- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

All-Level Faculty Positions in Interdisciplinary Research in Computer Vision, Neurally-inspired Computing and Data Science

by Ralf Haefner

All-Level Faculty Positions in Interdisciplinary Research in Data Science The University of Rochester has made data science the centerpiece of its 5-year strategic plan, committing to 20 new faculty lines in diverse areas, a new building, and the establishment of the Goergen Institute for Data Science. We are currently seeking applicants for tenure track or tenured positions in interdisciplinary research areas within data science. This search complements department-specific searches in data science currently underway. The interdisciplinary search focuses on recruiting candidates who are excited about engaging in collaborative research that connects advances in computational models and methods to the humanities, sciences, or medicine. Successful candidates will receive a primary appointment in one of the departments supporting the search, and a secondary appointment in at least one other department. Departments and programs supporting this search include Biomedical Engineering, Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Computer and Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Digital Media Studies (a program of Art & Art History, English, and History), Linguistics, and Political Science. Potential cross-appointments with the School of Medicine and Dentistry will also be considered. Focus areas for this year’s interdisciplinary search are: ● Neurally-inspired Computing: Research in artificial neural networks, including the fundamental theory of deep learning, practical applications to tasks such as perception, or as a tool for modeling and understanding biological neural networks. ● Computer Vision and Image Analysis: Research in the theory and applications of computational methods of image or video understanding, with a particular interest in applications to biomedicine or the humanities. ● Computational Linguistics: Research in the theory or applications of natural language processing, with a particular interest in applications to linguistics, the social sciences, or the humanities. Apply online at: https://www.rochester.edu/faculty-recruiting <https://www.rochester.edu/faculty-recruiting>. Direct questions about the search (but not applications) to michelle.vogl(a)rochester.edu <mailto:michelle.vogl@rochester.edu>. For more information about the Goergen Institute for Data Science, visit http://www.rochester.edu/data-science <http://www.rochester.edu/data-science>. Applicants should hold a PhD and will be required to supply a set of refereed scholarly publications, names of references, and research and teaching statements. The application will ask applicants to select a set of disciplines most relevant to their research area. Review of applications at any rank will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. For full consideration, applications should be completed by January 15th, 2016. The University of Rochester is a private, Tier I research institution located in western New York State. It consistently ranks among the top 30 institutions, both public and private, in federal funding for research and development. The university has made substantial investments in computing infrastructure through the Center for Integrated Research Computing (CIRC) and the Health Sciences Center for Computational Innovation (HSCCI). The university includes the Eastman School of Music and the University of Rochester Medical Center, a major medical school, research center, and hospital system. The greater Rochester area is home to over a million people, including 80,000 students who attend the 8 colleges and universities in the region. The University of Rochester has a strong commitment to diversity and actively encourages applications from candidates from groups underrepresented in higher education. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Oct. 21, 2015

Post-Doctoral position in brain imaging – University of Geneva

by Narly Golestani

Applications are invited for a Post-Doctoral position in the Brain and Language Lab (www.brainandlanguagelab.org<http://www.brainandlanguagelab.org/>) at the University of Geneva. The position is for 2 years (or more), and will be at the new Biotech Campus (http://www.campusbiotech.ch/en/) Candidates should have a degree in Cognitive Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Computational Neuroscience or a related field, and should have solid experience in brain imaging data analysis, computational modelling, pattern recognition, machine learning, statistics and programming. The projects will involve the use and development of computational morphometry and of computational modeling to study auditory cortex structure and function in healthy individuals, in experts and in individuals with dyslexia. The salary is competitive, starting salary at ~ 69, 000 CHF/year (~81, 000 CHF/year as of August 2016) depending on experience. The position is available immediately, and applications will be considered until the position is filled. Informal inquiries can be addressed to Narly Golestani (Narly.Golestani(a)unige.ch) Applications including a CV, a statement of research interests, and the names and full contact details of three referees should be sent to: Narly.Golestani(a)unige.ch<mailto:Narly.Golestani@unige.ch>.

Oct. 21, 2015

Faculty position in Cognitive Science/Computational Modelling - University of Sheffield

by Tom Stafford

*Chair/Reader/Senior Lecturer or Lecturer in Cognitive Science/Computational Modelling * Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, UK Closing Date *24th November 2015* The Department of Psychology is looking for an outstanding scholar (at any level of seniority) in the area of Cognitive Science and Computational Modelling, to enhance its world-leading research portfolio in cognitive, computational and systems neuroscience and in brain-based robotics and its emerging activities in high volume data processing, online behavioural measurement, and virtual and mixed-reality systems. You should have a PhD (or equivalent qualification) in a relevant discipline, have an excellent publication record for your career stage/level and be able to evidence of the ability or potential to attract independent research funding. The ability to organize and carry out teaching, supervision and research training to a high standard is also essential. You will join a vibrant department, which is amongst the largest in the UK, which importantly has been consistently ranked as one of the outstanding research departments in all seven UK Research Assessment Exercises to date. We have one of the largest centres of postgraduate psychology research in the country and were ranked 7th in the UK for research income in the ESRC’s 2011 Psychology International Benchmarking exercise. The post is available from 1 April 2016. *For* further details visit: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/jobs Job reference: UOS011888 For informal enquiries please contact Tony Prescott <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/psychology/staff/academic/tony-prescott> ( t.j.prescott(a)sheffield.ac.uk) or Paul Overton <https://www.shef.ac.uk/psychology/staff/academic/paul-overton1> ( p.g.overton(a)sheffield.ac.uk) *About the University* Sheffield University <http://www.shef.ac.uk> is a World Top 100 University and home to 25,000 of the brightest students in the world. Twenty-four per cent of our students come from outside the UK. Our graduates and former staff include five Nobel Prize winners, an Olympic gold medallist and Britain’s first female astronaut. The Department of Psychology <http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/psychology/> at Sheffield is among the largest in the UK and has been consistently ranked as one of the outstanding research departments in all seven UK Research Assessment Exercises to date. For example, over 80% of our department’s research was classed as internationally excellent or world leading in the 2014 Research Excellent Framework (REF). The Department occupies a purpose-built 5-floor building (with annexes), which is being fully refurbished next year following considerable capital investment (~£10M) by the University. Facilities include a child development laboratory, high-density ERP and EEG (128 electrode) systems, and a virtual reality suite. The Department also occupies modern office and laboratory facilities at (i) the University's central neuroscience facility, which is fully equipped for state-of-the-art in vivo and in vitro neuroscience and behavioural testing, and includes a small-bore 7T fMRI facility; and (ii) Sheffield Robotics <http://www.sheffieldrobotics.ac.uk>, an interdisciplinary research institute equipped with an engineering workshop, robot platforms including the iCub humanoid, a human-robot interaction laboratory, and a motion capture suite. Across the University the department also actively participates in Insigneo <http://insigneo.org>, the Institute for in Silico Medicine, through its activities in digital organism models; and in the Centre for Assistive Technology and Connected Healthcare <http://www.catch.org.uk> (CATCH) through collaborative research on assistive technologies including companion robots. -- Tom Stafford http://www.tomstafford.staff.shef.ac.uk/ Lecturer in Psychology and Cognitive Science Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TP, UK Room 2.24 Tel +44 (0) 114 22 26620 t.stafford(a)shef.ac.uk Office Hour: Thursdays 2pm-3pm during Semester (except reading week) NOTES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: please read this before emailing me http://tomstafford.staff.shef.ac.uk/email.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------

Oct. 21, 2015

Postdoctoral positions at the interface of algebraic topology and theoretical neuroscience at Penn State.

by Vladimir Itskov

Applicants are invited for postdoctoral positions at the interface of theoretical neuroscience and algebraic topology or applied algebra. An ideal candidate is a mathematics Ph.D. with background in areas such as algebraic topology, geometry, commutative algebra, or combinatorics. Prior familiarity with neuroscience is not required, but interest in learning the relevant background is expected. The postdoctoral fellow will engage in the development of novel mathematical methods for understanding neural coding and neural networks. To apply for this position, please submit your application via the mathjobs.org website in response to the job ad http://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/7575 The closing date for applications is November 15, 2015. See also http://sites.psu.edu/mathneurolab/ for more information.

Oct. 20, 2015

Two faculty positions in applied mathematics -- Northwestern University

by William L. Kath

The Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics at Northwestern University (http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/applied-math/) invites applications for two full-time, tenure-track faculty positions to begin in September 2016. Hiring will be focused on the assistant professor level, although exceptional applicants at a more senior level will be considered. Requirements include a Ph.D. and demonstrated ability to conduct high-impact interdisciplinary research in applied mathematics. We are seeking candidates who can enhance the breadth of research activities of the department. Candidates in all areas of applied mathematics are encouraged to apply. Areas of particular interest include, but are not limited to, (i) stochastic modeling of physical, biological or financial systems and (ii) scientific computing. Duties involve teaching and research. The application package should include a curriculum vita, a statement of research accomplishments and interests, and a statement of teaching experience and philosophy. The application should be submitted online at: https://facultysearch.mccormick.northwestern.edu/apply/index/NzM= In addition, the applicant should arrange for at least three, but no more than four letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters will be automatically solicited from the letter writers by email after the names are entered in the online application system. Questions may be sent to esam-facultysearch(a)northwestern.edu (Subject line: 2016 Faculty Search). Review of applications will begin November 1, 2015, and will continue until the positions are filled. Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States. For further information, see: http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/applied-math/. -- William L. Kath, Professor Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208-3125 Phone: 847-491-8784 Fax: 847-491-2178

Oct. 20, 2015

2-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Computational Neuroimaging of Flexible Visual Processing in Amsterdam.

by Tomas Knapen

2-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Computational Neuroimaging of Flexible Visual Processing in Amsterdam. We are seeking an enthusiastic postdoctoral fellow with excellent qualifications for a 7T functional imaging project. In this project, we will investigate how expectations and attention influence visual processing and perception in normal observers and expert meditators. A main ingredient of the project is a detailed mapping of retinotopic brain areas by constructing forward models based on convolutional neural networks <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convolutional_neural_network>. Therefore, we will consider applicants with strong quantitative skills from fields such as neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, physics, mathematics, and engineering. Experience with functional imaging, programming, data analysis, machine learning and computational modelling would be advantageous but not required. This is an interdisciplinary collaborative project between cognitive neuroscience groups at the two universities in Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit (VU) & Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA)), funded through ABMP <http://www.abmp.eu/calls/>. The research will be supervised by Tomas Knapen <http://tknapen.github.io/> (VU), Heleen Slagter <http://www.heleenslagter.com/> (UvA) & Steven Scholte <http://www.cognitiveneuroscience.nl/index.php?p=502247> (UvA) in a dynamic research environment. The successful applicant will be stationed at the VU and imaging will be performed on the new 7T scanner at the Amsterdam Spinoza Center <http://www.spinozacentre.nl/>. The appointment will be for one year, with potential for a one-year renewal contingent on positive evaluation. Salary will be commensurate with experience, according to the Dutch universities’ collective labour agreement <http://www.vsnu.nl/en_GB/CAO>. Applications may be submitted by email to tknapen(a)gmail.com <mailto:tknapen@gmail.com>, with ABMP application in the subject line. Send an application letter, CV, and arrange for up to 3 letters of recommendation to be sent with the applicant’s name in the subject line. Applications will be considered from the 1st of November, continuing until the position is filled. Starting date is flexible, preferably around January 2016. Best Regards, Tomas Knapen Tomas Knapen Assistant Professor @ Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam - Cognitive Psychology <http://www.vupsy.nl/> Contact tknapen(a)gmail.com <mailto:tknapen@gmail.com> || +31 6 34091812 Web Lab website <http://tknapen.github.io/> || GitHub profile <https://github.com/tknapen>

Oct. 20, 2015

PhD studies in Computational Neuroscience and Neural Engineering at the University of Washington

by Adrienne Fairhall

PhD studies in Computational Neuroscience and Neural Engineering at the University of Washington The University of Washington has a rich, active and highly collaborative community of researchers in systems and computational neuroscience (http://compneuro.washington.edu/) and neural engineering (http://uwin.washington.edu ). The University of Washington is a vibrant research university with a beautiful campus in a spectacular urban setting, with an ERC Center in Sensorimotor Neural Engineering (http://www.csne-erc.org/) the UW Institute for Neuroengineering, close connections to the local tech industry and the Allen Institute for Brain Science. UW is also a major data sciences center with interdisciplinary interactions coordinated through the eSciences Institute (http://escience.washington.edu) The city is a short distance from wilderness and outstanding summer and winter outdoor adventure. While faculty advisors belong to a wide range of different departments, researchers come together regularly for seminars, journal clubs and a yearly retreat. A common set of graduate courses in computational neuroscience and neural engineering allows students to interact across departments. Many student funding opportunities exist through multiple training grants, UWIN, Data Sciences and the CSNE. Doctoral programs encourage collaborative research projects across departmental boundaries, but admissions and first-year course work and formal requirements are handled by graduate programs individually. Students interested in this area should apply to the program that best fits their background, interests and career goals. Relevant programs, websites and application deadlines include: Neuroscience, http://depts.washington.edu/behneuro/ , Dec 1 Bioengineering, http://depts.washington.edu/bioe/, Dec 1 Computer Science and Engineering, www.cs.washington.edu/, Dec 15 Applied Mathematics, www.amath.washington.edu/, Jan 15 Speech and Hearing, http://depts.washington.edu/sphsc/, Feb 15 Biological Physics, Structure and Design, http://depts.washington.edu/bpsd/, Dec 1 Biology, www.biology.washington.edu/, Dec 1 Psychology, http://web.psych.washington.edu/, Dec 1 Faculty include: Wyeth Bair (Neuro, CSE): Computer modeling of visual cortical circuits Geoff Boynton (Neuro, Psychology): Functional imaging of vision Michael Buice (Applied Math (Affiliate), Allen Institute): Analysis of coding and computation in mouse cortex Beth Buffalo (Neuro): Navigation and memory in primates Bing Brunton (Biology and Data Sciences): High dimensional neural data Howard Chizeck (CSE): Performance metrics for neural interfaces Tom Daniel (Neuro, Biology): Sensorimotor integration and flight control Horacio de la Iglesia (Neuro, Biology): Circadian rhythms Emily Fox (Statistics, CS): Statistical modeling of connectivity and time series Marcel den Nijs (Physics): Statistical mechanics of brain function Adrienne Fairhall (Neuro, BPSD, Physics): Adaptive neural coding and sensorimotor integration Eb Fetz (Neuro): Motor control and brain-computer interfaces Ione Fine (Neuro, Psychology): Human visual psychophysics and imaging David Gire (Neuro, Psychology): Mammalian olfaction Bertil Hille (Neuro, BPSD): Biophysics of neuronal signal transduction Greg Horwitz (Neuro): Cortical color processing Nathan Kutz (A Math): Nonlinear dynamics and dimensionality reduction Adrian KC Lee (Neuro, Speech and Hearing): Auditory scene analysis with imaging Stefan Mihalas (Applied Math (Affiliate), Allen Institute): Analysis and modeling of cortical networks Chet Moritz (Neuro, Rehabilitation Medicine): Neural prosthetics Sheri Mizumori (Neuro, Psychology): Neurobiology of decisions, learning, and memory Bill Moody (Neuro, Biology): Cortical development Scott Murray (Neuro, Psychology): Visual neuroimaging Jay Neitz (Neuro): Color vision Jeff Ojemann (Neuro, Neurology): Human neural function and neuroprosthetics Anitha Pasupathy (Neuro): Neurobiology of visual shape processing David Perkel (Neuro): Neural mechanisms of vocal learning Steve Perlmutter (Neuro): Motor control Chantal Prat (Neuro, Speech and hearing): Auditory processing Nino Ramirez (Neuro): Neural control of rhythmic activity Rajesh Rao (Neuro, CSE): Computational modeling and brain-computer interfaces Fred Rieke (Neuro, Physics, BPSD): Sensory signal processing in the retina Jeff Riffell (Neuro, Biology): Neuroecology and chemosensation Ed Rubel (Neuro): Development of the auditory system Jay Rubinstein (Neuro, Bioengineering): Biophysics and engineering of cochlear implants Eric Shea-Brown (Neuro, A Math): Nonlinear dynamics in neural computation and coding Bill Spain (Neuro): Biophysics of neuronal computation Kat Steele (Mec Eng): Human movement Emo Todorov (Neuro, A Math, CSE): Optimal motor control

Oct. 20, 2015

Ph.D. or Post-doctoral position in Interactive Grounded Language Learning & Understanding

by Jean Rouat

Ph.D. or Post-doctoral position in Interactive Grounded Language Learning & Understanding We have an open position in U. Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, for a PhD (3 years) student or potentially a post-doctoral student (2 years and half) in an international CHIST-ERA european project IGLU (Interactive Grounded Language Understanding) that comprises 7 research labs from Sweden, France, Belgium, Spain and Canada. The IGLU project is very challenging and the objective is to design and implement an intelligent agent that acquires language understanding through learning and grounded interaction with the environment. The candidate will be involved in language knowledge representation and acquisition of new words in relation with the user intentionality. He/She will be in interaction with the other labs in Europe. We are seeking a candidate with background in computational neuroscience and machine learning with emphasis on speech/auditory processing & modelling, predictive coding, graphical statistical models and stochastic signal processing. The candidate needs proficiency in programming (C/C++, matlab, python). Candidates from physics, mathematics, computer science and engineering will be considered as long as they show strong interests in brain sciences and machine learning. The candidate will be a member of the Neurocomputational and Intelligent Signal Processing research group (NECOTIS) that conducts research in anthropomorphic signal processing in Sherbrooke and in electrophysiology in Montreal (collaboration with Univ. de Montreal). During his/her PhD studies in Sherbrooke/Montréal, the candidate should be ready to travel to Europe depending on the needs of the project. Interested candidates should send one pdf file that comprises a letter of motivation, a detailed CV and email addresses of at least two references to Prof. Jean Rouat, jean.rouat(a)usherbrooke.ca. Located in Canada, in the Province of Quebec, the Université de Sherbrooke is a French-speaking institution that offers an opportunity to benefit from an academic education that is recognized and valued around the world. The Université de Sherbrooke is situated in the southern part of Quebec, 150 km from Montréal, 220 km from Québec City and approximately 40 km from the USA's border. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. Tentative starting date is January 2016. Interviews can be conducted at SFN 2015, Chicago and NIPS 2015, Montréal, please drop me a message if you are at SFN. ----------------------------------------------- Jean Rouat, Prof. Université de Sherbrooke Université de Montréal Member of the centre for Interdisciplinary research Professeur titulaire, Professeur associé in Music Media and Technology NECOTIS: Computational Neurosciences Vision, neuroscience Lab McGill Schulich School of Music and Intelligent Signal Processing FAS- Sciences biologiques 527 Sherbrooke St. West Faculté de génie, GEGI, C1-3108 90 avenue Vincent-d’Indy Montreal, Qc, 2500 boul. de l'université Montréal, Qc, Canada, H3A 1E3 Sherbrooke, Québec Canada, H3C 3J7 Canada, J1K 2R1 Tél.: +1(819)-821-8000 ext. 63864 http://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/rouat http://bio.umontreal.ca/repertoire-departement/vue/rouat-jean/ http://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/necotis http://www.usherbrooke.ca/gelecinfo/fr/pers/profs/rouj-fr/ Jean.Rouat(a)umontreal.ca ou Jean.Rouat(a)usherbrooke.ca

Oct. 20, 2015

Faculty Position with Research Interest in Neuroscience, Bilkent University, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

by Tolga Cukur

The Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University seeks highly qualified applicants for full-time faculty positions in the general area of neuroscience at the ranks of Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor effective September 2015. Recently, Bilkent University declared Neuroscience as one of its research priority areas. Construction of the Bilkent Brain Research Center is ongoing and planned to be completed in early 2016. The center will house a 3 Tesla whole-body MRI scanner with advanced functional and morphological MRI capabilities; 1.5 Tesla whole-body and 7 Tesla small animal MRI systems are also planned. In addition, small-animal and zebra fish facilities will be formed as an extension of the existing animal facilities of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. A psychophysics lab, wet-labs for neurobiology and neuroimmunology will be established. This facility will be home for the interdisciplinary Neuroscience M.S. and Ph.D. programs. The Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering already has five faculty members affiliated with the Center and seeks to expand its presence in this area by recruiting new faculty who will complement and enhance the collaborative interdisciplinary research environment at the Center. The Center will provide extensive opportunities for collaboration with the Bilkent Departments of Psychology and Molecular Biology and Genetics, as well as The National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM) and The Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology (UNAM). Candidates are sought with a PhD degree in in electrical and electronics engineering or closely related discipline and a proven track record of research in the field of neuroscience and related disciplines. Applicants for the associate and full professorship ranks are expected to have proven leadership qualifications as well. Areas of particular interest include, but are not limited to, brain-machine interfaces, neural prosthetics, neurorobotics, neuromorphic systems, computational neuroscience, and neuroinformatics. Bilkent University is an equal opportunity employer with an international body of faculty and students. Teaching is in English. Faculty salary is competitive. Benefits include a comprehensive health insurance package and on-campus housing. To apply, please visit the web page http://app.bilkent.edu.tr/ee/. The application folder must include a CV, Research Statement, Teaching Statement, and names of three references. Applications will be reviewed as they are received and the review will continue until the positions are filled.

Oct. 19, 2015

Fully-funded PhD position in Computational Neuroscience at the Vision Institute, Paris, France

by angelo.arleo＠inserm.fr

PHD POSITION IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE AT THE INSTITUTE OF VISION, PARIS, FRANCE Job description Applications are invited for one PhD position at the Aging in Vision and Action laboratory, Institute of Vision (University Pierre & Marie Curie Sorbonne Universities, INSERM CNRS, Paris, France). The PhD student will model visual-based spatial cognitive functions. She/he will build a spatial learning model based on spiking neural networks accounting for existing knowledge on the neural substrates of spatial memory and navigation in animals and humans. She/he will use this model to study the impact of healthy visual aging on neural coding and adaptation mechanisms mediating spatial orientation and navigation. The PhD student will work hand-in-hand with experimentalists in our laboratory. This project will be carried under the supervision of Angelo Arleo & Denis Sheynikhovich (Institute of Vision, Paris, France). Requirements Applicants should have a strong quantitative background (physics, engineering, computer science, applied mathematics), and a keen interest in reverse-engineering the brain. Knowledge on computational neuroscience, machine learning, image processing and programming languages (Matlab, C or Python) are a plus. The successful candidate is expected to work in an interdisciplinary environment with collaborations with biologists, theoreticians and clinicians. She/he will be awarded a 3-year PhD fellowship from the University Pierre and Marie Curie Sorbonne Universities. Working environment and laboratory The Institute of Vision is one of the top international centers for integrated research on vision and eye diseases. It is located at the heart of Paris, on the campus of the National Hospital Center for Ophthalmology. The Institute of Vision includes multidisciplinary research groups, which share state-of-the-art platforms for human and animal experimentation. It also harbors a clinical investigation center, which fosters truly translational research activity. More information can be found online. The Aging in Vision and Action laboratory aims at evaluating and understanding the functional aspects of the degeneration mechanisms related to visual aging. This research has the potential to produce fundamental knowledge suited for opening to assistive technological developments and rehabilitation solutions. The faculty members of the Aging in Vision and Action laboratory are specialized in visual psychophysics, neurobiology of spatial orientation, neural coding, neurocomputational modeling, and clinical evaluation. The group has access to a wide range of state-of-the-art platforms including eye trackers, motion capture rooms, virtual reality environments, brain imaging, artificial street labs and home labs. How to apply Candidates should send a single pdf file containing a motivation letter, a full CV, and names and contact information of at least two referees, to angelo.arleo(a)inserm.fr. Short listed candidates will be contacted for an interview (either face-to-face or via videoconference). For further inquiries, please contact Angelo Arleo, angelo.arleo(a)inserm.fr, phone: +33 (0)1 53 46 26 52. Best regards, Angelo Arleo Institute of Vision, Aging in Vision and Action Lab, CNRS - INSERM - University Pierre&Marie Curie, 17, rue Moreau F-75012 Paris, France Phone: +33 (0)1 53 46 26 52 Mobile: +33 (0)6 46 84 09 56 Email: angelo.arleo(a)inserm.fr; angelo.arleo(a)upmc.fr

Oct. 17, 2015

Postdoctoral opportunities in London and Stockholm

by Harris, Kenneth

Dear Computational Neuroscientists, I would like to advertise three postdoctoral jobs at the interface of computational, systems, and molecular neuroscience. These positions form part of a new collaboration between UCL, University of Oxford, and the Karolinska Institute. The aim of this project is to understand the great diversity of cell types present in cortex, and their roles in cortical circuits and in the resulting computations. While the three positions require diverse skill sets, all offer the opportunity to work as part of a closely integrated, multidisciplinary team focused on solving one of the most important challenges in current neuroscience. Further details about the project can be found at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/cortexlab/neuromics. Position 1: Molecular analysis of cortical tissue The successful applicant will apply novel multiplexed RNA analysis techniques to cortical tissue, to characterize the molecular fingerprints of distinct cortical cell types. This position would suit a scientist with experience of molecular biology, as well as strong knowledge and interest in systems neuroscience. Prior experience of in situ RNA methods would be beneficial but is not essential for outstanding applicants. The successful applicant will be based initially in Stockholm to learn and refine the novel molecular techniques to be used, and will then move to London to apply them to tissue previously studied in vivo two-photon calcium imaging. Position 2: In vivo recording The successful applicant will use two-photon microscopy with genetically encoded calcium sensors to record from large neuronal populations in subjects performing behavioral tasks, which will then be subjected to post-hoc molecular analysis. In addition to experimental recordings, this position will involve computational work to analyze the large amount of data produced by these experiments. This position would suit a scientist with experience of experimental neurophysiology as well as strong quantitative/computational skills. Prior experience with two-photon microscopy would be beneficial but is not essential for outstanding applicants. The position will be based in London. Position 3: Computational analysis and modeling The successful applicant will develop new computational methods to process the large amounts of data arising from these experiments, and to use it to build computational models of cortical circuit interactions. The data arising from the project is diverse, consisting of images, video, and high-dimensional gene expression vectors. Analysis of this unique data set will require a combination of techniques including digital image processing, machine learning, as well as neural circuit modeling. The position would suit a candidate with a background in computational neuroscience, theoretical physics, computer science, mathematics, or engineering. Prior experience with digital image processing and machine learning techniques would be beneficial but is not essential for outstanding applicants. The position will be based in London. To apply for one of the positions, go to http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/jobs, click "Current employment opportunities at UCL", and enter Reference number 1501576 (molecular), 1503273 (recording), or 1503434 (computational). For an informal discussion, please send a CV to kenneth.harris(a)ucl.ac.uk<mailto:kenneth.harris@ucl.ac.uk>. The closing date for applications is November 8th, 2015. --------------------- Kenneth D. Harris Professor of Quantitative Neuroscience Institute of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Pharmacology University College London 21 University Street London WC1E 6DE Phone: +44 (0) 20 3108 2410

Oct. 16, 2015

Reminder: CFP: MLINI 2015 - 5th NIPS Workshop on Machine Learning and Interpretation in Neuroimaging: Beyond the Scanner

by Irina Rish

Call for Papers MLINI 2015 - 5th NIPS Workshop on Machine Learning and Interpretation in Neuroimaging: Beyond the Scanner https://sites.google.com/site/mliniworkshop2015/ December 11-12, 2015, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Submission deadline: Monday, October 19th, 2015 Workshop Overview: ----------------------- MLINI workshop focuses on machine learning approaches in neuroscience, neuroimaging, with an extension to behavioral experiments and psychology. This year, our focus is specifically on "Going Beyond the Scanner", which includes making inferences about mental states of a subject from ''cheaper'' (as opposed to fMRI) behavioral data such as subject's speech and/or text, audio, video, EEG and signals collected from various wearable devices. We believe that machine learning has a prominent role in shaping how questions in neuroscience are framed, and that the machine-learning mind set is now entering modern psychology and behavioral studies. It is also equally important that practical applications in these fields motivate a rapidly evolving line or research in the machine learning community. In parallel, there is an intense interest in learning more about brain function in the context of rich naturalistic environments and scenes. Efforts to go beyond highly specific paradigms that pinpoint a single function, towards schemes for measuring the interaction with natural and more varied scene are made. In this context, many controversies and open questions exist. The goal of the workshop is to pinpoint the most pressing issues and common challenges across the fields, and to sketch future directions and open questions in the light of novel methodology. The proposed workshop is aimed at offering a forum that joins machine learning, neuroscience, and psychology community, and should facilitate formulating and discussing the issues at their interface. Motivated by the previous workshops in this series, MLINI ‘11, MLINI’12, and MLINI’13, we will center this workshop around invited talks and a panel discussion. Triggered by the discussions, this year we plan to adapt the workshop topics to a less traditional scope neuroimaging scope and investigate the role of behavioral models and psychology, including topics such as psycholinguistics. Open questions and possible topics for contribution include, but are not limited to, the following: - How can we move towards more naturalistic stimuli, tasks and paradigms in neuroimaging and neuro-signal analysis? - What kind of mental states can be inferred from cheaper and easier to collect data sources (as an alternative to fMRI), such as text, speech, audio, video, EEG, and wearable devices? - How can we leave the lab when acquiring neuroimaging data, towards exploiting mobile acquisition (EEG and NIRS)? - What type of features should be extracted from naturalistic stimuli such as text, voice, etc., to detect specific mental states and/or mental disorders? - How can we combine traditional neuroimaging with naturalistic data collected from a subject or group of subjects? - In general, can we characterize situations when multivariate predictive analysis (MVPA) and inference methods are better suited for brain imaging analysis than more traditional techniques? - Given recent advances of deep learning in image analysis and other applications, a natural question to ask is whether neuroimaging analysis can benefit from such approaches? - How well can functional networks and dynamical models capture the brain activity, and when using network and dynamics information is superior to standard task-based brain activations? Workshop Format: -------------------------- In this two-day workshop we will explore perspectives and novel methodology at the interface of Machine Learning, Inference, Neuroimaging and Neuroscience. We aim to bring researchers from machine learning and neuroscience community together, in order to discuss open questions, identify the core points for a number of the controversial issues, and eventually propose approaches to solving those issues. Each session will be opened by several invited talks, and an in depth discussion. This will be followed by original contributions. Original contributions will also be presented and discussed during a poster session. The workshop will end with a panel discussion, during which we will address specific questions, and invited speakers will open each segment with a brief presentation of their opinion. Paper Submission: -------------------------- We seek for submission of original (previously unpublished) research papers. The length of the submitted papers should not exceed 8 pages in Springer format, excluding the references (LaTeX2e style files are available on the workshop page). Submission of previously published work is possible as well, but the authors are required to mention this explicitly. Previously published work can be presented at the workshop, but will not be included into the workshop proceedings (which are considered peer-reviewed publications of novel contributions). Moreover, the authors are welcome to present their novel work but choose to opt out of the workshop proceedings in case they have alternative publication plans. Important dates: -------------------------- - October 19, 2015 - paper submission - October 30, 2015 - notification of acceptance/rejection - December 11-12, 2015 - Workshop at Montreal, Quebec, Canada , following the NIPS conference Organizing Committee: -------------------------- Guillermo Cecchi (IBM T.J. Watson Research Center) Kai-min Kevin Chang (Language Technologies Institute, Carnegie Mellon University) Moritz Grosse-Wentrup (Max Plank Institute for Intelligent Systems) Georg Langs (Medical University of Vienna, CSAIL, MIT) Brian Murphy (Machine Learning Department, Carngie Mellon University) *Irina Rish (IBM T.J. Watson Research Center) - main contact Leila Wehbe (University of California, Berkeley)

Oct. 16, 2015

Aspects of Neuroscience 2015 - invitation for the conference

by Daniel Borek

Dear Friends, On behalf of the Board of the Neurobiology Student Scientific Association operating at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Warsaw we would like to invite you to *the 5th **International Conference " Aspects of Neuroscience" *that will be held in Warsaw, Poland, from *November 27th to 29th 2015*. As in the following years, this time the Conference also consists of poster and report symposia. November symposia will be devoted to: *Neurobiology, Cognitive Neuroscience, **Clinical Neuroscience* and* Neuroinformatics*. Each of the thematic symposium will be preceded by a lecture delivered by one of the guests, a specialist of a given domain. This year we will have privilege to host such outstanding neuroscientists as *Prof. Gaute Einevoll, Prof. Fernando H. Lopes da Silva, Dr. Tor Stensola, Prof. Wojciech Maksymowicz, Dr. Esha Massand* and *Prof. Peter de Weerd.* The conference is intended for students, doctoral students and research workers related to neuroscience. The student lectures will take place simultaneously in two rooms, in *basic *and *extended* version. The basic session provides an opportunity to present theoretical and review talks for the students who do not conduct their own research yet. We would like the conference to gather academics with different background and level of expertise, who share the common passion for neuroscience. Language of conference is English. *Active registration for the conference is open till November 1st .* More information about conference and the whole Project: www.neuronauka.org/eng Find us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AspectsOfNeuroscience?fref=ts Yours sincerely, Daniel Borek Neurobiology Student Scientific Association at the University of Warsaw Organizing Committee of the International Conference of Students and Young Scientists "The Aspects of Neuroscience"

Oct. 15, 2015

fully funded PhD position on modelling distraction & mind-wandering at University of Groningen

by Marieke van Vugt RUG

Dear colleagues, Prof. Niels Taatgen and myself have a joint PhD position available in the Cognitive Modelling group at the University of Groningen, in a project working on models of distraction and mind-wandering. http://www.rug.nl/about-us/work-with-us/job-opportunities/overview?details=… <http://www.rug.nl/about-us/work-with-us/job-opportunities/overview?details=…> Job description The main aim of the project is to investigate when, how, and why we become distracted, and how cognitive training may reduce our tendency to become distracted. In particular, this project will look at different types of distraction (such as rumination) and different circumstances that induce distraction (e.g. cat videos). The PhD student will create models of these different types of distraction, and make predictions of how those affect performance on cognitive tasks. These predictions will be tested in behavioural experiments. The final component of the PhD involves using a novel cognitive modeling framework developed in our group to predict what training methods should reduce distraction, and to test those predictions in cognitive training studies. Qualifications A successful candidate has a master's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Experimental Psychology, Artificial Intelligence or a related field, experience in cognitive modeling, and has programming skills in MATLAB, C, or Python. Conditions of employment The University of Groningen offers a salary of € 2,125 gross per month in the first year up to a maximum of € 2,717 (salary scale PhD students Dutch University) gross per month in the final year. The appointment is for a period of four years, which should be finished with a PhD examination. The fulltime appointment is temporary for 1 year with the perspective of prolongation for another 3 years. After nine months, an evaluation will take place of the feasibility of successful completion of the PhD thesis within the next three years. A training programme within the Graduate School of Science is part of the agreement. You and your supervisor will make up a plan for additional education and supervising that is specific to your needs. Starting date: as soon as possible. How to apply Send a cover letter (with professional goals and a statement of interest), a curriculum vitae and two letters of recommendation (PDF format) to the job application portal until 29 October / before 30 October 2015 Dutch local time by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website). Although applications received after the deadline may be considered. Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated. Information For information you can contact: • Dr Marieke van Vugt, m.k.van.vugt(a)rug.nl <mailto:m.k.van.vugt@rug.nl> http://www.ai.rug.nl/~mkvanvugt/ <http://www.ai.rug.nl/~mkvanvugt/> Dr. Niels Taatgen n.a.taatgen(a)rug.nl <mailto:n.a.taatgen@rug.nl> http://www.ai.rug.nl/~niels/ <http://www.ai.rug.nl/~niels/> -------------------------------------------------------------------- Marieke van Vugt, PhD Assistant Professor, Cognitive Modelling Group University of Groningen Bernoulliborg, room 326 Nijenborgh 9 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands phone: +31-6-5195-4984 (cell) +31-50-363-9487 (office) http://www.ai.rug.nl/~mkvanvugt <http://www.ai.rug.nl/~mkvanvugt> twitter: @mvugt m.k.van.vugt(a)rug.nl <mailto:m.k.van.vugt@rug.nl> / mkvanvugt(a)gmail.com

Oct. 15, 2015

BSCS Systems Neuroscience study abroad program at SfN

by Érdi Péter

BSCS Systems Neuroscience: a study abroad summer program in Budapest for undergraduates in systems neuroscience, computational neuroscience, neurodynamics (http://sysneuro-semester.org/) will exhibit at the SfN Meeting 2015 (Booth #2167). Come and visit us! Kind regards, Péter Érdi General Director

Oct. 15, 2015

Fellowships in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania

by Vijay Balasubramanian

*Postdoctoral Fellowships with the Computational Neuroscience Initiative **at the University of Pennsylvania* The Computational Neuroscience Initiative (CNI) of the University of Pennsylvania seeks exceptional candidates for a CNI Postdoctoral Fellowship. Candidates with strong quantitative skills from a variety of fields including neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, physics, mathematics, and engineering will be considered. The selected Fellow will join an inter-disciplinary research environment in historic Philadelphia. CNI Fellows will be encouraged to foster collaborative research between multiple labs. The CNI supports interdisciplinary and collaborative research at the frontier of knowledge about the brain, behavior, and the mind. We focus on systems-level approaches that integrate theory and computation with experiment. Our members include faculty, post-docs, and students from multiple programs and departments at Penn. Our research and training spans the three major elements of the field of Computational Neuroscience: 1) Theory – understanding the brain as an information-processing machine; 2) Experiments – providing quantitative methods to aid in the design, implementation, analysis, and interpretation of empirical studies that probe all levels of brain function, from molecules to behavior; and 3) Applications – including robotics, brain-machine interfaces, and new clinical tools. For more information about the CNI, please visit our website at https://cni.upenn.edu. Applications may be submitted by email to compneuro(a)sas.upenn.edu, and should consist of a CV and a cover letter stating the candidate's research experience and reasons for applying to this Fellowship. Please arrange for up to three letters of recommendation to be sent to the same email address with the candidate's name in the subject line. Review of applications will begin on November 15 and continue on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented individuals from diverse backgrounds (http://jobs.hr.upenn.edu) Vijay Balasubramanian, Director David Brainard, Co-Director Joshua Gold, Co-Director

Oct. 14, 2015

faculty position in applied mathematics at IUPUI

by Leonid Rubchinsky

Our department has an opening in applied mathematics and computational neuroscientists/mathematical biologist are encouraged to apply: The Department of Mathematical Sciences at IUPUI invites applications for an Assistant or Associate Professor in applied mathematics to begin August 1, 2016. Responsibilities include teaching six courses over the first two years, with at least one course each term, and then four courses a year regularly, maintaining a strong research program, publishing the results of the research, and customary student advising and departmental and university service. The Department has a strong research faculty, many funded research projects and close collaboration with other departments within the School of Science and the Indiana University School of Medicine. Qualifications: Applicants must have an earned doctorate in the mathematical sciences or related areas, a strong research program and be able to teach effectively at the undergraduate and graduate levels. A successful candidate at the Assistant Professor level will be expected to develop and maintain an active, externally-funded research program. Applicants at the Associate Professor level must have a record of significant research accomplishments and external funding. Tenure may be offered to a successful senior candidate, depending on the candidate's qualifications and achievements. The successful candidate will be expected to maintain an active, externally-funded research program. How to Apply: A complete application must include: a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, statements on research plans and teaching philosophy, and a) for an Assistant Professor applicant three letters of recommendation, b) for an Associate Professor applicant, please provide the names of six references. Applications should be submitted electronically via the American Mathematical Society's MathJobs website (https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/7582) the position ID is 7582. Screening of completed applications will begin on November 1, 2015, and will continue until all approved positions are filled. *********************** Leonid Rubchinsky, PhD Associate Professor Department of Mathematical Sciences, Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine 402 N. Blackford St Indianapolis, IN 46202 leo(a)math.iupui.edu <mailto:leo@math.iupui.edu> http://www.math.iupui.edu/~leo 317-274-9745 317-274-3460 (fax) ***********************

Oct. 14, 2015

Doctoral studies in Computational/Theoretical Neuroscience at NYU

by Eero Simoncelli

New York University is home to a thriving interdisciplinary community of researchers using computational and theoretical approaches in neuroscience. We are interested in exceptional PhD candidates with strong quantitative training (e.g., physics, mathematics, engineering) coupled with a clear interest in brain sciences. A listing of faculty, sorted by their primary departmental affiliation, is given below. Doctoral programs are flexible, allowing students to pursue research across departmental boundaries. Nevertheless, admissions are handled separately by each department, and students interested in pursuing graduate studies should submit an application to the program that best fits their goals and interests. Center for Neural Science (CNS) (deadline: 1 December) [http://www.cns.nyu.edu/doctoral/] • André A. Fenton - Molecular, neural, behavioral, and computationalaspects of memory. • Paul W. Glimcher - Decision-making in humans and animals. Neuroeconomics. • Roozbeh Kiani - Vision and decision-making. • Wei Ji Ma (also in Psychology) - Perception, working memory, and decision making. • Tony Movshon - Vision and visual development. • Bijan Pesaran - Neuronal dynamics and decision making. • Alex Reyes - Functional interactions of neurons in a network. • John Rinzel (also in Mathematics) - Biophysical mechanisms and theory of neural computation. • Robert Shapley - Visual physiology and perception. • Eero Simoncelli - Computational vision and audition. • Xiao-Jing Wang - Computational neuroscience, decision-making and working memory, neural circuits. Neuroscience and Physiology program, School of Medicine (deadline: 1 December) [http://neuroscience.med.nyu.edu/training-programs/graduate-program-neurosci…] • Gyorgy Buzsaki - Rhythms in neural networks. • Dmitry Rinberg - Sensory information processing in the behaving animal. • Mario Svirsky - Auditory neural prostheses; experimental/computational studies of speech production/perception. Psychology, Cognition & Perception program (deadline: 1 December) [http://www.psych.nyu.edu/programs/cp/] • Todd Gureckis - Memory, learning, and decision processes. • David Heeger (also in CNS) - fMRI, computational neuroscience, vision, attention. • Michael Landy - Computational approaches to vision. • Laurence Maloney - Mathematical approaches to psychology and neuroscience. • Gary Marcus - Origins of the human mind. • Denis Pelli - Visual object recognition. • Jonathan Winawer - Visual perception and memory. Mathematics (deadline: 18 December ) [http://math.nyu.edu/degree/phd/] • David Cai - Nonlinear stochastic behavior in physical and biological systems. • David McLaughlin - Nonlinear wave equations, computational visual neuroscience. • Aaditya Rangan - computational neurobiology, numerical analysis. • Charles Peskin - Mathematical biology. • Michael Shelley - Modeling and large-scale computation, computational visual neuroscience. • Daniel Tranchina - Information processing in the retina. • Lai-Sang Young - Dynamical systems, statistical physics, computational modeling and theoretical neuroscience. Computer Science (deadline: 12 December) [http://www.cs.nyu.edu/web/Research/Areas/graphicsvisionui.html] • Davi Geiger - Computational vision and learning. • Yann LeCun - machine learning, hierarchical visual processing, robotics. Economics (deadline: 18 December) [http://econ.as.nyu.edu/page/phd] • Andrew Caplin - Economic theory, neurobiology of decision. • Andrew Schotter - Experimental economics, game theory, neurobiology of decision.

Oct. 14, 2015

1st CfP: CMN'16, Seventh International Workshop on Computational Models of Narrative (7 March 2016 / 11-13 July 2016)

by Ben Miller

* ---FIRST CALL FOR PAPERS--- Seventh International Workshop on Computational Models of Narrative (CMN'16) Advancing the Science of Narrative Special Focus: Computational Narrative and the Humanities a satellite workshop of: Digital Humanities 2016 (DH2016) 11-13 July 2016 Kraków, Poland http://narrative.csail.mit.edu/cmn16/ ---IMPORTANT DATES--- 7 March 2016. Submission deadline. 11 April 2016. Notification of acceptance. 16 May 2016. Final Camera Ready Versions Due. 11-13 July 2016. CMN’16. 11-16 July 2016. DH2016. ---WORKSHOP AIMS--- The workshop series, Computational Models of Narrative (CMN) is dedicated to advancing the computationally-grounded scientific study of narrative. Now in its seventh iteration, the workshop has a tradition of crossing academic borders and bringing together researchers from different disciplines on a common object of study. Narrative provides a model for organizing and communicating experience, knowledge, and culture. Investigations of narrative operations in textual, aural, and visual media have been systematically pursued in the humanities since before the early structural linguistics and folklorist inspired work of the Russian Formalists, and in the computing sciences since before the early cognitive science inspired work on scripts and frames. Research continues on computational approaches across the humanities and sciences. In order to appreciate the various domains and approaches connected to the computationally enabled study of narratives and narrative theory, it is becoming increasingly clear that research in this area requires engagement from many communities of interest. Peer-reviewed full proceedings from CMN’13, ‘14, and ‘15 are each available in the OpenAccess Series in Informatics (OASIcs) published by Schloss Dagstuhl; peer-reviewed proceedings from CMN’11 and CMN’12 were published by AAAI and LREC, respectively. ---SPECIAL FOCUS: COMPUTATIONAL NARRATIVE AND THE HUMANITIES--- This inter-disciplinary workshop will be an appropriate venue for papers addressing fundamental topics and questions regarding narrative. Papers should be relevant to the computational modeling, and scientific or humanistic understanding of narrative. The workshop will have a special focus on how the computational modeling, analysis, or generation of narrative has affected approaches in the humanities for studying and generating narrative in or across textual, aural, or visual media. Possible themes could connect to the representation of narrative, connections between cognition and narrative or knowledge representation and narrative, the use of heuristics to handle complexity, incorporation of insights about human thinking, the use of narrative to organize information in the humanities, the relationship between top-down and bottom-up approaches for narrative understanding, or how narrative is seen to function differently depending upon the medium. Regardless of its topic, reported work should provide insight of use to the scientific understanding or computational modeling of narratives. Discussing technological applications or motivations is not prohibited, but is not required. We accept both finished research and more tentative exploratory work. We invite and encourage submissions either as full papers or position papers, through the workshop's EasyChair website:https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=cmn16 We also invite you to submit an abstract soon so that we can gauge the number of submissions we can expect. (Submitting an abstract is possible without submitting the full paper at the same time.) Full papers should contain original research and have to fit within 16 pages; position papers can report on work-in-progress, research plans or projects and have to fit within four pages plus one page of references. Illustrative Topics and Questions - How can computational narratives be studied from a humanities point of view? - Are generative models of narrative texts, movies or video games possible, desirable, and useful? - What comprises the set of possible narrative arcs? Is there such a set? How many possible story lines are there? - Is narrative structure universal, or are there systematic differences in narratives from different cultures? - How are narratives affected by the media used to convey them? - What aspects of cross-linguistic work has narrative research neglected? - What opportunities are there for narrative analysis across languages? - What makes narrative different from a list of events or facts? - How do conceptions and models of spatiality or temporality influence narrative and narrative theory? - What are the details of the relationship between narrative and language, image, or sound? - How is narrative knowledge captured and represented? - How are narratives indexed and retrieved? Is there a universal scheme for encoding episodic information? - What shared resources are required for the computational study of narrative? What should a “Story Bank” contain? - What shared resources and tools are available, or how can already-extant resources be adapted to the study of narrative? - What are appropriate formal or computational representations for narrative? - How should we evaluate computational and formal models of narrative? - Can narrative be subsumed by current models of higher-level cognition, or does it require new approaches? - How do narratives mediate our cognitive experiences, or affect our cognitive abilities? - How can narrative systems be applied to problem-solving? - How far are we from a theory of narrative adaptation across media? ---ORGANIZING COMMITTEE--- - Antonio Lieto (University of Turin, Italy) - Ben Miller (Georgia State University, USA) - Rémi Ronfard (Inria, LJK, University of Grenoble, France) - Stephen Ware (University of New Orleans, USA) - Mark A. Finlayson (Florida International University, USA) ---PROGRAM COMMITTEE--- David Elson, Columbia University & Google Floris Bex, Utrecht University Rossana Damiano, University of Turin Kerstin Dautenhahn, University of Hertfordshire Pablo Gervás, Complutense University of Madrid Andrew Gordon, ICT Livia Polanyi, LDM Associates Marie-Laure Ryan, University of Colorado Boulder Tim Tangherlini, UCLA Mariet Theune, University of Twente Atif Waraich, Manchester Metropolitan University Mehul Bhatt, University of Bremen Emmett Tomai, University of Texas-Pan American Neil Cohn, UCSD Inderjeet Mani, Yahoo Labs Loizos Michael, Open University of Cyprus Chris Meister, Hamburg University Fritz Breithaupt, Indiana University Benedikt Löwe, Universität Hamburg *

Oct. 14, 2015

Funded PhD Positions Available

by Steven Bressler

PHD POSITIONS IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS & BRAIN SCIENCES CENTER FOR COMPLEX SYSTEMS & BRAIN SCIENCES FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY Applications are currently being accepted for funded PhD training in Complex Systems & Brain Sciences. The aim of this 5-year graduate program is to train scientists to perform cutting-edge brain research that combines computational modeling, laboratory biology, and medical imaging. Students learn how this combination can yield powerful insights into the operation of the human brain as a complex dynamical system. Individuals with undergraduate degrees in any pertinent discipline are invited to apply. The program offers multi-year stipends and tuition remission. Our students learn to fully participate in multi-disciplinary approaches to brain research. Past graduates have pursued careers at academic institutions such as Harvard, Brown, Emory, NYU, the Salk Institute, and the Neurosciences Institute, at private industry companies such as IBM and Mathworks, and at research institutions such as NIH, US Air Force, NASA, and NRL. Research opportunities are available using behavioral, computational, and neuroscientific methods. Research projects will focus on approaches to understanding the brain as a complex system, with possible concentrations in areas such as computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, systems neuroscience, neurorobotics, molecular neurobiology, cellular physiology, and neuronal regeneration. A new 3T scanner and multi-channel EEG recording systems will be available for neuroimaging research. Opportunities also exist for research collaborations with the new Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital (BRRH). Desirable qualifications include: * training in neuroscience * training in cognitive science * training in complexity, network science, or graph theory * quantitative training in physics, mathematics, computer science, or related fields * programming experience (Matlab, C/C++, python, R) * English speaking and writing skills FACULTY Elan Barenholtz: Psychophysical and computational approaches to visual and multisensory perception and recognition. Janet Blanks: Gene therapy, retinal degeneration, neuroprotection in the retina, mammalian retinal development and differentiation. Steven Bressler: Cognitive neurodynamics: cognitive dynamics in large-scale cortical networks. Armin Fuchs: Analysis of large scale brain activity patterns and combining noninvasive recording technologies, i.e. EEG, MEG and functional MRI. Howard Hock: Mechanisms for detection of motion information serving different perceptual functions; role of global-to-local feedback in formation of global motion patterns; computational models for motion detection and perception of bistable motion; motion mechanisms spared by cortical brain damage; motion percepts diagnostic for perceptual grouping of object surfaces. Sang Hong: Color vision, motion processing, visual awareness, facial expression perception, and multi-sensory integration using psychophysical, eye-tracking, and fMRI methodologies. Scott Kelso: Mechanisms of self-organization underlying the coordination of brain and behavior. Howard Prentice: Ischemic adaptations, neurodegenerative disease, brain anoxia, mitochondrial dysfunction and aging processes. Wen Shen: Electrophysiology of channels and receptors, transporters in neurodevelopment and adult system, signal transduction in retinal circuits. Summer Sheremata: Visual short-term memory and attention. Robert Stackman: Neurobiology of learning and memory, spatial navigation, brain representations of space, mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Emmanuelle Tognoli: EEG coordination dynamics of human behavior: large-scale integration within and between brains. Robert Vertes: Neurophysiology/neuroanatomy. Functional organization of the brainstem and its role in controlling activity of the forebrain. Jang Wu: Neurotransmitters and neurological disorders. Qualified students are encouraged to apply to the program by following the instructions at the Center for Complex Systems & Brain Sciences web site ( http://www.ccs.fau.edu/) Applications should be submitted by February 15, 2016. The Center for Complex Systems & Brain Sciences at Florida Atlantic University is located in Boca Raton, situated between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, with easy access to the rich cultural life of the Miami-Dade metropolitan area. Steven L Bressler, PhD Interim Director and Professor Center for Complex Systems & Brain Sciences Florida Atlantic University

Oct. 14, 2015

INCF at SfN: community tool demos in our both #2114

by Malin Sandström

Dear all, This year in Chicago, you are very welcome to come and visit INCF in *booth #2114*, located in the funders row. Are you working on an interesting project, or looking for new collaborators? Come by and talk to us, and bring a colleague! Our booth has a comfortable sofa perfect for short spontaneous meetings. As usual, we host *demos of community tools* in our booth, Sunday through Tuesday. Interested in model discovery with *SenseLab* and *NeuroElectro*, or in the latest developments of *OpenWorm*? Do you want to get started on collaborative model development with *Open Source Brain?* Meet them and many others in our booth on Oct 18-20 (full schedule below). On *Sunday October 18*, you can meet us at: * the SfN-sponsored *neuroinformatics social* (room N229, 18:45-20:45), with presentations by Tom Insel and Sean Hill, chaired by David Kennedy from NITRC and with representation from NIF and INCF. * or get an introduction to the *Neurodata Without Borders *data format at the Fairmont Chicago (Ambassador room, 18:30-->). And on *Tuesday October 20*, we will of course be at the SfN-sponsored computational neuroscience social (Room N139, 18:45-20:45). More details on our SfN webpage https://incf.org/community/sfn2015 or in our special edition SfN Newsletter http://eepurl.com/bClxYf See you in Chicago! Best regards, Malin Sandström on behalf of the INCF Secretariat TOOL DEMOS OCTOBER 18-20 IN BOOTH 2114 ------------------------------------------------------------------- *Sunday* 9:30-11:15 Sharing neuroimaging results with NIDM 11:15-13:00 NIX: Versatile file format for consistent data organization and sharing 13:30-15:15 J-Node live demos 15:15-17:00 NeuroVault.org: A web-based repository for collecting and sharing unthresholded statistical maps of the human brain *Monday* 9:30-11:15 The CARMEN Portal. What it is, what has been learned 11:15-13:00 CENTER-TBI data capture and analysis platform 13:30-15:15 Microcircuit cell types, connectomics, and model discovery usingSenseLab andNeuroElectro 15:15-17:00 OpenWorm: An open science approach to computational neuroscience *Tuesday* 9:30-11:15 TimeLapseReg: An ImageJ plugin for drift correction of video sequences in time lapse microscopy 11:15-13:00 Collaborative model development on Open Source Brain 13:30-15:15 Research Resource ID's and annotating the web 15:15-17:00 KnowledgeSpace demo -- Malin Sandström, PhD Community Engagement Officer malin.sandstrom(a)incf.org International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility Karolinska Institutet Nobels väg 15 A SE-171 77 Stockholm Sweden http://www.incf.org

Oct. 14, 2015

Visit the Bernstein Network at booth #2033 at SfN 2015 for your next career step in Computational Neuroscience

by Mareike Kardinal

Dear all, what´s your next career step? *The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience will exhibit at the SfN Meeting 2015*. Please find us at the "Neuroscience in Germany" booth #2033. * *The booth will present: * research fields * study and training programs * open positions * research and funding opportunities *We are looking forward to welcoming you at booth #2033!* Best regards, Mareike Kardinal -- Dr. Mareike Kardinal Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience Press & Public Relations Officer, Bernstein Coordination Site (BCOS) Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg Hansastr. 9A 79104 Freiburg, Germany phone: +49-761-203-9593 mareike.kardinal(a)bcos.uni-freiburg.de www.nncn.de Twitter: NNCN_Germany YouTube: Bernstein TV Facebook: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany LinkedIn: Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience, Germany

Oct. 14, 2015

[SfN] Computational Neuroscience Social at SfN on Tuesday, October 20

by viola

Dear Colleagues, We write to call your attention to the upcoming computational neuroscience social at the SfN in Chicago next week. ** Join us for an evening with elegant models, great spirits, networking theories, and billions of action potentials! Reunite with old friends, make new ones, mingle with top researchers and special guests, and learn about upcoming CompNeuro events. Everyone is welcome! Special Guests John Beggs, Surya Ganguli, Maria Geffen, Julijana Gjorgjieva, Mark Goldman, Gabrielle Gutierrez, Andreea Lazar, Wolfgang Maass, Eve Marder, Cian O’Donnell, Armen Stepanyants, Jonathan Victor and Fred Wolf We are pleased to announce a special honoring of Yuan Liu and Dennis Glanzman, who have been supportive of the computational neuroscience community and meetings for many years. ** Please feel welcome to advertise your summer schools, conferences, tool boxes, journals, associations, or jobs in the field of computational neuroscience in the form of flyers or posters (sugg. max A3, for jobs max A4, poster boards provided), and/or have a representative available for informal discussion. Location: McCormick Place, Room N139 Time: Tuesday, October 20, 6:45-8:45 PM ** Hope to see you in Chicago! Timothy O’Leary Viola Priesemann --- Dr. Timothy O’Leary Volen Center for Complex Systems Brandeis University http://blogs.brandeis.edu/marderlab/members/dr-timothy-oleary/ Dr. Viola Priesemann Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization Göttingen, Germany http://www.nld.ds.mpg.de/people/priesemann

Oct. 13, 2015

[jobs] 3 PhD positions in neural language robotics

by Stefan Wermter

The Knowledge Technology Research Group at the University of Hamburg invites applications for three Early Stage Researchers (ESR) within the Marie Sklodowska-Curie European Training Network "SECURE" - Safety Enables Cooperation in Uncertain Robotic Environments. Research area: The general area is knowledge technology, intelligent systems and artificial intelligence, in particular neural networks and natural language processing for safe cognitive robots. There are three research positions (3 PhD studentships called Early Stage Researcher positions - ESR) which will be filled in the context of cognitive robots (Darwin-OP/Nao/Nicu/iCub or related). The ESR focus on the following topics: ESR A: A neuro-probabilistic robot interaction model for learning and inferring safe actions ESR B: A self-organising neural model for prosodic recognition and threat sound localisation ESR C: A deep neural learning model to identify dangerous situations through spoken language The positions commence on 1.1.2016 or as soon as the position can be filled. The term is fixed to three years. They are remunerated at the salary level in accordance with the regulations for the Early Stage Researcher (ESR) in EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Networks (ITN) (http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/doc/call/h2020/common/1617…) and are fulltime positions (39h/week). Tasks: Duties include academic services in the project named above. Research associates can also pursue research and further academic qualifications. Requirements: A university degree in a relevant subject. In particular, at least an MSc or equivalent in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science or Engineering with a focus on Intelligent Computing is required. Excellent programming skills (Python, C++ etc.) are needed and a background in at least one of neural networks/natural language processing/robotics would be needed for these positions. The posts involve traveling within Europe. Each PhD student will be expected to spend secondments at other European partner sites. According to EU mobility rules, the ESR researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for longer than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment. Early-Stage Researchers are defined as those who are, at the time of selection, in the first four years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers. The University aims to increase the number of women in research and teaching and explicitly encourages women to apply. Equally qualified female applicants will receive preference in accordance with Hamburgs Higher Education Act (HmbHG). Severely disabled applicants will receive preference over equally qualified non-disabled applicants. Additional Info on the European Training Network SECURE: SECURE is a new Marie Sklodowska-Curie European Training Network (ETN) with the primary aim to train a new generation of researchers on safe cognitive robot concepts for human work and living spaces on the most advanced humanoid robot platforms available in Europe. The Early-Stage Research (ESR) fellows will be trained for a PhD through an innovative concept of project-based learning and constructivist learning in supervised peer networks where they will gain experience from an intersectoral programme involving universities, research institutes, large and SME companies from public and private sectors. The training domain will integrate multidisciplinary concepts from the fields of cognitive human-robot interaction, computer science and intelligent robotics where a new approach of integrating principles of embodiment, situation and interaction will be pursued to address future challenges for safe human-robot environments. In case of questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Stefan Wermter, Head of Knowledge Technology or consult our website at https://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/wtm/. Applications should include an application letter, full curriculum vitae, best publication if applicable, copies of degree certificate(s) and transcripts. The application deadline is 1.11.2015. Please email applications in a single pdf file to: Ms Katja Koesters, katja.koesters(a)informatik.uni-hamburg.de *********************************************** Professor Dr. Stefan Wermter Chair of Knowledge Technology Department of Computer Science, WTM, Building F University of Hamburg Vogt Koelln Str. 30 22527 Hamburg, Germany Email: wermter AT informatik.uni-hamburg.de http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~wermter/ http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/WTM/ ***********************************************

Oct. 13, 2015

Four faculty positions in applied statistics and stochastics

by Robert Rosenbaum

The Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Notre Dame is seeking applications for four faculty positions, three in applied statistics and one in applied stochastics. Ideally, two of the statistics positions will be at the post-tenure level (associate or full professor) and the remainder will be tenure track (assistant professor). The department is highly supportive of collaborative research and encourages applications from computational neuroscientists. Feel free to contact me (Robert.Rosenbaum(a)nd.edu) with general questions about the department, etc. Applicants for the post-tenure job are invited to contact the chair, Andrew Sommese (sommese(a)nd.edu) The department will begin reviewing applications on Nov 1, so please apply soon if interested. For more information and to apply, see here for statistics: http://apply.interfolio.com/30595 and here for stochastics: http://apply.interfolio.com/30609 — Robert Rosenbaum Assistant Professor Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics University of Notre Dame

Oct. 13, 2015