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Save the Date! COMPLEX NETWORKS 2025 – December 9-11, Binghamton, New York, USA
by Hocine Cherifi Feb. 5, 2025

Feb. 5, 2025

The *14th International Conference on Complex Networks & Their Applications (COMPLEX NETWORKS 2025)* will take place in *Binghamton, New York, USA, from December 9 to 11, 2025*! This annual event brings together *leading researchers, practitioners, and industry experts* to discuss cutting-edge advances in *network science, graph machine learning, complex systems and computational social science*. *📌** Key Details* 📅 *Conference Dates:* December 9-11, 2025 🎓 *Tutorials:* December 8, 2025 📍 *Location:* Binghamton, New York, USA 📖 *Proceedings Published by Springer* Stay tuned! The *Call for Papers* will be officially launched soon, inviting submissions in *network science, graph learning, social networks, biological systems, smart cities, and more*. Mark your calendar, and don’t miss this exciting opportunity to share your research with the global community! 📩 *Want to stay updated?* visit https://complexnetworks.org/ Best regards, *COMPLEX NETWORKS 2025 Organizing Committee*

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CAJAL course on Neuroscience and AI, 14 Jul - 1 Aug, 2025, Lisbon
by Sinz, Fabian Feb. 4, 2025

Feb. 4, 2025

Dear colleagues, We are organizing a new CAJAL Course on Neuroscience and AI. The course is an exciting opportunity for early-career researchers interested in NeuroAI. This intensive course will provide participants with hands-on training in deep learning, computational modeling, and AI-driven approaches to neuroscience research. Participants will work with an exciting line-up of world-class faculty to explore how AI can help model and understand brain function and behavior. 📅 Course Dates: 14 July - 1 August 2025 📍 Location: Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal ⏳ Application Deadline: March 7th 2025 💡 Stipends are available 🔗 Apply here: https://form.jotform.com/Cajal_training/neuroai-2025-applications Course Directors: Fabian Sinz - Georg August University Göttingen, Germany Leyla Isik - Johns Hopkins University, USA Mariya Toneva - Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, Germany Srini Turaga - HHMI Janelia Research Campus, USA Faculty Include: Jacob Yates – UC Berkeley, USA Martin Schrimpf – EPFL, Switzerland Maria Eckstein – Google DeepMind, UK Patrick Mineault – Amaranth Foundation, USA Carsen Stringer – HHMI Janelia Research Campus, USA Chris Summerfield – Oxford University, UK John Krakauer – Champalimaud, Portugal Memming Park – Champalimaud, Portugal Andreas Tolias – Stanford, USA Jonathan Pillow – Princeton University, USA Shailee Jain – UC San Francisco, USA Through hands-on tutorials and project work, participants will gain expertise in: Deep learning for vision and language (CNNs, transformers) Reinforcement learning algorithms State space models for neural time series Machine learning for biophysical models of neuronal circuits Please share with anyone who might be interested! Thanks for helping us spread the word! On behalf of the organizers, — Fabian Sinz — Dr. Fabian Sinz Professor for Machine Learning, Göttingen University Adjunct Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine https://sinzlab.org/

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postdoc in energetics of cognition (U Montréal)
by Becket Ebitz Feb. 3, 2025

Feb. 3, 2025

The Noise lab (PI: Becket Ebitz) at the Université de Montréal is looking for postdoctoral research associates for a project focused on understanding the energetics of exploratory behavior in humans and rhesus macaques. The project is focused on identifying links between statistical measures of the dynamics of cognitive states and the metabolic demands of the brain and body. We know that a diversity of perspectives improves and invigorates our work and we encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and with all identities. *About the environment:* We are a systems/cognitive neuroscience lab working on decision-making and executive function. The lab is highly sociable, values kindness, cooperation, and a good work-life balance, and covers costs related to professional development, conference travel, computers and supplies, and eligible moving expenses. We prize collaboration and most projects in the lab are led by teams of students and postdocs who are excited about sharing their skills and expertise. More information about our research is available on our website (http://ebitzlab.com) and in our recent papers. The lab is located in the Department of Neurosciences at the Université de Montréal (UdeM) and part of a number of research centers, including the Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l’Apprentissage (CIRCA; Center for interdisciplinary research on the brain and learning) and Unifying Neuroscience-AI Quebec (UNIQUE). UdeM is one of the top research institutions in Canada and is especially well known for its work in data science, machine learning and AI (i.e. the world-renowned Mila Research Institute and IVADO, a $210 million Canada-First Research Excellence Fund program). The ideal candidate will be excited about building connections and collaborations across campus. *Position details:* Research projects in the lab involve behavioral and physiological experiments in humans, large-scale electrophysiology studies in the rhesus macaque, and computational modeling. We are open to candidates who are excited to focus on any and all of these techniques. This specific project is funded by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Its goal is to understand how and why high-stress, energetically-demanding environments compromise cognitive flexibility. The project will build on computational and experimental techniques we developed in the lab to measure the neural computations involved in cognitive flexibility and characterize their energetic costs in the brain and body. The ideal candidate(s) will be excited to take the lead on their project(s), coordinating with technical staff, other students and postdocs, the PI, and other collaborators for support as needed. There are opportunities for international collaboration, including in analyzing human intracranial recording data, patient behavioral and/or imaging data, and rodent fiber photometry data. The postdoctoral researcher will also have opportunities to mentor undergraduate and graduate students and to participate in professional development activities related to their long-term career goals. *Basic Qualifications:* - PhD expected or obtained in Neuroscience, Psychology, or Physiology, or computationally-intensive field (i.e. Math, Physics, or Engineering). - A record of academic productivity including several conference presentations and at least one manuscript in press. *Preferred Qualifications:* - Extensive programming experience (ideally with Matlab and/or Python). - Previous experience in collecting and analyzing neurophysiology data. - If working with NHPs, previous experience with NHPs or other large mammals. - Familiarity with dynamical systems theory, control theory, and/or linear algebra. - Solid written and oral communication skills in English. *How to Apply:* Please send a pdf of your CV to becket(a)ebitzlab.com. In your email, please describe 1) why you are interested in the position, and 2) your previous research. We will begin reviewing applications immediately and continue until the positions are filled. The start date is negotiable.

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Save the Date: International Artificial Intelligence Summer School – IAISS 2025, Sept 21-25, Riva del Sole Resort & SPA @ Tuscany * Early Registration: by 23 March *
by ICAS Organizing Committee Feb. 3, 2025

Feb. 3, 2025

* Apologies for multiple copies. Please forward to anybody who might be interested, thanks. * SAVE THE DATE: IAISS 2025 Early Registration: by 23 March #IAISS2025, A Residential Summer School in AI & Generative AI for Science and Engineering IAISS 2025 is a full-immersion 5-day Summer School in Tuscany on cutting-edge advances in AI and Generative AI with lectures delivered by world-renowned experts. Riva del Sole Resort & SPA @ Tuscany, Italy, Sept 21-25, 2025 https://2025.iaiss.cc iaiss(a)icas.cc EARLY REGISTRATION: by March 23 (AoE) https://2025.iaiss.cc/registration/ Oral Presentation Submission Deadline: by March 23 (AoE) Applicant *may* submit (during the Registration Process) a research abstract (max 2 pages; any format) for presentation. School directors and the scientific committee will review the abstracts and will recommend for poster and/or short talk. Abstract must be submitted by Sunday March 23, 2025 during the registration process. LECTURERS: Each Lecturer will hold up to four lectures on one or more research topics. Yuki Asano, University of Technology Nuremberg, Germany Pierre Baldi, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA Lucas Beyer, OpenAI, Zürich, Switzerland Wessel Bruinsma, Microsoft Research Amsterdam, The Netherlands Sam Buchanan, Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, USA Floris Geerts, University of Antwerp, Belgium Sven Giesselbach, Fraunhofer Institute - IAIS, Germany & Telecom Systems Chin-Wei Huang, Microsoft Amsterdam, The Netherlands Vicky Kalogeiton, École Polytechnique Paris, France Thomas Kipf, Google DeepMind, USA Yi Ma, University of California, Berkeley, USA Abigail See, Google DeepMind, London, UK Michal Valko, Meta Paris, France More Speakers TBA TUTORIAL SPEAKERS: Druv Pai, University of California, Berkeley, USA Yaodong Yu, University of California, Berkeley, USA Peng Wang, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA https://2025.iaiss.cc/lecturers/ https://2025.iaiss.cc/lectures/ VENUE: https://2025.iaiss.cc/venue/ Riva del Sole Resort & SPA Località Riva del Sole‚ Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto) CAP 58043‚ Tuscany‚ Italy p: +39-0564-928111 e: booking.events(a)rivadelsole.it w: https://www.rivadelsole.it/en/ REGISTRATION: https://2025.iaiss.cc/venue/ CERTIFICATE & 8 ECTS: The International Artificial Intelligence Summer School – IAISS 2025 is a full-immersion five-day Summer School at the Riva del Sole Resort & SPA (Castiglione della Pescaia – Grosseto – Tuscany, Italy) on cutting-edge advances in AI and Generative AI with lectures delivered by world-renowned experts. The Summer School provides a stimulating environment for PhD students, Post-Docs, junior academics (only up to assistant professors), early career researchers, and industry leaders (and highly motivated, promising and brilliant Master students / BSc students). Participants will also have the chance to present their results with talks, and to interact with their colleagues, in a convivial, professional and productive environment. PhD students, PostDocs, Industry Practitioners and Junior Academics (only up to assistant professors) will be typical profiles of the IAISS attendants. The Summer School will involve a total of 36–40 hours of lectures, according to the academic system the final achievement will be equivalent to 8 ECTS points for the PhD Students (and some strongly motivated Master Student – BSc Student) attending the Summer School. Language: English. To participate in the IAISS 2025, all attendants must (1/2) register for the school (by March 23, 2025) and (2/2) book accommodation at the school venue, “Riva del Sole Resort & SPA” (by July 23, 2025); all attendants must stay at the “Riva del Sole Resort & SPA”. Once accommodation has been booked at “Riva del Sole Resort & SPA“, the participant must send this information (including the Booking Number) to the IAISS organizing committee (iaiss(a)icas.cc) IAISS is a residential school, so all lecturers and participants must reside in the same Hotel (Riva del Sole Resort & SPA). No exceptions are made. For privacy reasons, the Hotel cannot match people. If you have someone to share the apartment with, please send to the Hotel ( booking.events(a)rivadelsole.it ) the name, surname and email address. Otherwise the solution is to book an apartment in single use. IAISS is organized as a non-profit scientific event. Please note that only IAISS registered participants can book a room (in hotel or apartment) at the Riva del Sole Resort & SPA with the accommodation form attached in the registration email and with the IAISS Discounted Rates. The Booking Office of the Riva del Sole Resort & SPA will verify the names of the participants and the corresponding registration number to confirm the booking. Anyone interested in participating in IAISS 2025 should register as soon as possible: https://2025.iaiss.cc/registration/ See you in Riva del Sole in September! IAISS 2025 Organizing Committees. https://2025.iaiss.cc iaiss(a)icas.cc Obviously, this is only a Call for Participation, to have complete and updated information we recommend you access the relevant website: https://2025.iaiss.cc the News Section: https://2025.iaiss.cc/category/news/ and the FAQ: https://2025.iaiss.cc/faq/ * Apologies for multiple copies. Please forward to anybody who might be interested, thanks * *8th Advanced Course on Data Science & Machine Learning - ACDL 2025, **9**-13 June*, Riva del Sole Resort & SPA, Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto) – Tuscany, Italy *An Interdisciplinary Residential Course: from Deep Learning to Generative Artificial Intelligence* *Early Registration: by February 23, 2025 (AoE)* https://acdl2025.icas.events/registration/ https://acdl2025.icas.events/ acdl(a)icas.cc The Course is equivalent to 8 ECTS points for the PhD Students and the Master Students attending the Course. *11th International Conference on Learning, Optimization and Data – LOD 2025, *21–24 September Riva del Sole Resort & SPA, Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto) Tuscany, Italy https://lod2025.icas.events/ lod(a)icas.cc *5th Advanced Course ** and Symposium **on Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience – ACAIN 2025,* 21–24 September Riva del Sole Resort & SPA, Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto) Tuscany, Italy https://acain2025.icas.events/ acain(a)icas.cc *Symposium **Author Registration Deadline: March 23 * *Course Early Registration Deadline: March 23* The Course is equivalent to 8 ECTS points for the PhD Students and the Master Students attending the Course. *ICAS - The Interdisciplinary Centre of Advanced Studies* *https://icas.cc/* <https://icas.cc/>

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PhD opportunity in Astrocyte-Neuron computational modelling- Deadline 24th Feb
by Flanagan, Bronac Feb. 3, 2025

Feb. 3, 2025

The Intelligent Systems Research Centre (ISRC) at Ulster University is advertising a funded PhD position for a project titled "Unlocking the Brain's Balance: Understanding Astrocyte Influence on Neural Communication Through Computer Modelling." This cutting-edge research project at Ulster University dives into one of the brain's most fascinating mechanisms: the conversation between brain cells that keeps our minds healthy and functioning. Our brains are incredibly complex networks where different types of cells work together in perfect harmony. At the centre of this research are astrocytes - star-shaped brain cells that act as the brain's supervisors. These cells manage a crucial molecule called GABA through a specialised transporter (GAT-3), which acts like a traffic controller for brain signals. When this system doesn't work properly, it can lead to various conditions that affect millions worldwide, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). What We'll Do Using advanced computer modelling, this project will create detailed models of how brain cells interact, study how GABA levels affect brain circuit behaviour and investigate how changes in this system might lead to neurological conditions. Throughout this PhD, you'll gain expertise in: * Computational neuroscience modelling * Biophysical modelling of cellular processes * Scientific programming and version control * Collaboration with experimental neuroscientists More details about this position are available at Unlocking the Brain's Balance: Understanding Astrocyte Influence on Neural Communication Through Computer Modelling<https://www.ulster.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/find-a-phd/11b-intelligent-systems…> For more information about the research environment at ISRC, visit About Intelligent Systems Research Centre<https://www.ulster.ac.uk/research/topic/computer-science/intelligent-system…> The PhD position is at Ulster University's Derry campus, one of the UK's top 10 research institutions. Recently named 'University of the Year 2024' by Times Higher Education, Ulster University is now the highest-ranked higher education institution in the UK and Ireland. The historic city of Derry, situated on the River Foyle in Northwest Northern Ireland, offers an ideal location between the Wild Atlantic Way and Causeway Coast. Its rich cultural heritage, vibrant atmosphere, and numerous family activities make it an excellent place to live. Please contact Bronac (b.flanagan(a)ulster.ac.uk<mailto:b.flanagan@ulster.ac.uk>) if you are interested or have questions. Should you receive this email outside of business hours, no reply is required until the next working day This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain information which is covered by legal, professional or other privilege. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager at postmaster(a)ulster.ac.uk and delete this email immediately. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ulster University. The University's computer systems may be monitored and communications carried out on them may be recorded to secure the effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes. Ulster University does not guarantee that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless expressly stated in the body of a separate attachment, the text of email is not intended to form a binding contract. Correspondence to and from the University may be subject to requests for disclosure by 3rd parties under relevant legislation. The Ulster University was founded by Royal Charter in 1984 and is registered with company number RC000726 and VAT registered number GB672390524.The primary contact address for Ulster University in Northern Ireland is Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry BT52 1SA

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World wide VVTNS series (fifth season): Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 11:00 am EST| Matthew Golub, University of Washington
by David Hansel Feb. 2, 2025

Feb. 2, 2025

[image: VVTNS.png] https://www.wwtns.online <https://streaklinks.com/A9c7PbbpKY7PxB6PaAJWGD3-/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wwtns.on…> - on twitter: wwtns@TheoreticalWide You are cordially invited to the lecture given by Matthew Golub University of Washington on the topic of Active learning of neural population dynamics The lecture will be held on zoom on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at *11:00 am EST * To receive the link: https://www.wwtns.online/register-page *Abstract: * Recent advances in techniques for monitoring and perturbing neural populations have greatly enhanced our ability to study circuits in the brain. In particular, two-photon holographic optogenetics now enables precise photostimulation of experimenter-specified groups of individual neurons, while simultaneous two-photon calcium imaging enables the measurement of ongoing and induced activity across the neural population. Despite the enormous space of potential photostimulation patterns and the time-consuming nature of photostimulation experiments, very little algorithmic work has been done to determine the most effective photostimulation patterns for identifying the neural population dynamics. Here, I will discuss ongoing development of active learning techniques to efficiently select which neurons to stimulate such that the resulting neural responses will best inform a dynamical model of the neural population activity. *About VVTNS : Launched as the World Wide Theoretical Neuroscience Seminar (WWTNS) in November 2020 and renamed in homage to Carl van Vreeswijk in Memoriam (April 20, 2022), Speakers have the occasion to talk about theoretical aspects of their work which cannot be discussed in a setting where the majority of the audience consists of experimentalists. The seminars, **held on Wednesdays at 11 am ET,** are 45-50 min long followed by a discussion. The talks are recorded with authorization of the speaker and are available to everybody on our YouTube channel.* ᐧ

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Konstanz School of Collective Behaviour 2025 ( Application open )
by Ahmed El Hady Jan. 31, 2025

Jan. 31, 2025

*Konstanz School of Collective Behaviour 2025* *Konstanz, Germany * *Deadline to apply: April 15th, 2025* ** The Konstanz School of Collective Behaviour (KSCB) <https://www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/kscb/about/> will take place between /21st July 2025 – 8th August 2025/ 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 cells, 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 (500 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. The submission of applications for the second Konstanz School of Collective Behaviour was open until April 15, 2025. We will inform you on May 15, 2025 whether your application was successful 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 2025 faculty : * ·Iain Couzin ( Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior , Konstanz) ·Peter Dayan ( Max Planck Institute of Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen) ·Ilya Nemenman ( Emory University , USA) ·Yonatan Loewenstein ( Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel) ·Aneta Koseska ( Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology of Behavior, Bonn) ·Francesco Ginelli ( Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Italy) ·Thejasvi Ravindra Beleyur ( Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz) ·Liang Li ( Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz) ·Giovanni Reinna ( University of Konstanz, Konstanz) ·Einat Couzin-Fuchs ( University of Konstanz, Konstanz ) ·Ofer Feinermann ( Weizmann Institute of Sciences, Israel) ·Naama Brenner ( Israel Institute of Technology, Israel) ·Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin ( Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior , Konstanz) ·Wataru Toyokawa (Riken Center for Brain Science in Tokyo). ·Raphaela Heesen ( University of Konstanz, Konstanz) ·Caroline Schuppli ( Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior , Konstanz) *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 Dr. Ahmed El Hady Principal Investigator Cluster for Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz Room ZT 907 Postbox 687 Tel.: +49 7531 88-4742

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Bio-inspired deep learning workshop
by Maximilian Eggl Jan. 31, 2025

Jan. 31, 2025

Hey everyone, We are pleased to announce a workshop on bio-inspired deep learning led by Dr. Angus Chadwick (link to his website can be seen here <https://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/achadwic/>) from the University of Edinburgh and funded by the support of the Joachim Herz Foundation. Accommodation, meals and venue are funded by the foundation and the participants only need to cover their travel cost. The workshop will take place from the 22nd to the 25th of April, 2025, near Mainz. This workshop will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to learn from one of the leading experts in the field and explore the intersection of mathematical modelling, machine learning, and data analysis to understand how the brain works. We believe this workshop will be of great interest to those interested in acquiring dimensionality reduction tools to analyze large-scale, time-varying systems. Biological insights as well as machine learning skills are key and therefore we would encourage applications from doctoral candidates/postdocs from both biological and computational fields. More information on the workshop and a link to the application can be found in the attached flyer (which can also be found here <https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/347ns89xrsrkypb5n6s7q/Workshop_Flyer.pdf?rlk…>). You can also directly access the application <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_BDJdIJd8qLDDBCaCAMIStqit-FEKwE0…>here <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_BDJdIJd8qLDDBCaCAMIStqit-FEKwE0…>. The deadline for the application is the 21st of February at 12:00 (CET). If you have any questions or are interested in attending this workshop, please do not hesitate to contact either Max at maximilianfeggl(a)gmail.com <mailto:maximilianfeggl@gmail.com>, Laura at bernaez.laura(a)gmail.com <mailto:bernaez.laura@gmail.coms> or Janko at petkojan(a)uni-bonn.de <mailto:petkojan@uni-bonn.de> I would also be grateful if you could forward this to anyone you think would be interested and advertise it in your institutions. We look forward to seeing you there! Sincerely, Laura, Max & Janko

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MODVIS 2025 - Call for Papers
by Tim Oleskiw Jan. 30, 2025

Jan. 30, 2025

The 2025 VSS satellite workshop on computational and mathematical models in vision (MODVIS) will be held May 14-15 in St. Pete Beach FL, the two days immediately preceding the main meeting (which now starts Friday morning, instead of the traditional Friday afternoon). The program consists of contributed oral presentations, which are longer and more interactive than a regular VSS talk, and the schedule is designed to provide many opportunities for discussions during coffee breaks and a generous lunch break. The workshop will conclude on Thursday with a keynote lecture given by James Elder (York University). Each presenter may publish a 1-page PDF extended abstract of their presentation, on the Purdue ePubs system. The abstracts from previous workshops can be viewed here <https://www.purdue.edu/conferences/events/modvis/program.php>. The deadline for submissions is March 1st, but authors may revise their abstracts up until publication by Purdue, typically in the week before the workshop. Discounted registration is available until March 31st, with a deeply discounted rate for students and retirees. Registration fees support refreshments and A/V services; it is not necessary to register for VSS or to be a VSS member to attend MODVIS. For complete details, please refer to the the workshop website:https://www.purdue.edu/conferences/events/modvis/ On behalf of the MODVIS organizing committee, Tim Oleskiw Assistant Professor University of Regina -- *Timothy D. Oleskiw, PhD* Assistant Professor, CS *E *oleskiw(a)uregina.ca *P *(306) 337 3109 *A *RIC 320, 3737 Wascana Pkw.

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WiMR 2025 - deadline approaching
by Vinita Samarasinghe Jan. 29, 2025

Jan. 29, 2025

The deadline for the Women in Memory Research program is approaching. Please pass this information on to anyone whom you think might be interested in pursuing a PhD in the field. The*deadline *is*February 15th 2025. * *Women in Memory Research 2025* The research unit “Constructing scenarios of the past” seeks to promote women in memory research. The program WiMR 2025 is made possible through a grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and collaboration with the Ruhr University Bochum. Come and learn what an academic career looks likeand discover its advantages. During your week at the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB)you will participate in GEM 2025 where you will hear about the latest research in generative episodic memory, be given the opportunityto present your research and meet with female scientists from the field. Before and after GEM you'll be introduced to Bochum, the RUB and the FOR 2812 labs <https://for2812.rub.de/projects/>. Our participating senior scientists include: Ali Boyle, London School of Economics; Iris Engelhard, Utrecht University; Xenia Kobeleva, Ruhr U. Bochum; Sabine Seehagen, Ruhr U. Bochum; Kristina Liefke, Ruhr University Bochum. Sounds exciting? *Who can apply:* Womenmasters students in their final year of study and recently graduated masters students who are looking into an academic career in the area of memory research/neuroscience. Applicants must have excellent grades and be able to communicate in English. Selection of participants is competitive. We only have 12 spots! *How to apply:* Send your application including a one page letter of motivation, a current CV, masters transcripts and a letter of recommendation from one of your professors. Your application should be sent, as a single PDF document, to Vinita Samarasinghe @ for2812+gem(a)rub.de <mailto:for2812@rub.de> by February 15, 2025 with the subject line "WiMR - application". If you need child care or any other support please note this in your application. Applications will be evaluated and ranked after the deadline has passed and notifications will be sent out by 28.02.2025. If you accept, you must register for GEM 2025. *What to expect from us:* We will provide bed and breakfast (single occupancy), cover travel costs (restrictions apply) and provide some meals. The program is offered in English. *What we expect from you:* You are present for all of the program and that you present your current research in the form of a poster at GEM 2025. *Tentative program: * 02.06.2025 AM Welcome to Bochum PM GEM 2025 03.06.2025 GEM 2025 04.06.2025 AM GEM 2025 PM Fireside chat with senior memory researchers 05.06.2025 Lab visits 06.06.2025 Workshop *Questions? * Visit our website at https://for2812.rub.de/wimr2025 for more information. Please feel free to get in touch with Vinita Samarasinghe (for2812(a)rub.de <mailto:for2812@rub.de>) if you have any questions. -- Vinita Samarasinghe M.Sc., M.A. Science Manager Arbeitsgruppe Computational Neuroscience Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, NB 3/73 Postfachnummer 110 Universitätstr. 150 D-44801 Bochum Tel: +49 (0)234 32 27996 Email:samarasinghe@ini.rub.de

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6th International Conference on Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI (Split, Croatia, 27-30 May 2025)
by Battleday, Ruairidh Jan. 29, 2025

Jan. 29, 2025

We are delighted to announce the 6th International Conference on the Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI, to be held in the National Theatre, Split, Croatia, 27-30th May 2025: www.neuromonster.org In this high-profile conference we examine computational accounts of the brain and mind. We then take findings and theory back into the creation of robust, generalizable, and scalable AI. We hear from leading researchers over four days, spanning biocomputation, neural theory, cognitive science, and machine learning & artificial intelligence (AI). Each day will have keynotes, invited speakers, a poster session, and 6 spotlight talks invited from abstract submissions. Abstract submissions and early bird registration are open (see below). The first 100 tickets can get an extra 20% off using discount code SUPEREARLYNM25. Keynote Speakers Professor Jay McClelland (Stanford & DeepMind) Professor Wolfgang Maass (Graz) Professor Christine Constantinople (NYU) Professor Jakob Foerster (Oxford & Meta) Dr Ida Momennejad (Microsoft) Session Chairs Dr Valeria Fascianelli (Columbia; Biocomputation) Dr Francesca Mignacco (NYU & Princeton; Biocomputation) Yasmine Ayman (Harvard; Neural theory) Dr James Whittington (Oxford & Stanford; Neural theory) Professor Bill Thompson (UC Berkeley; Cognitive science) Dr Maria Eckstein (DeepMind; Cognitive science) Mikey Lepori (Brown & DeepMind; Machine learning & AI) Professor Ilia Sucholutsky (NYU; Machine learning & AI) Location The conference will be held at Croatia’s National Theatre in Split, 10 minutes walk from the ancient harbour. Split is served by two nearby international airports (Split and Dubrovnik) with low-price carriers as well as several ferry lines from the wider Mediterranean. Submissions The submission format is an abstract of 250 words, and we invite submissions for each session via the following Google form: https://forms.gle/a9JDH5B4Z5otS69Y7 These will be accepted for poster, with the best 6 papers in each session category given an additional spotlight talk. Submission deadline is 2nd March AOE. Super-early bird tickets A limited number of early-bird registrations have been posted on our website! Normal registration will follow after the submission deadline. The first 100 tickets can get an extra 20% off using discount code SUPEREARLYNM25. Come and join the fun! Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday (Harvard & MIT) Dr James Whittington (Oxford & Stanford) Dr Ivana Kajic (DeepMind) Professor Dan V. Nicolau Jr (Kings College London) The Organizing Committee. -- Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday BMBCh (Oxon) PhD President Thinking About Thinking, Inc <https://thinkingaboutthinking.org> Postdoctoral Research Fellow Center for Brain Science, Harvard University Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT

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Summer Workshop on the Dynamic Brain -- applications due Feb 1st, 2025
by Eric Shea-Brown Jan. 27, 2025

Jan. 27, 2025

Please apply to come join us at the Summer Workshop on the Dynamic Brain, co-organized by the Allen Institute and the University of Washington’s Computational Neuroscience Center. The course takes place at Friday Harbor Laboratory in the beautiful San Juan Islands. This 2-week residential program is intended for researchers at the PhD student and postdoctoral level with an interest in developing and expressing their computational skillsets. This is done through workshops, lectures, and hands on, mentored projects using exciting and large-scale neurophysiology, population dynamics, behavior, and connectivity datasets. Additional info and application link can be found on the SWDB website. <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://alleninstitute.org/events/summer-worksh…>

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Calling for Applications: WBAI Incentive Award—Supporting Your Challenge in Brain-Inspired AGI
by 山川宏 Jan. 27, 2025

Jan. 27, 2025

Dear all, The Whole Brain Architecture Initiative (WBAI) is delighted to announce that we welcome candidates for our annual WBAI Incentive Award. This award is dedicated to supporting whole brain architecture research. https://wba-initiative.org/en/25135/ ### About the Award The WBAI Incentive Award honors individuals or teams who have contributed outstandingly to developing brain-inspired artificial general intelligence (AGI). Past awardees have pushed the boundaries of AI technology and its applications, leading to significant breakthroughs. Examples of Previous Awardees - David Rawlinson (2024 Award) Explored neural architectures based on biological approaches. - Sun Yuwei (2023 Award) Developed algorithms leveraging global workspace theory. - Matthew Crosby & Benjamin Beyret (2020 Award) Created virtual environments to evaluate animal intelligence, fostering worldwide research collaboration. See more past awardees here ( https://wba-initiative.org/en/wbaiia_awardees/ ). Who knows—you could be the next to shine! ### Application Details - Eligibility Individuals, teams, or organizations (no age or affiliation restrictions) - Basis for Selection Research and development achievements from the past five years (up to the end of 2024), including research papers, datasets, software, etc. - Application Period February 1, 2025 – April 30, 2025 - Prize A certificate and a monetary award of 50,000 JPY ### How to Apply Submit your application via the form below: https://gogl.to/3Kyb Additional materials may be requested if necessary. ### Award Ceremony The award ceremony will be held at the 10th Whole Brain Architecture Symposium, scheduled for summer or fall 2025. ### Be Part of Creating the Future Your research could be the key to advancing brain-inspired AI technology. Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your work and contribute to shaping the future of AI. --- Whole Brain Architecture Initiative (WBAI) Chairperson: Hiroshi Yamakawa

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[Call for Participation] The 2nd International Whole Brain Architecture Workshop (Feb 24th AM (JST) ) [Hybrid]
by ymkw＠wba-initiative.org Jan. 27, 2025

Jan. 27, 2025

Dear, all, This is Hiroshi Yamakawa from the Whole Brain Architecture Initiative (WBAI), a specified non-profit organization. We are pleased to announce that, as detailed below, we will be holding "The 2nd International Whole Brain Architecture Workshop. " This workshop is a key activity of WBAI to develop human-brain-inspired artificial intelligence. Specifically, we aim to share and utilize Brain Reference Architecture (BRA) data and related data papers, which serve as standardized design specifications for human brain-inspired AI. This workshop will allow researchers and experts from various fields, including neuroscience, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence, who work toward understanding and mimicking brain computational functions to share and utilize such data. This workshop will be held during the first Hackathon of the Transformative Research Area (A), "Biology of Behavior Change." We look forward to your participation. 【Event Details】 Date & Time: Monday, February 24, 2025, 9:00-12:00 (JST) Format: Hybrid (General participants are limited to online participation.) (On-site venue: Tokyo Nihonbashi Life Science Hub 8F LSH-D Meeting Room) Language: English Participation Fee: Free 【How to Register】 For general participation (online), please fill out the registration form via the link below: https://gogl.to/3KLz *Registered participants will receive Zoom meeting registration information (URL) the day before and on the event day. 【Organization】 Organizer: The Whole Brain Architecture Initiative (NPO) Supported by: Transformative Research Areas (A) "Biology of Behavior Change" Executed by: The WBA Event Operations Group Program Chair: Yoshimasa Tawatsuji Executive Chair: Hiroshi Yamakawa 【Detailed Information】 For more information, visit https://wba-initiative.org/24521/ If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at: bra-support(a)wba-initiative.org Best regards, Hiroshi Yamakawa Chairperson The Whole Brain Architecture Initiative

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Announcing Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course 2025 (OCNC 2025)
by Erik De Schutter Jan. 27, 2025

Jan. 27, 2025

The aim of the Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course is to provide opportunities for young researchers with theoretical backgrounds to learn the latest advances in neuroscience, and for those with experimental backgrounds to have hands-on experience in computational modeling. We invite graduate students and postgraduate researchers to participate in the course, held from June 23th through July 10th, 2025 at an oceanfront seminar house of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. Applications are through the course web page (https://www.oist.jp/conference/ocnc-2025) only; January 1 - January 31, 2025. Applicants will receive confirmation of acceptance end of March. Like in preceding years, the 2025 OCNC will be a comprehensive three-week course covering single neurons, networks, and behaviors with ample time for student projects. The first week will focus exclusively on methods with hands-on tutorials during the afternoons, while the second and third weeks will have lectures by international and local experts. The course has a strong hands-on component based on student proposed modeling or data analysis projects, which are further refined with the help of a dedicated tutor. Applicants are required to propose their project at the time of application. For the first time we charge a modest tuition fee of 60,000JPY. The sponsor will provide lodging and meals during the course. We hope that this course will be a good opportunity for theoretical and experimental neuroscientists to meet each other and to explore the attractive nature and culture of Okinawa, the southernmost island prefecture of Japan. Lecturers: Erik De Schutter (OIST) Kenji Doya (OIST) Tomoki Fukai (OIST) Yukiko Goda (OIST) Bernd Kuhn (OIST) Alexander Mathis (EPFL, Switzerland) Mackenzie Mathis (EPFL, Switzerland) Lucy Palmer (University of Melbourne, Australia) Gerald Pao (OIST) Padmini Rangamani (University of California, San Diego, USA) Sam Reiter (OIST) Yu Takagi (National Institute of Informatics) Kazumasa Tanaka (OIST) Tim Vogels (IST Austria) Jeff Wickens (OIST)

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ICANN 2025 - Call for Papers, Special Sessions, Workshops and Tutorials
by Sebastian Otte Jan. 26, 2025

Jan. 26, 2025

=============================================================================== ICANN 2025 - CALL FOR PAPERS, SPECIAL SESSIONS, WORKHOPS AND TUTORIALS =============================================================================== The 34th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks ICANN 2025 is one of the premier conferences in the field of artificial intelligence, neural networks, neuroscience and brain-inspired computing in Europe, organized in collaboration with the European Neural Network Society ENNS. In 2025, the ICANN will take place in Kaunas, Lithuania. Conference Dates: September 9 to September 12, 2025 Conference Venue: Campus of Vytautas Magnus University and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania Conference Webpage: https://e-nns.org/icann2025/ General co-Chairs: Yoshua Bengio (Université de Montréal, Canada) Viktor Jirsa (Aix-Marseille Université, France; EBRAINS) Ausra Saudargiene (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences/Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Linas Petkevičius (Vilnius University, Artificial intelligence Association of Lithuania, Lithuania) Prof. Yoshua Bengio is a Turing Award laureate and is globally recognized as a pioneer of deep learning and artificial neural networks, driving groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence. Prof. Viktor Jirsa is renowned for his work in theoretical neuroscience and Virtual Brain Twins, serving as Chief Science Officer of EBRAINS, Europe’s research infrastructure in digital neuroscience. With the exceptional leadership and expertise of the Chairs, ICANN 2025 promises to be a transformative event with the dual track of Artificial Intelligence & Deep Learning and Neuroscience. The ICANN attracts a global audience of researchers, practitioners & industry experts and provides a forum for the presentation of cutting-edge research papers and invited keynote talks by leading experts. It includes workshops and tutorials, as well as engaging demo sessions. In 2025, ICANN will continue its proud tradition of being a dynamic and interactive conference, fostering collaboration across academia and industry. =============================================================================== 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, Machine Learning for Graphs, Graph Neural Networks, Clustering, Reinforcement Learning, New Topics in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Neurorobotics Neuroscience: Cognitive and Theoretical/Computational Neuroscience, Brain-Inspired Computing, Neuromorphic Systems, Digital Twins and Virtual Brain models Applications: Human-Computer Interaction, Biosignal Processing, Medicine and Physiology, Speech and Language Processing, Computer Vision, Robotics, Climate and Environment, General Applications of Machine Learning Call for Papers Authors willing to present original contributions in either the oral or poster category are invited to submit: - A full paper of 6-12 pages (including references) to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series with individual DOI. - An extended abstract of maximum 2 pages to be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series, without individual indexing. Papers will undergo rigorous peer review; the Program Committee will make the final decision on which papers will be included in the conference program. Selected papers will be assigned to oral sessions (15 minutes presentation + 5 minutes questions) and poster sessions, depending on the number 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. 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/icann2025/submission The ICANN 2025 will be an in-person conference. At least one co-author of each paper must physically attend the conference in Kaunas to present the work. Call for Special Sessions, Workshops and Tutorials We invite prospective organizers to submit Special Sessions, Workshops and Tutorials. For details and updates, as well as for the final list of workshops and special sessions, please check: https://e-nns.org/icann2025/call-for-papers-2/call-for-workshops-and-specia… KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Emmanuel Bengio (Valence Labs/Recursion, Canada) Viktor Jirsa (Aix-Marseille Université, France; EBRAINS) Christiane Woopen (University of Bonn, Germany) Oher keynote speakers to be announced. CONFIRMED TUTORIALS Dr. Emmanuael Bengio will give a Tutorial on GflowNets. Prof. Viktor Jirsa and his team will provide a Tutorial on The Virtual Brain, an open-source neuroscience platform designed to simulate and model personalised human brain models. CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Program Chairs Walter Senn (University of Bern, Switzerland) Ausra Saudargiene (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences/Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Alessio Micheli (University of Pisa, Italy) Marcello Sanguineti (University of Genova, Italy) Igor Tetko (Helmholtz Munich, Germany) Alessandro Villa (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) Communication Chairs Sebastian Otte (University of Lübeck, Germany) Jurgita Kapociute-Dzikiene (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Honorary Chairs Vera Kurkova (Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague) Alessandro Villa (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) Stefan Wermter (University of Hamburg, Germany) Local Organizing Committee Ausra Saudargiene (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences/Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Linas Petkevičius (Vilnius University, Artificial intelligence Association of Lithuania, Lithuania) Jurgita Kapociute-Dzikiene (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Workshop, Tutorials and Special Session Chairs Povilas Daniusis (Neurotechnology/Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania) Dalius Matuzevičius (VilniusTech) Sponsorship Chair Dalia Breskuvienė (Vilnius University) Diversity & Inclusion Chair Kamilė Dementavičiūtė (Vinted) Steering Committee Stefan Wermter (University of Hamburg, Germany) Angelo Cangelosi (University of Manchester, UK) Igor Farkaš (Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Chrisina Jayne (Teesside University, UK) Matthias Kerzel (University of Hamburg, Germany) Alessandra Lintas (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) Kristína Malinovská (Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia) Jaakko Peltonen (Tampere University, Finland) Brigitte Quenet (ESPCI Paris, France) Roseli Wedemann (Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil) Sebastian Otte (University of Lübeck, Germany) IMPORTANT DATES - Opening of submission portal: 15 February 2025 - Deadline for full paper and abstract submission: 15 March 2025 - Final notification of Acceptance or Rejection: 15 May 2025 - Camera-ready paper upload and author registration: 1 June 2025 For questions, please contact: icann-2025-program-committee(a)googlegroups.com Link to this call: https://e-nns.org/icann2025/call-for-papers

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World Wide VVTNS series (fifth season): Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 11:00 am EST| Hadas Benisty, Technion, Haifa
by David Hansel Jan. 26, 2025

Jan. 26, 2025

[image: VVTNS.png] https://www.wwtns.online <https://streaklinks.com/A9c7PbbpKY7PxB6PaAJWGD3-/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wwtns.on…> - on twitter: wwtns@TheoreticalWide You are cordially invited to the lecture given by Hadas Benisty Technion, Haifa on the topic of A Geometric Approach for the Study of Functional Connectivity Dynamics The lecture will be held on zoom on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at *11:00 am EST * To receive the link: https://www.wwtns.online/register-page *Abstract: * Functional connectivity has been the focus of many research groups aiming to study the interaction between cells and brain regions. A standard method for analyzing connectivity is to statistically compare pairwise interactions between cells or brain regions across behavioral states or conditions. This methodology ignores the intrinsic properties of functional connectivity as a multivariate and dynamic signal, expressing the correlational configuration of the network. In this talk, I will present a geometric approach, combining Graph Theory and Riemannian Geometry to build "a graph of graphs" and extract the latent dynamics of the overall correlational structure. Using this approach, we formulate the statistical relations between network dynamics and spontaneous behavior as a second-order Taylor’s expansion. Our analysis shows that fast fluctuations in functional connectivity of large-scale cortical networks are closely linked to variations in behavioral metrics related to the arousal state. We further expand this methodology to longer time scales to study the effect of dopamine on network dynamics in the primary motor cortex (M1) during learning. We developed a series of analysis methods indicating that as animals learn to perform a motor task, the network of pyramidal neurons in layer 2-3 gradually and monotonically reorganizes toward an "expert" configuration. Our results highlight the critical role of dopamine in driving synaptic plasticity: Blocking dopaminergic neurotransmission locally in M1 prevented motor learning at the behavioral level and concomitantly halted plasticity changes in network activity and in functional connectivity. *About VVTNS : Launched as the World Wide Theoretical Neuroscience Seminar (WWTNS) in November 2020 and renamed in homage to Carl van Vreeswijk in Memoriam (April 20, 2022), Speakers have the occasion to talk about theoretical aspects of their work which cannot be discussed in a setting where the majority of the audience consists of experimentalists. The seminars, **held on Wednesdays at 11 am ET,** are 45-50 min long followed by a discussion. The talks are recorded with authorization of the speaker and are available to everybody on our YouTube channel.* ᐧ ᐧ

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Save the date: UK Neural Computation meeting July 8-10th, Sheffield
by Mark Humphries Jan. 24, 2025

Jan. 24, 2025

Save the date! The UK Neural Computation meeting is in Sheffield for 2024, the gathering of the UK’s computational and systems neuroscience community 8 July: ECR day 9-10 July: main meeting 11 invited speakers, 4 talks from abstracts and loads of posters Abstract submission and registration opening soon Please spread the word! More details: https://neuralcomputation.uk/ Enquiries: uknc24(a)sheffield.ac.uk<mailto:uknc24@sheffield.ac.uk> Organisers Hannes Saal (Sheffield) Stuart Wilson (Sheffield) Mark Humphries (Nottingham) 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.

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[CFP] ICLR 2025 workshop I Can't Believe It's Not Better: Challenges in Applied Deep Learning
by Jennifer Williams Jan. 23, 2025

Jan. 23, 2025

*ICLR 2025 <https://iclr.cc/> Workshop: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better: Challenges in Applied Deep Learning* *Call for Papers: *This workshop focuses on negative results, failed experiments, and unexpected challenges encountered when applying deep learning to real-world problems across industry and science. By openly sharing these hurdles, we aim to advance the field through transparency, foster learning, and prevent repeated missteps. *We welcome submissions* that apply deep learning to various domains including, but not limited to, neuroscience, healthcare, psychology and feature: 1. A real-world use case where deep learning was applied. 2. An existing deep learning solution proposed in the literature. 3. An observed negative or unexpected outcome. 4. An analysis of why the approach did not work as anticipated. Possible reasons may include data issues, model assumptions, interpretability gaps, scalability challenges, or deployment constraints. Submissions will be evaluated based on rigor, novelty, clarity, reproducibility, and the depth of their insights. *Key Dates:* • Submission Deadline: February 3, 2025 (11:59 pm AOE) • Acceptance Notification: March 5, 2025 • Workshop: April 27 or 28, 2025 Accepted papers will appear on OpenReview and the workshop website, with the option for inclusion in PMLR proceedings <https://proceedings.mlr.press/>. We will also nominate outstanding submissions for spotlight talks and two awards: the “Entropic Award” for the most surprising negative result and the “Didactic Award” for the most pedagogically valuable paper. For more information on our past workshops, the ICBINB initiative, and submission details, please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/icbinb-2025/call-for-papers We look forward to your contributions! Sincerely, The I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better Organizing Team

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EPSRC PhD scholarships at the University of Sussex
by James Bennett Jan. 21, 2025

Jan. 21, 2025

The University of Sussex invites applications for 10 PhD scholarships funded by the EPSRC for an autumn 2025 start. We are offering a wide range of cross-disciplinary research projects and research themes, many of which have a computational neuroscience and/or neuroAI focus, and are led by faculty across the university, including members of Sussex AI <https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/ai-research-group/>, the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science <https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/sussex-centre-for-consciousness-s…>, and Sussex Neuroscience <https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/sussex-neuroscience/>. Studentships include: - 3.5 years of funding with a tax free living allowance at the standard Research Council rate – currently £19,237 in 2024-5 – and international or UK PhD fees. - An option of 3 months of additional funding to cover a placement outside academia. - Funding for training and research expenses, such as conference trips and experimental costs. - Supervision by world-leading researchers. - Our Entrepreneurship Summer School and Responsible Research and Innovation workshops, tailored to the needs of engineering and physical sciences researchers. - Our Researcher Development workshops and access to taught modules relevant to your project. A brochure of research projects/themes offered by our faculty is available here: Sussex EPSRC Brochure 2025-26 <https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/downloads/funding/awards/1818/Sussex%20EPSRC…> For more information on how to apply, follow this link: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/phd-funding/view/1818-EPSRC-Sci… Dr. James Bennett Assistant Professor in Computer Science and AI Dept. Informatics University of Sussex Sussex AI <https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/ai-research-group/>, Sussex Neuroscience <https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/sussex-neuroscience/>

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World wide VVTNS series (fifth season): Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 11:00 am EST| Srdjan Ostojic, Ecole normale supérieure, Paris
by David Hansel Jan. 19, 2025

Jan. 19, 2025

[image: VVTNS.png] https://www.wwtns.online <https://streaklinks.com/A9c7PbbpKY7PxB6PaAJWGD3-/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wwtns.on…> - on twitter: wwtns@TheoreticalWide You are cordially invited to the lecture given by Srdjan Ostojic Ecole normale supérieure, Paris on the topic of Structured Excitatory-Inhibitory Networks: a low-rank approach The lecture will be held on zoom on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at *11:00 am EST * To receive the zoom link: https://www.wwtns.online/register-page *Abstract: * Networks of excitatory and inhibitory (EI) neurons form a canonical circuit in the brain. Classical theoretical analyses of dynamics in EI networks have revealed key principles such as EI balance or paradoxical responses to external inputs. These seminal results assume that synaptic strengths depend on the type of neurons they connect but are otherwise statistically independent. However, recent synaptic physiology datasets have uncovered connectivity patterns that deviate significantly from independent connection models. Simultaneously, studies of task-trained recurrent networks have emphasized the role of connectivity structure in implementing neural computations. Despite these findings, integrating detailed connectivity structures into mean-field theories of EI networks remains a substantial challenge. In this talk, I will outline a theoretical approach to understanding dynamics in structured EI networks by employing a low-rank approximation based on an analytical computation of the dominant eigenvalues of the full connectivity matrix. I will illustrate this approach by investigating the effects of pair-wise connectivity motifs on linear dynamics in EI networks. Specifically, I will present recent results demonstrating that an over-representation of chain motifs induces a strong positive eigenvalue in inhibition-dominated networks, generating a potential instability that challenges classical EI balance criteria. Furthermore, by examining the effects of external input, we found that chain motifs can, on their own, induce paradoxical responses, wherein an increased input to inhibitory neurons leads to a counterintuitive decrease in their activity through recurrent feedback mechanisms. Altogether, our theoretical approach opens new avenues for relating recorded connectivity structures with dynamics and computations in biological networks. *About VVTNS : Launched as the World Wide Theoretical Neuroscience Seminar (WWTNS) in November 2020 and renamed in homage to Carl van Vreeswijk in Memoriam (April 20, 2022), Speakers have the occasion to talk about theoretical aspects of their work which cannot be discussed in a setting where the majority of the audience consists of experimentalists. The seminars, **held on Wednesdays at 11 am ET,** are 45-50 min long followed by a discussion. The talks are recorded with authorization of the speaker and are available to everybody on our YouTube channel.* ᐧ ᐧ

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Save the date: NEST Conference 2025 will take place 17–18 June (online)
by Hans Ekkehard Plesser Jan. 16, 2025

Jan. 16, 2025

Dear Colleagues, The NEST Initiative is excited to invite everyone interested in neural simulation technology, simulation-based neuroscience and NEST Software to the NEST Conference 2025. Save the date for the virtual conference, taking place online on 17–18 June 2025! The annual NEST Conference provides an opportunity for the NEST Community to meet, exchange success stories, swap advice, learn about current developments in and around NEST spiking network simulation and its application. We particularly encourage young scientists to participate in the conference! Registration and abstract submission will open soon. For more information on the event please visit the conference website https://nest-simulator.org/conference We are looking forward to seeing you in June! Hans Ekkehard Plesser on behalf of the conference organizing committee -- Prof. Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser Research Committee Chair, Faculty of Science and Technology Head, Department of Data Science Department of Data Science Faculty of Science and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no<mailto:hans.ekkehard.plesser@nmbu.no> Home http://arken.nmbu.no/~plesser

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[Call for Abstract]: Workshop AI and Ethics of Care (5 February 2025, University of Porto)
by steven gouveia Jan. 16, 2025

Jan. 16, 2025

Workshop AI and Ethics of Care 5 February 2025 | Sala de Reuniões 1 Keynote Speakers [Picture] Silvia Dadà is a post-doctoral researcher in Moral Philosophy and Bioethics at the University of Pisa. She is a research member in the PNRR project FAIR (Future Artificial Intelligence Research). Her current areas of interest include ethics of care, bioethics, and ethics of AI. Her most recent book is Etica della vulnerabilità (2022: Morcelliana). [Picture] Ângelo Milhano holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Évora, where he is now a Visiting Professor. He is a researcher in Philosophy of Technology at Praxis: Centre for Philosophy, Politics and Culture. Ângelo has focused his research on digital technologies, focusing on how their various materializations are able to influence human beings and their way of thinking about the world. ________________________________ [Call for Abstracts] The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies raises urgent ethical questions about their development, deployment, and societal impact. While traditional AI ethics often emphasizes fairness, transparency, and accountability, the Ethics of Care introduces a relational perspective, focusing on empathy, compassion, and the interdependence of individuals and communities. This workshop aims to explore how the Ethics of Care can reshape the trajectory of AI development, fostering technologies that prioritize human well-being and relational responsibility. We invite researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and activists to submit abstracts addressing the intersection of AI and the Ethics of Care. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: * Philosophical Foundations: Theoretical explorations of the Ethics of Care as a framework for AI ethics. * Relational AI Design: Designing AI systems that prioritize relationships, empathy, and contextual understanding. * AI in Care Contexts: The role of AI in healthcare, eldercare, and caregiving, with a focus on enhancing rather than replacing human care. * Algorithmic Responsibility: Ensuring AI systems recognize and adapt to the interdependence of social and cultural contexts. * Bias and Marginalization: How the Ethics of Care can address systemic inequities and biases in AI systems. * Governance and Policy: Frameworks for implementing care-centered principles in AI policy and regulation. * Critiques and Challenges: Potential limitations of applying the Ethics of Care to AI and strategies for overcoming them. Submission Guidelines: * Submit a title, an abstract of 300 words (with up to 5 relevant references) and a short bio (50 words) to stevensequeira92(a)hotmail.com<https://ifilosofia.up.pt/activities/stevensequeira92@hotmail.com> * Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and authors will be notified of acceptance or rejection shortly after submission. We encourage early submissions to secure a spot in the workshop program. * There is no registration fee for the workshop. However, accepted authors are responsible for covering their own travel and accommodation expenses. * Deadline: 26 January 2025 * For inquiries, please contact: stevensequeira92(a)hotmail.com<mailto:stevensequeira92@hotmail.com> Organizing Committee Steven S. Gouveia (MLAG/IF/Uni. Porto) CEEC Project by FCT 2022.02527.CEECIND, University of Porto Organization RG Mind, Language and Action Group (MLAG) Instituto de Filosofia da Universidade do Porto - UID/00502 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)

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[Meetings] Deadline reminder: 2025 Nengo Summer School Call For Applications
by Michael Furlong Jan. 16, 2025

Jan. 16, 2025

Dear colleagues, Please note that the deadline for application submission to the Nengo Summer School, February 1st, 2025, is approaching. [All details about this school can be found online at https://www.nengo.ai/summer-school] The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is excited to announce our 10th annual Nengo summer school on large-scale brain modelling and neuromorphic computing. This two-week school will teach participants to use the Nengo simulation package to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models to run both in simulation and on neuromorphic hardware. Summer school participants will be given on-site access to neuromorphic hardware and will learn to run high-level applications using Nengo! More generally, Nengo provides users with a versatile and powerful environment for designing cognitive and neural systems and has been used to build what is currently the world's largest functional brain model, Spaun, which includes spiking deep learning, reinforcement learning, adaptive motor control, and cognitive control networks. For a look at the last in-person summer school, check out this short video: https://youtu.be/nFYTqieEnSY We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals with a relevant background. ***Application Deadline: February 1, 2025*** Format: A combination of tutorials and project-based work. Participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on testing hypotheses, modelling neural or cognitive data, implementing specific behavioural functions with neurons, expanding past models, or providing a proof-of-concept of various neural mechanisms. Hands-on tutorials, work on individual or group projects, and talks from invited faculty members will make up the bulk of day-to-day activities. A project demonstration event will be held on the last day of the school, with prizes for strong projects! Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to: * interface Nengo with various kinds of neuromorphic hardware (e.g. BrainDrop, SpiNNaker) * build perceptual, motor, and sophisticated cognitive models using spiking neurons * model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data * use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model  * integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models * interface Nengo with cameras and robotic systems * implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models * and much more… Date and Location: June 1st to June 13th, 2025 at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Applications: Please visit http://www.nengo.ai/summer-school, where you can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an application form listing required materials. If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact Michael Furlong (michael.furlong(a)uwaterloo.ca) The school is partly supported by ABR, Inc. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Registration Open: Advanced Course on “Computational Approaches to Neuronal and Behavioral Data Analysis
by Leandro Aguiar Jan. 15, 2025

Jan. 15, 2025

Dear colleagues, Please share and disseminate through your network. On behalf of all the organizers, I am pleased to announce that registration is open for the Advanced Course on “Computational Approaches to Neuronal and Behavioral Data Analysis,” which will be held in a hybrid format: in-person at Braga, Portugal, and online via Zoom, from *April 22 to May 9, 2025*. Please refer to the course website for more information: https://meetings.embo.org/event/25-data-analysis The course will provide in-depth training across five specialized modules: 1. *Fundamentals of Programming and Python* – Covering Python basics, packages like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib, and advanced exercises such as raster plot mapping. 2. *Behavioral Data Analysis* – Using tools like DeepLabCut for pose estimation and structuring datasets for behavioral insights. 3. *Calcium and Neurotransmitter Signal Analysis* – Focusing on fiber photometry, calcium imaging, and integrating behavioral data. 4. *Electrophysiological Data Analysis* – Exploring spike sorting, neuron clustering, and synchronizing electrophysiological data with behavioral events. 5. *fMRI Data Analysis* – Examining dynamic functional connectivity and group-level comparisons. This hybrid format allows participants worldwide to join either in person or online, making it accessible and flexible. We encourage researchers from Academia and Industry, at all career stages, to register and participate. Early registration is highly recommended due to limited in-person capacity and the hybrid nature of the event. For program details and registration, please visit: https://meetings.embo.org/event/25-data-analysis Thank you for sharing this exciting opportunity with your network. Best regards, Leandro Aguiar Postdoctoral Researcher Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS) School of Medicine, University of Minho

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