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PhD opportunity: Neurocomputational mechanisms of decision making

by Simon Kelly

Applications are invited for a *fully-funded, 4-year PhD* position in the Kelly lab in University College Dublin, to work on a project examining the task-adaptive role of evidence accumulation in perceptual decision making using human neurophysiology combined with computational modelling. This project is funded under a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award, by the SFI-HRB-Wellcome Research Partnership. The extent to which evidence accumulation underpins decision formation in some or all perceptual tasks is still widely debated. Accordingly, there now exist many distinct, alternative mathematical decision models that limit the role of evidence accumulation in various ways, most notably through leaky integration or "collapsing" decision bounds. The trouble is, these alternative models can often be made to fit behavioral data equally well but lead to fundamentally different inferences. With the rapidly growing use of these models across many basic and clinical research domains, it is past time that we knew whether, why and how these alternative mechanisms are invoked across different task scenarios, including ones representative of real life. This project will draw on novel neurally-informed modelling approaches developed by our lab (see, e.g. [1-3]) and others, to uncover core principles governing how neurocomputational decision processes are flexibly adapted to diverse task demands. The Kelly lab is based in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in University College Dublin, Ireland, and is affiliated with the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience. It has strong collaborative links to basic and clinical cognitive neuroscience research groups employing a range of methods, both locally and internationally. The successful candidate will have ample opportunities for wider collaborations and the learning of new skills. Interested candidates should submit their CV and a brief research statement describing their background and research interests and how they align with the project and the broader interests of the Kelly lab, to simon.kelly(a)ucd.ie. The PhD position is intended to start in Sept 2021, with some flexibility. [1] Afacan-Seref K, Steinemann NA, Blangero A, Kelly SP. Dynamic interplay of value and sensory information in high-speed decision making. Current Biology. 2018. 28(5):795-802.e6. [2] Kelly SP, Corbett EA, O'Connell RG. Neurocomputational mechanisms of prior-informed perceptual decision making in humans. Nature Human Behaviour. In Press. [3] O'Connell RG, Shadlen MN, Wong-Lin K, Kelly SP. Bridging Neural and Computational Viewpoints on Perceptual Decision-Making. Trends Neurosci. 2018;41(11):838‐852. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2018.06.005 ----------------------------------------------------------- Simon Kelly, Ph.D. Associate Professor School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering University College Dublin t: +353 (1) 716 1803 e: simon.kelly(a)ucd.ie -----------------------------------------------------------

Nov. 19, 2020

2 Postdoc positions: Neurocomputational mechanisms of decision making

by Simon Kelly

Applications are invited for two 3-year postdoctoral positions in the Kelly lab in University College Dublin, to work on a project examining the task-adaptive role of evidence accumulation in perceptual decision making using human neurophysiology combined with computational modelling. This project is funded under a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award, by the SFI-HRB-Wellcome Research Partnership. The extent to which evidence accumulation underpins decision formation in some or all perceptual tasks is still widely debated. Accordingly, there now exist many distinct, alternative mathematical decision models that limit the role of evidence accumulation in various ways, most notably through leaky integration or "collapsing" decision bounds. The trouble is, these alternative models can often be made to fit behavioral data equally well but lead to fundamentally different inferences. With the rapidly growing use of these models across many basic and clinical research domains, it is past time that we knew whether, why and how these alternative mechanisms are invoked across different task scenarios, including ones representative of real life. This project will draw on novel neurally-informed modelling approaches developed by our lab (see, e.g. [1-3]) and others, to uncover core principles governing how neurocomputational decision processes are flexibly adapted to diverse task demands. The Kelly lab is based in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in University College Dublin, Ireland, and is affiliated with the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience. It has strong collaborative links to basic and clinical cognitive neuroscience research groups employing a range of methods, both locally and internationally. The successful candidate will have ample opportunities for wider collaborations and the learning of new skills. Interested candidates should submit their CV and a brief research statement describing their background and research interests and how they align with the project and the broader interests of the Kelly lab. Please submit these materials through the UCD job vacancies site ( https://www.ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs/ - search for job ref number *012812*), before the *deadline of Jan 11 2021*. The positions are intended to start in April/May 2021, with some flexibility. [1] Afacan-Seref K, Steinemann NA, Blangero A, Kelly SP. Dynamic interplay of value and sensory information in high-speed decision making. Current Biology. 2018. 28(5):795-802.e6. [2] Kelly SP, Corbett EA, O'Connell RG. Neurocomputational mechanisms of prior-informed perceptual decision making in humans. Nature Human Behaviour. In Press. [3] O'Connell RG, Shadlen MN, Wong-Lin K, Kelly SP. Bridging Neural and Computational Viewpoints on Perceptual Decision-Making. Trends Neurosci. 2018;41(11):838‐852. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2018.06.005 ----------------------------------------------------------- Simon Kelly, Ph.D. Associate Professor School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering University College Dublin t: +353 (1) 716 1803 e: simon.kelly(a)ucd.ie -----------------------------------------------------------

Nov. 19, 2020

Postdoc position in decision neuroscience: Multi-site project

by Simon Kelly

Applications are invited for a 3-year postdoctoral research position in the Kelly lab in University College Dublin, to work on a collaborative Tripartite project on the neural mechanisms of perceptual decision making, jointly funded by Science Foundation Ireland, HSC-Northern Ireland and the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. The overall, multi-site project involves non-human primate neurophysiology (Michael Shadlen in Columbia University), intracranial human EEG (Stephan Bickel in Northwell-Hofstra School of Medicine), biologically based neural network modelling (KongFatt Wong-Lin, Ulster University), human fMRI (Redmond O’Connell in Trinity College Dublin) and human EEG (Simon Kelly in UCD), with several planned visits and regular interactions among labs, and diverse skill-building opportunities. The primary focus of the postdoc position in UCD is to contribute insights using human EEG, in close alignment with, and with contributions to, the experiments conducted in other modalities and at the other sites. A key focus of the project is to understand the role of neural representations of cumulative evidence that are abstracted from specific motor requirements, and to find out where and how such representations are computed in the human and non-human primate brains. Interested candidates should submit a brief research statement and CV including publications through the UCD job vacancies site ( https://www.ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs/ – search for job ref number 012810). Informal enquiries can be directed to Simon (simon.kelly(a)ucd.ie) Candidates should explain in their statement how their own research interests fit with those of the Kelly lab and why they are suited to this particular multi-site neuroscience project. The deadline for submitting applications is Dec 16 2020, and shortlisting and interviews will take place shortly after that. It is hoped that the candidate can start on this project early in the new year. ----------------------------------------------------------- Simon Kelly, Ph.D. Associate Professor School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering University College Dublin t: +353 (1) 716 1803 e: simon.kelly(a)ucd.ie -----------------------------------------------------------

Nov. 19, 2020

postdoc position at Georgia Tech

by Rozell, Christopher J

A postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience is available in the lab of Christopher Rozell at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA). This BRAIN Initiative research project seeks to advance the field of closed-loop computational neuroscience by pioneering the use of real-time feedback stimulation during experiments to decouple recurrently connected circuit elements and make stronger causal inferences about circuit interactions. This position will have a broad opportunity to develop models and algorithms that are implemented in novel experiments using closed-loop optogenetic stimulation. We aim to provide both new scientific insight about computation in neural circuits (especially sensory coding in the thalamo-cortical circuit) as well as new approaches and algorithmic tools for the community to use in novel electrophysiology experiments. This position will work as part of a team and in close collaboration with the experimental lab of Garrett Stanley (also at Georgia Tech), and it is expected that the computational and algorithmic approaches will be implemented experimentally through close partnership with experimentalists in the Stanley Laboratory. Applicants should hold a PhD in a related discipline with a strong record of research impact, quantitative thinking and collaborative work. Experience in computational neuroscience, machine learning, feedback control, and causal inference is all advantageous. The lab is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive environment for all scholars, and applications are especially encouraged from all underrepresented groups. Additionally, the lab is committed to the professional development of the members, making it valuable preparation for people who are interested in academic, industrial or entrepreneurial careers. The position has no mandatory teaching or administrative duties. Excellent (written and oral) communication skills in English are required. This particular project is part of the Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience program (CRCNS), providing access to a community of researchers across the country who are focused on similar types of collaborations between computational and experimental labs. Georgia Tech's campus in the heart of midtown Atlanta, which has a thriving and collaborative neuroscience community that has a particular emphasis on computational and systems neuroscience. Atlanta is also one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States, boasting a wide range of opportunities for recreation and culture. Georgia Tech has competitive benefits (including comprehensive medical insurance) and is an equal opportunity employer. The position would ideally start as soon as possible (spring 2021). The appointment is initially for 12 months with the expectation of renewal. Compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. Candidates should send a CV, a statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for three references to crozell(a)gatech.edu with the subject line "CRCNS postdoc". Application review will proceed until the position is filled and should be received by December 1 for full consideration. http://siplab.gatech.edu/CRCNS_postdoc_ad.html

Nov. 19, 2020

Postdoctoral fellow in Computational Neuroscience investigating mechanisms of sensorimotor integration.

by Ausborn,Jessica

Dr. Jessica Ausborn’s group at Drexel University College of Medicine, in the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy has a postdoctoral position available for an exciting new research project involving computational models of sensorimotor integration based on neural and behavior data in Drosophila. The interdisciplinary collaboration with the experimental group of Dr. Katie von Reyn (Drexel School of Biomedical Engineering) will involve a variety of computational techniques including the development of biophysically detailed and more abstract mathematical models together with machine learning and data science techniques to identify and probe the algorithms computed in neuronal pathways that perform sensorimotor transformations. The Ausborn laboratory is part of an interdisciplinary group of Drexel’s Neuroengineering program that includes computational and experimental investigators. This collaborative, interdisciplinary environment enables us to probe biological systems in a way that would not be possible with either an exclusively experimental or computational approach. https://drexel.edu/medicine/about/departments/neurobiology-anatomy/research… More details on how to apply can be found here: https://careers.drexel.edu/en-us/job/495192/postdoctoral-researcher ----- Jessica Ausborn Assistant Professor Neurobiology and Anatomy College of Medicine Drexel University 2900 W Queen Lane Philadelphia, PA 19129

Nov. 19, 2020

PhD with Bristol Neural Computation Hub

by Cian O'Donnell

The Bristol Neural Computation Hub, University of Bristol, UK is looking to recruit to a number of EPSRC-funded PhD studentships for a Sept/Oct 2021 start: the research areas considered include Computational Neuroscience and Machine Learning. We have a vibrant Computational Neuroscience group with strong collaborative links with local and international groups working in experimental neuroscience, in machine learning and cognitive science. We have interesting projects to offer in our respective research areas: Laurence Aitchison (http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/~laurence/) gaussian processes and deep learning. Jeff Bowers (https://jeffbowers.blogs.bristol.ac.uk) deep learning as models of cognition. Conor Houghton (https://conorhoughton.github.io) information theory, decision making and affective state and linguistics. Nathan Lepora (http://lepora.com) robotics, neuroscience, biomimetics. Cian O’Donnell (https://odonnellgroup.github.io) synaptic plasticity, autism, statistical methods for neural data. Rui Ponte Costa (https://neuralml.github.io) credit assignment in cortical circuits. More details on the group here: https://bristolcnu.github.io/research/ Bristol is one of the top places to live and work in the UK and so we urge you to apply or to recommend this opportunity to suitable students. Anyone interested should contact one of us to discuss potential project and their application as early as possible; there are notes on the application process below; the final application would need to be submitted by 15th Jan 2021. All the best, Conor, Nathan, Cian, Rui, Laurence, and Jeff ___________ Information on the studentships: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/engineering/postgraduate/funding/sceem-studentships International students (including EU who haven’t lived in the UK) are very much eligible to apply but the process will be more competitive as only maximum 30% of the studentships are open for them. The remainder of these studentships are subject to a UK residency requirement: (https://epsrc.ukri.org/skills/students/help/eligibility/) Students should contact one of us before applying as you would need our nomination and also time to develop their project proposal with us. The selection itself goes through a two step process, students are first accepted as PhD students by the University and are then considered for funding within the School. Applicants should apply via http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/ and select "Computer Science PhD", ensuring they submit a short research proposal outlining the research question or area they intend to focus on and a CV by the deadline.

Nov. 19, 2020

Neural Engineering NER2021 call for papers

by Alberto Mazzoni

Dear friends, The deadline for the submission of 4-page papers to our bi-annual IEEEembs conference on Neural Engineering NER2021 is approaching! NER is the world’s gathering place for biomedical engineers, neuroscientists, and clinicians to share research and to exchange ideas and breakthrough advances in novel engineering tools for elucidating brain function and neuro technologies for the restoration and enhancement of impaired sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. The conference program will feature keynote speakers, invited talks, mini-symposia, and poster sessions. Please note that there will be a Special Session on Computer Models in Neuroengineering. All papers will be peer reviewed. All accepted one page and four page papers will appear in the Conference Program. Only four page papers will have the opportunity to be published in IEEE XPlore.Please submit yourpapers on #neurotechnology #bionics #robotics #prosthetics #neuroscience#machinelearning and more Information and complete call for papers available here: https://neuro.embs.org/2021/ Thanks, best and see you there! Alberto Mazzoni www.santannapisa.it/en/computational-neuroengineering-laboratory

Nov. 19, 2020

Online workshop series - Neural Control: From data to machines

by plan4act

We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the remaining sessions of our ongoing workshop series *Neural Control: From data to machines* with weekly Zoom-sessions each Thursday morning at 10am (CET) throughout November and December. It's not too late to register for tomorrow's session (*Nov 19th*)! Topic: Movement disorders leave individuals unable to control parts of their bodies, creating a disconnect between their brain and the world around them. This workshop series looks at how neural activity can be mapped to control smart systems, producing desired movements on demand. To discuss the implied problems and solutions, we have brought together experts from the different involved scientific fields. Details and registration at: https://alexandria.physik3.uni-goettingen.de/cns-group/projects/webinars/ <https://alexandria.physik3.uni-goettingen.de/cns-group/projects/webinars/> Confirmed Speakers: * *Dario Farina* * *Silvestro Micera* * *Tonio Ball* * *Nick Ramsay* * *Juan Álvaro Gallego* * *Florentin Wörgötter* * *Alexander Gail* * *Christian Tetzlaff* * *Michael Fauth* * *Tomoki Fukai* * *Petra Ritter* * *Valerio Mante* * *Hans Scherberger* * *Gordon Cheng* * *Poramate Manoonpong* * *Jan-Matthias Braun* * *Eugenio Gaeta* * *Daniel Durstewitz* * *Yukie Nagai* Please forward to anyone who may be interested. Best, Florentin Wörgötter and Christian Tetzlaff

Nov. 18, 2020

Computational Neuralengineering Training Program at Georgia Tech/Emory

by Rozell, Christopher J

The Georgia Tech/Emory Computational Neuralengineering Training Program (CNTP) is a collaborative partnership with the mission of training the next generation of researchers at the intersection of computational neuroscience, data science and clinical neurophysiology. The CNTP is a training program supported by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) to address the opportunities provided by the explosion of tools for measurement and manipulation of nervous system function and the challenges posed by neurologic disorders. Trainees in CNTP program consists of PhD students with clear interest in quantitative training and either basic or clinical study of the brain, and who are pursuing studies in any of these degree programs: Biomedical Engineering (GT and Emory), Bioengineering (GT), Electrical and Computer Engineering (GT) or Machine Learning (GT) PhD programs. In addition to the benefits of being part of the broad computational neuroscience community in Atlanta, CNTP trainees have access to a new restricted course on Clinical Experience for Engineers, regular meetings with the cohort for rich discussions in technical and professional development topics, and an annual retreat with faculty and students for deeper dives into research discussions. Fellows in the CNTP receive two years of funding which supports a rotation program between labs in the first year. Fellow applications are solicited in the spring from applicants to the degree programs listed above. To be considered for the CNTP Fellowship, all you need to do is apply to a participating graduate program and have aligned interests expressed in your research statement. Scholars in the CNTP are full members of the community with access to all of the same programming (but without the fellowship funding). Scholar applications will be solicited in the summer from students joining labs in the upcoming fall. While there are low barriers to performing interdisciplinary research across departmental boundaries, admissions are handled separately by each degree program. Students interested in participating in the CNTP program should apply to the program that best fits their goals and interests. Application deadlines are listed below, along with the CNTP training faculty affiliated with each degree program. Please contact crozell(a)gatech.edu with questions. ***DEGREE PROGRAMS*** Biomedical Engineering (GT and Emory) DEADLINE: December 1 Application information: https://www.bme.gatech.edu/bme/grad-prospective-student-apply Bioengineering (GT) DEADLINE: Same as the home school selected during application Application information: https://bioengineering.gatech.edu/applying-bioengineering-program Electrical and Computer Engineering (GT) DEADLINE: December 16 Application information: https://www.ece.gatech.edu/graduate-admissions Machine Learning (GT) DEADLINE: Same as the home school selected during application Application information: http://ml.gatech.edu/phd/admissions ***CNTP Training faculty*** --Georgia Tech-- Garrett Stanley Chris Rozell Rob Butera Hannah Choi Tim Cope Constantin Dovrolis Eva Dyer Irfan Essa Ross Ethier Bilal Haider Hang Lu Susan Margulies Cassie Mitchell Machelle Pardue Peng Qiu Annabelle Singer --Emory University-- Lena Ting Michael Borich Gordon Berman Nick Boulis Gary Clifford Bob Gross Shawn Hochman, Dieter Jaeger Shella Keilholz Robert Liu Babak Mahmoodi Svetlana Miocinovich Ilya Nemenman Chethan Pandarinath Astrid Prinz Sam Sober Thomas Wichmann

Nov. 17, 2020

Fully-funded PhD Position in Cognitive Neuroscience

by Alireza Soltani

Fully-funded PhD Position in Cognitive Neuroscience The Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab and the Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at Dartmouth have a joint, fully-funded PhD position for a motivated student to work on an exciting project on understanding how interactions between belief, expectation, and prior experience shape learning about reward and pain, process of belief formation, and how expectation or reward and pain influences perception and learning. The project is a collaboration between two labs and involves a combination of human experiments and computational modeling. A suitable candidate would have a strong background in cognitive and/or computational neuroscience, good computer programming skills, and a strong desire to understand neural mechanisms underlying cognition. Interested candidates should contact Alireza Soltani (Alireza.Soltani(a)dartmouth.edu) and/or Tor Wager (Tor.D.Wager(a)dartmouth.edu) To apply, please visit the PBS’s Graduate Admissions page <https://pbs.dartmouth.edu/menufeature/graduate/graduate-admissions> Relevant references: Soltani, Khorsand, Guo, Farashahi, Liu (2016). Neural Substrates of Cognitive Biases during Probabilistic Inference. Nature Communications, 7:11393 Jepma, Koban, van Doorn, Jones, Wager (2018). Behavioural and neural evidence for self-reinforcing expectancy effects on pain. Nature human behaviour, 2(11):838-55.

Nov. 17, 2020

[Journals] 1st 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) and Prof. Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian (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 3rd of April 2021. 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. The submission of abstracts is not mandatory and the deadline is the 4th of December 2020. 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>

Nov. 16, 2020

PhD and Postdoc Positions in Computational/Theoretical Neuroscience (Western University)

by Lyle Muller

The lab of Lyle Muller (http://mullerlab.ca) in the Department of Applied Mathematics and the Brain and Mind Institute at Western University (London, Ontario) has multiple PhD positions and one postdoctoral position in computational and theoretical neuroscience. NeuroNex Postdoctoral Scholar: This scientist will work with an international NeuroNex consortium<https://www.nxwm.io> studying the transcriptomic, cellular, and network basis of working memory. The project will incorporate analysis of multichannel neural data and computational models ranging from single neurons to spiking neural networks and machine learning algorithms. The researcher will work within a dynamic team and with data at multiple scales (transcriptomics, intracellular patch clamp, and extracellular spiking data). Joint PhD position with Julio Martinez-Trujillo<https://martinez-trujillo-uwo.ca>: This scientist will join a growing marmoset electrophysiology program in the Martinez-Trujillo lab, where multichannel arrays will record neural spiking activity at high spatial and temporal resolution during sensory and cognitive tasks. These multimodal experiments will be complemented by computational analyses and models collaboratively developed in the two labs. Joint PhD position with Wataru Inoue<https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/physpharm/people/faculty/Bio%20Pages/inoue_wata…>: This scientist will develop a real-time interface between recorded neurons and computational models of these single cells. The candidate will then use these “dynamic clamp” recordings to study how the properties of single cells are shaped by network activity and how network activity is in turn shaped by these properties. Research in this project will involve developing intracellular recording paradigms in conjunction with single neuron and spiking network models. Candidates interested in the lab’s research are additionally encouraged to contact the PI to discuss other projects of interest. Research in the lab utilizes a combination of large-scale numerical simulations and analytical approaches. Prior experience with scientific computing languages (MATLAB, Julia, or Python) and/or low-level programming (C/C++) is preferred. Prior experience with computational modeling, signal processing, or random graph theory is also preferred. Western University offers an excellent research environment and support. Graduate students can apply through the departments of Applied Mathematics or Neuroscience. Interested candidates (both graduate and postdoc) can write to lmuller2(a)uwo.ca<mailto:lmuller2@uwo.ca> with a CV to arrange an interview. Review of applications will begin on 15 December. BrainsCAN has an upcoming Graduate Studentship<https://brainscan.uwo.ca/programs/graduate_studentship_program/index.html> (deadline 4 January 2021) for highly talented candidates. Both our group and the University are deeply committed to fostering diversity in the sciences. Applications from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged. BrainsCAN has an upcoming EDI Postdoctoral Special Call<https://brainscan.uwo.ca/programs/pdf_special_call/index.html> (deadline 4 December 2020), and any interested applicants can write the PI directly to discuss applications for this opportunity. -- Lyle Muller http://mullerlab.ca

Nov. 16, 2020

Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Associate Position in Computational Neuroscience and Biomechanical Modeling

by Danner,Simon

We are looking to fill a Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Associate position in Computational Neuroscience and Biomechanical Modeling at the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. Our group studies the spinal locomotor circuitry and its interactions with the musculoskeletal system and afferent feedback. The qualified postdoc will work on several collaborative, interdisciplinary, NIH-funded projects to uncover the connectivity and function of somatosensory afferents and various genetically or anatomically identified interneurons. The studies involve the development of computer models of mouse, rat, and cat biomechanics connected with models of the spinal locomotor circuitry. The successful candidate will closely collaborate with other computational and experimental neuroscientists: they will use experimental data to implement and refine the model, and use the model to derive predictions that will then be tested experimentally by our collaborators. The qualified candidate will benefit from joining a well-funded research group that works in a dynamic, collaborative and interdisciplinary environment. The highly collegial Danner lab is a member of the Neuroengineering Program, the Theoretical & Computational Neuroscience group, and the Spinal Cord Research Center within Drexel University College of Medicine’s Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy (http://drexel.edu/medicine/About/Departments/Neurobiology-Anatomy/) in Philadelphia, PA. The Department provides an outstanding scientific environment for multidisciplinary training. Interactions and collaborations between labs and between other departments are encouraged. More detailed information can be found here: https://careers.drexel.edu/en-us/job/495193/postdoctoral-researcher To apply, please email a current CV and contact information for 3 references to smd395(a)drexel.edu<mailto:smd395@drexel.edu>. The position will remain posted until filled. -- Simon M. Danner Assistant Professor Neurobiology and Anatomy College of Medicine Drexel University 2900 W Queen Lane Philadelphia, PA 19129

Nov. 16, 2020

Special Research topic in Frontiers of Neuroscience: “Symmetry as a Guiding Principle in Understanding Neural Information Processing.”

by Benedetta Franceschiello

*S**pecial Research topic in Frontiers of Neuroscience. Guest editors: T. Poggio (MIT),F. Anselmi (BCM), A. Patel (BCM), A. Tacchetti (Deep mind)* *Title: *“Symmetry as a Guiding Principle in Understanding Neural Information Processing.” Researchers are invited to submit papers for this special edition. For more information, or to submit a manuscript, please visit URL: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/15343/symmetry-as-a-guiding-pri… Submission deadline: April 13, 2021 The aim of this Research Topic is to cover promising, recent, and novel research trends regarding on the role of symmetry in shaping the learning/ information processing and neuronal organization in the brain, within a theoretical and computational perspective. Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to: - New architectures beyond convolutional networks: biologically plausible sensory representations that are simultaneously selective for object identity and invariant to nuisance variation (including but not limited to group transformations, beyond translations) in mammalian cortex. - Sample complexity and invariant representations: is the brain using symmetries to perform efficient computation? - Variants of common plasticity rules or new class of rules that incorporate sensory data symmetries: how can the brain discover data symmetries and learn to represent sensory input in an invariant way? - Role of time continuity, crucial in the sensory experience, in defining classes of symmetries (implicit unsupervised labelling For questions, please contact Prof. Fabio Anselmi via email: Fabio.Anselmi(a)bcm.edu

Nov. 16, 2020

You are invited to EEG/ERPs recording and analyses WEBINAR

by Maryam

“EEG/ERPs recording and analyses A multifaceted approach to EEG signal” Dear researchers, We are pleased to announce the upcoming webinar organized by ScienceBeam. Please also share with interested students and researchers. Date and Time: December 1st, 11:00 AM CEST Speaker: Dr. Raphaël Fargier ➢ PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 ➢ Post-doctoral fellow at Aix-Marseille University-LPL Highlights: • Basics of EEG recording and pre-analyses • Multifaceted approach to EEG signal processing ➢ ERPs ➢ Microstates (Spatio-temporal segmentation) ➢ Single-trials ➢ Oscillations (Time-frequency decomposition) • Case studies “Electrophysiology of language”: how EEG can inform on how words are learned, produced and understood You don’t want to miss this webinar! Save your seat via the link below: https://sciencebeam.com/raphael-fargier-webinar/ Can’t attend live? You should still register. We’ll send out the recording after the webinar to all the registrants. If you need more information please contact us: workshop(a)sciencebeam.com WhatsAppno: 008613380781282

Nov. 16, 2020

Neural Networks Special Issue on Artificial Intelligence and Brain Science

by Kenji Doya

Building on the big success of the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Brain Science (AIBS 2020) http://www.brain-ai.jp/symposium2020/ we are organizing a Neural Networks Special Issue on Artificial Intelligence and Brain Science: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/neural-networks/call-for-papers/special-i… This special issue features perspective articles based on the discussions at AIBS 2020 and aims to capture recent advances in the crossing forefront of AI and neuroscience. We call for submissions of papers aiming at fruitful fusion of AI and brain science. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: • Brain-inspired Artificial Intelligence • Deep Learning • Reinforcement Learning • World Model Learning and Inference • Metacognition and Metalearning • AI for Neuroscience • Neuromorphic Technologies • Social Impact and Ethics of Neuro-AI Technologies Prospective authors should submit their manuscripts online at https://www.editorialmanager.com/NEUNET/default.aspx • Manuscript submission due: January 10, 2021 • First review completed: March 31, 2021 • Revised manuscript due: May 31, 2021 • Final decisions to authors: June 30, 2021 Guest Editors: Kenji Doya, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (ncus(a)oist.jp) Karl Friston, University College London Masashi Sugiyama, RIKEN AIP and The University of Tokyo IRCN Josh Tenenbaum, Massachusetts Institute of Technology ---- 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

Nov. 15, 2020

Fully-funded PhD Position in Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience

by Alireza Soltani

Fully-funded PhD Position in Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience The Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (CCNL) at Dartmouth has a fully-funded PhD position for a motivated student to work on an exciting project on the role of attention in reward-based learning. The project involves a combination of human experiments and computational modeling. Experimentally, it aims to extend our previous studies that examined learning with multiple cues (Soltani et al, 2016) and multi-dimensional cues (Farashahi et al, 2017; Farashahi et al, 2020). In terms of computational modeling, the aim is to extend current mechanistic models (c.f., Soltani et al, 2016 and Farashahi et al, 2017) as well as recurrent neural networks to better understand the role of attention in learning from high-dimensional stimuli and how complex learning strategies emerge over time. A suitable candidate would have a strong background in cognitive and/or computational neuroscience, good computer programming skills, and a strong desire to understand neural mechanisms underlying cognition. Interested candidates should contact Alireza Soltani (Alireza.Soltani(a)dartmouth.edu) To apply, please visit the Dartmouth PBS’s Graduate Admissions page <https://pbs.dartmouth.edu/menufeature/graduate/graduate-admissions> For more recent publications from the lab please visit http://ccnl.dartmouth.edu <http://ccnl.dartmouth.edu/> Relevant references: 1. Soltani A, Khorsand P, Guo CZ, Farashahi S, Liu J (2016). Neural Substrates of Cognitive Biases during Probabilistic Inference. Nature Communications, 7:11393 2. Farashahi S, Rowe K, Aslami Z, Lee D, Soltani A (2017). Feature-based Learning Improves Adaptability without Compromising Precision. Nature Communications, 8:1768. 3. Farashahi S, Xu J, Wu S-W, Soltani A (2020). Learning Arbitrary Stimulus-Reward Associations for Naturalistic Stimuli Involves Transition from Learning about Features to Learning about Objects. Cognition, 205.

Nov. 15, 2020

Assistant Professor / Postdoc position in computational neuroscience and/or developmental robotics at the University of Tokyo

by Yukie Nagai

Dear colleagues, The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN) at the University of Tokyo is looking for highly motivated full-time Assistant Professor / Postdoc researchers in the field of computational neuroscience and/or developmental robotics. The selected candidates will join Cognitive Developmental Robotics Laboratory head by Prof. Yukie Nagai and have the opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary research integrating computer science, robotics, neuroscience, cognitive science, and psychology. If you are interested in being considered, please send the required documents to yukie(a)ircn.jp. Assistant Professor / Postdoc Researcher at IRCN, the University of Tokyo https://ircn.jp/en/careers/postdoctoral-fellow-project-researcher-nagai-lab… Cognitive Developmental Robotics Laboratory (Nagai Lab) http://developmental-robotics.jp --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Job title: Project Assistant Professor / Project Researcher (Postdoctoral Fellow) 2. Starting Date: Negotiable 3. Term: The first contract will be ended on March 31, 2021. The contract is renewable on a fiscal year basis (from April 1 to March 31; every year) according to research budget, research activity, and research achievements. Contract duration is until March 31, 2023. 4. Place of Work International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo, 113-0033 JAPAN 5. Qualifications (Required) - Ph.D. in Engineering, Ph.D. in Computer Science or equivalent in a related field - Good communication skill in English (Preferred) - Experiences in computational neuroscience, neural network, machine learning, and/or developmental robotics will be preferred. 6. Compensation & Benefits - Salary: To be determined in accordance with the University of Tokyo Regulations - Commuter allowance: JPY55,000 per month at maximum - Social Insurance: Eligible for MEXT Mutual Aid Association membership, employees’ pension, employment insurance, and workers’ accident compensation insurance. - Vacation: Annual paid vacation, Sick leave (paid), Special vacation (paid) 7. Working Hours Discretionary labor system, based on 7 hours, 45 minutes per day, or 38 hours 45 minutes per week 8. Holidays Saturdays and Sundays; Statutory public holidays of Japan; Year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 through January 3); Summer holidays 9. Applications and Selection Process - Applications deadline: When the position is filled - Application documents: (a) Cover letter in English (b) Curriculum vita in English (c) Publication list (d) Name and contact address for two references, one of which should be a previous employer - Submission: Interested applicants should send application materials to: yukie(a)ircn.jp - Selection Process: All applications will be screened, and only those qualified will be scheduled for an interview (on-site or via video). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- — Yukie Nagai, Ph.D. Project Professor, The University of Tokyo nagai.yukie(a)mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp | http://developmental-robotics.jp CREST Cognitive Mirroring: http://cognitive-mirroring.org

Nov. 13, 2020

Scientific Liaison Officer position open at Jülich Supercomputing Center, Germany

by Abigail Morrison

Dear colleagues, we have a position open for a Scientific Liaison Officer for EBRAINS at the Jülich Supercomputing Center, Jülich Research Center, Germany. We are looking for candidates with excellent communication skills, a strong scientific background and computing skills to both promote EBRAINS in the neuroscientific community, and trigger 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, the announcement on our website: https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2020-359-E… Closing date: 1.12.2020 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nov. 12, 2020

Brain Connectivity Workshop 2021

by Tanya Brown

After careful deliberation, and based on the latest public health authority information on COVID-19, along with swirling uncertainties regarding travel and gatherings, we have decided to host the next Brain Connectivity <https://bcw-2021.com/>Workshop <https://bcw-2021.com/> online. We are pleased to announce that it has been rescheduled for *MAY 25-28, 2021. *We a im to make this event accessible and inclusive and the timing of the schedule will aim to satisfy a global audience. Registration for the Brain Connectivity Workshop 2021 is Now Open <https://bcw-2021.com/register>. **Spots are limited in order to facilitate discussion throughout the workshop** This year we will revisit that primordial theme from a different perspective: *"What does the mind think of the brain?"* focusing the discussions around what we have learned about our mind over the last 20 years of brain connectomics. The topics will focus on *consciousness and cognition*, looking at the tripartite relationship between anatomical connectivity, brain dynamics and cognitive function. *SPEAKERS* | Dani Bassett | Gustavo Deco | Athena Demertzi | Andreea Diaconescu | Lisa Feldman Barrett | Emily Finn | Karl Friston | | Mike Halassa | Biyu Jade He | Sean Hill | Viktor Jirsa | Michael Mack | Randy McIntosh | Bratislav Misic | | Rosalyn Moran | Petra Ritter | Mac Shine | Enzo Tagliazucchi | Giulio Tononi | Brandon Turner | Please check the BCW website <https://bcw-2021.com/> for more details about the *program* and *speakers* <https://bcw-2021.com/details>. *REGISTER TODAY* <https://bcw-2021.com/register> We hope you can join us, along with leaders in the field of brain connectomics. The BCW 2021 Organizers www.bcw-2021.com

Nov. 11, 2020

Data scientist position in the Cardona lab at the LMB

by Andrey Stoychev

The lab of Dr Albert Cardona (https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/group-leaders/a-to-g/albert-cardona/) is seeking to recruit a junior data scientist -- for lack of a more appropriate name -- to work on connectomics in the Drosophila fly and in many other organisms at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK. This is a 3-year, full-time position that's all about imagery: from electron microscopy volumes to laser-scanning microscopy. Duties include data handling, image registration, segmentation with machine learning, synapse detection, and more. More information can be found in the following ad, which is now closed, but will reopen soon: https://mrc.tal.net/vx/mobile-0/appcentre-int/brand-3/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/…. Please note that this ad claims that a PhD is necessary, but that's not at all a requirement. It also claims this position is for a postdoc, which is also not correct. Enquiries should be sent to Dr Albert Cardona at acardona(a)mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk. Applications should be either sent directly to Dr Albert Cardona, or submitted through the ad linked above (when it reopens).

Nov. 11, 2020

Postdoc positions in Computational/Systems Neuroscience at Washington University in St Louis

by Geoffrey Goodhill

POSTDOC POSITIONS IN THE NEW GOODHILL LAB AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY In 2021 I am starting a new Computational, Systems and Developmental Neuroscience lab at Washington University in St Louis (USA) and several postdoc positions will be available. The lab will primarily focus on the formation of neural circuits underlying behavior. This will include developing novel experimental, computational and theoretical methods, and applying them to domains including hunting behavior, social behavior and sleep. The lab will be fully integrated between experimental and theoretical work, performing behavioral and calcium imaging experiments with zebrafish models, and will also have collaborations with other labs working on a range of model systems. Besides questions in basic neuroscience, a particular area of focus will be the circuit perturbations that underlie Autism Spectrum Disorders. For a list of previous publications see www.goodhill.org/pubs.html<http://www.goodhill.org/pubs.html> For these positions particularly suitable backgrounds include computational neuroscience, systems neuroscience, zebrafish neuroscience, optical physics, or more generally physics, applied mathematics, engineering and computer science. Washington University in St Louis is ranked in the top 10 globally for Neuroscience and Behavior, and offers an outstanding intellectual environment for neuroscience research. The lab will be based at the Medical School between the departments of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, but also expects to develop strong links with the Faculty of Engineering and departments of Mathematics and Physics. If you would like to discuss these positions further please contact me at my current address below, including a detailed CV and cover letter explaining your interest. Professor Geoffrey J Goodhill Queensland Brain Institute and School of Mathematics & Physics University of Queensland St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia Email: g.goodhill(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:g.goodhill@uq.edu.au> http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au/professor-geoffrey-goodhill

Nov. 11, 2020

postdoc position to study spike dynamics in the thalamus during sleep and memory

by Carmen Varela

We are looking for a talented and highly motivated postdoc interested in studying the *dynamics of thalamic cell ensemble activity during learning and memory in rodents. *One of the goals in the Varela lab is to investigate the spike dynamics and brain states that allow animals to learn and make sense of their environment. https://www.varelalab.org/ The postdoctoral researcher will gain expertise in systems and behavioral neuroscience using extracellular electrophysiology and behavior to study the spike dynamics associated with sleep-dependent memory consolidation. Possibility of contributing to additional collaborative projects. We are a small young lab and highly interactive; we love what we do and work closely to support and help each other succeed. The lab is located in the beautiful Jupiter campus of Florida Atlantic University, a rapidly growing neuroscience hub that also holds our partners, the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and Scripps Research Institute. *Requirements:* PhD with experience in electrophysiology and rodent models; outstanding interpersonal skills and motivation to work in a collaborative environment. Experience with MATLAB (or other programming languages) preferred. Candidates selected for an interview will be asked to provide contact information for three references. Start date flexible, January-May of 2021. *Interested applicants, please submit your curriculum to Carmen Varela: varelac(a)fau.edu <varelac(a)fau.edu>* FAU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veterans’ status or any other characteristic protected by law. -- *Carmen Varela, Ph.D.* Assistant Professor Psychology Department Florida Atlantic University MC-19, room 106 Jupiter, FL 33458

Nov. 10, 2020

Phd project in Brighton, UK, within SoCoBio's 4-year doctoral training program

by Sylvia Schröder

Within SoCoBio‘s 4-year doctoral training program <https://southcoastbiosciencesdtp.ac.uk/>, the labs of Sylvia Schröder <https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/labs/schroeder-lab/index> and Leon Lagnado <https://lagnadolab.com/> are offering the following Phd project in collaboration with their industrial partner, Scientifica <https://www.scientifica.uk.com/>: * **“Integration of visual and behavioural signals in the early visual system”* In this project, you will discover how retinal, cortical and neuromodulatory inputs shape the responses of visual neurons in the superior colliculus. The goal of your Phd project is to understand the mechanisms of signal integration, i.e. which inputs to the superior colliculus shape its neural activity, and the advantages of this integration for visual processing. You will use two-photon imaging in awake mice to simultaneously record activity of neurons in the superior colliculus as well as of axons originating in the retina, visual cortex, or brainstem nuclei such as the dorsal raphe (serotonin). You will compare the responses of the axonal inputs to those in the neurons, and you will observe how these signals change depending on the visual input and the behaviour of the animal. In the beginning of your project, you will develop an advanced imaging technique in collaboration with our industrial partner, Scientifica. You will adapt the existing two-photon microscope to image two separate fields of view simultaneously. This technique, termed multi-region imaging, will enable you to record inputs and outputs of superior colliculus at sufficient detail, speed, and quantity. Application to the program: https://southcoastbiosciencesdtp.ac.uk/ <https://southcoastbiosciencesdtp.ac.uk/> Project description: https://southcoastbiosciencesdtp.ac.uk/project/integration-of-visual-and-mo… <https://southcoastbiosciencesdtp.ac.uk/project/integration-of-visual-and-mo…> For further information, contact sylvia.schroeder(a)ucl.ac.uk

Nov. 10, 2020

13 fully-funded PhD positions for "SmartNets"

by Fleur Zeldenrust

Dear all, The "SmartNets <http://www.smartnets-etn.eu>" consortium is looking for a total 13 PhD students studying network computation. The objective of SmartNets is to provide high-level training into the functioning of biological networks to a new generation of early stage researchers, to provide them with the skills necessary for thriving careers in a burgeoning area that underpins innovative technological development across a range of diverse disciplines. This goal will be achieved by a unique combination of “hands-on” research training, non-academic placements (industrial and non-profit organisations) and courses and workshops on both scientific and complementary -so-called “soft”- skills facilitated by the academic-non-academic composition of the consortium. SmartNets brings together neuroscientists, behavioural and cognitive scientists, physicists, computer scientists, and non-profit stakeholders in order to train the next generation of data scientists that will: 1) develop a fundamental understanding of the relationship between structure and function in biological networks and 2) translate this knowledge into novel technological solutions. The PhD students will develop a unique interdisciplinary set of skills that will make them capable of analyzing networks at many levels and for many systems. There are positions across 5 countries and institutes (Fleur Zeldenrust, Radboud University, the Netherlands; Tansu Celikel, Radboud University the Netherlands; Julijana Gjorgjieva, Max Planck Gesellschaft, Germany; Iain Couzin, Max Planck Gesellschaft, Germany; Yiota Poirazi, Foundation for Research and Technology, Greece; Georges Debrégeas, Sorbonne Université, France; Joni Dambre, Ghent University, Belgium). For more information, please refer to https://www.smartnets-etn.eu/vacancies/ Best regards, Fleur Zeldenrust -- Fleur Zeldenrust Assistant Professor Department of Neurophysiology Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour Faculty of Science, Radboud University Heyendaalseweg 135, postvak 33, kamer 02.204 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands tel +31 24 36 53195 fleurzeldenrust.nl

Nov. 9, 2020

Master + PhD offer: A computational model of the retino-thalamo-cortical pathway

by Bruno Cessac

The new French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) project "ShootingStar" aims at studying the unexplored neuroscience and psychophysics of the visual perception of fast (over 100 deg/s) motion, and incorporating these results into models of the early visual system. This project involves the Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (Paris), the Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone (Marseille), the vision Institute (Paris), NeuroPsi (Paris) and the INRIA Biovision team (Sophia-Antipolis). In this context B. Cessac (Biovision) and A. Destexhe (NeuroPsi) aim at developing a retino-thalamico-cortical mean-field model of the primary visual system. We have a funding for a PhD, that can be preceded by a 6 month Master 2 internship. We are seeking talented, curious and open-minded young scientists with strong backgrounds in physics or computer science, strong interests in neuroscience, and solid skills in programming (C++ and Python). The application deadline is 30th December 2020. For more detail please visit: [ https://team.inria.fr/biovision/files/2020/10/2020-internship-M2-shootingst… | https://team.inria.fr/biovision/files/2020/10/2020-internship-M2-shootingst… ] Bruno Cessac Directeur de Recherche Inria-Senior scientist Head of BIOVISION team 2004 Route des Lucioles 06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex 2 Email: bruno.cessac(a)inria.fr Phone: +33-4-9238-5035 Fax: +33-4-9238-7845 Webpage: https://team.inria.fr/biovision/bruno-cessac/

Nov. 9, 2020

Free Online Seminar: How to build your own Connectome?

by Markus Butz-Ostendorf

Dear List, My apologies for cross-postings first of all! I would like to draw your attention to our second online seminar on Connectomics. We have invited our clinical neuroimaging specialist Dr Yong Li from Biomax Brain Science to demonstrate how brain tumors change the human Connectome and how the Connectome heals after tumor surgery. Abstract at the end of this message. The seminar takes place online on Tue, 10 Nov 2020 at 3pm (CET). Participation is free of charge but registration is kindly requested via this link https://www.biomax.com/webinar Explore NICARA yourself by registering a free demo account at https://ssl.biomax.de/nicara/ Kind regards, Markus == *Abstract* Brain damage such as tumors, traumatic brain injury or stroke alter the characteristics of the broader connectome—the map of all neural connections in the brain. A hot topic in ongoing research using the connectome approach is how brain rewiring can compensate for lesion-induced cognitive deficits before and after intervention. The site of a lesion within the connectome is critical. Damage of a node that acts e.g. as an integrator hub of several subnetworks is significantly more detrimental to cognitive functions than a damaged node with low connectivity or existing by-passes. Understanding brain rewiring in response to lesions is the major focus of clinical as well as computational neuroscience projects (such as The Virtual Brain) to pave the way for personalized medicine in neurology and related fields. In this online seminar we will focus on brain tumors and explore their effects on the connectome using NICARA™. A particular image processing pipeline in NICARA, employing the best available open-source tools for image preprocessing and probabilistic fiber tracking, enabled us to automatically extract full brain tractography based structural connectome data from DTI raw images. Besides the pipeline, we will discuss quality control mechanisms especially designed for the assessment of large cohorts. As an example, data set we used the Brain Tumor Connectomics Data (Aerts H et al. Modeling Brain Dynamics in Brain Tumor Patients Using the Virtual Brain. eNeuro. 2018 Jun 4;5(3): ENEURO.0083-18.2018.) and assessed alterations in major white matter fiber tracts before and after surgery. For quantification, provided not only the abstract presentation of digitalized connectome networks in MNI space by a 3D lattice graphs but also offered fiber density maps directly in the patient’s native T1w for a precise judgement of fiber pathway density distribution in the vicinity of, and remote to, a tumor. Our clinical neuroimaging specialist Dr. Yong Li will further show how he uses NICARA to explore, manage and compare extracted connectome networks for group comparisons, individual patient-matched controls comparisons and longitudinal assessments. NICARA is a novel neuroimaging tool created by clinical neuroimaging scientists for clinical and translational neuroscience users. A technical introduction by product manager Dr. Markus Butz-Ostendorf at the end of the seminar on how NICARA stores and retrieves connectome information using of knowledge models will complement the scientific presentation. The seminar will take place on November 10, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. (CET) and will last about 45 minutes. Make use of this opportunity and register today at www.biomax.com/webinar. Next seminar for Pharmacologists : 1/12/2020, 3:00 pm To register, please go to https://www.biomax.com/webinar and request your access data via the webinar page. We are looking forward to meeting you. -- Dr. rer. nat. Markus Butz-Ostendorf Innovation Manager Brain Science Senior Product Manager Biomax Informatics AG Robert-Koch-Str. 2, 82152 Planegg, Germany Registergericht: Amtsgericht München, HRB 134442 Vorstand: Dr. Klaus Heumann Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates: Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Mewes Tel: +49 89 895574-862 Fax: +49 89 895574-825 Email:markus.butz-ostendorf@biomax.com Website:http://www.biomax.com PGP:https://ssl.biomax.de/pgp/

Nov. 6, 2020

COSYNE 2021: Abstract submission closes soon; Registration info

by Tomas Hromadka

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2021 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING ONLINE 24 - 26 February 2021 www.cosyne.org ==================================================== The Cosyne abstract deadline is just one week away! Abstracts are due November 12, 2020 by 11.59pm PST. This year, because of the generous support of donors, we will be able to make registration low- or no-cost for a large number of attendees. Registration will open after final decisions are made on abstracts in January 2021. Registration rates will be $25 for students and postdocs, $100 for all other academics, and $150 for corporate attendees. We will have a fee waiver open for >1000 registrants. We will share additional details as support is finalized in the next few weeks. If you would like help revising your abstract before the deadline, or helping provide feedback to others, please consider joining the Cosyne Mentoring Forum! Rainer Engelken and Stephanie Palmer are organizing a google group to offer positive, constructive critiques of abstracts, along with "pro tips" for conveying the ideas and impact in your work effectively. Please sign up to review abstracts and submit your own for feedback. You can email sepalmer [at] uchicago.edu directly and also join the Cosyne mentoring group. Visit Cosyne.org -> Mailing lists for details on how to join the group. ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE ---------------------------------------------------- The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural basis of behavior, sensory and motor systems, circuitry, learning, neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, and computation with spiking networks. Cosyne 2021 will take place online, February 24 - 26, 2021. The goal of this year's meeting is to promote early stage investigators. Therefore, there are no invited talks from established researchers. The format will include featured contributed talks chosen from submitted abstracts, and interactive poster-like presentations (short recorded presentation + live interactions). More details to follow. All abstract submissions will be reviewed as in previous years, but reviewing will be fully double blind. When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE 2021 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------- Cosyne 2021 main meeting will be preceded by an online Cosyne Tutorial Session led by Kanaka Rajan (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) on 23 February 2021. More details will be posted on www.cosyne.org. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General & Program Chairs: Anne-Marie Oswald (U Pittsburgh) and Srdjan Ostojic (Ecole Normale Superieure Paris) Diversity Chairs: Eva Dyer (Georgia Tech, Emory) and Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Publicity Chair: Adam Calhoun (Princeton) Tutorial Chair: Il Memming Park (Stony Brook) Development Chair: Michael Long (NYU) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) PROGRAM COMMITTEE Athena Akrami (UCL) Demba Ba (Harvard) Omri Barak (Technion) Brice Bathellier (Paris) Yoram Burak (Hebrew University) Christine Constantinople (NYU) Saskia De Vries (Allen Institute) Victor de Lafuente (UNAM Mexico) Jan Drugowitsch (Harvard) Tatiana Engel (CSHL) Annegret Falkner (Princeton) Kevin Franks (Duke) Tim Hanks (UC Davis) Ann Hermundstad (Janelia) Andrew Leifer (Princeton) Sukbin Lim (Shanghai) Scott Linderman (Stanford) Mackenzie Mathis (EPFL Lausanne) Ida Momennejad (Microsoft) Cris Niell (U Oregon) Il Memming Park (Stony Brook) Adrien Peyrache (McGill Montreal) Kanaka Rajan (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) Robert Rosenbaum (Notre Dame) Christina Savin (NYU) Marshal Shuler (Johns Hopkins) Daniela Vallentin (Max Planck Munich) CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org COSYNE MAILING LISTS Please consider adding yourself to Cosyne mailing lists (groups) to receive email updates with various Cosyne-related information and join in helpful discussions. See Cosyne.org -> Mailing lists for details.

Nov. 5, 2020

Grant For Equipping Electrophysiology Labs

by Maryam

Dear researchers, We are happy to announce that in order to accelerate neuroscience researches, ScienceBeam, a designer and manufacturer of neuroscience applications including EEG/ERP, QEEG, Neuro-Biofeedback and animal electrophysiology systems, is providing limited number of grants (30% - 70%) for equipping the neuroscience/electrophysiology laboratories to any young researcher with a well-defined research proposal. We particularly want to encourage outstanding candidates to apply for the ScienceBeam grant. We are also very keen to invite graduate students, who are towards the end of their Ph.D. and desire to return to their country to promote research in the field of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience. This Grant is offered for the below equipment: ➢ Neuro-biofeedback device ➢ Animal electrophysiology system ➢ EEG/QEEG/ERP acquisition system Consider the below terms and conditions: • Researches related to diagnosis and treatment of sensorimotor disorders (Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson) • Researches related to diagnosis and treatment of psychological and cognitive disorders. • Researches related to diagnosis and treatment of mental and nervous rehabilitation. To apply for any above grants please consider the following points: • Candidates should have a Ph.D. in neuroscience, physiology, pharmacology, psychology, medical engineering, and any related area. • Interested candidates must send an email request to grant(a)sciencebeam.com including their resumes and research proposal. • Candidates should submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a list of publications, and a clear research proposal describing her/his research plan for two next year’s describing why they need our products. • Young candidates should arrange for two letters of recommendation sent on their behalf to grant(a)sciencebeam.com • All materials must be submitted to grant(a)sciencebeam.com until December 1st, 2020. For more information visit the link below: https://sciencebeam.com/mid-autumn-festival/ And submit your resume and research proposals to: grant(a)sciencebeam.com

Nov. 5, 2020

Virtual Training Webinar: Introduction to the Neuroscience Gateway Using NEURON and EEGLAB; November 20, 2020; 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM US Pacific Time

by Majumdar, Amitava

Date of Neuroscience Gateway training webinar: Friday, November 20, 2020 Time: 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM US Pacific Time Registration is free (but total registration is limited): https://www.sdsc.edu/event_items/202011_NSGwebinar.html The Neuroscience Gateway (NSG<https://www.nsgportal.org/index.html>) enables large scale modeling and data processing research in neuroscience. NSG provides easy to use web portal based and programmatic access to supercomputing and high throughput computing resources. NSG is free and open to researchers and students. NSG provides about 20 widely used neuroscience software<https://www.nsgportal.org/software.html> for modeling, simulation, data processing, data analysis and machine learning optimally installed on supercomputing and high throughput computing resources. Neuroscientists who plan to use NSG for their research, irrespective of which of the NSG-provided neuroscience software they may use, will find this webinar useful. This webinar will provide training on how to use the NSG and its various features within the context of two widely used neuroscience software for modeling and data processing - NEURON and EEGLAB. The NEURON<https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/> simulation environment is used by researchers and students worldwide for building and using computational models of neurons and networks of neurons. EEGLAB<https://sccn.ucsd.edu/eeglab/index.php> is an interactive Matlab toolbox for processing continuous and event-related EEG, MEG and other electrophysiological data incorporating independent component analysis (ICA), time/frequency analysis, artifact rejection, event-related statistics. We will also talk about a new supercomputer called Expanse<https://www.sdsc.edu/services/hpc/expanse/> that is becoming available to NSG for running these software. NSG is funded by the US National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. Agenda (listed in Pacific Time) * 9:30am - 9:50am: Introduction to NSG * Amit Majumdar, Kenneth Yoshimoto, Subhashini Sivagnanam, San Diego Supercomputer Center, University of California San Diego * 9:50am - 10:10am: Demo of using NSG - via the portal and the programmatic REST access * Subhashini Sivagnanam, San Diego Supercomputer Center, University of California San Diego * 10:10am - 10:35am: Introduction to NEURON * Ted Carnevale, Department of Neurobiology, Yale University * 10:35am - 10:55am: Demo of using NSG for NEURON * Ted Carnevale, Department of Neurobiology, Yale University * 10:55am - 11:10am: Break * 11:10am - 11:30am: Introduction to EEGLAB * Arnaud Delorme, Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of California San Diego * 11:30am - 12:10pm: Demo of using NSG for EEGLAB * Arnaud Delorme, Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of California San Diego * 12:10pm - 12:30pm: Q&A For questions, please email nsghelp(a)sdsc.edu -Amit Majumdar NSG Team San Diego Supercomputer Center University of California San Diego

Nov. 4, 2020

Two year postdoctoral position in Computational Neuroscience at the European Neuroscience Institute

by Jaramillo, Jorge Hernan Hoyos

Dear Colleagues, The Distributed Neural Dynamics and Control group at the European Neuroscience Institute (ENI) in Göttingen, Germany invites applications for a two year postdoctoral position focused on the simulation of subcortical and cortical dynamics in the context of cognitive function and clinical applications. A quantitative background and programming skills are required (e.g., PhD in Computational Neuroscience, Physics, Engineering), while experience with dynamical systems and previous exposure to neurobiology are preferred. Details of the position and application instructions can be found here: https://www.umg.eu/karriere/stellenangebote/stellenanzeigen-detail/?jobId=3… Application deadline: 15 Nov, 2020 Start: January 2021. Women are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants with disabilities and equal qualifications will be given preferential treatment. For any questions about the position, please contact Jorge Jaramillo ( j.jaramillo(a)eni-g.de ). Jorge Jaramillo ENI Group Leader: Distributed Neural Dynamics and Control http://www.eni-g.de/groups/distributed-neural-dynamics

Nov. 4, 2020

Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Learning Algorithms for Neurmorphic Computing, Stralsund, Germany

by André Grüning

In the lab of Prof Gruening and within the EU-funded research project "The Human Brain Project" we are offering a 24months fixed-term postdoctoral post, available immediately. ‍The formal job ad can be found at https://www.hochschule-stralsund.de/host/aktuelles/stellenangebote/ (in German only), but feel free to contact me informally in person and in English at <mailto:andre.gruening@hochschule-stralsund.de>. ‍Welcome to the University of Applied Sciences Stralsund! With our campus on the shores of the Baltic Sea, we deliver industrial related studies with excellent job prospects to about 2300 students. Life on our campus is characterised by excellent facilities for both teaching and research and flat hierarchies. The historical centre of the UNESCO world heritage town of Stralsund is within easy reach on foot; maritime water sports, nature and the island of Rugia at our doorstep stand for the highest quality of life. As a certified family-friendly institution we embrace modern life and a proper work-life balance. We are looking forward to meeting people who are keen to strengthen our research team and are advertising the following fixed-term post, subject to confirmation of funding: **Research Assistant (f/m/d) in the EU-funded research project “The Human Brain Project”** The post is available immediately for 24 months (full-time) for a postdoctoral candidate. You will be working in the area of artificial intelligence based on neuromorphic hardware. Neuromorphic hardware is a modern and active area of research with the aim to design devices for artificial intelligence that utilise the spike-based operation of biological nervous systems. The energy consumption of such systems for example promises to be an order of magnitude less than classical AI systems. Neuromorphic systems are being developed within academic research as well as in industry. The work will be carried out in close cooperation with research groups across Europe that are partners in the Human Brain Project, for example groups at the Universities of Heidelberg, Bern or Manchester. **Your job responsibilities include the following:** - Development, implementation and evaluation of learning rules for artificial spiking neural networks with the aim to realise deep learning on neuromorphic hardware. - Contribution to and cooperation within the international framework of the EU/H2020 Flagship project “The Human Brain Project”, see <https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/> in the area described above. - Participation in project management and reporting. **We expect from you:** - A PhD in a relevant area, for example computer science, mathematics, physics, cognitive science and neuroscience or engineering. - Programming experience, for example Python, C, C++. Experience with embedded systems is a plus. - Experience within the area of artificial neural networks. - Keen interest to familiarise yourself with the neuroscientific foundations of the project. - Experience with Unix-like operating systems and tool chains. - Experience in the write up of scientific reports and publications. Experience with LaTeX is a plus. - Experience with presenting research results. - Solid mathematical expertise. - A conscientious, independent and self-motivated attitude towards work. **We offer:** - A diverse, interesting and challenging job at an innovative, modern and family friendly institution in the lively world-heritage and Hanseatic town of Stralsund. - A work contract subject to the collective labour agreement of the public service of the German federal states (TV-L). - Remuneration up to pay grade 13 subject to personal and collective qualifying conditions. - 40 hrs/week; part-time and flexible work is possible. The University of Applied Science Stralsund is keen to increase the proportion of female employees in all areas where they are underrepresented. We therefore expressly invite qualified women to apply. As a certified family-friendly institution we support actions to reconcile family and job. Childcare can be arranged for a potential future interview. At an equal level of professional aptitude, applicants with recognised disabilities or equivalent (please provide evidence) will be preferred. For details of the job description, please contact Prof André Grüning (E-Mail: <mailto:andre.gruening@hochschule-stralsund.de>). According to §68 Abs 3 PersVG M-V, the Employee Committee (Personalrat) gets involved into HR matters for research staff only on the candidate’s request. If desired, please include such request in free form within your application documents. Please send your job application with all relevant documents in a single pdf file to <mailto:bewerbungpersonal@hochschule-stralsund.de> or by mail to Hochschule Stralsund Vertrauliche Personalangelegenheit Dezernat Personal, Haushalt und Controlling Zur Schwedenschanze 15 18435 Stralsund on or before the **deadline of 15.11.2020**. Thereafter applications will be reviewed until the post is filled. The protection of your personal data is very important to us. We will therefore collect, process and utilise any data arising in the application process only in line with the applicable data protection regulations. As application documents cannot be returned, please submit copies only. The University of Applied Sciences Stralsund does not cover any application expenses, including those arising for a potential interview. -- Prof. Dr. André Grüning -- Mathematik und Künstliche Intelligenz Fakultät Elektrotechnik und Informatik Hochschule Stralsund -- Mathematics and Computational Intelligence Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science University of Applied Sciences Stralsund -- 18435 Stralsund Deutschland/Germany

Nov. 4, 2020

NEURON Virtual Course deadline approaching

by Ted Carnevale

*What:* The one-day NEURON course presented as a series of short webinars. *When:* The webinars will run from 1 PM to 3 PM New York time on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 16 and 17, and on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 23 and 24, 2020 *Speakers:* Ted Carnevale and Robert McDougal Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the deadline is Friday, November 13, 2020 at 5 PM New York time. There is no fee, but *total registration will be limited to 40 individuals* in order to be most responsive to participants' questions. For more information and a link to the application form: https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nrn2020/nrn2020.html

Nov. 4, 2020

Interdisciplinary Neuroscience PhD programme, Tübingen

by Peter Dayan

The Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and the University of Tübingen invite students from all over the world to apply for their interdisciplinary 5-year PhD program leading to a PhD in Neuroscience. Full funding will be available for top-ranked applicants. We are seeking talented, curious and open-minded young scientists with strong backgrounds in neuroscience, biomedical sciences, computational science, applied mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence, or engineering. Successful candidates will possess a burning aspiration to shape the future of neuroscience and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, interdisciplinary, environment. The application deadline is 30th November 2020. Please visit: https://www.kyb.tuebingen.mpg.de/imprs-mmfd for more details and information about applying. The PhD program is a collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and the University of Tübingen. It is closely affiliated with the renowned Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, the centerpiece of neuroscience training in Tübingen. Students (who should have been awarded a Bachelor's degree by September 2021) will receive a broad interdisciplinary training in neuroscience, including expert teaching by international renowned scientists and individual and intensive mentoring. Potential research topics cover a variety of fields in systems neuroscience, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, computational neuroscience, translational and clinical neuroscience as well as cellular and molecular neuroscience. Teaching and research are conducted in English.

Nov. 3, 2020

Deadline extended to Nov. 15th Postdoctoral position for the development of acquisition, storage and processing pipelines for reproducible science building on the BIDS standard.

by Jochem Rieger

Dear colleagues, We have an open post-doc level position for 3+2 years at the Neuroimaging Unit of Uni Oldenburg for the development of tools and infrastructure for open data data and reproducible science based on the BIDS standard. The position complemented by a full time technician position for support. The announcement is below. Please contact me if you have questions. We are looking forward to applications, Jochem The Neuroimaging Unit at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences of the Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg is seeking to fill the position of a *Postdoctoral Research Associate m/f/d *(Salary level E13 TVL, 100%) *for the development of acquisition, storage and processing pipelines for reproducible science building on the BIDS standard.* The position is embedded in a DFG Core Facility grant and is available*as soon as possible*for a duration of three years (with the possibility to extend another two years after successful project evaluation). The position is suitable for part-time work. In a newly funded project we aim to implement data storage and processing pipelines for reproducible science building on the BIDS standard. 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 contribute to the implementation of neuroscience data acquisition, storage, and reproducible analysis pipelines building on the BIDS standard at the University of Oldenburg, to contribute to community efforts, and dissemination. Therefore, 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 the outstanding quality of their doctorate/PhD research and an excellent publication record. Prior experience with the BIDS standard as well as its programming, experience with neuroimaging techniques and data analysis (especially fMR 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. 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*15th of November 2020*. -- Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Jochem Rieger Head of Applied Neurocognitive Psychology Head of Neuroimaging Unit Faculty VI Carl-von-Ossietzky University 26111 Oldenburg Germany Phone: +49(0)4417984533 Fax: +49(0)4417983865

Nov. 3, 2020

computational neuroscience postdoc at Harvard

by Sam Gershman

The Gershman lab <http://gershmanlab.webfactional.com> at Harvard University is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on modeling of the basal ganglia and dopamine function. The postdoc will work closely with experimentalists as part of an NIH-funded U19 grant. Candidates must have a strong background in computational neuroscience and reinforcement learning models. Experience with neural data analysis is desirable but not required. The start date for this position is on or around September 1, 2021, but this can be flexibly adjusted as needed. The position is fully funded for 3 years. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law. Interested applicants should contact Sam Gershman (gershman(a)fas.harvard.edu) along with a CV and list of references.

Nov. 3, 2020

faculty position in Computational Approaches to Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University

by Sue Becker

Dear colleagues, We have an open faculty position at the Assistant Professor level in Computational Approaches to Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour. The candidate could conduct computational research in a wide range of areas. Please see the job advert and the link below for details. https://careers.mcmaster.ca/psp/prepprd/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SC… Please feel free to share this with others who may be interested. thanks and best wishes, Sue -- Sue Becker, Professor Neurotechnology and Neuroplasticity Lab, PI Dept. of Psychology Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/department/becker [1] Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Computational Approaches to Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations, and within the lands protected by the Dish with One Spoon wampum agreement. _Position Description_ The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position in Computational Approaches to Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at the Assistant Professor level, beginning July 1, 2021. The successful candidate will use computational models to investigate fundamental questions related to psychology, neuroscience, and/or behaviour. Applications from any area that applies computational modelling to understand neural function or behaviour are welcome. Applications from early-career candidates are especially encouraged. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, big data analytics and machine learning applied to neural or behavioural data, computational models of reward and motivation, computational models of learning and memory, computational models of social interactions, and computational models of spatial navigation. The candidate could apply models to any level of analysis, from neurons to circuits to systems to populations. The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour has long-standing strengths in cognitive and computational neuroscience, sensory systems and behavioural neuroscience, perception, cognition, development, evolutionary psychology, and animal behaviour. We value and encourage collaboration among researchers and educators, and have close ties with the Departments of Biology, Kinesiology, Music, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Psychiatry & Behavioural Neuroscience. Many of our faculty are affiliated with McMaster's interdisciplinary graduate programs in Neuroscience and Computational Science & Engineering. For more information on the Department, please visit https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/ McMaster University is a globally renowned institution of higher learning and a research community committed to advancing human and societal health and well-being. Our focus on collaboratively exchanging ideas and approaches makes us uniquely positioned to pioneer ground-breaking solutions to real-world problems leading to a Brighter World. The Faculty of Science works to create global impact by advancing scientific discovery and knowledge, and promoting greater understanding. Our innovative, interdisciplinary approach generates new methods and insights, results, and lasting change. _Commitment to Inclusive Excellence_ The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity. The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, members of racialized communities ("visible minorities"), persons with disabilities, women, persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+. We invite all applicants to complete a brief Diversity Survey, which takes approximately two minutes to complete, through McMaster's application submission portal. All questions are voluntary, with an option to decline to answer. All information collected is confidential and will be used to support efforts to broaden the diversity of the applicant pool and to promote a fair, equitable and inclusive talent acquisition process. Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Science at baileyd(a)mcmaster.ca to communicate accommodation needs. _How to Apply_ Complete applications must be made online at https://hr.mcmaster.ca/careers/current-opportunities/ (Faculty Positions, Job 34946) by the deadline to the attention of Dr. Bruce Milliken, Professor & Chair, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1. A complete application consists of: * a cover letter (including a statement regarding whether the applicant has Canadian citizenship/permanent resident status (see below)) * a current Curriculum Vitae, and three (3) representative publications (reprints or preprints) * a statement of research interests (2-page maximum) * a statement of teaching philosophy and interests (2-page maximum) * a statement of experience and plans for advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in post-secondary education, community-based or other professional settings (2-page maximum) * the names and full contact information of at least three referees. o Letters of reference are not required and will not be reviewed at the application stage; the Department will request letters of recommendation from referees at later stages of the search process. Review of complete applications will begin December 10, 2020 and continue until the position is filled. All applicants will receive an on-line, system-generated confirmation of receipt of their application; however, only short-listed applicants will be contacted for interviews. Please be advised that any full-time, permanent faculty member of the Department can request confidential access to the application materials, including the reference letters. Progressive policies are in place to assist faculty members achieve a work-life balance. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. To comply with the Government of Canada's reporting requirements, the University is obliged to gather information about applicants' status as either Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada. Applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenship; however, all applications, as stated above, MUST include one of the following statements in their application package: "I am/am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada." Applications that do not include this information will be deemed incomplete. Links: ------ [1] http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/department/becker

Nov. 3, 2020

Fully-funded PhD Positions in Neuroscience in Germany and US | IMPRS for Brain and Behavior

by Ezgi Bulca

Dear all, Our PhD applications are open, please forward it to people who might be interested. 15 fully-funded PhD Positions in Neuroscience | IMPRS for Brain and Behavior Bonn, Germany & Jupiter, Florida (USA) Looking for a PhD position in neuroscience? Apply to our fully-funded, international PhD program in the Max Planck Society! IMPRS for Brain and Behavior is a transatlantic collaboration between the Max Planck associated caesar in Bonn and the University of Bonn, along with the USA partners Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) and Florida Atlantic University. The Projects More than 40 labs with an enormous variety of research projects are seeking outstanding PhD candidates to join their research. See our website (https://www.imprs-brain-behavior.org/research/faculty/) for further information on our faculty and possible doctoral projects. Topics include but are not limited to circuits and behavior, learning and memory, sensory processing, molecular signaling in neurons, nervous system development, biophysics of neurons and glia, and disorders of the nervous system. Successful candidates will work in a young and dynamic, interdisciplinary, international environment, embedded in the local scientific communities in Bonn or Jupiter. Your Profile Proven track record of academic and research excellence. Bachelor's or Master's degree (or equivalent) in life sciences, physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, or other relevant subject (Degree should be concluded before admission to the PhD, latest by October 2021). Fluency in written and spoken English. Research experience is of advantage. Our Offer Immersion in a stimulating scientific culture of interaction and international cooperation. State-of-the art facilities with novel scientific technologies and advanced infrastructure. Dedicated support and mentoring personnel. Competitive salary funded for the whole duration of studies and no tuition fees. We are committed to diversity and equal opportunity for all applicants. Application deadline: November 15, 2020 https://www.imprs-brain-behavior.org/admissions/application-info/ You will need: CV, letter of motivation, contact info for 2 referees, academic certificates and transcripts. Only online applications accepted. Short-listed candidates will be (virtually) interviewed in January-February. Positions must be started latest in October 2021. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the coordinator Ezgi Bulca at imprs.info(a)caesar.de<mailto:imprs.info@caesar.de> . All the best, Ezgi Bulca Ezgi Bulca IMPRS for Brain & Behavior Coordinator phone +49/228/9656-318 e-mail: ezgi.bulca(a)caesar.de<mailto:ezgi.bulca@caesar.de> www.imprs-brain-behavior.mpg.de<http://www.imprs-brain-behavior.mpg.de> research center caesar center of advanced european studies and research an associate of the Max Planck Society Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2 53175 Bonn, Germany www.caesar.de<http://www.caesar.de/>

Nov. 3, 2020

PhD and post-doctoral positions in computational neuroscience and speech production, University of Geneva, Switzerland

by Timothée Proix

One PhD and one postdoctoral positions are available under the supervision of Timothée Proix (https://timothee.proix.ch) in the Auditory Language Group led by Prof. Anne-Lise Giraud (https://neurocenter-unige.ch/research-groups/anne-lise-giraud) at the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. The project aims at developing a large-scale model of speech production using intracranial EEG data, and lies at the interface between data analysis, dynamical systems modeling, and machine learning. *Postdoctoral position. *The candidate will contribute to acquisition and analysis of intracranial EEG data and speech recordings. Applicants should have solid bases in maths/physics/bioengineering, prior experience in electrophysiological recordings and data analysis, as well as programming and machine learning skills. *P**hD** position. *The candidate will develop theoretical tools using dynamical systems theory to model neural activity during speech production. Applicants should hold a master degree in maths/physics/informatics/engineering. Previous experience in dynamical systems modeling, neuroscience, and programming will be valued. The research will be performed at the campus Biotech in the university of Geneva, a vibrant and stimulating environment for neuroscience research. The positions are funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, and salaries are in compliance with their guidelines. The ideal start is early 2021, with some flexibility. Applications will be considered until the positions are filled. To apply, send a motivation letter, CV, and contact information for 2-3 references, as well as any other relevant documents to timothee.proix (at) unige.ch. Best regards, Timothée Proix

Nov. 3, 2020

Modellers Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox, Nov 1-21 2020.

by Stewart Heitmann

Modeller’s Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox Online Course Nov 1-21, 2020 The Brain Dynamics Toolbox is an open toolbox for simulating dynamical systems in neuroscience. This is a self-paced course is for researchers, students and instructors who wish to use the toolbox to build their own dynamical models. Participants learn the art of programming differential equations in Matlab and how to use the toolbox to solve those equations interactively. 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. Course Website https://bdtoolbox.org/p/modellers-workshop/ Important Dates Enrolments ($125) close 21st November, 2020. 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.

Nov. 1, 2020

Gatsby Unit PhD Programme

by Maneesh Sahani

We're currently accepting applications for 2021 entry to the 4-year Gatsby Unit PhD programme at University College London. The Unit studies the fundamental principles of learning, perception and action in brains and machines. Ours is one of the original programmes to bring together neuroscience and machine learning, creating a critical mass for interaction amongst theoreticians in related fields. First-year courses provide training in both fields, after which thesis research may specialise in one or the other or encompass both. Students are able to work closely with colleagues in the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC, with which we share a purpose-designed building), or the cross-faculty Centre for Computational Statistics and Machine Learning (CSML); and we have links to many world-class research groups in related departments at UCL and beyond. Applicants should have a very strong analytical and mathematical background, a keen interest in neuroscience and/or machine learning and a relevant first degree, for example in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics, Psychology or Statistics. Full funding is available regardless of nationality. For more details and how to apply, see: http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/phd Information about the Unit and our research interests can be found at http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/about.html, http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/research.html, and the individual faculty webpages at http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/Members.html. Applications must be received by 15th November 2020. Please direct enquiries to admissions(a)gatsby.ucl.ac.uk. -- Maneesh Sahani, Ph.D. Professor of Theoretical Neuroscience and Machine Learning, Director, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit UCL, 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG

Oct. 31, 2020

postdoc and PhD positions in Budapest

by Balazs Ujfalussy

The newly established Laboratory of Biological Computation (https://biocomplab.wordpress.com/) is looking for highly motivated postdoctoral fellows and PhD students to investigate the role of hippocampus in model based planning and predictions. The focus of our laboratory is to understand how various biological phenomena (e.g., ion channels, dendritic spikes, synaptic clustering or theta sequences) contribute to the behaviorally relevant computations performed by the hippocampus. To achieve this we develop novel theories connecting hippocampal circuit dynamics to network function, combine biophysical modelling with in vivo-like input patterns and develop new tools for statistical analysis of hippocampal single neuron and populations activity patterns. The positions with a competitive salary are available from January 1st, 2021, initially for 1 year with the possibility of extension up to 5 years. We offer a stimulating environment in the Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest and active collaboration with experimental groups in the institute with the potential to get involved in the design of novel 2P imaging and virtual reality experiments in mice and/or in analysing the data. The ideal candidate has a strong background in quantitative disciplines (physics, math, computer science) and is competent in programming (e.g. python, matlab, R, C). It is an advantage to have an experience in biophysical modelling or analysis of in vivo population activity data (imaging or electrophysiology). Please send your CV, publication list, letter of motivation and contact information for at least two references to Balazs Ujfalussy (ujfalussy.balazs(a)koki.hu) The first evaluation round will begin on November 18th, 2020. The positions will remain open until filled. With best regards, Balazs Ujfalussy

Oct. 31, 2020

GEM 2021 - Call for papers - deadline extended

by Vinita Samarasinghe

The deadline to submit abstracts for the GEM 2021 workshop has been extended until 30.11.2020. Please visit https://easychair.org/cfp/gem2021 to submit your abstracts for both the main workshop and the PhD symposium. ** *GEM 2021 - Generative Episodic Memory: Interdisciplinary perspectives from psychology, neuroscience and philosophy* https://for2812.rub.de/gem2021 16-18 February 2021 The workshop will take place in virtual space and is free of charge. Abstracts for both the workshop and the PhD symposium, which will precede the workshop, are now being accepted via EasyChair https://easychair.org/cfp/gem2021 Keynote Speakers: Karl-Heinz Bäuml - University Regensburg, Germany Dorthe Berntsen - Aarhus University, Denmark Amy Criss - Syracuse University, USA Dorothea Debus - University of Konstanz, Germany David Huber - University of Massachusetts, USA Sarah Robins - University of Kansas, USA Call for papers The DFG-funded research consortium “FOR 2812 – Constructing scenarios of the past” https://for2812.rub.de is proud to announce a call for papers for its first workshop on generative episodic memory. We invite submissions for talks and posters https://easychair.org/cfp/gem2021. Episodic memories are widely regarded as memories of personally experienced events. Early concepts about episodic memory were based on the storage model, according to which experiential content is preserved in memory and later retrieved. However, overwhelming empirical evidence suggests that the content of episodic memory is – at least to a certain degree – constructed in the act of remembering. Even though very few contemporary researchers would oppose this view of episodic memory as a generative process, it has not become the standard paradigm of empirical memory research. This is particularly true for studies of the neural correlates of episodic memory. Further hindering progress are large conceptual differences regarding episodic memory across different fields, such as neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. This interdisciplinary workshop therefore aims to bring together researchers from all relevant fields to advance the state of the art in the research on generative episodic memory. FOR 2812 “Constructing scenarios of the past: A new framework in episodic memory” consists of 9 researchers. Seven from the Ruhr University Bochum and two from the University of Münster. The consortium adopts an interdisciplinary approach and investigates generative episodic memory from a conceptual, modeling, and experimental perspective using a common conceptual framework: scenario construction. Paper submission deadlines [GMT +1 (CET)]: Abstract submission - 30.11.2020 Notification of acceptance - 31.12.2020 Submission guidelines: Abstracts must be submitted in English and be no longer than 1 page. Submitted work must be original and unpublished. Abstracts must be submitted electronically through the GEM 2021 paper submission site on EasyChair https://easychair.org/cfp/gem2021. Authors will receive confirmation of receipt of their abstracts including an ID number after submission. You can edit your submission at any time before the deadline. We will consider only the final version. Program committee: Nikolai Axmacher - Faculty of Psychology - Ruhr University Bochum Sen Cheng - Institute for Neural Computation - Ruhr University Bochum Gerald Echterhoff - Faculty of Psychology - University of Münster Albert Newen - Faculty of Philosophy - Ruhr University Bochum Ricarda Schubotz - Faculty of Psychology - University of Münster Markus Werning - Faculty of Philosophy - Ruhr University Bochum Laurenz Wiskott - Institute for Neural Computation - Ruhr University Bochum Oliver Wolf - Faculty of Psychology - Ruhr University Bochum All questions regarding the workshop should be emailed to for2812(a)rub.de <mailto:for2812@rub.de> Coordinator - Vinita Samarasinghe Secretary - Christiane Dahl Vinita Samarasinghe M.Sc., M.A. Science Manager Arbeitsgruppe Computational Neuroscience Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, NB 3/26 Postfachnummer 110 Universitätstr. 150 D-44801 Bochum Tel: +49 (0)234 32 27996 Email: samarasinghe(a)ini.rub.de

Oct. 30, 2020

Postdoctoral Fellow, Boston University School of Medicine, Luebke & Killiany labs

by Klaus Wimmer

We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented postdoctoral fellow with a track record in research applying magnetic resonance imaging and image processing. The central goal of the binational (Boston and Barcelona) CRCNS project is to advance our understanding of the computational and neural mechanisms underlying working memory as well as age-related changes to executive function. The successful candidate will lead analyses of structural MRI (T1 TFE scans), resting-state fMRI, and diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) brain scans with an overall focus on brain morphometry and connectivity. Data generated from the MRI scans will be correlated with behavioral, physiological, and other anatomical data across the adult life span. This work will be part of a highly interdisciplinary project (psychophysics, imaging, anatomy, electrophysiological experiments, innovative data analysis and computational modeling) and includes the possibility for extended research stays at the Center for Mathematical Research in Barcelona, Spain (Wimmer lab <https://sites.google.com/view/wimmerlab>). The appointment as a Boston University School of Medicine postdoctoral fellow (supervised by Jennifer Luebke <http://www.bumc.bu.edu/anatneuro/our-people/faculty/luebke/> and Ronald J. Killiany <http://www.bumc.bu.edu/anatneuro/our-people/faculty/killiany/>) will be for at least 1 year with the possibility for extension based on performance. REQUIRED SKILLS: *Assist in the acquisition of MR data *Set up a pipeline for the analysis of the MRI scans *Manage image sets/data and perform quality assurance on both *Coordinate data sharing between collaborating laboratories in Boston and Barcelona *Preparation of manuscripts and scientific presentations *For questions or informal inquiries contact: Dr. Jennifer Luebke at * *jluebke(a)bu.edu* <jluebke(a)bu.edu> *Application materials must be submitted through **BU's HR website <https://bu.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.jobinfo&id=23&jo…>* *.* -- Klaus Wimmer Ramón y Cajal researcher at Centre de Recerca Matemàtica Campus de Bellaterra, Edifici C 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) Spain Tel. +34 935 86 85 15 https://sites.google.com/view/wimmerlab

Oct. 30, 2020

[jobs] Postdoctoral position in “Cognition for safety and ergonomics for human-robot interaction in unstructured workspaces” at Italian Institute of Technology (IIT)

by Francesco Rea

COgNiTive Architecture for Collaborative Technologies Research Line at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Erzelli, Genoa, is seeking to appoint one postdoctoral position focusing on the assessment of engagement with safety and ergonomic work, the design of proactive measures and counter measures for safety preservation, the optimization of ergonomics, design of software infrastructure for social interaction with the mobile and dexterous co-robot. The first goal of the research is redesigning cognition for safety and ergonomics for human-robot collaboration in manufacturing and construction unstructured workspaces. The second goal is to support the design of new multipurpose robotics for collaboration (co-robots) in manufacturing processes. The selected candidate will work with a multidisciplinary consortium of participants to the recently awarded project VOJEXT, Value Of Joint EXperimentation in digital Technologies for manufacturing and construction (H2020 DT-ICT-03-2020, n. 952197). The candidate will work with different robotic platforms for human-robot interaction in manufacturing and construction sites selected together with the consortium and with different sensorial setups specifically designed to assess ergonomics and safety associated with the workers in unstructured manufacturing and constructions settings. Apply online at https://iit.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=20000042 The research for this postdoctoral position will involve: * Sensing of human working conditions for social, safe and ergonomic based on human-robot collaboration in unstructured manufacturing and construction settings * Design of control systems for mobile robots for Safety in human-robot collaboration * Development of a system improving human-robot social collaboration in unstructured manufacturing and construction sites * Development of a system improving ergonomics and mitigating health and safety risks in open and unstructured environments

Oct. 29, 2020

NEURONUS 2020 IBRO Neuroscience Forum - registration open 3 more days!

by Michał Zaręba

*REGISTRATION for NEURONUS 2020 IBRO Neuroscience Forum (8-11 December 2020, ONLINE) is open only for THREE MORE DAYS! The fee has been reduced to 12€. **More information and registration forms can be found on our website: **http://neuronusforum.pl/* <http://neuronusforum.pl/>*.* The program of the conference consists of numerous sessions on biological, cognitive, computational and medical aspects of neuroscience, creating a dynamic environment for sharing knowledge. The schedule of the meeting is further complemented with lectures by invited guests. This year’s keynote speakers include: - *Karl Friston *(University College London, the UK) - *Pico Caroni *(University of Basel, Switzerland) - *Karin Roelofs *(Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands) - *Alejandro Schinder *(Leloir Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina) - *Adam Hampshire *(Imperial College London, the UK) - *Dayu Lin *(New York University School of Medicine, the USA) Furthermore, a special panel concerning the Future of Neuroscience will be held. We have confirmed participation of three pioneering researchers: - *Viktor Jirsa *(Aix-Marseille University, France) - *Panayiota Poirazi* (Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Heraklion, Greece) - *Dominik Paquet *(Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany) During the upcoming 11th edition of the conference, we will traditionally continue to put *emphasis on development of early-career researchers*. The main purpose of this event is to provide means for both young and experienced neuroscientists to share the latest discoveries, knowledge and experience in neuroscience, as well as make valuable contacts with scientists representing various fields of neurobiology. We actively promote young scientists through preferentially allocating oral presentations of their experimental results. We strongly encourage you to join this special initiative, and hope to see you soon! On behalf of the Organising Committee, Michał Zaręba

Oct. 28, 2020

Launch of World Wide Theoretical Neuroscience Seminar on November, 4, 2020 at 11am EST

by David Hansel

Dear Colleagues, We are happy to announce the launch of the World Wide Theoretical Neuroscience Seminar (WWTNS). WWTNS is a weekly digital seminar on Zoom targeting the theoretical neuroscience community. Its aim is to be a platform of exchange among theoreticians. Speakers have the occasion to talk about theoretical aspects of their work which cannot be discussed in a setting where the majority of the audience consists of experimentalists. The seminars are 45 min long followed by a discussion and are held on Wednesdays at 5 pm in Western Europe, /i.e./, 11 am EST. The talks are recorded with authorization of the speaker and will be available to everybody on our YouTube channel. The first seminar will be on *November, 4, 2020 at 11am EST.* The speaker will be Larry Abbott (Columbia University). The title of his talk is: /Vector Addition in the Navigational Circuits of the Fly/// The abstract of the talk is available on the WWTNS website: http://www.wwtns.online/ *To participate in the seminar you need to fill out a registration form https://www.wwtns.online/register-page after which you will**receive an email telling you how to connect.* We would be grateful if you could forward this email to all those who may be interested. Looking forward to seeing you soon, David Hansel & Carl van Vreeswijk

Oct. 28, 2020

PhD position, University of Exeter, UK

by Roman Borisyuk

The University of Exeter is recruiting a PhD student to work on an exciting project to investigate theoretically how neural networks can dynamically transition between multiple behaviours. This BBSRC-funded project is open to students from Mathematics, Physics, Natural Sciences, and Computer Science. The successful candidate will develop new neural network models of rhythmic activity in the tadpole spinal cord. They will use these models to analyse how network behaviour adapts to different sensory inputs. Data for model development will be provided by world-class electrophysiologists, who will also test predictions made by the model. This project will uncover cellular-level and network-level mechanisms that enable dynamic circuit reconfiguration in response to a changing environment. For more information on the project and instructions for applying, please visit http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=3975. Please contact the project investigators with any question: Joël Tabak j.tabak(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:j.tabak@exeter.ac.uk> Roman Borisyuk r.m.borisyuk(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:r.m.borisyuk@exeter.ac.uk> ________________________________ [http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/images/email_footer.gif]<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/worldclass> This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, University of Plymouth accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. University of Plymouth does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form.

Oct. 28, 2020

Postdoctoral Swartz Fellowship Positions in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at Yale

by Murray, John

Postdoctoral Swartz Fellowship Positions in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at Yale University The Swartz Center for Theoretical Neurobiology at Yale University invites applications for up to two postdoctoral positions in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience, with flexible start date in 2021. Competitive candidates include those with a strong quantitative background who wish to gain neuroscience research experience. We especially encourage candidates with an interest in collaborating directly with experimental neuroscientists. The candidates will be expected to perform theoretical/computational studies relevant to one or more laboratories of the Swartz Center at Yale (for a list of affiliated faculty, see: https://medicine.yale.edu/neuroscience/swartz/corelabs.aspx) and will be encouraged to participate in an expanding quantitative biology environment at Yale. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree by the time of beginning the fellowship. Please send a CV, selected (p)reprints, contact information for two or three references, and a statement of research interests including which laboratories at Yale are of interest. All application materials should be sent electronically to the following e-mail address: john.murray(a)yale.edu<mailto:john.murray@yale.edu>. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, but priority will be given to those received on or before January 15, 2021. For any questions, please contact John Murray. Yale University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Yale values diversity in its faculty, students, and staff and especially welcomes applications from women and underrepresented minorities. https://neurojobs.sfn.org/job/27534/postdoctoral-swartz-fellowship-position… John D. Murray ----------------------------------------------- Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Physics, and Neuroscience Yale University murraylab.yale.edu<http://murraylab.yale.edu/> -----------------------------------------------

Oct. 28, 2020

SMILES workshop, Nov 2/3: Sensorimotor Interaction, Language and Embodiment of Symbols

by Xavier Hinaut

* WHAT The SMILES workshop is about Sensorimotor Interaction, Language and Embodiment of Symbols. It is a satellite event from the ICDL 2020 (International Conference on Developmental Learning). * WHEN Monday 2nd & Tuesday 3rd November 2020 afternoonsfrom 1pm to 6pm CET (UTC+1) * WHERE Online event on Zoom. (Link sent to registered people the day before, see * LINKS section) * WHO - 6 Invited speakers: - Luc Steels - Jun Tani - Rahma Chaabouni - Leila Wehbe - Emre Ugur - Jean-Rémi King - 6 Selected talks: - Alex Pitti, Cergy-Pontoise, France - Xueyang Yao, Waterloo, Canada - Valentin Villecroze, Bordeaux, France - Wei Hong Chin, Tokyo, Japan - Martin Takac, Bratislava, Slovakia - Alistair Knott, Dunedin, New Zealand * LINKS - ** Website **: https://sites.google.com/view/smiles-workshop/home - ** Registration **: https://forms.gle/4cdHvvm79NcWwnD36 - Contact: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com - ICDL conference website: https://cdstc.gitlab.io/icdl-2020/ * WHAT+ (Short Description) On the one hand, models of sensorimotor interaction are embodied in the environment and in the interaction with other agents. On the other hand, recent Deep Learning development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) models allow to capture increasing language complexity (e.g. compositional representations, word embedding, long term dependencies). However, those NLP models are disembodied in the sense that they are learned from static datasets of text or speech. How can we bridge the gap from low-level sensorimotor interaction to high-level compositional symbolic communication? The SMILES workshop will address this issue through an interdisciplinary approach involving researchers from (but not limited to): - Sensori-motor learning, - Emergent communication in multi-agent systems, - Chunking of perceptuo-motor gestures (gestures in a general sense: motor, vocal, ...), - Sensori-motor learning, - Symbol grounding and symbol emergence, - Compositional representations for communication and action sequence, - Hierarchical representations of temporal information, - Language processing and acquisition in brains and machines, - Models of animal communication, - Understanding composition and temporal processing in neural network models, and - Enaction, active perception, perception-action loop. Xavier Hinaut, on behalf of the SMILES workshop organisers - Xavier Hinaut, Inria, Bordeaux, France - Clément Moulin-Frier, Inria and Ensta ParisTech, Bordeaux, France - Silvia Pagliarini, Inria, Bordeaux, France - Chukiong Loo, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Michael Spranger, Sony AI and Sony CSL, Tokyo, Japan - Tadahiro Taniguchi, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan - Junpei Zhong, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom Xavier Hinaut Inria Researcher (CR) Mnemosyne team, Inria LaBRI, Université de Bordeaux Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives www.xavierhinaut.com

Oct. 28, 2020

Scientist I position at the Allen Institute - Bio-realistic Modeling of Reconstructed Cortical Tissue

by Anton Arkhipov

Scientist I - Bio-realistic Modeling of Reconstructed Cortical Tissue https://alleninstitute.hrmdirect.com/employment/job-opening.php?req=1415274 Our mission at the Allen Institute is to advance our understanding of how the brain works in health and disease. Using a team science approach, we strive to discover how the brain implements fundamental computations through the integration of technological innovation, cutting-edge experiments, modeling, and theory. The Allen Institute is seeking exceptional candidates for a BRAIN Initiative-funded position of Scientist in our Seattle-based multidisciplinary organization. The Scientist will join the computational team of Anton Arkhipov and will focus on data analysis and modeling of structure, activity, and computations in mouse cortical circuits. This project will take advantage of unprecedented experimental datasets from the Allen Institute that contain a systematic characterization of synaptic connections between the cell types (https://portal.brain-map.org/explore/connectivity/synaptic-physiology) and a connectome of individual neurons coupled with dense recordings of activity in the mouse visual cortex (https://microns-explorer.org<https://microns-explorer.org/>). The Scientist will work collaboratively with colleagues to integrate these data into new, highly realistic network models of cortical circuits, use the models to explore theoretical predictions, and provide them as a resource to fuel future theoretical, modeling, and experimental work in the community. Our computational team collaborates closely with experimentalists to build systematic classifications of structure and function of the mouse visual cortex based on high-throughput recordings in vitro (e.g., Gouwens et al., Nature Neurosci., 2019; Gouwens et al., Cell, in press, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.03.932244) and in vivo (e.g., Siegle et al., Nature, in press, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1101/805010) Using systematically constructed models of neurons from diverse types, we are building and simulating data-driven, highly realistic models of the mouse visual cortex (Arkhipov et al., PLOS Comp. Bio., 2018; Billeh et al., Neuron, 2020; https://portal.brain-map.org/explore/models) The team also develops and disseminates modeling software (https://alleninstitute.github.io/bmtk/; https://github.com/AllenInstitute/sonata) Join us to analyze world-class experimental data and build the next generation of brain models! Essential Functions * Collaborate with in-house experimentalists to analyze data from the synaptic physiology and 2-photon calcium imaging/electron microscopy connectomics datasets. * Use these data to build and simulate models of cortical circuits, in order to study mechanisms connecting circuit structure and function. * Publish/present findings in peer-reviewed journals/scientific conferences. Required Education and Experience * PhD degree in Neuroscience, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related fields. * 0-2 years of post-doctoral experience. * Strong publication record. * Track record of scientific excellence and independent thinking. Preferred Education and Experience * Experience in computational neuroscience and/or systems neuroscience is preferred, but other strong applicants will be considered (with background in computational physics, biophysics, and related disciplines). * Candidates with strong background in experimental systems neuroscience, willing to switch to computational work, are encouraged to apply. * Experience with scientific programming (e.g., in Python) and sharing/collaborative development of software (e.g., GitHub) is a plus. Physical Demands * Fine motor movements in fingers/hands to operate computers and other office equipment; lab equipment Position Type/Expected Hours of Work * This role is currently able to work remotely due to COVID-19 and our focus on employee safety; this may change, and you may be required to work onsite at our South Lake Union office as safety restrictions are lifted in relation to COVID-19. It is the policy of the Allen Institute to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, the Allen Institute will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Apply here: https://alleninstitute.hrmdirect.com/employment/job-opening.php?req=1415274

Oct. 27, 2020

New release of the Comp-Neuro Fedora Linux operating system for computational neuroscience is now available for download

by Ankur Sinha

Hello everyone, (Apologies for the cross posts) I am happy to announce that the latest release of the Comp-Neuro Fedora Linux based operating system for computational neuroscience research is now available for download from: https://labs.fedoraproject.org/comp-neuro/ For those that prefer torrents to direct server downloads, it can also be downloaded here: https://torrent.fedoraproject.org/ Detailed documentation can be accessed at: https://neuro.fedoraproject.org Based on the Fedora Workstation OS[1], the Comp-Neuro installer image includes a plethora of computational neuroscience software[2]. This includes: - commonly used simulators: NEST, NEURON, Brian2, Arbor, Auryn, CalC, COPASI, GENESIS, MOOSE; - the complete Python 3.9 science stack: Matplotlib, Jupyter notebooks, Numpy, Pandas, Pillow, Scikit-image, Scikit-learn, Scipy, Statsmodels, Sympy, *and* other utilities such as GNU Octave. Comp-Neuro Fedora also uses the popular and modern GNOME desktop environment[3], and so includes all the productivity tools that are part of the latest GNOME 3.38 release. Further, more software that is not included in the installation media can also be installed from the Fedora software repositories[4] and from FlatHub[5]. The ISO installer image is a "live" image, which means one can also run the operating system directly off the image without installing it to disk Fedora, and so Comp-Neuro Fedora is completely Free and Open Source Software, which is free for everyone to use, share, study, and modify. It is developed by the volunteer community driven NeuroFedora Special Interest Group (SIG). Any feedback and comments are most welcome[6]. If you develop software for neuroscience research, please consider getting in touch with the NeuroFedora community to help us include it in NeuroFedora. Everyone is welcome to join the community and work on whatever tasks they find interesting[7]. No prior knowledge or skills are expected. [1] https://getfedora.org/en/workstation/ [2] https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/neurofedora/compneuro-tools/ [3] https://www.gnome.org/ [4] https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/neurofedora/software/ [5] https://flathub.org/home [6] https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/neurofedora/communicating/ [7] https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/neurofedora/contributing/ On behalf of the NeuroFedora community, -- Thanks, Regards, Ankur Sinha (He / Him / His) | https://ankursinha.in Research Fellow at the Silver Lab, University College London | http://silverlab.org/ Free/Open source community volunteer at the NeuroFedora project | https://neuro.fedoraproject.org Time zone: Europe/London

Oct. 27, 2020

Job opportunity - Postdoctoral Sleep Researcher at Bitbrain (Zaragoza, Spain)

by Eduardo López-Larraz

We are looking for a postdoctoral sleep researcher to join Bitbrain <https://www.bitbrain.com/> and work on an EU-funded neurotechnology research project. The main objective will be to exploit some of the most recent advances in sleep research to develop interventions based on cutting-edge wearable neurotechnology for sleep (and sleep-mediated cognitive processes) improvement. The candidate will join Bitbrain <https://www.bitbrain.com/>’s interdisciplinary R&D department of applied neuroscience and neurotechnology and will lead all the R&D activities related to sleep. The candidate will have to: 1) design the R&D strategy of this new area in the company, which will require attending and participating in international events and networks, and 2) design and carry out a feasibility study in sleep improvement using innovative and practical technologies that can be used outside the lab. The position is initially offered for 12 months and includes a relocation and training package. *Requirements*: Sleep expert with a PhD degree in Neuroscience, Psychology, Biomedical Engineering or similar. Strong background in sleep research, understanding of EEG (required) and brain stimulation (desirable). Project management skills. Problem solving and potential of growth. English is required, Spanish is a plus. *We offer*: - Competitive salary. Benefits associated with mobility and family. - Possibility of doing part of the work remotely (to be discussed). - Work-life balance. * Starting date: *01.03.2021 *Application Deadline*: 15.12.2020 More information and application procedure: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/545040

Oct. 27, 2020

postdoc position with Christopher Rozell at Georgia Tech

by Christopher Rozell

A postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience is available in the lab of Christopher Rozell at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA). This BRAIN Initiative research project seeks to advance the field of closed-loop computational neuroscience by pioneering the use of real-time feedback stimulation during experiments to decouple recurrently connected circuit elements and make stronger causal inferences about circuit interactions. This position will have a broad opportunity to develop models and algorithms that are implemented in novel experiments using closed-loop optogenetic stimulation. We aim to provide both new scientific insight about computation in neural circuits (especially sensory coding in the thalamo-cortical circuit) as well as new approaches and algorithmic tools for the community to use in novel electrophysiology experiments. This position will work as part of a team and in close collaboration with the experimental lab of Garrett Stanley (also at Georgia Tech), and it is expected that the computational and algorithmic approaches will be implemented experimentally through close partnership with experimentalists in the Stanley Laboratory. Applicants should hold a PhD in a related discipline with a strong record of research impact, quantitative thinking and collaborative work. Experience in computational neuroscience, machine learning, feedback control, and causal inference is all advantageous. The lab is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive environment for all scholars, and applications are especially encouraged from all underrepresented groups. Additionally, the lab is committed to the professional development of the members, making it valuable preparation for people who are interested in academic, industrial or entrepreneurial careers. The position has no mandatory teaching or administrative duties. Excellent (written and oral) communication skills in English are required. This particular project is part of the Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience program (CRCNS), providing access to a community of researchers across the country who are focused on similar types of collaborations between computational and experimental labs. Georgia Tech's campus in the heart of midtown Atlanta, which has a thriving and collaborative neuroscience community that has a particular emphasis on computational and systems neuroscience. Atlanta is also one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States, boasting a wide range of opportunities for recreation and culture. Georgia Tech has competitive benefits (including comprehensive medical insurance) and is an equal opportunity employer. The position would ideally start as soon as possible (spring 2021). The appointment is initially for 12 months with the expectation of renewal. Compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. Candidates should send a CV, a statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for three references to crozell(a)gatech.edu with the subject line "CRCNS postdoc". Application review will proceed until the position is filled and should be received by December 1 for full consideration.

Oct. 27, 2020

[virtual event] - neuromorphic colloquium

by Chiara Bartolozzi

The NEUROTECH Educational Team is organizing a webinar series on neuromorphic computing technologies. The objective is to offer educational material about the field but also hold discussions with the experts about how the field started, how it evolved, where it’s going and how it’s going to shape the future industrial landscape. The first webinar will be on the 3rd of November at 16 CET and the question of the day is: “What is Neuromorphic Engineering?”. The first speakers are: Prof. Giacomo Indiveri, Prof. Steven Furber, Prof. Bernabé Linares-Barranco and Prof. Kwabena Boahen. You can register for free here: https://neurotech.iniforum.ch/educational/ Join us and spread the word! This initiative is supported as part of the NEUROTECH EU-H2020 coordination and support action. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Neurotech: Our mission is to catalyse research and collaboration in NCT. Today's neuromorphic community in Europe is leading the state of the art in this domain. The community counts an increasing number of labs that work on theory, modelling, and implementation of neuromorphic computing systems. The NEUROTECH Project will create a Cartography of NCT in Europe, explore Roadmaps for its development, collect educational and information resources on NCT, and inform about upcoming and previous events. https://neurotech.iniforum.ch Follow us on LinkedIN: NEUROTECHAI

Oct. 26, 2020

Postdoc position in Bologna

by Andrea Santamaria

Dear Sirs, We are the ERC Project INSCRIBE Invention of Scripts and their Beginnings. Sorry for having forget the title, which I've now included in the object as "Postdoc position in Bologna". We would therefore be delighted to share our announcement on your list. You can find the dame text here below in bold. The ERC Project INSCRIBE Invention of Scripts and their Beginnings, based at the University of Bologna, Italy, seeks candidates for a postdoctoral position in interdisciplinary research with expertise in computational neuroscience. The selected candidate will straddle the borders of neuroscience, cognition and the evolution of graphic codes, to apply quantitative methods to large databases with the goal of establishing commonalities worldwide in the evolution of symbols from a broadly cognitive, and more specifically, motor-driven and visual perspective. The ideal candidate will have earned a PhD in either neuroscience or neural computational sciences, with skills in statistical methods. The position is renewable on a yearly basis, up to three consecutive years and can be held remotely. Deadline: 28 October 2020. For more information on how to apply: https://site.unibo.it/inscribe/en/jobs or contact: s.ferrara(a)unibo.it. Thank you in advance and Kind Regards, Andrea Santamaria Get Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/ghei36>

Oct. 26, 2020

Neuromatch conference Oct 26-30

by Goodman, Daniel F M

This is just a reminder that the Neuromatch conference starts tomorrow (at the time of writing) Oct 26-30. We have around 900 talks on all aspects of neuroscience, debates, panels, as well as special series in partnership with the BRAIN initiative, Black in Neuro, and Queer in Neuro. Check our our website here: https://www.neuromatch.io/ Registration is $25, but can be waived with the press of a button, no questions asked, if you're not able to pay. You can see the full agenda with recommendation engine once you've registered, or you can use our old fashioned schedule here before registering (but no automatic recommendations on this one): https://neural-reckoning.github.io/nmc3_provisional_schedule/ Please pass this message on to anyone or any list you think would be interested. Many thanks, The Neuromatch organisers

Oct. 25, 2020

Postdoc position on Biological Deep Learning

by Walter Senn

Dear all A second postdoc position devoted to learning in deep cortical networks is available in our Computational Neuroscience labs at the University of Bern, Switzerland. This position is focussed on formulating error-based learning in deep cortical networks in terms of a principle of least action. We will extend this theory to natural gradient learning and to learning with spiking neurons. The research of our labs is more broadly devoted to biologically realistic models of spatio-temporal processing in cortical networks and their relation to reinforcement learning, Bayesian computing, and neuromorphic implementations. The position is part of the European Human Brain Project and is available by January 1st, 2021, for 2 years (extendable). We offer a stimulating environment with three research groups in theoretical and computational neuroscience, along with experimental neuroscience at the same Department of Physiology (physio.unibe.ch/gruppen.aspx <http://physio.unibe.ch/gruppen.aspx>), as well as close collaborations with other labs in neuroscience, artificial intelligence and neuromorphic engineering. Ideal candidates should have a strong background in computational neuroscience, machine learning, applied mathematics and/or physics. Please send your CV, publication list, letter of motivation and contact information for at least two references to Walter Senn (walter.senn(a)unibe.ch <mailto:walter.senn@unibe.ch>) and Mihai Petrovici (mihai.petrovici(a)unibe.ch <mailto:mihai.petrovici@unibe.ch>), with cc to Virginie Sabado (virginie.sabado(a)unibe.ch <mailto:virginie.sabado@unibe.ch>). The first evaluation round will begin on November 8, 2020. The positions will remain open until filled. With best regards, Mihai Petrovici and Walter

Oct. 23, 2020

Postdoctoral position on the integration of vision and behaviour (Schröder Lab, University of Sussex, UK)

by Sylvia Schröder

The Schröder Lab <https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/labs/schroeder-lab/>(Vision and Behaviour) at the University of Sussex, UK, offers a position for a *Postdoctoral researcher*** to study information processing in the early visual system of mice using two-photon imaging, electrophysiology (Neuropixels probes), and opto- and chemogenetic manipulations. The lab’s goal is to determine how behavioural and internal states like arousal are integrated with visual responses in the retina and superior colliculus. We want to discover the underlying mechanisms and the purpose of this integration in terms of visual processing and the animal’s behavioural demands. This paper describes our previous findings. *Your profile* ·Phd degree in neuroscience or in physics, computer science or engineering with a keen interest in neuroscience ·You will take ownership of the project and drive it forward ·Experience in experimental biology and quantitative data analysis including programming in Python, Matlab or a similar language ·Experience with two-photon imaging and/or extracellular electrophysiology desirable *Our offer to you* The Schröder lab opens its doors in January 2021. The candidate will have the opportunity: ·to make use of the lab’s own two-photon microscopy and Neuropixels recording setups ·to benefit from the PI’s active support in research and her mentoring in career development ·to learn essential skills in organising and setting up a lab ·to shape the research culture of the lab based on the values of scientific excellence, team work, and diversity ·to collaborate with other labs within Sussex Neuroscience <https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/sussex-neuroscience/>with expertise visual and other sensory systems, mouse behaviour, techniques of two-photon imaging and electrophysiology, and computational neuroscience *Start date*: January 2021 or later *Contract*: for 2 years initially, funding available for 5 years (through Sir Henry Dale Fellowship, Wellcome Trust) *Location*: campus is just outside Brighton at the coast of South East England, surrounded by South Downs National Park, 1 h from London See**the ***job advertisement <https://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/jobs/research-fellow-in-neuroscience-4726>* for details on how to apply. Informal enquiries are highly encouraged and should be made to Sylvia Schröder (sylvia.schroeder(a)ucl.ac.uk) **

Oct. 23, 2020

Postdoc position in biological intelligence of exploration at CMU & Pitt

by Timothy Verstynen

Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh are seeking applications for a joint, NIH-funded postdoc position on the computational neuroscience of exploration, linking computational models to both human behavioral and rodent optogenetic/electrophysiology data. The successful candidate will work with Professors Jonathan Rubin (Pitt) and Timothy Verstynen (CMU), in collaboration with Professors Eric Yttri (Department of Biological Sciences, CMU) and Cati Vich (Department of Applied Mathematics, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Mallorca, Spain). The project specifically focuses on how dynamics of cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic pathways map to cognitive models of adaptive decision-making. The position is funded for several years, with an initial one-year appointment and an expectation of extension to three years, given that performance is satisfactory. Applicants with a PhD in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Computational Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience or a related discipline, and ideally with experience in computing, in dynamical systems, and in computational neuroscience, should apply at: https://cmu.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?job=2015566 Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh are both Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employers and value equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. Members of all groups under-represented in academia are especially encouraged to apply. Best, Tim Verstynen -- Timothy Verstynen Ph.D. (he/him) Associate Professor Psychology, Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute, & Biomedical Engineering (by courtesy) Co-Director of the CMU-Pitt BRIDGE Center Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Phone: 412-533-AXN1 (412-533-2961) Lab URL: www.cognitiveaxon.com Center URL: www.bridge-center.org CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail (including any attachments) contains information that is confidential, proprietary, and/or legally privileged for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). No confidentiality or privilege is waived. Any review or distribution by an unintended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please contact the sender immediately and delete all copies, whether electronic or hard copy. Thank you.

Oct. 23, 2020

Postdoctoral position in the Pachitariu Lab at Janelia

by Marius Pachitariu

The Pachitariu Lab at HHMI Janelia is looking for postdoctoral researchers to lead projects that investigate the neural basis of cognition in rodents. The lab uses large-scale neural recordings combined with modern computational and theoretical approaches. Learn more about our work here <https://www.janelia.org/lab/pachitariu-lab>. *Essential Duties and Responsibilities* - Design novel behavioral paradigms in mice - Combine behavior and large-scale neural recordings - Explore and analyze large datasets with machine learning and data science - Participate in collaborative projects with computational researchers. *Required qualifications * - PhD in neuroscience / related discipline - or PhD in a computational field, but interested to start experimental work - Proficiency with Python or Matlab for data analysis *Skills and Abilities (optional)* - Experience with rodent training - Experience with neural recordings (ephys or imaging) - Skills to manage and support interdisciplinary collaborations The Janelia campus, including our lab, is committed to building an inclusive environment for under-represented minorities and women. We strongly encourage applications from all under-represented groups. For more information, reach out directly to pachitarium(a)hhmi.org or apply here <https://hhmi.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job/Janelia-Research-Campus/Pos…> .

Oct. 22, 2020

PhD and postdoc position in quadruped robotics and machine learning at 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* and one *postdoc position* in *quadruped robotics and machine learning*. The project is at the intersection between robotics, machine learning, and computational neuroscience. Its goal is is to develop a computational architecture that (i) merges spinal-cord-like dynamics with higher-level planning and learning, (ii) allows testing hypotheses about animal motor control at a conceptual level, and (iii) can serve as basis for controlling, planning, and learning rich motor skills in robots. The architecture will be evaluated with a scenario that involves control and learning in a quadruped robot crossing a (simple) parkour. The positions are fully funded for 4 years through a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation. EPFL is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers extremely competitive salaries and research infrastructure. *Instructions to apply* can be found here: https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob/openings/ *The ideal starting date is early 2021* (with some flexibility). Applications will be considered starting *from November 15 2020*, and then continuously until the positions are filled. 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 -----------------------------------------------------------------

Oct. 21, 2020

Post-doc position in EEG Analysis in Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna

by Alberto Mazzoni

A postdoc position is available in the Computational Neuroengineering Laboratory / Translational Neural Engineering Area of The Biorobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa (Italy). The work will focus on the analysis and decoding of neural signals, with particular emphasis on electroencephalographic signals, by means of machine learning algorithms. The aim is to develop prognostic tools to assess the possible evolution of neurodegenerative diseases (as Alzheimer Disease) from early screenings and to identify optimal motor rehabilitation procedures after events such as stroke. The ideal candidate has previous experience in EEG analysis. Previous experience in machine learning is an asset. The ideal candidate has also experience in conducting R&D projects both individually and as a part of a group, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and most important an imaginative and creative mind. The Computational Neuroengineering Laboratory ( www.santannapisa.it/en/computational-neuroengineering-laboratory ) lead by Dr. Alberto Mazzoni (me) focuses on the modeling and analysis of information processing in neural systems for neural disorders diagnosis and the development of novel neurostimulation therapies (from glioma to movement disorders). The laboratory is part of the Transational Neuroengineering Area lead by Prof. Silvestro Micera ( www.santannapisa.it/en/institute/biorobotics/translational-neural-engineeri… ) which is one of the leading neuroengineering groups in Europe, in particular on the development of neurotechnologies able to restore sensorimotor functions in disabled people. The projects involve a network of clinical and research centers between Pisa and Florence. Both cities are Unesco World Heritage sites and are characterized by a high quality of life, but are also hubs of high level research. In particular, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna was ranked 4th best young university in the world in 2020 (TIME rankings). <#_msocom_1> Start date is flexible, but winter 2021 is preferred. Please send - cover letter, - Curriculum Vitae - 1-3 selected publications To a.mazzoni(a)santannapisa.it . Deadline for application is November 27th. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed December 11th. ------------------------------ -- */////////////////////////////////////////////////////* perché quello del populo è più onesto fine che quello de' grandi, volendo questi opprimere, e quello non essere oppresso N.M.

Oct. 21, 2020

INTERNATIONAL NEURAL NETWORK SOCIETY (INNS) - FREE Inaugural Virtual Workshop on Explainable AI on November 6, 2020, Friday, 9 am to 1 pm EST - REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW

by Asim Roy

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce that INNS (the International Neural Network Society) is launching a Virtual Technical Event series that will feature workshops, seminars, tutorials, discussions and so on. These technical events will occur throughout the year for a worldwide audience. We welcome proposals on challenging and controversial research topics and ones that provide new insights on biological learning. Through this series of virtual technical events, we would like to serve the growing need for advanced education in a variety of fields that are linked together such as AI, machine learning, neural networks, cognitive science, robotics and so on. Further details on proposal submission are available at https://www.inns.org/virtual-technical-events. We also welcome proposals from the industry and industry sponsorship of these events. FREE Inaugural Virtual Workshop on Explainable AI on November 6, 2020, Friday, 9 am to 1 pm EST This inaugural workshop focuses on Explainable AI (XAI), a topic that is highly important for us to widely deploy our AI/ML systems. We invited five prominent scholars to present their thoughts in this virtual workshop. Further details are provided below including where to register for the event. WORKSHOP SPEAKERS 1. Stephen Grossberg, Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems, Boston University, http://sites.bu.edu/steveg/ 2. Juergen Schmidhuber, Scientific Director of IDSIA<http://www.idsia.ch/>, http://people.idsia.ch/~juergen/ 3. Jeff Krichmar, Professor of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma 4. Vladimir Cherkassky, Professor of ECE, Univ. of Minnesota, https://ece.umn.edu/directory/cherkassky-vladimir/ 5. Lee Giles, Professor of Information Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, https://clgiles.ist.psu.edu/ MODERATORS: Asim Roy, Professor, Arizona State University (https://lifeboat.com/ex/bios.asim.roy) Daniel Levine, Professor, University of Texas at Arlington (https://www.uta.edu/psychology/people/daniel-levine.php) FORMAT: Each speaker - 35 minute presentation + 10 mins Q&A REGISTRATION - https://www.eventbrite.hk/e/explainable-ai-xai-virtual-workshop-registratio… With regards, Irwin King INNS President, FIEEE, FHKIE, DMACM, BoG APNNS & INNS Chair, Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering o +(852) 3943-8398 The Chinese University of Hong Kong f +(852) 2603-5024 Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong http://www.cse.cuhk.edu.hk/irwin.king<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.cse.cuhk.edu.hk_irw…> Asim Roy VP, Industry Relations, INNS Chair, Committee for Virtual Technical Events, INNS Professor, Arizona State University https://lifeboat.com/ex/bios.asim.roy

Oct. 21, 2020

PhD in ML and AI - two VC Scholarships

by Konstantin Nikolic

Two Vice-Chancellor Scholarship PhD positions in Machine Leaning are available in the “Learning and Intelligence” group of Prof Konstantin Nikolic at University of West London, UK. The group’s interests are mostly in modelling biological systems and AI/ML related to bio-inspired themes. Potential project topics include (but are not limited to, since these scholarships are not project linked): Learning in Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs), Neuromorphic robots controlled by SNNs (available are SpiNNaker boards, Dynamic Vision Sensors, etc, for example see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=135fH21QXtg) Data-driven ML algorithms based on information theory and their applications (such as medical diagnostics, video/image analysis, financial/economic or some other large dataset analysis), Neural microcircuits of learning and cognitive modelling, etc. We are also interested in developing ML algorithms for controlling neuromodulatory implants. Research related to Theoretical and Computational neuroscience could be also interesting, especially if exploring some new ideas related to learning in relatively simple biological systems. The researchers will be based in the School of Computing and Engineering at University of West London, with possible close collaboration with the Centre for Bio-Inspired Technology at Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London. Informal enquires can be directed to konstantin.nikolic(a)uwl.ac.uk<mailto:konstantin.nikolic@uwl.ac.uk>. The School enjoys state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure and continues to invest heavily in its improvement. The UWL, sourcing its origins from the Lady Byron School in 1860, is a leading modern university in the UK, consistently progressing in the league tables for the past several years. The life on campus is enriched with frequent high-quality live performances and plays given by the students from our London College of Music and London School of Film, Media and Design, the two hubs of talent and creativity. The positions are advertised here: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CCB695/phd-in-machine-learning-and-artificial-in…<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jobs.…> Konstantin Nikolic, PhD Professor in Computer Science (AI, ML, Data) at University of West London Viiting Professor at Imperial College London (Institute of Biomedical Engineering) School of Computing and Engineering University of West London Ealing campus St Mary’s Road London W5 5RF UK email: konstantin.nikolic(a)uwl.ac.uk<mailto:konstantin.nikolic@uwl.ac.uk>, k.nikolic(a)imperial.ac.uk<mailto:k.nikolic@imperial.ac.uk> web: https://www.uwl.ac.uk/users/konstantin-nikolic, https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/k.nikolic

Oct. 20, 2020

Online workshop series - Neural Control: From data to machines

by DPI, plan4act

We are pleased to announce the online workshop series Neural Control: From data to machines with weekly Zoom-sessions starting on November 5th, 2020. Topic: Movement disorders leave individuals unable to control parts of their bodies, creating a disconnect between their brain and the world around them. This workshop series looks at how neural activity can be mapped to control smart systems, producing desired movements on demand. To discuss the implied problems and solutions, we have brought together experts from the different involved scientific fields. Details and registration at: https://alexandria.physik3.uni-goettingen.de/cns-group/projects/webinars/ Confirmed Speakers: * Dario Farina * Silvestro Micera * Tonio Ball * Nick Ramsay * Juan Álvaro Gallego * Florentin Wörgötter * Alexander Gail * Christian Tetzlaff * Michael Fauth * Tomoki Fukai * Petra Ritter * Valerio Mante * Hans Scherberger * Gordon Cheng * Poramate Manoonpong * Jan-Matthias Braun * Eugenio Gaeta * Daniel Durstewitz * Yukie Nagai Please forward to anyone who may be interested. Best, Florentin Wörgötter and Christian Tetzlaff

Oct. 20, 2020

Call for papers : Special Issue on Deep Learning Approaches for Brain-Computer Interfaces (Signals - MDPI)

by Panagiotis Petrantonakis

Call For Papers for a Special issue on: *Deep Learning Approaches for Brain-Computer Interfaces* https://www.mdpi.com/journal/signals/special_issues/Brain_Computer_Interfac… *Special Issue Information* Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) decipher and translate brain signals into commands for the surrounding environment. Different types of brain signals, e.g., EEG and fMRI, have been used as a means to decode intended user commands, and various machine learning approaches have been tested in such a task. With the advent of the deep learning (DL) era, new studies have emerged that exploit the advantages of the deep network architectures for BCI systems and depict more efficient and reliable brain signal decoding systems. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a collection of forefront works investigating the deployment of various deep network types in different BCI applications using a variety of brain signals either of unimodal or multimodal signal processing framework. Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following: - Deep network architectures for BCIs; - Transfer learning in BCIs; - Big data for DL-based BCIs; - Fusion of multiple brain signals for BCIs using DL methods. *Guest Editor* Panagiotis Petrantonakis (ppetrant(a)iti.gr) Please do not hesitate to contact me for additional questions. Kind regards, Panagiotis

Oct. 20, 2020

PhD position in Insect-Inspired AI at Edinburgh

by Barbara Webb

The Insect Robotics lab at the University of Edinburgh, led by Professor Barbara Webb, has a fully-funded PhD studentship (3 years fees and stipend) available to study 'Insect-Inspired AI'. The position could commence any time from now. The project will develop an alternative architecture for intelligent autonomous systems based on the insect brain. Insects are hugely successful at a number of tasks that are still major challenges for artificial intelligence, including rapid learning from minimal data and sophisticated navigation and robust coordination of behaviour in dynamic environments. The focus of the work will be to obtain a functional understanding of the computations occurring in the insect ‘mushroom body’ (MB) neuropil. Specifically, the PhD topic is to understand how the input and output organisation of the MB support adaptive and context dependent associative learning of complex sensory patterns for the control of behaviour. This will be applied to robot navigation tasks. A suitable candidate would have a strong first degree in computing, maths or engineering; ideally with some background in computational neuroscience, neuromorphic computing, robotics or similar topics; and a strong interest in obtaining biological understanding of brain mechanisms for control of behaviour. Interested candidates should in the first instance contact Professor Barbara Webb <B.Webb(a)ed.ac.uk>. More details about graduate study at the School of Informatics and the formal application process can be found here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/informatics/postgraduate/research-degrees -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

Oct. 19, 2020

NEURONUS 2020 IBRO Neuroscience Forum (8-11 December 2020, ONLINE)

by Michał Zaręba

*REGISTRATION for NEURONUS 2020 IBRO Neuroscience Forum is open only UNTIL OCTOBER 31! The fee has been lowered to 12€. The number of the participants is limited only to 1000 – hurry up! More information and registration forms can be found on our website: **http://neuronusforum.pl/* <http://neuronusforum.pl/>*.* With prominent speakers and an unique atmosphere of Krakow, one of the oldest and most beautiful Polish cities, NEURONUS IBRO Neuroscience Forums have established themselves in the European calendar of scientific events as a platform for communication between scientists from different fields of neuroscience. Unfortunately, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to move our event to the virtual plane. The program of the conference consists of numerous sessions on biological, cognitive, computational and medical aspects of neuroscience, creating a dynamic environment for sharing knowledge. The schedule of the meeting is further complemented with lectures by invited guests, and we invest a lot of effort to attract as influential neuroscientists as possible. This year’s keynote speakers include: - *Karl Friston *(University College London, the UK) - *Pico Caroni *(University of Basel, Switzerland) - *Karin Roelofs *(Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands) - *Alejandro Schinder *(Leloir Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina) - *Adam Hampshire *(Imperial College London, the UK) - *Dayu Lin *(New York University School of Medicine, the USA) Furthermore, a special panel concerning the Future of Neuroscience will be held. We have confirmed participation of three pioneering researchers: - *Viktor Jirsa *(Aix-Marseille University, France) - *Panayiota Poirazi* (Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Heraklion, Greece) - *Dominik Paquet *(Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany) During the upcoming 11th edition of the conference, we will traditionally continue to put *emphasis on development of early-career researchers*. The main purpose of this event is to provide means for both young and experienced neuroscientists to share the latest discoveries, knowledge and experience in neuroscience, as well as make valuable contacts with scientists representing various fields of neurobiology. We actively promote young scientists through preferentially allocating oral presentations of their experimental results. We strongly encourage you to join this special initiative, and hope to see you soon! On behalf of the Organising Committee, Michał Zaręba

Oct. 19, 2020

PhD-positions in computational neuroscience at the University of Oslo as part of CompSci grant in EU Horizon 2020

by Gaute Einevoll

CompSci is a Doctoral Programme launched and managed by the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Oslo (UiO). It is partly funded by the EU Horizon 2020 under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) - Co-funding of Regional, National and International Programmes (COFUND). The CompSci Doctoral Program will recruit 32 PhDs in two calls. In this Call, we open for applications to the 1st cohort of 16 PhD fellowship positions, that will join our PhD programme starting autumn 2021 at UiO. The possible PhD-projects span over a wide range of topics where methods from computational science are applied to different fields in the natural sciences: https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/ Four of the possible projects in Call 1 are within computational neuroscience: * Bio-inspired neural networks for navigation<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/bioscience/bio-inspired-neur…> Supervisors: Anders Malthe-Sørenssen<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/malthe-sorenssen…>, Gaute T. Einevoll<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/einevoll.html> * Large-scale recordings of neurons to reveal mechanisms of learning and memory<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/bioscience/learning-and-memo…> Supervisors: Marianne Fyhn<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/fyhn.html>, Anders Malthe-Sørenssen<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/malthe-sorenssen…> * Large-scale network simulations of mouse visual cortex<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/bioscience/neural-networks.h…> Supervisors: Gaute T. Einevoll<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/einevoll.html>, Marianne Fyhn<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/fyhn.html> * Modelling systems levels changes in brain aging induced by genome instability<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/bioscience/brain-aging.html> Supervisors: Hilde Nilsen<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/nilsen.html>, Gaute T. Einevoll<https://www.mn.uio.no/compsci/english/projects/supervisors/einevoll.html> For information about how to apply, see https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/193610/compsci-call-1-marie-… . The application deadline for Call 1 is: January 3rd 2021 Questions about the individual projects should be sent to the supervisors listed above.

Oct. 18, 2020

Re: [Comp-neuro] Lecture video about Explainable and Reliable AI: Deep Learning and Adaptive Resonance

by Grossberg, Stephen

Dear Colleagues, On September 19, I gave a pre-recorded keynote lecture on Zoom to the 13th International Conference on Brain Informatics about Explainable and Reliable AI, a topic that's of considerable interest these days. The lecture's title and url are: Explainable and Reliable AI and Autonomous Adaptive Intelligence: Deep Learning, Adaptive Resonance, and Models of Perception, Emotion, and Action http://sites.bu.edu/steveg/files/2020/10/Grossberg-keynote-for-BI-on-9-19-2… The lecture can also be found on my web page sites.bu.edu/steveg along with a pdf of its powerpoint slides and various other lectures and articles. Best, Steve Grossberg Stephen Grossberg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Grossberg http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3BIV70wAAAAJ&hl=en https://youtu.be/9n5AnvFur7I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hBye6JQCh4 Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems Director, Center for Adaptive Systems Professor Emeritus of Mathematics & Statistics, Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering Boston University sites.bu.edu/steveg steve(a)bu.edu

Oct. 17, 2020

How to find your scientific neighbours, future colleagues

by Tim Vogels

Dear Colleagues, For those of you who are looking for a position as a postdoc (or faculty), consider posting your info to world-wide.org/neighbors <http://world-wide.org/neighbors>. It's a place to find your closest scientific neighbours, and maybe your next position. Fill in & submit your info, and a few minutes later we will post it, if you want to with the best matching labs. /neighbors <http://world-wide.org/neighbors> is an extension of the popular worldwideneuro.com <http://worldwideneuro.com/>, and currently works best for neuroscience matches. For those of you who are looking for postdocs and advertising positions for postdocs to HIRE, it may be interesting to also post your ads on world-wide.org/neighbors <http://world-wide.org/neighbors>. Posting your ad to the website will make it visible for a much longer time than a single fleeting email. And while you are here, come brows through the info on people looking for jobs. Finally, you can also just browse if you're just “curious”, and check out who your closest neighbours are. Or find some amazing talks on worldwideneuro.com <http://worldwideneuro.com/> or https://www.world-wide.org/Physics-of-Life/ <https://www.world-wide.org/Physics-of-Life/> If you want to, let us know if you like it, and what improvements you’d like to see. All the best, (Panos Bozelos and ) Tim Vogels ------------- Vogelslab.org <http://vogelslab.org/> IST, Austria

Oct. 17, 2020

Call for papers : Special Issue on Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks ( Cognitive Computation - Springer)

by Vassilis Cutsuridis

*Call For Papers:Journal : Cognitive ComputationSpecial Issue : Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks* https://www.springer.com/journal/12559/updates/18336610 *Scope and Motivation* During the past 10 years, many experiments have been implemented with the aim of improving our understanding on the brain’s structure and function. Alongside, simulation neuroscience has become an important strategy to investigate how the brain works. The Human Connectome Project in the US started in 2009 and aimed to provide a big human brain mapping dataset on which many brain models have already been tested. In the Human Brain Project in the EU, a large-scale virtual rodent brain simulation is being built with the purpose of revealing various brain activities. In Japan, whole human-scale brain simulations on the Fugaku supercomputer are being established to investigate how neural networks develop their learning process. On the other hand, the foundation of cognitive computing and control mechanism can be revealed from the simulations of brain circuits and the neural dynamics. Moreover, these are also critical to improve current artificial intelligent systems and for building brain intelligence level algorithms. In this special issue, we invite researchers to present their state-of-the-art approaches, introduce recent advances and therefore show the potential of brain-simulation-related technologies. *Guest Editors* Jordi Solé-Casals (jordi.sole(a)uvic.cat) Cesar F. Caiafa (ccaiafa(a)fi.uba.ar) Zhe Sun (zhe.sun.vk(a)riken.jp) Vassilis Cutsuridis (vcutsuridis(a)lincoln.ac.uk) *Topics* Topics include but are not limited to: • Brain Connectivity mapping and functional mapping • Data analysis methods for connectome data • Multi-scale neural system simulation • Neuromorphic hardware • High-performance computing system for large scale simulations • Neural system inspired spiking neural network • Neuro-robotics systems • Sensorimotor learning model *Deadlines* *Submissions Deadline*: *April 1, 2021* First notification of acceptance: June 1, 2021 Submission of revised papers: August 1, 2021 Final notification to the authors: Oct 1, 2021 Submission of final/camera-ready papers: Nov 1, 2021 Publication of special issue: Nov 22, 2021 *Submission Instruction:* Prepare your paper in accordance with the Journal guidelines: www.springer.com/12559. Submit manuscripts at: http://www.editorialmanager.com/cogn/. Select “SI: Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks” for the special issue under “Additional Information.” Your paper must contain significant and original work that has not been published nor submitted to any journals. All papers will be reviewed following standard reviewing procedures of the Journal. *Author Resources* Authors are encouraged to submit high-quality, original work that has neither appeared in, nor is under consideration by other journals. All papers will be reviewed following standard reviewing procedures for the Journal. Papers must be prepared in accordance with the Journal guidelines: www.springer.com/12559 Springer provides a host of information about publishing in a Springer Journal on our Journal Author Resources <https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author> page, including FAQs <http://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/frequently-asked-…> , Tutorials <https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/journal-author-a…>along with Help and Support. <https://support.springer.com/en/support/home> Other links include: - editorial policies <https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/journal-author-h…> - publication policies <https://www.springer.com/gp/open-access/publication-policies> - copyright transfer <https://www.springer.com/gp/open-access/publication-policies/copyright-tran…> - self-archiving <https://www.springer.com/gp/open-access/publication-policies/self-archiving…> - OA funding <https://www.springernature.com/gp/open-research/funding> - open choice <https://www.springer.com/gp/open-access/springer-open-choice> - funder compliance <https://www.springer.com/gp/open-access/publication-policies/funder-complia…> - read and publish agreements <https://www.springer.com/gp/open-access/springer-open-choice/springer-compa…> - preprint sharing <https://www.springer.com/gp/open-access/preprint-sharing/16718886> - my publication process <https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/journal-author-h…> - production <https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/journal-author-h…> - publication <https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/journal-author-h…> - post-publication <https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/journal-author-h…> - ORCID <https://www.springernature.com/de/researchers/orcid?utm_source=springer&utm…> - Publons <https://www.springernature.com/gp/reviewers/publons> - article sharing <https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/sharedit> - citation alerts <https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/journal-author-h…> If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Best regards, Vassilis --- Dr Vassilis Cutsuridis Senior Lecturer School of Computer Science & Lincoln Sleep Research Center University of Lincoln 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/

Oct. 16, 2020

Free Online Seminar: How to build your own Connectome?

by Markus Butz-Ostendorf

Dear List, My apologies for cross-postings first of all! I would like to draw your attention to the first free online webinar on connectomics in clinical application with our novel neuroimaging software NICARA, particularly dedicated to human connectomics. Abstract at the end of this message. The seminar takes place online on Tue, 20 Oct 2020 at 3pm (CET). Participation is free of charge but registration is kindly requested via this link https://www.biomax.com/webinar With NICARA every neuroscientists can explore the beauty of connectomes and focus on connectome-related research questions without being a neuroimaging or neuroinformatics expert him- or herself. Register one of the limited NICARA demo accounts today via https://ssl.biomax.de/nicara/ Looking forward to meeting you online at the seminar! kind regards, Markus == Free Online Seminar Series: How to build your own Connectome? With our neuroimaging solution NICARA we help clinicians working in the field of mental disorders to classify their patients faster and even better than ever before. Pharmacologists can significantly speed up the evaluation of the clinical efficacy of new drugs and scientists can access data and publications quickly and easily, thus greatly accelerating the success of research, while saving costs. All of these experts face more or less the same problem: Extracting structural and functional brain connectivity form raw images is time consuming and requires extensive expert knowledge. With NICARA you have thousands of publicly available connectomes at your fingertips and the possibility to analyze your own data by creating individual connectomes on the fly. Explore the world of connectomics with NICARA and learn how you can easily build your own Connectome. Register today for free for one of our upcoming Online Seminars and Live Demos. for Clinicians: 20/10/2020, 3:00 pm for Scientists 10/11/2020, 3:00 pm for Pharmacologists 1/12/2020, 3:00 pm To register, please go to https://www.biomax.com/webinar and request your access data via the webinar page. We are looking forward to meeting you. -- Dr. rer. nat. Markus Butz-Ostendorf Innovation Manager Brain Science Senior Product Manager Biomax Informatics AG Robert-Koch-Str. 2, 82152 Planegg, Germany Registergericht: Amtsgericht München, HRB 134442 Vorstand: Dr. Klaus Heumann Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates: Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Mewes Tel: +49 89 895574-862 Fax: +49 89 895574-825 Email:markus.butz-ostendorf@biomax.com Website:http://www.biomax.com PGP:https://ssl.biomax.de/pgp/

Oct. 16, 2020

PhD and PostDoc positions on physical models of biological computation

by elisabetta chicca

The Bio-Inspired Circuits and Systems (BICS) group at the University of Groningen, Netherlands headed by Prof. Elisabetta Chicca is inviting applications for PhD and PostDoc positions on physical models of biological computation. The positions will be embedded in a highly interdisciplinary, international research group lead by Prof. Elisabetta Chicca, who recently started a new group in the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) at the University of Groningen. The BICS group aims to identify the principles of neural computation and implement them in fully parallel and low-power neuromorphic systems that offer the opportunity to overcome the limitations of traditional digital architectures. The successful candidate should have a background in physics, computer sciences, electrical engineering, neurosciences or some related field. Some modelling, programming or analog CMOS design experience is advantageous. Applications will be considered until the positions are filled. The application should include a cover letter stating the candidate’s research interests and how these fit to the research conducted in the BICS group; a CV outlining prior education, research experience, skills and publications; reprints (if available); academic transcripts; and names of two referees. Electronic submission is preferred (to be addressed to Prof. Elisabetta Chicca, e.chicca <e.chicca(a)rug.nl>ATrug.nl <e.chicca(a)rug.nl>). ------------------------------------------------------------ Prof. Dr. Elisabetta Chicca Full Professor Chair of Bio-Inspired Circuits and Systems (BICS) Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials CogniGron - Groningen Cognitive Systems and Materials Center University of Groningen Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands Phone: +31 50 363 8731 Office: 5113.0039 Secretary: Jeannette de Boer Phone: +31 50 363 4843

Oct. 16, 2020

Postdoctoral position in computational and statistical neuroscience

by John Pearson

Posting below. Interested candidates are also encouraged to reach out directly. The laboratories of Dr. Richard Mooney (https://www.neuro.duke.edu/mooney-lab) and Dr. John Pearson (http://pearsonlab.github.io<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://pearsonlab.github.io/__;!!OToaGQ!5lp4UHC…>) at Duke University are seeking two (2) postdoctoral scholars in conjunction with an NIH BRAIN Initiative-funded project investigating the contributions of basal ganglia to vocal motor exploration and reinforcement learning. Candidates will combine state of the art viral, electrophysiological, imaging, and computational methods and work as part of a multi-institution team that also includes Dr. Carlos Lois, in the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering at CalTech, and Dr. Tim Gardner, in the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact at the University of Oregon. The first postdoc, appointed in the Department of Neurobiology, will use behavioral, optogenetic, electrophysiological and optical imaging methods to explore how cortico-basal ganglia circuits contribute to vocal exploration and learning. Previous experience with imaging and electrophysiological methods is desirable, and experience using viral gene transfer methods to monitor and manipulate neural activity will be especially helpful. Candidates with strong quantitative skills and an interest in developing or improving computational skills are especially desired. This postdoc will work closely with a related postdoc hire in the Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, as well as team members across all institutions. The second postdoc, appointed in the Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, will perform computational modeling of reinforcement learning in the birdsong system, including development of new statistical machine learning methods for the analysis of song, electrophysiology, and calcium imaging data. The postdoc will work closely with experimentalists to design studies, analyze data, and refine hypotheses. Candidates should hold a PhD in a quantitative discipline such as computational neuroscience, physics, statistics, or computer science. Previous experience in neurobiology is a plus but not required. This postdoc will work closely with a related postdoc hire in the Department of Neurobiology, as well as team members across the other institutions. John ------------------------------- John Pearson, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Electrical and Computer Engineering Neurobiology; Psychology and Neuroscience Duke University B255 LSRC Box 91003 Durham, NC 27708 919.613.8338 http://pearsonlab.github.io/

Oct. 16, 2020

Postdoc position on Biological Deep Learning

by Walter Senn

Dear all One postdoc position devoted to learning in deep cortical networks is available in the Computational Neuroscience labs at the University of Bern, Switzerland. Our research is focussed on biologically realistic models of spatio-temporal processing in recurrent cortical networks and their relation to reinforcement learning, Bayesian computing, and neuromorphic implementations. The position is focussed on formalizing the dendritic processing of cortical pyramidal neurons, in particular on combining top-down and bottom-up information streams within pyramidal neurons, and in integrating these neurons in deep networks. The position is part of a collaboration with Profs Fritjof Helmchen and Giacomo Indiveri (UniZH / ETHZ) supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation and is available from January 1st, 2021, for 2 years (extendable). We offer a stimulating environment with three research groups in theoretical and computational neuroscience, along with experimental neuroscience at the same Department of Physiology (physio.unibe.ch/gruppen.aspx <file:///Users/walter/Documents/Walter_Physio/admin/ownPositionAnnouncments/HBP_PosAnnouncments2020/physio.unibe.ch/gruppen.aspx>), as well as close collaborations with other labs in neuroscience, artificial intelligence and neuromorphic engineering. Ideal candidates should have a strong background in computational neuroscience, machine learning, applied mathematics and/or physics. Please send your CV, publication list, letter of motivation and contact information for at least two references to Walter Senn (walter.senn(a)unibe.ch <mailto:walter.senn@unibe.ch>) and Mihai Petrovici (mihai.petrovici(a)unibe.ch <mailto:mihai.petrovici@unibe.ch>), with cc to Virginie Sabado (virginie.sabado(a)unibe.ch <mailto:virginie.sabado@unibe.ch>). The first evaluation round will begin on November 8, 2020. The positions will remain open until filled. With best regards, Mihai Petrovici and Walter Senn

Oct. 15, 2020

postdoc on computational modelling of perceptual inference and psychophysics (Hyafil lab, 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/en/Research/ResearchGroups/Neuroscience/Pages/default.as…) The project will combine modelling and psychophysics (possibly neuroimaging) to study the mechanisms of propagation of belief in 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 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 *STARTING DATE:* anytime before summer 2021

Oct. 15, 2020

PhD/Postdoc position in Tübingen, Deep nets + human neurophysiology data

by Jakob Macke

Dear colleagues, We have a position for a Ph.D. Student or Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d, E13 TV-L) in `Deep learning for studying population codes in the human brain’, starting as soon as possible. The initial fixed-term contract will be for 3 years with possible extension. Details at https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/196976. How do neural circuits in the human brain recognize objects, persons and actions from complex visual stimuli? To address these questions, we will develop deep convolutional neural networks for modelling how neurons in high-level human brain areas respond to complex visual information. We will make use of a unique dataset of neurophysiological recordings of single-unit activity and field potentials recorded from the medial temporal lobe of epilepsy patients. Our tools will open up avenues for a range of new investigations in cognitive and clinical neuroscience, and may inspire new artificial vision systems. The position is part of the BMBF-funded project DeepHumanVision in collaboration with the `Dynamic Vision and Learning’ Group at TU Munich (Prof. Dr. Laura Leal-Taixé) and the Cognitive and Clinical Neurophysiology Group at University Hospital Bonn (Prof. Dr. Dr. Mormann). Our group develop computational methods that help scientists interpret empirical data, with a focus on basic and clinical neuroscience research. We want to understand how neuronal networks in the brain process sensory information and control intelligent behaviour, and use this knowledge to develop methods for the diagnosis and therapy of neuronal dysfunction. We aim to work in an interdisciplinary, collaborative and supportive work environment which emphasizes diversity and inclusion. Tübingen has an internationally renowned research community in artificial intelligence, machine learning and computational neuroscience, including the Cyber Valley Initiative, the Tübingen AI Center, the Excellence Cluster Machine Learning, and the new MSc Program Machine Learning. We are situated in the AI Research Building, in close proximity to the Max Planck Institutes for Intelligent Systems and Biological Cybernetics, and participate in the two International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) `Intelligent Systems’ and `Mechanisms of Mental Function and Dysfunction’. The position is open to candidates who have a PhD or Master’s in in a quantitative discipline (e.g. computer science, maths, statistics, physics, electrical engineering, computational neuroscience), a genuine interest in interdisciplinary work at the interface of machine learning and neuroscience, and strong programming skills (ideally Python/PyTorch). Prior experience in deep learning, and/or in analysing neurophysiological data with statistical methods is advantageous. The University seeks to raise the number of women in research and teaching and therefore urges qualified women academics to apply for these positions. Equally qualified applicants with disabilities will be given preference. The employment will be carried out by the central administration of the University of Tübingen. PhD applicants are also expected to apply to the IMPRS `Intelligent Systems’ https://imprs.is.mpg.de, Deadline also November 2. Please submit your application materials to mls-sekretariat(a)inf.uni-tuebingen.de, with subject `Application: Postdoc/PhD DeepHumanVision‘. Please include a CV, a brief statement of research interests, contact details of two referees and a work sample - anything that is genuinely your own work, e.g. a thesis, computer code, a research manuscript, an essay, or a publication. For postdoc applicants, we expect relevant prior publications. Application deadline: November 02, 2020. Best, Jakob Macke Prof. Dr. Jakob Macke Chair of Machine Learning in Science Excellence Cluster `Machine Learning: New Perspectives for Science’ Department of Computer Science University of Tübingen Adjunct Senior Research Scientist, Department of Empirical Inference Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Tübingen Jakob.Macke(a)uni-tuebingen.de Office: Franziska Weiler, mls-sekretariat(a)inf.uni-tuebingen.de www.mackelab.org/tuebingen

Oct. 15, 2020

Positions in Probabilistic Data Science / Machine Learning Lab, Oldenburg University, Germany

by Jörg Lücke

Dear list, The Machine Learning Lab at the University of Oldenburg, Germany, is seeking to fill the position of a Researcher in Probabilistic Data Science. We look for somebody who has already obtained a PhD degree or is close to obtaining one. The only definitive source of information is here: https://uol.de/stellen/?stelle=67593 The application deadline is Oct 20 but we very likely also accept applications until the end of next week. We are seeking somebody with knowledge on probabilistic generative modeling. Best wishes, Jörg Lücke -- Jörg Lücke (PhD) Professor and Head of the Machine Learning Lab Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics School of Medicine and Health Sciences University of Oldenburg 26111 Oldenburg Germany www.uol.de/ml

Oct. 14, 2020

COSYNE 2021: Abstract submission is now open

by Tomas Hromadka

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2021 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING ONLINE 24 - 26 February 2021 www.cosyne.org ==================================================== IMPORTANT DATES Abstract submission is now open Abstract submission deadline: 12 November 2020 ---------------------------------------------------- MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT ---------------------------------------------------- The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. Cosyne 2021 will take place online, February 24 - 26, 2021. Please note that the dates have changed slightly from the initial announcement. The goal of this year’s meeting is to promote early stage investigators. Therefore, there are no invited talks from established researchers. The format will include featured contributed talks chosen from submitted abstracts, and interactive poster-like presentations (short recorded presentation + live interactions). More details to follow. All abstract submissions will be reviewed as in previous years, but reviewing will be fully double blind. The deadline for Abstract submission will be November 12, 2020. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural basis of behavior, sensory and motor systems, circuitry, learning, neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, and computation with spiking networks. When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE 2021 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------- Cosyne 2021 main meeting will be preceded by an online Cosyne Tutorial Session led by Kanaka Rajan (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) on 23 February 2021. More details will be posted on www.cosyne.org. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General & Program Chairs: Anne-Marie Oswald (U Pittsburgh) and Srdjan Ostojic (Ecole Normale Superieure Paris) Diversity Chairs: Eva Dyer (Georgia Tech, Emory) and Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Publicity Chair: Adam Calhoun (Princeton) Tutorial Chair: Il Memming Park (Stony Brook) Development Chair: Michael Long (NYU) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) PROGRAM COMMITTEE Athena Akrami (UCL) Demba Ba (Harvard) Omri Barak (Technion) Brice Bathellier (Paris) Yoram Burak (Hebrew University) Christine Constantinople (NYU) Saskia De Vries (Allen Institute) Victor de Lafuente (UNAM Mexico) Jan Drugowitsch (Harvard) Tatiana Engel (CSHL) Annegret Falkner (Princeton) Kevin Franks (Duke) Tim Hanks (UC Davis) Ann Hermundstad (Janelia) Andrew Leifer (Princeton) Sukbin Lim (Shanghai) Scott Linderman (Stanford) Mackenzie Mathis (EPFL Lausanne) Ida Momennejad (Microsoft) Cris Niell (U Oregon) Il Memming Park (Stony Brook) Adrien Peyrache (McGill Montreal) Kanaka Rajan (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) Robert Rosenbaum (Notre Dame) Christina Savin (NYU) Marshal Shuler (Johns Hopkins) Daniela Vallentin (Max Planck Munich) CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org COSYNE MAILING LISTS Please consider adding yourself to Cosyne mailing lists (groups) to receive email updates with various Cosyne-related information and join in helpful discussions. See Cosyne.org -> Mailing lists for details.

Oct. 14, 2020

Online Mentoring Job Offer

by Maryam

WE WANT YOU ! ScienceBeam, which is a designer and manufacturer of neuroscience applications and organizer of neuroscience educational courses, is looking for professional, experienced and authentic mentors from all around the world for online courses. Required fields: ➢ Neuroscience ➢ Neuro-Biofeedback ➢ EEG/ERP/QEEG ➢ Cognitive Science ➢ Programming (MATLAB, Bio-Signal processing, etc.) If you are as passionate about mentoring as you are about the above-mentioned fields, and can give a few hours per week in return for an honorarium, we would love to hear from you. Apply now and send your resumes to: workshop(a)sciencebeam.com WhatsApp No: +8613380781282

Oct. 13, 2020

Ph.D. program (with details) in Computational/Experimental Neuroscience in Tuebingen, Germany

by Zhaoping Li

(I apologize for a previous message sent without details): Join our interdisciplinary PhD program and experience a vibrant and international training environment in Neuroscience! see https://www.kyb.tuebingen.mpg.de/imprs-mmfd for more details. Application deadline 30th Nov. 2020 More details International Max Planck Research School The Mechanisms of Mental Function and Dysfunction The ‘International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for The Mechanisms of Mental Function and Dysfunction’ (MMFD) provides state-of-the-art training and research under the guidance of leading neuroscientists, psychologists, psychiatrists and computational scientists in Tübingen. Excellent graduates with a Bachelor´s degree will enjoy an unparalleled opportunity to start their research career in neuroscience. What´s it all about? The IMPRS is a joint project of the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics <https://www.kyb.tuebingen.mpg.de/2549/en> and the University of Tübingen <https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/>. It is embedded in the Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience (GTC) <https://www.neuroschool-tuebingen.de> and thus benefits from more than 20 years of successful cooperation in the training of young neuroscientists. The IMPRS-MMFD offers a combined MSc/PhD program to outstanding BSc graduates. IMPRS students will not only receive an admission to one of the GTC´s regular MSc programs, but additionally a commitment of the IMPRS faculty to offer them a PhD position after their successful MSc graduation. The direct access to the IMPRS doctoral program for those students who are already holding a MSc degree and have already been admitted by the Graduate Training Centre is also possible. Prerequisite is the primarily supervision by one of the IMPRS faculty members (see: Application). Teaching and research in the IMPRS and at the GTC of Neuroscience are conducted entirely in English. The IMPRS MMFD was launched in January 2020 and is one of about sixty International Max Planck Research Schools <https://www.mpg.de/en/imprs> run by the Max Planck Society <https://www.mpg.de/en> in partnership with various universities and research institutions. IMPRS programs provide an extraordinary framework and working environment for graduate students, and they provide unique opportunities for interdisciplinary research projects.

Oct. 9, 2020

postdoc position in dynamical models of learning in working memory (Kilpatrick, CU Boulder)

by Zachary Kilpatrick

We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on a BRAIN/NIMH/NIBIB funded project developing and validating neural circuit models of experience-driven computations in working memory. Our group is in the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Colorado Boulder, and we have affiliations with the Institute of Cognitive Science and School of Medicine. The start date would likely be in Spring or Summer 2021. The position is fully funded till September 2023, with a possible extension contingent on funding. Interested applicants should contact Zack Kilpatrick (zpkilpat(a)colorado.edu <mailto:zpkilpat@colorado.edu>), along with a CV and list of 3 or more references. The aim of this project is to understand how task-relevant experience is encoded in neuronal circuits through plasticity-driven changes to network architecture (building off ideas in Kilpatrick (2018) Sci Rep <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-25958-9>). Our mechanistic neural circuit models will be validated using data from humans (psychophysical response) and non-human primates (response + large-scale neural recordings) from the Gold (Penn), Buschman (Princeton), and Bays (Cambridge) labs. Candidates must have a strong background developing, simulating, and mathematically analyzing dynamical/mechanistic neural network models. We will build and analyze neural field models of large-scale activity using a combination of methods from stochastic processes, asymptotics, Bayesian inference, and numerical PDEs. Experience working with psychophysics and/or neural recording data is a plus but not required. Models will be fit using Bayesian parameter estimation and model comparison. Within our group, you could also work on a side project or two in decision-making, stochastic dynamics, social networks, and/or social foraging. Outside of work, the great outdoors in and around Boulder can’t be beat with over 40,000 acres of public open space, 1hr to skiing at Eldora Mtn Resort, 1hr to Rocky Mtn Natl Park, and tons of hiking and climbing. Boulder is consistently rated one of the most bike-able cities in the nation. We also have a very active local food scene with multiple restaurants receiving James Beard nominations this year. Non-stop international flights to Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, the UK, Japan, Mexico, and Canada are a 45 minute bus ride away at Denver Airport. ---------- Zachary P Kilpatrick, PhD (he/him/his) Associate Professor University of Colorado Boulder Department of Applied Mathematics http://www.colorado.edu/amath/zpkilpat <http://www.colorado.edu/amath/zpkilpat>

Oct. 8, 2020

Postdoctoral position in Computational Neuroscience, Italian Institute of Technology

by Stefano Panzeri

A postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience is available at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Italy to work with Stefano Panzeri ( https://www.iit.it/people/stefano-panzeri) The successful candidate will conduct research in the laboratory of Neural Computation of Prof. Panzeri and in collaboration with Prof. Christopher Harvey at Harvard Medical School. We investigate, by developing and using advanced data analysis methods and neural network models, how circuits of neurons in the brain encode information and use it to produce appropriate behaviors. The Neural Computation laboratory offers a wide range of interdisciplinary expertise in computational neuroscience, including both advanced neural analysis techniques and neural network modeling. The laboratory also offers a thriving, ambitious research environment which is well funded (including several grants from the NIH Brain Initiative). This gives successful candidates ample opportunities for advanced training and personal scientific growth. We seek candidates holding a PhD in a numerate or neuroscientific discipline, with a solid computational background and a keen interest in neuroscience. They must be highly motivated and creative individuals who want to work in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary research environment and be willing to interact with both experimental and theoretical neuroscientists. For recent publications relevant to this project, see: Runyan C. A., et al (2017) Distinct timescales of population coding across cortex, *Nature*: 548: 92-96. G. Pica, et al (2017) Quantifying how much sensory information in a neural code is relevant for behavior, *Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS 2017)* Panzeri S., et al (2017) Cracking the neural code for sensory perception by combining statistics, intervention and behaviour. *Neuron* 93: 491-507 Chettih and Harvey (2019) Single-neuron perturbations reveal feature-specific competition in V1. *Nature* 567, 334 Chong, E. et al (2020) Manipulating synthetic optogenetic odors reveals the coding logic of olfactory perception. *Science* 368, 1329. The deadline for applications is *Oct. 27th, 2020*. Applications will be examined as soon as they are received and until the position is filled. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to email Stefano Panzeri ( stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it) as soon as possible, to informally inform him of their interest for the position and initiate a discussion about research projects. Formal applications should be submitted, before the deadline, through the following web site: https://iit.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=20000039 Thanks Stefano Panzeri

Oct. 8, 2020

Two research fellow positions in Neuromorphic Olfaction

by Michael Schmuker

We have two Research Fellow positions available, funded through the NSF/MRC NeuroNex grant “Odor to Action”, an international consortium of 16 world-leading research groups from the US, Canada, and the UK. The consortium will apply their joint expertise in computational and experimental neuroscience, behavioural studies, fluid dynamics, and fragrance chemistry to unlock how brains use natural stimuli to generate adaptive natural behaviours. Apply to join an interdisciplinary team of computational neuroscientists, AI researchers and computer scientists to investigate the neuro-computational principles of the sense of smell and translate them into approaches for machine and robot olfaction. Our team will investigate real-time machine olfaction using biologically realistic spiking networks, on neuromorphic hardware, embodied in robots, performing olfactory navigation in real time. We will also use machine learning to analyse experimental data provided by collaborators and to gain a deeper insight into fragrance space. For more information and to apply, please head to https://www.jobs.herts.ac.uk <https://www.jobs.herts.ac.uk/> , search for job vacancy 029755. Informal inquiries via email are welcome! — Dr Michael Schmuker AFHEA Professor of Neural Computation Biocomputation Group University of Hertfordshire https://biomachinelearning.net

Oct. 6, 2020

Post-doc in Computational Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Italy

by Silvia Ferrara

The ERC Project INSCRIBE Invention of Scripts and their Beginnings<https://site.unibo.it/inscribe/en>, based at the University of Bologna, Italy, seeks candidates for a postdoctoral position in interdisciplinary research with expertise in computational neuroscience. The selected candidate will straddle the borders of neuroscience, cognition and the evolution of graphic codes, in order to apply quantitative methods to large databases with the goal of establishing commonalities worldwide in the evolution of symbols from a broadly cognitive, and more specifically, motor-driven and visual perspective. The ideal candidate will have earned a PhD in either neuroscience or neural computational sciences, with extensive skills in statistical methods. His/her research results will be published in general audience, as well as specialized open-access, peer-reviewed journals, and will be presented at scientific conferences. The position is renewable on a yearly basis, up to three consecutive years and can be held remotely. Deadline: 28 October 2020. For more information on how to apply: https://site.unibo.it/inscribe/en/jobs or contact: s.ferrara(a)unibo.it. Thank you Silvia Ferrara Full Professor Department of Classical Philology University of Bologna Via Zamboni 32, 40126 Bologna, Italy https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/s.ferrara ERC Consolidator 2017 Principal Investigator INSCRIBE Invention of Scripts and their Beginnings<https://site.unibo.it/inscribe/en> Resident Fellow, Institute of Advanced Studies (ISA) University of Bologna Senior Research Fellow, Sapienza School for Advanced Studies (SSAS) Sapienza, University of Rome

Oct. 6, 2020

Call For Abstracts - Workshop on Affective Shared Perception (WASP)

by Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros

Dear all, We are delighted to invite you to submit an abstract, and to participate in our Workshop on Affective Shared Perception (WASP), hosted by the International Conference on Developmental Learning and Epigenetic Robotics (ICDL-EPIROB2020). Please find below all the information! Cheers, Pablo I. Aim and Scope Our perception of the world, in particular, the ones which are influenced by affective understanding, depends both on sensory perception and prior knowledge. Most of the current research on modeling affective behavior as computer models ground their contribution to pre-trained learning models, which are purely data-driven, or on reproducing existing human behavior. Such approaches allow for easily reproducible solutions that fail when applied to complex social scenarios. Understanding shared perception as part of the affective processing mechanisms will allow us to tackle this problem and to provide the next step towards a real-world affective computing system. The goal of this workshop is to present and discuss new findings, theories, systems, and trends in computational models of affective shared perception. The workshop will feature a multidisciplinary list of invited speakers with experience in different aspects of social interaction, which will allow a rich and diverse debate about our overarching theme of affective shared perception. The workshop is scheduled to happen on the 30th of October of 2020 virtually. It will start at 15h00 CET and it will have a total duration of 3h30min. The participation is free, and a Zoom room will be available shortly before the workshop starts. II. Registration The registration to the workshop is free, but to guarantee a place to attend the workshop, please register here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=XkYvv3Ufb0u-Kb9TJzvB2u5… III. Potential Topics Topics include, but are not limited to: - Affective perception and learning - Affective modulation and decision making - Developmental perspectives of shared perception - Machine learning for shared perception - Bio-inspired approaches for affective shared perception - Affective processing for embodied and cognitive robots - Multisensory modeling for conflict resolution in shared perception - New psychological findings on shared perception - Assistive aspects and applications of shared affective perception IV. Invited Speakers Prof. Dr. Ginevra Castellano - Uppsala University, Sweeden Prof. Dr. Ellen Souza - Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil Prof. Dr. Yukie Nagai - The University of Tokyo, Japan V. Submission Prospective participants in the workshop are invited to submit a contribution as an abstract with a maximum of 350 words. Submission information: https://www.whisperproject.eu/wasp2020 The abstracts will be peer-reviewed by experts from all over the world. To encourage the integration with the local affective computing communities, we will allow student abstracts to be submitted in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Each accepted abstract will be presented as a 5 min video (in English!) that will be shared on the workshop's social media. During the workshop, all the videos will be streamed and the authors will have a joint live Q/A with the audience for 60minutes. Participants can also opt-in for participating in our Frontiers Research Topic on Affective Shared Perception ( https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/16086/affective-shared-percepti…) The same abstract sent to the workshop can be sent as an abstract submission to the research topic. If you want to opt-in for the research topic, only English submissions will be accepted. - Abstract submission deadline: 12th of October - Notification of acceptance: 17th of October - Frontiers Research Topic Abstract Deadline: 24th of October - Video submission: 24th of October VI. Organizers Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy Alessandra Sciutti, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy VII. Acknowledgment The workshop is organized in the framework of the Starting Grant wHiSPER (G.A. No 804388) funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. ---------------------------------------- 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

Oct. 5, 2020

GEM2021 - Registration open

by Vinita Samarasinghe

Registration has opened! *GEM 2021**- Generative Episodic Memory: Interdisciplinary perspectives from psychology, neuroscience and philosophy* https://for2812.rub.de/gem2021 <https://for2812.rub.de/gem2021> 16-18 February 2021 The workshop will take place in virtual space and is free of charge. The main workshop will be preceded by a PhD symposium, for which submissions are now being accepted via EasyChair https://easychair.org/cfp/gem2021 <https://easychair.org/cfp/gem2021> Keynote Speakers: Karl-Heinz Bäuml - University Regensburg, Germany Dorthe Berntsen - Aarhus University, Denmark Amy Criss - University of Syracuse, USA Dorothea Debus - University of Konstanz, Germany David Huber - University of Massachusetts, USA Sarah Robins - University of Kansas, USA Call for papers The DFG-funded research consortium “FOR 2812 – Constructing scenarios of the past” https://for2812.rub.de <https://for2812.rub.de> is proud to announce a call for papers for its first workshop on generative episodic memory. We invite submissions for talks and posters https://easychair.org/cfp/gem2021 <https://easychair.org/cfp/gem2021>. Episodic memories are widely regarded as memories of personally experienced events. Early concepts about episodic memory were based on the storage model, according to which experiential content is preserved in memory and later retrieved. However, overwhelming empirical evidence suggests that the content of episodic memory is – at least to a certain degree – constructed in the act of remembering. Even though very few contemporary researchers would oppose this view of episodic memory as a generative process, it has not become the standard paradigm of empirical memory research. This is particularly true for studies of the neural correlates of episodic memory. Further hindering progress are large conceptual differences regarding episodic memory across different fields, such as neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. This interdisciplinary workshop therefore aims to bring together researchers from all relevant fields to advance the state of the art in the research on generative episodic memory. FOR 2812 “Constructing scenarios of the past: A new framework in episodic memory” consists of 9 researchers. Seven from the Ruhr University Bochum and two from the University of Münster. The consortium adopts an interdisciplinary approach and investigates generative episodic memory from a conceptual, modeling, and experimental perspective using a common conceptual framework: scenario construction. Paper submission deadlines [GMT +1 (CET)]: Abstract submission - 15.11.2020 Notification of acceptance - 19.12.2020 Submission guidelines: Abstracts must be submitted in English and be no longer than 1 page. Submitted work must be original and unpublished. Abstracts must be submitted electronically through the GEM 2021 paper submission site on EasyChair https://easychair.org/cfp/gem2021 <https://easychair.org/cfp/gem2021>. Authors will receive confirmation of receipt of their abstracts including an ID number after submission. You can edit your submission at any time before the deadline. We will consider only the final version. Program committee: Nikolai Axmacher - Faculty of Psychology - Ruhr University Bochum Sen Cheng - Institute for Neural Computation - Ruhr University Bochum Gerald Echterhoff - Faculty of Psychology - University of Münster Albert Newen - Faculty of Philosophy - Ruhr University Bochum Ricarda Schubotz - Faculty of Psychology - University of Münster Markus Werning - Faculty of Philosophy - Ruhr University Bochum Laurenz Wiskott - Institute for Neural Computation - Ruhr University Bochum Oliver Wolf - Faculty of Psychology - Ruhr University Bochum All questions regarding the workshop should be emailed to for2812(a)rub.de Coordinator - Vinita Samarasinghe Secretary - Christiane Dahl -- Vinita Samarasinghe M.Sc., M.A. Science Manager Arbeitsgruppe Computational Neuroscience Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, NB 3/26 Postfachnummer 110 Universitätstr. 150 44801 Bochum Tel: +49 (0) 234 32 27996 Email: samarasinghe(a)ini.rub.de

Oct. 5, 2020

Postdoc position in learning and decision making in Chicago

by Thorsten Kahnt

A postdoc position is available in the Kahnt Lab at Northwestern University. The work will involve neuroimaging (fMRI), neurostimulation (TMS), and computational modeling to study learning and decision making in humans. Research in the Kahnt Lab (www.Kahntlab.org) focuses on the neural systems supporting learning, decision making, and olfaction in humans. Experimental techniques include behavioral testing, fMRI, diffusion MRI, olfactory psychophysics, and TMS. We utilize advanced data analysis techniques and computational modeling. The ideal candidate will have relevant research experience and will bring a unique perspective and background to the lab. Start date is flexible, but a start in 2020 is preferred. Please send your application package (cover letter, CV, and 1-3 selected publications) as a single PDF to thorsten.kahnt(a)northwestern.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. For more information see: www.kahntlab.org/s/postdoc_job_posting_2020-5e32.pdf Thorsten Kahnt, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Neurology Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine 320 E Superior St, Searle 11-463 Chicago, IL 60611 thorsten.kahnt(a)northwestern.edu kahntlab.org twitter.com/kahntlab

Oct. 4, 2020

Misha Mahowald Prize 2020

by Terry Sejnowski

Reminder: Misha Mahowald Prize 2020 image The Misha Mahowald Prize <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://mahowaldprize.org/__;!!GX6Nv3_Pjr8b-17q…> recognizes outstanding research in neuromorphic engineering. The Prize is named for the late Misha Mahowald, one of the most influential pioneers of the field of neuromorphic engineering. The award is considered annually. The competition is open to any individual or research group worldwide. The Prize is for a project, not persons. Entries will likely to fall into one or more of the following categories: * a neuromorphic circuit, device or system * a neuromorphic algorithm or operating principle * a tool which promotes the use of neuromorphic engineering technology The entry may be a summary of a published or unpublished paper, or a description of a project, product or service. Every project will be considered on its own merits, regardless of the development budget or the group who worked on it. We strongly encourage everyone who has developed a novel contribution to the field to enter, no matter how large or small the project. Projects can be submitted even if they are still in progress. They will be judged according to the results achieved at the time of submission. The submission of revised versions of projects that have been unsuccessful in previous years, is strongly encouraged. 2020 Prize * The value of the 2020 Prize will be $10,000. * The prize is decided by a Jury of internationally recognized experts under the chair of Prof. Terry Sejnowski * The submission document is limited to 4 A4 pages. This will be a brief description of the work: its novelty, _reality_, performance, and its potential impact. Include links to relevant images/tables/original papers, etc. * Details can be found here <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://mahowaldprize.org/submission/__;!!GX6Nv…> * The submission deadline is 23:59 UTC 31 October 2020. * The decision of the Jury concerning the 2019 Prize will be announced in December 2020. The prize is administered by /iniForum/, a Swiss association and events management company that promotes education, research and applications of brain-like computation. Contact: info(a)iniforum.ch <mailto:info@iniforum.ch>

Oct. 2, 2020

PhD/post-doc opening on Neuro-AI in Montreal, Canada

by Muller Eilif

I'm happy to announce the Architectures of Biological Learning Lab is Hiring! I'm looking for exceptional candidates at the MSc, PhD or post-doc level to work on "Dendritic Algorithms for Perceptual Learning". The project will employ simulations of pyramidal neurons and plasticity, and deep convolutional networks to study representation learning in the neocortex. Prior experience with Python, NEURON, and/or PyTorch would be an asset. This project will be undertaken in collaboration with Profs. Yoshua Bengio (UdeM, Mila), Roberto Araya (UdeM, CRCHUSJ), and Blake Richards (McGill, Mila). Montreal, Canada is a thriving international hub for Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience research, with a booming AI industry. It's where Donald O. Hebb originally formulated Hebbian Learning. It's also a vibrant, funky, cosmopolitan yet affordable city of over 4 million, referred to as "Canada's Cultural Capital" by Monocle magazine. In 2017, Montreal was ranked the 12th-most liveable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit in its annual Global Liveability Ranking, and the best city in the world to be a university student in the QS World University Rankings. For more details and instructions how to apply, please visit: https://bit.ly/3l1PGFH --- Eilif B. Muller, Ph.D.<https://research.chusj.org/en/Axes-de-recherche/Bio?id=a7716033-22af-49a0-8…> IVADO Assistant Research Professor Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal Associate Faculty Member - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute (Mila) Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine 3175 Côte Sainte-Catherine, Montréal QC H3T 1C5, Canada

Oct. 1, 2020

POSTDOC POSITIONS IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE IN PARIS AND BASEL

by Rava A. da Silveira

*Several postdoctoral openings in the lab of Rava Azeredo da Silveira **(Paris & Basel)* The lab of Rava Azeredo da Silveira invites applications for *Postdoctoral Researcher* positions at ENS, Paris, and IOB, an associated institute of the University of Basel. Research questions will be chosen from a broad range of topics in theoretical/computational neuroscience and cognitive science (see the description of the lab’s activity, below). One of the postdoc positions to be filled in Basel will be part of a collaborative framework with Michael Woodford (Columbia University) and will involve projects relating the study of decision making to models of perception and memory. Candidates with backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence, physics, computer science, engineering, biology, and psychology are welcome. Experience with data analysis and proficiency with numerical methods, in addition to familiarity with neuroscience topics and mathematical and statistical methods, are desirable. Equally desirable are a spirit of intellectual adventure, eagerness, and drive. The positions will come with highly competitive work conditions and salaries. *Application deadline:* For full consideration, please apply by 30 October 2020. *How to apply:* Please send the following information *in one single PDF, to * *silveira(a)iob.ch* <silveira(a)iob.ch>*:* 1. letter of motivation; 2. statement of research interests, limited to two pages; 3. curriculum vitæ including a list of publications; 4. any relevant publications that you wish to showcase. In addition, please arrange for three letters of recommendations to be sent to the same email address. In all email correspondence, please include the mention “APPLICATION-POSTDOC” in the subject header, otherwise the application will *not* be considered. *** *ENS,* together with a number of neighboring institutions (College de France, Institut Curie, ESPCI, Sorbonne Université, and Institut Pasteur), offers a rich scientific and intellectual environment, with a strong representation in computational neuroscience and related fields. *IOB* is a research institute combining basic and clinical research. Its mission is to drive innovations in understanding vision and its diseases and develop new therapies for vision loss. IOB is an equal-opportunity employer with family-friendly work policies. *The Silveira** Lab* focuses on a range of topics, which, however, are tied together through a central question: How does the brain represent and manipulate information? Among the more concrete approaches to this question, the lab analyses and models neural activity in circuits that can be identified, recorded from, and perturbed experimentally, such as visual neural circuits in the retina and the cortex. Establishing links between physiological specificity and the structure of neural activity yields an understanding of circuits as building blocks of cerebral information processing. On a more abstract level, the lab investigates the representation of information in populations of neurons, from a statistical and algorithmic—rather than mechanistic—point of view, through theories of coding and data analyses. These studies aim at understanding the statistical nature of high-dimensional neural activity in different conditions, and how this serves to encode and process information from the sensory world. In the context of cognitive studies, the lab investigates mental processes such as inference, learning, and decision-making, through both theoretical developments and behavioral experiments. A particular focus is the study of neural constraints and limitations and, further, their impact on mental processes. Neural limitations impinge on the structure and variability of mental representations, which in turn inform the cognitive algorithms that produce behavior. The lab explores the nature of neural limitations, mental representations, and cognitive algorithms, and their interrelations.

Sept. 30, 2020

COSYNE 2021: Meeting announcement and call for abstracts

by Tomas Hromadka

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2021 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING ONLINE 27 February - 01 March 2021 www.cosyne.org ==================================================== ---------------------------------------------------- MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT ---------------------------------------------------- The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. Cosyne 2021 will take place online, February 27 - March 1, 2021. The goal of this year’s meeting is to promote early stage investigators. Therefore, there are no invited talks from established researchers. The format will include featured contributed talks and an interactive poster-like presentations (short recorded presentation + live interactions). More details to follow. All abstract submissions will be reviewed as in previous years, but reviewing will be fully double blind. The deadline for Abstract submission will be November 12, 2020. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural basis of behavior, sensory and motor systems, circuitry, learning, neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, and computation with spiking networks. IMPORTANT DATES Abstract submission opens: 11 October 2020 Abstract submission deadline: 12 November 2020 When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General & Program Chairs: Anne-Marie Oswald (U Pittsburgh) and Srdjan Ostojic (Ecole Normale Superieure Paris) Diversity Chairs: Eva Dyer (Georgia Tech, Emory) and Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Publicity Chair: Adam Calhoun (Princeton) Development Chair: Michael Long (NYU) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org COSYNE MAILING LISTS Please consider adding yourself to Cosyne mailing lists (groups) to receive email updates with various Cosyne-related information and join in helpful discussions. See Cosyne.org -> Mailing lists for details.

Sept. 30, 2020

(on behalf of Loren Frank) faculty position @ UCSF

by Peter Dayan

The Department of Physiology at UCSF is seeking a visionary neuroscientist to join our vibrant and collaborative discovery research community. This open-rank, tenure-track faculty position is part of a multi-year UCSF institutional initiative that began in 2018 to foster equity and inclusion in biomedical research and to promote the success of our diverse student population. Since launching this effort, UCSF has tripled the number of underrepresented faculty in our basic sciences departments and this critical mass will continue to grow. Candidates are expected to hold a Ph.D. and/or M.D., to have demonstrated significant research accomplishment and potential, and to be committed to the mentorship of students, with a particular emphasis on candidates with demonstrated success mentoring students from groups that are historically underrepresented in biomedical science. We encourage outstanding candidates who are early in their postdoctoral research training to apply, even if their main findings are not yet published. The successful candidate will be expected to establish a dynamic and interactive research program focused in the field of integrative neuroscience, which could include molecular, genetic, cellular, systems, behavioral, computational, and engineering approaches. The candidate would become a member of the Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, the Center for Integrative Neuroscience, and the Weill Institute for Neuroscience at UCSF. The candidate would be expected to join the UCSF Neuroscience Graduate Program and, if so desired, one or more of our other top-ranked interdisciplinary graduate programs (see https://graduate.ucsf.edu/list-programs) The candidate, like all faculty at UCSF, will also be expected to contribute to graduate teaching, to be a leader in inclusive mentoring practices, and to participate in activities that promote equity and inclusion at our institution and in the broader scientific community. Service and teaching expectations are comparable to those of any other UCSF tenure-track faculty position. Faculty appointment will be made at a professorial rank commensurate with current academic standing. UCSF offers competitive salaries, research set-up funds, and recruitment allowances, and has numerous opportunities for faculty development and further training in mentorship. Applications must be submitted online and include the following documents in a single PDF: (1) cover letter briefly describing how the candidate fits the position; (2) curriculum vitae; (3) 1-page summary of research accomplishments demonstrating the candidate’s scientific leadership through their contribution to their project(s) and describing the potential impact of their work on the field of neuroscience; (4) 2-page description of future research plans that includes both high risk / high reward projects and an NIH-fundable program; and 5) a statement of personal experiences with, and contributions to, issues related to social and racial justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, with particular attention to demonstrated success with formal and informal mentoring of individuals from historically underrepresented groups. We encourage candidates to describe specific mentoring strategies to support the success of all trainees in their research group. Copies of major publications that demonstrate the candidate’s ability to carry out creative and impactful work should be included. Applicants should request three to five letters of recommendation describing how the candidate meets the criteria in this job description. We encourage recommenders to provide explicit examples to illustrate their statements. We expect candidates to provide a letter from their postdoctoral and graduate advisors but will consider candidates who can provide justifications when these will be lacking. Review will begin on December 1, 2020 and continue until the position is filled. Please direct inquiries about the position and suggestions of potential candidates to Dr. Loren Frank (loren(a)phy.ucsf.edu) As an institution that values diversity, UC San Francisco especially encourages application from historically excluded groups, including but not limited to racially underrepresented individuals, women, and individuals with a commitment to mentoring historically excluded groups in the sciences. UC San Francisco seeks candidates whose experience, teaching, research, or community service that has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence. 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, disability, age or protected veteran status. Please apply online at https://aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF03083.

Sept. 29, 2020

postdoc/PhD students needed

by Alexey Kuznetsov

*POSTDOCTORAL POSITION* *Indianapolis, Indiana, United States* A postdoctoral position and/or PhD student positions are available for a cutting-edge project on computational modeling of habit formation. The project takes place in the excellent collaborative environment of the Indiana Alcohol Research Center and studies the influence of alcohol on habits. The post-doc will develop a model of the cortico-striatal brain circuitry affected by alcohol. The post-doc will work with Prof. Kuznetsov (Mathematics Dept. IUPUI) and collaborate with experimentalists Prof. Atwood (IUSM) and Prof. Lapish (Psycology Dept. IUPUI). The position is available beginning December 2020 for one year. The continuation is contingent upon the availability of funds. *Qualifications*: Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Mathematics, Physics, or a related field, a background in Dynamical Systems, programming experience and working knowledge in Computational Neuroscience. Experience in modeling the basal ganglia is desirable. *How to Apply:* Send your CV, list of publications, research statement, and contact information for three references to Prof. Alexey Kuznetsov via e-mail: askuznet(a)iupui.edu. IUPUI is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Individuals who require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application process must notify Cindy Ritchie at 402 N. Blackford Street, LD 270, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202 or call (317) 274-6920, a reasonable time in advance. IUPUI strongly encourages applications from women and underrepresented minorities. Additional information about IUPUI and the Department is available at www.iupui.edu and www.math.iupui.edu. -- Alexey Kuznetsov Associate Professor Dept. of Mathematical Sciences, IUPUI Science Building, LD 270, 402 N. Blackford St., Indianapolis, IN

Sept. 28, 2020

Postdoctoral position at BU (Nancy Kopell) and MIT (Emery Brown)

by McCarthy, Michelle M

Dear Comp-Neuro Community, The Kopell lab at Boston University has an open position (2 years with the possibility of renewal) for a postdoctoral associate to work on computational models concerning mechanisms of anesthesia, with experimental work to be done in the labs of Emery Brown, Earl Miller and others. The models are physiologically detailed (Hodgkin-Huxley based), linking anesthetic-mediated changes in physiology to changes in brain rhythms and their coordination both locally and across the brain; the models further link the brain rhythms to changes in consciousness. The work is relevant to sleep and brain disorders. Programming proficiency and modeling experience is necessary and some neuroscience training is desirable. Please send inquiries and applications to Xiaoshi Shi (xiaoshi(a)bu.edu<mailto:xiaoshi@bu.edu>) and nk(a)bu.edu<mailto:nk@bu.edu>. Nancy Kopell Department of Mathematics and Statistics Boston University, Boston MA 02215

Sept. 28, 2020

Two Cardiac Simulation/Computational Neuroscience postdoc computer modeling positions are available for development of a novel ICNS (intrinsic cardiac nervous system) simulation project.

by Salvador Dura

Our new NIH SPARC Initiative ICNS project aims to build and establish a new model of RAGP (right atrial ganglionic plexus) The work is being done as a collaboration between SUNY Downstate (Brooklyn, NY), and Jefferson University (Philadelphia, CT) under the auspices of a 2-year NIH SPARC Initiative grant. The two new postdocs will work closely together - one focusing primarily on cell-level modeling and the other primarily on network but with both expected to work in both areas. Candidates should have a strong background in computer programming, with demonstrated proficiency in Python. Strong interest, though not necessarily research experie nce, in neuroscience is a must. Some experience with NEURON and NetPyNE is desirable. Job Types: Full-time or Contract contact: bill.lytton(a)downstate.edu<mailto:bill.lytton@downstate.edu> -- William W. Lytton, MD SUNY Distinguished Professor Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY bill.lytton(a)downstate.edu; http://neurosimlab.com ________________________________________________________________

Sept. 28, 2020

Postdoc with Sonia Bishop in Computational Psychiatry at UC Berkeley

by Peter Dayan

Postdoc in Computational Psychiatry at UC Berkeley The UC Berkeley Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute is looking to hire a postdoctoral researcher to work on an exciting, newly funded, five-year NIH project. This project brings together researchers with expertise in computational psychiatry, computational and cognitive neuroscience and clinical science from the Psychology Department and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at UC Berkeley and from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany. Faculty involved include Professor Sonia Bishop (Psychology & HWNI, UC Berkeley), Professor Anne Collins (Psychology & HWNI, UC Berkeley), Professor Sheri Johnson (Psychology, UC Berkeley) and Professor Peter Dayan (MPI, Tübingen, Germany). This provides an exciting opportunity for a postdoctoral candidate to work at the cutting edge of computational psychiatry research and to take on a pivotal role in this team. The aim of the project is to use a computational approach to delineate component processes contributing to probabilistic decision-making across positive and negative valence domains, to investigate their neural substrate (using fMRI), and to relate abnormalities in these processes and alterations in associated neural function to dimensional measures of psychopathology. In addition, we aim to develop tasks and models that can be shared with the broader computational psychiatry and RDoC community. For pertinent theoretical and empirical work by team members please see: http://bishoplab.berkeley.edu/bishop_2018.pdf http://bishoplab.berkeley.edu/Browning_et_al_NatNeuroscience_2015.pdf https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32710256/ The successful applicant will have the opportunity to take an early lead on studies conducted as part of this 5-year project and to contribute intellectually to their development and direction. The postdoc will be based within the Computational Psychiatry and Affective Cognitive Neuroscience laboratory at UC Berkeley (please note, given Covid, there may be an opportunity for remote working in year 1 - feel free to inquire). The CPACN lab is located within the new Berkeley Way West (BWW) building which houses the Department of Psychology and multiple cognitive neuroscience, computational and clinical research groups, providing a rich and stimulating scientific community. BWW is within a 2 minute walk of the H. Wheeler Brain Imaging Center, located within the Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences which is home to two 3T MRI scanners and one 7T scanner. There will also be the opportunity for annual collaborative trips to the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany. 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. In addition to regular interactions with, and training by, members of the project team, the successful applicant will be able to take advantage of the many opportunities provided by the broader scientific community at UC Berkeley, including participation in weekly seminars and advanced computational modelling and fMRI courses provided by the HWNI and Psychology Department. There are also many opportunities for more informal interactions with members of the local scientific community. We seek postdoctoral applicants with established computational modelling skills and a PhD in cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience or a related discipline. Experience with fMRI is preferred but not required. Strong programming skills (ideally in python or matlab) are required. Candidates should have a track record of productivity and show potential for success in working in a team environment. Good knowledge of the computational psychiatry, decision-making, or computational neuroscience literatures is desirable. Qualified postdoctoral applicants should submit a current CV, a personal statement describing their experience and interests, and contact information for three references to sbishop(a)berkeley.edu (informal enquiries also welcome). At UC Berkeley, postdoctoral salaries start at $50,760/year depending on prior post-doctoral experience, and the University offers medical insurance and benefits. The position is available at this time but a delayed start is also negotiable. An initial appointment for a one-year period will be made with potential for extension for a further two years (or longer) depending on successful performance. UC Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer with a strong institutional commitment to excellence through diversity.

Sept. 28, 2020

Join us at the NMC 3.0 conference, Oct 26-30, submissions open now

by Brad Wyble

Dear Neuroscience Community, We are excited to announce the launch of Neuromatch Conference (Oct 26-30). The Neuromatch team has been working hard to bring a virtual conference that accepts submissions from all areas of neuroscience, and where all relevant submissions are accepted as a talk! Our goal with this conference is to provide a place where neuroscientists from all over the world get to share research ideas and come together as a community! We’re working hard to make it the most inclusive neuroscience meeting that has ever existed. The deadline for submissions is October 2, 2020, so we encourage you to get your abstracts ready now! There is a $25 registration fee but this is waivable (no validation required) for anyone who cannot pay to attend for any reason. Please view our website for more information regarding submission and registration: neuromatch.io <http://neuromatch.io/>j The conference will be organized by themes, tailored to fit your area of research best. These themes will be: Theme A: Developmental Disorders and Injury Theme B: Excitability, Synapses, and Glia Theme C: Sensory & Motor Systems, and Physiology & Behavior Theme D: Cognition, Motivation and Emotion Theme E: Computation and Techniques Theme F: History, Education, and Society We developed algorithms that will allow us to place you in a virtual room with other scientists and attendees who are interested in similar topics, therefore ensuring an audience that is excited about your talk. The talks will have two formats, and you will be able to choose which one you prefer - Traditional Talk: 12-minute talk plus 3-minute Q&A - Interactive Talk: 5-minute talk plus 10-minute Q&A (this talk is focused on discussion) We hope that you will attend the Neuromatch Conference and consider submitting your abstract for presentation! We would love to hear from you and see everyone’s latest results.. Best wishes, The Neuromatch Team Please follow our social media and visit our website for regular updates @Neuromatch <https://twitter.com/neuromatch?lang=en> @Neuromatch <https://www.instagram.com/neuromatch/> neuromatch.io -- Brad Wyble Associate Professor Psychology Department Penn State University http://wyblelab.com

Sept. 27, 2020

2 postdoc positions in computational neuroscience

by Alain Destexhe

Dear Colleagues, Please pass on these two positions that we have for postdocs in computational neuroscience at the Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience - many thanks. best, Alain ---------------- 2 POSTDOC POSITIONS AVAILABLE Two postdoc positions are available for computational and theoretical studies in the framework of the Human Brain Project. The theoretical work associated to these two postdoctoral positions consists of (1) investigating models and mathematical techniques to model decision making phenomena (in collaboration with Rubem Moreno-Bote in Barcelona), and (2) investigate models of sensory perception, up to consciousness (in collaboration with Fanis Panagiotaropoulos and Stan Dehaene at NeuroSpin). Both postdocs will be supervised by A. Desyexhe and will work in tight collaboration with the European Institute for Theoretical Neuroscience (EITN). DETAILS OF THE FIRST POSTDOC POSITION: We are seeking for a postdoc position in the framework of a project called "COREDEM", and which was recently integrated in the Human Brain Project European flaghsip. COREDEM aims at conceiving decision making models based on electrophysiological recordings in human and monkey, and ultimately test these models on neuromorphic and neuro-robotic applications. The project comprises a significant computational neuroscience component consisting mainly of two laboratories, Alain Destexhe at the CNRS and Paris-Saclay University, and Ruben Moreno-Bote at the UPF in Barcelona. We will consider spiking models that will compare parallel and sequential strategies to decision making, in a way constrained by unit recordings in monkey and human. Mean-field models will be derived from the spiking models, and such mean-field models will be incorporated in large-scale models of interacting brain areas. Both spiking and mean-field models will be integrated in neuromorphic SpiNNaker computers to be simulated in real time, to open the possibility of being used in real-time applications such as neuro-robotics. The postdoc can begin as early as January 2021, and latest on March 2021, and will be for a 2-year period. We expect that candidates have prior experience either in computational neuroscience, or in decision making. The working environment is the Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (NeuroPSI) of the CNRS, which comprises 22 research labs in experimental and computational neuroscience, mixed in the same environment. The postdoc will thus interact on a daily basis with experimentalists and theoreticians, and regular visits to the experimental labs of COREDEM (Stefano Ferraina from Rome and Tom Theys from Leuven) are planned. The postdoc will also interact strongly with the researchers and staff of Destexhe's lab at NeuroPSI, and will actively participate to the activities of the EITN. DETAILS OF THE SECOND POSTDOC POSITION: We are seeking for a postdoc position in the framework of a project called "BRICON", and which was recently integrated in the Human Brain Project European flaghsip. BRICON aims at investigating mechanisms of sensory perception and consciousness based on a strong interaction between computational models and experiments on human and monkey. The model will consider how the state of the brain interacts with external input and allows neural activity related to external input to propagate (or not) between brain areas. We will constrain the model based on unit recordings obtained in awake monkey collected by the experimental teams (Fanis Panagiotaropoulos and Stanislas Dehaene, NeuroSpin center). Models will start with conventional spiking neural networks, which then will be converted into population models using mean-field techniques. These mean-field model will then form the basis of whole-brain models simulated using The Virtual Brain platform of the HBP. The postdoc can begin as early as January 2021, and latet on June 2021, and will be for a 20 month period. We expect that candidates have prior experience either in computational neuroscience, or in sensory perception. The working environment is the Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (NeuroPSI) of the CNRS, which comprises 22 research labs in experimental and computational neuroscience, mixed in the same environment. The postdoc will thus interact on a daily basis with experimentalists and theoreticians, and regular visits to the experimental labs of BRICON (Panagiotaropoulos and Dehaene), who are working next-door in the NeuroSpin center. The postdoc will also interact strongly with the researchers and staff of Destexhe's lab at NeuroPSI, and will actively participate to the activities of the EITN. Interested candidates should send a CV and two recommendation letters at Alain Destexhe or email for more details. alain.destexhe (at) cnrs.fr Alain Destexhe Department of Integrative and Computational Neuroscience (ICN), Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (NeuroPSI), CNRS, Bat 33, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.

Sept. 27, 2020

SMILES virtual workshop @ICDL 2020: extended DEADLINE

by Xavier Hinaut

The SMILES (Sensorimotor Interaction, Language and Embodiment of Symbols) Workshop will take place virtually at the ICDL 2020, on 2nd & 3rd November 2020. * Call for abstracts and papers: - *** Deadline: extended to 12th of October 2020 *** - paper abstracts: 2 pages - long papers: 4-6 pages - Submissions: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com <mailto:smiles.conf@gmail.com> - Papers format: free format, but similar shape to ICDL conference https://cis.ieee.org/publications/t-cognitive-and-developmental-systems/tcd… <https://cis.ieee.org/publications/t-cognitive-and-developmental-systems/tcd…> - Workshop dates: 2nd & 3rd November 2020 afternoons (1 to 6 pm CET) * Workshop Short Description On the one hand, models of sensorimotor interaction are embodied in the environment and in the interaction with other agents. On the other hand, recent Deep Learning development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) models allow to capture increasing language complexity (e.g. compositional representations, word embedding, long term dependencies). However, those NLP models are disembodied in the sense that they are learned from static datasets of text or speech. How can we bridge the gap from low-level sensorimotor interaction to high-level compositional symbolic communication? The SMILES workshop will address this issue through an interdisciplinary approach involving researchers from (but not limited to): - Sensori-motor learning, - Emergent communication in multi-agent systems, - Chunking of perceptuo-motor gestures (gestures in a general sense: motor, vocal, ...), - Sensori-motor learning, - Symbol grounding and symbol emergence, - Compositional representations for communication and action sequence, - Hierarchical representations of temporal information, - Language processing and acquisition in brains and machines, - Models of animal communication, - Understanding composition and temporal processing in neural network models, and - Enaction, active perception, perception-action loop. * More info - workshop website : https://sites.google.com/view/smiles-workshop/ <https://sites.google.com/view/smiles-workshop/> - contact: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com - organizers: Xavier Hinaut, Clement Moulin-Frier, Silvia Pagliarini, Joni Zhong, Loo CHU KIONG, Michael Spranger, Tadahiro Taniguchi - ICDL conference website: https://cdstc.gitlab.io/icdl-2020/ <https://cdstc.gitlab.io/icdl-2020/> Xavier Hinaut Inria Researcher (CR) Mnemosyne team, Inria LaBRI, Université de Bordeaux Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives +33 5 33 51 48 01 www.xavierhinaut.com

Sept. 25, 2020

Postdoctoral position data/knowledge management for open neuroscience

by Andrew Davison

Dear colleagues, A postdoctoral position in neuroscience data curation is available within the Neuroinformatics research group of the Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, led by Dr Andrew Davison. The Human Brain Project is developing an open data repository for neuroscience, following the FAIR principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability. The role of our group is to strongly focus on Reusability, by ensuring that all datasets have high quality, in-depth metadata so that they can be used in model building, model validation, and further analysis, and by providing tools to facilitate data re-use. The position is available immediately, and is funded until 31st March 2023, with future extensions possible. Salary depends on experience, and will be on the standard CNRS research scale. Application is through the CNRS jobs portal: https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR9197-ANDDAV-006/Default.aspx?lang=EN Informal inquiries may be addressed to Andrew Davison (andrew.davison(a)cnrs.fr) Activities: The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and improving metadata schemas, protocols, and curation workflows for neural activity data (including patch clamp recordings, fluorescence imaging, multi-electrode array recordings and fMRI), and for coordinating the in-depth curation process. The project will involve intensive collaboration with other researchers, curators and software developers within the research group, within the Human Brain Project, and in the wider neuroscience/neuroinformatics communities. Qualifications: Applicants should have a PhD in either neuroscience, computer science, library/information science, or a closely related discipline, or be nearing completion of PhD studies in one of these domains. Experience with experimental methods in neuroscience, semantic web technologies and/or information management approaches will be of particular benefit. Knowledge of computer programming, in particular using the Python language, would also be an advantage. Knowledge of French would be helpful but is not required, as English is the working language of the project. Context: The Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (https://neuropsi.cnrs.fr/en/institute-home/) is part of the CNRS and Université Paris-Saclay, situated in Gif-sur-Yvette in the Paris region. The Davison team (https://neuropsi.cnrs.fr/en/icn-home/andrew-davison/) develops tools and methods for data sharing, modelling and simulation in neuroscience and brain-inspired computing. This position is funded by the Human Brain Project, an EU Flagship research project, within which more than 100 universities and research institutions collaborate to build a digital research infrastructure for neuroscience, brain-inspired computing and medicine.

Sept. 25, 2020

International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Brain Science 2020 Online

by Kenji Doya

We are going to hold an online symposium that brings together researchers in the forefront of AI and neuroscience. All talks will be made accessible as pre-recorded movies and we will have two-hour live discussion sessions on October 10-12, 2020. Registration is free and open till September 30. Please register from the web site below. ******** International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Brain Science http://www.brain-ai.jp/symposium2020/ Time below is in UTC (i.e., 10pm-0am Japan, 2pm-4pm UK, 9am-11am EDT, 6am-8am PDT) <Saturday, October 10th> 13:00 Get connected 13:15 Greetings: Kenji Doya (OIST) 13:30 Discussion on Keynote: Josh Tenenbaum (MIT) 14:00 Discussion on Session 1: Deep Learning and Reinforcement Learning Chair: Jun Morimoto (ATR) Discussant: Shunichi Amari (RIKEN) Speakers: Yann LeCun (NYU, Facebook), Yutaka Matsuo (U Tokyo), Doina Precup (McGill U) David Silver (DeepMind), Masashi Sugiyama (RIKEN AIP/U Tokyo IRCN) <Sunday, October 11th> 13:00 Discussion on Session 2: World Model Learning and Inference Chair: Hiroaki Gomi (NTT) Discussant: Mitsuo Kawato (ATR) Speakers: Ila Fiete (MIT), Karl Friston (UCL), Yukie Nagai (U Tokyo IRCN) Maneesh Sahani (Gatsby Unit), Tadahiro Taniguchi (Ritsumeikan U) 14:00 Discussion on Session 3: Metacognition and Metalearning Chair: Masayuki Matsumoto (Tsukuba U) Discussant: Keiji Tanaka (RIKEN) Speakers: Matthew Botvinick (DeepMind), Ryota Kanai (ARAYA), Angela Langdon (Princeton U) Hiroyuki Nakahara (RIKEN CBS), Xiao-Jing Wang (NYU) <Monday, October 12th> 13:00 Discussion on Session 4: AI for Neuroscience and Neuromorphic Technologies Chair: Takatoshi Hikida (Osaka U) Discussant: Kunihiko Fukushima (FLSI) Speakers: Jim DiCarlo (MIT), Yukiyaku Kamitani (Kyoto U), Rosalyn Moran (King’s College London) Terry Sejnowski (Salk Institute), Hidehiko Takahashi (Tokyo MDU) 14:00 Discussion on Session 5: Social Impact and Neuro-AI Ethics Chair: Masamichi Sakagami (Tamagawa U) Speakers: Anne Churchland (UCLA), Kenji Doya (OIST), Arisa Ema (U Tokyo IFI) Hiroaki Kitano (SONY CSL), Stuart Russell (UC Berkeley) Sponsor: KAKENHI Project on Artificial Intelligence and Brain Science (http://www.brain-ai.jp) Co-sponsors: RIKEN AIP (https://aip.riken.jp/?lang=en) U Tokyo IFI (https://ifi.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/) U Tokyo IRCN (https://ircn.jp/en/) Contact: ncus(a)oist.jp ---- 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

Sept. 24, 2020

You are invited to DSP online course

by Maryam

You are invited to “DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING Online Course” Dear researcher; ScienceBeam, which is a forefront technology provider of neuroscience applications, would like to take the opportunity to invite you for 10-sessions “DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING Online Course” that is going to start on October 18,2020. During this course you will learn: • Discrete-time signals and systems • Z-Transform • Transform of continuous-time signals • Transform analysis of linear time invariant systems • Structures for discrete-time systems • Filter design • The discrete Fourier Transform • Computation of the discrete Fourier transform Dr. Luu Gia Thien is an experienced lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) focused in Digital signal processing from University of Orléans, France. Registration is open until October 5th. Special discount is considered for students. You won’t want to miss this! Don’t hesitate and register from the link below: https://sciencebeam.com/luu-gia-thien-course/ If you need more information please contact us via Whatsapp or Mail: Whatsapp number: +86 133 8078 1282 Email: workshop(a)sciencebeam.com www.sciencebeam.com

Sept. 24, 2020

Software engineer position in human brain project

by Eloy Retamino

Position: Neuro-robotics Software Engineer Location: Granada, Spain At the Applied Computational Neuroscience (ACN) Group [1], headed by Prof. Eduardo Ros and part of the Computer Architecture and Technology Department at University of Granada, we are engaged in developing robot controllers from models and techniques drawn from neuroscience. Concretely we focus on the exploration of models of the cerebellum and their application in robot control. We are looking for a software engineer to contribute to our tasks in the Human Brain Project (HBP) [2]. HBP is an ambitious, 10 years long research project funded by the European Commision and targeting the exploration of human cognition and its relation to brain structures and activity. The project is developing a series of simulation platforms to facilitate different levels of research in neuroscience. At UGR we participate in the design and development of the Neuro-Robotics Platform (NRP) [3], a research infrastructure which enables embodied simulated experiments in neuroscience in which a spiking neural simulator and a physics simulator run synchronously and communicate in a closed loop fashion. As a member of our group you will contribute to the development of the NRP in the last stage of the HBP. *Your tasks* Contribute to the full cycle development of the NRP. We have some interesting challenges in this last part of the HBP and need a motivated person with experience and passion for software architecture design, physics and neural simulation and robotics. As well, the NRP is built as a production grade software product and we try to take seriously all steps in the development, including unit testing, quality assurance and continuous integration. Depending on your profile you will focus more on particular tasks suiting your experience with the possibility of learning and applying new skills. *Your profile* * Basic skills: - Demonstrable excellent Python and C/C++ programming skills - Experience and participation in collaborative software projects - Experience and passion in robotics, machine learning, neural simulation and/or physics simulation is a big plus - Good spoken and written English skills * Additional skills: - Experience in other programming languages - Version Control software (eg. GIT) - Robotics oriented middlewares and frameworks (eg. ROS) - Experience in Software Architecture design - Experience in Real Time systems design - QA and devops experience *Our offer* - You will participate in an international research project of great relevance and collaborate with top european institutions - Contract of two and a half years with a competitive salary according to experience. Offered brute salary range is 1600 - 2400 €, to be concreted according to relevant experience and skills. - Short trips within Europe as part of the project activities. - Very nice and friendly atmosphere in the group - You will be based on Granada, an exciting and cultural city at the South of Spain half an hour away from mountains, snow and the beach If you are interested in joining our group and HBP send your application to Eloy Retamino (retamino at ugr.es) including your CV and a motivation letter. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Also, applications without a dedicated motivation letter will not be considered. [1] http://acn.ugr.es [2] https://www.humanbrainproject.eu [3] https://neurorobotics.net

Sept. 23, 2020

International Max Planck Research Schhol NeuroCom: Call for applications

by Martin Bogdan

Call for applications: International Max Planck Research Schhol NeuroCom: Call for applications The International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity (IMPRS NeuroCom) invites excellent students holding a master's degree (or equivalent) to pursue a PhD in the field of cognitive neuroscience and methods in cognitive neuroscience. The IMPRS NeuroCom is based at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, and Leipzig University. It also closely partners with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, and the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, UK. Deadline for applications is 15 November 2020. Interviews will take place in January 2021. Start date is flexible, but not later than autumn 2021. For more information about our graduate school please visit: http://imprs-neurocom.mpg.de/home/ . The IMPRS NeuroCom aims to recruit and educate motivated, independent, self-organised and highly talented scientists who wish to extend their knowledge and research experience in a structured 3-year PhD programme in order to pursue a successful career in cognitive neuroscience, clinical neuroscience, neurophysics, or other methods in cognitive neuroscience. Students are expected to hold an excellent master's degree (or equivalent) in a wide spectrum of potential disciplines such as cognitive neuroscience, psychology, medicine, neurobiology, linguistics, computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, biochemistry, or related fields. The master’s degree should have been awarded by an internationally recognised university. Students nearing completion of their master’s degree are also encouraged to apply. Research experience in an area that is related to the graduate school’s scope is essential for successful candidates. Proficiency in oral and written English is crucial. The IMPRS NeuroCom offers its doctoral students outstanding research opportunities in a very international and multidisciplinary environment. It includes access to state-of-the-art cognitive and imaging neuroscience facilities, e.g. 7T MRI scanner, four 3T MRI scanners including a Connectom MRI scanner equipped with ultra- strong gradients (one of only four worldwide), a 306 channel MEG system, several TMS, TDCS, NIRS, and EEG systems. Research projects and teaching at IMPRS NeuroCom are assigned to four thematic modules (Language and Communication, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, and Neuroimaging Physics and Signal Processing). Our faculty is very interdisciplinary and comprises more than 30 highly- renowned researchers from our participating research organisations performing high-end research related to one of the four modules. Applications will be evaluated by the IMPRS NeuroCom faculty members in two stages. Firstly, candidates will be selected for interviews based on their written applications, with a focus on academic qualifications, personal references, research experience and interests, and suitability to the programme. Secondly, interviews with the IMPRS NeuroCom faculty members will take place in January 2021. The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. Salary is based on the guidelines of the German public sector pay scale (TVöD). With almost 600,000 inhabitants, Leipzig is the largest city in the federal state of Saxony. In more than 800 years of recorded history, Leipzig emerged as a city of classical music, trade fairs, academic education, and —recently—modern arts. With its many parks, forests, canals and lakes, Leipzig is a perfect place for recreation, sports, and leisure time, and it offers plenty of opportunities for social life. Only recently Leipzig was listed by the New York Times as one of the 52 places to go in 2020. For more information about our graduate school please visit: http://imprs-neurocom.mpg.de/home/ . -- ************************************************************************** Prof. Dr. Martin Bogdan Institut für Informatik Neuromorphe Informationsverarbeitung Universität Leipzig Augustusplatz 10 D-04109 Leipzig Germany Postadresse: PF 100920 D-04009 Leipzig Tel: (++49) 341 97 32208 Fax: (++49) 341 97 32252 E-mail: bogdan(a)informatik.uni-leipzig.de https://ti.informatik.uni-leipzig.de/ ************************************************************************** Denken Sie selbst, sonst tuen es Maschinen für Sie! 'Nihil est ab omni parte beatum' (Horaz) El problema de la humanidad es que los estúpidos están seguros de todo y los inteligentes están llenos de dudas **************************************************************************

Sept. 23, 2020

Postdoctoral Position in Cognitive Robotics at UC Irvine

by Jeffrey Krichmar

Dear Colleagues, We have an opening for a postdoctoral scholar position in the Cognitive Anteater Robotics Laboratory (CARL) at the University of California, Irvine. The position is for research projects on neurobiologically inspired models of navigation, which are to be implemented on indoor and outdoor robots. Applicants should have a strong computer science background, robotics experience, as well as an interest in neuroscience and/or cognitive science. The specific Federally funded projects include: · Cognitive Maps in Rats, Robots and Men · Advantages of Varying Navigational Abilities in Humans and Robots More information about the lab, recent publications, software, and videos can be found at: · http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma · https://www.youtube.com/user/cognitiveroboticsuci/videos Interested candidates can find specific application requirements and the online application for this position at: · https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF06408 Your cover letter should specify that you are interested in the postdoctoral position with Jeff Krichmar. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at: jkrichma(a)uci.edu About UCI (www.uci.edu) In 1965, the University of California, Irvine was founded with a mission to catalyze the community and enhance lives through rigorous academics, cutting-edge research, and dedicated public service. Today, we draw on the unyielding spirit of our pioneering faculty, staff and students who arrived on campus with a dream to inspire change and generate new ideas. We believe that true progress is made when different perspectives come together to advance our understanding of the world around us. And we enlighten our communities and point the way to a better future. At UCI, we shine brighter. Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma(a)uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma

Sept. 22, 2020

[Call for Papers] Shared Visual Representations in Human and Machine Intelligence (SVRHM) NeurIPS 2020 Workshop

by SVRHM Workshop

The goal of the Second Workshop on Shared Visual Representations in Human and Machine Intelligence (SVRHM) at NeurIPS 2020 is to discuss and disseminate relevant findings and parallels between the computational neuro/cognitive science and machine learning/artificial intelligence communities. In the past few years, machine learning tools — especially deep neural networks — have permeated the vision/cognitive/neuro science communities to become the leading computational models that describe many cognitive tasks. Huge strides are also being made in the machine learning/artificial intelligence community with biologically inspired algorithms providing large efficiency gains in both computational and learning capabilities. However, many mysteries remain with regards to the alignment of human and machine perception, and there are cases where we see divergent rather than convergent representations. To resolve such questions, this workshop aims to bring fruitful discussions between scientists and engineers with multi-disciplinary backgrounds to review the recent progress in shared visual representations in both humans and machines, and in doing so identifying road-blocks and areas of interest to further accelerate the growth of both fields. The workshop will include a series of talks and panel discussions from a diverse group of speakers from both industry and academia who will share their research at the intersection of humans and machines that pushes the field of vision forward. The aim of our Call for Papers is to bring together scientists and engineers to share their work in progress at the Poster Session that are applicable to the scope of the Workshop. For the first time this year, the 4 highest scoring papers will also be awarded an Oral Presentation entry in the program. The following areas provide a sense of suitable topics for 4-5 page paper submissions: - Biological inspiration and inductive bias in vision - Human-relevant strategies for robustness and generalization - New datasets (e.g., for comparing humans/animals and machines) - Biologically-driven self-supervision - Perceptual invariance and metamerism - Biologically-informed strategies to mitigate adversarial vulnerability - Foveation, active perception, and attention models - Intuitive physics - Biologically inspired Generative Models - Perceptual and cognitive robustness - Nuances and noise in perceptual and cognitive systems - Creative problem-solving - Differences and similarities between humans and deep neural networks - Canonical computations in biological and artificial systems - Alternative architectures for deep neural networks - Reverse engineering of the human visual system via deep neural networks We will be awarding a new *NVIDIA Titan RTX* *3080* as the *Diversity in AI Best Paper Award* and an *Oculus Quest* *2* as the *Breakthrough in Biologically-Driven Generative Models Award* respectively at the conference. Link to the workshop with additional details for the Call for Papers: https://www.svrhm.com https://www.svrhm.com/call-for-papers Link to Paper workshop submission: https://openreview.net/group?id=NeurIPS.cc/2020/Workshop/SVRHM The submission deadline is October 4th, 2020. Questions regarding the workshop should be sent to: svrhm2020(a)gmail.com Sincerely, The Organizers Arturo Deza, Joshua Peterson, Apruva Ratan Murty, Tom Griffiths The SVRHM workshop is currently sponsored by MIT’s Center from Brains, Minds and Machines (CBMM), National Science Foundation (NSF), NVIDIA, Facebook Reality Labs (Oculus) and MIT’s Quest for Intelligence.

Sept. 22, 2020

Full Prof Post in AI

by Thomas Wennekers

Dear All Please have a look at the following advertisement for a Professorship in AI at the University of Plymouth (UK). https://hrservices.plymouth.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.o… https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CBH704/professor-in-artificial-intelligence-mach… Stay Well! Thomas Wennekers ________________________________ [http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/images/email_footer.gif]<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/worldclass> This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, University of Plymouth accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. University of Plymouth does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form.

Sept. 21, 2020

M2/PhD pisition in Optical analysis of sodium currents in the axon initial segment

by luiza filipis

Stage « Master 2 » : Optical analysis of sodium currents in the axon initial segment We propose a Master 2 (M2) stage that can be extended to a 3-4 years PhD project on the study of the sodium currents that generate the action potential in neurons. To this aim, we use cutting-edge optical techniques entirely developed by our group and NEURON modeling. The stage will take place at the Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique in the campus of the University of Grenoble. This stage, of 4-6 months, is available for students at the final year of the University to start in February or March 2021.We will offer this opportunity to a brilliant student motivated to begin a career in scientific research. A PhD scholarship is already available starting in October 2021 to apply the research of the M2 project to investigate mutations of the sodium channel Nav1.2 associated with neurological diseases. For an overview of the activity and of the achievements of our group, visit the website: http://marco-canepari.wix.com/neuron-imaging-team Applications of students, with a very high academic profile based on the notes obtained the entire university history, from different backgrounds (physics, biology, medicine or chemistry) will be equally considered. The application for the stage, in English or French, must be sent to: marco.canepari(a)univ-grenoble-alpes.fr and must include: • A motivation letter • A CV with contact details • The detailed marks of the entire academic history • (Optional) a reference letter from an academic who knows well the student The deadline for the application is October 10th 2020, but the call for applications will close before if a suitable candidate is found. -- Luiza Filipis,PhD Equipe MOTIV 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

Sept. 21, 2020

Announcement: 2nd Elephant User Workshop for Reproducible Data Analysis in Electrophysiology, Nov 17-19, 2020

by Michael Denker

***2nd Elephant User Workshop*** --Accelerate Structured and Reproducible Data Analysis in Electrophysiology-- Virtual Event Nov 17-19, 2020 Summary: This event delves into challenges in the reproducibility of neuroscience workflows dealing with classical electrophysiological activity data, such as spiking data or local field potentials, from experiment or simulation. The training will cover the complete cycle from generating structured and consistent data and metadata, accessing the data, pre-processing, setting up analysis workflows, up to the tracking of the provenance of the analysis results. In this context, the e-infrastructure services of EBRAINS offer a mature data, software and compute services ecosystem with community-driven tools developed in the framework of the Human Brain Project. In the first part of the workshop, participants will be trained in the use of tools covering the following topics: * reading and manipulating electrophysiology data in Python using Neo [1] * analysis of such data using Elephant [2] * best practices for integrating metadata into your workflow to aid the analysis process * best practices for structuring analysis results * tracking data analysis pipelines using the HBP Knowledge Graph [3] * collaboration and sharing documents using the HBP Collaboratory [4] In the second part of the workshop, participants will work together with a tutor in small groups, on their own data and on particular personal interests in the scope of the workshop. To this end, participants are asked to provide a small abstract describing the data set they would like to bring and work on (contents of the dataset, data format, data size...) and the topic they are interested in. The latter may, for example, be related to: annotating the dataset with metadata for collaboration and sharing, working with the dataset in the Neo framework, or performing a certain kind of analysis with the data set. The goal of each group is to get started addressing the topic, identify solutions together with the tutors, and implement a first prototype of the required functionality. For more information and registration, check out: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/participatecollaborate/infras… Organizers: Andrew Davison | French National Centre for Scientific Research, France Michael Denker | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany Martina Schmalholz | Heidelberg University, Germany References: [1] Neo, https://neo.readthedocs.io [2] Elephant, https://elephant.readthedocs.io [3] HBP Knowledge Graph, https://kg.ebrains.eu [4] HBP Collaboratory, https://wiki.humanbrainproject.eu -- Dr. Michael Denker Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Tel: +49 2461 61-9471 Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Fax: +49 2461 61-9460 Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neurosciencewww.csn.fz-juelich.de Jülich Research Centre and JARA 52425 Jülich, Germany ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Sept. 21, 2020

PhD positions in Math Biology & Computational Neuroscience at NJIT

by Victor Matveev

Dear all, The Department of Mathematical Sciences at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is inviting candidates to apply to one of our doctoral program tracks: (1) Applied Mathematics or (2) Applied Probability & Statistics. The Department's research focus spans Mathematical Biology and Computational Neuroscience, Scientific Computing, Fluid Dynamics, Materials Science, Wave Propagation, Applied Analysis, Applied Probability & Statistics, including Biostatistics and Data Science. Teaching and research assistantships are available, and include a tuition waiver and a competitive stipend. Application target date is December 15, 2020 but ongoing review will continue until all available positions are filled. To apply, please visit our homepage: https://www.njit.edu/graduatestudies/department-mathematical-sciences/ For more information, please email us (math(a)njit.edu, CC: shahriar(a)njit.edu, matveev(a)njit.edu) PhD Program advertisement flyer is available here: http://web.njit.edu/~matveev/NJIT_DMS_PhD_flyer.pdf Sincerely, -- Admissions Committee, Department of Mathematical Sciences, NJIT -- _____________________________________________ Victor Matveev, Professor Applied Math, Biophysics, Neuroscience Department of Mathematical Sciences Graduate Faculty, Dept of Biological Sciences New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ 07102-1982 Office: Cullimore Hall 616 E-mail: matveev(a)njit.edu http://web.njit.edu/~matveev/

Sept. 21, 2020

Two open postdoc positions in Rutledge Lab at Yale

by Rutledge, Robb

The Rutledge Lab in the Department of Psychology at Yale is accepting applications from prospective postdocs for 3-year postdoc positions with a flexible start date. Our lab uses computational models to study reinforcement learning, decision making, and affective states like happiness. We explore these questions using a combination of brain scanning, pharmacology, and large-scale smartphone-based experiments in healthy and clinical populations. Our previous app The Great Brain Experiment had over 100,000 users. We are looking for postdocs for a NIMH-funded project using longitudinal smartphone-based data collection with tasks and surveys in people with depression and control participants (N>600) including a subset (N>200) with fMRI data. Collaborators for rsfMRI: Avram Holmes (Yale), Faith Gunning and Conor Liston (Cornell Weill) Machine learning: Zeb Kurth-Nelson (DeepMind) Clinical and longitudinal: Akshay Nair (UCL), John Krystal, Leying Guan and Ralitza Gueorguieva (Yale) Further details can be found on our website (www.rutledgelab.org) Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Dr Rutledge directly (robb.rutledge(a)yale.edu) with a CV, a brief description of research interests, and a list of three references (names and email addresses).

Sept. 18, 2020

Registration, abstracts - Brain Criticality Virtual Meeting October 6 – 9 2020

by Plenz, Dietmar (NIH/NIMH) [E]

Brain Criticality Virtual Meeting October 6 – 9 2020 https://braincriticality.org/ Organizers: Dietmar Plenz, Lucilla de Arcangelis, Dante Chialvo, Demian Battaglia This meeting intends to gather recent contributions in the field of systems neuroscience, with the purpose of further discussing the role of criticality and its implications in the dynamics of large neuronal populations, functional and structural connectivity, development and learning, robustness of system operation. Recent advances in selective recording and perturbation approaches involving large populations of neurons offer unique opportunities to test these predictions, challenge current interpretations of large data sets and trigger novel theoretical developments. The meeting will take place virtually. Registration is free but limited and allows interactively participating to discussions and submitting contributed abstracts. A free live streaming will also be offered. Deadline for registration is October 2nd, 2020 Abstracts submitted before Sunday September 27th will be considered for spotlight oral presentation. Remaining abstracts will be presented as virtual posters Follow us on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/BrainCriticalityorg-121887946321170 Twitter https://twitter.com/brain_crit

Sept. 17, 2020

Postdoc positions in Neural Control of Speech Production, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

by Bush, Alan

The Brain Modulation Laboratory (www.brainmodulationlab.org<https://www.brainmodulationlab.org/>) within the Department of Neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, headed Dr. Mark Richardson, seeks to recruit a highly motivated and outstanding candidate to fill a postdoctoral associate position. This 3 to 5-year position is funded through a recently awarded NIH-NINDS U01 grant to Principal Investigator Mark Richardson, MD, PhD. The successful candidate will work in a highly interdisciplinary team, studying the role of cortical-basal ganglia networks during speech production, based on the analysis of intra operative local field potential and micro-electrode recording data acquired in the context of Deep Brain Stimulation implantation surgery. Co-investigators include Frank Guenther (BU), Nathan Crone (Johns Hopkins), Lori Holt (CMU), Julie Fiez (Pitt), and Rob Turner (Pitt). Experience in electrophysiology, speech comprehension and/or production research, and a solid background in computational neuroscience is required. Interested applicants please use following link https://neurojobs.sfn.org/job/27234/post-doctoral-associate/ Project Summary: Modulating how we speak is critical for effective communication. The production and modulation of speech, like other behaviors, relies on basal ganglia-thalamocortical networks, not merely on cortical processes. Current knowledge about how the basal ganglia modulate speech, however, is primarily theoretical, due to a lack of empirical data. Theoretical models for speech production, in turn, remain underdeveloped. Notably, no models of speech production include the subthalamic nucleus (STN), a basal ganglia node that has been implicated in multiple cognitive processes relevant to speech production (e.g. action selection/suppression, gain modulation, and motor learning). Using access to the brain that can only be provided by deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, we initiated studies to understand how motor speech information is encoded within the STN-cortical network. We established a novel experimental paradigm to simultaneously record primary motor electrocorticography (ECoG) and STN activity in subjects who are awake and speaking. In our initial project, we discovered separate populations of STN neurons whose inhibition or excitation was selective for either speech planning or production, respectively [1]. We also found that STN population activity tracks with specific articulatory motor features and with vocal gain adjustment [2]. Our discoveries indicate multiple roles for STN activity in speech planning and modulation, consistent with nonhuman primate data that STN neurons are functionally diverse and that the STN is innervated broadly from cortical areas critical for speech production in humans. We propose to build on our foundational results by exploring how a broader cortical-STN network participates in speech production. Specifically, we have developed a protocol for simultaneous recording of high-density ECoG from the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), ventral sensorimotor cortex (vSMC), superior temporal gyrus (STG) and the STN. Our preliminary data support the hypothesis that these cortical speech areas communicate with the basal ganglia not only through cortical-striatal direct and indirect pathways, but also through a hyperdirect pathway to STN. These findings include the STG, consistent with evidence for basal ganglia participation in auditory processing. To uncover seminal knowledge about how cortical-basal ganglia dynamics shape speech, we will use intracranial electrophysiology to define the connectivity of speech-related cortex to the STN, while evaluating the role of cortical-STN and cortical-GPi dynamics in two basal ganglia functions critical for speech: motor sequence learning and gain modulation. Our invasive human neuroscience approach is unique in its ability to define, for the first time, a broad cortical-basal ganglia network for modulating speech. Establishing a neurobiological framework for cortical-basal ganglia network control of these processes will represent an order of magnitude change in our understanding of mechanisms for modulating speech, in turn informing how we model the dynamics of other human behaviors modulated by the basal ganglia. 1. Lipski, W. J. et al. Subthalamic Nucleus Neurons Differentially Encode Early and Late Aspects of Speech Production. Journal of Neuroscience 38, 5620–5631 (2018). 2. Chrabaszcz, A. et al. Subthalamic nucleus and sensorimotor cortex activity during speech production. The Journal of Neuroscience 2842–18 (2019). doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2842-18.2019 Alan Bush, PhD Research Scientist, Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital. Instructor, Harvard Medical School. 55 Fruit Street, Thier 429 | Boston, MA 02114 The information in this e-mail is intended only for the person to whom it is addressed. If you believe this e-mail was sent to you in error and the e-mail contains patient information, please contact the Mass General Brigham Compliance HelpLine at http://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/complianceline . If the e-mail was sent to you in error but does not contain patient information, please contact the sender and properly dispose of the e-mail.

Sept. 17, 2020

Senior Scientist – Stroke position at the NeuroRestore center (Lausanne, Switzerland)

by Milekovic Tomislav

Senior Scientist – Stroke position at the NeuroRestore center (Lausanne, Switzerland) Location The Defitech Center for interventional Neurotherapies (NeuroRestore) is a research and innovation center joining EPFL’s lab of Prof. Gregoire Courtine and the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) lab of Prof. Jocelyne Bloch. We conceive, develop and apply medical therapies aimed to restore neurological functions. To this end, we integrate implantable neurotechnologies with innovative treatments developed through rigorous preclinical and clinical studies. By working with our network of vibrant high-tech start-ups and established medical technology companies, we are committed to validate our medical therapy concepts. Our overarching goal is to see our medical therapies used every day in hospitals and rehabilitation clinics worldwide. Opportunity Over the last decade, research labs under the NeuroRestore umbrella have achieved breakthroughs for the treatment of spinal cord injury and Parkinson’s disease. Our recent studies indicate that similar approaches may lead to novel therapies for stroke. Therefore, we decided to build a strong research core focused on gaining deeper understanding of stroke and resulting neurological deficits, and on developing therapies that leverage the gained understanding to replace or restore motor functions impacted by stroke. By integrating well-equipped and expertly staffed rodent, non-human primate and clinical research facilities, NeuroRestore provides an ideal substrate for rapidly developing, integrating and clinically validating cutting-edge concepts of medical therapies, with the capacity to push successfully proven concepts into the technology transition phase. Position Summary The Senor Scientist – Stroke will bring their expertise and experience to build and then lead the stroke research core of the NeuroRestore center. They will develop original research projects across the whole stroke therapy development spectrum, starting from mechanistic understanding of stroke and resulting neurological and motor deficits, over preclinical tests of therapy concepts designed to take advantage of uncovered mechanisms, to clinical validation of therapies designed to alleviate motor deficits secondary to stroke. They will form and lead teams of NeuroRestore postdoctoral scientists, doctoral students, engineers and clinicians to execute these projects. They will train other scientists in their expert techniques and supervise junior scientists working on their projects. They will disseminate the results of their projects through research publications and conference talks and support preparation of scientific conference presentations and publications of other NeuroRestore personnel that works on stroke-related projects. They will take part in writing grant application that will support stroke-related projects. Responsibilities - Identify unmet clinical needs of stroke survivors and monitor the development of the medical neurotech sector to find opportunities for novel, feasible and rapidly realizable stroke therapies - Conceive, organize and plan out research projects - Form and leads teams to execute conceived research projects - Utilize their academic / clinical industry network to form collaborations that will help execute conceived research projects - Assess the project needs, identify relevant personnel and resources, and take part in hiring technical and scientific personnel to build skilled project teams - Train the NeuroRestore personnel in their area of expertise - Run project progress meetings, report on project progress, plan and manage the dissemination of project results - Take part in writing of funding applications to initiate new projects, strengthen / accelerate ongoing projects, or enhance ongoing collaborations - Develop and maintain connections with science labs and clinical centers to facilitate rapid animal and clinical testing of concepts and prototypes of medical treatments - Manage efforts to obtain regulatory approvals for animal studies and clinical trials to validate the concepts of medical therapies - Represent the Neurorestore Center at symposiums and conferences through talks and presentations Personal Traits - Passionate about the development of neurotechnologies that aim to alleviate movement disabilities of stroke - Thriving in a cutting edge, fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment - Self-starter and independent worker with an ability to identify innovative approaches and solutions - Attention to detail - Independent thinker and passionate problem solver Skills - Ability to independently conceive original research projects - Capacity to supervise several research projects in parallel - Capability to successfully lead research teams, and maintain collaborations with external partners - Strong verbal and written presentation skills in English - Experience with leading animal research projects and/or projects under the framework of clinical trials and studies - Track record of obtaining regulatory approvals for animal studies and/or clinical trials - Strong experience with writing project proposals, project progress reports and research articles - Experience in disseminating project progress through talks, presentation and publications - Experience in physiological signal acquisition and signal analysis - Capacity to identify skill gaps and hire personnel to fill them - Experience with writing, filling and obtaining patents - Advanced presentation skills (PowerPoint, Photoshop, Illustrator) - Willingness to travel in order to form / maintain collaborations - Possessing a strong academic, clinical, regulatory and industry network and the ability to use it to organize collaborative projects Experience - Doctoral degree (PhD) - 6 or more years of experience working in the fields of neuroscience / neuroengineering (including the PhD studies) - 3 or more years of experience in stroke-related research - Strong publication record in the stroke field Contact Applications including a CV and a cover letter describing your background and interest should be sent to tomislav.milekovic(a)epfl.ch<mailto:tomislav.milekovic@epfl.ch>. Informal inquiries are welcome.

Sept. 16, 2020

PhD Student / Postdoc positions in Theoretical Neuroscience, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research / Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen

by Compsens

PhD Student / Postdoc positions in Theoretical Neuroscience, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research / Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen The positions are part of the ERC-Synergy grant RELEVANCE that investigates the neural and computational processing of bodies, which is realized in collaboration with the Universities of Leuven and Maastricht. The project aims at the investigation of the computational neural mechanisms of the visual processing of social stimuli, combining theoretical modeling with experimental research in physiology and imaging in humans as well as in animal models (realized by the other partners). The theoretical work will combine neural network modeling, machine learning, and advanced methods for stimulus control from computer graphics. We are looking for individuals with an interest, or possibly even partial expertise in one or multiple of the following areas: - physiologically-inspired neural modeling or neural data analysis - deep learning, biologically-inspired neural networks - machine learning with applications in cognitive science - motion capture and tracking - computer animation, virtual reality, game engines (e.g. Unreal, Unity) In addition, we are looking for individuals with interest to develop computer-animation or virtual reality technology for non-standard applications. Successful students / postdocs will be integrated in the research taking place in the Section for Computational Sensomotorics (http://www.compsens.uni-tuebingen.de/) which is part of the Dept. of Cognitive Neurology. The group works on neural modeling, machine learning techniques related to social recognition, computer animation, and human motion modeling, e.g. realizing highly-realistic avatars and VR applications for experiments in neuroscience and clinical research. The group is part of the CyberValley initiative (https://cyber-valley.de/) that links groups related to machine learning and industry applications in Tübingen. Talented students will have the opportunity to pursue a PhD in the International Max Planck Research Schools or for ‘Mechanisms of Mental Function and Dysfunction’ at the Graduate Training Center for Neuroscience (https://www.neuroschool-tuebingen.de/) or at the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (https://imprs.is.mpg.de/) Requirements: Candidates should have a (research) master degree in one of the following disciplines: (Biomedical) Engineering, Computer Science, (Cognitive) Neuroscience, Mathematics, Physics, or Computer Animation/Visual Effects. In addition to these requirements, candidates should have a theoretical interest in the area of visual neuroscience, and experience with scientific programming (Matlab, Python, or any other language), as well as basic programing languages such as C++. Additional information: Section for Computational Sensomotorics, Dept. for Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research & Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University Clinic Tübingen. Email: martin.giese(a)uni-tuebingen.de. Web: http://www.compsens.uni-tuebingen.de/

Sept. 16, 2020

Postrdoc & PhD Positions in Human Multisensory Perception, Action & Learning, Ulm Germany

by Marc Ernst

The Applied Cognitive Psychology Group at Ulm University, Germany headed by Prof. Marc Ernst is inviting applications for a research position on human multisensory perception, action and learning. The positions will be embedded in a highly interdisciplinary, international research group lead by Prof. Marc Ernst, who recently started a new group in the Faculty for Engineering, Computer Science, and Psychology at Ulm University. The focus of the group is on multisensory perception (with a focus on active audition, touch and vision), sensorimotor integration, perceptual learning, joint action and crowed behaviour and its applications to HCI. For their experimental work the group is predominantly relying on behavioral methods from psychophysics and experimental psychology. For this there are many state-of-the-art virtual reality and HCI setups available, including different projection systems for visual stimulation, force feedback and robotic devices including tactile displays for work on the human haptic system, a noise attenuation camber with an active audio setup for work on the auditory system and two unique treadmill setups for studies on human locomotion and navigation. Additionally there are several eye- and motion tracking systems available for the recording of human behavioural data. The groups has a strong focus on the modeling of human behaviour, relying heavily on the Bayesian Framework and the development of ideal observer models. Tow of these positions are funded by recent grant on navigation and crowed behaviour. Research and teaching is all in English. The successful candidate should have a background in psychology, cognitive science, computer science, or some neuroscience related field. Some modelling and programming experience is advantageous. Salary is according to German Public Service regulations and the positions are available immediately. Applications will be considered until the positions are filled. The application should include a cover letter stating the candidates research interests, curriculum vita, reprints (if available), and names of three referees. Electronic submission is preferred. All the best, --------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Marc Ernst Appl. Cognitive Psychology Faculty for Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology Ulm University Albert-Einstein-Allee 43 89081 Ulm room: 43.3.103 phone: +49-731-50 320 50 sekr: +49-731-50 320 51 fax: +49-731-50 320 59 mobile: +49-152-22 543 156 marc.ernst(a)uni-ulm.de <mailto:marc.ernst@uni-ulm.de>

Sept. 16, 2020

computational neuroscience phd opportunities with Dan Goodman, Imperial College

by Dan Goodman

One or more PhD positions in theoretical and computational neuroscience are available in the group of Dan Goodman at Imperial College London. I am interested in supervising students with a strong mathematical, computational or neuroscience background. There is no deadline, and applications will be considered as they arrive, but earlier applications typically have a higher chance of getting a funded place, and EU applicants in particular should apply immediately (see note below). At the moment, the main research direction in the group is in applying methods from machine learning to models with a more biological flavour than the artificial neural networks typically studied in machine learning. This could include neurons with temporal dynamics, spiking neurons, etc. The aim is to use machine learning methods to find biologically relevant insights. To get a feel for this sort of work, you might be interested in seeing some of the recorded talks <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SrEycIbfRE&list=PL09WqqDbQWHFvM9DFYkM_Gfnr…> from a recent workshop I organised. However, our group has a fairly diverse range of interests and I am very happy to receive applications on a wider variety of topics than this (including theory of neural processing, auditory and other sensory systems, and simulation and data analysis). If you are interested in applying, please see the detailed instructions on my website: http://neural-reckoning.org/openings.html <http://neural-reckoning.org/openings.html> *Note on Brexit.* EU students starting a PhD in 2020-21 will still have the right to study in the UK, and be eligible for UK fee status and for financial support for the full duration of their course. However, the last opportunity for a funded place starting in the 2020-21 academic year will be a funding panel to take place in late October 2020, so EU candidates should get applications in as soon as possible, and please include a note in your email to me to make clear you are an EU candidate. Dan Goodman

Sept. 15, 2020

Post-doctoral position at the University of Manchester

by Riccardo Storchi

We seek a passionate, self-motivated scientist to undertake the project “Action in Vision” aimed at understanding how motor actions affect visual processing. The successful candidate will have an established track record in computational biology, up-to-date programming skills and a strong passion for system neuroscience. Previous experiences in performing and/or analysing electrophysiological and behavioural data or in computer vision are desirable. The successful candidate will work with high density electrophysiological data from freely moving mice [1] and three-dimensional reconstruction of their natural behaviours [2]. The successful candidate will also be involved in the designing of the experiments. The post offers a great opportunity to work in an exciting field of neuroscience aimed at understanding sensory processing in natural unrestricted conditions. At the University of Manchester, the successful candidates will find themselves immersed in a collaborative, friendly and multidisciplinary environment with several labs working on fundamental research on sensory processing (vision, touch), memory and behaviour. The post, starting in January 2021, is for 2 years and potentially renewable for up to a total of 5 years. Informal enquiries can be made to Riccardo Storchi Tel: 0161 275 5050 Email *riccardo.storchi(a)manchester.ac.uk <riccardo.storchi(a)manchester.ac.uk>* *References: * [1] Storchi et al (2017) Neuron, 93(2):299-307. PMID: 28103478 [2] Storchi et al (2020) Current Biology, *in press*. See pre-print at: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.24.961565v3

Sept. 15, 2020

Ph.D. student position in computational neuroscience

by Tuomo Mäki-Marttunen

We are looking for a highly motivated and talented Ph.D. student to work on biophysically and biochemically detailed neuron modelling. The position is fully funded, starting Jan 1st 2021 or as mutually agreed and lasting 3-4 years. Please send your application by 25th October. *Job description* The Ph.D. student is expected to work on computational modelling of mental disorder-linked disease phenotypes and their genetic mechanisms. The student will use and extend existing biophysically and biochemically detailed neuron models to study the disease mechanisms of schizophrenia. A specific aim of the Ph.D. project is to further the mechanistic understanding of schizophrenia-associated phenotypes such as deficits in prepulse inhibition and mismatch negativity and the contribution of genes identified by psychiatric genome-wide association studies to these phenotypes. The student will be supervised by Dr. Mäki-Marttunen at Tampere University, and will be employed in the Computational Neuroscience group led by Prof. Linne. The student is expected to be involved in our collaborative research with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and University of Oslo (Prof. Gaute Einevoll and Prof. Ole Andreassen). *Requirements* We are looking for a candidate with a strong background in scientific computing and dynamical systems, and a deep interest in molecular and cellular-level neuroscience. The candidate should hold an M.Sc. degree in physics, mathematics, computer science, or a related field and have good verbal and written communication skills in English. The candidate should be deeply motivated in obtaining a Ph.D. degree in the field of computational neuroscience. Specific skills we are looking for: -Experience in numerical solution of ordinary and partial differential equations -Python programming and other programming skills -Previous experience in neuroscience and parallel computing is a plus *We offer* The position will be filled for a fixed-term period of three (3) to four (4) years. *The starting date is 1 December 2020 or as mutually agreed. **A trial period of six (6) months applies to all our new employees.* The salary will be based on both the job requirements and the employee’s personal performance in accordance with the salary system of Finnish universities. According to the criteria applied to teaching and research staff, the position of a Doctoral Researcher is placed on level 2—4 of the job requirements scale. A typical starting salary for Doctoral Researchers is approximately 2350 - 2450 EUR/month. We offer a vibrant, English-speaking academic environment in Tampere, Finland. Tampere University is the second largest university in Finland. The project will employ local and national supercomputers needed for the simulations. The university offers a range of staff benefits, including occupational health care, flexible working hours, sports facilities, and several restaurants and cafés on campus with staff discounts. Read more about living and working in Tampere, Finland: https://www.tuni.fi/careers. For more information on Tampere, please visit https://visittampere.fi/en/. <https://visittampere.fi/en/> *How* *to* *apply* Please submit your application through our online recruitment system: https://tuni.rekrytointi.com/paikat/?o=A_A&jid=694. *The closing date for applications is 25 October 2020 (23:59 EEST (GMT+3)).* *Please write your application and all the accompanying documentation in English and attach them in PDF format.* Please attach only the following documents to your application: * A letter of motivation and description of your research interests (max. 1 A4 page) * Curriculum vitae (see, e.g., the TENK template <https://www.tenk.fi/en/template-researchers-curriculum-vitae>), including the contact details of two referees). * Transcript of records (master's degree studies). See https://tuni.rekrytointi.com/paikat/?o=A_A&jid=694 for details. *For further information, please contact:* Academy Research Fellow Tuomo Mäki-Marttunen tuomo.maki-marttunen(a)tuni.fi <mailto:tuomo.maki-marttunen@tuni.fi> Tampere University Finland

Sept. 15, 2020

Open 3-year postdoctoral position in the Machine Learning Group at UiT The Arctic University of Norway

by Michael Kampffmeyer

Open 3-year postdoctoral position in the Machine Learning Group at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. We are seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to take an active role in the group’s research on advancing machine learning methodology. Special emphasis will be given to candidates who have experience working with modern machine learning, deep learning and data-driven health. Experience working with unsupervised or semi-supervised methods is desired. The overarching basic research idea is to develop unsupervised and semi-supervised approaches for machine learning and deep learning. The candidate will seek to develop novel methodology for use within the applied fields of the group. This includes data-driven health (close collaboration with the University Hospital of North Norway), as well as image analysis research together with collaborating partners, in addition to industrial research. The candidate is expected to master tools such as e.g. TensorFlow and/or Pytorch. For details, please see: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/190781/postdoctoral-research… The successful candidate will join the UiT Machine Learning Group, a vibrant group at the "north pole", with excellent national and international connections. Please contact Michael Kampffmeyer (michael.c.kampffmeyer(a)uit.no) or Robert Jenssen (Robert.jenssen(a)uit.no) for more info. Best, Michael

Sept. 14, 2020

Call for Abstracts - Workshop on Affective Shared Perception (WASP) - ICDL-EPIROB 2020

by Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros

Call For Abstracts - Workshop on Affective Shared Perception (WASP) Dear all, We are delighted to invite you to submit an abstract, and to participate in our Workshop on Affective Shared Perception (WASP), hosted by the International Conference on Developmental Learning and Epigenetic Robotics (ICDL-EPIROB2020). Please find below all the information! Cheers, Pablo I. Aim and Scope Our perception of the world, in particular, the ones which are influenced by affective understanding, depends both on sensory perception and prior knowledge. Most of the current research on modeling affective behavior as computer models ground their contribution to pre-trained learning models, which are purely data-driven, or on reproducing existing human behavior. Such approaches allow for easily reproducible solutions that fail when applied to complex social scenarios. Understanding shared perception as part of the affective processing mechanisms will allow us to tackle this problem and to provide the next step towards a real-world affective computing system. The goal of this workshop is to present and discuss new findings, theories, systems, and trends in computational models of affective shared perception. The workshop will feature a multidisciplinary list of invited speakers with experience in different aspects of social interaction, which will allow a rich and diverse debate about our overarching theme of affective shared perception. The workshop is scheduled to happen on the 30th of October of 2020 virtually. It will start at 15h00 CET and it will have a total duration of 3h30min. The participation is free, and a Zoom room will be available shortly before the workshop starts. II. Registration The registration to the workshop is free, but to guarantee a place to attend the workshop, please register here: shorturl.at/ciCQX III. Potential Topics Topics include, but are not limited to: - Affective perception and learning - Affective modulation and decision making - Developmental perspectives of shared perception - Machine learning for shared perception - Bio-inspired approaches for affective shared perception - Affective processing for embodied and cognitive robots - Multisensory modeling for conflict resolution in shared perception - New psychological findings on shared perception - Assistive aspects and applications of shared affective perception IV. Invited Speakers Prof. Dr. Ginevra Castellano - Uppsala University, Sweeden Prof. Dr. Ellen Souza - Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil Prof. Dr. Yukie Nagai - The University of Tokyo, Japan V. Submission Prospective participants in the workshop are invited to submit a contribution as an abstract with a maximum of 350 words. Submission information: https://www.whisperproject.eu/wasp2020 The abstracts will be peer-reviewed by experts from all over the world. To encourage the integration with the local affective computing communities, we will allow student abstracts to be submitted in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Each accepted abstract will be presented as a 5 min video (in English!) that will be shared on the workshop's social media. During the workshop, all the videos will be streamed and the authors will have a joint live Q/A with the audience for 60minutes. Participants can also opt-in for participating in our Frontiers Research Topic on Affective Shared Perception ( https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/16086/affective-shared-percepti…) The same abstract sent to the workshop can be sent as an abstract submission to the research topic. If you want to opt-in for the research topic, only English submissions will be accepted. - Abstract submission deadline: 12th of October - Notification of acceptance: 17th of October - Frontiers Research Topic Abstract Deadline: 24th of October - Video submission: 24th of October VI. Organizers Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy Alessandra Sciutti, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, 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

Sept. 14, 2020

Pattern Recognition in Neuroimaging Summer School Lectures

by Jozsef Arato

Dear All, The virtual summer school on Pattern Recognition in Neuroimaging at the University of Vienna is taking place this week (Sept. 14-18th). Registration is closed, but the live lectures are available free of charge, please visit our website (https://prni2020.univie.ac.at/) for more information. Keynote Speakers Peter Dayan (MPI Biological Cybernetics/Tubingen) Katharina Dobs (MIT) Romy Lorenz (Cambridge) Teaching Faculty Sebastian Tschiatschek (Uni. Vienna) Tonio Ball (Uni. Freiburg) Mate Lengyel (Cambridge/CEU) Georg Langs (Med. Uni. Wien) Alexandre Gramfort (INRIA) Moritz Grosse-Wentrup (Uni. Vienna) Manuel Zimmer (IMP Vienna) Looking forward to see you there. Jozsef Arato, PhD Program Chair, PRNI 2020 ______________________________ Vienna Cognitive Science Hub University of Vienna Liebiggase 5 (Room HE.63) 1010, Vienna <mailto:jozsef.arato@univie.ac.at> jozsef.arato(a)univie.ac.at

Sept. 13, 2020

Openings at the interface of Computational Neuroscience and AI

by sa474

Dear Colleagues, I would like to announce three new openings, 2 PhD candidate positions and 1 Research Assistant position, in my Lab at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in Spain, to participate in research projects related to Artificial Intelligence, Computational Cognitive Neuroscience, and their interface. Candidates for these positions are expected to have a quantitative background and strong interests in at least one of the following goals: - Apply state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms and/or neural circuit modeling to address questions in Life Sciences and Physics. - Adapt computationally efficient cognitive mechanisms into AI architectures (such as deep neural networks) aiming for more powerful learning algorithms. - Identify physiological mechanisms of brain function and dysfunction, in particular, the neural substrates of learning governing flexible, goal-directed behavior. Candidates should have a background in Computer Science, Electric Engineering, Physics, Math, Biology, or similar, and good programming skills (e.g., Python, R, Matlab, JavaScript, C++). Knowledge of dynamical systems modeling, time series analysis, machine learning and/or computational neuroscience would be an advantage. Candidates for the PhD positions should also have a Master degree, and candidates for the Research Assistant position should have a Bachelor degree, or similar. Gross salary for the PhD candidates and for the Research Assistant will be around 1400 €/month. Candidates from under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Our Lab is inclusive and committed to equity and diversity. The administrative period to apply at UPV will be from Sept 21 to Oct 2, 2020. The start date will be in November 2020. Candidates interested in these openings please contact me (Salva Ardid, E-mail: sardid at upv dot es) as soon as possible to know more about the selection process. Please provide an informal motivation letter (it can be embedded in the email body), a brief CV/resume, and the name and contact information of two referees willing to support your application with a recommendation letter. A brief note on our Lab’s location: Our group is located at the UPV campus in Gandia. Gandia is a historical, cultural, and touristic city located on the shoreline of eastern Spain, 65 km (40 mi) south of València (about 1 hour by train/car). València is the third most popular city in Spain after Barcelona and Madrid. The cost of living of València is significantly lower than that of Barcelona and Madrid (and this is even further the case for Gandia). Salva Ardid GenT Distinguished Research Group Leader Universitat Politècnica de València Paranimf 1 Edifici D, Despatx D-210 Gandia, 46730 Spain Web: https://sardid.github.io E-mail: sardid at upv dot es

Sept. 13, 2020

New book 'Changing Connectomes' (MIT Press)

by Marcus Kaiser

Dear all, My book on Connectome organization and development has now been published. The book gives an up-to-date overview of the field of connectomics, introducing concepts and mechanisms underlying brain network change at different stages. >From the synopsis: “This book provides an overview of network features of the brain, how these features emerge during evolution and brain development, and how alterations ranging from normal aging to developmental and neurodegenerative disorders affect brain networks. By including an introduction to concepts of network analysis, it will also be accessible to researchers who are new to the field of connectomics. Finally, through Matlab code examples, it will allow researchers to understand and extend the shown mechanisms of connectome development.” In case you're interested, the book is on sale on with Amazon and other booksellers: Amazon USA: https://t.co/ju0gtVANOQ Amazon UK: https://t.co/Oqqiu0tG4r Amazon Germany: https://t.co/JuvIfhSNfc Other booksellers: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/changing-connectomes Best, Marcus -- Marcus Kaiser, Ph.D. FRSB @ConnectomeLab Professor of Neuroinformatics Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems (ICOS) Research Group, School of Computing, Newcastle University, UK Guanci Visiting Professor Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Rui Jin Hospital, Functional Neurosurgery Unit, China Book: Changing Connectomes https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/changing-connectomes Lab website: http://www.dynamic-connectome.org/ Neuroinformatics UK: http://www.neuroinformatics.org.uk/

Sept. 12, 2020

Ph.D. Position: Theoretical models of adaptive signal processing and learning mechanisms in dendritic trees

by Tetzlaff, Christian

Dear all, The Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen invites applications for a Ph.D. position German Salary Scale TV-L E13, 66% (of 39.8 weekly hours) for 3 years. The successful candidate will be part of an international research project aiming to extend the existing theories for adaptive signal processing and learning mechanisms in dendritic trees and possible technological applications thereof. The position should be filled by 1st of November or soon thereafter. This post is designed to foster young researchers and give the successful applicant the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree. The position will be affiliated with the groups of Dr. Christian Tetzlaff and Prof. Florentin Wörgötter, who are investigating the emergence of complex behavior from the interplay of diverse neuronal and synaptic processes of neuronal networks (see, e.g., Tetzlaff et al., 2015, Scientific Reports; Li et al., 2016, PLoS One). The aim of the research project is to deepen our understanding of adaptive dendritic processing and uncover methods for employing these mechanisms in technological and machine learning applications. Suitable candidates should hold a Master degree in Physics or Computer Science preferably with some additional experiences in Computational Neuroscience and Machine Learning. We expect excellent mathematical and coding skills (e.g., Python, Matlab, C++) as well as skills in scientific communication (including proficiency in English). The candidate should be curious, highly motivated, self-organized, and show a keen interest to work within the connection between two lively research teams and to perform leading-edge research. The Göttingen Campus is a leading center of neuroscience in Europe hosting numerous internationally renowned research institutions, including the University and its Medical Center, the three life science Max Planck Institutes, the European Neuroscience Institute, the German Primate Center, and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN) Göttingen. The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The mission of the University is to employ a greater number of severely disabled persons. Applications from severely disabled persons with equivalent qualifications will be given preference. Please send your e-mail application, preferably in one single PDF-document, including a letter of interest, your curriculum vitae, copies of your certificates and contact information of at least two references until 4th of October to Dr. Christian Tetzlaff, e-mail: tetzlaff(a)phys.uni-goettingen.de<mailto:tetzlaff@phys.uni-goettingen.de>. Please see the job advertisement using the following link: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/305402.html?cid=15185. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Christian Tetzlaff Junior Research Group Leader Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics Georg-August University Friedrich-Hund Platz 1 37077 Göttingen Phone: +49 (0)551 39 26 932 E-Mail: tetzlaff(a)phys.uni-goettingen.de<mailto:tetzlaff@phys.uni-goettingen.de>

Sept. 11, 2020

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience (Visual Attention Models)

by Fred Hamker

The lab of Fred Hamker at Chemnitz University of Technology is offering a PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience (Visual Attention Models). The position is for three years, starting as soon as possible. The research position is funded by a DFG research grant and focuses on the modelling of RF dynamics during attention and eye movements. For the formal job search in german, please refer to: https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/verwaltung/personal/stellen/257030_1_EPu.php <https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/verwaltung/personal/stellen/257030_1_EPu.php> German language skills are not required, but the willingness to learn German would be useful. Applications should be sent by email (preferably in PDF format) to (fred.hamker(a)informatik.tu-chemnitz.de <mailto:fred.hamker@informatik.tu-chemnitz.de>) as soon as possible. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the state of Saxony in Germany and close to scenic mountains. Major cities nearby are Leipzig and Dresden with a rich tradition of music and culture. Our recent prior work in this field: Bergelt J, Hamker FH. (2019) Spatial updating of attention across eye movements: A neuro-computational approach. Journal of vision, 19:10. doi:10.1167/19.7.10 Ziesche A, Bergelt J, Deubel H, Hamker FH. (2017) Pre- and post-saccadic stimulus timing in Saccadic Suppression of Displacement – a computational model. Vision Research, 138:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2017.06.007 Hartmann TS, Zirnsak M, Marquis M, Hamker FH, Moore T. (2017) Two types of receptive field dynamics in area V4 at the time of eye movements? Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 11:13. doi:10.3389/fnsys.2017.00013 Bergelt J, Hamker FH. (2016) Suppression of displacement detection in the presence and absence of eye movements: A neuro-computational perspective. Biological Cybernetics, 110:81-89. doi:10.1007/s00422-015-0677-z Beuth F, Hamker FH. (2015) A mechanistic cortical microcircuit of attention for amplification, normalization and suppression. Vision Research, 116, 241-257. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2015.04.004

Sept. 11, 2020

Group Leader Position(s) in the Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest

by Balazs Ujfalussy

Group Leader Position(s) in the Institute of Experimental Medicine The Institute of Experimental Medicine in Budapest, Hungary invites applications for independent scientific group leader positions. The Institute, an internationally renowned Center of Excellence in neuroscience, hosts scientific groups in diverse fields of neuroscience applying molecular, anatomical, physiological, pharmacological and behavioral approaches, and offers several state-of-the-art core facilities supporting research (see detailed information at http://koki.hu/english/introduction-106273) The successful applicant(s) is(are) expected to establish an internationally competitive research group that integrates into and strengthens the existing research profile of the Institute, and preferably offers interdisciplinary cooperation opportunities. The successful applicant(s) should have a Ph.D. in natural sciences and should be an international expert in experimental or computational neuroscience. Requirements are strong scientific track-record, demonstrating independent research leadership abilities, international experience, competence in supervising a scientific team and excellent cooperation skills. Applications should include (1) a CV, (2) a full publication list and 5 selected (most important) publications, (3) the summary of research achievements (max. 2 pages), (4) scientific concept and plans (2 pages) and (5) presentation of leadership and cooperation experience (half a page). The applications should be submitted by 21st September 2020 by email to: igazgato(a)koki.mta.hu Zoltan Nusser Director Institute of Experimental Medicine Prof. Zoltan Nusser Laboratory of Cellular Neurophysiology Institute of Experimental Medicine H-1083 Budapest, Szigony street 43. Phone: +36-1-210 9983 Fax: +36-1-210 9984 E-mail: nusser.zoltan(a)koki.mta.hu www.nusserlab.hu

Sept. 11, 2020

PhD studentship in Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience

by Shabnam Kadir

*PhD in Computational & Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Hertfordshire, UK* An exciting full-time funded PhD opportunity has arisen at the University of Hertfordshire associated to a collaborative project with King’s College London and Brunel University London funded by the US Air Force. The project aims to build an explorative and predictive model of the brain that is sensitive to the transitions between sustained attention and mind-wandering states using an already collected simultaneously acquired EEG/fMRI dataset. Towards this goal, novel methods for characterizing, sequencing, and predicting neural dynamics at two complementary spatio-temporal resolution levels will be developed: level 1) electroencephalography (EEG) microstates, which are short quasi-stable topographies of brain electrical activity as measured at the scalp; and level 2) functional connectivity maps derived from the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data. *Requirements* We are seeking to appoint a graduate in Computer Science, Bioengineering, Physics, Mathematics, Neuroscience, or related fields, with an interest in cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging, who has proven programming skills (e.g., Python, Matlab, C++). Knowledge of signal processing, time-series analysis, and machine learning would be an advantage. Previous experience of EEG and/or fMRI data analysis is highly desirable. The 3-year full-time PhD studentship includes a stipend of £15,285 per annum in addition to covering tuition fees. *Only EU and UK citizens are eligible to apply.* The start date of the PhD will be January 2021. The PhD will be supervised by *Dr Shabnam Kadir* (University of Hertfordshire), *Dr Elena Antonova* (Brunel University London), *Prof Robert Leech* (Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London), and *Prof Chrystopher Nehaniv* (University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, and University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada). Interested candidates are encouraged to make informal inquiries with *Dr Shabnam Kadir* (s.kadir2(a)herts.ac.uk) before making a formal application. Full details available here: http://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk/2020/08/25/phd-in-computational-cognitive… To apply, submit an application form (downloadable from https://www.herts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/31105/uh-application-fo…) together with a cover letter, CV, and scanned copies of university transcripts and degree certificates (BSc, and if relevant MSc) via email to doctoralcollegeadmissions(a)herts.ac.uk, cc-ing Dr Kadir on s.kadir2(a)herts.ac.uk and Dr Antonova on elena.antonova(a)brunel.ac.uk *Closing Date for the applications: 28 September 2020.* -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Shabnam Kadir Senior Lecturer School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9AB, United Kingdom. Tel. +44 1707 284641 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sept. 9, 2020

CFP Frontiers Research Topic: Affective Shared Perception

by Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros

Call For Papers - Frontiers Research Topic: Affective Shared Perception I. Aim and Scope Our perception of the world depends on both sensory inputs and prior knowledge. This applies in general to sensing and has particular implications for affective understanding. Humans adapt their social and affective perception as a function of the current stimulation, of the context, of the history of the interaction, and as of the status of the partner. This influences their behavior, which in turn modifies the social and affective perception of both partners and the evolution of the interaction. Understanding shared perception as part of affective processing will allow us to tackle this problem and to provide the next step towards a real-world affective computing system. The goal of this research topic is to present and discuss new findings, theories, systems, and trends in affective shared perception and computational models. We are interested in collecting interesting and exciting research from researchers on the areas of social cognition, affective computing, and human-robot interaction, including also, but not restricted to specialists in computer and cognitive science, psychologists, neuroscientists, and specialists in bio-inspired solutions. We envision that it will allow us to tackle the existing problems in this area and it will provide the next step towards a real-world affective computing system. II. Potential Topics Topics include, but are not limited to: - Affective perception and learning - Affective modulation and decision making - Developmental perspectives of shared perception - Machine learning for shared perception - Bio-inspired approaches for affective shared perception - Affective processing for embodied and cognitive robots - Multisensory modeling for conflict resolution in shared perception - New psychological findings on shared perception - Assistive aspects and applications of shared affective perception III. Submission - Abstract - 24 October 2020 - Paper Submission - 21 February 2021 IV. Guest Editors Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy Alessandra Sciutti, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genova, Italy Ginevra Castellano, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden Yukie Nagai, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyō, Japan ---------------------------------------- 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

Sept. 9, 2020

PhD Opportunities for the Cognitive Anteater Robotics Laboratory at UC Irvine

by Jeffrey Krichmar

Dear Colleagues, We are recruiting PhD students for the Fall of 2021 in the Department of Cognitive Sciences and the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine. Students will have the opportunity to work in the Cognitive Anteater Robotics Laboratory, which conducts research in assistive robotics, computational neuroscience, machine learning, neural networks, neuromorphic engineering and neurorobotics. Applicants should have a strong mathematical and computer programming background, as well as good communication skills. Current Federally funded projects include: · Artificial Intelligence for Novelty Detection · Cognitive Maps in Rats, Robots and Men · Lifelong Learning Machines · Sparse Predictive Coding for Efficient Visual Navigation More information about the lab, recent publications, software, and videos can be found at: · http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma · https://www.youtube.com/user/cognitiveroboticsuci/videos Successful applicants will receive funding toward their Ph.D. for at least 5 years. Students interested in applying can contact me at: jkrichma(a)uci.edu Details about the graduate programs can be found at: · https://www.cogsci.uci.edu/graduate/index.php · https://www.ics.uci.edu/grad/admissions/index About UCI (www.uci.edu) In 1965, the University of California, Irvine was founded with a mission to catalyze the community and enhance lives through rigorous academics, cutting-edge research, and dedicated public service. Today, we draw on the unyielding spirit of our pioneering faculty, staff and students who arrived on campus with a dream to inspire change and generate new ideas. We believe that true progress is made when different perspectives come together to advance our understanding of the world around us. And we enlighten our communities and point the way to a better future. At UCI, we shine brighter. Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma(a)uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma

Sept. 8, 2020

OCNS Software/Tools/Infrastructure Special Interest Group (SIG)

by Ankur Sinha

Hello everyone, (Please excuse the cross posts.) At this year's annual CNS meeting[0], the Organization for Computational Neurosciences (OCNS) discussed the formation of OCNS Special Interest Groups (SIGs). The idea is for the OCNS membership to be able to self-organise, based on common interests, to work on various tasks/projects to develop themselves and computational neuroscience in general[1]. The OCNS Board will enable SIGs by providing them with the necessary resources. As you will see on the Neurostars topic, a number of OCNS members have expressed interest in different SIGs. In my capacity as the current OCNS webmaster, I'd like to focus on the software/tools/infrastructure that is critical for computational neuroscience research. From the topic on Neurostars[2]: "Computational neuroscience cannot exist without the tools that we all rely on. So, this SIG will focus on these. We’ll find and discuss tools, we will learn how to use them, we will test and review them, we will file bugs to inform the developers of issues, and finally we will try to learn how they work and try to get involved in their development---to ensure that these tools that we rely on remain in good shape by having communities looking after them. While we do all of this, we will improve our knowledge of transferable skills: anything involved in modern software development (which are not limited to only writing tools, but are extremely important/useful when developing models using these tools)." Please join the discussion on Neurostars if this interests you. We will start to mobilise in the next few weeks. You can learn more about OCNS membership here[3]. [0] https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2020 [1] https://neurostars.org/t/cns-2020-ocns-members-meeting/15273/3?u=sanjayanku… [2] https://neurostars.org/t/ocns-infrastructure-software-tools-sig-meet-and-gr… [3] https://www.cnsorg.org/join-ocns -- Thanks, Regards, Ankur Sinha (He / Him / His) OCNS webmaster | https://www.cnsorg.org/ Research Fellow at the Silver Lab | http://silverlab.org/ Time zone: Europe/London

Sept. 7, 2020

Call for papers : Cognitive Computation - Springer Journal, Special Issue on Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks

by Zhe Sun

Dear all, Please find below the call for papers for the journal of Cognitive Computation, Special Issue on Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks. The submission deadline is April 1, 2021. Call For Papers: Journal : Cognitive Computation Special Issue : Brain Simulation and Spiking Neural Networks https://www.springer.com/journal/12559/updates/18336610?fbclid=IwAR28sBPPk0… Scope and Motivation During the past 10 years, many experiments have been implemented with the aim of improving our understanding on the brain’s structure and function. Alongside, simulation neuroscience has become an important strategy to investigate how the brain works. The Human Connectome Project in the US started in 2009, and aimed to provide a big human brain mapping dataset on which many brain models have already been tested. In the Human Brain Project in the EU, a large-scale virtual rodent brain simulation is being built with the purpose of revealing various brain activities. In Japan, whole human-scale brain simulations on the Fugaku supercomputer are being established to investigate how neural networks develop their learning process. On the other hand, the foundation of cognitive computing and control mechanism can be revealed from the simulations of brain circuits and the neural dynamics. Moreover, these are also critical to improve current artificial intelligent systems and for building brain intelligence level algorithms. In this special issue, we invite researchers to present their state-of-the-art approaches, introduce recent advances and therefore show the potential of brain-simulation-related technologies. Guest Editors Jordi Solé-Casals (jordi.sole(a)uvic.cat) Cesar F. Caiafa (ccaiafa(a)fi.uba.ar) Zhe Sun (zhe.sun.vk(a)riken.jp) Vassilis Cutsuridis (vcutsuridis(a)lincoln.ac.uk) Topics Topics include but are not limited to: • Brain Connectivity mapping and functional mapping • Data analysis methods for connectome data • Multi-scale neural system simulation • Neuromorphic hardware • High-performance computing system for large scale simulations • Neural system inspired spiking neural network • Neuro-robotics systems • Sensorimotor learning model Deadlines Submissions Deadline: April 1, 2021 First notification of acceptance: June 1, 2021 Submission of revised papers: August 1, 2021 Final notification to the authors: Oct 1, 2021 Submission of final/camera-ready papers: Nov 1, 2021 Publication of special issue: Nov 22, 2021 Submission Instruction: Prepare your paper in accordance with the Journal guidelines: www.springer.com/12559. Submit manuscripts at: http://www.editorialmanager.com/cogn/. Select “SI: Granular Computing and Three-Way Decisions for Cognitive Analytics” for the special issue under “Additional Information.” Your paper must contain significant and original work that has not been published nor submitted to any journals. All papers will be reviewed following standard reviewing procedures of the Journal. If you have questions, please send us an e-mail. Best wishes, Sun Zhe --------------------------------------------------------- Zhe Sun, PhD Research Scientist RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics Image Processing Research Team RIKEN, Japan 国立研究開発法人　理化学研究所光量子工学研究センター　画像情報処理研究チーム研究員　孫　哲 E-mail： zhe.sun.vk(a)riken.jp sunzhe839(a)gmail.com Tel :　048-462-1111　(ext. 7828) ---------------------------------------------------------

Sept. 6, 2020

PhD position: Machine learning for big sleep data

by Martin Dresler

Hi, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences and the Donders Institute Sleep & Memory Lab are looking for a joint PhD candidate combining data science/AI, wearable EEG technology, and sleep research. In this project, we will use machine learning to investigate big sleep data, using both large open sleep EEG datasets and unique novel studies with multiple repeated sleep EEG recordings via full polysomnography and sleep EEG wearables in naturalistic home-based settings. The results will be fed back into the development of sleep EEG software and hardware, and clinical applications in psychiatry and neurology. Further info: https://dreslerlab.org/phd-position-machine-learning-for-big-sleep-data Cheers, Martin -- Donders Sleep & Memory Lab, Radboud University Medical Center Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, Netherlands https://dreslerlab.org

Sept. 3, 2020

Call for submissions to frontier research topic

by alekhya mandali

Dear all We invite contributions to the Frontier's Research topic - ' Exploring Psychopathology: Utility, Action-Selection and Beyond' ABSTRACT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A huge body of work on understanding each of many psychiatric conditions in the context of behaviors, neural correlates, and intervention is available and still on-going. One area of research that is rapidly gaining ground is that of impaired decision making in psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, OCD, schizophrenia, etc. The role of more abstract constructs such as emotion, effort, and motivation in utility or value computation and action selection or policymaking is still quite nascent. This Research Topic attempts to bring together research projects that address this need. We welcome theoretical and experimental studies that apply ‘reward or utility maximization and action-selection’ framework to psychiatric conditions such as impulsive (e.g. gambling, addiction), mood and anxiety, and compulsive disorders. Novel approaches that expand this framework and incorporate constructs such as emotion, effort, and motivation are of special focus. The call is open but not restricted to: ● Novel experimental studies/paradigms that investigate effort, motivation, mood, and anxiety in a reward-utility framework in health and disease such as OCD, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. ● Computational models that utilize either data-driven, simulation-based approaches, and reinforcement learning models where the abstract factors such as effort, motivation, mood, and anxiety are represented in terms of value or utility. ● Research that focuses on studying the causal relationship between decision making and effort, motivation, mood, and anxiety ● Translation research such as pharmacological interventions where insights gained could potentially help design novel treatment/ diagnostic methods. SUBMISSION DATES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract deadline: 30th September 2020 Manuscript deadline: 01 Jan 2021 DETAILS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/15163/exploring-psychopathology… -- https://sites.google.com/view/alekhyamandali/home

Sept. 3, 2020

Tobii Pro & ePrime NOW INCLUDED! | Call for Research Projects | Bitbrain

by Eduardo López-Larraz

Dear all, >From Bitbrain we pleased to announce that *Tobii Pro* and *Psychology Software Tools* are joining our *Call for Research Projects* to provide additional research solutions. In addition to the hardware and software provided by Bitbrain, Psychology Software Tools and Tobii Pro have kindly offered to complete our offering with their solutions. Their contribution will be as follows: - *Psychology Software Tools*: E-Prime Licenses for up to two projects that need comprehensive stimulus presentation. - *Tobii Pro:* Up to two projects may choose between the Tobii Pro Fusion 250 Hz remote eye tracking system or the Tobii Pro Glasses 3 50 Hz. In addition, a one year access to the Tobii Pro Lab software will be granted, to ensure successful analysis of the eye tracking data. Accordingly, the awards comprise up to *150K€ **in equipment and software licenses of Bitbrain, plus Psychology Software Tools and Tobii Pro selected solutions* (more info below), for research projects in the areas of *human behavior research *and *brain-computer interfaces*. The deadline for submissions is *September 21st, 2020.* See full information here <https://bit.ly/2QKWslU> [image: sponsor-brands-call2] Call for Research Projects *Aim of the Call* This year has been unexpectedly complicated for all of us. We have had an ongoing threat to public health with a strong impact on economic activity in every country and organization. Scientific endeavors have been delayed in most research fields, and many research conferences and symposiums have been postponed or canceled. The aim of this call is to catalyze and mobilize research in human behavior and brain-computer interfaces during this difficult time, by supporting outstanding research projects for 2 years of duration starting in 2021. This is our way of giving back to the scientific community and helping research projects start-up in the wake of COVID 19. Bitbrain's mission is to boost real-world research and real-life applications that enhance people's lives. For this reason, we particularly welcome project proposals from academia or research institutions that are exploring neuroscience research in real-world settings. *The Awards* *This initiative awards projects with up 150K€ in equipment and software licenses of Bitbrain, plus Psychology Software Tools and Tobii Pro selected solutions (see below or in our website).* Applicants should list all the equipment necessary to successfully carry out their research project proposal, selecting from these options, and irrespective of the cost: - *Bitbrain equipment:* Systems specifically designed to facilitate research in real-world settings and include high-tech EEG brain sensing devices and 35+ complementary monitoring technologies (GSR, BVP, ExG, etc), as well as Bitbrain's software solutions for synchronized multimodal data acquisition and analysis. The equipment will belong to the awarded institutions once the project is completed, but they are free to use it for other types of research. - *Psychology Software Tools*: E-Prime Licenses for projects that need stimulus presentation. - *Tobii Pro:* Up to two of the winning projects may choose between the Tobii Pro Fusion 250 Hz remote eye tracking system or the Tobii Pro Glasses 3 50 Hz. In addition, a one year access to the Tobii Pro Lab software will be granted, to ensure successful analysis of the eye tracking related parts of the project. *Call topics* 1. *Topic 1: Human Behavior Research:* We are looking for projects that expand the understanding of human behavior using multimodal approaches, preferably in ecological and natural conditions. The research includes, but is not limited to, cognitive sciences, clinical research, education, developmental psychology, human performance, UX or human factors, neuroeconomics, hyperscanning, neuroaesthetics, etc. 2. *Topic 2: Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI):* We are looking for projects that expand the introduction or usage of brain-computer interfaces in ecological and natural conditions. Research project proposals should focus on the application of brain-computer interfaces in real-world scenarios, in areas such as immersive environments, neurorehabilitation, neuroadaptive technologies, hyperscanning, neuroprosthetics, etc *Jury* - Alan Kingstone, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia. Canada. - Ander Ramos, Ph.D., Head of the Neurorehabilitation Lab. University of Tübingen. Germany. - Dima Amso, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology at Columbia University. USA. - Gernot Müller-Putz, Ph.D., Professor and Head of the Institute of Neural Engineering. Graz University of Technology. Austria. - Marco Congedo, Ph.D., Charge de Research (CNRS), France. - Tad Brunye, Ph.D., Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Tufts University; Senior Research Psychologist, Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center, USA. - Tiago Falk, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Multimedia/Multimodal Signal Analysis and Enhancement (MuSAE) Laboratory. University of Toronto. Canada. *Important Dates* - Submission of applications: 21st September - Communication of the awards: 6th October - Contracts: 12th October - Equipment delivering: 20th December - Kick-off Meetings: 11th January See full information here <https://bit.ly/2QKWslU> The Bitbrain Team

Sept. 3, 2020

postdoc position in mouse electrophysiology at Ernst Strungmann Institute (Frankfurt, Germany)

by Scholvinck, Marieke

We are hiring! We are looking for an enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher to lead the mouse work of the Zero-Noise Lab at the Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Frankfurt, Germany. THE LAB The Zero-Noise Lab investigates how neuronal population activity unfolds in real time during naturalistic behaviour - and how this simultaneously encodes multiple ongoing cognitive processes like learning, attention, and perceptual decision making. What's more, we compare this across species: We conduct chronic electrophysiological recordings in the visual cortex of macaques and mice while they perform the same naturalistic foraging task in a virtual environment. We are no fans of cross-trial averaging - if the brain only gets one shot at making sense of its activity, so should we! The lab is jointly headed by Marieke Schölvinck and Martha Havenith, and funded by the Max Planck Society. It is a highly collaborative environment - postdocs and PhD students focus on either mouse or monkey, but work together intensely to constantly align experiments across species. YOU We are looking for a postdoc to lead the mouse side of the lab, while developing their own ideas and research interests. If you hold (or are about to hold) a Ph.D. in Systems Neuroscience, and are eager to decipher the neuronal basis of naturalistic cognitive processing in an interdisciplinary lab, we would love to hear from you! Useful skills: - Experience with electrophysiological recordings in awake animals - Programming skills (Matlab/Python) - Technical skills to build an electrophysiology set-up - Experience with behavioural training HOW TO APPLY If you are interested, please send an email to Marieke (marieke.scholvinck(a)esi-frankfurt.de<mailto:marieke.scholvinck@esi-frankfurt.de>) and Martha (martha.havenith(a)esi-frankfurt.de<mailto:martha.havenith@esi-frankfurt.de>) before September 30, 2020. In your email, please explain your background, what you expect from your postdoc, and why you want to join us. The application remains open until the position is filled. We look forward to hearing from you! Martha and Marieke

Sept. 2, 2020

Biological Cybernetics- Articles by grad students and postdocs only

by Fellous, Jean-Marc - (fellous)

Dear members of the community, Biological Cybernetics<https://www.springer.com/journal/422> is launching 3 new types of articles. These manuscripts can only be co-authored by Junior Scientists (defined as graduate students or postdoctoral fellows) and will be reviewed by one regular reviewer and one or more Junior Scientists. The scope of the journal can be found here<https://www.springer.com/journal/422/aims-and-scope> . - Mini review or tutorial: 3000 words, 2-3 Figures. A didactic but comprehensive overview of a topic or technique of interest to the Biological Cybernetics community. Authors are encouraged to also give their own perspective on the matter where appropriate in a separate clearly marked subsection. Authors are encouraged to contact the co-editor in chief to discuss appropriateness/fit of the manuscript. - Journal Club: 1200 words, 1 Figure. A short and focused account of a recent (less than one year old) publication in Biological Cybernetics or elsewhere. The authors should not belong to the same institution as any of the co-authors on the chosen publication. The manuscript should go beyond a simple summary of the original publication and point to aspects of the work of specific relevance to the Biological Cybernetics readership. - Short Communication: 2000 words, 2-3 Figures. Authors are encouraged to submit a short account of results that would not be sufficient for a full publication, but which are deemed worthy of communication to the scientific community. These could be the outcome of a 'side' project, a 'follow up' study, an interesting 'condition'. Though restricted in scope, the results are expected to be of the same quality (e.g. statistical power, proper controls for experimental submissions, mathematical rigor and clarity of exposition for theoretical submissions) as those found in a regular research paper and will be evaluated as such. Pilot experiments or preliminary data are not suitable. At the time of submission, a short note (email OK) from the advisor to the co-editor in chief is required indicating that s/he has been informed of the content/scope of the manuscript. For questions, please contact Jean-Marc Fellous (fellous at arizona.edu) Co-Editor in Chief. Jean-Marc Fellous Professor Departments of Psychology and Biomedical Engineering University of Arizona On behalf of Benjamin Lindner (Editor in Chief), Peter Thomas and Paul Tiesinga (Co-Editors in Chief) Biological Cybernetics: https://www.springer.com/journal/422 Biological Cybernetics Aims and Scope: https://www.springer.com/journal/422/aims-and-scope

Sept. 1, 2020

Post-doctoral positions

by sio

Open Postdoctoral positions The Vision and Natural Computation group at the Vision Institute, Paris, France, (http://www.institut-vision.org/en/ <http://www.institut-vision.org/en/>) seeks experienced and outstanding applicants for several post-doctoral research positions in the field of neuromorphic engineering in any related field including machine learning, event-based computer vision, robotics and spiking neural networks. The applicant will join the Vision and Natural Computation group let by Profs R Benosman and S.H Ieng. The group is a pioneer of neuromorphic event based computation and among the leading teams of the international neuromorphic engineering community. We are interested in candidates willing to work on any aspects of event based computation, preference will be given to those interested in developing any aspect related to new forms of machine learning inspired by neurosciences and going beyond the current status-quo of conventional machine learning. The position will open in November 2020 and can be flexibly adjusted as needed. Interested applicants should submit a detailed curriculum vitae with brief paragraphs of research interests, career goals and why you feel you are a good fit for the lab and perhaps a reference person to contact. Information should be sent to ryad.benosman(a)upmc.fr <mailto:ryad.benosman@upmc.fr> and sio-hoi.ieng(a)upmc.fr <mailto:sio-hoi.ieng@upmc.fr>, please also mention in the email the earliest date at which you could join.

Sept. 1, 2020

Open PhD Positions in Dendritic Processing for Novel Computing Concepts

by Robert Legenstein

The Lab of Robert Legenstein at TU Graz is offering funded PhD positions in the area Deep Learning and Computational Neuroscience. A background in Deep Learning, Computataional Neuroscience, Computer Science, or Mathematics is desirable, as well as evidence for excellent prior performance as a student. Successful candidates will investigate models of computation and learning in neuronal networks with nonlinear dendritic processing and develop learning algorithms for optical processing hardware. She/he will be embedded in the interdisciplinary consortium of the EU-FET-open project ADOPD (Adaptive Optical Dendrites). See https://www.tugraz.at/institute/igi/people/prof-legenstein/projects/#c204996 for a brief project description. Please send your application including a CV, any prior thesis and/or work, and trascript of records by 15. September 2020 to robert.legenstein(a)igi.tugraz.at Dr. Robert Legenstein Institute Head Institute of Theoretical Computer Science Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 16b/I, 8010 Graz, Austria https://www.tugraz.at/institute/igi/people/prof-legenstein/ Follow @CompLegenstein on Twitter. ++43/316/873-5824 ---------------------------------- -- Dr. Robert Legenstein Associate Professor Institute Head Institute for Theoretical Computer Science Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 16b/I, 8010 Graz, Austria http://www.igi.tugraz.at/legi/ Follow @CompLegenstein on Twitter. ++43/316/873-5824 ----------------------------------

Sept. 1, 2020

Reminder: Special Entropy Issue "Information Theory in Computational Neuroscience"

by Dimitrije Markovic

Dear Colleagues, We cordially invite you to submit a manuscript for possible publication in a Special Issue on "Information Theory in Computational Neuroscience" to be published in the journal Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300, IF 2.530, http://www.mdpi.com/journal/entropy) The aim of the Special Issue is to bring together neuronal models and neuronal plasticity mechanisms that are grounded in information theory principles, modern inference, and learning algorithms. We welcome submissions that use information theory as the basis for defining generative principles of neuronal dynamics over multiple spatio-temporal scales, which informs our understanding of information processing in the brain. You can see full details of the scope and submission details at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/entropy/special_issues/Computational_Neuroscie… The submission deadline is 30 September 2020. You may send your manuscript at any time before the deadline or a bit later. Submitted papers should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Entropy is fully open access. Open access (unlimited and free access by readers) increases publicity and promotes more frequent citations, as indicated by several studies. Please kindly note that an Article Processing Charge (APC) of CHF 1600 currently applies to all accepted papers. Please do not hesitate to come back to us if there is anything further that we can help with. We look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, Dimitrije Markovic and Claudius Gros ============================= Dr. Dimitrije Markovic Post-Doc at Technische Universität Dresden, Department of Psychology, Dresden, Germany Lab website: https://tu-dresden.de/mn/psychologie/ifap/ni Phone: +49-351-463-43146 Personal website: http://dimarkov.github.io/ =============================

Sept. 1, 2020

NeuTouch Summer School

by Miguel Casal Santiago

The Horizon 2020 project Neutouch is glad to announce that the first summer school of the project about “Touch for prosthetics” will be held online the 21 & 28 September and 5 & 12 October 2020. The school will have talks from cutting-edge professors and students in the field of touch, including topics such as neuromorphic engineering, brain-computer interfaces, computational neuroscience and machine learning, among others. We invite you to take a look at the program together with a small description of the talks in this link <https://www.neutouch.eu/events/neuschool20>, where you can also subscribe for free. You can contact neutouchboard(a)gmail.com <mailto:neutouchboard@gmail.com> for doubts and requests Neutouch Editorial Board

Aug. 31, 2020

Postdoc positions in Aarhus University, Denmark

by Diego Vidaurre

Dear all, Funded by an ERC grant, I am opening two postdoc positions in my lab in Aarhus University in collaboration with Oxford University, to develop new methods on machine learning and Bayesian time series modelling, with application to specific problems in computational neuroscience. If someone is interested, or know of someone interested, please get in contact. More details on the topics, salary, conditions, requirements, etc. here: https://health.au.dk/en/about-health/vacant-positions/job/postdoc-in-integr… Thanks Diego Vidaurre

Aug. 30, 2020

Postdoc in computational cognitive neuroscience of speech processing at the University of Texas at Austin (USA)

by Hamilton, Liberty

The Hamilton Lab at The University of Texas at Austin seeks to hire a full-time postdoctoral fellow to study brain processing of natural speech in the presence of noise. Our approaches include computational methods (neural networks, linear/nonlinear regression models, encoding/decoding), electrophysiology (scalp EEG and intracranial EEG), and fMRI. A postdoc is sought for a one-year contract to begin a collaborative project with the Huth Lab on brain processing of natural sounds using scalp EEG and fMRI. Lab websites: https://slhs.utexas.edu/research/hamilton-lab and https://cs.utexas.edu/~huth/ Start date: Open Full time, benefits eligible, one-year contract with potential for extension based on performance/funding. Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a strong quantitative background (time series analysis, regression models) and ability to code in python or MATLAB (though python will be used for most projects). All candidates must hold a PhD by the time of appointment. Preferred Qualifications: Previous experience in scalp EEG and/or fMRI strongly preferred, though related work in other electrophysiology methods will also be considered. A PhD in neuroscience, computer science, cognitive science, psychology, bioengineering, communication disorders, or other related fields is suggested. The Hamilton Lab is located in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and is jointly affiliated with the Department of Neurology at Dell Medical School. The Huth Lab is located in the Departments of Neuroscience and Computer Science. The Hamilton and Huth labs are committed to fostering a supportive and diverse environment. We are strongly committed to mentoring our students and postdoctoral scholars to reach their goals. Our groups work as a multidisciplinary team, where each member’s contribution is valued. Our lab members come from a wide variety of fields including speech/language/hearing science, neuroscience, linguistics, music, physics, computer science, and psychology. The candidate is expected to work collaboratively with graduate students and research assistants in these fields. Apply at: https://utaustin.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UTstaff/job/UT-MAIN-CAMPUS/Postdocto…

Aug. 29, 2020

Professor position in Goettingen, Germany

by Rizzoli, Silvio

Dear colleagues, I hope this email finds you well. My institute at the University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany, the Institute for Neuro- and Sensory Physiology, currently has an announcement for a W2 professorship position in the field of computational modeling of synaptic physiology. Our institute produces substantial quantitative data on synapses, from fluorescence imaging to biochemistry, mass spectrometry and electron microscopy (see for example Wilhelm et al., Science, 2014). We are looking for an investigator with substantial expertise in computational aspects, who would benefit from these data, and would be able to use them for important studies. This professorship will be integrated in an excellent neuroscience campus, and will benefit strongly from our collaborative research center CRC/SFB 1286, dedicated to Quantitative Synaptology (composed of more than 20 collaborating laboratories, from many excellent institutions). Our announcement can be found at: <https://jobs.zeit.de/jobs/universitaetsprofessur-w2-modellierung-synaptisch…>https://www.academics.com/jobs/university-professorship-w2-modeling-synapti… It would be great if you could also send this announcement to colleagues in your department, who may be interested in applying for this position. Best wishes, and thank you in advance, Silvio Rizzoli Prof. Dr. Silvio O. Rizzoli UNIVERSITÄTSMEDIZIN GÖTTINGEN GEORG-AUGUST-UNIVERSITÄT Direktor des Instituts für Neuro- und Sinnesphysiologie Zentrum Physiologie und Pathophysiologie Humboldtallee 23, 37073 Göttingen Telefon: 0551-39-5911 FAX: 0551-39–66031 E-Mail: srizzol(a)gwdg.de Sprecher des Centers Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration (BIN) von-Siebold-Straße 3a, 37075 Göttingen Sprecher des Sonderforschungsbereichs 1286 Quantitative Synaptologie (Collaborative Research Center 1286 Quantitative Synaptology)

Aug. 26, 2020

Professorship in computational modeling of synaptic physiology at the University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany

by Erik De Schutter

The University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany has announced a W2 professorship position in the field of computational modeling of synaptic physiology. The institute produces substantial quantitative data on synapses, from fluorescence imaging to biochemistry, mass spectrometry and electron microscopy. They are looking for an investigator with substantial expertise in computational aspects, who would benefit from these data, and would be able to use them for important studies. This professorship will be integrated in an excellent neuroscience campus, and will benefit strongly from our collaborative research center CRC/SFB 1286, dedicated to Quantitative Synaptology (composed of more than 20 collaborating laboratories, from many excellent institutions). The announcement can be found at: https://www.academics.com/jobs/university-professorship-w2-modeling-synapti…

Aug. 26, 2020

SMILES virtual workshop @ICDL 2020

by Xavier Hinaut

The SMILES (Sensorimotor Interaction, Language and Embodiment of Symbols) Workshop will take place virtually at the ICDL 2020 (International Conference on Developmental Learning). * Call for abstracts and papers: - Deadline: 25th of September 2020 - papers abstracts: 2 pages - long papers: 4-6 pages - Submissions: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com <mailto:smiles.conf@gmail.com> - Papers format: same as ICDL conference https://cis.ieee.org/publications/t-cognitive-and-developmental-systems/tcd… <https://cis.ieee.org/publications/t-cognitive-and-developmental-systems/tcd…> - Workshop dates (coming soon): the days before or after the ICDL conference (26-30 October 2020) * Workshop Short Description On the one hand, models of sensorimotor interaction are embodied in the environment and in the interaction with other agents. On the other hand, recent Deep Learning development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) models allow to capture increasing language complexity (e.g. compositional representations, word embedding, long term dependencies). However, those NLP models are disembodied in the sense that they are learned from static datasets of text or speech. How can we bridge the gap from low-level sensorimotor interaction to high-level compositional symbolic communication? The SMILES workshop will address this issue through -an interdisciplinary approach involving researchers from (but not limited to): - Sensori-motor learning, - Emergent communication in multi-agent systems, - Chunking of perceptuo-motor gestures (gestures in a general sense: motor, vocal, ...), - Sensori-motor learning, - Symbol grounding and symbol emergence, - Compositional representations for communication and action sequence, - Hierarchical representations of temporal information, - Language processing and acquisition in brains and machines, - Models of animal communication, - Understanding composition and temporal processing in neural network models, and - Enaction, active perception, perception-action loop. * More info - contact: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com <mailto:smiles.conf@gmail.com> - organizers: Xavier Hinaut, Clement Moulin-Frier, Silvia Pagliarini, Joni Zhong, Loo CHU KIONG, Michael Spranger, Tadahiro Taniguchi - invited speakers (coming soon) - workshop website (comming soon): https://sites.google.com/view/smiles-workshop/ <https://sites.google.com/view/smiles-workshop/> - ICDL conference website: https://cdstc.gitlab.io/icdl-2020/ <https://cdstc.gitlab.io/icdl-2020/> * Workshop Long Description Recently Deep Learning networks have broken many benchmarks in Natural Language Processing (NLP), e.g. [1]. Such breakthroughs are realized by a few mechanisms (e.g. continuous representations like word embedding, attention mechanism, ...). However, no equivalent finding happened towards the understanding of which mechanisms enable the brain to perform similar functions. Deep Learning does not reproduce learning mechanisms nor the dynamics of the brain. The brain needs to parse incoming stimuli and learn from them incrementally, it cannot unfold time like deep learning algorithms such as Back-propagation through time (BPTT). Thus, we still lack the key neuronal mechanisms needed to properly model the (hierarchies of) functions in language perception and production. Other models of language processing reproducing the behavior of brain dynamics (Event-Related-Potentials (ERPs) [2] or functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) [3]) have been developed. However, such model softens lack explanatory power demonstrating the causes of such observed dynamics: i.e. what is computed and why is it computed – for which purpose? We need more biologically plausible learning mechanisms while producing causal explanations of the experimental data modelled. There is converging evidence that language production and comprehension are not separated processes in a modular mind, they are rather interwoven, and this interweaving is what enables people to predict themselves and each other [4].Interweaving of action and perception is important because it allows a learning agent (or a baby) to learn from its own actions: for instance, by learning the perceptual consequences(e.g. the heard sounds) of its own actions (e.g. vocal productions) during babbling [5]. Thus, the agent learns in a self-supervised way instead of relying only on supervised learning, which in contrast, imply non-biological teacher signals cleverly designed by the modeler. Explicit neuronal models explaining which are the mechanisms shaping these perceptuo-motor units through development are missing. The existence of sensorimotor (i.e. mirror) neurons at abstract representation levels (often called action-perception circuits [6]), jointly with the perceptuo-motor shaping of sensorimotor gestures [5], suggest the existence of similar action-perception mechanisms implemented at different levels of hierarchy. How could we go towards such hierarchical architectures based on action-perception mechanisms? Importantly, a language processing model needs a way to acquire the semantics of the (symbolic) perceptuo-motor gestures and of the more abstract representations, otherwise it would consider only morphosyntactic and prosodic featuresof language. These symbolic gestures, i.e. signs, need to be grounded to the mental concept, i.e. signified, they are representing. Several theories and robotic experiments give examples of how symbols could be grounded or how symbols could emerge [7]. However, current neurocomputational models aiming to explain brain processes are not grounded. Robotics have an important role here for the grounding of semantics by experiencing the world through interactions with the physical world and with humans. We need mechanisms that start from raw sensory perception and raw motor commands in order to let emerge plausible representations through development, instead of arbitrary representations. Finally, computational models of emergent communication in agent populations are currently gaining interest in the machine learning community [8], [9]. These contributions show how a communication system can emerge to solve cooperative tasks in sequential environments. However, they are still relatively disconnected from the earlier theoretical and computational literature aiming at understanding how language might have emerged from a prelinguistic substance [10], [11]. We need to conceive communication as the emergent result of a collective behavior optimization process and to ground the resulting computational models into the theoretical literature from language evolution research. The SMILES workshop will aim at discussing each of the questions mentioned above, together with original approaches on how to integrate them. [1] J. Devlin et al., 2018. [2] H. Brouwer and J. C. J. Hoeks, 2013. [3] M. Garagnani et al. 2008. [4] M. J. Pickering and S. Garrod, 2013. [5] J.-L. Schwartz et al., 2012. [6] F. Pulvermüller and L. Fadiga, 2010. [7] T. Taniguchi et al., 2016. [8] S. Sukhbaatar et al.,2016. [9] I. Mordatch and P. Abbeel, 2017. [10] M. Tomasello et al., 2005. [11] P.-Y. Oudeyer and L. Smith, 2015. Xavier Hinaut Inria Researcher (CR) Mnemosyne team, Inria LaBRI, Université de Bordeaux Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives +33 5 33 51 48 01 www.xavierhinaut.com

Aug. 21, 2020

Postdoc/PhD/RA positions at ÖAW Acoustics Research Institute, Vienna

by Robert Baumgartner

We are currently looking for enthusiastic researchers at all levels to join an exciting interdisciplinary research consortium addressing „Dynamic Auditory Predictions in Human and Non-human Primates (Dynamates)". It rests on a strong collaboration between cognitive neuroscience, cognitive biology, and computational modeling – for more information, visit our Dynamates website <https://www.kfs.oeaw.ac.at/dynamates>. The following positions are immediately available under my supervision at the Acoustics Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences: Postdoc <https://www.oeaw.ac.at/fileadmin/subsites/Jobs/ISF083PD220.pdf> focussing on computational models explaining the causal relationship between neural activity (EEG) and perception/behaviour in humans PhD Student <https://www.oeaw.ac.at/fileadmin/subsites/Jobs/ISF082DOC220.pdf> focussing on computational models for comparative behaviour Research Assistant <https://www.oeaw.ac.at/fileadmin/subsites/Jobs/ISF081STUD220.pdf> helping with (mainly EEG) data collection They are open until appropriate candidates are found. The 1st round of evaluation will start on Sept 1, 2020. Feel free to distribute! Best, Robert — Robert Baumgartner, PhD YIRG Leader | Research Associate Acoustics Research Institute Austrian Academy of Sciences Wohllebengasse 12-14, 1040 Vienna, Austria +43 1 51581-2527 Robert.Baumgartner(a)oeaw.ac.at https://www.kfs.oeaw.ac.at/baumgartner Like us on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/SCHALLFORSCHUNG.OEAW/> Follow us on Twitter/oeaw <https://twitter.com/oeaw?lang=en> Visit us on Youtube <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY3rUdfN-VCjvfUWojWkayQ>

Aug. 19, 2020

Phd/Postdoc position for research on interpretable Deep Learning and brain modelling

by Wolfgang Maass

We are looking for a highly talented and motivated Phd student or Postdoc to complement our team in the Faculty for Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering of Graz University of Technology in Austria. The researcher will work on advancing Deep Learning and methods for understanding its outcomes ("interpretable AI") for applications to large data-based cortical microcircuit models, using state-of-the-art supercomputing facilities. The goals are to elucidate the organization of computing and learning in neural networks of the brain, and to develop on this basis spike-based AI methods. The research will be based on recently developed algorithms and TensorFlow software for spiking neural networks, as published for example in G. Bellec, D. Salaj, A. Subramoney, R. Legenstein, and W. Maass. Long short-term memory and learning-to-learn in networks of spiking neurons. 32nd Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS 2018), https://igi-web.tugraz.at/PDF/243.pdf G. Bellec, F. Scherr, A. Subramoney, E. Hajek, D. Salaj, R. Legenstein, and W. Maass. A solution to the learning dilemma for recurrent networks of spiking neurons. Nature Communications, 2020. .https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17236-y.pdf F. Scherr, C. Stoeckl, and W. Maass. One-shot learning with spiking neural networks. bioRxiv, 2020. https://igi-web.tugraz.at/PDF/256.pdf This is a fully funded research position in the Human Brain Project of the EU, which offers an exciting international interdisciplinary research environment. Requirements: --strong mathematical background and analytical skills --deep interest in understanding the function of neural networks in the brain --excellent programming skills --very good knowledge in Machine Learning Please send your CV, grades, motivation letter, and links to pdf of your master thesis and other relevant preceding work to charlotte.rumpf(a)tugraz.at -- Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Maass Institut fuer Grundlagen der Informationsverarbeitung Technische Universitaet Graz Inffeldgasse 16b , A-8010 Graz, Austria Tel.: ++43/316/873-5822 Fax ++43/316/873-5805 http://www.igi.tugraz.at/maass/Welcome.html

Aug. 18, 2020

Neurodata Without Borders (NWB) User Days Workshop - September 21-23

by Ryan Ly

Neurodata Without Borders (NWB) is a data standard for neurophysiology, providing neuroscientists with a common standard to share, archive, use, and build analysis tools for neurophysiology data. NWB is designed to store a variety of neurophysiology data, including data from intracellular and extracellular electrophysiology experiments, data from optical physiology experiments, behavioral data, and stimulus data. The NWB Team will be hosting the 9th NWB User Days Workshop remotely on September 21-23. The workshop schedule will be centered on Central European Time (UTC+2) and will focus primarily on user training, including lessons for complete beginners to NWB. Come learn how to get your data into the NWB data standard and use state-of-the-art data analysis, visualization, and management tools with NWB, e.g., Brainstorm, CaImAn, calciumImagingAnalysis, DANDI, DataJoint, MIES, NWB Explorer, NWB Widgets, SpikeInterface, and suite2p. Event page: https://neurodatawithoutborders.github.io/nwb_hackathons/HCK09_2020_Remote/ Register here: https://bit.ly/2PHbE34 (it's free) Learn more about NWB at our website: https://www.nwb.org/ Best, The NWB Team -- Ryan Ly Scientific Data Engineer Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1 Cyclotron Road Mail Stop 59R4104 Berkeley, CA 94720 Email: rly(a)lbl.gov Pronouns: he/him

Aug. 17, 2020

Neural Data Analysis Online Course

by Maryam

You are invited to “Neural Data Analysis Online Course” Dear Sir, Madam; ScienceBeam, which is a forefront technology provider of neuroscience applications, would like to take the opportunity to invite you for 10-session “Neural Data Analysis Online Course” that is going to start on September 7, 2020. During this course you will learn: ( Programming fundamentals: Variables, plots, loops ( How to compare ERPs in a statistical way: confidence intervals and bootstrapping ( EEG spectrum and spectrogram: from time to frequency and time-frequency ( More on spectrum: windowing and zero padding ( Analysis of coupled rhythms: covariance and coherence ( Filtering, filtering, and filtering! ( Cross-frequency coupling and Hilbert transform ( Brain states in sleep and Hidden Markov Model Hamed Yeganegi, PhD researcher in systems neuroscience, Technical University of Munich, Germany, is the instructor of this course. He is also a member of German Neuroscience Society (NWG) and Member of Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS). Registration is open until September 4th. You won’t want to miss this! Don’t hesitate and register from the link below: Register NOW ! If you needed more information please contact us via Whatsapp or Mail: Whatsapp number: +86 133 8078 1282 Email: workshop(a)sciencebeam.com www.sciencebeam.com

Aug. 17, 2020

One Fellow position for closed-loop systems in neuroengineering @IIT Genova, ITALY

by Michela Chiappalone

Dear Comp-Neuro community, A new opening for a 12-months fellowship position at the Pre-Doctoral level is available in our team, under the supervision of Dr Stefano Buccelli and myself at the Rehab Technologies Lab of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), located in Genova at the IIT Center for Convergent Technologies. The fellow will carry out research on the development of a novel closed-loop architecture for applications in neuroengineering. More information on the position can be found below in this email. The application link can be found here: https://iit.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=2000002C The call expires on September 7th, 2020. Please forward this message to all the interested students. Thank you and best regards, Michela Chiappalone & Stefano Buccelli ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One Fellow position for the development of a reference architecture for closed-loop systems for neuroengineering applications The Rehab Technologies INAIL-IIT lab, (http://rehab.iit.it/) at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy, is seeking to appoint one Fellow at the pre-Doctoral level to carry out research on the development of novel closed-loop architecture for applications in neuroengineering. The Rehab Technologies Lab is an innovation lab aimed at developing new high tech prosthetic, orthotic and rehabilitation devices of high social impact and market potential. The Lab is primarily focused on disability and rehabilitation, and exploits a co-creation process which involves scientists, patients and therapists in all the phases of the design, realization and testing of devices developed within the lab. The Neuroengineering area of Rehab Technologies is focused on neural interfaces and neurorehabilitation. The team has a multidisciplinary expertise in engineering and neuroscience, with skills in in vitro/in vivo electrophysiology, signal processing of neural data (spikes, LFP, EEG), closed-loop systems, neurostimulation and innovative neuroprostheses. The primary research goals of the team consist of designing and testing novel 'personalized' neuroengineering solutions for brain repair and extracting functional biomarkers of recovery induced by the rehab-related training. In modern neuroscience, closed-loop systems delivering stimulation depending on to the actual brain state demonstrated to improve the efficacy of a therapy, also reducing the number of side effects. To build a closed-loop system, three steps are needed: reading, interpreting and writing the neural code. To 'read' the neural code, we need to record neural activity, by using either invasive or non-invasive techniques. 'Interpreting' or decoding the neural activity is obtained by means of (real-time) signal processing techniques. To 'write' the neural code, usually an electrical simulation approach is adopted (but other options are available). Nowadays, given the increased number of recording sites that can be acquired at the same time, there is a big demand for high-performance signal processing techniques in both clinical practice and basic research. Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) are one of the most interesting options for the implementation of high-performance computations and are usually chosen as a first step towards the development of standalone devices. Learning how to implement an algorithm on FPGA can be prohibitive for non-experts and thus it is preventing many neuroscientists from realizing innovative closed-loop systems. Within this framework and to reduce the entry barrier in the development of closed-loop architectures on FPGA, this project will built up a rapid-prototyping, reference architecture for closed-loop neuroengineering applications by exploiting a model-based design approach (in Simulink). This will be reached by means of the following specific objectives: 1. Build a reference Simulink model to process neural data. 2. Take advantage of the HDL coder and the Fixed-Point Designer to implement the model on FPGA; 3. Establish use cases on commercially available systems (e.g. INTAN Stimulation/Recording system). The project will be carried out at the Rehab Technologies Lab of IIT, located in Genova at IIT Center for Convergent Technologies. To face this technological challenge, the Rehab Technologies Lab will share resources, competencies and motivation to achieve excellent results transferable to the neuroengineering field and, later, to clinics. We are looking for a highly motivated, outstanding candidate with the following profile: - A solid background in biomedical/electronics engineering - Strong programming skills, especially with the MathWorks products (Matlab, Simulink) - Master Degree in one of the above field (already obtained or to be obtained in the next two months) - Good communication skills and ability to cooperate - Proficiency in English Desirable skills: - Experience with Verilog/VHDL During this period, the selected candidate will develop the following skills and experience: - Principle of Neuroengineering and its applications - Model-based Design and Rapid Prototyping - Closed-loop architectures - Basic Electrophysiological skills - Interactions within a multidisciplinary Lab and for an International project To apply, please send your CV, title of the Master Thesis and (foreseen) date of graduation, cover letter and name and contacts of one/two referees using the form online. Deadline: September 7, 2020. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), with its headquarters in Genova, Italy, is a non-profit institution with the primary goal of creating and disseminating scientific knowledge and strengthening Italy's technological competitiveness. The institute offers state-of-the-art equipment and a top-level interdisciplinary research environment focused on robotics and computer vision, neuroscience, drug discovery, nanoscience and technology. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively seeks diversity in the workforce. Please note that the data that you provide will be used exclusively for the purpose of professional profiles' evaluation and selection, and in order to meet the requirements of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. Your data will be processed by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, based in Genoa, Via Morego 30, acting as Data Controller, in compliance with the rules on protection of personal data, including those related to data security. Please also note that, pursuant to articles 15 et. seq. of European Regulation no. 679/2016 (General Data Protection Regulation), you may exercise your rights at any time by contacting the Data Protection Officer (phone +39 010 71781 - email: dpo[at]iit.it). ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Michela Chiappalone, PhD Researcher Rehab Technologies IIT-INAIL Lab Phone : +39 010 71781743 E-mail : michela.chiappalone(a)iit.it<mailto:michela.chiappalone@iit.it> ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova Site: www.iit.it<http://www.iit.it>

Aug. 17, 2020

Web Conference /DMSE 2020, Denmark - Deadline Approaching[Third Batch Call for Submissions] .

by Fredrick Johnson

International Conference on Data Mining and Software Engineering (DMSE 2020) September 26 ~ 27, 2020, Copenhagen, Denmark *WIKICFP Call* : http://www.wikicfp.com/cfp/servlet/event.showcfp?eventid=111118&copyownerid… *DBWORLD Call* : http://www.cs.wisc.edu/dbworld/messages/2020-08/1597292447.html Scope & Topics International Conference on Data Mining and Software Engineering (DMSE 2020) will provide an excellent international forum for sharing knowledge and results in theory, methodology and applications of Data mining and Software Engineering. The goal of this conference is to bring together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to focus on understanding Data mining and modern software engineering concepts and establishing new collaborations in these areas. Authors are solicited to contribute to the conference by submitting articles that illustrate research results, projects, surveying works and industrial experiences that describe significant advances in the areas of data mining and software engineering. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following • Advanced Topics in Software Engineering • Data Mining Applications • Computer Education • Data Mining in Modeling, Visualization, Personalization and Recommendation • Data Mining Systems and Platforms, Efficiency, Scalability and Privacy • Embedded System and Software • Foundations, Algorithms, Models, and Theory • Knowledge Processing • Knowledge-based Systems and Formal Methods • Languages and Formal Methods • Managing Software Projects • Mining Text, Semi-Structured, Spatio-Temporal, Streaming, Graph, Web, Multimedia • Multimedia and Visual Software Engineering • Quality Management • Search Engines and Information Retrieval • Software Engineering Decision Making • Software Engineering Practice • Software Maintenance and Testing • Software Process • Web Engineering • Web-based Education Systems and Learning Applications Accepted Papers List Learning for E-Learning-Aalen University, Germany. Magnetic Resonance Image Classification of Major Depression Disorder Based on Deep Learning-Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, China COSM: Controlled Over-sampling Method. A Methodological Proposal to Overcome the Class Imbalance Problem in Data Mining-CIRA (Italian Aerospace Research Centre),Italy A Process for Complete Autonomous Software Display Validation And Testing (Using A Car-cluster)-SAP Labs India Pvt Lmt.,India Analysis of the Displacement of Terrestrial Mobile Robots in Corridors Using Paraconsistent Annotated Evidential Logic Et-Bialystok University of Technology,Poland A Study on the Minimum Requirements for the On-line, Efficient and Robust Validation of Neutron Detector Operation and Monitoring of Neutron Noise Signals using Harmony Theory Networks-University of Piraeus, France Penalized Bootstrapping for Reinforcement Learning in Robot Control-University of Bonn,Germany Deep Reinforcement Learning for Navigation in Cluttered Environments-University of Bonn, Germany New Hybrid Artificial Intelligent Models Basedon Optimized-support Vector Machine and Locallylinear Neuro fuzzy for the Supplier Assessment Problem-Islamic Azad University, Iran IoT Learning Model for Smart Universities: Architecture, Challenges, and Applications-Whitecliffe College of Technology & Innovation, New Zealand The Principles of the Law General on the Protection of Personal Data and their Importance-Paulista University, Brazil. Controlled Machine Text Generation of Football Articles-University of Warsaw, Poland On the Comparison of Deep Neural Networks for Document Retrieval-Institute for Community Medicine, Germany Evaluationn of Company Investment value based on Machine Learning-Beijing University of Technology, China Performance evaluation of Precoded Band Codes and Hamming Norm Decoders in Random Linear Network Coding-National Engineering School of Tunis, Tunisia Neurological Signals Compression and Encryption for Security Transmission Based on IOMT: A Tele-neurological Diagnosis-University of Anbar, Iraq. Paper Submission Authors are invited to submit papers through the conference Submission System . Submissions must be original and should not have been published previously or be under consideration for publication while being evaluated for this conference. The proceedings of the conference will be published by Computer Science Conference Proceedings in Computer Science & Information Technology (CS & IT) series (Confirmed). Here’s where you can reach us : dmse(a)dmse2020.org or dmsesecretary(a)gmail.com Submit your work Today! Regards, Fredrick.

Aug. 13, 2020

Post-doctoral Research position at Johns Hopkins BME

by Adam Charles

Dear Comp-neuro community: Please see below for a post-doctoral opportunity in my lab at The Johns Hopkins University Department of Biomedical Engineering. Link: https://www.bme.jhu.edu/ascharles/open-positions/ Warmest regards, -Adam ----------------------- Adam S. Charles Assistant Professor Department of Biomedical Engineering The Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD, 21218 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am pleased to announce a postdoctoral position in computational imaging, computational neuroscience and data science at the Johns Hopkins University Department of Biomedical Engineering in the lab of Adam Charles. This project is aimed at advancing the capabilities of functional fluorescence microscopy for neural recordings via new computational tools, including machine learning “at the sensor” and machine learning/signal processing for image analysis and interpretation. Neural imaging is an exciting field and this position offers opportunities to develop a range of new models and algorithms to address the unique challenges in fast and accurate fluorescence imaging and analysis. In addition, this project offers opportunities to interface with experimental collaborators. Applicants should hold a PhD in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Neuroscience or a related field with a strong research record. Applications should have demonstrated the ability to work collaboratively on quantitative problems. Applicants with experience in machine learning, signal processing, compressive sensing, computational imaging or computational neuroscience are especially encouraged to apply. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are also required. This position is open immediately and will remain open until filled. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility and expectation of renewal. Compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. Candidates should send a CV, a statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for three references to adamsc(a)jhu.edu with the subject line "Computational imaging postdoc". Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and should be received by September 1 for full consideration. If the current COVID19 situation will delay the ability to apply by this deadline, please send a short note indicating that you intend to apply. Johns Hopkins University is a leader in biomedical engineering, imaging science, and neuroscience. The Department of Biomedical Engineering at Hopkins, along with the Center for Imaging Science (CIS), Kavli Institute for Neuroscience and Mathematical Institute for Data Science (MINDS) form a strong interdisciplinary computational community. JHU has competitive benefits (including comprehensive medical insurance) and is an equal opportunity employer.

Aug. 11, 2020

PhD position on human resource rationality

by Dominik Endres

We offer a PhD position in the research training group RTG 2271 "Breaking Expectations" https://www.uni-marburg.de/en/fb04/rtg-2271[1] in the department of Psychology at the Philipps-Universität Marburg. In this sub-project, we investigate whether individual humans are Bayesian resource- rational learners under naturalistic conditions where possible (virtual reality), and in online experiments. Specifically, we will compare the learning dynamics of these models and their dealing with expectation violations to human behavior. One possible application direction are models of chronic and acute pain perception and prediction. The project requires a keen interest in the computational and mathematical modeling of human experimental data. Interest in designing and carrying out such experiments is a plus. Benefits of membership in the GRK 2271 include: - scientific exchange with a vibrant community of PhD students and PIs of the other projects - possibility of (funded) lab visits with international mentors/collaborators - yearly retreats in the scenic Kleinwalsertal Formal requirements are: * a qualified degree in psychology, or computer science, or cognitive science, or engineering, or physics (Master, Diploma, or comparable) as well as * demonstrable programming experience in a high-level language, e.g. Python or Matlab. We expect you to be interested in: * the topic of the project (to be documented in a motivation letter [1 page max], in which you may refer to prior experiences, for instance, a thematically pertinent thesis, student research assistant positions, etc.) * quantitative modeling * developing virtual-reality scenarios and technology for research purposes Advantageous qualifications are: * prior exposure to machine learning, associative, Bayesian or other mathematical learning models and Bayesian statistics * willing to learn basic German language skills Application deadline: 28.08.20 For further information, please contact Prof. Dominik Endres (dominik.endres@uni- marburg.de[2]). The official job advert can be found here (deadline has been extended to 28.08.20): https://www.uni-marburg.de/de/universitaet/administration/verwaltung/dezern… personalabteilung/bewerber/stellen/wissenschaftliche-stellen/fb04-0026-wmz-310720- engl.pdf[3] -- Prof. Dr. Dominik Endres AE Theoretische Kognitionswissenschaft Allgemeine und Biologische Psychologie FB Psychologie, Gutenbergstr 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany Tel. +49-(0)6421-28-23818 -------- [1] https://www.uni-marburg.de/en/fb04/rtg-2271/beschreibung [2] mailto:dominik.endres@uni-marburg.de [3] https://www.uni-marburg.de/de/universitaet/administration/verwaltung/dezern… personalabteilung/bewerber/stellen/wissenschaftliche-stellen/fb04-0026-wmz-310720- engl.pdf

Aug. 11, 2020

Senior Scientist – Stroke position at the NeuroRestore center (Lausanne, Switzerland)

by Milekovic Tomislav

Senior Scientist – Stroke position at the NeuroRestore center (Lausanne, Switzerland) Location The Defitech Center for interventional Neurotherapies (NeuroRestore) is a research and innovation center joining EPFL’s lab of Prof. Gregoire Courtine and the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) lab of Prof. Jocelyne Bloch. We conceive, develop and apply medical therapies aimed to restore neurological functions. To this end, we integrate implantable neurotechnologies with innovative treatments developed through rigorous preclinical and clinical studies. By working with our network of vibrant high-tech start-ups and established medical technology companies, we are committed to validate our medical therapy concepts. Our overarching goal is to see our medical therapies used every day in hospitals and rehabilitation clinics worldwide. Opportunity Over the last decade, research labs under the NeuroRestore umbrella have achieved breakthroughs for the treatment of spinal cord injury and Parkinson’s disease. Our recent studies indicate that similar approaches may lead to novel therapies for stroke. Therefore, we decided to build a strong research core focused on gaining deeper understanding of stroke and resulting neurological deficits, and on developing therapies that leverage the gained understanding to replace or restore motor functions impacted by stroke. By integrating well-equipped and expertly staffed rodent, non-human primate and clinical research facilities, NeuroRestore provides an ideal substrate for rapidly developing, integrating and clinically validating cutting-edge concepts of medical therapies, with the capacity to push successfully proven concepts into the technology transition phase. Position Summary The Senor Scientist – Stroke will bring their expertise and experience to build and then lead the stroke research core of the NeuroRestore center. They will develop original research projects across the whole stroke therapy development spectrum, starting from mechanistic understanding of stroke and resulting neurological and motor deficits, over preclinical tests of therapy concepts designed to take advantage of uncovered mechanisms, to clinical validation of therapies designed to alleviate motor deficits secondary to stroke. They will form and lead teams of NeuroRestore postdoctoral scientists, doctoral students, engineers and clinicians to execute these projects. They will train other scientists in their expert techniques and supervise junior scientists working on their projects. They will disseminate the results of their projects through research publications and conference talks and support preparation of scientific conference presentations and publications of other NeuroRestore personnel that works on stroke-related projects. They will take part in writing grant application that will support stroke-related projects. Responsibilities - Identify unmet clinical needs of stroke survivors and monitor the development of the medical neurotech sector to find opportunities for novel, feasible and rapidly realizable stroke therapies - Conceive, organize and plan out research projects - Form and leads teams to execute conceived research projects - Utilize their academic / clinical industry network to form collaborations that will help execute conceived research projects - Assess the project needs, identify relevant personnel and resources, and take part in hiring technical and scientific personnel to build skilled project teams - Train the NeuroRestore personnel in their area of expertise - Run project progress meetings, report on project progress, plan and manage the dissemination of project results - Take part in writing of funding applications to initiate new projects, strengthen / accelerate ongoing projects, or enhance ongoing collaborations - Develop and maintain connections with science labs and clinical centers to facilitate rapid animal and clinical testing of concepts and prototypes of medical treatments - Manage efforts to obtain regulatory approvals for animal studies and clinical trials to validate the concepts of medical therapies - Represent the Neurorestore Center at symposiums and conferences through talks and presentations Personal Traits - Passionate about the development of neurotechnologies that aim to alleviate movement disabilities of stroke - Thriving in a cutting edge, fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment - Self-starter and independent worker with an ability to identify innovative approaches and solutions - Attention to detail - Independent thinker and passionate problem solver Skills - Ability to independently conceive original research projects - Capacity to supervise several research projects in parallel - Capability to successfully lead research teams, and maintain collaborations with external partners - Strong verbal and written presentation skills in English - Experience with leading animal research projects and/or projects under the framework of clinical trials and studies - Track record of obtaining regulatory approvals for animal studies and/or clinical trials - Strong experience with writing project proposals, project progress reports and research articles - Experience in disseminating project progress through talks, presentation and publications - Experience in physiological signal acquisition and signal analysis - Capacity to identify skill gaps and hire personnel to fill them - Experience with writing, filling and obtaining patents - Advanced presentation skills (PowerPoint, Photoshop, Illustrator) - Willingness to travel in order to form / maintain collaborations - Possessing a strong academic, clinical, regulatory and industry network and the ability to use it to organize collaborative projects Experience - Doctoral degree (PhD) - 6 or more years of experience working in the fields of neuroscience / neuroengineering (including the PhD studies) - 3 or more years of experience in stroke-related research - Strong publication record in the stroke field Contact Applications including a CV and a cover letter describing your background and interest should be sent to tomislav.milekovic(a)epfl.ch<mailto:tomislav.milekovic@epfl.ch>. Informal inquiries are welcome.

Aug. 9, 2020

PhD position in machine learning at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland)

by Milekovic Tomislav

PhD position in the lab of Prof. Gregoire Courtine at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) Machine learning techniques to develop and enhance computational models of the spinal cord Location: The laboratory of Prof. Gregoire Courtine at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland, is looking to fill a fully funded PhD position. The qualified candidate will benefit from joining a very dynamic and multidisciplinary group working at the interface of computational neuroscience, neuroengineering, prosthetics and biology. EPFL provides state-of-the-art facilities and is one of the leading technical universities worldwide. PhD salaries at EPFL rank the highest in the world. Opportunity: The offered position will be based at the Defitech Center for interventional Neurotherapies (NeuroRestore) - a research and innovation center joining EPFL's lab of Prof. Gregoire Courtine and the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) lab of Prof. Jocelyne Bloch. NeuroRestore conceives, develops and applies medical therapies aimed to restore neurological functions. To this end, NeuroRestore integrates implantable neurotechnologies with innovative treatments developed through rigorous preclinical and clinical studies. By working with our network of vibrant high-tech start-ups and established medical technology companies, NeuroRestore is committed to validate our medical therapy concepts. The overarching goal of NeuroRestore is to see our medical therapies used every day in hospitals and rehabilitation clinics worldwide. Description: A therapy based on epidural electrical stimulation (EES) of the spinal cord can restore the ability to walk to people paralyzed by spinal cord injury. EES does this by recruiting sensory axons within dorsal spinal roots that enter the spinal cord between the vertebrae. Yet, clinically available electrode arrays used to deliver the EES were not designed to target individual spinal roots. Data-driven design of the electrode arrays has the potential to substantially improve the specificity of spinal EES and, therefore, dramatically improve the recovery of people with spinal cord injury. The efficacy of EES can be enhanced through computational algorithms capable of designing EES protocols that fully utilize the interaction between the electrode array and patient's anatomy. These two developments are critical for deployment of the EES-based therapy to clinics around the world to help millions of people suffering from spinal cord injury. We have created a computational pipeline capable of creating detailed computational models of spinal columns from CT, MRI and fMRI recordings. These hybrid models are composed of 3D finite element models (FEM) to characterize the electric current and potential in the spinal cord of individuals, and various abstractions of compartmental cable models and network models of spinal cord neuronal populations and their connections to calculate the effects of EES on the spinal networks and, in turn, the activation of muscles. This computational approach has the potential to optimize the efficacy of EES on a personalized basis, lead to novel superior electrode array designs, and further our understanding of the mechanisms by which spinal cord controls movement. The successful candidate will work to automatize our computational pipeline in order to make the described approaches useful in applied clinical practice. They will work on the development of efficient and robust computer vision algorithms to automatically segment medical imaging datasets. They will also further develop our computational pipeline to enable automatic definition of personalized EES stimulation protocols. Furthermore, they will implement a computational framework around our pipeline that can perform a large-scale and diverse sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. This framework will be critical to enhance the efficacy and explore possible novel applications of spinal cord EES. Prerequisites: - Master's Degree in Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Microengineering, Electrical Engineering or related - Proficiency in Python, Matlab and C++ - Experience with computer vision and / or other machine learning techniques - Good written and verbal skills in English Contact: Applications including a CV and a cover letter describing your background and interest should be sent to MachineLearningPhD.Courtine(a)gmail.com. Informal inquiries are welcome.

Aug. 9, 2020

Postdoc in machine learning at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland)

by Milekovic Tomislav

Postdoc position in the lab of Prof. Gregoire Courtine at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) Machine learning techniques to develop and enhance clinical treatments based on electrical stimulation of the spinal cord Location: The laboratory of Prof. Gregoire Courtine at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland, is looking to fill a fully funded postdoc position. The qualified candidate will benefit from joining a very dynamic and multidisciplinary group working at the interface of computational neuroscience, neuroengineering, prosthetics and biology. EPFL provides state-of-the-art facilities and is one of the leading technical universities worldwide. Postdoc salaries at EPFL rank the highest in the world. Opportunity: The offered position will be based at the Defitech Center for interventional Neurotherapies (NeuroRestore) - a research and innovation center joining EPFL's lab of Prof. Gregoire Courtine and the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) lab of Prof. Jocelyne Bloch. NeuroRestore conceives, develops and applies medical therapies aimed to restore neurological functions. To this end, NeuroRestore integrates implantable neurotechnologies with innovative treatments developed through rigorous preclinical and clinical studies. By working with our network of vibrant high-tech start-ups and established medical technology companies, NeuroRestore is committed to validate our medical therapy concepts. The overarching goal of NeuroRestore is to see our medical therapies used every day in hospitals and rehabilitation clinics worldwide. Description: Therapies based on epidural electrical stimulation (EES) of the spinal cord can restore the ability to walk to people paralyzed by spinal cord injury, and alleviate gait deficits of people with Parkinson's disease. EES does this by recruiting sensory axons within dorsal spinal roots that enter the spinal cord between the vertebrae to increase the activation of the spinal motor pools that, in turn, move the muscles. Yet, the efficacy of the EES-based therapies relies on synchronizing users' movement intentions with the spatiotemporal stimulation protocols that reliably and accurately generate paralyzed movements. Due to the large state space of all the stimulation parameters (location, amplitude, frequency, etc.) efficacy of the therapy depends on the fast and accurate initialization of the stimulation protocols. As the patients use the stimulation, small movements of the array, as well as changes in spine position due to users' posture can reduce the usability of the stimulation. Stimulation efficacy can be enhanced by dynamically adjusting the stimulation protocols to changes to the way how to users' spinal cord reacts to stimulation. Finally, the functional use of the stimulation largely depends on the accurate timing of stimulation delivery. Machine learning approaches that infer users' intentions based on behavioral, physiological or neural recordings can vastly improve the synchronization between intended and therapy-supported movements and, therefore, play a critical role in achieving functional recovery of patients. While the current medical devices mostly support block-based stimulation protocols that remain constant for hundreds of milliseconds, upcoming devices will enable changes of stimulation at a millisecond resolution, thus opening a new field for machine learning approaches that exploit these capabilities. The successful candidate will work to develop, implement and apply machine learning algorithms and approaches to enhance EES-based therapies. Specifically, he will: * Design the mapping procedures for the generation of transfer functions that relate the continuously-controlled stimulation to the evoked muscle activity. * Develop algorithms that automatically adjust these transfer functions as the interaction between patients and their EES-based therapy evolves. * Implement machine learning techniques that utilize users' behavioral, physiological and neural signals to continuously synchronize the delivery of stimulation with the users' movement intentions. * Lead the team that develops machine learning methods to initialize and adjust block-based EES protocols. * Assist and oversee the development and implementation of machine learning methods that use inference of discrete motor events to synchronize block-based EES protocols with the users' intentions. By integrating well-equipped and expertly staffed rodent, non-human primate and clinical research facilities, NeuroRestore provides an ideal substrate for rapidly developing, integrating and clinically validating cutting-edge machine learning concepts within medical therapies, with the capacity to push successfully proven concepts into the technology transition phase. The successful candidate will have access to these animal platforms and will work within the framework of multiple NeuroRestore clinical trials with people with spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease. They will benefit from the possibility of validating their concepts in animal experiments and implementing them within the therapies being tested in the clinical trials. Prerequisites: * Doctoral degree (PhD) * Proficiency in Python, Matlab and C++ * Strong background in quantitative data analysis * Experience with applying multiple machine learning techniques to behavioral, physiological, biological and/or neural datasets * Good written and verbal skills in English Contact: Applications including a CV and a cover letter describing your background and interest should be sent to tomislav.milekovic(a)epfl.ch<mailto:tomislav.milekovic@epfl.ch>. Informal inquiries are welcome.

Aug. 9, 2020

Postdoc position in computational modelling at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland)

by Milekovic Tomislav

Postdoc position in the lab of Prof. Gregoire Courtine at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) Data-driven computational modelling to develop and enhance clinical treatments based on electrical stimulation of the spinal cord Location: The laboratory of Prof. Gregoire Courtine at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland, is looking to fill a fully funded postdoc position. The qualified candidate will benefit from joining a very dynamic and multidisciplinary group working at the interface of computational neuroscience, neuroengineering, prosthetics and biology. EPFL provides state-of-the-art facilities and is one of the leading technical universities worldwide. Postdoc salaries at EPFL rank the highest in the world. Opportunity: The offered position will be based at the Defitech Center for interventional Neurotherapies (NeuroRestore) - a research and innovation center joining EPFL's lab of Prof. Gregoire Courtine and the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) lab of Prof. Jocelyne Bloch. NeuroRestore conceives, develops and applies medical therapies aimed to restore neurological functions. To this end, NeuroRestore integrates implantable neurotechnologies with innovative treatments developed through rigorous preclinical and clinical studies. By working with our network of vibrant high-tech start-ups and established medical technology companies, NeuroRestore is committed to validate our medical therapy concepts. The overarching goal of NeuroRestore is to see our medical therapies used every day in hospitals and rehabilitation clinics worldwide. Description: Therapies based on epidural electrical stimulation (EES) of the spinal cord can restore the ability to walk to people paralyzed by spinal cord injury, and alleviate gait deficits of people with Parkinson's disease. EES does this by recruiting sensory axons within dorsal spinal roots that enter the spinal cord between the vertebrae. Yet, clinically available electrode arrays used to deliver the EES were not designed to target individual spinal roots. Data driven design of the electrode arrays has the potential to substantially improve the specificity of spinal EES and, therefore, dramatically improve the recovery of patients. Pre-operative planning and intra-operative assistance based on accurate models of the spine can de-risk the surgery needed to implant the electrode arrays and increase the efficacy of the EES-based therapies. The efficacy of EES can be further enhanced through computational algorithms capable of designing EES protocols that fully utilize the interaction between the electrode array and patient's anatomy. These developments are critical for deployment of the EES-based therapy to clinics around the world to help millions of people suffering from spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease. We have created a computational pipeline capable of creating detailed computational models of individual persons' spinal columns from CT, MRI and fMRI scans. These hybrid models are composed of: * 3D finite element models (FEM) to characterize the electric current and potential in the spinal cord of individuals. * Compartmental cable models to characterize numerous axon pathways that distribute the information from the spinal cord to rest of the body. * Network models of spinal cord neuronal populations to calculate the effects of EES on the spinal networks and, in turn, the activation of muscles. This computational approach has the potential to optimize the efficacy of EES on a personalized basis, lead to novel superior electrode array designs, and further our understanding of the mechanisms by which spinal cord controls movement. The successful candidate will work to generate highly accurate models of individual human and animal model spines and apply those models to revolutionize the EES-based therapies. Specifically, he will: * Use spinal models to generate new spinal electrode array designs, develop procedures for pre-operative planning and intra-operative assistance, and create methods that determine stimulation protocols from the spinal models. * Lead the work to extend our lumbosacral spinal cord models to thoracic and cervical spinal regions. * Integrate data from ever-more accurate invasive and non-invasive medical imagining and physiology techniques to enhance the accuracy of spinal models. * Coordinate integration of new findings on spinal neuronal populations, spinal networks and spinal pathways into our spinal models. * Assist and oversee the development of tools to automatize the process of spinal model generation. By integrating well-equipped and expertly staffed rodent, non-human primate and clinical research facilities, NeuroRestore provides an ideal substrate for rapidly developing, integrating and clinically validating cutting-edge computational modeling concepts that support medical therapies, with the capacity to push successfully proven concepts into the technology transition phase. The successful candidate will have access to these animal platforms and will work within the framework of multiple NeuroRestore clinical trials with people with spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease. They will benefit from the possibility of validating their concepts in animal experiments and implementing them within the therapies being tested in the clinical trials. Prerequisites: * Doctoral degree (PhD) * Proficiency in Python, Matlab and C++ * Experience with finite element models, compartmental cable models and neurobiomechanical models * Experience in NEURON and/or NEST * Experience in OpenSim, Mujoco or Webots * Good written and verbal skills in English Contact: Applications including a CV and a cover letter describing your background and interest should be sent to tomislav.milekovic(a)epfl.ch<mailto:tomislav.milekovic@epfl.ch>. Informal inquiries are welcome.

Aug. 9, 2020

Post-doctoral scientist position at the Steinmetz Lab, University of Washington, Seattle

by Nick Steinmetz

The Steinmetz Lab at the University of Washington in Seattle ( www.steinmetzlab.net) is seeking applications for a position as a post-doctoral scientist. The scientist will work on data analysis and modeling in order to advance our large-scale electrophysiology technologies and our understanding of distributed computation across the brain. The primary focus of the position is the ‘Neuropixels Ultra’ project, in which we are developing novel electrophysiological technologies in collaboration with colleagues at the Allen Institute for Brain Science and with Johns Hopkins University. In addition to work on that specific project, the scientist will have access to cutting-edge large-scale datasets that combine behavior, electrophysiology, imaging, and optogenetics, and will have the ability to work creatively on questions of their own choosing, including helping to guide novel experimental data collection as necessary. The position is funded for 3 years by an NIH BRAIN Initiative grant, and is eligible to start immediately. It is expected that the scientist will eventually be based in Seattle, but a remote start is negotiable considering health concerns related to the ongoing global pandemic. The successful candidate is expected to have a Ph.D. in neuroscience or in relevant quantitative fields such as physics, computer science, statistics, or mathematics, and is expected to have a strong background and interest in data analysis methods in neuroscience, including such approaches as signal processing, linear algebra, and dynamical systems. We are located at the University of Washington, and have close collaborations with the Computational Neuroscience Center, the Swartz Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, the UW Institute for Neuroengineering, and the Allen Institute for Brain Science, which together create a lively community of computationally-minded neuroscientists on and near campus. The Steinmetz Lab is committed to making neuroscience a more open and inclusive field, so we strongly encourage applications from individuals with non-traditional backgrounds or from underrepresented groups. To apply, please send a CV and a brief statement of your background and interest in the position to Nick Steinmetz at nick.steinmetz(a)gmail.com. Informal inquiries are welcome - please get in touch if you would like more information! We aim to start this position as soon as possible so please be in touch by Friday Aug 21.

Aug. 6, 2020

Free online workshop on spiking neural networks as universal function approximators, Aug 31-Sep 1

by Dan Goodman

We are holding a free, online workshop on new approaches to training spiking neural networks. Details and registration at: https://neural-reckoning.github.io/snn_workshop_2020/ The last years have seen many exciting new developments to train spiking neural networks to perform complex information processing. 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. Speakers: * *Sander Bohte* (CWI) * *Iulia M. Comsa* (Google) * *Franz Scherr* (TUG) * *Emre Neftci* (UC Irvine) * *Timothee Masquelier* (CNRS Toulouse) * *Claudia Clopath* (Imperial College) * *Richard Naud* (U Ottawa) * *Julian Goeltz* (Uni Bern) Please pass this message on to anyone you think would be interested. Many thanks, Dan Goodman and Friedemann Zenke

Aug. 6, 2020

Postdoctoral position in neuroscience model curation / reproducible research

by Andrew Davison

A position in neuroscience model curation and verification is available within the Neuroinformatics research group of the Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, as part of the Human Brain Project. The successful candidate will be responsible for verifying the reproducibility of models produced by the Human Brain Project and/or published through the EBRAINS research infrastructure. This will involve working with scientists from many institutions to ensure their code is usable by others, and that it reliably reproduces the results shown in associated publications. It is expected that the candidate will develop workflows to automate this verification process as much as possible. Applicants should have a PhD in neuroscience, computer science, library/information science, or a closely related discipline, preferably with experience of computational modelling. Experience of simulation tools often used in computational neuroscience, such as NEURON, NEST or Brian, would be of particular benefit; knowledge of computer programming (in Python, C++, MATLAB or other) is essential. Knowledge of French would be helpful but is not required, as English is the working language of the project. The Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (https://neuropsi.cnrs.fr/en/institute-home/) is a research unit of the CNRS and the Université Paris-Saclay, located in Gif sur Yvette, about 40 minutes from central Paris. The Neuroinformatics research group (https://neuropsi.cnrs.fr/en/icn-home/andrew-davison/ <https://neuropsi.cnrs.fr/en/icn-home/andrew-davison/>) develops novel informatics tools and approaches for neuroscience data sharing, modelling and simulation, and for brain-inspired computing. This post is funded by the Human Brain Project, an EU Flagship initiative in which over 100 partners work together to build a completely new information computing technology infrastructure for neuroscience and for brain-related research in medicine and computing. To apply, visit https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR9197-ANDDAV-005/Default.aspx <https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR9197-ANDDAV-005/Default.aspx> Informal inquiries to andrew.davison(a)cnrs.fr <mailto:andrew.davison@cnrs.fr> are welcome. Application deadline 17th August 2020

Aug. 5, 2020

Postdoctoral, predoctoral, and data scientist positions: causal inference

by Jan Drugowitsch

How do our brains interpret sensory inputs to determine how we move through the world? How do the objects we perceive in the environment shape these interpretations? And what happens when these objects are themselves moving? We will address these questions in a multi-institution project that examines neural and computation mechanisms of causal inference in the context of interactions between perception of object motion, self-motion, and depth. We are looking for talented and creative scientists to join our effort. We are offering multiple positions for postdoctoral fellows, graduate research assistants, and a data scientist as part of a BRAIN Initiative U19 project focused on the neural mechanisms of causal inference. This multi-institution project involves experimental and computational/theoretical laboratories at the University of Rochester (Drs. Greg DeAngelis and Ralf Haefner), Harvard Medical School (Dr. Jan Drugowitsch), New York University (Dr. Dora Angelaki), Baylor College of Medicine / Rice University (Dr. Xaq Pitkow), and the University of Washington (Dr. Greg Horwitz). The project is highly collaborative and interactive, involving high-density electrophysiological recordings in both macaque monkeys and mice, optogenetic manipulations in monkeys, development of novel dynamical theoretical frameworks, application of high-dimensional neural analyses, and establishment of a data analysis and storage platform across laboratories. For the theoretical/computational efforts, candidates are expected to have a background in a quantitative field like computational neuroscience, machine learning, reinforcement learning, statistics, physics, etc.. For the experimental efforts, candidates are expected to have a background in neuroscience, experimental psychology, biomedical engineering, or a related field, and previous research experience in systems neuroscience is highly beneficial. Successful candidates will work primarily at one of the participating institutions but will collaborate broadly with team members across institutions. Candidates should submit their CV, a statement of research interests, and the names and contact information for three references. Please consult https://www.indeed.com/job/postdoctoral-predoctoral-and-data-scientist-posi… for further details, and for how to apply.

Aug. 5, 2020

Postdoctoral positions in computational neuroscience, sleep, and developmental neurophysiology

by Blumberg, Mark S

We are seeking to fill multiple positions for highly skilled and motivated postdoctoral scholars. Successful applicants will learn to perform experiments in neurophysiology and sleep, as well as develop computational models based on years of spike and LFP data collected in infant rats and, more recently, human infants. We have developed state-of-the-art multisite recording methods to detect neural activity in cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, cerebellum, and brainstem in developing rats and relate that activity to changes in sleep-wake states and limb movements (captured using high-speed video and tracked using DeepLabCut). Unique opportunities abound for analyzing and modeling these complex datasets to reveal functional changes in neural activity across the first several postnatal weeks. Among other things, we are investigating the integration of corollary discharge and reafferent signals, the role of state-dependent neuromodulation, and the contributions of neural oscillations to the emergence of functionally connected brain regions. Please visit the lab’s homepage<https://psychology.uiowa.edu/blumberg-lab> and read our recent papers<https://psychology.uiowa.edu/blumberg-lab/articles> to gain a better sense of the kinds of questions we ask and the methods we use to answer them. You can learn more about the PI, Mark Blumberg, here<https://psychology.uiowa.edu/sites/psychology.uiowa.edu/files/groups/blumbe…> and here<https://psychology.uiowa.edu/sites/psychology.uiowa.edu/files/groups/blumbe…>. The laboratory is located in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences<https://psychology.uiowa.edu/> at the University of Iowa<https://uiowa.edu/>, a leading public university. The university is located in Iowa City, a midsize community with a high quality of life. The department is experiencing a period of enhanced growth and investment, including completion of a new building<https://psychology.uiowa.edu/new-home-department-psychological-and-brain-sc…>. In addition, the University of Iowa is home to a large and vibrant neuroscience community, highlighted by the Iowa Neuroscience Institute<https://medicine.uiowa.edu/iowaneuroscience/> that brings together over 100 neuroscientists across 26 departments. In addition to research opportunities, successful applicants will have opportunities to teach courses, mentor graduate and undergraduate students, write grants, and engage in activities to enhance professional development and prepare for an academic career. Salary is negotiable, but is expected to be above NIH's minimum guidelines for postdocs. Requirements: A PhD with experience in computational and/or behavioral neuroscience. Experience with MATLAB (or other programming languages) is required. Please send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and selected publications to Mark Blumberg at mark-blumberg(a)uiowa.edu<mailto:mark-blumberg@uiowa.edu>. _________________________________ Mark S. Blumberg, Ph.D. F. Wendell Miller Professor Department Chair Psychological & Brain Sciences Iowa Neuroscience Institute The University of Iowa _________________________________

Aug. 4, 2020

Submit Now - Call for Research Projects | Bitbrain

by Eduardo López-Larraz

Call for Research Projects Bitbrain grants up to 150K€ of equipment for Research Projects in the areas of human behavior and brain-computer interfaces. Aim of the Call This year has been unexpectedly complicated for all of us. We have had an ongoing threat to public health with a strong impact on economic activity in every country and organization. Scientific endeavors have been delayed in most research fields, and many research conferences and symposiums have been delayed or canceled. The aim of this call is to catalyze and mobilize research in human behavior and brain-computer interfaces during this difficult time, by supporting outstanding research projects for 2 years of duration starting in 2021. This is our way of giving back to the scientific community and helping research projects start-up in the wake of COVID 19. Bitbrain's mission is to boost real-world research and real-life applications that enhance people's lives. For this reason, we particularly welcome project proposals from academia or research institutions that are exploring neuroscience research in real-world settings. The deadline for submissions is September 21st, 2020. More info here: https://www.bitbrain.com/call-for-projects-2020 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.bitbrain.com/call-for-projects-2020…> The Awards This initiative awards projects with up to a total of 150K€ in Bitbrain equipment plus software licenses. Bitbrain systems are specifically designed to facilitate research in real-world settings and include high-tech EEG brain sensing devices and 35+ complementary monitoring technologies, as well as human behavior research software solutions for synchronized multimodal data acquisition and analysis. Call topics 1. Topic 1: Human Behavior Research: We are looking for projects that expand the understanding of human behavior using multimodal approaches, preferably in ecological and natural conditions. The research includes, but is not limited to, cognitive sciences, clinical research, education, developmental psychology, human performance, UX or human factors, neuroeconomics, hyperscanning, neuroaesthetics, etc. Awards: According to the research needs of the project, the award may include the following: 1) Hardware: dry/semi-dry EEG systems in combination with a wide range of biosensors (GSR, BVP, ExG, etc) specifically developed to carry out real-world research, while favoring signal quality, usability, set up time, and user comfort. 2) Software: SDK for real-time I/O and third-party data processing (LSL, Matlab, Python, BCI200, etc); SennsLab software for synchronized data collection of 35+ types of biosensors and other research modalities including eye-tracking, cameras, microphones, etc, and other 3rd party options such as E-prime; SennsMetrics software for computation and data analysis of behavioral metrics. 1. Topic 2: Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI): We are looking for projects that expand the introduction or usage of brain-computer interfaces in ecological and natural conditions. Research project proposals should focus on the application of brain-computer interfaces in real-world scenarios, in areas such as immersive environments, neurorehabilitation, neuroadaptive technologies, hyperscanning, neuroprosthetics, etc. Awards: According to the research needs of the project, the award may include the following: 1) Hardware: Mobile EEG systems for brain-computer interfaces including dry-EEG devices and semi-dry EEG systems (8, 16, 32 and 64ch), with a very quick and easy setup and comfortable interface. 2) Software: programming tools with great compatibility with real-time I/O and third-party data processing (LSL, Matlab, Python, BCI2000, OpenVibe, etc). Jury 1. Alan Kingstone, Ph.D. <https://psych.ubc.ca/profile/alan-kingstone/>, Professor, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia. Canada. 2. Ander Ramos, Ph.D. <https://www.ramoslab.org/>, Head of the Neurorehabilitation Lab. University of Tübingen. Germany. 3. Dima Amso, Ph.D. <https://www.brown.edu/academics/cognitive-linguistic-psychological-sciences…>, Professor, Department of Psychology at Columbia University. USA. 4. Gernot Müller-Putz, Ph.D. <https://www.tugraz.at/institutes/ine/people/gernot-mueller-putz/>, Professor and Head of the Institute of Neural Engineering. Graz University of Technology. Austria. 5. Marco Congedo, Ph.D. <https://www.gipsa-lab.grenoble-inp.fr/page_pro.php?vid=518>, Charge de Research (CNRS), France. 6. Tad Brunye, Ph.D <https://ase.tufts.edu/psychology/spacelab/members.htm>., Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Tufts University; Senior Research Psychologist, Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center, USA. 7. Tiago Falk, Ph.D. <http://musaelab.ca/team-view/prof-tiago-h-falk/>, Associate Professor and Multimedia/Multimodal Signal Analysis and Enhancement (MuSAE) Laboratory. University of Toronto. Canada. Important Dates - Submission of applications: 21st September - Communication of the awards: 6th October - Contracts: 12th October - Equipment delivering: 20th December - Kick-off Meetings: 11th January More info here: https://www.bitbrain.com/call-for-projects-2020 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.bitbrain.com/call-for-projects-2020…>

Aug. 4, 2020

Bernstein Conference 2020 – registration now open

by a.dorrn＠fz-juelich.de

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. This year’s Bernstein Conference will take place September 29 - October 1, 2020 and will be held entirely online for the first time. It will be followed by the online Bernstein PhD Symposium on October 2, 2020. www.bernstein-conference.de<https://bit.ly/BC_online> ____ NEWS · Registration is now open: bit.ly/BC20_Registration<https://bit.ly/BC20_Registration> · Participation will be free of charge · Abstract submission deadline is approaching on August 21 Please find more information here: bit.ly/BC20abstracts<https://bit.ly/BC20abstracts> · Program for online Bernstein PhD symposium is now online: bit.ly/bc20_phd<https://bit.ly/bc20_phd> ____ INVITED SPEAKERS William Bialek (Princeton University, USA) Michael Brecht (Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany) Laura Busse (LMU Munich, Germany) Megan Carey (Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal) Rosa Cossart (Institut de neurobiologie de la méditerrané, Marseille, France) Ann Hermundstad (Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, USA) Roozbeh Kiani (New York University, New York City, USA) Vanessa Ruta (The Rockefeller University, New York City, USA) David Sussillo (Google AI, Mountain View, USA) Srdjan Ostojic (L'école normale supérieure, Paris, France) Fred Wolf (Max-Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany) ____ CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Udo Ernst (Conference Chair) Elad Schneidmann (Program Chair) Julijana Gjiorgjieva (Program Vice Chair) Tim Vogels (Workshop Chair) Marion Silies (Workshop Vice Chair) Henning Sprekeler (Conference Host) Danielle Bassett, Matthew Botvinick, Peter Dayan, Alain Destexhe, Tim Gollisch, Stephanie Palmer, Nathalie Rochefort, Nicole Rust, Gasper Tkacik ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aug. 4, 2020

3- or 4-yearpostdoc position available for analysis of large neural data

by Benjamin Dunn

Funded by the Norwegian Research Council, the available position is part of a collaborative project on personalized rehabilitation of stroke patients evaluated with multimodal quantitative tools (PROTEQT). The selected candidate can start as early as October 1st, 2020. She or he will be part of a research group focused on neural data science at the Department of Mathematics at NTNU. We have a wonderful group and surrounding community. Norway is lovely (especially now). This position is for the development of methods to analyze neural data -- in particular, to compare across subjects and describe changes as the underlying network develops (e.g. during recovery from a stroke). The main datasets are multimodal MRI, to be analyzed in collaboration with another postdoc and PhD student. There is also other data around and plenty of room for theoretical work. Email me at benjamin.dunn(a)ntnu.no if you have any questions. Please apply here: https://jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/190466/postdoctoral-fellowship-i… Note the deadline: August 20th Here are some publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hAjFjXkAAAAJ&hl=en And an example of something we are working on: https://youtu.be/Hlzqvde3h0M Thanks, Ben

Aug. 3, 2020

postdoc position in systems neuroscience: translational project to study sleep and memory

by Carmen Varela

*We are opening a postdoctoral position to investigate non-invasive approaches to enhance sleep oscillations and memory function in rats. *This translational project is part of a collaboration between the laboratories of Dr. Carmen Varela (Psychology Department, Florida Atlantic University, FAU; https://www.varelalab.org/) and Dr. Dara Manoach (Massachusetts General Hospital-Harvard Medical School). The project will be conducted at FAU and it will involve frequent interaction with collaborators in Boston. The postdoc will gain expertise in systems and translational neuroscience using electrophysiology (cell ensemble and LFP recording with high-density probes) and behavior in rodents, as well as expertise on the mechanisms underlying normal and disrupted sleep-dependent memory consolidation processes and the use of non-invasive technologies to regulate them. *Requirements:* PhD with experience in electrophysiology and rodent models; outstanding interpersonal skills and motivation to work in a collaborative environment. Experience with MATLAB (or other programming languages) preferred. Candidates selected for an interview will be asked to provide contact information for three references. *Anticipated start day in January 2021. * One year with possibility of extension. Interested applicants, please submit your curriculum to Carmen Varela: varelac(a)fau.edu FAU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veterans’ status or any other characteristic protected by law. Best, *Carmen Varela, Ph.D.* Assistant Professor Psychology Department Florida Atlantic University MC-19, room 106 Jupiter, FL 33458

Aug. 3, 2020

DeepMath 2020: call for abstracts

by Kamesh Krishnamurthy

Dear all, We are now accepting abstract submissions to the 2020 Conference on the mathematical theory of deep neural networks (DeepMath). DeepMath is a highly interdisciplinary conference focused on understand fundamental theory driving the empirical success of Deep Learning. We are excited for this year's diverse set of invited speakers (see https://deepmath-conference.com for more information) and invite additional contributions from the community. Due to ongoing concerns about Covid-19, this year’s DeepMath conference will be conducted virtually. We are presently working on finalizing an online format that will seek to capture the small, community-focused experience of past DeepMath events. Important updates related to submission and registration are included below: == Submissions == We are still accepting submissions for virtual “posters” consisting of a pre-recorded talk and Q&A session. Similarly to last year, a selected number of top posters will be invited to present their work live as contributed talks. == Registration == Participation in the conference will require registration costing a nominal fee. We are working to keep costs as low as we can given the online nature of the event. As with last year, all talks will be live-streamed for free. More information on submissions can be found at the DeepMath website at https://deepmath-conference.com/submissions Warmest regards, The DeepMath Organizing Committee

July 30, 2020

Postdoctoral position to study the neural circuit of social behavior

by Hong, Weizhe

The Hong Lab at UCLA (hong-lab.com) is looking for a new postdoc to study the neural circuit of social behavior in mice. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in systems and/or computational neuroscience. Social interactions between individuals and among groups are a hallmark of human society as we know it and are critical to the physical and mental health of a wide variety of species including humans. Impairment of social function is a prominent feature of many neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Nonetheless, many fundamental questions regarding the neural mechanisms underlying social behavior remain unanswered. The central goal of Weizhe Hong’s laboratory is to study general principles of how social behavior is regulated in the brain. We take a multi-disciplinary approach and uses a variety of experimental and computational technologies across molecular, circuit, and behavioral levels. We are interested in how neural dynamics regulates social behavioral decisions within a single brain as well as how emergent inter-brain neural properties arise from social interactions between individuals. For more information, please visit hong-lab.com. Recent publications: 1. Kingsbury L, Hong W. (2020) A multi-brain framework for social interaction. Trends in Neurosciences. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.06.008. (Review) 2. Kingsbury L, Huang S, Raam T, Ye LS, Wei D, Hu R, Ye L, Hong W. (2020) Cortical representations of conspecific sex shape social behavior. Neuron. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.06.020. 3. Chen PB, Hu RK, Wu YE, Pan L, Huang S, Micevych PE, Hong W. (2019) Sexually dimorphic control of parenting behavior by the medial amygdala. Cell. 176, 1206-1221. 4. Kingsbury L, Huang S, Wang J, Gu K, Golshani P, Wu YE, Hong W. (2019) Correlated neural activity and encoding of behavior across brains of socially interacting animals. Cell. 178, 429-446. 5. Chen P, Hong W. (2018) Neural circuit mechanisms of social behavior. Neuron. 98, 16-30. (Review) 6. Wu YE, Pan L, Zuo Y, Li X, Hong W. (2017) Detecting activated cell populations using single-cell RNA-seq. Neuron. 96, 313-329. -- Weizhe Hong, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Biological Chemistry Department of Neurobiology David Geffen School of Medicine University of California, Los Angeles Graduate Program Affiliations: Neuroscience PhD Program at UCLA Bioengineering PhD Program at UCLA Bioinformatics PhD Program at UCLA Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology PhD Program at UCLA ________________________________ 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.

July 30, 2020

Online tutorial on Brian simulator: Aug 7th, 2-6pm BST

by Dan Goodman

The Brian team will be running an online tutorial for Brian on August 7th, 2-6pm BST (=UTC+1). Please do come along or get your students/postdocs to come along. Registration is required but free (to prevent zoombombing), at the link below: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brian-online-tutorial-tickets-115336320038 You'll get an email with a link to an 'event details' page with the Zoom URL. Please don't share this online to help prevent zoombombing. This is an experiment for us, if it's successful we might turn it into a regular thing. For the moment, the content of the tutorial is not decided. Have your say here: https://twitter.com/neuralreckoning/status/1288768229591207938 And, if you're an experienced Brian user and would like to volunteer to help - get in touch! Thanks, Dan

July 30, 2020

Lecture video about brain mechanisms that cause mental disorders

by Grossberg, Stephen

Dear Colleagues, I gave a pre-recorded keynote lecture on Zoom to the World Congress on Computational Intelligence on July 22 about how particular brain dysfunctions can cause symptoms of mental disorders like Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and neglect: http://sites.bu.edu/steveg/files/2020/07/Grossberg-WCCI-keynote-Glasgow-vid… The lecture can also be found on my web page sites.bu.edu/steveg along with a pdf of its powerpoint slides. Best, Steve Grossberg Stephen Grossberg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Grossberg http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3BIV70wAAAAJ&hl=en https://youtu.be/9n5AnvFur7I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hBye6JQCh4 Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems Director, Center for Adaptive Systems Professor Emeritus of Mathematics & Statistics, Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering Boston University sites.bu.edu/steveg steve(a)bu.edu

July 29, 2020

PhD position in network neuroscience at University of Sussex

by Luc Berthouze

Applications are invited for a fully-funded PhD scholarship to undertake research in network neuroscience at the University of Sussex. A number of conditions, such as Parkinson’s Disease, are referred to as ‘oscillopathies’ because there is evidence that some of their major symptoms are underpinned by pathological synchronisation of neurons in key networks. A promising form of treatment is that of online control of deep brain stimulation based on computational processing of brain signals. Therefore, new mathematical insights about how to detect and efficiently disrupt pathological processes can be rapidly translated to patient benefit. Using models of oscillations on networks, this project will seek to investigate the conditions (either on the oscillators themselves, or the connectivity, or factors that may frustrate the interplay between dynamics on and dynamics of the network) under which pathological oscillations in one small area of the brain can intermittently or otherwise ‘infect’ the wider network of the brain causing the pathological symptoms. This project will involve an active collaboration with Dr Simon Farmer at University College London (UCL). This 3-year studentship includes student fees and a tax-free stipend starting at £15,285 per annum. It also comes with a generous Research Training Support Grant. Start date is flexible. Eligibility All nationalities are eligible to apply for this studentship. You should have a first-class honour degree or equivalent, or an MSc degree (preferably), in Computer Science, Mathematics or Physics (or relevant disciplines). You will have (and enjoy using) strong analytical skills as well as excellent programming skills in at least one of C++, Python, Matlab. Applicants interested in the post, seeking further information or feedback on their suitability are encouraged to contact me. All applications must be made via http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/phd/apply where you will find details of entry requirements. Please clearly state on your application form that you are applying for 'Dynamics on/of networks and oscillopathies'. Luc Berthouze Professor of Complex Systems University of Sussex

July 29, 2020

2020 Big Data Neuroscience *free* Workshop Invitation

by Franco Pestilli

Dear All. We are organizing the 2020 Big Data Neuroscience workshop as an online event. It will be a 1-day event with 4 keynote speakers, software demos, and a series of lightning talks. http://neurosciencenetwork.org/ACNN_Workshop_2020.html We would like to invite you to register for the FREE event and consider signing up for a lighting talk. You are welcome to share this announcement broadly. Best regards, Franco *FRANCO PESTILLI*, *Ph.D.* | *Associate Professor* he/him | pestilli(a)utexas.edu | web <https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/fp4834> | github <https://github.com/francopestilli> | brainlife.io

July 29, 2020

postdoc position in model-based fMRI at Harvard (Gershman/Buckner labs)

by Sam Gershman

The Gershman (gershmanlab.webfactional.com) and Buckner ( https://cnl.rc.fas.harvard.edu/) labs at Harvard University are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on a longitudinal functional MRI project. The aim of this project is to understand how computationally defined phenotypes change across time, and how these changes map onto dynamic functional networks in the human brain. Candidates must have a strong background in fMRI research and statistical analysis. Experience with computational cognitive modeling is preferred but not required. The start date for this position is on or around February 1, 2021, but this can be flexibly adjusted as needed. The position is fully funded for 2 years, with a possible extension to a 3rd year contingent on funding. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law. Interested applicants should contact Sam Gershman (gershman(a)fas.harvard.edu) along with a CV and list of references.

July 29, 2020

Tenure-track / tenure-eligible computational neuroscience PI position at NIMH

by Atlas, Lauren (NIH/NCCIH) [E]

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/careers/job-vacancy-announcement-tenure-trac… Job Vacancy Announcement - Tenure-Track/Tenure Eligible Investigator, Computational Neuroscientist Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health Division of Intramural Research Programs Tenure-Track/Tenure Eligible Investigator Computational Neuroscientist The Division of Intramural Research Programs (DIRP) of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), invites outstanding individuals to apply for a tenure-track/tenure eligible position in computational neuroscience. The NIMH DIRP has one of the largest systems and clinical neuroscience research communities in the world. Research groups work across species including drosophila, mice, rats, monkeys and humans. Facilities include a state-of-the-art high-performance computing facility as well as a rodent behavior core and high-field neuroimaging. The DIRP is a highly interactive research environment, and there are numerous opportunities for collaborative research within NIMH as well as with the broader NIH community. The successful individual will create and direct an independent research program on theoretical models of brain mechanisms of behavior. Example areas of research include but are not limited to -- reinforcement learning; decision making; theoretical accounts of neuromodulatory systems including dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine; nonlinear dynamical systems; and neural plasticity and learning. We are particularly interested in individuals who have a demonstrated interest in computational psychiatry, developing models of human psychopathology, and collaborations with clinical groups focused on mental illness within the DIRP and broader research community. Research programs should focus on theory development but may also include experimental work that tests theoretical models. The unique investigator-based DIRP research support package encourages the development of a coherent, long time-horizon scientific program focused on generating deep insights into complex problems. Candidates must have earned a Ph.D. or M.D. and will have demonstrated experience as an outstanding independent investigator. An individual selected for the position is expected to build a dynamic and productive research laboratory, mentor and train scientists, and make use of the excellent opportunities for collaborative, translational, and high-risk/high-reward science available at the NIH. Laboratory space and startup funds, access to shared research facilities, and on-going research support are competitive with premier academic institutions. Salary is commensurate with experience and accomplishments and a full Civil Service package of benefits (including retirement, health, life and long-term care insurance, and a Thrift Savings Plan) is available. Applicants should send a curriculum vitae (CV), bibliography, statement of research interests, and three letters of reference to: Susan G. Amara, Ph.D., National Institute of Mental Health, c/o Jane Schriver via email to Jane.Schriver(a)nih.gov<mailto:Jane.Schriver@nih.gov>, indicating “ Computational Neuroscientist Recruit” in the subject line. Please include in your CV a description of your mentoring and outreach activities, especially those involving women and persons from racial/ethnic or other groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research. Applications will begin to be reviewed in August 2020 and continue until the position is filled.

July 28, 2020

Postdoctoral researcher - Sleep expert for neurotechnology research project at Bitbrain (Zaragoza, Spain)

by Eduardo López-Larraz

We are looking for a postdoctoral sleep researcher to join Bitbrain <https://www.bitbrain.com/> and work on an EU-funded neurotechnology research project. The main objective will be to exploit some of the most recent advances in sleep research to develop interventions based on cutting-edge wearable neurotechnology for sleep (and sleep-mediated cognitive processes) improvement. The candidate will join Bitbrain <https://www.bitbrain.com/>’s interdisciplinary R&D department of applied neuroscience and neurotechnology and will lead all the R&D activities related to sleep. The candidate will have to: 1) design the R&D strategy of this new area in the company, which will require attending and participating in international events and networks, and 2) design and carry out a feasibility study in sleep improvement using innovative and practical technologies that can be used outside the lab. The position is initially offered for 12 months and includes a relocation and training package. *Requirements*: Sleep expert with a PhD degree in Neuroscience, Psychology, Biomedical Engineering or similar. Strong background in sleep research, understanding of EEG (required) and brain stimulation (desirable). Project management skills. Problem solving and potential of growth. English is required, Spanish is a plus. *Application Deadline*: 01.11.2020 More information and application procedure: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/545040

July 28, 2020

Register now for Allen Institute Modeling Workshop - August 12-14

by Anton Arkhipov

TOWARDS MULTIPURPOSE MODELS OF CORTICAL CIRCUITS - JOIN US VIRTUALLY AUGUST 12-14 Join us for a virtual workshop, August 12-14, 2020, to learn and discuss how we can move towards "multipurpose models" that incorporate the true biological complexity of cortical circuits and faithfully reproduce multiple observables in many different situations. Hear from nearly twenty speakers as they emphasize open and publicly accessible models and associated tools to explore models from the conceptual to the biologically detailed. Dissemination, reproducibility, and free sharing of models and modeling software will be discussed. https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/events-training/allen-i… Confirmed Speakers: Gaute Einevoll, University of Oslo & NMBU (Workshop Co-Chair) Anton Arkhipov, Allen Institute, MindScope Program (Workshop Co-Chair) Shawn Olsen, Allen Institute, MindScope Program Anna Devor, Boston University Keith Hengen, Washington University in St. Louis Terry Sejnowski, Salk Institute for Biological Studies Andreas Tolias, Baylor College of Medicine Clay Reid, M.D., Allen Institute for Brain Science Nuno da Costa, Allen Institute for Brain Science Stephanie Jones, Brown University Michael Reimann, EPFL Li-Huei Tsai, MIT David McCormick, University of Oregon Sacha van Albada, Research Centre Jülich Stefan Mihalas, Allen Institute, MindScope Program Greg Handy, University of Pittsburgh Luke Campagnola, Allen Institute for Brain Science Chris Harvey, Harvard Medical School Christof Koch, Allen Institute, MindScope Program EVENT DETAILS This three-day workshop will be hosted virtually and will feature a mix of presentations from leaders in the field, and discussion sessions for all participants. Wednesday, August 12 - Friday, August 14 ~8:00 am - 12:00 pm Pacific Time, daily Please register at the link above. The virtual conference login information will be sent to all registrants in advance of the event. Please contact events(a)alleninstitute.org<mailto:events@alleninstitute.org> with any questions. Anton Arkhipov Associate Investigator T: 206.548.8414 [cidimage001.png(a)01D5F0E2.E3F24C00] www.alleninstitute.org<https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alleni…>

July 27, 2020

Applications for prestigious La Caixa Junior Leader Fellowships

by Serafim Rodrigues

To experienced postdocs, We are looking for candidates who have an interest in being hosted within our research group Mathematical, Computational and Experimental Neuroscience (MCEN) at BCAM (Basque Centre for Applied Mathematics): http://www.bcamath.org/en/ The La Caixa Foundation has announced 45 very competitive Junior Leader Fellowships.The Postdoctoral Junior Leader fellowships programme is aimed at hiring excellent researchers, of any nationality, who wish to continue their research career in Spain or Portugal in the STEM area (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The objectives of this programme are to foster high-quality, innovative research in Spain and Portugal and to support the best scientific talent by providing them with an attractive, competitive environment in which to conduct excellent research. The fellows can carry their research at any university or research centre in Spain or Portugal. For details please refer to the links below: https://fundacionlacaixa.org/en/investigacion-y-becas/becas-de-la-caixa/pos… Programme Rules: https://fundacionlacaixa.org/documents/10280/675659/programme-rules-junior-… If you are interested, please contact: srodrigues(a)bcamath.org regards Serafim -- Serafim Rodrigues Group Leader *BCAM - *Basque Center for Applied Mathematics Alameda de Mazarredo, 14 E-48009 Bilbao, Basque Country - Spain Tel. +34 946 567 842 srodrigues(a)bcamath.org | www.bcamath.org/srodrigues *(**matematika mugaz bestalde)*

July 27, 2020

2 postoc positions

by German Sumbre

July 27, 2020

Open Position Computational Neuroscientist / Algorithm Engineer (100%) at MaxWell Biosystems

by david.jaeckel＠mxwbio.com

Dear all I would like to announce the following open position at MaxWell Biosystems AG in Zürich, Switzerland: Computational Neuroscientist / Algorithm Engineer (100%) Our technology, which consists of a custom designed integrated circuit, an FPGA-based data acquisition platform and our software suite MaxLab Live, generates vast amounts of data while electrically imaging neuronal tissue. Such data needs to be processed, analyzed and visualized online during operation. At the same time, our customers in drug discovery and neuroscience want to focus on their pharmaceutical and scientific questions, which requires to abstract and hide most of the technical complexity, while still providing sufficient flexibility to adapt the application to specific needs. We are constantly innovating and improving algorithms to extract novel and more accurate multiparametric electrophysiology metrics, which enable faster and more reliable drug discovery. To strengthen our R&D team and to drive and implement this challenging task, we are now seeking for a highly motivated computational neuroscientist. Your Responsibilities * Develop and support our performance critical data acquisition and analysis software platform * Contribute to our Python toolboxes for data analysis and visualization * Develop and validate analysis methods to extract multiparametric electrophysiology metrics * Understand customer needs and continuously improve user experience Your Profile * PhD in computational neuroscience or related (awarded after December 31st, 2016) * Proven strong scientific achievements in the form of first-author peer-reviewed publications in computational neuroscience or related * Strong experience in Python and competency working in a Linux/Unix environment * Proficiency in other languages, e.g., R, MATLAB, C++ is a plus * Knowledge of neuron physiology and electrophysiology * Proficiency in multiparametric pharmacological assays is a plus * Experience in microelectrode array (MEA) technology data analysis is a plus * Skilled in analysis of large-scale dataset * Enjoy solving complex problems and working in a team * Excellent English language skills * The applicant must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity for more than a total of 12 months over the last three years in Switzerland Are you motivated, innovative and committed to delivering first-rate performance? Have you ever wanted to work with cutting-edge technology involving both engineering and biology? Do you enjoy working in an international, multidisciplinary, and interactive team? Then we might have a position for you. Join MaxWell Biosystems in innovating the future of electrophysiology for drug discovery and basic research. Michele Fiscella looks forward to receiving your application documents (cover letter, resume, letter of recommendation and degrees including transcripts) by email at <mailto:hr@mxwbio.com> hr(a)mxwbio.com. - Best Regards, David -- David Jäckel Ph.D. | Senior Product Manager MaxWell Biosystems AG | Albisriederstrasse 253 | CH-8047 Zurich | Switzerland main: +41 44 244 24 24 | direct: +41 44 244 24 16 | <https://mxwbio-ch.3cx.net/join/davidjaeckel> click2meet e: <mailto:%20david.jaeckel@mxwbio.com> david.jaeckel(a)mxwbio.com | w: <http://www.mxwbio.com/> www.mxwbio.com Meet us | at <https://www.isscr.org/meetings-events/annual-meetings/isscr-annual-meeting-…> ISSCR, Boston, USA, Jun 24 – 27 | at <http://www.isscr.org/meetings-events/international-symposia/shanghai-2020-s…> ISSCR Symp., Shanghai, China, Sep 11 – 13 | at <https://www.safetypharmacology.org/AM2020/index.asp> SPS 2020, Montreal, Canada, Sep 14 – 16 Follow us on <https://twitter.com/mxwbio> Twitter and <https://www.linkedin.com/company/maxwell-biosystems> LinkedIn The information contained in this email and any attached files is legally privileged and confidential intended only for the use of the addressee. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender and promptly delete this email and any attachments. Thank you.

July 27, 2020

PhD position in theoretical and experimental neuroscience

by Nicolas P. Rougier

PhD position in theoretical and experimental neuroscience Application deadline: 15/08/2020 What: PhD position in theoretical and experimental neuroscience Where: Bordeaux, France When: October 2020 (3 years duration) Who: Nicolas Rougier (Inria) & Arthur Leblois (CNRS) A PhD position is available at Inria Bordeaux Sud-Ouest center and the Institute of Neurodegenerative Disease in Bordeaux, France. Candidate profile ================= The future PhD candidate must have a strong experience at both the theoretical and experimental level. In particular, the following qualities and skills will be highly valued, if not required: * Solid bases in maths and/or physics; * Previous experience in experimental neuroscience; * Programming experience (Python or similar coding language); * Experience in machine learning or data mining is a plus; * Good English reading/speaking skills. How to apply ============ Please send your application (CV, letter of motivation, and the names and email addresses of one or two persons who can provide recommendation letters) to Dr. Nicolas Rougier (nicolas.rougier(a)inria.fr) and Arthur Leblois (arthur.leblois(a)u-bordeaux.fr) before the 15/08/2020. Proposed research ================= Temporally precise movement patterns underlie many motor skills and innate actions, yet the origin of temporal control in motor behaviors remains unclear. While cortical motor regions traditionally have been viewed as encoding features of motor gestures, these models do not address how sequences of motor gestures are produced or appropriately timed. Recently, a number of studies have suggested that, beyond just representing features of motor output, motor regions may have intrinsic oscillatory dynamics or sequential dynamics to act as their own pattern generators. However, in the order of milliseconds, the neural and anatomical correlates of time processing are still largely unknown because the dominant model, which is based on internal clock fails at giving account on experimental data. Understanding the neural dynamics underlying the acquisition and performance of complex sensorimotor tasks has been hindered by the complexity of the underlying brain networks in common animal models used in neuroscience (e.g. rodents or primates). In particular, the complex interactions between cortical areas (primary and secondary motor cortex in rodents, motor, premotor and supplementary motor areas in primates) related to many different sensorimotor associations and motor skills is daunting. Conversely, in birds, the sensorimotor skill of song production and its learning has a dedicated set of interconnected brain nuclei known as the “song system”, making them an outstanding model to study the neural mechanisms of vocal learning and more generally, of sensorimotor learning. Songbirds indeed rely on learned vocalizations to communicate during courtship or aggressive behaviours. Just as speech learning in humans, vocal learning in young birds requires the coordination of vocal muscles to reproduce previously experienced adult vocalizations. Song learning is also limited to a critical period during development and heavily relies on auditory feedback. The proposed research lies at the interface of neurophysiology, cognitive science, applied mathematics, and theoretical physics. The concepts and methods that will be used will draw on single neuron physiology, electrophysiological studies in behaving animals, statistical mechanics, dynamical system theory, and stochastic differential equations. To this end, we will combine a theoretical approach (development of a mathematical model of the timing system) and an experimental one (chronic neural recording in awake birds, behavioural manipulations). Therefore, a collaboration with a team of physiologists at the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases, and in particular with Arthur Leblois who has a long-established expertise in the neural mechanisms underlying vocal learning in songbirds. The model will be designed under the supervision of Nicolas Rougier who has extensive experience in computational modelling. Predictions of the model will then be tested experimentally by measuring neuronal activity in the brain areas controlling song timing in songbirds under the supervision of Arthur Leblois. Chronic electrophysiological recordings in singing birds are routinely performed in the lab of Arthur Leblois, and will be implemented in a protocol allowing the induction of plasticity in the duration of song syllables in young adult birds over short periods of time.

July 24, 2020

PhD position: stimulation of the visual cortex

by Pieter Roelfsema

The Vision & cognition group (Roelfsema lab) at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience has an exciting opportunity for a PhD student position to investigate circuit mechanisms of brain stimulation and its perception Project description Circuit mechanisms of brain stimulation and its perception The rapidly emerging field of neurotechnology is bringing a surge of new technological possibilities for transferring information to the brain for patients with neurological disabilities. To successfully apply these technological advances to clinical applications, a deep understanding of stimulation-based information transfer and its processing at the level of neurons and neuronal circuits is essential. In this project, we will combine novel intracortical neural interfaces devices with electrical microstimulation, optical stimulation, 2-photon calcium imaging, electrophysiology, and behavior to investigate this in the mouse visual cortex. Ultimately, we aim to develop next-generation intracortical stimulation strategies for high-fidelity information transfer into the visual cortex for a visual prosthesis. We expect from you: You are a highly motivated, self-driven candidate. You have an MSc degree (or equivalent) in neuroscience or a related discipline; or an MSc degree in a quantitative discipline (e.g. physics/biophysics, mathematics, engineering) with strong interest and experience in neuroscience. A high level of written and spoken English and good programming skills are essential. An ideal candidate would additionally possess practical experience in collecting and analyzing neurophysiological data from awake, behaving animals. You should expect from us: • Mentoring, supervision and training • Access to state-of-the art infrastructure • A stimulating international research environment Environment The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (www.nin.nl) is the country’s leading fundamental neuroscience research institute, in the international and progressive city of Amsterdam. It provides a critical mass of scientists (spanning more than 27 nationalities) and neuroscience facilities, in a highly interactive, dynamic, multi-cultural environment, with English as the working language. Appointment We offer an exciting job at a dynamic research institute and an attractive package of fringe benefits. The position is for a period of 4 years in total for a PhD student. The first appointment is for one year with the option for an extension for the remaining period pending on an evaluation. Salary The salary will be commensurate with experience and institutional guidelines based on the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities; CAO NU). Full-time monthly salary for a PhD student is € 2.395,- in the 1st year to € 3.061,- in the 4th year before taxes. In addition, an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus are provided. We offer travel expenses, paid parental leave, flexible working hours, 30 days paid leave per year and assistance in finding an accommodation. Starting date The position is available from September 2020, but the starting date can be later. To apply Please send your application to s.wolff(a)nin.knaw.nl including: 1. A Curriculum Vitae 2. An application letter 3. Two reference letters Evaluation of candidates will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. We aim to fill the position in the autumn of 2020. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, etc. Any acquisition further to this advertisement will not be appreciated.

July 22, 2020

Virtual Telluride Neuromorphic Engineering Workshop Postponed (Aug 3-7)

by Emre Neftci

Dear all, The Virtual Telluride Neuromorphic Engineering Workshop has been postponed to Aug 3-7 (8am to 10am PDT, or 17:00 to 19:00 CET) due to conflicts with other workshops. Please visit the website for more information (https://sites.google.com/view/telluride2020/home) Regards, The Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering 2020 (Virtual) Organizing Team On Mon, Jul 6, 2020, at 20:04, Emre Neftci wrote: > We are happy to announce a Virtual Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition > Engineering Workshop 2020 (https://tellurideneuromorphic.org/) this > year in replacement of our usual Workshop in Telluride. The workshop > will take place from July 27 to July 31 (8am to 10am PDT, or 17:00 to > 19:00 CET). > > The format will be a week of lectures and tutorials on current topics > in neuromorphic engineering (two hours per day) followed by four > hands-on, collaborative challenges which will be carried out in the > month of August. The results of the challenges will be presented on > September 10 and 11. > > More up-to-date information on the list of speakers and the challenges > can be found at the 2020 Neuromorphic Workshop website > (https://sites.google.com/view/telluride2020/home) The workshop is > free to attend and is open to everyone upon registration. > > Please pass this announcement to other interested parties. > > Regards, > > The Telluride Neuromorphic Cognition Engineering 2020 Organizing Committee > > -- > 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 -- 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

July 22, 2020

[BCI-UC] Final program online

by Moritz Grosse-Wentrup

Dear colleagues: The final program of the 1st BCI Un-Conference is now online: https://bciunconference.univie.ac.at/program/ In addition to the keynotes by Mariska J Vansteensel and Christian Herff, the BCI-UC features nine contributed talks. These talks were selected from 31 submissions by 190 registered participants casting a total of 427 votes. All lectures will be streamed free of charge via Crowdcast this Thursday, July 23rd, from 3 pm to 9:15 pm (CEST) under the following URL: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/1st-brain-computer-interface-unconference/ If you would like to receive future updates about the BCI-UC series, please sign up to the mailing list: https://lists.univie.ac.at/mailman/listinfo/bciuc You are very welcome to also use this mailing list for any announcements that are of interest to the BCI community at large. Best regards, The BCI-UC Organizing Committee: Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Anja Meunier Philipp Raggam Anita Resch Jiachen Xu -- 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/

July 21, 2020

Post-doc position: Visual control

by Fajen, Brett

Please post the job ad below on the computational neuroscience email list. POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE VISUAL CONTROL IN HUMANS AND AERIAL ROBOTS Cognitive Science Department Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute A post-doctoral position is available in the Perception and Action (PandA) Lab at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to study optic flow-based control. The aims of the project are to develop computational and mathematical models of visual perception and control in humans and adapt these models for use on board small aerial robots. The successful candidate will be expected to conduct experiments, develop models, and present research at conferences and in journal articles. This is a one-year position with an anticipated start date in September 2020. The position could be extended beyond one year depending on performance and availability of funding. The PI’s lab is situated within the Cognitive Science Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. Minimum qualifications Candidates for the position must have a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Psychology, or a related field. All degree requirements must be completed by the time the appointment starts. In addition, candidates should have research experience in vision science, a strong quantitative background, and good programming skills. Experience with virtual reality, motion capture, and/or eye tracking is also desirable, although not required. Application information Please contact Brett Fajen at fajenb[at]rpi.edu for information about the application process or with any questions about the position. We welcome candidates who will bring diverse intellectual, geographical, gender and ethnic perspectives to Rensselaer’s work and campus communities. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity, Race/Gender/Veterans/Disability Employer.

July 21, 2020

Postdoc position at International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN), the University of Tokyo

by Yukie Nagai

Dear colleagues, Nagai, Yazaki and Tsuji labs at the International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN), the University of Tokyo are seeking a postdoctoral candidate for the transdisciplinary project “The Development of Social Intelligence”. The goal of this project is to identify the neuronal and biological basis of social effects on learning. The successful candidate will be involved in developing experiments in songbirds and human infants in interaction with robots, including the recording and analysis of behavioral, auditory, and physiological measures. The candidate will primarily be supervised by Dr. Nagai, and co-supervised by Dr. Yazaki and Dr. Tsuji. https://ircn.jp/en/careers/20200720-socialintelligence If you are interested in being considered, please send the required documents to yukie(a)ircn.jp. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Job title Project Researcher (Postdoctoral Fellow) 2. Starting Date Negotiable 3. Term The first contract will be ended on March 31, 2021. The contract is renewable on a fiscal year basis (from April 1 to March 31; every year) according to research budget, research activity, and research achievements. Contract can be extended for up to 3 years. 4. Place of Work International Research Center for Neurointelligence The University of Tokyo, Institutes for Advanced Study 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo, 113-0033 JAPAN *This can be changed due to work circumstances. 5. Qualifications (Required) - Ph.D. or equivalent in a related field - Good communication skill in English (Preferred) - Experiences in computer science, cognitive science, neuroscience, and/or psychology will be preferred. 6. Compensation & Benefits - Salary: To be determined in accordance with the University of Tokyo Regulations - Commuter allowance: JPY55,000 per month at maximum - Social Insurance: Eligible for MEXT Mutual Aid Association membership, employees’ pension, employment insurance, and workers’ accident compensation insurance. - Vacation: Annual paid vacation, Sick leave (paid), Special vacation (paid) 7. Working Hours Discretionary labor system, based on 7 hours, 45 minutes per day, or 38 hours 45 minutes per week 8. Holidays Saturdays and Sundays; Statutory public holidays of Japan; Year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 through January 3); Summer holidays 9. Applications and Selection Process - Applications deadline: When the position is filled - Application documents: (a) Cover letter in English (b) Curriculum vita in English (c) Publication list (d) Name and contact address for two references, one of which should be a previous employer - Submission: Interested applicants should send application materials to: yukie(a)ircn.jp with a subject "Application for Project Researcher in Social Intelligence”. - Selection Process: All applications will be screened, and only those qualified will be scheduled for an interview. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- — Yukie Nagai, Ph.D. Project Professor, The University of Tokyo nagai.yukie(a)mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp | http://developmental-robotics.jp CREST Cognitive Mirroring: http://cognitive-mirroring.org

July 21, 2020

International Brain Laboratory postdoc position at UCLA

by Hannah M Bayer

The Churchland lab at UCLA has an opening for a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscience who will be part of the International Brain Laboratory (IBL). The IBL (https://www.internationalbrainlab.com/) is a large-scale international collaboration in brain research, which combines the efforts of approximately 50 scientists in 22 laboratories toward understanding the brain-wide basis of a complex behavior. Now in its third year, the IBL has already achieved standardization and replication of the mouse behavioral paradigm across labs and the effort to map the entire mouse brain at single neuron resolution is now underway. Postdocs in the IBL contribute to collecting datasets and building collaborative infrastructure in addition to developing and leading their own personal projects, which are accelerated and enhanced by taking advantage of the IBL experimental and computational tools and by mentoring from the other members of the collaboration. It is expected therefore that IBL postdocs will publish multiple impactful first-author papers in addition to being part of consortium-wide papers. For more information about the advantages of postdoctoral research at IBL, see www.internationalbrainlab.com/postdocs/. The ideal candidate for this position has experience in rodent physiology experiments and in data analysis (ideally using Python). They will have a record of rigorous and creative scientific work, and are excited about the possibility of joining a large, innovative collaboration at the forefront of modern neuroscience. The International Brain Laboratory is committed to opposing all forms of discrimination, raising awareness and tackling the causes and consequences of discrimination. We pledge to provide a learning and working environment in which the rights and dignity of all members are respected and which is free from discrimination, prejudice, intimidation and all forms of harassment including bullying; to making a diverse mix of talented people feel valued, motivated and enabled to do their best work; and to creating a safe, welcoming working environment accessible to all. We encourage individuals who will contribute to achieving these aims to apply. Please send CV and cover letter to Anne.Churchland(a)internationalbrainlab.org

July 20, 2020

The Annual BiasWatchNeuro Award for Equity and Inclusivity

by Bias WatchNeuro

We wanted to let you know of this new award, for a department/institute/program that is making special (and effective) efforts to ensure inclusivity and equity for trainees from minoritized and historically marginalized group. We hope you will circulate the below call for nomination among trainees in your department. Letters of nomination are due by end of August, for a September award date (in time for graduate recruiting season). Even if your department does not win this year, letters of nomination for the winning departments will be made public, so other departments can learn and copy their best practices. We are looking forward to a day where all neuroscientists feel welcome and supported in any university. The call for nominations is below, and also at https://biaswatchneuro.com/bwn-award/. > Call for nominations The Annual BiasWatchNeuro Award for Equity and Inclusivity > > Diverse voices and ideas deserve to be heard equitably in science. Since > 2015, BiasWatchNeuro has worked to increase the representation of women in > neuroscience and related fields, emphasizing in particular the > representation of women as invited speakers at conferences. However, women > are not the only group that is confronted with implicit biases and systemic > obstacles in science. Minoritized groups are severely underrepresented at > every level of the academic career path — from undergraduate education to > faculty. Attempts to diversify departments have increased, but the reality > is that many universities and institutions still embody and perpetuate both > the historical influence of being established by men of privilege, and the > persisting effects of systemic racism in our society. Even as more diverse > student bodies are recruited, the culture in many departments and > institutions is not welcoming to and supportive of those that belong to > minoritized groups. Intersectionality adds another layer of disadvantage, > with minoritized women being especially underrepresented and unsupported. > > It is time to change this reality and build a new one, in our departments > and institutions. Black scientists matter. Latinx scientists matter. > LGBTQAI+ scientists matter. First generation scientists matter. Low income > scientists matter. Intersectionality matters. > > BiasWatchNeuro is excited to announce a new Annual Award for Equity and > Inclusivity, awarded to a neuroscience or neuroscience-related department, > institute or program that demonstrates the exceptional creation of a > culture where individuals underrepresented and/or marginalized in STEM feel > integral to the community and thrive. > > We recognize that no department/institute/program is perfect. However, > some are doing much better than others, and should be recognized for this. > Nomination letters for winners and runner ups will be made public (without > the list of signatories, which will remain confidential), to showcase > successful methods for creating an inclusive and equitable culture, and to > provide prospective trainees at all levels with information that can inform > their decisions of where to apply to. We hope that this will help us all > improve our practices and move toward a day in which all neuroscientists > feel seen, respected, and supported. > > Nominations for the 2020 award will be accepted through *August 31, 2020*. Awards > will be announced in September. > > Letter of nomination signed by one or more trainees (current and/or > alumni; including post-bacc/RAs; faculty cannot nominate their current > program) should be sent to biaswatchneuro(a)gmail.com. Letters should > describe in detail specific actions and elements that promote inclusivity > and equity, and their impact on underrepresented/marginalized groups. More > than one letter and/or letters with multiple signatories will be viewed > favorably. > Sincerely, The BiasWatchNeuro team ----------------------------------------------------- Please feel free to send conferences and meetings our way by filling out this <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5ydak4RqHyrVU2BGc17T_SXsFiYB9j_Y…> form. For more information: www.biaswatchneuro.com

July 20, 2020

Invitation for papers submission to In Silico Pharmacology

by boris gutkin

On behalf of the In Silico Pharmacology (Springer) editorial board, we would like to invite papers at the interface between computational neuroscience, artificial intelligence, machine learning and neuropharmacology. In Silico Pharmacology provides a forum for peer-reviewed research articles at the cross-roads of computation, neuroscience, pharmacology and toxicology. It is anticipated that all computational and experimental approaches are represented within In Silico Pharmacology. The journal primarily publishes interdisciplinary papers that address computational approaches in multi-scale analysis of bioactive substances from the cellular up to behavioral level as well as drug-design. The journal especially encourages deterministic and stochastic modeling of biological (e.g., biochemical, biophysical and immunological) processes leading to therapeutic advancements, as well as mathematical methods characterizing the pharmacology of substances within the living organism. Papers investigating substance- or material-induced morphological and genetic alterations are also welcome. More information can be found at the journal website: https://www.springer.com/journal/40203/

July 20, 2020

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh

by CHADWICK Angus

Applications are invited for a fully-funded 3 year PhD studentship in Computational Neuroscience with Dr. Angus Chadwick at the Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation in the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh. Applicants should hold, or be close to completion of, an undergraduate or masters degree in physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, or a related subject, and be interested in applying their analytical skills to tackle problems in neuroscience. Highly motivated students with other backgrounds may also apply. Research in our group focuses on the neural circuit computations underlying perceptual and cognitive function, with a focus on vision and spatial navigation. We use a combination of approaches, including 1) analysis and simulation of biological neural networks, 2) development of novel data analytic methods for large-scale neural recordings, and 3) normative models of neural circuit function informed by machine learning and artificial intelligence. Typical techniques used include dynamical systems theory, statistical physics, signal processing and machine learning. We collaborate closely with experimental neuroscience laboratories both in Edinburgh and further afield. A number of projects are available, and there is flexibility to develop a project to suit the interests and skills of the candidate. Edinburgh is a vibrant and international city with a large student population, and has been voted as “best place to live in Britain”. The School of Informatics hosts an internationally-leading research environment in Computational Neuroscience, Machine Learning and Robotics, with close links to the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. Applicants should email Dr. Angus Chadwick directly at angus.chadwick(a)ed.ac.uk with their CV and a brief statement of interest, or for informal enquiries and discussion. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. The start date for the position is flexible (with earliest possible start September 2020). The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

July 20, 2020

Release of CARLsim5 - Latest version of our GPU-accelerated Spiking Neural Network Simulator

by Jeffrey Krichmar

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the release of CARLsim5. CARLsim is an efficient, easy-to-use, GPU-accelerated library for simulating large-scale spiking neural network (SNN) models with a high degree of biological detail. CARLsim allows execution of networks of Izhikevich spiking neurons with realistic synaptic dynamics on both generic x86 CPUs and standard off-the-shelf GPUs. The simulator provides an intuitive programming interface in C/C++, which allows for details and parameters to be specified at the synapse, neuron, and network level. The new release has a python frontend that is compatible with PyNN. Software and user documentation can be found at: https://github.com/UCI-CARL/CARLsim5 New and improved features in CARLsim5 include: · PyNN compatibility · Neuron monitor for observing the voltage and current traces of individual neurons · Improved installation for the Evolutionary Computations in Java (ECJ) interface (coming soon) · Docker images for Windows users and computer cluster users · Saving and loading simulations For those interested in the pyCARL interface, our IJCNN paper will be presented at the Plenary Poster Session I-P7: Spiking Neural Networks, Tuesday, July 21, 2:30PM-4:30PM GMT+1), IJCNN Poster Room 1: P1317 PyCARL: A PyNN Interface for Hardware-Software Co-Simulation of Spiking Neural Network [#20903] Sincerely, The CARLsim team Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma(a)uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma

July 20, 2020

The Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience - recent articles

by Stephen Coombes

The Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience publishes research articles on the mathematical modelling and analysis of all areas of neuroscience. The current list of journal articles is available at http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/ : Methods to assess binocular rivalry with periodic stimuli Authors: Farzaneh Darki and James Rankin https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… Understanding the dynamics of biological and neural oscillator networks through exact mean-field reductions: a review Authors: Christian Bick, Marc Goodfellow, Carlo R. Laing and Erik A. Martens https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… Spatially extended balanced networks without translationally invariant connectivity Authors: Christopher Ebsch and Robert Rosenbaum https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… Geometry of color perception. Part 1: structures and metrics of a homogeneous color space Authors: Edoardo Provenzi https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… Mesoscopic population equations for spiking neural networks with synaptic short-term plasticity Authors: Valentin Schmutz, Wulfram Gerstner and Tilo Schwalger https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… All articles are Open Access. The Impact Factor of the journal is 2.091 ------------------------------------------------------- Stephen Coombes Professor of Applied Mathematics School of Mathematical Sciences Nottingham, UK Tel: 0115 846 7836 http://www.maths.nott.ac.uk/~sc/ ------------------------------------------------------- This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

July 17, 2020

3 PhD/MSc Positions at the University of Calgary

by Wilten Nicola

The Nicola Computational Neuroscience lab at the University of Calgary in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute is looking for three talented researchers at the PhD/Masters level. *PhD/MSc Position 1: Analysis and Modelling of Trained Recurrent and Spiking Neural Networks * The Nicola Lab is looking for a talented Master's or PhD candidate with a strong background in pure or applied mathematics, or physics. The project will involve analyzing the structure and operation of trained spiking and recurrent neural networks to determine how these trained networks perform dynamics, solve tasks, and emulate behaviours. The ideal candidate will have a background in dynamical systems theory, functional analysis, and some statistical analysis, and have a BSc in pure or applied mathematics. Some knowledge of numerical methods and neuroscience is beneficial, but not required. *PhD/MSc Position 2: Modelling Spatiotemporal dynamics in whole-brain imaging* We are looking for a talented Master's or PhD candidate with a background in computational neuroscience, mathematics, or physics. The project will involve analyzing the emergent spatiotemporal dynamics of whole-brain Calcium imaging data obtained in the McGirr Lab for mice undergoing experimentally induced stress paradigms. The ideal candidate will have a background in dynamical systems theory, statistical analysis, and a particular focus on spatial models (Partial Differential Equations), or Markov Processes. The ideal candidate will have a background in scientific programming and numerical methods for the simulation and analysis of these models. *PhD/MSc Position 3: Investigating Synchrony in Spiking Neural Networks * The Nicola Lab is looking for a talented Master's or PhD candidate with a strong background in Applied or Pure mathematics with an emphasis on dynamical systems theory. The project will involve analyzing the synchronizability of non-smooth, integrate-and-fire type spiking neural networks under a variety of conditions. The ideal candidate will have a background in dynamical systems theory, functional analysis, and some statistical analysis, and have a BSc in pure or applied mathematics. The ideal candidate will have a background in scientific programming and numerical methods for conducting simulations. Interested candidates should clarify which position they are applying for in an email to wilten.nicola(a)ucalgary.ca and attach to this email their CV, undergraduate/master's degree transcripts, a letter of research interests, and the contact information for 2 referees. The start-dates are flexible. The University of Calgary is a global intellectual hub located in Canada’s most enterprising city. In our spirited, high-quality learning environment, students thrive in programs made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. Our strategy drives us to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, engaging the communities we both serve and lead. This strategy is called Eyes High, inspired by the university's Gaelic motto, which translates as 'I will lift up my eyes.' For more information, visit ucalgary.ca/eyeshigh.

July 17, 2020

Scientific software developer position at the SimLab Neuroscience, Juelich, Germany

by Charl Linssen

(with apologies for any cross-posting) Dear colleagues, We have a Scientific software developer position available in the SimLab Neuroscience at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Jülich Research Centre, Germany. We are looking for candidates with a proven track record in developing scientific software who are interested in further developing NESTML, a modelling language and corresponding toolchain for the convenient specification of neuron and synapse models and the automatic generation of efficient C++ code from this specification modelling language. For a full description and details of how to apply, please see the announcement on our website: *Scientific Software Developer in Computational Neuroscience* https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2020-230-E… The application deadline for the position is August 5th. Thank you for your consideration! With kind regards, Charl Linssen _____________________________________ Charl Linssen Ir. MSc SimLab Neuroscience / IAS-6 Jülich Supercomputer Centre (JSC) Institute for Advanced Simulation Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH c.linssen(a)fz-juelich.de +49 (0)2461 61-5269 _____________________________________

July 16, 2020

IMRF2020 postponed to June 07-10 2021 in Ulm, Germany

by Marc Ernst

Dear participants of the IMRF, Although, the COVID-19 situation is getting better in some places around the world, it is still getting worse in a lot of other places, and travelling to and from Germany is still far away from normal. Additionally, distancing restrictions apply and will likely apply for quite some more time (maybe until a vaccination has been found), which would not allow us to host as many people as anticipated at the venue we reserved in October 2020. As many other conferences, we also considered moving to an online format for the IMRF meeting (https://cops.ifp.uni-ulm.de/imrf2020/ <https://cops.ifp.uni-ulm.de/imrf2020/>). However, we feel the community would not benefit as much as having a meeting in person. Therefore, we decided to postpone the IMRF meeting once again (and hopefully for the last time) to June 07-10, 2021. Abstract submission and registration will stay open. All abstracts already submitted will further be considered. However, as there may be new data or insights gathered even during the COVID-19 pandemic, you can of course log on and adapt your abstracts until the new deadline for abstract submission. Same applies for the symposia already accepted. However, as the symposia have already gone through a review process, we would check these changes again and in case of substantial revisions we would probably re-review them again. We will announce the new deadlines for submission and registration in due time. The abstract submission and registration page can be found here: https://cops.ifp.uni-ulm.de/imrf2020/index.php/imrf-2020/registration-submi… <https://cops.ifp.uni-ulm.de/imrf2020/index.php/imrf-2020/registration-submi…> Also for those who already registered, your registrations will stay valid. Others can register at any time. The new registration deadlines will also be announced soon. Sorry for the inconvenience this second postponement may cause and thanks for your understanding. Be safe and stay healthy!!!! Best, Mac Ernst on behalf of the IMRF Organizers.

July 15, 2020

Professorship position in explainable/interpretable Machine Learning

by Jörg Lücke

Dear list, Let me draw your attention to a currently advertised position on explainable / interpretable learning algorithms. The position is in the Health Sciences but researchers with a data analysis background interested in developing in the direction of health data analysis are of interest. Also candidates with a computational neuroscience background or a robotics background are of interest. So the spectrum of potential candidate profiles is relatively broad. Please see the following link for the official advertisement. https://uol.de/stellen/?stelle=67364 The position is a German W2 Professorship position (similar Associate Professor). Thanks and best wishes, Jörg Lücke -- Jörg Lücke (PhD) Professor and Head of the Machine Learning Lab Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics School of Medicine and Health Sciences University of Oldenburg 26111 Oldenburg Germany www.uol.de/ml

July 15, 2020

CNS*2020 Workshop on "Multi-disciplinary approaches to quantify and model calcium signaling in nervous systems and beyond", July 21-22, 2020 (8.30 am-5 pm BST / GMT+1)

by Maurizio De Pittà

Dear colleagues, Please share it with your contacts. I am delighted to be able to share with you the finalized program of the forthcoming Workshop on "Multi-disciplinary approaches to quantify and model calcium signaling in nervous systems and beyond," July 21-22, 2020 (8.30 am-5 pm BST / GMT+1) as part of the CNS*2020 Virtual Conference. Workshop website: https://sites.google.com/view/cns2020-calcium-workshop/home We are joining together some of the prominent scientists in the field, touching a whole range of topics and approaches, ranging from techniques and machine learning tools to acquire calcium signals in living systems, to modeling in neurons, synapses, glial and other systems of the body. Confirmed speakers (in alphabetical order): Amit Agarwal, Heidelberg University, Germany Johnatan Aljadeff, University of California at San Diego, USA Alexey Brazhe, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia Pengxing Cao, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Australia Evan Cresswell-Clay, National Institute of Health, USA & The Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, Spain Silvina Ponce Dawson, Department of Physics, FCEN-UBA & IFIBA, CONICET-UBA, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina Martin Falcke, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine Berlin, Germany Johannes Friedrich, Simons Foundation, USA Andrea Giovannucci, UNC-Chapel Hill/North Carolina State University, USA Michael Graupner, Université de Paris, CNRS, SPPIN, France Shawn Means, School of Natural and Computer Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand Vijai Rajagopal, University of Melbourne, AUS Leonid Savtchenko & Dimitri Rusakov, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK Simon Schultz, Centre for Neurotechnology and Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, UK Alexey Semyanov, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia Ivo Siekmann, Department of Applied Mathematics, Liverpool John Moores University, UK Alexander Skupin, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg James Sneyd, The University of Auckland, New Zealand Ghanim Ullah, University of South Florida, USA Agne Tilūnaitė, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Australia Ruediger Thul, The University of Nottingham, UK Attendance to the online Workshop is FREE but requires registration to the CNS*2020 meeting (this year free of charge). More Info: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N45m5I4lZ4wUX4kOkxgPqEK4yeIdADuKgdqPuBF… Schedule of the Workshop's talks, along with Crowdcast links for individual sessions may be found on the Sched page of CNS*2020: https://cns2020online.sched.com/overview/type/Workshop/W02%3A+Calcium+signa… CALCIUM WORKSHOP webpage: https://sites.google.com/view/cns2020-calcium-workshop/home Thank you for your consideration. The workshop organizers: Pengxing Cao, University of Melbourne, Australia Maurizio De Pitta, Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, Spain Ivo Siekmann, Liverpool John Moores University, UK ----- Maurizio De Pitta' Research Fellow MCEN -- Group of Mathematical, Computational and Experimental Neuroscience BCAM -- Basque Center of Applied Mathematics https://sites.google.com/site/mauriziodepitta/home

July 14, 2020