- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Announcing the first NESTML community workshop
by Jochen Martin Eppler Nov. 10, 2015

Nov. 10, 2015

Announcing the first community workshop on NESTML, the novel modelling language to create neuron models for the NEST simulator for spiking neuronal networks (nest-simulator.org) Abstract ^^^^^^^^ Currently, neuron and synapse models in NEST are written as C++ classes. These classes implement the simulator API for updating the neuronal dynamics, sending and receiving events, and auxiliary tasks such as initialization, recording of internal variables, calibration and handling of parameters. As the model code is hand-written and often created by copy and paste, this method is prone to errors and hinders the programmatic re-use of components such as neuronal dynamics, post-synaptic responses and synaptic plasticity mechanisms. Moreover, as many neuroscientists are not experts in C++, the process of creating models is often seen as complicated and in many cases the resulting model implementations are not optimal with respect to performance, consistency and testability. To ease writing models for NEST and improve the general quality of the code, we have created the NEST Modelling Language. NESTML comprises a language specification to describe neuron models in terms of neuroscience concepts and a set of tools to generate efficient C++ code for NEST from this description. During the workshop, we will give a general introduction to model creation for NEST and an in-depth introduction to the concepts and application of NESTML. In hands-on sessions the participants have the opportunity to write their own models in NESTML with the assistance of experienced tutors. The feedback collected in a dedicated session will be used to shape the future design and development of NESTML. Target Audience ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The workshop aims at students and researchers in computational neuroscience who want to create their own neuron models in NEST. Some understanding of programming and experience with one of the simulators NEST, NEURON, or Brian will be helpful, but are not strictly required. Location and date ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The workshop will take place at the Chair of Software Engineering (se-rwth.de) of RWTH Aachen University from Monday, December 7 to Wednesday, December 9, 2015. Details and registration Workshop attendance is possible free of charge. However, in order to be able to plan rooms, lunches and coffee breaks, we require registration. For details and enrolment, visit www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/nestml-ws. With best regards, Jochen! -- Dr. Jochen Martin Eppler Phone: +49 2461 61-9471 ---------------------------------- Simulation Laboratory Neuroscience Jülich Supercomputing Centre Institute for Advanced Simulation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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2x Postdoctoral Research Assistants in Knowledge Representation and Information Theory applied to fNIRS
by Felipe Nov. 10, 2015

Nov. 10, 2015

*2x Postdoctoral Research Assistants in Knowledge Representation and Information Theory applied to fNIRS* Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica (INAOE) – Dept. of Computer Science *About the positions* The Department of Computer Science at INAOE in Puebla, Mexico, invites applications for 2 two years full-time postdoctoral research assistant positions in the field of functional optical neuroimaging interpretation. Initial contract will be short-term according to institutional internal regulations extensible up to 2 years as the candidate demonstrate his/her suitability for the position and maintains his performance and productivity. You will be working under the supervision of Dr. Felipe Orihuela-Espina. You will be expected to publish in high impact factor journals as well as in top conferences of the area. You will also be expected to contribute and help, not only to the project but also to the research and teaching carried out in the lab and the department in general. You will also help with PhD student supervision. You might further be asked to help with administrative tasks related to this or related projects including but not limited to report generation and generation of new grant applications. All the former has to be delivered punctually against tight deadlines. This description of tasks might not be exhaustive. Salary is regulated by CONACYT’s project administration manual <http://www.conacyt.mx/images/conacyt/fondos/sectoriales/Fondos_ManualAdmini…>. *About the project* Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an emerging neuroimaging modality available for understanding brain behaviour for which current analysis and interpretation methods were often inherited and adapted from other neuroimaging modalities such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This migration of methods is never trivial or without compromises. This 3 years $2M MXN project explores alternative analysis and interpretation algorithms and techniques specifically developed for fNIRS which can answer complex questions about cognitive activity while considering and exploiting fNIRS specific particularities. More specifically, these positions aim at: (i)(/_Position Key: fNIRS-2016-01-KR_/) Exploring the use of knowledge representation techniques as a base for streamlining fNIRS experimentation, analysis and interpretation. Research tasks include, but are not limited to, the construction of conceptual maps defining experimental elements in fNIRS, the proposition of an initial ontology capturing fNIRS experimentation and the testing of different reasoning techniques over the ontology. (ii)(/_Position Key: fNIRS-2016-02-IT_/) Exploring the suitability of information theory metrics for expressing brain connectivity from fNIRS. Research tasks include, but are not limited to, developing semi-virtual registration approaches, strong validation proofs, mathematical development of metrics and pseudometrics for expressing brain connectivity. The solutions resulting from this project will be evaluated in applications of surgical neuroergonomics for the study of learning and training of new surgeons, as well as in virtual rehabilitation for the observation of neuroplastic changes associated to the therapy administration. To obtain further details of the project, please check contact details below. *About the candidate* Applications are sought in optical neuroimaging analysis and interpretation, with particular emphasis on the following topics: -Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) -Knowledge Representation -Information Theory -Mathematical Topology -Statistics and experimental design -Medical Physics Outstanding researchers in neuroimaging modalities other than fNIRS, but whose work is closely related with the current research project will be also considered. *Requisites*: ·Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline (e.g. computer science, mathematics, statistics, physics, engineering) and have obtained this no more than 5 years before the starting date of the appointment. ·You will be fluent in English. Spanish is welcomed but not strictly necessary. ·You will have excellent communication skills (oral and written) linked with an excellent publication record. ·You must have the potential to do pioneering research and to teach effectively. ·You will have outstanding demonstrable coding expertise with numerical and symbolic packages (preferably Matlab) ·You will have to be able to carry out research without supervision, and being able carry out collaborative research. ·You will be able to deliver quality work following tight project deadlines. ·If not Mexican, you will need work permit according to Mexican laws. An conditional invitation letter can be produced upon offering the job to support your application for work permit. ·Other administrative and legal demands may have to be fulfilled to abide Mexican laws and institutional regulations. *About the institution, the department and the laboratory* INAOE is one of the top ranked research institutions in Mexico according to the international SCIMAGO institutions rankings. Created in 1971 following the research inheritance from the National Observatory of Astrophysics, INAOE is one of the national network of research centers from CONACYT. The Computer Science Department at INAOE is one of the leading research departments in computer science in Mexico with 23 full-time researchers; 95% recognized by the National Researchers System (SNI) in Mexico and over 40% on the top levels. We offer Master and PhD degrees and all our students benefit from a scholarship. The department has 7 strong research groups also called laboratories in robotics, machine learning, natural language processing, vision, high performance computing, ubiquitous computing and networks, and the biosignal and medical applications. The biosignal and medical applications laboratory develops several lines of research including neuroimaging processing and analysis, affective and persuasive computing, virtual neurorehabilitation and geomedicine. It is the proud pioneer in Mexico regarding emotion recognition from speech which generated the first spin up business from INAOE. It has recently been granted about $5M MXN infrastructure funds for strengthening the neuroimaging research line. *About the application process* To submit your application, please send by e-mail the following information in English to the contact below. ·CV in free style including academic trajectory and full publication record, and clear contact e-mail. ·A 5 pg maximum (11pt) statement explaining why you are the best candidate for the position and initial solution ideas. Please clearly indicate the position key (see above) for which you are applying for. ·2 reference letters and the corresponding contact for referees. Please note, they might be contact for further information about the candidate. The application process might involve one or more interviews, and demonstration of skills by means of a probatory task. Although we will try to answer all applications, if you haven’t heard from us within 3 weeks from your submission date please consider that your application has been unsuccessful. The positions are available as from the 3^rd of January 2016 but earlier or later incorporations might be considered. The positions will be opened until suitable candidates are found. *Contact*: For further details about the project and how to apply and latest updates about the job offer, please visit: http://ccc.inaoep.mx/~f.orihuela-espina/Src/Jobs.php You will be working under the supervision of Dr. Felipe Orihuela-Espina. e-mail: f.orihuela-espina(a)ccc.inaoep.mx

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Workshop on Cognitive Development for Friendly Robots and Rehabilitation
by Giulio Sandini Nov. 9, 2015

Nov. 9, 2015

International Workshop on Cognitive Development for Friendly Robots and Rehabilitation International Symposium on Cognitive Neuroscience Robotics Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego 30, Genoa (Italy) 2-3 December 2015 We are glad to invite you to a two-days workshop on human cognitive development and its implications for Robotics and Rehabilitation. The participation in the workshop is free of charge, but it requires a registration for organizational purposes. The detailed program and the registration form<https://www.codefror.eu/events> can be found at the workshop's website: https://www.codefror.eu/events. Deadline for registration and abstract's submission is 25th of November. The event is jointly organized by the European project CODEFROR: COgnitive Development for Friendly RObots and Rehabilitation and the "JSPS Core to Core program: Competitive Partnership on Cognitive Neuroscience Robotics. CODEFROR is an EU project within the "International Research Staff Exchange Scheme" (FP7-MSCA-PIRSES-2013-612555), which investigates aspects of human cognitive development with the dual goal of developing robots able to interact with humans in a friendly way and of designing and testing protocols for rehabilitation of disabled children. Partners in the project are the Italian Institute of Technology, the Universities of Bielefeld in Germany, Osaka and Tokyo in Japan. The webpage of the project is: https://www.codefror.eu/. The program of the workshop consists of two days of presentations by invited speakers spanning from cognitive robotics, human cognition, human-robot interaction, robotic and sensory rehabilitation, prosthesis, surgical robotics, computational neuroscience. The impact of research and technological solutions on social needs and, more specifically, on rehabilitation and support of persons with disabilities will be central to the workshop. If you are interested in presenting your work at the poster session, please specify it in the registration form and submit a 300 words abstract. Deadline for registration and abstract's submission is 25th of November. You will be notified of poster acceptance soon after. Among the speakers:- Minoru Asada, Yukie Nagai and Takashi Fujikado (Osaka University), Jochen Steil and Friederike Eyssel (Bielefeld University), Rajesh Rao, (University of Washington), Gabriel Baud-Bovy, Cristina Becchio, Fabio Benfenati, Luca Brayda, Leonardo De Mattos, Monica Gori, Hagen Leman, Pietro Morasso, Giulio Sandini (IIT). For any enquiry or further information, please refer to the workshop webpage: https://www.codefror.eu/events or contact Maria Carmela Fierro (conference(a)codefror.eu<mailto:conference@codefror.eu> ).

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Journal track submission for ECML-PKDD 2016 is *open now*
by Olana Missura Nov. 9, 2015

Nov. 9, 2015

The journal track submission for ECML-PKDD 2016 is open now. The journal track allows continuous submissions from the end of September 2015 to March 2016. There are two cutoffs per month on which we distribute papers to reviewers with the first one being the 27th of September 2015 and the last one being the 30th of March 2016. Details on the conference and the submission process are available at http://www.ecmlpkdd2016.org/submission.html Best regards, Olana Missura Publicity Chair of ECML-PKDD 2016

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CALL FOR PAPERS BigData4Healthcare, deadline: November 29.
by Youssef Iraqi Nov. 9, 2015

Nov. 9, 2015

Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this message. ________________________________________________________________ CALL FOR PAPERS BigData4Healthcare, deadline: November 29. 1st International Workshop on Big Data Analytics for Healthcare and Well-being 2016 January 18, 2016, Hong Kong, China http://sigai.or.kr/workshop/bigcomp/2016/big-data-for-healthcare/ In conjunction with the 3rd International Conference on Big Data and Smart Computing (BigComp) 2016 http://conf2016.bigcomputing.org/main/ Purpose and Scope Healthcare and well-being is an important area of research in many countries as one of the emerging application domains for both big data and smart computing. This workshop aims to create opportunities to share on-going works and enhance collaboration among healthcare researchers related to big data or data science, and to foster new innovations of big data and smart computing in the areas of mobile healthcare, smart homes, digital cities, innovations in healthcare and sensing devices, and other related areas. Prospective authors are cordially invited to submit their original contributions covering completed or ongoing work related to the area of big data analytics for healthcare and well-being. The topics include but are not limited to: - Smart health and big data - Data mining, graph mining and data science for healthcare - Big data analytics and social media for healthcare - Smart devices and hardware for healthcare - Smart location-based services for healthcare - Models and tools for smart computing in healthcare - Innovations in healthcare and sensing devices - Security and privacy for big data in healthcare - Cloud and grid computing for healthcare - Standards for big data in healthcare PAPER SUBMISSION Perspective authors are invited to submit their papers, up to 8 pages each, in the IEEE paper template. Papers must be formatted in PDF according to the IEEE two-column format for conference proceedings and submitted through EasyChair, http://www.easychair.org/. The direct link for paper submission is https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=bigdata4healthcare IMPORTANT DATES Paper Submission Due: November 29, 2015 (23:59, HKT) Notification of Acceptance: December 6, 2015 Camera ready Papers: December 13, 2015 Workshop: January 18, 2016 ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITTEE Workshop Chairs: Youssef Iraqi, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE Ho-Jin Choi, School of Computing, KAIST, Korea Min Song, Dept. of Library & Information, Yonsei University, Korea TPC Members: Ae Ran Kim, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Korea Amjad Gawanmeh, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE Byeong-Soo Jeong, Dept. of Computer Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Korea Changseok Bae, SW.Content Research Laboratory, ETRI, Korea Ahsan Khandoker, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE Hani Saleh, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE Gwan-Su Yi, Dept. of Bio & Brain Engineering, KAIST, Korea Harish Bhaskar, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE Hyeoun-Ae Park, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Korea Kyuchang Kang, SW.Content Research Laboratory, ETRI, Korea Tae-Min Song, Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, Korea Yong-Ik Yoon, Dept. of Multimedia Science, SookMyung Women’s University, Korea Yu-Chae Jung, Dept. of Multimedia Science, SookMyung Women’s University, Korea Nan Xiang, Dept. of Computer Science, Chongqing University of Technology, China Lingyun Zhu, Dept. of Internet of Things, Chongqing University of Technology, China Yong Wang, Dept. of Network Engineering, Chongqing University of Technology, China Youssef Iraqi Associate Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Khalifa University of Science, Technology & Research (KUSTAR) PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, UAE T +971 (0)2 501 8323 F +971 (0)2 447 2441 Youssef.Iraqi(a)kustar.ac.ae

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Postdoctoral position - two photon imaging
by Simon Schultz Nov. 9, 2015

Nov. 9, 2015

Please note that applications for this position close on Thursday 12th November Salary Range: £33,860 - £42,830 per annum South Kensington Campus Full time, fixed-term until the 30th November 2018 The Centre for Neurotechnology forms part of the cross-departmental Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London. The Centre, in association with the Department of Bioengineering, hosts world-class experimental facilities for research at the interface between neuroscience and engineering. The Centre has recently initiated a philanthropically funded project on the application of biomedical engineering principles to understand how the progression of Alzheimer's disease affects information processing in cortical circuits, and test new therapeutic interventions. Applications are invited for the above post to work with Dr Simon Schultz on in vivo two photon imaging of calcium signals in the dendrites of neocortical pyramidal cells. The aim of this work is to understand how synaptic integration changes during the progression of Alzheimer's disease, and to test the effects on dendrites of new therapeutic strategies being developed for the treatment of Alzheimer's. Candidates must have a doctoral degree or equivalent in neuroscience, physics, engineering, or similar. Prior experience with two photon imaging or whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology in a neuroscience context is a requirement. Preference will be given to candidates with both a strong experimental background, and experience in quantitative neurophysiological data analysis. This post will be based at the South Kensington Campus. Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Simon Schultz, email: s.schultz(a)imperial.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted Please see the job advertisement here: http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/553791-research-associate-two… or by searching for position EN20150347FH on the Imperial College jobs page: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/job-applicants/ -- Simon R Schultz Reader in Neurotechnology & Royal Society Industry Fellow Neural Coding Laboratory: http://www.schultzlab.org Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK Director, Imperial College Centre for Neurotechnology Administrator: Dr Kate Hobson, Phone: +44 207 594 5101 http://www.imperial.ac.uk/neurotechnology EU Neural Engineering Marie Curie ITN: http://www.neural-engineering.eu

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[meetings] Living Machines V: First Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors
by Nathan F Lepora Nov. 9, 2015

Nov. 9, 2015

First Call for Papers, Satellite Events and Sponsors Living Machines V: The 5th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems 18th to 22nd July 2015 http://csnetwork.eu/livingmachines To be hosted at the: Dynamic Earth Edinburgh, Scotland In association with the Heriot-Watt University and University of Edinburgh Accepted papers will be published in: Springer Lecturer Notes in Artificial Intelligence Submission deadline March 11th, 2016 ______________________________________________________________ ABOUT LIVING MACHINES 2016 The development of future real-world technologies will depend strongly on our understanding and harnessing of the principles underlying living systems and the flow of communication signals between living and artificial systems. Biomimetics is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of principles from the study of biological systems. The investigation of biomimetic systems can serve two complementary goals. First, a suitably designed and configured biomimetic artefact can be used to test theories about the natural system of interest. Second, biomimetic technologies can provide useful, elegant and efficient solutions to unsolved challenges in science and engineering. Biohybrid systems are formed by combining at least one biological component—an existing living system—and at least one artificial, newly-engineered component. By passing information in one or both directions, such a system forms a new hybrid bio-artificial entity. The theme of the conference also encompasses biomimetic methods for manufacture, repair and recycling inspired by natural processes such as reproduction, digestion, morphogenesis and metamorphosis. The following are some examples of “Living Machines” as featured at past conferences: • Biomimetic robots and their component technologies (sensors, actuators, processors) that can intelligently interact with their environments. • Active biomimetic materials and structures that self-organize and self-repair. • Nature-inspired designs and manufacturing processes. • Biomimetic computers—neuromimetic emulations of the physiological basis for intelligent behaviour. • Biohybrid brain-machine interfaces and neural implants. • Artificial organs and body-parts including sensory organ-chip hybrids and intelligent prostheses. • Organism-level biohybrids such as robot-animal or robot-human systems. ACTIVITIES The main conference will take the form of a three-day single-track oral and poster presentation program, 20th to 22nd July 2016, hosted at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, Scotland. The conference program will include five plenary lectures from leading international researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems, and the demonstrations of state-of-the-art living machine technologies The full conference will be preceded by up to two days of Satellite Events hosted by the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. SUBMITTING TO LIVING MACHINES 2016 We invite both full papers and extended abstracts in areas related to the conference themes. All contributions will be refereed and accepted papers will appear in the Living Machines 2016 proceedings which we expect to be published in the Springer-Verlag LNAI Series. Full papers (minimum 8 pages, up to 12 pages) are invited from researchers at any stage in their career and should present significant findings and advances in biomimetic or biohybid research. More preliminary work would be better suited for short papers submission (minimum 4 pages, with a maximum of ten references and no more than three self-citations). Full papers will be accepted for either oral presentation (single track) or poster presentation. Extended abstracts will be accepted for poster presentation only. Authors of the best full papers will be invited to submitted extended versions of their paper for publication in a special issue of the Taylor & Francis journal Connection Science. SATELLITE EVENTS Active researchers in biomimetic and biohybrid systems are invited to propose topics for 1-day or 2-day tutorials, symposia or workshops on related themes to be held 18-19th July at the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh. Events can be scheduled on either the 18th or the 19th or across both days. Attendance at satellite events will attract a small fee intended to cover the costs of the meeting. There is a lot of flexibility about the content, organisation, and budgeting for these events. Please contact us if you are interested in organising a satellite event! EXPECTED DEADLINES March 11th, 2016 Paper submission deadline April 29th, 2016 Notification of acceptance May 16th, 2016 Camera ready copy July 18-22 2016 Conference SPONSORSHIP Living Machines 2016 is part-sponsored by the Convergent Science Network (CSN) for Biomimetics and Neurotechnology. CSN is an EU FP7 Future Emerging Technologies Co-ordination Activity that also organises two highly successful workshop series: the Barcelona Summer School on Brain, Technology and Cognition (https://bcbt.upf.edu/bcbt15) and the Capocaccia Neuromorphic Cognitive Engineering Workshop (https://capocaccia.ethz.ch/capo/wiki/2015) The 2016 Living Machines conference will also be hosted and co-sponsored by Heriot-Watt University. Call for Sponsors. Other organisations wishing to sponsor the conference in any way and gain the corresponding benefits by promoting themselves and their products to through conference publications, the conference web-site, and conference publicity are encouraged to contact the conference organisers to discuss the terms of sponsorship and necessary arrangements. We offer a number of attractive and good-value packages to potential sponsors. ABOUT THE VENUE Living Machines 2016 will be hosted at Dynamic Earth (http://www.dynamicearth.co.uk) a 5 star visitor attraction in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic old town, next door the Scottish Parliament and Holyrood Palace. Dynamic Earth is a visitor experience that invites you to take a journey through time to witness the story of planet Earth. Through a series of interactive exhibits, state of the art technology and even a 4D encounter you will feel the heat of a bubbling volcano, face the chill of polar ice, fly across the globe before crash landing in a tropical rainforest. Attendees at the conference will receive a discount voucher to visit the Dynamic Earth exhibit. Workshops will be held at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics in George Square, a short walk from Edinburgh city centre. Organising Committee: Mark Desmulliez, Heriot Watt University (Co-chair) Tony Prescott, University of Sheffield (Co-chair) Nathan Lepora, University of Bristol (Programme Chair) Michael Mangar, University of Edinburgh (Satellite Events Chair) Anna Mura, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Communications) Paul Verschure, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (International Steering Committee) -- Dr N Lepora Phone: 07859 024565 Website: www.lepora.com Honorary Research Fellow, Sheffield Centre for Robotics (SCentRo) University of Sheffield S10 2TP Lecturer in Robotics, Department of Engineering Mathematics and Bristol Robotics Laboratory University of Bristol BS8 1UB

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joint faculty positions (1) neural engineering, 2) computational neuroscience and 3) health data science) at HKUST
by I-ming HSING Nov. 9, 2015

Nov. 9, 2015

Dear Colleagues, The Division of Biomedical Engineering at HKUST has several joint appointment faculty positions at neural engineering and system neuroscience, computational neuroscience and health data science. Please refer to the job posting details as below. Best, I-Ming Job Posting Details The Division of Biomedical Engineering at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is looking for outstanding candidates for substantiation-track junior faculty positions in the following strategic areas: (1) Neural Engineering and System Level Neuroscience Applicants should possess a PhD degree in a relevant field. The ideal candidate should have an outstanding research experience in experimental measurements of the neural correlates of perception/action and/or decision-making in awake behaving organisms, e.g., small vertebrates or invertebrates. (2) Computational Neuroscience Applicants should possess a PhD degree in a relevant field with a demonstrated excellence in mathematical and computational analyses of the neural circuits, encoding strategies, or neural architectures underlying behavior. The ideal candidate is expected to build connections between empirical domains of neuroscience, neural engineering and autonomous systems. (3) Health Data Science Applicants should possess a PhD degree in a relevant field with demonstrated research strength of handling and interpreting large health/biological/chemical compound datasets, specializing in data analytics, computational immunology, or discovering vaccines and drugs. The successful candidates will be jointly appointed by the Division of Biomedical Engineering and an academic Department/Division in the School of Engineering or the School of Science. They are expected to lead an independent research group, produce high quality interdisciplinary research, attract external grants, and contribute to teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Information about the Division of Biomedical Engineering, the School of Engineering and the School of Science is available at http://bme.ust.hk/, http://www.seng.ust.hk/ & http://science.ust.hk/ respectively. Starting salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Fringe benefits include annual leave, medical and dental benefits. Housing benefits will also be provided where applicable. Initial appointment will normally be made on a 3-year contract, renewable subject to mutual agreement. A gratuity will be payable upon successful completion of contract. Application Procedure =================== Interested candidates are invited to send their application packages (including an updated CV, teaching and research statements, plus names of three dependent referees) by email to bmehire(a)ust.hk<mailto:bmehire@ust.hk>. Review of applications will start immediately and suitable candidates will be contacted for interviews. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. (Information provided by applicants will only be used for recruitment and other employment-related purposes.) *************** I-Ming Hsing Head and Professor, Division of BioMedical Engineering (BME) Director, BioEngineering Graduate Program (BIEN) Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong Voice: 852 2358 7131, Fax: 852 3106 4857 Email: kehsing(a)ust.hk<mailto:kehsing@ust.hk> BME URL: http://bme.ust.hk<http://bme.ust.hk/> Group URL: http://ihome.ust.hk/~kehsing

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IEEE ICDL-EPIROB 2016, Sept. 19-22th, Cergy-Pontoise/Paris, France (submission April 1st)
by Arnaud Blanchard Nov. 7, 2015

Nov. 7, 2015

Call for Papers & Call for Tutorials and Special Sessions IEEE ICDL-EPIROB 2016 The Sixth Joint IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning and on Epigenetic Robotics Cergy-Pontoise / Paris, France September 19-22th, 2016 http://www.icdl-epirob.org <http://www.icdl-epirob.org/> == Conference description The past decade has seen the emergence of a new scientific field that studies how intelligent biological and artificial systems develop sensorimotor, cognitive and social abilities, over extended periods of time, through dynamic interactions with their physical and social environments. This field lies at the intersection of a number of scientific and engineering disciplines including Neuroscience, Developmental Psychology, Developmental Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Computational Neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Robotics. Various terms have been associated with this new field such as Autonomous Mental Development, Epigenetic Robotics, Developmental Robotics, etc., and several scientific meetings have been established. The two most prominent conference series of this field, the International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL) and the International Conference on Epigenetic Robotics (EpiRob), are now joining forces for the sixth time and invite submissions for a joint conference in 2016, to explore and extend the interdisciplinary boundaries of this field. == Keynote speakers * Tamim Asfour (http://h2t.anthropomatik.kit.edu/english/21_66.php <http://h2t.anthropomatik.kit.edu/english/21_66.php>) * Karl Friston (http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/~karl <http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/~karl>) * Julie Grezes (http://iec-lnc.ens.fr/social-cognition-group/membres-100/faculty-177/grezes… <http://iec-lnc.ens.fr/social-cognition-group/membres-100/faculty-177/grezes…>) Others to be confirmed. == Call for Submissions We invite submissions for this exciting window into the future of developmental sciences. Submissions which establish novel links between brain, behavior and computation are particularly encouraged. == Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): * the development of perceptual, motor, cognitive, emotional, social, and communication skills in biological systems and robots; * embodiment; * general principles of development and learning; * interaction of nature and nurture; * sensitive/critical periods; * developmental stages; * grounding of knowledge and development of representations; * architectures for cognitive development and open-ended learning; * neural plasticity; * statistical learning; * reward and value systems; * intrinsic motivations, exploration and play; * interaction of development and evolution; * use of robots in applied settings such as autism therapy; * epistemological foundations and philosophical issues. Any of the topics above can be simultaneously studied from the neuroscience, psychology or modeling/robotic point of view. == Submissions will be accepted in several formats: 1. Full six-page paper submissions: Accepted papers will be included in the conference proceedings and will be selected for either an oral presentation or a featured poster presentation. Featured posters will have a 1 minute "teaser" presentation as part of the main conference session and will be showcased in the poster sessions. 2. Two-page poster abstract submissions: To encourage discussion of late-breaking results or for work that is not sufficiently mature for a full paper, we will accept 2-page abstracts. These submissions will NOT be included in the conference proceedings. Accepted abstracts will be presented during poster sessions. 3. Tutorials and workshops: We invite experts in different areas to organize either a tutorial or a workshop to be held on the first day of the conference. Tutorials are meant to provide insights into specific topics as well as overviews that will inform the interdisciplinary audience about the state-of-the-art in child development, neuroscience, robotics, or any of the other disciplines represented at the conference. A workshop is an opportunity to present a topic cumulatively. Workshop can be half- or full-day in duration including oral presentations as well as posters. Submission format: two pages. == Call for Tutorials and Workshops We invite experts in different areas to organize a tutorial or workshop, which will be held on the first day of the conference. Participants in tutorials and workshops are asked to register for the main conference. Tutorials are meant to provide insights into specific topics as well as overviews that will inform the interdisciplinary audience about the state-of-the-art in child development, neuroscience, robotics, or any of the other disciplines represented at the conference. A workshop is an opportunity to present a topic cumulatively. Workshop can be half- or full-day in duration including oral presentations as well as posters. Submissions (max. two pages) should be sent no later than April 1st, 2016 to: Sofiane Boucenna sofiane.boucenna(a)ensea.fr <mailto:sofiane.boucenna@ensea.fr> Alexandre Pitti alexandre.pitti(a)ensea.fr <mailto:alexandre.pitti@ensea.fr> including: * Title of tutorial or workshop; * Tutorial/workshop speaker(s), including short CVs/affiliations and other relevant information; * Concept of the tutorial/workshop; target audience or prerequisites. All proposals submitted will be subjected to a peer review process. == Important dates * April 1st, 2016, paper submission deadline * June 1st, 2016, author notification * July 1st, 2014, final version (camera ready) due * September 19th-22nd, 2014, conference == Program committee General chairs: * Minoru Asada Osaka (Japan). * Philippe Gaussier, Cergy-Pontoise (France). Program chairs: * Verena Hafner, Berlin (Germany) * Alexandre Pitti, Cergy-Pontoise (France) Bridge chairs: • David Cohen, Paris (France) • Mathew Schlesinger, Southern Illinois (USA) Publication chairs: * Sofiane Boucenna, Cergy-Pontoise (France) Publicity chairs: * Arnaud Blanchard, Cergy-Pontoise (France) * Manuel Lopes, Bordeaux (France) * Yulia Sandamirskaya, Bochum (Germany) Local chairs: * Pierre Andry, Cergy-Pontoise (France) * Nicolas Cuperlier, Cergy-Pontoise (France) Finance chairs: * Ghilès Mostafaoui, Cergy-Pontoise (France)

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CFP: VECPAR 2016 - High Performance Computing for Computational Science
by Carlos Ferreira Nov. 7, 2015

Nov. 7, 2015

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CALL FOR PAPERS 12th International Meeting on High-Performance Computing for Computational Science (VECPAR 2016) University of Porto, Porto, Portugal June 27 - 30, 2016 http://vecpar.fe.up.pt/2016/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT DATES: Deadline for submission: January 15th, 2016 notification of acceptance: March 3rd, 2016 camera ready version: April 25th, 2016, on easychair.org. The International Meeting on High Performance Computing for Computational Science (VECPAR) is the premier venue for presenting and discussing the latest research and practice in high end computer modeling and complex systems. VECPAR encourages submission of research contributions from academia, research laboratories and industry to address pressing issues in computational science resulting from applications of interest to society and hardware innovations. VECPAR'16, the 12th edition of the VECPAR series of conferences is organized by the University of Porto, Portugal, and will be held at the Department of Computer Science, School of Sciences. An award is planned for best student papers. Contributions are solicited in all areas of computational science and engineering (CS&E), including (but not limited to) the following topics: * Large scale Simulations in CS&E * Parallel and Distributed Computing * Parallel Algorithms * Numerical Algorithms on Multicore, GPUs and Emerging Architectures * Symbolic algorithms on Multicore, GPUs and Emerging Architectures * Support Tools and Environments * Scheduling and Load Balancing * Performance Analysis, Evaluation and Tuning You should make your submissions through EasyChair at: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=vecpar2016 Submitted papers must be formatted according to the rules of the Springer Series Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS): http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0 Please note that papers (for conference presentation) must not exceed 8 pages in length, using the LNCS format. Accepted papers will be distributed in electronic format to participants of VECPAR'16. Printed versions of the invited talks and a set of selected papers will be published by Springer in the series entitled Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Selected papers will be limited to 14 pages and will be judged based on relevance, significance, originality, correctness and clarity. More information about this process will be sent to interested authors after the conference. Carlos Ferreira [http://www2.isep.ipp.pt/assinatura_email/EMAIL_ISEP.png] ISEP | Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 431 4249-015 Porto - PORTUGAL tel. +351 228 340 500 | fax +351 228 321 159 mail(a)isep.ipp.pt | www.isep.ipp.pt<http://www.isep.ipp.pt>

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PhD program in Brain & Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester
by Rajeev Raizada Nov. 6, 2015

Nov. 6, 2015

Graduate Training in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester The Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) at the University of Rochester offers opportunities for students interested in earning a doctoral degree in one of the most exciting fields of scientific endeavor. Particular areas of research strength include: language, perception and action, development and learning, concepts and categories, and decision-making. Full details can be found at: http://www.bcs.rochester.edu . Recent news about research done in the department can be found on its Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/UoR_BrainCogSci We seek outstanding candidates from a variety of backgrounds who seek a rigorous program of study and exceptional mentoring in research. All students admitted to the program are offered graduate fellowships that provide a full stipend and cover the costs of tuition and single plan health insurance. The Department has a number of new faculty with research programs focusing on cognitive neuroscience, development of language and cognition, language learning, theoretical and computational neuroscience, and visual neuroscience. Interested applicants can find details at http://www.bcs.rochester.edu/graduate/admission.html The closing date for applications for admission in Fall 2016 is January 4, 2016. Readers of the Comp-Neuro list may be particularly interested in work being done by the following faculty members: Ralf Haefner (computational neuroscience) https://www.bcs.rochester.edu/people/faculty/haefner_ralf/index.html Robbie Jacobs (computational cognition, Bayesian modeling) https://www.bcs.rochester.edu/people/faculty/jacobs_robert/index.html Jude Mitchell (neurophysiology, computational neuroscience) https://www.bcs.rochester.edu/people/faculty/mitchell_jude/index.html Steve Piantadosi (computational cognition, Bayesian modeling) http://colala.bcs.rochester.edu/people/piantadosi/ Rajeev Raizada (computational fMRI) http://raizadalab.org Neuroimaging facilities include a research-dedicated 3T Siemens MRI scanner at the Rochester Center for Brain Imaging (RCBI), and also state-of-the-art NIRS and EEG systems. More information can be found at http://www.rcbi.rochester.edu

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Graduate studies at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute
by Yael Niv Nov. 6, 2015

Nov. 6, 2015

The Graduate Program in Neuroscience at Princeton University offers a unique and intensive program of study spanning molecular, cellular, systems and cognitive neuroscience, followed by advanced research in a world-class Princeton laboratory. We seek highly motivated and creative students in our efforts to understand the brain. A listing of faculty affiliated with the program can be found online at www.princeton.edu/neuroscience<http://www.princeton.edu/neuroscience>, and below. Our doctoral program is flexible and individually-tailored, and we encourage students to pursue research with more than one faculty and across departmental boundaries. Applications for entry in the Fall of 2015 are now being accepted, with a deadline of December 1. For details, including contact information, please visit www.princeton.edu/neuroscience<http://www.princeton.edu/neuroscience>. Michael Berry - Neural computation in the retina William Bialek - Interface between physics and biology Lisa Boulanger - Neuronal functions of immune molecules Carlos Brody - Quantitative and behavioral neurophysiology Tim Buschman - Neural dynamics of cognitive control Jonathan Cohen - Neural bases of cognitive control Nathaniel Daw - Reward, learning and decision making Lynn Enquist - Neurovirology Liz Gavis - Neural development and mRNA localization in Drosophila Alan Gelperin - Learning, memory and olfaction Asif Ghazanfar - Neurobiology of primate social agents Elizabeth Gould - Neurogenesis and hippocampal function Michael Graziano - Sensorimotor integration Charles Gross - Functions of the cerebral cortex in behavior Uri Hasson - Temporal scales of neural processing Philip Holmes - Mathematical modeling John Hopfield - Computational neurobiology/biophysics Barry Jacobs - Brain monoamine neurotransmitters Sabine Kastner - Neural mechanisms for visual perception Carolyn McBride - Molecular and neural basis of behavioral evolution Mala Murthy - Neurophysiology of olfactory and auditory perception in Drosophila Coleen Murphy - Molecular mechanisms of aging Yael Niv - Reinforcement learning and decision making, computational psychiatry Ken Norman - Neural bases of episodic memory Jonathan Pillow - Neural information processing, machine learning, and statistical modeling of neural data Sebastian Seung - Structure and function of neural circuits Joshua Shaevits - Neural and behavioral dynamics in simple organisms David Tank - Neural circuit dynamics Jordan Taylor - Motor control and learning Alexander Todorov - Cognitive neuroscience of social cognition and behavior Nicholas Turk-Browne - Cognitive neuroscience of attention, perception and memory Samuel Wang - Dynamics and learning in neural circuits Ilana Witten - Neural circuits underlying reward and motivation

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Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, PhD Programme
by Peter Dayan Nov. 6, 2015

Nov. 6, 2015

Training in theoretical and computational neuroscience and machine learning. The Gatsby Unit is a centre for theoretical neuroscience and machine learning, focusing on unsupervised, semi-supervised and reinforcement learning, neural dynamics, population coding, Bayesian (Including nonparametric) statistics, kernel methods and applications of these to the analysis of perceptual processing, neural data and beyond. It provides a unique opportunity for a critical mass of theoreticians to interact closely with each other, and with other world-class research groups in related departments at UCL, including the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, with which we share a brand new building, and Computer Science, Functional Imaging, Physics, Physiology, Psychology, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Statistical Science, and with the cross-faculty Centre for Computational Statistics and Machine Learning. The Unit has openings for exceptional PhD candidates. Applicants should have a strong analytical background, a keen interest in neuroscience and/or machine learning and a relevant first degree, for example in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics, Psychology or Statistics. The PhD programme lasts four years, including a first year of intensive instruction in techniques and research in theoretical neuroscience and machine learning. All students are fully funded, regardless of nationality. The Unit also welcomes applications from students with pre-secured funding or who are currently soliciting other scholarship/studentships. Gatsby PhD studentships cover the cost of tuition at the appropriate rate, and include a tax-free stipend of £20,500 per annum. Applications (including a CV, statement of research interests, and letters from three referees) for 2016/17 admission must be sent directly to the Gatsby Unit admissions(a)gatsby.ucl.ac.uk by midnight Greenwich Meantime (GMT) December 21st, 2015. If you would require a visa to attend an interview, if selected, then please contact us directly as soon as your application is complete and your referees have submitted their recommendations. Full details of our programme, and how to apply, are available at: http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/phd For further details of research interests please see http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/research.html and the individual faculty webpages at http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/members.html

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faculty positions in computational neuroscience, cognitive psychology, etc Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
by boris gutkin Nov. 6, 2015

Nov. 6, 2015

School of Psychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences Assistant Professor in Psychology (multiple positions) School of Psychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences National Research University Higher School of Economics Moscow, Russia The School of Psychology of the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia invites applications for full-time, tenure-track positions of Assistant Professor in psychology and related fields, notably in cognitive psychology, social and personality psychology, economic psychology, engineering psychology cognitive and computational neuroscience (including neuroeconomics). Applications for Associate and Full Professorships can also be considered in exceptional cases. Knowledge of Russian is not required as teaching is done in English. About HSE The HSE is a young, dynamic, fast-growing Russian research university. Over the past twenty years, the HSE has become one of Russia's largest universities in the fields of economics, social sciences and humanities, and has earned the reputation of a national leader in higher education. One of its unique features has been its direct involvement in socioeconomic reforms in Russia, which has allowed HSE to develop as a “project and research university” where education, fundamental and applied research, and "think tank" activities are combined for the comprehensive development of society. Committed to high-quality research, HSE now has over twenty international research laboratories, led by eminent professors from all over the world; more such laboratories are expected to be opened by early 2016. The Department of Psychology provides excellent research facilities for studies in experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience. We provide excellent opportunities to teach in English at BA and MS levels. Requirements Candidates must hold a recent Ph.D. in psychology, social sciences, neuroscience, computer science, electrical engineering, mathematics or related fields, or be within a year of completion at the time of application. The successful candidate is expected to conduct high-quality research publishable in reputable peer-reviewed journals with research support provided by the university’s Centre for Advanced Studies. The appointments will be made for three years in the first instance, starting in September 2016, with reviews of teaching and research during the third year. Benefits The salary is competitive, indexed to inflation annually, and subject to a 13% flat income tax. The university offers health insurance (free of charge), language assistance, and other social benefits; travel support and other research assistance are generous. Since we have heavy emphasis placed on high quality research, the teaching load of newly hired faculty is relatively low and service is minimal. Application and Interviews Please provide a CV, a statement of research interest and a recent research paper via online application form. At least 2 letters of reference should be forwarded directly to the attention of the Psychology Review Committee at cas(a)hse.ru. The deadline for accepting application materials is December 04, 2015 . More information about the university and the Centre is available at the www.hse.ru/en, http://social.hse.ru/en/psy/ and www.cas.hse.ru For more information about research at the Theoretical Neuroscience Group please contact me directly. Boris Gutkin, PhD Research Director CNRS Group for Neural Theory Laboratoire des Neurosciences Cognitives, INSERM U 960 Department of Cognitive Studies Institute for the Study of Cognition Ecole Normale Superieure Paris. France boris.gutkin(a)ens.fr www.gnt.ens.fr

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Fully funded PhD position in: Machine learning in multi-variate data processing / integration and analysis for clinical diagnostics and prognostics
by Andrea Soltoggio Nov. 6, 2015

Nov. 6, 2015

*Fully funded PhD position in: Machine learning in multi-variate data processing / integration and analysis for clinical diagnostics and prognostics * A fully funded PhD position is available in a multi-disciplinary project between the School of Science and the School of Business and Economics, Loughborough University, UK, on the topic of machine learning in multi-variate data processing / integration and analysis for clinical diagnostics and prognostics. Loughborough University is ranked 11th in the 2016 UK League Table Ranking ( http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/loughborough/performance , and is located in Loughborough, a town well connected to London by a 1h20m journey by train. *Research. *The application of advanced analytical techniques to the discovery and implementation of human-borne Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) markers of interest requires large numbers of samples taken from a highly variable sampled population. Efficient progress in this enterprise is limited by the current limits on the speed and sophistication of the data processing and multivariate analysis of the analytical system outputs. This studentship will start the exploration of the boundary between advanced analytical science (sensory capability) and machine learning, including neural and deep learning. It will be part of what is intended to be an enduring collaboration between researchers in Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Information Science. The supervisory team is composed of Dr. Andrea Soltoggio, expert in Artificial Intelligence and Neural Learning, and Dr. Martin Sykora, expert in Machine Learning, Data Mining and Big Data. The academic team supporting this project will include: Prof. C. L. Paul Thomas Chemistry, markers and detection Prof. Tom Jackson, Centre for Information Management, applied and theory based knowledge management Dr. Iain Phillips, Department of Computer Science, computer networks and high performance computing Dr. Eugenie Hunsicker, Department of Mathematics, statistical techniques *Working environment.* The student, based at the Computer Science Department http://www.cs.lboro.ac.uk, School of Science, will work and collaborate with diverse research groups: the Center for Analytical Science (Chemistry Department) with access to research of the Toxi-triage H2020 project (http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/194860_en.html)) and the Center for Information Management (CIM) http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/cim/. Loughborough University offers cutting-edge computing capabilities with a Hydra High Performance Computing cluster, a 1956-core 64-bit Intel Xeon cluster supplied by Bull, and GPUs computing capabilities. *Requirements.* The ideal candidate holds (or is about to obtain) a first-class honour undergraduate/postgraduate degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Electrical or Electronic Engineering, or has authored publications in recognised conferences/journals. Independent working skills are valued as well as the capability of working in a team. Collegiality and interpersonal skills are essential. Excellent English language skills are highly desired (see requirements here http://www.lboro.ac.uk/international/englang/index.htm) *Period/Scholarship.* Start: January 2016. Duration: 3 years. Scholarship: £14,057 per annum plus tuition fees at the UK/EU rate (currently £4,052 p.a.) Application deadline: 16 November 2015. *Enquiries and applications.* Informal enquiries are encouraged and to be addressed to Dr. Andrea Soltoggio (a.soltoggio(a)lboro.ac.uk) Interested candidates are invited to submit an application at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/apply/research/including a CV, the names and addresses of two referees, and a statement of research interest (maximum 300 words). Best regards, Andrea Soltoggio -- Dr. Andrea Soltoggio Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence Department of Computer Science Haslegrave Building, N.2.03 Loughborough University LE11 3TU, UK Phone: +44 (0) 1509 635748 Email: a.soltoggio(a)lboro.ac.uk Web: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/compsci/staff/dr-andrea-soltoggio.html

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postdoc opening at University of Pittsburgh
by Jonathan Rubin Nov. 5, 2015

Nov. 5, 2015

Postdoctoral position in Mathematical Biology The Department of Mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral position in Mathematical Biology, to begin in the Fall Term 2016, pending budgetary approval. A Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences or a closely related discipline is required. We seek excellence in research and teaching. Salary and benefits are competitive. Applicants should submit a vita, three letters of recommendation, a research statement and evidence of teaching accomplishments electronically through http://www.mathjobs.org. Review of completed files will begin on January 4, 2016 and continue until the position is filled. The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and members of minority groups underrepresented in academia are especially encouraged to apply.

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Phd-Positions in Bonn & Florida: Max Planck Research School Brain and Behavior
by Jakob Macke Nov. 5, 2015

Nov. 5, 2015

Dear Colleagues, The new International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior is a fully funded graduate program in the neurosciences jointly hosted between caesar, Bonn, Germany and the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI), USA. In addition, IMPRS for Brain and Behavior is co-run by partner Universities: University of Bonn, Germany and Florida Atlantic University in the USA. Detailed information is available on our web site: http://www.imprs-brain-behavior.mpg.de. IMPRS for Brain and Behavior is announcing fully-funded Ph.D. positions in Neuroscience. Students will receive both theoretical and hands-on training in a large range of modern imaging, electro-physiological, molecular and computational techniques. They will be exposed to a broad range of research areas based on how sensory information is encoded in neural circuits and how these circuits are activated during behavior. Students will take courses and attend scientific symposia at the partner institutions in Bonn and Florida – thereby being exposed to an exceptionally broad group of international scientists and provided the opportunity to earn a doctorate under outstanding research conditions. Successful candidates will work in a young and dynamic international environment, embedded in the local scientific communities of caesar or MPFI. As both caesar and MPFI are part of a large cluster of Max Planck Institutes working in the neurosciences, students will have unparalleled insight into the broad range of outstanding research taking place in the Max Planck Society, Germany’s most successful research organization. The Ph.D. program is open to highly qualified and motivated candidates from all over the world who hold an outstanding diploma or master degree. Please upload your application (details online) through the online application portal found at: http://www.imprs-brain-behavior.mpg.de Application deadline is December 1; positions available starting September 2016. For further information please contact: info(a)imprs-brain-behavior.org or Denise Butler, Coordinator, phone: +49(0)228 / 9656-318, imprs.info(a)caesar.de. We are excited about this new venture! We ask that you spread the word far and wide by forwarding this email to students and colleagues interested in our overarching theme of how sensory information is encoded in neural circuits and is ultimately transformed to behavior. Jakob Macke Max Planck Research Group Leader Neural Systems Analysis phone +49/228/9656170 fax +49/228/96569170 e-mail: jakob(a)caesar.de www.mackelab.org research center caesar an associate of the Max Planck Society Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2 53175 Bonn, Germany www.caesar.de Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience 72076 Tübingen, Germany www.bccn-tuebingen.de

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4th Winter Q-Bio Mtg in HAWAII Feb. 2016 ***REMINDER! Abstract submission deadline NOV. 10, 2015***
by Santamaria, Cookie Nov. 5, 2015

Nov. 5, 2015

***REMINDER: ABSTRACT DEADLINE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015!*** THE FOURTH ANNUAL WINTER Q-BIO MEETING Quantitative Biology on the Hawaiian Islands February 15-18, 2016 http://w-qbio.org/ The Winter q-bio meeting brings together scientists and engineers who are interested in all areas of q-bio. Technology is driving revolutionary changes in biology. Systems Biology has arisen as the deduction of interaction networks from -omics data generated in the wake of remarkable technological achievements. Likewise, DNA synthesis technologies are driving the development of Synthetic Biology, whereby engineered circuitry and even entire genomes can be reconstituted from chemical building blocks. These two emerging areas have catalyzed the growth of Quantitative Biology, whereby the central goal is the deduction of quantitative principles that can be used to construct predictive models for biological phenomena. The venue for 2016 is the Sheraton Waikiki<http://www.sheraton-waikiki.com/>, which is located in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. The resort is known for its breathtaking oceanfront views, a first-of-its-kind recently opened "Superpool" and many award-winning dining venues. This year we will select contributed talks from the submitted abstracts to be presented with the invited talks during the plenary sessions. Contributed talks will also be selected for parallel breakout sessions that commence in the late afternoon. 2016 CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Nathalie Balaban — Hebrew University Karen Carniol — Cell Hana El-Samad — UCSF James Ferrell — Stanford Justin Gallivan — DARPA Susan Golden — UCSD Jeff Hasty — UCSD Evonne Kaplan-Liss — Stony Brook Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz — NIH X. Shirley Liu — Harvard Amy Palmer — Colorado Katie Pollard — UCSF Bryan Ray — Science Jonathan Weissman — UCSF Lingchong You — Duke CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS: Jeff Hasty, University of California, San Diego Galit Lahav, Harvard University Wendell Lim, University of California, San Francisco Gurol Suel, University of California, San Diego Olga Troyanskaya, Princeton & Simons Center for Data Analysis Lev Tsimring, University of California, San Diego ***REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!*** Registration fee covers conference venue, registration reception, banquet, coffee & snacks. EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ($700 / $475 Student) DEADLINE: Sunday, December 20, 2015 REGULAR REGISTRATION ($800 / $575 Student) DEADLINE: Sunday, January 31, 2016 LATE REGISTRATION ($875 / $650 Student) After Sunday, January 31, 2016 REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.w-qbio.org/register/ HOTEL: A block of rooms has been reserved for registered conference participants at the Sheraton Waikiki<http://www.sheraton-waikiki.com/> at a negotiated rate starting at $229 per night plus tax. We have also reserved a block of rooms at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani<http://www.princess-kaiulani.com/> (just one block east and across the street from the Sheraton Waikiki) at a negotiated rate starting at $160 per night plus tax. The rooms will be available soon on a first-come, first-served basis, so book early! CONTRIBUTED TALKS: If you wish to present your work at the conference, either as an oral talk or a poster, you must submit an abstract through the conference website by the November 10th deadline. Abstract guidelines and submission information at: http://www.w-qbio.org/submit-abstract/ ABSTRACT DEADLINE: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 Abstract guidelines and submission information at: http://www.w-qbio.org/submit-abstract/ We encourage you to forward this message to any colleagues who may be interested in taking part in this exciting event. Questions should be emailed to: coordinator(a)w-qbio.org<mailto:coordinator@w-qbio.org> SPONSORED BY: ACS Synthetic Biology UC San Diego BioCircuits Institute and the San Diego Center for Systems Biology UC San Diego Divisions of Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, q-bio, and Engineering

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COSYNE 2016: Abstract submission closes soon; Travel grants
by Tomas Hromadka Nov. 5, 2015

Nov. 5, 2015

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2016 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING Feb 25 - Feb 28, 2016 Salt Lake City, Utah WORKSHOPS Feb 29 - Mar 01, 2016 Snowbird Ski Resort, Utah www.cosyne.org ==================================================== IMPORTANT COSYNE NEWS (see below for details): Abstract submission deadline is Fri 13 Nov 2015 (11.59pm PST) Meeting registration will open on 16 Nov 2015 Travel grant submission will open on 16 Nov 2015 COSYNE The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks are selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, and computation with spiking networks. We would like to foster increased participation from experimental groups as well as computational ones. Please circulate widely and encourage your students and postdocs to apply. When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting, due to space constraints. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. Based on last year's survey, we decided to keep the accepted number of abstracts the same as in 2015, 345 accepted abstracts (a modest increase over previous years). This was a difficult decision as we know the review process cannot be perfect, meaning that suitable abstracts are sometimes rejected. However, the feedback from the community indicated a clear preference for keeping the meeting at its current size with the restricted number of posters. For more information and details on submitting abstracts please visit www.cosyne.org, section Abstracts. TRAVEL GRANTS Applications will open on 16 Nov 2015 for travel grants to attend the conference. Each awardee will receive at least $500 to help offset the costs of travel, registration, and accommodations. Larger grants may be available to those traveling from outside North America. Special consideration is given to scientists who have not previously attended the meeting, under-represented minorities, students who are attending the meeting together with a mentor, and authors of submitted Cosyne abstracts. For details on applying, see cosyne.org, section Travel grants. CONFIRMED SPEAKERS Blaise Aguera y Arcas (Google) Marisa Carrasco (NYU) Edward Chang (UCSF) Greg DeAngelis (Rochester) Mark Goldman (UC Davis) Sonja Hofer (Basel) Richard Mooney (Duke) Mala Murthy (Princeton) Peggy Series (Edinburgh) Reza Shadmehr (Johns Hopkins) Paul Smolensky (Johns Hopkins) Leslie Vosshall (Rockefeller) Xiao-Jing Wang (NYU) ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General Chairs: Maria Geffen (U Penn) and Konrad Körding (Northwestern) Program Chairs: Megan Carey (Champalimaud) and Emilio Salinas (Wake Forest) Workshop Chairs: Claudia Clopath (Imperial College) and Alfonso Renart (Champalimaud) Publicity Chair: Xaq Pitkow (Rice) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Anne Churchland (CSHL) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) CONTACT cosyne.meeting [at] gmail.com

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postdoctoral position in Computational Neuroscience at the Italian Institute of Technology
by Stefano Panzeri Nov. 5, 2015

Nov. 5, 2015

We are about to open a postdoctoral position focusing on the development of advanced mathematical methods for analysing fluorescence signals recorded in cortical networks expressing the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6 during two-photon microscopy experiments. With this email, we are soliciting expressions of interest from interested candidates. The applicants should have a strong background in numerate sciences, with a strong interest and previous experience in MATLAB, be highly independent and have a strong propensity for interdisciplinary research. Experience in or understanding of experimental neuroscience is desirable, but not necessary. Candidates must hold a PhD in computational neuroscience, bio-physics or a related discipline and be highly motivated and creative individuals who want to work in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary research environment and who are willing to interact with both experimental and theoretical neuroscientists. Research activities will be carried out in the newly established and highly interdisciplinary Neural Coding Laboratory, which is jointly supervised by Dr. Panzeri and Dr. Fellin and aims to combine experiments and mathematics to crack the neural code. For reference to recent work of the PIs please see Zuo et al. Cur. Biol. 2015; Panzeri et al. Trends Cogn. Neurosci. 2015; Bovetti and Fellin, J. Neurosci. Methods 2015; Einevoll et al. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 2013; Beltramo et al., Nat. Neurosci. 2013. Applications (full CV, two recommendation letters and statement of research interest) should be sent by email to Dr. Stefano Panzeri ( stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it <https://mail.iit.it/owa/redir.aspx?C=oajclq8rPE6FcMCJ-lI1Hsu55NFH69II9YBluB…>) and Dr. Tommaso Fellin (tommaso.fellin(a)iit.it <https://mail.iit.it/owa/redir.aspx?C=oajclq8rPE6FcMCJ-lI1Hsu55NFH69II9YBluB…> ). Regards Stefano Panzeri and Tommaso Fellin

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A parameter-free dimensionality reduction method
by 桂杰 Nov. 5, 2015

Nov. 5, 2015

The paper can be found in http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arnumber=6560364 and the matlab code can be downloaded from http://www.openpr.org.cn/index.php/104-How-to-Estimate-the-Regularization-P… . Whenever you need to use LDA (linear discriminant analysis), you can also try our method. This method is parameter-free, avoiding the pain of tuning parameters. When applied to large scale data, it is faster than LDA. Despite that the paper is a little mathematical intensive, the matlab code is very easy to use. If you want to use it, there is no need to know the details of all formulas in this paper. Have funJ -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------- Associate Professor Jie Gui (Chinese name: 桂杰), PhD Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Hefei 230031, China Homepage: http://www.escience.cn/people/guijie/index.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------

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Faculty position: CRC chair in Biostatistics and Big Data Analytics, York University, Canada
by Kari Hoffman Nov. 4, 2015

Nov. 4, 2015

https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/7335 Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University *Position ID:* York <https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/York>-CRC <https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/York/CRC> [#7335] *Position Title:* Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Biostatistics and Big Data Analytics *Position Type:* Tenured/Tenure-track faculty *Position Location:* Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada [map <https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs?joblist-695-7335----m>] *Subject Area:* Statistics *Application Deadline:* 2015/12/01 (posted 2015/07/13, listed until 2016/01/13) *Position Description:* Apply <https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/York/7335/apply> Applications are invited from emerging world-class leaders in the areas of biostatistics, machine learning and big data analysis to be nominated for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair at York University. Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in analyzing large volumes of data generated by biological and/or medical studies in areas that may include biological or computational vision research. Canada Research Chairs are research-intensive faculty positions providing the chair holder with an exceptional opportunity to grow their research program through the provision of protected time and enhanced access to research supports. The successful candidate should have a Ph.D. in statistics or a related field and a minimum of three years of postdoctoral experience at the time of taking up the appointment, with a prior faculty appointment preferred, or equivalent qualifications. The incumbent will also have an outstanding early career record including training and research awards and publications in high-quality refereed journals, and clear evidence of cross-disciplinary collaboration. The incumbent is also expected to demonstrate excellence or promise of excellence in graduate supervision and teaching and be eligible for prompt appointment to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics has a strong research group developing methodology and applications in statistical machine learning and big data analysis. The incumbent must be willing and able to take a leadership role in the activities and development of a vibrant Big Data Statistics research group within the Department. The incumbent is expected to form strong collaborations with fellow researchers in cognate fields across the University, throughout Canada and internationally. In addition, he/she is expected to recruit graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, attract significant external funding, and develop new courses in the area of statistics, machine learning and the analysis of big data. The Department also has strong research groups with interests in medical research (including the Centre for Disease Modelling and the Centre for Vision Research), climate change as well as biological and financial applications. Related research hubs across the Faculty of Science and York University – including the York Institute for Health Research, and the High-Energy Physics Group – also provide excellent collaborative opportunities. Further information about the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in the Faculty of Science can be found at http://science.yorku.ca . The successful candidate will be appointed to a tenure-track position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level. The award of the Chair is subject to approval by the CRC program review process. Tier 2 Chairs have a five-year term, once renewable, and are intended for exceptional emerging researchers (i.e., typically with less than 10 years experience as an active researcher in their field, with consideration for career breaks) who have the acknowledged potential to lead their field of research. Information about the CRC program can be found at http://www.chairs.gc.ca. The start date for the position is July 1, 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter. Applications should be submitted via the AMS MathJobs site http://www.mathjobs.org/jobs <https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/%3Chttp://www.mathjobs.org/jobs%3E,> and include a letter of interest (incorporating a brief five-year research plan and evidence of teaching effectiveness), curriculum vitae, and names and contact information of three referees. Applications must be received by December 1, 2015. All York University positions are subject to budgetary approval. York University is an Affirmative Action (AA) employer and strongly values diversity, including gender and sexual diversity, within its community. The AA program, which applies to Aboriginal people, visible minorities, people with disabilities, and women, can be found at http://yorku.ca/acadjobs or by calling the AA office at 416-736-5713.All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents will be given priority. Applicants wishing to self identify can do so by downloading and completing the form found at: http://acadjobs.info.yorku.ca/files/2014/12/AA-Self-ID-Form-October-2013.pdf. You can confirm you are a Canadian by downloading and completing the form found at: http://acadjobs.info.yorku.ca/affirmative-action/citizenship-form/ . Once these forms have been signed they can be uploaded to MathJobs. *Application Materials Required:**Submit <https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs?apply-695-7335> the following items online at this website:* - Cover Letter - Curriculum Vitae - Research Statement - Teaching Statement - Publication List - AA form(s) (optional) - Three Reference Letters (to be submitted by the reference writers at this site ) *Further Info:* www.math.yorku.ca416-736-5757 Department of Mathematics and Statistics N520 Ross, York University 4700 Keele Street Toronto, Ontario Canada M3J 1P3 -----

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PhD position at the University of Zurich / ETH Zurich
by Jean-Pascal Pfister Nov. 4, 2015

Nov. 4, 2015

Applications are invited for one PhD student position at the University of Zurich/ETH Zurich. The position is funded by a SystemsX grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation. The project is entitled "Baysian learning of quantal parameters at single synapse resolution", and involves both experimentation and theory. Most models of synaptic transmission assume that all synapses between two neurons are identical. However, there is experimental evidence for significant heterogeneity in synaptic transmission between synapses. The major goal of this project is the development of an approach that allows for quantification of functional synaptic parameters incorporating single synapse heterogeneity. Half of the project will be devoted to experiments (electrophysiological and optophysiological investigation of synaptic transmission at Drosophila synapses), while the second part will involve modeling (Bayesian learning). The PhD student will be co-supervised by Prof. Martin Müller (Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich) and Prof. Jean-Pascal Pfister (Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH and University of Zurich). Both institutes offer ideal environments for performing theory-driven experiments due to the presence of many theoretical and experimental labs. The candidate should hold a Master degree in Physics, Biology, Neuroscience, Computational Neuroscience or a related field. She/he should have keen interests in theory-driven experiments. Preference will be given to candidates with prior experience in an experimental lab, strong mathematical or good programming skills. The applicant should submit a CV (including contacts of two referees), a statement of research interests, marks obtained for the Master, and the abstract of the Master thesis in electronic format to Jean-Pascal Pfister (jpfister(a)ini.uzh.ch <mailto:jpfister@ini.uzh.ch>) or Martin Müller (Martin.Mueller(a)imls.uzh.ch <mailto:Martin.Mueller@imls.uzh.ch>). The position is offered for a period of three years and can be extended. The preferred starting date is January 2016. Salary scale is provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation (http://www.snf.ch/SiteCollectionDocuments/allg_doktorierende_e.pdf <http://www.snf.ch/SiteCollectionDocuments/allg_doktorierende_e.pdf>). Deadline for application is the 30th of November 2015 or until the position is filled. +++ Martin Müller SNSF Assistant Professor Institute of Molecular Life Sciences University of Zurich Y55-K78 Winterthurerstrasse 190 8057 Zurich Switzerland www.imls.uzh.ch/mueller.html <http://www.imls.uzh.ch/mueller.html> www.neuroscience.ethz.ch/research/molecular_cellular/mueller <http://www.neuroscience.ethz.ch/research/molecular_cellular/mueller> +++ Jean-Pascal Pfister SNSF Assistant Professor Theoretical Neuroscience Group Institute of Neuroinformatics University of Zurich and ETH Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 8057 Zurich, Switzerland www.ini.uzh.ch/~jpfister <http://www.ini.uzh.ch/~jpfister> www.neuroscience.ethz.ch/research/computation_modeling/pfister <http://www.neuroscience.ethz.ch/research/computation_modeling/pfister>

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Postdoc position in Computational Brain Modelling at Ulster University UK
by McDaid, Liam Nov. 3, 2015

Nov. 3, 2015

Applications are invited for the post of Research Associate (RA) in Computational Brain Modelling (Ref: 1503308) based at the Intelligent Systems Research Center, Ulster University, UK. The RA post is for a 3½ year duration and is part of a collaborative project funded by the EPSRC: our partners are the Department of Electronics, University of York. The RA post holder will be part of a team that aims to develop a brain-inspired self-repairing algorithm and subsequently map this self-repairing algorithm to robotic hardware at the University of York. At Ulster we have previously shown that astrocyte cells interact with neurons to detect when a fault has occurred in the connections making up a network of neurons and how this interaction can oversee a repair strategy in the paper "On the Role of Astroglial Syncytia in Self-Repairing Spiking Neural Networks" (http://tinyurl.com/qbsusnn) The RA post will focus on the development of a computational model that captures the interactions between neurons and astrocytes, and hence the repair process, and will interact with other team members to translate the self-repair strategy to hardware computing systems and robot controllers based at the University of York. The RA post is fixed-term based at Ulster University and is active from November 2015 until March 2019. The closing date for applications is the 11th November 2015. Further information in relation to the post can be found on the following link: http://tinyurl.com/ocm8pvf or you can contact Prof. Liam McDaid at lj.mcdaid(a)ulster.ac.uk<mailto:lj.mcdaid@ulster.ac.uk> We prefer to issue and receive applications via our on-line recruitment website at www.ulster.ac.uk/jobs<http://www.ulster.ac.uk/jobs> Hard copy applications can be obtained by telephoning +4428 7012 4072 ________________________________ 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 University of Ulster 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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postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience in Barcelona
by Alex Roxin Nov. 3, 2015

Nov. 3, 2015

The Computational Neuroscience Group at the Centre de Recerca Matemàtica in Barcelona, Spain is looking for applicants for a postdoctoral position. Applicants will apply through a call from the Barcelona Graduate Schoool of Mathematics when it appears, most likely sometime this month, November 2015. There are a total of four positions in all areas of mathematics and as such this call will be highly competitive. Candidates with a very strong mathematics background and interest in computational neuroscience are encouraged to apply. No previous neuroscience experience is required. Possible projects include: 1 - the role of connectivity and plasticity in shaping network dynamics, 2 - network models of memory formation and consolidation, 3 - the role of neuronal synchrony in information transfer and binding. To see details about the documentation needed to apply please go to the call itself at http://www.bgsmath.cat/postdoctoral-fellowships/ If you have any questions regarding the Computational Neuroscience Group at the CRM, please contact Alex Roxin at aroxin(a)crm.cat. Alex Roxin Computational Neuroscience Group Centre de Recerca Matemàtica Campus de Bellaterra, Edifici C 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) Spain +34-935-868-508 aroxin(a)crm.cat https://sites.google.com/site/alexanderroxin/home

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