- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

[meetings] Bionics today, July 27, 2.00 - 4.30 pm CEST

by Calogero Maria Oddo

Don't miss this unique event! BIONICS TODAY ROBOTS AND BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS: A CHECKPOINT OF BIONICS EVOLUTION Online event, on Tuesday, July 27, from 2.00 to 4.30 pm CEST. Chairs: Paolo Dario and Giulio Sandini Streaming from The BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy Looking back at a historical workshop held in Italy in 1989, it seems timely to re-propose the same question and analyze the evolution of bionics. Join us in a conversation with top scientists who pioneered the field. Details and program here: https://www.santannapisa.it/it/event/bionics-today -- Calogero M. Oddo, PhD Associate Professor of Bioengineering https://www.santannapisa.it/en/calogero-maria-oddo https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=y1rffgkAAAAJ&hl=en Vice-Coordinator of the PhD programme in BioRobotics Head of the Neuro-Robotic Touch Laboratory The BioRobotics Institute and Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy https://www.santannapisa.it/en/education/phd-biorobotics http://www.santannapisa.it/en/neuro-robotic-touch-laboratory email: calogero.oddo(a)santannapisa.it<mailto:calogero.oddo@santannapisa.it>

July 22, 2021

Job opening in Computational Neuroscience Institute in Juelich, Germany: Science communication officer with a focus on graphics

by Martina Reske

The goal of the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - Computational and Systems Neuroscience (INM-6), at Research Center Juelich, Germany, is to relate the structure and dynamics of the brain using mathematical models. Bottom-up modeling is accompanied by top-down approaches and theory in order to include functional constraints and to gain insights into dynamic mechanisms. In addition, activity data (dynamics) and structural data (anatomy) are used and integrated into the biophysical models. For this purpose, analysis methods adapted to the questions are developed and, if necessary, data are collected with cooperation partners. In order to be able to perform simulations of the models, a further focus is on the development of simulation technology. Furthermore, the institute hosts the Bernstein Coordination Office (BCOS), which supports the scientists of the Bernstein Network for Computational Neuroscience. We are looking to recruit a Science communication officer with a focus on graphics! Your Job: * Planning and designing of scientific graphics, illustrations, texts and audio-visual or interactive media for the visualization of scientific contents of the institute`s department as well as their integration into the international scientific community * Graphical editing from templates submitted by scientists, e.g. image, text and graphical data, transferring and converting as necessary for different user communities * Graphic realisation and preparation of scientific presentations * Coordination and assistance in the creation of posters and institute flyers * Recording, digital processing and data protection compliant storage of scientific photographs and films * Reviewing, analysing and evaluating very complex, technically difficult and thematically diverse scientific information in order to provide information appropriate to the target group * Consideration of the current data protection regulations when recording, processing, using and securing the scientific images, videos, photographs and other media data of the institute * Development of concepts for the graphical external presentation as well as their implementation for various scientific media * Placement of graphic contents of the Institute on the Institute website and in social media * Designing presentations and graphics in accordance with the corporate design guidelines of Forschungszentrum Jülich and/or the Helmholtz Association * Preparation of research results for the Institute’s website * Coordination of the work with the Graphical Services of the Research Centre * Support of internal and external scientific events * Training of scientists in the use of media Your Profile: * University degree (Master) in physics, mathematics, biology or a related subject * High proficiency in the handling of open source graphics and video software, e.g. GIMP, lnkscape, for the production of scientific graphics and illustrations * Experience in the placement of scientific content, especially graphics and images, on social media channels such as Twitter * Extensive experience in the production of photo and video material. * Solid experience with Linux, LaTeX and Python, Git and Github * Knowledge of editorial systems of websites * Very good knowledge of written and spoken English * Very structured working style to prioritize the work. Experience in project and time management are desirable * Very independent and proactive working style * Assertiveness with empathy * Very high communication skills with researchers and administrative staff Our Offer: We work on the very latest issues that impact our society and are offering you the chance to actively help in shaping the change! We support you in your work with: * A large research campus with green spaces, offering the best possible means for networking with colleagues and pursuing sports alongside work * Comprehensive training courses and individual opportunities for personal and professional further development * Extensive company health management * Ideal conditions for balancing work and private life, as well as a family-friendly corporate policy * Flexible working hours, part-time employment with 19,5 working hours per week, and 30 days of annual leave * Targeted services for international employees, e.g. through our International Advisory Service * We offer you an exciting and varied role in an international and interdisciplinary working environment. The position is initially for a fixed term of 2 years, with possible long-term prospects. Salary and social benefits in conformity with the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Civil Service (TVöD). * Forschungszentrum Jülich promotes equal opportunities and diversity in its employment relations. We also welcome applications from disabled persons. We look forward to receiving your application via our online recruiting system<https://www.fz-juelich.de/portal/EN/Careers/application/_node.html?cms_hre_…> Martina Reske -- Dr. Martina Reske Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Jülich Research Centre and JARA Jülich, Germany Work +49.2461.611916 Work Cell +49.151.26156918 Fax +49.2461.619460 www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Dr. Astrid Lambrecht, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 22, 2021

PDF at the intersection of brain dynamics, machine learning, and psychedelics

by AaronJ Gruber

*Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Calgary* We are recruiting a talented postdoctoral researcher to participate in a cutting-edge International Network for Brain-Inspired Computation that includes nodes in Montreal, Paris, and the Pacific Northwest of the US and Canada (e.g. University of Washington, Allen Brain Institute). The project is at the intersection of mathematics, physics, and neuroscience in the general area of complex network dynamics and emergent activity patterns and representations that drive biological computation. The specific objective is to understand cognitive brain function and the effects of psychedelics by analyzing large-scale ensemble neural data collected in our labs, in conjunction with computational and/or analytical work to identify key mathematical principles and develop theories of core function. The ideal candidate will have a quantitative background (e.g. PhD in mathematics, physics, computer science) along with experience in applying this background to neuroscience. This postdoctoral position is partially funded by the Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences and is aimed to strengthen the link between the Campus Alberta computational neuroscience community at the University of Calgary (Complexity Science Group, Hotchkiss Brain Institute) and the University of Lethbridge (Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience) with the other network members including the Computational Neuroscience Center at the University of Washington. The position is open immediately with primary locations in either Calgary or Lethbridge. The specific start date has to be within five years of being awarded a PhD degree. The position is funded for at least two years and includes an annual stipend in the range of CAD$42,000 – $50,000 plus benefits. Opportunities for brief residences in partner nodes (Montreal, Seattle, or Paris) are also available. Interested candidates should submit their application package including a cover letter, their CV with a list of publications, brief statement of research interests and their possible start dates in PDF format to Dr. Jörn Davidsen (jdavidse(a)ucalgary.ca) and Dr. Aaron Gruber (aaron.gruber(a)uleth.ca) Applicants should arrange for at least two letters of reference to be sent as well. Review of applications will begin* July 31st, 2021*, and continue until the position is filled. For additional information and informal inquiries, please contact Dr. Davidsen or Dr. Gruber. We strive for a diverse and inclusive environment, and encourage applications from members of any identity

July 22, 2021

Multiple postdoctoral openings in multi-scale brain network dynamics, reinforcement learning and decision-making at Washington University in St. Louis

by Ching, ShiNung

Multiple postdoctoral openings are available for a new and large project to study the circuit underpinnings of reinforcement learning and decision-making. A key focus is on understanding multiple time-scales of information processing in neural circuits and involvement of neuron-astrocyte interactions. Experiment- and theory-forward positions are available. Applicants should have prior experience in neuroscience (computational or otherwise), modeling of large-scale systems, optimization, machine learning or related areas. Positions will be appointed in Neuroscience and/or Engineering. Washington University in St. Louis is an independent, Research 1 university in St. Louis, MO, USA, with nearly 60 of the university's graduate and undergraduate programs ranked in the top 25 by US News & World Report. Interested applicants are invited to send a CV and brief description of interests to shinung(a)wustl.edu<mailto:shinung@wustl.edu>

July 21, 2021

Postdoc opportunity in EEG computational analysis (Houston, TX)

by Maheshwari, Atul

The Maheshwari Lab is looking for an enthusiastic post-doctoral associate to join the lab ASAP. We study mouse models of epilepsy, trying to understand the underlying development of epilepsy as well as the overlap between epilepsy and comorbidities such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Techniques used in the lab include implantation of EEG electrodes, immunohistochemistry, confocal imaging, advanced computational analysis of EEG, video-EEG monitoring, and behavioral testing for sustained attention. We also apply advanced techniques to analyze scalp and intracranial EEG from patients who are being evaluated in an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) setting. The main role for this position is performing advanced computational EEG analysis. Experience with machine learning is preferred. Prior work with rodents is not necessary. For more information or to apply: https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/postdoctoral-associate-baylor-coll…. You'll love Houston - a diverse and friendly environment for science! You can contact me by email at atul.maheshwari(a)bcm.edu<mailto:atul.maheshwari@bcm.edu> or DM me on Twitter @NeuroMaheshwari. Atul Maheshwari, MD Associate Professor Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience Baylor College of Medicine

July 21, 2021

Apply Now: Shanahan Foundation Fellowship at the Interface of Data and Neuroscience

by Eric Shea-Brown

Shanahan Foundation Fellowship at the Interface of Data and Neuroscience Overview The Shanahan Foundation Fellowship at the Interface of Data and Neuroscience is a new, three-year fellowship program that aims to: · Integrate data scientists in neuroscience research · Challenge traditional approaches to neuroscience · Provide multidisciplinary, multi-organizational co-mentorship · Provide a network and community · Support career development in data science The fellowship will be co-hosted by the Allen Institute and the University of Washington (through its eScience Institute and the Computational Neuroscience Center) and is directed by Dr. Christof Koch at the Allen Institute. Details During the three-year fellowship, fellows will identify a mentor at the Allen Institute, where the fellows will be based. Fellows will select a co-mentor at the University of Washington who will provide additional guidance on a project designed by the fellow, focused on quantitative analysis of neuroscience data available through the Allen Institute’s vast data banks <http://www.brain-map.org/> – ranging from molecular, genomic, transcriptional, physiological, morphological, anatomical and functional whole-brain level in the brains of mice, non-human primates and humans – or through ongoing laboratory work. Fellows will participate in the postdoctoral career development program at the University’s e-Science Institute and the UW Institute of Neuroengineering (UWIN). The eSciences Institute offers regular workshops on key topics including cloud computing, python and reproducibility. New fellows will attend the annual Summer Workshop on the Dynamic Brain <https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/events-training/summer-…> where they will learn how to apply data science skills to neuroscience data and questions. Throughout the three years, fellows will be supported in developing a network in the neuroscience field and sharing their progress with peers at conferences. Up to three fellows will be selected to begin in Fall 2021. Eligibility Requirements Applicants must be data scientists in a broad sense, with a Ph.D. in a quantitative field such as computer science, electrical engineering, physics, mathematics or biology with a background in statistical, computational and machine learning methods. Ph.D.’s should have been awarded in the last 3 years. One goal of the fellowship is to build a network of collaborators, as such, priority will be given to applicants who are not currently postdoctoral fellows or scientists at the University of Washington or the Allen Institute respectively. We believe high-quality science can only be produced when it includes different perspectives. We are building an environment of diversity and inclusion and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for this fellowship. Application Instructions For full consideration, please submit your application by August 1, 2021. Applications may continue to be considered after this deadline on a rolling basis until positions are filled. Learn more and apply on the Shanahan Fellowship Website <https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/careers/shanahan-founda…>. Applications must include: · A curriculum vitae from the applicant · Two letters of support from advisors and other mentors · A one page personal statement from the applicant describing their history, activities and interests as an individual (especially those outside of science) which may give the committee a greater sense of you as a person and your ability to simultaneously interact with and challenge traditional scientific fields. · A two to three page research statement from the applicant describing their prior research, interests in applying data science to the field of neuroscience, potential research interests (including tools they are familiar with) and how this fellowship aligns with their career goals. · The choice of the final advisor/co-advisor will be accomplished during the first year of this fellowship. Questions? Email: shanahan.fellow(a)alleninstitute.org <mailto:shanahan.fellow@alleninstitute.org>

July 21, 2021

SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting: Thursday, August 5th by Kayvon Daie

by Laura Long

The Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB) hosts postdoc/student meetings to bring together trainees interested in neural coding and dynamics to discuss ideas and data. In addition to regional meetings in New York, Boston, and the Bay Area, SCGB holds a Global virtual series to connect systems and computational neuroscientists across the world. We would love to see you at this month's Global meeting! Please see event details and Zoom link below. SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-163… Thursday, August 5th, 1pm Eastern Time https://simonsfoundation.zoom.us/j/93637538440?pwd=MnNCeVF1eThKZmVUa2p5bUlR… Passcode: 443599 *Kayvon Daie*Research Associate, Svoboda Laboratory HHMI's Janelia Research Campus *Dissection of the neural circuitry underlying short-term memory* Short-term memory is associated with persistent neural activity without sustained input, arising from the interactions between neurons with brief time constants. A variety of neural circuit models could account for existing measurements of neural activity. To explore which, if any, of these models are most consistent with neural circuitry, we measured coupling between functionally characterized motor cortex neurons in mice performing a memory-guided response task. Targeted two-photon photostimulation of small (<10) groups of neurons produced sparse calcium responses in coupled neurons over approximately 100 μm. Neurons with similar task-related selectivity were preferentially coupled. Photostimulation of different groups of neurons modulated activity in different subpopulations of coupled neurons. Responses of stimulated and coupled neurons persisted for seconds, far outlasting the duration of the photostimuli. Photostimuli produced behavioral biases that were predictable based on the tuning of the photostimulated population, even though photostimulation preceded the behavioral response by seconds. Our results suggest that memory-related neural circuits contain intercalated, recurrently connected modules and that these modules are coupled via long-range “hidden feedforward” connections. *Please note that this meeting is open to all neuroscience postdocs and PhD students, regardless of location or SCGB affiliation (sorry, no PIs). *After Q&A with the speaker, we will open breakout rooms for anyone interested in staying to chat, network, or further discuss the talk. In addition to these breakouts, SCGB Scientific Staff will be available for "office hours" to chat and answer questions about SCGB programs and support. Registration on EventBrite is encouraged but not required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-163… Please contact Laura Long at llong(a)simonsfoundation.org with any questions. Sign up for our mailing list here: https://forms.gle/DZa1b2WCtvw5XFhAA

July 20, 2021

Postdoc position in Tuebingen on TMS/ERP projects to understand visual perception/attentional processes

by Zhaoping Li

Two postdoc positions are available at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tuebingen, Germany, to work on projects aimed towards understanding visual attentional and perceptual processes using TMS and/or EEG methodologies. The framework and motivation of the projects can be found at http://www.lizhaoping.org/zhaoping/AGZL_HumanVisual.html. The projects can involve, for example, visual search tasks, stereo vision tasks, visual illusions, and will be discussed during the application process. TMS and/or EEG methodologies can be used in combination with fMRI/MRI, eye tracking, and other related methods as necessary. The postdoc will be working closely with the principal investigator and other members of Zhaoping's team when needed. Candidates should be skilled in visual psychophysics and proficient in programming, previous experience in TMS and/or ERP is a plus. Please send your application by a single pdf file, including your CV, a brief statement of research interests, an approximate date for availability, and names and contacts for three references to jobs.li(a)tuebingen.mpg.de. Applications sent before September 1st will be preferred, but later applications will be considered until the positions are filled. The appointment is for one year, renewable for additional years. Enquiry to li.zhaoping(a)tuebingen.mpg.de Li Zhaoping -- Li Zhaoping Ph.D. Prof. of Cognitive Science, University of Tuebingen Head of Dept of Sensory and Sensorimotor Systems, Max Planck Institute of Biological Cybernetics Author of "Understanding vision: theory, models, and data", Oxford University Press, 2014 www.lizhaoping.org

July 20, 2021

PhD position - Neuroscience - University of Antwerp, Belgium

by Georgios A. Keliris

The Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences is looking for a full-time doctoral scholarship holder in the field of Biomedical Sciences/Neuroscience with a focus on using neuromodulation to alleviate deficits in Alzheimer’s disease Position You will work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD thesis in the field of Biomedical Sciences/Neuroscience. The PhD project will use state-of-the-art techniques including MRI, fiberoptic photometry, electrophysiology, behaviour, and neuromodulations tools (chemogenetics/DREADDs and/or optogenetics) specifically targeting neurons in the basal forebrain to alleviate behavioural and brain network deficits of rodent models of neurodegeneration (Alzheimer’s Disease). You will publish scientific articles related to the research project. You will carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for the Bio-Imaging Lab. Profile You hold a Master degree in neuroscience, biomedical sciences, cognitive science, engineering or related fields or you will have obtained it by the time you start work. You can demonstrate excellent study results. Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/about-uantwerp/organisation/mission-and-vision…>. Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/research/management/>. You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation. You have a FELASA C attest or you are willing to obtain one. You are fluent in English and have strong communication skills. Preferably you have experience with (small-animal) imaging or electrophysiology Experience in one or more of: imaging, mathematics, computational neuroscience, programming (e.g., Matlab/Python/C/…) will be considered as a bonus. What we offer We offer a doctoral scholarship for a period of two years. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship can be renewed once for another two-year period. The planned start date is 1 October 2021 or as soon as possible after that date. Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/jobs/what-do-we-offer/salaries/>for doctoral scholarship holders on the pay scales for Contract Research Staff (Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP). You will do most of your work at Campus Drie Eiken (CDE) in a dynamic and stimulating working environment. Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/jobs/uantwerp-as-an-employer/hr-policy/>. Want to apply? You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including 16 August 2021 (by midnight Brussels time). Click on the 'Apply' button, complete the online application form and be sure to include the following attachments: a motivation letter, your academic CV, three names and contact information of people that can provide recommendation letters, any additional certificates that can indicate your competences. The selection committee will review all of the applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision has been made, we will inform you about the next steps in the selection procedure. If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/jobs/apply-online-uantwerp/> or send an email to jobs(a)uantwerpen.be <mailto:jobs@uantwerpen.be>. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact Prof. Georgios Keliris, georgios.keliris(a)uantwerpen.be <mailto:georgios.keliris@uantwerpen.be> and include the following in the title of your email: <QNEUROPOSKEL>. The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/jobs/uantwerp-as-an-employer/hr-excellence-in-…> for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity <https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/about-uantwerp/organisation/mission-and-vision…> and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.

July 19, 2021

Bernstein Conference 2021 - registration is now open

by Anja Dorrn

Each year the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renown conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries. Due to the ongoing pandemic the Bernstein Conference will be held online. www.bernstein-conference.de ____ IMPORTANT DATES & NEWS * Bernstein Conference: September 21-23, 2021 * Registration is now open * Abstract submission deadline: August 3, 2021, 1 pm CEST * Selected Satellite Workshops are now online<https://bit.ly/BC21_workshops> ____ REGISTRATION The participation at the online Bernstein Conference 2021 will be free of charge for all participants. Thus the Bernstein Network contributes to keep the scientific exchange alive in the ongoing challenges during the pandemic. Please register here: https://hopin.com/events/bernstein-conference-2021 ____ ABSTRACTS We invite the computational neuroscience community to submit their abstracts for poster presentations. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Abstract submission is open until August 3, 1 pm CEST. Further information can be found here: https://bit.ly/BC21_abstracts ____ INVITED SPEAKERS Keynote Timothy Behrens (University of Oxford, UK) Invited Talks Athena Akrami (University College London, UK) Nadine Gogolla (Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany) Guillaume Hennequin (University of Cambridge, UK) Jennifer Li & Drew Robson (Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany) Scott Lindermann (Stanford University, USA) Ashok Litwin-Kumar (Columbia University, New York City, USA) Ida Momennejad (Microsoft Research, New York City, USA) Cristina Savin (New York University, USA) Marion Silies (Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany) Daniela Vallentin (Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany) ____ CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Christian Leibold (Conference Chair) Julijana Gjiorgjieva (Program Chair) Christian Machens (Program Vice Chair) Marion Silies (Workshop Chair) Moritz Helias (Workshop Vice Chair) & Matthew Botvinick, Megan Carey, Peter Dayan, Brent Doiron, Rainer Friedrich, Ann Hermundstad, Srdjan Ostojic, Nathalie Rochefort, Nicole Rust, Gasper Tkacik ____ For any further questions, please contact: <bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de> bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de -- Dr. Anja Dorrn Scientific Coordinator Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9589 web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Dr. Astrid Lambrecht, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 19, 2021

Postdoc in computational neuroscience in New York - Coen-Cagli Laboratory

by Ruben Coen-Cagli

The Laboratory for Computational Neuroscience<https://sites.google.com/site/rubencoencagli> (Coen-Cagli lab) invites applications for a postdoctoral position in the Department of Systems and Computational Biology and Department of Neuroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Einstein) in the Bronx, New York City. Our lab studies how biological sensory systems interpret the surrounding environment. We study how populations of visual-cortical neurons represent and transmit visual information, and how those processes control perception. We combine theories of probabilistic neural coding, machine learning and natural image statistics, psychophysics, and neurophysiology through collaborations. The candidate is expected to perform research related to these topics, and will have the opportunity to interact closely with experimental collaborators and access to datasets including electrophysiology, imaging, and perturbations of large neural populations. Most recent publications: (2021) D. Festa et al. Nature Communications 12:3635<https://rdcu.be/cmy7M> (preprint bioRxiv<https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.17.142182>) (2021) D. Herrera et al. Journal of Vision 21(1):1<https://jov.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2772139> (2021) G. Dehaene et al. PLoS Computational Biology 17(1):e1008138<https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008138>. (2021) D. Herrera et al. Vision Research 187:55-65<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2021.06.007> (preprint bioRxiv<https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.26.441524v1>) (2020) J. Vacher et al. NeurIPS 2020<https://papers.nips.cc/paper/2020/hash/fba9d88164f3e2d9109ee770223212a0-Abs…> spotlight. (2019) R. Coen-Cagli, S. S. Solomon. Journal of Neuroscience 39(37):7344<https://www.jneurosci.org/content/39/37/7344> (preprint biorxiv<https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/12/31/508838>). Applicants must have a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline, with an academic record of scientific excellence and independent research, and a keen interest in interdisciplinary approaches to biological and neural systems. Prior experience should include areas such as computational neuroscience, machine learning, statistics, or computer vision. We are particularly interested in applicants with a genuine interest in linking theoretical and computational work to quantitative analysis of neurophysiology data. Einstein offers a vibrant interdisciplinary environment, with a strong systems and computational contingent. It is located in a quiet neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. The Bronx is one of the most diverse counties in the United States, the birthplace of hip-hop, and home to a rich cultural and sports scene. Einstein is also a short subway ride from Manhattan. Information about working at the Einstein, including benefits and housing for postdocs, can be found at: https://einsteinmed.org/research/belfer-institute/ The position is available immediately, and is funded for several years, with an initial one-year appointment and expectation of extension given satisfactory performance. Salary is competitive and will be commensurate with experience. Candidates should send a single pdf file, consisting of a 1-page motivation letter, CV, and publication list to ruben.coencagli(a)gmail.com. Furthermore, candidates should organize two letters of reference, to be sent to the same e-mail address. The position is open until filled. Albert Einstein College of Medicine is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. The lab strives to be an open, inclusive, harassment-free environment. Ruben is an ally of Black In AI and a member of Einstein's Senate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Ruben Coen Cagli, PhD Department of Systems and Computational Biology, and Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience Albert Einstein College of Medicine 1300 Morris Park Ave. Price 353B Bronx, 10461. NY office: +1.718.678.1150 web: https://sites.google.com/site/rubencoencagli/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…>

July 14, 2021

Young post-doc neuromorphic position at Sevilla Microelectronics Institute, Spain.

by bernabe

*Young post-doc neuromorphic position at IMSE* The "Instituto de Microelectrónica de Sevilla" (IMSE) has an opening for a 3-year young post-doc position to join the Neuromorphic Group at IMSE (www.imse-cnm.csic.es/neuromorphs) financed by the Andalusian Regional Government. Gross annual salary is 30k€, which allows for a wealthy life in Sevilla, Spain. Requirements: - Official PhD graduation date must be after June 2016, although earlier dates are possible in case of leaves due to pregnancies, child birth, adoption, major accident or disease. - Deadline for candidacy submission is end of July. Prospective candidates please contact us at bernabe(a)imse-cnm.csic . - More details here: <link> <http://www2.imse-cnm.csic.es/neuromorphs/data/_uploaded/image/Post-doctoral…> The IMSE Neuromorphic Group develops research in Silicon chips and FPGAs for neuromorphic hardware with stronger focus on vision applications. We have developed several DVS (Dynamic Vision Sensor) cameras as well as cortical processing systems and spiking based learning techniques. In the last years we have strongly engaged into exploiting memristors for neuromorphic hardware and have designed full monolithic CMOS-memristive neuromorphic systems. We welcome both, candidates with more hardware profile (either analog or digital) as well as with more computing profile. The successful candidate can participate in any of the active research projects in the group (see www.imse-cnm.csic.es/neuromorphs) can also develop alternative research lines within the neuromorphic field, participate in grant proposals, and advice PhD and MSc students. Please do redistribute. Deadline is very short. Thanks. -- Prof. Bernabe Linares-Barranco, Director, Instituto de Microelectronica de Sevilla (IMSE-CNM), Sevilla, Spain www.imse-cnm.csic.es/~bernabe

July 13, 2021

Call for Chapter for Springer Book by M. Murugappan and R. Yuvaraj (Editors)

by Yuvaraj Rajamanickam

Dear Researchers, Good day to you. Currently, we are accepting the high-quality book chapters for our upcoming edited book in *Springer,* titled, *Biomedical signal-based computer-aided diagnosis for neurological disorders*. Please see below for more information. We invite you and your network connections to consider submitting a high-quality paper related to the aim and scope of this book for possible publication. If possible, you could share this CFP in your network for their possible contribution. Please feel free to contact us, if you have any questions. Submission link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=bscadnd2021 Any queries, please feel free to write to us at bookchapter.bscad(a)gmail.com and CC to m.murugappan(a)kcst.edu.kw ; yuvaraj.rajamanickam(a)nie.edu.sg. Major topics to be included in the book are: •Introduction to neurological disorders (ND) and biomedical signal processing. •Basic principles of CAD in ND diagnosis. •Characterization of biomedical signals in ND. •Feature engineering and optimization. •Machine learning techniques in CAD for ND •Deep learning algorithms in CAD for ND •Neural network applications in CAD for ND •Fuzzy logic and optimization techniques •Supervised and unsupervised learning •Case studies related to ND diagnosis. •Challenges in the CAD for ND •Advances and trends in CAD for ND diagnosis. •Open Challenges in CAD in ND diagnosis Important dates •Abstract Submission (max 250 words): 30th July 2021 •Acceptance of abstract: 5th August 2021 •Full chapter submission:15th September 2021 •Authors notification: 15th October 2021 •Camera ready submission: 10th November 2021 •Permission and copyright:20th November 2021 •Publication date: 1st quarter of 2022 Submission guidelines •MS Word, single column, Times New Roman, 11 font size, 1.15 spacing. •References must follow springer style. •Length of the chapter: 20-25 pages (11550 words (approx.)) including references, tables, figures. •Similarity index should be less than 10 % (without reference). •All figures must be supplied as final artwork (e.g., JPEG, PNG, TIFF, etc.) at high-resolution. NO PUBLICATION/ ARTICLE PROCESSING FEE. •All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-blind peer review editorial process. Indexed by Web of Science (WoS), SCOPUS, Google Scholar, SCImago Regards YUVARAJ

July 13, 2021

Change of date! Announcing free online spiking neural network workshop Nov 2-3, reg & submissions open

by Goodman, Daniel F M

Apologies for emailing again with this announcement. We originally announced the workshop (included below) for Nov 8-9 but found out that it clashed with SFN online meeting. We have changed the dates to 2-3 November 2021. Please update your diaries accordingly. Many thanks, Dan We are delighted to announce the second edition of the "SNUFA" spiking neural network online workshop, taking place this November 2-3. Free registration and abstract submission is now open at http://snufa.net/2021 This online workshop brings together researchers in the field to present their work and discuss ways of translating these findings into a better understanding of neural circuits. Topics include artificial and biologically plausible learning algorithms and the dissection of trained spiking circuits toward understanding neural processing. We have a manageable number of talks with ample time for discussions. This year’s executive committee comprises Chiara Bartolozzi<https://www.iit.it/people/chiara-bartolozzi>, Sander Bohté<https://homepages.cwi.nl/~sbohte/>, Dan Goodman<https://neural-reckoning.org/>, and Friedemann Zenke<https://fzenke.net/>. The workshop will take place 2-3 November, 2021. Abstract submission will close 1 October, 2021. The workshop will feature invited speakers: * Tara Hamilton<https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Tara.Hamilton>, University of Technology Sydney * Dylan Muir<http://dylan-muir.com/>, SynSense<https://www.synsense-neuromorphic.com/> * Katie Schumann<https://www.ornl.gov/staff-profile/catherine-d-schuman>, Oak Ridge National Laboratory * Henning Sprekeler<https://www.sprekelerlab.org/henning/>, TU Berlin The format will be: * Two half days (European afternoon times) * 4 invited talks * 8 contributed talks * Poster session * Panel debate: “What should be the next big breakthrough in spiking neural networks?” (speakers to be decided) You can see last year’s talks on Crowdcast<https://www.crowdcast.io/e/snufa2020> or the talks and one of the recorded discussions on YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL09WqqDbQWHFvM9DFYkM_GfnrVnIdLRhy>. This workshop was great fun last year and we had around 700 participants! This year should be even better with your contributed talks and posters. Looking forward to seeing you all there! And please forward this announcement to any colleagues or local distribution lists. Many thanks, Dan, Chiara, Sander and Friedemann

July 12, 2021

Two Postdoctoral Scholar Positions at Washington University in St. Louis

by Shuo Wang

We are looking for two highly motivated postdoctoral scholars to work on NSF and DoD funded projects. One postdoctoral scholar will use human single-neuron recordings to study the neural circuits underlying social attention, and the other postdoctoral scholar will use multimodal neuroimaging techniques to study social behavior and brain networks in people with autism. The research will be conducted in a highly collaborative environment using state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, and analytical methods. The postdoctoral scholars will collaborate with an established team of investigators within and outside WashU and have ample opportunity to learn new techniques and methods. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in systems, cognitive, or computational neuroscience, or in physics, electrical engineering, or computer science, with relevant research expertise in neuroscience. Applicants must also have strong programming (Matlab or similar) skills. Individuals with previous human intracranial EEG expertise and/or macaque single-neuron recordings that wish to expand into human single-unit recordings are encouraged to apply. Our lab combines multimodal and advanced measurement techniques with sophisticated computational approaches to understand the neural mechanisms and neural computations underlying social attention, face processing, emotion, memory, and decision making. Overarching questions involve how the brain figures out what is important in the environment, how socially relevant stimuli pop out and attract attention, how faces are processed and represented in general, and how memory is modulated by attention. We are particularly interested in the neural computations underlying these cognitive processes: multimodal approaches allow us to investigate these questions from the microscopic single-neuron and neural circuit level using our state-of-the-art human single-neuron recordings as well as macroscopic level using fMRI, EEG, and intracranial EEG (sEEG and ECoG). These multimodal experimental approaches are powered by sophisticated computational approaches that can deal with complex and large datasets. The Wang Neuroscience Lab is housed in the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) in St Louis. WUSM is a world class research intensive academic health center that is consistently ranked among the nation’s research-oriented medical schools. Additionally, it is nationally known for its attractive campus, which borders residential neighborhoods and one of the nation’s largest urban parks. St. Louis is consistently rated a Forbes most affordable city with vibrant music, food and park scene, and has one of the fastest growing start-up communities with impressive accelerator and incubator services available through the Biogenerator, Cambridge Innovation Center, and Cortex Innovation District. Shuo Wang, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Washington University in St. Louis https://sites.wustl.edu/wanglab/

July 11, 2021

Deadline extension: CFP Workshop on Spatio-temporal Aspects of Embodied Predictive Processing - STEPP @ ICDL2021

by Stefan Heinrich

Call For Contributions - Workshop on Spatio-temporal Aspects of Embodied Predictive Processing - STEPP @ IEEE ICDL2021 Deadline extended! Aims and Scope: Understanding human intelligence and building strong AI systems is a key challenge for our generation. A particularly puzzling aspect is that the human brain seems to cope very well with the highly variable and uncertain nature of perception and action, regarding both their signal characteristic and how they extend over time. Furthermore, it seems apparent that the information processing in the brain always involves previous bodily experiences and all our senses, thus is embodied and crossmodal. For explaining these characteristics, there are strong accounts that the brain is constantly predicting sensory input and feedback while minimising free energy in the prediction and is hierarchically abstracting the perception as well as hierarchically composing action. Furthermore, it is also hypothesised that mechanistic priors in the brain’s information processing induce a failure of hierarchical inference in the brain, accounting for atypical perception and action of psychiatric disorders. For example, some brains might have developed to focus too strongly on current sensory input while others might focus too strongly on memorised previous experience. A typically developed brain, in contrast, would show a fine balance compared to these two extreme priors. The big open mystery is: how is the brain developing this on a mechanistic level and thus how can this get learned within an AI system? Thus, to lift this mystery, we further need to bring together research from computational neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and artificial intelligence. With this workshop, we particularly want to wrap up different recent hypotheses, models, and experiments and discuss in-depth how to shape future imaging, behavioural, and developmental robotics studies as a complement to computational modelling and bio-inspired artificial intelligent algorithms. As a guiding theme, we aim to approach the following central questions: - How does the brain learn spatio-temporal stochasticity in perception and action? - What is the role of priors in learning spatio-temporal adaptive prediction? - How can developmental robotics help us to study spatio-temporal stochasticity as an analogy to infant learning? We examine these questions with the insight from invited key speakers from complementary fields as well as original contributions in breakout sessions in order to conclude the next steps within in a panel discussion. All information online: https://sites.google.com/view/stepp21/home Keynotes/Panellists: - Jun Tani, Cognitive Neurorobotics, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) - Marcel van Gerven, Artificial Cognitive Systems, Donders Institute, Radboud University - Takuya Isomura, Brain Intelligence Theory, RIKEN Center for Brain Science - Takamitsu Watanabe, Brain Network Dynamics, International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN), The University of Tokyo Contributions: We invite submissions of extended abstracts on ongoing research that focuses on one or several of our guiding questions as contributions. In addition to the live presentation and discussion during the workshop, the contributions will be made public in workshop proceedings. - Extended abstract submission deadline: 25.07.2021 (extended) - Decision & Notification: 01.08.2021 (latest) - Camera-ready version due: 08.08.2021 - Workshop online: 22.08.2021 Submission website: https://sites.google.com/view/stepp21/ => Contribute Organisers: Stefan Heinrich, IRCN, The University of Tokyo, Japan Shingo Murata, Dept. Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Keio University, Japan Yukie Nagai, IRCN & Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Japan Yuichi Yamashita, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Japan -- ************************************************************* Dr. Stefan Heinrich Postdoctoral Project Researcher Cognitive Developmental Robotics Lab The University of Tokyo, Institutes for Advanced Studies, International Research Center for Neurointelligence Email: heinrich.stefan(a)ircn.jp https://developmental-robotics.jp/en/members/stefan_heinrich/ https://ircn.jp/en/ https://stefanheinrich.net/ *************************************************************

July 11, 2021

Brain Connectivity, Dynamics, and Complexity--please submit abtracts--deadline extended

by Stephen José Hanson

We are still looking for a few more submissions especially related to Resting state and fMRI..theoretical papers as well. The deadline is extended for submission till Aug 1. https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20807/brain-connectivity-dynami… send queries through the website. thanks. Steve Hanson -- Stephen José Hanson Professor Director RUBIC (University- Wide) Department of Psychology (NK) Cognitive Science Center (NB)

July 9, 2021

Post doc in Cognitive-Computational Modelling at UCL (Dominik Bach) in collaboration with MPI Tübingen (Peter Dayan) - 1 week left to apply

by Dominik R. Bach

*Post doc in Cognitive-Computational Modelling at University College London: discrete and continuous human action control under threat* We are looking for a research fellow in an ERC-funded research project "Action selection under threat - the complex control of human defence" led by Dominik Bach (http://bachlab.org <https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbachlab.or…>) at University College London in collaboration with Peter Dayan, Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen (https://www.kyb.tuebingen.mpg.de/de/computational-neuroscience <https://www.kyb.tuebingen.mpg.de/de/computational-neuroscience>). The position will be based at Max-Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry (https://www.mps-ucl-centre.mpg.de/en <https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mps-u…>) and Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/ <http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/>). The overarching goal of the project is to understand the cognitive-computational control of human action selection under acute, immediate threat. We investigate this in an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment, in which people can move to avoid a large number of different threats. As part of this project, the candidate will build explicit computational models of discrete and continuous action control and action updating under constraints of time pressure and unaffordable costs. These will be tested by the experimentalists in our interdisciplinary team, composed of VR experts, psychologists, and movement scientists. There is a possibility to get involved in the experimental work, including behavioural experiments, motion capture and OPM-MEG. Within the topical focus, the project offers unique freedom to explore and develop novel directions and formalisms at the interface of classical discrete-space decision models and continous action control. We seek applicants with established cognitive-computational modelling skills and a PhD in computational neuroscience, robotics with focus on action planning, computer science/mathematics/physics with a focus on decision science, or in a related area. We are looking for an individual who is strongly motivated to pursue an academic career and is excited by the opportunities for personal and career development this position can provide. The post is available from October 2021 and funded for up to 3 years with initial appointment for 1 year. Starting salary is on UCL grade 7, ranging from £36,028 to £43,533 per annum, inclusive of London Allowance, superannuable. More information and access to the UCL online application portal: https://is.gd/VwTJCA <https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fis.gd%2FV…> Please contact d.bach(a)ucl.ac.uk <mailto:d.bach@ucl.ac.uk> for any queries about the project or role. *Closing date: 16 July 2021* Interviews will be held remotely in July. Apologies for cross-posting. -- ----------------------- Dominik R Bach MBBS PhD Principal Research Fellow Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London http://bachlab.org | @bachlab_cog

July 9, 2021

Postdoctoral positions: modeling, imaging, and optogenetics (Boston U School of Medicine)

by Christina M. Weaver

Postdoctoral positions in modeling, imaging, and optogenetics (Boston University School of Medicine) The Luebke & Medalla labs (Dept. of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine) use state-of-the-art approaches in imaging, immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, and computational modeling to explore neural mechanisms underlying executive function in the mammalian prefrontal cortex. We seek highly motivated, detail-oriented postdoctoral research fellows to join our interdisciplinary team related to several exciting, federally funded projects. Read more about our research here <https://www.bumc.bu.edu/anatneuro/research/cellular-neurobiology/>. Modeling: This project, led jointly by Dr. Jennifer Luebke, Dr. Christina Weaver (Dept of Mathematics, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA), and Dr. Patrick Hof (Dept of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY), aims to characterize changes in the prefrontal cortex and visual cortex during normal aging in the rhesus monkeys. We seek candidates with experience building differential equations-based mathematical models using MATLAB, Python, and/or NEURON compartmental modeling software. Experience with conductance-based modeling of single neurons or excitatory-inhibitory networks preferred. The successful candidate will build computational models to explore mechanisms of network dysfunction, constrained by our data from aging studies in rhesus monkeys, including new multiplexing data in collaboration with GE Healthcare. Imaging: This project, led by Dr. Luebke and Dr Klaus Wimmer (Centre de Recerca Matemàtica, Barcelona, Spain) and funded by the Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience (CRCNS) program, focuses on the computational and neural mechanisms underlying working memory and age-related changes to working memory and other executive function in the rhesus monkey. We seek candidates with an excellent track record using magnetic resonance imaging and image processing techniques to explore scientific questions with high health relevance. The successful candidate will lead analyses of structural MRI (T1 TFE scans), resting state fMRI, and diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) brain scans to assess brain morphometry and connectivity. Data generated from brain scans will be correlated with behavioral, physiological and other anatomical data collected across the adult life span to inform sophisticated computational models. The project includes unique cross-national training opportunities for researchers in Boston and Barcelona alike. Optogenetics: One project, newly funded by NIH, uses multi-scale neuroanatomical, in vitro, and in vivo electrophysiological, pharmacologic and optogenetic techniques to study inhibitory circuits in the anterior cingulate cortex and lateral prefrontal cortex (ACC and LPFC) of rhesus monkeys, and how limbic input from the amygdala influences communication within the ACC-LPFC network. We seek candidates with expertise in optogenetics, imaging of voltage-sensitive dyes, patch-clamp recording and multiphoton microscopy. The successful candidate will combine anatomical and viral tracing with in vivo electrophysiological recordings in anesthetized preparations, as well as optogenetic stimulation and whole cell patch-clamp recording in in vitro slices, to investigate the cellular and synaptic properties of prefrontal circuits involved in cognitive and emotional control and integration. Each appointment as a Boston University School of Medicine research fellow will be for at least 1 year with the possibility for extension based on performance. Competitive salary based on experience. Interested applicants should attach the following: - A cover letter, - A current CV, - A brief statement of current and future research interests, - The contact information of three references. Please be aware that references may be contacted anytime after receipt of your application. Contact: Dr. Christina Weaver, christina.weaver(a)fandm.edu or Dr. Jennifer Luebke, jluebke(a)bu.edu Christina M. Weaver, Ph.D. Associate Chair of Mathematics Associate Professor Franklin & Marshall College P.O. Box 3003 Lancaster, PA 17604-3003 Email: christina.weaver(a)fandm.edu

July 8, 2021

Call for Visiting Scholars in Theoretical Sciences at OIST (Application by August 15)

by Kenji Doya

We are pleased to announce Visiting Scholars in Theoretical Sciences at OIST for a flexible term of 1 to 12 months as below. ***** As part of an initiative to develop a vibrant program in theoretical sciences, OIST invites applications for Visiting Scholars in the Theoretical Sciences. The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) is a research institution with a Ph.D. program. Outstanding graduate students and faculty are being attracted internationally. OIST is beautifully situated on the tropical island of Okinawa, Japan. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in a relevant field and be independent researchers, i.e., should have an academic standing equivalent to senior postdoc, junior group leader, or faculty member at a research-intensive institution. The position has a flexible term of 1 to 12 months taken continuously starting between October 2021 and March 2022 with a preference for longer-term visitors. The appointment may be taken while on leave or sabbatical from another university and comes with housing, research funds, and moving allowance. Successful candidates will be eligible to apply for support with salary, where this is necessary to facilitate the visit. No teaching duties come with the position. OIST is an institution with no departments, aiming to eliminate barriers between people working in different fields. It provides a family-friendly working environment including the multilingual Child Development Center and has proactive policies designed to promote a culture of diversity. OIST is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator, and employer. Further details can be found at https://www.oist.jp/. Applicants should submit a CV including a list of publications, a brief description of their research to date and proposed research while visiting OIST, and the desired period of visit. All visits are subject to the availability of funding. Applications received by August 15, 2021, are guaranteed full consideration. If you have any questions, please send inquiries to: tsvp(a)oist.jp To apply, please go to our Interfolio page, http://apply.interfolio.com/88541 ---- Kenji Doya <doya(a)oist.jp> Neural Computation Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan Phone: +81-98-966-8594; Fax: +81-98-966-2891 https://groups.oist.jp/ncu

July 8, 2021

Announcing free online spiking neural network workshop Nov 8-9, reg & submissions open

by Goodman, Daniel F M

We are delighted to announce the second edition of the "SNUFA" spiking neural network online workshop, taking place this November 8-9. Free registration and abstract submission is now open at http://snufa.net/2021 This online workshop brings together researchers in the field to present their work and discuss ways of translating these findings into a better understanding of neural circuits. Topics include artificial and biologically plausible learning algorithms and the dissection of trained spiking circuits toward understanding neural processing. We have a manageable number of talks with ample time for discussions. This year’s executive committee comprises Chiara Bartolozzi<https://www.iit.it/people/chiara-bartolozzi>, Sander Bohté<https://homepages.cwi.nl/~sbohte/>, Dan Goodman<https://neural-reckoning.org/>, and Friedemann Zenke<https://fzenke.net/>. The workshop will take place 8-9 November, 2021. Abstract submission will close 1 October, 2021. The workshop will feature invited speakers: * Tara Hamilton<https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Tara.Hamilton>, University of Technology Sydney * Dylan Muir<http://dylan-muir.com/>, SynSense<https://www.synsense-neuromorphic.com/> * Katie Schumann<https://www.ornl.gov/staff-profile/catherine-d-schuman>, Oak Ridge National Laboratory * Henning Sprekeler<https://www.sprekelerlab.org/henning/>, TU Berlin The format will be: * Two half days (European afternoon times) * 4 invited talks * 8 contributed talks * Poster session * Panel debate: “What should be the next big breakthrough in spiking neural networks?” (speakers to be decided) You can see last year’s talks on Crowdcast<https://www.crowdcast.io/e/snufa2020> or the talks and one of the recorded discussions on YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL09WqqDbQWHFvM9DFYkM_GfnrVnIdLRhy>. This workshop was great fun last year and we had around 700 participants! This year should be even better with your contributed talks and posters. Looking forward to seeing you all there! And please forward this announcement to any colleagues or local distribution lists. Many thanks, Dan, Chiara, Sander and Friedemann

July 7, 2021

Postdoctoral Researcher position on fMRI study of spontaneous thoughts and natural task

by Mingbo Cai

*Postdoctoral Researcher position on fMRI study of spontaneous thoughts and natural task* We seek a talented neuroscientist with extensive experience in the areas of advanced fMRI analysis, (such as encoding or decoding models) and the design of experiments using naturalistic tasks and assessing spontaneous thoughts. A 2.5-year postdoctoral position is available at Dr. Mingbo Cai’s lab <https://cailab-ircn.org/> at the International Research Center for Neurointelligence <https://ircn.jp/en/>, The University of Tokyo. You will work on an exciting international collaboration project directed by both Dr. Cai <https://ircn.jp/en/mission/people/mingbo-cai> and Dr. Nicolas Schuck <https://schucklab.gitlab.io/> at Max Planck Institute for Human Development. You will also have the opportunity to collaborate remotely with Dr. Quentin Huys <https://quentinhuys.com/> at the University College London. The project will focus on understanding the contents and dynamics of spontaneous thoughts using fMRI decoding and natural tasks. In the later stage of the project, we also plan to examine the clinical implication of differences in spontaneous thoughts. Applicants with experience working on populations with mental disorders are also highly encouraged to apply. The working language is English. The working location is at The University of Tokyo, Japan. Contract duration: renewed annually up until Jan 2024 (future renewal depends on performance and budget), with a probation period of 6 months. Starting date: negotiable Requirements (1) Applicants must hold, or be expected to hold by the time of appointment, a PhD, M.D. or equivalent degree in Neuroscience, Psychology, Psychiatry, Machine Learning, Statistics or related fields. (2) Experience in conducting fMRI experiments and data analysis (evidenced by publications, conference presentations or writing samples). (3) Familiar with at least one of the following tools: AFNI, FSL, nilearn, BrainIAK. (4) Good speaking and scientific writing skills in English. (5) Good programming skills. (6) Willing to collaborate and help colleagues. Requirements 2 and 3 may be replaced by two or three of the preferred skills below: Preferred skills: (1) Research experience with fMRI experiments involving natural tasks and multivariate pattern analysis. (2) Experience with experiments investigating spontaneous thoughts. (3) Research experience with investigations of psychiatric disorders. (4) Knowledge of and experience with deep learning. Application procedure: Please send an email with the title “[Postdoc Application] + your name” to mingbo[doc]cai[at]ircn[dot]jp. Please include a cover letter describing your background and research interest, a curriculum vitae, and contact information for 2-3 recommendation letters (ideally you can also request your referees to send their letters directly to the above email address). To increase the chance of being considered, we suggest you include writing samples or a copy of a poster or other presentation. Informal inquiry can also be sent to Dr. Cai. Application deadline: The application deadline is July 31. The position will remain open until filled. Review of applications starts as soon as they are received. Mingbo Cai Assistant Professor International Research Center for Neurointelligence The University of Tokyo https://cailab-ircn.org/

July 7, 2021

PhD and Postdoc opportunities in Germany

by Tatjana Tchumatchenko

Dear friends and colleagues, I would appreciate if you could spread the word among your students and postdocs. My group which is now at the University of Bonn is looking for Master Students, PhD Students and Postdocs PhD Students or Postdocs interested in understanding how neuronal networks work, how they respond to stimuli and what role connectivity and single neuron dynamics play for the activity of the brain. Though the focus of my research is on the theory side, my lab has close ties to experimentally oriented labs and projects typically involve modelling and data analysis. We are looking for bright and hard-working students with a life-science or quantitative background (physics, math, biology etc). The following PhD and Postdoc positions are currently open: 1) A PhD position in a project exploring the intersection of protein dynamics and machine learning. This involves analyzing the collective motion of multiple receptors in a cell. 2) A PhD position in project designing models describing protein dynamics in dendrites and analyzing imaging data 3) A postdoc or PhD position in a project addressing the relation between neurological diseases, protein dynamics and network activity. When applying please attach a CV (with a publication record) and a current copy of academic transcripts and mention at least one academic reference. For more information, please contact Prof. Tatjana Tchumatchenko via email tatjana.tchumatchenko(a)uni-bonn.de https://twitter.com/TTchumatchenko www.tchumatchenko.de

July 6, 2021

Call for applications at the paris Brain Institute

by Jean Daunizeau

Dear colleagues, This is to let you know that the Paris Brain Institute is seeking to recruit a team leader at the starting, junior or mid-career level, working in computational and/or theoretical neuroscience. Please visit this page for more info: https://institutducerveau-icm.org/en/actualite/call-for-applications/ Best regards, Jean Daunizeau. -- Jean Daunizeau Motivation, Brain and Behaviour group (ICM) web: http://sites.google.com/site/jeandaunizeauswebsite/

July 5, 2021

PhD/Postdoc Positions at the Interface of Neuroscience and Machine Learning

by Jian Liu

*PhD/Postdoc Positions at the Interface of Neuroscience and Machine Learning* The lab of Dr Jian Liu invites applications for several PhD/Postdoc positions at the interface of computational neuroscience and machine learning, at the School of Computing, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds. Research projects will involve theoretical analysis, computational modeling, and data analysis, with worldwide collaborations of neuroscience experimentalists, clinicians, and robotic engineers. We are working on a wide range of topics, from fundamental neuroscience questions to robotic applications. For representative examples and publications, please visit: http://jiankliu.github.io Candidates with a quantitative background are welcome. We are looking for highly motivated candidates with a spirit of intellectual adventure. The positions will come with competitive work conditions. Generous traveling budgets are available. Please send the following information in one single PDF, to j.liu9(a)leeds.ac.uk: - Detailed CV with publications; - Letter on motivation and interests; - Other relevant materials of interest; The School of Computing conducts ranging from fundamental advances in algorithms and our understanding of computation, through to highly applied research into new display technologies for clinical diagnosis, energy-efficient data centres, and profound insight into data through visualisation. We are parents with the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s premier research centre for data science and artificial intelligence. The University of Leeds is committed to providing equal opportunities for all and offers a range of family friendly policies. The University is a charter member of Athena SWAN and holds the Bronze award. The School of Medicine holds the Gold award. We are committed to being an inclusive medical school that values all staff, and we are happy to consider job share applications and requests for flexible working arrangements from our employees. We will make the working patten inclusive and flexible. If female candidates are selected, the maternity leave will be fully guaranteed and the children care responsibilities will be satisfied (e.g. working in part time). We will also actively promote gender equality in education and employment opportunities through workshops, seminars, webinars, and university open days.

July 5, 2021

Job Posting: Scientific Software Developer

by Dr. David Goyer

Dear All, The Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - Computational and Systems Neuroscience (INM-6) at Research Center Jülich is looking for a Scientific Software Developer for Neural Data Analysis Tools. Full details of the job offer can be found here: https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2021-192-E… Application deadline is 25.07.2021. If you have questions regarding this job posting feel free to contact me. Kind regards, David Goyer Dr. David Goyer Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Jülich Research Centre and JARA Jülich Germany phone: +49-1756402993

July 5, 2021

PhD student in data science of Parkinson's electrophys data (MEG, DBS, etc) in Dusseldorf

by Dmitrii Todorov

Project Title: Improving deep brain stimulation through artificial intelligence We are looking for a PhD student to join our research project Improving deep brain stimulation through artificial intelligence. In this project, you will collect data from patients using simultaneous MEG and intracranial recordings. In addition, we will obtain kinematic data and anatomical images of the brain using MRI. Besides neuroscientific measurements, data science plays an important role. The project involves the creation of a scientific database and sophisticated data analysis, using dedicated software tools for MEG/MRI and the implementation and application of machine learning algorithms. The doctoral researcher will conduct neuroscientific experiments, analyze and present the data, and prepare publications under supervision, resulting in a PhD thesis. Requirements Master of Science in the natural sciences, computer science or psychology Intrinsic motivation and a passion for brain research First experience in programming and scientific data analysis (mandatory) First experience in at least two of the following: M/EEG, machine learning/AI, local field potential recordings, motion tracking, MRI, scientific databases The project is supported by a five-year grant of the Brunhilde Moll Foundation to Prof. Alfons Schnitzler and Dr. Jan Hirschmann. We offer fixed-term contracts for three years initially, with the possibility of prolongation. Payment accords to the regulations for the German public sector (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst der Länder). The applications should include a statement of research interests and reasons for applying to the project, a curriculum vitae including a list publications, a certificate of the Master’s degree, a copy of the master’s thesis and grades of Master’s level studies, and the names and e-mail addresses of two referees. Please address questions and send applications (pdf only!) to Jan.Hirschmann(a)med.uni-duesseldorf.de See full details here https://www.uniklinik-duesseldorf.de/en/institute-of-clinical-neuroscience-… -- Best regards, Dmitrii Todorov Postdoc Institute for Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology Dusseldorf University Clinic

July 5, 2021

Deadline extension Call for Papers Special Issue IEEE TCDS

by Bruno Lara

Dear all; The call for papers for our special issue has been extended: New dates: Paper submission deadline - 1 September 2021 Notification to authors - 1 November 2021 Deadline revised papers submission - 15 January 2022 Final version - 15 February 2022 The call can be found in: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=9448373 We would like to announce a special issue for the journal IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems. The general topic revolves around perceptual optimization processes related to attentional and predictive mechanisms. We are interested in work coming from a wide range of areas including robotics, psychology, philosophy and neuroscience. Themes include: · Attentional and gating mechanisms for action and sensory information processing · Context- and task-dependent perceptual optimization · Sensory attenuation/cancellation and sensory enhancement/facilitation · Interplay of predictive and attentional mechanisms for prediction error minimization · Multimodal integration and/or cross-modal interactions · State representation learning · Constrained innate priors that drive learning · Prediction in language learning and comprehension · Prediction error dynamics monitoring · Dreaming, non-conscious perception, hallucination, altered perceptual phenomena -- -- +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dr. Bruno Lara Guzman Profesor Investigador Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Av. Universidad 1001. Col. Chamilpa Cuernavaca, Morelos. C. P. 62209-- M É X I C O +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://roboticacognitiva.mx Tel (52) (777) 3-29-70 40 x 3280 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

July 3, 2021

THEORETICAL/COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE FACULTY POSITION AT CSHL

by Tony Zador

*Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is seeking faculty candidates in the area of Computational/Theoretical Neuroscience. * Of particular interest to this search are candidates with expertise in *computational and theoretical neuroscience, machine learning, and artificial intelligence*. The successful candidate will have an outstanding record of research achievement and an innovative research program. They will join a highly interactive and collaborative neuroscience group working on neural circuits, neural development, neurogenetics, theoretical and computational neuroscience, artificial intelligence, synaptic function, brain disorders, rodent cognition, perception, and social behavior. Preference will be given to applicants at the Assistant Professor level, but outstanding candidates at all career stages will be considered. *Review of applications is currently underway and will continue until the position is filled. * Please see https://www.cshl.edu/about-us/careers/faculty-positions/ for details. If this position is *of interest to you or your colleagues, we would welcome your applications*. This link will bring you to the formal posting where *interested candidates* can create an account and apply: Faculty Positions In Neuroscience position ID 02703-R. *Specific questions regarding the opportunity can be sent *directly to CSHLfacultyjobs(a)cshl.edu .

July 2, 2021

EITN Fall School in Computational Neuroscience : Applications extended to 25 July 2021

by Zélie Tournoud

Dear colleagues, We are happy to let you know that the application deadline for the *EITN Fall School in Computational Neuroscience* has been extended to the *25th of July 2021*. This *10-days intensive course in computational neuroscience* will take place in *P**aris, France from 15 to 24 September 2021*. This is a yearly event, although previous occurrences took place in the spring. We choose to keep it relatively small-scale in order to facilitate interactions between participants and teaching staff, there are about 20 seats available. There will, therefore, be a selection made after applications are closed. We encourage you to share the word widely with your collaborators and networks so that everyone who might be interested can get the chance to apply. Applications need to be addressed by email with a *resume (CV)* and a *cover letter* at *eitn(a)neuro-psi.fr*. Please make sure to use an explicit email title such as "Application to EITN Fall School". *Organizers: *Sacha Van Albada (Julich), Albert Gidon (U Berlin), Alain Destexhe (CNRS), Gorka Zamora-Lopez (UPF) and Spase Petkowski (AMU) *Faculty:* Nicolas Brunel (Duke University) Mallory Carlu (CNRS) Hermann Cuntz (Max Planck Frankfurt) Damien Depannemaecker (CNRS) Alain Destexhe (CNRS) Michael Dick (Julich) Renato Duarte (Julich) Gaute Einevoll (MBU) Kirsten Fisher (Julich) Albert Gidon (U Berlin) Jennifer Goldman (CNRS) Moritz Helias (Julich) Christian Keup (Julich) Anno Kurth (Julich) Mario Lavanga (AMU) Jean-Didier Lemarechal (AMU) Marja-Leena Linne (U Tempere) Jorge Mejias (UVA) Spase Petkowski (AMU) Marcel Stimberg (Institut de la Vision) Bartosz Telenczuk (CNRS) Fererico Tesler (CNRS) Nuria Tort-Colet (CNRS) Sacha Van Albada (Julich) Gorka Zamora-Lopez (UPF) *Why join?* * 10 days of intensive training in computational neuroscience provided by researchers from all over Europe * Small scale event: get to connect! * A complete program: o Cellular models, and models of brain signals Circuit models and networks o Mean-field models o Whole-brain models * Hands-on learning schedule based on: o Morning classes and tutorials o Group projects in the afternoon o Free time in the evenings to visit Paris *Selection criteria:* 1. Work or study in neuroscience or related 2. Experience in python programming would help 3. Priority to PhD students, although Master students and post-docs are welcome to apply *Practical information:* * Subscription fee 400€. * If selected, you will need to bring your own laptop with a few pre-installed programs. * The tuition fee includes lunch, coffee, access to conference facilities and internet connection during the 10 days of the course. You can also consult these information online <https://www.eitn.org/index.php/calendar-event/eventdetail/737/-/eitn-fall-s…> or by downloading the PDF flyer: https://www.eitn.org/images/events/EITN-FallSchool-2021_Flyer.pdf Thank you very much for applying or sharing with your relevant contacts. Kind regards, The EITN Team

July 2, 2021

Scientific Software Engineer or Data Scientist, deadline July 11th 2021, Salary level E13 TVL

by Jochem Rieger

Dear colleagues, we have an open DFG-funded position for 3+2 years for the development of data infrastructure including storage, streaming and analysis tools for reproducible science based on the BIDS standard at our Neuroimaging Unit at University of Oldenburg, Germany. Link to the announcment: https://uol.de/stellen?stelle=68111 Application deadline is July 11th 2021 The position is ideal for networking in the open science community as it includes workshop organization and interaction with the open (neuro)science community. It is complemented by a full time technician position for support. The salary level is E13. The exact salary is dependent on experience and family status. But the rough numbers are on the web. The Neuroimaging Unit hosts a 3T Siemens Prisma MRI-scanner and a 306 channel Triux MEG system. The university hosts a prestigious DFG-funded Cluster of Excellence in Hearing Research and the Dept. of Psychology was recently evaluated as excellent with the highest third party funding rate among psychologies in Lower Saxony. The city of Oldenburg has a high standard of living, Hamburg, Bremen and the north sea are between 30 to 90 min distance. We are looking forward to your application! Best regards, Jochem The Neuroimaging Unit and the Applied Cognitive Neuropsychology Lab at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Oldenburg is seeking to fill the position of a *Scientific Software Engineer or Data Scientist (m/f/d)* *(Salary level E13 TVL, 100%)* ** for the development of open and reproducible neuroscience tools and processing pipelines*.* The position is embedded in a DFG Core Facility grant and is available*as soon as possible**until 30^th of September 2023 (with the possibility to extend another 2,5 years after successful evaluation and extension of the project)*. The position is suitable for part-time work. The Neuroimaging Unit hosts a state-of-the-art MEG (Elekta Triux) and an MRI (Siemens Prisma 3T) and is embedded in an excellent interdisciplinary scientific environment with a strong research focus on neurosensory, neurocognitive, and medical research. The successful candidate is expected to actively perform research on and contribute to the implementation of a standardized neuroscience data acquisition, reproducible analysis pipelines and data storage for open science building on the BIDS standard. He/she should further contribute to community efforts and dissemination. Candidates should have a strong motivation to contribute to the community of developers open science tools. The development can include scientific projects, as long as they fit into the research focus of the lab (machine learning in cognitive neuroscience, speech processeing, and human state monitoring) but tool and processing pipeline development comprises the main part of the position. Candidates are expected to have an academic university degree (Master or equivalent) in the field of informatics, engineering, neuroscience or psychology and have shown their ability to perform excellent scientific work, demonstrated by an excellent publication record. Prior experience with the BIDS standard as well as its programming, experience with neuroimaging techniques and data analysis (especially fMRI or MEG/EEG) and fluency in English is required. Experience with open science tools and databases, other neurophysiological modalities, as well as knowledge of German are desirable. The University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increase the percentage of female employees in the field of science. Therefore, female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. In accordance to § 21 Section 3 NHG, female candidates with equal qualifications will be preferentially considered. Applicants with disabilities will be given preference in case of equal qualification. Please send your application including a cover letter, CV, list of potential referees, links to recent publications and copies of certificates for academic grades to Prof. Dr. Jochem Rieger, Department of Psychology, University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany; (jochem.rieger(a)uni-oldenburg.de <mailto:jochem.rieger@uni-oldenburg.de>). Electronic applications (one pdf file) are preferred. For inquiries please use the same contact. The application deadline is*11*th of July 2021**. -- Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Jochem Rieger Head of Applied Neurocognitive Psychology Faculty VI Carl-von-Ossietzky University 26111 Oldenburg Germany Phone: +49(0)4417984533 Fax: +49(0)4417983865

July 2, 2021

NERKA8 Summer Course “Ion Channels and Neuronal Excitability”

by luiza filipis

Dear all, It is our pleasure to invite you to the NERKA8 Summer Course *“Ion Channels and Neuronal Excitability” *to be held *this year and in person* *September 8-12, 2021 *in Kotor, Montenegro. The course is organized by the *Faculty of Biology University of Belgrade* within the *NENS* School PhD program on *Neurobiology*. This school is to cover topics of *Ion Channels and Neuronal Excitability – techniques, modeling, physiology & pathology*. Information on application, deadlines, stipends and programm can be found on the website http://clm.bio.bg.ac.rs/neurobiology-course-2021/ -- Luiza Filipis,PhD Equipe OPTIMA Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique (LIPhy), Université Grenoble Alpes et CNRS UMR 5588, Bat. E45, 140 avenue de la physique, Domaine univ., 38402 St Martin d'Hères cedex, FRANCE 33(0)476514731, Fax +33(0)476635495. luiza.filipis(a)univ-grenoble-alpes.fr http://marco-canepari.wix.com/neuron-imaging-team

July 1, 2021

Modellers Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox

by Stewart Heitmann

Modeller’s Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox Online Course. Enrolments open 1-18 July 2021. This is a self-paced online course for researchers and students who wish to program their own dynamical models using the Brain Dynamics Toolbox (bdtoolbox.org<https://bdtoolbox.org/>). Participants learn the art of programming differential equations to simulate neuronal dynamics. Topics include programming Ordinary Differential Equations, Partial Differential Equations, Delay Differential Equations, Stochastic Differential Equations, Auxiliary Plot Functions and command-line tools. Example code is provided in all cases. Study time is 8 hours. Course Website https://bdtoolbox.org/p/modellers-workshop/ Important Dates Early-bird enrolments ($125) close Friday 9th July, 2021. Late enrolments ($150) close Sunday 18th July, 2021. Stewart Heitmann | Computational Scientist Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute | Lowy Packer Building | 405 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Australia E: s.heitmann(a)victorchang.edu.au<mailto:s.heitmann@victorchang.edu.au> | @VictorChangInst Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving and compliance. To find out more visit the Mimecast website.

July 1, 2021

Tutorials on Allen Institute data and tools for computational neuroscience at CNS*2021

by Anton Arkhipov

Starting soon: pre-CNS*2021 tutorials “From synapses to behavior – using open data, tools, and models from the Allen Institute in computational neuroscience”. Please register for CNS*2021 (https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-quick) and find the Zoom link on the conference Sched page. Wednesday, June 30, 2021 11:30 am – 11:45 am ET (8:30 am – 8:45 am PT) - Introduction 11:45 am – 12:45 pm ET (8:45 am – 9:45 am PT) - Synaptic Physiology (Luke Campagnola) 12:45 pm – 1:00 pm ET (9:45 am – 10:00 am PT) - Break 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET (10:00 am – 11:00 am PT) - Visual Coding 2-photon (Saskia de Vries) 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET (11:00 am – 12:00 pm PT) - Visual Coding Neuropixels (Josh Siegle) Thursday, July 1, 2021 11:30 am – 11:45 am ET (8:30 am – 8:45 am PT) - Introduction 11:45 am – 12:45 pm ET (8:45 am – 9:45 am PT) - PatchSeq (Nathan Gouwens) 12:45 pm – 1:00 pm ET (9:45 am – 10:00 am PT) - Break 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET (10:00 am – 11:00 am PT) - Visual Behavior (Alex Piet) 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET (11:00 am – 12:00 pm PT) - Bio-realistic model of the mouse primary visual cortex (Anton Arkhipov and Kael Dai) Anton Arkhipov Associate Investigator T: 206.548.8414 E: antona(a)alleninstitute.org<mailto:antona@alleninstitute.org> [Text Description automatically generated] alleninstitute.org<https://alleninstitute.org> brain-map.org

June 30, 2021

Last chance to register: TEX2021 - Bringing together Predictive Processes and Statistical Learning

by Yamil Vidal

Last chance to register!! TEX2021 - Bringing together Predictive Processes and Statistical Learning A free online symposium organized by Yamil Vidal and Davide Crepaldi. We have few available spots left so do not wait until the last minute to register. Description: While the research communities studying Predictive Processes and Statistical Learning sprout from different traditions, they share a core interest in how our brains pick up on patterns in the environment. In this two-days symposium we will bring these communities closer by sharing talks by some of the leading researchers of these fields. When: 1st and 2nd of July (15:00 to 18:30, CET) Speakers: - Tristan Bekinschtein (Consciousness and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge) - Lucia Melloni (Department of Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. Department of neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine) - Padraic Monaghan (Department of Psychology, Lancaster University) - Maria Chait (Ear Institute, University College London) - Floris de Lange (Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen) - Caspar Schwiedrzik (Neural Circuits and Cognition Lab, European Neuroscience Institute Goettingen. Perception and Plasticity Group, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research) - Lori Holt (Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University) - Nicola Molinaro (BCBL, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language) Schedule and more info at the registration form: https://sissa-it.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nBOv5NWZQ36HSH7nyffazg We would be very happy to count you among the attendees. Please spread the word. Best regards, Yamil and Davide Dr. Yamil Vidal Cognitive Neuroscience Sector Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati - SISSA via Bonomea, 265 34136 Trieste, ITALY

June 29, 2021

Robustness, Adaptability and Critical Transitions in Living Systems satellite - Conference on Complex Systems 2021 Lyon, France

by Samir Suweis

We are glad to announce the 4th hybrid (on site + virtual) edition of ReACT satellite <https://liphlab.github.io/REACT2021/> during the CCS 2021 <https://ccs2021.univ-lyon1.fr/> in Lyon, France - 25-29/10/2021 Confirmed invited speakers: Anna Levina (University of Tubingen) and Sergi Valverde (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Organizing commettee: Samir Suweis (UNIPD), Giorgio Nicoletti (UNIPD), Sandro Azaele (UNIPD), Jacopo Grilli (ICTP) Abstract submission open through EasyChair <https://easychair.org/account/signin_timeout?l=JRR3vhQlzxctciXkPU1pGc#>. Deadline 31 July 2021 All info are available also on the satellite website: https://liphlab.github.io/REACT2021/ <https://liphlab.github.io/REACT2021/> ***** After the success of the Satellite at ECCS 2014, CCS 2016, and CCS 2018, the ReACT Satellite: Robustness, Adaptability and Critical Transitions in Living Systems is back for a fourth edition at CCS 2021 in Lyon, France. We are very pleased to announce that the Satellite will be host in an hybrid format, welcoming participants both online and in person! The Satellite will last half a day and will take place during the main conference (25th - 29th October, 2021). The exact date and times will be announced soon. Living systems are characterized by the recurrent emergence of patterns: power-laws distributions, long-range correlations and structured self-organization in living matter are the norm, rather than the exception. All these features are also typical of systems poised near a critical point. The great lesson from Physics is that criticality can emerge as a collective behaviour in a many-body system with simple interactions and its characteristics depend only on few details, like the dimensionality or the symmetries. One of the most striking feature of living systems is that they are structured as evolving systems were interactions can turn-on or off, as well as strengthening and weakening, reconfiguring the system connectivity. Thus, by rearranging both the structural and functional topology, living interacting systems may demonstrate unique evolvability, scalability and adaptability properties. Among these systems, the brain is probably one of the most impressively complex and has received a considerable amount of attention in recent years, aided by the vast amount of experimental data available. The idea that the collective behavior of neurons might emerge from a self-organized critical state has been widely studied, from its fundamental mechanisms to its functional advantages, and it poses a fascinating question that is far from being answered. It is of crucial importance to make further steps in the understanding of the main properties that simultaneously confer to these systems high level of adaptability, robustness and optimality. If we can “learn” from evolution and unravel the basic principles then we would be able to both better manage/supervise these systems and also design more optimal and sustainable new systems. ***************** Samir Suweis www.liphlab.com Tel: +39 049 827 71 74

June 29, 2021

[CFP] 2nd call for abstracts (+deadline extended to July 16th): Computational Cognition workshop (COMCO 2021)

by Juliane Schwab

June 29, 2021

[JOBS] PhD @ Italian Institute of Technology, Ferrara

by Alessandro D'Ausilio

PHD PROGRAM in TRANSLATIONAL NEUROSCIENCES AND NEUROTECHNOLOGIES The Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication (CTNSC) @ Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), is opening 3 PhD positions starting in November 1st, 2021. Research areas: - Improving performance and biocompatibility of electrode arrays for brain-computer interfaces - Organic neuroelectronics for multimodal recordings and stimulation of the brain in vivo - Hardware and software development for innovative exploration of brain signals - Machine learning applications to multimodal brain and speech signals - Investigation of sensorimotor functions in animal models - Cortical recordings in human patients during awake Neurosurgery - Human non-invasive neurophysiology of speech and sensorimotor communication Who: chemists, physicists, materials scientists, computer scientists, biomedical/electrical engineers, biologists, biotechnologist, medical doctors and experimental psychologists eager to work in an international and multidisciplinary team. Where: The CTNSC (https://www.iit.it/it/ctnsc-unife <https://www.iit.it/centers/ctnsc-unife>) is hosted by the University of Ferrara (UNIFE) in a prestigious historical building in the city center. Ferrara is a well connected renaissance city (30-min to Bologna, 40-min to Padua, 60-min to Venice; 2 nearby international airports), bustling with students (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/733 <https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/733>). General INFO: http://www.unife.it/studenti/dottorato/it/corsi/riforma/neuroscience <http://www.unife.it/studenti/dottorato/it/corsi/riforma/neuroscience> Application INFO: http://www.unife.it/studenti/dottorato/concorsi/selection <http://www.unife.it/studenti/dottorato/concorsi/selection> DEADLINE: July 23rd, 2021

June 29, 2021

Tutorial on NEURON and NetPyNE at CNS*2021

by McDougal, Robert

(Apologies for cross-posts.) Interested in learning how to build biophysically detailed neuronal models with NEURON and NetPyNE? Join us for a tutorial at CNS*2021 on Saturday, July 3rd starting at 10am EDT: Time (New York City / EDT) Presenter Subject 10:00 - 10:30 Bill Lytton Overview: implementing the conceptual model 10:30 - 11:50 Robert McDougal NEURON scripting basics 11:50 - 12:00 coffee break 12:00 - 1:00 Adam Newton Reaction-Diffusion 1:00 - 1:30 lunch break 1:30 - 2:50 Salvador Dura-Bernal NetPyNE GUI-based tutorials 2:50 - 3:00 coffee break 3:00 - 4:00 Salvador Dura-Bernal NetPyNE programming tutorial For more information, see: https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/courses/2021-cns-neuron-netpyne-tutorial Register for CNS*2021 to attend; see https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-registration-fees

June 28, 2021

PhD position with Prof. Laurenz Wiskott at the Institute for Neural Computation, Bochum, Germany

by Laurenz Wiskott

The Ruhr-Universität Bochum is one of the leading research universities. The university draws its strengths from both the diversity and the proximity of scientific and engineering disciplines on a single, coherent campus. This highly dynamic setting enables students and researchers to work across traditional boundaries of academic subjects and faculties. One particular strength of RUB is interdisciplinary research in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, see https://ml-ai.rub.de/. The Institute for Neural Computation is a central research institute, see https://www.ini.rub.de/. It focuses on the dynamics and learning of perception and behavior on a functional level but is otherwise very diverse, ranging from neurophysiology and psychophysics over computational neuroscience to machine learning and technical applications. There is an open position for a research assistant / Phd-student in the group „Theory of Neural Systems“ of Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott to be filled at 15th of September. The appointment will be for three years. Salary is 75% of salary scale TV-L E13. Task: • Develop a cognitive system that learns to behave reasonably in new situations based on few episodic experiences. Central to the system shall be an episodic and a semantic memory. The application domain will be navigation. The candidate is free to put the focus on machine learning techniques or on the modeling of natural cognition. We offer: • An interesting interdisciplinary environment in the field of Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence / Computational Neuroscience. • Room to develop your own ideas in the project. • Infrastructure to integrate well into the institute and the group. • Opportunity to do a PhD (Dr). Requirements: • Very good Master in mathematics, computer science, engineering, or a related field. • Good programming and mathematical skills. • Interest in interdisciplinary research questions and cooperations. Advantageous: • Experience in Machine Learning and/or Computational Neuroscience. • Good communication and teamwork skills. • Experience in interdisciplinary projects. • Programming skills in Python. Applications (CV, transcript of records for MSc and BSc, statement of purpose) should be sent as a single pdf file to laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de. Travel expenses for interviews will not be refunded. Ruhr-University Bochum is committed to equal opportunity in employment and gender equality in its working environment. We therefore look forward to applications from qualified women. Applications from appropriately qualified handicapped persons are also encouraged.

June 28, 2021

Bernstein Conference 2021 - Deadline for Contributed Talks extended until July 7

by Anja Dorrn

Each year the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renown conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries. Due to the ongoing pandemic the Bernstein Conference will be held online. <www.bernstein-conference.de>www.bernstein-conference.de ____ IMPORTANT DATES & NEWS * Bernstein Conference: September 21-23, 2021 * Abstract submission open: * Deadline for submission of abstracts to be considered for Contributed Talks: extended to July 7, 2021, 1 pm CEST * Deadline for abstract submission: August 3, 2021 * Selected Satellite Workshops are now online<https://bit.ly/BC21_workshops> * Registration will open soon and be free of charge ____ ABSTRACTS We invite the computational neuroscience community to submit their abstracts: Submitted abstracts can either be considered as contributed talks or posters. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Abstract submission is open. Further information can be found here: https://bit.ly/BC21_abstracts ____ INVITED SPEAKERS Keynote Timothy Behrens (University of Oxford, UK) Invited Talks Athena Akrami (University College London, UK) Nadine Gogolla (Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany) Guillaume Hennequin (University of Cambridge, UK) Jennifer Li & Drew Robson (Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany) Scott Lindermann (Stanford University, USA) Ashok Litwin-Kumar (Columbia University, New York City, USA) Ida Momennejad (Microsoft Research, New York City, USA) Cristina Savin (New York University, USA) Marion Silies (Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany) Daniela Vallentin (Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany) ____ CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Christian Leibold (Conference Chair) Julijana Gjiorgjieva (Program Chair) Christian Machens (Program Vice Chair) Marion Silies (Workshop Chair) Moritz Helias (Workshop Vice Chair) & Matthew Botvinick, Megan Carey, Peter Dayan, Brent Doiron, Rainer Friedrich, Ann Hermundstad, Srdjan Ostojic, Nathalie Rochefort, Nicole Rust, Gasper Tkacik ____ For any further questions, please contact: <bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de> bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de -- Dr. Anja Dorrn Scientific Coordinator Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9589 web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Dr. Astrid Lambrecht, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 28, 2021

Program and preliminary schedule for CNS*2021 Online

by Martin Zapotocky

**Organization for Computational Neurosciences 2885 Sanford Ave SW #15359 Grandville, MI 49418 USA*** Program and preliminary schedule available for 30th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021 Online, **July 3-7)***** The program of the CNS*2021 Meeting can now be viewed at https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-calendar <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-calendar> Please note that this year, the main days of the meeting (*July 3-7*) are preceded by software tutorials on *J**une 28-29*, and satellite tutorials on *June 30 - July 2*. For registration information, please visit https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-registration-fees <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-registration-fees> Following registration, the attendees can use the conference Sched page to access detailed information for each session and to assemble a personalized schedule. Instructions are sent upon registration. Please follow the Sched page for up-to-date information on the event schedule. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OCNS is the international member-based society for computational neuroscientists. Become a member to be eligible for awards and other benefits. Visit our website for more information: https://www.cnsorg.org <https://www.cnsorg.org> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 28, 2021

Open postdoctoral position in Niv lab at Princeton University

by Angela Langdon

The lab of Dr Yael Niv in the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology at Princeton University is looking for a talented and motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our team to study the neural mechanisms of reward prediction and learning in animals. This position is to work primarily with Dr Angela Langdon on a NIDA-funded project modeling behavior and neural recording data from rodents in a reward learning task (start date: as soon as possible). The ideal candidate will 1) have experience in computational or theoretical modeling, such as reinforcement learning, Bayesian inference, machine learning and/or neural circuit modeling; 2) be excited about mapping theories of learning and decision making onto behavior and its neural basis; 3) be keen to work in a collaborative and interdisciplinary scientific environment. More broadly, members of the lab study the behavioral and neural computations that support learning and decision making, and their interaction with attention and memory mechanisms. Our research spans a diverse set of theoretical tools from reinforcement learning, Bayesian inference and machine learning alongside various empirical techniques, including targeted behavioral experiments, eye tracking and fMRI. In addition, we work closely with our collaborators on model-guided analysis of animal behavior and neural activity across a number of learning paradigms – the current position is for a project in this domain, working with existing neural and behavioral data from rodents. We have a particular interest in research that can shed light on the changes to learning and decision making that are prevalent in a range of clinical disorders. The Princeton Neuroscience Institute and the Psychology Department at Princeton are highly interdisciplinary and collaborative, and provide excellent support for career development. You will be joining a vibrant and international research group, and will have opportunities to interact with and learn from a large number of researchers in cognitive and computational neuroscience. To apply, send your CV and statement of research interests to Yael Niv: yael(a)princeton.edu <mailto:yael@princeton.edu> and Angela Langdon: alangdon(a)princeton.edu <mailto:alangdon@princeton.edu>.

June 25, 2021

Workshop on Clinical Computational Neuroscience at OCNS*2021

by Laure Buhry

Dear all, We would like to announce the Workshop on *“Clinical computational neuroscience: How computational neuroscience can solve problems from the clinic”,* which will be held on *July 7th* during the OCNS annual meeting from 9:30 am to 5:45 am (Paris time) / 3:30 am to 11:45 am (NY time)/ 5:30 pm to 1:45 am (Sydney time). Please keep in mind that for workshop attendance a registration at the main conference (https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-registration-fees) is necessary. More information here: https://xenia-kobeleva.com/CNS2021/ We would love to see you there! Organizing Committee: Laure Buhry (co-chair) Xenia Kobeleva -- Dr Laure Buhry Associate Professor LORIA UMR CNRS 7503 - INRIA - University of Lorraine, France

June 25, 2021

Postdoc position in neuronal network modelling and simulation

by Andrew Davison

Dear colleagues, A postdoc position in neuronal network modelling and simulation is available within the Neuroinformatics research group of the Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, as part of the Human Brain Project (https://neuropsi.cnrs.fr/en/departments/icn/group-leader-andrew-davison/) The large number of different simulation environments in neuroscience presents both a problem and an opportunity. Since each simulator has its own programming interface and output data format, reproducing, reusing, or combining models written for different simulators typically presents considerable difficulty. On the other hand, since each simulation environment has a different balance between efficiency, flexibility, scalability and user-friendliness, we can choose the most appropriate one for a given problem, or cross-check the results obtained with different tools. Simulator-agnostic model representation languages such as NeuroML and PyNN allow us to preserve the advantages of simulator diversity while reducing or eliminating the disadvantages, thereby making reproducibility and reuse much easier. Such languages let us take a single model description and simulate it in different environments without having to reimplement the model each time. The aim of this project is to expand the scope of PyNN from networks of simplified neuron models, such as integrate-and-fire, to networks consisting of biophysically- and morphologically-detailed neuron models, targeting the NEURON and Arbor simulators, the SpiNNaker and BrainScaleS neuromorphic computing systems, and interoperability with NeuroML and the SONATA format. We offer a flexible and collaborative working environment, including remote working up to two days per week. For more details and to apply, see https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR9197-ANDDAV-007/Default.aspx?lang=EN Informal enquiries are welcome, contact andrew.davison(a)cnrs.fr Andrew Davison, PhD Group leader, Neuroinformatics Department for Integrative and Computational Neuroscience (ICN) NeuroPSI - Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience CNRS - Université Paris-Saclay 1, avenue de la Terrasse 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette France Tel: +33 1 69 82 34 51 Twitter: @apdavison https://neuropsi.cnrs.fr/en/departments/icn/group-leader-andrew-davison/

June 24, 2021

Tutorial on "Understanding early visual receptive fields from efficient coding principles"

by Zhaoping Li

Understanding principles of efficient coding can enable you to answer questions such as: why should the input contrast response function of a neuron take its particular form? Why do retinal ganglion cells have center-surround receptive fields? How correlated or uncorrelated should the visual responses from different retinal ganglion cells be? Why do receptive fields of retinal ganglion cells increase their sizes in dim light? How could visual coding depend on animal species? Why are color selective V1 neurons less sensitive to visual motion signals? How can one predict the ocular dominance properties of V1 neurons from developmental conditions? How should neurons adapt to changes in visual environment? This tutorial guides you on how to answer such questions. It contains: (1) A list of 45 short video lecture clips (about 10 minutes each on average) on YouTube, see http://www.lizhaoping.org/zhaoping/EfficientVisualCoding_Playlist.html (2) In addition to (1), you can join CNS *2021 (see https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-tutorials#T3 ), which enables social interactions with the lecturer and other students via Discord, and on July 3rd (the tutorial day) for highlights, Q&As, and discussions. best, Li Zhaoping -- Li Zhaoping Ph.D. Prof. of Cognitive Science, University of Tuebingen Head of Dept of Sensory and Sensorimotor Systems, Max Planck Institute of Biological Cybernetics Author of "Understanding vision: theory, models, and data", Oxford University Press, 2014 www.lizhaoping.org

June 24, 2021

CNS*2021 Workshop: Computational approaches for studying astrocyte dynamics and astrocyte-neuron communication (July 6-7, Online)

by Marsa Taheri

Dear all, We are pleased to announce a workshop on “*Computational approaches for studying astrocyte dynamics and astrocyte-neuron communication*” at this year’s Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021). This workshop will run over 2 half-days: July 6-7 (9 am – 12:30 pm UTC-7). ------------------- *Brief Description*: Exciting experimental studies in the last decade have led to an entirely new body of work on the participation of astrocytes in normal and pathological brain function. However, the development of a solid theoretical framework to support and quantify some of the pathways has been somewhat limited, first, due to the lack of intensive collaboration between experimentalists and theorists, and second, due to a persistent neurocentrist view of brain function. Please join us to hear from an incredible lineup of speakers, bringing together specialists, theorists, and experimentalists in the field of astrocyte-neuron signaling: Yukiko Goda, Riken, Japan Alla Borisyuk, University of Utah, USA Jennifer Shih, MIT, USA Annalisa Scimemi, University of Albany, USA Guoqiang Yu, Virginia Tech, USA Laszlo Heja, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary Anup Pillai, University of Ottawa, Canada Renaud Jolivet, Université de Genève, Switzerland Max Collard, UCSF, USA Audrey Denizot, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan Ron Refaeli, The Hebrew University, Israel Kerstin Lenk, Graz University of Technology, Austria ------------------- More information on the workshop at: https://astrocytenet.org/cns2021-online-workshop/ Register and gain access to all CNS*2021 presentations, tutorials, and workshops at: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021 We look forward to your participation! *On behalf of the workshop organizers:* *Kerstin Lenk*, Institute for Neural Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria *Audrey Denizot*, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Computational Neuroscience Unit, Onna-Son, Japan *Barbara Genocchi*, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, BioMediTech, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland *Suhita Nadkarni*, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (IISER Pune), Pune, India *Marsa Taheri*, Department of Neurobiology, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA Contact information: cns2021.astro.workshop(a)gmail.com

June 23, 2021

Tutorials on Allen Institute data and tools for computational neuroscience at CNS*2021

by Anton Arkhipov

Dear all, Please join us for pre-CNS*2021 tutorials on June 30 and July 1: “From synapses to behavior – using open data, tools, and models from the Allen Institute in computational neuroscience”. https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-tutorials#SA5 The Allen Institute recently released multiple free resources focusing on the structure and function of brain circuits, including data, associated analysis software, and models integrating the data to enable bio-realistic simulations. We will introduce several of these resources in a series of 1-hour sessions. The resources covered will include characterization of cell types and synapse types, 2-photon calcium imaging and Neuropixels electrophysiology in vivo, a visual behavior dataset, and bio-realistic models and modeling software. Wednesday, June 30, 2021 11:30 am – 11:45 am EST (8:30 am – 8:45 am PST) - Introduction 11:45 am – 12:45 pm EST (8:45 am – 9:45 am PST) - Synaptic Physiology (Luke Campagnola) 12:45 pm – 1:00 pm EST (9:45 am – 10:00 am PST) - Break 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST (10:00 am – 11:00 am PST) - Visual Coding 2-photon (Saskia de Vries) 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST (11:00 am – 12:00 pm PST) - Visual Coding Neuropixels (Josh Siegle) Thursday, July 1, 2021 11:30 am – 11:45 am EST (8:30 am – 8:45 am PST) - Introduction 11:45 am – 12:45 pm EST (8:45 am – 9:45 am PST) - PatchSeq (Nathan Gouwens) 12:45 pm – 1:00 pm EST (9:45 am – 10:00 am PST) - Break 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST (10:00 am – 11:00 am PST) - Visual Behavior (Alex Piet) 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST (11:00 am – 12:00 pm PST) - Bio-realistic model of the mouse primary visual cortex (Anton Arkhipov and Kael Dai) Please register for CNS*2021 and join us for the tutorials! https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-quick Best wishes, Anton. Anton Arkhipov Associate Investigator T: 206.548.8414 E: antona(a)alleninstitute.org<mailto:antona@alleninstitute.org> [Text Description automatically generated] alleninstitute.org<https://alleninstitute.org> brain-map.org

June 23, 2021

Software WG satellite tutorials at CNS*2021 on Bash, Git, and Python: June 28, 29 2021

by Ankur Sinha

Dear all, Apologies for the cross-posts. The INCF/OCNS Software Working Group is running three beginner/intermediate level satellite tutorials on Bash, Git, and Python at CNS*2021. These tutorials are on Monday and Tuesday (28/29 June). They are intended for both complete beginners and occasional/regular users who are looking to expand and refresh their skills. More information on these, including topics that we will cover can be seen on our website: https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/2021/06/09/software-wg-tutorials-at-cns-2… - Effective use of Bash (Felix B. Kern): 28 June, 2021 1200 UTC - Effective use of Git (Ankur Sinha): June 28, 2021 1700 UTC - Python for beginners (Joe Graham, Shailesh Appukuttan, Ankur Sinha): 29 June, 2021 1300 UTC One can register for CNS*2021 here to gain access to excellent set of tutorials/workshops/posters and oral presentations that are being organised this year: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021 More information on the Software working group, our work, how you can contact us, and how you can join us (it is open to all) is here: https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/index.html On behalf of the Software WG, -- Thanks, Regards, Ankur Sinha (He / Him / His) Research Fellow at the Silver Lab | http://silverlab.org/ Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, & Pharmacology University College London, London, UK Time zone: Europe/London

June 23, 2021

Post-doc position on machine learning and human motion/physiological data analysis at AIST, Japan

by 平山淳一郎

Dear colleagues, We invite applications for a postdoctoral researcher position on machine learning and human motion/physiological data analysis, available at Mathematical Neuroscience Research Group, Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) (https://www.aist.go.jp/index_en.html) Japan. The successful candidate will join a collaborative project with ATR, Kyoto University and Hokkaido University on human-AI co-evolution, funded by NEDO (https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/) and conduct research on machine learning modeling and analysis of human motion data and/or related physiological signals from the brain and body, depending on his/her interests. The starting date is negotiable, with a preference for candidates who can start early. The initial appointment will be until March 2022, with the possibility of extension until March 31, 2025. Salary for the postdoctoral fellow will follow the AIST guideline. To apply, please visit https://jrecin.jst.go.jp/seek/SeekJorDetail?fn=3&ln=1&id=D121020014&ln_jor=1 and send the required application documents to junichiro.hirayama(a)aist.go.jp. The deadline of application is August 31, 2021. The deadline may be extended until the position is filled. -- Jun-ichiro Hirayama Senior Researcher Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) junichiro.hirayama(a)aist.go.jp https://staff.aist.go.jp/junichiro.hirayama

June 23, 2021

Postdoctoral positions in the Geffen lab at the University of Pennsylvania

by Maria Geffen

The Geffen laboratory <http://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing> at the University of Pennsylvania <http://www.upenn.edu/> has multiple postdoctoral positions open in systems neuroscience with the broad goal of understanding the neuronal circuits for auditory perception and learning. We are looking for energetic and talented scientists interested in studying the function of the brain. The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to learn and apply a host of systems neuroscience techniques, including two-photon imaging of population activity, optogenetic manipulations, large-scale electrophysiology and behavior in mice. Prior experience with some of these methods is preferred, but not required. Depending on the candidate’s interests, all projects provide an opportunity to learn and apply advanced computational methods, including dynamic systems analysis of neuronal population activity; Bayesian approaches for understanding the relation between neuronal activity and behavior; machine learning methods to understand large-scale neuronal activity. We currently have openings for postdoctoral fellows for three projects: (1) Neuronal mechanisms for predictive coding: Auditory perception relies on predicting statistics of incoming signals, be it identifying the speech of a conversation partner in a crowded room or recognizing the sound of a babbling brook in a forest. The human brain detects statistical regularities in sounds as a fundamental aspect of prediction, evidenced by reduced responses to repeated sound patterns and enhanced responses to unexpected sounds. Multiple studies demonstrate that the neuronal responses to regular signals are reduced through adaptation, which can contribute to prediction. However, adaptation alone is not sufficient to account for prediction and studies at cellular and neuronal population levels in animals thus far lend only partial support to existing theories of predictive coding. The goal of the project is to close this gap in knowledge and to determine the circuits that predict signals and detect statistical regularity and its violation in auditory behavior. Funded by NIH NIDCD. (2) Neuronal circuits for learning-driven changes in auditory perception: Everyday auditory behavior depends critically on learning-driven changes in auditory perception that rely on neuronal plasticity within the auditory pathway. By combining state-of-the-art optogenetic, electrophysiological, behavioral and computational approaches, the project seeks to identify the function of specific circuit elements in auditory learning. Funded by NIH NIDCD. (3) Neuronal mechanisms for hearing under uncertainty: In everyday life, because both sensory signals and neuronal responses are noisy, important cognitive tasks, such as auditory categorization, are based on uncertain information. To overcome this limitation, listeners incorporate other types of signals, such as the statistics of sounds over short and long time scales and signals from other sensory modalities into their categorization decision processes. This project will identify the contribution of specific cell types to categorization and the neuronal mechanisms for how contextual signals bias auditory categorization. In collaboration with Dr. Yale Cohen <https://auditoryresearchlaboratory.weebly.com/> and Dr. Konrad Kording <http://kordinglab.com/>, funded by NIH BRAIN Initiative. Our laboratory is a close community of fun-loving scientists, striving to help each other while exploring the mysteries of the brain. Our trainees have won numerous awards and have been awarded government and private foundation grants. We value diversity and promote equity in the scientific community and beyond <https://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing/philosophy/>. The systems neuroscience community at the University of Pennsylvania is top-notch and highly collaborative, and postdoctoral fellows will have opportunities to engage in interdepartmental initiatives, including MindCore <https://mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/>, MINS <https://www.med.upenn.edu/ins/> and CNI <https://www.cni.upenn.edu/>. Penn has a gorgeous campus and offers many cultural activities. Philadelphia is a beautiful city with world-class music, food and entertainment. To apply, please email Dr. Geffen at mgeffen(a)pennmedicine.upenn.edu <mailto:mgeffen@pennmedicine.upenn.edu> : a cover letter (summarize your prior research experience, why you are interested in the position, and your future plans) and your CV. __________________________ Maria N. Geffen, Ph.D. (she/her) Associate Professor Department of Otorhinolaryngology Department of Neuroscience Department of Neurology Stemmler Hall G14 3450 Hamilton Walk Philadelphia PA 19104 (215)898-0782 mgeffen(a)pennmedicine.upenn.edu http://hosting.med.upenn.edu/hearing Twitter: @neimarkgeffen

June 22, 2021

Three Assistant Professor Positions at University of Sussex

by Thomas Nowotny

Dear all, The School of Engineering and Informatics at the University of Sussex is seeking to hire three Assistant Professors (“Lecturers”, permanent position) in Computer Science and AI. One of the positions is particularly focused on a researcher with interests in one or more of the following areas: machine learning, ethical AI, computational Neuroscience, complexity science, consciousness science and bio-inspired AI and robotic control. They should be able to teach general subjects in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate levels. They will work within the Artificial Intelligence Research Group, including opportunities to interact with the robotics group in the Department of Engineering. The AI Research Group at the University of Sussex was created through the merger of the Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems (EASy) and the Data Science groups. We conduct research and teach a wide range of AI related topics, often cross-disciplinary and with a unique Sussex angle. We collaborate internationally and locally with academics, businesses, and public stakeholders, working at the frontiers of knowledge, on solving real-world problems, and in policy and public outreach. Applications should be accompanied by a full CV, and statements of future research plans and ways in which the applicant could contribute to teaching across the School. Please contact Dr Ian Mackie I.Mackie(a)sussex.ac.uk<mailto:I.Mackie@sussex.ac.uk> , Head of the Department of Informatics, for informal enquiries. The full job advert is posted at https://t.co/K0CdIYx6xH?amp=1 including a detailed person specification and details how to apply. Please get in touch if you are interested in these positions and forward to any interested colleagues. Kind regards, Thomas -- Prof Thomas Nowotny Head of the AI Research Group Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange School of Engineering and Informatics University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ, UK Phone: +44-1273-678593 FAX: +44-1273-877873

June 22, 2021

Post-doc / research associate position in neural reinforcement learning using causal models (Sheffield, UK, 33 months, deadline 4th July)

by Aditya Gilra

Dear All, We're looking for a post-doc / research associate to work on bio-plausible neural networks that learn causal models of the environment and utilize these to plan and explain actions in reinforcement learning. The position is for 33 months at the University of Sheffield, UK. Read more at: https://www.chistera.eu/projects/causalxrl . Apply via (deadline: 4th July): https://jobs.shef.ac.uk/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/hrrcf_a_posting_apply?PARAM=cG… Best, Aditya. -- Aditya Gilra, Lecturer (Assistant Professor), Machine Learning Group <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dcs/research/groups/machine-learning> & Neuroscience Institute <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/neuroscience-institute/research/computational-a…> , Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, UK. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dcs/people/academic/aditya-gilra

June 22, 2021

WWNeuRise series on neuromodulation & applications/recommendations

by William Podlaski

WorldWideNeuRise will host several online talks throughout June-July on the topic of neuromodulation in the brain from the following speakers: Wednesday, 30 June, 5pm CET Lindsay Collins (McCormick Lab, University of Oregon, USA) Cristina Colangelo (Blue Brain Project, EPFL, Switzerland) Wednesday, 14 July, 5pm CET Jasmine Pickford (Apps Lab, University of Bristol, UK) Luke Coddington (Dudman Lab, Janelia Research Campus, USA) Wednesday, 28 July, 5pm CET Rohan Sharma (Suhita Lab, IISER Pune, India) Ines Guerreiro (Gutkin Lab, Ecole Normale Superieure, France) For more information, please visit our website (https://neurise.github.io/) find us on WorldWideNeuro (https://www.world-wide.org/Neuro/WWNeuRise/) or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/WWNeuRise) We are actively searching for PhD students and postdocs to give talks in our upcoming seminar blocks. On our website (https://neurise.github.io/) you can find an application form to directly apply, as well as a recommendation form, where you can suggest individuals from your lab, institute, or otherwise who you think might have an interesting story to tell! We are looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming seminars! The organising committee, Ellen Boven (Apps lab, University of Bristol) Christina Buetfering (Häusser lab, University College London) Lucie Descamps (Kentros lab, Norwegian University of Science and Technology) Gily Ginosar (Ulanovsky lab, Weizmann Institute) Loreen Hertäg (Clopath lab, Imperial College London) Joram Keijser (Sprekeler lab, TU Berlin) Bill Podlaski (Machens lab, Champalimaud Research)

June 21, 2021

NeuroML hands-on satellite tutorial at CNS*2021 on July 2nd 2021 at 1500 UTC

by Ankur Sinha

Dear all, Apologies for the cross-posts. We will be running a half day satellite tutorial at the 30th annual meeting of the Organization for Computational Neurosciences (OCNS), CNS*2021 Online. The tutorial will be held on July 2nd, 2021 at 1500 UTC. https://docs.neuroml.org/Events/202107-CNS2021.html The goal of the tutorial is to teach users to build, visualise, analyse, and simulate models using NeuroML. Why take part? --------------- This tutorial is aimed at new and current NeuroML users. We will start with a quick introduction to the NeuroML standard and the associated software ecosystem, after which we will proceed to conduct hands-on sessions to show how one can build computational models with NeuroML. Times and dates ---------------- - Friday 2nd July 1500 UTC Click here for your local time: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=NeuroML+tutorial+… Registration ------------- To take part in the tutorial, please register here for the CNS*2021 meeting: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021 Pre-requisites --------------- The sessions will make use of the NeuroML Python tools. Please follow the documentation to install them on your system if you wish to use them locally: - PyNeuroML: https://docs.neuroml.org/Userdocs/Software/pyNeuroML.html#pyneuroml - libNeuroML: https://docs.neuroml.org/Userdocs/Software/libNeuroML.html#libneuroml You can also use the interactive Jupyter notebooks from the documentation if you prefer (example: https://docs.neuroml.org/Userdocs/NML2_examples/SingleNeuron.html) These can be run on Binder and Google Collab in your web browser and do not require you to install anything locally on your computer. Slack ----- To aid communication with the community during (and after) the meeting, we have a Slack channel for NeuroML related discussions. Please contact Padraig Gleeson (p DOT gleeson AT ucl DOT ac DOT uk) or Ankur Sinha (ankur DOT sinha AT ucl DOT ac DOT uk) for an invite. You can also contact the NeuroML community using one of our other channels: https://docs.neuroml.org/NeuroMLOrg/CommunicationChannels.html#contact-chat We look forward to working with the community to drive further uptake of NeuroML compliant models and tools! -- Thanks, Regards, Ankur Sinha (He / Him / His) Research Fellow at the Silver Lab | http://silverlab.org/ Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, & Pharmacology University College London, London, UK Time zone: Europe/London

June 21, 2021

Q&A about INCF activities and membership

by Helena Ledmyr

Hello! Are you an open neuroscience practitioner or want to become one? Do you want to have input on global strategies for data sharing in neuroscience? Join the INCF network! INCF directors Helena Ledmyr and Mathew Birdsall Abrams will answer all your questions about INCF participation in our webinar on June 29th at 10am EDT / 4pm CEST, where long-time community member Samir Das (McGill U) will reflect on how he has benefited from membership. Register at bit.ly/INCFwebinar Information about INCF and memberships can be found on our website <https://www.incf.org/>. All the best, Helena Ledmyr ----------------------------- Helena Ledmyr, PhD *Director* *Development and Communications* International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility Secretariat Karolinska Institutet. Nobels väg 15A, SE-171 77 Stockholm. Sweden Email: helena.ledmyr(a)incf.org Phone: +46 8 524 870 35 incf.org neuroinformatics.incf.org

June 21, 2021

Assistant professor position in Göttingen, Germany

by Ecker, Alexander

We have an opening for an assistant professor position for ML/CV for biomedical applications in the computer science department at the University of Göttingen, Germany. Application deadline it July 11. For details see below or at https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/645470.html The Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Georg-August-University of Goettingen invites applications for a Sartorius AG Endowed Junior Professorship W1 – „Computational Cell Analytics“ (all genders welcome) The junior professorship will be part of the "CIDAS-Sartorius lab for AI-based high-throughput analysis of cell systems" and will actively contribute to its further development. In the CIDAS-Sartorius Lab, we will develop novel data analysis methods to obtain scientific insights from observations of cell systems in various areas of the life sciences. It is a collaboration between the Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS), the Institute for Computer Science, the University Medical Center Goettingen and Sartorius AG. The junior professorship will also be part of the Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS) and contribute to its development. CIDAS is a central institution of the University of Goettingen and works closely with the partners of the Goettingen Campus such as the University Medical Center, several Max Planck Institutes, the German Primate Center, the Academy of Sciences and the German Aerospace Center Goettingen. The junior professorship is thus optimally integrated into Goettingen's top-notch life science research environment. The future holder of the position should have expertise in computer science with a focus on machine learning/deep learning and/or computer vision. The professorship contributes to the development of new analytical methods and their application in the field of cell analysis. Possible research foci are among others: - Computer vision in biomedical imaging - Biomedical image processing - Image based cell and biomolecular analytics - Methods for object recognition and image segmentation - Large-scale machine learning & deep learning - Nonlinear and dynamic prognosis models for the description and prediction of complex, nonlinear processes in cell models The candidate should have a track record of internationally competitive high-quality research and a high potential for groundbreaking research in internationally visible projects. The candidate is expected to contribute to teaching in the data science programs. Goettingen University is committed to research-oriented teaching. Applications of international scientists are highly encouraged. The University is an equal opportunity and family friendly employer. We specifically encourage women to apply. Disabled persons with appropriate qualifications and aptitude for the position will be given special consideration. Applications including CV, publications list and details of teaching and research including funded research projects should be submitted by 11 July 2021 online via the application portal: https://tinyurl.com/44r336yn For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Alexander Ecker, Institute of Computer Science and Campus Institute Data Science: ecker(a)cs.uni-goettingen.de. -- Alexander Ecker Professor of Data Science Department of Computer Science • Campus Institute Data Science University of Göttingen • Max Planck Inst. for Dynamics and Self-Organization Goldschmidtstr. 1 • room 2.137 • 37077 Göttingen https://eckerlab.org • @alxecker • +49 551 39-21272

June 21, 2021

Post doc in Cognitive-Computational Neuroscience at University College London (discrete and continuous human action control under threat)

by Dominik R. Bach

*Post doc in Cognitive-Computational Neuroscience at University College London: discrete and continuous human action control under threat* We are looking for a research fellow in an ERC-funded research project "Action selection under threat - the complex control of human defence" led by Dr Dominik Bach (http://bachlab.org <http://bachlab.org>) and based at University College London, Max-Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry (https://www.mps-ucl-centre.mpg.de/en <https://www.mps-ucl-centre.mpg.de/en>) and Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/ <http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/>). The overarching goal of the project is to understand the cognitive-computational control of human motor behaviour under acute, immediate threat. We investigate this in an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment, in which people can move to avoid a large number of different threats. As part of this project, the candidate will build and test explicit computational models of discrete and continuous action control and action updating under constraints of time pressure and unaffordable costs. We seek applicants with established cognitive-computational modelling skills and a PhD in computational neuroscience, robotics with focus on action planning, computer science/mathematics/physics with a focus on decision science, or in a related area. We are looking for an individual who is strongly motivated to pursue an academic career and is excited by the opportunities for personal and career development this position can provide. The post is available from October 2021 and funded for up to 3 years with initial appointment for 1 year. Starting salary is on UCL grade 7, ranging from £36,028 to £43,533 per annum, inclusive of London Allowance, superannuable. More information and access to the UCL online application portal: https://is.gd/VwTJCA <https://is.gd/VwTJCA> Please contact d.bach(a)ucl.ac.uk <mailto:d.bach@ucl.ac.uk> for any queries about the project or role. *Closing date: 16 July 2021* Interviews will be held remotely in July. Apologies for cross-posting. -- ----------------------- Dominik R Bach MBBS PhD Principal Research Fellow Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London http://bachlab.org | @bachlab_cog

June 21, 2021

PhD Studentship in Improving medication verification for cancer patients

by Shangming Zhou

Dear All, *PhD Studentship in Improving medication verification for cancer patients: An AI driven population health study* Applications are invited for a three-year PhD studentship. The studentship will start on* 1 October, 2021, *or as soon as possible after that. *Overview of the Studentship* This fully funded PhD studentship is based at the University of Plymouth’s Centre for Health Technology <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.plymo…>, a leading international research group focused on the design, development and implementation of health technology innovations in health and care. This vibrant team of researchers work within the intersection of digital health, software engineering, data science, clinical artificial intelligence, and innovation strategy, with a primary aim to create a global hub for technology incubation in the South West of the United Kingdom. *Project Description* Medication errors, including those in prescribing, dispensing, or administration of a drug, are the single most preventable cause of patient harm. They have a significant impact on the efficiency of the workflow in pharmacy, raise safety concerns for patients, and result in a financial burden on the healthcare systems. Within cancer treatment, emphasis on reducing the number of medication errors has been an active research area for many years, with understanding that interdisciplinary approaches are vital to assure continuous improvement. Opportunities created by the reduction of transaction times for complex computational processes and use of machine learning to support clinical decision making, create a potential catalyst for the development of tools for reduction in medication errors. This PhD studentship offers an exciting opportunity of exploring AI and machine learning with large clinical data sets residing within electronic health records to create methods to assure the effective use of systemic anticancer treatment (including traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, novel oral therapies etc.) without compromising patient safety. The studentship will require application of interdisciplinary skills to enable cooperation between the research, clinical, industry and patient communities in the development of a novel approach which could enhance clinical outcomes. *Supervision Team* - Professor Shang-Ming Zhou <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.plymo…> (shangming.zhou(a)plymouth.ac.uk) https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=iWiXGWMAAAAJ&hl <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscholar.g…> - Dr Edward Meinert (edward.meinert(a)plymouth.ac.uk) https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=7V-WsrwAAAAJ <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscholar.g…> - Mrs Andrea Preston (Andrea.Preston(a)uhbw.nhs.uk) This PhD student will be academically advised by Professor Shang-Ming Zhou and Dr Edward Meinert, research scientists with research interests in applied artificial intelligence and machine learning, computing science in health and care. The student will also be advised by Mrs Andrea Preston, a Macmillan Divisional Lead Haematology & SW Cancer Commissioning Pharmacist. This supervision team will assure the execution of a world-class PhD embedded into the wider digital health ecosystem at the University of Plymouth. *Eligibility* · This PhD studentship is offered for UK and international applicants. · Applicants should have: 1) A first or upper second-class honours degree, and a relevant Master’s qualification in Computing Science, Data Science, Statistics, Health Informatics, Medical Informatics, Bioinformatics, or any areas related; 2) Interest in working with real-world problems and large data sets; 3) Excellent proficiency in English and outstanding communication skills; 4) Strong analytical and programming skills; 5) A “can do”, positive attitude with an aspiration to change the world. · Experience in machine learning is advantageous. · Experience in publication of peer-reviewed literature is desirable. *International Students* International applicants should meet the English language requirements, please see the details from the University’s website https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/international/how-to-apply/english-language-requ… <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.plymo…>. IELTS Academic 6.5 or above (or equivalent) with 5.5 in each individual category is commonly required by the University’s Doctoral College. *How to Apply* *To apply for this position,* please visit: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/your-studies/research-degrees/postg… <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.plymo…>. *Please clearly state the name of the studentship that you are applying for on your Personal Statement.* A research proposal is required. Please see: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/your-studies/research-degrees/appli… <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.plymo…> for a list of supporting documents to upload with your application. *Enquiry * If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact Professor Shang-Ming Zhou (shangming.zhou(a)plymouth.ac.uk) Dr Edward Meinert (edward.meinert(a)plymouth.ac.uk) or Mrs Andrea Preston ( Andrea.Preston(a)uhbw.nhs.uk) For more information on the admissions process, please contact doctoralcollege(a)plymouth.ac.uk. *Closing Date* *The closing date for applications is 30 July 2021. *Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview. Best wishes Shangming Zhou _______________________________________________________ Shang-Ming Zhou Professor in e-Health, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Centre for Health Technology, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK Tel: +44 (0)1752 586513 Email: shangming.zhou(a)plymouth.ac.uk ; smzhou(a)ieee.org https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/staff/shang-ming-zhou <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.plymo…> https://www.hdruk.ac.uk/people/dr-shang-ming-zhou <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hdruk…> https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/centre-for-health-technology <https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.plymo…>

June 20, 2021

BrainCosmos Summer School on Neural Circuit Complexity from Aug 30-Sep 3

by Shyam Diwakar

Dear Fellow Neuroscientists and Students, We would like to welcome you to a BrainCosmos Summer School titled "Neural circuit complexity: Neuroscience, Models and Robotics - Where do they lead?" organized at Lake Como, Italy from August 30-September 3, 2021. For more info: https://brco.lakecomoschool.org/ <https://brco.lakecomoschool.org/> The BrainCosmos summer school focuses on the study of the brain, neuroscience of circuits and behavior in micro and macro scales, models, experiments, alongside topics of robotics and artificial intelligence and a perspective on brain diseases. The school primarily targets PhD students across all research disciplines, but applications from professionals, masters students and post-doctoral researchers are welcome as well. The School will also cater to early career researchers in Neuroscience and will aim to promote critical thinking within the field and beyond. The scope covers a very wide range of topics that we believe to be of interest to many fields related to neuroscience, modeling, robotics and artificial intelligence. PARTICIPATION: The school will run in parallel with two simultaneous batches, one in presence (20 participants) and another remotely (20 participants). The lectures will be streamed. APPLY: https://brco.lakecomoschool.org/application/ FEES: There are some nominal fees for participation. In presence attendance: € 120, 22% VAT included (including lunches, coffee breaks, and all lectures and school materials). Online attendance: €100, 22% VAT included (including the possibility to participate remotely to all the lectures given during the school and to the related initiatives, and to have access to the recordings of the lessons from the school portal for a period of three months after the end of the school. KEY DATES Application deadline: July 20 Acceptance notification: July 23 Registration (only accepted students): August 3 Confirmed FACULTY list: Anna Letizia Allegra Mascaro - LENS, Florence, Italy Alberto Antonietti - EPFL, Swiss Silvia Casarotto – University of Milan, Italy Claudia Casellato - University of Pavia, Italy Marco Dal Maschio – University of Padoa, Italy Egidio D'Angelo - University of Pavia, Italy Damien Depannemaecker - CNRS, Paris, France Shyam Diwakar - Amrita Mind Brain Center, Amrita University, India Kenji Doya – Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan Claudia Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott - University College London, UK & University of Pavia, Italy Alice Geminiani - University of Pavia, Italy Michele Giugliano – SISSA, Trieste, Italy Alberto Mazzoni - Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna Pisa, Italy Michele Migliore - CNR Palermo, Italy Fulvia Palesi – BCC Pavia, Italy Alessandra Laura Giulia Pedrocchi - Politecnico Milano, Italy Michele Piana - University of Genoa, Italy Isabella Pozzi - CWI, Amsterdam Holland Simone Sarasso – University of Milan, Italy The School DIRECTORS: Giovanni Naldi - University of Milan, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Italy. giovanni.naldi(a)unimi.it<mailto:giovanni.naldi@unimi.it> Thierry Nieus - University of Milan, Italy. thierry.nieus(a)unimi.it<mailto:thierry.nieus@unimi.it> Simone Sarasso - University of Milan, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi Sacco”, Italy. simone.sarasso(a)unimi.it<mailto:simone.sarasso@unimi.it> Shyam Diwakar - Amrita Mind Brain Center, Amrita University, India. shyam(a)amrita.edu<mailto:shyam@amrita.edu> Please feel free to circulate! With best wishes, -- Prof. Shyam Diwakar, Ph.D. Director - Amrita Mind Brain Center Faculty Fellow - Amrita Center for International Programs Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University) Amritapuri, Clappana P.O. Kollam, India. Pin: 690525 Ph:+91-476-2803116 Fax:+91-476-2899722 http://amrita.edu/mindbrain [https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1_nOxaCXob6wVcuQyYI5KVk1PhMgi…] [https://intranet.cb.amrita.edu/sig/RankingLogo.png] Disclaimer : The information transmitted in this email, including attachments, is intended only for the person(s) or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. Any views expressed in any message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and destroy any copies of this information.

June 19, 2021

Job: Editor with Nature Machine Intelligence (9 month locum position - London, NY, Berlin)

by Yann Sweeney

Dear all, Nature Machine Intelligence are looking to recruit a locum editor. We are a new Nature Research journal that launched in 2019. It publishes both fundamental and applied research in a wide range of areas in artificial intelligence and robotics. The journal incorporates elements of computer science, electrical engineering, mathematics, physics, neuroscience, cognitive science and psychology. The journal also publishes news, commentary and perspectives on the impact of machine intelligence on science and society. We are inviting applications from those with a background in any of the above and related fields. Applicants should have completed a PhD, have a strong research record, feel driven to continually learn about new fields and trends and have a keen interest in exploring the wide implications of research on other scientific areas, industry and society. We would be interested in hearing from candidates who can demonstrate strong science writing skills. Editorial experience is not required, although applicants with significant editorial experience are encouraged to apply and will potentially be considered for a Senior Editor position. The successful candidate will report to the Chief Editor. They will participate in all aspects of the editorial process, including manuscript selection, commissioning and editing News and Views, Comments, Perspectives and Reviews, as well as writing for the journal. The successful candidate must be dynamic and outgoing, and have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. A key aspect of the job is liaising with the research community through laboratory visits and international conferences, and therefore a willingness to travel is essential. The position is offered on a full-time basis, for an initial fixed term of 9 months, and will ideally be located in our London, Berlin or New York office. The starting date is envisaged as soon as possible within the next few weeks. Full advert here, apply by 22 June: https://career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=33925&company… Feel free to email with informal inquiries. All the best, Yann Senior Editor Nature Machine Intelligence yann.sweeney(a)nature.com

June 18, 2021

Postdoc opportunity at Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory

by Mai-Phuong K Bo

The Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory (scsnl.stanford.edu<https://med.stanford.edu/scsnl.html>) invites applications for post-doctoral positions with expertise in cognitive, systems and computational neuroscience. Candidates must have a PhD and research experience in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, computer science, electrical/biomedical engineering, or related fields. The successful candidate will develop a vigorous research program that contributes to, and complements, ongoing research studies of human brain function and psychopathology. The candidate will have access to multiple large datasets and state-of-the-art computational resources, including HPCs and GPUs. We are especially interested in talented and highly motivated individuals with expertise in at least one of these areas: cognitive neuroscience; computational psychiatry; cognitive modeling of behavioral dynamics; computational and statistical analysis of brain imaging and electrophysiological data, including dynamic brain circuit analysis, statistical modeling and Bayesian inference, machine learning, and deep neural networks. Please email your CV and a statement of research interests, explaining how your skills and past experience will advance human neuroscience research, to Prof. Menon at scsnl.stanford+postdoc(a)gmail.com<mailto:scsnl.stanford+postdoc@gmail.com>. Mai-Phuong Bo (She/Her) Lab & Recruitment Manager Stanford Cognitive & Systems Neuroscience Lab Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Email: maipbo(a)stanford.edu [cid:461d2e43-3a74-4692-8e70-e709a54c2c86]

June 18, 2021

Postdoc position at Inria Sophia Antipolis

by Etienne Tanré

Dear colleagues, Apologies for Cross-Posting, This is an announcement for a 24 months post-doctoral position at Inria Sophia Antipolis on the theme ``Heterogeneity in interacting neural networks'’. The candidate will be supervised by E. Tanré, R. Veltz and O.Faugeras. This project is part of the Human Brain Project HBP SGA3. More information is available on : https://jobs.inria.fr/public/classic/en/offres/2021-03818 <https://jobs.inria.fr/public/classic/en/offres/2021-03818> Please note that you must apply for the position using the link above. Can you please forward this announcement to your interested contacts? Thank you, Best regards, E. Tanré, R. Veltz and O. Faugeras.

June 17, 2021

Opening: Postdoctoral Researcher in Computational Neuroscience to study network dynamics, brain function, and psychedelics

by Joern Davidsen

Dear all: We are recruiting a talented postdoctoral researcher to participate in a cutting-edge International Network for Brain-Inspired Computation<https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2019976&HistoricalAwards=f…> that includes nodes in Montreal, Paris, and the Pacific Northwest of the US and Canada (e.g. University of Washington, Allen Brain Institute). The project is at the intersection of mathematics, physics, and neuroscience in the general area of complex network dynamics and emergent activity patterns and representations that drive biological computation. The specific objective is to understand cognitive brain function and the effects of psychedelics by analyzing large-scale ensemble neural data collected in our labs, in conjunction with computational and/or analytical work to identify key mathematical principles and develop theories of core function. The ideal candidate will have a quantitative background (e.g. PhD in mathematics, physics, computer science) along with experience in applying this background to neuroscience. This postdoctoral position is partially funded by the Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences<https://www.pims.math.ca/> and is aimed to strengthen the link between the Campus Alberta computational neuroscience community at the University of Calgary (Complexity Science Group<https://www.ucalgary.ca/complexity/>, Hotchkiss Brain Institute<https://hbi.ucalgary.ca/>) and the University of Lethbridge (Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience<https://www.uleth.ca/artsci/neuroscience/about>) with the other network members including the Computational Neuroscience Center<https://cneuro-web01.s.uw.edu/> at the University of Washington. The position is open immediately with primary locations in either Calgary or Lethbridge. The specific start date has to be within five years of being awarded a PhD degree. The position is funded for at least two years and includes an annual stipend in the range of CAD$42,000 – $50,000 plus benefits. Opportunities for brief residences in partner nodes (Montreal, Seattle, or Paris) are also available. Interested candidates should submit their application package including a cover letter, their CV with a list of publications, brief statement of research interests and their possible start dates in PDF format to Dr. Jörn Davidsen (davidsen(a)phas.ucalgary.ca<mailto:davidsen@phas.ucalgary.ca>) and Dr. Aaron Gruber (aaron.gruber(a)uleth.ca<mailto:aaron.gruber@uleth.ca>). Applicants should arrange for at least two letters of reference to be sent as well. Review of applications will begin July 31st, 2021, and continue until the position is filled. For additional information and informal inquiries, please contact Dr. Davidsen or Dr. Gruber. We strive for a diverse and inclusive environment, and encourage applications from members of any identity. --- Dr. Jörn Davidsen Professor of Physics & Humboldt Research Fellow University of Calgary www.ucalgary.ca/davidsen<http://www.ucalgary.ca/davidsen>

June 16, 2021

PostDoc position in Neuroinformatics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

by Rembrandt Bakker

(apologies for any cross-postings) The FLAG-ERA project NeuronsReunited is looking for a postdoctoral research associate (Neuroinformatics/Computational Neuroscience) for a 2 year position at 0.9 fte. Each mental event or voluntary motor act involves the coordinated activity of neurons in areas of the brain far apart. Thin, branched and extremely long cellular processes called axons provide the physical substrate of these interactions. Since a few years it is possible to fully trace these long- range axons one at a time. The goal of the FlagERA research project "NeuronsReunited" (https://www.flagera.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/FLAG-ERA_JTC2019_HBP_Neur…) is to create tools for speeding up the conversion of experimental data into digital axons, and to precisely place neurons into a digital reference brain to reveal their context. The tools are applied to existing and new data in mouse, and the resulting insights are incorporated into new models for brain function. The project is a collaboration between five international partners, two experimental partners (Prof. Francisco Clasca, Madrid; Prof. Egidio d'Angelo, Pavia) and three computational/theoretical partners (Prof. Paul Tiesinga, Dr. Rembrandt Bakker, Nijmegen; Prof. Michele Giugliano, Trieste; Prof. Sacha Van Albada, Jülich). As a postdoctoral research associate you will design strategies to get axonal arbors precisely registered in a brain atlas. The brain atlas consists of high-resolution 3d dataset that represents the average mouse brain anatomy, while the neuron consists of a vector representation of its morphology that can be extended with images of selected tissue sections. Depending on your field of expertise, further steps can focus on automating the process to trace neurons from stained tissue sections or to integrate the resulting database of precisely registered neurons with other data modalities to generate new knowledge. You will be part of a team that deals with atlasing and data integration (Nijmegen) and model building (Jülich, Padova, Trieste). A key deliverable will be the creation of a gold standard online catalog of precisely placed neurons that future generations of neuroscientists can contribute to and compare data to. The tools make use of an existing body of work that consists of web-based applications: HBP Morphology Viewer (https://neuroinformatics.nl/HBP/morphology-viewer) Scalable Brain Atlas (https://scalablebrainatlas.incf.org/) and interactive notebooks (Python). Besides being a member of the project team, you will also be part of the European Human Brain Project and have access to the expertise of the large neuroscience community at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior. We ask: • A PhD degree in a quantitative field (engineering, physics, computational neuroscience, etc). • Expertise in neuroscience or interest in acquiring it. • Excellent programming skills, preferably in JavaScript applications or Python-based pipelines. • Experience with neuroinformatics, visualization/3d-graphics, image processing, and/or machine learning. • Demonstrated ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment at the forefront of science. • Excellent communication skills in spoken and written English. We are: The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, home to more than 600 researchers from 35 countries, is a world-class research centre devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of human cognition and behaviour in health and disease. The institute's mission includes conducting excellent interdisciplinary research at the unique interface between genetic, molecular and cellular processes at one end and computational, system-level neuroscience with cognitive and behavioural analysis at the other end. Within this playing field, the Neuroinformatics department plays an essential role in developing new approaches for both computational modeling and data processing, all with the aim to turn raw data into highly valuable and well-integrated resources from which neuro-scientific insights can be extracted. Radboud University We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 22,000 students and 5,000 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play! We offer: • Employment: 0.9 FTE. • A maximum gross monthly salary of € 4,402 based on a 38-hour working week (salary scale 10). • The exact salary depends on the candidate's qualifications and amount of relevant professional experience. • In addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus. • Duration of the contract: 25 months. • The intended start date is 1 September 2021. • You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen. • Have a look at our excellent employment conditions. They include a good work-life balance (among other things because of the excellent leave arrangements), opportunities for development and a great pension scheme. Apply directly Please use this link to apply: https://www.ru.nl/english/working-at/vacature/online-solliciteren/?tk=uk&re…. Address your application to Paul Tiesinga and submit it no later than 1 July 2021. Your application should include the following attachments: • Letter of motivation. • CV including contact details of two references. • Your research statement. The first round of interviews will take place on 6th July 2021. The second round of interviews will take place on 13th July 2021. For more information about this vacancy, please contact: Paul Tiesinga, Full Professor Tel.: +31 24 365 22 32 Email: p.tiesinga(a)science.ru.nl<mailto:p.tiesinga@science.ru.nl> Rembrandt Bakker, Postdoctoral Researcher Tel.: +31 24 365 26 33 Email: r.bakker(a)donders.ru.nl<mailto:r.bakker@donders.ru.nl> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Dr. Astrid Lambrecht, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 16, 2021

Postdoctoral position - Pinto Lab @ Northwestern University

by Lucas Pinto

Dear colleagues, The Pinto Lab<http://www.pintolab.org> is seeking a postdoc who is excited about studying how neural circuits across many brain areas interact to support decision making, at the interface between experimental and computational neuroscience. In particular, the lab is interested in understanding the circuit mechanisms the control how these interactions are flexibly reconfigured when animals make decisions that use different underlying computations. To answer these questions, the candidate will use a combination high-throughput behavior in virtual reality, optical and genetic tools to measure and/or manipulate the dynamics of single neurons and neuronal populations, and computational approaches to understand both the behavior and its relationship to neural activity. We are a brand new lab that started in January 2021 at the Feinberg School of Medicine<https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/> at Northwestern University<http://www.northwestern.edu>, located in the heart of Chicago. Come join a vibrant neuroscience community<https://www.nuin.northwestern.edu/> in a world-class and highly livable city, working with a young PI committed to mentoring. Please visit our website<http://www.pintolab.org> for more details. Applicants should be nearing completion or already hold a PhD in neuroscience, biology, engineering, computer science, psychology or other related fields. Coding and/or experimental skills are preferred, but the applicant will have the opportunity to be trained in these techniques. We strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply. Please send a CV, a one-page statement of research interests and skills, and contact information for 2-3 references to Lucas Pinto at lucas.pinto(a)northwestern.edu<mailto:lucas.pinto@northwestern.edu>. Best, Lucas - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lucas Pinto, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Physiology Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University lucas.pinto(a)northwestern.edu<mailto:lucas.pinto@northwestern.edu> www.pintolab.org

June 15, 2021

NEST Conference 2021 — Registration Deadline 21 June

by Hans Ekkehard Plesser

Dear all, Just a little reminder that the registration deadline for the NEST Conference 2021 is on Monday next week, June 21. More information on the programme and how to register can be found on the conference website https://nest-simulator.org/conference This year's conference will again take place as a virtual conference on Monday/Tuesday 28/29 June 2021 followed by a virtual NEST User Hackathon until Friday 2 July. The NEST Conference provides an opportunity for the NEST Community to meet, exchange success stories, swap advice, learn about current developments in and around NEST spiking network simulation and its application. We are looking forward to seeing you all! Hans Ekkehard Plesser & many more -- Prof. Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser Head, Department of Data Science Faculty of Science and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no<mailto:hans.ekkehard.plesser@nmbu.no> Home http://arken.nmbu.no/~plesser

June 15, 2021

INCF/OCNS Software WG Dev session on SciUnit/NeuronUnit (June 21, 1600 UTC)

by Ankur Sinha

Dear all, Apologies for the cross posts. The INCF/OCNS Software WG[1] is happy to announce the next Dev Session where members of the developer teams of commonly used neuroscience software introduce their software and then discuss their *development* pipelines. ---- In the next Dev Session, Rick Gerkin will introduce the SciUnit framework and discuss its development: https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/2021/06/04/dev-session-rick-gerkin-sciuni… The session will be held at June 21, 2021, 1600 UTC over Zoom: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/91246735902?pwd=WVdVK3I5SGdlaDFZdllDQ0w2djVBdz09 Click here to see the event in your local time: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Dev+session%3A+Ri… SciUnit is a discipline-agnostic framework for model validation, handling all of the testing workflow by using a implementation-independent interface to models. SciUnit also contains code for visualization of model results, and command line tools for incorporating testing into continuous integration workflows. SciUnit is used in model validation in neuroscience via NeuronUnit, which implements an interface to several simulators and model description languages, handles test calculations according to domain standards, and enables automated construction of tests based on data from several major public data repositories. ------- The aim of these sessions is to stimulate discussion of the development practices and tools used by different teams to improve the software we use while also improving our knowledge of these practices and tools. We also hope to encourage more users of these tools to contribute to their development to ensure their longevity. If you develop software for neuroscience, we would love to hear about your development pipeline. Please get in touch with the Software WG on our communication channels[2]. The WG is a community based group that is open to everyone at all levels of their careers (academic or otherwise). Please introduce yourself to the community on our channels to get involved. [1] https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/ [2] https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/pages/contact.html On behalf of the Software WG, -- Thanks, Regards, Ankur Sinha (He / Him / His) Research Fellow at the Silver Lab | http://silverlab.org/ Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, & Pharmacology University College London, London, UK Time zone: Europe/London

June 14, 2021

Postdoc on Alzheimer's Disease modeling (Inria, UCL, BCAM)

by desroche

Dear all, This is an invitation to join a multidisciplinary research on Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) for a 24-month postdoc. The project aims at combining mathematics and novel experiments to better understand the causes of the progressive symptoms of memory impairment in persons living with AD. Despite progress, AD research has hit a bottleneck and to date there are no effective treatments to prevent AD. It is now recognised that this is partially due to limitations in AD mice models that do not recapitulate human AD, to conflicting results and research focus on molecular mechanisms. We aim to overcome these limitations by exploring a gab in our understading of abnormal synaptic process (including neural-glia, inflammatory processes) and neural tissue dynamics that lead to AD. To this end, we will combine state-of-the-art experiments based on human brain tissue data, recent mice model that recapitulate human AD, mathematics and computations, which in tandem will address the multi-factorial nature of the disease for future successful drug development. The project is part of a long-standing collaboration between Mathieu Desroches (MathNeuro Project-Team, Inria Sophia Antipolis, France), Serafim Rodrigues (MCEN research group, Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, Bilbao, Spain) and Afia B Ali (School of Pharmacology, University College London, UK) on neurotransmission and its possible disruptions (see here <https://www.pnas.org/content/113/8/E1108.short>). The postdoc will strongly interact with these three researchers. Regarding profiles that we are seeking, familiarity of the candidate with mathematical modeling in Neuroscience. Experience with multiple-timescale systems is wishable but not mandatory. Ability and willingness to do programming, as well as analyse experimental data, will also be a strong point to select candidates. Please apply online via the following page: https://recrutement.inria.fr/public/classic/fr/offres/2021-03775 <https://recrutement.inria.fr/public/classic/fr/offres/2021-03775> For informal enquiries, please contact me: mathieu.desroches(a)inria.fr <mailto:mathieu.desroches@inria.fr> --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Mathieu Desroches Research Scientist (Chargé de Recherche) MathNeuro Project Team Leader <https://team.inria.fr/mathneuro/> Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée, France http://www-sop.inria.fr/members/Mathieu.Desroches/ <http://www-sop.inria.fr/members/Mathieu.Desroches/>

June 14, 2021

CFP Workshop on Spatio-temporal Aspects of Embodied Predictive Processing @ ICDL2021

by Stefan Heinrich

Call For Contributions - Workshop on Spatio-temporal Aspects of Embodied Predictive Processing @ IEEE ICDL2021 Aims and Scope: Understanding human intelligence and building strong AI systems is a key challenge for our generation. A particularly puzzling aspect is that the human brain seems to cope very well with the highly variable and uncertain nature of perception and action, regarding both their signal characteristic and how they extend over time. Furthermore, it seems apparent that the information processing in the brain always involves previous bodily experiences and all our senses, thus is embodied and crossmodal. For explaining these characteristics, there are strong accounts that the brain is constantly predicting sensory input and feedback while minimising free energy in the prediction and is hierarchically abstracting the perception as well as hierarchically composing action. Furthermore, it is also hypothesised that mechanistic priors in the brain’s information processing induce a failure of hierarchical inference in the brain, accounting for atypical perception and action of psychiatric disorders. For example, some brains might have developed to focus too strongly on current sensory input while others might focus too strongly on memorised previous experience. A typically developed brain, in contrast, would show a fine balance compared to these two extreme priors. The big open mystery is: how is the brain developing this on a mechanistic level and thus how can this get learned within an AI system? Thus, to lift this mystery, we further need to bring together research from computational neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and artificial intelligence. With this workshop, we particularly want to wrap up different recent hypotheses, models, and experiments and discuss in-depth how to shape future imaging, behavioural, and developmental robotics studies as a complement to computational modelling and bio-inspired artificial intelligent algorithms. As a guiding theme, we aim to approach the following central questions: - How does the brain learn spatio-temporal stochasticity in perception and action? - What is the role of priors in learning spatio-temporal adaptive prediction? - How can developmental robotics help us to study spatio-temporal stochasticity as an analogy to infant learning? We examine these questions with the insight from invited key speakers from complementary fields as well as original contributions in breakout sessions in order to conclude the next steps within in a panel discussion. All information online: https://sites.google.com/view/stepp21/home Keynotes/Panellists: - Jun Tani, Cognitive Neurorobotics, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) - Marcel van Gerven, Artificial Cognitive Systems, Donders Institute, Radboud University - Takuya Isomura, Brain Intelligence Theory, RIKEN Center for Brain Science - Takamitsu Watanabe, Brain Network Dynamics, International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN), The University of Tokyo Contributions: We invite submissions of extended abstracts on ongoing research that focuses on one or several of our guiding questions as contributions. In addition to the live presentation and discussion during the workshop, the contributions will be made public in workshop proceedings. - Extended abstract submission deadline: 11.07.2021 - Decision & Notification: 25.07.2021 - Camera-ready version due: 08.08.2021 - Workshop online: 22.08.2021 Submission website: https://sites.google.com/view/stepp21/ => Contribute Organisers: Stefan Heinrich, IRCN, The University of Tokyo, Japan Shingo Murata, Dept. Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Keio University, Japan Yukie Nagai, IRCN & Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Japan Yuichi Yamashita, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Japan -- ************************************************************* Dr. Stefan Heinrich Postdoctoral Project Researcher Cognitive Developmental Robotics Lab The University of Tokyo, Institutes for Advanced Studies, International Research Center for Neurointelligence Email: heinrich.stefan(a)ircn.jp https://developmental-robotics.jp/en/members/stefan_heinrich/ https://ircn.jp/en/ https://stefanheinrich.net/ *************************************************************

June 14, 2021

Multiple postdoctoral openings in reinforcement learning in multi-scale brain networks at Washington University in St. Louis

by Ching, ShiNung

Multiple postdoctoral openings in modeling reinforcement learning in multi-scale brain networks at Washington University in St. Louis Multiple postdoctoral openings are available for a new and large, multi-PI project to study the circuit underpinnings of reinforcement learning and decision-making. A key focus is on understanding multiple time-scales of information processing in neural circuits and involvement of neuron-astrocyte interactions. Experiment- and theory-forward positions are available. Applicants should have prior experience in neuroscience (computational or otherwise), modeling of large-scale systems, optimization, machine learning or related areas. Positions will be cross-appointed between Engineering and Neuroscience. Washington University in St. Louis is an independent, Research 1 university in St. Louis, MO, USA, with nearly 60 of the university's graduate and undergraduate programs ranked in the top 25 by US News & World Report. www.wustl.edu Interested applicants are invited to send a CV and brief description of interests to ShiNung Ching: shinung(a)wustl.edu

June 14, 2021

EITN Seminar: Paul Miller (Brandeis U, Waltham MA, USA) - Friday 18 June 16:00

by Zélie Tournoud

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to welcome *Paul Miller* from Brandeis University (Waltham MA, USA) for an online seminar this week. It will take place on Zoom on *Friday 18 June at 16:00* CEST (Paris time). *Title**: **Information processing in neural circuits with multiple quasi-stable attractor states* *Abstract: *Circuits containing clusters of neurons with strong within-cluster excitatory connections and random between-cluster connections can possess multiple activity states, with each state defined by the set of clusters with stably high versus low neural firing rates. Noise or adaptive processes can render the states quasi-stable such that in the presence of constant input, or following successive identical inputs, the network can progress through a sequence of different activity states. Here we study the properties of such models, including the role of finite size effects in producing multistability in networks with Gaussian random cross-coupling, and we assess the extent to which such state sequences might subserve information processing and behavior in a range of cognitive tasks. Join on the day on the event at: > Topic: EITN seminar: Paul Miller (Brandeis University) > Time: 18 June 2021 04:00 PM Paris (CEST) > Join Zoom meeting: > https://zoom.us/j/99754103845?pwd=UGlHSjgySTBXeUtvSW5SVUVMRnFiZz09 > <https://zoom.us/j/99754103845?pwd=UGlHSjgySTBXeUtvSW5SVUVMRnFiZz09> > Meeting ID: 997 5410 3845 > Password: 634477 We look forwards to see you at the seminar. Kind regards, The EITN Team

June 14, 2021

Adaptive Machines: Leveraging Neuroscience for Lifelong Learning Systems

by Andrea Soltoggio

Dear Connectionists, I’d like to bring your attention to the Research Topic “Adaptive Machines: Leveraging Neuroscience for Lifelong Learning Systems” to be co-hosted by Frontiers in Neuroscience, Robotics and AI, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Neurorobotics and Computational Neuroscience. The article submission deadline is the 30th of September. Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20053/adaptive-machines-leverag… Description: Artificial intelligence has always sought inspiration in the brain. Artificial neural networks (ANNs), in particular, were modeled after their biological counterparts (biological neural networks, BNNs). However, state-of-the-art deep networks are drastically different from BNNs. Their architectures (at both the single-neuron and macro levels), learning algorithms, and failure conditions share little in common with brain circuit dynamics. In particular, state-of-the-art deep learning is optimized for single, well-defined, static tasks. Deep networks struggle to learn multiple or evolving tasks over time (i.e., continual learning) or to adjust their processing based on environmental conditions. They are also less modular than BNNs, and thus less energy efficient, and utilize little-to-no feedback signals. We believe that deep networks suffer from these limitations because their modeling of brain dynamics is too superficial. Modeling more sophisticated neural mechanisms is therefore key for deep networks to achieve continual or lifelong learning and to cope with open-ended, dynamic environments. The goal of this Research Topic is to publish novel models and/or algorithms that expand the capabilities of deep learning (e.g., achieve better continual learning) by incorporating additional properties of BNNs. We are also interested in neuroscience research that elucidates mechanisms that can be leveraged by the AI community. Neuroscience has uncovered a wide range of learning and regulatory mechanisms, at scales ranging from single molecules to the entire nervous system, that help the brain learn, remember, and adapt. These include replay (systems-level consolidation), neuromodulation, neurogenesis, neuroevolution, attention, homeostatic plasticity, and synaptic consolidation. There exist some deep learning techniques motivated by these mechanisms (e.g., experience replay or attention networks), but they have rarely been used for lifelong learning. As such, our focus will be on approaches that leverage brain-like principles---ideally biologically well-grounded---to solve problems currently beyond the capabilities of the state of the art. We will also welcome neuroscience research that helps to elucidate the brain’s mechanisms, in the hope that they can be used by the next generation of machine learning models. The scope of this Research Topic covers: (1) biologically inspired techniques in deep learning (2) neuroscience research on how the brain facilitates learning and adapts to different contexts We seek to address continual or lifelong learning, transfer learning, and other ML scenarios that go beyond the traditional, train-then-test learning paradigm. Since machine learning is an experimental field, a paper must include experimental results to be accepted; however, we encourage authors to include theoretical analyses of their methods. We aim to collect the following types of manuscripts: Original Research and Brief Research Reports. Since the goal of this Research Topic is to publish highly novel, experimentally grounded work, we are not interested in Reviews (Systematic, Policy and Practice, etc.), General Commentaries, or Opinions. In addition, since the editorial board does not include medical experts, we cannot accept Clinical Trials or Study Protocols. The Research Topic will be edited by Rolando Jose Estrada, Georgia State University, USA Andrea Soltoggio, Loughborough University, UK Praveen K. Pilly, HRL Laboratories, USA Vincenzo Lomonaco, University of Pisa, Italy, Davide Maltoni, University of Bologna, Italy. Please consider submitting your original research to this Research Topic. Do not hesitate to get in touch if you wish to discuss your contribution. Best wishes, Andrea -- Dr. Andrea Soltoggio (he/him or they/them) Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Artificial Intelligence Department of Computer Science, School of Science & Intelligent Automation Centre https://www.intelligent-automation.org.uk/about-us/centre-staff & Centre for Information Management https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/sbe/cim/ Haslegrave Building, N.2.03 Loughborough University LE11 3TU, UK Email: a.soltoggio(a)lboro.ac.uk<mailto:a.soltoggio@lboro.ac.uk> Web: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/compsci/staff/dr-andrea-soltoggio.html

June 14, 2021

be a mentor for Neuromatch Academy!

by Marius Pachitariu

Participate as MENTOR in Neuromatch Academy Neuromatch Academy returns this year with twice as many students and TAs participating in twice as many courses. If you are faculty or postdoc with some experience, please sign up to be a mentor for the Computational Neuroscience (syllabus <https://github.com/NeuromatchAcademy/course-content>) and/or the Deep Learning course (syllabus <https://github.com/NeuromatchAcademy/course-content-dl>). NMA is unique in reaching enthusiastic students from all over the world, most of whom cannot afford a traditional summer school. NMA 2020 reached students from ~70(!) countries. This year we have students from >100 !!! Mentors provide guidance and feedback on 3-week long projects that students complete in groups of 4-6. You will be algorithmically matched with students that have similar research interests to you.The mentorship happens in 4-5 sessions of 30-60 minutes each, leading to a time commitment of up to 5 hours per group. Mentors can take on 1-4 groups. Beginner groups are encouraged to use project templates, such as the ones here (link <https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1v7fuzi9Y9RV12CysMBi5rxZKhjnWD5Js29U…>). Please consider contributing a project template, by simply adding a slide to the public google doc. Mentoring is relatively easy because you don’t need to prepare anything. Nonetheless, your feedback is extremely valuable to the students, who are taking their first steps in neuroscience / deep learning. We also encourage you to provide career advice, and optionally set up meetings with TAs after the summer school. Our collective effort to teach and mentor these young scientists and engineers pays off in the long-term: their positive experience at NMA inspires them to consider careers in our research fields. The application for mentors can be found below. Course starts July 5th, so please apply soon! https://portal.neuromatchacademy.org/

June 11, 2021

Senior Postdoc ("Akademischer Rat") in the Reichenbach lab, Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany

by Reichenbach, Tobias

The newly founded Chair for Sensory Neuroengineering at the new Department Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering is looking for a Senior Postdoc ("Akademischer Rat"). In close collaboration with clinical and industrial partners, the Chair researches on the neural foundations of hearing, as well as on new technology for better treatments of hearing impairment. Reseach topics are, for instance, the development and application of AI methods to analyse neurological data on human speech processing as well as the development of AI methods to construct audiovisual speech signals for better speech comprehension. The Senior Postdoc should shape this research field with their own innovative projects. The appointment will initially be for three years, and can be made permanent upon excellent performance. To apply, please send a letter detailing your motivation, a CV, copies of your degrees and details of three referees. Please combine all documents into a single pdf and send them per email with subject “Application Senior Postdoc” to Prof. Dr. Tobias Reichenbach (tobias.j.reichenbach(at)fau.de<http://fau.de>). FAU is the most innovative university in Germany and ranks second among the most innovative European universities. It is located in one of the most attractive regions in Germany. Erlangen is a bicycle-friendly city with 100,000 inhabitants, former home of the Huguenots as well as a key location for Siemens. It is close to Nuremberg, a city with a population of half a million and a metropolitan flair. The mixture of academia, innovative companies, art and culture makes the region the perfect place for creative minds, keen athletes and nature lovers. More information is available here: https://www.jobs.fau.de/jobs/senior-postdoc-in-computational-neurotechnolog… ------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Tobias Reichenbach Department Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering (AIBE) Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg Henkestrasse 91 91056 Erlangen https://reichenbach.bg-research.cc.ic.ac.uk/index.html

June 11, 2021

Information theory workshop at CNS*2021 -- call for contributed talks

by Joseph Lizier

Dear all, We are pleased to announce that the Workshop on Methods of Information Theory in Computational Neuroscience<https://abzinger.github.io/202107-CNS2021-ITW.html> will be held once again at the CNS*2021<http://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021> conference, online. The workshop will be held during sessions over two days of the main conference, July 6 and 7 (time TBA). Our confirmed speakers so far include the following (schedule available soon): * Tatyana Sharpee, Salk Institute * Raul Vicente, University of Tartu * Viola Priesemann, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization * Fernando Rosas, Imperial College London * Fleur Zeldenrust, Radboud University * Aaron Gutcknecht, University of Goettingen * Lucas Rudelt, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization * ... more TBA! Also, we would like to call for contributions of talks. If you are interested in contributing a talk, please send a title and abstract to Abdullah Makkeh (abdullah.alimakkeh(a)uni-goettingen.de<mailto:abdullah.alimakkeh@uni-goettingen.de>) at your earliest convenience (earlier submissions will be prioritised). Please pay attention to the registration<https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-registration-fees> for CNS*2021 (early bird deadline and fees), and see our website<https://abzinger.github.io/202107-CNS2021-ITW.html> for more details. We hope you will join us there! Organising Committee: Michael Wibral (co-chair) Abdullah Makkeh (co-chair) Joseph Lizier

June 10, 2021

TEX2021 - Bringing together Predictive Processes and Statistical Learning

by Yamil Vidal

You are all invited to: TEX2021 - Bringing together Predictive Processes and Statistical Learning A free online symposium organized by Yamil Vidal and Davide Crepaldi. Description: While the research communities studying Predictive Processes and Statistical Learning sprout from different traditions, they share a core interest in how our brains pick up on patterns in the environment. In this two-days symposium we will bring these communities closer by sharing talks by some of the leading researchers of these fields. When: 1st and 2nd of July Speakers: - Tristan Bekinschtein (Consciousness and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge) - Lucia Melloni (Department of Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. Department of neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine) - Padraic Monaghan (Department of Psychology, Lancaster University) - Maria Chait (Ear Institute, University College London) - Floris de Lange (Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen) - Caspar Schwiedrzik (Neural Circuits and Cognition Lab, European Neuroscience Institute Goettingen. Perception and Plasticity Group, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research) - Lori Holt (Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University) - Nicola Molinaro (BCBL, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language) Schedule and more info at the registration form: https://sissa-it.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nBOv5NWZQ36HSH7nyffazg And here is the announcement that we made through Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrepaldiLab/status/1400856625896902656 We would be very happy to count you among the attendees. Please spread the word. Best regards, Yamil and Davide Dr. Yamil Vidal Cognitive Neuroscience Sector Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati - SISSA via Bonomea, 265 34136 Trieste, ITALY

June 8, 2021

EITN Fall School in Computational Neuroscience : Applications open!

by Zélie Tournoud

Dear colleagues, We are happy to let you know that applications for the *EITN Fall School in Computational Neuroscience* are currently open, until the 2nd of July 2021. This *10-days intensive course in computational neuroscience* will take place in *P**aris, France from 15 to 24 September 2021*. This is a yearly event, although previous occurrences took place in the spring. We choose to keep it relatively small-scale in order to facilitate interactions between participants and teaching staff, there are about 20 seats available. There will, therefore, be a selection made after applications are closed. We encourage you to share the word widely with your collaborators and networks so that everyone who might be interested can get the chance to apply. Applications need to be addressed by email with a *resume (CV)* and a *cover letter* at *eitn(a)neuro-psi.fr*. Please make sure to use an explicit email title such as "Application to EITN Fall School". *Why join?* * 10 days of intensive training in computational neuroscience provided by researchers from all over Europe * Small scale event: get to connect! * A complete program: o Cellular models, and models of brain signals Circuit models and networks o Mean-field models o Whole-brain models * Hands-on learning schedule based on: o Morning classes and tutorials o Group projects in the afternoon o Free time in the evenings to visit Paris *Selection criteria:* 1. Work or study in neuroscience or related 2. Experience in python programming would help 3. Priority to PhD students, although Master students and post-docs are welcome to apply *Practical information:* * Subscription fee 400€. * If selected, you will need to bring your own laptop with a few pre-installed programs. * The tuition fee includes lunch, coffee, access to conference facilities and internet connection during the 10 days of the course. You can also consult these information online <https://www.eitn.org/index.php/calendar-event/eventdetail/737/-/eitn-fall-s…> or by downloading the PDF flyer: https://www.eitn.org/images/events/EITN-FallSchool-2021_Flyer.pdf Thank you very much for applying or sharing with your relevant contacts. Kind regards, The EITN Team

June 8, 2021

Postdoc Position at Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre

by Jiaxiang ZHANG

[Apologize for cross-posting] Dear all, We are seeking an enthusiastic early-career scientist for a research associate position at Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC). The successful candidate will join a collaborative and multidisciplinary research team to work on the neurocognitive mechanisms of human decision-making, integrating multimodal brain imaging (MEG, functional MRI and diffusion MRI) and computational modelling. The post holder will develop computational models that describe data from behavioural and brain imaging experiments, in particular to take a lead role in integrating large-scale computational simulations with imaging results from multiple modalities. The research aims to understand the computational and neurocognitive processes of human decision-making, and how decision deficits may arise due to brain injury or neurodegeneration. The research associate will also be expected to collaborate with other researchers in the team on imaging data analyses and data curation. You will have access to imaging facilities at CUBRIC and several multimodal imaging datasets. Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) houses a unique combination of state-of-the-art facilities and world-leading expertise, with 4 human MRI systems (2 x Siemens Prisma, 1 x Siemens Connectom, 1 x Siemens 7T), MEG, EEG, TMS, tDCS, clinical research units and testing labs. Further details of CUBRIC can be found on our webpage (http://sites.cardiff.ac.uk/cubric) This is a full-time, fixed-term position until February 2023, available to start now. Remote working is possible if COVID-19 restrictions are in place. For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Jiaxiang Zhang ( zhangj73(a)cardiff.ac.uk) A formal application needs to be submitted via the link online ( https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CEQ831/research-associate) *Application deadline: June 13th, 2021.* *Essential Criteria* 1. A PhD degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., mathematics, computer science, engineering, physics or psychology) 2. Research experience or a strong interest in human decision-making 3. Strong experience in computational models of cognitive processes and/or macroscopic neural systems, including the use of neural mass models or neural field models 4. Experience of analysing brain imaging data in one or more modalities (e.g., diffusion MRI, BOLD functional MRI, MEG/EEG), using common software packages 5. Strong programming skills (e.g., Matlab, Python, C/C++ or R) 6. Experience with Unix/Linux environment for data analysis, including bash scripting and parallel computing on high-performance clusters 7. Proven ability to publish high-quality research in peer-reviewed academic journals 8. Knowledge of software development cycles and best programming practices, including coding standards, version control administration, debug and code sharing, with strong commitments to open science practices 9. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, evidenced by publications and/or conference presentations 10. Strong interpersonal skills, including proven ability to work cooperatively within a team while also being able to take the initiative *Desirable Criteria * 1. Experience of brain functional and structural connectivity analyses 2. Experience in statistical methods (e.g., GLM, mixed models, multivariate statistics, hierarchical models and Bayesian statistics) and/or machine learning methods 3. Experience in deep learning models of imaging processing --- Dr. Jiaxiang Zhang Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) School of Psychology Cardiff University Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ https://ccbrain.org

June 8, 2021

[jobs] One-year Postdoc on “Sparse coding for bio-inspired vision models” at CentraleSupèlec, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

by PERRINET Laurent

Dear Colleagues, Applications are invited for a one-year Postdoc position, starting in September 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter, to work under the joint supervision of Dario Prandi<https://dprn.github.io/> (CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay), Luca Calatroni<https://sites.google.com/view/lucacalatroni/home> (CNRS, Université Côte d'Azur), and Laurent Perrinet<https://laurentperrinet.github.io/> (CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone). The position is financed by the ANR Rubin-Vase (https://anr.fr/Projet-ANR-20-CE48-0003) and the research focus will be on linking the bio-inspired models studied by D. Prandi and L. Calatroni (see e.g. [1]) to the sparsity promoting neural architectures investigated by L. Perrinet (see, e.g., [2]). The successful applicant will have a strong applied mathematical background, ideally in the fields of sparse optimization and/or dynamical systems, and a good familiarity with neural architectures and the associated implementation issues. Strong skills in coding and programming using standard optimization/deep learning languages (e.g., Python, PyTorch, Julia, MATLAB…) are required. The gross salary is of 50k-59k euros (depending on the seniority of the applicant), and the position comes with no teaching duties. Although the position is officially based at CentraleSupèlec (Université Paris-Saclay), the successful applicant is expected to spend fairly long periods at the INT in Marseille and I3S in Sophia-Antipolis, to work with the co-supervisors. Candidates are asked to write directly to Dario Prandi (dario.prandi(a)centralesupelec.fr<mailto:dario.prandi@centralesupelec.fr>), attaching a CV, a short description of current research interests, and names and contact addresses of at least two reference contacts (no formal letters of recommendation are required). Applications are reviewed continuously, until positions are filled, with a first evaluation round starting on the 14th of June, 2021. Thanks for distributing this announcement to potential candidates! References [1] Bertalmío, M., Calatroni, L., Franceschi, V. et al. Cortical-Inspired Wilson–Cowan-Type Equations for Orientation-Dependent Contrast Perception Modelling. J Math Imaging Vis 63, 263–281 (2021). https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.06808 [2] Boutin V, Franciosini A, Chavane F, Ruffier F, Perrinet L (2021) Sparse deep predictive coding captures contour integration capabilities of the early visual system.<https://laurentperrinet.github.io/publication/boutin-franciosini-chavane-ru…> PLoS Comput Biol 17(1): e1008629. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008629 -- Laurent Perrinet - INT (UMR 7289)/CNRS https://laurentperrinet.github.io/

June 7, 2021

[news] Call for Participation - The Chef's Hat Cup @ IJCAI2021

by Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros

Deadline Extended! - The Chef's Hat Cup @ IJCAI2021 I. Aim and Scope Most of the current Reinforcement-Learning solutions, although having real-world-inspired scenarios, focus on a direct space-action-reward mapping between the agent's actions and the environment’s state. That translates to agents that can adapt to dynamic scenarios, but, when applied to competitive and/or cooperative cases, fail to assess and deal with the impact of their opponents. In most cases, when these agents choose an action, they do not take into consideration how other agents can affect the state of the scenario. In competitive scenarios, the agents have to learn decisions that a) maximize their chances of winning the game, and b) minimize their adversaries' goals, while in cooperative scenarios b) is inverted. Besides dealing with complex scenarios, such solutions would have to deal with the dynamics between the agents themselves. In this regard, social reinforcement learning is still behind the mainstream applications and demonstrations of the last years. We introduce here the Chef's Hat Cup, a competition that aims at the development of the most challenging artificial players! The competition is separated into two tracks: a competitive and a cooperative scenario. In the first track, the participants will use the already available simulation environment to develop the most effective agents to play the Chef’s Hat card game and be the winner. In the second track, they will have to develop an agent that can increase the chances of a dummy agent winning the game. More information: https://www.whisperproject.eu/chefshat#competition II. Deadlines Starting Date: April 20, 2021 Final submission: July 15, 2021 Winners Announcement: July 29, 2021 III. Team Registration Teams of up to five persons are invited to participate in the competition. You can register by sending the following information: Team name Participant Names and affiliation to this email: pablo.alvesdebarros(a)iit.it IV. Prizes The prizes will be sponsored by the Contact Unit at the Italian Institute of Technology, and will be organized as follows: Competitive Track - Winner – 300 EUR - Second – 150 EUR - Third – 50 EUR Cooperative Track - Winner – 300 EUR - Second – 150 EUR - Third – 50 EUR V. Organizers Pablo Barros, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Leandro Honorato, University of Pernambuco, Brazil Marco Matarese, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Alessandra Sciutti, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy ---------------------------------------- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Researcher - CONTACT Unit Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – Center for Human Technologies Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B 16152 Genova, Italy email: pablo.alvesdebarros(a)iit.it website: https://www.pablobarros.net<http://www.pablobarros.net><https://www.p> twitter: @PBarros_br

June 3, 2021

PostDoc in Machine Hearing

by Sarah Verhulst

Dear list, We have a 3-yr post-doc vacancy in my Hearing Technology lab in Ghent, Belgium. We do research on the interface between computational neuroscience and audio signal processing to develop human-inspired machine-hearing applications. More info on the position and application info can be found here (closing date 5th of July): https://tinyurl.com/4h9m497b Feel welcome to distribute, With best regards, Sarah —— Sarah Verhulst Associate Professor Hearing Technology @ WAVES Department of Information Technology Technologiepark 126, 9052 Zwijnaarde T +32 9 331 48 44 T admin +32 09 264 33 21 www.waves.intec.ugent.be/hearing-technology<http://www.waves.intec.ugent.be/hearing-technology> www.gasp.ugent.be<http://www.gasp.ugent.be> @HearingTechLab @GentAuditorySci GitHub: HearingTechnology

June 2, 2021

Research fellowships at the Univ. of Birmingham/UK

by Michael Biehl

*Two research fellowships at the * *Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine, College of Medical and Dental SciencesUniversity of Birmingham /UK **Full time, fixed term for 3.5 years* *Closing Date *27th June 2021. Online interviews will take place on 20th July 2021 For further details and information about how to apply visit *https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CGC736/research-fellows <https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CGC736/research-fellows> * (do not reply to this message, do not contact M. Biehl directly) The successful candidates will be educated to PhD level and have experience in one or more of the following areas: Position 1: mathematical models; complex networks, (nonautonomous) dynamical systems, bifurcation theory or numerical continuation. Having relevant experience in biology or medicine will be advantageous. Position 2: computational methods; machine learning, neural networks, data visualisation and analytics, artificial intelligence, Bayesian inference, or algorithm development. Having relevant aligned experience in biology, medicine, or wearable technologies will be advantageous. -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen The Netherlands Tel. +31 50 363 3997 https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

June 2, 2021

EITN workshop on "Computational Neuroscience in EBRAINS", 10 june 2021

by Zélie Tournoud

Dear colleagues, We are happy to invite you to attend to the EITN (European Institute for Theorethical Neuroscience) workshop on "Computational Neuroscience in EBRAINS" taking place online on *June 10th, 2021, starting from 13:00 CEST*. Attendance is free and open to everyone upon registration, feel free to share the event to your collaborator who might be interested in the topic. To automatically receive your access link by email before the event, *register online* on this page: Register to the Zoom meeting <https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vd-CoqzkoHNTvv9UhOQ0Qbnex9MikG2F1>. The detailled program is available on this page <https://www.eitn.org/index.php/calendar-event/eventdetail/744/-/workshop-on…> that will be kept updated. * *Description of the workshop:* Organized by Andrew Davison (CNRS), Viktor Jirsa (AMU) and Alain Destexhe (CNRS). EBRAINS is a open-access platform built by the Human Brain Project and which provides tools for various applications in neuroscience. The aim of this workshop is to introduce some of the EBRAINS tools that are of particular interest for applications in computational neuroscience. These tools provide help to simulate models, from the cellular to the whole-brain level. Each tool will be introduced, then a "live demo" will be provided to demonstrate its use. As a companion to this workshop, we plan to provide recordings of each session on a YouTube channel, as well as scripts that were used in for the live demos. * *List of speakers:* Egidio d'Angelo (Pavia) Claudia Casellato (Pavia) Florent Bonnier (CNRS) Petrut Bogdan (U Manchester) Andrew Davison (CNRS) Alain Destexhe (CNRS) Timo Dickscheid (Jülich) Jan Fousek (AMU) Alice Geminiani (Pavia) Jennifer Goldman (CNRS) Brent Huisman (Jülich) Viktor Jirsa (AMU) Carmen Lupascu (CNR) Armando Romani (BBP/EPFL) Michael Schirner (Charité) Sam Yates (CSCS) We look forwards on seeing you on the 10th of June! Thank you and have a great day, /The EITN Team/

June 2, 2021

[Journals] 2nd CFP: Special Issue on "Theory of Mind in Humans and in Machines"

by Bogdan Ionut Cirstea

Dear colleagues, Apologies for cross-posting. Together with Prof. Fabio Cuzzolin (Oxford Brookes University, UK), Prof. Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian (University of Cambridge, UK) and Dr. Christelle Langley (University of Cambridge, UK), we are organizing a special issue (Frontiers Research Topic) on the emerging topic of "Theory of Mind in Humans and in Machines" under the "Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence" and "Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience" journals. We would like to invite you to contribute articles to the Research Topic. For more information on this special issue, please visit the website at https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/16802/theory-of-mind-in-humans-… Papers may be submitted until the 30th of July 2021 (manuscript submission extended deadline). Submitted papers should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. We also encourage authors to send a short abstract (via the platform) to ensure compliance with the topic and scope of the Frontiers journals as early as possible. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, theoretical proposals, computational experiments, and case studies of: • Computational Theory of Mind • Learning from Demonstrations • Cognitive Models for Learning from Demonstration and Planning • Neuroscience-inspired models of Theory of Mind • Human-Robot Interaction • Cooperative Inverse Reinforcement Learning (assistance games) • Learning from Preferences If you intend to send an article to the special issue, please do let us know by hitting the "Participate" button in the web interface. If you have any questions or need any kind of assistance from us, please do not hesitate to let us know. On behalf of the topic editors, -- Bogdan-Ionut Cirstea Topic Editors: Prof. Fabio Cuzzolin, Oxford Brookes University, UK < fabio.cuzzolin(a)brookes.ac.uk> Prof. Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, University of Cambridge, UK < bjs1001(a)cam.ac.uk> Dr. Bogdan-Ionut Cirstea, Oxford Brookes University, UK < bcirstea(a)brookes.ac.uk> Dr. Christelle Langley, University of Cambridge, UK <cl798(a)medschl.cam.ac.uk >

June 1, 2021

Evolving Neural Networks workshop

by manuel molano

Dear all, We are glad to announce the 1st Evolving Neural Networks Workshop (June 17, 2021). The goal of the workshop is to bring together experts from Systems and Computational Neuroscience, Machine Learning and the Evo-Devo field to discuss if and how knowing the evolutionary history of neural circuits can help us understand the way the brain works, as well as the relative importance of learned VS innate neural mechanisms. We have a great list of speakers from the fields of Systems and Computational Neuroscience, Machine Learning and Evolutionary Developmental (Evo-Devo) biology. If you are interested REGISTER HERE<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfO69TaE5Tk4eUysh4eCnJ7tlJYRTCcE_m…>, it is free! For more information visit our webpage<https://sites.google.com/view/evolving-nns/home> or contact evolvingneuralnetworks(a)gmail.com<mailto:evolvingneuralnetworks@gmail.com> We hope to see you soon! SCHEDULE (Eastern Time) 8-8.10 Intro 8.10-8.35 Pamela Lyon What basal cognition can do for you (neuroscientists) 8.35-9.00 Luis Puelles Brain evolution crosses an ontogenetic 'ant's country' that escapes analysis 9.00-9.25 Paul Cisek The evolution of the human brain, long before humans 9.25-9.50 Robert Yang Evolving the Olfactory System with Machine Learning 09.50-10.20 Discussion 10.20-10.40 Break 10.40-10.50 Intro 10.50-11.15 Linda Wilbrecht Considering contextual factors at acute and evolutionary timescales in the study of learning and decision making 11.15-11.40 Ida Momennejad TBA 11.40-12.05 Dayu Lin Neural mechanisms of aggression 12.05-12.30 Tony Zador Learning through the Genomic Bottleneck 12.30-13.00 Discussion

June 1, 2021

Job: Engineer in MEG-EEG signal processing and open-source software development

by Franco Pestilli

The Paris Brain Institute is recruiting a motivated individual to join the *MEEGbrainlife* project, introducing MEG and EEG data processing pipelines on the open-access brainlife.io cloud computing platform. This is a 18-24 months contract funded jointly by the French ANR and the American NIH under the international program call « Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience » (CR‐CNS). The successful candidate will be responsible for planning, developing, and maintaining *MEG‐EEG data processing Apps into brainlife.io <http://brainlife.io/>* and *contribute to innovative research projects* on the platform. In close collaboration with the expert members of the MEEGbrainlife consortium, he/she will define data specifications, code architecture, data and code output quality check procedures to set the groundwork for the rapid development of a full data processing pipeline for MEG‐EEG data into brainlife.io. *More information and contact* for the application available here: https://owncloud.icm-institute.org/index.php/s/MBrIpIFcH3F9lV5 *FRANCO PESTILLI*, *Ph.D.* | *Associate Professor* Department of Psychology <https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/index.php> | College of Liberal Arts <https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/> | The University of Texas at Austin <https://www.utexas.edu/> he/him | pestilli(a)utexas.edu | web <https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/fp4834> | GitHub <https://github.com/francopestilli> | brainlife.io CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.

May 31, 2021

pre- and post-doc neuromorphic fellowships at the Sevilla Microelectronics Institute

by bernabe

Dear all, The Neuromorphic group at IMSE (Sevilla Microelectronics Institute, Spain) wellcomes candidates to apply for pre- and post-docs fellowships on neuromorphic engineering. Please visit our web-site at www.imse-cnm.csic.es/neuromorphs to find out about our running projects, activities, and publications. More details on the fellowships (duration/salary/contact) is given at: http://www2.imse-cnm.csic.es/neuromorphs/index.php/News-and-position-openin… cheers, -- Bernabe Linares-Barranco, Director Instituto de Microelectrónica de Sevilla (IMSE-CNM), CSIC, Sevilla, Spain

May 31, 2021

Job opening: Research Scientist - Computational Neuroscience and Machine Learning/AI

by Michiel Remme

Dear Colleagues, Our startup INAIT, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is seeking a permanent and full-time Research Scientist at the intersection of computational neuroscience and machine learning/AI. Are you interested in developing new machine learning/AI methods based on neuroscientific insights, and apply them to business problems? Then come join us! Major duties and responsibilities: * Contribute to the research and development of the next generation of neuroscience-inspired machine learning/AI methods * Contribute to the development of computational models of detailed and/or simplified neuronal networks * Work closely with a team of computational neuroscientists, machine learning engineers and software developers towards business solutions Essential skills and experience required: * PhD in computational neuroscience or related field (or equal experience: Masters and 4+ years of research experience) * Research involving learning and/or dynamics in rate-based and/or spiking neural networks * Experience in machine learning using frameworks such as scikit-learn, PyTorch or TensorFlow * Successful publication record * Experience in Python code development * Experience using UNIX/Linux operating systems * Excellent team player * Fluent spoken and written English Preferred: * Experience with a computational neuroscience simulation framework such as NEST, NEURON or Brian * Experience in scientific computing on shared and/or distributed parallel machines * Experience in the software development life-cycle including unit testing, continuous integration, version control, debugging and documentation * Successful track record in designing, developing and maintaining software projects Where: Lausanne, Switzerland Start date: As soon as possible Activity rate: 100% Duration of contract: CDI Competitive salary & benefits Cutting edge research, Positive work environment, Hybrid work model (combination of WFH and work from the office) For applications visit apply.workable.com/inait<http://apply.workable.com/inait/> INAIT SA https://www.inait.ai<https://www.inait.ai/> Avenue du Tribunal Fédéral 34 1005 Lausanne Switzerland

May 30, 2021

Call for papers for MLCN2021 workshop at MICCAI 2021

by MLCN Workshop

*Please find below the call for papers for the International Workshop of Machine Learning in Clinical Neuroimaging (MLCN) which is held virtually on the 27th of September 2021 at MICCAI 2021 in Strasbourg, France. We welcome contributions to novel machine learning methods and their applications to clinical neuroimaging data.* The submission deadline is *25 June 2021*, and all MLCN accepted papers will be eligible for the best paper award of 500 USD. For more information, please visit https://mlcnws.com/call-for-papers/*.* Best wishes, The MLCN 2021 steering and organizing committees Christos Davatzikos, Andre Marquand, Jonas Richiardi, Emma Robinson Ahmed Abdulkadir, Mohamad Habes, Seyed Mostafa Kia, Vinod Kumar, Jane Maryam Rondina, Chantal Tax, Thomas Wolfers ================================================================================================ Call for Papers The International Workshop of Machine Learning in Clinical Neuroimaging ( https://mlcnws.com/) a satellite event of MICCAI (https://miccai202 <https://miccai2021.org/>1 <https://miccai2020.org/>.org <https://miccai2021.org/>), calls for original papers in the field of clinical neuroimaging data analysis with machine learning. The two tracks of the workshop include methodological innovations as well as clinical applications. This highly interdisciplinary topic provides an excellent platform to connect researchers of varying disciplines and to collectively advance the field in multiple directions. In the machine learning track, we seek novel contributions that address current methodological gaps in analyzing high-dimensional, longitudinal, and heterogeneous clinical neuroscientific data using stable, scalable, and interpretable machine learning models. Topics of interest include but are not limited to: - Big data - Spatio-temporal brain data analysis - Structural data analysis - Graph theory and complex network analysis - Longitudinal data analysis - Model stability and interpretability - Model scalability in large neuroimaging datasets - Multi-source data integration and multi-view learning - Multi-site data analysis, from preprocessing to modeling - Domain adaptation, data harmonization, and transfer learning in neuroimaging - Unsupervised methods for stratifying brain disorders - Deep learning in clinical neuroimaging - Model uncertainty in clinical predictions - … In the *clinical neuroimaging *track*,* the applications of existing machine learning algorithms are evaluated to move towards precision medicine for complex brain disorders. The discovery of biological markers in medicine is an important challenge across different fields and various experimental procedures and designs are used to detect biological signatures that can be utilized for improvement in diagnostic, treatment, or for other beneficial ends. However, for most complex brain disorders, we do not have reliable biomarkers today. The application of advanced machine learning methods may help to reach this goal. Therefore, we invite the community to submit conference contributions on machine learning approaches with the goal to improve our understanding of complex brain disorders, moving the field closer towards precision medicine. Topics of interest include but are not limited to: - Biomarker discovery - Refinement of nosology and diagnostics - Biological validation of clinical syndromes - Treatment outcome prediction - Course prediction - Analysis of wearable sensors - Neurogenetics and brain imaging genetics - Mechanistic modeling - Brain aging - The presentation of clinical neuroimaging databases to stimulate developments in machine learning - … ------------------------------ Submission Process: The workshop seeks high-quality, original, and unpublished work that addresses one or more challenges described above. Papers should be submitted electronically in Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LCNS) style (see https://miccai2021.org/en/PAPER-SUBMISSION-GUIDELINES.html for detailed author guidelines) using the CMT system at https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/MLCN2021. The page limit is 8-pages (text, figures, and tables) plus up to 2-pages of references. We review the submissions in a double-blind process. Please make sure that your submission is anonymous. Accepted papers will be published in a joint proceeding with the MICCAI 2021 conference. ------------------------------ MLCN Special Issue at the MELBA journal: This year, we will invite the top accepted papers to submit an extended version of their contribution to the MLCN special issue at the Journal of Machine Learning for Biomedical Imaging (MELBA) <https://www.melba-journal.org/about>. The invited papers will go through an independent review process by the journal. ------------------------------ Best Paper Award: All MLCN accepted papers will be eligible for the best paper award. The recipient of the award will be chosen by the MLCN scientific committee based on the scientific quality, novelty, and clarity of contributions. The winner will be announced at the end of the workshop and will receive a 500 USD honorarium. ------------------------------ Important Dates: - Paper submission deadline: June 25, 2021, 11:59 PM Pacific Time - Notification of Acceptance: July 16, 2021 - Camera-ready Submission: July 30, 2021 - Workshop Date: September 27, 2021

May 30, 2021

Postdoc in Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience

by Theresa Desrochers

Applications for Postdoctoral Research Associate are being sought for a unique opportunity to study sequential control in the laboratory of Dr. Theresa Desrochers in the Department of Neuroscience at Brown University. Successful candidates will have interest in human behavior, fMRI, TMS, computational psychiatry, and OCD. The Desrochers Lab provides a unique cross-level and cross-species training environment situated within a highly collaborative research environment fostered by Brown University and the Carney Institute for Brain Science. Prior experience in human neuroimaging and strong quantitative skills are preferred. All interested candidates regardless of level of experience with these methods are encouraged to apply. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Psychology, or a related discipline or must show evidence that the Ph.D. will be completed before the start of the position. Brown University is an EEO/AA employer and encourages applications from minorities and women. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled or the search is closed. For more information, please contact theresa_desrochers(a)brown.edu. Please apply via Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/87606 <https://apply.interfolio.com/87606>. ~Theresa — Theresa M. Desrochers, Ph.D. Rosenberg Assistant Professor of Brain Science Departments of Neuroscience; Psychiatry and Human Behavior (courtesy) Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University http://neuroscience.brown.edu/desrochers

May 28, 2021

PhD positions at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

by Avitabile, D.

Dear colleagues, The Department of Mathematics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam invites applications for 2 PhD positions, in computational and analytical methods form neuroscience applications. One project concerns uncertainty quantification methods for spatially-extended models in neuroscience. The ideal candidate for this project has a passion for numerical methods (numerical analysis, scientific computing) and is keen to make an impact in a novel application for the neurosciences. Previous knowledge of neuroscience concepts is not a prerequisite, but a firm interest in learning about neuroscience models and applications is essential. The project will be co-supervised by Svetlana Dubinkina (VU), Gabriel Lord (Radboud University), and myself. The second PhD project is about multiple timescale analysis for neural fields, and it aims to develop slow-fast dynamical system methods for spatially-extended systems. The ideal candidate has a passion for dynamical system theory and is interested in applying bifurcation analysis to PDEs and integral equations. Previous knowledge of neuroscience concepts is not a prerequisite. The project will be cosujervised by Jan Bouwe van den Berg (VU) and myself. It will also involve a network of scientific collaborators: Mathieu Desroches (INRIA, Sophia Antipolis, France), Grégory Faye (University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France) and Martin Wechselberger (University of Sydney, Australia). More information can be found at the link below https://werkenbij.vu.nl/ad/phd-positions-in-mathematical-neuroscience/ngla4… The deadline for applications is the 13th of June 2021. Informal enquiries can be sent to d.avitabile(a)vu.nl Daniele Avitabile Associate Professor in Applied Mathematics Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam www.danieleavitabile.com

May 28, 2021

Bernstein Conference 2021 - call for abstracts

by Anja Dorrn

Each year the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renown conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries. Due to the ongoing pandemic the Bernstein Conference will be held online. www.bernstein-conference.de ____ IMPORTANT DATES * Bernstein Conference: September 21-23, 2021 * Abstract submission open: June 1, 2021 * Deadline for submission of abstracts to be considered for Contributed Talks: July 1, 2021 * Deadline for abstract submission: August 3, 2021 ____ ABSTRACTS We invite the computational neuroscience community to submit their abstracts: Submitted abstracts can either be considered as contributed talks or posters. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Abstract submission will open on June 1. Further information can be found here: https://bit.ly/BC21_abstracts ____ INVITED SPEAKERS Keynote Timothy Behrens (University of Oxford, UK) Invited Talks Athena Akrami (University College London, UK) Nadine Gogolla (Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany) Guillaume Hennequin (University of Cambridge, UK) Jennifer Li & Drew Robson (Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany) Scott Lindermann (Stanford University, USA) Ashok Litwin-Kumar (Columbia University, New York City, USA) Ida Momennejad (Microsoft Research, New York City, USA) Cristina Savin (New York University, USA) Marion Silies (Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany) Daniela Vallentin (Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany) ____ CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Christian Leibold (Conference Chair) Julijana Gjiorgjieva (Program Chair) Christian Machens (Program Vice Chair) Marion Silies (Workshop Chair) Moritz Helias (Workshop Vice Chair) & Matthew Botvinick, Megan Carey, Peter Dayan, Brent Doiron, Rainer Friedrich, Ann Hermundstad, Srdjan Ostojic, Nathalie Rochefort, Nicole Rust, Gasper Tkacik ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de -- Dr. Anja Dorrn Scientific Coordinator Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9589 web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 27, 2021

MOVING FORWARD FROM COVID-19 VIRTUAL STUDENT FORUM

by James Bower

Dr. James M. Bower Ph.D. Executive Director Pacific Division AAAS Affiliate Professor of Biology Southern Oregon University 541-499-7502 Hello everyone. I thought (and hope) that there might be some interest among Computational Neuroscience students in this somewhat unusual, but I hope interesting on-line event I am organizing for AAAS. Any student anywhere in the world can participate. Happy to answer questions, but here is the announcement. Happy to answer questions and please pass the word on to others who might be interested. And look forward to seeing you all at CNS*2021, 30 years - hard to imagine. :-) Jim Bower Applications are now being accepted for our VIRTUAL MOVING FORWARD FROM COVID-19 FORUM. Moving on The virtual forum includes two events: A STUDENT RESEARCH FORUM in which students will present their scientific goals and plans for the future and also interact with scientists as well are representatives of colleges and universities. 2021 Student Research Conference All students are eligible to participate from high school to post-graduate, including citizen scientists. (Application deadline June 22, but best to apply as soon as you can) Additional information on the forum as well as how to apply can be found here: 2021 forum abstract instructions And a TEACHER WORKSHOP on lessons learned from K-12 hybrid and on-line learning over the last year: 2021 educator workshop Participation is open to all K-12 teachers as well as informal educators (best to apply early). IF YOU KNOW A STUDENT OR TEACHER WHO MIGHT LIKE TO ATTEND THIS FORUM, PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL. Registration is also now open for those who would like to attend, even if not presenting: 2021 paid participant form COME JOIN US AS WE MOVE FORWARD FROM COVID-19 This email was sent to bowerj(a)sou.edu by admin(a)aaaspd.org American Association for the Advancement of Science Pacific Division • AAAS Pacific Division / Biology Department, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland, Oregon 97520, United States • 541-552-8457 Remove My Email or Manage Preferences • Privacy Policy

May 26, 2021

[CFP] Call for abstracts: Computational Cognition workshop (COMCO 2021)

by Juliane Schwab

We are pleased to announce the 2nd "Computational Cognition" workshop, hosted by the DFG-funded Research Training Group by the same name at the Institute of Cognitive, Osnabrück University (Germany). The workshop will be held remotely on September 23 – 24, 2021. In this workshop, we pursue to (re-)integrate research from areas concerned with low- and high-level cognition. Much is understood regarding the neural signals underlying basic sensorimotor processes, as well as the cognitive processes involved in reasoning, problem solving, and language. However, understanding how high-level cognition can arise from low-level mechanisms is a long-standing open problem in cognitive science. Artificial intelligence has recently made great progress on many cognitive tasks using (deep) neural networks. At the same time, cognitive scientists have explored similar ideas, such as predictive coding for unified neural theories of learning. Thus, by bringing together ideas from cognitive science and Al we hope to generate new insights into human and machine intelligence alike. ***Confirmed invited speakers*** Jacob Andreas (MIT), Richard Baraniuk (Rice University), Tom Griffiths (Princeton University), Andrea E. Martin (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics), Claire Sergent (Université de Paris), Agnieszka Wykowska (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) *****Call for abstracts***** We invite abstracts for papers from all areas of cognitive science. Submissions should have a strong computational focus, and may concern research questions in low- or high-level cognition. Topics include but are not limited to… -Computational neuroscience -Artificial intelligence -Mathematical and computational models of higher-order cognition (e.g., language, decision making, inference) -Mathematical and computational models of low-level cognition (e.g., signal processing, semantic classification) -Natural language processing and computational models of language -Machine learning and Deep Learning -Empirical studies conducted in relation to either of the above Abstracts should be submitted anonymously. The main text should not exceed one A4 page (12pt font, 2.54 cm/1 inch margins), with an optional second page for additional materials such as tables, figures, and references. Abstracts can be considered for a 30-minute talk or poster. Please indicate when submitting whether you would like the abstract to be considered for a talk, poster, or both. To do so, add the labels "talk", "poster", or "talk/poster" to the title in the submission form (e.g., title: "My first submission (talk/poster)"). The deadline for submission is June 30, 2021 (11:59 pm CEST). We expect to notify authors of the decision by early August 2021. You may submit your abstracts here: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=comco2021 Further information is available on the conference website: https://comco2021.uni-osnabrueck.de/ For any inquiries please contact: comco(a)uni-osnabrueck.de Kind regards The COMCO 2021 organizing committee Michael Marino, Xenia Ohmer, Gabriela Pipa, and Juliane Schwab -- -- Juliane Schwab, M.Sc. RTG Computational Cognition Research Group Psycho- and Neurolinguistics Osnabrück University Institute of Cognitive Science Wachsbleiche 27 49090 Osnabrück Germany office: 50/104 email: jschwab(a)uos.de phone: +49-541-969-2247

May 26, 2021

Last Call: Postdoctoral Fellowship / Fellowship for Junior Researchers, Prague, Czech Republic

by pokornam

The Institute of Computer Science (ICS) of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) offers FELLOWSHIPS FOR OUTSTANDING AND ENTHUSIASTIC JUNIOR RESEARCHERS, PhD holders, open to cooperation with some of the researchers of the Institute (www.cs.cas.cz) For more information on the position please see https://www.cs.cas.cz/job-offer/ics-postdoctoral-fellowship-2021/en _THE CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATION IS 31ST MAY 2021._ The Czech Academy of Sciences is the biggest institution conducting basic research in the Czech Republic. It covers 54 research institutes, the Institute fo Computer Science being one of them.

May 25, 2021

LAST CALL: Tenure Track Research Position - Computer Science, Prague, Czech Republic

by pokornam

THE CZECH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IS THE BIGGEST INSTITUTION CONDUCTING BASIC RESEARCH IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC. IT COVERS 54 RESEARCH INSTITUTES, THE INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER SCIENCE BEING ONE OF THEM. LAST CALL: The Institute of Computer Sciences of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ICS CAS), Prague, Czech Republic, invites applications for one TENURE‐TRACK POSITION IN COMPUTER SCIENCE and related areas fitting and/or expanding its current research focus, consisting mainly of: artificial intelligence, combinatorics, complex dynamic systems, computational complexity, data-mining, mathematical logic, statistics. _THE CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATION IS 31ST MAY 2021._ For more information on the position please see https://www.cs.cas.cz/job-offer/Tenure-Track-Position-Computer-Science-2021… [1], or contact us at posinfo(a)cs.cas.cz Institute of Computer Science Czech Academy of Sciences Pod Vodarenskou vezi 2 Prague 8, 182 07, Czech Republic http://www.cs.cas.cz [2] Links: ------ [1] https://www.cs.cas.cz/job-offer/Tenure-Track-Position-Computer-Science-2021… [2] http://www.cs.cas.cz/

May 25, 2021

13+ PhD positions in BioRobotics at the BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy

by Calogero Maria Oddo

************************************************************************************** 13+ PhD positions in BIOROBOTICS at Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy https://www.santannapisa.it/sites/default/files/flyer_phd_biorobotics_2021_… ************************************************************************************** The PhD Program in BioRobotics is a three-year course managed by the BioRobotics Institute (https://www.santannapisa.it/en/institute/biorobotics/biorobotics-institute) linked to the Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, at Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, in Pisa (Italy). The PhD in BioRobotics is one of the largest doctoral schools worldwide in biomedical engineering and robotics, with 100+ PhD students enrolled. In the last release of the Times Higher Education (THE) ranking, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies is listed 4th worldwide among young universities (https://www.santannapisa.it/en/university/rankings) All PhD positions are fully funded by Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies and research projects of The BioRobotics Institute. The number of positions awarded is expected to be expanded with additional fellowships that may be available before the start of the PhD course in October 2021. The students are educated in a stimulating and multidisciplinary environment, both through high-level courses and through demanding, creative and original research work. PhD projects are carried out in very well equipped, state-of-the-art laboratories (in such fields as micro-engineering, biomedical engineering, biomimetic and soft robotics, rehabilitation technologies, surgical robotics and neural engineering, robot companions) and through individual and teamwork performed under the supervision of a full-time faculty. The PhD programme in BioRobotics guarantees a wide and multidisciplinary educational offer, organized both on horizontal clusters, which contain the fundamental teachings on the scientific issues characterizing the cultural approach of BioRobotics, and on vertical clusters, which contain the courses proposed by the scientific themes of The BioRobotics Institute, namely: wearable and collaborative technologies, artificial organs and prostheses, medical robotics and regenerative medicine, mathematical and computational modeling, bioinspired and soft robotics, bioelectronics and neuroscience robotics (https://www.santannapisa.it/en/institute/biorobotics/research-themes) ADMISSION: Students are admitted to the PhD Program following a successful entrance examination. Eligible applicants must hold a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree or equivalent. Undergraduate students may also apply if they graduate within Oct. 31, 2021. START: Oct. 1, 2021 CALL details: https://www.santannapisa.it/en/admissions/call-admission-phd-biorobotics-4 APPLY at: www.santannapisa.it/en/education/phd-biorobotics<http://www.santannapisa.it/en/education/phd-biorobotics> DEADLINE: June 3, 2021 CONTACT: PhDBiorobotics(a)santannapisa.it<mailto:PhDBiorobotics@santannapisa.it> Best regards, Arianna Menciassi and Calogero M. Oddo, on behalf of the PhD Board -- Calogero M. Oddo, Associate Professor of Bioengineering PhD BioRobotics, MSc and BSc Electronic Engineering https://www.santannapisa.it/en/calogero-maria-oddo https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=y1rffgkAAAAJ&hl=en Vice-Coordinator of the PhD programme in BioRobotics, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy https://www.santannapisa.it/en/education/phd-biorobotics Head of the Neuro-Robotic Touch Laboratory Neuro-robotics Area, The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera (PI), Italy http://www.santannapisa.it/en/neuro-robotic-touch-laboratory Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 33 - 56127 Pisa, Italy https://www.santannapisa.it/en/robotics-ai IEEE Senior Member, Founding Vice-Chair of the Italian Chapter of the IEEE Sensors Council (2018-20) http://sites.ieee.org/italy-sensors/about-ieee Office: +39050883067; Mobile: +393316992273; email: calogero.oddo(a)santannapisa.it<mailto:calogero.oddo@santannapisa.it>

May 22, 2021

Registration for the Virtual Workshop on Functional Logic of Neural Circuits: Diamonds in the Rough

by Aurel A. Lazar

Registration for the Virtual Workshop on Functional Logic of Neural Circuits: Diamonds in the Rough, June 10-11, is now open at https://sites.google.com/njit.edu/diamonds <https://sites.google.com/njit.edu/diamonds>. Aurel http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu

May 21, 2021

23 positions available to study The Adaptive Mind

by Constantin Rothkopf

The Universities of Giessen, Marburg, and Darmstadt together with the University of Frankfurt and the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) aim strategically to further strengthen research in the field of Mind, Brain, and Behavior by establishing a cluster project The Adaptive Mind. Supported by the Hessen State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and the Arts, applications for 11 Doctoral researcher positions (65%, 75% or 100%) and 12 PostDoc positions (100%) are invited. The positions are available immediately and are fixed maximally up to 31.03.2025. If the requirements are met, the position will be paid according to pay group 13. The place of employment will be Giessen, Marburg, Darmstadt or Frankfurt. In The Adaptive Mind, we combine rigorous behavioral and neurophysiological research methods and theories from experimental psychology, with the unique patient-oriented insights of psychiatry and clinical psychology and the power of quantitative analysis and computational modeling by artificial intelligence. Our goal is to observe empirically, describe quantitatively, and model computationally how the human mind continually adapts in an ever-changing and often unpredictable world. Further details about the cluster project, the Key Research Areas, the Principle Investigators and conditions of application can be found at www.theadaptivemind.de. For the doctoral researcher positions, we invite the application of highly qualified applicants with a Masters degree from life-, biomedical- and natural sciences including psychology, or computer science. The successful PostDoc applicants will have a doctorate in any of the following areas: experimental psychology, cognitive sciences, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, robotics, sensorimotor control, computational psychiatry, or other allied fields. Experience in motion tracking, virtual reality, machine learning or other computational approaches are beneficial. The successful applicants will join a thriving research community with strong regional, national and international connections as documented among others by numerous high-profile individual (e. g., 8 ERC grants) and group grants (e.g., the Collaborative Research Center (SFB/TRR 135) on Cardinal Mechanisms of Perception, the IRTG 1901 The Brain in Action, the Research Unit RU 2107 Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders, the Centre for Cognitive Science and the Hessian Center for Artificial Intelligence - hessian.AI, as well as other collaborative research endeavors). All participating institutions are committed to increasing the proportion of women in science, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for the positions. All participating institutions are family-friendly institutions, applicants with children are warmly welcomed. Applicants with severe disabilities will be given preference over other candidates with equal suitability for the position. Application and interview costs cannot be refunded. For further information, please contact Dr. Filipp Schmidt (filipp.schmidt(a)psychol.uni-giessen.de) Please send your application (incl. CV, Research statement, 2 Reference letters, Scans of degree certificates) mentioning reference number 293/06 as a single PDF file to Dr. Filipp Schmidt, Research Coordinator Mechanisms of Perception and Adaption (filipp.schmidt(a)psychol.uni-giessen.de) before June 11, 2021. Application procedure: All applications are received centrally by the research coordinator of the priority research area "Perception and Adaptation", Dr. Filipp Schmidt at Justus-Liebig University Giessen. The application documents will be made available to the selection committee, consisting of the cluster PIs and of representatives of the partner universities, following the highest standards for data protection. Please specify in your application to which of the research fields specified below you are applying. Staff representatives of all partner universities will be invited to the job interviews. Employment is at the partner university the position is assigned to, following the salary scales applicable locally. Research areas: All research in our Cluster tries to combine Experimental Psychology and Movement Sciences, Artificial Intelligence and Computational Cognitive Science, as well as Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry. The focus for each position will be as follows:. At Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen (JLU) Experimental Psychology and Movement Sciences (4 PostDoc and 4 Doctoral researcher positions 75%). At Philipps-Universität Marburg (UMR) Experimental Psychology (2 Doctoral researcher positions 75%), Computational Cognitive Science (1 PostDoc position), Clinical Psychology (1 PostDoc position), Psychiatry (2 PostDoc und 1 Doctoral researcher positions 75%). At Technische Universität Darmstadt (TUDa) Artificial Intelligence and Computational Cognitive Science (4 PostDoc and 2 Doctoral researcher positions 100%). At Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main (GU) Experimental Psychology (1 Doctoral researcher position 65%). At FIAS Computational Cognitive Science (1 Doctoral researcher position 65%). -- Prof. Constantin A. Rothkopf, PhD phone: +49 6151 16-23367 Director, Centre for Cognitive Science http://www.cogsci.tu-darmstadt.de/ Head, Psychology of Information Processing Group, http://www.pip.tu-darmstadt.de/ Institute of Psychology, Technical University of Darmstadt https://hessian.ai/ Adjunct Fellow, Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies. https://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/~rothkopf/

May 21, 2021

5 year postdoctoral position in Insect Robotics Group, Edinburgh

by Barbara Webb

A research associate position is available to investigate insect-inspired grasping mechanisms on the EPSRC funded project GRASP, under the direction of Professor Barbara Webb, in the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh. The position is available from September 1, 2021, for 5 years. The primary role of the candidate will be to undertake biological experiments, behavioural analysis and modelling aimed at establishing how ants solve the 'grasp of unknown object in clutter' problem. This will include the development of new tracking and behavioural analysis methods, and the development and implementation of functional hypotheses as computational models of the antʼs behaviour. In collaboration with a second research associate, the key principles will be replicated on a mobile robot platform capable of both navigation and manipulation under natural conditions. Candidates are expected to have a PhD (or be near completion) in experimental or computational biology or neuroscience, including substantial experience in computational methods for behavioural analysis and modelling. A track record of good journal publications in this area should be demonstrated. The candidate is also expected to have good programming and system engineering skills, and ideally, practical skills in the design and utilisation of novel experimental methods. Candidates with direct experience and knowledge of insect research will be preferred. For informal enquiries please contact Professor Barbara Webb (B.Webb(a)ed.ac.uk) Full details and applications (deadline June 10) via: https://elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1… The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. Is e buidheann carthannais a th’ ann an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, clàraichte an Alba, àireamh clàraidh SC005336.

May 20, 2021

Excellence ASTROTECH PhD Project in Modeling the Neuron-Glial-Vascular Unit

by Maurizio De Pittà

Dear colleagues, Please disseminate it. I am happy to announce that the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM) in Bilbao (Spain) is opening one Excellence Ph.D. Fellowship as part of the H2020 ASTROTECH Consortium. The Fellowship is for a 3-year project to be carried out at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) under the supervision of Drs. Maurizio DE PITTA (BCAM) and Christophe BERNARD (Aix-Marseille University). The project aims to “Computational Glioscience approaches to volume signalling transmission in the Neuron-Glial-Vascular Unit (NGVU)” to develop a mathematical model of neuron-glial-vascular interactions based on biophysical principles of volume transmission in the brain parenchyma. The candidate will collaborate tightly with industry representatives and will implement the model in an open-source simulation platform adopted in the clinical practice. The candidate, in conjunction with biologists and medical doctors, will test the NGVU model built by this project by brain-wide simulations of epileptic seizures, with emphasis on new venues for their diagnosis and treatment. We are seeking excellent candidates with multi-disciplinary interests in Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Engineering, Biology and Medicine. An essential requirement is capacity for mobility. The candidate’s reference residence will be in Spain at BCAM, with an enrolment in the University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU) to obtain a doctoral degree. She/He will spend extensive periods of time out of Spain, including mandatory training of 1 to 3 months, respectively at Aix-Marseille University (Marseille, France), at University of Bari Aldo Moro (Bari, Italy), at Italian Research Council in Rome (Italy), and at CODEMART (Romania). Furthemore, the candidate will be required to participate in mandatory training schools and technical workshops (2-3 per year) organized by the ASTROTECH Consortium at different locations in Europe, for the entire duration of the project. The ASTROTECH Consortium (http://www.astrotechproject.eu) is a European high-level training-by-research consortium federating world-leading European groups working to develop new technologies to explore astrocyte functions in the brain. Becoming Ph.D. candidate of the network offers unique training and interaction opportunities with other ASTROTECH members, in addition to the specific research conducted at the host labs. The fellowship comes with a competitive salary within the prestigious Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions scheme, including funds to participate to training and conferences. Selection process. The top-ranked candidates will be interviewed orally, and the successful candidate will be chosen based on a competitive, equal-opportunities procedure. Interested candidates are encouraged to make a parallel inquiry, writing to me directly (Email object: “ASTROTECH PhD Position”), including a CV along with the name of two references and any other information that they may wish to share. Contact: Maurizio DE PITTA, mdepitta(a)bcamath.org Requirements for application. -- MSc degree, preferably in Physics, Mathematics, Engineering or Computer Sciences. -- High proficiency in spoken and written English. Skills. -- Proven record of excellence in the Master’s training. -- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to effectively communicate ideas to an heterogeneous audience of biologists, medical doctors, and physicists. -- Ability to work in a fast-changing, international environment. -- Ability to meet deadlines. -- Openness towards inclusive science, racial and LGBTQ+ minorities. -- Excellent capacity for planning, independence, and creativity. -- Programming proficiency in at least one of the following languages: Python/C++/Julia. -- Familiarity with HPC and GPU/CUDA programming is a plus. -- The preferred candidate will have a strong interest in neurobiology and aims to pursue a career in multidisciplinary research in neurosciences, quantitative medicine or computational psychiatry. Application deadline is June 30, 2021, 2pm CET (UTC+1) Starting Date is November 2021. Open ASTROTECH Info day: May 26, 9.45am -- 1pm CET (UTC+1) https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/653571365 Application is submitted online through the BCAM portal: http://www.bcamath.org/en/research/job/phd-position-for-h2020-project-astro… For more information: https://sites.google.com/site/mauriziodepitta/jobs?authuser=0 ----- Maurizio De Pitta' https://sites.google.com/site/mauriziodepitta/home

May 19, 2021

„Bridging grant” from the German Society for Cognitive Science (GK) for BA-, MA- and PhD students

by Constantin Rothkopf

The German Society for Cognitive Science (GK) would like to support students who find themselves in a difficult (emergency) situation caused by the Corona pandemic with a bridging grant. The grant consists a funding for maximum of three months á 500 € per month. The GK is able to offer up to eight grants. The grant is meant as financial support allowing to finish the respective degree (Bachelor or Master) or providing some financial relief during an important PhD thesis phase (e.g. finishing a paper). The selection will be done by the members of the steering committee of the German Society for Cognitive Science (GK). The committee will consider all emergency cases as long as they have been caused by the Corona pandemic within the context of the studies and/or doctoral programme and are sufficiently substantiated with proof. Target group: This funding is intended for students who are enrolled and/or registered in a German university. In particular, only the following persons are eligible for funding: (1) Bachelor or Master students within a Cognitive Science Programme who, ideally, will be able to graduate soon, and (2) PhD students registered in one of the subjects belonging to Cognitive Science (e.g. Philosophy, Psychology, Informatics, AI, Linguistics, Neurosciences) who are working on a cognitive science project. Persons who already received a bridging grant from the GK are not eligible to apply. Paradigmatic case: A student pursuing a Master degree has fallen behind with her master thesis because due to the Corona-pandemic she could not arrange the childcare and had to take care of the child herself. The funding could be used to pay for a privately organised childcare. Application and Proof: To submit: - a statement comprehensibly describing applicant’s emergency situation (cases with evidence are preferred) and indicating the use of the funding. - BA and MA students: - - Enrolment confirmation and Transcript of Record - - A letter from the faculty’s/program’s advisor confirming the regular continuation of studies, anticipated graduation (within the winter term 2021/2022) - PhD students: - - A short statement from the first supervisor roughly sketching the cognitive science related project and describing the project’s progress The application shall be emailed with the subject „Application Bridging Grant“ to the following email: Chair of the GK, Prof. Dr. Barbara Kaup, barbara.kaup(a)uni-tuebingen.de; Application deadline: 15.06.2021

May 18, 2021

Data analyst position at the European Neuroscience Institute

by googlemail

The European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen (Germany) is seeking a Neuroscience data analyst (f/m) start date will be September 1st, 2021, the contract is initially limited to 3 years with extension options, full-time salary according to TV-L. The European Neuroscience Institute is looking to fill the position of a data analyst (full time). We are looking for a data analyst with interest and experience in systems neuroscience. Research at the European Neuroscience Institute ranges from molecular biology to human psychophysics and involves a range of model organisms (from drosophila to non-human primates), techniques and approaches (electrophysiology, two-photon imaging, fMRI, EEG, behavior). The data analyst is expected to work closely with all of the research groups at the European Neuroscience Institute, supporting research efforts, e.g., through modelling and statistical analyses of high-dimensional data, image processing, and programming/development of experiments. S/he will have the opportunity to develop and publish, e.g., analytical tools that arise from this work. • The applicant should possess a university degree (minimally M. Sc. or equivalent) in a relevant field, e.g., statistics, biostatistics, informatics, or similar. Prior experience in the field of systems neuroscience is highly desired. • The applicant should have experience in a research setting utilizing quantitative methods and statistics. The applicant shall demonstrate strong analytical skills and knowledge of novel and emerging analysis techniques is highly desired. Future/forward thinking in the area of big data analytics/informatics and applying them to contribute to the research groups’ scientific process is expected. • The applicant should be skilled in the analysis of multivariate datasets to reveal patterns and build models; conduct exploratory data analysis, and communicate with team lead/team members; identify improvements for existing data management and recommend requirements for new systems. • Contribute to replicability by making suggestions for existing data management and recommend requirements for new systems and identify potential data integrity issues. We are committed to open data/open science and appreciate interest and expertise in this area. • Utilize programming languages such as Python, Matlab and/or C++. • Good command of English is mandatory. The University Medical Center Göttingen takes flexible account of the individual design of working hours at the workplace. It is interested in implementing the wishes of its employees as far as possible. If you are interested in this job and have specific questions about working hours, please contact us. Women are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants with disabilities and equal qualifications will be given preferential treatment. We look forward to receiving your application by June 15th, 2021 University Medical Center Göttingen European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen Dr. Jan Clemens Group Leader Grisebachstr. 5 37077 Göttingen Tel.: 0551/39-61351 E-Mail: j.clemens(a)eni-g.de Web: http://www.eni-g.de/ Please send your application only via e-mail as a single PDF-file. Jan Clemens European Neuroscience Institute Neural Computation and Behavior group Grisebachstr. 5 37077 Göttingen, Germany janclemenslab.org

May 17, 2021

[jobs] 4 PhD@IIT in Bioengineering and Robotics - Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies

by Francesco Rea

PhD course in Bioengineering and Robotics - Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies In the spirit of the doctoral School on Bioengineering and Robotics the PhD Program for the curriculum "Cognitive Robotics, Interaction and Rehabilitation Technologies" provides interdisciplinary training at the interface between technology and life-sciences. The 4 fully funded fellowships are offered this year by the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) and Università degli studi di Genova (course code 8638) as part of this curriculum by the Robotics Brain and Cognitive Sciences<https://www.iit.it/web/robotics-brain-and-cognitive-sciences> Unit (RBCS) guided by Giulio Sandini and by the Unit COgNiTive Architecture for Collaborative Technologies (CONTACT) guided by Alessandra Sciutti: * ENABLING ROBOTS TO UNDERSTAND AND ADAPT TO HUMANS * ASSESSING AND TRAINING VISUO-HAPTIC EXPLORATION * PROACTIVE MEMORY IN COGNITIVE ARCHITECTURES FOR HUMAN ROBOT INTERACTION * ADAPTATION IN COGNITIVE ARCHITECTURES FOR HUMAN ROBOT INTERACTION * TRUST AND SHARED PERCEPTION IN COGNITIVE ROBOTICS http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/media/PhD%20themes%2037o%20-%20Cognitive%… All IIT units involved in this curriculum are located in the "Erzelli" site of the Italian Institute of Technology and share research facilities including, beside two iCub humanoid robots, eye-tracking and motion capture facilities. All research themes are available at the Admission - Research Themes 2021<http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply> (http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php/how-to-apply) web page. Visit the program page<http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php> (http://phd.dibris.unige.it/biorob/index.php) for more information. To apply: full information is available at the general web page of the 37th cycle Ph.D.call - 2021/2022<https://unige.it/usg/it/dottorati-di-ricerca> of the Università degli studi di Genova. Applicants can download the complete notice of competition (the Call for applications)<https://unige.it/sites/contenuti.unige.it/files/documents/Bando_XXXVII_Engl…>, with general condition on Phd Courses and the application, the list of PhD programs<https://unige.it/sites/contenuti.unige.it/files/documents/ANNEX_A_XXXVII%20…>, containing the Course description. Please follow the steps listed: 1. Choose the programme, 2. Review the application, 3. Get in contact with the supervisors, 4. Apply, following the detailed instructions<https://unige.it/sites/contenuti.unige.it/files/documents/Guida_eng_XXXVII.…> and using the online procedure<https://servizionline.unige.it/studenti/post-laurea/dottorato/domanda> .

May 17, 2021

2021 NEURON Online Course

by Ted Carnevale

The 2021 NEURON Online Course will start on Thursday, June 3, 2021, and will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays thereafter until Tuesday, August 3. This course maps the first half of the NEURON Summer Course into a series of interactive online workshops about building and working with models of single neurons. It is suitable for individuals at all levels of expertise. Although it focuses on modeling individual cells, the topics it covers are the foundation for modeling networks with NEURON. Space is limited, and applications will be considered in the order received. The registration deadline is Monday, May 31, 2021. No applications will be accepted after that date. For more information and the on-line registration form, see https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/web2021/june.html --Ted

May 17, 2021

You don't want to miss the "Modeling Electrophysiological Activities" Online Course

by Mary

Dear researchers, We are less than two weeks away from the "Modeling Electrophysiological Activities: From Single Neuron to Nervous Tissue" Online Course, which will be held by Dr. Damien Depannemaecker, Post-Doc researcher at Department of Integrative and Computational Neuroscience, Paris Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, France (Click HERE for more information about his researches and background). This course is coming after an introductory webinar, which you can watch now using the link below: https://sciencebeam.com/modeling-electrophysiological-activities/ This course aims to discuss models in neuroscience and particularly models of electrophysiological activities. During the course, we will discuss the field of application of such models. We will introduce the concepts of dynamical systems. Then we will implement these models during lab sessions. Finally, we will discuss the results of simulations in relation to the data obtained experimentally. Prospective Overview of Sessions: ➢ Session 1 (May 25th): • Systems and complex system in neurosciences • Origines of electrophysiological signals and measurements • Electrophysiology and relevant features for computational modeling (Membrane potential, Raster plot, Local field potential) ➢ Session 2: • Understanding the time evolution of the electrophysiological signals from a dynamical systems point of view. • Introduction to dynamical systems for neurosciences (Differential equations, Phase space representation, Stability and domain of attraction) • Unidimensional and bi-dimensional models (Dynamics of integrate-and-fire models, Repertoire of 2 D models, Reduction of Hodgkin-Huxley model) ➢ Session 3: • 2D and Higher dimensions models (Particular role of the reset, Possibility of chaos) • Models of synapses • Limits of models (Biophysical and mechanistic description, Phenomenology) • Introduction to the first lab session (with Brian2 simulator) ➢ Session 4: • First Lab Session: - Repertoire of electrophysiological patterns - Models of networks - Global measure on simulations ➢ Session 5: • Second lab session: - analysis of the results - relations to the data • Conclusive discussion • Due to time zone differences, the recorded sessions will be provided for the participants. • A certificate is granted by ScienceBeam upon completion of the course. • In case of group registration (more than 3 people), you benefit from a 15% discount on your registration fees. Register NOW using the link below: https://sciencebeam.com/online-course-modeling-electrophysiological-activit… If you require more information, don’t hesitate to contact me. Sincerely Mary Reae Human Neuroscience Department Manager www.ScienceBeam.com WhatsAppno: 008613380781282

May 16, 2021

PhD position in computational neuroscience and modeling of salamander spinal locomotor circuits, EPFL, Lausanne Switzerland

by Auke Ijspeert

The Biorobotics laboratory (Biorob, https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob/ <https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob>) at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) has one open *PhD student position* in *computational neuroscience and modeling of salamander spinal locomotor circuits*. The position is part of the ERC Synergy Salamandra project that will start in September 2021, together with Prof. Andras Simon (KI Sweden) and Prof. Dimitri Ryczko (U. Sherbrooke, Canada). See some info here: https://actu.epfl.ch/news/salamanders-provide-a-model-for-spinal-cord-rege-… The goals of the position are (i) to develop numerical models and simulations of the locomotor circuits in the spinal cord of the salamander, (ii) to analyze their dynamics when coupled to a simulated mechanical model of the body (interactions between central and peripheral mechanisms), and (iii) to investigate their regenerative properties after spinal cord lesions. The models will be based on integrate-and-fire neuron models. The positions are fully funded for 4 years. EPFL is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers extremely competitive salaries and research infrastructure. *Requirements:* Candidates need to have a Master degree in a field related to computational neuroscience, e.g. in computer science, neuroscience, or physics. The ideal candidate for this position should have a strong numerical modeling background, good programming skills, good math background (e.g. in dynamical systems), and interest in locomotion and robotics. *How to apply for the position:* Step 1: The position is only open to applicants who have been accepted by the EPFL doctoral school (see http://phd.epfl.ch/ <http://phd.epfl.ch/>). The first step is therefore to fill the applications for one of the relevant EPFL doctoral programs in neuroscience, or related fields (e.g. computer science or robotics). Step 2: In parallel to step 1, or once accepted by one of the doctoral programs (please specify which doctoral program and the date of acceptance), the application to the position should be sent by email to Prof. Auke Ijspeert and consist of a motivation letter (explaining why you are interested in the project, and why you feel qualified for it) and a copy of the doctoral program application. Informal inquiries about the relevance of an application can be sent to auke.ijspeert(a)epfl.ch <mailto:auke.ijspeert@epfl.ch> (e.g. before or while submitting an application to the doctoral school), but responses can be slow because of a heavy schedule and a filled mail box. *Deadline and starting date:* *The ideal starting date is September 2021* (with some flexibility). Applications will be considered starting *from May 31 2021*, and then continuously until the positions are filled. *Instructions to apply* can be found here: https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob/openings/ Best regards, Auke Ijspeert -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Prof Auke Jan Ijspeert Biorobotics Laboratory EPFL-STI-IBI-BIOROB, ME D1 1226, Station 9 EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne CH 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Office: ME D1 1226 Tel: +41 21 693 2658 Fax: +41 21 693 3705 www:http://biorob.epfl.ch Email:Auke.Ijspeert@epfl.ch -----------------------------------------------------------------

May 16, 2021

Invitation to join UNIQUE Student Symposium 2021

by 雷晓璇

Please spread the word around! TL;DR: UNIQUE Student Symposium <https://uss2021.github.io/>, a 2-half-days conference at the crossroads between AI and neuroscience will take place on June 7-8th. Registrations and submissions of abstracts are open! Link for registration: https://forms.gle/dkzE2zBwTk6Ga5Ft9 <https://forms.gle/dkzE2zBwTk6Ga5Ft9> Link for lightning talk submission: https://forms.gle/WLjjGrY18ZFRjDGh9 <https://forms.gle/WLjjGrY18ZFRjDGh9> Four weeks counting down and we are happy to present a fantastic program with keynote talks and educational sessions, all with an amazing line-up of speakers! This year, we are organizing the 2nd edition of UNIQUE Student Symposium (USS) on new directions in #neuroscience and #AI. USS 2021 is a two-day free and open event. With a theme focus on #consciousness and #ethics, we are honored to have Dr. Megan Peters and Dr. W.F.G. Haselager (Pim) as keynote speakers on Day 1 (June 7th), followed by a panel discussion with additional speakers to be announced very soon. The first day will include a lightning talk session especially thought for students to submit their recent work or proposals. We encourage you and your students to participate! This is a great opportunity to share your work with like-minded people and sharpen your presentation skills.Day 2 (June 8th) consists of parallel educational and discussion sessions. We will host a round table on mental health, and two workshops on open science and equity, diversity and inclusion. Simultaneously, we will have interactive discussion sessions on machine learning for neuroscience, memory and learning and decision making, led by three experts in the fields: Guillaume Lajoie, Thomas Shultz and Paul Cisek. The keynotes and panel sessions on Day 1 will be streamed on Crowdcast and Day 2 will take place on Gather.town so we can mimic in-person interaction as much as possible (Spoil alert: there will be a social beach on the venue which you should not forget to visit!) Save the date for this year's UNIQUE Student Symposium, 7-8 June! Registration (for participation) closes on Friday, May 28th, and Submission for lightning talks closes on Friday, May 20th. For detailed info of speakers and schedule, please check our website: https://uss2021.github.io <https://uss2021.github.io/> Twitter: @ai_unique https://twitter.com/ai_unique <https://twitter.com/ai_unique> Alex and Xiaoxuan On behalf of USS2021 organization committee

May 15, 2021

Abstracts DEADLINE EXTENDED for CNS*2021 Meeting

by Martin Zapotocky

Organization for Computational Neurosciences 2885 Sanford Ave SW #15359 Grandville, MI 49418 USA* **30th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021)* - ONLINE July 3--7, 2021 https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-online <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-online> The CNS*2021 *abstract submission deadline* has been extended to *Saturday, May 22* at 11:00 pm Pacific Time. Note that one of the authors must register as sponsoring author for the main meeting *before abstract submission*. Submitted abstracts are used for creating the program and for publication. Please follow the formatting guidelines on the submission site. Registration: https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-online-registration <https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-online-registration>Abstract Submission: https://cns.confmaster.net/ <https://cns.confmaster.net/> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OCNS is the international member-based society for computational neuroscientists Become a member to be eligible for awards and other benefits. Visit our website for more information: http://www.cnsorg.org <http://www.cnsorg.org> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upozorneni: Neni-li v teto zprave vyslovne uvedeno jinak, ma tato E-mailova zprava nebo jeji prilohy pouze informativni charakter. Tato zprava ani jeji prilohy v zadnem ohledu ustavy AV CR, v.v.i. k nicemu nezavazuji. Text teto zpravy nebo jejich priloh neni navrhem na uzavreni smlouvy, ani prijetim pripadneho navrhu na uzavreni smlouvy, ani jinym pravnim jednanim smerujicim k uzavreni jakekoliv smlouvy a nezaklada predsmluvni odpovednost ustavu AV CR, v.v.i. Disclaimer: If not expressly stated otherwise, this e-mail message (including any attached files) is intended purely for informational purposes and does not represent a binding agreement on the part of Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The text of this message and its attachments cannot be considered as a proposal to conclude a contract, neither the acceptance of a proposal to conclude a contract, nor any other legal act leading to concluding any contract; nor does it create any pre-contractual liability on the part of Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

May 15, 2021

OEduverse June Summer School - Applications still open!

by Jolivet, Renaud

[https://mcusercontent.com/a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39/images/85c79bb9-687b-40…] [https://mcusercontent.com/a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39/images/885023aa-0013-45…]<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39…> Co-create the research environment that you want to be in! Our research environment is far from perfect. Together, in the first OEduverse<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39…> Summer School - Hackathon we can design an environment to thrive in. Join PhD students from other research disciplines, experts, and trainers on mental wellbeing, open science, and communication to design a roadmap that you, as an individual, can take action on either in the course of your work or within your home institution. Using guided reflection, working in teams, use cases, and practical workshops, you will go from creating a dystopia to a utopia and develop the tools needed to make it a reality. ALL research disciplines welcome! The week long Hackathon will provide participants with knowledge on how to build healthy working relationships, Open Science tools, effective communication in difficult situations, ethical course of action, and MORE. Read more about the Summer School Program here.<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39…> Speakers and Trainers * Dr. Gábor Kismihók, Head of the Learning and Skills Analytics research Group at the Leibniz Information Center for Science and Technology (TIB) in Hannover, Germany. * Ms. Jo Harney, Counselling Psychologist in the position of Training and Groups Manager at the Student Counselling Service in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. * Ms. Petra Ardai, Artist Director at of the Amsterdam and Budapest based art collective SPACE.She collaborates with cross-sector partners from the field of art, science, and NGO’s. * Dr. Stefan T. Mol, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and Research Methods at the Amsterdam Business School of the University of Amsterdam. Fee * 50 EUR - Current PhD Students * 95 EUR - Postdocs and Supervisors This summer school is made possible with the Co-Funding of Erasmus+ Funds. Max 20 Participants Apply <https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39…> Open Virtual SciLink Courses MSCA PostDoc Fellowship Proposal Course - Refine and improve your MSCA fellowship proposal | July 7th | By. Dr. Brian Cahill - Register HERE<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39…> Research Project Management - Learn to manage any research project with confidence | June 7-8 | By Dr. Gabor Kismihok - Register HERE<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39…> [https://mcusercontent.com/a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39/images/10c4eef4-8d50-42…] Get In Touch<mailto:info@scilink.eu?subject=Request%20for%20Information%20> [Twitter]<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39…> [https://www.facebook.com/SciLinkNL]<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39…> [LinkedIn]<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39…> [Website]<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39…> [Email]<mailto:info@scilink.eu> Copyright © 2021 SciLink Foundation, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from SciLink Foundation Our mailing address is: SciLink Foundation Van der Palmkade 121 AMSTERDAM, Noord Holland 1051RH Netherlands Add us to your address book<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/vcard?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39&id=b2…> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/profile?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39&id=…> or unsubscribe from this list<https://scilink.us5.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=a5eb3078024195b9a8b6dbb39…>. [Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp]<http://www.mailchimp.com/email-referral/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

May 13, 2021

FRONTIERS: BRAIN CONNECTIVITY, DYNAMICS AND COMPLEXITY: Update!

by Stephen José Hanson

Frontiers Topic: Brain Connectivity, Dynamics and Complexity. https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20807/brain-connectivity-dynami… Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Cognitive Neuroscience Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience Submission deadlines have been updated; JUNE 30, 2021: Abstracts due NOVEMBER 30, 2021: Manuscripts due You may send in submissions at any time now. Please send any enquires to any of the Co-Editors concerning your submissions. S. Hanson R. Romero-Sanchez P. Antonio Valdez-Sosa B. Biswal -- Stephen José Hanson Professor Director RUBIC (University- Wide) Department of Psychology (NK) Cognitive Science Center (NB)

May 13, 2021

Call for papers special Issue IEEE TCDS

by Bruno Lara

Dear all We would like to announce a special issue for the journal IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems. The general topic revolves around perceptual optimization processes related to attentional and predictive mechanisms. We are interested on work coming from a wide range of areas including robotics, psychology, philosophy and neuroscience. Themes include: · Attentional and gating mechanisms for action and sensory information processing · Context- and task-dependent perceptual optimization · Sensory attenuation/cancellation and sensory enhancement/facilitation · Interplay of predictive and attentional mechanisms for prediction error minimization · Multimodal integration and/or cross-modal interactions · State representation learning · Constrained innate priors that drive learning · Prediction in language learning and comprehension · Prediction error dynamics monitoring · Dreaming, non-conscious perception, hallucination, altered perceptual phenomena Manuscripts should be prepared according to the “Information for Authors” of the journal found at: https://cis.ieee. org/publications/t-cognitive-and-developmental-systems/ tcds-information-for-authors Submissions should be done through the IEEE TCDS Manuscript center: https://mc. manuscriptcentral.com/tcds-ieee Please select the category “SI: Prediction and Perception in Humans and Robots”. *Important dates* Paper submission deadline - 15 July 2021 Notification to authors - 15 September 2021 Deadline revised papers submission - 15 November 2021 Final version - 15 December 2021 *Guest Editors * Alejandra Ciria (UNAM) Guido Schillaci (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna) Bruno Lara (UAEM) Emily S. Cross (University of Glasgow) Angelo Cangelosi (University of Manchester) -- -- +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dr. Bruno Lara Guzman Profesor Investigador Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Av. Universidad 1001. Col. Chamilpa Cuernavaca, Morelos. C. P. 62209-- M É X I C O +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://roboticacognitiva.mx Tel (52) (777) 3-29-70 40 x 3280 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

May 12, 2021

The second Canadian Computational Neuroscience Spotlight (a free, virtual meeting) is under a week away

by Scott Rich

The second Canadian Computational Neuroscience Spotlight is now less than a week away, beginning this coming Monday, May 17 via the Crowdcast online platform. The finalized program for the meeting can be found at https://ccnsmeeting.ca/#04-ccns-2021-program. It includes 18 renowned computational neuroscientists, including keynote speakers Drs. Yulia Dembitskaya, Michael London, Andre Longtin and Richard Betzel. Additionally, we have 30 trainees who will be giving short "trainee talks" at the meeting. Finally, we will host a panel discussion each day (12 pm EDT on Monday, 1 pm EDT on Tuesday) consisting of computational neuroscientists at various stages of their careers which should yield fascinating conversation. Registration for the meeting is 100% free at https://www.crowdcast.io/e/ccnsv2/register, More details on the meeting and the speakers can be found at ccnsmeeting.ca. We look forward to seeing you at CCNSv2! Sincerely, – Scott Rich, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Krembil Research Institute – Andreea Diaconescu, Ph.D. Independent Scientist, Krembil Center for Neuroinformatics at CAMH – John Griffiths, Ph.D. Independent Scientist, Krembil Center for Neuroinformatics at CAMH – Milad Lankarany, Ph.D. Scientist, Krembil Research Institute

May 11, 2021

2 PhD positions at the University of Lille on neuromorphic architectures for videoprotection

by Pierre Boulet

The Luxant-ANVI industrial chair (Neuromorphic Architectures for VIdeoprotection) recruits 2 fully funded PhD students next September at the University of Lille on "Security and Privacy of Neuromorphic Computing Systems" and "Spiking Neural Networks for Video Analysis". The subjects are detailed at https://www.cristal.univ-lille.fr/sujets-these/details.html?id=1f15692132a4… et https://www.cristal.univ-lille.fr/sujets-these/details.html?id=567195f08f3b…. Please send you application (CV, cover letter, 2 references) before June 4, 2021 to chaire-anvi(a)univ-lille.fr. -- Université de Lille <http://www.univ-lille.fr/> *Pierre BOULET* *Vice-président transformation numérique,* Professeur d'informatique, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, CRIStAL - UMR 9189, Président du CITC-EuraRFID, Vice-président de l'association VP-Num. Pierre.Boulet(a)univ-lille.fr <mailto:Pierre.Boulet@univ-lille.fr> *|* pro.univ-lille.fr/pierre-boulet <https://pro.univ-lille.fr/pierre-boulet/> Siège : 42 rue Paul Duez, 59000 Lille IRCICA : 50 avenue Halley - Bureau 103, 59658 Villeneuve d’Ascq cedex T. +33 (0)6 09 08 18 11

May 11, 2021

2nd Workshop on Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation 2021

by Ivan Alekseichuk

Dear colleagues, We want to invite you to join the 2nd Workshop on Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) 2021! The meeting will be held *online on June 3-4*. The registration and abstract submission *deadline is the 23rd of Ma*y ( https://NIBS-Workshop.umn.edu) Non-invasive tools capable of selectively manipulating neural systems in the human brain are needed to advance our neuroscientific understanding of brain function and develop novel therapeutic strategies. The workshop includes lectures and hands-on sessions. Transcranial magnetic stimulation ( *TMS*), transcranial direct current stimulation (*tDCS*), and transcranial alternating current stimulation (*tACS*) modulate neural activity by inducing electric fields in the brain. Increasingly, these approaches are combined with computational head modeling and imaging methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or electroencephalography (EEG). Over two days, attendees will hear about state-of-the-art modeling methods in non-invasive brain stimulation, their combination with imaging methods, and practical applications in clinical science. On behalf of the organization committee, Alexander Opitz and Ivan Alekseichuk Dept of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota

May 10, 2021

Tenure Track positions, Bernoulli Insitute, Groningen /NL

by Michael Biehl

If you have a background and strong interest in Machine Learning, Neural Networks, Data Science etc. consider applying (deadline: 16 May) for one of *several Tenure Track Assistant Professorships* *with* *educational profile* at the Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence: The positions will be devoted to Data Science and Systems Complexity: vacancy text <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0…> - Human Centred Artificial Intelligence: vacancy text <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0…> - Machine Learning: vacancy text <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0…> - Programming Languages and Systems: vacancy text <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0…> - - Mathematics with a focus on Interdisciplinary Mathematics Education: vacancy text <https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0…> -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen The Netherlands Tel. +31 50 363 3997 https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

May 10, 2021

Postdoctoral research fellowships, SMQB Birmingham, UK

by Michael Biehl

Applications are invited for three 3-year research fellowships (Centre Fellows) are available within the Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine (SMQB), a new strategic activity at the University of Birmingham/UK. Relevant and up to date knowledge in one or more of the following areas: Dynamical Systems, Complex Networks Parameter Inference (including Bayesian Methods) Machine Learning, Neural Networks, Artificial Intelligence Clinical Data Analytics and Visualisation Advanced (Medical) Imaging Diagnostics and Clinical Decision Support Systems For details, see https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CFN306/centre-fellow -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen The Netherlands Tel. +31 50 363 3997 https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

May 10, 2021

ICMNS 2021 - First announcement

by Etienne Tanré

—— We apologize if you receive multiple postings of this announcement—— We are delighted to announce the 7th International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience (ICMNS 2021). Owing to the Coronavirus outbreak, the 7th edition will take place in a virtual format, via Zoom, from the 28th of June to the 1st of July 2021, between 15:00 and 18:00 (GMT+2). ICMNS is an interdisciplinary conference series, bringing together theoretical neuroscientists and mathematicians. The conferences are aimed at scientists interested in using or developing mathematical techniques for neuroscience problems. Plenary speakers will be Olivier Faugeras (Inria Sophia Antipolis Méditerranée, France) Krešimir Josić (University of Houston, USA) Kathrin Ohla (HSU, University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, Germany) This year, 3 out of 4 talks will be given by Early Career speakers, and there is an open call for micro-talks, delivered to the whole audience. A broad set of topics will be covered, including: Single cell and network dynamics Mean field and probabilistic descriptions of neural networks Mathematical models of synaptic plasticity Phase-amplitude reduction, and data-driven modelling Mathematical modelling of perception Please visit our website to view the preliminary programme, and subscribe to our mailing list and YouTube channel: https://www.danieleavitabile.com/icmns2021digital/ <https://www.danieleavitabile.com/icmns2021digital/> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXClLvVl35uBrYIgN8dOZsw <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXClLvVl35uBrYIgN8dOZsw> See you online at ICMNS2021! The Organising Committee Peter Ashwin (University of Exeter, UK) Daniele Avitabile (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands) Evelyn Buckwar (Johannes Kepler University, Austria) Grégory Faye (University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France) Eva Löcherbach (Université Paris 1, Panthéon Sorbonne, France) Wilhelm Stannat (Technische Universität Berlin, Germany) Etienne Tanré (Inria Sophia Antipolis Méditerranée, France) Peter J. Thomas (Case Western Reserve University, USA)

May 7, 2021

Now Open for Applications! Remote Cognitive Science M.Sc.

by mcruz＠uni-osnabrueck.de

Dear all, We’re officially accepting students from all over the world for our new remote and digital program of the Cognitive Science M.Sc. program! Apply now and join us this Winter Semester 2021/22! The Institute of Cognitive Science at Osnabrück University is offering a new digital track of the Cognitive Science M.Sc. program, which is set to start this Winter Semester 2021/22. The DAAD-funded program targets international students who can complete most of the coursework remotely. Possible focus areas include Artificial Intelligence, Neuroinformatics, and Neuroscience. Visit our website for more details: https://vt.uos.de/cosmos Please do not hesitate to contact us (os-cosmos(a)uni-osnabrueck.de) with further inquiries! We look forward to hearing from you. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think would be interested. Best wishes, Misha Cruz Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin OS-COSMOS mishael.g.cruz(a)uni-osnabrueck.de Institut für Kognitionswissenschaften und virtUOS Universität Osnabrück

May 7, 2021

Excellence PhD opening on integration of astrocytes in the Virtual Brain (Aix-Marseille University)

by Christophe Bernard

We are offering one excellence PhD fellowship (3 years) at Aix-Marseille University within the labs of Christophe Bernard (experimental neuroscience) and Viktor Jirsa (theoretical neuroscience) at Institute of Systems Neuroscience - INS, Marseille. The project has the following objectives: A) Incorporating neuron-glia-blood vessel coupling in the generative models used in The Virtual Brain. B) Constant interplay with partners to improve the model (see below). C) Generating testable predictions to be tested experimentally in the same lab (see below). This project is part of the EU high-level training-by-research consortium “Astrotech" (http://www.astrotechproject.eu/ <https://research.ncl.ac.uk/in2pb/>), federating world-leading european groups working in the development of new technologies to explore astrocyte function in the brain. Becoming PhD within the network will offer unique training and interaction opportunities with other Astrotech members, in addition to the specific research conducted in the host lab. More information is available on the EU site: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/636442 The fellowship comes with a competitive salary (beyond national averages) within the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions scheme and with grant money for participating to training, conferences, buying equipment... In addition to the training providing within the “Astrotech" international program, the candidate will also profit ot the local "Neuroschool" graduate program (https://neuro-marseille.org/ <https://neuro-marseille.org/>) offering high-level training (in English language) in integrative neuroscience, research management and soft skills, within one of the largest neuroscience communities in France. Aix-Marseille University is one of few excellence-labelled universities (IDEX) in France, making of interdisciplinary research one of its main axes. Marseille is a vibrant city with wonderful natural surroundings and high-speed train and flight connections to many large cities in Europe. DEADLINE is 15th Dec 2021 The top-ranked candidates are then going to be interviewed orally and finally selected through a competitive, equal-opportunities procedure. Applying candidates are strongly invited to make a parallel inquiry by writing to us directly, including a CV, the name of two references and any other information that you may wish to share. Contact: christophe.bernard(a)univ-amu.fr Christophe Why you should submit your best science to eNeuro: https://www.eneuro.org/content/overview <https://www.eneuro.org/content/overview> Christophe Bernard INS - Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes UMR INSERM 1106, Aix-Marseille Université Equipe Physionet 27 Bd Jean Moulin 13385 Marseille Cedex 05 France christophe.bernard(a)univ-amu.fr +33 4 91 32 42 49 https://ins-amu.fr/physionet <https://ins-amu.fr/physionet>

May 6, 2021

ONLINE SUMMER SCHOOL IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE, August 2021

by Rava A. da Silveira

*CN**EURO**2021* *Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience Summer School* *14 to 21 August 2021 — Online, hosted by Tsinghua University, Beijing and IOB, Basel* *www.cneuro.net <http://www.cneuro.net>* *About CNeuro* How intelligence and behavior emerge from complex and intricate interactions within the brain remains a deep and unsolved mystery, central to an exciting area of interdisciplinary research. The past decade has seen rapid progress in experimental tools that now make it possible to monitor and manipulate brain circuits in unprecedented detail. This evolution presents challenges and opportunities for both experimentalists and theorists, as the complex algorithmics of brain function and the intricate interactions among neurons cannot be approached with experiments alone. Mathematical theory is instrumental in the emergence of theoretical insights and frameworks that can help guide experimental work and identify unifying principles of brain function. The aim of the one-week summer school will be to introduce students with a strong quantitative background (in mathematics, physics, computer science, and engineering) to the emerging field of theoretical and computational neuroscience. The course will bring together leading scientists in the field, who will deliver lectures, take part in small-group discussions, and share their personal experience and views on a range of research topics. The distinguishing feature of CNeuro is the emphasis it places on the role of systematic mathematical theory for understanding the brain, in part by stressing the connections between neuroscience, statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. *Faculty* Vijay Balasubramanian (University of Pennsylvania) Dmitrii Chklovskii (Flatiron Institute) Julijana Gjorgjieva (MPI for Brain Research) Christian Machens (Champalimaud Center) Kanaka Rajan (Mount Sinai) Eric Shea-Brown (University of Washington) *Organizers* Rava Azeredo da Silveira (ENS) Stella Christie (Tsinghua University) Sen Song (Tsinghua University) Louis Tao (Peking University) Xiaoqin Wang (Johns Hopkins University) Quan Wen (USTC) *Application and deadline* Please apply by 31 May 2021; details at www.cneuro.net/cneuro2021.

May 5, 2021

Phd and Postdoc Positions in Neuromorphic Computing and Software at Forschungzentrum Juelich

by Emre Neftci

The newly created Peter Gruenberg Institute-15 led by Emre Neftci at Forschungzentrum Juelich is excited to offer PhD and Postdoc positions in the area of neuromorphic engineering. We are looking for creative researchers with interest in brain-inspired machine learning and neuromorphic hardware. To see full descriptions and apply, please follow these links: https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2021D-049-… https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2021-175-E… Applications are due May 10 and 21 respectively, but we'll continue reading applications until the positions are filled. Please contact me directly for any questions. Emre Neftci -- Emre Neftci, PhD, Assistant Professor, Neuromorphic Machine Intelligence Lab (http://nmi-lab.org/) Department of Cognitive Sciences, 2308 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway Building, UC Irvine 92697-5100

May 5, 2021

Excellent academic resource for junior and senior scholars

by Barbora Wichterlova

Dear All, I would like to share with the community the mentor-mentee platform called Figbox: https://figbox.co/ <https://figbox.co/>. Who is behind figbox? The platform was developed by two postdocs at Yale and Harvard to help Early Career Researchers and PhD students in the field of computational neuroscience, physics, neurobiology, biochemistry, linguistics, physiology and more. Currently there are over 20k mentors and mentees on figbox. What do it actually do? Figbox allows junior scholars to find mentors willing to provide general advice on the following: thesis topics, experimental designs, publication, and more. It also allows junior scholars the ability to receive double-blind reviews of their working papers, sections of their thesis and grants before they officially submit. What do you gain as a mentor? For those who are curious about the benefits of mentoring junior scholars, see: https://figbox.co/benefit/ <https://figbox.co/benefit/> is it free? yes, mentors and mentee can sign up safely and securely using their ORCID account With best regards, BW

May 4, 2021

Workshop on Spatial brain dynamics

by Henrik Anders Lindén

Dear colleagues, We are organizing an online workshop on Spatial brain dynamics on May 11-13 that may be of interest to some of you. For details and registration see https://in.ku.dk/seminars-and-events/upcoming-events/workshop-spatial-brain… The meeting is free but registration is required. Confirmed speakers: - György Buzsáki NYU .N.Y. USA - Sonja Grün, Forschungscentrum Jülich, Germany - Kenneth Harris, UCL, London, UK - Jennifer Li & Drew Robson, Max Planck, Tübingen, Germany - David McCormick, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA - Bruce McNaughton, University of California Irvine, CA, USA - Thomas Mrsic-Flogel , Sainsbury Wellcome Center, UK - Carl Petersen, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland - Terry Sejnowski, Salk Institute, La Jolla , CA, USA All the best, Per Roland and Henrik Lindén Contact: Per E. Roland Professor of Neurodynamics, M.D., PhD Department of Neuroscience Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen per.ebbe.roland(a)sund.ku.dk<mailto:per.ebbe.roland@sund.ku.dk> Henrik Lindén Assistant professor, PhD Department of Neuroscience Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen hlinden(a)sund.ku.dk<mailto:hlinden@sund.ku.dk>

May 4, 2021

NMA application deadline approaching!

by Gunnar Blohm

Applications for the Neuromatch Academy Computational Neuroscience (NMA-CN) and Deep Learning (NMA-DL) courses are approaching fast. Deadline: *May 7, 2021*! Apply as a student (flexible / waivable fee), or paid teaching assistant ($1,500 USD salary). Fore more details, please see here: https://academy.neuromatch.io/ -- Dr. Gunnar BLOHM Neuroscience Graduate Coordinator Professor in Computational Neuroscience Queen's U, Kingston, ON, 18 Stuart Str, Botterell Hall Rm 229 http://www.compneurosci.com/

May 3, 2021

New Book: Models of the Mind: How physics, mathematics, and engineering have shaped our understanding of the brain

by Grace Lindsay

*Models of the Mind: How physics, mathematics, and engineering have shaped our understanding of the brain* by Grace Lindsay Models of the Mind is a popular science book that covers the history and present of computational neuroscience. Each chapter focuses on an individual topic ranging from single neuron models (e.g., leaky integrate-and-fire and Hodgkin-Huxley) through to population models such as the Hopfield Network and onto models of behavior. The book is geared toward a general audience and may be a useful resource for undergraduate courses. More information on the book and how to get it here: https://gracewlindsay.com/2021/02/10/models-of-the-mind-how-physics-enginee… What reviewers have said: "This book is an anthology of the scientific poetry that has illuminated our studies and conceptions of the brain" - Larry Abbott "An engrossing history of science and enlightening guide to neuroscience's current frontiers." - Liam Drew "Grace Lindsay provides a masterful tour of this important frontier, tackling intimidating topics with verve and wit." - Sean Carroll

May 3, 2021

Research Fellow / Postdoc positions in Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics

by pokornam

We are looking for new team members to join the COMPLEX NETWORKS AND BRAIN DYNAMICS GROUP to work on its interdisciplinary projects. The group is part of the Department of Complex Systems, Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences - based in Prague, Czech Republic. We focus on the development and application of methods of analysis and modelling of real-world complex networked systems, with particular interest in the structure and dynamics of human brain function. Our main research areas are neuroimaging data analysis (fMRI & EEG, iEEG, anatomical and diffusion MRI), brain dynamics modelling, causality and information flow inference, nonlinearity and nonstationarity, graph theory, machine learning and multivariate statistics; with applications in neuroscience, climate research, economics and general communication networks. More information about the group at http://cobra.cs.cas.cz/ [1]. For more information on the positions please see https://www.cs.cas.cz/job-offer/COBRA-postdoc-positions-Hlinka3/cs Institute of Computer Science Czech Academy of Sciences Pod Vodarenskou vezi 2 Prague 8, 182 07, Czech Republic [1] Links: ------ [1] http://cobra.cs.cas.cz/

May 3, 2021

Bernstein Conference 2021 - Submission of Satellite Workshop Proposals - Deadline approaching on May 10

by Anja Dorrn

The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for Satellite Workshops at the online Bernstein Conference 2021 ____ BERNSTEIN CONFERENCE Each year the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renown conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries. Due to the ongoing pandemic the Bernstein Conference will be held online, from Sep 21-23, 2021. www.bernstein-conference.de<http://www.bernstein-conference.de> ____ IMPORTANT DATES - Satellite Workshops: September 21, 2021, 2 pm – 10 pm CEST - Main Conference: September 22-23, 2021 - Deadline for Satellite Workshop proposal submission: May 10, 2021 - Notification of workshop acceptance: planned in June 2021 ____ WORKSHOP PROPOSALS Satellite Workshops of the Bernstein Conference provide a stage to discuss topical research questions, novel scientific approaches and challenges in Computational Neuroscience and related fields. Workshops addressing controversial issues, open problems, and comparisons of competing approaches are encouraged. The format should be designed to foster debate, rather than a series of talks. The Workshop Selection Committee will take scientific excellence, topical relevance gender diversity and variety of career levels into account as their selection criteria. Workshop proposals are welcome as flexible formats of 4-8 hours (all workshops will start at 2 pm CEST, but will end based on individual schedules) Workshop Proposal Forms can be downloaded here: https://bit.ly/BC21_workshops Please submit the completed form to bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de> Deadline: May 10, 2021 – not to be extended Workshop organizers and all speakers will receive a waiver for the online conference. ____ WORKSHOP SELECTION COMMITTEE Marion Silies (Workshop Chair) Moritz Helias (Workshop Vice Chair) Matthew Botvinick Megan Carey Peter Dayan Brent Doiron Rainer Friedrich Julijana Gjiorgjieva (Program Chair) Ann Hermundstad Christian Machens (Program Vice Chair) Srdjan Ostojic Nathalie Rochefort Nicole Rust Gasper Tkacik ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de> -- Dr. Anja Dorrn Scientific Coordinator Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9589 web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 3, 2021

Research placement positions at Secondmind Labs

by Hrvoje Stojic

Dear all We have just opened five research placement positions at [Secondmind Labs](https://www.secondmind.ai/labs/), based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The overall area for the placements is Gaussian process models and Bayesian optimisation. The placements are three months long and are typically targeted at PD candidates. More details, including some placement proposals, can be found [here](https://boards.greenhouse.io/secondmind/jobs/5205946002). Note that it is also possible for applicants to propose their own topics for the placement. Kind regards, Hrvoje ----------------------------- Hrvoje Stojic, PhD Web: [https://hstojic.re/](http://hstojic.re/)

May 1, 2021

The Algonauts Project 2021 Challenge- How the Human Brain Makes Sense of a World in Motion

by Gemma Roig

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce a new challenge sponsored by The Algonauts Project <http://algonauts.csail.mit.edu/>: How the Human Brain Makes Sense of a World in Motion. We invite you to join us in a competition to develop the best computer model of how the human brain perceives videos of everyday events. Participants who come up with a model that most closely matches recorded brain data will be invited to present their work at a virtual workshop on Sept. 7, 2021 at this year’s Conference on Cognitive Computational Neuroscience (CCN <https://ccneuro.org/2021/>). Submission deadline: Aug. 15, 2021. The Algonauts Project: http://algonauts.csail.mit.edu/ <http://algonauts.csail.mit.edu/> CCN Workshop: How the Human Brain Makes Sense of a World in Motion Sept. 7, 2021 Organizers will summarize the outcome and provide hands-on tutorials. Challenge winners will present the results of their work. We look forward to seeing you at the workshop in September, and we hope you will consider joining the challenge! Best wishes, The Algonauts Project Team Algonauts 2021 Project Team: Radoslaw Cichy, Freie Universität Berlin Aude Oliva, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Gemma Roig, Goethe University Frankfurt Alex Andonian, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Kshitij Dwivedi, Goethe University Frankfurt Monika Graumann, Freie Universität Berlin Polina Iamshchinina, Freie Universität Berlin Kendrick Kay, University of Minnesota Benjamin Lahner, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alex Lascelles, Massachusetts Institute of Technology N Ratan Murty, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

April 30, 2021

Excellence PhD opening on advanced analyses of monkey recordings in parieto-motor cortices (Aix-Marseille University)

by BATTAGLIA Demian

We are offering one excellence PhD fellowship (3 years) at Aix-Marseille University within the labs of Bjorg Kilavik (experimental electrophysiology; Timone Institute of Neuroscience - INT, Marseille) and Demian Battaglia (computational neuroscience; Institute of Systems Neuroscience - INS, Marseille & University of Strasbourg Institute of Advanced Studies - USIAS). The project will involve the analysis with advanced computational methods (network and activity pattern analyses, machine learning, information theory...) of laminar-specific recordings in parietal and motor cortices of non-human primates. The aim will be to investigate the role of different cortical layers and of their dynamic interactions, mediating the processing and integration of information from bottom-up and top-down sources, in the encoding of motor plans and behaviors. This project corresponds to "ESR1" (https://research.ncl.ac.uk/in2pb/phdprojects/esr1/) within the EU high-level training-by-research consortium "In2PrimateBrains" (https://research.ncl.ac.uk/in2pb/) federating world-leading european groups working in non-human primate neuroscience research. Becoming PhD within the network will offer unique training and interaction opportunities with other In2PrimateBrains members, in addition to the specific research conducted in the host lab. Depending on the profile of the candidate, the PhD project will revolve on the computational analysis side of existing data or may also include the possibility to learn how to acquire new recordings, in a mixed experimental-theoretical project. The fellowship comes with a competitive salary (beyond national averages) within the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions scheme and with grant money for participating to training, conferences, buying equipment... In addition to the training providing within the "In2PrimateBrains" international program, the candidate will also profit ot the local "Neuroschool" graduate program (https://neuro-marseille.org/) offering high-level training (in English language) in integrative neuroscience, research management and soft skills, within one of the largest neuroscience communities in France. Aix-Marseille University is one of few excellence-labelled universities (IDEX) in France, making of interdisciplinary research one of its main axes. Marseille is a vibrant city with wonderful natural surroundings and high-speed train and flight connections to many large cities in Europe. The interesting candidate will file an application through an online form (https://research.ncl.ac.uk/in2pb/phdprojects/) selecting Project "ESR1 - Layer-specific dynamics of parieto-motor networks during visually-guided arm reaching behaviour" as first choice (other projects described on the website can be selected as second and third choice). DEADLINE is 15th May 2021 The top-ranked candidates are then going to be interviewed orally and finally selected through a competitive, equal-opportunities procedure. Applying candidates are strongly invited to make a parallel inquiry by writing to us directly, including a CV, the name of two references and any other information that you may wish to share. Demian Battaglia - demian.battaglia(a)univ-amu.fr Bjorg Kilavik - bjorg.kilavik(a)univ-amu.fr

April 30, 2021

Two Postdoctoral Scholar Positions at Washington University in St. Louis

by Shuo Wang

Our lab will be moving to Washington University in St. Louis in July 2021. We are looking for two highly motivated postdoctoral scholars to work on NSF and DoD funded projects. One postdoctoral scholar will use human single-neuron recordings to study the neural circuits underlying social attention, and the other postdoctoral scholar will use multimodal neuroimaging techniques to study social behavior and brain networks in people with autism. The research will be conducted in a highly collaborative environment using state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, and analytical methods. The postdoctoral scholars will collaborate with an established team of investigators within and outside WashU and have ample opportunity to learn new techniques and methods. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in systems, cognitive, or computational neuroscience, or in physics, electrical engineering, or computer science, with relevant research expertise in neuroscience. Applicants must also have strong programming (Matlab or similar) skills. Individuals with previous human intracranial EEG expertise and/or macaque single-neuron recordings that wish to expand into human single-unit recordings are encouraged to apply. Our lab combines multimodal and advanced measurement techniques with sophisticated computational approaches to understand the neural mechanisms and neural computations underlying social attention, face processing, emotion, memory, and decision making. Overarching questions involve how the brain figures out what is important in the environment, how socially relevant stimuli pop out and attract attention, how faces are processed and represented in general, and how memory is modulated by attention. We are particularly interested in the neural computations underlying these cognitive processes: multimodal approaches allow us to investigate these questions from the microscopic single-neuron and neural circuit level using our state-of-the-art human single-neuron recordings as well as macroscopic level using fMRI, EEG, and intracranial EEG (sEEG and ECoG). These multimodal experimental approaches are powered by sophisticated computational approaches that can deal with complex and large datasets. Shuo Wang, Ph.D. Assistant Professor West Virginia University https://wangshuo45.wixsite.com/shuowang

April 30, 2021

New Master’s programme Applied Data Science in Göttingen, Germany

by Ecker, Alexander

*New Master’s program Applied Data Science in Göttingen, Germany* https://uni-goettingen.de/msc/datascience In the upcoming winter term, we are launching the new international Master’s programme Applied Data Science at the University of Göttingen. The study programme is characterised by its interdisciplinary nature. Students holding a Bachelor’s degree in data science, computer science or mathematics are welcome, as well as graduates from other fields. We want to equip students with both in-depth knowledge of the key mathematical, statistical and computer science methods for Data Science as well as to make sure they understand how to use these methods in an application domain. Currently, the following application domains can be chosen: Computational Neuroscience, Bioinformatics, Medical Data Science, and Digital Humanities. The Göttingen Campus features an amazing variety of data-intensive research from natural and life sciences to social science and humanities. It includes top-notch research institutions like five Max Planck Institutes, the German Primate Center and the German Aerospace Center. Göttingen a university town located in the centre of Germany and Europe, in a region known for its green hills, lovely small towns with half-timbered houses and the Harz Mountains. Well-connected through motorways and high-speed trains, it is a great place to discover Germany and Europe. For further information see https://uni-goettingen.de/msc/datascience or the flyer: https://owncloud.gwdg.de/index.php/s/gBeb11Io6mw9XiR

April 29, 2021

WWNeurise series on naturalistic behavior & applications/recommendations

by William Podlaski

WorldWideNeuRise will host several online talks throughout May-June on the topic of naturalistic behavior from the following speakers: Wednesday, 5 May, 5pm CET Asaf Gal (Kronauer Lab, The Rockefeller University, USA) Daniel Knebel (Ayali Lab, Tel Aviv University, Israel) Wednesday, 19 May, 5pm CET Constanze Lenschow (Lima Lab, Champalimaud Research, Portugal) Takashi Yamaguchi (Lin Lab, NYU, USA) Wednesday, 2 June, 5pm CET Ayelet Sarel (Ulanovsky Lab, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel) Tu Anh Nguyen Thi (el Jundi Lab, University of Wuerzburg, Germany) Wednesday, 16 June, 5pm CET Yael Bitterman (Luethi Lab, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Switzerland) Adam Calhoun (Murthy Lab, Princeton University, USA) For more information, please visit our website (https://neurise.github.io/) find us on WorldWideNeuro (https://www.world-wide.org/Neuro/WWNeuRise/) or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/WWNeuRise) We are actively searching for PhD students and postdocs to give talks in our upcoming seminar blocks. On our website (https://neurise.github.io/) you can find an application form to directly apply, as well as a recommendation form, where you can suggest individuals from your lab, institute, or otherwise who you think might have an interesting story to tell! We are looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming seminars! The organising committee, Ellen Boven (Apps lab, University of Bristol) Christina Buetfering (Häusser lab, University College London) Lucie Descamps (Kentros lab, Norwegian University of Science and Technology) Gily Ginosar (Ulanovsky lab, Weizmann Institute) Loreen Hertäg (Clopath lab, Imperial College London) Joram Keijser (Sprekeler lab, TU Berlin) Bill Podlaski (Machens lab, Champalimaud Research)

April 29, 2021

Open Position for a PhD Candidate at the Donders Centre for Cognition

by Nasir Ahmad

*Dear Colleagues,* *We invite applicants for a PhD position on 'Bio-inspired learning algorithms for efficient and robust neural network models with a focus on neuromorphic computing and control of complex environments'.* https://www.ru.nl/english/working-at/vacature/details-vacature/?recid=11475… This project is embedded within the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) Unit in Radboud AI. The aim is to develop highly effective algorithms for training artificial neural network models which make use of (biologically plausible) information local to the individual nodes of the network. This locality will allow efficient implementation and testing of these algorithms on neuromorphic computing systems. The efficacy of the algorithms will be tested in the context of relevant reinforcement learning tasks using a control system theoretic approach to interaction with modelled environments. This work entails a theoretical (mathematical) development of state-of-the-art biologically plausible learning rules and reinforcement learning strategies alongside implementation/testing of these algorithms in the form of neuromorphic computing algorithms and agent-based artificial neural network modelling. We offer you a full-time (100%) position for 4 years. This project is supervised by Prof. van Gerven, Dr Nasir Ahmad and Dr. Bodo Rueckauer. You will be employed at the Artificial Intelligence department of the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, where you will have the opportunity to collaborate and interact with renowned international experts in machine learning, computational neuroscience and neuromorphic computing. You will also benefit from the extensive training programme of the Donders Graduate School. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to supervise MSc and BSc students in their thesis projects. 10% of your appointment will be devoted to support tasks in the ELLIS unit, such as helping to organise ELLIS activities or (co)supervision of ELLIS-related projects. If you are interested, please follow the link below for more information and instruction on how to apply: https://www.ru.nl/english/working-at/vacature/details-vacature/?recid=11475… The deadline is 16th May 2021. Feel free to email me or Marcel van Gerven ( marcel.vangerven(a)donders.ru.nl) with any questions/thoughts. Best wishes, Nasir Ahmad

April 29, 2021

Doctoral positions in experimental and computational neuroscience in Mainz and Frankfurt, Germany

by Matthias Kaschube

POSITIONS: The groups of Simon Rumpel at the Medical Center of the University of Mainz and Matthias Kaschube at FIAS in Frankfurt, Germany, together have openings for fully funded doctoral positions in experimental and computational neuroscience. The two groups tightly interact on several interdisciplinary joint projects funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Research combines behavioral learning assays, chronic imaging of synapses and activity patterns in the auditory cortex of mice, machine learning-assisted image analysis and data analysis, and neural circuit modelling. The overarching goal of these projects is to gain a deeper understanding of the neural underpinnings of adaptive, yet stable behavior by bridging studies of the dynamic connectome, large scale population activity and behavioral learning. The positions are available immediately. LAB ENVIRONMENTS: The experimental work will be carried out at the Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz offering methodology for advanced approaches in systems neuroscience including two-photon microscopy and molecular interventions using AAV vector systems (www.unimedizin-mainz.de/agrumpel) The theoretical work will be carried out primarily at FIAS, a research institution dedicated to fundamental theoretical research in various areas of science (https://www.fias.science/en/neuroscience/research-groups/matthias-kaschube/) FIAS hosts state-of-the-art facilities and has tight links to neuroscience centers at the Goethe University, the Max-Planck Institute for Brain Research and the Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience. The Rhine-Main area including the cities of Frankfurt and Mainz is a vibrant metropolitan area in the heart of Europe and boasts a rich cultural community. Due to the strong interactive nature, mutual short- and long-term visits in both labs will be part of the project. QUALIFICATIONS: This call for applications is geared towards theoreticians as well as experimentalists, and also offers a unique opportunity to all who see themselves in between the two poles. Selection criteria include scientific enthusiasm, strong experimental or quantitative skills and past research accomplishments. Applicants must have received training and a master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant quantitative discipline including biomedicine, biology, computer science or physics. Previous experience in neurobiology is advantageous but not essential. APPLYING: Applicants should email a brief letter of intent, a detailed CV and the names of at least two scientists who can give references (in a single PDF) to Simon Rumpel (sirumpel(a)uni-mainz.de, emphasis on the experimental aspects) or Matthias Kaschube (kaschube(a)fias.uni-frankfurt.de emphasis on the computational aspects). The position is available immediately, and we look forward to reviewing applications as they arrive. Both Mainz University and FIAS are dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs.

April 29, 2021

3 days remaining to submit a "Trainee Talk" for the second Canadian Computational Neuroscience Spotlight

by Scott Rich

The second edition of the Canadian Computational Neuroscience Spotlight (CCNSv2) is fast approaching, with the meeting taking place this coming May 17-18. We now have a permanent homepage for the meeting at ccnsmeeting.ca where you can see details on our finalized list of speakers and our four fantastic session chairs: Drs. Maurizio De Pitta, Etay Hay, Carmen Canavier, and Bratislav Misic. *There are now three days remaining for trainees (undergrads, grad students, postdocs, and research scientists) to submit an abstract for a "trainee talk" via https://forms.gle/bsbrvZca6F1q62RA6 <https://forms.gle/bsbrvZca6F1q62RA6>*. We anticipate all submissions that reasonably fall under the broad banner of "computational neuroscience" will be accepted unless the demand far exceeds our expectations. Talks will either be 8 minutes (with 2 minutes for questions) or 12 minutes (with 3 minutes for questions) depending on the demand. Four submissions that are both the most meritorious and best correspond with the themes of our sessions will be offered a longer, "spotlight" presentation. Please be sure to register for the meeting itself at https://www.crowdcast.io/e/ccnsv2/register if you submit a trainee abstract. Please feel free to spread the news about our meeting to anyone who might be interested as well! We look forward to seeing you at CCNSv2. Sincerely, – Scott Rich, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Krembil Research Institute – Andreea Diaconescu, Ph.D. Independent Scientist, Krembil Center for Neuroinformatics at CAMH – John Griffiths, Ph.D. Independent Scientist, Krembil Center for Neuroinformatics at CAMH – Milad Lankarany, Ph.D. Scientist, Krembil Research Institute

April 28, 2021

Open PhD Position on Machine Learning for Brain Connectivity in Clinical Neuroscience

by Emanuele Olivetti

We are pleased to announce the opening of one PhD position in neuroinformatics at the International Doctoral School in Cognitive and Brain Sciences (CIMeC) of the University of Trento, Italy. The PhD Grant is funded by the Neuroinformatics Laboratory (NILab) of Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK). The position is part of the “Neusurplan” project, an integrated approach to neurosurgery planning based on multimodal and longitudinal data. Neuroimaging methods, like structural, functional, and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), can be used to investigate the anatomical and functional connectivity of the brain. In this project, the candidate will pursue research on machine learning methods for neuroimaging data analysis to study and characterize brain connectivity, with applications to longitudinal studies and clinical practice. The ideal candidate should have a mixed background in neuroimaging techniques and numerate disciplines, like computer science, engineering, physics, or mathematics. This project is in collaboration with the Division of Neurosurgery, S. Chiara Hospital, Trento (IT). The position is for a 4 year PhD program (Nov. 1, 2020- Oct. 31, 2024). Courses are in English. The salary is starting at approximately €1.200/mo., net. An additional personal budget of around €5.000 is provided for research and mobility. The University of Trento ranks among top Italian Universities ( https://www.unitn.it/en/ateneo/1636/rankings) Fondazione Bruno Kessler ranks first among the Italian research centers in Engineering and Computer Science ( https://magazine.fbk.eu/en/news/fbk-ranks-1st-in-italy-for-scientific-excel… ). Why choose Trento? ( http://www.unitn.it/en/ateneo/1629/why-choose-the-university-of-trento) Important dates: Deadline for application: 25 May 2021 Evaluation interview: 28 June 2021 Beginning of PhD program: 1 November 2021 Apply now: https://www.unitn.it/en/ateneo/1942/announcement-of-selection https://www.unitn.it/drcimec/105/2021-topic-specific-grants-and-descriptions You are kindly invited to contact in advance Emanuele Olivetti ( olivetti(a)fbk.eu) and Paolo Avesani (paolo.avesani(a)unitn.it) Recent related publications: - Giulia Bertò, Daniel Bullock, Pietro Astolfi, Soichi Hayashi, Luca Zigiotto, Luciano Annicchiarico, Francesco Corsini, Alessandro De Benedictis, Silvio Sarubbo, Franco Pestilli, Paolo Avesani, Emanuele Olivetti, "Classifyber, a robust streamline-based linear classifier for white matter bundle segmentation", Neuroimage, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117402 - Gabriele Amorosino, Denis Peruzzo, Pietro Astolfi, Daniela Redaelli, Paolo Avesani, Filippo Arrigoni, Emanuele Olivetti, "Automatic Tissue Segmentation with Deep Learning in Patients with Congenital or Acquired Distortion of Brain Anatomy", Machine Learning in Clinical Neuroimaging and Radiogenomics in Neuro-oncology (MLCN 2020), https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66843-3_2 - Pietro Astolfi, Ruben Verhagen, Laurent Petit, Emanuele Olivetti, Jonathan Masci, Davide Boscaini, Paolo Avesani, "Tractogram filtering of anatomically non-plausible fibers with geometric deep learning", Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI 2020), https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59728-3_29 -- Emanuele Olivetti, Ph.D. Senior Research Scientist at Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK-ICT) NeuroInformatics Laboratory (NILab) http://nilab.fbk.eu Center for Mind and Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento Via delle Regole 101 - 38123 Mattarello (Trento), ITALY olivetti(a)fbk.eu - +39 0461314179 emanuele.olivetti(a)unitn.it - +39 0461282760 -- -- Le informazioni contenute nella presente comunicazione sono di natura privata e come tali sono da considerarsi riservate ed indirizzate esclusivamente ai destinatari indicati e per le finalità strettamente legate al relativo contenuto. Se avete ricevuto questo messaggio per errore, vi preghiamo di eliminarlo e di inviare una comunicazione all’indirizzo e-mail del mittente. -- The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material.

April 28, 2021

Open positions in the Vogels Lab

by Tim Vogels

Dear Colleagues, the Vogels lab has two open postdoctoral positions. TL;DR, if you liked our last NeurIPS paper https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.24.353409v1 <https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.24.353409v1> and you think you can contribute and imagine, oh, the places we’ll go from here,…from one of the most liveable cities in the world, … DO apply. — We are looking for at least two scientists to join the vogelslab.org as postdocs at the @ISTAustria near Vienna. The successful candidate will join an ongoing ERC funded project to discover families of spike-induced synaptic plasticity rules by way of numerical derivation. Together, we will define and explore search spaces of biologically plausible plasticity rules expressed e.g., as polynomial expansions or multi layer perceptrons. We aim to compare the results to various experimental and theoretical data sets, including functional spiking network models, human stem-cell derived neural network cultures, in vitro and in vivo experimental data. We are looking for someone who can expand and develop our multipurpose modular library dedicated to optimization of non-differentiable systems. Due to the modularity of the library, the candidate will have extensive freedom regarding which optimization techniques to use and what to learn in which systems, but being a team player will be a crucial skill. A conceivably successful candidate will have a strong expertise in numerical simulations, and specifically spiking neuron models, and some knowledge in the field of synaptic plasticity. A strong background in applied maths, especially in numerical optimization would be desirable. Some of the questions we ponder: How to express high dimensional rules in However, we can hire more than one person, and we would also be interested in someone who can contribute to design, implementation and maintenance of a library dedicated to performing numerical optimization in non-differentiable systems on large scales. We are thinking about how to simulate spiking neural networks with complex, unsupervised and supervised plasticity rules efficiently, in parallel, on a cluster. Depending on your (flexible, possibly immediate) starting date we can offer up to 4-year contracts with competitive salaries, benefits, vacation time and ample budget for materials and travel in a tranquil and inspiring environment. The Vogelslab, and the IST Austria is located in Klosterneuburg, a historic city northwest of Vienna. The campus is located in the middle of the beautiful landscape of the Vienna Woods, 30 minutes from downtown Vienna, the capital of Austria that consistently scores in the top cities of the world for its high standard of living. If you are interested, send an email with your application to Jessica . deAntoni [at] ist.ac.at. Your application should include your CV, your most relevant publication, contact information for 2 or more references, and a cover letter with a short description of you & your career, and a brief discussion of what you think is the greatest weakness of the above mentioned NeurIPS paper (and maybe how you would go about fixing it). We are looking to build a diverse and interesting environment, so if you bring any qualities that make our lab (and computational neuroscience at large) more diverse than it is right now, please consider applying. We will begin to evaluate applications at the end of April and aim to get back to you with a decision within 5 weeks of your application. We are also looking for people with a strong background in maths and machine learning, and an intense interest in neuroscience. Specifically, we will focus on (GABAergic, <http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv/pub/VogelsScience2011.pdf> codependent <http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv/pub/Hennequin2017.pdf>, and machine-learning inspired <https://fzenke.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ZenkeGanguli2018_SuperSpike.p…>) synaptic plasticity, and modulated <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-018-0276-0> neural network dynamics. <http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv/pub/HennequinNeuron2014.pdf> Finally, we are keen to hear from women and members of underrepresented groups in neuroscience. Please email me with any questions or thoughts. Best wishes, Tim Vogels --- Professor Neurotheory IST Austria vogelslab.org +43 2243 9000 2170

April 27, 2021

Post-doc in the Neurophysiology of Attention & Decision Making at UCLA

by Bisley, James

Apologies for cross-posting We invite applications for a post-doc position studying the interactions of attention and decision making in parietal cortex. The work will include recording from cortical areas MT and LIP while animals perform a visual search task utilizing moving dot patterns. For more information about the sort of work done in the lab, check out our publications at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/james.bisley.2/bibliography/public/. Applicants should have a strong background in systems neurophysiology, behavioral training or computational neuroscience and be comfortable working independently on all aspects of the project. Previous experience with NHP recording and data analysis is desirable. Candidates should hold a PhD in neuroscience, psychology or a related discipline. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. Candidates should send a CV, a brief statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for two references to James Bisley (jbisley(a)mednet.ucla.edu<mailto:jbisley@mednet.ucla.edu>). Cheers, James ________________________________ UCLA HEALTH SCIENCES IMPORTANT WARNING: This email (and any attachments) is only intended for the use of the person or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. You, the recipient, are obligated to maintain it in a safe, secure and confidential manner. Unauthorized redisclosure or failure to maintain confidentiality may subject you to federal and state penalties. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately notify us by return email, and delete this message from your computer.

April 26, 2021

Postdoc position on causal explanations in reinforcement learning at the University of Vienna

by Moritz Grosse-Wentrup

We have an opening for a postdoc position in the Research Group Neuroinformatics at the University of Vienna [1]. The position is funded by the CHIST-ERA project CausalXRL - Causal eXplanations in Reinforcement Learning [2]. The project aims to equip reinforcement learning agents with causal structure learning and reasoning abilities, enabling them to explore their environment more efficiently and justify their actions, e.g., in medical decision support. All work will be done in close collaboration with partners at the University of Sheffield and Inria Lille. The position is available for three years, with an earliest (but reasonably flexible) starting date on July 1st. Salary is according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for university staff at the University of Vienna (job group B1 100% [3]). Our ideal candidate would have * a background in computer science or mathematics, * recently finished their Ph.D. on reinforcement learning or causality, * published first-author papers at internationally recognized machine learning conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, UAI, ECML) or in prominent journals. We will consider all applicants with a strong track record in machine learning or artificial intelligence. We strive to be a heterogeneous research team and particularly welcome applications by women, transgender and intersex candidates, people of colour, disabled applicants and candidates from other underrepresented groups. Disabled applicants will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants. Your application should include a cover letter, a CV, relevant transcripts, and contact information of at least two referees. Please submit your application documents (as one PDF file) to fsg.neuroinformatics(a)univie.ac.at. We will begin screening applications on May 17th. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. Our offices are in downtown Vienna, which has been ranked the most liveable city globally for two years in a row [4]. The University of Vienna is one of Europe's largest universities (with >90k students) and has a vibrant research community. If you have any questions before applying, please contact me at moritz.grosse-wentrup(a)univie.ac.at! 1. https://ni.cs.univie.ac.at/ 2. https://www.chistera.eu/projects/causalxrl 3. https://personalwesen.univie.ac.at/en/jobs-recruiting/job-center/salary-sch… 4. https://www.eiu.com/topic/liveability -- Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Research Group Neuroinformatics Faculty of Computer Science University of Vienna Hörlgasse 6, A-1090 Wien, Austria moritz.grosse-wentrup(a)univie.ac.at +43-1-4277-79610 http://neural.engineering/

April 26, 2021

FINAL call to register for neuroscience workshops!

by Mary

With just 2 weeks to go, this is the final call for participants to register for upcoming neuroscience online courses, organized by ScienceBeam Academy, as described below: 1) “Deep Dive into Event Related Potentials (ERPs) Technique” Online Course Prospective overview of the sessions: 1. Basics of EEG signal and EEG recordings ➢ Overview of the theory behind neural signals (History) ➢ Generation and Propagation of ERP and EEG ➢ Different EEG Recording Systems with its specifics (Amplifier, Electrodes etc.) ➢ 10/20 Electrode System, Reference, Montages, Impedance, etc. ➢ Brain Rhythms and Cognition (Based on Clinical and Research Studies) 2. Basics of ERP Components ➢ ERP Components (MMN, P300, N400, N170, VPP, CNV, Sensory ERP Components, etc.) ➢ Difference Wave, Forward-Inverse Problem ➢ Challenges in ERP Source Localization ➢ Peaks and Components 3. EEG-ERP Prepossessing with Various Preprocessing Pipelines ➢ Basic Principles and Challenges ➢ Filtering, Baseline Correction, Interpolation, Artifact Rejection and Correction, Re-referencing, ICA etc. ➢ Pipelines: MAKATO, HAPPE, BEAP and etc. 4. Experimental Design ➢ Principles of Experimental design for ERP in Clinical and Research Settings ➢ Significance of Measurement Window ➢ Common Design Problems and Solutions ➢ Case Studies on research articles with good and bad design 5. Basic Analysis ➢ Quantifying ERP Amplitudes and Latencies ➢ Introduction to the Analysis tool boxes (EEGLAB, ERPLAB) ➢ FFT, Time Frequency Analysis 6. Common Mistakes (in lack of parameters) ➢ Overlapping ➢ Filtering ➢ Epoching ➢ Baseline Correction ➢ Measurement Window • Instructor: Mrs. Pragati Gupta, M.Sc. in Neuro-psychology from Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, India and a Student Member at Indian Academy of Neuroscience • Course Length: 7-sessions online course • Introductory webinar: https://sciencebeam.com/erplab-webinar/ • Registration: https://sciencebeam.com/pragati-gupta-course/ o Deadline: May 5, 2021 2) “Modeling Electrophysiological Activities: From Single Neuron to Nervous Tissue” Online Course. Theoretical and experimental hands-on course including lab sessions, in which you will learn about extracellular recording from rat models and also working with single-unit and Local Field Potential (LFP) data. Prospective overview of the sessions: 1. Session 1: ➢ Systems and complex system in neurosciences ➢ Origins of electrophysiological signals and measurements ➢ Electrophysiology and relevant features for computational modeling: o Membrane potential o Raster plot o Local field potential 2. Session 2: ➢ Understanding the time evolution of the electrophysiological signals from a dynamical systems point of view. ➢ Introduction to dynamical systems for neurosciences: o Differential equations o Phase space representation o Stability and domain of attraction ➢ Unidimensional and bidimensional models o Dynamics of integrate-and-fire models o Repertoire of 2 D models o Reduction of Hodgkin-Huxley model 3. Session 3: ➢ 2D and Higher dimensions models: o Particular role of the reset o Possibility of chaos ➢ Models of synapses ➢ Limits of models: o Biophysical and mechanistic description o Phenomenology ➢ Introduction to the first lab session (with Brian2 simulator) 4. Session 4: ➢ First Lab Session: o Repertoire of electrophysiological patterns o Models of networks o Global measure on simulations 5. Session 5: ➢ Second lab session: o analysis of the results o relations to the data ➢ Conclusive discussion • Instructor: Dr. Damien Depannmaecker, Post-Doc researcher at Department of Integrative and Computational Neuroscience, Paris Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, France • Course Length: 5-sessions hands-on online course • Introductory webinar: https://sciencebeam.com/modeling-electrophysiological-activities/ • Registration: https://sciencebeam.com/online-course-modeling-electrophysiological-activit… o Deadline: May 20, 2021 If you require any further information, feel free to contact us: workshop(a)sciencebeam.com

April 26, 2021

EBRAINS Training on Model Validation (May 4 - 7) - Extended Deadline

by Shailesh Appukuttan

*EBRAINS Training on Model Validation* *4–7 May 2021* https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ The HBP Education Programme is organising a training on Model Validation. This training will guide modellers and experimentalists in model validation (comparing simulation results to experimental data) using the EBRAINS Model Validation Framework. The training will take place *virtually* over 4 days. Participation in the Training is open to the entire student and researchers community, regardless of whether they are affiliated with the HBP or not. We encourage young scientists to register and aim at an equal gender representation. For a quick overview of the EBRAINS Model Validation Framework, check this short video: *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEq-McLHxD4 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEq-McLHxD4>* There are two parts to the workshop: - *Part 1: **May 4th, 5th* *talks, demos, hands-on tutorials* Deadline for application: *30 April (Friday) 2021* - *Part 2 (optional): **May 6th, 7th* *working on own projects* Deadline for application: *28 April (Wednesday) 2021* *Registration is free of charge for everyone. Visit:* https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ Applicants are allowed to register for only Part (1), in which case they are not required to submit the abstract (mentioned below). *Call for Submissions (for Part 2):* *For the 2nd part of the training,* we invite interested researchers to bring their own models and to send us a short abstract, describing your model. The abstracts should include: • A short description of your model • Simulators/tools used for developing and simulating models • Overview of validation(s) you wish to implement during the training (specify at least one validation test), along with target (experimental) reference data • If you have already some questions or comments, you are welcome to mention them • If your model is already published, please include references at the end of the abstract Please send your abstract latest until *30 April 2021 (Friday), 5pm (CET)* to training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Further information on abstract submission and registration: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ For any further questions, please contact training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Cheers, Shailesh Appukuttan

April 26, 2021

Fully funded PhD Position Panzeri Lab- Computational approaches to study the neural code

by Stefano Panzeri

*Fully funded PhD Position Panzeri Lab - Computational approaches to study the neural code* I am seeking candidates for a PhD position fully funded (including a full stipend) for 4 years in my laboratory. The PhD project can focus on any of the research topics about neural information processing that are of interest to both the candidate and my lab, including: developing mathematical analysis methods and neural network models for studying large scale neural population coding during cognitive tasks, for studying the neural bases of sensory perception and decision making, for linking functional to anatomical connectivity with cellular resolution at the neural population level, and for determining the best theoretical framework to combine recording of neural activity (calcium imaging, electrophysiology, EEG) and intervention on it (optogenetics, TMS). My computational neuroscience lab has developed long-term collaboration with many experimental laboratories including Christopher Harvey (Harvard Medical School), Tobias Donner (UKE), Tommaso Fellin (IIT), Mathew Diamond (SISSA), Alex Thiele (Newcastle), Cristina Becchio (IIT), Alessandro Gozzi (IIT), Mike Lombardo (IIT) and others. The PhD project will likely involve collaborations with one or more experimental lab. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in numerate sciences, and have a strong propensity for interdisciplinary research. No extensive previous experience in neuroscience is needed. However, a keen interest in understanding the brain is essential. The deadline for the formal application is set to *May 21th 2021*, but quite a bit of paperwork is needed. Thus, interested candidates are invited to contact me informally by email (*stefano.panzeri(a)gmail.com <stefano.panzeri(a)gmail.com>*) *as soon as possible,* by attaching their CV and briefly explaining their interest in this position, to initiate discussion about potential PhD projects of interest and to discuss the details of the formal application process. For recent representative publications please see: Runyan, C.A., Piasini, E., Panzeri, S., and Harvey, C.D. (2017). Distinct timescales of population coding across cortex. *Nature* 548, 92-96. Panzeri S., Harvey, C.D. Piasini, E., Latham, P.E. , Fellin, T. (2017) Cracking the neural code for sensory perception by combining statistics, intervention and behaviour. *Neuron* 93: 491-507 G. Pica, E. Piasini, H. Safaai, C.A. Runyan, M.E. Diamond, T. Fellin, C. Kayser, C.D. Harvey, S. Panzeri, (2017) Quantifying how much sensory information in a neural code is relevant for behavior, *Neural Information Processing Systems* (NIPS) 30, 2017, available online H. Safaai, A. Onken, C.D. Harvey, S. Panzeri (2018) Information estimation using nonparametric copulas. *Phys. Rev. E* 98, 053302 E. Chong, M. Moroni, S. Shoham, S. Panzeri, D. Rinberg (2020) Manipulating synthetic optogenetic odors reveals the coding logic of olfactory perception. *Science* 368, 1329. S. Pashkovski, G. Iurilli, D. Brann, D. Chicharro, K. Drummey, K. Franks, S. Panzeri, S.R. Datta (2020). Structure and flexibility in cortical representations of odour space. *Nature*: 583: 253-258 doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2451-1 J-F Patri, A. Cavallo, K. Pullar, M. Soriano, M. Valente, A. Koul, A. Avenanti, S. Panzeri*, C. Becchio* (2020) Transient disruption of the inferior parietal lobule impairs the ability to attribute intention to action. *Current Biology* 30: 4594-4605 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.104 S. Trakoshis, P. Martínez-Cañada, … A. Gozzi, S. Panzeri, and M.V. Lombardo (2020) Intrinsic excitation-inhibition imbalance affects medial prefrontal cortex differently in autistic men versus women. eLIFE 9: e55684. doi.org/10.7554/eLife.55684 D. Ferro, J. van Kempen, M. Boyd, S. Panzeri*, A. Thiele* (2021) Directed information exchange between cortical layers in macaque V1 and V4 and its modulation by selective attention. *PNAS* 118 (12), e2022097118, doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2022097118 Valente, A., Pica, G., Bondanelli, G., Moroni, M., Runyan, C.A., Morcos, A., Harvey, C.D., and Panzeri, S. (2021). Correlations enhance the behavioral readout of neural population activity in association cortex. *Nature Neuroscience*, in press, early preprint available at: https://t.co/QJ3aHlTFad Stefano Panzeri

April 25, 2021

NIH BRAIN postdoc: Computational neuroscience, machine learning & vision

by Michael Beyeler

Assistant Professor Michael Beyeler and his Bionic Vision Lab ( https://bionicvisionlab.org) at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) invite applications for a fully funded postdoctoral position at the intersection of computational neuroscience and machine learning. Funded by the NIH BRAIN Initiative, the goal of this project is to determine how the mouse brain extracts relevant visual features from the rich, dynamic visual input that typifies active exploration, and to investigate how the neural representations of these features can support visual navigation. Under the guidance of Michael Beyeler, and in consultation with Bing Brunton (University of Washington), the role of the candidate is to perform data-driven statistical analyses and develop (deep) predictive models of brain activity based on visual input and several behavioral variables. The data includes one-of-a-kind measures of neural activity in mice navigating through real-world and virtual environments, collected using 2-photon imaging and electrophysiology by our collaborators Spencer Smith (UCSB), Michael Goard (UCSB), and Cris Niell (University of Oregon). This is an opportunity to work on an impactful real-world problem within a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative environment. The successful candidate should have a strong quantitative background with a PhD in computer science, computational neuroscience, cognitive sciences, statistics, or a closely related field. To work effectively in this highly collaborative environment, superior communication, language, and writing skills are required. Expertise in programming and statistical analysis is required as well; previous background in vision, neuroscience or deep learning would be highly beneficial. Candidates should send their CV, expected date of availability, and contact information for 2-3 references to Michael Beyeler (mbeyeler(a)ucsb.edu) Further information: - Position Title: Postdoctoral Fellow - Job Duration: 2 years, full-time - Start Date: asap / negotiable - Required Travel: 0-10% (possibility of interning with our collaborators) -- Michael Beyeler Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences University of California, Santa Barbara bionicvisionlab.org

April 23, 2021

SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting: Tuesday, April 27th by C. Ann Duan

by Laura Long

The Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB) hosts postdoc/student meetings to bring together trainees interested in neural coding and dynamics to discuss ideas and data. In addition to regional meetings in New York, Boston, and the Bay Area, SCGB holds a Global virtual series to connect systems and computational neuroscientists across the world. We would love to see you at this month's Global meeting! Please see event details and Zoom link below. SCGB Global Postdoc/Student Meeting: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-146… Tuesday, April 27th, 9am Eastern Time https://simonsfoundation.zoom.us/j/93633603374?pwd=LytrcVp6MWlPY1dkb2UvbUJW… Passcode: 989252 C. Ann Duan SCGB Postdoctoral Fellow, Chinese Academy of Sciences Incoming Group Leader, Sainsbury Wellcome Centre *Cortical and collicular contributions to decision making in rats and mice* A central goal of behavioral neuroscience is to expose general principles of neural computation that give rise to cognition. Until recently, cognitive functions were thought to mainly rely on cortical areas such as the frontal cortex, while “old” subcortical areas, such as the midbrain superior colliculus (SC), have mostly been associated with sensorimotor processing. Based on these earlier work, we expected the SC to be passively inhibited while animals avoided unwanted reflexive actions. We were surprised to find that the SC played an active and pivotal role in suppressing context-inappropriate behaviors. Since then, my research has focused on understanding how the SC, in coordination with cortex, implements flexible decision making. My talk will cover work in two different decision-making tasks: flexible sensorimotor routing in freely-moving rats and motor planning in head-fixed mice. Using electrophysiology, optogenetics, pathway-specific two-photon calcium imaging, and computational modeling, we found that the SC is particularly important during the memory period in both tasks, when the context information or motor planning signals need to be maintained in the brain in the absence of sensory input and motor output. The participation of SC seems to increase as cognitive demand increases in both behaviors. Together, our experimental and computational work reveal the SC as a key node in the distributed cortico-subcortical network underlying flexible behaviors, and make surprising predictions for how decision making is implemented in brain circuits. *Please note that this meeting is open to all neuroscience postdocs and PhD students, regardless of location or SCGB affiliation (sorry, no PIs). *After Q&A with the speaker, we will open breakout rooms for anyone interested in staying to chat, network, or further discuss the talk. In addition to these breakouts, SCGB Scientific Staff will be available for "office hours" to chat and answer questions about SCGB programs and support. Registration on EventBrite is encouraged but not required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/scgb-global-postdocstudent-meeting-tickets-146… Please contact Laura Long at llong(a)simonsfoundation.org with any questions.

April 22, 2021

Postdoc / Research Fellow positions - Prague, Czech Republic - Institute of Computer Science CAS

by pokornam

POSTDOC / RESEARCH FELLOW POSITION IN BRAIN SIGNAL PROCESSING: VISUAL INFORMATION FLOWS is available to join the Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics group [1] for the project: "Timing of the spatial scene processing in the dorsal and ventral visual stream of the human brain" funded by the Czech Science Foundation. More information and application at: HTTPS://WWW.CS.CAS.CZ/JOB-OFFER/IEEG-POSTDOC-POSITIONS-HLINKA2/EN ___ POSTDOC /RESEARCH FELLOW POSITION IN COMPLEX NETWORK ANALYSIS: CRITICAL EVENTS DETECTION is available to join the Complex Networks and Brain Dynamics group [1] for the project: “MODELLING AND ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS FOR SAFETY OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES“ as part of the National Center of Competence - Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence funded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, and related projects. More information and application at: HTTPS://WWW.CS.CAS.CZ/JOB-OFFER/NCK-POSTDOC-POSITIONS-HLINKA1/EN Institute of Computer Science Czech Academy of Sciences Pod Vodarenskou vezi 2 Prague 8, 182 07, Czech Republic Links: ------ [1] http://cobra.cs.cas.cz/

April 22, 2021

12 PhD fellowships in Neuroscience at Unipd

by Samir Suweis

The Padova Neuroscience Center (http://pnc.unipd.it/ <http://pnc.unipd.it/>) is delighted to announce its second call for at least 12 fully funded PhD fellowships in Neuroscience at the University of Padova. The multidisciplinary PhD program includes research lines and methods from Multimodal Imaging, Molecular-Cellular-System, Cognitive-Affective-Behavioral, Translational-Clinical and Computational Neuroscience. The time-frame for the application is 8th of April-12th of May 2021 (at 1 pm). The details for the application are published at http://pnc.unipd.it/admission/ <http://pnc.unipd.it/admission/>. Interested candidates can also contact us (pnc.generalinfo(a)gmail.com <mailto:pnc.generalinfo@gmail.com>) for further information. Please forward this message to collaborators and students. Thanks **** Padova University <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6ksrtGO-aI> is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe - established in 1222. The University of Padova invests significantly in research activities and projects. Padova, is a small and beautiful town, shaped around the University <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHz98-ERwTs&t=243s>. Low living costs, great food, and you can bike everywhere! Samir Suweis, Ph.D. - - - - - - - - Assistant Professor, LIPh Lab - www.liphlab.com <http://www.liphlab.com/>, Physics & Astronomy Dept. Padova Neuroscience Center University of Padova Tel: +39 049 827 71 74 @SamirSuweis https://suweis.github.io/ <https://suweis.github.io/> Why don't you join the next generation publishing experiment with "Peer Community In" - publish and read at no cost and inject more money into research! Check us out @ https://peercommunityin.org <https://peercommunityin.org/> https://youtu.be/4PZhpnc8wwo <https://youtu.be/4PZhpnc8wwo> @PeerCommunityIn

April 22, 2021

FENS Regional Meeting 2021 - August 25-27 - ONLINE

by Michał Zaręba

*On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to invite you to participate in this year's FENS Regional Meeting (FRM), which takes place online on August 25-27, 2021. Abstracts can be submitted until May 10.* The FRM 2021 <https://fensfrm2021.pl/en> is organized jointly by the Polish Neuroscience Society (PNS) and the Lithuanian Neuroscience Association (LNA) under the auspices and with support from the Federation of the European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), and also with support from the International Brain Research Organization Pan-Europe Regional Committee (IBRO PERC). The FRM 2021 original city venue was Krakow, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Organizing Committee decided to hold the event on-line to ensure all attendees may meet safely. The conference will present the latest developments in neuroscience research and host panel discussions on topics ranging from directions for future development to diversity issues in the academia. The presidential and keynotes lecture of the meeting will be given by: - *Wolfram Schultz *(University of Cambridge, United Kingdom) - *Fiona Doetsch *(University of Basel, Switzerland) - *Virginijus Šikšnys* (Vilnius University, Lithuania) - *Naomi Anne Fineberg* (University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom) - *Jürgen Knoblich* (Institute of Molecular Biotechnology OAW, Vienna, Austria) - *Riita Hari* (Aalto University, Helsinki, Finnland) - *Arturas Petronis *(Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada) - *Amita Sehgal *(University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA) - *Gábor Nyiri *(Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary) More information regarding the conference can be found on the website. <https://fensfrm2021.pl/en>

April 21, 2021

postdoc on psychophysics and modelling of perceptual inference (CRM, Barcelona)

by Alexandre Hyafil

A postdoc position is available under the supervision of Alexandre Hyafil in the group of Computational Neuroscience at the *Center for Research in Mathematics (CRM),* Barcelona, Spain ( http://www.crm.cat/research-group/5/computational-neuroscience/ <http://www.crm.cat/en/Research/ResearchGroups/Neuroscience/Pages/default.as…>). The project will combine modelling and psychophysics (possibly neuroimaging) to study the computational mechanisms underlying human perception. The candidate will benefit from the stimulating environment of Barcelona area in Theoretical and Systems Neuroscience and will have the opportunity of enjoying a lively city (should the pandemics permit). Our lab forms part of a larger interacting network of neuroscience labs in Barcelona ( http://www.barccsyn.org) Candidates should have a PhD in computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience or a related field. Prior experience with psychophysics, neuroimaging, machine learning and/or computational modelling will be valued. Financial support is provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science. Initial appointment: two years. *APPLICATION:* Send a curriculum and motivation letter with a list of two contacts for recommendation letter to alexandre.hyafil(a)gmail.com. Informal enquiries are welcome. *DEADLINE:* until the position is filled

April 21, 2021

Postdoctoral associate positions in Decision Neuroscience and/or Computational Psychiatry (Virginia Tech)

by Pearl Chiu

Dear All, We are seeking talented postdocs at Virginia Tech! Please see the description below for more information. Apologies for cross-posting; please feel free to distribute broadly. Thanks for considering, Pearl --- Postdoctoral Associate Positions in Decision Neuroscience and/or Computational Psychiatry Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Roanoke, Virginia Multiple openings are available immediately in the labs of Dr. Pearl Chiu and Dr. Brooks King-Casas at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion (http://research.vtc.vt.edu/) Projects in the labs use a variety of human neuroscience methods (fMRI, electrochemistry, MEG) to examine motivated behavior and social influences on decision-making with additional methods adapted from behavioral & computational neuroscience, experimental economics, computational psychiatry, and psychology. Ongoing projects focus on processes in individuals with and without psychopathology. Qualified candidates with basic science backgrounds are welcome, and training in applied science will be provided; a subset of projects also involve multi-dimensional biomarker development. For interested candidates, the labs provide plentiful opportunities to examine how neurobehavioral anomalies may be quantified and rehabilitated in depression, substance dependence, post-traumatic stress, personality disorders, and at-risk adolescents. The labs are located in the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion in Roanoke, VA, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The FBRI provides full access to outstanding infrastructure, including three research-dedicated Siemens 3T scanners and a high-throughput computing cluster. The successful candidate will play a lead role in highly collaborative multidisciplinary scientific efforts. Minimum requirements for the position include: 1) a PhD in computational or cognitive neuroscience, engineering, psychology, experimental economics, or a related field; 2) facility with computational neuroscience, signal processing, Bayesian inference, or machine learning; and 3) demonstrated potential for excellence. Please forward a statement of interest and CV. Three letters of recommendation will be required of candidates under final consideration. Consideration of applications will begin immediately and will end when the positions are filled. Salary is competitive and will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. Virginia Tech Carilion is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and is committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Send inquiries and materials to: Pearl Chiu, PhD and Brooks King-Casas, PhD chiup(a)vtc.vt.edu and bkcasas(a)vtc.vt.edu -- Pearl Chiu, PhD Associate Professor Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech VTC School of Medicine Salem VA Medical Center 2 Riverside Circle, R1110 Roanoke VA 24016 +1 540-526-2019 chiup(a)vtc.vt.edu

April 20, 2021

Call for Participation - The Chef's Hat Cup @ IJCAI2021

by Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros

Call For Participation - The Chef's Hat Cup @ IJCAI2021 I. Aim and Scope Most of the current Reinforcement-Learning solutions, although having real-world-inspired scenarios, focus on a direct space-action-reward mapping between the agent's actions and the environment’s state. That translates to agents that can adapt to dynamic scenarios, but, when applied to competitive and/or cooperative cases, fail to assess and deal with the impact of their opponents. In most cases, when these agents choose an action, they do not take into consideration how other agents can affect the state of the scenario. In competitive scenarios, the agents have to learn decisions that a) maximize their chances of winning the game, and b) minimize their adversaries' goals, while in cooperative scenarios b) is inverted. Besides dealing with complex scenarios, such solutions would have to deal with the dynamics between the agents themselves. In this regard, social reinforcement learning is still behind the mainstream applications and demonstrations of the last years. We introduce here the Chef's Hat Cup, a competition that aims at the development of the most challenging artificial players! The competition is separated into two tracks: a competitive and a cooperative scenario. In the first track, the participants will use the already available simulation environment to develop the most effective agents to play the Chef’s Hat card game and be the winner. In the second track, they will have to develop an agent that can increase the chances of a dummy agent winning the game. More information: https://www.whisperproject.eu/chefshat#competition II. Deadlines Starting Date: April 20, 2021 Final submission: June 15, 2021 Winners Announcement: July 06, 2021 III. Team Registration Teams of up to five persons are invited to participate in the competition. You can register by sending the following information: Team name Participant Names and affiliation to this email: pablo.alvesdebarros(a)iit.it IV. Organizers Pablo Barros, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Leandro Honorato, University of Pernambuco, Brazil Marco Matarese, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Alessandra Sciutti, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy ---------------------------------------- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Researcher - CONTACT Unit Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – Center for Human Technologies Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B 16152 Genova, Italy email: pablo.alvesdebarros(a)iit.it website: https://www.pablobarros.net<http://www.pablobarros.net><https://www.p> twitter: @PBarros_br

April 20, 2021

2 postdoc positions in new SPIKEFERENCE project at AI department Donders Institute

by Justus H?botter

The AI department at the Donders Institute has two postdoc positions available for the new SPIKEFERENCE project. The application deadline is 9 May 2021. The SPIKEFERENCE project, co-funded by the Human Brain Project (HBP), aims to control industrial robots with neuroscience-inspired algorithms providing adaptation and conditional hierarchical problem-solving. You will work in close collaboration with the supervisors (Pablo Lanillos, Serge Thill and Marcel van Gerven), other postdocs and a PhD student. You will join an exciting and vibrant young team of experts in ML, AI and neuromorphic computing, and profit from the newly created ELLIS unit in Nijmegen and the HBP community. Postdoc 1. Deep Learning profile - https://solliciteren.ru.nl/cgi-bin/share/og_pxs.pl?target=LI&recid=1148428 This postdoctoral researcher position is framed in a new promising line of research within neuroscience-inspired artificial intelligence linked to adaptation and improvisation. Starting from our current deep active inference models, you will develop novel algorithms for robot perception and action by combining ideas from state representation learning, variational inference and functional models of the brain. Postdoc 2. SpikingNN robot control profile - https://solliciteren.ru.nl/cgi-bin/share/og_pxs.pl?target=LI&recid=1148452 This postdoctoral researcher position will develop SNN models for robot control, inspired by our current deep active inference algorithms and SNN controllers, assess and validate them against current predictive coding SNNs models, and demonstrate the networks on the Neurorobotics platform, from a simple proof of concept in basic environments to initial control of a UR5e. Do you want to shape the future of robot AI? Join Us. Soon the SPIKEFERENCE website will be available with more info. The project will have two amazing external advisors: Karl Friston and Chris Eliasmith Link to the recently awarded project: https://www.ru.nl/donders/news/news/@1309322/ai-scientists-join-human-brain… Pablo Lanillos, Serge Thill, Marcel van Gerven. Dr. Pablo Lanillos www.therobotdecision.com<http://www.therobotdecision.com> Assistant professor in Cognitive Artificial Intelligence | AI Robotics Lab ELLIS Nijmegen Unit Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, the Netherlands p.lanillos @ donders.ru.nl

April 20, 2021

Announcing Neuromatch Academy courses for 2021!

by Mohamed Abdelhack

Dear colleagues, We are excited to announce that Neuromatch Academy (NMA) will offer two courses this year: NMA-Computational Neuroscience: July 5-23, 2021 Content: https://github.com/NeuromatchAcademy/course-content NMA-Deep Learning: Aug 2-20, 2021 Content: https://github.com/NeuromatchAcademy/course-content-dl Applications for interactive students and teaching assistants will be open April 15 to May 7th 2021. Faculty interested in being project mentors can use the same portal to apply. Application Portal: https://portal.neuromatchacademy.org/ What is Neuromatch Academy? Neuromatch Academy (NMA) launched last year as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aimis to provide globally-accessible, high-quality, TA-supported training in computational techniques related to neuroscience. In 2020, NMA designed and ran a fully online 3-week Computational Neuroscience course for 1757 students with 191 teaching assistants (TAs) working in virtual inverted (or flipped) classrooms and on small group projects. Fourteen languages, active community management, and low cost allowed for an unprecedented level of inclusivity and universal accessibility. What’s in a course? Our courses are intensive 3-week programs involving hands-on tutorials developed by experts in the field. We have two tracks for students: interactive and observer. Accepted interactive students are placed into TA-led pods (groups) using the neuromatch algorithm, which matches students with common interests who are in the same timezone and their preferred language for instruction. Interactive students receive personalized support as they work through hands-on tutorials and collaborate on course projects. Officially registered observer track students have full access to the materials, access to NMA course communications (e.g., Discord), and can choose to be matched with other observer track students What does it cost? We charge full-time students/academics a region adjusted small fee for the Interactive track in order to pay for TAs (fee waivers are available to those who need it, no questions asked). Students without an academic affiliation (i.e., industry applicants) are charged the full unsubsidized cost of the school, but can also inquire about waivers. Observer track participants have access to all the content at no cost, but are not placed in TA-led pods. Please see the website (https://academy.neuromatch.io/) for additional information, pre-course resources and volunteer opportunities! Warm Regards, Neuromatch Academy team Follow [@neuromatch](https://twitter.com/neuromatch) on twitter for regular updates!

April 19, 2021

Announcing "Bernstein SmartSteps - Featuring Early Career Scientists"

by Anja Dorrn

The Bernstein SmartSteps<https://www.bernstein-network.de/en/the-network/bernstein-smartsteps/aboutB…> series provides a unique platform for selected Early Career Scientists of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience<https://www.bernstein-network.de/en> to present their research projects to the scientific community. Once a month, starting in April 2021, one PhD candidate and one Postdoc who are ready to take their next (smart) step for their scientific career will discuss their research in an online seminar. Join the Bernstein SmartSteps Series as an audience if you are interested in cutting-edge computational neuroscience and want to watch out for new talents in the field. The live talks will be held in Zoom. A recording will be published in a separate collection on the Bernstein Vimeo Channel. Please register here<https://bit.ly/3e43j5s>, if you would like to join for the live talks. A link to the event in Zoom will be sent shortly before via email. Spring Talks 2021<https://bit.ly/BeSmSt> Thursday, April 29, 4 pm CEST * Gily Ginosar (Ulanovsky lab) | Weizmann Institut, Rehovot, Israel Locally-ordered representation of 3D space in the entorhinal cortex * Friedrich Schuessler (Barak lab) | Technion, Haifa, Israel Recurrent network dynamics lead to interference in sequential learning Thursday, May 20, 4 pm CEST * Claire Meissner-Bernard (Friedrich lab) | Friedrich Miescher Institut, Basel, Schweiz Co-tuned, balanced excitation and inhibition in olfactory memory networks * Samuel Eckmann (Gjorgjieva lab) | Max Planck Institut für Hirnforschung, Frankfurt, Deutschland A theory for Hebbian learning in recurrent E-I networks Thursday, June 10, 4 pm CEST * Paul Pfeiffer (Schreiber lab) | Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Deutschland Capacitance clamp - artificial capacitance in biological neurons via dynamic clamp * Willem Wybo (Morrison lab) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Deutschland Data-driven reduction of dendritic morphologies with preserved dendro-somatic responses -- Dr. Anja Dorrn Scientific Coordinator Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9589 web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 16, 2021

CALL FOR WORKSHOPS AND TUTORIALS - 30th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021)

by Martin Zapotocky

**Organization for Computational Neurosciences 2885 Sanford Ave SW #15359 Grandville, MI 49418 USA** ** *Call for Workshops and Tutorials**at the 30th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021 Online, **July 3-7)***** We are requesting proposals for workshops and tutorials from the international community of computational neuroscientists. Proposals from all levels of faculty as well as advanced postdoctoral fellows are welcome. Tutorials are to be held on the first day and workshops on the last two days of the CNS*2021 Meeting <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-online>. This is an excellent opportunity to reach the large online audience participating in this meeting (with over 1,000 attendees the previous year). Registration for tutorials and workshops is included in the main meeting registration. Please see the links below for detailed information. Questions regarding workshops and tutorials should be addressed to workshops(a)cnsorg.org <mailto:workshops@cnsorg.org> or tutorials(a)cnsorg.org <mailto:tutorials@cnsorg.org>. We are looking forward to your submissions. CALL FOR WORKSHOPS: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-call-for-workshops <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-call-for-workshops> Priority Deadline for proposals: *May 15* Jorge Mejias, Workshops Chair for CNS*2021 CALL FOR TUTORIALS: https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-call-for-tutorials <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-call-for-tutorials> Deadline for proposals: *May 15* Anca Doloc-Mihu, Tutorials Chair for CNS*2021 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OCNS is the international member-based society for computational neuroscientists. Become a member to be eligible for awards and other benefits. Visit our website for more information: https://www.cnsorg.org <https://www.cnsorg.org> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upozorneni: Neni-li v teto zprave vyslovne uvedeno jinak, ma tato E-mailova zprava nebo jeji prilohy pouze informativni charakter. Tato zprava ani jeji prilohy v zadnem ohledu ustavy AV CR, v.v.i. k nicemu nezavazuji. Text teto zpravy nebo jejich priloh neni navrhem na uzavreni smlouvy, ani prijetim pripadneho navrhu na uzavreni smlouvy, ani jinym pravnim jednanim smerujicim k uzavreni jakekoliv smlouvy a nezaklada predsmluvni odpovednost ustavu AV CR, v.v.i. Disclaimer: If not expressly stated otherwise, this e-mail message (including any attached files) is intended purely for informational purposes and does not represent a binding agreement on the part of Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The text of this message and its attachments cannot be considered as a proposal to conclude a contract, neither the acceptance of a proposal to conclude a contract, nor any other legal act leading to concluding any contract; nor does it create any pre-contractual liability on the part of Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

April 16, 2021

Postdoc position available in PET/MRI at MGH, Harvard Medical School

by Wey, Hsiao-Ying

Research Fellow in Simultaneous PET/MR Neuroimaging Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School We are seeking two postdoctoral fellows to join our team to pursue research in simultaneous PET/MR imaging in neuroscience applications. Our research focuses on developing and applying novel PET/MRI methods to investigate the neurochemical underpinnings of psychiatric and neurological disorders. We have projects and training opportunities in the following area: (1) Quantify neuroreceptor dynamics and function with pharmacological challenges in animal models and human subjects, with applications in pain, addiction, and psychiatric disorders; (2) Assess the impacts of neurovascular coupling on PET radiotracer kinetics, with applications in neurodegenerative disorders; and (3) Develop and evaluate novel PET radiotracers for first-in-human study and clinical applications. Our research programs are highly translational spanning from animal models, first-in-human studies, to clinical applications. The appointment as a Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School research fellow will be for 1 year with possibility for extension based on performance and the availability of funding. The positions are available immediately. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated researcher with a desire to begin an independent career related to or involving neuroimaging. The position requires a Ph.D. degree in Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Neuroscience or a related field. However, we will consider candidates of any scientific background. This position requires experience in analysis of medical imaging data. Experience with MRI or PET is a plus. Extremely strong candidates with minimal imaging experience are still encouraged to apply. Strong written and oral English communication skills are required. [cid:clip_image001.png]Additional Skills/Abilities/Competencies The job requires a candidate who is mature, responsible and flexible with excellent organizational and people skills. S/He must be able to work with in a fast-paced environment and should be able to problem-solve/troubleshoot, juggle and prioritize multiple tasks and seek assistance when appropriate. Application Interested applicants should send a cover letter describing research interests and experience, an updated CV, and names and contact information of three references to: Hsiao-Ying (Monica) Wey, Ph.D. (E-mail: hsiaoying.wey(a)mgh.harvard.edu) Please contain “Research Fellow Application: Your Name” in the e-mail subject line. The Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. Best, Hsiao-Ying (Monica) ------ Hsiao-Ying (Monica) Wey, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School Director of Translational Imaging, Chemical Neuroscience Program<https://chemneuro.martinos.org/> A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging <https://www.martinos.org/>Institute for Innovation in Imaging (i3)<https://i3.mgh.harvard.edu/> Massachusetts General Hospital 149 Thirteenth Street, Room 10.110 Charlestown, MA 02129 Phone: (617) 724-1384 Email: hsiaoying.wey(a)mgh.harvard.edu Website: weylab.martinos.org

April 15, 2021

Funding opportunities at NASA HRP solicitation Appendix E

by Reinoud Maex

From: mailman-bounces(a)neuroinformatics.be <mailman-bounces(a)neuroinformatics.be> on behalf of Zawaski, Janice A. (JSC-SD211) <janice.zawaski(a)nasa.gov> Sent: 14 April 2021 04:21 To: comp-neuro-owner(a)neuroinformatics.be Cc: Elgart, S Robin (JSC-SK4)[WYLE LABORATORIES, INC.] Subject: NASA HRP solicitation Appendix E Dear Computational Neuro Owner, My name is Janice Zawaski and I am the Space Radiation Deputy Element Scientist within the NASA Human Research Program (HRP). HRP funds research with the goal of buying down the risks associated with spaceflight such as the effects of space radiation on the CNS. Currently, the NASA Human Research Program has an active solicitation, Appendix E Topic 2, that is focused on utilizing computational brain models to characterize the effects of space radiation exposure. Due to the limited time, Step-1s (1 page LOI) due April 30th, would it be possible for an administrator to send the information below to the Computation Neuroscience Mailing list? I have also included information about our omnibus opportunity Appendix F that is released three times a year. The NASA Human Research Program has released two funding opportunities for research relevant to the Space Radiation Element. Appendix E Flagship Opportunity: https://tinyurl.com/HERO20-HHP<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.c…> Space Radiation Topics: Topic 2. Computational Brain Modeling to Characterize the Effects of Space Radiation Exposure Specific Research Focus Area This topic seeks proposals that focus on identifying, based on historical data / prior research, biophysical parameters and structural features that are altered after radiation exposure and to substitute these into computational brain models in patterns reflecting radiation exposure. The model can then be used to interrogate how network activity is altered and its implications on information processing and network stability – i.e. a perturbation analysis. Network firing statistics, ability to maintain oscillations, etc. would represent some of the potential outcome measures. Due to high complexity of the research required, we encourage cross-discipline collaboration and multi-disciplinary teams, including but not limited to radiation biologists, radiation physicists, computational modelers, neuroscientists, etc. Research Platform Ground-based analogs, Computational. Proposers should discuss radiation parameters with the Space Radiation Element prior to proposal submission. Research proposing in vitro and/or in vivo irradiation experiments will be considered non-responsive. Required Deliverables Development of a computational 3D brain model of the hippocampus and/or prefrontal cortex able to characterize and quantify space radiation effects. Quantification, using the developed model, of space radiation exposure including:  Dose/Fluence Response Characterization  Effect of single ions and/or mixed fields (i.e. Proton and HZE) Desired Deliverable Identification of thresholds for failure modes. Validation of the in silico model based on the comparison to historical experimental behavioral results. Appendix F Omnibus Opportunity: https://tinyurl.com/HERO20-OMNIBUS3<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.c…> Three different categories * Applied Investigations * New Investigator Opportunity (**NEW**) * Early Career Investigator Opportunity (**NEW**) The goal of the Omnibus is to expedite progress in various research areas in a short period of time, NASA is requesting proposals for short-term investigations or technology development projects that provide innovative approaches to any of the risks and associated knowledge gaps contained in the Human Research Program (HRP) Integrated Research Plan (IRP). We strongly encourage researchers from all career stages to participate as part of our ongoing efforts to broaden the expertise of our research community. Additionally, please distribute to any colleagues that might be interested in responding. Step-1 proposals are due April 30 thru the NASA NSPIRES system (NSPIRES - NASA Research Opportunities Online (nasaprs.com)<https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/>) which requires registration. The Element is limited in the specific feedback we can provide regarding proposals but please do not hesitate to contact us with questions. Note that eligibility is limited to USA institutions. Thank you! The Space Radiation Element Team jsc-hrp-space-radiation-element(a)mail.nasa.gov Thank you, Janice Janice Zawaski, Ph.D. Deputy Element Scientist Space Radiation – Human Research Program JSC B21/2147 | Houston, TX 77058

April 15, 2021

PhD position / Bordeaux / Machine learning / Neuroscience

by Nicolas P. Rougier (inria)

Dear colleagues, Inria (https://www.inria.fr/en) and the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases (https://www.imn-bordeaux.org/en/) is opening a PhD position in machine learning and neuroscience. Title: Bags O' Neurons Who: Nicolas P. Rougier (Inria) & Thomas Boraud (CNRS) When: 09/2021 to 09/2024 Where: Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bordeaux, France What: The objective of this PhD is to define the original blueprint of the decision-making network in vertebrate using the newt as a model. More information and application at: https://aap.u-bordeaux.fr/siaap/pub/appel/view/166 Nicolas Rougier https://github.com/rougier https://www.labri.fr/perso/nrougier

April 15, 2021

Open position in Juelich, Germany: Data Steward Neuroscience - Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration in the Hub Information

by Martina Reske

Research data are the foundation of scientific discovery. Establishing the provenance of data, enabling its reusability and ensuring long-term availability increases the value, transparency and visibility of research, and opens possibilities for interdisciplinary research, e.g., through approaches from artificial intelligence. The Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration is an association-wide platform that develops and establishes novel concepts, services and workflows to annotate complex and heterogeneous research data with metadata throughout the various phases of acquisition and processing in support of the FAIR principles HMC will be anchored as a “Metadata Hub” within the Helmholtz research domain Information in order to engage and actively involve the scientific community. The Hub is coordinated by the Institute for Advanced Simulation - Materials Data Science and Informatics (IAS-9) at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Within the Hub Information, the team for Data Science in Electro- and Optophysiology at the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10) headed by Dr. Michael Denker as part of the Statistical Neuroscience group of Prof. Sonja Grün (INM-6) will address the needs from the perspective of the neuroscience community in close coordination with its embedding in international initiatives (e.g., the “Human Brain Project”). The advertised position will link the activities of the INM-6 to the “Metadata Hub Information” when creating tools, establishing use cases, and working on standards for metadata and ontologies. We are looking to recruit a Data Steward Neuroscience - Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration in the Hub Information Your Job: * Support of the Helmholtz-wide establishment of the HMC Hub Information at Forschungszentrum Jülich and in the domain of neuroscience * Organization, integration and utilization of metadata schemas within the neuroscience domain and metadata expert communities within the HMC and the Hub Information * (Co-)Development of domain-specific vocabularies, ontologies and metadata schemas in collaboration with colleagues in the Hub Information and across the HMC, as well as with international neuroscience initiatives (e.g., EBRAINS) * Design and development of conceptual solutions and software to facilitate metadata creation workflows and stimulate metadata recording in neuroscience laboratories * Execution of collaborative projects for implementations in the context of FAIR data principles, supported by further HMC computer scientists * Co-development and operation of a domain-specific consulting format for anchoring metadata management in the research centers and dissemination of HMC developed tools * Representing the HMC and its technologies at scientific seminars, conferences, during educational courses, and to the public * Close cooperation with scientists from neuroscience (e.g., in the context of the Bernstein Network) and building interactions to scientific and engineering disciplines, especially in questions of metadata and in the design of projects supported by HMC * Building competence networks with other data stewards and supporting computer scientists * Preparation of position papers, best practices and publications Your Profile: * Completed study (Master, Diploma) in natural sciences or engineering * PhD degree and neuroscience background is beneficial * Proven knowledge and programming experience in at least one high-level language as well as knowledge in script languages (preferably Python), experience in web-based services for managing software (version control, issue tracking, CI,…) * Practical experience with data / research data management and data analysis in neuroscience * Experience in applying and designing metadata standards is an advantage * High ability to work with an interdisciplinary, international team * Communication and teamwork skills as well as the ability to cooperate * Fluent in English, spoken and written * Ability to work independently, systematically and on one’s own responsibility * Good communication skills with developers and scientists * Enthusiasm for a highly topical subject with great scientific and social relevance * Willingness to travel Our Offer: We work on the very latest issues that impact our society and are offering you the chance to actively help in shaping the change! We support you in your work with: * A position in a creative, dynamic and international team that conducts research at the frontiers of science, where your work will have noticeable impact on shaping the digitization of science * World class science environment at the interface between neuroscience and digital technologies, enabling scientific progress on the most complex known systems * A large research campus in Jülich with green spaces, offering the best possible means for networking with colleagues and pursuing sports alongside work * An attractive workspace at the "Technologiezentrum Aachen" (TZA) close to Aachen downtown, for the cooperation with the HMC team there * Secure employment in a dynamic, international and interdisciplinary context * Comprehensive training courses and individual opportunities for personal and professional further development * Full-time position with the option of slightly reduced<https://www.hrecruiting.de/data/t5ChjatkIfdwmACO/Info_Vollzeitnah_en.pdf> working hours and 30 days of annual leave * Targeted services for international employees, e.g. through our International Advisory Service We offer you an exciting and varied role in an international and interdisciplinary working environment. The position is initially for a fixed term of 1 years, with possible long-term prospects. Salary and social benefits in conformity with the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Civil Service (TVöD). Depending on the applicant`s qualifications and the precise nature of the tasks, salary grade EG 13 TVöD-Bund. Forschungszentrum Jülich promotes equal opportunities and diversity in its employment relations. We also welcome applications from disabled persons. We look forward to receiving your application until 02.05.2021 via our online recruiting system<https://www.hrecruiting.de/obf2/bewerbermanagement.php?kunden_nr=t5ChjatkIf…>. Reference number: 2021-136 -- Dr. Martina Reske Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Jülich Research Centre and JARA Jülich, Germany Work +49.2461.611916 Work Cell +49.151.26156918 Fax +49.2461.619460 www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 14, 2021

EBRAINS Scientific Liaison Officer position at Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Germany

by Abigail Morrison

Dear Colleagues, We have a position open for a Scientific Liaison Officer for EBRAINS at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Jülich Research Centre, Germany. We are looking for candidates with excellent communication skills, a strong scientific background and computing skills to both promote EBRAINS in the neuroscience community, and drive development activities within the Human Brain Project to ensure the requirements of the community are being met. For a full description and details of how to apply, please see the announcement on our website: https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2021-103-E… Closing date: 2 May 2021 All the best, Abigail Morrison -- Prof. Dr. Abigail Morrison IAS-6 / INM-6 / SimLab Neuroscience Jülich Research Center & Computer Science 3 - Software Engineering RWTH Aachen http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-6 http://www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/slns http://www.se-rwth.de Office: +49 2461 61-9805 Fax # : +49 2461 61-9460 Pronouns: she/her ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 14, 2021

30th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021) - CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

by Martin Zapotocky

**Organization for Computational Neurosciences 2885 Sanford Ave SW #15359 Grandville, MI 49418 USA** ** *Call for Abstracts* *30th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2021) - ONLINE** **July 3-7, 2021 *The main meeting begins the evening of Saturday July 3rd and runs through Tuesday July 7. It will be preceded by a day of tutorials (Saturday July 3rd) and followed by workshops (Tuesday July 7 mixed with the main meeting and Wednesday July 8 workshops only). *Keynote Speakers:* *Wolf Singer - **Max Plank Institute for Brain Research **Danielle Bassett - **Dept. of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania **Sonia Gruen - **Statistical Neuroscience, Forschungszentrum Juelich **Bill Bialek - **Dept. of Physics, Princeton University* Registration and abstract submission are open. *Abstract submission deadline: May 15th, 2021.* *Accept/reject **notification by June 1**^st ** **Talk/Poster **notification by June 15**^th * Note that one of the authors must register as sponsoring author for the main meeting *before abstract submission*. In case the abstract is not accepted for presentation, the registration fee will be refunded. Submitted abstracts are used for creating the program and for publication. Please follow the formatting guidelines on the submission site. Registration: https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-online-registration <https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-online-registration>Registration fees: https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-registration-fees <https://ocns.memberclicks.net/cns-2021-registration-fees> Abstract Submission for Main Meeting: https://cns.confmaster.net/ <https://cns.confmaster.net/> For up-to-date conference information, please visit: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-online <https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2021-online> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OCNS is the international member-based society for computational neuroscientists. Become a member to be eligible for awards and other benefits. Visit our website for more information: https://www.cnsorg.org <https://www.cnsorg.org> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upozorneni: Neni-li v teto zprave vyslovne uvedeno jinak, ma tato E-mailova zprava nebo jeji prilohy pouze informativni charakter. Tato zprava ani jeji prilohy v zadnem ohledu ustavy AV CR, v.v.i. k nicemu nezavazuji. Text teto zpravy nebo jejich priloh neni navrhem na uzavreni smlouvy, ani prijetim pripadneho navrhu na uzavreni smlouvy, ani jinym pravnim jednanim smerujicim k uzavreni jakekoliv smlouvy a nezaklada predsmluvni odpovednost ustavu AV CR, v.v.i. Disclaimer: If not expressly stated otherwise, this e-mail message (including any attached files) is intended purely for informational purposes and does not represent a binding agreement on the part of Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The text of this message and its attachments cannot be considered as a proposal to conclude a contract, neither the acceptance of a proposal to conclude a contract, nor any other legal act leading to concluding any contract; nor does it create any pre-contractual liability on the part of Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

April 14, 2021

Call for participation in the Frontiers topic "Advances in brain functional and structural networks modeling via graph theory"

by farras abdelnour

We would like to announce a special issue of Frontiers in Neuroscience titled “Advances in brain func/onal and structural networks modeling via graph theory,” https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20135/advances-in-brain-functio… The aims of this Research Topic are to advance the current understanding of the brain modeled as a mathematical network, develop new and advanced methods capturing the graph relationship between function and structure, propose new analysis methods of brain time series explicitly grounded on underlying structural network, and ultimately apply the resulting knowledge to brain disease and further foster the understanding of the brain’s underlying configuration and dynamics. We welcome submissions focusing on but not limited to the following topics: - Application of tools such as machine learning, deep learning and convolutional neural network to functional imaging data from fMRI to EEG to predict function from structure. - Study of graph properties of structural or functional networks in healthy and non-healthy brains. - Graph signal processing and harmonic analysis applied to brain networks. - Novel methods and modalities for constructing functional and structural networks. Farras Abdelnour Amy Kuceyeski Ashish Raj Yasser Iturria Medina Samuel Deslauriers-Gauthier -- Farras Abdelnour *Guest Associate Editor of the Frontiers Research Topic **"**Advances in brain functional and structural networks modeling via graph theory <https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20135/advances-in-brain-functio…>* *”* farras.abdelnour(a)gmail.com http://sacklerinstitute.academia.edu/FarrasAbdelnour http://www.abdelnour.photos

April 13, 2021

Postdoc position in Litwin-Kumar group at Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia U.

by ashok litwin-kumar

A Postdoctoral Research Scientist position is available in the group of Dr. Ashok Litwin-Kumar at Columbia’s Center for Theoretical Neuroscience. The postdoc will develop tools for the analysis of synapse-level wiring diagrams (“connectomes”) and theoretical methods for understanding how network structure identified by such datasets constrains the dynamics of task-optimized neural networks. The development of such methods is important and timely given the increasing availability and scale of connectomic data. The postdoc will be integrated into the large, vibrant neuroscience community at Columbia University of which the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience forms a key component. They will also have the opportunity to participate in strong existing collaborations with groups at Columbia, Janelia, Cambridge, and elsewhere focused on the generation and analysis of connectome data. Applicants are expected to have a PhD in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics, Neuroscience, Biology, or a related discipline and, preferably, experience in theoretical neuroscience or the statistical analysis of neuroscience data. The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute at Columbia University brings together researchers from different scientific disciplines to transform our understanding of the mind and brain. In this highly interactive research environment, laboratories work together to gain critical insights into human health by exploring how the brain develops, performs, endures and recovers. The Zuckerman Institute is housed in the Jerome L. Greene Science Center, an architectural masterpiece on Columbia University’s Manhattanville campus. All appointments are initially for one year and are renewable for at least three years given satisfactory performance. The salary is competitive. Applicants should apply through Columbia’s job portal: https://pa334.peopleadmin.com/postings/7453 Applications should include the following: 1. CV, including a list of publications 2. Statement of research interests 3. Three letters of reference (reference writers should send their letters directly to yao2107(a)columbia.edu) Columbia University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. Columbia values diversity among its students, staff, and faculty and strongly welcomes applications from women, persons with disabilities, protected veterans, and underrepresented minorities.

April 13, 2021

Statistical neuroscience postdoc in houston

by xaq pitkow

Postdoctoral research position in Statistical Neuroscience POSITION: We seek a highly motivated postdoctoral research fellow for a collaborative team project building statistical models for interpreting large scale neural recordings. The fellows will develop new methods and applications of probabilistic graphical models to infer statistical interactions amongst neurons and with their environment. The tools will be validated in neural network simulations, tested in physiological recordings, and made widely available to the neuroscience community for understanding data from next-generation experiments. TEAM: Fellows will join a lively team led by theorists Krešimir Josić and Xaq Pitkow, and may work with collaborators Genevera Allen, Ankit Patel, Robert Rosenbaum, and Andreas Tolias as well as several other labs interested in applying novel methods we develop. Fellows will also be members of the new Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence housed at the Baylor College of Medicine and supported in part by the NSF NeuroNex program. The Center brings together interdisciplinary researchers from across Houston, including members from Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, University of Houston, and University of Texas Health Sciences. Researchers at the Center contribute diverse expertise in fields including neuroscience, machine learning, statistics, physics, computer science, electrical engineering, and applied mathematics. QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must have outstanding mathematical skills and a PhD in a relevant quantitative discipline, and expertise in probabilistic graphical models or statistical machine learning. APPLYING: Applicants should email a letter of research interests and CV to Camila Lopez (Camila.Lopez(a)bcm.edu) along with contact information for three references. We look forward to hearing from you!

April 13, 2021

NEST Conference 2021 goes virtual — registration & call for contributions open

by Hans Ekkehard Plesser

Dear all, The NEST Initiative is excited to invite everyone interested in Neural Simulation Technology and the NEST Simulator to the NEST Conference 2021. The NEST Conference provides an opportunity for the NEST Community to meet, exchange success stories, swap advice, learn about current developments in and around NEST spiking network simulation and its application. This year's conference will again take place as a virtual conference on Monday/Tuesday 28/29 June 2021 followed by a virtual NEST User Hackathon until Friday 2 July, which offers the opportunity to deep-dive your own code with expert developers at your fingertips. Registration and submission of contributions are now open! We are inviting contributions to the conference, including plenary talks, "posters", breakout sessions and workshops on specific topics. Please register and submit your contribution(s) via the conference website https://nest-simulator.org/conference. Important dates 16 May 2021 — Deadline for submission of contributions and for NEST Initiative Membership applications 08 June 2021 — Notification of acceptance 21 June 2021 — Registration deadline 28 June 2021 — NEST Conference 2021 starts We are looking forward to seeing you all in June! Hans Ekkehard Plesser, Dennis Terhorst & Anne Elfgen -- Prof. Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser Head, Department of Data Science Faculty of Science and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no<mailto:hans.ekkehard.plesser@nmbu.no> Home http://arken.nmbu.no/~plesser

April 13, 2021

Faculty Position at the University of Calgary

by Wilten Nicola

The * Department of Computer Science* seeks an outstanding candidate for a tenure-track position at the * Assistant Professor level in the area of * * Fundamental Data Science* with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2021. The applicant must possess a PhD in Computer Science or a Data Science-related discipline at the time of appointment. The successful candidate must demonstrate evidence of a track record of impactful publications in high quality journals and conferences. The successful applicant needs to contribute to the Faculty's innovative teaching and research initiatives, including our highly successful professional graduate programs in Data Science & Analytics <https://science.ucalgary.ca/data-science>. The successful applicant must have demonstrated expertise in the latest big data processing approaches, data analysis, information presentation and visualization, machine learning, cloud computing, or distributed processing of sensors and computational devices. The candidate must have strong interests in multi-disciplinary approaches in exploring artificially intelligent systems as partners to augment scientific inquiries, support innovative exploration of ideas, and investigate how smart technologies and artificial intelligence can be used to benefit our society and help solve scientific, social, and environmental challenges. *The candidate in Fundamental Data Science ** needs to demonstrate evidence of foundational research in data science and machine-based analytics, thus creating the next generation of artificial intelligence systems (including but not limited to deep learning and explainable AI). We are also seeking applicants with demonstrated evidence of expertise in neuroscience-inspired artificial intelligence to investigate, for example, human/brain-computer interfaces, neuroscience-inspired machine learning architectures, and their applications. * The candidate must have strong interests in multi-disciplinary approaches in supporting the Faculty of Science's Data Science research initiatives and training programs, which we offer in partnership with the Cumming School of Medicine and the Haskayne School of Business. The candidate is expected to contribute to the University of Calgary’s * Growth through Focus * <https://ucalgary.ca/president/unstoppable-growth-through-focus?%2Fgrowth-th…> strategy to promote transdisciplinary scholarship and innovation and empower our students and communities to tackle society’s big problems. The candidate’s teaching obligations will be primarily in our professional graduate Data Science & Analytics <http://science.ucalgary.ca/data-science> programs. *Application Deadline: May 3, 2021 * Please apply online via the link: *https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/6496560-assistant-professor-fundamental-data-science-department-of-computer-science-faculty-of-science <https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/6496560-assistant-professor-fundamental-da…>.* A complete application should be submitted in a single pdf, and include the following: - Cover letter (1-2 pages) - Current curriculum vitae - Research Plan (1-3 pages) - Teaching Philosophy (1-2 pages) - Statement describing the candidate’s contributions, or potential contributions, to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) along with their ability to work with a culturally diverse and international student, staff, and faculty body (up to 1 page) *Applications can be addressed to: Dr. Christian Jacob, Head, Department of Computer Science* The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy <https://www.ucalgary.ca/indigenous-strategy/> in line with the foundational goals of * Eyes High <https://www.ucalgary.ca/eyeshigh>*, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do. *The University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. In this connection, at the time of your application, please answer the following question: Are you a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada? (Yes/No) * *Additional Information* To learn more about academic opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our * Academic Careers website <http://careers.ucalgary.ca/pages/academic-careers>*. For more information about the Faculty of Science visit * Careers in the Faculty of Science <https://science.careers.ucalgary.ca/>.* *About the University of Calgary* The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit *ucalgary.ca <http://www.ucalgary.ca>*. *About Calgary, Alberta* Calgary is one of the world's cleanest cities and has been named one of the world's most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders - in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from a growing number of world-class dining and cultural events and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour's drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.

April 13, 2021

Don't miss the upcoming INCF Assembly on FAIR neuroscience!

by Helena Ledmyr

Join us virtually for the 2021 INCF Assembly on April 19-27, with an exciting program <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/2021/program> covering different aspects of FAIR neuroscience, registration <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/2021/registration> is now open! Members of INCF enjoy heavily discounted registration fees, which are already lowered due to the meeting being virtual this year. You can sign up for membership and see the other benefits here <https://www.incf.org/join-incf/individuals> - one year costs 20 USD for students and postdocs, and 50 USD for regular members. *Please share this with your networks!* The INCF Assembly 2021 aims to provide the neuroscience community with approaches that can be used today to implement the FAIR principles in their research. It also aims to provide tool developers and infrastructure providers with an opportunity to interact with the user community and to interact with other practitioners to advance the field of neuroinformatics. The 2021 INCF Assembly will address topics around FAIR neuroscience such as: - FAIR approaches for neuroscience in general, neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and computational neuroscience - Electrophysiology and computational neuroscience - Data science - Showcase of tools and infrastructures - Open innovation and intellectual property - Information about ongoing work in INCF councils and committees - Funders and publishers roundtable - Workshops on developing standards and a roadmap for FAIR neuroscience The INCF Assembly is the only international meeting that focuses on providing researchers with hands-on training experiences and enabling interaction with software developers and infrastructure providers. We hope to see you online next week! Best wishes, Helena and the INCF Team ----------------------------- Helena Ledmyr, PhD *Director* *Development and Communications* International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility Secretariat Karolinska Institutet. Nobels väg 15A, SE-171 77 Stockholm. Sweden Email: helena.ledmyr(a)incf.org Phone: +46 8 524 870 35 incf.org neuroinformatics.incf.org

April 12, 2021

NIH-funded course on multiscale modeling of brain circuits using NetPyNE/NEURON

by Salvador Dura

Would you like to build a model of brain circuits but don’t know where to start? Want to test a hypothesis or find an explanation for your experimental observations? Our online hands-on course (May 17 to June 1, 2021) will provide you an accelerated introduction to theory, methods, and tools to build brain circuit models at multiple scales (molecular, cellular, network, system, behavior) using the NetPyNE<http://netpyne.org/> and NEURON tools. Our tutors will then work closely with you to help you develop your own model. See all the details and how to apply here: http://dura-bernal.org/netpyne-course-2021

April 11, 2021

New FRONTIERS TOPIC: Memory Processes in Medial Temporal Lobe: Experimental, Theoretical and Computational Approaches

by Vassilis Cutsuridis

Dear colleagues, please consider submitting to the new Frontiers Topic in Systems Neuroscience: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20768/memory-processes-in-media… Regards, --- Vassilis Cutsuridis, PhD, M.Sc, M.A. Senior Lecturer School of Computer Science University of Lincoln UK Tel: +44 (0) 1522 83 5701 Email: vcutsuridis(a)lincoln.ac.uk Web:http://staff.lincoln.ac.uk/vcutsuridis Personal website:http://www.vassiliscutsuridis.org/ "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it" - Robert Swan "The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them" — Sir William Lawrence Bragg, 1890–1971

April 10, 2021

Assistant Professor Position in Cognitive Neurosciences of Language - University of Geneva Switzerland

by Narly Golestani

Dear all, An Assistant Professor Position in Cognitive Neuroscience of Language is available at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. The position will be in the Psychology section of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Science https://www.unige.ch/fapse/, with access to Campus Biotech Facilities "https://www.campusbiotech.ch/en/node/320". This position is opened in the context of the NCCR (National Center of Research Competence) "Evolving Language" - http://www.snf.ch/en/researchinFocus/nccr/evolving-language/Pages/default.a…. The whole application process can be carried in English. It is required that the successful candidate acquire a working command of French within the first two years in the position. The application deadline is on May 19th, 2021 - please see https://jobs.unige.ch/www/wd_portal.show_job?p_web_site_id=1&p_web_page_id=… for more information. We would be most thankful if you could distribute widely. Thanks in advance, and best wishes, Narly Golestani. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brain and Language Lab Prof. Narly GOLESTANI Department of Psychology Campus Biotech 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Genève +41 22 379 53 52 <https://outlook.unige.ch/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=5WTo-p-J-W9FrDydU-0WU4PdMytUGs…>http://www.brainandlanguagelab.org https://twitter.com/brain_lang_lab ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <https://outlook.unige.ch/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=5WTo-p-J-W9FrDydU-0WU4PdMytUGs…>

April 9, 2021

2y PostDoc position on EEG analysis in Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Italy

by Alberto Mazzoni

Dear all, I am looking with Prof. Silvestro Micera for a motivated postdoc with previous experience in EEG analysis for a 2y contract in the neural engineering area of the Institute of Biorobotics of the Scuola Superiore Sant Anna https://www.santannapisa.it/en/computational-neuroengineering-laboratory https://www.santannapisa.it/en/institute/biorobotics/translational-neural-e… Projects include Alzheimer diagnostics, robotic rehabilitation, neuroprosthetics, Impulse Control Disorders in Parkinson. Last but not least, Tuscany is a great place to live! Please spread the voice and contact me if interested. Thanks, best Alberto Mazzoni

April 9, 2021

New FRONTIERS TOPIC: BRAIN CONNECTIVITY, DYNAMICS AND COMPLEXITY

by Stephen José Hanson

Please considering submitting to the new Frontiers Topic in Human Neuroscience: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/20807/brain-connectivity-dynami… -- Stephen José Hanson Professor Director RUBIC (University- Wide) Department of Psychology (NK) Cognitive Science Center (NB)

April 9, 2021

[CFP] MDPI Molecules (IF: 3.267, ISSN: 1420-3049) - Special Issue "Practical Aspects of Molecular Communications"

by Murat Kuşcu

MDPI Molecules (IF: 3.267, ISSN: 1420-3049) Special Issue on Practical Aspects of Molecular Communications https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/molecular_communicati… --------------------------- CALL FOR PAPERS The Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT) is an emerging technology that aims to extend our connectivity to nanoscale and biological environments with collaborative nanonetworks of artificial nanomachines and biological entities integrated into the Internet infrastructure. To enable the IoBNT and its groundbreaking applications, such as continuous intrabody health monitoring, it is imperative to devise low-complexity nanoscale communication techniques suitable for the envisioned nanomachines of simple architectures. The most promising communication technology for realizing the IoBNT is Molecular Communications (MC), as it ubiquitously manifests itself in many complex biological systems in the Universe, and thus, stands as one of the most common communication modalities, optimized from many aspects as a result of billions of years of evolutionary advancement. Making use of this naturally existing technology requires understanding its foundations through our existing modeling and analysis tools. This quest, which started almost 15 years ago, has received increasing attention from ICT researchers, which have been overly inspired by conventional electromagnetic communication technologies in their approach to this radically different paradigm. These theoretical approaches, however, have not always come with sufficient physical relevance. Currently, this emerging field has come to a critical turning point, as many researchers have started to report on initial MC experiments following different approaches and using different materials, while consistently pointing out a discrepancy between the obtained experimental results and the past theoretical work. This reveals the need to rethink the previous efforts and come up with new interdisciplinary strategies, thus building practical MC techniques and developing feasible MC system components, experimental testbeds, and prototypes in order to close the gap between theory and practice, and expedite the transfer of this emerging technology to the market. Among the challenges stated above, this Special Issue is particularly focused on the practical aspects of MC. Therefore, we are calling for technical papers that report on new research with the potential to move this field forward towards its practical applications, as well as surveys/tutorials focusing on the practical challenges of MC research. Hence, its scope encompasses a wide range of interdisciplinary research topics, with some examples listed as follows: ** The physical design, modeling, and implementation of MC system components (e.g., transmitter, receiver, channel); ** The design and implementation of MC testbeds; ** Practical and low-complexity MC methods (e.g., modulation, detection, channel estimation, synchronization, coding methods); ** The testing and validation of MC transceiver/channel models and MC methods; ** Applications of microfluidics, biosensors, and nanomaterials for MC system design; ** Bio-cyber interfaces between MC networks and conventional macroscale networks; ** Synthetic biology-based MC transceiver architectures; ** Optimization of ligand-receptor interactions for MC; ** Biocompatibility and co-existence challenges; ** Energy harvesting and power transfer techniques for MC networks; ** The design and demonstration of MC applications (e.g., those in healthcare, agriculture, biocomputing). --------------------------- Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2021 --------------------------- Guest Editors Sasitharan Balasubramaniam, TSSG/Walton Institute, Waterford Institute of Technology (sasib(a)tssg.org) Murat Kuscu, Koc University, Turkey (mkuscu(a)ku.edu.tr) Bige D. Unluturk, Michigan State University, USA (unluturk(a)msu.edu) Kerstin Lenk, Graz University of Technology, Austria (kerstin.lenk(a)tugraz.at ) Ergin Dinc, University of Cambridge, UK (ed502(a)cam.ac.uk) Michael Barros, University of Essex, UK (m.barros(a)essex.ac.uk) --------------------------- Paper submission Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website. Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI. Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions. --------------------------- Additional information: Please visit the MDPI Molecules Special Issue webpage at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/molecular_communicati… Inquiries can be addressed to Ms. Emity Wang at: emity.wang(a)mdpi.com, molecules(a)mdpi.com

April 9, 2021

Reader/Principal Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Hertfordshire

by Volker Steuber

Reader/Principal Lecturer in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) School of Physics Engineering and Computer Science/ Department of Computer Science University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK FTE: Full time position working 37 hours per week (1.0 FTE) Duration of Contract: Permanent Salary: UH9 £51,034 - £60,905 pa dependent on relevant skills and experience Closing date: 9 May 2021 Applications are invited for an academic position as Reader/Principal Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire. The Department has an international reputation for teaching and research, with 64 academic staff, 40 adjunct lecturer staff, and 65 research students and postdoctoral research staff. With a history going back to 1958, the Department teaches one of the largest cohorts of undergraduate students in the UK, and also delivers a thriving online computer science degree programme. Main duties and responsibilities The person appointed will be expected to make a significant contribution to the leadership of research in the department, including gaining research awards as Principal Investigator, the development of the research environment in the department and across the University, and publishing in peer reviewed journal articles and other internationally excellent or world-leading publications in education. To contribute to the development of, and supervise and teach on, doctoral programmes in the UK and internationally in relation to a wide spectrum of AI, especially emerging topics in AI. Possible fields include, but are not limited to: • Machine learning: reinforcement learning, Deep Methods, statistical methods, large scale data modelling/intelligent processing and high-performance learning algorithms • Robotics: embodied and/or cognitive robotics, HRI, robot safety, emotional/social robots, smart homes and sensors, sensor fusion, assistive robotics, soft robotics, adaptive or evolutionary robotic design • Biological and biophysical computation paradigms, systems biology, neural computation • Complex Systems: collective intelligence, adaptive, autonomous and multi-agent/robot systems, collective and swarm intelligence, social and market modelling, adaptive, evolutionary and unconventional computation • Mathematical Modelling: statistical modelling, information-theoretic methods, compressive sensing, intelligent data visualization, multiscale models, optimization; causality • Emerging Topics in AI: computer algebra and AI, topological methods (e.g. persistent homology), algebraic and category-theoretical methods in AI; modern topics in games and AI; quantum algorithms for AI • AI and applications: financial modelling, AI and biology/physics/cognitive sciences • Foundations: fundamental questions of intelligence and computation, emergence of life/intelligence, Artificial Life Preference will be given to candidates that can deliver teaching to Level 7 in a selection of relevant subjects. The appointee will also be expected to lead and develop taught modules in a range of computer science areas. For appointees with the appropriate experience, there will be the possibility of taking up the role of Head of Subject Group within the department of Computer Science. Skills and experience The appointee will strengthen the research culture in the Department by pursuing research as part of a larger research team, seeking external funding, publishing papers, supervising research students, and participating in commercial activity as appropriate. Therefore it is essential that candidates have a track record (e.g. in published, grant-funded research) in Computer Science. Additionally, experience of different types of assessment and higher education quality assurance is an essential requirement of this role. Prior experience of developing modules and/or programmes of study in Computer Science is essential in addition to significant experience of operating in a UK HE Environment, or equivalent professional experience. Readers/Principal lecturers are expected to take on duties in the capacity of leader, and hence experience of academic leader, programme leadership and line management is desirable. Good interpersonal and presentation skills with proficiency in the English Language are essential along with the ability to manage conflicting demands and work to deadlines. Qualifications required Reader/Principal Lecturer applicants must hold a First Degree and a PhD in an appropriate area of Computer Science or an equivalent, relevant postgraduate professional qualifications. In addition, the Reader/Principal Lecturer will be expected to contribute to the leadership and management academic programmes, as well as proactive participation in enterprise, knowledge transfer and/or research and scholarship in the School. There are expectations of leadership and potentially supervisory oversight of groups of staff. Readers/Principal lecturers are also expected to contribute to the richness of the academic environment, through scholarly activity, support events, projects and activities, including open days, outreach, extra curricula initiatives, and potentially act as a representative of the School or University at national or international fora. The School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science is an Athena Swan Bronze award holder, and we are committed to providing a supportive environment and flexible working arrangements. The university also provides an onsite childcare facility and child-centred holiday clubs. Staff work with the university values, which are: Friendly, Ambitious, Collegial, Enterprising, and Student focused. Contact Details/Informal Enquiries: Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Simon Trainis, Head, Department of Computer Science by email: S.A.Trainis(a)herts.ac.uk Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted. Closing Date: 9 May 2021 Interview Dates: TBC but candidates are advised to be available on 16 and 17 June 2021 Apply through https://www.herts.ac.uk/staff/careers-at-herts, Reference Number: 032595 Date Advert Placed: 8 April 2021 Volker Steuber Professor of Computational Neuroscience Biocomputation Research Group School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science University of Hertfordshire College Lane, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, UK +44 (0)1707 284350 biocomputation.herts.ac.uk<http://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk>

April 9, 2021

PhD position in computational neuroscience and modeling of salamander spinal locomotor circuits, EPFL, Lausanne Switzerland

by Auke Ijspeert

The Biorobotics laboratory (Biorob, https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob/ <https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob>) at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) has one open *PhD student position* in *computational neuroscience and modeling of salamander spinal locomotor circuits*. The position is part of the ERC Synergy Salamandra project that will start in September 2021, together with Prof. Andras Simon (KTH Sweden) and Prof. Dimitri Ryczko (U. Sherbrooke, Canada). See some info here: https://actu.epfl.ch/news/salamanders-provide-a-model-for-spinal-cord-rege-… The goals of the position are (i) to develop numerical models and simulations of the locomotor circuits in the spinal cord of the salamander, (ii) to analyze their dynamics when coupled to a simulated mechanical model of the body (interactions between central and peripheral mechanisms), and (iii) to investigate their regenerative properties after spinal cord lesions. The models will be based on integrate-and-fire neuron models. The positions are fully funded for 4 years. EPFL is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers extremely competitive salaries and research infrastructure. *Requirements:* Candidates need to have a Master degree in a field related to computational neuroscience, e.g. in computer science, neuroscience, or physics. The ideal candidate for this position should have a strong numerical modeling background, good programming skills, good math background (e.g. in dynamical systems), and interest in locomotion and robotics. *How to apply for the position:* Step 1: The position is only open to applicants who have been accepted by the EPFL doctoral school (see http://phd.epfl.ch/ <http://phd.epfl.ch/>). The first step is therefore to fill the applications for one of the relevant EPFL doctoral programs in neuroscience, or related fields (e.g. computer science or robotics). Step 2: In parallel to step 1, or once accepted by one of the doctoral programs (please specify which doctoral program and the date of acceptance), the application to the position should be sent by email to Prof. Auke Ijspeert and consist of a motivation letter (explaining why you are interested in the project, and why you feel qualified for it) and a copy of the doctoral program application. Informal inquiries about the relevance of an application can be sent to auke.ijspeert(a)epfl.ch <mailto:auke.ijspeert@epfl.ch> (e.g. before or while submitting an application to the doctoral school), but responses can be slow because of a heavy schedule and a filled mail box. *Deadline and starting date:* *The ideal starting date is September 2021* (with some flexibility). Applications will be considered starting *from May 31 2021*, and then continuously until the positions are filled. *Instructions to apply* can be found here: https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob/openings/ Best regards, Auke Ijspeert -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Prof Auke Jan Ijspeert Biorobotics Laboratory EPFL-STI-IBI-BIOROB, ME D1 1226, Station 9 EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne CH 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Office: ME D1 1226 Tel: +41 21 693 2658 Fax: +41 21 693 3705 www:http://biorob.epfl.ch Email:Auke.Ijspeert@epfl.ch -----------------------------------------------------------------

April 8, 2021

New Online Master Program for Cognitive Science M.Sc.

by mcruz＠uni-osnabrueck.de

Dear all, We are very excited to announce that the Institute of Cognitive Science at Osnabrück University will offer a new digital track of the Cognitive Science M.Sc. program! The DAAD-funded program targets international students who can successfully complete most of the coursework remotely. Possible focus areas include Artificial Intelligence, Neuroinformatics, and Neuroscience. In addition to the online coursework, students will be present in Osnabrück for 2-3 weeks every academic year. During this period, students will be able to get to know one another and participate in courses and face-to-face exams. This also gives students a chance to get to know the city of Osnabrück, learn about German culture, and gain insight into the work-life in Germany through possible internships and company visits. The program will be open for applications soon - check out our website (https://www.ikw.uni-osnabrueck.de/en/courses_of_study/master_program/cognit…) for more details. Please do not hesitate to contact us (os-cosmos(a)uni-osnabrueck.de) with further inquiries! We look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, Misha Cruz Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin OS-COSMOS mishael.g.cruz(a)uni-osnabrueck.de Institut für Kognitionswissenschaften und virtUOS Universität Osnabrück Misha Cruz Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin OS-COSMOS mishael.g.cruz(a)uni-osnabrueck.de Institut für Kognitionswissenschaften und virtUOS Universität Osnabrück

April 8, 2021

2 postdoc positions at the Perception, Neuroimaging, and Modeling lab at Georgia Tech

by Xue, Kai

Hi all, The Perception, Neuroimaging, and Modeling lab (PI: Dr. Doby Rahnev, rahnevlab.gatech.edu) has two postdoctoral fellow openings to work on funded projects. The exact topic of research is flexible and could include investigating the neural and/or computational bases of perception, memory, metacognition, attention, expectation, learning, cognitive control, working memory, etc. The Rahnev lab uses a wide range of methods such as fMRI, TMS, psychophysics, computational modeling and concurrent TMS-fMRI. The position is initially for 2 years with a possibility for extension. Candidates will be given the opportunity to conduct studies building on current lab research or developing their own projects ideas. Review begins April 15, 2021 and will continue until both positions are filled. The Rahnev lab, at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, has access to exceptional research facilities. The lab space is conveniently located just steps away from a 3T Prisma MRI scanner at the Center for Advanced Brain Imaging (CABI, cabiatl.com) The lab also houses its own TMS equipment and is pioneering the use of concurrent TMS-fMRI that allows TMS to be delivered inside the MRI scanner. Working in the Rahnev lab presents opportunities for collaborations across several Atlanta-based universities including Georgia Tech, Emory and Georgia State. Georgia Tech is located at the heart of Atlanta, a vibrant, multicultural city that offers many opportunities for engaging in cultural, culinary, sports, and entertainment activities. Our lab aims to create a supportive, fun and productive environment. We are especially interested in maintaining our already diverse team and therefore seek applications from qualified individuals from all demographics and backgrounds. For more information, visit our website at http://rahnevlab.gatech.edu/getinvolved.html. To apply, email (1) your CV, (2) a brief description of what types of research questions you may want to pursue if you join us, and (3) a list of three references (names and email addresses will suffice at this point) to Dr. Rahnev (rahnev(a)psych.gatech.edu) Review begins on April 15, 2021 and will continue until both positions are filled. Best, Kai Kai Xue PNM Lab Manager Georgia Institute of Technology | Department of Psychology 424.402.7816

April 8, 2021

Research Software Engineer - Comp. Neuroscience Project @Harvard

by Mohammadi Shad, Mahmood

Dear Comp-Neuro Community, We have an opening in the FAS Research Computing department at Harvard University related to Computational Neuroscience. Harvard University is hiring a Research Software Engineer (RSE) to support researchers' high-performance scientific software development, numerical analysis, and machine learning (ML) needs. This project plays an essential role in helping facilitate cutting-edge research on the brain. Through regular engagements with researchers, this RSE will help with the refactoring of a legacy software package for clustering electrophysiological neural data (spike sorting). They will improve code design, unit testing, performance of statistical/numerical libraries, cloud-readiness, as well as porting to general-purpose scientific programming languages (Python, C++, Julia). Additionally, the RSE will make a modular software structure to test different clustering and cluster-tracking algorithms utilizing ML and deep learning (DL) techniques. More information: https://www.rc.fas.harvard.edu/about/employment/#Research_Software_Engineer… Best, ---------------- Mahmood M. Shad, PhD Associate Director of Research Software Engineering FAS Research Computing Harvard University 38 Oxford Street, Room 210 Cambridge, MA 02138 Email: mohammadi_shad(a)harvard.edu<mailto:mohammadi_shad@harvard.edu>

April 7, 2021

Postdoc in neural network and robot models of body representations

by Matej Hoffmann

** *Dear colleagues, * *** there is a postdoc openingin the humanoid, cognitive, neuro-, and collaborative robotics group (https://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/research/groups-teams/humanoids/) coordinated by Dr. Matej Hoffmann (https://sites.google.com/site/matejhof/) at the Department of Cybernetics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. In the context of a 5-year project entitled “Whole-body awareness for safe and natural interaction: from brains to collaborative robots” for excellence in fundamental research from the Czech Science Foundation (seehttps://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/news/new-gacr-expro-project <https://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/news/new-gacr-expro-project/>for more information), we seek a postdoctoral researcher to conduct research in some of the following areas: - Neural network models of multisensory integration, body schema, and reaching development - Employing humanoid robots with artificial skin to construct embodied computational models of body and peripersonal space representations The postdoc will independently conduct research and will also be involved in shaping the research of the group and supervising students. Robots and infrastructure The humanoids group has at its disposal several humanoid robots (iCub, 2 Naos - 1 with whole-body sensitive skin) and collaborative or lightweight manipulators (KUKA LBR iiwa, UR10e with Airskin, Kinova Gen3). Additional infrastructure includes several robot hands (Barrett Hand BH8-282, QB Soft Hand) and grippers, a 3D Motion Capture System, impact measuring devices, etc. The group has also access to the facilities of the Research Center for Informatics such as a high-performance computational cluster. International collaborations There is a large group of international experts who have agreed to act as collaborators/advisors on the project. These include experts in - developmental psychology: Dr. Kevin O’Regan (CNRS, Paris), Prof. Jeffrey J. Lockman (Tulane University, New Orleans) - cognitive psychology and neuroscience: Prof. Matthew Longo (Birkbeck University, London), Prof. Tobias Heed (Bielefeld), Prof. Andrea Serino (University of Lausanne), Dr. Jean-Paul Noel (Center for Neural Science at New York University), Drs. M.Gori and Giulia Cappagli (Italian Institute of Technology, Dr. S. Signorini (IRCSS Fondazione Mondino Pavia) Prague There is currently a very lively international ecosystem in the areas of robotics and AI - at the Department and in Prague in general. See, for example, http://rci.cvut.cz/or https://prg.ai/en/. We seek applicants with a background in computational modeling, artificial neural networks or machine learning, with interest in neuroscience. Background in robotics is not required. How to apply. The application should include: -Motivation letter (max. 1 page) - CV (including 2 reference persons) -1 Letter of recommendation (can be from 1 of the reference persons above) Please send the application or inquiries to matej.hoffmann(a)fel.cvut.czwith (“postdoc application” in the subject). The position is open until filled. * -- Matej Hoffmann, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Cybernetics Faculty of Electrical Engineering Czech Technical University in Prague Karlovo namesti 13 121 35 Praha 2, Czech Republic +420 224 357 387 https://sites.google.com/site/matejhof/home https://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/humanoids

April 7, 2021

EBRAINS Training on Model Validation

by Shailesh Appukuttan

*EBRAINS Training on Model Validation* *4–7 May 2021* https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ The HBP Education Programme is organising a training on Model Validation. This training will guide modellers and experimentalists in model validation (comparing simulation results to experimental data) using the EBRAINS Model Validation Framework. The training will take place *virtually* over 4 days. Participation in the Training is open to the entire student and researchers community, regardless of whether they are affiliated with the HBP or not. We encourage young scientists to register and aim at an equal gender representation. *Registration will be open until 20 April 2021 and is free of charge.* *Call for Submissions:* *For the 2nd part of the training,* we invite interested researchers to bring their own models and to send us a short abstract, describing your model. The abstracts should include: • A short description of your model • Simulators/tools used for developing and simulating models • Overview of validation(s) you wish to implement during the training (specify at least one validation test), along with target (experimental) reference data • If you have already some questions or comments, you are welcome to mention them • If your model is already published, please include references at the end of the abstract Please send your abstract latest until *20 April 2021, 5pm (CET)* to training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Further information on abstract submission and registration: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ For any further questions, please contact training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Cheers, Shailesh Appukuttan

April 7, 2021

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience, NI group @ Technische Universität Berlin

by Obermayer, Klaus, Prof. Dr.

Neural Information Processing Group @ Technische Universität Berlin Research Assistant (PhD Position) in Computational Neuroscience Computational models of sleep oscillations during non-REM sleep Salary grade E13 (TV-L Berliner Hochschulen) Duration: 5 years Starting date: June 1st, 2021 Reference number: IV-239/21 Working field: The successful candidate will work the computational modelling of sleep rhythms in the context of memory consolidation during non-REM sleep and on the effect of perturbations by transcranial electrical stimulation (cf. Aspart et al. 2018, PLoS Comput Biol 14, e1006124.; Cakan & Obermayer 2020, PLoS Comput Biol 16, e1007822; Cakan et al., 2021, arXiv:2011.14731v2). She/he is expected to collaborate with the theoretical and experimental/clinical research groups of the DFG-funded CRCs 910 (control of self-organizing nonlinear systems, https://www.itp.tu-berlin.de/sfb910/) and 1315 (mechanisms and disturbances in memory consolidation, https://www.sfb1315.de/) Teaching obligations include the supervision of tutorials for courses of the research group in the machine learning field (Master level). Requirements: Successfully completed university degree (Master, Diplom, or equivalent) in Computational Neuroscience, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or related fields; in-depth knowledge in dynamical systems and machine learning; very good programming skills; very good command of the German and English languages. How to apply: Please send your application with the reference number and with the usual documents (CV, motivation letter, transcripts of records, certificates, and the names of two persons who can provide recommendation letters) to Prof. Dr. Klaus Obermayer, FG Neuronale Informationsverarbeitung, Sekr. MAR 5-6, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany, or preferably by e-mail to klaus.obermayer(a)tu-berlin.de. For information about the research group see https://www.ni.tu-berlin.de/. Please send copies only. Original documents will not be returned. The vacancy is also available on the internet at http://www.personalabteilung.tu-berlin.de/menue/jobs/ Application deadline for full consideration: 7. 5. 2021. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

April 7, 2021

Postdoctoral position in the cognitive neuroscience of aging at UCR and UCI

by Aaron Seitz

A postdoctoral position in the cognitive neuroscience of aging is available at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) to work with a research team including Professors Xiaoping Hu, Aaron Seitz, Ilana Bennett, and Weiwei Zhang at UCR, and in collaboration with Megan Peters at UC Irvine. This opportunity will involve working on a NIA-funded project to understand how individual differences in the structure and function of the locus coeruleus moderate perception and memory in an older adult population. The postdoctoral researcher is expected to take a lead role in the project, including setting up experiments, collecting and analyzing data, training and supervising graduate students and undergraduate research assistants, and disseminating results at conferences and in research publications. Successful candidates should have a strong background in fMRI data collection and analysis, advanced computational and statistical competencies, management skills, creativity and a high-level of conscientiousness. They should also have expertise in one or more of the following areas (and knowledge of the others): cognitive aging, brain aging, psychophysics, perception or memory processes, eye-tracking, metacognition, and the role of the locus coeruleus in cognition. Experience in programming psychophysical experiments, in either MATLAB or Python, is preferred. Researchers must possess a doctoral degree in Psychology, Education, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, or a related field. The primary appointment will be either in the UCR Psychology or Bioengineering Departments, depending upon candidate interest and primary expertise. Working with our diverse research team will provide a unique interdisciplinary research and mentoring experience. Research will be conducted at the UCR Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, which features a 3T Prisma fMRI system with state of the art eye-tracking and psychophysical systems. Applications must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, 1-2 sample publications, statement of research interests, statement of past and/or planned future contributions to advancing diversity and inclusive excellence, and the names of three to five references with phone numbers and emails. Review of applications will begin on April 18, 2021 and may continue until the position is filled. Applications received by April 18, 2021 will receive full consideration. Please send these to Aaron Seitz (aseitz(a)ucr.edu) UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Best, -Aaron ************************************************** Aaron Seitz, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Director of UCR Brain Game Center University of California, Riverside 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521 Ph: (951) 827-6422 Fax: (951) 827-3985 Email: aseitz(a)ucr.edu<mailto:aseitz@ucr.edu> Web: http://faculty.ucr.edu/~aseitz/ BGC: http://braingamecenter.ucr.edu<http://braingamecenter.ucr.edu/> **************************************************

April 6, 2021

Re: [Comp-neuro] My Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds will be published next month by Oxford University Press

by Grossberg, Stephen

Dear Colleagues, I forgot to attach the information about how to get a 30% reduction of the price of my book, bringing the cost down to $24.50, in case you are interested in buying it: Go to: oup.com/academic Enter the following promo code after clicking on the book's file: ASPROMP8. Best, Steve ________________________________ From: Grossberg, Stephen <steve(a)bu.edu> Sent: Thursday, April 1, 2021 11:58 AM To: comp-neuro(a)neuroinformatics.be <comp-neuro(a)neuroinformatics.be> Cc: Grossberg, Stephen <steve(a)bu.edu>; steve(a)cns.bu.edu <steve(a)cns.bu.edu> Subject: My Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds will be published next month by Oxford University Press Dear Colleagues, I am writing to call your attention to the publication next month by Oxford University Press of my Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds in health and disease. The book also has implications for developing increasingly autonomous and adaptive technologies that emulate, and can thus harmoniously interact with, human users. The book discusses many topics about mind and brain. For one, it explains how, where in our brains, and why from a deep computational perspective our brains can learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things about the world. I wrote the book to be self-contained, accessible, and appealing to the general public. In addition to its exposition of how our minds work and how these discoveries inspire new designs in engineering, technology, and AI, I have been able to use that foundation to provide discussions of many topics that are of current interest, including how we see visual art; how mental disorders like Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and disordered sleep are caused; biological bases of creativity and morality; why so many decisions are irrational despite our belief that evolution selects adaptive behaviors; how learned helplessness, self-punitive behaviors, and fetishes may arise and persist; how our brain's design specializes a universal developmental code that it shares with all living cells across multiple species; and how our ceaseless interactions with the external world have shaped the designs that enable us to understand the physical world around us. I hope that, after reading the book Summary and Description below, and the Advance Reviews by 18 leading psychologists, neuroscientists, neural modelers, and technologists, you may be interested in reading the book. If you do, please see the information in the attached flyer for how. Best wishes, Steve Grossberg +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Conscious MIND, Resonant BRAIN: How Each Brain Makes a Mind by Stephen Grossberg 800 pages, $35 (see attached flyer for 30% reduction to $24.50) https://global.oup.com/academic/product/conscious-mind-resonant-brain-97801… SUMMARY • Explores how your mind works, notably how you learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things • Explains how mental disorders can be understood on a continuum with normal behaviors • Creates a computational foundation for applications of autonomous adaptive intelligence in engineering, technology, and AI DESCRIPTION How does your mind work? How does your brain give rise to your mind? These are questions that all of us have wondered about at some point in our lives, if only because everything that we know is experienced in our minds. They are also very hard questions to answer. After all, how can a mind understand itself? How can you understand something as complex as the tool that is being used to understand it? This book provides an introductory and self-contained description of some of the exciting answers to these questions that modern theories of mind and brain have recently proposed. Stephen Grossberg is broadly acknowledged to be the most important pioneer and current research leader who has, for the past 50 years, modelled how brains give rise to minds, notably how neural circuits in multiple brain regions interact together to generate psychological functions. This research has led to a unified understanding of how, where, and why our brains can consciously see, hear, feel, and know about the world, and effectively plan and act within it. The work embodies revolutionary Principia of Mind that clarify how autonomous adaptive intelligence is achieved. It provides mechanistic explanations of multiple mental disorders, including symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and sleep disorders; biological bases of morality and religion, including why our brains are biased towards the good so that values are not purely relative; perplexing aspects of the human condition, including why many decisions are irrational and self-defeating despite evolution's selection of adaptive behaviors; and solutions to large-scale problems in machine learning, technology, and Artificial Intelligence that provide a blueprint for autonomously intelligent algorithms and robots. Because brains embody a universal developmental code, unifying insights also emerge about shared laws that are found in all living cellular tissues, from the most primitive to the most advanced, notably how the laws governing networks of interacting cells support developmental and learning processes in all species. The fundamental brain design principles of complementarity, uncertainty, and resonance that Grossberg has discovered also reflect laws of the physical world with which our brains ceaselessly interact, and which enable our brains to incrementally learn to understand those laws, thereby enabling humans to understand the world scientifically. Accessibly written, and lavishly illustrated, Conscious Mind/Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the most influential scientists of the past 50 years, and will appeal to a broad readership across the sciences and humanities. ADVANCE REVIEWS “A tour de force on How the Brain Works…a masterpiece on brain science and neuro-computing that could only be created by Grossberg.” -- Leon Chua, University of California at Berkeley "Whenever you claim to be "the first to do" this or that in artificial intelligence, it is customary - and correct - to add "with the exception of Stephen Grossberg". Quite simply, Stephen is a living giant and foundational architect of the field." -- Karl J. Friston, University College London "This is a breath-taking book authored by a giant pioneer of the brain and mind." -- Shun-Ichi Amari, RIKEN Brain Science Institute "Professor Grossberg is a rara avis. In an age of increasing specialization, he has a remarkable, unparalleled, gift of seeing connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. And he writes about these with passion, but without compromising accuracy." -- V. S. Ramachandran, University of California San Diego "Stephen Grossberg is a true genius, who has discovered and developed many of the most important concepts and theories about how our brains make our minds. His fundamental contributions to science for over 50 years are richly worthy of a Nobel Prize." -- Leonid Perlovsky, Harvard University "Stephen Grossberg is a "big picture" thinker who has had a remarkably deep influence on many aspects of several fields. It's difficult to overstate the range of his vision and the depth of his thinking, and I expect this book to be required reading in many courses for years to come." -- Stephen Kosslyn, Foundry College “After reading many papers by the author, I always wished that he would present them in a coherent whole. And here it is. A magnificent volume of great science from mind to brain and back, a condensed ars poetica of a great scientist.” -- György Buzsáki, New York University "The current volume charts the remarkable developments that have led Dr. Grossberg to a principled, unified theory of the link between brain and mind. Dr. Grossberg's insights are unparalleled in their breadth and detail, leading us to a scientific understanding of the most remarkable aspect of the mind, consciousness." -- Michael Mozer, Google Brain, Mountain View, CA “Stephen Grossberg is one of the most original and influential theorists in contemporary cognitive science and computational neuroscience. In Conscious MIND Resonant BRAIN, he takes the reader on an eye-opening tour in which he addresses fundamental problems of mind and brain from his unique theoretical perspective. This is an important book that should be of interest to anyone who wonders how a brain can give rise to a mind. -- Daniel L. Schacter, Harvard University “In this book Stephen Grossberg shares the wisdom and encyclopedic knowledge that he acquired over 50 years of research devoted to unravel the mysteries of the human brain. Stephen pioneered the field of theoretical neuroscience and this approach allowed him to discover general principles that govern functions as diverse as visual perception, learning and memory, attention, emotion, decision making and consciousness. It is the essence of overarching principles to be abstract and to sometimes defy intuition, but Stephen succeeds to convey the essential in a language that is readily accessible to the non- expert. He embeds the discussion of neuronal mechanisms in the rich framework of cognitive psychology and elegantly bridges the gap between scientific evidence and subjective experience. He takes the readers by the hand and lets them discover the often surprising philosophical, ethical and societal implications of neurobiological discoveries. For those who enjoy intellectual adventures and wish to explore the boundaries of the known this scholarly written book is a real treasure.” -- Wolf Singer, Max Plank Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt "Although a behavioral modeler and not a neuroscientist, I have followed Stephen Grossberg's research closely for many years, because I regard him as one of the very most creative and insightful neuroscience theorists that the field has seen. His book should be a must read for those wanting to understand how the brain produces mind." -- Richard Shiffrin, Indiana University "How often do we have the chance to hold a true masterpiece? Grossberg's monumental accomplishments developed over multiple decades now written at an accessible level to a broader audience. What a true privilege!" -- Luis Pessoa, University of Maryland “Steve Grossberg is one of the most insightful and prolific writers on biological intelligence. This book is a masterful presentation of fundamental methods of modeling minds, brains and their interactions with the world, many of which are due to the author and his collaborators. The models are presented as mathematical systems, including computing and neural networks. The variables, parameters and functions represent biological and environmental concepts; mathematical conclusions are interpreted as predictions of biological behavior. In many cases these have been verified experimentally. There are illuminating and surprising connections to other disciplines, including art, music and economics. Highly recommended to a general audience.” -- Morris W. Hirsch, University of California at Berkeley "This comprehensive overview of Grossberg’s contributions to our understanding of the mind and brain shows exactly how prescient he, and his colleagues, have been. Whatever one’s specific interest, from visual illusions to mental illness, this book provides a principled treatment of it. The principles flow from Grossberg’s early framing of many of the questions that have come to define computational neuroscience – including his early understanding of the centrality of expectations. Kudos to him for pulling it all together here." -- Lynn Nadel, University of Arizona “This book is not for the faint of heart. Stephen Grossberg has been a giant in the field of computational neuroscience for 60 years. In this book he presents his carefully developed, integrative neurobiological theory on how the nervous system generates our conscious lives. It is bold yet self-reflective and therein challenging to all students trying to figure out how the brain does its tricks. A must read.” -- Michael Gazzaniga, University of California at Santa Barbara "Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the giants of neural networks. The soaring ambition of this book reflects the career achievements of Grossberg's insatiable appetite for understanding how brains work. It is a must-read for those interested in all aspects of how the mind and brain function in health and disease." -- Donald C. Wunsch II, Missouri University of Science and Technology "Grossberg has single-handedly elevated the psychophysics and psychology pioneered by Herman von Helmholtz and William James into a comprehensive mathematical theory of brain and behavior with profound implications and strong empirical support." -- David Hestenes, Arizona State University “An excellent and wide-ranging view of how the brain perceives the world for us by a pioneering brain theoretician.” -- Wolfram Schultz, University of Cambridge

April 2, 2021

Three fully-funded PhD position at the Vision Institute, Sorbonne University, Paris, France

by angelo.arleo＠inserm.fr

Dear all, The following three PhD positions are currently available at the Vision Institute, Sorbonne University, Paris, France: 1. PhD position in Computational Neuroscience and Deep Learning <http://www.aging-vision-action.fr/ava_files/silversight/PhD.Comput.Neurosci…> 2. PhD position in Behavioral Neuroscience <http://www.aging-vision-action.fr/ava_files/silversight/PhD.Behav.Neurosci.…> 3. PhD position in Experimental/Clinical Neuroscience <http://www.aging-vision-action.fr/ava_files/silversight/PhD.Exp.Clin.Neuros…> Best regards, Angelo Arleo Angelo ARLEO FONTAINE, PhD Director of Research CNRS Head of the Aging in Vision and Action Lab, Director of the Chair Silversight, Institute of Vision, CNRS - INSERM - Sorbonne University, 17, rue Moreau F-75012 Paris, France Phone: +33 (0)1 53 46 26 52 Mobile: +33 (0)6 46 84 09 56 Email: angelo.arleo(a)inserm.fr Website: www.aging-vision-action.fr

April 2, 2021

NIH-funded part-time postdoc or software developer position in computational neuroscience

by Salvador Dura

A part-time Postdoc or Software Developer position is available in the Dura-Bernal Lab<http://dura-bernal.org/> at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences (Brooklyn, New York). The position will focus on the development and dissemination of NetPyNE, a tool for data-driven multiscale modeling of brain circuits. For more details on the software tool see our eLife publication (https://elifesciences.org/articles/44494) and tool website (www.netpyne.org<http://www.netpyne.org/>). For details please see: http://dura-bernal.org/postdoc -- Salvador Durá-Bernal, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center Research Scientist IV, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Lab web: dura-bernal.org<http://dura-bernal.org/>

April 2, 2021

My Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds will be published next month by Oxford University Press

by Grossberg, Stephen

Dear Colleagues, I am writing to call your attention to the publication next month by Oxford University Press of my Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds in health and disease. The book also has implications for developing increasingly autonomous and adaptive technologies that emulate, and can thus harmoniously interact with, human users. The book discusses many topics about mind and brain. For one, it explains how, where in our brains, and why from a deep computational perspective our brains can learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things about the world. I wrote the book to be self-contained, accessible, and appealing to the general public. In addition to its exposition of how our minds work and how these discoveries inspire new designs in engineering, technology, and AI, I have been able to use that foundation to provide discussions of many topics that are of current interest, including how we see visual art; how mental disorders like Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and disordered sleep are caused; biological bases of creativity and morality; why so many decisions are irrational despite our belief that evolution selects adaptive behaviors; how learned helplessness, self-punitive behaviors, and fetishes may arise and persist; how our brain's design specializes a universal developmental code that it shares with all living cells across multiple species; and how our ceaseless interactions with the external world have shaped the designs that enable us to understand the physical world around us. I hope that, after reading the book Summary and Description below, and the Advance Reviews by 18 leading psychologists, neuroscientists, neural modelers, and technologists, you may be interested in reading the book. If you do, please see the information in the attached flyer for how. Best wishes, Steve Grossberg +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Conscious MIND, Resonant BRAIN: How Each Brain Makes a Mind by Stephen Grossberg 800 pages, $35 (see attached flyer for 30% reduction to $24.50) https://global.oup.com/academic/product/conscious-mind-resonant-brain-97801… SUMMARY • Explores how your mind works, notably how you learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things • Explains how mental disorders can be understood on a continuum with normal behaviors • Creates a computational foundation for applications of autonomous adaptive intelligence in engineering, technology, and AI DESCRIPTION How does your mind work? How does your brain give rise to your mind? These are questions that all of us have wondered about at some point in our lives, if only because everything that we know is experienced in our minds. They are also very hard questions to answer. After all, how can a mind understand itself? How can you understand something as complex as the tool that is being used to understand it? This book provides an introductory and self-contained description of some of the exciting answers to these questions that modern theories of mind and brain have recently proposed. Stephen Grossberg is broadly acknowledged to be the most important pioneer and current research leader who has, for the past 50 years, modelled how brains give rise to minds, notably how neural circuits in multiple brain regions interact together to generate psychological functions. This research has led to a unified understanding of how, where, and why our brains can consciously see, hear, feel, and know about the world, and effectively plan and act within it. The work embodies revolutionary Principia of Mind that clarify how autonomous adaptive intelligence is achieved. It provides mechanistic explanations of multiple mental disorders, including symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and sleep disorders; biological bases of morality and religion, including why our brains are biased towards the good so that values are not purely relative; perplexing aspects of the human condition, including why many decisions are irrational and self-defeating despite evolution's selection of adaptive behaviors; and solutions to large-scale problems in machine learning, technology, and Artificial Intelligence that provide a blueprint for autonomously intelligent algorithms and robots. Because brains embody a universal developmental code, unifying insights also emerge about shared laws that are found in all living cellular tissues, from the most primitive to the most advanced, notably how the laws governing networks of interacting cells support developmental and learning processes in all species. The fundamental brain design principles of complementarity, uncertainty, and resonance that Grossberg has discovered also reflect laws of the physical world with which our brains ceaselessly interact, and which enable our brains to incrementally learn to understand those laws, thereby enabling humans to understand the world scientifically. Accessibly written, and lavishly illustrated, Conscious Mind/Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the most influential scientists of the past 50 years, and will appeal to a broad readership across the sciences and humanities. ADVANCE REVIEWS “A tour de force on How the Brain Works…a masterpiece on brain science and neuro-computing that could only be created by Grossberg.” -- Leon Chua, University of California at Berkeley "Whenever you claim to be "the first to do" this or that in artificial intelligence, it is customary - and correct - to add "with the exception of Stephen Grossberg". Quite simply, Stephen is a living giant and foundational architect of the field." -- Karl J. Friston, University College London "This is a breath-taking book authored by a giant pioneer of the brain and mind." -- Shun-Ichi Amari, RIKEN Brain Science Institute "Professor Grossberg is a rara avis. In an age of increasing specialization, he has a remarkable, unparalleled, gift of seeing connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. And he writes about these with passion, but without compromising accuracy." -- V. S. Ramachandran, University of California San Diego "Stephen Grossberg is a true genius, who has discovered and developed many of the most important concepts and theories about how our brains make our minds. His fundamental contributions to science for over 50 years are richly worthy of a Nobel Prize." -- Leonid Perlovsky, Harvard University "Stephen Grossberg is a "big picture" thinker who has had a remarkably deep influence on many aspects of several fields. It's difficult to overstate the range of his vision and the depth of his thinking, and I expect this book to be required reading in many courses for years to come." -- Stephen Kosslyn, Foundry College “After reading many papers by the author, I always wished that he would present them in a coherent whole. And here it is. A magnificent volume of great science from mind to brain and back, a condensed ars poetica of a great scientist.” -- György Buzsáki, New York University "The current volume charts the remarkable developments that have led Dr. Grossberg to a principled, unified theory of the link between brain and mind. Dr. Grossberg's insights are unparalleled in their breadth and detail, leading us to a scientific understanding of the most remarkable aspect of the mind, consciousness." -- Michael Mozer, Google Brain, Mountain View, CA “Stephen Grossberg is one of the most original and influential theorists in contemporary cognitive science and computational neuroscience. In Conscious MIND Resonant BRAIN, he takes the reader on an eye-opening tour in which he addresses fundamental problems of mind and brain from his unique theoretical perspective. This is an important book that should be of interest to anyone who wonders how a brain can give rise to a mind. -- Daniel L. Schacter, Harvard University “In this book Stephen Grossberg shares the wisdom and encyclopedic knowledge that he acquired over 50 years of research devoted to unravel the mysteries of the human brain. Stephen pioneered the field of theoretical neuroscience and this approach allowed him to discover general principles that govern functions as diverse as visual perception, learning and memory, attention, emotion, decision making and consciousness. It is the essence of overarching principles to be abstract and to sometimes defy intuition, but Stephen succeeds to convey the essential in a language that is readily accessible to the non- expert. He embeds the discussion of neuronal mechanisms in the rich framework of cognitive psychology and elegantly bridges the gap between scientific evidence and subjective experience. He takes the readers by the hand and lets them discover the often surprising philosophical, ethical and societal implications of neurobiological discoveries. For those who enjoy intellectual adventures and wish to explore the boundaries of the known this scholarly written book is a real treasure.” -- Wolf Singer, Max Plank Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt "Although a behavioral modeler and not a neuroscientist, I have followed Stephen Grossberg's research closely for many years, because I regard him as one of the very most creative and insightful neuroscience theorists that the field has seen. His book should be a must read for those wanting to understand how the brain produces mind." -- Richard Shiffrin, Indiana University "How often do we have the chance to hold a true masterpiece? Grossberg's monumental accomplishments developed over multiple decades now written at an accessible level to a broader audience. What a true privilege!" -- Luis Pessoa, University of Maryland “Steve Grossberg is one of the most insightful and prolific writers on biological intelligence. This book is a masterful presentation of fundamental methods of modeling minds, brains and their interactions with the world, many of which are due to the author and his collaborators. The models are presented as mathematical systems, including computing and neural networks. The variables, parameters and functions represent biological and environmental concepts; mathematical conclusions are interpreted as predictions of biological behavior. In many cases these have been verified experimentally. There are illuminating and surprising connections to other disciplines, including art, music and economics. Highly recommended to a general audience.” -- Morris W. Hirsch, University of California at Berkeley "This comprehensive overview of Grossberg’s contributions to our understanding of the mind and brain shows exactly how prescient he, and his colleagues, have been. Whatever one’s specific interest, from visual illusions to mental illness, this book provides a principled treatment of it. The principles flow from Grossberg’s early framing of many of the questions that have come to define computational neuroscience – including his early understanding of the centrality of expectations. Kudos to him for pulling it all together here." -- Lynn Nadel, University of Arizona “This book is not for the faint of heart. Stephen Grossberg has been a giant in the field of computational neuroscience for 60 years. In this book he presents his carefully developed, integrative neurobiological theory on how the nervous system generates our conscious lives. It is bold yet self-reflective and therein challenging to all students trying to figure out how the brain does its tricks. A must read.” -- Michael Gazzaniga, University of California at Santa Barbara "Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the giants of neural networks. The soaring ambition of this book reflects the career achievements of Grossberg's insatiable appetite for understanding how brains work. It is a must-read for those interested in all aspects of how the mind and brain function in health and disease." -- Donald C. Wunsch II, Missouri University of Science and Technology "Grossberg has single-handedly elevated the psychophysics and psychology pioneered by Herman von Helmholtz and William James into a comprehensive mathematical theory of brain and behavior with profound implications and strong empirical support." -- David Hestenes, Arizona State University “An excellent and wide-ranging view of how the brain perceives the world for us by a pioneering brain theoretician.” -- Wolfram Schultz, University of Cambridge

April 1, 2021

Job Openings: Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor (Computer Science) at Hong Kong Baptist University (2 vacancies)

by COMP HKBU

The Department of Computer Science at Hong Kong Baptist University, presently offers BSc, MSc, MPhil, and PhD programmes, and is now seeking outstanding applicants for the following faculty positions on tenure-track. Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor (Computer Science) (2 vacancies) (PR0311/18-19) The appointees will perform high-impact research, to teach and supervise students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and to contribute to professional and institutional services. Collaboration with other faculty members in research and teaching is also expected. They will be encouraged to collaborate with colleagues within the Department to contribute to two special thematic applications including (a) health informatics and (b) secure and privacy-aware computing, and to pursue new strategic research initiatives under the Department/Faculty/University. Applicants should possess a PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, and sufficiently demonstrate abilities to conduct high-quality research in areas including but not limited to: Internet of things, Cyber-security, High-performance computing, Big data analytics, and Financial technologies. Applicants should also show strong commitment to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in computer science and/or information systems, possess track record of innovative research and high-impact publications, and be able to bid for and pursue externally-funded research programmes. Initial appointment will be offered on a fixed-term contract of three years. Re-appointment thereafter will be subject to mutual agreement. For enquiry, please contact Dr. William Cheung, Head of Department (email: william(a)comp.hkbu.edu.hk) More information about the Department can be found at http://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk. *Those who have responded to the previous advertisement need not re-apply.* *Rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.* Application Procedure: Applicants are invited to submit their applications at the HKBU e-Recruitment System (jobs.hkbu.edu.hk) with samples of publications, preferably *three best ones* out of their most recent publications/works. They should also request *two referees* to send in confidential letters of reference, with PR number (stated above) quoted on the letters, to the Human Resources Office (Email: recruit(a)hkbu.edu.hk) direct. Those who are not invited for interview 4 months after the closing date may consider their applications unsuccessful. All application materials including publication samples, scholarly/creative works will be disposed of after completion of the recruitment exercise. Details of the University’s Personal Information Collection Statement can be found at http://hro.hkbu.edu.hk/pics. The University reserves the right not to make an appointment for the posts advertised, and the appointment will be made according to the terms and conditions applicable at the time of offer. Review of applications is on-going until the position is filled. URL: https://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk/v1/?page=job_vacancies&id=503

April 1, 2021

Virginia Tech, Assistant/Associate Professor position in Clinical Psychology

by Pearl Chiu

Dear All, We invite applications for a tenure-track/tenured Assistant/Associate Professor position in Clinical Psychology at Virginia Tech. We welcome applicants whose research falls across the range of clinical psychological science, including clinical scientists who use computational (neuro)science approaches! For more information: https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/515515/assistant-or-assoc… If you have questions, feel free to contact me or our search committee chair, Dr. Thomas Ollendick (tho at vt.edu) Please distribute broadly; apologies for cross-posts. Thank you, Pearl -- Pearl Chiu, PhD Associate Professor Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech VTC School of Medicine Salem VA Medical Center 2 Riverside Circle, R1110 Roanoke VA 24016 +1 540-526-2019 chiup(a)vtc.vt.edu

March 31, 2021

Multiple postdoc positions in Computational Neuroscience and neural data analysis

by Arvind Kumar

Join us in our endeavour to create a theoretical framework to understand (and hopefully treat) neurodegenerative brain diseases. Upto 5 postdoctoral positions are available at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden - for building multi-scale models to capture relationship between brain's structure and activity dynamics - to analyse brain connectivity and activity data using topological data analysis - To develop machine learning algos to extract the brain's anatomical connectivity from MRI images. The postdoctoral researchers will become part of an interdisciplinary community of neuroscientists, clinicians, mathematicians and brain imaging experts at KTH and Karolinska Institute Stockholm. These positions are a part of the new interdisciplinary initiative dBRAIN <https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/research/current-research-projects/dbrain/> within the ‘Digital Futures <https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/research/collaborative-projects>’ initiative at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. The goal is to better understand neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. We combine computational modeling, machine learning and topological data analysis to identify causal links among disease biomarkers and disease symptoms. This understanding should improve diagnosis, prediction of the disease progression and suggest better therapies. Contact: Contact the relevant PIs whose names and email addresses are available at dBRAIN <https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/research/current-research-projects/dbrain/> website. -- Dr. Arvind Kumar Computational Brain Science, Div. of Computational Science and Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm Lindstedtsvägen 5. Room#4439 114 28 Stockholm, Sweden. Ph. No. +46-8790-6224 Web: https://www.kth.se/profile/arvindku/ https://arvkumar.github.io/ cricket blog: http://rightarmoverfast.blogspot.com -------- न यः संपृच्छे न पुनर्हवीतवे न संवादाय रमते । तस्मान्नो अद्य समृतेरुरुष्यतं बाहुभ्यां न उरुष्यतम् ॥ ऋग्वेदः मण्डलं - ८. He who has no pleasure in questioning, nor in debate, nor in dialogue, Defend us to-day from him and from his encounter, defend us from his arms.

March 31, 2021

Special Issue “Industrial Big Data and Process Modelling for Smart Manufacturing

by Barna Iantovics

Dear Colleague, The Open Access journal Mathematics (ISSN2227-7390; IF 1.747) is currently running a Special Issue “IndustrialBig Data and Process Modelling for Smart Manufacturing”: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/mathematics/special_issues/Industrial_Big_Data… We (Prof. Hatem Ghorbel, University of Applied Sciences and ArtsWestern Switzerland; Prof. Stefano Carrino, University of Applied Sciences andArts Western Switzerland; Dr. Ivana Budinská, Institute of Informatics SlovakAcademy of Sciences, Slovakia; Prof. Vicente Rodríguez Montequín, University ofOviedo, Spain) are serving as its Guest Editor. All of us are currently takingpart of one of the CHIST-ERA projects funded underthe Big data and process modelling for smart industry (BDSI) call.The topics included in the special issue are aligned with this call, as well asother calls like Object recognition and manipulation by robots: Datasharing and experiment reproducibility (ORMR). We cordially invite you to submit one feature paper to the SpecialIssue. It could be a full review or an original research article. We will behonored if you are able to participate. The submission deadline is 31 October 2021. You maysubmit your manuscript now or up until the deadline. If you plan to submit, ifpossible, we expect to receive your tentative title and submission date. Adiscount over the article processing charge may be considered according to therelevance of the paper and submission date. Don’t hesitate to contact me forfurther details. Yours faithfully, Prof. Hatem Ghorbel University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland Social Network of Machines (SOON) Project Coordinator Project funded under the CHIST-ERA BDSI call

March 30, 2021

PhD in computational neuroscience

by Eirini Mavritsaki

Dear colleagues, Please find below a PhD opportunity in our lab. Best wishes, Eirini Title: An EEG and computational modelling investigation into cultural differences in visual perceptual learning Supervisory Team: Professor Eirini Mavritsaki, Dr Panagiotis Rentzelas, Professor Maxine Lintern, Professor Zoe Kourtzi (University of Cambridge), Stephanie Chua Visual perceptual learning (VPL) refers to the acquisition of visual skills through training which improves our ability to detect useful information in cluttered scenes. Individualism and independence in Western cultures have been associated with differential processing and attentional styles. This research will be based on understanding cross-cultural differences on VPL using EEG and computational modelling work. The ideal applicant should have a good first degree in Psychology/Computer Science. Previous experience in conducting neuropsychological experiments and/or computational modelling work will be highly desirable. Link: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/social-sciences/research/phd_opportunities Contact information: Prof. Eirini Mavritsaki Eirini.mavritsaki(a)bcu.ac.uk<mailto:Eirini.mavritsaki@bcu.ac.uk> 0121 3316361 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Prof. Eirini Mavritsaki, Ph.D., CPsychol , SFHEA Professor of Cognitive Psychology Director of Research and Enterprise for the School of Social Sciences Director of Postgraduate Research Studies for the School of Social Sciences Department of Psychology Faculty of Business Law and Social Sciences Birmingham City University The Curzon Building 4 Cardigan Street Birmingham B4 7BD eirini.mavritsaki(a)bcu.ac.uk<mailto:eirini.mavritsaki@bcu.ac.uk> 0121 331 6361 Please use the link below if you want to book a meeting with me https://calendly.com/eirini-mavritsaki ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 30, 2021

CFP Workshop on Competitive and Cooperative Social Interactions @ IJCAI2021

by Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros

Call For Papers - The Workshop on Competitive and Cooperative Social Interactions @ IJCAI2021 I. Aim and Scope In this workshop, we put together the top-tier researchers on machine learning, in particular social signal processing, and human-robot interaction to discuss, understand and propose possible solutions for our overall topic “Competition and Cooperation: How to integrate machine learning and human-robot interaction in meaningful applications?”. Our intention is to leverage an enriching discussion of the existing problems on competitive and cooperative interactions on the multidisciplinary view of our contributors, and not to present individual solutions for each of the related topics. Our invited speakers, all experts in their respective areas, will discuss the open problems involving social agents' interactions within their specialty. We also invite the submissions of position papers that present a critical view on this topic to complement and widen our discussions. More information: https://www.whisperproject.eu/compcoop II. Potential Topics Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: - Supervised, Unsupervised, and Self-supervised models for social signal processing. - Reinforcement Learning for Multi-agent interaction. - Representation Learning and Decision Making applied for - Competitive and/or Cooperative Scenarios. - Human-Robot interactions in Real-world Competitive and/or Cooperative scenarios. - Ethical aspects of artificial agents and social interactions. - Affective Computing Models and Applications for Multi-Agent Interactions. - Cognitive Models for Social Interaction. - Lifelong and Continual Learning for Interactions with Humans. - Learning with Humans in the Loop. - Developmental Learning for Social Signal Processing. - Explainable Social Agents. - Social Impact of novel Developments on Artificial Agents and Social Interactions. - Cognitive models for Social Interaction. III. Submission The workshop holds a public call for short (up to 4 pages) and long papers (up to 8 pages) that address any of the related topics. We encourage the participants to submit not only contribution papers but also position arguments about the current problems involving any of the related topics. The authors should follow the IJCAI paper template. - Paper submission deadline: May 4, 2021 - Decisions: May 18, 2021 - Camera-ready papers due: June 14, 2020 Submission website: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/CompCoop2021 IV. Organizers Pablo Barros, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Doreen Jirak, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Francisco Cruz, School of IT, Deakin University, Australia German I. Parisi, McD Tech Labs, USA ---------------------------------------- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Researcher - CONTACT Unit Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – Center for Human Technologies Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B 16152 Genova, Italy email: pablo.alvesdebarros(a)iit.it website: https://www.pablobarros.net<http://www.pablobarros.net><https://www.p> twitter: @PBarros_br

March 29, 2021

Two Lectureships at the University of St Andrews

by Tom Otto

Dear Colleagues, The School of Psychology and Neuroscience at St Andrews is offering two lectureships with one position in Neuroeconomics/Decision Making and the other in Behavioural Neuroscience (please see links to the adverts below). Closing Date: 23 April 2021 All the best, Tom https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/3505/0/293925/889/lectur… https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/3193/0/293921/889/lectur… -- Dr. Thomas Otto University of St Andrews School of Psychology and Neuroscience St Mary’s Quad, South Street, St Andrews, KY16 9JP, Scotland Phone: +44 (0)1334 462091 http://lclab.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

March 29, 2021

AMAM2021 (Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines) Call for Abstracts

by Auke Ijspeert

*AMAM 2021 Call for Abstracts* The International Symposium on Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines (AMAM, http://adaptivemotion.org/ <http://adaptivemotion.org/>) is dedicated to stimulate fruitful interactions among biologists and engineers interested in adaptive motion. It aims at bringing together researchers in robotics, biomechanics, neuroscience, sports science, and other fields related to behavior in biological and artificial systems. This year AMAM is holding a virtual, asynchronous conference to highlight work done by early career researchers. The meeting will consist of an online poster session with access to asynchronous chats, a pre-recorded audio or video poster presentation, and synchronous virtual meeting times scheduled by each participant to encourage live conversation and connection across time zones. In addition there will be the traditional hardware demonstration (the Robot Zoo) in a non-traditional promotional video format. The meeting will be held June 22^nd – 25^th . Abstract deadline will be April 1^st 2021. More information can be found at https://amam2021.squarespace.com/ <https://amam2021.squarespace.com/> and will be updated regularly. Please use the contact tab on the webpage if you have any questions at all.

March 28, 2021

Postdoc position in computational neuroscience at Georgia Tech

by Choi, Hannah

Dear all, A postdoctoral researcher position is available in Hannah Choi's group in the School of Mathematics at Georgia Tech. We are a new computational neuroscience group studying the link between structure, dynamics, and computation in data-driven neural networks at multiple scales. We utilize various mathematical tools to probe how efficient neural computation emerges from the underlying network dynamics and architecture, in close collaboration with leading experimental groups. More information about the group is available at hannahchoi.math.gatech.edu. The ideal candidate should have a strong quantitative background, with a PhD in computational neuroscience, applied math, physics, computer science, or other related fields. Previous experience in neuroscience and/or machine learning is preferred but not required. The position would ideally start as soon as possible (Summer or Fall 2021). To apply, please send a CV, a research statement, and the contact information for three references to hannahch(a)gatech.edu<mailto:hannahch@gatech.edu> with the subject line "postdoc application". Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Georgia Tech's campus is in the heart of midtown Atlanta, which has a thriving and collaborative computational neuroscience community spanning multiple institutions and departments. Georgia Tech is an equal education/employment opportunity institution dedicated to building a diverse community, priding itself on its technology resources, collaborations, high-quality student body, and its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Best, Hannah ************************ Hannah Choi, Ph.D. Assistant Professor School of Mathematics Georgia Institute of Technology

March 28, 2021

Paid internships in computational neuroscience

by Salvador Dura

Two paid internships position in computational neuroscience are available in the Dura-Bernal Lab <http://dura-bernal.org/> at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University. Students will have the opportunity to gain research experience and learn cutting edge methods in computational neuroscience: large-scale modeling of neuronal cortical circuits to study brain function and disease; machine learning applied to neuroscience; development of neuroscience software tools. For more details see Research<http://dura-bernal.org/research> and Current Collaborations<http://www.dura-bernal.org/people#collaborators>. For details please see: http://dura-bernal.org/internships. -- Salvador Durá-Bernal, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center Research Scientist IV, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Lab web: dura-bernal.org<http://dura-bernal.org/>

March 27, 2021

CFP 30th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks ICANN 2021, Sept 14-17, ONLINE, Deadline extension

by Paolo Masulli ENNS

30th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks ICANN 2021 https://e-nns.org/icann2021 *ONLINE EVENT* 14 - 17 September 2021 *Deadline extended to April 15, 2021* ============================================================= The International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN) is the annual flagship conference of the European Neural Network Society (ENNS). In 2021 the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics (FMPI), Comenius University in Bratislava, together with the Slovak Society for Cognitive Science, organize the 30th ICANN Conference from the 14th to the 17th of September 2021. *Online event:* Due to the uncertainty regarding the re-opening of Europe during 2021, *ICANN is going fully online this year*. We will still have keynote talks, contributed talks and poster sessions, and nothing changes regarding the conference proceedings in Springer LNCS. * **CONFERENCE TOPICS* ICANN 2021 is a dual-track conference featuring tracks in Brain Inspired Computing and Machine Learning and Artificial Neural Networks, with strong cross-disciplinary interactions and applications. All research fields dealing with Neural Networks will be present at the conference. A non-exhaustive list of topics includes: Machine Learning: Deep Learning, Neural Network Theory, Neural Network Models, Graphical Models, Bayesian Networks, Kernel Methods, Generative Models, Information Theoretic Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Relational Learning, Dynamical Models, Recurrent Networks. Brain Inspired Computing: Cognitive models, Computational Neuroscience, Self-organisation, Reinforcement Learning, Neural Control and Planning, Hybrid Neural-Symbolic Architectures, Neural Dynamics, Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Informatics, Perception and action. Neural Applications for: Bioinformatics, Biomedicine, Intelligent Robotics, Neurorobotics, Language Processing, Image Processing, Sensor Fusion, Pattern Recognition, Data Mining, Neural Agents, Brain-Computer Interaction, Neural Hardware, Evolutionary Neural Networks. *CALL FOR CONTRIBUTED SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS* All scientific communications presented at ICANN 2021 will be reviewed and scientifically evaluated by a panel of experts. The conference will feature two categories of communications: - oral communications (15'+5') - poster communications. *CALL FOR PAPERS* Authors willing to present original contributions in either oral or poster category may submit: - A full paper of maximum 12 pages (including references) to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series with individual DOI. - An extended abstract of maximum 4 pages to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series, without indexing. The number of oral slots is limited. In case the number of requested oral presentations is larger than the available slots the ICANN scientific committee will select which papers will be reassigned to a poster session. This selection will be based on the coherence of the programme and is totally independent of the category of submission. Submission of communications will be on the conference website: https://e-nns.org/icann2021/ *IMPORTANT DATES* Opening of contribution submissions: 15 Feb 2021 Deadline for full paper and extended abstract submission: 15 Apr 2021 Notification of acceptance: 25 May 2021 Camera-ready paper and registration opening: 15 June 2021 Deadline for early registration at discount rate: 30 June 2021 *BEST PAPER AWARDS* ENNS will sponsor a maximum of four best paper awards. *ORGANISATION* General Chairs: Igor Farkaš (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Ľubica Beňušková (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Organising Committee Chairs: Kristína Malinovská (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Sebastian Otte (University of Tübingen, Germany) Alessandra Lintas (ENNS Lausanne, Switzerland) Honorary Chairs: Stefan Wermter, University in Hamburg, Germany (ENNS President) Věra Kůrková, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia (past ENNS President) Communication Chair: Paolo Masulli (Technical University of Denmark, ENNS)

March 26, 2021

Research Associate Position at Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre

by Jiaxiang ZHANG

[Apologize for cross-posting] Dear all, We are seeking an enthusiastic early-career scientist for a research associate position at Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC). The successful candidate will join a collaborative and multidisciplinary research team to work on the neurocognitive mechanisms of human decision-making, integrating multimodal brain imaging (MEG, functional MRI and diffusion MRI) and computational modelling. The post holder will develop computational models that describe data from behavioural and brain imaging experiments, in particular to take a lead role in integrating large-scale computational simulations with imaging results from multiple modalities. The research aims to understand the computational and neurocognitive processes of human decision-making, and how decision deficits may arise due to brain injury or neurodegeneration. The research associate will also be expected to collaborate with other researchers in the team on imaging data analyses and data curation. You will have access to imaging facilities at CUBRIC and several multimodal imaging datasets. Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) houses a unique combination of state-of-the-art facilities and world-leading expertise, with 4 human MRI systems (2 x Siemens Prisma, 1 x Siemens Connectom, 1 x Siemens 7T), MEG, EEG, TMS, tDCS, clinical research units and testing labs. Further details of CUBRIC can be found on our webpage (http://sites.cardiff.ac.uk/cubric) This is a full-time, fixed-term position until February 2023, available to start now. Remote working is possible if COVID-19 restrictions are in place. For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Jiaxiang Zhang ( zhangj73(a)cardiff.ac.uk) A formal application needs to be submitted via the link online ( https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CEQ831/research-associate) *Application deadline: April 6th, 2021.* *Essential Criteria* 1. A PhD degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., mathematics, computer science, engineering, physics or psychology) 2. Research experience or a strong interest in human decision-making 3. Strong experience in computational models of cognitive processes and/or macroscopic neural systems, including the use of neural mass models or neural field models 4. Experience of analysing brain imaging data in one or more modalities (e.g., diffusion MRI, BOLD functional MRI, MEG/EEG), using common software packages 5. Strong programming skills (e.g., Matlab, Python, C/C++ or R) 6. Experience with Unix/Linux environment for data analysis, including bash scripting and parallel computing on high-performance clusters 7. Proven ability to publish high-quality research in peer-reviewed academic journals 8. Knowledge of software development cycles and best programming practices, including coding standards, version control administration, debug and code sharing, with strong commitments to open science practices 9. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, evidenced by publications and/or conference presentations 10. Strong interpersonal skills, including proven ability to work cooperatively within a team while also being able to take the initiative *Desirable Criteria * 1. Experience of brain functional and structural connectivity analyses 2. Experience in statistical methods (e.g., GLM, mixed models, multivariate statistics, hierarchical models and Bayesian statistics) and/or machine learning methods 3. Experience in deep learning models of imaging processing --- Dr. Jiaxiang Zhang Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) School of Psychology Cardiff University Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ https://ccbrain.org

March 25, 2021