- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Call for Participants: IRCN and Chen Institute Joint Course on Neuro-inspired Computation on July 16-19, 2024
by nagai.yukie＠mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp 22 Feb '24

22 Feb '24

Dear colleagues, IRCN and Chen Institute Joint Course on Neuro-inspired Computation Date: July 16-19, 2024 Venue: The University of Tokyo, Japan Host: International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN) and Tianqiao & Chrissy Chen Institute https://ircn.jp/en/events/07_ircncourse2024 [ Description ] In an unprecedented collaborative effort, the World Premier International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN) at the University of Tokyo and the Tianqiao & Chrissy Chen Institute (Chen Institute) are proud to present an innovative course designed to explore the frontier where natural and artificial intelligence converge. It delves into critical areas such as intrinsic dynamics, network architectures, prediction, plasticity and criticality, as well as multi-agent learning and neuromodulation, highlighting the potential for cross-disciplinary innovation in understanding cognitive processes. Participants will benefit from a rich program featuring lab tours at leading research facilities, global networking opportunities, collaborative writing for a special issue on neurointelligence, and interactions with world-class speakers. This course is designed to inspire a diverse cohort of students, researchers, and professionals to engage deeply with the latest research and contribute to the evolving field of neurointelligence, fostering a global community committed to advancing our understanding of cognitive systems. [ Application ] Deadline: March 22, 2024, 15:00 JST (Please see the web page for details) [ Speakers ] Eva Dyer (Georgia Institute of Technology) Pawel Herman (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) Dmitry Krotov (MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab) Simon Schultz (Imperial College London) Taro Toyoizumi (Riken Center for Brain Science) Naoshige Uchida (Harvard University) Leila Wehbe (Carnegie Mellon University) Kazuyuki Aihara (WPI-IRCN, The University of Tokyo) Zenas Chao (WPI-IRCN, The University of Tokyo) Shin Ishii (Kyoto University / WPI-IRCN, The University of Tokyo) Yasuo Kuniyoshi (Graduate of School of Information Science and Technology / WPI-IRCN, The University of Tokyo) Yukie Nagai (WPI-IRCN, The University of Tokyo) Kenichi Ohki (WPI-IRCN, The University of Tokyo) Takamitsu Watanabe (WPI-IRCN, The University of Tokyo) Best, Yukie Nagai, on behalf of the organizing committees — Yukie Nagai, Ph.D. Project Professor, The University of Tokyo nagai.yukie(a)mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp | https://developmental-robotics.jp CREST Cognitive Feelings: https://cognitive-feeling.jp CREST Cognitive Mirroring: https://cognitive-mirroring.org

1 0

School of Ideas in Neuroscience 2024
by Mateusz Kostecki 21 Feb '24

21 Feb '24

Hello! We are super happy to announce *School** of Ideas in Neuroscience 2024!* How the knowledge in neuroscience is accumulated? How can we make sense of the terabytes of empirical data we collect every day? In everyday work, we often forget that every scientific endeavour is embedded in a broader theoretical framework. At the same time, most courses and workshops in neuroscience teach us experimental techniques, giving us more tools to gather more data. But, we are not taught how to develop ideas and integrate our research with the existing knowledge. *We believe that theoretical thinking and idea development are skills that can be trained just as new methodologies and data analysis tools*. At our school, we aim to teach participants how to think theoretically to collect data that makes sense and to make sense of collected data! Come to Warsaw to discuss the most exciting theories and ideas with neuroscientists & philosophers! We provide beautiful surroundings, great atmosphere and a lot of time to talk and think together. The school will take place in Warsaw, *July 9th - July 15th 2024*, in the famous historical building of Polish Academy of Sciences Museum of the Earth, in the beautiful park area of the city. *The fee is EUR 550, but we offer fee waivers and travel grants*. Please find more info and the application form here - https://nenckiopenlab.org/school-of-ideas-2024/ Best, School of Ideas Team -- --- Mateusz Kostecki PhD Student Knapska Laboratory Nencki Institute 02-093 Warsaw, Pasteura 3, Poland https://twitter.com/mtkostecki https://evolvingbehavior.blog/

1 0

Methods in Computational Neuroscience at MBL: DEADLINE EXTENDED
by Stefano Fusi 21 Feb '24

21 Feb '24

Applications are open for the Methods in Computational Neuroscience course at the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. The course will run from July 24 to August 20, 2024. The online application form and additional information can be found at: https://www.mbl.edu/education/courses/methods-in-computational-neuroscience/ <https://ws2.mbl.edu/studentapp/studentapp.asp?courseid=MCN> *The new course application deadline is *March 6*.* The course covers a range of topics in computational neuroscience including neuronal biophysics, neural coding & information processing, circuit dynamics, learning & memory, motor control, and cognitive processing & disease. In addition, numerous tutorials and problem sets will cover a broad range of computational and mathematical modeling methods. The course strongly emphasizes the collaboration between theory and experiment in solving neuroscience problems, and lectures will be given by a mixture of theorists and experimentalists. The final weeks of the course are primarily reserved for work on projects that students design in collaboration with the resident faculty. *2024 Course Directors:* Roozbeh Kiani (NYU), Stefano Fusi (Columbia) *2024 Faculty:* Adrienne Fairhall (U. of Washington) André Fenton (NYU) Anne Churchland (UCLA) Bard Ermentrout (U. of Pittsburgh) Byron Yu (Carnegie Mellon U.) Claudia Clopath (Imperial College) Eve Marder (Brandeis U.) Haim Sompolinsky (Harvard U.) Ila Fiete (MIT) James Firtzerald (Janelia Res. HHMI) John Murray (Dartmouth) Kim Stachenfeld (DeepMind+Columbia U.) Larry Abbott (Columbia U.) Loren Frank (UCSF) Marcelo Mattar (NYU) Mark Goldman (UC Davis) Nao Uchida (Harvard U.) Nelson Spruston (Janelia Res. HHMI) Reza Shadmehr (Johns Hopkins U.) Roozbeh Kiani (NYU) Sara Solla (Northwestern U.) Scott Linderman (Stanford U.) Srdjan Ostojic (ENS – PSL) Stefano Fusi (Columbia U.) Steve Baccus (Stanford U.) SueYeon Chung (Flatiron I.+NYU) Surya Ganguli (Stanford U.) Xiao-Jing Wang (NYU)

1 0

Call for Satellite Workshop Proposals - Bernstein Conference 2024 in Frankfurt am Main
by Alexander Lammers 21 Feb '24

21 Feb '24

The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for Satellite Workshops at the Bernstein Conference 2024 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ____ Bernstein Conference Each year, the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renowned conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs, and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries. https://www.bernstein-conference.de/ ____ Invited speakers Dmitriy Aronov (Columbia University, USA) Alison Barker (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany) Helen Barron (University of Oxford, UK) Elizabeth Buffalo (University of Washington, USA) Alex Cayco Gajic (Ecole Normale Supérieure, France) Jan Drugowitsch (Harvard University, USA) Jakob Macke (University of Tübingen, Germany) Tirin Moore (Stanford University, USA) Mala Murthy (Princeton University, USA) Memming Park (Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal) Xiao-Jing Wang (New York University, USA) ____ Satellite Workshops Satellite Workshops of the Bernstein Conference 2024 provide a forum to discuss topical research questions, novel scientific approaches, and challenges in computational neuroscience and related fields. Ideally, the format should foster extensive scientific discussions and debates, and go beyond a mere series of talks. https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/call-for-satellite-worksh… ____ Important Dates Satellite Workshops: September 29 - 30, 2024 * Sunday, Sep 29, 14:00 - 18:30 CEST * Monday, Sep 30, 8:30 - 12:30 CEST Main Conference: September 30 - October 2, 2024 Deadline for Satellite Workshop proposal submission: April 10, 2024 – 15:00 CEST Notification of Satellite Workshop acceptance: May 2024 ____ Benefits of participation Satellite Workshop registration is free for speakers of workshops. Workshop organizers (max. 2 per workshop) will receive waivers for the Satellite Workshops and Main Conference. ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 52425 Jülich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Jülich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Düren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Stefan Müller Geschäftsführung: Prof. Dr. Astrid Lambrecht (Vorsitzende), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Dr. Ir. Pieter Jansens ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 0

FRCCS 2024 Montpellier, France May 29 – 31, 2024 Deadline Extended March 4, 2024
by Hocine Cherifi 21 Feb '24

21 Feb '24

Fourth* F*rench* R*egional* C*onference on* C*omplex* S*ystems May 29 – 31, 2024 Montpellier, France *FRCCS 2024* <https://iutdijon.u-bourgogne.fr/ccs-france/> Deadline Extension: *March 4, 2024 (Firm Deadline).* FRCCS is a single-track international conference organized by CSS France <https://www.cssfrance.org/> to foster interdisciplinary exchanges among researchers from various scientific disciplines and diverse backgrounds, including sociology, economics, history, management, archaeology, geography, linguistics, statistics, mathematics, and computer science. FRCCS 2024 provides a valuable opportunity for participants to meet in France, exchange, promote ideas, and facilitate the cross-fertilization of recent research work, industrial advancements, and original applications. You are cordially invited to submit your contribution until *March 4, 2024* *.* Finalized work (published or unpublished) and work in progress are welcome. Two types of contributions are accepted: · *Papers* about *original research* (up to 12 pages) · *Extended Abstract* about *published or unpublished* research (3 to 4 pages). *Keynote Speakers* · Petter Holme <https://petterhol.me/>, Aalto University, Finland · Sonia Kéfi <https://biodicee.edu.umontpellier.fr/who-we-are/sonia-kefi/>, Université de Montpellier, France · Natasa Przulj <https://www.bsc.es/przulj-natasa>, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Spain · Boleslaw K. Szymanski <https://www.cs.rpi.edu/~szymansk/> Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA · Ingmar Weber <https://ingmarweber.de/>, Saarland University, Germany *Publication* o Contributions will be included in the conference proceedings (With ISBN) o *Selected submissions of unpublished work will be invited for publication in special issues (fast track procedure) **of the journals:* o Applied Network Science, <https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/> edited by Springer o Frontiers in Big Data <https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/big-data>, edited by Frontiers *Submission * · Submit on CMT Microsoft at: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/FRCCS2024/ · *Select the Track: FRCCS2024* *Topics include, but are not limited to: * · *Foundations of complex systems * - *Complex Networks * - *Neuroscience, **Linguistics* - *Economics & Finance* - *Infrastructure, planning, and environment * - *Biological and (bio)medical complexity * - *Social complexity* - *Socio-Ecological Systems* - *Organisms and populations * - *Engineering systems and systems of systems* - *Complexity in physics and chemistry* *GENERAL CHAIRS* Roberto Interdonato CIRAD, UMR TETIS, Montpellier Bruno Pinaud LABRI University of Bordeaux *PROGRAM CHAIRS* Hocine Cherifi University of Burgundy Pascal Poncelet University of Montpellier Join us at COMPLEX NETWORKS 2024 <https://www.complexnetworks.org/> *-------------------------* Hocine CHERIFI University of Burgundy Franche-Comté Laboratoire* I*nterdisciplinaire *C*arnot de *B*ourgogne - ICB UMR 6303 CNRS Editor in Chief Plos Complex Systems <https://plos.org/complex-systems-research-journal/#:~:text=PLOS%20Complex%2….> Founding & Adisory Editor Applied Network Science <https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/> Editorial Board member PLOS One <https://journals.plos.org/plosone/>, IEEE ACCESS <https://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/?http%3A%2F%2Fieeeaccess_ieee_org%2F>, Scientific Reports <https://www.nature.com/srep/>, Journal of Imaging <https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jimaging>, Quality and Quantity <https://www.springer.com/journal/11135/>, Computational Social Networks <https://computationalsocialnetworks.springeropen.com/>, Complex Systems <https://www.complex-systems.com/>

1 0

Postdoctoral Position in MRI data analysis of cerebellar development
by Jorn Diedrichsen 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

We are looking to recruit a new postdoctoral associate for a large collaborative project on the anatomical development of the human cerebellum. The overall goal of the project is to develop a high-resolution normative model of human cerebellar development across the entire life span (see raynorcerebellumcharts.github.io<https://raynorcerebellumcharts.github.io/>). The successful candidate will join the Diedrichsen Lab<http://www.diedrichsenlab.org/> (Western University, Canada) and will work with a team of colleagues at Erasmus Medical Center, the Donders Institute (Netherlands), McGill, Dalhousie, Sick Kids, and UBC (Canada). A PhD degree in Neuroscience, Statistics, Computer Science, Engineering, Psychology, Medicine or related fields is required. Expertise in machine learning, analysis of medical imaging data, and/or normative modeling is highly desired. The project is funded for a 3 year duration, with the initial contract for 2 years. The exact starting date is negotiable, but is ideally as close as possible to the project start date, April 1st, 2024. Review of application will start March 5th and continue until the position is filled. For more information and application instructions, please see the full ad on our website<https://www.diedrichsenlab.org/open_postdoc_raynor.htm>. Jörn Diedrichsen Western Research Chair Brain Mind Institute Department of Computer Science Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences Email: jdiedric(a)uwo.ca<mailto:jdiedric@uwo.ca> Tel: 1-519-661-2111 x86994

1 0

Call for applications - MSc Neuroscience, University of Freiburg, Germany
by Carsten Mehring 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

MSc program in Neuroscience - University of Freiburg, Germany We are inviting applications for the interdisciplinary MSc program in Neuroscience at the University of Freiburg, Germany. The program provides theoretical and practical training in neuroscience, covering both the foundations and latest research in the field. It is taught by lecturers from an international scientific community from multiple faculties and neuroscience research centres. The modular course structure caters to the specific backgrounds and research interests of each individual student and we offer specialisations in neural circuits and behavior, computational neuroscience and neurotechnology. All courses are taught in English. We welcome applications with a background in natural sciences, mathematics, behavioural sciences, computer science, medicine or engineering sciences. The deadline for applications for the October 2024 entry is the 31st of March 2024. Further details can be found on our homepage http://www.mscneuro.uni-freiburg.de <http://www.mscneuro.uni-freiburg.de/> With kind regards Carsten Mehring — Bernstein Center Freiburg & Faculty of Biology University of Freiburg

1 0

short research stay at the Cluster of Excellence Centre for Advanced Study of Collective Behavior
by Ahmed El Hady 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

*Opportunity for a research stay at the Cluster of Excellence Centre for Advanced Study of Collective Behavior* Call for Ph.D. students and postdocs interested in working on a short-term project, "Animal vocal source localization using machine learning," at Excellence Centre for Advanced Study of Collective Behavior at the University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior We are seeking talented and motivated Ph.D. students and postdocs to work on a machine learning solution that allows us to localize the position of animals vocalizing in the field, using acoustic information. We have openings for one Ph.D. student and one postdoc. The successful Ph.D. student and the postdoc will receive, respectively, a 6- month (1300 euros/month) and 9-month (2100 euros/month) fellowship to work in the state-of-the-art facility at the University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior together with leading scientists in the field. We are seeking candidates with the following qualifications: 1. Experience with advanced signal processing 2. Experience designing deep neural networks 3. Good programming skills in Python 4. The Ph.D. student has to be in the second year or later of the graduate school accredited by CAPES in Brazil 5. The successful Ph.D. candidate is required to obtain a written consent from her/his advisor 6. The postdoc candidate should provide a Ph.D. certificate 7. International candidates for the postdoc position are welcome 8. All candidates should send a short CV and a paragraph explaining how the candidate can contribute to the project's objective. The call will be open until the positions are filled. For more information, please contact Ahmed El Hady: ahmed.el-hady@unikonstanz. de or Daniel Y. Takahashi: takahashiyd(a)neuro.ufrn.br with the email title: Interest in Ph.D./postdoc position for the project "Animal vocal source localization using machine learning,"

1 0

Postdoc/PhD in systems neuroscience and complexity at Uni of Sydney
by Joseph Lizier 19 Feb '24

19 Feb '24

Dear all, We would like to advertise 1x Postdoc and 1x PhD position in Systems Neuroscience and Complexity at The University of Sydney. The successful candidates will join a dynamic interdisciplinary collaboration between A/Prof Mac Shine<http://www.jamesmacshine.com/> (Brain and Mind Centre), A/Prof Joseph Lizier<http://lizier.me/joseph/> (School of Computer Science) and Dr Ben Fulcher<http://www.benfulcher.com/> (School of Physics), within the University's Centre for Complex Systems, focused on advancing our understanding of brain function and cognition using cutting-edge computational and neuroimaging techniques at the intersection of network neuroscience, dynamical systems and information theory. The positions are funded by a grant from the Australian Research Council "Evaluating the Network Neuroscience of Human Cognition to Improve AI". Post-Doctoral Fellow in Systems Neuroscience and Complexity<https://usyd.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/USYD_EXTERNAL_CAREER_SITE/job/Camperdown…>: Full time, research only fixed term position for 24 months. Lead supervisor: A/Prof. Mac Shine The Postdoc will process and analyse functional neuroimaging data (fMRI, EEG, etc.) to extract meaningful insights into brain function. The successful candidate will hold a PhD in Neuroscience, Computational Neuroscience, Psychology, or a related field (by July 2024); have a strong background in computational modelling and/or functional neuroimaging techniques; and proficiency in programming languages commonly used in neuroscience research (e.g., Python, MATLAB). PhD scholarship: Characterising information flow networks across brain regions in rest and task<https://lizier.me/joseph/phdprojects.html#infoflowneuro>: available to both domestic and international applicants for 3.5 years (fulltime), providing the tuition fees and a stipend. Lead Supervisor: A/Prof. Joseph Lizier The PhD student will conduct applications of, and/or updates to algorithms for, inferring brain network models to represent information flow relationships between brain regions (via information-theoretic measures), based on time-series neural recordings. The successful candidate will hold a Bachelor's degree with honours or Master's degree in a relevant quantitative field (e.g. computer science, physics, mathematics), including completing a research thesis (first-class honours equivalent results are essential); and excellent skills in computational numerical analysis (in Python and/or Matlab) and in applied mathematics. For further details and how to apply, see the links above for both positions. Deadline Feb 28 (PhD position open until filled) --joe -- A/Prof. Joseph Lizier The University of Sydney School of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering

1 0

FENS Satellite on Dynamic Auditory Predictions in Human and Non-human Primates – Call for Abstracts
by Robert Baumgartner 19 Feb '24

19 Feb '24

Dear Colleagues, In conjunction with this year’s FENS Forum, we are thrilled to announce a satellite symposium on ‘Dynamic Auditory Predictions in Human and Non-human Primates,’ short Dynamates Symposium, taking place in Vienna, Austria, on Monday, June 24, 2024. This symposium brings together experts in the field of cognitive neuroscience, cognitive biology and computational modeling to address key questions in predictive auditory processing with a focus on spatial and temporal auditory perception in volatile environments. It will cover purely behavioural approaches as well as combinations with eyetracking, EEG and other neuroimaging modalities. Invited speakers: - Florent Meyniel (Neurospin, CEA Paris-Saclay, France) - John van Opstal (Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Netherlands) - Simone Pika (Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Germany) - Barbara Shinn-Cunningham (Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute, USA) Registration: - Fill out this form <https://leidenuniv.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_22WteXETC6Ay47A> - First come first serve (max. 80 participants) - Registrants encouraged to submit a poster abstract - Deadline: March 27, 2024 For further details, visit our symposium webpage <https://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/ari/forschung/fachbereiche-teams/hoeren/dynamates…>. Best wishes from the organizing committee, Robert Baumgartner Burcu Bayram Roman Fleischmann Julia Grabner David Meijer Ulrich Pomper Michelle Spierings P.S.: Apologies for cross-postings! — Robert Baumgartner, PhD (he/his) Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience Acoustics Research Institute Austrian Academy of Sciences Dominikanerbastei 16, 1010 Vienna, Austria +43 1 51581-2527 @RobeBaumgartner

1 0

Save the date: EITN Fall School in Computational Neuroscience
by DEPANNEMAECKER Damien 16 Feb '24

16 Feb '24

SAVE THE DATE EITN eBrains Fall School in Computational Neuroscience Save the date: Marseille, October 16th to 25th, 2024 The EITN eBrains Fall School in Computational Neuroscience is scheduled to be held in Marseille, France, from October 16th to 25th, 2024. This 10-day intensive program offers a comprehensive exploration of theoretical and computational neuroscience methods, to build models from single neurons to whole-brain scales. The course covers cellular models, spiking neural networks, mean-field models, and whole-brain models, with corresponding lectures and tutorials provided for each topic, to be applied during project works. Ph.D. students, young postdocs, or master's students interested in learning about computational neuroscience techniques and utilizing various simulation environments for model construction will collaborate in thematic group projects under the mentorship of experienced tutors.

1 0

Transatlantic Behavioural Neuroscience Summer School, Sept 9-20th 2024, Deadline: Feb 15th
by Mateusz Kostecki 14 Feb '24

14 Feb '24

Hello! We would like to remind you that the deadline for registration to our *Transatlantic Behavioural Summer School is Feb 15h*! During our school you will learn how to deliver stimuli or modify the environment in which the animal is embedded with *Arduino-based devices and Bonsai code*; you will design and *3D-print cases* and holders for your instruments. And then you will apply cutting-edge tools:* Deeplabcut, keypoint-MoSeq, and CEBRA* – to extract as much information as possible from your data. But that’s not everything. At TBNSS you will *listen to fascinating lectures and interact with speakers*, who explored bold ideas and made their unique career paths. You will look at what behavior is through many lenses. Most importantly though, *you will meet people with similar interests and goals*. And you may become a part of our global Open Lab community, and help us to spread the knowledge further! More information and the application form can be found here - https://nenckiopenlab.org/tbnss2024/. *The deadline for application is Feb 15th, the fee is EUR 900, but we have secured funding for fee waivers and travel grants if needed.* With best wishes, TBNSS Team -- --- Mateusz Kostecki PhD Student Knapska Laboratory Nencki Institute 02-093 Warsaw, Pasteura 3, Poland https://twitter.com/mtkostecki https://evolvingbehavior.blog/

1 0

Job Opening: Lab Mechatronics / Programmer/ Research and Admin Assistant (m/f/d) 100% in Tuebingen, Germany
by Pavlovic, Maria 14 Feb '24

14 Feb '24

The Department for Sensory and Sensorimotor Systems of the Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Cybernetics studies the processing of sensory information (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory) in the brain and the use of this information for directing body movements and making cognitive decisions. The research is highly interdisciplinary and uses theoretical and experimental approaches in humans. Our methodologies include visual psychophysics, eye tracking, fMRI, EEG, TMS in humans. For more information, please visit the department website: <http://www.lizhaoping.org/> www.lizhaoping.org We are currently looking for a Lab Mechatronics / Programmer/ Research and Admin Assistant (m/f/d) 100% to join us, this position is open until it is filled. The position You will provide hardware, software, data taking, and managerial support for a diverse set of brain and neuroscience research activities. This includes: * Computer and IT support of Windows and Linux systems * Programming and debugging of computer code, especially at the stage of setting up new equipment or new experimental platforms * Provide technical, administrative, and operational support in the research data taking process. (The position holder should either have previous experience in visual psychophysics, or have the ability to quickly learn the data taking processes involved in the labs.) * Carry out or arrange for hardware repairs and troubleshooting * Equipment inventory and maintenance * Supervising and training of new equipment users * Setting up, updating and managing the database of knowledge and data from research projects, personnel and activities Our department is interdisciplinary, with research activities including human visual psychophysics, eye tracking, fMRI, EEG, TMS. We are looking for a person with a broad technical knowledge base, who loves working in a scientific environment and who is curious, open-minded, and able to adapt and learn new skills and solve new problems quickly. The set of skills that the individual should either already have or can quickly learn includes: MATLAB/Psychotoolbox, Python/OpenCV, Javascript, graphics and display technologies, EEG data taking techniques and similar, eye tracking, optics, electronics/controllers/sensors, etc. Your profile * Relevant degree in the field of physics, cognittive science, psychology, neuroscience, mechatronics, electronics, computer science, or related discipline. Scientific experience is a plus * Evidence or track record of broad technical skills and/or experience * Curiosity about our research topics * Good teamwork skills * A high level of resilience and professionalism * Ability to anticipate problems and skills in project management and communication * Strong command of English; fluency in German is highly desirable We offer We offer highly interesting, challenging and varied tasks; you will work closely and collaboratively with scientists, students, programmers, administrative staff, and central IT and mechanical/electronic workshop support to help achieve the scientific goals of the department. An international environment with regular opportunities for further education and training awaits you. The salary is paid in accordance with the collective agreement for the public sector (TVöD Bund), based on qualification and experience and will include social security benefits and additional fringe benefits in accordance with public service provisions. This position is initially limited to two years, with the possibility of extensions and a permanent contract. The Max Planck Society seeks to employ more handicapped people and strongly encourages them to apply. Furthermore, we actively support the compatibility of work and family life. The Max Planck Society also seeks to increase the number of women in leadership positions and strongly encourages qualified women to apply. The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity. Your application The position is available immediately and will be open until filled. We look forward to receiving your application that includes a cover letter, your curriculum vitae, relevant certificates, and three names and contacts for reference letters electronically by e-mail to <mailto:jobs.li@tuebingen.mpg.de> jobs.li(a)tuebingen.mpg.de, where informal inquiries can also be addressed to. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered. For further opportunities in our group, please visit <https://www.lizhaoping.org/jobs.html> https://www.lizhaoping.org/jobs.html

1 0

Konstanz School of Collective Behaviour 2024
by Ahmed El Hady 14 Feb '24

14 Feb '24

*Konstanz School of Collective Behaviour 2024* *Konstanz, Germany * *Deadline to apply: April 5th, 2024* The Konstanz School of Collective Behaviour (KSCB) will take place between /22nd July 2024 – 9th August 2024/ at the Cluster of Excellence Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour (CASCB) at the University of Konstanz <https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/>. Uni Konstanz is a University of Excellence and ranked #1 young university in Germany with “Collective Behaviour" <https://www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/collective-behaviour/> as one of five research foci. Konstanz <https://www.konstanz.de/start> is a vibrant, small city located on the border between Germany and Switzerland, on the shores of the Bodensee (Lake Constance). Over three weeks, students will delve deeply into the topic of collective behaviour with lectures, hands-on tutorials, and projects, making it a unique and unforgettable experience. The school faculty will cover collective behaviours across a variety of species from worms, drosophila, fish to non – human primates and human. A set of tutorials delving into state-of-the-art quantitative methods used to study collective behaviour will complement the lectures. At the end of the school, students will work on independent projects guided by our resident faculty. Accommodation will be provided and paid by the organizers. A limited number of travel grants will be provided and a registration fee will be due (400 Euros) once the student is admitted to the Konstanz School of Collective Behaviour. The registration fee will be waived to those coming from underrepresented minorities and those in need of financial support. For further information and application, visit our website: _https://www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/kscb/application-procedure/ <https://www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/kscb/application-procedure/> _ *KSCB 2024 faculty (still more to come): *Lilach Avitan, Zachary Kilpatrick, Allyson Sgro, Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin, Anne Templeton, Karoline Wiesner, Einat Couzin, Liang Li, Serena Ding *Contact: **ahmed.el-hady(a)uni-konstanz.de <mailto:ahmed.el-hady@uni-konstanz.de> * ** *All the best regards,* ** Ahmed El Hady On behalf of the KSCB organizational committee

1 0

Methods in Computational Neuroscience at MBL in Woods Hole 2024
by Stefano Fusi 13 Feb '24

13 Feb '24

Applications are open for the Methods in Computational Neuroscience course at the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. The course will run from *July 24* to *August 20, 2024*. The online application form and additional information can be found at: https://www.mbl.edu/education/courses/methods-in-computational-neuroscience/ <https://ws2.mbl.edu/studentapp/studentapp.asp?courseid=MCN> The course application deadline is **February 28**. The course covers a range of topics in computational neuroscience including neuronal biophysics, neural coding & information processing, circuit dynamics, learning & memory, motor control, and cognitive processing & disease. In addition, numerous tutorials and problem sets will cover a broad range of computational and mathematical modeling methods. The course strongly emphasizes the collaboration between theory and experiment in solving neuroscience problems, and lectures will be given by a mixture of theorists and experimentalists. The final weeks of the course are primarily reserved for work on projects that students design in collaboration with the resident faculty. *2024 Course Directors:* Roozbeh Kiani, New York University Stefano Fusi, Columbia University *2024 Faculty (confirmed):* André Fenton (NYU) Anne Churchland (UCLA) Bard Ermentrout (U. of Pittsburgh) Byron Yu (Carnegie Mellon U.) Claudia Clopath (Imperial College) Eve Marder (Brandeis U.) Haim Sompolinsky (Harvard U.) Ila Fiete (MIT) James Firtzerald (Janelia Res. HHMI) John Murray (Dartmouth) Kim Stachenfeld (DeepMind+Columbia U.) Larry Abbott (Columbia U.) Loren Frank (UCSF) Marcelo Mattar (NYU) Mark Goldman (UC Davis) Nao Uchida (Harvard U.) Nelson Spruston (Janelia Res. HHMI) Reza Shadmehr (Johns Hopkins U.) Roozbeh Kiani (NYU) Sara Solla (Northwestern U.) Scott Linderman (Stanford U.) Srdjan Ostojic (ENS – PSL) Stefano Fusi (Columbia U.) Steve Baccus (Stanford U.) SueYeon Chung (Flatiron I.+NYU) Surya Ganguli (Stanford U.) Xiao-Jing Wang (NYU)

1 0

Abstract extended Feb 16 for EMBO Dendrites
by Julijana Gjorgjieva 12 Feb '24

12 Feb '24

Dear Colleagues, We have extended the abstract submission deadline for the EMBO Workshop on DENDRITES to Friday, February 16! The workshop will take place in Chania, Crete on 21-24 May 2024. This is the 5th of a very successful series of meetings on the island of Crete that is dedicated to dendrites. The meeting will bring together scientific leaders from around the globe to present their theoretical and experimental work on dendrites. The meeting program is designed to facilitate discussions of new ideas and discoveries, in a relaxed atmosphere that emphasizes interaction. Please register and submit your abstract online at: https://meetings.embo.org/event/24-dendrites No payment is required for abstract submission. Submissions of abstracts are due by February 16th, 2024. Notifications will be provided by March 1st, 2024 Registration payment due by April 15th, 2024 For more information about the conference, please refer to our web site or send email to info(a)mitos.com.gr We look forward to seeing you in person at DENDRITES 2024! The organizers, Julijana Gjorgjieva, Mark Harnett and Lucy Palmer ----------------------------------------- Julijana Gjorgjieva, PhD Professor of Computational Neuroscience Technical University of Munich School of Life Sciences Maximus-von-Imhof-Forum 3 85354 Freising, Germany office: +49 8161 71 2709 https://www.mls.ls.tum.de/compneuro/

1 0

PhD studentships at University of Hertfordshire
by Nada Yousif 12 Feb '24

12 Feb '24

Applications are invited by the Centre for Future Societies Research for three fully funded PhD studentships at the University of Hertfordshire. These research studentships will be part of the University Alliance (UA) Doctoral Training Alliance in Future Societies, and include the proposed project: "Low-cost, accessible neurostimulation, experiments and simulations" to be supervised by Dr Nada Yousif and Prof Volker Steuber. The PhD project will combine experimental cerebellar stimulation and computational modelling of the cerebellum to show the feasibility of low-cost, accessible non-invasive neurostimulation for treating movement disorders. Please see the Centre for Future Societies Research web page where project details are held on https://www.herts.ac.uk/research/centres/centre-for-future-societies-resear… Closing date for applications: 20th May 2024. Interviews will start soon after the closing date. Studentship start date: September 2024. For informal enquiries contact Dr Nada Yousif (n.yousif(a)herts.ac.uk<mailto:n.yousif@herts.ac.uk>) or Prof Volker Steuber (v.steuber(a)herts.ac.uk<mailto:v.steuber@herts.ac.uk>, http://biocomputation.herts.ac.uk/) Dr Nada Yousif School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science University of Hertfordshire +44 (0)1707 284129 n.yousif(a)herts.ac.uk<mailto:n.yousif@herts.ac.uk> https://researchprofiles.herts.ac.uk/en/persons/nada-yousif https://sites.google.com/view/nada-yousif/home

1 0

Postdoc position with Priebe/Seidemann/Taillefumier labs at University of Texas, Austin
by Weatherly, Christopher J 12 Feb '24

12 Feb '24

The Departments of Neuroscience, Mathematics, and Psychology at UT Austin are inviting applications for a postdoctoral research position to work with Professors Nicholas Priebe, Eyal Seidemann and Thibaud Taillefumier. The position is funded by an NIH grant shared by the Priebe, Seidemann and Taillefumier labs. The grant focuses on explaining the origin and putative roles of the neural variability recorded in visual cortex during behavior. A significant component of the proposed work will consist of modeling and statistical analysis of simultaneous recordings of single-cell membrane potential and extracellular neural populations during a variety of behavioral tasks. Competitive candidates include those with a strong computational skills. Applicants should have a PhD in computational neuroscience or related quantitative fields. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a list of publications, a brief description of research interests, and should arrange for a letter of recommendation to be sent. All application materials as well as any inquiries should be sent to Thibaud Taillefumier (thibaud(a)utexas.edu<mailto:thibaud@utexas.edu>), Eyal Seidemann (eyal(a)austin.utexas.edu<mailto:eyal@austin.utexas.edu>), or Nicholas Priebe (nico(a)austin.utexas.edu<mailto:nico@austin.utexas.edu>). The successful candidate will join a highly dynamic collaborative environment across the departments of Neuroscience, Mathematics, and Psychology and within the Center for Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience, all at UT Austin. Within this environment, the collaboration between the Priebe, Seidemann and Taillefumier research groups combines experimental, computational, and theoretical approaches to understand the neural basis for vision processing in the brain. UT Austin is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin. --- Christopher Weatherly Executive Assistant to Robert Messing, MD Department of Neuroscience - The University of Texas at Austin

1 0

Origins of Order in Behaviour Workshop: Deadline extended till Feb 15h
by Mateusz Kostecki 12 Feb '24

12 Feb '24

Dear Colleagues, we have extended the deadline for our Workshop of Ideas in Neuroscience: Origins of Order in Behaviour till Feb 15th! Come to Warsaw, to beautiful wooden house in the middle of the greenest part of the city, to discuss the concept of instinct and innate behaviour, the role of genes, environmental and organismal factors in the development of behaviour and behavioural evolution together with our fantastic guest: Kevin Mitchell, Gregory Kohn, Joanna Rączaszek Leonardi and Daniel Czegel. The workshop will be based on extensive talks and discussions in an informal atmosphere - more info can be found here - https://nenckiopenlab.org/origins_of_order/ Best, Mat -- --- Mateusz Kostecki PhD Student Knapska Laboratory Nencki Institute 02-093 Warsaw, Pasteura 3, Poland https://twitter.com/mtkostecki https://evolvingbehavior.blog/

1 0

position: data scientist / data analyst researcher at NIMH
by Francisco Pereira 12 Feb '24

12 Feb '24

(reposting for a colleague, please follow contact instructions at the end if interested; apologies for repeated postings!) ### HIRING: Data Analyst / Data Scientist Position at the CDN Lab The Unit on Computational Decision Neuroscience (CDN, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/research-areas… ) at the National Institute of Mental Health is seeking a full-time Data Scientist/Data Analyst. The lab is focused on understanding the neural and computational bases of adaptive and maladaptive decision-making and their relationship to mental health. Current studies investigate how internal states lead to biases in decision-making and how this is exacerbated in mental health disorders. Our approach involves a combination of computational model-based tasks, questionnaires, biosensor data, fMRI, and intracranial recordings. The main models of interest come from neuroeconomics, reinforcement learning, Bayesian inference, signal detection, and information theory. The main tasks for this position include but are not restricted to computational modeling of behavioral data from decision-making and other cognitive tasks, statistical analysis of task-based, clinical, physiological and neuroimaging data, as well as data visualization for the purposes of scientific presentations, public communication, and academic manuscripts. The candidate is expected to demonstrate experience with best practices for the development of well-documented, reproducible programming pipelines for data analysis, that facilitate sharing and collaboration, and live up to our open-science philosophy, as well as to our data management and sharing commitments at NIH. No prior experience with psychiatry research is needed but a familiarity with the constructs and models of interest in the lab (value-based learning and decision-making, metacognition, belief updating, emotion regulation, and/or effort-cost estimation) is desirable, as these are universally important for understanding adaptive healthy functioning and psychiatric disease. This is an exciting opportunity for a candidate with established programming and analytic skills to work at the cutting edge of psychiatry research and computational cognitive neuroscience. You can find more about our work and recent publications at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/research-areas… ## Job Requirements: - Assisting with setting up and managing analysis pipelines - Conducting advanced analysis of behavioral, physiological, and imaging data, including but not limited to computational modeling and machine learning - Integrating complex datasets across multiple modalities, including fMRI, electrophysiology, biosensor data neuroendocrinology, behavior, and self-report - Assisting in data visualization for manuscripts and presentation of results at scientific meetings - Supporting/co-mentoring junior members of the lab on data analysis practices ## Qualifications: - A PhD in neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, computer science, data science, statistics, engineering, or a related field - Strong programming skills (ideally in Python, and/or MATLAB, R) - Experience working within Linux environment and cloud computing - An ability to work well in multidisciplinary and highly collaborative teams - An interest in translational research - A track record or potential for scholarly productivity - Effective independent problem-solving and task prioritization ## Experience with any of the following is not required, but preferred: - Computational modeling (mathematical optimization, reinforcement learning, Bayesian inference, neuroeconomics or other types of modeling of human/animal learning and decision-making) - statistical inference (e.g. generalized linear models, mixed effect models, state space models, survival analysis) - Dynamic analysis of longitudinal or time series data (e.g. neuroimaging, MEG, EEG, or neural recordings) - Advanced statistical methods and machine learning The data analyst will work under the supervision of Dr. Silvia Lopez-Guzman on projects that aim to understand (1) the process of adaptively evaluating options and committing to a choice; (2) how changes in internal and motivational states may abnormally shape decisions in individuals with and without psychopathology; and (3) how cognitive and metacognitive resources support these adaptive or maladaptive decision-making processes. The CDN lab leverages the rich clinical resources and computational expertise across the NIH, and collaborates actively with labs that specialize on addiction, depression, anxiety, and pain. The lab is an active part of a growing community of expert labs on learning and decision-making who work together to improve our understanding from the circuits and behavioral neuroscience level to the human cognitive and clinical levels, making this a unique opportunity for any scientist with an interest in decision science and computational psychiatry. ## How to Apply: To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter to Dr. Silvia Lopez-Guzman (silvia.lopezguzman(a)nih.gov ) with the subject “CDN Lab Data Analyst App”. Inquiries about any aspect of the position are very welcome!

1 0

Grenoble Neurotech School 2024 (Aussois, France, April 2-5): Preregistration opened
by Blaise Yvert 09 Feb '24

09 Feb '24

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the upcoming school on Neurotechnologies organized by the Grenoble-Neurotech IDEX project from the University Grenoble Alpes The school will be held at the CNRS Paul Langevin center in Aussois on April 2-5, 2024 It is intended for PhD students, postdocs, young scientists and anyone interested by neurotechnologies. For this first edition, the number of selected applications will be limited to 40 We will provide certificates of attendance for PhD students in case they would like to make this school validated by their doctoral school Here are 3 links for details: Descriptive flyer: https://framaforms.org/sites/default/files/forms/files/grenoble_neurotech_s… Program: https://framaforms.org/sites/default/files/forms/files/grenoble_neurotech_s… Free pre-registration: https://framaforms.org/grenoble-neurotech-school-2024-1698319763 Selected applicants will then be asked to register and make payment by the end of February Kind regards, Blaise Yvert, for the organizing committee.

1 0

ICANN 2024 - First Call for Papers
by Sebastian Otte 09 Feb '24

09 Feb '24

ICANN 2024 - FIRST CALL FOR PAPERS ======================================================================= The International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN) is the annual flagship conference of the European Neural Network Society (ENNS). In 2024, the ICANN will take place in Lugano, Switzerland. Conference Dates: September 17 to September 20, 2024 Conference Venue: Campus of the University of Southern Switzerland and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via la Santa 1, 6962 Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland. Conference Webpage: https://icann2024.org The ICANN 2024 features three conference tracks, namely AI and Machine Learning, Bio-Inspired Computing, and the Applications Track, making it a unique forum to bring together researchers across a wide range of disciplines related to Artificial Intelligence and Neural Networks. ======================================================================= We invite prospective authors to submit original and innovative papers in the following areas: AI and Machine Learning: Theory and Foundations of Neural Networks, Novel Neural Network Architectures, Topics in Neural Networks, Large Language Models, Explainable AI, Graph Methods, Graph Neural Networks, and Clustering, Reinforcement Learning, Topics in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Bio-Inspired Computing: Brain-Inspired Computing, Cognitive and Theoretical/Computational Neuroscience Applications: Human-Computer Interaction, Biosignal Processing, Medicine and Physiology, Speech and Language Processing, Computer Vision, Robotics, Climate and Environment, General Applications of Machine Learning Workshops: - AI in Drug Discovery - Deep Learning for Neuro-heuristic Brain Analysis - Reservoir Computing Special Sessions: - Spiking Neural Networks and Neuromorphic Computing - Accuracy, Stability, and Robustness in Deep Neural Networks - Antifragile dynamical systems: beyond robustness, resilience, and adaptiveness - Neurorobotics For details and updates, as well as for the final list of workshops and special sessions, consider the current version of the list at: https://e-nns.org/icann2024/conference-programme/conference-topics The ICANN 2024 will be an in-person conference. We expect that at least one co-author of each paper will be physically present in Lugano to give his or her presentation. We will also enforce a no-show rule, in order to encourage an optimal quality of the scientific discussion here in Lugano. Papers must be written in English language and must conform to the format defined in the Author’s Kit, available on the conference webpage at: https://e-nns.org/icann2024/submission Both short papers (6-11 pages) and full papers (12-15 pages) can be submitted. Papers shorter than 6 pages will not be accepted to the main conference, please check special submission rules for the conference workshops on the webpage of the respective workshop if you plan to submit there. Papers will undergo rigorous peer review; the Program Committee will make the final decision which papers will be included in the conference program. For papers with conflicting reviews, or which are on the borderline between acceptance and rejection, a short rebuttal phase is foreseen. Full papers will usually be assigned to oral sessions (15 minutes presentation + 5 minutes questions), short papers may be assigned to oral or poster sessions, depending on the quantity of submissions; this assignment does in no way incur a judgment on paper quality. Note that presentation rules for workshops and special sessions may differ. All accepted papers will be published in the Springer LNCS series. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Jürgen Schmidhuber, IDSIA USI-SUPSI, Switzerland, and KAUST AI Initiative, Saudi Arabia Tanja Schultz, University of Bremen, Germany Walter Senn, University of Bern, Switzerland Henry Markram, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland CONFERENCE COMMITTEE General Chairs Jürgen Schmidhuber, IDSIA USI-SUPSI, Switzerland, and KAUST AI Initiative, Saudi Arabia Igor Tetko, HGMU Munich, Germany Program Chairs Michael Wand, IDSIA USI-SUPSI, Switzerland Kristína Malinovská, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia Honorary Chair Stefan Wermter, University of Hamburg, Germany Full list of the organization committee: https://e-nns.org/icann2024/organization/organising-committee IMPORTANT DATES - Opening of submission portal: Feb 15 2024 - Deadline for full paper submission: March 15 2024 - Notification of Acceptance or Rebuttal: May 15 2024 - Deadline for rebuttal: May 31 2024 - Final notification of Acceptance or Rejection after Rebuttal: June 10 2024 - Camera-ready paper upload and author registration: June 30 2024 Contact: For questions, please contact program-committee(a)icann2024.org. Link to this call: https://e-nns.org/icann2024/call-for-papers

1 0

Available Ph.D. Position in Health Care and Machine Learning
by Amir Aly 08 Feb '24

08 Feb '24

Dear All, *Apologies for cross-posting* We are pleased to announce an opportunity for a funded PhD studentship (*BioMarkML: Machine Learning-Driven Bio-Sensing for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease*) at Plymouth University, UK. The closing date for applications is *12 noon on **15th March 2024* *(The difference in tuition fees between national and international students will be waived for excellent international candidates)*. More details *about the topic *and *how to apply* are available at: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DFL216/phd-studentship-biomarkml-machine-learnin… If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me, Regards ---------------- *Dr. Amir Aly* Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics / AI Consultant Programme Manager of Artificial Intelligence Center for Robotics and Neural Systems (CRNS) School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics Room A307 Portland Square, Drake Circus, PL4 8AA University of Plymouth, UK ------------------------------ <http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/worldclass>

1 0

Seventh Groningen Spring School on Cognitive Modeling
by Jelmer Borst 07 Feb '24

07 Feb '24

– ACT-R, Nengo, PRIMs – Date: 8-12 April 2024 Location: Groningen, the Netherlands Fee: € 305 (late fee after March 7 will be € 355) More information and registration: http://www.ai.rug.nl/springschool/ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Dear colleagues and students, This is a reminder that the early registration deadline for the seventh Spring School on Cognitive Modeling in Groningen (8-12 April 2024) ends on March 7th! As announced earlier, the Spring School will cover three different modeling paradigms: ACT-R, Nengo, and PRIMs. Each of these topics consists of a series of lectures, as well as a number of hands-on exercises (tutorials). Past years have shown that students get most out of the spring school if they really immerse themselves into one modeling paradigm. We therefore recommend you choose one topic for which you will attend both the lectures as well as the tutorials. In addition, you can select a second paradigm, for which you attend the lectures only. To give students a broader picture, there will be multiple guest lectures throughout the week. These lectures will give an introduction to other modeling paradigms, as well as practical research examples to show you what can be done with the modeling paradigms presented! Everyone is encouraged to attend those lectures. To round off the program, there will be a poster session, where students present themselves and their research, as well as a city tour, and our (in)famous spring school dinner. Registration closes on March 31. The early registration deadline ends March 7. Please feel free to forward the information to anyone who might be interested in the Spring School, and let us know if you have any questions! We are looking forward to welcoming you (again) in Groningen, The Spring School team springschool(a)rug.nl <mailto:springschool@rug.nl> – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ACT-R Teachers: Jelmer Borst & Stephen Jones (University of Groningen) Website: http://act-r.psy.cmu.edu <http://act-r.psy.cmu.edu/> ACT-R is a high-level cognitive theory and simulation system for developing cognitive models for tasks that vary from simple reaction time experiments to driving a car, learning algebra, and air traffic control. ACT-R can be used to develop process models of a task at a symbolic level. Participants will follow a compressed five-day version of the traditional summer school curriculum. We will also cover the connection between ACT-R and fMRI. Nengo Teacher: Terry Stewart (University of Waterloo) Website: http://www.nengo.ca <http://www.nengo.ca/> Nengo is a toolkit for converting high-level cognitive theories into low-level spiking neuron implementations. In this way, aspects of model performance such as response accuracy and reaction times emerge as a consequence of neural parameters such as the neurotransmitter time constants. It has been used to model adaptive motor control, visual attention, serial list memory, reinforcement learning, Tower of Hanoi, and fluid intelligence. Participants will learn to construct these kinds of models, starting with generic tasks like representing values and positions, and ending with full production-like systems. There will also be special emphasis on extracting various forms of data out of a model, such that it can be compared to experimental data. PRIMs Teacher: Niels Taatgen (University of Groningen) Website: https://www.ai.rug.nl/~niels/prims/index.html How do people handle and prioritize multiple tasks? How can we learn something in the context of one task, and partially benefit from it in another task? The goal of PRIMs is to cross the artificial boundary that most cognitive architectures have imposed on themselves by studying single tasks. It has mechanisms to model transfer of cognitive skills, and the competition between multiple goals. In the tutorial we will look at how PRIMs can model phenomena of cognitive transfer and cognitive training, and how multiple goals compete for priority in models of distraction. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – _______________________________________________ ACT-R-users mailing list ACT-R-users(a)act-r.psy.cmu.edu https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/listinfo/act-r-users -- Jelmer Borst Associate Professor – Computational Cognitive Neuroscience University of Groningen, Bernoulli Institute, dept. of Artificial Intelligence http://www.jelmerborst.nl/

1 0

Postdoctoral Researcher in Computational Neuroscience: Effects of Neuromodulation on Learning in SRNNs
by Fleur Zeldenrust 05 Feb '24

05 Feb '24

*The 'Biophysics of Neural Computation' group in Nijmegen (PI: dr. Fleur Zeldenrust) is looking for a postdoctoral researcher (26 months) to study the effects of neuromodulators in biologically realistic networks and learning tasks in the Vidi project 'Top-down neuromodulation and bottom-up network computation, a computational study'. You will use cellular and behavioural data gathered by our department over the previous five years on dopamine, acetylcholine and serotonin in mouse barrel cortex, to bridge the gap between single cell, network and behavioural effects.* The aim of this project is to explain the effects of neuromodulation on task performance in biologically realistic spiking recurrent neural networks (SRNNs). You will use biologically realistic learning frameworks, such as force learning, to study how network structure influences task performance. You will use existing open source data to train a SRNN on a pole detection task <https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0896627315002512> (for rodents using their whiskers) and incorporate realistic network properties of the (barrel) cortex based on our *lab's measurements <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12021-022-09576-5>*. Next, you will incorporate the cellular effects of dopamine, acetylcholine and serotonin that we have measured (see *this paper <https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giy147>* and *this preprint <https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.12.476007v1>*) into the network, and investigate their effects on task performance. In particular, you will research the effects of biologically realistic network properties (balance between excitation and inhibition and the resulting chaotic activity, non-linear neuronal input-output relations, patterns in connectivity, Dale's law) and incorporate known neuron and network effects. You will build on the single cell data, network models and analysis methods available in our group, and your results will be incorporated into our group's further research to develop and validate efficient coding models of (somatosensory) perception. We are therefore looking for a team player who can collaborate well with the other group members, and is willing to both learn from them and share their knowledge. *Your profile:* Profile - You hold a PhD in computational neuroscience, mathematics, physics, computer science, AI or a similar computational field. - You have experience in working with machine learning models in (computational) neuroscience and are able to perform network simulations, analytical derivations and advanced data analysis. - You are a highly motivated, independent, critical and creative researcher who wants to bridge the gap between real data and abstract theoretical models. - You are a team player, ready to collaborate in a diverse multidisciplinary research group. - You have an excellent command of spoken and written English. - You have experience in coding (Python and/or Matlab). We are *Our profile:* You will be appointed at the *Biophysics of Neural Computation <https://www.ru.nl/donders/research/theme-4-neural-computation-neurotechnolo…>* group, *Donders Centre for Neuroscience <https://www.ru.nl/science/dcn/>*, *Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour <https://www.ru.nl/donders/>*. <https://www.ru.nl/donders/> This vibrant and multidisciplinary institute studies the organisation and function of neural circuits across scales and techniques, from genes and proteins to behaviour and from in vitro and in vivo experiments to computational modelling. It is an open and international environment, where young scientists from different backgrounds share a fascination for the interaction between brain structure and function. Postdoctoral researchers enjoy a *lively community <https://www.ru.nl/donders/talent-education/postdoctoral-researchers/>* and specialised support. *We offer:* We offer - It concerns an employment for 0.8 - 1.0 FTE. - The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of €3,226 and a maximum of €5,090 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience (*salary scale 10 <https://www.ru.nl/en/staff/services/salary-and-selection-model/salary/amoun…>* ). - You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. - You will be employed on the basis of a temporary contract for 26 months. - You will be able to use our *Dual Career and Family Care Services <https://www.ru.nl/en/staff/services/living-working-and-studying-netherlands…>*. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen. - Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose *between 30 or 41 <https://www.ru.nl/en/staff/services/employment-conditions/working-time/flex…>* <https://www.ru.nl/en/staff/services/employment-conditions/working-time/flex…>days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20. *Please, apply via the website before February 11th: * https://www.ru.nl/en/working-at/job-opportunities/postdoctoral-researcher-i… Profil -- Fleur Zeldenrust Associate Professor Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour Donders Centre for Neuroscience Faculty of Science, Radboud University Heyendaalseweg 135, room HG 00.111 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands tel +31 24 36 53195 fleurzeldenrust.nl *Due to my own family/work balance, you may receive emails from me outside of normal working hours. I do not expect a response from you outside of your own working pattern, nor do I expect an immediate response when you are working.*

1 1