- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Multiple Openings for Research Scientists and Engineers to Reverse Engineer intelligence

by Lopez, Camila

Hi, Can you please post this job ad? Multiple Openings for Research Scientists and Engineers to Reverse Engineer intelligence We are looking for exceptionally talented researchers that share our vision: to discover new computational principles of brain intelligence and apply these principles to create fundamentally new algorithms for machine intelligence. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in machine learning, computational neuroscience or with strong quantitative background in Mathematics, Statistics, Physics or Computer Science. Our NINAI (Neuro-Inspired Networks for Artificial Intelligence) research team is interdisciplinary and international, with expertise ranging from large-scale neurophysiology and brain circuit analysis to deep learning. POSITIONS: We have opportunities in several project components and multiple locations, and all participants will interact extensively across multiple scientific disciplines and multiple sites. Highest-priority topics include: * Developing new architectures for deep networks * Neuro-inspired networks for real-world tasks * Functional modeling of neuronal microcircuits * Probabilistic inference by population codes * Statistical analysis of large-scale neural data from behaving animals THE TEAM: The project is led by Andreas Tolias (PI) and Xaq Pitkow (co-PI), from Baylor College of Medicine, and includes researchers from Columbia, Cornell, Rice University, University of Toronto, University of Tübingen, the Allen Institute, and Princeton: Matthias Bethge, Liam Paninski, Ankit Patel, Clay Reid, Sebastian Seung, Raquel Urtasun, Chris Xu, Richard Zemel. For detailed information about the team and its members, please see our website, ninai.org<http://ninai.org/>. QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must have a record of productivity, excellent quantitative skills, good communication skills, and creativity. Experience in Machine Learning and in particular Deep Learning is desired. APPLYING: The positions provide a competitive annual salary and benefits, and outstanding scientific opportunities. Applicants should email a CV, letter of research interests, and contact information for three references to info(a)ninai.org<mailto:info@ninai.org>, camilal(a)bcm.edu<mailto:camilal@bcm.edu> and astolias(a)bcm.edu<mailto:astolias@bcm.edu>. We look forward to hearing from you!

May 29, 2018

IEEE Special issue deadline extended!

by Steve Mehrkanoon

Paper Submission Deadline Extended! CALL FOR PAPERS Special issue: Neural Systems Engineering and Mathematical Modelling of Brain dynamics using ECoG/EEG/MEG oscillations and Machine learning methods Journal IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering New Submission Deadline: 01/07/2018 Submission portal: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tnsre-embs Contributions will receive prompt and thorough peer review and will be published online ahead of print after acceptance. In humans, interactions between neuronal circuits, systems and signals among micro-, meso- and macro-scales of brain dynamics underpin the functional organisation of the brain that supports our daily life activity. How efficiently neuronal circuits such as cortico-cortical, cortico-thalamic and thalamo-cortical networks interact among these multiple spatial scales remains to be fully elucidated. Mathematical, computational and experimental neuroscientists apply a variety of methods, techniques and algorithms, both in animals and humans, ranging from single cell recordings to whole brain imaging, in order to identify the core mechanisms that govern the interactions among these scales. Although our knowledge of neural mechanisms, circuits and networks underlying brain dynamics and functions constantly grows, the integration of this knowledge to provide a conceptual framework of emergent behaviour and pattern formation occurring on different levels of spatial organisation remains challenging. Authors are invited to submit original or review articles addressing mechanisms of emergent brain dynamics inferred from the analysis of ECoG/EEG/MEG, on all levels of complexity. Specifically, articles integrating (i) computational neuroscience, and (ii) mathematical models of biologically realistic neuronal networks and machine learning methods are welcome. In this special issue, Guest Editor Dr Steve Mehrkanoon welcomes papers that address many of the challenges of mathematical and computational models of the brain networks and dynamics given the measurement data ECoG/EEG/MEG. The scope of this special issue is interdisciplinary. The list of possible topics includes, but is not limited to: * New developments in computational and mathematical models of mean field theory integrated with ECoG/EEG/MEG modalities. * Multi-modal and combinatorial fusion of ECoG/EEG/MEG data and brain connectivity machine learning. * Development of data-driven machine learning techniques to identify the mechanisms of emergent spatia-temporal dynamics within the framework of network topology. * Development of computational and mathematical models for bridging the scales of brain dynamics. * Cortical network modelling and formal conceptual models of cortical oscillations. * Application of deep learning and machine learning algorithms in functional, structural and effective network analysis and predictive models of brain dynamics. * New cutting-edge numerical analysis and techniques to simulate meso- and macro-scale brain dynamics. * Adaptive mathematical and computational models of network dynamics (e.g., brain development and aging studies). * Statistical methods for assessing individual and population brain connectivity data. Guest Editors 1. Dr Steve Mehrkanoon The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Contact: s.mehrkanoon(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:s.mehrkanoon@uq.edu.au> 1. Professor David Liley Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia Contact: dliley(a)swin.edu.au<mailto:dliley@swin.edu.au> 1. Dr Siamak Mehrkanoon Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Belgium Contact: Siamak.Mehrkanoon(a)esat.kuleuven.be<mailto:Siamak.Mehrkanoon@esat.kuleuven.be> IMPORTANT DATES Extended Submission Deadline: 01/07/2018 Notification Of Acceptance: 31/08/2018 https://tnsre.embs.org/2018/04/13/call-for-papers-special-issue-on-neural-s…) - - - Dr Steve Mehrkanoon Mathematical Neuroscientist, Advance Queensland Research Fellow, Perinatal Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Home: http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/14135 Level 4, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Building 71/918<https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/UQCCR/@-27.448514,153.028703,15z/data=…> Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Qld 4029 T: +61 7 3346 6012 E: s.mehrkanoon(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:j.wixey@uq.edu.au>

May 29, 2018

PhD Position available: Computational methods for longitudinal studies of structural brain connectivity, Deadline 31/5/18

by Emanuele Olivetti

PhD position available (online application details below) Title: Computational methods for longitudinal studies of structural brain connectivity Topic: machine learning / pattern recognition for diffusion MRI data analysis Description: Diffusion MRI provides indirect information of the anatomical structure of the white matter of the brain. Neurological diseases and brain disorders may introduce alterations in such structures. Additionally, after neurosurgery and cognitive rehabilitation, there may be reorganization of the white matter. The goal of this project is to design computational methods to detect and characterize white matter changes over time, disentangling the intrinsic variability of brain recordings from actual anatomical changes, in order to support neuroscientific and clinical inference. References: - https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2016.00554 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2017.00754 Emanuele Olivetti ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: *PhD CIMeC* <phd.cimec(a)unitn.it <mailto:phd.cimec@unitn.it>> Date: Thu, May 24, 2018 at 10:04 AM Subject: PhD Position available: Computational methods for longitudinal studies of structural brain connectivity, Deadline 31/5/18 To: CIMeC is pleased to announce the opening of a call for 11 fellowships for our international PhD Program in Cognitive and Brain Sciences (CIMeC), commencing November 2018 at the University of Trento, Italy. As you will see from the links below, the PhD call is open to several fields of cognitive neuroscience research. Candidates interested in*Computational methods for longitudinal studies of structural brain connectivity <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/topic-specific-grants> *should contact *Emanuele Olivetti *at olivetti(a)fbk.eu <mailto:olivetti@fbk.eu>**immediately*.* * *Admissions*: http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/admission <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/admission> * PhD research areas outline: http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/research-topics <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/research-topics> * PhD Application*summary*: http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/node/118 <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/node/118> * PhD*Application*link:https://webapps.unitn.it/Apply/en/MyUnitn/Home/669/dott/cbs34 <https://webapps.unitn.it/Apply/en/MyUnitn/Home/669/dott/cbs34> * PhD Application*Deadline*:*Thursday May 31, 2018, at 4pm (Italian time)* * *CIMeC*:http://www.unitn.it/cimec <http://www.unitn.it/cimec> This year’s research topics proposed by the Doctoral Program Committee for 5 UNITN grants are visible here:http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/research-topics <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/research-topics>, while the 6 topic-specific grants’ details can be found here:http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/topic-specific-grants <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/topic-specific-grants> _The CIMeC, it’s doctoral program and UNITN in numbers:_ * 2018 UNITrento ranks among top Italian Universities in THE - Times Higher Education * *4-yr program*(Nov. 1, 2018- Oct. 31, 2022). * Why a 4-yr program <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/node/117> * Courses are given in English * 11 positions, 100% funded * Salary: starting at approximately €1.200/mo., net * Winners receive a €4887 tax-free research/mobility budget * Why choose UNITRENTO <http://www.unitn.it/en/ateneo/1629/why-choose-the-university-of-trento> Please feel free to browse theFAQ <http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/node/122>pages on our website for further information, or contact the Director of the Programme, Prof. Francesco Pavaniphd.cimec(a)unitn.it <mailto:phd.cimec@unitn.it>. Regards, Leah Mercanti -- Leah Mercanti CIMeC PhD Program Administrator -------------------------------------------------------- CIMeC - Center for Mind/Brain Sciences University of Trento <https://maps.google.com/?q=Trento+Corso+Bettini,+31+I-38068,+Rovereto&entry…> Corso Bettini, 31 <https://maps.google.com/?q=Trento+Corso+Bettini,+31+I-38068,+Rovereto&entry…> I-38068, Rovereto <https://maps.google.com/?q=Trento+Corso+Bettini,+31+I-38068,+Rovereto&entry…> (TN) Tel: +39 0464 80 8617 Fax: +39 0461 28 8690 Skypename: lleahhatwork Email: phd.cimec(a)unitn.it <mailto:phd.cimec@unitn.it> http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/ -- Le informazioni contenute nella presente comunicazione sono di natura privata e come tali sono da considerarsi riservate ed indirizzate esclusivamente ai destinatari indicati e per le finalità strettamente legate al relativo contenuto. Se avete ricevuto questo messaggio per errore, vi preghiamo di eliminarlo e di inviare una comunicazione all’indirizzo e-mail del mittente. -- The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material.

May 28, 2018

Professorship in Computational Neuroscience

by Steuber, Volker

Professor of Computational Neuroscience University of Hertfordshire School of Computer Science, College Lane Campus, Hatfield, UK Salary £58,293 to £67,437 pa depending on skills and experience FTE: Full time position working 37 hours per week (1.0 FTE). Closing date: 21 June 2018 Duration of Contract: Permanent. Applications are invited for an exceptionally well qualified Professor of Computational Neuroscience of international standing, who shares our commitment to research-informed teaching, embraces the research impact agenda, and values collegiality. Applicants will strengthen existing activity within the School and develop it further, enhancing the research strengths and external reputation of the School of Computer Science and contributing significantly to its performance in future research assessments and collaborations with commercial and public partners. The successful applicant will complement the research conducted by the Biocomputation Research Group within the Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research. As well as providing research supervision at PhD and MSc level, the School of Computer Science offers modules in neural computing and machine learning on the BSc and MSc programmes. Applicants must hold a PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant subject, possess excellent communication skills in English, an internationally excellent research record and reputation, including publications of the highest quality suitable for submission to the REF. Applicants must show evidence of experience and success in research/commercial income generation, engagement with the research impact agenda, engagement with key stakeholders in the Computational Neuroscience community, and management and leadership ability.? Interview Date: Week commencing 17 September 2018. The University offers a range of benefits including a pension scheme, professional development, family friendly policies, child care vouchers, a fee waiver of 50% for all children of staff under the age of 21 at the start of the course, discounted memberships at the Hertfordshire Sports Village and generous annual leave. The University is situated in Hatfield, in the green belt just north of London. Applications must be made online https://www.herts.ac.uk/contact-us/jobs-and-vacancies/academic-vacancies?, reference 016195?. For informal enquiries contact Dr Volker Steuber (v.steuber(a)herts.ac.uk, Head of Biocomputation Research Group, Associate Dean Research) or Prof William Clocksin (w.clocksin(a)herts.ac.uk, Dean of School of Computer Science).

May 25, 2018

PhD Studentship in Multilevel modelling of neuronal function: combining metabotropic pathways and membrane excitability in-silico for the quick screening of drugs

by Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira

PhD Studentship in Quantitative Pharmacology and Neuroscience: Multilevel modelling of neuronal function: combining metabotropic pathways and membrane excitability in-silico for the quick screening of drugs University of Reading - School of Pharmacy Supervisors: Dr Francesco Tamagnini (Pharmacy), Dr Marcus Tindall (Mathematics & Statistics), Prof Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova (University of Exeter, College of Mathematics, Engineering and Physical Sciences). Project overview: Neurons work as information relays. They integrate information received from the environment at the subcellular scale, generating an appropriate electrophysiological response. The understanding of electrical processes happening at the plasma membrane level has been clarified by Hodgkin and Huxley, combining experimental recordings to mathematical modelling of equivalent electrical circuits. However, quantitative models describing the effects of cell signalling on the cellular response are lacking. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter binding both A1 (Gi) and A2 (Gs) receptors. A1 and A2 stimulation results in altered neuronal excitability via K+ permeability changes. In this project, we aim to combine a mathematical model of adenosine receptor signal transduction (Tindall) with the Hodgkin-Huxley model of a neuron (Tsaneva-Atanasova), to generate an in-silico multiscale model of electrophysiological response to chemical stimulation. We will test the predictive capability of the model with whole-neuron patch-clamp recordings (Tamagnini). The mathematical models formulated during the project will utilise the theory of differential equations (ordinary and partial) solved and analysed both numerically and analytically (e.g. dynamical systems theory, asymptotic methods). The successful candidate will be involved in the design and undertaking of wet laboratory experiments for informing the mathematical models. The final aim of this project is to develop and validate a software capable of predicting changes to an artificial neuron based on its exposure to varying concentrations of a given ligand. Eligibility: * Applicants should hold or expect to gain a minimum of a 2:1 Bachelor Degree or equivalent in Mathematics, Engineering or Neuroscience related subjects. The applicant will have a strong background in mathematics and computer coding (Matlab, Python, C++) and a keenness to engage with and learn wet lab techniques (i.e. pipetting, solution making, single cell electrophysiology); * This studentship is open to UK/EU students only. Funding details: * Starts 10/2018; * 3-year award; * Tuition fees plus stipend (Research Council UK 2018/19 rate is currently £14,777). How to apply: To apply for this studentship, please submit an application for a PhD in Pharmacy at http://www.reading.ac.uk/graduateschool/prospectivestudents/gs-how-to-apply…. Important notes: 1. Please quote the reference ‘GS18-018’ in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your online application. 2. When you are prompted to upload a research proposal, please omit this step. Application deadline: 30th June 2018. Further enquiries: Please note that, where a candidate is successful in being awarded funding, this will be confirmed via a formal studentship award letter; this will be provided separately from any Offer of Admission and will be subject to standard checks for eligibility and other criteria. For further details, please contact: f.tamagnini(a)reading.ac.uk.<mailto:f.tamagnini@reading.ac.uk>

May 25, 2018

Faculty position at UNAM Institute of Neurobiology (Mexico)

by Fidel Santamaria

Computational and Genomic Neuroscience at UNAM The Institute of Neurobiology, UNAM (www.inb.unam.mx<http://www.inb.unam.mx>) invites applications for two tenure-track positions, one in Computational Neuroscience and another one in Genomic Neuroscience. We seek experienced scientists with proven record of publications to develop innovative research programs employing on-campus high performance computing resources to complement the current neuroscience research at the Institute. The successful applicants will be expected to establish externally funded research programs, to engage in intramural collaborative projects, to supervise undergraduate and graduate students, and to teach basic and advanced courses in their field of expertise. Applicants should send their CV, addresses of three references, a five-page research proposal and a one-page statement on their views on teaching to ataulfo(a)unam.mx<mailto:ataulfo@unam.mx>. The application deadline is August 15th, 2018. We encourage applications from women. Instituto de Neurobiología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Laboratorio de Neurobiología Molecular y Celular (D15) Juriquilla, Querétaro, QRO CP 76230 Tel. +52 (442) 238-1064 Email ataulfo(a)unam.mx<mailto:ataulfo@unam.mx> atanez(a)gmail.com<mailto:atanez@gmail.com> Skype atanez1

May 24, 2018

Post-baccalaureate research position in neuronal mechanism of episodic memory at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience

by Yingxue.Wang＠mpfi.org

*** Apologies for cross posting*** Post-Baccalaureate Research Experience Summary The Wang Lab at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (links to website<https://yingxuewang.org/>) is inviting applications for the post-baccalaureate research program. This one-year program provides research experience and exposure to students who have graduated from college and are planning to apply to graduate school. We seek highly motivated and independent individuals to join our effort focused on the neuronal mechanisms of learning and episodic memory. Essential Duties & Responsibilities The Wang Lab investigates the circuit underpinnings of episodic memory. In particular, we intend to isolate the hippocampal neuronal activities that are independent of sensory inputs and potentially represent memory traces. We seek to understand how elements of the hippocampal circuit cooperate to generate the internally generated neuronal activities and support the formation and retrieval of memory. Our investigation employs a combination of in vivo electrophysiological, advanced two-photon imaging, optogenetic, and pharmacological approaches, and couples experiments with computational modeling. We encourage applications from candidates who are interested in applying multidisciplinary approaches to examine circuit mechanisms of memory. Education and/or Experience The ideal candidates should have an upcoming or recent bachelor degree in neuroscience or related fields. Candidates holding a degree in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, or physics and interested in understanding the neuronal mechanisms of learning and memory are also welcome to apply. Previous experience with in vivo electrophysiology and/or two-photon imaging, quantitative data analysis and computer programming is preferred. Excellent communication skills and an ability to work well in a team are required. Additional Information Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience is part of the Jupiter Neuroscience Research Campus that also includes the Scripps Research Institute Florida and Florida Atlantic University. It provides a flourishing interdisciplinary research environment for neuroscience. Interested candidates are encouraged to send the following documents to Dr. Yingxue Wang (email address: Yingxue.Wang(a)mpfi.org<mailto:Yingxue.Wang@mpfi.org>): - Curriculum vitae - A statement of motivation and interests (1-2 pages) - Academic certificates and transcripts - The names and contact information of two references Please find more details about this program at https://www.maxplanckflorida.org/education/training-programs/pre/. The official application deadline has already passed. Please address the request directly to the above email address. Best regards, Yingxue Wang Research Group Leader Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience

May 23, 2018

Postdoctoral Position in Brain-Computer Interfaces

by Tomislav Milekovic

The research group Dr. Tomislav Milekovic at the University of Geneva is offering a postdoctoral position financed by the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering and the Swiss National Science Foundation to work on restoring communication and independence of people with tetraplegia and locked-in syndrome using brain-computer interfaces. The successful applicant will work to develop and advance brain-computer interfaces based on electroencephalography (EEG) and intracortical microelectrode array recordings. The ideal candidate will have: 1. Experience in assembling and maintaining brain-computer interface systems 2. Leading brain-computer interface experiments with human or animal subjects 3. Experience in the quantitative analysis of electrophysiological neural signals (EEG, ECoG, LFP, spikes) 4. Background in computational/theoretical neuroscience, physics or mathematics 5. Experience in developing and using neural decoders 6. Experience in C/C++ software development The qualified candidate will benefit from joining a very dynamic and multidisciplinary group working at the interface of neuroscience, engineering and prosthetics. They will collaborate with several labs of the Campus Biotech in Geneva, and be strongly supported by the Wyss center for Bio and Neuroengineering led by Prof. John Donoghue. University of Geneva provides state-of-the-art facilities is one of the leading technical universities worldwide. In addition, University of Geneva offers competitive postdoctoral salaries ranking among the highest in the world. Applications including a CV and the statement of research interests should be sent to tomislav.milekovic(a)unige.ch<mailto:tomislav.milekovic@unige.ch>.

May 23, 2018

Postdoc position in neuronal mechanism of episodic memory at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience

by Yingxue.Wang＠mpfi.org

*** Apologies for cross posting*** Postdoctoral Fellow Summary The Wang Lab at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (links to website<https://yingxuewang.org/>) is inviting applications for postdoctoral positions. Our group seeks highly motivated and independent individuals to join our effort focused on the neuronal mechanisms of learning and episodic memory. Essential Duties & Responsibilities The Wang Lab investigates the circuit underpinnings of episodic memory. In particular, we intend to isolate the hippocampal neuronal activities that are independent of sensory inputs and potentially represent memory traces. We seek to understand how elements of the hippocampal circuit cooperate to generate the internally generated neuronal activities and support the formation and retrieval of memory. Our investigation employs a combination of in vivo electrophysiological, advanced two-photon imaging, optogenetic, and pharmacological approaches, and couples experiments with computational modeling. We encourage applications from candidates who are interested in applying multidisciplinary approaches to examine circuit mechanisms of memory. Education and/or Experience The ideal candidates should have an upcoming or recent Ph.D. or MD/Ph.D. in neuroscience or related fields. Candidates holding a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, or physics and interested in understanding the neuronal mechanisms of learning and memory are also welcome to apply. Previous experience with in vivo electrophysiology and/or two-photon imaging, quantitative data analysis and computer programming is highly preferred. Excellent communication skills and an ability to work well in a team are required. Additional Information Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience is part of the Jupiter Neuroscience Research Campus that also includes the Scripps Research Institute Florida and Florida Atlantic University. It provides a flourishing interdisciplinary research environment for neuroscience. We offer outstanding benefits and salary compensation above the NIH scales. Interested candidates are encouraged to send the following documents to Dr. Yingxue Wang (email address: Yingxue.Wang(a)mpfi.org<mailto:Yingxue.Wang@mpfi.org>): - Curriculum vitae with a list of publications - A statement of research experiences and interests (1-2 pages) - The names and contact information of three references Personal contact can be addressed to the above email address prior to the application.

May 23, 2018

PhD studentships in Neuromorphic computing and Data Science

by Schmuker, Michael

We are offering a several PhD studentships in the Biocomputation group at the University of Hertfordshire. Details here: https://www.herts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/209365/Data-Science-and… Our group translates processes from the brain into algorithms for efficient computing. A particular area of interest is Neural Data Science, where we extract information from complex data sets obtained in neuroscience. Our goal is to shed light on how the brain is processing information and to cast this knowledge into efficient algorithms for pattern recognition and signal processing. We implement such algorithms by leveraging so-called neuromorphic hardware, i.e., specialised computer chips that mimic the massively parallel architecture of the brain, which greatly accelerate brain-inspired neural computing. We are looking for highly motivated candidates with a keen interest in squeezing every bit of information out of complex data sets, to understand how the brain copes with the relentless onslaught of sensory information, and to implement those aspects on a new computer architecture. A diverse choice of topics is available, including but not limited to: • Data mining in neuronal imaging using matrix factorisation and machine learning • Brain-inspired pattern recognition using supervised and unsupervised learning • Olfaction-inspired signal processing and odor recognition for electronic gas sensors It is also possible to suggest topics. Candidates should have excellent programming skills and also some experience in data mining. Previous exposure to low-level hardware programming (e.g. microcontrollers, GPUs) and/or computer engineering is a plus. We collaborate with world-leading neuroscience labs in the UK and abroad to investigate how the brain is processing dynamic sensory information. As a member of the Human Brain Project we pioneer the use of neuromorphic hardware for Data Science. This guarantees a stimulating research environment for a project that aims not only at generating theoretical insight but also validating the findings with experimental scientists and pursuing applications in the real world. Successful candidates are eligible for a research studentship award from the University (approximately GBP 14,777 per annum bursary plus the payment of the standard UK student fees). Applicants from outside the UK or EU are eligible, but will have to pay half of the overseas fees out of their bursary. Please contact Principal Investigator Dr. Michael Schmuker prior to application to scope out a project proposal that is tailored to your background, via email: m.schmuker(a)herts.ac.uk. More info and instructions how to apply are available at https://www.herts.ac.uk/study/schools-of- study/computer-science/our-research/the-phd-programme-in-computer-science . The next short-listing process for studentship applications will begin on 25 June 2018. — Dr Michael Schmuker AFHEA Reader in Data Science Biocomputation Group University of Hertfordshire http://biomachinelearning.net

May 23, 2018

PhD position in systems/computational neuroscience, Leicester, UK

by Okun, Michael (Dr.)

A PhD position is available at Centre for Systems Neuroscience, Leicester, UK. The project will focus on organisation and mechanisms of resting state cortical dynamics, particularly in the infraslow (0.01 - 1 Hz) timescales. Additional details are available at https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=97389 or by contacting Michael Okun (m.okun(a)le.ac.uk) The deadline for applications is 7th of June.

May 22, 2018

OMG- Emotion Recognition Challenge - Final Results

by Pablo Barros

Dear all, I would like to share with you all the results of our first OMG- Emotion Recognition Challenge. Our challenge is based on the One-Minute-Gradual Emotion Dataset (OMG-Emotion Dataset), which is composed of 567 emotion videos with an average length of 1 minute, collected from a variety of Youtube channels. Each team had a task to describe each video with a continuous space of arousal/valence domain. The challenge had a total of 34 teams registered, from which we got 11 final submissions. Each final submission was composed of a short paper describing the solution and the link to the code repository. The solutions used different modalities (ranging from unimodal audio and vision to multimodal audio, vision, and text), and thus provide us with a very complex evaluation scenario. All the submissions were based on neural network models. We split results into arousal and valence. For arousal, the best results came from the GammaLab team. Their three submissions are our top 3 CCC arousal, followed by the three submissions from the audEERING team, and the two submissions from the HKUST-NISL2018 team. For valence, the GammaLab team stays still in first (with their three submissions), followed by the two submissions of ADSC team and the three submissions from the iBug team. Congratulations to you all! We provide a leaderboard on our website ( https://www2.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/OMG-EmotionChallenge/ ), which will be permanently stored. This way, everyone can see the final results of the challenge, have a quick access to a formal description of the solutions and to the codes. This will help to disseminate knowledge even further and will improve the reproducibility of your solutions. We also provide a general leaderboard which will be updated constantly with new submissions. If you are interested in having your score in our general leaderboard, just send us an e-mail following the instructions on our website. I would also to invite you all to the presentation of the challenge summary during the WCCI/IJCNN 2018 in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Best Regards, Pablo -- 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.de https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/people/barros.html https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/inst/ab/wtm/

May 22, 2018

Call for Papers: Special Session on Computational Methods for Neuroimaging Analysis, 6-8 September, Portugal

by Tiago Azevedo

Dear all, Below find the call for papers for the special session "Computational Methods for Neuroimaging Analysis". It will be be held during the 15th International Conference on Computational Intelligence methods for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, at Caparica, Portugal, from 6 to 8 September. **Important Dates** Paper submission deadline: 10 June 2018 Acceptance notification: 9 July 2018 Author registration due: 20 July 2018 Camera ready due: 29 July 2018 Conference: 6-8 September 2018 **Link** https://eventos.fct.unl.pt/cibb2018/pages/special-sessions **Aim and scope** There is an increasing need for the application of machine learning (ML) techniques which can perform image processing operations such as segmentation, coregistration, classification and dimensionality reduction in the field of neuroimaging. Although the manual approach often remains the golden standard in some tasks (like segmentation), ML can be utilised to automate and facilitate the work of researchers and clinicians. Frequently used techniques include support vector machines (SVMs) for classification problems, graph-based methods for brain network analysis and recently artificial neural networks (ANNs). Deep ANNs, i.e. deep learning, have proved to be very successful in computer vision tasks owing to the ability to automatically extract hierarchical descriptive features from input images. It has also been used in the medical and neuroimaging domains for automatic disease diagnosis, tissue segmentation and even synthetic image generation. The issue, however, is the relative sample paucity in typical neuroimaging datasets which leads to poor generalisation considering the high number of parameters employed in typical deep neural networks. Consequently, parameter- efficient design paradigms ought to be created. Another approach to investigate degeneration is the study and mapping of the neural connections in the brain known as the connectome. The connectome can be seen as a matrix representing all possible pairwise connections between different neural areas. Researchers study both the structural and functional connectivity in order to understand important brain patterns, such as how the connectome impacts the dynamics of disease spreading, ageing and learning. Topics of interest includes but are not limited to: • Machine learning techniques for segmentation, coregistration, classification or dimensionality reduction of neuroimages   • Deep learning for neuroimaging analysis   • Brain network analysis   • Applications of graph theory to MRI and fMRI data   • Applications of machine learning methodologies for neurodegenerative disease studies   • Computational modelling and analysis of neuroimaging   • Methods of analysis for structural or functional connectivity   • Development of new neuroimaging tools **Session chairs** Tiago Azevedo, University of Cambridge, UK Giovanna Maria Dimitri, University of Cambridge, UK Pietro Liò, University of Cambridge, UK Angela Serra, University of Salerno, Italy Simeon Spasov, University of Cambridge, UK

May 22, 2018

Two postdoc positions at Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon

by Christian Machens

POSTDOC POSITIONS IN COMPUTATIONAL / SYSTEMS NEUROSCIENCE Two postdoctoral positions - one in theory and one in experiment - are available in a joint project between the labs of Alfonso Renart and Christian Machens at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal. Location: The Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown is situated on the waterfront in central Lisbon. English is the official language of the Centre. The center is composed of about 20 main research groups who study diverse topics in neuroscience using advanced, cutting edge techniques. Project: The proposed project will investigate to what extent neural circuits actively compensate random perturbations. The project involves the recordings and partial silencing of neural populations, population-level analysis using dimensionality reduction and other techniques, and the modeling of the results with spiking networks. Relevant background literature: Renart, de la Rocha, et al (2010), Science 327:587-90; Barrett et al (2016), eLife 5:12454; Deneve and Machens (2016), Nat Neurosci 19:375-82. Profile (theory): The ideal candidate should have a PhD with a strong, quantitative background (ideally in fields such as machine learning and/or computational neuroscience). The position is funded for two years with possibility of extension. Profile (experiment): The ideal candidate should have experience in electrophysiology (e.g. recordings from behaving head-fixed mice) and data analysis (e.g. dimensionality reduction methods etc). Applications should include a CV, a statement of research interests (max 1 page), and two letters of recommendation. Feel free to ask any informal questions about the positions if you are interested. Electronic submissions in pdf-format are preferred and should be send to both of the following email addresses: christian.machens(a)neuro.fchampalimaud.org alfonso.renart(a)neuro.fchampalimaud.org

May 21, 2018

project in neuromath & circuit-based neuron classification

by NeuroMorpho Administrator

Dear colleagues, Please find below an advertisement for a postdoc position in my lab. Thanks in advance for spreading the opportunity! Giorgio Ascoli Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Department of Bioengineering The George Mason University Department of Bioengineering, within the Volgenau School of Engineering, is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to contribute to ongoing cutting-edge neuroinformatics research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the BRAIN initiative. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason’s academic and culturally inclusive environment. Responsibilities: The initial focus is on quantitative analysis, modeling, and simulations of neuronal classification, network connectivity, and circuit dynamics. Post-doc will join the Center for Neural Informatics, Structures, and Plasticity (CN3) in George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Engineering in northern Virginia (20 miles west of Washington DC). CN3 is an interdisciplinary, energetic, and creative research group in the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study of the main Fairfax campus. The position entails tight collaborations with faculty and trainees in the Bioengineering, Neuroscience, and Mathematics programs. The successful applicant will work directly with the CN3 director and will have unlimited access to dedicated supercomputer and server facilities, flexible working schedule, salary based on the NIH postdoctoral scale, and state employee benefits. Required Qualifications: The successful candidate is expected to have a Ph.D. in a discipline related to biomedical engineering, applied mathematics, computer science, neuroscience, physics, data science, or related fields. Preferred Qualifications: The incumbent should have research experience with programming and scripting languages (C++, Java, R, MatLab). Working knowledge of network neuroscience, clustering techniques, statistics, graph theory, and/or machine learning are desirable. About Mason: George Mason University, a tier-1 research institution, is considered one of the top “Up and Coming” educational institutions in America by the U.S. News and World Report. It is conveniently located in the Washington D.C., metropolitan area within easy access to several national laboratories and research centers (including the National Institutes of Health and the Janelia Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute), and provides a highly stimulating environment for interdisciplinary science. Biomedical research is a major area of strategic focus for Mason, and the Center for Neural Informatics has been at the forefront of computational neuroscience research since its establishment in 2006. For full consideration, applicants must complete and submit the online application at https://jobs.gmu.edu/postings/42954 [http://jobs.gmu.edu/hr/assets/social_share.jpg]<https://jobs.gmu.edu/postings/42954> Postdoctoral Research Fellow<https://jobs.gmu.edu/postings/42954> jobs.gmu.edu Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Bioengineering The George Mason University Department of Bioengineering, within the Volgenau School of Engineering, is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to contribute to ongoing cutting-edge neuroinformatics research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the BRAIN initiative. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason’s academic and culturally inclusive environment. Responsibilities: The initial focus is on quantitative analysis, modeling, and simulations of neuronal classification, network connectivity, and circuit dynamics. Post-doc will join the Center for Neural Informatics, Structures, and Plasticity (CN3) in George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Engineering in northern Virginia (20 miles west of Washington DC). CN3 is an interdisciplinary, energetic, and creative resea Finalist will be required to submit three letters of recommendation upon request. Review of applications will begin on June 1, 2018, and continue until the position is filled. This position will be renewed annually subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds. Non-resident aliens are welcome to apply. Questions regarding the position should be directed to ascoli(a)gmu.edu<mailto:ascoli@gmu.edu> George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. ---------------- Giorgio Ascoli, PhD University Professor Bioengineering Department, Volgenau School of Engineering Neuroscience Program, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study Director, Center for Neural Informatics, Structures, & Plasticity MS2A1 - George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 Ph. +1(703)993-4383/+1(703)673-8894 Author of “Trees of the Brain, Roots of the Mind” (MIT Press, 2015) Founding Editor-in-Chief, Neuroinformatics

May 21, 2018

Project in neurotechnology/vision in mice in the Roelfsema lab - Amsterdam

by Pieter Roelfsema

Dear colleagues, Please find below an advertisement for a PhD or postdoc position in my lab. Thanks for spreading the advertisement! Pieter Roelfsema A postdoc or PhD-student position is available in the Vision & Cognition group at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam. The aim is to understand visual perception and plasticity elicited by electrical stimulation of the visual cortex in mice, with the ultimate aim to create a visual cortical prosthesis to restore a rudimentary form of vision for the blind. Project description: Visual perception elicited by electrical stimulation of mouse visual cortex Electrical stimulation of the visual cortex elicits a “phosphene”, an artificial percept of light. By stimulating multiple electrodes at the same time, it might prove possible evoke pattern vision. The aims of this project are to (1) develop new methods for electrical stimulation in mice; (2) to study the patterns of activated neurons using two-photon imaging and (3) to test visual perception of electrical percepts and its plasticity in mice. Qualifications We will consider highly motivated, self-driven candidates with a degree in neuroscience, (neuro)psychology, biomedical sciences, natural sciences, material science, mathematics, physics, etc. A high level of written and spoken English and good programming skills are required. The ideal candidate will have experience with neurophysiological techniques, the analysis of neuronal activity in alert animals, and a background in neuroscience. Interest in the translation of fundamental research into clinical applications and collaboration with high-tech companies is a plus. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, etc. Appointment The position involves a fulltime temporary appointment for 3 years (postdoc) or 4 years (PhD student). Starting date: Mid-2018. Salary PhD position: The gross monthly salary coming with a full-time appointment will amount to a minimum of € 2.191 in the first year to € 2.801 in the fourth year (P scale of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities). Postdoctoral position: This will be commensurate with experience and institutional guidelines based on the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities; CAO NU). In addition, an 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus will be provided. We offer an extensive package of fringe benefits. To apply, please send an application letter, CV, and two letters of recommendation to: Tini Eikelboom The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands Telephone: +31-20-5664587 E-mail: t.eikelboom(a)nin.knaw.nl<mailto:t.eikelboom@nin.knaw.nl> Evaluation of candidates will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. We aim to fill the position mid-July 2018.

May 21, 2018

[job] PhD position opening in Machine Learning for Adaptive Language interaction with an intelligent dialog companion.

by Pierre-Yves Oudeyer

*Title: Machine Learning for Adaptive Language interaction with an intelligent dialog companion *Keywords: Deep reinforcement learning, interactive machine learning, natural language processing, neural networks, intelligent dialog companion *Context: The thesis takes place in the context of a collaboration between the Robot Cognition Laboratory (INSERM/CNRS), the innovation services department of Intrinsic Cloud Temple, and the Flowers laboratory (Inria). *Background: Based on RCL experience in human-robot cooperation and learning, we have developed an intelligent agent that accompanies humans in their experience using web-based tools, learns from explicit demonstration, and allows the user to re-use and recompose learned plans to form more complex structured plans. *Project: For the moment, the system learns from demonstration. The project will extend and study algorithms for interactive machine learning (using Deep RL) to include language instructions as one of the ways that the system can learn, that is, by using the invariant structure of the human verbal description to organize procedural representations. This will advance the state of the art in the integration of language into reinforcement learning systems. * Location: Lyon and Nanterre, France (Inserm and Cloud Temple) * Response modalities: Send (1) a letter of motivation stating your interest in the project, (2) a CV, and (3) two letters of recommendation to the three addresses for Jean-Michel Dussoux, Peter Ford Dominey, and Pierre-Yves Oudeyer listed in the call, with the subject [Intelligent Assistant PhD]. jmd(a)intrinsec.com; pierre-yves.oudeyer(a)inria.fr; peter.dominey(a)inserm.fr More details: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g5ksylrrlgatkf2/RCL-CT-THESE-interaction-manager-…

May 18, 2018

POSITIONS: Lecturer/Associate Professor in Robotics, School of Computing, Electronics and Mathematics, University of Plymouth, UK

by Roman Borisyuk

Dear colleagues, The University of Plymouth is seeking to fill two positions as Lecturer/Associate Professor in Robotics. General Description The School offers a wide range of degree programmes related to Technology in the areas of Robotics, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics. We provide a stimulating teaching and research environment with strong connections to business and industry and offer excellent employment prospects for our graduates. We have a well-established interdisciplinary research base which covers: Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems (CRNS); Security, Communications & Networks; Nanotechnology & Electronics Research and Development. Four current active areas of research in Plymouth are the design and construction of agricultural robots for fruit and vegetable harvesting; the study of human-robot interaction and collaboration; the computational modelling and development of manipulation systems based on experimental investigations of human motor control and the design and development of robotic applications for Urban Search & Rescue and Nuclear Decommissioning. We have vacancies for enthusiastic, innovative and dynamic individuals to join our vibrant School to support Robotics and Machine Learning, especially as applied to solving real-world problems by building systems that can operate near people. Areas of interest include (but are not limited to) aspects of robotics systems such as sensors and actuators, kinematics and dynamics, autonomous mobile platforms and deep learning for control and recognition. Required qualifications Applications are invited from academics and/or professional engineers, who can demonstrate a commitment and enthusiasm for innovation in higher education and to the development of the next generation of Robotic Engineers. You must have undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in relevant disciplines (such as Engineering/Maths/Physics/Computer Science) together with an international profile and reputation for research excellence. We offer * Salary: from £33,518 to £56,950 (Grade 7/8/9) depending on the candidate's qualification and the level of experience * Contract Type: full-time, working 37 hours per week on a permanent basis Duties and responsibilities As well as carrying out cutting edge research, you will supervise and contribute to training of Research Assistants (RAs) and PhD students, as well as contributing to teaching on the undergraduate and postgraduate Robotics programmes, as well as other courses within the School. The Electronics and Robotics subject groups are renowned for excellence in producing high quality hands-on engineers and you should be able to support practical hardware and software projects. How to apply Candidates can apply online by visiting the application link below: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BJS594/lecturer-associate-professor-in-robotics/ Contact for informal discussion: For informal queries, do not hesitate to contact Dr Ian Howard (ian.howard(a)plymouth.ac.uk<mailto:ian.howard@plymouth.ac.uk>). Further information about the school and its courses is available at: www.plymouth.ac.uk/compmath<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/compmath>, with details of our research centre available at: www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/crns<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/crns> Closing date: 12 midnight, Thursday 31 May 2018. University of Plymouth is committed to an inclusive culture and respecting diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is a Stonewall diversity champion. The University holds a Bronze Athena SWAN Award which recognises commitment to advancing women’s careers in STEMM academia. University of Plymouth has been recognised by Bloomberg as one of the 50 best UK employers for 2016. Dr Mario Gianni Lecturer in Computer Science School of Computing, Electronics and Mathematics Faculty of Science and Engineering Plymouth University A221 Portland Square Drake Circus, Devon PL48AA, UK +44(0)1752 586318<tel:+44%201752%20586318> ________________________________ [http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/images/email_footer.gif]<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/worldclass> This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, Plymouth University accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. Plymouth University does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form. ========================================================== This email comes from the euRobotics mailinglist. You can edit your personal mailinglist profile (including unsubscription) via https://lists.iais.fraunhofer.de/sympa/info/euron-dist ________________________________ [http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/images/email_footer.gif]<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/worldclass> This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, Plymouth University accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. Plymouth University does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form.

May 18, 2018

PhD position in (Hearing-Impaired) Auditory Signal Processing at Ghent University (BE)

by Sarah Verhulst

Dear List, We invite applications for a 4-year PhD position at the Hearing Technology Lab, Dept of Information Technology, Ghent University. Evaluation of the applications starts June 15th and continues until the position is filled (starting date Oct 2018 or earlier if preferred). The PhD position is part of the ERC project RobSpear: “Robust Speech Encoding in Impaired Hearing” that takes an interdisciplinary approach (combining auditory models with EEG, psychoacoustics and machine-learning) to study sound processing in listeners with impaired hearing. You will be part of an international team of researchers with different backgrounds to develop signal-processing strategies for hearing aids of the future. Aside from signal-processing, behavioral sound perception and/or EEG experiments with normal and hearing-impaired listeners is expected as part of this project. The Hearing Technology lab of Prof. Verhulst offers an international research environment and access to world-class research facilities (waves.intec.ugent.be/hearing-technology and gasp.ugent.be). Funding is available for 4 years provided positive intermediate evaluations. Applicants should hold an academic university degree (Masters or equivalent) in Engineering (Electrical, Acoustical, Biomedical), (Engineering) Physics, Mathematics, Informatics. Coding skills (Python, Matlab) and digital signal processing knowledge are required, experience with auditory modeling, sound applications, machine learning are a big plus. Excellent written and oral English skills are required and knowledge of the Dutch language a plus. Experience with writing scientific papers is a plus. Applications including a CV, motivation letter, copies of higher-education degrees, grade transcripts and the name and contact details of two persons who are willing to give a reference should be sent electronically to: isabelle.vanderelstraeten(a)ugent.be<mailto:isabelle.vanderelstraeten@intec.ugent.be>. Please mention “PhD vacancy hearing” in the subject line. Inquiries about the position can be directed to Prof. Verhulst (s.verhulst(a)ugent.be)<mailto:s.verhulst@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>

May 17, 2018

The 2nd International Neural Dynamics Summer School 2018 - application deadline 15th June 2018

by Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira

The 2nd International Neural Dynamics Summer School 2018 Experience experimental and computational neuroscience research 05/09/2018 –07/09/2018 Bristol University, UK We are offering twelve fully funded positions on the Wellcome Trust sponsored summer school for training and research experience in neural dynamics (TRENDs). The training and research in neural dynamics summer school is an exciting Wellcome Trust funded course held at the University of Bristol. The aim is to introduce young scientists to experimental and computational techniques used in neuroscience research. The summer school will be a three-day course made up of a series of seminars and lab visits where successful candidates will get first hand experience of electrophysiological recordings (bothin vitro and in vivo), EEG recordings, brain imaging, optogenetics, data analysis workshops and practical classes on learning to code in Python. No prior experience is necessary, but a keen interest is essential! We welcome applications from science undergraduates from a wide range of backgrounds. For successful applicants all costs to attend the course, including travel expenses within the UK, accommodation and food will be covered. Overseas travel expenses will be considered on a case by case basis. Deadline 15 June, 2018 Please send a completed application form, along with a cover letter, a copy of your CV and one academic reference or the name of one referee to will.gawned(a)bristol.ac.uk<mailto:will.gawned@bristol.ac.uk>. The application form is available as .doc ( TRENDS_2018_docx (Office document, 9kB)<http://www.bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/neural-dynamics/documents/tren…>) or as a LaTeX template (TRENDS_2018_tex<http://www.bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/neural-dynamics/documents/stud…>), please submit either .doc or .pdf. Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare Department of Mathematics & 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

May 17, 2018

8th International Summer School „Multimodal integration of brain measurements in research and clinical practice“

by Uwe Graichen

Dear colleagues, we are pleased to announce the 8th International Summer School in Biomedical Engineering „Multimodal integration of brain measurements in research and clinical practice“, 1st – 12th October 2018 in Chengdu, China. This event stands in the tradition of a series of successful summer schools on hot themes in biomedical engineering, dedicated to intense learning in the fruitful atmosphere of tight interaction between students and world-leading specialists. This year’s summer school is devoted to EEG/MEG source reconstruction technologies in the frame work of multimodal integration of brain measurements in research and clinical practice. In particular, the 8th International Summer School on Biomedical Engineering will focus on methodological approaches and challenges, measurement devices and characteristics, types of underlying theoretic modeling, specifics of data analysis, ability to derive conclusions about neuroscientific meaning. It will cover both theoretical foundations and practical applications. We aim at a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Thus, we will develop a critical view on current applications and possible future developments. The second important aim of the summer school consists in providing contact with both leading experts in the field and other students with similar interests, thereby facilitating the exchange of ideas on latest developments in the field. Target Group: - PhD students - Advanced Master students - Researchers entering the field of brain measurement and stimulation techniques Further Information about the 7th International Summer School in Biomedical Engineering: www.bme-school.org We would be happy to receive your application. Please pass this announcement to your colleagues who might be interested. Sincerely, Jens Haueisen and Thomas Knösche

May 16, 2018

Neuroplasticity Workshop: From Bench to Machine Learning 13 July 2018 - 14 July 2018 -- University of Surrey near London

by a.gruning＠surrey.ac.uk

Dear colleagues, Full information at <http://www.ias.surrey.ac.uk/workshops/Neuroplasticity/index.php>. Neuroplasticity: From Bench to Machine Learning 13 July 2018 - 14 July 2018 The Surrey Sleep Research Centre, the Department of Computer Science, and the Institute of Advance Studies at the University of Surrey are pleased to announce a call for participation in and contributions to a two-day workshop where researchers can share and discuss the current advances in neuroplasticity and machine learning and their mutual inspiration. On one hand, Neuroscience keeps discovering new mechanisms involved in neural plasticity and its modulation, which involves the so-called “third factors” (e.g. dendritic computations, glia, neurotransmitters) and dynamics of neural networks (e.g. oscillations). However the functional and computational interpretation of these phenomena and their utilisation in machine learning remains to be explored. On the other hand, the advent of “deep networks” in machine learning has allowed us to model artificial neural networks that perform highly complex tasks (e.g. chess, go, image classification). But to date, none of these modeling approaches competes with general human or animal intelligence in terms of cost-effectiveness or domain-transferability. The main goal of this workshop will be to discuss the missing links between neural-level phenomena and their computational function on behavioural or technical level. This meeting will bring together international and national leaders in the fields of synaptic function and plasticity, network dynamic, computational neuroscience and machine learning and will offer a unique platform to establish new interdisciplinary collaborations. CONFIRMED SPEAKERS Katharina Wilmes, Imperial College London, UK Matthew Larkum, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany Cyril Hanus, INSERM U894, France Brendon Watson, University of Michigan, USA Keith Hengen, Washington University, USA Giorgos Kastellakis, IMBB-FORTH, Crete Friedemann Zenke, University of Oxford Connor Houghton, University of Bristol Liam McDaid, Ulster University David Lester, SpiNNaker, University of Manchester Tiina Maninen, Technical University of Turku -- Brief? Here's why: http://emailcharter.org<http://emailcharter.org/> Dr Andre Gruning Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) Postgraduate Research Director Department of Computer Science University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH United Kingdom

May 16, 2018

Information theory workshop at CNS*2018 -- call for contributed talks

by Joseph Lizier

Dear all, We are pleased to announce that the Workshop on Methods of Information Theory in Computational Neuroscience will be held once again at CNS*2018, Seattle, USA. The workshop will be held over the final two days of the main conference, July 17 and 18. Our confirmed invited speakers include the following (schedule available soon): * Braden Brinkman, Stony Brook University -- "Signal-to-noise ratio competes with neural bandwidth to shape efficient coding strategies" * Mireille Conrad, University of Geneva -- "Mutual information vs. transfer entropy in spike-based neuroscience" * Benjamin Cramer, University of Heidelberg -- "Information theory reveals a diverse range of states induced by spike timing based learning in neural networks" * Alex Dimitrov, Washington State University Vancouver -- "Modeling of perceptual invariances in biological sensory processing" * Eva Dyer, Georgia Tech -- "Finding low-dimensional structure in large-scale neural recordings" * Justin Gardner, Stanford University -- "Optimality and heuristics for human perceptual inference" * Jim Kay, University of Glasgow -- "Partial Information Decompositions based on Dependency Constraints" * Joseph T. Lizier, The University of Sydney -- "Pointwise Partial Information Decomposition Using the Specificity and Ambiguity Lattices" * Leonardo Novelli, The University of Sydney -- "Validation and performance of effective network inference using multivariate transfer entropy with IDTxl" * Tatyana Sharpee, Salk Institute for Biological Studies -- TBA * Nicholas M. Timme, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis -- "From neural cultures to rodent models of disease: examples of information theory analyses of effective connectivity, computation, and encoding" * Taro Toyoizumi, RIKEN Brain Science Institute -- "Emergence of Levy Walks from Second-Order Stochastic Optimization" * Siwei Wang, Hebrew University of Jerusalem -- "Closing the gap from structure to function with information theoretic design principles" * Patricia Wollstadt, Goethe University, Frankfurt / Honda Research Institute Europe "Validation and performance of effective network inference using multivariate transfer entropy with IDTxl" Also, we would like to call for contributions of talks (25 min + 5 min Q&A). If you are interested in contributing such a talk, please send a title and abstract to Joseph Lizier (joseph.lizier(a)sydney.edu.au) by Friday June 8, 2018. Please see our website http://bit.ly/cns2018itw for more details. We hope you will join us there! Organising Committee: Joseph Lizier Viola Priesemann Justin Dauwels Taro Toyoizumi Alexander Dimitrov Lubomir Kostal Michael Wibral

May 16, 2018

postdoc @ UCLA: consciousness, AI, blockchain tech

by Hakwan Lau

in collaboration with the industry (a startup company based in the Bay Area), we are looking for a postdoc to follow up on this <http://science.sciencemag.org/content/358/6362/486/tab-figures-data>. the ideal candidate may be someone with a computer science background, passionate for understanding neuroscience and human consciousness. familiarity with / interest in neural network modelling and/or blockchain tech a plus. the job will be primarily based at UCLA with frequent opportunities to travel to San Francisco & Hong Kong (not an obligation). please send CV to hakwan(a)gmail.com Hakwan Lau, D.Phil [my work <https://qualia.psych.ucla.edu/> & blog <https://inconsciousnesswetrust.blogspot.com/>]

May 16, 2018

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience of sleep/memory at UPF (Barcelona)

by DE SANCRISTOBAL ALONSO, BELEN

*PhD Position inComputational Neuroscience, Ruben Moreno-Bote Lab Center for Brain and Cognition, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain1 fully funded PhD position is available in the group of Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience (https://www.upf.edu/web/ruben-moreno-bote <https://www.upf.edu/web/ruben-moreno-bote>) in the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. The candidate will be supervised by both postdoctoral researcher Belén Sancristóbal Alonso and the head of the group, Rubén Moreno Bote.The selected candidate will develop his PhD within the field of sleep, sensory perception and memory. He/she will have access to rat’s electrophysiology recordings and can be involved in the design of behavioral experiments, thanks to our experimental collaborators. The project will require statistical analyses of neural data, programming and creative thinking. We are looking for motivated students with Physics, Mathematics, Engineering or Computer Science backgrounds, holding a Master’s degree and, ideally, with knowledge of Neuroscience. We will also consider candidates with Psychology background with strong mathematical skills and interested in modeling. This position is financed by the Junior Leader La Caixa Fellowship Programme.The candidate will also benefit from a larger network of neuroscience labs in Barcelona (http://www.barcelonaneuroscience.com <http://www.barcelonaneuroscience.com>).APPLICATION: A full CV in pdf format and an extract of grades for bachelor and master studies should be sent to belen.sancristobal(a)upf.edu <belen.sancristobal(a)upf.edu>DEADLINE: until the position is filledSTARTING DATE: Fall 2018* Belén de Sancristóbal Alonso Center for Brain and Cognition Universitat Pompeu Fabra c\ Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27 Mercè Rodoreda building, 5th floor (room 24.512) 08005, Barcelona

May 15, 2018

Michael Arbib's autobiography is now open

by Érdi Péter

Dear All: The memoir of one of the legendary brain theoreticians, Michael Arbib: >From cybernetics to brain theory, and more: A memoir published in Cognitive Systems Research is now freely available by August 13th at ScienceDirect: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389041718301360 Hope you will enjoy to read this paper! Kind regards Péter Érdi

May 13, 2018

Postdoc position in Computational Neuroscience in the Clopath lab.

by Clopath, Claudia

Postdoc position in Computational Neuroscience in the Clopath lab. ----------------------------------------------------- Computational Neuroscience Laboratory Headed by Dr. Claudia Clopath Department of Bioengineering Imperial College London -----------------Requirements:----------------- The Computational Neuroscience Laboratory, headed by Dr. Claudia Clopath, is looking for a talented Postdoc, interested in working in the field of computational neuroscience, specifically addressing questions of learning and memory. The perfect candidate has a strong mathematical, physical or engineering background (or equivalent), programing skills, and a keen interest in biological and neural systems. A PhD in the field of computational neuroscience is a plus. -----------------Research topic:----------------- Learning and memory are among the most fascinating topic of neuroscience, yet our understanding of it is only at the beginning. Learning is thought to change the connections between the neurons in the brain, a process called synaptic plasticity. Using mathematical and computational tools, it is possible to model synaptic plasticity across different time scales, which helps understand how different types of memory are formed. The Postdoc candidate will be working to build those models of synaptic plasticity, and study the functional role of synaptic plasticity in neural networks. ----------------- The lab:----------------------- The Computational Neuroscience Laboratory is very young and dynamic, and publishes in prestigious journals, such as Nature and Science. It is part of the Department of Bioengineering, which conducts state-of-the-art multidisciplinary research in biomechanics, neuroscience and neurotechnology. The lab is at Imperial College London, the 3rd ranked university in Europe, is in the top 10 worldwide, and is located in the city centre of London. More information can be found at: http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/c.clopath/ ----------------- How to apply:----------------- Candidates should send a single pdf file, consisting of a 1-page motivation letter and CV (including publication list) to clopathlab.imperial(a)gmail.com<mailto:clopathlab.imperial@gmail.com>, with the subject containing 'Postdoc2018'. In addition, candidates should organize two letters of reference to be sent to clopathlab.imperial(a)gmail.com<mailto:clopathlab.imperial@gmail.com>, with the subject containing 'Postdoc2018'. The position is open until filled but the earlier applications will be considered first.

May 12, 2018

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience of decision-making at UPF (Barcelona)

by Alexandre Hyafil

One fully funded PhD position is available under the supervision of Rubén Moreno-Bote and Alexandre Hyafil in the group of Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience. The group is part of the *Center for Brain and Cognition* at the University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain ( https://www.upf.edu/web/ruben-moreno-bote) The candidate will study theoretical models of decision-making and design and analysis human experiments to directly test these models. He/she could also be involved in the design and analysis of animal behavioral and multielectrode neural data. Candidates should have *Physics*, *Mathematics* or *Machine Learning* background, ideally with knowledge of *Neuroscience* or *Computational Neuroscience*, and interested in theory and applications. We will also consider candidates with *Psychology* background interested in computational modeling. The candidate will benefit from the stimulating environment of Barcelona area in Theoretical and Systems Neuroscience. Our lab forms part of a larger network of neuroscience labs in Barcelona ( http://www.barcelonaneuroscience.com) Candidates, please send a full CV and an extract of grades for degree and master studies to alexandre.hyafil(a)upf.edu and ruben.moreno(a)upf.edu <alexandre.hyafil(a)upf.edu>. Deadline: until the position is filled. Starting date: any time between October 2018 and January 2019.

May 12, 2018

Extended deadline: 2nd INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON NEURODYNAMICS (NDy18)

by ROBERTO BARRIO

Dear colleagues, we are sending the Second Announcement and Extended Deadline of the 2nd International Workshop on Neurodynamics (Ndy’18) September 26-29, 2018 Castro-Urdiales, Spain http://cody.unizar.es/events/neurodynamics18/ https://www.ciem.unican.es/2nd-international-workshop-neurodynamics *** Scientific committee *** Peter Ashwin, University of Exeter, UK. Roberto Barrio, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain. Silvia Daun, University of Cologne, Germany. Mathieu Desroches, Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France. Toni Guillamon, Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Spain. Serafim Rodrigues, Basque Center of Applied Mathematics, Spain. Neuroscience is nowadays one of the most collaborative and active scientific research fields as it has been increasingly involving the participation of experts from other disciplines. In particular, computational and mathematical aspects of neuroscience are currently playing an important role both in modeling and replicating experimental findings and in explaining the underlying mechanisms of neurophysiological or cognitive processes. Differential equations are ubiquitous in the modeling of such phenomena and, consequently, nonlinear dynamics and dynamical systems techniques become fundamental sources of new mathematical and computational tools to study neuroscience models. The aim of this Second Workshop on Neurodynamics, NDy'18 (first edition was NDy'14) is to present an overview of successful achievements in this rapidly developing collaborative field by putting together different types of applications of nonlinear dynamics (geometrical tools in dynamical systems, numerical methods, computational schemes, dynamical measures,...) to different problems in neuroscience (mononeuronal dynamics, network activity, cognitive problems,...). Additional emphasis will be put on experimental findings seeking for theoretical explanations, and therefore this meeting is focussed on using mathematics as the primary tool for elucidating the fundamental mechanisms responsible for experimentally observed behavior in the applied neurosciences. Importantly, it will draw attention to those pieces of mathematical theory which are likely to be relevant to future studies of the brain. The final goal is spreading together mathematical methodology and neuroscience challenges and stimulating future cross-collaborations among participants, being Mathematical Neuroscience the generic topic for NDy'18. The workshop length will be 4 days, distributed in special sessions and talks, with several round tables on different topics. Early Confirmed Speakers Include: Peter Ashwin, University of Exeter, UK. Silvia Daun, University of Cologne, Germany. Mathieu Desroches, Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France. Claudius Gros, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany. Cristina Masoller, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Spain. Hil Meijer, University of Twente, Netherland. Hinke Osinga, University of Auckland, New Zealand. Alex Roxin, CRM, Spain. Jonathan Rubin, University of Pittsburgh, USA. Joaquin Torres, Universidad de Granada, Spain. --------------------------------------------------------------------- *** IMPORTANT DATES *** Short abstract/Title submission deadline 20th May 2018 *EXTENDED DEADLINE* Acceptance notification 31st May 2018 Payment deadline (reduced fee, 220 Euros) 30th June 2018 Payment deadline (complete fee, 270 Euros) 6th September 2018 The registration includes the coffee-breaks, lunches and social dinner. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Send your abstract as soon as possible (always before May 20th) by e-mail to cody(a)unizar.es. Use the templates provided in http://cody.unizar.es/events/neurodynamics18/ndy18_abstract.zip *************************************************** Prof. Roberto Barrio Computational Dynamics Group (CoDy) Departamento de Matematica Aplicada University of Zaragoza Edificio de Matematicas, planta tercera. c/ Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009-Zaragoza SPAIN email: rbarrio(a)unizar.es web: http://cody.unizar.es Tel: (34) 976762480 ***************************************************

May 11, 2018

A unified theory of prefrontal cortex and its functions

by Grossberg, Stephen

Dear colleagues, The following Open Access article develops a unified theory of prefrontal cortex and its functions: Grossberg, S. (2018). Desirability, availability, credit assignment, category learning, and attention: Cognitive-emotional and working memory dynamics of orbitofrontal, ventrolateral, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. Brain and Neuroscience Advances. May 8, 2018. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2398212818772179 Abstract: Background: The prefrontal cortices play an essential role in cognitive-emotional and working memory processes through interactions with multiple brain regions. Methods: This article further develops a unified neural architecture that explains many recent and classical data about prefrontal function, and makes testable predictions. Results: Prefrontal properties of desirability, availability, credit assignment, category learning, and feature-based attention are explained. These properties arise through interactions of orbitofrontal, ventrolateral prefrontal, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices with the inferotemporal cortex, perirhinal cortex, parahippocampal cortices; ventral bank of the principal sulcus, ventral prearcuate gyrus, frontal eye fields, hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, hypothalamus, and visual cortical areas V1, V2, V3A, V4, MT, MST, LIP, and PPC. Model explanations also include how the value of visual objects and events is computed, which objects and events cause desired consequences and which may be ignored as predictively irrelevant, and how to plan and act to realize these consequences, including how to selectively filter expected vs. unexpected events, leading to movements towards, and conscious perception of, expected events. Modeled processes include reinforcement learning and incentive motivational learning; object and spatial working memory dynamics; and category learning, including the learning of object categories, value categories, object-value categories, and sequence categories, or list chunks. Conclusions: This article hereby proposes a unified theory of prefrontal cortex and its functions. Best, Steve Grossberg Stephen Grossberg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Grossberg http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3BIV70wAAAAJ&hl=en https://youtu.be/9n5AnvFur7I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hBye6JQCh4 Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems Professor of Mathematics & Statistics, Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering Director, Center for Adaptive Systems Boston University http://cns.bu.edu/~steve steve(a)bu.edu<mailto:steve@bu.edu> <mailto:steve@bu.edu>

May 10, 2018

Post-doc positions available studying gamma's effects on learning, memory, and immune function

by Annabelle Singer

*Description* Postdoctoral or research scientist positions are available in the Singer lab at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine studying how neural activity affects learning and memory and the immune system in health and disease. *Major Responsibilities:* The successful applicant will examine how stimulating neural activity affects plasticity, immune responses, and learning and memory in health and disease with a focus on the hippocampal circuit. This research uses a variety of advanced neuroscience techniques including in vivo recordings from many single cells, MRI, innovative data analysis methods, and histological analysis in rodents. This project includes collaboration with other labs in the BME department at Georgia Tech and Emory and therefore a successful applicant must work well in a collaborative environment. This project is fully funded and aspects of this project will be applied to human subjects. To find out more about the Singer Lab, see our lab website http://singer.gatech.edu/ <http://singer.gatech.edu/publications/>and our recent publications: Gamma frequency entrainment attenuates amyloid load and modifies microglia <http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v540/n7632/abs/nature20587.html> Hippocampal SWR Activity Predicts Correct Decisions during the Initial Learning of an Alternation Task <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627313000937> And some recent press: Beating Alzheimer’s with Brain Waves <https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/12/beating-alzheimers-with…> What’s The Frequency <http://thebiomedicalscientist.net/science/what%E2%80%99s-frequency>? *Qualifications* The ideal candidate 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 vivo experimentation, histology, MRI, behavior, electrophysiology and/or learning and memory is preferred. Candidates with computational backgrounds including signal processing, electrical engineering, or programming are encouraged to apply. The Singer Lab is part of the dynamic, exciting, and collaborative neuroscience and neuroengineering communities at Georgia Tech and Emory University. The candidate is expected to become an active member of this flourishing research community. *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 references to Annabelle Singer: asinger(a)gatech.edu *Department Description* *The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech*is 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 outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs, recognized as #1 and #2 in the nation, respectively. 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: Annabelle.singer(a)bme.gatech.edu Skype: annabellesinger Google Hangout: annabellecsinger(a)gmail.com Faculty support: Karine Avagian, email: karine.avagian(a)bme.gatech.edu

May 9, 2018

Postdoc position in Marseille, France: machine learning and neuroscience

by Sylvain Takerkart

*Understanding individual differences in neuroimaging** using multi-view machine learning. Methods and applications.* * We are seeking candidates for a two years postdoctoral, for developing new machine learning methods to deal with heterogeneous data such as anatomical, functional and diffusion MRI. This post-doc will be funded by the newly established Institute for Language, Communication and the Brain in Marseille, France (http://www.ilcb.fr <http://www.ilcb.fr>), and will be awarded through a competitive selection process. The laureate will work in both the Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/ <http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/>) and the Laboratoire d'Informatique et Systèmes (http://www.lis-lab.fr/ <http://www.lis-lab.fr/>). * In brain imaging, traditional group analyses rely on averaging data collected in different individuals. This averaging offers a summary representation of the studied group, thus providing a way to perform inference at the population level. However, it discards the specificities of each individual, which have recently proved to carry critical information to develop diagnosis and prognosis tools for neurological and psychiatric diseases or to understand high level cognitive processes. Estimating robust population-wise invariants while preserving individual specificities is a challenge that can be addressed by integrating the information offered by different neuroimaging modalities, such as anatomical, functional and diffusion MRI, which respectively allow assessing brain shape, activity and connectivity. This can therefore be framed as a multi-view machine learning question. The tasks of the post-doctoral fellow will consist in 1. finding adequate representations of data (e.g. graph, stack of images, …) that preserve structural information, 2. designing and implementing machine learning algorithms that exploit both the representations and the multiple views using kernel methods and/or neural networks, and 3. evaluating them on a variety of MRI datasets dedicated to studying language and communication. The candidate should have completed a PhD in computer science, applied mathematics or electrical engineering, with a focus on machine learning. He/she should also have a strong motivation to work in neuroscience, as the working environment will be truly inter-disciplinary. Interested candidates should contact sylvain.takerkart(a)univ-amu.fr, francois-xavier.dupe(a)lis-lab.fr and hachem.kadri(a)lis-lab.fr before May 25 2018 for a first contact. -- Sylvain Takerkart Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone (INT) UMR 7289 CNRS-AMU Marseille, France tél: +33 (0)4 91 324 007 http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/_TAKERKART-Sylvain_?lang=en

May 9, 2018

The Virtual Brain - Node #7 Workshop [Montreal, Aug 7-8]

by Tanya Brown

*[image: TVB NODE#7Workshop Tweet Early Bird.png] <http://www.thevirtualbrain.org/node7>* *Get up to speed about the fundamental principles of full brain network modeling using the open-source neuroinformatics platform * *The Virtual Brain (TVB) at our 2-day workshop, August 7-8, 2018* *TVB NODE#7 is an official satellite event to* *Neuroinformatics 2018 <http://www.neuroinformatics2018.org/> <http://www.neuroinformatics2018.org/>* *Be sure to register for both!* TVB enables biologically realistic modeling of network dynamics using Connectome-based approaches across different brain scales. Generate macroscopic neuroimaging signals including fMRI, intracranial and stereotactic EEG, surface EEG and MEG for single subjects. Personalized brain network models can be derived from an individual’s MRI data. Researchers from different backgrounds can benefit from an integrative software platform including a supporting framework for data management (generation, organization, storage, integration and sharing) and a simulation core written in Python. Applications to use cases in the healthy and diseased brain are also presented. *LOCATION* *Montréal Neurological Institute (MNI)* 3801 University Street Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2B4 <https://goo.gl/maps/78BEHUjBrd42> *REGISTER HERE <http://www.thevirtualbrain.org/node7>* *PROGRAM AT A GLANCE * - *A generative model of the brain; **describing the building blocks of a brain network model* - *Interacting with TVB; **w**orking with the web UI, command line and scripting interfaces* - *Constructing personalized models from empirical data; **learn how to take your own data and model it within the framework of TVB.* - *Brain stimulation in TVB* - *Clinical applications of TVB * - *Hands-on session; **using the GUI and demo scripts to simulate epilepsy, stroke, neurodegenerative disease, brain stimulation and a mouse model* *After the workshop you should have a basic picture of how these models are built, how they work, and what biological properties of a neural system they represent. In addition, we will highlight several research topics that can be explored using this tool.* *The workshop is organized with interleaved oral presentation and hands-on sessions. Attendants will have the time to ask questions. The hands-on sessions will let you immediately apply the concepts from the lectures to your simulations in TVB. * *Bring your own device.* *Refreshments will be available during the breaks and lunch will be provided.* *WORKSHOP HAS LIMITED ATTENDANCE* *Registration closes July 15th – claim your spot today! <https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-virtual-brain-node7-workshop-registration-4…>* <http://www.thevirtualbrain.org> *This workshop is supported by INCF and organized by the TVB Team. Please contact Tanya Brown <tbrown(a)research.baycrest.org>if you have any questions.* *Tanya Brown* Program Manager - The Virtual Brain <http://thevirtualbrain.org> Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest - Toronto, Canada [image: TVB_tagline_crop.jpg]

May 9, 2018

Cognitive Computing Herrenhausen Conference in December 18-20, 2018, Hannover, Germany - submite abstracts by July 31 - www.cognitive-comp.org

by Prof. Dr. Gordon Pipa

We are proud to announce the Herrenhausen Conference on Cognitive Computing, which will take place from December 18-20 in Hanover, Germany www.cognitive-comp.org Confirmed Plenary Lectures and Keynotes: David Wolpert, Santa Fé Institute, USA Chris Eliasmith, University of Waterloo, Canada Joanna J. Bryson, Princeton University, USA (University of Bath, UK) Pieter Roelfsema, NIN Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit), Netherlands Demetri Psaltis, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland Kwabena Boahen, Stanford University, USA Edward A. Lee, UC Berkeley, USA Susan Stepney, University of York, UK Public lecture (Computation and System Autonomy): Ipke Wachsmuth, Bielefeld University, Germany Poster: http://cognitive-comp.org/template/images/files/CognitiveComputing_Conferenc e2018.pdf Call for Abstract: http://cognitive-comp.org/template/images/files/Call4Papers_CogComp2018.pdf The conference has two aims, namely to explore technological options arising from novel computational architectures in unconventional substrates and to work towards a general rigorous theory of computing in non-digital, "brain-like" physical substrates. This is a profoundly interdisciplinary enterprise. For the duration of three full days, we want to bring together researchers from neuroscience, mathematics, machine learning, computer engineering, physics and material sciences in a single-track "think tank" setting with eye-opening plenary and keynote lectures, as well as carefully selected oral presentations and comprehensive poster sessions. The venue, the Castle of Herrenhausen, a heritage of the Kings of Hannover, has been transformed into an award-winning center for scientific events. The Herrenhausen Gardens stretch across hectares of classical French gardening. This unique setting, together with generous break times, will make it easy and natural to engage in stimulating scientific exchange. The organizers: Daniel Brunner (photonics, neuromorphic architectures / Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté/CNRS, France) Herbert Jaeger (machine learning, nonlinear dynamics / Jacobs University, Germany) Stuart Parkin (nano systems, quantum electronic materials / Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics, Germany) Gordon Pipa (neuroinformatics and cognitive computing / Osnabrück University, Germany) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- Professor and Chair of the Neuroinformatics Department Dr. rer. nat. Gordon Pipa Institute of Cognitive Science, Room 50/218 University of Osnabrueck Wachsbleiche 27, 49090 Osnabrück, Germany tel. +49 (0) 541-969-2277 fax (private). +49 (0) 5405- 500 80 98 home office. +49 (0) 5405- 500 90 95 e-mail: gpipa(a)uos.de webpage: http://www.ni.uos.de https://de.linkedin.com/in/gordon-pipa-47771539 research gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gordon_Pipa/?ev=prf_act Personal Assistent and Secretary of the Neuroinformatic lab: Anna Jungeilges Tel. +49 (0)541 969-2390 Fax +49 (0)541 969-2246 Email: anna.jungeilges(a)uni-osnabrueck.de visit us on http://www.facebook.com/CognitiveScienceOsnabruck https://twitter.com/#!/CogSciUOS

May 9, 2018

PhD position in Slovakia and US

by Norbert Kopco

A PhD position (or a part-time postdoc) is available in Norbert Kopco's Perception and Cognition Lab in the Institute of Computer Science at Safarik University in Kosice, Slovakia, for a Marie Curie EU-funded project on adaptation and learning in spatial hearing (http://pcl.upjs.sk/grants/alt/) This is an international collaborative project, combining psychophysical, neuroimaging and computational methods. As part of this project, the student would have the opportunity to work on development of modules for an auditory training game and spend up to 12 months in the US with one or more of the collaborators on this grant (Aaron Seitz's Brain Game Center at UC Riverside, Erick Gallun's lab at the Portland VA / OHSU, Virginia Best or Barbara Shinn-Cunningham at the Boston University Hearing Research Center, or Jyrki Ahveninen at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging in Boston). Interested candidates please contact norbert.kopco(a)upjs.sk with a CV and a research statement. Information about PhD student application procedures is available at http://www.upjs.sk/en/faculty-of-science/foreign-students/ (deadline is 31 May, 2018).

May 8, 2018

Theory-Experiment postdoctoral position in Paris [coll. Shamma/Boubenec/Ostojic]

by Yves Boubenec

A theory-experiment postdoctoral position is available at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, on a collaborative project between the group of Shihab Shamma & Yves Boubenec and the team of Srdjan Ostojic. We recently investigated (*) the population-level encoding of target stimuli in the primary auditory cortex of behaving animals during discrimination tasks. Following up on this study, we now aim at investigating the neural bases of auditory flexible categorization in behaving ferrets by combining computational modeling, data-analysis and experimental recordings. The successful applicant will be based at the Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Computationnelles (LNC2), a highly interactive and dynamic environment situated in central Paris (see https://lnc2.dec.ens.fr/fr/teams/network-dynamics-and-computations) The group of Shihab Shamma & Yves Boubenec where the neurophysiological recordings take place is located next door (https://lsp.dec.ens.fr) The ideal candidate should be a computational neuroscientist with strong interest in experimental neuroscience, or the other way round. Starting dates are flexible. The position is for two years. Candidates should send a letter of motivation (2 pages max), the contact information of 2 or more referees and their CVs to boubenec at ens.fr _BEFORE May 23rd, 2018_. (*) Bagur, S. , Averseng, M., Elgueda, D., David, S., Fritz, J., Yin, P., Shamma, S., Boubenec, Y.* & Ostojic, S.* Go/No-Go task engagement enhances population representation of target stimuli in primary auditory cortex. Nature Comm. (in press). doi:10.1101/240556 -- Yves Boubenec, Ph.D. Associate Professor / Maitre de conférences Audition Team, Laboratoire des Systèmes Perceptifs (CNRS UMR 8248) École Normale Supérieure, Department of Cognitive Studies 75005 Paris, France

May 8, 2018

REMINDER: NEST Conference 2018 --- Abstract submission closes SUNDAY 13 May

by Hans Ekkehard Plesser

Dear colleagues! I cordially invite you to submit contributions to the NEST Conference 2018 to be held on 25/26 June 2018 (Monday/Tuesday, lunch to lunch) on the beautiful campus of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences at Ås, 30km south of Oslo. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION CLOSES THIS SUNDAY! We are excited to offer the following conference highlights: • NEST 3 — Gain first hands-on experience with the future of NEST • NEST Doc++ — Shape the professional documentation for NEST • Brain Atlases as Tools for Neuroscience (Jan Bjaalie/Trygve Leergaard) • Agricultural Robotics — Meet Thorvald, NMBU's robot for precision farming (sagarobotics.com) • Midsummer conference barbecue dinner on NMBU's beautiful campus • 3-day Hackathon after the conference with focus on improving documentation The NEST Conference provides an opportunity for the NEST Community to meet, exchange success stories, swap advice, learn about current developments in and around NEST spiking network simulation and its application. We would like you to share your experiences made and results obtained with NEST during the conference. You can do so either by a short oral presentation (10–15 minutes), on a poster, through a demo, or by organizing group work. Important dates • 13 May 2018 — Deadline for abstract submissions --- THIS SUNDAY!!! • 17 May 2018 — Notification of acceptance • 25 May 2018 — Deadline for registration For details, abstract submission and registration, please see http://www.nest-initiative.org/conference You are also welcome to contact us at conference(a)nest-initiative.org. We are looking forward to welcoming you to Ås in June! Hans Ekkehard Plesser President The Neural Technology Simulation Initiative http://www.nest-initiative.org -- 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

May 8, 2018

Job Opening

by Anna Manelis

*Postdoctoral position* A post-doctoral position is available at the Anticipation, Cognition and Emotion lab (www.ace.pitt.edu) at the University of Pittsburgh ( http://www.pitt.edu) to work with Dr. Anna Manelis and her team. A successful candidate will work on the NIMH funded research project that uses multimodal neuroimaging (fMRI, MRI, DTI and fNIRS) to understand the contribution of anticipatory processing to cognitive and emotional dysfunction in individuals with mood disorders. *Required Qualifications*: a PhD degree in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience or a related discipline. A strong research background in the analysis and interpretation of neuroimaging data is required. Excellent writing skills are a must. Candidates with a strong computational background are encouraged to apply. Experience with FSL, Freesurfer and E-prime is preferred. The ability to program in Shell, Matlab, Python and/or R is preferred. Experience with fNIRS, graph modeling and pattern classification analyses is a plus. While prior experience with clinical populations is not necessary, we expect candidates to be interested in neuroimaging research of working and episodic memory in individuals with mood disorders. *Responsibilities*: A successful candidate will collect and analyze neuroimaging data, write manuscripts and present at conferences. This is a 1- to 2-year position that can be extended to 3 years. Start date is September 2018. If you are interested in this position, please send a CV, research statement, preprints/reprints of papers, and the names and contact information for two references to Anna Manelis (manelisa(a)upmc.edu <manelis(a)upmc.edu>).

May 7, 2018

3 PhD positions

by Jean-Pascal Pfister

Applications are invited for up to 3 PhD positions in the Theoretical Neuroscience Group headed by Prof. Jean-Pascal Pfister (jointly affiliated to the University of Bern and to the University of Zurich/ETH). The position is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation grant entitled "Bayesian synapses”. The Theoretical Neuroscience Group is interested in discovering new computational principles implemented in the brain. The group uses machine learning techniques such as nonlinear Bayesian filtering and apply them at different levels: the single synapse level, the neural network level and the behavioral level. The project aims at proposing a Bayesian perspective to synaptic plasticity and testing this idea in collaboration with experimental labs such as the lab of Prof. Martin Müller (Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich). The candidate should hold a Master degree in Physics, Mathematics, Computational Neuroscience, Computer Science or a related field. She/he should have keen interests in designing experimentally testable models. Preference will be given to candidates with strong mathematical and programming skills. The applicant should submit a CV (including contacts of two referees), a statement of research interests, marks obtained for the Master, and the abstract of the Master thesis in electronic format to Jean-Pascal Pfister (jpfister(a)ini.uzh.ch <mailto:jpfister@ini.uzh.ch>). The position is offered for a period of three years and can be extended. The preferred starting date is before October 2018. Salary scale is provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation ( http://www.snf.ch/SiteCollectionDocuments/allg_doktorierende_e.pdf <http://www.snf.ch/SiteCollectionDocuments/allg_doktorierende_e.pdf> ). Deadline for application is the 15th of Mai 2018 or until the position is filled. The interview will take place in Bern on the 25th of Mai. ——— Prof. Jean-Pascal Pfister Theoretical Neuroscience Group Bühlplatz 5 3012 Bern Switzerland http://www.physio.unibe.ch/~pfister/group/ <http://www.physio.unibe.ch/~pfister/group/> and Institute of Neuroinformatics University of Zurich and ETH Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 8057 Zurich, Switzerland www.ini.uzh.ch/~jpfister <http://www.ini.uzh.ch/~jpfister>

May 7, 2018

POSTDOC Computational Neuroscience / AI, Nottingham

by Mark van Rossum

We are pleased to announce an opening for a postdoc in the lab of Mark van Rossum at the University of Nottingham. In a EPSRC/ESRC grant on Human-like Computation, we are investigating in the computational role of sleep in cognitive processing and visual reasoning. In particular we are interested in how REM and slow-wave sleep phases map onto processing stages of neurally inspired AI, thereby trying to circumvent some limitations of current deep learning approaches. This theoretical research is complemented by sleep experiments carried out by the group of Prof Penny Lewis in Cardiff. The successful candidate will have a PhD (or submitted his/her thesis) and have research experience in either computational neuroscience or machine learning, or a combination of these. This post is initially a fixed-term contract for a period of 12 months. As Nottingham is currently creating a Centre for Computational Neuroscience, long-term independent research positions will open up next year. Informal enquiries may be addressed to Mark van Rossum. mark.vanrossum-at-nottingham.ac.uk Formal applications should be made via the website: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/SCI146218 -- Mark van Rossum, Professor, Schools of Psychology and Maths, U Nottingham Psych Bldg Rm LG.19, 44-115-951 5316, 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.

May 5, 2018

Postdoc @ UCLA: perceptual decision-making, electrophysiology (existing spikes data)

by Hakwan Lau

hello - in collaboration with Michele Basso we're looking for someone to follow up this <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29382765> & this <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29301100> (going into PFC too). the person can focus on analysis and/or theory & doesn't have to want to learn to do the experimental work (though that's more than welcome). Hakwan Lau, D.Phil [my work <https://qualia.psych.ucla.edu/> & blog <https://inconsciousnesswetrust.blogspot.com/>]

May 3, 2018

Deadline extended to May 31st NeuroBridges 2018

by Ahmed El Hady

Notice: deadline extended to May 31st 2018 */NeuroBridges 2018 Summer school , Cluny, France/* */( October 2nd - October 12th, 2018)/* I would like to bring to your attention the *NeuroBridges 2018 Computational Neuroscience School*. <http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2018.html> NeuroBridges <https://www.facebook.com/NeuroBridges/>is a one-of-a-kind series of scientific meetings in brain research, which brings together Mediterranean and Middle Eastern scientists, in order to promote international scientific cooperation in system and computational neuroscience. A major goal of this school is to serve as a bridge between experimental and theoretical neuroscientists, addressing system-level questions. The organizers of NeuroBridges also believe that these scientific collaborations can lead to personal relations, which eventually may help alleviate the political distress in the Middle East. Following the success of NeuroBridges 2017 <http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2017.html> school, NeuroBridges 2018 <http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2018.html> will be a nine day summer school <http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2018.html>, which will take place in Cluny, France. The school is organized by Ahmed El Hady (Princeton), David Hansel (CNRS) and Yonatan Loewenstein (Hebrew University). It will be comprised of lectures delivered by a group of leading neuroscientists, experimentalists as well as theoreticians, which will address the fundamental questions in contemporary neuroscience. We are very excited that Yves Frégnac (CNRS, France ) will be giving the keynote lecture at the school. In addition to the lectures, the students will work in groups on small research projects. The school is intended for graduate students and postdocs, primarily from the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, either working in their home countries or abroad. We will consider applicants with some background in applied mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering or physics, interested in theoretical brain and cognitive sciences. We will also consider those with biological or medical background given that they show proof of basic mathematical knowledge. The school will take place between October 2 and October 12, 2018 in Le Centre de Conférences Internationales de Cluny (CCIC). Cluny is a small medieval town in Burgundy, France, located about 400km southeast of Paris (accessible by fast train, TGV). The deadline for application is *May 31st, 2018 *and the following is the website including the link for the online application: http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2018.html For more information, please contact neurobridges2018(a)gmail.com <mailto:neurobridges2018@gmail.com>.

May 3, 2018

Postdoc position in brain modelling at QIMR Berghofer, Brisbane, Australia

by James Roberts

The Brain Modelling Group, led by Dr James Roberts at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow. The role is a key part of an NHMRC-funded project to model large-scale brain dynamics across the lifespan. The successful candidate will develop novel models of large-scale brain dynamics, and use these to model brain activity across the adult lifespan. This will entail: (i) mathematical and computational modelling of brain dynamics at the whole-brain level; (ii) constraining models against empirical neuroimaging data, both structural and functional; and (iii) developing novel analysis tools and implementing them for wide adoption. The role will also include collaboration with Prof Michael Breakspear’s Systems Neuroscience Group. The successful candidate will have: - A PhD in physics, mathematics, computational neuroscience, computer science, or a related field; - A strong track record of high-quality peer-reviewed publications; - Experience in mathematical modelling; - Proficiency in programming (e.g. in MATLAB). And ideally will also have experience in: - Pre-processing and analysis of neuroimaging data, including diffusion imaging and tractography, fMRI, MEG, and/or EEG; - Modelling large-scale brain network dynamics; - Time series analysis and signal processing; and - Handling of large datasets. The position is in Brisbane, Australia, full-time for 2.5 years (with possibilities to extend). Salary range $78,530 - $84,257 p.a. plus up to 15.75% superannuation and attractive salary packing options. More details at: https://recruitment.qimr.edu.au/viewjob.aspx?jobid=1878 Position description: https://recruitment.qimr.edu.au/Public/docs/1878/12797%20Position%20Descrip… Closing date: 1 June 2018. James Roberts Team Head Brain Modelling Group QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

May 3, 2018

PhD position available on the theme 'Novel technological approaches for neurorehabilitation’ @IIT (Genova, ITALY)

by Michela Chiappalone

PhD in Bioengineering and Robotics, curriculum ‘Bioengineering and Bioelectronics’. Research Theme: ‘Novel technological approaches for neurorehabilitation’ We are looking for a highly motivated PhD student, for joining the team of Dr Michela Chiappalone at Rehab Technologies INAIL-IIT Joint Lab of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova ITALY. The primary goal of this PhD project consists of developing novel technological approaches for neurorehabilitation, in the framework of national and international projects and collaborations (e.g. IIT network; KUMED at Kansas City, KS USA; University hospitals). Specifically, it will be required to perform experiments and develop novel protocols, based on closed-loop technology, of intracortical electrical stimulation to promote cortico-cortical plasticity in an animal model of focal lesion. The design of analytical tools for data analysis of multichannel electrohysiological signals will be required as well. To this end, knowledge of programming languages such as Matlab, Python, and/or C is highly considered. Experience in Machine Learning techniques will be considered a plus. The ideal candidate should hold a degree in biomedical engineering, neuroscience or related disciplines, be a highly motivated and creative individual who wants to work in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary research environment. Former lab experience and previous technical and scientific results will be highly considered. The call and the instruction for the application can be found here https://unige.it/usg/it/dottorati-di-ricerca or here www.iit.it/phd-school<http://www.iit.it/phd-school> DEADLINE FOR THE APPLICATION WILL BE JUNE 12, 2018 at 12.00 PM (CEST) Please contact me directly BEFORE THE DEADLINE if you are interested in this position or if you have any question about it. Best regards, Michela Chiappalone ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Michela Chiappalone, PhD Researcher Rehab Technologies IIT-INAIL Lab Phone : +39 010 71781743 E-mail : michela.chiappalone(a)iit.it<mailto:michela.chiappalone@iit.it> ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova Site: www.iit.it<http://www.iit.it>

May 2, 2018

MSc Neuroscience - University of Freiburg, Germany

by Carsten Mehring

MSc program in Neuroscience - University of Freiburg, Germany We are inviting applications for the interdisciplinary MSc program in Neuroscience at the University of Freiburg, Germany. The program provides theoretical and practical training in neuroscience, covering both the foundations and the latest research in the field. It is taught by lecturers from an international scientific community from three faculties and two neuroscience research centres. The modular course structure caters to the specific backgrounds and research interests of each individual student and we offer specialisations in computational neuroscience, neuro-/optophysiology, neurotechnology and genes,circuiots & behaviour. All courses are taught in English. We welcome applications with a background in natural sciences, mathematics, behavioural sciences, computer science or engineering sciences. The deadline for applications for the October 2018 entry is the 30th of May 2018. Further details can be found on our homepage http://www.mscneuro.uni-freiburg.de <http://www.mscneuro.uni-freiburg.de/> Please contact mscneuro@uni-freiburg,de for further questions. With kind regards Carsten Mehring — Bernstein Center Freiburg & Faculty of Biology University of Freiburg

May 2, 2018

Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 2018 in Berlin

by Kerstin Schwarzwaelder

Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 2018 in Berlin ************************************************************** Satellite Workshops September 25-26, 2018 Main Conference September 26-28, 2018 PhD Symposium September 28-29, 2018 ************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference is the largest annual Computational Neuroscience conference in Europe with more than 500 international participants in recent years. The main conference, taking place from September 26-28, 2018, will be accompanied by satellite workshops taking place from September 25-26, 2018, and a PhD symposium which will be held from September 28-29, 2018. An important part of the main conference will be the two poster sessions. We are now inviting the submission of abstracts from all relevant areas. Authors of most accepted abstracts will get the chance for a poster presentation, a small number of abstracts will be selected for contributed talks during the main conference. Please note the earlier submission deadline for authors applying for a talk. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). DETAILS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION: For abstract submission please visit: www.bernstein-network.de/de/bernstein-conference/2018/abstracts<http://www.bernstein-network.de/de/bernstein-conference/2018/abstracts> Poster space is limited and early submission is encouraged. Submission of an abstract does not replace conference registration (www.bernstein-network.de/de/bernstein-conference/2018/registration<http://www.bernstein-network.de/de/bernstein-conference/2018/registration>). ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINES: Abstracts aimed as contributed talks and posters: June 21, 2018 Abstracts aimed as posters only: July 17, 2018 TRAVEL GRANTS: To support the participation of young researchers in the Bernstein Conference, the Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) offers 10 Travel Grants, each endowed with 500 €. Please find further information under www.bernstein-network.de/de/bernstein-conference/2018/apply-for-a-travel-gr…<http://www.bernstein-network.de/de/bernstein-conference/2018/apply-for-a-tr…> ACCOMMODATION AND HOTEL RESERVATION: We strongly recommend early room booking! The number of available accommodation is limited! We arranged for room contingents in a variety of hotels that you may book by yourself by email or phone. Please follow the instructions at our Accommodations Website (www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/hotels<http://www.bernstein-network.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/hotels>). We would like to emphasize that these room contingents will be held open up to different expiration dates depending on the hotel (or until they are filled). VENUE SATELLITE WORKSHOPS: Marchstrasse 23 10587 Berlin (10 min. walk from the Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) Main Building) VENUE MAIN CONFERENCE: Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) Main Building Strasse des 17. Juni 135 10623 Berlin VENUE PHD SYMPOSIUM: Bernstein Center Berlin Campus Nord Philippstrasse 13 House 6 10115 Berlin For more information on the conference, please visit the website www.bernstein-conference.de<http://www.bernstein-conference.de> We are looking forward to welcoming you in Berlin! Conference Chair: Andreas Herz Conference Host: Henning Sprekeler Program Chair: Gilles Laurent Program Vice Chair: Susanne Schreiber Workshop Chair: Jakob Macke Workshop Vice Chair: Tatjana Tchumatchenko Technical Organization: Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS): Alexandra Stein, 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 2, 2018

Postdoctoral Associate position in Decision Neuroscience

by Dongil Chung

***Apologies for cross posting*** *Postdoctoral Associate* *Job description: * The Decision Neuroscience & Cognitive Engineering Lab (PI: Dongil Chung; http://dnce.unist.ac.kr) and the Computational Clinical Science Lab (PI: Woo-Young Ahn; http://ccs-lab.github.io) are recruiting a postdoctoral associate in decision neuroscience with emphasis on functional neuroimaging and computational modeling. An ideal postdoctoral associate will be interested in studying human value-based and/or social decision-making using neuroimaging, computational modeling, Bayesian modeling, and/or machine learning. A successful candidate will have the opportunity to work on several projects. Specific research topics and training opportunities can be individually tailored. The labs will offer internationally competitive training and research opportunities. The postdoctoral position is for two years. Further extensions are possible, contingent on performance and availability of funds. Workplace can be either at Seoul National University (SNU) or Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), based on the applicant’s preference. The position is available immediately, but later start dates are possible, as late as January 2019. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, but it will be highly competitive (approx. NIH level). The postdoctoral associate will enjoy (1) abundant opportunities for active international collaborations, (2) support for international conferences, and (3) cutting-edge computing resources. *Requirements:* · A PhD in cognitive or computational neuroscience, engineering, psychology, experimental economics, or a related field · *Facility* with signal processing or computational/quantitative methods · Strong programming background (e.g., MATLAB, R, Python) · Demonstration of potential for excellence (e.g., publishing or submitting journal papers) · A strong background in computational modeling and/or the designing and analysis of fMRI experiments highly desired *How to apply:* To apply, please forward a statement of interest, CV, representative re- or pre-prints, and a list of (at least two) references. Consideration of applications will begin immediately and will end when the position is filled. Send inquiries and applications to Drs. Dongil Chung ( dchung(a)unist.ac.kr) and Woo-Young Ahn (wahn55(a)snu.ac.kr) -- Dongil Chung, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Human Factors Engineering UNIST 50 UNIST-gil, Ulsan, South Korea office: +82 (52) 217-2744 dchung(a)unist.ac.kr

May 1, 2018

Late Bird call for the Brainhack Ghent 7-8th May 2018 [extended registration deadline]

by Daniel Borek

*[APOLOGIES FOR DOUBLE POSTING]Brainhack Ghent 2018 May 7-8, 2018University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium !!! Registration deadline extended : noon 4 May 2018 !!!register here → https://brainhackghent.github.io/#register <https://brainhackghent.github.io/#register>On 7-8th May 2018, the second edition of Brainhack Ghent will take place at the university of Ghent (FPPW, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent), as part of the Brainhack Global event (May 2-6). During this two-day event, dedicated to students and PhD students, we will work in teams on neuroscience-related projects.Brainhack integrates all levels of expertise and is also an opportunity to learn (new) methods, develop skills, share knowledge, collaborate with other participants and make new friendships in academia.During the “hack sessions”, participants will be working together in small groups on relevant projects. The hackathon will end on the last day, when participants will have the opportunity to present a brief overview of the progress they made (project update). The projects that have already been submitted evolve around reproducibility, and EEG/fMRI analysis.Participants will be supervised and could receive advice on methods from other participants and project leaders throughout the two days.We also planned a series of several science related talks. Among others subjects you could learn about meta-analysis, science communication, and information theory.A constant flow of coffee will be provided during the event. During the event we will also ask a small fee for those who would want to be provided with some food from university cantine.You can register for Brainhack Ghent 2018 by going to https://brainhackghent.github.io/#register <https://brainhackghent.github.io/#register> At this website, you can also submit a project which will be realised during the two-day event. Projects can be side projects, projects you were always interested in, but never had time to work on, new ideas you want to explore… In order to submit your project, proceed to the ‘project submission’ section, where you can specify the project author, a project title, and a short project outline specifying some scientific context and concrete goals. Of course, you’re always welcome to provide that extra bit of information to help your fellow Brainhackers in their project selection process! For example, you can provide 1-3 key papers related to the project, some requirements (e.g. certain programming skills) for taking part in the project, skills and competences that can be learned in the project... If you have any questions about the feasibility/added value/… of a project you want to submit, do not hesitate to contact us (brainhackghent2018(a)gmail.com <brainhackghent2018(a)gmail.com>). We will provide you with feedback as soon as possible! If you prefer to prepare a tutorial in addition to/ instead of submitting a project, you are certainly welcome to contact us as well! If you feel that the deadline ( noon 4th of May) for submitting the project/tutorial is too short for you and you need more time please let us know before that date!We hope to hear from you soon, and please feel free to forward this message to other colleagues whom might be interested!!The Organization Committee of BrainHack Ghent 2018* -- Daniel Borek PhD candidate Department of Data Analysis Ghent University Begijnhoflaan 464, B-9000 Gent, Belgium E-mail: daniel.borek(a)ugent.be

May 1, 2018

COSYNE 2018: Talks are available online

by Tomas Hromadka

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience (Cosyne) www.cosyne.org ==================================================== COSYNE 2018 TALKS AVAILABLE ONLINE We are pleased to announce that selected talks presented at Cosyne 2018 are now available online. Cosyne 2018 tutorial on 'Statistical models for neural data', presented by Jonathan Pillow, is available as well. Links to current playlists are available at www.cosyne.org. Best regards, Cosyne organizers

April 28, 2018

Postdoc in electrophysiological source imaging

by Daniel Wójcik

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE: kESI – kernel-based method of electrophysiological source imaging The Neuroinformatics Laboratory (http://neuroinflab.pl/) at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology (http://www.nencki.gov.pl) invites applications for a postdoctoral position. The goal of the project is to develop, implement and investigate, a new technique of source localization of specific events in neural activity, such as a seizure, from multimodal imaging data, including ECoG (strip and grid electrodes), depth electrophysiological recordings, and MRI data from humans. The method will be validated with ground truth model data and tested on clinical data obtained from epilepsy patients. The fellow will build on already existing tools and techniques developed in the lab (https://github.com/Neuroinflab/kCSD-python) see especially Potworowski et al. 2012 and Ness et al. 2015 (https://neuroinflab.wordpress.com/publications/) The ideal candidate will have a strong computational background, experience in numerical solutions of PDEs, electrodynamics, computational neuroscience, or brain imaging. We can only accept candidates 0 to 7 years after reception of PhD (+1,5 year per child for mothers). If you have a solid background in physics, maths, computer science, or engineering, and want to apply it to understanding or curing the brain, this position might be for you. Funding is available for 2-3 years. The gross yearly salary (“duże brutto”) is up to 120 000 PLN (~28 000 EUR) depending on employment time and experience. To find out its worth check out https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living and https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp. To apply or inquire send email to d.wojcik(a)nencki.gov.pl. Applications should include a CV, statement of research interests, and the names and full contact details of one to three referees. To demonstrate your prowess in Python provide your github account or solutions to problems 1-4 provided here (https://neuroinflab.wordpress.com/tasks/ - at least two, the more the better). If you cannot satisfy these conditions but still think we should hire you, convince us. The deadline for application is May 31st, 2018. We will continue recruitment until the position is filled. https://neuroinflab.wordpress.com/jobs/postdoc-kesi/ -- Prof. Daniel K. Wojcik Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Head Graduate School, Head Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology http://neuroinflab.pl/ http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0812-9872

April 27, 2018

PhD studentship. Dopamine, social cognition and bodily movement. Uni of Birmingham, UK.

by Jennifer Cook

*Dopamine, social cognition and bodily movement: unpacking a complex relationship (ERC-Funded PhD studentship)* Application deadline: 25th May 2018 Studentship start date: 30th July 2018 or as soon as possible thereafter. Summary: Applications are invited for a fully-funded (fees + stipend) Ph.D. to begin in July 2018. The candidate will work with Dr. Jennifer Cook ( www.jencooklab.com; http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/people/profile.aspx?Referenc…) on a European Research Council (ERC)-funded project on the relationship between social cognition, bodily movement and function of the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system (ERC-StG-Brain2Bee). Project description: Studies of Parkinson’s Disease have typically focused on difficulties with bodily movement (e.g. difficulties with walking), and studies of Autism have tended to focus on social cognition. The co-occurrence of social and movement symptoms is thus critically underappreciated; Parkinson’s Disease patients exhibit social symptoms, and motor challenges (e.g. difficulties with handwriting) are common in Autism. At present, the biological basis of co-occurring social and motor symptoms is unclear. Notably, both Autism and Parkinson’s Disease have been associated with atypicalities in the function of the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system. This Ph.D. project aims to improve understanding of the complex relationship between social cognition, bodily movement and the dopamine system. This aim will be achieved using psychopharmacology studies and behavioural training in typical individuals and in those with Autism or Parkinson’s Disease. Results from this package of work will help us to move closer to a cross-disorder understanding of factors underlying variation in social and motor ability. Research will be conducted at the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham (http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/index.aspx) which is one of the largest and most successful psychology departments in the UK, currently ranked in the top 5 (REF 2014). How to apply: For more information and application details see https://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=89414 or contact Dr. Jennifer Cook, j.l.cook(a)bham.ac.uk -- Dr Jennifer Cook Senior Research Fellow School of Psychology University of Birmingham www.jencooklab.com http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/people/profile.aspx?Referenc…

April 26, 2018

Two postdoctoral positions at RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Japan

by Andrea Benucci

The Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behavior at RIKEN Center for Brain Science near Tokyo (www.benuccilab.net) is seeking two postdoctoral candidates to work on theoretical and experimental projects. The ideal experimental candidate has a Ph.D. in a relevant field (e.g., Neuroscience, Biology, Genetics) and familiarity with optogenetic and calcium-imaging methodologies in rodents, with demonstrated experience in data analysis and modeling (Matlab or Python preferred). The theoretical candidate should have a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Mathematics, or Physics, be proficient in Matlab and Python (Theano, TensorFlow) programming, with demonstrated experience working with different classes of artificial neural networks (RNN, LSTM preferred). Applications should include a cover letter and a CV, and emailed to andrea(a)benuccilab.net

April 26, 2018

AI & Augmented Cognition in the USAF of 2030 MicroLabs

by Jeff Krichmar

Dear Colleagues, Please consider this friendly reminder to join us for one of the upcoming AI & Augmented Cognition in the USAF of 2030 MicroLabs next week. These 60-90 minute interactive online events are part of a larger effort to illuminate the 2030 technology horizon for AI in the USAF context. To maintain the integrity of the process for our USAF sponsor, registration can only be completed through a closed community portal (https://hub.ki/groups/gmuai/overview) If you'd like to get involved, please use this link (https://goo.gl/CkntHq) to complete a 1-minute application for the community. For reference, the primary objective of the effort, as stated, is to illuminate the 2030 technology horizon for AI in the USAF context. A secondary objective is to facilitate the building of a community of USAF aligned experts who can provide continuing advice to the USAF as an external advisory board. The final objective is to facilitate the discussions necessary to build a pipeline of technological expertise in AI to avoid or respond to strategic surprise in this area. Sincerely, James Olds - former head of the Biological Sciences Directorate at NSF and university professor of neuroscience at George Mason University Stephen Fiore - Director, Cognitive Sciences Laboratory, and Professor with the University of Central Florida's Cognitive Sciences Program in the Department of Philosophy and Institute for Simulation & Training Jeff Krichmar - Professor in the Department of Cognitive Sciences and the Department of Computer Science at the 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

April 25, 2018

Junior Professor in Cognitive Computing - Germany - University Osnabrueck - Institute of Cognitive Science

by Prof. Dr. Gordon Pipa

The Institute of Cognitive Science (University Osnabrueck ) is seeking to appoint an Junior Professor in Cognitive Computing. You can find more details here: https://www.uni-osnabrueck.de/universitaet/stellenangebote/stellenangebote_d etail/50_ikw_assistent_professorship_in_cognitive_computing.html The professorship will be tightly interlinked with the DFG research training group on Computational Cognition which Osnabrück University has applied for, and specifically related to the research fields From Signals to Symbols and Back: Neural Representations and Learning and Symbolic Thought: Processes on Uncertain and Incomplete Representations, and will strengthen the profile in the domain of big data science and machine learning. The work will be inspired by deep neuronal networks and modern machine learning techniques. A transfer to applications is welcome. A strong link to cognitive science is essential. This may include cognitive architectures, multi-agent systems, human machine interactions, and neuro-inspired learning. She/he is particularly expected to collaborate with more than one of the existing work groups that are closely related to the fields of processing visual data, machine learning, knowledge representation, and (neuro-) cognitive aspects of language. Feel free to get in touch with me to get further information. Best Gordon ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- Professor and Chair of the Neuroinformatics Department Dr. rer. nat. Gordon Pipa Institute of Cognitive Science, Room 50/218 University of Osnabrueck Wachsbleiche 27, 49090 Osnabrück, Germany tel. +49 (0) 541-969-2277 fax (private). +49 (0) 5405- 500 80 98 home office. +49 (0) 5405- 500 90 95 e-mail: gpipa(a)uos.de webpage: http://www.ni.uos.de https://de.linkedin.com/in/gordon-pipa-47771539 research gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gordon_Pipa/?ev=prf_act Personal Assistent and Secretary of the Neuroinformatic lab: Anna Jungeilges Tel. +49 (0)541 969-2390 Fax +49 (0)541 969-2246 Email: anna.jungeilges(a)uni-osnabrueck.de visit us on http://www.facebook.com/CognitiveScienceOsnabruck https://twitter.com/#!/CogSciUOS

April 25, 2018

Computational Postdoc - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory - Long Island, New York

by Engel, Tatiana

Postdoctoral position in Computational Neuroscience, Engel Lab, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY Position description: The Engel lab in the Department of Neuroscience at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory invites applications from highly motivated candidates for a postdoctoral position working on the cutting-edge research in computational neuroscience. We are looking for theoretical/computational scientists to work at the exciting interface of systems neuroscience, machine learning, and statistical physics, in close collaboration with experimentalists. The postdoctoral scientist is expected to exhibit resourcefulness and independence, developing computational models of large-scale neural activity recordings with the goal to elucidate neural circuit mechanisms underlying cognitive functions. The candidates should e-mail their application to Tatiana Engel (engel(a)cshl.edu<mailto:engel@cshl.edu>) as a single pdf file with subject: Postdoc Application. The application file should include: (1) CV with the publication list, (2) a brief description of research interests, (3) contact information for three references. Position requirements: - PhD in physics, mathematics, neuroscience, computer science, engineering or related quantitative discipline - Expertise in scientific programming, e.g., C/C++, Python, Matlab - Track record of publications in scientific journals - Effective communication skills, both written and oral - Dedication and passion for solving hard scientific problems -- Tatiana Engel, PhD Assistant Professor Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (+1) 408 409 3647

April 23, 2018

NeuroMorpho.Org v7.4 released April 16th, 2018

by NeuroMorpho Administrator

Dear colleagues, We’re pleased to announce the April 16, 2018 release of Version 7.4 of NeuroMorpho.Org<http://neuromorpho.org/>, adding 6881 reconstructions from 57 new datasets. The repository now provides access to 86,893 cells from over 50 distinct animal species including numerous new entries (African wild dog, Aplysia, Banded mongoose, Blue wildebeest, Caracal, Clam worm, Ferret, Greater kudu, Lion, Mountain zebra, Red-necked wallaby, and Ring-tailed lemur). Please visit the What’s new page<http://neuromorpho.org/WIN.jsp> for details on the added data and metadata. The literature coverage was also updated to include publications through March 2018, with more than 30,000 mined articles. We are continuously grateful to all data contributors<http://neuromorpho.org/acknowl.jsp#DC> who freely share their hard-won tracings with the community. We appreciate any and all feedback and comments. Our apologies if you receive multiple versions of this message through cross-listing. Sincerely, The NeuroMorpho.Org team<http://neuromorpho.org/acknowl.jsp#NMO> ---------------- Giorgio Ascoli<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/cn3/ascoli>, PhD University Professor Bioengineering Department<http://bioengineering.gmu.edu/>, Volgenau School of Engineering<http://volgenau.gmu.edu/> Neuroscience Program<http://neuroscience.gmu.edu/>, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/> Director, Center for Neural Informatics, Structures, & Plasticity<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/cn3> MS2A1 - George Mason University<http://gmu.edu/>, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 Ph. +1(703)993-4383/+1(703)673-8894 Author of “Trees of the Brain, Roots of the Mind<http://www.amazon.com/Trees-Brain-Roots-Giorgio-Ascoli/dp/0262028980/>” (MIT Press, 2015<http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/trees-brain-roots-mind>) Founding Editor-in-Chief, Neuroinformatics<http://link.springer.com/journal/12021>

April 22, 2018

KogWis2018 deadline extension

by Constantin Rothkopf

KogWis 2018: 14th Biannual Conference of the German Cognitive Science Society Centre for Cognitive Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt S1|05: Hörsaal 122, Maschinenhaus, Magdalenenstraße 12 Darmstadt, Germany, September 3-6, 2018 http://www.tu-darmstadt.de/kogwis2018 ****** By popular demand, the submission deadline for abstracts has been extended to May 1st. ***** ** ******* Also, please note the call for Tutorials and Symposia at the end of this mail. ***** ** ******* GK Best Paper award, GK Best Poster awards, and Student Travel awards announced. ***** * *Call for Presentations and Posters* We call for extended abstracts for oral presentations and for posters. Submissions should be written in English, and be formatted according to the formatting guidelines below. Contributions must be submitted by May 1st 2018 via the EasyChair submission webpage: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=kogwis2018 All submissions will be peer-reviewed by members of the review committee. Acceptance will be based on novelty of research, significance of results, and quality of presentation. Accepted abstracts will be published in the online conference proceedings. All accepted contributions must be presented at the conference. So at least one author must register by the early registration deadline or the contribution will not be included in the program. The best submissions to KogWis 2018 will be selected for oral presentation at the conference. *Call for Symposia* Submission is now open for proposals for symposia to be presented at KOGWIS2018. The deadline for submitting a symposium proposals is May 11th, 2018. A symposium should involve several presenters, typically 4-5, organized around a topic of interest. Symposia may be on any topic in cognitive science. The KOGWIS program committee will strive for quality, variety, innovation, and diversity of the program; special emphasis will be put on this year's topic: computational approaches to cognitive science. Please submit proposals for a symposium directly as a single abstract for the symposium topic. On the second page of the abstract, please list the speakers who will be participating in the symposium and the title of their contributions. Send the the two page abstract via e-mail with the subject "Symposium proposal" directly to: kogwis2018(a)cogsci.tu-darmstadt.de *Call for Tutorials* We invite proposals for tutorials to be held at KOGWIS2018. The KOGWIS program committee is interested in tutorials that disseminate information to conference attendees on recently emerging topics and trends as well as foundation topics, provide surveys of complementary techniques to those commonly studied in cognitive science, and inform attendees on the state-of-the-art within the field. We encourage submissions of proposals on topics in the general areas of cognitive science but particularly encourage tutorials on computational approaches to cognitive science. Please submit proposals for a tutorial directly as one abstract for the tutorial topic according to the same guidelines as regular abstracts via e-mail with the subject "Tutorial proposal" directly to: kogwis2018(a)cogsci.tu-darmstadt.de *GK Best Paper Award (2016-2018)* The GK Best Paper Award is awarded for the best publication in cognitive science by a young investigator whose PhD has been awarded within the last three years or who is still earning a PhD. Applications are accepted for peer reviewed papers, which have been accepted for publication or have been published since May 2016. Applications should be submitted by June 1st 2018 via e-mail to the head of the GK (vs1(a)gk-ev.de) and include a single PDF document with: - the published paper, - the publication data or the notification of acceptance of the journal or conference, - a CV including publication record. The prize will be awarded at KogWis 2018 and the awardee will be given the opportunity to present their work in a dedicated program slot. *GK Best Poster & Presentation Award* Each paper accepted for publication at KogWis 2018 will be eligible for the KogWis 2018 Best Paper Award. There will be three awards in total: 1st place 250 €, 2nd place 150 €, 3rd place 100 €. *GK Student travel award* The GK society sponsors four student travel grants for student members of the GK to attend KogWis. Students need to be or become a member of the GK to be eligible. The travel to KogWis 2018 will be supported by an amount of 250€. Selection Criteria are: involvement at the conference (paper or poster contribution) & application date. Please send your application to kogwis2018(a)cogsci.tu-darmstadt.de with the subject "KogWis Student Travel Grant Application". KogWis 2018 will be held in Darmstadt, Germany, and invites submissions of extended abstracts on current work in cognitive science. Generally all topics related to cognitive science are welcome. Contributions that address the focus of this meeting, that is, computational cognitive science are particularly encouraged. Computational approaches to cognitive science emphasize formalizing adaptive and intelligent behavior and have strong ties to machine learning and artificial intelligence. *Confirmed keynote speakers:* Frances Egan (Rutgers University) Noah Goodman (Stanford University) Máté Lengyel (University of Cambridge) Iris van Rooij (Radboud University Nijmegen) Christopher Summerfiled (University of Oxford) *Important Dates* Main conference: 03 - 06 September 2018 Submission deadline for extended abstracts: Friday, 01 May 2018 ***** extended ***** Notification of acceptance (presentations or posters): Monday, 28 May 2018 Early registration deadline: Monday, 02 July 2018 PhD Student Workshop Deadline: Monday, 23 July 2018 We are looking forward to meeting you in Darmstadt, Constantin Rothkopf, Dirk Balfanz, Ralf Galuske, Frank Jäkel, Kristian Kersting, Jakob Macke, Betty Mohler

April 22, 2018

EXTENDED DEADLINE -- InSpire - New Insights on Complex Neural Dynamics - 6-8 June - Paris

by A. Torcini

The deadline for registration has been extended to 20th May 2018 ================================================= The following workshop in (computational) neuroscience InSpire - New Insights on Complex Neural Dynamics will be held on June, 6th-8th, 2018, at Institut d'Etudes Avancés - Maison Internationale de la Recherche at Neuville-sur-Oise (30 minutes from Paris with public transports) https://inspire2018parisseine.wordpress.com/ The workshop will represent an opportunity to bring together views from experimental and computational neuro-scientists as well as experts in the dynamics of complex systems. A common aim is to improve the knowledge of the mechanisms underlying neural activity in the brain. INVITED SPEAKERS: https://inspire2018parisseine.wordpress.com/page/ For registration, poster presentation and more details see here: https://inspire2018parisseine.wordpress.com/about/ extended deadline for registration: 20th MAY, 2018. The Organizers, Bruno Cessac, Antonio Politi, Marc Timme, and Alessandro Torcini --

April 22, 2018

CfP: 4th International Conference on machine Learning, Optimization & Data science - LOD 2018 Call for Papers - Paper submission deadline: April 30, 2018

by Giuseppe Nicosia

[Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this announcement] [Please kindly help forward it to potentially interested attendees] 4th International Conference on machine Learning, Optimization & Data science - LOD 2018 An Interdisciplinary Conference: Machine Learning, Optimization & Data Science without Borders SIAF Learning Village - Volterra (Pisa) Tuscany, September 13-16, 2018 https://lod2018.icas.xyz/ lod(a)icas.xyz KEYNOTE SPEAKERS ◦ Jörg Bornschein DeepMind, London, UK ◦ Peter Flach University of Bristol, UK - Editor-in-Chief of the Machine Learning Journal ◦ George Karypis University of Minnesota, USA ◦ Martin Ravetti Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brasil ◦ Andrey Raygorodsky Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Russia ◦ Stephen Smale - Fields Medal University of California Berkeley, USA More Speakers TBA! ************************* CALL FOR PAPERS ************************* Paper submission deadline: April 30, 2018 https://lod2018.icas.xyz/call-for-papers/ The LOD 2018 conference will consist of four days of main conference sessions. The 4th Annual Conference on machine Learning, Optimization and Data science (LOD) is a single-track machine learning, computational optimization, data science conference that includes invited talks, tutorial talks, special sessions, industrial tracks, demonstrations and oral and poster presentations of refereed papers. We invite submissions of papers, abstracts and posters on all topics related to Machine learning, Optimization and Big Data including real-world applications for the conference proceedings: https://lod2018.icas.xyz/call-for-papers/ Please prepare your paper in English using the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) template, which is available http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0 Papers must be submitted in PDF. LOD 2018 Types of Submissions When submitting a paper to LOD 2018, authors are required to select one of the following four types of papers: + Long paper: original novel and unpublished work (max. 12 pages in Springer LNCS format); + Short paper: an extended abstract of novel work (max. 4 pages); + Work for oral presentation only (no page restriction; any format). For example, work already published elsewhere, which is relevant and which may solicit fruitful discussion at the conference; + Work for poster presentation only. The poster format for the presentation is A0 (118.9 cm high and 84.1 cm wide, respectively 46.8 x 33.1 inch). For research work which is relevant and which may solicit fruitful discussion at the conference. LOD 2018 Post-Proceedings All accepted long papers will be published in a volume of the series 'Lecture Notes in Computer Science' from Springer after the conference. Instructions for preparing and submitting the final versions (camera-ready papers) of all accepted papers will be available later on. All the other papers (short papers, abstract of the oral presentations, poster presentations) will be published on the LOD 2018 web site. LOD 2018 Best Paper Springer sponsors the LOD 2018 Best Paper Award with a cash prize of EUR 1,000. LOD 2018 Submission System All papers must be submitted using EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=lod2018 DEADLINE: April 30, 2018 LOD 2018 Important Dates + Paper Submission Deadline: April 30, 2018 + Decision Notification to Authors: June 1st, 2018 + Camera Ready Submission Deadline: July 1st, 2018 + Deadline for early Registration as Presenting Author: July 1st, 2018 + Late registration: July 2 – September 16, 2018 + On-Site registration: September 13-16, 2018 + LOD 2018 conference: September 13-16, 2018 LOD 2018 Registration https://lod2018.icas.xyz/registration/ LOD 2018 Program Committee The current LOD 2018 Program Committee includes about 300 Program Committee members: https://lod2018.icas.xyz/program-committee/ Any questions regarding the submission process can be sent to conference organizers: lod(a)icas.xyz We look forward to seeing you in Tuscany! LOD 2018 Chairs & Organizing Committee. https://lod2018.icas.xyz/ lod(a)icas.xyz MOD 2017 Keynote Speakers: Yi-Ke Guo, Imperial College London, UK. Founding Director of Data Science Institute Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA. Director of the Center for Applied Optimization Ruslan Salakhutdinov,Carnegie Mellon University, USA. Director of AI Research at Apple. My Thai, University of Florida, USA Jun Pei, Hefei University of Technology, China Vincenzo Sciacca, Cloud and Cognitive Division – IBM Rome, Italy http://www.taosciences.it/mod/keynote-speakers/ MOD 2016 Keynote Speakers: Nello Cristianini, University of Bristol, UK George Michailidis, University of Florida, USA Stephen Muggleton, Imperial College London, UK Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA http://www.taosciences.it/mod-2016/keynote-speakers/ MOD 2015 Keynote Speakers: Vipin Kumar, University of Minnesota, USA Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA Tomaso Poggio, MIT, USA http://www.taosciences.it/mod-2015/MOD 2015 Best Paper Award of the Previous Editions: https://lod2018.icas.xyz/best-paper-award/

April 22, 2018

Postdoctoral and PhD Neuroinformatic positions

by Yasser Iturria Medina

*Postdoctoral Fellow in Multifactorial Brain Computational Modeling at Montreal Neurological* *Institute*. We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral student, for joining the Neuroinformatics for Personalized Medicine lab (NeuroPM) at MNI (McGill University, Montreal, Canada). The postdoc will be under the supervision of Prof. Yasser Iturria-Medina, and will be expected to collaborate with multiple associated groups (e.g. Alan C. Evans’s and Vladimir Hachinski’s groups). The project, extendable at least for two years, includes the modeling of direct multifactorial brain interactions, intra-brain network spreading of aberrant effects and identification of potential therapeutic signals for multiple disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis). The NeuroPM lab is affiliated with the Healthy brain for Healthy Lives (HBHL) initiative (https://www.mcgill.ca/hbhl/) and the Ludmer Center ( http://ludmercentre.ca/) both involving computationally intensive and interdisciplinary research on the brain. The MNI, the largest training centre for brain research in Canada, is an internationally renowned institution, characterized by the integration of research and patient care. The interested candidates should have a solid background in mathematical and computational modeling, and advanced programming skills in Matlab. Experience in brain imaging will be an asset. The selected candidate will be expected to start around September 1st, 2018. Contact: Yasser Iturria Medina, Email: iturria.medina(a)gmail.com *PhD in Multiscale Brain Computational Modeling at Montreal Neurological Institute*. We are looking for a highly motivated PhD student, for joining the Neuroinformatics for Personalized Medicine lab (NeuroPM) at MNI (McGill University, Montreal Canada). The PhD student will be under the supervision of Prof. Yasser Iturria-Medina, and will be expected to collaborate with multiple associated groups (e.g. Alan C. Evans’s and Vladimir Hachinski’s groups). The project includes the modeling of molecular interactions, intra-brain network spreading of aberrant effects and the identification of potential therapeutic signals for multiple disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis). The NeuroPM lab is affiliated with the Healthy brain for Healthy Lives (HBHL) initiative (https://www.mcgill.ca/hbhl/) and the Ludmer Center ( http://ludmercentre.ca/) both involving computationally intensive and interdisciplinary research on the brain. The MNI, the largest training centre for brain research in Canada, is an internationally renowned institution, characterized by the integration of research and patient care. Students with interest in mathematical and computational modeling of the brain are invited to apply. Experience in Matlab programming and brain imaging will be an asset. The selected candidate will be expected to start between the fall of 2018 and the winter of 2019. Contact: Yasser Iturria Medina, Email: iturria.medina(a)gmail.com -- Yasser Iturria Medina, PhD. Montreal Neurological Institute McGill University Publications: http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-aFepXoAAAAJ&hl=es

April 21, 2018

ANNPR 2018: Deadline extended to May 15

by Friedhelm Schwenker

8th IAPR TC3 International Workshop on Artificial Neural Networks in Pattern Recognition (ANNPR 2018) September 19-21, 2018 DIISM, Università di Siena, Tuscany (Italy) URL:http://annpr2018.diism.unisi.it/ Sponsored by the International Association for Pattern Recognition (IAPR) *** The submission deadline is extended to May 15, 2018 *** New Important Dates Paper submission (extended): May 15, 2018 Notification of acceptance: June 15, 2018 Camera ready due: June 25, 2018 Early registration: June 30, 2018 Workshop: Sept. 19-21, 2018 (Wed to Fri) The Workshop proceedings will be published in the Springer LNAI series ANNPR 2018 invites papers that present original work in the areas of neural networks and machine learning oriented to pattern recognition, focusing on their algorithmic, theoretical, and applied aspects. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Methodological Issues - Supervised, partially supervised, and unsupervised learning - Feed-forward, recurrent, and competitive neural nets - Kernel machines - Hierarchical modular architectures and hybrid systems - Combination of neural networks and Hidden Markov models - Multiple classifier systems and ensemble methods - Probabilistic graphical models - Deep architectures Applications to Pattern Recognition - Image processing and segmentation - Handwritten recognition and Document analysis - Sensor-fusion and multi-modal processing - Feature extraction, dimensionality reduction - Clustering and vector quantization - Speech and speaker recognition - Data, text, and web mining - Bioinformatics/Cheminformatics ANNPR2018 is organized by the Technical Committee 3 (IAPR TC3) on Neural Networks & Computational Intelligence of the International Association for Pattern Recognition (IAPR). As such, we particularly encourage submissions that fit the Manifesto and the research directions of the TC3 (seehttp://iapr-tc3.diism.unisi.it/Research.html) Paper Submission: Perspective Authors shall submit their paper in Springer LNCS/LNAI format. Instructions for Authors, LaTeX templates, etc. are available at the Springer LNCS/LNAI web-site (seehttp://www.springer.com/it/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-…) The maximum paper length is 12 pages. Submission of a paper constitutes a commitment that, if accepted, at least one of the Authors will complete an early registration to the workshop. On-line submission via EasyChair will be made available in due time through the ANNPR2018 website. For more information, please visit us at: http://annpr2018.diism.unisi.it/ Do not hesitate to contact the ANNPR2018 Chairs for any inquiries. ANNPR2018 Chairs Luca Pancioni, Università di Siena, Italy Friedhelm Schwenker, Ulm University, Germany Edmondo Trentin, Università di Siena, Italy -- 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

April 20, 2018

Bayes annd Information Theory ebooks

by James V Stone

These books are now available as ebooks: Information Theory: A Tutorial Introduction (plus report at https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.05968) Bayes’ Rule: A Tutorial Introduction to Bayesian Analysis Bayes’ Rule With MatLab Bayes’ Rule With Python Bayes’ Rule With R via Amazon and this web site: http://jim-stone.staff.shef.ac.uk/BookBayes2012/books_by_jv_stone/index.html All ebooks above are pdf files (my kindle books are essentially pdf files), and one (Bayes’ Rule: A Tutorial Introduction to Bayesian Analysis) is available in re-flowable epub format from here: https://sebtel.selz.com/ (Getting the epub format to display equations correctly is tricky, which is why only one of my books has been produced in epub format). Finally, the following book will be published on 8th June 2018 (Crick's birthday) Principles of Neural Information Theory James V Stone -- Dr James V Stone Honorary Reader, Sheffield University, UK. http://jim-stone.staff.shef.ac.uk/BookBayes2012/books_by_jv_stone/index.html

April 20, 2018

Postdoc position in Geometric Methods for Deep and Reinforcement Learning at RIST

by Luigi Malagò

=========================================================== *Subject*: Postdoc position in Machine Learning (1 year, renewable up to 2.5 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*: 06 May 2018 (applicants are encouraged to apply earlier) *Salary*: around 2190 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 2.5 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 http://luigimalago.it/group.html, which performs research at the intersection of Machine Learning, Stochastic Optimization, Deep Learning, and Optimization over Manifolds, from the unifying perspective of Information Geometry. The group is one of two newly-formed groups in Machine Learning at RIST, where about 20 new postdoctoral research associates and research software developers will be hired by 2018. The official job announcement can be seen here: http://rist.ro/en/details/news/postdoc-positions-in-deep- learning-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: 06 May 2018 (applicants are encouraged to apply earlier) best regards, Luigi Malagò

April 20, 2018

Conference announcement: "Social cognition in humans and robots"

by Alexander Maye

Social cognition in humans and robots September 27-28, 2018 University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany Over decades, a range of theories and concepts for explaining how we understand others have been developed. This conference turns the spotlight on the idea that social cognition is grounded in sensorimotor and informational dynamic coupling of agents. According to this view, interaction dynamics is one of the keys to understand the mechanisms of successful social interaction because it provides substantial clues to social understanding and gives rise to high-level capabilities such as joint shared intentionality and joint action. Moreover it suggests that many disturbances of social cognition may be rooted in the impaired capacity for entraining and sustaining sensorimotor and informational coupling. The conference will provide an interdisciplinary podium which overviews trends and recent developments of concepts, methods, basic research and applications of sensorimotor approaches in social cognitive science, neuroscience, and robotic research. A particularly interesting question will be how concepts and methods from social cognitive and neuroscience transfer to human-robot interaction. The meeting will also gauge the societal impact of progress in understanding dynamic coupling processes in human-human and human-robot interactions. The event is organized by the FET Proactive H2020 project "Socializing Sensorimotor Contingencies - soSMCs" (socSMCs.eu) in partner alliance with the European Society for Cognitive Systems - EUCog (eucognition.org) Keynote speakers - Natalie Sebanz (Central European University, Hungary) - Antonia Hamilton (University College London, UK) - Scott Kelso (Florida Atlantic University, USA) - Luciano Fadiga (University of Ferrara and IIT, Italy) - Iain Couzin (University of Konstanz, Germany) - Paul Verschure (Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Spain) Submissions - Conference contributions (talks, posters) - Research articles (to be published in a Frontiers Research Topic) - Venues for the EUCognition meeting in 2019 For all submission types, please send an abstract of no more than 1.000 words to conference2018(a)socSMCs.eu and indicate the type of your contribution (poster|talk|article|venue), the title (500 characters max.), all author names and affiliations. Important dates - May 25, 2018: Deadline for submission of abstracts - June 29, 2018: Registration closes - December 3, 2018: Submission of research articles Fee The registration fee of 110€ includes coffee, soft drinks and snacks on both days. On September 27th, a social dinner at an extra charge of 20€ will be hosted at the MS Cap San Diego (http://www.capsandiego.de/in-brief.html).Booking of the social dinner is only possible in combination with a conference registration. Register today at https://en.xing-events.com/TEHHWXM -- _____________________________________________________________________ Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf; Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts; Gerichtsstand: Hamburg | www.uke.de Vorstandsmitglieder: Prof. Dr. Burkhard Göke (Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr. Dr. Uwe Koch-Gromus, Joachim Prölß, Martina Saurin (komm.) _____________________________________________________________________ SAVE PAPER - THINK BEFORE PRINTING

April 20, 2018

7th International Summer School of Neuroengineering "Massimo Grattarola": reminder!

by Paolo Massobrio

Dear colleagues, Just a simple reminder! Still 1 month left for the application deadline of the 7th International Summer School of Neuroengineering "Massimo Grattarola" (Neurotechnologies and Computational Methods to Interact with the Brain) that will be held in Genova (Italy) 18th-22nd June 2018. On our website (www.neuroengineering.eu <http://www.neuroengineering.eu> ) you can find the final program of the lectures. The keynote speech will be given by Prof. Miguel Nicolelis (Duke University). The school aims to introduce computational and technological methods to PhD students and post-docs of different backgrounds (life sciences, physics, engineering) to interact with the brain. Dates: 18th-22nd June 2018 Location: Genova (Italy) Registration: Participation is limited to 60 attendees (students, post-docs, .). Registration close 20th May. Website: www.neuroengineering.eu <http://www.neuroengineering.eu> Poster session: Students attending the school will have the opportunity to present their results in a two-days poster session. Practical session: Use of a high-density EEG set-up and a multi-electrode array for in vitro applications. Confirmed speakers: Miguel Nicolelis (Duke University), Shimon Marom (Technion Israel Institute of Technology), Matias Palva (Univ. Helsinki), Andreas Hierlemann (ETH), Tim Harris (Janelia Research Campus), Lucilla de Arcangelis (Univ. of Campania), Annalisa Bonfiglio (Univ. Cagliari), Sylvie Renaud (Bordeaux INP), Valentina Pasquale (Italian Institute of Technology), Michele Giugliano (Univ. Antwerp), Michele Migliore (CNR), Silvia Casarotto (Univ. Milano), Michela Chiappalone (Italian Institute of Technology), Stanisa Raspopovic (ETH), Ioannis Isaias (Uni. Wurzburg), Mario Rosanova (Uni. Milano) Best regards Paolo Massobrio _________________________________________________ Paolo Massobrio, PhD Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Neuroengineering and Bio-Nano Technology - NBT - Lab Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and System Engineering - DIBRIS University of Genova Via Opera Pia 13, 16145, GENOVA, ITALY Phone: +39-010-3532761 Fax: +39-010-3532764 URL: <http://www.dibris.unige.it/> www.dibris.unige.it; <http://www.nbt.unige.it> www.nbt.unige.it E-mail: <mailto:paolo.massobrio@unige.it> paolo.massobrio(a)unige.it

April 20, 2018

Workshop on topology and neuroscience - First announcement

by Nicolas Ninin

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce the first workshop on topology and neuroscience, which will be held from Wednesday, November 28, to Friday, November 30, 2018 at the EPFL campus in Lausanne, Switzerland. This workshop aims at bringing together people working at the intersection of topology and neuroscience and welcomes anyone who has an interest in these subjects. There will be two lecture series by: Carina Curto, Pennsylvania State University Olaf Sporns, Indiana University There will be contributed talks given by: Paul Expert, Imperial College London Eyal Gal, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Chad Giusti, University of Delaware Jürgen Jost, Max-Planck-Institut für Mathematik in den Naturwissenschaften in Leipzig Tom Leinster, University of Edinburgh Ran Levi, University of Aberdeen Sofia Olhede, University College London Jose Perea, Michigan State University Erik Rybakken, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (TBC) Bernadette Stolz, University of Oxford Katharine Turner, Australian National University Hubert Wagner, Institute of Science and Technology Austria Additionally, there will be a poster session during the workshop. Registration is now open at the conference website: <https://neurotop2018.org/> https://neurotop2018.org/ and will close September 1, 2018 or when we reach capacity. We have limited funding for students to cover local expenses. Applications for such funding is now open at the conference website and will close on July 1, 2018. All additional relevant information regarding the conference will continuously be updated on the conference website. In particular, travel information on how to get to EPFL as well as suggested accommodation options are already detailed there. You can contact the organizers at neurotop2018(a)neurotop2018.org. With best regards, Nicolas Nininon behalf of the organzing committee Stefania Ebli Daniela Egas Santander Nicolas Ninin Gard Spreemann

April 19, 2018

Call for Papers MICCAI International Workshop on Machine Learning for Clinical Neuroimaging (MLCN): Spatially Structured Data Analysis

by Marquand, A.F. (Andre)

Call for Papers MICCAI International Workshop on Machine Learning for Clinical Neuroimaging (MLCN): Spatially Structured Data Analysis (September 20, 2018, Granada, Spain) Recent advances in neuroimaging and statistical machine learning provide an exceptional opportunity for investigators and physicians to discover complex relationships between brain, behaviors, and mental and neurological disorders. MLCN 2018 workshop (https://mlcn2018.com/) as a satellite event of MICCAI 2018 (http://www.miccai2018.org/en/) aims to bring together researchers in both theory and application from various fields in domains of spatial statistics, pattern recognition in neuroimaging, and predictive clinical neuroscience. Topics of interests include but are not limited to: * Applications of spatio-temporal modeling in predictive clinical neuroscience * Spatial regularization in decoding clinical neuroimaging data * Spatial statistics in neuroimaging * Learning with structured inputs and outputs in clinical neuroscience * Multi-task learning in analyzing structured neuroimaging data * Deep learning in analyzing structured neuroimaging data * Model stability and interpretability in clinical neuroscience Submission Process: The workshop seeks high quality, original, and unpublished work on algorithms, theory, and applications of machine learning in clinical neuroimaging and spatially structured data analysis. Papers should be submitted electronically in Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LCNS) style (https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…) of up to 8-pages papers using the CMT system at https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/MLCN2018<https://mail.ru.nl/owa/redir.aspx?C=cF_JmZM8kIynrj31nweTMkQwN3oMG8T7g2yKH7j…>. This workshop uses a double-blind review process in the evaluation phase, thus authors must ensure anonymous submissions. Accepted papers will be published in a joint proceeding with the MICCAI conference. Important Dates: * Paper submission deadline: June 11, 2018 (23:59 PST) * Notification of Acceptance: July 16, 2018 * Camera-ready Submission: July 23, 2018 * Workshop Date: September 20, 2018

April 19, 2018

CALL FOR PAPERS

by Steve Mehrkanoon

*CALL FOR PAPERS* *Special issue* Neural Systems Engineering and Mathematical Modelling of Brain Dynamics using ECoG/EEG/MEG Oscillations and Machine Learning Methods *Journal* IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering *Publication fee: **Free* Paper Submission Deadline: *31/05/2018* Submission portal: *https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tnsre-embs* <https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tnsre-embs> *PhD students, postdocs, early and mid career research fellows **are **welcome to **contribute to this spe**cial iss**ue**. * *Contributions will receive prompt and thorough peer review and will be published online ahead of print after acceptance.* In humans, interactions between neuronal circuits, systems and signals among micro-, meso- and macro-scales of brain dynamics underpin the functional organisation of the brain that supports our daily life activity. How efficiently neuronal circuits such as cortico-cortical, cortico-thalamic and thalamo-cortical networks interact among these multiple spatial scales remains to be fully elucidated. Mathematical, computational and experimental neuroscientists apply a variety of methods, techniques and algorithms, both in animals and humans, ranging from single cell recordings to whole brain imaging, in order to identify the core mechanisms that govern the interactions among these scales. Although our knowledge of neural mechanisms, circuits and networks underlying brain dynamics and functions constantly grows, the integration of this knowledge to provide a conceptual framework of emergent behaviour and pattern formation occurring on different levels of spatial organisation remains challenging. Authors are invited to submit original or review articles addressing mechanisms of emergent brain dynamics inferred from the analysis of ECoG/EEG/MEG, on all levels of complexity. Specifically, articles integrating (i) computational neuroscience, and (ii) mathematical models of biologically realistic neuronal networks and machine learning methods are welcome. In this special issue, Guest Editor Dr Steve Mehrkanoon welcomes papers that address many of the challenges of mathematical and computational models of the brain networks and dynamics given the measurement data ECoG/EEG/MEG. The scope of this special issue is interdisciplinary. The list of possible topics includes, but is not limited to: - New developments in computational and mathematical models of mean field theory integrated with ECoG/EEG/MEG modalities - Multi-modal and combinatorial fusion of ECoG/EEG/MEG data and brain connectivity machine learning - Development of data-driven machine learning techniques to identify the mechanisms of emergent spatia-temporal dynamics within the framework of network topology - Development of computational and mathematical models for bridging the scales of brain dynamics - Cortical network modelling and formal conceptual models of cortical oscillations - Application of deep learning and machine learning algorithms in functional, structural and effective network analysis and predictive models of brain dynamics. - New cutting-edge numerical analysis and techniques to simulate/implement - Adaptive mathematical and computational models of network dynamics (e.g., brain development and aging studies) - Statistical methods for assessing individual and population brain connectivity data *Guest Editors* 1. *Dr Steve Mehrkanoon* The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Contact: s.mehrkanoon(a)uq.edu.au 1. *Professor David Liley* Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia Contact: dliley(a)swin.edu.au 1. *Dr Siamak Mehrkanoon* Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), University of Leuven, KU Leuven, Belgium Contact: Siamak.Mehrkanoon(a)esat.kuleuven.be *IMPORTANT DATES* Paper Submission Deadline: 31/05/2018 Notification Of Acceptance: 31/08/2018 Special issue information https://tnsre.embs.org/2018/04/13/call-for-papers-special-issue-on-neural-s… - - - - *Dr Steve Mehrkanoon* Senior Mathematical Neuroscientist, Advance Queensland Research Fellow, Perinatal Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Home: http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/14135 Level 4, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Building 71/918 <https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/UQCCR/@-27.448514,153.028703,15z/data=…> Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Qld 4029 T: +61 7 33466012 CIRCOS Code 0025B The Faculty of Medicine is embracing the Green Office philosophy. Please consider the environment before printing this email. This email (including any attached files) is intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information of The University of Queensland. If you are not the addressee, you are notified that any transmission, distribution, printing or photocopying of this email is prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please delete and notify me. Unless explicitly stated, the opinions expressed in this email do not represent the official position of The University of Queensland.

April 19, 2018

Stanford University Job Opportunities: Postdoctoral Fellowship

by Christina Atkinson

Stanford University’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences is seeking to hire a full time post-doctoral fellow 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. POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF BRAIN NETWORKS Currently Available: The Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory invites applications for a postdoctoralfellowship 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>

April 19, 2018

Scientist position in Modeling at the Allen Institute for Brain Science

by Anton Arkhipov

An exciting opportunity at the Allen Institute for Brain Science - a new Scientist position in Modeling is now open. Please apply here: https://alleninstitute.hrmdirect.com/employment/job-opening.php?req=746277&… We are seeking a Scientist to work on bio-realistic modeling of the mouse visual cortex, in close collaboration with in-house experimentalists studying the structure (cell types and connectivity) and in vivo function (patterns of neural activity and computations) of cortical circuits involved in behavior. Our team constructs models of neurons based on in vitro studies (see, e.g., https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-02718-3 and http://celltypes.brain-map.org) and employs them as building blocks for large-scale data-driven models of cortical circuitry (see, e.g., https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/03/31/292839) The developed models are used to ask questions about activity and mechanisms observed in unprecedented high-throughput in vivo recordings (http://observatory.brain-map.org/visualcoding) We also build and disseminate modeling software to support this work (https://alleninstitute.github.io/bmtk/index.html) Job Responsibilities: - Join ongoing efforts on building and simulating models of cortical areas in the mouse visual cortex, using point-neuron and biophysically detailed (compartmental) approaches. - Use these models to explore mechanisms underlying neural activity and computations observed in vivo in the context of a behavioral task; the aim is to provide mechanistic predictions for subsequent experimental testing by in-house collaborators. - Collaborate with in-house theoreticians and experimentalists to test hypotheses about cortical computations and algorithms in realistic models and in experiments. - Contribute to the development of modeling and analysis software. - Publish/present findings in peer-reviewed journals/scientific conferences. Basic Qualifications: - PhD degree in Neuroscience, Physics, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Bioengineering, or related field. SCIENTIST I: 0-2 years postdoctoral experience in computational science SCIENTIST II: 3+ years postdoctoral experience in computational science Desired Qualifications: - Experience in computational neuroscience and/or systems neuroscience is preferred, but other strong applicants will be considered (with background in computational physics, biophysics, and related disciplines). - Candidates with strong background in experimental systems neuroscience, willing to switch to computational work, are encouraged to apply. - Experience with parallel computing is a plus, as well as experience with programming in Python and/or MATLAB. - Experience with models of neurons/neuronal circuits is a plus. - Ability to meet aggressive timelines and deliverables in a collaborative environment is required. - Strong publication record. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills. It is the policy of the Allen Institute to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, the Allen Institute will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Anton Arkhipov Associate Investigator T: 206.548.8414 antona(a)alleninstitute.org<mailto:antona@alleninstitute.org> Allen Institute for Brain Science www.alleninstitute.org<http://www.alleninstitute.org/>

April 19, 2018

2018 NEURON Summer course

by Ted Carnevale

The 2018 NEURON Summer Course will be held at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, from Monday, August 6, through Saturday, August 11. The course will present a thorough introduction to computational modeling of neurons and networks with NEURON, and is suitable for individuals at all levels of expertise. This year continues the 6 day curriculum we introduced last year in order to provide expanded coverage of parallel simulation, and to give participants more time for active learning exercises. The registration deadline is Monday, July 16, 2018. No applications will be accepted after that date, and there will be no on-site registration. Space is limited, and applications will be considered in the order received. For more information and the on-line registration form, see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/summer2018/summer2018.html --Ted

April 18, 2018

[Jobs] Postdoctoral Fellowships at IBEC BEST Programme (Bioengineering Excellence Scientific Training)

by Vasiliki Vouloutsi

Dear colleagues, We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral candidate with expertise in software engineering and robotics. * *The successful candidate will have the opportunity to join theSPECS-lab group (http://www.ibecbarcelona.eu/specs <http://www.ibecbarcelona.eu/specs>), In Barcelona, Spain*,* and work in an exciting and multidisciplinary environment with different types of robotics platforms including the iCub robot. * * *IBEC’s Programme in Bioengineering Excellence Scientific Training (BEST) aims to attract international experienced researchers in the areas of Nanomedicine, Cell Engineering and ICT for Health, the three research Flagships at the Institute.* * * *The details of the call and instructions for applicants can be found online at * http://www.ibecbarcelona.eu/postdoctoral-fellowships-at-ibec-best-programme…<http://www.ibecbarcelona.eu/postdoctoral-fellowships-at-ibec-best-programme…> *Interested applicants should fill** the application form*https://careers.ibecbarcelona.eu <https://careers.ibecbarcelona.eu/>*before April, 30**th 2018.* For more information please contact: GuillermoTalavera, PhD Project Manager E-mail:gtalavera@ibecbarcelona.eu <mailto:gtalavera@ibecbarcelona.eu> Research Affairs Institute forBioEngineeringof Catalonia (IBEC) Phone: +34 934 031 964 Fax: +34 934 039 702 Web:http://www.ibecbarcelona.eu/ <http://www.ibecbarcelona.eu/> Kind regards, -- Vicky Vouloutsi, PhD Postdoc Researcher at the laboratory for Synthetic Perceptive, Emotive and Cognitive Systems (SPECS <http://specs-lab.com/>) mail: vvouloutsi(a)ibecbarcelona.eu <mailto:vvouloutsi@ibecbarcelona.eu> LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-vouloutsi-28496133/> researchgate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vasiliki_Vouloutsi>

April 18, 2018

postdoc positions in statistical neuroscience

by xaq pitkow

Several postdoctoral research positions in Statistical Neuroscience POSITION: We seek several highly motivated postdoctoral research fellows for a collaborative team project building statistical tools for interpreting large scale neural recordings. The fellows will develop new methods and applications of probabilistic graphical models to infer statistical interactions amongst neurons and with the sensory 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(a)bcm.edu) along with contact information for three references. We look forward to hearing from you!

April 18, 2018

Fully funded PhD position to study neural coding - IIT Rovereto (Italy)

by Stefano Panzeri

I am seeking candidates for fully funded PhD positions at the Italian Institute of Technology’s in the lab directed by Stefano Panzeri ( https://www.iit.it/people/stefano-panzeri ) and located in Rovereto (Trento), Italy. IIT collaborates with University of Trento and funds these positions at the PhD course in Cognitive and Brain Sciences. The PhD project can focus on any of the research topics about neural information processing that are of interest to both the candidate and my lab, including: developing mathematical analysis methods and neural network models for studying neural population coding during cognitive tasks, for studying the neural bases of sensory perception and decision making, for linking functional to anatomical connectivity with cellular resolution at the neural population level, and for determining the best theoretical framework to combine recording of neural activity (calcium imaging, electrophysiology, EEG) and intervention on it (optogenetics, TMS). My computational neuroscience lab has developed long-term collaboration with many experimental laboratories including Christopher Harvey and Wei Lee (Harvard Medical School), Nikos Logothetis (Tuebingen), Tommaso Fellin (IIT), Mathew Diamond and Davide Zoccolan (SISSA), Alex Thiele (Newcastle) and others. The PhD project will likely involve collaborations with one or more experimental lab. For recent representative publications please see: van Vugt B, et al, (2018) Science: in press. DOI: 10.1126/science.aar7186 Zaldivar, D., et al, (2018) Current Biology 28: 224-235 Runyan C. A., et al (2017) Nature: 548: 92-96 Panzeri, S, et al (2017) Neuron 93: 491-507 Safaai, H. et al (2015) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 112(41): 12834–12839 Fasoli, D. et al (2016) PLoS Computational Biology, 12(8): e1004992. Panzeri, S., et al (2015) Trends in Cognitive Sciences 19: 162-172 Einevoll, G., et al (2013) Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14, 770-785 The ideal candidate should have a strong background in numerate sciences, and have a strong propensity for interdisciplinary research. No extensive previous experience in neuroscience is needed. However, a keen interest in understanding the brain is essential. The deadline for the formal application will be set to May 31st 2018, but interested candidates are invited me to contact me informally by email ( stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it) *as soon as possible,* and no later than May 1st 2018, by attaching their CV and briefly explaining their interest in this position, to initiate discussion about potential PhD projects of interest. In order to formally apply to the PhD Position, candidates will then need to refer to the call published by Università degli Studi di Trento (see http://www.unitn.it/drcimec/topic-specific-grants ). The PhD positions available for projects under my supervision are those entitled “Neural Coding” and “Computational cognitive neuroscience” Yours truly, Stefano Panzeri

April 17, 2018

Job opening for Neural Engineer / Neuroscientist - Multiple Levels

by Zanos, Theodoros

The Neural Decoding and Data Analytics Lab at the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is currently recruiting for a Neural Engineer / Neuroscientist (multiple levels). The lab 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 computational tools, take part in neurophysiology experiments and collect, 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. Job Responsibilities Include: Develops computational tools for neuroscience research. Perform 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 Job Type: Full-time Qualifications Associate Engineer (MS Level) - Masters in Engineering, Computer Science or Statistics required Postdoctoral Fellow - Doctorate degree in Engineering, Computer Science or Statistics (Ph.D) required Neural Engineer - Masters in Engineering, Computer Science or Statistics + 3 years of experience required, Doctorate degree preferred 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 Knowledge of data analysis software (e.g. Matlab), preferred To apply, please send a cover letter describing your qualifications and an academic CV to tzanos at northwell.edu and include Neural Engineer / Neuroscientist in the subject heading. Thank you, Theodoros Zanos, PhD Assistant Professor Head, Neural Decoding and Data Analytics Lab Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, Room 1257 The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine 350 Community Drive Manhasset, NY 11030 Tel: (516) 562-0484 Cell: (646) 943-3440 Email: tzanos(a)northwell.edu<mailto:tzanos@northwell.edu> Northwell Health Visit us at Northwell.edu<http://northwell.edu/> [cid:image001.png@01D3D58C.42C7E290] 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.

April 16, 2018

Re: [Comp-neuro] Michael Arbib autobiography: From Cybernetics to Brain Theory, and More: A Memoir

by Érdi Péter

Dear All: Accept my apologies, my message was not clear. Michael Arbib's Memoir is 1. available Now from IP addresses with ScienceDirect subscriptions, as https://ac.els-cdn.com/S1389041718301360/1-s2.0-S1389041718301360-main.pdf?… , 2. Elsevier will make open the FINAL version for a certain (?) period. I will send a note, when I will know the details. Kind regards, Peter

April 16, 2018

Michael Arbib autobiography: From Cybernetics to Brain Theory, and More: A Memoir

by Érdi Péter

Dear All: I would like to call your attention to a very very remarkable paper. Michael Arbib, "the" true pioneer of brain theory wrote a very detailed memoir. The paper is a self-reflection to his career from his legendary first book "Brains, Machines & Mathematics" via the Metaphorical Brain to modeling how the brain may support language and much more. Cognitive Systems Research is very lucky to have the chance to publish this extraordinary paper. Elsevier will make it available for a certain period. Enjoy and spread the word! Kind regards, Péter Érdi Editor-in-Chief Cognitive Systems Research aboutranking.com ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2018 15:54:57 -0400 From: ScienceDirect Message Center <sciencedirect(a)notifications.elsevier.com> To: perdi(a)kzoo.edu Subject: Cognitive Systems Research: Alert 14 April Can't see this email properly? Click here to view an online version ScienceDirect? Home Alert: Cognitive Systems Research New articles available on ScienceDirect New Articles in Press, 14 April >From Cybernetics to Brain Theory, and More: A Memoir Original Research Article Available online 14 April 2018 Michael A. Arbib Access the ScienceDirect Info site if you have questions about this message or other features of this service. This email has been sent to you by ScienceDirect, a division of Elsevier B.V., Radarweg 29, 1043 NX Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Tel.+31 20 485 3911. ScienceDirect respects your privacy and does not disclose, rent or sell your personal information to any non-affiliated third parties without your consent, except as may be stated in the ScienceDirect online privacy policy. By using email or alert services, you agree to comply with the ScienceDirect Terms and Conditions. To unsubscribe from this alert, please click here. Copyright ? 2018 Elsevier B.V. or its licensors or contributors. ScienceDirect ? is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. Subscription ID: 6801b0bb-4cf7-423b-b0b3-84debb758052 Webuser ID: 16559371 Results Event ID: 2ff67920-52f0-4f9d-a20d-8808c263e6cc Batch ID: 4a43c5ee-129a-451c-b821-77ff2a6dd1e2 RTEventId: 72057594312846382 [?id=h5be7865,51c2d93,1] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Budapest CNS Group" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cneuro-bp+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to cneuro-bp(a)googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/cneuro-bp. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

April 15, 2018

Brainhack Ghent 7-8th May 2018

by Daniel Borek

------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------- ***REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN // CALL FOR PROJECTS*** DEADLINE: 1st of May ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------- Brainhack Ghent 2018 May 7-8, 2018 University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium https://brainhackghent.github.io/ [APOLOGIES FOR DOUBLE POSTING] Dear all, On 7-8th May 2018, the second edition of Brainhack Ghent will take place at the university of Ghent (FPPW, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent), as part of the Brainhack Global event (May 2-6). During this two-day event, dedicated to students and PhD students, we will work in teams on neuroscience-related projects. The aim of the event is to collaborate on projects, meet new researchers, make new friendships in academia, learn, share the knowledge on data mining and brain research, but also promote open science in the spirit of the whole Brainhack community (Craddock et al., 2016) <https://gigascience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13742-016-0121-x>. You can now register for Brainhack Ghent 2018 by going to https://brainhackghent.github.io/. At this website, you can also submit a project which will be realised during the two-day event. Projects can be side projects, projects you were always interested in, but never had time to work on, new ideas you want to explore… In order to submit your project, proceed to the ‘project submission’ section, where you can specify the project author, a project title, and a short project outline specifying some scientific context and concrete goals. Of course, you’re always welcome to provide that extra bit of information to help your fellow Brainhackers in their project selection process! For example, you can provide 1-3 key papers related to the project, some requirements (e.g. certain programming skills) for taking part in the project, skills and competences that can be learned in the project... If you have questions about the feasibility/added value/… of a project you want to submit, do not hesitate to contact us (brainhackghent2018(a)gmail.com) We will provide you with feedback as soon as possible! If you prefer to prepare a tutorial in addition to/ instead of submitting a project, you are certainly welcome to contact us as well! We hope to hear from you soon, and please feel free to forward this message to other colleagues whom might be interested!! Best, The Organization Committee of BrainHack Ghent 2018 -- Daniel Borek PhD candidate Department of Data Analysis Ghent University Begijnhoflaan 464, B-9000 Gent, Belgium E-mail: daniel.borek(a)ugent.be

April 13, 2018

Berkeley course in mining and modeling neuroscience data (Application deadline April 20)

by Friedrich Sommer

A reminder: the application deadline is in about 8 days (April 20). Information about the course is below. ------------------ We invite applicants to the 2018 summer course in "Mining and modeling neuroscience data" to be held July 9-20 at UC Berkeley. A description of the course is below and also at: http://crcns.org/course Application deadline is April 20. ----- Berkeley summer course in mining and modeling neuroscience data July 9-20, 2018 Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, UC Berkeley Organizers: Fritz Sommer, Bruno Olshausen & Jeff Teeters (HWNI, UC Berkeley) Scope This course is for students and researchers with backgrounds in mathematics and computational sciences who are interested in applying their skills toward problems in neuroscience. It will introduce the major open questions of neuroscience and teach state-of–the-art techniques for analyzing and modeling neuroscience data sets. The course is designed for students at the graduate level and researchers with background in a quantitative field such as engineering, mathematics, physics or computer science who may or may not have a specific neuroscience background. The goal of this summer course is to help researchers find new exciting research areas and at the same time to strengthen quantitative expertise in the field of neuroscience. The course is sponsored by the National Institute of Health, the National Science Foundation from a grant supporting activities at the data sharing repository CRCNS.org, and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at UC Berkeley. Format The course is “hands on” in that it will include exercises in how to use and modify existing software tools and apply them to data sets, such as those available in the CRCNS.org repository. Course Instructors Robert Kass, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh Sonja Grün, Juelich Research Center, Germany Frederic Theunissen, University of California Berkeley Odelia Schwartz, University of Miami Stephanie Palmer, University of Chicago Maneesh Sahani, Gatsby Unit, University College London Course Moderators Fritz Sommer and Jeff Teeters, Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience. Speakers To complement the main course instruction there will be lectures in the evenings by local Berkeley and UCSF neuroscientists presenting their research using quantitative approaches. Requirements Applicants should be familiar with linear algebra, probability, differential and integral calculus and have some experience using MatLab and Python. Each student must bring a laptop with both MatLab and Python installed. Cost There is no cost to attend. Non-local attendees will be reimbursed for economy travel expenses (up to a maximum of $500 domestic and $600 foreign) and will have most meals provided. Housing Rooms in the University dorms will be provided for those non-local attendees who need accommodations. Most dorm rooms are double occupancy (shared). Food Almost all meals will be provided to non-local attendees and some meals will be provided to local attendees. How to apply To apply, submit the online form linked from: http://crcns.org/course. A curriculum vitae and a letter of recommendation are required. The course is limited to 25 students. Deadlines Applications must be received by April 20. Notifications of acceptance will be given by May 15. Questions Questions about the course can be sent to course [at] crcns.org. Topics covered (subject to change): Basic approaches: - The problem of neural coding - Population coding - Spike trains, firing rate, point processes, and generalized linear models - Statistical thinking in neuroscience - Overview of stimulus-response function models - Theory of model fitting / regularization / hypothesis testing - Bayesian methods - Spike sorting - Estimation of stimulus-response functionals: regression methods, spike-triggered covariance - Variance analysis of neural response - Estimation of SNR. Coherence Information theoretic approaches: - Information transmission rates - Scene statistics approaches and neural modeling Techniques for analyzing multiple-channel recordings: - Unitary event analysis - Proper surrogates for spike synchrony analysis - Sparse coding/ICA methods, vanilla and methods including statistical models of nonlinear dependencies - Deep learning and supervised learning - Methods for assessing functional connectivity - Generalized Linear Models - Multivariate phase coupling - Statistical issues in network identification - Low-dimensional latent dynamical structure in network activity – Gaussian process factor analysis and newer approaches - Extracting population responses to experimental inputs - LDA, DPCA and other low-rank regression

April 13, 2018

Call for Summer School: Big Data and Analytics, University of Essex, UK (23 July –3 August 2018)

by Raza, Haider

Dear All, On behalf of the Institute of Analytics and Data Science, University of Essex, we are pleased to invite you to attend its fourth annual “Big Data and Analytics Summer School 2018”. The Summer School will be held at the University of Essex, Colchester Campus, England, UK from 23 July - 3 August 2018. Link: https://www.iadssummerschool.com/. The list of speakers is available at https://www.dropbox.com/s/ufpw7z0xhgf42lm/Summer%20School%20Poster%202018.p… * ** Scholarships are available for students and postdocs. It will be awarded on an application basis, and only applicants from developing countries are eligible to apply. ** Deadline 15 April 2018 The fourth annual IADS Big Data and Analytics Summer School provides graduates, postgraduates, researchers, academics, business professionals, and practitioners, with the opportunity to join leading academics, data scientists, and engineers from around the world to explore the latest advancements in computer science. Immerse yourself and network with influential data science leaders from organizations such as Microsoft, BT, Fraunhofer, Micro Focus, Celtra, and more, providing training topics that include: * Methodologies and techniques for Big Data and analytics * Practical applications such as in business, health, and other sectors * Data curation and management. The legal, ethical, and human rights implications of data. With our one or two weeks customizable programs, courses are delivered over parallel sessions. Our great value ticket prices include access to introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses, suggested pathways, keynote talks, exclusive access to our social and networking evenings, and certification. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact: “Miss Shaaba Lotun”, IADS Executive Officer Telephone: +44(0)1206 973496 Email:iadssum@essex.ac.uk<mailto:iadssum@essex.ac.uk> -- Best Regards! -- Dr Haider Raza Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute for Analytics and Data Science, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park Colchester, CO4 3SQ E h.raza(a)essex.ac.uk<mailto:h.raza@essex.ac.uk> T +44 (0)1206 87 3211 W www.essex.ac.uk/iads<http://www.essex.ac.uk/iads> OW https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/razah72409 PW https://sites.google.com/site/whoishraza/home Social: || LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagihaider/> || ResearchGate<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Haider_Raza3> || GoogleScholar<https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=oM66s7wAAAAJ&hl=en> ||

April 12, 2018

Workshop: Dynamics of learning and computations in neuronal circuits, June 27-29, 2018, Göttingen

by farzad

April 12, 2018

Book Announcement: Mathematical and Theoretical Neuroscience

by thierry nieus

Apologies for multiple postings. Dear Colleagues, The following book is now available: "Mathematical and Theoretical Neuroscience" (Springer). This volume gathers contributions from theoretical, experimental and computational researchers who are working on various topics in theoretical/computational/mathematical neuroscience. The focus is on mathematical modeling, analytical and numerical topics, and statistical analysis in neuroscience with applications. The following subjects are considered: mathematical modelling in Neuroscience, analytical and numerical topics; statistical analysis in Neuroscience; Neural Networks; Theoretical Neuroscience. The book is addressed to researchers involved in mathematical models applied to neuroscience. All chapters of the book are relative to the talks given at the NeuroMath Indam meeting: http://www.mat.unimi.it/users/naldi/NeuroMath/ More information (in particular the Table of contents) can be found on the following web page: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-68297-6 Best regards Thierry Nieus Giovanni Naldi -- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco" University of Milan via G. B. Grassi 74 - 20157 Milano <https://maps.google.com/?q=via+G.+B.+Grassi+74+-+20157+Milano&entry=gmail&s…>

April 12, 2018

Postdoc in computational neuroscience / behavioral modelling & fMRI, Dresden, Germany

by Lorenz Gönner

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Neuroscience. The successful candidate will be an independent researcher with proven record in computational modeling of behavioral data and strong team-work abilities. Previous experience in brain imaging is not required, but highly useful. The candidate will be in charge of modelling behavioral data from decision-making and executive control tasks, improving existing and developing new methods in the field of computational neuroscience. Furthermore, the successful candidate is expected to instruct and supervise PhD students. In addition, the position offers the possibility for further scientific qualification (i.e., Habilitation). The position is associated to the Collaborative Research Center (CRC 940) “Volition and Cognitive Control: Mechanisms, Modulators, and Dysfunctions”, comprising of 14 projects with a budget of over 10 Mill. € in its second funding period. The center combines expertise from experimental and biological psychology, cognitive-affective neuroscience, lifespan developmental neuroscience, clinical psychology and psychiatry to investigate cognitive and neural mechanisms and modulators of volitional control, the development and aging of these mechanisms, and volitional dysfunctions in selected mental disorders. The CRC and the TU Dresden (which is one of the 11 Universities of Excellence selected by the German Research Foundation and the German Council of Science and Humanities) provide an outstanding scientific infrastructure and ideal environment for interdisciplinary cooperation. The salary is according to the E13 TV-L dispositions. Contract is initially limited till July 2020. For details concerning the position and the application process, see https://www.uniklinikum-dresden.de/de/jobs-und-karriere/stellenangebote/wis…

April 12, 2018

NEST Conference 2018 --- Abstract submission and registration open

by Hans Ekkehard Plesser

Dear colleagues! It is a great pleasure to invite everyone interested in large-scale neural network simulation, particularly current and potential users of NEST, the Neural Simulation Tool (http://www.nest-simulator.org) to the NEST Conference 2018 to be held on 25/26 June 2018 (Monday/Tuesday, lunch to lunch) on the beautiful campus of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences at Ås, 30km south of Oslo. The NEST Conference provides an opportunity for the NEST Community to meet, exchange success stories, swap advice, learn about current developments in and around NEST spiking network simulation and its application. We would like you to share your experiences made and results obtained with NEST during the conference. You can do so either by a short oral presentation (10–15 minutes), on a poster, through a demo, or by organizing group work. Important dates • 30 April 2018 — Deadline for child-care requests • 13 May 2018 — Deadline for abstract submissions • 17 May 2018 — Notification of acceptance • 25 May 2018 — Deadline for registration For details, abstract submission and registration, please see http://www.nest-initiative.org/conference You are also welcome to contact us at conference(a)nest-initiative.org. We are looking forward to welcoming you to Ås in June! Hans Ekkehard Plesser President The Neural Technology Simulation Initiative http://www.nest-initiative.org -- 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

April 12, 2018

Virtual Think Tank: Shaping AI and Augmented Cognition in the USAF of 2030

by Jeff Krichmar

Dear Colleagues, Help us catalyze and shape future major science investments of the DOD and beyond. We have been tasked to prepare a report for the USAF leadership on how AI and Augmented Cognition should factor into USAF investments with a time horizon of a decade plus (2030). Because advances in the various relevant disciplines and technologies are occurring in a non-linear fashion, preparing such a report is extremely challenging. Without question, how the USAF operates across space, air, land and cyber will all be profoundly affected. In addition, the question of strategic surprise must be considered because other nations are investing heavily in these domains currently and where the paradigm breaking advances will occur is not readily predictable. Our goal is to have a draft report ready by June 30 and to that effect, we are convening a number of events (both face-to-face and on-line) and activities to gain input from community members. Useful input will come from across the intellectual waterfront, not just the AI, Cognitive Science and Computer Science communities. We are particularly interested in the ethical, legal and social issues associated with how AI and Augmented Cognition will play out in the US Air Force milieu. The primary objective of the effort is to illuminate the 2030 technology horizon for AI in the USAF context. A secondary objective is to facilitate the building of a community of USAF aligned experts who can provide continuing advice to the USAF as an external advisory board (akin to the Jasons). The final objective is to facilitate the discussions necessary to build a pipeline of technological expertise in AI to avoid or respond to strategic surprise in this area. If you’d like to get involved, please use this link: https://goo.gl/CkntHq to complete a 1-minute application. Once part of the team, you’ll be able to get more information about: 1. The asynchronous online activities, between April 10-27. 2. The three online MicroLabs (interactive online events) on April 30, May 1 and May 2. 3. The face-to-face IdeasLab workshop on May 7 - May 11. 4. The virtual components of the IdeasLab (between May 7 - May 11) for those that can?t join us in person. 5. Theˇpost-workshop review activities of the draft report between May 11 and June 8. More information is at: https://hub.ki/groups/gmuai/overview Sincerely, James Olds - Former head of the Biological Sciences Directorate at NSF and University Professor of Neuroscience and Public Policy at the Schar School, George Mason University Stephen Fiore - Director, Cognitive Sciences Laboratory, and Professor with the University of Central Florida's Cognitive Sciences Program in the Department of Philosophy and Institute for Simulation & Training Jeff Krichmar - Professor in the Department of Cognitive Sciences and the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine Event facilitator: Stavros Michailidis, Knowinnovation, stavros.michailidis(a)knowinnovation.com Please send an email with any questions or if there are any issues with the above links and please include USAF 2030 AI in the subject line of all event inquiries. 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

April 11, 2018

REMINDER: Valentino Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience - Call for Nominations

by Alexandra Stein

Dear Colleagues, The Bernstein Association for Computational Neuroscience invites nominations for the Valentino Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience. The Bernstein Association for Computational Neuroscience presents the award biennially to a scientist in recognition of outstanding research that contributes to the understanding of the functioning of the brain. The major criterion for the award is the impact or potential impact of the recipient's research on the field of brain science. In the spirit of Valentino Braitenberg's own research, special emphasis is given to theoretical studies elucidating the functional implications of brain structures and their neuronal network dynamics. The awardee receives €5.000 prize money, donated by the Autonome Provinz Bozen Südtirol, as well as an invitation to the Bernstein Conference 2018 (including registration fee, travel- and accommodation expenses). The award will be presented together with a Golden Neuron pin in a special award ceremony at the Bernstein Conference, followed by a lecture of the Braitenberg Awardee. Nominations may be submitted by scientists working in the field of computational neuroscience and should include the following documents: - One-page laudation, in which the scientific work of the candidate is honored with regard to the award criteria - CV and list of publications Deadline for nominations is April 30, 2018 by email to a.stein(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:a.stein@fz-juelich.de> Please note that self-nominations are not permitted. The call for nominations can be found under the following URL: www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/braitenberg_award<http://www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/braitenberg_award> For inquiries please contact a.stein(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:a.stein@fz-juelich.de>. Best regards, Alexandra Stein -- Dr. Alexandra Stein Head of Bernstein Coordination Site 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 9583 mobile: (+49) 0151 67114645 mail: a.stein(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:a.stein@fz-juelich.de> web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> Twitter: NNCN_Germany YouTube: Bernstein TV Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 11, 2018

Three Postdoctoral or PhD positions in Stochastic Signal Processing/Computational Modelling fMRI/EEG

by Shankar Tumati

Three postdoctoral (or graduate) positions are available at the Mind, Brain Imaging & Neuroethics lab. The candidates should have strong background in brain imaging (fMRI, MRS, EEG/MEG, TMS) and preferably strong education in neuroscience/brain imaging, engineering, physics, and/or computational neuroscience for data analyses. The project focuses on resting state and its interaction with task-evoked activity in relation to mental features like self and consciousness in both healthy and psychiatric subjects where neuronal, electrophysiological and biochemical measures will be obtained. A specific focus will be on novel ways of dynamic and non-linear analyses of the brain imaging data in conjunction with computational modeling and signal processing analyses. Part of the project will be carried out in China at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou/China and, in part, in Ottawa/Canada as the PI has affiliations with both places. Hence, Chinese skills are of advantage but not a prerequisite for application. More information about our work can be found on the website: www.georgnorthoff.com For PhD candidates. Graduation at University of Ottawa (PhD) under the supervision of Dr. G. Northoff is possible. Salary for the postdoctoral candidates depends on qualifications and will be around 35.000 CAD to 70.000 CAD. Outstanding candidates may also qualify for faculty position in China. Candidates shall contact: Dr. G. Northoff: georg.northoff(a)theroyal.ca (website: www.georgnorthoff.com)

April 10, 2018

Recent paper on using Machine Learning to classify autism from schizophrenia

by Stephen Jose Hanson

Please find new Machine learning/Neuroimaging research. ?Neuroimage:Clinical Differences in atypical resting-state effective connectivity distinguish autism from schizophrenia Dana Mastrovito, Catherine Hanson, Stephen Jose Hanson Abstract Autism and schizophrenia share overlapping genetic etiology, common changes in brain structure and common cognitive deficits. A number of studies using resting state fMRI have shown that machine learning algorithms can distinguish between healthy controls and individuals diagnosed with either autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia. However, it has not yet been determined whether machine learning algorithms can be used to distinguish between the two disorders. Using a linear support vector machine, we identify features that are most diagnostic for each disorder and successfully use them to classify an independent cohort of subjects. We find both common and divergent connectivity differences largely in the default mode network as well as in salience, and motor networks. Using divergent connectivity differences, we are able to distinguish autistic subjects from those with schizophrenia. Understanding the common and divergent connectivity changes associated with these disorders may provide a framework for understanding their shared cognitive deficits https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158218300147?via%3Di… Stephen José Hanson Professor & Director Rutgers Brain Imaging Center (RUBIC) Cognitive Science Center (NB) Rutgers University

April 7, 2018

PRNI 2018: THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 18th APRIL, 2018

by Justin Dauwels (Assoc Prof)

PRNI 2018: THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 18th APRIL, 2018 ******* please accept our apologies for cross-posting ******* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR PAPERS AND TUTORIALS PRNI 2018: 8th International Workshop on Pattern Recognition in Neuroimaging to be held 12-14 June 2018 at the National University of Singapore, Singapore www.prni.org<http://www.prni.org/> - @PRNIworkshop - www.facebook.com/PRNIworkshop/<http://www.facebook.com/PRNIworkshop/> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 8th International Workshop on Pattern Recognition in Neuroimaging (PRNI) will be held at the Centre for Life Sciences Auditorium, National University of Singapore, Singapore on June 12-14, 2018.Pattern recognition techniques are an important tool for neuroimaging data analysis. These techniques are helping to elucidate normal and abnormal brain function, cognition and perception, anatomical and functional brain architecture, biomarkers for diagnosis and personalized medicine, and as a scientific tool to decipher neural mechanisms underlying human cognition. The International Workshop on Pattern Recognition in Neuroimaging (PRNI) aims to: (1) foster dialogue between developers and users of cutting-edge analysis techniques in order to find matches between analysis techniques and neuroscientific questions; (2) showcase recent methodological advances in pattern recognition algorithms for neuroimaging analysis; and (3) identify challenging neuroscientific questions in need of new analysis approaches. Authors should prepare full papers with a maximum length of 4 pages (two column IEEE style) for double-blind review. The PAPER submission deadline has been extended until WEDNESDAY, 18th APRIL 2018, 11:59 pm SGT. Accepted manuscripts will be assigned either to an oral or poster sessions. All accepted manuscripts will be included in the IEEE Xplore digital library. Similarly to previous years, in addition to full length papers PRNI will also accept short abstracts (word count not including the title, author list, tables, captions, or references) for poster presentation. Closing date: 04-MAY-2018 Open call for tutorial proposals: Finally, this year PRNI has an open call for tutorial proposals. A tutorial can take a form of 2h, 4h or whole day event aimed at demonstrating a computational technique, software tool, or specific concept. Tutorial proposals featuring hands on demonstrations and promoting diversity (e.g. gender, background, institution) will be preferred. PRNI will cover conference registration fees for up to two tutors per accepted program. The TUTORIAL submission deadline has been extended until WEDNESDAY, 18th APRIL 2018, 11:59 pm SGT Please see www.prni.org<http://www.prni.org/> and follow @PRNIworkshop and www.facebook.com/PRNIworkshop/<http://www.facebook.com/PRNIworkshop/> for news and details. [http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/cits2/CITS_web_resources/signature/img/ntulogo2.jpg] Assoc Prof Justin DAUWELS Associate Professor Deputy Director, ST Engineering - NTU Corporate Laboratory<http://ste-ntulab.ntu.edu.sg/> School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering 50 Nanyang Avenue, S2.2-B2-15, Singapore 639798 T 65-6790-5410 F 65-6790-9313 jdauwels(a)ntu.edu.sg<mailto:jdauwels@ntu.edu.sg> www.ntu.edu.sg<http://www.ntu.edu.sg/> ________________________________ CONFIDENTIALITY: This email is intended solely for the person(s) named and may be confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it, notify us and do not copy, use, or disclose its contents. Towards a sustainable earth: Print only when necessary. Thank you.

April 7, 2018

CFP: The first International Workshop on Machine Learning in Clinical Neuroimaging (MLCN 2018)

by Mostafa Kia

*Dear Colleagues,We are delighted to invite you to join us for the MLCN 2018 <https://mlcn2018.com/> workshop as a satellite event of MICCAI 2018 conference, Granada, Spain. Call for PapersRecent advances in neuroimaging and statistical machine learning provide an exceptional opportunity for investigators and physicians to discover complex relationships between brain, behaviors, and mental and neurological disorders. MLCN 2018 <https://mlcn2018.com/> workshop, as a satellite event of MICCAI 2018 <http://www.miccai2018.org/en/>, aims to bring together researchers in both theory and application from various fields in domains of spatial statistics, pattern recognition in neuroimaging, and predictive clinical neuroscience. Topics of interests include but are not limited to: - Applications of spatio-temporal modeling in predictive clinical neuroscience- Spatial regularization in decoding clinical neuroimaging data- Spatial statistics in neuroimaging- Learning with structured inputs and outputs in clinical neuroscience- Multi-task learning in analyzing structured neuroimaging data- Deep learning in analyzing structured neuroimaging data- Model stability and interpretability in clinical neuroscienceCONFIRMED SPEAKERS: - Christos Davatzikos (University of Pennsylvania)- Gaël Varoquaux (Parietal team, INRIA)- Jian Kang (University of Michigan)SUBMISSION PROCESS:The workshop seeks high quality, original, and unpublished work on algorithms, theory, and applications of machine learning in clinical neuroimaging and spatially structured data analysis. Papers should be submitted electronically in Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LCNS) style <https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…> of up to 8-pages papers using the CMT system at https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/MLCN2018 <https://mail.ru.nl/owa/redir.aspx?C=cF_JmZM8kIynrj31nweTMkQwN3oMG8T7g2yKH7j…>. This workshop uses a double-blind review process in the evaluation phase, thus authors must ensure anonymous submissions. Accepted papers will be published in a joint proceeding with the MICCAI conference.IMPORTANT DATES: - Paper submission deadline: June 11, 2018- Notification of Acceptance: July 16, 2018- Camera-ready Submission: July 23, 2018- Workshop Date: September 20, 2018Best regards,MLCN 2018 Organizing Committee,Email: mlcnworkshop(a)gmail.com <mlcnworkshop(a)gmail.com>Website: https://mlcn2018.com/ <https://mlcn2018.com/>twitter: @MLCN2018*

April 6, 2018

Open Research Associate Position in the Dept. of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine

by Lopez, Camila

The Papageorgiou/Investigational Targeted Brain Neurotherapeutics Laboratory is seeking a highly motivated Research Associate to manage innovative research with a focus on neuromodulation and neurorehabilitative approaches using imaging-based neurofeedback. Our Laboratory focuses on the following areas: (i) to elucidate the mechanisms that guide plasticity following insult to the brain, by using structural, and functional measures; (ii) induce functional plasticity/reorganization of the brain by applying neurofeedback methods, such as real-time fMRI and EEG; (iii) develop optimization neurofeedback approaches via computational modelling; (iv) develop MR-compatible instruments that will assist in examining plasticity for our longitudinal studies. Our goal is to elucidate the mechanisms involved in cortical blindness, motor impairment, and chronic pain using highly quantitative methods, such as population receptive field, multivariate and univariate analyses. Equally important, our studies focus on a variety of innovative approaches, including neurofeedback in targeted and individualized regions of interest based on the patient's location and spatial extent of the lesion, optimization of rt-fMRI nFb methods with the long-term goal of central and peripheral nervous system injury neuro-rehabilitation. Required Qualifications: Ph.D. in Neuroscience, or Psychology or a related field. Masters degree in Neuroscience, or Psychology with 5 years of experience performing human study experiments will substitute for a PhD degree. The Research Associate is expected: • Manage clinical and basic science - fMRI and EEG studies. • Screen and schedule research volunteers. • Perform psychophysics, and behavioral assessments. • Complete study source documents and maintain study files. • Enter all data from research forms. • Perform statistical analysis and image processing. • Maintain compliance with HIPAA and IRB regulations and assist with IRB submissions. •Train undergraduate, and graduate students to run lab studies • Opportunities to contribute and write up scientific publications, including statistical analyses and graphical representation of data and writing. This position requires interfacing with patients: (i) during the recruitment phase; (ii) the experimental, MR scanning phase; and (iii) following up with patients as our studies are longitudinal. The candidate will have excellent interpersonal skills by focusing on solving conflict, maintain confidentiality, listen to others without interrupting, keep emotions under control, remain open to others' ideas in the team. The applicant MUST have the passion and motivation to manage these innovative scientific research studies. Apply: Please send a pdf or word CV, 3-4 references, and cover letter to Dr. Dorina Papageorgiou at papageor(a)bcm.edu<mailto:papageor@bcm.edu> Compensation commensurate with experience up to $50K. Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.

April 6, 2018

PhD position at Bernstein Center Berlin available

by Benjamin Lindner

*Benefits of noise in the transmission and processing of time-dependent stimuli by populations of sensory neurons** * We are looking for a PhD candidate to work on signal processing in recurrent neural networks, especially information filtering of sensory signals and the functional role of intrinsic fluctuations and cell heterogeneity. These aspects of neural information processing will be explored by means of analytical calculations, numerical simulations of network models, and the comparison to experimental data (collaboration with Jan Benda, University Tubingen, Germany). In order to get an idea about similar approaches pursued in the past, have a look at our recent paper in PNAS [Grewe, Kruscha, Lindner, and Benda PNAS 114 E1977 (2017)]. The successful candidate should have a degree in physics, mathematics or computational neuroscience (a background in neurobiology is desirable but not obligatory), programming skills (C++, Python, LaTeX, Linux), an excellent command of the English language, good communication skills and team spirit. Funding is provided for three years, starting within the next six months. 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 April 18th 2018, however, later applications might also be considered. Kind regards, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 6, 2018

postdoctoral position

by Obermayer, Klaus, Prof. Dr.

Dear Moderator, can you please post this job announcement on the list? Thank you very much! Best regards Klaus Obermayer ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Postdoctoral Position in Computational Neuroscience Neural Information Processing Group, Fakultät IV, Technische Universität Berlin and Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany Salary grade E13 (TV-L Berliner Hochschulen) Duration: max. 5 years Starting date: immediate Working field: The successful candidate is expected to join collaborative research projects at the interface of computational neuroscience and machine learning (decision making and reward based learning or neural dynamics). The position is also affiliated with the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin (https://www.bccn-berlin.de/) and the candidate is welcome to participate in its scientific and training activities. Teaching responsibilities include the supervision of two tutorials per week during the semester associated with the courses taught by the Neural Information Processing Group. For more information about our current research projects see: http://www.ni.tu-berlin.de/. Requirements: Successfully completed university degree (Master, Diplom or equivalent) and doctoral degree in Computational Neuroscience, Computer Science or another MINT subject; very good knowledge of machine learning and Computational Neuroscience; experience in teaching (supervision of tutorials) is desirable; good command of the German and English language. How to apply: Please send your written application with the reference number (IV-178/18) and the usual documents to Technische Universität Berlin - Der Präsident - Fakultät IV, Institut für Softwaretechnik und Theoretische Informatik, FG Neuronale Informationsverarbeitung, Prof. Dr. Obermayer, Sekr. MAR 5-6, Marchstr. 23, 10587 Berlin or - preferably - by e-mail to klaus.obermayer(a)tu-berlin.de. Closing date: May 4th, 2018 To ensure equal opportunities between women and men, applications by women with the required qualifications are explicitly desired. Qualified individuals with disabilities will be favored. The TU Berlin values the diversity of its members and is committed to the goals of equal opportunities. Please send copies only. Original documents will not be returned.

April 6, 2018

Conference: “Missing links in neuroscience: Bridging scales in theory and experiment”, June 5/6 2018, Bonn

by Jakob Macke

Dear colleagues, We are happy to announce the 7th international caesar conference: “Missing links in neuroscience: Bridging scales in theory and experiment” / June 5th – 6th, 2018, at caesar Bonn. In addition to invited talks, the program will also include a poster-session and contributed talks which will be selected from submitted abstracts— deadline for submissions is May 1st. We especially encourage junior scientists to apply for contributed talks We will provide free childcare at the conference (subject to capacity limitations). Enquires about childcare should be addressed to Bettina.Bosse(a)caesar.de<mailto:Bettina.Bosse@caesar.de> Info and registration: www.caesarconference.com<http://www.caesarconference.com> Topic: Unraveling the principles by which neural circuits process information and guide behavior is one of the central problems of neuroscience. One of the main challenges is that neural information processing takes place on multiple temporal and spatial scales, ranging from subcellular processes in neurons and synapses up to the level of the behaving animal. Bridging these scales requires both experimental techniques which can monitor and probe the system at multiple levels of organization, as well as mathematical frameworks for interpreting experimental results and formulating testable theories. The caesar conference brings together scientists from experimental and theoretical neuroscience to discuss how observations and models of the nervous system at a multiple spatial and/or temporal scales can be integrated. We aim to foster discussions about how to bridge not only the relevant scales, but also how to link experimental data, numerical simulations and conceptual models. Invited speakers: Johann Bollmann Carlos Brody Andrea Bugalossi Eugenia Chiappe Mark Ellisman Rainer Friedrich Surya Ganguli Vivek Jayaraman Peter Jonas Judit Makara Hannah Monyer Eilif Muller Timothy O’Leary Manuela Schmidt Haim Sompolinsky Staci Sorensen Tim Vogels Claire Wyart Research center caesar (www.caesar.de<http://www.caesar.de>) is a center for neuroethology research operated by the caesar foundation, and is associated with the Max Planck Society. The organizing committee can be contacted via Bettina Bosse (bettina.bosse(a)caesar.de<mailto:bettina.bosse@caesar.de>). With best regards, Jakob Macke, Marcel Oberlaender, Bettina Schnell, Johannes Seelig Jakob Macke, TU Darmstadt and caesar Bonn www.mackelab.org<http://www.mackelab.org>

April 6, 2018

PhD position in Mathematical Neuroscience at Inria Sophia Antipolis (France)

by Mathieu Desroches

Dear all, We invite candidatures for a PhD position in the Inria MathNeuro Team <http://team.inria.fr/mathneuro> (Sophia Antipolis, France) on Multi-scale modeling of cortical spreading depression. We are looking for candidates with some notions of dynamical systems and neuronal modeling. The project will involve detailed biophysical modeling as well as model reduction and a mathematical analysis of reduced models (in particular their bifurcation and slow-fast structure). Familiarity with programming will be a strong point for the selection process of candidates. The project will be pursued in collaboration with the experimental lab of Massimo Mantegazza at the Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Institute (IPMC, Sophia Antipolis, France). The deadline is April 15th, 2018. Applications are done online via the following webpage: https://jobs.inria.fr/public/classic/fr/offres/2018-00525 <https://jobs.inria.fr/public/classic/fr/offres/2018-00525>. For more informations on the project, feel free to email me. Best Regards, Mathieu Desroches. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Mathieu Desroches Research Scientist (Chargé de Recherche) MathNeuro Team <https://team.inria.fr/mathneuro/>Inria Sophia Antipolis - Méditerranée, France http://www-sop.inria.fr/members/Mathieu.Desroches/ <http://www-sop.inria.fr/members/Mathieu.Desroches/>

April 5, 2018

6th Baltic-Nordic School on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2018)

by Marja-Leena Linne

6th Baltic-Nordic School on Neuroinformatics BNNI 2018 Understanding the Brain: from Neuroscience to Deep Learning Don't miss the extended application deadline: 12 April 2018: Application deadline (extended) 15 April 2018: Acceptance notification 11-13 June 2018: School See more information and applications at: web.lsmuni.lt/bnni2018/en<http://web.lsmuni.lt/bnni2018/en> Place: Ventspils University of Applied Sciences Inženieru 101, Ventspils Latvia Time: 11-13 June 2018 We invite advanced master students, doctoral students, and postdoctoral researchers to participate in the BNNI 2018 to be held at the Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Ventspils, Latvia in June 2018. The course is interdisciplinary and covers modeling at different levels of organization of the brain. Additionally this year's training course is planned more diverse and will include also EEG/SEEG signal processing techniques, forward and inverse modeling of the brain and various aspects of deep learning algorithms. This school is the sixth in the series of the Baltic-Nordic Courses on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2013 in Kaunas, Lithuania; BNNI 2014 in Tampere, Finland; BNNI 2015 in Tartu, Estonia; BNNI 2016 in Warsaw, Poland, BNNI 2017 in Kaunas, Lithuania). The target audience of the course will be advanced master students, doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers in biomedical and technology sciences, from medicine, biology, psychology, to mathematics, informatics, information technology, physics, chemistry, who would like to get an introduction to neuroinformatics and computational neuroscience. Some experience with programming and quantitative reasoning as well as strong interest in computational and mathematical modeling of the brain will be desirable but not necessary to benefit from the school. Last year we had participants from 14 countries all over the world! Faculty includes: Marja-Leena Linne, Tampere University of Technology, Finland; The Human Brain Project Bruce Graham, University of Stirling, UK Daniel Wojcik, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland Arnd Roth, University College London, UK Peter Jedlicka, NeuroScience Center, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany Gaute Einevoll, UiO Department of Physics The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Norway Ausra Saudargiene, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania Radu Ranta, CRAN, University of Lorraine, France Louis Maillard, CHRU Hôpital central - Nancy, CRAN, University of Lorraine, France Janis Hofmanis, Smart Technology Research Center, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Ventspils, Latvia and others. Venue The lectures will be held at the Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Inženieru 101, Ventspils, Latvia. Practical arrangements There is a small tuition fee of 50 euros. The organizers will provide teaching materials, meals and coffee during the course. The participants are expected to cover their travel and health insurance expenses as well as lodging. Although Student accommodation will be available at a reduced cost. Ventspils University of Applied Sciences can provide a student dormitory rooms - 2 students per room, 2 rooms per block. One block costs 51 EUR (12,75 EUR for one person per night). We are looking forward to welcome you at the BNNI 2018 in Ventspils, Latvia!

April 3, 2018

[journals] CfP: Topical Issue on Deep Learning and Neural Systems in Robotics

by Di Nuovo, Alessandro

CALL FOR PAPERS Deep Learning and Neural Systems in Robotics Topical issue in PALADYN. Journal of Behavioural Robotics DESCRIPTION Deep Learning can equip robots with a new level of skill by utilizing insights from neuroscience. These new developments have impact on various types of robots, from companion robots to driver assistance in semi-autonomous vehicles. Deep Learning can enable unprecedented quality of results in tasks such as object detection, localization, communication and behavior learning. Training deep neural networks typically requires GPU workstations or high-performance computing servers. It may require huge amounts of data or innovative training schemes. These issues indicate only some of the special challenges when utilizing deep networks in robotics. Within this context the topics of this special issue include, but are not limited to: - Applications of deep learning - Software and hardware systems - Data acquisition for deep learning - Neural information processing systems - Deep learning training schemes and paradigms - GPU computing for deep learning - Software engineering for deep learning - Neural networks on low powered devices - Human robot interaction and communication - Cognitive, developmental and evolutionary robotics IMPORTANT DATES The deadlines for the submission are as follows: 15 June 2018 (publication in 2018) 15 December 2018 (publication in 2019) Notification of acceptance will be communicated as we progress with the review process. Individual papers will be reviewed and published online on an ongoing basis. HOW TO SUBMIT Authors are requested to submit their full version of papers to the Topical Issue complying also the general scope of the journal. The submitted papers will undergo the standard peer-review process before they can be accepted. All submissions to the Topical Issue must be made electronically via the journal online submission system Editorial Manager (http://www.editorialmanager.com/paladyn/) When entering your submission via online submission system please choose the option "TI on Deep Learning and Neural Systems in Robotics". All manuscripts will undergo the standard peer-review process (single blind, at least two independent reviewers). Submissions for the Topical Issue are now open. Contributors to the Topical Issue will benefit from: NO submission and publication FEES Free language assistance for authors from non-English speaking regions Fast online publication of articles (continuous publication model) Open Access to your article for all interested readers Indexation in SCOPUS Long-time preservation (articles archived in Portico) Extensive post-publication promotion GUEST EDITORS Stephan K. Chalup, University of Newcastle, Australia Alessandro Di Nuovo, Sheffield Hallam University, UK Alan D. Blair, University of New South Wales, Australia Aydan M. Erkmen, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey Neil Vaughan, Royal Academy of Engineering / University of Chester, UK We are looking forward to your submission. If you have any question, please contact us at Stephan.Chalup(a)newcastle.edu.au or Justyna.Zuk(a)degruyteropen.com.

April 3, 2018

2018 Image Based Biomedical Modeling (IBBM) Course in Park City, Utah

by Rob MacLeod

Park City Summer Course in Image Based Biomedical Modeling (IBBM) July 16-26, 2018 Newpark Resort in Park City, Utah ibbm.sci.utah.edu <http://ibbm.sci.utah.edu/> Contact: ibbm(a)sci.utah.edu <mailto:ibbm@sci.utah.edu> The fellowships have been announced for the new edition of the Image Based Biomedical Modeling (IBBM) <http://ibbm.sci.utah.edu/> Summer Course in July, 2018 and now it is time to fill the rest of the class for this year. As always, capacity is limited so please do not delay too long to be assured of a spot. Registration Deadline: April 16, 2018 Registration fee: $2,050 (includes room, all breakfasts and lunches, and social events) Travel: Arrive Sunday, July 15 and depart Friday, July 27. Please visit the web site for more details or contact me directly (macleod(a)sci.utah.edu <mailto:macleod@sci.utah.edu>). For Graduate Students, Postdocs, Faculty, and Industry. We especially welcome participants who are underrepresented in health-related sciences. This course creates field-specific expertise and hands-on experience in bioelectric or biomechanical problems that arise in current biomedical research and clinical practice. It provides training in numerical methods, image analysis, and computational tools necessary to carry out end-to-end, image-based, subject-specific simulations in bioelectricity or biomechanics, using freely available software. Organizers: Rob Macleod, Jeff Weiss, and Ross Whitaker Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Best, The IBBM Team

April 3, 2018

Fully funded PhD in Behavioral Neurophysiology at Sapienza University of Rome

by Stefano Ferraina

A fully funded 3-year PhD position beginning November, 2018 is available in the PhD School of Neuroscience and PhD program in Behavioral Neuroscience <https://goo.gl/c644> at Sapienza University of Rome. The call is open to non-resident researchers only. The selected candidate will be involved in the activity of the *Curriculum in Behavioral Neurophysiology* in the lab of one of the faculty members listed here <https://sites.google.com/a/uniroma1.it/dottorato-in-neuroscienze-del-compor…> . We are looking for excellent candidates with Neurobiology, Physics, or Mathematics background. Prior training and experience in neuroscience and neural data analysis is desirable. The successful candidate will be fully founded (€ 19.800,00 per year). For further information please email to: stefano.ferraina(a)uniroma1.it Deadline for completing the online application is April 23 2018 ----- *Stefano Ferraina, MD PhD* Full Professor of Neurophysiology Dept Physiology and Pharmacology Sapienza University Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome ITALY ph +39 0649910306; fax +39 0649690236

April 3, 2018

KogWis2018 Conference Call

by Constantin Rothkopf

KogWis 2018: 14th Biannual Conference of the German Cognitive Science Society Centre for Cognitive Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt S1|05: Hoersaal 122, Maschinenhaus, Magdalenenstrasse 12 Darmstadt, Germany, September 3-6, 2018 http://www.tu-darmstadt.de/kogwis2018 KogWis 2018 will be held in Darmstadt, Germany, and invites submissions of extended abstracts on current work in cognitive science. Generally all topics related to cognitive science are welcome. Contributions that address the focus of this meeting, that is, computational cognitive science are particularly encouraged. Computational approaches to cognitive science emphasize formalizing adaptive and intelligent behavior and have strong ties to machine learning and artificial intelligence. Confirmed keynote speakers: Frances Egan (Rutgers University) Noah Goodman (Stanford University) Mate Legyel (University of Cambridge) Iris van Rooij (Radboud University Nijmegen) Christopher Summerfiled (University of Oxford) Call for Presentations and Posters We call for extended abstracts for oral presentations and for posters. Submissions should be written in English, and be formatted according to the formatting guidelines below. Contributions must be submitted by 20 April 2018 via the EasyChair submission webpage: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=kogwis2018 All submissions will be peer-reviewed by members of the review committee. Acceptance will be based on novelty of research, significance of results, and quality of presentation. Accepted abstracts will be published in the online conference proceedings. All accepted contributions must be presented at the conference. So at least one author must register by the early registration deadline or the contribution will not be included in the program. The best submissions to KogWis 2018 will be selected for oral presentation at the conference. Important Dates Main conference: 03 - 06 September 2018 Submission deadline for extended abstracts: Friday, 20 April 2018 Notification of acceptance (presentations or posters): Monday, 28 May 2018 Early registration deadline: Monday, 02 July 2018 PhD Student Workshop Deadline: Monday, 23 July 2018 We are looking forward to meeting you in Darmstadt, Constantin Rothkopf, Dirk Balfanz, Ralf Galuske, Frank Jaekel, Kristian Kersting, Jakob Macke, Betty Mohler

April 2, 2018

DEADLINE APPROACHING -- InSpire - New Insights on Complex Neural Dynamics - 6-8 June - Paris

by A. Torcini

The deadline for the workshop is approaching InSpire - New Insights on Complex Neural Dynamics to be held on June, 6th-8th, 2018, at Institut d'Etudes Avancés - Maison Internationale de la Recherche at Neuville-sur-Oise (30 minutes from Paris with public transports) https://inspire2018parisseine.wordpress.com/ The workshop will represent an opportunity to bring together views from experimental and computational neuro-scientists as well as experts in the dynamics of complex systems. A common aim is to improve the knowledge of the mechanisms underlying neural activity in the brain. For registration, poster presentation and more details see here: https://inspire2018parisseine.wordpress.com/about/ deadline for registration: 20th April, 2018. The Organizers, Bruno Cessac, Antonio Politi, Marc Timme, and Alessandro Torcini

March 30, 2018

Two Junior Women Canadian Research Chair positions, Faculty of Engineering, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada

by Jean Rouat

The faculty of engineering from Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada is opening 2 Junior Women Canadian research chair positions. The research application domains are quite large and described on the web page: https://monemploi.sofe.usherbrooke.ca/sofe-service/f?p=103:40:0::NO:RP,40:P… My department (Electrical and Computer Eng.) is interested in recruiting candidates with expertises in neuroinformatics, neural networks and/or machine learning in relation with one of the domains described on the official announcement: neuroinformatics algorithms for neural networks/machine learning for embedded systems with low energy requirements, AI for transportation and mobility, neuronal prosthesis, etc. The deadline to submit to the dean of the faculty is 20 April 2018. Keywords: ———— Neural networks, Spiking neurons, Neurocomputational systems, Learning, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Human-machine interactions. All the best. Jean Rouat, Prof., coord. IGLU, http://iglu-chistera.github.io Université de Sherbrooke Université de Montréal Member of the centre for Interdisciplinary research Professeur titulaire, Professeur associé in Music Media and Technology NECOTIS: Computational Neurosciences Vision, neuroscience Lab McGill Schulich School of Music and Intelligent Signal Processing FAS- Sciences biologiques 527 Sherbrooke St. West Faculté de génie, GEGI, C1-3108 90 avenue Vincent-d’Indy Montreal, Qc, 2500 boul. de l'université Montréal, Qc, Canada, H3A 1E3 Sherbrooke, Québec Canada, H3C 3J7 Canada, J1K 2R1 Tél.: +1(819)-821-8000 ext. 63864 http://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/rouat http://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/necotis http://www.usherbrooke.ca/gelecinfo/fr/pers/profs/rouj-fr/ Jean.Rouat(a)umontreal.ca ou Jean.Rouat(a)usherbrooke.ca Publications (not updated): https://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/rouat/publications/publiDeJRouat.html

March 29, 2018

Postdoctoral fellowships at the Neuromathematics Center in Sao Paulo State, Brazil

by Antonio Roque

The Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics (NeuroMat), hosted by the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and funded by FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation), is offering several postdoctoral fellowships for recent PhDs with outstanding research potential. The research will involve collaborations with experimental and theoretical groups and laboratories associated to NeuroMat and may be developed at USP São Paulo, USP Ribeirão Preto or Unicamp. We seek candidates capable to develop independent research in one of the research lines below. *1. *Stochastic and/or computational modeling of the brain functioning. *2. *Acquisition, processing and quantitative analysis of electrophysiological data. Candidates to the first research line are required to have at least one of the profiles below: - A strong background in probability theory with emphasis on stochastic processes. Previous knowledge of rigorous statistical mechanics or random graphs will be favorably considered. - A strong mathematical and/or computational background and experience with computers and programming. Previous experience with development and/or simulation of neural brain models, complex networks and parallel computing will be favorably considered. Candidates to the second research line are required to have at least one of the profiles below: - A strong background in neuroscience with previous experience in neurophysiological data acquisition, processing and analysis and knowledge of computer programming. Previous experience with multidisciplinary research teams is welcome. - A strong background in computer science with experience in the development of algorithms, software tools and data bases. Previous research experience in neuroscience or related areas will be favorably considered. The initial appointment is for one year, with a possible extension to up to four years, conditional on research progress. The fellowship is competitive at international level, and fellows benefit from extra funds for travel and research expenses plus limited support for relocation expenses. *Application Instructions * Applicants should complete and submit the application form at *neuromat.numec.prp.usp.br/postdoc-form <http://neuromat.numec.prp.usp.br/postdoc-form>*. The following documents and information are requested (please see the form for further details): - Summary of the CV, in the FAPESP format (see *fapesp.br/en/6351 <http://fapesp.br/en/6351> *for instructions). - List of publications, with links to those available online. - A summary of your research plan for the next year, up to 5 pages length. It should explicitly address its place in the framework of the NeuroMat mission and research program. - Pointers to other research related output, such as software, web pages, and so forth. Candidates should be willing to send copies of publications, if requested. - Any further information deemed relevant to the application. In addition to the above, we require at least 2 recommendation letters. Those should be mailed by the recommenders directly to *postdoc-appl(a)numec.prp.usp.br <postdoc-appl(a)numec.prp.usp.br>*. Candidates are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience until April 25, 2018. Appointments are expected to start on June 1, 2018. This opportunity is open to candidates of any nationalities. The selected candidate will receive a FAPESP's Post-Doctoral fellowship in the amount of R$7.174,80 monthly and a research contingency fund, equivalent to 15% of the annual value of the fellowship which should be spent in items directly related to the research activity. More information about the fellowship is at: *www.fapesp.br/en/5427 <http://www.fapesp.br/en/5427>*. -- Dr. Antonio C. Roque Professor Associado Departamento de Fisica FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto-SP Brazil - Brasil E-mails: antonior(a)usp.br <antonior(a)ffclrp.usp.br> aroquesilva(a)gmail.com URL: www.sisne.org Tels: +55 16 3315-3768 <+55%2016%203315-3768> (sala/office); +55 16 3315-3859 <+55%2016%203315-3859> (lab) FAX: +55 16 3315-4887 <+55%2016%203315-4887>

March 29, 2018

Tenure-Track Assistant/Associate Professor in Systems Neuroscience - Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

by Fleur Zeldenrust

Tenure-Track Assistant/Associate Professor in Systems Neuroscience (0.8 - 1.0 FTE) Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Link: http://www.ru.nl/werken/details/details_vacature_0/?recid=600469 As a tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor of Systems Neuroscience, your research programme will centre on bridging experimental and theoretical approaches to provide mechanistic insights in cognition and behaviour. Ideally, you have a focus on human neuroimaging using MEG, and potentially combine this with experimental approaches involving animal models for cognition and behaviour. You should be a well-trained academic with an internationally visible profile as evidenced by publications in top-ranked scientific journals. You should hold a PhD degree in systems neuroscience, neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience or a related discipline. We expect you will contribute to the training of undergraduate and graduate Science students and also students enrolled in the Research Master’s programme of Cognitive Neuroscience of the Donders Institute. Furthermore, you will supervise PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers and non-academic technical staff. The position is intended for a junior faculty member to be appointed at the Assistant Professor level, but if you are an experienced candidate with an established research programme, external funding and significant teaching experience, you may be considered for an appointment at the Associate Professor level. Work environment The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class interfaculty research centre housing more than 600 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. Research at the Donders Institute is focused around four themes: 1. Language and communication, 2. Perception, action and control, 3. Plasticity and memory, and 4. Brain networks and neuronal communication. The Donders Institute was assessed by an international evaluation committee as ‘excellent’ and recognised as a ‘very stimulating environment, not only for top researchers but also for young talent’. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary, supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute. You will have your primary location at the Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging and will be embedded at the Donders Centre for Neuroscience of Radboud University’s Science Faculty. The Donders Institute has an MEG system (CTF, 275 channels), three 3T MRI systems, plus a 7T whole body system based in nearby Essen, EEG laboratories including a baby research lab, and NIRS and TMS laboratories. Scanning access to these facilities does not directly depend on the acquisition of third party funding. What we expect from you - several years of postdoctoral research experience; - the capability and proven ability to acquire research grants; - an aptitude for undergraduate and graduate teaching as evidenced by a university teaching qualification, or the willingness to acquire this certificate; - the proven ability to bridge experimental and more theoretical approaches; - a line of research that fits in with that of the Donders Institute; - a collaborative, open attitude and strong communication and management skills; - the qualities to become a successful research group leader. What we have to offer - employment: 0.8 - 1.0 FTE; - a maximum gross monthly salary of € 5,861 based on a 38-hour working week (salary scale 13); - in addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus; - starting salary will depend on experience; - duration of the contract: 6 years; - your performance will be evaluated after 6 years. If the evaluation is positive, you will be given a permanent contract; - you will be classified as an Assistant Professor (UD) or Associate Professor (UHD) in the Dutch university job-ranking system (UFO); - you will be able to make use of our Dual Career Service where our Dual Career Officer will assist with family related support, such as child care, and help your partner prepare for the local labour market and with finding an occupation. More information about our employment conditions: http://www.ru.nl/ english/working-at/why-work-at-radboud-university-0/terms-employment/ Radboud University is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community, and as such encourages applications from women and minorities. Further information on the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour: <http://www.ru.nl/donders>http://www.ru.nl/donders/ For more information about this vacancy, please contact: Prof. Richard van Wezel, Scientific Director DCN Telephone: +3124 361 42 47 E-mail: r.vanwezel(a)donders.ru.nl <R.vanWezel(a)donders.ru.nl> You should upload your application (attn. of prof. Richard van Wezel) exclusively using the link on the website (see below).Your application should include (and be limited to) the following attachment(s): - CV including contact details of three references - research statement Deadline for application: 20 May 2018. Interviews will take place in June 2018. Link for application: http://www.ru.nl/werken/details/details_ vacature_0/?recid=600469 -- Fleur Zeldenrust Assistant Professor Department of Neurophysiology Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour Faculty of Science, Radboud University Heyendaalseweg 135, postvak 33, kamer 02.204 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands tel +31 24 36 53195

March 28, 2018

Job opening in Artificial Intelligence at Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE)

by Tassos Gmail

In the context of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Brain Sciences and Technology Initiative (AI@BRAIN), the Cognitive Engineering team of the Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE) <http://www.sinapseinstitute.org/> will be launching new projects and opening job positions at the introductory level for Senior Research Fellow, Research Fellow and Research Assistant. We are inviting researchers with undergraduate/bachelor degree in Computer Sciences, Computer Engineering, Mathematics/Informatics or relevant Science (e.g. neuroscience) and Engineering (e.g. EE) fields with expertise in AI disciplines: machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, machine perception and reasoning. Priority will be given to candidates with experience in multimodal data processing and multi-agent learning (e.g. deep multimodal learning methods, multimodal data fusion (e.g. graph-theoretic models, multilayer network analysis and community analysis). SINAPSE is a University-level Institute where research on brain, machine, and humans converge for many cutting-edge projects on brain-machine interface, robotics/prosthetics, and AI+cognitive sciences, giving the candidates a unique research environment, mentoring, and career-building experience. Accepted candidates will be involved in the development of AI algorithms for brain signal processing and analysis, as well as brain decoding (including cognitive state recognition, cognitive modeling and brain state modeling). Those who are interested in the jobs are invited to send their CV with two to three referee names and motivation letter to prof. Nitish Thakor (sinapsedirector(a)gmail.com <mailto:sinapsedirector@gmail.com> ), director of SINAPSE or to prof. Anastasios Bezerianos (anastasios.bezerianos(a)gmail.com <mailto:anastasios.bezerianos@gmail.com>). General Requirements: Fluency in written and spoken English (relevant certifications for candidates with no studying or working experience in English speaking countries), as well as Excellent communication skills and team working capabilities in multicultural environment, and independent and proactive character. Specific Requirments: 1. Senior Research Fellow; 1.1 Four (4) to eight (8) years Postdoctoral and/or Faculty position experience. 1.2 Research experience in AI models and algorithms. 1.3 Strong skills in Python and MATLAB programming 1.4 Fifteen (15) publications in international journals (five (5) as first or last author) and 20 book chapters and conference proceedings publications combined. 2. Research Fellow; 2.1 PhD degree in AI theory, models and applications 2.2 Minimum three3) years AI-relevant research experience. 2.3 Strong skills in Python and MATLAB programming 2.4 Minimum three (3) publications in international journals (two (2) as first author ) and 6 book chapters and conference proceedings publications combined 3. Research Assistant; 3.1 Bachelor degree 3.2 Undergraduate experience in AI courses and projects 3.3 Basic skills in Python and MATLAB programming 3.4 Relevant research experience and publications are an advantage Best Regards Tassos anastasios.bezerianos(a)gmail.com

March 28, 2018

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

by emuller

Dear comp-neuro community, I wish to draw your attention to an opening for a post-doctoral researcher in "Detailed Neuron Modeling" (full advert below), at the Blue Brain Project, EPFL Biotech Campus, Geneva, Switzerland. For more details, and instructions how to apply, see: https://recruitingapp-2863.umantis.com/Vacancies/524/Description/2 Best regards, Eilif ------------- Dr. Eilif Muller Section Manager - Simulation Neuroscience - Cells & Circuits Task Leader - Community Engagement - HBP Brain Simulation SP EPFL - Blue Brain Project Biotech Campus Chemin des Mines 9 1202 Geneva Switzerland Tel: +41 21 693 0698 Fax: +41 21 693 5350 www: http://bluebrain.epfl.ch/page-77926-en.html www: http://neuralensemble.org/people/eilifmuller ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBP - Post-doctoral Researcher in Detailed Neuron Modeling Your mission : The EPFL Blue Brain Project (BBP), situated on the Campus Biotech in Geneva, Switzerland, applies advanced neuroinformatics, data analytics, high-performance computing and simulation-based approaches to the challenge of understanding the structure and function of the mammalian brain in health and disease. The BBP provides the community with regular releases of data, models and tools to accelerate neuroscience discovery and clinical translation through open science and global collaboration. Within the Cells & Circuits division we are looking for a Post-doctoral Researcher in Detailed Neuron Modeling Main duties and responsibilities include : The primary objectives for this position are to strengthen on-going large-scale detailed neuron modeling, model validation efforts in the project, and to undertake original scientific research to characterize the role of intrinsic cellular mechanisms in computation and dynamics at the network level. Scientific leadership is expected to supervise computational neuroscience students, as is an intimate knowledge of the employed software in order to interface with engineering teams. The position is in close contact with an electrophysiology lab and modeling will go hand in hand with available and newly acquired experimental data. Your profile : * PhD in neuroscience, computational neuroscience, physics or related field * Expert in NEURON and multi-compartment conductance-based modeling as demonstrated by strong publication record * Expert in scientific computing (python, scipy, numpy, hdf5, gsl, Linux, etc.) * Knowledge of whole cell electrophysiology, ion channel experiments * Experience in automated neuron model optimization techniques * Experience in other programming languages (C++), parallel computing and software development (unit testing, continuous integration, version control, debugging and documentation) is of advantage * Experience in supervision of students and teaching * Strong team player and fluent English in speech and writing We offer : * An internationally visible project in simulation-based research in neuroscience having a leading role in the EU FET flagship “Human Brain Project” * A young, dynamic, inter-disciplinary, and international working environment * Very competitive salary Start date : Until position is filled Term of employment : Fixed-term (CDD) Work rate : 100% Duration : 1 year (renewable) Contact : Applicants should submit a cover letter and a detailed CV in PDF format only, with file name “Surname_position _Cover Letter” and “Surname_positon _CV” electronically to jobs.bbp(a)epfl.ch Please refer to the position title in the “subject” field.

March 28, 2018

Call for three 2-year postdoc positions at Aix-Marseille/Avignon on Language, Communication and the Brain

by Demian Battaglia

The Center of Excellence on Brain and Language (BLRI, www.blri.fr/) and the Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain (ILCB, http://www.ilcb.fr/ ) offer: Three 2-year postdoc positions on any topic that falls within the area of language, communication, brain and modelling, including computational modelling and advanced data analyses. The BLRI-ILCB is located in Aix-en-Provence, Avignon and Marseille and regroups several research centers in linguistics, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, medicine, computer science, and mathematics. The scientific project, ideally interdisciplinary, should be supervised by at least one member of the BLRI/ILCB (see http://www.blri.fr/members.html) and should, if possible, involve two different laboratories of the institute. . Duration: 2 years (1 year, extendable for another year) . Monthly salary: ~2000 € net (depending on experience) HOW TO APPLY Candidates should first contact potential supervisor(s) among the members of the ILCB/BLRI. Below, you will find a list of projects and supervisors, with a potential computational neuroscience content, that will be given priority for this call: Olivier Coulon, Adrien Megerditchian "Nested cortical models for human and non-human primate inter-species comparisons" Andrea Brovelli, Demian Battaglia "Functional Connectivity Dynamics of the Language Network" Sylvain Takerkart, Hachem Kadri "Multi-modal averaging of neuroimaging data using multi-view machine learning. Methods and applications" Benjamin Morillon , Kristof Strijkers "Time as a functional mechanism of sensorimotor integration in speech and language?" Magalie Ochs "Human-Machine Interaction, Artificial agent, Affective computing, Social signal processing" Eric Castet "Efficiency of a Virtual Reality Headset to improve reading in low vision persons" etc. However, you can also apply to any subject, under the supervision of any ILCB/BLRI member (more info can be found here: http://www.blri.fr/members.html.) When the research project is finalized and approved by the supervisor(s), the application must be sent to nadera.bureau(a)blri.fr.

March 27, 2018

Deep learning for video analysis | Postdoc / RA positions available

by Thomas Serre

The computational vision research group, headed by Dr. Thomas Serre at Brown University, has an opening for a research assistant and/or a postdoctoral fellow to work in the area of computer vision and deep learning. The applicant will have the opportunity to develop state-of-the-art machine vision algorithms and join various multi-disciplinary projects ranging from evolutionary biology to behavioral and developmental science. Candidates are expected to have a strong background in modern computer vision and machine learning methods and a solid experience with modern deep learning libraries (tensorflow). An interest in biology and applications of computer vision to the biological sciences would also be a plus but is not a requirement for the position. The start date is negotiable though an early start is strongly preferred. Salary is commensurate with experience and is competitive. Research group: Information about Dr. Serre and his research group can be found at http://serre-lab.clps.brown.edu. Through Brown’s Center for Computation and Visualization (https://www.ccv.brown.edu) our group has access to a state-of-the-art computing facility with includes over 300K GPU cores and over 500 Teraflops of GPU computing power. Application: Please send your applications by email to thomas_serre(a)correct_university_name.edu where ‘correct_university_name’ should be replaced by ‘brown’. Please include a brief statement of interests and a curriculum vita (no letters of reference required at this stage). There is no deadline for the application but applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as the position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant is found. -- Thomas Serre | GMT -5:00 EDT | T: +1 401-484-0750 Associate Professor of Cog Ling & Psych Sciences | Brown University URL: goo.gl/G69SaF <http://serre-lab.clps.brown.edu> | Google Talk: tserre | Skype: thomas.serre

March 27, 2018

Postdoc position available

by Berends, A.C. (Sander)

Dear all, The Dutch research consortium 'Language in Interaction' is currently recruiting for a 3.5-year postdoctoral researcher position in the field of machine learning. The goal of this project “New Advances in Neural Networks for Coding of Neural Representations” is to advance the state of the art in both encoding and decoding of linguistic and semantic representations using advanced neural network architectures. Your responsibility will be to develop a general computational framework for encoding and decoding neural representations. The framework will make extensive use of state-of-the-art neural networks and other machine-learning techniques, which you will develop throughout this project. The models to be developed will be based on novel and efficient deep, generative and/or recurrent neural network architectures that aim to capture biologically plausible human cognitive processing at an unprecedented level of detail. You will help develop this new research line and assist in teaching and supervising Master’s and PhD students in the ACS lab. This position provides an opportunity to conduct world-class research as a key member of an interdisciplinary team operating at the interface between artificial intelligence and cognitive neuroscience. For more information, please visit: http://www.ru.nl/werken/details/details_vacature_0/?recid=600899 Best regards, Sander Berends Programme Manager - Gravitation Consortium "Language in Interaction" T: +31 (0)24 36 19838 | Radboud University Nijmegen | Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour | Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging | Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN, Nijmegen | P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands |

March 27, 2018

2nd International Workshop on Neurodynamics (Ndy’18), September 26-29, 2018 Castro-Urdiales, Spain

by ROBERTO BARRIO

2nd International Workshop on Neurodynamics (Ndy’18) September 26-29, 2018 Castro-Urdiales, Spain http://cody.unizar.es/events/neurodynamics18/ https://www.ciem.unican.es/2nd-international-workshop-neurodynamics *** Scientific committee *** Peter Ashwin, University of Exeter, UK. Roberto Barrio, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain. Silvia Daun, University of Cologne, Germany. Mathieu Desroches, Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France. Toni Guillamon, Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Spain. Serafim Rodrigues, Basque Center of Applied Mathematics, Spain. Neuroscience is nowadays one of the most collaborative and active scientific research fields as it has been increasingly involving the participation of experts from other disciplines. In particular, computational and mathematical aspects of neuroscience are currently playing an important role both in modeling and replicating experimental findings and in explaining the underlying mechanisms of neurophysiological or cognitive processes. Differential equations are ubiquitous in the modeling of such phenomena and, consequently, nonlinear dynamics and dynamical systems techniques become fundamental sources of new mathematical and computational tools to study neuroscience models. The aim of this Second Workshop on Neurodynamics, NDy'18 (first edition was NDy'14) is to present an overview of successful achievements in this rapidly developing collaborative field by putting together different types of applications of nonlinear dynamics (geometrical tools in dynamical systems, numerical methods, computational schemes, dynamical measures,...) to different problems in neuroscience (mononeuronal dynamics, network activity, cognitive problems,...). Additional emphasis will be put on experimental findings seeking for theoretical explanations, and therefore this meeting is focussed on using mathematics as the primary tool for elucidating the fundamental mechanisms responsible for experimentally observed behavior in the applied neurosciences. Importantly, it will draw attention to those pieces of mathematical theory which are likely to be relevant to future studies of the brain. The final goal is spreading together mathematical methodology and neuroscience challenges and stimulating future cross-collaborations among participants, being Mathematical Neuroscience the generic topic for NDy'18. The workshop length will be 4 days, distributed in special sessions and talks, with several round tables on different topics. --------------------------------------------------------------------- *** IMPORTANT DATES *** Short abstract/Title submission deadline 14th May 2018 Acceptance notification 31st May 2018 Payment deadline (reduced fee, 220 Euros) 30th June 2018 Payment deadline (complete fee, 270 Euros) 6th September 2018 The registration includes the coffee-breaks, lunches and social dinner. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Send your abstract as soon as possible (always before May 14th) by e-mail to cody(a)unizar.es *************************************************** Prof. Roberto Barrio Computational Dynamics Group (CoDy) Departamento de Matematica Aplicada University of Zaragoza Edificio de Matematicas, planta tercera. c/ Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009-Zaragoza SPAIN email: rbarrio(a)unizar.es web: http://cody.unizar.es Tel: (34) 976762480 ***************************************************

March 27, 2018

Public Lists of Open Science Resources + Open Computational Neuroscience Resources

by Austin Soplata

Hello, On GitHub, I've just put up some rather large public lists of: Open Science Resources https://github.com/asoplata/open-science-resources , and Open Computational Neuroscience Resources https://github.com/asoplata/ open-computational-neuroscience-resources That I think could be helpful. Contributions are very welcome! Best, Austin Soplata -- Austin E Soplata Doctoral Candidate in Computational Neuroscience, Boston University L - linkedin.com/in/*austinsoplata* <http://www.linkedin.com/in/austinsoplata> P - 901 486 9833 T - @austinsoplata <https://twitter.com/austinsoplata>

March 27, 2018

Software engineer position

by Tomislav Milekovic

The lab of Prof. Michel at the University of Geneva is offering a software engineer position to work on development and advancement of brain-computer interfaces - devices that link persons' neural activity with computers, robotic limbs or implanted stimulators - with the aim of restoring communication and independence of people with paralysis. The successful candidate will work on several well-funded projects and is expected to transition to other projects in the future as those are initiated. The ideal candidate will have: 1. Degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering 2. Successfully developed real-life project(s) in C/C++ 3. Experience in interfacing with hardware APIs 4. Experience in development of modular and multithreaded software frameworks that can be easily extended to work with other hardware and other software packages 5. Experience in the development of GUI (Qt, wxWidgets.) 6. Excellent coding standards, following industry best practices regarding code commenting, code documentation, version control, unit and integration tests. The following will also be a plus: 1. Knowledge of linear algebra and related C libraries (LAPAC, BLAS, etc.) 2. Some experience in development of Matlab software 3. Knowledge of real-time operating systems 4. The ability to manage multiple development projects The qualified candidate will benefit from joining a very dynamic and multidisciplinary group working at the interface of software development, engineering, neuroscience, and prosthetics. They will collaborate with several labs and companies of the newly founded Campus Biotech in Geneva. University of Geneva provides state-of-the-art facilities and is one of the leading technical universities worldwide. In addition, University of Geneva offers competitive salaries ranking amongst the highest in the world. Applications including a CV, short motivation letter, and the names and full contact details of two referees should be sent to tomislav.milekovic(a)unige.ch <mailto:tomislav.milekovic@unige.ch> . Link to the job add: https://drive.switch.ch/index.php/s/OHxsPGEDyS6mFYx

March 26, 2018

Clinical neuroengineering postdoc

by Tomislav Milekovic

The lab of Prof. Michel at the University of Geneva is offering a postdoctoral position financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation for up to two years to work on clinical neuroengineering projects aimed at restoring communication and independence of people with tetraplegia and locked-in syndrome using brain-controlled assistive devices and prostheses. The successful applicant will be supervised by Dr. Tomislav Milekovic, a junior group leader under the senior supervision of Prof. Christoph Michel. They will work to develop and advance brain-computer interfaces based on electroencephalography (EEG) and intracortical microelectrode array recordings. These brain-computer interfaces will utilize adaptive decoders in order to restore independence of people with locked-in syndrome. The ideal candidate will have: 1. Background in computational/theoretical neuroscience, physics or mathematics 2. Experience in the quantitative analysis of electrophysiological neural signals (EEG, ECoG, LFP, spikes) 3. Experience in assembling and maintaining brain-computer interface systems 4. Leading brain-computer interface experiments with human or animal subjects 5. Experience in developing and using neural decoders 6. Experience in C/C++ software development The qualified candidate will benefit from joining a very dynamic and multidisciplinary group working at the interface of neuroscience, engineering and prosthetics. They will collaborate with several labs of the newly founded Campus Biotech in Geneva, and be strongly supported by the Wyss center for Bio and Neuroengineering led by Prof. John Donoghue. University of Geneva provides state-of-the-art facilities is one of the leading technical universities worldwide. In addition, University of Geneva offers competitive postdoctoral salaries ranking amongst the highest in the world. Applications including a CV, statement of research interests, and the names and full contact details of two referees should be sent to <mailto:tomislav.milekovic@unige.ch> tomislav.milekovic(a)unige.ch. Link to the job add: https://drive.switch.ch/index.php/s/GUmf8l7fkYUXCyh

March 26, 2018

Applied computational neurophysiology postdoc

by Tomislav Milekovic

The lab of Prof. Michel at the University of Geneva is offering a postdoctoral position financed by the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering for up to two years. The successfully candidate will work on: 1. Analysis of intracortical microelectrode and ECoG recordings of people with paralysis and non-human primate models of neurological injuries and disorders. 2. Leveraging the gained knowledge to develop and advance methods for brain-controlled neuroprostheses. The successful applicant will be supervised by Dr. Tomislav Milekovic, a junior group leader under the senior supervision of Prof. Christoph Michel. The ideal candidate will have: 1. Background in computational/theoretical neuroscience, physics or mathematics 2. Experience in the quantitative analysis of electrophysiological neural signals (EEG, ECoG, LFP, spikes) 3. Expertise in development and testing of data processing and decoding computational algorithms for brain-computer interfaces 4. Experience in using computer clusters 5. Experience in Matlab The qualified candidate will benefit from joining a very dynamic and multidisciplinary group working at the interface of neuroscience, engineering and prosthetics. They will collaborate with several labs of the newly founded Campus Biotech in Geneva, and be strongly supported by the Wyss center for Bio and Neuroengineering led by Prof. John Donoghue. University of Geneva provides state-of-the-art facilities is one of the leading technical universities worldwide. In addition, University of Geneva offers competitive postdoctoral salaries ranking amongst the highest in the world. Applications including a CV, statement of research interests, and the names and full contact details of two referees should be sent to <mailto:tomislav.milekovic@unige.ch> tomislav.milekovic(a)unige.ch. Link to the job add: https://drive.switch.ch/index.php/s/gxTk2BjEd2rovZc

March 26, 2018

[meetings] [LM2018] last week for submission!

by Vicky Vouloutsi

Dear colleagues, Please find below the second call for participation to the 7th edition of Living Machines. Apologies for cross-posting but please share this announcement with your colleagues. *Deadline extended: March 30* Looking forward to seeing you in Paris! ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ *third Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors* *Living Machines VII: The 7th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems* *16 – 19 July 2018* To be hosted at the Museum National D’Histoire Naturelle, Grand Amphitéâtre du Museum, and UPMC, Paris, France, EU Accepted papers will be published in Springer *Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence* Submission deadline: March 30th, 2018 http://livingmachinesconference.eu/2018 ____________________________________________________________ _________________ *ABOUT LIVING MACHINES 2018* The development of future real-world technologies will depend strongly on our understanding and harnessing of the principles underlying living systems and the flow of communication signals between living and artificial systems. *Biomimetics* is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of principles from the study of biological systems. The investigation of biomimetic systems can serve two complementary goals. First, a suitably designed and configured biomimetic artefact can be used to test theories about the natural system of interest. Second, biomimetic technologies can provide useful, elegant and efficient solutions to unsolved challenges in science and engineering. *Biohybrid* systems are formed by combining at least one biological component—an existing living system—and at least one artificial, newly-engineered component. By passing information in one or both directions, such a system forms a new hybrid bio-artificial entity. The theme of the conference also encompasses biomimetic methods for manufacture, repair and recycling inspired by natural processes such as reproduction, digestion, morphogenesis and metamorphosis. The following are some examples of “Living Machines” as featured at past conferences: • Biomimetic robots and their component technologies (sensors, actuators, processors) that can interact with their physical and social environments. • Biomimetic computers and architectures —neuromimetic emulations of the physiological basis for complex adaptive behaviour. • Active biomimetic materials and structures that self-organize and self-repair. • Nature-based designs and manufacturing processes. • Biohybrid brain-machine interfaces and neuronal implants and neuroprosthetics. • Artificial organs and body-parts including sensory organ-chip hybrids and advanced prostheses and cyber-physical systems. • Organism-level biohybrids and symbiosis such as robot-animal or robot-human systems. *ACTIVITIES* The main conference will take the form of a *three-day single-track oral * and* poster presentation programme*, 17th to 19th July 2018, Museum National D’Histoire Naturelle, Grand Amphitéâtre du Museum, and UPMC, Paris, France, EU. The conference programme will include *five plenary lectures* from leading international researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems, and the demonstrations of state-of-the-art living machine technologies. The full conference will be preceded by up to two days of *Satellite Events* hosted at École Normale Supérieure, Paris. *SUBMITTING TO LIVING MACHINES 2018* We invite both *full papers* and *extended abstracts *in areas related to the conference themes. All contributions will be refereed, and accepted papers will appear in the Living Machines Proceedings, published in the* Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence.* Full papers (minimum 8 pages, up to 12 pages) are invited from researchers at any stage in their career and should present significant findings and advances in biomimetic or biohybrid research. More preliminary work is better suited for short paper submission (minimum 4 pages, with a maximum of ten references and no more than three self-citations). Full papers will be accepted for either oral presentation (single track) or poster presentation with a short podium preview. Extended abstracts will be accepted for poster presentation only. Authors of the best full papers will be invited to submitted extended versions of their paper for publication in a special issue of the Taylor & Francis journal *Connection Science*. *Satellite events* Active researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems are invited to propose topics for full or half-day* tutorials, symposia *or *workshops *on related themes to be held on the 16th July at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris (Http://www.ens.fr/en) Attendance at satellite events will attract a small fee intended to cover the costs of the meeting. There is flexibility about the content, organisation, and budgeting for these events. Please contact us if you are interested in organising a satellite event! *EXPECTED DEADLINES* March 30th, 2018 Paper submission deadline April 28th, 2018 Notification of acceptance May 15th, 2018 Camera-ready copy July 16th – 19th, 2018 Workshops and Conference *SPONSORSHIP* Organisations wishing to sponsor the conference in any way and gain the corresponding benefits by promoting themselves and their products through conference publications, conference events, and conference publicity are encouraged to contact the organisers to discuss the terms of sponsorship and necessary arrangements. We also offer a number of attractive options to potential sponsors. *VENUE* Consistent with the Living Machines’ tradition of choosing historical venues at the crossroads between life and human sciences, this year the conference will take place at the Museum National D’Histoire Naturelle ( http://www.mnhn.fr) a historical museum located in the heart of Paris that for almost 400 years has focused on nature and its relationship with humans. The museum is immersed in history, yet at the heart of current affairs, and is also working to be projected towards the future. Poster sessions will be organized at UPMC. *Organising Committee:* *Jose Halloy*, Université Paris Diderot (Local Organizing Chair) *Paul Verschure*, IBEC-BIST (Co-Chair) *Tony Prescott*, University of Sheffield (Steering Committee) *Vicky Vouloutsi,* IBEC-BIST, Barcelona (Programme Chair) *Michael Mangan*, University of Lincoln (Programme Co-Chair) *Nathan Lepora*, University of Bristol (Communications) *Anna Mura*, IBEC-BIST, Barcelona (Web and Communications) *Local* *Organising Committee:* *Stéphane Doncieux*, Prof. UMPC, ISIR *Benoît Girard*, DR CNRS, UPMC, ISIR *Emmanuelle Pouydebat*, DR CNRS, Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle *Vincent Bels*, Prof. Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle -- Vicky Vouloutsi, PhD Postdoc Researcher at the laboratory for Synthetic Perceptive, Emotive and Cognitive Systems (SPECS)

March 26, 2018

Post-doc positions in Neuromorphic Engineering - SINAPSE/NUS/Singapore

by Andrei Nakagawa

Dear all, On behalf of the* Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE)*, I would like to present an opportunity for Postdoctoral Researchers. The Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE) ( www.sinapseinstitute.org) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) is looking to hire *two* Postdoctoral Research Associates to enhance their research efforts in *neuromorphic engineering,* *neuromorphic sensing, robotics and prosthetics. * The areas of expertise and experience include: - Integrating multi-modal sensing to improve navigation, manipulation or movement; - Deploying machine learning architectures on robotic/prosthetic devices. - Designing novel mechanisms, for hands and grippers, integrating visual, tactile and haptic sensing; - Implementing bimanual object manipulation algorithms; - Designing spike-based machine learning algorithms. Candidates should have a PhD in engineering, science or related field, have experience in designing complex hardware software systems and developing and applying machine learning architectures for tasks such as object detection (visual/tactile), object tracking and object manipulation. In addition, candidates should have good collaborative and communication skills and be able to work in an interdisciplinary team. We are seeking for creative and imaginative people that are passionate about integrating hardware and software to build biologically inspired systems that perceive, act, and interact with the environment; deploying state-of-the-art machine learning on devices in the real world. We are offering competitive salaries contract and relocation assistance. These are positions without teaching obligations, however applicants with academic aspirations will have the opportunity to supervise undergraduate and graduate students, organize and take part in workshops, and electively get involved in research grants or industry partnerships. To indicate interest, please send a CV to: *Dr. Alcimar Soares* *email: alcimar.soares(a)gmail.com <alcimar.soares(a)gmail.com>.* *Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.* *Environment* SINAPSE is a very exciting place to develop high level and novel research. The lab brings together engineers, scientists and clinical researchers with a common goal of making an impact on society, focused on Neurotechnologies for basic science, clinical application and commercialization. Here, you would find an array of advanced technology: microelectronics for building neural interfaces, imaging tools and technologies for studying function and dysfunction of brain, optical methods for manipulating the nervous system, cognitive and computational methods for assessing neural/brain function, robotics for rehabilitation and neuromorphic systems for modeling the nervous system to inspire the next generation of robots and intelligent machines. The National University of Singapore (NUS) is the leading engineering and scientific institution in Asia centered upon education and basic research. Kind regards, *Andrei Nakagawa Silva, MSc* Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology - SINAPSE National University of Singapore - NUS URL: http://www.sinapseinstitute.org Biomedical Engineering Lab Federal University of Uberlandia URL: http://www.biolab.eletrica.ufu.br/en Contact Skype: andrei.nakagawa1 Phone: +65 9397-7263

March 26, 2018

[jobs] Start-up in Berlin seeks biologists for multiple open positions (senior and junior)

by Arnab Chakrabarty

Start-up in Berlin seeks biologists for multiple open positions (senior and junior) neuraltrain GmbH is a newly founded digital health start-up based in Berlin developing innovative, digital mental health solutions. We are looking for biologist(s)/neuroscientist(s) for one of the current projects on a digital therapy solution in depression and affective disorders. Start dates are as soon as possible. RESPONSIBILITIES: * Design, conduct, analyse and present experimental research from the project * In-depth literature review and meta-analyses; in particular, brain oscillations, psychophysics, perceptual learning, depression, internet-based therapy interventions are topics of relevance * Identification and establishment of scientific collaboration with academic partners * Writing reports, grants, publications in English WE DESIRE: * PhD in Neurosciences/ Psychology/ Biology; fresh graduates and post-docs are particularly encouraged to apply * Expertise in the following areas: neuronal oscillations, affective sciences, psychophysics, perceptual learning, EEG, EMG, skin conductance experiments and Depression. * Programming and some app development experience is a strong plus * Experience as an independent researcher in any of the above areas * Knowledge of Python and/or willingness to learn, strong statistical and analytical skills * Entrepreneurial mentality and an ownership/stakeholder attitude to get things done * Knowledge of 'key opinion leaders' in depression and psychiatry, psychology, brain oscillations is a plus You do not have to match all the criteria to apply. We will assess your fit on a case by case basis. We are an equal opportunities employer and favour diversity. We offer a young and dynamic working environment in a hip and exciting co-working space called MINDSPACE right in the heart of Berlin. We are a small, but growing team and are very well-connected in the Digital Health ecosystem. We offer enough flexibility to grow personally and professionally. Location: Berlin Position: Full-time If you feel addressed by this job description, feel encouraged to get in touch at chakrabarty(a)neuraltrain.de<mailto:chakrabarty@neuraltrain.de> with your CV and cover letter describing your motivation for the project and digital health. Dr. Arnab Chakrabarty Founder and CEO, neuraltrain GmbH --- Contact Details: Dr. Arnab Chakrabarty CEO, neuraltrain GmbH Phone: +49 (0)160 97041155 Email: chakrabarty(a)neuraltrain.de<mailto:chakrabarty@neuraltrain.de> --- Company Details: Address: neuraltrain GmbH, c/o F.H. Incubator GmbH, Friedrichstr. 68, 10117 Berlin, Germany Registered at Handelsregister des Registergerichts Charlottenburg; Registernummer: HRB 191630 B UStID: Pending Managing Director: Dr. Arnab Chakrabarty --- This e-mail and any attachment is for authorised use by the intended recipient(s) only. It may contain proprietary material, confidential information and/or be subject to company privilege. It should not be copied, disclosed to, retained or used by, any other party. If you are not an intended recipient then please promptly delete this e-mail and any attachment and all copies and inform the sender. Thank you.

March 26, 2018

Faculty jobs in brain stimulation at Stanford University

by Wei Wu

To whom it may concern, I wanted to share a link to this job posting for those who are interested: http://med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/psychiatry/documents/ about_us/FacultyJobs/BrainStimulation.pdf

March 26, 2018

11ᵗʰ Advanced Scientific Programming in Python in Camerino, Italy, 3—8 September, 2018

by Jakob Jordan

11ᵗʰ Advanced Scientific Programming in Python ============================================== a Summer School by the G-Node and the University of Camerino https://python.g-node.org Scientists spend more and more time writing, maintaining, and debugging software. While techniques for doing this efficiently have evolved, only few scientists have been trained to use them. As a result, instead of doing their research, they spend far too much time writing deficient code and reinventing the wheel. In this course we will present a selection of advanced programming techniques and best practices which are standard in the industry, but especially tailored to the needs of a programming scientist. Lectures are devised to be interactive and to give the students enough time to acquire direct hands-on experience with the materials. Students will work in pairs throughout the school and will team up to practice the newly learned skills in a real programming project — an entertaining computer game. We use the Python programming language for the entire course. Python works as a simple programming language for beginners, but more importantly, it also works great in scientific simulations and data analysis. We show how clean language design, ease of extensibility, and the great wealth of open source libraries for scientific computing and data visualization are driving Python to become a standard tool for the programming scientist. This school is targeted at Master or PhD students and Post-docs from all areas of science. Competence in Python or in another language such as Java, C/C++, MATLAB, or Mathematica is absolutely required. Basic knowledge of Python and of a version control system such as git, subversion, mercurial, or bazaar is assumed. Participants without any prior experience with Python and/or git should work through the proposed introductory material before the course. We are striving hard to get a pool of students which is international and gender-balanced: see how far we got in previous years <https://python.g-node.org/wiki/archives#stats>! Date & Location =============== 3–8 September, 2018. Camerino, Italy. Application =========== You can apply online: https://python.g-node.org/wiki/applications Application deadline: 23:59 UTC, 31 May, 2018. There will be no deadline extension, so be sure to apply on time. Be sure to read the FAQ before applying: https://python.g-node.org/wiki/faq Participation is for free, i.e. no fee is charged! Participants however should take care of travel, living, and accommodation expenses by themselves. Program ======= • Version control with git and how to contribute to open source projects with GitHub • Best practices in data visualization • Organizing, documenting, and distributing scientific code • Testing scientific code • Profiling scientific code • Advanced NumPy • Advanced scientific Python: decorators, context managers, generators, and elements of object oriented programming • Writing parallel applications in Python • Speeding up scientific code with Cython and numba • Memory-bound computations and the memory hierarchy • Programming in teams Also see the detailed day-by-day schedule: https://python.g-node.org/wiki/schedule Faculty ======= • Ashwin Trikuta Srinath, Cyberinfrastructure Technology Integration, Clemson University, SC USA • Jenni Rinker, Department of Wind Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde Denmark • Juan Nunez-Iglesias, Melbourne Bioinformatics, University of Melbourne Australia • Nicolas P. Rougier, Inria Bordeaux Sud-Ouest, Institute of Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Bordeaux France • Pietro Berkes, NAGRA Kudelski, Lausanne Switzerland • Rike-Benjamin Schuppner, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Germany • Tiziano Zito, freelance consultant, Berlin Germany • Zbigniew Jędrzejewski-Szmek, Red Hat Inc., Warsaw Poland Organizers ========== For the German Neuroinformatics Node of the INCF (G-Node) Germany: • Tiziano Zito, freelance consultant, Berlin Germany • Caterina Buizza, Personal Robotics Lab, Imperial College London UK • Zbigniew Jędrzejewski-Szmek, Red Hat Inc., Warsaw Poland • Jakob Jordan, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Switzerland Switzerland For the University of Camerino Italy: • Flavio Corradini, Computer Science Division, School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino Italy • Barbara Re, Computer Science Division, School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino Italy Website: https://python.g-node.org Contact: python-info(a)g-node.org -- Jakob Jordan 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 tel.: +49 2461 61-96450 http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 25, 2018

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience

by Obermayer, Klaus, Prof. Dr.

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience & Machine Learning Neural Information Processing Group, Fakultät IV, Technische Universität Berlin and Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany Salary grade E13 (TV-L Berliner Hochschulen) Duration: max. 5 years Starting date: October 1st, 2018 Working field: The successful candidate is expected to join collaborative research projects at the interface of computational neuroscience and machine learning. The position is also affiliated with the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin (https://www.bccn-berlin.de/) and the candidate is welcome to participate in its scientific and training activities. Teaching responsibilities include the supervision of two tutorials per week during the semester associated with the courses taught by the Neural Information Processing Group. For more information about our current research projects see: http://www.ni.tu-berlin.de/. Requirements: Successfully completed university degree (Master, Diplom or equivalent) in Computational Neuroscience, Computer Science or another MINT subject; very good knowledge of machine learning and Computational Neuroscience; experience in teaching (supervision of tutorials) is desirable; very good German and English skills. How to apply: Please send your written application with the reference number (IV-158/18) and the usual documents to Technische Universität Berlin - Der Präsident - Fakultät IV, Institut für Softwaretechnik und Theoretische Informatik, FG Neuronale Informationsverarbeitung, Prof. Dr. Obermayer, Sekr. MAR 5-6, Marchstr. 23, 10587 Berlin or - preferably - by e-mail to klaus.obermayer(a)tu-berlin.de. Closing date: April 20th, 2018 To ensure equal opportunities between women and men, applications by women with the required qualifications are explicitly desired. Qualified individuals with disabilities will be favored. The TU Berlin values the diversity of its members and is committed to the goals of equal opportunities. Please send copies only. Original documents will not be returned.

March 25, 2018

Methods in Neuroscience at Dartmouth (MIND) 2018 Computational Summer School

by Matthijs van der Meer

Methods in Neuroscience at Dartmouth (MIND) 2018 Computational Summer School https://summer-mind.github.io/ July 30th - August 7th, 2018 Application Deadline: April 29th, 2018 We are delighted to welcome applications for the second annual Methods in Neuroscience at Dartmouth (MIND) Computational Summer School. The theme of this year’s summer school is Narratives and Natural Contexts. There has been renewed interest in extending the study of neural and psychological phenomena in highly controlled laboratory settings to more naturalistic paradigms that more closely reflect the rich spatiotemporal structure of the real world. Bridging this divide requires developing new experiments and analytic methods. The goal of our summer school is to provide a forum for gaining hands-on experience with some of the latest computational tools that can help gain insight into understanding how our brains process naturalistic stimuli and contexts. We will offer a mix of expertise at a broad range of spatiotemporal scales and domains (e.g. behavioral, cognitive, social; circuit, whole-brain, and social networks; etc.). In addition, we will maintain our special focus on training students to use and contribute to open-source tools, data sharing, and other “best practices” for open science. For more information, and/or to apply, please visit our website, https://summer-mind.github.io/. Please note that this year’s application deadline is April 29, 2018. You may also find information about last year’s summer school (theme: multiscale network dynamics) along with all course materials here, https://summer-mind.github.io/2017.html. We anticipate a diverse and talented mix of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior faculty will participate in the summer school, and we hope to see you this summer in Hanover! Kind regards, Luke Chang, Jeremy Manning, and Matt van der Meer Directors Jim Haxby, Thalia Wheatley, and Dan Rockmore Advisory Committee This event is sponsored by the Center for Social Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth Research Computing, and Neukom Institute for Computational Sciences at Dartmouth.

March 23, 2018

Job openings at Jülich Supercomputing Centre

by Jochen Martin Eppler

Dear all, at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany, we currently have two open positions in the context of the Human Brain Project: * Scientific programmer in computational neuroscience<http://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2018-061-EN…> * Senior scientific developer in computational neuroscience<http://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2018-062-EN…> For details about the institute and the positions, please follow the links. Best regards, Jochen! -- Dr. Jochen Martin Eppler Phone: +49(2461)61-96653 ---------------------------------- Simulation Laboratory Neuroscience Jülich Supercomputing Centre Institute for Advanced Simulation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 23, 2018

Brain Dynamics Toolbox for Matlab

by Stewart Heitmann

Dear all, The Brain Dynamics Toolbox (http://www.bdtoolbox.org <http://www.bdtoolbox.org/>) is open-source software for simulating dynamical systems in neuroscience. It is for researchers and students who wish to explore mathematical models of brain function using Matlab. It includes a graphical tool for simulating dynamical systems in real-time as well as command-line tools for scripting large-scale simulations. Custom systems of differential equations can typically be defined in less than 100 lines of standard matlab code. The graphical interface is designed to be used as both a research tool and a teaching tool. Its hub-and-spoke architecture allows new combinations of numerical solvers and interactive plots (time plots, phase plots, bifurcation diagrams, space-time plots, etc) to be applied to any model with no additional programming effort. Version 2018a of the Brain Dynamics Toolbox has just been released and is available from http://www.bdtoolbox.org <http://www.bdtoolbox.org/> The Handbook for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox is available from https://www.amazon.com/dp/198057250X <https://www.amazon.com/dp/198057250X> The toolbox will be featured at the at the Australian Connectomics School (ACS-2018) in Melbourne, 30 May to 1 June 2018. Best Regards Stewart Heitmann & Michael Breakspear QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Systems Neuroscience Group

March 23, 2018

Now hiring: The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, CAMH - Toronto, Canada

by Sean Hill

The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics (www.krembilneuroinformatics.ca<http://www.krembilneuroinformatics.ca>) based at CAMH (www.camh.ca<http://www.camh.ca>), and fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Canada, is hiring world-leading specialists to transform our understanding of mental health by organizing, integrating, analyzing, visualizing and modelling data across all levels of the brain —from genes to circuits to behaviour. This multimodal data is gathered across the clinical environment including genetic, epigenetic, MRI, DTI, fMRI, hd-EEG, actigraphy and electronic medical record data. Teams will employ state-of-the-art techniques including topological data analysis, machine learning and multiscale computational modeling to accelerate identification and treatment of mental health disorders. Research is performed in an open, team science environment, with an emphasis on reproducible data-driven research and a patient-centric approach. A focus on global collaboration is key to transforming our understanding of mental health and its treatment. The centre will operate as an incubator for medical technologies to identify, manage and treat mental illness, while shaping policy at national and global levels. The centre is expanding with the following openings (see http://krembilneuroinformatics.ca/apply for full details and to apply): *Independent Scientist for Computational Genomics The Independent Scientist for Computational Genomics will build and lead a team of talented bioinformatics researchers, computational biologists, and computer scientists who employ and develop state-of-the-art genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic analyses and predictive models to provide new insights into mental health and brain disorders in a data driven way, making outcome predictors and identifying optimal intervention opportunities. *Independent Scientist for Brain Circuit Modelling The Independent Scientist for Brain Circuit Modelling will build and lead a team responsible for the development, simulation and analysis of dynamic and perturbable computational models of biophysically detailed brain circuitry (for both preclinical and human brains), integrating genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic data, and ion channel, cellular and synaptic biophysics. The team will work in close collaboration with other groups involved in detailed biophysical modeling, e.g. the Blue Brain Project and Allen Institute for Brain Science. The team will also be responsible for curating and maintaining data, literature and models to enable data-driven modeling of brain circuitry in health and disease, in addition to the concurrent construction of atlases, development of analysis approaches and identification of biomarkers to define mental health and brain disorders in a data driven way, such as aberrant dynamical processes. *Independent Scientist for Whole Brain Modelling The Independent Scientist for Whole Brain Modelling will build and lead a team responsible for the development of dynamic and perturbable causal models of the human brain, in health and in the context of mental illness, incorporating multi-modal neuroimaging and expression data including, but not limited to, structural, functional, diffusion and spectrometry MRI, PET/CT and EEG. The team will also be responsible for the concurrent construction of atlases, development of analysis approaches and identification of biomarkers to define mental health and brain disorders in a data driven manner. *Independent Scientist for Whole Person Modelling The Independent Scientist for Whole Person Modeling will build and lead a team responsible for the development and application of predictive modeling approaches for individual citizen, patient and population trajectories and outcomes. This includes tools, pipelines and approaches for the exploration, visualization and analysis of complex high-dimensional data, with the aim of the data-driven definition of mental health and brain disorders, and the establishment of outcome predictors and identification of optimal intervention opportunities. *Independent Scientist for Brain and Health Knowledge Management The Independent Scientist for Brain and Health Knowledge Management will build and lead a team responsible for organizing and disseminating data, models and literature related to the definition and treatment of mental health disorders to support both researchers and clinicians. This team will maintain and curate ontologies of brain disorders and link to data, analyses, visualizations, literature and models supporting their definition. This clinical support platform will support reasoning and inference across definitions and datasets to bridge psychiatric and neurological disorders. *Knowledge Engineering Lead The Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics is launching a knowledge engineering initiative to structure and map vast quantities of clinical and research data into a unified schema and develop a knowledge graph. This initiative will lay the technical foundation to support supervised and unsupervised content discovery, enable data mining, and facilitate interactive modes of engagement with our data corpus. A new Knowledge Engineering team is being established to spearhead the implementation of this initiative. This is a unique opportunity to partner with world-class researchers in the creation of unprecedented knowledge discovery tools. *Brain Imaging Data Engineer The Brain Imaging Data Engineer role will be accountable for managing and enhancing the solution for collecting, storing, curating and integrating brain imaging data sets across the organization, including, but not limited to the following modalities: MRI, PET and EEG. You will work closely with the senior architects on the technology team as well as collaborating with scientific leads. You will be accountable to evolve the technology solution to keep up with industry changes to ensure the solution remains optimal. *Molecular Data Engineer The Molecular Data Engineer role will be accountable for managing and enhancing the solution for collecting, storing, curating and integrating molecular data sets across the organization. You will work closely with the senior architects on the technology team as well as collaborating with scientific leads. You will be accountable to evolve the technology solution to keep up with industry changes to ensure the solution remains optimal. *Senior Project Manager – BrainHealth Databank The Senior Project Manager will work with multiple stakeholders both internal and external to CAMH and be responsible for the hands-on leadership and oversight for the development and execution of work plans, accountabilities, and timelines associated with the BrainHealth Databank initiative. The BrainHealth Databank platform will be specifically designed to support multidimensional phenotyping studies that combine digital phenotyping and laboratory-based data across existing and future clinical studies at CAMH. All data will be organized within the knowledge graph of the BrainHealth Databank. The platform will support configuration of studies that integrate common data elements and CRFs, wearable and mobile devices, voice samples, electronic medical record (EMR) extracts, outcome assessments and health care system usage. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. AVIS DE CONFIDENTIALITÉ : Ce message électronique, ainsi que tout fichier qui y est joint, est reserve à l'usage exclusif du destinataire visé et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels et privilégiés. Toute lecture, utilisation, divulgation ou distribution non autorisée est interdite. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire visé, veuillez en aviser l'expéditeur par retour de courriel et détruire toutes les copies du message original.

March 22, 2018

Re: [Comp-neuro] [meetings] **DEADLINE EXTENDED to APRIL 2ND, 2018** Final CFP, Special session - Hybrid Life: Approaches to integrate biological, artificial and cognitive systems, ALife 2018 (Tokyo)

by Manuel Baltieri

**DEADLINE EXTENDED to APRIL 2ND, 2018** ********** Final Call for Papers ********** Special session - Hybrid Life: Approaches to integrate biological, artificial and cognitive systems https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/ <https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/> 2018 Artificial Life conference (ALife) Tokyo, JAPAN, 23-27 July 2018 - http://2018.alife.org/ <http://2018.alife.org/> Invited panelists: Ryota Kanai, Jun Tani, Masahiko Inami and Mizuki Oka. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION: The main focus of ALife research is the study of natural systems with the goal of understanding what life is. More concretely, ALife defines ways to investigate processes that contribute to the formation and proliferation of living organisms. In this session we focus on three common approaches to tackle this investigation, proposing ways to integrate, extend and possibly improve them. More specifically we refer to: 1) the formalisation of the necessary properties for the definition of life, 2) the implementation of artificial agents, and 3) the study of the relation between life and cognition. For this special session we propose to start from these well-established Alife methodologies, and extend them through: a unified formal language for the description and modelling of living, as well as artificial and cognitive systems, e.g. control theory, Bayesian inference, dynamical systems theory, etc., the exploration of biological creatures enhanced by artificial systems (or artificial systems augmented with organic parts) in order to investigate the boundaries between living and nonliving organisms, and the evaluation of coupled biological-artificial systems that could shed light on the importance of interactions among systems for the study of living and cognitive organisms. This special sessions aims to invite contributions from alife as well as the fields of psychology, computational neuroscience, HCI, theoretical biology, artificial intelligence, robotics and cognitive science to discuss current research on the formalisation, combination and interaction of artificial/living/cognitive systems from theoretical, modelling and implementational perspectives. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: Formalisation of life and cognition (e.g. dynamical systems theory, stochastic optimal control, Bayesian inference, etc.) Cognitive robotics Autopoiesis Life-mind continuity thesis Systems biology Origins-of-life theories with relationships to artificial and cognitive systems Animal-robot interaction Bio-inspired robotics Bio-integrated robotics Human-machine interaction Augmented cognition Sensory substitution Interactive evolutionary computation Artificial perception PANELISTS: Ryota Kanai Ryota Kanai is a neuroscientist working on the computational principles underlying consciousness and the brain, and the founder and CEO of an AI startup, Araya, Inc. in Tokyo. His goal is to create artificial consciousness using intrinsic motivation, deep neural networks, and integrated information while taking inspirations from neuroscience. He formerly led a cognitive neuroscience lab at the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science at the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. Araya Inc.: http://www.araya.org/ <http://www.araya.org/> <http://www.araya.org/>Jun Tani Jun Tani is a Full Professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa, Japan. He is directing the Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit. He has investigated the problem of embodied cognition by applying the predictive coding framework to neurorobotics experimental study for more than 20 years. His study has been summarized in his book, “Exploring Robotic Minds: Actions, Symbols, and Consciousness as Self-Organizing Dynamic Phenomena." published from Oxford Univ. Press in 2016. CNRU at OIST: https://groups.oist.jp/cnru <https://groups.oist.jp/cnru> Masahiko Inami Masahiko (Masa) Inami is a Professor in the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He is also directing the Inami JIZAI Body Project, JST ERATO. His research interest is in Augmented Human, human I/O enhancement technologies including perception, HCI and robotics. He received BE and MS degrees in bioengineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and PhD in the Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) from the University of Tokyo in 1999. He joined the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Tokyo, and in 1999, he moved to the University of Electro-Communications. In April 2008, he joined Keio University, where he served as a Professor of the Graduate School of Media Design and the Vice-director of the International Virtual Reality Center till October 2015. In November 2015, he rejoined the University of Tokyo. His installations have appeared at Ars Electronica Center. He proposed and organized the Superhuman Sports Society. InamiLab at Todai: https://inamilab.org <https://inamilab.org/> Mizuki Oka Mizuki Oka is an associate Professor at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. Obtained the International Baccalaureate at the United World College of the Adriatic in 1998. Studied computer science at the University of Tsukuba where she obtained the Doctor of Engineering in 2008. Served also as a research fellow for the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science from 2005 to 2008. Worked at the Center for Knowledge Structuring at the University of Tokyo as a post-doc from 2008 to 2013 in Japan. Gave a talk at TEDxTokyo in 2012 and at TEDxTsukuba in 2013. Her current research interests are Web Science and Artificial Life. She is also a founder of ALife Lab. and CO-CEO of Alternative Machine Inc. Personal website: http://mizoka.jp/english/ <http://mizoka.jp/english/> Important Dates 2nd April 2018 – Paper submission deadline 7th May 2018 – Paper acceptance notification 4th June 2018 – Camera-ready version 23-27th July 2018 – Artificial Life conference (ALife), Tokyo, Japan Paper Submission Papers and abstracts submitted to this special sessions will be reviewed by a selected group of experts from the a-life community as well as from other key areas, specifically chosen for this review process. If you are submitting to a special session you will be given the opportunity to select it during the submission process. Submissions to special sessions follow the same format, instructions and deadlines of regular ALife papers, as specified here http://2018.alife.org/instructions-for-authors/ <http://2018.alife.org/instructions-for-authors/>. Organizers Manuel Baltieri, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. m.baltieri(a)sussex.ac.uk <mailto:m.baltieri@sussex.ac.uk> Keisuke Suzuki, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. k.suzuki(a)sussex.ac.uk <mailto:filippo.m.bianchi@uit.no> Hiroyuki Iizuka, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan hiroyukiiizuka(a)gmail.com <mailto:hiroyukiiizuka@gmail.com> Contacts For questions, enquiries and more information please check our website https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/ <https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/> or get in touch with Manuel, m.baltieri [at] sussex.ac.uk. All the best, Manuel, Keisuke, Hiro

March 21, 2018

Abstract submission for Neuroinformatics 2018 in Montréal, Canada is open!

by congress

Dear all, Abstract submission for Neuroinformatics 2018 in Montréal, Canada on August 9-10 is now open! The annual INCF Congress provides a meeting place for researchers in all fields related to neuroinformatics. Join us for keynotes from top neuroscientists, community sessions and poster- and demo sessions. Neuroinformatics 2018 will be a great opportunity to introduce new participants to the field of neuroinformatics and highlight new and innovative tools and approaches. Providing a forum for infrastructure providers and developers of tools, standards, and best practices to help define the capabilities of the global network, receive training on how to participate in the Open, FAIR and Citable global network and learn how to provide better services to their constituents. *Abstract submission deadline is April 30: **neuroinformatics2018.org/abstracts <http://neuroinformatics2018.org/abstracts>* Registration will open shortly. More information: *neuroinformatics2018.org <http://www.neuroinformatics2018.org>* Please spread this information to anyone you feel would be interested in attending. *The International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF) is an international non-profit organization devoted to advancing the field of neuroinformatics and global collaborative brain research. Learn more about INCF www.incf.org <http://www.incf.org/>* *We look forward to seeing you in Montréal!* Best Regards The INCF Secretariat <http://www.neuroinformatics2018.org> <http://www.neuroinformatics2018.org>

March 21, 2018

DynaSim: A MATLAB/GNU Octave Toolbox for Neural Modeling and Simulation

by Jason Sherfey

Dear Colleagues, We are happy to announce the release of DynaSim, an open-source MATLAB/GNU Octave toolbox for rapid prototyping of neural models and batch simulation management. It was designed to speed up and simplify the process of generating, sharing, and exploring network models of neurons with one or more compartments; it is the first, comprehensive neural modeling and simulation platform developed in MATLAB. It provides C compilation, optimized vector calculations, multi-core processing, and support for compute clusters to overcome the traditionally slow simulation speeds of MATLAB. It is also available for high performance computing via the Neuroscience Gateway web portal. A paper introducing DynaSim was recently published in Frontiers in Neuroinformatics: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fninf.2018.00010/full. Documentation is available online at http://dynasimtoolbox.org. We hope this tool reduces barriers for investigating dynamics in neural models, facilitates collaborative modeling, and complements other tools being developed in the neuroinformatics community. Most of all, we hope you find this toolbox useful! Please direct questions to the lead developer, Jason Sherfey < sherfey(a)mit.edu> or the user mailing list: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/dynasim-users. Best regards, Jason Dr. Jason Sherfey Postdoctoral Research Fellow Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Picower Institute for Learning & Memory http://JasonSherfey.com

March 20, 2018

PhD/postdoc in Sensory and Behavioral Neuroscience, Gjorgjieva and Grunwald Kadow Labs in Frankfurt/Munich

by Gjorgjieva, Julijana

Reminder and deadline extension: The labs of Julijana Gjorgjieva (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany) and Ilona Grunwald Kadow at the TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Germany invite applications for a fully-funded position (Postdoc or PhD student). We are looking for highly-motivated individuals with a strong quantitative background (in mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, or related fields), experience in programming and data analysis, and a desire to develop cutting-edge experimental techniques. Previous background in neuroscience, imaging or behavioral analysis is a plus! The project will examine the neural basis of need and effort-based decision-making in a collaboration between the Gjorgjieva lab, which develops theoretical models of neural circuit processing, and the Grunwald Kadow lab, which studies neural circuits underlying sensory processing and decision making in animal models. The project aims to uncover circuit principles and behavioral readouts of motivation, persistence, and value perception as a function of internal state or experience (e.g. hunger). In particular, the Grunwald Kadow lab is collecting rich data sets of behavioral trajectories of single Drosophila flies as well as functional imaging data (i.e. multiphoton and light-sheet) of neuronal populations (e.g. modulatory neurons). The project will aim to develop advanced analysis techniques that extract key statistical features of the behavioral trajectories and imaging data, and build mathematical models that reproduce the data and make new predictions to be further tested experimentally. By combining behaviour, genetics and imaging, we will also develop neural circuit models that involve several brain areas, including sensory brain areas and higher cognitive regions of the fly brain (i.e. mushroom body). References: S. Sayin J. Gjorgjieva, I. C. Grunwald Kadow (2018). A neural circuit arbitrates between perseverance and reward in hungry Drosophila. BioRxiv doi.org/10.1101/259119<http://doi.org/10.1101/259119> J. Gjorgjieva, G. Drion and E. Marder (2016). Computational implications of biophysical diversity and multiple timescales in neurons and synapses for circuit performance. Curr Opin Neurobiol 37:44-52. Lewis L, Siju KP, Aso Y, Friedrich AB, Bulteel AJB, Rubin GM, Grunwald Kadow IC (2015). A higher brain circuit for immediate integration of conflicting sensory information in Drosophila. Current Biology PMID: 26299514, doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.07.015 Application: The position will be based at the Technical University of Munich, with frequent visits to the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, two of the most exciting and international cities in Germany. The application deadline has been extended to: April 15, 2018. Applicants will be considered until the position is filled. For further information please visit: http://www.cns.wzw.tum.de and http://www.neuro.wzw.tum.de or email gjorgjieva(a)brain.mpg.de and ilona.grunwald(a)tum.de. To apply, please email the following to: neuro(a)wzw.tum.de (ref. GGK application) 1. A curriculum vitae 2. A letter of motivation explaining your scientific interests, your strengths when working on a problem, why us etc. 3. Contact details for 2 referees 4. A written sample of scientific research, e.g. a manuscript, thesis, or code etc. ----------------------------------------- Julijana Gjorgjieva, PhD Research Group Leader Max Planck Institute for Brain Research Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, Frankfurt Assistant Professor of Computational Neuroscience Technical University of Munich, WZW Freising office: +49 69 850033 3600 http://cns.wzw.tum.de

March 20, 2018

Cajal Course in Computational Neuroscience -- Deadline April 2

by Jakob Macke

Dear colleagues, final reminder and line-up for the Cajal Computational Neuroscience Course in Lisbon this summer. We extended the deadline to April 2, so there is still time to apply! Best, Jakob Macke CAJAL COURSE IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE 12 August - 1 September 2018, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal http://www.cccn.pt Applications deadline: 2 April 2018 (midnight, CET time) DIRECTORS • Joe Paton (Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal) • Jakob Macke (TU Darmstadt & Research Center Caesar Bonn, Germany) • Christian Machens (Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal) Computational Neuroscience is a rapidly evolving field whose methods and techniques are critical for understanding and modelling the brain, and also for designing and interpreting experiments. Mathematical modeling is an essential tool to cut through the vast complexity of neurobiological systems and their many interacting elements. This three-weeks school teaches the central ideas, methods, and practice of modern computational neuroscience through a combination of lectures and hands-on project work. Each morning is devoted to lectures given by distinguished international faculty on topics across the breadth of experimental and computational neuroscience. During the rest of the day, students work on research projects in teams of 2-3 people under the close supervision of expert tutors and faculty. Research projects will be proposed by faculty before the course, and will include the modeling of neurons, neural systems, and behavior, the analysis of state-of-the-art neural data (behavioral data, multi-electrode recordings, calcium imaging data, connectomics data, etc.), and the development of theories to explain experimental observations. The course is designed for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from a variety of disciplines, including neuroscience, physics, electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics and psychology. Students are expected to have a keen interest and basic background in neurobiology, a solid foundation in mathematics, as well as some computer experience. A four-day pre-school in mathematics and programming is offered for students that want to catch up on their math and programming skills. A maximum of 24 students will be accepted. Students of any nationality can apply. We specifically encourage applications from researchers who work in the developing world. Stipends are available. More information on the course website, http://www.cccn.pt Apply here: http://www.fens.org/Training/CAJAL-programme/CAJAL-courses-2018/CCCN-2018/A… Contact address: Simone Zacarias, simone.zacarias(a)research.fchampalimaud.org Confirmed faculty: Matthias Bethge, University of Tübingen Kevin Briggman, Research Center Caesar, Bonn, Germany Megan Carey, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal Claudia Clopath, Imperial College London, UK Sophie Deneve, ENS Paris, France Rainer Engelken, Columbia University, US Julijana Gjorgjieva, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany Pedro Goncalves, Research Center Caesar, Bonn, Germany Michael Häusser, Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, UK Andreas Herz, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Germany Simon Laughlin, University of Cambridge, UK Gilles Laurent, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany Máté Lengyel, University of Cambridge, UK Jennifer Linden, UCL Ear Institute, UK Elliot Ludvig, Warwick University, UK Anthony Movshon, New York University, USA Maneesh Sahani, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL, UK Cristina Savin, New York University, USA Jeffrey Taube, Dartmouth College, USA Eero Simoncelli, New York University, USA Tim Vogels, Oxford University, UK Byron Yu, Carnegie Mellon University, USA Jakob Macke www.mackelab.org

March 20, 2018

postdoctoral positions in theoretical neuroscience at the Kavli Institute in Trondheim

by Yasser Roudi

Postdoctoral positions in theoretical/computational neuroscience are available at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience/Centre for Neural Computation in Trondheim, Norway. The position(s) is a part of the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience. The Centre for Neural Computation is a recently established centre of excellence funded for 10 years by the Norwegian Research Council. We offer an international and multidisciplinary environment in which creativity and scientific discourse is valued and stimulated. Through our widespread network of international collaborations, unique career possibilities are offered. See http://www.ntnu.no/cbm/ for detailed information. The position will be part of the group headed by Professor Yasser Roudi. The position/s will be for 2 years. The successful applicant will take part in mainly independent research in theoretical neuroscience and statistical inference within the Roudi group. The specifics of the projects are up to agreement and discussion and new and novel ideas are highly welcome. Developing models of grid cells and their interactions with hippocampus as well as analysis of neural data from these areas will be one possible directions of research that can be taken during the tenure of the position. For more Information and details about how to apply please see https://www.jobbnorge.no/ledige-stillinger/stilling/149615/post-doc-kavli-i…

March 19, 2018

FENS Satellite Meeting on "Receptive Fields: Analysis, Models and Applications": 6 July 2018 - applications open

by Anthony Burkitt

Dear Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the FENS Satellite Meeting on "Receptive Fields: Analysis, Models and Applications", to be held on 6th July 2018. Applications are open at the Workshop website: fenscibf2018.eventbrite.com.au<http://fenscibf2018.eventbrite.com.au> RECEPTIVE FIELDS: ANALYSIS, MODELS AND APPLICATIONS At this FENS satellite meeting, eight world-leading researchers will discuss the latest advances on the formation and analysis of visual receptive fields and place maps, bringing together insights and discoveries from around the world. Topics will include state-of-the-art experimental and computational approaches to receptive field analysis, visual pathways, place maps and adaptation to the statistics of the visual environment. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: • Tatyana Sharpee SALK Institute, USA • Michael Ibbotson National Vision Research Institute, Australia • Yves Fragnac CNRS, France • Jose-Manuel Alonso State University of New York, USA • TR Vidyasagar University of Melbourne, Australia • Dirk Jancke Ruhr University, Germany • Elizabeth Zavitz Monash University, Australia • Simon Schultz Imperial College, UK MEETING DETAILS DATE: Friday, 6 July 2018 TIME: 9am – 5pm CEST / Germany (Berlin) Time VENUE: Hotel NH Collection Berlin Friedrichstraße, Friedrichstraße 96, 10117 Berlin, Germany COST: Early bird fee by 6 April 2018 - €30 ; Standard fee by 22 June 2018 - €50 ; Registration includes refreshments, lunch and snacks. REGISTER HERE URL: fenscibf2018.eventbrite.com.au<http://fenscibf2018.eventbrite.com.au> CONTACT Email: Tenille Ryan (tryan(a)aco.org.au<mailto:tryan@aco.org.au>)

March 18, 2018

Failures of adaptively timed hippocampal learning during memory consolidation and Fragile X syndrome

by Grossberg, Stephen

The following two articles model how failures of adaptively timed learning and incentive motivational support by hippocampus (i.e., failure of “time cells”) can cause clinical problems in memory consolidation and Fragile X syndrome: ***************** Franklin, D. J., and Grossberg, S. (2017). A neural model of normal and abnormal learning and memory consolidation: Adaptively timed conditioning, hippocampus, amnesia, neurotrophins, and consciousness. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 17, 24-76. http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13415-016-0463-y This article explains and simulates the kinds of data that many cognitive neuroscientists have reported after the famous case of the amnesic patient HM; namely, how, after some learning occurs, early vs. late lesions of amygdala, hippocampus, or orbitofrontal cortex can cause very different memory consolidation problems. ***************** Grossberg, S., and Kishnan, D. (2018). Neural dynamics of autistic repetitive behaviors and Fragile X syndrome: Basal ganglia movement gating and mGluR-modulated adaptively timed learning. Frontiers in Psychology, Psychopathology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00269. This article explains how Fragile X syndrome can be caused when mGluR-mediated adaptively timed hippocampal learning and support of motivated attention fail.

March 17, 2018

Call for papers - Special issue on Operations Research for Neuroscience II

by Ruben A. Tikidji-Hamburyan

Dear Colleagues, ~~~ Apologies for cross-posting ~~~ We are happy to announce a second special issue on Operations Research for Neuroscience. The special issue will be published in the journal Annals of Operations Research, Springer. We strongly encourage the submission of manuscripts which propose further developments of modern formal theories (such as 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. Submission deadline: December 1, 2018 Please find the CfP as plain text below or as a pdf file here: CfP - ANOR SI OR for Neuroscience <https://sites.google.com/site/rubentikidjihamburyan/research/CfP-ANOR_SI_OR…> Best, Ruben ____________________________________________________ ― 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 Operations Research (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

March 15, 2018

ACT-R Summer School application deadline approaching

by db30＠andrew.cmu.edu

The deadline for applications, April 15th, is now only one month away. 2018 ACT-R Summer School and Master Class Carnegie Mellon University July 9-13, 2018 ACT-R is a unified theory of cognition that has been implemented in a software system called a cognitive architecture that can be used to develop computational cognitive models. It has been applied to modeling tasks that range from experimental tasks like simple reaction time and list learning, to real world tasks like driving a car and air traffic control. The 2018 ACT-R Summer School will take place at CMU in Pittsburgh from July 9-13. It consists of both a Summer School for beginning users and a Master Class for more experienced users. The Summer School will train researchers in the use of ACT-R for cognitive modeling using the ACT-R tutorial. Each day will consist of a morning theory lecture covering one or two tutorial units, an afternoon discussion session on the topics of the day, and modeling assignments which participants are expected to complete during the day and evening. The Master Class is organized in parallel with the Summer School. The Master Class offers the opportunity for ACT-R modelers to work on their own projects with guidance from experienced ACT-R researchers. There is no curriculum for the Master Class, but Master Class students are welcome to attend the Summer School lectures and discussion sessions. To provide an optimal learning environment, admission to the Summer School and Master Class will be limited. To apply for the Summer School, please email a curriculum vitae and a statement of purpose to db30(a)andrew.cmu.edu. Demonstrated experience with a modeling formalism similar to ACT-R will strengthen a Summer School application. To apply for the Master Class please email a curriculum vitae along with some information about your level of experience with ACT-R and some details on the project you expect to work on during the Master Class. Applications are due by April 15th and applicants will be notified of admission by April 30th. Admission to the Summer School and Master Class is free. Housing will be available in the CMU dormitories for approximately $65/day (single) or $50/day (shared). More information about ACT-R, including papers published by the ACT-R community, can be found on the ACT-R web site: <http://act-r.psy.cmu.edu/>. For more information on the Summer School and Master Class you can email Dan Bothell at db30(a)andrew.cmu.edu.

March 15, 2018

Call for papers - Special issue on Brain-Computer Interfaces for Human Augmentation

by Davide Valeriani

Dear all, I thought some of you might be interested in contributing to this special issue of Brain Sciences about BCI for human augmentation. The deadline for manuscript submissions is *30 April 2018*. Please do get in touch if you are interested. More info at: *http://bit.ly/bcihuman <http://bit.ly/bcihuman> *or http://www.mdpi.com/journal/brainsci/special_issues/Brain_Computer_Interface P.S. Apologies for cross-posting. Best regards, Davide -- *Dr Davide Valeriani* Senior Research Officer BCI-NE Lab University of Essex *E* dvaler(a)essex.ac.uk *W* www.davidevaleriani.it

March 15, 2018

CFP: The OMG-Emotion Recognition Challenge

by Pablo Barros

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION The One-Minute Gradual-Emotion Recognition (OMG-Emotion) held in partnership with the WCCI/IJCNN 2018 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://www2.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/OMG-EmotionChallenge/ I. Aim and Scope Our One-Minute-Gradual Emotion Dataset (OMG-Emotion Dataset) is composed of 420 relatively long emotion videos with an average length of 1 minute, collected from a variety of Youtube channels. The videos were selected automatically based on specific search terms related to the term ``monologue''. Using monologue videos allowed for different emotional behaviors to be presented in one context and that changes gradually over time. Videos were separated into clips based on utterances, and each utterance was annotated by at least five independent subjects using the Amazon Mechanical Turk tool. To maintain the contextual information for each video, each annotator watched the clips of a video in sequence and had to annotate each video using an arousal/valence scale and a categorical emotion based on the universal emotions from Ekman. We release the dataset with the gold standar for arousal and valence as well the invidivual annotations for each reviewer, which can help the development of different models. We will calculate the final Congruence Correlation Coefficient against the gold standard for each video. We also distribute the transcripts of what was spoken in each of the videos, as the contextual information is important to determine gradual emotional change through the utterances. The participants are encouraged to use crossmodal information in their models, as the videos were labeled by humans without distinction of any modality. We also will let available to the participant teams a set of scripts which will help them to pre-process the dataset and evaluate their model during in the training phase. We encourage the use of neural-computation models based on deep learning, sel-organization and recurrent neural networks, just to mention some of them, as they present the sate-of-the-art performance in such tasks. II. How to Participate To participate, please send us an email to barros(a)informatik.uni-hamburg.de with the title "OMG-Emotion Recognition Team Registration". This e-mail must contain the following information: Team Name Team Members Affiliation Each team can have a maximum of 5 participants. You will receive from us the access to the dataset and all the important information about how to train and evaluate your models. For the final submission, each team will have to send us a .csv file containing the final arousal/valence values for each of the utterances on the test dataset. We also request a link to a GitHub repository where your solution must be stored, and a link to an ArXiv paper with 4-6 pages describing your model and results. The best papers will be invited to submit their detailed research to a journal yet to be specified. Also, the best participating teams will hold an oral presentation about their solution during the WCCI/IJCNN 2018 conference. III. Important Dates Publishing of training and validation data with annotations: March 14, 2018. Publishing of the test data, and an opening of the online submission: April 11, 2018. Closing of the submission portal: April 13, 2018. Announcement of the winner through the submission portal: April 18, 2018. IV. Organization Pablo Barros, University of Hamburg, Germany Egor Lakomkin, University of Hamburg, Germany Henrique Siqueira, Hamburg University, Germany Alexander Sutherland, Hamburg University, Germany 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/

March 15, 2018

Postdoc position in neuroscience / math biology at NJIT

by Victor Matveev

*Postdoctoral position in mathematical biology at the Department of Mathematical Sciences at New Jersey Institute of Technology* Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in the field of mathematical and computational biology in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at NJIT. The position is initially for one year starting September 1, 2018, with the possibility of renewal of one additional year, subject to satisfactory performance. In addition to research duties, the candidate is expected to teach one course per academic year. Currently, research interests of the NJIT mathematical biology group are focused on mathematical and computational neuroscience, perception of timing and rhythm, cell physiology, circadian rhythms, cell calcium dynamics, and biofluids, emphasizing the applications of parameter estimation techniques, stochastic analysis and the theory of dynamical systems and partial differential equations to problems in mathematical biology. Candidates should hold a PhD in applied mathematics or a related discipline. To apply, follow the link below to submit a cover letter with a brief research statement, a CV, and names and email addresses of three references. https://njit.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=1&id=243 NJIT is in the University Heights neighborhood next to vibrant downtown Newark, about 12 miles west of New York City. The Department of Mathematical Sciences has close collaborative ties to the Department of Biological Sciences at NJIT. Excellent potential for outside collaboration is also afforded by the close geographic proximity of NJIT to other prominent centers for biological research such as the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers-Newark, New Jersey Medical School, NYU, Columbia University, and Rockefeller University. NJIT is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer and strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply. Inquires can be sent to Dr. Victor Matveev at matveev(a)njit.edu. -- ___________________________________ 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/

March 14, 2018

Call for contributions: Grenoble Workshop on Models and Analysis of Eye Movements, June 06-08 2018

by Simon Barthelmé

Grenoble workshop on models and analysis of eye movements: June 06-08 2018 Eye movements are easy to acquire and highly valuable for the study of cognitive processing. Their analysis presents interesting statistical challenges: scanpaths are complex spatiotemporal signals with relevant information at different spatial and temporal scales, from microsaccades to fixation patterns. The goal of this workshop is to bring together researchers who develop and use models to understand eye-movement data. We welcome contributions on all aspects of eye movement modelling and analysis, from saliency prediction to latent state models. Possible forms of contribution are: oral presentation, poster or demonstration. Deadline for abstract submission: April 22 2018 Deadline for registration: May 13 2018 Invited speakers: - Antje Nuthmann, University of Kiel - Yulia Sandamirskaya, University of Zurich & ETH - Jean Lorenceau, CNRS, LSP, ENS - Jean-Michel Boucheix, LEAD-CNRS, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté Location: Grenoble is the largest city in the French Alps, with a large and vibrant academic community. It is easy to get to, with two major airports (Lyon & Geneva) in the vicinity and a TGV connection to Paris. More information and registration at: eyemovements.sciencesconf.org

March 14, 2018

Bernstein Conference 2018 - Call for Workshops - New Deadline: March 28, 2018, 3 pm CET

by Kerstin Schwarzwaelder

The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for Satellite Workshops directly preceding the Bernstein Conference 2018 in Berlin. ************************************************************** Important Dates: Satellite Workshops: September 25 - 26, 2018 Main Bernstein Conference: September 26 - 28, 2018 New Deadline for Satellite Workshop proposal submission: March 28, 2018, 3 pm CET Notification of Workshop acceptance: April 2018 ************************************************************** Since 2013, the Bernstein Conference hosts pre-conference workshops which provide a stage to discuss topical research questions, novel scientific approaches and challenges in Computational Neuroscience and related fields. Workshops addressing controversial issues, open problems, and comparisons of competing approaches are encouraged. The format should be designed to foster debate, rather than a mere series of talks. The selection criteria for Workshop proposals will include scientific excellence, topical relevance and gender diversity. The Bernstein Conference started out as the annual meeting of the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience and has become the largest annual single-track Computational Neuroscience conference in Europe in recent years. Satellite Workshop schedule: September 25, 2018, 2:00 pm - 6:30 pm September 26, 2018, 8:30 am - noon Workshop proposals are welcome for either half-day or full-day workshops. Workshop costs – FINANCIAL SUPPORT: All organizers and speakers of accepted workshops will receive a waiver for the workshop fee. Organizers of accepted workshops additionally receive a waiver for the main conference. Up to 10 selected workshops can receive financial support up to 1.500,00 € each. Coffee break catering will be provided. For further information about the conference, please visit the conference website http://www.bernstein-conference.de. INSTRUCTIONS FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSAL PREPARATION Workshop proposals must contain: 1) Workshop Title 2) Concise description of workshop topic 3) List of potential speakers indicating speaker commitment 4) Optional: a comment on how the organizers plan to achieve gender diversity among speakers Please use the Workshop Proposal Form that can be downloaded here: http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2018/satellite-workshops New Deadline for submission of Workshop proposals: March 28, 2018, 3 pm CET CONTACT: bernstein.network(at)fz-juelich.de We are looking forward to seeing you in Berlin! WORKSHOP SELECTION COMMITTEE: Jakob Macke (Workshop Chair) Tatjana Tchumatchenko (Workshop Vice Chair) Axel Borst Nicolas Brunel Anne Churchland Claudia Clopath Gaute Einevoll Adrienne Fairhall Gilles Laurent (Program Chair) Mate Lengyel Elad Schneidman Susanne Schreiber (Program Vice Chair) Terry Sejnowski Henning Sprekeler (Conference Host) Fred Wolf -- 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 14, 2018

University of Melbourne - LECTURER (5 Positions; Female Applicants Only)

by Uwe Aickelin

Dear Colleagues, International Women’s Day provided us with the opportunity to reflect upon the diversity within our School. The Melbourne School of Engineering has 182 women academic staff, but this represents just 22 per cent of our total academic numbers. We are committed to remedying this imbalance and lifting the representation of women to 30 per cent by 2022. To help enact this change, I’m pleased to announce five new continuing positions that we are making available to women of exceptional calibre, in all fields of engineering, computing and information systems. The five positions are across the School and we are accepting applications from all related areas. To view complete position descriptions, click here<http://jobs.unimelb.edu.au/caw/en/job/894257/lecturer-5-positions-female-ap…>. These positions are a key component of a broad suite of programs we have implemented at MSE that are aimed at increasing the recruitment, retention and promotion of women. Successful appointees will be given the opportunity to play a significant role in realising the industry engagement targets of MSE 2025, develop internationally recognised research portfolios, establish funding streams to support these portfolios, and to enhance interdisciplinary research within and outside the University, whilst contributing to teaching and curriculum development within MSE. Applications for part-time or other flexible working arrangements will be welcomed and will be fully considered subject to meeting the inherent requirements of the position. Close date: 8 Apr 2018 Uwe Aickelin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Professor Uwe Aickelin – Head of School School of Computing and Information Systems Melbourne School of Engineering Level 8, Doug McDonell Building University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia T. +613 8344 3635 E: uwe.aickelin(a)unimelb.edu.au <mailto:uwe.aickelin@unimelb.edu.au> W: http://aickelin.com<http://aickelin.com/>

March 14, 2018

Translational Neurophysiology - RA, Postdoc, or Staff Scientist

by Platt, Jo Ann

The Translational Neurophysiology Laboratory at the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, headed by Assistant Professor Stavros Zanos MD PhD, focuses on physiological and translational research and development of bioelectronic devices and therapies in small (rodents) and large animal (swine) models. The lab utilizes a variety of techniques from neurophysiology and cardiovascular physiology, acute and chronic implants, experimental surgical and interventional techniques 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 be involved in the development of novel paradigms to record from and adaptively modulate the function of the central and peripheral nervous system (brain, spinal cord, ganglia, peripheral nerves) in rodents, in healthy animals and in disease models. Mouse and rat stereotaxic brain surgery Extracellular and/or intracellular in vivo neurophysiology Histology, tract tracing Optogenetics Optical imaging Autonomic physiology Keywords : neurophysiology, small animal, rodent, recording, stimulation, brain, peripheral nerves, chronic implants, surgery, optogenetics, optical imaging, autonomic nervous system Qualifications : Doctorate degree (Ph.D, M.D. or D.V.M.), required (MSc for research associate candidates) Authored/co-authored research papers and/or scientific abstracts, required. Research experience in rodent neurophysiology, required. In vivo optical imaging and optogenetic stimulation experience, preferred. Knowledge of data analysis software (e.g. Matlab), preferred. Send email including cover letter, CV and publications to: jojoplatt(a)theplattassociates.com 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.

March 13, 2018

M-GATE School at SISSA: provisional program online

by Alessandro Treves

The M-GATE school, "Under the Surface of Memory Phenomena", organized for ITN students https://www.mgate.eu/ but open to other participants now has a provisional program, see https://indico.sissa.it/e/tex2018/ The school will be at SISSA, in Trieste, Italy, June 25-July 3, 2018. Apply now for 10-night accommodation, at cost (340 Euro), or register for self-organized participation (within space constraints), and join us also for the in-set symposium Remembering Daniel Amit, and Beyond! Deadline for applications April 2. Clever inquiries from tex(a)sissa.it -- 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

March 12, 2018

MBL Methods in Computational Neuroscience Course - deadline March 20

by Stephen A. Baccus

Applications are open for the Methods in Computational Neuroscience course at the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. The course will run from July 29 to August 24, 2018, and the online application form can be found at: https://ws2.mbl.edu/studentapp/studentapp.asp?courseid=MCN The course application deadline is *March 20*. The course covers a range of topics in computational neuroscience including neuronal biophysics, neural coding & information processing, circuit dynamics, learning & memory, motor control, and cognitive processing & disease. In addition, numerous tutorials and problem sets will cover a broad range of computational and mathematical modeling methods. The course strongly emphasizes the collaboration between theory and experiment in solving neuroscience problems, and lectures will be given by a mixture of theorists and experimentalists. The final weeks of the course are primarily reserved for work on projects that students design in collaboration with the resident faculty. Further information can be found on the MCN website: http://www.mbl.edu/mcn/ 2018 Course Directors: Stephen Baccus, Stanford University Xiao-Jing Wang, New York University 2018 Confirmed Faculty: Larry Abbott, Columbia University Carlos Brody, Princeton University Emery Brown, MIT Dmitri Chklovskii, Simons Institute Claudia Clopath, Imperial Col. London Kenji Doya, Okinawa Inst. Sci. Tech. Uri Eden, Boston University Bard Ermentrout, U. of Pittsburgh Adrienne Fairhall, U. of Washington Ila Fiete, University of Texas Austin James Fitzgerald, Janelia Res., HHMI Loren Frank, UCSF Michale Fee, MIT Stefano Fusi, Columbia University Surya Ganguli, Stanford University Mark Goldman, UC Davis Kenneth Harris, U. College London James Haxby, Dartmouth University Nancy Kopell, Boston University Eve Marder, Brandeis University Bartlett Mel, Univ. of Southern California Jonathan Pillow, Princeton University David Redish, U. Minnesota Terry Sejnowski, Salk Institute Reza Shadmehr, Johns Hopkins Univ. Sara Solla, Northwestern University Haim Sompolinsky, Hebrew University Josh Tenenbaum, MIT Nao Uchida, Harvard University Greg Wayne, DeepMind Hongkui Zeng, Allen Institute

March 12, 2018

New NSF funding opportunity

by Tuller, Betty K.

APOLOGIES FOR MULTIPLE POSTINGS A new solicitation has been posted that might be of interest. It’s called The Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier: Advancing Cognitive and Physical Capabilities” (https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505528&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&fro…) and is one of NSF’s “Ten Big Ideas.” For FY2018, there are two main themes: 1) Foundations for Augmenting Human Cognition 2) Embodied Intelligent Cognitive Assistants Letters of Intent are due April 16 and Full proposals are due June 4. Please take a look at the solicitation. Our sciences have a lot to say in this domain. Betty Tuller, Ph.D. Director, Program in Perception, Action, and Cognition National Science Foundation 2415 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, VA 22314 Tel: 703.292.7238 Fax: 703.292.9068 The PAC program has additional requirements for submission: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5686. A new Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide is now available at http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf18001<http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf16001>

March 12, 2018

PhD position in neuroscience available immediately (Italy/USA)

by Carlos Andres Mendez Guerrero

*PhD Position in neuroscience available immediately* A new European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator grant starts at the University of Torino, Italy, for 5 years (~ 2 million euros). The grant “LIGHTUP – Turning the cortically blind brain to see” is awarded to prof. Marco Tamietto (www.marcotamietto.com) The project investigates the neural correlates of visual awareness and of non-conscious vision in patients with *blindsight* and in non-human primates (macaques) with V1 destruction. To this aim, a broad range of methods will be used, including 3T and 7T (f)MRI, neurophysiological recordings and brain stimulation (TMS). The project is embedded in an outstanding international and interdisciplinary context, including the University of Oxford, UK, Tilburg University (NL) and NIH (USA), with granted access to their excellent facilities. We offer a full-time PhD Student post for 4 years. Applications of highly motivated candidates with interests in systems neuroscience, vision sciences and neuroimaging are welcomed. The successful applicant will be appointed by the University of Torino (Ita), but he/she will be expected to spend a significant amount of time at the NIH in Bethesda (USA). For more details (salary, requirements, contact..) please visit the laboratory website: http://www.marcotamietto.com

March 12, 2018

Two open positions in circadian patterning of neural activity

by Meredith, Andrea

Postdoctoral Positions Available in Electrophysiology and Imaging Two positions are available in the lab of Dr. Andrea Meredith, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, to study the circadian patterning of neuronal activity. We are seeking a highly motivated team-players to contribute to our studies of the circadian regulation of intrinsic excitability and intracellular signaling in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, the brain's intrinsic 'clock.' One project is an NIH BRAIN Initiative<https://www.braininitiative.nih.gov/>-funded study involving high resolution imaging with novel FRET-based sensors to record rhythmic signals in SCN neurons and the circuit. Other projects involve deciphering the biophysical mechanisms that contribute to circadian regulation of membrane excitability by the large conductance Ca2+-activated BK channel and other ion channels (see Nature Neuroscience 9:1041<https://www.nature.com/articles/nn1740>, 2006; Nature Communications 7:10837<https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms10837>, 2016; and Journal of General Physiology 15:259<http://jgp.rupress.org/content/150/2/259.long>, 2018). The Meredith Lab (http://meredithlab.org) is focused on understanding the mechanisms that contribute to circadian regulation of membrane excitability and daily oscillations in action potential activity in the SCN circuit, using techniques such as voltage- and current-clamp, multi-electrode array recordings, imaging, molecular biology, transgenics, and in vivo telemetry. Requirements: We are seeking candidates with a PhD in neuroscience, biophysics, physiology, or other relevant field. Experience with electrophysiological recordings or imaging is required. Excellent oral and written communication skills (fluent in English) required. To apply: Please send by email to Dr. Andrea Meredith (ameredith(a)som.umaryland.edu<mailto:ameredith@som.umaryland.edu>) with: - your CV - a letter describing your research accomplishments, expertise, and career goals - contact information for three references The Department of Physiology (http://medschool.umaryland.edu/physiology) offers outstanding research and NIH-funded postdoctoral training opportunities. The University of Maryland School of Medicine, located in downtown Baltimore, is the oldest public medical school in the U.S. and the founding campus of the University of Maryland system. The School of Medicine ranks 6th among all 76 public medical schools. ___________________________________________________________ Andrea Meredith, PhD Associate Professor Dept. of Physiology and Program in Neuroscience University of Maryland School of Medicine 655 W. Baltimore Str. BRB 5-002 Baltimore, MD 21201 410-706-5991<tel:410-706-5991> office ameredith(a)som.umaryland.edu<mailto:ameredith@som.umaryland.edu> http://meredithlab.org<http://meredithlab.org/>

March 6, 2018

6th Baltic-Nordic Summer School on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2018)

by Marja-Leena Linne

6th Baltic-Nordic Summer School on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2018) Understanding the Brain: from Neuroscience to Deep Learning Place: Ventspils University of Applied Sciences Inženieru 101, Ventspils Latvia Time: 11-13 June 2018 More information and applications at: web.lsmuni.lt/bnni2018/en<http://web.lsmuni.lt/bnni2018/en> Important dates: 2 April 2018: Application deadline 15 April 2018: Acceptance notification 11-13 June 2018: School We invite advanced master students, doctoral students, and postdoctoral researchers to participate in the BNNI 2018 to be held at the Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Ventspils, Latvia in 11-13 June 2018. The course is interdisciplinary and covers modeling at different levels of organization of the brain. Additionally this year's training course is planned more diverse and will include also EEG/SEEG signal processing techniques, forward and inverse modeling of the brain and various aspects of deep learning algorithms. This school is the sixth in the series of the Baltic-Nordic Courses on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2013 in Kaunas, Lithuania; BNNI 2014 in Tampere, Finland; BNNI 2015 in Tartu, Estonia; BNNI 2016 in Warsaw, Poland, BNNI 2017 in Kaunas, Lithuania). The target audience of the course will be advanced master students, doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers in biomedical and technology sciences, from medicine, biology, psychology, to mathematics, informatics, information technology, physics, chemistry, who would like to get an introduction to neuroinformatics and computational neuroscience. Some experience with programming and quantitative reasoning as well as strong interest in computational and mathematical modeling of the brain will be desirable but not necessary to benefit from the school. Last year we had participants from 14 countries all over the world! Faculty includes: Marja-Leena Linne, Tampere University of Technology, Finland; The Human Brain Project Ausra Saudargiene, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, and Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania Bruce Graham, University of Stirling, UK Daniel Wojcik, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland Arnd Roth, University College London, UK Peter Jedlicka, NeuroScience Center, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany Gaute Einevoll, UiO Department of Physics The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Norway Radu Ranta, CRAN, University of Lorraine, France Louis Maillard, CHRU Hôpital central - Nancy, CRAN, University of Lorraine, France Janis Hofmanis, Smart Technology Research Center, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Ventspils, Latvia and others. Venue The lectures will be held at the Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Inženieru 101, Ventspils, Latvia. Practical arrangements There is a small tuition fee of 50 euros. The organizers will provide teaching materials, meals and coffee during the course. The participants are expected to cover their travel and health insurance expenses as well as lodging. Although Student accommodation will be available at a reduced cost. Ventspils University of Applied Sciences can provide a student dormitory rooms - 2 students per room, 2 rooms per block. One block costs 51 EUR (12,75 EUR for one person per night). We are looking forward to welcome you at the BNNI 2018 in Ventspils, Latvia!

March 6, 2018

CFP- Special issue on Robots and Smart Environments

by Amir Aly

*Cognitive Systems Research (CSR) Journal* CALL FOR PAPERS **Apologies for cross posting ** We are happy to call for papers for the journal special issue: "*Social Cognitive Systems in Smart Environments: Approaches for Learning, Reasoning, and Adaptation*" *Webpage: **https://www.journals.elsevier.com/cognitive-systems-research/call-for-papers/special-issue-social-cognitive-systems-in-smart-environment <https://www.journals.elsevier.com/cognitive-systems-research/call-for-paper…> * <http://cognitive-mirroring.org/en/events/hai2017_workshop/> *I. Aim and Scope * A “smart” environment incorporates intelligent systems (e.g., smart home, smart factory, smart city, smart car etc.) employing heterogeneous devices, such as: sensors, actuators, cameras, networks, and screens. Within such a smart environment, autonomous agents can take on an important mediating role between human users and the environment. This is particularly true if high-level cognitive functions and computational intelligence are employed to handle the uncertainty of the complex environment so as to allow agents to act appropriately within different contexts of interaction. Using robotic systems in smart environments opens the door to several socio-cognitive applications, such as: reducing cognitive load for individuals interacting with a smart environment, assisting the elderly and people with cognitive disabilities in mobility and daily tasks (which requires robots to learn the multimodal characteristics of human behavior and to spatially perceive the environment containing other smart objects to decide the best way to employ/manipulate them in order to successfully perform tasks), and developing a cloud-connected robot system to incrementally share knowledge between robots in different smart environments about the behavioral characteristics of human users in order to interact with them adaptively. To meet the requirements of these target applications, robots need to be able to learn how to use the capabilities of their smart environments to better address the needs of the human users. Industrial applications of such technologies include factories of the future and the digital eco-system within an autonomous car. This special issue aims to shed light on cutting edge lines of interdisciplinary research in cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and robotics covering basic research and applications. Recent advances and possible future research avenues on smart robots and environments would be discussed in detail in this journal special issue. *II. Potential Topics* Topics relevant to this special issue include, but are not limited to: - Cyber-physical systems in smart environments - 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 - Internet of things - Ambient assisted living - Infotainment in smart vehicles - Natural user interface design - Cloud robotics - Ubiquitous computing *III. Submission* Submissions to the special issue must include original research that has not been published nor submitted to other journals. Authors should prepare their manuscript according to the "Guide for Authors" available at the journal homepage: http://www.journals.elsevier.c om/cognitive-systems-research/. Papers should be submitted through the EVISE system: https://www.evise.com/evise/jrnl/cogsys. Authors should select "*VSI:Smart Environments"* as the article type during the submission process. *IV. Timline (Submission portal will be open on March 1, 2018)* - Deadline for paper submission: April 30, 2018 - First notification for authors: July 31, 2018 - Deadline for revised papers submission: September 30, 2018 - Final notification for authors: November 30, 2018 - Deadline for submission of camera-ready manuscripts: January 15, 2019 *V. Guest editors* Dr. Amir Aly, Ritsumeikan University, Japan (amir.aly(a)em.ci.ritsumei.ac.jp) Dr. Shashank Pathak,Visteon Corporation, Germany ( shashank.pathak(a)visteon.com) Dr. Sean Andrist, Microsoft Research, USA (sandrist(a)microsoft.com) Prof. Armando Tacchella, University of Genoa, Italy ( armando.tacchella(a)unige.it) ------ *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

March 6, 2018

NeuroBridges 2018 announcement

by Ahmed El Hady

*/NeuroBridges 2018 Summer school , Cluny, France/* */( October 2nd - October 12th, 2017 )/* I would like to bring to your attention the *NeuroBridges 2018 Computational Neuroscience School*. <http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2018.html> NeuroBridges <https://www.facebook.com/NeuroBridges/>is a one-of-a-kind series of scientific meetings in brain research, which brings together Mediterranean and Middle Eastern scientists, in order to promote international scientific cooperation in system and computational neuroscience. A major goal of this school is to serve as a bridge between experimental and theoretical neuroscientists, addressing system-level questions. The organizers of NeuroBridges also believe that these scientific collaborations can lead to personal relations, which eventually may help alleviate the political distress in the Middle East. Following the success of NeuroBridges 2017 <http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2017.html> school, NeuroBridges 2018 <http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2018.html> will be a nine day summer school <http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2018.html>, which will take place in Cluny, France. The school is organized by Ahmed El Hady (Princeton), David Hansel (CNRS) and Yonatan Loewenstein (Hebrew University). It will be comprised of lectures delivered by a group of leading neuroscientists, experimentalists as well as theoreticians, which will address the fundamental questions in contemporary neuroscience. In addition to the lectures, the students will work in groups on small research projects. The school is intended for graduate students and postdocs, primarily from the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, either working in their home countries or abroad. We will consider applicants with some background in applied mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering or physics, interested in theoretical brain and cognitive sciences. We will also consider those with biological or medical background given that they show proof of basic mathematical knowledge. The school will take place between October 2 and October 12, 2018 in Le Centre de Conférences Internationales de Cluny (CCIC). Cluny is a small medieval town in Burgundy, France, located about 400km southeast of Paris (accessible by fast train, TGV). The deadline for application is *May 31st, 2018 *and the following is the website including the link for the online application: http://decision-making-lab.com/NeuroBridges/neurobridges2018.html For more information, please contact neurobridges2018(a)gmail.com <mailto:neurobridges2018@gmail.com>.

March 6, 2018

4th FUNCTIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF MEMORY (FAM) CONFERENCE

by Laura Montero

*Dates May 23rd, 2018 to May 25th, 2018 * *Place LEIBNIZ INSTITUT FOR NEUROBIOLOGY, Magdeburg, Germany * About the Event The Fourth international conference on the FUNCTIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF MEMORY May 23th to 25th 2018 (Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg - Germany) is organized by Prof. Dr. M. Sauvage. The FAM conference aims at bringing new insights on today's major controversies in recognition memory by bridging human and animal memory function. Twenty of the world-leading experts on the medial temporal lobe and memory function will discuss findings obtained using behavioral, imaging, electrophysiological, mutagenesis and computational techniques. The conference will start by a 5min blitz session that attendants are welcome to contribute to, and a “speakers/students-only brainstorming session” takes place each day. The number of participants is limited to 100 (first-come first-served basis) and registration can be made at https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/philosophy/famconference/# FAM conference Speakers: Jozsef Csicsvari (IST, Austria) Emrah Düzel (DZNE, Germany) Paul Frankland (Sickkids Toronto, Canada) James Knierim (Johns Hopkins Univ., USA) Pierre Lavenex (Lauzanne univ., Switzerland) Stefan Leutgeb (UC San Diego, USA) Thomas McHugh (RIKEN, Japan) Shane OMara (Trinity College, Ireland) Charan Ranganath (UC Davis, USA) Magdalena Sauvage (LIN, Germany) Steven Siegelbaum (Columbia U, USA) Wendy Suzuki (New York University, USA) Clea Warburton (Bristol University, UK) Thomas Wolbers (DZNE, Germany) Menno Witter (Kavli Institute, Norway) Motoharu Yoshida (DZNE, Germany) Contact Laura Montero Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Functional Architecture of Memory Dpt Brenneckestrasse, 6 39118 Magdeburg Germany Phone: +49-391-6263-94531 Email: <http://www.fens.org/News-Activities/Calendar/Meetings/2018/05/4th-FUNCTIONA…> 4thfamconference(a)gmail.com Website: https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/philosophy/famconference/#

March 5, 2018

Computational & Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN) Summer School -- DEADLINE EXTENSION TO MARCH 14

by Murray, John

*** APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 14, 2018. *** We are pleased to announce the 8th Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN) Summer School which will take place June 26 — July 19, 2018, at Cold Spring Harbor Asia (CSHA) in Suzhou, China. Please distribute this announcement to your department and colleagues. The CCN summer school is a unique international summer school focusing on systems neuroscience and cognition from a computational and theoretical perspective. Lectures from leading international faculty in experimental, computational and theoretical neuroscience are tightly coupled with computational tutorials in a series of modules. Each module covers a core area, integrating experimental, theoretical and computational perspectives. The course aims to train talented and highly motivated graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from around the world. Applicants with quantitative (including Physics, Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science) or experimental backgrounds are welcome. The summer school also has the mission of training and integrating students from diverse academic, cultural and geographic backgrounds. The practical training includes learning Python-based approaches to programming, data analysis and modeling. Students work through tutorials designed with the faculty and then design, plan and complete a series of open-ended projects for each module. Course information is available on the CCN official website: http://www.ccnss.org/ Applications are being accepted now through the CSHA website: https://www.csh-asia.org/2018meetings/S-COSYNE.html The application deadline is March 14th, 2018. Course Directors: Xiao-Jing Wang (New York University) Zach Mainen (Champalimaud Neuroscience Program) Si Wu (Beijing Normal University) John D. Murray (Yale University) Eric DeWitt (Champalimaud Neuroscience Program) CCN 2018 Lecturers: Eric DeWitt (Champalimaud Research) Shaul Druckmann (Stanford) Jeff Erlich (NYU Shanghai) Birte Forstmann (U Amsterdam) David Foster (UC Berkeley) Julijana Gjorgjieva (MPI Brain Research) Michael Hausser (UCL) Alex Huth (UT Austin) Chris Honey (Johns Hopkins) Sukbin Lim (NYU Shanghai) Zach Mainen (Champalimaud Research) John Murray (Yale) Peggy Series (U Edinburgh) Maurice Smith (Harvard) Xiao-Jing Wang (NYU) Si Wu (Beijing Normal) Byron Yu (Carnegie Mellon) + more! Best regards, CCN SS Directors: Xiao-Jing Wang, Zach Mainen, Si Wu, John Murray, Eric DeWitt John D. Murray ----------------------------------------------- Assistant Professor Department of Psychiatry Yale University School of Medicine murraylab.yale.edu<http://murraylab.yale.edu/> -----------------------------------------------

March 5, 2018

CNS*2018 Abstract DEADLINE EXTENSION to March 12

by Sharon Crook

As always, apologies for multiple posts. CNS*2018 Call for Abstracts DEADLINE EXTENSION Organization for Computational Neurosciences (OCNS) 27th Annual Meeting Seattle, USA July 13-18 Local Organizers: Christof Koch, Adrienne Fairhall, Eric Shea-Brown The main meeting begins the evening of Friday July 13 and runs through Monday July 16. It will be preceded by a day of tutorials (Friday July 13) and followed by two days of workshops (Tuesday July 17 and Wednesday July 18). Invited Keynote Speakers: Eve Marder, Brandeis University Nancy Kopell, Boston University Daniel Wolpert, University of Cambridge Rajesh Rao, University of Washington The abstract submission deadline has been extended to MARCH 12, 2018 at 11pm Pacific Time. This will be the final deadline for abstract submission. Note that one of the authors must register as sponsoring author for the main meeting before abstract submission is possible. In case the abstract is not accepted for presentation, the registration fee will be refunded. Abstract Submission: http://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2018-abstract-submission Registration: https://ocns.memberclicks.net/index.php?option=com_mc&view=mc&mcid=form_243… For up-to-date conference information, please visit: http://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2018 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OCNS is the international member-based society for computational neuroscientists. Become a member to be eligible for travel awards and more. Visit our website for more information: http://www.cnsorg.org

March 2, 2018

Postdoctoral positions in computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence

by Maxim Bazhenov

Applications are invited for post-doctoral research positions in the laboratory of Dr. Maxim Bazhenov at the University of California, San Diego to study memory and learning and to develop neuroscience inspired computer algorithms capable of continual learning and adapting to the novel situations and contexts.This project involves close collaboration with the experimental laboratory of Dr. Bruce McNaughton (UC Irvine). The ultimate goal of the work is to advance the knowledge of how human and animal brains learn from experience and apply these principles to the artificial systems to enable continuous learning without catastrophic forgetting. The successful candidate will collaborate with a team of researchers to design neural network models of dynamic interactions between the hippocampus and neocortex during learning and memory consolidation in sleep and awake based on experimental data. These models will be used to derive learning principles that can be combined with advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning. An ideal candidate should have experience in computational/theoretical neuroscience and a basic knowledge of machine learning, or, alternatively, experience in machine learning algorithms and some basic knowledge of neuroscience. Experience with hierarchical learning, reinforcement learning, and/or goal-directed decision-making would be particularly helpful. The University of California offers excellent benefits. Salary is based on research experience. Applicants should send a brief statement of research interests, a CV and the names of three references to Maxim Bazhenov at mbazhenov(a)ucsd.edu -- Maxim Bazhenov, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Medicine, Neurosciences Graduate Program, UCSD, School of Medicine http://www.bazhlab.ucsd.edu/

March 2, 2018

[publication and call for dialog] IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems

by Pierre-Yves Oudeyer

Dear colleagues, we are happy to announce the release of the latest issue of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems (open access). This is a biannual newsletter addressing the sciences of developmental and cognitive processes in natural and artificial organisms, from humans to robots, at the crossroads of cognitive science, developmental psychology, artificial intelligence, machine learning and neuroscience. It is available at: http://goo.gl/pA7WrH Featuring dialog: === "One developmental architecture to rule them all?" == Dialog initiated by Matthias Rolf, Lorijn Zaadnoordijk and Johan Kwisthout with responses from: Niels Taatgen, John Spencer, Gary Jones, Gerard Wolff, Clément Moulin-Frier and Paul Verschure == Topic: Humans have a unique capability to achieve and learn a wide diversity of skills of all kinds, from low-level sensorimotor skills to very abstract linguistic or mathematical skills. Is it possible to develop theories of how general cognitive architectures can display such a general flexibility for skill learning? This dialog adresses this question, and discusses whether and how it would be useful both epistemologically and in practice to aim towards the development of a “standard integrated cognitive architecture”, akin to “standard models” in physics, or whether focusing on simple and partial models should be a better approach. In particular, this question is discussed in the context of understanding development in infants, and of building developmental architectures, thus addressing the issue of architectures that not only learn, but that are adaptive themselves. Call for new dialog: === "Curiosity as Driver of Extreme Specialization in Humans" == Dialog initiated by Celeste Kidd == This dialog asks the question of why and how humans can be driven to extremely specialize. In particular, it proposes the hypothesis that curiosity may play a fundamental role in this process, and highlights many important open questions about how this could happen, and what are the actual mechanisms of curiosity-driven exploration and learning. Those of you interested in reacting to this dialog initiation are welcome to submit a response by May 30th, 2018. The length of each response must be between 600 and 800 words including references (contact pierre-yves.oudeyer(a)inria.fr) Let us remind you that all issues of the newsletter are all open-access and available at: https://goo.gl/ZjjZNz I wish you a stimulating reading! Best regards, Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, Editor of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems Research director, Inria Head of Flowers project-team Inria and Ensta ParisTech, France http://www.pyoudeyer.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/pyoudeyer and Fabien Benureau Assistant Editor Inria Mnemosyne team http://fabien.benureau.com

March 2, 2018

Stanford University Job Opportunities: Postdoctoral Fellowship

by Christina Atkinson

Stanford University’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences is seeking to hire a full time post-doctoral fellow 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. 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> <mailto:scsnl.stanford@gmail.com>

March 1, 2018

7th International Summer School of Neuroengineering "Massimo Grattarola"

by Paolo Massobrio

Call for applicants of the 7th International Summer School of Neuroengineering "Massimo Grattarola" Neurotechnologies and Computational Methods to Interact with the Brain The 7th International Summer School of Neuroengineering "Massimo Grattarola" aims to introduce computational and technological methods to researchers of different backgrounds (life sciences, physics, engineering) to interact with the brain. The first two days will deal with brain dynamics giving particular emphasis to the role of the connectivity and computational models of the brain at different level of abstraction, as well as hardware and software platforms to simulate such dynamics. During the 3rd day, the recent advancements for increasing the quality of the recordings and for delivering efficient stimulating protocols will be discussed. Finally, the last day will provide examples of neuroengineering paradigms for designing new neuroprostheses to interact with the brain and their clinical applications to increase the quality of life. A practical experimental session using high-density EEG set-up and multi-electrode arrays for in vitro/in vivo applications is foreseen. Dates: 18th-22nd June 2018 Location: Genova (Italy) Registration: Registrations will open during the first week of March. Participation is limited to 60 attendees (students, post-docs, .). Website: www.neuroengineering.eu <http://www.neuroengineering.eu> Poster session: Students attending the school will have the opportunity to present their results in a two-days poster session. Confirmed speakers: Miguel Nicolelis (Duke University), Shimon Marom (Technion Israel Institute of Technology), Matias Palva (Univ. Helsinki), Andreas Hierlemann (ETH), Tim Harris (Janelia Research Campus), Lucilla de Arcangelis (Univ. of Campania), Annalisa Bonfiglio (Univ. Cagliari), Sylvie Renaud (Bordeaux INP), Valentina Pasquale (Italian Institute of Technology), Michele Giugliano (Univ. Antwerp), Michele Migliore (CNR), Silvia Casarotto (Univ. Milano), Michela Chiappalone (Italian Institute of Technology), Stanisa Raspopovic (ETH). Best regards Paolo Massobrio _________________________________________________ Paolo Massobrio, PhD Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Neuroengineering and Bio-Nano Technology - NBT - Lab Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and System Engineering - DIBRIS University of Genova Via Opera Pia 13, 16145, GENOVA, ITALY Phone: +39-010-3532761 Fax: +39-010-3532764 URL: <http://www.dibris.unige.it/> www.dibris.unige.it; <http://www.nbt.unige.it> www.nbt.unige.it E-mail: <mailto:paolo.massobrio@unige.it> paolo.massobrio(a)unige.it

March 1, 2018

Post-doctoral position in Computational Neuroscience, Moreno-Bote Lab, Barcelona, Spain

by Ruben Moreno Bote

Post-doctoral position Computational Neuroscience, Moreno-Bote Lab University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain We are looking for strong post-doctoral candidates interested in joining the group of Theoretical Neuroscience of Rubén Moreno-Bote lab. We are looking for excellent post-doctoral candidates with Physics, Mathematics or Machine Learning background, ideally with knowledge of Neuroscience or Computational Neuroscience, and interested in theory and applications. The publication record of the candidate should be very strong in his/her respective discipline. The candidate will develop state of the art mathematical techniques to understand neuronal dynamics and will have access to multielectrode recording neural data. He/she could also be involved in the design of electrophysiology experiments through our collaborators. The candidate will benefit from the stimulating environment of Barcelona area in Theoretical and Systems Neuroscience and will have the opportunity of enjoying a lively city. Our lab (http://www.upf.edu/pdi/ruben-moreno-bote) forms part of a larger network of neuroscience labs in Barcelona (http://www.barcelonaneuroscience.com) Financial support is provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Spanish MINECO. APPLICATION: A full CV in pdf format, a 1 page project in pdf format, and names and email addresses of 2 referees should be sent to the following address: ruben.moreno(a)upf.edu Informal inquiries are welcome. DEADLINE: up to the position is filled STARTING DATE: any time between September 2018 and January 2019 -- Rubén Moreno Bote Serra Húnter & ICREA Academia Professor Center for Brain and Cognition & Dept. of Information and Communications Technologies University Pompeu Fabra Campus Ciutadella, Building 24, office 331 Ramon Trias Fargas, 24-27 08005 Barcelona, Spain http://www.upf.edu/pdi/ruben-moreno-bote

March 1, 2018

Summer course: CAMP@Bangalore 2018 Announcement email

by U.S.Bhalla

Subject:Course announcement: CAMP@Bangalore 2018 We would like to announce CAMP@Bangalore 2018 from 1-16 July 2018. Please see the course website at http://camp.ncbs.res.in/. CAMP @ Bangalore (Computational Approaches to Memory and Plasticity at NCBS, Bangalore) is a 16-day summer school on the theory and simulation of learning, memory and plasticity in the brain. The flavour of this year's CAMP is "Sequences in the brain". The course consists of 3 modules covering sub-cellular electrical models, micro-circuits and network models, detailed models with electrical and chemical components, and systems level models, all with an emphasis on learning, memory and plasticity. All modules will have their own hands-on projects. Students worldwide are encouraged to apply. Accommodation and food will be free for the selected students. There is no registration fee. Students are advised to obtain independent travel grants. Confirmed instructors include: Arvind Kumar (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm) Charan Ranganath (University of California, Davis) Collins Assisi (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune) Dean Buonomano (University of California, Los Angeles) Moshe Abeles (Bar Ilan University, Israel) Rishikesh Narayanan (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore) Robert Guetig (Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Germany) Sachin Deshmukh (Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru) Suhita Nadkarni (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune) Upinder Bhalla (National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore) Course Organizers: Arvind Kumar (KTH Stockholm) Rishikesh Narayanan (IISc, Bangalore) Upinder Bhalla (NCBS, Bangalore)

March 1, 2018

Re: [Comp-neuro] [meetings] 2nd CFP, Special session - Hybrid Life: Approaches to integrate biological, artificial and cognitive systems, ALife 2018 (Tokyo)

by Manuel Baltieri

[Apologies for cross-posting] ********** 3nd Call for Papers ********** Special session - Hybrid Life: Approaches to integrate biological, artificial and cognitive systems https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/ <https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/> 2018 Artificial Life conference (ALife) Tokyo, JAPAN, 23-27 July 2018 - http://2018.alife.org/ <http://2018.alife.org/> Invited panelists: Ryota Kanai, Jun Tani, Masahiko Inami and Mizuki Oka. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION: The main focus of ALife research is the study of natural systems with the goal of understanding what life is. More concretely, ALife defines ways to investigate processes that contribute to the formation and proliferation of living organisms. In this session we focus on three common approaches to tackle this investigation, proposing ways to integrate, extend and possibly improve them. More specifically we refer to: 1) the formalisation of the necessary properties for the definition of life, 2) the implementation of artificial agents, and 3) the study of the relation between life and cognition. For this special session we propose to start from these well-established Alife methodologies, and extend them through: a unified formal language for the description and modelling of living, as well as artificial and cognitive systems, e.g. control theory, Bayesian inference, dynamical systems theory, etc., the exploration of biological creatures enhanced by artificial systems (or artificial systems augmented with organic parts) in order to investigate the boundaries between living and nonliving organisms, and the evaluation of coupled biological-artificial systems that could shed light on the importance of interactions among systems for the study of living and cognitive organisms. This special sessions aims to invite contributions from the fields of psychology, computational neuroscience, HCI, theoretical biology, artificial intelligence, robotics and cognitive science to discuss current research on the formalisation, combination and interaction of artificial/living/cognitive systems from theoretical, modelling and implementational perspectives. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: Formalisation of life and cognition (e.g. dynamical systems theory, stochastic optimal control, Bayesian inference, etc.) Cognitive robotics Autopoiesis Life-mind continuity thesis Systems biology Origins-of-life theories with relationships to artificial and cognitive systems Animal-robot interaction Bio-inspired robotics Bio-integrated robotics Human-machine interaction Augmented cognition Sensory substitution Interactive evolutionary computation Artificial perception PANELISTS: Ryota Kanai Ryota Kanai is a neuroscientist working on the computational principles underlying consciousness and the brain, and the founder and CEO of an AI startup, Araya, Inc. in Tokyo. His goal is to create artificial consciousness using intrinsic motivation, deep neural networks, and integrated information while taking inspirations from neuroscience. He formerly led a cognitive neuroscience lab at the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science at the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. Araya Inc.: http://www.araya.org/ <http://www.araya.org/> <http://www.araya.org/>Jun Tani Jun Tani is a Full Professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa, Japan. He is directing the Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit. He has investigated the problem of embodied cognition by applying the predictive coding framework to neurorobotics experimental study for more than 20 years. His study has been summarized in his book, “Exploring Robotic Minds: Actions, Symbols, and Consciousness as Self-Organizing Dynamic Phenomena." published from Oxford Univ. Press in 2016. CNRU at OIST: https://groups.oist.jp/cnru <https://groups.oist.jp/cnru> Masahiko Inami Masahiko (Masa) Inami is a Professor in the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He is also directing the Inami JIZAI Body Project, JST ERATO. His research interest is in Augmented Human, human I/O enhancement technologies including perception, HCI and robotics. He received BE and MS degrees in bioengineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and PhD in the Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) from the University of Tokyo in 1999. He joined the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Tokyo, and in 1999, he moved to the University of Electro-Communications. In April 2008, he joined Keio University, where he served as a Professor of the Graduate School of Media Design and the Vice-director of the International Virtual Reality Center till October 2015. In November 2015, he rejoined the University of Tokyo. His installations have appeared at Ars Electronica Center. He proposed and organized the Superhuman Sports Society. InamiLab at Todai: https://inamilab.org <https://inamilab.org/> Mizuki Oka Mizuki Oka is an associate Professor at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. Obtained the International Baccalaureate at the United World College of the Adriatic in 1998. Studied computer science at the University of Tsukuba where she obtained the Doctor of Engineering in 2008. Served also as a research fellow for the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science from 2005 to 2008. Worked at the Center for Knowledge Structuring at the University of Tokyo as a post-doc from 2008 to 2013 in Japan. Gave a talk at TEDxTokyo in 2012 and at TEDxTsukuba in 2013. Her current research interests are Web Science and Artificial Life. She is also a founder of ALife Lab. and CO-CEO of Alternative Machine Inc. Personal website: http://mizoka.jp/english/ <http://mizoka.jp/english/> Important Dates 19th March 2018 – Paper submission deadline 23rd April 2018 – Paper acceptance notification 21st May 2018 – Camera-ready version 23-27th July 2018 – Artificial Life conference (ALife), Tokyo, Japan Paper Submission Papers and abstracts submitted to this special sessions will be reviewed by a selected group of experts from the a-life community as well as from other areas key to our proposal, specifically chosen for this review process. If you are submitting to a special session you will be given the opportunity to select it during the submission process. Submissions to special sessions follow the same format, instructions and deadlines of regular ALife papers, as specified here http://2018.alife.org/instructions-for-authors/ <http://2018.alife.org/instructions-for-authors/>. Organizers Manuel Baltieri, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. m.baltieri(a)sussex.ac.uk <mailto:m.baltieri@sussex.ac.uk> Keisuke Suzuki, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. k.suzuki(a)sussex.ac.uk <mailto:filippo.m.bianchi@uit.no> Hiroyuki Iizuka, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan hiroyukiiizuka(a)gmail.com <mailto:hiroyukiiizuka@gmail.com> Contacts For questions, enquiries and more information please check our website https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/ <https://sites.google.com/view/hybrid-life/> or get in touch with Manuel m.baltieri(a)sussex.ac.uk <mailto:m.baltieri@sussex.ac.uk>. All the best, Manuel, Keisuke, Hiro

Feb. 28, 2018

Postdoc to study hippocampal information processing in Canavier lab

by Canavier, Carmen C.

A Postdoctoral Researcher position is available in the computational neuroscience lab of Carmen Canavier in the School of Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. The position is to study cholinergic contributions to hippocampal information processing in close collaboration with electrophysiologist Sonia Gasparini. The successful candidate will construct a morphologically and biophysically realistic model of a hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neuron to explain the observed frequency selectivity of different dendritic regions for slow versus fast gamma band inputs. Some network modeling will also be required for the project. If interested, please apply, preferably by March 31st 2018 at https://www.lsuhsc.edu/Administration/hrm/CareerOpportunities/Home/Detail/1… The primary duties will involve linear and non-linear analyses, writing code, calibrating single neuron models, and generating predictions that lead to additional experiments. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science or a related field of study. The ideal candidate would have experience with the simulation package NEURON and some knowledge of the hippocampus. Familiarity with nonlinear dynamics, signal processing, and coding in C and or python in a Linux environment is also desirable. If you have questions, please email Dr. Canavier at ccanav(a)lsuhsc.edu. LSUHSC is an Equal Opportunity Employer for females, minorities, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

Feb. 28, 2018

Postdoc, Deep Microscopy, Berlin

by Judkewitz, Benjamin

Postdoc position available at the Judkewitz Lab! Join our team of neuroscientists, engineers, biologists and physicists in Berlin. Your mission: develop deep brain microscopy techniques and boldly focus where no one has shaped wavefronts before. http://jlab.berlin/jobs

Feb. 27, 2018

4-year fully-funded Ph.D. Position in Computational Neuroscience at the Donders Institute

by Bernhard Englitz

Dear List, please distribute the following position announcement to finishing M.Sc. students with strong skills in (computational) neuroscience interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. Thanks & best wishes, Bernhard Bernhard Englitz, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Neurophysiology Donders Centre for Neuroscience Faculty of Science, Radboud Universiteit Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Project : As a PhD Candidate you will work on a project entitled ‘Neural Mechanisms of Processing and Recognizing Complex, Statistical Sounds’. This project is funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and will be conducted at Radboud University in Nijmegen. The main research question is how the brain represents and processes acoustic stimuli which are only defined on a statistical level. These stimuli have a high behavioural relevance, since many natural stimuli have this character. The PhD project will involve a combination of neural population recordings from multiple areas of the auditory and parietal cortex of behaving mice, and their subsequent data analysis. Individual cells will be identified using specific genetically modified mouse lines and matched optogenetic tools. The main outcome of the research will be an expansion of our knowledge of auditory processing, which may have far-reaching implications for the processing of sounds in hearing aids and smart phones. Scientific Environment : The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour consists of three research centres, the Centre for Cognition, the Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging and the Centre for Neuroscience. It focuses on state-of-the-art cognitive neuroscience in a multidisciplinary approach, and offers excellent lab and neuroimaging facilities. The position will be hosted at the Neurophysiology department, which provides a high-quality neuroscience environment with facilities for chronic and non-chronic multi-channel recordings, imaging and computational modelling. The department’s research questions address issues in fundamental and applied research, and enable the interaction of theory and experimental work in a single location. The Donders Institute is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community, and as such encourages applications from women and minorities. Radboud University offers a parental leave scheme and day care on campus. Qualifications : MSc degree in (computational) neuroscience, engineering or biology; experience with animal physiology, programming and data analysis; a proactive attitude, good communication skills, and the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team. Application Link : http://www.ru.nl/english/working-at/jobopportunities/details/details-vacatu… <http://www.ru.nl/english/working-at/jobopportunities/details/details-vacatu…> Closing Date of Call : 30.3.2018 Planned Starting Date : 1.9.2018

Feb. 27, 2018

Postdoctoral Position in Systems Neurophysiology of Social Bonding in Rodents

by Liu, Robert C

Postdoctoral Position in Systems Neurophysiology of Social Bonding in Rodents Yerkes National Primate Research Center and the Department of Biology Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia The laboratories of Robert Liu, Gordon Berman and Larry Young at Emory University are accepting applications for a postdoctoral scientist working in a collaborative team to study pro-social interactions in rodents. The research combines recent advances in computational ethology (Berman et al, Interface, 2014) with in vivo electrophysiology and optogenetics in socially interacting prairie voles (Amadei, Johnson et al, Nature, 2017), a premier rodent model for the formation of social bonds (Lim et al, Nature, 2004). The research aims to use behavioral and neurophysiological activity to build predictive models of social dynamics leading to a pair bond, and investigate the role that oxytocin plays in mediating these activities. PhD required. We are looking for a candidate who approaches neuroscience with a systems or circuit perspective and is interested in the neuroscience of social behavior. Training in any of the following areas would be viewed favorably: in vivo electrophysiology, optogenetics, computational data analysis, sensorimotor integration, reward and reinforcement. Emory University and the Yerkes National Primate Research Center have a rich, collaborative neuroscience community (http://biomed.emory.edu/PROGRAM_SITES/NS/) especially in the areas of translational social neuroscience (http://ctsn.emory.edu/) and computational neuroscience (http://compneurosci.college.emory.edu/) Research at Emory in the neurobiology of social behavior extends across many labs from the molecular level through the organismal level in animal models and humans, with a particular interest in the functions of oxytocin (http://www.oxytocin.emory.edu/) Ongoing efforts include both elucidating normal processes and ameliorating deficits found in human conditions, like autism spectrum disorder. To inquire or apply, please email robert.liu(a)emory.edu<mailto:robert.liu@emory.edu>. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue at least through March 31, or until the position is filled. Applications should include a CV, the names and full contact information of 3 references, and at least one representative publication. Emory University is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. References: Amadei EA*, Johnson ZV*, Kwon YJ, Shpiner AC, Saravanan V, Mays W, Ryan S, Walum H, Rainnie D, Young LJ, Liu RC (2017). Dynamic corticostriatal activity biases social bonding in monogamous female prairie voles, Nature, 546(7657):297-301. doi:10.1038/nature22381<http://www.nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/nature22381> Berman GJ, Choi DM, Bialek W, Shaevitz JW (2014). Mapping the stereotyped behaviour of freely moving fruit flies. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 11(99):20140672. doi:10.1098/rsif.2014.0672<http://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2014.0672> Lim, MM, Wang Z, Olazábal DE, Ren X, Terwilliger EF, Young LJ (2004). Enhanced partner preference in promiscuous species by manipulating the expression of a single gene. Nature, 429(6993):754-757. doi:10.1038/nature02539<http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1038/nature02539> Robert C. Liu, PhD Associate Professor Department of Biology Emory University O. W. Rollins Research Center Rm 2131 1510 Clifton Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30322 USA Phone: +1 404-727-5274 Email: robert.liu(a)emory.edu<mailto:robert.liu@emory.edu> Lab Website<http://www.biology.emory.edu/research/Liu/html/index.php> ________________________________ 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).

Feb. 27, 2018

Postdoctoral fellowships at the Gatsby Unit

by Maneesh Sahani

The Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit invites applications for one or more postdoctoral training fellowships in theoretical neuroscience and related areas. Neuroscience research in the unit focuses on the interpretation of neural data, population coding, perceptual processing, neural dynamics, neuromodulation, and learning. We have strong connections with experimental neuroscience and cognitive science groups at UCL (particularly in the Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour with which the Unit shares a new purpose-built home) and at institutions around the world. The Unit also has significant interests across a range of areas in machine learning, and is perhaps unique in the way these fields are brought together. The fellowships are suitable for candidates with a doctoral degree and previous experience in relevant theoretical neuroscience or machine learning research. We are especially keen to recruit fellows with expertise in the modelling of perception or population-scale neural data. Full details of the fellowships, and information on how to apply, are available at http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/vacancies/TN%20Fellows/TN-2018.html The closing date for applications is 23rd Mar 2018. If you have questions unanswered by the website, please contact me by email or in person at Cosyne. -- Maneesh Sahani, Ph.D. Professor of Theoretical Neuroscience and Machine Learning, Director, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit UCL, 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG

Feb. 27, 2018

Post-doc in Neurophysiology of Attention at UCLA

by Bisley, James

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

Feb. 27, 2018

Computational Postdoc - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory - Long Island, New York

by Engel, Tatiana

The Engel and Churchland labs in the Department of Neuroscience at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory invite applications from highly motivated candidates for a postdoctoral position working on a collaborative project between the two labs. The position is entirely computational and truly interdisciplinary with equal (50/50) effort in the Churchland (experimental) and Engel (computational) labs. The project’s goal is to unravel functional roles of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the decision-making microcircuit through computational analyses of large-scale neural activity recordings and biophysical circuit modeling. In particular, we will develop and deploy novel machine learning frameworks for discovering collective network dynamics from large-scale activity recordings in mice with genetically identified excitatory and inhibitory neurons. These data analyses will provide hard constraints for biophysical models of the decision-making microcircuit, which will be then inferred using deep learning methods. We are looking for theoretical/computational scientists to work at the exciting interface of systems neuroscience, machine learning, and biophysics, embedded within the computational and experimental labs. The postdoctoral scientist is expected to exhibit resourcefulness and independence, developing computational models of large-scale neural activity recordings with the goal to elucidate excitatory/inhibitory neural circuits underlying decision making. Interested candidates should e-mail their application to Tatiana Engel (engel(a)cshl.edu<mailto:engel@cshl.edu>) and Anne Churchland (churchland(a)cshl.edu<mailto:churchland@cshl.edu>) as a single pdf file with subject: Postdoc Application. The application file should include: (1) CV with the publication list, (2) a brief description of research interests, (3) contact information for three references. In addition, the candidates should upload their application online at http://cshl.peopleadmin.com/postings/13170 Position requirements: - PhD in neuroscience, physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering or related quantitative discipline - Expertise in scientific programming, e.g., Python, Matlab, C/C++, CUDA - Expertise in statistics, data analyses, and/or machine learning - Experience with deep learning methods is a plus - Experience with database software is a plus - Track record of publications in scientific journals - Effective communication skills, both written and oral - Dedication and passion for solving hard scientific problems -- Tatiana Engel, PhD Assistant Professor Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (+1) 408 409 3647

Feb. 27, 2018

2 year postdoc : Graph Signal Processing at IMT Atlantique

by Nicolas Farrugia

IMT Atlantique has an opening for a fully-funded two-year postdoctoral fellowship open immediately and starting no later than June 2018, to work on Graph Signal Processing and potential applications to Neuroimaging. The host team is Br.A.In. (Brain-inspired Artificial Intelligence http://www.brain.bzh) and is in the Brest Campus. The call for the position can be downloaded here : http://recherche.telecom-bretagne.eu/brain/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/postd… Scientific context Several application domains rely on multivariate spatiotemporal signals such as transportation networks, energy network, social networks or neural networks. Under the natural assumption that the signal properties are related to the topology of the graph where they are supported, graph signal processing (GSP) offers algorithms that fruitfully leverage this relational structure, and can make inferences about these relationships when they are only partially observed. Developing GSP tools specifically intended to advance modeling and analytics of multivariate signals is a new, fertile area of investigation. In particular, the positionning of the Br.A.In. project regarding GSP is targetted towards the following issues: (1) finding optimal graph representations and adapting machine learning approaches accordingly, (2) generalizing GSP approaches to dynamic graphs in order to fully capture the spatiotemporal complexity of multivariate signals, and finally (3) developing new approaches to enhance the understanding and interpretability of machine learning and deep learning methods using metrics derived from GSP. We are seeking a candidate that will contribute to our research effort on GSP by proposing innovative theoretical approaches, or extensions to existing approaches, related to at least one of the aforementioned issues. Our main target application is the analysis, decoding and interpretability of Neuroimaging data (Electroencephalography EEG or functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging fMRI), but candidates with interest or background in other application domains are encouraged to apply as well. Details and requirements The present postdoctoral fellowship is funded by the Sustainable Attractivity Strategy of the Brittany Region, with the goal of attracting high profile junior researchers from all over the world, offering exceptional conditions for long-term academic development. IMT Atlantique is a public technological university focusing on the training of engineers at the MSc. level and junior researchers at the PhD level. Being a technological university, IMT Atlantique benefits from a advantageous status compared to french public universities. As such, we offer very competitive salary packages, with postdoc wages corresponing to a junior assistant professor level. Successful candidates will also benefits from 49 annual paid holidays, as well as access to multiple benefits from the institutions' union (such as campus activities or sea sports). In addition, living costs in the Brest bay area are exceptionally low, with a high quality of life, and the Brest campus of IMT Atlantique is ideally located at the sea front. The position is open immediately and must start no later than June 2018, for a duration of 24 months. The postdoc fellowship is accompanied with overheads for travel expenses covering (a) the participation to international conferences, (b) article processing charges for open-access publications and (c) acquisition of a computation server dedicated to the postdoc project. The postdoc fellowship will be fully devoted to his research projects, and may optionally (but will not be required to) contribute to teaching activities in machine learning, computer science, signal processing or electronical engineering. Candidates must have defended a Ph.D. related to machine learning or computer science, or signal/image processing. Candidates with a PhD in neuroimaging with solid programming skills and a strong interest for machine learning are also welcome to apply. An additional requirement pertains to the attractivity strategy related to the regional funding; in order to attract international applications, candidates must have spent a minimum 12 months outside France after June 2014. Please send your CV, contacts for two references, as well as a cover letter to nicolas.farrugia(a)imt-atlantique.fr . Nicolas Farrugia Associate professor IMT Atlantique - Department of electronics +33 (0) 2 29 00 16 53

Feb. 27, 2018

Postdoc in computational neuroscience at University of Sheffield

by Hannes Saal

Postdoc in computational neuroscience at the University of Sheffield Closing date: 26th March 2018 We are looking to recruit a Research Associate to work on the Wellcome Trust funded project Modelling synaptic and intrinsic plasticity in primate somatosensory cortex. In short, the project will investigate somatosensory plasticity in human cortex and specifically the effect of different learning rules on somatosensory representations. To this end, you will develop a computational framework that will simulate the effects of different plasticity rules on sensory cortical representations and make predictions that can be empirically tested using existing fMRI paradigms. The project involves close collaboration with partners at UCL and Oxford, who will gather empirical data using a state-of-the-art neuroimaging setup. This post is suitable for a candidate with a background in computational neuroscience, or a closely related discipline. The ideal candidate will have experience with the analysis and simulation of large-scale spiking neuron models, mathematical models of plasticity, and/or self-organizing systems. A significant part of the project will involve collaborating with our partner helping to guide empirical data collection. As such, a background in neuroscience is highly desirable, with knowledge of tactile processing, cortical plasticity, and/or neuroimaging especially preferred. For more info, please see http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHY156/research-associate/ or contact Dr Hannes Saal (h.saal(a)sheffield.ac.uk) -- Dr Hannes P Saal Lecturer in Cognitive Science and Computational Modelling Active Touch Laboratory (co-director) Department of Psychology & Sheffield Robotics University of Sheffield Pam Liversidge Building F.05 Sheffield S1 3JD United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)114 222 6504 Web: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/psychology/staff/academic/hannes_saal

Feb. 27, 2018

REMINDER: Abstract Submission for CNS*2018 closes March 5, 2018

by Sharon Crook

Registration and abstract submission are open for CNS*2018 in Seattle, USA, July 13-18. The deadline for abstract submission is March 5, 2018. The main meeting begins on the evening of Friday July 13 and runs through Monday July 16. It will be preceded by a day of tutorials (Friday July 13) and followed by two days of workshops (Tuesday July 17 and Wednesday July 18). Invited Keynote Speakers: Eve Marder, Brandeis University Nancy Kopell, Boston University Daniel Wolpert, University of Cambridge Rajesh Rao, University of Washington Note that one of the authors must register as sponsoring author for the main meeting before abstract submission is possible. In case the abstract is not accepted for presentation, the registration fee will be refunded. Abstract Submission: http://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2018-abstract-submission Registration: https://ocns.memberclicks.net/index.php?option=com_mc&view=mc&mcid=form_243… For up-to-date conference information, please visit: http://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2018 ---------------------------------------- OCNS is the international member-based society for computational neuroscientists. Become a member to be eligible for travel awards and more. Visit our website for more information: http://www.cnsorg.org.

Feb. 27, 2018

Post-doctoral position in machine learning for computational psychiatry at the University of Munich (LMU)

by Moritz Grosse-Wentrup

We are seeking a highly creative and motivated post-doctoral researcher to work at the intersection of machine learning and computational psychiatry. The position will be based in the group of Moritz Grosse-Wentrup in the Department of Statistics [1]. The successful candidate will closely interact with the group of Nikolaos Koutsouleris in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy [2]. To apply, you should have a strong passion for developing and employing machine learning methods that make a difference in patients' lives. Also, you should have (or be about to obtain) a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Statistics, Information Engineering, Psychology/Psychiatry (with a strong analytical background), or a related field. You should have an excellent track record in machine learning or data science, which is backed up by publications in major journals or papers at top conferences. Prior experience in psychology or psychiatry would be advantageous but is not a strict requirement. You need to be fluent in written and spoken German. Your job duties include . performing independent research at the intersection of machine learning and computational psychiatry, . teaching courses and seminars to students in statistics and computer science, . and contributing to an interdisciplinary grant proposal on machine learning for computational psychiatry. Salary is according to TV-L E13 (100%) [3]. Part-Time employment is possible. The initial appointment will be for one year, with a potential extension contingent on funding. The starting date is flexible. Screening of applications will commence on March 18, but we will consider applications until the position is filled. The University of Munich is one of Europe's premier academic and research institutions [4]. The recently established elite graduate program in Data Science [5] bundles research in data science across various institutes and attracts excellent students from all over the world. Besides, Munich is a beautiful metropolis with high recreational value. Your application should include a cover letter (~one page), a CV, and contact information of at least two referees. Please submit your application documents (as one PDF file) to mgw(a)stat.uni-muenchen.de. We particularly welcome applications by female candidates. Disabled applicants will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants. If you have any questions before submitting your application, please contact Prof. Dr. Moritz Grosse-Wentrup Department of Statistics Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Ludwigstr. 33, 80539 München, Germany Phone: +49-89-2180-3847 mgw(a)stat.uni-muenchen.de Links: [1] http://www.datascience.statistik.uni-muenchen.de [2] http://www.klinikum.uni-muenchen.de/Klinik-und-Poliklinik-fuer-Psychiatrie-… [3] http://oeffentlicher-dienst.info/tv-l/west/ [4] https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/lmu-munich [5] http://www.m-datascience.mathematik-informatik-statistik.uni-muenchen.de

Feb. 26, 2018

PhD student/postdoc in Sensory and Behavioral Neuroscience

by Gjorgjieva, Julijana

The labs of Julijana Gjorgjieva (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany) and Ilona Grunwald Kadow at the TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Germany invite applications for a fully-funded position (Postdoc or PhD student). We are looking for highly-motivated individuals with a strong quantitative background (in mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, or related fields), experience in programming and data analysis, and a desire to develop cutting-edge experimental techniques. Previous background in neuroscience, imaging or behavioral analysis is a plus! Julijana will be at Cosyne (March 1-7) so please get in touch to discuss details. The project will examine the neural basis of need and effort-based decision-making in a collaboration between the Gjorgjieva lab, which develops theoretical models of neural circuit processing, and the Grunwald Kadow lab, which studies neural circuits underlying sensory processing and decision making in animal models. The project aims to uncover circuit principles and behavioral readouts of motivation, persistence, and value perception as a function of internal state or experience (e.g. hunger). In particular, the Grunwald Kadow lab is collecting rich data sets of behavioral trajectories of single Drosophila flies as well as functional imaging data (i.e. multiphoton and light-sheet) of neuronal populations (e.g. modulatory neurons). The project will aim to develop advanced analysis techniques that extract key statistical features of the behavioral trajectories and imaging data, and build mathematical models that reproduce the data and make new predictions to be further tested experimentally. By combining behaviour, genetics and imaging, we will also develop neural circuit models that involve several brain areas, including sensory brain areas and higher cognitive regions of the fly brain (i.e. mushroom body). References: S. Sayin J. Gjorgjieva, I. C. Grunwald Kadow (2018). A neural circuit arbitrates between perseverance and reward in hungry Drosophila. BioRxiv doi.org/10.1101/259119<http://doi.org/10.1101/259119> J. Gjorgjieva, G. Drion and E. Marder (2016). Computational implications of biophysical diversity and multiple timescales in neurons and synapses for circuit performance. Curr Opin Neurobiol 37:44-52. Lewis L, Siju KP, Aso Y, Friedrich AB, Bulteel AJB, Rubin GM, Grunwald Kadow IC (2015). A higher brain circuit for immediate integration of conflicting sensory information in Drosophila. Current Biology PMID: 26299514, doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.07.015 Application: The position will be based at the Technical University of Munich, with frequent visits to the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, two of the most exciting and international cities in Germany. Recommended application deadline: March 20, 2018. Applicants will be considered until the position is filled. For further information please visit: http://www.cns.wzw.tum.de and http://www.neuro.wzw.tum.de or email gjorgjieva(a)brain.mpg.de and ilona.grunwald(a)tum.de. To apply, please email the following to: neuro(a)wzw.tum.de (ref. GGK application) 1. A curriculum vitae 2. A letter of motivation explaining your scientific interests, your strengths when working on a problem, why us etc. 3. Contact details for 2 referees 4. A written sample of scientific research, e.g. a manuscript, thesis, or code etc. ----------------------------------------- Julijana Gjorgjieva, PhD Research Group Leader Max Planck Institute for Brain Research Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, Frankfurt Assistant Professor of Computational Neuroscience Technical University of Munich, WZW Freising office: +49 69 850033 3600 http://cns.wzw.tum.de

Feb. 25, 2018

Postdoctoral Neuroimaging Fellowship

by Stacie Warren

Dear Colleagues, The Clinical Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Program directed by Stacie L. Warren, PhD, and Tilman Schulte, PhD, at Palo Alto University is seeking a neuroimaging postdoctoral scholar. This is an exciting opportunity to work on a range of cognitive and affective studies that focus on executive function, emotion regulation, stress responsivity, reward processing, and aging on neural circuitry. Populations of interest include healthy adults, adults with or at risk for developing psychopathology, and neurological disorders. The postdoctoral fellow’s primary responsibility is to analyze neuroimaging data (resting-state and task-based fMRI) and to develop and apply novel data analysis techniques. Additionally, Drs. Warren and Schulte are committed to fostering the postdoctoral scholar’s research independence through first-authored manuscript writing and grant preparation. The start date of the position is as soon as possible, but no later than August 1, 2018. JOB DESCRIPTION Essential Functions - Analyzing neuroimaging data - Developing and implementing statistical/mathematical modeling (e.g., machine learning algorithms) to characterize high-dimensional datasets - Improving software/scripts that implement algorithms for data quality control, preprocessing, analysis, and management - Manuscript development Qualifications - PhD in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, computational neuroscience, bioinformatics, or a related field by the time of appointment - Strong background in quantitative analysis - Proficiency with at least one neuroimaging analysis software package (e.g., FSL, SPM, Freesurfer, AFNI, etc.) - Proficiency in programming (e.g., Matlab, Python, C/C++, java) and/or shell scripting - Proficiency with Linux OS and file system - Experience with any of the following: signal and image processing, machine learning, statistical/mathematical modeling - Excellent analytical, interpersonal, organizational, and spoken/written English communication skills are expected - A two-year commitment is required This is a full-time position with a competitive salary and benefits. *To apply, send your CV (including 3 academic references), and a cover letter stating your interests and qualifications to **swarren(a)paloaltou.edu* <swarren(a)paloaltou.edu>*.* Review of applications will begin immediately. -- Stacie L. Warren, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program Palo Alto University 1791 Arastradero Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94304 email: swarren(a)paloaltou.edu <staciewarren3(a)gmail.com>

Feb. 25, 2018

Sense 2 Synapse conference 2018, May 12th, The Rockefeller University, New York City, Registration open

by Christoph Kirst

Dear Neuroscientists, We would like to invite you to join us for this year's*Sense 2 Synapse* which will be held on*Saturday, May 12th, 2018* in the Carson Family Auditorium at *The Rockefeller University, New York City.* The conference is an annual event for scientists working on the biology of sensory transduction, subsequent neural processing and perception. The conference will be free this year but you will be asked to confirm your participation a week before the event. We have a outstanding list of key-note speakers: *Maria Neimark Geffen* (University of Pennsylvania) *Alipasha Vaziri* (The Rockefeller University) *Nathaniel Sawtell *(Columbia University) *Eve Marder* (Brandeis University) We will complement the program by 8 talks from graduate students and postdocs selected from abstract submissions and a poster session. More information can be found on our website: http://sense2synapse.com and you can register here: https://sites.google.com/view/sense2synapse2018/registration_1?authuser=0 Join us for a great day of science, discussions and nice food! The organizing team, Christoph Kirst Florian Berger Ben Urban Kanaka Rajan Jeremie Barral -- Christoph Kirst Fellow for Physics and Biology Center for Theoretical Studies and Kavli Physics Fellow Kavli Neural Systems Institute The Rockefeller University 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 USA +1 212 327 8835 :: ckirst(a)rockefeller.edu

Feb. 24, 2018

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience, Ruben Moreno-Bote, Barcelona, Spain

by Ruben Moreno Bote

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience, Ruben Moreno-Bote Lab Center for Brain and Cognition, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain 1 fully funded PhD position is available in the group of Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience of Ruben Moreno-Bote in the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. We are looking for excellent candidates with Physics, Mathematics or Machine Learning background, ideally with knowledge of Neuroscience or Computational Neuroscience, and interested in theory and applications. We will also consider candidates with Psychology background with strong mathematical skills and interested in modeling. The candidate will develop state of the art mathematical techniques and models to understand neuronal dynamics and coding and will have access to multielectrode recording neural data. He/she could also be involved in the design of monkey and human behavioral experiments and the development of models of visual perception, decision making and working memory. The candidate will benefit from the stimulating environment of Barcelona area in Theoretical and Systems Neuroscience and will have the opportunity of enjoying a lively city. Our lab (https://www.upf.edu/web/ruben-moreno-bote) forms part of a larger network of neuroscience labs in Barcelona (http://www.barcelonaneuroscience.com) Financial support is provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Spanish MINECO. APPLICATION: A full CV in pdf format and an extract of grades for degree and master studies should be sent to the following address: ruben.moreno(a)upf.edu DEADLINE: until the position is filled STARTING DATE: any time between September 2018 and January 2019 -- Rubén Moreno Bote Serra Húnter & ICREA Academia Professor Center for Brain and Cognition & Dept. of Information and Communications Technologies University Pompeu Fabra Campus Ciutadella, Building 24, office 331 Ramon Trias Fargas, 24-27 08005 Barcelona, Spain http://www.upf.edu/pdi/ruben-moreno-bote

Feb. 22, 2018

Seeking Grad students --Fall 2018

by Stephen Jose Hanson

Seeking Cognitive and/or Computational Neuroscience Graduate Students Accepting applications Fall 2018. Rutgers University. We are seeking graduate students interested in the study of cognitive processes (e.g, memory, attention, language, category learning, Neural Networks) using neuroimaging techniques and computational modeling (Deep Learning). Our lab is focused on understanding the dynamics underlying brain response during rest (resting state) and during the performance of cognitive tasks. Within this overall framework, we have conducted research with both neurotypical and clinical populations (e.g., addiction, ASD, GAD), and have conducted studies focused on memory, language processing, preference decisions, face processing, and event perception. Our lab was jointly involved in the development of MVPA as well as IMaGES and other brain connectivity methods (lab has been continuously funded by NSF, McDonnell Foundation and NIH). Dr. SJ Hanson (Psychology, RUBIC) and Dr. C Hanson (CMBN, RUBIC) directs the lab and participates in both the Psychology graduate program and the Behavioral Neuroscience program. Dr. SJ Hanson is also Director of the Rutgers University Brain Imaging Center (RUBIC http://rubic.rutgers.edu) RUBIC houses a Siemens 3T Trio MR scanner to collect MR data and a variety of resources are available to complete any MR neuroimaging study. The lab also has a compute cluster with dual P100 GPUs as well as access to larger clusters available on various campuses. The campus is well serviced by train, subway, and bus service and is surrounded by a diversity of shops and restaurants. Manhattan is a twenty minute train ride from the Newark Penn Station and offers world class cultural and entertainment opportunities. For further inquiry or arrange a visit to our lab and RUBIC please send email to jose(a)rubic.rutgers.edu

Feb. 22, 2018

Workshop: Dynamics of learning and computations in neuronal circuits, June 27-29, 2018, Göttingen

by farzad

Feb. 22, 2018

funded postdoc positions: mechanisms of perception

by Haider, Bilal

Postdoctoral position: Synaptic mechanisms controlling perception The Haider Lab<haider.gatech.edu> in the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Georgia Tech & Emory University seeks a highly motivated and skilled postdoctoral fellow for a 3-year funded project examining synaptic and network mechanisms supporting sensory perception. The project offers significant opportunity to learn cutting-edge research techniques in vivo, including neural population recording with high-density silicon electrodes, optogenetic circuit manipulation, and whole-cell patch-clamp recording in mice performing visual behaviors. The ideal candidate has expertise in 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 3 years, pending satisfactory performance upon annual review. We are enthusiastic to form a diverse, international research group. All candidates will be mentored to obtain independent funding as part of their career development. There is a strong, multidisciplinary concentration of labs focusing on Neuroscience @ GT<http://neuro.gatech.edu/> and at Emory<http://biomed.emory.edu/PROGRAM_SITES/NS/>. Atlanta is vibrant, green, 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 these materials to bilal.haider(a)bme.gatech.edu<mailto:bilal.haider@bme.gatech.edu>. The position is available starting March 2018. The Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering<https://www.bme.gatech.edu/> at Georgia Tech and Emory University is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity. The Department is a unique enterprise, spanning two of the top Engineering and Medical institutes in the country. This environment offers unparalleled facilities and resources for the pursuit of understanding neural circuits and their relationship to behavior and neurological dysfunction. Further information and recent lab publications can be found at haider.gatech.edu<file:///C:/Users/bilal/Dropbox/Docs/GTech%20Docs/haider.gatech.edu> Thank you 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>

Feb. 22, 2018

MODVIS 2018 - call for papers

by Yalda Mohsenzadeh

We are pleased to announce that Eero Simoncelli (NYU, HHMI) will be keynote speaker at the 7th annual VSS satellite workshop on Computational and Mathematical Models in Vision (MODVIS). MODVIS 2018 will be held May 16-18, at the Tradewinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida (USA), immediately preceding the annual meeting of the Vision Sciences Society. Submissions consist of single-page extended abstracts that may contain figures and equations, which will be published on the Purdue e-Pubs system. Abstract submission will open on January 8th, 2017, and close on March 4th. For complete details, please visit the MODVIS web site at https://www.conf.purdue.edu/modvis/. on behalf of the MODVIS organizing committee: Yalda Mohsenzadeh (MIT) Jeff Mulligan (NASA Ames Research Center) Zygmunt Pizlo (UC Irvine) Anne Sereno (Purdue University) Qasim Zaidi (SUNY College of Optometry) Michael Rudd (University of Washington)

Feb. 21, 2018

Valentino Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience - Call for Nominations

by Alexandra Stein

Dear Colleagues, The Bernstein Association for Computational Neuroscience invites nominations for the Valentino Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience. The Bernstein Association for Computational Neuroscience presents the award biennially to a scientist in recognition of outstanding research that contributes to the understanding of the functioning of the brain. The major criterion for the award is the impact or potential impact of the recipient's research on the field of brain science. In the spirit of Valentino Braitenberg's own research, special emphasis is given to theoretical studies elucidating the functional implications of brain structures and their neuronal network dynamics. The awardee receives €5.000 prize money, donated by the Autonome Provinz Bozen Südtirol, as well as an invitation to the Bernstein Conference 2018 (including registration fee, travel- and accommodation expenses). The award will be presented together with a Golden Neuron pin in a special award ceremony at the Bernstein Conference, followed by a lecture of the Braitenberg Awardee. Nominations may be submitted by scientists working in the field of computational neuroscience and should include the following documents: - One-page laudation, in which the scientific work of the candidate is honored with regard to the award criteria - CV and list of publications Deadline for nominations is April 30, 2018 by email to a.stein(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:a.stein@fz-juelich.de> Please note that self-nominations are not permitted. The call for nominations can be found under the following URL: www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/braitenberg_award<http://www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2018/braitenberg_award> For inquiries please contact a.stein(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:a.stein@fz-juelich.de>. Best regards, Alexandra Stein -- Dr. Alexandra Stein Head of Bernstein Coordination Site 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 9583 mobile: (+49) 0151 67114645 mail: a.stein(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:a.stein@fz-juelich.de> web: www.bernstein-network.de<http://www.bernstein-network.de> Twitter: NNCN_Germany YouTube: Bernstein TV Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feb. 21, 2018

CFP- ACM-THRI Special Issue on Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition

by Amir Aly

*ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction (T-HRI) * CALL FOR PAPERS **Apologies for cross posting ** We are happy to call for papers for the journal special issue: *"Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition"* *Webpage: **https://thri.acm.org/CFP-RLHRC.cfm <https://thri.acm.org/CFP-RLHRC.cfm> * <http://cognitive-mirroring.org/en/events/hai2017_workshop/> *I. Aim and Scope *Intelligent robots are rapidly moving to the center of human environment; they collaborate with human users in different applications that require high-level cognitive functions so as to allow them to understand and learn from human behavior within different Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) contexts. To this end, a stubborn challenge that attracts much attention in artificial intelligence is representation learning, which refers to learning representations of data so as to efficiently extract relevant features for probabilistic, nonprobabilistic, or connectionist classifiers. This active area of research spans different fields and applications including speech recognition, object recognition, emotion recognition, natural language processing, language emergence and development, in addition to mirroring different human cognitive processes through appropriate computational modeling. Learning constitutes a basic operation in the human cognitive system and developmental process, where perceptual information enhances the ability of the sensory system to respond to external stimuli through interaction with the environment. This learning process depends on the optimality of features (representations of data), which allows humans to make sense of everything they feel, hear, touch, and see in the environment. Using intelligent robots could open the door to shed light on the underlying mechanisms of representation learning and its associated cognitive processes so as to take a closer step towards making robots able to better collaborate with human users in space. This special issue aims to shed light on cutting edge lines of interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence, cognitive science, neuroscience, cognitive robotics, and human-robot interaction, focusing on representation learning with the objective of creating natural and intelligent interaction between humans and robots. Recent advances and future research lines in representation learning will be discussed in detail in this journal special issue. *II. Potential Topics* Topics relevant to this special issue include, but are not limited to: - Language learning, embodiment, and social intelligence - Human symbol system and symbol emergence in robotics - 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 - Cross-situational learning - Learning by demonstration and imitation - Language and grammar induction in robots *III. Submission* ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, open-access journal using an online submission and manuscript tracking system. To submit your paper, please: - Go to https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/thri and login or follow the "Create an account" link to register. - After logging in, click the "Author" tab. - Follow the instructions to "Start New Submission". - Choose the submission category “*SI: Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition*”. *IV. Timline* - Deadline for paper submission: July 1, 2018 - First notification for authors: September 15, 2018 - Deadline for revised papers submission: November 15, 2018 - Final notification for authors: January 15, 2019 - Deadline for submission of camera-ready manuscripts: March 1, 2019 - Expected publication date: May 2019 *V. Guest editors* Takato Horii, The University of Electro-Communications, Japan ( takato(a)uec.ac.jp) Dr. Amir Aly, Ritsumeikan University, Japan (amir.aly(a)em.ci.ritsumei.ac.jp) Dr. Yukie Nagai, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan (yukie(a)nict.go.jp) Prof. Takayuki Nagai, The University of Electro-Communications, Japan ( nagai(a)ee.uet.at.jp) --------- *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

Feb. 21, 2018

PhD Opening - TEMPORAL NETWORKS: FROM NETWORK THEORY TO BRAIN SCIENCE AND NEUROLOGY

by Demian Battaglia

We are seeking for excellent and motivated candidates for a PhD project based at Aix-Marseille University (AMU, southern France) focusing on: TEMPORAL NETWORKS: FROM NETWORK THEORY TO BRAIN SCIENCE AND NEUROLOGY The student will be jointly directed by Alain Barrat (AMU, Center for Theoretical Physics) and Demian Battaglia (AMU, Institute for Systems Neuroscience). The project, with a strong interdisciplinary component, aims at developing new techniques for the extraction and analysis of time-dependent networks of functional connectivity, based on time-series of neural activity, and, in particular, of human intracranial recordings during resting state, task conditions and stimulation. Mean-field whole brain models may also be used to explore the link between Functional Connectivity Dynamics and the underlying collective thalamocortical dynamics. Any application must be formally submitted on a devoted Web Portal: https://doc2amu.univ-amu.fr/en/temporal-networks-from-network-theory-to-bra… DEADLINE: April 9th, 2018 at 23:59 (Paris Time) The selection will occur through a TWO-STEPS EVALUATION, involving a first pre-selection (2 May 2018) and then a competitive oral examination of the retained applicants (31 May - 1 June 2018). ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: - You must be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of your research career (career breaks excluded) - You must be at the time of recruitment, in possession/or finalizing the master degree or equivalent - You must be available to engage in the programme at the starting date (October 1st, 2018) - At the time of recruitment, not to have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date (October 1st, 2018) The fellowship of the successful PhD candidate will be co-funded by the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND action within the H2020 Research and Innovation programme of the European Union. Within this programme, the PhD fellows will sign a three-year work contract with numerous advantages: - PhD fellowships above that of a standard French PhD contract (approximately 1625€/month net) - A 500€ travel allowance per year for the fellows to travel between Marseille and their place of origin. - Approx 10’000 € financial support for international research training, conferences and research costs - Tailored training and personalised mentoring within the excellence graduate schools of Aix-Marseille University (NEUROSCHOOL in Neuroscience and CENTURI in Physics of complex living systems) Doctoral fellows will also benefit from support in the administrative procedures, reserved rooms in university housing, several activities to promote integration in the local student life and cultural activities, French language courses covered by the fellowship, etc. For any inquiry feel free to contact us: Demian Battaglia (demian.battaglia(a)univ-amu.fr) Alain Barrat (alain.barrat(a)cpt.univ-mrs.fr)

Feb. 20, 2018

Information Theory Tutorial

by James V Stone

For those interested in a gentle introduction to information theory, please see: Information Theory: A Tutorial Introduction by James V Stone Abstract Shannon's mathematical theory of communication defines fundamental limits on how much information can be transmitted between the different components of any man-made or biological system. This paper is an informal but rigorous introduction to the main ideas implicit in Shannon's theory. An annotated reading list is provided for further reading. A pdf file of the article can be downloaded from the Cornell University Library archive: https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.05968 Comments and corrections welcome. regards, James V Stone -- Dr James V Stone Honorary Reader, Sheffield University, UK. http://jim-stone.staff.shef.ac.uk/BookBayes2012/books_by_jv_stone/index.html

Feb. 20, 2018

Carolina Neurostimulation Conference - May 21-23, 2018, Chapel Hill NC

by Sankar Alagapan

Dear Colleagues, It is with great pleasure that we invite you to participate in the 1st Carolina Neurostimulation Conference (CNC) to be held *May 21-23, 2018 in Chapel Hill, NC, USA*. This is a premier conference for those working to advance our understanding of dynamics of the brain, body, and behavior, investigating the response to stimulation, and translating discoveries into clinical applications. Hosted by the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation <http://www.carolinaneurostimulation.org/>, CNC serves as a platform for networking for all researchers and specialists and exchanging ideas about the latest discoveries and innovations in brain stimulation and clinical treatments. We have a great lineup of speakers including keynotes from *Dr. Sarah Lisanby (NIH) *and* Dr. Kaspar Schindler (Inselspital)*. Central topics for discussion and presentations include TMS, tACS, tDCS, and methods such as modeling, imaging, analysis, and devices. * ------------------------------ * *Registration:* Please register at the link provided here <http://www.neurostimcarolina.org/registration.html> . The deadline for Registration is *May 1st 2018* Regular (Faculty, Postdocs, Industry Professionals) $165 Students (Graduate, Undergraduate) $95 UNC Members *(Registration required)* Free For a full program, and information regarding registration, travel, and accommodations please visit our conference website <http://www.neurostimcarolina.org/>. Like us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/NeurostimCarolina/> for updates. * ------------------------------ * *Abstract Submission for Posters:* In addition to attending the plenary sessions, registrants are invited to participate in the conference’s poster session. Original contributions addressing theory, research, practice, and training/education issues, in any areas of neuromodulation and brain network dynamics are welcome. The deadline for abstract submission is *March 15th 2018.* Authors will be notified of acceptance in the first week of April. *Please follow the guidelines for the submission of your abstract.* · Max 500 words and 1 page including title, author(s), affiliation(s), and main body. · Structure: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions (References and Funding) · File format: single PDF file converted from the provided template <http://www.neurostimcarolina.org/abstract.html> · Email us to submit your abstract (neurostimulation(a)unc.edu) * ------------------------------ * *Travel Awards for Trainees:* We have funds allocated for trainee travel awards. All trainees (undergraduate students, graduate students, post docs, research associates) who will be presenting posters at the conference are eligible for travel awards. To apply for a travel award please complete the form in this link <http://www.neurostimcarolina.org/abstract.html> and email us at neurostimulation(a)unc.edu along with your CV. Please note that you must attend the conference and present your poster to receive the travel award. The deadline for Travel Awards is *March 15th 2018* * ------------------------------ * *Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Workshop:* Trainees and conference attendees are encouraged to attend the preliminary neurostimulation workshop on May 21st, 2018. This one-day innovative hands-on transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) workshop will be taught by Dr. Flavio Frohlich. The workshop will focus on transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with an exciting overview of theory, research, and methods. Click here <http://www.neurostimcarolina.org/workshop.html> for registration information. When completing registration, please be sure to provide feedback regarding your current knowledge of TES as well as some questions or techniques you are interested in. We want this course to be as interactive as possible. Lunch and beverages will be provided. * ------------------------------ * *About the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation:* The Carolina Center for Neurostimulation <http://www.carolinaneurostimulation.org/> is part of the Department of Psychiatry at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is directed by Dr. Flavio Frohlich. Established in 2017, the Center seeks to revolutionize psychiatry and neurology by studying the dynamics of brain, body, and behavior, investigating the response to stimulation, and translating discoveries into clinical treatments.

Feb. 20, 2018

[Call for postdoc application] Automated discovery of physico-chemical structures with intrinsically motivated deep learning algorithms

by Pierre-Yves Oudeyer

Call for postdoc application: Automated discovery of physico-chemical structures with intrinsically motivated deep learning algorithms Project Team Inria: Flowers, Inria Bordeaux, https://flowers.inria.fr Contact: Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, pierre-yves.oudeyer(a)inria.fr Deadline for applying: 19th april 2018 How to apply: send email to PY Oudeyer and post application to https://jobs.inria.fr/public/classic/fr/offres/2018-00413 Duration: 16 months Scientific context: Intrinsically motivated goal exploration algorithms enable machines to discover repertoires of action policies that produce a diversity of effects in complex environments. In robotics, these exploration algorithms have been shown to allow real world robots to acquire skills such as tool use in high-dimensional continuous state and action spaces (e.g. Baranes and Oudeyer, 2013; Forestier et al., 2017). An example is the Poppy/Explauto experiment with a humanoid robot learning to use tools in a few hours, which obtained the 2nd position in the demonstration competition at NIPS 2016 (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOLAwD4ZTW0 , Forestier et al., 2016). In other domains such as chemistry and physics, they open the possibility to automate the discovery of novel chemical or physical structures produced by complex dynamical systems (e.g. Grizou, Points et al., 2017) However, they have so far assumed that self-generated goals are sampled in a specifically engineered feature space, limiting their autonomy. Recent work has shown how unsupervised deep learning approaches could be used to learn goal space representations (e.g. Péré et al., 2018), but they have focused on goals represented as static target configurations of the environment in robotics sensorimotor spaces. In this project, we will study how these new families of machine learning algorithms can be extended and used for automated discovery of behaviours of dynamical systems in physics/chemistry, through exploration of their parameter space, and when these behaviours are perceived through raw sensors (e.g. pixels of images). Web site of Flowers Lab: https://flowers.inria.fr Post-doctoral researcher work description The work will begin by a familiarization with algorithms for intrinsically motivated exploration with unsupervised learning of goal spaces developed in the team. Then, a few interesting numerical/simulation models of physical/chemical phenomena, associated to rich behavioral patterns (such as Turing-like reaction-diffusion models or oil droplet models), will be selected as a basis for developing and experimenting updates of existing exploration and learning algorithms. These algorithmic updates will focus in particular on the use of recurrent neural networks to learn goal spaces that can encode dynamical phenomena. Several algorithmic implementations will be compared, e.g. using several techniques for encoding times series as goal spaces, and compared using various information theoretic measures of the diversity of discovered behaviours in the target dynamical systems. It will be also possible to test these algorithmic updates in more traditional (simulated) sensorimotor learning problems, using standard benchmarks of the literature (e.g. Open Gym environments or Minecraft/Malmo). Experiments will possibly extend the DeepExplauto open-source library developed in the team, as well as standard Deep Learning libraries for the algorithms. Required knowledge and background: Candidates should have a strong expertise in at least one of these areas: - Experience with Deep Learning algorithms (theory and practical implementations) - Stochastic optimization, black-box optimization - Intrinsically motivated exploration algorithms Knowledge and competence in physics/chemical modelling would be welcome. Other requirements: - strong skills in mathematics, statistical inference, machine learning - Advanced programming skills in script languages like python - Motivation to work in an interdisciplinary project References : Baranes, A., & Oudeyer, P. Y. (2013). Active learning of inverse models with intrinsically motivated goal exploration in robots. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 61(1), 49-73. Forestier, S., Mollard, Y., Caselli, D., & Oudeyer, P. Y. (2016). Autonomous exploration, active learning and human guidance with open-source Poppy humanoid robot platform and Explauto library. In The Thirtieth Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS 2016). Grizou, J., Point, L. and the Cronin lab (2017) Tutorial on “Developmental robotics in a chemistry lab », https://croningp.github.io/tutorial_icdl_epirob_2017/. Péré, A., Forestier, S., Oudeyer, P-Y. (2018) Unsupervised learning of goal spaces for intrinsically motivated goal exploration, in proceedings of ICLR 2018. Points, L. J., Taylor, J. W., Grizou, J., Donkers, K., & Cronin, L. (2018). Artificial intelligence exploration of unstable protocells leads to predictable properties and discovery of collective behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201711089. LeCun, Y., Bengio, Y., & Hinton, G. (2015). Deep learning. Nature, 521(7553), 436-444. Keywords: deep learning; intrinsically motivated exploration; unsupervised learning; automated discovery; complex systems; dynamical systems Pierre-Yves Oudeyer Research director, Flowers lab Inria and Ensta ParisTech, France http://www.pyoudeyer.com

Feb. 20, 2018

Hand, Brain, and Technology

by Sliman Bensmaia

Call for abstracts Hand, Brain, and Technology August 26-31, 2018 Monte Verita, Switzerland Submission deadline: April 15, 2018 The hand is our primary means to interact with objects and endows us with effortless versatility in these interactions. In the second Hand, Brain, and Technology conference, we focus on the sensory aspect of hand function and its neural basis. We also feature efforts to restore somatosensation in a variety of clinical contexts, including amputation, spinal cord injury, and stroke. Attendance is limited to 100 participants. If you are interested in presenting a short talk or poster, please visit http://www.relab.ethz.ch/hbt2018/abstract-submission.html for instructions. For more information, including the list of speakers, please visit http://www.relab.ethz.ch/hbt2018. … -- Sliman Bensmaia Associate Professor Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy University of Chicago 773.834.5203

Feb. 20, 2018

Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon 2018

by Yiyin Zhou

Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon 2018 FFBH 2018 <http://fruitflybrain.org/hackathons>March 14, 2018Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 We are pleased to announce the 3rd Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon (FFBH 2018). This hackathon will be focused on open neurophysiology data (electrophysiology, imaging, etc.) of, but not limited to, the fruit fly brain. The hackathon will be focused on the following topics: 1. Promoting *Neurodata Without Board* (NWB) as a standard format for storing and sharing neurophysiology data in general, and extend it to standardize the storage and distribution of fruit fly brain electrophysiology and calcium imaging data, 2. *Queryable* neurophysiology data: organizing neurophysiology data and metadata in a database to make them easily queryable, and developing comprehensive querying tools accordingly, 3. Incorporating queried neurophysiology data into computational study. The goals are to: 1. create a common language for sharing open neurophysiology data, 2. speed up pattern search in the data that can often be tedious and inefficient to do manually, 3. drive the creation of computational models and the validation of them using open data. The hackathon is aimed at three main groups of participants: neurobiologists, modelers and software engineers. We welcome researchers working on the fruit fly brain as well as those working on other model organisms to participate and broaden the discussion in the hackathon. The Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon 2018 is organized in conjunction with the Columbia Workshop on Brain Circuit, Memory and Computation on March 15-16, 2018. Participants of the hackathon are welcome to attend the workshop. Registration is free but all participants have to register <https://ffbh2018.eventbrite.com/> (*https://ffbh2018.eventbrite.com/ <https://ffbh2018.eventbrite.com/>*). Organizers: Adam Tomkins, Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield Nikul Ukani, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University Chung-Heng Yeh, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University Yiyin Zhou, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University More information can be found on the hackathon website: http://fruitflybrain.org/hackathons ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------ Best Regards, Yiyin Zhou, on behalf of the organizers -- Yiyin Zhou Postdoctoral Research Scientist Bionet Group: www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu Department of Electrical Engineering Columbia University

Feb. 19, 2018

10th International Neuroscience Conference - Neuronus 2018 (Krakow, Poland)

by Maciej Kosiło

10th Biennial International Neuroscience Conference - Neuronus 2018 IBRO Neuroscience Forum 20- 24th April 2018 Auditorium Maximum of Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland The Organizing Committee of NEURONUS 2018 IBRO Neuroscience Forum cordially invites you to participate in the 10th edition of this international neuroscience conference. Neuronus IBRO Neuroscience Forum is one of the largest neuroscience conferences in Europe, creating a space for international networking between scientists of various academic levels. Previous editions drew in a total of over 2500 participants from over 80 different institutions and universities affiliated with 24 countries worldwide. *This year’s program consists of:* - *6 keynote speakers:* prof. Amir Amedi (Hebrew University, Izrael) prof. Ole Jensen (University of Birmingham, Great Britain) prof. Markus Ullsperger (University of Magdeburg, Germany) prof. Yves De Koninck (Laval University, Canada) prof. Thomas Kuner (University of Heidelberg, Germany) prof. Emma Robinson (University Of Bristol, Great Britain) - *Over 25 invited speakers and 15 oral sessions/symposia, spanning 4 categories:* Cognitive Neuroscience Biological Neuroscience Clinical Neuroscience/Neurology Medical Case Reports All information, including a list of invited speakers, is available on our website: *www.neuronusforum.pl <http://www.neuronusforum.pl/> * Abstract submission deadline: 21st February 2018 Passive registration deadline : 10th April 2018 We look forward to seeing you! Organizing Committee Neuronus 2018 IBRO Neuroscience Forum You can also follow us on social media! Facebook: www.facebook.com/NeuronusForum Twitter: www.twitter.com/neuronusforum <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Wolny od wirusów. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

Feb. 19, 2018

Workshop "Stochastic Models in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology" Venice, 5-7 April 2018 - Second Announcement

by Samir Suweis

Dear All, we invite you to the workshop “Stochastic Models in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology” that will be held in Venice, 5-7 April 2018, at the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti. Aim of the workshop is to bring together scientists with different background - people from biology, physics and mathematics - interested in stochastic models in ecology and evolutionary biology, to discuss issues and exchange methods and ideas. A partial list of topics includes: stochastic population dynamics, branching processes, robustness and adaptability of ecosystems, resilience and criticality of ecological systems, models and prediction of biodiversity, molecular evolution, and microbial community dynamics. Invited Speakers (in alphabetical order): J.-F. Arnoldi, E. Baake, J. Dalmau, J. Friedman, A. Lambert, M. Loreau, P. Metha, A. Sanchez, B. Trubenova, I. Mizrahi* (*tbc) The cost for workshop attendance will be 90 Euro, which includes coffee breaks and workshop material. We will also have contributed talks and posters sessions. The call of abstracts will close on March 2, 2018. For abstracts submission use the following EasyChair link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=smeeb2018 <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=smeeb2018> Information on accommodation and workshop programme are available the workshop website <http://www.pd.infn.it/~maritan/veniceworkshop/veniceworkshop.html> Please help us to promote this meeting by forwarding this email to anyone you know might be interested, and especially bring this announcement to the attention of your students or post-docs, who are those most likely not to be on our mailing lists. Apologies if you receive this message multiply. There are 2 free waiver for Ph.D. students and young post-docs offered by Entropy Journal. To apply for the fee waiver, send your abstract through the Easy Chair link in the Abstract submission section, and send an email with your CV to “liph.unipd(a)gmail.com". On the behalf of the workshop organizers, Amos Maritan & Samir Suweis LIPh lab University of Padova http://www.pd.infn.it/~maritan/index.html <http://www.pd.infn.it/~maritan/index.html> Samir Suweis, Ph.D. https://impactstory.org/u/SamirSuweis <https://impactstory.org/u/SamirSuweis> @SamirSuweis Research Scientist (RTDa) LIPh Lab, Physics Department, University of Padova Tel: +39 049 827 72 51 www.pd.infn.it/~maritan/people/Samir/samir.html

Feb. 19, 2018

Book Announcement: Elements of Neurogeometry.

by Jean Petitot

Apologies for multiple postings. Dear Colleagues, The following book is now available: "Elements of Neurogeometry. Functional architectures of vision" (Springer). This book describes several mathematical models of the primary visual cortex, referring them to a vast ensemble of experimental data and putting forward an original geometrical model for its functional architectures Using concepts as wavelet analysis; contact, symplectic, and sub-Riemannian geometry, it provides a systematic interpretation of a number of important neurophysiological observations in a welldefined mathematical framework. More information (in particular the Table of contents) can be found on the following web pages: <http://www.springer.com/fr/book/9783319655895>http://www.springer.com/fr/book/9783319655895 <http://jeanpetitot.com/Petitot_Springer/9783319655895-t1(contents).pdf>http://jeanpetitot.com/Petitot_Springer/9783319655895-t1(contents).pdf With my best regards, Jean Petitot

Feb. 19, 2018

Postdoctoral position in human intracranial electrophysiology

by Shuo Wang

[Apologies for multiple posting] We invite applicants with strong motivation in investigating the neural mechanisms of visual attention to apply for a postdoctoral position at the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI), West Virginia University. The applicant will work on intracranial single-unit recordings from human subjects, investigating questions related to visual saliency and social attention in autism. This will include experimental work with neurosurgical patients (electrophysiology and behavior), data processing and analysis, spike-train analysis, and experimental design. The applicant will have access to state-of-the art equipment, facilities and analytical methods and this research will be in a highly collaborative environment. The applicant will not only collaborate with investigators at the RNI, but also be part of an established team of investigators at both Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Dr. Ueli Rutishauser) and the California Institute of Technology (Dr. Ralph Adolphs), with ample opportunity to learn new techniques and methods. Candidates should have strong programming (Matlab or similar) skills. Expertise in machine learning is desired. Individuals with previous human intracranial EEG experience and/or macaque single neuron recordings that wish to expand into human single-unit recordings are encouraged to apply. For further information, please contact Dr. Shuo Wang at shuo.wang(a)mail.wvu.edu. Further information about the lab can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/shuowangsocialneuroscience/

Feb. 16, 2018

Post-Doctoral Fellow, EEG/MEG Processing & Rehab, University of Maryland, Baltimore

by Abarro, Janice

The University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science, is pleased to announce the availability of post-doctoral research fellowships through the U.S. Administration for Community Living, National Institute of Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, University of Maryland Advanced Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Training Program, in collaboration with Bioengineering Department, University of Maryland, College Park. The preferred applicant will have a recent doctoral degree, experience in working with EEG/EMG signal processing and rehabilitation robotics, with applications to neurorehabilitation of patients with neurological disorders. To apply, applicants should send a cover letter to include a statement of career goals, CV, and contact information for three references to: Janice Abarro, Research Coordinator jabarro(a)som.umaryland.edu Starting date: Immediate or negotiable. From: Abarro, Janice Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2018 2:37 PM To: 'comp-neuro(a)neuroinformatics.be' <comp-neuro(a)neuroinformatics.be> Subject: Post to list request Importance: High Hello, Please find the attached job posting to be listed. Please note the postings are attached as a word.doc and .pdf for you to choose the document that meets your needs for posting. We kindly thank you for offering this posting permission. Kind regards, Janice Janice Abarro Research Coordinator Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science jabarro(a)som.umaryland.edu<mailto:jabarro@som.umaryland.edu> [http://medschool.umaryland.edu/media/SOM/Offices-of-the-Dean/Public-Affairs…]

Feb. 16, 2018

Postdoc Position: Decision-making in dynamic environments (U Penn/U Houston/CU Boulder)

by Zachary Kilpatrick

We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to join an NIH/NSF funded interdisciplinary project that includes Joshua Gold (University of Pennsylvania), Krešo Josić (University of Houston), and Zack Kilpatrick (University of Colorado, Boulder). All three of us will be at the Cosyne meeting in Denver (March 1-4, 2018), so please contact us if you would like to find a time to discuss the position in person. Our aim is to understand how the brain accumulates evidence in dynamic environments. The project is guided by the overriding hypothesis that brain networks involved in decision-making computations incorporate learned expectations of the environment to implement adaptive decision-making. We seek a candidate who can work at the interface of experimental, computational, and theoretical neuroscience. As part of an interdisciplinary team, The candidate will develop models of neural circuits that approximate normative evidence accumulation in dynamic environments. The candidate will also help to validate these models, using behavioral data from humans and neural recordings from primates performing dynamic decision tasks. For further information please contact Krešimir Josić (josic(a)math.uh.edu <mailto:josic@math.uh.edu>) or Zack Kilpatrick (zpkilpat(a)colorado.edu <mailto:zpkilpat@colorado.edu>)

Feb. 16, 2018

Several permanent positions in robotics coming up in Plymouth/UK

by Thomas Wennekers

[Apologies for cross-posting] Dear colleagues, The University of Plymouth is seeking to fill *multiple positions* for* Lecturer/Associate Professor in Robotics*. All positions are full-time and of a permanent nature. The School of Computing, Electronics and Mathematics offers a wide range of degree programmes related to Technology in the areas of Robotics, Electronics, Computer Science and Mathematics. The School provides a stimulating teaching and research environment with strong connections to business and industry and offers excellent employment prospects for our graduates. We have a well-established interdisciplinary research base which covers: Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems (CRNS); Security, Communications & Networks; Nanotechnology & Electronics Research and Development. We have vacancies for enthusiastic, innovative and dynamic individuals to join our vibrant School to support Robotics and Machine Learning, especially as applied to solving real-world problems by building systems that can operate in close proximity to people. Areas of interest include (but are not limited to) the development of Soft Robotics, Autonomous Mobile Platforms, Human-Robot Interaction, and Machine Vision Systems using Deep Learning. One current focus in Plymouth is the design and construction of Agricultural Robots for fruit and vegetable harvesting. Applications are invited from experienced academics and/or professional engineers, who can demonstrate a commitment and enthusiasm for innovation in higher education and to the development of the next generation of Professional Engineers. You must have undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in relevant disciplines (such as Engineering/Maths/Physics/Computer Science) together with an international profile and reputation for research excellence. As well as carrying out cutting edge research, you will supervise and contribute to training of Research Assistants (RAs) and PhD students, as well as contributing to teaching within the BEng/MEng/MSc in Robotics, as well as other courses within the School. The Electronics and Robotics subject groups are renowned for excellence in producing high quality practical engineers and you should be able to support hardware and software projects. Apply here: https://hrservices.plymouth.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.o… Contact for informal discussion: Dr Ian Howard, ian.howard(a)plymouth.ac.uk Further information about the school and its courses is available at www.plymouth.ac.uk/compmath with details of our research centre available at www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/crns Closing date: *12midnight, 1st March 2018.* The University of Plymouth is committed to an inclusive culture and respecting diversity, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is a Stonewall diversity champion. The University holds a Bronze Athena SWAN Award which recognises commitment to advancing women's careers in STEMM academia. ----------------------------------------- ________________________________ [http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/images/email_footer.gif]<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/worldclass> This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, Plymouth University accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. Plymouth University does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form.

Feb. 14, 2018

PhD / PostDoc position in the field of Learning Systems at Ulm University

by Daniel Braun

In the *Institute of Neural Information Processing* of the Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology of Ulm University there will be a *PhD / PostDoc position in the field of Learning Systems * to be filled as soon as possible in the newly established research group on “Learning Systems”. The group is interested in the mathematical foundations of intelligent behavior in cognitive systems, including both biological and artificial systems, in particular the information-processing principles underlying learning and decision-making. This requires a combined theoretical and experimental approach. In our theoretical line of work we use methods from machine learning, statistics, physics, information theory and decision theory to investigate the effects of limited resources on learning and decision-making (“bounded rationality”). In our experimental line of work we investigate sensorimotor behavior in humans by using virtual reality technology and robotic interfaces to study learning and decision-making quantitatively under controlled conditions. This interdisciplinary approach unites aspects from both basic and applied research. On a basic level we aim at a quantitative understanding of embodied intelligence, in particular the emergence of cognition from sensorimotor interactions by processes of abstraction and structure learning. On an applied level we are interested in both autonomous robotic systems and human-machine-interactions, as sensorimotor learning and decision-making in artificial systems constitute a cutting-edge technical challenge. The research group is supported by the ERC-project BRISC (Bounded Rationality in Sensorimotor Coordination) https://erc.europa.eu/projects-figures/erc-funded- projects/results?search_api_views_fulltext=BRISC funded by the excellence programme of the European Research Council, in which we aim at a novel information-theoretic understanding of sensorimotor interactions in psychological and technical systems. Ulm University with its more than 10,000 students is Baden-Württemberg’s youngest university. It offers attractive career prospects in a highly innovative research, teaching and work environment at the same time facilitating the reconciliation of work and family life. Embedded within the novel international “Cognitive Systems”-Master’s course, the research group “Learning Systems” is part of the university’s priority programme on human-machine-interaction. Beyond the university, there are plenty of opportunities to cooperate with international partners in Great Britain and the United States. The applicants should have a strong mathematical background, hold a Diploma or Master’s degree in natural science, mathematics, economics, psychology, computer science, engineering or similar and have a keen interest in artificial and natural intelligence. The positions are paid according to German tariff TV-L E13. Exceptional candidates with a Bachelor’s degree can also be considered, albeit with an individual pay scale regulation. The University of Ulm is an equal opportunity employer: Handicapped individuals are strongly encouraged to apply, and so are women in areas in which they are underrepresented. The positions will be filled as soon as possible. Candidates should send a CV, a brief statement of interest and a copy of their highest degree to Prof. Dr. Dr. Daniel Alexander Braun daniel.braun(a)uni-ulm.de -- Prof. Dr. Dr. Daniel Alexander Braun Institute of Neural Information Processing Faculty of Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology Ulm University James-Franck-Ring D-89081 Ulm Germany phone: +49 (0)731 50 - 24150 <%2B49%20%280%29731%2050%20-%2024158> fax: +49 (0)731 50 - 24156 email: daniel.braun(a)uni-ulm.de

Feb. 14, 2018

In memoriam Jean-Marie Cabelguen, January 30 2018.

by Auke Ijspeert

[apologies in case of multiple copies] Dear Colleagues and Friends, It is with a great sadness that we heard that Professor Jean-Marie Cabelguen passed away on January 30, 2018 after battling cancer. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. As a researcher and lecturer in neurophysiology, he made profound contributions towards understanding the neural circuits underlying locomotion in vertebrate animals. A warm and passionate person, Jean-Marie was greatly appreciated by the scientific community to which he belonged. We created a website https://biorob2.epfl.ch/pages/cabelguen/ to allow his colleagues and friends to share some thoughts and memories about him. If you would like to do so, please write your messages (short or long, in any language) as an email to inmemoriam.jmc(a)epfl.ch <mailto:inmemoriam.jmc@epfl.ch>, and they will be posted here. Thank you. Best wishes, Auke Ijspeert, Vanessa Charrier, Dimitri Ryczko, Alessandro Crespi -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 -----------------------------------------------------------------

Feb. 14, 2018

Funded PhD: Causality and complexity in human neural dynamics during natural vision

by Anil Seth

A funded PhD position is available at the University of Sussex, UK, application deadline Feb 16 2018. Causality and complexity in human neural dynamics during natural vision A PhD studentship in the area of computational neuroscience is available at the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, within Prof Anil Seth's group based in the Department of Informatics. It is a collaborative project with the group of Prof. Rafael Malach at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and Prof. Ashesh Mehta from the Feinstein Institute in New York. The position is co-funded by the University of Sussex and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). This project offers an exciting opportunity to apply leading-edge analytical methods to unique sources of data, in order to unravel the neural basis of conscious vision. The successful candidate will develop and apply dynamical complexity measures and functional connectivity analysis to detailed intracranial recordings obtained from humans during unconstrained real-world movement, with simultaneous video. A key advantage of this set-up is the availability of extensive high-resolution coverage of the entire (human) visual brain, acquired during ecologically valid visual behaviour. Other sources of data may also be analysed during the project. The overall goal is to work towards an explanatory bridge from network-level neural dynamics to large-scale theories of perception and consciousness (e.g., global workspace theory, predictive processing). More details, including how to apply, are here: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/phd/fees-and-scholarships/scholarships/view/8… (please note funding is sufficient to cover fees and living expenses for UK/EU students only). Additional details are here: https://www.findaphd.com/search/projectdetails.aspx?PJID=92986 --------------------------------------------- Anil K. Seth, D.Phil. University of Sussex, UK Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Co-Director, Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science Editor-in-Chief, Neuroscience of Consciousness www.anilseth.com<http://www.anilseth.com> @anilkseth

Feb. 13, 2018

Up to 8 PhD fellowships in Cognitive Neuroscience at SISSA, Trieste, Italy

by Alessandro Treves

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

Feb. 13, 2018

[meetings] [LM2018] 2nd call for papers

by Vasiliki Vouloutsi

Dear colleagues, Please find below the second call for participation to the 7th edition of Living Machines. Apologies for cross-posting but please share this announcement with your colleagues. Looking forward to seeing you in Paris! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ /Second Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors/ *Living Machines VII: The 7th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems* *16 – 19 July 2018*** To be hosted at the Museum National D’Histoire Naturelle, Grand Amphitéâtre du Museum,and UPMC, Paris, France, EU Accepted papers will be published in Springer/Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence/ Submission deadline: March 12th, 2018 http://livingmachinesconference.eu/2018 <http://livingmachinesconference.eu/2018> _____________________________________________________________________________ ** *ABOUT LIVING MACHINES 2018* The development of future real-world technologies will depend strongly on our understanding and harnessing of the principles underlying living systems and the flow of communication signals between living and artificial systems. *Biomimetics*is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of principles from the study of biological systems.The investigation of biomimetic systems can serve two complementary goals. First, a suitably designed and configured biomimetic artefact can be used to test theories about the natural system of interest. Second, biomimetic technologies can provide useful, elegant and efficient solutions to unsolved challenges in science and engineering. *Biohybrid*systems are formed by combining at least one biological component—an existing living system—and at least one artificial, newly-engineered component. By passing information in one or both directions, such a system forms a new hybrid bio-artificial entity. The theme of the conference also encompasses biomimetic methods for manufacture, repair and recycling inspired by natural processes such as reproduction, digestion, morphogenesis and metamorphosis. The following are some examples of “Living Machines” as featured at past conferences: •Biomimetic robots and their component technologies (sensors, actuators, processors) that can interact with their physical and social environments. •Biomimetic computers and architectures —neuromimetic emulations of the physiological basis for complex adaptive behaviour. •Active biomimetic materials and structures that self-organize and self-repair. •Nature-based designs and manufacturing processes. •Biohybrid brain-machine interfaces and neuronal implants and neuroprosthetics. •Artificial organs and body-parts including sensory organ-chip hybrids and advanced prostheses and cyber-physical systems. •Organism-level biohybrids and symbiosis such as robot-animal or robot-human systems. ** *ACTIVITIES* The main conference will take the form of a*three-day single-track oral*and*poster presentation programme*, 17th to 19th July 2018,Museum National D’Histoire Naturelle,Grand Amphitéâtre du Museum,and UPMC,Paris, France, EU. The conference programme will include*five plenary lectures*from leading international researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems, and the demonstrations of state-of-the-art living machine technologies. The full conference will be preceded by up to two days of*Satellite Events*hosted atÉcole Normale Supérieure, Paris. *SUBMITTING TO LIVING MACHINES 2018* We invite both*full papers*and*extended abstracts*in areas related to the conference themes. All contributions will be refereed, and accepted papers will appear in the Living Machines Proceedings, published in the*Springer-Verlag/Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence/.* Full papers (minimum 8 pages, up to 12 pages) are invited from researchers at any stage in their career and should present significant findings and advances in biomimetic or biohybrid research. More preliminary work is better suited for short paper submission (minimum 4 pages, with a maximum of ten references and no more than three self-citations).Full papers will be accepted for either oral presentation (single track) or poster presentation with a short podium preview. Extended abstracts will be accepted for poster presentation only. Authors of the best full papers will be invited to submitted extended versions of their paper for publication in a special issue of the Taylor & Francis journal*Connection Science*. *Satellite events* Active researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems are invited to propose topics for full or half-day*tutorials, symposia*or*workshops*on related themes to be held on the 16^th July atthe École Normale Supérieure in Paris (http://www.ens.fr/en <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.ens.fr_en&d=DwMDaQ&…>). Attendance at satellite events will attract a small fee intended to cover the costs of the meeting. There is flexibility about the content, organisation, and budgeting for these events. Please contact us if you are interested in organising a satellite event! ** *EXPECTED DEADLINES* March 12th, 2018 Paper submission deadline April 28th, 2018 Notification of acceptance May 15th, 2018 Camera-ready copy July 16th – 19th, 2018 Workshops and Conference ** *SPONSORSHIP* Organisations wishing to sponsor the conference in any way and gain the corresponding benefits by promoting themselves and their products through conference publications, conference events, and conference publicity areencouraged to contact the organisers to discuss the terms of sponsorship and necessary arrangements. We also offer a number of attractive options to potential sponsors. *VENUE* Consistent with the Living Machines’ tradition of choosing historical venues at the crossroads between life and human sciences, this year the conference will take place at theMuseum National D’Histoire Naturelle(http://www.mnhn.fr/fr <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.mnhn.fr_fr&d=DwMDaQ…>) a historical museum located in the heart of Paris that for almost 400 years has focused on nature and its relationship with humans. The museum is immersed in history, yet at the heart of current affairs, and is also working to be projected towards the future. Poster sessions will be organized at UPMC. ** *Organising Committee:* *Jose Halloy*,Université Paris Diderot(Local Organizing Chair) *Paul Verschure*, IBEC-BIST (Co-Chair) *Tony Prescott*, University of Sheffield (Steering Committee) *Vicky Vouloutsi,*IBEC-BIST, Barcelona (Programme Chair) *Michael Mangan*, University of Lincoln (Programme Co-Chair) *Nathan Lepora*, University of Bristol (Communications) *Anna Mura*, IBEC-BIST, Barcelona (Web and Communications) *Local**Organising Committee:* *Stéphane Doncieux*, Prof. UMPC, ISIR *Benoît Girard*, DR CNRS, UPMC, ISIR *Emmanuelle Pouydebat*, DR CNRS, Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle *Vincent Bels*, Prof. Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle -- Vicky Vouloutsi, PhD Postdoc Researcher at the laboratory for Synthetic Perceptive, Emotive and Cognitive Systems (SPECS <http://specs-lab.com/>) mail: vvouloutsi(a)ibecbarcelona.eu <mailto:vvouloutsi@ibecbarcelona.eu> LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-vouloutsi-28496133/> researchgate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vasiliki_Vouloutsi>

Feb. 13, 2018

2 Funded PhD Interdisciplinary Scholarships on Robotics and Brain Science

by Dimitri Ognibene

The Faculty of Science and Health of the University of Essex is pleased to invite applications for 2 Funded PhD positions that will work on the following topics combining Psychology and Robotics (CSEE): 1)http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHO005/phd-studentship-are-you-looking-at-me-transferring-social-skills-from-humans-to-robots <http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHO005/phd-studentship-are-you-looking-at-me-tran…> (deadline 12th March 2018 <http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHO005/phd-studentship-are-you-looking-at-me-tran…>.) 2)http://jobs.ac.uk/job/BHF222/phd-studentship-careobot-cognitive-robotic-companion-for-carehomes-and-hospitals/ <http://jobs.ac.uk/job/BHF222/phd-studentship-careobot-cognitive-robotic-com…> (deadline 23rd February 2018 <http://jobs.ac.uk/job/BHF222/phd-studentship-careobot-cognitive-robotic-com…>) The post holder will have the opportunity to a) develop new advanced methods for cognitive robots based on machine learning, signal processing and information theory, b) design and perform behavioural experiments with human subjects and c) analyze experimental data in collaboration with experimental neuroscience laboratories. This is part of the Faculty plan to strengthen its interdisciplinary research at the boundaries between Natural and Artificial Intelligence (BCI, ML, AI, Robotics, Psychology and Neuroscience). Other new PhD positions can be found here: https://www1.essex.ac.uk/csee/pg/studentships.aspx <https://www1.essex.ac.uk/csee/pg/studentships.aspx> Additional questions and queries about the studentship can be addressed by contacting the supervisors specified in the call. -- Dimitri Ognibene, PhD School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, UK http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/ <http://sites.google.com/site/dimitriognibenehomepage/> Skype: dimitri.ognibene

Feb. 12, 2018

postdoc opening in data analysis for depression DBS at Georgia Tech

by Christopher Rozell

A postdoc position at the intersection of computational neuroscience, clinical neuropsychiatry and data analysis is available working jointly with the labs of Christopher Rozell and Robert Butera at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA). This BRAIN Initiative research project seeks to develop electrophysiological biomarkers to characterize disease progression and optimize deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment-resistant depression. This clinically-focused project (clinical lead is Dr. Helen Mayberg) is a collaboration with Emory University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai that is providing access to one-of-a-kind human electrophysiology data recorded by implanted DBS devices *during therapy* in an experimental trial. The role of our computational team is to develop analysis and modeling approaches to identify electrophysiological signatures that correlate with treatment response and optimize stimulation parameters. This is an opportunity to work on a challenging scientific problem with real impact on a sick patient population. Applicants should hold a PhD in a related discipline with a strong research record. Experience in advanced techniques for analyzing time-series data (e.g., signal processing and machine learning) is desirable, additional experience in computational neuroscience modeling and working with neurophysiology data is helpful . The labs are committed to the professional development of the members, making it valuable preparation for people who are interested in academic, industrial or entrepreneurial careers. The position has no mandatory teaching or administrative duties. Excellent (written and oral) communication skills in English are required. The ideal start date is May 2018. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. Georgia Tech has competitive benefits (including comprehensive medical insurance) and is an equal opportunity employer. Georgia Tech's campus 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. Candidates should send a CV, a statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for three references to christopher.thomas(a)ece.gatech.edu with the subject line "Neuro DBS postdoc". Application review will proceed until the position is filled and should be received by February 19, 2018 for full consideration.

Feb. 11, 2018