- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Deadline approaching - Bernstein Conference 2024

by Alexander Lammers

The deadline for the submission of poster abstracts for the Bernstein Conference 2024 is approaching! Abstract submission: https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/abstract-submission/<https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/registration/> ____ Each year the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renowned conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs, and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries. Conference website: https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/ ____ IMPORTANT DATES * Poster abstract submission deadline: Jul 10, 2024 (15:00 CEST) * Early registration deadline: Jul 31, 2024 (23:59 CEST) * Late registration deadline: Sep 11, 2024 (23:59 CEST) * Bernstein Conference: Sep 29 – Oct 2, 2024 ____ INVITED SPEAKERS Dmitriy Aronov (Columbia University, USA) Helen Barron (University of Oxford, UK) Elizabeth Buffalo (University of Washington, USA) Alex Cayco Gajic (Ecole Normale Supérieure, France) Jan Drugowitsch (Harvard University, USA) Jakob Macke (University of Tübingen, Germany) Tirin Moore (Stanford University, USA) Mala Murthy (Princeton University, USA) Memming Park (Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal) Susanne Schreiber (Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany) Xiao-Jing Wang (New York University, USA) ____ CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Matthias Kaschube (Conference Chair) Srdjan Ostojic (Program Chair) Tatiana Engel (Program Vice Chair) Maria Eckstein (Workshop Chair) Wiktor Młynarski (Workshop Vice Chair) & Athena Akrami, Mehrdad Jazayeri, Jennifer Li, Scott Linderman, Ashok Litwin-Kumar, Ida Momennejad, Christina Savin, Andrew Saxe, Daniela Vallentin, Friedemann Zenke. ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 52425 Jülich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Jülich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Düren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Stefan Müller Geschäftsführung: Prof. Dr. Astrid Lambrecht (Vorsitzende), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr. Ir. Pieter Jansens ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 27, 2024

2024 Brain-Score Benchmarking Competition -- Deadline coming up

by Martin Schrimpf

[Image] The Brain-Score Benchmarking Competition<https://www.brain-score.org/competition/> aims to find behavioral and neural benchmarks on which the predictions of our current top models break down. We are entering the final week of the 2024 competition - please submit your benchmarks to highlight the flaws in current state-of-the-art models of vision (and win prizes)! In 2022, the first Brain-Score Competition led to new and improved models of primate vision that predicted existing benchmarks reasonably well. In this year's Brain-Score Competition 2024, we are closing the loop on testing model predictions by rewarding those benchmarks that show where models are the least aligned to the primate visual ventral stream. The Competition is open to the scientific community and we provide an infrastructure to evaluate a variety of models on new behavioral and neural benchmarks in a standardized and unified manner. In addition, we will incentivize benchmark submissions by providing visibility to participants and a $10,000 prize pool<https://www.brain-score.org/competition/#tracks> to the winning benchmarks. Submissions<https://www.brain-score.org/profile/vision/> are open until June 30, 2024. For regular updates related to the competition, please follow Brain-Score on Twitter<https://twitter.com/brain_score> and join our community<https://www.brain-score.org/community>. Good Luck! Competition Tracks * Behavioral: This track will reward those benchmarks that show-case model short-comings in predicting behavior (human or non-human primate). The winning submissions will be the behavioral benchmarks with the lowest model scores, mean-averaged over all models, i.e. as close as possible to 0. The benchmarks can target any behavioral task that the models engage on (labeling, class probabilities, odd-one-out ; see the model interface<https://brain-score.readthedocs.io/en/latest/modules/model_interface.html#b…>). 1st prize: $3,000; 2nd prize: $2,000. * Neural: This track will reward those benchmarks that show-case model short-comings in predicting neural activity across the primate visual ventral stream. The winning submissions will be the neural benchmarks with the lowest model scores, mean-averaged over all models, i.e. as close as possible to 0. The benchmarks can target any region(s) in the visual ventral stream: V1, V2, V4, IT (see the model interface<https://brain-score.readthedocs.io/en/latest/modules/model_interface.html#b…>). Brain recordings can be from human or non-human primates. 1st prize: $3,000; 2nd prize: $2,000.

June 27, 2024

PhD position in Computational Neuroscience, TU Berlin, Germany

by Klaus Obermayer

Dear moderator, can you post the job announcement below? Thank you very much! Best regards Klaus Obermayer ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Neural Information Processing Group @ Technische Universität Berlin* *PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience (salary grade E13 TV-L 100%)* *Modelling Neural Population Dynamics and the Effects of External Stimulation* *Faculty IV - Institute of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science / Neural Information Processing Group* *Earliest starting date: *Sept. 1st, 2024 *Period:*5 years *Application Deadline: *July 26, 2024 *Reference number: *IV-307/24** *Working field: *Participation in the projects of the our research group in the field of computational neuroscience on modelling neural dynamics and the effects of external stimulation; collaboration with theoretical, experimental, and clinical research groups of the CRC 1315 (https://www.sfb1315.de/) and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin (https://www.bccn-berlin.de/) assistance in the maintenance of the computer infrastructure of the research group; teaching tutorials for introductory courses in programming and algorithms & architectures for non-CS students. For information about our research group see https://www.tu.berlin/en/ni. *Requirements: *Successfully completed university degree (Master, Diplom, or equivalent) in Computational Neuroscience, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or related fields; in-depth knowledge in nonlinear dynamics; a very good command of the English and German languages; the ability to teach in German; very good programming skills. Experience in modelling neural systems and teaching experience are desirable. Please send your application with the usual documents (including CV, transcripts of records, German language certificate for non-native speakers) exclusively by e-mail to Prof. Dr. Klaus Obermayer at *klaus.obermayer(a)tu-berlin.de*.

June 27, 2024

Fully funded PhD position in Lifelong Machine Learning at Loughborough University

by Andrea Soltoggio

Dear All, A fully funded PhD position is available in my research group at Loughborough University on the topic "Lifelong learning and shareable models: How to reduce the energy footprint of AI and contribute to a sustainable decarbonised future". Please find further details at https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/phd-opportuniti… Application deadline: 19th July 2024 This project will further extend research directions highlighted in our recent paper "A collective AI via lifelong learning and sharing at the edge" Nature Machine Intelligence, March 2024, available at : https://rdcu.be/dB9zt Requirements: Applicant should have, or expect to achieve, a first-class honours (or international equivalent) in computer science or related subjects. Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements ( International website<http://www.lboro.ac.uk/international/applicants/english/>) Project details: Current AI models are not designed to reuse and share knowledge. When conditions change, e.g., data distributions, locations, or platforms, retraining needs to occur from scratch. In some cases, like for foundation models or for complex robotics tasks, the process requires very large amount of data and energy. Recent advances towards lifelong learning and sharable models promise to create a new efficient AI landscape in which machine-learned knowledge can be built incrementally and worldwide with optimized energy use. This PhD project aims to advance the latest lifelong learning and sharable AI models to contribute to reduce the energy footprint of AI. An overview of this emerging field can be found in a recent publication from our group on Nature Machine Intelligence https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-024-00800-2 The student will be part of a growing group of researchers in machine learning and artificial intelligence in the Computer Science Department with collaborators from Loughborough Business School. Learn more about Digital Decarbonisation<https://www.lboro.ac.uk/schools/business-school/digital-decarbonisation/>. The project is in collaboration with the co-supervision of Dr. Vitor Castro, Dr. Rebecca Higginson and Prof. Tom Jackson. Best regards, Andrea Soltoggio -- Dr. Andrea Soltoggio (he/him or they/them) Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Artificial Intelligence Department of Computer Science, School of Science & Intelligent Automation Centre https://www.intelligent-automation.org.uk/about-us/centre-staff & Centre for Information Management https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/sbe/cim/ Haslegrave Building, N.2.03 Loughborough University LE11 3TU, UK Email: a.soltoggio(a)lboro.ac.uk<mailto:a.soltoggio@lboro.ac.uk> Web: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/compsci/staff/dr-andrea-soltoggio.html

June 26, 2024

Adam Tyson: Software Tools for Systems Neuroscience @ INCF/OCNS Software WG session on 9th July, 1500 UTC

by Ankur Sinha

Dear all, Apologies for the cross posts. Please do spread the word to interested colleagues. Adam Tyson from the Neuroinformatics Unit at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre will talk about the software tools that their group develops at the next INCF/OCNS Software Working Group (WG) session on July 09 at 1500 UTC. There will be a Q&A/discussion session after the presentation, followed by any WG business. Please find the abstract and joining information below: - When: July 9, 1500 UTC - Where: Zoom: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/91017703246?pwd=RmdwMW9xL0FFaFVVL0Z6dUtnbkplZz09 - Web page: https://ocns.github.io/SoftwareWG/2024/06/26/wg-meeting-9-july-2024-softwar… Abstract: Understanding the brain requires processing and analysing large, multidimensional datasets. Systems neuroscience, in particular, has undergone a drastic transformation, with individual labs now commonly generating terabytes or even petabytes of data annually. While there has been an increase in software tools to process this data, many of these tools are single-purpose, inadequately maintained, or poorly integrated with the broader software ecosystem. This talk will outline some of the tools we are developing for computational neuroanatomy, video behavioural analysis, and data management. About the speaker: Adam Tyson is the Head Research Engineer at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre and Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit at University College London. He established the Neuroinformatics Unit, a research software engineering team dedicated to developing robust, maintainable, and user-friendly software tools for neuroscience and machine learning. Adam completed a PhD in neuroscience at King's College London before working as a software developer at the Institute of Cancer Research and the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre. Resources/links: - BrainGlobe: https://brainglobe.info/ - Movement: https://movement.neuroinformatics.dev/ - NeuroBluePrint: https://neuroblueprint.neuroinformatics.dev/ - Neuroinformatics Unit: https://neuroinformatics.dev/ - Sainsbury Wellcome Centre: https://www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/ - Gatsby Computational Neuroscience: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/gatsby-computational-neuroscience-unit On behalf of the WG, -- Thanks, Regards, Ankur Sinha (He / Him / His) | https://ankursinha.in Research Fellow at the Silver Lab, University College London | http://silverlab.org/ Free/Open source community volunteer at the NeuroFedora project | https://neuro.fedoraproject.org Time zone: Europe/London

June 26, 2024

11th rTAIM Online Seminar | Walter Sinnott-Armstrong (Duke Uni.) | 26 June 2024 - 3pm Lisbon Time Zone | Zoom

by steven gouveia

Dear All, Following the 10th rTAIM Online Seminar (available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsRMi76gv9c) we are happy to announce the 11th rTAIM Online Seminar with the participation of Professor Walter Sinnott-Armstrong (Duke University, USA), on the 26th June 2024, 15h-16h30 Lisbon Time Zone, via Zoom. Title: The Moral AI and How We Get There Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to be used for many life-changing decisions in medicine. Critics object that using AI in these areas is too likely to lead to harm, unfairness, and other moral wrongs. In response, I will argue that these decisions can be made safer and more ethical by building human moral values into the AI decisionmaker. But how can we do that? I will discuss problems for some proposed ways to build morality into AI from the top down and from the bottom up. Then I will explain our lab’s novel hybrid alternative, which surveys human moral judgments and then corrects for ignorance, confusion, and partiality. Because our approach is based on idealized observer theories in ethics, it minimizes substantive assumptions about what is morally right or wrong, and it can be used in a wide variety of contexts. I will report initial empirical results using our method and discuss potential applications to kidney allocation and dementia. Short bio: Walter Sinnott-Armstrong is Chauncey Stillman Professor of Practical Ethics in the Department of Philosophy and the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. His most recent book is Moral AI and How We Can Get There, with Jana Schaich Borg and Vincent Conitzer in 2024. Zoom: Link: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/98415196784?pwd=a3dHbmF4VzlTaVczWTB6QzV… Meeting ID: 984 1519 6784 Passcode: 765321 More info: https://trustaimedicine.weebly.com/<https://trustaimedicine.weebly.com/rtaim-seminars.html>rtaim<https://trustaimedicine.weebly.com/rtaim-seminars.html>-seminars.html<https://trustaimedicine.weebly.com/rtaim-seminars.html> We are also happy to announce that the Call for Abstract for the 3rd International Conference on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence that will happen in the São Miguel Islands in the Azores (Portugal), between 19-25 September 2024 (online and in-person), is OPEN for submissions (notifications of acceptance/rejectance) are given in 7-10 days). You can find the information related to the 3ICEAI here: https://trustaimedicine.weebly.com/3iceai.html Sincerely, Organizer

June 26, 2024

REMINDER: World wide VVTNS series: Wednesday, June 26 at 11am (EDT), Eve Marder Brandeis University | Cryptic (hidden) changes that result from perturbations and climate change shape future dynamics of degenerate neurons and circuits

by David Hansel

[image: VVTNS.png] https://www.wwtns.online - on twitter: wwtns@TheoreticalWide You are cordially invited to the VVTNS fourth season final lecture given by Eve Marder Brandeis University on the topic of Cryptic (hidden) changes that result from perturbations and climate change shape future dynamics of degenerate neurons and circuits The lecture will be held on zoom on *June 26, 2024*, at *11:00 am EDT * To receive the link: https://www.wwtns.online/register-page *Abstract: *A fundamental problem in neuroscience is understanding how the properties of individual neurons and synapses contribute to neuronal circuit dynamics and behavior. In recent years we have done both computational and experimental studies that demonstrate that the same physiological output can arise from multiple, degenerate solutions, and that individual animals with similar behavior can nonetheless have quite different sets of underlying circuit parameters. Most recently, we have been studying the resilience of individual animals to perturbations such as temperature and high potassium concentrations. This has revealed that extreme environmental experiences can produce long-term changes in circuit performance that can be hidden, or “cryptic” unless the animals are again challenged or perturbed. Our present experimental and computational work is designed to understand differential resilience in natural, wild-caught animals in response to climate change, and shows long-lasting influences of the animals’ temperature history. *About VVTNS : Created as the World Wide Neuroscience Seminar (WWTNS) in November 2020 and renamed in homage to Carl van Vreeswijk in Memoriam (April 20, 2022), its aim is to be a platform to exchange ideas among theoreticians. Speakers have the occasion to talk about theoretical aspects of their work which cannot be discussed in a setting where the majority of the audience consists of experimentalists. The seminars, **held on Wednesdays at 11 am ET,** are 45-50 min long followed by a discussion. The talks are recorded with authorization of the speaker and are available to everybody on our YouTube channel.* ᐧ

June 25, 2024

CNS-2024 Workshop on “Neuronal Oscillations: From Mechanisms to Computation”: Information and call for spontaneous presentations by members of the community

by Rotstein, Horacio G

CNS-2024 Workshop on “Neuronal Oscillations: From Mechanisms to Computation” Information and call for spontaneous presentations by members of the community The 2024 Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting ( https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2024; CNS-2024) will be in Natal, Brazil, July 20-24. The last two days of the meeting are devoted to workshops organized by members of the community. As in previous years, we are organizing a workshop on “Oscillations: from mechanisms to computations”. The workshop is scheduled for July 24. The primary purpose of this workshop is to bring together modelers, experimentalists, and theorists with the goal of sharing and discussing their current results and ideas on the underlying mechanisms that govern the generation of these rhythms at various levels of organization, and their functional implications. Following the tradition of this workshop - We have reserved slots for members of the community whom we might not have been aware of their interest in actively participating in the workshop, particularly the more junior members of the community - We are calling for spontaneous five minutes long data blitz where interested students and postdocs can briefly present their work and contribute to the discussion - We will allow for ample time for discussion by keeping the talks relatively brief. We would like to conclude by having an open discussion on 1. The role of oscillations for neural computation 2. The opportunity that presents to the community to apply the insights from oscillatory dynamics in the brain to the design of artificial neural networks (ANNs). If time becomes an issue, we will have this discussion after the regular workshop schedule to allow for a larger group of participants. We will do our best to accommodate people who are interested in being part of the workshop and/or contribute to the discussion on the topics i and ii listed above. Please, contact us. Best regards, Horacio -- -- Horacio, NY/NJ area. "Az di bobe volt gehat beytsim volt zi geven mayn zeide" (Yiddish expression) Horacio G. Rotstein, PhD (he/they) Professor Mathematical Biology & Computational Neuroscience BioDatanamics Lab Federated Department of Biological Sciences Rutgers University / New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ, 07102, USA. Graduate Faculty Behavioral Neurosciences Program Rutgers University (NWK) tel: (1-973) 596-8460 e-mail: horacio(a)njit.edu horacior(a)andromeda.rutgers.edu <horacio(a)njit.edu> http://web.njit.edu/~horacio

June 24, 2024

PhD and post-doc at University College Dublin

by Áine Byrne

Bridging the gap for mathematical models of gap junctions PhD and post-doctoral positions available with Dr Áine Byrne (https://people.ucd.ie/aine.byrne) in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at University College Dublin’s . This project seeks to develop novel mathematical models of gap junction modulation in the brain. Gap junctions promote the synchronous activation of neurons, a signature of epileptic seizures. Using a combination of mathematical models and electrophysiological experiments, we will investigate the interplay between gap junction coupling and neuronal synchronisation. Particular attention will be paid to how gap junction coupling varies in response to changes in the surrounding environment. This newfound understanding will be exploited to understand the emergence of excessive neuronal synchronisation in epilepsy and identify novel treatments. Experiments will be carried out at Trinity College Dublin under the guidance of collaborator Prof Mark Cunningham (https://www.cunninghamlab.org/) who will provide training and the use of his facilities. PhD student A 4-year fully funded position is available from September 1st, 2024. Funding includes a stipend of €22,000 per year and a travel allowance of €1,500 per year (years 2-4). Candidates should have a strong mathematical background, programming skills (Python, LaTeX, C++, Linux), an excellent command of the English language, good communication skills, and a passion for interdisciplinary projects. A MSc in mathematics, physics, computer science or a related field is desirable, but candidates with an excellent undergraduate degree (first class honours) may also apply. Applications, including a personal statement, CV, and contact details for two referees should be sent to Áine Byrne (aine.byrne(a)ucd.ie <mailto:aine.byrne@ucd.ie>). The deadline for applications is July 15, 2024, however, later applications may also be considered. Post-doctoral positions We are currently accepting expressions of interest for a 3-year position (start date: January 1st, 2025). Candidates should have a PhD in applied mathematics, physics, computer science, neuroscience, cognitive science or a related field. Mathematical or computational modelling experience is required, while experimental experience is desirable (but not essential). Candidates should also have strong programming skills (Python, LaTeX, XPPAUTO, C++, Linux), an excellent command of the English language, good communication skills, and a passion for interdisciplinary projects Expressions of interest, including a short description of your previous experience and motivation for working on this project, should be sent to Áine Byrne (aine.byrne(a)ucd.ie <mailto:aine.byrne@ucd.ie>). A formal application procedure will follow in the coming months.

June 24, 2024

Reminder: Call for contribution and registration for Systems Vision Science Virtual Symposium July 12, 2024

by Pavlovic, Maria

Systems Vision Science Virtual Symposium: July 12th, 2024 -------------------------------- <https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/symposium-2024/> Systems Vision Science Virtual Symposium takes place on July 12th, 2024, 15:00-19:00 German time, as the end of the <https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/virtual-systems-vision-science-summer-s chool-symposium-2024/> Systems Vision Science Virtual Summer School. This summer school and symposium are the virtual editions of the onsite <https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/> summer school and symposium in 2023. We invite contribution and free registration for this symposium. -------------------------------- The presentations at the symposium will include two keynote speeches (30 minutes each): Keynote Speech 1: "Feedback processing in human visual cortex" by Sheng He <https://www.neuroscience.umn.edu/faculty/current-faculty/g-h/sheng-he-phd> , University of Minnesota and Chinese Academy of Science, Institute of Biophysics Keynote Speech 2: "Processing partially occluded objects in the primate brain" by Anitha Pasupathy <https://sites.uw.edu/biostr/people/faculty/anitha-pasupathy/> , University of Washington, Department of Biological Structure and contributed speeches (15 minutes each). The topics of the presentations will be any topic of <https://www.lizhaoping.org/Systems-Vision-Science.html> Systems Vision Science, which combines computational, behavioral, and neuroscience methods to discover and investigate functions and algorithms for vision in various brain regions and their implementations in neural circuits. -------------------------------- To contribute or register, please fill out our registration form (including an abstract for contribution), which can be found here: <https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Form-to-regi ster-or-submit-a-contribution-to-the-SVS-symposium-2024.docx> https://summerschool.lizhaoping.org/Form-to-register-or-submit-a-contributio n-to-the-SVS-symposium-2024.docx and send the filled form to svs.summerschool(a)tue.mpg.de <mailto:svs.summerschool@tue.mpg.de> Please direct inquiries to svs.summerschool(a)tue.mpg.de <mailto:svs.summerschool@tue.mpg.de> . -------------------------------- Organizing Team Li Zhaoping Maria Pavlovic Junhao Liang Ali Gholamzadeh Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics University of Tuebingen www.lizhaoping.org <http://www.lizhaoping.org>

June 24, 2024