- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Postdoc position available - computational modeling and real-time fMRI neurofeedback of language

by Narly Golestani

With the launch of a new ‘NCCR Evolving Language’ (http://www.snf.ch/SiteCollectionDocuments/nfs/Faktenblatt_NCCR_evolvinglang…) which involves nearly 40 different research groups from a large variety of disciplines across Switzerland, we seek to fill a Postdoc position for a four-year project starting in May 2020, or at the selected candidate’s earliest convenience. Our goal is to make progress in understanding the importance of prosody in language processing. To this end, we plan to carry out a set of studies involving both computational modeling of fMRI data and real-time fMRI neurofeedback to understand the mechanisms whereby prosody and rhythm support linguistic processing per se. The computational modeling work will be an extension of our recent work on the neural encoding of acoustic information in speech sounds (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31285622) The research will be done in the group of Narly Golestani (www.brainandlanguagelab.org<http://www.brainandlanguagelab.org>) in Geneva, in collaboration with researchers in Switzerland and abroad (Elia Formisano in Maastricht, and Frank Scharnowski in Vienna). Applicants should hold a degree in Biomedical Engineering, Computational Neuroscience, or a related field, and should have solid experience in human brain imaging, and ideally also in computational modelling (i.e. encoding / decoding) of fMRI data, real-time fMRI based neurofeedback, machine learning, statistics and programming. The NCCR places great emphasis on gender diversity and we particularly encourage women to apply. To apply, please send a cover letter, CV, names and contact information of 2-3 references as well as any other relevant documents to Narly.Golestani(a)unige.ch<mailto:Narly.Golestani@unige.ch>. Feel free to contact me should you have any questions. Deadline for application: March 15th 2020 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brain and Language Lab Prof. Narly GOLESTANI Department of Psychology Campus Biotech 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Genève +41 22 379 53 52 <https://outlook.unige.ch/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=5WTo-p-J-W9FrDydU-0WU4PdMytUGs…>http://www.brainandlanguagelab.org https://twitter.com/brain_lang_lab ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <https://outlook.unige.ch/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=5WTo-p-J-W9FrDydU-0WU4PdMytUGs…>

Feb. 27, 2020

Masters fellowships in computational neuroscience within the Interdisciplinary Master in Life Science at ENS/PSL Paris

by boris gutkin

Mathematics of Neural Circuits team (Pi Boris Gutkin, https://lnc2.dec.ens.fr/en/teams/mathematics-neural-circuits) at the Laboratory for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Ecole Normale Superieure Paris France is looking for highly qualified candidates to support for the masters (m1 and m2) fellowship competition within the Interdisciplinary Master in Life Science ENS Paris. Within the framework of the PSL Q-Life Institute of Convergence <https://www.univ-psl.fr/q-life>, a scholarship program offering competitive stipends for students following the Interdisciplinary Master in Life Science (IMaLiS <https://www.enseignement.biologie.ens.fr/spip.php?rubrique44>) has been established to specifically support two categories of students : International students (10,000 €/year), French students with a degree in a scientific discipline other than Life Sciences (6,000 €/year). In addition to providing the fellowship, the program can reserve rooms at the Cité International Universitaire de Paris <http://www.ciup.fr/en/> for some of the students. The deadline is April 17 2020. More details on the program can be found here: https://www.enseignement.biologie.ens.fr/spip.php?article189&lang=fr <https://www.enseignement.biologie.ens.fr/spip.php?article189&lang=fr> For more information and preliminary interview please contact: boris.gutkin(a)ens.fr Boris Gutkin, PhD Research Director CNRS Group for Neural Theory, LNC INSERM U960 Institut d'Etude de la Cognition de l'Ecole normale supérieure Ecole normale superieure, Paris Sciences et Lettres* 29 rue d'Ulm. 75005 Paris, France Phone: +3314432 <tel:%2B33144322674>2956 Internet:http://gnt.ens.fr/ <http://audition.ens.fr/>

Feb. 27, 2020

Vacancy for studying the visual cortex

by Pieter Roelfsema

We have an exciting opportunity for a PhD-student or postdoc to work on the neuronal mechanisms for object perception and perceptual organization Project description The perception of objects and their segregation from cluttered backgrounds requires interactions between lower and higher areas of the visual cortex. In this project we will simultaneously record from low-level and higher-level cortical areas of the temporal stream in monkeys trained on tasks that rely on object vision. We compare the activity of neurons in the different brain areas to the tuning of units in deep neural networks, to elucidate the contributions of feedforward and feedback connections between brain areas. We expect from you: You are highly motivated, self-driven with a degree in neuroscience, (neuro)psychology, biomedical sciences, natural sciences, material science, mathematics, physics, etc. A high level of written and spoken English and good programming skills are required. You will have experience with neurophysiological techniques, the analysis of neuronal activity in alert animals, and a background in neuroscience. You should expect from us: • Mentoring, supervision and training • Access to state-of-the art infrastructure • A stimulating international research environment Environment The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (www.nin.nl) is the country’s leading fundamental neuroscience research institute. It provides a critical mass of scientists and neuroscience technologies, together with a highly interactive, dynamic, multi-cultural environment. English is the working language of all research groups. Amsterdam is an internationally oriented city and an attractive, progressive and easy-to-integrate environment. The research groups have members from more than 27 nations with backgrounds ranging from philosophy to engineering. Appointment We offer an exciting job at a dynamic research institute and an attractive package of fringe benefits. The position is for a period of 3 or 4 years in total for a postdoctoral researcher or PhD-student, respectively. The first appointment is for one year with an extension for the remaining period pending on an evaluation. Salary The salary will be commensurate with experience and institutional guidelines based on the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities; CAO NU). Full time monthly salary for a PhD student is € 2.325,- in the 1st year to € 2.979,- in the 4th year before taxes. The starting salary for a postdoctoral researcher depends on experience and ranges from € 3.123,- to € 4.274,-.- before taxes. A 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus are excluded. A 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus are excluded. We offer travel expenses, paid parental leave, flexible working hours, 30 days paid leave per year and help by finding a house. Starting date The position is available from Mid 2020 To apply Please, send your application to l.van.der.vecht(a)nin.knaw.nl<mailto:l.van.der.vecht@nin.knaw.nl> including: 1. A Curriculum Vitae 2. An application letter 3. Two (for PhD applicants) or three (for postdoctoral applicants) reference letters Evaluation of candidates will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. We aim to fill the position between April and July 2020. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, etc.

Feb. 27, 2020

Tenure-Track Faculty Position available in machine learning and computational neuroscience

by Lopez, Camila

Tenure-Track Faculty Position in machine learning and computational neuroscience The Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence (CNAI) and the Department of Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine invite applications for a faculty position in machine learning or computational neuroscience. A major goal of the Center is to decipher the brain’s algorithms of perception, learning, motor control and cognition, and to test these algorithms in real-world machine learning applications. The Center aims to advance the field of artificial intelligence and to revolutionize how machine learning impacts society. We are seeking applications at the assistant professor level, but accomplished mid-career or senior scientists at the level of associate or full professor with strong records of research productivity, grant support and a demonstrated collaborative spirit are also encouraged to apply. Research interests may focus on any area related to machine learning and computational neuroscience. The Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence and The Department of Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine are located within a dynamic, collaborative research environment on the Texas Medical Center, with one of the highest densities of clinical, translational, and basic science research facilities in the world. The Neuroscience Department, including primary and affiliated faculty, is a vibrant community with strong ties to Rice University, the Neurological Research Institute (NRI), the University of Texas Health Sciences, and the University of Houston. CNAI has a strong partnership with NeuroEngineering and Data Science faculty at Rice University, and joint appointments with relevant departments at Rice University are possible. Applicants should apply directly to the job posting link: https://career4.successfactors.com/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=594&company=… First consideration will be given to applications received by March 29, 2020, but applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. Baylor College of Medicine is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community, and encourages applications from women and minorities.

Feb. 26, 2020

Workshop "Recent approaches to Graph Convolutional Networks, Graph Representation Learning and Reinforcement Learning"

by Sébastien Lerique

Dear all, The ENS de Lyon (France) is organising a 2-days workshop bringing together researchers in Graph Convolutional Networks, Graph Representation Learning and Reinforcement Learning. Recent years have seen many developments in these related fields, and this workshop will provide two days of close interactions, fostering the emergence of new collaborations. It will take place on the 23-24 March 2020, at ENS Lyon. **Keynote speakers** - Don Towsley (University of Massachusetts) - Michaël Defferrard (EPFL) - Geert Leus (TU Delft) - Bruno Scherrer (Inria, Université de Lorraine) - Andreas Loukas (EPFL) - Sebastien Gerchinovitz (IRT St. Exupéry Toulouse) **Call for Contributions** We call for contributions based on recent works, either published or not, with special emphasis on works by PhD students or young researchers. The scope of the meeting includes the following topics: - Graph Convolutional Networks - Graph Representation Learning - Reinforcement Learning - and of course any combination of the three! There are 6 to 8 available slots for talks, which will be 20 minutes presentation and 10 minutes questions. To submit a proposal, please write to ixxi(a)ens-lyon.fr with a link to the article you wish to present (or a copy in pdf format). **Submission deadline:** 28 February 2020 (Anywhere on Earth) Further information and updates can be found on the website: https://gcn-grl-rl.sciencesconf.org/ Please forward this announcement to your respective communities! Best wishes, Sébastien Lerique

Feb. 26, 2020

Postdoc position in computational neuroscience and/or developmental robotics at the University of Tokyo

by nagai.yukie＠mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Dear colleagues, The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN) at the University of Tokyo is looking for highly motivated full-time postdoc researchers in the field of computational neuroscience and/or developmental robotics. The selected candidates will join Cognitive Developmental Robotics Laboratory and have the opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary research integrating computer science, neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, robotics, etc. If you are interested in being considered, please send the required documents to yukie(a)ircn.jp. Postdoctoral Fellow at IRCN, the University of Tokyo https://ircn.jp/en/careers/postdoctoral-fellow-project-researcher-nagai-lab… Cognitive Developmental Robotics Laboratory (Nagai Lab), the University of Tokyo http://developmental-robotics.jp/en/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Job title: Project Assistant Professor / Project Researcher (Postdoctoral Fellow) 2. Starting Date: Negotiable 3. Term: The first contract will be ended on March 31, 2021. The contract is renewable on a fiscal year basis (from April 1 to March 31; every year) according to research budget, research activity, and research achievements. Contract duration is until March 31, 2022. 4. Place of Work International Research Center for Neurointelligence The University of Tokyo, Institutes for Advanced Study 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo, 113-0033 JAPAN 5. Qualifications (Required) - Ph.D. in Engineering, Ph.D. in Computer Science or equivalent in a related field - Good communication skill in English (Preferred) - Experiences in neural network, machine learning, computational neuroscience and/or developmental robotics will be preferred. 6. Compensation & Benefits - Salary: To be determined in accordance with the University of Tokyo Regulations - Commuter allowance: JPY55,000 per month at maximum - Social Insurance: Eligible for MEXT Mutual Aid Association membership, employees’ pension, employment insurance, and workers’ accident compensation insurance. - Vacation: Annual paid vacation, Sick leave (paid), Special vacation (paid) 7. Working Hours Discretionary labor system, based on 7 hours, 45 minutes per day, or 38 hours 45 minutes per week 8. Holidays Saturdays and Sundays; Statutory public holidays of Japan; Year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 through January 3); Summer holidays 9. Applications and Selection Process - Applications deadline: When the position is filled - Application documents: (a) Cover letter in English (b) Curriculum vita in English (c) Publication list (d) Name and contact address for two references, one of which should be a previous employer - Submission: Interested applicants should send application materials to: yukie(a)ircn.jp - Selection Process: All applications will be screened, and only those qualified will be scheduled for an interview (on-site or via video). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- — Yukie Nagai, Ph.D. Project Professor, The University of Tokyo nagai.yukie(a)mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp | http://developmental-robotics.jp CREST Cognitive Mirroring: http://cognitive-mirroring.org

Feb. 26, 2020

Two fully funded PhD positions in Computational Neuroscience at Georgia State University

by Yaroslav Molkov

> > Two fully funded doctoral student positions in computational neuroscience > for the duration of up to four years with very competitive compensation are > available in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Georgia State > University starting in fall 2020. The successful candidates will work > with Dr. Yaroslav Molkov and his collaborators on neural control of > breathing and locomotion. For more details, visit > https://math.gsu.edu/ymolkov/. > > The University: http://www.gsu.edu > Georgia State University is the Southeast's leading urban research > institution. It is on the list of the top 100 public universities for > doctoral degrees awarded. More than 250 fields of study are offered through > some 55 accredited degree programs at the bachelor's, master’s, specialist > and doctoral levels. Our student body is the best qualified and most > diverse in our history. More than 40,000 students are seeking degrees at > Georgia State, and more than 28,000 of them are on campus each semester. > Students come to our campus from every county in Georgia, every state in > the nation and 160 countries. The campus is located in the heart of > downtown Atlanta. > > The Department: http://mathstat.gsu.edu > Currently, the department has twenty seven tenured or tenure-track faculty > members, fourteen lecturers and academic professionals, and about eighty > graduate students. The Department’s faculty members are very active in > research and publication. They regularly publish in top-ranked journals, > more than 1/3 of the research faculty members are supported by various > federally funded grants, and several members have been serving on editorial > boards of journals. They have been directing PhD dissertations and MS > theses within the department, joint with other departments of the College > of Arts and Sciences, and in conjunction with other universities. > > Please apply at http://cas.gsu.edu/graduate-studies/admissions/ > > For additional information, please contact Dr. Molkov, Email: ymolkov > @gsu.edu <fenescu(a)gsu.edu>. > > ================================= > Yaroslav Molkov, PhD > Associate Professor > Department of Mathematics & Statistics/Neuroscience Institute > Georgia State University > 25 Park Place, Atlanta, GA 30303, Room 1415 > Phone: (404) 413-6422 > Email: ymolkov(a)gsu.edu >

Feb. 25, 2020

13ᵗʰ Advanced Scientific Programming in Python in Ghent, Belgium, 31 August—5 September, 2020

by Jakob Jordan

13ᵗʰ Advanced Scientific Programming in Python ============================================== a Summer School by the ASPP faculty and the Ghent University https://aspp.school Scientists spend more and more time writing, maintaining, and debugging software. While techniques for doing this efficiently have evolved, only few scientists have been trained to use them. As a result, instead of doing their research, they spend far too much time writing deficient code and reinventing the wheel. In this course we will present a selection of advanced programming techniques and best practices which are standard in the industry, but especially tailored to the needs of a programming scientist. Lectures are devised to be interactive and to give the students enough time to acquire direct hands-on experience with the materials. Students will work in pairs throughout the school and will team up to practice the newly learned skills in a real programming project — an entertaining computer game. We use the Python programming language for the entire course. Python works as a simple programming language for beginners, but more importantly, it also works great in scientific simulations and data analysis. We show how clean language design, ease of extensibility, and the great wealth of open source libraries for scientific computing and data visualization are driving Python to become a standard tool for the programming scientist. This school is targeted at Master or PhD students and Post-docs from all areas of science. Competence in Python or in another language such as Java, C/C++, MATLAB, or R is absolutely required. Basic knowledge of Python and of a version control system such as git, subversion, mercurial, or bazaar is assumed. Participants without any prior experience with Python and/or git should work through the proposed introductory material before the course. We are striving hard to get a pool of students which is international and gender-balanced. Date & Location =============== 31 August–5 September, 2020. Ghent, Belgium. Application =========== You can apply online: https://aspp.school/wiki/applications Application deadline: 23:59 UTC, Sunday 24 May, 2020 There will be no deadline extension, so be sure to apply on time. Be sure to read the FAQ before applying: https://aspp.school/wiki/faq Participation is for free, i.e. no fee is charged! Accommodation in the student residence comes at no costs for participants. We are trying to arrange financial coverage for food expenses too, but this may not work. Participants however should take care of travel expenses by themselves. Program ======= • Version control with git and how to contribute to open source projects with GitHub • Best practices in data visualization • Testing and debugging scientific code • Advanced NumPy • Organizing, documenting, and distributing scientific code • Advanced scientific Python: context managers and generators • Writing parallel applications in Python • Profiling and speeding up scientific code with Cython and numba • Programming in teams Faculty ======= • Caterina Buizza, Personal Robotics Lab, Imperial College London UK • Lisa Schwetlick, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Universität Potsdam Germany • Nelle Varoquaux, CNRS, TIMC-IMAG, University Grenoble Alpes France • Nicolas P. Rougier, Inria Bordeaux Sud-Ouest, Institute of Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Bordeaux France • Pamela Hathway, Neural Reckoning, Imperial College London UK • Pietro Berkes, NAGRA Kudelski, Lausanne Switzerland • Rike-Benjamin Schuppner, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Germany • Tiziano Zito, Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Germany • Zbigniew Jędrzejewski-Szmek, Red Hat Inc., Warsaw Poland Organizers ========== Head of the organization for ASPP and responsible for the scientific program: • Tiziano Zito, Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Germany Local team: • Nina Turk, Photonics Research Group, INTEC, Ghent University – imec Belgium • Freya Acar, Office for Data and Information, City of Ghent Belgium • Joan Juvert Institutional organizers: • Wim Bogaerts, Photonics Research Group, INTEC, Ghent University –imec Belgium • Sven Degroeve, VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent Belgium • Jeroen Famaey, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Antwerp – iMinds Belgium • Bernard Manderick, Artificial Intelligence Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Belgium Website: https://aspp.school Contact: info(a)aspp.school

Feb. 24, 2020

Vacancy as project assistant and lab manager

by Walter Senn

There is a position available as project assistant and joint lab manager (40-60%) at the Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Switzerland. Job description You will coordinate the activities of the research groups Petrovici and Senn (roughly 10 people). The groups are working in the field of computational neuroscience and are developing learning algorithms for brain-inspired computing. Additionally, we are developing implementations of efficient computational paradigms in neuromorphic hardware. The groups are part of the Human Brain Project, and within this consortium need administrative and managerial support. You will support us in editing scientific publications and outreach material, organize meetings, ensure timely reporting on science and finances, and will help us in the communication on organizational and administrative issues with partners of the Human Brain Project. We offer insights into the Human Brain project, an exciting European Flagship for Research, mentoring and training, flexible working hours, a stimulating international research environment, salary according to the Swiss University standards, and a working place in the center of Bern, the beautiful capital of Switzerland and UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Qualification We are searching for highly motivated candidates with a degree in natural sciences, preferably neuroscience, (neuro)psychology, biomedical sciences, natural sciences, material science, mathematics or physics. A high level of written and spoken English is required. The ideal candidate will have managerial experience with an understanding of neuroscientific research. Application Please send your CV with an application letter and the name and contact of two references to Walter Senn (walter.senn(a)pyl.unibe.ch <mailto:walter.senn@pyl.unibe.ch>) and Mihai Petrovici (mihai.petrovici(a)pyl.unibe.ch <mailto:mihai.petrovici@pyl.unibe.ch>), with cc to Sabine Herzog (sabine.herzog(a)pyl.unibe.ch <mailto:sabine.herzog@pyl.unibe.ch>). The first evaluation round will begin on March 23rd, 2020. The position will remain open until filled. With best regards Mihai Petrovici and Walter Senn

Feb. 24, 2020

Postdoc position at Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany

by Gjorgjieva, Julijana

We invite applications for a postdoctoral research position at the Computation in Neural Circuits group at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany. We use mathematical and computational approaches to study how neural networks self-organize into functional units from a combination of mechanisms including synaptic, homeostatic and intrinsic plasticity. We investigate different levels from individual synaptic inputs on dendrites to large-scale networks of higher order cortex. We are especially interested in these aspects during cortical development before and shortly after birth when the brain is highly plastic, but general aspects of learning and memory, especially under naturalistic stimuli and behaviors are also of great interest. For our recent work, you can see our latest papers and preprints: http://cns.wzw.tum.de/index.php?id=pubs We collaborate with different experimental research groups in the US, UK, Netherlands and Germany and benefit from interactions with the strong neuroscience community in Frankfurt. Our applications range across animals from rodent to Drosophila and reptiles. Successful applicants can choose from a range of projects including data analysis, theoretical model development and analytical calculations, numerical simulations, and applications to rich datasets from collaborating labs. Applicants should have a strong quantitative background (in mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, or related fields) and good programming skills (Matlab, C/C++ or Python). The position can start as early as spring 2020. For more information or an informal questions, email me at gjorgjieva(a)brain.mpg.de<mailto:gjorgjieva@brain.mpg.de>. I will also be at Cosyne. To apply for this position, please email the following: 1. A curriculum vitae 2. A description of research interests, including a motivation for why you chose to apply to our group 3. A writing sample, either a manuscript, thesis or code 4. Contact details for 2-3 referees Lookin forward to your applications! ----------------------------------------- Julijana Gjorgjieva, PhD Research Group Leader Max Planck Institute for Brain Research Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, Frankfurt Assistant Professor of Computational Neuroscience Technical University of Munich, WZW Freising office: +49 69 850033 3600 http://cns.wzw.tum.de

Feb. 24, 2020

The Electrosensory Cocktail Party Problem - PhD position at Bernstein Center Berlin & Humboldt University (Physics Dep.) available

by Benjamin Lindner

*Weakly nonlinear interactions in an electrosensory cocktail party problem* Within the DFG priority program "Evolutionary Optimisation of Neuronal Processing", we are looking for a PhD candidate to work on the detection of weak signals in the presence of much stronger distractors, a joint project with the experimental lab of Jan Benda (University Tubingen, Germany). The 'cocktail party problem' is here regarded as a general theoretical problem and will be explored by the successful candidate by means of analytical calculations and numerical simulations of stochastic models of spiking neurons. Beyond pursuing purely theoretical approaches, the main goal of this project is to understand weakly nonlinear interactions specifically in the electrosensory system of weakly electric fish, an experimental model system of the Benda lab. In order to get an idea about similar approaches pursued in the past, have a look at some of the joint publications of the Benda lab and the Lindner group: Fisch et al. J. Neurosci. 32, 17332 (2012) Sharafi et al. J. Comp. Neurosci. 34 , 285 (2013) Grewe et al. PNAS 114 E1977 (2017) The successful candidate should have a degree in physics, mathematics or computational neuroscience (a background in neurobiology is desirable but not obligatory), programming skills (C++, Python, LaTeX, Linux), an excellent command of the English language, good communication skills, team spirit, and, last but not least, great enthusiasm for interdisciplinary projects. Funding is provided for three years, starting within the next three months. For details on the doctoral examination process at the Physics Department of Humboldt University Berlin, see https://fakultaeten.hu-berlin.de/en/mnf/wisskar/promotionen/zula. Applications, including a letter of motivation, a CV, and a list of three potential referees should be sent by email to   me benjamin.lindner(a)physik.hu-berlin.de  (cc to nikola.schrenk(a)bccn-berlin.de) The deadline for applications is March 25, 2020, however, later applications might also be considered. Kind regards, Benjamin Lindner -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benjamin Lindner Professor for Theory of Complex Systems and Neurophysics Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin Philippstr. 13, Haus 2, 10115 Berlin Room: 1.17, phone: 0049(0)302093 6336 Department of Physics Humboldt University Berlin Newtonstr. 15 12489 Berlin Room: 3.408, phone: 0049(0)302093 7934 http://people.physik.hu-berlin.de/~lindner/index.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feb. 24, 2020

Scientific software developer position at the SimLab Neuroscience, Juelich, Germany

by Abigail Morrison

Dear colleagues, we have a scientific software developer position available in the SimLab Neuroscience, Juelich Research Centre, Germany. We are looking for candidates with a proven track record in developing scientific software who are interested in neuroscientific modelling and simulation as well as the graph analysis and visualization of neuroscience data. For a full description and details of how to apply, please see the announcement on our website: https://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2020-053-E… All the best, Abigail Morrison -- Prof. Dr. Abigail Morrison IAS-6 / INM-6 / SimLab Neuroscience Jülich Research Center & Computer Science 3 - Software Engineering RWTH Aachen http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-6 http://www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/slns http://www.se-rwth.de Office: +49 2461 61-9805 Fax # : +49 2461 61-9460 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Volker Rieke Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feb. 24, 2020

Vacancies in learning methods for hierarchical cognitive processing

by Pieter Roelfsema

We have exciting opportunities for 3 PhD-student or postdocs to work on Architectures and learning methods for hierarchical cognitive processing Project description Our recent theoretical insights have allowed a preliminary understanding of how animals learn to represent and memorize the key features of sensory stimuli for the guidance of action based on reinforcement learning (Rombouts et al. PloS Comp Biol 2015; Holtmaat & Roelfsema, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2018). The present project focuses on the hierarchical learning of cognitive subroutines, which can be incorporated into larger routines, by trial and error. We aim to develop a biologically plausible learning rules that endow neural networks with the possibility to learn hierarchical task structures and learn and execute cognitive tasks. Topics of interest include - the role of learnable/flexible working memory models in learning and executing hierarchically structures routines. The project is a collaboration between in the Vision & Cognition group (Dr. Pieter Roelfsema) at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and the Machine Learning Lab at the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica in Amsterdam (Dr. Sander Bohte). We expect from you: You are highly motivated, have a solid computational background, an interest in cognitive neuroscience and good programming skills. You should expect from us: The position involves a temporary appointment for 3-4 years. The first appointment is for one year with extension for the remaining period pending on an evaluation. We offer a competitive salary with excellent secondary benefits and friendly taxes, and also an extremely friendly, interactive and international working environment. Amsterdam is one of Europe's most beautiful and livable cities where almost everybody speaks and understands English, so that candidates need not be afraid of the language barrier. Environment About the NIN The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (www.nin.nl) is the country’s leading fundamental neuroscience research institute. It provides a critical mass of scientists and neuroscience technologies, together with a highly interactive, dynamic, multi-cultural environment. English is the working language of all research groups. Amsterdam is an internationally oriented city and an attractive, progressive and easy-to-integrate environment. The research groups have members from more than 27 nations with backgrounds ranging from philosophy to engineering. For more information about the Vision & Cognition groep visit our https://herseninstituut.nl/onderzoek/onderzoeksgroepen/roelfsema-groep/ About Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) is the Dutch national research institute for mathematics and computer science and is part of the Institutes Organisation of NWO. The mission of CWI is to conduct pioneering research in mathematics and computer science, generating new knowledge in these fields and conveying it to trade, industry, and society at large. CWI is an internationally oriented institute, with 160 scientists from approximately 27 countries. The facilities are first-rate and include excellent IT support, career planning, training, and courses. CWI is located at Science Park Amsterdam that is presently developing into a major location of research in the natural sciences in The Netherlands, housing the sciences of the University of Amsterdam and of the Vrije Universiteit as well as several other national research institutes next to CWI. For more information about the CWI ML research group at CWI, please visit our https://www.cwi.nl/research/groups/networks-and-optimization/networks-and-o… Appointment We offer an exciting job at a dynamic research institute and an attractive package of fringe benefits. The position is for a period of 3 or 4 years in total for a postdoctoral researcher or PhD-student, respectively. The first appointment is for one year with an extension for the remaining period pending on an evaluation. Salary The salary will be commensurate with experience and institutional guidelines based on the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities; CAO NU). Full time monthly salary for a PhD student is € 2.325,- in the 1st year to € 2.979,- in the 4th year before taxes. The starting salary for a postdoctoral researcher depends on experience and ranges from € 3.123,- to € 4.274,-.- before taxes. A 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus are excluded. A 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus are excluded. We offer travel expenses, paid parental leave, flexible working hours, 30 days paid leave per year and help by finding a house. Starting date The position is available from April 2020. To apply Please, send your application to l.van.der.vecht(a)nin.knaw.nl including: 1. A Curriculum Vitae 2. An application letter 3. Two reference letters Evaluation of candidates will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. We aim to fill the position between April and July 2020. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, etc. Any acquisition further to this advertisement will not be appreciated.

Feb. 23, 2020

PhD positions in Interactive AI CDT

by Rui Ponte Costa

We are looking to recruit PhD students for our unique EPSRC-funded Centre for Doctoral Training in Interactive Artificial Intelligence at the University of Bristol, UK. The IAI Centre in a nutshell Building on Bristol’s world-leading expertise in AI, machine learning, neuroscience and human-computer interaction, the Centre for Doctoral Training in Interactive Artificial Intelligence offers PhD studentships that will train you to become a leader in human-in-the-loop and interpretable AI systems. This unique Centre is based in the School of Computer Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Engineering Mathematics. Its mission is to deliver cohorts of highly-trained PhD graduates with the skills to design and implement complex interactive AI pipelines solving societally and scientific important problems. After the taught first year, covering foundational topics in data-driven AI, knowledge-driven AI, human-AI interaction and responsible AI, you will undertake a 3-year research project, supervised by one of the 60 academics in the supervisory network and in close collaboration with one or more external partners. The Centre partners with a wide range of external organisations including Alan Turing Institute, Microsoft Research, Amazon Research, Dyson, Thales, and many others. How to apply Applicants must hold/achieve a minimum of an upper-second class honours degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., computer science, engineering, mathematics, statistics). Enhanced EPSRC studentships covering fees and living costs are available to UK / EU students (EU citizens are eligible if they have lived in the UK for at least 3 years; a small percentage of positions can also be considered for non-UK/EU candidates). For full details, contact information and on-line applications, navigate to www.bristol.ac.uk/cdt/interactive-ai<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=4377&type=185&url=htt…>. Deadline: 2nd March 2020, 00:00 (GMT) For admission enquires please contact iai-cdt-admissions(a)bristol.ac.uk<mailto:iai-cdt-admissions@bristol.ac.uk>. For more informal inquires feel free to contact academics affiliated with the program. Best wishes, Bristol Computational Neuroscience Unit<http://bristolcnu.github.io/> SCEEM | Faculty of Engineering & Bristol Neuroscience, University of Bristol, UK

Feb. 22, 2020

Postdoc and PhD positions on Biological Deep Learning

by Walter Senn

Dear all A postdoc and two PhD positions devoted to the modeling of learning in deep cortical networks are available in our Computational Neuroscience labs at the University of Bern, Switzerland. Our research is focused on biologically realistic models of spatio-temporal processing in recurrent cortical networks and their relation to reinforcement learning, Bayesian computing, learning to learn, and neuromorphic implementations. The positions are part of the European Human Brain Project and are available from April 1st, 2020, for 3 years (extendable through other funding). We offer a stimulating environment with three research groups in theoretical and computational neuroscience, along with experimental neuroscience at the same Department of Physiology (physio.unibe.ch/gruppen.aspx <http://physio.unibe.ch/gruppen.aspx>), as well as close collaboration with other labs in neuroscience, artificial intelligence and neuromorphic engineering. Ideal candidates should have a strong background in computational neuroscience, machine learning, applied mathematics and/or physics. Please send your CV, publication list, letter of motivation and contact information for at least two references to Walter Senn (walter.senn(a)pyl.unibe.ch <mailto:walter.senn@pyl.unibe.ch>) and Mihai Petrovici (mihai.petrovici(a)pyl.unibe.ch <mailto:mihai.petrovici@pyl.unibe.ch>), with cc to Sabine Herzog (sabine.herzog(a)pyl.unibe.ch <mailto:sabine.herzog@pyl.unibe.ch>). The first evaluation round will begin on March 23rd, 2020. The positions will remain open until filled. With best regards, Mihai Petrovici and Walter Senn

Feb. 22, 2020

Postdoc fellowship in parallel computing and neural simulation at Chemnitz University of Technology

by Julien Vitay

Apologies for cross-posting ******************************* A PostDoc position is available at Chemnitz University of Technology in the Department of Computer Science within the Professorship of Artificial Intelligence. He or she should have a Ph.D. in computer science or related fields. Exceptionally, we can also consider Ph.D. candidates in case of extremely good qualifications. The candidate is expected to contribute to research in auto-tuning mechanisms on different hardware platforms to implement biologically inspired neural networks. Thus, a very good experience in parallel computing is absolutely required. Further, the candidate should have an interest in computational neuroscience, particularly at the implementation level of large-scale neural networks. Prior experience with neural simulation tools, e.g. ANNarchy (Vitay, Dinkelbach, Hamker, 2015), NEST or Brian, is advantageous. Good English language skills are necessary. German is initially not required. Funding is obtained from a research project “Auto-tuning for neural simulations on different parallel hardware" from the German research foundation (DFG), coordinated by Dr. Vitay and Prof. Dr. Hamker. The salary is according to German standards (E 13 TV-L). An association with the CRC 1410 Hybrid Societies (https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/hybrid-societies/) is conceivable. The position is initially until 30.06.2021, but extensions are possible. The starting date is May 2020 or soon thereafter. Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the state of Saxony and close to scenic mountains. Major cities nearby are Leipzig and Dresden with a rich tradition of music and culture. Applications should be sent by email (preferably in PDF format) to ( fred.hamker(a)informatik.tu-chemnitz.de) The deadline is on 15.03.2020, but applications will be considered until the position is filled. In addition to a CV, the candidate should provide a detailed description of his/her experience in parallel computing. References: Vitay, J., Dinkelbach, H. U., Hamker, F. H. (2015), ANNarchy: a code generation approach to neural simulations on parallel hardware, Frontiers in Neuroinformatics , 9, 19, doi:10.3389/fninf.2015.00019 -- Professur Künstliche Intelligenz Fakultät für Informatik Technische Universität Chemnitz Straße der Nationen 62 | R. 1/348 (neu: A12.348) 09111 Chemnitz Germany Tel: +49 371 531-39468 Fax: +49 371 531-839468 www.tu-chemnitz.de/~vitay

Feb. 21, 2020

Nottingham DTC in AI, PhD positions

by Mark van Rossum

Dear all Applications are invited from UK/EU students for a number of fully-funded PhD studentships in the first cohort of the Nottingham Doctoral Training Centre in Artificial Intelligence, based within the School of Computer Science at the University of Nottingham, starting in autumn 2020. These studentships will start on 1 October 2020 and will be four years in duration. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/SCI1934 A full list of topics that applicants are asked to rank in terms of interest is listed here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/computerscience/studywithus/postgraduateresear… Deadline is very fast: 28 Feb. We might run a second round of recruitment in April/May. This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

Feb. 20, 2020

Two postdoctoral positions Essex Brain-Computer Interfaces and Neural Engineering Laboratory

by Poli, Riccardo

Hi, The Brain-Computer Interfaces and Neural Engineering laboratory of the University of Essex is happy to announce two<https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?…> postdoctoral positions<https://vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?…> in the $5M project "Adaptive joint cognitive systems for complex and strategic decision making: building trust in human-machine teams through brain-computer-interface augmentation, social interaction and mutual learning". The project is supported by the Bilateral Academic Research Initiative (BARI) programme which is jointly funded by the US Department of Defense and the UK Ministry of Defence. The project is in partnership with the University of Oxford, the University of Southern California, the University of California Berkeley, Harvard Medical School and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The Essex part of the project covers the following areas: * Neural and behavioural correlates of metacognition, trust, conformity, errors and low-confidence judgements; Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI); decoding mental states associated with decision-making processes; signal processing and extraction of information from EEG and other physiological signals. * Behavioural, physiological and neural markers of effective group cooperation; effects of different levels and forms of social interaction on group performance; team and teamwork performance indicators; integrating team-member decisions; optimally communicating group decisions and states. * Reinforcement and interpretable machine learning; predictive uncertainty; surrogate ground truth. Duties will include: designing and implementing software for the execution of experiments with audio-visual and textual stimulation; researching and developing robust algorithms for signal processing, statistical inference and extraction of information from EEG and other physiological signals; and producing high-quality journal and conference papers and presentations. Please, feel free to contact me for any questions. I am the PI of the project. Many thanks Riccardo -- -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof Riccardo Poli E-mail: rpoli(a)essex.ac.uk<mailto:rpoli@essex.ac.uk> School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering University of Essex Telephone: (01206) 872338 Wivenhoe Park Facsimile: (01206) 872788 Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK http://csee.essex.ac.uk/staff/rpoli/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Feb. 19, 2020

Two postdoctoral positions in cellular electrophysiology and neurobiology at SISSA, Italy

by Michele Giugliano

Apologies for cross posting Two postdoctoral positions in cellular electrophysiology and neurobiology ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two postdoctoral positions are available immediately at the Neuroscience Area of SISSA - the International School for Advanced Studies, in the lab of Neuronal Dynamics head by Dr. Michele GIUGLIANO. Both positions are funded for up to 38 months each, on a newly funded EC-Horizon 2020 project called "Ionic Neuromodulation For Epilepsy Treatment (IN-FET)". This project combines neurobiology, nanotechnologies, electrochemistry, and electronics together towards a novel breakthrough technology in brain modulation. At SISSA, we aim at experimentally validating novel routes for cellular and microcircuit stimulation or suppression, in collaboration with a consortium of partners which includes IBM Research Zurich, the University of Geneva, the University of Sheffield, and the Inter-university consortium for Nanoelectronics. We thus search for experts in in vitro electrophysiology (substrate-integrated microelectrode arrays) and patch-clamp recordings (dissociated cell cultures, acute and organotypic brain tissue slices) with a strong background in quantitative data analysis and an interest for interdisciplinary research. The deadline for the application is 19/03/2020 and the link to apply is https://pica.cineca.it/sissa/ar-fe-neur-17-2020/ <https://pica.cineca.it/sissa/ar-fe-neur-17-2020/> More information at: https://www.sissa.it/bandi/selezione-pubblica-titoli-colloquio-conferimento… <https://www.sissa.it/bandi/selezione-pubblica-titoli-colloquio-conferimento…> For any scientific information, email to michele.giugliano(a)sissa.it <mailto:michele.giugliano@sissa.it> For any administrative information, email to assegniricerca(a)sissa.it <mailto:assegniricerca@sissa.it>

Feb. 19, 2020

Neural coding in high dimensional, nonlinear systems workshop in Paris

by Trang-Anh Nghiem

Dear Colleagues, We are delighted to announce that our workshop on *neural coding in high dimensional, nonlinear systems* will be held on *March 24th-25 2020*. The event is organised by the European Institute for Theoretical Neuroscience (EITN) and will take place at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) on the Île Saint-Louis in central Paris. *Conference abstract* In this workshop we address mechanisms by which brains encode information. We will discuss how neurons - leaky, stochastic channels - interact nonlinearly to entrain synchrony and resonance phenomena thereby reducing dimensionality in dynamics of the cell assemblies coding particular representations. From unconscious to conscious brain states, spontaneous neural signals increase in dimensionality. Since neural codes likely lie on low dimensional manifolds, we explore collapses in dimensionality within encoding networks as mechanisms supporting neural information specifically in conscious states. We aim to bring together researchers in neuroscience, mathematics, physics, and computer science to explore substrates promoting self-organization of neural dynamics, toward a robust understanding of neural codes important for reverse engineering next generation biomimetic computing architectures. *Confirmed speakers*- Mallory Carlu (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) - Damien Depannemaecker (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) - Alain Destexhe (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) - Leon Glass (McGill University) - Jennifer Goldman (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) - Julie Grollier (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Thales) - Hermann Haken (Universität Stuttgart) - Vincent Hakim (Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris) - Viktor Jirsa (Aix-Marseille University) - Trang-Anh Nghiem (Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris) - Maris Ozols (University of Amsterdam) - Wolf Singer (Ernst Strüngmann Institute, Max Planck Society) - David Ruelle (Paris-Saclay University) - Núria Tort-Colet (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) - Sacha van Albada (Forschungszentrum Jülich) *Attendance is free but registration is mandatory due to a limited number of seats. To apply for registration, please visit the conference website*: https://neuralcoding.sciencesconf.org/. Looking forward, Best wishes, The organisers: Jennifer S. Goldman, Trang-Anh E. Nghiem, Alain Destexhe, Wolf Singer, with the support of the Paris IAS

Feb. 19, 2020

CAMP@Bangalore 2020 Course Announcement

by U.S.Bhalla

Dear Colleagues, We would like to announce CAMP@Bangalore 2020 from 29 June 2020 to 14 July 2020. CAMP (Computational Approaches to Memory and Plasticity at NCBS, Bangalore) is a 16-day summer school where students will be trained in theoretical and computational modeling, pertaining to memory and plasticity in the brain, spanning different scales of space, time and complexity. This flavor of CAMP will focus on — Hippocampus beyond Space, and Dimensionality & Manifolds. The course will have lectures, hands-on tutorials, and project work to launch students into the exciting field of computational neuroscience. The course is supported by the Simons Foundation. Students worldwide are encouraged to apply. Accommodation and food will be free for the selected students. There is no registration fee. Students are advised to obtain independent travel grants. Application deadline: 5 March 2020. Referee letters must reach by 7 March 2020 Speakers: Aaron Batista, University of Pittsburgh, USA Alessandro Treves, SISSA, Italy Collins Assisi, IISER Pune, India Kishore Kuchibhotla, Johns Hopkins University, USA Marianne Fyhn, University of Oslo, Norway Marlene Bartos, University of Freiburg, Germany Sachin Deshmukh, IISc Bangalore, India Srdjan Ostojic, ENS Paris, France Suhita Nadkarni, IISER Pune, India Taro Toyoijumi, RIKEN, Japan Torkel Hafting, University of Oslo, Norway Visit the course website http://camp.ncbs.res.in/ for more details about the course and previous CAMPs. Course Organizers: Arvind Kumar (KTH Stockholm) Rishikesh Narayanan (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore) Upinder Bhalla (National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore) Best, Organizers CAMP 2020 Course http://camp.ncbs.res.in/

Feb. 19, 2020

DENDRITES 2020: Call for Abstracts extended to Feb. 22nd, 2020

by Yiota Poirazi

Dear friends and colleagues, in response to multiple requests, the deadline for abstract submission to DENDRITES 2020 has been extended to February 22nd. Few spots are available for oral presentations by young students/postdocs, to be based on selected abstracts. DENDRITES 2020 EMBO Workshop on Dendritic Anatomy, Molecules and Function Heraklion, Crete, Greece 27-30 June 2020 http://meetings.embo.org/event/20-dendrites We look forward to welcoming you to Heraklion for another exciting meeting on dendrites and beyond! on behalf of the organizers, Yiota Poirazi -------- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385, GR 70013, Heraklion, Crete GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 Εmail: poirazi(a)imbb.forth.gr Lab site: www.dendrites.gr

Feb. 19, 2020

Swartz postdoc in theoretical neuroscience at Harvard

by Blum, Kenneth I.

The Swartz Program at Harvard University seeks applicants for a postdoctoral fellow in theoretical and computational neuroscience. Based on a grant from the Swartz Foundation<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.theswartzfoundation…>, a Swartz postdoctoral fellowship is available at Harvard University with a start date in 2020. Postdocs join a vibrant group of experimental and theoretical neuroscientists at Harvard's Center for Brain Science. The Center for Brain Science includes junior and senior faculty doing research on a wide variety of topics, including neural mechanisms of rodent learning, decision-making, and sex-specific and social behaviors; reinforcement learning in rodents and humans; human motor control; behavioral and fMRI studies of human cognition; circuit mechanisms of learning and behavior in worms, larval flies, and larval zebrafish; circuit mechanisms of individual differences in flies and humans; rodent and fly olfaction; inhibitory circuit development; retinal circuits; and large-scale reconstruction of detailed brain circuitry. Interested applicants should immediately send a CV, statement of research interests, and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to Haim Sompolinsky (haim(a)fiz.huji.ac.il<mailto:haim@fiz.huji.ac.il>), Kenneth Blum (kenneth_blum(a)harvard.edu<mailto:kenneth_blum@harvard.edu>), Sam Gershman (gershman(a)fas.harvard.edu<mailto:gershman@fas.harvard.edu>), or Cengiz Pehlevan (cpehlevan(a)seas.harvard.edu<mailto:cpehlevan@seas.harvard.edu>). Applications should have “Swartz Fellowship” in the subject line. Harvard University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Feb. 18, 2020

[meetings] [LM2020] Living Machines 2020 - Second call for papers

by Vicky Vouloutsi

Dear colleagues, Please find below the second call for papers, satellite events, and sponsors for the 9th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems of Living Machines, 28th-31st of July 2020. Apologies for cross-posting but please share this announcement with your colleagues. Looking forward to seeing you in Freiburg, Germany! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Second Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors* *Living Machines. The 9th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems* * 28 – 31 July 2020* To be hosted at the Botanical Garden of Freiburg and the Cluster of Excellence livMatS at the University of Freiburg, Germany Accepted papers will be published in *Springer Lecturer Notes in Artificial Intelligence* *Submission deadline: March 23, 2020* http://livingmachinesconference.eu/2020 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *ABOUT LIVING MACHINES 2020* The development of future real-world technologies will depend strongly on our understanding and harnessing of the principles underlying living systems and the flow of communication signals between living and artificial systems. *Biomimetics* is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of principles from the study of biological systems. The investigation of biomimetic systems can serve two complementary goals. First, a suitably designed and configured biomimetic artefact can be used to test theories about the natural system of interest. Second, biomimetic technologies can provide useful, elegant and efficient solutions to unsolved challenges in science and engineering. *Biohybrid* systems are formed by combining at least one biological component—an existing living system—and at least one artificial, newly-engineered component. By passing information in one or both directions, such a system forms a new hybrid bio-artificial entity. The theme of the conference also encompasses biomimetic methods for manufacture, repair, and recycling inspired by natural processes such as reproduction, digestion, morphogenesis, and metamorphosis. The following are some examples of “Living Machines” as featured at past conferences: * Biomimetic robots and their component technologies (sensors, actuators, processors) that can intelligently interact with their environments. * Biomimetic computers—neuromimetic emulations of the physiological basis for intelligent behavior. * Active biomimetic materials and structures that self-organize and self-repair or show other bio-inspired functions. * Nature-inspired designs and manufacturing processes. * Biohybrid brain-machine interfaces and neural implants. * Artificial organs and body-parts including sensory organ-chip hybrids and intelligent prostheses. * Organism-level biohybrids such as robot-animal or robot-human systems. *ACTIVITIES* The main conference will take the form of a *three-day single-track oral* and *poster presentation program*, *28th July to 31st July 2020*, and will be hosted at the Botanical Garden of Freiburg by the University of Freiburg, Germany, and the Cluster of Excellence “Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS)” (www.livmats.uni-freiburg.de<http://www.livmats.uni-freiburg.de/>). The conference program will include *five plenary lectures* from leading international researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems, and the demonstrations of state-of-the-art living machine technologies. The full conference will be preceded by up to two days of *Satellite Events* hosted at the University of Freiburg. *SUBMITTING TO LIVING MACHINES 2020* We invite both *full papers* and *extended abstracts* in areas related to the conference themes. All contributions will be refereed and accepted papers will appear in the Living Machines Proceedings, published in the *Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence*. Full papers (minimum 8 pages, up to 12 pages) are invited from researchers at any stage in their career and should present significant findings and advances in biomimetic or biohybrid research. More preliminary work is better suited for short paper submission (maximum 4 pages, with a maximum of ten references and no more than three self-citations). Full papers will be accepted for either oral presentation (single track) or poster presentation with a short podium preview. Extended abstracts will be accepted for poster presentations only. Authors of the best full papers will be invited to submitted extended versions of their paper for publication in a special issue of the Taylor & Francis journal *Connection Science*. *SATELLITE EVENTS* Active researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems are invited to propose topics for full or half-day *tutorials*, *symposia* or *workshops* on related themes to be held on 28. July at the Institute for Biology II/III of the University of Freiburg (http://www.bio.uni-freiburg.de/index-en?set_language=en) Attendance at satellite events will attract a small fee intended to cover the costs of the meeting. There is flexibility about the content, organization, and budgeting for these events. Please contact us if you are interested in organizing a satellite event! *EXPECTED DEADLINES* March 23, 2020: Paper submission deadline May 15, 2020: Notification of acceptance May 25, 2020: Camera-ready copy July 28, 29-31, 2020 Workshops and Conference *SPONSORSHIP* Organizations wishing to sponsor the conference in any way and gain the corresponding benefits by promoting themselves and their products through conference publications, conference events, and conference publicity are encouraged to contact the organizers to discuss the terms of sponsorship and necessary arrangements. We also offer a number of attractive options for potential sponsors. *VENUE* Consistent with the Living Machines’ tradition of choosing historical venues at the crossroads between life and human sciences, this year the conference will take place at the Botanical Garden of Freiburg. Freiburg is considered the gateway to the Black Forest and thanks to its geographical location is blessed with mild weather all year round. The city is over 900 years old and known to be the sunniest city(1,740 hours of sunshine/year) in Germany. Freiburg has a beautiful historical inner city and is home to one of the oldest universities and Botanical Gardens in Germany. The Botanical Garden Freiburg will be celebrating its 400 year anniversary in 2020 and is located in the district Herdern near the Botanical Institute of the University of Freiburg. The Botanical Garden invites visitors to enjoy its wonderful greenery and learn about both plants from all around the world and plant-based biomimetics with its biomimetic educational trail. The trail highlights biomimetic inventions based on plants while providing fascinating insights into underlying biological principles. *CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE* *Thomas Speck* University of Freiburg, Germany (Local Chair) *Paul Verschure* IBEC, BIST, ICREA, CSN Foundation (Co-Chair) *Tony Prescott* University of Sheffield, CSN Foundation (Steering Committee) *Anna Mura* IBEC, BIST Barcelona, CSN Foundation (General Organization) *PROGRAM CHAIR* *Vicky Vouloutsi* IBEC, BIST, Barcelona *COMMUNICATION* *Sonja Seidel* University of Freiburg, Germany *Yulia Sandamirskaya* INI, Zurich Univ. and ETH *WORKSHOPS CHAIR* *Falk Esser* University of Freiburg, Germany *LOCAL ORGANIZERS COMMITTEE* *Thomas Speck* University of Freiburg, Germany *Falk Esser* University of Freiburg, Germany *Sonja Seidel* University of Freiburg, Germany Aquest correu electrònic conté informació confidencial emparada pel secret professional. Qualsevol reproducció, distribució o divulgació del seu contingut estan estrictament prohibides. Si vostè no és el destinatari, li preguem no faci difusió ni copiï el seu contingut i ens ho notifiqui el més aviat possible a l'adreça dataprotection(a)ibecbarcelona.eu Este correo electrónico contiene información confidencial amparada por el secreto profesional. Cualquier reproducción, distribución o divulgación de su contenido están estrictamente prohibidas. Si usted no es el destinatario, le rogamos no difunda ni copie su contenido y nos lo notifique de inmediato a la dirección dataprotection(a)ibecbarcelona.eu This electronic transmission contains confidential information covered by professional secrecy. Any reproduction, distribution or disclosure of its contents is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, you are kindly requested not to disseminate nor to copy this transmission and to notify us as soon as possible by email to dataprotection(a)ibecbarcelona.eu .

Feb. 18, 2020

PhD Studentship – Modelling cortico-subcortical oscillatory connectivity.

by Dimitris Pinotsis

PhDStudentship – Modelling cortico-subcortical oscillatory connectivity. Applicationsare invited for a 3-year funded PhD studentship in the Wellcome Centre forHuman Neuroimaging (https://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/) under the supervision ofDr. Vladimir Litvak and Dr. Simon Farmer and in collaboration with theComputational Neuroscience Group (CNS, https://www.upf.edu/web/cns) led byProf. Gustavo Deco, at the Center for Brain and Cognition(https://www.upf.edu/web/cbc), Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona, Spain). The position is part of the EU-fundedInnovative Training Network euSNN (“European School of Network Neuroscience”)and available, with full-time employment, for a duration of 3 years withimmediate start. TheeuSNN Innovative Training Network integrates 16 leading European groups innetwork neuroscience and 7 companies to train students who want to pursue asuccessful career in the field of network neuroscience. The euSNN trainingprogramme offers a unique combination of experimental, analysis and modellingapproaches. Exploiting intense collaborations between experimental, theoreticaland clinical groups, euSNN links basic research on large-scale brain dynamicswith new pathophysiological approaches and clinical applications. The euSNNnetwork is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Andreas K. Engel. Further information onthe euSNN network can be found at http://eusnn.eu. Project details Deep Brain Stimulation(DBS) is an effective treatment method for a range of neurological andpsychiatric conditions. It involves placing electrodes deep in a patient’sbrain, usually in precisely targeted subcortical nuclei. DBS surgery affords aunique opportunity to study the neural activity of these nuclei via recordingof local electrical signals known as local field potentials (LFP). Our grouppioneered simultaneous recording of subcortical LFP with non-invasive wholebrain imaging using magnetoencephalography (MEG). This makes it possible to mapout cortico-subcortical oscillatory coherent networks which have characteristicfrequencies and cortical topographies for each subcortical target. Over theyears we collected data from several different subcortical nuclei andcharacterised their oscillatory networks. The aim of the proposed project is toestablish a modelling framework which could accommodate these findings and makequantitative predictions for future experiments. This will require extendingexisting models of cortical dynamics and integrating information fromadditional imaging modalities such as functional MRI and Diffusion TensorModelling (DTI). The euSNN training networkoffers exciting and unique opportunities for the student to pursue this projectincluding interactions with top experts in neuroimaging brain modelling andexposure to several different modelling frameworks and approaches that thestudent will have to master and integrate to achieve the project’s goals. Theremight also be opportunities towards the end of the project to test some of thepredictions experimentally. In addition, the student will have a chance to workon secondments with commercial companies on topics relevant to the project. Funding notes The starting date can beany date between being offered the position and 1st October 2020 andthe contract is for 36 months. The studentship includes UK/EU tuition fees anda stipend along with additional funds to cover travel and accommodation duringsecondments and network activities. Overseas fees cannot be covered. Entry requirements Applicants should have an HonoursDegree (minimum 2:1) in a quantitative discipline: Physics/Mathematics/Engineering/Computer science, strong mathematical background and interestin neuroscience. Knowledge of scientific programming languages, particularlyMatlab, background in modelling complex physical systems and a relevant Mastersqualification is desirable. Applicants should be willing to travel to attendthe network activities and spend prolonged periods of time (up to a few monthsat a time and at least 8 months in total) doing secondments outside the UK. Applicantsmust not have been residing in the UK for more than 12 months prior to thestart of the appointment. Deadline 30th April 2020. Shortlisted candidates will beinterviewed in May. How to apply: Applicants should submit 1)a CV, 2) a 1-page statement detailing why you want to do the PhD, motivation,interest and suitability for the project, 3) a copy of your strongest singlepiece of academic work (e.g. thesis, publication), and 4) contact details oftwo referees. Please ensure that each document is clearly labelled with yoursurname. Please send all documents to Kamlyn Ramkissoon k.ramkissoon(a)ucl.ac.ukby 30th April 2020.Interviews will be held in May 2020. Informal enquiries are welcome to Dr Vladimir Litvak (email: v.litvak(a)ucl.ac.uk)

Feb. 18, 2020