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PhD position - Inverse Reinforcement Learning
by Constantin Rothkopf Dec. 14, 2018

Dec. 14, 2018

The Centre for Cognitive Science at Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany invites applications for a Ph.D. Position in Inverse Reinforcement Learning initially limited to a period of three years. Research area The Ph.D. student is expected to work in the domain of inverse reinforcement learning with the particular focus of elucidating human decision making and collective human decision making in the wild, i.e., under real world noisy conditions. The research project is a joint venture between the Bioinspired Communication Lab and the Psychology of Information Processing Lab, both members of the Centre of Cognitive Science at TU Darmstadt. Accordingly, the student will be advised by Prof. Heinz Koeppl, Department of Electrical Engineering and Prof. Constantin Rothkopf, Department of Psychology. Work will involve methodological research in machine learning, design of dedicated human behavioral experiments, and the analysis and further processing of gathered data. What we offer We offer a unique interdisciplinary environment to perform cutting-edge research at one of Germany’s leading universities in the domain of computer science and engineering. The student will be embedded in the ongoing research activities within the Centre for Cognitive Science and will hence have the opportunity to interact with many other cognitive science researchers. The conducted research is expected to culminate in a Ph.D. degree. We offer comprehensive support for dissemination of results through leading scientific journals and through participation in leading international conferences and workshops. Your profile Candidates should have a M.Sc. degree in one of the following fields: computer science, physics, mathematics, engineering, or cognitive science. Candidates are required to have a sincere interest in interdisciplinary research at the crossroad of psychology and computer science. Application Technische Universität Darmstadt is striving to increase the proportion of women in its staff and therefore particularly invites women to apply. Applicants with a degree of disability of at least 50% or equivalent are preferred in the case of equal aptitude. Part-time employment is generally possible. We look forward to receiving your application, consisting of a cover letter in which you rationalize your interest in the indicated research area, curriculum vitae, copies of certificates and contact details of at least two academic references. Your application package should be sent as a single PDF file to application(a)bcs.tu-darmstadt.de

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"The Spike": the key stories about neuroscience, from neuroscientists
by Mark Humphries Dec. 13, 2018

Dec. 13, 2018

If you're interested in keeping up with the cutting edge of neuroscience, you might like to know about The Spike: https://medium.com/the-spike [https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*H6cV11b9xeYl-Q8ybx7Rmg.png]<https://medium.com/the-spike> The Spike – Medium<https://medium.com/the-spike> medium.com The science of the brain, from the scientists of the brain. The Spike's mission is to convey the triumphs, tragedies and challenges of systems and computational neuroscience to a broad audience; while keeping you, the reader, entertained along the way. Founded in 2016, we publish stories from a diverse array of writers. Our >400 unique visitors each day reflect a diverse readership from across AI, machine learning, psychology, psychiatry, neurology, clinical neurosciences, and beyond. And, of course, the public! Popular recent stories include: "Why you should (or shouldn't) get a PhD in Neuroscience" by Ashley Juavinett: <https://medium.com/the-spike/preparing-for-a-neuroscience-phd-6a0bb4ee5275?…> https://medium.com/the-spike/why-you-should-or-shouldnt-get-a-phd-in-neuros… [https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*X-GdSTSuz569RsB95GxGbA.jpeg]<https://medium.com/the-spike/why-you-should-or-shouldnt-get-a-phd-in-neuros…> Why you should (or shouldn’t) get a PhD in Neuroscience<https://medium.com/the-spike/why-you-should-or-shouldnt-get-a-phd-in-neuros…> medium.com A few good reasons why you should get a neuroscience PhD You’ll open doors to different careers, and higher (paying) positions. There are certain jobs that require a PhD. "Brains as Analog Computers" by Corey Maley: https://medium.com/the-spike/brains-as-analog-computers-fa297021f935 [https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*J3tX8SxApeRHo7HwNBv19A.png]<https://medium.com/the-spike/brains-as-analog-computers-fa297021f935> Brains as Analog Computers – The Spike – Medium<https://medium.com/the-spike/brains-as-analog-computers-fa297021f935> medium.com Algorithms. One idea, explored in a previous blog post in this very forum, is that the brain is a computer because what it does can be described in terms of algorithms.Unfortunately, this view has ... "A not entirely serious future history of neuroscience" by me: https://medium.com/the-spike/a-not-entirely-serious-future-history-of-neuro… [https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1200/1*jvbMd-eEkRfqmzkN6wMkwQ.jpeg]<https://medium.com/the-spike/a-not-entirely-serious-future-history-of-neuro…> A not entirely serious future history of neuroscience - Medium<https://medium.com/the-spike/a-not-entirely-serious-future-history-of-neuro…> medium.com Author’s note: resting for a moment in a dark corner of the Society for Neuroscience conference’s poster hall, on the quiet solitude of the Wednesday afternoon in the History of Neuroscience ... How to keep up to date with The Spike: Bookmark the homepage Follow us on Medium Follow us on Twitter @markdhumphries Happy reading, Prof Mark Humphries <https://medium.com/the-spike> 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.

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Postdoctoral Position in the Epilepsy, Cognition, and Development Laboratory (ECDL)
by Pulkit Grover Dec. 13, 2018

Dec. 13, 2018

Dear all, Please see an exciting opportunity for a machine-learning postdoc position in an impactful and influential lab in University of Pittsburgh. Posting on behalf of Dr. Taylor Abel from University of Pittsburgh pediatrics neurosurgery. Best, Pulkit *Postdoctoral Position in the Epilepsy, Cognition, and Development Laboratory (ECDL) * We are seeking a full-time postdoctoral researcher to work on a project that seeks to understand the neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying visual recognition and how these mechanisms emerge in human development. A background in machine learning analysis is ideal. A background in electrophysiology and behavioral methods is desirable. The project will involve collection and analysis of human brain recordings in epilepsy surgery patients, so candidates would ideally be comfortable working in a clinical environment. The ideal start date is Feb 2019, but application review will continue until the positions are filled. The position is initially for at least 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be competitive, and commensurate with relevant experience. University of Pittsburgh has competitive benefits (including comprehensive medical insurance) and is an equal opportunity employer. The ECDL is based at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. There is close collaboration with Marlene Behrmann, Avniel Ghuman, and Pulkit Grover through the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition. Please send your CV to and provide 3 email addresses for reference to Dr. Taylor Abel abeltj(a)upmc.edu.

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Research associate / Postdoc for computational neuroscience - TU Dresden
by Dimitrije Markovic Dec. 13, 2018

Dec. 13, 2018

The Chair of Neuroimaging<https://tu-dresden.de/mn/psychologie/ifap/ni?set_language=en> at TU Dresden, Germany is offering a postdoc position. The position is funded by the Excellence Cluster "Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop" (CeTI), https://www.ceti.one/. The position is available for three years initially but can be extended. CeTI-position_Kiebel_1 - Research associate / Postdoc for computational neuroscience Topic: Computational modelling of sequences of goal-directed actions and multisensory integration Tasks: This position will develop computational models how humans integrate multisensory sensory input while performing sequences of goal-directed actions. We will be using Bayesian inference techniques in combination with nonlinear dynamic systems to model the perception of observed human movements and the inference of intent. This position is embedded in the newly funded research excellence cluster 'Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI<https://www.ceti.one/>)' and will work alongside cognitive neuroscientists, roboticists, psychologists, engineers and computer scientists. In collaboration with experimenters, the candidate will use the developed models to experimentally test predictions about how humans use multisensory information during goal-reaching. Requirements: We are looking for a candidate with a PhD degree in computational neuroscience, physics, maths, robotics, computer science, or related fields, ideally with expertise in computational models of human behaviour. Additional expertise in Bayesian inference, EEG, eye tracking analysis, or multisensory integration is a plus. The excellence cluster CeTI and TU Dresden provide an outstanding scientific infrastructure and ideal environment for interdisciplinary collaboration. For computational work, the group has access to the TU Dresden high-performance computing clusters. Experiments by collaborators will be performed at the Neuroimaging Centre Dresden (http://www.nic-tud.de) All computing and experimental facilities are supported by experienced physics and IT staff. For questions about this position please contact Prof. Stefan Kiebel (stefan.kiebel(a)tu-dresden.de<mailto:stefan.kiebel@tu-dresden.de>). How To Apply: [X] Please submit your comprehensive application including the usual documentation (CV, cover letter including a brief summary of research interests, and two references), by January 18th, 2019 (stamped arrival date of the university central mail service applies) with the reference "CeTI-position_Kiebel_1" in the subject header preferably via the TU Dresden SecureMail Portal https://securemail.tu-dresden.de<https://securemail.tu-dresden.de/> or S/MIME encrypted by sending it as a pdf document to positions(a)ceti.tu-dresden.de<mailto:positions@ceti.tu-dresden.de> and stefan.kiebel(a)tu-dresden.de<mailto:stefan.kiebel@tu-dresden.de> or by mail to: TU Dresden, Sprecher des Exzellenzclusters CeTI, Herrn Prof. Frank H. P. Fitzek, Helmholtzstr. 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany. Please submit copies only as your application documents will not be returned. We look forward to your applications! The CeTI Team

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Tenure-Track Position in Systems Neuroscience - University of Ottawa
by John Lewis Dec. 12, 2018

Dec. 12, 2018

Tenure-Track Position in Systems Neuroscience The Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa (Canada) is hiring a tenure-track assistant professor in systems neuroscience. We are particularly interested in candidates who combine experimental and computational approaches to study the neural mechanisms of animal behaviour. Application deadline is January 30, 2019 For details, please see https://www.uottawa.ca/vice-president-academic/faculty-relations/faculty-re… (under the Faculty of Science, Department of Biology tab) Specific questions can be directed to john.lewis(a)uottawa.ca<mailto:john.lewis@uottawa.ca>

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Stanford University Postdoctoral Fellowship
by Christina Atkinson Dec. 12, 2018

Dec. 12, 2018

Stanford University’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences is seeking to hire full time post-doctoral fellows for their Cognitive & Systems Neuroscience Laboratory. This lab is headed by Dr. Vinod Menon who has broad multidisciplinary expertise that spans several scientific disciplines and has published extensively on various aspects of human cognition and brain function. Explore our lab website for more information: http://med.stanford.edu/scsnl.html Please distribute job posting (below) appropriately in your department. We thank you for your support. POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF BRAIN NETWORKS Currently Available: The Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in computational modeling of human brain imaging data using deep neural networks. The successful candidate will be involved in a multidisciplinary project that seeks to develop novel computational frameworks for robust identification of neurobiological signatures of psychiatric and neurological disorders combining deep learning and convolution networks and dynamic brain circuit analyses with task and resting-state fMRI. Clinical disorders currently under investigation include autism, ADHD, anxiety and mood disorders, learning disabilities, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease. We seek talented and highly-motivated individuals with a strong background in at least one of these areas: deep learning algorithms and optimization (theory and practical implementations); computational modeling, statistical inference, and machine learning, especially as applied to fMRI and MRI data. The candidate will have access to multiple large datasets and state-of-the-art computational resources, including HPCs and GPGPUs. Please email a CV, statement of research interests and relevant background, and have three letters of reference sent to Drs. Vinod Menon and Aarthi Padmanabhan at scsnl.stanford+postdoc(a)gmail.com<mailto:scsnl.stanford@gmail.com>

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EPFL Neuro Faculty Positions - deadline 14th December 2018
by Petersen Carl Dec. 11, 2018

Dec. 11, 2018

Dear Colleague, The Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) has launched a new neuroscience initiative and as part of this initiative we are in the process of hiring three new professors in the field of neuroscience and engineering. The search is broad and we are interested in all aspects of neuroscience. We are hiring at the Assistant Tenure Track level, as well as the Associate Tenured level. https://professeurs.epfl.ch/page-158407-en.html NeuroSearch(a)epfl.ch If you are interested. then please apply for these faculty positions before 14th December 2018. Woman are particularly encouraged to apply. Thank you for your time and help. Best wishes, Carl. ------------------------------------------ Prof. Carl Petersen, Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. email: carl.petersen(a)epfl.ch www: http://lsens.epfl.ch/

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CFP: TAC | Special Issue on Automated Perception of Human Affect from Longitudinal Behavioral Data
by Pablo Barros Dec. 11, 2018

Dec. 11, 2018

2nd CALL FOR PAPERS IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing Special Issue on Automated Perception of Human Affect from Longitudinal Behavioral Data Website: https://www2.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/omgchallenges/tacSpecialIssue201… I. Aim and Scope Research trends within artificial intelligence and cognitive sciences are still heavily based on computational models that attempt to imitate human perception in various behavior categorization tasks. However, most of the research in the field focuses on instantaneous categorization and interpretation of human affect, such as the inference of six basic emotions from face images, and/or affective dimensions (valence-arousal), stress and engagement from multi-modal (e.g., video, audio, and autonomic physiology) data. This diverges from the developmental aspect of emotional behavior perception and learning, where human behavior and expressions of affect evolve and change over time. Moreover, these changes are present not only in the temporal domain but also within different populations and more importantly, within each individual. This calls for a new perspective when designing computational models for analysis and interpretation of human affective behaviors: the computational models that can timely and efficiently adapt to different contexts and individuals over time, and also incorporate existing neurophysiological and psychological findings (prior knowledge). Thus, the long-term goal is to create life-long personalized learning and inference systems for analysis and perception of human affective behaviors. Such systems would benefit from long-term contextual information (including demographic and social aspects) as well as individual characteristics. This, in turn, would allow building intelligent agents (such as mobile and robot technologies) capable of adapting their behavior in a continuous and on-line manner to the target contexts and individuals. This special issue aims at contributions from computational neuroscience and psychology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and affective computing, challenging and expanding current research on interpretation and estimation of human affective behavior from longitudinal behavioral data, i.e., single or multiple modalities captured over extended periods of time allowing efficient profiling of target behaviors and their inference in terms of affect and other socio-cognitive dimensions. We invite contributions focusing on both the theoretical and modeling perspective, as well as applications ranging from human-human, human-computer and human-robot interactions. II. Potential Topics Given computational models, the capability to perceive and understand emotion behavior is an important and popular research topic. That is why recent special issues on the IEEE Journal on Transactions on Affective Computing covered topics from emotion behavior analysis “in-the-wild” to personality analysis. However, most of the research published by these specific calls treat emotion behavior as an instantaneous event, relating mostly to emotion recognition, and thus neglect the development of complex emotion behavior models. Our special issue will foster the development of the field by focusing excellent research on emotion models for long-term behavior analysis. The topics of interest for this special issue include, but are not limited to: - New theories and findings on continuous emotion recognition - Multi- and Cross-modal emotion perception and interpretation - Lifelong affect analysis, perception, and interpretation - Novel neural network models for affective processing - New neuroscientific and psychological findings on continuous emotion representation - Embodied artificial agents for empathy and emotion appraisal - Machine learning for affect-driven interventions - Socially intelligent human-robot interaction - Personalized systems for human affect recognition III. Submission Prospective authors are invited to submit their manuscripts electronically, adhering to the IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing guidelines ( https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=5165369) Please submit your papers through the online system ( https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/taffc-cs) and be sure to select the special issue: Special Issue/Section on Automated Perception of Human Affect from Longitudinal Behavioral Data. IV. IMPORTANT DATES: Submissions Deadline: 15th of January 2019 Deadline for reviews and response to authors: 06th of April 2019 Camera-ready deadline: 05th of August 2019 V. Guest Editors Pablo Barros, University of Hamburg, Germany Stefan Wermter, University of Hamburg, Germany Ognjen (Oggi) Rudovic, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States of America Hatice Gunes, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom -- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Research Associate - Crossmodal Learning Project (CML) Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt-Koelln-Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 40 42883 2535 Fax: +49 40 42883 2515 barros at informatik.uni-hamburg.dehttp://www.pablobarros.nethttps://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/people/barros.htmlhttps://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/

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International Student Fellowship at the PhD level in Computational Neuroscience
by Vinita Samarasinghe Dec. 11, 2018

Dec. 11, 2018

Prof. Sen Cheng, Institute for Neural Computation at the *Ruhr University Bochum* in Germany, invites applicants for an International Student Fellowship to be awarded through the international research training group “Integration and Representation of Sensory Processes” (SFB 874). After successful completion of this 4 month fellowship, the student might be offered a PhD position for a further 3 years. The work will focus on studying the interaction between neocortex and hippocampus using spiking neural network models. The position is part of the project "Theory of the interplay between sensory cortices and hippocampus in memory formation and retrieval", which is funded by the German Research Foundation as part of the collaborative research center SFB 874. The appointment will be initially from 01.03.2019-30.06.2019. Candidates should have an excellent university degree in neuroscience, physics, mathematics, engineering or a related field and be eligible to enroll in a relevant PhD program at the Ruhr University. Competence in mathematical modeling and excellent programming skillsare mandatory. Familiarity with computational neuroscience or computational cognitive modeling would be a further asset. Only candidates who have not previously lived in Germany will be considered. For further information regarding the IRTG fellowship please visit https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/sfb874/integrated_research_training_group/fe… The Ruhr University Bochum is home to a vibrant research community in neuroscience and cognitive science. The Institute for Neural Computation is an independent research unit and combines different areas of expertise ranging from experimental and theoretical neuroscience to machine learning and robotics. For further information see www.rub.de/cns <http://www.rub.de/cns>. To apply please send a statement of your motivation and research interests, academic transcripts, and a complete CV to samarasinghe(a)ini.rub.de <mailto:samarasinghe@ini.rub.de> in a single PDF file. Please, also request from at least two academic referees that they send letters of reference directly to the same email address. The deadline for applications is 15.01.2019. The Ruhr University Bochum is committed to equal opportunity. We strongly encourage applications from qualified women and persons with disabilities. -- Vinita Samarasinghe M.Sc., M.A. Science Manager Arbeitsgruppe Computational Neuroscience Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, NB 3/26 Universitätstr. 150 D-44801 Bochum Tel: +49 (0)234 32 27316 Email: samarasinghe(a)ini.rub.de Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8-11

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Postdoc on resting state analysis in Glasgow
by Robin Dec. 10, 2018

Dec. 10, 2018

Postdoc developing information theoretic methods for resting state analysis A 2-year postdoc position is available working with Dr. Robin Ince at the University of Glasgow. The project is funded by the Wellcome Trust and will involve developing and applying multivariate information theoretic methods to resting state fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project. The position will also involve collection of simultaneous EEG-fMRI resting state data in Glasgow. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise with numerical programming (MATLAB or Python) and be familiar with neuroimaging data and analysis. Glasgow is a friendly, lively and welcoming city with a reasonable cost of living and close proximity to the beautiful Highlands and a wide range of outdoor activities. International applicants should note that Glasgow voted 67% in favour of remaining in the EU and is the second most welcoming city to foreigners in the mainland UK (after London) [1], as well as being one of the safest cities in the UK [2]. The Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging (CCNi) at the Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology (INP) is a collaborative and stimulating environment with a full suite of world-class facilities, including EEG, MEG, 3T fMRI, 7T fMRI, EEG-fMRI, TMS, and extensive computational resources (~2500 cores, ~15TB RAM). The position is a Research Assistant on Grade 6 of the University of Glasgow salary scale: £28,660 - £32,236 (plus ~18% employer contributions to USS defined benefit pension). Apply online at https://www.gla.ac.uk/it/iframe/jobs/ Search for ref: 023869 Closing date for applications Jan 13th 2019. Flexible start date. Any questions about the project, position or application process please contact robin.ince(a)glasgow.ac.uk Institute of Neuroscience & Psychology College of Medical Veterinary & Life Sciences University of Glasgow [1] Eurostat Urban Europe Report 2016. [2] Mercer Quality of Living Ranking 2016.

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SMARTSTART Program accepts the next round of applications
by SMARTStart Dec. 10, 2018

Dec. 10, 2018

Dear colleagues, please be invited to share the information on the training program SMARTSTART Computational Neuroscience with your students: **** On January 1, 2019, the SMARTSTART Program accepts the next round of applications. The program offers students and prospective doctoral students the opportunity to complement their previous studies with concepts, theories and techniques of computational neuroscience. Target groups are: 1. students who are enrolled in a relevant Master's program in Germany during the funding period Sep 19 - Sep 20 (SMARTSTART 1) and 2. students who have successfully completed a relevant Master's program at the start of their funding period without having started a doctoral project (SMARTSTART 2). Applications can be submitted from January 1 until February 28, 2019 at the application platform on https://www.smartstart-compneuro.de/ SMARTSTART is the Joint Training Program in Computational Neuroscience of the Bernstein Network; the program is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. The program was launched in 2016 with the support of the Volkswagen Foundation. Since then, more than 60 students have successfully completed the program. Many of them are currently continuing their research projects as doctoral projects. **** Kind regards, Janina Radny - SMARTSTART coordinator -- Smart Start - Joint Training Program in Computational Neuroscience Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience Smart Start Coordination Office at the Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg postal address: Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9593 mail: smartstart(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:smartstart@fz-juelich.de> web: www.smartstart-compneuro.de<http://www.smartstart-compneuro.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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PhD Studentships available in Prof K Tsaneva-Atanasova's group at the University of Exeter
by Tsaneva, Krasimira Dec. 7, 2018

Dec. 7, 2018

A number of Open PhD Positions are available at the University of Exeter: * Interactive virtual reality for individuals with complex PTSD (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/phdprojects/Tsaneva-Atanasova-EPSRC-DTP-Pro…<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/phdprojects/Tsaneva-Atanasova-EPSRC-DTP-Pro…>). Apply to University of Exeter: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/index.php?id=3386 * Noise-cancelling technology for clock neurones (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/phdprojects/Sieber-EPSRC-DTP-Project.pdf) Apply to University of Exeter: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/index.php?id=3386 * Non-linear Dynamics of Human Locomotion (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/phdprojects/Williams-EPSRC-DTP-Project.pdf)<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/codebox/phdprojects/Williams-EPSRC-DTP-Project.pdf>. Apply to University of Exeter: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/index.php?id=3386 Please feel free to contact me on the email address below should you have any further questions. ________________________________ Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare Associate Dean (International and Development) College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences Living Systems Institute, T02.17 University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK email: k.tsaneva-atanasova(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:k.tsaneva-atanasova@exeter.ac.uk> tel: +44 (0) 1392 723615 web: http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298 ________________________________ Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare Associate Dean (International and Development) College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences Living Systems Institute, T02.17 University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK email: k.tsaneva-atanasova(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:k.tsaneva-atanasova@exeter.ac.uk> tel: +44 (0) 1392 723615 web: http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298 ________________________________ Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare Associate Dean (International and Development) College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences Living Systems Institute, T02.17 University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK email: k.tsaneva-atanasova(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:k.tsaneva-atanasova@exeter.ac.uk> tel: +44 (0) 1392 723615 web: http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298

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Call for Proposals: Local Organizers for CNS*2020
by Sharon Crook Dec. 7, 2018

Dec. 7, 2018

We look forward to seeing all of you next summer at the 2019 Computational Neuroscience meeting in Barcelona! However, it is already time to begin planning for CNS*2020. OCNS requests proposals from candidate local organizers to hold CNS*2020 at a location outside of Europe, preferably in North or South America. Groups or individuals interested in organizing the 2020 meeting should submit a proposal following the extensive on-line instructions and using the on-line templates at: https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2020-local-organizer. Proposals should be submitted by email to the OCNS President at president(a)cnsorg.org no later than February 1, 2019.The OCNS Board Members will consider the proposals, contact local organizers for more information if necessary, and select a location in a timely agreement between OCNS and the potential local organizers. As usual, the selected location will be officially announced at the CNS Meeting in July. An earlier email to the OCNS President declaring the intent to submit a proposal would be appreciated, but is not required. Thank you! Your Organization for Computational Neuroscience Team

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CFP: Advances in HCI: SI on Advancing Big Data in Speech Computation
by Friedhelm Schwenker Dec. 7, 2018

Dec. 7, 2018

CALL FOR PAPERS Advances in Human-Computer Interaction Special Issue on Advancing Big Data in Speech Computation Hindawi Submission Deadline: Friday, 31 May 2019 Publication Date: October 2019 Big Data is an emerging topic in a broad variety of research areas, with the promise to allow predictive user behavior analytics for a wide variety of speech patterns like emotions, sentiment, personality, and pathology. With the emerging voice assistants, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, speech interaction has attracted increasing attention. In addition, further speech-based HCI-systems could benefit from big data computation, such as Speech-to-Speech translation systems, conversational agents, and educational systems. Unfortunately, when dealing with speech computation tasks, oen only comparably small amounts of data are available, or the collection is cumbersome.Thus, advanced methods such as transfer learning, active learning, data synthesis, and (semi-)automatic annotation methods or domain-/topic-adaptation are needed. This special issue welcomes original research papers concerned with the big data exploitation of speech data, particularly in HCI-related contexts. We encourage researchers to submit review articles describing the current state of the art in speech-based big-data analyses. Submissions dealing with data synthesis or recordings and automatic annotation of large sets of speech data are highly encouraged. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following: * Speech data transfer learning and active learning for HCI systems * (Semi-) Automatic speech data analyses for HCI systems * Big data language modeling for HCI systems * Generative adversarial networks for speech-based HCI behavior analytics * Methods review for big data in advancing speech-based HCI * Comparison of big data and small data approaches for speech-based HCI * Application of Big data methods for speech based HCI-systems Authors can submit their manuscripts through the Manuscript Tracking System at https://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/ahci/abd/. Papers are published upon acceptance, regardless of the Special Issue publication date. Lead Guest Editor Ingo Siegert, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany ingo.siegert(a)ovgu.de Guest Editors Anna Esposito, Università della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy anna.esposito(a)unicampania.it Friedhelm Schwenker, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany friedhelm.schwenker(a)uni-ulm.de Gennaro Cordasco, Anna Esposito, Università della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy gennaro.cordasco(a)unicampania.it -- PD Dr. Friedhelm Schwenker University of Ulm Institute of Neural Information Processing D-89069 Ulm, Germany phone: +49-731-50-24159 fax: +49-731-50-24156 email: friedhelm.schwenker(a)uni-ulm.de www: http://www.uni-ulm.de/in/neuroinformatik/mitarbeiter/f-schwenker.html

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PhD Studentships in Neuroscience/Psychology at the University of Leicester
by Jian Liu Dec. 6, 2018

Dec. 6, 2018

PhD Studentships in Neuroscience/Psychology at the University of Leicester, UK. Centre for Systems Neuroscience www.le.ac.uk/csn Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour https://le.ac.uk/npb A number of PhD studentships are available in a wide range of research topics. Please find the details of all the projects below. Please contact the PIs on the list: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/phd-research-projects/department-of-neuroscie… Jian K. Liu, Ph.D. Mathematics Centre for Systems Neuroscience Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour University of Leicester, Leicester, UK Phone: +44 (0)116 373-6860 Webpage: https://sites.google.com/site/jiankliu

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3 Faculty Positions in Psychology at the University of Leicester
by Jian Liu Dec. 6, 2018

Dec. 6, 2018

LECTURER IN PSYCHOLOGY https://jobs.le.ac.uk/vacancies/621/lecturer-in-psychology.html Vacancy ID:621 Location:Leicester Department:Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour Vacancy terms:Full-time permanent Salary details:Grade 8 £39,609 to £48,677 per annum Hours per week:37.5 Advert closes midnight on:02 Jan 2019 About the role We are looking for an excellent researcher to develop and enhance the reputation of the Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour. This post provides the opportunity for those with excellent academic potential to contribute to high quality research and teaching within the Department. You will be expected to contribute to raising levels of research activity, research income, teaching excellence and the overall visibility of the Department. You will undertake high quality individual and collaborative research in line with the Department’s aim of producing world-leading research with meaningful impact. You will contribute to undergraduate teaching primarily in the School of Psychology and be involved in postgraduate training at MSc and PhD level. About you The successful applicant will be an experienced researcher, as demonstrated by publications in leading peer-reviewed journals. You will be undertaking high quality teaching in cognate areas and across the discipline of psychology. You will have an international research profile that will integrate, complement and strengthen our existing NPB Department expertise. We are particularly interested in recruiting researchers in developmental psychology, behaviour (e.g. learning and memory) or artificial intelligence/human-machine interaction. Additional information Leicester is a leading University committed to international excellence, world-changing research and high quality, inspirational teaching. We are strongly committed to inclusivity, promoting equality and celebrating diversity among our staff and students. Our strength is built on the talent of our scholars, drawn to us by a mutual passion for discovery. We seek to embed an adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit into our research culture, and to create an environment in which both disciplinary excellence and interdisciplinarity thrive. In return for your hard work, we offer a working environment that is committed to inclusivity, through promoting equality and valuing diversity. We offer a competitive salary package with excellent pension scheme, a generous annual leave allowance and an online portal that offers a range of lifestyle benefits and discounts. Located close to Leicester city centre, our award winning campus benefits from a wide range of cafes, a fully equipped sports centre and nursery facilities. Further information regarding our extensive range of staff benefits is available here. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made to: Professor Ian Forsythe, Head of the Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, on idf(a)leicester.ac.uk Professor John Maltby, Professor of Differential Psychology, on jm148(a)leicester.ac.uk Professor Kevin Paterson, Professor of Experimental Psychology, on kbp3(a)leicester.ac.uk Dr Jose Prados, Head of the School of Psychology, on jpg19(a)leicester.ac.uk

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[jobs] Research Associate Intelligent Adaptive Systems (e.g neural networks, nlp or robotics)
by Wermter, Stefan Dec. 6, 2018

Dec. 6, 2018

The Knowledge Technology Research Institute at the University of Hamburg invites applications for a Research Associate (Postdoc or postdoc-level/ final year PhD candidate) in accordance with Section 28 subsection 2 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act (Hamburgisches Hochschul- gesetz, HmbHG). The position commences on 1 Feb 2019 or as soon as possible and is for three years plus a three year extension option subject to the availability of resources. Responsibilities: Duties include teaching and research in the knowledge technology institute. Research associates can also pursue independent research and further academic qualifications as well as acquire teaching experience. These duties are intended to promote academic achieve- ment. Therefore, at least one-third of set working hours will be made available for the associate's own academic work. Specific Duties: The successful candidate will manage the international Master Programme in Computer Science (Intelligent Adaptive Systems) as well as contribute to teaching (4hrs/teaching week). Furthermore, the candidate is expected to conduct research in the area of Knowledge Technology and Intelligent Systems. Requirements: A university degree in a relevant subject plus doctorate prefered. Academic degree preferably in computer science qualifying the post holder to carry out the above-mentioned responsibilities. In particular, an MSc or PhD in Artificial Intelligence or Computer Science is essential. This post is open to Postdocs or experienced PhD candidates. Your demonstrated research interests should be in the areas of Knowledge Technology and Intelligent Systems (e.g. Neural Networks, Robotics, Natural Language Processing, Vision, or Knowledge Representation etc). You should have published in a field relevant to this post. We are also looking for very good communication skills and teamwork; a very good command of both German and English is a requirement. Experience with teaching or organisation of MSc programmes is considered an advantage. The job is remunerated at the salary level TV-L 13. The position is full-time and comprises 39 hours per week. The fixed-term nature of this contract is based upon Section 2 of the Academic Fixed-Term Labor Contract Act (Wissenschaftszeitver- tragsgesetz, WissZeitVG). The initial fixed term is three years. The contract provides for a maximum extension of another three years de- pending on the associate's achievements during the first stage. The University aims to increase the number of women in research and teaching and explicitly encourages women to apply. Equally qualified female applicants will receive preference in accordance with the Hamburg Equality Act (Hamburgisches Gleichstellungsgesetz, HmbGleiG). Severely disabled applicants will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants. For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Stefan Wermter, Head of Knowledge Technology Institute or consult our website at https://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/ https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/about/job/files/open-position… Applications should include an application letter, full curriculum vitae, pdf of best international publications, copies of degree certificates, evidence for required German and English language. The application deadline is 19 Dec 2018. Please email applications in a single pdf file to: Ms Katja Koesters, katja.koesters(a)informatik.uni-hamburg.de *********************************************** Professor Dr. Stefan Wermter Director of Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt Koelln Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Email: wermter AT informatik.uni-hamburg.de http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~wermter/ http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/WTM/ ***********************************************

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Lab manager position in Perception & Brain Dynamics Laboratory at NYU Medical Center
by Max Levinson Dec. 5, 2018

Dec. 5, 2018

The Perception & Brain Dynamics Laboratory (http://www.med.nyu.edu/helab/) at Langone Medical Center, New York University is looking for a lab manager to start in summer 2019. The Laboratory is within the Neuroscience Institute at NYU Langone Health (http://www.med.nyu.edu/neuroscience) affiliated with Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Physiology, and Radiology. Our research focus is on understanding the neural bases of perceptual awareness using multimodal imaging (fMRI, MEG, EEG, ECoG) and stimulation (tDCS, TMS) techniques in humans, combined with computational neuroscience approaches. We are looking for a bright and driven candidate with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree who is dedicated to neuroscience research. A variety of backgrounds, including neuroscience, biology, psychology, and computer science is possible, and experience with programming is highly desirable. In addition, the ideal candidate has high responsibility and dependability, as well as excellent critical thinking, organizational and leadership skills. Performing independent research is an important aspect of the position, in addition to lab management duties. A minimal commitment of 2 years is required. Interested candidates please send a cover letter, a CV, undergraduate and/or graduate transcript, and names and contacts of two to three referees, to Prof. Biyu J. He at biyu.jade.he(a)gmail.com, with the subject line “Lab manager application 2019”

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SoAIR 2019: IEEE-RAS Spring School on "Social and Artificial Intelligence for User-Friendly Robots" in Japan
by Amir Aly Dec. 4, 2018

Dec. 4, 2018

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS **Apologies for cross posting ** We are pleased to call for applications for the IEEE-RAS spring school on: "*Social and Artificial Intelligence for User-Friendly Robots*" * Which will be held from 17-24 March, 2019 in Shonan Village, Japan *after the *Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)* conference that will be held in the near South Korea. *Webpage: **https://inic8.bitbucket.io/SoAIR19/* <https://inic8.bitbucket.io/SoAIR19/> *I. Aim and Scope *Autonomous and intelligent systems are progressively moving into spaces, which have previously been predominantly shaped by human agency. Unlike in the past where machines obediently served their human operators, machines now increasingly act without the intervention of a human. Artificial intelligence is meeting new challenges in the world, though human-like intelligence may still be a distant goal. Robots in factories are coming out of their cages. Autonomous cars are being tested on streets with regular human-driven cars. The private household is changing with the appearance of not only robotic vacuum cleaners, but also with the first-generation of social robots and smart devices. The challenges that face both the robotics and artificial intelligence communities are how the necessary intelligence for such new environments can be created as well as how to make artificial agents capable of not only solving tasks at hand but also considering social environments around them during interaction with human users so as to behave appropriately. Within the school, we plan to address the tension created by the balance between task-specific artificial intelligence and the demands of sociability required to function effectively in human-centered environments. ** *Who should apply?* We invite *Masters and PhD students* as well as *post-doctoral candidates and researchers from industry* with relevant research background to apply for this spring school. ** *This spring school is a Technical Education Program (TEP) endorsed and supported by IEEE-RAS*. ** *The school aims at bridging the gap between social and cognitive Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Autonomous Vehicles (AV) through high level talks, tutorials, and hands-on workshops (the program will be announced soon).* *II. Keynote Speakers: * 1. * Jun Tani *– Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Japan 2. *Daniele Magazzeni *– King's College London, UK 3. * Yukie Nagai *– National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan 4. * Tetsuya Ogata* – Waseda University, Japan 5. *Mohamed Chetouani *– University of Pierre and Marie Curie (UPMC), France 6. *Silvia Rossi* – University of Naples, Italy 7. *Agnieszka Wykowska *– Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy 8. *Tetsunari Inamura *– National Institute of Informatics (NII), Japan 9. *Amit Kumar Pandey *– SoftBank (Aldebaran) Robotics, France 10. *Mehul Bhatt* – Orebro University, Sweden (Tutorial) 11. *Mohsen Kaboli –* Bavarian Motor Works (BMW), Germany (Tutorial) 12. *Francesco Maurelli *– Jacobs University, Germany (Preparing Marie Curie funding proposal) 13. *Atsuko Nakatsuka* – Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan (Preparing JSPS funding proposal) *III. Submission * The applications must include the following files (combined into one file). No other documents would be necessary (More information is available on the school's webpage). 1. *Curriculum vitae*: A CV detailing relevant aspects of the candidate's academic career that demonstrates her/his relevance to the school theme. Please consider including the list of publications. 2. *Research abstract*: A 200-word research abstract that the candidate intends to present during the school. 3. *Letter of recommendation*: A brief letter from the academic advisor or the employer of the candidate supporting her/his application. Please also indicate if partial support would be required to attend the school. *Application submission*: Please use the following EasyChair web link:* Application Submission <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=soair2019>.* *IV. Important Dates * 1. Application submission: *20-December, 2018 * 2. Notification of acceptance: *28-December, 2018 * 3. Spring School: *17-24 March, 2019* *V. Organizers * 1. *Amir Aly *– Ritsumeikan University – Japan 2. *Franziska Kirstein *– Blue Ocean Robotics, Denmark 3. * Shashank Pathak *– Visteon Corporation, Germany --------------------- *Amir Aly, Ph.D.* Senior Researcher Emergent Systems Laboratory College of Information Science and Engineering Ritsumeikan University 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 Japan

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Wellcome Trust funded four-year PhD programme in Neural Dynamics
by Conor Houghton Dec. 4, 2018

Dec. 4, 2018

Wellcome Trust funded four-year PhD programme in Neural Dynamics. We are looking for applicants to the Neural Dynamics four-year PhD programme at the University of Bristol http://www.bristol.ac.uk/neural-dynamics/ The PhD programme is strongly interdisciplinary with all students jointly supervised by a computational and an experimental or clinical supervisor and we invite applications from potential students with a wide range of backgrounds including neuroscience, mathematics, statistics, machine learning, computer science, physics, psychology, and medicine. We offer a generous four-year studentship stipend, PhD registration fees at the current Home/EU rate, substantial research expenses, and funds for travel to conferences or courses. We are also able to waive the international fee a successful international student. The deadline for applications is the 6 January 2019. All the best Conor Houghton

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Faculty position in Neurorobotics at Chemnitz University of Technology (Germany)
by Julien Vitay Dec. 3, 2018

Dec. 3, 2018

The Department of Computer Science at Chemnitz University of Technology (Germany) invites applications for a faculty position in Neurorobotics (W2-Professor with W3 Tenure-Track-Option). Please note that the position is initially limited to a duration of six years and requires a positive tenure review beginning 4 years after starting the position to be continued for an indefinite period as a W3 position. Further, the position includes teaching obligations. Courses can be given in English. Applicants are encouraged to submit their application by January 31, 2019. The complete job advertisement (in German) can be found here: https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/verwaltung/personal/stellen/W2-Neurorobotik.php Informal inquiries can be addressed to: Prof. Dr. Fred Hamker, Chair of the Search Committee (fred.hamker(a)informatik.tu-chemnitz.de) Best regards Julien Vitay -- Professur für Künstliche Intelligenz Fakultät für Informatik Technische Universität Chemnitz, 09107 Chemnitz (+49) 371 531-39468 julien.vitay(a)informatik.tu-chemnitz.de http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/~vitay/ <http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/~vitay/>

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3 EPFL faculty positions in Neurocomputing, Neuroengineering, Neuroscience
by Wulfram Gerstner Dec. 3, 2018

Dec. 3, 2018

The EPFL in Switzerland has several faculty positions at the interface of neuroscience and engineering https://professeurs.epfl.ch/page-158407-en.html There are several positions announced in the broad area between engineering and neuroscience, one of the keywords is neurocomputing. Enquiries can be addressed to the chair of the search committee, Kind regards W. Gerstner

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Modeling milestones from the Allen Institute for Brain Science
by Anton Arkhipov Dec. 3, 2018

Dec. 3, 2018

The Allen Institute for Brain Science has recently achieved some modeling milestones, which we are happy to share with the community. 1. Our paper about a biologically-realistic, data-driven model of the Layer 4 of mouse V1 has been published: https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006…. As reported in the paper, simulations of the 45,000-neuron model reproduced a variety of experimental observations, including effects of optogenetic perturbations. Insights into the mechanisms underlying patterns of activity and computations in the Layer 4 circuit were obtained. And, the model was developed and simulated employing both the biophysically detailed and point-neuron levels of resolution. The model and results of simulations are freely available to the community. 2. We publicly released our software suite for model building and simulations, the Brain Modeling ToolKit (BMTK): https://alleninstitute.github.io/bmtk/. This Python-based tool provides a powerful environment for building neuronal circuit models and a standardized interface for simulations, which interacts with other excellent tools, such as NEURON, NEST, and others. The interface allows one to harness the power of these existing tools for large-scale network simulations, while keeping the need for software coding to the minimum. 3. The Allen Institute website now features a section on Computational Modeling and Theory: http://portal.brain-map.org/explore/models. This site contains information and data from our published modeling papers (including the one above, but also others) and modeling software. Please visit the site and use our resources for your work! We hope that these tools and data will be useful for you and are looking forward to questions and feedback. Anton Arkhipov Associate Investigator antona(a)alleninstitute.org<mailto:antona@alleninstitute.org> T: 206.548.8414 www.alleninstitute.org<http://www.alleninstitute.org>

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Researcher in NLP with focus on "identification of early signs of cognitive abnormalities in language"
by Dimitrios Kokkinakis Nov. 30, 2018

Nov. 30, 2018

*Type of employment:* Fixed-term employment, research position (12 months) *Extent*: 100 % *Location*: Department of Swedish, Gothenburg, Sweden *First day of employment: *2019-01-01 or as agreed. *Apply by*: 2018-12-13 *The position focus*:* identification of early signs of cognitive abnormalities in language* *Details of the post and instructions on how to apply are available from this link*: < *https://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/job-opportunities/vacancies-details/?id=3417* <https://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/job-opportunities/vacancies-…> *>* *Qualifications*: Ph.D. in Natural Language Processing (NLP), preferably in computer science with a strong focus on NLP and/or automatic speech processing (ASP), and *preferably *with a specialization in prior work related to mental and neurological impairments The Swedish Language Bank (SB) is a research unit at the Department of Swedish, University of Gothenburg. SB is the coordinating partner of the research project: “*Linguistic and extra-linguistic parameters for early detection of cognitive impairment*”. The successful applicant will conduct research in this project and particularly in the area in NLP and/or ASP in order to develop, adapt, analyze, and implement methods for processing *available* spoken and transcribed data samples acquired from people with mild and subjective forms of cognitive impairment as well as healthy controls (i.e. differentiating the different groups and/or identifying early cognitive abnormalities such as atypical language production, that precede the onset of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s). In particular, you will be using machine learning and other related techniques (deep learning) and develop, evaluate and deploy classification models and tools for experimenting with the data. Inquiries can be made to Dimitrios Kokkinakis ( dimitrios.kokkinakis(a)svenska.gu.se)

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'la Caixa' INPhINIT PhD opportunity at MCEN/BCAM and UChicago on neuron-glial connectomics
by Maurizio De Pitta Nov. 29, 2018

Nov. 29, 2018

Dear colleagues, please share with whoever could be interested and forward to your department mailing lists. PhD project : Structure and function of the glial connectome. Lab / Host institution : Group of Mathematical, Computational and Experimental Neuroscience (MCEN) at the Basque Center of Applied Mathematics (BCAM). Supervisors : Maurizio De Pittà (BCAM), SerafimRodrigues (BCAM), Narayanan Kasthuri (The University of Chicago, and Argonne National Labs). Location : Bilbao, The Basque Country, Spain. Duration : 3 years. Stipend : 30k+ EUR/year + mobility allowance. Starting date : May—Oct 2019 (negotiable). Award type: Preselection + competitive call. Categories: Incoming (for international students not living in Spain at the time of the call) and Retaining (for Spanish students) Preselection deadline: January 13th, 2019 (incoming); February 9th, 2019 (retaining). Application deadlines: February 6th, 2019 (incoming); February 27th, 2019 (retaining) (more details: https://goo.gl/HZCPxp) Scientific background : Neurons of the brain form complex circuits, connecting each other by means of synapses. The structure of these circuits is believed to closely relate with their function. Accordingly, mapping the architecture of neural circuits of the brain, otherwise known as the brain’s neuronal connectome, is a prominent area of investigation of modern neuroscience. In parallel, there is growing awareness that glial cells such as astrocytes, could modulate the physical structure of the neuronal connectome. Astrocytes indeed form barriers to neuronal connectivity and regulate synapse formation and deletion, but they could also modulate neuronal signal transmission in the extracellular space, along with structure and dynamics of synapses. In addition, astrocytes contact hundreds of thousand synapses, and are also connected in complex networks. This suggests that understanding the neuronal connectome should also include neuron-astrocyte interactions and thus mapping of the associated glial connectome in terms of synapse-astrocyte and astrocyte-astrocyte connections. Workplan : The candidate will be part of an international team of researchers within the framework of the Open Connectome Project (https://neurodata.io/) She/He will deploy mathematical tools borrowed from graph theory, statistical analysis, machine learning and algebraic topology to analyze big data sets from 3D electron microscopy of cortical tissue of rodent’s brain to seek the first map of astrocytic connections with synapses at subcellular spatial resolution. In parallel the candidate will develop expertise in modeling of complex heterogeneous cell networks of neurons and astrocytes, to explore potential functional relevance of specific synapse-astrocyte circuits and motifs in neuron-glial networks. Working environment : The candidate will be based in Bilbao (Spain) where she/he will work under the supervision of Drs. Maurizio De Pittà and Serafim Rodrigues at the Group of Mathematical, Computational and Experimental Neuroscience at the Basque Center of Applied Mathematics (BCAM). In addition, the candidate will also collaborate with and be supervised by Dr. Narayanan “Bobby” Kasthuri at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Labs (USA), where she/he will spend regular periods of time during her/his graduate training. Dr. De Pittà is a leading expert on computational modeling of neuron-glia interactions, with an experience in computational neuroscience of 10+ years who recently joined the MCEN group at BCAM as « Junior Leader » fellow with a start-up grant supported by la Caixa Banking Foundation. The MCEN group is a rapidly growing team led by Ikerbasque Professor Serafim Rodrigues, that was established in 2016 as part of the strategic research portfolio enacted by the Basque Country to foster interdisciplinary research in Neuroscience. Dr. Kasthuri is one of the leading experts in modern connectomics, who has pioneered large volume automated electron microscopy for mapping neuronal connections and synchrotron source X-ray microscopy to map the cellular composition of entire brains. BCAM is one of the Severo Ochoa’s excellence centers for scientific research in Spain and it provides an exeptionally fertile international environment for professional development and enriching scientific collaborations. Bilbao, as the capital of the Basque Country in Spain, is a vibrant, friendly city with one of the highest standards of life quality in Spain. Requirements : -- Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, or related fields. -- Excellent English skills (oral and written). – Experience in machine learning and/or statistical analysis and/or topology or algebraic topology. -- Programming skills in Matlab, Python and C/C++. -- High motivation for interdisciplinary research with strong interests for biological details and an analytic mindset. – Capacity to meet deadlines and outstanding propensity to work in an international dynamic environment. -- Essential knowledge of neuroscience and graph theory is preferred but not required. Additional notes : This is a cutting-edge project that ideally matches with outstanding and creative candidates, with a strong motivation for international collaborations, mobility, and independence. The candidate will work on the project full-time and no part-time agreements will be taken into consideration. Application process : The INPhINIT PhD Fellowship Program by la Caixa Banking Foundation is the most prestigious PhD fellowship program running in Spain. The program is highly competitive and offers unequalled training an financial support to its fellow. The ideal successful candidate should have an outstanding educational background and rank among the 5% best of his/her class. Candidates who are interested in the advertised PhD project, must first send a CV with letter of motivation (max 2 pages) to Drs. De Pittà (mdepitta(a)bcamath.org) and Kasthuri (bobbykasthuri(a)uchicago.edu) for review and preselection. Preselections are open now till January 13, 2019 (for incoming candidates) and February 3rd, 2019 (for retaining candidates). Specify as mail object: “INPhINIT PhD Project Application”. Relevant References: De Pittà et al., Astrocytes: orchestrating synaptic plasticity?, Neuroscience, 2015, 323:43. Katshuri et al., Saturated reconstruction of a volume of neocortex, Cell, 2015, 162 :648 Relevant links: Official call by BCAM: https://goo.gl/Vq8mto INPhINIT: https://goo.gl/d761sP BCAM homepage: https://goo.gl/ENSBAo Maurizio De Pittà: https://goo.gl/pJXEYJ Narayanan “Bobby” Kasthuri: https://goo.gl/pYmv2w Open Connectome Project: https://neurodata.io/ ----- 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

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CFP Frontiers Research Topic: Closing the Loop: From Human Behavior to Multisensory Robots
by Pablo Barros Nov. 29, 2018

Nov. 29, 2018

Call For Papers - Frontiers Research Topic: Closing the Loop: From Human Behavior to Multisensory Robots I. Aim and Scope The ability to efficiently process crossmodal information is a key feature of the human brain that provides a robust perceptual experience and behavioral responses. Consequently, the processing and integration of multisensory information streams such as vision, audio, haptics, and proprioception play a crucial role in the development of autonomous agents and cognitive robots, yielding an efficient interaction with the environment also under conditions of sensory uncertainty. This Research Topic invites authors to submit new findings, theories, systems, and trends in multisensory learning for intelligent agents and robots with the aim to foster the development of novel and impactful research which will contribute to the understanding of human behavior and the development of artificial systems operating in real-world environments. II. Potential Topics Topics include, but are not limited to: - New methods and applications for crossmodal processing and multisensory integration (e.g. vision, audio, haptics, proprioception) - Machine learning and neural networks for multisensory robot perception - Computational models of crossmodal attention and perception - Bio-inspired approaches for crossmodal learning - Multisensory conflict resolution and executive control - Sensorimotor learning for autonomous agents and robots - Crossmodal learning for embodied and cognitive robots III. Submission - Abstract - 18th January 2019 - Paper Submission - 12th May 2019 More information: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/9321/closing-the-loop-from-huma… IV. Guest Editors Pablo Barros, University of Hamburg, Germany Doreen Jirak, Hamburg University, Germany German I. Parisi, Apprente, Inc., USA Jun Tani, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan -- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Research Associate - Crossmodal Learning Project (CML) Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt-Koelln-Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 40 42883 2535 Fax: +49 40 42883 2515 barros at informatik.uni-hamburg.dehttp://www.pablobarros.nethttps://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/people/barros.htmlhttps://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/

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Faculty position in Computational Neuroscience and AI at the University of Edinburgh
by Matthias Hennig Nov. 28, 2018

Nov. 28, 2018

The Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation at the University of Edinburgh is inviting applications for a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Reader (Assistant/Associate professor) position in Computational Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence. This position is part of an expansion of research and teaching in cognition, neuroscience, and AI. Candidates should have inter-disciplinary research interests, combining computational and machine learning based methods and cognitive science, and be able to teach undergraduate and master’s level courses in areas such as AI and machine learning, in addition to teaching in cognitive science. The closing date is 15. Jan 2019. For further details and to apply, go to: https://www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk/pls/corehrrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobs… Edinburgh is also recruiting faculty in Computational Cognitive Science: https://www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk/pls/corehrrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobs… -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

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Cognitive, Computational, and Systems Neuroscience Training Program at University of Oregon
by Luca Mazzucato Nov. 27, 2018

Nov. 27, 2018

The Institute of Neuroscience (ION) at the University of Oregon is welcoming applications for graduate training in neuroscience (deadline December 1st 2018). The training program in Cognitive, Computational, and Systems Neuroscience ( CCSN <http://ion.uoregon.edu/content/cognitive-computational-and-systems-neurosci…>) is sponsored by the University of Oregon Institute of Neuroscience, the nation's first research institute of its kind. In keeping with the innovative origins of the Institute, the CCSN program provides a rare opportunity for graduate students to forge experimental and theoretical links between systems and cognitive neuroscience while becoming experts in their field of choice. We believe that such interdisciplinary training positions our graduates to become leaders in the growing field of integrative and behavioral neuroscience. The Computational Neuroscience core of the CCSN includes Yashar Ahmadian's and Luca Mazzucato's labs, in close collaboration with all other ION labs (Chris Doe, Santiago Jaramillo, Bryce Kuhl, Shawn Lockery, David McCormick, Cris Niell, Matt Smear, Mike Wehr, and many others). The heart of our program is thesis research. Twenty eight faculty members drawn from the departments of Biology, Psychology, and Mathematics serve as research mentors and instructors. These researchers use a wide range of approaches including molecular biology, genetics, electrophysiology, optogenetics, functional brain imaging, and computational neuroscience to tackle fundamental questions in the neuronal basis of perception, behavior, memory, and cognition. CCSN faculty study not only humans but a wide range of model organisms including C. elegans, Drosophila, zebrafish, and rodents. As a result, students enrolled in our PhD program come away with the broad conceptual and technical skills necessary to run an independent neuroscience research lab or pursue many other related career paths. Our state-of-the-art facilities and excellent support staff allow ION members to progress rapidly by making exploratory or pilot experiments accessible. When not "at the bench," trainees follow a customizable course of study that leads from a year-long graduate core course to a variety of elective courses that allow students to go deeper into their specialty. In addition to course work, trainees learn in a variety of interactive settings including lab meetings, journal clubs, seminars, bi-monthly research-in-progress meetings, and institute retreats. These activities, together with a culture of openness and engagement among CCSN faculty members, create a degree of cohesiveness that sets CCSN apart from programs at other universities. We're passionate about creating an inclusive environment that promotes and values diversity. Research institutions that are diverse in gender, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, and perspective are proven to foster greater creativity and promote synergistic, collaborative innovation and interactions. Our application deadline is December 1, 2018. If interested in applying, please contact David McCormick (davidmc(a)uoregon.edu) David A. McCormick Director, Institute of Neuroscience davidmc(a)uoregon.edu

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2 openings in vision rehabilitation and multi-modal data modelling: 1 PhD and 1 RA/postdoc
by Paul Matusz Nov. 27, 2018

Nov. 27, 2018

Institute of Information Systems at HES-SO in Valais and Foundation for the Blind in Lausanne (Switzerland) are looking for 1 PhD student and 1 RA/postdoc (open rank) interested in links between (eye) health, neuroscience and modelling links between sensory/ perceptual - brain - cognitive processes. Our project aims to asssess the potential of virtual reality games in the rehabilitation of the most common pediatric vision disorder - amblyopia ("lazy eye"). The recovery potential is assessed at the level of both the usual, basic vision skills (visual acuity or 3D vision) and functional "visual" skills like age-appropriate literacy skills. The project likewise aims to establish the role therein of different selective attention systems (visual, multisensory), as studied with rigorous experimental paradigms combined with the advantages of EEG and multi-variate EEG/ERP analyses (eg. Murray et al. 2008 BTOP; Tivadar & Murray 2018 ORM tinyurl.com/y8uxonnf ). The project is well-suited for students interested in modelling multi-modal clinical pediatric data and clinical change in the areas of medicine, neuroscience and/or cognition. More details here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VpzIFBz1wzrqHQNqEsD3CnktbD2axGgv/view Paul (Pawel) Matusz, Ph.D. Junior Group Leader Institute of Information Systems, HES-SO – Radiology, University Hospital Centre & University of Lausanne, Sierre – Lausanne, Switzerland Adjunct Assistant Professor Hearing & Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA https://groupforrealworldneuroscience.wordpress.com/ https://twitter.com/paweljmatusz +41 213141547

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Graduate Program in Computational Neuroscience at Tübingen - Deadline Jan 15th
by Philipp Berens Nov. 27, 2018

Nov. 27, 2018

The Master program "Neural Information Processing - Computational Neuroscience" covers theoretical and computational aspects of neuroscience. Faculty include: Peter Dayan, Matthias Bethge, Zhaoping Li, Martin Giese, Alexander Ecker, Philipp Berens, Fabian Sinz, Anna Levina and many more! Students obtain extensive training in computational modeling of neural systems, machine learning data analysis and neuroscience. While the first year is dedicated to course work at the graduate level, the second year provides hands-on research experience in leading labs in lab rotations and during thesis work. After finishing the Master program, students can smoothly transition to our PhD program and continue their research. The program provides research-oriented training in a wide spectrum of basic computational neuroscience topics with different options: machine learning for neuroscience and neural data analysis models of neural dynamics and coding motor control, rehabilitation robotics and brain-computer interfaces systems neuroscience and neurophysiology data science, bioinformatics and programming behaviour and cognition The deadline for applications is January, 15th (written documents must be in Tübingen). For more information please visit: https://www.bccn-tuebingen.de/education/master-of-science-neural-informatio… Please forward to interested students at the BSc level. -- Prof. Dr. Philipp Berens University of Tübingen Institute for Ophthalmic Research http://www.berenslab.org phone: +49-7071-2988833

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Three Postdocs in Epilepsy and Brain-Computer Interfaces, Melbourne, Australia
by David Grayden Nov. 27, 2018

Nov. 27, 2018

Three Postdocs in Epilepsy and Brain-Computer Interfaces ARC Training Centre in Cognitive Computing for Medical Technologies The University of Melbourne and IBM Research - Australia http://jobs.unimelb.edu.au/caw/en/job/898108/research-fellows-in-epilepsy-3… We have created a new research training centre dedicated to Cognitive Computing for Medical Technologies and are now looking for outstanding Research Fellows to join on us on three-year appointments. This is an exciting joint venture between the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the School of Computing and Information Systems in collaboration with our research partners IBM Research Australia, University of South Australia, Western Sydney University, RMIT University, and CSIRO. Our focus is to create a workforce that is expert in developing, applying, and integrating artificial intelligence technologies in data-intensive medical contexts by facilitating the next generation of data-driven and machine learning-based medical technologies. The Three Roles: 1. Epileptic Seizure Prediction - in this project, you will work to develop and apply state-of-the-art machine learning approaches for epileptic seizure prediction as well as assessing the efficacy of epilepsy medication. 2. Epilepsy Modelling - in this project, you will help understand the causes and behaviours of epileptic seizures and develop high fidelity models for seizure prediction. This will be done by bringing together neural models of the brain with machine learning. 3. Brain-Computer Interfaces - in this project, you will work to develop a neural network-based brain-computer interface that can be used to control augmentative devices for people with speech, vision or motor disorders. We are interested in applications from those whose expertise aligns with and reflects strengths in Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. We are also interested in specific experience in programming skills, machine learning, signal processing and computational neuroscience. Applications close: 07 Jan 2019 11:55 PM AUS Eastern Daylight Time Details: http://jobs.unimelb.edu.au/caw/en/job/898108/research-fellows-in-epilepsy-3… Regards, David Professor David B. Grayden Head of Department Dept of Biomedical Engineering Melbourne School of Engineering The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 Australia http://www.bme.unimelb.edu.au | https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgrayden

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open rank faculty position in Human Movement Science at Northeastern, Boston, MA
by Marta Russo Nov. 26, 2018

Nov. 26, 2018

The Department of Biology at College of Science and the Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Science at the Bouve College of Health Sciences invites nominations and applications for a tenure track faculty position (open rank, from the Assistant to the Full Professor rank). Applicants are encouraged to submit their application by November 29, 2018 to receive full considerations, but review of applications will continue until the position is filled. More info can be found below or here <https://neu.peopleadmin.com/postings/57607.>. Informal inquiries can be addressed to: Dr. Dagmar Sternad, Chair of the Search Committee (d.sternad(a)northeastern.edu) Apologies for multiple posting. -- Marta Russo, PhD Postdoctoral Research Associate Action Lab Office: 503 Richards Hall Mail: 134 Mugar Life Sciences Building Northeastern University 360 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115 m.russo(a)northeastern.edu *Faculty Position in Human Movement Science* *Northeastern University, Boston, MA* *Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor* *A tenure-track position is open in Human Movement Sciences in the Department of Biology, College of Science and the Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Science, Bouve College of Health Sciences, at Northeastern University.* The position is open for applicants from the Assistant to the Full Professor rank. The candidate’s research can be in the areas of experimental, computational, or clinical human movement, with a possible bridge to prosthetics and robotics. This position is part of a growing university-wide cluster in the science of human movement, spanning research strengths from basic experimental and computational research to rehabilitation science, robotics, and neuroengineering. Priority will be placed on research strengths that complement existing strengths in computational human movement science, rehabilitation science, neurophysiology, neuroimaging, and control theory, although excellence is of top-most priority. Depending on the research profile, an affiliated appointment with Bioengineering or Electrical and Mechanical Engineering is possible. The anticipated start date is Fall Semester, 2019. Responsibilities will include conducting an independent, externally funded research program, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, and participating in departmental, college and university service. Qualified candidates should have experience in, or be able to demonstrate a commitment to, working with diverse student populations and/or in a culturally diverse work and educational environment. The Department of Biology is strongly interdisciplinary, with 20 tenured and tenure-track faculty in Biology and an additional 9 faculty with joint appointments in other departments. The department administers programs in the College of Science at Northeastern University for 1,200 undergraduates, and 100 students in Ph.D., Masters, and Professional Masters programs. The Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences, located within Bouvé College of Health Sciences, is comprised of 10 tenured and tenure track faculty and 20 clinical faculty. The Department offers a Ph.D. program in Human Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences, as well as one of the oldest and largest Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) programs in the country. Grounded in its signature co-op program, Northeastern provides unprecedented global experiential learning opportunities. Northeastern University occupies a vibrant 67-acre campus in the heart of Boston, surrounded by other leading educational, health care, technological, and research institutions, as well as world-renowned venues for art and music. Applicants must have a PhD in the life sciences, including physical medicine and physical therapy, neuroscience, neurophysiology, bioengineering, electrical or mechanical engineering, kinesiology, rehabilitation sciences, or other related disciplines. All applicants should have a strong record of scholarly accomplishment that demonstrate research productivity and the ability to perform cutting edge research. Candidates seeking appointment at the associate or full professor level should have substantial research productivity and a history of grant support and academic service. *Please submit a curriculum vitae, cover letter, a two-page description of research accomplishments and plans, a statement on teaching, and the name and contact information for three references through the application portal* https://neu.peopleadmin.com/postings/57607 <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefense…> . Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applications should be submitted by November 29, 2018 to receive full considerations. Informal inquiries can be addressed to: Dr. Dagmar Sternad, Chair of the Search Committee (d.sternad(a)northeastern.edu) -- <http://www.hsantalucia.it/5x1000-sostieni-la-nostra-ricerca> *Rispetta l'ambiente: se non ti è necessario, non stampare questo messaggio - **Please consider the environment before printing this email.*

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Using spike train distances to identify the most discriminative neuronal subpopulation
by Thomas Kreuz Nov. 26, 2018

Nov. 26, 2018

Dear all, may I kindly draw your attention to our most recent paper which contains several new algorithms to address neuronal population coding using spike train distances: Satuvuori E, Mulansky M, Daffertshofer A, Kreuz T: Using spike train distances to identify the most discriminative neuronal subpopulation <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165027018302747> JNeurosci Methods, 308, 354 [PDF <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165027018302747>] and arXiv [PDF <https://arxiv.org/pdf/1805.10892.pdf>] (2018). For the abstract see below. This paper is part of the dissertation "Spike train distances and neuronal coding <http://dare.ubvu.vu.nl/bitstream/handle/1871/55855/abstract%20english.pdf?s…>" of my PhD student Eero Satuvuori whose full thesis can now be found here <http://dare.ubvu.vu.nl/bitstream/handle/1871/55855/abstract%20english.pdf?s…>. Besides some original parts and the paper cited above it also contains these recent works: Satuvuori E, Kreuz T: Which spike train distance is most suitable for distinguishing rate and temporal coding? JNeurosci Methods 299, 22 [PDF <https://ac.els-cdn.com/S0165027018300372/1-s2.0-S0165027018300372-main.pdf?…>] and arXiv [PDF <https://arxiv.org/pdf/1708.07508.pdf>] (2018). Kreuz T, Satuvuori E, Pofahl M, Mulansky M: Leaders and followers: Quantifying consistency in spatio-temporal propagation patterns New J. Phys., 19, 043028 [PDF <https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aa68c3>] and arXiv [PDF <https://arxiv.org/pdf/1610.07986v4.pdf>] (2017). Satuvuori E, Mulansky M, Bozanic N, Malvestio I, Zeldenrust F, Lenk K, Kreuz T: Measures of spike train synchrony for data with multiple time-scales JNeurosci Methods 287, 25 [PDF <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.05.028>] and arXiv [PDF <https://arxiv.org/pdf/1702.05394.pdf>] (2017). All the best, Thomas Kreuz PS: Satuvuori E, Mulansky M, Daffertshofer A, Kreuz T: Using spike train distances to identify the most discriminative neuronal subpopulation <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165027018302747> JNeurosci Methods, 308, 354 [PDF <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165027018302747>] and arXiv [PDF <https://arxiv.org/pdf/1805.10892.pdf>] (2018). Abstract: Background Spike trains of multiple neurons can be analyzed following the summed population (SP) or the labeled line (LL) hypothesis. Responses to external stimuli are generated by a neuronal population as a whole or the individual neurons have encoding capacities of their own. The SPIKE-distance estimated either for a single, pooled spike train over a population or for each neuron separately can serve to quantify these responses. New method For the SP case we compare three algorithms that search for the most discriminative subpopulation over all stimulus pairs. For the LL case we introduce a new algorithm that combines neurons that individually separate different pairs of stimuli best. Results The best approach for SP is a brute force search over all possible subpopulations. However, it is only feasible for small populations. For more realistic settings, simulated annealing clearly outperforms gradient algorithms with only a limited increase in computational load. Our novel LL approach can handle very involved coding scenarios despite its computational ease. Comparison with existing methods Spike train distances have been extended to the analysis of neural populations interpolating between SP and LL coding. This includes parametrizing the importance of distinguishing spikes being fired in different neurons. Yet, these approaches only consider the population as a whole. The explicit focus on subpopulations render our algorithms complimentary. Conclusions The spectrum of encoding possibilities in neural populations is broad. The SP and LL cases are two extremes for which our algorithms provide correct identification results. -- Institute for complex systems, CNR Via Madonna del Piano 10 50119 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy) Tel: +39-349-0748506 Email: thomas.kreuz(a)cnr.it Webpage: http://www.fi.isc.cnr.it/users/thomas.kreuz/

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Frontiers Research Topic "Discrimination of Genuine and Posed Facial Expressions of Emotion"
by Jian Liu Nov. 26, 2018

Nov. 26, 2018

Call for Papers: Frontiers Research Topic "Discrimination of Genuine and Posed Facial Expressions of Emotion" More information: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/9221/discrimination-of-genuine-… About this Research Topic Facial expressions demonstrate one emotional states in interpersonal situations. Evidence shows that part of the facial display reflects the emotional experience that is literally felt by the expresser. Interestingly, human beings are capable of identifying facial expressions of the felt emotions as a form of intentional deception to conduct social interaction and to stage displays that have the support of others. Staged or posed facial expressions implement an emotion that an expresser intends to convey, where genuine expressions are considered as the companion of spontaneous emotional expressions. The ability to differentiate genuine displays of emotional experience from posed ones is very important for dealing with day-to-day social interactions. Recent work has been conducted on whether or not people can distinguish between posed and genuine displays of emotion. In spite of few studies to investigate this ability, most prior research suggests that people have the ability to judge genuine and posed facial displays. Unfortunately, previous research has suffered from two major shortcomings: (1) the mixture of staged and genuine displays due to the lack of accounting for possible effects of intentional manipulation, and (2) struggling to consider dynamic aspects when people prepare facial stimuli for experimental investigation. This Research Topic encourages the submission of theoretical and experimental perspectives to broaden understanding of the importance of the discrimination of genuine and posed facial expressions of emotion. These may be new theoretical approaches, those from other disciplines of psychology not usually utilized within the discrimination of genuine and staged emotion identification or new theories and designs. We seek articles that present new hypotheses, concepts, experimental observations, and theories or models; demonstrate how theories adapted from other disciplines may be utilized for emotion identification or provide recommendations to improve current models or theories to enhance their capacity. We look for papers that may combine critical analysis of current models, synthesis of early empirical work by single- or multi-modality analysis (e.g. video, ECG, EEG, fMRI, and single cells in humans and/or animals), and explore the potential for their development applied to the context of emotion recognition. Submissions of systematic reviews and meta-analysis should discuss and promote comprehensive approaches to update and evolve concepts, hypotheses, and theories with potential applications in the community. Keywords: face expression, discrimination, genuine, posed, emotion Guest editors: Huiyu Zhou, Department of Informatics, University of Leicester, United Kingdom. Caroline Ling Li, School of Computing, University of Kent, United Kingdom. Shiguang Shan, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Shuo Wang, Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, West Virginia University, United States. Jian Liu, Centre for Systems Neuroscience, University of Leicester, United Kingdom.

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Call for applications - 2019 Nengo Summer School
by Peter Blouw Nov. 23, 2018

Nov. 23, 2018

[All details about this school can be found online at https://www.nengo.ai/summerschool] The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is excited to announce our 6th annual Nengo summer school on large-scale brain modelling and neuromorphic computing. This two-week school will teach participants to use the Nengo simulation package to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models to run both in simulation and on neuromorphic hardware. Summer school participants will be given on-site access to Loihi, Intel’s new neuromorphic research chip [1], and will learn to run high-level applications on Loihi using Nengo! More generally, Nengo provides users with a versatile and powerful environment for designing cognitive and neural systems, and has been used to build what is currently the world's largest functional brain model, Spaun [2], which includes spiking deep learning, reinforcement learning, adaptive motor control, and cognitive control networks. For a look at last year's summer school, check out this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwtYgBB2N6I We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals with a relevant background. [1] Davies, et al. (2018). Loihi: A neuromorphic manycore processor with on-chip learning. IEEE Micro. Vol. 38 no. 1 pp. 82-99. [ https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8259423] [2] Eliasmith, C., Stewart T. C., Choo X., Bekolay T., DeWolf T., Tang Y., Rasmussen, D. (2012). A large-scale model of the functioning brain. Science. Vol. 338 no. 6111 pp. 1202-1205. DOI: 10.1126/science.1225266. [ http://compneuro.uwaterloo.ca/files/publications/eliasmith.2012.pdf] ***Application Deadline: February 15, 2019*** Format: A combination of tutorials and project-based work. Participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on testing hypotheses, modeling neural or cognitive data, implementing specific behavioural functions with neurons, expanding past models, or providing a proof-of-concept of various neural mechanisms. Hands-on tutorials, work on individual or group projects, and talks from invited faculty members will make up the bulk of day-to-day activities. A project demonstration event will be held on the last day of the school, with prizes for strong projects! Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to: - interface Nengo with neuromorphic hardware (e.g. Loihi, SpiNNaker) - build perceptual, motor, and cognitive models using spiking neurons - model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data - use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model - integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models - interface Nengo with cameras and robotic systems - implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models - and much more… Date and Location: June 9th to June 21st, 2019 at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Applications: Please visit http://www.nengo.ai/summerschool, where you can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an application form listing required materials. If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact Peter Blouw (peter.blouw(a)appliedbrainresearch.com) The school is also partly supported by ONR and ABR, Inc. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Postdoc position at The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics
by Leon French Nov. 21, 2018

Nov. 21, 2018

The Computational Neurobiology Laboratory at The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics seeks a postdoctoral fellow to join our efforts to understand brain disorders. We focus on mining datasets of connectivity, gene expression, and epigenetics across the genome and the brain. We employ multifaceted approaches that gain information by using data that crosses scales, modalities, and species. We seek one postdoctoral fellow interested in bioinformatics and neuroscience. The primary project will be to join large transcriptomic resources with the polygenic signal of major depression to gain insight into the disorder. In addition to this project, there would be opportunities to pursue other research interests. Some of our frequently used keywords give a good description of our work: neuroinformatics, molecular neuroanatomy, genetics, transcriptomics, machine learning, text mining, neuroimaging, software development, and connectomics. The ideal candidate should have a PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, computer science or related field with extensive knowledge in genome wide data integration. Significant interest in neuroscience and experience working with large datasets are requested. Familiarity with The Library of Integrative Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) is a plus. Preferred qualifications and experience: - Excellent written and verbal communication skills - Extensive experience in programming and scripting (e.g., R or Python) - Expertise in genomics, bioinformatics, computational biology, neuroscience or related areas - Experience in analyzing, visualizing and integrating large-scale biological data - Contributions to public software projects Writing manuscripts and applying for independent grants and fellowships will be strongly encouraged. Highly motivated individuals (Ph.D. and/or M.D.) should submit a curriculum vitae, names of 3 references and a cover letter explaining their interest, and a brief description of research experience to leonfrench+recruit at gmail.com. You will support a healthy workplace that embraces diversity, encourages teamwork and complies with all applicable and regulatory requirements. This position will be located at 250 College Street, Toronto.

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2 years postdoc position in reinforcement learning-based modeling of animal behavior
by david robbe Nov. 21, 2018

Nov. 21, 2018

Dear Colleagues, Please find below an announcement for a postdoc position in Marseille (France) to develop reinforcement learning-based models of animal behavior. The Turing Centre for Living Systems in Marseille seeks applicants for a postdoc position in computational neuroscience/robotics under the joint supervision of David Robbe and Christophe Eloy. The initial appointment will be for 2 years. The goal of this project is to understand, at an algorithmic level, how animals learn to develop adaptive behavior by trial-and-error interaction with their environment. We propose an interdisciplinary approach combining behavioral experiments in rats and the development of an "artificial" agent facing challenges similar to those experienced by the rats. The experimental data (already available) show that rats challenged in a time estimation task converged progressively toward a conserved embodied strategy (Rueda-Orozco and Robbe, Nature Neuroscience, 2015). Key determinants of that strategy have been isolated experimentally, by altering task rules and environment and quantifying how these alterations affect animal performance. Learning theoretical models will be based on reinforcement learning and more recent developments coming from artificial intelligence (deep learning). The main task of the project will be to develop computational model and therefore we expect the candidates to have a solid background in the gerenal field of machine learning. The successful applicant will work in close collaboration with experimentalists and robotic engineers. We are therefore looking for an enthusiastic applicant with excellent communication skills and a track record in interdisciplinary collaborative environments Deadline for application: 1st of December 2018 (late application will be considered until the end of the year) More information and application.<http://centuri-livingsystems.org/pdp2018-11/>http://centuri-livingsystems.org/pdp2018-11/ -- David Robbe, PhD Neural Bases of Sensorimotor learning Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED) INSERM-UMR1249 163, avenue de Luminy. BP13 13273 Marseille Cedex 9 France Tel: +33 4 91 82 81 99 Fax: +33 4 91 82 81 05 Team Web Page <http://www.inmed.fr/en/en-avenir-dynamiques-neuronales-et-fonctions-des-gan…> /"It is disturbingly common for studies to include behavior as simply a hasty add-on in papers that are otherwise crammed full of multiple techniques, types of results, and even species. It is as if every paper needs to be a methodological decathlon in order to be considered important."/ Krakauer et al., Neuron 2017 <https://www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273(16)31040-6>

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New AFOSR Cognitive & Computational Neuroscience research funding portfolio
by GREENWALD, HAL S DR-04 USAF AFMC AFOSR/RTA Nov. 19, 2018

Nov. 19, 2018

Dear Colleagues, Please check out AFOSR's new research funding portfolio in Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience! The Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience program funds high-risk, high-potential basic research that uses experimental and computational modeling techniques from systems neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, computational/theoretical neuroscience, cognitive science, and cognitive psychology to understand the neural mechanisms responsible for perception, cognition, and behavior. The program also supports brain-inspired algorithm and hardware development provided these are useful for testing proposed neuroscience theories and/or enabling novel capabilities in computing, artificial intelligence, or autonomous systems. The Broad Agency Announcement is posted at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=305996 (see file FA9550-18-S-0003 Amendment 002.pdf) Awards under this BAA are not limited to US researchers. Although the BAA remains open year round, to be considered for FY19 funding, full proposals should be submitted via grants.gov no later than mid-February. Emailed pre-proposals in the form of white papers (approximately 3-5 pages, excluding references) describing specific research questions and approaches are encouraged. Regards, Hal Greenwald Hal S. Greenwald, Ph.D. Program Officer, Cognitive & Computational Neuroscience Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR/RTA) 875 N. Randolph St. Arlington, VA 22203-1768 (703) 588-8441 neuroscience(a)us.af.mil

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PhD studentship, University of Exeter
by Goodfellow, Marc Nov. 19, 2018

Nov. 19, 2018

A fully funded studentship is available to work with Dr. Marc Goodfellow (University of Exeter, UK) and Prof. George Augustine (NTU, Singapore). The deadline for applications is 31st January 2019. Healthy brain function is mediated by the coordination of neuronal activity - both locally and across different brain regions - giving rise to large-scale brain dynamics. These dynamics are measured using a variety of techniques, for example magneto-/electro-encephalography or functional MRI in humans, or by fluorescence-based imaging of voltage- or calcium-sensitive indicators in animal models in vivo. Uncovering the nature and mechanisms of large-scale brain dynamics at rest, or during sensory processing, remains a fundamental challenge in neuroscience. In addition to basic insight, improving our understanding of healthy brain dynamics will help us elucidate reasons why abnormal dynamics occur, for example in neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders. This studentship will develop a novel program of interdisciplinary research across in vivo (mouse) experimentation and mathematical modelling. The overall aim is to construct and validate mathematical models of large-scale brain dynamics that are able to explain the spontaneous activity of the rodent brain in vivo. The student will train in optogenetic technologies and in vivo imaging, as well as mathematical model development, multi-variate time series analysis and parameter fitting tools, thus placing them at the forefront of interdisciplinary neuroscience. In a first step, targeted optogenetic stimuli will be combined with voltage sensitive dye imaging in awake mice to probe the response of brain tissue to excitatory and inhibitory afferent stimuli. Neural mass models will be fit to these data, using machine learning approaches (for example random forests). This information will be compiled into a predictive model of cortical dynamics and tested against experimental recordings of spontaneous activity. The studentship is part of a joint program between The University of Exeter (UoE) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. They are offering six fully funded postgraduate studentships to undertake collaborative research projects at the two institutions, leading to PhD degrees (split-site) to be conferred either by the UoE or NTU. Students pursuing these postgraduate research projects will benefit from the unique opportunity to conduct their research at both institutions. Students will be registered at one or other institution, where they will be based for the majority of their time, but will spend at least 12 and not more than 18 months at the partner institution over the duration of the programme. The frequency and length of stays at each institution will be agreed with successful candidates prior to offers being made. All six projects are advertised concurrently at both institutions and three will be allocated to each institution after the deadline has passed, based on a collaborative decision made between the UoE and NTU. The final decision on the successful applicant for each project will be made by the institution hosting the project. Project allocation will be based on the applicant's best fit to a project, following a review of applications submitted to each institution. Applications to undertake the projects at the UoE and NTU are open to all nationalities. The programme start dates are August 2019 for NTU and September 2019 for UoE The home institution will determine the regulations that will apply to the successful applicant. The student's main supervisor will be based at the home institution. For further information and to register interest, please contact Dr. Marc Goodfellow (m.goodfellow(a)exeter.ac.uk) To apply and for further details, please see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=3058

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Ph.D. positions in Math Biology and Computational Neuroscience at NJIT
by Victor Matveev Nov. 17, 2018

Nov. 17, 2018

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. Teaching and research assistantships are available, and include a tuition waiver and a competitive stipend. Application target date is December 15, 2018 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/?utm_… For more information, please email us (math(a)njit.edu, CC to:rmoore@njit.edu, matveev(a)njit.edu) PhD Program advertisement flyer is available at 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/

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Threshold Networks Workshop - First announcement
by Stephen Coombes Nov. 16, 2018

Nov. 16, 2018

First announcement Threshold Networks July 22 - 24, 2019 Nottingham, UK https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/conference/fac-sci/maths-sci/threshold-network… This workshop will bring together a community of people interested in both networks and dynamics, with an eye to both mathematical tractability and applications to biology, engineering, physics, and the social sciences. The emphasis will be on ‘thresholds’ in their broadest sense as exemplified by node dynamics or interactions that are described by simple, yet possibly non-smooth or discontinuous switch-like processes. The workshop will cover both theory and applications. The meeting will have no parallel sessions, and it is expected to involve around 60 participants (with 12 main speakers) and contributed poster presentations. Speakers: Alex Arenas, Universidad Rovira i Virgili, Spain Mario Di Bernardo, University of Bristol, UK Ginestra Bianconi, Queen Mary University of London, UK Des Higham, University of Strathclyde, UK Renaud Lambiotte, University of Oxford, UK Naoki Masuda, University of Bristol, UK Peter Mucha, University of North Carolina, USA Sarah Muldoon, University at Buffalo, USA Yamir Moreno, University of Zaragoza, Spain Important dates Registration deadline: 1st June 2019 Poster abstract submission deadline: 12th April 2019. Notification of acceptance: 1st May 2019 The registration fee for the conference is 100.00 GBP. A “Tutorial Day” (covering key concepts in dynamical systems and network science) will also take place prior to the meeting (on July 21). Some financial assistance may be available to assist graduate students who attend both the training workshop and the conference. Further details of this meeting and how to register may be found at https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/conference/fac-sci/maths-sci/threshold-network… Scientific Organisers Yi Ming Lai, Rüdiger Thul, and Stephen Coombes, University of Nottingham Mason A. Porter, UCLA Enquiries should be sent to: ThresholdNetworks2019(a)nottingham.ac.uk<mailto:ThresholdNetworks2019@nottingham.ac.uk> ------------------------------------------------------- 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.

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Multiple Postdocs available in the Neurobiology of Language
by Woolnough, Oscar Nov. 16, 2018

Nov. 16, 2018

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH POSITIONS Multiple Postdoctoral research positions are available in the Tandon Lab at The University of Texas in Houston as part of the newly formed Texas Epilepsy Neurotechnologies and Neuroinformatics (TENN) Institute. Positions are funded either via multi year Institute funding or by NIH funds (an R01 and a U01). The lab uses multimodal approaches – fMRI, lesional analysis following epilepsy surgery, intracranial recordings and direct stimulation to create validate network level representations of language. Lab Collaborators include Greg Hickok (UCI), Stanislas Dehaene (NeuroSpin), Nathan Crone (JHU), Simon Fisher Baum (Rice) and Xaq Pitkow (Rice-Baylor); the post-doc will benefit from a close interaction with these experts in the fields of reading, semantics, speech production and computational neuroscience. The selected individual must have a Ph.D. in one or more of the following: neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, mathematics, electrical engineering or computer science. Previous experience in neural time series data analysis, functional imaging studies of language, or studies of speech production are desirable – but not crucial. They must possess the ability to independently code in any or all of the following: MATLAB, R or python. They are expected to be highly motivated, team players with a passion to study cognitive processes using any or all of the various modalities available in the lab - imaging, direct recordings and closed-loop cortical stimulation in humans. Given the multiple unpredictable variables and privacy issues around data collection in human patients, the individual must possess high ethical and professional standards and be adaptable. A strong publication record and excellent academic credentials are highly desirable. CONTACT: Nitin.Tandon(a)uth.tmc.edu<mailto:Nitin.Tandon@uth.tmc.edu> Eliana.Klier(a)uth.tmc.edu<mailto:Eliana.Klier@uth.tmc.edu> More information @ www.tandonlab.org

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PhD fellowship on analysis/large-scale modelling of cross-frequency coupling and stimulation
by BATTAGLIA Demian Nov. 16, 2018

Nov. 16, 2018

Applications are invited for a: PhD fellowship at Aix-Marseille University (AMU, southern France) under the mentoring of Dr. Demian Battaglia (Institute for Systems Neuroscience - INS). This three-years fellowship is funded by the ANR grant (Agence National de la Recherche) “ERMUNDY (Exact Reduction of Multiscale Neural Dynamics)”. In the context of this project we will develop computational multi-scale models of cortical oscillatory dynamics (multiple frequencies, cross-frequency coupling…) and of its control via stimulation. The used models (from the regional to the whole-brain level) will be constrained by realistic information on the phase response properties of actual neural populations, which will be inferred from both extra-cranial (TMS) and intra-cranial (sEEG) stimulation data, acquired in house at AMU. Interactions with other researchers will take place as well, including experimentalists located in AMU, and theorists at Cergy-Pontoise University (Alessandro Torcini) and Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris (Boris Gutkin). The PhD fellow will participate to both experimental data analysis (extraction of Phase Response Curves, functional connectivity analyses…) and model design and simulation. The successful candidate will integrate the Theoretical Neuroscience Group at the Institute for Systems Neuroscience (INS), located on the same campus of the Timone University hospital (AP-HM). The integrative and clinical neuroscience community in Marseille is among the most lively in Europe and Marseille is a vibrating city, with wonderful natural surroundings and home to the largest French-speaking university in the world, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary studies. Salary (~1.4k euros net, after all taxes and full social security coverage) is defined according to French national guidelines and cannot be negotiated. Interested candidates should send a cv, a brief description of qualifications and research interests and the name of one or two reference contacts to: Demian Battaglia demian.battaglia(a)univ-amu.fr Feel free to inquire for further information. Applications from under-represented categories in STEM sciences are welcome and supported.

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PhD position at HU Berlin (Physics Dep.) available
by Benjamin Lindner Nov. 16, 2018

Nov. 16, 2018

*Calcium spiking with cumulative refractoriness - statistics of the fluctuations and implications for Calcium signaling** *We are looking for a PhD candidate to theoretically explore models of noisy spike-generating cellular signalling systems for which the intracellular Calcium dynamics is a prominent example. Methods will be developed within the frameworks of the theory of stochastic processes, statistical physics and nonlinear dynamics. The project is a collaboration between the research groups of Martin Falcke (Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine Berlin and Humboldt University Berlin) and Benjamin Lindner (Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin and Humboldt University Berlin) and the PhD students of both groups are expected to closely collaborate. The successful candidate should have a degree in physics (a background in physical biology is desirable but not obligatory), expertise in analytical calculations, programming skills (C++ or C, Python, LaTeX, Linux), and excellent command of the English language, good communication skills, and team spirit. Funding is provided for three years, starting at the latest February 1, 2019. For details on the doctoral examination process at the Physics Department of Humboldt University Berlin, see https://fakultaeten.hu-berlin.de/en/mnf/wisskar/promotionen/index_html?set_…. Applications, including a letter of motivation, a CV, and a list of three potential referees should be sent by email to   me benjamin.lindner(a)physik.hu-berlin.de  (cc to nikola.schrenk(a)bccn-berlin.de)  The deadline for applications is December 31st 2018, however, later applications might also be considered. HU is seeking to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching, and specifically encourages qualified female scholars to apply. Severely disabled applicants with equivalent qualifications will be given preferential consideration. People with an immigration background are specifically encouraged to apply. Since we will not return your documents, please submit copies in the application only. Kind regards, Benjamin Lindner -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benjamin Lindner Professor for Theory of Complex Systems and Neurophysics Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin Philippstr. 13, Haus 2, 10115 Berlin Room: 1.17, phone: 0049(0)302093 6336 Department of Physics Humboldt University Berlin Newtonstr. 15 12489 Berlin Room: 3.408, phone: 0049(0)302093 7934 http://people.physik.hu-berlin.de/~lindner/index.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Associate Professor in Mathematical Imaging
by Stephen Coombes Nov. 14, 2018

Nov. 14, 2018

Dear all, As part of the growth of activity in Precision Imaging at Nottingham there is an opening at Associate Professor level in the area of Mathematical Imaging. The post-holder will undertake original research of international excellence in Mathematical Imaging or closely related areas including Neuroimaging and Computational Neuroscience, complementing and enhancing the current activity of the Mathematical Medicine and Biology group (https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cmmb/index.aspx) and the University Beacon in Precision Imaging (https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/beacons-of-excellence/precision-imagi…) For information about how to apply please visit https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/MED1511 Best regards, Steve ------------------------------------------------------- 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.

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XI. Dubrovnik Conference on Cognitive Science - Computational Rationality
by Gergo Orban Nov. 13, 2018

Nov. 13, 2018

Dear All, We are happy to announce the XI. Dubrovnik Conference on Cognitive Science, which is devoted to the topic of Computational Rationality. The conference will take place between 23-25 May 2019 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Invited speakers are: Ulrike Hahn (Birkbeck, University of London, UK) Quentin Huys (ETH Zürich, Switzerland) Julian Jara-Ettinger (Yale University, USA) Mate Lengyel (University of Cambridge, Central European University) Azzurra Ruggeri (Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany) Laura Schultz (MIT, USA) For more information please visit: http://www.cecog.eu/ducog/page_invitation.php <http://www.cecog.eu/ducog/page_invitation.php> or email us: ducog(a)cogsci.bme.hu <mailto:ducog@cogsci.bme.hu> On behalf of the organisers, Oana Stanciu Gergő Orbán

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Postdoc positions in computational and multimodal neuroimaging
by Laura Lewis Nov. 13, 2018

Nov. 13, 2018

Postdoc positions at Boston University and Harvard Medical School/MGH POSITION 1: We have openings for postdoctoral associates to lead multimodal neuroimaging studies of brain function in Laura Lewis' lab at Boston University, aiming to advance computational and systems neuroscience of the human brain. These positions offer the opportunity to develop computational neuroimaging approaches using state-of-the-art MR techniques, and study the neural basis and cognitive consequences of sleep, wake, arousal, and attentional states. We use fast fMRI, multimodal imaging (e.g. EEG-fMRI, PET-fMRI), computational modeling, ultra-high field (7 Tesla) imaging, and other multimodal approaches to measure and analyze brain function across diverse states. The lab is a fast-paced and interdisciplinary environment that supports its members in achieving their long-term research and career goals, and has strong collaborations throughout the Boston-area computational neuroscience and neuroimaging communities. POSITION 2: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in advanced functional MRI based at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School. Our research aims to enable new kinds of analyses of brain activity through advanced neuroimaging and signal processing approaches. Working with Drs. Jonathan Polimeni and Laura Lewis, the fellow will study the neural and vascular origins of fast fMRI signals and test the upper limits of the speed and sensitivity of fMRI. The postdoctoral fellow will use advanced accelerated fMRI methods and ultra-high field imaging (7T) to study and model the dynamics of neural activation at fast timescales and across cortical layers. Multimodal imaging (including ASL, CBV, and simultaneous EEG/fMRI) and computational models of physiological dynamics may also be used, to ultimately track fast and local neural dynamics using accelerated fMRI. The Martinos Center is home to state-of-the-art imaging facilities and technological expertise in neuroimaging. The center houses over 200 faculty and postdoc members, conducting diverse neuroimaging research with great potential for collaborations and career development. BU and MGH are equal opportunity employers. Position is well suited for a highly motivated researcher with a desire to begin an independent career related to advanced fMRI and/or neuroscience. A Ph.D. in engineering, physics, neuroscience, psychology, or related field, is required. A background in neuroimaging techniques and/or neurophysiology is an asset but not required. Strong analysis skills and independent motivation and creativity are essential. TO APPLY: Interested applicants should send a cover letter describing research experience, interests, and future goals, as well as a CV and contact information for three references, to ldlewis(a)bu.edu For more information see: http://www.lewisneurolab.org/positions

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Postdoc in auditory thalamocortical system modeling & data analysis
by Neymotin, Samuel (NKI) Nov. 13, 2018

Nov. 13, 2018

A computational neuroscience postdoctoral position is available at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research under the auspices of a NIH R01 (MPI: Peter Lakatos, Sam Neymotin). The aim of our project is to develop/utilize computer models of the auditory thalamocortical system to investigate mechanisms and functions of neuronal oscillatory patterns observed in the auditory system in the electrophysiological recordings from Dr. Lakatos' group. The broad goal is to develop a biologically-realistic data-driven computer model of the thalamocortical auditory system that is able to support critical auditory information processing features, with special emphasis on neuronal oscillations. The combined in vivo and in silico results of our project will pave the way for model-driven neuromodulation, offering precise predictions on how to efficiently control biological circuits. Besides modeling, our group also focuses heavily on developing and applying novel signal processing techniques for the analysis of electrophysiological data on multiple spatial scales, from single neurons to ECoG recordings. Applicants should have a strong background in: computer programming, with demonstrated proficiency in Python and Matlab, analysis of electrophysiological data, development of signal processing methods for neural data, detailed computational modeling of neurons/neuronal circuits using NEURON with Python. The job will be based at the Nathan Kline Institute (www.nki.rfmh.org<http://www.nki.rfmh.org> ~1 hour north of NYC), but some telecommuting will be allowed. Applicants should contact Sam Neymotin by email (samuel.neymotin(a)nki.rfmh.org<mailto:samuel.neymotin@nki.rfmh.org>) with a CV and cover letter. The Nathan Kline Institute is an equal opportunity employer. ________________________________ IMPORTANT NOTICE: This e-mail is meant only for the use of the intended recipient. It may contain confidential information which is legally privileged or otherwise protected by law. If you received this e-mail in error or from someone who was not authorized to send it to you, you are strictly prohibited from reviewing, using, disseminating, distributing or copying the e-mail. PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY OF THE ERROR BY RETURN E-MAIL AND DELETE THIS MESSAGE FROM YOUR SYSTEM. Thank you for your cooperation.

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Post-doc position in neuroimaging and computational neuroscience in Bordeaux, France
by Alexandre Zenon Nov. 13, 2018

Nov. 13, 2018

Post-doctoral position in neuroimaging Applications are invited for a Research Fellow in the Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, Bordeaux, France. The successful applicant will pursue research projects on the neurobiological and computational underpinnings of the cost of cognition. These projects will combine neuroimaging and computational approaches. The post is available from early 2019 and is funded for two years by a grant from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche. Applicants must have, or be close to obtaining, a PhD in neuroscience, psychology, or a related area. Experience in conducting neuroscience research and in programming (Matlab and/or Python) is required. Experience in conducting neuroimaging research and in building computational models of behavior will be very appreciated. To apply for the vacancy, or for more information, please contact Dr. Alexandre Zénon (email: alexandre.zenon(a)u-bordeaux.fr ). Applications should include CV, motivation letter and contact information for 3 references.

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PhD positions in computational neuroscience, University of Edinburgh
by Matthias Hennig Nov. 13, 2018

Nov. 13, 2018

3 YEAR PhD IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH. We invite applications for our PhD programme in COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE at the Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation at the University of Edinburgh. The studentships are ideal for students who want to apply their computational and analytical skills to problems in neuroscience and related fields. The following supervisors have openings: Matthias Hennig: Neural network models; homeostasis and development; visual and auditory neuroscience; analysis of large-scale recordings. Arno Onken: Neural coding; machine learning for neural data analysis; multi-modal and multi-scale analysis. Peggy Seriès: Bayesian approaches to cognition and perception; computational psychiatry. The PhD project can be done in collaboration with one of the many affiliated departments and institutes. Edinburgh has been voted as 'best place to live in Britain', and has many exciting cultural and student activities. Students with a strong background in either computer science, mathematics, physics or engineering are particularly welcome to apply. Motivated students with other backgrounds will also be considered. To apply, visit https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/degrees/index.php?r=site/view&ed… Applications completed by 16. January 2019 will receive full consideration. -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

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PhD in cortical memory storage at the University of Edinburgh
by Matthias Hennig Nov. 12, 2018

Nov. 12, 2018

Applications are invited for an EASTBIO-funded PhD position in the labs of Dr. Gulsen Surmeli and Dr. Matthias Hennig. This is an excellent training opportunity for a highly motivated individual to learn both the use of modern in vivo functional neuron imaging technologies and the applications computational methods to address fundamental questions in neuronal computation. Objectives: Cognitive abilities are a result of coordinated activity of billions of neurons. Recent advances in neuroscience research now enables monitoring activity of thousands of neurons during cognitive tasks. Decoding these large ensemble codes enable unprecedented insight into the inner workings of the brain. This project aims to investigate neural ensemble coding of cortical memory networks. In this project, we will investigate the encoding of memories in cortical networks. In Dr. Surmeli’s lab, a miniaturized head attached fluorescent microscope (miniscope) will be used to perform cellular resolution imaging of activity of neuronal ensembles in freely moving mice during memory tasks. Combined with advanced genetic techniques this method allows tracking activity of thousands of neurons during memory formation and recall. Since memory engrams are typically sparse and highly distributed over many neurons, tracking the acquisition of new memories will require advanced analysis methods, which will be developed in collaboration with the second supervisor based in the School of Informatics. Moreover, the results will enable constructing new models of short and long-term memory acquisition that can advance artificial neural networks used in machine learning applications. For conditions of applying and to apply please refer to: https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=100855 Download application and reference forms via: https://www.ed.ac.uk/roslin/postgraduate/bbsrc-eastbio-dtp Lab website/Online Profile https://www.ed.ac.uk/discovery-brain-sciences/our-staff/research-groups/dr-… http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/mhennig/ -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

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Doctoral studies in Computational/Theoretical Neuroscience at NYU
by Eero P Simoncelli Nov. 12, 2018

Nov. 12, 2018

New York University is home to a thriving interdisciplinary community of researchers using computational and theoretical approaches in neuroscience. We are interested in exceptional PhD candidates with strong quantitative training (e.g., physics, mathematics, engineering) coupled with a clear interest in scientific study of the brain. A listing of faculty, sorted by their primary departmental affiliation, is given below. Doctoral programs are flexible, allowing students to pursue research across departmental boundaries. Nevertheless, admissions are handled separately by each department, and students interested in pursuing graduate studies should submit an application to the program that best fits their goals and interests. Center for Neural Science (CNS), Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (deadline: 1 December) [http://neuroscience.nyu.edu/graduate-programs/, and http://www.cns.nyu.edu/doctoral/] * Andre A. Fenton - Molecular, neural, behavioral, and computational aspects of memory. * Paul W. Glimcher - Decision-making in humans and animals. Neuroeconomics. * Roozbeh Kiani - Vision and decision-making. * Wei Ji Ma (also in Psychology) - Perception, working memory, and decision-making. * Tony Movshon - Vision and visual development. * Bijan Pesaran - Neuronal dynamics and decision-making. * Alex Reyes - Functional interactions of neurons in a network. * John Rinzel (also in Mathematics) - Biophysical mechanisms and theory of neural computation. * Cristina Savin (also in the Center for Data Science) - Computational models of learning and memory, machine learning. * Robert Shapley - Visual physiology and perception. * Eero Simoncelli - Computational vision and audition. * Xiao-Jing Wang - Computational neuroscience, decision-making and working memory, neural circuits. Neuroscience Institute, School of Medicine (deadline: 1 December) [http://neuroscience.nyu.edu/graduate-programs/, and https://med.nyu.edu/departments-institutes/neuroscience/] * Gyorgy Buzsaki - Rhythms in neural networks. * Dmitri Chklovskii (also in the Simons Foundation) - Neural computation and connectomics. * Dmitry Rinberg - Sensory information processing in the behaving animal. * Mario Svirsky - Auditory neural prostheses; experimental/computational studies of speech production/perception. Psychology, Cognition & Perception program (deadline: 1 December) [http://as.nyu.edu/psychology/graduate/phd-cognition-perception.html] * Todd Gureckis - Memory, learning, and decision processes. * David Heeger (also in CNS) - Computational neuroscience, vision, attention. * Brendan Lake (also in the Center for Data Science) - Computational modeling of cognition. * Michael Landy - Computational approaches to vision. * Laurence Maloney - Mathematical approaches to psychology and neuroscience. * Gary Marcus - Origins of the human mind. * Denis Pelli - Visual object recognition. * Jonathan Winawer - Visual perception and memory. Mathematics (deadline: 18 December) [http://math.nyu.edu/degree/phd/] * David McLaughlin - Nonlinear wave equations, computational visual neuroscience. * Aaditya Rangan - Computational neurobiology, numerical analysis. * Charles Peskin - Mathematical biology. * Michael Shelley - Modeling and large-scale computation, computational visual neuroscience. * Daniel Tranchina - Information processing in the retina. * Lai-Sang Young - Dynamical systems, statistical physics, computational modeling and theoretical neuroscience. Center for Data Science (deadline: 12 December) [https://cds.nyu.edu/academics/phd-in-data-science/] * Joan Bruna (also in Computer Science) - Machine learning, signal/image processing. * Kyungyun Cho (also in Computer Science) - Machine learning, natural language processing. * Carlos Fernandez-Granda (also in Mathematics) - Optimization methods for medical imaging, neuroscience, computer vision. * Brenden Lake - Computational modeling of cognition, deep learning. Physics (deadline: 18 December) [http://physics.as.nyu.edu/page/graduate] * Marc Gershow - Perception, decision-making, and learning in neural circuits. Computer Science (deadline: 12 December) [http://www.cs.nyu.edu/home/phd/] * Davi Geiger - Computational vision and learning. * Yann LeCun - Machine learning, computer vision, robotics, computational neuroscience. Economics (deadline: 18 December) [http://as.nyu.edu/econ/degree-programs/phd.html] * Andrew Caplin - Economic theory, neurobiology of decision. * Andrew Schotter - Experimental economics, game theory, neurobiology of decision.

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REMINDER: Special Issue Operations Research for Neuroscience II
by Ruben A. Tikidji-Hamburyan Nov. 11, 2018

Nov. 11, 2018

Dear Colleagues, Just a friendly reminder: Deadline for paper submission is in a few weeks. December 1, 2018 We strongly encourage colleagues who are using modern operations research methods, to consider submitting a manuscript. We also invite manuscripts which propose further developments of modern formal theories (such as the free-energy principle, integrated information, Bayesian learning, etc). Please find the CfP attached as a pdf file or as plain text below. Best regards, Ruben Tikidji-Hamburyan. ____________________________________________________ ― Call for Papers ― Annals of Operations Research Special Issue Operations Research for Neuroscience II ____________________________________________________ After the positive and encouraging response from the scientific and wider community to the special issue Operations Research for Neuroscience, the journal Annals of OperationsResearch (Springer) now invites submissions of papers to a second special issue on the same subject, called Operations Research for Neuroscience II. Neuroscience, a multidisciplinary science, is concerned with the study of the structure and functions of the nervous system. It comprises aspects of physiology, cellular and molecular biology, as well as behavioral and cognitive science. Recent technological and theoretical advances offer promising opportunities for better understanding of the nervous system at the quantitative level. New optogenetic, in vitro and in vivo multielectrode recording, neuroimaging, brain imaging, and other modern techniques provide high-quality data that can be used in elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of information processing in the nervous system. The rapidly growing pool of experimental data has triggered the development of new mathematical models that can provide new insights into the functioning of the nervous system at various scales, ranging from that of molecular biology to that of the organizational principles of behavior and cognition. Sophisticated analyses of intracellular signaling or dynamics in heterogeneous neural networks, conditional behavior, or connections of brain regions in decision-making lead to theoretical problems, addressed by operations research. Although, operations research is actively used in bottom-up approaches--from experimental observation to consistent theory-- it also widely overlaps modern and rapidly developing formal theories, for example the free-energy principle, integrated information theory, and may others. The special issue will cover a broad range of topics in the field of neuroscience using operations research approaches, methods, and theories. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following areas and methodologies of neuroscience: o intracellular signaling and regulation o synaptic plasticity o dynamics in heterogeneous neural networks o intelligent systems and control o perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral functions o learning and memory o spatio-temporal network analysis o behavioral economics and finance o linguistics and cognition o combinatorial optimization o signal and information processing o neuroimaging and functional brain imaging processing o computational modeling and simulation o formal theoretical approaches: the free-energy principle, integrated information, Bayesian inference, etc. The use of methods from modern operations research in neuroscience is a prerequisite for any paper submitted to this special issue to enter the reviewing process. Annals of Operations Research is abstracted and indexed in the following databases: Science Citation Index, Science Citation Index Expanded (SciSearch), Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, SCOPUS, INSPEC, Zentralblatt Math, Google Scholar, EBSCO, CSA, ProQuest, ABS Academic Journal Quality Guide, Academic OneFile, Academic Search, Computer Abstracts International Database, Computer Science Index, CSA Environmental Sciences, Current Contents/Engineering, Computing and Technology, DBLP, ECONIS, Expanded Academic, International Abstracts in Operations Research, Mathematical Reviews, OCLC, SCImago, STMA-Z, Summon by ProQuest. The Special Issue is officially endorsed by EURO Conference 2018, Valencia. Guest Editors: Erik Kropat, Ruben A. Tikidji-Hamburyan, Gerhard-Wilhelm Weber Important Date: Submission deadline of full papers: December 1, 2018. Submission Details: The format of manuscripts for the Annals of Operations Research as well as guidelines can be found on the web page of Springer, the publisher of the journal: http://www.springer.com/journal/10479/submission. Authors should submit a cover letter mentioning that the paper is for a special issue and a manuscript via the journal's online submission site: http://www.editorialmanager.com/anor. When prompted, please select the article type “S.I.: OR in Neuroscience II”. All papers submitted for publication will be carefully refereed. In case of any question please contact by e-mail one of the following guest editors: Dr. Erik Kropat Department of Computer Science Universität der Bundeswehr München Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39 85577 Neubiberg, Germany E-mail: erik.kropat(a)gmx.de Dr. Ruben A. Tikidji-Hamburyan Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy Health Sciences Center, Louisiana State University New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA E-mail: rtikid(a)lsuhsc.edu Prof. Dr. Gerhard-Wilhelm Weber Faculty of Engineering Management Chair of Marketing and Economic Engineering Poznan University of Technology ul. Strzelecka 11 60-965 Poznan, Poland E-mail: gerhard.weber(a)put.poznan.pl

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PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience and Neuroimaging at Jülich Research Centre and University of Düsseldorf Germany
by Martina Reske Nov. 9, 2018

Nov. 9, 2018

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience and Neuroimaging at Jülich Research Centre and University of Düsseldorf Germany One PhD position is available in computational neuroscience with a focus on mathematical modeling of brain dynamics based on neuroimaging data in the lab of Prof. Dr. Simon Eickhoff at Jülich Research Centre and University of Düsseldorf in Germany. The PhD candidate will work on projects involving large-scale dynamical brain models derived from multimodal neuroimaging data (structural, functional & diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, MRI) combined with numerical simulations and analysis of model dynamics and parameter space. We are specifically looking for candidates with training in applied mathematics/computational neuroscience or related fields and experience in programming and numerical simulation of neuronal models/nonlinear dynamics systems. The candidate will be responsible for derivation, validation and analytical and numerical investigation of the whole-brain dynamical models, preparation of necessary neuroimaging data, and writing manuscripts for publication. The position provides an opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary environment and training in mathematical modeling of neuroimaging data and methods for data analysis. More details on the lab: http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-7/EN/ Requirements: * Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Applied Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science or a related field. * Experience with programming languages such as C/C++/CUDA/Python/Matlab/R. * Familiarity with numerical simulations of nonlinear dynamical systems/differential equations. Experience with high-performance computing is a plus. * Strong writing, communication, interpersonal and organizational skills. * Experience with neuroimaging data processing and related analysis packages (FSL, SPM, MRtrix, etc.) will be of advantage. To apply: Please send your CV, names of two referees, one-page letter of motivation (emphasizing any related work/projects) and representative publications if any (up to 3) to Oleksandr Popovych via email (o.popovych(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:o.popovych@fz-juelich.de>). Please mention “PhD application” in the subject. -- Dr. Martina Reske Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Jülich Research Centre and JARA Jülich, Germany Work +49.2461.611916 Work Cell +49.151.26156918 Fax +49.2461.619460 www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> Office hours: TU & FR 9.00-17, WE & TH 9.00-13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Ph.D. position in deep learning for signal processing at University of Oldenburg
by Jörn Anemüller Nov. 9, 2018

Nov. 9, 2018

A Ph.D. position in the field of deep learning for signal processing is available at University of Oldenburg, Germany, within the newly established, DFG-funded collaborative research centre "CRC 1330 - Hearing Acoustics" in the group of Jörn Anemüller. For details, see below or contact me directly (joern.anemueller(a)uol.de, https://uol.de/en/computational-audition/statistical-modelling/) Kind regards, Jörn The Computational Audition Group at the Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics, University of Oldenburg, Germany, seeks a highly motivated PhD student (75 % of full time, TV-L E13, 3 years, with possibility of extension) in the field of Deep Learning for Signal Processing Our group investigates audio signal recognition with multi-channel microphone arrays, identifying important sound sources in real-world acoustic scenes, and performing source separation to enhance e.g. an attended speech signal. Applicants for the position must hold an academic university degree (master or equivalent) in physics, engineering, computer science or a related discipline and should have knowledge in at least one of the following fields: - machine learning, - speech recognition, - acoustic event detection, - speech and audio processing. Excellent knowledge of scientific programming languages such as Python or MATLAB, as well as excellent English language skills are required. The position is funded by the newly established DFG collaborative research centre CRC 1330 "Hearing Acoustics", which aims at improving human communication in real-world acoustic scenes and is a long-term collaboration of researchers from Oldenburg, Aachen and Munich. For more information about the CRC see https://www.uni-oldenburg.de/sfb1330. The Computational Audition Group is part of the Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics at University of Oldenburg. We offer an international scientific environment and world-class research facilities. For more information about the group and the department see https://uol.de/computational-audition/ and https://uol.de.de/en/mediphysics-acoustics/. The University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increase the percentage of women in 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. Applications including a CV, a motivation letter, copies of relevant certificates and the name and contact details of two references should be sent as single pdf-file to joern.anemueller(a)uni-oldenburg.de or to Dr. Jörn Anemüller Faculty VI Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics Universität Oldenburg D - 26111 Oldenburg Tel. (+49) 441 798 3610 The application deadline is 28th of November 2018. *******************************************************

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Re: [Comp-neuro] PhD Studentship in Computational Neuroscience
by Dimitris Pinotsis Nov. 9, 2018

Nov. 9, 2018

The School of Psychology at City, University of London, is offering * one full-time, three-year doctoral studentship for 2019/20 entry*. Applications are invited from exceptional UK, EU, and international graduates wishing to pursue cutting-edge research in the following areas of Neuroscience and Psychology: *Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cognitive Neuroscience, Computational Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Computational Psychiatry, Decision Making, Behavioral Economics, Counselling, Health and Organizational Psychology. * For information on how to apply for the studentships, please go to https://www.city.ac.uk/courses/research-degrees/psychology *Closing date: 23.59 on 20th January 2019* For any enquiries, please email SASS-enquiries(a)city.ac.uk We encourage potential applicants to contact prospective supervisors to discuss possible research projects prior to submitting an application. For further details about the psychology department please go to https://www.city.ac.uk/arts-social-sciences/psychology#unit=research where you will find information about research groups and individual staff interests. Full information about all our doctoral studentships can be found at: https://www.city.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding/scholarships-and-bursaries/sa… *What is Offered* · An annual bursary at the prevailing ESRC rate (£16,777 in 2018/19) · A full tuition-fee waiver for UK and EU students. Applications from overseas applicants are welcome, but the applicant must make appropriate arrangements to cover the difference between the overseas and UK tuition fee. · Further funds to support research expenses (up to £1000 over three years) As part of our commitment to doctoral student training, you will also be eligible for appointment as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and are likely to be offered teaching-related duties within your department (to a maximum of 150 hours each year). This work will be paid in full. *Eligibility* The studentships will be awarded on the basis of outstanding academic achievement and the potential to produce cutting-edge research. · Applicants must hold at least a 2.1 honours degree and a merit-level Master’s degree in a relevant subject (or international equivalent) · Applicants whose first language is not English must have achieved at least 7.0 in IELTS or a recognised equivalent · Applicants must not be currently registered as a doctoral student at City, University of London, or any other academic institution <SASS-enquiries(a)city.ac.uk>

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PhD Projects - ARC Training Centre in Cognitive Computing for Medical Technologies
by David Grayden Nov. 7, 2018

Nov. 7, 2018

Current PhD Project Openings at the ARC Training Centre in Cognitive Computing for Medical Technologies We are seeking Expressions of Interest from potential Graduate Researchers to work on the following PhD projects in Australia. These project are embedded within the Centre, where up to 14 PhD students, 5 post-doctoral researchers, and 11 University of Melbourne staff will collaborate across 4 research streams with researchers at IBM Research and a number of Australian Universities, including The University of Melbourne, RMIT University, the University of South Australia, and Western Sydney University. Each student will be jointly supervised by Universities and IBM Research and will spend at least 12 months of their candidature working on site at an IBM Research laboratory. These positions are supported by a scholarship and a supplemented living stipend of A$34,848 per annum. Projects available: 1. Context-specific clinical decision support leveraging clinical practice guidelines 2. Multi-document summarisation supporting clinical evidence review 3. Seizure forecasting using neural networks 4. Deep learning for fitting neural mass models to EEG 5. Brain-computer interfaces for low-powered mobile/wearable devices 6. Multimodal brain-computer interfaces for augmented reality and virtual reality applications If interested, please visit: http://aimedtech.org.au/phd-openings.html Regards, David Professor David B. Grayden Head of Department Dept of Biomedical Engineering Melbourne School of Engineering The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 Australia http://www.bme.unimelb.edu.au | https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgrayden [cid:image001.jpg@01D1F264.94C20650] This email and any attachments may contain personal information or information that is otherwise confidential or the subject of copyright. Any use, disclosure or copying of any part of it is prohibited. The University does not warrant that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or defects. Please check any attachments for viruses and defects before opening them. If this email is received in error please delete it and notify us by return email.

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One fMRI MVPA Post-Doc (very competitive salary) 5 year position available under an ERC Starting Grant on the organization of object knowledge
by Jorge Almeida Nov. 6, 2018

Nov. 6, 2018

The Proaction Laboratory (Perception and Recognition of Objects and Actions; http://gaius.fpce.uc.pt/pessoais/jorgealmeida/proaction_home.html; Jorge Almeida’s Lab) at the University of Coimbra (www.uc.pt) Portugal is looking for a motivated and bright Post-doctoral researcher to work on an ERC Starting Grant project (ContentMAP) on the neural organization of object knowledge. In this project we will explore how complex information is topographically organized in the brain using fMRI and state of the art analytical techniques, as well as computational approaches, and neuromodulation. Excellent understanding of and experience with fMRI and data analysis is required. Strong programming skills (matlab, python, etc.) are also a requirement. Experience with data analysis techniques using MVPA and other multivariate approaches (e.g., Representation Similarity Analysis). Very good English (oral and written) communicative skills are necessary. The position is for a maximum of 5 years, and will start in February 2019. The position involves no formal teaching (unless the candidate wants to). It does involve, however, lab mentoring. The salary is extremely competitive – between 2200 and 2400 euros per month (dependent on experience), tax free (annual 26400-28800 euros tax free). This value is on par with the average salaries at top American institutions, as well as London, Paris, etc. However, the cost of living in Portugal (and particularly in Coimbra) is much lower. According to Numbeo, 2400 euros would be equivalent to 4850 pounds in London/4800 euros in Paris/6615 USD in Boston/6210 USD in Los Angeles/ 8330 USD in New York). The researcher will work directly with Jorge Almeida in Coimbra, but the laboratory has extensive collaborations with researchers throughout the world. In fact, there may be the option of spending some time in another lab as part of the position. The researcher will also be encouraged to develop her/his own projects and look for additional funding so that the stay can be extended. We have access to a 3T MRI scanner with a 32-channel coil (with EEG inside the scanner), to tDCS with neuronavigation, and to a fully set psychophysics lab. We have EEG and eyetracking on site. We also have access, through other collaborations, to a 7T scanner. Finally, the University of Coimbra is a 700 year old University and has been selected as a UNESCO world Heritage site. Coimbra is one of the most lively university cities in the world, and it is a beautiful city with easy access to the beach and mountain. The deadline for the application is NOVEMBER 20, but you should apply as soon as you can, as we may fill in the positions sooner than the deadline if there are candidates with a superb fit with the requirements and project. The interested candidates should email Jorge Almeida for questions and applications. Please send an email with the subject “Post-doc position underERC - ContentMAP” with your*curriculum vitae, list of publications, 2 reference letters, and a short description of your experience in the field and how you fulfill the requirements (fit with the position)* to: jorgealmeida(a)fpce.uc.pt.

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Research internship for 2nd year master student in Toulouse, France
by MASQUELIER Timothee Nov. 5, 2018

Nov. 5, 2018

TOPIC: Spiking neural networks for bird song detection SUPERVISORS: Timothée Masquelier (computational neuroscience) and Thomas Pellegrini (machine learning for audio processing) STARTING DATE: early 2019 DURATION: 5 months PLACE: Toulouse, France (Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition and Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse) STIPEND: 560€/month The goal of the internship is to use spiking neural networks (SNN) to detect bird songs in audio recordings. Several learning rules will be evaluated, including spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP). More information: https://www.dropbox.com/s/psvqubjdlral6zf/Masquelier-Pellegrini-AO%20M2%20T… We are looking for an outstanding student with a strong quantitative background (computer science, physics, applied maths...) and a keen interest in neuroscience. Applicants should send their CV and a brief statement of purpose to: timothee.masquelier(a)cnrs.fr and Thomas.Pellegrini(a)irit.fr Informal enquiries are welcome.

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Postdoc at Aix-Marseille University in computational modelling of basal-ganglia-cortico-cerebellar circuits
by BATTAGLIA Demian Nov. 4, 2018

Nov. 4, 2018

Applications are invited for a: POSTDOCTORAL POSITION at Aix-Marseille University (southern France) under the joint mentoring of Dr. Demian Battaglia (Institute for Systems Neuroscience - INS) and Dr. Nicole Malfait (Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone - INT). This two-years position is funded by the project ANR (Agence National de la Recherche) “SENCE - Movement disorders in Parkinson’s disease: The role of somatoSENsory deficits and CErebellar anomalies”, involving researchers from Aix-Marseille University and the University of Oxford, as well as clinicians of the Hôpital de la Timone (AP-HM). In the context of this project, behavioral, electrophysiological (EEG/subthalamic nucleus LFP) and neuroimaging data will be recorded in patients with Parkinson's disease, under different medication (ON/OFF L-Dopa) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) conditions. In particular, effects of conventional continuous “open-loop” and "closed-loop" (adaptive) DBS will be contrasted. Rich expertise will be thus available in psychophysics and electrophysiology of sensorimotor systems (Nicole Malfait, INT; Huiling Tan, University of Oxford), structural and functional neuroimaging analyses (Olivier Coulon, INT), basal ganglia involvement in sensorimotor coordination (Andrea Brovelli, INT), and DBS (Alexandre Eusebio, AP-HM; Huiling Tan, University of Oxford) and theoretical and computational modelling of oscillating circuits dynamics (Demian Battaglia, INS). The postdoctoral fellow will participate to the design of circuit models (mean-field and spiking) with realistic anatomy, including known basal ganglia/cortical loops, as well as connections between basal ganglia and cerebellum, whose role has been until now only poorly studied. It has indeed recently been hypothesized that basal ganglia deregulation may directly interact with cerebellar predictive functions contributing to movement disorders in Parkinsons’s disease. Computational simulations of extended BG–cortex–cerebellum circuits will be used to reverse engineer circuit mechanisms responsible for the transition from normal to pathological oscillatory dynamics –also in relation to Dopamine levels– and to model and optimize the impact of adaptive deep brain stimulation protocols. Candidates should have already acquired experience in the computational modelling of neural circuits during their PhD. Previous experience in the modelling of BG circuits is a plus. Candidates should be able to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary and international work environment. Salary corresponds to French national guidelines (~2K € net per month, experience-dependent), with travel and equipment funds. The successful candidate will integrate the Theoretical Neuroscience Group at the Institute for Systems Neuroscience (INS), located on the same campus as the Institut des Neuroscience de la Timone (INT) and the Hôpital de la Timone (AP-HM). The integrative and clinical neuroscience community in Marseille is among the most lively in Europe and Marseille is a vibrating city, with wonderful natural surroundings and home to the largest French-speaking university in the world, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary studies. Interested candidates should send a cv, a brief description of qualifications and research interests and the name of two reference contacts to both the co-directors: Demian Battaglia demian.battaglia(a)univ-amu.fr<mailto:demian.battaglia@univ-amu.fr> Nicole Malfait nicole.malfait(a)univ-amu.fr<mailto:nicole.malfait@univ-amu.fr> Feel free to inquire for further information. Applications from under-represented categories in STEM sciences are welcome and supported.

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Postdoc Position in Neural Data Analysis, University of Edinburgh
by Arno Onken Oct. 30, 2018

Oct. 30, 2018

The School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, invites applications for a full-time, fixed term Research Associate position on the project "Novel techniques for stochastic modelling of time-dependent multivariate relationships with application to primary visual cortex", funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and directed by Dr Arno Onken (PI). The successful candidate will contribute to the development of a new framework for analysing multi-modal and multi-scale neural recordings. Moreover, the candidate will apply this framework to analyse activity of large neural populations recorded from awake mice during a virtual reality task by experimental project partner Dr Nathalie Rochefort. Candidates should have a PhD (or near completion) in a quantitative discipline (Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Computational Neuroscience or related), good software development skills and a keen interest in interdisciplinary research. A background in neuroscience is desirable, but not essential. The post is full time and fixed term at UE07: £33,199 - £39,609 pa. The post is available from 1st March 2019 for 36 months until the scheduled end of the project at 28th February 2022. For further information, please visit the vacancy website at: https://www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk/pls/corehrrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobs… Informal enquires can be made to Dr Arno Onken <aonken(a)inf.ed.ac.uk>. -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

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PhD in Cognitive Sciences at UC Irvine
by Jeff Krichmar Oct. 30, 2018

Oct. 30, 2018

Dear colleagues, The Department of Cognitive Sciences at UC Irvine has a number of openings for new graduate students starting Fall of 2019. We are in the process of expanding our graduate program, so please feel free to forward this information to any interested parties. All this information and more can be found via cogs.ci. Our department specializes in • Computational and mathematical cognitive modeling • Cognitive neuroscience • Visual and auditory perception • Attention and representation • Learning and development • Memory and language • Judgment and decision making ... and is generally strong in the use of leading technologies such as EEG, fMRI, and robotics, and of modern research tools such as computational methods, big data, and Bayesian statistics. We offer PhD degrees in Cognitive Sciences with an optional specialization in cognitive neuroscience and an optional joint degree (MS/PhD) in Statistics. We also take pride in offering excellent financial packages to our graduate students, including at least five years of guaranteed support, health insurance, research funding, and more. These positions are also open to international students with appropriate academic qualifications (i.e., a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field). This year's deadline to apply is December 1, 2018. We are happy to answer questions you or your students might have. Best, Joachim & Jeff -- Joachim Vandekerckhove Associate Professor Department of Cognitive Sciences Department of Statistics University of California, Irvine 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

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Faculty position at the University of Minnesota, School of Mathematics
by Duane Nykamp Oct. 30, 2018

Oct. 30, 2018

The School of Mathematics at the University of Minnesota has identified Mathematical Biology, including Computational Neuroscience, as a priority area for hiring and invites qualified candidates to apply. Current areas of focus in the department are cancer modeling, cell motility, continuum mechanics in biology, neuroscience, and stochastic processes. Application available at https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/12436.

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Postdoctoral Position - BRAIN Initiative
by Woolnough, Oscar Oct. 29, 2018

Oct. 29, 2018

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH POSITIONS FUNDED BY BRAIN INITIATIVE GRANT Postdoctoral research positions are available in the lab of Nitin Tandon in Houston. This position is funded by a BRAIN Initiative U01 grant project that uses electro-corticographic (ECoG) recordings and fMRI on a large cohort (n>80) to evaluate psycholinguistic models of reading and speech production to create network level representations of language. Collaborators on the project include Greg Hickok, Stanislas Dehaene, Nathan Crone and Xaq Pitkow; the post-doc will benefit from a close interaction with these experts in the fields of reading, semantics, speech production and computational neuroscience. The selected individuals are expected to be a highly motivated team players with a passion to study cognitive processes using imaging, direct recordings and closed-loop cortical stimulation in humans. They will be responsible for 1) data collection in the epilepsy monitoring unit and in the MRI scanner 2) ECoG and/or fMRI data analysis using analysis pipelines existent in the lab and via the development of innovative analytic strategies including machine learning and AI approaches 3) data presentation at conferences and manuscript preparation. The selected individuals must have a Ph.D. in a field relating to: neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, mathematics, electrical engineering or computer science. Previous experience in neural time series data analysis, functional imaging studies or studies of language and speech production are desirable – but not crucial. They must possess the ability to independently code in any or all of the following: MATLAB, R or Python. Given the multiple unpredictable variables and privacy issues around data collection in human patients, the individual must possess high ethical and professionalism standards, be able to adapt to a changing environment, reorganize schedules dynamically, and work with short deadlines. A strong publication record and excellent academic credentials are highly desirable. CONTACT DR. NITIN TANDON: Nitin.Tandon(a)uth.tmc.edu<mailto:Nitin.Tandon@uth.tmc.edu> Candidates who are attending the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting at San Diego in November should reach out to schedule a meeting.

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SfN 2018 - Visit the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience at booth #4325
by Kerstin Schwarzwaelder Oct. 29, 2018

Oct. 29, 2018

Dear all, The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience will be an exhibitor at the SfN Meeting 2018. Please find us at the NEUROSCIENCE IN GERMANY booth #4325. The Bernstein Network will present: * research fields * study and training programs * open positions * research and funding opportunities * infrastructural facilities Furthermore, the German Neuroinformatics Node (G-Node) will present their data management services for organizing, sharing, and publishing research data. Demo presentations times are: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday (Nov 4, 5, 7) 10am - 12pm and 3pm - 5pm, or by individual appointment (mail to: info(a)g-node.org<mailto:info@g-node.org>). We are looking forward to welcoming you at booth #4325! Best regards, Kerstin Schwarzwaelder -- Dr. Kerstin Schwarzwälder Scientific Coordination / Management Officer Please note: Our email addresses have changed. Please use k.schwarzwaelder(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:k.schwarzwaelder@fz-juelich.de> Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience | Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Branch Office of the Forschungszentrum Jülich at the University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9A | 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: (+49) 0761 203 9589 mail: k.schwarzwaelder(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:k.schwarzwaelder@fz-juelich.de> web: www.nncn.de<http://www.nncn.de> Twitter: NNCN_Germany<https://twitter.com/NNCN_Germany> YouTube: Bernstein TV<https://www.youtube.com/user/BernsteinNetwork> Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany<https://www.facebook.com/BernsteinNetwork/> LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany<https://www.linkedin.com/company/bernstein-network-computational-neuroscien…> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/bernstein-network-computational-neuroscien…> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Postdoctoral Swartz Fellowship Positions in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at Yale University
by Murray, John Oct. 29, 2018

Oct. 29, 2018

Postdoctoral Swartz Fellowship Positions in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at Yale University The Swartz Center in Theoretical Neurobiology at Yale University invites applications for up to two postdoctoral positions in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience, with flexible start date from mid to late 2019. 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. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree by the time of beginning the fellowship. Please send a Curriculum Vitae, selected reprints, contact information for three references, and a statement of research interests including the laboratories of interest at Yale. 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 12th, 2019. For any questions, please contact John Murray<mailto:john.murray@yale.edu?subject=Swartz%20fellowship>. 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. http://neurojobs.sfn.org/jobs/10584092/<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__neurojobs.sfn.org_jobs_…> John D. Murray ----------------------------------------------- Assistant Professor Department of Psychiatry Yale University School of Medicine murraylab.yale.edu<http://murraylab.yale.edu/> -----------------------------------------------

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Post-doctoral positions: Neurobiology of Learning and Memory in Health and Disease
by Annabelle Singer Oct. 27, 2018

Oct. 27, 2018

Post-doctoral positions available: Neurobiology of Learning and Memory in Health and Disease Description Multiple postdoctoral positions are available in the Singer lab at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine studyinghow neural activity produces memories and how stimulating neural activity affects memory and immune function in health and Alzheimer’s disease. To find out more about the Singer Lab, see our lab website http://singer.gatech.edu/ with our recent publications. Major Responsibilities: The successful applicants will examine (a) how neural activity produces memories of experiences or (b) how novel forms of non-invasive neural stimulation affects neural circuits, immune responses, and learning and memory. These projects will focus on the hippocampal circuit and related structures in health and Alzheimer’s disease using a variety of advanced neuroscience techniques. One set of projects will utilize virtual reality behavior, in vivo recordings from many single cells, histological analysis, and innovative data analysis methods in rodents. Another set of projects will use MRI, PET imaging, histological analysis, and molecular signaling assays in both rodents and human patients. This research involves collaboration with other groups at Georgia Tech and Emory and therefore a successful applicant must work well in a collaborative environment. These projects are fully funded for 3-5 years, pending satisfactory annual performance review. The projects offer significant opportunities to perform pioneering research and be trained in cutting-edge neuroscience techniques. All lab members are actively trained in scientific methods and mentored in career development. Applicants will have extensive opportunities to interact with the dynamic, exciting, and collaborative neuroscience and neuroengineering communities at Georgia Tech and Emory University in one of the most affordable and livable major cities of the US. Qualifications The ideal candidates will have a PhD in Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, or a related discipline and a record of leading scientific projects to completion. Previous experience with in related techniques including vivo experimentation, histology, behavior, electrophysiology, human or rodent MRI, and/or learning and memory is preferred. Candidates with experience performing advances data analysis or with quantitative backgrounds like signal processing, electrical engineering, and/or programming are encouraged to apply. Candidates should have excellent communication skills and the ability to both collaborate with a team and lead projects. How to Apply: If you meet these requirements and are interested in this position, please provide your detailed CV, a cover letter stating your research interests, and names and contact information for two or three references to Annabelle Singer: asinger(a)gatech.edu Department Description The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Techis part of a vibrant biomedical community in Atlanta that includes the Emory School of Medicine, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Winship Cancer Institute, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), Georgia ImmunoEngineering Consortium, Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, and more. This rich scientific environment provides unique and unparalleled research opportunities, including seminars given by leaders in science and engineering from throughout the U.S. and abroad, opportunities for collaborations, exposure to diverse research programs, and sophisticated core facilities. As such, we offer the best of internationally renowned institutions. The partnerships have created an outstanding undergraduate program and graduate program, now ranked No. 2 in the world. Georgia Tech is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Annabelle Singer Assistant Professor Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering Georgia Tech & Emory University 313 Ferst Drive Atlanta, GA 30332 Web: http://singer.gatech.edu/ Email: asinger(a)bme.gatech.edu

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DPG Focus Session "Collective dynamics in neural networks"
by Johannes Zierenberg Oct. 26, 2018

Oct. 26, 2018

Dear all, It is our pleasure to invite you to the focus session "Collective dynamics in neural networks" at the upcoming DPG (German Physical Society) spring meeting: 31 March - 05 April 2019 Regensburg, Germany The aim of the focus session is to provide a forum for discussions on the emergence of a rich set of collective dynamics in neural networks from a physicist perspective. We want to discuss principles that determine collective dynamics as well as the transitions between them, e.g., the role of local learning rules, topology and noise. The focus session consists of two invited talks (Moritz Helias and Anna Levina), selected contributed talks, and a poster session. If you are interested, we encourage you to contribute by submitting an abstract (http://regensburg19.dpg-tagungen.de/programm/abstract) until 01.12.2018 (Bereich: BP). In any case, we welcome you to attend the focus session. Of course, you are more than welcome to share this announcement with your colleagues. Best wishes, Johannes Zierenberg and Viola Priesemann -- Dr. Johannes Zierenberg Postdoctoral Researcher Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany https://zierenberg.github.io

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Doctoral Scholarships
by Christopher Laurie Buckley Oct. 26, 2018

Oct. 26, 2018

Hi all, Our new round (2019) of Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships ‘From Sensation and Perception to Awareness’ at the University of Sussex are now online. See, https://www.sussex.ac.uk/sensation/applications <https://www.sussex.ac.uk/sensation/applications> Please have a look at all the great projects. Among the offered projects is one with me on the free energy principle, cognition and robotics so please get in touch if your interested. Best, Chris Dr Christopher L. Buckley Senior Lecturer in Neural Computation Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems Group Sussex Neuroscience Department of Informatics and Engineering University of Sussex Falmer Brighton, UK Twitter: @drclbuckley email: c.l.buckley(a)sussex.ac.uk <mailto:c.l.buckley@sussex.ac.uk>

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Open PhD and Postoc positions in Berlin: Learning in spiking neural networks
by Gütig, Robert Oct. 25, 2018

Oct. 25, 2018

The newly formed research group "Mathematical modeling of neuronal learning", headed by Robert Gütig is seeking highly motivated researchers at the PhD and postdoctoral level to study information processing and learning in spiking neural networks. The group is funded by the Berlin Institute of Health and located at the Charité Medical School in the center of Berlin. Our close proximity to the NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience facilitates close interactions between our group and Berlin’s vibrant and growing neuroscience community. We use analytical and numerical modeling techniques to identify the computational principles underlying spike based information processing and learning in the central nervous system and to understand how these principles are implemented by biological processes. Open projects center around, but are not limited to, the recently developed tempotron family of spiking neuronal network models (e.g. Gütig & Sompolinsky 2006; Gütig 2016). The positions are available immediately. Applicants should have a strong background in physics, mathematics, computer science, computational neuroscience or a related field and a keen interest in neurobiology and machine learning. Good programming skills (e.g. in C and/or Python) are important and experience with numerical simulations highly beneficial. Previous exposure to neuroscience is preferred but not required. Applications will be considered until all positions are filled. Please send your application or questions to Robert Gütig (robert.guetig at charite.de). When applying please include a detailed CV (including degrees, current academic transcripts, and publication record) and the names and contact information of two referees.

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PhD positions in the Neural Reckoning group at Imperial College
by Dan Goodman Oct. 25, 2018

Oct. 25, 2018

One or more PhD positions in theoretical and computational neuroscience are available in the group of Dan Goodman at Imperial College London (http://neural-reckoning.org) I am interested in supervising students with a strong mathematical, computational or neuroscience background. Projects could be carried out in several possible areas relating to the work in the group. Some suggestions for topics that would be interesting to me are below, but I'm very happy to consider other possibilities. In addition to working within the group, studying at Imperial College provides excellent opportunities for interacting with other theoretical and experimental researchers, both at Imperial and in the many neuroscience groups in London. Suggested areas include: * Spiking neural networks * Auditory and other sensory systems * Machine learning and neuroscience * Simulation and data analysis For more detail, see: http://neural-reckoning.org/openings.html Applicants should initially send me a brief CV and cover letter with a description of research interests or a proposed project, and will eventually have to formally apply through the standard Imperial College mechanism (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/electrical-engineering/study/phd/) There are no strict deadlines, although chances of success are higher for earlier applications as I will consider them as they arrive. EU students from outside the UK are particularly encouraged to apply before Christmas. Funded offers made before Brexit day (March 29) will be honoured by Imperial no matter what happens in the Brexit negotiations, and the last funding panel meeting before that will probably be in early February. So, applying before Christmas means we will have time to process the application and arrange an interview before that meeting. Imperial College requirements: * General requirements: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/requirements/ * Country-specific minimum grades: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/requirements/pgacademic/ Dan Goodman

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SoAIR 2019: IEEE-RAS Spring School on "Social and Artificial Intelligence for User-Friendly Robots" in Japan
by Amir Aly Oct. 25, 2018

Oct. 25, 2018

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS **Apologies for cross posting ** We are pleased to call for applications for the IEEE-RAS spring school on: "*Social and Artificial Intelligence for User-Friendly Robots*" * Which will be held from 17-24 March, 2019 in Shonan Village, Japan *after the Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) conference that will be held in the near South Korea. *Webpage: **https://inic8.bitbucket.io/SoAIR19/* <https://inic8.bitbucket.io/SoAIR19/> *I. Aim and Scope *Autonomous and intelligent systems are progressively moving into spaces, which have previously been predominantly shaped by human agency. Unlike in the past where machines obediently served their human operators, machines now increasingly act without the intervention of a human. Artificial intelligence is meeting new challenges in the world, though human-like intelligence may still be a distant goal. Robots in factories are coming out of their cages. Autonomous cars are being tested on streets with regular human-driven cars. The private household is changing with the appearance of not only robotic vacuum cleaners, but also with the first-generation of social robots and smart devices. The challenges that face both the robotics and artificial intelligence communities are how the necessary intelligence for such new environments can be created as well as how to make artificial agents capable of not only solving tasks at hand but also considering social environments around them during interaction with human users so as to behave appropriately. Within the school, we plan to address the tension created by the balance between task-specific artificial intelligence and the demands of sociability required to function effectively in human-centered environments. ** *This spring school is a Technical Education Program (TEP) endorsed and supported by IEEE-RAS*. ** *The school aims at bridging the gap between social and cognitive Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Autonomous Vehicles (AV) through high-level talks and hands-on workshops (the program will be announced soon).* *II. Keynote Speakers (More Speakers in HRI, AI, and Autonomous Vehicles will join the list soon): * 1. * Jun Tani *– Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Japan 2. *Daniele Magazzeni *– King's College London, UK 3. * Yukie Nagai *– National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan 4. * Tetsuya Ogata* – Waseda University, Japan 5. *Maya Cakmak *– University of Washington, USA 6. *Mohamed Chetouani *– University of Pierre and Marie Curie (UPMC), France 7. *Agnieszka Wykowska *– Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy 8. *Tetsunari Inamura *– National Institute of Informatics (NII), Japan 9. *Amit Kumar Pandey *– SoftBank (Aldebaran) Robotics, France 10. *Francesco Maurelli *– Jacobs University, Germany (*A special talk about preparing funding proposals*) *III. Submission * The applications must include the following files (combined into one file). No other documents would be necessary (More information is available on the school's webpage). 1. *Curriculum vitae*: A two pages or less of CV detailing relevant aspects of the candidate's academic career that demonstrates her/his relevance to the school theme. 2. *Research abstract*: A 200 word research abstract that the candidate intends to present during the school. 3. *Letter of recommendation*: A short letter from the academic advisor or the employer of the candidate supporting her/his application. *Application submission*: Please use the following EasyChair web link:* Application Submission <https://easychair.org/account/signin.cgi?timeout=1;key=79456763.59XbW247MFR…>.* *IV. Important Dates * 1. Application submission: *20-December, 2018 * 2. Notification of acceptance: *28-December, 2018 * 3. Spring School: *17-24 March, 2019* *V. Organizers * 1. *Amir Aly *– Ritsumeikan University – Japan 2. *Franziska Kirstein *– Blue Ocean Robotics, Denmark 3. * Shashank Pathak *– Visteon Corporation, Germany --------------------- *Amir Aly, Ph.D.* Senior Researcher Emergent Systems Laboratory College of Information Science and Engineering Ritsumeikan University 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 Japan

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Workshop application deadline extended: "Neuronal circuits in motor behavior" - OIST, Okinawa
by Marylka Yoe Uusisaari Oct. 24, 2018

Oct. 24, 2018

Dear all, It is our pleasure to announce the workshop "Neuronal Circuits in Motor Behavior" (NCMB) that will take place at OIST, Okinawa, February 18 - 20th, 2019. Among the numerous functions performed by the brain, creating precise, efficient movements is the most fundamental one without which no behavior could be expressed. The importance of motor control is accentuated by the fact that multiple distinct brain systems are involved in it, and thus understanding the neuronal codes leading to the skilled animal or human movements critically depends on researching the systems in a synergistic manner. The workshop brings together established scientists and rising leaders from computational, systemic neuroscience and behavioural fields, to explore and portray the various aspects and constraints of animal movement and the neuronal circuits underlying their execution. The three days will comprise of talks, poster presentations as well as more free-form discussion sessions aiming to foster collaboration. We encourage applications from students, post docs and faculty across any related fields, and *will cover travel and accommodation *for 30 accepted attendees, based on the background and motivation statements. More information, including application webform, can be found at https://groups.oist.jp/ncmb. *Note:* application deadline has been extended to November 15th, 2019. Best wishes, Marylka Yoe Uusisaari & NCMB organizers

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Faculty position in neuroscience
by Keller, Asaf Oct. 23, 2018

Oct. 23, 2018

The Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology<http://neurobiology.umaryland.edu/> is recruiting tenured/tenure-track faculty, at all ranks. We are interested in candidates with quantitative skills whose research complements existing strengths in the Department. Although we will consider all relevant research areas, we are particularly interested in research focusing on pain, neural circuits of motivated behaviors & addiction, sensory perception or neurodegeneration. Rank and tenure status is dependent on candidate’s qualifications. Candidates should have a strong record of scholarly activity. Highest priority will be given to candidates with an independent, funded research program. We offer an outstanding intellectual and collaborative environment with highly competitive salary and recruitment packages. All department faculty are members of the Graduate Program in Life Sciences<http://lifesciences.umaryland.edu/> interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience<http://lifesciences.umaryland.edu/neuroscience>. Candidates should submit, as a single PDF to ANfacsearch(a)som.umaryland.edu<mailto:ANfacsearch@som.umaryland.edu>: curriculum vitae, brief statement of research interests and vision, and contact information for three references. Candidates should submit their application to the attention of Asaf Keller, Chairs of Faculty Search Committee.

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workshop “Cortical models for visual perception and imaging applications” at the Institut de mathématiques de Jussieu - Paris Rive Gauche (IMJ-PRG)
by Benedetta Franceschiello Oct. 23, 2018

Oct. 23, 2018

Dear all, It is our pleasure to invite you to attend the workshop “Cortical models for visual perception and imaging applications” (https://liftme.sciencesconf.org/) that we are organising at the Institut de mathématiques de Jussieu - Paris Rive Gauche (IMJ-PRG)(room 15-16-413) on November 22nd, in partnership with the workshop “Géométrie et représentation de la couleur” (link: http://www.gdr-isis.fr/index.php?page=reunion&idreunion=359) organised on November 21st by Edoardo Provenzi. The aim of the workshop is to gather people working in the field of mathematical and neurophysiological modelling of human brain, from a theoretical and applied point of view, with particular emphasis on imaging methods based on visual perception. An updated schedule will be provided at this page: https://liftme.sciencesconf.org/program The registration is free, but mandatory for organisation purposes, *by November 16*. To register you should log-in to the website with your HAL credentials (on the top right corner of the page https://liftme.sciencesconf.org/) If you encounter any problem in the registration process, please send an e-mail to liftme(a)sciencesconf.org Best wishes, The organisers Luca Calatroni, Valentina Franceschi, Benedetta Franceschiello, Dario Prandi, Mario Sigalotti

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Computational Neuroscience Software Developer / Research Associate Position
by Stephanie Jones Oct. 22, 2018

Oct. 22, 2018

Conducting interviews at SFN for a Brown University Computational Neuroscience Position Applications are invited for a research software developer / research associate position in the lab of Dr. Stephanie Jones at Brown University in Providence, RI. The level of the hire depends on experience. Our group combines human electrophysiological recordings and computational neural modeling techniques to study the mechanisms and meaning of brain dynamics in health and disease. We collaborate extensively with animal electrophysiologists and clinicians to develop data constrained models that are translationally relevant. The software developer / research associate will work with a team of researchers at Brown, Mass General Hospital, and Yale, to help develop a new software tool for circuit level investigation of human magneto- and electro-encephalography (MEG/EEG) signals: Human Neocortical Neurosolver, HNN (https://hnn.brown.edu) <https://hnn.brown.edu)>. The goal of this software is to provide the community with a user friendly tool to develop and test hypotheses on the circuit origin of their data. The hired candidate will help support and expand HNN’s capabilities, including software development and working with researchers to apply HNN to specific neuroscience questions. Duties will also include development of tutorials, online resources, and participation in workshops aimed at training the community in the use and applicability of HNN. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in computer science, neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and/or related field. Strong Python programming skills are required, and experience with neural modeling, particularly NEURON, is preferred. Familiarity with MEG/EEG analysis methods and/or non-invasive brain stimulation is also beneficial. Candidates should be able to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and fun work environment. Interested candidates should send a cv and a brief description of qualifications and research interests to the Jones lab manager Dylan_S_Daniels(a)brown.edu <mailto:Dylan_S_Daniels@brown.edu>. ******************************************* Stephanie R. Jones, PhD Associate Professor Brown University Department of Neuroscience Stephanie_Jones(a)Brown.edu https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/ <https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/> Human Neocortical Neurosolver https://hnn.brown.edu <https://hnn.brown.edu/>

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Postdoctoral researchers - computational modeling, EEG, TMS
by Stephanie Jones Oct. 22, 2018

Oct. 22, 2018

Conducting interviews at SFN for a Brown University Human Imaging & Computational Neuroscience Position Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in the lab of Dr. Stephanie Jones at Brown University. Our group combines human electrophysiological recordings and computational neural modeling techniques to study the mechanisms and meaning of brain dynamics in health in disease. We collaborate extensively with animal electrophysiologists and clinicians to develop data constrained models that are translationally relevant. We are expanding our research efforts to including non-invasive brain stimulation. A postdoctoral position is available to integrate simultaneous human EEG and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in humans, with computational neural modeling developments. The postdoctoral researcher will help expand our new software tool Human Neocortical Neurosolver (https://hnn.brown.edu) <https://hnn.brown.edu)> for circuit level interpretation of EEG/MEG signals to include TMS studies. She/he will also help with the design, implementation and analysis of our TMS/EEG experiments. Candidates should have a PhD in neuroscience, computational neuroscience, computer science, applied mathematics, biomedical engineering, and/or related field. Strong quantitative and programming skills are required. The ideal candidate would have experience in computational neuroscience methods applied to human EEG and brain stimulation data. However, experience in all areas is not required. Candidates should be able to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary and fun work environment. Interested candidates should send a cv and a brief description of qualifications and research interests to the Jones lab manager Dylan_S_Daniels(a)brown.edu <mailto:Dylan_S_Daniels@brown.edu>. ******************************************* Stephanie R. Jones, PhD Associate Professor Brown University Department of Neuroscience Stephanie_Jones(a)Brown.edu https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/ <https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/> Human Neocortical Neurosolver https://hnn.brown.edu <https://hnn.brown.edu/>

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Postdoc at Harvard in computational neuroscience
by Blum, Kenneth I. Oct. 22, 2018

Oct. 22, 2018

The Swartz Program at Harvard University has an opening for a postdoctoral fellow in theoretical and computational neuroscience. Based on a grant from the Swartz Foundation<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.theswartzfoundation…>, Harvard University established the Swartz Program in Theoretical Neuroscience. The Swartz Program supports a program in computational neuroscience, to foster research collaborations between theorists and experimentalists. Fellowships last for two years, and cover a stipend and support for travel to the annual Swartz meeting on computational neuroscience. Postdocs join a vibrant group of experimental and theoretical neuroscientists at Harvard's Center for Brain Science. Harvard's Swartz Program is led by its Director, Haim Sompolinsky. The Center for Brain Science includes junior and senior faculty doing research on a wide variety of topics, including neural mechanisms of rodent learning, decision-making, and sex-specific and social behaviors; human motor control; behavioral and fMRI studies of human cognition; circuit mechanisms of learning and behavior in worms, larval flies, and larval zebrafish; circuit mechanisms of individual differences in flies and humans; rodent and fly olfaction; inhibitory circuit development; retinal circuits; and large-scale reconstruction of detailed brain circuitry. Interested applicants should send a CV, statement of research interests, and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to Haim Sompolinsky (haim(a)fiz.huji.ac.il<mailto:haim@fiz.huji.ac.il>), Kenneth Blum (kenneth_blum(a)harvard.edu<mailto:kenneth_blum@harvard.edu>), or our newest faculty member, Cengiz Pehlevan (cpehlevan(a)seas.harvard.edu<mailto:cpehlevan@seas.harvard.edu>; https://pehlevan.seas.harvard.edu/) Applications should have “Swartz Fellowship” in the subject line. Harvard University is 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.

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Postdoctoral position in machine learning, event-based computer vision and spiking neural networks
by sio Oct. 22, 2018

Oct. 22, 2018

The Vision and Natural Computation group from the Vision Institute, Paris, France, (http://www.institut-vision.org/en/) seeks experienced and outstanding applicants for a post-doctoral researcher in the fields of machine learning, event-based computer vision and spiking neural networks. The position is funded by the European Commission in the context of the European project ULPEC. The applicant will join the Vision and Natural Computation group, led by Pr R. Benosman. The team is the leading group in neuromorphic event based computation and active member of the international neuromorphic engineering community. It develops biology-inspired sensing and event-based technologies. The selected candidat will be working on designing the architecture and topology of spiking neural networks for pattern learning and recognition tasks, using the spike-based visual information provided by a neuromorphic camera. Spiking Timing Dependent Plasticity and Reservoir Computing based models will be in particular implemented, taking into account of their hardware feasibility (according to the performance and characteristics of ferroelectric memristors). The position will open in January 2019. 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 to " ryad.benosman at upmc.fr " and " sio-hoi.ieng at upmc.fr ". Please do also mention in the email earliest date at which you can join. S.H. ieng, PhD Vision and natural computation group, Vision institute. University Paris Sorbonnes,

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PhD opportunities at the MCEN group at the Basque Center of Applied Mathematics (Bilbao, Spain)
by Maurizio De Pitta Oct. 22, 2018

Oct. 22, 2018

Please share with your colleagues and anyone who could be interested. The Group of Mathematical, Computational and Experimental Neuroscience (MCEN; http://www.bcamath.org/en/research/lines/MCEN/description) at the Basque Center of Applied Mathematics (BCAM; http://www.bcamath.org/en/) in Bilbao (Spain) is seeking outstanding PhD students to work on several projects at the intersection of computational neuroscience, mathematical topology, biophysics and translational science. PhD projects currently available include (but are not limited to) : (Track A) 1. Control and tracking stability boundaries of neurons in real time via closed-loop computer- controlled electrophysiology. This will lead to intelligent machine brain interfaces, such as deep brain stimulators that can determine unstable states that lead to pathological oscillations (like in epilepsy); 2. Multiscale modeling of the biomolecular machinery that controls the various modes of neurotransmitter release for efficient synaptic communication. This includes feedback processes, such as the endocannabinoid system, that control the speed and frequency by which synaptic neurotransmitters are released. This critical process is thought to control pathological brain states; (Track B) 3. Mathematical modeling and development of analytical tools to study neuron-glial interactions (NGIs), from subcellular to network levels. Focus is both on mechanisms of learning at synaptic level and how NGIs could shape dynamics of cortical circuits in the healthy and diseased brain (More info: https://goo.gl/pJXEYJ) 4. Study of early cellular pathological markers for Alzheimer’s disease, with emphasis on neuron-glial interactions. The project is part of a strategic collaboration between BCAM/MCEN and Achucarro – the Basque Center for Neuroscience – and envisages a close collaboration with Dr. Carlos Matute’s group to test predictions from theoretical models in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (see also: https://goo.gl/Uifv2J) A fully-funded PhD scholarship of 4+1 years may be offered on competitive basis for ANY of the above projects (deadline : **Oct 29th, 2018**; 15:00 CET ; Info/Application : https://goo.gl/7CzNQr) A fully-funded PhD scholarship of 3 years is currently available for Project 4 ONLY (deadline : **Nov 6th, 2018**; 14:00 CET ; Info : https://goo.gl/Uifv2J; Application website : https://goo.gl/z72RzC) Candidates that are interested in any of the above topics, or would like to pursue a PhD in mathematical neuroscience are welcome to contact Drs. Serafim Rodrigues (Track A ; Webpage : https://goo.gl/tP9PBt; contact : srodrigues(a)bcamath.org) and Maurizio De Pittà (Track B ; Webpage : https://goo.gl/pJXEYJ; contact: mdepitta(a)bcamath.org) ----- 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

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PhD Studentship at the University of Exeter: Building a model of the HypothalamicPituitary-Gonadal (HPG) axis
by Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira Oct. 22, 2018

Oct. 22, 2018

Building a model of the HypothalamicPituitary-Gonadal (HPG) axis, BBSRC SWBio, PhD in Mathematics studentship (Funded) Ref: 3285 About the award Supervisors Lead Supervisor Professor Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasov<http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kt298>a, Department of Mathematics, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter Additional Supervisors Professor Craig McArdle<http://www.bristol.ac.uk/clinical-sciences/people/craig-a-mcardle/index.html>, University of Bristol Dr Margaritis Voliotis<http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/mv286>, University of Exeter Location: University of Exeter, Streatham Campus, Exeter EX4 4QJ The SWBio DTP<http://www.bris.ac.uk/swbio/> is one of the 12 Doctoral Training Partnerships funded by the BBSRC to provide PhD training in areas of their strategic relevance. The SWBio DTP is a consortium comprising the Universities of Bristol (lead), Bath, Cardiff, Exeter, and Rothamsted Research. Together, these institutions present a distinctive cadre of bioscience research staff and students with established international, national and regional networks and widely recognised research excellence. The award: There are over 30 (including up to 5 CASE studentships) fully-funded 4 year studentships* available to start in September 2019 across a wide range of biosicence academic disciplines. This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the South West Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (SWBio DTP)<http://www.bristol.ac.uk/swbio/>. Up to 6 fully-funded studentships are being offered to start in September 2019 at the University of Exeter. Project Description: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is secreted from hypothalamic neurones to control secretion of the gonadotropin hormones LH and FSH form the anterior pituitary, and thereby mediates central control of reproduction. It secretes in pulses and its effects are dependent on pulse characteristics (particularly pulse frequency). One of the most important recent discoveries in the field of reproduction is that of the KNDy system. This is a peptidergic neuronal oscillator that drives pulsatile GnRH secretion. It also mediates feedback effects of gonadal steroid hormones that are essential for key reproductive processes such as the timing of puberty and seasonal breeding (i.e. in farm animals) and the fine-tuning of gonadotropin secretion across the ovarian cycle. All of these components (hypothalamic pulse generator/pituitary pulse decoder/gonads) are absolutely essential for human reproduction so it is perhaps not surprising that all three are sites for therapeutic intervention, just as perturbation of any of them can cause infertility in disease states. We are convinced that mathematical and statistical approaches are required to fully understand such a complex system. To this end we have already generated a sophisticated mathematical model of the neuronal oscillator that we have trained on wetlab. data and are now using to explore possible mechanisms for modulation by gonadal steroids. Similarly, we have developed a mathematical model for the decoding of pulse dynamics by pituitary gonadotropes and have used this to explore cell-cell variability in responses to GnRH and its impact on information transfer. We now plan to take a similar approach to modelling effects of gonadotropin hormones on gonadal function, where we will have to introduce population dynamics as an additional feature (i.e. growth of granulosa cells before ovulation and formation of luteal cells thereafter). We then plan to simplify these sub-system models so that the components can be assembled into a meaningful model of the entire hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal system. In this project the student will learn: • Mathematical modelling of the hypothalamic pulse generator, the pituitary pulse decoder and the effects of LH and FSH on gonadal cells. • Numerical optimisation by performing parameter fitting and sensitivity analysis using combination of available experimental data sets to parametrise and validate model components. • Simplification of the sub-system models (as informed by sensitivity analysis) and again, training on system wet-lab data. • Computational methods that allow the generation of testable model predictions regarding the reproductive system and its components across the lifespan. Eligibility To be eligible for a fully-funded studentship, you must meet both the academic and residence criteria. For UK/EU nationals who meet the residency requirements outlined by the BBSRC, the studentship will cover funding for 4 years (48 months) as follows. These awards might be available to part-time students, but only in exceptional circumstances. It is recommended you speak to the lead supervisor prior to submitting an application. • a stipend at the standard Research Council UK rate; currently £14,777 per annum for 2018-2019 • research and training costs • tuition fees (at the standard Research Councils UK rate) • additional funds to support fieldwork, conferences and a 3-month internship Please refer to the regulations<http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/779/pdfs/uksi_20070779_en.pdf> or Annex 1 of the Research Council Training Grant Guide<https://www.ukri.org/files/legacy/publications/rcuk-training-grant-guide-pd…> to confirm that you meet the residence criteria for a fully-funded studentship. Any further queries in relation to residency must be directed to the institution that you are applying to. Entry requirements Applicants should have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science or technology. Applicants with a Lower Second Class degree will be considered if they also have Masters degree or have significant relevant non-academic experience. In addition, due to the strong mathematical component of the taught course in the first year and the quantitative emphasis in our projects, a minimum of a grade B in A-level Maths or an equivalent qualification or experience is required. If English is not your first language you will need to have achieved at least 6.5 in IELTS and no less than 6.5 in any section by the start of the project. Alternative tests may be acceptable, please see http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/language-requirements/profile-c/. Students from EU countries who do not meet the residency requirements may still be eligible for a fees-only award but no stipend. Applicants who are classed as International for tuition fee purposes are not eligible for funding. Please refer to the regulations<http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/779/pdfs/uksi_20070779_en.pdf> or Annex 1 of the Research Council Training Grant Guide<https://www.ukri.org/files/legacy/publications/rcuk-training-grant-guide-pd…> to confirm that you meet the residence criteria for a fully-funded studentship. The four universities have a very limited number of fully-funded 4 year studentships that EU nationals who do not meet the residency requirements would be eligible for. Please contact us for for more information. How to apply Apply now Please be aware you will be asked to upload the following documents: * CV * Letter of application outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake the project. Please indicate your preferred project choice if applying for multiple BBSRC SWBio DTP projects. * Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained. This should be an interim transcript if you are still studying. * Two academic referees - see information below about references. * If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your proficiency in English (see entry requirements above) The closing date for applications is midnight on Monday, 3 December 2018. Interviews will be held at the University of Exeter on 7 and 8 of February 2019. Reference information You will be asked to name 2 referees as part of the application process, however we will not expect receipt of references until the shortlisting stage. Your referees should not be from the prospective supervisory team. If you are shortlisted for interview, please ensure that you two academic referees email their references to the pgrenquiries(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:pgrenquiries@exeter.ac.uk>, 7 days prior to the interview dates. Please note that we will not be contacting referees to request references, you must arrange for them to be submitted to us by the deadline. References should be submitted by your referees to us directly in the form of a letter. Referees must email their references to us from their institutional email accounts. We cannot accept references from personal/private email accounts, unless it is a scanned document on institutional headed paper and signed by the referee. If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email pgrenquiries(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:pgrenquiries@exeter.ac.uk>. Project-specific queries should be directed to the primary supervisor. Selection process: Please note, the studentship selection process will take place in two stages: 1. The project supervisors will consider your application and may invite you to visit for an informal interview. You can apply for more than one BBSRC SWBio DTP project, although supervisors may take into account your interest and commitment to their particular project. If you apply for multiple projects, please indicate your preferred project choice in your letter of application. Each application for an individual project will be considered separately by the project supervisors. 2. After closure of applications, each supervisory team will then nominate their preferred applicant. A shortlist will be selected from these nominations and shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview on a selection day at the University of Bristol. Please note that nomination by a project supervisor therefore does not guarantee the award of a studentship. Data Protection During the application process, the University may need to make certain disclosures of your personal data to third parties to be able to administer your application, carry out interviews and select candidates. These are not limited to, but may include disclosures to: * the selection panel and/or management board or equivalent of the relevant programme, which is likely to include staff from one or more other HEIs; * administrative staff at one or more other HEIs participating in the relevant programme. Such disclosures will always be kept to the minimum amount of personal data required for the specific purpose. Your sensitive personal data (relating to disability and race/ethnicity) will not be disclosed without your explicit consent. Summary Application deadline: 3rd December 2018 Value: Tuition fees and an annual stipend allowance at Research Council rates, currently £14,777 per year for 2018-19 Duration of award: per year Contact: PGR Recruitment Office pgrenquiries(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:pgrenquiries@exeter.ac.uk>

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Open Master, PhD and Postdoc positions at the "Theory of Neural Dynamics" at the MPI for Brain Research
by Tatjana Tchumatchenko Oct. 20, 2018

Oct. 20, 2018

Dear friends and colleagues, I would appreciate if you could spread the word among your Students and Postdocs. My group "Theory of Neural Dynamics" at the MPI for Brain Research is looking for Master Students, PhD Students and Postdocs Master Students, PhD Students or Postdocs interested in understanding how neuronal networks work, how they respond to stimuli and what role connectivity and single neuron dynamics play for the activity of the brain. Though the focus of my research is on the theory side, my lab has close ties to experimentally oriented labs and Master projects could include both theory and experiments. We are looking for bright and hard-working students with a life-science or quantitative background (physics, math, biology etc). When applying please attach CV (with a publication record) and a current copy of academic transcripts. For more information, please contact Dr. Tatjana Tchumatchenko via email tatjana.tchumatchenko(a)brain.mpg.de https://brain.mpg.de/research/theory-of-neural-dynamics-group.html www.tchumatchenko.de

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Tenure Track Job at Emory University in Neural Circuit Mechanisms of Behavior
by Jaeger, Dieter Oct. 19, 2018

Oct. 19, 2018

The Department of Biology in the Emory College of Arts and Science in Atlanta, GA, USA, is seeking applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the assistant or associate professor level in experimental and computational neuroscience. A strong computational neuroscience group at Emory is anchored in the Department of Biology (http://www.biology.emory.edu) and is grounded in experimental preparations and neurobiological questions about the mechanisms underlying behavior and learning. We anticipate a hire focused on innovative approaches to understanding the function of brain circuits in a behavioral context. Such approaches may include optogenetics, cellular imaging, high-density electrophysiology, network simulations, or other cutting-edge neuroscientific methods. The ability to link theory and data analysis to experimental design in order to develop more predictive models of neural activity and behavior is critical. The successful candidate is anticipated to have a PhD in a relevant science or engineering field and postdoctoral experience in neuroscience-related research, and is expected to contribute to the Biology Department's teaching mission in the context of programs in quantitative theory and methods (http://quantitative.emory.edu) and neuroscience and behavioral biology (http://www.nbb.emory.edu) Interactions with experimentalists and theorists within Emory's rich, collaborative neuroscience community are encouraged. Emory has more than 100 laboratories participating in graduate programs in Neuroscience (http://biomed.emory.edu/PROGRAM_SITES/NS/) and Biomedical Engineering (http://www.bme.emory.edu) and spanning Emory College (Biology, Psychology, Physics, Anthropology), School of Medicine, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Georgia Institute of Technology. Emory College's Theory and Modeling of Living Systems initiative (http://livingtheory.emory.edu/) provides a broader community for interaction with theorists in the life science. Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a research statement, a teaching statement and three reference letters. In a separate statement or in the cover letter, we also ask candidates to reflect on their efforts in mentoring and teaching students from diverse backgrounds. Applications and reference letters must be electronically uploaded through Interfolio at http://apply.interfolio.com/53691. Review of applications will begin Dec. 1, 2018. Applications received up to 30 days after, or until the positions are filled, will be given consideration. Emory University is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Also - one or more members of the search committee will be available for brief (10-minute) informational meetings with potential candidates during the SfN conference in San Diego in November. Please contact Sam Sober at ssober(a)emory.edu<mailto:ssober@emory.edu>. Potential candidates do not need to have submitted an application to have one of these meetings, which are intended to help applicants learn about the position, department, and neuro community at Emory. Dieter Jaeger, PhD Professor Department of Biology, Emory University 1510 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30322 404 727 8139, e-mail: djaeger(a)emory.edu<mailto:djaeger@emory.edu> http://www.biology.emory.edu/research/Jaeger ________________________________ This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender by reply e-mail message and destroy all copies of the original message (including attachments).

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PhD fellowships in computational neuroscience at the FMI in Basel, Switzerland
by Friedemann Zenke Oct. 19, 2018

Oct. 19, 2018

The FMI PhD program now welcomes applications in computational neuroscience. Submission deadline is the 16th of November 2018. The FMI PhD program offers students the opportunity to carry out cutting-edge research in a stimulating, highly international and collaborative atmosphere. Affiliated with the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research and the University of Basel in Switzerland, the FMI provides interdisciplinary training and access to state-of-the-art technology platforms and high-performance computing facilities. Several research groups at the FMI offer exciting PhD projects for students with a computational background. PhD students whose primary interest is in computational neuroscience, will be able to join a new group led by Friedemann Zenke which focuses on memory formation and information processing in biologically inspired neural network models. Students will have the opportunity to directly collaborate with experimental groups in system neuroscience at the FMI (https://www.fmi.ch/Research/Neurobiology/) A wide range of theoretical and practical courses are available at both the FMI and the University of Basel. After completion of their thesis work, students are awarded a PhD from the University of Basel. Candidates should be curious about the neural underpinnings of computation and learning, have a strong analytical and quantitative background, and hold a relevant first degree in, for instance, computer science, engineering, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, psychology, or statistics. Funding is available regardless of current residence and nationality. Applications should be submitted online via https://www.fmi.ch/training/phd/apply/ Additional information PhD program: https://www.fmi.ch/training/PhD/ Zenke group (from 2019): https://www.fmi.ch/research/groupleader/zenke.html Neurobiology groups: https://www.fmi.ch/Research/Neurobiology/ For questions, please contact Elida Keller (fmiphdprogram(a)fmi.ch) -- Friedemann Zenke, PhD Sir Henry Wellcome Fellow Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour University of Oxford Tinsley Building Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3SR United Kingdom https://fzenke.net

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CFP: FLAIRS 2017, Marco Island, FL,
by bisant＠umbc.edu Oct. 18, 2018

Oct. 18, 2018

CALL FOR PAPERS FLAIRS 2017, Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Symposium Special Tracks on Data mining and Special Track on Cyber Security Marco Island, Florida http://www.flairs-30.info/ Paper submission deadline: November 21, 2016. Notifications: January 23, 2017. Camera ready version due: February 27, 2017. FLAIRS is an interdisciplinary artificial intelligence conference which especially encourages novel ideas and which features a double-blind review process. Data Mining Track This special track will be devoted to data mining with the aim of presenting new and important contributions in this area. Papers and contributions are encouraged for any work related to Data Mining. Topics of interest may include (but are in no way limited to): 1. Applications such as Intelligence analysis, medical and health applications, text, video, and multi-media mining, E-commerce and web data, financial data analysis, cyber security, remote sensing, earth sciences, bioinformatics, and astronomy. 2. Modeling algorithms such as hidden Markov models, decision trees, neural networks, statistical methods, or probabilistic methods; case studies in areas of application, or over different algorithms and approaches. 3. Feature extraction and selection. 4. Post-processing techniques such as visualization, summarization, or trending. 5. Preprocessing and data reduction. 6. Knowledge engineering or warehousing. Papers dealing with Cloud-based unstructured data or Cloud-based tool suites, such as Mahout or Apache Spark, are also encouraged. Cyber-Security Track Original high quality papers are sought for leading edge research and applications relating to the application of AI and Cyber Security. Topics of interest may include but are not limited to: · Machine Learning for Intrusion Detection Systems · NLP for text analysis in Cyber Security · Video and CCTV semantic analysis for terrorist or criminal action detection · AI & Biometrics, Internet of Things, and Cloud Computing security · AI & SCADA systems, Network Systems, and Embedded Systems security · Formal and theoretical approaches of intelligent security in WSNs · Legal and policy issues in intelligent security · Integrity, privacy, authentication and access control · Intelligent secure systems in multimedia databases · Social networks security · Intelligent incident response techniques in network and communication systems · Risk analysis and intelligent management · Virtual Private Networks intelligent security · Automated reasoning techniques of incidents and evidence analysis · Evidentiary aspects of digital forensics · Collaborative intelligent investigation · Intelligent systems in management, storage and reassembly · Steganography, watermarking, and forensic techniques in multimedia content processing · Lightweight security techniques · Intelligent Large-scale investigations and Big Data · Innovative non-repudiation techniques · Intelligent vulnerability analysis and assessment · Attacks tracking · Data hiding, tamper detection and recovery techniques · Security of e- healthcare systems and applications Note: We invite original papers (i.e. work not previously submitted, in submission, or to be submitted to another conference during the reviewing process). Submission Guidelines Interested authors should format their papers according to AAAI formatting guidelines. The papers should be original work (i.e., not submitted, in submission, or submitted to another conference while in review). Papers should not exceed 6 pages (or 4 pages for short paper, to be presented as a poster) and are due by November 21, 2016. For FLAIRS-30, the 2017 conference, the reviewing is a double blind process. Author names and affiliations should be Xd out on submitted papers to provide double-blind reviewing. Papers must be submitted as PDF through the EasyChair conference system, which can be accessed through the main conference web site (http://www.flairs-30.info/) Note: do not use a fake name for your EasyChair login - your EasyChair account information is hidden from reviewers. Authors should indicate which special track they are submitting to. The proceedings of FLAIRS will be published by the AAAI. Authors of accepted papers will be required to sign a form transferring copyright of their contribution to AAAI. FLAIRS requires that there be at least one full author registration per paper.

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CFP: TAC | Special Issue on Automated Perception of Human Affect from Longitudinal Behavioral Data
by Pablo Barros Oct. 18, 2018

Oct. 18, 2018

CALL FOR PAPERS IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing Special Issue on Automated Perception of Human Affect from Longitudinal Behavioral Data Website: https://www2.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/omgchallenges/tacSpecialIssue201… I. Aim and Scope Research trends within artificial intelligence and cognitive sciences are still heavily based on computational models that attempt to imitate human perception in various behavior categorization tasks. However, most of the research in the field focuses on instantaneous categorization and interpretation of human affect, such as the inference of six basic emotions from face images, and/or affective dimensions (valence-arousal), stress and engagement from multi-modal (e.g., video, audio, and autonomic physiology) data. This diverges from the developmental aspect of emotional behavior perception and learning, where human behavior and expressions of affect evolve and change over time. Moreover, these changes are present not only in the temporal domain but also within different populations and more importantly, within each individual. This calls for a new perspective when designing computational models for analysis and interpretation of human affective behaviors: the computational models that can timely and efficiently adapt to different contexts and individuals over time, and also incorporate existing neurophysiological and psychological findings (prior knowledge). Thus, the long-term goal is to create life-long personalized learning and inference systems for analysis and perception of human affective behaviors. Such systems would benefit from long-term contextual information (including demographic and social aspects) as well as individual characteristics. This, in turn, would allow building intelligent agents (such as mobile and robot technologies) capable of adapting their behavior in a continuous and on-line manner to the target contexts and individuals. This special issue aims at contributions from computational neuroscience and psychology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and affective computing, challenging and expanding current research on interpretation and estimation of human affective behavior from longitudinal behavioral data, i.e., single or multiple modalities captured over extended periods of time allowing efficient profiling of target behaviors and their inference in terms of affect and other socio-cognitive dimensions. We invite contributions focusing on both the theoretical and modeling perspective, as well as applications ranging from human-human, human-computer and human-robot interactions. II. Potential Topics Given computational models, the capability to perceive and understand emotion behavior is an important and popular research topic. That is why recent special issues on the IEEE Journal on Transactions on Affective Computing covered topics from emotion behavior analysis “in-the-wild” to personality analysis. However, most of the research published by these specific calls treat emotion behavior as an instantaneous event, relating mostly to emotion recognition, and thus neglect the development of complex emotion behavior models. Our special issue will foster the development of the field by focusing excellent research on emotion models for long-term behavior analysis. The topics of interest for this special issue include, but are not limited to: - New theories and findings on continuous emotion recognition - Multi- and Cross-modal emotion perception and interpretation - Lifelong affect analysis, perception, and interpretation - Novel neural network models for affective processing - New neuroscientific and psychological findings on continuous emotion representation - Embodied artificial agents for empathy and emotion appraisal - Machine learning for affect-driven interventions - Socially intelligent human-robot interaction - Personalized systems for human affect recognition III. Submission Prospective authors are invited to submit their manuscripts electronically, adhering to the IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing guidelines ( https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=5165369) Please submit your papers through the online system ( https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/taffc-cs) and be sure to select the special issue: Special Issue/Section on Automated Perception of Human Affect from Longitudinal Behavioral Data. IV. IMPORTANT DATES: Submissions Deadline: 15th of January 2019 Deadline for reviews and response to authors: 06th of April 2019 Camera-ready deadline: 05th of August 2019 V. Guest Editors Pablo Barros, University of Hamburg, Germany Stefan Wermter, University of Hamburg, Germany Ognjen (Oggi) Rudovic, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States of America Hatice Gunes, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom -------------------------- -- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Research Associate - Crossmodal Learning Project (CML) Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt-Koelln-Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 40 42883 2535 Fax: +49 40 42883 2515 barros at informatik.uni-hamburg.dehttp://www.pablobarros.nethttps://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/people/barros.htmlhttps://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/

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NEURON course at SFN 2018 meeting
by Ted Carnevale Oct. 16, 2018

Oct. 16, 2018

A few seats remain open for the NEURON course that we will be presenting at the SFN 2018 meeting in San Diego. However, the registration deadline is Friday, October 19--just three days from today, so you'll have to act quickly if you are interested in learning things like * why you should be using NEURON to model biological neurons and neural circuits * how to get started building models with NEURON's GUI and/or Python * advanced tips for getting the most out of using Python as NEURON's interpreter, and using NEURON's GUI for interactive modeling and debugging of models implemented with Python * using the Import3d tool to convert Neurolucida, Eutectic, and SWC morphometric data files to NEURON models * how to add new ion channels and other biophysical mechanisms to NEURON For the course description and registrion form, see https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/sd2018/sd2018.html --Ted This message was composed in plain text and may contain plain text formatting of source code, tables, and lists. Reading it in a client that ignores "excess" whitespace characters or line breaks may destroy that formatting, making this message unreadable. Outlook does that by default; learn how to disable the "Auto Remove Line Breaks" ""feature"" at support.microsoft.com

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Postdoctoral position in circuit modelling at Nottingham, deadline 7th November
by Mark Humphries Oct. 16, 2018

Oct. 16, 2018

A postdoctoral position is available in the lab of Prof Mark Humphries at the University of Nottingham. We seek a postdoctoral researcher to tackle the deep question of how dopamine controls the dynamics of the striatum. As the main target of dopamine in the brain, the striatum bears the brunt of dopamine loss in Parkinson’s disease. Yet how dopamine controls the output of the striatum, and how the loss of dopamine disrupts that output, is unknown. The successful candidate will be responsible for constructing and simulating models of the striatum to investigate how dopamine controls the striatum’s dynamics, and the implications this will have for Parkinson’s disease. The project will build upon the detailed models of the striatum from the Humphries group (e.g. Humphries et al 2009 Neural Networks; 2010, PLoS Computational Biology). This is also a chance to join the newly-created computational neuroscience centre at Nottingham, which includes Profs Mark van Rossum and Stephen Coombes. Find out more about the lab and its interests here: https://www.humphries-lab.org/ The post will be available for 18 months in the first instance. More details, eligibility, and application instructions here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/SCI353818 Deadline: 7th November 2018 To discuss this or other projects, please contact Mark (mark.humphries(a)nottingham.ac.uk)

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Fully-funded PhD in computational neuroscience at Nottingham, deadline 31st October
by Mark Humphries Oct. 16, 2018

Oct. 16, 2018

A fully funded PhD position in Computational Neuroscience is available with Prof. Mark Humphries at the School of Psychology, University of Nottingham. Deadline: October 31st Full details and to apply: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/news/funded-phd-opportunity-prof-ma… The Humphries’ lab interrogates how the joint activity of many neurons encodes the past, present, and future, in order to guide behaviour. We combine simulations of neural circuits with “neural data science” – the development and use of machine-learning approaches to systems neuroscience data. We are particularly interested in PhD projects on the following research questions: * “Mapping the wires from neural activity”. How to use the next generation of imaging techniques that directly record neuron voltages to accurately infer the wiring between neurons. * “How to write activity into neurons". What features of neural activity should we change with optogenetics in order to test hypotheses about population activity? * “Dynamic control of the striatum in health and disease”. How the influence of the striatal interneurons is controlled by dopamine, and how that influence goes haywire when dopamine is lost in Parkinson’s disease. For a primer on our research, and our recent publications, visit our lab website: /https://www.humphries-lab.org/ To discuss these or other projects, please contact Prof Mark Humphries (mark.humphries(a)nottingham.ac.uk)

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Master-PhD studentship:Studying the physiological synergy of different ion channels in neurons
by luiza filipis Oct. 16, 2018

Oct. 16, 2018

M2 stage (April – July 2019) and possibility to continue with a 3-years PhD, starting in October 2019, with scholarship already granted Studying the physiological synergy of different ion channels in neurons Following the recent award of a competitive National grant, we are looking for a brilliant and motivated undergraduate student, with biological and/or physical background, to perform a final stage at the last University level (Master-2 or equivalent), starting April 1st 2019 or earlier if possible and ending in July 2019. The student will receive a stipend of ~500€/month for the entire duration of the stage. The objective of the project is to combine advanced imaging techniques applied to neurons in brain slices, novel photoactivable toxins to target individual ion channels and advanced computational techniques to extract the precise activity of multiple ion channels underlying neuronal signals. The student will learn patch clamp and imaging techniques and apply those to test novel photoactivable toxins targeting calcium channels. At the end of the stage, if positively evaluated, a 3-year PhD with an already available scholarship from the labex consortium ICST (http://www.labex-icst.fr/en) will be offered to start on October 1st 2019. The criteria for selecting the students will include (in order of importance) - The academic record of the student (notes) with respect to the disciplines associated with the project. (For students coming from French Universities, an average note of >13/20 in the M1 and in the first semester of M2 is compulsory to be considered). - Motivation to carry on a career in scientific research as the following PhD opens the gate to further postdoctoral experiences outside France. - Personal attitude to laboratory life including relationships with colleagues. Applications, addressed to Dr Marco Canepari ( marco.canepari(a)univ-grenoble-alpes.fr) should contain: 1. a CV based on the academic record including notes (at least the most relevant and recent); 2. a motivation letter; 3. (optional) one or two supporting letters by academic staff or name(s) and email address(es) of one or two referees who know the candidate. Applications are open until November 10th 2018 and the selected student will be decided by December 1st 2018. More information on the project and on the research activity of our group is available at: -- Luiza Filipis,PhD Student 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

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Funded Mathematics PhD at the University of Exeter - Designing the dynamics of coupled oscillators
by Purcell, Sarah Oct. 16, 2018

Oct. 16, 2018

Designing the dynamics of coupled oscillators<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=3301> Mathematics PhD (funded) University of Exeter Supervisors: Dr Christian Bick<http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/cb618> - University of Exeter Dr Kyle Wedgwood<http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kcaw201> - University of Exeter The University of Exeter's College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences is inviting applications for a fully-funded PhD studentship to commence in January 2019 or as soon as possible thereafter. For eligible students the studentship will cover tuition fees (UK/EU/International) in full plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £14,777 for 3.5 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study. The student would be based in the Department of Mathematics in the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences in Exeter. Networks of interacting oscillatory units are abundant in nature and technology. Their function and dynamics governs crucial aspects of our lives, ranging from the stability of power grids to the dynamics of the human brain. The dynamics of oscillator networks depends on (1) which oscillators interact with which other oscillator and (2) how oscillators interact with one another. This project will contribute to the question how the interplay between these two factors shape the network dynamics. The main aim of this PhD project is to develop theoretical and numerical approaches how oscillator networks can be designed to have specific interactions. This will allow to generate networks that exhibit a range of synchronized and locally synchronized dynamics. Moreover, the supervisor is currently collaborating with the experimental group of Istvan Z Kiss in St Louis (USA) who are working on electrochemical oscillators. Hence, there may be an opportunity to help implement the theoretical results in real-world experimental systems. Entry requirements Applicants for this studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science or technology. If English is not your first language you will need to have achieved at least 6.5 in IELTS and no less than 6.0 in any section by the start of the project. Alternative tests may be acceptable (see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/)<http://see%20http:/www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/)> For more information, please contact Dr. Christian Bick (C.Bick(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:C.Bick@exeter.ac.uk>) or Dr. Kyle Wedgwood (K.C.A.Wedgwood(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:K.C.A.Wedgwood@exeter.ac.uk>) or see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=3301

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Interviews at SfN 2018 for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Neural Decoding and Data Analytics Lab - Center for Bioelectronic Medicine
by Zanos, Theodoros Oct. 16, 2018

Oct. 16, 2018

Attending Neuroscience 2018 in San Diego? Apply to be considered for an interview during the conference by sending your CV to tzanos(a)northwell.edu The Neural Decoding and Data Analytics Lab at the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, headed by Assistant Professor Theo Zanos PhD, focuses on neural recordings and data analysis methods to gain insights into decoding and encoding mechanisms of the brain and peripheral nerves to and from stimuli, actions and other physiological functions. The lab utilizes a variety of techniques from signal processing, machine learning, optimization, neurophysiology and bioelectronic systems for closed-loop neural recording and stimulation, both in health and in disease models. The ultimate goal is to develop neuromodulation therapies that will observe the state of the organism and the organ system that is targeted, to deliver individualized treatment of diseases in real-time. The successful candidate will develop or deploy computational tools, will take part in neurophysiology experiments and collect data, organize and analyze data, collaborate with other research staff and publish and present data in a timely manner. They will also work collaboratively with other investigators to facilitate their scientific research and training. Furthermore, they will participate in various types of institute and community activities and may apply for grant funding and/or patents as appropriate. The position comes with considerably competitive compensation. Job Responsibilities Include: Develops computational tools for neuroscience research. Run neurophysiology experiments. Performs bioelectronic medicine research. Collaborates with other research staff. Responsible for the planning, collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of research data related to one or more projects Doctorate degree in Engineering, Computer Science or Statistics (Ph.D) required Authored/co-authored research papers and/or scientific abstracts, required Experience with various signal processing and machine learning methods, required Strong programming skills of Matlab, required, Python, C++, preferred Research experience in neurophysiology/neuroscience/animal surgery, preferred The information contained in this electronic e-mail transmission and any attachments are intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom or to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this communication is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure of this communication and any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately by telephone and electronic mail, and delete the original communication and any attachment from any computer, server or other electronic recording or storage device or medium. Receipt by anyone other than the intended recipient is not a waiver of any attorney-client, physician-patient or other privilege.

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Research Scientist Position at Samsung
by Daniel Kepple Oct. 15, 2018

Oct. 15, 2018

Samsung is recruiting computational neuroscientists for a new AI Research lab in New York City that will conduct fundamental research at the intersection of AI, robotics, and neuroscience. The position requires motivation to advance fundamental science and create revolutionary technological prototypes. Team members will have the intellectual freedom to cultivate their research roots by partnering with universities and publishing in leading scientific conferences and journals. Research Scientists in Machine Learning tackle unsolved problems in neural network architectures, learning algorithms, reinforcement learning, computer vision, natural language, and multimodal sensory processing. We will be at SfN, so if you are interested in learning more or applying, please send an email with your CV to d.kepple(a)samsung.com<mailto:d.kepple@samsung.com> See the following link for more details: https://samsungresearchamerica.applytojob.com/apply/IgDHsUiaPI/Research-Sci… Thanks, Daniel Kepple Research Scientist at Samsung AI Center, NY

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Funded PhD position in Statistical Analysis of Neural Data at UConn
by Ian Stevenson Oct. 15, 2018

Oct. 15, 2018

The Statistical Neuroscience Lab at the University of Connecticut is recruiting PhD students to start Fall 2019. These are fully-funded positions, and candidates will be working in close collaboration with experimental collaborators to develop methods for modeling neural dynamics, interactions, and plasticity from large-scale spike train data. Qualifications: Our work is highly interdisciplinary, and applicants must have strong quantitative skills. Previous experience with neuroscience is helpful but not necessary. Candidates with backgrounds in physics, statistics, computer science, engineering, and related areas are welcome to apply. Applying: Interested students should apply through the UConn Neuroscience (*https://grad.psych.uconn.edu/prospective/phd/application-deadlines/ <https://grad.psych.uconn.edu/prospective/phd/application-deadlines/>*) or Biomedical Engineering (*http://www.bme.uconn.edu/academics/graduate-program/about-the-graduate-program-in-biomedical-engineering <http://www.bme.uconn.edu/academics/graduate-program/about-the-graduate-prog…>*) PhD programs. Deadlines are Feb 1 for Neuroscience and Jan 1 for BME. Contact ian.stevenson(a)uconn.edu for more information Thanks, Ian Stevenson Assistant Professor University of Connecticut Department of Psychological Sciences stevenson.lab.uconn.edu

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tenure track faculty searches at Georgia Tech
by Rozell, Christopher J Oct. 15, 2018

Oct. 15, 2018

There are a number of tenure track faculty searches at Georgia Tech that may be of interest to this community. While only some are targeting neuro specifically, many have neuro as an area of specific interest. The ads are aggregated here: http://neuro.gatech.edu/career For this community, I would draw your attention to the searches in computationally-oriented departments such as Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), Math, and Computational Science and Engineering (CSE). Georgia Tech's campus is in the heart of midtown Atlanta, which is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas (and entrepreneurial communities) in the United States. Atlanta boasts a wide range of opportunities for recreation, culture, and easy access to domestic and international transportation. The neuroscience community is strong and rapidly growing both at Georgia Tech and at our local partners Emory (including Emory Medical School) and Georgia State University. In particular, there is a specific current and historical strength in computational neuroscience in the local area, with a strong and collegial community. More info about our local community can be found here: http://neuro.gatech.edu/ Please contact me if you have questions. regards, chris rozell

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Multiple Postdoctoral Positions in Computational Neuroscience Available at Boston University, and beyond.
by Mark Kramer Oct. 14, 2018

Oct. 14, 2018

Multiple Postdoctoral Positions in Computational Neuroscience Available at Boston University, and beyond. Three, NIH-supported postdoctoral positions in computational neuroscience are available immediately at Boston University in the labs of Uri Eden and Mark Kramer. The positions center on two projects: * Project: Measure, model, and modulate cross-frequency coupling. - Team: An interdisciplinary team of researchers at BU (Mark Kramer and Uri Eden) and the University of Minnesota (Alik Widge). - Goals: (i) Develop new statistical modeling methods to assess cross-frequency coupling (CFC) in real-time, and deploy these tools in in vivo animal experiments. (ii) Develop simple, biophysical models to identify candidate mechanisms of CFC. * Project: Assess human seizure dynamics across spatial and temporal scales. - Team: An interdisciplinary team of researchers at BU (Mark Kramer and Uri Eden) Harvard/MGH (Sydney Cash), and Columbia University (Catherine Schevon). - Goals: (i) Analyze human seizure activity in a unique data set, consisting of invasive brain voltage recordings across spatial scales - from single units to large brain areas, and temporal scales - from high-frequency oscillations to slow brain rhythms. (ii) Build biophysical models to probe how human seizures start, propagate, and stop. For either project, the successful candidate will have a strong background in statistics and computer programming; experience in interdisciplinary neuroscience research and biophysical modeling is preferred, although not essential. The positions are based at Boston University in the labs of Uri Eden and Mark Kramer. Both projects are highly interdisciplinary and will involve frequent and extensive interactions with neuroscientists at UMN (Alik Widge), or clinicians at Harvard/MGH (Sydney Cash) and Columbia University (Catherine Schevon). To apply, or for more information about the position, please send an email to Mark Kramer (mak(a)math.bu.edu) Please include an updated CV, names and contact information of three references, and a brief statement of your interest in the position and relevant qualifications. Boston University offers a vibrant community of statistical, mathematical, and neuroscience faculty and students, and many opportunities for collaboration within and outside the University.

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Faculty Position: Applied Mathematics Northwestern University
by Hermann Riecke Oct. 13, 2018

Oct. 13, 2018

Northwestern University invites applications for a full-time, *tenure-track faculty position in**Applied Mathematics* to begin in September 2019 in the Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/applied-math/) Hiring will be focused on the assistant professor level, although exceptional applicants at all levels will be considered. Candidates in *all fields of applied mathematics, science, and engineering* with a demonstrated ability to conduct *high-impact interdisciplinary research* *in applied mathematics* are encouraged to apply. Northwestern University offers a stimulating environment, encouraging collaborations across departments and schools. Collaborations of our current faculty span multiple departments in the McCormick School of Engineering, the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and the Feinberg School of Medicine in areas including materials science, earth sciences, fluid dynamics, complex systems, microbiology, neuroscience, and social systems, to highlight a few. Our faculty actively participate in interdisciplinary centers such as the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, the Center for Synthetic Biology, the Center for Hierarchical Materials Design, the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics, and the Center for Water Research, among others. The recently funded NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology is a joint initiative primarily between the Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics and the Department of Molecular Biosciences. We are seeking candidates whose research has strong connections to applications and who can strengthen and/or broaden the research activities of the department. Requirements include a PhD. Duties involve research and teaching. Submit applications electronically at https://facultyrecruiting.northwestern.edu/apply/MzE2.The application package should include a curriculum vita, a statement of research accomplishments and interests, a statement of teaching experience and philosophy, and 3-4 selected publications. In addition, the applicant should arrange for at least three, but no more than four letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters will be automatically solicited from the letter writers by email after their names are entered in the online application system. Questions may be sent to esam-facultysearch(a)northwestern.edu (Subject line: 2019 Faculty Search). Review of applications will begin November 15, 2018 and will continue until the position is filled.

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Opportunities to collaborate with the EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare
by Purcell, Sarah Oct. 12, 2018

Oct. 12, 2018

Dear Colleagues, I would like to highlight the following opportunities for collaboration with the EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare at the University of Exeter, UK: The EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare<http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/research/pmh/> brings together a world-leading team of mathematicians, statisticians and clinicians with a range of industrial partners, people with lived experience of chronic health conditions and other stakeholders to focus on the development of new methods for managing and treating noncommunciable disorders using predictive mathematical and statistical models. Our focus is on 'dynamic' health conditions such as autoimmune disease, cardiac arrhythmias, diabetes and epilepsy. We aim to revolutionise the clinical management of these disorders through better understanding the fundamental mechanisms of these disorders, as well as the development of mathematically-underpinned decision support systems. Visitor programme The Centre runs a lively visitor programme where both short term seminar speakers and longer term visitors can interact with the team. Whether you are an academic, a student, a healthcare professional or involved in healthcare technologies, if you are interested to visit or work with us, please get in touch by completing our visitor contact form<https://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/research/pmh/visitors/>. Visiting fellowship We have some funding available to support the visits of interested parties who will contribute to the work of the Centre. Please use the contact form<https://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/research/pmh/visitors/> to tell us more about your plans, the problem you would like to solve and who you would like to work with. Requests for funding will be dealt with on an individual basis. For further information or any queries, you can also contact Sarah Purcell<mailto:s.purcell@exeter.ac.uk> (Centre Manager). Best wishes, Sarah Purcell Centre Manager EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare University of Exeter Tel: 01392 726447 Web: www.exeter.ac.uk/pmh <http://www.exeter.ac.uk/pmh> Twitter: twitter.com/CPMH_UoE

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PhD position in statistical methods in neuroscience
by Benjamin Dunn Oct. 11, 2018

Oct. 11, 2018

A PhD position is available in statistical methods in neuroscience at the department of Mathematical Sciences, NTNU, and in collaboration with Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience / Centre for Neural Computation, NTNU (Norway). The project will focus on parameter estimation, hypothesis testing and model selection in large population neural data with detailed 3D tracking of animal behavior. Additional details are available at https://www.jobbnorge.no/ledige-stillinger/stilling/156881/phd-fellowship-i… or contact us at: Mette Langaas, Mette.Langaas(a)ntnu.no Benjamin Dunn, Benjamin.Dunn(a)ntnu.no The deadline for applying is October 15th.

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Multiple open-rank tenure-track positions open at the AI Institute of Stony Brook University
by Memming Park Oct. 11, 2018

Oct. 11, 2018

The departments of computer science and biomedical informatics at the Stony Brook University are recruiting tenure track faculties. Stony Brook University is located on Long island, east of New York city. The senior-level position come with the title of Empire Innovation Professor, and enhanced salary and research support. Exceptionally qualified senior and junior candidates in *all areas of Artificial Intelligence* are invited to apply, particularly in the following areas but not limited to: *Machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing or data science*. See the following links for details: https://www.cs.stonybrook .edu/about-us/career/Multiple-Positions-all-levels-Empire-Innovation-Professor-AI-Institute- Stony-Brook-University Official Job Title: Assistant, Associate or Full Professor REF#: F-9924-18-08 *The position will be open until filled.* Sincerely, Memming Park -- Assistant Professor Department of Neurobiology and Behavior Stony Brook University http://catniplab.github.io/

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Faculty position in computational neuroscience at University of Illinois
by Sutton, Brad Oct. 10, 2018

Oct. 10, 2018

The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) seeks a full-time Bioengineering faculty member for a tenure-track or tenured position in the broad area of computational bioengineering: including computational neuroscience or other related areas. See: https://go.illinois.edu/BIOE_Fac_2018 for more information.

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Advanced Research Fellowships - Artificial Intelligence
by Peter Andras Oct. 10, 2018

Oct. 10, 2018

Industrial Strategy Advanced Research Fellowships Special area of interest: Artificial Intelligence and industrial / medical applications. Keele University Closes: 30th October 2018 Job Ref: KU00000892 Salary: Grade 8 £42,036-£50,132/Grade 9 £51,630-£59,828 Were Keele and were different. Founded over 60 years ago to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world, our mission today is as relevant as it was then. A key part of our mission is the delivery of research with the highest impact. The University and its Science & Innovation Park play a critical economic anchor role across and beyond the Midlands area of the UK. In the last 2 years we have invested over £40 million in building our capacity to work collaboratively with business, industry and a wider set of partners. As part of our future plans for continued investment, we are now seeking to recruit two Industrial Strategy Advanced Research Fellows to the University. Applications are welcomed from individuals with a track record in any discipline, which aligns with the aims and objectives of the UK Governments Industrial Strategy and the UKRI Funding Councils delivering the strategy (e.g. artificial intelligence). We particularly welcome applications which will further build the Universitys reputation for internationally-excellent, world-leading and high impact research in one or more grand challenge areas within the Industrial Strategy. The fellowships are principally research focused positions until July 2021, after which role-holders will transition into substantive academic roles which will include both teaching and research responsibilities. Appointments will be considered at grade 8 (Lecturer scale) or grade 9 (Senior Lecturer scale). The level will be determined by the experience and track-record of individual candidates. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate an established or emerging track record of high quality collaborative research with business, industry and other non-academic partners across the UK, aligned to areas of existing research endeavour at Keele University. An ability to demonstrate a track-record and future desire to collaborate with a wide range of commercial partners, large and small, will be welcomed. Initial applications are invited with a deadline of 30 October 2018, with interviews taking place 3-7 December 2018. Applications will be selected against the person specification for the role, which will include consideration of how the proposed candidate will complement established and emerging areas of research in regard to our interdisciplinary research themes of: sustainable futures, social inclusion and global health. Applicants interested in applying for these jobs in the area of Artificial Intelligence and its industrial / medical applications may contact Professor Peter Andras (p.andras(a)keele.ac.uk <mailto:p.andras@keele.ac.uk> ) for further information about these jobs. Keele University values equality and diversity across our workforce and to ensuring our staff community is reflective of the diversity of our student population. In support of these commitments the University welcomes applications from individuals of Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds for all roles. For full post details please visit: <http://www.keele.ac.uk/vacancies> www.keele.ac.uk/vacancies Keele University employees wishing to apply should login to Employee Self Service and click on the 'View current vacancies' link. Closing date for applications: 30th October 2018 Promoting Equality, Valuing Diversity. --- Professor Peter Andras Head of School School of Computing and Mathematics Keele University Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG UK Tel. +44-1782-733412 Fax. +44-1782-734268 E-mail: <mailto:p.andras@keele.ac.uk> p.andras(a)keele.ac.uk Web: <http://www.scm.keele.ac.uk/staff/p_andras/> www.scm.keele.ac.uk/staff/p_andras/

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COSYNE 2019: Abstract submission is now open; Call for workshop proposals; Cosyne Mentoring Forum
by Tomas Hromadka Oct. 10, 2018

Oct. 10, 2018

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2019 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING 28 February - 03 March 2019 Lisbon, Portugal WORKSHOPS 04 March - 05 March 2019 Cascais, Portugal www.cosyne.org ==================================================== IMPORTANT DATES Abstract submission is now open Workshop proposal deadline: 31 October 2018 Cosyne registration opens: 11 November 2018 Abstract submission deadline: 15 November 2018 ---------------------------------------------------- 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. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks is selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. For details on workshop proposals please see below or visit Cosyne.org -> Workshops. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: 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. This year we would like to foster increased participation from experimental groups as well as computational ones. Please circulate widely and encourage your students and postdocs to apply. When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting, due to space constraints. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. For more information and details on submitting abstracts please visit Cosyne.org -> Abstracts. COSYNE SPEAKERS Bruno Averbeck (NIMH) Gwyneth Card (Janelia) Kathleen Cullen (John Hopkins) Kenji Doya (OIST) Ken Harris (UCL) Sonja Hofer (Sainsbury Wellcome Centre) Yann LeCun (NYU) Edvard Moser (NTNU) Yiota Poirazi (IMBB-FORTH) Maneesh Sahani (Gatsby-UCL) Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Sara Solla (Northwestern) Karel Svoboda (Janelia) Ilana Witten (Princeton) ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General Chairs: Linda Wilbrecht (Berkeley) and Brent Doiron (U Pittsburgh) Program Chairs: Eugenia Chiappe (Champalimaud) and Christian Machens (Champalimaud) Workshop Chairs: Catherine Hartley (NYU) and Ralf Haefner (U Rochester) Undergraduate Travel Chairs: Angela Langdon (Princeton) and Robert Wilson (U Arizona) Publicity 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) CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org ---------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS ---------------------------------------------------- A series of workshops will be held after the main Cosyne meeting. The goal is to provide an informal forum for the discussion of important research questions and challenges. Controversial issues, open problems, comparisons of competing approaches, and alternative viewpoints are encouraged. The overarching goal of all workshops should be the integration of empirical and theoretical approaches, in an environment that fosters collegial discussion and debate. Preference will be given to proposals that differ substantially in content, scope, and/or approach from workshops of recent years (examples available at Cosyne.org -> Workshops). Relevant topics include, but are not limited to: sensory processing; motor planning and control; functional neural circuits; motivation, reward and decision making; learning and memory; adaptation and plasticity; neural coding; neural circuitry and network models; and methods in computational or systems neuroscience. In order to foster discussion within Workshops and reduce overlap between workshops, organizers should inform invited speakers that a single person should not speak in more than one of the Workshops taking place on the same day. WORKSHOP DETAILS - There will be 4-8 workshops/day, running in parallel. - Each workshop is expected to draw between 15 and 80 people. - The workshops will be split into morning (08.00-11.00a) and afternoon (04.30-07.30p) sessions. - Workshops will be held at Cascais, a coastal village ~34 km west of Lisbon. Buses from the main conference will be provided. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Submission instructions for workshop proposals are available at Cosyne.org -> Workshops. Proposals should include: - Name(s) and email address(es) of the organizers (no more than 2 organizers per session, please). The first author on the list becomes the contact author for the proposal. - A title. - A brief description of 1) what the workshop will address and accomplish, 2) why the topic is of interest, 3) who is the targeted group of participants. - Names, affiliations, and expected topics of talks of potential invitees, and a list of confirmed speakers. Preference will be given to workshops with the most confirmed speakers. - A brief summary of relevant prior experiences and publications of the organizers (about half a page total). - Proposed workshop length (1 or 2 days). Most workshops will be limited to a single day. If you think your workshop needs two days, please explain why. Workshop organizer responsibilities include coordinating workshop participation and content, scheduling all speakers and submitting a final schedule for the workshop program, and moderating the discussion. Organizers can be speakers but need not speak depending on scheduling constraints. SUGGESTIONS Experience has shown that the best discussions during a workshop are those that arise spontaneously. A good way to foster these is to have short talks and long question periods (e.g. 30+15 minutes), and have plenty of breaks. We recommend fewer than 10 talks. When preparing workshop proposals, the organizers are encouraged to: - address timeliness of workshop in the proposal: what new insights have been generated (new papers, data, techniques, whatever) over the past few years that make now the right time for discussing them and for presenting them to the wider community? - directly describe how speakers address the central topic, e.g. which are the big question(s), which speakers represent different viewpoints on the same question, which experimentalist addresses the theories addressed by which theoretician (and vice versa); - address controversies and bring together speakers from different “camps” in the same field, or from different fields that---according to the organizers---should talk more to each other for whatever reason; WORKSHOP COSTS Detailed registration costs, etc., will be available at www.cosyne.org. Please note: Cosyne does NOT provide travel funding for workshop speakers. All workshop speakers are expected to pay for workshop registration fees. Participants are encouraged to register early, in order to qualify for discounted registration rates. One complimentary (free) organizer registration is provided per workshop. For workshops with 2 organizers, the free registration can be given to one of the organizers or split evenly between them. COSYNE 2019 WORKSHOP CHAIRS Catherine Hartley (NYU) and Ralf Haefner (University of Rochester) email: workshops [at] cosyne.org ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE MENTORING FORUM ---------------------------------------------------- Cosyne Mentoring Forum provides a platform for discussions among Cosyne participants, particularly for help with composing abstracts for the meeting and getting feedback before submission. The forum is intended to be a place to connect with other computational and systems neuroscientists. Forum members are encouraged to share advice on everything from writing a great Cosyne abstract to navigating a job search. See Cosyne.org -> Mailing lists for details on how to subscribe and post to the forum. ---------------------------------------------------- OTHER 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.

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PhD project in computational modeling of Alzheimer’s disease at MCEN/BCAM, Bilbao, Spain
by Maurizio De Pitta Oct. 9, 2018

Oct. 9, 2018

Fully-funded PhD project: Computational modeling and data mining of early markers of Alzheimer’s disease Lab / Host institution : Group of Mathematical, Computational and Experimental Neuroscience (MCEN) at the Basque Center of Applied Mathematics (BCAM) Location : Bilbao, The Basque Country, Spain Duration : 3 years. Stipend : 18k EUR/year + mobility allowance Starting date : immediate Scientific background : Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic, age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline, memory loss, personality changes, and withdrawal. The causes of AD remain poorly understood and no treatment is currently available to stop or reverse the progress of the disease nor to reduce the risk of developing it. The principal pathological hallmark of AD is the accumulation in the brain of senile plaques, primarily composed of the amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide, and tangles of filaments of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. However, population-based studies show that there is a continuum of AD type pathology in the aging population, with considerable overlap in the burdens of tangle and plaque pathology in demented vs. non-demented individuals. It is therefore difficult to establish thresholds of classical lesions for the prediction of dementia and additional factors are operative to determine whether a given burden of pathology is associated with cognitive impairment. There is therefore a need to explore non-standard pathological markers. Workplan : The candidate will deploy mathematical tools to simulate biophysical processes that could underpin deposition of amyloid beta plaques and tau filaments. Emphasis will be on emerging evidence on the interaction between neurons and glial cells, to identify potential mechanisms that promote local excitation of neuronal networks at the onset of AD, before cognitive impairment takes over, or when only mild cognitive deficits are diagnosed. The project is strongly interdisciplinary, as the candidate will pursue computational research in close collaboration with experimentalists to design realistic models inspired by experiments in cell cultures and brain slices from AD mouse models. At the same time she/he will be able to design experiments based on predictions from her/his models. Working environment : The candidate will be supervised by Dr. Maurizio De Pittà in all the aspects of the project. Dr. De Pittà is a leading expert on computational modeling of neuron-glia interactions, with an experience in computational neuroscience of 10+ years. Dr. De Pittà recently joined the MCEN group at BCAM as « Junior Leader » fellow with a start-up grant supported by la Caixa Banking Foundation. The MCEN group is a rapidly growing team led by Ikerbasque Professor Serafim Rodrigues, that was established in 2016 as part of the strategic research portfolio enacted by the Basque Country to foster interdisciplinary research in Neuroscience. The candidate will collaborate with Dr. Elena Alberdi and Prof. Carlos Matute at Achucarro, the Basque Center for Neuroscience in Bilbao, at the local campus of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). BCAM is one of the Severo Ochoa’s excellence centers for scientific research in Spain providing a fertile international environment for enriching scientific collaborations. Bilbao, as the capital of the Basque Country in Spain, is a vibrant, friendly city with one of the highest standards of life quality in Spain. Requirements : -- Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, or related fields -- Excellent English skills (oral and written) -- Programming skills in Matlab, Python and C/C++ -- High motivation for interdisciplinary research with strong interests for biological details with an analytic mindset -- Essential knowledge of neuroscience, cell biology and biochemistry is preferred but not required Additional notes : This is a cutting-edge project that ideally matches with outstanding and creative candidates, with a strong motivation for international collaborations, mobility, and independence. The candidate is supposed to work on the project full-time (i.e. part-time agreements are taken into consideration), and must be . To apply : Applicants should send a CV with letter of motivation (max 2 pages) to Dr. De Pittà at mdepitta(a)bcamath.org with headings : « PhD Candidacy ». Review of applicants is incumbent, and will continue until the position is filled. The earliest start date is November 2018. -- Maurizio De Pittà https://sites.google.com/site/mauriziodepitta/

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Tenure-Track Junior Professor in Computational Neuroscience at Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris France
by boris gutkin Oct. 7, 2018

Oct. 7, 2018

> Junior Professor in Computational Neuroscience at Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris France > > Department of Cognitive Studies at the Ecole Normale Superieure (Paris France) seeks candidates for a tenure-track junior professor in computational neuroscience. Candidates in cognitive computational neuroscience, machine learning approaches to neuroscience and statistical neuroscience are particularly encouraged to apply. Successful candidate will join the computational neuroscience core at the Laboratory for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience (LNC2, https://lnc2.dec.ens.fr/fr) > > Candidates should show a strong track record of research in computational neuroscience as well as potential for scientific independence and achievement. Candidate will be expected to develop an independent research program during their pre-tenure period In addition to research candidates will spear-head the computational neuroscience track in the Master of Cognitive Sciences at ENS (Cogmaster,www.cogmaster.net/) provide teaching in computational neuroscience at the masters and upper undergraduate level as well as supervise masters and doctoral students. > > The position offers a 5-year tenure-track contract with an evaluation at the end of the 3rd year. Upon successful evaluaton, the candidate will proceed directly to a competition for a full professorship at ENS Paris. Support for national and international grant competitions will be provided. > > The candidate will join a lively cognitive neuroscience and computational neuroscience community. Notably the computational neuroscience core of the LNC includes research groups of Boris Gutkin, Srdjan Ostojic and Sophie Deneve and counts over 20 members in total. Computational approaches to human cognitive neuroscience and neuroeconomics are also represented by groups of Etienne Koechlin, Valentin Wyart and Stefano Palminteri. Ample interactions with experimental and computational groups in the Paris area are available and encouraged. LNC2-DEC-ENS is located in the heart of Paris in the Quartier Latin. > > > Candidates should send an application package by e-mail to the application email address below. The subject line should include the words COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE ENS POSITION followed by the name of the applicant. > > APPLICATION ADDRESS: recruitment.jp-compneuro(a)ens.fr > > The application package should include: > > - a CV, including a list of publications; > > - contacts of 3 referees from whom recommendations letters can be requested; > > - ‪a statement outlining both teaching and research goals/experience (up to 3 pages); > > - a research sample consisting of 3 papers. > > > Deadline for the applications is Nov 15 2018. > > Candidate is expected to start in September 2019. > > Informal enquiries and Questions can be sent to boris.gutkin(a)ens.fr > >

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Research Assistant Professor opening for NeuroMorpho.Org IT Manager position
by Ruben Armananzas Arnedillo Oct. 3, 2018

Oct. 3, 2018

Dear Colleagues, We are searching for an exceptional individual to lead the information technology infrastructure of NeuroMorpho.Org as a Research Assistant Professor in the Center for Neural Informatics and the Bioengineering Department of George Mason University (near Washington DC, USA). If you know suitable candidates with a Ph.D. in computer science, software engineering, information systems, applied mathematics, physics, data science, or related fields, please encourage them to apply at https://jobs.gmu.edu/postings/44093 Especially desired are proficiency in Java, C/C++, Python, R, Matlab, and Shell scripting; experience with Unix/Linux server administration; SQL & NoSQL database design and system operation; web technologies and API (micro) services; content management & collaborative platforms; big-data & cloud computing analytical tools; task analysis automation; knowledge in project management (PMP or similar); and understanding of neuroscience data. The successful applicant will assume responsibility of the NeuroMorpho.Org continuous maintenance, development, and management, including design of new solutions to enhance and expand existing functionality. The incumbent will work directly with the project director, will select and supervise multiple masters-level assistants, and will have unlimited access to dedicated supercomputer and server facilities, flexible working schedule, salary based on the NIH scale, and state employee benefits. Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2018; the position is available immediately. The NeuroMorpho.Org Team

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Assistant Professor Position in High-Dimensional Data Analysis, CU Boulder, Dept. of Applied. Math. (Deadline Oct. 16, 2018)
by Zachary Kilpatrick Oct. 3, 2018

Oct. 3, 2018

The Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Colorado at Boulder invites applications for a tenure track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level to begin August 2019. The position is in the area of high dimensional data analysis (big data), with possible areas of emphasis including nonlinear optimization, analysis in high-dimensional spaces, randomized projections, probabilistic numerics, harmonic analysis, theoretical deep learning, and related areas. However, exceptional candidates in all fields of Applied Mathematics may be considered. The candidate is expected to take an active role in undergraduate and graduate teaching, conduct a vigorous externally funded research program, advise graduate students, and participate in department and university governance. We also seek candidates who demonstrate effectiveness in teaching, mentoring, nurturing, and inspiring diverse students of all ethnicities, nationalities and genders, including first generation college undergraduates. Review of applications will begin on October 16, 2018; applications will be accepted until the position is filled. —————————————— The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder is home to five Nobel laureates, four National Medal of Science winners, eight MacArthur "Genius Award" winners, 100 Fulbright Scholars, 17 Guggenheim Fellows, 14 Packard Fellows, 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences, and 23 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. CU Boulder is the only university in the Rocky Mountain region in the American Association of Universities, a group of the nation’s leading research institutions. The Department of Applied Mathematics is home to 22 tenured and tenure track faculty members whose research span computational mathematics, nonlinear mathematics including nonlinear dynamics and waves, mathematical biology, physical applied mathematics, probability, and statistics. The Department sits at the crossroads of the university's two largest colleges, being rostered in the College of Arts and Sciences while teaching students in the College of Engineering. Our faculty have won numerous awards including: four fellows of the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics, two fellows of the American mathematical Society, two Guggenheim Fellows, an American Statistical Association Fellow, and a Sloan Fellow. For more information see http://www.colorado.edu/amath. ————————————— Minimum Qualifications: Applicants must have a Ph.D. in applied mathematics or a related area, a strong record of research accomplishments, and have excellent teaching and communication skills. To apply, please submit the following materials at https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/?jobId=12897 <https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/?jobId=12897> 1. Resume/CV 2. Cover Letter 3. List of references 4. Statement of Teaching Philosophy 5. Statement of Research Philosophy 6. You will need to submit 3 references for this position. These individuals will be contacted and asked to submit a letter of recommendation as part of your application materials. This information will be kept confidential and viewable only by the search committee.

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Open Rank Faculty Position, Department of Mathematics, City College of New York, CUNY
by Asohan Amarasingham Oct. 2, 2018

Oct. 2, 2018

Dear Colleagues, The Department of Mathematics of the City College of New York is hiring invites applications for one or more positions at the Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor levels, to start August 31, 2019. Computational neuroscience and computational biology generally are an area of particular interest for the search, and an area of focus both in the department and more broadly at City College and CUNY (see, for example, the Initiative for Theoretical Sciences at the CUNY Graduate Center). Thus researchers who focus on applications of mathematics or statistics to neuroscience are encouraged to apply. The department has strong mathematical research activities in a broad range of areas. Instructional needs are at all levels, including undergraduate service and major courses, and graduate courses both in the CCNY graduate programs and through the CUNY Graduate Center. The full announcement is below. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions. Best regards, Asohan Amarasingham ==================================== https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/12498 The Department of Mathematics of the City College of New York invites applications for one or more positions at the Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor levels, pending administrative approval, to start August 31, 2019. The department has strong research in a broad range of areas. Areas of greatest need and interest are for applicants with expertise in statistics, probability, and those areas of applied mathematics most relevant to computational biology and data science, but exceptional applicants from all areas of pure and applied mathematics will be considered. Instructional needs are at all levels, including undergraduate service and major courses, and graduate courses both in the CCNY graduate programs and through the CUNY Graduate Center. The City College of New York (CCNY) is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, with a strong tradition of excellence in science and engineering. CCNY serves a broad range of students and CUNY has an exemplary record in moving students from poverty to prosperity. CCNY serves a broad range of students and CUNY has an exemplary record in moving students from poverty to prosperity. The Department actively encourages applications from women and minority candidates. Applicants must apply electronically at http://www.mathjobs.org ALL APPLICANTS MUST APPLY VIA CUNYfirst FOR CONSIDERATION. Please apply by visiting this CUNY.jobs page<https://cuny.jobs/jobs/?q=19465> or by the following: Go to www.cuny.edu and click on "Employment" or visit Employment at CUNY<http://www2.cuny.edu/employment/> Click "Search job listings" Click on "More options to search for CUNY jobs" Search by Job Opening ID number 19465 Click on the "Apply Now" button and follow the instructions. The applicant must submit an application cover letter detailing interest in the position, a current CV, statements detailing research and teaching interests, a diversity statement reflecting the candidate's thoughts and experience on fostering inclusivity in the classroom and workplace, and arrange for four letters of reference to be submitted through mathjobs.org, with at least three addressing research and at least one addressing teaching qualifications. Review of applications begins October 15th, with applications considered until the position is filled. The City University of New York is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator.

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Frontiers Research Topic on Data Assimilation
by Axel Hutt Oct. 2, 2018

Oct. 2, 2018

Announcement of the Frontiers Research Topic -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Data Assimilation of Nonlocal Observations in Complex Systems -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Natural complex systems exhibit spatio-temporal dynamics on multiple scales that are difficult to predict and understand. To gain deeper insights into the system's dynamics and to be able to predict its evolution, observations of that system are analyzed which allows to derive or motivate models that fit that system. In general, one may distinguish two types of data. The so-called in-situ or local observations capture direct measurements of the system itself, such as temperature at a specific height in the atmosphere or electric potentials in biological cells. Other observations are not measured at a certain location but represent the integral of some relevant quantities manifesting the system's activity. Examples in meteorology for such nonlocal observations are satellite radiances, slant delays and radio occultation based on GPS data, or radar reflectivities. In biological systems, the non-invasive measurement techniques provide nonlocal observations, such as electro- and magnetoencephalogram or Magnetic Resonance Imaging. In addition to observations, realistic models are essential to improve the understanding of natural complex systems and to predict their dynamical evolution. To merge both models and observations, it is essential to develop techniques that optimally estimate the system activity well-adapted to a model and observed data. Data assimilation comprises a number of methods to merge diverse experimental data with an underlying model. Data assimilation optimally combines observations and a model to achieve a certain goal, such as optimal fitting of model parameters or providing optimal forecasts of the system's dynamics. Since the recent years have shown an increasing number of observation techniques capturing integrals of system activity, data assimilation of nonlocal observations becomes more and more important. The present Research Topic aims to bring together recent theoretical work in data assimilation of nonlocal observations with a strong link to specific applications. This article collection reflects the state-of-the-art in this research field. Examples of theoretical topics (as an unconstrained open list) are Kalman filters, variational assimilation techniques, regression techniques and stochastic optimization techniques. Applications may range from the parameter estimation in genetic regulatory networks over prediction of brain dynamics to weather forecast. We invite you to submit an abstract until November 30, 2018 and the manuscript until June 30, 2019. Contributions will be published as soon as they are accepted and synchronously gathered in the Research Topic volume. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us (email of Axel Hutt: digitalesbad(a)gmail.com) The organisers Lili Lei (Nanjing University) Marc Bocquet (Ecole des Ponts ParisTech) Alberto Carrassi (Nansen Environmental Remote Sensing Center) Axel Hutt (Deutscher Wetterdienst) Roland Potthast (Deutscher Wetterdienst) -- Axel Hutt Directeur de Recherche Deutscher Wetterdienst - German Meteorological Service Research and Development, Department FE 12 (Data Assimilation) Frankfurter Strasse 135, 63067 Offenbach, Germany Tel.: +49 69 8062 2750 http://www.geocities.ws/digitalbath/

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New temporal multiple kernel learning method for characterizing relating SC to connectivity dynamics and Brain state switching
by Dipanjan Oct. 2, 2018

Oct. 2, 2018

Dear all, It is my pleasure to share with you a very recent methods and data driven modelling paper from our lab on how Resting State Dynamics Meets Anatomical Structure: Temporal Multiple Kernel Learning (tMKL) Model to explore SC-dFC-FC tripartite relationship published in Neuroimage. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811918318597?via%3Di… The proposed model uses spectral graph theory techniques to partitions aspects of the whole-brain dynamics essentially into two parts: (i) characterizing temporal dynamics through identification of latent transient states, and (ii) linking them to the underlying structural geometry. These two aspects are captured using a novel blend of unique methods. The proposed solution does not make strong assumptions about the underlying data and is generally applicable to resting or task data for learning subject-specific state transitions and for successfully characterizing SC-dFC-FC relationship through a unifying framework. MATLAB code for the proposed method can be downloaded from: https://github.com/SriniwasGovindaSurampudi/tMKL Any comments/questions/suggestions on the method/code are of course welcome. Regards, Dipanjan

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Several Openings, New Lab. Systems Neuroscience.
by Carmen Varela Oct. 2, 2018

Oct. 2, 2018

We are looking for researchers (undergraduate to postdoc) to join a new systems neuroscience laboratory that will open in the rapidly growing Jupiter campus of Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in 2019. Under the direction of Dr. Carmen Varela, the lab will seek to discover fundamental cellular and network mechanisms that contribute to cognitive behavior, with a focus on learning and memory and on the role of the neuronal circuits formed by the thalamus https://www.thethalamus.org/ We will rely heavily on extracellular recordings in behaving rodents and quantitative analyses of cellular activity and local field potentials, in order to investigate how thalamic networks contribute to memory retrieval, problem solving, and sleep-dependent memory consolidation. If you are passionate about these topics we would love for you to join us and be part of the founding projects of the lab! *General requirements: * Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, demonstrated initiative and dedication, ability to learn fast. Hands-on research experience in neuroscience preferred, particularly with rodent models. Knowledge of MATLAB (and/or other programming languages) and computational skills (signal processing, statistics) desirable. Candidates selected for an interview will be asked to provide contact information for two references. Start date is flexible from January 2019. *What you get: * · Research experience in behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, electrophysiology, optogenetics, fiber photometry. · Mentorship and guidance to help you achieve your scientific and training goals. The lab is located in the Jupiter campus of FAU, an expanding neuroscience hub that also holds our partners the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and Scripps Research Institute. If interested in joining as a graduate student, there are several programs within FAU and with the Max Planck and Scripps (http://www.ibrain.fau.edu/gradneuro/program.html) Application deadlines for graduate programs in the Fall of 2018. *Interested candidates please send a CV and a brief description of research skills and interests to: carmenv(a)mit.edu <carmenv(a)mit.edu> *

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PhD opportunities at the Universities of Bath and Exeter
by Purcell, Sarah Oct. 2, 2018

Oct. 2, 2018

Dear all, The Universities of Bath and Exeter are seeking applications for PhD candidates for two biology/medicine modelling projects. Both projects will use a combination of mathematical modelling and data analysis (possibly with some data collection for interested applicants). The studentship will cover 3.5 years, with a start date of September 2019. However, this is open for EU students only. The first project will involve multi-scale modelling of skeletal muscle bioenergetics, with applications to deficits in cystic fibrosis. The student would primarily be based at the University of Exeter (with Dr. Kyle Wedgwood & Prof. Craig Williams) with secondments at the University of Bath (with Dr. James Betts). For more information, see here: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=3236 The second project will investigate ion channel mutations associated with dementia. The student would primarily be based at the University of Bath (with Prof. Alain Nogaret) with secondments at the University of Exeter (with Prof. Andy Randall, Dr. Kyle Wedgwood). For full details of the project, please visit http://www.gw4biomed.ac.uk/available-projects-2/neuroscience-and-mental-hea… and select the project entitled "In-depth understanding of dementia-associated changes to neuronal signalling" Best wishes, Dr. Kyle Wedgwood MRC Research Fellow Centre for Biomedical Modelling & Analysis College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences University of Exeter Living Systems Institute Stocker Road EX4 4QD ________________________________________________________________

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Postdoctoral Fellow in Multifactorial Brain Analysis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
by Yasser Iturria Medina Oct. 1, 2018

Oct. 1, 2018

We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral student, for joining the *Neuroinformatics for Personalized Medicine* lab (NeuroPM) at the Montreal Neurological Institute (McGill University, Montreal, Canada) and the Kalra lab for Neuroimaging and ALS Research (University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada). The postdoc will be under the supervision of Professors Yasser Iturria-Medina and Sanjay Kalra, and will be expected to collaborate with multiple associated groups. The project, for one year and potentially extendable for another year, includes the analysis of direct multifactorial brain interactions and intra-brain network spreading of aberrant effects in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The NeuroPM lab (http://www.neuropm-lab.com/) is affiliated with the Healthy brain for Healthy Lives (HBHL) initiative (*https://www.mcgill.ca/hbhl/ <https://www.mcgill.ca/hbhl/>*), the Ludmer Center (http://ludmercentre.ca/) and the McConnell Brain Imaging Center (https://www.mcgill.ca/bic/) involving computationally intensive and interdisciplinary research on the brain. The MNI is an internationally renowned institution, characterized by the integration of research and patient care. The Kalra Lab ( http://www.ualberta.ca/ALS/research/) has the mission of improving our understanding of ALS biology through brain imaging and translational research. It is the central coordinating site for the Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium (CALSNIC), a multicenter research platform for the collection of harmonized imaging and behavioural data. Interested candidates should have a solid background in brain imaging and Matlab. Experience in neurodegeneration and brain computational modeling will be an asset. Interested persons should send their CV, a cover letter stating research interests, and two reference letters. The competition will remain open until the position is filled. *Contact*: Yasser Iturria Medina, Emails: yasser.iturriamedina(a)mcgill.ca Sanjay Kalra, Email: kalra(a)ualberta.ca -- Yasser Iturria Medina, PhD. Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University Montreal, Canada H3A 2B4, Phone # 514-398-1524 Lab: http://www.neuropm-lab.com/

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Graduate Student openings in the UCR Brain Game Center and Sensory Learning Lab
by Aaron Seitz Oct. 1, 2018

Oct. 1, 2018

Professor Aaron Seitz in the Department of Psychology at UC Riverside has several openings for graduate students. Students can work in one or both of the Perception and Learning lab and the Brain Game Center. The Perception and Learning lab conducts basic research on perception, learning and memory using a variety of approaches including advanced Psychophysics, EEG, and fMRI, and computational methodologies. The UCR Brain Game Center is a unique research unit that focuses on translational psychology and neuroscience work where we exploit the potential of consumer technologies to conduct research at large scale. This involves running hundreds to many thousands of participants on research studies designed to develop better measurements of perceptual and cognitive abilities as well as new training tools for these skills. To date we have developed numerous approaches addressing vision, hearing, working memory, executive function, and fluid intelligence. In both labs we use compu! tational modeling and machine learning as well as standard data analysis approaches. For more information on research in the Seitz labs please see http://faculty.ucr.edu/~aseitz/ and http://braingamecenter.ucr.edu. Prospective graduate students should send an email to aseitz(a)ucr.edu with their CV, and description of research interests. Successful applicants will receive funding toward their Ph.D. for at least 5 years. Please see the following websites for more information about the Psychology (https://psych.ucr.edu) or Neuroscience (http://neuro.ucr.edu) graduate programs. -Aaron ************************************************** Aaron Seitz, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Director of UCR Brain Game Center University of California, Riverside 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521 Ph: (951) 827-6422 Fax: (951) 827-3985 Email: aseitz(a)ucr.edu Web: http://faculty.ucr.edu/~aseitz/ BGC: http://braingamecenter.ucr.edu **************************************************

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Tenure-track faculty position in Computation Neuroscience at Western University, Canada
by Jorn Diedrichsen Sept. 29, 2018

Sept. 29, 2018

Supported by BrainsCAN, a $66M grant from the Canadian government (www.uwo.ca/brainscan<http://www.uwo.ca/brainscan>), Western University is expanding it’s strength in Neuroscience with a new tenure-track faculty position (Assistant or Associate Professor) in Computational Neuroscience. Successful candidates will join the Brain and Mind Institute (www.uwo.ca/bmi<http://www.uwo.ca/bmi>), one of the leading centres in cognitive Neuroscience in Canada, with a full range of ultrahigh field, research-dedicated MRI scanners (3T, 7T, 9.4T) and state-of-the-art laboratories for cognitive, behavioural, and neurophysiological testing in humans, non-human primates and rodents. The academic appointment of the candidate will be, depending on the candidate’s background, in the Department for Applied Mathematics, Statistics, or Computer Science. The deadline for the position in Computational Neuroscience is November 1st: https://brainscan.uwo.ca/work_with_us/vacancies/index.html Jörn Diedrichsen Western Research Chair Brain Mind Institute Department of Computer Science Department of Statistics Email: jdiedric(a)uwo.ca<mailto:jdiedric@uwo.ca> Tel: 1-519-661-2111 x86994

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Postdoctoral research in theoretical neuroscience
by Brent Doiron Sept. 29, 2018

Sept. 29, 2018

The Doiron group at the University of Pittsburgh is currently seeking up to three postdoctoral fellows to work on cutting edge problems in theoretical neuroscience. Research topics include 1) Large-scale collaboration on modeling diverse inhibitory circuits in mouse V1. The research will be in collaboration with the Columbia theory center (Ken Miller, Larry Abbott, Misha Tsodyks, and Liam Paninski) as well as experimental labs at Berkeley (Adesnik lab, Ji lab) , UCSF (Scanziani lab) and Caltech (Cai lab). 2) Modeling population activity in the visual system and its modulation through top-down cognitive processes. 3) Modeling the formation and stability mechanics of learning in recurrently coupled cortical networks. All projects will involve heavy collaboration with several prominent experimental groups both in Pittsburgh as well as abroad. The positions are 3 year terms (contingent upon satisfactory progress) with competitive salary and benefits packages offered by the University of Pittsburgh. The successful candidate will join the Mathematics department at the University of Pittsburgh and will have strong ties to the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition in Pittsburgh (joint between Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University). Candidates should have a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience, mathematics, physics, or engineering and have an excellent track record of scholarship. The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from under-represented groups. Interested persons should send their CV, a cover letter stating research interests and career goals, and names and contact information of two references to: bdoiron(a)pitt.edu . The competition will remain open until the positions are filled. -- Professor of Mathematics Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition University of Pittsburgh 301 Thackeray Hall Pittsburgh, PA, 15260 www.math.pitt.edu/~bdoiron

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Faculty position in computational neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh
by Brent Doiron Sept. 29, 2018

Sept. 29, 2018

Dear Computational neuroscience community The Dietrich School at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for two tenure-track faculty positions at the Assistant Professor level in *Mathematical and Computational Life Sciences *to begin in the fall term of 2019. Successful candidates will be placed in the departments most suitable for their backgrounds and research programs from among the Departments of Mathematics, Biology, Neuroscience, Physics, and Chemistry. We seek outstanding scientists who will enhance and complement our existing strengths and who will collaborate with members of our sizable neuroscience, biology, biophysics, and biochemistry communities. One position is in *Mathematical and Computational Neuroscience. *Candidates working on the following topics are especially encouraged to apply: - Circuits and information flow in neuroscience - Neuronal and population dynamics - Synaptic mechanisms and dynamics - Neuronal membrane properties and ion channel function The other position is in *Mathematics and Theory of Biological Processes*. Candidates working on the following topics are especially encouraged to apply: - Mathematical ecology - Evolutionary theory - Cellular sensing and signal processing - Epigenetic and gene network dynamics The University of Pittsburgh is an active center for interdisciplinary research in the life sciences offering exciting opportunities for collaborations across departments as well as with our highly ranked medical school. The University is currently ranked third in the nation in total NIH funding, and the city of Pittsburgh is often voted “most livable” in the nation. These positions represent part of a vision to grow our community of researchers at the interface of mathematics, physics, chemistry and the life sciences. Successful candidates will have a Ph.D. and should demonstrate substantial research accomplishment and dedication to teaching. They will be expected to establish an extramurally funded research program, train graduate students, and actively participate in undergraduate education. *Review of applications will begin on October 23, 2018, *and will continue until the positions are filled*. *Applicants can apply online at: https://facultysearch.as.pitt.edu/apply/index/MjQy. Candidates should submit (a) a cover letter, (b) a CV, (c) a statement of research accomplishments and future plans, (d) a brief description of teaching interests, (e) a brief description of how your research, teaching or service demonstrates a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and (f) at least three letters of reference (for each reference, you will have the opportunity to input an email address through Interfolio’s Online Application system and a notification will be sent to the designated address with instructions). The positions are pending budgetary approval. The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EEO/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled. Person to Contact: Erika Carpio 139 University Place Room 302 Pittsburgh, PA 15206 412-624-8361 -- Professor of Mathematics Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition University of Pittsburgh 301 Thackeray Hall Pittsburgh, PA, 15260 www.math.pitt.edu/~bdoiron

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job opening in neural dynamics and control
by Obermayer, Klaus, Prof. Dr. Sept. 28, 2018

Sept. 28, 2018

Dear moderator, can post our job announcement below on the neuroinformatics mailing list? Thank you very much! Best regards Klaus Obermayer ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Neural Information Processing Group @ Technische Universität Berlin Research Assistant (PhD Position) in Computational Neuroscience Brain network models: Dynamics and Control Salary grade E13 (TV-L Berliner Hochschulen) Duration: max. 4 years Starting date: January 1st, 2019 Working field: The successful candidate is supposed to work on the analysis and simulation of calibrated whole-brain networks using neuronal mass models and on the design and evaluation of novel control schemes for the stabilization of and the switching between their dynamical states. She/he will be part of the Collaborative Research Center "Control of self-organizing nonlinear systems: Theoretical methods and concepts of application" (https://www.itp.tu-berlin.de/sfb910/ sonderforschungsbereich_910/sonderforschungsbereich_910/) as well as the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin (https://www.bccn-berlin.de/) The candidate is also expected to interact with clinical scientists who are interested in the non-invasive manipulation of the whole-brain dynamics using transcranial current stimulation. Requirements: Successfully completed university degree (Master, Diplom, or equivalent) in Computational Neuroscience, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or related fields; in-depth knowledge in non-linear dynamics and stochastic processes; very good programming and English language skills. How to apply: Please send your application with the usual documents (CV, motivation letter, transcripts of records, certificates, and the names of two persons who can provide recommendation letters) to Prof. Dr. Obermayer, FG Neuronale Informationsverarbeitung, Sekr. MAR 5-6, Marchstr. 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany, or by e-mail to klaus.obermayer(a)tu-berlin.de. For information about the research group see https://www.ni.tu-berlin.de/ Please send copies only. Original documents will not be returned. Aplication deadline: 26. 10. 2018 Reference number: IV-570/18

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Two PhD positions in computational and cognitive neuroscience
by Alireza Soltani Sept. 28, 2018

Sept. 28, 2018

Two PhD positions are available in the Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab <http://ccnl.dartmouth.edu/> of Alireza Soltani at Dartmouth College. This NIH-funded project aims to uncover circuit-level mechanisms underlying adaptive learning. The project involves computational modeling at different levels (mean-field to spiking networks) as well as analyses of behavioral, electrophysiological, and calcium imaging data in rats during dynamic learning and decision-making tasks. Applicants should have a strong quantitative background (e.g. physics, math, statistics, computational neuroscience, computer science, etc), good programming skills, genuine interest in understanding the brain, and a collaborative attitude. A background in neuroscience is desirable, but not essential. Interested applicants should submit an inquiry to Alireza Soltani (soltani(a)dartmouth.edu <mailto:soltani@darmouth.edu>), and submit their applications to Psychological and Brain Sciences Program <https://pbs.dartmouth.edu/graduate/graduate-admissions>at Dartmouth College. Alireza Soltani, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Dartmouth College, NH Alireza.Soltani(a)Dartmouth.edu <mailto:Alireza.Soltani@Dartmouth.edu> http://ccnl.dartmouth.edu <http://ccnl.dartmouth.edu/> Phone: 603-646-2998 Office: Moore 356

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New ebook: Neural Information Theory
by James V Stone Sept. 27, 2018

Sept. 27, 2018

This book (published June 2018) is now available in Kindle and pdf formats: Principles of Neural Information Theory: Computational Neuroscience and Metabolic Efficiency by James V Stone. Reviews, synopsis, and table of contents can be found here: http://sebtelpress.com "To understand life, one has to understand not just the flow of energy, but also the flow of information." William Bialek, 2012. regards, Dr James V Stone Honorary Reader, Sheffield University, UK. Web: sebtelpress.com Twitter: @jgvfwstone

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EEG time-varying networks - paper & code
by Williams, Nitin J Sept. 27, 2018

Sept. 27, 2018

APOLOGIES FOR CROSS-POSTING: Dear all, I am just writing to let you know of our recent paper on a Markov Model-based method to analyse time-varying networks in EEG task-related data: https://doi.org/10.3389/fncom.2018.00076 The method combines sparse-MVAR (Multi Variate Auto Regressive) modelling to estimate networks, with Markov modelling to characterise network changes. We propose this method as complementing existing methods to analyse time-varying networks in EEG/MEG task-related data. MATLAB code for the method can be downloaded from: https://github.com/nitinwilliams/eeg_meg_analysis/tree/master/sMVAR_MM_tool… Any comments/questions on the method/code are of course welcome. Regards, Nitin

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Workshop announcement: The HBP CodeJam #9 Workshop
by Andrew Davison Sept. 27, 2018

Sept. 27, 2018

The HBP CodeJam #9 Workshop - Early-bird registration ends 30. Sept.! Grand Hotel Et Des Palmes, Palermo, Italy. Nov. 26, 2018 at 09:00 – Nov. 28, 2018 at 18:00 The goal of the CodeJam workshops is to catalyze open-source, collaborative software development in computational and systems neuroscience and neuroinformatics, by bringing together researchers, students and engineers to share ideas, present their work, and write code together. The general format of the workshops is to dedicate the mornings to invited and contributed talks, leaving the afternoons free for discussions, tutorials and code sprints. The theme of this 9th installment is "co-design": scientists, students and engineers from different disciplines collaborating to build research infrastructure for computation-based neuroscience, and to use this infrastructure to model brain circuits, behaviour and learning, develop novel bio-inspired computing systems, and help discover new drugs for neurological disorders. Topics of CodeJam#9: • Large-scale brain modelling: towards a mouse whole brain model • Cortical and subcortical microcircuit models: circuit and model workflows, simulation and analysing tools, computing resources and user interaction • Infrastructure and open data: Beyond traditional HPC, electrophysiology data formats and analysis • Visio-motor integration and hierarchical navigation planning: Integration with HBP Infrastructure (Neurorobotics platform) • Biological deep learning: Plasticity implementation on neuromorphic systems • Modelling for drug discovery and medicine Topics might change slightly, we are still finalizing the programme. Confirmed speakers (not yet complete): • Matteo Cantarelli • Oliver Schmid • Markus Diesmann • Stine Vennemo • Håkon Mørk • Armandi Romani • Genrich Ivaska • Shailesh Appukuttan • Bernd Schuller • Michael Denker • Alper Yegenoglu • Lorenzo Vannucci More information and registration details at https://neuralensemble.org/meetings/CodeJam9/ Registration fee: Early-bird registration ends on 30 September 2018 Programme Committee Luca L. Bologna (CNR), Andrew Davison (CNRS), Anna Kreshuk (U. Heidelberg), Eric Müller (U. Heidelberg), Jeff Muller (EPFL), Bernd Schuller (FZ Jülich) Organisers Luca L. Bologna (CNR), Alessia Bonafede (CNR), Martina Schmalholz (U. Heidelberg)

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Postdoctoral position in memory, sequence replay, and sleep
by Kamran Diba Sept. 26, 2018

Sept. 26, 2018

<https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/diba-lab/>The Diba Lab <https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/diba-lab/> at the University of Michigan Medical School is currently recruiting a postdoctoral candidate for a project recently funded by two NIMH (R01 and R21) grants. The project involves a collaboration with Dr. Ted Abel’s lab at the University of Iowa to investigate the Molecular, Cellular and Circuit Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Hippocampal Function. The successful candidate will perform and analyze large-scale neuronal recordings from freely-behaving, sleeping and sleep-deprived animals, along with chemogenetic manipulations, immunohistochemistry and biochemical assays. Data analysis of oscillatory and sequential neuronal firing patterns, using MATLAB, python, and other tools, is critical for this research and the prospective candidate should demonstrate quantitative and programming skills. The salary will be based on the National Research Service Award (NRSA) payscale <https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-18-175.html>. Our lab is housed in the Department of Anesthesiology and the Center for Consciousness Science <https://consciousness.med.umich.edu/> at Michigan Medicine. We are affiliated with the Department of Biomedical Engineering <http://bme.umich.edu/explore-research/> and the Neuroscience Graduate Program <http://neuroscience.med.umich.edu/program-0>. Collectively these programs and the University of Michigan at large provide a highly exciting and stimulating scientific environment for computational and systems neuroscience. The city of Ann Arbor is also consistently ranked <https://annarborusa.org/insights/communities/facts-rankings/> among the top places in the U.S. to live (with ready access to cultural events, sports, parks and natural beauty. Applicants should contact Kamran Diba: kdiba(a)umich.edu with a detailed C.V. or resume and a description of research background, skills, and interests. ------------- A top-ranked public university, the University of Michigan has a tradition of excellence in research, learning and teaching, sports and the arts, and more. The neuroscience community at the University of Michigan encompasses over 154 participating faculty from among 29 departments from the School of Medicine (including the Department of Anesthesiology), College of Literature Science and Arts, College of Engineering, School of Dentistry, School of Kinesiology and School of Public Health. As the longest standing neuroscience Ph.D. program in the United States the Neuroscience Graduate Program at U-Michigan has built an exceptional graduate program that features collaborative interactions among faculty and integration across individual disciplines. The program is composed of 70 to 80 graduate students (currently, 52% women, 30% under-represented minorities) and has more than 130 successful and accomplished alumni that work in academic research, industrial research and development, academic medicine and biotechnology. The NGP sponsors many activities that foster development of an active and cohesive neuroscience community on campus (e.g. Weekly Neuroscience Research Seminars, Annual Retreat, Spring Symposium, and Community Outreach).

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CFP: The OMG-Empathy Prediction Challenge
by Pablo Barros Sept. 26, 2018

Sept. 26, 2018

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION The One-Minute Gradual-Empathy Prediction (OMG-Empathy) Competition held in partnership with the IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition 2019 in Lille, France. https://www2.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/omgchallenges/omg_empathy.html I. Aim and Scope The ability to perceive, understand and respond to social interactions in a human-like manner is one of the most desired capabilities in artificial agents, particularly social robots. These skills are highly complex and require a focus on several different aspects of research, including affective understanding. An agent which is able to recognize, understand and, most importantly, adapt to different human affective behaviors can increase its own social capabilities by being able to interact and communicate in a natural way. Emotional expression perception and categorization are extremely popular in the affective computing community. However, the inclusion of emotions in the decision-making process of an agent is not considered in most of the research in this field. To treat emotion expressions as the final goal, although necessary, reduces the usability of such solutions in more complex scenarios. To create a general affective model to be used as a modulator for learning different cognitive tasks, such as modeling intrinsic motivation, creativity, dialog processing, grounded learning, and human-level communication, only emotion perception cannot be the pivotal focus. The integration of perception with intrinsic concepts of emotional understanding, such as a dynamic and evolving mood and affective memory, is required to model the necessary complexity of an interaction and realize adaptability in an agent's social behavior. Such models are most necessary for the development of real-world social systems, which would communicate and interact with humans in a natural way on a day-to-day basis. This could become the next goal for research on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) and could be an essential part of the next generation of social robots. For this challenge, we designed, collected and annotated a novel corpus based on human-human interaction. This novel corpus builds on top of the experience we gathered while organizing the OMG-Emotion Recognition Challenge, making use of state-of-the-art frameworks for data collection and annotation. The One-Minute Gradual Empathy datasets (OMG-Empathy) contain multi-modal recordings of different individuals discussing predefined topics. One of them, the actor, shares a story about themselves while the other, the listener, reacts to it emotionally. We annotated each interaction based on the listener's own assessment of how they felt while the interaction was taking place. We encourage the participants to propose state-of-the-art solutions not only based on deep, recurrent and self-organizing neural networks but also traditional methods for feature representation and data processing. We also enforce that the use of contextual information, as well as personalized solutions for empathy assessment, will be extremely important for the development of competitive solutions. II. Competition Tracks We let available for the challenge a pre-defined set of training, validation and testing samples. We separate our samples based on each story: 4 stories for training, 1 for validation and 3 for testing. Each story sample is composed of 10 videos with interactions, one for each listener. Although using the same training, validation and testing data split, we propose two tracks which will measure different aspects of the self-assessed empathy: The Personalized Empathy track, where each team must predict the empathy of a specific person. We will evaluate the ability of proposed models to learn the empathic behavior of each of the subjects over a newly perceived story. We encourage the teams to develop models which take into consideration the individual behavior of each subject in the training data. The Generalized Empathy track, where the teams must predict the general behavior of all the participants over each story. We will measure the performance of the proposed models to learn a general empathic measure for each of the stories individually. We encourage the proposed models to take into consideration the aggregated behavior of all the participants for each story and to generalize this behavior in a newly perceived story. The training and validation samples will be given to the participants at the beginning of the challenge together with all the associated labels. The test set will be given to the participants without the associated labels. The team`s predictions on the test set will be used to calculate the final metrics of the challenge. III. How to Participate To participate to the challenge, please send us an email to barros @ informatik.uni-hamburg.de with the title "OMG-Empathy Team Registration". This e-mail must contain the following information: Team Name Team Members Affiliation Participating tracks We split the corpus into three subsets: training, validation and testing. The participants will receive the training and validation sets, together with the associated annotations once they subscribe to the challenge. The subscription will be done via e-mail. Each participant team must consist of 1 to 5 participants and must agree to use the data only for scientific purposes. Each team can choose to take part in one or both the tracks. After the training period is over, the testing set will be released without the associated annotations. Each team must submit, via e-mail, their final predictions as a .csv file for each video on the test set. Together with the final submission, each team must send a short 2-4 pages paper describing their solution published on Arxiv and the link for a github page to their solution. If a team fails to submit any of these items, their submission will be invalidated. Each team can submit 3 complete submissions for each track. IV. Important Dates 25th of September 2018 - Opening of the Challenge - Team registrations begin 1st of October 2018 - Training/validation data and annotation available 1st of December 2018 - Test data release 3rd of December 2018 - Final submission (Results and code) 5th of December 2018 - Final submission (Paper) 7th of December 2018 - Announcement of the winners V. Organization Pablo Barros, University of Hamburg, Germany Nikhil Churamani, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom Angelica Lim, Simon Fraser University, Canada Stefan Wermter, Hamburg University, Germany -- Dr.rer.nat. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Research Associate - Crossmodal Learning Project (CML) Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt-Koelln-Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 40 42883 2535 Fax: +49 40 42883 2515 barros at informatik.uni-hamburg.de https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/people/barros.html https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/

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Postdoc in computational neuroscience/mathematical biology
by Rubchinsky, Leonid L Sept. 26, 2018

Sept. 26, 2018

NSF-supported postdoctoral position in mathematical biology/computational neuroscience in my group in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). This position involves research in the mechanisms and properties of synchronization in neural and other living systems including collaboration with experimentalists. The position offers excellent interdisciplinary training possibilities in computational neuroscience and mathematical biology. Applicants should have (or expected to get in a near future) Ph.D. in mathematics, physics, neuroscience, biomedical engineering, computer science, or another related field. Applicants should have strong quantitative skills in dynamical modeling and data analysis and a strong interest in life sciences applications. Experience in nonlinear dynamics, computational neuroscience, and mathematical biology is a plus. Please apply via mathjobs.org at https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/12619. Screening of applications will continue until position is filled. Please address informal inquires to Leonid Rubchinsky via e-mail: lrubchin(a)iupui.edu Leonid *********************** Leonid Rubchinsky, PhD Associate Professor Department of Mathematical Sciences, Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine 402 N. Blackford St Indianapolis, IN 46202-3216 lrubchin(a)iupui.edu http://www.math.iupui.edu/~leo 317-274-9745 317-274-3460 (fax) ***********************

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Software Developer / Research Associate
by Stephanie Jones Sept. 24, 2018

Sept. 24, 2018

Applications are invited for a research software developer / research associate position in the lab of Dr. Stephanie Jones at Brown University in Providence, RI. The level of the hire depends on experience. Our group combines human electrophysiological recordings and computational neural modeling techniques to study the mechanisms and meaning of brain dynamics in health and disease. We collaborate extensively with animal electrophysiologists and clinicians to develop data constrained models that are translationally relevant. The software developer / research associate will work with a team of researchers at Brown, Mass General Hospital, and Yale, to help develop a new software tool for circuit level investigation of human magneto- and electro-encephalography (MEG/EEG) signals: Human Neocortical Neurosolver, HNN (https://hnn.brown.edu) <https://hnn.brown.edu)>. The goal of this software is to provide the community with a user friendly tool to develop and test hypotheses on the circuit origin of their data. The hired candidate will help support and expand HNN’s capabilities, including software development and working with researchers to apply HNN to specific neuroscience questions. Duties will also include development of tutorials, online resources, and participation in workshops aimed at training the community in the use and applicability of HNN. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in computer science, neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and/or related field. Strong Python programming skills are required, and experience with neural modeling, particularly NEURON, is preferred. Familiarity with MEG/EEG analysis methods and/or non-invasive brain stimulation is also beneficial. Candidates should be able to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and fun work environment. Interested candidates should send a cv and a brief description of qualifications and research interests to the Jones lab manager Dylan_S_Daniels(a)brown.edu <mailto:Dylan_S_Daniels@brown.edu>. ******************************************* Stephanie R. Jones, PhD Associate Professor Brown University Department of Neuroscience Stephanie_Jones(a)Brown.edu https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/ <https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/> Human Neocortical Neurosolver https://hnn.brown.edu <https://hnn.brown.edu/>

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Postdoctoral researchers - computational modeling, EEG, TMS
by Stephanie Jones Sept. 24, 2018

Sept. 24, 2018

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in the lab of Dr. Stephanie Jones at Brown University in Providence RI. Our group combines human electrophysiological recordings and computational neural modeling techniques to study the mechanisms and meaning of brain dynamics in health in disease. We collaborate extensively with animal electrophysiologists and clinicians to develop data constrained models that are translationally relevant. We are expanding our research efforts to including non-invasive brain stimulation. A postdoctoral position is available to integrate simultaneous human EEG and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in humans, with computational neural modeling developments. The postdoctoral researcher will help expand our new software tool Human Neocortical Neurosolver (https://hnn.brown.edu) <https://hnn.brown.edu)/> for circuit level interpretation of EEG/MEG signals to include TMS studies. She/he will also help with the design, implementation and analysis of our TMS/EEG experiments. Candidates should have a PhD in neuroscience, computational neuroscience, computer science, applied mathematics, biomedical engineering, and/or related field. Strong quantitative and programming skills are required. The ideal candidate would have experience in computational neuroscience methods applied to human EEG and brain stimulation data. However, experience in all areas is not required. Candidates should be able to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary and fun work environment. Interested candidates should send a cv and a brief description of qualifications and research interests to the Jones lab manager Dylan_S_Daniels(a)brown.edu <mailto:Dylan_S_Daniels@brown.edu>. ******************************************* Stephanie R. Jones, PhD Associate Professor Brown University Department of Neuroscience Stephanie_Jones(a)Brown.edu https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/ <https://blogs.brown.edu/joneslab/> Human Neocortical Neurosolver https://hnn.brown.edu <https://hnn.brown.edu/>

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Workshop: High Performance Computing in Neuroscience
by Carnevale, Nicholas Sept. 24, 2018

Sept. 24, 2018

Does your research involve computationally intensive tasks such as large scale modeling or data analysis? Come to the workshop on High Performance Computing Resources for Parallel Simulations and Data Analysis: NSG and HPAC to share your experience with others who are dealing with similar challenges, and learn about resources that are currently available and/or being developed that may help accelerate your own research. This workshop will be held on Saturday, Nov. 3 from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at a location in downtown San Diego. Space is limited, and the registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 12, so you should act early. For the on-line registration form see https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nsg2018/nsg2018.html The workshop will include a combination of short presentations and discussions. Confirmed speakers and topics include: "The Neuroscience Gateway" Amit Majumdar, Subhashini Sivagnanam, Kenneth Yoshimoto, Ted Carnevale "Research Activities at the Human Brain Project's High Performance Analytics and Computing Platform" Alexander Peyser "Human Neocortical Neurosolver: A New Modeling Platform for Cellular and Circuit Level Interpretation of EEG/MEG" Samuel A Neymotin, Dylan S Daniels, Noam Peled, Robert A McDougal, Ted Carnevale, Christopher I Moore, Michael L Hines, Matti Hamalainen, Stephanie R Jones "Towards a Complete Description of the Hippocampal Circuitry Underlying Sharp Wave-Mediated Memory Replay" Ivan Soltesz "Neuroanatomical models beyond the spatial resolution of MRI require HPC: The Big Brain and fiber tracts" Karl Zilles, Nicola Palomero-Gallagher and Katrin Amunts "The Virtual Brain: personalized large-scale brain network modeling and its applications" Viktor Jirsa

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Neuro-Inspired Computational Elements (NICE) 2019 Abstract Submission Open!
by Aimone, James Bradley Sept. 24, 2018

Sept. 24, 2018

Dear Colleagues: The call for abstracts for NICE 2019 is open for submissions at https://easychair.org/cfp/NICE2019 As with past NICE workshops, we are seeking submissions describing advances at the intersection of theoretical neuroscience, neural computing hardware and algorithms, and applications of this brain-inspired computing technology. Preference will be given to unpublished results that bridge our community. For agendas and videos of talks from past meetings, please see http://niceworkshop.org Submissions are 2 page extended abstracts, which will be reviewed to select full and short talks, as well as posters. New for NICE this year we are looking at potential options for proceedings papers, to be invited from the top submissions this year. Abstracts are due on November 15th. Registration will open in a few weeks. ---------------- NICE 2019 will be taking place during March 26-29, 2019 in Albany CNSE Campus in Albany, NY Important dates: Abstract call: September 15, 2018 Abstract submission open: September 22, 2018 Abstracts due: November 15, 2018 Selection announcement: January 15, 2019 ----------------- Hope to see you in Albany! Brad Aimone NICE Program Chair -------------------------- James Bradley Aimone, Ph.D. Principal Member of Technical Staff Data-driven and Neural Computing Department Center for Computing Research Sandia National Laboratories Phone: (505) 284-3147 Fax: (505) 844-4728 http://neuroscience.sandia.gov

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BrainScaleS, SpiNNaker and NES: EITN workshop 'Are we building the right user-level documentation?'
by Martina Reske Sept. 24, 2018

Sept. 24, 2018

Dear users of BrainScaleS, SpiNNaker and NEST, Documentation is where we provide guidance for our users to successfully navigate, understand and use our software. But how do we ensure that the documentation we provide is achieving this goal? We want to hear from you! This EITN workshop 'Are we building the right user-level documentation?' is an opportunity for users to help steer documentation in the right direction and for us to better understand the needs of our communities. Join us November 21 to November 22 in Paris, France. Registration is now open! See program details and register at https://eitnconf-211118.sciencesconf.org/ -- Dr. Martina Reske Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Jülich Research Centre and JARA Jülich, Germany Work +49.2461.611916 Work Cell +49.151.26156918 Fax +49.2461.619460 www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> Office hours: TU & FR 9.00-17, WE & TH 9.00-13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Assistant Professor positions at Keele University
by Peter Andras Sept. 23, 2018

Sept. 23, 2018

Two Assistant Professor (UK Lecturer) positions in Computer Science *Keele University *- Faculty of Natural Sciences - School of Computing and Mathematics *Closing date for applications: 21st October 2018* Keele University is renowned for its exciting approach to higher education, innovative research, beautiful campus, strong community spirit and excellent student experience. With a turnover in excess of £150 million, over 10,000 students and a total staff of approximately 2000, the University provides high quality teaching across a wide range of academic and vocational subjects and promotes world-class research. The University hosts the largest UK Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND) with an associated Centre for Doctoral Training based in the School of Computing and Mathematics. Applications are welcome from dynamic and enthusiastic individuals committed to high quality teaching and research in any relevant field of Computer Science (e.g. software engineering, evolutionary systems, security, human-computer interaction, biological computation, machine learning, formal methods, distributed systems, smart energy, high-performance computing – but not restricted to these particular fields). Applicants will have interests that complement our existing research strengths while broadening the scope of our teaching expertise. The Assistant Professor (UK Lecturer) posts are part of continued growth and expansion of Computer Science at Keele, which presents many new opportunities for the development of synergies in both teaching and research. Candidates will be expected to develop an active research programme that both complements and extends our existing research profile in Computer Science. Candidates are also expected to develop research collaborations with colleagues at Keele and elsewhere in strategic research areas of the University, such as smart energy, AI, big data or digital health. Details of the research carried out in Computer Science at Keele can be found at: http://www.keele.ac.uk/scm/research/compsci/ The successful candidates will have a PhD in an appropriate area of Computer Science (or be very close to completion of his/her PhD) and will have a strong commitment to delivering high quality undergraduate teaching, including supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate research projects and the development and delivery of new modules. The post-holders will have the skills, enthusiasm and flexibility for teaching across a wide range of computer science topics and will also contribute to recruitment activities and administrative duties within our Computer Science programmes. Informal enquires can be made to Professor Peter Andras on 01782 733412 or p.andras(a)keele.ac.uk Keele University is committed to the principles of the Athena SWAN charter, and values equality and diversity across our workforce. We strive to ensure that our workforce is representative of broader society, and therefore, we would actively welcome applications from women for this role. Keele University values equality and diversity across our workforce and to ensuring our staff community is reflective of the diversity of our student population. In support of these commitments the University welcomes applications from individuals of Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds for *all* roles. *For full post details please visit: www.keele.ac.uk/vacancies <http://www.keele.ac.uk/vacancies>* *Keele University employees wishing to apply should login to Employee Self Service and click on the 'View current vacancies' link.* *Closing date for applications: 21st October 2018* *Interviews will be held on: 16th November 2018* *Post reference: KU00000898*

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New, introductory, tutorial-based textbook
by Paul Miller Sept. 21, 2018

Sept. 21, 2018

Hi, Particularly if you teach introductory classes or mentor students with limited math/computational background, you may be interested in a new textbook "An Introductory Course in Computational Neuroscience" (http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/introductory-course-computational-neuroscience) The textbook contains numerous computer tutorials, with selected solutions, as well as over 100 codes used to simulate figures, all available online at https://github.com/primon23/Intro-Comp-Neuro or http://people.brandeis.edu/~pmiller/TEXTBOOK/ I hope you find it useful, Paul

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COSYNE 2019: Meeting announcement and Call for workshop proposals
by Tomas Hromadka Sept. 20, 2018

Sept. 20, 2018

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2019 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING 28 February - 03 March 2019 Lisbon, Portugal WORKSHOPS 04 March - 05 March 2019 Cascais, Portugal 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. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks is selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. For details on workshop proposals please see below or visit Cosyne.org -> Workshops. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: 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. This year we would like to foster increased participation from experimental groups as well as computational ones. Please circulate widely and encourage your students and postdocs to apply. IMPORTANT DATES Abstract submission opens: 09 October 2018 Abstract submission deadline: 15 November 2018 Workshop pre-proposal deadline: 30 September 2018 Workshop proposal deadline: 31 October 2018 COSYNE SPEAKERS Bruno Averbeck (NIMH) Gwyneth Card (Janelia) Kathleen Cullen (John Hopkins) Kenji Doya (OIST) Ken Harris (UCL) Sonja Hofer (Sainsbury Wellcome Centre) Yann LeCun (NYU) Edvard Moser (NTNU) Yiota Poirazi (IMBB-FORTH) Maneesh Sahani (Gatsby-UCL) Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Sara Solla (Northwestern) Karel Svoboda (Janelia) Ilana Witten (Princeton) When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting, due to space constraints. 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 Chairs: Linda Wilbrecht (Berkeley) and Brent Doiron (U Pittsburgh) Program Chairs: Eugenia Chiappe (Champalimaud) and Christian Machens (Champalimaud) Workshop Chairs: Catherine Hartley (NYU) and Ralf Haefner (U Rochester) Undergraduate Travel Chairs: Angela Langdon (Princeton) and Robert Wilson (U Arizona) Publicity 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) CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PRE-PROPOSAL DEADLINE: 30 September 2018 FULL PROPOSAL DEADLINE: 31 October 2018 PRE-PROPOSALS In an effort to coordinate submissions, the organizers are encouraged to submit a pre-proposal by *30 September 2018.* Pre-proposals will be shared among submitters. Pre-proposals are not mandatory, but are strongly encouraged. The organizers may submit the full proposal by its deadline. A series of workshops will be held after the main Cosyne meeting. The goal is to provide an informal forum for the discussion of important research questions and challenges. Controversial issues, open problems, comparisons of competing approaches, and alternative viewpoints are encouraged. The overarching goal of all workshops should be the integration of empirical and theoretical approaches, in an environment that fosters collegial discussion and debate. Preference will be given to proposals that differ substantially in content, scope, and/or approach from workshops of recent years (examples available at Cosyne.org -> Workshops). Relevant topics include, but are not limited to: sensory processing; motor planning and control; functional neural circuits; motivation, reward and decision making; learning and memory; adaptation and plasticity; neural coding; neural circuitry and network models; and methods in computational or systems neuroscience. In order to foster discussion within Workshops and reduce overlap between workshops, organizers should inform invited speakers that a single person should not speak in more than one of the Workshops taking place on the same day. WORKSHOP DETAILS - There will be 4-8 workshops/day, running in parallel. - Each workshop is expected to draw between 15 and 80 people. - The workshops will be split into morning (8.00-11.00 AM) and afternoon (4.30-7.30 PM) sessions. - Workshops will be held at Cascais, a coastal village ~34 km west of Lisbon. Buses from the main conference will be provided. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Submission instructions for workshop (pre)-proposals are available at Cosyne.org -> Workshops. PRE-PROPOSALS should include: - Name(s) and email address(es) of the organizers (no more than 2 organizers per session, please). The first author on the list becomes the contact author for the proposal. - A title. - A brief description of 1) what the workshop will address and accomplish, 2) why the topic is of interest, 3) who is the targeted group of participants. - Names, affiliations, and expected topics of talks of potential invitees, with indication of confirmed speakers. Preference will be given to workshops with the most confirmed speakers. - A brief summary of relevant prior experiences and publications of the organizers (about half a page total). - Proposed workshop length (1 or 2 days). Most workshops will be limited to a single day. If you think your workshop needs two days, please explain why. FULL PROPOSALS should include the list of confirmed speakers in addition to components required for a pre-proposal. Workshop organizer responsibilities include coordinating workshop participation and content, scheduling all speakers and submitting a final schedule for the workshop program, and moderating the discussion. Organizers can be speakers but need not speak depending on scheduling constraints. SUGGESTIONS Experience has shown that the best discussions during a workshop are those that arise spontaneously. A good way to foster these is to have short talks and long question periods (e.g. 30+15 minutes), and have plenty of breaks. We recommend fewer than 10 talks. When preparing pre-proposals and full proposals, the organizers are encouraged to: - address timeliness of workshop in the proposal: what new insights have been generated (new papers, data, techniques, whatever) over the past few years that make now the right time for discussing them and for presenting them to the wider community? - directly describe how speakers address the central topic, e.g. which are the big question(s), which speakers represent different viewpoints on the same question, which experimentalist addresses the theories addressed by which theoretician (and vice versa); - address controversies and bring together speakers from different “camps” in the same field, or from different fields that---according to the organizers---should talk more to each other for whatever reason; WORKSHOP COSTS Detailed registration costs, etc, will be available at www.cosyne.org. Please note: Cosyne does NOT provide travel funding for workshop speakers. All workshop speakers are expected to pay for workshop registration fees. Participants are encouraged to register early, in order to qualify for discounted registration rates. One complementary (free) organizer registration is provided per workshop. For workshops with 2 organizers, the free registration can be given to one of the organizers or split evenly between them. COSYNE 2019 WORKSHOP CHAIRS Catherine Hartley (NYU) and Ralf Haefner (University of Rochester) QUESTIONS email: workshops [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.

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LACONEU 2019 - last days to apply
by Patricio Orio Sept. 20, 2018

Sept. 20, 2018

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO SEPTEMBER 30th!! Only few more days to apply! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- We have the pleasure to invite Graduate and Undergraduate students to participate in: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- LACONEU 2019 V Latin American Summer School in Computational Neuroscience Special Topic: Complex Systems and Network Connectivity January 7-25th, 2019 Valparaíso - CHILE http://www.laconeu.cl ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The principal aims of LACONEU 2019 Summer School are to disseminate and to develop Computational Neuroscience in Latin America, gathering researchers and students with common interests in the beautiful and historical city of Valparaiso, in Chile. LACONEU 2019 expects to foster a collaborative exchange between the attendees, researchers and students, based on fundamental theoretical and practical knowledge, and thus, to help the establishment of strong, long-term collaborations. This version also includes a WORKSHOP on January 16th, 2019 CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: - Demian Battaglia, Theoretical Neuroscience Group, INS, France - Joana Cabral, University of Oxford, UK - Bruno Cessac, INRIA Sophia-Antipolis, France - Dante Chialvo, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Argentina - Rodrigo Cofré, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile - Mauro Copelli, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil - Maxime Descoteaux, Université de Sherbrook, Canada - Wael El-Deredy, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile - Pamela Guevara, Universidad de Concepción, Chile - María-José Escobar, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile - Henrik Jensen, Imperial College London, UK - Thierry Mora, École Normale Superiéure, France - Patricio Orio, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile - Adrián Palacios, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile - Tomás Pérez Acle, Fundación Ciencia y Vida, Chile - Peter Robinson, The University of Sydney, Australia - Fernando Rosas, Imperial College London, UK - Inés Samengo, Centro Atómico Bariloche e Instituto Balseiro, Argentina IMPORTANT DATES - Call for Applications: June 8th, 2018 - Application submission deadline: September 30th, 2018 (visit the webpage to see the details) - Acceptance notification: October 31st, 2018 TRAVEL GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR LATIN AMERICAN STUDENTS Looking forward to see you in January! *Prof. Patricio Orio* Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias de Valparaíso *CINV* Facultad de Ciencias, *Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile* +56 32 299 5538 / 32 250 8040

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AMAM 2019, Adaptive motion in animals and machines, Aug 19-23 2019, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
by Auke Ijspeert Sept. 20, 2018

Sept. 20, 2018

AMAM 2019, Adaptive Motion in Animals and Machines, Aug 19-23 2019, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland https://amam2019.epfl.ch/ Mark the date and first call for abstracts Investigating how animals and humans excel at adaptive movements can help engineers to improve the adaptive capabilities of robots. In return, robots can serve as scientific tools to explore the basic principles of biological systems, in particular the neuromechanical mechanisms underlying their fascinating motor abilities. AMAM 2019 is the 9th international symposium dedicated to stimulate fruitful interactions among biologists and engineers interested in adaptive motion. It aims at bringing together researchers in robotics, biomechanics, neuroscience, sports science, and other fields related to motor behavior in biological and artificial systems. Previous symposia were held in Montreal, Canada (2000); Kyoto, Japan (2003); Ilmenau, Germany (2005); Cleveland, USA (2008); Awaji, Japan (2011); Darmstadt, Germany (2013); Cambridge, USA (2015); and Sapporo, Japan (2017). Abstract contributions are invited from all areas pertaining to adaptive motion in animals and machines. Accepted abstracts are presented in either oral or poster sessions based on assessed suitability by the program committee. Invited talks and some selected speakers will be presented in oral sessions in a single track. We also encourage participants to contribute hardware demonstrations, as part of the ‘Robot Zoo’@AMAM2019. Important dates: * Jan 18th, 2019 Opening of the extended abstract submission * March 8th, 2019 Deadline of extended abstracts submission * April 12th, 2019 Notification of acceptance for extended abstracts * May 31st, 2019 Deadline of submission for Robot Zoo (Robot Demos) * August 19-23, 2019 Conference Program Committee: * Hitoshi Aonuma, Hokkaido University, Japan * Jordan Boyle, Leeds University, UK * Monica Daley, Royal Veterinary College, UK * Koh Hosoda, Osaka University, Japan * Fumiya Iida, Cambridge, UK * Auke Ijspeert, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland * Akio Ishiguro, Tohoku University, Japan * Masato Ishikawa, Osaka University, Japan * Takeshi Kano, Tohoku University, Japan * Sangbae Kim, MIT, USA * Jun Nishii, Yamaguchi University, Japan * Dai Owaki, Tohoku University, Japan * Andre Seyfarth, TU Darmstadt, Germany * Emily Standen, University of Ottawa, Canada * Dagmar Sternad, Northeastern University, USA * Barry Trimmer, Tufts University, USA * Eric Tytell, Tufts University, USA * Hartmut Witte, TU Ilmenau, Germany General Chair: * Auke Ijspeert, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 -----------------------------------------------------------------

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Postdoctoral researchers - multimodal fMRI
by Alessandro Gozzi Sept. 20, 2018

Sept. 20, 2018

The Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy, is seeking postdoctoral researchers interested in studying the neural basis of connectivity disruption in brain disorders. Our research, funded by the European Research Council (ERC - project "DisConn"), is aimed at identifying the general neural and cellular principles governing the assembly of spontaneous neural activity, and its breakdown in developmental disorders. We address these questions at the level of identified cell types by combining cutting-edge functional MRI methods with neural manipulations in the living mouse. This research sits at the intersection of computational neuroscience, neurobiology and neuroimaging. The successful candidate will have a PhD in neuroscience, biotechnology, computer science, physics, or equivalent. Training in experimental neuroscience is desirable, but not mandatory. The IIT center in Rovereto (http://cncs.iit.it/) is actively expanding its infrastructure and space for system-level neuroscience research. The center is inserted both in the vibrant community of the IIT (http://www.iit.it) and of the CIMeC center of the University of Trento (http://www.cimec.unitn.it) which specializes in cognitive neuroscience. Rovereto is conveniently located near Trento and Verona, two of the most important "Citta d'Arte" in Italy. The Trentino area is a region of Northern Italy nestled in the Dolomite Mountains, offering spectacular natural beauty, vibrant culture and exceptional quality of life. Please send your application (full CV, research statement, and names of 2 referees) by email to mailto:alessandro.gozzi@iit.it. Applications will be examined until the positions are filled. https://www.iit.it/careers/openings/opening/846-postdoctoral-positions-in-n… Alessandro Gozzi, PhD Senior Scientist, Group Leadel Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UNITN Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy Tel: +39 0464 808 701

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PhD studentship in "Computational modelling of cryopreservation"
by roman bauer Sept. 19, 2018

Sept. 19, 2018

*We are seeking a PhD student with excellent programming skills and an interest in biology. The studentship will be based at Newcastle University (UK) and benefit from collaboration with CERN.* Interested in computers as well as biology? Then this project might be what you are looking for! The aim is to use novel software and high-performance computers to model how biological tissue, including neural tissue, behaves during freezing and thawing. Cryopreservation of biological tissue is in its infancy. State-of-the-art freezing and thawing techniques lead to tissue damage in anything larger than 1-3 mm3. Above-freezing storage times of human organs range from approximately 3 to 24 hours - depending on organ - before becoming unviable. This lack of preservation capacity results in 2/3 of donor hearts and 4/5 of lungs being rejected for transplant for logistical reasons. By improving our knowledge of how cryogenic processing affects biological/neural tissue, new methodologies for cryogenic processing will be studied. To this end, you will work together with experts in the field, learn to incorporate the results in detailed 3D computer simulations, and produce novel hypotheses that will generate better methodologies. For informal enquiries please contact Dr Roman Bauer (roman.bauer(a)ncl.ac.uk ). Further details on this PhD studentship and how to apply can be found via this link: *https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=100152 <https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=100152>*

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Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Computational Neuroscience - Ref 80046
by Chris Miall Sept. 19, 2018

Sept. 19, 2018

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Computational Neuroscience - Ref. 80046 The School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham wishes to strengthen our School with the appointment of a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer with specific expertise in computational modelling. The School is continuing to recruit as a result of outstanding performance in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) and major investment provided to the School by the University. The School The School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham (http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/index.aspx) is one of the largest and most successful in the UK, currently ranked in the top 5 Schools in the country (REF 2014). The University of Birmingham is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from currently under-represented groups. The School of Psychology has a Bronze Athena SWAN award and strives to maintain a flexible and supportive environment that enables its staff to flourish. Role purpose We welcome applicants whose research expertise will complement and extend any of our existing four Research Themes: Perception, Cognition, and Action; Mental Health and Wellbeing; Language, Interaction, and Social Cognition; Memory and Attention. One strategic objective for the School is to build on the strength of our Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics, and so we particularly welcome applicants with strength in computational science approaches, including machine learning, Bayesian modelling, and computational models of perception, categorisation and attention. We will consider a joint appointment with the School of Computer Science, which has staff whose research expertise complement and extend those of Psychology. Closing Date: 28 Oct 2018 A full job description is available in PDF format here: http://www.download.bham.ac.uk/vacancies/jd/80046.pdf -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Professor R.C. Miall Hills Building Tel +44 121 414 2867 School of Psychology, Fax +44 121 414 4897 University of Birmingham, Mobile: 07709 586997 Edgbaston, Email: r.c.miall(a)bham.ac.uk<mailto:r.c.miall@bham.ac.uk> Birmingham B15 2TT UK Web: http://prism.bham.ac.uk ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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NEURON Course at SFN 2018
by Ted Carnevale Sept. 18, 2018

Sept. 18, 2018

The registration deadline for the NEURON course at the SFN 2018 meeting is Friday, October 12--less than a month from now. The online registration form is at https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/sd2018/sd2018.html This course is suitable for applicants with a wide range of interests and expertise, ranging from experimentalists who have never done any computational modeling, to advanced modelers who want to know the latest tips for using NEURON with Python. Topics that will be covered include: --using Python and NEURON's graphical tools to build and work with models of individual cells --using the Import3d tool to import detailed anatomical neuronal data from NeuroLucida and SWC files --using the CellBuilder to specify the biophysical properties of model cells with detailed anatomical structure --expanding NEURON's library of ion channels and other biophysical mechanisms --analyzing models with the Model View tool --building network models --speeding up simulations on parallel hardware --Ted

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PhD student position in Decision Making, Sorbonne Universite, Paris (B. Girard, O. Davidenko)
by Benoît Girard Sept. 18, 2018

Sept. 18, 2018

Fully funded PhD: Cognitive and computational neurosciences studies to decipher how the social context affects individual food decisions Institution: Sorbonne Université (Paris, France) Disciplins: Computational Neurosciences, Behavioral Neuroscience, Brain Imaging Hosting laboratory: ISIR, Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (SU/CNRS) Thesis Supervisors: Benoît Girard (ISIR, UPMC/CNRS) , supervisor Olga Davidenko (INRA/AgroParisTech/UPSay PNCA), co-supervisor Starting date: fall 2018 Key Words: Reinforcement learning, Human eating behavior, Brain imaging Scientific environment of the project: Excessive intake of sugars and salt are linked to deleterious consequences on Human health. Current strategies to design and favor healthier options have limited effects due to their poor acceptability. SHIFT proposes a multidisciplinary approach, combining life, social and computer sciences to understand the determinants, mechanisms, and levers to modulate the acceptability of a meal option. This project will address precise alimentary situations where margins of improvement with respect to salt and sugar reduction are possible, ie. acceptability of (i) water or low energy beverages in substitution of sodas and (ii) sugar- or salt-reduced options at the end of main meals. Interdisciplinary research activities will be conducted at the populational, contextual and individual scales to decipher criteria driving the acceptability foods. SHIFT gathers 5 academic partners: The “Physiologie de la Nutrition et du Comportement Alimentaire” lab (UMR PNCA; INRA-AgroParisTech-Université Paris-Saclay, project leader), the “Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique” (ISIR, Sorbonne Université-CNRS-INSERM), the “Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées” lab (UMR MIA; INRA-AgroParisTech-Université Paris-Saclay), the “Alimentation et Sciences Sociales” lab (ALISS; INRA), the School of Psychology of the University of Birmingham and an industrial partner: Danone Nutricia Research (Global Nutrition Department) Work Programme: In the selection of foods as in many other decision processes, individuals tend to conform to social norms (i.e. a collectively-established acceptable behaviour). For instance, when eating with others, if individuals are offered to choose between two foods, they will take the decision that conforms to the choices made by the others guests. In some cases, for instance when all guests need to make a choice within a very short time lapse, there might be an uncertainty on this social norm. Before making their decision, individuals infer the appropriate choice from the available information of the choices made by others and after taking their decision, subjects judge the appropriateness of their own decision the basis of the overall choices of commensals. The acceptability of a food option is modulated by whether or not it is imitated by the commensals. The aim of this thesis is to explore how the social context affects individual decisions. The student will study the question from the point of view of the individual: what are the contributions of various types of social modulation (imitation, conformity to a social norm) to food choices? Fundamental to every decision is the brain’s ability to internally evaluate subjective values. The theoretical framework of this thesis, the “value-based decision-making” (Pessiglione et al., 2006, Johnson & Ratcliff, 2014), suggests that, although from an external point of view, the outcome of a decision can be reduced to a binary phenomenon (acceptance or rejection) the underlying mental computation of the value is represented as a continuous function. Our working hypotheses are that the aforementioned social modulations to food choices can be integrated in an individual-centric modeling approach of decision-making (as has been shown in simpler contexts by Burke et al. (2010)), that the influences of these various types of modulations can be disentangled, so as to help identifying the possibly specific neural substrates. In this thesis, we will design a behavioural task dedicated to investigate the different causes of social modulations, and we will then explore which brain circuits are involved, using fMRI. We will use the theoretical tools of value-based decision-making to model the mechanisms by which social modulations affect decision. This will allow us to derive time series of internal variables of the model as regressors to refine the analysis of fMRI data. The student will work to establish a fully specified model of a decision task incorporating mathematical formalizations of the social modulations. The model will be based on the so-called model-free reinforcement learning algorithms (Sutton & Barto, 1998), to which additional value update modalities will be added in order to take into account the influence of commensals. Burke, C.J., Tobler, P.N., Baddeley, M., and Schultz, W. (2010). Neural mechanisms of observational learning. PNAS 201003111. Johnson, E.J., and Ratcliff, R. (2014). Chapter 3 - Computational and Process Models of Decision Making in Psychology and Behavioral Economics. In Neuroeconomics (Second Edition), P.W. Glimcher, and E. Fehr, eds. (San Diego: Academic Press), pp. 35–47. Pessiglione, M., Seymour, B., Flandin, G., Dolan, R.J., and Frith, C.D. (2006). Dopamine-dependent prediction errors underpin reward-seeking behaviour in humans. Nature 442, 1042–1045. Sutton, R. S., & Barto, A. G. (1998). Reinforcement learning: An introduction. MIT press. To apply Applicants should send a CV, letter of motivation (max 2 pages), and references via e-mail to benoit.girard(a)sorbonne-universite.fr and olga.davidenko(a)agroparistech.fr, with [SHIFT] in the subject of the mail. Review of applicants will begin immediately, and will continue until the position is filled. The earliest start date is November 2018. -- Benoît Girard, ISIR, UPMC/CNRS Pyramide T55/65, CC 173 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex http://people.isir.upmc.fr/girard/ Submit your replications to ReScience: https://rescience.github.io/

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1-year position for an engineer to work in Parkinson, in the frontiers of imaging and machine learning (Bilbao, Spain)
by Jesus Cortes Sept. 18, 2018

Sept. 18, 2018

We are looking for an Engineer with skills in computer vision, programming and machine learning to collaborate in the research project entitled: "Study of the retina and the visual pathway by neuroimaging in genetic and aggressive idiopathic synucleinopathies as a model to identify phenotypes and prognostic biomarkers in idiopathic Parkinson's disease" (Principal Investigator: Iñigo Gabilondo, MD, PhD) led by the Neurodegenerative Diseases Group. The data to analyse are multimodal and longitudinal, with a sample size bigger than N=100 and consisting in retina OCT, neuroimaging (structural, functional, tensor tensor and spectroscopy), neuropsychology and clinical scales. The engineer also will work in close collaboration with the Computational Neuroimaging Group, led by Prof. Jesus M Cortes. For further information about the groups, visit: https://biocrucesbizkaia.org/web/biocruces/bc5.01and https://biocrucesbizkaia.org/bc5.08 Requirements: - Bachelor of Engineering - Good academic marks (average score higher than 7 over 10) - Experience in computer vision, programming j(Matlab, Python and / or R), machine learning and other artificial intelligence techniques - Experience with the magnetic resonance imaging analysis packages SPM, FSL and Freesurfer - Advanced English level (demonstrable with official degree - C1) - Intention to develop a PhD in Biomedicine. The contract is for 1 year, but exists the possibility to extend it to finalize the PhD Working conditions: - Duration: 12 months (extendable) - Full working day (100%) (1592 annual hours) - Estimated annual gross salary: 23,004 euros per year - Expected start date: As soon as possible Interested candidates send 2 reference letters and updated CV to igabilon(a)gmail.com and/orjesus.m.cortes(a)gmail.com

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Postdoc position: Computational modelling & primate neurophysiology of multi-stable perception
by jobraun Sept. 17, 2018

Sept. 17, 2018

Postdoc position: Computational modelling & primate neurophysiology of multi-stable perception Applications are invited for a postdoctoral fellowship with Jochen Braun in Magdeburg, Germany, and in collaboration with Kristine Krug in Oxford, UK. The research will examine the neural basis of multi-stable perception, by comparing single- and multi-unit recordings from non-human primates with computational models of hierarchical neural dynamics. Candidates must have a degree in physics (or similar), a Ph.D. in a relevant field (e.g., neuroscience, physiology, physics), and strong quantitative and writing skills. Experience with single- or multi-unit recordings from behaving vertebrates is highly desirable. The initial appointment will be for two years with the possibility of renewal. Cognitive Biology is part of a large and vibrant neuroscience community (www.neuroscience-magdeburg.de/research/professor-jazz) Magdeburg is a lively university town with a beautiful historical centre around the river Elbe and with convenient transport links to Leipzig and Berlin. To apply, please send a PDF file with a CV, a statement of research interests, and names of two references to jochen.braun(a)ovgu.de. Prof. Jochen Braun, Ph.D. Cognitive Biology Group Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany www.kobi-ovgu.de Prof. Kristine Krug, D.Phil. Dept. Physiology Anatomy & Genetics University of Oxford Oxford, UK www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/research/krug-group

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PhD positions in machine learning/neuroimaging available at Charité - University Medicine Berlin
by Stefan Haufe Sept. 16, 2018

Sept. 16, 2018

Dear all, PhD positions for highly motivated graduate students are available in the ERC funded research group of Stefan Haufe at the Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (BCAN) of the Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Germany. The group will develop machine learning and signal processing methods for the analysis of non-invasive brain signals (primarily EEG/MEG) and apply these methods to patient data with the aim of better understanding neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s disease. Appointments can be made for up to four years starting from January 2019 or later. Remuneration is based on the German pay scale TVL E13 (65% working time). Candidates are required to hold a very good MSc or equivalent degree in a relevant field and are expected to demonstrate extraordinary skills in at least one of the following core areas A: Mathematics and quantitative data analysis/modeling (machine learning, signal processing, statistics, numerical optimization, etc.). Experience with efficient algorithms and large data sets. B: Neuroscience (psychology, cognitive science). Knowledge of general research practices and experience in the design, execution, and statistical evaluation of studies. C: Computer science. Experience in software development, programming in Matlab/Python/C, system administration. Further required are excellent communication skills in English (written and spoken), and a genuine interest in interdisciplinary work. Prior experience with functional neuroimaging data is a plus. Successful candidates will work at Charité's historic Mitte campus in the center of Berlin, and will be embedded in a stimulating research environment. Applications should be sent by email to stefan.haufe(a)charite.de quoting the reference number DM.143.18b. In addition to cv and cover letter, applicants are encouraged to include further documentation such as references, transcripts, copies of bachelor/master theses/research papers (in English or German), links to github repositories, etc. . All documents should be contained in a single pdf.

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Postdoctoral Position in Visual & Computational Neuroscience
by Burge, Johannes Sept. 15, 2018

Sept. 15, 2018

A NIH-funded postdoctoral position is available in the lab of Johannes Burge at the University of Pennsylvania (http://burgelab.psych.upenn.edu) We use natural images, statistical learning tools, ideal observer analysis, and behavioral experiments to gain a precise understanding of the processes that support perception. We have ongoing projects across a range of topics in vision and computational neuroscience, but we tend to focus on projects directly or indirectly related to motion and depth perception. My lab is affiliated with the Computational Neuroscience Initiative at Penn, a community of top researchers working on an array of problems in sensation, perception, and cognition. Strong mathematical and programming skills are necessary, as well as strong communication skills and a record of research productivity. Familiarity designing and running psychophysical experiments via Matlab is also required. A solid background in computer graphics and knowledge of C/C++ and object oriented programming is also desirable. The lab has a high refresh-rate VPixx ProPixx projector, a haploscope driven by two high-resolution VPixx ViewPixx monitors, and a large suite of custom code for statistical learning and for the analysis of psychometric data. Applicants must have finished their Ph.D. in neuroscience, vision science, engineering, computer science, or related fields and have a demonstrated record of research productivity. The position is available immediately but the precise start date is flexible. Applicants should send a brief statement of interest, CV, and the names of three references to Johannes Burge (jburge(a)sas.upenn.edu<mailto:jburge@sas.upenn.edu>). Letters will be requested if your candidacy is being considered. Applications will be assessed as they arrive and the position will remain open until filled. Salary will be based on NIH post-doctoral rates and commensurate with experience. ======================== Johannes Burge, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Psychology Neuroscience Graduate Group University of Pennsylvania http://burgelab.psych.upenn.edu jburge(a)sas.upenn.edu (215) 573 6528

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Computer Models in 3R Research
by Peter Jedlicka Sept. 15, 2018

Sept. 15, 2018

Dear colleagues, The programme and further information for the Kick-off Symposium of the 3R Centre JLU Giessen are available online at ICAR3R.de. The minisymposium covers also the topic of computer models in 3R research. You can register on the event website or at www.xing-events.com/3R-Symposium-Giessen.html. Abstracts for the 3R poster session can be submitted until 20th September at ICAR3R(a)uni-giessen.de. 1st International Symposium: New Prospects in Interdisciplinary 3R Research Date 18th/19th October 2018 Venue Aula at Justus Liebig University Gießen Registration fee is 90 Euro. Eight hours of training are granted for the event. Best regards, Peter Jedlicka -- Peter Jedlicka, MD, PhD Professorship for Computer-Based Modelling in the field of 3R Animal Protection Faculty of Medicine Justus-Liebig-University Rudolf-Buchheim-Str. 6 D-35392 Giessen Fax: ++49 (0)641 9941359 Interdisciplinary Centre for 3Rs in Animal Research (ICAR3R) Frankfurter Straße 104 35392 Gießen www.ICAR3R.de

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PhD position: US-German Collaboration in Computational Neuroscience
by Peter Jedlicka Sept. 14, 2018

Sept. 14, 2018

Applications are invited for a 3-year PhD position in an NIH & BMBF funded US-Germany project aimed at creating biophysically realistic multi-scale computer models of TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation)-induced changes of neuronal and synaptic properties. The position will be based at the Justus Liebig University (Giessen). This project is in collaboration with the University of Freiburg, the University of Minnesota and the Temple University (Philadelphia). The student will be using computer simulations to reproduce/predict data from electrophysiology and functional optical imaging experiments in hippocampal tissue cultures. Visits to Freiburg and to US for short-term and long-term periods of time to learn techniques and exchange information are part of the activities of this grant. The successful candidate should have a background in physics, mathematics, engineering, computational neuroscience or closely related field. Experience in scientific programming is highly desirable. The appointment will be starting in November/December 2018 or in 2019. Please submit a single pdf file including CV, list of publications, statement of research interests and names and email addresses of three references to: Prof. Dr. Peter Jedlicka; Peter.Jedlicka(a)informatik.med.uni-giessen.de The project is related to these recent publications: Lenz M, Galanis C, Müller-Dahlhaus F, Opitz A, Wierenga CJ, Szabó G, Ziemann U, Deller T, Funke K, Vlachos A (2016) Repetitive magnetic stimulation induces plasticity of inhibitory synapses. Nature Communications 7:10020 Beining M, Mongiat LA, Schwarzacher SW, Cuntz H, Jedlicka P (2017) T2N as a new tool for robust electrophysiological modeling demonstrated for mature and adult-born dentate granule cells. Elife 6:e26517 Lenz M, Platschek S, Priesemann V, Becker D, Willems LM, Ziemann U, Deller T, Müller-Dahlhaus F, Jedlicka P, Vlachos A (2015) Repetitive magnetic stimulation induces plasticity of excitatory postsynapses on proximal dendrites of cultured mouse CA1 pyramidal neurons. Brain Structure & Function 220:3323–3337. P.S. If you are interested and will be attending Bernstein Conference in Berlin (27, 28 September), feel free to send me an email so that we can meet for an in-person interview. -- Peter Jedlicka, MD, PhD Professorship for Computer-Based Modelling in the field of 3R Animal Protection Faculty of Medicine Justus-Liebig-University Rudolf-Buchheim-Str. 6 D-35392 Giessen Phone: ++49 (0)69 179 238 6269 Fax: ++49 (0)641 9941359 NeuroScience Center Clinical Neuroanatomy (Anatomy I) Goethe-University Theodor-Stern-Kai 7 D-60590 Frankfurt am Main Fax: ++49 (69) 6301 6425 Email: jedlicka(a)em.uni-frankfurt.de

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Post-doc at FIAS - Computational Modeling of Epilepsy: Conducting Interviews at the Bernstein Conference 2018
by Peter Jedlicka Sept. 14, 2018

Sept. 14, 2018

Dear Comp-Neuro community, I would like to inform you that a post-doc position will be available in 2019 in the context of Frankfurt's new Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER). The project focuses on better understanding circuit changes and neuroimmune interactions during the development of epilepsy and is jointly lead by Prof. Jochen Triesch and me. I am attending the Bernstein Conference in Berlin (September 27-28). If you are interested, contact me by email and attach your CV so that we can meet for an in-person interview. Best, Peter Jedlicka P.S. If you are not attending the Bernstein conference, you can send your applications (single pdf file including CV, list of publications, statement of research interests and names and email addresses of three references) to jedlicka(a)em.uni-frankfurt.de and triesch(a)fias.uni-frankfurt.de. The position will be based at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (https://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/en/) Frankfurt has a vibrant Neuroscience community and the successful candidates will work closely together with experimental labs. An ideal candidate will have obtained a PhD/Master Degree in Computational Neuroscience or closely related field and have a strong interest in applying their knowledge to problems of medical relevance. Prior experience with modeling spiking neural networks or compartmental modeling is highly desirable. Experience in modeling epilepsy, neural plasticity and neuro-immune interactions is a plus. -- Peter Jedlicka, MD, PhD Professorship for Computer-Based Modelling in the field of 3R Animal Protection Faculty of Medicine Justus-Liebig-University Rudolf-Buchheim-Str. 6 D-35392 Giessen Phone: ++49 (0)69 179 238 6269 Fax: ++49 (0)641 9941359 NeuroScience Center Clinical Neuroanatomy (Anatomy I) Goethe-University Theodor-Stern-Kai 7 D-60590 Frankfurt am Main Fax: ++49 (69) 6301 6425 Email: jedlicka(a)em.uni-frankfurt.de

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[meetings] Call for Participation : Workshop on Continual Unsupervised Sensorimotor Learning - Tokyo - September 17th
by Nguyen, Sao Mai Sept. 14, 2018

Sept. 14, 2018

*Call for Participation* Workshop on Continual Unsupervised Sensorimotor Learning at IEEE ICDL-Epirob 2018 - Tokyo - September 17th Website : http://conferences.au.dk/icdl-epirob-2018-workshop/ ============================================================ *Updated list of Invited Speakers* - Jochen Triesch, Frankfurt Institute of Advanced Studies, Germany Title: Active Efficient Coding - David Ha, Google Brain Title: Generative World Models - Kathryn Kasmarik, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy (UNSW Canberra), Australia Title: Computational Motivation for Learning, Optimisation and Decision Making *Schedule* 09:50 – 10:10 Welcome and introduction 10:10 – 10:50 *Invited talk: **David Ha* Title: Generative World Models 10:50 – 11:10 Coffee break *Inference and Representations* 11:10 – 11:30 *Where do I move my sensors? Emergence of an internal representation from the sensorimotor flow*Valentin Marcel, Sylvain Argentieri and Bruno Gas 11:30 – 11:50 *Active inference in continual learning* Pablo Lanillos *Sensorimotor Learning* 11:50 – 12:10 *Towards Biological Plausibility of Sensorimotor Learning Models: a Short Review* Silvia Pagliarini, Arthur Leblois, and Xavier Hinaut 12:10 – 12:30 *A Computational Model For Action Prediction Development* Serkan Bugur, Yukie Nagai, Erhan Oztop, and Emre Ugur *Application/Tools* 12:30 – 12:50 *Flatland: a Lightweight First-Person 2-D Environment for Reinforcement Learning* Hugo Caselles-Dupré, Louis Annabi, Oksana Hagen, Michael Garcia-Ortiz, and David Filliat 12:50 – 14:10 Lunch break 14:10 – 14:50 *Invited talk. Jochen Triesch* Title: Active Efficient Coding *Intrinsic Motivation and alike* 14:50 – 15:10 *Learning Sequences of Policies by using an Intrinsically Motivated Learner and a Task Hierarchy* Nicolas Duminy, Alexandre Manoury, Sao Mai Nguyen, Cédric Buche, and Dominique Duhaut 15:10 – 15:30 *Emergent emotion as a regulatory mechanism for a cognitive task implemented on the iCub robot* Murat Kirtay, Lorenzo Vannucci, Egidio Falotico, Cecilia Laschi, and Erhan Oztop *Application/Tools* 15:30 – 15:50 *Towards Life Long Learning: Multimodal Learning of MNIST Handwritten Digits* Eli Sheppard, Hagen Lehmann, G. Rajendran, Peter E. McKenna, Oliver Lemon, and Katrin S. Lohan 15:50 – 16:10 Coffee break 16:10 – 16:40 *Invited talk: Kathryn Kasmarik* Title: Computational Motivation for Learning, Optimisation and Decision Making 16:40 – 17:40 Discussion 17:40 – 18:00 Conclusions and farewell ============================================================ *Scope* As the algorithms for learning single tasks in restricted environments are improving, new challenges have gained relevance. They include multi-task learning, multimodal sensorimotor learning in open worlds and lifelong adaptation to injury, growth and ageing. In this workshop we will discuss the developmental processes involved in the emergence of representations of action and perception in humans and artificial agents in continual learning. These processes include action-perception cycle, active perception, continual sensory-motor learning, environmental-driven scaffolding, and intrinsic motivation. The discussion will be strongly motivated by behavioural and neural data. We hope to provide a discussion friendly environment to connect with research with similar interest regardless of their area of expertise which could include robotics, computer science, psychology, neuroscience, etc. We would also like to devise a roadmap or strategies to develop mathematical and computational models to improve robot performance and/or to attempt to unveil the underlying mechanisms that lead to continual adaptation to changing environment or embodiment and continual learning in open-ended environments. The primary list of topics covers the following (but not limited to): - Emergence of representations via continual interaction - Continual sensory-motor learning - Action-perception cycle - Active perception - Environmental-driven scaffolding - Intrinsic motivation - Neural substrates, neural circuits and neural plasticity - Human and animal behaviour experiments and models - Reinforcement learning and deep reinforcement learning for life-long learning - Multisensory robot learning - Multimodal sensorimotor learning - Affordance learning - Prediction learning *Organizers:* Nicolás Navarro-Guerrero, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark Sao Mai Nguyen, IMT Atlantique, France Erhan Öztop, Özyeğin University, Turkey Junpei Zhong, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan ============================================================ Nguyen Sao Mai nguyensmai(a)gmail.com Researcher in Cognitive Developmental Robotics http://nguyensmai.free.fr

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PhD student position in neural data analysis, University of Edinburgh (Arno Onken)
by Arno Onken Sept. 14, 2018

Sept. 14, 2018

A fully funded PhD position is available in the group of Arno Onken at the University of Edinburgh, on the development and application of novel methods for analysing multi-modal and multi-scale neural recordings. The group collaborates closely with the experimental groups of Nathalie Rochefort (University of Edinburgh, joint EPSRC-funded project to start in March) and Shuzo Sakata (University of Strathclyde). Potential projects are interdisciplinary, bridging computational neuroscience, statistical modelling and machine learning. The successful applicant will join the Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation (http://www.anc.ed.ac.uk/) which hosts strong research groups in the relevant fields. Applicants should have a strong quantitative background (e.g. math, statistics, computer science, physics, computational neuroscience), good programming skills and a keen interest in interdisciplinary research. A background in neuroscience is desirable, but not essential. The position is available to UK/EU applicants. Other excellent applicants may be eligible for international postgraduate scholarships - please get in touch. The start date is flexible. Interested applicants should submit their application to the Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation: https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/degrees/index.php?r=site/view&ed… For further information, please contact Arno Onken (aonken(a)inf.ed.ac.uk) -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

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Call for applications to participate in NSF funded Workshop on Future Frameworks of Theoretical Neuroscience
by Fidel Santamaria Sept. 13, 2018

Sept. 13, 2018

NSF Funded workshop - Future Frameworks of Theoretical Neuroscience, Feb 4-7, 2019, San Antonio, TX. Call for applications to participate: graduate students, postdoctoral fellows & junior assistant professors As it is widely known, the objective of the BRAIN initiative has been to develop novel neurotechnologies, which will provide vast streams of experimental data in the coming years. For the neuroscience community as a whole to benefit from these advances, theoretical frameworks that span across scales, systems, and species need to be developed. The main challenge for the theoretical neuroscience community is to design these frameworks with a long-term vision to anticipate and guide the development of new techniques and experiments. We view this as a collective effort. Another of our objectives is for the theoretical neuroscience community to identify leading areas of scientific inquiry, key theoretical questions, and to discuss methodological ways to address these questions. This will highly contribute to shape the future research endeavors towards the understanding of brain function across interacting levels of organization, scales, and range of species. This will also help the funding agencies to establish programs and priorities. The workshop will take place in San Antonio, TX from Feb 4-7, 2019. The NSF will cover the participant's transportation (up to $500, economy class, no upgrades) and lodging (up to 4 nights) for a selected group junior researchers. If interested, please submit a CV and two paragraphs describing the reason(s) to participate in the workshop (1 page maximum, divided into two paragraphs, one titled 'present work' and another one titled 'motivation'). While all the neuroscience community is encouraged to apply we are also looking for people outside neuroscience with fresh ideas that would like to participate. Please send your application to fidel.santamaria(a)utsa.edu<mailto:fidel.santamaria@utsa.edu> with the subject line [Framework Workshop] Application no later than October 10, 2018. As a participant, we would like you to contribute to (1) the description of the present framework(s) of theoretical neuroscience; and (2) the definition of a roadmap for the development of future theories of brain function across scales. In practice, we would like you to contribute to identifying key questions and organizing principles across scales of biological organization that share common theoretical foundations. We also would like you to interact with other participants to develop strategies to advance the field in order to "...transform our understanding of the linkages between neural activity and cognition and behavior across different systems, environments, and species." We would like to emphasize that the objective of the workshop is not to describe current projects but the ideas and theories that are yet to be developed and are needed to move the field forward. While the meeting will have a component of talks we will devote most of the time to organizing formal and informal discussions among the participants. We expect the participants to collectively produce a series of papers describing the identified fields, state of the art and present/future questions so these can reach the broader community and foster additional discussions and interactions. We will also generate a white paper to distribute to public and private funding agencies that describe our views of the future frameworks of theoretical neuroscience. More information available at http://www.utsa.edu/SantamariaLab/Workshop/ Horacio G. Rotstein (NJIT) & Fidel Santamaria (UTSA) Organizers _______________________________________________________________________________ Fidel Santamaria, PhD Associate Professor Department of Biology University of Texas at San Antonio www.utsa.edu/SantamariaLab Office: BSB 1.03.30 Tel +1(210) 458 6910

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Professorship in Auditory Neuro-Engineering (Ghent University)
by Sarah Verhulst Sept. 13, 2018

Sept. 13, 2018

Dear List, We have an opening for a research professorship in Auditory Neuro-engineering to foster interdisciplinary approaches to hearing science within the Faculties of Engineering and Medical sciences at Ghent University. The succesful candidate will become a member of the Ghent Auditory Science Platform (www.gasp.ugent.be)<http://www.gasp.ugent.be)/>. Kind Regards, Sarah Verhulst --- Sarah Verhulst Associate Professor T +32 9 33 14 844 Dept. Information Technology Waves Technology Campus, iGent, Technologiepark 15, 9052 Zwijnaarde (BE) T secretariaat +32 9 264 33 21 / F +32 9 264 35 93 www.ugent.be<https://www.ugent.be/> www.waves.intec.ugent.be e-maildisclaimer<https://helpdesk.ugent.be/e-maildisclaimer.php> More information and application: https://www.ugent.be/nl/onderzoek/carriere/21zap.htm Job Title: Professor in Auditory Neuro-engineering Req ID 11671 - Posted 12/09/2018 - Professorial staff - 100% - Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences → Apply until 12/10/2018 23:59 CET → Discipline: Auditory Neuro-engineering → 100% Associate professor / Full professor / Senior full professor → Reference number: 201806/ZAP-21/65-01 ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY Ghent University is one of the most important education and research institutions in the Low Countries. On a daily basis, over 9,000 staff members and 41,000 students implement its motto "Dare to Think". Ghent University's mission statement is characterised by qualitative education, internationally renowned research and a pluralistic social responsibility. ASSIGNMENT Within her vision on the importance of inter-disciplinary research, Ghent University wishes to stimulate cooperation between different faculties. One of the initiatives that is deployed in this context is the Ghent Auditory Science Platform (GASP; www.gasp.ugent.be) Auditory science and auditory medicine are increasingly engineering driven. Hence, GASP combines expertise from various medical and engineering disciplines with an additional touch of psychology. This inter-faculty collaboration will be supported by a full time (100%) associate or full professor in auditory neuro-engineering. The professor in auditory neuro-engineering will further develop research in auditory science at the interface between technology and neurology. The focus will be on the possibility to couple electronic and opto-electronic components more effectively to the auditory nerve, the auditory brainstem and cortex. By extending the team of professors that conducts research in the area of auditory science, Ghent University wants to strengthen its position as a leading research institute in this area. This position is part of a unique strategic investment by Ghent University: 21 new professorships are embedded in interdisciplinary consortia, designed to generate a significant societal impact with their research. For more information, see: www.ugent.be/21zap Academic education You lecture a limited number of course units in the discipline of audiology and biomedical engineering. These courses are situated in the faculty of medicine and the faculty of engineering. In addition you will be the promoter of Master dissertations and PhDs in biomedical sciences, audiology, and engineering. Academic Research You conduct research in the discipline of auditory neuro-engineering. In particular you study the interaction between human substrate – auditory nerve/brainstem/cortex – and high tech chips and electronic and opto-electronic implants. In this way you contribute to the innovation goals of the GASP team in relation to: * biological strategies for use in inner ear therapeutics: gene therapy, stem-cell therapy, and molecular therapy; * auditory nerve fiber stimulation, resynchronizing, brain-computer interfacing; * stimulating brain plasticity (e.g. post deafness, in tinnitus and/or decreased sound tolerance cases), and individualized interventions; * cochlear nerve sensing and brainstem processing (auditory processing on implanted chip); * neuro-acoustic phenotype determination allowing for personalized hearing deficit treatment when needed. Academic services You take part in the internal and external service provision of the Ghent Auditory Science Platform. PROFILE Experience * You have already conducted eminent academic research in the given discipline, which is clearly reflected in publications in high-quality academic journals and peer-reviewed books; * You are capable of initiating, supervising and acquiring the necessary funding for academic research; * You are didactically skilled to teach university students to develop academic competences; * Recommended are: * International mobility, among other things thanks to research stays at institutions external to the one where you acquired your highest academic degree; * Positively evaluated experience in provided or organized academic lecturing; * Professionalisation of education. Skills / Attitude * You are quality-oriented; * You take initiative; * You have leadership qualities; * You have good communication skills (English proficiency) and make connections with colleagues and industry. Admission requirements * You hold a thesis-based doctorate or a diploma or certificate that is recognised as equivalent (article V.20 Codex Higher Education) in biomedical sciences, biomedical engineering, medical physics, neuro-engineering, or doctorate in medicine with a strong emphasis on technical aspect, or a doctorate in electronics/ICT engineering or engineering physics/mathematics with a strong emphasis on biomedical aspects. Upon evaluation of a foreign (non-EU) diploma, a certificate of equivalence may still have to be requested at NARIC. If this is the case, we advise you to initiate this recognition procedure as soon as possible. You are required to have the recognition no later than on the date of your appointment. * You have at least two years of postdoctoral experience on 2 October 2018. This term of two years is determined by the date written on the above-mentioned required diploma. APPOINTMENT INFORMATION Depending on the specific profile of the selected candidate, the degree of associate professor or full professor is awarded. This will be decided by the University Board as proposed by the Faculty Board. * We offer you a permanent appointment in the starting grade of associate professor or full professor, without prejudice to the possibility of a temporary appointment offered in article V.28 of the Codex of Higher Education. The recruitment is possible no sooner than 1 February 2019. OUR OFFER Ghent University reserves a budget of €200.000 in its Special Research Fund for each of the newly appointed professors under the strategic “21ZAP” scheme, equaling the value of 1 PhD student for 4 years. This research budget is allocated out of competition but is subject to approval of the applicant’s research proposal by Ghent University’s Research Council. Ghent University is committed to properly welcoming new professorial staff members and offering them appropriate guidance. The basic teacher training and courses of 'Dutch' and 'English' for foreign-speaking lecturers are only a few examples of our wide range of training and education opportunities. Furthermore, each Ghent University staff member can count on a number of benefits such as a bike allowance, reimbursement of public transport commuting costs, daycare, a wide range of sports facilities and EcoCheques. A complete overview of all our employee benefits (in Dutch). Ghent University also invests in welcoming international professorial staff. It offers various housing options, a relocation bonus, the International School for school-aged children (with a discount on the tuition fee), support when registering at the City of Ghent, support with the procedure of family reunification and other administrative matters in connection with moving to Ghent. More information can be found on www.ugent.be/en/living and www.ugent.be/en/staff. GENDER AND DIVERSITY Ghent University conducts an equal opportunities policy and encourages everyone to apply. Ghent University also strives for a gender balance. Female applications are thus especially welcomed. SELECTION PROCEDURE After the final application date, all received applications will be sent to the assessment committee assembled for this vacancy. This committee will first evaluate the application files. Therefore it will match all elements of the file against the required expertise for the position in terms of education, research and scientific service. Based on this deliberation, relevant candidates will be shortlisted to be invited for further selection (interview, possible presentation or test lecture …). Afterwards, the committee will rank the suitable candidates and present this ranking to the Faculty Board. The advice of the Faculty Board will then be presented to the University Board for approval. Candidates are asked to further discuss their top 5 most important publications or other academic achievements with the highest impact. Next to academic publications, the candidate is thus also able to show merit of knowledge transfer by academic dissemination, social valorisation, public awareness, seminars or conference presentations. These competences are also taken into account when evaluating the candidates. Candidates are also asked to prepare a research proposal. The research proposal can be taken into account by the selection committee in order to assess the candidate’s potential contribution to the consortium; nevertheless, the evaluation of the proposal itself by the Research Council will not be initiated until after the professorship appointment in order to award the €200,000 research budget. The evaluation of the required international mobility is broad and partly takes the gender perspective into account, thus not only considering longer stays abroad by also other forms of internationalisation. Pregnancy leave, prolonged sick leave, parental leave, filial leave or other forms of absence are taken into account when evaluating the available time for the realisation of academic output. HOW TO APPLY Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not sent through the online system. Your application must include the following documents: * In the field ‘Cv’: the professorial staff application form (+ all annexes mentioned in the form), merged into one pdf file. * In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format * In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of your doctoral degree. If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages. * In the field ‘Certificate of equivalence’: only for diplomas awarded outside the European Union: certificate of equivalence (NARIC) (if already in you possession) Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB. MORE INFORMATION The strategic goals of this vacancy. For further information regarding these vacancies, please contact Prof. Ingeborg Dhooge (ingeborg.dhooge(a)UGent.be, +32 332 23 31) at the Faculty Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology or Prof. Dick Botteldooren (dick.botteldooren(a)UGent.be, +32 9 264 9968) at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Information Technology.

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Postdoc positions at Harvard in theoretical neuroscience and brain-inspired machine learning
by Cengiz Pehlevan Sept. 12, 2018

Sept. 12, 2018

Postdoctoral positions are available in Cengiz Pehlevan’s theoretical neuroscience group at Harvard University. We are looking for candidates with strong analytical and numerical skills, and backgrounds in (theoretical) neuroscience, applied mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, or related fields. Our group seeks to understand the algorithms of the brain and their neural implementation. Current interests include, but are not limited to, unsupervised learning of sensory representations, reinforcement learning of motor skills, decision making and brain-inspired machine learning. For recent publications, see pehlevan.seas.harvard.edu <https://pehlevan.seas.harvard.edu/>. Successful candidates will join a vibrant community of researchers at Harvard and take part in collaborations with experimental labs across the campus. The position is funded for multiple years, with an initial one-year appointment and expectation of extension contingent on satisfactory progress. To apply, please email a short statement of research interests, a CV, and the contact information of at least two references to Cengiz Pehlevan (cpehlevan at seas.harvard.edu) with the subject line “Theory Postdoctoral Fellow”. Review of applications will begin immediately. Harvard University is 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.

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PhD positions in Electrophysiology / Brain-machine interface at U. Sherbrooke, Canada (co-supervision with U. of Minnesota, USA)
by Jean Rouat Sept. 11, 2018

Sept. 11, 2018

Auditory implants aim at restoring audition by stimulating a specific structure of the auditory system with an electrode array. The most successful auditory implant, the cochlear implant that stimulates the spiral ganglions in the cochlea, has allowed more than 325 000 people worldwide to regain audition. However, cochlear implants are not appropriate for patients that have a disfunctionnal auditory nerve or for which the cochlea cannot be implanted. Alternative implants have therefore been developed such as the auditory midbrain implant (AMI) that stimulates a structure named the inferior colliculus (IC). One aspect that limits the development of the AMI is the lack of knowledge regarding the optimal approach to stimulate the IC. The proposed project aims at gaining more insight into the optimal design of stimulation patterns for the IC. Objectives: ----------- Design optimal inferior colliculus stimulation patterns using adaptive filters specifically adapted for neural signals: the neural activity will be recorded in the auditory cortex and optimal stimulation in the inferior colliculus will be evaluated using a closed-loop approach. A financial support will be provided. Requirements: —————— - Excellent academic record. - Master’s degree in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, physics, biophysics or other related field with a strong background in mathematics and signal processing. - Willing to conduct experiments in electrophysiology to record the neural activity of the auditory system. No prior knowledge in electrophysiology is required. - Excellent ability to communicate in English, knowledge of French is considered an advantage. The Université de Sherbrooke is a French-speaking institution located in the province of Quebec, Canada, and the heart of an international research pole. It is the host to more than 40 000 students from over 120 different countries worldwide. (Source: UdeS) Interested candidates should send their CV, academic transcripts as well as the names of 2 references to Prof. Eric Plourde. Contact: Eric Plourde, Eng., Ph.D., Université de Sherbrooke (eric.plourde(a)usherbrooke.ca)

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COSYNE 2019: Call for workshop proposals
by Tomas Hromadka Sept. 10, 2018

Sept. 10, 2018

================================================= Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2019 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING 28 February - 03 March 2019 Lisbon, Portugal WORKSHOPS 04 - 05 March 2019 Cascais, Portugal www.cosyne.org ================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PRE-PROPOSAL DEADLINE: 30 September 2018 FULL PROPOSAL DEADLINE: 31 October 2018 PRE-PROPOSALS In an effort to coordinate submissions, the organizers are *strongly encouraged* to submit a pre-proposal by *30 September 2018.* Pre-proposals will be shared among submitters. Pre-proposals are not mandatory, but workshops with a pre-proposal will have priority. The organizers may submit the full proposal by its deadline. A series of workshops will be held after the main Cosyne meeting (www.cosyne.org) The goal is to provide an informal forum for the discussion of important research questions and challenges. Controversial issues, open problems, comparisons of competing approaches, and alternative viewpoints are encouraged. The overarching goal of all workshops should be the integration of empirical and theoretical approaches, in an environment that fosters collegial discussion and debate. Preference will be given to proposals that differ substantially in content, scope, and/or approach from workshops of recent years (examples available at Cosyne.org -> Workshops). Relevant topics include, but are not limited to: sensory processing; motor planning and control; functional neural circuits; motivation, reward and decision making; learning and memory; adaptation and plasticity; neural coding; neural circuitry and network models; and methods in computational or systems neuroscience. In order to foster discussion within Workshops and reduce overlap between workshops, organizers should inform invited speakers that a single person should not speak in more than one of the Workshops taking place on the same day. WORKSHOP DETAILS - There will be 4-8 workshops/day, running in parallel. - Each workshop is expected to draw between 15 and 80 people. - The workshops will be split into morning (8.00-11.00 AM) and afternoon (4.30-7.30 PM) sessions. - Workshops will be held at Cascais, a coastal village ~34 km west of Lisbon. Buses from the main conference will be provided. . SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Submission instructions for workshop (pre)-proposals are available at Cosyne.org -> Workshops. PRE-PROPOSALS should include: - Name(s) and email address(es) of the organizers (no more than 2 organizers per session, please). A primary contact should be designated. - A title. - A brief description of 1) what the workshop will address and accomplish, 2) why the topic is of interest, 3) who is the targeted group of participants. - Names of potential invitees, with indication of confirmed speakers. Preference will be given to workshops with the most confirmed speakers. - Proposed workshop length (1 or 2 days). Most workshops will be limited to a single day. If you think your workshop needs two days, please explain why. - A brief resume of the workshop organizer along with a short list of workshop-relevant publications (about half a page total). FULL PROPOSALS should include the list of confirmed speakers in addition to components required for a pre-proposal. Workshop organizer responsibilities include coordinating workshop participation and content, scheduling all speakers and submitting a final schedule for the workshop program, and moderating the discussion. Organizers can be speakers but need not speak depending on scheduling constraints. SUGGESTIONS Experience has shown that the best discussions during a workshop are those that arise spontaneously. A good way to foster these is to have short talks and long question periods (e.g. 30+15 minutes), and have plenty of breaks. We recommend fewer than 10 talks. When preparing pre-proposals and full proposals, the organizers are encouraged to: - address timeliness of workshop in the proposal: what new insights have been generated (new papers, data, techniques, whatever) over the past few years that make now the right time for discussing them and for presenting them to the wider community? - directly describe how speakers address the central topic, e.g. which are the big question(s), which speakers represent different viewpoints on the same question, which experimentalist addresses the theories addressed by which theoretician (and vice versa); - address controversies and bring together speakers from different “camps” in the same field, or from different fields that you think should talk more to each other for whatever reason; WORKSHOP COSTS Detailed registration costs, etc, will be available at www.cosyne.org. Please note: Cosyne does NOT provide travel funding for workshop speakers. All workshop speakers are expected to pay for workshop registration fees. Participants are encouraged to register early, in order to qualify for discounted registration rates. One complementary (free) organizer registration is provided per workshop. For workshops with 2 organizers, the free registration can be given to one of the organizers or split evenly between them. COSYNE 2019 WORKSHOP CHAIRS Catherine Hartley (NYU) and Ralf Haefner (University of Rochester) QUESTIONS email: workshops [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.

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POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS, BROWN UNIVERSITY (TRUCCOLO LAB)
by Wilson Truccolo Sept. 10, 2018

Sept. 10, 2018

Applications for post-doctoral positions in Computational Neuroscience are invited for the laboratory of Dr. Wilson Truccolo in the Department of Neuroscience at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. The positions are for the development of data-driven stochastic models of neuronal network dynamics, including applications to propagation and control of epileptic seizures. Neural data consist of recordings of ensembles of single-neurons and high-density local field potentials obtained via multiple intracortical microelectrode arrays implanted in human and non-human primates. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in computational/theoretical neuroscience and modeling of stochastic neural dynamics. Related publications can be found on the Truccolo lab website ( http://www.truccololab.com/) Inquiries should be addressed to Dr. Truccolo (wilson_truccolo(a)brown.edu) Applications including a CV, statement of research interests, and the names and full contact details of three referees should be sent to wilson_truccolo(a)brown.edu. -- Wilson Truccolo, Ph.D. Pablo J. Salame '88 Goldman Sachs Assistant Professor of Computational Neuroscience Department of Neuroscience & Institute for Brain Science, Brown University Lab website: http://www.truccololab.com/

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Open Ph.D. position on whole-brain calcium imaging at Technical University of Munich
by Gil Westmeyer Sept. 10, 2018

Sept. 10, 2018

We are currently looking for a Ph.D. Student interested in functionally dissecting whole-brain calcium imaging data with cellular resolution obtained from zebrafish larvae undergoing systematic perturbations of neuronal activity. Our laboratory (westmeyerlab.org) at the School of Medicine of Technical University of Munich (https://www.tum.de/nc/en/homepage/) and The Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI) http://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/ibmi/ focuses on biological engineering of molecular sensors and actuators for neurobehavioral imaging. We have built a molecular imaging pipeline consisting of state-of-the-art fluorescent imaging techniques including neurobehavioral methods to simultaneously image behavior and brain activity in freely behaving animals (see for example NeuBtracker.org) We complement these dataset with exoeriments conducted by Light Sheet Microscopy and Light Field microscopy to obtain imaging volumes with high temporal sampling and confocal / 2-photon microscopy. We also capture calcium signaling from adult zebrafish and rodent brains using combined acquisitions with optoacoustic tomography or MRI. For our inter-disciplinary work, we are actively collaborating within Europe and in particular also with MIT and Caltech. If you are interested in computational analyses of whole-brain calcium imaging data, please visit westmeyerlab.org and submit a brief statement of your research interests and your CV to Gil Westmeyer.

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postdoc positions in statistical neuroscience
by xaq pitkow Sept. 7, 2018

Sept. 7, 2018

POSITION: We seek several highly motivated postdoctoral research fellows for a collaborative team project building statistical tools for interpreting large scale neural recordings (10^5 neurons per animal). The fellows will develop new methods and applications of probabilistic graphical models to infer statistical interactions amongst neurons and with their environment. The tools will be validated in neural network simulations, tested in physiological recordings, and made widely available to the neuroscience community for understanding data from next-generation experiments. TEAM: Fellows will join principal investigators and theorists Krešimir Josić, Genevera Allen, Xaq Pitkow, Ankit Patel, and Robert Rosenbaum. The team will interact closely with experimentalists including co-Investigator Andreas Tolias and several other labs interested in applying novel methods we develop. Fellows will also be members of the new Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence housed at the Baylor College of Medicine and supported in part by the NSF NeuroNex program. The Center brings together interdisciplinary researchers from across Houston, including members from Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, University of Houston, and University of Texas Health Sciences. Researchers at the Center contribute diverse expertise in fields including neuroscience, machine learning, statistics, physics, computer science, electrical engineering, and applied mathematics. QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must have outstanding mathematical skills, a PhD in a relevant quantitative discipline, and expertise in probabilistic graphical models or statistical machine learning. APPLYING: Applicants should email a letter of research interests and CV to Camila Lopez (Camila.Lopez at bcm.edu) along with contact information for three references. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Multiple Faculty Positions in Neuroengineering, Rice University
by Caleb Kemere Sept. 7, 2018

Sept. 7, 2018

Multiple Assistant Professor Positions in Neuroengineering Rice University in Houston, Texas Rice University’s School of Engineering invites applicants for multiple open tenure-track faculty positions at the assistant professor level in the emerging and broad area of neuroengineering. Research areas of interest include but are not limited to, development of technologies for interfacing with and manipulating the nervous system, as well as computational, data, and theory-driven approaches to improve our understanding of the function of the brain, neurological disorders, and treatment outcomes. Rice University has recently launched a $50 million initiative in neuroengineering to support growing research and education programs in neuroengineering, signal processing, data science, sensing, and nano-electronics with great national and international visibility. A Ph.D. is required, or the Ph.D. requirements must be fulfilled by July 1 of the year employment commences, and the successful applicants will be required to teach undergraduate and graduate courses and build successful research programs. Applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of research and teaching interests, and at least three references through school’s faculty application website: http://jobs.rice.edu/postings/16626/ Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning December 15, 2018, through January 15, 2019. The positions are expected to be available July 1, 2019, and successful candidates can choose any of the nine departments in the school of engineering as their home department. Additional information can be found on our website: http://neuroengineering.rice.edu/ Caleb Kemere : 713-348-6089 / 832-356-6089 : MS-384 : BRC727 : http://rnel.rice.edu Asst. Prof, Rice University Electrical & Computer Engineering

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Open Faculty Positions in Cognitive and Information Sciences at the University of California, Merced
by David Noelle Sept. 6, 2018

Sept. 6, 2018

Four Open Faculty Positions Assistant Professor of Cognitive and Information Sciences University of California, Merced The Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences (CIS) at the University of California, Merced seeks applicants for four (4) tenure-track faculty positions at the Assistant Professor level. CIS is a highly interdisciplinary group offering bachelor’s degrees in Cognitive Science and Philosophy as well as an intensive research-based PhD in Cognitive and Information Sciences. We seek outstanding scholars who will establish and maintain creative research paradigms, participate actively in the development of interdisciplinary programs, and teach and mentor effectively at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Applicants must have either a strong research record or evidence of the potential to develop an independent and innovative research program. We are especially seeking candidates whose research involves one or more of the following areas: (1) Cognitive and Data Science, (2) Language, Communication, and Culture, and (3) Applied Ethics. Applicants must hold a PhD in a relevant discipline, such as Cognitive Science, Psychology, Philosophy, Neuroscience, Linguistics, Computer Science, or Anthropology, by the position start date, which is anticipated to be July 1, 2019. Applications must be received no later than November 15, 2018 to be considered. For further information, please visit “https://aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/apply/JPF00699”.

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Hearst Postdoc position at Rhodes College in Memphis
by Blustein_Daniel Sept. 5, 2018

Sept. 5, 2018

Dear Colleagues! We are hiring for a unique post-doctoral position in any area of neuroscience for someone from an historically underrepresented minority group. The position has teaching and research responsibilities and can convert to a tenure-track appointment after two years. The ad is below and I'm happy to answer any questions. Sincerely, Dan Blustein Assistant Professor of Psychology Neuroscience Program Rhodes College Phone: 901-843-3963 | Twitter: @bloostein | web: www.danblu.com Neuroscience Hearst Post-Doctoral Fellowship Ad (2018-2019) Rhodes College invites applicants for a two-year William Randolph Hearst Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Neuroscience<http://www.rhodes.edu/neuro> (area of specialization open) for aspiring faculty from historically underrepresented minority groups in higher education. The position will begin in Fall 2019. Candidates completing a successful two-year fellowship will be considered for conversion to a tenure-track appointment. Rhodes College greatly values diversity of faculty, staff, and students. In 1988 Rhodes College received a gift from the William Randolph Hearst Foundations to establish a fellowship for aspiring faculty from underrepresented minority groups. A primary goal of the fellowship is to provide teaching and research experience at a liberal arts college and mentorship toward a successful teacher-scholar career. The successful candidate will contribute to an interdisciplinary Neuroscience major that includes faculty from Biology, Psychology, Chemistry, and Philosophy. Candidates must have earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience or a related field (e.g., Biology, Psychology, Chemistry) by August 2019. Teaching responsibilities will include 3 lecture or seminar courses per year, including an introductory lecture course in Neuroscience, and a senior seminar course for Neuroscience majors. Research will be supported by start-up funds and lab space. Extensive opportunities for collaborative research are available through our partnerships with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Memphis, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. Founded in 1848, Rhodes College is a highly selective, private, residential, undergraduate college, located in Memphis, Tennessee. We aspire to graduate students with a lifelong passion for learning, a compassion for others, and the ability to translate academic study and personal concern into effective leadership and action in their communities and the world. We encourage applications from candidates interested in helping us achieve this vision<https://www.rhodes.edu/content/rhodes-vision>. Rhodes College values an inclusive and welcoming environment. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity<http://handbook.rhodes.edu/diversity> (http://handbook.rhodes.edu/diversity) in the workforce. Memphis has a metropolitan population of over one million and provides multiple opportunities for research and for cultural and recreational activities<http://www.rhodes.edu/content/our-city> (http://www.rhodes.edu/content/liberal-arts-city) Please apply online at jobs.rhodes.edu<https://jobs.rhodes.edu/>. A complete application includes a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy, a research plan, graduate transcripts, up to three representative publications, three letters of recommendation, and a separate statement that addresses how your experiences with teaching, scholarship, and/or service might contribute to a college community that includes a commitment to diversity and inclusion as one of its core values. Please address in your cover letter your interest in a postdoctoral fellowship like the William Randolph Hearst Teaching Fellowship and in teaching at a liberal arts college. Review of completed applications will begin on November 16th and continue until the position is filled. The online application system will solicit letters of recommendation electronically from the candidate's recommenders, once their contact information has been entered and all other required application materials have been submitted. Rhodes College policy requires background checks before candidates can be brought to campus for interviews. For further information, please contact Dr. David Kabelik, kabelikd(a)rhodes.edu<mailto:kabelikd@rhodes.edu>.

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Workshop- Sept 28th, 2018. Latest Advances in Understanding Complex Spatial Navigation
by Fellous, Jean-Marc - (fellous) Sept. 5, 2018

Sept. 5, 2018

WORKSHOP - Friday Sept 28th, 2018 INSERM U1208, Bron/Lyon, France Latest Advances in Understanding Complex Spatial Navigation in Animals, Computational Models and Neuro-inspired Robots The goal of this one-day workshop is to discuss the latest advances in understanding the neural mechanisms of complex spatial navigation using experimental studies in Animals, Computational Neuroscience and Neuro-robotics. The format of the workshop will be 30 minute presentations giving emphasis on studies that relate at least 2 of the 3 techniques (Animals, Computational Neuroscience and Neuro-robotics). The succinct presentation format will allow for ample time for discussion of current and future advances in the area, and collaboration opportunities. Registration is free but required. The workshop will be limited to 30 people. Registration : http://spaq2018.robolat.org/registration Website : http://spaq2018.robolat.org/ Schedule (subject to change, please check the website): 8:45: Peter Dominey: Introduction and Welcome 9:00: Jean-Marc Fellous - Complex Spatial Navigation and the Dorso-Ventral Hippocampal Axis 9:30: Peter Dominey - Cortico-Hippocampal Interaction for Synthesis of Novel Adaptive Experiences 10:00: Alfredo Weitzenfeld - Multi-Scale Spatial Navigation 10:30 - 11:00 Break 11:00: Laurenz Wiskott - Self-Organization of Place Cells in the Hippocampus 11:30: Philippe Gaussier - The Hippocampo-cortical Loop: Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of information Processing 12:15 - 14:00 Lunch 14:00: Sidney Wiener - Navigational Rule and Strategy Related Activity in the Hippocampal-Prefrontal-Striatal System, and Neuromodulator Relations 14:30: Mehdi Khamassi - Hippocampal Replays under the Scrutiny of Reinforcement Learning Models: From Theory to Neurorobotics Experimentation Back to Biology 15:00: Jeff Krichmar - Conjunctive Coding in an Evolved Spiking Model of Retrosplenial Cortex 15:30 - 16:00 Break 16:00: Francesco Battaglia - Chasing Cell Assemblies in Cortico-Hippocampal Neural Ensembles 16:30: Michael Arbib - From Visual Construction and Spatial Navigation to Episodic Memory and Imagination 17:00 - 17:30 Discussion Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (CRCNS-ANR Collaborative grant) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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EEG Basic Oscillations Workshop
by TORRALBA CUELLO, MIREIA Sept. 5, 2018

Sept. 5, 2018

Dear all, It is our pleasure to announce the first edition of Barcelona EEG Basic Oscillations Workshop (BEBOW) that will take place in UPF next 26-28th September in Barcelona. The BEBOW is organized by the Multisensory Research Group, part of Cognition and Brain Center and aims at enabling students to perform time-frequency analysis of the EEG (electroencephalography) signal for neurocognitive research. The workshop will cover experimental design and how to perform time-frequency analysis from a theoretical and a practical point of view. It is addressed to master and PhD students, and post-docs who already have some experience with EEG/ERP analyses. You can find more information in the website of BEBOW <https://eventum.upf.edu/21978/detail/barcelona-eeg-basic-oscillations-works…> . Mireia Torralba Cuello Multisensory Research Group Center for Brain and Cognition, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Address: Edifici Mercè Rodoreda 24.313 c\ Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27 08005 Barcelona http://www.mrg.upf.edu Tel +34 935422745

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NEURON Course at SFN 2018 meeting
by Ted Carnevale Sept. 5, 2018

Sept. 5, 2018

Space is still available for the NEURON course at this year's meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. Are you a lab director trying to decide whether to add computational modeling to your research program? A grad student or postdoc who is just getting started in modeling? An established NEURON user who wants to find out about NEURON's latest features? If so, this one-day course is for you! The course starts with a practical introduction that reviews basic concepts and presents a workflow for building and using models of cells and networks, and moves on to topics that include: --how to speed up simulations --how to use Python with NEURON (and take advantage of NEURON's GUI!) --how to model reaction-diffusion with the RxD class For more information and the registration form, see https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/sd2018/sd2018.html --Ted

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High Performance Computing workshop at SFN 2018 meeting
by Ted Carnevale Sept. 4, 2018

Sept. 4, 2018

This year's workshop on High Performance Computing Resources for Parallel Simulations and Data Analysis will be held on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM in downtown San Diego as a satellite to the 2018 meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. It will feature presentations from developers and users of powerful hardware and software tools for dealing with computationally-intensive modeling and data analysis tasks. For more information and a link to the registration form, see https://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nsg2018/nsg2018.html The registration deadline for this workshop is Friday Oct. 12, but you should sign up early because space is limited. --Ted

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Postdoctoral position available in computational muscle modelling
by Sang-Hoon Yeo Sept. 4, 2018

Sept. 4, 2018

Postdoctoral position available: Active spring muscle model - a new phenomenological model of skeletal muscle mechanics Understanding Machina Carnis, how our muscles mechanically generate movement, is one of the fundamental research questions in human movement science and also has significant implications in many application areas. Phenomenological muscle models, such as the Hill-type muscle model, have been widely used in studies on motor control and biomechanics. However, the performances of such models in predicting the dynamic contractile behaviours of the muscle, such as eccentric or sub-maximal contractions, are known to be far from accurate. This BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, United Kingdom)–funded postdoctoral research associate will join Dr Sang-Hoon Yeo’s research group to develop a new phenomenological model of the skeletal muscle mechanics. The key idea is to incorporate a newly proposed “active spring model” that involves titin as the third filament, together with actin and myosin filament, that actively regulates the mechanical behaviour of the muscle (see figures below). This new model is expected to be effectively utilized in various areas involving musculoskeletal simulation models, where the current prevalent use of the Hill-type model is identified as a major limiting factor. For two years starting in early 2019, the research associate will lead the first stage of the study focusing on in-vitro muscle/fiber experiments and model development. The research programme includes one-month visits to two prominent muscle biomechanics laboratories: 1) Prof Walter Herzog’s lab in University of Calgary (Calgary, Canada) and 2) Prof Kiisa Nisikawa’s lab in Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, USA) to carry out data collection. Based on the collected data, the research associate will lead the data analysis, computational modelling and simulation of a new muscle mechanics model, and will also collaborate with other research associates to apply the developed muscle model to human biomechanics. The host institution, The University of Birmingham, is a Russell Group university in the vibrant City of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The university has produced eleven affiliated Nobel laureates and is also known as a cradle of modern muscle mechanics, dating back to the seminal work of Peter Rack and David Westbury. The School of Sport Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, where the research associate will be based, is a world-leading research institution in sport science, ranked 5th in the world (QS World Ranking, Sport-related subject). This highly interdisciplinary project is waiting for an ambitious and open-minded individual with substantial experience in computational motor control and muscle/musculoskeletal biomechanics. Individuals whose expertise lies in engineering and physical science and want to apply your skills in muscle biomechanics are also strongly encouraged to apply. Experience in wet-lab work is preferred but not strictly required. If you are interested to apply, please contact the principal investigator Dr Sang-Hoon Yeo (s.yeo(a)bham.ac.uk) to initiate discussion. Best wishes, Sang-Hoon -- Dr Sang-Hoon Yeo Lecturer in Biomechanics and Motor Control School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences The University of Birmingham Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom +44(0)121 414 8748

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Job ad: tenure-track open rank faculty positions in Cognitive Science
by Rajeev Raizada Sept. 4, 2018

Sept. 4, 2018

http://www.sas.rochester.edu/bcs/jobs/faculty.html Cognitive Scientist, Open Rank, University of Rochester The Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester is seeking to hire multiple faculty members in the area of decision making and cognitive or sensorimotor planning at the Assistant (tenure-track) or Associate Professor level. Areas of interest include the roles of learning, prediction, memory, and attention in guiding goal-directed behavior, especially within complex, naturalistic environments. We are primarily interested in candidates using neuroimaging, computational (e.g., Bayesian decision theory, reinforcement learning), behavioral (including technology-driven approaches such as virtual reality), and/or developmental approaches. Both individuals and teams are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will join a dynamic department with interests in the study of perception, motor control, learning, cognition, language, and development through combined neurobiological, computational, and behavioral research (http://www.sas.rochester.edu/bcs/) she or he will also be part of a university–wide community engaged in graduate and undergraduate education. Candidates should hold a PhD degree (or equivalent) in cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, or another relevant domain, and should have considerable research experience. Applicants should submit a CV, a statement of research and teaching interests, and contact information for three referees via the following website: http://www.rochester.edu/faculty-recruiting. In addition, team applications should include a joint statement that describes the research synergies of the team. Questions concerning this position can be addressed to Robert Jacobs (rjacobs(a)ur.rochester.edu) and Duje Tadin (dtadin(a)ur.rochester.edu) co-chairs of the search committee. Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2018. The University of Rochester is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong commitment to diversity, and actively encourages applications from candidates from groups underrepresented in higher education. EOE / Minorities / Females / Protected Veterans / Disabled

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An Amazing Job Opportunity at Apple!
by Burak Yildiz Sept. 4, 2018

Sept. 4, 2018

We are looking for a Senior Systems Neuroscientist to join a great team of researchers at Apple in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's a unique opportunity to do research in industry. Please apply at this link: https://jobs.apple.com/us/search#&ss=Neuroscientist&t=0&so=&lo=0*USA&pN=0&o… Thanks, Burak Yildiz Sr. Research Scientist at Apple

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[meetings] Call for Participation : Workshop on Continual Unsupervised Sensorimotor Learning - Tokyo - September 17th
by Nguyen, Sao Mai Sept. 3, 2018

Sept. 3, 2018

Call for Participation Workshop on Continual Unsupervised Sensorimotor Learning at IEEE ICDL-Epirob 2018 - Tokyo - September 17th Website : http://conferences.au.dk/icdl-epirob-2018-workshop/ ============================================================ Invited Speakers - Jochen Triesch, Frankfurt Institute of Advanced Studies, Germany - David Ha, Google Brain - Lorenzo Jamone, Queen Mary University of London, UK Scope As the algorithms for learning single tasks in restricted environments are improving, new challenges have gained relevance. They include multi-task learning, multimodal sensorimotor learning in open worlds and lifelong adaptation to injury, growth and ageing. In this workshop we will discuss the developmental processes involved in the emergence of representations of action and perception in humans and artificial agents in continual learning. These processes include action-perception cycle, active perception, continual sensory-motor learning, environmental-driven scaffolding, and intrinsic motivation. The discussion will be strongly motivated by behavioural and neural data. We hope to provide a discussion friendly environment to connect with research with similar interest regardless of their area of expertise which could include robotics, computer science, psychology, neuroscience, etc. We would also like to devise a roadmap or strategies to develop mathematical and computational models to improve robot performance and/or to attempt to unveil the underlying mechanisms that lead to continual adaptation to changing environment or embodiment and continual learning in open-ended environments. The primary list of topics covers the following (but not limited to): - Emergence of representations via continual interaction - Continual sensory-motor learning - Action-perception cycle - Active perception - Environmental-driven scaffolding - Intrinsic motivation - Neural substrates, neural circuits and neural plasticity - Human and animal behaviour experiments and models - Reinforcement learning and deep reinforcement learning for life-long learning - Multisensory robot learning - Multimodal sensorimotor learning - Affordance learning - Prediction learning Organizers: - Nicolás Navarro-Guerrero, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark - Sao Mai Nguyen, IMT Atlantique, France - Erhan Öztop, Özyeğin University, Turkey - Junpei Zhong, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan Nguyen Sao Mai nguyensmai(a)gmail.com Researcher in Cognitive Developmental Robotics http://nguyensmai.free.fr

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2 open PhD positions in Sprekeler & Kempter labs on models of memory consolidation
by Richard Kempter Sept. 3, 2018

Sept. 3, 2018

Dear all, 2 PhD positions are open in the labs of Henning Sprekeler (TU Berlin) and Richard Kempter (HU Berlin), respectively, to be filled as soon as possible. Both positions are part of the recently established collaborative research center "Mechanisms and disturbances in memory consolidation: >From synapses to systems" https://fis.hu-berlin.de/converis/portal/Project/401700446?auxfun=&lang=en_… The project B01 in this research center focuses on developing computational models of systems memory consolidation, both conceptually and constrained by data from rodents and flies. The two PhD students are expected to collaborate closely. The ideal candidate has a background in computational neuroscience, strong mathematical and programming skills, and a keen interest in synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. If you are interested, please contact Henning Sprekeler or Richard Kempter. Please send the usual application documents (CV, letter of motivation, certificates of BSc and MSc, 2 references) until September 13, 2018. Interviews will take place on September 24/25 and/or September 28, i.e. around the Bernstein Conference in Berlin. Best wishes, Henning & Richard --- Prof. Dr. Henning Sprekeler (TU Berlin) Modelling of cognitive processes Technische Universität Berlin & Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin Sekr. MAR 5-3 Marchstr. 23 10587 Berlin, Germany Email: h.sprekeler(a)tu-berlin.de https://www.cognition.tu-berlin.de/menue/members/henning_sprekeler/ Phone: +49 (0)30 314 73557 Prof. Dr. Richard Kempter (HU Berlin) Theoretical neuroscience Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin & Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin Philippstr. 13, Building number 4 D-10115 Berlin, Germany Email: r.kempter(a)biologie.hu-berlin.de http://itb.biologie.hu-berlin.de/~kempter/index.html Phone +49-(0)30-2093-98404

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EEG and Machine Learning Postdoctoral Position at Stanford for Personalized Medicine
by Sanggyun Kim Sept. 1, 2018

Sept. 1, 2018

*EEG and Machine Learning Postdoctoral Position at Stanford for PersonalizedMedicine* The Laboratory of Amit Etkin, MD PhD at Stanford University is currently accepting applications for a postdoctoral fellow focused on machine learning and other sophisticated analyses of electroencephalography (EEG) data. This position is funded by an NIH Director’s Pioneer Award. The focus of the position is on creating and applying a variety of data analytic approaches to large EEG data sets (across individuals, or longitudinally within- individual) for the purpose of prediction of clinical outcome and tracking of clinical change. Particular emphasis is on connecting signal processing methodology to the classification challenges, potential use of deep learning, and building on applications from other related areas (e.g. brain-computer interface or other decoding efforts). It is anticipated that this work will contribute to development of clinic-translatable biomarkers, and will be part of FDA approval-directed efforts ongoing in the lab. The successful applicant will have a PhD in Engineering, Statistics, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Neurophysiology, Psychology, or related fields. Advanced experience with EEG data analysis and/or machine learning is required. Additionally, strong quantitative skills and a programming background are important. Duties will also include manuscript preparation, presentation of findings at conferences, and contribution to the preparation of grants. Laboratory and Stanford resources are extensive, MRI scanners, simultaneous EEG/fMRI, multiple high density EEG setups, and concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)/fMRI and concurrent TMS/EEG setups. Salary commensurate with experience. More information about our ongoing studies can be found at: http://etkinlab.stanford.edu. To apply, please send a curriculum vitae, a statement describing research interests and relevant background and the names of three recommenders, as well as relevant reprints/preprints of research articles to: Amit Etkin, MD, PhD Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford Neurosciences Institute Stanford University amitetkin(a)stanford.edu

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The Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience - recent articles
by Stephen Coombes Aug. 28, 2018

Aug. 28, 2018

The Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience publishes research articles on the mathematical modelling and analysis of all areas of neuroscience. The new Impact Factor of the journal is 2.414 The current list of journal articles is available at http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/ : Stochastic Hybrid Systems in Cellular Neuroscience Paul C. Bressloff and James N. Maclaurin https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… Data Assimilation Methods for Neuronal State and Parameter Estimation Matthew J. Moye and Casey O. Diekman https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… Bifurcations of Limit Cycles in a Reduced Model of the Xenopus Tadpole Central Pattern Generator Andrea Ferrario, Robert Merrison-Hort, Stephen R. Soffe, Wen-Chang Li and Roman Borisyuk https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… What Is Required for Neuronal Calcium Waves? A Numerical Parameter Study Markus Breit and Gillian Queisser https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… Investigating the Correlation–Firing Rate Relationship in Heterogeneous Recurrent Networks Andrea K. Barreiro and Cheng Ly https://mathematical-neuroscience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13408-… All articles are Open Access. ------------------------------------------------------- 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.

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LACONEU Summer School - January 2019
by Patricio Orio Aug. 24, 2018

Aug. 24, 2018

----------------------------------------------------------------------- We have the pleasure to invite Graduate and Undergraduate students to participate in: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- LACONEU 2019 V Latin American Summer School in Computational Neuroscience Special Topic: Complex Systems and Network Connectivity January 7-25th, 2019 Valparaíso - CHILE http://www.laconeu.cl ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The principal aims of LACONEU 2019 Summer School are to disseminate and to develop Computational Neuroscience in Latin America, gathering researchers and students with common interests in the beautiful and historical city of Valparaiso, in Chile. LACONEU 2019 expects to foster a collaborative exchange between the attendees, researchers and students, based on fundamental theoretical and practical knowledge, and thus, to help the establishment of strong, long-term collaborations. This version also includes a WORKSHOP on January 16th, 2019 CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: - Demian Battaglia, Theoretical Neuroscience Group, INT, France - Joana Cabral, University of Oxford, UK - Bruno Cessac, INRIA Sophia-Antipolis, France - Dante Chialvo, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Argentina - Rodrigo Cofré, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile - Mauro Copelli, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil - Maxime Descoteaux, Université de Sherbrook, Canada - Wael El-Deredy, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile - Pamela Guevara, Universidad de Concepción, Chile - María-José Escobar, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile - Henrik Jensen, Imperial College London, UK - Thierry Mora, École Normale Superiéure, France - Patricio Orio, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile - Adrián Palacios, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile - Tomás Pérez Acle, Fundación Ciencia y Vida, Chile - Peter Robinson, The University of Sydney, Australia - Fernando Rosas, Imperial College London, UK - Inés Samengo, Centro Atómico Bariloche e Instituto Balseiro, Argentina IMPORTANT DATES - Call for Applications: June 8th, 2018 - Application submission deadline: September 15th, 2018 (visit the webpage to see the details) - Acceptance notification: October 31st, 2018 TRAVEL GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR LATIN AMERICAN STUDENTS Looking forward to see you in January! *Prof. Patricio Orio* Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias de Valparaíso *CINV* Facultad de Ciencias, *Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile* +56 32 299 5538 / 32 250 8040

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Postdoc at RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Japan
by Taro Toyoizumi Aug. 23, 2018

Aug. 23, 2018

A postdoc position is available at Lab for Neural Computation and Adaptation, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Japan http://toyoizumilab.brain.riken.jp/ to work with Taro Toyoizumi. Job: https://cbs.riken.jp/en/careers/20180817_w929_t_toyoizumi_r.html Our lab is interested in modeling activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and dynamic information processing by the neurons in the brain. We seek highly motivated postdoctoral researchers with a strong analytical background and interest in neuroscience. Applicants should have a PhD in physics, neuroscience, mathematics, computer science, engineering, or a related area. Applicants should email a CV and a list of publications to toyoizumilab(a)ml.riken.jp In addition, applicants should organize two letters of recommendation, to be sent by the referees to toyoizumilab(a)ml.riken.jp

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NEST 2.16.0 released
by Hans Ekkehard Plesser Aug. 21, 2018

Aug. 21, 2018

Dear colleagues! I am very excited to inform you that we have released version 2.16.0 of NEST, the Neural Simulation Tool, today. NEST 2.16.0 is the result of 89 merged pull requests by 39 developers since we released NEST 2.14.0 in October 2017. Most notably, this release includes a new infrastructure for the storage of connections, which reduces the memory consumption and network build times (Jordan et al., 2018) and extends the rate model framework for novel use-cases (Senden et al., 2018). As usual, it also includes numerous bug fixes and minor improvements. At the same time, the we have tried to minimize changes to the user interface, so scripts that worked with NEST 2.14.0 should work with NEST 2.16.0 as well. One exception is that global spike detectors have been removed, but this should be relevant only for users on petascale machines. For a detailed list of changes, please see https://github.com/nest/nest-simulator/releases/tag/v2.16.0 The citation for NEST 2.16.0 is Linssen, Charl, Lepperød, Mikkel Elle, Mitchell, Jessica, Pronold, Jari, Eppler, Jochen Martin, Keup, Chrisitan, … Plesser, Hans Ekkehard. (2018, August 27). NEST 2.16.0 (Version 2.16.0). Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1400175 We would like to encourage you to switch to NEST 2.16.0 as soon as possible and are looking forward to hearing about your experiences! On behalf of the NEST Initiative, I would like to thank all developers who have contributed to NEST 2.16.0 and especially our release managers Dennis Terhorst and Jochen Eppler for wrapping it all up! Best regards, Hans Ekkehard Plesser President, The NEST Initiative -- Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser Associate Professor Faculty of Science and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no Home http://arken.nmbu.no/~plesser

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Human Neocortical Neurosolver: A new tool for circuit level investigation of MEG/EEG data
by Stephanie Jones Aug. 21, 2018

Aug. 21, 2018

We are excited to announce the first release of a new user-friendly software package for circuit level interpretation of human EEG/MEG data: Human Neocortical Neurosolver (HNN). The foundation of HNN is a computational neural model that simulates the electrical activity of the neocortical cells and circuits that generate the primary electrical currents underlying EEG/MEG recordings. HNN is a free open source package that was designed for researchers and clinicians, without computational neural modeling experience, to develop and test hypothesis on the circuit origin of their data. We provide tutorials on how to import your data and to begin to understand the underlying neural mechanisms. The tutorials focus on some of the most commonly measured signals, including event related potentials and low frequency alpha, beta and gamma rhythms. We are eager to help users get started and have developed a user forum for feedback and questions. HNN is distributed at https://hnn.brown.edu <https://hnn.brown.edu/>. HNN is being developed by a collaborative team at Brown, MGH and Yale. HNN developments are funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering through the BRAIN Initiative: Theories, Models, and Methods of Analysis of Complex Data from the Brain. ******************************************* Stephanie R. Jones, PhD - on behalf of the development team Associate Professor Brown University Department of Neuroscience Stephanie_Jones(a)Brown.edu https://www.brown.edu/research/labs/jones/

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Full-time industry position: Computational Neuroscience / Neuromorphic Machine Learning
by Dylan Muir Aug. 17, 2018

Aug. 17, 2018

aiCTX is an ultra-low-power neuromorphic computing startup / spin-off of the Institute of Neuroinformatics of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich. aiCTX has an immediate opening for a Neuromorphic Machine Learning R&D Engineer We are looking particularly for comp. neurosci. researchers, with a background in theory and/or modelling of spiking neural networks. This position is for a full-time on-going contract, in Zürich Switzerland. We also have paid internships available for qualified candidates. Please see the job posting for more details, and to apply: http://bit.ly/aiCTX_job2 <http://bit.ly/aiCTX_job2>

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Funded mathematics PhD position - Designing the dynamics of coupled oscillators - University of Exeter
by Purcell, Sarah Aug. 17, 2018

Aug. 17, 2018

Funded mathematics PhD position - Designing the dynamics of coupled oscillators University of Exeter<https://www.exeter.ac.uk/>, UK Supervisors: - Dr Christian Bick<http://empslocal.ex.ac.uk/people/staff/cb618/> - Dr Kyle Wedgwood <http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kcaw201> The University of Exeter's College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences is inviting applications for a fully-funded PhD studentship to commence in September 2018 or as soon as possible thereafter. For eligible students the studentship will cover tuition fees in full plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £14,777 for 3.5 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study. The student would be based in the Department of Mathematics in the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences in Exeter. Networks of interacting oscillatory units are abundant in nature and technology. Their function and dynamics governs crucial aspects of our lives, ranging from the stability of power grids to the dynamics of the human brain. The dynamics of oscillator networks depends on (1) which oscillators interact with which other oscillator and (2) how oscillators interact with one another. This project will contribute to the question how the interplay between these two factors shape the network dynamics. The main aim of this PhD project is to develop theoretical and numerical approaches how oscillator networks can be designed to have specific interactions. This will allow to generate networks that exhibit a range of synchronized and locally synchronized dynamics. Moreover, the supervisor is currently collaborating with the experimental group of Istvan Z Kiss in St Louis (USA) who are working on electrochemical oscillators. Hence, there may be an opportunity to help implement the theoretical results in real-world experimental systems. The studentship will be awarded on the basis of merit for 3.5 years of full-time study to commence in September 2018 or on a mutually agreed date as soon as possible thereafter, and is subject to confirmation of funding. For full details please see the PhD advert<https://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=3189>. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Dr Christian Bick<http://empslocal.ex.ac.uk/people/staff/cb618/> or Dr Kyle Wedgwood. <http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/kcaw201>

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Postdoc available in Brinkman group at Stony Brook University
by Braden Brinkman Aug. 16, 2018

Aug. 16, 2018

A postdoctoral position is available in Braden Brinkman's group in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Stony Brook University, located on Long Island in New York State. The Brinkman group studies mathematical models of sensory coding and network dynamics, with a focus on how environmental and physiological constraints shape coding and computation in the brain. For more information on our work and the department, please visit https://medicine.stonybrookmedicine.edu/node/14355 Candidates must have a strong background in quantitative methods; background in statistical physics is a plus. Please submit applications through Stony Brook's jobs portal here (job # 1802370): https://stonybrooku.taleo.net/careersection/post_docs/jobdetail.ftl?job=180… Complete applications must include 1. C.V. including a list of publications/preprints, research experience, and education 2. A 1-2 page summary of previous research accomplishments 3. A 1-2 page description of future research goals and interests 4. 2-3 references letters from scientists familiar with the candidates work Items 1-3 may be attached through the online application portal. Letter writers should send letters directly to braden.brinkman(a)stonybrook.edu Deadline for applications is Sept 1. Please email braden.brinkman(a)stonybrook.edu with any questions.

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Contrat post-doctorant 2018-2020 - Laboratoire FrontLAB, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière (ICM), PARIS (FR)
by Bénédicte BATRANCOURT Aug. 16, 2018

Aug. 16, 2018

*Contrat post-doctoral 2018-2020* Laboratoire FrontLAB, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière (ICM), PARIS Inserm, U 1127, CNRS, UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR S 1127 https://icm-institute.org/fr/ L’Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM) est un centre de recherche de dimension internationale, innovant dans sa conception comme dans son organisation. En réunissant en un même lieu malades, médecins et chercheurs, l’objectif est de permettre la mise au point rapide de traitements pour les lésions du système nerveux afin de les appliquer aux patients dans les meilleurs délais. D’un point de vue scientifique, les équipes de recherche sont indépendantes, mais alliées entre elles par des Programmes Transversaux de Recherche favorisant la mutualisation des compétences. La recherche se décline selon trois modèles : la recherche fondamentale orientée vers les domaines fondamentaux d’une discipline, la recherche clinique dans laquelle le sujet participe à des protocoles pour améliorer la connaissance d’une pathologie ou d’une thérapeutique et la recherche translationnelle qui permet aux patients de bénéficier plus rapidement des innovations diagnostiques et thérapeutiques. La recherche à l’ICM couvre 4 domaines scientifiques majeurs : Neurosciences Moléculaires et Cellulaires, Neurophysiologie intégrée, Neurosciences Cognitives, Neurosciences Cliniques et Translationnelles. Dans notre équipe FRONTlab (Richard LEVY, Bruno DUBOIS), nous travaillons sur les fonctions mentales élaborées par les lobes frontaux. L’un des enjeux majeurs des neurosciences est de connaître en profondeur les fonctions frontales afin de *comprendre comment sont élaborés et contrôlés nos comportements les plus complexes* (prise de décision, planification raisonnement, créativité, jugement moral, interactions sociales…). Une connaissance approfondie des lobes frontaux est aussi indispensable pour mieux traiter les nombreuses maladies neurologiques et psychiatriques s’accompagnant d’une atteinte des lobes frontaux (maladie d’Alzheimer, AVC, traumatismes crâniens, dépression, schizophrénie…). Nos objectifs sont de mieux cerner l’implication des lobes frontaux dans le comportement humain et les fonctions intellectuelles les plus élaborées, et de transférer les connaissances acquises vers la pratique médicale. Nous proposons un contrat de postdoctorant de 2 ans afin de participer au développement du projet ECOCAPTURE, permettant d’évaluer l’apathie de façon quantitative et objective, par l’observation du sujet en condition proche de la vie réelle. L’étude ECOCAPTURE se déroule dans la plate-forme de recherche de psychologie expérimentale de l'ICM (PRISME) qui est consacrée à l'exploration fonctionnelle du comportement humain dans des situations écologiques. L’étude ECOCAPTURE a débuté en septembre 2017, et porte sur 75 patients (Démence Fronto-Temporale, Parkinson, Dépression) et 60 volontaires sains. A ce jour 16 participants ont été inclus (8 patients et 8 volontaires sains). Dans cette étude et la phase dite de laboratoire, *l’apathie est évaluée en condition observationnelle* grâce à un système qui enregistre le comportement du sujet à l’aide d’un système à base de vidéo et de capteurs, durant une session expérimentale de 45 mn « proche de la vie réelle » qui se déroule dans une salle d’attente, selon un scénario contrôlé. L’objectif principal de l’étude ECOCAPTURE est de montrer que l’outil ECOCAPTURE basé sur des enregistrements vidéo et des capteurs d’activité et de mouvements, possède une valeur d’outil diagnostique de l’apathie. La méthode générale concerne en l’extraction de métriques comportementales à partir des données vidéo et des données extraites d’un accéléromètre 3D afin de différencier le comportement des patients de celui des sujets volontaires sains. L’étude ECOCAPTURE est la première étape d'un programme en trois phases visant à mieux évaluer l'apathie en situation « proche de la vie réelle » et à proposer de nouveaux traitements. La première phase dite « de laboratoire » a pour objectif la mise en œuvre d’un outil diagnostic de l'apathie produisant une « signature simple du comportement dirigé vers un but » ou « signature comportementale de l’apathie » permettant d'évaluer l'apathie, en situation de vie quotidienne, de façon objective (un marqueur d'apathie). Nous espérons que la création et la validation de cet outil ECOCAPTURE rendra possible dans une deuxième phase, son utilisation en clinique ainsi qu’une évaluation au domicile *ECOCAPTURE@home* avec un système de capteurs embarqués : un « holter d'apathie ». Une troisième phase visera à proposer un traitement des conséquences de l'apathie dans la vie quotidienne. L’objectif de ce contrat postdoctoral est de développer la deuxième phase : *ECOCAPTURE@home*. Nous recherchons un candidat titulaire d’un doctorat en neurosciences, sciences cognitives ou en bioinformatique, de formation : psychologue, neuropsychologue, neurologue, psychiatre, éthologue ou ingénieur biomédical. Le candidat devra posséder plusieurs compétences parmi la liste suivante : neuropsychologie, éthologie, mesure du comportement, instruments neuropsychologiques, qualités psychométriques d’un outil d’évaluation, capteurs et actigraphie, statistiques, fusion de données, classification. Une bonne connaissance de la langue française est indispensable afin de permettre les interactions avec les patients et leurs aidants. Ce contrat permettra à un chercheur motivé de participer à un projet multidisciplinaire et très original, de collaborer avec des chercheurs de disciplines diverses, de bénéficier d’un environnement scientifique international et stimulant, et de participer à la vie de l’équipe FrontLAB constituée d’un groupe de 12 PI chacun responsable d’un projet dédié à la compréhension du lobe frontal, et accueillant chaque année de nombreux étudiants. *La rémunération sera établie en fonction du barème de rémunération des contractuels Inserm* Merci d’envoyer votre CV avec une lettre de motivation et les noms et emails de deux personnes de référence à Bénédicte BATRANCOURT ( benedicte.batrancourt(a)upmc.fr) avant le 30 septembre 2018. Bénédicte Batrancourt ICM, UPMC, INSERM UMR_S 1127, CNRS UMR 7225 Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière 47 Boulevard de l’Hôpital F-75651 PARIS Cedex 13 Tel : 01 57 27 41 59 Tel : 06 60 44 79 79 benedicte.batrancourt(a)upmc.fr http://icm-institute.org ----------------------------------- Afin de contribuer au respect de l'environnement, merci de n'imprimer ce mail qu'en cas de nécessité.

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Up to 8 PhD fellowships in Cognitive Neuroscience at SISSA, Trieste, Italy
by Alessandro Treves Aug. 16, 2018

Aug. 16, 2018

SISSA is an elite postgraduate research institution, focused on Maths, Physics and Neuroscience. It operates in English: many among its students and faculty are not Italian. Campus above Trieste, overlooking the Gulf. Research approaches in the CNS PhD https://phdcns.sissa.it/ span the range from cognitive psychology and imaging in humans to behavioural neuroscience and multiple single-unit recording in rats, mathematical and computational modeling; with research groups led by Domenica Bueti, Davide Crepaldi, Mathew Diamond, Chris Mathys, Raffaella Rumiati, Alessandro Treves and Davide Zoccolan. Allied approaches are pursued in other SISSA PhDs. All admitted students receive a 4-year fellowship and engage full-time in research based in Trieste, with limited coursework in the first few months, talks and seminars throughout the year and a TEX event in the summer, see https://indico.sissa.it/event/26/ First deadline for EU candidates: March 2, 2018, for nonEU: March 31, 2018 -- Alessandro Treves http://people.sissa.it/~ale/limbo.html SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy +39-040-3787623 Ambassador (BlaBlaCar) +39-349-2504602

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Save the date ICTALS2019 (IWSP9), Exeter, UK, September 2nd – 5th 2019
by Goodfellow, Marc Aug. 15, 2018

Aug. 15, 2018

Dear All, The International Conference for Technology and AnaLysis of Seizures, 2019 (ICTALS2019) will take place at the University of Exeter, September 2nd – 5th 2019. The goal of this conference is to bring together neurologists, neuroscientists, researchers from quantitative disciplines and people with lived experience of epilepsy in order to work as a community to advance our understanding of epilepsy and develop practical ways to improve diagnosis and treatment. This is the second ICTALS conference, which is an evolution of the previous International Workshop on Seizure Prediction (IWSP) series. The theme for this year’s conference will be: “The Epilepsy Journey: from first seizure to treatment and beyond”. We will emphasise how advances in our understanding of the dynamics of brain networks can be used to make a difference to people with epilepsy at all points of their journey: from elucidating the causes of the first seizure to diagnosing epilepsy, understanding how ictogenic networks give rise to recurrent seizures and how this insight can inform personalised treatment. To encourage this focus on translatable output of research we will seek to include all relevant communities. In addition to focussing on current scientific, clinical and technological advances, we will take steps to increase accessibility for people with lived experience of epilepsy. We have begun to create a webpage for the conference, which we will populate with further information in due course. You can find this at: http://exeter.ac.uk/ictals2019 In the mean time, please save the date above in your diary and we will follow up with further information, including registration and programs over the next few months. Best wishes Marc Goodfellow (on behalf of the local organising committee). https://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/mg401

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MRC Skills Development Fellowships at the University of Exeter
by Purcell, Sarah Aug. 15, 2018

Aug. 15, 2018

Dear Colleagues, The University of Exeter<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/> is delighted to be partnering with the Medical Research Council<https://mrc.ukri.org/> (MRC) to offer exceptional candidates the opportunity to hold a 3 year Skills Development Fellowship, commencing between November 2018 and March 2019. MRC Skills Development Fellowships are prestigious personal awards, aimed at exceptional early career researchers with a strong background in mathematical, statistical, computational or biophysical modelling and analysis, or for more advanced researchers from a biomedical or clinical background who are seeking to develop strong quantitative skills. The University of Exeter has a wide variety of opportunities to develop these quantitative skills in the context of neuroscience and neurology, endocrinology and metabolism, and primary care population and health services research. Successful applicants will be housed within the brand new £52M Living Systems Institute<https://www.exeter.ac.uk/livingsystems/> where they will be co-located with 8 other MRC Fellowship holders. They will receive 3 years of funding with substantial budgets for travel, skills development and consumables as determined by their project needs. As part of the Fellowship candidates will also have the opportunity to spend up to a year in an internationally leading second research centre. Additionally, candidates will receive a £5,000 career development budget from the University of Exeter. Full details of this opportunity are available from www.exetermrcsdf.ac.uk<http://www.exetermrcsdf.ac.uk/> and in the information video<https://youtu.be/LKgl1WqiRgU>. Applications are now open with a closing date of 13th September 2018. Please do share these details with any potentially interested parties.

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Funded postdoc positions: Synaptic and network mechanisms of visual perception
by Haider, Bilal Aug. 14, 2018

Aug. 14, 2018

The Haider Lab in the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Georgia Tech & Emory University seeks highly motivated and skilled postdoctoral fellows for a 3-5 year NIH funded project examining synaptic and network mechanisms supporting sensory perception. The position is available immediately and conforms to NIH standards for salary and benefits. The project offers significant opportunity to use cutting-edge research techniques in vivo during visual perception. These include 1) neural population recording with high-density silicon electrodes, 2) optogenetic circuit manipulation, and 3) whole-cell patch-clamp recording during behavior. The ideal candidate has expertise in patch clamp or multi-electrode electrophysiology in vitro or in vivo, and quantitative skill in data acquisition and analysis (preferably with MATLAB). Candidates should have excellent written and verbal communication skills, an inquisitive mindset, and enthusiasm to work in a multi-disciplinary team. The position is funded for up to 5 years, pending satisfactory performance upon annual review. We are enthusiastic to form a diverse, international research group. All candidates will be mentored for independent career development. There is a strong, multidisciplinary concentration of labs focusing on Neuroscience at GT and at Emory. Atlanta is vibrant, green, diverse, and one of the most affordable and livable major cities of the US. Applications should include a CV, a brief statement of research goals, expected date of availability, and names and contact information of three references. Please email materials to bilal.haider(a)bme.gatech.edu Further information and recent lab publications can be found at haider.gatech.edu Bilal Haider, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering Georgia Tech & Emory University 313 Ferst Drive, Suite 3104 Atlanta, GA 30332 tel: +1 404 385 4935 fax: +1 404 385 5044 site: haider.gatech.edu<http://haider.gatech.edu/> twitter: @haiderlab<https://twitter.com/haiderlab>

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Postdoctoral Research Fellow roles - EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare, University of Exeter
by Purcell, Sarah Aug. 13, 2018

Aug. 13, 2018

2 Postdoctoral Research Fellow roles - EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare University of Exeter, UK Two Research Fellows are required to support the EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare<http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/research/pmh/> (CPMH). The roles are available from 01 October 2018, or a mutually agreeable date soon thereafter, for a period of up to 24 months. The CPMH is a £2M award which brings together outstanding scientists from mathematics, statistics, computer science and our medical school. With an additional £7M in research funding, the interface between mathematics, computer science and healthcare is one of the most rapidly expanding areas within the University. The Centre forms part of the Quantitative Biology and Medicine Initiative, which currently consists of 15 PDRAs, 9 fellowship holders, and 10 PhD students. The successful candidates are expected to focus on one of the following areas, depending on their interests and background: (a) Transient dynamics of networks with multiple time scales: there are significant mathematical challenges from disease modelling that require the development of new techniques to understand transient behaviour in multiple timescale systems, especially for systems where there is not a simple factorization into fast and slow subsystems. (b) Numerical investigation of models of cardiac diseases: involving multi-scale excitable and transient dynamics, with a focus on re-entrant arrhythmias specifically concerning development and improvements of antiarrhythmia pacing, low-voltage defibrillation and catheter ablation. [In partnership with cardiologists at the RD&E Hospital, Exeter]. (c) Mathematical modelling and analysis of EEG in dementia: EEG analysis has shown promise in differentiating people with dementia from healthy older adults, and therefore could provide indications for early diagnosis. We will use mathematical models to better understand why differences in EEG occur and combine models and analysis to build improved diagnostic markers. [In partnership with colleagues in Bath, Bristol & Reading]. (d) Mathematical modelling and analysis of polygenic disease: conditions such as diabetes and dementia depend on the simultaneous presence of several genes; they are not inherited as simply as single-gene diseases and therefore require the development of new mathematical approaches to improve diagnosis via e.g. the interpretation and uncertainty quantification of proportions of patients in large data sets (e.g. UK Biobank) using genetic risk scores. [In partnership with diabetologists and neurologists from the Medical School]. For full details please see the job advert<https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BLL261/postdoctoral-research-fellow/>. Application deadline: 20 August 2018. For further information please contact Centre Manager Sarah Purcell, email S.Purcell(a)exeter.ac.uk<mailto:S.Purcell@exeter.ac.uk> or telephone 01392 726447.

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PhD deeplearning in neuroimaging - Amsterdam
by Rajat Thomas Aug. 10, 2018

Aug. 10, 2018

PhD student “Deep learning analysis of neuroimaging data” The job Amsterdam UMC (University of Amsterdam) has a vacancy for a PhD student. The aim of the project is to develop deep neural network (DNN) analysis of neuroimaging data to enable neuroimaging biomarker development. Neuroimaging data consist of thousands of features but the training of DNNs is typically hampered by limited samples. You will use large existing datasets (>10.000 subjects) for the development of DNN analysis and test the resulting models in smaller samples to develop neuroimaging biomarkers for psychiatric disorders. Our department The project is a collaboration with Phillips Research and funded by a public-private partnership grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). You will closely collaborate with experts in DNN and neuroimaging data analysis from Philips. The project is embedded within the Department of Psychiatry of the Amsterdam UMC, and you will be supervised by Dr. Rajat Thomas (deep learning) and Prof. Guido van Wingen (neuroimaging). Your experience We are looking for a highly talented and dedicated PhD student with a (nearly completed) Master’s degree in a computer science, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, mathematics, statistics, engineering, or related discipline. You have a strong background in mathematics, statistics, and programming, preferably in one of the major frameworks for deep learning like TensorFlow, Pytorch and/or Keras, and preferably have experience with medical image analysis. You have good communicative skills and are well able to work independently as well as in a team. You are proficient in English in speech and writing. Dutch is a plus but not required. Our offer We offer a challenging research project and excellent resources for the duration of 4 years. The starting date is preferably around December 2018. Compensation is according to the collective agreement (CAO-UMC), and amounts from EUR 2.279,- gross per month in the first year to EUR 2.919,- in the fourth year. You will be employed by AMC Medical Research BV. Your application For more information, please contact Dr. Rajat Thomas (r.m.thomas(a)amc.nl) or Prof. Guido van Wingen (g.a.vanwingen(a)amc.nl) Please apply online before September 8 at https://werkenbijamc.nl/vacatures/phd-student-deep-learning-analysis-of-neu…

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Postdoc deeplearning in medical imaging - Amsterdam
by Rajat Thomas Aug. 10, 2018

Aug. 10, 2018

Postdoctoral / Ph.D. researcher “Deep learning analysis of neuroimaging data” The job Amsterdam UMC (University of Amsterdam) has a vacancy for a postdoctoral researcher. The aim of the project is to develop deep neural network (DNN) analysis of neuroimaging data to enable neuroimaging biomarker development. Neuroimaging data consist of thousands of features but the training of DNNs is typically hampered by limited samples. You will use large existing datasets (>10.000 subjects) for the development of DNN analysis and test the resulting models in smaller samples to develop neuroimaging biomarkers for psychiatric disorders. Our department The project is a collaboration with Phillips Research and funded by a public-private partnership grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). You will closely collaborate with experts in DNN and neuroimaging data analysis from Philips. The project is embedded within the Department of Psychiatry of the Amsterdam UMC, and you will be supervised by Dr. Rajat Thomas (deep learning) and Prof. Guido van Wingen (neuroimaging). Your experience We are looking for a postdoctoral fellow with a (nearly completed) PhD in computer science, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, mathematics, statistics, engineering, or related discipline. You have a strong background in mathematics, statistics, and programming in one of the major frameworks for deep learning like TensorFlow, Pytorch and/or Keras, and preferably have experience with medical image analysis. You have excellent communicative skills in written and spoken English (Dutch is a plus but not required) and are well able to work independently as well as in a team. You have an interest in neuroscience and developing biomedical applications, and as postdoctoral researcher will assist in the supervision of junior researchers. Our offer We offer a challenging research project and excellent resources for the duration of 1 year with a possible extension of 2 years. The starting date is preferably around December 2018. Compensation is according to the collective agreement (CAO-UMC), depending on education and experience. You will be employed by AMC Medical Research BV. Your application For more information, please contact Dr. Rajat Thomas (r.m.thomas(a)amc.nl) or Prof. Guido van Wingen (g.a.vanwingen(a)amc.nl) Please apply online at https://werkenbijamc.nl/vacatures/postdoctoral-researcher-deep-learning-ana…

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ESI SyNC Conference 2018 - Integrative Mechanisms of Cognitive Neuroscience | DEADLINE APPROACHING
by André Castro Aug. 9, 2018

Aug. 9, 2018

Dear all, this is a kind reminder that ESI Sync 2018 is approaching. The registration deadline is 15th August and only a limited number of places are available. This year’s theme is "Integrative Mechanisms in Cognitive Neuroscience: Crossroads to the Brain”. The conference will begin in the morning of 30th August and end in the evening of 31st August 2018 at the Ernst Strüngmann Institute in Frankfurt, Germany. Our confirmed invited speakers are the following: - David Melcher (University of Trento, Italy) -- "Temporal rhythms of visual perception" - Dimitri Kullmann (UCL, UK) -- "Hippocampal gamma oscillations: dynamical properties and closed-loop manipulation" - Matteo Carandini (UCL, UK) -- "Local and global neural correlates of vision, action, and reward" - Biyu He (NYU, US) -- ''Large-scale brain dynamics underlying visual perceptual awareness'' - Tobias Donner (UKE, Germany) -- tba - Wim Vanduffel (KU Leuven, Belgium) -- "Optogenetic interrogation of the attention network in primates" - Anitha Pasupathy (University of Washington, US) -- "Encoding things and stuff: multiplexed form and texture signals in primate V4" - Floris de Lange (Radboud University, Netherlands) -- "How do prior expectations influence sensory computations?" - Hannah Monyer (Heidelberg University, Germany) -- ''GABAergic neurons – the cellular substrate for local and long-range synchrony'' - James Bisley (UCLA, US) -- ''The complementary roles of areas LIP and FEF in guiding eye movements'' This year we have the pleasure to announce as our special guest the choreographer Ildikó Tóth! In order to register, please fill out the registration form (that can be found at http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/registration/ ) and email it to events(a)esi-frankfurt.de. Please see our [website](http://www.esi-frankfurt.de/esisync/esisync-home/) for more details and updates on the programme. Organising Committee: Wolf Singer Pascal Fries André Castro Tommaso Tosato Ana Broggini Miriam Mueller Renata Vajda

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Final call and reminder - workshop on Computational Neuroscience and Robotics: University of York, 3-5 Sep 2018.
by David Halliday Aug. 8, 2018

Aug. 8, 2018

The SPANNER workshop on Astrocyte-Neuron interactions, Spiking Neural Networks and Autonomous robotics is still accepting applications to attend. Due to sponsorship we can offer free registration, including meals at this 2.5 day workshop. We have invited speakers from USA, EU and UK. We are still accepting abstracts for contributed talks. Overnight accommodation will be provided for PhD students and early career researchers and PhD student travel bursaries are available. Up to date information is on the web site: https://www.york.ac.uk/spanner-workshop We warmly invite you to the historic city of York next month.

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PhD positions in CRC 1330 Hearing Acoustics
by Seeber, Bernhard Aug. 7, 2018

Aug. 7, 2018

Dear colleagues, on behalf of Dr. Ewert I am pleased to announce two open positions in the Medical Physics Group at the University of Oldenburg, Germany, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) as part of newly established collaborative research centre CRC1330 Hearing Acoustics. Further information can be found here: PhD Position in the area of of auditory-object-based perception modelling for complex scenes: https://www.uni-oldenburg.de/stellen/?stelle=66162 PhD Position in the area of psychoacoustics in complex audio-visual virtual environments: https://www.uni-oldenburg.de/stellen/?stelle=66163 Both projects aim to transition from classical lab testing of hearing with simplified stimuli to using life-like realistic scenarios. Applications are requested no later than August 31, 2018. Many thanks, Stephan Ewert (Bernhard Seeber)

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Extension Call for Abstracts: New Deadline August 31 - Cognitive Computing - Merging Concepts with Hardware
by Prof. Dr. Gordon Pipa Aug. 6, 2018

Aug. 6, 2018

Upon demand and the holiday period in August we extend the Deadline for submissions of abstracts until the end of August. New Deadline for Abstract submission: August 31 Call for participation and contributions: COGNITIVE COMPUTING: MERGING CONCEPTS WITH HARDWARE December 18-20, 2018, Hannover, Germany http://www.cognitive-comp.org/ ** An interdisciplinary networking event / scientific conference ** We would like to draw your attention to an upcoming scientific community event. The aim of this conference is to work towards a general, productive, and rigorous theory of “computing” in non-digital, nonlinear physical substrates. Biological brains and unconventional computing machines would become understandable as different instantiations of the same underlying principles. Three scientific communities, namely - cognitive and computational neurosciences, - theory of computation, and - nonlinear materials, devices and systems have since long been exploring diverse facets of such principles of non-digital computing. But differences in terminology, discipline-specific objectives and a scattered spectrum of formal methods have handicapped cross-fertilization. Everything in this conference is geared toward stimulating linkages between these fields: - single-track with few but rather long oral presentations, - long break and poster session times for person-to-person interaction, - keynote and plenary speakers with interdisciplinary renown, - a limited (200) number of participants, - a splendid setting in the Castle of Herrenhausen, a heritage of the Kings of Hannover, with adjoining hectares of classical French gardening. Invited and confirmed speakers: - Kwabena Boahen, Stanford University - Joanna J. Bryson, Univ. of Bath and Princeton University - Chris Eliasmith, University of Waterloo - Edward A. Lee, UC Berkeley - Demetri Psaltis, EPFL Lausanne - Pieter Roelfsema, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam & Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience - Susan Stepney, University of York - Ipke Wachsmuth, University of Bielefeld - David Wolpert, Santa Fe Institute We solicit the submission of 2-page abstracts, with themes oriented toward our five topical sessions: - applications of unconventional computing systems, - theoretical concepts and mathematical foundations, - neuromorphic hardware, - novel physical substrates, - guides from neuroscience for computing technologies. In addition to latest specific achievements, we specifically encourage survey / introductory / didactic contributions. Detailed information can be found on http://www.cognitive-comp.org/ and in the Call for Abstracts that is posted there. Timelines: - Abstract submission: July 31 - Notification of acceptance: September 30 - Final abstract for online publication: October 31 Registration fees: - Students (incl. PhD students): 150 Euro - Others (academic): 300 Euro - Industry: 900 Euro Contributors of accepted oral presentations will be exempted from fees and will receive travel refunding. The event was made possible by the generous support from the Volkswagen Foundation, Germany’s largest private organization for the advancement of scientific research. The organizers: - Daniel Brunner (photonics, neuromorphic architectures; CNRS / University of Burgundy - Franche-Comté) - Herbert Jaeger (machine learning, nonlinear dynamics; Jacobs University Bremen) - Stuart Parkin (nano systems, quantum electronic materials; Max-Planck-Institute for Microstructure Physics, Halle) - Gordon Pipa (neuroinformatics and cognitive computing; University of Osnabrück)

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One postdoc and two PhD positions in Emmy-Noether group "Decision Neuroscience of Human Cooperation" in Hamburg, Germany
by Christoph Korn Aug. 3, 2018

Aug. 3, 2018

Dear all, I would be very grateful, if you could circulate the following job announcements. One postdoc and two PhD positions are available within the newly funded Emmy-Noether research group "Decision Neuroscience of Human Cooperation" led by Christoph Korn. *Research topic and group:* The group's aim is to investigate the decision-making and learning processes relevant for successful social cooperation between humans. The planned projects rely on a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches including computational modeling of behavioral data, evolutionary game theory, model-based and multivariate analyses of fMRI data, pupillometry, virtual reality, and testing of psychiatric patients. The group is based at the Institute of Systems Neuroscience (head: Prof. Christian Büchel) at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany. Psychiatric patients are tested in collaboration with Sabine Herpertz and her lab at the Heidelberg University Hospital. You can find more information here: http://christoph-korn.net/ *What the group offers:* - Opportunity to get hands-on supervision for learning various data acquisition and analysis techniques - Dynamic, interdisciplinary, and international research environment within the Institute of Systems Neuroscience - Research-dedicated T3 MR scanner (PRISMA), eye-tracking and VR laboratories, excellent infrastructure for behavioral testing - Multiple training opportunities within the institute (e.g., https://goo.gl/pU44vP) - Possibility to join the local graduate school, which is a member of national and international networks - Possibility of research stay with collaboration partners in the US *Your profile:* - You are interested in investigating how cooperation, decision-making, and learning relate to human brain activity and how they go awry in psychiatric disorders. - You like to design experiments, devise models, and analyze various types of data. - You have experience in conducting and analyzing behavioral experiments with human participants. - You are fluent in English. For the postdoc position and for one of the PhD positions, knowledge of German is not necessary. *Requirements for the postdoc position:* - A PhD (completed or close to the completion) in neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, economics, medicine, or a related discipline. - Experience in conducting and analyzing neuroimaging experiments (including familiarity with SPM, FSL, or similar programs). - Experience in using programming languages such as Matlab, R, or Python. - Experience in writing and publishing peer reviewed scientific papers. *Requirements for the PhD positions:* - A Master of Science or an equivalent degree in neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, economics, medicine, or a related discipline. - Experience in programming and in conducting or analyzing neuroimaging experiments is a big plus. - One of the PhD candidates will be (partly) based in Heidelberg to test psychiatric patients. This position is ideal for applicants with an interest in clinical psychiatry and requires knowledge of German to interact with patients. *Application and job specifications:* Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. The first review of applications will be in the beginning of September 2018. Preferred starting date is January 2019 but later starting dates may be possible. Salary depends on experience and is based on German regulations (the postdoc position is remunerated with the factor 100%, the PhD positions with the factor 65%). The appointments will be initially for 3 years with the possibility for continuation. The group is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment. If you are interested, please send one pdf-document including your CV, a brief statement of research interest, and the contact details of two academic referees to *c.korn(a)uke.de <c.korn(a)uke.de>*. Informal inquiries are welcome. Looking forward to hearing from you, Christoph

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A biologically motivated and more powerful alternative to locality-sensitive hashing
by Rod Rinkus Aug. 2, 2018

Aug. 2, 2018

I believe this community will be interested in a new downloadable Java app that I 've just made available on my web site (on this page <http://www.sparsey.com/CSA_explainer_app_page.html>), which describes an alternative, biologically motivated/plausible, way to achieve the goals of locality-sensitive hashing (LSH). This alternative model, called Sparsey, achieves a more graded notion of similarity preservation than LSH, and has many other advantages as well. Sparsey has a natural correspondence to the brain's cortex, centering on the idea that all items of information are stored as sparse distributed codes (SDCs), a.k.a., cell assemblies, in superposition in mesoscale cortical modules, e.g., macrocolumns (though other structures, e.g., mushroom bodies, are also candidates). Briefly, Sparsey preserves similarity from input space to SDR code space (measured as intersection size) as follows. - The process of choosing an SDC takes the form of Q independent softmax choices, one in each of the Q WTA competitive modules (CMs) that comprise the SDR coding field. - The familiarity (inverse novelty) of the input, denoted "G", which is in [0,1], is computed. This is an extremely simple computation. - The amount of noise in those Q softmax choice processes is modulated as a function of G. Basically, the softmax is over the distribution of input summations of the competing cells (in a given CM), but we use G to modulate (i.e. sharpen vs. flatten) those distributions. - When G is near 1 (perfect familiarity), the distributions are greatly sharpened, causing the expected number of CMs in which the cell with the highest input summation wins (and thus, the expected intersection of the resulting SDR with the closest matching previously stored SDR) to increase towards Q. When G is near 0 (completely novel), the distributions are flattened, causing the expected number of CMs in which the cell with max input summation wins (and thus, the expected intersection of the resulting SDR with the closest matching previously stored SDR) to decrease towards chance. In other words, this G-based modulation of the distributions, which can be viewed as varying the amount of noise in the choice process, achieves similarity preservation. I encourage members of this community to explore the app to understand this simple and more powerful alternative to LSH. I welcome your feedback. Sincerely, Rod Rinkus -- Gerard (Rod) Rinkus, PhD President, rod at neurithmicsystems dot com Neurithmic Systems LLC <http://sparsey.com> 275 Grove Street, Suite 2-400 Newton, MA 02466 617-997-6272 Visiting Scientist, Lisman Lab Volen Center for Complex Systems Brandeis University, Waltham, MA grinkus at brandeis dot edu http://people.brandeis.edu/~grinkus/ <http://people.brandeis.edu/%7Egrinkus/>

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Postdoc position in Geometric Methods for Deep and Reinforcement Learning at RIST
by Luigi Malagò Aug. 2, 2018

Aug. 2, 2018

=========================================================== *Subject*: Postdoc position in Machine Learning (1 year, renewable up to 2 years) *Institution*: RIST - Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca *Keywords*: Deep Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Stochastic Optimization, Optimization over Manifolds, Information Geometry, Riemannian Geometry *Application deadline*: 15 August 2018 (applicants are encouraged to apply earlier) *Salary*: around 2200 euro net *Official announcement*: http://rist.ro/en/details/news/postdoc-positio ns-in-deep-learning-and-machine-learning.html =========================================================== Dear colleagues, the Romanian Institute of Science and Technology (RIST) has an opening for a postdoc position, in the context of the DeepRiemann project “Riemannian Optimization Methods for Deep Learning”, funded by European structural funds through the Competitiveness Operational Program (POC 2014-2020). The appointments will be for 1 year, with possible extensions up to 2 years. The DeepRiemann project aims at the design and analysis of novel training algorithms for Neural Networks in Deep Learning, by applying notions of Riemannian optimization and differential geometry. The task of the training a Neural Network is studied by employing tools from Optimization over Manifolds and Information Geometry, by casting the learning process to an optimization problem defined over a statistical manifold, i.e., a set of probability distributions. The project is highly interdisciplinary, with competences spanning from Machine Learning to Optimization, Deep Learning, Statistics, and Differential Geometry. The objectives of the project are multiple and include both theoretical and applied research, together with industrial activities oriented to transfer knowledge, from the institute to a startup or spin-off of the research group. The positions will be part of the new Machine Learning and Optimization group https://rist.ro/en/teams.html, which performs research at the intersection of Machine Learning, Stochastic Optimization, Deep Learning, and Optimization over Manifolds, using geometric methods based on Information Geometry. The group is one of two newly-formed groups in Machine Learning at RIST. The official job announcement can be seen here: http://rist.ro/en/details/news/postdoc-positions-in-deep-lea rning-and-machine-learning.html Informal inquiries can be sent to Dr. Luigi Malagò <malago(a)rist.ro>, principal investigator of the DeepRiemann project. Application deadline: 15 August 2018 (applicants are encouraged to apply earlier) best regards, Luigi Malagò

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PhD positions at the Univ. of Leicester (for UK/EU candidates only)
by Okun, Michael (Dr.) Aug. 2, 2018

Aug. 2, 2018

Fully Funded PhD Studentships (for UK/EU candidates only) to work at Prof. Quian Quiroga's lab at the Centre for Systems Neuroscience, University of Leicester, UK ( www.le.ac.uk/csn ). The Centre for Systems Neuroscience at the University of Leicester, UK, offers up to 2, 3-Year Fully Funded (stipend plus fees) PhD positions for UK/EU candidates, to study single cell recordings in humans – performed in epileptic patients for curative surgery. The project will investigate concept cells (a.k.a. Jennifer Aniston neurons) – that means, neurons in the hippocampus and surrounding areas that selectively fire to specific concepts, like different pictures and the written or spoken name of a particular person (e.g. Quian Quiroga et al, Nature 2005; Quian Quiroga Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2012), which are involved in declarative memory functions. The successful candidate will contribute to performing recordings with patients in collaborating hospitals and the analysis of the data to investigate the role of these neurons in memory formation. Candidates should have very good quantitative skills (data processing, and programing e.g. in Matlab) and a strong background or interest in neuroscience. They should be able to work both independently and as part of a research team within the Centre for System Neuroscience at Leicester and with our external collaborators. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made to Emma Hawkins, Research Centre Manager, eeh18(a)le.ac.uk or 0116 252 3249. Interested candidates should send their curriculum vitae and a brief description of their scientific interests to Emma Hawkins (eeh18(a)le.ac.uk) The closing date for the applications is Friday 5th September. Interviews are anticipated to take place on the 12th September.

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CfP : Workshop on Continual Unsupervised Sensorimotor Learning, IEEE ICDL 2018
by Nguyen, Sao Mai July 31, 2018

July 31, 2018

*2nd Call for Contributions* IEEE ICDL -2018 workshop on Continual Unsupervised Sensorimotor Learning 17th September 2018, Tokyo, Japan Website : http://conferences.au.dk/icdl-epirob-2018-workshop Participants are invited to submit short papers (max 4 pages) following the standard IEEE conference template. Selected contributions will be presented during the workshop as spotlight talks and in a poster session. Authors will be invited to submit extended versions of their papers for a special issue on Continual Unsupervised Sensorimotor Learning at IEEE TCDS. ================================================================== Scope As the algorithms for learning single tasks in restricted environments are improving, new challenges have gained relevance. They include multi-task learning, multimodal sensorimotor learning in open worlds and lifelong adaptation to injury, growth and ageing. In this workshop we will discuss the developmental processes involved in the emergence of representations of action and perception in humans and artificial agents in continual learning. These processes include action-perception cycle, active perception, continual sensory-motor learning, environmental-driven scaffolding, and intrinsic motivation. The discussion will be strongly motivated by behavioural and neural data. We hope to provide a discussion friendly environment to connect with research with similar interest regardless of their area of expertise which could include robotics, computer science, psychology, neuroscience, etc. We would also like to devise a roadmap or strategies to develop mathematical and computational models to improve robot performance and/or to attempt to unveil the underlying mechanisms that lead to continual adaptation to changing environment or embodiment and continual learning in open-ended environments. The primary list of topics covers the following (but not limited to): - Emergence of representations via continual interaction - Continual sensory-motor learning - Action-perception cycle - Active perception - Environmental-driven scaffolding - Intrinsic motivation - Neural substrates, neural circuits and neural plasticity - Human and animal behaviour experiments and models - Reinforcement learning and deep reinforcement learning for life-long learning - Multisensory robot learning - Multimodal sensorimotor learning - Affordance learning - Prediction learning Invited Speakers - Jochen Triesch, Frankfurt Institute of Advanced Studies, Germany - Emre Ugur, Boğaziçi University, Turkey (to be confirmed) - Yukie Nagai, Center for Information and Neural Networks, Japan (to be confirmed) - David Ha, Google Brain (to be confirmed) Call for Papers: Prospective participants in the workshop are required to submit a contribution as a short paper (max 4 pages) Submissions must be in PDF following the standard IEEE conference style <https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates.html>. Send your PDF manuscript indicating [ICDL-EPIROB 2018] in the subject to: erhan.oztop(a)ozyegin.edu.tr Selected contributions will be presented during the workshop as spotlight talks and in a poster session. Contributors to the workshop will be encouraged to submit extended versions of the manuscripts to a special issue at IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems (TCDS). Submissions will be peer reviewed consistent with the journal practices. Important Dates: Paper submission deadline: 5th August 2018 Notification of acceptance: 20th August 2018 Camera-ready version: 9th September 2018 Half-day workshop: 17th September 2018 Organizers: - Nicolás Navarro-Guerrero, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark - Sao Mai Nguyen, IMT Atlantique, France - Erhan Öztop, Özyeğin University, Turkey - Junpei Zhong, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan Nguyen Sao Mai nguyensmai(a)gmail.com Researcher in Cognitive Developmental Robotics http://nguyensmai.free.fr

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[CFP] IROS-2018 Workshop: Towards Intelligent Social Robots: From Naive Robots to Robot Sapiens
by Amir Aly July 31, 2018

July 31, 2018

CALL FOR PAPERS **Apologies for cross posting ** We are pleased to call for papers for the IROS-2018 workshop: "*Towards Intelligent Social Robots: From Naive Robots to Robot Sapiens*" In conjunction with the *IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)** - Madrid - Spain - October * *5th, 2018* *Webpage: **http://intelligent-social-robots-ws.com/* <http://intelligent-social-robots-ws.com/> *I. Aim and Scope *Robots that cook creatively, clean up our rooms dutifully, entertain our guests wittily and keep us company loyally. Robots that assist human users in their daily chores and provide support in times of need. Researchers around the world have envisioned such robot companions for a long time. Thanks to numerous innovations in sensor technology and software development, robots are now increasingly able to plan complex tasks in unknown environments, learn from experience and adapt to changes in the environment. The greatest challenges in robotics now lie in the development of robot skills and high-level AI-based functionalities that enable robots to work effectively in close collaboration with humans. Aside from the numerous technical challenges, which must be overcome before this vision can become a reality, multi-disciplinary research efforts are also invested into the social engineering of robots. In order to engineer “smart” robots that we accept, trust and welcome into our homes, it is paramount that we identify and investigate the factors that affect social interactions between humans and robots. For this purpose, computer scientists, AI researchers, engineers and psychologists tackle important questions that will determine whether robots will be perceived as helpful and reliable companions or as irritating nuisances. How should robots look, behave and communicate with us? What are our expectations of robot behavior in a social context? How can robots learn using the capabilities of their environments to achieve tasks and to address the needs of their human co-inhabitants? What kind of robot intelligence is required for what kind of tasks? In this workshop, participants will discuss with seasoned experts and young researchers what defines social and artificial intelligence for “smart” robots and how modern technological advances can equip robots with such intelligence. As such, this workshop aims to shed light on the intersection between cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and robotics research both from the theoretical and technical perspectives. Recent advances and possible avenues for future research in the field of “smart” robotics are principal topics of discussion during the workshop. ** *This workshop is endorsed by the IEEE Technical Committees*: *Human-Robot Interaction and Coordination, Cognitive Robotics, and Robot Learning*. *II. Keynote Speakers * 1. * Angelo Cangelosi *– University of Manchester/Plymouth – UK 2. *Yiannis Aloimonos *– University of Maryland – USA 3. * Selma Sabanovic *– Indiana University – USA 4. *Michael Beetz* – University of Bremen – Germany 5. *Matthias Scheutz *– Tufts University – USA *III. Submission * 1. For paper submission, use the following EasyChair web link: *Paper Submission <https://easychair.org/account/signin.cgi?key=75348348.9VXAN4Pe7LmBAKCx;time…>* . 2. Use the IEEE style (two-column format – US letter): *IEEE Templates <https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates.html>*. 3. Submitted papers should be limited to 2-6 pages maximum. The primary list of topics covers the following points (but not limited to): - Multimodal human robot interaction - Cognitive modeling of human behavior - Cognitive architectures and strategies for intelligent interaction with the environment - AI and machine learning approaches applied to human-robot-environment interaction - Cloud robotics and ubiquitous computing - Ambient assisted living - Human intention recognition and prediction - Robot acceptance - Social engineering - Language learning, embodiment, and social intelligence - Computational modeling for high-level human cognitive functions - Predictive learning from sensorimotor information - Multimodal interaction and concept formulation - Language and action development - Learning, reasoning, and adaptation in collaborative human-robot tasks - Affordance learning - Learning by demonstration and imitation - Language and grammar induction in robots * IV. Important Dates * 1. Paper submission: *20-August-2018 * 2. Notification of acceptance: *30-August-2018* 3. Camera-ready version:* 7-September-2018 * 4. Workshop: *5-October-2018* *V. Organizers * 1. *Amir Aly *– Ritsumeikan University – Japan 2. *Sascha Griffiths *– Hamburg University – Germany 3. * Verena Nitsch *– Bundeswehr University – Germany 4. *Katerina Pastra* – Cognitive Systems Research Institute – Greece 5. *Tadahiro Taniguchi* – Ritsumeikan University – Japan ---------------------- *Amir Aly, Ph.D.* Senior Researcher Emergent Systems Laboratory College of Information Science and Engineering Ritsumeikan University 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 Japan

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3 Independent Academic Fellowship positions Computational Neuroscience
by Mark van Rossum July 31, 2018

July 31, 2018

Academic Fellowship positions The University of Nottingham is a research intensive university ranked in the top 10 in the UK and in the top 30 of Europe. It has a strong tradition in Cognition, Perception, Mathematical Biology, and structural and functional Imaging. To support further development across these areas, and stimulate new research opportunities, the University has recently made a major investment in Computational Neuroscience. As part of this investment we are inviting applications for three independent fellowships (3 years). The positions are ideal for researchers with a strong vision that are planning to develop their own research group in a supportive, interdisciplinary environment with outstanding research facilities. We are interested in candidates working across a broad spectrum of research topics areas in Computational Neuroscience, including functional neuroimaging, neural networks, and models of cognition. Research methodologies could include numerical simulation, machine learning, theoretical neuroscience, and innovative data analysis. The Fellows will be based in the School of Psychology and/or Mathematical Sciences. For the online application form see https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/SCI219418 Informal inquiries: Prof Mark van Rossum, mark.vanrossum(a)nottingham.ac.uk, or Prof Mark Humphries, lpzmdh(a)exmail.nottingham.ac.uk. -- Mark van Rossum, Professor, Schools of Psychology and Maths, U Nottingham Psych Bldg Rm LG.19, 44-115-74 86851, 44-7722049644 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.

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CFP: Workshop on Crossmodal Learning for Intelligent Robotics in conjunction with IEEE/RSJ IROS 2018
by Pablo Barros July 30, 2018

July 30, 2018

**Apologies for cross-posting** 1st CALL FOR PAPERS for the international workshop: * Crossmodal Learning for Intelligent Robotics * in conjunction with IEEE/RSJ IROS 2018 * Madrid, Spain - Friday 5 October 2018 * * Website: http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/WorkshopCLIR18/index.php * I. Aim and Scope The ability to efficiently process crossmodal information is a key feature of the human brain that provides a robust perceptual experience and behavioural responses. Consequently, the processing and integration of multisensory information streams such as vision, audio, haptics and proprioception play a crucial role in the development of autonomous agents and cognitive robots, yielding an efficient interaction with the environment also under conditions of sensory uncertainty. Multisensory representations have been shown to improve performance in the research areas of human-robot interaction and sensory-driven motor behaviour. The perception, integration, and segregation of multisensory cues improve the capability to physically interact with objects and persons with higher levels of autonomy. However, the multisensory input must be represented and integrated in an appropriate way so that they result in a reliable perceptual experience aimed to trigger adequate behavioural responses. The interplay of multisensory representations can be used to solve stimulus-driven conflicts for executive control. Embodied agents can develop complex sensorimotor behaviour through the interaction with a crossmodal environment, leading to the development and evaluation of scenarios that better reflect the challenges faced by operating robots in the real world. This half-day workshop focuses on presenting and discussing new findings, theories, systems, and trends in crossmodal learning applied to neurocognitive robotics. The workshop will feature a list of invited speakers with outstanding expertise in crossmodal learning. II. Target Audience This workshop is open to doctoral students and senior researchers working in computer and cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience and related areas with the focus on crossmodal learning. III. Confirmed Speakers 1. * Yulia Sandamirskaya * Institute of Neuroinformatics (INI), University and ETH Zurich 2. * Angelo Cangelosi * Plymouth University and University of Manchester, UK 3. * Stefan Wermter * Hamburg University, Germany IV. Submission 1. Topics of interest: - New methods and applications for crossmodal processing (e.g., integrating vision, audio, haptics, proprioception) - Machine learning and neural networks for multisensory robot perception - Computational models of crossmodal attention and perception - Bio-inspired approaches for crossmodal learning - Crossmodal conflict resolution and executive control - Sensorimotor learning for autonomous agents and robots - Crossmodal learning for embodied and cognitive robots 2. For paper submission, use the following IEEE template: <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/support.php>* 3. Submitted papers should be limited to *2 pages (extended abstract)* or *4 pages (short paper)*. 4. Send your pdf file to barros(a)informatik.uni-hamburg.de AND jirak(a)informatik.uni-hamburg.de Selected contributions will be presented during the workshop as spotlight talks and in a poster session. Contributors to the workshop will be invited to submit extended versions of the manuscripts to a special issue (to be arranged). Submissions will be peer reviewed consistent with the journal practices. V. Important Dates * Paper submission deadline: August 15, 2018 * Notification of acceptance: September 5, 2018 * Camera-ready version: September 15, 2018 * Workshop: Friday 5 October 2018 VI. Organizers * German I. Parisi * Hamburg University, Germany * Pablo Barros * Hamburg University, Germany * Doreen Jirak * Hamburg University, Germany * Jun Tani * Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan * Yoonsuck Choe * Samsung Research & Texas A&M University, TX, USA -- Dr.rer.nat. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Research Associate - Crossmodal Learning Project (CML) Knowledge Technology Department of Informatics University of Hamburg Vogt-Koelln-Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 40 42883 2535 Fax: +49 40 42883 2515 barros at informatik.uni-hamburg.de https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/people/barros.html https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/

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Four-year PhD in Computational Psychiatry at University College London
by Hrvoje Stojic July 30, 2018

July 30, 2018

Four-year PhD in Computational Psychiatry at University College London The International Max Planck Research School on Computational Methods in Psychiatry and Ageing Research (https://www.mps-ucl-centre.mpg.de/en) seeks applicants for PhD fellowships to be based at University College London (UCL). The PhD programme is strongly interdisciplinary and invites applications from potential students with a broad range of backgrounds including, but not limited to, neuroscience, mathematics, statistics, machine learning, computer science, physics, psychology, and medicine. This is an international doctoral programme of the Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, which has sites in London and Berlin. The programme offers unique training in concepts and methods from computer science and statistics in relation to substantive research questions in cognitive neuroscience, psychiatry, and lifespan psychology. Training involves seminars, methods workshops, participation in summer schools, and collaboratively supervised research. Students will take one module per semester for the first two years of the programme on topics that range from psychiatry and decision science to advanced computational and statistical methods. The main focus of the London site is to address cognitive and theoretical neuroscience questions relevant to understanding psychiatric disorders. Methods include neuroimaging and pharmacology, computational modelling of behaviour (learning, decision-making, emotion), and large-scale smartphone- and internet-based data collection. Students will have a primary supervisor within the Centre and possible supervisors include Tobias Hauser (http://v1.tobiashauser.ch/) and Quentin Huys (https://quentinhuys.com/) Collaboration is encouraged within the Centre and with other UCL departments including the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (https://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/) and Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit (http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/) We offer a generous four-year studentship stipend of £23,263 (tax free) per year, PhD registration fees at the current Home/EU rate, research expenses, and funds for travel to conferences or courses. (If you are an international student please note that this studentship only covers UK/EU fees and you will need to provide the difference between UK/EU and overseas fees.) Students will participate in international summer schools, seminars and workshops linked to the Berlin site, and have the opportunity to conduct a research project of up to 6 months in Berlin. Requirements: This is a highly competitive programme. Successful applicants should have, or expect to get, at least an upper 2nd class degree (or the foreign equivalent), and should have some familiarity with computational and statistical methods. Students wishing to undertake a PhD with Quentin Huys are expected to take and pass courses (http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/courses/index.html) at the Gatsby Computational Unit. The next intake of students will be October 2018 (with the possibility for a later start date). UCL is committed to employing more people with disabilities and especially encourages them to apply. UCL also seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. Deadline: 26 August 2018. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in early September 2018 via Skype. HOW TO APPLY. Please send: 1) a CV, 2) a statement of why you want to do the PhD (no more than 1 page), 3) a copy of your strongest piece of academic work (e.g., thesis, publication). Please also arrange for two reference letters to be sent to us by referees. Your surname should be the first word in the subject line of these emails. The statement should indicate which of the named supervisors you would be most interested in having as a primary supervisor (multiple faculty can be listed as potential supervisors). Please ensure that your surname is the first word in the subject line of the email and that all documents are clearly labelled with your surname and the type of document. All documents and references should be sent to MaxPlanckPhD(a)ucl.ac.uk by 26 August 2018 at midnight. Questions about the programme can be directed to MaxPlanckPhD(a)ucl.ac.uk.

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PhD Studentship, University College London, Centre for Medical Image Computing (CMIC)
by Andre Altmann July 30, 2018

July 30, 2018

We are looking to fill a 4-year PhD studentship in the field of imaging genetics to work on drug resistant Epilepsy: Epilepsy is a group of neurological conditions that share the common characteristic of epileptic seizures. There are many types of epilepsy and many types of seizure. The diagnosis of epilepsy typically follows the occurrence of two or more seizures. While anyone can develop epilepsy at any point in life, it is most commonly diagnosed in children and people over 65 years of age. Currently, about 60 million people are suffering from epilepsy worldwide and over 500,000 in the UK alone. Anti-epileptic drugs (AED) are intended to reduce the frequency of seizures or even completely eliminate them. If AED treatment works, it allows people living with epilepsy to lead normal lives. However, in about one third of people none of the available drugs or combinations of drugs stop the seizures. These cases are considered treatment-resistant epilepsies and the underlying biology is still poorly understood. In this project, the successful candidate will help to advance knowledge about drug-resistant epilepsy. Using a large database of neuroimaging data from people with epilepsy, the first aim is to establish the imaging signature of drug-resistant epilepsy compared to drug-responsive epilepsy. That is, which brain regions show different cortical thickness or structural and functional connectivity changes in resistant vs responsive epilepsy? The second phase of the project involves an imaging-genetics approach to elucidate the genetic origin of drug-resistant epilepsy, which may help to identify drug targets for currently drug-resistant epilepsy. More information on requirements and the medical imaging CDT can be found here: http://medicalimaging-cdt.ucl.ac.uk/news/machine-learning-based-investigati… Kind regards, Andre

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