- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Post doc at the NYU ECoG Lab

by Lucia Melloni

Are you looking for an ambiguous postdoc opportunitu? keep reading ... The NYU ECoG group has an exciting opportunity for a postdoctoral fellow to contribute to a project aimed at unravelling laminar cortical computations and validating laminar resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans. Laminar fMRI is becoming increasingly popular as it enables the study of feedback and feedforward flow of information in the living human brain (e.g., Muckli, Current Biology 2015). Yet, the neurovascular and physiological computations underlying laminar signals are not well understood. Our group is part of an exciting international collaboration that aims to rigorously validate laminar fMRI against laminar electrophysiology and develop a proper neurovascular coupling model. The postdoctoral fellow would contribute to this team effort involving researchers at NYU Langone Health, the Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Minessotta (Essa Yacoub), and Maastrich University (Elia Formisano, Federico de Martino, Kamil Uludag). The project is funded by a BRAIN initiative RO1 grant. The role of the postdoc is to perform laminar electrophysiology in human subjects with epilepsy and as well as to conduct laminar fMRI in the same patients. We are seeking an enthusiastic and ambitious postdoc, with a strong background in human and/or animal electrophysiology and a desire to learn high-field MRI. No previous experience with MRI is required. A strong background in signal processing, and strong quantitative skills (e.g., Matlab, C++, Python) are required. The initial post is for 1 year with the opportunity to renew for up to 4 years. Postdoctoral researchers will be given the opportunity to participate in other lab research endeavors, and they are expected to make a strong contribution to the lab's overall research efforts. The research facilities at NYU are exceptional and include laminar electrophysiology setups as well as 7T MRI. The postdoc will join a vibrant community of researchers within NYU (NYU ECog, NYU Neuroscience Institute, and the NYU Center for Neural Science) and across the consortium of investigators at University of Minnesota and University of Maastricht. This is an excellent post for candidates who want to expand their research repertoire and learn new techniques, and to position themselves uniquely in the scientific landscape, leveraging laminar fMRI in humans to understand cortical computations. The possibility of dual training in electrophysiology and fMRI is unique. Interested individuals should apply by sending a cover letter, a CV and names of 2 referees who have agreed to provide recommendation letters to Lucia Melloni (lucia.melloni(a)nyulangone.org <mailto:lucia.melloni@nyulangone.org>) and Sasha Devore (sasha.devore(a)nyulangone.edu <mailto:sasha.devore@nyulangone.edu>). The post will be open until August 15, 2019. For any inquires please contact Lucia Melloni at lucia.melloni(a)nyulangone.org <mailto:lucia.melloni@nyulangone.org>

July 9, 2019

PhD Position / Computational Neuroscience / Bordeaux, France

by Nicolas Rougier

---------------------------------------------------------------------- Position: Phd in Computational Neuroscience Keywords: Basal Ganglia, Frontal Cortex, Decision Making, Planning Duration: 3 years, starting 01/09/2019 Location: Bordeaux, France Net salary: 1680 euros / month Contact: Fréderic Alexandre & Nicolas Rougier ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mnemosyne (https://team.inria.fr/mnemosyne/) is an Inria research team associated with Labri, Bordeaux's computer research laboratory, hosted at the Neurocampus in Bordeaux (https://www.bordeaux-neurocampus.fr/) We work closely with labs in Neurosciences and Medicine in order to understand executive functions such as decision, reasoning and planning, using computational models of the main structure involved (frontal cortex, basal ganglia and hippocampus). We are currently looking for a motivated doctoral student to join us on the theme of decision making modeling, considering in particular the integration of indices of a different nature. This work is part of a collaborative project with the city and the university of La Rochelle and the funding for the thesis is secured (salary of 1680 euros net per month). The candidate may come from different Masters (computer science, cognitive science, neuroscience) and must have experience in computational neuroscience and machine learning with an interest in a bio-inspired approach. In addition to the CV, a letter of motivation will be proposed before an interview. Application to be sent to Frederic.Alexandre(a)inria.fr and Nicolas.Rougier(a)inria.fr

July 5, 2019

15th Granada Seminar on Stochastic and Collective Effects in Neural Systems

by Prof. Dr. Joaquín J. Torres

Dear Computational Neuroscience community This is an official announcement of the next "15th Granada Seminar on Computational and Statistical Physics" that will be held in Granada Spain, next September 17-20, 2019 in the Science Faculty of the University of Granada, Spain. The Granada Seminar is a topical conference whose pedagogical power is especially channelled towards young researchers. In fact, one interesting aspect of this meeting is the opportunity given to young researchers to present their results and to discuss their problems with leading specialists. The Granada Seminar is Organized by the "Institute Carlos I for Theoretical and Computational Physics, University of Granada, and it is Sponsored by: - Institute Carlos I, for theoretical and computational physics, University of Granada: http://ic1.ugr.es/home/ - European Physical Society This year edition the main topic of the conference is "Stochastic and Collective Effects in Neural Systems" including Biological aspects, Modeling, Dynamics, Networks, Function and Applications. The aim of this meeting is to bring together scientists interested in Neural Systems and their statistical and collective effects from real experiments, theoretical and computational models to applications. Confirmed Main Speakers: Roberto Barrio, Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain): Insect movement gaits: neuron model, CPG and patterns Ginestra Bianconi, Queen Mary University of London (UK) Jesús Cortés, Ikerbasque (Spain) Lucilla de Arcangelis, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" (Italy) Jose Maria Delgado, Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Spain): Learning as a functional state of the brain Andrea Gabrielli, Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi (Italy): Brain Network Topology Maps Schizophrenia Dysfunctional Substrates Andre Longtin, University of Ottawa (Canada): Detecting and Learning in Noisy Neurons: From Dendrites to Spontaneous Movements Joaquin Marro, Universidad de Granada (Spain):Is the Mind just an assembly of Phase Transitions? Jorge F. Mejías, University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) Cyriel Pennartz, University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands): Predictive representations and population coding in visual and multisensory systems Dietmar Plenz, NIH National Institute of Mental Health (USA) Ander Ramos, Tecnalia (Spain) Alex Roxin, CRM Barcelona (Spain):A network model of place-cell turnover in CA1 Mavi Sánchez-Vives, Institut d'investigacions Biomèdiques (Spain) Samir Suweis, Universita di Padova (Italy): Simple (but not too simple) models to investigate complex brain dynamics Yuhai Tu, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center (USA): Optimal coding strategies in the periferal olfactory systems: Compressed sensing for an array of nonlinear olfactory receptor neurons with and without spontaneous activity Pablo Varona, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain) People interested to attend the conference and present their contributions please follow the link below for further information: http://ergodic.ugr.es/cp/index.php Contributions to the conference will be invited to submit an original manuscript for a forthcomming "Special Issue on Emergent Effects in Stochastic Neural Networks with Application to Learning and Information Processing", in the Elsevier Journal Neurocomputing (Impact Factor: 4.072, Q1) -- Prof. Dr. Joaquín J. Torres Department of Electromagnetism and Physics of the Matter. Institute "Carlos I" for Theoretical and Computational Physics. University of Granada.

July 4, 2019

DEADLINE NEAR: IBRO-SIMONS COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE IMBIZO in CAPE TOWN

by Tim Vogels

Dear all, The DEADLINE for next year’s IMBIZO is approaching very quickly, with only 4 days left. Don’t let this opportunity slip by, if you are hoping to join the most diverse neuroscience summer school at the most beautiful beach in the world! We are very excited to announce that we have three new faculty this year, adding Prof. Eve Marder, of Brandeis University, Gruber and Kavli Prize winner, past president of SfN and generally awesome person in Neuroscience, coming with Prof Arthur Wingfield, also of Brandeis and also awesome person in neuroscience. And Prof. Henning Sprekeler, Technical University Berlin, Bernstein Award winner, and ALSO generally awesome person in neuroscience to our already great roster of lecturers. If you know anyone who would benefit from a diverse and extraordinary computational neuroscience summer school, please forward this information: IBRO-SIMONS COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE IMBIZO #isiCNI2020 5 - 26 January 2020, Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town, South Africa http://imbizo.africa/ <http://imbizo.africa/> Application deadline: 8th July 2019 The #isiCNI2020 is a southern hemisphere summer school aiming to promote computational neuroscience in Africa. It will bring together international and local students under the tutelage of the world's leading experts in the field. Like its international sister courses, this three-week summer school aims to teach central ideas, methods, and practices of modern computational neuroscience through a combination of lectures and hands-on project work. Mornings will be devoted to lectures on topics across the breadth of experimental and computational neuroscience. The rest of the day will be spent working on research projects under the close supervision of expert tutors and faculty. Individual research projects will focus on the modelling of neurons, neural systems, behaviour, the analysis of state-of-the-art neural data, and the development of theories to explain experimental observations. Who should apply? This course is aimed at Masters and early-PhD level students though Honours or advanced undergraduates may also apply. Postdoctoral students who can motivate why the course would benefit them are also encouraged to apply, Students should have sufficient quantitative skills, (e.g. a background in mathematics, physics, computer science, statistics, engineering or related field). Some knowledge of neural biology will be useful but not essential. Experimental neuroscience students are encouraged to apply, but should ensure that they have a reasonable level of quantitative proficiency (i.e. at least second-year level mathematics or statistics and have done at least one course in computer programming). Please distribute this information as widely as you can. Essential details * Fee (which covers tuition, lodging, and meals): 1100 EUR Thanks to out generous sponsors, significant financial assistance is available to reduce and waiver fees for students, particlualry for African applicants. We also hope to provide some travel bursaries for interrnational students. If you are in need of financial assistance to attend the Imbizo, please state so clearly in the relevant section of your application. * Application deadline: 30th June 2019 * Notification of results: late August 2019 Information and application https://imbizo.africa/ <http://isicni.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/> Questions? isicn.imbizo(a)gmail.com <mailto:isicn.imbizo@gmail.com> What is an Imbizo? \ɪmˈbiːzɒ\ | Xhosa - Zulu A gathering of the people to share knowledge. CONFIRMED FACULTY Demba Ba - Harvard University Adrienne Fairhall - Washington University Peter Latham - University College London Timothy Lillicrap - Google DeepMind Eve Marder - Brandeis University Joseph Raimondo - University of Cape Town Srikanth Ramaswamy - EPFL Lausanne Athanassia Papoutsi - IMBB-FORTH Evan Schaffer - Columbia University Anna Schapiro - University of Pennsylvania Henning Sprekeler - Technical University of Berlin Thomas Tagoe - University of Ghana Misha Tsodyks - Weiszmann Institute of Science Tim Vogels - University of Oxford Arthur Wingfield - Brandeis University Byron Yu - Carnegie Mellon University Tutors Everton Agnes University of Oxford Annik Carson - McGill University Chris Currin - University of Cape Town Callie Federer - University of Colorado Grace Lindsay - University College London Richard Pang - University of Washington Organisers Christopher Currin (University of Cape Town, South Africa) Emma Vaughan (Conference Managemant Centre) DIRECTORS Peter Latham (Gatsby Unit for Computational Neuroscience, UCL, UK) Joseph Raimondo (University of Cape Town, South Africa) Tim Vogels (University of Oxford, UK) Sponsors The isiCNI is made possible by the generous support from the Simons Foundation (https://www.simonsfoundation.org <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/>) and the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) (http://ibro.info <http://ibro.info/>) Organizational Affiliates University of Cape Town, University College London, University of Oxford, TReND in Africa <http://trendinafrica.org/>, CNCB <http://www.cncb.ox.ac.uk/>, Gatsby Foundation <http://www.gatsby.org.uk/>, IBRO African Center for Advanced Training in Neurosciences at UCT

July 4, 2019

Available Slot for Intensive Talks at CNS 2019 Workshop (W9) on "Neural Multiplexed Coding, Coexistence of Multimodal Coding Strategies in Neural Systems"

by Milad Lankarany

Dear CNS-2019 attendees, Our workshop (*W9*) on "*Neural Multiplexed Coding*" will be held at CNS 2019 (Barcelona), on July 17th. Our workshop hosts 6 prestigious speakers (see our website: https://sites.google.com/view/cns-workshop-on-neural-mux/home) presenting their recent researches in 30-45 minutes, as well as a few number of intensive talks, each lasting 10-15 minutes. This is a new schedule for our workshop that we want to try, i.e., a workshop comprising larger talks (30-45 mins) + short intensive talks (10-15 mins). As the intensive talks are short, we would like to invite more speakers. So, any scientist (preference is given to Postdoc) that participates in CNS 2019 and is interested in our workshop can send me his/her request and the title of the presentation. Email: milad.lankarany(a)uhnresearch.ca or milad.lankarany(a)gmail.com Best Regards, Milad Lankarany, Ph.D. <https://sites.google.com/view/lnsbsp/home?authuser=0>

July 3, 2019

Two Postdoctoral Positions in Auditory Biophysics: Optics & Theory

by Kozlov, Andriy

We welcome applications for postdoctoral candidates with expertise in optics, instrument development, or theoretical modelling who want to apply their skills in the field of the biophysics of hearing. Two positions in Dr. Andrei Kozlov’s lab (www.kozlovlab.com<http://www.kozlovlab.com/>) in the Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London are supported by a five-year Wellcome Trust Investigator Award: one experimental and one theoretical. We investigate mechano-electrical transduction by hair cells, the receptor cells of the inner ear. These cells can detect and amplify atomic-scale vibrations at thousands of cycles per second. We are interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying this extreme sensitivity. To achieve our goal, we combine novel experimental and theoretical approaches. The experimental position will focus on developing new optical methods, including laser interferometry, and combining them with electrophysiology. Practical knowledge of optics or optomechanics is essential for this work. For more information about this kind of research, see Kozlov et al., Nature, 2011. The theoretical position focuses on modelling mechano-electrical transduction, combining analytical and numerical techniques, and is in collaboration with Dr. Thomas Risler at Institut Curie in Paris. The successful candidate for this role will have a strong background and track record in Theoretical Soft Matter, Statistical Physics or a related discipline. For more information about this kind of research, see Gianoli, Risler and Kozlov, PNAS, 2017. The positions will start between September 2019 and January 2020. Please send the names of three references, a CV with a list of publications and preprints, and an application letter describing your interests and skills. Informal inquiries are welcome. Contact: Andrei Kozlov a.kozlov(a)imperial.ac.uk<mailto:a.kozlov@imperial.ac.uk>

July 3, 2019

PhD Position in Data Science and Modeling in Neuroimaging at Jülich Research Centre (Germany)

by Oleksandr Popovych

PhD Position in Data Science and Modeling in Neuroimaging at Jülich Research Centre and University of Düsseldorf, Germany One PhD position is available in data science and computational modeling with a focus on the data-driven analysis of neuroimaging data in the lab of Prof. Dr. Simon Eickhoff at Jülich Research Centre and University of Düsseldorf in Germany. The PhD candidate will work on projects aiming to study the effective connectivity of functional brain networks derived from task-based and resting-state fMRI data. In particular, applicability, reliability and limitations of the Dynamical Causal Modeling (DCM) approach will be investigated in various large samples of healthy subjects and patients and compared to other approaches. We are specifically looking for candidates with training in data science/computational neuroscience/applied mathematics/physics or related fields and skills in programming and big data analysis. The candidate will be responsible for the preparation and preprocessing of the necessary fMRI data, development and implementation of data analysis pipelines, as well as writing manuscripts for publication. The position provides a unique opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary environment and training in processing, analysis and modeling of neuroimaging data. More details on the lab: http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-7/EN/ Requirements: Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science or related fields. Experience with neuroimaging data processing and analysis and related software packages (FSL, SPM, MRtrix, etc.). Experience with programming languages such as Matlab/Python/Shell scripts/C/C++. Familiarity with mathematical data modeling, parallel programming and simulations on high-performance computational clusters will be a plus. Strong English-language writing & communication skills. To apply: Please send your CV, MA certificate, names of two referees, a one-page letter of motivation (emphasizing any related work/projects), up to 3 representative publications and/or examples of program code, if available, to Dr. Oleksandr Popovych via email (o.popovych(a)fz-juelich.de) Please mention “PhD application DCM” in the subject. -- --------------------------------------- PD Dr. Oleksandr Popovych Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour) Research Centre Jülich 52425 Jülich, Germany Tel: +49 2461 61 3332 eMail: o.popovych(a)fz-juelich.de http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-7/EN/Home/home_node.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 3, 2019

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience and Neuroimaging at Jülich Research Centre (Germany)

by Oleksandr Popovych

PhD Position in Computational Neuroscience and Neuroimaging at Jülich Research Centre and University of Düsseldorf, Germany One PhD position is available in computational neuroscience with a focus on mathematical modeling of brain dynamics based on neuroimaging data in the lab of Prof. Dr. Simon Eickhoff at Jülich Research Centre and University of Düsseldorf in Germany. The PhD candidate will work on projects involving large-scale dynamical brain models derived from multimodal neuroimaging data (structural, functional & diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, MRI) combined with numerical simulations and analysis of model dynamics and parameter space. We are specifically looking for candidates with training in applied mathematics/computational neuroscience or related fields and experience in programming and numerical simulation of neuronal models/nonlinear dynamical systems. The candidate will be responsible for preparation of necessary neuroimaging data, derivation, validation and analytical and numerical investigation of the whole-brain dynamical models, and writing manuscripts for publication. The position provides an opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary environment and training in mathematical modeling of neuroimaging data and methods for data analysis. More details on the lab: http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-7/EN/ Requirements: Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Applied Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science or a related field. Experience with programming languages such as C/C++/CUDA/Python/Matlab/R. Familiarity with numerical simulations of nonlinear dynamical systems/differential equations/neuronal models. Experience with parallel programming and simulations on high-performance computational clusters will be a plus. Experience with neuroimaging data processing and analysis and related software packages (FSL, SPM, MRtrix, etc.) will be of advantage. Strong English-language writing & communication skills. To apply: Please send your CV, names of two referees, one-page letter of motivation (emphasizing any related work/projects), up to 3 representative publications and/or examples of program code, if available, to Dr. Oleksandr Popovych via email (o.popovych(a)fz-juelich.de) Please mention “PhD application CNS” in the subject. -- --------------------------------------- PD Dr. Oleksandr Popovych Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour) Research Centre Jülich 52425 Jülich, Germany Tel: +49 2461 61 3332 eMail: o.popovych(a)fz-juelich.de http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-7/EN/Home/home_node.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 3, 2019

Open Source Brain workshop 9-11 Sept 2019 & new publication

by Gleeson, Padraig

[Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this due to cross-posting] The 2019 Open Source Brain workshop will be held in Alghero, Sardinia on 9-11th September 2019. Full details: http://www.opensourcebrain.org/docs/Help/Meetings#OSB_2019 Open Source Brain (http://www.opensourcebrain.org) is a platform for sharing and collaboratively developing models in computational neuroscience. Models of cells and circuits in standardised formats can be visualised, analysed and simulated through a standard web browser. A key driver for the development of this technology is to improve accessibility, scientific scrutiny, reproducibility and reuse of models of brain function. The platform is described in a recent paper in Neuron: https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(19)30444-1 The 2019 OSB Workshop will highlight the latest features of OSB and engage current and future users of the platform through invited talks, posters, hands on demonstrations, and user presentations. Since we are substantially expanding the functionality of Open Source Brain to enable sharing of standardized experimental data used to build and test the models of neurons and circuits, this year’s meeting will have two key themes: 1) Accessible sharing of cellular neuroscience data Through support for the Neurodata Without Borders (NWB) format, OSB will facilitate sharing of multiple types of experimental data used to constrain computational models, including electrophysiological recordings, Ca2+ fluorescence imaging, 2D, 3D and 4D imaging and behavioural data. Challenges, requirements and solutions to data standardization will be discussed. 2) Modelling cortical structures across scales Cortical networks are modelled at many scales from abstract representations of interacting populations (neural masses) to networks of biophysically and morphologically detailed cell models. NeuroML is being expanded to cover a greater range of these models, which will allow them to be shared and simulated on OSB, facilitating comparison of models and ideas between researchers. This ongoing work is taking place as part of the SIG on Standardised Representations of Network Structures<https://www.incf.org/activities/standards-and-best-practices/incf-special-i…>. Registration The registration fee for the meeting for 3 days will be £130. This will help cover organisation and speaker costs, meeting room hire, lunch, tea and coffee for 3 days and one workshop dinner. Please register here<https://onlinestore.ucl.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/faculty-of-life-scienc…>. Registration closes on 1st September 2019. Confirmed speakers Yazan Billeh (Allen Institute, USA) Matteo Cantarelli (MetaCell Ltd) Alex Cayco Gajic (UCL, UK & École Normale Supérieure, France) Sharon Crook (Arizona State University, USA) Jeffrey S. Diamond (NINDS, USA) Matt Earnshaw (University College London, UK) Jan Fousek (Aix Marseille Université, France) Padraig Gleeson (University College London, UK) Boris Marin (Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil) Diego Restrepo (University of Colorado, USA) Simon Schultz (Imperial College, UK) Angus Silver (University College London, UK) Sacha van Albada (Jülich Research Centre, Germany) For more details please see: http://www.opensourcebrain.org/docs/Help/Meetings#OSB_2019 The OSB 2019 organising committee Padraig Gleeson Matt Earnshaw Angus Silver

July 2, 2019

Academic Fellowship positions Computational Neuroscience, Nottingham

by Mark van Rossum

The University of Nottingham is a research intensive university ranked in the top 10 in the UK and in the top 30 of Europe. It has a strong tradition in Cognition, Perception, Mathematical Biology, and structural and functional Imaging research. To support further development across these areas, and stimulate new research opportunities, the University has recently made a major investment in Computational Neuroscience. As part of this investment we are inviting applications for two independent fellowships. The positions are for 3 years, after which the fellows are expected to be competitive candidates for permanent positions at the University. The positions are ideal for researchers with a strong vision that are planning to develop their own research group in a supportive, interdisciplinary environment with outstanding research facilities. We are interested in candidates working across a broad spectrum of research topics areas in Computational Neuroscience, including functional neuroimaging, neural networks, and models of cognition. Research methodologies could include numerical simulation, machine learning, theoretical neuroscience, and innovative data analysis. The Fellows will be based in the School of Psychology and/or Mathematical Sciences. For more info and the online application form see http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/SCI215819 For informal inquiries contact Mark van Rossum, mark.vanrossum(a)nottingham.ac.uk, +44-115-7486851 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.

June 30, 2019

【2019ICCBC】International Collegiate Competition for Brain-inspired Computing

by 郑浩

Dear Collegiates, International Collegiate Competition for Brain-inspired Computing [2019 ICCBC] is an annual academic activity hosted by Tsinghua University to provide a platform for international communication and collaboration on issues of integrating neuroscience and computer science to build intelligent machines and solve real-world issues. This contest is organized by the center for brain-inspired computing research [CBICR] at Tsinghua University. We look forward to talents who have insights into these issues. Final will be held in Oct in Tsinghua University. Prize is BIG! Airfare can be partly covered for finalists! More information can be found bellow and on official website: https://contest.cbicr.org/en/ ICCBC 2019 International Collegiate Competition for Brain-inspired Computing What is contest about？ How computation emerges from the human brain is a fundamental and unsolved mystery for general intelligence and behavior. The combination of neuroscience and computer science is considered as the most promising approach to the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) - one of the most exciting blueprints of this century. How the computational principles in the brain promote artificial intelligence strategies and how to implement silicon-based brain-inspired systems are the key research topics in brain-inspired computing. In this annual contest, we gather global talents who have unique insights into these issues, or who have creative ideas on applications to solve real-world problems. This contest provides a unique platform for the participants to share their knowledge, discuss the state-of-the-art and examine the future challenges of brain-inspired computing. In addition, participants have the opportunity to win decent prizes. What is the expectation? In this year’s contest, we generalize brain-inspired computing to a broader extent, reflecting the integration of neuroscience and computer science on issues related to general intelligence. Themes include Perception, Cognition, Computation and Decision making. Embodiment can be theories, algorithms, hardware, software, application, etc. Two special topics are setup this year. The Education topic aims to promote a better education system based on our knowledge of brain development and AI strategies. The “Hybrid topic” aims to inspire ideas on hybrid computing models. Since heterogeneity is a common feature of neural system, it is of great importance to intelligent behavior but its implementation is not trivial. Hybrid models that integrate AI and spiking neurons are possible approaches. For more details, please go to https://contest.cbicr.org/en/ Organization and partner Host: Tsinghua University Organizer: Office of Scientific R&D, Tsinghua University Center for Brain-Inspired Computing Research Co-organizers: Tsinghua Holdings, Co., Ltd CETHIK Group Corporation Lynxi Technologies Co., Ltd. Awards | Total award amount | RMB 1,000,000 | | Grand prize | RMB 300,000 for one team | | First prize | RMB 100,000 for two teams | | Second prize | RMB 60,000 for three teams | | Third prize | RMB 30,000 for four teams | | Excellence prize | RMB 20,000 for six teams | | Second prize for the preliminary round | RMB 5,000 for 16 teams | Evaluation In accordance with the principles of fairness, impartiality, and openness, all entries will be evaluated based on the following criteria and weightings: Novelty (25%) Technical advancement and difficulty (20%) Completeness and reproducibility (20%) Live presentation and demonstration (15%) Application value and significance (10%) Formality of document reporting (10%) Time Table | Events | Deadline | Comments | | Online application | 28 July 2019 | Login to the official website https://contest.cbicr.org/ and fill in the registration information. | | Entry submission | 15 Sept. 2019 | Document requirements: slide presentation, technical documentation, source code, videos, application executables, etc. | | Finals | 19-20 October 2019 | 16 teams will advance to the finals. Invited Talks and Poster Session on first day Slide Presentation and Awarding on second day | Past review The contest has cumulatively received applications of 444 teams from 131 different universities. The entries covered a large range of aspects including algorithm, software and hardware. In 2018, the team from the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences won the special award and was awarded 300 thousand RMB in cash. For more details, please refer to the official web “Past review”: https://contest.cbicr.org/en/index.php?id=27 Contact Official website: https://contest.cbicr.org/en/ for more details Tel: (+86) 010-62787245 Email: contest(a)cbicr.org Info about Organizer The Center for Brain Inspired Computing Research (CBICR) was established in September 2014 at Tsinghua University. It is the first research center in China to advance brain-inspired intelligence, covering neural functional, computing theory, neural coding, machine learning algorithms, operational systems, programming software, system integration, architecture design, chip processing, material science and nanotechnology. The center consists of 35 affiliated faculties from seven departments at Tsinghua University, including neuroscience science, electronic engineering, microelectronics, computer science, automation, material science and precision instrument, with the goal of innovations on interdisciplinary research. The center focuses on the development of brain-inspired computing by integrating neuroscience and computer science. -- ICCBC Team

June 30, 2019

[DEADLINE EXTENSION]: The 2nd International Workshop on Machine Learning in Clinical Neuroimaging (MLCN 2019): ENTERING THE ERA OF BIG DATA VIA TRANSFER LEARNING AND DATA HARMONIZATION

by MLCN Workshop

Dear Colleagues,The submission deadline for MLCN 2019 workshop as a satellite event of the MICCAI 2019 conference has been extended to 14/07/2019. For more information, please visit https://mlcnws.com/call-for-papers/ . Call for Papers Recent advances in neuroimaging and machine learning provide an exceptional opportunity for investigators and physicians to discover complex relationships between brain, behaviors, and mental and neurological disorders. The MLCN 2019 workshop (https://mlcnws.com) as a satellite event of MICCAI 2019 (https://www.miccai2019.org) aims to bring together researchers in both theory and application from various fields in domains such as *e.g.* machine learning, neuroimaging, predictive clinical neuroscience, *etc.* Topics of interests include, but are not limited to: - Transfer learning in clinical neuroimaging - Model stability in transfer learning - Data prerequisites for successful transfer learning - Domain adaptation in neuroimaging - Data harmonization across sites - Data pooling – practical issues - Cross-domain learning in neuroimaging - Interpretability for transfer learning - Unsupervised methods for domain adaptation - Multi-site data analysis, from preprocessing to modeling - Big data in clinical neuroimaging - Scalable machine learning methods - Benefits, problems, and solutions of working with very large datasets SUBMISSION PROCESS: The workshop seeks high quality, original, and unpublished work on algorithms, theory, and applications of machine learning in clinical neuroimaging related to big data, transfer learning, and data harmonization. Papers should be submitted electronically in Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LCNS) style ( https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…) with up to 8-pages and using the CMT system at https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/MLCN2019. The MLCN workshop uses a double-blind review process in the evaluation phase, thus authors must ensure anonymous submissions. Accepted papers will be published in a joint proceeding with the MICCAI 2019 conference. IMPORTANT DATES: - Paper submission deadline: July 14, 2019 (23:59 PST) - Notification of Acceptance: August 5, 2019 - Camera-ready Submission: August 12, 2019 - Workshop Date: October 13, 2019 Best regards, MLCN 2019 Organizing Committee <https://mlcnws.com/organization/>, Email: mlcnworkshop(a)gmail.com Website: https://mlcnws.com/ twitter: @MLCNworkshop <https://twitter.com/MLCNworkshop>

June 30, 2019

Neuronal Oscillations Workshop at CNS-2019 - July 17, 2019 - Barcelona + Data Blitz

by Horacio G. Rotstein

Dear All, We would like to call your attention to the CNS-2019 ( https://www.cnsorg.org/cns-2019) workshop on "Neuronal Oscillations: mechanisms, computational properties, and functionality" on July 17, 2019. Please check the information here <http://www.vassiliscutsuridis.org/workshops/CNS2019/CNS2019web.htm> http://www.vassiliscutsuridis.org/workshops/CNS2019/CNS2019web.htm The CNS workshops originated as a spontaneous gathering of CNS participants interested in discussing a specific topic. In order to revive this tradition and give the opportunity to the community to interact, this year we are including a *data blitz* session. CNS participants interested in briefly presenting their work are encouraged to do so. It will be helpful if you contact us in advance to be able to plan. Looking forward to seeing you in Barcelona Horacio -- Horacio, NY/NJ area. Horacio G. Rotstein, PhD (he/him/his) Professor Mathematical Biology & Computational Neuroscience BioDatanamics Lab Federated Department of Biological Sciences Rutgers University / New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ, 07102, USA. Graduate Faculty Behavioral Neurosciences Program Rutgers University (NWK) tel: (1-973) 596-8460 e-mail: horacio(a)njit.edu horacior(a)andromeda.rutgers.edu <horacio(a)njit.edu> http://web.njit.edu/~horacio

June 29, 2019

Fw: Research Associate Position in Early detection of Alzheimer's

by Dr. Krishna Miyapuram

Applications are invited from interested and motivated candidates for the post of Research Associate in a time-bound research project funded by India-Trento Programme for Advanced Research for a temporary period purely on contractual basis. Principal Investigator Dr. Krishna Prasad Miyapuram. Project Title Early detection of Alzheimer’s using Individualized Brain Atlases and Machine Learning. Name of the Post Research Associate. Salary Rs. 36000/- + HRA (subject to revision as per DST norms). Essential Qualification PhD in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or any other related field. Desirable Qualification Previous knowledge of structural and functional MRI, Brain Imaging Techniques, Programming experience in Matlab, Brain connectivity Analysis, Familiarity with Machine Learning techniques. Tenure The appointment will be for One Year duration. How to Apply Interested candidates should apply by sending a CV by e-mail to the PI Dr Krishna Prasad Miyapuram Assistant Professor (HSS & CSE) Indian Institute of Technology – Gandhinagar (email: kprasad(a)iitgn.ac.in) preferably before July 5th, 2019. The applications will remain open until the Position is filled. Selection will be based on the interview (by telephone for outstation candidates). Shortlisted candidates will be intimated well in advance the date and time of the interview. Contact E-mail: kprasad(a)iitgn.ac.in.

June 28, 2019

Two related articles on Efficient Coding in the Brain

by Jeff Krichmar

Dear Colleagues, I don’t usually like to post papers to these lists. But, I thought it was more than just a coincidence that two papers from our group on how the brain efficiently represents information came out today. Hope you enjoy. Feedback is most welcome. "Neural correlates of sparse coding and dimensionality reduction” M Beyeler, EL Rounds, KD Carlson, N Dutt, and JL Krichmar PLoS Computational Biology https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006… "Making BREAD: Biomimetic Strategies for Artificial Intelligence Now and in the Future” JL Krichmar, W Severa, MS Khan, JL Olds Frontiers in Neuroscience - Neuromorphic Engineering Section https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2019.00666/full Best regards, Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma(a)uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma

June 28, 2019

Modeller's Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox, 1-19 July 2019.

by Stewart Heitmann

Modeller’s Workshop for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox Online Course July 1-19, 2019 The Brain Dynamics Toolbox is an open toolbox for simulating dynamical systems in neuroscience. This on-line course is for researchers, students and instructors who wish to use the toolbox to build their own dynamical models. Participants learn the art of programming differential equations in Matlab and how to use the toolbox to solve those equations interactively. Topics include programming Ordinary Differential Equations, Partial Differential Equations, Delay Differential Equations, Stochastic Differential Equations, Auxiliary Plot Functions and command-line tools. Example code is provided in all cases. https://bdtoolbox.org/p/modellers-workshop/ Important Dates Early-bird enrolments ($100) close Friday 7th July, 2019. Late enrolments ($150) close Friday 19th July, 2019. Lifetime Access This is a self-paced on-line course. After enrolling, students have unlimited lifetime access to the course materials. Stewart Heitmann | Computational Scientist Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute | Lowy Packer Building | 405 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Australia E: s.heitmann(a)victorchang.edu.au | @VictorChangInst ______________________________________________________________________ The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute's Email is scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System.

June 27, 2019

Postdoctoral position at the University of Pittsburgh

by Anna Manelis

*Postdoctoral Position opening at the University of Pittsburgh in neuroimaging of mood disorders* Candidates are being considered for a post-doctoral associate position in the Anticipation, Cognition and Emotion lab ( www.ace.pitt.edu ) at the University of Pittsburgh (http://www.pitt.edu) to work with Dr. Anna Manelis and her team. A successful candidate will work on the NIMH funded research project that uses multimodal neuroimaging (fMRI, MRI, DTI and fNIRS) to understand the contribution of anticipatory processing to cognitive and emotional dysfunction in individuals with mood disorders. Pittsburgh is a vibrant community which promotes diversity and collaboration within its university and medical systems. Our lab works in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to perform neuroimaging studies which will help us to better understand mood disorders, including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorders. *Required Qualification*s: we are seeking a highly motivated candidate with a PhD degree (or anticipated PhD degree) in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience or a related discipline. A strong research background in the analysis and interpretation of neuroimaging data is required. A successful candidate will have excellent writing and communication skills. Candidates with a strong computational background are encouraged to apply. Experience with FSL, Freesurfer and E-prime is preferred. The ability to program in Shell, Matlab, Python and/or R is preferred. Experience with fNIRS, graph modeling and pattern classification analyses is a plus. While prior experience with clinical populations is not necessary, we expect candidates to be interested in neuroimaging research of working and episodic memory and/or anticipatory and emotional processing in individuals with mood disorders. *Responsibilities*: · Help to run fMRI/fNIRS experiments · Analyze fMRI, MRI, DTI and fNIRS neuroimaging data · Write manuscripts · Present findings from studies at conferences This is a full-time position that can be extended to 3 years. We are looking for someone to join our lab in Fall 2019 (with some flexibility). This position is funded by the NIMH and salary will vary based on experience. If you are interested in this position, please send a CV, research statement, preprints/reprints of papers, and the names and contact information for two references to *Anna Manelis (manelisa(a)upmc.edu <manelisa(a)upmc.edu>).*

June 27, 2019

Paper: Forward propagation closed loop learning

by Bernd Porr

Dear all, we have a new paper out where we have propagated errors forwards (and not backwards): "For an autonomous agent, the inputs are the sensory data that inform the agent of the state of the world, and the outputs are their actions, which act on the world and consequently produce new sensory inputs. The agent only knows of its own actions via their effect on future inputs; therefore desired states, and error signals, are most naturally defined in terms of the inputs. Most machine learning algorithms, however, operate in terms of desired outputs. For example, backpropagation takes target output values and propagates the corresponding error backwards through the network in order to change the weights. In closed loop settings, it is far more obvious how to define desired sensory inputs than desired actions, however. To train a deep network using errors defined in the input space would call for an algorithm that can propagate those errors forwards through the network, from input layer to output layer, in much the same way that activations are propagated. In this article, we present a novel learning algorithm which performs such ‘forward-propagation’ of errors. We demonstrate its performance, first in a simple line follower and then in a 1st person shooter game." https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1059712319851070 The PDF of the accepted submission version can be found on my personal homepage: https://www.berndporr.me.uk/Porr_Miller_FCL_2019_Adaptive_Behaviour.pdf https://www.berndporr.me.uk/publications.php The code is available here: https://github.com/glasgowneuro/feedforward_closedloop_learning A video clip of the learning behaviour of a simple FPS agent is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLVDBdlAQLY Best, /Bernd Porr & Paul Miller -- www: http://www.tinnitustailor.tech http://www.attys.tech http://www.glasgowneuro.tech http://www.berndporr.me.uk Mobile: +44 (0)7840 340069

June 27, 2019

LAST DAYS to register to the Summer School in Computational and Theoretical Models in Neuroscience, Venice, Italy

by suweis infn

ConTaMiNEURO 2019 Summer school ,Venice, Italy (September 9th - September 14th, 2019) - LAST DAYS TO REGISTER I would like to bring to your attention to the Summer School in Computational and Theoretical Models in Neuroscience, ConTaMiNEURO 2019 <http://neuroschool19.liphlab.com/> Thanks to the support of our sponsor, in particular the University of Padova and the newborn Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC <http://pnc.unipd.it/>), the early bird registration fee for Ph.Ds students and Post Docs is 200 Euro, DEADLINE is 30 June 2019. FEW PLACES STILL AVAILABLE ConTaMiNEURO 2019 <http://neuroschool19.liphlab.com/> wants to convey central ideas, methods, and practices of modern computational neuroscience through a combination of lectures, tutorials and seminars. During the course’s mornings, distinguished international faculty deliver lectures and seminars on selected topics in computational neuroscience (see below). For the remainder of the time, students work on research projects under close supervision of tutors and faculty. Research projects will include data analyses and the development of theories to explain experimental observations. The School is will take place from 9 to 14 September at palazzo Ca Bottacin of the University Ca’Foscari, in the heart of Venice. All the details can be found at the school website: http://neuroschool19.liphlab.com/ <http://neuroschool19.liphlab.com/> ConTaMiNEURO 2019 <http://neuroschool19.liphlab.com/> is co-organized by Samir Suweis, Amos Maritan, Maurizio Corbetta, Marco Formentin, Stefano Vassanelli (University of Padova), Achille Giacometti (University of Venice) and Miguel A. Munoz (University of Granada). Invited Speakers Ken Miller, Columbia University, USA. Yiota Poirazi, IMBB-FORTH, Creta. Nicolas Brunel*, Duke University, USA. Andrea Brovelli, University of Marsille. Jordi Soriano, University of Barcellona Mazzuccato Luca, Columbia University & University of Oregon Stefano Panzeri, IIT Rovereto Jesus Cortes, IKERBASQUE: The Basque Foundation for Science Lucilla De Arcangelis, University of Naples Raffaella Burioni, University of Parma Gustavo Deco, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona Susanne Ditlevsen, University of Copenaghen Alessandro Treves, Trieste SISSA Misha Tsodyks, Weizmann Institute of Science Marco Zorzi, University of Padova Lamberto Ballan, University of Padova Eleni Vasilaki, University of Shieffield Marcello Pelillo, European Center of Living Techonology & University of Venice Tommaso Fellin, IIT Genova Maria Victoria Sánchez Vives , ICREA-IDIBAPS (Barcelona) Marco dal Maschio, University of Padova Serena del Santo, University of Granada Lorenzo Fontolan, Janelia Farm - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ass. Prof. Samir Suweis Physics Dept., University of Padova www.liphlab.com @SamirSuweis Tel: +39 049 827 71 74

June 26, 2019

The 3rd International Neural Dynamics Summer School 2019

by Conor Houghton

We are offering twelve fully funded positions on the Wellcome Trust sponsored summer school for training and research experience in neural dynamics (TRENDs). This is an opportunity for undergraduate and Masters students to experience experimental and computational neuroscience research. More info can be found here: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/neural-dynamics/information/trends/ 04/09/2019 – 06/09/2019 Bristol University, UK The training and research in neural dynamics summer school is an exciting Wellcome Trust funded course held at the University of Bristol. The aim is to introduce young scientists to experimental and computational techniques used in neuroscience research. The summer school will be a three-day course made up of a series of seminars and lab visits where successful candidates will get first hand experience of electrophysiological recordings (both in vitro and in vivo), EEG recordings, brain imaging, optogenetics, data analysis workshops and practical classes on learning to code in Python. No prior experience is necessary, but a keen interest is essential! We welcome applications from science undergraduates from a wide range of backgrounds (Physics, Engineering, Maths, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Psychology etc.). For successful applicants all costs to attend the course, including travel expenses within the UK, accommodation and food will be covered. Overseas travel expenses will be considered on a case by case basis. Deadline 3 July, 2019 All the best Conor

June 26, 2019

3 year postdoc position available

by Dietmar Heinke

The Computational Psychology Lab (https://comp-psych.bham.ac.uk/ ) seeks to recruit a full-time postdoctoral-level Research Fellow for a research project titled "Integrating vision and action through selection history". It is funded by two bodies, UK Research and Innovation (ESRC) and US-funding agency NSF (National Science Foundation). The US collaborator is Professor Joo-Hyun Song, Brown University https://www.brown.edu/academics/cognitive-linguistic-psychological-sciences… The project aims at advancing our understanding of how humans execute visually-guided reaching in multi-object environments. It takes a highly interdisciplinary approach by combining computational modelling and empirical work. The research will be based on earlier work published here: Strauss, S., Woodgate, P.J.W., Sami, S. A., & Heinke, D. (2015) Choice reaching with a LEGO arm robot (CoRLEGO): The motor system guides visual attention to movement-relevant information. Neural Networks, 72, 3-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neunet.2015.10.005<http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neunet.2015.10.005> Informal enquiries should be directed to Dietmar Heinke at D.G.HEINKE(a)bham.ac.uk Closing date: 24 July 2019 An on-line application can be submitted at the bottom of this page: https://bham.taleo.net/careersection/external/jobdetail.ftl?job=19000076&tz… Main Duties/Responsibilities * Undertake work within the specified research grant (ES/T002409/1): * Extend CoRLEGO to model data collected by Professor Joo-Hyun Song * Compare models using Bayesian methods * Conduct behavioural experiments under guidance of Professor Joo-Hyun Song * Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars, etc. * Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline * Contribute to knowledge transfer in computational modelling and related areas that is of benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of the Principle investigator * Contribute to public engagement activities * Contribute to generating funding and writing bids Person Specification Skills and Knowledge: * Programming skills (preferably in MatLab), mathematical skills Experience in at least three of the following fields: * Robotics, computer vision, computational modelling, behavioural science (human vision or/and movement control), Bayesian statistics, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, Dynamic neural fields Generic skills: * Ability to communicate complex information clearly * Ability to work in an interdisciplinary project * Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes Qualifications * PhD preferably in electrical engineering, computer science, physics or mathematics

June 25, 2019

WCCI2020 Glasgow, Scotland - Call for papers

by Stefan Wermter

*IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence* WCCI2020 Facebook <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.facebook.com_wcci2…> WCCI2020 Twitter <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__twitter.com_wcci2020&d…> 19-24 July 2020, Scottish Event Campus <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.sec.co.uk_&d=DwMFa…>, Glasgow. wcci2020.org <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__wcci2020.org_&d=DwMFaQ…> On behalf of the WCCI Organizing Committee <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__wcci2020.org_-3Fpage-5…>, it is our great pleasure to invite you to the IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence. The 2020 IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (IEEE WCCI 2020) is the world's largest technical event in the field of computational intelligence. IEEE WCCI 2020 will host three flagship conferences under one roof : * IJCNN - International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (cooperation between IEEE-CIS & INNS) * FUZZ-IEEE - IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems * IEEE-CEC - IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation This encourages cross-fertilisation of ideas among the three big areas and provides a forum for intellectuals from all over the world to discuss and present their research findings on computational intelligence. *Important deadlines: <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__wcci2020.org_&d=DwMFaQ…>* 15Nov2019 Special Session & Workshop Proposals 15Dec2019 Competition & Tutorial Proposals 15Jan2020 Paper submission 15Mar2020 Paper Acceptance Notification 15Apr2020 Final paper submission & Early registration 19-24Jul2020 Conference Dates ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Calls: <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.wcci2020.org_wp-2D…>* (click to see pdf description) *Call for Papers <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.wcci2020.org_wp-2D…> : * Papers for IEEE WCCI 2020 should be submitted electronically using the Congress website www.wcci2020.org and will be refereed by experts in the fields and ranked based on the criteria of originality, significance, quality and clarity. *Call for Special Sessions: * IEEE WCCI 2020 solicits proposals for special sessions within the technical scope of the three conferences. Special sessions are to be organized by internationally recognized experts, aim to bring together researchers in special focused topics. Cross-fertilization of the three technical disciplines and newly emerging research are strongly encouraged. Inquiries regarding special sessions and proposals should be addressed to Special Sessions Chairs : Richard Duro, University of A Coruña. Spain <mailto:Richard Duro. Special Session Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Uof A Coru%C3%B1a. Spain<richard(a)udc.es>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20FUZZ%20Special%20Sessions%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> Humberto Bustince, Public University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain <mailto:Humberto Bustince. Special Session Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Public Uof Navarra. Pamplona. Spain<bustince(a)unavarra.es>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20CEC%20Special%20Sessions%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> David Corne, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland, UK <mailto:David Corne. Special Session Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Heriot-Watt U. Scotland. UK<dwcorne(a)gmail.com>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20IJCNN%20Special%20Sessions%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> Xiao-Jun Zeng, University of Manchester, UK <mailto:Xiao-Jun Zeng. Special Session Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Uof Manchester. UK<x.zeng(a)manchester.ac.uk>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20Cross-disciplinary%20and%20Applications%20Special%20Sessions%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> *Call for Tutorials: * IEEE WCCI 2020 will feature pre-Congress tutorials, covering fundamental and advanced topics in computational intelligence. A tutorial proposal should include title, outline, expected enrollment, and presenter/organizer biography. Inquiries regarding tutorials should be addressed to Tutorials Chairs : Barbara Hammer, Bielefeld University, Germany <mailto:Barbara Hammer. Tutorial Session Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Bielefeld U. Germany<bhammer(a)techfak.uni-bielefeld.de>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20Tutorials%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> Plamen Angelov, Lancaster University, UK <mailto:Plamen Angelov. Tutorial Session Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Lancaster U. UK<p.angelov(a)lancaster.ac.uk>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20Tutorials%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> Ponnuthurai Suganthan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore <mailto:Ponnuthurai Suganthan. Tutorial Session Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Nanyang TechU. Singapore<epnsugan(a)ntu.edu.sg>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20Tutorials%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> *Call for Competitions: * IEEE WCCI 2020 will host competitions to stimulate research in computational intelligence. A competition proposal should include descriptions of the problem(s) addressed, evaluation procedures, and a biography of the organizers. Inquiries regarding competitions should be addressed to the Competitions Chairs : Huanhuan Chen, University of Science and Technology of China, China <mailto:Huanhuan Chen. Competition Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Uof Science and Technology of China. China<hchen(a)ustc.edu.cn>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20Competitions%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> Jialin Liu, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China <mailto:Jialin Liu. Competition Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Southern UofS&T. Shenzhen. China<liujl(a)sustc.edu.cn>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20Competitions%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> Bill Buchanan, Edinburgh Napier University, UK <mailto:Bill Buchanan. Competition Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Edinburgh Napier U. UK<B.Buchanan(a)napier.ac.uk>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20Competitions%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> Christos Panayiotou, University of Cyprus, Cyprus <mailto:Christos Panayiotou. Competition Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Uof Cyprus. Cyprus<christospspamucy.ac.cy>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20Competitions%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> *Call for Workshops: * The 2020 IEEE WCCI invites proposals for workshops to be held in conjunction with the main event. The overall purpose of a workshop is to provide participants with the opportunity to present and discuss novel research ideas on active and emerging topics of Computational Intelligence. Topics of the proposed workshops should therefore be aligned with those set forth in the call for papers for the main event. Prospective workshop organizers are invited to submit their proposals to the Workshops Chairs below: Ali Minai, University of Cincinnati, USA <mailto:Ali Minai. Workshop Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Uof Cincinnati. USA<ali.minai(a)uc.edu>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20Workshops%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> Lipo Wang, National Technological University of Singapore <mailto:Lipo Wang. Workshop Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. National TechU. Singapore<elpwang(a)ntu.edu.sg>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20Workshops%20Inquiry&body=Add%20your%20[questions,%20comments],%20then%20send.> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Venue: * IEEE WCCI 2020 will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, UK - one of Europe's most dynamic cultural capitals and the "World's Friendliest City" [Rough Guide 2015]. Steeped in culture, rich in history and alive with an excitement you can sense as you walk through its elegant Victorian streets, squares, parks and gardens. The Conference will be held at the prestigious Scottish Event Campus (SEC) <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.sec.co.uk_&d=DwMFa…>, which was a key venue for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * IEEE WCCI 2020 General Co-Chairs * Amir Hussain <mailto:Amir Hussain. General Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Edinburgh Napier U. Scotland. UK<hussain.doctor(a)gmail.com>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20General%20Inquiry&body=If%20your%20[questions,%20comments]%20are%20related%20to%20the%20Calls%20above,%20or%20to%20the%20responsibilities%20of%20Organizing%20Committee%20as%20listed%20at%20https://www.ijcnn.org/organizing-committee%20,%20please%20contact%20the%20appropriate%20Chair%20directly.%20%20I%20would%20be%20happy%20to%20answer%20%20your%20other%20[questions,%20comments].%20%20Please%20add%20them%20below,%20then%20send.> Founding Head of the Cognitive Big Data and Cybersecurity (CogBiD) Research Lab, Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland, Marios Polycarpou <mailto:Marios Polycarpou. General Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Uof Cyprus<mpolycar(a)ucy.ac.cy>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20General%20Inquiry&body=If%20your%20[questions,%20comments]%20are%20related%20to%20the%20Calls%20above,%20or%20to%20the%20responsibilities%20of%20Organizing%20Committee%20as%20listed%20at%20https://www.ijcnn.org/organizing-committee%20,%20please%20contact%20the%20appropriate%20Chair%20directly.%20%20I%20would%20be%20happy%20to%20answer%20%20your%20other%20[questions,%20comments].%20%20Please%20add%20them%20below,%20then%20send.> Director of the KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus Xin Yao <mailto:Xin Yao. General Co-Chair. WCCI2020 Glasgow. Southern Uof S&T. China<x.yao(a)cs.bham.ac.uk>?subject=WCCI2020%20Glasgow,%20UK%20-%20General%20Inquiry&body=If%20your%20[questions,%20comments]%20are%20related%20to%20the%20Calls%20above,%20or%20to%20the%20responsibilities%20of%20Organizing%20Committee%20as%20listed%20at%20https://www.ijcnn.org/organizing-committee%20,%20please%20contact%20the%20appropriate%20Chair%20directly.%20%20I%20would%20be%20happy%20to%20answer%20%20your%20other%20[questions,%20comments].%20%20Please%20add%20them%20below,%20then%20send.> Chair, Dept of Computer Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science & Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China *********************************************** Professor Dr. Stefan Wermter Chair of Knowledge Technology Department of Computer Science University of Hamburg Vogt Koelln Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Email: wermter AT informatik.uni-hamburg.de http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~wermter/ http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/WTM/ ***********************************************

June 25, 2019

[meetings] Call for contributions: Workshop on "Role of movement-based active perception in navigation and its neurorobotic correlates" at SWARM 2019, Okinawa, Japan

by Danish Shaikh

Call for contributions ----------------------------- Workshop on "Role of movement-based active perception in navigation and its neurorobotic correlates" at SWARM 2019: The 3rd International Symposium on Swarm Behavior and Bio-Inspired Robotics, Okinawa, Japan Date: November 22, 2019 Location: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan Workshop url: https://arilab.unit.oist.jp/swarm2019/#ws Workshop overview ---------------------------- Active perception in animals involves executing behaviours that move sensory appendages (e.g. eyes, pinnae, antennae or whiskers) in space to increase flow of sensory stimuli as well as the sampled information content. This increased sampling can significantly improve the animal's understanding of its environment. In this context, perception (interpretation of sensory stimuli) and action (behaviours that move the sensory appendages) are tightly coupled. Several biological studies have identified the important role of movement-based active sensing for increasing sensory volumes and many robotic studies have investigated the principles underlying active perception in adaptive behaviour. Insects and rodents are very promising model organisms to study active perception, as they possess highly mobile sensory appendages, a wide variety of sensilla and a well-studied nervous system. The neurorobotic approach, i.e. developing robotic models of biological neural mechanisms, is well-suited for hypothesis-testing as it allows one to isolate and embed the neural mechanism of interest within an artificial body that can sense and act in the real world. This relieves scientists from the task of modelling the statistics of sensory stimuli, as the real world provides these statistics for free. This full day workshop brings together leading experts, from both biology and neurorobotics perspectives, to shed light on the principles underlying active antennal perception as well as its neural correlates and discuss the neurorobotic approach to modelling active perception. Learning outcomes: - Understanding the basic concepts and principles of active perception - Knowledge of neural correlates of active perception - Knowledge of embodied AI and the neurorobotic approach - Applying these concepts and knowledge in developing agents/robots that utilise actively moving antennae to execute navigation behaviours such as taxis The full-day workshop consists of: - Theory (lectures): Invited talks by experts from biology and neurorobotics, - Practice tutorial: Hypothesis-testing via neurorobots in simulated and/or real-world navigation tasks, - Discussion and future directions Submission guidelines ------------------------------ Contributions in the form of 1 page conf. style abstract on active perception. This includes both studies in biological organisms as well as in robots. All abstracts must be formatted in the SWARM conference style, templates for which can be found here - https://arilab.unit.oist.jp/swarm2019/#submission Selected contributions will be presented in a form of a poster during the workshop. We particularly encourage young scientists to contribute their research results (reporting early-stage research where results are not yet available is welcome as well). We also welcome live robot demonstrations on active perception models. Submissions have to be sent to danish[at]mmmi.sdu.dk (please replace [at] with @) in PDF format only. One author per accepted workshop contribution (poster and/or demo) is required to register for and attend the workshop to present the accepted abstract. Outstanding contributions might be selected for oral presentations. Relevant dates -------------------- Deadline for abstract submission: August 21, 2019 Anywhere on Earth time - https://time.is/Anywhere_on_Earth Notification of acceptance: September 21, 2019 Workshop: November 22, 2019 Tentative list of speakers ---------------------------------- - Einat Couzin-Fuchs (University of Konstanz, Germany) - Venkatesh N. Murthy (Harvard University, USA) - Danish Shaikh (University of Southern Denmark, Denmark) - Alejandro Pequeño Zurro (University of Southern Denmark, Denmark) Workshop organizers ----------------------------- Danish Shaikh Alejandro Pequeño Zurro Contact ----------- Danish Shaikh (danish[at]mmmi.sdu.dk) Assistant professor Embodied Systems for Robotics and Learning Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute University of Southern Denmark Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M Denmark Tel. (office): +45 6550 9526 www.sdu.dk

June 25, 2019

Computational Neuroscience PhD and Postdoc Positions, University of Calgary

by Wilten Nicola

The newly formed research group of Dr. Wilten Nicola, at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary invites applications for talented PhD and postdoctoral researchers commencing in the fall of 2019 or Winter of 2020. The Nicola lab is focused on the interplay between network connectivity, and dynamics in populations of spiking neurons.. We attack this problem using two general approaches: *Bottom Up*: Given a set of synaptic weights, what dynamics or phenomenon emerge in a network of neurons coupled by these weights? Potential methods*: Fokker-Planck systems, Mean-field approaches, Wilson-Cowan modelling. * *Top Down*: Given a desired dynamical system that a network should display, how should the individual neurons be coupled together such that the network displays these dynamics? *Potential methods: Inverse Problem Theory and Machine Learning approaches to training Recurrent Neural Networks.* *PhD Requirements:* An undergraduate/masters degree in Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Engineering, or other quantitative fields with a strong interest in neuroscience, or machine learning. *Postdoctoral Requirements*: A PhD in applied/pure mathematics, computational neuroscience, physics, or related quantitative fields. As part of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, an eagerness to collaborate with experimental researchers in the department is a must! Examples include Jaideep Bains, Cam Teskey, Stephanie Borgland, and Jonathan Epp. Calgary, Canada’s fastest growing major city, is vibrant and multicultural with a population of more than 1,000,000. Situated near the Rocky Mountains, Banff National Park and Lake Louise, Calgary offers great quality of life and outstanding recreational activities. *Interested candidates for the positions should submit, via email, a curriculum vitae, and a summary of research interests. PhD candidates should also submit undergraduate/masters transcripts. Postdoctoral candidates should submit reprints of (up to) their three most relevant publications by August 15th. Submit directly to * Dr Wilten Nicola Assistant Professor Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary Foothills Medical Center 1403 29th Street NW Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 2T9 Email: nicolacompneurolab(a)gmail.com *Applications will be considered until all positions are filled.*

June 23, 2019

Full-time and Internship positions at Apple

by Burak Yildiz

We have a full-time position and an internship position in Computational Neuroscience at Apple in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's a rare opportunity to do neuroscience research in industry! Please apply directly through Apple's website. - Computational Neuroscientist / Machine Learning Scientist (Full-time) https://jobs.apple.com/en-us/details/200071090/computational-neuroscientist… - Quantitative Systems Neuroscientist PhD Intern (6 months starting from September 2019) https://jobs.apple.com/en-us/details/200059097/quantitative-systems-neurosc… Burak Yildiz Sr. Research Scientist at Apple

June 23, 2019