- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Article on data sharing/analysis of multielectrode array

by Stephen Eglen

I'd like to highlight the following article from our group that I hope will be of use to the community. Code and data are available via the project site: http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/sje30/waverepo Best wishes, Stephen ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Eglen SJ, Weeks M, Jessop M, Simonotto J, Jackson T, Sernagor E (2014) A data repository and analysis framework for spontaneous neural activity recordings in developing retina. Gigascience 3:3. Paper: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/2047-217X-3-3 Background During early development, neural circuits fire spontaneously, generating activity episodes with complex spatiotemporal patterns. Recordings of spontaneous activity have been made in many parts of the nervous system over the last 25 years, reporting developmental changes in activity patterns and the effects of various genetic perturbations. Results We present a curated repository of multielectrode array recordings of spontaneous activity in developing mouse and ferret retina. The data have been annotated with minimal metadata and converted into HDF5. This paper describes the structure of the data, along with examples of reproducible research using these data files. We also demonstrate how these data can be analysed in the CARMEN workflow system. This article is written as a literate programming document; all programs and data described here are freely available. Conclusions 1. We hope this repository will lead to novel analysis of spontaneous activity recorded in different laboratories. 2. We encourage published data to be added to the repository. 3. This repository serves as an example of how multielectrode array recordings can be stored for long-term reuse. Keywords: Retinal waves; Spontaneous activity; Electrophysiology; HDF5; Multielectrode arrays

April 3, 2014

DENDRITES 2014, July 1-4, Crete: LAST CALL & LOWER REGISTRATION

by Yiota Poirazi

Apologies for cross-posting! Please distribute to interested parties. many thanks! Yiota Poirazi ------------------------------------------------------- DENDRITES 2014 4^th NAMASEN Training Workshop Heraklion, Crete, Greece. July 1-4, 2014 http://dendrites2014.gr/ info(a)dendrites2014.gr <mailto:info@dendrites2014.gr> * * * * * FINAL DEADLINE EXTENSION* * * * * Abstract submission for poster and oral presentation has been extended to *April 14th, 2014. This is the final submission date.* * * * * * *REGISTRATION WAIVERS FOR STUDENTS/POSTDOCS** * * * * Several registration waivers are still available!! Waivers are provided by IBRO PERC funding for Symposia, Workshops & Meetings. Students and postdocs presenting an abstract are eligible. To request a waiver, please send an email to info(a)dendrites2014.org <mailto:info@dendrites2014.org>including information about your submitted abstract. Travel funds might also become available and will be announced on the web site. * * * * **LOWER REGISTRATION FEES if registering by April 30th, 2014** * * * * We are happy to announce that, given the availability of new sponsorships, we can provide lower registration fees (-40 Euro) for attendants registering by April 30th, 2014. People who registered already will get reimbursed. * * * * * EMBO KEYNOTE LECTURE* * * * * We are happy to announce that Prof. Tonegawa's lecture will be supported by EMBO, as the "EMBO Keynote Lecture". This award, given to EMBO members presenting in major international scientific meeting, highlights the international standing of DENDRITES 2014. ---------------------------------------- Dendrites 2014 aims to bring together scientists from around the world to present their research on dendrites, ranging from the molecular to the anatomical and biophysical levels. The Workshop will take place in the beautiful island of Crete, just after the AREADNE meeting (areadne.org) which takes place in the nearby island of Santorini. Note that Santorini is just a 2 hour boat ride from Crete. One could combine two meetings in a single trip to Greece! FORMAT AND SPEAKERS The meeting consists of the Main Event (July 1-3) and the Soft Skills Day (July 4). Invited speakers for the Main Event include: * Susumu Tonegawa (Nobel Laureate), * Angus Silver, * Tiago Branco, * Alcino J. Silva, * Michael Häusser, * Julietta U. Frey, * Stefan Remy, and * Kristen Harris. For the Soft Skills Day, Kerri Smith, Nature podcast editor, is going to present on communication and dissemination of scientific results. Alcino J. Silva (UCLA) will present his recent work on developing tools for integrating and planning research in Neuroscience. There will be a hands on session on tools used to model neural cells/networks and a talk about the advantages of publishing under the Creative Commons License. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Submission of abstracts for poster and oral presentations are due by *14 April 2014*. We welcome both experimental and theoretical contributions addressing novel findings related to dendrites. For details, please see http://dendrites2014.gr/call/. Electronic abstract submission is hosted on the Frontiers platform, where extended abstracts will be published as an online, open access special issue (in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, Impact factor 4.5). One of the authors has to register for the main event as a presenting author. In case an abstract is not accepted for presentation, the registration fee will be refunded. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Please see the conference web site (http://dendrites2014.gr/) subscribe to our twitter (https://twitter.com/dendrites2014) or RSS feeds (http://dendrites2014.gr/rss_feed/news.xml) or send an email to info(a)dendrites2014.org <mailto:info@dendrites2014.org>. -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385 GR 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 Εmail:poirazi@imbb.forth.gr http://www.dendrites.gr

April 3, 2014

models of structural plasticity

by Ooijen, A. van

Dear colleagues, We would like to draw your attention to a series of recent papers dedicated to models of structural plasticity. Developing as well as mature brains are much less hard-wired than traditionally thought. Formation of new connections and breaking of existing connections (structural plasticity) by dendritic spine and axonal bouton turnover, as well as re-routing of axonal branches, can cause a dramatic rewiring of brain connectivity, which so far has largely been disregarded in neuronal network models. The following papers describe novel models of structural plasticity: Homeostatic structural plasticity increases the efficiency of small-world networks Markus Butz, Ines D. Steenbuck and Arjen van Ooyen Front. Synaptic Neurosci., 01 April 2014. DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00007 (Open access) http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00007/abstract A simple rule for dendritic spine and axonal bouton formation can account for cortical reorganization after focal retinal lesions Markus Butz and Arjen van Ooyen PloS Computational Biology, 10 October 2013. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003259 (Open access) http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.100… Further reading: Van Ooyen, A. (2011). Using theoretical models to analyse neural development. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 12: 311-326. Butz, M., Worgotter, F., and Van Ooyen, A. (2009). Activity-dependent structural plasticity. Brain Research Reviews 60: 287-305. Kind regards, Markus Butz Arjen van Ooyen

April 3, 2014

Bernstein Workshop "Characterizing Natural Scenes": Call for Abstracts/Contributed Talks

by Jian Liu

Bernstein workshop: Characterizing Natural Scenes: Retinal Coding and Statistical Theory Call for Abstracts/Contributed Talks You are invited to participate in the pre-conference Bernstein workshop "Characterizing Natural Scenes: Retinal Coding and Statistical Theory", taking place in in Göttingen, Germany, on September 2-3, 2014. Please find the preliminary schedule on workshop URL: https://sites.google.com/site/jiankliu/Meetings/2014bccn_workshop The workshop chairs will select a couple of abstracts for short oral presentation at the workshop. All the abstracts will be presented as posters during the Bernstein conference on September 3-4. However, the workshop could hold a separate poster session based on the number and quality of abstracts that we receive. To participate in the workshop please submit the abstract (the extended version is preferred) as a PDF attachment via email to Jian Liu ( jian.liu(a)med.uni-goettingen.de) or Arno Onken (arno.onken(a)iit.it) The deadline for submission is August 1. REGISTRATION: Please refer to the Bernstein Conference 2014 for registration and venue information. http://www.bernstein-conference.de/ WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: How does the retina process natural visual inputs? What role do the many types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) play in this? Experiments with specific artificial stimuli have suggested that individual types of RGCs may have specific functional roles in visual processing, yet it is not clear how these simplified functional investigations relate to the processing of natural images and movies. An important ingredient for future analysis will be a better understanding of the complex statistical properties of natural scenes, as revealed by theoreticians. The relationship between natural visual statistics and retinal coding provides a promising direction for improving our understanding of the visual system. But we still lack a systematic framework for understanding the underlying mechanisms of how relevant features of natural scenes are encoded by the retina. In this workshop, we expect mutual benefits for both natural scene statistics and retinal coding. We will bring together experimentalists and theoreticians in order to highlight recent progress, encourage exchange of insights, and stimulate new ideas for future work with the following core questions: 1) How can we develop useful descriptions of the statistics of natural scenes that are relevant for retinal coding? 2) How can we characterize the functional roles of different RGC types in processing natural scenes? 3) Which coding strategies are present at the level of RGC populations? 4) How can we unify the acquired knowledge of natural scenes and neural data to develop better tools for analysis? CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: * Vijay Balasubramanian (University of Pennsylvania) * Philipp Berens (BCCN, Tübingen) * Thomas Euler (University of Tübingen) * Felix Franke (ETH Zurich) * Olivier Marre (Vision Institute, Paris) * Aman Saleem (University College London) * Maneesh Sahani (University College London) * Rava A. da Silveira (ENS, Paris) We are looking forward to seeing you in Göttingen. Workshop organizers: Jian Liu (University Medical Center Göttingen and BCCN Göttingen) Arno Onken (Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Rovereto) ************************************************************************** Jian K. Liu, Ph.D. Mathematics Department of Ophthalmology University Medical Center Goettingen Waldweg 33, 37073 Goettingen Phone: +49 (0)551 39-91248 Fax: +49 (0)551 39-13541 email: jian.liu(a)med.uni-goettingen.de Webpage: https://sites.google.com/site/jiankliu **************************************************************************

April 2, 2014

Fully funded Postdoc position in Computational Neuroscience

by Thomas Kreuz

Fully funded Postdoc position (Experienced Researcher) in Computational Neuroscience New approaches for the analysis of neuronal spike trains (ER3) within the Marie Curie Initial Training Network - ‘Neural Engineering Transformative Technologies’ (NETT) at the Institute of Complex Systems (ISC), CNR, Florence, Italy. Gross Salary per annum: 64,701 € (Living Allowance) plus 9,290 - 13,272 € (Mobility Allowance) depending on circumstances Required title: PhD in Physics, Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or Computational Neuroscience Applications: Please first send an informal enquiry to Dr. Thomas Kreuz (thomas.kreuz(a)cnr.it) and/or Dr. Alessandro Torcini (alessandro.torcini(a)cnr.it) Once you are preselected (you will receive a reply within a few days), a full application has to be submitted according to the rules stated here [http://neuro.fi.isc.cnr.it/index.php?page=how-to-apply] Closing date for the position: May 15, 2014 Applications are invited for the above post to work with Dr. Thomas Kreuz [http://www.fi.isc.cnr.it/users/thomas.kreuz/] and Dr. Alessandro Torcini [http://www.fi.isc.cnr.it/users/alessandro.torcini/] in the Computational Neuroscience group [http://neuro.fi.isc.cnr.it/] at ISC, Florence. This world leading group combines theoretical investigations (e.g., on non-trivial collective phenomena in neuronal populations) with practical applications (such as spike train analysis). The group is one of the main participants in the Center for the Study of Complex Dynamics (CSDC) created with the purpose of coordinating interdisciplinary training and research activities. CSDC researchers include physicists, control engineers, mathematicians, biologists and psychologists. This full-time post will begin on the 1st of September 2014 (at the latest) and will be offered on a fixed-term contract for a period of 24 months. The fellowship will include a six-month stay (probably at the end) with NETT partner Prof. Bert Kappen [http://www.snn.ru.nl/~bertk/] at the Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands. The Florence part of the project will mainly consist of two parts: Development of new approaches for (multivariate) data analysis and analysis of electrophysiological data (in particular neuronal spike trains). During the six-month stay in the Netherlands the project will investigate the applicability of methods derived from latent state models, sequential Monte Carlo sampling, and path integral control to analyze neural time-series data, such as spike trains. The candidate should have a strong background in at least one of the following fields: computational neuroscience, data analysis, and nonlinear dynamics as well as solid experience in scientific programming (Matlab). Candidates must be in the first 5 years of their research careers and already be in possession of a doctoral degree in physics, engineering, applied mathematics, or computational neuroscience. Preference will be given to a candidate with experience in (non-linear) data analysis. As part of our commitment to promoting diversity we encourage applications from women. To comply with the Marie Curie Actions rule for mobility applicants must not have resided, worked or studied in Italy for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to May 2014. Thomas Kreuz Institute for complex systems, CNR Via Madonna del Piano 10 50119 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy) Tel: +39-349-0748506 Email: thomas.kreuz(a)cnr.it Webpage: http://www.fi.isc.cnr.it/users/thomas.kreuz/

April 1, 2014

Postdoctoral Positions in Human Intracranial Physiology at the National Institutes of Health

by Zaghloul, Kareem (NIH/NINDS) [E]

Two full-time post-doctoral position focused on understanding the neural correlates of cognitive function and on the physiology of seizure onset and propagation are available in the Surgical Neurology Branch of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the NIH. The first position involves studies focused on designing and investigating behavioral tasks related to memory encoding, decision making, and attention, and on analyzing and manipulating human intracranial signals, including single-unit activity, local field potentials, and electro corticography (ECoG), captured from patients with medically refractory epilepsy and from patients receiving deep brain stimulation surgery. The goal of this project is to investigate the neural mechanisms that underlie cognitive behavior. The second position involves studies focused on analyzing ictal and inter-ictal activity across multiple modalities from patients with medically refractory epilepsy, including ECoG recordings and single-unit activity captured through implanted microwires. The goal of this project is to link these data with data captured using MEG, high-density scalp EEG, and functional MRI in order to gain insight into the seizure localization, onset, and spread. Post-doctoral fellows will join a laboratory aimed at understanding the neural mechanisms that underlie human cognitive function and abnormal seizure physiology and at developing novel and innovative techniques to decode and directly communicate with those circuits through electrical stimulation. We are seeking candidates that are highly creative, motivated, and independent with a Ph.D. in neuroscience, psychology, biomedical engineering, or a related field. Candidates must have a strong research background, with a record of relevant publications. Candidates will be encouraged and expected to participate in independent laboratory research, and will be expected to write scholarly manuscripts. Candidates must be able to lead and work well in a team. Candidates should have strong computational, quantitative, and/or engineering skills, with proficiency in developing custom code for data analysis preferred. Past medical research is not required, but candidates must be willing to perform experiments in a clinical setting. Candidates will interact with clinical staff, graduate students, research fellows, and must have excellent spoken and written English skills. Applicants should submit a brief statement of research activities and interests, a current CV, and names and contact information of at least three references. Salary will be commensurate with experience and accomplishments. To arrange a meeting with the PI and to send materials required for consideration for this appointment please contact Dr. Zaghloul at zaghloulka(a)mail.nih.gov.

April 1, 2014

1 PhD +1 Postdoctoral position in Computational Neuroscience at CRM / IDIBAPS (Barcelona).

by JROCHAV＠clinic.ub.es

Dear Colleagues, We are looking for one PhD student and one Postdoctoral fellow to work in a joint project between the labs of Alex Roxin (Centre de Reserca Matemàtica, CRM) and the lab of Jaime de la Rocha (IDIBAPS). The projects require the development of network models to investigate spontaneous activity in cortical circuits and the relation between neuronal and behavioral variability. The funding comes from an agreement between La Caixa and the Catalan Government to sponsor a training programme on Collaborative Mathematics presented by the CRM. Several positions are available within the training program which offers other projects. Candidates would be chosen on based on academic merit. Funding for the PhD position lasts 39 months and for the postdoctoral position lasts 3 years. Start dates from Fall to Winter 2014-2015 are preferred. The deadline to apply is April 16, 2014. Information about how to apply and a description of the projects can be found here: http://www.crm.cat/SiteAssets/Lists/Crides/EditForm/Calls_Collaborative%20M… If you have any questions please contact Alex Roxin (aroxin(a)crm.cat<mailto:aroxin@crm.cat>) or Jaime de la Rocha (jrochav(a)clinic.ub.es<mailto:jrochav@clinic.ub.es>). Best Jaime Jaime de la Rocha Ramón y Cajal researcher at IDIABPS c. Roselló 149-153 Barcelona, 08036 Spain Tel. +34 932275400 (4307) http://neuro.fcrb.es/delaRochaLab

April 1, 2014

Call for Papers: LDAB@CIBB2014

by Andrea Bracciali

[We apologize if you have received multiple copies of this message] ==================================================== Call for papers Large-scale and HPC data analysis in bioinformatics: Intelligent methods for computational, systems and synthetic biology. 26-28 June 2014 University of Cambridge, UK http://www.cussb.unisr.it/cibb2014/ss.html#LSAHDAIB Special Session of CIBB 2014 (later deadline): Eleventh International Meeting on Computational Intelligence Methods for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics http://www.cussb.unisr.it/cibb2014/index.html *** Submission deadline: 5th May 2014 *** ==================================================== AIMS and SCOPE Biomedical research is currently facing the Big Data wave created by the huge amount of experiments performed every day in omics sciences. This new situation demands appropriate IT-infrastructures and scalable software to analyse data within an acceptable timespan. Massive parallel clusters, distributed technologies, on-Chip solutions such as GPGPU and Xeon Phi must be exploited with adequate algorithmic solutions to reach their full potential. The aim of this special session is to bring together researchers interested in cutting-edge methods to address the challenges posed by the huge amount of data produced in omics science. The idea is to present the latest advancements concerning High Performance Computing solutions required to treat multi-omics data and the related Big Data paradigms that are needed to manage the large-scale challenges of current computational biology. Examples of relevant areas of interest within this context include - but are not limited to - - Next-Generation Sequencing data analysis and interpretation, - Genomics patterns identification and mining, - Transcriptomics and Proteomics data integration, - Systems Biology models simulation and optimization, - Structural Biology and Molecular Dynamics, - Synthetic Biology circuits design and simulation. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES http://www.cussb.unisr.it/cibb2014/calls.html#submissions Papers should be submitted in PDF format on the Easy Chair conference system. Paper length should be at least 4 pages and should not exceed 6 pages. Papers are required to be structured according to the following five sections: • 1. Scientific background • 2. Material and methods • 3. Results • 4. Conclusion • 5. References (no more than 10) (Please refer to the latex template on the web page for more accurate instructions). Please note that only PDF versions of papers can be accepted, as the proceedings of CIBB will be produced starting from them. A correct submission requires selecting this special session in the submission system. PUBLICATION Each paper will be peer-reviewed and the resulting scores used to determine invitations for oral or poster presentations. Following the conference, an extended version of the presented contributions (12 page format) will be considered for publication in the Springer’s Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics (LNBI) series. Moreover, a selection of the best papers will be considered for pu blication in a special issue of BMC Bioinformatics dedicated to CIBB2014. IMPORTANT DATES Paper submission: 5th May 2014 Acceptance notification: 10th May 2014 Camera ready due: 30th May 2014 Conference: 26th - 28th June 2014 ORGANISERS Andrea Bracciali, University of Stirling, UK Ivan Merelli, CNR-ITB, Italy CONTACTS Andrea Bracciali, University of Stirling, UK Computing Science and Mathematics School of Natural Sciences Stirling University abb(a)cs.stir.ac.uk +44 (0)1786 467446 Ivan Merelli, CNR-ITB, Italy Institute for Biomedical Technologies Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche ivan.merelli(a)itb.cnr.it +39 02 26422600

April 1, 2014

Deadline is April 2nd (but site will be open until April 4th): Call for Applications in 2014 Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop

by Ralph Etienne-Cummings

Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop 2014 Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop: The 20th Anniversary Edition Telluride, Colorado, June 29th - July 19th, 2014 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Deadline is April 2nd, 2014 NEUROMORPHIC COGNITION ENGINEERING WORKSHOP www.ine-web.org Sunday June 29th - Saturday July 19th, 2014, Telluride, Colorado We invite applications for a three-week summer workshop that will be held in Telluride, Colorado.Sunday June 29th - Saturday July 19th, 2014. The application deadline is Wednesday, April 2nd and application instructions are described at the bottom of this document. This is the 20th Anniversary of the Workshop, and ~25 years since the conception of the "Meadian" version of Neuromorphic Engineering. Hence, we plan a celebratory Workshop, where some of the originators and benefactors of the field will participate in discussions of the successes and challenges over the past 25 years and prognosticate the potential contributions for the next 25 years. The 2014 Workshop and Summer School on Neuromorphic Engineering is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Institute of Neuromorphic Engineering, Qualcomm Corporation, The EU-Collaborative Convergent Science Network (CNS-II), University of Maryland - College Park, Institute for Neuroinformatics - University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Georgia Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Boston University, University of Western Sydney and the Salk Institute. Directors: Cornelia Fermuller, University of Maryland, College Park Ralph Etienne-Cummings, Johns Hopkins University Shih-Chii Liu, Institute of Neuroinformatics, UNI/ETH Zurich, Switzerland Timothy Horiuchi, University of Maryland, College Park 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, Uni/Eth Zurich, Switzerland Jonathan Tapson, University Western Sydney, Australia Malcolm Slaney, Microsoft Research Jennifer Hasler, Georgia Institute of Technology Rodney Douglas, Institute of Neuroinformatics, Uni/Eth Zurich, Switzerland Shihab Shamma, University of Maryland Tobi Delbruck, Institute of Neuroinformatics, Uni/Eth Zurich, Switzerland Previous year workshop can be found at: ine-web.org/workshops/workshops-overview/index.htmland the workshop wiki is athttps://neuromorphs.net/ 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. 2014 TOPIC AREAS: Human Auditory Cognition: Acoustic Priming, Imagination and Attention. Project Leaders: Shihab Shamma (UM-College Park), Malcolm Slaney (Microsoft), Edward Lalor (Trinity College, Dublin), Barbara Shinn-Cunningham (Boston U) Motion and Action Processing on Wearable Devices Project Leaders: Michael Pfeiffer (INI-UZH), Ryad Benosman (UPMC, Paris), Garrick Orchard (NUS, Singapore), and Cornelia Fermüller (UMCP) Planning with Dynamic Neural Fields: from Sensorimotor Dynamics to Large-Scale behavioral Search Project Leaders: Yulia Sandamirskaya (RUB, Bochum) and Erik Billing (U. Skovde) Neuromorphic Olympics Project Leaders: Jorg Conradt (TUM, Munich) and Terry Stewart (U. Waterloo) Embodied Neuromorphic Real-World Architectures of Perception, Cognition and Action Project Leaders: Andreas Andreou (JHU) and Paul Verschure (UPF, Barcelona) Terry Sejnowski (Salk Institute) - Computational Neuroscience (invitational mini-workshop) 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). Great Lakes Aviation and America West Express airlines provide daily flights directly into 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 will have a network of PCs running LINUX and Microsoft Windows for the workshop projects. 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, 2014. The Workshop covers all your accommodations and facilities costs for the 3 weeks duration. You are responsible for your own travel to the Workshop, however, sponsored fellowships will be available as described below to further subsidize your cost. Registration Fees: For expenses not covered by federal funds, a Workshop registration fee is required. The fee is $1250 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. Fellowships: This year we will offer two Fellowships to subsidize your costs: Qualcomm Corporation Fellowship: Three non-corporate participants will have their accommodation and registration fees ($2750) directly covered by Qualcomm, and will be reimbursed for travel costs up to $500. Additional generous funding from Qualcomm will provide $5000 to help organize and stage the Workshop. EU-CSNII Fellowship (http://csnetwork.eu/) which is funded by the 7th Research Framework Program FP7-ICT-CSNII-601167: The top 8 EU applicants will be reimbursed for their registration fees ($1250), subsistence/travel subsidy (up to Euro 2000) and accommodations cost ($1500). The registration and accommodation costs will go directly to the INE (the INE will reimburse the participant's registration fees after receipt from CSNII), while the subsistence/travel reimbursement will be provided directly to the participants by the CSNII at the University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. 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 7th, 2014): ine-web.org/telluride-conference-2014/apply-info 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. 7th February, 2014 - Applications accepted on website 2nd April, 2014 - Applications Due 15th April, 2014 - Notification of Acceptance -- Ralph Etienne-Cummings, PhD, FIEEE Professor Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Computational Sensor Motor Systems Lab

April 1, 2014

Summer school in Computational Sensory-Motor Neuroscience (CoSMo 2014)

by Gunnar Blohm

*Fourth Annual Computational Sensory-Motor Neuroscience Summer School (CoSMo 2014)* University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA August 3-17, 2014 We would like to invite you to join us for the third annual Computational Sensory-Motor Neuroscience Summer School. The course is about experimental, computational and medical aspects of sensory-motor neuroscience with a focus on data/model sharing. Covered topics include Bayesian approaches, motor control, computational neuroimaging, sensory-motor transformations and prosthetics. An important focus is on doing research as opposed to just hearing about it. Each teaching module will take up two days with morning lecture sessions. Afternoon sessions involve hands-on Matlab programming, simulation and data-analysis. Newly acquired computational tools can also be applied in 2-week evening group research projects. The course is aimed at students and post-doctoral fellows from diverse backgrounds including Life Sciences, Psychology, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics and Engineering. Basic knowledge in calculus, linear algebra and Matlab is expected. Enrollment will be limited to 40 trainees. *Application deadline: April 27, 2014* For more information and to apply, please go to http://www.compneurosci.com/CoSMo/ The school is co-organized by Drs Gunnar Blohm, Paul Schrater and Konrad Körding. It receives funding from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) via an NSERC-CREATE training grant on "Computational Approaches in Neuroscience – Action, Control & Transformations", and from the National Science Foundation (NSF, USA). -- ------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Gunnar BLOHM Assistant Professor in Computational Neuroscience 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@QueensU.ca Web:http://www.compneurosci.com/

March 31, 2014

2014 NEURON Summer Course

by Ted Carnevale

This year's NEURON Summer Course has two components that can be taken individually or together. NEURON Fundamentals, which runs from June 21-24, addresses all aspects of using NEURON to model individual neurons, and also introduces parallel simulation and the fundamentals of modeling networks. Parallel Simulation with NEURON is for users who are already familiar with NEURON and need to create models that will run on parallel hardware. Registration is limited, and the registration deadline is Friday, May 30, 2014. For more information regarding NEURON courses see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/courses --Ted

March 31, 2014

Open Source Brain workshop 2014: Building and sharing models of the cortex

by solinas

(Apologies for cross postings) Announcing the 2014 Open Source Brain Workshop: Building and sharing models of the cortex. May 14-16th, Alghero, Sardinia. There are an increasing number of cortical cell and network models being developed and made publicly available, from networks of leaky integrate and fire neurons based on cortical connectivity and firing properties, to multicompartmental, conductance based cell models. Many of these are being reused, reimplemented and extended to address new scientific questions by labs around the world. In this meeting, we will look at the range cortico-thalamic models out there which are of widespread interest and work towards getting these into public, open source repositories, in standardised formats such as NeuroML and PyNN. We will investigate the steps needed to ensure these models are well tested, annotated and ready for use as research tools by the attendees and the wider community. There will be presentations from experimentalists who are producing the data to constrain these models, as well as simulator and application developers who will create the infrastructure to build, simulate, analyse and share the models. On the morning of Friday 16th, there will be a symposium on Oscillation and Resonance in CNS Network Loops. The symposium will focus on the reconstruction and analysis of oscillating networks. These methods can be applied at multiple levels of brain modelling providing valuable constraints for single neuron and network models. There will be presentations of modelling studies on how the brain generates oscillations and how external, oscillating electro-magnetic fields influence brain activity. Confirmed speakers Sharon Crook, Arizona State University, USA Markus Diesmann, Research Center Jülich, Germany Dirk Feldmeyer, Aachen University, Germany Alon Korngreen, Bar-Ilan University, Israel Dave Lester, SpiNNaker project, University of Manchester, UK Robert A. McDougal, Yale University School of Medicine, USA Michele Migliore, National Research Council, Italy & Yale University School of Medicine, USA Eilif Muller, Blue Brain Project, EPFL, Switzerland Ole Paulsen, University of Cambridge, UK Angus Silver, University College London Tim Vogels, University of Oxford, UK Daniel Wójcik, Nencki Institute, Poland Full details of the workshop can be found here: http://www.opensourcebrain.org/projects/osb/wiki/OSB2014 There will also be a NeuroML Editorial Board meeting on Tues 13th. More details will follow on the NeuroML mailing lists. Interested parties are welcome to attend; please email p.gleeson(a)ucl.ac.uk. The Open Source Brain initiative aims to encourage collaborative, open source model development in computational neuroscience and is primarily supported by the Wellcome Trust. The OSB symposium is primarily supported by the IRCCS C. Mondino and the Italian Ministry of Health through the research project GR-2009-1493804. Regards, The OSB 2014 organising committee

March 31, 2014

New book - Directed Information Measures in Neuroscience

by Joseph Lizier

Dear all, We are pleased to announce the publication of the following edited book: "Directed Information Measures in Neuroscience" edited by Michael Wibral, Raul Vicente, Joseph T. Lizier in series "Understanding Complex Systems", Springer, Berlin, 2014. About the book: http://www.springer.com/physics/complexity/book/978-3-642-54473-6 Analysis of information transfer has found rapid adoption in neuroscience, where a highly dynamic transfer of information continuously runs on top of the brain's slowly-changing anatomical connectivity. Measuring such transfer is crucial to understanding how flexible information routing and processing give rise to higher cognitive function. Directed Information Measures in Neuroscience reviews recent developments of concepts and tools for measuring information transfer, their application to neurophysiological recordings and analysis of interactions. Written by the most active researchers in the field the book discusses the state of the art, future prospects and challenges on the way to an efficient assessment of neuronal information transfer. Highlights include the theoretical quantification and practical estimation of information transfer, description of transfer locally in space and time, multivariate directed measures, information decomposition among a set of stimulus/responses variables and the relation between interventional and observational causality. Applications to neural data sets and pointers to open source software highlight the usefulness of these measures in experimental neuroscience. With state-of-the-art mathematical developments, computational techniques and applications to real data sets, this book will be of benefit to all graduate students and researchers interested in detecting and understanding the information transfer between components of complex systems. Downloads of individual chapters (requires Springer access) via: http://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-642-54474-3 Contents: Section 1 - Introduction to Directed Information Measures Chapter 1. "Transfer Entropy in Neuroscience", Michael Wibral, Raul Vicente, Michael Lindner -- http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-54474-3_1 Chapter 2. "Efficient Estimation of Information Transfer", Raul Vicente, Michael Wibral -- http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-54474-3_2 Section 2 - Information Transfer in Neural and Other Physiological Systems Chapter 3. "Conditional Entropy-Based Evaluation of Information Dynamics in Physiological Systems", Luca Faes, Alberto Porta -- http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-54474-3_3 Chapter 4. "Information Transfer in the Brain: Insights from a Unified Approach", Daniele Marinazzo, Guorong Wu, Mario Pellicoro, Sebastiano Stramaglia -- http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-54474-3_4 Chapter 5. "Function Follows Dynamics: State-Dependency of Directed Functional Influences", Demian Battaglia -- http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-54474-3_5 Chapter 6. "On Complexity and Phase Effects in Reconstructing the Directionality of Coupling in Non-linear Systems", Vasily A. Vakorin, Olga Krakovska, Anthony R. McIntosh -- http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-54474-3_6 Section 3 - Recent Advances in the Analysis of Information Processing Chapter 7. "Measuring the Dynamics of Information Processing on a Local Scale in Time and Space", Joseph T. Lizier -- http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-54474-3_7 Chapter 8. "Parametric and Non-parametric Criteria for Causal Inference from Time-Series", Daniel Chicharro -- http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-54474-3_8 Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3642544738/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=17… Regards, Michael Wibral, Raul Vicente and Joseph Lizier

March 31, 2014

Decision Making Bristol 2014: Abstract Submission deadline EXTENDED to 7 April 2014

by DMB 2014 Mailbox

***The Deadline for submission of abstracts to the Decision Making Bristol 2014 conference has been extended to 7 April 2014.*** *Decision Making Bristol 2014* The Decision-making Group at the University of Bristol invites you to submit abstracts to our second conference - Decision Making Bristol 2014<http://www.bris.ac.uk/decisions-research/conference2014/> - to be held 9-12 September 2014. Following the success of the 2012 conference, this conference aims to embrace a breadth of research, appealing to those interested in all aspects of decision making. We are pleased to announce that the following Key Note speakers have been secured Gerd Gigerenzer<http://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/en/staff/gerd-gigerenzer> , Tom Griffiths <http://psychology.berkeley.edu/people/tom-griffiths>, Antonio Rangel <http://www.rnl.caltech.edu/index.html> and Jeffrey D. Schall<http://www.vanderbilt.edu/psychological_sciences/bio/jeffrey-schall>. These will be accompanied by invited talks from Nick Chater<http://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/nick-chater/> , Eric-Jan Wagenmakers <http://www.ejwagenmakers.com/> and Daniel Wolpert<http://learning.eng.cam.ac.uk/Public/Wolpert/Wolpert> . Held in the beautiful city of Bristol, at one of the UK's leading science and discovery centres, At-Bristol <http://www.at-bristol.org.uk/>, the conference will promote interdisciplinary collaborations and welcomes attendance from both theoreticians and experimentalists. The *call for short abstracts *(500 words) is now *OPEN *and we invite you to submit your abstract to the following email address: DMB-2014(a)bristol.ac.uk. The closing date for receipt is now *****7 April 2014**.* *Further information and Registration: * http://www.bris.ac.uk/decisions-research/conference2014/ . Registration closing date is 30 June 2014. Please feel free to share this email with your colleagues and research students. We look forward to seeing you in September. Best wishes, Sally-Ann Parry, *on behalf of the Decision-making Group* -- *Decision Making Bristol 2014, * *9- 12 September* e: DMB-2014(a)bristol.ac.uk w: http://www.bris.ac.uk/decisions-research/conference2014/ w: http://www.bris.ac.uk/decisions-research/ a: University of Bristol, 5 Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TZ

March 31, 2014

PhD position available at the School of Engineering, University of Lincoln

by Basabdatta Sen Bhattacharya

A fully funded PhD is available at the School of Engineering, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, to work under the supervision of Dr. Basabdatta Bhattacharya <http://staff.lincoln.ac.uk/bbhattacharya> and Prof. Timothy Gordon <http://staff.lincoln.ac.uk/tgordon>. The details and how to apply are available at: https://sites.google.com/site/bsenbhattacharya/phd/fully-fundedphdstudentsh… The *Deadline* for Application is *18th April 2014.* For informal enquiries please contact Basabdatta Sen Bhattacharya at bbhattacharya(a)lincoln.ac.uk or at basab(a)ieee.org. A link to the advert on the University website is available at the link below; scroll down to the heading 'College of Science': http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studyatlincoln/postgraduateprogrammes/postgra… *Note:* The *full funding* is for UK/EU students *only*. International students would need to provide the difference in fees as appropriate. --------------------------------------------------------------- Basabdatta Sen Bhattacharya, PhD Lecturer, School of Engineering ENG 321, Engineering Hub University of Lincoln Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS United Kingdom Telephone: +44(0)1522837947 *http://staff.lincoln.ac.uk/bbhattacharya <http://staff.lincoln.ac.uk/bbhattacharya>* Personal page: https://sites.google.com/site/bsenbhattacharya

March 31, 2014

KOGWIS 2014 Last Call for Papers

by Anna Belardinelli

Please consider to submit your work to the following conference: ================ FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS ================ * KOGWIS 2014 * * 12th Biannual Conference of the German Society for COGNITIVE SCIENCE * * 29th of September - 2nd of October 2014 * * Topical focus: How Language and Behavior Constitute Cognition * Submission deadline: 7 May 2014 * * http://www.ccs.uni-tuebingen.de/kogwis14 * ====================================================== KogWis 2014 invites submissions of extended abstracts on current work in cognitive science. Generally *all topics related to cognitive science* are welcome. Contributions that address the focus of this meeting, that is, language and behavior and the construction of cognition due to language and behavior are particularly encouraged. Submissions will be sorted by topic and paradigms and will be independently reviewed. Notifications of acceptance will depend on the novelty of the research, the significance of the results, and the presentation of the work. Submission and Proceedings: KogWis calls for submissions in extended abstract format. Abstracts for oral presentations should not exceed 4 pages, abstracts for poster contributions should not exceed 2 pages, including pictures and references. All accepted contributions will be published in the form of a *Supplement KogWis 2014* in the journal *Cognitive Processing* (Springer Verlag). ——— PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS —————— Confirmed plenary speakers: * Prof. Dr. Harold Bekkering * Prof. Dr. Henrik Ehrsson * Prof. Dr. Karl Friston * Prof. Dr. Wayne Gray * Prof. Dr. Gregor Schöner * Prof. Dr. Natalie Sebanz Confirmed symposia: * Processing Language in Context: Insights from Empirical Approaches Organizers: Christian Brauner , Bettina Rolke, & Gerhard Jäger (University of Tübingen) * Manual action Organizer: Dirk Koester (Bielefeld University) * How language and number representation contribute to numerical cognition Organizer: Hans-Christoph Nürk (University of Tübingen) * Eye tracking, linking hypotheses and measures in language processing Organizers: Pia Knoeferle and Michele Burigo (Bielefeld University) * Cognition of human actions: From individual actions to interactions Organizer: Stephan de la Rosa (MPI, Tübingen) * Cortical Systems of Object Grasping and Manipulation Organizer: Marc Himmelbach (University of Tübingen) * Modelling of cognitive aspects of mobile interaction Organizers: Nele Russwinkel, Sabine Prezenski, & Stefan Lindner (TU Berlin) * Predictive processing: philosophical and neuroscientific perspectives Organizer: Alex Morgan (University of Tübingen) * PhD Symposium Organizers: Dong-Seon Chang, Zhen Peng, Stefan Kopp, Marco Ragni, and Kai Vogeley (MPI Tübingen, Bielefeld University, University of Freiburg, & University Hospital Cologne) * History of Cognitive Science Organizers: Stefan Kopp and Kai Vogeley (Bielefeld University and University Hospital Cologne) ****** PRIZES AND AWARDS****** * CCS - Best Student Paper Award, sponsored by the Cognitive Science Society (plus 1 year Membership) * SMI - Best Poster Award, sponsored by SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI,www.smivision.com) * Brain Products - Best Paper Award, sponsored by BRAIN PRODUCTS _____________ The Organizing Committee: General chair: Martin V. Butz Local organizers: Anna Belardinelli, Elisabeth Hein and Jan Kneissler ------------------------------------------- Anna Belardinelli, Cognitive Modeling, Department of Computer Science University of Tübingen http://www.wsi.uni-tuebingen.de/lehrstuehle/cognitive-modeling/staff/staff/…

March 30, 2014

application deadline extended till Apr 14 for international summer school: CAMP@Bangalore

by Aditya Gilra

The deadline for applying to the international summer school: Computational Approaches to Memory and Plasticity, CAMP@Bangalore 2014<http://www.ncbs.res.in/camp/>is extended to 14th April, 2014. Please download the poster <http://www.ncbs.res.in/camp/content/poster> and circulate widely. Details follow ... Computational Approaches to Memory and Plasticity (CAMP @ Bangalore) 2014<http://www.ncbs.res.in/camp> . Website: http://www.ncbs.res.in/camp/ Venue: National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India<http://www.ncbs.res.in/> Dates: 28th June to 12th July, 2014 Organizer: Upinder Bhalla (NCBS, Bangalore, India)<http://www.ncbs.res.in/bhalla> CAMP @ Bangalore is a 15-day summer school on the theory and simulation of learning, memory and plasticity in the brain. PhD students and post-docs from theoretical and/or experimental backgrounds (physics, math, neuroscience, engineering, etc.) are welcome. Familiarity with programming, dynamical systems, and/or computational neuroscience is highly desirable. Master's or Bachelor's degree students can apply if they have sufficient background beyond course-work. The school will start with remedial tutorials on neuroscience / math / programming and then work upwards from sub-cellular electrical and chemical signaling in neurons, onward to micro-circuits and networks, all with an emphasis on learning, memory and plasticity. Students worldwide are encouraged to apply online at www.ncbs.res.in/camp latest by 14th Apr, 2014. Lecturers: Sumantra Chattarji (NCBS, Bangalore) <http://www.ncbs.res.in/shona>, Xiao-Jing Wang (New York University, New York)<http://www.cns.nyu.edu/wanglab/> , Suhita Nadkarni (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune)<http://www.iiserpune.ac.in/~suhita/Suhita/Home.html> , Claudia Clopath (Imperial College, London)<http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/c.clopath/> , Eve Marder (Brandeis University, Waltham/Boston)<http://blogs.brandeis.edu/marderlab/> , Rishikesh Narayanan (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore)<http://mbu.iisc.ernet.in/~rngrp/> , Arthur Wingfield (Brandeis University, Waltham/Boston)<http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/faculty/wingfield.html> , Michael Hausser (University College, London)<http://www.ucl.ac.uk/WIBR/research/neuro/mh/index.htm> , Arvind Kumar (Bernstein Center, Freiburg)<http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/people/details/kumar> , Stefano Fusi (Columbia University, New York)<http://neurotheory.columbia.edu/stefano.html> , Raghav Rajan (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune)<http://www.iiserpune.ac.in/~raghav/> For more information, email camp2014(a)ncbs.res.in Best Regards, Aditya. ---- Aditya Gilra, Prof Upinder S Bhalla's lab, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK, Bellary Road, Bangalore - 560065, India. Ph: 91-80-23666507.

March 29, 2014

Post-doc - Detailed Neuronal Modeling - Blue Brain Project, Lausanne, Switzerland

by emuller

Dear comp-neuro community, I wish to draw your attention to an opening for a post-doctoral researcher in "Detailed Neuron Modeling and Dendritic Integration" (full advert below), at the Blue Brain Project, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland. For more details, and instructions how to apply, see: http://emploi.epfl.ch/page-106385-en.html Best regards, Eilif ------------- Dr. Eilif Muller Section Manager - In Silico Neuroscience - Experimentation EPFL - Blue Brain Project QIJ 3ème étage CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland Tel: ++41 21 693 0698 Fax: ++41 21 693 5350 www: http://bluebrain.epfl.ch/page-77926-en.html www: http://neuralensemble.org/people/eilifmuller ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Blue Brain Project, led by Prof. Henry Markram, seeks outstanding candidates for the position of: Post-doctoral Researcher in Detailed Neuron Modeling and Dendritic Integration The primary objectives for this position are to strengthen on-going large-scale detailed neuron modeling and validation efforts in the project, and to undertake original scientific research to characterize the role of single cell and dendritic integration mechanisms in computation and dynamics at the network level. Scientific leadership is expected to supervise computational neuroscience students, as is an intimate knowledge of the employed software in order to interface with engineering teams. The position is in close contact with an electrophysiology lab and modeling will go hand in hand with available and newly acquired experimental data. Detailed Requirements: * PhD in neuroscience, computational neuroscience, physics or related field * expert in NEURON and multi-compartment conductance-based modeling as demonstrated by strong publication record * expert in automated neuron model optimization techniques * expert knowledge of whole cell electrophysiology, ion channel experiments * expert of scientific computing (python, scipy, numpy, hdf5, matplotlib, Linux, etc.) * knowledge of other programming languages (C++) and parallel computing is of advantage * familiarity with model description languages (e.g. NeuroML) * experience in supervision of students and teaching * strong team player * fluent English in speech and writing What we offer: * An internationally visible project in simulation-based research in neuroscience having a leading role in the EU FET flagship “Human Brain Project” * A vibrant, dynamic, inter-disciplinary, and international working environment * Very competitive salary Start date: 1 June 2014. Deadline for application: open until position is filled. Activity rate: 100%. Duration of contract: 1 year, renewable. For more details, and instructions how to apply, see: http://emploi.epfl.ch/page-106385-en.html

March 28, 2014

Postdoctoral and Ph.D. positions at the Ben Gurion University, Israel

by David Golomb

Funded postdoctoral and Ph.D. positions in theoretical and computational neuroscience or experimental neurophysiology are available at the Ben-Gurion University, Be'er-Sheva, Israel. We are looking for highly motivated post-doctoral fellows and PhD students to lead projects aiming to explore the rodent whisker somatosensory system, the visual system, and possible applications to robotics. Fellows and students will participate in collaborative research combining neurophysiology and computational neuroscience with emphasis on the dynamic transformation of sensory information along the sensory pathways at the brainstem, thalamic and cortical levels, as well as sensory-motor control. Candidates should have a strong background in neurophysiology, physics, mathematics or electrical engineering, and be proficient programmers and creative thinkers. The Ben-Gurion University has strong and interacting neuroscience and robotic communities. Be'er-Sheva is within one-hour train ride from Tel-Aviv.* * ***Deadline: May 1, 2014 or until position fulfilled.* For more information, please contact: Prof. David Golomb -- golomb(a)bgu.ac.il <mailto:golomb@bgu.ac.il>__ Prof. Rony Azouz -- razouz(a)bgu.ac.il <mailto:razouz@bgu.ac.il> Dr. Maoz Shamir -- shmaoz(a)bgu.ac.il <mailto:shmaoz@bgu.ac.il>

March 27, 2014

Computational Approaches to Memory and Plasticity: deadline approaching

by Subhasis Ray

(With apologies for cross postings) Reminder for the international summer school at NCBS, Bangalore, organized by Dr. Upinder Bhalla. The deadline for application is 30 March 2014. This 15 day workshop will involve both lectures and hands-on tutorials. The confirmed speakers are: Sumantra Chattarji (NCBS, Bangalore) Xiao-Jing Wang (New York University, New York) Suhita Nadkarni (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune) Claudia Clopath (Imperial College, London) Eve Marder (Brandeis University, Waltham/Boston) Rishikesh Narayanan (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore) Arthur Wingfield (Brandeis University, Waltham/Boston) Michael Hausser (University College, London) Arvind Kumar (Bernstein Center, Freiburg) Stefano Fusi (Columbia University, New York) Raghav Rajan (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune) Further details and application form are available here: http://ncbs.res.in/camp/ ------ Subhasis Ray NCBS, TIFR GKVK Campus Bellary Road Bangalore 560065 +91 80 67176520

March 27, 2014

Summer Workshop on the Dynamic Brain, Friday Harbor: deadline approaching!

by Adrienne Fairhall

Reminder that applications for the Summer Workshop on the Dynamic Brain, 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, are due on April 1st. Application procedures and more information can be found at http://courses.washington.edu/braindyn/ . This intensive two week summer course aims to give advanced students – graduate students, postdocs and faculty – a rapid introduction to the current state of understanding of the neurobiology of sensory processing, including anatomy, physiology and neural coding; tutorials on the tools of the Allen Brain Institute; and an opportunity to carry out an informatics or computational research project with the guidance of faculty. The experimental focus is on vision in rodents. Faculty will include: Christof Koch Wyeth Bair Jay Neitz Clay Reid Shawn Olsen Adrienne Fairhall Rajesh Rao Anne Churchland Hongkui Zeng Bill Howe

March 27, 2014

Fwd: a foundation professor in computational neuroscience at Monash, Australia

by Naotsugu Tsuchiya

We seek to appoint a dynamic and talented principal investigator to lead the development of Computational Neuroscience at Monash University. The successful candidate is expected to have an internationally recognised track record of scientific achievement and demonstrable ability to build a cutting edge multidisciplinary research platform that will transform the landscape of computational neuroscience at Monash, within Australia and internationally. This appointee will complement and integrate with experimental neuroscience researchers in the new Faculty of Biomedical and Psychological Sciences who work across a wide range of levels including single-unit recordings in non-human primates through to in vivo EEG and functional MRI in humans. These collaborations will leverage existing Monash University research platforms such as Monash Biomedical Imaging and the MASSIVE Supercomputing facility, as well as the newly established ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function to undertake novel, multi-disciplinary research programs. An excellent remuneration package is available for both the principal investigator and their team. Enquiries Confidential enquiries should be directed to either Professor Kim Cornish, Head of the School of Psychological Sciences, tel: +61 3 9902 0488 or email: kim.cornish(a)monash.edu or Professor Mark Bellgrove, Director, Research Strategy, School of Psychological Sciences, tel: +61 3 9902 4200 or email: mark.bellgrove(a)monash.edu Closing Date Friday, 15 May, 2014, 11:55pm Aus. Standard Daylight Time Applications Expressions of interest, comprising a cover letter and CV should be submitted as part of your application. The University reserves the right to appoint by invitation. For details, please check http://jobs.monash.edu.au/jobDetails.asp?sJobIDs=523000&lWorkTypeID=&lLocat… -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nao (Naotsugu) Tsuchiya, Ph.D. 1. ARC Future Fellow & Associate Professor Tsuchiya Laboratory School of Psychological Sciences Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University 2. Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Japan 3. Visitor, RIKEN, Japan 4. Visitor, Caltech, USA homepage: http://users.monash.edu.au/~naotsugt/Tsuchiya_Labs_Homepage/Main.html

March 26, 2014

Advanced Course in Computational Neuroscience 2014

by Máté Lengyel

ADVANCED COURSE IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE August 3 - 30, 2014, FIAS, Frankfurt, Germany http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/accn/ *** NOTE EXTENDED DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS *** Applications accepted: February 10, 2014 – March 31, 2014 SCIENTIFIC DIRECTORS: * Ehud Ahissar (Weizmann Institute, Israel) * Dieter Jaeger (Emory University, USA) * Máté Lengyel (University of Cambridge, UK) * Christian Machens (Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Portugal) LOCAL ORGANIZERS: * Jochen Triesch (FIAS, Frankfurt, Germany) * Hermann Cuntz (FIAS & ESI, Frankfurt, Germany) FUNDING: FENS, IBRO, FIAS, MPI Brain Research, Hertie Foundation The ACCN is for advanced graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are interested in learning the essentials of the field of computational neuroscience. The course has two complementary parts. Mornings are 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 pursue a project of their choosing under the close supervision of expert tutors. This gives them practical training in the art and practice of neural modeling. The first week of the course introduces students to essential neurobiological concepts and to the most important techniques in modeling single cells, synapses and circuits. Students learn how to solve their research problems using software such as MATLAB, NEST, NEURON, Python, XPP, etc. During the following three weeks the lectures cover networks and specific neural systems and functions. Topics range from modeling single cells and subcellular processes through the simulation of simple circuits, large neuronal networks and system level models of the brain. The course ends with project presentations by the students. The course is designed for students 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 as well as some computer experience. Students of any nationality can apply. Essential details: * Course size: about 30 students. * Fee (which covers tuition, lodging, meals and excursions): EUR 750. * Scholarships and travel stipends are available. * Application start: February 10, 2014 * Application deadline: March 23, 2014 * Deadline for letters of recommendation: March 23, 2014 * Notification of results: May, 2014 Information and application http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/accn/ Contact address: accn(a)fias.uni-frankfurt.de FACULTY Erik De Schutter (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan), Dieter Jaeger (Emory University, USA), Astrid Prinz (Emory University, USA), Charles Wilson (University of Texas, San Antonio, USA), Michael Hausser (University College London, UK), Sophie Deneve (Ecole Normale Superieure, France), Christian Machens (Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal), Jochen Triesch (FIAS, Germany), Misha Tsodyks (Weizmann Institute, Israel), Carl van Vreeswijk (CNRS Paris, France), Peter Dayan (University College London, UK), Joern Diedrichsen (University College London, UK), Máté Lengyel (University of Cambridge, UK), Zhaoping Li (University College London, UK), Tatjana Tchumatchenko (MPI for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany), Ehud Ahissar (Weizmann Institute, Israel), Merav Ahissar (Hebrew University, Israel), Nava Rubin (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain) General Interest Lectures: Hans-Joachim Pflueger (Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany), Erin Schuman (MPI for Brain Research, Germany), Erik De Schutter (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan), J. Kevin O'Regan (Paris Descartes University, France) Tutors: Daniel Miner (Frankfurt, Germany), Andreea Lazar (Frankfurt, Germany), Wieland Brendel (Lisbon / Tuebingen, Portugal / Germany), Sina Tootoonian (Cambridge, UK), Peter Jedlicka (Frankfurt, Germany) SECRETARY DURING THE COURSE Chris Ploegaert (University of Antwerp, Belgium) -- Mate Lengyel, PhD Computational and Biological Learning Lab Cambridge University Engineering Department Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK tel: +44 (0)1223 748 532, fax: +44 (0)1223 332 662 email: m.lengyel(a)eng.cam.ac.uk web: www.eng.cam.ac.uk/~m.lengyel

March 26, 2014

post-doc available in computational neuroscience applied to regenerative biology

by Levin, Michael

A funded post-doctoral position is available at Tufts University (near Boston) in the lab of Dr Michael Levin - www.drmichaellevin.org to work on applications of computational neuroscience to developmental biology and regenerative medicine. My group studies the role that slow bioelectrical communication plays in coordinating cell activity towards building and repairing large-scale anatomical structures (as occurs during embryogenesis and regeneration in species like salamanders and planaria, which can rebuild whole body parts). Through the last 14 years, we've shown that distributions of resting potentials in non-neural somatic tissues (and their dynamics via gap junctions, or electrical synapses) play an important part in regulating growth and form (having developed molecular-genetic tools for tracking and altering resting potentials in vivo). We hope to take some ideas and approaches from cognitive science and computational neurobiology to understand how memories of shape and pattern are stored in non-neural network electrical dynamics. This project can be described as cracking the bioelectric code to understand the semantics encoded in electrical signaling among non-neural cells. We will build in silico models of shape memory storage in electrically-connected (slow) cell networks and then implement them in real embryonic (frog, chick) or bioengineered (human) tissues to test and refine the models. The ideal applicant will have a strong background in computational neuroscience (understanding how activity of neurons adds up to logic, memory, and decision-making in simple circuits); experience in computer modeling is a strong plus. This is a very interdisciplinary project and ideal for someone who is 1) strong in basic computational neuroscience, 2) likes thinking way outside the box in a novel area, 3) wants to extend their repertoire and training to include developmental, regenerative, and molecular biology, and 4) wants to contribute to an entirely new area of deep basic and clinical significance. Please check our website and contact michael.levin(a)tufts.edu if interested. --- Dr. Michael Levin Biology Department, and Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology Tufts University Suite 4600, 200 Boston Ave. Medford, MA 02155-4243 Tel. (617) 627-6161 Fax: (617) 627-6121 email: michael.levin(a)tufts.edu http://www.drmichaellevin.org/ http://www.cellregeneration.org/ Center Administrator: William F. Baga Tel. (617) 627-5735 Fax: (617) 627-5035 email: william.baga(a)tufts.edu

March 25, 2014

Ninth Summer School on Advanced Statistics and Data Mining (Madrid, June 23rd - July 4th, 2014)

by asdm＠fi.upm.es

Dear colleagues, The Technical University of Madrid (UPM) will once more organize the summer school on 'Advanced Statistics and Data Mining'. The summer school will be held in Madrid, between June 23rd and July 4th. This year's programme comprises 12 courses divided into 2 weeks. Attendees may register in each course independently. 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 Please, send this information to your colleagues, students, and whoever 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 23rd - June 27th, 2014) * 1st session: 9:30 - 12:30 Course 1: Bayesian Networks (15 h) Basics of Bayesian networks. Inference in Bayesian networks. Learning Bayesian networks from data. Real applications. Course 2: Time Series(15 h) Basic concepts in time series. Descriptive methods for time series. Linear models for time series. Extensions. 2nd session: 13:30 - 16:30 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. Course 4: Bayesian Inference (15 h) Introduction: Bayesian basics. Conjugate models. MCMC and other simulation methods. Regression and Hierarchical models. Model selection. 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: Feature Subset Selection (15 h) Introduction. Filter approaches. Wrapper methods. Embedded methods. Advanced topics. Practical session. * Week 2 (June 30th - July 4th, 2014) * 1st session: 9:30 - 12:30 Course 7: Statistical Inference(15 h) Introduction. Some basic statistical test. Multiple testing. Introduction to bootstrap methods. Introduction to Robust Statistics. Course 8: Bayesian Classifiers (15 h) Discrete predictors. Gaussian Bayesian networks-based classifiers. Other Bayesian classifiers. Bayesian classifiers for: positive and unlabeled data, semi-supervised learning, data streams, temporal data. 2nd session: 13:30 - 16:30 Course 9: Text Mining (15 h) Introduction. Fundamentals. Language Modeling. Text Classification. Information Extraction. Course 10: 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. 3rd session: 17:00 - 20:00 Course 11: Support Vector Machines and Convex Optimization (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.

March 25, 2014

Fully funded PhD position: computational neuroscience / complex system theory

by Prof. Claudius Gros

I would like to bring your attention to our PhD-program in Complex Dynamical Systems Theory / Computational Neurosciences At the Institute for Theoretical Physics, Goethe University Frankfurt Field(s): complex systems theory, computational neurosciences neural models and networks, dynamical systems Application deadline: April 27, 2014 Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Claudius Gros E-mail: cgr(a)itp.uni-frankfurt.de Address: Institute for Theoretical Physics, Goethe University Frankfurt, Job description: Applications are invited for a fully funded PhD position at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, Frankfurt University. We are developing new models and generative principles for the brain using a range of toolsets from dynamical systems theory and computational neurosciences. Examples are new objective functions and generating functionals, attractor metadynamics, transient state dynamics and self-limiting Hebbian plasticity rules. Several subjects are available for the announced PhD thesis including studies of the autonomous brain dynamics and/or studies of new synaptic plasticity rules, like trace formulations of STDP and the interplay between short term synaptic plasticity and neural dynamics. The work will include analytical investigations and numerical simulations of neural models and neural networks, using the toolset of dynamical systems theory. The candidates should have a Diploma/Master in physics with an excellent academic track record and good computational skills. Experience or strong interest in the fields of complex systems, computational neurosciences, dynamical systems theory and/or artificial or biological cognitive systems is expected. The degree of scientific research experience is expected to be on the level of a German Diploma/Master. The appointments will start summer 2014, for up to three years. Interested applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a list of publications and arrange for two letters of reference to be sent to the address below. Prof. Dr. C. Gros Institute for Theoretical Physics Goethe University Frankfurt Max-von-Laue-Str. 1 60438 Frankfurt am Main Germany cgr(a)itp.uni-frankfurt.de http://itp.uni-frankfurt.de/~gros ***************************************** *** Prof. Dr. Claudius Gros *** *** +49 (0)69 798 47818 *** *** http://itp.uni-frankfurt.de/~gros *** ***************************************** -------------------------------------------------------- --- Complex and Adaptive Dynamical Systems, A Primer --- --- A graduate-level textbook, Springer (2008/10/13) --- --------------------------------------------------------

March 25, 2014

Position for a Senior Postdoctoral Neuroscientist

by Ileana Hanganu-Opatz

Invitation for applications: A postdoctoral position for neurophysiology and optogenetics is available at the Department of Developmental Neurophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg, Germany. Our group investigates the synchronized patterns of electrical activity in the immature brain, their relevance for the development of cognitive and behavioral abilities and their impairment associated with neurological disorders, such as perinatal ischemia and schizophrenia (www.zmnh.uni-hamburg.de/zmnh/groups/hanganu/hanganu) We seek a Senior Postdoctoral Neuroscientist to develop, execute and analyze state-of-the-art electrophysiological, optogenetic, anatomical and behavioral experiments in rodents as part of a research project aiming to elucidate the neuronal circuitry accounting for the maturation of cognitive and multisensory abilities. The position offers an excellent opportunity to perform highly collaborative research within the DFG-funded Priority Program 1665 and Collaborative Research Center 936. Qualified candidates should hold a Ph.D, M.D. or equivalent qualification, and should have outstanding certificates and good publication record. Candidates are also expected to have significant experience in electrophysiology and optogenetics as well as strong background in mathematics with good programming experience (MATLAB). Good communication skills, creative and independent thinking are mandatory. The position is available from September 2014 or later and will run initially for 3 years. The salary will be on the level of the German public service research salary (E13-14, 40.000-45.000 EUR per annum, depending on experience). Applications including (i) CV, (ii) a brief statement of expertise and interests, (iii) academic achievements and list of publications and (iv) 2 letters of reference should be sent to *Prof. Dr. Ileana Hanganu-Opatz*by email (*hangop(a)zmnh.uni-hamburg.de*) Incomplete applications will not be considered. For further information please contact --------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Ileana Hanganu-Opatz, PhD University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf Developmental Neurophysiology Postal address: Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH) Falkenried 94 20251 Hamburg Germany Phone: +49 (0) 40 7410 58966 Fax: +49 (0) 40 7410 58925 Email: ileana.hanganu-opatz(a)zmnh.uni-hamburg.de i.hanganu-opatz(a)uke.de Website: www.zmnh.uni-hamburg.de/zmnh/groups/hanganu/hanganu Website SPP 1665: www.spp1665.de -- Pflichtangaben gemäß Gesetz über elektronische Handelsregister und Genossenschaftsregister sowie das Unternehmensregister (EHUG): Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts Gerichtsstand: Hamburg Vorstandsmitglieder: Prof. Dr. Christian Gerloff (Vertreter des Vorsitzenden) Prof. Dr. Dr. Uwe Koch-Gromus Joachim Prölß Rainer Schoppik

March 25, 2014

Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 2014

by Kerstin Mosch

March 25, 2014

Research Associate Position at University of Manchester

by Sergio Davies

https://www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/displayjob.aspx?jobid=7520 You will join the SpiNNaker team, part of the Advanced Processor Technologies (APT) group within the School of Computer Science at Manchester. The APT group is a world-leading research centre, continuing the long and distinguished record of the University of Manchester in the field of Computer Architecture. This record includes the development of the world's first stored program computer, the invention of virtual memory and the building of the first practical Dataflow computer. The group's high international research profile has attracted a great deal of UK and EU funding and resulted in significant industrial collaboration. The APT staff have significant expertise in computer architecture, system software and Neuromorphic Engineering, which is demonstrated by its extensive industrial impact (e.g. the ICL Goldrush Database server, Amulet processors for ARM Ltd., and Transitive Corporation, now IBM Manchester, and Silistix Ltd. spin offs). As a Research Associate you will have a PhD (or equivalent experience) and possess proven research ability. As a Research Assistant a good/relevant MSc (or equivalent experience) is essential. You will also have knowledge in one or more of the following areas: 1. Hardware system development and commissioning including FPGA design, basic robotics, circuit board testing, microprocessor systems, ARM processors. 2. System software development including operating systems, parallel computing, C and Python programming. Informal Enquiries Informal enquiries may be made to Professor Steve Furber, ICL Professor of Computer Engineering Email: steve.furber(a)manchester.ac.uk More information can be found at: http://apt.cs.manchester.ac.uk http://apt.cs.man.ac.uk/projects/SpiNNaker/ http://www.prime-project.org http://apt.cs.manchester.ac.uk/people/sfurber *Please note for the Research Assistant post *if you do not have permission to work in the UK, the University of Manchester will not be able to obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship for you to take up this position. Therefore you must have valid immigration status and/or a UK visa valid for the duration of the contract. The University of Manchester values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. -- Dr Sergio Davies Research associate - APT Group Room IT 302 - IT Building School of Computer Science Oxford Road, Manchester The University of Manchester M13 9PL, U.K. mailto: daviess(a)cs.man.ac.uk mailto: sergio.davies(a)gmail.com http://apt.cs.man.ac.uk/people/daviess/

March 24, 2014

Research Associate Position at University of Manchester

by Sergio Davies

https://www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/displayjob.aspx?jobid=7614 Applications are invited for the above post to work as research assistant/associate on the SpiNNaker project. The SpiNNaker architecture is optimized to support the simulation of simple (point-like) neurons and their connections (or synapses). This architecture now has a world-wide user base, drawn to a reliable and flexible platform for real-time neural network simulation; this community is comprised of both traditional computational neuroscientists and also scientists and engineers from application areas such as robotics. The position is linked to the PRiME EPSRC-funded Programme Grant led by the University of Southampton, with Imperial College, London, and the Universities of Manchester and Newcastle as partners. This position will run immediately until 12th May 2018. You will join the SpiNNaker team, part of the Advanced Processor Technologies (APT) group within the School of Computer Science at Manchester. The APT group is a world-leading research centre, continuing the long and distinguished record of the University of Manchester in the field of Computer Architecture. This record includes the development of the world's first stored program computer, the invention of virtual memory and the building of the first practical Dataflow computer. The group's high international research profile has attracted a great deal of UK and EU funding and resulted in significant industrial collaboration. The APT staff have significant expertise in computer architecture, system software and Neuromorphic Engineering, which is demonstrated by its extensive industrial impact (e.g. the ICL Goldrush Database server, Amulet processors for ARM Ltd., and Transitive Corporation, now IBM Manchester, and Silistix Ltd. spin offs). We are seeking a motivated researcher with knowledge in one or more of the following areas: 1. Hardware system development and commissioning including FPGA design, basic robotics, circuit board testing, microprocessor systems, ARM processors. 2. System software development including operating systems, parallel computing, C and Python programming. It is essential that candidates for the Research Associate appointment should possess proven research ability, a PhD or other equivalent experience, while a good/relevant MSc or other equivalent experience will be essential for the Research Assistant appointment. Please note that if you do not have permission to work in the UK, the University of Manchester will not be able to obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship for you to take up the Research Assistant position. All non EU/EEA candidates must have valid immigration status and/or a UK visa valid for the duration of the contract in order to be considered for this appointment. *Informal enquiries* Informal enquiries can be made to Professor Steve Furber, Email: steve.furber(a)manchester.ac.uk The University of Manchester values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. -- Dr Sergio Davies Research associate - APT Group Room IT 302 - IT Building School of Computer Science Oxford Road, Manchester The University of Manchester M13 9PL, U.K. mailto: daviess(a)cs.man.ac.uk mailto: sergio.davies(a)gmail.com http://apt.cs.man.ac.uk/people/daviess/

March 24, 2014

Research Associate position at Bernstein Centre Freiburg, Germany

by Carsten Mehring

Invitation for applications: Research Associate in Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Bernstein Centre, University of Freiburg A research associate position (‘akademischer Rat’, A13Z) is available in the group of Carsten Mehring at the Bernstein Centre and the Institute of Biology 3 at the University of Freiburg, Germany. This is a new lab, established to study sensorimotor behavior and brain-machine interfaces. Research topics include: motor adaptation and skill learning; brain-machine and machine-brain interfaces; neuronal dynamics; decision making. The primary research tools are behavioural experiments, electrophysiology and neuroimaging (EEG, ECoG, fNIRS), transcranial electrical stimulation (tDCS&tACS), advanced neural signal analysis and computational modeling. We are looking for an enthusiastic scientist who has expertise in Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology. This is a full-time position, with an initial 3 years fixed-term contract that can be extended by another 3 years. The salary will be according to A13. The position includes teaching duties in neuroscience, which can be carried out in English. Starting date is flexible, if possible May/June 2014. The ideal candidate has a strong background in quantitative analysis, experience running behavioural and/or neurophysiological experiments and proficiency in programming. A PhD in a relevant field is required. The lab is located in Freiburg (Germany), which is in the southwest of Germany close to the French and Swiss borders. Freiburg has a vibrant academic community and our group is part of the Bernstein Centre Freiburg (http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de) and the cluster of excellence BrainLinks-BrainTools (http://www.brainlinks-braintools.uni-freiburg.de) which provide first-class environments for research on Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology. Applicants should email a CV, a letter of motivation, a short research statement (max. 1 page) and contact details for two academic references to carsten.mehring(a)biologie.uni-freiburg.de. Reviewing of applications starts on April, 15th. Further information: Carsten Mehring carsten.mehring(a)biologie.uni-freiburg.de http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/people/details/mehring

March 24, 2014

First neural connectomics challenge: from imaging to connectivity

by Demian Battaglia

The brain contains nearly 100 billion neurons with an average 7000 synaptic connections. Recovering the exact wiring of the brain (connectome) at this neural level is therefore a daunting task. Traditional neuroanatomical methods of axonal tracing or electrophysiological direct assays cannot scale up to very large networks. Could there be alternative methods, such as inference algorithms, to recovering neural network structures from patterns of neural activity? This challenge (inaugurating a series of future "Connectomics" challenges) will stimulate research on network structure inference from calcium fluorescence data, including causal discovery methods. WHAT YOU GET: Time series of the activity of 1000 neurons in a culture (simulated calcium fluorescence data) WHAT YOU PREDICT: The directed connections between neurons. 45 days to go, 3000 $ allocated for the top three ranked competitors (if they accept to make an open release of their code ;-) Challenge submission website: https://www.kaggle.com/c/connectomics Over 70 teams are already attending! There will be $3000 in prizes awarded. We are an official challenge at IEEE WCCI 2014 meeting in Beijing, where challenge results will be spotlighted: http://www.ieee-wcci2014.org (see "accepted competitions") Participants may present their results at a dedicated workshop at ECML 2014 (Nancy, France): http://www.ecmlpkdd2014.org (see "discovery challenges") http://connectomics.chalearn.org/workshop (workshop webpage) The top-ranked challenge participants and authors of the best workshop papers will be invited to participate to full length submissions (individual or collective, including detailed post-challenge analytics and algorithm comparisons and benchmarking) to peer-reviewed journals, such as Frontiers in Neuroinformatics or PLoS Computational Biology. Calendar: May 5, 2014: End of challenge. May 20, 2014: All teams must turn in fact sheets. The three top ranking teams must turn in their code to qualify for prizes. The post-challenge verifications start. June 1, 2014: End of the post challenge verifications. Release of the official ranking. June 20, 2014: ECML workshop proceeding paper submission deadline. July 6-11, 2014: Result presentation at WCCI 2014, Beijing, China. August 30, 2014: Revised papers due for ECML workshop proceedings. Beginning of post-challenge papers design. September 15 or 19, 2014: ECML workshop, Nancy, France. Discussion of the results and preparation of post-challenge synthesis. For any information or request, please contact: Demian Battaglia, demian.battaglia(a)univ-amu.fr --- Demian Battaglia, PhD Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Aix-Marseille Université - Marseille, France Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience - Göttingen, Germany http://www.nld.ds.mpg.de/~demian

March 24, 2014

Deadline is Approaching:: CFP::4th DICTAP- IEEE-Thailand

by Natalie Walker

% Apologies for cross posting% ==================================================== ======== 4th DICTAP 2014 || Call for Papers =========== The Fourth International Conference on Digital Information and Communication Technology and its Applications (DICTAP 2014) University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok, Thailand May 6-8, 2014 http://sdiwc.net/conferences/2014/dictap2014/ DICTAP 2014 is technically Co-Sponsored by IEEE- Thailand ==================================================== Paper Submission Deadline: April 06, 2014 ===================================== **Scope and Motivation** The Fourth International Conference on Digital Information and CommunicationTechnology and its Applications (DICTAP 2014) cover theoretical and practical aspects related to Information Systems, Communication Networks and Computing Technologies. The multi-thematic program of DICTAP 2104 focuses then on the major future scientific issues in Computing and Communication Networks. The scientific topics developed in his edition are divided into but not limited to the following tracks: - Networking, Communications and Security - Information Technology, Services and Architecture - Digital Information Management - PHY-Layer Communications and Signal Processing ====================================================

March 23, 2014

The Scientific World Journal special issue titled 'Hybrid Systems to Investigate the Computational and Learning Properties of Neuronal Assemblies’

by Michela Chiappalone

Dear colleagues, I am pleased to announce the extension of the deadline for submitting your contribution to the special issue of The Scientific World Journal (http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/ titled ‘Hybrid Systems to Investigate the Computational and Learning Properties of Neuronal Assemblies’. The Scientific World Journal is open access and with an impact factor of 1.730. You can find the call for paper here: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/si/438539/cfp/. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: · Encoding of inputs and retrieval of memories in cultured and simulated neuronal networks · Learning and adaptation in cultured networks · Electrophysiological experiments in closed-loop systems · Mathematical neuronal network models as tools to deduce computational properties of neural circuits · Hybrid systems: living networks coupled to artificial ones · Software and hardware strategies to manipulate and control neuronal dynamics Deadline for article submission: May 30th, 2014; Publication date: October 17th, 2014. On behalf of the other guest editors [Paolo Massobrio (University of Genova, Italy), Danny Eytan (The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada), Paolo Bonifazi (Tel Aviv University, Israel) and Paul Tiesinga (Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands)], I look forward to receiving your contribution! Best regards Michela Chiappalone Lead Guest Editor The Scientific World Journal ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Michela Chiappalone, PhD NeuroTech Group Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies (NBT) Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) Via Morego 30 16163 Genova (Italy) e-mail : michela.chiappalone(a)iit.it<mailto:michela.chiappalone@iit.it> web-site : www.iit.it<http://www.iit.it/> direct phone : +39 010 71781743_

March 21, 2014

Ph.D. position in Systems and Control

by Kristiaan Pelckmans

re: A fully funded Ph.D. graduate study in Uppsala University, Sweden, Department of Information Technology, Division of Systems and Control (4yrs.+1yr. teaching). subject: This position aims at relating modern insights in (Online) Machine Learning (OML) to the esteemed tool of the Kalman Filter (KF). OML has led to renewed insights in such tasks as optimisation, multiple-armed bandits algorithms and sequential designs, and comes nowadays with a solid theoretical underpinning. The KF on the other hand, is the workhorse of the control-engineering, and is for example used as the observer of choice in many state-feedback schemes. It is analysed and found optimal in different settings. Integrating KFs in a modern OML setting would provide new insights and modifications to basic schemes.The particular focus would be how to extend the KF to the case of many variables. Modern techniques of OML have excelled in this topic, while traditional approaches as the KF have not been studied extensively in this regard. practical: This is a full-time funded position covering five years in total. The successful candidate is expected to spend 80% on this research challenge, as well as 20% on assisting in different (under-) graduate courses taught at our division. The deadline for application is April 22 (right after easter). The applicant can start directly after that (in spring 2014). Supervisor for this project is Kristiaan Pelckmans. Do send an email to kp(a)it.uu.se for further enquiries. Swedish citizens are encouraged to apply. A link to the official site of application will be sent out via the same channels in the near future.

March 21, 2014

Lab Manager position at Ohio State

by Dirk Bernhardt-Walther

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sloutsky, Vladimir M. <sloutsky(a)psy.ohio-state.edu> Dirk, Can you please post the position below? Thanks! Vladimir -- Vladimir M. Sloutsky Professor Department of Psychology 239 Psychology Building 1835 Neil Ave. The Ohio State University Columbus, OH 43210 Office: (614)-247-4449 Lab: (614)-688-1235 Home Page: http://cogdev.osu.edu -------------------- Lab Manager/Coordinator Position Available Cognitive Development Laboratory Ohio State University Job Description: The Cognitive Development Laboratory at Ohio State University directed by Dr. Vladimir Sloutsky is looking for highly organized and well-spoken person to serve as a full-time lab manager. We seek a recent college graduate who has majored in psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, or a related field and who is looking for additional research experience before going on to graduate school. The lab conducts research on conceptual development, category learning, and interactions between language and cognition in infants and children. Duties include managing research projects in the lab, creating stimuli, programming experiments, recruiting participants, and testing infant, child, and adult subjects, using behavioral, eye tracking, and ERP methodologies. There is the possibility of becoming a co-author on manuscripts submitted for publication. Administrative duties include recruiting, hiring, and training undergraduate volunteers, managing subject recruitment, purchasing equipment, managing human subject protocols, coordinating lab events and meetings, and general faculty support. This job offers competitive salary (commensurate with experience), health benefits, and a dynamic and intellectually stimulating work environment. Review of applications will start immediately and the position to begin as early as May 2014. A verbal 1-2-year commitment is required. The Ohio State University is a vibrant, research-centered public university, located in Columbus, Ohio. To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter and resume electronically to Priya Patel (patel.1489(a)buckeyemail.osu.edu) Please also be prepared to arrange three letters of recommendation. Specific Responsibilities: · Maintaining participant database. · Managing participant recruitment and participant scheduling. · Overseeing lab organization, including the supervision and training of research assistants. · Conducting research activities, including the development of experimental protocols, submission of IRB forms, and data collection, coding and analysis. · Additional administrative duties include requisition of new equipment and materials, and hardware/software maintenance. Required Experience: · Bachelors degree or equivalent in psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, natural science, or a technical field. · Excellent skills interacting with infants and children as well as teachers and parents, and must be able to supervise undergraduate research assistants. · Experience working with infants or young children and strong interest in cognitive development. · Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and SPSS or equivalent statistical package and willing to learn E-Prime, Matlab, Adobe Director, and File Maker Pro. · Excellent verbal communication skills are essential as duties involve interacting with parents, teachers, and department administrators. · Excellent writing skills. Experience with eye-tracking and/or ERP data acquisition and data analysis is a plus but not required. -- ================================= Dirk Bernhardt-Walther, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology Associate Director, Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences The Ohio State University 200C Lazenby Hall 1835 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH 43210, USA bernhardt-walther.1(a)osu.edu <berhardt-walther.1(a)osu.edu> http://bwlab.psy.ohio-state.edu/

March 20, 2014

Frontiers Research Topic: Memory Processes in Medial Temporal Lobe: Experimental, Theoretical and Computational Approaches

by Vassilis Cutsuridis

Dear colleagues, we would like to inform you that our Research Topic organized with Frontiers in Neuroscience (Host Specialty: Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience) is still open and it will be accepting abstracts till *May 1st, 2014*. Our Research Topic is entitled: "Memory Processes in Medial Temporal Lobe: Experimental, Theoretical and Computational Approaches" Topic Editors: Motoharu Yoshida (University of Bochum) and Vassilis Cutsuridis (Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH)) Important deadlines ---------------------------- Abstract Submission Deadline: *May 1st, 2014* Article Submission Deadline: August 1st, 2014 Research Topic Description ---------------------------------------- The medial temporal lobe (MTL) includes the hippocampus, amygdala and parahippocampal regions, and is crucial for episodic and spatial memory. MTL memory function consists of distinct processes such as encoding, consolidation and retrieval. Encoding is the process by which perceived information is transformed into a memory trace. After encoding, memory traces are stabilized by consolidation. Memory retrieval (recall) refers to the process by which memory traces are reactivated to access information previously encoded and stored in the brain. Although underlying neural mechanisms supporting these distinct functional stages remain largely unknown, recent studies have indicated that distinct oscillatory dynamics, specific neuron types, synaptic plasticity and neuromodulation, play a central role. The theta rhythm is believed to be crucial in the encoding and retrieval of memories. Experimental and computational studies indicate that precise timing of principal cell firing in the hippocampus, relative to the theta rhythm, underlies encoding and retrieval processes. On the other hand, sharp-wave ripples have been implicated in the consolidation through the "replay" of memories in compressed time scales. The neural circuits and cell types supporting memory processes in the MTL areas have only recently been delineated using experimental approaches such as optogenetics, juxtacellular recordings and optical imaging. Principal (excitatory) cells are crucial for encoding, storing and retrieving memories at the cellular level, whereas inhibitory interneurons provide the temporal structures for orchestrating the activities of neuronal populations of principal cells by regulating synaptic integration and timing of action potential generation of principal cells as well as the generation and maintenance of network oscillations (rhythms). In addition, neuromodulators such as acetylcholine alter dynamical properties of neurons and synapses, and modulate oscillatory state and rules of synaptic plasticity and their levels might tune MTL to specific memory processes. The goal of the research topic is to offer a snapshot of the current stateof-the-art on how memories are encoded, consolidated, stored and retrieved in MTL structures. Particularly welcome will be studies (experimental or computational) focusing on the structure and function of neural circuits, their cellular components (principal cell and inhibitory interneurons), synaptic plasticity rules involved in these memory processes, network oscillations such as theta and sharp-wave ripples, and role of neuromodulators. Questions to be addressed: (1) Which areas or pathways within the MTL support encoding/consolidation/retrieval? (2) What neural activity defines specific memory processes? (3) What are the roles of neuromodulators in defining/switching these memory processes? (4) Could the role of synaptic plasticity be different in different memory processes? (5) What functional roles do the various inhibitory interneurons support during the encoding/consolidation/retrieval processes? About Frontiers Research Topics ------------------------------------------------ Frontiers Research Topics are designed to be an organized, encyclopedic coverage of a particular research area, and a forum for discussion and debate. Contributions can be of different article types (Original Research, Methods, Hypothesis & Theory, and others). Our Research Topic has a dedicated homepage on the Frontiers website, where contributing articles are accumulated and discussions can be easily held. Once all articles are published, the topic will be compiled into an e-book, which can be sent to foundations that fund your research, to journalists and press agencies, and to any number of other organizations. As the ultimate reference source from leading scientists, Frontiers Research Topic articles become highly cited. Frontiers is a Swiss-based, open access publisher. As such an article accepted for publication incurs a publishing fee, which varies depending on the article type. The publishing fee for accepted articles is below average compared to most other open access journals - and lower than subscription-based journals that apply page and color figure charges. Moreover, for Research Topic articles, the publishing fee is discounted quite steeply thanks to the support of the Frontiers Research Foundation. Details on Frontiers' fees can be found at http://www.frontiersin.org/about/PublishingFees. When published, your article will be freely available to visitors to the Frontiers site, and will be indexed in PubMed and other academic archives. As an author in Frontiers, you will retain the copyright to your own paper and all figures. The details regarding this Research Topic for Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience can be found at the following URL: http://www.frontiersin.org/systems_neuroscience/researchtopics/memory_proce… Should you choose to participate, please confirm by sending a quick email and then your abstract using the following link: http://www.frontiersin.org/submissioninfo Thanks in advance for your interest! Vassilis Cutsuridis and Motoharu Yoshida --- Vassilis Cutsuridis, PhD IMBB - FORTH Heraklion, Crete Greece

March 20, 2014

NSG provides free access to supercomputers for parallel simulations

by Ted Carnevale

The NSF-supported Neuroscience Gateway (NSG) http://www.nsgportal.org allows computational neuroscientists to run parallel simulations, free of charge, on supercomputers using tools like GENESIS, NEURON, NEST, Brian, and PyNN. Other tools will be added based on users' requests. NSG provides a simple web-based interface that makes it quick and easy to create an account, upload model code, run simulations, and get back results. To get started, go to http://www.nsgportal.org , click on the "Go to the NSG Portal" button, and follow the instructions in the sentence: "New users who are interested in getting an account should fill out the form and email it to nsghelp(a)sdsc.edu" For any questions or suggestions related to the NSG portal, please contact us at nsghelp(a)sdsc.edu The NSG developers team

March 20, 2014

PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience

by Christoph T. Weidemann

Applications are sought for a 3 year, fully-funded PhD position (UK & EU nationals) in the lab of Dr Christoph Weidemann at Swansea University, UK investigating context effects in cognition. The successful student will investigate how environmental statistics affect behaviour in "perceptual" and "recognition memory" tasks using computational modelling and rigorous empirical tests utilising dependent variables from choice responses (such as accuracy and response times) as well as brain activity (measured with EEG). Candidates should have substantial computer programming experience and quantitative skills. Prior experience in collecting / working with EEG data is desirable, but not essential. For more details and to apply: http://www.swan.ac.uk/postgraduate/scholarships/research/psychology-phd-con… For all inquires, contact Dr. Christoph Weidemann: ctw(a)cogsci.info

March 20, 2014

RA position in Computational Tools for Optogenetics

by Nikolic, Konstantin

[Apologies if you get multiple copies of this message] Imperial College London Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Research Associate in Computational Neuroscience Salary Range: £32,750– £34,500 per annum Full Time, fixed-term appointment for 12 months Applications are invited for a BBSRC funded Research Associate post on the development of multiscale computational tools for optogenetics. You will be based in the Centre for Bio-Inspired Technology (CBIT) http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/bioinspiredtechnology, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London. You will work jointly with Dr Konstantin Nikolic (PI, CBIT & Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering) and Dr Simon Schultz (Department of Bioengineering) on the mathematical and computational modeling of optogenetic (light-activated) ion channels (e.g. channelrhodopsin, halorhodopsin, ArchT, etc) and neurons expressing them. For details about the post please see: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AIJ206/research-associate-in-computational-neuros…

March 19, 2014

Call for posters/registration: Fourth International Symposium on Biology of Decision-Making, 26-28 May 2014 @ Paris, France

by Mehdi Khamassi

[Please accept our apologies if you get multiple copies of this message] Dear colleagues, Registration is now open for the Fourth Symposium on Biology of Decision Making which will take place in Paris, France, on May, 26-28th 2014. Online registration is accessible at http://sbdm2014.isir.upmc.fr The deadline for poster submission is on April, 15th. The deadline for registration is on May, 1st. Registration fees (120 euros) include lunches, coffee breaks and access to social events. Please circulate widely and encourage your colleagues to attend. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FOURTH SYMPOSIUM ON BIOLOGY OF DECISION MAKING (SBDM 2014) May 26-28, 2014, Paris, France Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, Hôpital La Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France. & Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. & Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France. http://sbdm2014.isir.upmc.fr ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PRESENTATION: The Fourth Symposium on Biology of Decision Making will take place on May 26-28, 2014 at the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle, 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) Who is making decisions? Cortex or basal ganglia; (#2) New computational approaches to decision-making; (#3) A new player in decision-making: the hippocampus; (#4) Neuromodulation of decision-making; (#5) Maladaptive decisions in clinical conditions; (#6) Who is more rational? Decision making across species. CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Bernard Balleine (Sydney University, Australia) Karim Benchenane (CNRS-ESPCI, France) Roland Benoit (Harvard, USA) Matthew Botvinick (Princeton University, USA) Anne Collins (Brown University, USA) Roshan Cools (Radboud Univ. Nijmegen, The Netherlands) Molly Crockett (UCL, UK) Jean Daunizeau (INSERM-ICM, France) Nathaniel Daw (NYU, USA) Kenji Doya (OIST, Japan) Philippe Faure (CNRS-UPMC, France) Lesley Fellows (McGill University, Canada) Algo Genovesio (Universita La Sapienza, Italy) Tobias Kalenscher (Universität Düsseldorf, Germany) Etienne Koechlin (CNRS-ENS, France) James Marshall (Sheffield University, UK) Genela Morris (Haifa University, Israel) Camilio Padoa-Schioppa (Washington Univ. St Louis, USA) Alex Pouget (Rochester University, USA) Pete Redgrave (Sheffield University, UK) Jonathan Roiser (UCL, UK) Masamichi Sakagami (Tamagawa University, Japan) Daphna Shohamy (Columbia University, USA) Klaas Stephan (Univ. Zurich & ETH Zurich, Switzerland) IMPORTANT DATES: April 15, 2014 Deadline for Poster Submission May 1, 2014 Deadline for Registration May 26-28, 2014 Symposium Venue ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Thomas Boraud (CNRS, Bordeaux, France) Sacha Bourgeois-Gironde (La Sorbonne, Paris, 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://sbdm2014.isir.upmc.fr Contact: sbdm2014 [ at ] isir.upmc.fr Questions about registration: sbdm2014-registration [ at ] isir.upmc.fr -- Mehdi Khamassi, PhD Researcher (CNRS) Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (UMR7222) CNRS - Université Pierre et Marie Curie Pyramide, Tour 55 - Boîte courrier 173 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France tel: + 33 1 44 27 28 85 fax: +33 1 44 27 51 45 cell: +33 6 50 76 44 92 http://people.isir.upmc.fr/khamassi -- Mehdi Khamassi, PhD Researcher (CNRS) Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (UMR7222) CNRS - Université Pierre et Marie Curie Pyramide, Tour 55 - Boîte courrier 173 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France tel: + 33 1 44 27 28 85 fax: +33 1 44 27 51 45 cell: +33 6 50 76 44 92 http://people.isir.upmc.fr/khamassi

March 18, 2014

Frontiers Computational Neuroscience call for papers on "Integrating computational and neural findings in visual object perception"

by Peters J (PSYCHOLOGY)

Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, special issue on "Integrating computational and neural findings in visual object perception" http://www.frontiersin.org/computational_neuroscience/researchtopics/integr… Abstract submission deadline: Apr 1st 2014 Full paper submission deadline: June 1st 2014 Topic editors: Judith Peters Maastricht University / The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, The Netherlands Hans Op De Beeck University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium Rainer Goebel Maastricht University / The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, The Netherlands The advent of new imaging techniques such as ultra-high field fMRI and advanced multi-unit recordings provide insights into large-scale neural activation patterns underlying visual object perception with unprecedented detail. In parallel, innovative neuroscientific applications of machine learning and computational methods, including various encoding and decoding methods (Miyawaki et al., 2008; Naselaris et al., 2011), representational similarity analysis (Kriegeskorte et al., 2008; Op de Beeck et al., 2001), and hyperalignment (Haxby et al., 2011) have been developed, offering novel opportunities to tackle longstanding questions concerning the neural correlates of object representations (e.g., DiCarlo et al., 2012; Marr, 1982; Biederman, 1987). Likewise, new techniques to integrate simulated and empirical data (e.g., Braet, Kubilius, Wagemans, & Op de Beeck, in press; Peters et al., 2012, 2010; Goebel & De Weerd 2009) allow direct testing of neural findings against predictions of various computational object perception models, which may facilitate the incremental, cross-fertilized development of both biologically-validated machine vision models as well as computationally interpretable empirical models of neural object perception. The aim of this Research Topic is to provide a forum for state-of-the-art research integrating computational and empirical approaches to study the neural mechanisms underlying visual object perception as it is observed behaviorally in humans as well as other animals, including nonhuman primates and rodents. We welcome contributions addressing computational mechanisms underlying object perception related - but not limited - to key questions such as: * What is the nature of neural object representations (e.g., the degree of invariance, sparseness) and how do these representations change across different processing stages? * How are object features (e.g., Tanaka, 1996) computationally integrated into coherent object representations? * How do object representations in the ventral visual system allow invariant recognition without losing specificity to distinguish between similar exemplars? * How are object representations read-out by higher-order areas (e.g., hippocampus and prefrontal cortex), and how do current task instructions (e.g., between- versus within-category discrimination) or past experiences influence this read-out? * How are object perception mechanisms shaped by experience and development? * How can we optimally compare computer vision models to empirically-derived neural models based on human or animal object perception? Pre-submission inquiries can be sent to Judith Peters ( j.peters(a)maastrichtuniversity.nl<mailto:j.peters@maastrichtuniversity.nl>). All articles become freely available upon publication and benefit from the unique marketing tools developed by Frontiers. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Judith Peters (PhD) Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht University Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Neuroimaging and Neuromodeling group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam

March 18, 2014

Open Frontiers in neuroRobotics Research Topic

by Ajaz Ahmad Bhat

A new research topic in Frontiers in NeuroRobotics "Motor cognition in animals and animates: Melting Neuroscience with Embodied Robotics" is open for abstracts submission. Emerging trends in motor neuroscience now provide converging evidence for this perspective and substantiate the fact that action 'generation, observation, imagination and understanding' share underlying functional networks in the brain. In this sense, overt actions are just the tip of an iceberg: under the surface is hidden a vast territory of actions without movements (covert actions). Unravelling and unifying the neural/computational basis of such mechanisms is the essence of motor cognition. This Research Topic looks for novel insights that can help "melting" the gap between "how the brains do it" and how we can create "better artifacts i.e. autonomous robotic assistants" that can intelligently and dexterously support us in the worlds that we inhabit and create. Full details are: http://www.frontiersin.org/Neurorobotics/researchtopics/Motor_cognition_in_… Best regards, Ajaz Bhat PhD-Fellow ajaz.bhat(a)iit.it<mailto:ajaz.bhat@iit.it>

March 18, 2014

cybernetics in the brain

by Danko Nikolic

Dear members, I would like to bring to your attention a newly available manuscript that dives into the mind-body problem using the approaches of cybernetics. The proposed theory describes the interaction between neurons, plasticity, genetics, and other biological phenomena in terms of feedback loops closed with the environment. This effort has a wonderful result: One can identify a missing component of today's brain theories--a component that is the "missing link" for explaining how mental phenomena emerge from physical events, and which is a result that could not be obtained with the classical "representational" approach. Those who intend to take a look at the manuscript, be prepare to think about neuronal activity differently than you are used to. You will need to make mental images of closed feedback loops, systems permeable to their environments at all levels of their organization, and components controlling properties of other components. You will also need to exercise the thoughts of certain components located low on the hierarchy, such as genes, induce cybernetic knowledge of other components located higher on the hierarchy, such as the sensory-motor loops. The manuscript provides a general theory of what it takes for such adaptive systems to achieve biological-like intelligent behavior. The paper is available at arXiv.org <http://arXiv.org> but it can also be downloaded from my website: http://www.danko-nikolic.com/practopoiesis/ Also, the manuscript has began its search for a home in a journal. (It will need some luck, so you may well wish it a good luck.) Suggestions for improvements and feedback are most welcome. With warm greetings from Germany, Danko -- Danko Nikolic, Ph.D. Web: http://www.danko-nikolic.com Mail address 1: Department of Neurophysiology Max Planck Institut for Brain Research Deutschordenstr. 46 60528 Frankfurt am Main GERMANY Mail address 2: Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies Wolfgang Goethe University Ruth-Moufang-Str. 1 60433 Frankfurt am Main GERMANY ---------------------------- Office: (..49-69) 96769-736 Lab: (..49-69) 96769-209 Fax: (..49-69) 96769-327 danko.nikolic(a)gmail.com ----------------------------

March 17, 2014

postdoc in social learning in Collective Decision-making

by Peter Latham

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London. The postdoc will be jointly supervised by Peter Latham (Gatsby Unit) and Bahador Bahrami (Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience). The goal of the project is to develop and test computational models of social learning and collective decision-making. This will build on our previous work in collective decision-making (Bahrami et al: Science 329:1081-1085, 2010; J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 38:3–8, 2012; Phil Trans R Soc B 367:1350-1365, 2012), and will form the basis of model-based fMRI analysis. Salary: £32,699 - £39,523 per year Duties and Responsibilities: The successful candidate will carry out research in the area of social collective decision-making and emergent crowd behaviour, with specific focus on computational and social/cognitive neuroscience. S/he will develop and test computational models of social learning and collective decision-making, implement and run behavioural experiments, perform analysis of data, and prepare reports of the research for publication in peer reviewed international scientific journals. The work will require a strong computational background, and the successful candidate should have a reasonable subset of the following: - PhD (or close to a PhD) in computer science, computational neuroscience, or cognitive neuroscience. - Knowledge of computational neuroscience, behavioural economics, or big-data analysis. - Experience in statistics or machine learning. - Experience in the analysis of behavioural and functional imaging data. - Programming skills in MATLAB or similar languages. - Effective written and verbal communication skills. - Experience working in a research environment. - Ability and/or experience in programming web-based and smartphone applications. If interested, send a CV and a very brief cover letter to Bahador Bahrami <bbahrami(a)gmail.com>

March 17, 2014

PhD in image analysis for behavioural tracking

by Mark Humphries

Posted on behalf of Dr Robyn Grant: Applications are sought for a 3 year, fully-funded PhD position (UK & EU nationals) in the lab of Dr Robyn Grant at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. Title: "Indicators of Neurodegenerative Disease revealed through Animal Behaviour: open source toolbox development for measurement of disease progression." Summary: A multi-disciplinary project developing image analysis tools for objective, non-invasive assessment of animal behaviour. In particular, the project will focus on developing methods to quantify changes in patterns of locomotion and whisker movements resulting from neurodegenerative disorders such as Motor Neuron Disease, Huntingdon's Disease and ageing. Candidates must have good programming skills (e.g. Matlab) and a strong motivation for research. Expertise of developing image analysis algorithms would be desirable, with an interest in animal behavior. The student will also receive training on image processing techniques and software development, alongside collecting animal behavior data. For more details and to apply: http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=53553&LID=1837 For all inquiries, contact Dr Robyn Grant: Robyn.Grant(a)mmu.ac.uk -- Dr M D Humphries MRC Senior Non-Clinical Research Fellow @ Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, UK Honorary Research Fellow @ Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, UK http://www.systemsneurophysiologylab.ls.manchester.ac.uk/

March 17, 2014

two listings

by Levin Kuhlmann

Dear comp-neuro, I have two submissions for listing on comp-neuro. They are pasted below. Cheers, Levin Kuhlmann, PhD Centre for Neural Engineering Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering The University of Melbourne Parkville VIC 3010 & Brain Dynamics Lab Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre Swinburne University of Technology Hawthorn VIC 3122 Australia Ph: +61412552283 Email: levink(a)unimelb.edu.au<mailto:levink@unimelb.edu.au> Submission 1: 10 PhD scholarships in the ARC Training Centre in Biodevices The ARC Training Centre in Biodevices at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne Australia has 10 PhD scholarships on offer for motivated and capable students to enter its advanced PhD program designed to develop future leaders in the medical device industry. Participants will be outstanding students drawn from the disciplines of engineering, science, medicine, design and ICT, or recent graduates with relevant business or technology innovation experience. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a structured three year PhD program that links their core research activities with skills development in areas relevant to the medical device industry. Students will spend at least one third of their time within industry environments. In addition, students will also have the opportunity to take units from Swinburneâ€™s Masters in Entrepreneurship and Innovation during their first year. With respect to neural engineering, potential projects lie in the applications of the development of software and/or hardware for electroencephalography-based depth of anaesthesia monitoring, such as dry electrodes, or the development of implantable bionic devices to better diagnose and treat epilepsy. Information can be found at the following links: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/biodevices/ http://www.swinburne.edu.au/science-engineering-technology/biodevices/postg… The deadline to apply is March 31st 2014. International students are required to sit an IELTS test (or equivalent, e.g. TOEFL) with an average band score of at least 6.5, with no band less than 6.0. Swinburne also strongly encourages minorities and women to apply. Interested applicants should email Prof. David T. J. Liley at dliley(at) swin.edu.au. -- Prof David Liley ARC Training Centre in Biodevices and Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre Swinburne University of Technology P.O. Box 218 Hawthorn VIC 3122 Australia ph: +61 3 9214 8812 Submission 2: Seeking PhD student to study human brain networks underlying anaesthesia and consciousness The Brain Dynamics Unit in the Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre at the Swinburne University of Technology is seeking a motivated and capable PhD student to work on the functional neuroimaging of anaesthetic action. The planned project, to be performed in collaboration with anaesthetists, will involve the administration of the dissociative anaesthetic agents xenon (a noble gas) and nitrous oxide ('laughing gas') to healthy participants while simultaneous MEG and EEG is recorded. The induced changes in the functional architecture of the recorded electromagnetic activity will then be characterised using a range of existing and to be developed information theoretic, graph theoretic and non-linear methods. Attempts to account for any induced changes in terms of mean field/mass action models of brain electrical activity will be investigated. The dissociative anaesthetic agents are of particular interest because they are reported to increase activity in the brain in addition to targeting glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of psychiatric and neurological disorders. The position is suitable for those entering the field of neuroscience from other appropriate backgrounds - e.g., from theoretical physics - since comprehensive skills in applied mathematics and scientific programming are required. In this case the necessary neuroscience training will be provided "on the job" during the first year. Interested applicants should have a strong background in any of the following disciplines: theoretical physics, mathematics, biomedical or electrical engineering or quantitative biology. A first class honours degree or equivalent is required with proficiency in more than one of the following: C, Fortran, Python or Matlab Researchers in the unit, led by Prof David Liley, have developed a physiologically motivated theory of the dynamical genesis of the electroencephalogram (EEG). The model accounts for the rhythms of the human EEG and predicts their alteration by a range of pharmaceutical agents, in particular that of anaesthetic and sedative agents. Numerical solutions of the model's coupled set of non-linear partial differential equations have revealed spatio-temporal structures similar to those observed in experiment. It is hoped that this model can contribute to our understanding of how anaesthetic agents modulate brain activity. The Brain Dynamics group is part of the Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), a vibrant, multi-disciplinary team of researchers whose expertise spans several different fields that include physics, psychology, psychophysiology, biophysics and the neurosciences. The BPsyC has among the most comprehensive suite of functional neuroimaging facilities available in Australia. These facilities include a 306 channel Elekta TRIUX MEG system, a Siemens 3T TIM Trio MRI and multiple high density EEG systems. A range of scholarships for national and international students are available, at up AUD 24,653 per year for three and a half years, tax-free. The deadline for applications is the 30th May 2014. More details on the application process can be found at http://www.research.swinburne.edu.au/research-students/scholarships/. International students are required to sit an IELTS test (or equivalent, e.g. TOEFL) with an average band score of at least 6.5, with no band less than 6.0. Swinburne also strongly encourages minorities and women to apply. Interested applicants should email Prof. David T. J. Liley at dliley(at) swin.edu.au. -- Prof David Liley Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre Swinburne University of Technology P.O. Box 218 Hawthorn VIC 3122 Australia ph: +61 3 9214 8812

March 16, 2014

Cognitive Computation journal (Springer): Table of Contents, Vol.6, No.1 / Mar 2014 Issue

by Dr Amir Hussain

Dear Colleagues: (with advance apologies for any cross-postings) We are delighted to announce the publication of Volume 6, No.1 / March 2014 Issue, of Springer's Cognitive Computation journal - www.springer.com/12559 The individual list of published articles (Table of Contents) for this Issue can be viewed here (and also at the end of this message, followed by an overview of the previous Issues/Archive listings): http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/6/1/ You may also be interested in the journal's Seminal Special Issue (Sep 2013 Issue): In Memory of John G Taylor: A Polymath Scholar, by Guest Editors: Vassilis Cutsuridis and Amir Hussain (the Guest Editorial is available here: http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs12559-013-9226-z.pdf and full listing of articles can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/3/page/1) A list of the journal's most downloaded articles (which can always be read for FREE) can be found here: http://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/journal/12559?hideChart=1#realt… Other 'Online First' published articles not yet in a print issue can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/121361/?Content+Status=Accepted All previous Volumes and Issues of the journal can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/volumesAndIssues/12559 ======================================================= NEW: ISI Impact Factor for Cognitive Computation of 0.867 for 2012 (5 year IF: 1.137) ======================================================= As you will know, Cognitive Computation was selected for coverage in Thomson Reuter’s products and services in 2011. Beginning with V.1 (1) 2009, this publication is now indexed and abstracted in: ♦ Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch®) ♦ Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition ♦ Current Contents®/Engineering Computing and Technology ♦ Neuroscience Citation Index® Cognitive Computation also received its first Impact Factor of 1.0 (Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports® 2011) in 2011 0.867(Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports® 2011) in 2012 ============================================ Reminder: New Cognitive Computation "LinkedIn" Group: ============================================ To further strengthen the bonds amongst the interdisciplinary audience of Cognitive Computation, we have set-up a "Cognitive Computation LinkedIn group", which has over 700 members already! We warmly invite you to join us at: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3155048 For further information on the journal and to sign up for electronic "Table of Contents alerts" please visit the Cognitive Computation homepage: http://www.springer.com/12559 or follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/CognComput for the latest On-line First Issues. For any questions with regards to LinkedIn and/or Twitter, please contact Springer's Publishing Editor: Dr. Martijn Roelandse: martijn.roelandse(a)springer.com Finally, we would like to invite you to submit short or regular papers describing original research or timely review of important areas - our aim is to peer review all papers within approximately six-eight weeks of receipt. We also welcome relevant high quality proposals for Special Issues - five are already planned for 2014-15 (for CFPs, see: http://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/journal/12559?detailsPage=press ) With our very best wishes to all aspiring readers and authors of Cognitive Computation, Professor Amir Hussain, PhD (Editor-in-Chief: Cognitive Computation) E-mail: ahu(a)cs.stir.ac.uk (University of Stirling, Scotland, UK) Professor Igor Aleksander, PhD (Honorary Editor-in-Chief: Cognitive Computation) (Imperial College, London, UK) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents Alert -- Cognitive Computation Vol 6 No 1, Mar 2014 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Computational Cognitive Model of Information Search in Textual Materials Myriam Chanceaux , Anne Guérin-Dugué , Benoît Lemaire & Thierry Baccino http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-012-9200-1 Artificial Development of Biologically Plausible Neural-Symbolic Networks Joe Townsend , Ed Keedwell & Antony Galton http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9217-0 BrainSpace: Relating Neuroscience to Knowledge About Everyday Life Newton Howard & Henry Lieberman http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-012-9171-2 Taxonomical Associative Memory Diogo Rendeiro , João Sacramento & Andreas Wichert http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-012-9198-4 Searching the Hyper-heuristic Design Space Jerry Swan , John Woodward , Ender Özcan , Graham Kendall & Edmund Burke http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9201-8 Analogical Mapping with Sparse Distributed Memory: A Simple Model that Learns to Generalize from Examples Blerim Emruli & Fredrik Sandin http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9206-3 Characteristic Analysis of Bioinspired Pod Structure Robotic Configurations Azfar Khalid , Samir Mekid & Aamir Hussain http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9210-7 A Multimodal Connectionist Architecture for Unsupervised Grounding of Spatial Language Michal Vavrečka & Igor Farkaš http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9212-5 Toward a Formal, Visual Framework of Emergent Cognitive Development of Scholars Amir Hussain & Muaz Niazi http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9219-y Region-Based Artificial Visual Attention in Space and Time Jan Tünnermann & Bärbel Mertsching http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12559-013-9220-5 --------------------------------------------------- Previous Issues/Archive: Overview: --------------------------------------------------- All previous Volumes and Issues can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/volumesAndIssues/12559 Alternatively, the full listing of the Inaugural Vol. 1, No. 1 / March 2009, can be viewed here (which included invited authoritative reviews by leading researchers in their areas - including keynote papers from London University's John Taylor, Igor Aleksander and Stanford University's James McClelland, and invited papers from Ron Sun, Pentti Haikonen, Geoff Underwood, Kevin Gurney, Claudius Gross, Anil Seth and Tom Ziemke): http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/1/ The full listing of Vol. 1, No. 2 / June 2009, can be viewed here (which included invited reviews and original research contributions from leading researchers, including Rodney Douglas, Giacomo Indiveri, Jurgen Schmidhuber, Thomas Wennekers, Pentti Kanerva and Friedemann Pulvermuller): http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/2/ The full listing of Vol.1, No. 3 / Sep 2009, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/3/ The full listing of Vol. 1, No. 4 / Dec 2009, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/1/4/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 1 / March 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/1/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 2 / June 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/2/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 3 / Aug 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/3/ The full listing of Vol.2, No. 4 / Dec 2010, can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/2/4/ The full listing of Vol.3, No.1 / Mar 2011 (Special Issue on: Saliency, Attention, Active Visual Search and Picture Scanning, edited by John Taylor and Vassilis Cutsuridis), can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/1/ The Guest Editorial can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/hu2245056415633l/ The full listing of Vol.3, No.2 / June 2011 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/2/ The full listing of Vol. 3, No. 3 / Sep 2011 (Special Issue on: Cognitive Behavioural Systems, Guest Edited by: Anna Esposito, Alessandro Vinciarelli, Simon Haykin, Amir Hussain and Marcos Faundez-Zanuy), can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/3/ The Guest Editorial for the special issue can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/h4718567520t2h84/ The full listing of Vol. 3, No. 4 / Dec 2011 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/3/4/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.1 / Mar 2012 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/4/1/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.2 / June 2012 can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/4/2/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.3 / Sep 2012 (Special Issue on: Computational Creativity, Intelligence and Autonomy, Edited by: J. Mark Bishop and Yasemin J. Erden) can be viewed here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-9956/4/3/ The full listing of Vol. 4, No.4 / Dec 2012 (Special Issue titled: "Cognitive & Emotional Information Processing", Edited by: Stefano Squartini, Björn Schuller and Amir Hussain, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/4/4/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.1 / March 2013 Special Issue titled: Computational Intelligence and Applications Guest Editors: Zhigang Zeng & Haibo He, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/1/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.2 / June 2013 Special Issue titled: Advances on Brain Inspired Computing, Guest Editors: Stefano Squartini, Sanqing Hu & Qingshan Liu, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/2/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.3 / Sep 2013 Special Issue titled: In Memory of John G Taylor: A Polymath Scholar, Guest Editors: Vassilis Cutsuridis & Amir Hussain, which is followed by a number of regular papers), can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/3/page/1 The full listing of Vol. 5, No.4 / Dec 2013, which includes regular papers (including an invited paper by Professor Ron Sun, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA, titled: Moral Judgment, Human Motivation, and Neural Networks), and a Special Issue titled: Advanced Cognitive Systems Based on Nonlinear Analysis. Guest Editors: Carlos M. Travieso and Jesús B. Alonso, can be viewed here: http://link.springer.com/journal/12559/5/4/page/1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The University of Stirling is ranked in the top 50 in the world in The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 table, which ranks the world's best 100 universities under 50 years old. The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159. -- The University of Stirling has been ranked in the top 12 of UK universities for graduate employment*. 94% of our 2012 graduates were in work and/or further study within six months of graduation. *The Telegraph The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.

March 15, 2014

Deadline extension, April 12 || ADVCOMP 2014 || August 24 - 28, 2014 - Rome, Italy

by Cristina Pascual

INVITATION: ================= Please consider to contribute to and/or forward to the appropriate groups the following opportunity to submit and publish original scientific results to ADVCOMP 2014. The submission deadline is April 12, 2014. Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended article versions to one of the IARIA Journals: http://www.iariajournals.org ================= ============== ADVCOMP 2014 | Call for Papers =============== CALL FOR PAPERS, TUTORIALS, PANELS ADVCOMP 2014, The Eighth International Conference on Advanced Engineering Computing and Applications in Sciences August 24 - 28, 2014 - Rome, Italy Submission page: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/SubmitADVCOMP14.html General page: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/ADVCOMP14.html Call for Papers: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/CfPADVCOMP14.html Contributions: - regular papers - short papers (work in progress) - posters - ideas - presentations - demos - doctoral forum submissions Proposals for: - symposia - workshops Submission deadline: April 12, 2014 Sponsored by IARIA, www.iaria.org Extended versions of selected papers will be published in IARIA Journals: http://www.iariajournals.org Print proceedings will be available via Curran Associates, Inc.: http://www.proceedings.com/9769.html Articles will be archived in the free access ThinkMind Digital Library: http://www.thinkmind.org The topics suggested by the conference can be discussed in term of concepts, state of the art, research, standards, implementations, running experiments, applications, and industrial case studies. Authors are invited to submit complete unpublished papers, which are not under review in any other conference or journal in the following, but not limited to, topic areas. All tracks are open to both research and industry contributions, in terms of Regular papers, Posters, Work in progress, Technical/marketing/business presentations, Demos, Tutorials, and Panels. Before submission, please check and conform with the Editorial rules: http://www.iaria.org/editorialrules.html ADVCOMP 2014 Topics (topics and submission details: see CfP on the site) Advances on computing theories Finite-state machines; Petri nets /stochastic/colored/probabilistic/etc; Genetic algorithms; Machine learning theory; Prediction theory; Bayesian theory /statistics/filtering/estimation/reasoning/rating/etc; Markov chains/process/model/etc; Graphs theories Advances in computation methods Hybrid computational methods; Advanced numerical algorithms; Differential calculus; Matrix perturbation theory; Rare matrices; Fractals & super-fractal algorithms; Random graph dynamics; Multi-dimensional harmonic estimation Computational logics Knowledge-based systems and automated reasoning; Logical issues in knowledge representation /non-monotonic reasoning/belief; Specification and verification of programs and systems; Applications of logic in hardware and VLSI; Natural language, concurrent computation, planning; Deduction and reasoning; Logic of computation; Dempster-Shafer theory; Fuzzy theory/computation/logic/etc Advances on computing mechanisms Clustering large and high dimensional data; Data fusion and aggregation; Biological sequence analysis; Biomecatronics mechanisms; Biologically inspired mechanisms; System theory and control mechanisms; Multi-objective evolutionary algorithms; Constraint-based algorithms; Ontology-based reasoning; Topology and structure patterns; Geometrical pattern similarity; Strong and weak symmetry; Distortion in coordination mechanisms Computing techniques Distributed computing; Parallel computing; Grid computing; Autonomic computing; Cloud computing; Development of numerical and scientific software-based systems; Pattern-based computing; Finite-element method computation; Elastic models; Optimization techniques; Simulation techniques; Stream-based computing Resource intensive applications and services (RIAS) Fundamentals on RIAS; Basic algorithms for RIAS; Communications intensive; Process intensive; Data-intensive computing; Operational intensive; Cloud-computing intensiveness; User intensive; Technology intensive; Control intensive; Complex RIAS; Bioinformatics computation; Large scale ehealth systems; Pharmaceutical/drug computation; Weather forecast computation; Earthquake simulations; Geo-spatial simulations; Spatial programs; Real-time manufacturing systems; Transportation systems; Avionic systems; Economic/financial systems; Electric-power systems Computational geometry Theoretical computational geometry; Applied computational geometry; Design and analysis of geometric algorithms; Design and analysis of geometric algorithms and data structures; Discrete and combinatorial geometry and topology; Data structures (Voronoi Diagrams, Delaunay triangulations, etc.); Experimental evaluation of geometric algorithms and heuristics; Numerical performance of geometric algorithms; Geometric computations in parallel and distributed environments; Geometric data structures for mesh generation; Geometric methods in computer graphics; Solid modeling; Space Partitioning; Special applications (animation of geometric algorithms, manufacturing, computer graphics and image processing, computer-aided geometry design, solid geometry) Interdisciplinary computing Computational /physics, chemistry, biology/ algorithms; Graph-based modeling and algorithms; Computational methods for /crystal, protein/ structure prediction; Computation for multi-material structure; Modeling and simulation of large deformations and strong shock waves; Computation in solid mechanics; Remote geo-sensing; Interdisciplinary computing in music and arts Cloud computing Hardware-as-a-service; Software-as-a-service [SaaS applicaitions]; Platform-as-service; On-demand computing models; Cloud Computing programming and application development; Scalability, discovery of services and data in Cloud computing infrastructures; Privacy, security, ownership and reliability issues; Performance and QoS; Dynamic resource provisioning; Power-efficiency and Cloud computing; Load balancing; Application streaming; Cloud SLAs, business models and pricing policies; Custom platforms; Large-scale compute infrastructures; Managing applications in the clouds; Data centers; Process in the clouds; Content and service distribution in Cloud computing infrastructures; Multiple applications can run on one computer (virtualization a la VMWare); Grid computing (multiple computers can be used to run one application); Cloud-computing vendor governance and regulatory compliance Grid Networks, Services and Applications GRID theory, frameworks, methodologies, architecture, ontology; GRID infrastructure and technologies; GRID middleware; GRID protocols and networking; GRID computing, utility computing, autonomic computing, metacomputing; Programmable GRID; Data GRID; Context ontology and management in GRIDs; Distributed decisions in GRID networks; GRID services and applications; Virtualization, modeling, and metadata in GRID; Resource management, scheduling, and scalability in GRID; GRID monitoring, control, and management; Traffic and load balancing in GRID; User profiles and priorities in GRID; Performance and security in GRID systems; Fault tolerance, resilience, survivability, robustness in GRID; QoS/SLA in GRID networks; GRID fora, standards, development, evolution; GRID case studies, validation testbeds, prototypes, and lessons learned Computing in Virtualization-based environments Principles of virtualization; Virtualization platforms; Thick and thin clients; Data centers and nano-centers; Open virtualization format; Orchestration of virtualization across data centers; Dynamic federation of compute capacity; Dynamic geo-balancing; Instant workload migration; Virtualization-aware storage; Virtualization-aware networking; Virtualization embedded-software-based smart mobile phones; Trusted platforms and embedded supervisors for security; Virtualization management operations /discovery, configuration, provisioning, performance, etc.; Energy optimization and saving for green datacenters; Virtualization supporting cloud computing; Applications as pre-packaged virtual machines; Licencing and support policies Development of computing support Computing platforms; Advanced scientific computing; Support for scientific problem-solving; Support for distributed decisions; Agent-assisted workflow support; Middleware computation support; High performance computing; Problem solving environments; Computational science and education; Neuronal networks Computing applications in science Advanced computing in civil engineering; Advanced computing in physics science; Advanced computing in chemistry science; Advanced computing in mathematics; Advanced computing in operation research; Advanced computing in economics; Advanced computing in electronics and electrical science; Advanced computing on Earth science, geosciences and meteorology Complex computing in application domains Computation genomic; Management of scientific data and knowledge; Advanced computing in bioinformatics and biophysics; Advanced computing in molecular systems and biological systems; Application of engineering methods to genetics; Medical computation and graphics; Advanced computing in simulation systems; Advanced computing for statistics and optimization; Advanced computing in mechanics and quantum mechanics; Advanced computing for geosciences and meteorology; Maps and geo-images building; Curve and surface reconstruction; Financial computing and forecasting; Advanced computing in robotics and manufacturing; Advanced computing in power systems; Environmental advanced computing --------------------------------- Committee: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2014/ComADVCOMP14.html ADVCOMP Advisory Chairs Chih-Cheng Hung, Southern Polytechnic State University, USA Juha R�ning, Oulu University, Finland Sigeru Omatu, Osaka Institute of Technology, Japan Erich Schweighofer, University of Vienna, Austria Paul Humphreys, University of Ulster, UK Danny Krizanc, Wesleyan University, USA Ivan Rodero, Rutgers University - Piscataway, USA Ali Shawkat, CQ University of Australia - North Rockhampton, Australia George Spanoudakis, City University London, UK Vladimir Vlassov, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden Jerry Trahan, Louisiana State University, USA Dean Vucinic, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium Rudolf Berrendorf, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University, Germany Wenbing Zhao, Cleveland State University, USA Camelia Mu�oz-Caro, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain Laurent R�veill�re, Bordeaux Institute of Technology, France Ewa Grabska, Jagiellonian University - Krakow, Poland ADVCOMP Industry/Research Chairs Jorge Ejarque Artigas, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Spain Helmut Reiser, Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ)-Garching, Germany H. Metin Aktulga, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, USA Sameh Elnikety, Microsoft Research, USA Umar Farooq, Amazon.com - Seattle, USA Dmitry Fedosov, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Germany Alice Koniges, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory/NERSC, USA Markus Kunde, German Aerospace Center & Helmholtz Association - Cologne, Germany Peter M�ller, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory- R�schlikon, Switzerland Simon Tsang, Applied Communication Sciences - Piscataway, USA Anna Schwanengel, Siemens AG, Germany Christoph Fuenfzig, Fraunhofer ITWM, Germany ADVCOMP Publicity Chairs Marie Lluberes, University of Puerto Rico at Mayag�ez, USA Sascha Opletal, University of Stuttgart, Germany �lvaro Navas, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain Iwona Ryszka, Jagiellonian University - Krakow, Poland ================================================

March 14, 2014

Organismal Assistant Professor of Biology Position

by Weaver, Adam L

Dear Colleagues, I respectfully submit an advertisement below for an organismal biologist in our department of Biology. The job description and method of application are described below. Please share with suitable candidates. Thank you, Adam Weaver ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Adam L. Weaver, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biology Phone: (802) 654-2624 Saint Michael’s College (Office: Cheray 313E) FAX: (802) 654-2236 One Winooski Park, Box 283 Email: AWeaver2(a)smcvt.edu<mailto:AWeaver2@smcvt.edu> Colchester, VT 05439 Web: http://academics.smcvt.edu/aweaver2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This job opportunity has been sent to you through Saint Michael's College Careers. Please click here<http://smcvt.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=47078&type=7> to view the posting and to apply online. If your email system does not support links, please cut and paste the following text in a web browser: http://smcvt.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=47078&type=7 Specifically we are seeking an excellent educator whose research interests and training will lend themselves to serving the growing number of Biology majors interested in the health care professions. This is a tenure track position with a Fall 2014 start date. Full posting follows: Assistant Professor of Biology Category: Faculty Department: Biology Locations: Colchester, VT Posted: Mar 03, '14 Type: Full-time About Saint Michael's College : At Saint Michael’s College students are challenged to do their best, find their niche, take on opportunities to grow, and immerse themselves in academic pursuits. A residential Catholic college, Saint Michael’s is steeped in the social justice spirit of its founding priests, the Edmundites. Saint Michael’s is located three miles from Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top 10 college towns. Headed by President John J. Neuhauser, the college has 1,900 undergraduate students and 500 graduate students. A Phi Beta Kappa institution, Saint Michael’s also features an extraordinary Wilderness Program and rare Fire & Rescue Squad, both of which other colleges use as models. Identified by the Princeton Review, 2014 as one of the nation’s Best 378 Colleges, and included in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014, Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Goldwater, Pickering, Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other awards. The college is one of the nation's top-100, Best Liberal Arts Colleges as listed in the 2014 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Job Description: The Department of Biology at Saint Michael’s College invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position for an assistant professor of biology starting in the 2014-2015 academic year. The successful candidate will be expected to participate in the team teaching of introductory biology and to teach upper-level lecture and laboratory courses in the areas of human anatomy and physiology thus enhancing the department’s offerings for students interested in post-graduate opportunities in health care. Advising students pursuing careers in the health professions will become part of this new faculty member’s role. The successful candidate must also maintain a productive scholarship program focusing on research at the organismal level providing opportunities for student involvement. For example, focus areas of scholarship could include, but are not limited to the following (listed in alphabetical order, not in order of preference): anatomy, biomechanics, developmental biology, embryology, kinesiology, functional morphology, neurobiology, physiology, or vertebrate evolution. Please note however that the Biology Department does not have facilities to maintain live mammals. Research programs strictly at the population or cell and molecular levels are not compatible with this position. Requirements: * Ph.D. in biology or related organismal field * College-level teaching experience * Promising record of scholarship * Willingness to participate as part of a team of colleagues with the primary focus being the learning and development of our students * Direct experience in the health care industry or in advising pre-health students would be valued An offer of employment will be contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Additional Information: Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to innovative undergraduate teaching and be able to apply appropriate technology to the teaching & learning process. Candidates should be supportive of the mission of this Catholic, residential, liberal arts college with an undergraduate enrollment of 2,000 students. Saint Michael’s College is committed to fostering and affirming an inclusive, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment for its students, faculty, and staff. Applicants are invited to discuss how they might contribute to this diversity in their cover letter. Application Instructions: Please be prepared to attach the following documents after clicking on Apply Now button. * Cover letter, including statement of teaching philosophy, research objectives, and addressing the balance between teaching and research at an undergraduate liberal arts institution. * Research statement detailing the fit of your program of scholarship in the context of a small liberal arts college and how undergraduate students will participate in your research. * Curriculum vitae, including names and contact information of at least three references. Finalists will be contacted before we contact referees.

March 13, 2014

Postdoc: color neurophysiology, modeling and vision prosthesis, SUNY, New York City

by Youping Xiao

A NIH-supported postdoctoral position is available immediately for studying the processing of color information in primate cortex, and applying optogentics to vision prosthesis. The projects is under the direction of Dr. Youping Xiao at State University of New York - Downstate Medical Center, New York, New York. We employ a multidisciplinary approach, including optical imaging of intrinsic signal and voltage-sensitive dye, multi-channel single-unit recording, optogentics, neuroanatomy, advanced statistical analysis, and modeling. Our current research focuses on the population based representation of color or other information, functional connectivity between neurons, neural circuitry for color perception, and the development of cortical vision prosthesis using optogenetics. For further information about the Xiao Lab see http://www.downstate.edu/ophthalmology/faculty/xiao.html. The candidate should have a doctoral degree in any field of natural science or engineering with experience in working on electrophysiology, neural network, neuroimaging. A strong quantitative background and experience in programming (Matlab, C/C++, or Python) is preferred. Interested individuals should send a statement of interests, CV, 2-3 letters of reference, PDFs of representative publications, and the expected date of availability to Dr. Xiao (youping.xiao(a)downstate.edu) State University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Best, Youping Xiao, PhD Associate Professor Department of Ophthalmology SUNY Downstate Medical Center 450 Clarkson Avenue, MSC 58 Room BSB 6-30 Brooklyn, NY 11203 phone: 718-270-3900 fax: 718-270-2972

March 13, 2014

Postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience at IIT-CNCS - Laboratory of Neural Computation, Rovereto, Italy

by Stefano Panzeri

Postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience at IIT-CNCS - Laboratory of Neural Computation, Rovereto, Italy Applications are sought for a post-doctoral researcher to work in computational neuroscience. The postdoctoral candidates will be working in the Centre for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems in Trento (Italy) under the supervision of Prof. Stefano Panzeri. The postdoc will contribute to a project entitled "VISUAL MODELLING USING GANGLION CELLS". The project, funded by the European Union Future Emerging Technology programme, will develop a set of novel information theoretic algorithms for the analysis of simultaneous recordings from large populations of retinal ganglion cells under dynamic natural visual stimulation. These algorithms will be applied to analyse the functional response properties of these cells and will expose new principles of spike timing encoding that bridge the gap between single cell and population information processing. The project will involve collaborations with a retinal neurophysiology laboratory at Gottingen University (Prof Tim Gollish), as well as collaborations with neuromorphic electronic engineers and roboticists (University of Zurich, and University of Ulster) to contribute to the development of novel theoretical and hardware models of biological retinal ganglion cell types for dynamic vision applications. The ideal candidates will have a strong background in numerate sciences (physics, mathematics, engineering or informatics) and a keen interest in applying their numerate background to make breakthroughs in the understanding of the brain. Proficiency in English is required. The postdoctoral researchers will work at the IIT (CNCS@UNITN) most of the time under the superivision of internationally recognized experts and will have access to state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories. Interested applicants should contact Stefano Panzeri (stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it) for any informal queries. For a formal application, the candidate will submit his/her CV, list of publications, a statement of research interests and the names and email addresses of two referees by e-mail to both stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it and Sara Maistrelli ( Cncs_selezioni(a)iit.it ). Please quote REF CB 69468 in the application. Deadline for the application is April 6, 2014. For recent reviews about the work carried out by the laboratory of Neural Computation, prospective applicants are invited to consult the following articles: G.T. Einevoll, C. Kayser, N.K. Logothetis and S. Panzeri (2013) Modelling and analysis of local field potential for studying the function of cortical circuits. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14:770-785; Panzeri S, Brunel N, Logothetis NK, Kayser C (2010) Neural codes at multiple temporal scales in sensory cortex.Trends in Neuroscience 33: 111-120 Quian Quiroga R, Panzeri S (2009) Extracting information from neuronal populations: information theory and decoding approaches. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10: 173-185. The formal full job post advert can be found at: http://www.iit.it/en/openings/iit-centres/iit-unitn-openings/2331-postdocto…

March 13, 2014

Workshop on information theoretic incentives for artificial life

by Keyan Ghazi-Zahedi

*** WORKSHOP ON INFORMATION THEORETIC INCENTIVES FOR ARTIFICIAL LIFE *** to be held at the 14th International Conference on the Synthesis and Simulation of Living Systems (ALIFE-14) New York City, 30 July-2 August 2014 Workshop web page: http://www.mis.mpg.de/ay/workshops/alife14ws.html Conference web page: http://alife14.org Please forward this mail to other interested parties. ~~~ IMPORTANT DATES Submission deadline: 2 May 2014 Notification of acceptance: 23 May 2014 Workshop date: 30 July 2014 (to be confirmed, possible alternative is the 31st of July) ~~~ ABOUT Artificial Life aims to understand the basic and generic principles of life, and demonstrate this understanding by producing life-like systems based on those principles. In recent years, with the advent of the information age, and the widespread acceptance of information technology, our view of life has changed. Ideas such as "life is information processing" or "information holds the key to understanding life" have become more common. But what can information, or more formally Information Theory, offer to Artificial Life? One relevant area is the motivation of behaviour for artificial agents, both virtual and real. Instead of learning to perform a specific task, informational measures can be used to define concepts such as boredom, empowerment or the ability to predict one's own future. Intrinsic motivations derived from these concepts allow us to generate behaviour, ideally from an embodied and enactive perspective, which are based on basic but generic principles. The key questions here are: "What are the important intrinsic motivations a living agent has, and what behaviour can be produced by them?" Related to an agent's behaviour is also the question on how and where the necessary computation to realise this behaviour is performed. Can information be used to quantify the morphological computation of an embodied agent and to what degree are the computational limitations of an agent influencing its behaviour? Another area of interest is the guidance of artificial evolution or adaptation. Assuming it is true that an agent wants to optimise its information processing, possibly obtain as much relevant information as possible for the cheapest computational cost, then what behaviour would naturally follow from that? Can the development of social interaction or collective phenomena be motivated by an informational gradient? Furthermore, evolution itself can be seen as a process in which an agent population obtains information from the environment, which begs the question of how this can be quantified, and how systems would adapt to maximise this information? The common theme in those different scenarios is the identification and quantification of driving forces behind evolution, learning, behaviour and other crucial processes of life, in the hope that the implementation or optimisation of these measurements will allow us to construct life-like systems. ~~~ WORKSHOP FORMAT The workshop is scheduled for a full day, and will consist of a combination of keynotes, presentations, discussions and shorter student presentations. To participate in the workshop by giving a presentation we would ask you to submit an extended abstract. We are interested in both, the current existing approaches in the field, and possible future avenues of investigation. Student presentations are an option for younger researchers, new to the field, that would like to outline and discuss their research direction or early results. The general idea is to offer a forum for those interested in applying information theory and similar methods to the field of artificial life, to have a focused discussion on both, the possibilities and technical challenges involved. After the workshop, there will a special issue in the Journal "Entropy" on the topic of the workshop, and we encourage participants to submit an extended version of their work. Further details will be announced as soon as possible. ~~~ SUBMISSION AND PARTICIPATION How to submit If you want to participate in the workshop by giving a talk we would invite you to send us an email (itialife(a)gmail.com) by 2 May 2014 with - name - contact details -1-2 pages long extended abstract. We are interested in previous work related to the subject and current work, including preliminary results. Specifically for students we also offer the option to submit for a shorter student talk, to present some early results, and discuss their approach to the field. In this case, please submit a 1-2 pages long extended abstract and indicate that you are interested in a student presentation. If there are any questions, or if you just want to indicate interest in submitting or attending, please feel free to mail us at itialife(a)gmail.com. ~~~ CONTACTS Web: http://www.mis.mpg.de/ay/workshops/alife14ws.html Email: itialife(a)gmail.com ~~~ Organisers: Christoph Salge, Keyan Zahedi, Georg Martius and Daniel Polani With best wishes, Keyan Zahedi, on behalf of the organisers -- Keyan Ghazi-Zahedi, Dr. rer. nat. Information Theory of Cognitive Systems Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences phone: (+49) 341 9959 545, fax: (+49) 341 9959 555, office A11

March 12, 2014

[3 DAYS LEFT] Frontiers Research Topic - Models of brain stimulation

by Dr Julien Modolo

Dear all, Just a friendly reminder that the deadline of our Research Topic organized with Frontiers in Neuroscience (Host Specialty: Frontiers in Computional Neuroscience) is in THREE DAYS only (March 15). As a reminder, our Research Topic is entitled: "Driving Innovation in Therapeutic Brain Stimulation With Biophysical Models" Topic Editors: Julien Modolo, Alexandre Legros and Alex W Thomas - Lawson Health Research and Western University, London, Ontario (Canada). Abstract Submission Deadline: March 15 2014 Article Submission Deadline: June 1st, 2014 Research Topic Description: Electric and magnetic stimulation of the brain have become increasingly used for therapy in numerous neurological disorders over the last 20 years. The domain of therapeutic brain stimulation is complex and dynamic, since it involves many different diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy), stimulation devices and protocols (from completely non-invasive stimulation to the chronic implantation of stimulation electrodes in the brain). Despite its use by hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide, it seems paradoxical that, in most cases, the biological mechanisms by which therapeutic brain stimulation can provide symptom relief are unknown. Our limited knowledge in terms of interaction mechanisms dramatically slows down the development of novel brain stimulation techniques, which rely mainly on empiric observations. Fortunately, a paradigm change has begun, and biophysical modeling has emerged as an alternative tool not only allowing ot understand therapeutic brain stimulation, but also to foster innovation. Realistic models of neurons and neural networks are now routinely used in neuroscience research to better understand the outcome of experimental data, and also to help in experiment design. These models can simulate the activity of single cells (e.g., with the Hodgkin-Huxley model), or, at the other extreme, of the entire brain (Blue Brain project). One especially appealing use of these models is to simulate in silico how electric and magnetic fields modulate neuronal activity at different spatial and temporal scales, to ultimately have an impact on behaviour. This application of biophysical models of brain activity is currently the focus of intense research efforts, with the hope of groundbreaking clinical translations on the horizon. The objective of this Research Topic is to offer a comprehensive overview of the most recent biophysical models and their contribution in the development of innovative therapeutic brain stimulation techniques, in various neurological disorders. An emphasis should be made on the critical role of biophysical modeling in the rational and effective design of novel brain stimulation techniques, and also in providing key insights into fundamental interaction mechanisms that can be exploited to ends of therapy. About Frontiers Research Topics: Frontiers Research Topics are designed to be an organized, encyclopedic coverage of a particular research area, and a forum for discussion and debate. Contributions can be of different article types (Original Research, Methods, Hypothesis & Theory, and others). Our Research Topic has a dedicated homepage on the Frontiers website, where contributing articles are accumulated and discussions can be easily held. Once all articles are published, the topic will be compiled into an e-book, which can be sent to foundations that fund your research, to journalists and press agencies, and to any number of other organizations. As the ultimate reference source from leading scientists, Frontiers Research Topic articles become highly cited. Frontiers is a Swiss-based, open access publisher. As such an article accepted for publication incurs a publishing fee, which varies depending on the article type. The publishing fee for accepted articles is below average compared to most other open access journals - and lower than subscription-based journals that apply page and color figure charges. Moreover, for Research Topic articles, the publishing fee is discounted quite steeply thanks to the support of the Frontiers Research Foundation. Details on Frontiers’ fees can be found at http://www.frontiersin.org/about/PublishingFees. When published, your article will be freely available to visitors to the Frontiers site, and will be indexed in PubMed and other academic archives. As an author in Frontiers, you will retain the copyright to your own paper and all figures. The details regarding this Research Topic for Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience can be found at the following URL: http://www.frontiersin.org/computational_neuroscience/researchtopics/drivin… Should you choose to participate, please confirm by sending a quick email and then your abstract using the following link: http://www.frontiersin.org/submissioninfo Thanks in advance for your interest! Julien Modolo, Alexandre Legros and Alex W Thomas -- Julien Modolo, PhD Scientist, Human Threshold Research Group, Lawson Health Research Institute Assistant Professor, Departments of Medical Biophysics and Medical Imaging, Western University Room E4-141 268 Grosvenor Street London, ON, N6A4V2 Canada Phone: (+001) 519-646-6100 ext 64192 Fax: 519-646-6100

March 12, 2014

rTMS and Neurofeedback training courses 2014

by Martijn Arns

Dear colleagues, I hereby would to inform you that we have just updated our final overview of training courses and workshops for 2014 on our website<http://www.brainclinics.com/neurofeedback-rtms-workshops>. We offer a 2 day rTMS training course that will focus on rTMS in the treatment of Depression and OCD, and also cover other developments in rTMS such as personalizing treatment and indications such as Parkinson and Tinnitus. Furthermore, we offer a 4-day BCIA accredited neurofeedback course with a focus on ADHD and insomnia. This course will also focus on recent insights relating sleep problems, chronobiology and ADHD. For more information and dates also see: http://www.brainclinics.com/neurofeedback-rtms-workshops These courses are intended for academics and clinicians who want to learn to apply these techniques in clinical practice and research settings, or who want to further specialize in these techniques or disorders. For more background reading material, scientific articles and reviews, you can download all these from our community<http://www.brainclinics.com/community> after registration or simply see our publication list<http://www.brainclinics.com/publications>. Kind regards, Martijn Arns, PhD Director / Researcher Twitter: @Brainclinics Research Institute Brainclinics Brainclinics Education Bijleveldsingel 34 6524 AD Nijmegen The Netherlands Tel: +31(0)24-7503505 GSM: +31 (0)6-48177919 Fax: +31(0)24-8901447 E-mail: martijn(a)brainclinics.com<mailto:martijn@brainclinics.com> URL: www.brainclinics.com<http://www.brainclinics.com>

March 12, 2014

NEURAL COMPUTATION - April, 2014

by Terry Sejnowski

Neural Computation - Contents -- Volume 26, Number 4 - April 1, 2014 Available online for download now: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/neco/26/4 ----- Article Parametric Inference in the Large Data Limit Using Maximally Informative Models Justin Block Kinney, Gurinder Singh Atwal Letters Input Statistics and Hebbian Crosstalk Effects Anca R. Radulescu Learning Nonlinear Regularities in Natural Images by Modeling the Outer Product of Image Intensities Peng Qi, Xiaolin Hu Dissociable Forms of Repetition Priming: A Computational Model Kirill Makukhin, Scott Bolland Refined Rademacher Chaos Complexity Bounds With Applications to the Multi-Kernel Learning Problem Yunwen Lei, Lixin Ding Large Margin Low Rank Tensor Analysis Guoqiang Zhong, Mohamed Cheriet Large-scale Linear RankSVM Ching-Pei Lee, Chih-Jen Lin ------------ ON-LINE -- http://www.mitpressjournals.org/neuralcomp SUBSCRIPTIONS - 2014 - VOLUME 26 - 12 ISSUES USA Others Electronic Only Student/Retired $70 $193 $65 Individual $124 $187 $115 Institution $1,035 $1,098 $926 Canada: Add 5% GST MIT Press Journals, 238 Main Street, Suite 500, Cambridge, MA 02142-9902 Tel: (617) 253-2889 FAX: (617) 577-1545 journals-orders(a)mit.edu ------------

March 11, 2014

4th information letter: International Symposium on the Role of Eye Movements in Vision - Yarbus-100

by Durant, Szonya

Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Kharkevich Institute) The Yarbus-100 Organizing Committee is pleased to present the up-to-date information about Yarbus-100 Symposium Deadlines Earlier, in the 2nd information letter, it was announced that the deadline, both for abstract and for short report submission is March, 10. However, it has now been arranged that the proceedings of our symposium will be published in a Special Issue of Perception, raising the possibility of allowing more time for participants planning submission of reports because, in the case of the Special Issue, the manuscripts should be submitted to Perception via the PiMMS website after the symposium. At the same time, we are not able to postpone the deadline for abstract submission, taking into account the time necessary for reviewing the texts received and creating the symposium program. Thus, all the potential participants are requested to send their abstracts to the organizing committee no later than March 17, but those who need some additional time to complete the report, may delay sending the main text up to April 1. Submission procedure - Prospective manuscript (both .pdf and .doc) should be send to yarbus100(a)iitp.ru<mailto:yarbus100@iitp.ru> as an attachment. - Guidelines for authors can be found at the Perception official site. - Before the symposium, the approved abstracts will be published in the Program of the symposium. - After the symposium, Perception/Pion will set up a special folder "Yarbus 100" for collecting the manuscripts selected for publication in Perception. The authors will be allowed to improve their manuscripts taking into account discussions at the symposium. Additional Master Classes Two additional proposals for Master Classes have been added: from SR Research ("Eye Tracking in Vision Sciences - Practical Considerations for Saccadic, Pursuit, Video, and 3D Studies") and from Acuity Intelligence ("Getting real: Eye-tracking beyond the screen and outside of the lab"). Information on the ITaS website Beginning from the February 27 all the information about the symposium will be posted on the ITaS's official website: http://itas2014.iitp.ru/?q=en/node/50 We are looking forward to welcoming you and/or your colleagues at the symposium Yarbus-100 and the conference ITaS'14. For any questions and suggestions please contact Mr Andrey Bolshakov at: yarbus100(a)iitp.ru<mailto:yarbus100@iitp.ru> .

March 11, 2014

Postdoc(s) in computational neuroscience

by Kevin Gurney

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Research Associate to join an EU-funded, project NoTremor which aims to provide patient specific, multi-scale computational models of the coupled brain and neuromuscular systems that will be subsequently used to improve the quality of analysis, prediction and progression of Parkinson's disease. In particular, it aspires to establish the neglected link between brain modelling and neuromuscular systems that will result in a holistic representation of the physiology for PD patients. We are offering an opportunity to play a key role in this EU-funded, multi-centre, multidisciplinary project. The remit of this post is twofold: (i) To help develop the software infrastructure supporting the modeling which will make use of new middleware and model description frameworks developed at Sheffield. (ii) To develop high level computational models of brain nuclei dealing with motor control using concepts and techniques from control theory. This post has been nominally identified as a single full-time position to begin straight away for 21 months, but depending on the skills of the applicants, the post may be split (with the possibility of part time working) for two candidates who each have either software or control engineering skills, qualifications and experience. You can view the supporting documentation by clicking on About the Job and About the University located near the top of your screen. Salary Grade 7 £28,972 per annum. Closing date 2/4/2014. Informal enquiries to Prof. Kevin Gurney k.gurney(a)shef.ac.uk Application may be made online at http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/ -- Kevin Gurney, PhD, FSB Professor of Computational Neuroscience Adaptive Behaviour Research Group Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, S10 2TP, UK<http://www.shef.ac.uk/%7Eabrg/> http://abrg.group.shef.ac.uk/people/kevin/ ------------- "Email is a wonderful thing for people whose role in life is to be on top of things. But not for me; my role is to be on the bottom of things. What I do takes long hours of studying and uninterruptible concentration." Donald Knuth: Professor Emeritus of the Art of Computer Programming at Stanford University, and winner of the 1974 Turing Award.

March 11, 2014

eNTERFACE14 Summer Workshop - Call for participation - 4 days left!!

by Daniel Erro

Dear list members, Aholab Signal Processing research group, from Bilbao, Spain, is hosting eNTERFACE’14, the 10th Summer Workshop on Multimodal Interfaces (Bilbao, June 9th to July 9th 2014). eNTERFACE workshops gather in a single place a team of senior project leaders, researchers, and students, to work on a pre-specified list of challenges for 4 weeks. Participants are organized in teams, each team being attached to a specific project. The following project may be of interest to you: Title: Quantification of the alteration in the resting state networks for measuring brain pathologies and diseases Leading team: I. Diez, A. Erramuzpe, S. Stramaglia1, and J.M. Cortes, from Biocruces Health Research Institute Abstract: Resting State Networks (RSNs) are the result from the coherence across brain regions in the high-amplitude ultra-slow (0.1 Hz) fluctuations in the Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) signal acquired with resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). The RSNs are universal, meaning that, beyond individual brain differences, they emerge at rest in all healthy subjects. This universal behavior in healthy brains has pushed forward the strategy for quantification of the RSNs alterations in brain pathological conditions to find for new neuroimaging markers for both mental and cognitive disorders. Indeed, alterations in the RSNs have been found in patients with deficit of consciousness after brain traumatic injury, in Alzheimer disease and schizophrenia. Based on these results, it is expected that RSNs alterations occur as well for other brain disorders and diseases. This is the main motivation of this project, given an input rs-fMRI data of a specific patient, to develop new and efficient methods capable to quantify the precise amount of alteration (respect to control) for each of the resting networks. If you are a senior/junior researcher or a PhD/MS/undergraduate student working on similar topics and you want to collaborate in this project, please prepare a short CV in electronic format along with a list of skills you can offer to the team and fill in the application form available on the official website. eNTERFACE’14 has no registration fee and lodging prices will be highly competitive. We will also offer about 5 grants covering accomodation expenses (more information will be given through the official website in due course). Important dates: Deadline for application: March 14th 2014 Notification of acceptance to participants: April 11th 2014 Workshop: June 9th – July 4th 2014 Web: http://aholab.ehu.es/eNTERFACE14 Contact: enterface14(a)aholab.ehu.es

March 11, 2014

Call for applications: Brains for Brains Young Researchers' Computational Neuroscience Award 2014

by Kerstin Schwarzwälder

Dear colleagues, for the fifth time, the Bernstein Association for Computational Neuroscience is announcing the "Brains for Brains Young Researchers' Computational Neuroscience Award". The call is open for researchers of any nationality who have contributed to a peer reviewed publication (as coauthor) or peer reviewed conference abstract (as first author) that was submitted before starting their doctoral studies, is written in English and was accepted or published in 2013 or 2014. The award comprises 500 € prize money, plus a travel grant of up to 2.000 € to cover a trip to Germany, including participation in the Bernstein Conference 2014 in Göttingen (www.bernstein-conference.de) and an individually planned visit to up to two German research institutions in Computational Neuroscience. Deadline for application is April 25, 2014. Detailed information about the application procedure can be found under: www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-association/brains-for-brains-2014 For inquiries please contact info(a)bcos.uni-freiburg.de Best regards, Kerstin Schwarzwälder -- Dr. Kerstin Schwarzwälder Bernstein Coordination Site of the National Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg Hansastr. 9A 79104 Freiburg Germany phone: +49 761 203 9594 fax: +49 761 203 9585 schwarzwaelder(a)bcos.uni-freiburg.de www.nncn.de Twitter: NNCN_Germany <http://twitter.com/NNCN_Germany> YouTube: Bernstein TV <http://www.youtube.com/user/BernsteinNetwork> Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany <https://www.facebook.com/BernsteinNetwork> LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany <http://www.linkedin.com/company/bernstein-network-computational-neuroscienc…>

March 10, 2014

Ikerbasque Research Fellow ("Tenure"). Methods in Neuroimaging, Bilbao (Spain)

by Jesus Cortes

Dear researcher, One position for "Ikerbasque Research Fellow" will be host by the new emerging group of Computational Neuroimaging in Biocruces. http://www.biocruces.com/l1003 More information about the position, "Ikerbasque Research Fellow" at http://www.ikerbasque.net/fellows More information about Biocruces http://www.biocruces.com/ Interested researchers must contact me before March 15th, 2014. Feel free in contacting me for any further question or comment. Provide a copy of an updated CV remarking best 5 publications. Prof. Jesus M Cortes Ikerbasque Research Professor Head of the Computational Neuroimaging Lab Biocruces Health Research Institute

March 10, 2014

Call for papers: IEEE HealthCom'14 - Workshop on "e-health in Neurosciences"

by Renan Moioli

[Apologies for cross-postings] ******************************************************************************************************** 16th IEEE International Conference on e-Health Networking, Application & Services (IEEE HealthCom'14) Workshop on "e-health in Neurosciences" (The workshop comprises a full-day technical session with oral presentations of accepted papers and discussions) Natal, RN, Brazil - October 15-18, 2014 1st CALL FOR PAPERS ******************************************************************************************************** Homepage: http://www.ieee-healthcom.org ******************************************************************************************************** IEEE HEALTHCOM 2014 Workshop on "e-health in Neurosciences" is a part of the IEEE International Conference on e-Health Networking, Application & Services (IEEE HEALTHCOM 2014), which is fully sponsored by the IEEE Communications Society. Recent developments in information and communications technologies have been increasingly influencing the health-care field. In this context, work on biomedical engineering and neurosciences are fundamental for the reliable, secure, and ethical use of technology. The workshop in "e-health in Neurosciences" aims at bringing together prominent researchers in this field creating a place to exchange the latest research achievements and experiences. The ongoing inclusion of new technologies such as virtual reality, wearable sensors and actuators, brain-computer interfaces, biosensors, etc., have to be accompanied by a high level debate by the scientific community and society. We believe that the IEEE Healthcom'14 Conference is the appropriate forum to discuss innovative and emerging findings. Prospective authors are cordially invited to submit their original contributions covering completed or ongoing work related to the eHealth area. The topics include but are not limited to: * Brain-machine/computer interfaces (BMI) / (BCI) * Biomedical signal processing * Biofeedback * Neuromodulation * Ethical implications of e-health technologies * Augmented and immersive virtual reality * Telemedicine and mobile telemedicine * Biomedical and biosensors engineering * Body sensor/actuators networks and wearable sensor systems On-Line Submissions & Publications: ******************************************************************************************************** All submissions should be written in English with a maximum paper length of six (6) IEEE style printed pages including figures, without incurring additional page charges. One (1) additional page is allowed with a charge of USD100, if accepted. Papers exceeding 7 pages will not be accepted at EDAS, nor will they be reviewed at all. Papers will be reviewed with the standard reviewing procedure (with at least 3 independent anonymous reviews). Accepted papers will be published on IEEExplore. The best accepted paper will receive the Best Paper Award and an extended version will be considered for publication in the International Journal on E-Health and Medical Communications. Submission link: http://www.ieee-healthcom.org/authors.html Important Dates ******************************************************************************************************** - Deadline for Paper Submissions: April 30, 2014 - Notification of Acceptance: June 30, 2014 - Deadline for Author Registration: August 15, 2014 - Deadline for Camera-ready Papers: August 31, 2014 About the Venue ******************************************************************************************************** Praiamar Natal Hotel & Convention (http://www.praiamarnatal.com.br) Ponta Negra, Natal-RN, Brazil Organizers ******************************************************************************************************** Fabrício L. Brasil (Edmond and Lily Safra Int. Inst. of Neuroscience of Natal (ELS-IINN)) Hougelle Simplício (Edmond and Lily Safra Int. Inst. of Neuroscience of Natal (ELS-IINN)) Mariana F. P. de Araújo (Edmond and Lily Safra Int. Inst. of Neuroscience of Natal (ELS-IINN)) Renan C. Moioli (Edmond and Lily Safra Int. Inst. of Neuroscience of Natal (ELS-IINN)) Contact Information ******************************************************************************************************** Renan C. Moioli <moioli(a)natalneuro.org.br> IEEE HEALTHCOM 2014 Workshop on "e-health in Neurosciences" program chair

March 10, 2014

DENDRITES 2014, July 1-4, Crete: DEADLINE EXTENSION & REGISTRATION WAIVERS

by Yiota Poirazi

Apologies for cross-posting! Please distribute to interested parties. many thanks! Yiota Poirazi ------------------------------------------------------- DENDRITES 2014 4^th NAMASEN Training Workshop Heraklion, Crete, Greece. July 1-4, 2014 http://dendrites2014.gr/ info(a)dendrites2014.gr <mailto:info@dendrites2014.gr> * * * * * ABSTRACT SUBMISSION EXTENDED * * * * * Abstract submission for poster and oral presentation has been extended to *March 31st, 2014.* * * * * * REGISTRATION WAIVERS FOR STUDENTS/POSTDOCS* * * * * We are happy to announce the availability of registration waivers for the entire meeting. Waivers are provided by IBRO PERC funding for Symposia, Workshops & Meetings. Students and postdocs presenting an abstract are eligible. To request a waiver, please send an email to info(a)dendrites2014.org <mailto:info@dendrites2014.org>including information about your submitted abstract. Travel funds might also become available and will be announced on the web site. ---------------------------------------- Dendrites 2014 aims to bring together scientists from around the world to present their research on dendrites, ranging from the molecular to the anatomical and biophysical levels. The Workshop will take place in the beautiful island of Crete, just after the AREADNE meeting (areadne.org) which takes place in the nearby island of Santorini. Note that Santorini is just a 2 hour boat ride from Crete. One could combine two meetings in a single trip to Greece! FORMAT AND SPEAKERS The meeting consists of the Main Event (July 1-3) and the Soft Skills Day (July 4). Invited speakers for the Main Event include: * Susumu Tonegawa (Nobel Laureate), * Angus Silver, * Tiago Branco, * Alcino J. Silva, * Michael Häusser, * Julietta U. Frey, * Stefan Remy, and * Kristen Harris. For the Soft Skills Day, Kerri Smith, Nature podcast editor, is going to present on communication and dissemination of scientific results. Alcino J. Silva (UCLA) will present his recent work on developing tools for integrating and planning research in Neuroscience. There will be a hands on session on tools used to model neural cells/networks and a talk about the advantages of publishing under the Creative Commons License. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Submission of abstracts for poster and oral presentations are due by *31 March 2014*. We welcome both experimental and theoretical contributions addressing novel findings related to dendrites. For details, please see http://dendrites2014.gr/call/. Electronic abstract submission is hosted on the Frontiers platform, where extended abstracts will be published as an online, open access special issue (in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, Impact factor 4.5). One of the authors has to register for the main event as a presenting author. In case an abstract is not accepted for presentation, the registration fee will be refunded. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Please see the conference web site (http://dendrites2014.gr/) subscribe to our twitter (https://twitter.com/dendrites2014) or RSS feeds (http://dendrites2014.gr/rss_feed/news.xml) or send an email to info(a)dendrites2014.org <mailto:info@dendrites2014.org>. -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385 GR 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 Εmail:poirazi@imbb.forth.gr http://www.dendrites.gr

March 10, 2014

CFP: SSPA2014 (6 Days left deadline) - 2nd Smart Sensor Protocols and Algorithms - Benidorm, Spain, June 22-27, 2014

by Sandra Sendra

[Please accept our apologies if you receive multiple copies of this email] *********************** CFP ******************************* 2nd Smart Sensor Protocols and Algorithms (SSPA2014) http://jlloret.webs.upv.es/sspa2014/ in conjunction with The thirteenth International Conference on Ad-Hoc Networks and Wireless (AdHoc Now-2014) Benidorm, Spain, June 22-27, 2014. http://www.adhocnow.net/ SCOPE: Smart Sensor protocols and algorithms make use of several methods and techniques (such as machine learning techniques, decision making techniques, knowledge representation, network optimization, problem solution techniques, and so on), to establish communication between network devices. They can be used to perceive the network conditions, or the user behavior, in order to dynamically plan, adapt, decide, take the appropriate actions, and learn from the consequences of their actions. The algorithms can make use of the information gathered from the protocol in order to sense the environment, plan actions according to the input, take consciousness of what is happening in the environment, and take the appropriate decisions using a reasoning engine. Goals such as decide which scenario fits best its end-to-end purpose, or environment prediction, can be achieved with smart protocols and algorithms. Moreover, they could learn from the past and use this knowledge to improve future de! cisions. In this workshop, researchers are encouraged to submit papers focused on the design, development, analysis or optimization of smart sensor protocols or algorithms at any communication layer. Algorithms and protocols based on artificial intelligence techniques for network management, network monitoring, quality of service enhancement, performance optimization and network secure are included in the workshop. This conference edition once again targets to gather researchers from academia and industrial sectors to present analytical research, simulations, practical results, position papers addressing the pros and cons of specific proposals, and advances in sensor protocols and algorithms. The topics suggested by the conference can be discussed in term of concepts, state of the art, standards, deployments, implementations, running experiments and applications. TOPICS OF INTEREST: Authors are invited to submit complete unpublished papers, which are not under review in any other conference or journal, including, but are not limited to, the following topic areas: - Reasoning and learning techniques for sensing environment pollution - Smart route prediction in vehicular sensor networks - Smart data aggregation in vehicular sensor networks - Smart multimedia network protocols and algorithms for WSNs - Application layer, transport layer and network layer cognitive protocols - Cognitive radio network protocols and algorithms - Automatic protocols and algorithms for environment prediction - Algorithms and protocols to predict data network states - Intelligent synchronization techniques for sensor network protocols and algorithms - Smart sensor protocols and algorithms for e-health - Software applications for smart algorithms design and development in WSNs - Dynamic protocols based on the perception of their performance - Smart protocols and algorithms for Smartgrids - Protocols and algorithms focused on building conclusions for taking the appropriate actions - Smart Automatic and self-autonomous WSNs - Artificial intelligence applied in protocols and algorithms for WSNs - Smart security protocols and algorithms in WSNs - Smart cryptographic algorithms for communication in WSNs - Artificial intelligence applied to power efficiency and energy saving protocols and algorithms - Smart routing and switching protocols and algorithms in WSNs - Cognitive protocol and algorithm models for saving communication costs - Any kind of intelligent technique applied to QoS, content delivery, network Monitoring and network mobility management - Smart cooperative protocols and algorithms WSNs - Problem recognition and problem solving protocols for WSNs - Genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic and neural networks applied to WSNs IMPORTANT DATES: Abstract registration: 14th of March 2014 Submission deadline: 14th of March 2014 Author notification: 9th of April 2014 Camera-ready version: 25th of April 2014 Workshop Dates: 22-27th of June 2014 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Authors are invited to submit original and unpublished papers. Papers presenting original and unpublished work are invited and will be evaluated based on originality, significance, technical soundness, and clarity of exposition. Submitted papers should be in PDF format. The submission website is: http://senldogo0039.springer-sbm.com/ocs/conference/submitpaperto/SSPA2014 Authors can upload papers that should not exceed 8 pages (including a 150 word abstract, all figures, tables and references) in Springer Verlag LNCS format. All papers will be reviewed for technical merit. Detailed formatting and submission guidelines is available on the conference website. Submissions imply the willingness of at least one author to register, attend the conference, and present the paper. SPECIAL ISSUES: Network Protocols and Algorithms COMMITTEES: General Chairs Jaime Lloret Mauri, Universitat Polit�cnica Val�ncia, Spain Kayhan Zrar Ghafoor, University of Koya, Kurdistan Region-Iraq TPC Chairs Miguel Garcia Pineda, Universidad Polit�cnica de Valencia, Spain Ali Safa, Universiti of Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Panel & Tutorial Chairs Sandra Sendra compte, Universidad Polit�cnica de Valencia, Spain Rashid Khokhar, Charles Sturt University, Australia Web Chair Alejandro C�novas Solbes, Universitat Polit�cnica Val�ncia, Spain

March 8, 2014

Summer school at Bangalore, India: Computational Approaches to Learning and Memory

by Aditya Gilra

Announcing a new course: Computational Approaches to Memory and Plasticity (CAMP @ Bangalore)<http://www.ncbs.res.in/camp> . Venue: National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India<http://www.ncbs.res.in/> Dates: 28th June to 12th July, 2014 Organizer: Upinder Bhalla (NCBS, Bangalore, India)<http://www.ncbs.res.in/bhalla> CAMP @ Bangalore is a 15-day summer school on the theory and simulation of learning, memory and plasticity in the brain. PhD students and post-docs from theoretical and/or experimental backgrounds (physics, math, neuroscience, engineering, etc.) are welcome. Familiarity with programming, dynamical systems, and/or computational neuroscience is highly desirable. Master's or Bachelor's degree students can apply if they have sufficient background. The course will start with remedial tutorials on neuroscience / math / programming and then work upwards from sub-cellular electrical and chemical signaling in neurons, onward to micro-circuits and networks, all with an emphasis on learning, memory and plasticity. Students worldwide are encouraged to apply online at www.ncbs.res.in/camp latest by 30th Mar, 2014. A poster for the school can be downloaded at the course website<http://www.ncbs.res.in/camp>. Please circulate the information widely. Lecturers: Sumantra Chattarji (NCBS, Bangalore) <http://www.ncbs.res.in/shona> Xiao-Jing Wang (New York University, New York)<http://www.cns.nyu.edu/wanglab/> Suhita Nadkarni (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune)<http://www.iiserpune.ac.in/~suhita/Suhita/Home.html> Michael Hausser (University College, London)<http://www.ucl.ac.uk/WIBR/research/neuro/mh/index.htm> Eve Marder (Brandeis University, Waltham/Boston)<http://blogs.brandeis.edu/marderlab/> Rishikesh Narayanan (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore)<http://mbu.iisc.ernet.in/~rngrp/> Arthur Wingfield (Brandeis University, Waltham/Boston)<http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/faculty/wingfield.html> Claudia Clopath (Imperial College, London)<http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/c.clopath/> Arvind Kumar (Bernstein Center, Freiburg)<http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/people/details/kumar> Stefano Fusi (Columbia University, New York)<http://neurotheory.columbia.edu/stefano.html> Raghav Rajan (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune)<http://www.iiserpune.ac.in/~raghav/> For more information, email camp2014(a)ncbs.res.in Best Regards, Aditya. ---- Aditya Gilra, Prof Upinder S Bhalla's lab, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK, Bellary Road, Bangalore - 560065, India. Ph: 91-80-23666507.

March 8, 2014

Open Postdoc positions at Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany

by Birgit Ahrens

Dear Computational Neuroscience Community, Please find below our job posting for Postdoc positions in the labs of Prof. Stefan Rotter, Prof. Ulrich Egert and Dr. Robert Schmidt / Dr. Arvind Kumar at the Bernstein Center Freiburg (BCF) <http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/> , Germany. Best regards Birgit Ahrens PostDoc position on computational models of dopamine neuromodulation One PostDoc position is available from the Cluster of Excellence BrainLinks-BrainTools in Freiburg (Germany) in the research groups of Robert Schmidt and Arvind Kumar located at the Bernstein Center Freiburg. The project is focused on studying the effect of dopamine on the basal ganglia network dynamics and on motor output. In particular, simulations of basal ganglia circuits will be used to characterize the functional role of dopamine through the complex modulation of membrane and synaptic properties of striatal cells. The results of this project are expected to contribute to develop new treatment strategies for akinesia, rigidity, bradykinesia and levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's Disease. The ideal candidate has a strong background in computational neuroscience demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications. Advanced programming skills (e.g. Matlab or Python), high motivation and a vivid interest in neuroscientific research are mandatory. Experience in the analysis of neurophysiological data and computational modelling is expected. The position is initially for one year (100% TV-L E13) and can be extended to a total of 30 months after successful internal evaluation of the project. Please send a single PDF containing your CV, and a scientific research statement (max. 2 pages) to <mailto:dopamine@brainlinks-braintools.uni-freiburg.de> dopamine(a)brainlinks-braintools.uni-freiburg.de. In addition, please arrange 2-3 referees to send their recommendation letters directly to the same e-mail address. Application deadline is the 31st March, 2014 and the position starts latest October 2014. Further details on: www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/jobs <http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/jobs> Postdoc Position on Structure and Dynamics of Cortical Networks in the Computational Neuroscience lab of Prof. Stefan Rotter Our goal is to understand the interplay between network topology and spiking activity dynamics in the neocortex and other parts of the mammalian brain, and to explore the possibilities and constraints of dynamical brain function. Our main tools are mathematical/numerical network modeling and statistical data analysis, often used side by side within the framework of stochastic point processes and statistical graph theory. In collaboration with physiologists and anatomists, we seek to develop new perspectives for the model-based analysis and interpretation of neuronal signals. We are a young group of researchers from mathematics, physics, computer science and biology and invite applications to join the lab for a 2-3 year PostDoc project, and to enter the PostDoc program in Computational Neuroscience at the Bernstein Center Freiburg. Please apply online via our online application form <https://yoda.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/> and indicate "Rotter" as preferred project. Applications are accepted until the position is filled. Further details on: www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/jobs <http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/jobs> Postdoc position in Non-Clinical Epilepsy Research in the Biomicrotechnology lab of Prof. Ulrich Egert We are currently offering a Postdoc position (2 years) in the Laboratory for Biomicrotechnology (http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/people/details/egert) at the University of Freiburg. The project investigates mechanisms underlying mesiotemporal lobe epilepsy from the perspective of the dysfunction of interaction between subnetworks in the hippocampal formation (Froriep et al. 2012, Epilepsia). We aim to use targeted stimulation to reduce the circuit's susceptibility for seizures. It is essential that you have a background in neuroscience, ideally in experimental neurophysiology in vivo as well as a PhD degree. You should further be competent in data analysis and have an affinity for the network perspective. The project is part of the Cluster of Excellence "BrainLinks-BrainTools'' (www.brainlinks.uni-freiburg.de <http://www.brainlinks.uni-freiburg.de> ) together with the Bernstein Center Freiburg (www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de <http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de> ) and will combine neurophysiology, computational neuroscience and neurotechnology. Please apply online via our online application form <https://yoda.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/> and indicate "Egert" as preferred project. Applications are accepted until the position is filled. Further details on: www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/jobs <http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/jobs> Postdoc position in Neurotechnology & Computational Neuroscience in the lab of Prof. Stefan Rotter We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join an international team of scientists and engineers in the NeuroSeeker project (see http://www.neuroseeker.eu/) The goal of the project is to develop and apply new methods and software to improve the yield of novel high-resolution probes for recording activity from many neurons simultaneously. Candidates should hold a PhD in physics, applied mathematics, computer science or biology, with proven experience in software engineering and user-oriented application programming (C++ and/or Python). Specific knowledge and scientific publications in the fields of "statistical analysis of neuronal data" and/or "numerical methods and data structures in the neurosciences" are a requirement. Funding is already available, starting date is negotiable. Please apply online via our online application form <https://yoda.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/> and indicate "Rotter" as preferred project. Applications are accepted until the position is filled. Further details on: www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/jobs <http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/jobs> -- Dr. Birgit Ahrens -- Coordinator for the Teaching & Training Programs Bernstein Center Freiburg Albert-Ludwig University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9a D - 79104 Freiburg Germany Phone: +49 (0) 761 203-9575 Fax: +49 (0) 761 203-9559 Email: <mailto:birgit.ahrens@bcf.uni-freiburg.de> birgit.ahrens(a)bcf.uni-freiburg.de Web: <http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/> www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de

March 7, 2014

[meetings] Living Machines III: Final Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors

by Nathan F Lepora

______________________________________________________________ Final Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors Living Machines III: The 3rd International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems 30th July to 1st August 2014 http://csnetwork.eu/livingmachines/conf2014 To be hosted at the Museo Nazionale Della Scienza E Della Tecnologia Leonardo Da Vinci (National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci) Milan, Italy In association with the Istituto Italiano di Technologia (IIT) Accepted papers will be published in Springer Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence Submission deadline March 14th, 2014. Papers should be submitted through the Springer web-portal http://senldogo0039.springer-sbm.com/ocs/conference/submitpaperto/LM2014 ______________________________________________________________ ABOUT LIVING MACHINES 2014 The development of future real-world technologies will depend strongly on our understanding and harnessing of the principles underlying living systems and the flow of communication signals between living and artificial systems. Biomimetics is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of principles from the study of biological systems. The investigation of biomimetic systems can serve two complementary goals. First, a suitably designed and configured biomimetic artefact can be used to test theories about the natural system of interest. Second, biomimetic technologies can provide useful, elegant and efficient solutions to unsolved challenges in science and engineering. Biohybrid systems are formed by combining at least one biological component--an existing living system--and at least one artificial, newly-engineered component. By passing information in one or both directions, such a system forms a new hybrid bio-artificial entity. The following are some examples: * Biomimetic robots and their component technologies (sensors, actuators, processors) that can intelligently interact with their environments. * Active biomimetic materials and structures that self-organize and self-repair. * Biomimetic computers--neuromimetic emulations of the physiological basis for intelligent behaviour. * Biohybrid brain-machine interfaces and neural implants. * Artificial organs and body-parts including sensory organ-chip hybrids and intelligent prostheses. * Organism-level biohybrids such as robot-animal or robot-human systems. ACTIVITIES The main conference will take the form of a three-day single-track oral and poster presentation programme, 30th July to 1st August 2014, hosted at the Museo Nazionale Della Scienza E Della Tecnologia Leonardo Da Vinci in Milan (http://www.museoscienza.org) The conference programme will include five plenary lectures from leading international researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems, and the demonstrations of state-of-the-art living machine technologies. Agreed speakers are: Sarah Begreiter, University of Maryland (Microfabrication and robotics) Darwin Caldwell, Italian Institute of Technology (Legged locomotion) Andrew Schwartz, University of Minnesota, Pittsburgh (Neural control of prosthetics) Ricard Sole, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (Self-organization and synthetic biology) Srini Srinivasan, Queensland Brain Institute (Insect-inspired cognition and vision) There will also be a special session on biomimetics in design, including a talk by Franco Lodato, author of the book 'Bionics in Action.' The full conference will be preceded by up to two days of Satelite Events hosted by the Istituto Italiano di Technologia in Milan. SUBMITTING TO LIVING MACHINES 2014 We invite both full papers and extended abstracts in areas related to the conference themes. All contributions will be refereed and accepted papers will appear in the Living Machines 2014 proceedings published in the Springer-Verlag LNAI Series. Submissions should be made before the advertised deadline via the Springer submission site: http://senldogo0039.springer-sbm.com/ocs/en/home/LM2014 Full papers (up to 12 pages) are invited from researchers at any stage in their career but should present significant findings and advances in biomimetic or biohybid research; more preliminary work would be better suited to extended abstract submission (3 pages). Submitted papers should be prepared using the Springer proceedings format and instructions http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0 Full papers will be accepted for either oral presentation (single track) or poster presentation. Extended abstracts will be accepted for poster presentation only. Authors of the best full papers will be invited to submitted extended versions of their paper for publication in a special issue of Bioinspiration and Biomimetics. Satellite events Active researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems are invited to propose topics for 1-day or 2-day tutorials, symposia or workshops on related themes to be held 28-29th July at Italian Institute of Technology in Milan. Events can be scheduled on either the 28th or 29th or across both days. Attendance at satellite events will attract a small fee intended to cover the costs of the meeting. There is a lot of flexibility about the content, organisation, and budgeting for these events. Please contact us if you are interested in organising a satellite event! EXPECTED DEADLINES March 14th, 2014 Paper submission deadline April 29th, 2014 Notification of acceptance May 20th, 2014 Camera ready copy July 29-August 2nd 2014 Conference SPONSORSHIP Living Machines 2014 is sponsored by the Convergent Science Network (CSN) for Biomimetics and Neurotechnology. CSN is an EU FP7 Future Emerging Technologies Co-ordination Activity that also organises many highly successful workshop series: the Barcelona Summer School on Brain, Technology and Cognition, the Capo Caccia Neuromorphic Cognitive Engineering Workshop, the School on Neuro-techniques, the Okinawa School of Computational Neuroscience and the Telluride workshop of Cognitive Neuromorphic Engineering (see http://csnetwork.eu/activities for details) The 2014 Living Machines conference will also be hosted and sponsored by the Istituto Italiano di Technologia (http://www.iit.it) Call for Sponsors. Other organisations wishing to sponsor the conference in any way and gain the corresponding benefits by promoting themselves and their products to through conference publications, the conference web-site, and conference publicity are encouraged to contact the conference organisers to discuss the terms of sponsorship and necessary arrangements. We offer a number of attractive and good-value packages to potential sponsors. ABOUT THE VENUE Living Machines 2014 continues our practice of hosting our annual meeting in an inspirational venue related to the conference themes. The scientific and technological genius Leonardo da Vinci drew much of his inspiration from biology and invented many biomimetic artefacts. We are therefore delighted that this year's conference will be hosted at the Da Vinci museum of Science and Technology in Milan, one of the largest technology museums in Europe and host to a collection of working machines that realise many of Da Vinci's ideas. We look forward to seeing you in Milan. Organising Committee: Tony Prescott, University of Sheffield (Co-chair) Paul Verschure, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Co-chair) Armin Duff, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Program Chair) Giorgio Metta, Instituto Italiano di Technologia (Local Organizer) Barbara Mazzolai, Instituto Italiano di Technologia (Local Organiser) Anna Mura, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Communications) Nathan Lepora, University of Bristol (Communications) Program Committee: Anders Lyhne Christensen Andy Adamatzky Andy Phillipides Arianna Menciassi Auke Ijspeert Barry Trimmer Ben Mitchinson Benoit Girard Cecilia Laschi Charles Fox Chrisantha Fernando Christophe Grand Danilo de Rossi Darwin Caldwell Dieter Braun Emre Neftci Enrico Pagello Eris Chinaletto Ferdinando Rodrigues y Baena Frank Grasso Fred Claeyssens Frederic Boyer Frederico Carpi Giacomo Indiveri Gregory Chirikjian Hillel Chiel Holger Krapp Holk Cruse Husosheng Hu Jess Krichmar Jira Okada John Hallam Jon Timmis Jonathan Rossiter Jose Halloy Joseph Ayers Julian Vincent Keisuke Morisima Lucia Beccai Marco Dorigo Mark Cutkosky Martin Pearson Mat Evans Mehdi Khamassi Michele Giogliano Nathan Lepora Noah Cowan Pablo Varona Paul Graham Paul Verschure Reiko Tanaka Robert Allen Roberto Cingolani Roderich Gross Roger Quinn Sean Anderson Serge Kernbach Simon Garnier Stephane Doncieux Stuart Wilson Thomas Schmickl Tim Pearce Tony Pipe Tony Prescott Volker Durr Wolfgang Eberle Yiannis Demiris Yoseph Bar-Cohen

March 7, 2014

2nd Call for Papers - HAI 2014

by Tibor Bosse

[Apologies for multiple copies] Second Call for Papers: * **EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON HUMAN ASPECTS IN AMBIENT INTELLIGENCE* (HAI'14) URL: http://www.few.vu.nl/~tbosse/HAI14/ Warsaw, Poland, August 11, 2014 Workshop at the International Conference on Active Media Technology (AMT'14) (Proceedings will be published by *Springer *in their *LNCS *series) /Background / Recent developments within Ambient Intelligence provide new possibilities to contribute to personal care. For example, our car may monitor us and warn us when we are falling asleep while driving or take measures when we are too drunk to drive. As another example, an elderly person may wear a device that monitors his or her wellbeing and offers support when a dangerous situation is noticed. Such applications can be realised partly because of advances in acquiring sensor information about humans and their functioning. However, their full realisation depends crucially on the availability of adequate knowledge for analysis of such information about human functioning. If such knowledge about human functioning is computationally available within devices in the environment, these systems can show more human-like understanding and contribute to personal care based on this understanding. In recent years, scientific areas focusing on human functioning such as cognitive science, psychology, social sciences, neuroscience and biomedical sciences have made substantial progress in providing an increased insight in the various physical and mental aspects of human functioning. Although much work still remains to be done, models have been developed for a variety of such aspects and the way in which humans (try to) manage or regulate them. Examples of biomedical aspects are (management of) heart functioning, diabetes, eating regulation disorders, and HIV-infection. Examples of psychological and social aspects are emotion regulation, emotion contagion, attention regulation, addiction management, trust management, and stress management. If models of human processes and their management are represented in a formal and computational format, and incorporated in the human environment in systems that monitor the physical and mental state of the human, then such ambient systems are able to perform a more in-depth analysis of the human's functioning. An ambience is created that has a human-like understanding of humans, based on computationally formalised knowledge from the human-directed disciplines, and that may be more effective in assisting humans by offering support in a knowledgeable manner that may improve their wellbeing and/or performance, without reducing them in their freedom. This may concern elderly people, medical patients, but also humans in highly demanding circumstances or tasks. For example, to help coordinate the evacuation of large crowds in case of an emergency, or to optimise the performance of teams in sports or in organisations. The HAI workshop seeks contributions from any area on the intersection of Ambient/Artificial Intelligence and human-directed disciplines such as psychology, social science, neuroscience and biomedical sciences. For more details, see the areas of interest. /Aims / This workshop on Human Aspects in Ambient Intelligence (HAI) is the eighth of a series that began in 2007. The HAI workshop series focuses on applied and theoretical research in the intersection of Ambient and Artificial Intelligence on the one hand and human-directed disciplines (such as psychology, social science, neuroscience and biomedical sciences) on the other hand. The aim is to bring people together from these disciplines, as well as researchers working on cross connections of Artificial and Ambient Intelligence with these disciplines. The emphasis is on the use of knowledge from these disciplines in 'ambient' applications, in order to support humans in their daily living in medical, psychological and social respects. The workshop series plays an important role, for example, to get modellers in the psychological, neurological, social or biomedical disciplines interested in Ambient Intelligence as a high-potential application area for their models, and, for example, get inspiration for problem areas to be addressed for further developments in their disciplines. From the other side, the workshop may make researchers in Ambient Intelligence, Agent Systems, and Artificial Intelligence more aware of the possibilities to incorporate more substantial knowledge from the psychological, neurological, social and biomedical disciplines in Ambient Intelligence applications. /Areas of interest / Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: * human-aware computing * computational modelling of cognitive, neurological, social and biomedical processes for Ambient Intelligence * modelling emotion and mood and their regulation modelling contagion of mental states (e.g., beliefs, intentions, or emotions) * social awareness modelling * collecting and analysing histories of behaviour computational modelling of mindreading, theory of mind building profiles; user modelling in Ambient Intelligence sensoring; e.g., tracking physiological states, gaze, body movements, gestures * sensor information integration methods * analysis of sensor information; e.g., voice and skin analysis with respect to emotional states, gesture analysis, heart rate analysis * environmental modelling * situational awareness * serious gaming and ambient intelligence * virtual reality and virtual humans * model-based reasoning and analysis techniques for Ambient Intelligence * responsive and adaptive systems; machine learning * cognitive agent models * reflective ambient agent architectures * multi-agent system architectures for Ambient Intelligence applications * human interaction with devices wearable devices for ambient health and wellness monitoring brain-computer interfacing * analysis and design of applications to care for humans in need of support for physical and mental health; e.g., elderly or psychiatric care, surveillance, penitentiary care, humans in need of strucural medical or psychological care, support for psychotherapeutical/self-help communities * analysis and design of applications to support humans in demanding circumstances and tasks, such as warfare officers, air traffic controllers, crisis and disaster managers, humans in space missions * evaluation studies * handling aspects of privacy and security * philosophical, ethical, and political aspects of Ambient Intelligence aspects /Submission and Proceedings / Submission should be formatted according to the Springer LNCS template, and should not exceed 10 pages. To submit a paper to the workshop, see: http://wic2014.mimuw.edu.pl/amt/submit-paper-amt-2014-workshop. Accepted workshop papers will be published in the AMT conference proceedings by Springer Verlag, in their LNCS Series. /Registration / For every accepted paper at least one author has to register for the AMT 2014 conference. There is no separate workshop registration fee (i.e., only one conference registration covers everything). /Important Dates / - Submission deadline: March 23, 2014 - Notification: May 11, 2014 - Camera ready papers: May 18, 2014 - Workshop: August 11, 2014 /Coordination Commitee / Juan Carlos Augusto (Middlesex University London, School of Engineering and Information Sciences, UK) Tibor Bosse (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Agent Systems Research Group, Netherlands) Cristiano Castelfranchi (CNR Rome, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italy) Diane Cook (Washington State University, USA) Mark Neerincx (TNO Human Factors; Technical University Delft, Man-Machine Interaction, Netherlands) Fariba Sadri (Imperial College, Department of Computing, UK) /Programme Committee / Juan Carlos Augusto (Middlesex University London, School of Engineering and Information Sciences, UK) Marc Bohlen (State University of New York, USA) Tibor Bosse (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Agent Systems Research Group, Netherlands) Antonio Camurri (University of Genoa, InfoMus Lab, Italy) Cristiano Castelfranchi (CNR Rome, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italy) Diane Cook (Washington State University, USA) Hao-Hua Chu (National Taiwan University, Ubicomp Lab, Taiwan) Rino Falcone (CNR Rome, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italy) Aart van Halteren (Philips Research, Consumer Electronics, Netherlands) Dirk Heylen (University of Twente, Human Media Interaction, Netherlands) Peter Leijdekkers (University of Technology Sydney, Mobile Ubiquitous Services & Technologies Group, Australia) Paul Lukowicz (Austrian University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Austria) Peter-Paul van Maanen (TNO, Department of Perceptual and Cognitive Systems, Netherlands) Stuart Moran (University of Nottingham, School of Computer Science, UK) Neelam Naikar (Defence Science and Technology Organisation, Centre for Cognitive Work and Safety Analysis, Australia) Tatsuo Nakajima (Waseda University, Distributed and Ubiquitous Computing Lab, Japan) Mark Neerincx (TNO Human Factors; Technical University Delft, Man-Machine Interaction, Netherlands) Toyoaki Nishida (Kyoto University, Department of Intelligence Science and Technology, Japan) Pedro A. Nogueira (University of Porto, AI and Computer Science Lab, Portugal) Steffen Pauws (Philips Research Europe, Media Interaction Department, Netherlands) Christian Peter (Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria; Fraunhofer IGD, Rostock, Germany) Nitendra Rajput (IBM Research, Telecom Research Innovation Center, India) Peter Roelofsma (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Ambient Assisted Living Group, Netherlands) Tomasz M. Rutkowski (University of Tsukuba, Japan) Fariba Sadri (Imperial College, Department of Computing, UK) Maarten Sierhuis (NASA Ames Research Center, Human-Centered Computing, USA) Ross T. Smith (University of South Australia Mawson Lakes, Wearable Computer Lab, Australia) WenZhan Song (Georgia State University, Department of Computer Science) Ron Sun (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cognitive Science Department, USA) Jan Treur (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Agent Systems Research Group, Netherlands)

March 7, 2014

Reminder: Brain Connectivity Workshop 2014 - Early registration closes 31 March

by Claus C. Hilgetag

This is a repeat announcement of the Brain Connectivity Workshop 2014 which will take place in Hamburg, Germany, from 4th to 6th June 2014 (welcome reception on the evening of 3rd June). See website (http://sfb936.net/index.php/events/brain-connectivity-workshop-2014) for details. The Brain Connectivity Workshop (http://www.brain-connectivity-workshop.org) is an annual meeting that is dedicated to discussing the latest approaches and findings in the field of brain connectivity studies within a small group of experts. Hence attendance is limited to 140 participants, and the workshop strongly aims to facilitate exchange and discussion of ideas by a number of unique features. Important dates at a glance: * Registration: Now open - early registration until March 31, 2014, http://www.sfb936.net/index.php/events/brain-connectivity-workshop-2014. Because of the limited number of participants, early registration is strongly advised; seats will be allocated on a first come, first served principle. Speakers do not have to register. * The HBM 2014 meeting will take place in Hamburg, from June 8th to 12th (http://www.humanbrainmapping.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3565) right after the Brain Connectivity Workshop. We look forward to seeing you, Prof. Claus C. Hilgetag, PhD  (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Dept. of Computational Neuroscience) Prof. Dr. Klaas E. Stephan  (University of Zurich (UZH) & Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich) Prof. Dr. Andreas K. Engel  (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Dept. of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology) Prof. Dr. Christian Gerloff  (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Clinic and Policlinic of Neurology) Hilke Marina Petersen  (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Dept. of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology) – Management The workshop is supported by DFG Sonderforschungsbereich 936 "Multi-Site Communication in the Brain" (SFB 936), www.sfb936.net. Apologies for cross-posting.

March 7, 2014

14th Neural Computation and Psychology Workshop (NCPW14) call for papers

by Gert Westermann

Dear colleague, We cordially invite you to participate in the 14th Neural Computation and Psychology Workshop (NCPW14) to be held at Lancaster University, UK, from August 21-23, 2014: http://www.psych.lancs.ac.uk/ncpw14 This well-established and lively workshop aims at bringing together researchers from different disciplines such as artificial intelligence, cognitive science, computer science, neurobiology, philosophy and psychology to discuss their work on models of cognitive processes. Often this workshop has had a theme, and this time it is ‘Development across the lifespan’, but also submissions that do not fall under this theme are welcome. Papers must be about emergent models - frequently, but not necessarily - of the connectionist/neural network kind, applied to cognition. The NCPW workshops have always been characterized by their limited size, high quality papers, the absence of parallel talk sessions, and a schedule that is explicitly designed to encourage interaction among the researchers present in an informal setting. NCPW14 is no exception. The scientific program will consist of keynote lectures, oral sessions and poster sessions. Furthermore, this workshop will feature a unique set of invited speakers: James McClelland, Stanford University. Bob McMurray, University of Iowa. Michael Thomas, Birkbeck College, London. Abstract submission Please submit one-page abstracts (pdf) by email to ncpw14conf(a)gmail.com, stating whether you want to present as a talk, poster, or talk/poster. Rumelhart Memorial Travel Awards The Rumelhart Memorial Travel awards, generously funded by Professor Jay McClelland, will provide funding to support travel costs for students/post docs presenting at the conference. Awards of US$250 are available to students or post docs from Western European countries, and US$750 for students or post docs from elsewhere. Decisions will be based on the quality of the submission. Eligibility criteria: The first author of the submission is a PhD student or Post-doctoral fellow who will attend the meeting and will present the submission if chosen to receive a travel award. Location Lancaster is situated in the north west of England, approximately one hour from Manchester and Liverpool airports. Lancaster is surrounded by spectacular scenery, hiking and climbing country. The Yorkshire Dales national park is 10 miles away. The Lake District national park is 20 miles away, http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk. The stagecoach 555 bus (http://www.stagecoachbus.com) takes you directly from Lancaster through the heart of the Lakes. The Trough of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is 2 miles away. Important dates to remember Abstract deadline: 15 May Notification of abstract acceptance: 7 June Early registration deadline: tbc Online registration deadline: tbc Conference dates: 21-23 August, 2014 Looking forward to your participation! Organizing Committee Gert Westermann, Lancaster University Padraic Monaghan, Lancaster University Katherine E. Twomey, Liverpool University Alastair C. Smith, MPI Nijmegen -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Gert Westermann Department of Psychology Lancaster University Lancaster LA1 4YF Phone: +44 (0)1524 592 942 Fax: +44 (0)1524 593 744 g.westermann(a)lancaster.ac.uk http://www.psych.lancs.ac.uk/people/gert-westermann

March 6, 2014

Decision Making Bristol 2014: Call for Abstracts

by DMB 2014 Mailbox

The Decision-making Group at Bristol University invites you to attend our second conference 'Decision Making Bristol 2014<http://www.bris.ac.uk/decisions-research/conference2014/>' on 9-12 September 2014. Following the success of the 2012 conference, this conference aims to embrace a breadth of research, appealing to those interested in all aspects of decision making. We are pleased to announce that the following Key Note speakers have been secured Gerd Gigerenzer<http://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/en/staff/gerd-gigerenzer> , Tom Griffiths <http://psychology.berkeley.edu/people/tom-griffiths>, Antonio Rangel <http://www.rnl.caltech.edu/index.html> and Jeffrey D. Schall<http://www.vanderbilt.edu/psychological_sciences/bio/jeffrey-schall>. These will be accompanied by invited talks from Nick Chater<http://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/nick-chater/> , Eric-Jan Wagenmakers <http://www.ejwagenmakers.com/> and Daniel Wolpert<http://learning.eng.cam.ac.uk/Public/Wolpert/Wolpert> . Held in the beautiful city of Bristol, at one of the UK's leading science and discovery centres, At-Bristol <http://www.at-bristol.org.uk/>, the conference will promote interdisciplinary collaborations and welcomes attendance from both theoreticians and experimentalists. For further information and how to register please see http://www.bris.ac.uk/decisions-research/conference2014/. Registration will close on 30 June 2014. The *call for short abstracts *(500 words) is now *open *and we invite you to submit your abstract to the following email address: DMB-2014(a)bristol.ac.uk. The closing date for receipt is *31 March 2014. * Please feel free to share this email with your colleagues and research students. We look forward to seeing you in September. Best wishes Sally-Ann Parry *on behalf of the Decision-making Group* e: DMB-2014(a)bristol.ac.uk w: http://www.bris.ac.uk/decisions-research/ w: http://www.bris.ac.uk/decisions-research/conference2014/ a: University of Bristol, 5 Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TZ

March 6, 2014

Google Summer of Code: Open Source models of cortical networks

by Padraig Gleeson

Google Summer of Code is an initiative to encourage students to contribute to open source software projects. Generous stipends are provided for successful applicants to work on these projects for a number of months over the summer. The INCF <http://incf.org/> has been a GSoC mentoring organisation for the past number of years, and has helped link up students with mentors to advance various projects in the wider neuroinformatics and computational neuroscience areas. The Open Source Brain initiative <http://www.opensourcebrain.org> is encouraging students to apply to be part of this. The successful candidate will take models of cells and networks from the cortex and convert them into open, standardised formats (e.g. NeuroML and PyNN) and place them in public repositories as a resource for the wider community. These can be published models available in simulator specific formats on ModelDB, or classic models from the literature which would benefit from curating/updating/documenting. Making models available in these formats will allow them to be used & tested across multiple simulators, make the physiological properties of the models more accessible and facilitate reuse of model components. *This opportunity is particularly relevant for Masters & PhD students currently working in model development in computational neuroscience. Many students **are already converting/updating existing models as part of their work and this is a great opportunity to get paid extra to do this! *** Closing date for student applications: *21st March 2014* Period of working on projects: *19 May - 18 August* Full information on this can be found here: http://incf.org/gsoc/2014/proposals/#open-source--cross-simulator--large-sc… ----------------------------------------------------- Padraig Gleeson Room 321, Anatomy Building Department of Neuroscience, Physiology& Pharmacology University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT United Kingdom +44 207 679 3214 p.gleeson(a)ucl.ac.uk -----------------------------------------------------

March 6, 2014

Deadline Approaching: Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop

by Ralph Etienne-Cummings

Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop 2014 Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering Workshop: The 20th Anniversary Edition Telluride, Colorado, June 29th - July 19th, 2014CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Deadline is April 2nd, 2014 NEUROMORPHIC COGNITION ENGINEERING WORKSHOP www.ine-web.org Sunday June 29th - Saturday July 19th, 2014, Telluride, Colorado We invite applications for a three-week summer workshop that will be held in Telluride, Colorado. Sunday June 29th - Saturday July 19th, 2014. The application deadline is Wednesday, April 2nd and application instructions are described at the bottom of this document. This is the 20th Anniversary of the Workshop, and ~25 years since the conception of the "Meadian" version of Neuromorphic Engineering. Hence, we plan a celebratory Workshop, where some of the originators and benefactors of the field will participate in discussions of the successes and challenges over the past 25 years and prognosticate the potential contributions for the next 25 years. The 2014 Workshop and Summer School on Neuromorphic Engineering is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Institute of Neuromorphic Engineering, Qualcomm Corporation, The EU-Collaborative Convergent Science Network (CNS-II), University of Maryland - College Park, Institute for Neuroinformatics - University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Georgia Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Boston University, University of Western Sydney and the Salk Institute. Directors: - Cornelia Fermuller, University of Maryland, College Park - Ralph Etienne-Cummings, Johns Hopkins University - Shih-Chii Liu, Institute of Neuroinformatics, UNI/ETH Zurich, Switzerland - Timothy Horiuchi, University of Maryland, College Park 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, Uni/Eth Zurich, Switzerland - Jonathan Tapson, University Western Sydney, Australia - Malcolm Slaney, Microsoft Research - Jennifer Hasler, Georgia Institute of Technology - Rodney Douglas, Institute of Neuroinformatics, Uni/Eth Zurich, Switzerland - Shihab Shamma, University of Maryland - Tobi Delbruck, Institute of Neuroinformatics, Uni/Eth Zurich, Switzerland Previous year workshop can be found at: http://ine-web.org/workshops/workshops-overview/index.html and the workshop wiki is athttps://neuromorphs.net/ 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. *2014 TOPIC AREAS:* 1. *Human Auditory Cognition: Acoustic Priming, Imagination and Attention.* Project Leaders: Shihab Shamma (UM-College Park), Malcolm Slaney (Microsoft), Edward Lalor (Trinity College, Dublin), Barbara Shinn-Cunningham (Boston U) 2. *Motion and Action Processing on Wearable Devices* Project Leaders: Michael Pfeiffer (INI-UZH), Ryad Benosman (UPMC, Paris), Garrick Orchard (NUS, Singapore), and Cornelia Fermüller (UMCP) 3. *Planning with Dynamic Neural Fields: from Sensorimotor Dynamics to Large-Scale behavioral Search* Project Leaders: Yulia Sandamirskaya (RUB, Bochum) and Erik Billing (U. Skovde) 4. *Neuromorphic Olympics* Project Leaders: Jorg Conradt (TUM, Munich) and Terry Stewart (U. Waterloo) 5. *Embodied Neuromorphic Real-World Architectures of Perception, Cognition and Action* Project Leaders: Andreas Andreou (JHU) and Paul Verschure (UPF, Barcelona) 6. *Terry Sejnowski (Salk Institute) - Computational Neuroscience (invitational mini-workshop)* 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). Great Lakes Aviation and America West Express airlines provide daily flights directly into 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 will have a network of PCs running LINUX and Microsoft Windows for the workshop projects. 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, 2014. The Workshop covers all your accommodations and facilities costs for the 3 weeks duration. You are responsible for your own travel to the Workshop, however, sponsored fellowships will be available as described below to further subsidize your cost. Registration Fees: For expenses not covered by federal funds, a Workshop registration fee is required. The fee is $1250 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. Fellowships: This year we will offer two Fellowships to subsidize your costs: 1. Qualcomm Corporation Fellowship: Three non-corporate participants will have their accommodation and registration fees ($2750) directly covered by Qualcomm, and will be reimbursed for travel costs up to $500. Additional generous funding from Qualcomm will provide $5000 to help organize and stage the Workshop. 2. EU-CSNII Fellowship (http://csnetwork.eu/) which is funded by the 7th Research Framework Program FP7-ICT-CSNII-601167: The top 8 EU applicants will be reimbursed for their registration fees ($1250), subsistence/travel subsidy (up to Euro 2000) and accommodations cost ($1500). The registration and accommodation costs will go directly to the INE (the INE will reimburse the participant's registration fees after receipt from CSNII), while the subsistence/travel reimbursement will be provided directly to the participants by the CSNII at the University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. 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 7th, 2014): ine-web.org/telluride-conference-2014/apply-info 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.* 7th February, 2014 - Applications accepted on website 2nd April, 2014 - Applications Due 15th April, 2014 - Notification of Acceptance ------------------------- -- Ralph Etienne-Cummings, PhD, FIEEE Professor Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Computational Sensor Motor Systems Lab

March 6, 2014

Computational Neuroscience: Vision summer course

by Horwitz Lab

*Summer course* COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE: VISION July 11 - July 24, 2014 COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY *Application Deadline: March 31, 2013* Arranged by Geoff Boynton, Greg Horwitz, Jonathan Pillow and Stefan Treue, this course is offered every two years and gives 24 graduate students and postdocs switching into this field of research the chance for intensive interchange with a diverse faculty in an intellectually stimulating environment. The goal of the course is to introduce students (usually in the middle of their thesis project) to the processing of visual information as a model for general issues in systems neuroscience. The emphasis is on approaches with strong theoretical bases. In addition to talks by an international faculty, the course offers ample opportunity to interact with the speakers and to apply the knowledge gained in the course through hands-on projects. Please see http://meetings.cshl.edu/courses/2014/c-visi14.shtml for more information about the course, the faculty, and the application procedure. Please see http://www.cns.nyu.edu/csh/csh12/alumni.html for a list of previous course participants.

March 6, 2014

Postdoc- Computational Neuroscience - University of Arizona

by Fellous

Computational Neuroscience Postdoctoral Fellow position at the University of Arizona: Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Position to utilize computational tools to study the neural mechanisms and processing that give rise to *a) memory acquisition and consolidation, ** **b) spatial navigation (grid & place cells), and ** **c) neural coding.* Prospective candidates should have a) a strong background in research (e.g., publications), b) a strong quantitative background with computational skills and experience including statistics or information theory, and c) an aptitude and motivation for innovative research. Positions are expected to start Fall 2014. Highly competitive salary and benefits are available and will be commensurate with experience. The candidate will work together with Jean-Marc Fellous and O. Ozan Koyluoglu, and will be affiliated with both the Department of Psychology and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. To apply, please email a CV including a list of publications, a letter of motivation, and the names of three referees to: fellous(a)email.arizona.edu and ozan(a)email.arizona.edu. *The university*: The University of Arizona (UA) is one of the largest universities in the US with its 40,000 students. UA, having excellent Science, Engineering, and Medical programs, is one of the top ranked research universities in the US. University-wide, a total of 26 academic programs rank in the top 20 of their U.S. peers in public and private universities according to U.S. News & World Report. Research expenditures of UA is more than $625 million, and UA is ranked #19 among all public universities in US by the National Science Foundation. *The city*: UA is located in Tucson, Arizona - the real southwest and the Grand Canyon state! Tucson has mild winters and lots of sunshine. From hiking and biking to bird watching, no matter what you love to do in the great outdoors, Tucson is the place to do it. The city has been rated as one of the most affordable and cleanest cities in the US.

March 5, 2014

Frontiers Research Topic: Memory Processes in Medial Temporal Lobe: Experimental, Theoretical and Computational Approaches

by Vassilis Cutsuridis

Dear colleagues, we would like to inform you that our Research Topic organized with Frontiers in Neuroscience (Host Specialty: Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience) is still open and it will be accepting abstracts till April 1st, 2014. Our Research Topic is entitled: "Memory Processes in Medial Temporal Lobe: Experimental, Theoretical and Computational Approaches" Topic Editors: Motoharu Yoshida (University of Bochum) and Vassilis Cutsuridis (Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH)) Important deadlines ---------------------------- Abstract Submission Deadline: April 1st 2014 Article Submission Deadline: August 1st, 2014 Research Topic Description ---------------------------------------- The medial temporal lobe (MTL) includes the hippocampus, amygdala and parahippocampal regions, and is crucial for episodic and spatial memory. MTL memory function consists of distinct processes such as encoding, consolidation and retrieval. Encoding is the process by which perceived information is transformed into a memory trace. After encoding, memory traces are stabilized by consolidation. Memory retrieval (recall) refers to the process by which memory traces are reactivated to access information previously encoded and stored in the brain. Although underlying neural mechanisms supporting these distinct functional stages remain largely unknown, recent studies have indicated that distinct oscillatory dynamics, specific neuron types, synaptic plasticity and neuromodulation, play a central role. The theta rhythm is believed to be crucial in the encoding and retrieval of memories. Experimental and computational studies indicate that precise timing of principal cell firing in the hippocampus, relative to the theta rhythm, underlies encoding and retrieval processes. On the other hand, sharp-wave ripples have been implicated in the consolidation through the "replay" of memories in compressed time scales. The neural circuits and cell types supporting memory processes in the MTL areas have only recently been delineated using experimental approaches such as optogenetics, juxtacellular recordings and optical imaging. Principal (excitatory) cells are crucial for encoding, storing and retrieving memories at the cellular level, whereas inhibitory interneurons provide the temporal structures for orchestrating the activities of neuronal populations of principal cells by regulating synaptic integration and timing of action potential generation of principal cells as well as the generation and maintenance of network oscillations (rhythms). In addition, neuromodulators such as acetylcholine alter dynamical properties of neurons and synapses, and modulate oscillatory state and rules of synaptic plasticity and their levels might tune MTL to specific memory processes. The goal of the research topic is to offer a snapshot of the current stateof-the-art on how memories are encoded, consolidated, stored and retrieved in MTL structures. Particularly welcome will be studies (experimental or computational) focusing on the structure and function of neural circuits, their cellular components (principal cell and inhibitory interneurons), synaptic plasticity rules involved in these memory processes, network oscillations such as theta and sharp-wave ripples, and role of neuromodulators. Possible questions are: (1) Which areas or pathways within the MTL support encoding/consolidation/retrieval? (2) What neural activity defines specific memory processes? (3) What are the roles of neuromodulators in defining/switching these memory processes? (4) Could the role of synaptic plasticity be different in different memory processes? (5) What functional roles do the various inhibitory interneurons support during the encoding/consolidation/retrieval processes? About Frontiers Research Topics ------------------------------------------------ Frontiers Research Topics are designed to be an organized, encyclopedic coverage of a particular research area, and a forum for discussion and debate. Contributions can be of different article types (Original Research, Methods, Hypothesis & Theory, and others). Our Research Topic has a dedicated homepage on the Frontiers website, where contributing articles are accumulated and discussions can be easily held. Once all articles are published, the topic will be compiled into an e-book, which can be sent to foundations that fund your research, to journalists and press agencies, and to any number of other organizations. As the ultimate reference source from leading scientists, Frontiers Research Topic articles become highly cited. Frontiers is a Swiss-based, open access publisher. As such an article accepted for publication incurs a publishing fee, which varies depending on the article type. The publishing fee for accepted articles is below average compared to most other open access journals - and lower than subscription-based journals that apply page and color figure charges. Moreover, for Research Topic articles, the publishing fee is discounted quite steeply thanks to the support of the Frontiers Research Foundation. Details on Frontiers' fees can be found at http://www.frontiersin.org/about/PublishingFees. When published, your article will be freely available to visitors to the Frontiers site, and will be indexed in PubMed and other academic archives. As an author in Frontiers, you will retain the copyright to your own paper and all figures. The details regarding this Research Topic for Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience can be found at the following URL: http://www.frontiersin.org/systems_neuroscience/researchtopics/memory_proce… Should you choose to participate, please confirm by sending a quick email and then your abstract using the following link: http://www.frontiersin.org/submissioninfo Thanks in advance for your interest! Vassilis Cutsuridis and Motoharu Yoshida --- Vassilis Cutsuridis, PhD IMBB - FORTH Heraklion, Crete Greece

March 5, 2014

PhD opportunities at the Queensland Brain Institute

by Geoffrey Goodhill

The Queensland Brain Institute (QBI - http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au<http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au/>) is seeking exceptional and highly motivated PhD students to undertake neuroscience research at its state-of-the-art facility located on The University of Queensland’s (UQ) St Lucia campus, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Established in 2003, the QBI's multidisciplinary environment is home to more than 300 staff and approximately 100 PhD students. Key areas of interest include computation and neuronal circuits, cognition and behaviour, neurogenesis and neuronal survival, genetics and epigenetics, neuronal development and connectivity, sensory systems, and synaptic function. QBI researchers have published almost 500 papers in the past two years, including 2 in Science, 4 in Nature, 2 in Neuron, 3 in Nature Neuroscience, 8 in Nature Genetics, 8 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, and 18 in Journal of Neuroscience. Scholarships and Remuneration QBI offers full-time PhD scholarships for outstanding Australian and International students (living allowance AUD$25,392 per annum, indexed annually, tax exempt) for 3 years with a possible 6 month extension. In addition, QBI supports high quality domestic and international applicants in their nomination to The University of Queensland’s competitive scholarship rounds (three rounds per year). A QBI top-up scholarship of $5,000 per annum may also be available to successful candidates. The Candidate Both Australian and International applicants are welcome to apply. Candidates should have a First Class Honours degree (or equivalent) in neuroscience, molecular biology, bioscience, psychology, genetics, the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics, computer science, or a related discipline. Strong academic performance, the commitment to conduct high quality neuroscience research, and published output are highly desirable. For further information on the Basis of Admission to a UQ research higher degree, please visit http://www.uq.edu.au/grad-school/our-research-degrees. Successful applicants must accept and commence within 6 months of receiving an award. Enquiries and Applications Please review the research interests of QBI Group Leaders at http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au/group-leaders and make direct contact with a Group Leader working in an area of greatest interest to you, providing your detailed academic resume and complete academic records (including GPA scores/grades, and grading scale details). The Group Leader will work with you to develop your application for submission to QBI. APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON 30 APRIL, 2014 Professor Geoffrey J Goodhill Queensland Brain Institute and School of Mathematics & Physics University of Queensland St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia Phone: +61 7 3346 6431 Fax: +61 7 3346 6301 Email: g.goodhill(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:g.goodhill@uq.edu.au> http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au/professor-geoffrey-goodhill

March 5, 2014

Computational & Cognitive Neuroscience Summer School, in Shanghai

by John Murray

We're pleased to announce the 5th Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience Summer School which will take place in Shanghai, China from the 5th to the 23rd of July. Applications are being accepted now on the Cold Spring Harbor Asia website, www.csh-asia.org/summerschool_applinstruct.htm and course information is on the CCN official website www.ccnss.org. The application deadline is March 15. *** Please note that the expenses of the summer school including tuition fee, housing and meals will be fully waived. *** Designed to emphasize higher cognitive functions and their underlying neural circuit mechanisms, the course aims at training talented and highly motivated students and postdoctoral fellows from Asia and other countries in the world. Applicants with quantitative (including Physics, Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science) or experimental background are welcomed. The lectures will introduce the basic concepts and methods, as well as cutting-edge research on higher brain functions such as decision-making, attention, learning and memory. Modeling will be taught at multiple levels, ranging from single neuron computation, microcircuits and large-scale systems, to normative theoretical approach. Python and Matlab-based programming labs coordinated with the lectures will provide practical training in important computational methods. The summer school is co-organized by Xiao-Jing Wang (NYU & NYU Shanghai), Si Wu (Beijing Normal University), Zach Mainen (Champalimaud Neuroscience Program) and Upi Bhalla (NCBS) and sponsored by Beijing Normal University, East China Normal University, NYU Shanghai, Hugo Shong and the McGovern Institute, and Cold Spring Harbor Asia. Organizers: - Xiao-Jing Wang (NYU) - Zach Mainen (Champalimaud Neurosc. Program) - Upi Bhalla (Nat. Centre for Biological Sciences) - Si Wu (Beijing Normal Univ.) Lecturers: - Bill Newsome (Stanford Univ.) - Bob Desimone (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech.) - Gustavo Deco (Univ. Pompeu Fabra) - Gonzalo G. de Polavieja (Cajal Inst.) - Kenji Doya (Okinawa Inst. Science Technology) - Mariano Sigman (Univ. Buenos Aires) - Michael Breakspear (Queensland Inst. Medical Research) - Michael Hausser (Univ. College London) - Misha Tsodyks (Weizmann Inst.) - Philip Sabes (Univ. California San Francisco) - Sophie Deneve (Ecole Normale Superieure) Feel free to direct any questions to: john.murray(a)nyu.edu

March 4, 2014

Postdoctoral position: neural circuitry of reward and motivated behavior at Cornell

by Melissa R. Warden

We are seeking exceptional postdoctoral fellows to join a creative and multidisciplinary team of researchers, led by Dr. Melissa Warden, in the department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University. The broad goal of our research program is to understand the neural circuitry underlying reward and motivation in the mammalian brain, and to determine how signals reflecting these quantities are constructed and used to control affective state and behavior. We study these systems with an observational and causal approach, combining monitoring and decoding of neural activity with control of defined circuit elements, and utilize an array of techniques including optogenetics, imaging, high-density freely moving neurophysiology, patch clamp electrophysiology, rodent behavior, and computation. For more information see wardenlab.org. Ideal candidates will have a strong quantitative background, experience in imaging or electrophysiology, and proficiency in MATLAB/Python/R. Previous experience with neurobiology is helpful but not necessary. The main selection criteria will be outstanding research accomplishments, creativity, and promise of future achievement. Cornell has a vibrant neuroscience community spanning a wide range of departments and institutes, including Neurobiology and Behavior, Applied and Engineering Physics, Biomedical Engineering, the Kavli Institute for Nanoscale Science, Psychology, Mathematics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, and Molecular Medicine, an environment which provides a unique opportunity to bring the latest technological innovations to bear on fundamental problems in neuroscience. Cornell's scenic campus is located in Ithaca, New York, an intellectually and culturally rich city in the heart of the Finger Lakes. Interested candidates should send a research statement, a curriculum vitae with publications, and the contact information for three references to Dr. Melissa Warden (mrwarden(a)cornell.edu) Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Informal inquiries are welcome. -- Melissa R. Warden, Ph.D. Assistant Professor and Miriam M. Salpeter Fellow Robertson Neuroscience Investigator, New York Stem Cell Foundation Department of Neurobiology and Behavior Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 http://www.wardenlab.org

March 4, 2014

[11 DAYS LEFT] Frontiers Research Topic - Models of brain stimulation

by Dr Julien Modolo

Dear all, Just a friendly reminder that the deadline of our Research Topic organized with Frontiers in Neuroscience (Host Specialty: Frontiers in Computional Neuroscience) is approoaching rapidly (March 15). As a reminder, our Research Topic is entitled: "Driving Innovation in Therapeutic Brain Stimulation With Biophysical Models" Topic Editors: Julien Modolo, Alexandre Legros and Alex W Thomas - Lawson Health Research and Western University, London, Ontario (Canada). Abstract Submission Deadline: March 15 2014 Article Submission Deadline: June 1st, 2014 Research Topic Description: Electric and magnetic stimulation of the brain have become increasingly used for therapy in numerous neurological disorders over the last 20 years. The domain of therapeutic brain stimulation is complex and dynamic, since it involves many different diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy), stimulation devices and protocols (from completely non-invasive stimulation to the chronic implantation of stimulation electrodes in the brain). Despite its use by hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide, it seems paradoxical that, in most cases, the biological mechanisms by which therapeutic brain stimulation can provide symptom relief are unknown. Our limited knowledge in terms of interaction mechanisms dramatically slows down the development of novel brain stimulation techniques, which rely mainly on empiric observations. Fortunately, a paradigm change has begun, and biophysical modeling has emerged as an alternative tool not only allowing ot understand therapeutic brain stimulation, but also to foster innovation. Realistic models of neurons and neural networks are now routinely used in neuroscience research to better understand the outcome of experimental data, and also to help in experiment design. These models can simulate the activity of single cells (e.g., with the Hodgkin-Huxley model), or, at the other extreme, of the entire brain (Blue Brain project). One especially appealing use of these models is to simulate in silico how electric and magnetic fields modulate neuronal activity at different spatial and temporal scales, to ultimately have an impact on behaviour. This application of biophysical models of brain activity is currently the focus of intense research efforts, with the hope of groundbreaking clinical translations on the horizon. The objective of this Research Topic is to offer a comprehensive overview of the most recent biophysical models and their contribution in the development of innovative therapeutic brain stimulation techniques, in various neurological disorders. An emphasis should be made on the critical role of biophysical modeling in the rational and effective design of novel brain stimulation techniques, and also in providing key insights into fundamental interaction mechanisms that can be exploited to ends of therapy. About Frontiers Research Topics: Frontiers Research Topics are designed to be an organized, encyclopedic coverage of a particular research area, and a forum for discussion and debate. Contributions can be of different article types (Original Research, Methods, Hypothesis & Theory, and others). Our Research Topic has a dedicated homepage on the Frontiers website, where contributing articles are accumulated and discussions can be easily held. Once all articles are published, the topic will be compiled into an e-book, which can be sent to foundations that fund your research, to journalists and press agencies, and to any number of other organizations. As the ultimate reference source from leading scientists, Frontiers Research Topic articles become highly cited. Frontiers is a Swiss-based, open access publisher. As such an article accepted for publication incurs a publishing fee, which varies depending on the article type. The publishing fee for accepted articles is below average compared to most other open access journals - and lower than subscription-based journals that apply page and color figure charges. Moreover, for Research Topic articles, the publishing fee is discounted quite steeply thanks to the support of the Frontiers Research Foundation. Details on Frontiers’ fees can be found at http://www.frontiersin.org/about/PublishingFees. When published, your article will be freely available to visitors to the Frontiers site, and will be indexed in PubMed and other academic archives. As an author in Frontiers, you will retain the copyright to your own paper and all figures. The details regarding this Research Topic for Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience can be found at the following URL: http://www.frontiersin.org/computational_neuroscience/researchtopics/drivin… Should you choose to participate, please confirm by sending a quick email and then your abstract using the following link: http://www.frontiersin.org/submissioninfo Thanks in advance for your interest! Julien Modolo, Alexandre Legros and Alex W Thomas -- Julien Modolo, PhD Scientist, Human Threshold Research Group, Lawson Health Research Institute Assistant Professor, Departments of Medical Biophysics and Medical Imaging, Western University Room E4-141 268 Grosvenor Street London, ON, N6A4V2 Canada Phone: (+001) 519-646-6100 ext 64192 Fax: 519-646-6100

March 4, 2014

POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS: Rhythmic dynamics of visual perception and attention

by Rufin VanRullen

*POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS: Rhythmic dynamics of visual perception and attention * Location: Toulouse (France) Starting date: Flexible (2014) Two postdoctoral positions are available to work in collaboration with Rufin VanRullen at the CerCo in Toulouse, France, as part of a recently funded ERC project. The project investigates rhythmic aspects of visual perception, attention and awareness, using a combination of psychophysical, neuro-imaging (EEG, fMRI, TMS) and computational tools. Successful applicants will have prior experience with at least one of the above-mentioned experimental techniques, and a demonstrated interest in vision and/or attention; some programming experience is also desirable. More information about research in the lab can be found at http://www.cerco.ups-tlse.fr/~rufin/ <http://www.cerco.ups-tlse.fr/%7Erufin/>. French language is not a requirement but a willingness to learn would be beneficial. Net salary ranges between 1,850 Euros and 2,350 Euros per month, commensurate with experience. The initial appointment is one year, and can easily be renewed for up to two more years. Additional information about the research environment in Toulouse can be viewed at http://www.cerco.ups-tlse.fr/fr_vers/cerco_eng/ Applications should be sent to Rufin VanRullen (rufin-lab(a)cerco.ups-tlse.fr <mailto:rufin-lab@cerco.ups-tlse.fr>), and should include a detailed CV including publication list, a brief statement about research interests, and the names of 2 references. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. Informal inquiries can also be made at any time to the same email address. Rufin VanRullen. Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, CNRS UMR 5549, Pavillon Baudot, Hopital Purpan, 31052 Toulouse Cedex, France. http://www.cerco.ups-tlse.fr/~rufin/ <http://www.cerco.ups-tlse.fr/%7Erufin/>

March 4, 2014

eNTERFACE14 Summer Workshop on Multimodal Interfaces - Call for participation - 10 days left!!

by Daniel Erro

*** We apologize for multiple postings *** *** Please forward this e-mail to potentially interested students/researchers *** 10th Summer Workshop on Multimodal Interfaces Bilbao, Spain, June 9th – July 5th, 2014 http://aholab.ehu.es/eNTERFACE14/ eNTERFACE 2014 – Call for Participation Aholab Signal Processing research group, from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain, invites researchers from all over the world to join eNTERFACE’14, the 10th Summer Workshop on Multimodal Interfaces, to be held in Bilbao, Spain, from June 9th to July 9th, 2014. eNTERFACE workshops gather in a single place a team of senior project leaders, researchers, and students, to work on a pre-specified list of challenges for 4 weeks. Participants are organized in teams, each team being attached to a specific project. This is the list of projects that have been selected to be carried out in this edition of eNTERFACE (more detailed information about all of them can be found on the official website): 1. Auracle: how are the salient cues situated in audiovisual content? 2. A character animation authoring platform for the 99% 3. Exploring stylistics of expert gestures and singing voice with motion capture and reactive statistical mapping 4. MILLA - Multimodal interactive language learning agent 5. Online platform for obtaining personalized synthetic voices 6. Quantification of the alteration in the resting state networks for measuring brain pathologies and diseases If you are a senior/junior researcher or a PhD/MS/undergraduate student working on similar topics and you want to collaborate in (at least) one of these projects, please prepare a short CV in electronic format along with a list of skills you can offer to the team and fill in the application form available on the official website. The project leaders will select their team members among the applicants. The program will include several keynote lectures given by renowned experts. Nick Campbell (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland) and Anton Nijholt (University of Twente, Netherlands) have already accepted our invitation. eNTERFACE’14 has no registration fee and lodging prices will be highly competitive. We will also offer about 5 grants covering accomodation expenses (more information will be given through the official website in due course). Important dates: Deadline for application: March 14th 2014 Notification of acceptance to participants: April 11th 2014 Workshop: June 9th – July 4th 2014 Web: http://aholab.ehu.es/eNTERFACE14 Contact: enterface14(a)aholab.ehu.es

March 4, 2014

Conference "Nonlinear Dynamics on Complex Networks"

by Denis Zakharov

Dear colleagues,* * The deadline for the application to the International Conference “Nonlinear Dynamics on Complex Networks” has been extended to March 15, 2014. We would be grateful if you distribute this information among interested colleagues. Best wishes, Dr. Denis Zakharov Scientific Secretary of the Conference “Nonlinear Dynamics on Complex Networks” e-mail: nwp1(a)neuron.appl.sci-nnov.ru <http://nwp.sci-nnov.ru/index.html> http://nwp.sci-nnov.ru/index.html *_____________________________________________________________________________* *International Conference "Nonlinear Dynamics on Complex Networks" 17-23 July, 2014 **Nizhny Novgorod**, **Russia* * Organized by* Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences University of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia *Chairs * Vladimir Nekorkin, Institute of Applied Physics RAS, Russia Arkady Pikovsky, University of Potsdam, Germany *Program Committee* Valentin Afraimovich, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Mexico Jose Maria Amigo, Universidad Miguel Herna'ndez, Spain Peter Ashwin, University of Exeter, UK Igor Belykh, Georgia State University, USA Jean-Marie Bilbault, Bourgogne University, France Maurice Courbage, Universite' Paris 7, France Alexander Dmitriev, Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics RAS, Russia Alexander Mikhailov, Fritz Haber Institute, Germany Antonio Politi, Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology, Scotland, UK Nikolai Rulkov, BioCircuits Institute, USA *Conference scope * Dynamical networks: Elements of general theory Characterization of complex dynamics Heteroclinic sequences and channels in dynamical networks Synchronization Applications in life sciences and engineering Adaptation and control *Invited speakers* *Jose Maria Amigo* /Universidad Miguel Herna'ndez, //Elche//,/ /Spain/ Entropy and switching systems *Vadim Anishchenko* /Saratov// State University, Russia / Poincare recurrences: Theory and applications *Peter** **Ashwin* /University// of //Exeter//, UK / Networks in phase and physical space: design and dynamics of heteroclinic attractors in coupled cell systems *Ernesto Estrada * /University of Strathclyde, //Glasgo//, //UK// / Consensus and controllability in social networks under combined direct and indirect peers pressure Sergey Kuznetsov Kotel'nikov's Institute of Radio-Engineering and Electronics RAS, Saratov Branch, Russia Examples of mechanical systems manifesting chaotic hyperbolic attractors of Smale-Williams type *Elbert Macau* /National Institute for Space Research, //Sao Jose dos Campos//,/ /Brazil/ Controlling Collective Behavior *Leonid Manevich* /Institute of Chemical Physics RAS, //Moscow//, //Russia// / Energy exchange and localization in finite nonlinear oscillatory chains *Gustavo **Martinez**-Mekler* /Instituto de Ciencias Fi'sicas, UNAM, //Cuernavaca//, //Mexico /Complex network dynamics approach to marine external fertilization / / Andrey Polezhaev P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow, Russia Segmented patterns and mechanisms of their formation Maurizio Porfiri Polytechnic School of Engineering, New York University, USA Synchronization and control in networks of stochastically coupled oscillators Eckehard Scho"ll Institut fu"r Theoretische Physik, TU Berlin, Germany Control of complex networks: interplay of structure and delay Aneta Stefanovska**/ Lancaster University//, //UK// / Systems with stable amplitudes and time-varying frequencies *Sebastiano Stramaglia * /University of Bari//, //Italy// / Nonlinear dynamics and information flow on the human brain connectome *Changsong Zhou * /Centre for Nonlinear Studies, Institute of Computational and Theoretical Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University,Kowloon Tong, Hong/ /Kong/ Cost-efficiency in neural connectivity and *Scientific Secretary * Dr. Denis Zakharov Institute of Applied Physics RAS e-mail: nwp1(a)neuron.appl.sci-nnov.ru <mailto:nwp1@neuron.appl.sci-nnov.ru> *Key Dates*: Deadline for submission of short abstracts and registration forms 15 March, 2014 Notification of acceptance 1 April, 2014 Deadline for submission of extended abstracts 15 May, 2014 Deadline for early registration 1 June, 2014 Deadline for registration 1 July, 2014 *Conference Fees* The registration fee that includes a registration kit, conference abstracts, historical tours, and welcome party is 400 Euro (300 Euro if paid before 1 June, 2014) for participants and 200 Euro for accompanying persons. The registration fee is waived for the conference chairs and program committee members. Students will be accorded a reduced registration fee of 200 Euro. The cost of accommodation is 800 Euro for each participant and accompanying person. The accommodation on board will be high-class one- or two-berth cabin, breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Also, complementary coffee will be available during the breaks. Participants are expected to secure conference fees and travel funding independently. *Conference** Web site: *http://www.nwp.sci-nnov.ru <http://www.nwp.sci-nnov.ru/>

March 4, 2014

Research Scientist/Engineer, Director of Neuroengineering Design Suite wanted at Georgia Tech, GA, USA

by Ilya Kolb

*Research Scientist/Engineer and Director of Neuroengineering Design Suite* *Georgia Tech* *Atlanta, GA, USA* *Job Purpose: * The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech is seeking a Research Engineer/Scientist for the Precision Biosystems Laboratory. This position will involve directing the opening, operation, and hands-on experimentation of the Neuroengineering Design Suite under the direction of Professor Craig Forest. The Neuroengineering Design Suite is a facility dedicated to supporting the Atlanta-area activities of the BRAIN Initiative--anationwide effort to better understand the immensely complex structure and function of the brain. We are building a user facility that puts emerging in-vivo neurotechnology tools in the hands of people who need to use them. The Atlanta-area neuroscience community is large (>100 neuroengineering/neuroscientist investigators), yet not every investigator can afford the expensive instrumentation necessary to conduct groundbreaking experiments in the living brain. This facility will aid in the creation of competitive proposals by being a place for investigators to acquire preliminary in-vivo data using state-of-the-art equipment. Specifically, this facility will support equipment for real-time measurement and control of neural signals, traditional and novel setups for experimental paradigms, and tools for data analysis. For measurement tools, the facility will support three key areas of active research: 1) in-vivo brain imaging involving voltage- and calcium-sensitive dyes, 2) extracellular electrophysiology using multichannel electrodes, and 3) intracellular electrophysiology involving single- or multi-electrode automated patch clamping. For experimental tools, we will furnish the facility with imaging, signal processing, and optical/electrical stimulation apparatuses using the most modern and high throughput devices available. *Job Description:* Directing the opening, operation, and hands-on experimentation of the Neuroengineering Design Suite will involve managing and maintaining neurotechnology, people, money and ideas. The director will provide hands-on hardware and software assistance for various research projects in the Atlanta-area and within the adjacent Precision Biosystems Laboratory. Experimentally, skills in hands-on neuroscience experimentation, especially electrophysiology, will be utilized on a regular basis in the design of experiments and collaborative data gathering. The position will involve interacting with a diverse range of people including student researchers, faculty, support staff, and administrators within an academic environment. The ideal candidate will also have some experience with fund-raising through proposal writing. *Major Responsibilities:* · Perform, advise, and train others in the use of off-the shelf and emerging neurotechnology tools. (The candidate will learn how to use these tools in collaboration with laboratories and companies as necessary for those not already skilled.) · Assist with fund-raising through proposal writing, meetings, and collaboration forming. · Provide instruction to lab users on proper use of lab equipment, lab safety, protocols and procedures related to conducting experiments. · Prepare and on approval administer laboratory budget; purchase supplies and equipment and maintain related records. · Maintain laboratory facility in safe, clean and organized manner. · Coordinate scheduling of lab usage. · Develop and implement laboratory policy and procedures; incorporate best practices as appropriate. · Calibrate lab instrumentation and maintain lab equipment. · Direct the scheduling and work of student assistants assigned to laboratory. *Basic Qualifications:* · *Education: *MS or PhD Degree in relevant scientific field (e.g., electrical engineering, neuroscience, bioengineering, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering) or an equivalent combination of education and experience · *Working hands-on knowledge of instrumentation:* including mechanical, electronic, and software equipment use, calibration, and maintenance, laboratory processes and procedures and lab safety rules and practices. · *Neuroscience specific skills and experience*: prefer electrophysiology (intracellular or extracellular), require animal surgery and handling · *Skills in communication*, customer service, work guidance and instruction. Rather than independent research in isolation, this role will involve daily human interaction. · *Initiative, independence, and resourcefulness at overcoming challenges. *The research academic environment is high risk, high reward and while some of the equipment will be turn-key and some will be experimental, the use and application for new creative research endeavors will require creative exploration and persistence. Interested applicants should forward by e-mail an application letter of interest, curriculum vitae, summary of past accomplishments, short description of career goals and the names, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of three professional references to: Craig R. Forest Assistant Professor, Georgia Tech Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering cforest(a)gatech.edu

March 4, 2014

PhD position in Theoretical Neuroscience and Systems Physiology

by Duncan MacGregor

*PhD position - Autumn 2014* Applications are invited for autumn 2014 entry to a 3 year PhD position (extendable to 4 years with some teaching duties) at the University of Edinburgh, using computational modelling techniques to study the neurons and systems involved in the regulation of appetite and energy homeostasis. The position is within the School of Biomedical Sciences, in the Centre for Integrative Physiology. You will work alongside predominantly experimental scientists, although supervised by Prof Gareth Leng and Dr Duncan MacGregor, who have mathematical and computational backgrounds. The lab is focussed on neuroendocrinology, studying the neural systems involved in hormonal regulation of the brain and body, centred on the hypothalamus and the pituitary. The neuroendocrine neurons are the most well studied cells in the brain, and present an ideal opportunity to use modelling to study information processing in neurons, and what role this processing plays in larger physiological systems. Our current research focus is provided by a new multidisciplinary EU grant called 'Nudge-it'. Its aim is to understand what controls our eating behaviour, with a view to being better able to influence this behaviour and contribute to tackling obesity. The PhD project will use spiking neuron models, combined with higher level systems modelling to study the hypothalamic systems involved in energy homeostasis. www.nudge-it.eu The candidate must have a good Honours degree (First, or high 2.i) or Masters in the fields of artificial intelligence, neuroinformatics, computing, neuroscience or physiology. The ideal candidate will have a good mathematical and computational background, including programming experience, combined with a strong interest in physiology and neuroscience. *This position is fully funded*. Home tuition fees and a monthly stipend (currently £13,726 per annum) will be provided from a European Union FP7 programme-funded grant. The applicant must be a citizen of an EU member state. *How to apply* Candidates should send a motivation letter, a full CV, and names and contact information of at least two referees, to duncan.macgregor(a)ed.ac.uk. The application deadline is the 31st March 2014. Short listed candidates will be contacted for an interview (either face-to-face or via videoconference). Please contact duncan.macgregor(a)ed.ac.uk for further information. www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/integrative-physiology Dr Duncan MacGregor Centre for Integrative Physiology University of Edinburgh Hugh Robson Building George Square Edinburgh EH8 9XD -- -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

March 3, 2014

3rd International Conference on Neural Field Theory - From Modelling to Data Assimilation

by Ingo Bojak

March 3, 2014

Second announcement: 2nd Baltic-Nordic Summer School on Neuroinformatics

by Marja-Leena Linne

2nd Baltic-Nordic Summer School on Neuroinformatics Special theme: Integration of Multimodal, Multiscale Data into Models Place: Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland Time: June 10-13, 2014 http://www.cs.tut.fi/sgn/neuroinfo/index_files/summerschool.htm We invite graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and advanced researchers in neuroscience and related fields to participate in the 2nd Baltic-Nordic Summer School on Neuroinformatics, to be held at Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland, on June 10-13, 2014. The Summer School is focused on computational modeling of brain functions at the cellular, network, and cognitive levels and on new emerging multiscale modeling techniques. Lectures also contain introductions to tools for multiscale modeling, databases, and sharing of data, as well as examples on how to do computational modeling of cognitive functions and neurological diseases. Venue: The summer school will be held in Tampere, the third largest city in Finland with over 200,000 inhabitants. Tampere is one of Finland’s fastest growing urban centers and, according to a survey, the most popular city to live and study in. Tampere is located in southern Finland 180 km north of Helsinki. The Summer school will be held at Tampere University of Technology, which has strong research tradition in natural sciences, engineering, and fields related to industry and business. Leading-edge fields include signal processing, optics and photonics, intelligent machines, biomodelling, and built environment. Important dates: - 9 March 2014: Application deadline - 17 March 2014: Acceptance notification - 10 - 13 June 2014: Summer school Faculty includes: Bruce Graham, University of Stirling, UK; Gaute Einevoll, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway; Jeanette Hellgren Kotaleski, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; Toomas Kirt, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Marja-Leena Linne, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland; Gediminas Lukšys, Basel University, Switzerland; Arnd Roth, University College London, UK; Ausra Saudargienė, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania Practical arrangements: We will have a participation fee of 100 euros (guarantee of attendance; will be paid one month before the summer school). You may ask for participation fee waiver in your application in case you have no support to attend the summer school. We will also be able to provide free accommodation for all participants outside Tampere area. Each participant is expected to pay their own travel and insurance. Please see application form for more details. We are very much looking forward to welcome you at the 2nd Baltic-Nordic Summer School on Neuroinformatics in Tampere, Finland! ----------- Marja-Leena Linne, Dr.Tech. Research Team Leader, Computational Neuroscience Group; Adjunct Professor of Computational Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics Tampere University of Technology Department of Signal Processing Korkeakoulunkatu 1, P.O. Box 553, FI-33101 Tampere, Finland Tel: +358-(0)50-345 0649 Fax: +358-(0)3-3115 4989 Email: marja-leena.linne(a)tut.fi http://www.cs.tut.fi/sgn/neuroinfo/ http://www.cs.tut.fi/sgn/cns/ http://www.cs.tut.fi/~linne/

March 3, 2014

Speech research: Team leader for a new lab at HSE (Moscow)

by Alex Ossadtchi

The Faculty of Psychology, Higher School of Economics (Moscow) is looking for a team leader for the new laboratory of Neurobiology of Speech and Language, which is in the process of being established at HSE. The projected main directions of research in the laboratory are: -Neural dynamics of language comprehension; -Language learning; -Language neurotechnology. These projects are carried out in collaboration with the Centre of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN) at Aarhus University, Denmark, and other international collaborators. CFIN is represented by Professor Yury Shtyrov, who is a visiting professor at HSE and is involved in developing speech and language research at the new laboratory. The postholder will have an advantage of being able to further define and expand this programme of research, in collaboration with Prof. Shtyrov as well as faculty staff and other collaborators, and with support of postdoctoral researchers and PhD students. Research facilities include multi-channel EEG, navigated TMS-EEG and eye-tracking equipment, all recently installed at the Faculty, as well as access to MEG and fMRI at collaborator sites in Moscow. The HSE is a young, dynamic, fast-growing Russian research university providing unique research opportunities (http://hse.ru/en, http://psy.hse.ru/en/<https://mail2.hse.ru/owa/redir.aspx?C=PrRfHmdshUm3o18lmAOEKqDw2FN7AtEIynOWG…>). The Faculty of Psychology is committed to developing various areas of modern experimental psychology and, most crucially, Cognitive Neuroscience. Working Conditions: - Access to multimodal neuroimaging facilities (brain-navigated TMS, multichanel EGG, MEG, eye-tracking, etc. http://psy.hse.ru/en/res-center<https://mail2.hse.ru/owa/redir.aspx?C=PrRfHmdshUm3o18lmAOEKqDw2FN7AtEIynOWG…>) - Internationally competitive salary, 13% flat income tax rate and other benefits - Generous travel support and research grants provided by the university’s Centre for Advanced Studies (www.cas.hse.ru<https://mail2.hse.ru/owa/redir.aspx?C=PrRfHmdshUm3o18lmAOEKqDw2FN7AtEIynOWG…> ) - Low teaching load, minimal administrative service required - Heavy emphasis on high quality research Requirements: - Ph.D. in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, language sciences or related fields - Fluent English (knowledge of Russian is not required) - Demonstrated ability and high motivation to conduct high-quality research publishable in quality international peer-reviewed journals Generally appointments will be made for an initial 2,5-year period and upon successful completion of an interim review, contracts would normally be extended for a further three years until the tenure review. Please provide a CV, at least 2 letters of reference forwarded directly, a statement of research interest and a recent research paper. All materials should be addressed to Dr. Viсtoria Moiseeva, no later than March 31. If you have any further questions, please contact Dr. Viсtoria Moiseeva moiseeva.victoria(a)gmail.com

March 3, 2014

2 PostDoc positions in Cognition and Decision making at HSE (Moscow)

by Alex Ossadtchi

*The Centre for Cognition & Decision Making* <http://psy.hse.ru/en/centre>of the Higher School of Economics invites applications for 2 postdoctoral positions. The candidate will join new international team of young researchers studying the brain mechanisms of decision making, social influence and persuasive communication. We investigate neural mechanism of valuation, risk taking and social aspects of decision making. Our group particularly focuses on neurobiological mechanisms of social influence. People are exposed to hundreds of persuasive messages per day in one form or another: from TV commercials to scientific publications. Social influence on our decisions has been a focus of extensive psychological research but has been nearly ignored by neuroscience. Understanding the neuronal mechanisms of effective social influence will help to uncover mechanisms of decision making in various social contexts. Group leader - Prof. Vasily Klucharev<http://www.hse.ru/en/org/persons/84236477/person/klucharev/> The candidate will be encouraged to pursue his/her own research in parallel with working on the Centre's research projects under supervision of. Prof. Klucharev on a broad range of fundamental and applied problems in decision making and social influence, including neuroscience of persuasion, cognitive dissonance, neuronal plasticity caused by economic outcomes, neurobiology of trust and risk taking, neuroscience of temporal discounting and neuro-law in collaboration with Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Ecole Normale Supérieure <http://www.gnt.ens.fr/people.php?id=2>,University of Basel - Department of Psychology<http://psycho.unibas.ch/abteilungen/abteilung-details/home/abteilung/econom…>, Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University<http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/id%28647ef703-8140-4df2-810d-32b5395763…>and Moscow MEG Centre. *Requirements*: A candidate for the postdoctoral research position should hold PhD degree, e.g., in neuroscience, psychology, economics or applied mathematics. Experience with TMS and/or fMRI and/or MEG/and/or multi-channel EEG/MEG/ recordings and data analysis is an advantage. A candidate for the PhD student position should hold MS degree in neuroscience, psychology, economics, applied mathematics or related field of science. Experience with TMS and/or fMRI and/or MEG/and/or multi-channel EEG/MEG/ recordings and data analysis is an advantage. Appointments will be normally made for one with a possibility to extend it for two more years. A CV, research statement and two letters of recommendation should be sent to moiseeva.victoria(a)gmail.com <Moiseeva.victoria(a)gmail.com> by March 20, 2014. The HSE is a young, dynamic, fast-growing Russian research university providing unique research opportunities <http://www.hse.ru/en/science/>.

March 3, 2014

2 Post-doc positions on the relation of information and causation (Prof. Giulio Tononi)

by Larissa Albantakis

Up to 2 postdoctoral positions are available at the center for sleep and consciousness science in the laboratory of Dr. Giulio Tononi (University of Wisconsin, Madison), to study the relation of information and causation within the framework of the integrated information theory of consciousness (Balduzzi & Tononi, 2008; Tononi, 2012). Immediate funding is available for a range of projects related to foundational questions regarding the ontological status of information, and its relation to causation, emergence, adaptation, evolution, and consciousness (see detailed scope of work below). Successful candidates will work at the center for sleep and consciousness science, dedicated to a broad range of research problems focused on two neurobiological problems -- the mechanisms and functions of sleep and the neural substrates of consciousness. Candidates are expected to have strong training in an analytically rigorous discipline such as theoretical biology/neuroscience, physics, mathematics, computer science, or engineering. For at least one of the positions, we explicitely encourage mathematicians to apply. Experience in information theory, complex systems, and an interest in the philosophy of information/causation are a plus. Programming experience is required (knowledge of MATLAB and/or C++ is of advantage). Appointments are renewable from year to year for up to 3 years, starting as soon as possible or until the positions are filled. Post-doc salaries correspond to the National Institutes of Health National Research Service Award (NRSA) stipend schedule for postdoc trainees, based on number of years of postdoctoral experience. Candidates should send a CV, brief statement of previous research and future research interests, and email addresses and phone numbers of three references to: Giulio Tononi, gtononi(a)wisc.edu. Balduzzi D, Tononi G (2008) Integrated information in discrete dynamical systems: motivation and theoretical framework. /PLoS Comput Biol/ 4:e1000091. Hoel, E. P., Albantakis, L., & Tononi, G. (2013). Quantifying causal emergence shows that macro can beat micro. /PNAS/, /110/(49), 19790--19795. Tononi G (2012) Integrated Information Theory of Consciousness: An Updated Account. /Arch Ital Biol/ 150:56--90. The scope of work will range from: -theoretical development and computational implementation of the notion of intrinsic causal information -causal analysis, including the systematic use of perturbations, counterfactuals, and irreducibility -analysis of complex systems in terms their causal/informational structure -meaning (understanding and control) from the intrinsic perspective of the system -actual causation (causal explanation) -examining similarities and differences between existing notions of information and causation (Shannon information, algorithmic information,...) -defining emergence in terms of the spatio-temporal grain size at which a system of elements achieves a maximum of causal power -evolutionary/adaptive aspects of information/causation including simulations based on small adaptive neural networks (animats), which evolve and adapt to an environment that requires sensitivity to context for survival

March 3, 2014

On the Hard problem of consciousness

by Roman Poznanski

JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE NEUROSCIENCE http://www.worldscinet.com/jin SPECIAL ISSUE: On the Hard problem of consciousness Philosophers have put forward a series of metaphysics, while engineers claim that information science and computation explains everything there is about brain function and there is no hard problem of consciousness. Cleary there needs to be a middle ground because neither of these extremes is leading anywhere. This middle ground is neuropsychoanalysis. This special issue will unite the best of the best philosophers, physicists and psychiatrists in the attempt to solve the hard problem of consciousness. 1. A neuropsychoanalytic approach to the hard problem of consciousness. M. Solms 2. Segregation and integration of information in an extended dual-aspect monism metaphysical framework: a solution for the hard problem of consciousness. R. Vimal 3. Co-evolution of human consciousness and language. M. Arbib 4. Cognitive and phenomenal integration. R. Manzotti and A. Chella 5. Quantum degrees of freedom in MTs and a connection to cognition, anaesthesia and higher states of consciousness. T. Craddock, A. Priel and S. Hameroff 6. An objective re-assessment of the orchestrated objective reduction theory of consciousness. S. Hamerhoff and J.Tuszynski 7. Physical bases of consciousness and memory. M. Persinger and L. S. St-Pierre 8. Towards a neuroscience of human meaning. K.Tyler and D.T.J. Liley 9. Consciousness, the explanatory gap, and afference copy. A. Coop and H. Cornelis 10. Triple-Aspect Monism: An Interdisciplinary Ontology Integrating the Physical, Informational and Conscious Aspects of Reality. Alfredo Pereira Jr. 11. Consciousness as uncognized but cognizable higher brain functions. L.A.Cacha , R.R. Poznanski and G. N. Reeke 12. An explanation of the quantum nature of matter and consciousness through the concept of representations. S. Kurtev 13. The origins of the brain's endogenous electromagnetic field and its relationship to provision of subjective experience. C.G. Hales "The only journal that combines mathematical neuroscience and experimental brain research for the advancement of a well-grounded theoretical neuroscience." --Gilbert A. Chauvet, Chief Editor, Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, 2002-2007 Indexed in: Index Medicus MEDLINE PubMed Biosis Previews Biological Abstracts INSPEC Science Citation Index Expanded ------- Roman R. Poznanski Professor Laboratory of Biological Modeling The Rockefeller University 1230 York Avenue New York, NY 10065-6399 Office: (212) 327-7646 E-mail: rpoznanski(a)rockefeller.edu http://romanpoznanski.blogspot.com and Chief-Editor, Journal of Integrative Neuroscience http://www.worldscinet.com/jin/mkt/editorial.shtml

March 3, 2014

## Regarding comp-neuro ##

by mike

Dear Comp-neuro user, A nasty disk error caused damage to several system-files before the problem revealed itself by a sever crash. Unfortunate, it took more time than expected to obtain & install a new server, for this please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. Best regards Mike Comp-neuro-admin ps. I was only able to recover your subscription, digest options etc. are not restored

March 3, 2014

CfP: The Eight IEEE International Conference on Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing Systems, (SASO 2014)

by Giacomo Cabri

************************************************************************************************************ CALL FOR PAPERS The Eight IEEE International Conference on Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing Systems (SASO 2014) Imperial College, London (UK); 8-12 September 2014 http://www.iis.ee.imperial.ac.uk/saso2014/ ************************************************************************************************************ Part of FAS* - Foundation and Applications of Self* Computing Conferences Collocated with: The International Conference on Cloud and Autonomic Computing (CAC 2014) The 14th IEEE Peer-to-Peer Computing Conference ------------------- Aims and Scope ------------------- The aim of the Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing systems conference series (SASO) is to provide a forum for the foundations of a principled approach to engineering systems, networks and services based on self-adaptation and self-organization. The complexity of current and emerging networks, software and services, especially in dealing with dynamics in the environment and problem domain, has led the software engineering, distributed systems and management communities to look for inspiration in diverse fields (e.g., complex systems, control theory, artificial intelligence, sociology, and biology) to find new ways of designing and managing such computing systems. In this endeavor, self-organization and self-adaptation have emerged as two promising interrelated approaches. The eight edition of the SASO conference embraces the inter-disciplinarity and the scientific, empirical and application dimensions of self-* systems and welcomes novel results on both self-adaptive and self-organizing systems research. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to: - Self-* systems theory: theoretical frameworks and models; biologically- and socially-inspired paradigms; inter-operation of self-* mechanisms; - Self-* systems engineering: reusable mechanisms, design patterns, architectures, methodologies; software and middleware development frameworks and methods, platforms and toolkits; hardware; self-* materials; - Self-* system properties: robustness, resilience and stability; emergence; computational awareness and self-awareness; reflection; - Self-* cyber-physical and socio-technical systems: human factors and visualization; self-* social computers; crowdsourcing and collective awareness; - Applications and experiences of self-* systems: cyber security, transportation, computational sustainability, big data and creative commons, power systems. Contributions must present novel theoretical or experimental results; novel design patterns, mechanisms, system architectures, frameworks or tools; or practical approaches and experiences in building or deploying real-world systems and applications. Contributions contrasting different approaches for engineering a given family of systems, or demonstrating the applicability of a certain approach for different systems, are equally encouraged. Where relevant and appropriate, accepted papers will also be encouraged to submit accompanying papers for the Demo or Poster Sessions. -------------------- Important Dates -------------------- Abstract submission: May 2, 2014 Paper submission: May 09, 2014 Notification: June 21, 2014 Camera ready copy due: July 18, 2014 Early registration: August 22, 2014 Conference: September 8 - 12, 2014 ---------------------------- Submission Instructions ---------------------------- All submissions should be 10 pages and formatted according to the IEEE Computer Society Press proceedings style guide and submitted electronically in PDF format. Please register as authors and submit your papers using the SASO 2014 conference management system, which is located at: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=saso2014 The proceedings will be published by IEEE Computer Society Press, and made available as a part of the IEEE digital library. Note that a separate call for poster submissions has also been issued. -------------------- Review Criteria -------------------- Papers should present novel ideas in the cross-disciplinary research context described in this call, clearly motivated by problems from current practice or applied research. We expect both theoretical and empirical contributions to be clearly stated, substantiated by formal analysis, simulation, experimental evaluations, comparative studies, and so on. Appropriate reference must be made to related work. Because SASO is a cross-disciplinary conference, papers must be intelligible and relevant to researchers who are not members of the same specialized sub-field. Authors are also encouraged to submit papers describing applications. Application papers are expected to provide an indication of the real world relevance of the problem that is solved, including a description of the deployment domain, and some form of evaluation of performance, usability, or comparison to alternative approaches. Experience papers are also welcome but they must clearly state the insight into any aspect of design, implementation or management of self-* systems which is of benefit to practitioners and the SASO community ------------------- Program Chairs ------------------- Ada Diaconescu Telecom ParisTech, France Nagarajan Kandasamy Drexel University, USA Mirko Viroli University of Bologna, Italy --------------------- Contact Details --------------------- Please send any inquiries to: mailto:saso2014@easychair.org -- |----------------------------------------------------| | Prof. Giacomo Cabri - Ph.D., Associate Professor | Dip. di Scienze Fisiche, Informatiche e Matematiche | Universita' di Modena e Reggio Emilia - Italia | e-mail giacomo.cabri(a)unimore.it | tel. +39-059-2058320 fax +39-059-2055216 |----------------------------------------------------|

March 3, 2014

Test Email.

by Mufti Mahmud

This is a test email. [Sent from my Samsung Galaxy] -- Mufti Mahmud, PhD Marie Curie Research Fellow Theoretical Neurobiology & Neuroengineering Lab University of Antwerp T6.63, Universiteitsplein 1 2610 - Wilrijk, Belgium Lab: +32 3 265 2648 http://www.muftimahmud.co.nr/ & Assistant Professor (on leave) Institute of Information Technology Jahangirnagar University Savar, 1342 - Dhaka, Bangladesh

March 3, 2014

### TEST-MAIL ###

by mike

Body TEST-MAIL

Feb. 20, 2014