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EEG and Brain Stimulation Postdoctoral Position in Frohlich Lab at UNC-Chapel Hill

by Sankar Alagapan

We are seeking to fill one postdoctoral position in the Frohlich Lab with a candidate who has a proven track record of EEG data analysis. *About this position*: We are collecting high-density EEG from multiple clinical trials in which we evaluate the effect of non-invasive brain stimulation on brain network dynamics and behavior. We are looking for a passionate scientist who is interested in taking charge of the data analysis (EEG, cognitive tasks, clinical scales) to validate network targets for brain stimulation in psychiatry and more broadly the network-level dysfunction of psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. The applicant will be embedded in a vibrant research group of around 20 scientists and will receive (as needed and desired) training in transcranial current stimulation, network neuroscience, and clinical research. The position will include working closely with the study coordinators who run the clinical trials. *About the Frohlich Lab*: We seek to revolutionize the fields of psychiatry and neurology by studying brain network dynamics and applying our discoveries to the rational design of novel brain stimulation treatments. Our research integrates neurobiology, engineering, and medicine to identify, engage, and validate network targets for brain stimulation. We (1) perform computer modeling, (2) combine electrophysiology, imaging, brain stimulation, and behavioral assays in animal models, (3) record and modulate human brain activity, and (4) study new treatments in randomized controlled clinical trials. This position is aligned with items (3) and (4) of our mission. *About UNC at Chapel Hill*: We are a vibrant and nationally top-rated research institution with a strong track record in (translational) neuroscience. UNC has been repeatedly ranked as one of the best places to do a postdoc. Quality of life is very high, cost of living is low. *About the successful candidate*: You have a PhD in neuroscience (or a related discipline) and a track record of first class science demonstrated by first author peer-reviewed scientific articles. Strong background and experience with human EEG data analysis and Matlab is required. Experience in source localization and functional connectivity analysis using EEG will be advantageous. Experience with clinical trials or working with patient populations is a plus. Please send your CV and a brief statement of research interest toflavio_frohlich(a)med.unc.edu. Also, please have two letters of recommendation directly submitted to the same email address. Note: Please only submit an application if your background matches the required expertise for this position. We are looking forward to meeting passionate and hard-working applicants who are ready for this cutting-edge project and for joining the Frohlich Lab family. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. Start date is flexible but the earlier the better. UNC is an equal opportunity employer.

June 28, 2016

Call for Participation (ICDL-EPIROB 2016): WS on Development of Body Representations

by Matej Hoffmann

*Call for papers: Interdisciplinary workshop on the development of body knowledge in humans and machines* 19^th September 2016, Cergy-Pontoise / Paris http://bodyschemaworkshop.blogspot.it <http://bodyschemaworkshop.blogspot.it/> held in the framework of ICDL-EPIROB 2016 conference: http://www.etis.ensea.fr/neurocyber/ICDL-EPIROB2016/home.php Following the previous workshops on the development of body representations in humans and robots at ICDL-EPIROB, we have the pleasure to announce a forthcoming workshop in Cergy-Pontoise / Paris on the 19^th September 2016. The aim of this workshop is to spark collaboration between roboticists and developmental psychologists in order to address the origins of the sensorimotor maps that underlie own body representations in both infants and robots. The development of infants’ body knowledge is a primary object of discovery starting before birth. This construction ultimately enables the infant to efficiently interact with the environment. The specific goal of the organizers is to explore the possibility of developing robotic models inspired by the development of human infant body representations. Presentations will consider body knowledge acquisition from sensorimotor, neural and computational perspectives. After the presentations, the discussion will aim at establishing an integrative framework for understanding a) the development of body knowledge in infants, b) the mechanisms that underlie body knowledge acquisition and c) how robots can be used to replicate developmental patterns and progressions that have been found in human infants. On the one hand such robots can become new modeling tools for empirical sciences – expanding the domain of computational modeling by anchoring it to the physical environment and a physical body. On the other hand, robot controllers endowed with multimodal whole-body awareness typical of humans should increase robots’ autonomy. ___________________________________________________________________________ We invite contributions concerning the development of body knowledge in humans and/or machines. Please submit a one-page abstract describing your poster by *the 5th of August 2016* to the following address: *icdlbodyworkshop(a)gmail.com* Presenters of a poster will be expected to be present on the 19th of September 2016 for a teasers-session and for the poster session. During the teasers-session each presenter will introduce their poster in a 2-minute oral presentation (with 2-3 pdf slides). During the poster session they will then have the opportunity to explain their poster and to hand out any leaflets or other information materials they have available for viewers of their poster. *___________________________________________________________________________* *Important dates * Abstract submission: August 5, 2016. Notification of acceptance: August 15, 2016. Submission of 2-3 slides (pdf): September 15, 2016. Workshop day: September 19, 2016. ___________________________________________________________________________ *Speakers* * Prof. Jeffrey Lockman, PhD. Department of Psychology, Tulane University, USA. * Kevin O’Regan, PhD. Research scientist, Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France. * Matej Hoffmann, PhD. Researcher, iCub Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy. * Prof. Minoru Asada, PhD. Research director, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience Robotics, Institute for Academic Initiatives, Osaka University, Japan. * Andrew Bremner, PhD. Reader in psychology and head of department, Goldsmiths University, London, UK. * Gianluca Baldassare, PhD. Researcher, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy.** *____________________________________________ * ** *Venue* Cergy-Pontoise University: http://www.etis.ensea.fr/neurocyber/ICDL-EPIROB2016/home.php ___________________________________________________________________________ *Website* Please check the website <http://bodyschemaworkshop.blogspot.fr/>http://bodyschemaworkshop.blogspot.fr/for updated information about the workshop! ___________________________________________________________________________ *Organizers* Eszter Somogyi, PhD Postdoc researcher, Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, Paris Descartes University, France Matej Hoffmann <https://sites.google.com/site/matejhof/home>, PhD Researcher, iCub Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy Lorenzo Jamone <http://lorejam.blogspot.pt/>, PhD Associate researcher, VisLab, Instituto de Sistemas e Robotica, Lisbon, Portugal ___________________________________________________________________________ *Contact information* Eszter Somogyi, PhD Postdoc researcher, Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, Paris Descartes University, France esomogyi(a)gmail.com <mailto:esomogyi@gmail.com> -- Matej Hoffmann, PhD Postdoctoral Researcher iCub Facility Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego, 30 16163 Genoa, Italy https://sites.google.com/site/matejhof/home

June 28, 2016

Computational Modeling of Autism: Roche Internship, Basel Switzerland

by Christopher Chatham

Please see below for information about a 9 month internship in Basel, Switzerland, in statistical and computational modeling of ASD. The internship should start before October 2016. Please forward to any PhD students who may be interested in this opportunity. About the position: This position will be based in the Biomarkers and Clinical Imaging Group of the Neuroscience Translational Medicine Section of Roche in Basel, Switzerland. The Biomarkers and Clinical Imaging Group uses cutting edge genetic, molecular, neurophysiological, imaging (PET and MRI), electrophysiology and cognitive methodologies to understand diseases and support drug development efforts in the neuroscience field. The Translational Medicine group oversees the discovery, research and development of novel treatments for diseases in neurological, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental fields. The RiSE program (Roche Internships for Scientific Exchange) offers the most talented postgraduate students the opportunity to enhance their competencies and to gain valuable work experience with us. During the internship your tasks will include: - Statistical analyses of behavioral data from ASD patients - Mathematical modelling of normative behavioral data - Participating in an international workgroup to develop estimates of clinically meaningful change on a clinical symptom rating scale - Attending talks sponsored by groups across the company and Biomarker group meetings - Building your professional network across the company Apply here: http://www.roche.com/careers/jobs/jobsearch/job.htm?id=E-3233464408&locale=…

June 28, 2016

Post Graduate School "Cognitive Computing in Socio-Technical Systems" of Ulm University and University of Applied Sciences Ulm

by Friedhelm Schwenker

Post Graduate School "Cognitive Computing in Socio-Technical Systems" of Ulm University and University of Applied Sciences Ulm In 2016 Ulm University and the University of Applied Sciences Ulm award *12 scholarships to highly-qualified scientific talents* for preparing the doctoral degree in accordance with the Landesgraduiertenförderungsgesetz (LGFG). Scholarships will be granted for 12 doctoral projects for initially one year, starting – if possible – on 1st October 2016. There will be the option of a two-year extension (i.e. standard funding term is 3 years). The 12 doctoral projects aim at tightly linking the fundamental pillars of cognitive computing, i.e., (i) perception, (ii) planning & reasoning, (iii) learning, and (iv) interaction. Applications include service robotics, Industry 4.0, logistics, and adaptive process management systems. A scholarship can be granted provided that the following conditions are met: * an outstanding qualification, * acceptance as a doctoral candidate in the respective department of Ulm University, and * scientific support by a professor of Ulm University / University of Applied Sciences Ulm. Please submit your application *no later than 1st August 2016*. You may send it, together with the required attachments (e.g., certificates), as PDF file to Prof. Manfred Reichert (email: manfred.reichert(at)uni-ulm.de). Please use the application template provided on our website (see below). As subject of the email use "Application KPK Cognitive Systems". Alternatively, you may send your application to the following postal address: Prof. Dr. Manfred Reichert Universität Ulm, Institut für Datenbanken und Informationssysteme D-89069 Ulm, Germany On your cover letter please write code number 68, KPK "Cognitive Computing" as well as the supervisors of the projects you are interested in. You may find additional Information and the application template on the following website: * http://www.uni-ulm.de/KPK_Cognitive_Computing * http://www.hs-ulm.de/KPK_Cognitive_Computing -- PD 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

June 28, 2016

Burst coding: extended deadline

by Zeldenrust, Fleur

Dear colleagues, Recently, you received a call for participation in the Frontiers Research Topic on Burst coding (see below). Due to FENS and the summer vacations, several authors asked us to extend the deadline. Therefore, the deadline for articles is now extended to: October 1st 2016. With kind regards, Fleur Zeldenrust Bernhard Englitz Wytse Wadman ________________________________ 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

June 28, 2016

PhD position at HU Berlin available

by Benjamin Lindner

We are looking for a PhD candidate in Computational Neuroscience with a strong background in theoretical physics, specifically in stochastic processes, to work on effective descriptions of temporal and spatial correlations in recurrent networks of spiking neurons. Funding is provided for three years, starting October 2016, through the international research training group IRTG 1740 "Dynamical Phenomena in Complex Networks: Fundamentals and Applications". Part of this program is a (minimum six month) stay in the lab of our collaborator in Brazil, Prof. Roque (FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo). For details on the doctoral examination process at the Physics Department of Humboldt University Berlin, see https://fakultaeten.hu-berlin.de/en/mnf/wisskar/promotionen/index_html?set_…. Please, send your application until July 31, 2016 to Nikola Schrenk (nikola.schrenk(a)bccn-berlin.de) and to me (benjamin.lindner(a)physik.hu-berlin.de) -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benjamin Lindner Theory of Complex Systems and Neurophysics Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin Philippstr. 13, Haus 2, 10115 Berlin Room: 1.17, phone: 0049(0)302093 6336 Department of Physics Humboldt University Berlin Newtonstr. 15 12489 Berlin Room: 3.408, phone: 0049(0)302093 7934 http://people.physik.hu-berlin.de/~lindner/index.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 27, 2016

Postdoc position in cognitive and neural modeling (Angela Yu)

by Angela J. Yu

Applications are invited from highly motivated researchers for a postdoctoral position immediately available in the Computational & Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, led by Angela Yu, at University of California, San Diego. Initial appointment is one-two years, with flexible start date and opportunity for renewal. Anticipated research direction is rather flexible, generally involving developing a decision-theoretical framework for the inter-related problems of perceptual decision-making, active sensing, active learning, interactions between affective and cognitive processing, and social cognition. Candidates must have a strong mathematical and modeling background in Bayesian statistics, Markov decision process, and general machine learning methods. Experience with measure-theoretic probability theory, stochastic processes, stochastic control theory (stopping problems, bandit problems, sequential decision problems), and/or dynamical systems analysis is also desirable. Applicants should be committed to applying rigorous mathematical tools to modeling cognitive and neural processes. Experience or interest in carrying out human behavioral experiments (either in person or on Amazon M-Turk) and/or collaborating with other human/animal neuroscience laboratories is also desirable. Dr. Yu's lab is situated within the Cognitive Science department of UCSD, and affiliated with the Computer Science Department, Neurosciences Graduate Program, and the Institute of Neural Computation. There are ample opportunities for collaborations with related groups across the UCSD main campus, the medical school, and the Salk Institute. Interested candidates should send a research statement, along with a CV including publications, to Dr. Angela Yu (ajyu(a)ucsd.edu <mailto:ajyu@ucsd.edu>). Two or more letters of references should be sent directly to the same address. ------------------------------------- Angela J. Yu Associate Professor UCSD Cognitive Science www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/~ajyu -------------------------------------

June 27, 2016

PhD position in Deep Neural Learning for Computer Vision - Naples, Italy

by Alfredo Petrosino

A fully funded 3-year PhD position is available at CVPRLab (cvprlab.uniparthenope.it) of the department of Science and Technology at the University of Naples Parthenope, Italy, on topics related to neural and machine learning and scene understanding. The aim is to work about new models of deep neural architectures with biological plausability capable of human-like learning, including learning from scratch and spatio temporal analysis. Applications include autonomous systems, active vision, and elderly assisted living, also through mobile devices and jointly with highly specialised industries. Eligibility requirements include: - Master of Science degree with academic excellence, i.e. normally an Honours Degree; - Strong experience in machine learning and basics of computer vision, as well as good mathematical and programming skills (either C/C++ or MATLAB). The net salary is nearly 1.300,00 euros per month. For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see Advert link: http://www.unimi.it/cataloghi/dottorati_borse_premi/Bando_DOTTORATI_XXXII_c… Forms link: http://www.unimi.it/cataloghi/dottorati_borse_premi/Allegati%20bando%20gene… The deadline for applications is 1pm, 6 July 2016. Further information are given by sending an email to petrosino(a)uniparthenope.it Alfredo Petrosino, University of Naples Parthenope ****************************************************************************** IL MERITO DEGLI STUDENTI VIENE RICONOSCIUTO Il 5 per mille all'Universita' degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope" incrementa le borse di studio agli studenti - codice fiscale 80018240632 http://www.uniparthenope.it/index.php/it/5-per-mille Questa informativa e' inserita in automatico dal sistema al fine esclusivo della realizzazione dei fini istituzionali dell'ente.

June 25, 2016

Computational Neuroscience Postdoctoral Positions at Sandia National Laboratories

by Chance, Frances S.

(Apologies in advance for any cross-posting) Colleagues, We are seeking computational neuroscientists to join an interdisciplinary research program focused on understanding neural computation at the circuit level. Example research topics of interest include computational models of retina, visual cortex (or the neural circuitry underlying perception), and the hippocampus. Candidates should have a strong background in neuroscience, and an interest in understanding of relations between neuroscience, cognitive science, and computation. Our department is part of a highly interdisciplinary community of researchers with interests spanning systems neuroscience and brain-inspired computing, engineering, and computer science. Successful applicants will be expected to conduct high-quality research, maintain a successful publication record in peer-reviewed journals, and develop collaborations with this vibrant and growing community. This position is located at Sandia's Albuquerque, NM, USA site. Required 1. A Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or related field. 2. Experience with neuroscience research methods and data analysis. 3. Strong publication record. 4. Excellent interpersonal, communication and writing skills. 5. Demonstrated ability to contribute to multidisciplinary teams. 6. Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Energy security clearance. Desired At least some of the following qualifications are preferred: 1. Demonstrated abilities in mathematical and computational modeling of neural or cognitive function. 2. Previous research experience in a sensory system. 3. Experience with biologically-inspired machine learning algorithms. 4. Experience developing in at least one C-derived programming language (C, C++, C#, Java, etc.), or with a neural simulator (NEURON, PyNN, NEST, etc). 5. Laboratory experience in any of: electrophysiology, neural imaging, connectomics, pharmacological manipulations combined with measurement of neural activity. Submissions: Apply online at http://www.sandia.gov/careers/index.html - select "View All Jobs", and search for 653748 in the keywords box. Please include a letter of interest and a curriculum vitae. For questions or information, please contact Frances Chance (fschanc(a)sandia.gov<mailto:fschanc@sandia.gov>) or Brad Aimone (jbaimon(a)sandia.gov) Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but to ensure full consideration please submit by August 31, 2016. Sandia National Laboratories is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

June 24, 2016

[jobs] Post-Doc in Developmental Robotics - Short Deadline

by Patricia Hazel Shaw [phs]

Post-Doctoral Research Associate, (Fixed Term until 31 March 2018) Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science Grade 7 - £32,600 - £37,768 Closing Date: 30th June 2016 Interview Date: 4th July 2016 Applicants are invited to join the Robotics Laboratory for a project (entitled “Developmental Algorithms for Robotics”). The project is focusing on developmental robotic learning based on an iCub humanoid robot. This is a three year EPSRC funded project running at Aberystwyth University started March 2015, with the support of an International Scientific Advisory Board consisting of leading developmental psychologists. We wish to appoint a Post-Doctoral Research Associate who will develop models based on the psychological literature, and conduct experiments on our iCub humanoid robot. The successful candidate will have appropriate modelling skills and experience, and proven abilities in this area. Other tasks include writing scientific documents and papers, documenting experiments and writing reports, supervising a PhD student and collaborating with other researchers. Regular European travel will be involved. The project ends March 2018, with the fixed-term contract running to this date. For informal enquiries contact Patricia Shaw: phs(a)aber.ac.uk<mailto:phs@aber.ac.uk> +44 (0)1970 622432. For the full job description, please visit: https://jobs.aber.ac.uk/en/vacancy/post-doctoral-research-associate-develop… -------------------------------------------------------------------- Astudio gyda ni yn Aberystwyth - Prifysgol Gyntaf Cymru https://www.aber.ac.uk/cy/undergrad/ Study at Aberystwyth – Wales’ First University https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/undergrad/

June 24, 2016

Postdoctoral Position at Yale Neuroscience

by McCormick, David

An outstanding, highly-motivated post-doctoral fellow is sought to participate in studies on the cellular/network mechanisms of optimal state for performance. Candidates experienced in either computational, imaging/optogenetic, or electrophysiological methodologies are sought. We are investigating the mechanisms by which the optimal state for detection and discrimination performance is achieved in mouse neocortex. Mice are trained to perform visual and auditory detection/recognition/discrimination tasks. Through state-of-the-art techniques, such as two-photon monitoring of activity in known neuromodulatory axons in the cortex, whole cell recording of synaptic activity, high density array recordings of cortical unit activity, and optogenetic manipulation of specific transmitter systems, we are able to determine and decipher the role of different transmitter systems and neural pathways that rapidly control neuronal responsiveness. We have recently shown that the waking state varies on a continual basis and that these fluctuations account for a large component of response and behavioral variance. We take a circuit-based approach to systems neuroscience, revealing how the nervous system achieves a goal through the synaptic interaction of cells in local and long range circuits, modulated by neurotransmitters, to generate flexible behavior. Support: Postdoctoral fellows are well supported with state-of-the-art equipment dedicated to their experiments. Salary (45-65K) is competitive and commensurate with experience and contribution. Lab website: www.mccormicklab.org<http://www.mccormicklab.org/> Please contact david.mccormick(a)yale.edu<mailto:david.mccormick@yale.edu> with inquiries and applications. Send statement of interest, CV, and the names of three people for letters of recommendation. Positions available Fall, 2016. David A. McCormick Professor, Neuroscience | Yale University School of Medicine Dept. Neuroscience 333 Cedar Street | New Haven, CT 06510 | 203.785.5981 www.mccormicklab.org<http://www.mccormicklab.org/> | www.neurobiology.org<http://www.neurobiology.org/>

June 22, 2016

Summer school on neural and sensorimotor foundations of social interaction (BCBT/socSMCs)

by Alexander Maye

---------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR PARTICIPATION ---------------------------------------------------------- Barcelona Cognition, Brain and Technology Summer School (BCBT2016) University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. 5-16 September 2016 http://bcbt.upf.edu/bcbt16 Join us for the annual "Barcelona Cognition, Brain and Technology summer school - BCBT2016 " (see http://bcbt.upf.edu/bcbt16/home) to be held 5-16 September 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. The BCBT summer school is positioned at the interface between biology and future and emerging technologies with an emphasis on the principles underlying brains and their translation to avant-garde technologies. BCBT promotes a shared systems-level understanding of the functional architecture of the brain and its possible emulation in artificial systems. The summer school has been part of a series of events organized by the European coordination action Convergent Science Network of Biomimetics and Neurotechnology (http://csnetwork.eu/) This year the school will be supported by the EU project socSMCs (Socializing Sensorimotor Contingencies) - A FET Proactive Horizon 2020 funded research project. (http://socsmcs.eu/) This is the 9th year of BCBT, which has run with great success in previous years thanks to an excellent line-up of outstanding speakers (see bcbt.upf.edu for previous editions of the school). BCBT lectures are available online (see http://bcbt.upf.edu/bcbt16/media) with the BCBT Podcast interviews with many of the BCBT speakers. BCBT caters to students and researchers involved in projects that are in the ambit of “BIO-ICT convergence”, "Brain Inspired ICT", “Cognitive systems- robotics”, “Cognitive and neural systems”, “Foundations of social cognition”. BCBT will offer up to 30 student slots for the practical workshops, while as many researchers can register to attend the presentations and discussion sessions as they are interested. The atmosphere of the BCBT summer school is informal with the goal to stimulate in-depth discussion. There are 1 or 2 presentations in the morning, with the afternoons reserved for tutorials and projects for student participants and road-mapping workshops or further discussion for senior scientists. For the 2016 edition we plan a 1st week of the school addressing Neural basis of social interaction while the 2nd week will include presentations aimed at the investigation of Socializing Sensorimotor Contingencies. Friday 16 is reserved for the presentation of the student projects to which everybody is invited. Application deadline: July 27th, 2016 For more information on how to apply, please go to http://bcbt.upf.edu/bcbt16/ participate BCBT is organized by Paul Verschure (BCBT Chair), ICREA and University Pompeu Fabra Barcelona, ES Andreas K. Engel (BCBT Co-Chair) University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), DE Anna Mura (BCBT Co-Chair), University Pompeu Fabra Barcelona, ES -- _____________________________________________________________________ Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf; Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts; Gerichtsstand: Hamburg | www.uke.de Vorstandsmitglieder: Prof. Dr. Burkhard Göke (Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr. Dr. Uwe Koch-Gromus, Joachim Prölß, Rainer Schoppik _____________________________________________________________________ SAVE PAPER - THINK BEFORE PRINTING

June 21, 2016

Postdoc Position Available in the Kanan lab at the Rochester Institute of Technology

by Christopher Kanan

Topic: Machine learning and deep learning for detecting manipulated images One postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory of Christopher Kanan at the Rochester Institute of Technology, in Rochester, NY (USA). The lab specializes in applying machine learning algorithms to solve problems in computer vision and related fields. The candidate will be responsible for developing new algorithms for the detecting manipulated and tampered images. Requirements: Ph.D. in computer science or related field; A research record in computer vision and/or machine learning; Familiarity with deep learning The position is initially for one year, but is renewable upon strong performance for an additional year. The salary is significantly above the typical postdoctoral market rate. Applications should be sent by email to ( christopher.kanan(a)rit.edu) and should include a CV, the expected data of availability, and contact information for 3 references. The starting date is September 2016. I will be available to do interviews during CVPR-2016. -- Christopher Kanan, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Carlson Center for Imaging Science Rochester Institute of Technology Office 3140, Building #76 http://klab.cis.rit.edu/ http://www.chriskanan.com

June 21, 2016

PhD and PostDoc Position at Düsseldorf

by Esther Florin

Please note that the deadline is on the 27th of June. An earlier message was not delivered. Post-Doc and PhD position at the Institute for Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf Both positions are in the context of the project “Spontaneous brain activity in healthy subjects and Parkinson's disease”, funded by the Volkswagen foundation. The project aims at providing a characterization of the neurophysiological basis of the brain’s resting state networks (RSNs) by determining how communication between and within RSNs is mediated, using electro-/magnetoencephaolographic (E/MEG) data from healthy participants. In the second part of the project the characterization of RSN electrophysiology will be used to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease. A particular focus will be on tracing out the electrophysiological mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of dopamine treatment and deep brain stimulation. The jobs involve research design, data collection, data analysis, methods developments/implementation, presenting at conferences, and participating in the writing up of the results. The PostDoc is also expected to assist in the supervision and training of junior lab members. Preferable candidates will have a strong background in physics, neuroscience, electrophysiology, biology, computer science or related fields. Knowledge of MEG/EEG biophysics, data acquisition and analysis, biostatistics, and signal processing or the willingness and capability to quickly acquire this knowledge are essential. Qualities we are looking for: · Good scientific programming and data processing skills · Familiarity with Matlab and LaTeX · Solid knowledge of descriptive and inductive statistics and time series analysis · Previous exposure to M/EEG source estimation, Brainstorm, and fMRI resting state analysis are considered a plus · Strong motivation to carry out neuroimaging studies utilizing MEG and to perform source and connectivity analysis · Knowledge of neuroscience concepts · Good interpersonal and communication skills, particularly in the interaction with subjects and patients (beneficial: knowledge of German) · Excellent skills in written and spoken English; · Proven track record of academic excellence What we offer: The group is part of the Institute for Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology at Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, located in the capital of Germany’s biggest state. The institute hosts a state-of-the-art 306 channel MEG-system and a 128 channel EEG system as well as a 3T MRI. The Heinrich-Heine University (HHU) is part of the Neuroscience Network Düsseldorf, a collaborative effort jointly with the Research Centre Jülich and the IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine Düsseldorf. A particular focus of this network is the investigation of disease-associated pathomechanisms such as the one of Parkinson's disease. At the HHU Düsseldorf the graduate school iBrain has been established and enables graduate students to obtain further formal qualifications in neuroscience. Terms and conditions for this position: Both positions are available from 1st of July 2016 or until filled. The initial appointment is for 2-3 years (postdoc) or 3 years (PhD student). Salary for the PostDoc will be according to E13/TV-L and for the PhD up to 0.65 E13/TV-L. Health insurance is included. The contract will be affiliated with Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. Female candidates are encouraged to apply; they will be given preference in cases of equal aptitude, ability, and professional achievements unless there are exceptional reasons for choosing another applicant. Applications from suitably qualified severely disabled persons or disabled persons regarded as being of equal status according to Book IX of the German Social Legal Code (SGB – Soziales Gesetzbuch) are encouraged to apply. Disabled applicants will be given preferential consideration in the case of equal aptitude. More information about this vacancy? Please contact Esther Florin: esther.florin(a)med.uni-duesseldorf.de<redir.aspx?REF=n0heCJN2SIPp5bF7BPLNIgtomqUCHYIGBBx5vHNmbFYEOMc_OJnTCAFtYWlsdG86ZXN0aGVyLmZsb3JpbkBtZWQudW5pLWR1ZXNzZWxkb3JmLmRl> Are you interested? Please send your application within 3 weeks to: Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf D 01.2.1 – Kennziffer: 149E/16, Moorenstr. 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf It should include the following documents: · short (one page) application letter · your CV, incl. a list of publications and the names and contact details of two scientists who can provide references · writing sample · one-page summary of your research For administrative reasons, we cannot return applications. In submitting your application, you give your consent to the retention of the application documents by the university hospital Düsseldorf. _______________________________________________ Dr. Esther Florin Lichtenberg Assistant Professor for Systems Neuroscience Institute for Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf Tel: +49-(0)211-81-08439 esther.florin(a)med.uni-duesseldorf.de<redir.aspx?REF=n0heCJN2SIPp5bF7BPLNIgtomqUCHYIGBBx5vHNmbFYEOMc_OJnTCAFtYWlsdG86ZXN0aGVyLmZsb3JpbkBtZWQudW5pLWR1ZXNzZWxkb3JmLmRl>

June 20, 2016

Postdoctoral Fellowship in multiscale modeling methods for neuroscience simulation

by McDougal, Robert

Multiscale Modeling Postdoctoral Fellowship available for combining cell biology (reaction-diffusion) and electrophysiology in the NEURON simulator (neuron.yale.edu<http://neuron.yale.edu>). The position involves an unusual mix of software engineering and science, depending on the candidate's background and interests. Mathematically, interesting challenges arise in coupling 1D and 3D simulations and coupling deterministic with stochastic simulation. Biologically, dendrites and spines produce complex morphologies with much possibility for spatial variation in concentration. At the network level, the molecular scale interacts in unexpected ways with cellular and network dynamics. Although the work is technical and focused on software development, paper writing is expected with opportunity for both methods papers and biological papers, typically in collaboration with experimental labs. The postdoc will receive training in a wide range of interdisciplinary skills from computer science, applied math, biophysics, cell biology, electrophysiology, etc. The work is being performed in close collaboration with experimental laboratories, giving the opportunity to immediately determine how closely a modeling technique can match the experimental reality (or how experimental artifact can be reduced so as to match a model). Candidates should have a strong background in computer programming, with demonstrated proficiency in C/C++, Python, or some other major language. Familiarity with any or all of threading, MPI, SBML, or user interface design is a strong plus. Strong interest, though not necessarily research experience, in cell biology and/or neuroscience is a must. Some experience with NEURON is desirable. We are part of the team that develops and disseminates the NEURON multiscale modeling (MSM) environment, used by thousands of researchers over decades (now in year 40). As with most simulators, NEURON has historically emphasized neuronal network connectivity and cell membrane electrical dynamics. Recent advances in genomics and proteomics require that the scales of cell biology be added to the MSM mosaic. This extension is particularly important for understanding major problems in learning and memory (the genesis of long-term potentiation in the interaction of chemo- and electro-) and in understanding and developing treatments for brain disease. The work is being done as a collaboration between SUNY Downstate and Yale University under the auspices of a 5 year continuation of an ongoing grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. The NIH and other agencies (FDA, NASA, NSF, DARPA, others) are making a strong push to enhance multiscale modeling in biomedical engineering across organ systems, but particularly with respect to brain function and brain disease -- this is a major growth area in bioscience. Based on the candidate's background and preferences, job could be in Brooklyn, New Haven or via telecommuting. The labs maintain frequent communication via instant messaging (Slack) with software sharing via git and mercurial. Applicants should contact Bill Lytton or Robert McDougal by email (billl at neurosim.downstate.edu<http://neurosim.downstate.edu> robert.mcdougal at yale.edu<http://yale.edu>; no snail mail please) with a CV and cover letter describing your experience with any relevant technologies (Python, C/C++, MPI, NEURON, etc). SUNY is an equal opportunity employer.

June 17, 2016

Biomag 2016 Brain Connectivity Analysis Competition

by Stefan Haufe

Dear colleagues, we have just launched a data analysis competition on brain connectivity analysis using EEG and MEG. Detailed information on the challenge and the data to be analyzed can be found at http://bbci.de/supplementary/EEGconnectivity/BBCB.html . At this website, we also offer a basic Matlab-based software framework for generating EEG/MEG data in a realistic head model, plotting results, etc. You and your colleagues are warmly invited to participate in the challenge. Please feel free to pass on this link to anyone else who might be interested. Besides active participation we would also be very happy to just hear your general opinion on the design of the challenge, and about any suggestions for extension (in the future). Our challenge is on of three official data analysis competitions of this year's BIOMAG conference. The invitation to participate in all three challenges is pasted below for your convenience. With best wishes, Stefan Haufe and Arne Ewald -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: [megcommunity] Biomag 2016 Data Analysis Competition Date: Mon, 30 May 2016 16:56:31 +0200 From: Ole Jensen <ole.jensen(a)DONDERS.RU.NL> Reply-To: Ole Jensen <ole.jensen(a)DONDERS.RU.NL> To: MEGCOMMUNITY(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK Dear all, We are happy to announce three challenges for the 'Data Analysis Competition' at Biomag 2016. Please see details at http://www.biomag2016.org/data_analysis_competition.php The aim of the competitions is to promote the development and application of new analysis techniques. The challenges will help to elucidate pros and cons of different techniques and attract experts from outside the MEG field. The winners of the competition will be given the opportunity to present their proposal at the Biomag meeting in Seoul (Oct 1-6) in order to spark discussions on analysis. Please encourage colleagues to participate! Best regards, Ole Jensen -- Prof. dr. Ole Jensen http://www.neuosc.com

June 17, 2016

FW: 2nd Call for Papers: IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems Special Issue on Neuromorphic Computing and Cognitive Systems

by Arindam Basu

Dear all， You are invited to submit your work to IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems Special Issue on Neuromorphic Computing and Cognitive Systems. The submission deadline has been extended to June 30, 2016. Thanks for your contributions! (And apologies for cross-posting if any) IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems Special Issue on Neuromorphic Computing and Cognitive Systems AIM AND SCOPE In recent years neuromorphic computing has become an important emerging research area. There has been rapid progress in computational theory, learning algorithms, signal processing and circuit design and implementation, which have shown appealing computational advantages over conventional solutions. The low size, weight, and power of these hardware architectures shows great potential for embedded cognitive systems. Starting from emulating the computational principles and architecture found in neural systems, neuromorphic computing aims to integrate sensory coding, synaptic computing (e.g., STDP), learning and memory, and attempts to develop neuromorphic sensors and chips, and cognitive behaving systems such as robots. Neuromorphic hardware has provided a fundamentally different technique for data representation and learning, e.g., asynchronous events rather than regularly sampled frames of images. Various hardware systems leveraging on neural spikes based computing have been reported to achieve good performance with much lower power consumption. Therefore, neuromorphic computing can inform cognitive systems because the algorithms that run on this hardware must be neurobiologically inspired. A huge potential exists for applying this emerging computing framework to the next generation of cognitive systems and robotics, neuro-inspired sensors and processors, etc. THEMES This special issue aims to report state-of-the-art approaches and recent advances on (a) learning algorithms constrained by limits of biology and neuromorphic hardware (b) neuromorphic hardware for cognitive systems and (c) applications of neuromorphic architecture or hardware to cognitive robotics. Topics relevant to this special issue include, but are not limited to • Neuromorphic cognitive systems • Cognitive robotics • Brain-inspired data representation models • STDP, Spike-based sensing and learning algorithms • Spike based processing and methods for configuring spike-based processors SUBMISSION Manuscripts should be prepared according to the “Information for Authors” of the journal found at http://cis.ieee.org/publications.html and submissions should be done through the IEEE TCDS Manuscript center: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tcds-ieee <https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tcds-ieee> and please select the category “SI: Neuromorphic Computing”. IMPORTANT DATES 15 June 2016-Extended to 30 June 2016: Deadline for manuscript submission 15 Sep 2016: Notification of authors 15 Oct 2016: Deadline for revised manuscripts 15 Nov 2016：Final version GUEST EDITORS Huajin Tang, Sichuan University, China. （htang(a)scu.edu.cn<mailto:htang@scu.edu.cn>） Tiejun Huang, Peking University, China. （tjhuang(a)pku.edu.cn<mailto:tjhuang@pku.edu.cn>） Garrick Orchard，National University of Singapore (garrickorchard(a)nus.edu.sg<mailto:garrickorchard@nus.edu.sg>） Arindam Basu，Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (arindam.basu(a)ntu.edu.sg<mailto:arindam.basu@ntu.edu.sg>） Jeffrey L. Krichmar，University of California, Irvine, US （jkrichma(a)uci.edu<mailto:jkrichma@uci.edu>） Best regards, Arindam ________________________________ CONFIDENTIALITY: This email is intended solely for the person(s) named and may be confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it, notify us and do not copy, use, or disclose its contents. Towards a sustainable earth: Print only when necessary. Thank you.

June 17, 2016

Fwd: Faculty Position in Neural Data and Imaging Sciences, Sabanci Univ., Istanbul

by Mujdat Cetin

*Faculty Position in Neural Data and Imaging Sciences at Sabancı University* http://ee.sabanciuniv.edu/en/full-time-faculty-position-neural-data-and-ima… The Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences (FENS) at Sabancı University, İstanbul, Turkey invites applications for a full-time faculty position in the area of Neural Data and Imaging Sciences with a targeted start date of Fall 2016. The ideal candidate for this position would have a Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering, computer science, biomedical engineering, computational neuroscience, or a related field, as well as a strong research and publication record in the area of information extraction from challenging neural data. Particular research areas of interest include but are not limited to neuroinformatics, big neural sensor data analytics, biomedical imaging, brain informatics, signal processing of neural activity, computational neuroimaging, neural image analysis, machine learning for understanding the brain, and connectomics. Sensing/imaging modalities of interest include but are not necessarily limited to MRI, fMRI, DTI, PET, EEG, MEG, ECoG, and several forms of microscopy. Application areas of interest include, but are not limited to healthcare, neurotechnology, brain-computer interfaces, neurorehabilitation, and neurorobotics. The faculty member will have a primary affiliation with the Electronics Engineering program but will be expected to conduct collaborative research with other programs in FENS as well. Applications from candidates at all ranks are encouraged. For candidates at the Assistant Professor level, post-doctoral research experience is a plus. Successful candidates are expected to develop externally-funded internationally-recognized research programs; teach undergraduate and graduate courses; advise and mentor graduate and undergraduate students; and undertake service responsibilities. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to benefit from the state-of-the-art infrastructure of the brand-new Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), as well as to be involved in the Professional Master’s Program in Data Analytics. Sabancı University, a privately funded premier academic institution, established in 1996 in its state-of-the-art campus located in suburban İstanbul. The university offers 13 undergraduate programs and 38 graduate programs in three faculties (Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, School of Management). The University aims to establish a high standard of academic excellence and a research-oriented atmosphere for its international faculty and students, while nurturing productive relationships particularly with the industries in the region which constitute the industrial heartland of Turkey. The medium of instruction is English. In 2015, Sabancı University ranked 13th globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) ranking of the top 100 universities under 50 years old, and 21st in the THE Asia university rankings. In the recently announced THE ranking of the world’s best small universities in 2016, Sabancı University ranked 10th globally. It ranked first among all universities in Turkey in the University Entrepreneurship and Innovation Index of the Ministry of Science, Industry, and Technology in 2015. Detailed information about the Electronics Engineering Program at Sabancı University can be found at http://ee.sabanciuniv.edu/ Applicants should submit their applications online through https://crm.sabanciuniv.edu/acadcv/application.php and provide a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, statement of teaching interests, and at least three professional references. Review of applications will begin on July 1, 2016 and will continue until the position is filled. -- Mujdat Cetin Technical Program Co-chair, IVMSP 2016 -- http://ivmsp2016.org Technical Co-chair, FUSION 2016 -- http://fusion2016.org Faculty Member Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Sabanci University Orhanli, Tuzla 34956, Istanbul, Turkey Phone : +90 (216) 483-9594 Fax : +90 (216) 483-9550 E-mail : mcetin(a)sabanciuniv.edu Web : http://spis.sabanciuniv.edu

June 16, 2016

Scientist II opening in Computational Neuroscience at the Allen Institute for Brain Science (Seattle, USA)

by Costas Anastassiou

Scientist II opening in Computational Neuroscience Lab headed by Dr. Costas Anastassiou Allen Institute of Brain Science Do you want to make a difference in our understanding of brain disorders? Do you have a solid background in computational neuroscience/scientific computing/simulation-based research and curious about how the brain works? Are you able to meet aggressive timelines and deliverables in a collaborative environment? The laboratory headed by Dr. Costas Anastassiou at the Allen Institute is currently looking for a talented Scientist II to work on large-scale, biophysically detailed brain circuit simulations to explore the pathophysiology of epilepsy. Our mission at the Allen Institute for Brain Science is to accelerate the understanding of how the human brain works in health and disease. By implementing a team science approach on a large scale we strive to generate useful public resources, drive technological innovations and discover fundamental brain properties through integration of experiments, modeling and theory. Position summary: We are seeking to fill a position at the level of Scientist II (SciII) to work on an exciting new translational neuroscience pilot project at the Institute. The goal of this project is to investigate cellular and circuit mechanisms of epileptogenesis in human hippocampus. To address these questions, we seek to develop a faithful computational model of the human epileptogenetic hippocampus consisting of a multitude of reconstructed, interconnected and biophysically faithful neurons emulating anatomical and dynamical characteristics of the pathological brain tissue. For examples of biophysically realistic network models as pursued in this work see [Schomburg, Anastassiou et al, J Neurosci, 2012; Reimann, Anastassiou et al, Neuron, 2013; Taxidis, Anastassiou et al, Neuron, 2015]. The aim of the computational model is to (i) understand how synaptic, cellular and connectivity properties of pathological brain tissue give rise to pathophysiological network dynamics, (ii) understand how pathophysiological dynamics are reflected on signals such as depth-, ECoG- and EEG-recordings, and (iii) identify intervention targets to abort or suppress pathological activity. Importantly, the computational effort will occur in parallel with novel in vitro experiments in brain slices derived from patients undergoing surgery for treatment refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy that will provide the data on which the computational modeling will be based. The project will be pursued in collaboration with in-house experimental colleagues as well as neurologists and neurosurgeons and has a guaranteed duration initially of 18 months beginning in the summer of 2016. Responsibilities: · Construct detailed biophysical models using cable theory and NEURON-software. · Design, implement and analyze large-scale network simulations. · Publish/present findings in peer-reviewed journals/scientific conferences. · Prepare written and oral reports on a regular basis. · Publish scientific findings in peer-reviewed journals and relevant conferences. · Maintain clear and accurate communication with supervisor and team members. Qualifications: · PhD degree in computational neuroscience, physics, biology, bioengineering or related fields. · Strong background in scientific computing; experience in computational neuroscience is preferred, but other strong applicants will be considered (with background in computational physics, biophysics, and related disciplines). Experience with parallel computing is a plus as well as familiarity with high-level programming languages such as python. · Ability to meet aggressive timelines and deliverables in a collaborative environment. · Strong publication record. · Experience in pursuing research projects in collaborative fashion. · Proven independent thinking and flexibility. · Familiarity with in vitro and in vivoelectrophysiological monitoring techniques and data analyses. · Strong written and verbal communication skills. How to apply: Visit the Allen Institute for Brain Science Careers website and fill out your information for the Scientist II-position under “2200-Modeling, Analysis and Theory”.

June 16, 2016

Programmer wanted for Neuroscience and Neuroprosthetics Lab

by Sliman Bensmaia

Lab at the cutting edge of neuroscience and neurotechnology looking for a programmer to keep us at the cutting edge! The lab has two general pursuits: discover the neural basis of touch and proprioception – how do patterns of activation in the nerve and in the brain mediate our ability to feel objects by touch and sense the position and movements of our limbs in space? – and to develop a somatosensory neuroprosthesis – How can we recreate the sense of touch by stimulating the nerve or the brain. See http://bensmaialab.org for additional information regarding the lab and the exciting work we are doing. Ideally, looking for a motivated, intelligent individual who works well with people, someone who might be able to make a long term commitment to the lab and help us build something special. Job Summary Responsible for interfacing the various machines in the lab (robots, sensors, data acquisition systems, etc.) with computers and with each other to run neurophysiological and behavioral experiments with human and non-human primates. Education Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field of engineering required. Experience One year of relevant programming experience required. Experience developing, implementing, debugging and maintaining applications required. Two years of professional programming experience preferred. Experience developing applications using C++, Matlab, Python, Java, MySQL, Visual Basic, and/or any other object oriented programming language preferred. Experience building and debugging electronic systems preferred but not required. Knowledge of electromechanical systems preferred but not required. Interest in and/or knowledge of neurophysiology preferred but not required. -- Sliman Bensmaia Associate Professor Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy University of Chicago 773.834.5203 -- Sliman Bensmaia Associate Professor Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy University of Chicago 773.834.5203

June 16, 2016

Postdoctoral positions available in Dr. Suzanne Haber's lab

by Sarah Heilbronner

2 Postdoctoral positions are available in Dr. Suzanne Haber’s lab at the University of Rochester. The studies use nonhuman primate anatomical connectivity studies in combination with MRI in nonhuman and human primates to investigate: 1. Reward pathways and their interface with cognitive and motor control circuits; and 2. Circuitry underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The first project is designed to delineate connectional hubs within cortex and basal ganglia structures that receive convergent inputs from reward and cognitive control regions. Specific focus is on dorsolateral, ventrolateral, ventromedial, orbital, and anterior cingulate cortices and the striatum and amygdala. The approach is to use traditional anatomical tract-tracing circuitry techniques in combination with state of the art imaging methods such as diffusion and functional MRI to explore the location of these hubs in both animal and human brains and their relationship to disease. The second project is designed to characterize the organizational principles that govern white matter organization and trajectories connecting frontal areas with particular emphasis on the connectional hubs. These data will form the basis for segmenting white matter with respect to function in order to identify and evaluate diffusion MRI changes associated with OCD and its treatments. These studies are part of a Silvio O. Conte Center grant involving several Institutions and multiple techniques investigating the neurocircuitry of OCD and effects of neurostimulation. The ideal applicants would have background in systems neuroscience and/or neuroimaging. These positions will give opportunities to interact with pioneering scientists through the Conte Center grant and will provide unique training at the forefront of anatomy, neuroimaging, and translational neuroscience. Applicants should submit a summary of research interests, a curriculum vitae and names of three references to: Dr. Suzanne Haber, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology: Email: Suzanne_Haber(a)URMC.Rochester.edu. (AA/EOE).

June 16, 2016

Extended Deadline for Goettingen's Advanced Computational Neuroscience Summer School

by Agostina Palmigiano

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Extended deadline for applications for the Advanced COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE Summer School in Göttingen, Germany September 06th - 16th, 2016 DEADLINE *June 24, 2016* %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% The aCNS School is a 10-day intensive course in mathematical and computational neuroscience. It offers students working in computational neuroscience and already familiar with its interdisciplinary nature, an intensive pedagogy of advanced mathematical and computational tools, designed to qualify young researchers to push the frontiers of the field. The course counts with and introductory day + 4 two-day theoretical blocks + 4 evening lectures in charge of the following researchers: * Vijay Balasubramanian <http://www.sas.upenn.edu/%7Evbalasub/public-html/Home.html>, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA * Jason Kerr <http://www.caesar.de/bbo.html>, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research, Bonn, Germany * Gilles Laurent <http://brain.mpg.de/research/laurent-department.html>, MPI for Brain research, Frankfurt, Germany * Tobias Moser <http://www.innerearlab.uni-goettingen.de/>, University Medical Center, Göttingen Germany * Erwin Neher <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1991/neher-bio.ht…>, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany * Magnus Richardson <https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/systemsbiology/staff/richardson/>, University of Warwick, Conventry, England * Wolf Singer <http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/research/singer-lab/>, Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience, Frankfurt, Germany * Misha Tsodyks <http://www.weizmann.ac.il/neurobiology/labs/tsodyks/>, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel The consecutive two day thematic blocks are dedicated to mathematical approaches to circuit dynamics. Each lecturer will give a self-contained introduction to a particular set of theoretical tools in a block of two morning lectures. In the afternoon, participants will work on problem sets designed to develop proficiency in both the mathematical and computational tools learned earlier that day. An additional set of evening ‘easy’ lectures will give the opportunity to discuss significant advances in the field. The course takes place at the Department of Nonlinear Dynamics of the Max-Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen. Registration fee is 200 euros. Course language is English. Housing is provided by the school. Travel grants can be provided upon request. Only 15 participants will accepted. We invite applicants to apply by filling out the application form at: http://www.bccn-goettingen.de/events/cns-course <http://www.bccn-goettingen.de/events/cns-course> by *June 24, 2016*. Organizers: Rainer Engelken, Joscha Liedtke, Agostina Palmigiano, Manuel Schottdorf, Jens Wilting Best wishes and looking forward to seeing you in Göttingen, Agostina Palmigiano ___________________________ Agostina Palmigiano Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization Am Fassber 17, 37077 Goettingen +49 551 5176 421 office +49 163 882 6689 mobile http://www.nld.ds.mpg.de/ <http://www.nld.ds.mpg.de/> ___________________________

June 16, 2016

Postdoctoral Position in Computational Neuroscience at Georgia State University

by Yaroslav Molkov

A postdoctoral/research associate position in computational neuroscience for the initial duration of one year is immediately available in the externally funded project focusing on multi-scale computational modeling of motor control mechanisms, involving interactions between basal ganglia, thalamus, cerebellum, cortex, and spinal cord in connection with realistic simulation of pathological changes in motor control during Huntington’s disease. This collaborative project is performed jointly by the groups of Drs. Ilya Rybak (Dept. of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA) and Yaroslav Molkov (Dept. of Mathematics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA). Applicants must have a PhD degree in Neuroscience, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a related discipline, a strong research record, and excellent C++ programming skills. Previous experience in computational neuronal modeling is a plus. Georgia State University is an urban public research university. Georgia State students and employees can take advantage of the university’s easy access to Atlanta’s rich creative environment, diversity of cultures and lifestyles, and wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities. The world’s busiest airport is just minutes from campus. Atlanta provides Georgia State’s faculty and students with an urban laboratory, enabling them to draw creative inspiration. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Molkov (ymolkov(a)gsu.edu) by email. To apply, please send an email along with (1) curriculum vitae; (2) a cover letter describing previous research experience and interests; (3) the names and contact information of three references. Dr. Molkov will be available to answer questions about this position during Organization for Computational Neuroscience Annual meeting, July 2-7, 2016, Jeju, Korea. ================================= Yaroslav Molkov, Ph.D. Associate Professor Georgia State University Department of Mathematics and Statistics 30 Pryor St SW, 750-COE, Atlanta, GA 30303 Office: 722-COE Phone/fax: (404) 413-6422 Email: ymolkov(a)gsu.edu

June 16, 2016

Final Call for Papers: Extracellular Space

by Reinoud Maex

JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE NEUROSCIENCE http://www.worldscinet.com/jin Call for Papers! Special Issue on Extracellular Space 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?

June 16, 2016

Papers on networks of neurons with nonlinear dendrites and Binary Synapses trained by structural plasticity

by Arindam Basu

Dear all Let me draw your attention to some work done by our group over the past few years in developing networks of neurons with lumped dendritic nonlinearity and binary synapses. The connections on each dendritic branch is sparse and the neurons learn to classify patterns when trained using different structural plasticity rules. Thus learning happens by modiying network connection matrix and not by weight change. These networks have advantage for hardware implementations--reduced memory and resistance to mismatch due to binary synapses. We have demonstrated supervised and unsupervised spike time based learning rules and have used these networks as readout of liquid state machines, to improve the reservoir in a liquid state machine, to classify spike latency patterns like tempotron or to classify MNIST images. I summarize the papers below and also include arxiv links for your reading pleasure. 1. S. Hussain, S. C. Liu and A. Basu, "Biologically plausible, Hardware-friendly Structural Learning for Spike-based pattern classification using a simple model of Active Dendrites," Neural Computation , vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 845-897, April 2015 link: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1411.5881.pdf ** Margin based learning, spike time based supervised learning, results on UCI dataset 2. S. Roy, A. Banerjee and A. Basu, "Liquid State Machine with Dendritically Enhanced Readout for Low-power, Neuromorphic VLSI Implementations," IEEE Trans. on Biomedical Circuits & Systems , vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 681-695, 2014. link:http://arxiv.org/pdf/1411.5458.pdf ** Readout of LSM, 30X less binary synapses compared to parallel perceptron 3. S. Roy, P. P. San, S. Hussain, Lee Wang Wei and A. Basu, "Learning Spike Time Codes through Morphological Learning with Binary Synapses," IEEE Trans. on Neural Networks & Learning Systems , vol. 27, no. 7, July 2016. link: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1506.05212.pdf ** Classifying spike time latency patterns, comparison with tempotron 4. S. Hussain and A. Basu, "Multi-class Classification by Adaptive Network of Dendritic Neurons with Binary Synapses using Structural Plasticity," Frontiers in Neuroscience , Mar, 2016. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00113 link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4814530/ ** Ensemble learning, adaptive allocation of dendrites, performance on MNIST, hardware savings analysis 5. S. Roy and A. Basu, "An Online Unsupervised Structural Plasticity Algorithm for Spiking Neural Networks," IEEE Trans. on Neural Networks and Learning Systems , accepted, 2016. link: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1512.01314.pdf ** unsupervised spike time based learning, sequence learning 6.S. Roy and A. Basu, "An online structural plasticity rule for generating better reservoirs," Neural Computation , accepted, 2016. link: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1604.05459.pdf ** Improving separation property of reservoirs in LSM Thanks Arindam Basu Assistant Professor School of EEE Nanyang Technological University http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/arindam.basu/ Regards, Arindam ________________________________ CONFIDENTIALITY: This email is intended solely for the person(s) named and may be confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it, notify us and do not copy, use, or disclose its contents. Towards a sustainable earth: Print only when necessary. Thank you.

June 16, 2016

comp-neuro current status

by Wijnants Mike

Dear comp-neuro user, As you may have noticed the comp-neuro mailing list has been offline for a few weeks. Unfortunately we lost access to the previous domain name because of miscommunication with the domain provider. To serve the computational neuroscience community we have decided to restart the service with a temporary domain as comp-neuro(a)neuroinformatics.be We plan to migrate to another domain name in the future and will announce this when ready. Groetjes, Erik

June 16, 2016

PhD position on Multistable perception : modelisation and analyse gaze and electroencephalographic correlates

by Alan Chauvin

Application are invited for a PhD studentship in Modelling multistable perception by stochastic resonance processes. Closing dates for applications : 15th June 2016. In summary, the main objectives of this PhD are to unify available models of stochastic resonance and to experimentally evaluate the contribution of gaze noise to decision making processes in multistable perception. To this aim, the successful candidate will contribute to theoretical, methodological, and experimental studies. Three research axes are identified: (1) developing stochastic resonance models and comparing these models to the recent Bayesian models described in [Moreno-Bote, Knill & Pouget, 2011]; (2) development of a tool set for the analysis of the neuronal correlates based on EEG feature extraction and machine learning for perceptual change prediction; (3) the design of experimental paradigms for multistable perception, with gaze and/or EEG recordings. This subject is on a confluence of multiple research axes, all essential for a successful PhD : • Stochastic resonance modelling: GIPSA-lab/CICS • Retinal modelling: GIPSA-lab/ViBS, LPNC • Study of micro-saccades: LPNC, GIPSA-lab/CICS • Gaze experiment design: GIPSA-lab/ViBS, LPNC • Joint Gaze and EEG experiment design : GIPSA-lab/ViBS • EEG signal analysis : GIPSA-lab/ViBS. Apllicants should have a strong background in stochastic signal processing and have strong interest in pstychophysics, oculometry and EERG recording. French is not mandatory. The Gipsa-lab is situated in the University Grenoble-Alpes (UGA : http://www.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr) The UGA is located in Grenoble, an international city and a wonderful place to live, work, and study. Nestled in the Alps, Grenoble enjoys an incomparable natural setting, with opportunities for sports lovers and nature enthusiasts alike. More information on : https://www.adum.fr/as/ed/page.pl?site=edeeats&page=CDlisteSujetFleche *PhD director : * Steeve Zozor (CR, CNRS, HDR EEATS, GIPSA-lab, research group CICS) *steeve.zozor(a)gipsa-lab.grenoble-inp.fr <steeve.zozor(a)gipsa-lab.grenoble-inp.fr>**, tel 33 (0)4 76 82 71 04* *PhD supervisors : * Ronald Phlypo (MCF Grenoble-INP, GIPSA-lab, research group ViBS) *ronald.phlypo(a)gipsa-lab.grenoble-inp.fr <ronald.phlypo(a)gipsa-lab.grenoble-inp.fr>**, tel 33 (0)4 76 82 64 86* Alan Chauvin (MCF UGA, lab LPNC, research group Perception et Sensori-Motricité) alan.chauvin@ <alan.chauvin(a)upmf-grenoble.fr>univ <alan.chauvin(a)upmf-grenoble.fr>-grenoble- <alan.chauvin(a)upmf-grenoble.fr> alpes <alan.chauvin(a)upmf-grenoble.fr>.fr <alan.chauvin(a)upmf-grenoble.fr>*, tel 33 (0)4 76 82 69 26* -- Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition LPNC CNRS UMR 5105 Universite Pierre-Mendes France (UPMF) Batiment Science de l'Homme et Math (BSHM) 38041 Grenoble Cedex 09 Alan.Chauvin(a)upmf-grenoble.fr 33 (0) 476 825 926

May 20, 2016

Researcher positions at ATR Brain Labs (Kyoto, Japan)

by Haruo HOSOYA

Dear all, I am pleased to announce that ATR Brain Labs in Kyoto, Japan has open positions for researchers or engineers in theoretical visual neuroscience. I would appreciate if you forward the following message to anyone who might be interested. Best regards, Haruo Hosoya, Senior Researcher Department of Dynamic Brain Imaging ATR Brain Labs, Cognitive Mechanisms Laboratories ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Researcher and Engineer positions at ATR Brain Labs, Kyoto, Japan Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan, has open positions for researchers and research engineers in computational visual neuroscience. We seek for applicants who are particularly interested in theoretical studies on hierarchical vision models based on statistical learning. The studies should be motivated toward understanding of computation and representation in visual cortex, where a stronger emphasis should be put on biological connections and theoretical insights rather than short-term applicability. Specific topics may include but are not limited to: - category-specific representations in higher visual areas - visual recognition and imagery - relationship between neural activities and visual consciousness (perception) * Requirements for Researchers Applicants must have a Ph.D. or be near completion. Successful candidates will have expertise in one of the mathematical areas listed below, as well as strong interest in neuroscience and good programming experience. – computational neuroscience, machine learning, computer vision * Requirements for Research Engineers Applicants must have good programming experience and strong motivations to take part in the research above mainly from program development. * Number of openings A few * Employment conditions Position : Full-time Researcher / Full-time Research Engineer Tenure : Single year based contract, renewable based on evaluation Treatment: Based on individual performance Work Location: Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan * Application materials Please submit the following five materials to the contact address below, either in printed or electronic form: 1 CV 2 List of publications 3 Reprints of 1-3 major publications (applicants for Researchers) or summary of past projects 4 Essay (up to two pages in A4 or letter size) describing: – Summary of your previous research and/or development – Interests for research – Additional research skills not directly foreseeable from 1 or 2 5 Recommendation letters from more than two researchers If submitted in printed form, original documents will not be returned. * Judging system After documentary examination, we ask for presentation and interview if needed. * Starting date Soon (negotiable) * Deadline for application Opens until positions are filled. * Contact Department of Dynamic Brain Imaging ATR Cognitive Mechanisms Laboratories (Application for Researcher Position) 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan Email: dbi-tvn at atr.jp at=@ Web: http://www.cns.atr.jp/dbi/en/open-positons/ * Use of personal data All personal data received will be properly managed and only be used for the purpose of recruitment.

May 20, 2016

Postdoctoral fellowship in primate neurophysiology, University of Arizona (Gothard Lab)

by Ueli Rutishauser

*Postdoctoral fellowship in primate neurophysiology.* *University of Arizona, College and Medicine, Department of Physiology, Tucson. * Applications are invited to join a Medical Research Fund for Neuroscience and NIH funded research program investigating the neural mechanisms of emotion and social interactions in non-human primates. The applicant will carry out neural recordings from the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex of macaque monkeys using multielectrode arrays and will explore the patterns of neural activity within the brain and between brains of two monkeys engaged in social interactions. This will include, behavioral work with monkeys (training and preparation them for electrophysiological recordings), neurophysiological recordings, and data analysis. The applicant will have access to state-of-the art equipment, facilities, and will work in a team with established expertise in behavioral neurophysiology, with ample opportunity to learn new experimental approaches, techniques and methods. Candidates should have a recent PhD in systems or computational neuroscience with a track-record of first-author publications. Strong analytical and programming (Matlab or similar), skill and expertise in data analysis and statistics are essential. Individuals with strong analytical and technical skills who wish to expand into neurophysiological recordings are encouraged to apply, provided they are prepared to run quasi-independently neurophysiological experiments. Excellent written and oral English communication skills are required. The position is available from July 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 monkeys. The University of Arizona is an 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 Katalin Gothard at kgothard(a)email.arizona.edu Informal inquiries are welcome. Further information about the lab can be found at www.gothardlab.com (Please note I am posting this on behalf of a collaborator, please do not contact me for this job).

May 19, 2016

PhD positions

by Laurent Perrinet

Dear colleagues, We have an opportunity for funding a PhD position at the cross section between Aerial Robots, Vision, Neural Networks and Bio-Inspired Computer Vision: http://doc2amu.univ-amu.fr/en/controlling-an-aerial-robot-by-human-semaphor… The project has been pre-selected and we are looking for the ideal candidate to be finally selected (10 out of 20 projects are awarded). Applications are done online, but do not hesitate to contact us for any question related to the project or to the eligibility conditions (summarized below). Best regards, Laurent Perrinet and Franck Ruffier Student eligibility The following eligibility criteria must be fulfilled in order for your application to be evaluated by the Selection Committee. Applications not meeting the criteria will not be evaluated and will be rejected. For an application to be eligible: Specific Doctoral School requirements in terms of marks, experience, or any other matter that is a prerequisite to enrolment to the doctorate programme must be met. When applicable, specific doctoral school requirements are indicated in each Call for Candidates. You must be at the time of recruitment, in possession/or finalizing the master degree or equivalent degree which would formally entitle to embark on a doctorate. You must be available to engage in the programme at the starting date (December 1st, 2016) At the time of recruitment, not to have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date (December 1st, 2016). Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays in France are not taken into account. It must be submitted on the Web Portal before the deadline: June 24th 2016, at midnight. It must consist of a complete Application Package. Incomplete or missing documents are not acceptable. -- Laurent Perrinet - INT (UMR 7289)/CNRS http://invibe.net/LaurentPerrinet <http://invibe.net/LaurentPerrinet>

May 19, 2016

［CFP］ICDM2016 Workshop Data Mining in Human Activity Analysis (DMHAA)

by 刘伟锋

[Apologies for cross-postings] ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊ Call for papers ICDM2016 Workshop Data Mining in Human Activity Analysis (DMHAA) December 12, 2016 http://staff.ustc.edu.cn/~xinmei/ICDM2016_Workshop/ICDM2016_Workshop.html ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊ Human activity analysis is an important area of computer vision and pattern recognition research with the rapid development of computing and sensing technologies such as the emergence of social network and wearable devices. It is becoming more and more critical to develop human-centered multimedia analytics including human behavior recognition, personal data mining, experiences of wearable-device applications, intelligent surveillance, semantic relationship analysis between heterogeneous multimedia. The development of the Internet of Things opens up great potential. Many data mining or machine learning techniques have recently been successfully developed and applied to human activity analysis. For example, smart devices (e.g. Microsoft’s SenseCam, Google Glass, smart phone, smart watches, portable EEG acquisition devices, etc.) facilitate the capture and collection of human activity multimedia; sparse representation is widely employed for human activity recognition; multi-view learning algorithms significantly boost the performance of human re-identify; manifold learning algorithms dramatically enhance the recognition rates in human behavior analysis where there is only a few labeled samples; and deep learning has produced promising results in many human-centered applications. Motivated by the inclination to collect a set of recent advances and results in these related topics, provide a platform for researchers to exchange their innovative ideas and attractive improvements on human activity analysis, and introduce interesting utilizations of data mining and machine learning algorithms for particular human-centered applications, this workshop will target emergent data mining methods for human activity analysis. To summarize, this workshop welcomes a broad range of submissions developing and using data mining techniques for human activity analysis. We are especially interested in 1) theoretical advances as well as algorithm developments in data mining for human activity analysis, 2) reports of practical applications and system innovations in human activity analysis, and 3) novel data sets as test bed for new developments, preferably with implemented standard benchmarks. The following list suggests topics of interest (but not limited to): • Multi-view Learning algorithms for Human Activity Analysis • Sparse and/or Manifold Learning for Human Activity Representation • Human Action Recognition in Images/Videos • Human Behavior Analysis • Human-centered Social Media Analytics • Smart Computing for Personal Data Mining • Deep Learning for Human-centered Media • Parallel Computing for Human-centered Media • Experiences of wearable-device applications • Human-centered Data Visualization • Analytics developed from Computational Psychoanalysis and related underpinnings. Accepted papers will be included in the IEEE ICDM 2016 Workshops Proceedings volume published by IEEE Computer Society Press, and will also be included in the IEEE Xplore Digital Library. The workshop proceedings will be in a CD separated from the CD of the main conference. The CD is produced by IEEE Conference Publishing Services (CPS). Important Dates August 12, 2016: Due date for full workshop papers September 13, 2016: Notification of workshop papers acceptance to authors September 20, 2016: Camera-ready deadline for accepted papers December 12, 2016: Workshop date Instruction for paper submission The page limit of workshop papers is 8 pages in the standard IEEE 2-column format ( http://www.ieee.org/conferences_events/conferences/publishing/templates.html) including the bibliography and any possible appendices. All papers must be formatted according to the IEEE Computer Society proceedings manuscript style, following IEEE ICDM 2016 submission guidelines available at http://icdm2016.eurecat.org/. Papers should be submitted in PDF format, electronically, using the CyberChair submission system ( https://wi-lab.com/cyberchair/2016/icdm16/scripts/submit.php?subarea=S08&un… ). Registration and expenses Every workshop paper must have at least one paid registration in order to be published, no matter whether the author is a workshop organizer or an invited speaker. Workshop organizers: Dr. Xinmei Tian Department of Electronic Engineering and Information Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China, 230027. Email: xinmei(a)ustc.edu.cn Website: http://staff.ustc.edu.cn/~xinmei/ Phone: +86 551-63600281 Dr. Weifeng Liu, China University of Petroleum (East China), #66, Changjiang Road West, Huangdao District, Qingdao 266480, China, Email: liuwf(a)upc.edu.cn Prof. Fionn Murtagh Department of Computing and Mathematics, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK, and Department of Computing, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, SE14 6NW, UK.. Email: fmurtagh(a)acm.org Website: http://www.fmurtagh.info

May 18, 2016

PhD/MSc Student Position in Systems Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge, Canada

by Tatsuno, Masami

[Apologies for cross-postings] --- PhD/MSc Student Position in Systems Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge, Canada --- One PhD/MSc student position is available immediately in the labs of Prof. Masami Tatsuno and Prof. Majid Mohajerani at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN), University of Lethbridge, Canada (http://www.uleth.ca/artsci/neuroscience/about) We investigate memory processes of the awake/sleeping brain experimentally and computationally with the goal of understanding how spontaneous neural activity during sleep facilitates performance improvement. We use the state-of-the-art multi-electrode recordings from freely behaving rodents and imaging techniques such as two-photon Calcium imaging and wide-field voltage imaging. The successful candidate will investigate how external manipulation of sleep contributes to consolidation of memory. Several different methods including transcranial direct current stimulation, targeted memory reactivation and optogenetics will be employed. The successful candidate will also have an opportunity to participate in developing a novel analysis method for neural signals and modeling memory function. A high degree of interaction with the labs in the Brain Dynamics group ( http://lethbridgebraindynamics.com ) as well as in CCBN ( http://www.uleth.ca/artsci/neuroscience ) will be also expected. Motivated candidates should email a short letter of research interest including their skills and experience, CV and the names of three references to Masami Tatsuno (tatsuno(a)uleth.ca<mailto:tatsuno@uleth.ca>). Please do not have reference letters sent unless requested. Applicants should put "SysNeuro PhD/MSc recruitment" in the subject of their email. Various funding will be available depending on the candidate's qualification. Lethbridge is located two hours from Calgary, 90 minutes from the Canadian Rockies and is a safe, family friendly environment. ********************************************* Masami Tatsuno, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Neuroscience The University of Lethbridge Email: tatsuno(a)uleth.ca<mailto:tatsuno@uleth.ca> http://lethbridgebraindynamics.com/masami_tatsuno Majid Mohajerani, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Neuroscience The University of Lethbridge Email: mohajerani(a)uleth.ca<mailto:mohajerani@uleth.ca> http://lethbridgebraindynamics.com/majid-mohajerani/ *********************************************

May 17, 2016

[jobs] Lecture in Computer Science, Aberystwyth UK

by Patricia Shaw

Lecturer in Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK £34,576 - £37,768 per annum Closing Date: 19 June 2016 Interview Date: 6 July 2016 Ref No: IMPACS.16.06 Further details and to apply: https://jobs.aber.ac.uk/en/vacancy/lecturer-in-computer-science-264661.html The Department of Computer Science wishes to appoint a lecturer to undertake teaching and research. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to both postgraduate and undergraduate teaching, and to demonstrate a strong research record in an area that is of direct relevance to at least one of the four research groups within the Department: *Intelligent Robotics; Vision, Graphics and Visualisation; Advanced Reasoning; and Bioinformatics*, with a preference for *Bioinformatics or Space Robotics*. The interviewed candidates will be expected to present a lecture or lecture excerpt as part of the selection process. Prospective applicants may discuss the post informally with the Head of Department, Dr Bernie Tiddeman (e-mail: bpt(a)aber.ac.uk) or the Director of the Institute of Maths, Physics and Computer Science, Professor Qiang Shen (qqs(a)aber.ac.uk)

May 17, 2016

Postdoctoral Research Scientist Position in Neuroimaging and Neurostimulation

by Paul Sajda

The Laboratory for Intelligent Imaging and Neural Computing (LIINC) directed by Prof. Paul Sajda at Columbia University has an immediate opening for a Postdoctoral Research Scientist (Fellow) to participate in a project focused on building and characterizing an integrated closed-loop multimodal neuroimaging and neurostimulation system for use in humans. This is a joint project with the Medical University of South Carolina (Profs. Truman Brown and Mark George ) where we are building an EEG/fMRI/TMS instrument capable of real-time and on-line neurostimulation and imaging. Our long term goal is to use the instrument for both basic science and clinical applications. The successful applicant will be involved in both developing and testing the instrument as well as conducting novel scientific experiments and clinical studies. Applicants should have a background in several of the following area: Recording and analysis of simultaneous EEG and fMRI , real-time signal processing, recording and analysis of simultaneous EEG and TMS, instrumentation (digital and analog electronics), machine learning. A Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or Neuroscience is preferred. LIINC (liinc.bme.columbia.edu <http://liinc.bme.columbia.edu/>) is within the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University. We are part of a dynamic and vibrant neuroengineering environment which includes the Center for Neuroengineering and Computation (cnec.columbia.edu <http://cnec.columbia.edu/>) the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute (zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu <http://zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/>) and the Data Sciences Institute (dsi.columbia.edu <http://dsi.columbia.edu/>). Interested candidates should send via email their CV, three representative papers, the names of three references, and cover letter to Prof. Paul Sajda (psajda(a)columbia.edu) The position is for one year, with the option to renew for 2-3 years, given satisfactory performance and available funding. The position is available immediately and applicants will be considered on a rolling basis. Paul Sajda, Ph.D. Professor Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Radiology Columbia University 351 Engineering Terrace Building, Mail Code 8904 1210 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10027 tel: (212) 854-5279 fax: (212) 854-8725 email: ps629(a)columbia.edu http://liinc.bme.columbia.edu <http://liinc.bme.columbia.edu/> Editor-in-Chief IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering email: editortnsre(a)gmail.com http://tnsre.bme.columbia.edu <http://tnsre.bme.columbia.edu/> Chair, IEEE BRAIN Initiative http://brain.ieee.org <http://brain.ieee.org/>

May 16, 2016

CALL FOR LATE-BREAKING PAPERS for 2nd Int. Workshop on Machine learning, Optimization & big Data - MOD 2016 - Paper submission: May 28, 2016

by Giuseppe Nicosia

CALL FOR LATE-BREAKING PAPERS for 2nd Int. Workshop on Machine learning, Optimization & big Data - MOD 2016 - Paper submission: May 28, 2016 [Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this announcement] [Please kindly help forward it to potentially interested attendees] 2nd International Workshop on Machine learning, Optimization and big Data - MOD 2016 An Interdisciplinary Workshop: Machine Learning, Optimization and Data Science without Borders, Volterra (Pisa) -Tuscany, August 26-29, 2016 http://www.taosciences.it/mod/ <http://www.taosciences.it/mod/> modworkshop2016(a)gmail.com <mailto:modworkshop2016@gmail.com> CALL FOR PAPERS Paper submission deadline: May 28, 2016 http://www.taosciences.it/mod/call-for-papers/ <http://www.taosciences.it/mod/call-for-papers/> https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mod2016 <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mod2016> KEYNOTE SPEAKERS + Nello Cristianini, Bristol University, UK + George Michailidis, University of Florida, USA + Stephen H. Muggleton, Imperial College London, UK + Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA Other Keynote Speakers will be announced soon POST-PROCEEDINGS by Lecture Notes in Computer Science - Springer JOURNAL SPECIAL ISSUE Computational Optimization and Applications Journal - Springer INDUSTRIAL PANEL + Amr Awadallah, Founder and CTO at Cloudera, San Francisco, USA + Giovanni Giuffrida, CEO and co-founder at Neodata Group, Italy + Andy Petrella, Data Scientist and co-founder at Data Fellas, Liège, Belgium + Daniele Quercia, Head of Social Dynamics group at Bell Labs, Cambridge, UK + Fabrizio Silvestri, Principal Research Scientist at Yahoo London, UK TUTORIALS + Model Selection and Error Estimation Without the Agonizing Pain”, Luca Oneto and Davide Anguita, DIBRIS – Polytechnic School – University of Genova, Italy + “Information Geometry: Applications in Machine Learning and Stochastic Optimization”, Luigi Malagò, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan SPECIAL SESSIONS + Deep Learning: Theory, Architectures, Algorithms and Applications + Data-driven Algorithmics – Data for informed decisions + Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithms The MOD 2016 workshop will consist of four days of workshop sessions and special sessions. We invite submissions of papers, abstracts and posters on all topics related to Machine learning, Optimization and Big Data including real-world applications for the workshop proceedings. MOD 2016 Types of Submissions When submitting a paper to MOD 2016, authors are required to select one of the following four types of papers: + Long paper: original novel and unpublished work (max. 12 pages in Springer LNCS format); + Short paper: an extended abstract of novel work (max. 4 pages); + Work for oral presentation only (no page restriction; any format). For example, work already published elsewhere, which is relevant and which may solicit fruitful discussion at the workshop; + Work for poster presentation only. The poster format for the presentation is A0 (118.9 cm high and 84.1 cm wide, respectively 46.8 x 33.1 inch). For research work which is relevant and which may solicit fruitful discussion at the workshop. MOD 2016 Post-Proceedings All accepted long papers will be published in a volume of the series 'Lecture Notes in Computer Science' from Springer after the Workshop. Instructions for preparing and submitting the final versions (camera-ready papers) of all accepted papers will be available later on. All the other papers (short papers, abstract of the oral presentations, poster presentations) will be published on the MOD 2016 web site. Journal Special Issue on Computational Optimization and Applications Journal The top 8-10 accepted articles will have the opportunity to publish a revised and expanded version of their conference paper in the Computational Optimization and Applications Journal – Springer. MOD 2016 Submission System All papers must be submitted using EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mod2016 <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mod2016> The deadline is May 28, 2016 Important Dates for the MOD 2016 Post-Proceedings + Paper Submission Deadline: May 28, 2016 + Decision Notification to Authors: June 10, 2016 + Camera Ready Submission Deadline: June 30, 2016 + Deadline for early Registration as Presenting Author: July 10, 2016 + MOD 2016 Workshop: August 26-29, 2016 MOD 2016 Program Committee The current MOD 2016 Program Committee includes 300+ confirmed Program Committee members: http://www.taosciences.it/mod/program-committee/ <http://www.taosciences.it/mod/program-committee/> Any questions regarding the submission process can be sent to workshop organizers: modworkshop2016(a)gmail.com <mailto:modworkshop2016@gmail.com> We look forward to seeing you in Tuscany! Giovanni Giuffrida, Giuseppe Nicosia & Panos Pardalos - MOD 2016 Chairs. http://www.taosciences.it/mod/ <http://www.taosciences.it/mod/> modworkshop2016(a)gmail.com <mailto:modworkshop2016@gmail.com> MOD 2015 Edition: http://www.taosciences.it/mod-2015/MOD <http://www.taosciences.it/mod-2015/MOD> 2015 MOD 2015 Keynote Speakers: Vipin Kumar, University of Minnesota, USA Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA Tomaso Poggio, MIT, USA -- Giuseppe Nicosia, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Computer Engineering Dept of Mathematics & Computer Science University of Catania Viale A. Doria, 6 - 95125 Catania, Italy P +39 095 7383048 nicosia(a)dmi.unict.it http://www.dmi.unict.it/nicosia ================================================================== 3rd International Synthetic & Systems Biology Summer School - SSBSS 2016 * Biology meets Computer Science & Engineering * July 8-14, 2016 - Volterra (Pisa), Tuscany, Italy http://www.taosciences.it/ssbss/ ================================================================== 2nd International Workshop on Machine learning, Optimization & big Data - MOD 2016 August 26-29, 2016 - Volterra (Pisa), Tuscany, Italy http://www.taosciences.it/mod/ ==================================================================

May 16, 2016

[CALL FOR PAPERS] Special Session on Computational Intelligence Techniques and Applications at TENCON 2016

by Teng Teck Hou

[Apologies for cross-postings] ############################################### CALL FOR PAPERS TENCON 2016 Special Session - Computational Intelligence Techniques and Applications November 22 - 25, 2016, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore http://www.tencon2016.org ############################################### Computational intelligence (CI) techniques encompass good-old-fashion AI (GOFAI), soft computing and deep learning techniques. The ebb and flow of these CI techniques closely tracks the technology cycles. CI techniques such as evolutionary techniques, swarm intelligence, artificial neural network (ANN) and fuzzy logic were mere research topics for decades before suitable computing hardware is available for their use in a broad spectrum of industrial and consumer applications. Recent computing hardware and sensor technologies have also fast-tracked the research and development of many emerging CI techniques. Held annually in IEEE Region 10 since 1980, TENCON has been an important multi-disciplinary platform of IEEE Region 10 for sharing and discussing new and emerging ideas. The theme for TENCON 2016 is Future Technologies for Smart Nation. Therefore, this TENCON'16 Special Session on Computational Intelligence Techniques and Applications for Smart Nation invites all researchers to submit papers on their use of CI techniques for enabling Smart Nation. ##################Important Date################## - Open for Submission March 1st, 2016 - Submission Deadline May, 30th, 2016 - Notice of Acceptance August 1st, 2016 - Final Manuscript Submission September 10th, 2016 ################################################## ##################Topics and Areas of Interest################## This special session solicits papers addressing original works in topics and areas of interest including, but are not limited to: - Fundamental CI Methodologies o Deep learning techniques o Reinforcement learning techniques o Supervised learning techniques o Unsupervised learning techniques o Evolutionary computing techniques o Artificial Neural Networks o Swarm Intelligence o Graphical Models o Bayesian Statistics - CI in Real-World Applications o Time Series Prediction o Sensor Networks o Recommender Systems o Robotic Systems o Intelligent Transportation System o Big Data for Smart Nation o Pattern Recognition o Computer Vision and Image Understanding o Intelligent Control Systems ################################################################ ############Paper Submission and Publication############ - The best papers will be selected from the contributed papers for awards. - The presented papers will be submitted to IEEE Xplore which is indexed by major databases. - Full papers can have up to four pages in double-column IEEE Conference format. - At least one author of an accepted submission to the conference should register with a regular fee to present their work at the conference. - Any enquiry on the submission of papers can be made to Teck-Hou Teng at thteng(a)smu.edu.sg ######################################################## ##################Organizing Committee################## - Teck-Hou Teng, Singapore Management University - Justin Dauwels, Nanyang Technological University - Erdal Kayacan, Nanyang Technological University ########################################################

May 15, 2016

Call for Papers: 8th International Conference on Brain Inspired Cognitive Systems (BICS 2016), Beijing, 28-30 Nov 2016: http://bii.ia.ac.cn/bics-2016/index.html

by Dr Amir Hussain

CALL FOR PAPERS (Deadline: 10 June 2016) and SPECIAL SESSION/WORKSHOP PROPOSALS (Deadline June 1, 2016): (with apologies for any cross postings - please forward to any interested colleagues, thank you) The 8th International Conference on Brain-Inspired Cognitive Systems (BICS 2016), is being organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Research Centre for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Institute of Automation) in Beijing, November 28-30, 2016 - in partnership with the University of Stirling (Scotland, UK), and with technical co-sponsorship of the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society: http://bii.ia.ac.cn/bics-2016/index.html BICS 2016 is being held in Beijing, China, as a sequel of BICS 2004 - 2015. The first BICS 2004 was held in Stirling, Scotland, UK and the last BICS 2015 in Hefei, Anhui, China. BICS 2016 aims to provide a high-level international forum for scientists, engineers, and educators to present the state-of-the-art in brain-inspired cognitive systems research and applications in diverse fields. It will bring together leading scientists and engineers who use analytic, syntactic and computational methods both to understand the prodigious processing properties of biological systems and, specifically, of the brain, and to exploit such knowledge to advance computational methods towards ever higher levels of cognitive competence. The conference will feature plenary lectures given by world renowned scholars, regular sessions with broad coverage, and special sessions/workshops focusing on popular and timely topics. All accepted BICS 2016 papers will be published in conference proceedings of the Springer LNAI Book series. Selected papers will be published in a special issue of the leading (ISI SCI indexed) Cognitive Computation Journal (published by Springer Nature: http://Springer.com/12559 - first five year ISI impact factor: 1.73) BICS'2016 TOPICS OF INTEREST: These include, but are not limited to the following: 1. Biologically Inspired Systems (BICS-BIS) - Brain inspired systems - Brain inspired vision - Brain inspired audition and sound processing - Brain inspired other sensory modalities - Brain inspired motion processing - Brain inspired robotics - Brain inspired adaptive and control systems - Brain inspired evolutionary systems - Brain inspired oscillatory systems - Brain inspired signal processing - Brain inspired learning - Neuromorphic systems 2. Cognitive Neuroscience (BICS-CNS) - Cognitive neuroscience - Cognitive neuroscience of vision - Cognitive neuroscience of non-vision sensory modalities - Cognitive neuroscience of volition - Systems neuroscience - Attentional mechanisms - Affective systems - Language - Cortical models - Sub-cortical models - Cerebellar models - Neural correlates 3. Models of Consciousness (BICS-MoC) - World awareness - Self-awareness - Global workspace theory - Imagination - Qualia models - Virtual machine approaches - Formal models fo consciousness - Control theoretical models - Developmental/Infant models - Will and volition - Emotion and affect - Philosophical implications - Neurophysiological grounding - Enactive approaches - Heterophenomenology - Analyitic/Synthetic phenomenology 4. Neural Computation (BICS-NC) - Neuro-computational systems - Hybrid neural systems - Neural learning - Neural control systems - Neural signal processing - Architectures of neural computation - Neural devices - Neural perception and pattern classifiers - Neuro-fuzzy systems - Evolutionary neural networks - Biological neural network models - Applications - Others BICS 2016 SPECIAL SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS: CALL FOR PROPOSALS To enhance the technical program and open the door to more specific cutting-edge topics and areas related to Brain-inspired Cognitive Systems, BICS 2016 welcomes proposals for timely Special Sessions and Workshops (which will be included in the Conference programme, in addition to regular sessions). Special sessions/workshops can cover subjects or cross-subjects belonging to any relevant BICS topic(s) of interest, or novel topic(s) related to BICS topics of interest. Papers submitted for special sessions and workshops will be peer-reviewed with the same criteria as for regular sessions. All proposals for BICS2016 Special Sessions and Workshops should contain the following information: -Title of the special session or workshop -Names, affiliations, email addresses and short bios of proposers -Description of the proposed session or workshop (including aims and scope) -List of 6-10 potential contributors Researchers interested in organizing Special Sessions/Workshops are invited to submit a formal proposal, which will be evaluated based on the timeliness of the topic, its uniqueness, and qualifications of the proposers. A tentative accept/reject decision on the proposal will be sent to proposers within one week after its receipt by the BICS 2016 Special Sessions and Workshops Chair. Accepted Special Sessions/Workshops will be listed on the website. Formal proposals (including any queries) should be submitted to the BICS 2016 Special Sessions & Workshops Chair: Dr. Jingpeng Li ( jli(a)cs.stir.ac.uk ). Special Sessions/Workshops proposals deadline: 1 June 2016 PAPER SUBMISSION: Papers should be limited to 8-10 pages in Springer LNCS format. Details can be found in http://bii.ia.ac.cn/bics-2016/submission.htm To submit, please login at https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=bics2016 IMPORTANT DATES: Paper submission deadline: June 10, 2016 Acceptance notification: August 10, 2016 Camera-ready papers due: September 10, 2016 Conference dates: November 28-30, 2016 Special Session/Workshop proposals deadline: June 1 , 2016 (acceptance notification: 8 June 2016) BICS 2016 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: General Chairs: Cheng-Lin Liu (Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) Amir Hussain (University of Stirling, Scotland, UK) Program Chairs: Bin Luo (Anhui University, China) Kay Chen Tan (National University of Singapore, Singapore) Publicity Chairs: Cesare Alippi (Politecnico di Milano, Italy) Haibo He (University of Rhode Island, USA) Hussein Abbass (University of New South Wales - Canberra - Australia) Erik Cambria (NTU, Singapore) Local Organization Chair: Yi Zeng (Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) Publication Chair: Zhaoxiang Zhang (Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) Special Sessions and Workshops Chair: Jingpeng Li (University of Stirling, Scotland, UK) Secretariat: bics2016(a)ia.ac.cn We looking forward to seeing you at BICS'2016! -- The University achieved an overall 5 stars in the QS World University Rankings 2015 The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

May 15, 2016

Reminder: Summer School "Advanced Scientific Programming in Python" in Reading, UK, September 5--11, 2016

by Jakob Jordan

Reminder: Deadline for application is 23:59 UTC, May 15, 2016. Advanced Scientific Programming in Python ========================================= a Summer School by the G-Node, and the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK Scientists spend more and more time writing, maintaining, and debugging software. While techniques for doing this efficiently have evolved, only few scientists have been trained to use them. As a result, instead of doing their research, they spend far too much time writing deficient code and reinventing the wheel. In this course we will present a selection of advanced programming techniques and best practices which are standard in the industry, but especially tailored to the needs of a programming scientist. Lectures are devised to be interactive and to give the students enough time to acquire direct hands-on experience with the materials. Students will work in pairs throughout the school and will team up to practice the newly learned skills in a real programming project — an entertaining computer game. We use the Python programming language for the entire course. Python works as a simple programming language for beginners, but more importantly, it also works great in scientific simulations and data analysis. We show how clean language design, ease of extensibility, and the great wealth of open source libraries for scientific computing and data visualization are driving Python to become a standard tool for the programming scientist. This school is targeted at Master or PhD students and Post-docs from all areas of science. Competence in Python or in another language such as Java, C/C++, MATLAB, or Mathematica is absolutely required. Basic knowledge of Python and of a version control system such as git, subversion, mercurial, or bazaar is assumed. Participants without any prior experience with Python and/or git should work through the proposed introductory material before the course. We are striving hard to get a pool of students which is international and gender-balanced. You can apply online: https://python.g-node.org Application deadline: 23:59 UTC, May 15, 2016. Be sure to read the FAQ before applying. Participation is for free, i.e. no fee is charged! Participants however should take care of travel, living, and accommodation expenses by themselves. Travel grants may be available. Date & Location =============== September 5—11, 2016. Reading, UK Program ======= - Best Programming Practices • Best practices for scientific programming • Version control with git and how to contribute to open source projects with GitHub • Best practices in data visualization - Software Carpentry • Test-driven development • Debugging with a debuggger • Profiling code - Scientific Tools for Python • Advanced NumPy - Advanced Python • Decorators • Context managers • Generators - The Quest for Speed • Writing parallel applications • Interfacing to C with Cython • Memory-bound problems and memory profiling • Data containers: storage and fast access to large data - Practical Software Development • Group project Preliminary Faculty =================== • Francesc Alted, freelance consultant, author of PyTables, Spain • Pietro Berkes, Enthought Inc., Cambridge, UK • Zbigniew Jędrzejewski-Szmek, Krasnow Institute, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA • Eilif Muller, Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland • Juan Nunez-Iglesias, Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative, University of Melbourne, Australia • Rike-Benjamin Schuppner, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany • Bartosz Teleńczuk, European Institute for Theoretical Neuroscience, CNRS, Paris, France • Stéfan van der Walt, Berkeley Institute for Data Science, UC Berkeley, CA, USA • Nelle Varoquaux, Centre for Computational Biology Mines ParisTech, Institut Curie, U900 INSERM, Paris, France • Tiziano Zito, freelance consultant, Germany Organizers ========== For the German Neuroinformatics Node of the INCF (G-Node) Germany: • Tiziano Zito, freelance consultant, Germany • Zbigniew Jędrzejewski-Szmek, Krasnow Institute, George Mason University, Fairfax, USA • Jakob Jordan, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Germany For the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading UK: • Etienne Roesch, Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, University of Reading, UK Website: https://python.g-node.org Contact: python-info(a)g-node.org -- Jakob Jordan Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Jülich Research Centre and JARA Jülich, Germany tel.: +49 2461 61-96450 http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 13, 2016

Postdoc Position in Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute, Leipzig, Germany

by Katharina von Kriegstein

Applications are welcomed for a postdoctoral research position at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI-CBS) in Leipzig, Germany in collaboration with the Technical University Dresden, Germany. The objective of the postdoctoral research project is to use computational modelling and neuroimaging to work towards a novel model for cortico-subcortical interactions for human communication signals. The project is funded by the ERC-consolidator grant SENSOCOM (http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/199655_en.html) The position will be jointly supervised by Katharina von Kriegstein at the MPI-CBS and Stefan Kiebel at the TU Dresden. The MPI-CBS offers a unique research environment with a 7.0 T MRI scanner, several 3.0 T MRI scanners, a 306 channels MEG system, TMS/tDCS laboratories, several EEG suites, and eye-tracking labs. All facilities and data analyses are supported by experienced IT specialists and physicists. The TU Dresden is one out of eleven German Universities of Excellence. It houses a state-of-the art neuroimaging centre with a strong focus on computational modelling and access to the TU Dresden high-performance computing clusters. Besides an excellent infrastructure, both centres offer an international and friendly environment with researchers from diverse backgrounds. The position is ideal for candidates interested in research at the interface between computational modelling and experimental neuroimaging. The candidates must have a PhD (or equivalent) in computational neuroscience, experimental psychology, or a related field, and should be able to demonstrate a consistently outstanding academic record, including publications. The ideal candidate will have expertise in computational neuroscience, physics, mathematics, or similar with a strong interest in implementing computational models (e.g., Bayesian filtering, hierarchical dynamic models, predictive coding) and testing these with neuroimaging experiments. The starting date for the position is flexible. Initially for two years, the position offers the possibility of extension for up to four years. Salary depends on experience and is based on regulations of the Max Planck Society. To apply, please include all documents in one PDF-file in the following order: CV, contact information of two referees, a brief statement describing your personal qualifications and future research interests, copies of up to three of your publications. Applications with the subject heading "CM 16 PD" should be sent via email to: personal(a)cbs.mpg.de. Closing date for applications is the 12th June 2016. Informal enquiries regarding the post should be directed to: Prof. Dr. Katharina von Kriegstein (kriegstein(a)cbs.mpg.de) For more information about the groups see: Prof. Katharina von Kriegstein: http://www.cbs.mpg.de/independent-research-groups/human-communication Prof. Stefan Kiebel: https://tu-dresden.de/die_tu_dresden/fakultaeten/fakultaet_mathematik_und_n… A link to the position description is available here: http://www.cbs.mpg.de/454795/job_full_offer_10498685?c=7390 The MPI-CBS is an equal opportunities employer, committed to the advancement of individuals without regard to ethnicity, religion, gender, or disability. --- Katharina von Kriegstein Max Planck Research Group Leader Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Stephanstr. 1A, 04103 Leipzig, Germany Professor of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience Humboldt University of Berlin Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489 Berlin, Germany Phone +49 (0) 341-9940-2476 Fax +49 (0) 341-9940-2448 http://www.cbs.mpg.de/independent-research-groups/human-communication

May 13, 2016

CFP ==> AIPR2016 [IEEE] - Poland - September

by Grace Allas

*** CALL FOR PAPERS *** All registered papers will be submitted to IEEE for potential inclusion to IEEE Xplore The Third International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Pattern Recognition (AIPR2016) Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland September 19-21, 2016 http://sdiwc.net/conferences/aipr2016/ IMPORTANT DATES Submission Deadline : Open from now until August 19, 2016 Notification of Acceptance : 4-7 weeks from the submission date Camera Ready Submission : Open from now until September 09, 2016 Registration Deadline : Open from now until September 09, 2016 --------------------------------------------------- RESEARCH TOPICS ARE NOT LIMITED TO: • Agent-based Systems • AI and Evolutionary Algorithms • Ant Colony Optimization • Approximate Reasoning • Artificial Immune Systems • Artificial Intelligence in Modeling and Simulation • Artificial Intelligence in Scheduling and Optimization • Artificial Life • Automated Problem Solving • Bioinformatics and Computational Biology • Biometric Authentication • Brain-machine Interfaces • Camera Networks and Vision • Case Studies • Cognitive Systems and Applications • Collective Intelligence • Computer Vision • Data Mining • Decision Support Systems • Differential Evolution • Distributed AI Systems and Architectures • Emerging Technologies • Evolutionary Data Mining • Evolutionary Design • Evolutionary Scheduling • Expert Systems • Fuzzy Computing with Words • Fuzzy Control and Intelligent Systems • Fuzzy Decision Making and Decision Support Systems • Fuzzy Logic and Fuzzy Set Theory • Fuzzy Optimization and design • Fuzzy Pattern Recognition • Fuzzy Systems for Robotics • Game Theory • Hardware Implementations • Heuristic Searching Methods • Integration of AI With Other Technologies • Intelligent Agents • Intelligent Data Mining and Farming • Intelligent Databases • Intelligent Information Systems • Intelligent Networks • Intelligent Tutoring Systems • Intelligent User Interface • Intelligent Web-based Business • Knowledge Engineering • Knowledge Networks and Management • Knowledge-based Recognition • Knowledge-intensive Problem Solving Techniques • Machine Learning • Modeling and Identification • Molecular and Quantum Computing • Motion and Tracking Algorithms and Orientation Estimation • Multi-agent Systems • Multimedia Systems and Applications • Natural Language Processing • Neural Network Theory, Architectures and Applications • Novel Noise Reduction Algorithms • Particle Swarm Optimization • Printing Technologies • Robotics and Related Fields • Rough Sets and Rough Data Analysis • Segmentation Techniques • Signal and Speech Processing • Social Impact of AI • Software Tools for AI • Speech Understanding • Structural and Syntactic Pattern Recognition • Supervised and Unsupervised Learning • Type-2 Fuzzy Logic • Various Applications • Watermarking Methods and Protection • Web Intelligence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All the registered papers will be submitted to IEEE for potential inclusion to IEEE Xplore as well as other Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases. Paper Submission: http://sdiwc.net/conferences/aipr2016/openconf/openconf.php Write us for more details: aipr16(a)diwc.net NOTE: Please see other co-conferences: - The Third International Conference on Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Education Technologies (CSCEET2016) http://sdiwc.net/conferences/csceet2016/ - The International Conference Numerical Methods and Applied Mathematics (NMAM2016) http://sdiwc.net/conferences/nmam2016/ ---------------------------------------

May 12, 2016

[UKCI 2016] Extended Call for Papers

by Teng Teck Hou

[Apologies for the 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 Britain’s premier tourist area – Lake District, and is home to theatres, museums, Ashton Memorial and Williamson park. #################### Important dates ##################### - Paper submission: May 15th, 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, UK - Xin Yao, School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham, UK - Stephen Fubrer, School of Computer Science, University of Manchester, UK ########################################################## #################### 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 - Prof. Ahmad Lotfi, Nottingham Trent University - Dr. Xiao Jun Zeng, Manchester University ########################################################## ############# Paper Submission and Publication ########### * Papers for UKCI 2016 should be submitted electronically through the Conference website at http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/ukci2016/call-for-papers/, 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 20th March 2016 ########################################################## #################### Co-Sponsors ######################### * Springer * Department of Engineering and the School of Computing and Communications, Lancaster University ##########################################################

May 12, 2016

Workshop on EEG monitoring with dry electrodes at OHBM 2016

by Uwe Graichen

Dear colleagues, it is my pleasure to announce the workshop "EEG monitoring with dry electrodes: the achievements of the ANDREA European project and future perspective", which will be a satellite meeting of the OHBM 2016 and will take place at Palexpo in Geneva on June 25, 2016. This workshop, promoted by the partners of the ANDREA project (www.andreaproject.eu ), is meant to inform and educate everyone who may be interested in EEG monitoring using dry electrodes, from novices to experts. We will discuss novel multi-channel EEG caps with dry electrodes. The partners of the ANDREA project and external experts will present the most recent advancements in sensors, caps and electronics, as well as data processing and artifact reduction algorithms. The detailed program is attached. Registration to the workshop is required but is free of charge. Further details can be found at the page http://www.humanbrainmapping.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3688. Spread the news among your colleagues and collaborators, as we hope to meet all of you in Geneva! Best regards, Silvia Comani, PhD Associate Professor of Applied Physics Director, BIND - Behavioral Imaging and Neural Dynamics Center Coordinator - EU Project ANDREA (www.andreaproject.eu) Dept. of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara Chieti Via dei Vestini, 33 66013 Chieti - Italy comani(a)unich.it http://www.bindcenter.eu phone: +39 0871 3556925 fax: +39 0871 3556930

May 11, 2016

Postdoc and PhD positions. In vivo electrophysiology, optogenetic and motor learning. Marseille

by david robbe

A postdoctoral and a PhD positions funded by a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) are available in the group of David Robbe at the Institut de Neurobiologie de la Mediterrannée (INMED) in Marseille, France. The Robbe Lab studies the neuronal bases of motor learning and motor control with a focus on the role of cortico-striatal system and the specific contribution(s) of selective striatal cell types. We perform electrophysiological recordings of spiking activity (using silicon probes, tetrode arrays and optrodes) and neuronal perturbation (lesions, inactivations, optogenetic stimulation) on rodents (mice or rats) engaged in original motor tasks. The tasks design allows high-throughput training of animals, manipulations of task constraints to understand the psychophysical determinants of performance and closed-loop optogenetic perturbation of neuronal activity. The positions suit candidates highly motivated to perform large-scale electrophysiological and optrodes recordings in behaving rodents (mice or rats). The successful candidates should be genuinely interested in understanding animal behavior, hardworking and capable to learn to perform delicate surgical procedures. A previous experience in either in vivo electrophysiology, optogenetic or data analysis (using Python or Matlab) is expected. Applicants with quantitative (physics, maths) or engineering backgrounds willing to acquire experimental skills are encouraged to apply. For the postdoc position, the salary is initially granted for the first 2 years, and may be extended according to progress and available funding. The PhD position is funded for 3 years. INMED is composed of several internationally renowned groups working on the development, function and pathology of neuronal circuits. The scientific excellence of INMED and its outstanding location at the entrance of the National Park des Calanques provide a rich and stimulating working/living environment. Applications (CV, a short statement of research interests and experience (max. one page), at least 2 reference letters) should be sent to david.robbe(a)inserm.fr. Application will be considered until the positions are filled. The positions are available immediately and expected to start at the latest in fall 2016. Selected candidates will be invited for an interview at the INMED (travel expenses covered). Relevant publication: Rueda-Orozco, PE and Robbe D (2015) The striatum multiplexes contextual and kinematic information to constrain motor habits execution. Nat Neurosci. 18:453-60. Additional information on the research performed in the Robbe lab: http://www.inmed.fr/en/en-avenir-dynamiques-neuronales-et-fonctions-des-gan… -- David Robbe, PhD Neuronal dynamics and functions of the basal ganglia Institut de Neurobiologie de la MEDiterrannee (INMED) INSERM-UMR901 163, avenue de Luminy. BP13 13273 Marseille Cedex 9 France http://www.inmed.fr/avenir-dynamiques-neuronales-et-fonctions-des-ganglions… Tel: +33 4 91 82 81 99 Fax: +33 4 91 82 81 05 "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge", Stephen Hawking

May 10, 2016

Applicant Call for Goettingen's Advanced Computational Neuroscience Summer School

by Agostina Palmigiano

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Applications are invited for the Advanced COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE Summer School in Göttingen, Germany September 06th - 16th, 2016 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% The aCNS School is a 10-day intensive course in mathematical and computational neuroscience. It offers students working in computational neuroscience and already familiar with its interdisciplinary nature, an intensive pedagogy of advanced mathematical and computational tools, designed to qualify young researchers to push the frontiers of the field. The course counts with and introductory day + 4 two-day theoretical blocks + 4 evening lectures in charge of the following researchers: * Vijay Balasubramanian <http://www.sas.upenn.edu/%7Evbalasub/public-html/Home.html>, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Germany * Jason Kerr <http://www.caesar.de/bbo.html>, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research, Bonn, Germany * Gilles Laurent <http://brain.mpg.de/research/laurent-department.html>, MPI for Brain research, Frankfurt, Germany * Tobias Moser <http://www.innerearlab.uni-goettingen.de/>, University Medical Center, Göttingen Germany * Erwin Neher <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1991/neher-bio.ht…>, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany * Magnus Richardson <https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/systemsbiology/staff/richardson/>, University of Warwick, Conventry, England * Wolf Singer <http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/research/singer-lab/>, Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience, Frankfurt, Germany * Misha Tsodyks <http://www.weizmann.ac.il/neurobiology/labs/tsodyks/>, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel The consecutive two day thematic blocks are dedicated to mathematical approaches to circuit dynamics. Each lecturer will give a self-contained introduction to a particular set of theoretical tools in a block of two morning lectures. In the afternoon, participants will work on problem sets designed to develop proficiency in both the mathematical and computational tools learned earlier that day. An additional set of evening ‘easy’ lectures will give the opportunity to discuss significant advances in the field. The course takes place at the Department of Nonlinear Dynamics of the Max-Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen. Registration fee is 200 euros. Course language is English. Housing is provided by the school. Travel grants can be provided upon request. Only 15 participants will accepted. We invite applicants to apply by filling out the application form at: http://www.bccn-goettingen.de/events/cns-course <http://www.bccn-goettingen.de/events/cns-course> by *June 15, 2016*. Organizers: Rainer Engelken, Joscha Liedtke, Agostina Palmigiano, Manuel Schottdorf, Jens Wilting Best wishes and looking forward to seeing you in Göttingen, Agostina Palmigiano ___________________________ Agostina Palmigiano Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization Am Fassber 17, 37077 Goettingen +49 551 5176 421 office +49 163 882 6689 mobile http://www.nld.ds.mpg.de/ <http://www.nld.ds.mpg.de/> ___________________________

May 10, 2016

CIBB 2016 - Second Call for Papers

by Andrea Bracciali

[apologies for multiple posting] ============================================================== SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS CIBB 2016 13th International Meeting on Computational Intelligence methods for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland UK September 1-3 2016 http://www.cs.stir.ac.uk/events/cibb2016/ cibb2016(a)gmail.com ============================================================== In evidence (please see below and the web for details): - the very interesting list of INVITED SPEAKERS is growing ! - five new SPECIAL SESSIONS are running ! - EXTENDED DEADLINES for paper submission Please, connect to the conference via @CIBB2016 on twitter Keynote Speakers (to be completed) Prof. Mark Beaumont School of Biological Sciences, Bristol University Evolutionary Biology Prof. Natalio Krasnogor School of Computing Science, Newcastle University Computing Science and Synthetic Biology Prof. Bud Mishra Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and NYU School of Medicine, New York University NYU, and Mt Sinai School of Medicine Computer Science, Cell Biology and Genetics Dr. Guido Sanguinetti School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh System design of stochastic models SPECIAL SESSIONS Engineering Bio-interfaces and Rudimentary Cells as a way to develop Synthetic Biology Contacts: Maria Raposo, mfr(a)fct.unl.pt Biocuration and integration of biomedical databases Contacts: Riccardo Rizzo, ricrizzo(a)pa.icar.cnr.it Modelling and simulation methods for Systems Biology and Systems Medicine Contacts: Paolo Cazzaniga, paolo.cazzaniga(a)unibg.it High-Performance Computing and Deep learning methods for Genomic Data Analysis Contacts: : Fabio Tordini, tordini(a)di.unito.it Statistical inference in mechanistic models of biological system Contacts: Dirk Husmeier, Dirk.Husmeier(a)glasgow.ac.uk Scope The main goal of this 13th edition of the CIBB international conference is to provide a multi-disciplinary forum open to researchers interested in the application of computational intelligence, in a broad sense, to open problems in bioinformatics, biostatistics, systems and synthetic biology and medical informatics. Cutting edge methodologies capable of accelerating life science discoveries will be discussed. Following its tradition and roots, this year's meeting will bring together researchers from the international scientific community interested in advancements and future perspectives in bioinformatics and biostatistics. Also, looking at current trends and future opportunities at the edge of computer and life sciences, the application of computational intelligence to system and synthetic biology, and the consequent impact on innovative medicine will be of great for the conference. Theoretical and experimental biologists are also invited to participate in order to present novel challenges and foster multidisciplinary collaboration. The scientific program of CIBB 2016 will include Keynote Speakers, tutorials and special sessions. Contributed papers will be presented in plenary oral sessions, special sessions, or poster sessions. Topics of interest include, but are not restricted to: · Next generation sequencing bioalgorithms · Multi-omics data analysis · High dimensional statistical analysis of omics data · Algorithms for alternative splicing analysis · Algorithms for molecular evolution and phylogenetic analysis · Methods for the visualization of high dimensional complex omic data · Software tools for bioinformatics · Methods for comparative genomics · Methods for functional classification of genes · Methods for unsupervised analysis, validation and visualization of structures discovered in bio-molecular data · Health-Informatics and Medical Informatics. · Methods for the integration of clinical and genetic data · Heterogeneous data integration and data fusion for diagnostics · Algorithms for pharmacogenomics · Biomedical text mining and imaging · Methods for diagnosis and prognosis within personalized medicine · Statistical methods for the analysis of clinical data · Prediction of secondary and tertiary protein structures · Mass spectrometry data analysis in proteomics · Algorithms for molecular evolution and phylogenetic analysis · Bio-molecular databases and data mining · Mathematical modeling and automated reasoning on biological and synthetic systems · Computational simulation of biological systems · Methods and advances in systems biology · Spatio-temporal analysis of synthetic and biological systems · Network systems biology · Models for cell populations and tissues · Methods for the engineering of synthetic components · Modelling and engineering of interacting synthetic and biological systems · Software tools for bioinformatics, biostatistics, systems and synthetic biology Publication Accepted papers will be presented at the conference (at least one author is expected to register), and will be published on proceedings for conference distribution. Extended and revised versions of the papers presented at CIBB 2016 will be invited for a post-conference monograph. This is traditionally published in the Springer series of Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics (LNBI), (arrangements undergoing). Continuing the tradition of CIBB, we are planning to publish best papers in one (or more, as appropriate) special issue of an international scientific journal (such as BMC Bioinformatics, in the latest editions). Paper Submission Papers must be prepared following the guidelines illustrated on the CIBB web site and should be long between 4 and 6 pages. Papers should be submitted in PDF format on the Easy Chair conference system (link available on the web site). Important Dates Paper submission deadline: 29th May 2016 Notification of acceptance: 22nd June 2016 Final paper due: 8th July 2016 Conference: 1st -3rd September 2016 General Chairs Andrea Bracciali, University of Stirling, UK David Gilbert, Brunel University London, UK Gilbert MacKenzie, UL, ENSAI and Keele, UK

May 9, 2016

3-year sensory-motor learning research fellow position at University of Birmingham

by Joseph Galea (School of Psychology)

Dear all, Applications are invited for a 3-year postdoctoral position with Dr. Joe Galea (http://josephgalea.weebly.com) at University of Birmingham, UK (www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/index.aspx<http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/index.aspx>). The successful candidate will work on an ERC starting grant which will build upon recent work from the lab that has shown reward and punishment-based feedback to have dissociable effects on motor learning. Using a combination of behavioural analysis, genetics, pharmacology and modelling techniques this project will provide the first in-depth behavioural and neural account of the role of motivation (reward/punishment) in motor learning. For 1st of October 2016, I am looking to appoint a highly motivated candidate for a postdoctoral position. This role is aimed at developing a set of motor learning based tasks (model-based/ reinforcement/ use-dependent) that will be used to examine motivation in a range of motor learning settings. The postholder will be responsible for the programming of these tasks, testing them in a large set of healthy volunteers (who we will also collect genetic data from) and for the analysis of the behavioural data (kinematic/computational models). The successful candidate will have a PhD in Psychology, Physiology, Neuroscience, Engineering, Physics or Maths and have extensive experience with programming and running motor control/learning studies. Ideally they will be familiar with the KINARM end-point robot (B.KIN technologies) and/or be an expert with Simulink/Matlab (graphical-based programming). An ability to analyse behavioural data with matlab and perform computational analysis would be ideal. Finally they should have evidence of good academic writing and presentation skills through conference presentations and a strong (recent) publication record. Detailed information can be found here: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/ANP415/research-fellow/ Informal enquiries should be directed to: Dr. Joseph Galea (j.galea(a)bham.ac.uk) Closing date: 3/June/2016 Best regards, Joseph Galea Senior Birmingham Fellow ERC Starting Grant Holder School of Psychology University of Birmingham, UK.

May 9, 2016

First CfP SAN2016

by Manousos Klados

Dear colleagues, please, accept our advanced apologies for any multiple cross-postings... The Society of Applied Neuroscience (SAN, http://www.applied-neuroscience.org/) in cooperation with the Medical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Department of Neurology of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, have the great pleasure to invite you to the biennial meeting of the Society, SAN2016 (http://applied-neuroscience.org/san2016/) which will be held in Corfu Island, Greece between 6-9 of October, 2016. We cordially invite everyone engaged in studies of Neuroscience, to participate in the SAN2016 meeting. Apart from the highly promising scientific program, blended with numerous workshops and special sessions, there will also be a lively social program which will give our guests the opportunity to enjoy Greece and Corfu.We feel confident than you will enjoy SAN2016 both scientifically and socially as one of our main purposes is to give the chance to all colleagues to establish new fruitful international collaborations in areas of mutual academic and clinical interests. SAN2016 will bring together scientists and practitioners from a wide range of specialist fields. These include, but are not limited to: EEG/ MEG/ fMRI/ fNIRS Neurofeedback fMRI-NFB studies Brain Computer Interfaces Trans Cranial Magnetic Stimulation Peripheral Biofeedback Direct Current Stimulation Event-Related Potentials Brain Connectivity Neuronal Reorganization EEG and Cognition QEEG Diagnosis Emerging combined EEG and Virtual/augmented reality technology Instrumentation Audio-Visual Stimulation LORETA & Methodology Clinical, educational, sport and optimal performance applications Rehabilitation Integrative Therapy Complimentary evidence-based applications ...and all fields of applied neuroscience. All the above blended by an attractive selection of keynote and invited speeches, as well as, hands-on pre-conference workshops. There will be a practitioner track focusing on topical issues. The conference committee receives more proposals than space available. Careful attention to Quality of work, clarity and completeness of the submitted materials is likely to increase the chance for acceptance. All the accepted abstracts will be published in the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. SAN2016 abstract submission is supported by a Frontiers event and are directly submitted through the following link until the 20th of June, 2016: http://www.frontiersin.org/events/SAN2016_Meeting/3717 Numerous special issues and research topics are also planned by Society members as per tradition. We believe that SAN2016 will be a wonderful chance for you, to meet old friends and make new ones. We look forward to seeing you in Corfu, Greece! Panos Bamidis John Gruzelier Manousos Klados SAN2016 Conference Chairs Manousos Klados, PhD Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive & Brain Sciences Research Group of Neuroanatomy and Connectivity Phone: +49(0)-341-9940-2507 <+49(0)-341-9940-2507> Mobile: +49(0)-176-6988-1781 Email: klados(a)cbs.mpg.de <klados(a)cbs.mpg.de> Website: http://www.mklados.com Skype: mklados | Twitter: @mklados Address: Stephanstraße 1a PC D-04103 Leipzig Germany Join us at our next event:SAN 2016 Conferece <http://applied-neuroscience.org/san2016/index.php>

May 8, 2016

Research Position: Brain Prosthesis Algorithms

by Randal Koene

Brain Prosthesis Algorithms Brain science is the new rocket science. We’re building algorithms and software to correct deficits and enhance cognitive brain function using electrophysiology. We’re not making drugs or creating a brain training game, we’re using a data driven method to create neural prostheses to restore and enhance human cognitive performance. Join us in this delicious engineering opportunity in developing probabilistic kernel models of the hippocampus for a first application in memory. What we’re looking for: a data & algorithms or machine learning specialist with an exceptional aptitude for regularization and matrix algebra. Potential projects include building classification and regression models for neural spiking data, decoding of the spatio-temporal patterns of spikes with respect to behavior, analyzing large-scale complex neural data, building mixed model of point-process signals, and other data-driven modeling projects. Working with the cross-disciplinary members of our team which includes Professors at the University of Southern California (USC), you would be driving a neural system identification modeling platform that is pushing the state-of-the-art in neurocognitive therapeutics. Self-taught or via formal education, we expect not only that you meet our prerequisites on skills and mission alignment, but that you thrive in a meritocracy of mutual peer review within a first-class team. We expect that you take responsibility for your projects, demonstrate excellence, vision, and diligent but creative invention. You are the right person for this job if you are: - Strong in linear algebra/matrices, basis transformations, model order / dimension reduction, numerical methods - Strong in regression analysis, data analysis, nonlinear mathematical modeling - Results oriented, driven, flexible, adaptable, and have the courage to take on an ambitious project, because what matters most is to build a flourishing future We’d also love it if you have skills and experience in: - Either electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, statistics, computer science, computational neuroscience, or related fields - Machine learning (e.g. Bayesian, deep learning), time series analysis, pattern recognition, and point-process signal processing is highly preferred - Neural circuit modeling / exploration (e.g. discovering functional connectivity), control theory, system identification, compartmental neural modeling (e.g. NEURON) - Python, Matlab, C/C++/C#, R, Linux/Unix Exceptional team. Full-time. Benefits. Competitive compensation. Ground breaking work. To apply, please send an email with 1) CV (and list of publications) and 2) contact information for 2-3 professional references to: Dr. Randal A. Koene at brainprosthesis(a)gmail.com with a subject line “Brain Prosthesis Algorithms application”.

May 6, 2016

Postdoctoral Research Assistant in functional optical neuroimaging (fNIRS) interpretation

by f.orihuela-espina＠ccc.inaoep.mx

Please disseminate as appropriate and apologies for duplicates *Postdoctoral Research Assistant in functional optical neuroimaging (fNIRS) interpretation* Publication date: 30-Dec-2015; Revised: 1-May-2016 *About the Position*: The Department of Computer Science at Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica (INAOE) in Puebla, Mexico, invites applications for a 1.5 years full-time postdoctoral research assistant position in the field of functional optical neuroimaging (fNIRS) interpretation. The position will suit candidates with strong background in Knowledge Representation, Statistics and Experimental Design, Medical Physics and/or Neurosciences. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g. computer science, mathematics, statistics, physics, engineering, neurosciences). The position is invited as from the 1st of September 2016 but earlier or later incorporations might be considered. *About the project*: Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an emerging neuroimaging modality available for understanding brain behaviour for which current analysis and interpretation methods were often inherited and adapted from other neuroimaging modalities such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This migration of methods is never trivial or without compromises. This 3 years $2M MXN project explores alternative analysis and interpretation algorithms and techniques specifically developed for fNIRS which can answer complex questions about cognitive activity while considering and exploiting fNIRS specific particularities. For further details about the project and how to apply, please visit: http://ccc.inaoep.mx/~f.orihuela-espina/Src/Jobs.php *Contact*: Dr. Felipe Orihuela-Espina. e-mail: f.orihuela-espina(a)ccc.inaoep.mx

May 6, 2016

INCF short course in neuroinformatics, Aug 31 - Sep 1 in Reading, UK

by Malin Sandström

Dear all, (apologies for cross-posting) This year, the two-day INCF short course in neuroinformatics will be held in Reading, UK on August 31 - September 1, just before INCF's Neuroinformatics 2016 <http://neuroinformatics2016.org/>. The course is intended for neuroscience researchers wishing to develop their interests in neuroinformatics as well as informatics researchers with a strong interest in neuroscience. The course is open to advanced students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty members. Basic knowledge of neuroscience is a prerequisite. Apply latest May 31! https://www.incf.org/resources/training/incf-short-course-2016 *Topics covered* data analysis and neuronal coding databases and ontologies multiscale modeling neuroengineering simulation/computation/workflows visualization dynamic field theory *Speakers* David Willshaw (Edinburgh, UK) GIacomo Indiveri (Zürich, Switzerland) Hayriye Cagnan (Oxford, UK) Yulia Sandamirskaya (Zürich, Switzerland) Roberto Toro (Paris, France) Gaute Einevoll (Ås, Norway) Marja-Leena Linne (Tampere, Finland) Please help spread the word to prospective students! Best regards, Malin -- Malin Sandström, PhD Community Engagement Officer malin.sandstrom(a)incf.org International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility Karolinska Institutet Nobels väg 15 A SE-171 77 Stockholm Sweden http://www.incf.org

May 6, 2016

4-year Ph.D. Position in Neuroscience at the Donders Institute

by Bernhard Englitz

Dear List, we are pleased to announce a 4-year Ph.D. position in the field of neuroscience, with a focus on acquisition and computational analysis of multilevel neural data. The position will be jointly supervised by Dr. Englitz and Dr. Cohen. Please find the details of the call below. Best wishes, Bernhard & Mike Bernhard Englitz, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Neurophysiology Donders Centre for Neuroscience Faculty of Science, Radboud Universiteit Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Project: This project will involve a combination of EEG and lowlevel neural recordings from multiple areas of the brain in rodents. Our focus will be on the rapid patterns of electrical activity that are observed during rest, sleep, and cognition. We will compare neural activity in multiple brain regions to simultaneously recorded EEG activity, in order to determine how these multiscale microstates are related to sensory processing. Results from this project will help us understand how the EEG signal is related to the complex spatiotemporal dynamics of the brain, its neural computations, and their relation to sensory perception. In turn, these findings will help lay groundwork for individualized diagnosis of brain dysfunctions. Scientific Environment: The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour consists of three research centres, the Centre for Cognition, the Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging and the Centre for Neuroscience. The Donders Institute focuses on state-of-the-art cognitive neuroscience, in a multidisciplinary approach, and offers excellent lab and neuroimaging facilities. The position will be jointly hosted at the Neuroinformatics and the Neurophysiology departments, which together provide a high quality neuroscience environment with facilities for chronic and non-chronic many-channel recordings, imaging and computational modeling. The research questions of the departments range from fundamental to applied, and enable the interaction of theory and experimental work in a single location. The Donders Institute is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community, and as such encourages applications from women and minorities. Radboud University offers a parental leave scheme and day care on campus. Qualifications: - MSc degree in computational neuroscience, mathematics, physics, engineering or a related area. - Experience with programming and data analysis in Matlab/Python. - Experience with quantitative analysis (e.g. linear algebra, time-frequency analysis) - Experience with electrophysiology is considered a plus. - The applicant should have a pro-active attitude, good communication skills, and be able to effectively work in a multi-disciplinary team. Application Link: http://www.ru.nl/werken/details/details_vacature_0/?recid=579059 <http://www.ru.nl/werken/details/details_vacature_0/?recid=579059> Closing Date of Call : 30.5.2016 Planned Starting Date : 1.9.2016

May 5, 2016

Ph.D. and Master positions in theoretical neuroscience at the MPI for Brain Research

by Tatjana Tchumatchenko

Ph.D. and Master positions in theoretical neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research We are seeking undergraduate students interested in writing a Master thesis and also have open positions for Ph.D. Students to join our group "Theory of neural dynamics" at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research lead by Dr. Tatjana Tchumatchenko. Our group studies how networks of neurons encode and decode sensory stimuli and how these functions are related to computations that underlie cognitive functions and behavior. We develop models to address linear and non-linear properties of neuronal networks and have ongoing collaborations with experimental labs where we analyze in vitro as well as in vivo data and develop appropriate models to explain the observed phenomena. Successful applicants should have a strong background in a quantitative field such as physics, mathematics or computer science and should be interested in an interdisciplinary exchange with other disciplines such as biology or medicine. Life science majors interested in quantitative modeling work are also encouraged to apply, particularly if they would like to combine experiments and theory in their Master or Ph.D. thesis work. We are looking for candidates with strong English skills and prior programming experience. In order to make teamwork in our group enjoyable and fun, the ideal candidate should have a strong work ethic and have demonstrated consistent self-motivation skills. Female students are particularly encouraged to apply. Prospective students should apply by sending an email to theoryneuraldynamics(a)gmail.com which includes * a letter of motivation, * CV, * and a copy of the current academic transcripts To make your motivation letter easier to write for you and more informative for us, please check the list of questions to be answered in your motivation letter at http://www.tchumatchenko.de/Opportunities.html Looking forward to your applications! Tatjana Tchumatchenko -- Dr. Tatjana Tchumatchenko Research group leader Theory of Neural Dynamics Max Planck Institute for Brain Research Max-von-Laue-Str 4 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany www.tchumatchenko.de

May 4, 2016

Collaborative Development of Data-Driven Models of Neural Systems: Janelia Farm Sept 18-12

by Padraig Gleeson

[Apology for cross-postings] Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce a conference on: Collaborative Development of Data-Driven Models of Neural Systems September 18-21, 2016 Janelia Farm Research Campus, Virginia, USA Deadline for registration: 18th May Detailed computational models are critical for elucidating neuronal and network function. They enable different levels of description to be linked, a wide range of neurophysiological experiments to be interpreted and quantitative predictions to be made. These factors are important for understanding large-scale complex systems, like neural circuits; however, more extensive use and scaling up of these data driven models pose challenges in ensuring that models are scientifically rigorous, as well as accessible and usable by both theoretical and experimental researchers alike. This conference will bring together a range of experimentalists, theoreticians and neuroinformatics developers with the aim of facilitating a global, open infrastructure for collaborative model development in neuroscience. *Organizers* Padraig Gleeson, University College London Angus Silver, University College London *Invited Participants* Anton Arkipov, Allen Institute for Brain Science Giorgio Ascoli, George Mason University Upinder Bhalla, National Centre for Biological Sciences Avrama Blackwell, George Mason University Kevin Briggman, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/NIH Dean Buonomano, University of California, Los Angeles Nicholas Cain, Allen Institute for Brain Science Claudia Clopath, Imperial College London Rosa Cossart, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée Sharon Crook, Arizona State University Andrew Davison, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Erik De Schutter, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Shaul Druckmann, Janelia Research Campus/HHMI Chris Eliasmith, University of Waterloo Jeremy Freeman, Janelia Research Campus/HHMI Michael Hausser, University College London Jeanette Hellgren Kotaleski, Karolinska Institutet Fritjof Helmchen, University of Zurich David Kleinfeld, University of California, San Diego Jeff Magee, Janelia Research Campus/HHMI Robert McDougal, Yale School of Medicine Eilif Muller, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Hanchuan Peng, Allen Institute for Brain Science Ruben Portugues, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology Mark Schnitzer, HHMI/Stanford University Ivan Soltesz, Stanford School of Medicine Nelson Spruston, Janelia Research Campus/HHMI Misha Tsodyks, Weizmann Institute of Science Registration is free, but places are limited.*Registration closes 18th May 2016*. For more details and to apply for participation go to https://www.janelia.org/you-janelia/conferences/collaborative-development-d…. ----------------------------------------------------- Padraig Gleeson Room 321, Anatomy Building Department of Neuroscience, Physiology& Pharmacology University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT United Kingdom +44 207 679 3214 p.gleeson(a)ucl.ac.uk -----------------------------------------------------

May 4, 2016

MICCAI Challenge on Neural Circuit Reconstruction

by Jan Funke

Dear colleagues, We would like to draw your attention to the MICCAI challenge "CREMI: Circuit Reconstruction from Electron Microscopy Images" (http://cremi.org/) As of May 1st, the training phase of the challenge has opened. We provide three volumes with dense neuron and synapse segmentation, along with annotations for pre- and post-synaptic partners (http://cremi.org/data.html) The goal of this challenge is to evaluate algorithms for automatic reconstruction of neurons and neuronal connectivity from serial section electron microscopy data. The comparison is performed not only by evaluating the quality of neuron segmentations, but also by assessing the accuracy of detecting synapses and identifying synaptic partners. The challenge is carried out on three large and diverse datasets from adult Drosophila melanogaster brain tissue, comprising neuron segmentation ground truth and annotations for synaptic connections. A successful solution would demonstrate its efficiency and generalizability, and carry great potential to reduce the time spent on manual reconstruction of neural circuits in electron microscopy volumes. Follow us on Twitter for updates (https://twitter.com/cremi_challenge) and feel free to contact us at challenge(a)cremi.org. Regards, The CREMI organizers (Jan Funke, Stephan Saalfeld, Davi Bock, Srini Turaga, and Eric Perlman)

May 3, 2016

BMVA Workshop on "Vision for interaction: From humans to robots"

by Alessandra Sciutti

=============================================== VISION FOR INTERACTION: From humans to robots One Day BMVA symposium - London, UK on October 19, 2016 Website: www.bmva.org/meetings ================================================ **************** Keynote Speakers: **************** + Prof. Antonia Hamilton (UCL) and + Prof. Yiannis Aloimonos (Univ. of Maryland). **************** Abstract: **************** Since early infancy, the ability of humans at interacting with each other is substantially strengthened by vision, with several visual processes tuned to support prosocial behaviour. For instance, a natural predisposition to look at human faces or to detect biological motion is present at birth. More refined abilities as the understanding and anticipation of others' actions progressively develop with age, leading, in a few years, to a full capability of interaction based on mutual understanding, joint coordination and collaboration. A key challenge of robotics research nowadays is to provide artificial agents with similar advanced visual perception skills, with the ultimate goal of designing humanoid robots able to recognize and interpret both explicit and implicit communication cues embedded in human movements. These achievements pave the way for the large-scale use of Human-Robot Interaction based applications on a variety of contexts, ranging from the design of personal robots, to physical, social and cognitive rehabilitation. ******************* Call for contributions: ******************* In this highly interdisciplinary one-day workshop we aim at bringing together contributions from the fields of cognitive science, robotics, machine vision and artificial intelligence, to corroborate the discussion on the potential guidelines to design and develop biologically-inspired computational vision models that may favour a natural interaction between artificial systems and humans. Please submit a short abstract summarizing your contribution, you may include links or pointers to web-based illustrations, demonstration material or papers giving more details. The work can be in progress or recently published, in addition to novel research. If you would like to give a talk, please contact Noceti (nicoletta.noceti(a)unige.it ) and Sciutti (alessandra.sciutti(a)iit.it ) by email by July 6, 2016. Areas of interest include but are not limited to: Vision neuroscience for interaction Computational vision models Vision for Robotics and Artificial intelligence Human robot interaction Vision in Social sciences This workshop is supported by the European Project CODEFROR (FP7-PIRSES-2013-612555) ************** Important dates: ************** + July 6, 2016 Deadline for abstract submission October 19, 2016 + BMVA symposium at BCS (British Computer Society) in London, UK. *********** Chairs: *********** + Nicoletta Noceti (Università degli Studi di Genova) - + nicoletta.noceti(a)unige.it Alessandra Sciutti (Istituto Italiano di + Tecnologia) - alessandra.sciutti(a)iit.it

May 3, 2016

Postdoc position: Neural engineering and BMI in NYU

by Chen, Zhe

Dear colleagues Applications are now being accepted for a postdoctoral fellow position to combine experimental, computational and engineering techniques to study neural mechanisms of central pain circuits using rodent models. The applicant will work closely with Dr. Zhe (Sage) Chen and Dr. Jing Wang at the New York University School of Medicine, with cross-disciplinary training in computational neuroscience, rodent behavior and electrophysiology, optogenetics, and neural engineering (brain-machine interface). The applicant will have great opportunities to interact with a large and growing neuroscience community at the NYU campus, including the Neuroscience Institute (http://neuroscience.med.nyu.edu) Center for Neural Science (http://www.cns.nyu.edu) Department of Neuroscience & Physiology (http://neuro-physio.med.nyu.edu) Department of Psychiatry (http://psych.med.nyu.edu) and Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine (http://www.med.nyu.edu/anes/home ). NYU Neuroscience community is also surrounded by other institutions in the greater New York metropolitan area (such as Columbia, Cornell, Rockefeller and Mount Sinai). The postdoc position is available immediately, and will be renewable up to 4 years depending on performance. Applications must have a PhD degree in Engineering (Biomedical or Electrical), Statistics, Physics or a related discipline. The desired applicant is expected to be highly motivated and work independently as well as cooperatively with other colleagues in all research projects. Ability to learn new techniques and resolve new research challenges is essential. Strong experiences in developing rodent or primate brain-machine interface (BMI) systems are desired. Previous training in animal behavior and optogenetics, in vivo neurophysiological recordings, are preferred but not required. Strong programming skills in C/C++ or hardware implementation experiences are a plus. To apply, please send an email along with (i) CV (with a complete list of publications); (ii) a cover letter describing research accomplishments and interests; (iii) the names and contact information of two to three references to: Dr. Zhe (Sage) Chen (zhe.chen3(a)nyumc.org<mailto:zhe.chen3@nyumc.org>) with a subject line “Postdoc application”. Best Zhe (Sage) Chen ------------------------------------------------------------ This email message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain information that is proprietary, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender by return email and delete the original message. Please note, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The organization accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. =================================

May 2, 2016

PhD position: population coding in the retina

by Olivier Marre

A funded PhD position is available at the Vision Institute, Paris, to work with Olivier Marre on population coding in the retina. We have developed methods to record the activity of a large number (100-200) of ganglion cells, the output of the retina. The student will perform experiments and analyze data to understand how information can be coded in this activity. A particular emphasis will be put on the coding of trajectories of moving objects in different visual contexts. The research project is highly interdisciplinary. Applicants should have a quantitative background or some programming experience. A background in biology is welcomed but not required. The student will be trained to perform in vitro retina experiments. The Vision Institute ( http://www.institut-vision.org ) is a research center located in the center of Paris and dedicated to research on vision and vision diseases, with the aim of bridging the gap between academic, clinical, and industrial research. It is affiliated to Pierre and Marie Curie University. This PhD is funded as part of a project involving Drs Frédéric Chavane and Ivo Vanzetta (INT Timone, Marseille, France) and Dr Bruno Cessac (INRIA, Sophia-Antipolis). Collaborations with these labs will therefore be encouraged. The position should ideally start in October 2016. For more information, please contact Olivier Marre: olivier.marre(a)inserm.fr

May 2, 2016

2nd Call for Papers: IEEE RO-MAN 2016 Workshop on Neuroscience Methods in Human-Robot Interaction

by Burcu Ayşen Ürgen

IEEE RO-MAN 2016 Workshop on Neuroscience Methods in Human-Robot Interaction (New York City, 26-31st August, 2016) Neuroscience methods such as brain imaging are increasingly used to address research questions in robotics, robot-human communication and interaction. This workshop will provide an overview of state-of-the-art work at the intersection of human-robot interaction and human neuroscience, to show how cross-disciplinary collaboration can be a win-win, and to help increase communication between researchers from different yet complementary disciplines, with the hope of catalysing new ideas and collaborations. Neuroscientists with expertise in several topics of interest for RO-MAN 2016 <http://www.ro-man2016.org/> (e.g., embodiment, empathy, social cognition, body movements, gestures, facial expressions, anthropomorphism, learning and imitation, social presence, inference of human states, machine learning and brain-machine interfaces) will introduce the methods used, and present empirical work exemplifying their application to robotics, highlighting not only how such studies have led to insights on neural mechanisms of interaction, communication, and collaboration, but also how the findings inform the design and development of new robots, robot-human collaborative systems, interaction modalities and interfaces. We will solicit papers from the broader community that address these themes. Robotics and neuroscience both being active, rapidly developing, and high priority research areas, and the combination of expertise across disciplines holding great promise for advances in both theory and applications, the workshop will serve an important role by bringing together researchers coming from different backgrounds. Panel sessions will address challenges for interdisciplinary and novel research and discuss ideas for increasing synergy and impact future work. *SPEAKERS* Ayse P. Saygin, PhD (UC San Diego, USA) Emily S. Cross, PhD (Bangor University, UK) Thierry Chaminade, PhD (Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, FRANCE) Susanne Quadflieg, PhD (University of Bristol, UK) James Thompson, PhD (George Mason University, USA) *WORKSHOP ORGANIZERS* Burcu A. Urgen, PhD (University of Parma, ITALY) Ayse P. Saygin, PhD (UC San Diego, USA) Emily S. Cross, PhD (Bangor University, UK) Workshop website: http://neurorobotics.ucsd.edu/ *CALL FOR PAPERS* We solicit full paper submissions from cognitive and social neuroscientists and human-robot interaction researchers with expertise in several topics of interest for RO-MAN 2016 including but not limited to embodiment, empathy, social cognition, nonverbal communication via body movements, gestures, facial expressions, anthropomorphism, learning and imitation, social presence, social knowledge, inference of human states, machine learning and brain-machine interfaces. The submitted papers are intended to include applications of various neuroimaging methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to topics of relevance to RO-MAN 2016. Observational and behavioural studies may be suitable as long as they are highly cross-disciplinary. Theoretical papers that address the theme of the workshop and RO-MAN 2016 may also be included. The expectation from submissions is to highlight not only how neuroscience studies involving robotics have led to insights on the human cognitive and neural mechanisms of interaction, communication, and collaboration, but also how the findings inform the design and development of new robots, robot-human collaborative systems, interaction modalities and interfaces. *EVALUATION* All submissions will be evaluated by a minimum of two reviewers. The reviewers will evaluate each submission based on how informative the study has been both to human neuroscience AND human-robot interaction as well as the quality of the research methodology. All accepted papers will be published in workshop proceedings. Each paper accepted for an oral or poster presentation has to be presented by one of the authors. *IMPORTANT DEADLINES* Full paper submissions due 05/15/2016. Notifications will be sent by 05/18/2016. Final versions will be submitted by 05/20/2016. *PAPER GUIDELINES* All full paper submissions should follow the guidelines specified in the main conference website, check here <http://www.tc.columbia.edu/conferences/roman2016/submissions/papers/>. *HOW TO SUBMIT* The papers should be emailed to neuroscience.robotics.workshop(a)gmail.com by the deadline: 05/15/2016. -- Burcu Aysen Urgen, PhD Email: burcu.urgen(a)gmail.com Website: http://www.burcuaysenurgen.com

May 2, 2016

Book: Bayes' Rule With Python

by James Stone

I'd like to announce the publication of this book: Bayes' Rule With Python A Tutorial Introduction to Bayesian Analysis by JV Stone Reviews, synopsis, and table of contents can be found here: http://jim-stone.staff.shef.ac.uk/BookBayes2012/books_by_jv_stone/index.html regards, Dr James V Stone, Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, UK.

April 30, 2016

SSBSS 2016: Call for Oral Presentations/Posters: 9-13 July 2016, Volterra (Pisa) Tuscany, Italy - 3rd Int. Synthetic & Systems Biology Summer School - Early Application: May 26, 2016

by Giuseppe Nicosia

_________________________________________________________________________ Call for Participation (apologies for multiple copies) Please help forward it to other potentially interested attendees, thanks! _________________________________________________________________________ 3rd International Synthetic and Systems Biology Summer School - SSBSS 2016, 9-13 July 2016, Volterra (Pisa) - Tuscany, Italy ssbss.school(a)gmail.com <mailto:ssbss.school@gmail.com> http://www.taosciences.it/ssbss/ https://www.facebook.com/ssbss.school/ https://twitter.com/SchoolSsbss EARLY APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 26, 2016 http://www.taosciences.it/ssbss/#application-form The Synthetic and Systems Biology Summer School (SSBSS) is a full-immersion five-day residential summer school at the Volterra Learning Center (Pisa - Tuscany, Italy) on cutting-edge advances in systems and synthetic biology with lectures delivered by world-renowned experts. The school provides a stimulating environment for students (from Master students to PhD students), Post-Docs, early career researches, academics and industry leaders. Participants will also have the chance to present their results (with Oral Talks and Posters), and to interact with their peers, in a friendly and constructive environment. SSBSS 2016 DEADLINES: Early Application: May 26, 2016 Notification Acceptance: from April 2 to 28 May 2016 Late Application: from May 27, to July 4th 2016 Notification Acceptance: from May 28th 2016 according to registration time Early Short Talk/Poster Submission: May 26, 2016 Notification Acceptance: from 2 April to 28 May 2016 Late Short Talk/Poster Submission: from May 27, to July 4th 2016 Notification of Decision for Oral/Poster Presentation: from May 28, 2016 according to submission time http://www.taosciences.it/ssbss/#application-form FINAL LIST OF SPEAKERS * Yaakov (Kobi) Benenson, Synthetic Biology Group@Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland Lecture 1: The practice of mammalian synthetic biology Lecture 2: Mammalian cell classifiers * Leonidas Bleris, Bioengineering Department, The University of Texas at Dallas, USA Lecture 1: Genome Editing Technologies and Therapeutic Modalities Lecture 2: Benchmark Circuits and Topological Properties * Edoardo Boncinelli, Universita’ Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy Lecture: TBA * John Cumbers, Founder SynBioBeta, Mountain View, CA, USA Lecture: Synthetic Biology: new tools for an industry at an inflection point. * Domitilla Del Vecchio, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT, USA Lecture 1: Modularity in genetic circuits: Dream versus Reality Lecture 2: Engineering Modularity in Genetic Circuits * Diego Di Bernardo, Dept of Chemical Materials and Industrial Production Engineering University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy Lecture 1: "Engineering and Control of Biological Circuits in Yeast" Lecture 2: "Engineering and Control of Biological Circuits in Mammalian Cells * Barbara Di Ventura, Synthetic Biology Group, BioQuant/DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany Lecture 1: Using blue light to control protein localization in living mammalian cells Lecture 2: Using split inteins for protein engineering in living cells * Jonathan S. Gootenberg, Feng Zhang and Aviv Regev Groups, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, USA Lecture 1: "Discovering and Characterizing CRISPR effectors" Lecture 2: "Probing Biology with CRISPR Screening" * Markus Herrgard, Technical University of Denmark - Biosustain, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Denmark Lecture 1: "Developing an Integrated Cell Factory Design Tool" Lecture 2: "Using Automated Laboratory Evolution to Optimize Cell Factories” * Shalev Itzkovitz, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel Lecture 1: "Single Molecule Approaches for Studying Gene Expression in Intact Mammalian Tissues" Lecture 2: "Systems Biology of Stem Cell-Maintained Tissues” * Francesco Ricci, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy Lecture 1: "DNA Nanotechnology Tools and Reactions for Synthetic Biology" Lecture 2: "Nature-inspired DNA-based Nanodevices Next Generation Sequencing Workshop – Afternoon July 12th, 2016 * “How fast can we align sequences?” Mario Guarracino, CNR, Italy * “Advanced Bioinformatics tools for NGS” – TBC Luca Zammataro, Yale University, USA Tutorials: * “Detection and analysis of contaminating sequences in NGS sequencing data” Ilaria Granata, CNR, Italy * “Detection and interpretation of circular RNAs in RNA-seq experiments” Parijat Tripathi, CNR, Italy SSBSS 2016 DIRECTORS Diego Di Bernardo, TeleThon Institute of Genetics & Medicine - TIGEM and University of Napoli "Federico II", Italy Giuseppe Nicosia, University of Catania, Italy Luca Zammataro, Yale University, USA MORE INFORMATION ssbss.school(a)gmail.com <mailto:ssbss.school@gmail.com> http://www.taosciences.it/ssbss/ https://www.facebook.com/ssbss.school/ https://twitter.com/SchoolSsbss Social event(s): social tour and dinner in Florence. Please help us distributing in your circles (emails, blogs, and social networks) the call for participation and call for oral talks/posters for SSBSS 2016. Together we will make SSBSS a great event! See you in Tuscany in July! More Info: ssbss.school(a)gmail.com <mailto:ssbss.school@gmail.com> http://www.taosciences.it/ssbss/ -- Giuseppe Nicosia, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Computer Engineering Dept of Mathematics & Computer Science University of Catania Viale A. Doria, 6 - 95125 Catania, Italy P +39 095 7383048 nicosia(a)dmi.unict.it http://www.dmi.unict.it/nicosia ================================================================== 3rd International Synthetic & Systems Biology Summer School - SSBSS 2016 * Biology meets Computer Science & Engineering * July 8-14, 2016 - Volterra (Pisa), Tuscany, Italy http://www.taosciences.it/ssbss/ ================================================================== 2nd International Workshop on Machine learning, Optimization & big Data - MOD 2016 August 26-29, 2016 - Volterra (Pisa), Tuscany, Italy http://www.taosciences.it/mod/ ==================================================================

April 29, 2016

Call for proposals to host the annual Computational Neuroscience (CNS) Meeting in 2018

by Tam, Nicoladie

Call for proposals to host the annual Computational Neuroscience (CNS) Meeting in 2018 The Organization for Computational Neurosciences (OCNS, http://www.cnsorg.org ) requests proposals from candidate local organizers to organize the CNS meeting in 2018 in a location outside of Europe, preferably in North or South America. Groups or individuals interested in organizing the CNS*2018 meeting should submit a proposal with consideration of the extensive on-line information ( http://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2018-local-organizer ) and using the on-line templates provided as a guide. The OCNS board members will select/discuss the different proposals, contact the potential local organizers for more information if necessary and come to a timely agreement between OCNS and potential local organizers. Proposals should be emailed to the OCNS president at president(a)cnsorg.org<mailto:president@cnsorg.org> no later than June 15th, 2016. Decisions are expected to be conveyed to potential organizers in July 2016. Astrid Prinz (OCNS President)

April 29, 2016

Parallel Simulation with NEURON

by Ted Carnevale

A few seats remain available in the course Parallel Simulation with NEURON that we will be presenting at HHMI|Janelia Saturday, June 25 - Monday, June 27. This course is designed for users who already know how to write hoc or Python code for NEURON and now want to adapt existing models, or create new ones, that can be simulated on parallel hardware. Special attention will be paid to strategies for debugging, and measuring and improving performance. Registration is subject to approval by the course's faculty. The registration deadline is Friday, May 20, 2016. For more information and the online application form, see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/summer2016/summer2016.html --Ted

April 28, 2016

Fully funded PhD position, University of Genoa, Italy - "Visuo-haptic sensorimotor models"

by Silvio P. Sabatini

===================================================================== Applications are invited for one full-time PhD studentship (with scholarship) for a period of 3 years, at the Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and System Engineering, University of Genoa, Italy. ===================================================================== The position will start on Nov 1st, 2016 on the following research project: ACTION-PERCEPTION TRANSFER IN VISUAL AND VISUO-HAPTIC BEHAVIOR _Deadline for Applications: June 10th, 2016_ Experiencing the sensory feedback gained from movements allows us to learn the contingencies and correlations between actions and sensory events. Accordingly, sensing "educates" motor action, but, conversely, and more elusively, motor practice can "educate" sensing. The proposed research aims at investigating the interplay between action and perception at different levels: (1) modelling early action-perception transfer in visual feature extraction (cf. neural coding of visual properties) and perceptual judgement processes (decoding stages); (2) experiments on bidirectional perceptual-action influence - including the development of systems and devices that integrate vision and haptics; (3) applications in neuromotor and cognitive rehabilitation, in which action is used to educate perception and perception is used to educate action. The project will provide the opportunity to work on neural modeling, visual and visuo-haptic psychophysics, and robotics. Experimental, modeling, and theoretical approaches might be pursued with a different accent according to personal attitude. * HOW TO APPLY Candidates must have: - University degree at M.Sc. level (or expect to obtain it by October 31st, 2016) in Bioengineering, Computer Science, Physics, or related disciplines; - attitude for problem solving and interest in experimental work; - essential skills comprise Matlab and/or C/C++/C# or Python programming. Online application is possible till June 10th, 2016 (at noon) Italian time Full details on the call and the application procedure are available at: http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/XXXII/ENG/ http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply Prospective students, please contact: Silvio P. Sabatini (silvio.sabatini(a)unige.it) or Vittorio Sanguineti (vittorio.sanguineti(a)unige.it) providing your CV and qualifications, the name and contact details of two references, and a description of your research interests. * WHERE The research will be conducted jointly at "The Physical Structure of Perception and Computation (PSPC) Lab", and the "Neuro-engineering and Neuro-robotics lab (NEUROLAB)", led by Silvio P. Sabatini and Vittorio Sanguineti, respectively. PSPC-Lab has a long-standing expertise in visual coding and multidimensional signal representation, robot perception and computer vision. In the last years, the lab's research activity focused on the analysis of the structural mechanisms of visuo-spatial cognition, responsible for orienting and interacting in the 3D space. NEUROLAB (http://www.neurolab.dibris.unige.it/) focuses on experimental studies on neural control of movement, in normal and pathologic conditions. Recent activity aimed at investigating the computational basis of motor skill learning, and how this process can be facilitated by robots and other interactive technologies. Our labs are located in Genoa, a small beautiful town in northernItaly, both from historical (its historical center is the largest of Europe) and naturalistic point of view (sea and mountains coexist creating a unique landscape). Genoa is only 1.30h away from Milan by train and connected by plane to Rome (1.00h), London (2h) and Paris (1.30h). Regards, -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Silvio P. SABATINI, PhD [PSPC Research Group] Professor of Bioengineering DIBRIS - University of Genova | e_mail:silvio.sabatini@unige.it Via Opera Pia, 11A | phone: +39 010 3532092/3532794 I-16145 Genova (ITALY) | fax: +39 010 3532289/3536533 URL:http://pspc.unige.it --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Imagination is more important than knowledge..." [Albert Einstein]

April 28, 2016

PhD Studentships in Computational Neuroscience at the University of Hertfordshire

by Torben-Nielsen, Benjamin

We welcome applications for a funded PhD position in the Biocomputation Research Group at the University of Hertfordshire. The successful applicant will work on a project related to the detailed modelling of neuronal dynamics arising through dendritic processing and/or the analysis of morphological and circuit data. Potential projects in the fields of neuroinformatics and computational neuroscience include (but are not limited to): - Analysis of neuronal morphology and micro-circuitry. - Simulation of development of neuronal morphologies and tissues. - Simulation of dendritic processing on hardware. - Sensory processing and behaviour generation in individual invertebrate neurons. - Development of experimental robot controllers based on dendritic computation. - Structural plasticity at the single neuron and micro-circuitry level. More project ideas can be found here: http://www.dendrites.club/Positions.html The successful candidate will have extensive programming experience, preferably in Python (and/or other programming languages depending on the precise project). Depending on the project, experience with parallel programming (MPI, ZMQ), meshing software (VTK, CGAL, ITK, ...), or statistical analysis in R or Python are an advantage. In addition, we greatly value curiosity and a personal motivation to find out how things work. We collaborate closely with leading experimentalists and theoreticians all over the world, such as Prof. Adrian Moore (RIKEN, Japan), Prof. Erik De Schutter (OIST, Japan) and Dr. Marylka Uusisaari (Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands). The student will be based in the Biocomputation Group (biocomputation.herts.ac.uk) at the University of Hertfordshire and will be supervised by Drs. Ben Torben-Nielsen and Volker Steuber to whom informal enquiries can be sent. Successful candidates are eligible for a research studentship award from the University (approximately GBP 14,250 per annum bursary plus the payment of the student fees). Application forms can be obtained from Mrs Lorraine Nicholls, Research Student Administrator, STRI, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB, Tel: 01707 286083, l.nicholls @ herts.ac.uk. The short-listing process will begin on 30 May 2016. Dr. Ben Torben-Nielsen Senior Lecturer (Assistant professor) Biocomputation Group University of Hertfordshire, UK

April 28, 2016

PhD Position: NEUROPHYSIOLOGY and BEHAVIOUR

by Andrea Burgalossi

PhD Position: NEUROPHYSIOLOGY and BEHAVIOUR The lab of Andrea Burgalossi at the Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN) in Tübingen is looking for PhD candidates in the field of Neurophysiology and Behaviour Research in our lab focuses on the cellular basis of behavior. We employ a combination of anatomical and electrophysiological techiques for studying how defined neural circuits contribute to sensory and high-level representations of the external world. Possible PhD projects will involve the use of state-of-the-art in vivo electrophysiology techiques, in combination with anatomical methods for neural circuit mapping (please see www.burgalossilab.com or contact Andrea Burgalossi for more details). Previous experience with electrophysiological methods is desirable, but not essential. Analytical and programming skills are a plus. Applications should contain a CV and names of at least two referees. Please send your application electronically to andrea.burgalossi(a)cin.uni-tuebingen.de. More info at http://burgalossilab.com/ http://www.cin.uni-tuebingen.de/ SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Burgalossi et al., Neuron (2011) 70:773-86 Tang et al, Nature Protocols (2014) 9:2369-81 Tang et al., Neuron (2014) 84:1191-7 Ray et al., Science (2014) 343:891-6 Diamantaki et al., Current Biology (2016) 26:536-41 -- Andrea Burgalossi, PhD Cellular and Synaptic Basis of Behaviour Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN) Otfried-Müller-Straße 25 72076 Tübingen Tel: 0049-(0)7071 / 29 - 88797 Fax: +49-(0)7071 / 29-25006 Lab web: burgalossilab.com CIN web: http://www.cin.uni-tuebingen.de

April 28, 2016

Fully funded PhD position, University of Birmingham, UK - Human movement

by Chris Miall

Please bring this fully-funded 3-year PhD studentship to the attention of your students: Title: Quantification of motor performance in patients with impaired upper limb movements Supervisors: Chris Miall and Joe Galea,  Place: School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK There is growing need for accurate quantification of performance in patients with impaired upper limb movements. This arises from the need to assess recovery of movement following neurosurgery and stroke and to underpin a stratified approach to rehabilitation. We have recently developed methods to assess upper limb movements in a 2D workspace, using the resulting “performance map” to guide stroke rehabilitation. We have also developed methods to link the patients’ performance to muscle activation patterns. We now want to extend this work into 3D, to allow assessment of a broader range of movements, closer to normal activities, and in a shorter period of assessment. In addition, we wish to extend from stroke to assessment of functional recovery after neurosurgery, as a prelude to testing enhancement of recovery with brain stimulation: this would include patients with surgical repair of traumatic injury (road traffic accidents). Finally, we aim to extend our methods to link performance to muscle activation patterns in these continuous movements, in order to better understand the underlying deficits in motor control. The project will make use of a state-of-the-art 3D robotic arm, and assess performance by developing a 3D tracking task, in which a subject’s motor ability is progressively expanded from an initial slow and central focus to regions needing more extended limb postures and faster movement. An assistive algorithm in which the force-controlled robot guides movement towards the target will be used to help patients overcome weak and unstable movement, while still allowing assessment of performance speed, direction and stability. Actions in the robot-assisted task will be compared with free movement tracking in a virtual reality environment, with limb movements captured by existing motion tracking systems, but this motion tracking will ultimately be possible with a device such as the Microsoft Wii or smartphone. The comparisons will inform the potential to translate the assessment from the lab based robotic systems to the bedside. The outcome will be a set of diagnostic tests that deliver accurate quantification of upper limb movement control, suitable for triage of rehabilitation and for assessment of progressive recovery. The project is suited for students with an excellent first degree in neuroscience, engineering, robotics, or computer science. Masters training would also be advantageous. Experience in programming (Matlab or C) would be very valuable, and an interest in working with patients is important. There is studentship funding available for three years from the EPSRC, for UK or EU students only. Please contact Chris Miall (r.c.miall(a)bham.ac.uk<mailto:r.c.miall@bham.ac.uk>) or Joe Galea (j.galea(a)bham.ac.uk<mailto:j.galea@bham.ac.uk>) for further information or use FindaPhD: https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=74850 Deadline for application is 20-MAY-2016. ---------------------------------------------------------- Professor R.C. Miall Tel +44 (0)121 414 2867 School of Psychology, Fax +44 (0)121 414 4897 University of Birmingham, Mobile: +44 (0)7709 586997 Edgbaston, Email: r.c.miall(a)bham.ac.uk<mailto:r.c.miall@bham.ac.uk> Birmingham B15 2TT UK Web: http://prism.bham.ac.uk ----------------------------------------------------------

April 27, 2016

PhD position in Neural Data Science / Retina

by Philipp Berens

The labs of Philipp Berens (www.berenslab.org) and Thomas Euler (www.eulerlab.de) at the Center for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN) at the Eberhard-Karls-University of Tübingen are offering a PhD position (TV-L E13 65%) to be filled as soon as possible, with funding for 3 years. The successful candidate will combine experimental and computational approaches to study *neuronal cell type specific computations* in the mouse *retina*. The goal of the project is to provide an account of how the functional response properties of selected ganglion cell types arise from their anatomical structure, connectivity and dendritic integration properties. We envision a highly interdisciplinary project, where the successful candidate will perform state-of-the-art optical imaging and electrophysiological recordings and use computational approaches to analyze their data. The CIN offers a stimulating interdisciplinary scientific environment where research is carried out at all levels of neuroscience. The two labs are also part of the Institute for Ophthalmic Research (Eye Hospital Tübingen) and affiliated with the Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN). Furthermore, the project will be performed in collaboration with the lab of Tom Baden at the University of Sussex, UK (www.badenlab.org) We offer employment with a salary and social benefits based on the collective agreement for public service employees in the academic and science sector, TV-L. The Eberhard-Karls-University of Tübingen promotes gender equality and therefore particularly encourages female scientists to apply. Preferential status will be given to handicapped persons, if equally qualified. Requirements: • Background in statistics, machine learning and data analysis • Experience with electrophysiology and/or two-photon imaging or a strong desire to learn these techniques • Programming experience in Python, Matlab, R or similar • Strong quantitative skills Interested applicants should contact Dr. Philipp Berens (philipp.berens(a)uni-tuebingen.de) providing: • a curriculum vitae • a one-page description of past research experience & future research interests • a one-page description of the motivation for applying to this position • names of at least two people that could provide letters of reference Please compile your application in one single PDF-file. -- University of Tübingen http://philippberens.wordpress.com http://www.bethgelab.org

April 27, 2016

3 Fully Funded PhD Positions at the Cognitive Robotics and Interaction Lab of the Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department at the Italian Institute of Technology

by Alessandra Sciutti

Apologies for cross-posting =========================================================================== PhD Openings at the Cognitive Robotics and Interaction Lab Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department Italian Institute of Technology =========================================================================== In the spirit of the doctoral School on Bioengineering and Robotics the PhD Program for the curriculum Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies offers interdisciplinary training at the interface between technology and life-sciences. The objective of the PhD program is to form scientists and research technologists capable of working in multidisciplinary teams on projects where human factors play a crucial role in technological development and design. Robotics and neuroscience researchers in RBCS share, as a fundamental scientific objective, the study of physical and social interaction in humans and machines (www.iit.it/rbcs ). Among the different research themes proposed I would like to advertise these three topics: VISUO-HAPTIC EXPLORATION STRATEGIES FOR OBJECT RECOGNITION MAKE HUMANOIDS UNDERSTAND HUMAN ACTIONS MULTISENSORY HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION The ideal candidates are students with a higher level university degree willing to invest extra time and effort in blending into a multidisciplinary team composed of neuroscientists, engineers, psychologists, physicists working together to investigate brain functions and realize intelligent machines, rehabilitation protocols and advanced prosthesis. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to spend part of his/her PhD at the Osaka University and the University of Tokyo in the framework of the Marie Curie IRSES project CODEFROR (www.codefror.eu) , with the purpose of integrating his/her knowledge with the different expertise available at these institutes. International applications are encouraged and will receive logistic support with visa issues, relocation, etc. Below you can find more details related to the position and the instructions on how to apply. Application deadline: *****10 June 2016, Noon, Italian time***** Best regards, Alessandra Sciutti ----------------------------------------- Alessandra Sciutti (PhD) Researcher, Robotics Brain and Cognitive Sciences Dept. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy email: alessandra.sciutti(a)iit.it https://www.iit.it/people/alessandra-sciutti =========================================================================== Make humanoids understand human actions Tutors: Dr. Alessandra Sciutti, Dr. Francesco Rea, Prof. Giulio Sandini Department: RBCS (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) http://www.iit.it/rbcs =========================================================================== Description: Action understanding is a fundamental ability at the basis of human interaction. Neurophysiological evidence indicate that it is supported by a visuo-motor matching process: action observation activates in the observer a motor representation of the same action learned through execution, which yields to a rapid and automatic understanding of the action goal. Hence, visual action understanding requires a sensori-motor representation of the action, built by performing it and learning its motor and sensory consequences. The general aim of this project will be to provide the humanoid robot iCub with a similar visuo-motor matching skill in order to endow it with a human-like ability to understand human actions. In particular the robot will have to learn the motor (efference copy) and sensory (visual, joint angles, forces) consequences of its own actions to build a complete action representation. The research should determine which are the visual information needed to allow the recall of this model when the robot observes the same action performed by someone else. The work might take advantage of a computational system already available on the robot designed to localize the portion of the scene containing biological motion and extract some of its visual features . The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to spend part of his/her PhD at the Osaka University and the University of Tokyo in the framework of the Marie Curie IRSES project CODEFROR, with the purpose of integrating his/her knowledge with the different expertise available at these institutes. Requirements: degree in robotics, bioengineering, computer science, computer engineering, or related disciplines, attitude for problem solving, c++ programming. A background on machine learning is an asset. References: Sciutti A., Ansuini C., Becchio C. & Sandini G. 2015, Investigating the ability to read others intentions using humanoid robots, Frontiers in Psychology Cognitive Science, vol. 6,no. 1362 Noceti N., Sciutti A. & Sandini G. 2015, Cognition helps vision: recognizing biological motion using invariant dynamic cues, 18th International Conference on Image Analysis and Processing. Rizzolatti G, Craighero L. 2004 The mirror-neuron system. Annu Rev Neurosci 27:169192 Contacts: Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the perspective tutors before they submit their application: alessandra.sciutti(a)iit.it, francesco.rea(a)iit.it , giulio.sandini(a)iit.it =========================================================================== Multisensory human-robot interaction Tutors: Dr. Francesco Rea, Dr. Alessandra Sciutti, Prof. Giulio Sandini Department: RBCS (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) http://www.iit.it/rbcs =========================================================================== Description: Humans interact with each other by exploiting a variety of communicative cues across many different sensory channels. Communication signals range from speech to sounds in the auditory domain, from gestures to facial expressions in the visual domain and to different types of physical contacts in the haptic domain. Moreover, these signals can be explicitly communicative, as pointing or waving, or implicit and unconscious, as gaze direction or body movements speed. The activity we propose is to endow the humanoid robot iCub with a library of sensory and motor skills supporting all these communication possibilities. The robot will have first to detect the presence of a potential human partner nearby and then establish a communication with him by making use of these multisensory cues. The research will leverage on the current social capabilities of the robot iCub, as gaze tracking, biological motion detection, biologically plausible motion generation, etc. The selected candidate will have to integrate the existing skills and develop the missing abilities, in order to enable iCub to interact naturally with non-expert users across multiple sensory domains. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to spend part of his/her PhD at the Osaka University and the University of Tokyo in the framework of the Marie Curie IRSES project CODEFROR, with the purpose of integrating his/her knowledge with the different expertise available at these institutes. Requirements: Degree in robotics, bioengineering, computer science, computer engineering, or related disciplines, attitude for problem solving, c++ programming, as also willingness to make experiments with human participants. Strong motivation to work and adapt to a multidisciplinary environment. References:. Palinko O., Sciutti A., Rea F. & Sandini G., 2015, Eye Gaze Tracking for a Humanoid Robot in IEEE/RAS International Conference of Humanoids Robotics, Seoul, Korea, November 3-5 2015. Mosadeghzad M., Rea F., Tata M., Brayda L. & Sandini G. 2015, Saliency Based Sensor Fusion of Broadband Sound Localizer for Humanoids, 2015 IEEE International Conference on Multisensor Fusion and Information Integration (MFI 2015), San Diego, CA, USA, September 14-16, 2015; Sciutti A., Patanè L., Nori F. & Sandini G., 2014, Understanding object weight from human and humanoid lifting actions, IEEE Transactions on Autonomous Mental Development, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 80-92 doi: 10.1109/TAMD.2014.2312399 Contacts: Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the perspective tutors before they submit their application: francesco.rea(a)iit.it , alessandra.sciutti(a)iit.it, giulio.sandini(a)iit.it =========================================================================== Visuo-haptic exploration strategies for object recognition Tutors: Dr. Alessandra Sciutti, Dr. Francesco Rea, Prof. Giulio Sandini Department: RBCS (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) http://www.iit.it/rbcs =========================================================================== Description: In everyday situations human adults are capable of transferring information about objects from one sensory modality to the other. Objects explored visually can, at a later time, be analyzed, and recognized, by exploring them with our hands and, vice versa, we can visually recognize objects that have been previously explored haptically. This cross-modal transfer can be explained only through the use of a representation of objects merging visual and haptic information and perhaps by hypothesizing a shared exploratory strategy used when we explore objects visually or haptically. The main scientific objective of the project is to test this hypothesis by investigating how the transfer of information form one sensory modality to the other develops in humans and if different sensory channels share the same exploration strategy. A model of this ability could be implemented on the humanoid robot iCub to build and exploit a multisensory representation of manipulable objects, augmenting its ability to learn how to interact with the environment and with others. The successful candidate will conduct experimental investigation of human visuo-haptic explorative strategies by means of multiple techniques, as eye-tracking, motion capture and force measurements with ad hoc designed devices. The collected data will be used to model the exploration strategies both during healthy development and in presence of sensory deficits. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to spend part of his/her PhD at the Osaka University and the University of Tokyo in the framework of the Marie Curie IRSES project CODEFROR, with the purpose of integrating his/her knowledge with the different expertise available at these institutes. Requirements: The candidate for this position must have either a degree in Computer Science Engineering, Bioengineering or equivalent, with high interests in human sciences, or alternatively a degree in Psychology, with proven background in programming toolboxes (Matlab, R). References:. Gori M., Sciutti A., Burr D. & Sandini G. 2011, Direct and indirect haptic calibration of visual size judgments, PLoS ONE, vol. 6,no. 10, e25599. [ Sann, C. and Streri, A. (2007), Perception of object shape and texture in human newborns: evidence from cross-modal transfer tasks. Developmental Science, 10: 399410. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2007.00593.x Gori, M., Del Viva, M., Sandini, G., & Burr, D. C. (2008). Young children do not integrate visual and haptic form information. Current Biology, 18(9), 694-698. Contacts: Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the perspective tutors before they submit their application: alessandra.sciutti(a)iit.it, francesco.rea(a)iit.it , giulio.sandini(a)iit.it =========================================================================== How to apply =========================================================================== Please note that the positions are available through the PhD course of Bioengineering and Robotics, curriculum on Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies, offered jointly by IIT and the University of Genoa. The official calls are available here: https://www.iit.it/phd-school under the section Research themes for the call for application to PhD Courses established in agreement with the Università degli Studi di Genova, XXXII cycle. Please have a look at the "tips and tricks" section which contains detailed instructions on how to apply and a list of documents you have to present. The link to the on-line application page is: http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/XXXII/ In case of problems or questions related to the application procedure, please contact: anastasia.bruzzone(a)iit.it =========================================================================== Application deadline: *****10 June 2016, Noon, Italian time****** ===========================================================================

April 27, 2016

Postdoctoral position in active touch sensing

by Calogero Oddo

Dear Colleagues, we are opening at least one postdoctoral position in active touch sensing within the Neuro-robotics Area of The BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy. The recruited postdoctoral fellow(s) may be requested to contribute to the supervision of a growing research team, and will be involved in the development of artificial touch sensory systems, spanning from components level up to robotic system integration and data analysis via neuro-bio-inspired architectures for a wide range of applications, including neuroprosthetics, medical and industrial robotics. Both junior and senior post-docs can apply. Net salary may reach up to 2k€/month, depending on qualification. In our research group we target the engineering of an artificial tactile sense in parallel to the investigation of human touch. We develop and integrate novel transducers. We implement neuromorphic systems, with natural spike-based coding of tactile information. We analyse neural data to unveil the neuronal processes underlying the human sense of touch, and we implement behavioural protocols to characterize the perception of tactile features. The developed biorobotic technologies, complemented with a body of neuroscientific knowledge, converge in key application domains in bionic limb prostheses, safe human-machine co-work, tele-presence for medical robotics and hand-held consumer electronics. The ideal candidate shall have a subset of the following qualifications: - PhD in disciplines such as biorobotics, robotics, computational neuroscience, control and automation, electrical engineering, computer science - Experience in (real-time) programming with C/C++, LabVIEW Real-Time, LabVIEW FPGA - Experience in data-analysis via Matlab - Experience in designing printed circuit boards with software such as Eagle or Orcad - Experience in designing mechanical parts with software such as SolidWorks or PTC Creo - Experience in the development of spike-based neuro-robotic systems, with a particular focus on artificial touch - Track-record in publishing scientific papers in international journals - Track-record in the management of intellectual property issues - Ability to contribute to the preparation of research project proposals - Ability to contribute to didactic activities at graduate or undergraduate level - Ability to work in research teams and to contribute to co-supervision of junior team members - Excellent knowledge of English language Recent publications of our group include: 1. Oddo, C.M.; Raspopovic, S.; Artoni, F.; Mazzoni, A.; Spigler, G.; Petrini, F.; Giambattistelli, F.; Vecchio, F.; Miraglia, F.; Zollo, L.; Di Pino, G.; Camboni, D.; Carrozza, M.C.; Guglielmelli, E.; Rossini, P.M.; Faraguna, U.; Micera, S. Intraneural stimulation elicits discrimination of textural features by artificial fingertip in intact and amputee humans. Elife 2016. 2. Rongala, U.B.; Mazzoni, A.; Oddo, C.M. Neuromorphic Artificial Touch for Categorization of Naturalistic Textures. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems 2015. 3. Rongala, U.B.; Mazzoni, A.; Camboni, D.; Carrozza, M.C.; Oddo, C.M. Neuromorphic artificial sense of touch: bridging robotics and neuroscience. International Symposium on Robotics Research 2015. 4. Salgarella, A.R.; Giudetti, G.; Ricotti, L.; Camboni, D.; Puleo, G.L.; Ruini, F.; Tonda-Turo, C.; Chiono, V.; Ciardelli, G.; Micera, S.; Menciassi, A.; Oddo, C.M. A bio-hybrid mechanotransduction system based on ciliate cells. Microelectronic Engineering 2015. 5. Klöcker, A.; Oddo, C.M.; Camboni, D.; Penta, M.; Thonnard, J.-L. Physical Factors Influencing Pleasant Touch during Passive Fingertip Stimulation. PloS One 2014. To express interest in this position, please contact: - Dr. Calogero Maria Oddo - c.oddo(a)sssup.it - Prof. Maria Chiara Carrozza - m.c.carrozza(a)sssup.it Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA, http://www.santannapisa.it/en) is a public Italian university for research and advanced undergraduate and graduate education in the fields of Experimental and Social Sciences. In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings of young universities, released in April 2016, SSSA ranked 10th worldwide among institutions that are aged 50 or younger and 5th worldwide among institutions that are aged 30 or younger. Post-graduate education and research activities at SSSA are structured within six Institutes. The present position is opened at The BioRobotics Institute, directed by Prof. Paolo Dario, which was specifically created to host the research activities of SSSA at the intersection between scientific research and technological innovation in robotics and bioengineering (http://sssa.bioroboticsinstitute.it) The BioRobotics Institute was formally established in 2011 and it gathers the experience of more than 20 years of research carried out by the ARTS and CRIM Labs, that were founded by Prof. Paolo Dario with the mission of addressing research in the field of Biorobotics and Biomechatronics with a strong interdisciplinary approach, integrating different knowledge backgrounds to study theoretical and technological problems related to the development of advanced robotic systems and microtechnologies. Please feel free to forward this call to colleagues or to any candidate that you may consider qualified. Thank you and best regards, Calogero Maria Oddo and Maria Chiara Carrozza -- Calogero M. Oddo PhD BioRobotics MSc, BSc Electronic Engineering Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Head of the Human Machine Nexus Laboratory Neuro-robotics Area The BioRobotics Institute Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera (PI), Italy Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy Tel: +39 050 88 3067 Mobile: +39 331 6992273 email: oddoc(a)sssup.it http://sssa.bioroboticsinstitute.it/user/102 http://sssa.bioroboticsinstitute.it/research/neurorobotics

April 27, 2016

Conf: Frontiers in Applied and Computational Mathematics, June 3-4, USA

by Casey Diekman

The 13th Annual Conference on Frontiers in Applied and Computational Mathematics (FACM '16) will be held at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark, New Jersey on June 3-4, 2016. The conference focuses on mathematical and computational aspects of materials science, mathematical neuroscience, computational wave propagation, biological and microscale fluid dynamics, statistics, and biostatistics. Researchers in these areas are invited to address the development of mathematical techniques for application to challenging problems. Plenary speakers: Robert Kass (Carnegie Mellon University), Mitchell Luskin (University of Minnesota), Laura Miller (UNC Chapel Hill), André Nachbin (IMPA, Brazil) *Travel funding for contributed poster presentations is available. Abstract submission and registration deadline is April 29, 2016.* Further details can be found at: http://m.njit.edu/Events/FACM16/

April 27, 2016

PhD position in swarm robotics available at UTC (Compiegne - France)

by Eliseo Ferrante

—apologies for multiple postings— A fully-funded three years PhD position in swarm robotics is available at the Laboratory of Excellence (LABEX) at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC) in France (www.utc.fr/labexms2t) The successful candidate will work with Dr. Eliseo Ferrante on exciting topics at the interface between swarm robotics, evolutionary biology, and statistical physics. The research direction will be managed by Dr. Ferrante in collaboration with the DIVINA project ( https://www.hds.utc.fr/labex-ms2t-484/news-rubrique/events/DIVINA/?lang=en) team led by Prof. Vincent Frémont. The PhD is expected to start in Fall 2016. The accepted candidate will work on a project focusing on the design of self-organized collective behaviors for performing collective exploration of a an unknown environment using a swarm of robots and principles of self-organization. The methods will be based on biological models of information retrieval and integration, such as distributed decision-making and collective categorization, which in turns recalls the cognitive mapping processes in the human brain. For a description of the research interests of Dr. Ferrante, please visit his website (https://bio.kuleuven.be/ento/ferrante/) Graduate students with background in computer science, physics, or biology and with specialization in artificial intelligence, statistical physics, computational modeling in biology, or robotics are encouraged to apply. The candidate is expected to be proficient in programming in languages such as C++ and Java, and to have solid knowledge of scientific software packages such as Matlab, R, and/or equivalent. Candidates with experience with multi-agent simulations will be highly preferred. Fluent English (written and spoken) is required, and only applications in English will be accepted. Above all, the applicants must be motivated, autonomous, and able to learn quickly and work effectively on challenging research problems. We will begin reviewing candidate's applications starting from June 2016. To apply, you can send the following documents to Eliseo.Ferrante(a)hds.utc.fr and Vincent.Fremont(a)hds.utc.fr: - Curriculum vitae - Motivation letter - At least two references and/or recommendation letters - A statement of research experience and interests - Any research articles authored by the applicant For any informal enquiry about the eligibility conditions, as well as for more details about the position, please contact Eliseo Ferrante < eliseo.ferrante(a)hds.utc.fr>.

April 26, 2016

Fully funded PhD position, University of Genoa, Italy - Binocular visuomotor systems

by Silvio P. Sabatini

Applications are invited for a fully-funded three-year PhD student position at "The Physical Structure of Perception and Computation" (PSPC) lab of the Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and System Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, Italy. The position will start on Nov 1st, 2016 on the following research project: **Modeling the impaired binocular visual system** Expected results will concern: 1) a better understanding of the neural mechanisms that underlie the healthy and impaired visual system, 2) developing and assessing diagnostic and therapeutic methodologies for visual impairments, 3) inspiring design principles for artificial visual systems. The project will provide the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary environment in collaborations with engineers, neuroscientists and clinicians. Ongoing cooperations, at international level, and especially with: - Prof. Peter J. Bex, Translational Vision Lab, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. - Prof. Marty Banks, BanksLab, University of California - Berkeley, CA. will ensure a highly interdisciplinary and stimulating environment. The PhD will be fully funded, including stipend (EUR 1230 per month after taxes), fees, and a research training and support grant (EUR 1650 per year). * * HOW TO APPLY* Candidates must have: - a University degree at Master level (or expect to obtain it by October 31st, 2016) in Bioengineering, Computer Science, Physics, Applied Mathematics or related disciplines; - a keen interest in reverse-engineering the brain; - essential skills in Matlab and/or C/C++/C# or Python programming. Knowledge on computational neuroscience, machine learning, image processing are a plus. Experience with Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and CUDA programming is also a plus. Online application is possible till June 10th, 2016 (at noon) Italian time Full details on the call and the application procedure are available at: http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/XXXII/ENG/ http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply _Informal inquiries regarding the position are encouraged.__ __Please contact:_ Silvio P. Sabatini (silvio.sabatini(a)unige.it) Also, a post-doc of mine (Agostino Gibaldi) will be available throughout the VSS 2016 conference, so please send him an email (agostino.gibaldi(a)unige.it) if you would like to set up a meeting. * * WHERE* DIBRIS is a unique inter-school department of the University of Genoa, bridging together researchers from the former Science and Engineering Faculties. It offers an excellent multidisciplinary, interactive and collaborative research environment combining expertise in computer vision, computational neuroscience, neuromorphic computing, robotics and mechatronics. PSPC-Lab has a long-standing expertise in visual coding and multidimensional signal representation, robot perception and computer vision. In the last years, the lab's research activity focused on the analysis of the structural mechanisms of visuo-spatial cognition, responsible for orienting and interacting in the 3D space. Our lab is located in Genoa, a small beautiful town in northern Italy, both from historical (its historical center is the largest of Europe) and naturalistic point of view (sea and mountains coexist creating a unique landscape). Genoa is only 1.30h away from Milan by train and connected by plane to Rome (1.00h), London (2h) and Paris (1.30h). Regards, -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Silvio P. SABATINI, PhD [PSPC Research Group] Professor of Bioengineering DIBRIS - University of Genova | e_mail: silvio.sabatini(a)unige.it Via Opera Pia, 11A | phone: +39 010 3532092/3532794 I-16145 Genova (ITALY) | fax: +39 010 3532289/3536533 URL: http://pspc.unige.it --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Imagination is more important than knowledge..." [Albert Einstein]

April 26, 2016

Interdisciplinary post-doctoral position in cognitive neuroscience

by Schurger Lab

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interdisciplinary post-doctoral position in cognitive neuroscience Brain-behavior forecasting: Neural antecedents of spontaneous self-initiated movement in humans and the perception of personal causation Starting date: Fall 2016 / Spring 2017 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 the relevant causal processes in the brain are related to the subjective perception of personal causation. We are also interested in how time series of neural activity can be used to forecast behavior. We pursue this research using a combination of behavioral experiments, neuroimaging, computational modeling, time-series analysis, and machine learning techniques. Applicants should have a obtained a PhD in a relevant discipline prior to the starting date, and should have strong skills in two or more of the following areas: neuroimaging techniques (MEG, EEG) and data-analysis tools, computer programming (MatLab, Python, C, C++), statistics, signal processing, machine learning, computational and/or neural network modeling, behavioral psychophysics, time-series analysis, forecast verification methods. 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 three letters of recommendation (or contact information for three references) via e-mail to schurgerlab(a)gmail.com. Review of applicants will begin immediately and will continue until the position is 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 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 26, 2016

Neuroinformatics 2016 in Reading, UK, September 3-4

by Ingo Bojak

April 26, 2016

post-doc in computational neuroscience and development...

by John Spencer (PSY)

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA Senior Research Associate (1fte) £31,342 to £37,394 per annum, pro rata This role offers an exciting opportunity to be involved in innovative experimental research with young children as well as extensive process-based modelling using dynamic neural fields. The programme aims to test the first formal theory of early word learning that integrates visual object processing and word learning across multiple timescales. The successful applicant will work closely with Profs. Larissa Samuelson and John Spencer. You will take a lead role in the project, coordinating dynamic neural field simulations and related theory development, developing and running experiments with young children, and analysing and reporting data. The post is available on a full-time (1fte) basis from 15 June 2016 for a fixed term period until 31 May 2020. The post is subject to a criminal records check at enhanced level from the Disclosure and Barring Service. Closing date: 12 noon on 21 May 2016. Further particulars and an application form are available on our website: www.uea.ac.uk/hr/vacancies/<http://www.uea.ac.uk/hr/vacancies/> or Tel. 01603 593493 John P. Spencer, PhD Professor School of Psychology, Room 0.09 Lawrence Stenhouse Building, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ United Kingdom Email: j.spencer(a)uea.ac.uk<mailto:j.spencer@uea.ac.uk> School website: http://www.uea.ac.uk/psy Telephone 01603 593968 [cid:image001.png@01D09851.EF67E200] UK Top 20 (16th Complete University Guide 2015, 18th Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2015-16) UK 2nd for Student Satisfaction (National Student Survey 2015) World Top 1% (Times Higher Education World Rankings 2015-16) World Top 100 (Leiden Ranking 2015) [facebook]<http://www.facebook.com/ueaofficial> [twitter-old] <http://www.twitter.com/uniofeastanglia> [tumblr] <http://uniofeastanglia.tumblr.com/> [flickr] <http://www.flickr.com/uniofeastanglia> [linkedin] <http://www.linkedin.com/edu/school?id=12699> [youtube] <http://www.youtube.com/ueaofficial> [cid:image008.png@01CF8BB5.50024060] <http://instagram.com/uniofeastanglia>

April 26, 2016

Call for abstracts - Neuromechanics 2016 - Approaching abstract submission deadline

by Manish Sreenivasa

*International Symposium on the Neuromechanics of Human Movement* 4-6 October 2016, Heidelberg, Germany Reminder: Approaching abstract submission deadline, 30th April 2016 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Researchers working in neuroscience, biomechanics and robotics with a focus on human movements are invited to submit their work to the Neuromechanics 2016 symposium: http://orb.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de/neuromechanics2016/abstract-submissions/ The symposium will feature talks by renowned speakers working in, and across, these fields. In addition, there will be poster sessions and ample opportunities for discussions in formal and informal settings. List of speakers: http://orb.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de/neuromechanics2016/speakers/ Researchers are welcome to present their work as posters or fill the few remaining speaker slots (please indicate your preference during submission). Please note that this will be a 2.5 day single track event with a limited number of participants. As an added incentive, selected high quality abstracts will be invited to submit full length papers to the newly established journal research topic titled: "Neuromechanics and Control of Physical Behavior: from Experimental and Computational Formulations to Bio-inspired Technologies". The research topic is edited by Massimo Sartori, Manish Sreenivasa, Alfred Schouten, Matthew Tresch, Yoshihiko Nakamura and Francisco Valero-Cuevas, and appears in the journals Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, and, Frontiers in Neurorobotics: journal.frontiersin.org/researchtopic/4698 -- Dr. Manish Sreenivasa Optimization in Robotics & Biomechanics Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing University of Heidelberg Berlinerstr. 45 | 69120 Heidelberg | Germany Tel: +49-6221-54-14874 Web: orb.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de/people/manish

April 26, 2016

Save the date! 5th Annual Winter q-bio Meeting in HAWAII Feb. 21-24, 2017!

by Santamaria, Cookie

THE FIFTH ANNUAL WINTER Q-BIO MEETING Quantitative Biology on the Hawaiian Islands February 21-24, 2017 http://w-qbio.org/ SAVE THE DATE!! More details to come, but our fifth anniversary venue will be at the Grand Hyatt<http://kauai.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html> in Kauai! The Winter q-bio meeting brings together scientists and engineers who are interested in all areas of q-bio. Technology is driving revolutionary changes in biology. Systems Biology has arisen as the deduction of interaction networks from -omics data generated in the wake of remarkable technological achievements. Likewise, DNA synthesis technologies are driving the development of Synthetic Biology, whereby engineered circuitry and even entire genomes can be reconstituted from chemical building blocks. These two emerging areas have catalyzed the growth of Quantitative Biology, whereby the central goal is the deduction of quantitative principles that can be used to construct predictive models for biological phenomena. The venue for 2017 is the Grand Hyatt, which is located in Poipu, on the island of Kauai. This remarkable resort is balanced between magnificent lush mountains and the azure sea, among the wonders of the Garden Isle. CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS: Jeff Hasty, University of California, San Diego Galit Lahav, Harvard University Wendell Lim, University of California, San Francisco Gurol Suel, University of California, San Diego Olga Troyanskaya, Princeton & Simons Center for Data Analysis Lev Tsimring, University of California, San Diego We encourage you to forward this message to any colleagues who may be interested in taking part in this exciting event. Questions should be emailed to: coordinator(a)w-qbio.org<mailto:coordinator@w-qbio.org> SPONSORED BY: UC San Diego BioCircuits Institute and the San Diego Center for Systems Biology UC San Diego Divisions of Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, q-bio, and Engineering UC San Francisco Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology

April 25, 2016

Deadline Approaching: Gordon Research Conference & Seminar on Neurobiology of Cognition

by Sarah Heilbronner

We would like to invite you to apply for the 2016 Gordon Research Conference on Neurobiology of Cognition, "Neural Circuits for Perception, Memory, Thought, and Consciousness." The Gordon Research Conference will be held July 24-29 at Sunday River, ME. More information, including a list of speakers, can be found here: https://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?id=14548 The Gordon Research Seminar for postdocs and graduate students will precede the main conference (July 23-24). Please note that the deadline for submitting an abstract to be considered for a GRS talk is April 30! More information can be found here: https://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?id=16594 We look forward to seeing many of you in Maine this summer. Best, Tatiana Pasternak & David Leopold, GRC chairs Brian Russ & Sarah Heilbronner, GRS chairs

April 25, 2016

postdocotral fellowship: empirical testing of integrated information theory with neural recordings

by Naotsugu Tsuchiya

Advertisement: Postdoctoral position at Monash University, Australia. A postdoctoral position is available to work on a JST (Japan Science and Technology) funded CREST research project on “Towards constructing artificial consciousness based on the integrated information theory (IIT)” (PIs: Kanai, Kawanabe and Maekawa, Co-PIs: Tsuchiya and Oizumi), which started in Oct 2015 and will run for 5.5 years till Mar 2021. The initial appointment will be for one year, with renewal based upon satisfactory performance and evaluation. Salary will be commensurate with experience. We are looking for a postdoctoral fellow whose main research interest is the neuronal basis of consciousness, the analysis of multi-channel neural data and the integrated information theory (IIT) of consciousness, in order to empirically test predictions from IIT in real neural systems For those who are interested, please check out the following key papers for the project. 1. Measuring integrated information from the decoding perspective http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.10046… 2. A unified framework for information integration based on information geometry http://arxiv.org/abs/1510.04455 3. Contents of Consciousness Investigated as Integrated Information in Direct Human Brain Recordings http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/02/15/039032 You will be employed at Araya Brain Imaging (CEO: Kanai) in Japan, but the actual location of work will be conducted at A/Prof NaotsuguTsuchiya's lab in Monash University, Australia. There will be some travels between Japan and Australia at least twice a year to maximise interactions within the team in Japan. Required skills: excellent programming, familiarity in key mathematical concepts especially machine learning and information theory. Excellence in written and oral English communication skills, as supported by objective publication recorded, will be essential. Monash University, one of the eight top universities in Australia (G8), is forming a strong cluster of consciousness researchers, called Monash Neuroscience of Consciousness (MoNoC http://ochinpun.wix.com/monoc#!who_we_are/c139r) ranging from philosophers, neurophysiologists, and psychologists. We are located in the building with excellent cognitive neuroscience tools available (simultaneous EEG & fMRI experiments and EEG/TMS & fMRI experiments at Monash Brain Imaging facility, which hosts a research-only MRI scanner, EEG, TMS and eye tracking. http://mbi.monash.edu.au/) Interested candidates are encouraged to send a CV, statement of research accomplishments and interests, PDF copies of representative publications, and contact information for 2 reference letters to: naotsugu.tsuchiya(a)monash.edu Application review will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Best wishes, Nao Tsuchiya -- -- *Nao (Naotsugu) Tsuchiya* Associate Professor *Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences* Attention and Memory Program School of Psychological Sciences Monash University 770 Blackburn Monash Brain Imaging facility, Clayton, VIC 3800 Australia T: +61 3 9905 4564 E: naotsugu.tsuchiya(a)monash.edu W: homepage: http://users.monash.edu.au/~naotsugt/Tsuchiya_Labs_Homepage http://med.monash.edu.au/psych/email-sig/miccn-email-sig.jpg <http://www.monash.edu/neuro-institute/> 2. ARC Future Fellow 3. Visiting Researcher at Department of Dynamic Brain Imaging, Advanced Telecommunications Research (ATR), Japan 4. Visiting Researcher at CiNet, Osaka University, Japan orcid.org/0000-0003-4216-8701

April 25, 2016

Last Call for Abstracts in Brain/Computer/Machine Interfacing and Neuromodulation

by Camille Grigsby-Rocca

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the final call for abstracts for Neuromodulation: The Science Conference, for the Neurovations Awards for Scientific Excellence in Neuromodulation. Submissions are due this Friday, April 29, 2016 for our upcoming neuroscience summit, slated for May 25-29, 2016 in San Francisco. See the Abstract Submission Guidelines here<http://ntsconference.com/neurovations-award/>. The Scientific Committee is accepting abstracts for posters presenting original basic or clinical scientific research or updates in brain/computer/machine interfacing, neuromodulation of the brain and nervous system, and bioengineering. Three prizes in the amounts of $3000, $2000, and $1000 are available for the posters selected by the committee. Awards will be presented on the final day of the conference. All posters must be attended by a registered conference attendee. Early registration rates are available through April 29. Discounted lodging rates at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, San Francisco, run until April 29. Abstracts will be accepted through April 29. We would be grateful if you would share this information with your colleagues, and hope to see you at our meeting next month. More information is available at ntsconference.com - I have also included more below on our poster requirements and meeting, including our full Scientific Committee. Please email education(a)neurovations.com directly with any further questions. VIEW THE FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAM HERE<http://ntsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/NTS_agenda_040516.pdf>. With warm regards, Camille Grigsby-Rocca Neurovations Education ________________________________ SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Elliot Krames, MD Past President INS, Founding Editor of Neuromodulation Eric Grigsby, MD, MBA CEO, Neurovations Clinical Research and Education Founder, Napa Pain Institute, the SpectrumCare Group Peter Staats, MD Premier Pain Centers, Past President, NANS Joe Pancrazio, PhD Associate Provost and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at University of Texas at Dallas Hunter Peckham, PhD Professor Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University Dominique Durand, PhD El Lindseth Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve Universtiy Magdy Hassouna, MD, PhD Department of Urology, University of Toronto Ali Rezai, MD Director, OSU Neuroscience Program, Stanley and Jodi Ross Chair in Neuromodulation, Associate Dean of Neurosciences, Professor of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience Robert Gross, MD, PhD Professor, Departments of Neurosurgery, Neurology, Biomedical Engineering, and Neuroscience,Director, Functional, Stereotactic & Epilepsy Surgery Division Tony Yaksh, PhD Distinguished Professor in Anesthesiology and Pharmacology and Vice Chairman for Research in Anesthesiology(1988-present), Co-director of the Pain and Symptom Management Core of the UCSD Regional Cancer Center Chad Bouton, MS Division Leader, Neurotechnology and Analytics, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Managing Director, Center for Bioelectronic Medicine Simon Thomson, MD Past President, INS Bengt Linderoth, MD, PhD Professor of Neurosurgery, retired, Karolinska Institute Robert Foreman, PhD George Lynn Cross Research Professor, University of Oklahoma, Dept of Physiology, retired Michael DeJongste, MD, PhD Faculty of Medical Sciences, Dept of Cardiology, University of Groningen Jiande Chen, PhD Professor of Medicine and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University

April 25, 2016

Funded PhD studentship in eye-hand coordination in virtual reality (UK/EU students only)

by Sang-Hoon Yeo

Development of a low-cost, virtual reality based eye-hand coordination assessment system for home-based rehabilitation Dr Sang-Hoon Yeo and Dr Ned Jenkinson, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences University of Birmingham, UK Starting October 2016, We have a funded PhD studentship available for UK and EU (who have been in UK for more than 3 years) students. The goal of this 3 year PhD project is 1) to develop a novel virtual reality based hardware and software platform that can capture and assess the three-dimensional eye-hand coordination patterns during interceptive movements and 2) to build a computational model that will advance our quantitative understanding of the brain’s interception mechanism. One unique and innovative aspect of the development is that the whole system will consist of consumer-level display and motion tracking devices (head mounted display, e.g. Oculus Rift, with and eye tracking ability and magnetic sensor based 3D joysticks), of which the total cost will be no more than £1,000. This will allow us to build a cost-effective, home-based health care system that can be easily distributed to patients’ home, which will quantitatively evaluate the patient’s sensorimotor performance, detect and prevent preemptively any potential neuromotor disorders, and help patient’s rehabilitation following neuromotor disease. We are looking for motivated people to participate in the development of the experimental platform, data collection and computational modelling / analysis. The ideal candidate will have a background in computer science, robotics, psychology, mathematics, physics, and have some experience (or at least a keen interest) in one or more of the following fields: human movement experiment, motion capture, eye-tracking, computer animation, virtual reality, software development. Please contact Dr Sang-Hoon Yeo (s.yeo(a)bham.ac.uk) for further information. Deadline for application is 20-MAY-2016. Best wishes, Sang-Hoon -- Dr Sang-Hoon Yeo Lecturer in Biomechanics and Motor Control School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences The University of Birmingham Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom +44(0)121 414 8748

April 24, 2016

CALL FOR SUBMISSION for the Fourth International Conference on CSCEET 2017 in Lebanon

by Grace Allas

*** CALL FOR PAPERS SUBMISSION *** The Fourth International Conference on Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Education Technologies (CSCEET2017) April 26-28, 2017 Faculty of Engineering - Lebanese University Beirut, Lebanon http://sdiwc.net/conferences/csceet2017/ ---------------------------------------------------------- All registered papers will be submitted to IEEE for potential inclusion to IEEE Xplore The conference aims to enable researchers build connections between different digital applications. The event will be held over three days, with presentations delivered by researchers from the international community, including presentations from keynote speakers and state-of-the-art lectures. RESEARCH TOPICS ARE NOT LIMITED TO: • Information and Data Management • Social Networks • Data Compression • Information Content Security • E-Technology • Mobile, Ad Hoc and Sensor Network Management • E-Government • Web Services Architecture, Modeling and Design • E-Learning • Semantic Web, Ontologies • Wireless Communications • Web Services Security • Mobile Networking, Mobility and Nomadicity • Quality of Service, Scalability and Performance • Ubiquitous Computing, Services and Applications • Self-Organizing Networks and Networked Systems • Data Mining • Data Management in Mobile Peer-to-Peer Networks • Computational Intelligence • Data Stream Processing in Mobile/Sensor Networks • Biometrics Technologies • Indexing and Query Processing for Moving Objects • Forensics, Recognition Technologies and Applications • Cryptography and Data Protection • Information Ethics • User Interfaces and Usability Issues form Mobile Applications • Fuzzy and Neural Network Systems • Mobile Social Networks • Signal Processing, Pattern Recognition and Applications • Peer-to-Peer Social Networks • Image Processing • Sensor Networks and Social Sensing • Distributed and parallel applications • Social Search • Internet Modeling • Embedded Systems and Software • User Interfaces, Visualization and Modeling • Real-Time Systems • XML-Based Languages • Multimedia Computing • Network Security • Software Engineering • Remote Sensing --------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT DATES Submission Deadline : Open from now until Feb 26, 2017 Notification of Acceptance : March 11, 2017 or 4 weeks from the date of submission Camera Ready Submission : March 26, 2017 Registration Deadline : March 26, 2017 Paper Submission: http://sdiwc.net/conferences/csceet2017/openconf/openconf.php Write us for more details: csceet17(a)sdiwc.net

April 24, 2016

NEURAL COMPUTATION - May 1, 2016

by Terry Sejnowski

Neural Computation - Volume 28, Number 5 - May 1, 2016 Available online for download now: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/neco/28/5 ----- Article Causal Inference on Discrete Data via Estimating Distance Correlations Furui Liu, Laiwan Chan Note A Mathematical Motivation for Complex-valued Convolutional Networks Mark Tygert, Joan Bruna, Soumith Chintala, Yann LeCun, Serkan Piantino, and Arthur Szlam Letters Learning Precise Spike Train to Spike Train Transformations in Multilayer Feedforward Neuronal Networks Arunava Banerjee Separating Spike Count Correlation From Firing Rate Correlation Giuseppe Vinci, Valerie Ventura, Matthew A. Smith, and Robert E. Kass Effect of Reference Scheme on Power and Phase of the Local Field Potential Vinay Shirhatti, Ayon Borthakur, and Supratim Ray State Space Analysis of Granger-Geweke Causality With Application to fMRI Victor Solo Whole-Body Reaching Movements Formulated by Minimum Muscle-Tension Change Criterion Naoki Kudo, Kyuheong Choi, Takahiro Kagawa, and Yoji Uno Recurrent Neural Network for Computing Outer Inverse Ivan S. Zivkovic, Predrag S. Stanimirovic, and Yimin Wei ------------ ON-LINE -- http://www.mitpressjournals.org/neuralcomp SUBSCRIPTIONS - 2016 - VOLUME 28 - 12 ISSUES Student/Retired $78 Individual $138 Institution $1,108 MIT Press Journals, One Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA 02142-1209 Tel: (617) 253-2889 FAX: (617) 577-1545 journals-cs(a)mit.edu ------------

April 24, 2016

Postdoctoral position at UC Santa Barbara

by Yon Visell

We are seeking a highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow to work in the RE Touch Lab (http://www.re-touch-lab.com) College of Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, within a multidisciplinary team of roboticists, engineers, and scientists. The successful candidate will undertake research aimed at illuminating biomechanical mechanisms of sensory information processing in the upper limb. We are using novel instrumentation, 3D imaging techniques, and computational modeling, in order to characterize sensory information processing associated with soft tissue dynamics in the whole limb, including signals associated with multi-digit grasping and manipulation. The results will guide the design of new interactive technologies with applications in VR and robotics. We are interested in candidates with possible expertise in a number of potential areas, including any of the following: - Perception; Decision theory - Signal processing - Probabilistic and computational models of behavior - Deformable image registration Consideration will be given to candidates with strong quantitative skills and a recent (< 5 years) PhD in a relevant field (computational neuroscience, psychology, computer science, engineering, etc). A PhD is required. Salary will be highly competitive. The RE Touch Lab is affiliated with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (http://ece.ucsb.edu) and the Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program (http://www.mat.ucsb.edu) an interdisciplinary program at the convergence of art, multimedia and engineering. The lab is physically integrated in the UCSB California NanoSystems Institute - A unique institution combining multiple Engineering departments at UCSB, and whose faculty include Nobel Prize winners, Fields Medal winners, Technical Academy Award winners, and multiple National Academy of Science members. With world-class facilities set in a beautiful mediterranean climate on the California shore, the University of California, Santa Barbara College of Engineering is rated among the top 10 in the world. Interested parties should contact Professor Yon Visell <yonvisell(a)ece.ucsb.edu> for information. Applicants are asked to a CV, copies of relevant publications, and contact information for at least three references. The Department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and service. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. _________________________________________________________ Yon Visell, PhD Assistant Professor University of California, Santa Barbara Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Media Arts & Technology Graduate Program Mechanical Engineering Department www.re-touch-lab.com Mobile: +1 267 800 8960 _________________________________________________________

April 23, 2016

DENDRITES 2016, June 18-21, Crete: EMBO travel fellowships

by Yiota Poirazi

Please post this announcement on the comp-neuro list. Thanks much! Yiota Poirazi ----------------------- Dear colleagues, We are happy to announce additional support from EMBO for the DENDRITES 2016 EMBO Workshop <www.dendrites2016.gr>. As a result: *A.* Early registration rates extend to May 31st, 2016 B. We offer *six* travel fellowships (up to 500 Euro) provided by EMBO for participants of the DENDRITES 2016 meeting working in *Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain* and*Turkey*. Interested candidates, including both registered and new participants, must submit: 1) a short Resume 2) a short statement of why they wish to attend the workshop and why financial support is critical for them 3) at least one letter of recommendation The above should be submitted by email to poirazi(a)imbb.forth.gr by *May 8th, 2016*. Awardees will be announced on *May 15th, 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/> info(a)dendrites2016.gr <mailto:info@dendrites.gr> _Organizers:_ Yiota Poirazi, IMBB-FORTH Michael Hausser, UCL * * Matthew Larkum, Humboldt University _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" -- 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/ -

April 23, 2016

MSc program in Neuroscience - Univ. Freiburg, Germany

by Carsten Mehring

MSc program in Neuroscience - University of Freiburg, Germany We are inviting applications for the interdisciplinary MSc program in Neuroscience at the University of Freiburg, Germany. The program provides theoretical and practical training in neuroscience, covering both the foundations and latest research in the field. It is taught by lecturers from an international scientific community from three faculties and two neuroscience research centres. The modular course structure caters to the specific backgrounds and research interests of each individual student and we offer specialisations in computational neuroscience, neuro-/optophysiology, neurotechnology and developmental neuroscience. All courses are taught in English and the program is free of tuition fees. We welcome applications with a background in natural sciences, mathematics, behavioural sciences, computer science or engineering sciences. The deadline for applications for a start in October 2016 is the 15th of July (EU students) or the 31st of May (non-EU students). Further details can be found on our homepage http://www.mscneuro.uni-freiburg.de <http://www.mscneuro.uni-freiburg.de/> Please contact mscneuro@uni-freiburg,de for further questions. With best regards Carsten Mehring — Bernstein Center Freiburg & Faculty of Biology University of Freiburg

April 23, 2016

Fully funded PhD position, University of Genoa, Italy – "Computational Neuroengineering"

by Silvio P. Sabatini

Applications are invited for one full-time PhD studentship for a period of 3 years, at the Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and System Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, Italy. The position will start on Nov 1st, 2016 on the following research project: *Sensory processing in large-scale hierarchical networks of interacting neuronal assemblies* Feed-forward networks provide a minimal framework to study coding and decoding strategies as well as to interpret certain aspects of cortical information processing. Following this architectural paradigm, deep networks have been proposed to specialize for different perceptual tasks, for taking decisions, or planning motor acts. However, such networks rely on an over-simplification in which single nodes model homogeneous population of cells and connections represent average interactions among populations (i.e., meta-network approach). The proposed project aims to increase the complexity and the realism of this model by designing and analyzing the behavior of large-scale hierarchical network of interacting neuronal assemblies. Each node should be modeled as an assembly composed of excitatory and inhibitory neurons with their own dynamics. The neurons of each assembly will respond to properties of the visual signal through their afferent receptive fields. Yet, their overall behavior will emerge from recurrent interactions, and will be ruled by network-parameters, like balance between excitation and inhibition, kind of connectivity, number of neurons of each of these assemblies. The goal is to develop a new model and to investigate the role of specific vs. unspecific inhibition on the tuning properties of the single cells, and on the efficiency of the code provided by the emerging functionally homogeneous populations, and on their attendant adaptation capabilities. The dynamic properties of the network will be analyzed in relation with the interconnections topology, and eventually related to its sensory processing capabilities. The research will be conducted at the NBT and PSPC labs of DIBRIS, under the joint guidance of Paolo Massobrio and Silvio P. Sabatini. Successful applicants would have a background (M.Sc. degree) in bioengineering, computer science, physics or related disciplines; strong interest in computational neuroscience; attitude for problem solving. Interests in understanding/learning basic biology. Essential skills comprise Matlab and/or C++/C# programming. Experience in computational neuroscience is a plus. * HOW TO APPLY Candidates must have: - a University degree at Master level (or expect to obtain it by October 31st, 2016) in Bioengineering, Computer Science, Physics or related disciplines; - strong interest in computational neuroscience; attitude for problem solving. Interests in understanding/learning basic biology. - Essential skills comprise Matlab and/or C++/C# programming. Experience in computational neuroscience is a plus. Online application is possible till June 10th, 2016 (at noon) Italian time Full details on the call and the application procedure are available at: http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/XXXII/ENG/ http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply Prospective students, please contact either Paolo Massobrio (paolo.massobrio(a)unige.it) or Silvio P. Sabatini (silvio.sabatini(a)unige.it) providing your CV and qualifications, the name and contact details of two references, and a description of your research interests. * WHERE NBT-Lab has a recognized experience in the field of in vitro electrophysiology (gained through several national and international projects), computational neuroscience and neuroengineering. Currently, the main goal of the lab is the understanding of the interplay between dynamics and connectivity in large-scale neuronal networks. PSPC-Lab has a long-standing expertise in visual coding and multidimensional signal representation, robot perception and computer vision. In the last years, the lab’s research activity focused on the analysis of the structural mechanisms of visuo-spatial cognition, responsible for orienting and interacting in the 3D space. Our labs are located in Genova, a small beautiful town in northern Italy, both from historical (its historical center is the largest of Europe) and naturalistic point of view (sea and mountains coexist creating a unique landscape). Genova is only 1.30h away from Milan by train and connected by plane to Rome (1.00h), London (2h) and Paris (1.30h). Regards, -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Silvio P. SABATINI, PhD [PSPC Research Group] Professor of Bioengineering DIBRIS - University of Genova | e_mail:silvio.sabatini@unige.it Via Opera Pia, 11A | phone: +39 010 3532092/3532794 I-16145 Genova (ITALY) | fax: +39 010 3532289/3536533 URL:http://pspc.unige.it --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Imagination is more important than knowledge..." [Albert Einstein]

April 22, 2016

Research Scientist: Machine Learning, Signal Processing, Neuroscience

by Behnood Gholami

AreteX Systems, a medical technology startup company accelerating the use of information technology in healthcare, has an immediate opening for a Research Scientist in its office located in the New York City area. 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 and machine learning. 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, ECG, and galvanic-skin conductance, data would be given a higher priority. *Minimum Requirements:* - PhD in electrical engineering, computer science, biomedical engineering, neuroscience, applied mathematics, or a similar discipline. - Knowledge of machine learning techniques. - Experience with Python. - *Applicants must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals or U.S. permanent residents. * - Applicants must have received a Ph.D. degree in the seven years prior to the application date. *Preferred Qualifications:* - Prior expertise and exposure using non-invasive human physiological measures such as ECG, galvanic-skin conductance (electrodermal activity), or other categorically similar methodologies. - Prior experience in feature extraction from physiological signals. - Experience working with quantitative methods of neural data analysis. - Knowledge of advanced concepts in signal processing. - Research experience in biosignal and EEG analysis. Please send your cover letter and CV to info(a)aretexeng.com *About AreteX Systems:* AreteX Systems is accelerating the use of information technology in healthcare. Our innovative solutions help reduce intensive care unit costs and increase quality of care. Our core technology utilizes mathematical modeling to predict patient outcome and improve quality of care. The technology provides an efficient method to analyze and interpret patient data already available at the hospitals.

April 21, 2016

Postdoctoral Position at The Rockefeller University

by George Reeke

Postdoctoral position in Computational Neuroscience A postdoctoral position supported by the BRAIN initiative is available at The Rockefeller University under the guidance of George Reeke in collaboration with Charles Gilbert and Winrich Freiwald. The overall project will study cortical mechanisms of face and object recognition and more specifically the influence of top-down task and attentional influences on cortical dynamics and perceptual learning in areas of the visual cortical pathway. The computational work will involve developing and running large-scale spiking models of multiple cortical regions studied in the overall project, with the goal of developing an accurate theoretical understanding of the phenomena observed in the experimental research. We are also interested in trying to combine aspects of neural-ensemble style modeling with single-cell modeling where possible to achieve computational efficiency without sacrifice of biological realism, and in devising better statistical approaches for analyzing correlations between firing in different brain areas and between firing records and modeling results. Rockefeller is installing a high-performance computing system with a large number of both CPU and GPU nodes which will provide a state-of- the-art platform for the proposed computational studies. The successful candidate should, ideally, have a Ph.D. in a relevant area of neuroscience with a strong knowledge of mammalian visual systems and experience programming and running models of neuronal systems. The candidate will be expected to develop suitable software to supplement the available tools as needed and will be able to work both independently and as part of a team. Interested individuals should send a c.v. and the names of three references to Dr. George Reeke (reeke(a)rockefeller.edu) with a subject line "Computational Neuroscience postdoc position". The position is available immediate- ly, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The Rockefeller University is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minorities/Women/Disabled/Veterans.

April 21, 2016

Call for applications: Brains for Brains Young Researchers' Computational Neuroscience Award 2016

by Kerstin Schwarzwaelder

Dear colleagues, for the seventh time, the Bernstein Association for Computational Neuroscience<http://www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-association> is announcing the "Brains for Brains Young Researchers' Computational Neuroscience Award". The call is open for researchers of any nationality who have contributed to a peer reviewed publication (as coauthor) or peer reviewed conference abstract (as first author) that was submitted before starting their doctoral studies, is written in English and was accepted or published in 2015 or 2016. The award is endowed with a travel grant of 2.000 € to cover a trip to Germany, including participation in the Bernstein Conference 2016 in Berlin (www.bernstein-conference.de<http://www.bernstein-conference.de>), and an individually planned visit to up to two German research institutions in Computational Neuroscience. Deadline for application is May 20, 2016 (5:00 p.m. CET). Detailed information about the application procedure can be found under: www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-association/brains-for-brains-2016<http://www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-association/brains-for-brains-2016> For inquiries please contact bernstein.network(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:bernstein.network@fz-juelich.de> Best regards, Kerstin Schwarzwälder -- Dr. Kerstin Schwarzwälder Scientific Coordination / Management Officer Please note: Our email addresses have changed. Please use k.schwarzwaelder(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:k.schwarzwaelder@fz-juelich.de> Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9589 mail: k.schwarzwaelder(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:k.schwarzwaelder@fz-juelich.de> web: www.nncn.de<http://www.nncn.de> Twitter: NNCN_Germany<https://twitter.com/NNCN_Germany> YouTube: Bernstein TV<https://www.youtube.com/user/BernsteinNetwork> Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany<https://www.facebook.com/BernsteinNetwork/> LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany<https://www.linkedin.com/company/bernstein-network-computational-neuroscien…> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/bernstein-network-computational-neuroscien…> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 21, 2016

Reminder: Valentino Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience - Call for Nominations

by Kerstin Schwarzwaelder

Dear Colleagues, Please let me remind you that the Bernstein Association for Computational Neuroscience<http://www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-association> invites nominations for the Valentino Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience. The award is biannually presented by the Bernstein Association to a scientist in recognition of outstanding research that contributes to our understanding of the functioning of the brain. The major criterion for the award is the impact or potential impact of the recipient's research on the field of brain science. In the spirit of Valentino Braitenberg's research, special emphasis is given to theoretical studies elucidating the functional implications of brain structures and their neuronal network dynamics. The awardee receives a €5.000 prize donated by the Autonome Provinz Bozen Südtirol as well as complimentary participation (registration, travel, and hotel accomodation) in the Bernstein Conference 2016. Here, the prize is awarded together with a Golden Neuron pin badge in a special ceremony that includes the Valentino Braitenberg lecture given by the awardee. Nominations may be submitted by scientists working in the field of Computational Neuroscience and should include the following documents: - One-page laudation, in which the scientific work of the candidate is honored with regard to the award's criteria - CV and list of publications Deadline for nominations is April 30, 2016 by e-mail to an.huber(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:an.huber@fz-juelich.de> The call for nominations can be found under the followingn URL: www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-association/valentino-braitenberg-award-for-comput…<http://www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-association/valentino-braitenberg-award-for…> For inquiries please contact an.huber(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:an.huber@fz-juelich.de> Best regards, Andrea Huber Brösamle -- Dr. Kerstin Schwarzwälder Scientific Coordination / Management Officer Please note: Our email addresses have changed. Please use k.schwarzwaelder(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:k.schwarzwaelder@fz-juelich.de> Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9589 mail: k.schwarzwaelder(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:k.schwarzwaelder@fz-juelich.de> web: www.nncn.de<http://www.nncn.de> Twitter: NNCN_Germany<https://twitter.com/NNCN_Germany> YouTube: Bernstein TV<https://www.youtube.com/user/BernsteinNetwork> Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany<https://www.facebook.com/BernsteinNetwork/> LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany<https://www.linkedin.com/company/bernstein-network-computational-neuroscien…> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 21, 2016

Postdoctoral position at NYU Abu Dhabi

by Robert Volcic

The search for this position will close in a couple of weeks. If you are planning to attend the Vision Science Society meeting it may be possible to schedule an informal meeting to discuss the position in more detail. ---------------------------------------------------------- The Psychology Department at New York University Abu Dhabi is inviting applications for a fully funded postdoctoral associate position in the area of Psychology with interests in human perceptual and motor systems. The postdoctoral associate will work under the supervision of Dr. Robert Volcic (http://volcic.github.io) and will carry out behavioral studies on human multisensory perception (mainly vision and touch) and action (reaching and grasping). The lab will be equipped with a state of the art system for 3D visualization, a head tracking system, and a motion capture system for monitoring reaching and grasping movements. Moreover, the postdoctoral associate will have access to an eye movement tracker, and to fMRI and EEG facilities. Applicants must hold (or be close to completing) a Ph.D. in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Biology, or related fields. Prior experience in vision/haptic/motor research is important as is programming efficiency. Applications will be accepted immediately and will be considered on a rolling basis. Please visit our website at http://nyuad.nyu.edu/about/careers/faculty-positions.html for instructions and information on how to apply. To be considered, all applicants must submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae with full publication list, a statement of research interests, representative publications, expected date of availability, and names of two referees, all in PDF format. If you have any questions, please e-mail robert.volcic(a)nyu.edu. The preferred start date is September 1st, 2016. A later start date is possible based on the needs of the applicant. The duration of employment is for two years with the possibility to renew. This position is based in Abu Dhabi (U.A.E.). The terms of employment are competitive and include housing and other benefits. About NYUAD: New York University has established itself as a Global Network University, a multi-site, organically connected network encompassing key global cities and idea capitals. The network has three foundational degree-granting campuses: New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai, complimented by a network of eleven research and study-away sites across five continents. Faculty and students will circulate within this global network in pursuit of common research interests and the promotion of cross-cultural and interdisciplinary solutions for problems both local and global. Entering its sixth year, NYU Abu Dhabi has recruited a cohort of faculty who are at once distinguished in their research and teaching. Our students are drawn from around the world and surpass all traditional recruitment benchmarks, both US and global. NYU Abu Dhabi’s highly selective liberal arts enterprise is complimented by an institute for advanced research, sponsoring cutting-edge projects across the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences, and Engineering. EOE/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disabled

April 21, 2016

[jobs] Postdoc-level in Intelligent Adaptive Systems (including neural networks, nlp and robotics)

by Wermter, Stefan

The Knowledge Technology Research Group at the University of Hamburg invites applications for a Research Associate (Postdoc or postdoc-level/final year PhD candidate) in accordance with Section 28 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act (Hamburgisches Hochschul- gesetz, HmbHG). The position commences on 1 July 2016 or as soon as possible and is for three years plus a three year extension option. Responsibilities: Duties include teaching and research in the knowledge technology institute. Research associates can also pursue independent research and further academic qualifications as well as acquire teaching experience. These duties are intended to promote academic achieve- ment. Therefore, at least one-third of set working hours will be made available for the associate's own academic work. Specific Duties: The successful candidate will manage the international Master Pro- gramme in the field of MSc Intelligent Adaptive Systems as well as contribute to its teaching (4hrs/teaching week). Furthermore, the candidate is expected to conduct research in the area of Knowledge Technology and Intelligent Systems. This post is open to Postdocs or postdoc-level PhD candidates. PhD candidates have the opportunity to advance their academic education through the completion of a doctoral dissertation. Requirements: Academic degree preferably in computer science qualifying the post holder to carry out the above-mentioned responsibilities. In particu- lar, an MSc or PhD in Artificial Intelligence or Computer Science is essential. Your demonstrated research interests should be in the areas of Knowledge Technology and Intelligent Systems (e.g. Neural Networks, Cognitive Robotics, Natural Language Processing, Vision, or Knowledge Representation ). You should have published papers in this intelligent systems field. We are also looking for very good com- munication skills and teamwork; a very good command of both German and English is a requirement. Experience with teaching or organisation of MSc programmes is considered an advantage. The job is remunerated at the salary level TV-L 13. The position is full-time and comprises 39 hours per week. The fixed-term nature of this contract is based upon Section 2 of the Academic Fixed-Term Labor Contract Act (Wissenschaftszeitver- tragsgesetz, WissZeitVG). The initial fixed term is three years. The contract provides for a maximum extension of another three years de- pending on the associate's achievements during the first stage. The University aims to increase the number of women in research and teaching and explicitly encourages women to apply. Equally qualified female applicants will receive preference in accordance with the Hamburg Equality Act (Hamburgisches Gleichstellungsgesetz, HmbGleiG). Severely disabled applicants will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants. In case of questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Stefan Wermter, Head of Knowledge Technology Institute or consult our website at https://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/. Applications should include an application letter, full curriculum vitae, pdf of best international publications, copies of degree certificates and transcripts. The application deadline is 6 May 2016. Please email applications in a single pdf file to: Ms Katja Koesters, katja.koesters(a)informatik.uni-hamburg.de *********************************************** Professor Dr. Stefan Wermter Chair of Knowledge Technology Institute Department of Computer Science, WTM, Building F University of Hamburg Vogt Koelln Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Email: wermter AT informatik.uni-hamburg.de http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~wermter/ http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/WTM/ ***********************************************

April 20, 2016

Open PhD position in Juelich, Germany: “From spike trains to whole-brain dynamics – Bottom-up and top-down processing during active vision”

by Martina Reske

Dear colleagues We have an open PhD student position in our collaborative project entitled “From spike trains to whole-brain dynamics – Bottom-up and top-down processing during active vision” to fill. This project addresses the question how visual input is processed in extremely short time cycles of fixations and saccades through interaction of various cortical areas. MEG recordings from human subjects performing free viewing tasks will allow for the simultaneous observation of neuronal activities from different cortical areas during active vision. Analysis of subjects’ performance and brain activity on these visual tasks enables us to study the information flow through various cortical areas, and to identify top-down components interacting with bottom-up processes. What we expect from you: · We seek for a highly motivated candidate with curiosity and persistence · A preferable candidate will have background and strong Master degree in physics, neuroscience, electrophysiology, biology, computer science or a closely related field of natural science, preferably in the field of MEG/EEG biophysics, data acquisition and analysis, biostatistics, MEG/EEG biophysics or signal processing · Obligatory: excellent educational records in the related field, good programming and data processing skills, time series analysis and M/EEG source estimation · Substantial expertise in scientific programming (preferable languages: Python, C, C++ ) and substantial knowledge of Linux and Windows · Strong motivation to carry out neuroimaging studies utilizing MEG and to perform source and connectivity analysis · Beneficial: basic knowledge of neuroscience concepts · Ability and willingness to work independently and proactively · Confident appearance and ability to work cooperatively in an interdisciplinary environment · Good interpersonal and communication skills, structured and systematic working style · Fluent in English (spoken and written); beneficial: knowledge of German The candidate will primarily be based at the Jülich Research Center. What we offer: We offer a position in a creative and international team, themes ranging from computational neuroscience, simulation technology and multimodal imaging, see www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> and <http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-4/EN/Forschung/MEG-Physik/_node.html> http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-4/EN/Forschung/MEG-Physik/_node.html. The Jülich Research Center is one of the largest research centers in Germany, with excellent scientific equipment, located on a green campus, and near the cultural centers Köln, Düsseldorf, and Aachen. The PhD position is available for 3 years. Applications, including a letter clearly motivating your application, CV, publication list, copies of university certificates, and one reference letter should be sent as a single PDF email attachment (max. 10MB) mentioning the internal reference code CSC-GID latest until May 31st , 2016, to should be sent to: Dr. Juergen Dammers (d.dammers(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:d.dammers@fz-juelich.de>). Project leaders will be: Prof. Dr. Sonja Grün (INM-6/IAS-6), Dr. Junji Ito (INM-6/IAS-6), Dr. Jürgen Dammers (INM-4) Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6, INM-4), Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6), Jülich Research Center and JARA52425 Jülich, Germany, www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> -- Dr. Martina Reske Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Jülich Research Centre and JARA Jülich, Germany Work +49.2461.611916 Work Cell +49.151.26156918 Fax +49.2461.619460 www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 20, 2016

Fully funded PhD positions: Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences

by Giulio Sandini

We are seeking candidates for eight fully funded PhD positions at the Italian Institute of Technology's Robotics Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department (RBCS - www.iit.it/rbcs<http://www.iit.it/rbcs> ) directed by Giulio Sandini. The fellowships give access to the PhD course "Bioengineering and Robotics" offered by the University of Genova and specifically to the "Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies" Curriculum. Deadline for Applications is June 10, 2016 at noon, Italian Time. The objective of the PhD program is to form scientists and research technologists capable of working in multidisciplinary teams on projects where human factors play a crucial role in technological development and design. Robotics and neuroscience researchers in RBCS share, as a fundamental scientific objective, the study of physical and social interaction in humans and machines (www.iit.it/rbcs<http://www.iit.it/rbcs> ). More specifically the themes supported by PhD fellowships<https://www.iit.it/110-phd-program-in-biorob-cognitive-robotics-2016> in this Curriculum are part of RBCS studies on human sensorimotor, cognitive and social interaction abilities, their implementation in the humanoid robot iCub, and on the design and assessment of assistive technologies and robotic rehabilitation devices for persons with disabilities. Among the topics offered one is left open to applicant's bright ideas (see the BYO theme in the list). RBCS research facilities<http://www.iit.it/rbcs> supports our student's research activities including the realization of ad-hoc experimental set-ups and mechatronic devices. The experimental facilities include, besides the humanoid platform iCub, a fully equipped motion capture room with simultaneous electromyography recording and force-platforms, a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Lab, an Electrophysiology Lab for EEG recording, haptic devices for ergonomic measures of individual and dyadic interaction, robot rehabilitation devices for the upper limbs including the wrist; The ideal candidates are students with a higher level university degree willing to invest extra time and effort in blending into a multidisciplinary team composed of neuroscientists, engineers, psychologists, physicists working together to investigate brain functions and realize intelligent machines, rehabilitation protocols and advanced prosthesis. The list of the themes offered by the curriculum Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies can be downloaded here: https://www.iit.it/110-phd-program-in-biorob-cognitive-robotics-2016 [PDF] Applicants are strongly encouraged to get in touch with the tutors of the specific themes before completing the submission or with Giulio Sandini. International applications are encouraged and will receive logistic support with visa issues, relocation, etc. =========================================================================== How to apply Application deadline: 10 June 2016, Noon, Italian time =========================================================================== Please note that the positions are available through the PhD course of Bioengineering and Robotics, curriculum on Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies, offered jointly by IIT and the University of Genoa. The official calls are available here: https://www.iit.it/phd-school under the section "Research themes for the call for application to PhD Courses established in agreement with the Università degli Studi di Genova, XXXII cycle". Please have a look at the "tips and tricks" section of this page which contains detailed instructions on how to apply and a list of documents to be presented. The link to the on-line application page is: http://www.studenti.unige.it/postlaurea/dottorati/XXXII/ In case of problems or questions related to the application procedure, please contact: anastasia.bruzzone(a)iit.it<mailto:anastasia.bruzzone@iit.it> =========================================================================== LIST OF THEMES OFFERED (tutors within brackets) Detailed descriptions are here: https://www.iit.it/110-phd-program-in-biorob-cognitive-robotics-2016 [PDF] =========================================================================== 1. INTERACTION AND GRASP FORCE IN HANDWRITING AND DEXTEROUS ACTION (Gabriel Baud-Bovy) 2. UNTANGLING FORCES PERCEPTUALLY IN HUMAN-HUMAN PHYSICAL INTERACTION (Gabriel Baud-Bovy) 3. VISUO-HAPTIC EXPLORATION STRATEGIES FOR OBJECT RECOGNITION (Alessandra Sciutti, Francesco Rea, Giulio Sandini) 4. MAKE HUMANOIDS UNDERSTAND HUMAN ACTIONS (Alessandra Sciutti, Francesco Rea, Giulio Sandini) 5. MULTISENSORY HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION (Alessandra Sciutti, Francesco Rea, Giulio Sandini) 6. ROBOT TECHNOLOGIES FOR EVALUATION OF SENSORIMOTOR IMPAIRMENT AND NEUROMOTOR REHABILITATION (Jacopo Zenzeri, Prof. Pietro Morasso) 7. MOTOR SKILL LEARNING IN DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENTS (Jacopo Zenzeri, Prof. Pietro Morasso) 8. FROM SCIENCE TO TECHNOLOGY FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN (Monica Gori) 9. CORTICAL MECHANISMS OF MULTISENSORY INTEGRATION IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT VISUAL DISABILITY (Monica Gori, Giulio Sandini) 10. SPATIAL AWARENESS THROUGH EGOCENTRIC ON-BODY TACTILE STIMULATION (Luca Brayda, Fabrizio Leo) 11. IMPROVING ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY SKILLS IN VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS BY MEANS OF PROGRAMMABLE TACTILE DISPLAYS (Luca Brayda, Fabrizio Leo) 12. BYO: BRING YOUR OWN (PROJECT) (Giulio Sandini)

April 20, 2016

summer school on 3D displays and the Human Visual System

by Jenny Read

Hello everyone, The European Training Network on Full Parallax Imaging is organising a summer Training School on 3D displays and the Human Visual System, June 27 - July 1 in Newcastle, UK. Aimed at post-graduate students and post-doctoral researchers, especially those from engineering / computing backgrounds who are working on visual displays and interested in learning more about human visual perception in order to create the best experience for viewers. Registration is £250 for 5 days. Please circulate to any students / lab members who might be interested. More information and registration here: http://www.full-parallax-imaging.eu/TS1/ Thanks, Jenny -- Jenny C. A. Read Professor of Vision Science Mobile 0756 151 6988 Institute of Neuroscience Office +44 191 208 7559 Newcastle University, Website jennyreadresearch.com NE2 4HH, United Kingdom Twitter @jcaread _______________________________________________ visionlist mailing list visionlist(a)visionscience.com http://visionscience.com/mailman/listinfo/visionlist

April 20, 2016

Program Director Positions at NSF

by Tuller, Betty K.

Two Program Officer positions are being advertised at the National Science Foundation: Cognitive Neuroscience Program Director: BCS is seeking a Program Director for the Cognitive Neuroscience program. The Cognitive Neuroscience Program aims to spur the development of highly novel theories, techniques and models directed toward enabling basic scientific understanding of a broad range of issues involving brain, cognition, and behavior. Research will provide insights into healthy functions of brain, cognition, and behavior. Additionally, the program highly values the exploration of new methodologies, utilization of the latest analytic approaches, and the convergence of cutting edge techniques for addressing basic questions about human cognition. For additional information, see:https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/435126100?org=BCS Science of Learning Program Director: The Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) at NSF is seeking a Program Director in the Science of Learning, who could also contribute to the management of the Development and Learning Sciences Program. Over the years, the Division has successfully supported research on learning across many scales of analysis, drawing on perspectives from many fields including cognitive and behavioral sciences, social science, engineering, biology, neuroscience, mathematics and physical sciences, computer science, machines learning and artificial intelligence. Attention is now turned to planning the next phase of Science of Learning investments, vis-à-vis the Developmental and Learning Sciences program, to continue the advancement of fundamental knowledge about learning. For additional information, see: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/435131500?org=BCS Betty Tuller, Ph.D. Director, Program in Perception, Action, and Cognition National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Blvd Arlington, VA 22230 Tel: 703.292.7238 Fax: 703.292.9068 1) A new Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide is now available at http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf16001 2) The PAC program has additional requirements for submission: Please go to the website at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5686 3) Other items of potential interest to the PAC community are listed on the PAC website. NOTE: New solicitation for Integrative Strategies for Understanding Neural and Cognitive Systems: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf16508<http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf16508>. Interested in serving as a Program Officer at NSF? Visit: http://www.nsf.gov/about/career_opps/rotators/microsite/<http://www.nsf.gov/about/career_opps/rotators/microsite/>

April 19, 2016

Fully funded PhD position in Computational models of cortical sensory processing at IIT (Italy)

by Stefano Panzeri

We are seeking candidates for a PhD position at the Italian Institute of Technology’s Neural Coding Laboratory ( https://www.iit.it/lines/neural-computation ) directed by Stefano Panzeri and located in Rovereto (Trento), Italy. IIT collaborates with Università degli studi di Trento and finances these positions at the PhD course in Cognitive and Brain Sciences. *Interested candidates are invited to informally approach as soon as possible Prof. Stefano Panzeri (*stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it*) by emailing their CV and briefly explaining their interest in this position. In order to formally apply to the PhD Position, candidates will then need to refer to the call published by Università degli Studi di Trento and available at the following link*: http://web.unitn.it/en/drcimec/10140/admission-doctoral-school-cognitive-an… *Deadline for formal application is 10 may 2016* Topic description: This project will develop neural network models to investigate the mechanisms by which neural circuits encode and transmit information about the sensory environment. In particular, the successful candidate will model the role of specific classes of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in shaping cortical information processing. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to interact with the collaborating IIT laboratory of Dr Tommaso Fellin, that performs neurophysiological and optogenetic experiments to test the model predictions. The applicant should have a strong background in numerate sciences, and have a propensity for interdisciplinary research. No extensive previous experience in neuroscience is needed. However, a keen interest in understanding the brain is essential.

April 19, 2016

fully funded PhD position in Information theoretic studies of neural population coding at IIT (Italy)

by Stefano Panzeri

We are seeking candidates for a PhD position at the Italian Institute of Technology’s Neural Coding Laboratory ( https://www.iit.it/lines/neural-computation ) directed by Stefano Panzeri and located in Rovereto (Trento), Italy. IIT collaborates with Università degli studi di Trento and finances these positions at the PhD course in Cognitive and Brain Sciences. Interested candidates are invited to informally approach *as soon as possible* Prof. Stefano Panzeri (stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it) by emailing their CV and briefly explaining their interest in this position. In order to formally apply to the PhD Position, candidates will then need to refer to the call published by Università degli Studi di Trento and available at the following link: http://web.unitn.it/en/drcimec/10140/admission-doctoral-school-cognitive-an… *Deadline for formal application is 10 may 2016* Topic description: Understanding how populations of neurons encode and transmit information is a prerequisite for understanding brain functions such as perception. Progresses in neural recordings technology enable scientists to monitor the activity of larger and larger number of neurons, but it is still unclear how to analyze these data to understand how groups of neurons work together. The successful candidate will develop and use tools for the analysis of large-scale simultaneous recordings of the spiking activity of cells in the cortex to understand how populations of neurons carry information. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to both develop new advanced methods and to analyze experimental data in collaboration with many experimental neuroscience laboratories. The applicant should have a strong background in numerate sciences, and have a strong propensity for interdisciplinary research. No extensive previous experience in neuroscience is needed. However, a keen interest in understanding the brain is essential.

April 19, 2016

[jobs] Post-doc in Developmental Robotics, closing date 28th April

by Patricia Shaw

Post-Doctoral Research Associate, (Fixed Term until 31 March 2018) Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK Grade 7 - £32,600 - £37,768 Closing Date: Midnight 28 April 2016 Applicants are invited to join the Robotics Laboratory for a project (entitled “Developmental Algorithms for Robotics”). The project is focusing on developmental robotic learning based on an iCub humanoid robot. This is a three year EPSRC funded project running at Aberystwyth University started March 2015, with the support of an International Scientific Advisory Board consisting of leading developmental psychologists. We wish to appoint a Post-Doctoral Research Associate who will develop models based on the psychological literature, and conduct experiments on our iCub humanoid robot. The successful candidate will have appropriate modelling skills and experience, and proven abilities in this area. Other tasks include writing scientific documents and papers, documenting experiments and writing reports, supervising a PhD student and collaborating with other researchers. Regular European travel will be involved. The project ends March 2018, with the fixed-term contract running to this date. For informal enquiries contact Patricia Shaw: phs(a)aber.ac.uk +44 (0)1970 622432. For the full job description, please visit: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__jobs.aber.ac.uk_en_vac…

April 19, 2016