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Call for participants – workshop on Computational Neuroscience and Robotics: Astrocyte-Neuron interactions, Spiking Neural Networks and Autonomous robotics. University of York, 3-5 Sep 2018.

by David Halliday

This 2.5 day workshop in the historic city of York is accepting applications for participation. We have invited speakers from USA, EU and UK. Due to sponsorship from EPSRC we can offer free registration for all participants. Free accommodation is available for PhD, early career researchers and workshop presenters. Travel bursaries for registered PhD students are also available. For an up to date list of speakers and details of how to register see the website: https://www.york.ac.uk/spanner-workshop We are still accepting abstracts for posters or contributed talks. Further details: https://www.york.ac.uk/spanner-workshop

July 30, 2018

Cognitive Computing - Merging Concepts with Hardware - Call for Abstracts: Deadline Approaching: July 31

by Prof. Dr. Gordon Pipa

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

July 30, 2018

PhD Studentship, University of Osnabrueck- Research Training School on Computaional Cognition

by Prof. Dr. Gordon Pipa

We are looking for 9 PhD candidate for Research Training School funded by the DFG (German science foundation) on "Computational Cognition". The positions are to be filled by October 1, 2018 for a period of 3 years. More information: http://computational-cognition.eu/ https://www.uni-osnabrueck.de/universitaet/stellenangebote/stellenangebote_d etail/109_ikw_phd_candidates.html The RTG Computational Cognition aims at reintegrating Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence. PhD students of the RTG will be educated in both subjects in order to combine the findings of these fields and thus to get a better understanding of human and machine intelligence. Research fields involved in the RTG are Neuroinformatics, Neurobiopsychology, Bio-Inspired Computer Vision, Knowledge-Based Systems, Cognitive Natural Language Processing & Communication, Cognitive Modeling, Artificial Intelligence, Psycho/Neurolinguistics, Computational Linguistics and Cognitive Computing. The RTG will focus on the integration of two research fields and has a focus on machine learning, deep learning and dynamical systems, computer vision combined with experimental methods including EEG and Eye tracking. Detailed information on the core areas of the offered PhD projects can be obtained from the spokesmen of the RTG, Prof. Dr. Gordon Pipa (gpipa(a)uni-osnabrueck.de) and Prof. Dr. Peter König (pkoenig(a)uni-osnabrueck.de) The RTG will be incorporated into the Cognitive Science PhD program founded in 2002. PhD students of the RTG will take advantage of an interdisciplinary environment, which nevertheless focuses on a common research topic and offers a broad range of methodological synergies between the projects. Required Qualifications: Applicants are expected to have an academic degree (Master/Diploma), experience in at least one of the domains listed above, proven experience in interdisciplinary work as well as a good command of the English language. Osnabrück University has been certified as a family-friendly university committed to helping working/studying parents and carers balance their family and work life. The university aspires to ensure equal opportunities for men and women and strives to work towards a gender balance in schools or departments where new appointments are made. If equally qualified candidates apply, preference will be given to those with special needs. Applications with the usual documentation should be submitted by e-mail in a single PDF file to the director of the Institute of Cognitive Science, Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Kühnberger (kkuehnbe(a)uni-osnabrueck.de) with a cc to office(a)ikw.uni-osnabrueck.de no later than August 23, 2018.We will consider applicants who have: 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 research gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gordon_Pipa/?ev=prf_act linkedin: https://de.linkedin.com/in/gordon-pipa-47771539 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

July 30, 2018

PhD position in Neuroscience available immediately (Italy / USA)

by Marco Tamietto

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, but he/she will be expected to spend a significant amount of time at the NIH in Bethesda (USA). In fact, the PhD student will be co-supervised by prof. M. Tamietto and prof. D. Leopold, and the position is specifically focused on behavioural and fMRI studies in non-human primates. For further information please visit http://www.marcotamietto.com or contact Prof. M. Tamietto (marco.tamietto(a)unito.it) or Prof. D. Leopold ( leopoldd(a)mail.nih.gov)

July 27, 2018

[Deadline Approaching] CfP: CI Methods in Processing and Analysis of Neuronal Big Data at BI 2018, Texas, Dec. 7-9.

by Mufti Mahmud

*[Apologies for cross posting.]* *Call for Paper for Special Session on* *Computationally Intelligent Methods in Processing and Analysis of Neuronal Big Data* *11th Brain Informatics Conference (BI 2018), Arlington, Texas, USA, December 7-9, 2018* *Web: http://uta.engineering/conferences/bi-2018/ <http://uta.engineering/conferences/bi-2018/>* Organizers: *Mufti Mahmud1, M Shamim Kaiser2, Ning Zhong3, Nitish V Thakor4* *1 **Computing and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, NG11 8NS – Nottingham, UK* 2*Institute of Information Technology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, 1342 – Dhaka, Bangladesh* 3*Dept. of Life Science and Informatics, Maebashi Institute of Technology, 371-0816 - Maebashi-City, Japan* *4**Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, National University of Singapore, 117456 – Singapore; &* *Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 21205 – MD, USA* *Introduction:* The brain receives and processes information simultaneously coming from diverse sources. The neurons, being the basic information processing units, interconnect to each other to form hierarchical and/or parallel pathways. Technologies related to neural systems engineering have been employed to study these pathways along with processing and modelling of neuronal data for disease diagnosis and brain decoding purposes. Combining both experimental and computational approaches in recent years, thanks to the advancements in neurotechniques, scientists can access large amount of neuronal data and apply computationally intelligent and nature-inspired machine learning techniques including deep learning and reinforcement learning on those data to suggest next generation experimental design aiming to decipher brain’s information processing capabilities and diagnose its diseases. *Scope:* Developing data-intensive and intelligent tools, as well as sophisticated neurotechniques, to process and analyse the neuronal big data is one of the biggest challenges posed to today’s multidisciplinary brain science community. To share recent progress in decoding neuronal information processing, both in healthy and diseased brain, this special session aims to provide a forum for scientists from diverse disciplines including – computer, electrical, biomedical, and neuro engineering – who are looking for more relevant information in interpreting brain functions and diagnosing diseases using expert and computationally intelligent systems. This special session expects to attract papers on recent research progress in the area of intelligent computational tools and techniques in acquiring and processing neuronal big data. The focus areas include, but not limited to, the following: Ø Neural systems engineering and technology to study neural pathways; Ø Processing and modelling of neuronal data for disease diagnosis and brain decoding; Ø Bio-inspired methods for network analysis and pattern recognition in neural data; Ø Novel machine learning techniques for neuronal big data analysis; Ø Application of deep and reinforcement learning to neuronal big data analysis; Ø Computationally intelligent techniques for neuroscience applications; Ø Neuroinformatics (including cloud computing and real-time systems); Ø Cognitive science applications (learning, workload, decision making, etc.) and data analytics; Ø Computational and imaging methods for human brain connectome; and Ø Information analysis in human brain machine interface (invasive, noninvasive). *Submission of papers:* Submit Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) complaint – 10 page – pdf paper to the Special Session following the steps below: Ø Prepare the paper as per the Springer LNCS template from: http://www.springer.com/us/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gui… Ø Visit https://wi-lab.com/cyberchair/2018/bi18/scripts/ws_submit.php?subarea=S Ø Select the link: Special session on Computationally Intelligent Methods in Processing and Analysis of Neuronal Big Data Ø Select the link Submit a New Paper (TYPE I Submission) Ø Provide paper details (i.e., Author(s), Paper Title, Abstract, Keywords, PDF file to upload). *Important dates:* Ø Paper submission deadline: *30 July 2018* Ø Decision notification: *30 August 2018* Ø Special Session date: *7 December 2018* Ø Conference dates: *8-9 December 2018*. With kindest regards, *Mufti Mahmud, PhD* | (Senior) Lecturer of Computing & Technology <https://www.ntu.ac.uk/sat/about/academic_teams/comp_tech.html> | School of Science & Technology <https://www.ntu.ac.uk/sat/> | Nottingham Trent University <https://www.ntu.ac.uk/> Office: ERD200 | Erasmus Darwin Building | Clifton Campus | NG11 8NS – Nottingham | United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)115 84 83202 | Email: mufti.mahmud(a)ntu.ac.uk Meeting requests: https://doodle.com/mufti <http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2037-8348> http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2037-8348 https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=L8em2YoAAAAJ&hl=en https://sites.google.com/site/muftimahmud/ https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/science-technology/mufti-mahmud Senior Member, IEEE <https://www.ieee.org/> & ACM <https://www.acm.org/> Associate Editor, IEEE Access <http://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/> Editorial Board Member, Cognitive Computation <https://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/journal/12559> & Big Data Analytics <https://bdataanalytics.biomedcentral.com/> Student consultation hours: Drop-in sessions on Thursdays between 11.00 am and 12.30 pm. Appointments for a different time can also be arranged through email.

July 24, 2018

Postdoc in Computational and Mathematical Neuroscience (closing 29 July; EPSRC funded)

by James Rankin

**closes soon*, on 29 July* *Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Computational and Mathematical Neuroscience* Location: College of Engineering, Mathematics, Physical Sciences at the University of Exeter (Streatham Campus) Job reference: P62935 Application closing date: *29/07/2018* Interview date: *10/08/2018* Salary From £34,520 on Grade F, dependent on knowledge, skills and experience This new full-time post is available from *1st October 2018* on a fixed term contract basis for *2 years*. The College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to participate in the project Neural oscillator network modelling of auditory stream segregation. This EPSRC funded post is available from 01/10/2018 for 2 years. The successful candidate will join the Systems Biomedicine and Dynamical Systems research groups housed in the recently launched GBP 50m Living Systems Institute at the University of Exeter. These groups house over 50 researchers applying mathematical and computation approaches to study problems in neuroscience, biology and healthcare. The project will benefit from input from colleagues with expertise in neural networks, bifurcation theory, coupled oscillators and numerical methods. The Post: The project will involve developing mathematical and computational models to deepen our understanding of auditory stream segregation. This is a fundamental process in the auditory system that allows us to separate out and focus on distinct sound streams (e.g. voices) in a dynamic noisy environment. This process involves competition in order to resolve different interpretations of a given environment (e.g. different groupings of objects). Many aspects of this process are still not well understood, such as where in the brain segregation of streams is achieved, how the streams are encoded and the driving neural mechanisms. This project will develop a biologically motivated model inspired by a broad cross section of modelling and experimental literature (from anatomical, neurophysiological, brain imaging and behavioural experiments). The models developed will be based on networks of coupled neural oscillators. Neural oscillations are understood to be vital for the encoding of temporal information in auditory streaming. Dynamical systems theory including bifurcation analysis and numerical methods will provide the necessary tools to understand the dynamics of the models developed. About you: - Candidates with quantitative backgrounds (Mathematics, Physics, Engineering) and from Neuroscience programmes with a strong computational component are encouraged to apply. - Applicants will possess a PhD or equivalent in one of these areas or a related field. T - You will also be able to work collaboratively and supervise the work of others. - Programming experience in a high-level language (e.g. Matlab, Python, C/C++) is a must and knowledge of dynamical systems theory is a plus. - Experience working on interdisciplinary projects involving the application of mathematical and computational tools to problems in Biology or Neuroscience will be viewed favourably. The University offers some fantastic benefits including 41 days leave per year, options for flexible working, numerous discounts at leading retailers, onsite gym, cycle to work scheme, sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a new Fertility Treatment Policy; and a stunning campus environment in the heart of Exeter. If you are not currently in Exeter please have a look at our website for some further information on what a beautiful part of the country we are based in. *For further information, please contact Dr James Rankin, email j.a.rankin(a)exeter.ac.uk <j.a.rankin(a)exeter.ac.uk>* https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC1 07GF.open?VACANCY_ID=258266M3V7&WVID=3817591jNg http://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/jar226 The University of Exeter is an equal opportunity employer. We are officially recognised as a Disability Confident employer and an Athena Swan accredited institution. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in the workforce.

July 24, 2018

IMBIZO DEADLINE TOMORROW: IBRO Simons Computational Neuroscience Imbizo 2019

by Tim Vogels

Dear all, I’d like to remind you that the deadline for next year's IBRO-Simons computational neuroscience imbizo is TOMORROW Tell your friends, and tell your students, especially your African students, as we are still lacking a proper pipeline to disseminate this information. The Imbizo is a summer school in computational neuroscience and machine learning, hosted January 6th - 27th 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. We are generously sponsored by the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) and the Simons Foundation (Simons). TO APPLY visit https://imbizo.africa <https://imbizo.africa/> IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHETHER YOU CAN AFFORD IT, BY ALL MEANS, APPLY. We have generous merit-based awards and stipends to give away!! The Imbizo is designed to introduce students with backgrounds in analytic fields (computer science, statistics, physics, mathematics, engineering, etc.) to the field of computational neuroscience. It will also benefit advanced experimental biologists who would like to learn more computational skills. It also provides an opportunity for students already working in computational neuroscience to do 3 weeks of intensive, focused work in a different sub-topic of the field. Students should generally be at Masters/early PhD level, and have completed at least a 2nd-year university level course in computer science, statistics, physics or mathematics. Some coding experience will also be helpful. More advanced level students (post-Docs, early career PIs) may also be accepted if they can motivate how the courses at the Imbizo could help their career. Well motivated, exceptional undergraduates will also be considered. African students are especially encouraged to apply. The faculty for 2019 include: Dora Angelaki (Bayor College, Houston) Demba Ba (Harvard Uni, Boston) Sophie Denève (ENS, Paris) Adrienne Fairhall (Univ of Washington, Seattle) Peter Latham (Univ College London) Timothy Lillicrap (Google Deepmind, London) Joseph Raimondo (Univ of Cape Town) Athanassia Papoutsi (IMBB-FORTH, Hellas) Srikanth Ramaswami (EPFL, Lausanne) Blake Richards (Univ Toronto) Andrew Trevelyan (Newcastle Univ., Newcastle) Misha Tsodyks (Weizmann Inst., Rehovot) Tim Vogels (Oxford) Byron Yu (Carnegie Mellon Univ, Pittsburgh) TO APPLY visit https://imbizo.africa <https://imbizo.africa/> "Imbizo" is an isiXhosa word, meaning "A gathering to share knowledge". The aim of the isiCNI is exactly this: to create an environment in which young African and international students can explore computational neuroscience together, forming strong friendships in the process. Three weeks of intensive lectures, tutorials, projects and fun! Who should apply? The Imbizo is designed to introduce students with backgrounds in analytic fields (computer science, statistics, physics, mathematics, engineering, etc.) to the field of computational neuroscience. It will also benefit advanced experimental biologists who would like to learn more computational skills. It also provides an opportunity for students already working in computational neuroscience to do 3 weeks of intensive, focused work in a different sub-topic of the field. Students should generally be at Masters/early PhD level, and have completed at least a 2nd-year university level course in computer science, statistics, physics or mathematics. Some coding experience will also be helpful. More advanced level students (post-Docs, early career PIs) may also be accepted if they can motivate how the courses at the Imbizo could help their career. Well motivated, exceptional undergraduates will also be considered. African students are especially encouraged to apply. What does it cost? The attendance fee for the isiCNI2019 is EUR 1,100.00. Thanks to our generous sponsors, significant bursaries are available to subsidise and waiver student fees, and provide some travel bursaries. Funding will be allocated according to need and merit. Please be sure to complete the relevant section of the application. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHETHER YOU CAN AFFORD IT, BY ALL MEANS, APPLY. We have generous merit-based awards and stipends to give away!!

July 23, 2018

Invitation to Participate in Software Engineering Practices in Cognitive Modelling and Computational Neuroscience Survey

by Furkan Kurtaran

Dear All, As a part of Master's thesis research, I am conducting an online survey on software engineering practices and problems in developing cognitive and neuroscientific architectures/frameworks/simulators and computational models on those platforms. If you have been involved in developing such cognitive/neuroscientific modelling tools and computational models on them, we will be grateful if you could answer our survey questions in the link given below: http://moodle.atilim.edu.tr/anket/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=579941&lang=… [1] The participation is voluntary and anonymous; the survey will take about 10 minutes. We hope to better understand and develop suggestions for improving cognitive modelling and computational neuroscience software from a software engineering point of view at the end of our research. As a symbol of gratitude of your participation, participants who complete the survey will be eligible for a prize draw for a $40 book check from Amazon. Best Regards, -- Furkan Kurtaran Computer Engineering Department Research Assistant Atilim University https://www.atilim.edu.tr/en/compe/page/1595/academic-staff Links: ------ [1] http://moodle.atilim.edu.tr/anket/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=579941&a…

July 23, 2018

Software Development Position -- University of Tübingen

by Andrea Burgalossi

A position as 'Data Analyst & Software Developer' is immediately available in the Burgalossi lab (www.burgalossilab.com) He/she will work closely with neuroscientists for developing software for the analysis of electrophysiological data and animal behavior (rodents). Specific tasks will also involve programming virtual-reality and/or video-tracking hardware, and developing software for the detection and scoring of animal behaviors. A strong quantitative background (e.g. degree in statistics, computer science, physics, mathematics, engineering, etc.) and excellent programming skills (e.g. MATLAB) are necessary. Background in neuroscience and experience in methods for neural data analysis are a plus. Candidates at various levels of academic degree (BSc, MSc, PhD) will be considered for this position. Applications should contain CV and names of at least two referees. Please send your application (or informal inquiries) electronically to Andrea Burgalossi (andrea.burgalossi(a)cin.uni-tuebingen.de) -- Andrea Burgalossi, PhD Cellular and Synaptic Basis of Behaviour Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN) Otfried-Müller-Straße 25 72076 Tübingen Tel: +49-(0)7071-29-88797 Fax: +49-(0)7071-29-25006 Lab web: burgalossilab.com CIN web: http://www.cin.uni-tuebingen.de

July 18, 2018

HFSP postdoc in limbo, and perhaps at ENS

by Alessandro Treves

A postdoc is sought to join a HFSP-funded project to study analog cortical computations in linguistic processes. A collaboration with Naama Friedmann (TAU) and Remi Monasson (ENS) which includes, at SISSA, Sara Andreetta and several PhD students. Ideal candidates are interested in language but have expertise in mathematical approaches to neural computation - complementary to Sara's in behaviour. A fruitful interaction with Remi and his group may lead to a period based in Paris. Applications to be submitted by August 6, 2018, as indicated in https://www.sissa.it/bandi/selezione-pubblica-titoli-conferimento-di-n-1-as… (note: by 1pm!) with starting date Oct 1st. Inquiries at ale(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

July 16, 2018