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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

Postdoc position in Computational Brain Modelling at Ulster University UK

by McDaid, Liam

Applications are invited for the post of Research Associate (RA) in Computational Brain Modelling (Ref: 1503308) based at the Intelligent Systems Research Center, Ulster University, UK. The RA post is for a 3½ year duration and is part of a collaborative project funded by the EPSRC: our partners are the Department of Electronics, University of York. The RA post holder will be part of a team that aims to develop a brain-inspired self-repairing algorithm and subsequently map this self-repairing algorithm to robotic hardware at the University of York. At Ulster we have previously shown that astrocyte cells interact with neurons to detect when a fault has occurred in the connections making up a network of neurons and how this interaction can oversee a repair strategy in the paper "On the Role of Astroglial Syncytia in Self-Repairing Spiking Neural Networks" (http://tinyurl.com/qbsusnn) The RA post will focus on the development of a computational model that captures the interactions between neurons and astrocytes, and hence the repair process, and will interact with other team members to translate the self-repair strategy to hardware computing systems and robot controllers based at the University of York. The RA post is fixed-term based at Ulster University and is active from November 2015 until March 2019. The closing date for applications is the 11th November 2015. Further information in relation to the post can be found on the following link: http://tinyurl.com/ocm8pvf or you can contact Prof. Liam McDaid at lj.mcdaid(a)ulster.ac.uk<mailto:lj.mcdaid@ulster.ac.uk> We prefer to issue and receive applications via our on-line recruitment website at www.ulster.ac.uk/jobs<http://www.ulster.ac.uk/jobs> Hard copy applications can be obtained by telephoning +4428 7012 4072 ________________________________ This email and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain information which is covered by legal, professional or other privilege. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager at postmaster(a)ulster.ac.uk and delete this email immediately. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ulster University. The University's computer systems may be monitored and communications carried out on them may be recorded to secure the effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes. Ulster University does not guarantee that this email or any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless expressly stated in the body of a separate attachment, the text of email is not intended to form a binding contract. Correspondence to and from the University may be subject to requests for disclosure by 3rd parties under relevant legislation. The University of Ulster was founded by Royal Charter in 1984 and is registered with company number RC000726 and VAT registered number GB672390524.The primary contact address for Ulster University in Northern Ireland is Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry BT52 1SA

Oct. 13, 2015

Postdoctoral position in cognitive auditory neuroscience at Imperial College London

by Tobias Reichenbach

Applications are invited for a Research Associate (Postdoc) to work on an exciting project in auditory cognitive neuroscience at Imperial College London. The successful candidate will join the group of Tobias Reichenbach (http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/reichenbach) The project involves collaboration with clinical collaborators at Imperial College, and is further embedded in the Centre for Neurotechnology at Imperial College (http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/neurotechnology) The project's goal is to develop experimental paradigms and associated data analytics to extract electrophysiological correlates from the brainstem and the cortex in response to speech. Electrophysiological responses will be obtained from auditory-brainstem recordings (ABR) and from electroencephalography (EEG). The developed methods will then be employed to compare differences in neural responses to speech in healthy people and in people with different cognitive impairments. Applicants should have a PhD in physical sciences, engineering, neuroscience or computing with experience in signal processing as well as neuroimaging. For an informal discussion please contact Dr Tobias Reichenbach (email: reichenbach(a)imperial.ac.uk <mailto:a.kedgley@imperial.ac.uk>; telephone: +44 (0)20 759 46370). Our preferred method of application is online via the Imperial College website at www.imperial.ac.uk/employment where you will find a job description and person specification for this post. Please select "Job Search", then enter the job title or vacancy reference number EN20150333FH into "Keywords". Complete and upload an application form as directed. Should you have any queries please contact Allan Nyunt at a.nyunt(a)imperial.ac.uk <mailto:a.nyunt@imperial.ac.uk> ------------------------------------------- Tobias Reichenbach Lecturer, Biophysics of Hearing Editor, Heliyon Department of Bioengineering Imperial College London South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ London, UK http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/reichenbach/

Oct. 12, 2015

v6.2 of NeuroMorpho.Org released 6 October, 2015

by NeuroMorpho Administrator

Dear colleagues, We're pleased to announce the October 6, 2015 release of Version 6.2 of NeuroMorpho.Org<http://neuromorpho.org/>, including 2160 additional reconstructions from 21 new archives and intriguing species such as Bottlenose dolphin, Chimpanzee, Clouded leopard, Giraffe, Humpback whale, Locust, Manatee, Minke whale, Pouched lamprey, and Siberian tiger. As many as 58 papers were published using data downloaded from NeuroMorpho.Org in the first six month of 2015 alone. NeuroMorpho.Org Neuron Morphology Read more...<http://neuromorpho.org/> The repository now contains 34,082 neurons from 165 labs<http://neuromorpho.org/neuroMorpho/about.jsp>. Please visit the What's new page<http://neuromorpho.org/neuroMorpho/WIN.jsp> for details on the added data and other updates. The literature coverage database was also updated to include publications through September 2015. We are continuously grateful to all the data contributors<http://neuromorpho.org/neuroMorpho/acknowl.jsp#DC> who freely share their hard-won tracings with the community. We appreciate any and all feedback and comments. Our apologies if you receive multiple versions of this message through x-listing. Sincerely, The NeuroMorpho.Org team<http://neuromorpho.org/neuroMorpho/acknowl.jsp#NMO>

Oct. 11, 2015

6th Annual GDR Multielectrode meeting: Registration and submissions are open!

by Blaise Yvert

Dear Colleagues, It is our pleasure to announce that registration and abstract submissions are now open for the 6th annual meeting of the GDR Multielectrode that will be held in Grenoble (minischool) and Autrans (conference) on January 5-8, 2016. You will find the preliminary program and all useful informations and instructions to register at the following address : http://gdr2904grenoble.sciencesconf.org/ Please don't hesitate to spread the word around you to make this event as rich as possible. Several companies will present their products, and we particularly thank Blackrock Microsystems, Atlas Neuroengineering, and g.Tec for their strong support. Important notes: 1) The language of the meeting is English 2) Deadline for registration and abstract submission is November 15, 2015 3) There are mostly double rooms and only extremely few single rooms available onsite for participant housing, so please choose a single room only if really necessary - thank you so much for your understanding! 4) We plan to organize several practical hands-on sessions in parallel for the second half of the minischool, please let us know which one you would be interested in. 5) This year, a special demo session will be held on Friday 8 afternoon, so you can submit an abstract for this session if you would like to demo a software or a hardware 6) Bus transportation will be available to go from Grenoble to Autrans and back. We plan to propose 2 buses to go back to Grenoble on Friday afternoon at two different times, please specify which one you would prefer. 7) Finally, we have planed a time for an outdoor activityon Thursday 6th afternoon (snow equipment provided). If we have snow, a biathlon initiative will be organized. Please let us know if you would be interested to participate, given that it will be free and will not require any special skiing skills, so everyone can participate! Looking forward welcoming you in the Alps, Best regards, Blaise on behalf of the whole organizing committee. -- Blaise Yvert. Inserm Research Director Clinatec Laboratory UA01 Biomedical Research Center Edmond J Safra CEA-INSERM-UJF-CHU Grenoble Minatec Campus 17 rue des Martyrs 38054 Grenoble cedex 09 Tel. +33 4 38 78 91 38 / +33 6 32 88 75 90 Fax. +33 4 38 78 53 55 http://www.clinatec.fr (under construction)

Oct. 10, 2015

Physics of Neural Systems at the 2016 March Meeting of American Physical Society, Baltimore, MD, March 14-18

by Nemenman, Ilya

Dear Colleagues: The 2016 American Physical Society (APS) March meeting (March 14-18, 2016; Baltimore, MD) will again emphasize “Physics of Neural Systems” in its program. We expect multiple sessions resulting from this focus topic, addressing recent advances in understanding of the structure and the dynamics of neural circuits responsible for sensing, memory, and motor output. Invited and Focus sessions of relevance to neuroscientists will include, among others, 1. Large Scale Neuroscience Projects 2. Theoretical physics and networks of real neurons 3. Inference in Biophysics 4. Principles of Cell-to-Cell communication 5. Brain Morphology and Mechanics: From Cortex Folding to Neuronal Growth to Compression Stiffening 6. Robophysics: physics meets robotics 7. Physics of sensorimotor neural circuits 8. Neural control of behavior 9. Maximum entropy models: a promising link between statistical physics, inference, and biology 10. Critical transitions in biological systems Some of the invited speakers include: Vijay Balasubramanian (U Pennsylvania) William Bialek (Princeton U) Gwyneth Card (Janelia Farm) David van Essen (Washington U, St. Loius) Adrienne Fairhall (U Washington) Surya Ganguli (Stanford U) Mark Goldman (UC Davis) Alexei Koulakov (CSHL) Thierry Mora (ENS) Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Hanchuan Peng (Allen Institute) Terry Sejnowski (Salk Institute) Naftali Tishby (Hebrew U) Gasper Tkacik (IST Austria) and others. We are now accepting abstract submissions for contributed talks on a broad range of topics on the intersection of physics and neuroscience, such as quantitative experimental protocols, modeling of neural dynamics, analysis of collective computation in neural circuits, and others. March meeting abstract submission website: http://www.aps.org/meetings/march/scientific/index.cfm Abstract submission deadline: November 6, 2015, 5:00pm EST APS March meeting is the largest physics meeting in the world, attracting about 10,000 physicists. At the meeting, the APS Division of Biological Physics supports one of the largest and scientifically diverse programs on the interface of physics and biology, from molecular and cellular biophysics, to computational neuroscience and population dynamics, featuring typically more than 600 talks every year. We are looking forward to receiving your abstracts. If you have any questions about neuroscience at the March Meeting, please don’t hesitate to contact Ilya Nemenman (ilya.nemenman(a)emory.edu) Sincerely, Ilya Nemenman Associate Professor of Physics and Biology Emory University, Atlanta, GA and Chair-elect, Division of Biological Physics (DBIO) American Physical Society (APS) http://nemenmanlab.org ________________________________ This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender by reply e-mail message and destroy all copies of the original message (including attachments).

Oct. 10, 2015

Senior Research Technician Post (EEG) at University of Cambridge

by Dr V Leong

------------------------------------------- Senior Research Technician (Part-Time, EEG) ------------------------------------------- An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Research Technician to be part of an ambitious and pioneering experimental research programme on mother-infant brain-to-brain synchrony. You will join a dynamic new infant neuroimaging lab headed by Dr Victoria Leong in the Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge. Your primary responsibility will be to set up, optimise and maintain a new state-of-the art, mobile (wireless) dual-EEG system for simultaneous neuroimaging of adults and infants in a naturalistic setting. You will provide day-to-day technical support to members of the research team, and you will also be required to provide assistance during EEG experimental sessions with mothers and infants. The lab has a strong focus on methods development and new technologies. Consequently, we seek an individual with a sound technical background and attention to detail, as well as an interest in methodological innovation. You will have at least an HNC or equivalent level qualification in a biomedical or engineering subject. Previous experience of working in a biomedical or biosciences laboratory is preferred. Practical experience of using EEG with adults and/or children is highly desired. The salary for this post will be £27,057-£32,277 pro rata, and appointment will be on a part-time basis (0.5 FTE) for 1.5 years. The closing date for applications is 1 Nov 2015. Interviews will be held during the week of 9 Nov 2015, and the post will begin on 4th Jan 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter. Informal enquiries may be directed to Dr Victoria Leong (vvec2(a)cam.ac.uk) For more details or to apply, please refer to http://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/8329/

Oct. 9, 2015

Postdoctoral Position in Computational Neuroscience at Indiana University

by Eduardo J. Izquierdo

Dear Colleagues, We are happy to announce that we are in the process of hiring a postdoctoral scientist interested in developing and analyzing integrated neuromechanical models of behavior at Indiana University. We would greatly appreciate if you could forward the attached ad to anyone who might be interested, or suggest suitable candidates. Sincerely, Eduardo J. Izquierdo Randall D. Beer Postdoctoral Position in Computational Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington Applications are invited for a post-doctoral in Computational Neuroscience. The position will be available in Spring 2016, but the starting date is flexible. The initial appointment will be for one year, with the possibility of renewal for a second year. The successful candidate will be working with Professors Eduardo Izquierdo and Randall Beer to construct and analyze integrated neuromechanical models of behavior in the nematode worm C. elegans. The ideal candidate will have completed their doctoral studies, and should have expertise in modeling and computational neuroscience. Experience in parameter optimization algorithms, dynamical systems theory, and information theory would be preferred but not necessary. Strongest consideration will be given to applications received before December 31, 2015; however, applications will be considered until the position is filled. Interested candidates should review the application requirements and submit their applications at https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/1962. Questions regarding the position can be directed to Professors Eduardo Izquierdo or Randall Beer at Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University, 1900 East 10th St., 819 Eigenmann, Bloomington, Indiana 47406-7512 or, by email, edizquie(a)indiana.edu or rdbeer(a)indiana.edu. Indiana University is an equal employment and affirmative action employer and a provider of ADA services. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ethnicity, color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status. Applications from women and minority group members are especially encouraged.

Oct. 9, 2015

Three faculty positions in Computational/Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin

by Ila Fiete

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Three faculty positions in Computational/Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcing three tenure-track faculty positions in Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience and related fields at the University of Texas at Austin. The first position will be joint between the Departments of Neuroscience and Mathematics, the second will be joint between Neuroscience and Computer Science, and the third will be in the Department of Psychology. Please see the advertisements below for more details about the positions and how to apply. Applications are currently being accepted. Please disseminate this announcement broadly and please encourage colleagues ready to begin independent faculty positions to apply. ------------------------------------- ***Faculty Position in Computational/Theoretical Neuroscience and Mathematics* The Departments of Neuroscience and Mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin are currently inviting applications for a full-time tenure-track appointment at the Assistant Professor level. We seek a creative and original thinker in mathematical neuroscience. Areas of interest include but are not limited to dynamical models of networks and circuits; statistical methods in neuroscience; computational algebraic topology applied to neural systems; neural network theory; stochastic analysis of neural dynamics; probabilistic combinatorics; coding and information theory of neural systems; data analytics and machine learning approaches. This search is part of a cluster of planned faculty hires in Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin. The successful candidate will lead a vigorous program of extramurally funded independent research and contribute to an environment of diversity in higher education through research, teaching, and service. She or he will have joint membership in both departments and the option to join various multi-disciplinary research centers on campus. *Applicant Instructions: *Interested applicants with a Ph.D. or equivalent, two or more years of post-graduate experience, and a record of research excellence in mathematical neuroscienceshould submit 1) a letter of interest, 2) a current curriculum vita, 3) three key scholarly publications, 4) a statement of research interests and vision, and 5) a teaching statement with evidence of excellence in teaching to <https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/7538>https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/jobs/7538. In addition, applicants must arrange to have at least three letters of reference submitted directly to the same website. Applications will be reviewed starting November 5, 2015, and will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. UT Austin is responsive to the needs of dual career couples and espouses family-friendly policies (http://www.utexas.edu/provost/policies/family/) Inquires related to this search may be directed to Kathleen Pantalion (<mailto:kpantalion@mail.clm.utexas.edu>kpantalion(a)mail.clm.utexas.edu) Ila Fiete (<mailto:ilafiete@mail.clm.utexas.edu>ilafiete(a)mail.clm.utexas.edu) or Bill Beckner (<mailto:beckner@math.utexas.edu>beckner(a)math.utexas.edu) ------------------------------------- *Faculty Position in Computational/Theoretical Neuroscience and Computer Science* ** The Departments of Neuroscience and Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin are currently inviting applications for a full-time appointment at the Assistant Professor level. We seek a leader in computational and theoretical neuroscience. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: graph and network theory of neural networks; information and complexity theory in neural systems; computational modeling, computational geometry, the theory of stochastic processes, and coding theory applied to neuroscience; statistics, data mining, machine learning, graphical modeling androbotics applied to or inspired by neuroscience. This search is part of a cluster of planned faculty hires in Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin. The successful candidate will lead an outstanding program of extramurally funded independent research and contribute to an environment of diversity in higher education through research, teaching, and service. She or he will have joint membership in both departments and the option to join various multi-disciplinary research centers on campus. *Applicant Instructions: *Interested applicants with a Ph.D. or equivalent, two or more years of post-graduate experience, and a record of research excellence in computational and theoretical neuroscienceshould submit 1) a letter of interest, 2) a curriculum vita, 3) three key scholarly publications, 4) a statement of research interests and vision, and 5) a teaching statement with evidence of excellence in teaching. In addition, applicants must arrange for at least three letters of reference. To submit your application, go to <http://services.cs.utexas.edu/recruit/faculty/applicant/>http://services.cs.utexas.edu/recruit/faculty/applicant/. Applications will be reviewed starting November 5, 2015, and will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. UT Austin is responsive to the needs of dual career couples and espouses family-friendly policies (<http://www.utexas.edu/provost/policies/family/>http://www.utexas.edu/provost/policies/family/) Inquiries about the application may be directed to faculty-search(a)cs.utexas.edu <mailto:faculty-search@cs.utexas.edu>, or you may contact Kathleen Pantalion (<mailto:kpantalion@mail.clm.utexas.edu>kpantalion(a)mail.clm.utexas.edu) Ila Fiete (<mailto:ilafiete@mail.clm.utexas.edu>ilafiete(a)mail.clm.utexas.edu) or William Press (<mailto:wpress@cs.utexas.edu>wpress(a)cs.utexas.edu) ------------------------------------- *Faculty Position in the Computational Neuroscience of Perception and/or Action* The Center for Perceptual Systems at The University of Texas at Austin is currently inviting applications for a full-time appointment at the Assistant Professor level. The expected employment date is September 1, 2016. We are particularly interested in candidates who will be able to establish a strong research program in the computational and experimental science of perception or perception and action. Candidates must have a Ph.D. or equivalent from an accredited institution and a demonstrated ability to pursue an independent research program. The successful candidate will hold an appointment in an appropriate university department (e.g., Psychology, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Integrative Biology), will be expected to develop and maintain an extramurally funded research program, will be expected to participate in teaching activities at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, and will exhibit a commitment to service. For more information about the Center for Perceptual Systems see http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/cps/. (FRD: 6267) *Applicant Instructions:* Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest, current curriculum vita, representative scholarly publications, statement of research interests, evidence of excellence in teaching to: apply.interfolio.com/30070. You should also have a minimum of three referees submit letters of recommendation to: apply.interfolio.com/30070. Applications will be considered beginning November 1, 2015 and will continue to be reviewed until the position has been filled. Proof of conferred degree and a background check will be conducted on selected applicants. Position funding is pending final budgetary approval. Questions can be directed to the chair of the search committee, Dr. Wilson Geisler at w.geisler(a)utexas.edu. The University of Texas at Austin and the Department of Psychology strongly value multiculturalism and diversity.** -- Ila Fiete Associate Professor Department of Neuroscience | Center for Learning and Memory The University of Texas at Austin http://clm.utexas.edu/fietelab/

Oct. 9, 2015

Joint Harvard-IIT postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience (Harvey and Panzeri Labs)

by Stefano Panzeri

Dear all, We will very soon open a new postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience in collaboration between the labs of Chris Harvey at Harvard Medical School (Boston) and of Stefano Panzeri at the Italian Institute of Technology (Rovereto, Italy). The post will be available from beginning of 2016 and is expected to be filled within the next couple of months. This postdoctoral position will be to work on neural population coding. The successful candidate will develop new analytical methods to study how populations of neurons encode sensory information and how this information is used to produce decisions. The candidate will apply these methods to large-scale recordings of neurons in sensory areas and posterior parietal cortex using calcium imaging methods in behaving rodents that navigate in a virtual reality environment. The successful candidate will work in Chris Harvey’s Lab at Harvard ( http://harveylab.hms.harvard.edu) and will have the opportunity to visit Panzeri’s lab (http://www.iit.it/en/people/stefano-panzeri.html) on a regular basis for scientific collaborations. Interested applicants should contact both Chris Harvey ( harvey(a)hms.harvard.edu) and Stefano Panzeri (stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it) by email, emailing their CV with the inquiry. Chris Harvey will be willing to meet prospective candidates at the SFN conference. For recent papers relevant to this postdoctoral opportunity, applicants are invited to consult the following articles: Harvey, C.D. et al. (2012) Choice-specific sequences in parietal cortex during a virtual-navigation decision task. Nature 484, 62–68 Zuo Y, et al (2015) Spike timing and spike rate make complementary contributions to perceptual decisions in rat S1 and S2 cortex. Current Biology 25: 357-363 Panzeri, S, et al (2015) Neural population coding: combining insights from microscopic and mass signals, Trends in Cognitive Sciences 19: 162-172 Regards, Chris Harvey and Stefano Panzeri harvey(a)hms.harvard.edu stefano.panzeri(a)iit.it

Oct. 9, 2015