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Faculty position opening in software engineering
by Jun Suzuki Feb. 2, 2015

Feb. 2, 2015

University of Massachusetts Boston Department of Computer Science Assistant/Associate Professor The Computer Science Department at the University of Massachusetts Boston invites applications for one full-time position in Software Engineering at the rank of Assistant/Associate Professor, to begin September 1, 2015. We offer an ABET-accredited BS in Computer Science, a BS in Information Technology, an MS with an emphasis on software engineering, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science. Current faculty interests include bioinformatics, computer and human vision, data mining, databases, graphics, networks, security, software engineering, system modeling, and theoretical computer science. A PhD in computer science or a related area is required. A successful candidate at the Assistant Professor level is expected to establish a highly-recognized, externally-funded independent research program at UMass Boston. Candidates at the Associate Professor level should have a well-established research program with a significant funding record. We offer a competitive salary and start-up package. A complete application consists of a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statements about research and teaching, and the names and email addresses of three references. Please submit your application at: http://goo.gl/ZjMvYV Our campus overlooks Boston harbor; our faculty and students enjoy professional life in a center of academia and the software industry. For more information, visit us at http://www.cs.umb.edu Review of applications has begun and will continue until the position is filled. UMass Boston is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Title IX employer. -- Jun Suzuki Associate Professor of Computer Science University of Massachusetts, Boston jxs(a)cs.umb.edu http://www.cs.umb.edu/~jxs/ http://dssg.cs.umb.edu/ @JunSuzukiBoston

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IJCNN 2015, final CFP: Papers are due on February 5th, 2015
by Giacomo Boracchi Feb. 2, 2015

Feb. 2, 2015

IJCNN 2015 - International Joint Conference on Neural Networks July 12-17, 2015, Killarney Convention Center, Killarney, Ireland http://www.ijcnn.org This is the final Call for Papers, which are due in 3 days : Thursday, February 5th, 2015!! IJCNN is the premier international conference in the area of neural network theory, analysis, and applications. Co-sponsored by the International Neural Network Society and the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society, over the last three decades this conference and its predecessors has hosted [past, present, and future] leaders of neural network research. In an era when neural networks are widely used and reported in many areas, scientists, engineers, educators, and students from all over the world can get the best overall view of neural networks, from neuroscience to advanced control systems to cognition, at the IJCNN. *Competitions are underway!* A winning certificate and free registration will be provided to the winner of each competition who attends IJCNN 2015. Remember to submit and related papers (if that is your intent) through the regular IJCNN2015 paper submission system. If you need any other information about the general organisation of the competitions, please do not hesitate to contact : Abir Hussain. IJCNN2015 Competition Chair. Liverpool John MooresU. UK 1) ChaLearn AutoML challenge http://www.codalab.org/AutoML Here is your chance to realize the dream of many researchers in data science: create the "perfect black box", i.e. a learning machine capable of learning from examples without any human intervention. Until June we are progressively introducing 30 classification and regression tasks, with datasets pre-formatted in feature representations. Until February 14 you can win 2 sets of prizes in the: . Round 0 Tweakathon: result or code submission on well known sample datasets (preparation phase) . Round 1 AutoML: code submission on binary classification problems (novice phase) See the challenge website website for submissions, and for questions contact : Isabelle Guyon ClopiNet. California. USA guyon(a)clopinet.com 2) Speech-Music discrimination algorithms in the context of unseen audio data https://sites.google.com/site/aggelospikrakis/ijcnn Without making any assumptions with respect to the origin of the signals. Although the Speech-Music classification problem is already almost two decades old and several algorithms have been proposed over the years, there still remains to answer the question whether the proposed solutions can address audio streams from diverse sources or audio streams that suffer from (mild) spectral and time-stretching distortions. Most published work focuses on evaluating the respective methods on radio broadcasts over the Internet or, in general, on non-reproducible audio streams. To enter the competition, send an email to : Aggelos Pikrakis Uof Piraeus. Greece pikrakis(a)unipi.gr 3) Predict pathological cases in pregnant women during labour using cardiotography data. The challenge is to detect with high accuracy when a child is genuinely compromised before medical intervention is considered. For this competition, participants will be given an open dataset containing 552 intrapartum recordings, which can be access online via physionet.org. Contact : Paul Fergus. IJCNN2015 Competition on pathological pregnanacies. Liverpool John MooresU. UK p.fergus(a)ljmu.ac.uk 4) Neural Network based Weather Prediction Competition The importance of being able to accurately predict Weather cannot be overstated; beyond predicting catastrophic events such as storms or unusually severe spells of cold or heat, weather has a dramatic effect on a population's day to day health and behaviour and a significant impact on the economy. This competition involves the prediction of minimum maximum Temperatures The Dataset covers historic daily values for the period between 1st January 2007 and 30th September 2014, for the Oak Park Weather Station, which is the closest weather station to the IJCNN2015 conference venue. . 20th April 2015: Brief description of the algorithm used and generalisation results. . 20th May 2015: Announcement of the competition results Inquiries and submissions should be made through : David Reid. Liverpool Hope University. UK, reidd(a)hope.ac.uk Hissam Tawfik. IJCNN2015 Weather Competition. Liverpool Hope University. UK tawfikh(a)hope.ac.uk * PLENARY SPEAKERS - Steve Furber, The ICL Professor of Computer Engineering at the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester "The SpiNNaker Project" - Vincenzo Piuri, Professor in Computer Engineering at the University of Milan, Italy "Computational Intelligence Technologies for 3D Surface Reconstruction" - Lee Giles, The David Reese Professor at the College of Information Sciences and Technology at the Pennsylvania State University "Machine Learning and Data Mining for Scholarly Big Data" - Marios M. Polycarpou, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Cyprus, Cyprus "Fault Detection and Isolation in Uncertain Big-Data Environments" - Barak Pearlmutter, Professor, Department of Computer Science, National University of Ireland, Ireland "Critical Dynamics and Pathological Phenomena in the Brain" - Giacomo Rizzolati, Professor of Human Physiology at the University of Parma, Italy "The double life of the motor system: Action production and action understanding" * Deadlines for Submission: - Paper submission deadline: February 05, 2015 (EXTENDED) - Paper Decision notification: March 25, 2015 - Camera-ready submission: April 25, 2015 - Conference: July 12-17, 2015 * Hotel Reservations: The Killarney region is an extremely popular tourist destination, and rooms that have been reserved for IJCNN 2015 will likely disappear as soon as the contracted booking date has passed. For that reason we strongly recommend that you book your hotel room by 01May2015! (see the IJCNN2015 home page for our accommodations at the Gleneagle Hotel, the Brehon Hotel and the River Apartments). * IJCNN Killarney site video: Marianne van Wagner, Executive Co-ordinator of the International Neural Network Society (INNS), commissioned this delightful promotional video for IJCNN2015, based on her own photographs : Killarney tour. It's well worth looking at for the local Irish scenery, and for background information about the conference. (You may have to download it if your internet connection is slow.) Keep working on your paper submissions, and submit your proposals for Tutorials and Workshops SOON! Email any of the Chairs if you wish to discuss your ideas for proposals. IJCNN General Chair De-Shuang Huang, Tongji University, China, Director - Machine Learning and Systems Biology Laboratory IJCNN Program Chair Yoonsuck Choe, Texas A&M University Director, Brain Networks Laboratory Many thanks to our Sponsors and Contributors: - International Neural Network Society - IEEE Computational Intelligence Society - Failte Ireland, National Tourism Development Authority. -- Giacomo Boracchi, PhD DEIB - Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria Politecnico di Milano Via Ponzio, 34/5 20133 Milano, Italy. Tel. +39 02 2399 3467 http://home.dei.polimi.it/boracchi/

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Masters in Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems at University of Sussex
by Thomas Nowotny Feb. 2, 2015

Feb. 2, 2015

Dear comp-neuro community, The Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems MSc is open for applications. One of its core strengths is Computational Neuroscience. For the first time the University of Sussex is offering additional scholarships to MSc students this year. For more information see the EASy MSc website<http://www.sussex.ac.uk/easy/smsc>, download the Flyer<http://www.sussex.ac.uk/easy/documents/easymscposter2015.pdf> or read on below. If you have students who may be interested in this opportunity, please pass this information on and/or consider posting the Flyer<http://www.sussex.ac.uk/easy/documents/easymscposter2015.pdf>. With best regards, Thomas Nowotny -- Prof. Thomas Nowotny CCNR, Sussex Neuroscience Phone: +44-1273-678593 Engineering and Informatics Fax: +44-1273-877873 University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ http://sussex.ac.uk/informatics/tnowotny — Detailed information: Since 1996, the University of Sussex has offered a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems (EASy). The study of natural and articial evolutionary and adaptive systems is at the heart of rapidly developing areas from articial intelligence, adaptive behaviour and autonomous robotics to computational neuroscience, consciousness and cognitive science. Sussex is internationally renowned for its research in these areas. The EASy MSc provides a solid foundation with topics including: articial life, adaptive systems, computational neuroscience, neural networks, biologically inspired robotics, dynamical systems approaches to cognition, mathematics of complex systems, neuroscience of consciousness, evolutionary computation and biological Modelling. The well established EASy programme is taught by leading experts and there are many opportunities to interact with the thriving Sussex research community, including the Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics (CCNR), the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, Sussex Neuroscience and the Centre for Cognitive Science (COGS). Students have access to specialist facilities including robotics labs, high-performance computing and neuroscience research facilities. Students take eight taught courses, followed by an individual research project during the summer. The project is supervised by a member of faculty. It is not unusual for dissertation work to be published in international conference proceedings or journals. Of the large number of students who have graduated from the EASY MSc, 50% have later obtained doctorates and some have gone on to glittering careers in research. Others have forged thriving business careers, with several setting up highly successful companies. Grants of up to £10,000 are available at Sussex (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/money/scholarships/ ). Additionally, due to a generous donation from Andrew Pegge, two Pegge Scholarships are awarded annually to EASy MSc students. The scholarships are open to all, and awarded on merit. How to Apply: To apply to the EASy MSc please go to: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/pg/applying/ and choose the EASy MSc taught programme. Is EASy Right for Me? Are you excited by fundamental questions in adaptive behaviour, biology and technology such as: How are insects so successful despite their tiny brains? Or, can we build machines as intelligent as animals? Are you interested in embodied AI? The origin of consciousness? Complexity? Whatever your background, if you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, our MSc is right for you. More information: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/easy/smsc or email Andy Philippides <andrewop(a)sussex.ac.uk>

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PostDoc position: stochastic signal processing and probability computation
by Pierre Bessière Feb. 2, 2015

Feb. 2, 2015

PostDoc position: stochastic signal processing and probability computation Position available at ISIR (Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique) from Sorbonne Université - Université Pierre et Maris Curie, 4 place Jussieu, Paris: http://www.isir.upmc.fr/ <http://www.isir.upmc.fr/> Context: The framework of this position is the FP7-ICT European project BAMBI (Bottom-up Approaches to Machines dedicated to Bayesian Inference) launched in January 2014 for 3 years: https://www.bambi-fet.eu/ <https://www.bambi-fet.eu/> Content: The objective of the position is to develop theoretical studies and simulations of several ways to encode probability distribution with stochastic signals and to process these signals to implement probabilistic inferences. These studies should be done in strong interaction with our partners of the project working in the fields of fundamental electronics and spintronics. The researcher will have first to do a review of existing studies, including ongoing works done in our group and partners. He will then propose methods for the evaluation of building blocks performing basic probabilistic computation with stochastic signals, with a special focus on dynamic properties. Outcomes of these works will be published in international conferences and project deliverables. Competences: Good mathematical proficiency, especially in the field of probability theory and Markov models, is required. A perfect mastering of programming languages (C/C++, Python, Matlab) is also necessary. Duration: One year starting in spring 2015, with a possible prolongation until the end of the project (December 2016). Salary: Around 2500 euros/month, depending on previous research experience. Please submit CV and references by mail to Pierre Bessière (pierre.bessiere(a)isir.upmc.fr <mailto:pierre.bessiere@isir.upmc.fr>) and Jacques Droulez (jacques.droulez(a)isir.upmc.fr <mailto:jacques.droulez@isir.upmc.fr>). _________________________________ Pr. Pierre Bessière - CNRS ********************** SORBONNE Universités - UPMC - ISIR http://bayesian-programming.org <http://bayesian-programming.org/> Tel: +33 1 44 27 51 54 Skype: Pierre.Bessiere Pyramide - T55/65 CC 173 - 4 Place Jussieu 75005 Paris FRANCE _________________________________

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Transylvanian Experimental Neuroscience Summer School (TENSS)
by Tomas Hromadka Feb. 2, 2015

Feb. 2, 2015

Dear colleagues, Please find below an announcement about the fourth edition of the Transylvanian Experimental Neuroscience Summer School (TENSS). We would be very grateful if you could forward this announcement to potentially interested people. Transylvanian Experimental Neuroscience Summer School (TENSS) June 1-19, 2015. The Pike Lake, Transylvania, Romania www.tenss.ro TENSS will concentrate top-level international expertise to teach a dozen students techniques and concepts in experimental systems neuroscience. We will focus on modern optical and electrophysiological methods to study the connectivity and function of neuronal circuits. The course is designed to be intensive and highly interactive, including both lab sessions and theoretical lectures. Coursework will take place in a land of myth and legend, beyond large forests (Transylvania), on the shores of a picturesque natural reserve called Pike Lake. Applications are welcome from interested (and interesting) graduate students and postdocs. Please note that the registration fee has been reduced and there is a significant number of full and half waivers available for supporting our applicants. Application deadline -- March 1st, 2015 Notification of acceptance -- March 21st, 2015 Summer School -- June 1-19th, 2015 Confirmed lecturers: Acsády, László -- Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest Albeanu, Florin -- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA Battaglia, Francesco -- Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands Bhalla, Upinder -- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India Burrone, Juan -- King's College, London, UK Engert, Florian -- Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA Gradinaru, Viviana -- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA Häusser, Michael - University College, London, UK Hofer, Sonja -- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland Hromádka, Tomáš -- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic Hübener, Mark -- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany Ji, Na -- HHMI, Janelia Farm, USA Kampff, Adam -- Champalimaud Foundation, Institute for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal Keller, Georg -- Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland Mrsic-Flögel, Tom -- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland Muresan, Raul -- Coneural, Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Monyer, Hannah -- University of Heidelberg, Germany Murthy, Venkatesh -- Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA Nikolic, Danko -- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany Roska, Botond -- Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland Rumpel, Simon -- University of Mainz, Germany Singer, Wolf -- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany Whitlock, Jonathan -- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Trondheim, Norway Organizers: Muresan, Raul -- Coneural, Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Kampff, Adam -- Champalimaud Foundation, Institute for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal Albeanu, Florin -- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA Information about how to apply can be found here: http://tenss.ro/apply/. Best regards, TENSS Organizing Committee contact(a)tenss.ro

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Call for Participation: VISUM Summer School (25 days until deadline)
by Ricardo Gamelas Sousa Feb. 2, 2015

Feb. 2, 2015

Apologies for cross-posting. --- Call for Participation 3^rd VISion Understanding and Machine intelligence summer school, Porto, Portugal First Computer Vision Summer School with an industrial track 2-9 July, 2015 http://www.fe.up.pt/visum/|Facebook: http://goo.gl/FbVNtq *Important Dates* Application Deadline March 1, 2015 Decision March 8, 2015 Early Registration April 10, 2015 Late Registration May 8, 2015 Summer School July 2-9, 2015 *Visum will comprise three main tracks* 1.Fundamental subjects 2.Examples of computer vision applications 3.Industrial session Each one with extensive practical “hands-on” sessions* * *Topics* Randomised Decision Forests and Tree-structured Algorithms in Computer Vision Tae-Kyun Kim, Imperial College London, UK Local Features Extraction and Description Jiri Matas, Czech Technical University, CZ Document Image Analysis Alicia Fornes, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, ES Scene Understanding Martial Hebert, CMU, USA Automatic Facial Expression Recognition Michel Valstar, University of Nottingham, UK RGB-D Cameras Thomas Whelan, Imperial College London, UK *Applications* Point Clouds 3D* João P. Costeira, IST, PT ** *Tentative titles *Industry Track* http://asap54.com/ Daniel Heesch www.enermeter.pt/en Manuel João Ferreira www.philips.com Jacek Kustra *Venue* visum will take place in Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city, European Best Destination 2012 and Lonely Planet’s top 10 for 2013. Here, you can find famous baroque style monuments, the worldwide known Port Wine cellars, always having the World Heritage Douro River as the background of this youthful, active and charming city. visum’s program includes social activities. *Accommodation*** *Tattva Design Hostel* Students will have 10% of discount. The prices include: Buffet breakfast, Wi-Fi all over the building, 4 computers in Lounge area, free linen, free locks, free City Maps, free Luggage Storage, free Portuguese Lessons, free Walking Tours, Happy Hour (exclusive prices for TattvaBar for guests). *Hotel da Música* All accepted participants will have a special price included in visum’s fees. Hotel da Música is a luxurious 4-star property set in a prime location in the centre of Porto. Local tourist attractions such as Rotunda da Boavista, Casa da Musica and Hospital Militar are not far from the hotel. Hotel da Música is equipped with free wifi. For more details please follow the link: http://www.hoteldamusica.com/and do not forget to check the special conditions at http://www.fe.up.pt/visum/ Please visit our webpage for up to date information: http://www.fe.up.pt/visum/. We are looking forward for your participation! visum organising committee Tiago Esteves, INEB, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Kelwin Fernandes, INESC TEC, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Eduardo Marques, INESC TEC, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Ana Rebelo, INESC TEC, Universidade do Porto Ricardo Sousa, INEB, Universidade do Porto Luís Teixeira, INESC TEC, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Follow us on: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/visum/402527539813446 Google+: https://plus.google.com/104076275960053201744/posts Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/visumschool

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Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course 2015: application deadline soon
by Erik De Schutter Feb. 2, 2015

Feb. 2, 2015

OKINAWA/OIST COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE COURSE 2015 Methods, Neurons, Networks and Behaviors June 8 - June 25, 2015 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc The aim of the Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course is to provide opportunities for young researchers with theoretical backgrounds to learn the latest advances in neuroscience, and for those with experimental backgrounds to have hands-on experience in computational modeling. We invite graduate students and postgraduate researchers to participate in the course, held from June 8th through June 25th, 2015 at an oceanfront seminar house of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. Applications are through the course web page (https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc) only; they will close February 8th, 2015. Applicants will receive confirmation of acceptance in March. The course has a strong hands-on component based on student proposed modeling or data analysis projects, which are further refined with the help of a dedicated tutor. Applicants are required to propose their project at the time of application. Like in preceding years, OCNC will be a comprehensive three-week course covering single neurons, networks, and behaviors with ample time for student projects. The first week will focus exclusively on methods with hands-on tutorials during the afternoons, while the second and third weeks will have lectures by international experts. We invite those who are interested in integrating experimental and computational approaches at each level, as well as in bridging different levels of complexity. There is no tuition fee. The sponsor will provide lodging and meals during the course and may support travel for those without funding. We hope that this course will be a good opportunity for theoretical and experimental neuroscientists to meet each other and to explore the attractive nature and culture of Okinawa, the southernmost island prefecture of Japan. Invited faculty: • Gordon Arbuthnott (OIST) • Axel Borst (MPI, Münich, Germany) • Erik De Schutter (OIST) • Kenji Doya (OIST) • Eugene Izihikevich (Brain Corporation, USA) • Bernd Kuhn (OIST) • Peter Latham (Gatsby Unit, UCL, UK) • Miguel Nicolelis (Duke University, USA) • Steve Prescott (University of Toronto, Canada) • John Rinzel (New York University, USA) • Jackie Schiller (Technion, Israel) • Greg Stephens (OIST) • Jeff Wickens (OIST) • Taro Toyoizumi (RIKEN BSI, Japan) • Xiao-Jing Wang (New York University, USA) • Wako Yoshida (ATR, Japan)

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European Spring School on Integrated Cognitive Systems (Herbert Jaeger)
by Herbert Jaeger Feb. 1, 2015

Feb. 1, 2015

Invitation to Participate: INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLEGE 2015 www.interdisciplinary-college.de An intense, decidedly interdisciplinary Spring School in Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Machine Learning, Psychology, AI and Philosophy. Guenne, Lake Moehne, Germany - March 6-13, 2015 Chairs: Herbert Jaeger, Ansgar Bueschges Fokus theme 2015: From Neuron to Person: Assembling Behavior and Cognition *The Interdisciplinary College* (IK) is an annual European one-week spring school, now in its 18th year. It offers a dense, rich, 4-track state-of-the-art course program in the wider sciences of intelligent/cognitive systems. The perspective and mission is decidedly interdisciplinary. The IK is also a unique social and networking event. Minds meet, music is played, and friends are made in long evening and night sessions in the welcoming conference site at Lake Moehne. Each IK is centered on a *focus theme*. In 2015 the focus is on integrated, complex cognitive systems. Research in the wider cognitive and neurosciences (including AI, machine learning and robotics) often deals with specific subsystems or functions, like "motor control", "object recognition", "working memory", etc. There are numerous reasons for this fragmentation: a divide-and-conquer strategy of isolating subsystems has been very successful in the sciences; commercially relevant applications mostly are centered on single functionalities; interdisciplinary research is not easy in practice. Defying these obstacles, the IK 2015 will cast its focus on complete, autonomous agents -- animals, humans, robots, and software characters. An offering of 25+ courses (each course 4-6 hours) is grouped under the following perspectives: - *Modeling cognitive architectures*: theoretical / mathematical / computational frameworks to analyse or design complete intelligent agents - *Person, Identity, Dignity*: philosophical / psychological / ethics perspectives on sentient beings - *Engineering Agents*: technological approaches to build robots and software agents - *Neurons, Muscles, Bodies*: "bottom-up" modeling of sensing and motor control in neurobiology, genetics and motor science - *Language and Thought*: "top-down" modeling of higher cognitive capacities in cognitive psychology and linguistics Please visit www.interdisciplinary-college.de for the detailed program, venue and registration and everything else, including the IK's 30-year-long history. Participants from outside Europe are of course most welcome too! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dr. Herbert Jaeger Professor for Computational Science Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH Campus Ring 28759 Bremen, Germany Phone (+49) 421 200 3215 Fax (+49) 421 200 49 3215 email h.jaeger(a)jacobs-university.de http://minds.jacobs-university.de ------------------------------------------------------------------

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Call for Applications: School on Neurotechnologies 2015 (March 23-27, 2015) at Padova, Italy.
by Mufti Mahmud Jan. 31, 2015

Jan. 31, 2015

Dear All, Sorry for the cross posting of this message. I am glad to communicate that the NeuroChip Laboratory of University of Padova, Padova, Italy is organizing a School on Neurotechniques with special emphasis on "Tools for Investigating the Function of Neural Circuits". The school will be held from March 23 – 27, 2015 and the deadline for application is February 20, 2015. The following topics will be covered in the school: 1. Multi-electrode and multi-transistor arrays 2. Implantable brain probes for acute and chronic recording 3. Calcium imaging 4. Voltage sensitive dye imaging 5. Optogenetics 6. Transcranic magnetic stimulation and EEG 7. Mixed electrophysiology, genetics and behavior approaches 8. Information theory and the analysis of neuronal population signals 9. Closed-loop electrophysiology and hybrid neuromorphic-neural systems Thank you for your attention. Best regards, Mufti Mahmud Call for participation ------------------------- School on Neurotechniques 2015: The toolbox for investigating the function of neural circuits 23-27 March 2015 NeuroChip Lab, University of Padova, Italy Website: http://www.vassanellilab.eu/school-neurotechniques/ OBJECTIVE Investigating information processing and identifying operational rules of brain neural circuits relies on the capability to selectively record and stimulate multiple neurons within a network. The toolbox of available techniques conceived to meet this need is rapidly expanding. The CSN School on Neurotechniques 2015 will offer an overview on advanced electrical- and light-based recording methods of neuronal excitability, focusing on those that are most relevant for the investigation of neural networks ‘in vitro’ and ‘in vivo’ and for application in neuroprosthetics. Techniques derived from information theory for the analysis of neuronal population signals will be presented and practical demonstrations of experimental recording sessions provided. The school targets doctoral students, post-doctoral researchers, scientists working in the related fields. Since the school's topics are interdisciplinary covering neurobiology, neuronal biophysics, microscopy, and electronics, preliminary knowledge in these fields is highly recommended. SPEAKERS Luca Berdondini, Italian Institute of Technology, Italy Paolo Del Giudice, National Institute of Health, Italy Stefano Ferraina, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Italy Marta Giacomello, University of Padova, Italy Michele Giugliano, University of Antwerp, Belgium Bernd Kuhn, Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology, Japan Gabriele Losi, CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Padova, Italy Sergio Martinoia, University of Genova, Italy Marcello Massimini University of Milan , Italy Silvestro Micera, EPFL, Switzerland & SSSUP, Italy Ofer Yizhar, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel Stefano Panzeri, Italian Institute of Technology, Italy Patrick Ruther, University of Freiburg, Germany Roland Thewes, University of Berlin, Germany Paul Verschure, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain Guenther Zeck, NMI at the University of Tuebingen, Germany Ralf Zeitler, MPI for Intelligent Systems, Germany REGISTRATION To apply, please register at ( http://www.vassanellilab.eu/school-neurotechniques/registration/) on or before February 20, 2015. If you have any further questions, please contact silviamaria.lattanzio(a)unipd.it or stefano.vassanelli(a)unipd.it The registration is FREE, however, the number of places are limited. The registration is sponsored by the European Commission, Project CSNII csnetwork.eu (GA No 601167, FP7, FET Proactive, Neuro-Bio-Inspired Systems). Travel and accommodation costs are not funded. LOCATION The school will be hosted by the NeuroChip Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via f. Marzolo 3, 35131 - Padova, Italy. The location is very close the city centre and is easily reachable from the railway or bus station of Padova. WHEN March 23-27, 2015. Target audience (N = ~25 active full-time): PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, scientists, members of associated EC CSNII consortia.

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Workshop announcement at the EITN March 2-4 2015
by EITN Jan. 30, 2015

Jan. 30, 2015

More information and registration on the following website http://eitnconf-020315.sciencesconf.org/ *Due to a limited number of seats, the registration is free however mandatoty **March 2nd-4th 2015, EITN Paris 1^st community workshop HBP network simulator* *“Are we building the right thing? – Requirements from theory for simulation environments and neuromorphic computing”* http://www.eitn.org Organized by Andrew Davison, Jeff Muller, Jochen Eppler, David Lester, Abigail Morrison and Markus Diesmann in collaboration with the EITN.** ***Abstract* The HBP creates novel ICT infrastructure for the neuroscience community. Simulation engines in software and hardware for different levels of description are accessible through a unified collaboration portal (UP) providing version control and provenance tracking. The simulation engine for networks of abstract spiking neuron models called the network simulator provided by the software NEST particularly targets theoretical neuroscience and neurorobotics. This workshop presents the capabilities of the network simulator and the corresponding PyNN expressions as available at the end of the ramp-up phase of the HBP in March 2016. Neuromorphic hardware provided by the NM-PM1 (Heidelberg) and SpiNNaker (Manchester) systems enable the translation of a restricted set of software models to a platform with accelerated speed and reduced power consumption for high-throughput studies and interaction with the real world. With this background, the main part of the workshop is reserved for a discussion of the scientific challenges and plans of theoretical neuroscience to derive future requirements on the simulation engine. This will help developers to optimize the roadmap of the second phase of the HBP with the aim to maximize usefulness, uptake, and impact.

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CFP: Special Session on Quantifying Embodiment, ECAL 2015
by Keyan Ghazi-Zahedi Jan. 30, 2015

Jan. 30, 2015

*** CALL FOR PAPERS *** 13th European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL 2015) Special Session on Quantifying Embodiment Session paper submission deadline: 2 March 2015 Notification of acceptance of papers: 17 April 2015 Paper Camera-Ready-Copy deadline: 18 May 2015 Conference convenes: 20-24 July 2015, York, United Kingdom Conference website: http://ecal2015.alife.org <http://ecal2015.alife.org/> Special Session website: http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/nature/ecal2015/embodiment.html <http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/nature/ecal2015/embodiment.html> There is a growing acknowledgement in the artificial life and artificial intelligence community that embodiment is a key for the understanding of cognitive systems. Despite the consensus about the importance of embodiment, there is no clear definition of what the agent’s embodiment actually is. We believe that a quantitative approach can help to answer this open question. This is inspired by Einstein’s answer to the question ”What is time?”, to which he replied ”Time is what clocks measure”. Although this seems to be a trivial answer, it reveals that what we mean by time depends on the way we measure it. We are interested in quantifications of embodiment from various view points and different fields. A non-exclusive list of examples is: • Quantifications of the embodiment’s effect on sensing • Quantifications of the embodiment’s effect on cognitive processes • Quantifications of the embodiment’s effect on acting • Quantifications of brain-body-environment separation We are open to quantifications from any formal approach. Examples are information theory and dynamical systems, but others are highly welcome too. The ideal outcome of the special session would be a good overview of different concepts and quantifications of embodiment and an understanding how they overlap and differ, thereby leading to a better understanding and a clearer picture of what embodiment actually is. Papers are submitted via the ECAL paper submission form and published in the conference proceedings. Special Session Chairs: Keyan Ghazi-Zahedi, Christoph Salge, Georg Martius, Daniel Polani

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New book: Analysis and modeling of multi-neuronal activity
by Tatsuno, Masami Jan. 29, 2015

Jan. 29, 2015

* Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this email * Dear Colleagues, Some of you might be interested in our recent book, Analysis and Modeling of Coordinated Multi-neuronal Activity (Springer Series in Computational Neuroscience, Vol. 12). The book covers - State-of-the-art introduction of multi-electrode recordings and how they contribute to the understanding of hippocampal memory - Overview of the modeling approach to hippocampal memory - Presentation of hippocampal local circuits and hippocampal-cortical interactions http://www.springer.com/biomed/neuroscience/book/978-1-4939-1968-0 http://www.amazon.com/Analysis-Coordinated-Multi-neuronal-Computational-Neu… Best regards, Masami Tatsuno (Editor) University of Lethbridge, AB, Canada ----- Table of Contents 1. Techniques for Large-Scale Multiunit Recording; H. Steenland and B. McNaughton 2. Silicon Probe Techniques for Large-Scale Multiunit Recording; H. Steenland and B. McNaughton 3. Overview of Neural Activity in the Awake and Sleeping Hippocampus; M. Eckert and M. Tatsuno 4. Associative Reactivation of Place-Reward Information in the Hippocampal-Ventral Striatal Circuitry; C. Lansink and C. Pennartz 5. Hippocampal Sequences and the Cognitive Map; A. Wikenheiser and D. Redish 6. Reorganization of Hippocampal Place- Selective Patterns During Goal-Directed Learning and Their Reactivation During Sleep; D. Dupret and J. Csicsvari 7. Causal Relationship Between SPWRs and Spatial Learning and Memory; G. Girardeau and M. Zugaro 8. Packets of Sequential Neural Activity in Sensory Cortex; A. Luczak 9. Coordinated Sequence Replays Between the Visual Cortex and Hippocampus; D. Haggerty and D. Ji 10. Memory Consolidation, Replay, and Cortico- Hippocampal Interactions; E. Holleman and F. Battaglia 11. Memory Reactivation in Humans; J. Farthouat and P. Peigneux 12. Models and Theoretical Frameworks for Hippocampal and Entorhinal Cortex Function in Memory and Navigation; N. Schultheiss, J. Hinman, and M. Hasselmo 13. Information Encoding and Reconstruction by Phase Coding of Spikes; Z. Nadasdy 14. Reinforcement Learning and Hippocampal Dynamics; A. Johnson and S. Venditto 15. Off-Line Replay and Hippocampal- Neocortical Interaction; S. Káli

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postdoc in decision-making at Princeton
by Carlos Brody Jan. 29, 2015

Jan. 29, 2015

Postdoc in computational neuroscience of decision-making. My group <http://brodylab.org/> at Princeton University is looking for a talented computational postdoc to work on theory-driven modeling and data analysis of the neurophysiology of decision-making. We carry out both computational modeling (e.g., Brunton et al., Science 2013 <http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6128/95.full>) and experiments (e.g., Hanks, Kopec et al., Nature 2015 <http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature14066.html>), and this computational position will provide a powerful opportunity to influence and help direct experiments as they are conceived and develop. The data to be worked with will focus on simultaneous multi-neuron recordings, both electrophysiological and using two-photon cellular-resolution imaging (e.g., Scott et al., Neuron 2013 <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627313007125>), in decisions driven by accumulation of evidence. We are working towards single-trial, population-level understanding of the neural circuit mechanisms underlying decision-making. A background in quantitative sciences (e.g., machine learning, physics, math, computer science) is preferred and a strong interest in neuroscience is required. Please contact me directly at brody(a)princeton.edu <mailto:brody@princeton.edu> with a brief email describing your interests, your CV, and the names and contact info for two references. I look forward to hearing from you! Carlos Brody http://brodylab.princeton.edu <http://brodylab.princeton.edu/> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Carlos Brody (609) 258-7645 brody(a)princeton.edu <mailto:brody@princeton.edu>Howard Hughes Medical Institute & Princeton University Princeton Neurosci. Inst. & Dept. of Molecular Biology 155 Princeton Neuro Inst, Washington Rd, Princeton NJ 08544 http://brodylab.princeton.edu <http://brodylab.princeton.edu/> -----------------------------------------------------------------------

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Tangermann lab (Freiburg) -- PhD position in BCI
by Michael Tangermann Jan. 29, 2015

Jan. 29, 2015

Dear colleagues, I have an interesting open PhD position in my lab in Freiburg. Would you please circulate it in your labs and on email lists? Thanks a lot and snowy greetings from the Black Forrest, Michael --- snip --- PhD Position: Brain-Computer Interfaces in Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke BrainStateDecoding Lab of Dr. Michael Tangermann (Computer Science Dept.); payment level: TV-L E13 (65%); duration: 3/2015-2/2017 Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) systems make use of machine learning methods to cope with the challenges which appear during the decoding of individual brain signals in real-time. Within the BrainLinks-BrainTools cluster of excellence at the University of Freiburg (Germany), we evaluate whether BCI methods can be applied clinically outside of classical control paradigms. The PhD student will explore the use of BCI methods to support neurological rehabilitation training of speech and attention-related deficits after stroke. Scientific challenges comprise the development and investigation of brain signal analysis methods capable to describe rapid fluctuations of brain states and to assess the dynamics of network structures connecting brain areas. Working Areas (among others): * Theories (statistics, mathematics) and algorithms in the field of machine learning, with special emphasis on adaptive methods for the real-time decoding of mental states; software implementations thereof. * Conducting EEG studies with healthy controls and stroke patients. * Analysis of EEG experiments. * Supervision of Bachelor students. * Scientific dissemination of results (conferences, publications). Requirements: * Excellent Master studies on Computer Science, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Cognitive Science or closely related fields. * Knowledge in theory and methods of machine learning / artificial intelligence; very good math knowledge (specifically in probability theory, statistics, linear algebra). * Good knowledge about the design, the analysis and implementation of algorithms; experience with mathematical software (e.g. Matlab). * Hands-on experience in the design, execution and analysis of electrophysiological experiments, and in signal processing of EEG-, EMG-, EOG- or ECoG data. * Excellent communication skills in English The BrainStateDecoding Lab: The international lab is embedded into the Cluster of Excellence BrainLinks-BrainTools at the University of Freiburg. The cluster provides supporting career actions for PhD students. Tight collaborations with other BLBT groups are the basis for investigating novel machine learning approaches for the real-time analysis of brain signals. The activities range from theory development to BCI applications in a clinical context and for healthy users. Implementing an equal-chances policy and family-friendly working conditions, we explicitly encourage applications of female researchers. Handicapped applicants will be given priority to non-handicapped applicants, if they have comparable qualifications. Further information: www.bsdlab.uni-freiburg.de, www.brainlinks-braintools.uni-freiburg.de and via Dr. Tangermann. How to apply: Please state the position code BCI-4 when sending your application documents (including a CV, statement of your research interests, list of publications, references, Master and Bachelor degrees and course lists) as a single PDF document via email to Dr. Michael Tangermann (michael.tangermann(a)blbt.uni-freiburg.de) -- Dr. Michael Tangermann Phone: +49.(0)761.2038423 Fax : +49.(0)761.2038417 University of Freiburg BrainLinks-BrainTools Excellence Cluster Brain State Decoding Lab Albertstr. 23, Room 0.003 79104 Freiburg, Germany http://www.bsdlab.uni-freiburg.de

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Postdoctoral fellowships in computational neuroscience and neuroengineering at U. Washington
by Adrienne Fairhall Jan. 28, 2015

Jan. 28, 2015

We invite applications for the Washington Research Foundation Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowships in Neuroengineering at the University of Washington in Seattle. These fellowships are offered through the UW Institute for Neuroengineering, which aims to stimulate research excellence in the development of novel approaches to the understanding and manipulation of brain function. These highly selective fellowships fund research in computational and engineering approaches to neuroscience; joint mentoring between faculty in different disciplines (CS, engineering, mathematics, biology) is strongly encouraged. Applications are due by March 13, 2015. Please see http://uwin.washington.edu/post-docs/ for more details.

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PhD position in decoding algorithms for PNS - closing soon
by Simon Schultz Jan. 28, 2015

Jan. 28, 2015

The following PhD studentship (part of the new Centre for Doctoral Training in Neurotechnology at Imperial College) is closing very soon (30th January). I would like to encourage applicants with good theoretical skills (e.g. math/physics/electrical-engineering) to apply. Peripheral nerve decoding algorithms for bioelectronic medicines Simon Schultz (Bioengineering), Nick Jones (Maths), Hannah Tipney (GSK) Bioelectronic medicine, in which devices connected to groups of individual nerve fibres are used to control the patterns of electrical signals to restore health to organs and biological functions, has been suggested to have the potential to make major advances in the treatment of conditions resistant to drugs, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension and pulmonary diseases (Famm et al, Nature 496:159-61, 2013). The development of bioelectronic medicines, however, is contingent upon the existence of suitable technology for monitoring and perturbing activity in peripheral nerve fibres; in particular, being able to “read out” and interpret signals carried by a peripheral nerve fibre is an essential milestone. In this project, we will develop decoding algorithms capable of reading out both continuous physiological signals, and discrete “events”, from peripheral nervous system (PNS) electrical signals. These algorithms will be applied to a variety of datasets collected by members of a research network in Bioelectronic Medicines that has been established by GlaxoSmithKline, plc. The project will involve two phases. The first year will comprise an MRes Project, in which the student will gain a deep understanding of the different approaches that can be taken to decoding physiological signals, testing algorithms on simulated data, which will be generated in the course of the project; we expect this computational model of a peripheral nerve to be a major output of the MRes year. In the following years, and exploiting and advancing a new signal processing architecture, the student will develop refined decoding algorithms optimised for use with peripheral nerve signals at several spatial scales, and will work with research groups across the GSK network to apply these algorithms to real PNS datasets. To apply, see the Centre for Neurotechnology website: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/neurotechnology/cdt/application

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Conference and workshops (call for submissions) - Transdisciplinary Approaches to Cognitive Innovation – CogNovo: ‘Off the Lip’ – September 7-11 2015.
by Info Cognition (General Enquiries) Jan. 28, 2015

Jan. 28, 2015

APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE FOR ANY CROSS-POSTING! Short papers, posters and workshop proposals are invited for a conference to be held at Plymouth University, UK (7th-11th September 2015). Full details of the CogNovo Conference ‘Off the Lip’ (Transdisciplinary Approaches to Cognitive Innovation) can be found below. Please forward to anyone else you think may be interested. Best wishes, Zoë. Zoë Foster-Smith Cognition Institute with Plymouth University http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/cognition [cid:image001.jpg@01D03AEE.A35CF4B0] OFF THE LIP: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Cognitive Innovation Workshop and Conference: Preliminary notice and call for participation 7-11 September 2015 Workshops: 7-8 September, Conference: 9-11September University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK Short papers, posters and workshop proposals are invited for a conference to be held at the University of Plymouth, UK between 7-11 September 2015. Confirmed Plenary Speakers: Amy Ione, Director of the Diatrope Institute, Berkeley, California, USA Roger Malina, Distinguished Professor of Arts and Technology, Professor of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas, USA Sundar Sarukkai, Professor and Director of the Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities, Manipal, India The promise of cognitive innovation as a collaborative project in the sciences, arts and humanities is that we can approach creativity as a bootstrapping cognitive process in which the energies that shape the poem are necessarily indistinguishable from those that shape the poet. For the purposes of this conference the exploration of the idea of cognitive innovation concerns an understanding of creativity that is not exclusively concerned with conscious human thought and action but also as intrinsic to our cognitive development. As a consequence, we see the possibility for cognitive innovation to provide a theoretical and practical platform from which to address disciplinary differences in ways that offer new topics and concerns for research in the sciences and the humanities. Papers should consider cognitive aspects of creativity, including but are not confined to: - Poetics, language and cognition - The dynamics and performativity of imagination - Affect and named emotions - Affective artefacts (artefacts as scaffolding device for mind) - Creativity as a ‘self corrective process’ - Cognition as creativity - Memory, metaphor, and media literacy - Archives, identity and emotionality - Art, mental health and consciousness - Networking and Network Studies - Creativity and mental imagery - Creativity and innovation in development - Social creativity - Neuroscience of creativity - Creativity as an iterative process - Simulating and modelling creativity Workshops The workshops will engage participants in the contributions made by past and current research in the Humanities in the understanding of cognition as a creative interaction with daily life. We are especially interested in case-studies and examples that will suggest how to build bridges between current trends in the cognitive sciences and established bodies of knowledge. We are inviting proposals for workshops of 90-120 minutes comprising small panels, structured discussions and practical explorations. Small grants are available to support workshop logistics. Conference papers Proposals are invited for papers dealing with responses to the research challenge of cognitive innovation from the sciences and humanities. We are particularly interested in offering opportunities for reporting on recent and emerging work in all disciplines and will give special attention to speculative approaches that involve more than one discipline. Papers (20 minutes) will be delivered in 30 minute slots to allow good time for discussion. Papers may also be presented as posters in the interactive poster+ session. Poster+ We encourage non-traditional forms of research presentations in the context of the familiar conference poster event. CogSlam Propose 6-minute cognition-related artworks including screenings, mini-lectures and performances to be interleaved with spontaneous contributions from delegates reflecting on the day’s discussions and exchanges. To submit a paper,poster or CogSlam please send a title and abstract of no more than 300 words together with a brief bio to Dr. Martha Blassnigg: m<mailto:rebecca.pearce@plymouth.ac.uk>artha.blassnigg(a)plymouth.ac.uk (Deadline 15th May 2015) If you would like to propose a workshop, please send a workshop title and brief abstract of 300-500 words and an outline of expected costs to Prof. Michael Punt: michael.punt(a)plymouth.ac.uk<mailto:michael.punt@plymouth.ac.uk> (Deadline 28th February 2015) There are no conference registration fees for students and a nominal fee of € 50 for all other participants to cover lunches and coffee, with an additional € 30 for those delegates wishing to attend the conference dinner. The conference administrator can assist with bookings for accommodation. _____________ Off the Lip is a collaboration between CogNovo (cognovo.eu) and Transtechnology Research (trans-techresearch.net) at the Cognition Institute, University of Plymouth. CogNovo is funded by the Marie Curie Initial Training Network FP7-PEOPLE-2013-ITN, grant number 604764. ________________________________ [http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/images/email_footer.gif]<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/worldclass> This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, Plymouth University accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. Plymouth University does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form.

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POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP IN NEUROECONOMICS
by Jean-Claude DREHER Jan. 28, 2015

Jan. 28, 2015

Center for Cognitive Neurocience, Lyon, France. Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position to study social decision making using model-based fMRI in healthy subjects and intracranial recordings in patients with epilepsy. Our research group combines multimodal neuroimaging with computational modelling to characterize the neural mechanisms underlying human social decision making. The focus of the project will be to unravel the neural correlates of social decision making using probabilistic representations of other’s intentions. We will use such approach to model ways in which we predict hypothetical action outcomes, the intentions of others and whether the other is cooperative or competitive. This will be implemented by parallel models and experiments using multimodal intracranial recordings and fMRI in humans to exploit maximally the experimental advantages of each technic. Candidates must have (or nearing completion of) a PhD degree in neuroscience, social psychology, behavioral economics, computational neuroscience or a related discipline. Candidates must have previous practical experience and working knowledge of human neuroimaging (EEG and/or model-based fMRI). The candidate must also have working knowledge of experimental statistics, signal processing and excellent programming skills in Matlab. Previous experience in simultaneous EEG/fMRI experiments, advanced multivariate data analysis and computational modelling is desirable but not required. The institute of Cognitive Science is located in Lyon, France, a thriving universitary city. The institute hosts an interdisciplinary neuroscience community with access to several brain imaging facilities, such as one research-dedicated 3T scanner, MEG, TEP, intracranial EEG in patients with epilepsy and other useful resources (http://dreherteam.cnc.isc.cnrs.fr/en/) This post is available immediatly, for up to three years. Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications according to CNRS scales. Candidates should send their CV, statement of research interests, representative publications, and contact information of two referencesto Jean-Claude Dreher, email: dreher(a)isc.cnrs.fr <mailto:dreher@isc.cnrs.fr> -- Dr Jean-Claude Dreher, Research director, CNRS UMR 5229 Neuroeconomics group, Reward and decision making Centre de Neurosciences Cognitives 67 Bd Pinel, 69675 Bron, France tel: 00 33 (0)4 37 91 12 38 fax: 00 33 (0)4 37 91 12 10 http://dreherteam.cnc.isc.cnrs.fr/en/

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postdoctoral position in statistical analysis of population activity
by Gergo Orban Jan. 27, 2015

Jan. 27, 2015

The MTA Wigner Research Centre for Physics (Budapest, Hungary) in partnership with the the MTA Institute for Experimental Medicine (Budapest, Hungary) invites applications for a postdoctoral or for a PhD position in characterising neural population activity. The applicant will join the newly formed Population Activity Research Unit, which is sponsored by a prestigious National Brain Research Program grant and will be co-supervised by Gergő Orbán and András Telcs. The primary focus of the research group is the characterization of activity patterns of large-scale neural populations in the hippocampus and the understanding of the computational principles underlying its dynamically changing states. The unparalleled performance of the nervous system is due to the fast and parallel processing of information that is achieved by the coherent activity of networks of neurons. Recent advancements in recording techniques provides access to high temporal resolution data from hundreds of identified neurons during task performance of animals. Understanding the organizational principles underlying the high-dimensional activity patterns has become a fundamental challenge of neurobiology. We are seeking highly motivated candidates with strong analytical background to take part of this challenge and to work on a project that is based on a strong collaboration between neurophysiology and theoretical neuroscience. The ideal candidate has a strong mathematical background, preferably with a PhD in physics, computer science, or mathematics or other quantitative disciplines. Besides mathematical skills, the position requires competence in programming (e.g. matlab, R, python, or C++). Candidates with training or research experience in statistics, machine learning, computational modelling, dynamical systems are especially encouraged to apply. Training in neuroscience is not required but the applicant has to demonstrate his/her willingness to acquire the necessary background for the project. High dimensional neuronal data is recorded by the experimental part of the group (Attila Gulyas, Institute for Experimental Medicine) but the candidate will have the opportunity get experience with cutting-edge neuronal recording techniques to design of novel experiments based on the analysis of the recorded data. The official starting date of the project is 1 February 2015 but the start date of the position is negotiable. Initial appointment is made for one year but can be extended to three years upon successful evaluation. The work is based in the PATTERN lab at the MTA Wigner Institute (Budapest, Hungary) but requires regular interactions with the experimental partners at the Institute for Experimental Medicine (Budapest). For further information please visit the project website, http://pattern.wigner.mta.hu. For informal inquiries please contact Gergo Orban (orban.gergo(a)wigner.mta.hu) or Andras Telcs (telcs.szit.bme(a)gmail.com) Please send applications, including CV, a research statement and contact information of two references by email to András Telcs before 20 February.

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Post-doctoral research position in humanoid cognitive robotics research
by Patricia Hazel Shaw [phs] Jan. 27, 2015

Jan. 27, 2015

Intelligent robotics research group at Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK, announces: Post-Doctoral Research Associate vacancy, three-year fixed-term The Project: “Developmental Algorithms for Robotics” ==================================================== The project aims to investigate a mechanism for robots, building on top of basic spatial sensorimotor competencies, that drives the autonomous development of new behaviours and self learning about novel events for which they have no prior experience. This will involve (1) expanding existing motor-babbling activity into object play behaviour, (2) formulating play behaviour as a viable mechanism for autonomous learning about unknown environments, (3) establishing an extended schema concept as a mechanism for integrating memory, experience generalization and action generation, (4) exploring action perception from the agent's experience, and (5) close monitoring of the work with psychological data and expert psychologists. The project will closely follow current knowledge on infant development and aim to reproduce behaviour as reported in the psychological literature. In particular the focus will be on three areas of core knowledge: (1) Object understanding, (2) Interaction with animate objects, and (3) Tool use. The work will be supported by collaboration with leading developmental psychologists on the project scientific advisory panel. This will produce models and mechanisms that can be implemented and tested experimentally against psychological benchmarks. The models will be validated with challenging demonstrators based on a single humanoid robotic platform (iCub). As a main outcome, the project will advance the understanding and application of intrinsic motivations in autonomous learning systems and robots. This overall goal will be achieved with the support of an International Scientific Advisory Board, consists of: Kevin O'Regan, Jacqueline Fagard, Merideth Gattis, David Whitebread, Giorgio Metta, QinetiQ and Lego. The Appointment (PDRA) – Scientific modeller ============================================ Applications are invited for the post of Post-Doctoral Research Associate on this project at Aberystwyth University. The successful applicant will have a relevant background, experience of research (as demonstrated by PhD and/or publications), and proven abilities in mathematical/scientific modelling. The main tasks will involve analysing the psychological literature to develop models and experiments for testing on an iCub humanoid robot. This will be supported by another PDRA, and PhD student, who will have special responsibility for implementing the models whilst maintaining and supporting the robot. Other tasks include writing scientific documents and papers, documenting experiments and writing reports, supervising a PhD student, responsibility for day-to-day management of project needs, and collaborating with the scientific advisory panel and other researchers. Regular European travel will be involved. This post is available on a three-year fixed-term contract, funded by the EPSRC. Salary will be on the IA scale for Research Staff in the range: £32,277 - £37,384 (depending upon qualifications and experience). We expect to appoint for a start date in the first quarter of 2015. How to apply ============ Closing date: 5th February Ref: IMPACS.14.22  For information and application forms please go to www.aber.ac.uk/en/hr/jobs/vacancies-external/ Completed Application Forms should be signed and returned to the Human Resources Recruitment Team by e-mail, or post. Email address: vacancies(a)aber.ac.uk / Tel: 01970 628555 Interview Date: Week commencing 16 February 2015 For informal enquiries contact Patricia Shaw: phs(a)aber.ac.uk +44 (0)1970-622432

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Research Topic "Closed-loop systems for next-generation neuroprostheses"; Frontiers in Neuroprosthetics
by Paolo Bonifazi Jan. 25, 2015

Jan. 25, 2015

Dear Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to our research topic “Closed-loop systems for next-generation neuroprostheses” in Frontiers in Neuroprosthetics. http://journal.frontiersin.org/ResearchTopic/3581 Abstract deadline: 28th February 2015 Manuscript deadline: 30th September 2015 The topic description follows below. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any question. Best regards, Paolo Bonifazi - on behalf of the Topic Editors *Timothée Levi, **Michela Chiappalone and **Paolo Massobrio* *Millions of people worldwide are affected by neurological disorders which disrupt connections within the brain and between brain and body causing impairments of primary functions and paralysis. Such a number is likely to increase in the next years and current assistive technology is limited. The response to such disabilities, offered by the neuroscience community, is given by Brain-Machine Interfaces (BMIs) and Neuroprostheses. * *Such a field of research is highly multidisciplinary, since it involves very different and disperse scientific communities, making it fundamental to create connections and to join research efforts. Indeed, to design neuroprosthetic devices, six main research topics are involved: interfacing of neural systems at different levels of architectural complexity (from in vitro neuronal ensembles up to the human brain), bio-artificial interfaces for stimulation and recording, innovative signal processing tools for coding and decoding of neural activity, biomimetic artificial neural networks and neural network modeling. In order to develop functional communication with the nervous system and create a new generation of neuroprostheses, studying closed-loop systems is mandatory. The bi-directional communication between living neurons and artificial devices is the main final goal of those studies. However, closed-loop systems are still rare in the literature, mostly due to the required multidisciplinary effort. Therefore through this research topic, we intend to encourage an active discussion among neurobiologists, electrophysiologists, bioengineers, computational neuroscientists and neuromorphic engineers. * *The overall goal of this research topic is to present the results and stimulate/promote the discussion about the design of a novel generation of neuroprostheses aimed at recovering impaired/damaged neural networks. In this Research Topic, we welcome submissions highlighting the latest results in neuroprosthetics but also covering the six major topics introduced above. Review articles about closed-loop systems and neuroprostheses are strongly encouraged. Indeed, the intrinsic multidisciplinary nature of the proposed topic, from which we expect to receive contributions from different specialists, will help the scientific community to converge to new ideas and solutions to treat invalidating neuronal disabilities.* ==================== Paolo Bonifazi, PhD Italy-Israel Initiative on Integrative Network Neuroscience P.I. of the BRAINBOW project - http://www.brainbowproject.eu School of Physics and Astronomy Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel

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New paper on Cortico-striatal plasticity in PLoS Biology
by Kevin Gurney Jan. 23, 2015

Jan. 23, 2015

This paper integrates several levels of description - from the synaptic, through systems modelling, to behaviour. Gurney, K.N., Humphries, M.D., Redgrave, P., 2015. A New Framework for Cortico-Striatal Plasticity: Behavioural Theory Meets In Vitro Data at the Reinforcement-Action Interface. PLoS biology 13, e1002034. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1002034 Operant learning requires that reinforcement signals interact with action representations at a suitable neural interface. Much evidence suggests that this occurs when phasic dopamine, acting as a reinforcement prediction error, gates plasticity at cortico-striatal synapses, and thereby changes the future likelihood of selecting the action(s) coded by striatal neurons. But this hypothesis faces serious challenges. First, cortico-striatal plasticity is inexplicably complex, depending on spike timing, dopamine level, and dopamine receptor type. Second, there is a credit assignment problem—action selection signals occur long before the consequent dopamine reinforcement signal. Third, the two types of striatal output neuron have apparently opposite effects on action selection. Whether these factors rule out the interface hypothesis and how they interact to produce reinforcement learning is unknown. We present a computational framework that addresses these challenges. We first predict the expected activity changes over an operant task for both types of action-coding striatal neuron, and show they co-operate to promote action selection in learning and compete to promote action suppression in extinction. Separately, we derive a complete model of dopamine and spike-timing dependent cortico-striatal plasticity from in vitro data. We then show this model produces the predicted activity changes necessary for learning and extinction in an operant task, a remarkable convergence of a bottom-up data-driven plasticity model with the top-down behavioural requirements of learning theory. Moreover, we show the complex dependencies of cortico-striatal plasticity are not only sufficient but necessary for learning and extinction. Validating the model, we show it can account for behavioural data describing extinction, renewal, and reacquisition, and replicate in vitro experimental data on cortico-striatal plasticity. By bridging the levels between the single synapse and behaviour, our model shows how striatum acts as the action-reinforcement interface. -- Kevin Gurney, PhD, FSB Professor of Computational Neuroscience Adaptive Behaviour Research Group Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, S10 2TP, UK <http://www.shef.ac.uk/%7Eabrg/> http://abrg.group.shef.ac.uk/people/kevin/ ------------- "Email is a wonderful thing for people whose role in life is to be on top of things. But not for me; my role is to [get to] the bottom of things. What I do takes long hours of studying and uninterruptible concentration." Donald Knuth: Professor Emeritus of the Art of Computer Programming at Stanford University, and winner of the 1974 Turing Award.

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3rd Baltic-Nordic Summer School on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2015)
by Toomas Kirt Jan. 23, 2015

Jan. 23, 2015

2nd call: 3rd Baltic-Nordic Summer School on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2015) Multiscale computational neuroscience: Neurons, networks and systems Place: University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia Time: June 15-18, 2015 More information and registration at http://neuro.cs.ut.ee/bnni2015/ Important dates: 21 February 2015 Application deadline 13 March 2015 Acceptance notification 15-18 June 2015 Summer School The BNNI 2015 is focused on computational multiscale modelling of brain functions at the cellular, network and systems levels. The course will also cover data sources, measurements and analysis of neural activity. Target audience Advanced master students, doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers, both theoreticians and experimentalists, who would like to get an introduction to neuroinformatics and computational neuroscience. Faculty includes Gaute Einevoll, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway Bruce Graham, University of Stirling, United Kingdom Sean Hill, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland Henrik Lindén, University of Copenhagen, Denmark Marja-Leena Linne, Tampere University of Technology, Finland, Claudio Mirasso, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Arnd Roth, University College London, UK Ausra Saudargiene, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania Raul Vicente, University of Tartu, Estonia Michael Wibral, Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany Daniel Wójcik, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland and others to be named. Venue The course will be held in the University of Tartu, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science - Juhan Liivi 2, Tartu 50409, Estonia. Practical arrangements There is a small tuition fee of 100 euros. The sponsor will provide teaching, meals and coffee during the course. The participants are expected to cover their travel and health insurance expenses (small financial support is available for those without funding). The course is supported by International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility and University of Tartu. We are looking forward to welcome you at the BNNI 2015 in Tartu, Estonia!

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MSc program in Neural Systems and Computation - University of Zurich and ETH Zurich
by Michael Pfeiffer Jan. 22, 2015

Jan. 22, 2015

We are inviting applications for the MSc program in Neural Systems and Computation, an interdisciplinary program offered as a Joint Master Program by the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland. The program offers a theoretical and laboratory training in neural computation and systems neuroscience. It offers hands-on knowledge of data gathering, analysis and scientific presentation. Students join an international and interdisciplinary research community with expertise in neuroinformatics, advanced experimental techniques and neuromorphic engineering. Further information can be found on our homepage http://www.nsc.uzh.ch. We offer a specialized full-time Masters program open to students with a Bachelor’s degree in the following disciplines: neurosciences, information technology, electrical engineering, biology, physics, computer sciences, chemistry, mathematics, and mechanical/chemical/control engineering. The core courses (all offered in English) provide a common foundation for students with different educational backgrounds, and cover the following: 1. Systems Neurosciences 2. Neural Computation and Theoretical Neuroscience 3. Neurotechnologies and Neuromorphic Engineering The application deadline for students starting in Fall Semester 2015 is *February 15th 2015*. Details about the application process and required documents can be found here: http://www.nsc.uzh.ch/?page_id=10 The program is affiliated with the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Faculty (MNF) at the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Information Technology and Electrical Engineering Department (D-ITET) of the ETH Zurich. All applications are handled by the University of Zurich. Application documents should be sent by email to nsc(a)ini.uzh.ch. Michael Pfeiffer -- ========================================= Dr. Michael Pfeiffer Postdoc, Program coordinator NSC Institute of Neuroinformatics University of Zurich and ETH Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland Tel. +41 44 635 30 45 Fax +41 44 635 30 53 pfeiffer (at) ini.phys.ethz.ch http://www.ini.uzh.ch/~pfeiffer/ =========================================

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[journals] CFP: IEEE ToH Issue on Active Touch Sensing
by yon Jan. 22, 2015

Jan. 22, 2015

The other guest editors and I are very excited to present this special issue. We hope you will consider contributing. Best, Yon Visell Call for Papers IEEE Transactions on Haptics Special Issue on Active Touch Sensing in Robots, Humans, and Other Animals Submission deadline: April 1 2015 First decision to authors: June 1 2015 Complete Details: http://re-touch-lab.com/ieee-toh-issue Guest Editors: Yon Visell, Drexel University Vincent Hayward, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Mitra Hartmann, Northwestern University Nathan Lepora, University of Bristol Topical Summary: This special issue addresses the challenges posed by actively sensing and interacting with the world through the sense of touch, whether the latter is implemented through a technological or biological system. Active touch sensing is recovering information about the world by ‘touching’ rather than ‘being touched’ – by interpreting signals from sensors whose motion is deliberately controlled to facilitate information gain. The scope of this issue includes both biological and technological systems for active touch sensing, and implications for haptics. This issue will consider electronic systems for active touch sensing that are biologically inspired systems, in addition to other inherently active approaches to touch sensing. Biological systems for active touch sensing are highly capable, and, by comparison, the field of robotic touch sensing is in its infancy. The former demonstrate many valuable concepts for active touch sensing that are being intensively investigated. They have also illustrated ways that active touch sensing is enabled through specialized sensory transduction channels, biomechanics, structural morphology, behavioral, and control strategies that are implemented by biological systems, and through other advantages that they achieve, including robustness, adaptability, and power efficiency. Similar challenges must be overcome if technological systems are to one day achieve comparable levels of sensorimotor performance to biological systems. Specific topics of interest include: - The design of electronic or biological systems for active touch sensing, their principles of operation (electronic, biological, mechanical) and performance. - Biomechanical aspects of active touch sensing. - Relations between active touch sensing and behavior, especially motor activity. - Sensory information processing and sensorimotor control strategies in humans, animals, or robots related to active touch sensing, including behavioral, physiological or neuroscience investigations, and neural control. - Learning by active touch. - Applications to the design of haptic interfaces. Authors should specifically include a discussion of how their results shed light on fundamental aspects of active touch sensing rather than assuming that this can be inferred from context. Submission process: Visit http://www.computer.org/toh to view formatting requirements, and submit your paper at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/th-cs. When uploading your paper please select the appropriate special issue title under the category “Manuscript Type.” _________________________________________________________ Yon Visell, PhD Assistant Professor Drexel University | Electrical and Computer Engineering Philadelphia, USA www.re-touch-lab.com Office: +1 215 571 4507 Mobile: +1 267 800 8960 _________________________________________________________

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