- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

New Online Master Program for Cognitive Science M.Sc.

by mcruz＠uni-osnabrueck.de

Dear all, We are very excited to announce that the Institute of Cognitive Science at Osnabrück University will offer a new digital track of the Cognitive Science M.Sc. program! The DAAD-funded program targets international students who can successfully complete most of the coursework remotely. Possible focus areas include Artificial Intelligence, Neuroinformatics, and Neuroscience. In addition to the online coursework, students will be present in Osnabrück for 2-3 weeks every academic year. During this period, students will be able to get to know one another and participate in courses and face-to-face exams. This also gives students a chance to get to know the city of Osnabrück, learn about German culture, and gain insight into the work-life in Germany through possible internships and company visits. The program will be open for applications soon - check out our website (https://www.ikw.uni-osnabrueck.de/en/courses_of_study/master_program/cognit…) for more details. Please do not hesitate to contact us (os-cosmos(a)uni-osnabrueck.de) with further inquiries! We look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, Misha Cruz Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin OS-COSMOS mishael.g.cruz(a)uni-osnabrueck.de Institut für Kognitionswissenschaften und virtUOS Universität Osnabrück Misha Cruz Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin OS-COSMOS mishael.g.cruz(a)uni-osnabrueck.de Institut für Kognitionswissenschaften und virtUOS Universität Osnabrück

April 8, 2021

2 postdoc positions at the Perception, Neuroimaging, and Modeling lab at Georgia Tech

by Xue, Kai

Hi all, The Perception, Neuroimaging, and Modeling lab (PI: Dr. Doby Rahnev, rahnevlab.gatech.edu) has two postdoctoral fellow openings to work on funded projects. The exact topic of research is flexible and could include investigating the neural and/or computational bases of perception, memory, metacognition, attention, expectation, learning, cognitive control, working memory, etc. The Rahnev lab uses a wide range of methods such as fMRI, TMS, psychophysics, computational modeling and concurrent TMS-fMRI. The position is initially for 2 years with a possibility for extension. Candidates will be given the opportunity to conduct studies building on current lab research or developing their own projects ideas. Review begins April 15, 2021 and will continue until both positions are filled. The Rahnev lab, at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, has access to exceptional research facilities. The lab space is conveniently located just steps away from a 3T Prisma MRI scanner at the Center for Advanced Brain Imaging (CABI, cabiatl.com) The lab also houses its own TMS equipment and is pioneering the use of concurrent TMS-fMRI that allows TMS to be delivered inside the MRI scanner. Working in the Rahnev lab presents opportunities for collaborations across several Atlanta-based universities including Georgia Tech, Emory and Georgia State. Georgia Tech is located at the heart of Atlanta, a vibrant, multicultural city that offers many opportunities for engaging in cultural, culinary, sports, and entertainment activities. Our lab aims to create a supportive, fun and productive environment. We are especially interested in maintaining our already diverse team and therefore seek applications from qualified individuals from all demographics and backgrounds. For more information, visit our website at http://rahnevlab.gatech.edu/getinvolved.html. To apply, email (1) your CV, (2) a brief description of what types of research questions you may want to pursue if you join us, and (3) a list of three references (names and email addresses will suffice at this point) to Dr. Rahnev (rahnev(a)psych.gatech.edu) Review begins on April 15, 2021 and will continue until both positions are filled. Best, Kai Kai Xue PNM Lab Manager Georgia Institute of Technology | Department of Psychology 424.402.7816

April 8, 2021

Research Software Engineer - Comp. Neuroscience Project @Harvard

by Mohammadi Shad, Mahmood

Dear Comp-Neuro Community, We have an opening in the FAS Research Computing department at Harvard University related to Computational Neuroscience. Harvard University is hiring a Research Software Engineer (RSE) to support researchers' high-performance scientific software development, numerical analysis, and machine learning (ML) needs. This project plays an essential role in helping facilitate cutting-edge research on the brain. Through regular engagements with researchers, this RSE will help with the refactoring of a legacy software package for clustering electrophysiological neural data (spike sorting). They will improve code design, unit testing, performance of statistical/numerical libraries, cloud-readiness, as well as porting to general-purpose scientific programming languages (Python, C++, Julia). Additionally, the RSE will make a modular software structure to test different clustering and cluster-tracking algorithms utilizing ML and deep learning (DL) techniques. More information: https://www.rc.fas.harvard.edu/about/employment/#Research_Software_Engineer… Best, ---------------- Mahmood M. Shad, PhD Associate Director of Research Software Engineering FAS Research Computing Harvard University 38 Oxford Street, Room 210 Cambridge, MA 02138 Email: mohammadi_shad(a)harvard.edu<mailto:mohammadi_shad@harvard.edu>

April 7, 2021

Postdoc in neural network and robot models of body representations

by Matej Hoffmann

** *Dear colleagues, * *** there is a postdoc openingin the humanoid, cognitive, neuro-, and collaborative robotics group (https://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/research/groups-teams/humanoids/) coordinated by Dr. Matej Hoffmann (https://sites.google.com/site/matejhof/) at the Department of Cybernetics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. In the context of a 5-year project entitled “Whole-body awareness for safe and natural interaction: from brains to collaborative robots” for excellence in fundamental research from the Czech Science Foundation (seehttps://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/news/new-gacr-expro-project <https://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/news/new-gacr-expro-project/>for more information), we seek a postdoctoral researcher to conduct research in some of the following areas: - Neural network models of multisensory integration, body schema, and reaching development - Employing humanoid robots with artificial skin to construct embodied computational models of body and peripersonal space representations The postdoc will independently conduct research and will also be involved in shaping the research of the group and supervising students. Robots and infrastructure The humanoids group has at its disposal several humanoid robots (iCub, 2 Naos - 1 with whole-body sensitive skin) and collaborative or lightweight manipulators (KUKA LBR iiwa, UR10e with Airskin, Kinova Gen3). Additional infrastructure includes several robot hands (Barrett Hand BH8-282, QB Soft Hand) and grippers, a 3D Motion Capture System, impact measuring devices, etc. The group has also access to the facilities of the Research Center for Informatics such as a high-performance computational cluster. International collaborations There is a large group of international experts who have agreed to act as collaborators/advisors on the project. These include experts in - developmental psychology: Dr. Kevin O’Regan (CNRS, Paris), Prof. Jeffrey J. Lockman (Tulane University, New Orleans) - cognitive psychology and neuroscience: Prof. Matthew Longo (Birkbeck University, London), Prof. Tobias Heed (Bielefeld), Prof. Andrea Serino (University of Lausanne), Dr. Jean-Paul Noel (Center for Neural Science at New York University), Drs. M.Gori and Giulia Cappagli (Italian Institute of Technology, Dr. S. Signorini (IRCSS Fondazione Mondino Pavia) Prague There is currently a very lively international ecosystem in the areas of robotics and AI - at the Department and in Prague in general. See, for example, http://rci.cvut.cz/or https://prg.ai/en/. We seek applicants with a background in computational modeling, artificial neural networks or machine learning, with interest in neuroscience. Background in robotics is not required. How to apply. The application should include: -Motivation letter (max. 1 page) - CV (including 2 reference persons) -1 Letter of recommendation (can be from 1 of the reference persons above) Please send the application or inquiries to matej.hoffmann(a)fel.cvut.czwith (“postdoc application” in the subject). The position is open until filled. * -- Matej Hoffmann, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Cybernetics Faculty of Electrical Engineering Czech Technical University in Prague Karlovo namesti 13 121 35 Praha 2, Czech Republic +420 224 357 387 https://sites.google.com/site/matejhof/home https://cyber.felk.cvut.cz/humanoids

April 7, 2021

EBRAINS Training on Model Validation

by Shailesh Appukuttan

*EBRAINS Training on Model Validation* *4–7 May 2021* https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ The HBP Education Programme is organising a training on Model Validation. This training will guide modellers and experimentalists in model validation (comparing simulation results to experimental data) using the EBRAINS Model Validation Framework. The training will take place *virtually* over 4 days. Participation in the Training is open to the entire student and researchers community, regardless of whether they are affiliated with the HBP or not. We encourage young scientists to register and aim at an equal gender representation. *Registration will be open until 20 April 2021 and is free of charge.* *Call for Submissions:* *For the 2nd part of the training,* we invite interested researchers to bring their own models and to send us a short abstract, describing your model. The abstracts should include: • A short description of your model • Simulators/tools used for developing and simulating models • Overview of validation(s) you wish to implement during the training (specify at least one validation test), along with target (experimental) reference data • If you have already some questions or comments, you are welcome to mention them • If your model is already published, please include references at the end of the abstract Please send your abstract latest until *20 April 2021, 5pm (CET)* to training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Further information on abstract submission and registration: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/training-on-model-validation/ For any further questions, please contact training-support(a)humanbrainproject.eu Cheers, Shailesh Appukuttan

April 7, 2021

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience, NI group @ Technische Universität Berlin

by Obermayer, Klaus, Prof. Dr.

Neural Information Processing Group @ Technische Universität Berlin Research Assistant (PhD Position) in Computational Neuroscience Computational models of sleep oscillations during non-REM sleep Salary grade E13 (TV-L Berliner Hochschulen) Duration: 5 years Starting date: June 1st, 2021 Reference number: IV-239/21 Working field: The successful candidate will work the computational modelling of sleep rhythms in the context of memory consolidation during non-REM sleep and on the effect of perturbations by transcranial electrical stimulation (cf. Aspart et al. 2018, PLoS Comput Biol 14, e1006124.; Cakan & Obermayer 2020, PLoS Comput Biol 16, e1007822; Cakan et al., 2021, arXiv:2011.14731v2). She/he is expected to collaborate with the theoretical and experimental/clinical research groups of the DFG-funded CRCs 910 (control of self-organizing nonlinear systems, https://www.itp.tu-berlin.de/sfb910/) and 1315 (mechanisms and disturbances in memory consolidation, https://www.sfb1315.de/) Teaching obligations include the supervision of tutorials for courses of the research group in the machine learning field (Master level). 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 dynamical systems and machine learning; very good programming skills; very good command of the German and English languages. How to apply: Please send your application with the reference number and with the usual documents (CV, motivation letter, transcripts of records, certificates, and the names of two persons who can provide recommendation letters) to Prof. Dr. Klaus Obermayer, FG Neuronale Informationsverarbeitung, Sekr. MAR 5-6, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany, or preferably by e-mail to klaus.obermayer(a)tu-berlin.de. For information about the research group see https://www.ni.tu-berlin.de/. Please send copies only. Original documents will not be returned. The vacancy is also available on the internet at http://www.personalabteilung.tu-berlin.de/menue/jobs/ Application deadline for full consideration: 7. 5. 2021. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

April 7, 2021

Postdoctoral position in the cognitive neuroscience of aging at UCR and UCI

by Aaron Seitz

A postdoctoral position in the cognitive neuroscience of aging is available at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) to work with a research team including Professors Xiaoping Hu, Aaron Seitz, Ilana Bennett, and Weiwei Zhang at UCR, and in collaboration with Megan Peters at UC Irvine. This opportunity will involve working on a NIA-funded project to understand how individual differences in the structure and function of the locus coeruleus moderate perception and memory in an older adult population. The postdoctoral researcher is expected to take a lead role in the project, including setting up experiments, collecting and analyzing data, training and supervising graduate students and undergraduate research assistants, and disseminating results at conferences and in research publications. Successful candidates should have a strong background in fMRI data collection and analysis, advanced computational and statistical competencies, management skills, creativity and a high-level of conscientiousness. They should also have expertise in one or more of the following areas (and knowledge of the others): cognitive aging, brain aging, psychophysics, perception or memory processes, eye-tracking, metacognition, and the role of the locus coeruleus in cognition. Experience in programming psychophysical experiments, in either MATLAB or Python, is preferred. Researchers must possess a doctoral degree in Psychology, Education, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, or a related field. The primary appointment will be either in the UCR Psychology or Bioengineering Departments, depending upon candidate interest and primary expertise. Working with our diverse research team will provide a unique interdisciplinary research and mentoring experience. Research will be conducted at the UCR Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, which features a 3T Prisma fMRI system with state of the art eye-tracking and psychophysical systems. Applications must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, 1-2 sample publications, statement of research interests, statement of past and/or planned future contributions to advancing diversity and inclusive excellence, and the names of three to five references with phone numbers and emails. Review of applications will begin on April 18, 2021 and may continue until the position is filled. Applications received by April 18, 2021 will receive full consideration. Please send these to Aaron Seitz (aseitz(a)ucr.edu) UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Best, -Aaron ************************************************** Aaron Seitz, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Director of UCR Brain Game Center University of California, Riverside 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521 Ph: (951) 827-6422 Fax: (951) 827-3985 Email: aseitz(a)ucr.edu<mailto:aseitz@ucr.edu> Web: http://faculty.ucr.edu/~aseitz/ BGC: http://braingamecenter.ucr.edu<http://braingamecenter.ucr.edu/> **************************************************

April 5, 2021

Re: [Comp-neuro] My Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds will be published next month by Oxford University Press

by Grossberg, Stephen

Dear Colleagues, I forgot to attach the information about how to get a 30% reduction of the price of my book, bringing the cost down to $24.50, in case you are interested in buying it: Go to: oup.com/academic Enter the following promo code after clicking on the book's file: ASPROMP8. Best, Steve ________________________________ From: Grossberg, Stephen <steve(a)bu.edu> Sent: Thursday, April 1, 2021 11:58 AM To: comp-neuro(a)neuroinformatics.be <comp-neuro(a)neuroinformatics.be> Cc: Grossberg, Stephen <steve(a)bu.edu>; steve(a)cns.bu.edu <steve(a)cns.bu.edu> Subject: My Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds will be published next month by Oxford University Press Dear Colleagues, I am writing to call your attention to the publication next month by Oxford University Press of my Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds in health and disease. The book also has implications for developing increasingly autonomous and adaptive technologies that emulate, and can thus harmoniously interact with, human users. The book discusses many topics about mind and brain. For one, it explains how, where in our brains, and why from a deep computational perspective our brains can learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things about the world. I wrote the book to be self-contained, accessible, and appealing to the general public. In addition to its exposition of how our minds work and how these discoveries inspire new designs in engineering, technology, and AI, I have been able to use that foundation to provide discussions of many topics that are of current interest, including how we see visual art; how mental disorders like Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and disordered sleep are caused; biological bases of creativity and morality; why so many decisions are irrational despite our belief that evolution selects adaptive behaviors; how learned helplessness, self-punitive behaviors, and fetishes may arise and persist; how our brain's design specializes a universal developmental code that it shares with all living cells across multiple species; and how our ceaseless interactions with the external world have shaped the designs that enable us to understand the physical world around us. I hope that, after reading the book Summary and Description below, and the Advance Reviews by 18 leading psychologists, neuroscientists, neural modelers, and technologists, you may be interested in reading the book. If you do, please see the information in the attached flyer for how. Best wishes, Steve Grossberg +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Conscious MIND, Resonant BRAIN: How Each Brain Makes a Mind by Stephen Grossberg 800 pages, $35 (see attached flyer for 30% reduction to $24.50) https://global.oup.com/academic/product/conscious-mind-resonant-brain-97801… SUMMARY • Explores how your mind works, notably how you learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things • Explains how mental disorders can be understood on a continuum with normal behaviors • Creates a computational foundation for applications of autonomous adaptive intelligence in engineering, technology, and AI DESCRIPTION How does your mind work? How does your brain give rise to your mind? These are questions that all of us have wondered about at some point in our lives, if only because everything that we know is experienced in our minds. They are also very hard questions to answer. After all, how can a mind understand itself? How can you understand something as complex as the tool that is being used to understand it? This book provides an introductory and self-contained description of some of the exciting answers to these questions that modern theories of mind and brain have recently proposed. Stephen Grossberg is broadly acknowledged to be the most important pioneer and current research leader who has, for the past 50 years, modelled how brains give rise to minds, notably how neural circuits in multiple brain regions interact together to generate psychological functions. This research has led to a unified understanding of how, where, and why our brains can consciously see, hear, feel, and know about the world, and effectively plan and act within it. The work embodies revolutionary Principia of Mind that clarify how autonomous adaptive intelligence is achieved. It provides mechanistic explanations of multiple mental disorders, including symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and sleep disorders; biological bases of morality and religion, including why our brains are biased towards the good so that values are not purely relative; perplexing aspects of the human condition, including why many decisions are irrational and self-defeating despite evolution's selection of adaptive behaviors; and solutions to large-scale problems in machine learning, technology, and Artificial Intelligence that provide a blueprint for autonomously intelligent algorithms and robots. Because brains embody a universal developmental code, unifying insights also emerge about shared laws that are found in all living cellular tissues, from the most primitive to the most advanced, notably how the laws governing networks of interacting cells support developmental and learning processes in all species. The fundamental brain design principles of complementarity, uncertainty, and resonance that Grossberg has discovered also reflect laws of the physical world with which our brains ceaselessly interact, and which enable our brains to incrementally learn to understand those laws, thereby enabling humans to understand the world scientifically. Accessibly written, and lavishly illustrated, Conscious Mind/Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the most influential scientists of the past 50 years, and will appeal to a broad readership across the sciences and humanities. ADVANCE REVIEWS “A tour de force on How the Brain Works…a masterpiece on brain science and neuro-computing that could only be created by Grossberg.” -- Leon Chua, University of California at Berkeley "Whenever you claim to be "the first to do" this or that in artificial intelligence, it is customary - and correct - to add "with the exception of Stephen Grossberg". Quite simply, Stephen is a living giant and foundational architect of the field." -- Karl J. Friston, University College London "This is a breath-taking book authored by a giant pioneer of the brain and mind." -- Shun-Ichi Amari, RIKEN Brain Science Institute "Professor Grossberg is a rara avis. In an age of increasing specialization, he has a remarkable, unparalleled, gift of seeing connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. And he writes about these with passion, but without compromising accuracy." -- V. S. Ramachandran, University of California San Diego "Stephen Grossberg is a true genius, who has discovered and developed many of the most important concepts and theories about how our brains make our minds. His fundamental contributions to science for over 50 years are richly worthy of a Nobel Prize." -- Leonid Perlovsky, Harvard University "Stephen Grossberg is a "big picture" thinker who has had a remarkably deep influence on many aspects of several fields. It's difficult to overstate the range of his vision and the depth of his thinking, and I expect this book to be required reading in many courses for years to come." -- Stephen Kosslyn, Foundry College “After reading many papers by the author, I always wished that he would present them in a coherent whole. And here it is. A magnificent volume of great science from mind to brain and back, a condensed ars poetica of a great scientist.” -- György Buzsáki, New York University "The current volume charts the remarkable developments that have led Dr. Grossberg to a principled, unified theory of the link between brain and mind. Dr. Grossberg's insights are unparalleled in their breadth and detail, leading us to a scientific understanding of the most remarkable aspect of the mind, consciousness." -- Michael Mozer, Google Brain, Mountain View, CA “Stephen Grossberg is one of the most original and influential theorists in contemporary cognitive science and computational neuroscience. In Conscious MIND Resonant BRAIN, he takes the reader on an eye-opening tour in which he addresses fundamental problems of mind and brain from his unique theoretical perspective. This is an important book that should be of interest to anyone who wonders how a brain can give rise to a mind. -- Daniel L. Schacter, Harvard University “In this book Stephen Grossberg shares the wisdom and encyclopedic knowledge that he acquired over 50 years of research devoted to unravel the mysteries of the human brain. Stephen pioneered the field of theoretical neuroscience and this approach allowed him to discover general principles that govern functions as diverse as visual perception, learning and memory, attention, emotion, decision making and consciousness. It is the essence of overarching principles to be abstract and to sometimes defy intuition, but Stephen succeeds to convey the essential in a language that is readily accessible to the non- expert. He embeds the discussion of neuronal mechanisms in the rich framework of cognitive psychology and elegantly bridges the gap between scientific evidence and subjective experience. He takes the readers by the hand and lets them discover the often surprising philosophical, ethical and societal implications of neurobiological discoveries. For those who enjoy intellectual adventures and wish to explore the boundaries of the known this scholarly written book is a real treasure.” -- Wolf Singer, Max Plank Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt "Although a behavioral modeler and not a neuroscientist, I have followed Stephen Grossberg's research closely for many years, because I regard him as one of the very most creative and insightful neuroscience theorists that the field has seen. His book should be a must read for those wanting to understand how the brain produces mind." -- Richard Shiffrin, Indiana University "How often do we have the chance to hold a true masterpiece? Grossberg's monumental accomplishments developed over multiple decades now written at an accessible level to a broader audience. What a true privilege!" -- Luis Pessoa, University of Maryland “Steve Grossberg is one of the most insightful and prolific writers on biological intelligence. This book is a masterful presentation of fundamental methods of modeling minds, brains and their interactions with the world, many of which are due to the author and his collaborators. The models are presented as mathematical systems, including computing and neural networks. The variables, parameters and functions represent biological and environmental concepts; mathematical conclusions are interpreted as predictions of biological behavior. In many cases these have been verified experimentally. There are illuminating and surprising connections to other disciplines, including art, music and economics. Highly recommended to a general audience.” -- Morris W. Hirsch, University of California at Berkeley "This comprehensive overview of Grossberg’s contributions to our understanding of the mind and brain shows exactly how prescient he, and his colleagues, have been. Whatever one’s specific interest, from visual illusions to mental illness, this book provides a principled treatment of it. The principles flow from Grossberg’s early framing of many of the questions that have come to define computational neuroscience – including his early understanding of the centrality of expectations. Kudos to him for pulling it all together here." -- Lynn Nadel, University of Arizona “This book is not for the faint of heart. Stephen Grossberg has been a giant in the field of computational neuroscience for 60 years. In this book he presents his carefully developed, integrative neurobiological theory on how the nervous system generates our conscious lives. It is bold yet self-reflective and therein challenging to all students trying to figure out how the brain does its tricks. A must read.” -- Michael Gazzaniga, University of California at Santa Barbara "Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the giants of neural networks. The soaring ambition of this book reflects the career achievements of Grossberg's insatiable appetite for understanding how brains work. It is a must-read for those interested in all aspects of how the mind and brain function in health and disease." -- Donald C. Wunsch II, Missouri University of Science and Technology "Grossberg has single-handedly elevated the psychophysics and psychology pioneered by Herman von Helmholtz and William James into a comprehensive mathematical theory of brain and behavior with profound implications and strong empirical support." -- David Hestenes, Arizona State University “An excellent and wide-ranging view of how the brain perceives the world for us by a pioneering brain theoretician.” -- Wolfram Schultz, University of Cambridge

April 2, 2021

Three fully-funded PhD position at the Vision Institute, Sorbonne University, Paris, France

by angelo.arleo＠inserm.fr

Dear all, The following three PhD positions are currently available at the Vision Institute, Sorbonne University, Paris, France: 1. PhD position in Computational Neuroscience and Deep Learning <http://www.aging-vision-action.fr/ava_files/silversight/PhD.Comput.Neurosci…> 2. PhD position in Behavioral Neuroscience <http://www.aging-vision-action.fr/ava_files/silversight/PhD.Behav.Neurosci.…> 3. PhD position in Experimental/Clinical Neuroscience <http://www.aging-vision-action.fr/ava_files/silversight/PhD.Exp.Clin.Neuros…> Best regards, Angelo Arleo Angelo ARLEO FONTAINE, PhD Director of Research CNRS Head of the Aging in Vision and Action Lab, Director of the Chair Silversight, Institute of Vision, CNRS - INSERM - Sorbonne University, 17, rue Moreau F-75012 Paris, France Phone: +33 (0)1 53 46 26 52 Mobile: +33 (0)6 46 84 09 56 Email: angelo.arleo(a)inserm.fr Website: www.aging-vision-action.fr

April 2, 2021

NIH-funded part-time postdoc or software developer position in computational neuroscience

by Salvador Dura

A part-time Postdoc or Software Developer position is available in the Dura-Bernal Lab<http://dura-bernal.org/> at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences (Brooklyn, New York). The position will focus on the development and dissemination of NetPyNE, a tool for data-driven multiscale modeling of brain circuits. For more details on the software tool see our eLife publication (https://elifesciences.org/articles/44494) and tool website (www.netpyne.org<http://www.netpyne.org/>). For details please see: http://dura-bernal.org/postdoc -- Salvador Durá-Bernal, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center Research Scientist IV, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Lab web: dura-bernal.org<http://dura-bernal.org/>

April 2, 2021

My Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds will be published next month by Oxford University Press

by Grossberg, Stephen

Dear Colleagues, I am writing to call your attention to the publication next month by Oxford University Press of my Magnum Opus about how our brains make our minds in health and disease. The book also has implications for developing increasingly autonomous and adaptive technologies that emulate, and can thus harmoniously interact with, human users. The book discusses many topics about mind and brain. For one, it explains how, where in our brains, and why from a deep computational perspective our brains can learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things about the world. I wrote the book to be self-contained, accessible, and appealing to the general public. In addition to its exposition of how our minds work and how these discoveries inspire new designs in engineering, technology, and AI, I have been able to use that foundation to provide discussions of many topics that are of current interest, including how we see visual art; how mental disorders like Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and disordered sleep are caused; biological bases of creativity and morality; why so many decisions are irrational despite our belief that evolution selects adaptive behaviors; how learned helplessness, self-punitive behaviors, and fetishes may arise and persist; how our brain's design specializes a universal developmental code that it shares with all living cells across multiple species; and how our ceaseless interactions with the external world have shaped the designs that enable us to understand the physical world around us. I hope that, after reading the book Summary and Description below, and the Advance Reviews by 18 leading psychologists, neuroscientists, neural modelers, and technologists, you may be interested in reading the book. If you do, please see the information in the attached flyer for how. Best wishes, Steve Grossberg +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Conscious MIND, Resonant BRAIN: How Each Brain Makes a Mind by Stephen Grossberg 800 pages, $35 (see attached flyer for 30% reduction to $24.50) https://global.oup.com/academic/product/conscious-mind-resonant-brain-97801… SUMMARY • Explores how your mind works, notably how you learn to consciously see, hear, feel, and know things • Explains how mental disorders can be understood on a continuum with normal behaviors • Creates a computational foundation for applications of autonomous adaptive intelligence in engineering, technology, and AI DESCRIPTION How does your mind work? How does your brain give rise to your mind? These are questions that all of us have wondered about at some point in our lives, if only because everything that we know is experienced in our minds. They are also very hard questions to answer. After all, how can a mind understand itself? How can you understand something as complex as the tool that is being used to understand it? This book provides an introductory and self-contained description of some of the exciting answers to these questions that modern theories of mind and brain have recently proposed. Stephen Grossberg is broadly acknowledged to be the most important pioneer and current research leader who has, for the past 50 years, modelled how brains give rise to minds, notably how neural circuits in multiple brain regions interact together to generate psychological functions. This research has led to a unified understanding of how, where, and why our brains can consciously see, hear, feel, and know about the world, and effectively plan and act within it. The work embodies revolutionary Principia of Mind that clarify how autonomous adaptive intelligence is achieved. It provides mechanistic explanations of multiple mental disorders, including symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, autism, amnesia, and sleep disorders; biological bases of morality and religion, including why our brains are biased towards the good so that values are not purely relative; perplexing aspects of the human condition, including why many decisions are irrational and self-defeating despite evolution's selection of adaptive behaviors; and solutions to large-scale problems in machine learning, technology, and Artificial Intelligence that provide a blueprint for autonomously intelligent algorithms and robots. Because brains embody a universal developmental code, unifying insights also emerge about shared laws that are found in all living cellular tissues, from the most primitive to the most advanced, notably how the laws governing networks of interacting cells support developmental and learning processes in all species. The fundamental brain design principles of complementarity, uncertainty, and resonance that Grossberg has discovered also reflect laws of the physical world with which our brains ceaselessly interact, and which enable our brains to incrementally learn to understand those laws, thereby enabling humans to understand the world scientifically. Accessibly written, and lavishly illustrated, Conscious Mind/Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the most influential scientists of the past 50 years, and will appeal to a broad readership across the sciences and humanities. ADVANCE REVIEWS “A tour de force on How the Brain Works…a masterpiece on brain science and neuro-computing that could only be created by Grossberg.” -- Leon Chua, University of California at Berkeley "Whenever you claim to be "the first to do" this or that in artificial intelligence, it is customary - and correct - to add "with the exception of Stephen Grossberg". Quite simply, Stephen is a living giant and foundational architect of the field." -- Karl J. Friston, University College London "This is a breath-taking book authored by a giant pioneer of the brain and mind." -- Shun-Ichi Amari, RIKEN Brain Science Institute "Professor Grossberg is a rara avis. In an age of increasing specialization, he has a remarkable, unparalleled, gift of seeing connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. And he writes about these with passion, but without compromising accuracy." -- V. S. Ramachandran, University of California San Diego "Stephen Grossberg is a true genius, who has discovered and developed many of the most important concepts and theories about how our brains make our minds. His fundamental contributions to science for over 50 years are richly worthy of a Nobel Prize." -- Leonid Perlovsky, Harvard University "Stephen Grossberg is a "big picture" thinker who has had a remarkably deep influence on many aspects of several fields. It's difficult to overstate the range of his vision and the depth of his thinking, and I expect this book to be required reading in many courses for years to come." -- Stephen Kosslyn, Foundry College “After reading many papers by the author, I always wished that he would present them in a coherent whole. And here it is. A magnificent volume of great science from mind to brain and back, a condensed ars poetica of a great scientist.” -- György Buzsáki, New York University "The current volume charts the remarkable developments that have led Dr. Grossberg to a principled, unified theory of the link between brain and mind. Dr. Grossberg's insights are unparalleled in their breadth and detail, leading us to a scientific understanding of the most remarkable aspect of the mind, consciousness." -- Michael Mozer, Google Brain, Mountain View, CA “Stephen Grossberg is one of the most original and influential theorists in contemporary cognitive science and computational neuroscience. In Conscious MIND Resonant BRAIN, he takes the reader on an eye-opening tour in which he addresses fundamental problems of mind and brain from his unique theoretical perspective. This is an important book that should be of interest to anyone who wonders how a brain can give rise to a mind. -- Daniel L. Schacter, Harvard University “In this book Stephen Grossberg shares the wisdom and encyclopedic knowledge that he acquired over 50 years of research devoted to unravel the mysteries of the human brain. Stephen pioneered the field of theoretical neuroscience and this approach allowed him to discover general principles that govern functions as diverse as visual perception, learning and memory, attention, emotion, decision making and consciousness. It is the essence of overarching principles to be abstract and to sometimes defy intuition, but Stephen succeeds to convey the essential in a language that is readily accessible to the non- expert. He embeds the discussion of neuronal mechanisms in the rich framework of cognitive psychology and elegantly bridges the gap between scientific evidence and subjective experience. He takes the readers by the hand and lets them discover the often surprising philosophical, ethical and societal implications of neurobiological discoveries. For those who enjoy intellectual adventures and wish to explore the boundaries of the known this scholarly written book is a real treasure.” -- Wolf Singer, Max Plank Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt "Although a behavioral modeler and not a neuroscientist, I have followed Stephen Grossberg's research closely for many years, because I regard him as one of the very most creative and insightful neuroscience theorists that the field has seen. His book should be a must read for those wanting to understand how the brain produces mind." -- Richard Shiffrin, Indiana University "How often do we have the chance to hold a true masterpiece? Grossberg's monumental accomplishments developed over multiple decades now written at an accessible level to a broader audience. What a true privilege!" -- Luis Pessoa, University of Maryland “Steve Grossberg is one of the most insightful and prolific writers on biological intelligence. This book is a masterful presentation of fundamental methods of modeling minds, brains and their interactions with the world, many of which are due to the author and his collaborators. The models are presented as mathematical systems, including computing and neural networks. The variables, parameters and functions represent biological and environmental concepts; mathematical conclusions are interpreted as predictions of biological behavior. In many cases these have been verified experimentally. There are illuminating and surprising connections to other disciplines, including art, music and economics. Highly recommended to a general audience.” -- Morris W. Hirsch, University of California at Berkeley "This comprehensive overview of Grossberg’s contributions to our understanding of the mind and brain shows exactly how prescient he, and his colleagues, have been. Whatever one’s specific interest, from visual illusions to mental illness, this book provides a principled treatment of it. The principles flow from Grossberg’s early framing of many of the questions that have come to define computational neuroscience – including his early understanding of the centrality of expectations. Kudos to him for pulling it all together here." -- Lynn Nadel, University of Arizona “This book is not for the faint of heart. Stephen Grossberg has been a giant in the field of computational neuroscience for 60 years. In this book he presents his carefully developed, integrative neurobiological theory on how the nervous system generates our conscious lives. It is bold yet self-reflective and therein challenging to all students trying to figure out how the brain does its tricks. A must read.” -- Michael Gazzaniga, University of California at Santa Barbara "Conscious Mind, Resonant Brain is the magnum opus of one of the giants of neural networks. The soaring ambition of this book reflects the career achievements of Grossberg's insatiable appetite for understanding how brains work. It is a must-read for those interested in all aspects of how the mind and brain function in health and disease." -- Donald C. Wunsch II, Missouri University of Science and Technology "Grossberg has single-handedly elevated the psychophysics and psychology pioneered by Herman von Helmholtz and William James into a comprehensive mathematical theory of brain and behavior with profound implications and strong empirical support." -- David Hestenes, Arizona State University “An excellent and wide-ranging view of how the brain perceives the world for us by a pioneering brain theoretician.” -- Wolfram Schultz, University of Cambridge

April 1, 2021

Job Openings: Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor (Computer Science) at Hong Kong Baptist University (2 vacancies)

by COMP HKBU

The Department of Computer Science at Hong Kong Baptist University, presently offers BSc, MSc, MPhil, and PhD programmes, and is now seeking outstanding applicants for the following faculty positions on tenure-track. Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor (Computer Science) (2 vacancies) (PR0311/18-19) The appointees will perform high-impact research, to teach and supervise students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and to contribute to professional and institutional services. Collaboration with other faculty members in research and teaching is also expected. They will be encouraged to collaborate with colleagues within the Department to contribute to two special thematic applications including (a) health informatics and (b) secure and privacy-aware computing, and to pursue new strategic research initiatives under the Department/Faculty/University. Applicants should possess a PhD degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, and sufficiently demonstrate abilities to conduct high-quality research in areas including but not limited to: Internet of things, Cyber-security, High-performance computing, Big data analytics, and Financial technologies. Applicants should also show strong commitment to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in computer science and/or information systems, possess track record of innovative research and high-impact publications, and be able to bid for and pursue externally-funded research programmes. Initial appointment will be offered on a fixed-term contract of three years. Re-appointment thereafter will be subject to mutual agreement. For enquiry, please contact Dr. William Cheung, Head of Department (email: william(a)comp.hkbu.edu.hk) More information about the Department can be found at http://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk. *Those who have responded to the previous advertisement need not re-apply.* *Rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.* Application Procedure: Applicants are invited to submit their applications at the HKBU e-Recruitment System (jobs.hkbu.edu.hk) with samples of publications, preferably *three best ones* out of their most recent publications/works. They should also request *two referees* to send in confidential letters of reference, with PR number (stated above) quoted on the letters, to the Human Resources Office (Email: recruit(a)hkbu.edu.hk) direct. Those who are not invited for interview 4 months after the closing date may consider their applications unsuccessful. All application materials including publication samples, scholarly/creative works will be disposed of after completion of the recruitment exercise. Details of the University’s Personal Information Collection Statement can be found at http://hro.hkbu.edu.hk/pics. The University reserves the right not to make an appointment for the posts advertised, and the appointment will be made according to the terms and conditions applicable at the time of offer. Review of applications is on-going until the position is filled. URL: https://www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk/v1/?page=job_vacancies&id=503

April 1, 2021

Virginia Tech, Assistant/Associate Professor position in Clinical Psychology

by Pearl Chiu

Dear All, We invite applications for a tenure-track/tenured Assistant/Associate Professor position in Clinical Psychology at Virginia Tech. We welcome applicants whose research falls across the range of clinical psychological science, including clinical scientists who use computational (neuro)science approaches! For more information: https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/515515/assistant-or-assoc… If you have questions, feel free to contact me or our search committee chair, Dr. Thomas Ollendick (tho at vt.edu) Please distribute broadly; apologies for cross-posts. Thank you, Pearl -- Pearl Chiu, PhD Associate Professor Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech VTC School of Medicine Salem VA Medical Center 2 Riverside Circle, R1110 Roanoke VA 24016 +1 540-526-2019 chiup(a)vtc.vt.edu

March 31, 2021

Multiple postdoc positions in Computational Neuroscience and neural data analysis

by Arvind Kumar

Join us in our endeavour to create a theoretical framework to understand (and hopefully treat) neurodegenerative brain diseases. Upto 5 postdoctoral positions are available at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden - for building multi-scale models to capture relationship between brain's structure and activity dynamics - to analyse brain connectivity and activity data using topological data analysis - To develop machine learning algos to extract the brain's anatomical connectivity from MRI images. The postdoctoral researchers will become part of an interdisciplinary community of neuroscientists, clinicians, mathematicians and brain imaging experts at KTH and Karolinska Institute Stockholm. These positions are a part of the new interdisciplinary initiative dBRAIN <https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/research/current-research-projects/dbrain/> within the ‘Digital Futures <https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/research/collaborative-projects>’ initiative at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. The goal is to better understand neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. We combine computational modeling, machine learning and topological data analysis to identify causal links among disease biomarkers and disease symptoms. This understanding should improve diagnosis, prediction of the disease progression and suggest better therapies. Contact: Contact the relevant PIs whose names and email addresses are available at dBRAIN <https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/research/current-research-projects/dbrain/> website. -- Dr. Arvind Kumar Computational Brain Science, Div. of Computational Science and Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm Lindstedtsvägen 5. Room#4439 114 28 Stockholm, Sweden. Ph. No. +46-8790-6224 Web: https://www.kth.se/profile/arvindku/ https://arvkumar.github.io/ cricket blog: http://rightarmoverfast.blogspot.com -------- न यः संपृच्छे न पुनर्हवीतवे न संवादाय रमते । तस्मान्नो अद्य समृतेरुरुष्यतं बाहुभ्यां न उरुष्यतम् ॥ ऋग्वेदः मण्डलं - ८. He who has no pleasure in questioning, nor in debate, nor in dialogue, Defend us to-day from him and from his encounter, defend us from his arms.

March 31, 2021

Special Issue “Industrial Big Data and Process Modelling for Smart Manufacturing

by Barna Iantovics

Dear Colleague, The Open Access journal Mathematics (ISSN2227-7390; IF 1.747) is currently running a Special Issue “IndustrialBig Data and Process Modelling for Smart Manufacturing”: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/mathematics/special_issues/Industrial_Big_Data… We (Prof. Hatem Ghorbel, University of Applied Sciences and ArtsWestern Switzerland; Prof. Stefano Carrino, University of Applied Sciences andArts Western Switzerland; Dr. Ivana Budinská, Institute of Informatics SlovakAcademy of Sciences, Slovakia; Prof. Vicente Rodríguez Montequín, University ofOviedo, Spain) are serving as its Guest Editor. All of us are currently takingpart of one of the CHIST-ERA projects funded underthe Big data and process modelling for smart industry (BDSI) call.The topics included in the special issue are aligned with this call, as well asother calls like Object recognition and manipulation by robots: Datasharing and experiment reproducibility (ORMR). We cordially invite you to submit one feature paper to the SpecialIssue. It could be a full review or an original research article. We will behonored if you are able to participate. The submission deadline is 31 October 2021. You maysubmit your manuscript now or up until the deadline. If you plan to submit, ifpossible, we expect to receive your tentative title and submission date. Adiscount over the article processing charge may be considered according to therelevance of the paper and submission date. Don’t hesitate to contact me forfurther details. Yours faithfully, Prof. Hatem Ghorbel University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland Social Network of Machines (SOON) Project Coordinator Project funded under the CHIST-ERA BDSI call

March 30, 2021

PhD in computational neuroscience

by Eirini Mavritsaki

Dear colleagues, Please find below a PhD opportunity in our lab. Best wishes, Eirini Title: An EEG and computational modelling investigation into cultural differences in visual perceptual learning Supervisory Team: Professor Eirini Mavritsaki, Dr Panagiotis Rentzelas, Professor Maxine Lintern, Professor Zoe Kourtzi (University of Cambridge), Stephanie Chua Visual perceptual learning (VPL) refers to the acquisition of visual skills through training which improves our ability to detect useful information in cluttered scenes. Individualism and independence in Western cultures have been associated with differential processing and attentional styles. This research will be based on understanding cross-cultural differences on VPL using EEG and computational modelling work. The ideal applicant should have a good first degree in Psychology/Computer Science. Previous experience in conducting neuropsychological experiments and/or computational modelling work will be highly desirable. Link: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/social-sciences/research/phd_opportunities Contact information: Prof. Eirini Mavritsaki Eirini.mavritsaki(a)bcu.ac.uk<mailto:Eirini.mavritsaki@bcu.ac.uk> 0121 3316361 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Prof. Eirini Mavritsaki, Ph.D., CPsychol , SFHEA Professor of Cognitive Psychology Director of Research and Enterprise for the School of Social Sciences Director of Postgraduate Research Studies for the School of Social Sciences Department of Psychology Faculty of Business Law and Social Sciences Birmingham City University The Curzon Building 4 Cardigan Street Birmingham B4 7BD eirini.mavritsaki(a)bcu.ac.uk<mailto:eirini.mavritsaki@bcu.ac.uk> 0121 331 6361 Please use the link below if you want to book a meeting with me https://calendly.com/eirini-mavritsaki ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 30, 2021

CFP Workshop on Competitive and Cooperative Social Interactions @ IJCAI2021

by Pablo Vinicius Alves De Barros

Call For Papers - The Workshop on Competitive and Cooperative Social Interactions @ IJCAI2021 I. Aim and Scope In this workshop, we put together the top-tier researchers on machine learning, in particular social signal processing, and human-robot interaction to discuss, understand and propose possible solutions for our overall topic “Competition and Cooperation: How to integrate machine learning and human-robot interaction in meaningful applications?”. Our intention is to leverage an enriching discussion of the existing problems on competitive and cooperative interactions on the multidisciplinary view of our contributors, and not to present individual solutions for each of the related topics. Our invited speakers, all experts in their respective areas, will discuss the open problems involving social agents' interactions within their specialty. We also invite the submissions of position papers that present a critical view on this topic to complement and widen our discussions. More information: https://www.whisperproject.eu/compcoop II. Potential Topics Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: - Supervised, Unsupervised, and Self-supervised models for social signal processing. - Reinforcement Learning for Multi-agent interaction. - Representation Learning and Decision Making applied for - Competitive and/or Cooperative Scenarios. - Human-Robot interactions in Real-world Competitive and/or Cooperative scenarios. - Ethical aspects of artificial agents and social interactions. - Affective Computing Models and Applications for Multi-Agent Interactions. - Cognitive Models for Social Interaction. - Lifelong and Continual Learning for Interactions with Humans. - Learning with Humans in the Loop. - Developmental Learning for Social Signal Processing. - Explainable Social Agents. - Social Impact of novel Developments on Artificial Agents and Social Interactions. - Cognitive models for Social Interaction. III. Submission The workshop holds a public call for short (up to 4 pages) and long papers (up to 8 pages) that address any of the related topics. We encourage the participants to submit not only contribution papers but also position arguments about the current problems involving any of the related topics. The authors should follow the IJCAI paper template. - Paper submission deadline: May 4, 2021 - Decisions: May 18, 2021 - Camera-ready papers due: June 14, 2020 Submission website: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/CompCoop2021 IV. Organizers Pablo Barros, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Doreen Jirak, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Italy Francisco Cruz, School of IT, Deakin University, Australia German I. Parisi, McD Tech Labs, USA ---------------------------------------- Dr. Pablo Barros Postdoctoral Researcher - CONTACT Unit Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – Center for Human Technologies Via Enrico Melen 83, Building B 16152 Genova, Italy email: pablo.alvesdebarros(a)iit.it website: https://www.pablobarros.net<http://www.pablobarros.net><https://www.p> twitter: @PBarros_br

March 29, 2021

Two Lectureships at the University of St Andrews

by Tom Otto

Dear Colleagues, The School of Psychology and Neuroscience at St Andrews is offering two lectureships with one position in Neuroeconomics/Decision Making and the other in Behavioural Neuroscience (please see links to the adverts below). Closing Date: 23 April 2021 All the best, Tom https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/3505/0/293925/889/lectur… https://www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/3193/0/293921/889/lectur… -- Dr. Thomas Otto University of St Andrews School of Psychology and Neuroscience St Mary’s Quad, South Street, St Andrews, KY16 9JP, Scotland Phone: +44 (0)1334 462091 http://lclab.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

March 29, 2021

AMAM2021 (Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines) Call for Abstracts

by Auke Ijspeert

*AMAM 2021 Call for Abstracts* The International Symposium on Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines (AMAM, http://adaptivemotion.org/ <http://adaptivemotion.org/>) is dedicated to stimulate fruitful interactions among biologists and engineers interested in adaptive motion. It aims at bringing together researchers in robotics, biomechanics, neuroscience, sports science, and other fields related to behavior in biological and artificial systems. This year AMAM is holding a virtual, asynchronous conference to highlight work done by early career researchers. The meeting will consist of an online poster session with access to asynchronous chats, a pre-recorded audio or video poster presentation, and synchronous virtual meeting times scheduled by each participant to encourage live conversation and connection across time zones. In addition there will be the traditional hardware demonstration (the Robot Zoo) in a non-traditional promotional video format. The meeting will be held June 22^nd – 25^th . Abstract deadline will be April 1^st 2021. More information can be found at https://amam2021.squarespace.com/ <https://amam2021.squarespace.com/> and will be updated regularly. Please use the contact tab on the webpage if you have any questions at all.

March 28, 2021

Postdoc position in computational neuroscience at Georgia Tech

by Choi, Hannah

Dear all, A postdoctoral researcher position is available in Hannah Choi's group in the School of Mathematics at Georgia Tech. We are a new computational neuroscience group studying the link between structure, dynamics, and computation in data-driven neural networks at multiple scales. We utilize various mathematical tools to probe how efficient neural computation emerges from the underlying network dynamics and architecture, in close collaboration with leading experimental groups. More information about the group is available at hannahchoi.math.gatech.edu. The ideal candidate should have a strong quantitative background, with a PhD in computational neuroscience, applied math, physics, computer science, or other related fields. Previous experience in neuroscience and/or machine learning is preferred but not required. The position would ideally start as soon as possible (Summer or Fall 2021). To apply, please send a CV, a research statement, and the contact information for three references to hannahch(a)gatech.edu<mailto:hannahch@gatech.edu> with the subject line "postdoc application". Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Georgia Tech's campus is in the heart of midtown Atlanta, which has a thriving and collaborative computational neuroscience community spanning multiple institutions and departments. Georgia Tech is an equal education/employment opportunity institution dedicated to building a diverse community, priding itself on its technology resources, collaborations, high-quality student body, and its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Best, Hannah ************************ Hannah Choi, Ph.D. Assistant Professor School of Mathematics Georgia Institute of Technology

March 28, 2021

Paid internships in computational neuroscience

by Salvador Dura

Two paid internships position in computational neuroscience are available in the Dura-Bernal Lab <http://dura-bernal.org/> at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University. Students will have the opportunity to gain research experience and learn cutting edge methods in computational neuroscience: large-scale modeling of neuronal cortical circuits to study brain function and disease; machine learning applied to neuroscience; development of neuroscience software tools. For more details see Research<http://dura-bernal.org/research> and Current Collaborations<http://www.dura-bernal.org/people#collaborators>. For details please see: http://dura-bernal.org/internships. -- Salvador Durá-Bernal, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center Research Scientist IV, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Lab web: dura-bernal.org<http://dura-bernal.org/>

March 27, 2021

CFP 30th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks ICANN 2021, Sept 14-17, ONLINE, Deadline extension

by Paolo Masulli ENNS

30th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks ICANN 2021 https://e-nns.org/icann2021 *ONLINE EVENT* 14 - 17 September 2021 *Deadline extended to April 15, 2021* ============================================================= The International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN) is the annual flagship conference of the European Neural Network Society (ENNS). In 2021 the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics (FMPI), Comenius University in Bratislava, together with the Slovak Society for Cognitive Science, organize the 30th ICANN Conference from the 14th to the 17th of September 2021. *Online event:* Due to the uncertainty regarding the re-opening of Europe during 2021, *ICANN is going fully online this year*. We will still have keynote talks, contributed talks and poster sessions, and nothing changes regarding the conference proceedings in Springer LNCS. * **CONFERENCE TOPICS* ICANN 2021 is a dual-track conference featuring tracks in Brain Inspired Computing and Machine Learning and Artificial Neural Networks, with strong cross-disciplinary interactions and applications. All research fields dealing with Neural Networks will be present at the conference. A non-exhaustive list of topics includes: Machine Learning: Deep Learning, Neural Network Theory, Neural Network Models, Graphical Models, Bayesian Networks, Kernel Methods, Generative Models, Information Theoretic Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Relational Learning, Dynamical Models, Recurrent Networks. Brain Inspired Computing: Cognitive models, Computational Neuroscience, Self-organisation, Reinforcement Learning, Neural Control and Planning, Hybrid Neural-Symbolic Architectures, Neural Dynamics, Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Informatics, Perception and action. Neural Applications for: Bioinformatics, Biomedicine, Intelligent Robotics, Neurorobotics, Language Processing, Image Processing, Sensor Fusion, Pattern Recognition, Data Mining, Neural Agents, Brain-Computer Interaction, Neural Hardware, Evolutionary Neural Networks. *CALL FOR CONTRIBUTED SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS* All scientific communications presented at ICANN 2021 will be reviewed and scientifically evaluated by a panel of experts. The conference will feature two categories of communications: - oral communications (15'+5') - poster communications. *CALL FOR PAPERS* Authors willing to present original contributions in either oral or poster category may submit: - A full paper of maximum 12 pages (including references) to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series with individual DOI. - An extended abstract of maximum 4 pages to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series, without indexing. The number of oral slots is limited. In case the number of requested oral presentations is larger than the available slots the ICANN scientific committee will select which papers will be reassigned to a poster session. This selection will be based on the coherence of the programme and is totally independent of the category of submission. Submission of communications will be on the conference website: https://e-nns.org/icann2021/ *IMPORTANT DATES* Opening of contribution submissions: 15 Feb 2021 Deadline for full paper and extended abstract submission: 15 Apr 2021 Notification of acceptance: 25 May 2021 Camera-ready paper and registration opening: 15 June 2021 Deadline for early registration at discount rate: 30 June 2021 *BEST PAPER AWARDS* ENNS will sponsor a maximum of four best paper awards. *ORGANISATION* General Chairs: Igor Farkaš (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Ľubica Beňušková (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Organising Committee Chairs: Kristína Malinovská (FMPI, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Sebastian Otte (University of Tübingen, Germany) Alessandra Lintas (ENNS Lausanne, Switzerland) Honorary Chairs: Stefan Wermter, University in Hamburg, Germany (ENNS President) Věra Kůrková, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia (past ENNS President) Communication Chair: Paolo Masulli (Technical University of Denmark, ENNS)

March 26, 2021

Research Associate Position at Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre

by Jiaxiang ZHANG

[Apologize for cross-posting] Dear all, We are seeking an enthusiastic early-career scientist for a research associate position at Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC). The successful candidate will join a collaborative and multidisciplinary research team to work on the neurocognitive mechanisms of human decision-making, integrating multimodal brain imaging (MEG, functional MRI and diffusion MRI) and computational modelling. The post holder will develop computational models that describe data from behavioural and brain imaging experiments, in particular to take a lead role in integrating large-scale computational simulations with imaging results from multiple modalities. The research aims to understand the computational and neurocognitive processes of human decision-making, and how decision deficits may arise due to brain injury or neurodegeneration. The research associate will also be expected to collaborate with other researchers in the team on imaging data analyses and data curation. You will have access to imaging facilities at CUBRIC and several multimodal imaging datasets. Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) houses a unique combination of state-of-the-art facilities and world-leading expertise, with 4 human MRI systems (2 x Siemens Prisma, 1 x Siemens Connectom, 1 x Siemens 7T), MEG, EEG, TMS, tDCS, clinical research units and testing labs. Further details of CUBRIC can be found on our webpage (http://sites.cardiff.ac.uk/cubric) This is a full-time, fixed-term position until February 2023, available to start now. Remote working is possible if COVID-19 restrictions are in place. For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Jiaxiang Zhang ( zhangj73(a)cardiff.ac.uk) A formal application needs to be submitted via the link online ( https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CEQ831/research-associate) *Application deadline: April 6th, 2021.* *Essential Criteria* 1. A PhD degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., mathematics, computer science, engineering, physics or psychology) 2. Research experience or a strong interest in human decision-making 3. Strong experience in computational models of cognitive processes and/or macroscopic neural systems, including the use of neural mass models or neural field models 4. Experience of analysing brain imaging data in one or more modalities (e.g., diffusion MRI, BOLD functional MRI, MEG/EEG), using common software packages 5. Strong programming skills (e.g., Matlab, Python, C/C++ or R) 6. Experience with Unix/Linux environment for data analysis, including bash scripting and parallel computing on high-performance clusters 7. Proven ability to publish high-quality research in peer-reviewed academic journals 8. Knowledge of software development cycles and best programming practices, including coding standards, version control administration, debug and code sharing, with strong commitments to open science practices 9. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, evidenced by publications and/or conference presentations 10. Strong interpersonal skills, including proven ability to work cooperatively within a team while also being able to take the initiative *Desirable Criteria * 1. Experience of brain functional and structural connectivity analyses 2. Experience in statistical methods (e.g., GLM, mixed models, multivariate statistics, hierarchical models and Bayesian statistics) and/or machine learning methods 3. Experience in deep learning models of imaging processing --- Dr. Jiaxiang Zhang Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) School of Psychology Cardiff University Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ https://ccbrain.org

March 25, 2021

INCF Assembly 2021: abstract submission closes March 31!

by Helena Ledmyr

Join us virtually for the 2021 INCF Assembly on April 19-27, with an exciting program <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/2021/program> covering different aspects of FAIR neuroscience! Abstract submission <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/abstract-submission> is open until March 31, and registration <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/2021/registration> is now open . Members of INCF enjoy heavily discounted registration fees, which are already lowered due to the meeting being virtual this year. You can sign up for membership and see the other benefits here <https://www.incf.org/join-incf/individuals> - one year costs 20 USD for students and postdocs, and 50 USD for regular members. The INCF Assembly 2021 aims to provide the neuroscience community with approaches that can be used today to implement the FAIR principles in their research. It also aims to provide tool developers and infrastructure providers with an opportunity to interact with the user community and to interact with other practitioners to advance the field of neuroinformatics. The 2021 INCF Assembly will address topics around FAIR neuroscience such as: - FAIR approaches for neuroscience in general, neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and computational neuroscience - Electrophysiology and computational neuroscience - Data science - Showcase of tools and infrastructures - Open innovation and intellectual property - Information about ongoing work in INCF councils and committees - Funders and publishers roundtable - Workshops on developing standards and a roadmap for FAIR neuroscience The INCF Assembly is the only international meeting that focuses on providing researchers with hands-on training experiences and enabling interaction with software developers and infrastructure providers. We hope to see you online in April! ----------------------------- Helena Ledmyr, PhD *Director* *Development and Communications* International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility Secretariat Karolinska Institutet. Nobels väg 15A, SE-171 77 Stockholm. Sweden Email: helena.ledmyr(a)incf.org Phone: +46 8 524 870 35 incf.org neuroinformatics.incf.org

March 25, 2021

Network Neuroscience Satellite at Networks2021 online conference - Call for contributions

by Daniele Marinazzo

The 2021 Network Neuroscience Satellite <https://netneurosci.github.io/networks2021satellite> of the Networks2021 <https://networks2021.net/> conference will happen online between June 28 and July 2, with the most likely dates being June 30/July 1 (TBC soon). *Background and Motivation:* Recent technological developments have enabled mapping and recording of neural systems with unprecedented coverage and detail. Increasingly, the brain’s structure and function are approached from the perspective of complexity and networks, with theoretical and empirical/computational studies that conceptualize the brain as a complex system, composed of elements and interactions that are dynamically and functionally integrated. Network science offers important conceptual tools, insights, and robust computational methods for dynamic network systems’ analyses. At the intersection of networks and brain science, the interdisciplinary field of Network Neuroscience is now addressing a broad range of both basic and applied scientific questions, regarding many aspects of brain architecture and function. This satellite will provide an opportunity for participants with diverse backgrounds to present cutting-edge research, discuss latest network findings and exchange ideas. *Invited speakers:* - Maurizio Corbetta (University of Padua, Italy) - Plamen Ch. Ivanov (Boston University, United States) - Mariangeles Serrano (University of Barcelona, Spain) - Carolyn Parkinson (University of California Los Angeles, United States) - Dimitri Van De Ville (EPFL and University of Geneva, Switzerland) *Organizing and program committee:* - Richard F. Betzel (Indiana University, United States) - Fabrizio De Vico Fallani (INRIA, France) - Katja Heuer (Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Germany) - Daniele Marinazzo (Ghent University, Belgium) - Olaf Sporns (Indiana University, United States) - Roberto Toro (Pasteur Institute, France) - Emma Towlson (University of Calgary, Canada) - Robin Wilkins (University of North Carolina, United States) The satellite will include a number of* poster and oral presentations* contributed by submission. For the poster sessions we are working to provide a friendly, robust, and inclusive platform to maximize the quality of the interactions. If you would like to present your work, please, follow this link to <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=netneuro2021>Easychair <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=netneuro2021>, select the type of contribution and submit your abstract by *April 9th*. Abstracts should be in pdf format and no longer than 1 page (about 500 words). Please note that we have only a limited number of slots available for oral presentations, and encourage you to consider submitting your work as a poster. We will be holding a dedicated session for the posters. Oral presentations (“Contributed Talks”, 15 minutes) will be selected by the program committee. We welcome submissions from all areas of Network Neuroscience, to include (but not limited to): - Brain transcriptional and gene regulation networks; - Structural brain networks; - Functional brain networks; - Network theory, modeling and analysis; - Network communication and information flow; - Circuit dynamics; - Brain-behavior interactions; - Systems neuroscience; - Clinical applications. Please note that as per the rules of Networks2021, you may not deliver the same oral presentation in this satellite as at the main conference. Posters, however, may be presented at the satellite and at the main conference if appropriate. Communication of accepted submissions and invitations for oral “contributed talks” will be sent by *April 23rd*. The early deadline for registration at the Networks2021 conference is *May 1st*. Please don't forget to visit our webpage <https://netneurosci.github.io/networks2021satellite>, and add yourself with your interests and keywords to the brainweb <https://brain-web.github.io/community/>! -- Daniele Marinazzo Department of Data Analysis Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University Postal address: Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium Office address: Henri Dunantlaan 1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium (directions in the link below) +32 (0) 9 264 6375 <http://www.da.ugent.be/>http://users.ugent.be/~dmarinaz/ Twitter @dan_marinazzo <https://twitter.com/dan_marinazzo> Directions to the office <https://soleway.ugent.be/routes/1250> http://helpdesk.ugent.be/e-maildisclaimer.php

March 25, 2021