. 13, 2016

Dear all We are organizing the 2016 Quantitative Biomedicine Workshop One-page abstract (free-format) submission finalizes on Jan 22. Confirmed speakers are: Rafael MOLINA SORIANO (University of Granada) Cesar CABALLERO (BCBL) Iñigo GABILONDO (BioCruces) Banafshe LARIJANI (CSIC-UPV/EHU) Markus DAHLEM (Institut für Theoretische Physik-Technische Universität Berlin) Paolo BONIFAZI (BioCruces) Eugenio IGLESIAS (BCBL) Mauro D’AMATO (BioCruces) Dante CHIALVO (CONICET) Denis DOORLY (Imperial College London) Alessandro VENEZIANI (Emory) Daniela CALVETTI (Case Western University) For further information visit http://www.bcamath.org/en/workshops/qbio2016 Best Greetings Luca Gerardo-Giorda (BCAM), Sebastiano Stramaglia (University of Bari) and Jesus M Cortes (Biocruces Health Research Institute)

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CFP: Special Issue "Wireless Sensor Networks for Measuring the Impact of Human Activities over Different Environments" in (IJDSN)
by Sandra Sendra Jan. 13, 2016

Jan. 13, 2016

=================================================== International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks (IJDSN) Special Issue "Wireless Sensor Networks for Measuring the Impact of Human Activities over Different Environments" http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijdsn/si/567042/cfp/ Deadline for manuscript submissions: January 29, 2016 ---------------------------------------------------- === SPECIAL ISSUE - CALL FOR PAPERS === Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are nowadays used in a wide variety of applications, such as military surveillance, scientific exploration, structural monitoring, and environmental monitoring applications, among others. These sorts of networks are complex systems whose correct operation mainly depends on the integration of physical sensors, computation processes, and communication between devices. Advances in smart device and sensor networks will drive innovation in important sectors such as energy efficiency, city/building design, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing. Moreover, human actions motivated by achieving various purposes cause side effects on our environment. While the intended effects are usually positive, at least for those who promote action, side effects can be positive but very often are negative. Some most basic actions of how we do our day-to-day routines are the following: the way people move around the city, how people get rid of your waste, excessive cultivation or exploitation of natural resources, misuse of electrical appliances, or celebrating holidays with music and pyrotechnics, among others, which can have a significant impact on our environment, whether natural, social environments, or on our heritage. For these reasons and taking into account the advantages that WSNs offer, this special issue aims to focus on new proposals and developments of WSNs for monitoring and evaluating the impact of human activity on the environments that surround us. Authors are invited to submit their original and unpublished research contributions to this special issue in relevant areas of WSNs, proposing new design concepts, architectures, and applications versus resource constraints and energy conservation. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: - WSN issues and technologies for monitoring the effects of human behaviors on the environment - Design of energy-efficient WSNs, hardware, software, and systems for monitoring sensitive environments - Real-world case studies of WSNs where the effects of human behaviors are analyzed - WSNs data management - Prototyping of experimental WSNs and its test bench - Evaluation of WSNs in sensitive scenarios - WSNs for emergency response in natural/man-made disasters - New proposals of WSNs architectures - Efficient communication for WSNs architectures - WSN for sustainable human behaviors - Sustainable WSN for environmental sustainability Authors can submit their manuscripts via the Manuscript Tracking System at: http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/ijdsn/miha/ === IMPORTANT DATES === Manuscript Due: Friday, 29 January 2016 First Round of Reviews: Friday, 22 April 2016 Publication Date: Friday, 17 June 2016 === SPECIAL ISSUE EDITORS === Lead Guest Editor Prof. Dr. Jaime Lloret Mauri (jlloret(a)dcom.upv.es) Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain Guest Editors Dr. Sandra Sendra (sansenco(a)posgrado.upv.es) Integrated Management Coastal Research Institute, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain Dr. Danda B. Rawat (db.rawat(a)ieee.org) Georgia Southern University, Georgia, USA Dr. Kayhan Z. Ghafoor (kayhan(a)ieee.org) Salahaddin University, College of Engineering, Kirkuk Road Erbil, Kurdistan Region-Iraq ===================================================

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call for participation Frontiers Research Topic "Burst coding: from cell to cognition”
by Zeldenrust, Fleur Jan. 12, 2016

Jan. 12, 2016

Dear colleagues, This is a call for participation in a Frontiers Research Topic titled "Burst coding: from cell to cognition” (for a description, see below). We, the editors, would highly value your participation. If you would like to contribute, please follow the following link: http://journal.frontiersin.org/researchtopic/4374/burst-coding-from-cell-to… Abstract deadline: 1 February 2016 Manuscript deadline: 30 June 2016 Please note that reviews at Frontiers allow and encourage a discussion between the authors and the reviewers. As editors we would like to further encourage you to use this opportunity, while guaranteeing from our side that a constructive discussion with the reviewers will have a positive influence on the evaluation of your work. Let us know if you have any questions about the Research Topic. We look forward to hearing from you soon. With kind regards, Fleur Zeldenrust Bernhard Englitz Wytse J. Wadman Guest Associate Editors, Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience BURST CODING: FROM CELL TO COGNITION Bursting is a firing mode of neurons in which they respond to and input with a group of high frequency action potentials, followed by a period of relative silence. These bursts can be generated intrinsically in neurons themselves, or they can be the result of network activity. Many different systems show a burst-firing mode next to a tonic-firing mode. Despite the ubiquity of bursting, the question of the functional properties of bursts remains unknown: why do some systems rely on bursts for their information transmission and what do bursts code for? We encourage authors to contribute their expertise, both from experimental and from computational backgrounds, on this question on the fundamental properties of burst coding. Papers should address one or more of the following issues: 1. Burst generation. How can different systems generate bursts? This includes both the single neuron level (active dendritic calcium, sodium dynamics, ‘ping-pong’ mechanisms) and the network level (synchronization, inhibition). 2. Differences between systems. In what brain areas of what animals do bursts occur (region CA3 of the rodent hippocampus, mammalian thalamus, weakly electric fish, insect auditory receptors), and what are the similarities/differences in the properties of these systems? 3. Detection and analysis of bursts. The detection of bursts is mostly done using inter-spike interval distributions or return maps; these give a typical inter-spike interval. Often, inter-spike intervals and spike amplitudes change over the course of a burst, making the last spikes in a burst hard to detect. This makes the analysis of burst challenging. Moreover, many traditional tools for the analysis of spike trains cannot be used to analyse spike trains that include bursts without some form of correction for it (reverse correlation techniques, Spike Coincidence Factor). 4. Information processing (burst coding). What are the functional information processing effects of bursts? These include decoding (resonance coding or inter-spike interval coding, burst duration coding), encoding (what stimulus features trigger bursts?), and other coding properties (reliability at unreliable synapses, feature detection for bursts versus stimulus estimation for single spikes, ‘wake-up call’ function of bursts). 5. Relation between bursts and pathology. The burst-firing mode of the thalamus has been associated with sleep and anaesthesia, and therefore with pathological conditions, before evidence showed that bursts also occur in awake states. Bursting in the subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus is associated with Parkinson’s disease; high-frequency cortical oscillations are thought to be a hallmark of epilepsy, but their origins have been disputed. Are there more relations between the burst-firing mode and pathological conditions? 6. Relation between bursts and behaviour. Bursts of complex spike cells play an important functional role in hippocampal place cells. In the oculomotor system bursts play an important role in generating saccades. In weakly electric fish, bursts are a response to ‘communication-like’ stimuli, but not to ‘prey-like’ stimuli. Thalamic bursts have a much stronger effect on their cortical targets than single spikes. These results suggest that bursts can have a different signalling function then single spikes, often associated with different behaviour. ABOUT FRONTIERS RESEARCH TOPICS Founded by scientists in 2007, Frontiers is a community-rooted open-access publisher, driving innovations in peer review, article-level metrics and research networking. The "Frontiers in" journal series hosts 54 journals covering more than 350 academic specialties, with a network of over 200,000 leading researchers worldwide. Frontiers is a registered member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (http://www.oaspa.org/member/Frontiers) and was recognized by the ALPSP Award for Innovation in Publishing in 2014. The idea behind a Frontiers Research Topic is to create a comprehensive collection of peer-reviewed articles that address a specific theme of research, as well as a forum for discussion and debate. Contributions can be articles describing original research, methods, hypothesis & theory, opinions, and more. Please see the relevant journal for a full list of accepted article types. Frontiers will also compile an e-book, as soon as all contributing articles are published, that can be used as educational material, be sent to foundations that fund your research, to journalists and press agencies, or to your professional network. E-books are free to read and download. Once published, your articles will be free to access for all readers, indexed in relevant repositories, and as an author in Frontiers, you retain the copyright to your own papers and figures. FRONTIERS PUBLISHING FEES Manuscripts accepted for publication are subject to publishing fees, which vary depending on the article type. All Research Topic manuscripts receive a discount on publishing fees; please see here for a full fee table, and further relevant FAQs: http://www.frontiersin.org/about/PublishingFees. http://www.frontiersin.org/Mail/IbarMail.aspx?op=4&msgid=10350094&msg=In

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Application Deadline Approaching: School on Neurotechniques 2016, Padova, Italy
by Mufti Mahmud Jan. 12, 2016

Jan. 12, 2016

Dear All, Sorry for the cross posting. I am glad to communicate that the NeuroChip Laboratory of University of Padova, Italy is organizing a School on Neurotechniques with special emphasis on "Tools for Investigating the Function of Neural Circuits". The school will be held from February 15 – 19, 2016 and the deadline for application is January 20, 2016. The following topics will be covered in the school: 1. Multi-electrode and multi-transistor arrays 2. Implantable brain probes for acute and chronic recording 3. Transcranic magnetic stimulation 4. Mixed electrophysiology, genetics and behavior approaches 5. Closed-loop electrophysiology and neuromorphic systems 6. Genetically encoded fluorecent probes 7. Signal Analysis 8. Calcium imaging 9. Neuron cultures techniques 10. In vivo electrophysiology Thank you for your attention. Best regards, Mufti Mahmud, PhD Call for participation School on Neurotechniques 2016: The toolbox for investigating the function of neural circuits 15-19 February 2016 NeuroChip Lab, University of Padova, Italy Website: http://www.vassanellilab.eu/school-neurotechniques/ OBJECTIVE Investigating information processing and identifying operational rules of brain neural circuits relies on the capability to selectively record and stimulate multiple neurons within a network. The toolbox of available techniques conceived to meet this need is rapidly expanding. The CSN School on Neurotechniques 2015 will offer an overview on advanced electrical- and light-based recording methods of neuronal excitability, focusing on those that are most relevant for the investigation of neural networks ‘in vitro’ and ‘in vivo’ and for application in neuroprosthetics. Techniques derived from information theory for the analysis of neuronal population signals will be presented and practical demonstrations of experimental recording sessions provided. The school targets doctoral students, post-doctoral researchers, scientists working in the related fields. Since the school's topics are interdisciplinary covering neurobiology, neuronal biophysics, microscopy, and electronics, preliminary knowledge in these fields is highly recommended. SPEAKERS Luca Berdondini Italian Institute of Technology, Genova, IT Stefano Ferraina University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, IT Michele Giugliano University of Antwerp, BE Giacomo Indiveri INI, Zurich , CH Jonathan Mapelli University of Modena, IT Marcello Massimini University of Milan , IT Nurmikko Arto Brown University, Providence, USA Tullio Pozzan CNR Rome, IT Themis Prodromakis University of Southampton, UK Roland Thewes University of Berlin, DE Paul Verschure ICREA at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, ES Guenther Zeck NMI at the University of Tuebingen, Reutlingen, DE Ralf Zeitler Venneos, Stuttgart, DE Davide Zoccolan SISSA, Trieste, IT REGISTRATION To apply, please register at ( http://www.vassanellilab.eu/school-neurotechniques/school-neurotechniques-2…) on or before January 20, 2016. If you have any further questions, please contact silviamaria.lattanzio(a)unipd.it or stefano.vassanelli(a)unipd.it The registration is FREE, however, the number of places are limited. The registration is sponsored by the European Commission, Project CSNII csnetwork.eu (GA No 601167, FP7, FET Proactive, Neuro-Bio-Inspired Systems). Travel and accommodation costs are not funded. LOCATION The school will be hosted by the NeuroChip Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via f. Marzolo 3, 35131 - Padova, Italy. The location is very close the city centre and is easily reachable from the railway or bus station of Padova. WHEN February 15-19, 2016. Target audience (N = ~25 active full-time): PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, scientists, members of associated EC CSNII consortia. -- Mufti Mahmud, PhD Postdoctoral Research Fellow NeuroChip Lab <http://www.vassanellilab.eu/> - Dept. of Biomedical Sciences <http://www.biomed.unipd.it/?L=1> University of Padova Via f. Marzolo 3 35131 - Padova, Italy Lab: +39 049 827 5308 Fax: +39 049 827 5301 https://sites.google.com/site/muftimahmud/

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Workshop on Hearing and Speech Processing at the KITP in Santa Barbara, summer 2017
by Reichenbach, Johann D T Jan. 12, 2016

Jan. 12, 2016

Dear colleagues, I am writing to announce the multi-disciplinary workshop entitled "Physics of Hearing: From Neurobiology to Information Theory and Back”. Organized by Hervé Boulard, Maria Neimark Geffen, Jim Hudspeth as well as myself, and sponsored by the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP, http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu) this event will take place in Santa Barbara, California, for the eight weeks from Tuesday 30 May through Friday 21 July 2017 (note that this means 2017, not 2016!). The program's emphasis is on the development of a deeper theoretical understanding both of the biophysical constraints of the nervous system and of the mathematical structure of natural sounds, their modeling, and their processing. We plan to cover the following topics: Biophysics and active sensing in the inner ear, Neuronal mechanisms of dynamic auditory coding, Oral communication in nonhuman species, Learning in the auditory pathway and language development, Psychoacoustics and human auditory modeling, Mathematical structure of natural sounds, Mathematical structure of speech and speech-recognition technology, Compressed sensing and sparse recovery modeling, and Deep neural networks for speech recognition. The main goal of the program is to stimulate new research directions and collaborations between program participants. We expect this to yield significant progress both in the neurobiology of hearing as well as in speech-recognition technology. Our Scientific Advisors are Dolores Bozović (UCLA), Judit Gervain (Univ. Paris Decartes), Hynek Hermansky (John Hopkins Univ.), Josh McDermott (MIT), Cynthia F. Moss (John Hopkins Univ.), Mari Ostendorf (Univ. Washington), Shihab Shamma (Univ. Maryland), Malcolm Slaney (Google), and Ruedi Stoop (ETH Zurich). Other long-term participants include Richard Aslin (Univ. Rochester), Alain de Cheveigne (Univ. Paris Decartes), Stephen David (Oregon H&S Univ.), Philip Garner (IDIAP), Andrea Hasenstaub (UCSF), Dick Lyon (Google), Fanny Meunier (UCL), Paris Smaragdis (Univ. Illinois), Lynne Werner (Univ. Washington), and Sarah Woolley (Columbia Univ.). The program will run for eight weeks, with around 30 simultaneous participants, speakers, and students present at any time, and around 100 participants in total over the eight weeks of the workshop. The KITP provides shared offices and computing infrastructure for all program attendants such that participants can work efficiently during their stay. The KITP will also provide free accommodation in its newly constructed Residence on the edge of the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Institute will further provide support for living expenses. Funding for travel to and from Santa Barbara is available if these costs cannot be covered otherwise; and financial assistance for bringing family members can be provided. More information on available funding as well as on the program can be found online at http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/activities/dbdetails?acro=hearing17. My colleagues and I would be delighted if you would join us in this remarkable opportunity for a broad synthesis of multi-disciplinary research on hearing and speech processing. If you wish to participate, please set up an account and apply online on the above website. It will help us with our planning if you apply early, including your proposed length of stay and any financial requirements. Please note that participants need to stay for at least three weeks to qualify for support from the KITP. With best wishes, Tobias Reichenbach ------------------------------------------- Tobias Reichenbach Lecturer, Biophysics of Hearing Editor, Heliyon Department of Bioengineering Imperial College London South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ London, UK http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/reichenbach/

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research assistant position available
by Dominik Endres Jan. 12, 2016

Jan. 12, 2016

A research assistant position (salary commensurate with 65% TV-H E13) for a highly motivated individual is available in the group of theoretical Neuroscience headed by Prof. Dr. Dominik Endres. The Group is located in the Department of Psychology at the Philipps-University of Marburg, Germany. The position is initially for one year, extensible given satisfactory performance. The position is intended to facilitate a scientific qualification, specifically a German doctorate (PhD equivalent). The position is embedded in the Collaborative Research Center SFB 135, http://www.forschungsallianz-gi-mr.de/projekte/sfb/wahrnehmung. Duties include active, self-motivated participation in the research and teaching activities of the group, in particular a) the development of quantifiable theoretical models about movement perception based on movement primitives, and b) the experimental testing of such models using the new virtual-reality facility of the department. Prerequisites are a Master's degree or German Diplom in one of the following areas: theoretical Neuroscience, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Cognitive Science or Psychology with a minor in one of the aforementioned fields. Programming experience in Python, C++ or similar are advantageous. Applications with experience in machine learning, computer graphics or behavioral experimentation will be preferred. Applicants' skills in these areas will be tested as a part of the recruitment procedure. The academic environment is a vibrant scientific community at the Research Alliance Giessen/Marburg comprising the IRTG 1901 International Research Training Group investigating The Brain in Action (http://www.irtg-brainact.de/) and a Collaborative Research Center (SFB 135, http://www.forschungsallianz-gi-mr.de/projekte/sfb/wahrnehmung) on the Cardinal Mechanisms of Perception, thus offering an excellent environment for cutting edge research on the intersections between different disciplines ranging from experimental psychology and human movement science to computational modeling, machine learning, psycholinguistics and the neurobiology of action. Applications should include a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae and Master's transcripts or similar records, and the addresses of 2 referees. The initial application should be sent by email to Prof. Dr. D. Endres (dominik.endres(a)uni-marburg.de) no later than Jan. 26th, 2016 (earlier applications preferred). Please do not sent originals by mail, because we will not be able to return them to you. We will not cover travel costs to/from Marburg for job interviews. The Philipps-University of Marburg is an equal opportunity employer. Relevant paper: Endres, D., Chiovetto, E. & Giese, M. A. (2013). Model selection for the extraction of movement primitives. Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, 7(185) -- Prof. Dr. Dominik Endres AE Theoretische Neurowissenschaft Allgemeine und Biologische Psychologie FB Psychologie, Gutenbergstr 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany Tel. +49-(0)6421-28-23818

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[meetings] Living Machines V: Second Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors
by Nathan F Lepora Jan. 11, 2016

Jan. 11, 2016

Second Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors Living Machines V: The 5th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems 18th to 22nd July 2016 http://csnetwork.eu/livingmachines/conf2016 To be hosted at the Dynamic Earth Edinburgh, Scotland In association with the Heriot Watt University and University of Edinburgh Accepted papers will be published in Springer Lecturer Notes in Artificial Intelligence Submission deadline March 11th, 2016 ___________________________________________________________ ABOUT LIVING MACHINES 2016 The development of future real-world technologies will depend strongly on our understanding and harnessing of the principles underlying living systems and the flow of communication signals between living and artificial systems. Biomimetics is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of principles from the study of biological systems. The investigation of biomimetic systems can serve two complementary goals. First, a suitably designed and configured biomimetic artefact can be used to test theories about the natural system of interest. Second, biomimetic technologies can provide useful, elegant and efficient solutions to unsolved challenges in science and engineering. Biohybrid systems are formed by combining at least one biological component—an existing living system—and at least one artificial, newly-engineered component. By passing information in one or both directions, such a system forms a new hybrid bio-artificial entity. The theme of the conference also encompasses biomimetic methods for manufacture, repair and recycling inspired by natural processes such as reproduction, digestion, morphogenesis and metamorphosis. The following are some examples of “Living Machines” as featured at past conferences: • Biomimetic robots and their component technologies (sensors, actuators, processors) that can intelligently interact with their environments. • Active biomimetic materials and structures that self-organize and self-repair. • Nature-inspired designs and manufacturing processes. • Biomimetic computers—neuromimetic emulations of the physiological basis for intelligent behaviour. • Biohybrid brain-machine interfaces and neural implants. • Artificial organs and body-parts including sensory organ-chip hybrids and intelligent prostheses. • Organism-level biohybrids such as robot-animal or robot-human systems. ACTIVITIES The main conference will take the form of a three-day single-track oral and poster presentation programme, 20th to 22nd July 2016, hosted at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, Scotland. The conference programme will include five plenary lectures from leading international researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems, and the demonstrations of state-of-the-art living machine technologies. Agreed speakers are: *Antonio Bicchi*, University of Pisa (robotics, haptics and control systems) *Frank Hirth*, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry (evolutionary neuroscience) *Yoshihiko Nakamura*, University of Tokyo (biomimetics in humanoids) *Thomas Speck*, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (plants and animals as concept generators for biomimetic materials and technologies) *Barbara Webb*, University of Edinburgh (perceptual systems; control of behaviour in insects and robots) The full conference will be preceded by up to two days of Satellite Events hosted by the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. SUBMITTING TO LIVING MACHINES 2016 We invite both full papers and extended abstracts in areas related to the conference themes. All contributions will be refereed and accepted papers will appear in the Living Machines 2016 proceedings which we expect to be published in the Springer-Verlag LNAI Series. Full papers (minimum 8 pages, up to 12 pages) are invited from researchers at any stage in their career and should present significant findings and advances in biomimetic or biohybid research. More preliminary work would be better suited for short papers submission (minimum 4 pages, with a maximum of ten references and no more than three self-citations). Full papers will be accepted for either oral presentation (single track) or poster presentation. Extended abstracts will be accepted for poster presentation only. Authors of the best full papers will be invited to submitted extended versions of their paper for publication in a special issue of the Taylor & Francis journal Connection Science. Satellite events Active researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems are invited to propose topics for 1-day or 2-day tutorials, symposia or workshops on related themes to be held 18-19th July at the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh. Events can be scheduled on either the 18th or the 19th or across both days. Attendance at satellite events will attract a small fee intended to cover the costs of the meeting. There is a lot of flexibility about the content, organisation, and budgeting for these events. Please contact us if you are interested in organising a satellite event! EXPECTED DEADLINES March 11th, 2016 Paper submission deadline April 29th, 2016 Notification of acceptance May 16th, 2016 Camera ready copy July 18-22 2016 Conference SPONSORSHIP Living Machines 2016 is part-sponsored by the Convergent Science Network (CSN) for Biomimetics and Neurotechnology. CSN is an EU FP7 Future Emerging Technologies Co-ordination Activity that also organises two highly successful workshop series: the Barcelona Summer School on Brain, Technology and Cognition (https://bcbt.upf.edu/bcbt15) and the Capocaccia Neuromorphic Cognitive Engineering Workshop ( https://capocaccia.ethz.ch/capo/wiki/2015) The 2016 Living Machines conference will also be hosted and co-sponsored by Heriot Watt University. Call for Sponsors. Other organisations wishing to sponsor the conference in any way and gain the corresponding benefits by promoting themselves and their products to through conference publications, the conference web-site, and conference publicity are encouraged to contact the conference organisers to discuss the terms of sponsorship and necessary arrangements. We offer a number of attractive and good-value packages to potential sponsors. ABOUT THE VENUE Living Machines 2016 will be hosted at Dynamic Earth ( http://www.dynamicearth.co.uk) a 5 star visitor attraction in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic old town, next door the Scottish Parliament and Holyrood Palace. Dynamic Earth is a visitor experience that invites you to take a journey through time to witness the story of planet Earth. Through a series of interactive exhibits, state of the art technology and even a 4D encounter you will feel the heat of a bubbling volcano, face the chill of polar ice, fly across the globe before crash landing in a tropical rainforest. Attendees at the conference will receive a discount voucher to visit the Dynamic Earth exhibit. Workshops will be held at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics in George Square, a short walk from Edinburgh city centre. Organising Committee: Mark Desmulliez, Heriot Watt University (Co-chair) Tony Prescott, University of Sheffield (Co-chair) Nathan Lepora, University of Bristol (Programme Chair) Michael Mangar, University of Edinburgh (Satellite Events Chair) Anna Mura, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Communications) Paul Verschure, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (International Steering Committee)

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PhD Studentship available on Computational Intelligence for Artificial Agents Cognition and Interaction
by Di Nuovo, Alessandro Jan. 11, 2016

Jan. 11, 2016

Dear all, This is to announce a PhD Studentship available on Computational Intelligence for Artificial Agents Cognition and Interaction The project explores the use of Computational Intelligence techniques to simulate the human-like cognition abilities and use them to address complex real-world problems in which artificial agents should autonomously learn and interact with human beings. In particular, it investigates the novel deep learning paradigm offers a highly biologically plausible way to train neural network architectures with many layers, inspired by the hierarchical organization of the human brain. Impressive results have been obtained in several areas, where deep learning architectures have outperformed state-of-the-art algorithms on various tasks, such as computer vision, automatic speech recognition, natural language processing, and human action recognition. the position advertised within the SHU VC & ACES Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) PhD Scholarship Schemes 2016 (Project n. 6 in Computing and Informatics). Deadline for the application is 29th of January 2016. Please follow the link below for more information. http://www.shu.ac.uk/ad/studentships/ which has general information on the types of scholarships available, eligibility criteria and profiles of 2015 VC scholars (the landing page can also be found by clicking on the featured link on the SHU website home page). From the landing page, applicants can then click through to more detailed application information, according to discipline. Note that students are chosen in competition with students who choose projects in other fields, which means that we would particularly encourage strong applicants with very good academic marks and previous research experience to apply. All applicants are encouraged to contact a prospective supervisor before submitting an application. If you are interested on the project, please contact the project lead: Dr Alessandro Di Nuovo (a.dinuovo(a)shu.ac.uk)

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CNS*2016 Call for Workshop Proposals
by Thomas Nowotny Jan. 11, 2016

Jan. 11, 2016

CNS 2016 Jeju, South Korea: Call for Workshops We are requesting proposals for workshops from the international community of computational neuroscientists. Proposals from all levels of faculty as well as advanced postdoctoral fellows are welcome. This is a great opportunity to organize a small meeting with just a few of the headaches of actually organizing it. Workshop proposal submission instructions for CNS 2016 The last two days (July 6-7) of the 25th annual CNS meeting will be devoted to workshops, in which computationally related neuroscience topics can be presented and discussed. Workshops can be anywhere between one half to two days in duration. Usually several speakers are invited to introduce a unifying theme, but ample time for discussion should also be planned. Submit workshop proposals to: workshops(a)cnsorg.org<mailto:workshops@cnsorg.org>. The Past Meetings page<http://www.cnsorg.org/past-meetings> gives access to archives of workshops held at previous CNS meetings. The proposal should be submitted as a Word or pdf file and MUST include the following sections: 1. Workshop Title 2. Organizers (list primary organizer first; include affiliations and emails) 3. Duration (half day, one or two days, there are 2 sessions per day) 4. Number of expected speakers 5. Brief Description (~150 words; if possible, say why this is significant or timely) 6. Speakers (mark expected or confirmed) Also please note the following rules which were approved by the OCNS Board on July 15, 2013: * Each individual can be the organizer or co-organizer of only one workshop. * The number of confirmed speakers is one of the criteria for accepting the proposal. * Overlapping proposals may be asked to be combined. If the organizers do not wish to combine the proposals, only one of the proposals may be accepted. Workshops submitted before January 31, 2016 will be given priority in acceptance. Workshop proposals arriving after January 31, 2016 will be evaluated based on remaining space for additional workshops. No further workshop acceptances are anticipated after May 15, 2016. We are looking forward to your submissions. Thomas Nowotny, Workshop Organizer CNS*2016 -- Prof. Thomas Nowotny CCNR, Sussex Neuroscience Phone: +44-1273-678593 Engineering and Informatics Fax: +44-1273-877873 University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ http://sussex.ac.uk/informatics/tnowotny

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CfP - MLUB 2016 - International Workshop on Machine Learning for Understanding the Brain
by Emre Akbas Jan. 11, 2016

Jan. 11, 2016

Please accept our apologies if you receive multiple copies of this call. 1st International Workshop on Machine Learning for Understanding the Brain, MLUB 2016 June 28-29 2016, Ankara, Turkey http://mlani.ceng.metu.edu.tr/ * Call for papers: International Workshop on Machine Learning for Understanding the Brain (MLUB) welcomes original and unpublished work on theory, systems, algorithms and applications related to Machine Learning and understanding techniques for modeling and analysis of brain in various modalities, such as, fMRI, sMRI, EEG, MEG, fNIRS. The workshop focuses on but is not limited to the following topics: - Learning and inference on neuroimaging data - Cognitive state classification - Functional Connectivity - Sparse Techniques - Multimodal Learning - Multi-Subject Learning - Efficient Algorithms for Large-Scale Data - Brain Network Embedding - Cognitive Computing - Software Simulation of the Brain - Pattern and Object Recognition - Cognitive Machine Learning - Modeling - Vision Models of the Brain - Memory Model of the Brain - Neural Models of the Brain - Visualization - High-Dimensional Neuroimaging Data Visualization - Brain Network Visualization - Network Summarization - Applications - Resting-State Data Analysis - Task-Based Data Analysis - Diagnosis of Diseases - Brain Computer Interface We call for paper contributions with a maximum length of 4 pages (double-column, IEEE style, PDF) for review. Accepted submissions will be assigned to one of the oral sessions. Every accepted submission has to be presented at the workshop by one of the paper's authors. All accepted and presented submissions will be included in the workshop proceedings and will be published by IEEE Xplore. * Important dates: Paper submission deadline: February 26, 2016 Notification of acceptance: March 22, 2016 Camera ready Submission: March 29, 2016 Workshop: June 28-29, 2016 * Executive Committee Fatos T. Yarman Vural (Middle East Technical University) Tulay Adali (University of Maryland, Baltimore County) Enis Cetin (Bilkent University) Haluk Bingol (Bogazici University) Huseyin Boyaci (Bilkent University) * Technical Program Chairs Sinan Kalkan (Middle East Technical University) Emre Akbas (Middle East Technical University) Mete Ozay (Tohoku University) * For more information: http://mlani.ceng.metu.edu.tr/

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Data Science Engineer
by paulo rodrigues Jan. 8, 2016

Jan. 8, 2016

Dear colleagues, Mint Labs <http://www.mint-labs.com> is looking to fill a R&D position on data science. Mint Labs is a multi-disciplinary science and engineering start-up. The company's mission is to develop technologies to better understand the human brain and the diseases that affect it. Our primary focus is on neuroimaging methods, including MRI, that yield insights into the living brain. *Context* You thrive on the idea of using tools that aid the communication of results such as Ipython notebooks? You are not satisfied with how computational science is currently being done and have ideas on how to make it more effective at curing diseases? You enjoy interacting with new groups of people and are comfortable communicating with dozens to hundreds of scientists? The challenge is to develop analysis systems for multidimensional medical datasets that include imaging. Mint Labs is a SaaS platform that focus on integrating diverse clinical, imaging, genomic, and other data to better evaluate disease progression and response to interventions. *Objectives of the position* - Support the interaction with several external research partners and clients to develop both bioinformatics analysis and visualizations on data in collaboration with neurologists, statisticians and other bioinformaticians. - Work with the newest technologies in data analysis and -omics data. - Create web-accessible records that are reproducible and re-usable of all your analysis. - Work with our software team that develops the web platform to communicate requirements and features for product development. - Automate the execution of new analysis methods using scripting and statistical programming. - Assist in the evaluation and implementation of data and imaging curation tools. - Develop practical methods for non-programmers to communicate reproducible results by integrating new and existing tools into our platform - Detect, model and normalize batch and experimental artifacts in experimental data. *Desired profile, Skills* - You have experience working within a team of scientists, statisticians and software engineers to compile and format large, high-dimensional data sets for downstream analysis. - You have software development experience, including strong programming skills in a high-level language especially Python, R and/or matlab. Experience with Linux shell scripting recommended. - Ideally, you would be experienced with developing advanced ipython notebooks or other interactive frameworks. - Ideally, you are familiar with neuroimaging data types such as anatomical data, diffusion or functional imaging. - You have a graduate degree in a quantitative field such as engineering, applied math, computer science, bioinformatics etc or are an exceptional undergraduate with bioinformatics experience. *A great R&D environment* We're a growing, product-centric team located in Barcelona Spain. We strive on solving hard problems with creative solutions, and have fun during the process - after all we are in Barcelona. As an engineer on our team, you'll tackle the challenges that arise as we build a large-scale system for data processing and distribution. The scale at which our systems must operate requires highly-performing algorithms and data structures. Solving complex distributed systems and ensuring data security are essential. We're looking for independent thinkers with a deep understanding of the problems we are solving who are not afraid to significantly influence how this system is improved. We hire for people, not roles -- if you don't see an interesting job description but believe that you can add value to Mint Labs, we would love to hear from you. In addition, the researcher/engineer will interact closely with top researchers worldwide, using our platform. ***Contact**: * team(a)mint-labs.com, paulo(a)mint-labs.com ***Application**: * Interested candidate should send CV and motivation letter ᐧ

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Neuroimaging Engineer opportunity
by paulo rodrigues Jan. 8, 2016

Jan. 8, 2016

Dear colleagues, Mint Labs <http://www.mint-labs.com> is looking to fill a R&D position on neuroimaging processing. Mint Labs is a multi-disciplinary science and engineering start-up. The company's mission is to develop technologies to better understand the human brain and the diseases that affect it. Our primary focus is on neuroimaging methods, including MRI, that yield insights into the living brain. *Context* The challenge is to develop analysis systems for multidimensional medical datasets that include imaging. Mint Labs is a SaaS platform that focus on integrating diverse clinical, imaging, genomic, and other data to better evaluate disease progression and response to interventions. You thrive in analyzing data, developing pipelines to process imaging data, and integrate multiple data points into meaningful group conclusions? You are experienced in volumetric, diffusion, rs-fMRI studies, and are not shy about Python, bash, R or whatever tool fits the work? *Objectives of the position* The position hinges on processing of very large databases. Important novelties of the project are: - Building predictive models to discriminate multiple pathologies in large inhomogeneous datasets. - Using and improving advanced connectomics and brain-parcellation techniques in dMRI / fMRI. - Support the interaction with several external research partners and clients to develop neuroimaging analysis *Desired profile* We are looking for a doctoral or post-doctoral fellow to hire in beginning of 2016. The ideal candidate would have some, but not all, of the following expertise and interests: - Experience in advanced processing of MRI, dMRI and fMRI - General knowledge of brain structure and function - Good communication skills to write high-impact neuroscience publications - Good computing skills, in particular with Python. Cloud computing experience is desired. *A great R&D environment* We're a growing, product-centric team located in Barcelona Spain. We strive on solving hard problems with creative solutions, and have fun during the process - after all we are in Barcelona. As an engineer in our team, you will tackle the challenges that arise as we build a large-scale system for data processing and distribution. The scale at which our systems must operate requires highly-performing algorithms and data structures. Solving complex distributed systems and ensuring data security are essential. We are looking for independent thinkers with a deep understanding of the problems we are solving who are not afraid to significantly influence how the system can be improved. We hire for people, not roles -- if you don't see an interesting job description but believe that you can add value to Mint Labs, we would love to hear from you. In addition, the post-doc will interact closely with top researchers worldwide, using our platform. ***Contact**: * team(a)mint-labs.com, paulo(a)mint-labs.com ***Application**:* Interested candidate should send CV and a motivation letter

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PhD position in computational neuroscience: Identification of Metastable Cortical Dynamics Underlying Cognitive Decisions (Bournemouth University-IDIBAPS)
by Emili Balaguer-Ballester Jan. 8, 2016

Jan. 8, 2016

PhD position in Computational Neuroscience 'Identification of Metastable Cortical Dynamics Underlying Cognitive Decisions' (Bournemouth University-IDIBAPS Barcelona) A PhD position is available in 3-years fully-funded project 'Identification of Metastable Cortical Dynamics Underlying Cognitive Decisions'; based at Bournemouth University (UK) https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/centre/interdisciplinary-neuroscience-re… and at the Biomedical Research Institute August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS, http://www.idibaps.org/en_index.htm, University of Barcelona, Spain). Do we have analysis tools for a reliable identification of the dynamical processes underlying decision-making? This is a fundamental question, touching the very basics of our understanding of neural computation and hence one of the most exciting topics in neuroscience. However, to reconstruct in detail neural dynamics generating cognitive decisions is a major challenge for current methodologies. This would be a highly significant advance; for instance the identification of stable dynamical patterns of activity in hippocampus deserved to win the last Nobel Prize. The aim of the project is to develop innovative approaches designed for the identification of metastable dynamics underlying cognitive decisions. We aim for the fusion of statistical learning approaches to pattern discovery with methods for identifying neural attractor dynamics and neurocomputational modelling. The novel approach will reconstruct neural dynamics during tasks specifically designed at Sanchez-Vives Lab in rodents and in human subjects at the Bournemouth EEG lab. The training possibilities that this interdisciplinary project offers are multiple and relevant in building-up a high-profile as a neuroscientist. The student will benefit from the vibrant scientific environment of neural computation and neurosciences at BU https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/centre/interdisciplinary-neuroscience-re… and at the cortical networks lab; embedded in the renowned systems neuroscience network in Barcelona http://www.sanchez-vives.org/. Applicants holding a degree in Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science or similar disciplines are welcome. Interest or previous training in neuroscience or laboratory experience and a strong mathematical (dynamical systems, partial differential equations) or machine learning background would be very welcome. The researcher would be based at the Faculty of Science, Bournemouth University, and work with Dr Balaguer-Ballester at the Computational Neuroscience laboratory in the context of the interdisciplinary group for neurosciences; and would spend prolonged periods of time in the Cortical Networks Lab (IDIBAPS, Barcelona) led by Prof Maria Victoria Sanchez-Vives; providing an outstanding opportunity to gain a diverse experience of both neuro-computational and experimental approaches. For formally applying and more information please visit https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/pgr/funded-phd-studentships-in-the-facul… The deadline is on the 29th of February, 2016 BU is a Disability Two Ticks Employer and has signed up to the Mindful Employer charter. Information about the accessibility of University buildings can be found on the BU DisabledGo webpages This email is intended only for the person to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender and delete this email, which must not be copied, distributed or disclosed to any other person. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Bournemouth University or its subsidiary companies. Nor can any contract be formed on behalf of the University or its subsidiary companies via email.

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ECCV 2016 Workshops: Call for Proposals
by Hamdi Dibeklioglu Jan. 8, 2016

Jan. 8, 2016

ECCV 2016 Workshops: Call for Proposals Important dates Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, March 1st, 2016 Notification: Friday, April 1st, 2016 Workshop dates: Saturday 8th, Sunday 9th, Sunday 16th, October 2016 Call for proposal We solicit proposals for workshops that will be held together with the 14th European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV’2016). Workshops will take place on October 10th, 11th and 16th at the same venue as the main conference. We welcome proposals on emerging topics that are anticipated not able to be fully explored in the main conference. The purpose of workshops is to provide a comprehensive forum and encourage in-depth discussion of various technical and application issues in our research field. Workshop registration, venue, as well as proceedings will be handled as part of the main conference by the ECCV organizers. Since both space and time are limited, we expect the selection process to be competitive. The topic coverage, the proposers’ credential, the interested audience, and relevance of the topic will all be considered in the selection process. Proposers may be asked to provide additional information, modify part of the proposals, or combine with another one. Since the camera-ready deadline is set to be July 25, 2016, the proposers must come with a submission/review schedule that meets this deadline. Note this year, the ECCV workshops will be coordinated together with the ACM International Conference on Multimedia. So please specifically address in your proposal if your workshop would of interest to the Multimedia research community. Submission guidelines Proposals should be submitted by email to workshops(a)eccv2016.org by March 1st 2016. The candidate workshop organizers will be notified of the decision on April 1st. Proposals should be in PDF format and include the following information: · Workshop title. · Proposers' names, titles, affiliations, and primary contact email. · Topics that will be covered. · Relevance to the computer vision community · Relevance to the multimedia community · Experience that make the proposers well suited for organizing the workshop. · Rough program outline (including preference for half- or full-day event, estimated numbers of orals, posters, and invited talks). · Names and bios of any tentative/confirmed invited speakers · Anticipated target audience as well as expected number of attendees. · Description of how this proposal relates to previous workshops at CVPR/ICCV/ECCV (be as specific as possible). · Any special space or equipment requests. Contact For any questions, please contact the workshop chairs via workshops(a)eccv2016.org Gang Hua Hervé Jegou http://www.eccv2016.org/

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PhD training opportunity in Systems Neuroscience - London
by Adam Kampff Jan. 8, 2016

Jan. 8, 2016

Dear colleagues, The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre <http://www.ucl.ac.uk/swc/about> for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC) is a new institute funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Wellcome Trust. Located within University College London, the SWC combines advanced molecular, optical, physiology and behaviour approaches to investigate how brain circuits create neural representations and guide behaviour. We are excited to announce a new programme for exceptional PhD candidates. SWC studentships are open to UK and international applicants and cover research expenses, full payment of tuition fees and provide a competitive tax-free stipend in line with the Wellcome Trust stipend scale. SWC PhD students will receive intensive training in experimental techniques, and in conjunction with the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit (co-located with SWC), the programme will provide a comprehensive introduction to theoretical and systems neuroscience. Applicants should have a strong scientific and analytical background, a keen interest in neuroscience, and a relevant first degree. *Application deadline is January 31st, 2016* Enquires should be sent to swc-admissions(a)ucl.ac.uk Full details of our programme, and how to apply, are available here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/swc/phd The research interests of the SWC group leaders are described here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/swc/research Sincerely, Adam Kampff Yoh Isogai Troy Margrie Andrew Murray John O'Keefe

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2nd Call for Applications - 2016 Nengo Summer School
by Peter Blouw Jan. 7, 2016

Jan. 7, 2016

Hello! [All details about this school can be found online at http://www.nengo.ca/summerschool] The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is inviting applications for our 3rd annual summer school on large-scale brain modeling. This two-week school will teach participants how to use the Nengo software package to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models to run in simulation and on neuromorphic hardware. Nengo has been used to build what is currently the world's largest functional brain model, Spaun [1], and provides users with a versatile and powerful environment for designing cognitive and neural systems to run in simulated and real environments. We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, research associates, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals. No specific training in the use of modeling software is required, but we encourage applications from active researchers with a relevant background in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, robotics, neuromorphic engineering, computer science, or a related field. For a look at last year's summer school, check out this short video: https://goo.gl/wy4dNC [1] Eliasmith, C., Stewart T. C., Choo X., Bekolay T., DeWolf T., Tang Y., Rasmussen, D. (2012). A large-scale model of the functioning brain. Science. Vol. 338 no. 6111 pp. 1202-1205. DOI: 10.1126/science.1225266. [ http://nengo.ca/publications/spaunsciencepaper] ****Application Deadline: February 15, 2016**** *Format*: A combination of tutorials and project-based work. Participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on testing hypotheses, modeling neural or cognitive data, implementing specific behavioural functions with neurons, expanding past models, or providing a proof-of-concept of various neural mechanisms. Hands-on tutorials, work on individual or group projects, and talks from invited faculty members will make up the bulk of day-to-day activities. A project demonstration event will be held on the last day of the school, with prizes for strong projects! *Topics Covered*: Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to: - build perceptual, motor, and sophisticated cognitive models using spiking neurons - model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data - use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model - integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models - interface Nengo with various kinds of neuromorphic hardware (e.g. SpiNNaker) - interface Nengo with cameras and robotic systems - implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models - and much more… *Date and Location*: June 5th to June 17th, 2016 at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. *Applications*: Please visit http://www.nengo.ca/summerschool, where you can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an application form listing required materials. If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact Peter Blouw (pblouw(a)uwaterloo.ca) We look forward to hearing from you!

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Marie Curie PhD position in Vienna
by Frank Rattay Jan. 7, 2016

Jan. 7, 2016

Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher (PhD) position is available in Vienna at TU Wien. Title: Simulation of the synaptic exocytosis of bipolar cells in the electrically stimulated retina. The position is funded by the European Commission in the framework of the H2020 Marie Sk?odowska Curie Initial Training Network 'switchBoard'. The switchBoard project aims at training 15 young scientists at the interface of neurobiology, information processing and neurotechnology, with focus on synaptic physiology, transgenic technology, models of retinal degeneration, method development and the application of retinal circuit principles for signal processing in artificial vision chips. The proposed project aims to develop a model that predicts glutamate release from ON and OFF bipolar cells evoked by electrical stimulation by an electrode array, as used in current retinal implants. Details: http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/jobDetails/34049001

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ICMNS 2016: Abstract Deadline Extended to Jan. 15, 2016
by Zachary Kilpatrick Jan. 6, 2016

Jan. 6, 2016

*Abstract deadline extended to January 15, 2016* https://icmns2016.inria.fr/call-for-contributions/ <https://icmns2016.inria.fr/call-for-contributions/> International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience (ICMNS 2016) at the Congress Center in Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera May 29 to June 1, 2016 Tutorials: May 29 Main Conference: May 30 - June 1 https://icmns2016.inria.fr/ <https://icmns2016.inria.fr/> CONFIRMED SPEAKERS Wulfram Gerstner (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) John Rinzel (New York University) Antoine Triller (École Normale Supérieure de Paris) Rachel Kuske (U British Columbia) Jonathan Rubin (U Pittsburgh) Hinke Osinga (U Aukland) Carina Curto (Penn State University) Ruben Moreno-Bote (Foundation Sant Joan de Deu) Hiroya Nakao (Tokyo Institute of Technology) Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Si Wu (Beijing Normal University) Alex Roxin (Centre de Recerca Matematica) PROGRAM COMMITTEE Toni Guillamon (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) Roland Potthast (U Reading) Gregory Faye (Université Paul Sabatier ) Wilhelm Stannat (TU Berlin) Jonathan Touboul (College de France) Gilles Wainrib (Ecole Normale Supérieure) Suzanne Ditlevsen (University of Copenhagen) Boris Gutkin (Ecole Normale Supérieure) Martin Wechselberger (U Sydney) Jonathan Rubin (U Pittsburgh) Martin Krupa (INRIA Sophia Antipoilis) Carlo Laing (Massey University) Andre Longtin (U Ottawa) Daniele Avitabile (U Nottingham) Jose Carrillo (Imperial College) Pascal Chossat (Université Nice Sophia Antipolis) Carson Chow (National Institutes of Health) Steve Zucker (Yale University) Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Rachel Kuske (U British Columbia) Laura Sacerdote (Universita di Torino) Reinhard Hopfner (Johannes-Gutenberg Universitat) Olivier Faugeras (INRIA - Sophia Antipolis) Paul Bressloff (U Utah) Steve Coombes (U Nottingham) CONFERENCE CHAIRS Romain Veltz (INRIA - Sophia Anitpolis) Zachary Kilpatrick (U Houston) Evelyn Buckwar (Johannes Kepler Universitat Linz)

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Assistant/Associate Professor of Mathematics (Biomathematics) at North Carolina A&T State University
by Choongseok Park Jan. 6, 2016

Jan. 6, 2016

*Assistant/Associate Professor of Mathematics (Biomathematics) * The Department of Mathematics at North Carolina A&T State University invites applications for a 9-month, tenure-track assistant or associate professorship in Biomathematics available in August 2016. The Department encourages persons from all areas of biomathematics to apply but is particularly interested in areas at the interface of mathematics and biosciences such as mathematical epidemiology, mathematical neurosciences, mathematical modeling of drug delivery and disease intervention/ prevention, mathematical and statistical methods for human genetics and population growth, biomedical imaging processing, stochastic modeling of biological and biomedical processes. The Department of Mathematics seeks candidates to join a growing Department with interactive faculty. The detailed posting of the position can be found at https://jobs.ncat.edu/postings/8967. Applications will be reviewed beginning February 15, 2016, and the review will continue until the position is filled. Interested applicants must submit the following items via the job posting at https://jobs.ncat.edu/postings/8967: 1) letter of interest (cover letter); 2) current curriculum vitae; 3) legible copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts (upload a copy of each transcript under the degree name; original transcripts will be required if hired); 4) statement of teaching philosophy; and 5) statement of research interests and accomplishments.

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Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience - Jan 2016 articles
by Stephen Coombes Jan. 6, 2016

Jan. 6, 2016

Dear all, A Happy New Year from the Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience! To kick of 2016 we have one review article on Oscillator Networks and another research article on the Wilson–Cowan equations: Mathematical Frameworks for Oscillatory Network Dynamics in Neuroscience Ashwin P, Coombes S and Nicks R http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/content/6/1/2 Wilson–Cowan Equations for Neocortical Dynamics Cowan JD, Neuman J and van Drongelen W http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/content/6/1/1 All articles are Open Access. The current list of journal articles is available at http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/ 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.

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[publication and call for dialog] IEEE CIS Newsletter on Autonomous Mental Development, Fall 2015
by Pierre-Yves Oudeyer Jan. 5, 2016

Jan. 5, 2016

Dear colleagues, I am happy to announce the release of the latest issue of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems (open access, previously names newsletter on Autonomous Mental Development). This is a biannual newsletter addressing computational modeling of developmental and cognitive processes in natural and artificial organisms, from humans to robots, at the crossroads of cognitive science, developmental psychology, machine intelligence and neuroscience. It is available at: https://goo.gl/HQAMsd Featuring dialog: === "Representational redescription: the next challenge?" == Dialog Initiated by Stéphane Doncieux, with responses from Jessica Kosie and Dare Baldwin, Georges Konidaris, Freek Stulp and Timothy Hospedales, Paul Verschure and Giovanni Pezzulo, Frank Guerin, Paul Abelha and Bipin Indurkhya. == This issue’s dialog explores various challenges of how and why capabilities to change representations could be happening in robots. In particular, contributors discuss how new representations can be formed out of the dynamic interaction between learning algorithms, cognitive architecture and their physical and social embodiment. Call for new dialog: === "Moving Beyond Nature-Nurture: a Problem of Science or Communication? » == Dialog initiated by John Spencer, Mark Blumberg and David Shenk == John Spencer, Mark Blumberg and David Shenk observe that in spite of numerous scientific discoveries supporting the view of development as a complex multi-factored process, the discussions of development in several scientific fields and in the general public are still strongly organized around the nature/nurture distinction. Thus, they ask a crucial question: is this because there is not yet sufficient scientific evidence, or is this because the simplicity of the nature/nurture framework is much easier to communicate (or just better communicated by its supporters)? Those of you interested in reacting to this dialog initiation are welcome to submit a response by April 15th, 2015. The length of each response must be between 600 and 800 words including references (contact pierre-yves.oudeyer(a)inria.fr) You will also find news about the IEEE CIS CDS Technical Committee and the ICDL-Epirob 2016 conference. Let me remind you that previous issues of the newsletter are all open-access and available at: http://icdl-epirob.org/cdsnl I wish you a stimulating reading! Best regards, Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, Editor of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems Chair of the IEEE CIS AMD Technical Committee on Cognitive and Developmental Systems Research director, Inria Head of Flower project-team Inria and Ensta ParisTech, France http://www.pyoudeyer.com https://flowers.inria.fr http://www.poppy-project.org

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NEST 2.10 supports gap junctions and structural plasticity
by Hans Ekkehard Plesser Jan. 5, 2016

Jan. 5, 2016

Dear Colleagues! The NEST Initiative is pleased to announce the release of NEST version 2.10.0. The most notable changes over v2.8.0 are: * Support for simulations of gap junctions (see Jan Hahne et al., 2015) * Framework for structural plasticity (see Markus Butz et al., 2013 and Markus Butz et al., 2014) * Full support for the K computer (just in case you found one under your Christmas tree ;-)) All users are encouraged to upgrade and adapt their simulation scripts to the changes in the user interface at this point in time to benefit from the improvements in the new version. For a full list of changes and download links, see https://github.com/nest/nest-simulator/releases/tag/v2.10.0 Best regards, Hans Ekkehard Plesser President, The NEST Initiative -- Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser, Associate Professor Section Head Dept. of Mathematical Sciences and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no Home http://arken.umb.no/~plesser

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Carnegie Mellon - University of Pittsburgh Joint Summer Undergraduate Program in Computational Neuroscience
by Tai Sing Lee Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

Carnegie Mellon - University of Pittsburgh Joint Summer Undergraduate Program in Computational Neuroscience Undergraduates interested in receiving research training in computational neuroscience are encouraged to apply to an NIH-sponsored summer program at the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition in Pittsburgh. The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition is a joint interdisciplinary program of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Starting in May of 2016, a select group of talented undergraduates will embark on a 10-week residential program that provides intensive, mentored research experiences in computational and theoretical neuroscience. This program is intended for students who wish to pursue a Ph.D. after graduation. Any undergraduate may apply, but we are especially interested in attracting students with strong quantitative backgrounds especially juniors and seniors from colleges and universities that do not have extensive research programs, and students from groups underrepresented in the sciences. Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Selected students will receive a stipend and university dormitory housing. The core of the program is the opportunity to carry out an individual mentored research project working closely with a faculty mentor. Other aspects of the scientific program include: faculty research talks, student presentations and discussion of articles from the scientific literature, presentations on career options and scientific ethics, and a concluding symposium in which students present their research. The 2016 program will run from late May through early August, 2016 (precise dates will be announced in March). The final deadline for application is February 16. All participants must be United States citizens or permanent residents, must be enrolled at a 4-year accredited institution, and must be in their sophomore or junior year at the time of application. Students from groups underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged to apply. 2016 uPNC Summer Fellowship Application available here: http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/images/CNBC_general/upncsummerapplication2016.doc Application can be returned via email or regular mail (see addresses below). In addition to the application, the following items are required for evaluation: A brief (one page) essay about your interest and experience in neural computation. Official transcript from the institution you are attending Two letters from professional references. You should contact your recommenders and ask them to mail or email a letter directly to us. SAT/ACT scores (do NOT have to be official; photocopies are acceptable) Documents should be mailed to: Computational Neuroscience Summer Program Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition Carnegie Mellon University 4400 Fifth Avenue Suite 115 Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2617 CNBC-summer-UG(a)andrew.cmu.edu For more information go to this sites: http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/summercompneuro

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Request for Information on Neurally-Inspired Computing Principles
by R. Jacob Vogelstein Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

Hi all, IARPA has just released a new Request for Information (RFI) on "neurally-inspired computing principles," and I'm hopeful that members of this community will submit some interesting whitepapers in response. Note that the RFI is issued solely for information gathering purposes, and does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals. IARPA anticipates that responses to this RFI will be used to help organize a workshop on this topic at the 2016 Neuro Inspired Computational Elements conference ( http://niceworkshop.org/) and to inform future programs in this technical area. The full text of the announcement is published at https://www.fbo.gov/notices/7ea2ad0e075b31c05a011f2d835392a9; a brief synopsis is presented below. -------- Seventy years ago, John von Neumann found inspiration for the design of the EDVAC in what was then known about the design of the brain. However, despite the early influence of neuroscience on what has become known as the von Neumann architecture, the principles of computing underlying today’s state of the art digital systems deviate substantially from the principles that govern computing in the brain. In particular, whereas mainstream computers rely on synchronous operations, high precision, and clear physical and conceptual separations between storage, data, and logic; the brain relies on asynchronous messaging, low precision storage that is co-localized with processing, and dynamic memory structures that change on both short and long time scales. To understand the potential opportunities and challenges in developing next-generation computers that exploit these and other principles of neural computing, IARPA is seeking information from two groups of experts: (1) computer scientists with experience in designing or building computing systems that rely on the same or similar principles as those employed by the brain; and (2) neuroscientists who have credible ideas for how neural computing principles can offer practical benefits for next-generation computers. Responses to this RFI should clearly and concisely answer the questions posed below (to neuroscientists, computer scientists, or both) in one or more of the four topics described in detail in the full text of this announcement (https://www.fbo.gov/notices/7ea2ad0e075b31c05a011f2d835392a9) Topic 1: Spike-based representations Topic 2: Asynchronous computation Topic 3: Learning Topic 4: Co-local memory storage and computation Responses to this RFI are due no later than 5:00pm Eastern Time on January 29, 2016. IARPA appreciates responses from all capable and qualified sources from within and outside of the US. Inquiries to this RFI must be submitted to dni-iarpa-rfi-16-02(a)iarpa.gov. -- R. Jacob Vogelstein, Ph.D. Program Manager ODNI/IARPA 301-851-7497 (office) http://go.usa.gov/FPPJ

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Postdoc position open in Rutishauser Lab (human single-neurons)
by Ueli Rutishauser Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

*Postdoctoral fellowship in human intracranial electrophysiology: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and California Institute of Technology (Los Angeles)* Applications are invited to join a McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience and NSF funded research program investigating the neural mechanisms of learning and memory in humans. The applicant will work on intracranial single-unit recordings from human subjects, investigating questions related to the encoding and retrieval of memory. This will include experimental work with patients (electrophysiology and behavior), data analysis and processing, spike-train analysis, and experimental design. The focus of this position will be on single-neuron recordings from the medial temporal lobe in epilepsy patients to investigate the role of theta-oscillations in coordinating activity and how such coordination relates to memory. The applicant will have access to state-of-the art equipment, facilities and analytical methods and will be part of an established team of investigators at both Cedars-Sinai and the California Institute of Technology (Ueli Rutishauser, Ralph Adolphs, Adam Mamelak), with ample opportunity to learn new techniques and methods. This position is based on the Cedars-Sinai campus. 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. The position is available as early as March 1st 2016, with a competitive salary commensurate with prior experience (NIH scale). The position is available with an initial appointment for one year and renewal based upon satisfactory performance. Applicants must pass background screening and health checks to be able to work with patients. Caltech and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are equal opportunity employers and women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Interested applicants should send a CV, statement of research accomplishments and interests, copies of 2-3 representative publications and contact information for 2-3 reference letters to Ueli Rutishauser at rutishauseru(a)csmc.edu. Informal inquiries are welcome. All information should be sent in pdf format. Further information about the lab can be found at www.rutishauserlab.org .

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Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course 2016: applications open
by Erik De Schutter Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

OKINAWA/OIST COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE COURSE 2016 Methods, Neurons, Networks and Behaviors June 13 - June 30, 2016 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc The aim of the Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course is to provide opportunities for young researchers with theoretical backgrounds to learn the latest advances in neuroscience, and for those with experimental backgrounds to have hands-on experience in computational modeling. We invite graduate students and postgraduate researchers to participate in the course, held from June 13th through June 30th, 2016 at an oceanfront seminar house of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. Applications are through the course web page (https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc) only; January 4 - February 5, 2016. Applicants will receive confirmation of acceptance in March. Like in preceding years, OCNC will be a comprehensive three-week course covering single neurons, networks, and behaviors with ample time for student projects. The first week will focus exclusively on methods with hands-on tutorials during the afternoons, while the second and third weeks will have lectures by international experts. The course has a strong hands-on component based on student proposed modeling or data analysis projects, which are further refined with the help of a dedicated tutor. Applicants are required to propose their project at the time of application. There is no tuition fee. The sponsor will provide lodging and meals during the course and may support travel for those without funding. We hope that this course will be a good opportunity for theoretical and experimental neuroscientists to meet each other and to explore the attractive nature and culture of Okinawa, the southernmost island prefecture of Japan. Invited faculty: • Erik De Schutter (OIST) • Sophie Deneve (École Normale Supérieure, France) • Kenji Doya (OIST) • Chris Eliasmith (University of Waterloo, Canada) • Tomoki Fukai (RIKEN BSI, Japan) • Michael Häusser (University College London, UK) • Yukiyasu Kamitani (ATR & Kyoto University, Japan) • Etienne Koechlin (École Normale Supérieure, France) • Bernd Kuhn (OIST) • Stefan Mihalas (Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA) • Partha Mitra (Cold Spring Harbor, USA) • Astrid Prinz (Emory University, USA) • John Rinzel (New York University, USA) • Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama (OIST)

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Fully funded PhD position at the University of Ghent, Belgium
by Daniele Marinazzo Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

The lab of Daniele Marinazzo (www.ugent.be/~dmarinaz) at the department of Data Analysis, Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences of the University of Ghent, Belgium, is looking for a PhD student. The position is fully funded for 4 years by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). The research subject involves advanced statistical data analysis of fMRI data. The student will be part of a research group focusing on the development and validation of new methods for the analysis of neuroimaging data, in the framework of a multidisciplinary collaboration with psychologists and clinicians. Both candidates with a technical degree and candidates with a psychology degree but an interest in programming and quantitative analyses are encouraged to apply. Knowledge of at least one programming language (python, matlab, R …) and an interest for multidisciplinary research are required. The University of Gent (www.ugent.be) hosts a vibrant research community and offers excellent facilities to students and employees. The most likely starting date is October 2016 but earlier appointments can be considered. Candidates are invited to send a motivation letter and the names of two referees to Daniele Marinazzo (daniele.marinazzo(a)ugent.be) Informal inquiries and requests for further information are most welcome. -- Daniele Marinazzo -- Department of Data Analysis Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences, Ghent University Henri Dunantlaan 1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium +32 (0) 9 264 6375 <http://www.da.ugent.be/>http://users.ugent.be/~dmarinaz/ http://helpdesk.ugent.be/e-maildisclaimer.php -- Daniele Marinazzo -- Department of Data Analysis Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences, Ghent University Henri Dunantlaan 1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium +32 (0) 9 264 6375 <http://www.da.ugent.be/>http://users.ugent.be/~dmarinaz/ http://helpdesk.ugent.be/e-maildisclaimer.php

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XPPAUT 8.0
by Ermentrout, G Bard Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

I am happy to announce that the new version of XPPAUT is now available for download at: http://www.math.pitt.edu/~bard/xpp/xpp.html The new version uses the most recent version of AUTO and allows for much better two-parameter continuation of periodic and homoclinic orbits. In addition there are dozens of new command line options and support for CUDA code. -Bard Ermentrout

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Brain, Minds and Machines Summer Course 2016
by Kreiman, Gabriel Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

What: Brains, Minds and Machines Summer Course When: 08/15/2016 through 09/05/2016 Application Deadline: March 14, 2016 Link to application forms: https://ws2.mbl.edu/studentapp/studentapp.asp?courseid=BMM Link to course: http://cbmm.mit.edu/summer-school/2016 The Brains, Minds and Machines Summer Course will be held at MBL, Woods Hole, MA, from August 15, 2016 through September 5, 2016. This course is organized by the MIT-Harvard Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines (CBMM). The goal of this course is to introduce students with a broad range of backgrounds to cross-disciplinary research in Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, and Computer Science. The first half of the course will focus on the intersection between biological and computational aspects of learning and vision. The second half will focus on high-level social cognition and artificial intelligence, as well as audition, speech, and language processing. Lectures will be complemented by student research projects completed under the supervision of CBMM postdocs and faculty. We will also be hosting an Evening Lecture Series, including speakers from both industry and academia, in the fields of neuroscience, computer science, and cognitive science. Past speakers include: Larry Abbott, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Dorin Comaniciu, Siemens Corporate Technology Amnon Shashua, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mobileye, OrCam Eero Simoncelli, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University 2015 Invited Course Faculty: DiCarlo, Jim, MIT Freiwald, Winrich, Rockefeller University Kanwisher, Nancy, MIT Katz, Boris, MIT Koch, Christof, Allen Institute for Brain Research Kreiman, Gabriel, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School Poggio, Tomaso, MIT Rosasco, Lorenzo, Italian Institute of Technology Saxe, Rebecca, MIT Schulz, Laura, MIT Spelke, Liz, Harvard University Tenenbaum, Joshua, MIT Wilson, Matthew, MIT Winston, Patrick, MIT Please visit our website for more details: http://cbmm.mit.edu/summer-school/2016 This course is recommended for PhD students and Postdocs. The application deadline is March 14, 2016. The online application form can be found at: https://ws2.mbl.edu/studentapp/studentapp.asp?courseid=BMM Tuition, MBL room & board are provided by an NSF Science and Technology Center award to the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, Grant No. CCF-1231216. Gabriel Kreiman klab.tch.harvard.edu Use "9265358979" anywhere in the message body to ensure that your message navigates through anti spam filters

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Two funded PhD and one postdoc position in theoretical neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research
by Gjorgjieva, Julijana Jan. 3, 2016

Jan. 3, 2016

We invite applications for two funded PhD and one postdoctoral research position in our group “Computation in Neural Circuits” at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany. We use mathematical and computational approaches to study how neurons and the connections between them tune their properties during brain development to ensure appropriate network dynamics, and how adult function and behavior emerge from a diversity of mechanisms. We collaborate with experimental research groups internationally, including the US, UK and the Netherlands, and we will benefit from interactions with the strong neuroscience community in Frankfurt. Successful applicants can work on a range of projects including data analysis, theoretical model development and analytical calculations, numerical simulations, and applications to novel datasets from collaborating labs. Applicants should have a strong quantitative background (in mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, quantitative biology or related fields) and interest in interdisciplinary research. Background in neuroscience and good programming skills are desirable, but not essential. Postdoc candidates must have (or will soon be awarded) a PhD in the relevant quantitative disciplines. The positions can start as early as June 1, 2016. For more information or an informal discussion, contact Dr Julijana Gjorgjieva at gjorgjieva(a)brandeis.edu To apply for these positions, please submit the following to gjorgjieva(a)brandeis.edu: 1. A curriculum vitae 2. PhD candidates: a short motivation letter Postdoc candidates: a description of research interests 3. Contact details for 2-3 referees 4. If available, a written sample of scientific research, e.g. a manuscript, thesis, or other work product Our institute also hosts the IMPRS graduate school in “Neural Circuits” which currently has an open call for PhD applicants: http://brain.mpg.de/graduate-studies/call.html Julijana Gjorgjieva Max Planck Institute for Brain Research Max-von-Laue-Str 4 60438 Frankfurt/Main, Germany http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~gjorgjieva/

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Deadline Approaching: Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop 2016 Call for Topics
by Ralph Etienne-Cummings Jan. 2, 2016

Jan. 2, 2016

Call for Topic Area Proposals2016 Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop *Telluride, Colorado, June 26 –July 16, 2016* *DEADLINE: January 8th, 2016* We are now accepting proposals for Topic Areas in the 2016 Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop. We support topics and projects in neuromorphic cognition, particularly those that involve solving challenging ‘everyday’ tasks that incorporate domain-specific knowledge, exploration, prediction, and problem solving. In particular, we are interested in projects that hold promise for addressing Grand Challenge types of problems that do not have strong solutions of any form, neuromorphic or not. These Challenge problems should feature long-duration sensorimotor problems that involve autonomous cognitive decision making. Examples might include tasks such as learning a new language, navigating through an unknown environment to locate an object or reach a desired location, visual and auditory understanding of human actions, adaptively manipulating unknown or complex objects in the service of a task, playing a game requiring inference of hidden information or long-term planning and learning, etc. Proposals related to hardware technologies that aim to bring these capabilities to reality are also encouraged. Topic proposals that aim to solve a particular problem using the multidisciplinary experience of participants will be favored over topics that simply gather a large number of people working within a discipline, or using a single technology, or approach. Topic areas for this summer's Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop <http://ine-web.org/> will be chosen from proposals submitted to the organizers. *Topic areas can span a large field; we are looking for leadership in planning activities and inviting good people in a field.* Although past topic areas have tended to be very broad and discipline-oriented (e.g., cognition, audition, vision, robotics, neural interfacing, neuromorphic VLSI, etc.), application-oriented topic areas (e.g., sensor fusion, game-playing robot, object recognition, sound localization, human robot interaction, etc.) are especially desirable. *Topic area leaders will receive housing for themselves and their invitees, and limited travel funds.* Topic area leaders will help to define the field of neuromorphic cognition engineering through the projects they pursue and the people they invite. They shape their topic by inviting speakers and project leaders (the *invitees*) and by initiating topic area project discussions prior to the workshop. Teams of two organizers are required. One of the organizers should be an attendee of a previous Telluride Workshop (in any capacity) and has stayed at the Workshop for at least one week. *Pre-workshop topic area choices and study assignments.* Before the workshop begins, each topic area will be required to prepare and distribute study materials that constitute: 1) an introductory presentation (e.g., pptx, video, review paper) of the fundamental knowledge associated with the topic area that *everyone at the workshop* should be exposed to, and 2) a few critical papers that the participants in the topic area should read before the workshop. The topic area should 3) begin a serious group discussion of the projects (e.g., via Facebook, Skype, email, etc). *The maximum 2-page proposals should include:* 1. Title of topic area. 2. Names of the two topic leaders, their affiliations, and contact information (email addresses). 3. A paragraph explaining the focus and goals of the topic area. 4. A list of possible specific topic area projects. 5. A list of example invitees (up to six names and institutions). No commitments necessary. 6. Any other material that fits within the two-page limit that will help us make a smart choice. *Send your topic area proposal* in pdf or text format to organizers13(a)neuromorphs.net <organizers12(a)neuromorphs.net> with subject line containing "topic area proposal". *Proposals must be received by January 8, 2016*; proposals received after the deadline may still be considered if space is available. *We expect to accept 4-5 topic areas*, each with 5 invitees*.* If your proposal for the topic area is not accepted, we will work with you to see if there is a natural way to include your ideas (and you) into the accepted topic areas. We hope to have significant turn-over each year in the topic areas and leaders to ensure fresh new ideas and participants. See the Institute of Neuromorphic Engineering (www.ine-web.org) for background information on the workshop and neuromorphs.net <https://neuromorphs.net/ws2009/wiki/PastWorkshops> for past workshop wikis. We look forward to your topic proposals! *Deadline: January 8, 2016* *The Workshop Directors:* Cornelia Fermüller <http://www.cfar.umd.edu/~fer/> (University of Maryland), Ralph Etienne-Cummings <http://etienne.ece.jhu.edu/people/ralph/index.html> (Johns Hopkins Univ.) Shih-Chii Liu <https://www.ini.uzh.ch/~shih/> (University of Zurich and ETH Zurich), Timmer Horiuchi <https://www.isr.umd.edu/faculty/horiuchi> (University of Maryland), Katalin Gotthard <http://physiological-sciences.arizona.edu/katalin-gothard> (University of Arizona), Michael Pfeiffer <https://www.ini.uzh.ch/~pfeiffer/index.html> (University of Zurich and ETH Zurich), Francisco Barranco <fbarranco(a)ugr.es> (University of Granada) *Former 2007-2013 Workshop Director:* Tobi Delbruck <https://www.ini.uzh.ch/~tobi/> (University of Zurich and ETH Zurich) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Etienne-Cummings, PhD, FIEEE Professor and Chairman Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Computational Sensor Motor Systems Lab Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics The Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD [image: cid:image001.png@01CFC064.B58B46A0]

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International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience (ICMNS) 2016
by Zachary Kilpatrick Jan. 1, 2016

Jan. 1, 2016

*Abstracts are due by January 7, 2016* https://icmns2016.inria.fr/call-for-contributions/ <https://icmns2016.inria.fr/call-for-contributions/> International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience (ICMNS 2016) at the Congress Center in Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera May 29 to June 1, 2016 Tutorials: May 29 Main Conference: May 30 - June 1 https://icmns2016.inria.fr/ <https://icmns2016.inria.fr/> CONFIRMED SPEAKERS Wulfram Gerstner (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) John Rinzel (New York University) Antoine Triller (École Normale Supérieure de Paris) Rachel Kuske (U British Columbia) Jonathan Rubin (U Pittsburgh) Hinke Osinga (U Aukland) Carina Curto (Penn State University) Ruben Moreno-Bote (Foundation Sant Joan de Deu) Hiroya Nakao (Tokyo Institute of Technology) Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Si Wu (Beijing Normal University) Alex Roxin (Centre de Recerca Matematica) PROGRAM COMMITTEE Toni Guillamon (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) Roland Potthast (U Reading) Gregory Faye (Université Paul Sabatier ) Wilhelm Stannat (TU Berlin) Jonathan Touboul (College de France) Gilles Wainrib (Ecole Normale Supérieure) Suzanne Ditlevsen (University of Copenhagen) Boris Gutkin (Ecole Normale Supérieure) Martin Wechselberger (U Sydney) Jonathan Rubin (U Pittsburgh) Martin Krupa (INRIA Sophia Antipoilis) Carlo Laing (Massey University) Andre Longtin (U Ottawa) Daniele Avitabile (U Nottingham) Jose Carrillo (Imperial College) Pascal Chossat (Université Nice Sophia Antipolis) Carson Chow (National Institutes of Health) Steve Zucker (Yale University) Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Rachel Kuske (U British Columbia) Laura Sacerdote (Universita di Torino) Reinhard Hopfner (Johannes-Gutenberg Universitat) Olivier Faugeras (INRIA - Sophia Antipolis) Paul Bressloff (U Utah) Steve Coombes (U Nottingham) CONFERENCE CHAIRS Romain Veltz (INRIA - Sophia Anitpolis) Zachary Kilpatrick (U Houston) Evelyn Buckwar (Johannes Kepler Universitat Linz)

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[COSYNE2016] Travel grants, registration, and hotels
by Tomas Hromadka Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2015

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2016 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING Feb 25 - Feb 28, 2016 Salt Lake City, Utah WORKSHOPS Feb 29 - Mar 01, 2016 Snowbird Ski Resort, Utah www.cosyne.org ==================================================== REGISTRATION AND HOTELS: Travel grants submission is currently open. Online registration is currently open. Hotel booking is currently open. Travel grant application deadlines Dec 31, 2015, 11.59PM PST (Undergraduate Travel Grant) Jan 14, 2016, 11.59PM PST (Other travel grants) Early registration deadline Jan 31, 2016, 11.45PM EST Hotel booking deadlines Jan 19, 2016, Last day for reduced hotel rates at workshops Feb 03, 2016, Last day for reduced hotel rates at main meeting For more detailed information on Cosyne, please visit www.cosyne.org. TRAVEL GRANTS Applications are now open for travel grants to attend the conference. Each awardee will receive at least $500 to help offset the costs of travel, registration, and accommodations. Larger grants may be available to those traveling from outside North America. Special consideration is given to scientists who have not previously attended the meeting, under-represented minorities, students who are attending the meeting together with a mentor, undergraduate students, and authors of submitted Cosyne abstracts. We currently offer four travel grant programs for New Attendees, Presenters, Mentors, and Undergraduates. For details on applying, see cosyne.org, section Travel grants. THE MEETING The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks are selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, and computation with spiking networks. We would like to foster increased participation from experimental groups as well as computational ones. Please circulate widely and encourage your students and postdocs to apply. CONFIRMED SPEAKERS Blaise Aguera y Arcas (Google) Marisa Carrasco (NYU) Edward Chang (UCSF) Greg DeAngelis (Rochester) Mark Goldman (UC Davis) Sonja Hofer (Basel) Richard Mooney (Duke) Mala Murthy (Princeton) Peggy Series (Edinburgh) Reza Shadmehr (Johns Hopkins) Paul Smolensky (Johns Hopkins) Leslie Vosshall (Rockefeller) Xiao-Jing Wang (NYU) ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General Chairs: Maria Geffen (U Penn) and Konrad Körding (Northwestern) Program Chairs: Megan Carey (Champalimaud) and Emilio Salinas (Wake Forest) Workshop Chairs: Claudia Clopath (Imperial College) and Alfonso Renart (Champalimaud) Publicity Chair: Xaq Pitkow (Rice) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Anne Churchland (CSHL) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) CONTACT cosyne.meeting [at] gmail.com

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Release of NEST 2.10.0
by Jochen Martin Eppler Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2015

Dear NEST users, we're happy to bring you NEST 2.10.0, which contains 303 repository commits by 25 developers since v2.8.0. The most notable changes over v2.8.0 are: * Support for simulations of gap junctions (see Jan Hahne et al., 2015) * Framework for structural plasticity (see Markus Butz et al., 2013 and Markus Butz et al., 2014) * Full support for the K computer (just in case you found one under your Christmas tree ;-)) All users are encouraged to upgrade and adapt their simulation scripts to the changes in the user interface at this point in time to benefit from the improvements in the new version. For a full list of changes and download links, see https://github.com/nest/nest-simulator/releases/tag/v2.10.0 Best regards and a happy new year, Jochen! -- Dr. Jochen Martin Eppler Phone: +49 2461 61-9471 ---------------------------------- Simulation Laboratory Neuroscience Jülich Supercomputing Centre Institute for Advanced Simulation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Call for Papers: Extracellular Potentials and Electric Field Interactions
by Reinoud Maex Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2015

JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE NEUROSCIENCE http://www.worldscinet.com/jin Call for Papers! Special Issue on Extracellular Potentials and Electric Field Interactions In experimental neuroscience, most electric signals are picked up from the electrolytic (or colloidal) solution that constitutes extracellular (interneuronal) space, yet the origin of these potentials is incompletely understood. Even more, theoreticians have recently argued about the physical principles underlying these phenomena. The present special issue invites experimental and theoretical work that can shed light on electric phenomena in extracellular space, with an emphasis on extracellular potentials and endogenous electric field interactions. The contributions solicited are original research papers and comprehensive reviews on methodological aspects. Submission deadline: 30 September 2016 Contact: Dr. Reinoud Maex reinoud.maex(a)ens.fr Questions that may be addressed are (but are not limited to): 1. The nature of extracellular potentials - What is nature of the electric currents, and what is the velocity (distribution) of the ions involved? Since membrane currents underlie the extracellular currents, what are the relative contributions of synaptic versus voltage-gated channels, excitatory versus inhibitory synapses, capacitive currents? How important are Lorenz forces between currents (due to the generated magnetic fields) and is there a contribution of polarization currents? - Is extracellular space purely resistive, or is a capacitive component involved, and what factors (such as ionic concentration, Debye shielding, etc.) contribute to its resistivity? 2. Modeling of extracellular potentials and electric field interactions - What level of detail is needed to model extracellular electrical phenomena, and which formalism can be employed? How valid is the cable equation, or need slow concentration changes of the major ionic components involved be modeled explicitly? How can LFP calculations be incorporated in simulation software? - Can volume transmission be simulated adequately as volume conductors? Are ephaptic coupling effects adequately simulated in one dimension? 3. Neuronal inference from measured extracellular potentials - What is the importance of the electrode characteristics for the proper interpretation of the measured signals? - What are the underlying assumptions, and limitations, of current-source-density analysis? How valid is the dipole approximation? Why are recent experiments being interpreted in terms of monopoles, and can single-compartmental model neurons generate local field potentials at all? - What can be learned from the power density distribution of signal frequencies? 4. Neurostimulation - What is the effect on neurons of an externally applied current or potential, and what mechanism (or rationale) underlies deep brain stimulation? 5. Physiological roles of extracellular potentials and endogenous electrical fields - Do extracellular potentials contribute to neuron-neuron and neuron-glia communication? Can there be a role for extracellular potentials in the homeostasis, clearance, and volume regulation of extracellular space, and in the control of blood flow and of the blood-brain-barrier. - What is the integrative role of endogenous electrical fields in brain function?

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Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon
by Yiyin Zhou Dec. 29, 2015

Dec. 29, 2015

Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon 2016 FFBH 2016 <http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/hackathons/ffbh/2016>March 17, 2016Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 The goal of the hackathon is to bring together researchers interested in developing executable models of the fruit fly brain. Towards that end we will engage systems and computational neuroscientists in modeling, design, implementation and biological validation of an open-source emulation platform of the whole fruit fly brain. All hackathon participants will be provided with an Amazon Machine Image of the recently developed open-source Neurokernel <http://neurokernel.github.io/> platform for executable fruit fly brain circuits. The hackathon is aimed at three main groups of participants: biologists, modelers and software engineers. For biologists, the hackathon focuses on the intuitive modeling and representation of biological data, such as anatomical and recordings data of the fruit fly brain, in the NeuroArch <http://neurokernel.github.io/docs.html> database. For modelers, the hackathon aims at creating/modifying models of neuropils that are compliant with the Neurokernel API <http://neurokernel.github.io/docs.html>. For software engineers, the hackathon focuses on improving the Neurokernel <http://neurokernel.github.io/> platform and its API, and developing new, proof-of-concept features that are needed by biologists and modelers alike. All hackathon participants will be strongly encouraged to collaborate towards the realization of executable fruit fly brain models. The Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon is organized in conjunction with the Columbia Workshop on Brain Circuit, Memory and Computation <http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/workshops/bcmc/2016> on March 18-19, 2016. Participants of the hackathon are welcome to attend the workshop. Registration is free but all participants have to register <https://fruit-fly-brain-hackathon16.eventbrite.com/> ( https://fruit-fly-brain-hackathon16.eventbrite.com/) Organizers: Paul Richmond, Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield Adam Tomkins, Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield Nikul Ukani, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University Yiyin Zhou, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University More information can be found on the hackathon website: http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/hackathons/ffbh/2016 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Best Regards, Yiyin Zhou, on behalf of the organizers

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ICANN 2016 Barcelona - Second Call
by antonio Dec. 29, 2015

Dec. 29, 2015

2nd Call for Papers 2nd Call for special sessions, workshops, demonstrations ============================================================ *www.icann2016.org* *ICANN 2016 * 25th Annual Conference on Artificial Neural Networks BarcelonaTech (UPC), Barcelona, Spain 6 - 9 September 2016* Special event*: ENNS 25th Anniversary ============================================================ /The International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN) is the annual flagship conference of the European Neural Network Society (ENNS). In 2016 the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (BarcelonaTech) will organize the 25th ICANN Conference from //the //6th to //the //9th //of //September 2016 in Barcelona, Spain, in collaboration with the Universit//at//Pompeu Fabra (UPF)./ *INVITED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS* 1. *Wlodek Duch *(Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland) 2. *Erkki Oja *(Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland) 3. *Joaquin Fuster *(University of California at Los Angeles, USA) 4. *Murray Shanahan* (Imperial College London, UK) 5. *Günther Palm*(University of Ulm, Germany) 6. *Stephen Coombes *(University of Nottingham, UK) 7. *Etienne Koechlin*( Pierre and Marie Curie University, France) *IMPORTANT DATES* /Special session / workshop proposals: /15 January 2016 /Proposals for competitions and tutorials:/31 January 2016 /Submission of abstracts and papers: /1 March 2016 /Submission of //d//emonstration proposals: /1 March 2016 /Notification of acceptance:/8 May 2016 /Camera-ready paper and registration: /15 May 2016 /Conference dates:/6-9 September 2016 *CONFERENCE TOPICS* ICANN 2016 will feature the main tracks /Brain Inspired computing/ and /Machine Learning research/, with strong cross-disciplinary interactions and applications. All research fields dealing with Neural Networks will be present at the conference. A non-exhaustive list of topics includes: * Brain Inspired Computing: Cognitive models, Computational Neuroscience, Self-organization, Reinforcement Learning, Neural Control and Planning, Hybrid Neural-Symbolic Architectures, Neural Dynamics, Recurrent Networks, Deep Learning. * Machine Learning: Neural Network Theory, Neural Network Models, Graphical Models, Bayesian Networks, Kernel Methods, Generative Models, Information Theoretic Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Relational Learning, Dynamical Models. * Neural Applications for: Intelligent Robotics, Neurorobotics, Language Processing, Image Processing, Sensor Fusion, Pattern Recognition, Data Mining, Neural Agents, Brain-Computer Interaction, Neural Hardware, Evolutionary Neural Networks. *CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEES* Early registration fees have been kept particularly low for this kind of event because ENNS and ICANN aim at full implementation of the academic not-for-profit policy. Undergraduate students (Bachelor and Master level): 90 EUR PhD Students: 200 EUR Regular delegates: 250 EUR *ENNS members have a reduction of 40 EUR* Students can apply for ENNS funded travel grants to attend (see the conference website). *CALL FOR CONTRIBUTED SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS* All scientific communications presented at ICANN 2016 will be reviewed and scientifically evaluated by a panel of experts. The conference will feature three categories of communications: - oral communications (15'+5') - poster communications (on permanent display and 2 hours presentation) - demonstrations Authors willing to present original contributions for any category must submit a manuscript of maximum 8 pages length that will be refereed to international standards by at least three referees. Accepted papers of contributing authors will be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series. Selected papers will be invited after the conference for a full journal paper submission. Authors willing to present a contribution for oral communications and posters without submitting an full manuscript must submit a 1-page abstract that will also be refereed by at least three referees. The abstracts will be published all together in a proceedings section without an author index. In case of program constraints the priority will be given to original contributions accompanied by a full paper submission. Submission of communications will be online. More details are available on the conference website. *WORKSHOPS, SPECIAL SESSIONS, DEMONSTRATIONS,* *COMPETITION PROPOSALS and TUTORIALS* ICANN 2016 invites proposals for workshops, special sessions, demonstrations, competitions and tutorials to be held during the conference. For more information, please refer to the website. *BEST PAPER AWARDS* ENNS will sponsor a maximum of four best paper awards, two in the Brain Inspired Computing track (one poster and one oral communication) and two in the Machine Learning research track. All awardees will be presented during the final ceremony. *ORGANISATION** General Chair:*/ Antonio J. Pons Rivero/(UPC Barcelona, Spain)* Local**co-Chairs:* /Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo/(UPF Barcelona, Spain), /Paul Verschure/(UPF Barcelona, Spain) *Organising Committee Chairs:*/ Daniel Malagarriga/(UPC Barcelona, Spain), /Lara Escuain/(UPC Barcelona, Spain), /Caroline Kleinheny/(ENNS Lausanne, Switzerland) *Honorary Chair: *Alessandro E. P. Villa * Communication* *Chair:*/ Paolo Masulli/(ENNS Lausanne, Switzerland) *********************************************** Antonio J. Pons Rivero General Chair of ICANN 2016 Terrassa School of Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering (ETSEIAT) Nonlinear dynamics, nonlinear optics and lasers Group BarcelonaTech (UPC) Edifici GAIA Rbla. Sant Nebridi, 22 08222 Terrassa, Spain Caroline Kleinheny Secretary of the European Neural Network Society University of Lausanne Internef 137k, Quartier UNIL Dorigny 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland ***********************************************

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Postdoc position
by Dawn Taylor Dec. 28, 2015

Dec. 28, 2015

We currently have openings for postdocs and/or engineers for our NIH-funded study in Parkinson's disease and Deep Brain Stimulation (PIs Dr. Dawn Taylor & Dr. Cameron McIntyre). The goal of this project is to understand how Parkinson's disease alters cortical network processing and how Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) helps to re-normalize motor function. The project involves chronically recording cortical network activity with high-density electrode arrays in our macaque animal models. Extensive neuromotor data will be collected in the normal and Parkinsonian state as well as on and off different types of DBS. This experimental data will be complimented with computational modeling to try to understand the underlying mechanisms as well as identify ways to improve DBS. We are looking for multiple post docs/engineers that can focus on either the animal work, the computational modeling, or both depending on their skills and interests. If interested, please send a CV to Dr. Dawn Taylor at dxt42(a)case.edu. -- Dawn M. Taylor, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, Cleveland Clinic Researcher Scientist, Cleveland VA Medical Center, Functional Electrical Stimulation Center Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering & of Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute 9500 Euclid Ave. / NC30 Cleveland, OH 44195 email: dxt42(a)case.edu or taylord8(a)ccf.org Phone: (216) 636-0140 Fax: (216) 778-4259

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call for illusion submissions: the 12th Best Illusion of the Year Contest
by Susana Martinez-Conde Dec. 24, 2015

Dec. 24, 2015

****CALL FOR ILLUSION SUBMISSIONS: THE WORLD'S 12TH ANNUAL BEST ILLUSION OF THE YEARSM CONTEST**** <http://illusionoftheyear.com> http://illusionoftheyear.com We are happy to announce the 12th edition of world's Best Illusion of the YearSM Contest!! Submissions are now welcome! In 2015, the Best Illusion of the YearSM Contest became an annual online event, with the goal of bringing the creativity of the illusion creator community all around the world. Anybody with an internet connection can now participate! No matter where you live, you can be a contestant, and/or vote for the Top 3 winners! Contestants are invited to submit 1-minute YouTube videos featuring novel illusions (unpublished, or published no earlier than 2015) of all sensory modalities (visual, auditory, etc.) and/or cognitive nature. The content of the 1-minute video presenting your illusion is solely up to you, and the only requirement is that it wows all viewers! Some examples include, but are not limited to: * -A slide presentation, or succession of images, with a voice over (and/or written text, if you prefer) * -A video of yourself describing your illusion * -A video animation/enactment of your illusion An international panel of impartial judges will rate all the videos and narrow them down to the Top 10. Then, online voters around the world will choose their favorite illusions from the Top 10 finalists. All Top 10 finalists will receive a commemorative plaque. In addition, the Top 3 winners will receive cash prizes: $3,000 USD for first place; $2,000 USD for second place, and $1,000 USD for third place. The Judge Panel will rate illusions according to: * -Significance to our understanding of the human mind and brain * -Simplicity of the description * -Sheer beauty * -Counterintuitive quality * -Spectacularity Submissions will be held in strict confidence by the Judge Panel. Only the Top 10 illusions will be posted online, to allow worldwide voting. Participation in the Best Illusion of the YearSM Contest does not preclude you from also submitting your work for publication elsewhere. By participating in the Best Illusion of the YearSM Contest you agree to have your illusion posted on the Contest website, if selected among the Top 10, and included in press releases and other promotional materials/fundraising initiatives for the Contest. You (and your co-authors, if appropriate) will retain the full copyright of your illusion, and receive full credit as illusion creator(s). Illusions submitted to previous editions of the contest can be re-submitted to the 2016 Contest, as long as they meet the above requirements and were not among the Top 3 winners in previous years. You can send your 1-minute video to Susana Martinez-Conde via email ( <mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com> smart(a)neuralcorrelate.com) until April 15, 2016. On behalf of the Executive Board of the Neural Correlate Society: Jose-Manuel Alonso, Stephen Macknik, Susana Martinez-Conde, Luis Martinez, Xoana Troncoso, Peter Tse ----------------------------------- Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Physiology & Pharmacology Empire Innovator Scholar Director, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203, USA Email: smart(a)neuralcorrelate.com <mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com> Phone: +1 718-270-4520 http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com <http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com/>

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PhD position in Neurotechnology @ Imperial College
by Chadderton, Paul T Dec. 23, 2015

Dec. 23, 2015

Open PhD position in Neurotechnology at Imperial College London in the Chadderton and Clopath labs. The candidate will be doing in vivo electrophysiology in mouse cerebellum and computational modelling of learning-related changes in this circuit. Candidate must be EU national. Project: Biologically inspired computation for real-time motor control Supervisors: Paul Chadderton (http://neuralcircuitsinbehaviour.squarespace.com/) Claudia Clopath (http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/c.clopath/) An important area of robotics research is focused on developing machines that can learn and adapt to changing environments as efficiently as animals. Biological principles underlying the acquisition of motor skills are likely to inspire these new technologies. The aim of our project is to characterise computational principles of motor learning in real time using novel neurophysiological data from a uniquely tractable and well-controlled system, the whisker circuitry of the cerebellar cortex. Neural recordings will reveal how the brain adapts during learning, and will then be used to develop and apply a biologically constrained computational model in an actively sensing robot. For full application instructions, see: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/neurotechnology/cdt/projects/computation_for_moto…

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AREADNE 2016 Call for Abstracts
by John Pezaris Dec. 22, 2015

Dec. 22, 2015

****** CALL FOR ABSTRACTS ****** AREADNE 2016 Research in Encoding and Decoding of Neural Ensembles 22-26 June 2016 Nomikos Conference Centre Santorini, Greece Celebrating 10 Years of AREADNE Conferences http://www.areadne.org info(a)areadne.org INTRODUCTION A fundamental problem in neuroscience is to understand how the activation of neuronal populations gives rise to higher order functions including learning, memory, cognition, perception, action and ultimately conscious awareness. Electrophysiological recordings have revealed considerable information about the firing patterns of single neurons, but it remains largely a mystery how collections of individual neurons interact to perform these functions. Understanding ensemble activity is critical to understanding the brain. CONFERENCE MISSION The AREADNE Conferences have been created to gather global scientific leaders who work on neural ensembles and establish a touch-point for the widely disparate and hybrid field. With a spectacular setting on Santorini, the conferences have been carefully planned to foster discussion and interaction between attendees to encourage the establishment of lasting professional relationships. The meetings continue our efforts to promote systems neuroscience in Greece through creating a world-class forum for cutting-edge research. For 2016, we will be Celebrating Ten Years of AREADNE Conferences! FORMAT AND SPEAKERS The conference will span four days, in morning and early evening sessions. Confirmed speakers include experts in the field of multi-neuron experiment, theory, and analysis (in alphabetic order): Michele Basso Matthias Bethge Rick Born Rosa Cossart James DiCarlo Alexander Ecker Lisa Giocomo Konrad Kording Matthew Larkum Albert Lee John Maunsell May-Britt Moser Stephanie Palmer Xaq Pitkow Michael Roukes Irini Skaliora Stelios Smirnakis Nelson Spruston Gina Turrigiano CALL FOR ABSTRACTS We are currently soliciting abstracts for poster presentation. Submissions will be accepted electronically, and must be received by 12 Feb 2016. Automated email acknowledgment of submission will be provided, and manual verification will be made a few days after submission. Notification of acceptance will be provided by 15 March 2016. Please see our Call for Abstracts page for additional details and submission templates: http://areadne.org/call-for-abstracts ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Dora Angelaki Nicholas Hatsopoulos, co-chair John Pezaris, co-chair Panayiota Poirazi Thanos Siapas Andreas Tolias FURTHER INFORMATION AND SPECIAL NOTE For further information on AREADNE 2016 please see the conference web site http://www.areadne.org or send email to info(a)areadne.org. Please note that the timing of the DENDRITES 2016 meeting (http://dendrites2016.gr) in Crete dovetails quite nicely with the AREADNE 2016 meeting in Santorini. -- Dr. J. S. Pezaris AREADNE 2016 Co-Chair Massachusetts General Hospital 55 Fruit Street Boston, MA 02114, USA john(a)areadne.org

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Announcing Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course 2016
by Erik De Schutter Dec. 22, 2015

Dec. 22, 2015

OKINAWA/OIST COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE COURSE 2016 Methods, Neurons, Networks and Behaviors June 13 - June 30, 2016 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc The aim of the Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course is to provide opportunities for young researchers with theoretical backgrounds to learn the latest advances in neuroscience, and for those with experimental backgrounds to have hands-on experience in computational modeling. We invite graduate students and postgraduate researchers to participate in the course, held from June 13th through June 30th, 2015 at an oceanfront seminar house of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. Applications are through the course web page (https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc) only; January 4 - February 5, 2016. Applicants will receive confirmation of acceptance in March. Like in preceding years, OCNC will be a comprehensive three-week course covering single neurons, networks, and behaviors with ample time for student projects. The first week will focus exclusively on methods with hands-on tutorials during the afternoons, while the second and third weeks will have lectures by international experts. The course has a strong hands-on component based on student proposed modeling or data analysis projects, which are further refined with the help of a dedicated tutor. Applicants are required to propose their project at the time of application. There is no tuition fee. The sponsor will provide lodging and meals during the course and may support travel for those without funding. We hope that this course will be a good opportunity for theoretical and experimental neuroscientists to meet each other and to explore the attractive nature and culture of Okinawa, the southernmost island prefecture of Japan. Invited faculty: • Erik De Schutter (OIST) • Sophie Deneve (École Normale Supérieure, France) • Kenji Doya (OIST) • Chris Eliasmith (University of Waterloo, Canada) • Tomoki Fukai (RIKEN BSI, Japan) • Michael Häusser (University College London, UK) • Yukiyasu Kamitani (ATR & Kyoto University, Japan) • Etienne Koechlin (École Normale Supérieure, France) • Bernd Kuhn (OIST) • Partha Mitra (Cold Spring Harbor, USA) • Astrid Prinz (Emory University, USA) • John Rinzel (New York University, USA) • Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama (OIST) • more tba

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Fully funded postdoctoral position in Machine Learning and Computational Biology at Royal Holloway University of London
by Alberto Paccanaro Dec. 22, 2015

Dec. 22, 2015

[Apologies for cross-posting] Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position at the Department of Computer Science of Royal Holloway, University of London. The successful candidates will work with Prof Alberto Paccanaro on different projects in the area of Systems Biology and Network Medicine -- please see http://www.paccanarolab.org/ for a description of the research carried out in the lab. Candidates should have a PhD degree in a relevant quantitative field (e.g. Computer Science, Statistics, Engineering), a strong background in machine learning and a keen interest in computational biology. Previous experience in the area of graphical models would be an asset for this position. The successful candidates will have the opportunity to collaborate with members of the interdisciplinary Centre for Systems and Synthetic Biology (Computer Science and Biological Sciences) at Royal Holloway and collaborators at Imperial College, University of Tennessee and Yale University. The post is therefore ideal for someone with a computer science or maths background who is looking to move into computational biology. The Department of Computer Science is located on Royal Holloway's pleasant campus (see http://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/) in Egham, just outside London. The position is for 30 months, full-time, beginning in the Spring 2016. The starting salary will be up to 37,743 GBP p.a. (about 57,000 USD), with annual increments. The position is funded by a joint BBSRC/NSF grant. Applicants should send a CV including a list of publications, a statement of research interests, and contact information of 3 referees electronically to alberto(a)cs.rhul.ac.uk If you wish to discuss details of the position, please contact Alberto Paccanaro at the same address. Alberto -- ===================================== Prof Alberto Paccanaro Department of Computer Science Royal Holloway, University of London Homepage: www.cs.rhul.ac.uk/~alberto Labpage: www.paccanarolab.org

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Re: [Comp-neuro] Postdoc position in Large-scale Neuronal Ensemble Recordings in Sensori-motor Cortices in Behaving Marmosets
by Nicho Dec. 21, 2015

Dec. 21, 2015

A postdoctoral position is available starting as soon as possible to characterize the spatio-temporal organization of sensori-motor cortical activity at multiple spatial scales associated with upper limb movements of behaving marmosets.This project involves high density multi-electrode array recordings as well as calcium fluorescence imaging from motor and somatosensory cortical sites in marmosets performing natural arm and hand movements.Facilities include a fully equipped electrophysiological laboratory with three 128-channel acquisition systems for multi-electrode recording and stimulation, calcium fluorescence imaging microscopes, and camera-based and a 3D videofluoroscopy-based motion capture systems.Expertise in multi-site, behavioral electrophysiology and/or calcium imaging is preferred.A strong mathematical, computational, or engineering background is also desirable.Applicants should send a CV and names and addresses of two or three references to Dr. Nicholas Hatsopoulos, Department of Organismal Biology, University of Chicago, 1027 East 57^th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 or by e-mail to nicho(a)uchicago.edu <mailto:nicho@uchicago.edu>.

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PhD Position: Modelling Gait in People with Parkinson's Disease.
by Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira Dec. 21, 2015

Dec. 21, 2015

PhD in Modelling Gait in People with Parkinsons Disease. Primary supervisor: Prof Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova<http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298> Secondary supervisors: Dr Mark Wilson (University of Exeter), Dr Victoria Goodwin (University of Exeter) Based within the EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare, a £2M initiative bringing together mathematicians, statisticians and clinicians, you will work on a project aiming to develop a data-driven mathematical modeling framework in order to study gait impairments in patients with Parkinson’s. Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition that mainly affects people of 50 and over. One person in every 500 has Parkinson's, which equates to about 127,000 people in the UK. There's currently no cure, and the range of symptoms and how quickly they progress are different for everyone. The main symptoms of Parkinson's are tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement. Despite optimal medication therapy, many people with Parkinson’s still experience gait impairments. Gait impairments (e.g., freezing of gait) are associated with falls and fear of falling, and reduced quality of life. This studentship aims to further our understanding of the degenerative nature of the disease by taking a dynamical systems approach to modelling the coordination of locomotion (gait) from an individual perspective. While many studies have examined discrete gait measures (e.g. step length) it is likely that several gait malfunctions will interact and incur a simultaneous deterioration of stepping. A dynamical systems approach is particularly useful in predicting when and if this deterioration may cross a critical threshold; for example, triggering a freeze or a stumble. The first stage of this project will be to develop a model based on gait data we have already collected from 18 people with Parkinson’s. The second stage would be to collect additional data to test model’s predictions and refine and improve the model. This project is one of a number which are funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Doctoral Training Partnership to commence in September 2016. The studentships will provide funding for a stipend (currently £14,057 per annum for 2015/16), research costs of £3,000 and UK/EU tuition fees at Research Council rates for 3.5 years. Application Criteria Applicants should have or expect to achieve at least a 2:1 Honours degree, or equivalent, in Maths, Physics, Medicine, Natural Sciences or other numerate discipline. The closing date for applications is midnight on Monday 4 January 2016. Interview will be held at the University of Exeter is mid-late January 2016. For further information, or informal discussion about the position, please contact Prof Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova, e-mail: K.Tsaneva-Atanasova(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:K.Tsaneva-Atanasova@exeter.ac.uk>. Summary Application deadline: 4th January 2016 Value: £14,057 per annum plus UK/EU fees for eligible students (2015-16 rates) Duration of award: per year Contact: Postgraduate Research Office emps-pgr-ad(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:emps-pgr-ad@exeter.ac.uk> How to apply Please visit www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/money/studentships/application/<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/money/studentships/application/> and complete the online web form. You will be asked to submit some personal details and upload a full CV, covering letter and details of two academic referees. Your covering letter should outline your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake this project. Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences University of Exeter Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QF, UK tel: +44 (0) 1392 723615 email: k.tsaneva-atanasova(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:k.tsaneva-atanasova@exeter.ac.uk> web: http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298 ALTEREGO - Enhancing Social Interaction with an AlterEgo artificial agent http://www.euromov.eu/alterego/homepage

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Postdoctoral position
by Eran Mukamel Dec. 21, 2015

Dec. 21, 2015

I would like to advertise the following opportunity in our group. Postdoctoral position in Computational Neuro-Epigenomics The UCSD Computational Neural Data and Dynamics Lab <http://brainome.ucsd.edu/> is seeking applications for a funded postdoctoral research position as part of our group’s studies of epigenomic regulation in brain cells. Our lab in the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Cognitive Science department uses tools from bioinformatics and machine learning to analyze a variety of neural epigenetic processes. We have helped to identify unique forms of DNA methylation in neurons and glial cells, and we are working to understand the distribution, development and potential function of these epigenomic marks. Our theoretical and computational research group has close ties with experimental neurobiology and genomics labs in San Diego. More information about the lab is at http://brainome.ucsd.edu <http://brainome.ucsd.edu/>. Applicants should hold a Ph.D. (or expect to receive one shortly) and have a strong background in computational biology (e.g. computational neuroscience, bioinformatics), or physical science or engineering (e.g. math, physics, computer science, bioengineering) as well as a strong interest in fundamental genomic processes underlying neural development and cognition. Previous experience with genomic or epigenomic data analysis is helpful, but not necessary. To apply, please send the following to emukamel(a)ucsd.edu <mailto:emukamel@ucsd.edu>: - A cover letter describing your background, research interests and how they fit with our lab - Curriculum vitae - Contact information for 2-3 references - If available, a sample of scientific research, e.g. a manuscript, thesis, or other work product Salary will be commensurate with NIH rates. For inquiries or more information, please contact Eran Mukamel at the address above. Eran A. Mukamel Assistant Professor of Cognitive Science University of California, San Diego emukamel(a)ucsd.edu <mailto:emukamel@ucsd.edu> http://brainome.ucsd.edu <http://brainome.ucsd.edu/>

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Opportunities for Ph.D. Studentships
by Wong-Lin, Kongfatt Dec. 21, 2015

Dec. 21, 2015

The Intelligent Systems Research Centre (ISRC) at Ulster University, UK, invites applications for 3-year Ph.D. studentships. A list of studentships offered for the year 2016 and the projects' details can be found at: http://www.compeng.ulster.ac.uk/rgs/showPhDProposals.php?ri=3. The computational neuroscience and neural systems research community at the ISRC focuses on both fundamental brain and behavioural sciences, and their applications, including clinical neuroscience and neural engineering. In particular, I have the available computational neuroscience projects available for 2016: 1. Dynamics of decision making in heterogeneous systems. http://www.compeng.ulster.ac.uk/rgs/displayPhDProposal.php?id=894&ri=3 2. Big data analytics and computational modelling in mental health. http://www.compeng.ulster.ac.uk/rgs/displayPhDProposal.php?id=893&ri=3 3. Computational neuromodulation. http://www.compeng.ulster.ac.uk/rgs/displayPhDProposal.php?id=892&ri=3 The application process for the Ph.D. studentship is opened with a closing date for applications on the 26th February 2016. All studentships, which are highly competitive, are expected to start in September 2016, and include tuition fees and an annual maintenance allowance for EU and non-EU students. All applicants should hold a first or upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate subject, such as computer science, engineering, physics, mathematics or neuroscience. Applicants must be highly motivated and willing to pursue research and develop skills across disciplines. If you wish to apply for a studentship, please follow the instructions at: http://www.compeng.ulster.ac.uk/rgs/guideForApplicants.php. Unless indicated, successful students will be based primarily at the ISRC with opportunities to interact with other related ISRC research teams, including from the Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Centre for Stratified Medicine, and external collaborators. The ISRC has recently established state-of-the-art functional brain mapping facility, and high performance computing facility for big data analytics. The ISRC is situated in the city of Derry~Londonderry, which received the City of Culture 2013 award. Please note that some studentship (DEL Awards) have restrictions on residence eligibility - see guidance notes for details. For further information, please contact me (k.wong-lin(a)ulster.ac.uk) ------------------- Dr. KongFatt Wong-Lin Intelligent Systems Research Centre School of Computing and Intelligent Systems Faculty of Computing and Engineering Ulster University http://isrc.ulster.ac.uk/kwonglin/contact.html ________________________________ This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain information which is covered by legal, professional or other privilege. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager at postmaster(a)ulster.ac.uk and delete this email immediately. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ulster University. The University's computer systems may be monitored and communications carried out on them may be recorded to secure the effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes. Ulster University does not guarantee that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless expressly stated in the body of a separate attachment, the text of email is not intended to form a binding contract. Correspondence to and from the University may be subject to requests for disclosure by 3rd parties under relevant legislation. The University of Ulster was founded by Royal Charter in 1984 and is registered with company number RC000726 and VAT registered number GB672390524.The primary contact address for Ulster University in Northern Ireland is Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry BT52 1SA

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Open Position: Coordinator of the Smart Start Training Program
by Kerstin Schwarzwaelder Dec. 21, 2015

Dec. 21, 2015

Dear colleagues, The Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH <http://www.fz-juelich.de/portal/EN/Home/home_node.html> and theCoordination Site of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience <http://www.nncn.de/en/the-network/Network-Partners/BCOS> are looking for a Coordinator of the Smart Start Training Program <http://www.nncn.de/en/study-training-options/smart-start>. Please find the announcement and online application system here <http://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2015-291-EN…>. Application deadline: January 14, 2016 For inquiries regarding the position please contact Andrea Huber Broesamle (e-mail: andrea.huber(a)bcos.uni-freiburg.de) or Kristin Urbach (phone: +49 2461 61-9700) Best regards, Kerstin Schwarzwälder

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Job Vacancies in Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE)
by Tasos_UPatras Dec. 21, 2015

Dec. 21, 2015

Job Vacancies in Neuroinformatics The Cognitive Engineering Lab of Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE) (http://www.sinapseinstitute.org/ <http://www.sinapseinstitute.org/>) is seeking to appoint one Research Fellow (RF) and one Research Assistant (RA) for a period of 1 year; (positions to be filled as soon as possible). Remuneration and benefits will be based in NUS standards and candidates’ qualifications and years in service. Research Topic · Our group is leading a project aiming to develop virtual reality (VR)-based brain augmentation systems including realistic VR based simulations and real-time brain states analysis. The simulation applications will be developed (in Unity3D Game Engineer) for virtual reality system to provide various stimuli. A remote EEG system will be used to monitor the brain activity in real time. · The aims of the study is to identify reliable and robust individual biomarkers of cognitive states for VR-based training scenarios and compare the training effects with traditional 2-Dimensional computer based simulations to understand if VR-based trainings lead to better user-experience and performance Scientific profile for the Research Fellow Position · Recent Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction or Cognitive Science · Publications in Computational Intelligence and Machine Learning Methods and/or Brain Computer Interaction with applications · Bachelor or Master Degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering · Knowledge of experimental design in cognitive-related experiments Scientific profile for the Research Assistant Position · Bachelor or Master Degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering · Experience of game research or game development (experience of VR preferred, both Oculus Rift and room-size VR) · Experience of Unity3D game engineer, proficiency in C++ or Javascript (experience with middleVR preferred) Personal profile · Good communication and English writing skills is essential · Interdisciplinary communication and team competence · Creative and highly self-motivated. Contact · Applications should include CV, statement of experience and motivation, and names of referees (for the RF position). Informal inquiries prior to application are welcome. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. · Applications should be sent, preferably as single pdf file by email, to prof Tassos Bezerianos (lsiba(a)nus.edu.sg <mailto:lsiba@nus.edu.sg>). Best Regards Tassos Anastasios(Tassos) Bezerianos, BS,MS,PhD prof. Electrical and Computer Engineering, NUS Head of Cognitive Engineering Lab SINAPSE , 28 Medical drive #05-COR , Singapore 117456 office:+65 66013054, cell:+65 97738374

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Columbia Workshop on Brain Circuits, Memory and Computation
by Aurel A. Lazar Dec. 20, 2015

Dec. 20, 2015

Columbia Workshop on Brain Circuits, Memory and Computation BCMC 2016 <http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/workshops/bcmc/2016> Friday and Saturday, March 18-19, 2016 Center for Neural Engineering and Computation <http://www.cnec.columbia.edu/> Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 Overview The goal of the workshop is to bring together researchers interested in developing executable models of neural computation/processing of the brain of model organisms. Of interest are models of computation that consist of elementary units of processing using brain circuits and memory elements. Elementary units of computation/processing include population encoding/decoding circuits with biophysically-grounded neuron models, non-linear dendritic processors for motion detection/direction selectivity, spike processing and pattern recognition neural circuits, movement control and decision-making circuits, etc. Memory units include models of spatio-temporal memory circuits, circuit models for memory access and storage, etc. A major aim of the workshop is to explore the integration of various sensory and control circuits in higher brain centers. A Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon <http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/hackathons/ffbh/2016> is being conducted in conjunction with the workshop. Confirmed Invited Speakers J. Douglas Armstrong <http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/jda/index.html>, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh. Alexander Borst <http://www.neuro.mpg.de/borst>, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried. Thomas R. Clandinin <http://flyvisionlab.weebly.com/>, Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University. Michael Hawrylycz <https://alleninstitute.org/our-science/brain-science/about/team/staff-profi…>, Allen Institute of Brain Science Stanley Heinze <http://www.biology.lu.se/stanley-heinze>, Department of Biology, Lund University. Chung-Chuan Lo <http://life.nthu.edu.tw/~lablcc/>, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. Matthieu Louis <http://www.crg.eu/en/matthieu_louis>, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona. Gaby Maimon <http://www.rockefeller.edu/research/faculty/labheads/GabyMaimon/>, Rockefeller University. Mala Murthy <http://www.molbio1.princeton.edu/labs/murthy/lab/Home.html>, Princeton University. Michael B. Reiser <https://www.janelia.org/lab/reiser-lab>, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA. Vanessa Ruta <http://www.rockefeller.edu/research/faculty/labheads/VanessaRuta/>, Rockefeller University. Glenn C. Turner <https://www.janelia.org/people/glenn-turner>, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA. Marta Zlatic <https://www.janelia.org/lab/zlatic-lab>, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA. Aurel http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu

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[Deadline Extended] 2016 IEEE EAIS - Natal, Brazil, 23-25 May 2016
by Teng Teck Hou Dec. 20, 2015

Dec. 20, 2015

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Paper submission until 15 January 2016 (We apologize for multiple copies) - Please distribute this CFP among your colleagues and students 2016 IEEE International Conference on Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems - 2016 IEEE EAIS Natal, Brazil, May 23-25, 2016 Website: http://eventos.ifrn.edu.br/eais2016 * IMPORTANT DATES * -------------------------------------------------------------- Special Session Proposals Deadline: 13 November 2015 Paper Submission Deadline: 15 January 2016 (Deadline extended!) Decision Notification: 19 February 2016 Final Paper Submission Deadline: 18 March 2016 Authors Registration Deadline: 18 March 2016 All accepted papers will be published in the conference Proceedings and IEEEXplore. Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended versions for possible inclusion in a special issue of the Journal Evolving Systems (Springer). Submission page: http://eventos.ifrn.edu.br/eais2016/instructions.html * CONTEXT * -------------------------------------------------------------- The 2016 IEEE Conference on Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems (2016 IEEE EAIS) will be held in Natal (Brazil), a beautiful city located at the Brazil's northeast coast. It is the Brazilian closest capital to/from Europe and Africa. Natal has several tourist attractions and is famous for its natural beauty, for its historical monuments and buildings and for its gorgeous beaches. The city also boasts the second largest urban park in Brazil and was one of the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. 2016 IEEE EAIS will provide a friendly atmosphere and will be a leading international forum focusing on the discussion of recent advances, the exchange of recent innovations and the outline of open important future challenges in the area of Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems. Over the past decade, this area has emerged to play an important role on a broad international level in today's real-world applications, especially those ones with high complexity and dynamics change. Its embedded modelling and learning methodologies are able to cope with real-time demands, changing operation conditions, varying environmental influences, human behaviors, knowledge expansion scenarios and drifts in online data streams. 2016 IEEE EAIS is organized by the IEEE Technical Committee on Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems, SMC Society. 2016 IEEE EAIS will be held for the first time in Latin America, however, the conference series has a history starting in 2006 in Lake District (England). It was held after that in Witten-Bommerholz (Germany), Nashville (USA), Leicester (England), Paris (France), Madrid (Spain), Singapore, Linz (Austria) and Douai (France). Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended versions for possible inclusion in a special issue of the Journal Evolving Systems (Springer). * CALL FOR SPECIAL SESSIONS * -------------------------------------------------------------- Distinguished researchers working in theory, analysis and applications of evolving adaptive and intelligent systems and related areas are encouraged to submit proposals within the technical scope of 2016 IEEE EAIS. Researchers interested in organizing special sessions are invited to submit a formal proposal at the website: http://eventos.ifrn.edu.br/eais2016/special.html * AREAS OF INTEREST * -------------------------------------------------------------- Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: Basic Methologies - Evolving Soft Computing Techniques - Evolving Fuzzy Systems - Evolving Rule-Based Classifiers - Evolving Neuro-Fuzzy Systems - Adaptive Evolving Neural Networks - Online Genetic and Evolutionary Algorithms - Data Stream Mining - Incremental and Evolving Clustering Approaches - Adaptive Pattern Recognition - Incremental and Evolving ML Classifiers - Adaptive Statistical Techniques - Evolving Decision Systems - Big Data - Advanced Concepts Drifts and Shifts in Data Streams - Stability, Robustness, Convergence in Evolving Systems - Online Feature Selection and Dimension Reduction - Online Active and Semi-supervised Learning - Online Complexity Reduction - Computational Aspects - Interpretability Issues - Incremental Adaptive Ensemble Methods - Online Bagging and Boosting - Self-monitoring Evolving Systems - Human-Machine Interaction Issues - Hybrid Modeling - Transfer Learning - Reservoir Computing - Real-world Applications EIS for On-Line Modeling and System Identification - EIS for Time Series Prediction - EIS for Data Stream Mining and Adaptive Knowledge Discovery - EIS in Robotics, Intelligent Transport and Advanced Manufacturing - EIS in Advanced Communications and Multi-Media Applications - EIS in Bioinformatics and Medicine - EIS in Online Quality Control and Fault Diagnosis - EIS in Condition Monitoring Systems - EIS in Adaptive Evolving Controller Design - EIS in User Activities Recognition - EIS in Huge Database and Web Mining - EIS in Visual Inspection and Image Classification - EIS in Image Processing - EIS in Cloud Computing - EIS in Multiple Sensor Networks - EIS in Query Systems and Social Networks - EIS in Alternative Statistical and Machine Learning Approaches * SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS * -------------------------------------------------------------- Full papers - max. 8 pages IEEE style (double-column). * INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM COMMITTEE * ------------------------------------------------------------------ Plamen Angelov, Lancaster University, UK Dimitar Filev, Ford Motor Co., USA Nikola Kasabov, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand * ORGANIZING COMMITTEE * ------------------------------------------------------------ Chair: Bruno Sielly Jales Costa, Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (IFRN), Natal, Brazil Co-chair: Luiz Affonso Guedes, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Brazil Publication Chairs: Igor Škrjanc, Slovenia Edwin Lughofer, Austria Local Arrangement Chairs: Arthur S. Medeiros, Brazil Marcus Fernandes, Brazil Clauber G. Bezerra, Brazil Allan M. Martins, Brazil Marcelo Damasceno, Brazil Web & Publicity Chair: José A. Iglesias, Spain Teng Teck Hou, Singapore Special Session Chair: Radu-Emil Precup, Romania Program Committee Chair: Bruno Sielly Jales Costa, Brazil Best regards, ------- Prof. Dr. Bruno Sielly Jales Costa IFRN - Campus Natal/Zona Norte IEEE Computational Intelligence Society IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society

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[UKCI 2016] Updated Call for Papers
by Teng Teck Hou Dec. 20, 2015

Dec. 20, 2015

[Apologies for cross-postings] ########################################################### CALL FOR PAPERS The 16th Annual UK Workshop on Computational Intelligence, UKCI-2016 September 7-9, 2016, Lancaster, United Kingdom http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/ukci2016/ ########################################################### The 16th Annual UK Workshop on Computational Intelligence, UKCI-2016 this year is being hosted by Lancaster University. UKCI is the premier UK event for presenting leading research on all aspects of Computational Intelligence. The aim of this Workshop is to provide a forum for the academic community and industry to share ideas about developing and using Computational Intelligence (CI) techniques, the new trends and to exchange views and ideas. CI is a rapidly expanding research field, attracting a large number of scientists, engineers and practitioners working in areas such as fuzzy systems, neural networks, evolutionary computation, evolving systems and machine learning. A growing number of companies are employing CI techniques to improve previous solutions and to deal with new problems. These include evolving systems that allow high performance in spite of changes which are either external or internal to the system, thereby increasing the re-usability of developed systems. This also include smart, intelligent and autonomous systems, self-learning, self-adapting, self-calibrating and self-tuning. UKCI-2016 will take place in Lancaster House Hotel, located conveniently within the campus of Lancaster University, few miles from the city centre including Lancaster Castle. The city offers excellent transport links, with easy access to the M6, railway station and ferry links. Beyond the array of activities within the city, Lancaster is close to the Britain’s premier touristic area – Lake District, home to theatres, museums, Ashton Memorial and Williamson park. #################### Important dates ##################### - Special Session proposals: January 4th, 2016 - Paper submission: April 1st, 2016 - Notification of paper acceptance: June 15th, 2016 - Camera-ready submission: July 15th, 2016 ########################################################## #################### Plenary speakers #################### - Jose Principe, Distinguished Professor, University Of Florida, USA - Trevor Martin, Bristol University and Senior Researcher, British Telecom ########################################################## #################### Organizing committees ############### * Honorary Chair - Prof. Janusz Kacprzyk, Fellow Polish Academy of Sciences * General Chair - Prof. Plamen Angelov, Lancaster University * Programme Chairs - Prof. Qiang Shen, Aberystwyth University - Prof. Chrisina Jane, Robert Gordon University * Publication Chair - Dr. Alexander Gegov, Portsmouth University * International Liaison - Ms Azliza Mohd Ali, Lancaster University * Finance Chair - Ms Carol Airey, Lancaster University * Local Organisation Chairs - Dr. John Mariani, Lancaster University - Mr Richard Gnosill, Lancaster University * Publicity Chair - Dr. Teng Teck Hou, Singapore Management University * Awards Chair - Prof. Araceli Sanchis de Miguel, Carlos III University, Spain * Special Session Chair - Dr. Xiao Jun Zeng, Manchester University ########################################################## ############# Paper Submission and Publication ########### * Papers for UKCI 2016 should be submitted electronically through the Conference website at http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fas/scc/sites/ukci2016/, and will be refereed by experts in the fields and ranked based on the criteria of originality, significance, quality and clarity. * Selected papers will be considered for publication, following substantial extension, in a Special Issue of the Soft Computing Journal (Springer). ########################################################## #################### Awards ############################## * A best regular paper and a best student paper will be selected for this award * This best paper award consists of a plaque and a €200 honorarium * The best paper awards are sponsored by Springer ########################################################## ###### Topics and Areas include, but not limited to ###### Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) * Computational intelligence methodology * Computational intelligence for big data * Making Sense from Data (streams) * Knowledge representation * Fuzzy logic, fuzzy systems, approximate reasoning; * New Machine Learning Methodologies * Artificial Neural Networks * Evolutionary computation, swarm intelligence, artificial immune systems, memetic computing, Nature-inspired computing * New and emerging computational intelligence approaches from hybrid learning and systems, molecular and quantum computing * Software agents and multi-agent systems, intelligent control * Intelligent Video Analytics * Applications of computational intelligence techniques in engineering, healthcare, finances, (cyber)security, signal, image and video processing ########################################################## #################### Call for Special Session Proposals ######################### * UKCI-2016 will retain its traditional format of a single track with special sessions on selected “hot” topics. * Please email proposals for special sessions to ukci2016(a)lancaster.ac.uk by 4th January 2016 ########################################################## #################### Co-Sponsors ######################### * Springer * Department of Engineering and the School of Computing and Communications, Lancaster University ##########################################################

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Postdoctoral fellowship in statistical neuroscience at Boston University
by Mark Kramer Dec. 20, 2015

Dec. 20, 2015

Postdoctoral fellowship in statistical neuroscience at Boston University A postdoctoral position is available for working in an NIH-funded BRAIN initiative project focused on understanding the computational principles and neural circuit mechanisms that underlie complex interactions across distributed circuits during brain function. The candidate will be responsible for developing data analysis and statistical modeling methods to characterize simultaneous LFP and spike train recordings from multiple brain regions during decision-making tasks. The successful candidate will have a strong background in statistics and computer programming; experience in interdisciplinary neuroscience research is preferred, although not essential. The position is based at Boston University in the labs of Uri Eden and Mark Kramer. The project is highly interdisciplinary and will involve frequent and extensive interactions with experimentalists at UCSF (Loren Frank) and Cold Spring Harbor (Adam Kepecs). Please contact Uri Eden or Mark Kramer (see links below) for more information. Boston University offers a vibrant community of statistical, mathematical, and neuroscience faculty and students, and many opportunities for collaboration within and outside the University. http://math.bu.edu/people/tzvi/ http://math.bu.edu/people/mak/

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[INNS-BigData 2016] Updated Call for Papers
by Teng Teck Hou Dec. 20, 2015

Dec. 20, 2015

[Apologies for cross-postings] ########################################################### CALL FOR PAPERS The 2nd INNS Conference on Big Data 2016 October 23-25, 2016, Thessaloniki, Greece http://conferences.cwa.gr/inns-big-data2016/ ########################################################### Big data is not just about storage of and access to data. Analytics play a big role in making sense of that data and exploiting its value. But learning from big data has become a significant challenge and requires development of new types of algorithms. Most machine learning algorithms can't easily scale up to big data. Plus there are challenges of high-dimensionality, velocity and variety. The neural network field has historically focused on algorithms that learn in an online, incremental mode without requiring in-memory access to huge amounts of data. This type of learning is not only ideal for streaming data (as in the Industrial Internet or the Internet of Things), but could also be used on stored big data. Neural network technologies thus can become significant components of big data analytics platforms and this inaugural INNS Conference on Big Data will begin that collaborative adventure with big data and other learning technologies. Thus the aim of this conference is to promote new advances and research directions in efficient and innovative algorithmic approaches to analyzing big data (e.g. deep networks, nature-inspired and brain-inspired algorithms), implementations on different computing platforms (e.g. neuromorphic, GPUs, clouds, clusters) and applications of Big Data Analytics to solve real-world problems (e.g. weather prediction, transportation, energy management). #################### Important dates ##################### - Tutorial and workshops proposals: February 15th, 2016 - Notification of tutorial and workshops proposals: February 20th, 2016 - Paper submission: April 30th, 2016 - Notification of paper acceptance: May 30th, 2016 - Camera-ready submission (AISC): June 11th, 2016 - Early registration: June 20th, 2016 Registration deadline: papers without confirmed registration by June 24th 2016 risk their inclusion in the proceedings ########################################################## #################### Invited speakers #################### - Francesco Bonchi, ISI Foundation, Torino, Italy - Stephen Furber, University of Manchester, UK - Rudolf Kruse, OVG University of Magdeburg, Germany - Piotr Mirowski, Google Deep Mind, London, UK ########################################################## #################### Organizing committees ############### General Chairs - Plamen Angelov, Lancaster University, UK - Yannis Manolopoulos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece Program Chairs - Lazaros Iliadis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece - Asim Roy, Arizona State University, Tempe USA - Marley Vellasco, PUC-Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Advisory Board - Nikola Kasabov, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand - Ali Minai, University of Cincinnati, USA - Danil Prokhorov, Toyota Tech Center, Michigan, USA - Theodore Trafalis University of Oklahoma, USA - G. Kumar Venayagamoorthy, Clemson University, USA Tutorials/Workshop Chairs - Apostolos Papadopoulos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece - Bernardete Ribeiro, Portugal Poster Session Chairs - Yi Lu Murphey, University of Michigan-Dearborn, USA Special Sessions Chairs - Irwin King, Chinese University of Hong Kong, China - Luca Oneto, University of Genoa, Italy Panel Chairs - Leonid Perlovsky, Harvard University, Boston, USA Awards Chair - Araceli Sanchis de Miguel, Carlos III University, Spain Competitions Chairs - Adel Alimi, University of Sfax, Tunisia Publication Chairs - Mariette Awad, American University of Beirut, Lebanon - Danilo Mandic, Imperial College, London, UK Publicity Chairs - Jose Antonio Iglesias Martinez, Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain - Simone Scardapane, The Sapienza University of Rome, Italy - Teck Hou Teng, Singapore Management University, Singapore International Liaison Chairs - Petia Georgieva, University of Aveiro, Portugal - De-Shuang Huang, Tongji University, Shanghai, China Local Organizing Committee: - Anastasios Gounaris, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece WebMaster - Yannis Karydis, Ionian University, Greece ########################################################## ############# Paper Submission and Publication ########### * Original works submitted as a regular paper limited to a maximum of 14 pages in Springer format will be published in the proceedings to be available electronically as a Springer book in ADVANCES IN INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS AND COMPUTING Series, to download for delegates. * It will be peer-reviewed by at least three PC members on the basis of technical quality, relevance, originality, significance and clarity. * At least one author of an accepted submission to the conference should register with a regular fee to present their work at the conference. ########################################################## #################### Awards ############################## * Best papers will be selected and awarded as follows: - Best regular paper - Best student paper * This will be based on a combination of reviewers' comments, presentations and importance and quality judged by a panel. * Best paper awards (500 Euros) are donated by the sponsor Springer Verlag, Germany and will be commemorated by a certificate. ########################################################## ###### Topics and Areas include, but not limited to ###### * Autonomous, online, incremental learning - theory, algorithms and applications in big data * High dimensional data, feature selection, feature transformation - theory, algorithms and applications for big data * Scalable algorithms for big data * Learning algorithms for high-velocity streaming data * Big data streams analytics * Deep neural network learning * Machine vision and big data * Brain-machine interfaces and big data * Cognitive modeling and big data * Embodied robotics and big data * Fuzzy systems and big data * Evolutionary systems and big data * Evolving systems for big data analytics * Neuromorphic hardware for scalable machine learning * Parallel and distributed computing for big data analytics (cloud, map-reduce, etc.) * Big data and collective intelligence/collaborative learning * Big data and hybrid systems * Big data and self-aware systems * Big Data and infrastructure * Big data analytics and healthcare/medical applications * Big data analytics and energy systems/smart grids * Big data analytics and transportation systems * Big data analytics in large sensor networks * Big data and machine learning in computational biology, bioinformatics * Recommendation systems/collaborative filtering for big data * Big data visualization * Online multimedia/ stream/ text analytics * Link and graph mining * Big data and cloud computing, large scale stream processing on the cloud ########################################################## #################### Co-Sponsors ######################### * International Neural Network Society (INNS) * Springer ##########################################################

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CFP: VECPAR 2016 - High Performance Computing for Computational Science
by Carlos Ferreira Dec. 18, 2015

Dec. 18, 2015

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CALL FOR PAPERS 12th International Meeting on High-Performance Computing for Computational Science (VECPAR 2016) University of Porto, Porto, Portugal June 27 - 30, 2016 http://vecpar.fe.up.pt/2016/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT DATES: Deadline for submission: January 15th, 2016 notification of acceptance: March 3rd, 2016 camera ready version: April 25th, 2016, on easychair.org. The International Meeting on High Performance Computing for Computational Science (VECPAR) is the premier venue for presenting and discussing the latest research and practice in high end computer modeling and complex systems. VECPAR encourages submission of research contributions from academia, research laboratories and industry to address pressing issues in computational science resulting from applications of interest to society and hardware innovations. VECPAR'16, the 12th edition of the VECPAR series of conferences is organized by the University of Porto, Portugal, and will be held at the Department of Computer Science, School of Sciences. An award is planned for best student papers. Contributions are solicited in all areas of computational science and engineering (CS&E), including (but not limited to) the following topics: * Large scale Simulations in CS&E * Parallel and Distributed Computing * Parallel Algorithms * Numerical Algorithms on Multicore, GPUs and Emerging Architectures * Symbolic algorithms on Multicore, GPUs and Emerging Architectures * Support Tools and Environments * Scheduling and Load Balancing * Performance Analysis, Evaluation and Tuning You should make your submissions through EasyChair at: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=vecpar2016 Submitted papers must be formatted according to the rules of the Springer Series Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS): http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0 Please note that papers (for conference presentation) must not exceed 8 pages in length, using the LNCS format. Accepted papers will be distributed in electronic format to participants of VECPAR'16. Printed versions of the invited talks and a set of selected papers will be published by Springer in the series entitled Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Selected papers will be limited to 14 pages and will be judged based on relevance, significance, originality, correctness and clarity. More information about this process will be sent to interested authors after the conference. Carlos Ferreira [http://www2.isep.ipp.pt/assinatura_email/EMAIL_ISEP.png] ISEP | Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 431 4249-015 Porto - PORTUGAL tel. +351 228 340 500 | fax +351 228 321 159 mail(a)isep.ipp.pt | www.isep.ipp.pt<http://www.isep.ipp.pt>

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[Call for applications] *Graduate Programs in Computational Neuroscience* in Berlin; MSc and PhD; 6 PhD scholarships; deadline March 15, 2016
by Robert Martin Dec. 18, 2015

Dec. 18, 2015

[Apologies for cross-posting] *Doctoral* and *Master Program* "Computational Neuroscience" at the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin in Berlin, Germany Application deadline: *March 15, 2016* Begin of courses: October 2016 Internet: www.computational-neuroscience-berlin.de _Doctoral Program_ The Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin and the TU Berlin invite applications for *6 fellowships* of the Research Training Group "Sensory Computation in Neural Systems" (GRK 1589/2, https://www.eecs.tu-berlin.de/grk_15891/) The *scientific program* of the research training group combines techniques and concepts from machine learning, computational neuroscience, and systems neurobiology in order to specifically address sensory computation. Doctoral candidates will work on interdisciplinary projects investigating the mechanisms of neural computation, address the processes underlying perception on different scales and different levels of abstraction, and develop new theories of computation hand in hand with well-controlled experiments in order to put functional hypotheses to the test. The training group offers structured supervision complemented by a teaching and training program. Each student will be supervised by two investigators with complementary expertise and will be associated with the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin (https://www.bccn-berlin.de/) a leading research center dedicated to the theoretical study of neural processing. Candidates are expected to hold a Masters degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject (e.g., neuroscience, cognitive science, computer science, physics, mathematics, etc.) and have the required advanced mathematical background. Candidates selected in the first application step will be invited for lab visits and an interview, expected to take place in June 2015. The *fellowships of 1468 €/month* - with additional children allowances if applicable---will be granted for up to three years. _Master's Program_ The tuition-free Master program in Computational Neuroscience offers *15 places* per year, has a duration of 2 years and is fully taught in English. The *curriculum* is subdivided into ten modules, whose content includes theoretical neuroscience, programming, machine learning, cognitive neuroscience, acquisition, modelling, and computational analysis of neural data, with a strong focus on a complementary theoretical and experimental training. Three lab rotations and a Master's thesis are accomplished in the second year. The aim of the program is to provide the students with an interdisciplinary education and an early contact to the neurocomputational research environment. *Requirements* BSc or equivalent degree in a relevant subject (typically in the natural sciences, in an engineering discipline, in cognitive science, or in mathematics), certificate of English proficiency, proof of sufficient mathematical knowledge (at least 24 ECTS credit points). ~~~ _For more information_ ... ... come and visit us on our *information day* on January 27, 2016, at 3 PM (sharp) at the BCCN Berlin: https://www.bccn-berlin.de/Calendar/Events/event/?contentId=3822 ... or browse: www.computational-neuroscience-berlin.de ... or e-mail: graduateprograms(a)bccn-berlin.de . Best regards, Robert Martin -- Robert Martin, PhD Teaching Coordinator Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin Philippstr. 13 House 6; 10115 Berlin; Germany Phone/Fax +49 (0)30 2093 6773/6771 http://www.computational-neuroscience-berlin.de GRK 1589/1, Sensory Computation in Neural Systems Technische Universitaet Berlin Sekretariat MAR 5-6; Marchstr. 23; 10587 Berlin Phone/Fax +49 (0)30 314 72006/73121 http://www.eecs.tu-berlin.de/grk_15891/

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CFP on "Computationally Intelligent Methods in Neural Information Processing" at the IEEE WCCI2016.
by Mufti Mahmud Dec. 17, 2015

Dec. 17, 2015

Sorry for cross-posting. Please consider circulating and contributing to the session. Thanks and regards, Mufti *Call for Paper for Special Session on * *Computationally Intelligent Methods in Neural Information Processing* *at the IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (IEEE WCCI) 2016* Organized by: Mufti Mahmud 1-4, €, Amir Hussain 4, 5, £ 1*NeuroChip Lab, University of Padova, 35131 – Padova, Italy, *2*Institute of Information Technology, Jahangirnagar University, 1342 – Dhaka, Bangladesh, *3*Theoretical Neurobiology & Neuroengineering Lab, University of Antwerp, 2610 – Wilrijk, Belgium, *4*COSIPRA Lab, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA – Stirling, UK, *5*Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, 230601 - China* €*Email: muftimahmud(a)gmail.com <muftimahmud(a)gmail.com>, *£*Email: ahu(a)cs.stir.ac.uk <ahu(a)cs.stir.ac.uk>* *Introduction:* The brain, being the most complex organ in human body, is specialized to process information simultaneously coming from many different sources. The neurons work as basic information processing units in the brain and interconnect to each other to form hierarchical and/or parallel pathways. These pathways are mainly involved in transforming information originated from one or more sources into either action (as in motor movements) or specialized information understood by the brain itself (as in cognitive functions). To have a detailed and better understanding of these biological phenomena two approaches have been practiced by the research community – experimental and theoretical studies. Also, some theoretical studies are inspired by the nature itself which reframes earlier computational techniques to suggest research on biophysical basis of brain research and its information processing capabilities. Needless to say that most of these studies are results of interdisciplinary research involving medical sciences, life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and cognitive sciences. *Scope:* The focus of this special session is to address the recent advances in computationally intelligent techniques in processing neural information. Developing intelligent methods capable of deciphering brain’s information processing capability is one the biggest challenges in brain research. The objective of this special session is to provide updated information and a forum for the scientists and researchers who are looking for more relevant information in decoding brain functions using expert and computationally intelligent systems. This special session is expected to attract papers on recent research progress in the area of intelligent methods in processing neural signals. The targeted research topics are, but not limited to, the following: Ø Computationally intelligent tools for analysis of Spikes, LFP, EEG, MEG, MRI/fMRI, PET, and fNIRS; Ø Computationally intelligent methods for modeling and estimating neural signals; Ø Computational intelligence in developing smart BMI and neural prosthesis; Ø Biologically inspired methods for pattern analysis in neuronal signals; Ø Machine learning methods applied to brain research; *Submission of papers:* Submit IEEE US Letter complaint pdf papers to IEEE CEC 2016, following the steps below: Ø Visit http://ieee-cis.org/conferences/cec2016/upload.php Ø Provide paper details (i.e., Paper Title, Author(s), PDF file to upload, Abstract, Preferred form of presentation, Main paper focus) Ø At '*Main research topic*' or '*Additional research topics'*, select '*8bc. Computationally Intelligent Methods in Neural Information Processing*' from the dropdown list. *Important dates:* Ø Paper submission deadline: *15 January 2016* Ø Decision notification: *15 March 2016* Ø Final paper submission and early registration deadline: *15 April 2016* Ø Conference dates: *25-29 July 2016*. -- Mufti Mahmud, PhD Postdoctoral Research Fellow NeuroChip Lab <http://www.vassanellilab.eu/> - Dept. of Biomedical Sciences <http://www.biomed.unipd.it/?L=1> University of Padova Via f. Marzolo 3 35131 - Padova, Italy Lab: +39 049 827 5308 Fax: +39 049 827 5301 https://sites.google.com/site/muftimahmud/ & Assistant Professor (on leave) Institute of Information Technology Jahangirnagar University Savar, 1342 - Dhaka, Bangladesh

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