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Two positions at Boston Univ: 1.) Neural data analysis & 2.) Modeling cortical cognitive function

by Michael Hasselmo

Two positions are available in the Hasselmo laboratory in the Center for Systems Neuroscience at Boston University focused on: 1.) Analysis of neurophysiological data, and 2.) Computational modeling of cortical cognitive function. Each position could be hired as either a pre-doctoral staff position or a post-doctoral research position. 1. ANALYSIS OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL DATA. This position involves working with multiple ongoing neurophysiological research projects, including unit and field potential recording in awake behaving rodents, and whole cell patch recording in brain slice preparations. The ideal candidate will be able to balance research projects efficiently and work closely with others in the lab. Interest in neuroscience and background in engineering or mathematics is preferred. Experience with scientific data analysis and signal processing is essential. Programming proficiency is required. Languages of use include: MATLAB, Python, Unix, C++, MySQL, though experience is not required in each. Experience with machine learning, computational modeling, and biomedical recording hardware/software is desirable. Responsibilities: • Develop and maintain standardized analysis procedures and toolboxes for multiple experimental paradigms. • Develop software for interfacing with experimental equipment, as required. • Assist on experimental design and statistical analyses of data • Develop processing procedures for non-standard data • Compare and fit experimental results to biologically structured models. • Prepare written presentations of results • Maintain a uniform data flow and backup procedure across researchers. • Maintain and utilize MySQL databases. 2. COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF CORTICAL COGNITIVE FUNCTION. This position involves development of cortical circuit models of cognitive function with a particular emphasis on the prefrontal cortex, building on previous research including work in the Hasselmo laboratory at Boston University. The ideal candidate will have previous experience with development of neural circuit models of the role of neocortical structures in symbolic processing and cognitive function, with programming proficiency in languages such as MATLAB and/or Python. Responsibilities: • Develop and maintain cognitive model of cortical function using neurons at different levels of detail. • Simulate behavioral function in a range of cognitive tasks. • Assist on design of experiments using fMRI and unit recording in non-human primates. • Compare and fit experimental results to biologically structured models. • Prepare written presentations of models and experimental data. If interested, please send resume, cover letter, and names of references (letters not yet required) to Prof. Michael Hasselmo at hasselmo(a)bu.edu. -- Prof. Michael Hasselmo Director, Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Memory and Brain, Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, 2 Cummington St., Boston, MA, 02215, USA e-mail: hasselmo(a)bu.edu, http://www.bu.edu/hasselmo

April 18, 2016

Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 2016

by Margret Franke

Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 2016 ************************************************************** Satellite Workshops September 20-21, 2016 Main Conference September 21-23, 2016 PhD Symposium September 23-24, 2016 ************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference started out as the annual meeting of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience and has become the largest annual Computational Neuroscience conference in Europe with more than 500 international participants in recent years. This year the conference is organized by the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. The main conference (Sep 21-23, 2016) will be accompanied by satellite workshops (Sep 20-21, 2016) and a PhD symposium (Sep 23-24, 2016). An important part of the main conference will be the two poster sessions. We are now inviting the submission of abstracts from all relevant areas. Authors of most accepted abstracts will get the chance for a poster presentation, a small number of abstracts will be selected for contributed talks during the main conference. Please note the earlier submission deadline for authors applying for a talk. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). DETAILS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION: Please note that the submission of an abstract does not replace the conference registration (www.bernstein-conference.de/registration) Poster space is limited and early submission is encouraged. For abstract submission visit: http://g-node.org/abstracts/bc16/ ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINES: Posters to be considered as contributed talks: June 15, 2016 Other posters: August 1, 2016 NEW THIS YEAR – TRAVEL GRANTS This year for the first time, the Bernstein Association offers Travel Grants for participation in the Bernstein Conference. Each of the 10 Travel Grants is endowed with 500 €. Please find further information under the link: www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2016/travel-grant CONFERENCE DETAILS: Conference registration starts on May 2, 2016. Early registration deadline: July 24, 2016 Hotel rooms are relatively pricy and limited due to a huge trade fair at the same time. We offer a small contingent of hotel rooms close to conference venue on the conference website. Please book by yourself. VENUE Satellite Workshops and Main Conference: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany VENUE PhD Symposium: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Nord, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Philippstr. 13 Haus 6, 10115 Berlin, Germany VENUE Public Lecture: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Audimax, Unter den Linden 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany, September 21, 2016, 8 pm For more information on the conference, please visit the website http://www.bernstein-conference.de We are looking forward to welcoming you in Berlin! Local organizer: Michael Brecht Program chair: Richard Kempter Managing director: Margret Franke Co-Organizers: Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS): Andrea Huber Broesamle, Mareike Kardinal, Kerstin Schwarzwaelder -- Margret Franke Managing Director Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin phone: (030) 2093-9110 fax: (030) 2093-6771

April 18, 2016

Postdoc in Warsaw - kernel-based method of electrophysiological source imaging

by Daniel Wójcik

https://neuroinflab.wordpress.com/jobs/ POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE: kESI – kernel-based method of electrophysiological source imaging The Neuroinformatics Laboratory (https://neuroinflab.wordpress.com/) at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (NENCKI, www.nencki.gov.pl) headed by Prof. Daniel Wójcik (http://www.neuroinf.pl/Members/danek) invites applications for a postdoctoral position (36 months) that will be available as part of a nationally funded project (NCN OPUS). The goal of the project is to develop and implement a new technique of source localization of specific events in neural activity, such as a seizure, from multimodal imaging data, including ECoG (strip and grid electrodes), depth electrophysiological recordings, and MRI data from humans. The method will be validated with ground truth model data and tested on clinical data obtained from epilepsy patients. The fellow will build on already existing tools and techniques developed in the lab, see especially Potworowski et al. 2012 and Ness et al. 2015. Requirements: - PhD, preferred in physics/biophysics, mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering, computational neuroscience or related fields - Strong interest in brain research - Preference for people with experience in one or more of: numerical solutions of PDEs, electrodynamics, computational neuroscience, brain imaging - Advanced programming experience, Python preferred - Exceptional motivation for scientific research (demonstrated in former education record, additional courses completed, list of publications and conferences attended, previous scientific experience, references of the candidate’s thesis advisor, letter-of-intent) - Proficiency in English Application The application should contain the following documents/information: - CV including the list of publications, scholarships and awards, list of computational projects in which the candidate participated (preferably with links to the project website/publication or the candidate’s GitHub account). - Copy of PhD diploma - The applicant should arrange for two letters of recommendation to be sent directly to Prof. Wojcik and should provide contact information (email, phone) for the two referees in the cover letter. Preferred starting time: by September 15th, 2016 but the position is open. Application deadline: We are accepting applications until the position is filled To apply or ask for further information send email to d.wojcik(a)nencki.gov.pl -- Prof. Daniel K. Wojcik Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Head PhD Studies, Head Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology 3 Pasteur St, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland tel: (+48 22) 5892348 fax: (+48 22) 8225342 skype: danek8317 http://dwojcik.pl/ http://neuroinflab.wordpress.com/ http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0812-9872

April 18, 2016

postdoc positions - Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit

by Peter Latham

The Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit invites applications for one or more postdoctoral training fellowships in theoretical neuroscience and related areas. We are looking especially for someone with an interest and/or background in synaptic plasticity and learning. Candidates should have a very strong analytical background in physics, mathematics, statistics, or machine learning, with an emphasis on the use of Bayesian methods in neuroscience, a detailed knowledge and understanding of the literature, and a publication record in highly ranked conferences and journals. Candidates must also have a PhD in a relevant subject area by the agreed start date of the position. For additional information, and to apply, please visit http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/vacancies/TN%20Postdoc%202016/TN%20Postdoc%2020… If you have any questions, please contact Peter Latham, pel(a)gatsby.ucl.ac.uk

April 18, 2016

Open PhD Position at the University of Exeter, UK - Modelling visuomotor coordination in People with Parkinson’s Disease

by Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira

I have an open PhD Positions in my group at the University of Exeter. I am looking for PhD students with quantitative background (mathematics, physics, computer science or engineering) who are interested in applying their skills in solving biomedical and/or healthcare problems. Carlota Palmer Studentships: 2. Modelling visuomotor coordination in People with Parkinson’s Disease For further details and how to apply see: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=2159<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=2122> Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding these positions. Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences University of Exeter Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QF, UK tel: +44 (0) 1392 723615 email: k.tsaneva-atanasova(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:k.tsaneva-atanasova@exeter.ac.uk> web: http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298 ALTEREGO - Enhancing Social Interaction with an AlterEgo artificial agent http://www.euromov.eu/alterego/homepage

April 18, 2016

Postdoctoral and Developer positions / Large-scale network simulator development

by Hans Ekkehard Plesser

Dear Colleagues! The computational neuroscience group at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences is currently recruiting one postdoctoral-level researcher and one scientific software developer as part of our large-scale neuronal network simulator development efforts in the Human Brain Project (HBP). Our group is responsible for four tasks in the next phase of the HBP: - Massively parallel methods for network construction from rules and data - Whole brain level in silico instrumentation, services and apps - Models of brain signals - Simulator NEST as a Service Your work will focus on the first two tasks, researching concepts required to compactly specify brain-scale neuronal networks so that they are easy for the neuroscientist to review, and at the same time can be instantiated efficiently in a massively parallel fashion. You will further work on concepts that will allow domain specialists to configure complete in silico experiments on point-neuron-based whole-brain models by connecting stimulation and recording devices to specific neuron populations. We will collaborate closely with colleagues within the HBP, especially at the Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine 6, Research Center Jülich (FZJ), at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), and at University of Oslo. Our group is a core member of the NEST Initiative. We have access to some of the world's largest supercomputers and aim to develop simulation technology that will scale to the exascale. Preferred starting date for the positions is 1 August 2016 for a period of 20 months (until 31 March 2018). For details on the positions, please see the full advertisements at https://www.jobbnorge.no/ledige-stillinger/stilling/124473/researcher-in-ne… https://www.jobbnorge.no/ledige-stillinger/stilling/124558/head-engineer-se… where you also can submit your application. For general information about working in Norway, please see https://www.nav.no/workinnorway/ Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in the positions! Hans Ekkehard Plesser -- Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser, Associate Professor Section Head Dept. of Mathematical Sciences and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no Home http://arken.umb.no/~plesser

April 18, 2016

[IEEE ICCI*CC'16:] Final call for Submission: Computational Intelligence/Cognitive Informatics/Cognitive Computing @Stanford

by Yingxu Wang

Dear Colleagues, The deadline for paper submission to IEEE ICCI'CC’16 (15th IEEE International Conference on Cognitive Informatics & Cognitive Computing) is April 30, 2016 (http://www.ucalgary.ca/icci_cc/iccicc-16) The Proceedings of ICCI*CC'16 will be published by IEEE CS Press. Papers accepted in ICCI*CC’16 will be indexed by EI. Extended versions of selected papers will be published in several EI or SCI indexed journals. Full papers are expected to be around 5-8 pages in IEEE double column format. Short papers (3-4 pages) that report industrial experience, case studies, work in progress, or graduate students’ research are also welcome. Paper submission site is at: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=iccicc2016. The conference will be featured by four keynote speeches such as those of: * Prof. Lotfi A. Zadeh with UC Berkeley * Prof. Bernard Widrow with Stanford University The keynotes highlight cutting-edge theories and novel technologies for cognitive systems and computational intelligence inspired by the brain. We look forward to meeting you at Stanford University during Aug. 22-23, 2016. Sincerely, IEEE ICCI*CC'16 Co-Chairs GENERAL CO-CHAIRS: Bernard Widrow (Stanford) and Yingxu Wang (UofC, Canada) PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS: Newton Howard (MIT) and Kostas Plataniotis (Univ. of Toronto, Canada)_______________________________________________ This message was sent to all subscribers of ieeeicci13-L To unsubscribe, see instructions at: http://www.ucalgary.ca/it/email/mailman E-mail: ieeeicci13-L(a)mailman.ucalgary.ca Homepage: http://mailman.ucalgary.ca/mailman/listinfo/ieeeicci13-l

April 18, 2016

PhD position: neuronal self-organization in the retina

by Roman Bauer

Dear all, applications are invited for a fully-funded three-year PhD student position at the Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne (UK). The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Dr Roman Bauer and Dr Evelyne Sernagor, and do computational modeling as well as wet-lab work on neuronal development and self-organization in the retina. There is also the possibility for the student to be involved in a collaborative project with CERN openlab and Intel as a project partner. Applicants should be highly motivated and should have a strong background in physics, computer science, neuroscience or a related disciplince. Good computational skills and experience in a major programing language such as C++ or Java are required. The Institute of Neuroscience (IoN) is a well-established research institute integrating over 75 principal investigators, and was ranked in UK top 10 for overall quality of research. The university's Faculty of Medical Sciences, of which IoN is part of, is ranked in the top 50 worldwide for biomedical and health sciences in the Leiden Ranking. UK/EU and International students are eligible to apply, but international students will be required to make up the difference between the UK/EU fees and international fees. The deadline is May 13th, 2016. More details on this job posting can be found here: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/sources/allstudents/12mrea.html Best regards, Roman Bauer

April 16, 2016

Call for Abstracts at NTS Conference, Deadline April 29, 2016

by Camille Grigsby-Rocca

Dear Colleagues, The Scientific Committee of Neuromodulation: The Science Conference is pleased to announce an extension to the conference Call for Abstracts, now due April 29, 2016, for our upcoming neuroscience summit, slated for May 25-29, 2016 in San Francisco. Submissions are open for the Neurovations Awards for Best Posters in Neuromodulation at NTS Conference, for abstracts presenting original basic or clinical scientific research or updates in brain/computer/machine interfacing, biomedical engineering, neuroscience and neuromodulation. See the Abstract Submission Guidelines here<http://ntsconference.com/neurovations-award/>. The top three posters from all specialties including brain/computer/maching interfacing, bioengineering, neuromodulation and neuroscience will win an award for scientific excellence, which will be presented on the final day of the conference. Prizes to the top three posters selected will be awarded in amounts of $3000, $2000, and $1000, respectively. All posters must be attended by a registered attendee of the conference. View the program at ntsconference.com<http://ntsconference.com/> - conference co-chairs Elliot Krames, MD, Eric Grigsby, MD, MBA and Peter Staats, MD, with the support of the Conference Scientific Committee have designed five days of world-class scientific content. The program includes lectures and Q&A panels, led by over 60 of the world's preeminent scientists in brain/computer/machine interfacing, neuromodulation, optogenetics, bioengineering, functional electrical stimulation (FES), spinal cord stimulation (SCS), and more. Early registration rates are available through April 21. Discounted lodging rates at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, San Francisco, are available until April 29. Abstracts will be accepted through April 29. CME credits are available, with 18.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits(tm). VIEW THE FULL PROGRAM HERE<http://ntsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/NTS_agenda_040516.pdf>. ________________________________ This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through joint providership of SpectrumCare and Neurovations Education. SpectrumCare is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. SpectrumCare designates this live activity for a maximum of 18.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits(tm). Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. ________________________________ 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 15, 2016

Deadline April 30 for Berkeley summer course in mining and modeling of neuroscience data

by Friedrich Sommer

Just a reminder: The application deadline for the Berkeley course in mining and modeling of neuroscience data, held July 11-22, 2016 is April 30 midnight. Call for applications: We invite applicants to the 2016 summer course in "Mining and modeling of neuroscience data" to be held July 11-22, 2016 at UC Berkeley. A description of the course is below and also at: http://crcns.org/course Berkeley summer course in mining and modeling of neuroscience data. July 11-22, 2016 Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, UC Berkeley Organizers: Fritz Sommer, Bruno Olshausen & Jeff Teeters (HWNI, UC Berkeley) Scope This course is for students and researchers with backgrounds in mathematics and computational sciences who are interested in applying their skills toward problems in neuroscience. It will introduce the major open questions of neuroscience and teach state-of–the-art techniques for analyzing and modeling neuroscience data sets. The course is designed for students at the graduate level and researchers with background in a quantitative field such as engineering, mathematics, physics or computer science who may or may not have a specific neuroscience background. The goal of this summer course is to help researchers find new exciting research areas and at the same time to strengthen quantitative expertise in the field of neuroscience. The course is sponsored by the National Institute of Health, the National Science Foundation from a grant supporting activities at the data sharing repository CRCNS.org, and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at UC Berkeley. Format The course is “hands on” in that it will include exercises in how to use and modify existing software tools and apply them to data sets, such as those available in the CRCNS.org repository. Course Instructors Robert Kass, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh Maneesh Sahani, Gatsby Unit, University College London Odelia Schwartz, University of Miami Frederic Theunissen, University of California Berkeley Joshua Vogelstein, Johns Hopkins University Course Moderators Fritz Sommer and Jeff Teeters, Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience. Speakers To complement the main course instruction there will be lectures in the evenings by local Berkeley and UCSF neuroscientists presenting their research using quantitative approaches. Requirements Applicants should be familiar with linear algebra, probability, differential and integral calculus and have some experience using MatLab and Python. Each student should bring a laptop with both MatLab and Python installed. Cost There is no cost to attend. Non-local attendees will be reimbursed for economy travel expenses (up to a maximum, probably about $500) and also for qualifying food expenses if receipts are provided. Housing Rooms in a nearby hotel will be provided for those attendees who need accommodations. Food Breakfast and some dinners will be provided to all participants as a group. Non-local attendees can purchase food at local stores or restaurants and be reimbursed. How to apply To apply, submit the online form linked from: http://crcns.org/course. A curriculum vitae and a letter of recommendation are required. The course is limited to 25 students. Deadlines Applications must be received by the end of April. Notifications of acceptance will be given by May 15. Questions Questions about the course can be sent to course [at] crcns.org. Topics covered (subject to change): Basic approaches: - The problem of neural coding - Spike trains, point processes, and firing rate - Statistical thinking in neuroscience - Theory of model fitting / regularization / hypothesis testing - Overview of stimulus-response function models - Theory of model fitting / regularization / hypothesis testing - Bayesian methods - Spike sorting - Estimation of stimulus-response functionals: regression methods, spike-triggered covariance, - Variance analysis of neural response - Estimation of SNR. Coherence Information theoretic approaches: - Information transmission rates - Scene statistics approaches and neural modeling Techniques for analyzing multiple-electrode and optical neural recordings: - Event sorting in electrophysiology and optical imaging - Optophysiology cell detection - Sparse coding/ICA methods, vanilla and methods including statistical models of nonlinear dependencies - Methods for assessing functional connectivity - Statistical issues in network identification - Low-dimensional latent dynamical structure in network activity–Gaussian process factor analysis/newer methods Analyzing structural data: - Histology cell detection - Statistical connectomics Neuroinformatics topics: - Petascale data storage, exploration, parsing and analysis - Introduction into Neurodata Without Borders data format for Neurophysiology

April 13, 2016

Postdoctoral position: computational neuroscience in NYU

by Chen, Zhe

Dear colleagues, Applications are now being accepted for a postdoctoral fellow position to combine computational and experimental techniques to study neural mechanisms of thalamus-neocortical circuits using healthy or diseased rodent models (1-4). The applicant will work closely with Dr. Zhe (Sage) Chen and Dr. Mike Halassa at the New York University School of Medicine, with cross-disciplinary training in computational and systems neuroscience, including rodent behavior and electrophysiology. 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<http://neuroscience.med.nyu.edu/>), Center for Neural Science (http://www.cns.nyu.edu<http://www.cns.nyu.edu/>), Department of Neuroscience & Physiology (http://neuro-physio.med.nyu.edu<http://neuro-physio.med.nyu.edu/>), and Department of Psychiatry (http://psych.med.nyu.edu<http://psych.med.nyu.edu/>). 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 depending on performance. Applications must have a PhD degree in Neuroscience, 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 large-scale computational (biophysical and statistical) modeling of neural circuits are desired. Previous training in some but not necessary all areas, such as animal behavior and optogenetics, in vivo neural recordings at the system levels, are preferred. Research experience with multi-electrode recordings of rodent neural circuits is 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>) or Dr. Mike Halassa (Michael.halassa(a)nyumc.org<mailto:Michael.halassa@nyumc.org>) with a subject line “Postdoc application”. Best Zhe (Sage) Chen Related references: 1. Halassa, M.M., Chen, Z., Wimmer, R.D., Brunetti, P.M., Zhao, S., Zikopoulos, B., Wang, F., Brown, E.N., Wilson, M.A. (2014) State-dependent architecture of thalamic reticular sub-networks. Cell, 158: 808-824. 2. Chen, Z., Wimmer, R.D., Wilson, M.A., Halassa, M.M. (2015) Thalamic circuit mechanisms link sensory processing in sleep and attention. Front. Neural Circuits, 9:83. 3. Wimmer, R.D., Schmitt, L.I., Davidson, T.J., Nakajima, M., Deisseroth, K.,Halassa, M.M. (2015) Thalamic control of sensory selection in divided attention. Nature, 526: 705–709, DOI: 10.1038/nature15398. 4. Wells, M.F., Wimmer, R.D., Schmitt, L.I., Feng, G., Halassa, M.M. (2016) Thalamic reticular impairment underlies attention deficit in Ptchd1Y/- mice. Nature, 532: 58-63, DOI: 10.1038/nature17427. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. =================================

April 13, 2016

CFP- Frontiers Research Topic: Cortico-striato-nigro-thalamo-cortical Modeling for Understanding Motor Function and Neurodegenerative Disease

by Zheng

To whom it may concern: In collaboration with Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, we are organizing a Research Topic titled "Cortico-striato-nigro-thalamo-cortical Modeling for Understanding Motor Function and Neurodegenerative Disease”, hosted by Pengsheng Zheng, James Kozloski, Timothy Rumbell, George V. Rebec. As host editor, I would like to encourage you to contribute to this topic. Please find more information about Research Topics below, including the publishing fees that apply. You can also visit the homepage we have created on the Frontiers website, which defines the focus of the topic, and where all published articles will appear. http://frontiersin.org/Computational_Neuroscience/researchtopics/Cortico-st… Movement in the body is directly controlled by motor cortex, and also determined by multiple subcortical structures, such as thalamus and the basal ganglia (including striatum and dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra). Many lines of evidence have suggested the cortico-striato-nigro-thalamo-cortical circuitry plays a major role in motor learning and control. This circuitry has also been investigated for its causal role in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Neurodegenerative diseases are often associated with movement disorders and neuronal dysfunction in degenerated brain structures, such as the striatum in Huntington’s disease and dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta in Parkinson's disease. Degeneration fundamentally changes the dynamics of local neuronal circuits, and these changes then propagate through the structural connectome of whole brain circuitry, eventually altering global brain dynamics. However, our current understanding of these system dynamics in the cortico-striato-nigro-thalamo-cortical circuitry remains rudimentary. Hence, theoretical studies about critical system variables and computational principles of this circuitry, constrained by recordings throughout, will shed new light on causes of motor dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases. This Research Topic of Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience aims to bring together recent advances in theoretical modeling of cortico-striato-nigro-thalamo-cortical network and experimental observations. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, local brain circuit modeling, the functional role of neuronal plasticity in the local and global circuit, global circuit interactions and information exchange, new models validated by experimental observations, and dynamic disease risk analysis through perturbation studies. Best regards, Pengsheng Zheng zhengp(a)us.ibm.com <mailto:zhengp@us.ibm.com> T.J. Watson Research Center 1101 Kitchawan Rd., 13-114A Yorktown Heights, NY 10598

April 13, 2016

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

by Etienne B. Roesch

*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 debugger • 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 Kind regards, Etienne ----- Dr. Etienne B. Roesch Lecturer in Cognitive Science University of Reading

April 13, 2016

Early Career Research Fellowship in Systems Biology / Machine Learning for Food and Disease

by Steuber, Volker

Early Career Research Fellowship in Systems Biology / Machine Learning for Food and Disease Closing date: 17 May 2016 Salary: £31,656 - £37,768 per annum depending on skills and experience. The University of Hertfordshire is investing in its future research staff and infrastructure, and is in the process of transitioning the delivery of its research under six Themes: Food; Global Economy; Health and Wellbeing; Heritage, Cultures and Communities; Information and Security; Space. These will assist in the further development of research excellence and provide both increased external profile and internal focus for Hertfordshire’s research activities. Six new Research Fellow posts are each offered for a five year term in the first instance. It is our expectation, however, that successful appointees will grow their research activities to become permanent academic staff members by the end of that period. Further particulars for the ECRF in Systems Biology / Machine Learning for Food and Disease Qualifications required: You must have a first degree in a science, such as biology, computer science, mathematics or a relevant subject, and a doctoral degree in bioinformatics, machine learning, quantitative genetics or a related subject area. Experience in systems biology, big data science or genomics will be particularly relevant. Research focus and environment: This Fellowship will focus on emerging methods in biocomputation that generate and exploit large data sets of biological information available from genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics to better understand mechanisms of host resistance/immunity and/or resistance breakdown. The Fellow will generate an improved understanding of relevant biological systems to develop specific strategies to combat infectious diseases caused by plant, animal or human pathogens. This Fellowship will be supported by existing collaborations between colleagues in Schools of Life & Medical Sciences (Kukol, Stotz, Barling, Fitt) and Computer Science (Steuber). The Fellow is expected to use the University’s high performance computer cluster. Experience and skills required for the post (i) Considerable experience with big data analysis and machine learning, including working knowledge of scripting languages like Perl, Python and/or R; (ii) Knowledge of genomic research techniques, such as next-generation sequencing, proteomics and/or metabolic profiling; (iii) Practical experience with the application of numerical analysis and/or mathematical models to biological datasets, for example in genomics or quantitative genetics; (iv) Evidence of original research published in high impact journals. Research expectations The Fellow is expected to develop a collaborative research program with our academic partners. We envisage that the Research Fellow will become a permanent staff member, supported by funding from successful research grant applications and developing new areas of teaching, especially at the post-graduate level. To ensure this, the two Schools will provide career training for the Fellow. The Fellow will have established collaborations with companies and successfully obtained co-funded industry-government projects. The Fellow will continue to publish high-impact papers and be leading an internationally recognised research team. Description of the Schools: The Early Career Research Fellow will work with and receive support from the School of Life and Medical Sciences and the School of Computer Science. The successful candidate can build on the strengths of both Schools and may combine experiment-based empirical research with data-based analysis. Within the School of Life and Medical Sciences (http://www.herts.ac.uk/apply/schools-of-study/life-and-medical-sciences/res…) the Centre for Agriculture, Food and Environmental Management (CAFEM) is a research and teaching collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College, Rothamsted Research and Oaklands College. The Fellow will work with researchers in CAFEM who have experience with systems biology applicable to crop protection, combining experimental field and lab research with computational modelling. Within the School of Computer Science, research in the Biocomputation Research Group (http://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk/) involves development of computational models to study biological systems and application of biologically-inspired machine learning algorithms for the analysis of "real-world" data. Members of the Biocomputation Group analyse and simulate computational models at different levels of complexity and collaborate closely with leading experimentalists in the UK and abroad. Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be made to Professor Bruce Fitt, Professor of Plant Pathology, email: b.fitt(a)herts.ac.uk / Tel + 44 (0)1707 284751 or Dr Volker Steuber, Reader in Biocomputation and Head of the Biocomputation Research Group, email: v.steuber(a)herts.ac.uk / Tel: +44 (0)1707 284350. Applications should be made through http://www.herts.ac.uk/contact-us/jobs-and-vacancies/research-vacancies, job reference 013457.

April 13, 2016

Advances in Neuroinformatics and INCF Nodes WS in Japan, May 28-29 - Abstract submission closes April 18

by Malin Sandström

Dear neuroinformatics community members, would you like to stay up to date on recent neuroinformatics developments in Asia? Are you looking for new collaborators in Japan and/or Asia and the Pacific region? There is one week left to submit abstracts for the combined INCF Nodes Workshop and Japan Node AINI (Advances in Neuroinformatics) on *May 28-29*. The location is RIKEN's Wako campus, located in west Tokyo. The two meetings are integrated, with joint demo and poster sessions held on both days. The theme of AINI 2016 is "Integration of multidimensional neuroscience“, with keynotes by Maryann Martone, Thomas Wachtler, Jun'ichi Tsujii and Teiichi Furuichi. The INCF Nodes Workshop will be a scientific networking event with a special focus session on Asian and Pacific neuroinformatics, which has invited speakers from Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia. The full program is available here: http://www.neuroinf.jp/aini2016/program.html *Registration is free of charge*, and open until May 20, while the *abstract submission is open until April 18*. An abstract will be 1/2 page in A4 size, and you may add one figure separately. Best regards on behalf of all organizers, Malin Sandström -- 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

April 13, 2016

Third call for posters/registration: Sixth International Symposium on Biology of Decision-Making (SBDM), 25-27 May 2016 @ Paris, France

by Mehdi Khamassi

[Please accept our apologies if you get multiple copies of this message] Dear colleagues, Deadlines are approaching concerning submission to/registration for the Sixth International Symposium on Biology of Decision Making (SBDM), which will take place in Paris on May 25-27th 2016. The full program can be seen here: http://sbdm2016.isir.upmc.fr/view.php/SBDM2016_Program_Titles.pdf If you want to attend SBDM 2016, please fill in the registration form at http://sbdm2016.isir.upmc.fr and then follow the instructions received by email. The deadline for poster submission is: April 30th 2016. The deadline for registration is: May 15th 2016. Registration fees (170 euros) include lunches, coffee breaks and social event. Please circulate widely and encourage your colleagues and team members to attend. Best regards The SBDM organizing committee ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SIXTH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON BIOLOGY OF DECISION MAKING (SBDM 2016) May 25-27, 2016, Paris, France Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, Hôpital La Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France. & Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. & Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France. http://sbdm2016.isir.upmc.fr ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PRESENTATION: The Sixth International Symposium on Biology of Decision Making will take place on May 25-27, 2016 at the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, Paris, France, with a satellite day at Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. The objective of this three day symposium is to gather people from different research fields with different approaches (economics, ethology, psychiatry, neural and computational approaches) to decision-making. The symposium will be a single-track, will last for 3 days and will include 6 sessions: (#1) Cost of control, fatigue and decision-making; (#2) Emotion, stress and decision-making; (#3) Dynamics of decision-making; (#4) Decision-making across primates; (#5) Confidence, mood and decision-making; (#6) Learning, memory and decision-making. CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Sébastien Bouret (CNRS - ICM, France) Michael Chee (Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore) Anastasia Christakou (University of Reading, UK) Anne Churchland (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA) Stanislas Dehaene (Collège de France - INSERM - CEA, France) Adele Diederich (Jacobs University, Germany) Tobias H. Donner (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) Valérie Dufour (CNRS, France) Shelly Flagel (University of Michigan, USA) Steve Fleming (University College London, UK) Birte U. Forstmann (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) Julie Grèzes (CNRS - Ecole Normale Supérieure, France) Cendri Hutcherson (University of Toronto, Canada) Veronika Job (University of Zurich, Switzerland) Mehdi Khamassi (CNRS - Université Pierre et Marie Curie, France) Pascal Mamassian (Ecole Normale Supérieure - CNRS, France) Florent Meyniel (Collège de France - INSERM - CEA, France) Randall O'Reilly (University of Colorado Boulder, USA) Mathias Pessiglione (INSERM - ICM, France) Jonathan Pillow (Princeton University, USA) Timothy J. Pleskac (Max Planck Institute, Germany) Alexandra G. Rosati (Harvard University, USA) Robb Rutledge (University College London, UK) Jérôme Sallet (University of Oxford, UK) Carmen Sandi (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland) Daniela Schiller (Mount Sinaï University, USA) Amitai Shenhav (Princeton University, USA) Mark Sheskin (Yale University, USA) Hiromu Tanimoto (Tohoku University, Japan) Angela J. Yu (University of California San Diego, USA) Alexandre Zenon (Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium) IMPORTANT DATES: April 30, 2016 Deadline for Poster Submission May 7, 2016 Notification of Poster Acceptance May 15, 2016 Deadline for Registration May 25-27, 2016 Symposium Venue ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Thomas Boraud (CNRS - IMN, Bordeaux, France) Kenji Doya (OIST, Okinawa, Japan) Mehdi Khamassi (CNRS - UPMC, Paris, France) Etienne Koechlin (CNRS - ENS, Paris, France) Mathias Pessiglione (ICM - INSERM, Paris, France) CONTACT INFORMATION : Website, registration, poster submission and detailed program: http://sbdm2016.isir.upmc.fr Contact: sbdm2016 [ at ] isir.upmc.fr / sbdm2016-registration [ at ] isir.upmc.fr -- Mehdi Khamassi, PhD Tenured research scientist (CR1 CNRS) Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics Université Pierre et Marie Curie - BC 173 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France tel: + 33 1 44 27 28 85 fax: +33 1 44 27 51 45 cell: +33 6 50 76 44 92 email: mehdi.khamassi(a)upmc.fr http://people.isir.upmc.fr/khamassi

April 12, 2016

Structural-functional brain modules: PhD position at BioCruces Institute, Bilbao, Spain

by Paolo Bonifazi

Within the Computational Neuroimaging group of Prof. Jesus Cortes at the BioCruces Health Research Institute (Bilbao, Spain), we are looking for a PhD student to develop and carry on a project aimed at identifying brain-connectivity biomarkers/descriptors(predictors) for brain pathologies/functional states. The project will rely on subjects/patients databases both acquired locally at the Cruces University Hospital, or provided through external regional/international collaborations or freely available on the web. The core of the study is based on the structural-functional brain modules, recently described in “A novel brain partition highlights the modular skeleton shared by structure and function” ( http://www.nature.com/articles/srep10532) and identified by reconstructing simultaneously on the same subjects brain connectivity networks, using functional and diffusion MRI. The PhD candidate will be also involved on a longitudinal multi-scale study of epileptic networks combining MRI and electrophysiological recordings in epileptic patients undergoing surgery. The project has been recently approved within the RETOS Spanish governmental grants. The PhD candidate will be closely supervised by Prof. J. M. Cortes ( http://www.jesuscortes.info/jesusweb/) and Dr. P. Bonifazi ( http://www.ikerbasque.net/paolo.bonifazi) and will work in close collaboration with the MDs of Neurology, Neurophysiology and Neurosurgery Division of the Cruces Hospital. The contract will be up to 3/4 years, with a gross salary of € 20,600 per year, with social security contributions and other recruitment costs paid by the host research institute (BioCruces). Deadline for application is May the 11th. Candidates with a deep interest in Neuroscience or Complex Networks and preferably with a solid background in Physics, Mathematics, Engineering or Medicine, are invited to send a motivation letter and the names of two referee to Dr. P. Bonifazi at paol.bonifazi(a)gmail.com. We look forward your interest, Yours Paolo Bonifazi

April 12, 2016

PhD positions on Multiscale Modelling of the Neuromuscular System for Deep Brain Stimulation

by Olga Grant

Background Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is an effective, safe and reversible method for treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders. It involves implanting electrodes in the brain to stimulate neurons responsible for symptoms including tremor, slowed movement and stiffness. Despite its success, the methods by which DBS works are not yet known and many questions remain to be answered in order to realize its full potential. Research within our group aims to improve our understanding of DBS and to identify new approaches for stimulation using computer models of networks of neurons within the brain and the neuromuscular system. Applications are invited for two full time PhD positions focusing on 1) Development of computational models of the neuromuscular system and 2) Closed loop control of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease. The start date for both projects will be September 2016 Who Should Apply Applicants should have, or expect to obtain, a first or upper second class honours Bachelors or Masters degree in Electrical, Electronic or Biomedical Engineering (or a related discipline). Suitable candidates will have a strong interest in biomedical/neural engineering and neuroscience. Excellent analytical, computer programming and communications skills are essential. Funding This project is funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant. Studentships cover tuition fees for EU applicants and a tax free stipend of €18,000 per year. An annual allowance is provided for research consumables and for conference attendance. How to Apply Please send a cover letter describing your experience and interest in this project (1 page max), CV, and academic transcripts to Prof. Madeleine Lowery UCD School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering University College Dublin Belfield, Dublin 4 Ireland E-mail: neuromuscular(a)ucd.ie <mailto:neuromuscular@ucd.ie> Tel. +353 (1) 716 1911 ____________________________________ Dr Olga M Grant Research Project Manager School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering Tel +353 (1) 7161778

April 11, 2016

CORRECTION: Job opportunity for Image Analysis Scientist at Salk

by Uri Manor

The previous version of this announcement listed the job number as F142. The correct number is F143. I apologize for the inconvenience. WAITT ADVANCED BIOPHOTONICS CORE Job Opportunity – Image Analysis Scientist The Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center has been established at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies as a state-of-the-art research hub to provide advanced and emerging imaging modalities to enable unprecedented insights into the inner workings of cells, tissues and organisms. We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced candidate in the field of computational image analysis to serve as an Image Analysis Scientist for the Biophotonics Core Facility. The Image Analysis Scientist will have a principal responsibility to collaborate with the other light and electron microscopy researchers in the Biophotonics Core and the Salk Institute to provide specific expertise for developing custom computer algorithms for complex and novel analyses of raw imaging data, computer data management and developing algorithms for microscopy operations. The Image Analysis Scientist will also develop and publish novel imaging and image analysis techniques in collaboration with the Core Director and Salk faculty. The Image Analysis Scientist will apply existing image processing software to 2D and 3D images and videos, and will also integrate data across different platforms (e.g. correlative EM). Finally, under the supervision and training of the Core Director, the Image Analysis Scientist will become familiar with the microscopes used in the facility, and develop expertise in using the equipment to acquire imaging data optimized for image analysis. Along with the Core Director, the Image Analysis Scientist will train Salk scientists on how to properly acquire high quality quantitative microscopy image data. This is a multi-faceted job that involves the following components: • Image Processing & Data Analysis - With the support of the Core Director, the incumbent will participate in the collaborative development of custom image data analysis and algorithm solutions. • Research Design & Participation - aiding Director and independently assisting users in design of imaging experiments. Educate facility users in the use of facility instrumentation and methods used therein for optimal acquisition of imaging data. • Data Collection & Presentation - collecting and managing data and helping to prepare data for publication & presentation. • User Training - guide and assist Salk researchers in the use of existing image acquisition and processing software. To Apply: http://www.salk.edu/about/careers/ (Job # F143) Uri Manor, Ph.D. DIRECTOR WAITT ADVANCED BIOPHOTONICS CORE PH (858) 453-4100 x2119 M (314) 406-7618 E umanor(a)salk.edu<mailto:tberggren@salk.edu> W http://bpho.salk.edu<mailto:tberggren@salk.edu> [cid:E4C48475-653C-4000-9B8C-437F759B2644@salk.edu] Salk Institute for Biological Studies 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd • La Jolla, CA 92037 WWW.SALK.EDU<http://www.salk.edu>

April 11, 2016

Fully funded PhD position at BioCruces Health Research Institute, Bilbao, Spain

by Asier Erramuzpe Osakidetza

BioCruces Health Research Institute (Bilbao, Spain) is looking for a PhD student who is a graduate in engineering and has completed a master, in its first year of doctorate or going into it this year. The pre-doc will work on an ongoing project since 2015, Neuroimaging in Parkinson's disease, funded by the ISCIII and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. The candidate will work primarily with MR imaging and to a lesser extent retinal images and analysis of cardiovascular signals. The PI of the project would be Juan Carlos Gómez-Esteban, neurologist, Head of group of Neurodegenerative Diseases in BioCruces and Movement Disorders and Parkinson Surgery in the Hospital of Cruces in collaboration with Dr. Iñigo Gabilondo. The website of the group: http://www.biocruces.com/bc5.01 Candidates should have a technical degree and knowledge of at least one programming language (python, matlab or R) and desirably knowledge of the packages SPM, FSL and Freesurfer. The contract will be up to 4 years (2 years extendable to 4 depending on the financing of the project), with a gross salary of € 20,600 per year. Social security contributions and other recruitment costs paid by BioCruces. Application dates are from April 12 to May 11. Candidates are invited to send a motivation letter and the names of one referee to Dr. Gabilondo by mail: igabilon(a)gmail.com Regards

April 11, 2016

EEG Data Scientist Position at Stanford in Brain Network Connectivity Research

by Wei Wu

The Laboratory of Amit Etkin, MD PhD at Stanford University is currently accepting applications for a Data Scientist position focused on sophisticated analyses of electroencephalography (EEG) data. The focus of this position is on understanding brain network function, relating EEG to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and application of network analysis tools (e.g. graph theory, network-based statistics, etc). A particular emphasis will be on extending findings in the lab developed using fMRI connectivity analyses to EEG, which can be leveraged as an assessment tool in clinical psychiatric populations. Machine learning methods will also be employed to determine optimal EEG signals. The successful applicant will have an MS or PhD in Engineering, Statistics, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Neurophysiology, Psychology, or related fields. Experience with analysis of EEG data is required. Additionally, a strong programming background is important. Duties will also include manuscript preparation, presentation of findings at conferences, and contribution to the preparation of grants. Laboratory and Stanford resources include research-dedicated 3T and 7T MRI scanners, simultaneous EEG/fMRI, multiple high density EEG setups, and concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)/fMRI and concurrent TMS/EEG setups. Salary commensurate with experience. More information about our ongoing studies can be found at: http://etkinlab.stanford.edu<http://etkinlab.stanford.edu/>. [http://etkinlab.stanford.edu/images/thumb-home1.jpg]<http://etkinlab.stanford.edu/> Etkin Lab - Stanford University School of Medicine<http://etkinlab.stanford.edu/> etkinlab.stanford.edu The Etkin Lab strives to understand the neural basis of emotional disorders and their treatment, and to leverage this knowledge to develop novel treatment interventions. To apply, please send a curriculum vitae, a statement describing research interests and relevant background and three letters of recommendations, as well as relevant reprints/preprints of research articles to: Amit Etkin, MD, PhD Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford Neurosciences Institute Stanford University amitetkin(a)stanford.edu

April 10, 2016

Call for Submissions to Workshop on Computational Biology at ICML 2016

by Sandhya Prabhakaran

Hi, Please kindly circulate this to interested graduate students, post-docs and faculty. *Call For Submissions We invite submissions to the Workshop on Computational Biology < https://sites.google.com/site/compbioworkshopicml2016/> to be held in conjunction with ICML 2016 <http://icml.cc/2016/> conference in New York City, NY (June 19-24, 2016). In Computational Biology, there has been credible developments in many high-throughput technologies such as next-generation sequencing, CyToF and single-cell sequencing that enable data generation from many interesting biological systems. The gamut of novel algorithms in Machine Learning makes it very attractive to apply these methods to the challenging biological questions. It therefore only seems befitting to bring together researchers engaged in applying ML in Computational Biology to discuss recent advances in this interdisciplinary field and ongoing developments. We have invited several distinguished speakers from the Computational Biology community to discuss and present their current research. We also invite extended abstracts dealing with applications of ML methods or bioinformatics approaches to biological and biomedical data. *Important Dates Deadline for submissions : May 1, 2016 Notification of acceptance : May 10, 2016 Workshop date : June 24th 2016 (Friday, second day of workshops) *Submission All novel Computational Biology approaches are of interest to the workshop. We welcome original extended abstracts that present recently published work as well as preliminary ideas. Extended abstracts should not exceed 4 pages in length (plus 1 optional page for references) and should be in pdf format (one column, font size 12). The submission need not be anonymized. If the abstract concerns previously published work, please cite the original paper in the workshop submission. All accepted contributions shall be presented at the poster session. Awards for Best Poster Presentations will be sponsored by Google. In addition, a set of best submissions will also have the opportunity to present their work as Contributed Talks, and will receive Travel Awards sponsored by IBM Research. Accepted abstracts will have the option of being published on the workshop website. For authors who do not wish their abstracts to be posted online or become citable, please mention this in the workshop submission. Submissions should be made through the EasyChair < https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=compbioworkshopicml2> system. *Invited Speakers Barbara Engelhardt, Princeton University Jennifer Listgarten, Microsoft Research Christina Leslie, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center *Registration All participants must register for the ICML 2016 conference. *Contact For workshop-related queries please contact: icml2016compbio(a)gmail.com We are looking forward to your submissions! Organizing Committee: Dana Pe'er, Columbia University Elham Azizi, Columbia University Sandhya Prabhakaran, Columbia University Olga Troyanskaya, Princeton University Edoardo Airoldi, Harvard University Volker Roth, University of Basel

April 9, 2016

Image Analysis Job Opportunity at Salk Institute

by Uri Manor

Hi everyone, Please spread the word far and wide! Thanks! WAITT ADVANCED BIOPHOTONICS CORE Job Opportunity – Image Analysis Scientist The Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center has been established at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies as a state-of-the-art research hub to provide advanced and emerging imaging modalities to enable unprecedented insights into the inner workings of cells, tissues and organisms. We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced candidate in the field of computational image analysis to serve as an Image Analysis Scientist for the Biophotonics Core Facility. The Image Analysis Scientist will have a principal responsibility to collaborate with the other light and electron microscopy researchers in the Biophotonics Core and the Salk Institute to provide specific expertise for developing custom computer algorithms for complex and novel analyses of raw imaging data, computer data management and developing algorithms for microscopy operations. The Image Analysis Scientist will also develop and publish novel imaging and image analysis techniques in collaboration with the Core Director and Salk faculty. The Image Analysis Scientist will apply existing image processing software to 2D and 3D images and videos, and will also integrate data across different platforms (e.g. correlative EM). Finally, under the supervision and training of the Core Director, the Image Analysis Scientist will become familiar with the microscopes used in the facility, and develop expertise in using the equipment to acquire imaging data optimized for image analysis. Along with the Core Director, the Image Analysis Scientist will train Salk scientists on how to properly acquire high quality quantitative microscopy image data. This is a multi-faceted job that involves the following components: • Image Processing & Data Analysis - With the support of the Core Director, the incumbent will participate in the collaborative development of custom image data analysis and algorithm solutions. • Research Design & Participation - aiding Director and independently assisting users in design of imaging experiments. Educate facility users in the use of facility instrumentation and methods used therein for optimal acquisition of imaging data. • Data Collection & Presentation - collecting and managing data and helping to prepare data for publication & presentation. • User Training - guide and assist Salk researchers in the use of existing image acquisition and processing software. To Apply: Send CV to umanor(a)salk.edu<mailto:umanor@salk.edu> or http://www.salk.edu/about/careers/ (Job # F142) Uri Manor, Ph.D. DIRECTOR WAITT ADVANCED BIOPHOTONICS CORE PH (858) 453-4100 x2119 M (314) 406-7618 E umanor(a)salk.edu<mailto:tberggren@salk.edu> W http://bpho.salk.edu<mailto:tberggren@salk.edu> [cid:E4C48475-653C-4000-9B8C-437F759B2644@salk.edu] Salk Institute for Biological Studies 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd • La Jolla, CA 92037 WWW.SALK.EDU<http://www.salk.edu>

April 8, 2016

Final deadline extension for contributions - Human Brain Project workshop on Neurorobotics @ Biorob2016

by Falotico Egidio

Dear colleagues (with advance apologies for any cross-postings), We invite submissions for oral or poster presentations at the Human Brain Project workshop on Neurorobotics that will be organized on June 26th, at the sixth IEEE RAS/EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics BioRob 2016, in Singapore. http://www.sinapseinstitute.org/biorob2016/workshops.php (Conference workshop page) http://sssa.bioroboticsinstitute.it/workshops/biorob2016 (Workshop page for contributions) Prospective authors should submit the extended abstract (one A4 page, in PDF format) by April 14th (final deadline extension), 2016. Notification of acceptance will be received no later than April 21th. For submission please refer to the following link: http://sssa.bioroboticsinstitute.it/workshops/biorob2016/HBPPaperSubmission… ABSTRACT Neurorobotics is already an established branch of robotics that in the last years, taking advantage from an increase in the accessibility of existing neuroscientific data and knowledge, allowed building robotic systems that can exhibit robustness, adaptability and several features of the human intelligence. Reciprocally, significant developments in robotics and machine learning put robotics in the service of neuroscience as experimental platforms or test-beds of brain models. In the last years, advanced insights and the increasing availability of cheap processing power has led Neurorobotics to follow two tracks of research with different goals and methods: The first track focuses on neuro-inspired computing paradigms that mimic nervous system functions based on Spiking Neural Networks. This does not only foster our understanding of biological systems but also contributes to future technical applications in artificial systems. In the past, limited processing power and the lack of appropriate models and tools shifted the focus of research far away from biological neural networks. Recently a number of projects like the US BRAIN Initiative and the Human Brain Project have taken up the challenge by combining efforts from the fields of neuroscience and computer science to enable the large scale modeling and simulation of biological neural networks with billions of spiking neurons. The second track, extending the theory of classical artificial neural networks, mostly relies on simpler neuron models but integrate them in novel network architectures. These networks are extensively used in robotics, allowing mimicking the function of some brain areas in order to reproduce complex behaviors with a reduced computational cost. This workshop seeks to present and discuss advances in neuroscientific models for cognition and new perspectives in control for robotic applications based on both biologically-inspired and artificial neural networks. The final goal is to bring together researchers from both robotics and neuroscience in order to explore how to maximize the progress at the multidisciplinary frontier evaluating the advantages of both tracks of the Neurorobotics research. TOPICS OF INTEREST - Bio-inspired sensory-motor coordination and adaptive control - Active perception - Neurocontrollers - Self-organization and sensory-motor mapping - Predictive behaviour - Bio-inspired learning robots - Robot imitation and learning by demonstration - Memory-based algorithms - Cognitive behaviours in robots - Reservoir computing - Deep learning - Neuromorphic computing for robotics KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Giorgio Metta (Italian Institute of Technology, Italy) - The use of motor invariants can improve action discrimination Tomohiro Shibata (Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan) Functional Robotic Assistance of Human Motor Learning Ruediger Dillman (Research Center for Information Technology, Germany) - Modelling Cortical Sensor-Motor Control Functionalities with a Spiking Neural-Robot Control Simulator Sunil L. Kukreja (National University of Singapore, Singapore) Integration of Neuromorphic Tactile Perception with Haptic Feedback in a Virtual and Augmented Reality World for Advanced Robotic Control Best Regards, Egidio Falotico, Cecilia Laschi (The BioRobotics Institite,Scuola Superiore SantAnna , Italy) Florian Röhrbein, Florian Walter (Technical University of Munich, Germany) Organizers

April 8, 2016

PhD position in Slovakia and US

by Norbert Kopco

A PhD position is available in Norbert Kopco's Perception and Cognition Lab at Safarik University in Kosice, Slovakia, for a Marie Curie EU-funded project on adaptation and learning in spatial hearing (http://pcl.upjs.sk/grants/alt/) This is an international collaborative project, combining psychophysical, neuroimaging and computational methods. As part of this project, the student would be expected to work on development of modules for an auditory training tame (so, some programing skills are important), and spend up to 12 months in the US, either in Aaron Seitz's Brain Game Center at UC Riverside and/or Erick Gallun's lab at the Portland VA / OHSU (or, possibly with the other members of the consortium). Interested candidates please contact norbert.kopco(a)upjs.sk with a CV and a research statement. Information about PhD student application procedures is available at <http://www.upjs.sk/en/faculty-of-science/foreign-students/>http://www.upjs.sk/en/faculty-of-science/foreign-students/ . -- doc. Norbert Kopco, Ph.D. Assoc Professor / Senior Researcher: Inst of Computer Sci, Faculty of Science, Safarik Univ, Kosice, Slovakia Adjunct: Ctr for Computational Neurosci (CompNet), Boston University & Martinos Ctr for Biomed Imaging, Harvard Med School - Mass Gen Hospital P: +16175759556 F: +14847279884, kopco(a)bu.edu, http://cns.bu.edu/~kopco

April 7, 2016

postdoctoral position in cognitive and affective neuroscience

by Steven Greening

Applications are invited for a full-time postdoctoral research fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Steven Greening on projects investigating the neural bases of emotion-cognition interactions. This position involves developing, running, and analyzing data on projects from healthy and mentally ill individuals, and presenting findings in peer-reviewed manuscripts and at conferences in collaboration with Dr. Greening. The research combines behavior and physiology with a multimodal MRI approach, FMRI and DTI, using univariate and multivariate analyses. This is a full-time one-year position with the possibility to renew for a second year. Apply online and view a more detailed ad at: www.lsusystemcareers.lsu.edu. Position #039259

April 6, 2016

Post-Doc Opening in Interactive Systems Integration for Assistive Technologies

by Giacinto Barresi

Post-Doc Opening in Interactive Systems Integration for Assistive Technologies Added on: 05/04/2016 - Expires on: 06/05/2016 Info: https://www.iit.it/careers/openings/opening/126-post-doc-opening-in-interac… The Biomedical Robotics Lab at the Department of Advanced Robotics (ADVR) at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), an English-speaking research Institute, is looking for a highly motivated, full-time postdoctoral researcher to work in the areas of interactive systems integration for assistive technologies. This position (within the project TEEP-SLA, funded by Fondazione Roma) is dedicated to research and development of solutions for integrating brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) with interactive systems (multisensory user interfaces, embedded devices) to provide feedback that eases the collection and interpretation of user’s data and commands. This is a new project that aims to create novel assistive technologies for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) patients. We are especially looking at satisfying the patients’ social interaction and communication needs with innovative patient interfaces and associated robotic technologies. We are looking for an outstanding scientist with a PhD in engineering, robotics, or other fields related to user interfaces and embedded programming. The successful candidate will mainly focus on the development and integration of BCIs with novel wearable sensors and feedback devices able to provide motor/tactile feedback. The scientist will work in a multidisciplinary team including roboticists, biomedical engineers, interaction researchers and healthcare professionals. Field studies (involving patients, their relatives, and healthcare professionals) will be an integral part of the work, serving both to refine system specifications and to assess new technologies. This research will advance the state of the art in BCI control, enabling greatly enhanced patient experience during the use of assistive communication and social interaction systems. The position includes theoretical and hands-on research, supervision of PhD students, and support to general lab activities. Desired qualifications: - PhD degree in engineering, robotics, or related fields. - Experience in user interface development and embedded programming, preferably for biosignals-related applications. - Excellent publication record in interactive systems and real-time embedded systems. - Experience with physical tactile/motor user interfaces. - Experience with interfacing computer systems and technological (e.g. robotic) devices. - Strong interest in assistive technologies and in-field studies. - Creativity and proactive attitude. - Strong communication and English language skills (written and oral) - Independent and persistent personality, strong team player - The salary will depend on qualifications and experience and will include additional health benefits. To apply, please send electronically a detailed CV with list of publications, University transcripts, your best first-author paper, a cover letter outlining motivation and statement of research interests/plan and contact information of at least two references to applications(a)iit.it by May 6th, 2016 stating “TEEP-SLA Post-Doc” in the subject of the e-mail. Only complete applications will be evaluated. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), with its headquarters in Genova, Italy, is a non-profit institution with the primary goal of creating and disseminating scientific knowledge and strengthening Italy’s technological competitiveness. The institute offers state-of-the-art equipment and a top-level interdisciplinary research environment focused on robotics and computer vision, neuroscience, drug discovery, nanoscience and technology. In order to comply with Italian law (art. 23 of Privacy Law of the Italian Legislative Decree n. 196/03), the candidate is kindly asked to give his/her consent to allow IIT to process his/her personal data. We inform you that the information you provide will be solely used for the purpose of assessing your professional profile to meet the requirements of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. Your data will be processed by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, with its headquarters in Genoa, Via Morego 30, acting as the Data Holder, using computer and paper-based means, observing the rules on the protection of personal data, including those relating to the security of data. Please also note that, pursuant to art. 7 of Legislative Decree 196/2003, you may exercise your rights at any time as a party concerned by contacting the Data Manager. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively seeks diversity in the workforce. Info: https://www.iit.it/careers/openings/opening/126-post-doc-opening-in-interac… Contacts applications(a)iit.it Giacinto Barresi, PhD Post Doc Biomedical Robotics Laboratory Advanced Robotics (ADVR) Department Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) Via Morego, 30 16163 Genova (Italy) Mobile: +39 331 9835396 Email: giacinto.barresi(a)iit.it Webpage: https://iit.it/people/giacinto-barresi

April 5, 2016

TEX2016 to close with keynote lecture by Yann LeCun

by Alessandro Treves

Our 9 days of cross-fertilization http://indico.sissa.it/e/tex2016 on language learning will close with the open-ended stimulation provided by a pioneer of the deep learning perspective (on July 15). Students are still invited to apply to the school, before April 15, (no extensions - enough applications already) and free participants are most welcome to join TEX2016 any time; but book your own accommodation! -- Alessandro Treves http://people.sissa.it/~ale/limbo.html SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy +39-040-3787623+39-040-3787623 Ambassador (BlaBlaCar) +39-349-2504602+39-349-2504602

April 5, 2016

MuTE software UPDATE: the graphical user interface is ready

by Alessandro Montalto

Dear all, I am very pleased to announce the availability of the updated version of MuTE, a toolbox that is able to detect directed dynamical influences among time series. This new open source software implements four entropy estimators in both uniform and non-uniform embedding approaches. *The graphical user interface is ready to be used.* Please download the latest version of MuTE here: http://mutetoolbox.guru/downloads/ The GUI has been developed by Frederik Van de Steen: http://mutetoolbox.guru/frederik-van-de-steen/ ******************* Subscribe to the newsletter if you want to be kept updated about future updates of MuTE or follow the toolbox improvements through - twitter: https://twitter.com/mutetoolbox - facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mutetoolbox Best regards, Alessandro Montalto

April 4, 2016

[ACM UMAP] Final Call for Tutorials

by Jie Zhang

Final Call for Tutorials ACM UMAP 2016 invites tutorials that address the interests of its varied audience: people new to the User Modeling, Adaptation and Personalisation researchers and practitioners who wish to learn new technologies, users of Personalized technologies, and representatives of government and funding agencies as well as potential private investors in Personalized technologies. We welcome submissions of tutorial proposals on all major topics related to user modeling and personalisation technologies. We especially solicit proposals for tutorials of the following types: -- Tutorials with a coherent theme providing an introduction to new user modeling technologies, methods, techniques, and trends (e.g. exploiting data-mining and big data analytics for user modeling, evaluation methodologies, data visualizationetc.) -- Tutorials describing the application of user modeling and personalization technologies in specific domains (e.g., health sciences, e-government, e-commerce, cultural heritage, education, internet of things, mobile, music, information retrieval, NLP, etc.). -- Tutorials presenting techniques from other fields that are of relevance for user modeling and personalization research, including social sciences, digital humanities, biomedical or cognitive science, and neuroscience research. Tutorials may focus on theoretical topics, however, we encourage organizers to incorporate hands-on sessions where appropriate. The tutorial should reach a good balance between the topic coverage and its relevance to the community. Tutorials can be half a day (3 hours) or full day (6 hours). Timeline for Tutorials Tutorial proposals due: *April 10, 2016* Notification of acceptance: May 5, 2016 Tutorial Days: 13 July (Wednesday) and/or 17 July (Sunday) 2016 Responsibilities Organizers of accepted tutorials are responsible for preparing the materials for attendees (slide sets, additional teaching material, software installation and usage guides for practical hands-on sessions, etc.) to the Tutorial Chairs. The UMAP 2016 Organizing Committee is responsible for providing publicity for the tutorials as part of the conference publicity activities, and on-site logistical support to the organizers and attendees. General Information In the interest of the overall quality of the conference, the Tutorial Chairs reserve the right to merge tutorials and/or adjust the scope thereof in case a minimum number of registrations is not reached by the early registration deadline. Submission details Tutorial proposals should not exceed 5 pages, and should contain the following information: -- Abstract. 200 words maximum, for inclusion on the UMAP2016 website. -- Tutorial description: objectives of the tutorial and relevance to UMAP2016; information about the scope and level of detail of the material to be covered; intended audiences; learning objectives; practical sessions. -- Tutorial length. The tutorial can be full or half day -- Specify other venues to which the tutorial or part thereof has been or will be presented, in addition to explaining how the current tutorial differs from the other editions. Links to the slides of previous tutorial editions (if applicable) should be included in the proposal. -- Brief professional biography of the presenter(s) indicating previous training and speaking experience (such as teaching and tutorial presentation). All proposals will be reviewed by the tutorial chairs and discussed within the organization committee of the UMAP2016. Submission Proposals should be submitted in PDF format by email to the tutorial chairs at workshopumap2016(a)gmail.com by April 10, 2016. Tutorials Chairs Federica Cena, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy, email: cena(a)di.unito.it Jie Zhang, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, email: zhangj(a)ntu.edu.sg

April 4, 2016

Call for papers - NIAMS'16

by Tolga Tasdizen

Apologies for multiple receptions. Please share with your colleagues who might be interested. Call for papers Workshop on Neuroscientifc Image Analysis at the Microscopic Scale (NIAMS'16) The Workshop on Neuroscientific Image Analysis at the Microscopic Scale (https://sites.google.com/site/niams2016/ <https://sites.google.com/site/niams2016/>) will be held in conjunction with the MICCAI conference (http://www.miccai2016.org/en/ <http://www.miccai2016.org/en/>) on October 17, 2016 in Athens, Greece. Recent advances in labeling and microscopy techniques have revolutionized our ability to visualize neurons and synapses in living brain tissue. The quantitative analysis of vast amounts of imaging data has become a major bottleneck in neuroscience. This workshop focuses on current challenges in processing and analysis of microscopic images in neuroscience. We invite contributions ranging from novel algorithmic strategies in biomedical image processing to specific examples and solutions to key problems in neuroscience research, including: automatic detection, segmentation, tracking, reconstruction, shape analysis, and modeling of spines, dendrites, and neurons in confocal, two photon, super resolution, and electron microscopy data. We will accept the submission of full papers (8pages, LNCS style), which will be reviewed by the program committee consisting of the organizers and the advisory board. The deadline for paper submission is June 24, 2016. The highest quality papers will be selected for (oral and/or poster) presentation. We plan to publish hardcopy proceedings in Springer LNCS. In addition, we intend to organize a special issue in one of the top journals in the field where extended versions of the selected invited papers of the workshop will be published. Important dates Paper submission: June 24, 2016 Notification of acceptance: July 22, 2016 Workshop: October 17, 2016 Organizers Tolga Tasdizen, University of Utah Devrim Unay, İzmir University of Economics Inbal Israely, Champalimaud Foundation Valentin Nagerl, University of Bordeaux / CNRS If you have any questions, please contact Tolga Tasdizen (tolga(a)sci.utah.edu <mailto:tolga@sci.utah.edu>)

April 3, 2016

PhD offer in Paris South: Modeling and steering brain oscillations based on in vivo optogenetics data

by Antoine Chaillet

Antoine Chaillet, Alain Destexhe and Mario Sigalotti are proposing a PhD entitled "Modeling and steering brain oscillations based on in vivo optogenetics data", at the interface between control theory and computational neuroscience. Candidates should contact antoine.chaillet(a)centralesupelec.fr for more information. Description: Neuronal oscillations are ubiquitous in the brain, both in health and disease. Nonetheless, the precise role of these oscillations is still a matter of debate, and the mechanisms by which they are generated are still poorly understood. Technological advances offer unprecedented ways to acquire and influence these oscillations. Electrode arrays and electrodes with dense recording plots now provide excellent spatiotemporal resolution of local brain activity. Moreover, the recent advent of optogenetics is revolutionizing the way of stimulating brain structures. The combination of electrophysiological recordings and optogenetics is thus particularly appealing to decipher the mechanisms of oscillation generation, their role in brain functioning, and the development of closed-loop strategies to steer brain oscillations (especially pathological ones). This project aims at developing and validating ad hoc methodologies to model, identify, analyze and control brain oscillations with these experimental tools. The challenges in that direction are numerous due to the nonlinear and spatiotemporal nature of the processes involved. To address these challenges, this project proposes to adapt or develop methodologies from control theory to the brain dynamics specificities. The performance of the developed methodologies will be confronted to experimental data of pathological oscillations linked to parkinsonian symptoms, that were collected on healthy and parkinsonian primates under optogenetics in the ANR project SynchNeuro. The aim of this PhD thesis is to develop a methodological framework, based on control engineering, to address three challenges: 1) development of a spatiotemporal model of specific brain oscillations, whose parameters are identified based on experimental data 2) formal analysis of brain oscillations onset and characterization of their dynamics in terms of magnitude, frequency and phase 3) development of closed-loop photostimulation strategies to disrupt, attenuate, or steer brain oscillations. Supervision: The PhD thesis will be supervised by Antoine Chaillet (L2S), in collaboration with Alain Destexhe (UNIC) and Mario Sigalotti (CMAP). It will take place in Gif sur Yvette (south of Paris), France. Sought candidate: We are looking for a brilliant motivated student, eager to work on an interdisciplinary topic. Strong background in dynamical systems is needed, as well as interest for theoretical developments. Experience in identification based on experimental data, or numerical simulations would be appreciated. No French ability is required. Antoine Chaillet Associate Professor Univ. Paris Sud 11 - L2S - CentraleSupélec 3, rue Joliot Curie 91192 - Gif sur Yvette, France +33 1 69 85 13 83

April 2, 2016

EPFL: PhD student position in neuromechanical models of vertebrate locomotion

by Auke Ijspeert

PhD student position in neuromechanical models of vertebrate locomotion http://biorob.epfl.ch/openings The Biorobotics laboratory (Biorob, http://biorob.epfl.ch/) at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) anticipates to have one open PhD studentship in computational neuroscience and biorobotics. The goal of the project is to develop neuromechanical models of vertebrate locomotion, together with Marc-Olivier Gewaltig (computational neuroscientist) and Gregoire Courtine (neuroscientist). *The neuromechanical models will include numerical models of spinal cord circuits coupled to biomechanical models of the body. The first target animal will be the mouse; depending on progress, human models might be developed in a second stage. The spinal cord models might also be tested and validated in some of the quadruped robots developed by the Biorobotics laboratory. The position will be fully funded thanks to a grant from the Human Brain Project. EPFL is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers internationally competitive salaries and research infrastructure. Requirements: Candidates need to have a Master degree in a field related to computational neuroscience e.g. in physics or computer science. The ideal candidate for this position should have a strong math background (e.g. in dynamical systems), good programming skills, and interest/expertise in modeling neural circuits and biomechanical systems, and in locomotion. How to apply for the position: Step 1: The position is only open to applicants who have been accepted by the EPFL doctoral school (see http://phd.epfl.ch/) The first step is therefore to fill the applications for one of the relevant EPFL doctoral programs in robotics (http://phd.epfl.ch/EDPR) or neuroscience (http://phd.epfl.ch/neuroscience) Step 2: In parallel to step 1, or once accepted by one of the doctoral programs (please specify which doctoral program and the date of acceptance), the application to the position should be sent by email to Prof. Auke Ijspeert and consist of a motivation letter (explaining why you are interested in the project, and why you feel qualified for it) and a copy of the doctoral program application. Informal inquiries about the relevance of an application can be sent to auke.ijspeert(a)epfl.ch (e.g. before or while submitting an application to the doctoral school), but responses can be slow because of a heavy schedule and a filled mail box. Deadline and starting date: Applications will be considered continuously until the position is filled. The starting date is between April and September 2016 (the sooner the better). Note that the doctoral program in robotics (EDRS) has a deadline on April 15 2016, and the one in neuroscience (EDNE) on May 1st 2016. Contact: Information concerning the type of research carried out by the group can be found at http://biorob.epfl.ch/. You should send your application and any inquiry by email to: Prof. Auke Jan Ijspeert <http://biorob.epfl.ch/page38158.html>, auke.ijspeert(a)epfl.ch <mailto:auke.ijspeert@epfl.ch> -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Auke Jan Ijspeert Biorobotics Laboratory EPFL-STI-IBI-BIOROB EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Station 9, CH 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Office: ME D1 1226 Tel: +41 21 693 2658 Fax: +41 21 693 3705 www: http://biorob.epfl.ch Email: Auke.Ijspeert(a)epfl.ch -----------------------------------------------------------------

April 2, 2016

[IEEE ICCI*CC'16:] IEEE ICCI*CC’16 Deadline is Extended to April 30 @Stanford Univ. – Computational Intelligence/Cognitive Informatics/Cognitive Computing

by Yingxu Wang

Dear Colleagues, Upon numerous requests and due to the recent system instable status of the submission site, deadline for paper submission to IEEE ICCI'CC’16 (15th IEEE International Conference on Cognitive Informatics & Cognitive Computing) has been extended to April 30, 2016 (http://www.ucalgary.ca/icci_cc/iccicc-16) Workshops, special sessions proposals, and short papers are welcome. The Proceedings of ICCI*CC'16 will be published by IEEE CS Press. Papers accepted in ICCI*CC’16 will be indexed by EI. Extended versions of selected papers will be published in several EI or SCI indexed journals. Full papers are expected to be around 5-8 pages in IEEE double column format. Short papers (3-4 pages) that report industrial experience, case studies, work in progress, or graduate students’ research are also welcome. Paper submission site is at: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=iccicc2016. The conference will be featured by four keynote speeches such as those of Prof. Lotfi A. Zadeh with UC Berkeley and Prof. Bernard Widrow with Stanford University, that highlight cutting-edge theories and novel technologies for cognitive systems and computational intelligence inspired by the brain. We look forward to meeting you at Stanford University during Aug. 22-23, 2016. Sincerely, IEEE ICCI*CC'16 Co-Chairs GENERAL CO-CHAIRS: Bernard Widrow (Stanford) and Yingxu Wang (UofC, Canada) PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS: Newton Howard (MIT) and Kostas Plataniotis (Univ. of Toronto, Canada)_______________________________________________ This message was sent to all subscribers of ieeeicci13-L To unsubscribe, see instructions at: http://www.ucalgary.ca/it/email/mailman E-mail: ieeeicci13-L(a)mailman.ucalgary.ca Homepage: http://mailman.ucalgary.ca/mailman/listinfo/ieeeicci13-l

April 1, 2016

Quantitative Analysis of Neuroanatomy special issue / ebook

by Stephen Eglen

On behalf of all the editors, I am pleased to announce the release of our special issue on the Quantitative Analysis of Neuroanatomy. All articles have been published in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy. As of March 2016, all papers are now freely available as an Ebook either in PDF or EPUB format. The aim of this Research Topic is to examine theoretical and experimental work directed at a detailed and comprehensive quantitative understanding of neuroanatomy. Integrating such knowledge with functional data should provide a more complete understanding of how the nervous system in different animal species is organized to generate appropriate behaviour. Home page: http://journal.frontiersin.org/researchtopic/2028/quantitative-analysis-of-… Blog page: http://sje30.github.io/post/qan/ Table of contents Editorial: Quantitative Analysis of Neuroanatomy Julian M. L. Budd, Hermann Cuntz, Stephen J. Eglen and Patrik Krieger. A comparison of manual neuronal reconstruction from biocytin histology or 2-photon imaging: morphometry and computer modeling Arne V. Blackman, Stefan Grabuschnig, Robert Legenstein and P. Jesper Sjöström. Automated computation of arbor densities: a step toward identifying neuronal cell types Uygar Sümbül, Aleksandar Zlateski, Ashwin Vishwanathan, Richard H. Masland and H. Sebastian Seung. Functional connectivity estimation over large networks at cellular resolution based on electrophysiological recordings and structural prior Simona Ullo, Thierry R. Nieus, Diego Sona, Alessandro Maccione, Luca Berdondini and Vittorio Murino. Axonal and dendritic density field estimation from incomplete single-slice neuronal reconstructions Jaap van Pelt, Arjen van Ooyen and Harry B. M. Uylings. Slicing, sampling, and distance-dependent effects affect network measures in simulated cortical circuit structures Daniel C. Miner and Jochen Triesch A workflow for the automatic segmentation of organelles in electron microscopy image stacks Alex J. Perez, Mojtaba Seyedhosseini, Thomas J. Deerinck, Eric A. Bushong, Satchidananda Panda, Tolga Tasdizen and Mark H. Ellisman. Three-dimensional distribution of cortical synapses: a replicated point pattern based analysis Laura Anton-Sanchez, Concha Bielza, Angel Merchán-Pérez, José-Rodrigo Rodríguez, Javier DeFelipe and Pedro Larrañaga. The patterning of retinal horizontal cells: normalizing the regularity index enhances the detection of genomic linkage Patrick W. Keeley and Benjamin E. Reese Statistical analysis and data mining of digital reconstructions of dendritic morphologies Sridevi Polavaram, Todd A. Gillette, Ruchi Parekh and Giorgio A. Ascoli Towards a “canonical” agranular cortical microcircuit Sarah F. Beul and Claus C. Hilgetag Generation of dense statistical connectomes from sparse morphological data Robert Egger, Vincent J. Dercksen, Daniel Udvary, Hans-Christian Hege and Marcel Oberlaender Context-aware modeling of neuronal morphologies Benjamin Torben-Nielsen and Erik De Schutter The effects of neuron morphology on graph theoretic measures of network connectivity: the analysis of a two-level statistical model Jugoslava Aćimović, Tuomo Mäki-Marttunen and Marja-Leena Linne Homeostatic structural plasticity can account for topology changes following deafferentation and focal stroke Markus Butz, Ines D. Steenbuck and Arjen van Ooyen Parametric Anatomical Modeling: a method for modeling the anatomical layout of neurons and their projections Martin Pyka, Sebastian Klatt and Sen Cheng Saltatory conduction in unmyelinated axons: clustering of Na+ channels on lipid rafts enables micro-saltatory conduction in C-fibers Ali Neishabouri and A. Aldo Faisal

April 1, 2016

Three neuroinformatics positions in ferret brain research

by Rembrandt Bakker

(apologies for any cross-postings) In a collaboration between University Medical Center Eppendorf (Hamburg, Germany), the Donders Institute (Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands), and Institute Pasteur (Paris, France), three positions at the postdoc level are available. The research focuses on studying the architecture and connectivity of the ferret brain, encompassing research on architecture and morphology (particularly, cortical folding) of the developing brain as well as the collation and analysis of brain connectivity in the adult brain. The project will make available a public data set of MRI and microscopic images of the developing ferret brain, together with tools for the online annotation of these data. The Nijmegen and Paris components of the research both develop the tools and perform an initial analysis of the MRI and microscopy data. The Hamburg component continues the development of a public online database of brain connectivity in conjunction with the development of an atlas of the adult ferret brain. The three positions are described in detail below. 1. Position at Radboud University. The full text of this position is available here: https://www.academictransfer.com/employer/RUN/vacancy/32519/lang/en/ The summary is: "We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral candidate to contribute to a neuroinformatics platform that allows researchers worldwide to jointly work on the creation of brain atlases. The scientific use case is to build a detailed developmental brain atlas for the ferret. The ferret is special in that the folding patterns of its brain develop after birth, so that the folding process can be studied on the basis of a series of combined MRI and microscopy data sets. Data will be provided by our partner Dr. Roberto Toro from Institute Pasteur in Paris, who is also the creator of the platform prototype (www.siphonophore.org/microdraw) You will work together with Dr. Rembrandt Bakker who leads the Scalable Brain Atlas project (www.scalablebrainatlas.org) The project is funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and its French counterpart and is part of a FLAG-ERA funding scheme that falls under the umbrella of the Human Brain Project. Further inquiries: r.bakker(a)fz-juelich.de, p.tiesinga(a)science.ru.nl 2. Position at University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany We seek a Researcher in Neuroinformatics at the predoctoral or postdoctoral level, to curate an online database of ferret brain architecture and connectivity. The position is available immediately and runs until 30th June 2019. Further extensions are possible. The researcher will be expected to continue the conceptual and technical development of the ferretome.org database system, and supervise the population of the database with data collated from the literature as well as newly performed anatomy experiments. Moreover, the researcher will work on the integration of the ferretome with online atlases of the ferret brain. The researcher will be based at the Department of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. The position is part of the Collaborative Research Center 936 (sfb936.net) âMulti-site communication in the brain" and would suit a researcher with background in computer science or biology. In any case, the position requires strong computer skills, particularly in database systems, high proficiency in written and spoken English and great curiosity. The researcher needs to integrate well with a highly multinational, multidisciplinary team at the Department of Computational Neuroscience as well as the Research Center 936. For researchers at the predoctoral level, the position offers the opportunity for obtaining a PhD degree. For further inquiries contact Prof. Claus C. Hilgetag, PhD: c.hilgetag(a)uke.de. 3. Position at Institute Pasteur This position at the postdoctoral level will commence after the microscopy data for the developmental ferret atlas has become available. The candidate should have a background in computational neuroanatomy or neuroinformatics, and preferrably have experience with online development and data visualisation. You will be working together with OphÃ©lie Foubet, who is doing a PhD that focuses on the mechanics of neocortical development. Contact Roberto Toro: roberto.toro(a)gmail.com for details about this position. -- Dr. R. Bakker Forschungszentrum JÃ¼lich / Radboud University Nijmegen +31645774665 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 1, 2016

Berkeley course in mining and modeling neuroscience data, July 11-22, 2016

by Jeff Teeters

Call for applications: We invite applicants to the 2016 summer course in "Mining and modeling of neuroscience data" to be held July 11-22 at UC Berkeley. A description of the course is below and also at: http://crcns.org/course Application deadline is April 30. ----- Berkeley summer course in mining and modeling of neuroscience data July 11-22, 2016 Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, UC Berkeley Organizers: Fritz Sommer, Bruno Olshausen & Jeff Teeters (HWNI, UC Berkeley) Scope This course is for students and researchers with backgrounds in mathematics and computational sciences who are interested in applying their skills toward problems in neuroscience. It will introduce the major open questions of neuroscience and teach state-of–the-art techniques for analyzing and modeling neuroscience data sets. The course is designed for students at the graduate level and researchers with background in a quantitative field such as engineering, mathematics, physics or computer science who may or may not have a specific neuroscience background. The goal of this summer course is to help researchers find new exciting research areas and at the same time to strengthen quantitative expertise in the field of neuroscience. The course is sponsored by the National Institute of Health, the National Science Foundation from a grant supporting activities at the data sharing repository CRCNS.org, and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at UC Berkeley. Format The course is “hands on” in that it will include exercises in how to use and modify existing software tools and apply them to data sets, such as those available in the CRCNS.org repository. Course Instructors Robert Kass, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh Maneesh Sahani, Gatsby Unit, University College London Odelia Schwartz, University of Miami Frederic Theunissen, University of California Berkeley Joshua Vogelstein, Johns Hopkins University Course Moderators Fritz Sommer and Jeff Teeters, Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience. Speakers To complement the main course instruction there will be lectures in the evenings by local Berkeley and UCSF neuroscientists presenting their research using quantitative approaches. Requirements Applicants should be familiar with linear algebra, probability, differential and integral calculus and have some experience using MatLab and Python. Each student should bring a laptop with both MatLab and Python installed. Cost There is no cost to attend. Non-local attendees will be reimbursed for qualifying travel and food expenses if receipts are provided. Housing Rooms in a hotel within walking distance to campus will be provided for those attendees who need accommodations. Food Breakfast and some dinners will be provided to all participants as a group. Non-local attendees can purchase food at local stores or restaurants and be reimbursed. How to apply To apply, submit the online form linked from: http://crcns.org/course. A curriculum vitae and a letter of recommendation are required. The course is limited to 25 students. Deadlines Applications must be received by the end of April. Notifications of acceptance will be given by May 15. Questions Questions about the course can be sent to course [at] crcns.org. Topics covered (subject to change): Basic approaches: - The problem of neural coding - Spike trains, point processes, and firing rate - Statistical thinking in neuroscience - Theory of model fitting / regularization / hypothesis testing - Overview of stimulus-response function models - Theory of model fitting / regularization / hypothesis testing - Bayesian methods - Spike sorting - Estimation of stimulus-response functionals: regression methods, spike-triggered covariance, - Variance analysis of neural response - Estimation of SNR. Coherence Information theoretic approaches: - Information transmission rates - Scene statistics approaches and neural modeling Techniques for analyzing multiple-electrode and optical neural recordings: - Event sorting in electrophysiology and optical imaging - Optophysiology cell detection - Sparse coding/ICA methods, vanilla and methods including statistical models of nonlinear dependencies - Methods for assessing functional connectivity - Statistical issues in network identification - Low-dimensional latent dynamical structure in network activity–Gaussian process factor analysis/newer methods Analyzing structural data: - Histology cell detection - Statistical connectomics Neuroinformatics topics: - Petascale data storage, exploration, parsing and analysis - Introduction into Neurodata Without Borders data format for Neurophysiology

March 31, 2016

Neuroinformatics/Modeling Postdoc Available

by Sharon Crook

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Postdoctoral position in Computational Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics (Job #11446) We are soliciting applications for a postdoctoral position in the Laboratory for Informatics and Computation in Open Neuroscience at Arizona State University. This laboratory, jointly supervised by Dr. Sharon Crook and Dr. Rick Gerkin, focuses on developing resources for the community for describing, validating and sharing computational models in neuroscience. In addition, lab personnel conduct empirical and modeling studies in order to investigate fundamental questions in neuroscience. The successful candidate will contribute to the development and use of tool chains for model validation and model exchange that revolve around NeuronUnit and NeuroML. The postdoctoral researcher also will have the opportunity to choose the direction of their own modeling studies. Applicants must provide evidence of excellence in sustainable software development, experience in applications in neuroscience, and should also be highly independent, with a strong propensity for interdisciplinary research. Candidates must hold a PhD in neuroscience, computer science, applied mathematics, computational neuroscience or a related discipline by time of appointment and be highly motivated and creative. Experience with some combination of Python, XML, MySQL, Ruby on Rails, and NEURON is desirable. Named the #1 Most Innovative University in the US, Arizona State University offers an exciting research environment in a unique setting. ASU is located in Tempe, Arizona, which offers many rich cultural and outdoor opportunities with access to mountains and canyons visited by people from around the world. All applications must be submitted online through mathjobs at https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/8375 and must include the following: 1) A detailed CV 2) Two recommendation letters 3) A statement of research interest Any questions should be sent by email to Dr. Sharon Crook (sharon.crook(a)asu.edu) and Dr. Rick Gerkin (rgerkin(a)asu.edu) Initial review of applications began January 15, 2016. Applications are reviewed every two weeks until the search is closed. (Search currently continues to be open!) Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.

March 30, 2016

FINAL REMINDER: Call For Participation: 2016 Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop

by Ralph Etienne-Cummings

Please see below: *Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop 2016 <https://neuromorphs.net/nm/wiki/2016#TellurideNeuromorphicCognitionEngineer…>* Sunday Jun 26th - Saturday July 16th, 2016 - * Telluride Elementary School,Telluride, Colorado * *Applications to the 2016 Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop* 2016 NEUROMORPHIC COGNITION ENGINEERING WORKSHOP <https://neuromorphs.net/nm/wiki/2016> <https://neuromorphs.net/nm/wiki/2016>https://neuromorphs.net/nm/wiki/2016 Sunday June 26th - Saturday July 16th, 2016, Telluride, Colorado *IMPORTANT DATES FOR APPLICATION (Instructions are at the bottom of the page)* Application Website Open - 16th February, 2016 Applications Due - 2nd April, 2016 Notification of Acceptance - 15th April, 2016 *Application website: <https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/7040> <https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/7040>https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/7040 <https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/7040>.* *GOALS:* Neuromorphic engineers design and fabricate artificial neural systems whose organizing principles are based on those of biological nervous systems. Over the past 18 years, this research community has focused on the understanding of low-level sensory processing and systems infrastructure; efforts are now expanding to apply this knowledge and infrastructure to addressing higher-level problems in perception, cognition, and learning. In this 3-week intensive workshop and through the Institute for Neuromorphic Engineering (INE), the mission is to promote interaction between senior and junior researchers; to educate new members of the community; to introduce new enabling fields and applications to the community; to promote on-going collaborative activities emerging from the Workshop, and to promote a self-sustaining research field. *FORMAT:* The three week summer workshop will include background lectures on systems and cognitive neuroscience (in particular sensory processing, learning and memory, motor systems and attention), practical tutorials on emerging hardware design, mobile robots, hands-on projects, and special interest groups. Participants are required to take part and possibly complete at least one of the projects proposed. They are furthermore encouraged to become involved in as many of the other activities proposed as interest and time allow. There will be two lectures in the morning that cover issues that are important to the community in general. Because of the diverse range of backgrounds among the participants, some of these lectures will be tutorials, rather than detailed reports of current research. These lectures will be given by invited speakers. Projects and interest groups meet in the late afternoons, and after dinner. In the early afternoon there will be tutorials on a wide spectrum of topics, including analog VLSI, mobile robotics, vision and auditory systems, central-pattern-generators, selective attention mechanisms, cognitive systems, etc. *2016 TOPIC AREAS:* Decoding Multi-Modal Effects on Auditory Cognition: Edmund Lalor (Trinity College Dublin), Alain de Cheveigne (UPMC, France), Malcolm Slaney (Google), and Shihab Shamma (UM-College Park) Spike-Based Cognition in Active Neuromorphic Systems: Ryad Benjamin Benosman (UPMC, Paris), Cornelia Fermuller (Univ. of Maryland), Garrick Orchard (National University of Singapore), Michele Rucci (Boston University), and Bert Shi (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) Neuromorphic Path Planning for Robots in a Disaster Response Scenario: Jeff Krichmar (University of California, Irvine) and Jennifer Hasler (Georgia Institute of Technology) Neuromorphic Tactile Sensing:James Wright (MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University), Jonathan Tapson (MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University), and Nitish V. Thakor (SINAPSE, Singapore University for Neurotechnology) Computational Neuroscience (invitational mini-workshop): Terry Sejnowski (Salk Institute) *LOCATION AND ARRANGEMENTS:* The summer school will take place in the small town of Telluride, 9000 feet high in southwest Colorado, about 6 hours drive away from Denver (350 miles). There are several small airports (e.g. Montrose) close to Telluride. All facilities within the beautifully renovated public school building are fully accessible to participants with disabilities. Participants will be housed in ski condominiums, within walking distance of the school. Participants are expected to share condominiums. The workshop is intended to be very informal and hands-on. Participants are not required to have had previous experience in analog VLSI circuit design, computational or machine vision, systems level neurophysiology or modeling the brain at the systems level. However, we strongly encourage active researchers with relevant backgrounds from academia, industry and national laboratories to apply, in particular if they are prepared to work on specific projects, talk about their own work or bring demonstrations to Telluride (e.g. robots, chips, software). Wireless internet access will be provided. Technical staff present throughout the workshops will assist with software and hardware issues. We encourage participants to bring along their personal laptop. No cars are required. Given the small size of the town, we recommend that you do not rent a car. Bring hiking boots, warm clothes, rain gear, and a backpack, since Telluride is surrounded by beautiful mountains. Unless otherwise arranged with one of the organizers, we expect participants to stay for the entire duration of this three week workshop. *FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS:* Notification of acceptances will be mailed out around the April 15th, 2016. The Workshop covers all your accommodations and facilities costs for the 3 weeks duration. You are responsible for your own travel to the Workshop. Registration Fees: For expenses not covered by federal funds, a Workshop registration fee is required. The fee is $1500 per participant for the 3-week Workshop. This is expected from all participants at the time of acceptance. Accommodations: The cost of a shared condominium, typically a bedroom in a shared condo for senior participants or a shared room for students, will be covered for all academic participants. Upgrades to a private rooms or condos will cost extra. Participants from National Laboratories and Industry are expected to pay for these condominiums. The 2016 Workshop and Summer School on Neuromorphic Engineering is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Institute of Neuromorphic Engineering, University of Maryland - College Park, Institute for Neuroinformatics â€“ University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Georgia Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Boston University, University of Western Sydney and the Salk Institute. *Workshop Directors:* Cornelia FermÃ¼ller (University of Maryland) Ralph Etienne-Cummings (Johns Hopkins Univ.) Shih-Chii Liu (University of Zurich and ETH Zurich) Timmer Horiuchi (University of Maryland) Katalin Gotthard (University of Arizona) Michael Pfeiffer (University of Zurich and ETH Zurich) Francisco Barranco (University of Granada) Former 2007-2013 Workshop Director: Tobi Delbruck (University of Zurich and ETH Zurich) Workshop Advisory Board: Andreas Andreou (Johns Hopkins University) Andre van Schaik (University Western Sydney, Australia) Avis Cohen (University of Maryland) Barbara Shinn-Cunningham (Boston University) Giacomo Indiveri (Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich) Jonathan Tapson (University Western Sydney, Australia) Malcolm Slaney (Google) Jennifer Hasler (Georgia Institute of Technology) Rodney Douglas (Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich) Shihab Shamma (University of Maryland) Tobi Delbruck (Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich) *HOW TO APPLY:* Applicants should be at the level of graduate students or above (i.e. postdoctoral fellows, faculty, research and engineering staff and the equivalent positions in industry and national laboratories). We actively encourage women and minority candidates to apply. Anyone interested in proposing or discussing specific projects should contact the appropriate topic leaders directly. The application website is (after February 16th, 2016): <https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/7040> <https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/7040> https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/7040. Application information needed: Contact email address. First name, Last name, Affiliation, valid e-mail address. Curriculum Vitae (a short version, please). One page summary of background and interests relevant to the workshop, including possible ideas for workshop projects. Please indicate which topic areas you would most likely join. Two letters of recommendation (uploaded directly by references). Applicants will be notified by e-mail. 16th February, 2016 - Applications accepted on website 2nd April, 2016 - Applications Due 15th April, 2016 - Notification of Acceptance

March 30, 2016

IEEE ICDL-EPIROB 2016 - Extended deadline ( April 15th)

by Arnaud Blanchard

Extended Deadline Papers and Workshops Submission ( Friday, April 15th ) Due to several requests, we are extending the deadline of two weeks, till April 15th ! = IEEE ICDL-EPIROB 2016 = The Sixth Joint IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning and on Epigenetic Robotics Cergy-Pontoise / Paris, France September 19-22th, 2016 http://www.icdl-epirob.org <http://www.icdl-epirob.org/> Updates about : * Venue / Lodging == Conference description IEEE ICDL-Epirob is the premier forum for advances in epigenetic robotics and developmental psychology with the focus on learning and development in biological and artificial systems. This single-track conference brings together researchers from cognitive sciences, computer sciences, and robotics to explore their shared interests in autonomous learning and development. The design and study of both robotic and simulated embodied and situated computational models that are inspired by the principles of human development will be presented at the conference. A special event -- the «Babybot challenge» — will see renowned psychologists challenging engineers and modelers in how to use the tools of developmental robotics to replicate and extend the key findings. This year, thanks to special funding from Paris-Seine University, six renowned invited speakers will cover the different facets of the conference. We invite you to participate in IEEE ICDL-Epirob by sharing your research, insights, experience, and enthusiasm. A social event “on the paths of the impressionists” will allow you to discover the old city of Pontoise and Auvers sur Oise where Vincent Van Gogh painted some of his most famous masterpieces. Excursions to Paris, Versailles and Giverny will be proposed for spouses. == Keynote speakers * Tamim Asfour (http://h2t.anthropomatik.kit.edu/english/21_66.php <http://h2t.anthropomatik.kit.edu/english/21_66.php>) * Karl Friston (http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/~karl <http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/~karl>) * Julie Grezes (http://iec-lnc.ens.fr/social-cognition-group/membres-100/faculty-177/grezes… <http://iec-lnc.ens.fr/social-cognition-group/membres-100/faculty-177/grezes…>) * Tony Prescott (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/psychology/staff/academic/tony-prescott <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/psychology/staff/academic/tony-prescott>) * Daniela Corbetta (http://web.utk.edu/~infntlab <http://web.utk.edu/~infntlab>) == Call for submissions of workshops and papers We invite submissions for this exciting window into the future of developmental sciences. Submissions which establish novel links between brain, behavior and computation are particularly encouraged. == Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): * the development of perceptual, motor, cognitive, emotional, social, and communication skills in biological systems and robots; * embodiment; * general principles of development and learning; * interaction of nature and nurture; * sensitive/critical periods; * developmental psychology; * developmental stages; * grounding of knowledge and development of representations; * architectures for cognitive development and open-ended learning; * neural plasticity; * statistical learning; * reward and value systems; * intrinsic motivations, exploration and play; * interaction of development and evolution; * use of robots in applied settings such as autism therapy; * epistemological foundations and philosophical issues. Any of the topics above can be simultaneously studied from the neuroscience, psychology or modeling/robotic point of view. == Submissions will be accepted in several formats: 1. Full six-page paper submissions: Accepted papers will be included in the conference proceedings and will be selected for either an oral presentation or a featured poster presentation. Featured posters will have a 1 minute "teaser" presentation as part of the main conference session and will be showcased in the poster sessions. 2. Two-page poster abstract submissions: To encourage discussion of late-breaking results or for work that is not sufficiently mature for a full paper, we will accept 2-page abstracts. These submissions will be included in the conference proceedings. Accepted abstracts will be presented during poster sessions. 3. Tutorials and workshops: We invite experts in different areas to organize either a tutorial or a workshop to be held on the first day of the conference. Tutorials are meant to provide insights into specific topics as well as overviews that will inform the interdisciplinary audience about the state-of-the-art in child development, neuroscience, robotics, or any of the other disciplines represented at the conference. A workshop is an opportunity to present a topic cumulatively. Workshop can be half- or full-day in duration including oral presentations as well as posters. Submission format: two pages. == Call for Tutorials and Workshops We invite experts in different areas to organize a tutorial or workshop, which will be held on the first day of the conference ( September 19th 2016 ). Participants in tutorials and workshops are asked to register for the main conference. Tutorials are meant to provide insights into specific topics as well as overviews that will inform the interdisciplinary audience about the state-of-the-art in child development, neuroscience, robotics, or any of the other disciplines represented at the conference. A workshop is an opportunity to present a topic cumulatively. Workshops can be half- or full-day in duration including oral presentations as well as posters. We would like to receive applications in pdf format for organizing a workshop with the following informations: title / workshop or tutorial organiser's name, research structure and coordinate (email) how many invited presentations/ and 'open' presentations is there a call for posters? what is the timetable website address ? Proposals should be sent to Sofiane Boucenna sofiane.boucenna(a)u-cergy.fr <mailto:sofiane.boucenna@u-cergy.fr>, Verena Hafner hafner(a)informatik.hu-berlin.de <mailto:hafner@informatik.hu-berlin.de> & Alex Pitti alexandre.pitti(a)u-cergy.fr <mailto:alexandre.pitti@u-cergy.fr> == Important dates * April 15th, 2016, paper and workshops submission EXTENDED DEADLINE * June 1st, 2016, author notification * July 1st, 2016, final version (camera ready) due * September 19th-22nd, 2016, conference == Program committee General chairs: * Minoru Asada Osaka (Japan). * Philippe Gaussier, Cergy-Pontoise (France). Program chairs: * Verena Hafner, Berlin (Germany) * Alexandre Pitti, Cergy-Pontoise (France) Bridge chairs: • David Cohen, Paris (France) • Mathew Schlesinger, Southern Illinois (USA) Publication chairs: * Sofiane Boucenna, Cergy-Pontoise (France) Publicity chairs: * Arnaud Blanchard, Cergy-Pontoise (France) * Manuel Lopes, Bordeaux (France) * Yulia Sandamirskaya, Zürich (Switzerland) Local chairs: * Pierre Andry, Cergy-Pontoise (France) * Nicolas Cuperlier, Cergy-Pontoise (France) Finance chairs: * Ghilès Mostafaoui, Cergy-Pontoise (France) == Registration fees* Price for : advanced / late registration IEEE Member 380€ / 460€ Non-member 480€ / 560€ IEEE Student member 190€ / 240€ Student non-member 260€ / 280€ IEEE Life member 190€ / 240€ (*) This price includes the social dinner. The registration form and the early registration deadline are coming soon. == Lodging == We are glad to inform you that we have obtained special rates for accommodation during the ICDL-EPIROB 2016 conference (19-22 sept) : All information (english) : http://www.olivarius-cergy.com/en/ <http://www.olivarius-cergy.com/en/> Location : approx. 800m from the conference site (University of Cergy-Pontoise) Pictures : http://www.olivarius-cergy.com/en/accomodation.html <http://www.olivarius-cergy.com/en/accomodation.html> Conference special rates : * Studio :99€ /night (instead of 124€) - * One-bedroom apartment 40m² :109€ /night (instead of 149€) - * Two-bedroom apartment 70m² :115€ /night (instead of 184€) * Two bedroom apartment deluxe 120m² :180€ /night (instead of 274€) * Two bedroom apartment duplex with terrasse 100m² : 160€ght (instead of 284€) Please note that the rates are "per night", whatever the number of persons. Studio are ok for 1 to 2 persons, while apartments are ok for 1 to 4 persons. HIn order to book, please go to : http://reservation.consolemyroom.com/front126407/front.do?m=booking&custid=… <http://reservation.consolemyroom.com/front126407/front.do?m=booking&custid=…> and apply the discount code : EPIROB2016 when booking Problems for booking ? Please contact us at : icdlepirob2016(a)ensea.fr <mailto:icdlepirob2016@ensea.fr>

March 30, 2016

3rd Model-based Neuroscience Summer School, Amsterdam

by Jane Neumann

Dear colleagues, June 27-July 1 2016 will see the third Model-Based Neuroscience Summer School, hosted at the University of Amsterdam.   The summer school will provide students with hands-on experience in both cognitive modeling using diffusion and accumulator models and simple neuroscience methods. The program includes a series of lectures on model-based decision neuroscience in both humans and non-human primates from experts including Michael Shadlen, Gordon Logan, Andrew Heathcote, Uta Noppeney, Brandon Turner, Jane Neumann, and Birte Forstmann.    *The summer school is aimed at PhD students and early postdocs who wish to combine cognitive modeling with experimental and theoretical neuroscience research. Students should be familiar with general programming concepts and state in their application which programming languages and software packages they typically use. * The summer school will be co-located at the University of Amsterdam with a one-day symposium on model-based neuroscience of mind wandering, to be held on July 2 2016. The symposium will involve a series of lectures from experts in the scientific study of mind wandering with a focus on model-based neuroscience approaches. The symposium will provide a unique opportunity to see how the concepts introduced in the summer school can provide insight on an important research topic. *Application and registration:*  The registration fee for the summer school is 500 euro. The registration fee for combined attendance at the summer school and the one-day mind wandering symposium is 600 euro. We ask that students make their own housing arrangements. Space is limited, therefore we ask that you provide a statement of interest. We will select students based on the relevance of the summer school to their research. The application deadline is 22 April 2016.   More information about the summer school including teachers, preliminary program and application can be found atwww.modelbasedneuroscience.com We look forward to welcoming you in Amsterdam!   Organization:  Jane Neumann, University Medical Center Leipzig and MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leendert van Maanen, University of Amsterdam  Birte Forstmann, University of Amsterdam Guy Hawkins, University of Amsterdam Andrew Heathcote, University of Tasmania

March 30, 2016

Gordon Research Seminar on Neurobiology of Cognition

by Sarah Heilbronner

Dear computational neuroscientists, We would like to invite you to apply to the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Neurobiology of Cognition. The GRS is a unique forum for graduate students and postdocs to present and exchange new data and cutting-edge ideas. Following the GRS, attendees are encouraged to stay for the main Gordon Research Conference (GRC). More information, as well as an online application, can be found here: https://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?id=16594 Please note that, in order to be considered for a talk, abstract must be submitted by April 23. We look forward to seeing you this summer! Best, Sarah Heilbronner & Brian Russ Directors, 2016 GRS on Neurobiology of Cognition

March 29, 2016

Postdoctoral position: Goldman lab, UC Davis

by Mark Steven Goldman

At least one postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Mark Goldman in the University of California at Davis Center for Neuroscience. UC Davis is a top-ten public research university (US News & World Report) located 1 hour east from the San Francisco Bay Area and 20 minutes from the state capital of Sacramento. The laboratory works on a broad range of problems in computational neuroscience, ranging from neural coding to dynamics and plasticity of single neurons and networks. Current work has focused especially upon issues related to working memory, neural integration, motor learning, and synaptic plasticity as described below. Projects include but are not limited to: 1) Dissecting the function of a biological neural integrator circuit. Work will be modeling the oculomotor neural integrator, a classic model system for working memory and neural integration that is amenable to in vivo whole-circuit optical recording, dendritic imaging, optogenetic perturbation, pharmacology, and connectomic reconstruction. The goal is to identify the cellular and circuit mechanisms underlying neural integration and continuous attractor formation, from subcellular processes to circuits and behavior, as well as to develop optimal experimental design methods for dissecting circuit function. Project in collaboration with the experiments of Dr. Emre Aksay (Weill/Cornell Medical) and connectomic reconstructions of Dr. Sebastian Seung (Princeton University). 2) Mechanisms of analog working memory and neural integration. The goal is to identify novel mechanisms of working memory and neural integration across a range of systems, including mechanisms for context-dependent memory function. 3) Cerebellar mechanisms of motor control and motor learning in the oculomotor system. The goal is to use the oculomotor system as a model system for understanding cerebellar-mediated motor learning. Theory and computational analysis will be used to dissect the circuit mechanisms, sites of plasticity, and broader computational principles underlying oculomotor learning. Theoretical work will provide predictions for, and be conducted in close collaboration with, the experimental laboratories of Dr. Emre Aksay (Weill/Cornell Medical) and Dr. Jennifer Raymond (Stanford University). Candidates are expected to have training in a quantitatively rigorous discipline such as math, physics, engineering, computer science, statistics, or computational neuroscience. Interested candidates should send a CV, brief statement of previous research and future research interests, and contact information for 3 references to: Mark Goldman, msgoldman(a)ucdavis.edu.

March 28, 2016

Deadline approaching for Summer Workshop on the Dynamic Brain

by Adrienne Fairhall

Dear Colleagues, Announcing the Summer Workshop on the Dynamic Brain 2016, co-organized by the Allen Institute for Brain Science and the Computational Neuroscience Program at the University of Washington and directed by Drs. Christof Koch and Adrienne Fairhall. Applications are being accepted until April 1, 2016. This intensive two-week, project-based interdisciplinary course aims to give advanced students in neuroscience, biology, physics, engineering and computer science a rapid introduction to the current state of understanding of the neurobiology of sensory processing, including anatomy, physiology and neural coding and a mentored introduction to Allen Institute open data sets. New this year: In 2016 we will hold an optional one-day Python bootcamp in Seattle on August 20. The workshop begins at Friday Harbor on August 21. Cost: Conference fees, housing and meals during the workshop will be covered by the organizers. Additional expenses, including transportation and incidentals, are the responsibility of the attendee. Please share this information with potential students and others in your department. Details and application form available at http://courses.washington.edu/braindyn/ . Thank you! Adrienne Fairhall University of Washington

March 27, 2016

ICMNS 2016: Early Registration Deadline March 31, 2016

by Zachary Kilpatrick

*Deadline for Early Registration is March 31, 2016* https://icmns2016.inria.fr/registration/ <https://icmns2016.inria.fr/registration/> International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience (ICMNS 2016) at the Congress Center in Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera May 29 to June 1, 2016 Tutorials: May 29 Main Conference: May 30 - June 1 A detailed schedule is forthcoming. https://icmns2016.inria.fr/ <https://icmns2016.inria.fr/> The goal of this event is to provide an interdisciplinary conference to bring together theoretical neuroscientists and mathematicians interested in using and extending mathematical concepts and methods for solving problems in neuroscience. In turn, we expect the connections and insights gleaned through mathematics can pose future questions to experimental neuroscience. CONFIRMED SPEAKERS Wulfram Gerstner (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) John Rinzel (New York University) Antoine Triller (École Normale Supérieure de Paris) Rachel Kuske (U British Columbia) Jonathan Rubin (U Pittsburgh) Hinke Osinga (U Aukland) Carina Curto (Penn State University) Ruben Moreno-Bote (Foundation Sant Joan de Deu) Hiroya Nakao (Tokyo Institute of Technology) Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Si Wu (Beijing Normal University) Alex Roxin (Centre de Recerca Matematica) TUTORIAL SPEAKERS Rachel Kuske (U British Columbia) Jonathan Rubin (U Pittsburgh) Alex Roxin (Centre de Recerca Matematica) Olivier Faugeras (INRIA - Sophia Antipolis) Suzanne Ditlevsen (University of Copenhagen) Daniele Avitabile (U Nottingham) PROGRAM COMMITTEE Toni Guillamon (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) Roland Potthast (U Reading) Gregory Faye (Université Paul Sabatier ) Wilhelm Stannat (TU Berlin) Jonathan Touboul (College de France) Gilles Wainrib (Ecole Normale Supérieure) Suzanne Ditlevsen (University of Copenhagen) Boris Gutkin (Ecole Normale Supérieure) Martin Wechselberger (U Sydney) Jonathan Rubin (U Pittsburgh) Martin Krupa (INRIA Sophia Antipoilis) Carlo Laing (Massey University) Andre Longtin (U Ottawa) Daniele Avitabile (U Nottingham) Jose Carrillo (Imperial College) Pascal Chossat (Université Nice Sophia Antipolis) Carson Chow (National Institutes of Health) Steve Zucker (Yale University) Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Rachel Kuske (U British Columbia) Laura Sacerdote (Universita di Torino) Reinhard Hopfner (Johannes-Gutenberg Universitat) Olivier Faugeras (INRIA - Sophia Antipolis) Paul Bressloff (U Utah) Steve Coombes (U Nottingham) CONFERENCE CHAIRS Romain Veltz (INRIA - Sophia Anitpolis) Zachary Kilpatrick (U Houston) Evelyn Buckwar (Johannes Kepler Universitat Linz)

March 27, 2016

Two PhD Positions in Computer Vision for Connectomics at INI in Zurich

by Jan Funke

The Institute of Neuroinformatics (INI) of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich has two PhD positions in the field of computer vision for connectomics, i.e., the reconstruction of neural circuits from electron microscopy volumes. The project aims at improving the current state of the art of discrete optimization models for neuron segmentation by investigating new segmentation methods, the incorporation of biological priors, (deep) learning from sample annotations, and the development of large-scale reconstruction pipelines. A detailed description can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hThoBuesWucwCDUmStyCt44VWMscXy9KxBtuyA5… The project will be carried out in collaboration with the HCI Heidelberg (Germany) and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain). Generous funding for at least three years will be provided, including travel costs for regular visits of our collaborators and conference fees. Please send us an email with your CV at funke(a)ini.ethz.ch (Jan Funke) for further information. Regards, Jan Funke

March 25, 2016

Post-Doc in Bordeaux, application deadline 01/04/2016 (1 week)

by Nicolas P. Rougier

Actor–critic models of the basal ganglia Postdoc in Bordeaux (12 months), France Application deadline 01/04/2016. Details & application at: http://www.inria.fr/institut/recrutement-metiers/offres/post-doctorat/sejou… Nicolas Rougier --- Actor–critic models of the basal ganglia We developed a model of the basal ganglia (Piron et al., 2016) that introduces an action selection mechanism that is based upon the competition between a positive feedback through the direct pathway and a negative feedback through the hyperdirect pathway. The model also exploits the parallel organization of circuits between the basal ganglia and the cortex using segregated loops: one loop allows to choose the cue and one loop allows to make the actual motor selection. Learning occurs between the cognitive cortex and the cognitive striatum using a simple reinforcement learning where the values of the different cues are updated after each decision. As in most computational models of the basal ganglia, this model relies on an actor-critic architecture where the dopamine signal is used to encode the temporal difference prediction error signal in the critic (Joel et al., 2002; Khamassi et al., 2005). However, this algorithm is not very elaborated and its implementation is not biologically plausible since values are stored outside the model. The objectives of this postdoc is thus to review and to re-implement (Python) main actor-critic models of the literature in order to compare them on a common set of decision tasks (two-arm bandit task for example) in terms of biological plausibility and performances. Special attention will be given to the "Primary Value and Learned Value Pavlovian Learning Algorithm" model (O'Reilly, 2007) and the AGREL model (Roefselma et al. 2005). From these replications (that will be published in ReScience), the most plausible and compatible mechanisms will be implemented in our own model of the basal ganglia in order to replace the current reinforcement learning algorithm (Guthrie et al., 2013, Piron et al. 2016). Profiles PhD in computational neuroscience or computer science (machine learning) with strong experience in Python & the scientific Python stack (numpy, scipy, matplotlib, git/github). References • Joel, D., Niv, Y., & Ruppin, E. (2002). Actor–critic models of the basal ganglia: New anatomical and computational perspectives. Neural Networks, 15(4-6), 535–547. • Khamassi, M., Lachèze, L., Girard, B., Berthoz, A., Guillot, A. (2005). Actor-critic models of reinforcement learning in the basal ganglia: From natural to artificial rats. Adaptive Behavior, 13 (2). • Guthrie, M., Leblois, A., Garenne, A., & Boraud, T. (2013). Interaction between cognitive and motor cortico-basal ganglia loops during decision making: a computational study. Journal of Neurophysiology, 109(12). • C. Piron, D. Kase, M. Topalidou, M. Goillandeau, H. Orignac, T. N'Guyen, N.P. Rougier, T. Boraud, The globus pallidus pars interna in goal oriented and habitual behavior. Resolving an old standing paradox, Movement Disorders, (2016), to appear. • O'Reilly, R. C., Frank, M. J., Hazy, T. E., & Watz, B. (2007). PVLV: The Primary Value and Learned Value Pavlovian Learning Algorithm. Behavioral Neuroscience, 121(1). • Roelfsema, P.R., van Ooyen A. (2005). Attention-gated reinforcement learning of internal representations for classification. Neural Computation.

March 25, 2016

Post-Doctoral Positions at Boston University Investigating Long-Range Neocortical Networks

by Chen, Jerry

Post-Doctoral Positions Available --------------------------------- We are a new lab, headed by Jerry Chen, opening our doors in 2016 in the Department of Biology at Boston University SUMMARY: A longstanding goal in neuroscience is to achieve a complete understanding of the central nervous system, from the brain as a whole all the way down to individual neurons and synapses. A fundamental challenge in achieving this goal is bridging knowledge gaps impeded by the difficulty in integrating experimental measurements across different scales. Our lab studies the relationship between local circuits and long-range networks in the mammalian neocortex. We take an integrative approach by combining large-scale in vivo imaging technology with molecular and genetic tools in the awake-behaving animal. RESEARCH PROJECTS: Principles of Long-Range Cortical Communication. We are investigating how behavior-relevant information is processed both locally and globally throughout the neocortex. Using the mouse tactile whisker sensorimotor system as a model for studying long-range cortical communication during sensory processing and decision making, we seek to understand the following questions: - What are the circuits underlying long-range cortical communication? - What are the physiological mechanisms that subserve such operations? - What roles do these processes serve during behavior? Long-Range Cortical Circuits During Development. We are investigating how genes and development define the organization and function of long-range cortical circuits. Gaining a handle on how these circuits form will help us understand the role they serve during behavior. Technologies for Large-Scale Imaging of Neuronal Populations. We recently developed a multi-area two-photon microscope that enables simultaneous functional imaging with cellular resolution across cortical areas. We seek to expand on such methods to enable comprehensive monitoring of neuronal activity across the entire cortex. QUALIFICATIONS: We are seeking highly creative individuals who are interested in pursuing independent projects core to the lab's research interest. A first author publication (submitted or published) is a prerequisite for consideration. While experience with in vivo imaging and rodent behavior and a quantitative background is desired, we are also interested in individuals with a broad range of expertise within and outside of neuroscience. You can even be a mathematician, physicist, engineer, computer scientist, molecular biologist, artist, or musician. Some examples of potential good fits include: - Neurophysiologists with previous experience working with non-human primates interested in addressing similar questions in rodents. - Developmental neurobiologists interested in studying how circuit formation guides circuit function and behavior. - Computational neuroscientists interested in testing theoretical models using experimental data acquired in the lab. - Molecular biologists interested in utilizing molecular and genetic tools for addressing systems-level questions. - Optical engineers interested in developing and applying novel technologies for large-scale recording and stimulation of neuronal populations. For more information, go to www.chen-lab.org. If you are interested in applying, please submit a CV along with 3 references to: jerry(a)chen-lab.org.

March 24, 2016

ANNPR 2nd Call for Papers

by Dr. Schwenker

**** Please apologize cross-postings. 2nd Call for Papers IAPR TC3 International Workshop on Artificial Neural Networks in Pattern Recognition (ANNPR 2016) September 28-30, 2016 Ulm University, Ulm, Germany ANNPR 2016 invites papers that present original work in areas of neural networks, machine learning and pattern recognition, focusing on both theoretical and applied aspects. Topics of interest include, but not limited to: Methodological Issues - Supervised learning - Unsupervised learning - Combination of supervised and unsupervised learning - Feed-forward, recurrent, and competitive neural nets - Kernel machines - Hierarchical modular architectures and hybrid systems - Combination of neural networks and Hidden Markov models - Multiple classifier systems and ensemble methods - Probabilistic graphical models - Kernel methods - Deep architectures Applications in Pattern Recognition - Image processing and segmentation - Handwritten recognition and Document analysis - Sensor-fusion and multi-modal processing - Feature extraction, dimension reduction - Clustering and vector quantization - Speech and speaker recognition - Data, text, and web mining - Bioinformatics/Cheminformatics Important Dates Paper submission: May 4, 2016 Notification of acceptance: June 22, 2016 Camera ready due: July 6, 2016 Workshop: September 28-30, 2016 General Chairs Friedhelm Schwenker, Ulm University, Germany Hazem Abbas, German University of Cairo, Egypt Neamat El Gayar, Cairo University, Egypt Edmondo Trentin, University of Siena, Italy For more information, please visit us: http://neuro.informatik.uni-ulm.de/ANNPR2016/ -- Dr. Friedhelm Schwenker University of Ulm Institute of Neural Information Processing D-89069 Ulm, Germany phone: +49-731-50-24159 fax: +49-731-50-24156 email: friedhelm.schwenker(a)uni-ulm.de www: http://www.uni-ulm.de/in/neuroinformatik/mitarbeiter/f-schwenker.html

March 24, 2016

Master student / intern position available at Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany

by Filip Sobczak

OPEN POSITION Master student / intern position at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany The Department of High-field Magnetic Resonance at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen is looking for a master’s student or an intern to work under the supervision of Dr. Xin Yu (Group Leader at MPI for Biological Cybernetics). This position is open now until filled. Research description: The project requires applying image processing and computer vision techniques for neuroscientific purposes. The goal is establishing a platform enabling the registration of rat brain MRI scans onto a brain atlas template. This will allow locating specific brain structures in a newly acquired MRI scan. Example applications of the platform are: - increasing the precision of targeting and recording deep brain nuclei, - enabling the use of MRI images as feedback in closed-loop control of a robotic arm operating in a 14T MRI scanner. The candidate should possess sufficient knowledge of image processing techniques to finish the task. Some groundwork has already been done. The Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics is located in Tübingen, Germany. Next door to the MPI for Biological Cybernetics lies the MPI for Intelligent Systems. The Max Planck Society is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, and encourages applications from qualified women and minority candidates. Please send your CV (in English) to Dr. Yu if interested. Contact info: Dr. Xin Yu Research Group leader Max-Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Spemannstrasse 41, 72076 Tübingen, Germany E-mail: xin.yu(a)tuebingen.mpg.de , phone: 49 7071 601-740 Website: www.kyb.tuebingen.mpg.de/research/rg/yugroup/ Dr. Yu has published seminal papers on small animal high field MRI in Nature Neuroscience, Nature Methods, Neuron, PNAS, NeuroImage etc.

March 24, 2016

Engineering Applications of Neural Networks 2016, 2nd-5th September, Scotland

by Chrisina Jayne

Dear Colleague, The 17th International Conference on Engineering Applications of Neural Networks will take place in Aberdeen, Scotland, between 2nd-5th September 2016 (EANN 2016 – http://www.eann.org.uk/eann2016/index.php) The INNS (International Neural Network Society) is the primary sponsor of EANN. Robert Gordon University, the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) and Visit Aberdeen also sponsor the EANN conference. 6 PhD students studying at Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) universities will have free registration. Authors are invited to submit electronically original, English-language research contributions or experience reports not concurrently submitted elsewhere. The proceedings of the conference will be published in Springer CCIS Series. Extended contributions will also be considered for publication in a Special Issue of Neural Computing and Applications Journal (Springer). In the spirit of the previous EANN conferences, the paper should concentrate on the application rather than just the algorithm or the theory. All application areas are relevant. Novel contributions related to deep learning and application of neural networks to data science applications are encouraged. The deadline for paper submission is 20th April 2016. Proposals for Workshops that examine emerging, innovative, or otherwise provocative issues within the conference area are encouraged as well. Workshop proposals should include a 1-2 page summary of the topic and the names and affiliations of 3-4 panellists who have made a commitment to participate. A mix of industry and academic panel members is recommended. Proposals for 90-minute tutorials are also invited on topics within the conference area. Tutorial proposals must be at most 5 pages, they must identify the intendedaudience, and they must give enough material to provide a sense of what will be covered. Full CFP is available at http://www.eann.org.uk/eann2016/cfp.php Important deadlines are available at http://www.eann.org.uk/eann2016/timeline.php Submission page http://www.eann.org.uk/eann2016/sbmissions.php Keynote Speakers http://www.eann.org.uk/eann2016/keynote.php Excursion Details http://www.eann.org.uk/eann2016/exc.php If you have any questions please email Chrisina Jayne at ( c.p.jayne(a)rgu.ac.uk) Best wishes, Prof Chrisina Jayne and Prof Lazaros Iliadis Programme Chairs for EANN2016

March 24, 2016

PhD Opportunity: Brain stimulation / fMRI / Cortico-cereballar connectivity

by Ramnani, N

Dear All, John Rothwell and I would like to invite expressions of interest from prospective PhD students for a project to map cortico-cereballar connectivity using brain stimulation and fMRI. Further details are available here: http://www.pc.rhul.ac.uk/sites/NeuroscienceLab/?page_id=192 Deadline: 15th April (but please respond as early as possible to discuss and shape an application in consultation with us). I'd be grateful if you could please forward this message to those who might be interested. Thanks and best wishes, Narender Narender Ramnani Professor of Neuroscience Fellow, Society of Biology Council Member, British Neuroscience Association Brain, Action and Cognition Laboratory Department of Psychology Royal Holloway, University of London Egham TW20 0EX, UK. Tel. 01784 443519 www.pc.rhul.ac.uk/sites/neurosciencelab<http://www.pc.rhul.ac.uk/sites/neurosciencelab> @n_ramnani

March 24, 2016

Postdoctoral positions in neuroimaging mapping of early brain development

by gangli

Postdoctoral research associate positions are available at the Infant Brain Mapping Lab of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Our current focuses are to better understand the dynamic and critical early brain development in health and disease, via multimodal neuroimaging analysis. The successful candidate will support our efforts either in advancing neuroimaging analysis technologies or in neuroscience applications. We are seeking highly motivated individuals who have extensive research experience in neuroimaging analysis (e.g., structural, diffusion or functional MRI) and demonstrated academic excellence, including publications in first-class journals and conferences. The candidate for Postdoctoral Research Associate should have a Ph.D. (or equivalent) in Neuroscience, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics/Statistics, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or related fields. Good command of programming tools including Matlab, C/C++, Linux, and scripting are necessary to carry out the research work in this group. The successful candidate will be part of a diverse group including neuroscientists, radiologists, psychologists, physicists, biostatistician, and computer scientists, and will build upon the group's extensive foundation on neuroimaging analysis. If interested, please email resume to Dr. Gang Li (gang_li(a)med.unc.edu)

March 24, 2016

NEURAL COMPUTATION - April 1, 2016

by Terry Sejnowski

Neural Computation - Volume 28 Number 4 - April 1 2016 Available online for download now: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/neco/28/4 ----- Article Vector Symbolic Spiking Neural Network Model of Hippocampal Sub-area CA1 Novelty Detection Functionality Claus Agerskov Note Feature-based Attention by Lateral Spike Synchronization August Romeo, Hans Super Letters Downstream Effect of Ramping Neuronal Activity Through Synapses With Short-term Plasticity Wei Wei, Xiao-Jing Wang Optimal Schedules in Multi-task Motor Learning Jeong Yoon Lee, Youngmin Oh, Sung Shin Kim, Robert A Scheidt, and Nicolas Schweighofer Theoretical and Experimental Analyses of Tensor-Based Regression and Classification Kishan wimalawarne, Ryota Tomioka, and Masashi Sugiyama Feature Selection for Ridge Regression With Provable Guarantees Saurabh Paul, Petros Drineas Online Pairwise Learning Algorithms Yiming Ying, Ding-Xuan Zhou Sampled-data State Feedback Stabilization of Boolean Control Networks Yang Liu, Jinde Cao, Liangjie Sun, and Jianquan Lu ------------ 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 ------------

March 23, 2016

Deadline (April 1st) for contributions to ICANN 2016 Barcelona is approaching

by antonio

*Please**, excuse****multiple****postings**.** ** **I beg**you **make****maximum publicity****among your****groups****and colleagues.** * Dear colleagues and friends, I invite you to participate in the "25th Annual Conference on Artificial Neural Networks" to be held in Barcelona on 6-9 of September. The congress, in addition to everything that has to do with Neural Networks, addresses some issues in the field of networks and complex systems. *INVITED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS*are the following: *Wlodek Duch *(Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland) *Erkki Oja *(Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland) *Joaquin Fuster *(University of California at Los Angeles, USA) *Murray Shanahan* (Imperial College London, UK) *Günther Palm* (University of Ulm, Germany) *Stephen Coombes *(University of Nottingham, UK) *Etienne Koechlin* (Pierre and Marie Curie University, France) You can participate with an oral presentation, a poster or a written article. The deadline for submitting your abstracts (for oral contributions or posters) or your manuscripts *_ends next_**__**_April 1st_*. You will find more details about how to send contributions in http://icann2016.org/index.php/contributors/submission. More information:www.icann2016.org. Follow us on twitter: @EuNeuralNetSoc Sincerely, ICANN 2016 - Barcelona Antonio J. Pons Rivero General Chair of ICANN 2016 Terrassa School of Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering (ETSEIAT) Nonlinear dynamics, nonlinear optics and lasers Group BarcelonaTech (UPC) Edifici GAIA Rbla. Sant Nebridi, 22 08222 Terrassa, Spain

March 23, 2016

"The neuroscience of decision-making" ~1 week left to submit abstracts

by Paul Cisek

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

March 22, 2016

CogModel notes: ICCM16+fellowships/confs/resources/Jobs

by Frank Ritter

The ICCM 2016 announcements drive this email (it will be at Penn State, before CogSci, 3-6 Aug 2016 (hope you can come!). Deadline is approaching and we now have student travel support! There are also numerous timely announcements that indicate new publication outlets (too many conferences, we should talk about this as a community), resources, and jobs in Cog Sci and in cognitive modeling, or jobs that might take modelers. I have also included several unusual items, including some tools. I also should note: This is not our conference: http://www.sci-en-tech.com/ICCM2016 [it is on engineering methods] The 7th International Conference on Computational Methods (ICCM2016) This is also not our conference: https://www.waset.org/conference/2016/08/barcelona/ICCM [same title!] [I have found that the conference committee on this one often do not know they are on the committee! and they are not modellers] If you would like to be removed, please just let me know. I maintain it by hand to keep it small. [Hypertext version available at http://acs.ist.psu.edu/iccm2016/iccm-mailing-mar2016.html **************** Table of Contents **************** 1. ICCM 2016 Call for papers, due 8 April 16 http://acs.ist.psu.edu/iccm2016/submissions/ 2. ICCM Student travel support (10) http://acs.ist.psu.edu/iccm2016/stipend-application/ 3. ICCM Tutorial program call http://acs.ist.psu.edu/iccm2016/submissions/tutorials/ 4. Fierces meeting in Moscow, 21-24 April 2016 http://school.bicasociety.org/ 5. BICA meeting in NYC, 16-19 July 2016 http://bicasociety.org/meetings/2016/ 20 Apr 2016 paper due date 6. SBP & BRiMS 16-Social Computing, Behavior Representation 28 Jun - 1 Jul 2016 http://sbp-brims.org 7. Nengo Summer School http://www.nengo.ca/summerschool 8. Call for Fourth Annual Conference on Advances in Cognitive Systems Northwestern 23-26 Jun 2016 http://www.cogsys.org/ 9. CFP Collective Intelligence 2016 - Call for Papers https://sites.google.com/a/stern.nyu.edu/collective-intelligence-conference… 10. Call for special issues, J of Interaction Science http://www.journalofinteractionscience.com/ 11. Call for papers, Holistic approaches for Human-Vehicle Systems IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems 12. Groningen Spring School on Cognitive Modeling 13. Call for Future CogSci Conference Organizers 14. Budapest Semester in Cognitive Science, and Summer program http://www.bscs-us.org/ 15. CogACLL 2016 - First Call of Papers due 8 & 29 May 2016 http://sites.google.com/site/cognitivews2016 16. AHFE 2016 International Conference on Simulation, 27-31 July 2016 17. 15th Neural Computation and Psychology Workshop, Due 15 Apr https://sites.google.com/site/ncpw15/ 17b. AGI-16 deadline extended to 1 Apr 16 ** Resources ** 18. Special issue on cognitive engineering, J of Interaction Science http://www.journalofinteractionscience.com/about [open access] 19. Oxford books (>$100) get 30% off https://global.oup.com/ 20. Proceedings of Workshop on Cogn Archs for Social HRI https://sites.google.com/site/cogarch4socialhri2016/proceedings 21. BRIMS 2013: introduction to CMOT special issue http://alerts.springer.com/re?l=D0In5zo16I6hi0lc9I1 22. BRIMS 2012: introduction to CMOT special issue http://alerts.springer.com/re?l=D0In5x8koI6hi0lc9I3 23. MSc Course in Cognitive Systems at Open U of Cyprus ** Jobs ** 24. Tenure Track Asst Prof in Cognitive Psychology at Syracuse U 25. Post-doc/programmer in tutoring/modeling at PSU, July/Aug 2016 26. U of California at Riverside hiring 300 (!) http://clusterhiring.ucr.edu 27. Aerospace Engineering and ethics, PSU full consideration by Jan 2016 28. Visiting Assistant Professor, Bucknell U. Fall 2016 29. Robotics faculty member, Missouri U of S&T Review started 1 feb 16 30. Open/data science developer jobs at Databrary.org https://databrary.org/about/jobs.html 31. Researcher and Engineer positions at ATR Brain Labs, Kyoto, Japan http://www.cns.atr.jp/en/ 32. Postdoctoral Fellow, CMU with Gonzalez http://www.cmu.edu/ddmlab/ [expired, but recurrent] 33. Positions available at the US Army Res Lab 34. Doctoral Student Fellowship - U of Lausanne, Switzerland 35. PostDoc: compt models of optogenetic stim in epilepsy patients U of Newcastle 36. Research Positions with the US Air Force Res Lab 37. Post-doctoral positions at CMU, DDM Lab 38. Job(s) at Pacific Science, San Diego, CA (rolling deadline) **************************************************************** 1. ICCM 2016 Call for papers, due 8 April 16 http://acs.ist.psu.edu/iccm2016/submissions/ The ICCM2016 Call for Papers is available for download. Deadline & Submitting All paper, poster, symposium, and tutorial submissions are due on 8 Apr 2016, 5pm EST. They should be submitted via our online submission system: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=iccm2016 There are three types of submissions: Papers: refereed papers of up to 6 pages. If a submission is accepted to be published as a paper, the paper will be presented at the conference either as a talk or as a poster. Posters: refereed poster abstracts of up to 2 pages. If accepted, the corresponding poster will be presented at the conference in a dedicated poster session. Symposia: refereed symposia abstracts of up to 2 pages. If accepted, the conference committee will contact the authors to help organize and schedule the symposium. A symposium submission should consist of an introduction to the topic of the symposium and a brief description of the speakers. Symposia have a maximum duration of 90 minutes, but can also be shorter. Notification of acceptance expected by 6 May 2016. **************************************************************** 2. ICCM Student travel support (10) http://acs.ist.psu.edu/iccm2016/stipend-application/ With assistance from National Science Foundation, we have financial support for about ten (10) students to travel to and attend ICCM2016. If you are an interested student, please use the Google Form link (https://script.google.com/macros/s/AKfycby0VHWmhqkMw1OzH-rX4SWBEegeMT8StKkX… submit an stipend application. You will be asked to provide a CV and brief research statement or cover letter in PDF form. The stipend is available to all students (undergraduate, graduate) enrolled at US institutions of higher education, as well as to US citizens enrolled at higher education institutions world-wide. We encourage you to apply, especially if you have not been to ICCM before or if you think you can contribute to the diversity of our community. For full consideration, please submit your application by 7 May 16. Awards will be made starting on that day. **************************************************************** 3. ICCM Tutorial program call http://acs.ist.psu.edu/iccm2016/submissions/tutorials/ The Tutorial and Workshop program of ICCM will be held on August 3, 2016. It will provide conference participants with the opportunity to gain new insights, knowledge, and skills from a broad range of areas in the field of cognitive modeling. Tutorial topics will be presented in a taught format and are likely to range from practical guidelines to theoretical issues or software. Workshops give an opportunity for in-depth discussion on a specific topic important for cognitive modeling. Tutorials at ICCM have been held many times before, and this year's program will be modelled after them and after the series held at the Cognitive Science Conference; please see previous years for examples (2013, 2012). Duration: Each tutorial or workshop is designed to be a half-day or full-day in duration. Half-day tutorials/workshops are about 3 hours long (not including breaks). Full day tutorials/workshops are about 6 hours long (not including breaks). Tutorial participants: Tutorial participants will either be doing cognitive modeling or be interested in learning more. They will be looking for insights into their own areas and summaries of other areas providing tools, techniques, and results to use in their own teaching and research. Most tutorials should be at the introductory graduate school level or slightly higher. That is, the tutorials should be accessible to postgraduate students, but should assume a first degree in one of the cognitive sciences. Queries should be sent to the tutorial chair, Dr. Bill Kennedy wkennedy(a)gmu.edu **************************************************************** 4. Fierces meeting in Moscow, 21-24 April 2016 http://school.bicasociety.org/ A three-day meeting of early-career researchers (students, interns, postdocs, trainees, research staff and faculty, including young scientists from around the world) with world-recognized leading experts in the field of Biologically inspired cognitive architectures. This School will develop future world leadership in the field by young scientists for years to come. The friendly atmosphere of excitement and opportunity will help us to initiate partnership and collaboration using roundtables, breakout groups and discussion panels. Working language of the School is English. An event that will enhance your research career and is likely to change your life. Seats are limited: contact burtsev.m(a)gmail.com, asamsono(a)gmu.edu Sponsored by: Russian Science Foundation National Research Nuclear University «MEPhI», BICA Society **************************************************************** 5. BICA meeting in NYC, 16-19 July 2016 http://bicasociety.org/meetings/2016/ 20 Apr 2016 paper due date [Following numerous requests, the BICA 2016 submission deadline is extended until April 20: http://bica2016.bicasociety.org/deadlines/ -from Samsonovitch] [deadlines are tight, this newsletter might not make it, but, generally you can arrange to talk if you have something to say, and you can attend, of course] BICA 2016 will be hosted as a part of the unified Human-Level Artificial Intelligence Framework event (HLAI-2016) at the New School Center for Transformative Media in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, NY. In addition to BICA 2016, this event will also include AGI-2016 (http://www.agi-conf.org) NeSy-2016 (http://www.neural-symbolic.org) possibly AIC-2016 and more, co-located and immediately following IJCAI-2016 (http://ijcai-16.org) General Chair of HLAI 2016: Tarek R. Besold. BICA 2016 Chair and Point of Contact: Alexei Samsonovich Abstract-only OK for a talk, accepted papers will be published in Elsevier journals BICA (acquires a Thomson Reuters JCR Impact Factor, www.elsevier.com/locate/bica) and Procedia Computer Science (www.journals.elsevier.com/procedia-computer-science/) both indexed in Web of Science and Scopus (attendance is not required for publication). Express your interest via email to alexei(a)bicasociety.org Abstract submission is encouraged by March 16 All kinds of submissions (all venues via EasyChair) due - March 20 Acceptance and Reviewer feedback - on or before April 15 Early-bird registration deadline: April 20 Camera Ready Submission: May 15 Author Registration Deadline: May 15 Conference Dates: July 16 - 19 **************************************************************** 6. SBP & BRiMS 16-Social Computing, Behavior Representation 28 Jun - 1 Jul 2016 http://sbp-brims.org [late breaking results are still open] From: Donald Adjeroh <Donald.Adjeroh(a)mail.wvu.edu> Subject: 2nd Call for Papers: SBP and BRiMS 16 - Social Computing, Behavior Representation SBP and BRiMS 2016 The Conferences on Social Computing, Behavioral-Cultural Modeling and Prediction (SBP) and Behavior Representation in Modeling and Simulation (BRiMS) will jointly hold their meetings in 2016. 28 Jun - 1 Jul 2016 UCDC Center, Washington DC IMPORTANT DATES -------------------------- Paper registration deadline: 22 Jan 2016 Paper/full text due: 28 Jan 2016 Author notification: 1 Mar 2016 Final Version: 14 Mar 2016 Late-breaking results papers, Demo and Industry Track abstracts due: 1 Feb - 1 May 2016 (rolling) Author notification: 2 weeks after submission Tutorial proposals due: 1 Feb 2016 Pre-conference Tutorial Sessions: 28 Jun 2016 Conference (Single Track): 29 Jun - 1 Jul 2016 ABOUT SBP-BRIMS ------------------------- SBP-BRiMS is a multidisciplinary conference with a selective single paper track and poster session. The conference also invites a small number of high quality tutorials and nationally recognized keynote speakers. The conference has grown out of two related meetings: SBP and BRiMS, which were co-located in previous years. Social computing harnesses the power of computational methods to study social behavior, such as during team collaboration. Cultural behavioral modeling refers to representing behavior and culture in the abstract, and is a convenient and powerful way to conduct virtual experiments and scenario analysis. Both social computing and cultural behavioral modeling are techniques designed to achieve a better understanding of complex behaviors, patterns, and associated outcomes of interest. Moreover, these approaches are inherently interdisciplinary; subsystems and system components exist at multiple levels of analysis (i.e., "cells to societies") and across multiple disciplines, from engineering and the computational sciences to the social and health sciences. The SBP-BRiMS conference invites modeling and simulation papers from academics, research scientists, technical communities and defense researchers across traditional disciplines to share ideas, discuss research results, identify capability gaps, highlight promising technologies, and showcase the state-of-the-art in applications in the areas of cultural behavioral modeling, prediction, and social computing. Please see the SBP-BRiMS16 website for more details. Keynotes and tutorials delivered in the previous SBP and BRiMS meetings are available through the websites http://sbp-conference.org/ and http://cc.ist.psu.edu/BRIMS2015/ . CALL FOR PAPERS ------------------------ Submissions are solicited on research issues, theories, and applications. Topics of interests include the following. Modeling - Intelligent agents and avatars/adversarial modeling - Cognitive robotics and human-robot interaction - Models of reasoning and decision making - Model validation & comparison - Socio-cultural M&S: team/group/crowd/behavior - Physical models of human movement - Performance assessment & skill monitoring/tracking - Performance prediction/enhancement/optimization - Intelligent tutoring systems - Knowledge acquisition/engineering - Human behavior issues in model federations Basic Research on Sociocultural & Behavioral Processes - Group interaction and collaboration - Group formation and evolution - Group representation and profiling - Collective action and governance - Cultural patterns & representation - Social conventions and social contexts - Influence process and recognition - Public opinion representation - Information diffusion - Psycho-cultural situation awareness Methodological Issues - Mathematical foundations - Verification and validation - Sensitivity analysis - Matching technique or method to research questions - Metrics and evaluation - Methodological innovation - Model federation and integration - Evolutionary computing - Optimization Information, Systems, & Network Science - Social medial and social network analysis - Data mining on social media platforms - Diffusion and other dynamic processes over networks - Inference of network topologies and changes over time - Analysis of link formations and link types - Detection of communities and other types of structures in networks - Analysis of high-dimensional networks Military and Intelligence Applications - Evaluation, modeling and simulation - Group formation and evolution in the political context - Technology and flash crowds - Networks and political influence - Group representation and profiling - Reasoning about terrorist group behaviors and policies towards them Health Applications - Social network analysis to understand health behavior - Modeling of health policy and decision making - Modeling of behavioral aspects of infectious disease spread - Intervention design and modeling for behavioral health Other Applications - Economic applications of behavioral and social prediction - Viral marketing - Reasoning about development aid through social modeling - Reasoning about global educational efforts through cognitive simulation FORMAT AND SUBMISSION ------------------------------------ The conference solicits three categories of papers: - Regular papers (max. 10 pages) All topics and authors (academic, government, industry) welcome Published in a Springer volume and online. Plenary or poster presentation. - Late-breaking results (max. 6 pages) All topics and authors welcome. Published online. Typically a poster or plenary presentation. - Demos and Industry Track (2-page abstract, or max. 6 pages) Published online. Typically a poster or demo presentation. The papers must be in English and MUST be formatted according to the Springer-Verlag LNCS/LNAI guidelines. Sample LaTeX and MS Word templates are available at http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0. A selection of authors will be invited to contribute journal versions of their papers to one of two planned special issues of Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory and another high-profile journal. The submission website will be available at: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=sbpbrims2016 For any questions and inquiries concerning submissions, please email the program chairs. PRE-CONFERENCE TUTORIAL SESSIONS ---------------------------------------------------- Several half-day sessions will be offered on the day before the full conference. Sessions will be designed to meet the needs of one of two distinct groups. One group will consist of attendees who have backgrounds in the computational sciences: computer science, engineering, and other mathematically oriented disciplines. Other tutorial sessions will be designed for behavioral and social scientists and others (e.g. those with medical backgrounds or training in public health) who may have limited formal education in the computational sciences. Attendees will gain an understanding of terminology, theories, and general computational techniques, especially with respect to modeling approaches. More details regarding the pre-conference tutorial sessions, including instructors, course content, and registration information will be posted to the conference website (http://sbp-brims.org/) as soon as this information becomes available. POSTER & NETWORKING SESSION --------------------------------------------- We expect to invite the majority of all authors of paper submissions to present a poster at a catered poster and network session. DEMO SESSION --------------------- We invite technical demonstrations from academia, industry and government. Please submit a 2-page abstract. We will provide a desk and power. CHALLENGE PROBLEM -------------------------------- The conference expects to announce a data modeling challenge as in previous years. FUNDING PANEL & CROSS-FERTILIZATION ROUNDTABLES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Previous SBP conferences have included a Cross-fertilization Roundtable session or a Funding Panel. The purpose of the cross-fertilization roundtables is to help participants become better acquainted with people outside of their discipline and with whom they might consider partnering on future SBP-related research collaborations. The Funding Panel provides an opportunity for conference participants to interact with program managers from various federal funding agencies. Participants for the previous funding panels have included representatives from federal agencies, such as the NSF, NIH, DoD, ONR, AFOSR, USDA, etc. The details for 2016 will be confirmed at a later date. BEST PAPER AWARDS ----------------------------- SBP-BRiMS16 will feature a Best Paper Award and a Best Student Paper Award. All papers are qualified for the Best Paper Award. Papers with student first authors will be considered for the Best Student Paper Award. HOTEL AND LOGISTICS ------------------------------ Information on accommodation and logistics will be provided at the conference website as it becomes available at http://sbp-brims.org/ TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS ------------------------------- Previous SBP and BRiMS conferences provided competitive travel support to participants. It is anticipated that a limited number of travel scholarships will be available on a competitive basis. Additional information will be provided at the SBP-BRIMS Conference website as it becomes available at http://sbp-brims.org/ CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION ======================== CONFERENCE CHAIRS ------------------------ Kathleen M. Carley, CMU Nitin Agarwal, U of Arkansas at Little Rock PROGRAM CHAIRS ------------------------- Dongwon Lee, NSF/PSU, dlee(a)nsf.gov Nathaniel Osgood, U of Saskatchewan, osgood(a)cs.usask.ca David Reitter, PSU, reitter(a)psu.edu Kevin Xu, U of Toledo, kevin.xu(a)utoledo.edu AREA CHAIRS ------------------ David Broniatowski, George Washington U Sibel Adali, RPI Christian Lebiere, CMU Wen Dong, State U of NY, Buffalo (further area chairs to be confirmed.) TUTORIAL CHAIR ---------------------- Yu-Ru Lin, U of Pittsburgh PUBLICITY CHAIRS ------------------------ Donald Adjeroh, West Virginia U Nitin Agarwal, U of Arkansas at Little Rock BRIMS SOCIETY CHAIR ------------------------------ Christopher Dancy II, Bucknell U Important Dates for Paper Submission 17 Mar (midnight PDT): Deadline for paper submission 15 Apr Decisions about paper acceptance 12 May Deadline for final papers 12 May Deadline for early registration 23-26 Jun Conference **************************************************************** 7. Nengo Summer School http://www.nengo.ca/summerschool [ongoing, may have opennings, and may occur next year] From: Peter Blouw <pblouw(a)uwaterloo.ca> To: act-r-users(a)ACTR-SERVER.HPC1.CS.cmu.edu Subject: [ACT-R-users] 2016 Nengo Summer School - Applications Open [All details about this school can be found online at http://www.nengo.ca/summerschool] The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the U of Waterloo is inviting applications for our 3rd annual summer school on large-scale brain modeling. This two-week school will teach participants how to use the Nengo software package to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models to run in simulation and on neuromorphic hardware. Nengo has been used to build what is currently the world's largest functional brain model, Spaun [1], and provides users with a versatile and powerful environment for designing cognitive and neural systems to run in simulated and real environments. We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, research associates, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals. No specific training in the use of modeling software is required, but we encourage applications from active researchers with a relevant background in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, robotics, neuromorphic engineering, computer science, or a related field. For a look at last year's summer school, check out this short video: https://goo.gl/wy4dNC [1] Eliasmith, C., Stewart T. C., Choo X., Bekolay T., DeWolf T., Tang Y., Rasmussen, D. (2012). A large-scale model of the functioning brain. Science. Vol. 338 no. 6111 pp. 1202-1205. [http://nengo.ca/publications/spaunsciencepaper] ***Application Deadline: 15 Feb 2016*** Format: A combination of tutorials and project-based work. Participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on testing hypotheses, modeling neural or cognitive data, implementing specific behavioural functions with neurons, expanding past models, or providing a proof-of-concept of various neural mechanisms. Hands-on tutorials, work on individual or group projects, and talks from invited faculty members will make up the bulk of day-to-day activities. A project demonstration event will be held on the last day of the school, with prizes for strong projects! Topics Covered: Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to: build perceptual, motor, and sophisticated cognitive models using spiking neurons model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models interface Nengo with various kinds of neuromorphic hardware (e.g. SpiNNaker) interface Nengo with cameras and robotic systems implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models and much more Date and Location: June 5th to June 17th, 2016 at the U of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Applications: Please visit http://www.nengo.ca/summerschool, where you can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an application form listing required materials. If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact Peter Blouw (pblouw(a)uwaterloo.ca) We look forward to hearing from you! **************************************************************** 8. Call for Fourth Annual Conference on Advances in Cognitive Systems Northwestern 23-26 Jun 2016 http://www.cogsys.org/ Call For Papers Fourth Annual Conference on Advances in Cognitive Systems, Northwestern, Evanston, IL, 23-26 Jun 2016 The goal of the Advances in Cognitive Systems conference is to bring together researchers interested in building cognitive systems that focus on high-level cognition and decision making, reliance on rich, structured representations, and incorporation of insights about human thinking. This venue is for dissemination of research results pertaining to the original, yet unanswered, questions of Artificial Intelligence: to produce computational artifacts that reproduce a broad range of human cognitive abilities. The conference welcomes work on any topic related to the representation or organization of complex knowledge structures, their use in multi-step cognition, or their acquisition from experience or instruction. Some functional capabilities that arise in this context include, but are not limited to: - Conceptual Inference and Reasoning - Memory Storage and Retrieval - Language Processing - Social Cognition and Interaction - High-level Execution and Control - Problem Solving and Heuristic Search - Cognitive Aspects of Emotion and Personality - Metacognition and Meta-level Reasoning - Structural Learning and Knowledge Capture - Cognitive Vision and High-level Perception Paper Submission, Review, and Publication Manuscripts are limited to 12 pages. Papers accepted for the conference will be allotted up to an additional four papers for further elaboration. Accepted papers may also be invited to appear in the online journal, Advances in Cognitive Systems. Submissions should be formatted according to instructions provided at http://www.cogsys.org/formatting, which provides Latex and Word templates. Each submission should state explicitly the problem or capability it addresses, describe its response to this problem, make claims about this approach, and provide evidence in support of these claims. Every paper should also discuss related efforts, examine limitations of the reported work, and outline plans for future research. Because the conference aims to encourage research toward a broader understanding of intelligence, its criteria include demonstrating new functionality, integrating different facets of intelligence, presenting a novel approach to an established problem, explaining complex cognition in humans, and formally analyzing a difficult new task. We also welcome submissions on new problems or testbeds that challenge existing approaches. Each submission will be assigned to multiple referees who will evaluate the paper for itscontribution to understanding cognitive systems, clarity of claims about this contribution, convincing evidence in support of those claims, and cogent presentation of its ideas to readers. We encourage authors to examine the review form (http://www.cogsys.org/review-form-2016) before drafting their manuscripts to ensure that their submissions address all of the dimensions on which reviewers will evaluate them. The conference aims to be as inclusive as possible while still fostering innovative research on the computational nature of intelligence. The conference FAQ page (http://www.cogsys.org/faq) attempts to clarify the scope of the event. Authors who have questions about whether their research is appropriate for the meeting should contact the Conference Chairs, via acs2016(a)cs.northwestern.edu, for additional information. Important Dates for Paper Submission March 17th (midnight PDT): Deadline for paper submission April 15th: Decisions about paper acceptance May 12th: Deadline for final papers May 12th: Deadline for early registration June 23-26th: Conference Workshop Proposals ACS invites proposals for half-day or full day workshops to be held at the end of the conference on the afternoon of Sunday, June 26th. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to meet and discuss targeted issues pertaining to cognitive systems - providing an intimate and informal setting for active exchange among researchers, developers, and users on topics of current interest. The format of workshops will be determined by their organizers. Organizers are highly encouraged to propose alternative formats beyond paper/poster presentations, and should encourage the submission and presentation of position papers that discuss new research ideas. Proposals for workshops should be 2-3 pages in length and describe the topic, the format, and an explanation of target participation. Workshop organizers must submit their proposals via email to ACS2016(a)cs.northwestern.edu by March 17th. Conference Chairs Kenneth D. Forbus, Northwestern Thomas Hinrichs, Northwestern Organizing Committee Paul Bello, Naval Research Laboratory Kenneth Forbus, Northwestern Ashok Goel, Georgia Institute of Technology John Laird, U of Michigan Pat Langley, ISLE Sergei Nirenburg, RPI **************************************************************** 9. CFP Collective Intelligence 2016 - Call for Papers https://sites.google.com/a/stern.nyu.edu/collective-intelligence-conference… [program to be posted shortly] To: "naacsos-list(a)lists.andrew.cmu.edu" <naacsos-list(a)lists.andrew.cmu.edu> Subject: Collective Intelligence 2016 - Call for Papers Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2016 19:11:37 +0000 From: Thomas W Malone via Naacsos-list <naacsos-list(a)lists.andrew.cmu.edu> NAACSOS - http://www.casos.cs.cmu.edu/naacsos/ Call for Papers (Extended Abstracts) https://sites.google.com/a/stern.nyu.edu/collective-intelligence-conference… Collective Intelligence 2016 1-3 June 2016 New York U, New York, NY The annual interdisciplinary conference that brings together researchers from the academy, businesses, non-profits, governments and the world at large to share insights and ideas from a variety of fields relevant to understanding and designing collective intelligence in its many forms. Topics of interest include but are not limited to: human computation social computing crowdsourcing crowdfunding wisdom of crowds (e.g., prediction markets) group memory and extended cognition collective decision making and problem-solving participatory and deliberative democracy animal collective behavior organizational design and strategy public policy design (e.g., regulatory reform) ethics of collective intelligence (e.g., "digital sweatshops") computational models of group search and optimization emergence and evolution of intelligence new technologies for making groups smarter Submissions of two types are invited: Reports of original results Demonstrations of tools/technology To encourage a diversity of innovative ideas from a variety of fields, submissions may refer to work that is recently published, under review elsewhere, or in preparation, and may link to up to one publicly accessible paper for the purpose of describing the work in detail. However, submissions will be evaluated solely on the submitted abstract, which must therefore comprise an entirely self-contained description of the work. After review by the Program Committee, a subset of submitted abstracts will be invited for oral presentation with additional presentation as posters and/or demos. A second subset will also be invited exclusively for presentation as posters and/or demos. Authors will not receive detailed feedback from the review process, just an accept/reject decision. The main criteria will be: 1) whether the subject matter is a good fit for the Collective Intelligence conference; 2) whether there are interesting claims made with a promise to present evidence or non-obvious arguments in support of them. The review committee will not assess the validity of the evidence or arguments. Accepted submissions will be compiled into a single report which will be made available to conference participants. We emphasize that abstracts that are distributed to conference participants are not intended to be considered archival publications or to preclude submission of the reported work to archival journals; however, we cannot guarantee that certain journals do not have policies precluding the distribution of extended abstracts. Accepted abstracts will be included as submitted (i.e., submissions should be camera-ready). If your abstract is accepted for presentation or poster session, at least one author has to commit to attending the conference. Please check out prior programs and proceedings to learn more about the Collective Intelligence conference and academic community: (http://www.ci2012.org/) Collective Intelligence Conference Proceedings, MIT, 2012 (http://collective.mech.northwestern.edu/?page_id=217) Collective Intelligence Conference Proceedings, MIT, 2014 (https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/collectiveintelligence/schedule/) Collective Intelligence Conference Program, Santa Clara, 2015 DEADLINES Abstract submission deadline | 8 Feb 2016 Midnight PST Program Announcement | 1 Mar 2016 Conference Chair (http://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/natalia-levina) Natalia Levina (NYU Stern School of Business) Program Chairs (http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=240491) Karim Lakhani (Harvard Business School) (https://www.si.umich.edu/people/paul-resnick)Paul Resnick (U of Michigan) Program Committee Members (http://tepper.cmu.edu/our-faculty-and-research/about-our-faculty/faculty-pr…) Anita Woolley (CMU) (http://questromapps.bu.edu/mgmt_new/profiles/O%27MahonySiobhan.html) Siobhan O'Mahony (Boston U) (http://web.eecs.umich.edu/%7Ewlasecki/index.html)Walter Lasecki (U of Michigan) (http://yiling.seas.harvard.edu/)Yiling Chen (Harvard) (http://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/emmanouil-gkeredakis) Emmanouil Gkeredakis (Warwick Business School) (https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/detail.php?in_spseqno=19289)Sinan Aral (MIT) (https://research.facebook.com/researchers/1471283266479125/lada-adamic/) Lada Adamic (Facebook) (http://www.chabris.com/)Christopher Chabris (Union College) (http://icouzin.princeton.edu/) Iain Couzin (Princeton) The NAACSOS mailing list is a service of NAACSOS, the North American Association for Computational and Organizational Science (http://www.casos.cs.cmu.edu/naacsos/) To remove yourself from this mailing list, send an email Majordomo(a)lists.andrew.cmu.edu with the following command in the body of your email message: unsubscribe naacsos-list **************************************************************** 10. Call for special issues, J of Interaction Science http://www.journalofinteractionscience.com/ The J of Interaction Science: Please contact one of us to discuss any special issue you may wish to organize. Remember, it's never too late or too soon to think about special issues, submission or your own editorial. Prof. Christian Stary, christian.stary(a)jku.at Dr Gisela Susanne Bahr, gbahr(a)fit.edu editorial(a)journalofinteractionscience.com **************************************************************** 11. Call for papers, Holistic approaches for Human-Vehicle Systems IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems Call for Papers IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems Special Issue on: "Holistic approaches for Human-Vehicle Systems: combining models, interactions and control" Ground vehicles operate in a complex human-vehicle-road environment involving numerous levels of interaction among drivers, vehicles, and the ambient within which they travel. Human drivers may be "intelligent controllers" that define the intended driving direction and/or operate (totally or partially) autonomous vehicles. To support the development of safe driver-vehicle interactions in an era of increasing automation, methods for modeling and analyzing the contribution of driver performance are critical and essential. This raises interesting challenges associated with the characterization and modeling of human behaviors, particularly with respect to cognition and neuromuscular dynamics, their implication in closed-loop driver-vehicle performance, and their induced modifications brought about by interaction with the surrounding environment. Specifically, holistic approaches are of interest, which aim at efficiently and quantitatively combine different aspects of the human-vehicle interaction in specific application domains. This special issue focuses on these relevant driver-vehicle interaction topics, with attention paid to the range of vehicles and associated technology currently on the market and emerging in the era of increased automation. The topics of interest include but are not limited to: - Modeling and characterization of driver-vehicle interactions - Human driver modeling: neuromuscular dynamics, skills and learning - Advanced vehicle control systems with driver-in-the-loop - Intelligent and cognitive vehicles - Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) - Modeling and characterization of human drivers' errors - Characterization and quantification of driver's capabilities Important Dates: Manuscript submission: 15 Apr 16 Completion of first round of reviews: 31 Jul 16 Revised manuscript submission: 31 Sep 16 Notification of final decision: 15 Dec 16 Final manuscript submission: 31 Jan 17 Paper should be submitted through http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/thms, with a cover letter that contains the statement: "This manuscript is being submitted to the Special Issue: Modeling, Dynamics, Perception and Control of Human-V ehicle Systems". For detailed submission information, please refer to "Information for Authors" at http://ieee-smc.org/publications/thms-info-for-authors.pdf. Guest Editors: Mara Tanelli, Politecnico di Milano, Italy Dongpu Cao, Cranfield U, UK Rafael Toledo, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Spain Laura Stanley, Montana State U-Bozeman All enquiries to: mara.tanelli(a)polimi.it **************************************************************** 12. Groningen Spring School on Cognitive Modeling [noted because it is an ongoing event] From: Niels Taatgen <n.a.taatgen(a)rug.nl> Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2016 09:43:07 +0100 To: <act-r-users(a)andrew.cmu.edu> Subject: [ACT-R-users] Groningen Spring School on Cognitive Modeling NOTE: register before January 31 to avoid late fee Groningen Spring School on Cognitive Modeling - ACT-R, Nengo, PRIMs, & Accumulator Models - Date: 4-8 April 2016 Location: Groningen, NL Fee: ¤ 200 (late fee ¤50 after 31 Jan) Registration: http://www.ai.rug.nl/springschool The Groningen Spring School on Cognitive Modeling will cover four different modeling paradigms: ACT-R, Nengo, PRIMs, and Accumulator models. It thereby offers a unique opportunity to learn the relative strengths and weaknesses of these approaches. Each day will consist of four theory lectures, one on each paradigm. Each modeling paradigm also includes hands-on assignments. Although students are free to chose the number of lectures they attend, we recommend students to sign up for lectures on two of the modeling paradigms, and complete the tutorial units for one of the paradigms. At the end of each day there will be a plenary research talk, to show how these different approaches to modeling are applied. Admission is limited, so register soon! ACT-R Jelmer Borst, Hedderik van Rijn, Niels Taatgen (U of Groningen) http://act-r.psy.cmu.edu ACT-R is a high-level cognitive theory and simulation system for developing cognitive models for tasks that vary from simple reaction time experiments to driving a car, learning algebra, and air traffic control. ACT-R can be used to develop process models of a task at a symbolic level. Participants will follow a compressed five-day version of the traditional summer school curriculum. We will also cover the connection between ACT-R and fMRI, and the timing extension to ACT-R. Nengo Terry Stewart (U of Waterloo) http://www.nengo.ca Nengo is a toolkit for converting high-level cognitive theories into low-level spiking neuron implementations. In this way, aspects of model performance such as response accuracy and reaction times emerge as a consequence of neural parameters such as the neurotransmitter time constants. It has been used to model adaptive motor control, visual attention, serial list memory, reinforcement learning, Tower of Hanoi, and fluid intelligence. Participants will learn to construct these kinds of models, starting with generic tasks like representing values and positions, and ending with full production-like systems. There will also be special emphasis on extracting various forms of data out of a model, such that it can be compared to experimental data. PRIMs Niels Taatgen (U of Groningen) http://www.ai.rug.nl/~niels/actransfer.html How do people handle and prioritize multiple tasks? How can we learn something in the context of one task, and partially benefit from it in another task? The goal of PRIMs is to cross the artificial boundary that most cognitive architectures have imposed on themselves by studying single tasks. It has mechanisms to model transfer of cognitive skills, and the competition between multiple goals. In the tutorial we will look at how PRIMs can model phenomena of cognitive transfer and cognitive training, and how multiple goals compete for priority in models of distraction. Accumulator Models Marieke van Vugt (U of Groningen) Decisions can be described in terms of a process of evidence accumulation, modeled with a drift diffusion mechanism. The advantage of redescribing the behavioral data with an accumulator model is that those can be decomposed into more easily-interpretable cognitive mechanisms such as speed-accuracy trade-off or quality of attention. In this course, you will learn about the basic mechanisms of drift diffusion models and apply it to your own dataset (if you bring one). You will also see some applications of accumulator models in the context of neuroscience and individual differences. Niels Taatgen - Professor n.a.taatgen(a)rug.nl U of Groningen, Artificial Intelligence http://www.ai.rug.nl/~niels +31 50 3636435 **************************************************************** 13. Call for Future CogSci Conference Organizers January 2016 Call for Future CogSci Conference Organizers The Cognitive Science Society seeks organizers for the upcoming 2019 and 2020 annual conferences, both of which will take place in North America. Organizers are responsible for the scientific content of the program such as creating the conference theme, inviting keynotes and other symposia, overseeing the submission/review process, and creating the program schedule. Organizers are NOT responsible for budget, administrative details, or other logistics. They will have input in the 2019 and 2020 conference destinations, but it is not required. All organizers (2-4 each year) must possess a PhD and will receive a VIP travel package to the annual conference. Co-organizers do not need to be from the same institution, region, or area of expertise. If you are interested in serving as a conference organizer, please complete the following form by February 15: http://cbs.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3OY0vcVhtVd4ofj (or email Wong). If you have any questions, please direct them to the Conference Officer, Jessica Wong, at cogsci.jessica(a)gmail.com. **************************************************************** 14. Budapest Semester in Cognitive Science, and Summer program http://www.bscs-us.org/ [deadlines may have passed, but ongoing] Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2016 01:46:03 +0100 (CET) From: Érdi Péter <erdi.peter(a)wigner.mta.hu> Subject: [Comp-neuro] study abroad programs in Budapest BSCS-US announces its two programs in Budapest for 2016. 1. Our regular program: BSCS - BUDAPEST SEMESTER IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY TO NEUROSCIENCE will be held in the Fall of 2016, see http://www.bscs-us.org/ 2. We opened also a new program now in its second year: Systems Neuroscience: a study abroad summer program Program start/end dates 12 June - 5 Aug 2016 The BSCS Systems Neuroscience Program takes place at and academically supervised by the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis U Medical School, Budapest For details, see: http://sysneuro-semester.org/ Inquiry: Péter Érdi (SysNeuro Director; BSCS Co-Director) perdi(a)kzoo.edu, bscs(a)bscs-us.org, jhegedus(a)kzoo.edu **************************************************************** 15. CogACLL 2016 - First Call of Papers due 8 & 29 May 2016 http://sites.google.com/site/cognitivews2016 From: Alessandro Lenci alessandro.lenci(a)unipi.it Subject: [CUNY2016] CogACLL 2016 - First Call of Papers -------- CogACLL 2016 - First Call For Papers -------- ACL 2016 Workshop on Cognitive Aspects of Computational Language Learning (CogACLL) 11 Aug 2016 Berlin, Germany http://sites.google.com/site/cognitivews2016 Deadline for Long and Short Paper Submissions: 8 May 16 (11:59pm GMT -12) Deadline for System Demonstrations: 29 May 16 (11:59pm GMT -12) This workshop is endorsed by http://ifarm.nl/signll/ SIGNLL, the Special Interest Group on Natural Language Learning of the http://www.aclweb.org/ Association for Computational Linguistics. --------------------------------------------------------------- The human ability to acquire and process language has long attracted interest and generated much debate due to the apparent ease with which such a complex and dynamic system is learnt and used on the face of ambiguity, noise and uncertainty. This subject raises many questions ranging from the nature vs. nurture debate of how much needs to be innate and how much needs to be learned for acquisition to be successful, to the mechanisms involved in this process (general vs specific) and their representations in the human brain. There are also developmental issues related to the different stages consistently found during acquisition (e.g. one word vs. two words) and possible organizations of this knowledge. These have been discussed in the context of first and second language acquisition and bilingualism, with crosslinguistic studies shedding light on the influence of the language and the environment. The past decades have seen a massive expansion in the application of statistical and machine learning methods to natural language processing (NLP). This work has yielded impressive results in numerous speech and language processing tasks, including e.g. speech recognition, morphological analysis, parsing, lexical acquisition, semantic interpretation, and dialogue management. The good results have generally been viewed as engineering achievements. Recently researchers have begun to investigate the relevance of computational learning methods for research on human language acquisition and change. The use of computational modeling is a relatively recent trend boosted by advances in machine learning techniques, and the availability of resources like corpora of child and child-directed sentences, and data from psycholinguistic tasks by normal and pathological groups. Many of the existing computational models attempt to study language tasks under cognitively plausible criteria (such as memory and processing limitations that humans face), and to explain the developmental stages observed in the acquisition and evolution of the language abilities. In doing so, computational modeling provides insight into the plausible mechanisms involved in human language processes, and inspires the development of better language models and techniques. These investigations are very important since if computational techniques can be used to improve our understanding of human language acquisition and change, these will not only benefit cognitive sciences in general but will reflect back to NLP and place us in a better position to develop useful language models. Success in this type of research requires close collaboration between the NLP, linguistics, psychology and cognitive science communities. The workshop is targeted at anyone interested in the relevance of computational techniques for understanding first, second and bilingual language acquisition and language change in normal and clinical conditions. Long and short papers are invited on, but not limited to, the following topics: * Computational learning theory and analysis of language learning and organization * Computational models of first, second and bilingual language acquisition * Computational models of language changes in clinical conditions * Computational models and analysis of factors that influence language acquisition and use in different age groups and cultures * Computational models of various aspects of language and their interaction effect in acquisition, processing and change * Computational models of the evolution of language * Data resources and tools for investigating computational models of human language processes * Empirical and theoretical comparisons of the learning environment and its impact on language processes * Cognitively oriented Bayesian models of language processes * Computational methods for acquiring various linguistic information (related to e.g. speech, morphology, lexicon, syntax, semantics, and discourse) and their relevance to research on human language acquisition * Investigations and comparisons of supervised, unsupervised and weakly-supervised methods for learning (e.g. machine learning, statistical, symbolic, biologically-inspired, active learning, various hybrid models) from a cognitive perspective SUBMISSIONS ----------- We invite 3 submission modalities: * Regular long papers (8 content pages + 1 page for references): Long papers should report on original, solid and finished research including new experimental results, resources and/or techniques. * Regular short papers (4 content pages + 1 page for references): Short papers should report on small experiments, focused contributions, ongoing research, negative results and/or philosophical discussion. * System demonstration (2 pages): System demonstration papers should describe and document the demonstrated system or resources. We encourage the demonstration of both early research prototypes and mature systems, that will be presented in a separate demo session. All submissions must be in PDF format and must follow the ACL 2016 formatting requirements. We strongly advise the use of the provided Word or LaTeX template files. For long and short papers, the reported research should be substantially original. The papers will be presented orally or as posters. The decision as to which paper will be presented orally and which as poster will be made by the program committee based on the nature rather than on the quality of the work. Reviewing will be double-blind, and thus no author information should be included in the papers; self-reference should be avoided as well. Papers that do not conform to these requirements will be rejected without review. Accepted papers will appear in the workshop proceedings, where no distinction will be made between papers presented orally or as posters. Submission and reviewing will be electronic, managed by the START system: https://www.softconf.com/acl2016/CogACLL/ --------------------------------------------------------------- PROGRAM COMMITTEE Dora Alexopoulou, U of Cambridge (UK) Afra Alishahi, Tilburg U (Netherlands) Colin Bannard, U of Liverpool (UK) Philippe Blache, LPL-CNRS (France) Antal van den Bosch, Radboud U Nijmegen (Netherlands) Chris Brew, Nuance Communications (USA) Grzegorz Chrupa½a, Saarland U (Germany) Alexander Clark, Royal Holloway, U of London (UK) Robin Clark, U of Pennsylvania Walter Daelemans, U of Antwerp (Belgium) Dan Dediu, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (NL) Barry Devereux, U of Cambridge (UK) Emmanuel Dupoux, ENS - CNRS (France) Afsaneh Fazly, U of Toronto (Canada) Marco Idiart, Federal U of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) Gianluca Lebani, U of Pisa (Italy) Igor Malioutov, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Tim O'Donnel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Muntsa Padró, Nuance (Canada) Lisa Pearl, U of California - Irvine Ari Rappoport, The Hebrew U of Jerusalem (Israel) Sabine Schulte im Walde, U of Stuttgart (Germany) Ekaterina Shutova, U of Cambridge (UK) Maity Siqueira, Federal U of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) Mark Steedman, U of Edinburgh (UK) Suzanne Stevenson, U of Toronto (Canada) Remi van Trijp, Sony Computer Science Laboratory Paris (France) Shuly Wintner, U of Haifa (Israel) Charles Yang, U of Pennsylvania Menno van Zaanen, Tilburg U (Netherlands) Alessandra Zarcone, Saarland U (Germany) --------------------------------------------------------------- WORKSHOP ORGANIZERS AND CONTACT Anna Korhonen (U of Cambridge, UK) Alessandro Lenci (U of Pisa, Italy) Brian Murphy (Queen's U Belfast, UK) Thierry Poibeau (LATTICE-CNRS, France) Aline Villavicencio (Federal U of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) For any inquiries regarding the workshop please send an email to cognitive2016(a)gmail.com **************************************************************** 16. AHFE 2016 International Conference on Simulation, 27-31 July 2016 [this has a cognitive architectures track, now] From: "AHFE Conference" <admin(a)ahfe2016.org> Subject: AHFE 2016 International Conference on Simulation (27-31 July 2016 Walt Disney World) Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 01:53:35 +0000 AHFE Mailing List Subscription admin(a)ahfe.org?Subject=Subscribe admin(a)ahfe.org?Subject=Unsubscribe Dear Colleagues, This is a gentle reminder for the AHFE 2016 International Conference on Human Factors and Simulation abstract and paper proposal submission extended deadline. The conference will be held at Walt Disney World® Swan and Dolphin Hotel, FL, 27-21 Jul 2016 (http://www.ahfe2016.org/) The 7th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2016) incorporates 26 thematic areas with participation of 2000 researcher and industry participant from more than 62 countries worldwide. Peer-review accepted full papers will be published in the AHFE 2016 proceedings and as chapters in Springer Multi-volume Edited Books under the prestigious series of LNCS Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing/ The extended deadline is approaching quickly! ------------------------------------------------------ Abstract Submission Deadline (500 words): 25 Feb 2016 Submission Website: https://cmt.research.microsoft.com/AHFE2016/ ------------------------------------------------------ Areas of interest include, but are not limited to those listed here: - Simulation of physiological behavior, measures, predictions - Virtual Reality and computer simulation of human behavior and performance - Computational models of human performance - Interaction with virtual environments - Simulator-based evaluations of human factors issues - Assessment of new simulation technologies and total ownership cost aspects - Developments in simulation and virtual environments to address HFergonomics issues - Human performance modelling We are looking forward to receiving your submission and welcoming you to Walt Disney World Florida! Best Regards, AHFE Administration **************************************************************** 17. 15th Neural Computation and Psychology Workshop, Due 15 Apr https://sites.google.com/site/ncpw15/ Updated Announcement 10 Mar 2016: New Submission Date, Speaker Titles, Submission + Publication Details NCPW15 - 8-9 Aug 2016 - Philadelphia, PA https://sites.google.com/site/ncpw15/ 15th Neural Computation and Psychology Workshop Contemporary Neural Network Models: Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Cognition Funded by the W. K. & K. W. Estes Fund, Google DeepMind, and the Rumelhart Emergent Cognitive Functions Fund Organized by: Jay McClelland, Stefan Frank & Daniel Mirman 500-Word Abstracts and Applications to Attend Due: 15 Apr Notification of Acceptance and Travel Awards: 15 May We are pleased to announce a workshop on Contemporary Neural Network Models, bringing the latest developments in Deep Neural Networks, Deep Reinforcement Learning Networks, and Recurrent Neural Networks with Long-Short-Term Memory Units into contact with contemporary cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience research. Plenary speakers are established and emerging experts in the development of deep neural network models of perception, action and cognition, and include authors of Google DeepMind's projects achieving human-level performance in Atari games and Go and in creating innovative Cognitive architectures such as the Neural Turing Machine. The workshop, which continues the (http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/%7Ejxb/NCPW.html) Neural Computation and Psychology Workshop (NCPW) series, will take place on Aug 8-9, 2016 in Philadelphia - in North America for the first time after 14 previous meetings in Europe. The Workshop has both a research dissemination and tutorial purpose. Research submissions are welcome based on a 500-word abstract for spoken and poster presentations in any area of computational research that applies neural network models or related approaches to understanding human cognition. To foster exchange of ideas, presentation of recently published work or work also submitted elsewhere is welcome, and there will be a publication option for new work. Both junior and senior scientists interested in learning more about the latest developments are encouraged to attend (space is limited and application is required) with or without making a presentation. Thanks to generous support, costs will be low and travel awards will encourage participation by a diverse population of participants with relevant goals. The (https://sites.google.com/site/ncpw15/) conference website provides full details and instructions for those interested in participating. Abstracts and applications to attend are due Apr 15 and notification of acceptance and travel awards will be made by May 15. Keynote Presentations Nikolaus Kriegeskorte, MRC-CBU Cambridge, UK. Deep Convolutional Nets and Biological Object Vision. Marco Zorzi, U of Padova. Unsupervised Deep Learning Models of Perception and Cognition: Space, Numbers, Words Andrew Saxe, Harvard U. A Theory of the Dynamics of Deep Learning: Consequences for Perceptual Learning and Semantic Development Greg Wayne, Google DeepMind. Integrating Neural and Symbolic Computation: The Neural Turing Machine and Beyond Timothy Lillicrap, Google DeepMind. Deep Reinforcement Learning: Algorithms and Applications from Reaching and Grasping to Winning at Go Linda Smith, Indiana U. What's Deep about Deep Learning? What Can it Tell us About the Mind? Workshop Structure Each of the two days of the NCPW workshop will include three 75 minute sessions led by invited speakers. The first five of these sessions will each focus on a different aspect or topic in contemporary neural network research, and each will be led by a different expert. The final session will begin with a commentary by a senior Cognitive Scientist (Linda Smith) followed by a panel discussion with the other five speakers. During lunch each day, the day's speakers will each hold a smaller discussion session with a subset of the workshop participants, and materials will be circulated in advance. Two 1.5-hour sessions each day will be devoted to submitted presentations selected for their scientific value and the extent to which they advance the use of neural network architectures, tools, and concepts in both computational and cognitive (neuro)science domains. A poster session at the end of the first day will allow all of the participants an opportunity to present and obtain feedback from the invited speakers, and to learn from and network with each other. A conference dinner on the first evening and a reception on the second evening will allow for informal interactions. NCPW15 will be complemented by a separate day-long tutorial on Wednesday, August 10, as part of the Cognitive Science Society meeting also in Philadelphia (pending acceptance by the Program Committee). This day-long event will provide additional tutorial presentations, followed by in depth how-to sessions associated with the actual implementation and effective practical mastery of deep learning networks for cognitive science research. Participants, Publication, Travel Awards, Costs, and Logistics The target population is PhD students, post-doctoral fellows, and more advanced researchers at any level. Both contributing researchers and non-presenting attendees are welcome to apply. Contributing researchers will be selected based on a 500-word submitted research abstract, according to past policies of NCPW. As noted above, presentation of recently published work or work also submitted elsewhere are welcome. Participants will be invited to contribute otherwise unpublished work to a planned Frontiers in Cognitive Science Research Topic on contemporary neural network models. Selection of non-presenting attendees will be based on the relevance of the workshop to the attendee's goals as described in a short essay as well as a CV and, for junior scientist, a mentor's letter of support. Both trainees and contributing researchers not selected for oral presentations have the option to present a poster in the poster session. A total of 25 travel support awards ($250 domestic/$750 international) are available both for trainees and for contributing researchers to partially defray costs of attendance; support will be awarded based on the criteria above as well as need with attention to encouraging diversity. There is no registration fee for accepted participants. A low-price accommodation option ($50/night) will be available. Application Process and Venue: More detailed information on the application process and the venue are available at the (https://sites.google.com/site/ncpw15/) conference website. The deadline for presentation abstract submissions and for applications to attend will be April 15, 2016, and notification of acceptance and travel awards for trainees and participating researchers will be on 15 May 2016. 17b. AGI-16 deadline extended to 1 Apr 16 http://agi-conf.org/2016 Good news for busy researchers! The paper submission deadline for AGI-16 has been extended till April 1. Recall that the Ninth Annual Conference on Artificial General Intelligence, AGI-16, http://agi-conf.org/2016 will be held in New York City (July 16-19, 2016), as part of a larger event - HLAI-16 HUMAN-LEVEL AI 2016: http://agi-conf.org/hlai2016/ This will be the first-ever Multi-conference focused on the creation of thinking machines with capability at the human level and beyond. Gary Marcus and Stephen Grossberg are lined up as keynote speakers, and will be joined by 2-3 additional prestigious keynotes to be announced shortly. HLAI-16 will include AGI-16, and also BICA-16 (Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures), and the 2016 "Neural-Symbolic Learning and Reasoning" and "AI and Cognition" Workshops. These four conferences are normally held separately each year, at different times and locations. But this year they are coming together in time and space as a unique and unprecedented Multi-conference. Furthermore, the HLAI-16 Multi-conference will occur immediately after the IJCAI-16 (the largest international AI conference), which is also in New York City . AGI-16 will be organized just like previous AGI conferences, with the same focus and structure. Registration for each of the conferences within the multi-conference will be done separately. However, there will be numerous common events: common keynotes, a common poster and demo session, and a common multi-conference banquet. Most importantly, all 4 events will be held together at the New School in lower Manhattan, allowing free and wide-ranging HLAI and AGI discussions among attendees and presenters at all 4 conferences. Why a Human-Level AI Multi-conference in 2016? Looking backward, 2016 is the 60th anniversary of the Dartmouth Conferences, which effectively inaugurated the history of AI and cognitive systems research. Looking forward, 2016 is an unprecedentedly exciting time for AI R&D in general. It is a time when we are seeing a constant stream of practical and theoretical successes in various parts of the AI field. And it is a time when the quest to create AI systems with general intelligence at the human level and beyond is taken more seriously by a broader community than ever before. So 2016 is a perfect year to gather together an unprecedentedly large number of serious researchers and developers in the areas of AGI and Human-Level AI, for sharing ideas and results and planning collaborative R&D. And to top it all off, New York City in the summer is a fantastic place to be. The paper submission deadline has been extended till April 1, 2016; please see: http://agi-conf.org/2016/call-for-papers/ for further relevant dates. Note that the deadline for workshops, tutorials and demos has already passed. Yours, AGI-16 Conference Chair: Ben Goertzel, OpenCog Foundation Program Committee Chairs: Pei Wang, Temple University Bas Steunebrink, Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence Organizing Committee: Matthew Ikle, Adams State College, OpenCog Foundation Jose Hernandez-Orallo, Universitat Politècnica de València) Tutorials and Workshops Chair) Brandon Rohrer, Microsoft (Poster and Demo Sessions Chair) Ed Keller, New School (Local Co-chair) AGI Conference Series Chairs: Ben Goertzel, OpenCog Foundation Marcus Hutter, ANU **************************************************************** 18. Special issue on cognitive engineering, J of Interaction Science http://www.journalofinteractionscience.com/about [open access] We are writing today to let you know about some recent articles published in our open access journal Journal of Interaction Science (JoIS), and to invite you to be part of it. Chris Stary's Special issue on recent advances in cognitive engineering has been a great success! Here is a list of the articles and the editorial. Please note that we one article is not yet listed here because it is still in production. 1. Patterns to explore cognitive preferences and potential collective intelligence empathy for processing knowledge in virtual settings by Salim Chujfi, Christoph Meinel Journal of Interaction Science 2015, 3:5 (3 September 2015) http://news.springer.com/re?l=D0In5xzz3I6hg61ejIf 2. Modeling and Supporting Web-Navigation by Herre van Oostendorp, Sonal Aggarwal Journal of Interaction Science 2015, 3:3 (29 July 2015) http://news.springer.com/re?l=D0In5xzz3I6hg61ejIh 3. Personal ecologies of calendar artifacts by Anke Dittmar, Laura Dardar Journal of Interaction Science 2015, 3:2 (28 July 2015) http://journalofinteractionscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40166… 4. The concept of "presence" as a measure of ecological validity in driving simulators by Christophe Deniaud, Vincent Honnet, Benoit Jeanne, Daniel Mestre Journal of Interaction Science http://news.springer.com/re?l=D0In5xzz3I6hg61ejIj 5. Editorial: Special issue on recent advances in cognitive engineering by Chris Stary, Journal of Interaction Science 2015, 3:4 (28 August 2015) http://journalofinteractionscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40166… The vision of JoIS is based on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary science model for the investigation, development, integration and evaluation of humans interacting with technology. We welcome cross-cutting method developments as well as analytical application studies evaluated in the field. Enjoy some of our latest articles **************************************************************** 19. Oxford books (>$100) get 30% off https://global.oup.com/ Oxford University Press has a spring sale. They publish the Oxford Series on Cognitive Models and Architectures. If you purchase $100 or more, you can have 30% off, not just the cognitive modeling books. The code is 33835 . **************************************************************** 20. Proceedings of Workshop on Cogn Archs for Social HRI https://sites.google.com/site/cogarch4socialhri2016/proceedings Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2016 09:47:08 +0000 From: Severin Lemaignan <severin.lemaignan(a)PLYMOUTH.AC.UK> Subject: 2nd CfP: Cognitive Architectures for Social HRI - Workshop at HRI'16 HRI'16 2nd Workshop on Cognitive Architectures for Social Human-Robot Interaction Full day workshop -- Monday 7th March, 2016 (Christchurch, New Zealand) https://sites.google.com/site/cogarch4socialhri2016/ https://sites.google.com/site/cogarch4socialhri2016/proceedings DESCRIPTION ----------- Cognitive Architectures are constructs (encompassing both theory and models) that seek to account for cognition (over multiple timescales) using a set of domain-general structures and mechanisms. Typically (but not always) inspired by human cognition, the emphasis is on deriving a set of principles of operation not constrained to a specific task or context. This therefore presents a holistic perspective: it forces the system designer to initially take a step back from diving into computational mechanisms and consider what sort of functionality needs to be present, and how this relates to other cognitive competencies. Thus the very process of applying such an approach to HRI may yield benefits, such as the integration of evidence from the human sciences in a principled manner, the facilitation of comparison of different systems (abstracting away from specific computational algorithms), and as a more principled manner to verify and refine the resultant autonomous systems. For HRI, such an approach to building autonomous systems based on Cognitive Architecture - 'cognitive integration' - would emphasise first those aspects of behaviour that are common across domains, before applying these to specific interaction contexts for evaluation. Furthermore, given inspiration from human cognition, it can also inherently take into account the behaviour of the humans with which the system should interact, with the intricacies and sub-optimality that this entails. To date, there have been relatively few efforts to apply such ideas to the context of HRI in a structured manner. The first workshop sought to bring attention to the topic by providing a forum to discuss the reasons and potential for the application of Cognitive Architectures to autonomous HRI systems. In this second workshop, we propose focusing more specifically on the application of Cognitive Architectures to *Social* HRI systems. The format of the workshop is oriented towards discussion shaped by participant contributions, and we expect vibrant interactivity to contribute to the cross-fertilization of ideas in this exciting area. In order to consolidate the outcomes of the workshop, we are planning a special issue (journal TBA), to which we will invite participants to submit extended versions of their workshop papers. To maintain continuity with the workshop, we will expect all submissions to answer the same questions listed above. Given this common ground between submissions, we envisage that this will additionally form a future reference point for the application of Cognitive Architectures to social HRI research and applications. ORGANISERS AND CONTACT ----------------------- Paul Baxter (Plymouth U, UK) paul.baxter(a)plymouth.ac.uk Greg Trafton (Naval Research Laboratory) Séverin Lemaignan (Plymouth U, UK) **************************************************************** 21. BRIMS 2013: introduction to CMOT special issue http://alerts.springer.com/re?l=D0In5zo16I6hi0lc9I1 [This is the most recent special issue of Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory to arise from the BRIMS conference] BRIMS 2013: Introduction to CMOT special issue Behavior representation in modeling and simulation: introduction to CMOT special issue: BRiMS 2013 William G. Kennedy, Robert St. Amant & David Reitter, p. 1-3 Abstract: http://alerts.springer.com/re?l=D0In5zo16I6hi0lc9I1 Full text PDF: http://alerts.springer.com/re?l=D0In5zo16I6hi0lc9I2 An agent-based model of organizational ambidexterity decisions and strategies in new product development Christine Chou, Steven O. Kimbrough, 4-46 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10588-015-9195-8 A longitudinal study of evolving networks in response to natural disaster Alireza Abbasi, Naim Kapucu, 47-70 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10588-015-9196-7 Weekends as social distancing and their effect on the spread of influenza Philip C. Cooley, Sarah M. Bartsch, 71-87 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10588-015-9198-5 Individual and organizational conditions for the emergence and evolution of bandwagons Davide Secchi, Nicole L. Gullekson, 88-133 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10588-015-9199-4 **************************************************************** 22. BRIMS 2012: introduction to CMOT special issue http://alerts.springer.com/re?l=D0In5x8koI6hi0lc9I3 [Another special issue of Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory to arise from the BRIMS conference] BRIMS 2012: Introduction to CMOT special issue Behavioral representation in modeling and simulation: introduction to CMOT special issue-BRiMS 2012 Bradley J. Best, William G. Kennedy & Robert St. Amant http://alerts.springer.com/re?l=D0In5x8koI6hi0lc9I3 Optimal exploration and exploitation: the managerial intentionality perspective Sasanka Sekhar Chanda & Sougata Ray http://alerts.springer.com/re?l=D0In5x8koI6hi0lc9I5 ACT-R models of information foraging in geospatial intelligence tasks Jaehyon Paik & Peter Pirolli http://alerts.springer.com/re?l=D0In5x8koI6hi0lc9I7 Modeling the span of control of leaders with different skill sets Walid F. Nasrallah, Charbel J. Ouba, Ali A. Yassine & Issam M. Srour http://alerts.springer.com/re?l=D0In5x8koI6hi0lc9I9 On the robustness of centrality measures against link weight quantization in social networks Sho Tsugawa, Yukihiro Matsumoto & Hiroyuki Ohsaki http://alerts.springer.com/re?l=D0In5x8koI6hi0lc9Ib **************************************************************** 23. MSc Course in Cognitive Systems at Open U of Cyprus From: George Angelos Papadopoulos <george(a)CS.UCY.AC.CY> Subject: MSc Course in Cognitive Systems To: CHI-ANNOUNCEMENTS(a)LISTSERV.ACM.ORG MSc Course in Cognitive Systems As we enter the new era of cognitive systems that learn, reason, and interact with humans in a cognitively-compatible manner, we are pleased to announce the start of an innovative distance learning M.Sc. Program in Cognitive Systems. The program is offered jointly by two state universities of Cyprus: the Open U of Cyprus, School of Pure and Applied Sciences, and the U of Cyprus, Departments of Psychology and Computer Science. Courses will be taught in English via live online weekly meetings, exams will be taken in-class at a student's country of residence, and an optional summer camp will be held in Cyprus. Information about the curriculum structure and modules, application deadlines and fees, and financial support opportunities can be found online at: http://cogsys.ouc.ac.cy Applications for the academic year 2016-2017 are accepted online from March 15, 2016. We appreciate your help in circulating this announcement to interested students. A promotional flyer can be downloaded from: http://cogsys.ouc.ac.cy/flyer **************************************************************** 24. Tenure Track Asst Prof in Cognitive Psychology at Syracuse U [slightly out of date, but note that it is multi-year hiring plan] Tenure Track Asst Prof in Cognitive Psychology at Syracuse U. As part of our multiyear hiring plan, the Department of Psychology at Syracuse U invites applications for a full time tenure-track position in Cognitive Psychology to join the Cognition, Brain, & Behavior (CBB) area. The successful candidate is expected to pursue an exceptional program of research using rigorous methods and driven by a strong theoretical foundation to understand fundamental mechanisms underlying cognition. Candidates with a program of research utilizing outstanding quantitative skills will receive special consideration. Applicants for the position should have a PhD in Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Science, or a related field. Successful candidates will show evidence of (1) high quality scholarship and the potential to build a vigorous program of funded research (2) teaching promise at the undergraduate and graduate levels and (3) promise of excellence in engaging graduate and undergraduate students in research. Responsibilities include maintaining an active program of research, teaching and advising at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and contributing to the CBB program. Information about the department may be found at http://psychology.syr.edu/. CBB has collaborations with the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience program http://neuroscience.syr.edu/index.html. Review of applications will begin 1 Nov 2015 and will continue until the position is filled. The university and department have a strong commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff. Syracuse U is an equal opportunity, affirmative-action institution. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from members of underrepresented groups and strongly encourage women and persons of color to apply for these positions. The Department of Psychology and broader Syracuse community provides a rich and supportive environment for inclusive research involving ethnically and economically diverse populations. Syracuse is located in beautiful Upstate New York. The city and surrounding areas offer outstanding school systems, a modest cost of living, proximity to nature (Adirondack Mountains, Thousand Islands, Lake Ontario, and the Finger Lakes) and easy access to major eastern cities. Several major medical centers, including SUNY Upstate Medical Center and the Syracuse VA Medical Center, are in close proximity to Syracuse U and offer opportunities for interdisciplinary research. Applicants must complete a brief online faculty application at https://www.sujobopps.com/postings/61035. Attach electronic copies of your curriculum vitae and a cover letter describing your research and teaching accomplishments and interests and one representative paper. Three letters of recommendation are required. Detailed instructions for uploading their confidential recommendation letter into the system will be sent to references identified in your application. Applications will be reviewed as they are received and will continue until the position is filled. **************************************************************** 25. Post-doc/programmer in tutoring/modeling at PSU, July/Aug 2016 Ritter will have a post-doc position available July/August 2016 for a period of at least one year but more likely 2 or 3 years (subject to continued funding from ONR and successful performance). It will be to work on the D2P tutoring system (http://acs.ist.psu.edu/projects/d2p) and related modeling and experimental studies in learning. Experience with Ruby would be helpful, as well as ACT-R, Lisp, R, Java, and Unity. But strong programming in other areas would be welcome and could transition to our tools. It is similar in many ways to Coty Gonzalez's positions in this message. This is not a formal announcement, but if interested, please let frank.ritter(a)psu.edu know of your interest. Salary is designed to be competeative, and includes some travel, and, of course, writing. **************************************************************** 26. U of California at Riverside hiring 300 (!) http://clusterhiring.ucr.edu Date: Tue, 01 Dec 2015 14:04:44 -0800 From: Aaron Seitz <aseitz(a)ucr.edu> To: <comp-neuro(a)neuroinf.org> The U of California at Riverside (UCR) is embarking on a major new hiring initiative that will add 300 tenure-track positions in 33 cross-disciplinary areas selected through a peer-reviewed competition (http://clusterhiring.ucr.edu) Over the next three years, UCR will hire multiple faculty members in each area and invest in research infrastructure to support their work. This initiative will build critical mass in vital and emerging fields of scholarship, foster truly cross-disciplinary work and further diversify the faculty at one of America's most diverse research universities. In a major Neuroscience initiative, we seek to hire up to 8 tenure-track or tenured faculty members as part of a cross campus multi-disciplinary effort to study the nervous system (from development, to function, to aging, degeneration and repair). We seek researchers that collectively span multi-disciplinary levels of investigation (molecular mechanisms to circuit analysis to complex behaviors) using state of the art techniques (molecular, optogenetics, behavioral, educational, computational, imaging, genetic and research of clinical populations) applied to experimental model systems of health, injury and disease (invertebrate, vertebrate or human systems). Our goal is to recruit a team of collaborative individuals with an outstanding record, committed to excellence in research, that complement existing campus strengths. Applicants for tenured positions should also demonstrate notable scientific contributions and sustained extramural support. Successful candidates must also have clear potential or demonstrated ability to work successfully with and benefit a diverse student body. UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification. Depending on research focus, training background and career achievements, successful candidates will be appointed at the rank of assistant, associate or full professor within College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Bourns College of Engineering, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Graduate School of Education or the School of Medicine. To foster development of collaborative research across hiring units, the successful candidates will participate in a campus wide seminar program and annual research retreat. Particular strengths on the campus pertinent to this recruitment include sensory processing, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, glial-neuronal interactions, cognitive neurotherapeutics, functional imaging, assessment and interventions of clinical populations, child development, circuits, neurobiology and endocrinology of behavior. Successful candidates will be also expected to contribute to teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels depending upon the college/department to which the candidate is assigned. Advancement through the faculty ranks at the U of California is through a series of structured, merit-based evaluations, occurring every 2-3 years, each of which includes substantial peer input. The U of California, Riverside is centrally located within the Southern California area and situated in an historic citrus growing area surrounded by mountain ranges. Riverside is an hour away from ski slopes, surfing, or hiking in mountain wilderness or desert environments, and housing in the area is very affordable. The campus is located in close proximity to a host of high profile universities, research institutes, and biotech industries in Southern California. Applicants must hold a Ph.D., M.D., Pharm D., or equivalent degree and qualify for a tenure track or tenured faculty appointment at the U of California. Applications will be reviewed beginning January 1st and the positions will remain open until filled. To Apply: Please submit the following items electronically through the APRecruit system: Cover Letter, Curriculum vitae, statement of research accomplishments and goals, statement of teaching expertise. Choose the appropriate link based on qualifications Asst Prof - https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/apply/JPF00498 Assoc/Full Prof - https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/apply/JPF00490 **************************************************************** 27. Aerospace Engineering and ethics, PSU full consideration by Jan 2016 [search might be quite far along, but an interesting position] The Department of Aerospace Engineering and the Rock Ethics Institute (the "Rock") invite nominations and applications for an open-rank tenure-track position starting in 2016. The Department seeks an outstanding individual who is committed to undergraduate and graduate education and to the establishment of an externally-funded research program that supports graduate education. Candidates must possess technical expertise related to the design and engineering of unmanned air vehicles and systems, as well as demonstrable complementary interests in the societal and ethical aspects of such systems. Candidates who can contribute to interdisciplinary and collaborative programs involving UAS and ethics are of primary interest. The research area represented by this search could be viewed as a special aspect of a broader one at the intersection of robotics, cognitive science, human-computer interactions, autonomy, and ethics. Applicants must have a doctorate in engineering or science. This aerospace faculty member will be affiliated with the Penn State Rock Ethics Institute (http://rockethics.psu.edu) We seek candidates who will build on the Rock's tradition of excellence in collaborative, interdisciplinary ethics research and ethically informed decision support for significant societal issues, as well as its success in integrating ethics into the curriculum. Responses received before Jan 2016 are assured full consideration, but the search will remain open until the position is filled. Applicants should submit electronically a single pdf file to job 60531 at www.psu.jobs. The file should contain: a cover letter; a CV; statements of research and teaching interests; a statement of how the candidate's work is relevant to the Rock's vision and how such a position would enhance their own work; and the names and contact information for at least three references. **************************************************************** 28. Visiting Assistant Professor, Bucknell U. Fall 2016 [URL too long] We're looking for a VAP who would begin Fall 2016 (information contained in the link below). Could be useful for some senior grad students there who have a background in CS, or others. https://www.higheredjobs.com/institution/details.cfm?JobCode=176218507&Titl… Chris Dancy <christopher.dancy(a)bucknell.edu> **************************************************************** 29. Robotics faculty member, Missouri U of S&T Review started 1 feb 16 My department is currently searching for a robotics faculty member, specifically human-robot collaboration; control and coordination; sensing, perception, and vision; design, particularly using novel locomotion and materials; (e) innovative applications (factory, mining, surgery, space, harsh environments, etc.). Our department has growing space systems focus with faculty in cube/nanosats, propulsion, tracking and estimation, materials and structures, we are seeking a new key addition in robotics. Information on the faculty positions can be found here: http://mae.mst.edu/department/maejobpositions/ Review started 1 feb 16 Thank you for your help Joshua L. Rovey, Ph.D. Ph: (573) 341-4613 Assoc Prof of Aerospace Eng roveyj(a)mst.edu Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Missouri U of Science & Technology (Formerly U of Missouri-Rolla) Rolla, MO. 65409-0050 http://campus.mst.edu/aplab/ **************************************************************** 30. Open/data science developer jobs at Databrary.org https://databrary.org/about/jobs.html [seems out of date, but this is an ongoing project and has jobs listed on 19 mar 16] From: Rick Gilmore <rogilmore(a)psu.edu> Subject: Open/data science developer jobs at Databrary.org Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2015 10:55:47 -0400 Colleagues, As some of you know, I am co-PI and associate director of the Databrary (http://databrary.org) digital data library. The project is funded by NSF, NICHD, and the Society for Research in Child Development. We have several openings for full-time or contract developers (https://databrary.org/about/jobs.html) An especially urgent need is for a Java developer to help us enhance an open source video coding/tagging/annotation tool called Datavyu (http://datavyu.org) The job posting is here: https://databrary.org/about/jobs/datavyu.html While we have some preference for having a developer in the NYC area for proximity to the NYU-based team, we are open to other arrangements, including the possibility of working remotely from say, State College. Best, Rick O. Gilmore, Ph.D. (814) 865-3664 Assoc Prof of Psychology rogilmore(a)psu.edu Penn State University Park, PA 16801 http://www.personal.psu.edu/rog1 http://gilmore-lab.github.io **************************************************************** 31. Researcher and Engineer positions at ATR Brain Labs, Kyoto, Japan http://www.cns.atr.jp/en/ [these folks made an interesting presentation at BICA this fall] Subject: [Comp-neuro] Researcher and Engineer positions at ATR Brain Labs, Kyoto, Japan Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan, has openings for researcher and research engineer positions and invite applications from people with strong motivations and ambitions in the research project described below. We will study how to analyze multi-modal sensor measurements to create "artificial intelligence with consciousness" by installing a "consciousness module" to man-made information-processing systems. In particular, we will develop and implement machine-learning techniques for attention, which dynamically processes data stream to find where to focus and intensively analyze and picks up information essential for decision-making. Our attention module will be developed for video, audio, and bio signals. Our project is in close collaboration with neuroscientists led by Dr. Ryota Kanai (CEO & Chief Scientist, ARAYA Brain Imaging, Tokyo, Japan). PIs and co-PIs in the project are Dr. Ryota Kanai (ARAYA), Prof. Naotsugu Tsuchiya (Monash U, Australia), Dr. Masafumi Oizumi (RIKEN, Japan), Dr. Motoaki Kawanabe (ATR), and Prof. Takuya Maekawa (Osaka U, Japan). We look forward to your applications and recommendations. Motoaki Kawanabe, Ph.D. Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan = Requirements for Researchers = Applicants must: - have a Ph.D. (or be near completion). - have strong motivations and ambitions to take part in the research above. Successful candidates will have interest in neural and cognitive science with expertise in one or more of the following areas are welcomed: - Machine learning, pattern recognition, signal processing, computer vision, robotics, bio-medical engineering. = Requirements for Research Engineers = Applicants must have strong motivations and ambitions to take part in the research above mainly from program development, data analysis, and experimental support. = 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-cma(a)atr.jp = Use of personal data = All personal data received will be properly managed and only be used for the purpose of recruitment. -- KANEMURA Atsunori, Ph.D. Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan **************************************************************** 32. Postdoctoral Fellow, CMU with Gonzalez http://www.cmu.edu/ddmlab/ [expired, but recurrent] [left in because there are often jobs here] JOB OPPORTUNITY: POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW POSITION Starting on Jan 2016 Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory Department of Social and Decision Sciences CMU http://www.cmu.edu/ddmlab/ Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Fellow position in the Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory (DDMLab: http://www.cmu.edu/ddmlab/) at CMU. The post-doctoral fellow will be involved in projects related to Network Science, broadly defined, aiming at the study of the formation and behavior of networks departing from the individual behavior. Research will involve investigation of dynamic decision making, and the emergence, maintenance and reduction of trust and credibility with experience. The candidate should have a strong background on behavioral and computational research, and will work with Professor Gonzalez and collaborators from many other universities. The ideal candidate should have a Ph.D. in Psychology, Decision Sciences, or Human Factors Engineering, and should have broad research interests involving human behavior, learning, and decision making from the cognitive, social, and computational science perspectives. The applicant should have a strong behavioral and technical background in modeling (cognitive, mathematical, computational modeling), and must be interested in both, basic and applied areas of psychological research. Particular knowledge on Decisions from Experience and Behavioral Game Theory, literature, experimental methods, and paradigms are a plus. Technical skills in Matlab, R, and Python are ideal. Demonstrated writing ability of research manuscripts is required. The position is a one-year full time position with full benefits with possibility of renewal to a second year. The DDMLab is part of the Department of Social and Decision Sciences at CMU, which is located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh is one of America's most livable cities (http://www.cmu.edu/student-life/pittsburgh.shtml) and it has a strong university presence with over a dozen colleges and campuses and a great cultural scene. Applicants should send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, relevant journal articles, and three letters of reference before 30 Nov 2015. Please send electronic documents (Word, Pdf) to: coty(a)cmu.edu. Cleotilde Gonzalez <coty(a)cmu.edu> **************************************************************** 33. Positions available at the US Army Res Lab From: "Marge, Matthew R CIV USARMY RDECOM ARL (US)" <matthew.r.marge.civ(a)MAIL.MIL> Subject: Civil service and postdoctoral positions available at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory To: HRI-ANNOUNCEMENT(a)LISTSERV.ACM.ORG The U.S. Army Research Laboratory is seeking both civil service positions and postdoctoral fellows interested in enhancing performance in human-robot interaction. The goal of the Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) program is to maximize the effectiveness of integrating intelligent, autonomous, unmanned technology into the Soldier team through the development of current and future Soldier-system interactions. We seek to identify tools, techniques, and measures that can be used to improve and assess performance for human-systems teams. We are interested in research results that can be applicable across environments, operations, and platforms, including human interactions with microsystems. Specific areas of interest include: manned-unmanned teaming; naturalistic communications including natural language and multimodal interfaces; impact of social and cultural context on human-robot interaction; human-systems team processes & performance; intent; HRI metrics development; trust; situation awareness; and strategies for workload management. Positions are available for conducting research on human-robot interaction at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD and Orlando, FL. U.S. citizenship is required. For more information about the U.S. Army Research Lab (Research areas; Post Doctoral Programs): http://www.arl.army.mil If interested, send resume/CV and inquiries to: Susan G. Hill, susan.g.hill.civ(a)mail.mil Keywords: Human-robot interaction; HRI; Manned-unmanned teaming; Human performance; Unmanned systems; Autonomous systems; Intelligent systems; Microsystems; User Interfaces; Trust; Intent; Social-Cultural context; Natural Language; Gesture; Human factors **************************************************************** 34. Doctoral Student Fellowship - U of Lausanne, Switzerland From: "Julian Marewski" <Julian.Marewski(a)unil.ch> To: <act-r-users(a)ACTR-SERVER.HPC1.CS.cmu.edu> Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2016 14:12:58 +0100 Doctoral Student Fellowship Applicants should be interested in the mathematical or computational modeling of human decision or memory processes, and/or in the cognitive mechanisms underlying bounded and ecological rationality, and/or in ecological approaches to cognition in general. We are also interested in receiving applications from candidates with a background in history or biology, who seek to apply experimental and simulation methods to understand past and modern-day collective behavior in humans (e.g., mass phenomena in World War II or in the Roman military). Knowledge of quantitative research methods, and ideally, programming skills (e.g., MATLAB, R, LISP) is helpful but not required. A university degree in psychology, business, economics, mathematics, computer science, physics, biology, or history is required. Very good English skills are required. The doctoral student position (minimum 60%) can begin as early as August 1st 2016, or later if the candidate asks for a later starting date. The maximum funding period is 5 years, with the first contract being 1 year and then renewable 2X2 years. Successful candidates will obtain a Ph.D. The doctoral student will be mentored by Julian Marewski. The work location is Lausanne Dorigny. Please submit applications by 1 May, but the job offer will remain open until the position is filled. Applications include a cover letter describing research interests and a potential thesis project, curriculum vitae, university transcripts, and two letters of recommendation. The preferred method of submission are PDF files e-mailed to julian.marewski(a)unil.ch. The Department of Organizational Behavior of the Faculty for Business and Economics at the U of Lausanne provides a stimulating, interdisciplinary research environment. We value the diversity of the expertise of the members of the department (we have Ph.D.s in psychology, business, management, and economics; current doctoral students have a Master degree in e.g., psychology, business or physics). We publish in top-tier journals in different disciplines, including Science, Psychological Review, and the American Economic Review. Our department's members come from different countries, and the working language of the department is English. Located near Lake Geneva and surrounded by the Jura Mountains and the French Alps, Lausanne is a beautiful and cosmopolitan spot to live. We have a collegial atmosphere that makes it easy for us to carry out our research. Information about the Department of Organizational Behavior is available at http://www.hec.unil.ch/hec/recherche/unite?set_language=en More information about the position can be inquired directly from julian.marewski(a)unil.ch This is an non-official job description from the U of Lausanne. **************************************************************** 35. PostDoc: compt models of optogenetic stim in epilepsy patients U. of Newcastle Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2016 22:41:04 +0000 From: Marcus Kaiser <m.kaiser(a)newcastle.ac.uk> To: comp-neuro(a)neuroinf.org Subject: [Comp-neuro] PostDoc position: developing computational models of optogenetic stimulation in epilepsy patients a 3-year PostDoc position for developing computational models of optogenetic stimulation in epilepsy patients is available within my lab as part of the CANDO project at Newcastle U. *** About CANDO *** CANDO (Controlling Abnormal Network Dynamics using Optogenetics, http://www.cando.ac.uk/) is a world-class, multi-site, cross-disciplinary project to develop a cortical implant for optogenetic neural control. The goal is to create a first-in-human trial in patients with focal epilepsy. This seven year, £10M Innovative Engineering for Health Award, funded by the http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/ Wellcome Trust and the http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/ Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) involves a team of over 30 neuroscientists, engineers and clinicians based at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ion/ Newcastle U, http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/electricalengineering Imperial College London, https://www.ucl.ac.uk/medphys U College London and http://www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk/ The Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. *** Available RA position *** As part of this project, the lab of Prof. Marcus Kaiser (http://www.dynamic-connectome.org/) is seeking a talented and enthusiastic research fellow with a PhD awarded, or a PhD thesis about to be submitted, in computational biology or related subjects. Objectives of this position are, first, to develop a detailed simulation of human brain activity at the local and global level of epilepsy patients. Second, the effect of stimulation on ongoing activity will be studied. Third, dynamical systems theory and extensive simulations will be used to find optimal stimulation approaches that can reach desired oscillation patterns with minimal stimulation. Simulations will be informed by invasive recordings and non-invasive brain connectivity measurements in human epilepsy patients. Good communication skills, very strong dynamics modelling skills, and a track record of previous peer-reviewed journal publications. You will have experience with modelling brain rhythms and dynamical systems. The position will include brief visits to our partners in the UK and abroad. *** Research Environment *** Neuroinformatics at Newcastle U in the UK covers a range of topics from electrophysiology to neuroimaging. We are among the pioneers in connectome analysis and the establishment of large-scale neuroscience data management and analysis platforms, e.g. through the £4m EPSRC-funded CARMEN project. Our strength is a close collaboration between computational, experimental, and clinical researchers. We currently have a team of 12 faculty members in the areas of Neuroinformatics and Neurotechnology which is growing to 15 members by the end of this year: http://neuroinformatics.ncl.ac.uk/ *** How to Apply *** To apply, follow the information at http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AUD320/research-assistant-associate-computational… The deadline is Thursday 7 April. For further information, contact Marcus.Kaiser(a)ncl.ac.uk Marcus Kaiser, Ph.D. https://twitter.com/ConnectomeLab @ConnectomeLab Professor of Neuroinformatics Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems (ICOS) Research Group School of Computing Science Newcastle U Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK Lab website: http://www.dynamic-connectome.org/ Neuroinformatics@Newcastle: http://neuroinformatics.ncl.ac.uk/ **************************************************************** 36. Research Positions with the US Air Force Res Lab [some deadlines past, but some not given, and ongoing hiring here it appears] From: "GUNZELMANN, GLENN F DR-03 USAF AFMC 711 HPW/RHAC" <glenn.gunzelmann(a)us.af.mil> To: "act-r-users(a)ACTR-SERVER.HPC1.CS.cmu.edu" <act-r-users(a)ACTR-SERVER.HPC1.CS.cmu.edu> Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 21:49:50 +0000 Subject: [ACT-R-users] Research Positions with the US Air Force Res Lab **With apologies and respect to our valued colleagues of other nationalities, only US citizens and permanent legal residents of the United States are eligible for these positions.** The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Cognitive Models and Agents Branch has a variety of research positions available for talented cognitive, computational, and computer scientists interested in working on basic and applied cognitive science research. Positions will contribute to various projects spanning the breadth research activities within the branch, including: (a) predictive models of learning and forgetting; (b) decision heuristics; (c) interactive task learning; (d) robustness; (e) simulations of fatigue and vigilance; (f) integrated models of physiology, perception, cognition, and action; (g) autonomous teammates and trainers, and (h) high performance and distributed computing for model testing and validation. We have a number of full-time, paid positions available to qualified and enthusiastic individuals, including at least the following: 1. Full-time government civilian employee (early to mid-career): Focus is on the application of computational cognitive science and artificial intelligence to autonomy. See position description and application instructions here: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/427565200 **Note: The application deadline for this is 1 February!! 2. Model developer (multiple opportunities): PhD required. Experience in developing computational models in complex tasks. Preference for a range of experience encompassing multiple modeling approaches spanning multiple levels of abstraction (e.g., Soar; ACT-R; IMPRINT; GOMS) 3. Software engineer: Background/familiarity with cognitive science and artificial intelligence is a benefit 4. Sleep Scientist: Experience in designing and executing experiments involving 24+ hours of total sleep deprivation 5. Research Assistants (B.S. or B.A. in psychology): Experience in experiment design, data collection, and analysis. Experience with R and/or Matlab desired. Experience with EEG also a plus. Excellent writing & communication skills. All positions are located in Dayton, OH, at Wright Patterson AFB. Positions would start as early as June 2016. If interested, please email glenn.gunzelmann(a)us.af.mil. Include a current CV. Glenn Gunzelmann, Ph.D. (937) 938-3554 Senior Research Psychologist glenn.gunzelmann(a)us.af.mil S&T Advisor, Cognitive Models & Agents Branch 711 HPW/RHAC Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7905 **************************************************************** 37. Post-doctoral positions at CMU, DDM Lab Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory Department of Social and Decision Sciences CMU http://www.cmu.edu/ddmlab/ The Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory (DDMLab: http://www.cmu.edu/ddmlab/) at CMU is seeking applications for two post-doctoral research fellows. (1) A first post-doctoral fellow position is funded by The National Science Foundation (NSF), Decision, Risk, and Management Sciences program. This fellow will be involved in theoretical research regarding learning theories of decisions based on experiential and descriptive information. The ideal candidate should have a Ph.D. in Psychology and strong interest in Decision Sciences. The applicant should have a strong experimental background as well as experience or interest in computational/cognitive modeling approaches to explain behavior. Strong behavioral modeling background in reinforcement learning methods and Bayesian learning approaches are a plus. Particular knowledge of the literature related to Decisions from Experience and Behavioral Game Theory is desired. This position has a starting date of May-June 2016. (2) A second post-doctoral fellow position is funded by the Army Research Laboratories (ARL). This fellow will be involved in basic research on Network Science, broadly defined. Our project aim at the study of the formation and behavior of networks departing from individual behavior. Research will involve investigation of dynamic decision making, and the emergence, maintenance and reduction of trust and credibility on information with experience. The ideal candidate should have a Ph.D. in Human Factors Engineering or Information Sciences, and should have broad research interests involving human behavior, learning, and decision making from the cognitive, social, and computational science perspectives. The applicant should have a strong behavioral and technical background in modeling (cognitive, mathematical, computational modeling), and must be interested in both, basic and applied areas of psychological research. Particular knowledge on Decisions from Experience, Behavioral Game Theory, Network theory from the experimental and computational perspectives are a plus. The candidate will interact with a large network of collaborators in Engineering and Computer Science. This position has an immediate starting date. Both positions are full time research positions with full benefits for one year, with a possibility of renewal for a second year. All applicants should demonstrate technical skills in Matlab, R, and Python; knowledge in statistics, writing abilities, and good communication skills. Applicants please send: a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, relevant journal articles, and three letters of reference before 15 Mar 2015. A decision will be made by 31 Mar. Please send electronic documents (Word, Pdf) to: coty(a)cmu.edu. The DDMLab is part of the Department of Social and Decision Sciences at CMU, which is located Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh is one of America's most livable cities and it has a strong university presence with over a dozen colleges and campuses and a great cultural scene. 38. Job(s) at Pacific Science, San Diego, CA (rolling deadline) Cognitive Scientist / Senior Scientist Pacific Science & Engineering Group, Inc., San Diego, CA Pacific Science & Engineering (PSE) is seeking a highly qualified professional to join our full-time technical staff as a cognitive scientist. PSE is a San Diego-based, employee-owned, small business, specializing in human factors engineering, research, development, and cognitive engineering services for clients worldwide. We take a scientific approach to improving human performance and in developing and assessing user interfaces in complex work domains, including military, national security, medical, and commercial information systems. Candidates should be capable of working flexibly in small research teams on several concurrent projects, taking leading and supporting roles, as necessary. We are looking for a motivated self-starter. Excellent verbal, technical communication skills are necessary. Desirable education, skills and experience include: - PhD in cognitive science, cognitive or perceptual psychology, human factors, or a related field - Research experience in human cognition or perception in laboratory and applied settings - Experience in measurement of human performance - Research interests in decision-making, automation, modeling and simulation - Experience with task- or user-centered design Responsibilities of the position are: - Perform human factors engineering and applied, cognitive science research - Develop creative and scientifically-based solutions to complex, applied problems - Assume responsibilities and contribute at all levels in small project teams - Prepare, critique and discuss reports and descriptions of research methods and findings, present and publish research PSE provides a flexible work environment, competitive benefits, and compensation based on accomplishment and experience. Some travel is necessary. U.S. Citizenship is required - position requires successful completion of a security clearance for access to classified information. Email resume and statement of interest to Mary Ann King at making(a)pacific-science.com. For additional information, visit www.pacific-science.com. **************************************************************** -30- If you have read this far, try out this podcast on a variety of topics: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl [in our time, BBC] ****************************************************************

March 22, 2016

BCF/NWG Course "Analysis and Models in Neurophysiology", Freiburg, Germany

by Birgit Ahrens

*BCF/NWG Course*** *"Analysis and Models in Neurophysiology"*** /Sunday, October 9 - Friday, October 14, 2016 / /Bernstein Center Freiburg, Hansastraße 9a, 79104 Freiburg, Germany/ *Aim of the course:* The course is intended to provide advanced Diploma/Masters and PhD students, as well as young researchers from the neurosciences with approaches for the analysis of electrophysiological data and the theoretical concepts behind them. *The course includes various topics such as*: * Neuron Models and Point Processes (Prof. Stefan Rotter) * Local field potentials (Prof. Ulrich Egert) * Neural Coding (Dr. Robert Schmidt) * Neural Decoding (Prof. Carsten Mehring) The course will consist of lectures in the morning and matching exercises using Matlab and Mathematica in the afternoon. The participants should have a basic understanding of scientific programming. This course is designated especially for advanced diploma/master students and PhD students (preferentially in their first year). *Application:* Please apply by sending one single pdf document containing your CV and a meaningful letter of motivation to nwg-course(a)bcf.uni-freiburg.de <mailto:nwg-course@bcf.uni-freiburg.de>. The letter of motivation should refer to the following points: * Reasons for wanting to take this course * Background in mathematics * Background in scientific programming * Experience in using Matlab and Mathematica * Background in neuroscience The course is limited to 20 participants. *Course fees:*NWG members - free, others - 125€ *Application deadline: *June 15, 2016 *More information: *http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/events/conferences-workshops/201610049-nwgcourse <http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/events/conferences-workshops/20141005-nwgcou…> -- Dr. Birgit Ahrens Teaching & Training Coordinator Bernstein Center Freiburg University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9a D - 79104 Freiburg Germany Phone: +49 (0) 761 203-9575 Fax: +49 (0) 761 203-9559

March 22, 2016

Cajal Course in Computational Neuroscience 2016

by Máté Lengyel

######### # Reminder: less than a week until the application deadline ######### CAJAL COURSE IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE 7-27 August 2016, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal + pre-school 2-5 August 2016 http://www.cccn.pt Applications deadline: 28 March 2016 DIRECTORS * Gilles Laurent (Max Plank Institute for Brain Research, Germany) * Máté Lengyel (University of Cambridge, UK) * Christian Machens (Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Portugal) This three-weeks school teaches the central ideas, methods, and practice of modern computational neuroscience through a combination of lectures and hands-on project work. Each morning will be devoted to lectures given by distinguished international faculty on topics across the breadth of experimental and computational neuroscience. During the rest of the day, students will work on research projects in teams of 2-3 people under the close supervision of expert tutors and faculty. Research projects will be proposed by faculty before the course, and will include the modeling of neurons, neural systems, behavior, the analysis of state-of-the-art neural data (behavioral data, multi-electrode recordings, calcium imaging data, connectomics data, etc.), and the development of theories to explain experimental observations. The course is designed for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from a variety of disciplines, including neuroscience, physics, electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics and psychology. Students are expected to have a keen interest and basic background in neurobiology, a solid foundation in mathematics, as well as some computer experience. An optional four-day pre-school in mathematics and programming is available to students who want to catch up on or fine-tune their math and programming skills. Essential details: * Course size: 24 students maximum * Fee (which covers tuition, lodging, and meals): 2500 EUR (+ 300 EUR for optional pre-school) * Scholarships and travel stipends are available. * Application deadline: 28 March 2015 * Notification of results: April 2015 Information and application http://www.cccn.pt Contact address: Tânia Li Chen <tania.chen(a)neuro.fchampalimaud.org> FACULTY * Alberto Bernacchia (Cambridge University, UK) * Matthias Bethge (Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Germany) * Dmitri (Mitya) Chklovskii (Simons Center for Data Analysis, USA) * Claudia Clopath (Imperial College London, UK) * Peter Dayan (Gatsby Computational Neuroscience, UCL, UK) * Sophie Denève (Institut d'Etudes de la Cognition (IEC), France) * Alain Destexhe (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France) * David Fitzpatrick (Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, USA) * Michael Hausser (Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, UCL, UK) * Moritz Helmstaedter (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany) * Guillaume Hennequin (Cambridge University, UK) * Karel Ježek (Charles University, Czech Republic) * Matthias Kaschube (Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Germany) * Gilles Laurent (MPI Brain Research, Germany) * Peter Latham (Gatsby Computational Neuroscience, UCL, UK) * Simon Laughlin (University of Cambridge, UK) * Máté Lengyel (University of Cambridge, UK) * Zhaoping Li (University College London, UK) * Jennifer Linden (Ear Institute, UCL, UK) * Christian Machens (Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Portugal) * Jakob Macke (Center of Advanced European Studies and Research, Germany) * Tom Mrsic-Flogel (University of Basel, Switzerland) * Yael Niv (Princeton Neuroscience Institute, USA) * Maneesh Sahani (Gatsby Computational Neuroscience, UCL, UK) * Andreas Tolias (Baylor College of Medicine, USA) * Alessandro Treves (International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Italy) * Daniel Wolpert (Cambridge University, UK)

March 22, 2016

2016 NEURON Summer Course

by Ted Carnevale

This year the NEURON Summer Course will be held at the HHMI|Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn, Virginia. Only a few seats remain open, so you'll have to act quickly if you are interested in taking "NEURON Fundamentals" or "Parallel Simulation with NEURON." The NEURON Fundamentals component, which runs from June 20-24, is suitable for individuals at all levels of expertise. It presents a thorough introduction to computational modeling of neurons and networks of neurons with NEURON, and introduces parallel simulation. Parallel Simulation with NEURON runs from June 25-27 and focuses on the needs of experienced NEURON users who want to create models that will run on parallel hardware. Knowledge of how to write hoc or Python code for NEURON is presumed. You may apply for one or both components, but registration is subject to approval by the course's faculty. Space is limited, and applications are considered in the order received. The application deadline is Friday, May 20, 2016. No applications will be accepted after that date, and there will be no on-site registration. For more information and the on-line application form, see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/summer2016/summer2016.html --Ted

March 21, 2016

PhD studentship, biomedical imaging

by Adam Liska

The Functional Neuroimaging lab at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (https://goo.gl/ArIFrd) Rovereto (Italy), invites applications for a PhD scholarship to investigate the dynamics of macroscale functional connectivity in transgenic mouse models of brain pathology. The lab is equipped with a state-of–the-art 7 Tesla MRI scanner for preclinical research, and is devoted to the use of advanced functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) methods in rodent models to understand how large scale functional activity and network dynamics originate, develop and govern behavioural states. The successful candidate will have a MSc in Neuroscience, Biotechnology Computer Science, physics, or equivalent. Proficiency in computer programming (Matlab) and biomedical image analysis is recommended. This three-year studentship aims to provide the student with a thorough training in conducting research at the interface of biomedical imaging, computational image analysis, and experimental neuroscience. The studentship is part of the international doctoral school in cognitive and brain sciences, in partnership with the University of Trento (http://web.unitn.it/en/cimec/) Final admission to the doctoral school entails a competitive selection process, as per the school regulations (http://web.unitn.it/en/drcimec) The Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) is a private law Foundation, created with the objective of promoting Italy's technological development and higher education in science and technology. Research at IIT is interdisciplinary and addresses basic and applied science through the development of novel technical applications. The Functional Neuroimaging lab is located a the Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences (CNCS) @UNITN in Rovereto, Italy (http://cncs.iit.it/) one of the research nodes set up by IIT. The CNCS is an interdisciplinary research center dedicated to the investigation of the brain at multiple scales. Please send your application (full CV, two academic referees, copy of master degree thesis, statement of research interest) by email to alessandro.gozzi(a)iit.it no later than May 10th, 2016. Alessandro Gozzi, PhD Senior Scientist, Group Leader Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UNITN Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy Tel: +39 0464 808 701 alessandro.gozzi(a)iit.it

March 21, 2016

Postdoc position at LMU Munich

by Stefan Glasauer

Post-doctoral position in Computational Neuroscience Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in Computational Neuroscience at the Center for Sensorimotor Research at the Ludwig-Maximilian University (LMU) Munich (Germany) in association with the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN). Project: US-German Collaborative Research Proposal "Information Processing in Cerebral Cortex for Visual-Oculuomotor Behavior" The project will be performed in close collaboration with the Washington National Primate Research Center (University of Washington, Seattle, US). The successful candidate's task is to perform data analysis and computational modeling of neuronal data acquired in Seattle. A strong background in mathematics and neuroscience as well as a strong interest in Computational Neuroscience is required. The position is limited to three years. Please submit your application preferably in one single PDF-document, including cover letter, CV, list of publications, research proposal/interests and relevant certificates to sglasauer(a)lmu.de The LMU is an equal opportunity employer. For further information please contact: Prof. Dr. Stefan Glasauer Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich Center for Sensorimotor Research Feodor-Lynen-Str. 19, D-81377 Munich, Germany sglasauer(a)lmu.de http://www.bccn-munich.de/people/stefan-glasauer

March 18, 2016

job opening

by Tasos_UPatras

Dear colleagues (with advance apologies for any cross-postings), Please find below a job opening in Cognitive Engineering lab of Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE) (http://www.sinapseinstitute.org <http://www.sinapseinstitute.org/>) Research Assistant (RA) (Application oriented in Video Game Development) The Singapore Institute For Neurotechnology (SINAPSE) at the National University of Singapore is looking to hire a motivated individual for Research Assistant position for a period of 1 year. The successful candidates will be involved in a project aiming to develop Virtual reality (VR)-based brain augmentation systems including realistic simulations and real-time brain states analysis. Specifically the RA will develop applications, using Unity programming language, in high-definition head-mounted 3-D Virtual Reality (VR) system (Oculus Rift 2) to provide various stimuli. A remote EEG system will be used to monitor the brain activity in real time. Applicants should have either a degree in Computer Sciences and/or working experience in video game developing industry. Candidates with experience in VR game development (both Oculus Rift and room-size VR) and experience with Unity3D game engineering, and proficiency in C++ or Javascript (middleVR preferred) will be preferred. Remuneration will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Interested applicants should submit their curriculum vitae to Prof. Anastasios (Tassos) Bezerianos (lsiba(a)nus.edu.sg) Applications will be open until 30 April 2016, or sooner if the position is filled. Best Regards Tassos prof. Anastasios (Tasos) Bezerianos, BS,MS,PhD

March 18, 2016

Job opening

by Tasos_UPatras

Dear colleagues (with advance apologies for any cross-postings), Please find below a job opening in Cognitive Engineering lab (http://sinapseinstitute.org/projects/cognitiveengr/ <http://sinapseinstitute.org/projects/cognitiveengr/>) of Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE) . Research Assistant/Engineer Position (Science/Engineering oriented for EEG studies) The Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE) at the National University of Singapore is looking to hire a motivated individual for Research Assistant/Engineer position for a period of 1 year. The successful candidates will be involved in experiments focused on (1) mental fatigue, (2) mental work load and (3) interventions for brain enhancement. Specifically the RA will be mainly responsible for conducting experiments for recording EEG in laboratory conditions and in Augmented / Virtual Reality Environment. Applicants should have honors degree in Engineering or Physics or Master degree in Biomedical Engineering and/or experience in conducting EEG experiments in the field. The ideal candidate(s) should have a strong background in statistics, and should be able to work independently on tasks such as literature review, subject recruitment, data collection and data management. Ability to program in MATLAB would also be advantageous. Remuneration will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Interested applicants should submit their curriculum vitae to Prof. Anastasios (Tassos) Bezerianos (lsiba(a)nus.edu.sg <mailto:lsiba@nus.edu.sg>). The positions will be open until 30 April 2016 or sooner if the position is filled. Best Regards Tassos prof. Anastasios (Tasos) Bezerianos, BS,MS,PhD

March 18, 2016

Postdoctoral position in visual neurophysiology

by Adam Kohn

Postdoctoral position in visual neurophysiology Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York NY A postdoctoral position is available in the Kohn lab, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Our lab studies visual processing, cortical plasticity, population coding, perceptual decision making, and corticocortical communication and circuitry. Our experiments involve multielectrode recordings from the visual system of anesthetized and awake, behaving non-human primates. We complement neurophysiological recordings with human perceptual experiments, computational modeling, and optogenetic manipulations. We have robust collaborations with several computational and theoretical neuroscience groups, developing new methods for understanding population codes and corticocortical communication. Einstein offers a vibrant, supportive community of researchers. It is located in a quiet neighborhood of New York, only a short subway ride from Manhattan. The New York City area offers numerous opportunities to interact with experts in a wide variety of neuroscience topics. Experience in neurophysiology, programming, quantitative methods, or behavioral training are desired. Inquires about the position and applications (CV and names and contact information for references) should be sent to adam.kohn(a)einstein.yu.edu<mailto:adam.kohn@einstein.yu.edu>. The position will remain open until filled. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

March 17, 2016

PhD studentship in computational/cognitive neuroscience

by Ulrik Beierholm

We have a PhD studentship available with full funding (tuition + stipend) for a project doing computational modeling of human perception, using parametric and non-parametric Bayesian statistical inference methods (PI Dr. Ulrik Beierholm). The funding is only available for EU citizens (sorry!), with starting date October 2016. The studentship will be in the Department of Psychology at Durham University, UK, but with potential for interactions with colleagues in Computer Science, Economics etc. The applicant should have a Master's degree (or similar) in a related topic (neuroscience, psychology, computer science, statistics etc.) with a minimum of a UK upper second (2:1) or an average grade of B for international students. The applicant should also have some programming experience (preferably Matlab or Python), but while the project will involve some experimental work (mainly psychophysics) the applicant does not need any previous experimental experience. The Department offers an exciting and friendly multidisciplinary research environment. The department has excellent technical facilities, including a 3T MRI scanner, EEG labs, laboratories for brain stimulation (TMS, tdCS), motion analysis systems (Vicon, Optitrack), Psychophysiological Research (Biopac), and behavioural experiments, including multiple eye trackers and an acoustically controlled testing chamber. There is also access to the Durham HPC cluster (Hamilton) for numerical simulations. Durham is a beautiful city in the Northeast of England, home to Durham Cathedral, which is part of UNESCO Durham World Heritage Site. Durham University is consistently ranked among the top 100 Universities worldwide (QS World Rankings 2014). If interested email the PI (ulrik.beierholm(a)durham.ac.uk) with any questions. Applications are made through: https://www.dur.ac.uk/psychology/postgraduate/how_to_apply/ Further information about doing a PhD at Durham can be found here: https://www.dur.ac.uk/psychology/postgraduate/phd/ Applications will be processed as they arrive, but we expect to reach a decision before end of April. ------------------------------------------- Ulrik Beierholm, PhD Lecturer in Computational Neuroscience School of Psychology, University of Birmingham http://beierholm.net

March 17, 2016

REMINDER: Call for Workshops - Bernstein Conference 2016, extended deadline

by Margret Franke

The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience and the Bernstein Center Berlin invite proposals for Satellite Workshops directly preceding the Bernstein Conference 2016 in Berlin. ********************************************************************************** Call for Workshop proposals: Workshops: September 20-21, 2016 Main Bernstein Conference: September 21-23, 2016 Deadline for proposal submission: April 3, 2016 Notification of acceptance: April 22, 2016 Conference Registration starts: May 2, 2016 Early Registration Deadline: July 24, 2016 ********************************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference started out as the annual meeting of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience and has become the largest annual single-track Computational Neuroscience conference in Europe in recent years. Since 2013, the Bernstein Conference hosts pre-conference workshops, which have developed swiftly into a well-attended event. They supply a stage to debate topical research questions and challenges in Computational Neuroscience and related fields, different points of view and scientific approaches in an informal setting. Workshops addressing controversial issues, open problems, and comparisons of competing approaches are encouraged, and formats are expected that foster debate beyond a mere series of talks. SCHEDULE: September 20, 2016, 14:00 – 18:30. September 21, 2016, 9:00 – 12:30. You may apply for either half-day or full-day workshops. WORKSHOP COSTS: The Bernstein Conference does not provide financial support, but workshop organizers and speakers are offered free workshop registration. Organizers get a waiver for the main conference fee. For further information about the conference, please visit the conference website <http://www.bernstein-conference.de>. DETAILS FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS: The Workshop Proposal form can be downloaded here: <http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2016/satellite-workshops>. Deadline for submission of Workshop Proposals: March 18, 2016 CONTACT: <bc16_ws(at)bccn-berlin.de> We are looking forward to welcoming you in Berlin! The program committee ------------------------------- Michael Brecht Gustavo Deco Alain Destexhe Sophie Denève Udo Ernst Adrienne Fairhall Sonja Grün John-Dylan Haynes Andreas Herz Philipp Hövel Richard Kempter Klaus Obermayer Stefan Rotter Susanne Schreiber Henning Sprekeler -- Margret Franke Managing Director Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin phone: (030) 2093-9110 fax: (030) 2093-6771

March 17, 2016

1 year postdoc on multisensory and haptic perception

by Marc Ernst

--------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Year Postdoctoral Positions available --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- In the Applied Cognitive Psychology Group headed by Marc Ernst Ulm University, Germany -------------------------------------------------------------- The Applied Cognitive Psychology Group, Ulm University, headed by Prof. Marc Ernst, is inviting applications for 1 year postdoctoral positions on human haptic perception, multisensory interactions and motor control. The positions are within the framework of the European Project "WearHap" (www.wearhap.eu <http://www.wearhap.eu/>), in which 11 renowned university labs from all over Europe with backgrounds in Neuroscience, Psychology, Engineering, and Computer Science work together on the scientific and technological foundations of wearable haptic systems for humans and robots. Our goal in this project is to understand and model the human haptic abilities and to transfer the acquired knowledge towards technical applications developed within this collaborative project. The positions will be embedded in a highly interdisciplinary and international research group lead by Prof. Marc Ernst. The focus of the department is on multisensory perception, perception and action, perceptual learning and human-computer interaction. For the experimental work the group is predominantly relying on behavioral methods from psychophysics and cognitive science. For this, there are many state-of-the-art virtual reality setups available, including different projection systems for visual stimulation, force feedback devices and tactile displays for work on the human haptic system, a noise attenuation camber with an audio setup for work on the auditory system and a treadmill setup including tacking for studies on human locomotion/navigation. For the quantitative modeling of human behavior the group heavily relies on statistical approaches, such as the Bayesian Framework to human perception and action. The successful candidates should fit in with these interests and should have a background in cognitive science, psychology, biology, computer science, engineering or some field related to cognitive psychology. Programming experience will be advantageous. The positions are initially immediately for 1 year until the end of the project. The aim however will be to secure further funding of this line of research in order to also extend this position beyond 1 year. Salary is according to German Public Service regulations. Applications will be considered until the positions are filled. The application should include a cover letter stating the candidates research interests, curriculum vita, reprints (if available), and names of up to three referees. Electronic submissions are preferred. Please send your application documents to the following e-mail address stating the ID: 2013-09-WEARHAP in the subject line: applications(a)marcernst.de <mailto:applications@marcernst.de> ------------------------------------------------ Prof. Dr. Marc O. Ernst Applied Cognitive Psychology Ulm University mail(a)marcernst.de <mailto:mail@marcernst.de>

March 17, 2016

postdoc position: computational modeling of neurodegenerative disease (2nd call)

by Christina M. Weaver

*** Second announcement – submit by March 24, 2016 for full consideration *** POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW in Computational Neuroscience Job Description The interdisciplinary research team of Drs Christina Weaver (Mathematics, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster PA) and Jennifer Luebke (Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston MA) is launching a project to explore structural and functional abnormalities of neurons in two different mouse models of Huntington’s Disease, and how these abnormalities might contribute to system-level dysfunction. Computational modeling of cortical and striatal neurons (both spatially extended compartmental models and point neuron models) will be conducted in tandem with empirical studies of these same neurons using in vitro slice electrophysiology and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The neuron models developed in this project will be incorporated into models of local microcircuits and larger cortico-striatal networks, likely in collaboration with other research teams, and will be used to inform future experiments. As part of this project, one postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience is available, starting in April 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter. Computational modeling of the empirically characterized neurons will use parameter optimization algorithms developed in the Weaver lab. For an overview of our interdisciplinary approach, see our joint publications including Luebke et al., *Cerebral Cortex* (2015), PMID 24323499 and Coskren et al., *J. Comput. Neuro*. (2015), PMID 25527184. The Weaver lab will have close, ongoing collaborations with the Luebke lab, including several visits to Boston where the empirical studies will take place. Initial appointment is for one year, and may be extended to a total of three years. The candidate will be hired by Franklin & Marshall College, though a remote employment arrangement may be possible. Applicants should have a strong background in computational neuroscience, and have a keen interest in interdisciplinary approaches to neuroscience that integrate modeling, imaging, and physiological experiments. Review of applications will begin immediately, and will continue until the position is filled. Interested applicants should send their CV, a brief statement of current and future research interests, and the contact information of three references to christina.weaver(a)fandm.edu. Required Skills Ph.D. or equivalent in computational neuroscience or a related field from an accredited institution Excellent written and verbal communication skills Experience with NEURON compartmental modeling software, conductance-based modeling of single neurons, and/or automated parameter optimization is preferred. Franklin & Marshall College is committed to having an inclusive campus community where all members are treated with dignity and respect. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, the College does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices on the basis of gender, sex, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, family or marital status, sexual orientation, or any protected characteristic. Christina M. Weaver, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Mathematics Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Franklin & Marshall College P.O. Box 3003 Lancaster, PA 17604-3003 Phone: (717) 291-3872 Fax: (717) 358-4507 Email: christina.weaver(a)fandm.edu

March 17, 2016

PhD position at LMU Munich, Germany

by Stefan Glasauer

We are looking for a PhD student with a strong interest in human movement sciences and motor learning. How is sensorimotor adaptation acquired and forgotten? Scientific background: Human movement control is highly efficient at minimizing sensorimotor errors and is forced to adjust its strategies to slow changes of a large variety of factors. The motor system is subject to growth, aging, or muscle weakness; the external mechanical environment may change its resistance against the movement; and the sensory system, providing the most important information to estimate the actual and desired state of the ensemble of body and environment, is also subject to systematic changes. Sensorimotor adaptation is often defined as the gradual change of the generated motor commands in response to such systematic changes, but it has been recently recognized that sensorimotor adaptation does not only involve the acquisition of gradual changes in stimulus-response mechanisms, but also different types of meta-learning reflected in 1) gradual changes in the processing of sensorimotor errors driving the adaptation (error sensitivity) and in 2) adjustments of the stability (retention) of the acquired adaptive change. Current project and methods: The current project will investigate dynamics of error sensitivity and retention across repeated sequences of sensorimotor adaptation and deadaptation. Of special interest is the dependence of error sensitivity and retention on error size and consistency. Adaptation experiments will be performed in reaching movements under distorted visual feedback of the hand and in saccadic eye movements to targets displaced during the movement. The data acquisition and analysis is centered on movement trajectories recorded in humans. Candidates should have a strong interest in motor control and learning mechanisms. Skills in mathematical analysis of dynamic systems and computer programming are desirable. The project involves cooperation with laboratories in Toronto (CA) and Seattle (USA). Contact: Dr. Ing. Thomas Eggert e-mail: eggert at lrz.uni-muenchen.de Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Germany Literature: Straube, A., Deubel, H., Ditterich, J., & Eggert, T. (2001). Cerebellar lesions impair rapid saccade amplitude adaptation. Neurology, 57 (11), 2105-2108. Krüger M, Borbely B, Eggert T, Straube A (2012) Synergistic control of joint angle variability: influence of target shape. Hum Mov Sci 31:1071-1089 doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2011.12.002 Borbély BJ, Straube A, Eggert T (2014) Motor synergies during manual tracking differ between familiar and unfamiliar trajectories. Experimental Brain Research 232:889-901 Henriques, D.Y., Filippopulos, F., Straube, A., & Eggert, T. (2014). The cerebellum is not necessary for visually driven recalibration of hand proprioception. Neuropsychologia, 64C, 195-204.

March 16, 2016

Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics MSc

by Dietmar Heinke

We invite applications for our MSc program in Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The CNCR MSc course is highly interdisciplinary encompassing psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, computational modelling, neuroimaging, robotics, and patient rehabilitation. The course is designed for those who are interested in applying knowledge of neural systems, brain function, and modelling to research in human cognition, perception, sensory and motor systems as well as the design of bio-inspired and biologically plausible robotic systems. It has a strong research focus with hands-on modules and practical applications. The course is aimed both at students from psychology/neuroscience with a strong quantitative background and at students from computer science and physics who want to apply their knowledge to psychology/neuroscience. The course is organised jointly through the Schools of Psychology and Computer Science. Details about the MSc can be found on this web-page: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/psych/computation-n… Further enquires can be made via email: pg-psychology-admissions(a)contacts.bham.ac.uk<mailto:pg-psychology-admissions@contacts.bham.ac.uk> Application deadline: 30.June. Applications made after this deadline may be considered.

March 16, 2016

3 PhD studentships in London

by Alonso, Eduardo

Dear all, City University London is offering 3 fully-funded PhD studentships. Doctoral studentships will provide, for 3 years, an annual bursary of £16,000. They also include full tuition fees. The main focus is the development of computational models of learning and behaviour, with a particular interest in the application of Deep Learning architectures and algorithms. In addition, we want to explore how the resulting models could inform research in learning impairments associated with neurodevelopment disorders. Submission deadline is the 26th of May, with successful applicants starting in Oct 2016. If you are interested, please contact me. Dr Eduardo Alonso Reader in Computing Deputy Head of Department Department of Computer Science School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering City University London London EC1V 0HB United Kingdom T: +44 (0)20 7040 4049 E: E.Alonso(a)city.ac.uk http://www.city.ac.uk/people/academics/eduardo-alonso

March 16, 2016

A funding opportunity for Assistive Technology for ALS patients

by Neta Zach

The ALS Association and Prize4Life's are happy to anounce the launch of a new program to promote ALS technology development- *the ALS Assistive Technology Challenge* <http://www.alsa.org/research/als-assistive-technology-challenge-2.html>*- *a program focused around accelerating the development of communication technologies for locked in patients with development funds of over $500,000. *In the challenge, open until July 29, teams can participate in a $400,000 challenge to develop a prototype that will enable communication for ALS patients. The top finalists will be invited to present their prototype in December 2016 in Dublin where the award winner will be selected. *You can read about it more *here <http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-als-association-and-prize4life-…>.*

March 15, 2016

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 May 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

March 15, 2016

Fully funded postdoctoral position in Machine Learning and Computational Biology at Royal Holloway University of London

by Alberto Paccanaro

[Apologies for cross-posting] Application deadline: 10th April 2016 ==================================================== Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position at the Department of Computer Science of Royal Holloway, University of London. The successful candidate will work with Prof Alberto Paccanaro on different projects in the area of Systems Biology and Network Medicine -- please see http://www.paccanarolab.org/ for a description of the research carried out in the lab. Candidates should have a PhD degree in a relevant quantitative field (e.g. Computer Science, Statistics, Engineering), a strong background in machine learning and a keen interest in computational biology. Previous experience in the area of graphical models would be an asset for this position. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate with members of the interdisciplinary Centre for Systems and Synthetic Biology (Computer Science and Biological Sciences) at Royal Holloway and collaborators at Imperial College, University of Tennessee and Yale University. The post is therefore ideal for someone with a computer science or maths background who is looking to move into computational biology. This post is based in the Department of Computer Science in Egham, Surrey where the College is situated in a beautiful, leafy campus near to Windsor Great Park and within commuting distance from London (see http://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/) This is a full time post, available immediately, or as soon as possible thereafter for a fixed term period of 30 months. The salary is in the range £33,789 to £39,902 per annum inclusive of London Allowance. The position is funded by a joint BBSRC/NSF grant. To apply go to: https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=0316-094 For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Prof Alberto Paccanaro, alberto(a)cs.rhul.ac.uk. The Human Resources Department can be contacted with queries by email at: recruitment(a)rhul.ac.uk. Please quote the reference: 0316-094. Closing Date: Midnight, 10th April 2016. Interview Date: To be confirmed. The College is committed to equality and diversity, and encourages applications from all sections of the community. -- ===================================== Prof. Alberto Paccanaro Department of Computer Science Royal Holloway, University of London Phone: +44 1784 414239 Homepage: http://www.cs.rhul.ac.uk/home/alberto/ Lab page: http://www.paccanarolab.org

March 15, 2016

ICLR 2016 Registration Open

by Hugo Larochelle

4th International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR 2016) Website: http://www.iclr.cc/ Location: Caribe Hilton, San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 2-4, 2016 Registration to ICLR 2016 is now open: http://www.iclr.cc/doku.php?id=iclr2016:registration The lower early registration fees and hotel rates are available until April 1st. For more information on ICLR 2016, please visit http://www.iclr.cc/doku.php?id=iclr2016:main. We look forward to seeing you in Puerto Rico! Yoshua Bengio, Université de Montreal, General Chair Yann LeCun, New York University and Facebook, General Chair Hugo Larochelle, Twitter and Université de Sherbrooke, Senior Program Chair Brian Kingsbury, IBM Watson Group, Program Chair Samy Bengio, Google, Program Chair

March 15, 2016

Funded vision science PhD opportunities at Royal Holloway, University of London

by Durant, Szonya

Please see opportunities below to work with me (Szonya Durant) as supervisor and Angelika Lingnau or Jonas Larsson in the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. There are two main proposed areas: Investigating the neural representation of action recognition categories What are the neural sources and function of expectation signals in human visual processing? Both projects involve EEG and fMRI methods, but experience is not essential and training will be provided as part of the PhD. Please email szonya.durant(a)rhul.ac.uk<mailto:szonya.durant@rhul.ac.uk> for more detail on these projects and the application process. Strong students from Psychology/Neuroscience/Cognitive Science/Computer Science/Biological Science/Physics/Mathematics are encouraged to apply. Suitable candidates (in collaboration with the supervisor) will need to develop a PhD proposal, which the department will use to evaluate applications - the department deadline for proposals is the 15th of April (so please get in touch asap). There are 4 paid studentships available in the department for UK and EU students. ********************************************************************** Szonya Durant Department of Psychology Royal Holloway, University of London Egham TW20 0EX 01784 276522

March 15, 2016

A new julia package for modelling spiking neural network

by Yao Lu

SpikingNetworks.jl <https://github.com/YaoLuCNS/SpikingNetworks.jl> is a julia package for computational neuroscientists to simulate large scale spiking neural network. It is inspired by Brain2 <http://briansimulator.org/>, and achieve most of the functionalities in Brian2 with faster speed, cleaner syntax and flexibility. Julia <http://julialang.org/> is a technical computing language, which relies on LLVM to achieve efficiency comparable to C. Julia has MATLAB-like syntax and is user-friendly to MATLAB users. This this package aims at experienced computational neuroscientists who want faster speed. Yao Lu

March 15, 2016

PhD studentships at Keele University - Closing Date: 15 April 2016

by Peter Andras

*Fully Funded Computer Science PhD Studentships at Keele University* The Faculty of Natural Sciences at Keele University is pleased to announce up to 7 fully-funded PhD studentships for UK/EU students for start in September/October 2016, as well as opportunities for part-funded PhD studentships for suitable candidates. Applications are invited from high quality prospective doctoral candidates in Computer Science and other disciplines. We welcome candidates with a good fit to our research specialisms and the expertise of our academic staff. Candidates are expected to have a 1st class or 2.1 class undergraduate degree or a Distinction level MSc degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent in the case of candidates from other EU countries). One of our focus areas in Computer Science is *Computational Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering*. A selection of topics of interests in this area is provided below. *Computational Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering*: computational modelling of the stomatogastric nervous system; bio-inspired robot control; computational modelling of cognitive behaviour in bees; neuro-control of evolving artificial creatures; neuro-control of robotic swarms; computational analysis of neuroimaging and multi-electrode array data; human and animal behaviour analysis using accelerometer data; virtual reality and robotics for rehabilitation engineering; analysis and modelling of the impact of neuromodulators in biological neural systems; big data analytics and neuro-degenerative disorders. *Funding* Each fully-funded studentship includes an annual tax-free stipend at RCUK rate plus tuition fees (currently £14,296 for stipend and £4,121 for fees). The funding is available for 3 years. Each studentship has an associated research expense budget (£2,000 – £3,000 per year, depending on the nature of the project, to cover project related consumables and conference travel). Opportunities are also available for candidates from the UK/EU and overseas who can demonstrate that they can fully or partially self-fund. If you are interested in this route, please contact Professor Peter Andras at p.andras(a)keele.ac.uk for a discussion. *Closing Date* The *closing date* for applications is Friday *15 April 2016* Full details and application procedures can be found on the website: http://www.keele.ac.uk/pgresearch/howtoapply/ For the purpose of research proposal applicants should submit an outline of their research interests or of a particular research project that the applicant would like to work on (max. 2 pages). Please send any questions by email to Lisa Cartlidge ( l.j.cartlidge(a)keele.ac.uk) or Ann Billington (a.billington(a)keele.ac.uk)

March 14, 2016

Postdoctoral Position in Computational Neuroscience/Biophysical Modeling

by Gabbiani, Fabrizio

Postdoctoral Position in Computational Neuroscience/Biophysical Modeling Computational and Applied Mathematics Rice University and Department of Neuroscience Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Texas ----- A postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience is available at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine, in the laboratories of Steven Cox (Rice University) and Fabrizio Gabbiani (Baylor College of Medicine). Our research focuses on understanding the biophysical mechanisms underlying the implementation of non-linear operations by neurons and neuronal circuits. The postdoctoral research associate will model the cellular and network mechanisms underlying collision avoidance behaviors using advanced mathematical techniques and computer simulations. Modeling will be supported by a large data set of experimental data gathered using electrophysiology, pharmacology, calcium imaging, high-speed video imaging and telemetry. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a strong background in computational modeling of single neurons and neuronal circuits. Experience with Matlab and NEURON is required. The position is available for one year, with possibility of renewal for a second year, contingent of performance and funding availability. Salary will be commensurate with level of experience, based on an NIH scale. Applications will be accepted until April 15, 2016. Our labs are located at Rice University and in the adjacent Texas Medical Center, close to many of Houston's cultural and outdoor amenities. For further information about Rice University, the Texas Medical Center and Houston please visit http://www.explore.rice.edu/explore/General_Information.asp or https://www.bcm.edu/about-us/life-in-houston For further informal inquiries and to apply, please send CV, the names and full contact information of two to three references, as well as one to two representative publications to cox(a)rice.edu and gabbiani(a)bcm.edu. Equal Opportunity Employer: Females / Minorities / Veterans/ Disabled / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity.

March 14, 2016

Eleventh Advanced Statistics and Data Mining Summer School (Madrid, June 27th - July 8th, 2016)

by asdm＠fi.upm.es

Dear colleagues, The Technical University of Madrid (UPM) will once more organize the 'Madrid UPM Advanced Statistics and Data Mining' summer school. The summer school will be held in Boadilla del Monte, near Madrid, from June 27th to July 8th. This year's edition comprises 12 week-long courses (15 lecture hours each), given during two weeks (six courses each week). Attendees may register in each course independently. No restrictions, besides those imposed by timetables, apply on the number or choice of courses. Early registration is now *OPEN*. Extended information on course programmes, price, venue, accommodation and transport is available at the school's website: http://www.dia.fi.upm.es/ASDM There is a 25% discount for members of Spanish AEPIA and SEIO societies. Please, forward this information to your colleagues, students, and whoever you think may find it interesting. Best regards, Pedro Larranaga, Concha Bielza, Bojan Mihaljevic and Laura Anton-Sanchez. -- School coordinators. *** List of courses and brief description *** * Week 1 (June 27th - July 1st, 2016) * 1st session: 9:45-12:45 Course 1: Bayesian Networks (15 h) Basics of Bayesian networks. Inference in Bayesian networks. Learning Bayesian networks from data. Real applications. Practical demonstration: GeNIe, Weka, Bayesia, R. Course 2: Time Series(15 h) Basic concepts in time series. Descriptive methods for time series. Linear models for time series. Extensions. Practical demonstration: R. 2nd session: 13:45-16:45 Course 3: Supervised Pattern Recognition (15 h) Introduction. Assessing the performance of supervised classification algorithms. Preprocessing. Classification techniques. Combining multiple classifiers. Comparing supervised classification algorithms. Practical demonstration: Weka. Course 4: Bayesian Inference (15 h) Introduction: Bayesian basics. Conjugate models. MCMC and other simulation methods. Regression and Hierarchical models. Model selection. Practical demonstration: R and WinBugs. 3rd session: 17:00 - 20:00 Course 5: Neural Networks and Deep Learning (15 h) Introduction. Training algorithms. Learning and Optimization. MLPs in practice. Deep Networks. Course 6: Unsupervised Pattern Recognition (15 h) Introduction to clustering. Data exploration and preparation. Prototype-based clustering. Density-based clustering. Graph-based clustering. Cluster evaluation. Miscellanea. Conclusions and final advise. Practical session: R. * Week 2 (July 4th - July 8th, 2016) * 1st session: 9:45-12:45 Course 7: Statistical Inference (15 h) Introduction. Some basic statistical test. Multiple testing. Introduction to bootstrap methods. Introduction to Robust Statistics. Practical demonstration: R. Course 8: Big Data with Apache Spark (15 h) Introduction. Spark framework and APIs. Data processing with Spark. Spark streaming. Machine learning with Spark MLlib. 2nd session: 13:45-16:45 Course 9: Text Mining (15 h) Introduction. Language Modeling. Text Similarity. Text Classification. Information Extraction. Practical session: Python, with Jupyter notebooks. Course 10: Feature Subset Selection (15 h) Introduction. Filter approaches. Embedded methods. Wrapper methods. Advanced topics. Practical session: R and Weka. 3rd session: 17:00-20:00 Course 11: Support Vector Machines and Regularized Learning (15 h) Introduction. SVM models. SVM learning algorithms. Convex non differentiable optimization. Course 12: Hidden Markov Models (15 h) Introduction. Discrete Hidden Markov Models. Basic algorithms for Hidden Markov Models. Semicontinuous Hidden Markov Models. Continuous Hidden Markov Models. Unit selection and clustering. Speaker and Environment Adaptation for HMMs. Other applications of HMMs. Practical session: HTK.

March 14, 2016

Reminder: Deadline is tomorrow (March 15) for Fellowships for IBBM Course in Park City, Utah

by Rob MacLeod

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

March 14, 2016

CIBB2016 - Computational Intelligence methods for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics

by Andrea Bracciali

[Apologies for cross-postings] ======================================================================= CALL FOR PAPERS and SPECIAL SESSIONS ======================================================================= ======================================================================= 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 ======================================================================= 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). Tutorials and Special Sessions CIBB 2016 will run a number of Tutorials and Special Sessions. Any topic of interest for the conference is eligible for a tutorial. Tutorials typically last from one to three hours. Special sessions focus on a specific, possibly cutting-edge, topic of interest for CIBB 2016. Special session organisers will be responsible for call dissemination, reviewing process and organizing oral presentations. Typically, a special session will have at least 4 accepted papers and may have an invited speaker (to be negotiated). Tutorial proposals including title, one page long abstract, and short CV of presenters, are due by 15th March 2014. Please send proposals to cibb2016(a)gmail.com. Special Session proposals including the session's title and scope, short CV of sessions chairs, preliminary list of at least 4 potential authors are due by 15th March 2014. Proposals of special sessions will be evaluated as soon as they are submitted. A special session must have at least 4 accepted papers. Please send proposals to cibb2016(a)gmail.com Important Dates Tutorial and Special Session proposal: 25th March 2016 Paper submission deadline: 15th 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 Biostatistics Technical Chair Marco Bonetti, Università Bocconi, Italy Bioinformatics Technical Chair Ivan Merelli, ITB-CNR, Italy Local Organizing Committee Chairs Leslie Smith, University of Stirling, UK Giulio Caravagna, Edinburgh University, UK Publicity Chair Francesco Masulli, University of Genoa, Italy Special Session and Tutorial Chair Claudia Angelini, IAC-CNR, Italy Publication Chair Riccardo Rizzo, ICAR-CNR, Italy Steering Commitee Pierre Baldi, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA Elia Biganzoli, University of Milan, Italy Clelia Di Serio, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Italy Alexandru Floares, Oncological Institute Cluj-Napoca, Romania Jon Garibaldi, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom Nikola Kasabov, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand Francesco Masulli, University of Genova, Italy and Temple University, PA, USA Leif Peterson, TMHRI, Houston, Texas, USA Roberto Tagliaferri, University of Salerno, Italy

March 14, 2016

PhD student position available at Newcastle University

by Roman Bauer

Dear all, I invite applications for a fully-funded three-year PhD student position at the Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne (UK). The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Dr Roman Bauer and Dr Evelyne Sernagor, and do computational modeling as well as wet-lab work on neuronal development in the retina. There is also the possibility for the student to be involved in a collaborative project with CERN openlab and Intel as a project partner. Applicants should be highly motivated and should have a strong background in physics, computer science, neuroscience or a related disciplince. Good computational skills and experience in a major programing language such as C++ or Java are required. The Institute of Neuroscience (IoN) is a well-established research institute integrating over 75 principal investigators, and was ranked in UK top 10 for overall quality of research. The university's Faculty of Medical Sciences, of which IoN is part of, is ranked in the top 50 worldwide for biomedical and health sciences in the Leiden Ranking. More details on this job posting can be found here: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/sources/allstudents/12mrea.html Best regards, Roman Bauer

March 14, 2016

PostDoc position: developing computational models of optogenetic stimulation in epilepsy patients

by Marcus Kaiser

Dear all, a 3-year PostDoc position for developing computational models of optogenetic stimulation in epilepsy patients is available within my lab as part of the CANDO project at Newcastle University. *** About CANDO *** CANDO (Controlling Abnormal Network Dynamics using Optogenetics, http://www.cando.ac.uk/) is a world-class, multi-site, cross-disciplinary project to develop a cortical implant for optogenetic neural control. The goal is to create a first-in-human trial in patients with focal epilepsy. This seven year, £10M Innovative Engineering for Health Award, funded by the Wellcome Trust <http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/> and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) <http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/> involves a team of over 30 neuroscientists, engineers and clinicians based at Newcastle University <http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ion/>, Imperial College London <http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/electricalengineering>, University College London <https://www.ucl.ac.uk/medphys> and The Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust <http://www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk/>. *** Available RA position *** As part of this project, the lab of Prof. Marcus Kaiser ( http://www.dynamic-connectome.org/ ) is seeking a talented and enthusiastic research fellow with a PhD awarded, or a PhD thesis about to be submitted, in computational biology or related subjects. Objectives of this position are, first, to develop a detailed simulation of human brain activity at the local and global level of epilepsy patients. Second, the effect of stimulation on ongoing activity will be studied. Third, dynamical systems theory and extensive simulations will be used to find optimal stimulation approaches that can reach desired oscillation patterns with minimal stimulation. Simulations will be informed by invasive recordings and non-invasive brain connectivity measurements in human epilepsy patients. Good communication skills, very strong dynamics modelling skills, and a track record of previous peer-reviewed journal publications. You will have experience with modelling brain rhythms and dynamical systems. The position will include brief visits to our partners in the UK and abroad. *** Research Environment *** Neuroinformatics at Newcastle University in the UK covers a range of topics from electrophysiology to neuroimaging. We are among the pioneers in connectome analysis and the establishment of large-scale neuroscience data management and analysis platforms, e.g. through the £4m EPSRC-funded CARMEN project. Our strength is a close collaboration between computational, experimental, and clinical researchers. We currently have a team of 12 faculty members in the areas of Neuroinformatics and Neurotechnology which is growing to 15 members by the end of this year: http://neuroinformatics.ncl.ac.uk/ *** How to Apply *** To apply, follow the information at http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AUD320/research-assistant-associate-computational… The deadline is Thursday 7 April. For further information, contact Prof. Marcus Kaiser, Marcus.Kaiser(a)ncl.ac.uk Best, Marcus -- Marcus Kaiser, Ph.D. @ConnectomeLab <https://twitter.com/ConnectomeLab> Professor of Neuroinformatics Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems (ICOS) Research Group School of Computing Science Newcastle University Claremont Tower Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK Lab website: http://www.dynamic-connectome.org/ Neuroinformatics@Newcastle: http://neuroinformatics.ncl.ac.uk/ -- Best, Marcus -- Marcus Kaiser, Ph.D. @ConnectomeLab <https://twitter.com/ConnectomeLab> Professor of Neuroinformatics Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems (ICOS) Research Group School of Computing Science Newcastle University Claremont Tower Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK Lab website: http://www.dynamic-connectome.org/ Neuroinformatics@Newcastle: http://neuroinformatics.ncl.ac.uk

March 13, 2016

An Invitation and CfP for International Conference on Artificial Intelligence 2016 in Poland

by Grace Allas

CALL FOR PAPERS *** *All registered papers will be submitted to IEEE for potential inclusion to IEEE Xplore* AIPR2016 - The Third International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Pattern Recognition Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland September 19-21, 2016 http://sdiwc.net/conferences/aipr2016/ --------------------------------------------------- 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 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/ ---------------------------------------

March 13, 2016

Ph.D. and PostDoctoral positions on Secure and Fault-Tolerant Implants (2nd call)

by C. Strydis

** Apologies if you receive multiple copies ** Dear colleagues, This is the 2nd call for new job postings in the field of secure and fault-tolerant implants: Our Neural Computing & Implants Lab (www.erasmusbrainproject.nl) of the Neuroscience Department of the Erasmus Medical Center, the Netherlands, is conducting research on next-generation implantable medical devices (IMDs). IMDs are resource-constrained embedded systems with unique functional and quality requirements. The overall objective of the research performed is to deliver techniques at the implant architecture, compiler, system and communication level for achieving by-design IMD security, privacy and fault tolerance. The selected candidates are expected to work on one or more of these intertwining subjects. This research will be part of the SHARCS Horizon 2020 EU-funded project (www.sharcs-project.eu) Collaborative partners are the Delft University of Technology, the Chalmers University of Technology and the National Technical University of Athens. The research group has a solid track record in contributing to design principles of high-performance and low-power embedded computing systems. Erasmus MC is a partner in the HiPEAC European Network of Excellence and an official collaborator in the H2020 Flagship: Human Brain Project (HBP - www.humanbrainproject.eu) Where HBP works on fully simulating the cerebral cortex, Erasmus MC is adding in accurate simulations of the cerebellar cortex. For more details please check the posting here: https://www.hipeac.net/jobs/9013/one-phd-position-and-one-postdoctoral-posi… We would appreciate if you could further disseminate our postings. Kind regards, Christos Strydis -- ============================== Christos Strydis, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Neuroscience Department Erasmus Medical Center Wytemaweg 80 (12th floor) Office Ee1210a 3015 CN Rotterdam Tel: +31 - 10 - 70 - 43294 Fax: +31 - 10 - 70 - 44734 E-mail: C.Strydis(a)erasmusmc.nl Web: www.erasmusbrainproject.com/index.php/strydis ==============================

March 13, 2016

Ph.D. and PostDoctoral positions on, High-Performance Brain Simulations (2nd call)

by C. Strydis

** Apologies if you receive multiple copies ** Dear colleagues, This is the 2nd call for new job postings in the field of High-Performance Brain Simulations: Our Neural Computing & Implants Lab group (www.erasmusbrainproject.nl) of the Neuroscience Department of the Erasmus Medical Center, the Netherlands, is conducting research on high-performance, large-scale simulations of the human cerebellum. Depending on the neuronal-network size and the modeling accuracy desired, brain-model simulations can rapidly grow to be become exascale order-of-magnitude applications for HPC platforms. By capitalizing on the long-standing expertise and track record of the Neuroscience Department, the overall objective of the research performed is dual: to re-construct in hardware (''in silico'') the human cerebellar cortex and -- in the process -- to develop novel tools for the automatic, seamless and fast simulation of any brain-model ensembles on popular HPC platforms, such as FPGAs, NVidia GP-GPUs, Intel Xeon Phis and Maxeler Dataflow Engines. The selected candidates are expected to work on these topics. This research will be part of the VINEYARD Horizon 2020 EU-funded project (www.vineyard-h2020.eu) Erasmus MC is a partner in the HiPEAC European Network of Excellence and an official collaborator in the H2020 Flagship: Human Brain Project (HBP - www.humanbrainproject.eu) Where HBP works on fully simulating the cerebral cortex, Erasmus MC is adding in accurate simulations of the cerebellar cortex. Collaborative partners are the Delft University of Technology, the Chalmers University of Technology and the National Technical University of Athens. For more details please check the posting here: https://www.hipeac.net/jobs/9011/one-phd-position-and-one-postdoctoral-posi… We would appreciate if you could further disseminate our postings. Kind regards, Christos Strydis -- ============================== Christos Strydis, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Neuroscience Department Erasmus Medical Center Wytemaweg 80 (12th floor) Office Ee1210a 3015 CN Rotterdam Tel: +31 - 10 - 70 - 43294 Fax: +31 - 10 - 70 - 44734 E-mail: C.Strydis(a)erasmusmc.nl Web: www.erasmusbrainproject.com/index.php/strydis ==============================

March 13, 2016

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), Summer 2016

by Alexey Kuznetsov

The Department of Mathematical Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is currently recruiting students for a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) titled, "IUPUI REU Program in mathematics with applications to medical sciences, biophysics, and inverse problems." Eight undergraduate students will be accepted into the NSF-funded program for Summer 2016. Students may submit applications at the following website: math.iupui.edu/reu. -- Alexey Kuznetsov Associate Professor Dept. of Mathematical Sciences, IUPUI Science Building, LD 270, 402 N. Blackford St., Indianapolis, IN

March 11, 2016

[visum2016] Summer School :: (last) Call for participation!

by Ricardo Sousa

Call for Participation 4th VISion Understanding and Machine intelligence summer school Porto, Portugal 7-14 July, 2016 http://www.fe.up.pt/visum/ |Facebook: http://goo.gl/FbVNtq We invite everyone with interests in computer vision to attend the 4th *VISion Understanding and Machine intelligence summer school, *at ATMOSFERA M in Porto, Portugal. At visum you can find an expert multicultural environment, aiming to foster junior researchers’ awareness of computer vision topics, as well as to enhance all attendees’ knowledge regarding the state of the art, provided by leading international experts on the field. Being an area of great potential in industrial applications with a strong increase in the number of researchers in these last years, *visum* summer school will be an incredible opportunity. Important Dates Application March, 21 Notification of Acceptance March, 25 Early Registration April, 22 Late Registration May, 13 Scholarships *In partnership with APRP, we will provide a grant that covers the registration for an APRP member. Grant will be given according to the relevance of the applicant’s CV. Visum will comprise three main tracks 1. Fundamental subjects 2. Examples of computer vision applications 3. Industrial session Each one with extensive practical “hands-on” sessions *Topics* Biometrics Julian Fierrez Universidad Autónoma de Madrid ES Structure From Motion João Paulo Costeira Instituto Superior Técnico PT Document Image Analysis Alicia Fornes Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona ES Human Activity Hatice Gunes University of Cambridge UK Deep Learning Dan Ciresan Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence CH Modelling and Simulation Mauricio Reyes University of Bern CH *Applications* To be announced Industry Track EyeSee Follow Inspiration Movvo Venue visum will take place at ATMOSFERA M, Rua Júlio Dinis, nº 158/160, Porto, Portugal. Location visum will take place in Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city, European Best Destination 2012 and Lonely Planet’s top 10 for 2013. Here, you can find famous baroque style monuments, the worldwide known Port Wine cellars, always having the World Heritage Douro River as the background of this youthful, active and charming city. visum’s program includes social activities. Please visit our webpage for up to date information: http://www.fe.up.pt/visum/. We are looking forward for your participation! *visum organising committee* Ana Rebelo, INESC TEC, Universidade do Porto Eduardo M. Pereira, INESC TEC, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Hélder P. Oliveira, INESC TEC, Universidade do Porto Kelwin Fernandes, INESC TEC, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Luís F. Teixeira, INESC TEC, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Pedro Ferreira, INESC TEC, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Tiago Esteves, INEB, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto *Follow us on:* Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/visum/402527539813446 Google+: https://plus.google.com/104076275960053201744/posts Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/visumschool __ Ricardo Sousa, PhDhttp://rsousa.orghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rsousa email: rsousa _at_ rsousa.org

March 10, 2016

CoSMo 2016 - FREE participation!

by Gunnar Blohm

It is our pleasure to announce that thanks to external funding from NIH and Brain Canada, *CoSMo 2016 attendance will be free of charge*! In addition, a limited number of travel scholarships will be available. *Application deadline: Apr 11, 2016* For more information and to apply, please go to <http://www.compneurosci.com/CoSMo/>http://www.compneurosci.com/CoSMo/ Scholarship information and the application form can be found here: http://www.compneurosci.com/CoSMo/application.html Best, Gunnar Blohm, Paul Schrater, and Konrad Körding -- ------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Gunnar BLOHM Associate Professor in Computational Neuroscience Association for Canadian Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience (CNCN) Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics, and Psychology, School of Computing, and Canadian Action and Perception Network (CAPnet) Queen’s University 18, Stuart Street Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6 Tel: (613) 533-3385 Fax: (613) 533-6840 Email: Gunnar.Blohm(a)QueensU.ca Web: http://www.compneurosci.com/

March 10, 2016

NeuroMorpho.Org v6.3 released March 4th, 2016

by NeuroMorpho Administrator

Dear colleagues, We're pleased to announce the March 4, 2016 release of Version 6.3 of NeuroMorpho.Org<http://neuromorpho.org/>, including 3638 additional reconstructions from 54 new datasets. The number of contributing laboratories now exceeds 200! The repository provides access to 37,712 neurons from 35 species and over 40 brain regions. More than 5 million reconstructions were downloaded to date, summing up to approximately 30 km of neurite cable. Please visit the What's new page<http://neuromorpho.org/WIN.jsp> for details on the added data and other updates. The literature coverage database was also updated to include publications through February 2016. We are continuously grateful to all the data contributors<http://neuromorpho.org/acknowl.jsp#DC> who freely share their hard-won tracings with the community. We appreciate any and all feedback and comments. Our apologies if you receive multiple versions of this message through x-listing. Sincerely, The NeuroMorpho.Org team<http://neuromorpho.org/acknowl.jsp#NMO> Posted by: ---------------- Giorgio Ascoli<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/cn3/ascoli>, PhD University Professor Director, Center for Neural Informatics, Structure, & Plasticity<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/cn3> Molecular Neuroscience Dept.<http://neuroscience.gmu.edu/>, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/> MS2A1 - George Mason University<http://gmu.edu/>, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 Ph. +1(703)993-4383/+1(703)673-8894 Author of "Trees of the Brain, Roots of the Mind<http://www.amazon.com/Trees-Brain-Roots-Giorgio-Ascoli/dp/0262028980/>" (MIT Press, 2015<http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/trees-brain-roots-mind>) Founding Editor-in-Chief, Neuroinformatics<http://link.springer.com/journal/12021>

March 10, 2016

summer internship at Siemens Healthcare (Princeton, NJ)

by Francisco Pereira

Our team at Medical Imaging Technologies, Siemens Healthcare, in Princeton NJ, has a summer intern position, working in a project investigating the representation of semantic information in the brain and how it is used in language. Our goal is to build a computational model of the process of sentence comprehension in a text passage, using text corpora and other linguistic resources, and validate it using behavioral and brain imaging data. The main role of the intern will be to help in developing and implementing methods to extract information from text corpora, as well as models for emulating human performance on a variety of benchmark psychological tests. Examples of tasks you might be asked to do: - generate distributed semantic representations for words/concepts, sentences and passages - extract and combine structured information from text corpora or resources such as WordNet, FrameNet and various knowledge bases - prepare and process text corpora (parse, convert to other formats, etc) - implement evaluation tasks to benchmark the models developed It is an unusual position in that you would be doing machine learning tasks to further cognitive neuroscience goals, gaining experience in both areas. In addition to the core research, we will also be delivering a system to the funding agency; hence, this is a fast-paced project with multiple opportunities for publication. This work is being carried out in collaboration with researchers at MIT, MGH and Princeton University and funded by the IARPA Knowledge Representation in Neural Systems program ( http://www.iarpa.gov/index.php/research-programs/krns ). Requirements: - current student in a graduate program in Computer Science/Electrical Engineering/Machine Learning - experience developing software in MATLAB, Python or Perl - experience in Computational Linguistics and NLP tasks (e.g. using frameworks such as CoreNLP or NLTK) - availability for at least 3 months (a longer period is possible, and the timeline is flexible) If interested, please send your resume to francisco-pereira(a)siemens.com (your email can serve as a cover letter, if there is anything you would like to elaborate on). thank you! Francisco

March 10, 2016

PhD position Mainz, Germany

by Matthias Kaschube

On behalf of Simon Rumpel, University Mainz: 3yr Graduate studentship position Long-term dynamics of sound-evoked activity patterns in mouse auditory cortex University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany A graduate student position is available in the Systemic Neurophysiology Research Group at the University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. The research group of Simon Rumpel is interested in understanding neuronal mechanisms of auditory perception and memory. Combining behavioral training and chronic in vivo two-photon imaging techniques in mice, we have monitored the dynamics of individual synaptic connections (e.g. Moczulska et al., 2013, PNAS; Loewenstein et al., 2015, J. Neurosci.) and analyzed how sounds are encoded in neuronal populations in the neocortex (Bathellier et al., 2012, Neuron). We are looking for a highly motivated individual with a strong interest in learning a variety of experimental and theoretical approaches to solve complex biological problems. The focus of the project is on the establishment and application of chronic imaging of sound-evoked activity patterns in transgenic mouse lines at the mesoscopic scale. This involves in-depth training in physiology, imaging methodology and data analysis. This project is part of an ongoing collaboration with Matthias Kaschube’s computational neuroscience group at the FIAS in Frankfurt and is ideally suited for a person with a background in physics or a related discipline interested to move into the neurosciences. The starting date is September 2016 or later. The applicant should have a master’s degree or diploma at the time of admission, have excellent communication skills, and should be interested in working in a collaborative and international environment. In-depth knowledge in programming (e.g. Matlab) and hardware control is a requirement and previous experience in imaging or neuroscience would be beneficial. · We offer a highly interactive environment with state-of-the-art research facilities and equipment. · The student will be embedded in the Focus Program in Translational Neurosciences (FTN) of the Mainz Neuroscience community (http://www.ftn.uni-mainz.de/eng/index.php <http://www.ftn.uni-mainz.de/eng/index.php>). For further information, or to apply, please contact Prof. Simon Rumpel ( <mailto:sirumpel@uni-mainz.de>sirumpel(a)uni-mainz.de <mailto:sirumpel@uni-mainz.de>). Applications should include a motivation letter including research interests, the CV and email addresses of 1-2 referees. Application deadline is April 30th 2016 -- Prof. Dr. Simon Rumpel Working Group Systemic Neurophysiology Institute of Physiology Focus Program Translational Neurosciences (FTN) University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch Weg 19 55128 Mainz, Germany Tel: +49 (0) 6131 39-27355 E-Mail: sirumpel(a)uni-mainz.de <mailto:sirumpel@uni-mainz.de>

March 10, 2016

Recent advances in recurrent network theory workshop at MPI-DS (May 25 - 27)

by farzad

March 9, 2016

[UKCI 2016] 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 ##################### - Special Session proposals: March 20th, 2016 - Submission of Abstracts: March 20th, 2016 - Paper submission: April 1st, 2016 - Notification of paper acceptance: June 15th, 2016 - Camera-ready submission: July 15th, 2016 ########################################################## #################### Plenary speakers #################### - Jose Principe, Distinguished Professor, University Of Florida, USA - Trevor Martin, Bristol University and Senior Researcher, British Telecom, 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 ##########################################################

March 9, 2016

TENSS 2016 Call for Applications

by Tomas Hromadka

Dear colleagues, Please find below an announcement about the fifth edition of the Transylvanian Experimental Neuroscience Summer School (TENSS). We would be very grateful if you could forward this announcement to potentially interested people. Also, if you want to support TENSS, please check our crowdfunding campaign: http://igg.me/at/tenss-ed/x. Transylvanian Experimental Neuroscience Summer School (TENSS) June 1-19, 2016. The Pike Lake, Transylvania, Romania www.tenss.ro TENSS will concentrate top-level international expertise to teach a dozen students techniques and concepts in experimental systems neuroscience. We will focus on modern optical and electrophysiological methods to study the connectivity and function of neuronal circuits. The course is designed to be intensive and highly interactive, including both lab sessions and theoretical lectures. Coursework will take place in a land of myth and legend, beyond large forests (Transylvania), on the shores of a picturesque natural reserve called Pike Lake. Applications are welcome from interested (and interesting) graduate students and postdocs. Please note that there is a significant number of fee waivers and travel support grants available for supporting our applicants. Application deadline – March 20th, 2016 Notification of acceptance – April 7th, 2016 Summer School – June 1-19th, 2016 Confirmed lecturers: Albeanu, Florin – Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA Bhalla, Upinder – National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India Burrone, Juan – King’s College, London, UK Dickinson, Michael – Caltech, USA Engert, Florian – Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA Freund, Tamás – Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary Hangya, Balázs – Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary Hromádka, Tomáš – Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia Hübener, Mark – Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany Ji, Na – HHMI, Janelia Research Campus, VA, USA Kampff, Adam – Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, UK Keller, Georg – Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland Kodandaramaiah, Suhasa – University of Minnesota, MN, USA Monyer, Hannah - University of Heidelberg, Germany Mrsic-Flögel, Tom – Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland Mureșan, Raul – Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Murthy, Venkatesh – Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA Portugues, Ruben - Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany Singer, Wolf – Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany Svoboda, Karel – HHMI, Janelia Research Campus, VA, USA Watson, James – Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA Zador, Tony - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA Organizers: Mureșan, Raul – Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Kampff, Adam – Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, UK Albeanu, Florin – Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA Information about how to apply can be found here: http://tenss.ro/apply/. Best regards, TENSS Organizing Committee contact(a)tenss.ro -- Center for Cognitive and Neural Studies (Coneural) Romanian Institute of Science and Technology Str. Ciresilor 29 400487 Cluj-Napoca, Romania Tel: +40-364-800171; Fax: +40-364-800172 tenss.ro

March 9, 2016

CfP: IEEE RO-MAN 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

March 8, 2016

Postdoctoral Position in Computational Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science Institute

by Taro Toyoizumi

[Laboratory] Postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience at RIKEN Brain Science Institute Lab for Neural Computation and Adaptation (Lab head: Taro Toyoizumi) webpage: http://toyoizumilab.brain.riken.jp/ [Job description] Our lab is interested in dynamic information processing by neural circuits and the modeling of activity-dependent plasticity in the brain. We seek a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher with a strong analytical background and interest in neuroscience. Applicants should have a PhD in physics, neuroscience, mathematics, computer science, or a related area. Candidates who want to bridge theory and experiment in close collaboration with an experimental lab are also encouraged to apply. Current interest of the lab includes: - Elucidating how complex activity dynamics are generated by neural circuits and how the network dynamics influence information processing (PLoS Comput. Biol. 2015; Phys. Rev. E 2011) - Modeling Hebbian and homeostatic synaptic plasticity across developmental stages (Neuron 2014; Neuron 2013) - A statistical mechanics approach to characterize neural codewords and its engineering application (Sci. Rep. 2015; Phys. Rev. E 2015) A high-performance computer cluster is accessible for simulations and data analyses. [Required documents] 1. Complete CV 2. List of publications 3. Contact information for three references [Conditions] 2-year postdoc position with possibility of extension (Full-time position with an annual contract up to 5 years based on the evaluation) RIKEN Brain Science is an international research institute. We use English as the common language for research and for administration. The institute is located in greater Tokyo area, about 30 min from the center of the city by train. webpage: http://www.brain.riken.jp/en/ [Start of Employment] April 1st, 2016 or later (negotiable) [Send application to] toyoizumilab(a)brain.riken.jp [Contract information] Taro Toyoizumi, Ph.D. 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan RIKEN Brain Science Institute Email: toyoizumilab(a)brain.rikne.jp

March 8, 2016

State-of-the-Brain Symposium

by Terry Sejnowski

State of the Brain - Keystone Symposium Scientific Organizers: Terrence J. Sejnowski and Sten Grillner May 22-26, 2016 Alpbach Congress Centrum, Alpbach, Austria Recent years have seen rapid advances in our understanding of brain biology, driven in part by the development of novel technologies for studying neural networks. Consequently, major national research programs in the EU and US have been launched that will bring together teams of neuroscientists and engineers with the aim of achieving a major advance in understanding brain function and dysfunction. The challenge is to map the circuits of the brain, measure the fluctuating patterns of electrical and chemical activity flowing within those circuits and understand how they give rise to cognitive and behavioral capabilities. This Keystone Symposia conference brings together investigators from around the world to share their discoveries and to plan future projects in this exciting new era for brain research. Conference Program http://www.keystonesymposia.org/index.cfm?e=Web.Meeting.Program&meetingid=1… Registration http://www.keystonesymposia.org/index.cfm?e=Web.Meeting.Registration&meetin… Early Registration discount deadline: March 22, 2016 MONDAY, MAY 23 08:30 Welcome and Keynote Address Cori Bargmann, Rockefeller University, USA Understanding Brain Function and Dysfunction 09:30 International Brain Programs Henry Markram, EPFL SV BMI LNMC, Switzerland The EU Human Brain Project Walter J. Koroshetz, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, USA The US BRAIN Initiative Mu-ming Poo, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS, China China Brain Project and Non-human Primate Research Christof Koch, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA Project MindScope - Big Science, Team Science, Open Science to Understand Mouse Cortex 15:30 Panel 1: Coordinating International Programs Chair: Terrence J. Sejnowski, The Salk Institute, USA Cornelia (Cori) Bargmann, Rockefeller University, USA Henry Markram, EPFL SV BMI LNMC, Switzerland Walter J. Koroshetz, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, USA Mu-ming Poo, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS, China Christof Koch, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA Thomas Skordas, European Commission, Belgium 17:00 Discovering Diversity: Identifying Cell Types in the Brain Botond Roska, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Switzerland Cell Types and Circuits in the Visual System Hongkui Zeng, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA Genetic Approaches to Brain Circuit Mapping and Cell Type Characterization TUESDAY, MAY 24 08:30 The Brain in Action: Large-Scale Monitoring and Manipulating Neurons Karl Deisseroth, Stanford University, USA Optogenetic Approaches to Neural Circuits David W. Tank, Princeton University, USA Recording Activity from Internal Brain States Mark J. Schnitzer, Stanford University, USA Reading Neural Codes from a Thousand Neurons in Freely Behaving Mice Susumu Tonegawa, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and RIKEN Brain Science Institute, USA Monitoring and Engineering Memory Engram Cells and their Circuits 15:30 Panel 2: Bridging the Gap between Circuits and Behavior Chair: David W. Tank, Princeton University, USA Karl Deisseroth, Stanford University, USA Mark J. Schnitzer, Stanford University, USA Susumu Tonegawa, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and RIKEN Brain Science Institute, USA Winfried Denk, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Germany R. Clay Reid, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA 17:00 Maps in the Brain: Generating Multi-Scale Neural Circuits Winfried Denk, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Germany Revealing the Core Circuitry in Brains R. Clay Reid, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA Integrating Circuits, Recordings and Behavior Terrence J. Sejnowski, The Salk Institute, USA Global Traveling Waves in Human Cortex WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 08:30 Advancing Human Neuroscience: Understanding Brain Function and Dysfunction John Donoghue, Wyss Center for Bio- and Neuro-Engineering, Switzerland Brain Computer Interfaces Helen S. Mayberg, Emory University, USA Iterative Strategies to Refine and Optimize DBS for Depression Patricia K. Kuhl, University of Washington, USA What Can Babies' Brains Tell Us About What it Means to be Human? 15:30 Panel 3: What are the Prospects for Helping Humans with Brain Disorders? Chair: John Donoghue, Wyss Center for Bio- and Neuro-Engineering, Switzerland Helen S. Mayberg, Emory University, USA Patricia K. Kuhl, University of Washington, USA Emery N. Brown, MIT-Harvard Division of Health Sciences and Technology, USA Botond Roska, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Switzerland 17:00 Discovering Principles: Theory, Models, Computation and Statistics Emery N. Brown, MIT-Harvard Division of Health Sciences and Technology, USA Deciphering the Dynamics of the Unconscious Brain under General Anesthesia Sten Grillner, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden Multi-Scale Modeling of Neuronal Networks - From Ion Channels to Selection of Behavior THURSDAY, MAY 26 08:30 Model Systems: Using Genetics to Deconstruct Neural Circuits Gerald M. Rubin, Janelia Research Campus, USA A Comprehensive Approach to Understanding the Fly Brain Florian Engert, Harvard University, USA >From Whole-Brain Data to Functional Circuit Models: The Zebrafish Optomotor Response Hideyuki Okano, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan Disease Modeling and Brain Mapping Using Transgenic Marmosets 15:30 Panel 4: Evolutionary Perspectives in Understanding the Brain Chair: Sten Grillner, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden Gerald M. Rubin, Janelia Research Campus, USA Florian Engert, Harvard University, USA Hideyuki Okano, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan Hongkui Zeng, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA 17:00 Big Data: Analyzing High-Dimensional Brain Datasets Joshua T. Vogelstein, Johns Hopkins University, USA NeuroData: Enabling Petascale Neuroscience Sean Hill, Ecole Polytechnique Fedrerale de Lausanne, Switzerland Neuroinformatics: From Big Data to Knowledge Discovery Kamil Ugurbil, University of Minnesota Medical School, USA Human Connectomics -----

March 8, 2016