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ICMNS 2017: *Reminder, Abstracts Due Jan 31, 2017*
by Zachary Kilpatrick Jan. 20, 2017

Jan. 20, 2017

This is a reminder that Abstract Submissions are due January 31, 2017 for the 3rd International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience (ICMNS 2017), to be held at the Hotel Boulderado in Boulder, Colorado from May 30 to June 2, 2017. https://www.math.uh.edu/~zpkilpat/icmns2017/index.html <https://www.math.uh.edu/~zpkilpat/icmns2017/index.html> Meeting registration will open soon. Early Registration (Until March 31) will be $250 for students/postdocs, $350 for faculty, and $50 for tutorials. The International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience will provide a forum for researchers to discuss current mathematical innovations emerging in neuroscience. A major aim of the conference is to attract and train young researchers on current methods in mathematical neuroscience. Abstract Submission: We encourage abstract submission by researchers from all areas of mathematical neuroscience. One page abstracts will be reviewed by a Program Committee and divided into three parallel talk sessions and a poster session. Details are given here: https://www.math.uh.edu/~zpkilpat/icmns2017/submissions.html <https://www.math.uh.edu/~zpkilpat/icmns2017/submissions.html> Student Travel Awards: This year, we will offer student travel awards, due to the generous support from NSF, SIAM, Burroughs Wellcome, and the University of Colorado. To apply, students must submit an abstract and include a current CV as part of their submitted document in Easychair. Confirmed Speakers Danielle Bassett (University of Pennsylvania) Paul Bressloff (University of Utah) Nicolas Brunel (University of Chicago) Sophie Deneve (École Normale Supérieure) Brent Doiron (University of Pittsburgh) Marla Feller (University of California, Berkeley) Ila Fiete (University of Texas) Stefano Fusi (Columbia University) Peter Thomas (Case Western Reserve University) Taro Toyoizumi (Riken Brain Science Institute) Tutorial Speakers: Paul Bressloff, Sophie Deneve, Brent Doiron, Stefano Fusi, Joel Zylberberg (University of Colorado, School of Medicine) Program Committee https://www.math.uh.edu/~zpkilpat/icmns2017/committees.html <https://www.math.uh.edu/~zpkilpat/icmns2017/committees.html> We hope to see you in Boulder this May! All the best Zachary Kilpatrick (University of Colorado) Julijana Gjorgjieva (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research) Robert Rosenbaum (University of Notre Dame)

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Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon 2017
by Yiyin Zhou Jan. 19, 2017

Jan. 19, 2017

Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon 2017 FFBH 2017 <http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/hackathons/ffbh/2017>March 12, 2017Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 We are pleased to announce the 2nd Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon (FFBO 2017). This hackathon will feature the Fruit Fly Brain Observatory (FFBO) and its key components NeuroNLP and NeuroGFX. The former allows for exploring fruit fly brain data using plain English queries, and the latter facilitates the modeling and execution of such brain circuits. Brief tutorials will be given on the usage of the FFBO as well as developing new tools/features in FFBO. The hackathon is aimed at three main groups of participants: neurobiologists, modelers and software engineers. The goal of the hackathon is to bring together these three groups of participants to create new ideas to develop, use and improve the FFBO platform towards developing executable model of the fruit fly brain. The Fruit Fly Brain Hackathon is organized in conjunction with the Columbia Workshop on Brain Circuit, Memory and Computation on March 13-14, 2017. Participants of the hackathon are welcome to attend the workshop. Registration is free but all participants have to register <https://ffbo17.eventbrite.com/> (*https://ffbo17.eventbrite.com/ <https://ffbo17.eventbrite.com/>*). Organizers: Paul Richmond, Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield Adam Tomkins, Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield Nikul Ukani, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University Chung-Heng Yeh, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University Yiyin Zhou, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University More information can be found on the hackathon website: http://www.bionet.ee.columbia.edu/hackathons/ffbh/2017 ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------ Best Regards, Yiyin Zhou, on behalf of the organizers

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Postdoc in Medical Data Science
by Philipp Berens Jan. 19, 2017

Jan. 19, 2017

The lab of Philipp Berens (www.berenslab.org) at the Institute for Ophthalmic Research (www.eye-tuebingen.de) at the Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen is offering a position as Postdoctoral Researcher in _Medical Data Science for Ophthalmology_ to be filled as soon as possible, with funding for up to 4 years. The successful candidate will perform research at the interface of data science and medicine with the goal to advance statistical methods for predicting disease onset or identifying risk factors by combining classical epidemiological approaches with recent developments in deep learning. The work will be done in close collaboration with the lab of Marius Ueffing and the ZEISS Vision Lab at the Institute for Ophthalmic Research and will contribute to a better understanding of ophthalmic diseases such as diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration. The Berens lab conducts research in computational neuroscience, data science and biostatistics with a focus on developing tools to integrate various data sources. We have recently developed a framework based on deep neural networks for detecting diabetic retinopathy from fundus images modeling the decision uncertainty of the classifier (https://doi.org/10.1101/084210) Tübingen is home to a vibrant machine learning community with ample opportunity for interaction with researchers at both the University as well as the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. The Institute of Ophthalmic Research is part of the Center of Ophthalmology, covering various aspects of ophthalmic research from basic retinal neuroscience to the development of gene therapy and neuroprosthetics. We offer employment with a salary and social benefits based on the collective agreement for public service employees in the academic and science sector, TV-L. The Eberhard-Karls-University of Tübingen promotes gender equality and therefore particularly encourages female scientists to apply. Preferential status will be given to handicapped persons, if equally qualified. Requirements: • PhD in machine learning, statistics or related fields • Experience with medical data • Programming experience in Python and R • Strong publication record and scientific independence Interested applicants should contact Dr. Philipp Berens (philipp.berens(a)uni-tuebingen.de) providing a curriculum vitae, a one-page description of past research experience & future research interests, a one-page description of the motivation for applying to this position and names of at least two people that could provide letters of reference. Please compile your application in one single PDF-file and add [Data Science Postdoc] to the subject line. -- University of Tübingen Institute for Ophthalmic Research http://www.berenslab.org NEW PHONE NUMBER: +49-7071-2988833

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3 years funded PhD in oscillatory behaviour in Alzheimer’s disease to establish biomarkers, Deadline 31st of January
by Eirini Mavritsaki Jan. 19, 2017

Jan. 19, 2017

Dear all, We are advertising a 3 year funded PhD project in "Investigating oscillatory behaviour in Alzheimer’s disease to establish biomarkers: an EEG and computational modelling programme of PhD study" Successful applicants for our funded PhD studentships will receive a tax-free research stipend that tracks UK Research Council rates (currently £14,296) and a fee waiver to the value of Home / EU student PhD fees (currently £4,120). Closing date for applications Tuesday 31 January 2017 at 23:59. This is a transdisciplinary STEAM Project This proposed PhD work follows high profile research by the University of Birmingham team (Prof. Kim Shapiro, Prof. Howard Bowman and Mr Ali Mazaheri). The project is collaborative work between Birmingham City University (Dr Eirini Mavritsak) and University of Birmingham (Prof. Kim Shapiro and Prof. Howard Bowman). The University of Birmingham team has access to ERP data of a semantic anomaly and word repetition task (Olichney et al, 2002). In the original analysis of the data Olichney and colleagues, the N400 component was analysed, which is related to semantic manipulation. Olichney and colleagues found evidence of N400 abnormalities in mild cognitive impairment patients, which predicted later progression to Alzhemier’s. We plan to simulate this data and the changes observed in this data by developing a computational model that is based on the sSoTS (Mavritsaki, Heinke, Humphreys and Deco, 2011) model. The synaptic currents that sSoTS contains will allow us to extract the ERP profile and simulate the above described experiment. In addition to that sSoTS model has already successfully simulated visual search outcomes for patients with Alzheimer’s (Mavritsaki and Humphreys, 2013). The project is separated into two phases: in phase 1, we plan to develop the computational model to simulate controls and mild cognitive impairment patients and in phase 2 we are planning to extend the model to allow us to predict the development of the disease based on identified biomarkers. The successful applicant will join the Centre for Applied Psychological Research (CAP Research) within the Department of Psychology at Birmingham City University. CAP Research is part of a vibrant and rapidly expanding research community, which offers applicants with an excellent opportunity to develop their research career. The applicant has the opportunity to have teaching experience, to participate in research seminars and to co-supervise undergraduate projects. The successful candidate will also be expected to attend the weekly meetings of the University of Birmingham research team. You can find further details on studying for a PhD and details of how to apply on the following link http://www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/social-sciences Candidate Qualification and Specifications: Essential Ø The applicant should hold a good undergraduate honours degree (First or 2:1) in psychology or related area. Ø The applicant should have experience of computational modelling, evidenced by previous work or masters degree. Ø A demonstrated understanding of research methods is essential (as evidenced by degree transcript grades for research methods and dissertation modules). Ø Experience in C++ and Matlab. Desirable Ø A Masters’ degree in research methods, psychology or computational modelling Ø Experience in EEG analysis Contact: Eirini Mavritsaki, Ph.D., CPsychol Email: eirini.mavritsaki(a)bcu.ac.uk<mailto:eirini.mavritsaki@bcu.ac.uk> Best regards, Eirini Mavritsaki ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eirini Mavritsaki, PhD, CPsychol Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology Director of Research in the School of Social Sciences Department of Psychology Faculty of Business Law and Social Sciences Birmingham City University The Curzon Building 4 Cardigan Street Birmingham B4 7BD eirini.mavritsaki(a)bcu.ac.uk<mailto:eirini.mavritsaki@bcu.ac.uk> 0121 331 6361 Special Issue in Frontiers 'Neuropsychology through the lenses of computational modelling' http://fron.tiers.in/go/r2e3M4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Postdoctoral fellowship in computational neuroscience at Harvard
by Jan Drugowitsch Jan. 18, 2017

Jan. 18, 2017

Dear all, Jan Drugowitsch (Department of Neurobiology, Harvard) and Sam Gershman (Department of Psychology, Harvard) are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on a project combining computational modeling, psychophysics, and clinical studies. The project focuses on the neural basis of visual structure discovery, using motion perception as a model system. Our goal is to understand how neural circuits represent and reason about complex combinatorial structures, and how these neural circuits break down in autism. The postdoctoral fellow's main focus is the computational modeling component of the project. The Drugowitsch and Gershman labs are located in the Longwood medical area and Harvard’s Cambridge campus, respectively. Harvard, and the Boston area in general, has an excellent neuroscience community and programs in engineering, statistics, and related fields. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in a quantitative discipline and strong background in Bayesian modeling and computational neuroscience. Experience with visual psychophysics experiments is desirable but not essential. Applicants should send a CV and statement of research interests to Jan Drugowitsch (Jan_Drugowitsch(a)hms.harvard.edu) The initial appointment is for one year with the expectation of extension given satisfactory performance. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. Jan Drugowitsch will be attending the the Computational and Systems Neuroscience meeting on February 23-28 to interview potential candidates. Best regards, Jan Drugowitsch Assistant Professor in Neurobiology Harvard Medical School

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Excellence workshop ''Dynamical Network States, Criticality and Cortical Function'' (March 25-28, 2017 in Germany)
by David Rotermund Jan. 18, 2017

Jan. 18, 2017

We would like to invite you to participate in our excellence workshop “Dynamical Network States, Criticality and Cortical Function”. It will take place March 25-28, 2017 at the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg in Delmenhorst (near Bremen, Germany). Please feel free to forward the following information to anyone who you think may be interested in attending our workshop. Confirmed Speakers John Beggs, Matthias Bethge, Stefan Bornholdt, Mauro Copelli, Lucilla de Arcangelis, Thilo Gross, Michael Herrmann, Anna Levina, Klaus Linkenkaer-Hansen, Paolo Massobrio, Ruben Moreno-Bote, Eilif Benjamin Müller, Dietmar Plenz, Viola Priesemann, Silvia Scarpetta, Woodrow Shew, Oren Shriki, Thilo Womelsdorf. Workshop description ==================== Current information on the workshop can be found on the website http://www.h-w-k.de/index.php?id=2240 Soon we will update this web-page with the program . Cortical information processing relies heavily on the collective dynamics of neurons and networks distributed over many brain areas. A key concept for understanding this process is the idea that networks operate near a critical state, which offers several potential benefits for computation and information processing. However, there is still a large gap between research on criticality and understanding brain function: For example, * biological cortical networks are not homogeneous but highly structured, * they are not in a state of spontaneous activation but strongly driven by changing external stimuli, and * they process information with respect to a concrete behavioral goal. Moreover, critical states are just one side of the medal, since there are other concepts of how collective dynamics enables, shapes, and controls information processing; i.e. actively provide an operating point for cortical computation: To name just a few, there are * balance between excitation and inhibition, * temporal coordination and multiplexing, and * task-dependent computation and signal routing (selective attention). Understanding cortical function will only be possible by putting these conceptual ideas into a unifying framework and critically test them against experimental evidence. In this workshop we will bring together experts representing different approaches for understanding the collective dynamics of cortical networks and their implications for information processing. Hereby we will focus on work with a concrete link to cortical physiology, structure or dynamics observed in experiments. Our goals are to establish novel links between communities, concepts and methods and to identify key problems that have to be addressed by future theoretical and experimental work. Registration ============ The general costs of the workshop will be subsidized by the 'Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Institute for Advanced Study' (www.h-w-k.de) and by the BMBF (Bernstein Award Udo Ernst). However, in order to cover all costs, we ask for a registration fee in the amount of € 50,00 for PhD students and € 100,00 for postdocs/professors. Unfortunately, we cannot cover your costs for accommodation and travelling. Participation in the workshop will be limited to about 60 attendees (20 main speakers, 40 postdocs + PhD students). In case you are interested in participating, we would ask you to send your reply to Agnes Janssen ajanssen(a)neuro.uni-bremen.de. We can also arrange hotel reservations for you. Poster session ============== Besides the talks of the main speakers and plenty of time for discussions, there will be a poster session. You are invited to present a poster, in which case please send the title and abstract to Agnes Janssen. Again, we would greatly appreciate having you at our workshop. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Yours sincerely Udo Ernst and Nergis Tömen

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Post-Doc position at UCL Ear Institute: How the brain detects patterns in sound sequences
by Marcus Pearce Jan. 18, 2017

Jan. 18, 2017

Dear All (with apologies for cross-posting), *A postdoctoral research associate position*is available at the UCL Ear Institute’s ‘Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience Lab’ to work on a project entitled "How the brain detects patterns in sound sequences". The project will be supervised by Dr Maria Chait and conducted in collaboration with Dr. Marcus Pearce (Queen Mary University, London) and colleagues at the UCL Wellcome Trust centre for neuroimaging. The post is funded for 34 months in the first instance and involves a combination of behavioural, computational, eye tracking, and functional brain imaging (EEG, MEG, fMRI) experiments in humans. For more information about the post please see the lab website: *http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ear/research/chaitlab/vacancies* The Ear Institute is a leading interdisciplinary centre for hearing research in Europe, situated within one of the strongest neuroscience communities in the world at University College London *Key Requirements* The successful applicant will have a PhD in neuroscience or a neuroscience-related discipline and proven ability to conduct high-quality original research and prepare results for publication. Essential skills include excellent time-management and organizational ability; proficiency in computer programming and good interpersonal, oral and written communication skills. Previous experience with functional brain imaging, neural data analysis, psychophysical assessment, and/or auditory science or acoustics would be desirable. *Further Details* You should apply for this post (Ref #: 1618836) through UCL's online recruitment website, www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/jobs <http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/jobs>, where you can download a job description and person specifications. *Closing Date for applications is: *1 Feb 2017 *For an informal discussion please contact Dr. Maria Chait (m.chait(a)ucl.ac.uk).* Maria Chait PhD m.chait(a)ucl.ac.uk <mailto:m.chait@ucl.ac.uk> Reader in Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience Lab site: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ear/research/chaitlab/ UCL Ear Institute 332 Gray's Inn Road London WC1X 8EE

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Faculty position in Computational Neuroscience - open rank
by Jorn Diedrichsen Jan. 18, 2017

Jan. 18, 2017

Western University (Ontario, Canada) is inviting applications from exceptional investigators at all career levels for a probationary (tenure-track) position at the rank of Assistant or Associate or a tenured faculty position at the rank of Associate or Professor in Computational Neuroscience. This appointment is in association with BrainsCAN (http://www.uwo.ca/brainscan) a $66M initiative funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund at Western University, and will be the first of two new positions in this area. For further particulars, please see: http://www.uwo.ca/bmi/media/CompNeuroScienceJan2017.pdf Jörn Diedrichsen Western Research Chair Brain Mind Institute Department of Computer Science Department of Statistics Email: jdiedric(a)uwo.ca<mailto:jdiedric@uwo.ca> Tel: 1-519-661-2111 x86994

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Funded PhD/postdoc position "Neural basis for motivation and perseverence in behavior"
by Gjorgjieva, Julijana Jan. 17, 2017

Jan. 17, 2017

A funded PhD position "Neural basis for motivation and perseverence in behavior” is available in the group of Julijana Gjorgjieva, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research (Frankfurt, Germany) and the Technical University of Munich (Munich, Germany). We will also consider strong postdoctoral applicants. Recommended application deadline: February 15, 2017. Applicants will be considered until the position is filled. The project is a collaboration with the experimental lab of Ilona Grunwald Kadow (Technical University of Munich) who studies the neural circuits underlying sensory processing and decision making in Drosophila. We are two young and highly-driven labs with many interesting ideas and synergistic interactions. Have you ever wondered how you came to like the taste of coffee? If you don’t like blue cheese, would you still consider eating some if you were very hungry? We want to understand how behavior changes in response to different sensory experiences and how they are imprinted as memories. The project aims to uncover circuit principles and behavioral readouts of motivation and persistence in the presence of diverse stimuli of different valences (appetitive of aversive) and as a function of internal state (e.g. hunger). To achieve this, we use a combination of theory, computational modeling and cutting-edge experiments. Applicants should have strong quantitative background (in mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, or related fields), some experience in programming and data analysis, and a desire to develop cutting-edge experimental techniques. Previous background in behavioral analysis is a plus! The position offers the possibility to live in two of the most exciting cities in Germany and Europe. It will be based at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, with frequent visits to the Technical University of Munich in Munich. The position also offers the possibility of behavioral analysis and in vivo multiphoton imaging experiments to be performed in the collaborating Grunwald Kadow lab: http://www.neuro.wzw.tum.de To apply, please email the following: 1. A curriculum vitae 2. A motivation letter (if a PhD student) or a description of research interests (if a postdoc). Please explain your scientific interests, what are you strengths when working on a problem, why us? 3. Contact details for 2-3 referees 4. A written sample of scientific research, e.g. a manuscript, thesis, or code Please feel free to contact us with informal enquiries: gjorgjieva(a)brain.mpg.de http://www.cns.wzw.tum.de ----------------------------------------- Julijana Gjorgjieva, PhD Research Group Leader Max Planck Institute for Brain Research Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, Frankfurt Assistant Professor of Computational Neuroscience Technical University of Munich, WZW Freising office: +49 69 850033 3600 http://cns.wzw.tum.de

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Post-doc position in Computational Neuroscience available at University of Sussex
by Thomas Nowotny Jan. 17, 2017

Jan. 17, 2017

Dear all, A post-doc position in Computational Neuroscience is available at the University of Sussex for 20 months to be filled as soon as possible. You will be joining the Odor Objects project (http://www.odor-objects.org/) in which we are investigating how animals interpret the complex odor plumes of chemicals in the air to identify sources of odors and distinguish them. Odor Objects is supported by the Human Frontiers Science Program (www.hfsp.org/<http://www.hfsp.org/>) and combines 4 international groups in Konstanz, Germany (physiology), Tempe, Arizona (behavior), Tokyo, Japan (robotics) and Brighton, UK (computational models). If you are joining us at Sussex your work will involve computational modelling of brain networks and data analysis of related data from the experimental partners. Models will then be used to design bio-mimetic controllers which will be tested by our partners in Japan. We are looking for a talented post-doc with an interest in computational work. Applicants from all science disciplines are welcome but essential skills are the ability to program, mathematical skills, e.g. to be able to apply dynamical systems analysis, and creative scientific thinking. The bulk of the work will be carried out on the beautiful Falmer campus of the University of Sussex at the outskirts of the lively South Coast town of Brighton. As part of the project you will travel to the project partners worldwide. There are many opportunities for further interactions at Sussex beyond the project, e.g. with the Brains on Board project (BrainsOnBoard<http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/P006094/1)>), and a wide variety of Neuroscience research in Sussex Neuroscience (www.sussex.ac.uk/sussexneuroscience/<http://www.sussex.ac.uk/sussexneuroscience/>). For more details and to apply, please go to http://www.sussex.ac.uk/aboutus/jobs/1626 . There is an initial closing date of 1 February 2017 but we will continue searching until the position is filled. Best regards, Thomas -- Prof Thomas Nowotny Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange School of Engineering and Informatics University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ, UK Phone: +441273678593 FAX: +441273877873

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3-year fully-funded PhD in motor learning and control
by Joseph Galea (School of Psychology) (ID=*****11) Jan. 17, 2017

Jan. 17, 2017

Dear all, The Galea lab (josephgalea.weebly.com<http://josephgalea.weebly.com/>) in the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham (UK) has a fully-funded (for UK/EU nationals) 3-year PhD position beginning October, 2017 funded by the ERC starting grant: MotMotLearn. Motor learning (the ability of the brain to learn and update how an action is executed) is a fundamental process which influences many aspects of our lives such as learning to walk during childhood; the day-to-day behavioural adjustments required as an adult or in healthy ageing; and the rehabilitation process following an illness or injury. Despite the impact to society, it has proved extremely difficult to develop interventions that significantly enhance human motor learning. Therefore, devising protocols which optimise motor learning is a state-of-the-art research question that promises to deliver scientific, clinical and societal impact. Seeking reward and avoiding punishment are powerful factors in motivating humans to alter behaviour during cognition-based learning (selecting which action to perform), with sensitivity to reward and punishment being biased by the availability of dopamine in the brain. Intriguingly, reward and punishment are also known to affect generic motor learning (deciding how an action is executed) tasks which involve multiple underlying mechanisms. However to establish their potential for optimizing motor learning, we must understand how explicit reward- and punishment-based motivational feedback impact motor learning systems with unique computational and anatomical features. Using a combination of behavioural analysis, computational modelling, genetics and brain imaging, this PhD project will contribute to the first systems-based account of how reward, punishment and dopamine influence motor learning. Specifically, the successful candidate will investigate how motor memories are consolidated across multiple days and the influence reward has on this process. It will further examine whether memory retention can be enhanced through reward-based implicit cues and if this process can be captured with EEG. Dr Galea is seeking an intelligent and enthusiastic student with experience either in motor control/learning, computational neuroscience and/or EEG. The ideal candidate will have experience with programming in matlab, collecting data (from participants) on behavioural tasks and some understanding of statistics. A masters and/or research assistant experience would be ideal but not compulsory. Psychology at the University of Birmingham www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/research/index.aspx<http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/psychology/research/index.aspx> If interested please email your CV to: j.galea(a)bham.ac.uk<mailto:j.galea@bham.ac.uk>

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Connectomics
by Francesca Martini/NSAS Jan. 16, 2017

Jan. 16, 2017

I would like to post in the mailing list about the following Workshop: Advanced Course: Connectomics. April 22-26, 2017. Neuroscience School of Advanced Studies Siena, Italy. Coordinator: Sean Hill (Switzerland) This Advanced Course will focus on multi-scale aspects of the connectome and will cover the cellular basis of connectivity; large-scale data gathering and data analysis of whole brain connectivity across scales; data integration of multimodal connectome data; data-driven computational modeling and simulation at different scales of brain circuitry; the development of the connectome and its link to behavior and neurological disorders; predicting whole brain dynamics from the connectome; the relationship between the connectome and the diversity of brain states and experiences. Further information: <http://www.nsas.it/courses-workshops/advanced-courses/connectomics/> http://www.nsas.it/courses-workshops/advanced-courses/connectomics/ Kind regards, Francesca The Course Secretariat Neuroscience School of Advanced Studies Certosa di Pontignano Via di Pontignano 5, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Siena. Italy Tel. +39.0577.146.0003

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2 postdoc positions open in Champalimaud, Lisbon
by Cristina Chavarrías Jan. 13, 2017

Jan. 13, 2017

*Call for Post-Doctoral Fellows in the Neuroplasticity & Neural Activity MRI-Lab * Two fully-funded post-doc positions are available immediately in the Neuroplasticity & Neural Activity MRI-Lab <http://neuro.fchampalimaud.org/en/research/investigators/research-groups/gr…> at the Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme (CNP), Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal. We are looking for top-tier, highly-motivated Post-Doctoral Fellows who have a strong interest in understanding how underlying neural activity is related with fMRI signals. The focus is on performing high-end BOLD and nonBOLD fMRI with simultaneous calcium recordings and/or electrophysiology in rodents, using optogenetics for pretargeting specific populations of neurons. In particular, we aim to hire one person with extensive experience in* in vivo* calcium recordings / imaging and/or electrophysiology and one person with extensive experience in fMRI analyses. An excellent, well-documented track-record is imperative. To apply, please send the following items to noam.shemesh(a)neuro.fchampalimaud.org: 1. Cover Letter stating your interests 2. A full CV, including list of publications 3. Names and email addresses of at least 3 references. Successful applicants will receive full funding and a private/national health insurance. Call deadline: *Feb 28th 2017*. ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------- The Shemesh Lab in Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme (CNP) <http://neuro.fchampalimaud.org/en/research/investigators/research-groups/gr…> investigates neural activity, neuroplasticity, and how they elicit behavioral changes *in vivo*. These questions are interrogated in the context of normal processes (development, learning…), as well as in neuropsychiatric and neurodegeneration animal models of disease. Our approach involves a plethora of advanced methods, mainly revolving around state-of-the-art preclinical MRI/MRS, augmented by simultaneous ancillary techniques (optogenetics, calcium recordings, advanced behavioral testing). One of the main goals in the Lab is to develop nonBOLD fMRI methods, which will report on neural activity much more directly compared to conventional fMRI. This ERC-funded Lab benefits from a cutting-edge, ultrahigh field 16.4T scanner, as well as a 9.4T scanner equipped with two 4-element array cryoprobes (for mice and rats, respectively), another 1T scanner for basic scanning and testing in more biomedical settings, and lasers for optogenetics / calcium recordings; the Lab also has a fully equipped surgery room, space for performing extensive behavioural studies and access to one of Europe’s largest vivaria and ancillary platforms for histology, microscopy, transgenics and viruses, among others. CNP is situated within the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown <http://www.fchampalimaud.org/en/>, a private, non-profit foundation residing on Lisbon’s waterfront, right where the River Tejo meets the Atlantic Ocean. CCU provides a stunning and productive working environment, harboring a Neuroscience department for basic research, and a clinical centre for treating cancer patients with pioneering methods. This unique blend of basic research and clinical practice under the same roof, which actively encourages collaborations and exchange of ideas, results in a highly interdisciplinary and stimulating atmosphere. Post-Doctoral salaries are very competitive vis-à-vis Lisbon costs of living, and post-docs further benefit from health insurance.

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Towards solving the Hard Problem of Consciousness
by Stephen Grossberg Jan. 12, 2017

Jan. 12, 2017

Dear Colleagues, I am writing to call your attention to my article about the Hard Problem of Consciousness. The results have enabled me to explain lots of psychological and neurobiological data about normal subjects and clinical patients for which I can find no other explanations, let alone explanations as part of an emerging unified theory. The article is published Open Access so anyone can read it. Grossberg, S. (2017). Towards solving the Hard Problem of Consciousness: The varieties of brain resonances and the conscious experiences that they support Neural Networks 87, 38–95 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0893608016301800 <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0893608016301800> Best, Steve Stephen Grossberg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Grossberg <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Grossberg> http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3BIV70wAAAAJ&hl=en <http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3BIV70wAAAAJ&hl=en>https://youtu.be/9n5AnvFur7I <https://youtu.be/9n5AnvFur7I> Wang Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems Professor of Mathematics & Statistics, Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering Director, Center for Adaptive Systems http://cns.bu.edu/~steve <http://cns.bu.edu/~steve> steve(a)bu.edu <mailto:steve@bu.edu>

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Fancy a change in 2017? Faculty posts in the UK...
by John Spencer (PSY) Jan. 12, 2017

Jan. 12, 2017

Greetings Colleagues, The School of Psychology at the University of East Anglia (https://www.uea.ac.uk/psychology) has 5 faculty positions available at the Lecturer (Assistant Prof) / Senior Lecturer/Reader (Associate Prof) / and Professor levels. This is part of a major expansion of the School; as such, we welcome interest from research teams who might offer concentrated strength in a single area. The School of Psychology is the newest school at UEA, and the first new School of Psychology to be formed in a research-intensive university in the UK for many years. These posts signal UEA's commitment to investment in world-class research, forming part of an ambitious expansion plan to create a world-leading faculty bridging disciplines to yield deep understanding of the processes that underlie and organise human behaviour. We are currently building a strength in the area of systems neuroscience, including a variety of imaging approaches as well as computational neuroscience. UEA has fantastic research facilities (fNIRS, fMRI, TMS, EEG, eye-tracking, virtual reality), a lovely campus, and it is situated in Norwich, UK - a wonderful place to live, with a castle, cathedrals, restaurants, and pubs. If you have any questions about the posts, do let me know. Details can be found at: https://www.uea.ac.uk/hr/vacancies/academic/-/asset_publisher/h0n2rDvu3ug8/… Cheers, John Spencer John P. Spencer, PhD Professor School of Psychology, Room 0.09 Lawrence Stenhouse Building, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ United Kingdom Email: j.spencer(a)uea.ac.uk<mailto:j.spencer@uea.ac.uk> School website: http://www.uea.ac.uk/psy Telephone 01603 593968 [cid:image001.png@01D09851.EF67E200] UK Top 15 (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017) UK Top 5 for Student Satisfaction (National Student Survey, 2005-2016) World Top 1% (Times Higher Education World Rankings 2016-17) World Top 100 for Research Excellence (Leiden Ranking 2016)

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Open postdoctoral position in fMRI data analysis at the California Institute of Technology
by Ueli Rutishauser Jan. 12, 2017

Jan. 12, 2017

*Post-doctoral position for fMRI data analysis at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)* We invite applicants with strong expertise in machine learning and functional connectivity analysis of resting-state fMRI data to apply for a post-doctoral position in Caltech’s NIH Conte Center for the Neurobiology of Social Decision-Making (conte.caltech.edu) The research will be in a highly collaborative environment and include exploration of multimodal data encompassing rs-fMRI, structural MRI, psychological assessments, eyetracking data, as well as lesion data and intracranial electrophysiology, with the overall aim to investigate the neural underpinnings of individual differences. Candidates should have a recent PhD in systems, cognitive, or computational neuroscience with a track-record of first-author publications. Strong programming skills (using Matlab or Python), data handling skills, statistical literacy and fMRI software expertise (Freesurfer, AFNI/FSL/SPM, Connectome Workbench) are essential. Caltech is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants should submit a CV, including a list of publications, a brief description of research interests and analysis skills, and a list of three references to Ralph Adolphs, radolphs(a)caltech.edu.

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3 neuroinformatics positions in the Vogels Group at Oxford University
by timvogels＠gmail.com Jan. 12, 2017

Jan. 12, 2017

Dear all, We are opening three positions (2 postdocs and a technician) in my lab to continue the work on icg.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk <http://icg.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/>. Our first paper is still in revision, but its pretty close to out now, so if we’re lucky, at some point it will make it out into the world. You can find a preprint at http://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/06/16/058685 <http://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/06/16/058685>. If you are interested (or you know someone who would be interested) in any of the open positions, please find the first two ads with information on how to apply here: bit.ly/2i8zKQU <http://bit.ly/2i8zKQU> and here: bit.ly/2jkz4cn <http://bit.ly/2jkz4cn> Deadline is the 10th of February 2017 but we will keep looking until we find suitable applicants. The starting date is negotiable. We are looking for people who can code up a storm, love neurobiology and neuroinformatics and work well in a team environment. Successful candidates will work with the other members of the @icgenalogy project within the Vogels lab, http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv <http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv> at the cncb.ox.ac.uk <http://cncb.ox.ac.uk/> at the University of Oxford. We will collaborate with https://senselab.med.yale.edu/ModelDB/ <https://senselab.med.yale.edu/ModelDB/> and hope to integrate also with http://www.opensourcebrain.org/ <http://www.opensourcebrain.org/>, http://www.treestoolbox.org/index.html <http://www.treestoolbox.org/index.html>, and any other open source brain simulation databases that wants to coordinate their efforts. Below, please find additional information for the posts, but do feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions. Applications from women and minority groups are encouraged. All the best, Tim Vogels ------------------ Prof Tim Vogels Sir Henry Dale Research Fellow, Associate Professor Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour and Oriel College Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics University of Oxford Mansfield Road Oxford, OX1 3SR http://cncb.ox.ac.uk <http://cncb.ox.ac.uk/> http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv <http://www.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk/~timv> Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Computational Neuroscience Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford Grade 7.1 £31,076 p.a. We are seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Scientist to support and expand ongoing neuroinformatics research (https://icg.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk) undertaken in the Vogels Group at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour. The candidate will contribute to the development of approaches for the quantitative analysis, comparison and categorisation of published neuroscientific models and experimental data, aiding in field-wide standardization of experimentally-constrained modelling. The researcher will be expected to carry out simulations of morphologically detailed neuron models and neuronal networks in the NEURON simulation environment, and should be familiar with, and able to implement, standard models of ion channel function. Additionally, he/she will develop neuroinformatics infrastructure for the storage, classification and visualisation of experimental and simulated data. The successful candidate will also perform general laboratory duties to include keeping accurate records of work carried out, maintaining adequate levels of general laboratory consumables, to take part in and make regular reports at laboratory meetings and to share responsibility for general data management of the lab. The candidate will also be expected to guide and support the progress of the Graduate students in the lab. Some ad hoc teaching may also be required. The successful candidate must have a demonstrable academic interest in both computer science and the neurosciences with a PhD in neuroscience, computer science or a related discipline. They will have experience with object oriented programming, be familiar with Git and team-based software development and have laboratory experience in computational neuroscience, neuroinformatics and computer science. They should have good written and oral communication skills and be able to work as part of team and to collaborate with other colleagues on a wide range of projects. The successful candidate will be based at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA. This is a full-time, fixed-term post until March 2020 funded by the BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council). The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on 10 February 2017. Lab Technician Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford Grade 5: £24,565 p.a. We are seeking to appoint a Research Technician to support and expand ongoing neuroinformatics research (https://icg.neurotheory.ox.ac.uk) undertaken in the Vogels Group at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour. The candidate will contribute to the development of approaches for the quantitative analysis, comparison and categorisation of published neuroscientific models and experimental data, aiding in field-wide standardisation of experimentally-constrained modelling. The technician will be responsible for the curation and maintenance of a large database of published neuroscientific models and simulation data. For the expansion of the database, he/she will be expected to extract and annotate data from publications, as well as manipulate code for neuroscientific models to comply to standardized specifications. This includes the conversion of existing code between common neuronal simulator frameworks (e.g. Neuron, Moose, and Genesis). The research technician will preferably have extensive experience in neuroscience and/or computer science, or a related discipline such as maths, physics or biophysics. The post has high potential for training in neuroscience and would be an excellent starting point for a career in computational neuroscience or neuroinformatics. The candidate will be expected to work in close collaboration with all team members. The successful candidate will also perform general laboratory duties to include keeping accurate records of work carried out, maintaining adequate levels of general laboratory consumables, to take part in and make regular reports at laboratory meetings and to share responsibility for general data management of the lab. This post is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council for a fixed-term of 3 years. The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on 10th February 2017.

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TMBMC - Shannon Centennial Special Issue Part 1
by Dimitrov, Alex Jan. 11, 2017

Jan. 11, 2017

Please, take a look at the TMBMC issue that we edited. A second volume is coming up soon… View this email in your browser<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__us12.campaign-2Darchive…> [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/660c2fc8403470cea02de0f18/images/6690283a-215…]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications is proud to announce that our Special Issue on Biological Applications of Information Theory in Honor of Claude Shannon’s Centennial—Part 1 is now live on IEEE Xplore<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…>. Within the issue, you'll find the following 8 papers: * Mechanisms of information filtering in neural systems (Invited Paper; Linder) * Noise Filtering and Prediction in Biological Signaling Networks (Invited Paper; Hathcock, Sheehy, Weisenberger, Ilker, and Hinczewski) * The Use of Rate Distortion Theory to Evaluate Biological Signaling Pathways (Invited Paper; Iglesias) * Nonlinear Stochastic Dynamics of Complex Systems, III: Noneqilibrium Thermodynamics of Self-Replication Kinetics (Saakian and Qian) * Inferring Biological Networks by Sparse Identification of Nonlinear Dynamics (Mangan, Brunton, Proctor and Kutz) * Info-Clustering: A Mathematical Theory for Data Clustering (Chan, Al-Bashabsheh, Kaced, Zhou and Liu) * Fundamental Bounds for Sequence Reconstruction from Nanopore Sequencers (Magner, Duda, Szpankowski and Grama) * Inference of Causal Information Flow in Collective Animal Behavior (Lord, Sun, Ouellette and Bollt) Special Issue Guest Editors Prof. Alexander G. Dimitrov Department of Mathematics and Statistics Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington, USA Prof. Faramarz Fekri Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Prof. Aurel Lazar Department of Electrical Engineering Columbia University, New York, New York, USA Prof. Stefan M. Moser Signal and Information Processing Lab (ISI) ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering National Chiao Tung University (NCTU), Hsinchu, Taiwan Prof. Peter J. Thomas* Department of Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department of Biology Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA *corresponding guest editor The Special Issue on Biological Applications of Information Theory in Honor of Claude Shannon’s Centennial—Part 2 is forthcoming. Sincerely, Christina Tang-Bernas Editorial Assistant IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications Copyright © 2017 IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have attended a TMBMC-related event, are affiliated with TMBMC and/or their editors, published in TMBMC, or opted in at the TMBMC website. Our mailing address is: IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications 3737 Watt Way PHE 506 Los Angeles, CA 90089 Add us to your address book<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> or unsubscribe from this list<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> This email was sent to alex.dimitrov(a)vancouver.wsu.edu<mailto:alex.dimitrov@vancouver.wsu.edu> why did I get this?<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> unsubscribe from this list<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> update subscription preferences<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mbmc.us12.list-2Dmanage…> IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications · 3737 Watt Way · PHE 506 · Los Angeles, CA 90089 · USA [mail Marketing Powered by MailChimp]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.mailchimp.com_monke…>

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PhD position Warwick University - neuroimaging genetics for economic and strategic choice
by Massaro, Sebastiano Jan. 11, 2017

Jan. 11, 2017

[Apologies for cross-postings. Please feel free to circulate the post to your network. Thanks] PhD Position at Warwick University Neuroimaging genetics for economic and strategic choice [Competitive funding for UK/EU candidates only] Applications are invited for a full-time PhD position at Warwick University on "neuroimaging genetics for economic and strategic choice" commencing in October 2017. The project will be developed under the supervision of Prof. Feng (Warwick and Fudan) and Dr. Massaro (Warwick), at the Department of Computer Science and Warwick Business School, respectively. This project is part of an ongoing research endeavour developed with Prof. Rustichini at the University of Minnesota, Economics, and may involve other Departments and scholars at Warwick. The candidate will be based at Warwick University; due to the nature of project may be required to occasionally travel to Minneapolis and/or Shanghai. The project This PhD project undertakes a multidisciplinary approach to advance the current understanding of the biological basis of human economic and strategic decision making. The overarching question of this PhD project is: How do genes, brain activity, and behaviour relate to one another to explain the underpinnings of economic and strategic choice? Behavioral, physiological, structural and functional brain imaging, as well as genetic data will be analyzed in an integrated way to identify the biological origins and pathways expressed in brain activity and associated to specific economic and strategic tasks. Depending on their background, the candidate will join this project by contributing to the development of the genetic (GWAS), statistical (classic and Bayesian), neuroimaging (fMRI), and/or computational aspects of the project. Candidate specification We seek to recruit a highly motivated student with very strong numeracy and/or experimental skills. The ideal candidate will have a first class (or equivalent) BSc or preferably MSc degree (awarded/expected) from a reputed University in a discipline relevant to the project (i.e., mathematics, physics, computer science, cognitive sciences, genetics, neuroscience, bioinformatics, economics). Interest in the study of strategic decision-making and neuroeconomics, and former experience with genetic analyses, fMRI data analysis, and/or computational neuroscience methods are desirable. Proficiency in oral and written English is required according to the University Regulations (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/english/<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=70842&type=184&DID=22…>). How to apply Candidates interested in this project shall initially contact Dr. Massaro via email (sebastiano.massaro(a)wbs.ac.uk) including a copy of their CVs (with the name of 2 referees), and specifying if self-funded or seeking a scholarship, by the 7th of February 2017. Following this, shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an informal interview. Pending a positive outcome, if seeking funding, the candidate will then be endorsed for application to the highly-competitive Bridges Programme (see below). This does not guarantee funding/placement in the Bridges Programme. Funding Shortlisted candidates seeking funding will be endorsed for application to the Bridges Programme at the University of Warwick. The Bridges Programme aims to provide PhD students with deep knowledge of contemporary research questions in the social sciences, and rigorous training in the mathematical and computational approaches needed to answer them. The Trust has a particular interest in supporting UK or EU students. More information can be found here (View Website<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=70842&type=184&DID=22…>) Other UK/EU scholarships may be available at the University of Warwick for 2017/18 intake (View Website<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=70842&type=184&DID=22…>). Applications from self-funded candidates are also welcome.

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[EAIS 2017] Paper Submission deadline is on Sunday, 15th January 2017 2359 UTC-12hr
by Teng Teck Hou Jan. 11, 2017

Jan. 11, 2017

[Apologies for cross-postings] ################################################## CALL FOR PAPERS IEEE Conference on Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems (EAIS 2017) May 31- June 2, 2017, Ljubljana, Slovenia http://msc.fe.uni-lj.si/eais2017/ ################################################## The 2017 IEEE Conference on Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems (EAIS 2017) will be held in Ljubljana (Slovenia), a beautiful medieval town. Ljubljana lies halfway between Vienna and Venice, at the crossroads of different cultures, geographical regions, and historical developments. Compared to other capitals, Ljubljana is very small, very green, and very walking-friendly town, which makes it a great place to explore on foot. It is in the center of Slovenia and enables exploring some of the most popular tourist sights of Slovenia in one day. Visit enchanting Bled, with its medieval castle perched upon the lake, explore mysterious Predjama castle and end the trip by visiting Postojna cave, Slovenia's number 1 attraction. EAIS 2017 will provide a working and friendly atmosphere and will be a leading international forum focusing on the discussion of recent advances, the exchange of recent innovations and the outline of open important future challenges in the area of Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems. Over the past decade, this area has emerged to play an important role on a broad international level in today's real-world applications, especially those ones with high complexity and dynamics change. Its embedded modelling and learning methodologies are able to cope with real-time demands, changing operation conditions, varying environmental influences, human behaviors, knowledge expansion scenarios and drifts in online data streams. EAIS 2017 is organized by the IEEE Technical Committee on Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems, SMC Society. The conference series has a history starting in 2006 in Lake District (England). It was held after that in Witten-Bommerholz (Germany), Nashville (USA), Leicester (England), Paris (France), Madrid (Spain), Singapore, Linz (Austria), Douai (France), and Natal (Brasil). Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended versions for possible inclusion in a special issue of the Journal Evolving Systems (Springer). ##############################Important Dates############################## * Paper Submission January 15, 2017 * Paper Decision Notification February 24, 2017 * Camera-Ready Submission March 24, 2017 * Authors registration March 24, 2017 * Conference May 31 - June 2, 2017 ########################################################################### ##########################Keynote Speakers########################## * Plamen Angelov, Professor, Lancaster University, United Kingdom * Fernando Gomide, Professor, University of Campinas, Brazil * Nikola Kasabov, Professor of Computer Sience, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand #################################################################### ##########################Accepted Special Sessions########################## 1. Computational Intelligence in Control of Power Generating Systems, Transmission and Load Management, Session proposer: Horst Schulte, HTW Berlin Email: Horst.Schulte(a)HTW-Berlin.de ############################################################################ # ############Paper Submission and Publication############ * Papers for EAIS 2017 should be submitted electronically through the Conference website at http://msc.fe.uni-lj.si/eais2017. * Submitted papers will be refereed by experts in the fields and ranked based on the criteria of originality, significance, quality and clarity. ######################################################## ######################################################## IEEE Autonomous Learning Machines Competition ALMA Competition is organized by IEEE SMC Society. The goal of this competition is to increase the level of autonomy of the learning algorithms. Competition Tracks: 1. New data sets and streams that are suitable demonstrators for the topic of the competition. 2. New methods and algorithms for Autonomous Machine Learning in: . Clustering . Classification . Control . Prediction Awards: Track 1 - $1000 Track 2 - $1000 in each category ($4000). Important Dates: 31 January, 2017. Deadline for submitting the algorithms in open source GNU license format. The proposed methods and algorithms must be described in form of papers and submitted to the ALS Competition track of EAIS 2017 and presented at the conference (which will be held in Ljubljana, Slovenia). May 31- June 2, 2017. Results will be announced during the conference EAIS 2017. ######################################################## ##################Topics and Areas of Interest################## This conference solicits papers addressing original works in topics and areas of interest including, but are not limited to: * Basic Methologies Evolving Soft Computing Techniques Evolving Fuzzy Systems Evolving Rule-Based Classifiers Evolving Neuro-Fuzzy Systems Adaptive Evolving Neural Networks Adaptive Evolving Fuzzy Systems Online Genetic and Evolutionary Algorithms Data Stream Mining Incremental and Evolving Clustering Approaches Adaptive Control Adaptive Pattern Recognition Computational Intelligence in Control and Estimation Incremental and Evolving ML Classifiers Adaptive Statistical Techniques Evolving Decision Systems Big Data Advanced Concepts * Problems and Methodologies in Data Streams Stability, Robustness, Convergence in Evolving Systems Online Feature Selection and Dimension Reduction Online Active and Semi-supervised Learning Online Complexity Reduction Computational Aspects Interpretability Issues Incremental Adaptive Ensemble Methods Online Bagging and Boosting Self-monitoring Evolving Systems Human-Machine Interaction Issues Hybrid Modeling Transfer Learning Reservoir Computing Real-world Applications * EIS for On-Line Modeling, System Identification, and Control EIS for Time Series Prediction EIS for Data Stream Mining and Adaptive Knowledge Discovery EIS in Robotics, Intelligent Transport and Advanced Manufacturing EIS in Advanced Communications and Multi-Media Applications EIS in Bioinformatics and Medicine EIS in Online Quality Control and Fault Diagnosis EIS in Condition Monitoring Systems EIS in Adaptive Evolving Controller Design EIS in User Activities Recognition EIS in Huge Database and Web Mining EIS in Visual Inspection and Image Classification EIS in Image Processing EIS in Cloud Computing EIS in Multiple Sensor Networks EIS in Query Systems and Social Networks EIS in Alternative Statistical and Machine Learning Approaches ################################################################ ##########################Organizing Committee########################## * Honorary Chairs Plamen Angelov, UK Dimitar Filev, USA Nikola Kasabov, New Zealand * Conference Chair Igor Škrjanc, chair, Slovenia Sašo Blažic, co-chair, Slovenia * Publication Chairs Edwin Lughofer, Austria Sašo Blažic, Slovenia * Local Arrangement Chairs Dejan Dovžan, Slovenia Milan Simcic, Slovenia * Web & Publicity Chair José A. Iglesias, Spain Teck-Hou Teng, Singapore * Special Session Chair: Radu-Emil Precup, Romania * Program Committee Chair: Igor Škrjanc, Slovenia * International Program Committe Cesare Alippi, Italy Plamen Angelov, UK Rosangela Ballini, Brazil Rashmi Dutta Baruah, India Abdelhamid Bouchachia, UK Jorge Cassillas, Spain Bruno Costa, Brazil Dejan Dovžan, Slovenia Alain Droniou, France Dimitar Filev, USA Nadine Gaertner, Germany Joao Gama, Portugal Fernando Gomide, Brazil Jose Antonio Iglesias Martínez, Spain Lazaros Iliadis, Greece Nik Kasabov, New Zealand Juš Kocijan, Slovenia Ana Kosareva, Germany Rudolf Kruse, Germany Agapito Ledezma, Spain Daniel Furtado Leite, Brazil Andre Lemos, Brazil Chin Teng Lin, Taiwan Edwin Lughofer, Austria Yannis Manolopoulos, Greece Trevor Martin, UK Moamar Sayed Mouchaweh, France Veronika Nesheva, UK Seiichi Ozawa, Japan Witold Pedrycz, Canada Radu-Emil Precup, Romania Jose de Jesus Rubio, Mexico Araceli Sanchis de Miguel, Spain Horst Schulte, Germany Olga Senyukova, Russia Teck Hou Teng, Singapore Marley Vellasco, Brazil Di Wang, UAE Wilson Wang, Canada Ronald Yager, USA ####################################################################### #########################Sponsoring Organizations######################### * IEEE * Laboratory of Modeling, Simulation and Control, University of Ljubljana * Laboratory of Autonomous Mobile Systems, University of Ljubljana ##########################################################################

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PhD position available at ETH Zürich
by Felix Franke Jan. 10, 2017

Jan. 10, 2017

We are looking for a talented student with a proactive and self-driven nature who will map functional characteristics of retinal ganglion cells across the entire retina. The successful candidate will perform experiments with ex-vivo retinae and state-of-the-art microelectrode array technology in an interdisciplinary research project and will collaborate with scientists in electrical engineering, neurobiology, computational neuroscience and ophthalmic research. The PhD project is set in an interdisciplinary research group providing an exciting scientific environment and linked with several ongoing projects. It will pave the way to a better functional understanding of the organization of retina, including the optics of the eye and the statistics of natural stimuli. In particular, we want to understand if functional properties of retinal ganglion cells follow a spatial organization across the entire retina. The ideal candidate will have strong programming skills (e.g., Matlab, Python, C++), knowledge of statistics and data analysis methods, and a background in Systems Neuroscience, Electrophysiology, Computational Neuroscience, Signal Processing, Optics or related fields. Inquiries should be addressed to Dr. Felix Franke (felix.franke(a)ethz.ch) The position is with the Bio Engineering Laboratory of ETH Zurich in Basel in the group of Prof. Andreas Hierlemann (https://www.bsse.ethz.ch/bel) and begins in March 2017 although the starting date is flexible. The position is fully funded for 4 years. Please apply under https://apply.refline.ch/845721/5083/pub/1/index.html including a CV, short statement of motivation and research interests, and two letters of reference. -- Felix Franke, PhD ETH Zürich, D-BSSE Bio Engineering Laboratory (BEL) http://www.bsse.ethz.ch/bel

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Save the Date: 3rd Int. Workshop on Machine learning, Optimization & big Data - MOD 2017 Call for Papers - Paper submission deadline: February 28, 2017
by Giuseppe Nicosia Jan. 9, 2017

Jan. 9, 2017

[Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this announcement] [Please kindly help forward it to potentially interested attendees] 3rd International Workshop on Machine learning, Optimization and big Data - MOD 2017 An Interdisciplinary Workshop: Machine Learning, Optimization and Data Science without Borders - SIAF Learning Village - Volterra (Pisa) Tuscany, September 14-17, 2017 http://www.taosciences.it/mod/ modworkshop2017(a)gmail.com ************************* CALL FOR PAPERS ************************* Paper submission deadline: February 28, 2017 http://www.taosciences.it/mod/call-for-papers/ https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mod2017 The MOD 2017 workshop will consist of four days of workshop sessions and special sessions. We invite submissions of papers, abstracts and posters on all topics related to Machine learning, Optimization and Big Data including real-world applications for the workshop proceedings: http://www.taosciences.it/mod/call-for-papers/ https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mod2017 Please prepare your paper in English using the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) template, which is available http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0 Papers must be submitted in PDF. MOD 2017 Types of Submissions When submitting a paper to MOD 2017, authors are required to select one of the following four types of papers: + Long paper: original novel and unpublished work (max. 12 pages in Springer LNCS format); + Short paper: an extended abstract of novel work (max. 4 pages); + Work for oral presentation only (no page restriction; any format). For example, work already published elsewhere, which is relevant and which may solicit fruitful discussion at the workshop; + Work for poster presentation only. The poster format for the presentation is A0 (118.9 cm high and 84.1 cm wide, respectively 46.8 x 33.1 inch). For research work which is relevant and which may solicit fruitful discussion at the workshop. MOD 2017 Post-Proceedings All accepted long papers will be published in a volume of the series 'Lecture Notes in Computer Science' from Springer *after* the Workshop. Instructions for preparing and submitting the final versions (camera-ready papers) of all accepted papers will be available later on. All the other papers (short papers, abstract of the oral presentations, poster presentations) will be published on the MOD 2017 web site. MOD 2017 Submission System All papers must be submitted using EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mod2017 The deadline is February 28, 2017 MOD 2017 Important Dates + Paper Submission Deadline: February 28, 2017 + Decision Notification to Authors: May 1st, 2017 + Camera Ready Submission Deadline: June 1st, 2017 + Deadline for early Registration as Presenting Author: June 1st, 2017 + Late registration: June 2 – September 17, 2017 + On-Site registration: September 14-17, 2017 + MOD 2017 Workshop: September 14-17, 2017 We look forward to seeing you in Tuscany! Giuseppe Nicosia & Panos Pardalos - MOD 2017 Chairs. — http://www.taosciences.it/mod/ modworkshop2017(a)gmail.com MOD 2016 Keynote Speakers: Nello Cristianini, University of Bristol, UK George Michailidis, University of Florida, USA Stephen Muggleton, Imperial College London, UK Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA http://www.taosciences.it/mod-2016/keynote-speakers/ MOD 2015 Keynote Speakers: Vipin Kumar, University of Minnesota, USA Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA Tomaso Poggio, MIT, USA http://www.taosciences.it/mod-2015/MOD 2015 -- Giuseppe Nicosia, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Computer Science Dept of Mathematics & Computer Science University of Catania Viale A. Doria, 6 - 95125 Catania, Italy P +39 095 7383048 nicosia(a)dmi.unict.it http://www.dmi.unict.it/nicosia ================================================================== 4th International Synthetic & Systems Biology Summer School - SSBSS 2017 * Biology meets Computer Science & Engineering * July 17-21, 2017 - University of Cambridge, Robinson College, UK http://www.taosciences.it/ssbss/ Contact Email: ssbss.school(a)gmail.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/ssbss.school/ SSBSS - Synthetic & Systems Biology Summer School Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/238417586492061/ Computational Synthetic Biology Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1014624245288596/ ================================================================== 3rd International Workshop on Machine learning, Optimization & big Data - MOD 2017 September 14-17, 2017 - Volterra (Pisa), Tuscany, Italy modworkshop2017(a)gmail.com http://www.taosciences.it/mod/ ==================================================================

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Master position in computational neuroscience at INRIA
by Bruno Cessac Jan. 9, 2017

Jan. 9, 2017

Master position in computational neuroscience at INRIA We are seeking an undergraduate student interested in doing a Master thesis, possibly followed by a funded Ph.D. in our group Biovision at INRIA Sophia Antipolis <http://www.inria.fr/en/centre/sophia> lead by Dr. Bruno Cessac. The detailed proposition can be found here https://team.inria.fr/biovision/files/2016/12/M2_Intership_Proposal.pdf In collaboration with experimentalists our group studies how the visual system encodes information about external word. We propose biophysical models, we develop methods coming from theoretical physics and mathematics to analyse them, and we design software inspired from the visual system to mimic its behaviour and to analyse experimental data. Successful applicants should have a strong background in computer science. Physics, mathematics or life science majors with strong skills in computer science (especially C/C++), interested in quantitative modeling work are also encouraged to apply, particularly if they would like to combine experiments and theory in their Master or Ph.D. thesis work. In order to make teamwork in our group enjoyable and fun, the ideal candidate should have a strong work ethic and have demonstrated consistent self-motivation skills. Unfortunately our source of fundings only covers members of the European Community. Prospective students should apply by sending an email to which includes * a letter of motivation, * CV, * and a copy of the current academic transcripts to be sent to bruno.cessac(a)inria.fr Looking forward to your applications! Bruno Cessac

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several full-time job openings at HRL Laboratories in Malibu, CA
by Pilly, Praveen K Jan. 8, 2017

Jan. 8, 2017

(1) POST DOC RESEARCH STAFF, Machine Learning and Brain-Inspired Computing (2) RESEARCH STAFF, Machine Learning and Brain-Inspired Computing EDUCATION DESIRED: Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, Neuroscience, Machine Learning, or related fields. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION: To develop, implement, and evaluate novel large-scale brain-inspired computational architectures, including spiking neuromorphic models, to solve complex problems such as resilient sensorimotor control; one-shot learning; visual scene segmentation, recognition, and tracking; spatiotemporal pattern discovery; big data prognostics and diagnostics; grammar learning; etc. Additional job functions include writing invention disclosures, publishing papers, making presentations, and assisting in marketing HRL expertise. KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE DESIRED: Programming proficiency in C++, Python, or Matlab is required. Knowledge and/or research experience in the development, implementation, and evaluation of various neural networks including spiking neuromorphic models, deep learning models, hierarchical temporal memory models, recurrent neural networks, long short-term memory models, deep reinforcement models. Knowledge of expectation maximization theory, Bayesian inference on graphical models, reinforcement learning theory, control systems, nonlinear optimization, and episodic, semantic, and procedural memory systems is preferred. Any experience with high-performance computing using clusters, GPUs, or FPGAs will be a plus. ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS: Good communication (verbal and written) skills, and active participation in R&D team activities are required. Able and willing to occasionally travel. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: U.S. person status required. (3) POST DOC RESEARCH STAFF, Machine Learning and EEG Processing EDUCATION DESIRED: Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, Neuroscience, Machine Learning, Bio-Statistics, or related fields ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION: To develop, implement, and validate real-time pattern recognition algorithms for decoding high-density EEG signals to predict future behavioral performance and inform non-invasive brain stimulation for behavioral enhancement in realistic tasks. Additional job functions include writing invention disclosures, publishing papers, making presentations, and assisting in marketing HRL expertise. EXPERIENCE DESIRED: Research experience in one or more of the following areas: high-density EEG decoding, pattern recognition applied to brain/body signals, machine learning with very limited training data, brain-machine interfaces, neural statistical modeling, closed-loop brain stimulation, and computational neuroscience. Deep understanding of machine learning algorithms applied to EEG is highly desirable. Experience developing innovative solutions based upon the application of relevant research results from a wide variety of sources. Individuals with a keen interest in translating basic neuroscience research into real-world applications are especially encouraged to apply. KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE DESIRED: Background in one or more of the following areas: machine learning, pattern recognition, statistical data analysis, neural statistical modeling, neurophysiology, peripheral physiology, neuroscience, and sleep/wake states. Programming proficiency in Matlab and/or C++ is required. ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS: Good communication (verbal and written) skills and active participation in R&D team activities are required. Able and willing to occasionally travel. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: U.S. person status required. We are proud to be an EOE/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disability employer. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing. (4) SOFTWARE ENGINEER, Cluster Implementation for Large-Scale Brain Networks EDUCATION DESIRED: Master's degree (or higher) in computer science, engineering, or related fields ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION: To implement and evaluate flexible, general-purpose large-scale brain networks on CPU and GPU clusters for real-time operation in real-world applications. Also to visualize large-scale network activity and develop a user interface to set various parameters. Additional job functions include writing invention disclosures, publishing papers, making presentations, and assisting in marketing HRL expertise. KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE DESIRED: Strong C++ and Python programming skills are required. Experience with/knowledge of brain networks and neural models is highly desired. Experience with threaded programming and MPI, and familiarity with Linux development environment is desired but not necessary. ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS: Good communication (verbal and written) skills, and active participation in R&D team activities are required. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: U.S. person status required. We are proud to be an EOE/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disability employer. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing. The Information and Systems Sciences Laboratory (ISSL) at HRL Laboratories conducts groundbreaking research in three thrust areas: Complex Networks, Secure and Resilient Systems, Autonomy Computing, and Human-Machine Cognition. We create new and innovative capabilities for diverse applications such as cyber-security, unmanned autonomous systems, human performance augmentation, big data analytics, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and electronic warfare. The goal of our research in Human-Machine Cognition is to understand how humans process information and effectively interact with the environment to develop smarter autonomous systems, enhance human performance, and develop novel processing systems. Our research starts with the development of large-scale, neurobiologically and behaviorally faithful brain region models. We apply these models along with real-time measurements of brain activity (EEG, fMRI, fNIRS) to create advanced brain-computer interfaces, human decision aids, and neurostimulation-based enhanced training systems. We also use our models to develop novel brain-inspired sensor exploitation, machine learning, and control algorithms, and to develop low size, weight and power brain-based processing hardware for resilient autonomous systems, dexterous robots, and threat warning applications. HRL offers a competitive salary and benefits package, a small company atmosphere, and an ideal work location overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We also provide a collaborative technical culture committed to producing the leading R&D in the world. If interested, please send your resume via email to Dr. Praveen Pilly (pkpilly(a)hrl.com<mailto:pkpilly@hrl.com>) and put the pertinent Job Name in the subject heading. -- Praveen K. Pilly, Ph.D. Research Staff Scientist Information and Systems Sciences Laboratory HRL Laboratories Address: 3011 Malibu Canyon Road, Malibu, CA 90265 Tel: (310) 317-5492 Email: pkpilly(a)hrl.com

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Multiple Postdoc positions in systems neuroscience at Columbia University
by Qi Wang Jan. 6, 2017

Jan. 6, 2017

Apologies for cross posting. Multiple postdoc positions funded by NIH and DARPA projects are available in the Laboratory for Neural Engineering and Control in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University (http://neclab.bme.columbia.edu/) The projects investigate the role of the locus coeruleus (LC) – norepinephrine (NE) system in modulating perception, behavior and learning, and how to accelerate perceptual learning through control of LC activity and peripheral nerve stimulation. We are seeking highly motivated individuals with excellent academic track-record, including first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals. Successful candidates should have, or be in the process of completing, a PhD (or equivalent) in Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience, Electrical & Computer Engineering, or a related field. Ideal applicants should have a background on electrophysiology, behavioral training of rodents, and quantitative analytical methods. Experiences in optical imaging is a plus. Applicants should demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills, and the ability to work effectively independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team. Applicants should submit a CV, including a list of publications, a brief description of research interests, and a list of three references. All application materials as well as any inquiries should be sent to qi.wang(a)columbia.edu. Salary will be commensurate to the candidate qualifications. -- ====================================== Qi Wang, Assistant Professor Dept. of Biomedical Engineering Columbia University ET 351, 500 W 120th Street New York, NY 10027 Email:qi.wang@columbia.edu Associate Editor IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering http://tnsre.embs.org/

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