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CFP: MLINI 2015 - 5th NIPS Workshop on Machine Learning and Interpretation in Neuroimaging: Beyond the Scanner (corrected version)

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 12th, 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 12, 2014 - paper submission - October 26, 2014 - notification of acceptance/rejection - December 11-12, 2014 - 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)

Sept. 6, 2015

Call for Abstracts: NIPS Workshop on Statistical Methods for Understanding Neural Systems

by Jascha Sohl-Dickstein

NIPS WORKSHOP 2015 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Statistical Methods for Understanding Neural Systems Friday, December 11th, 2015 Montreal, Canada -------- Organizers: Allie Fletcher Jakob Macke Ryan Adams Jascha Sohl-Dickstein -------- Overview: Recent advances in neural recording technologies, including calcium imaging and high-density electrode arrays, have made it possible to simultaneously record neural activity from large populations of neurons for extended periods of time. These developments promise unprecedented insights into the collective dynamics of neural populations and thereby the underpinnings of brain-like computation. However, this new large-scale regime for neural data brings significant methodological challenges. This workshop seeks to explore the statistical methods and theoretical tools that will be necessary to study these data, build new models of neural dynamics, and increase our understanding of the underlying computation. We have invited researchers across a range of disciplines in statistics, applied physics, machine learning, and both theoretical and experimental neuroscience, with the goal of fostering interdisciplinary insights. We hope that active discussions among these groups can set in motion new collaborations and facilitate future breakthroughs on fundamental research problems. Call for Papers We invite high quality submissions of extended abstracts on topics including, but not limited to, the following fundamental questions: How can we deal with incomplete data in a principled manner? In most experimental settings, even advanced neural recording methods can only sample a small fraction of all neurons that might be involved in a task, and the observations are often indirect and noisy. As a result, many recordings are from neurons that receive inputs from neurons that are not themselves directly observed, at least not over the same time period. How can we deal with this `missing data' problem in a principled manner? How does this sparsity of recordings influence what we can and cannot infer about neural dynamics and mechanisms? How can we incorporate existing models of neural dynamics into neural data analysis? Theoretical neuroscientists have intensely studied neural population dynamics for decades, resulting in a plethora of models of neural population dynamics. However, most analysis methods for neural data do not directly incorporate any models of neural dynamics, but rather build on generic methods for dimensionality reduction or time-series modelling. How can we incorporate existing models of neural dynamics? Conversely, how can we design neural data analysis methods such that they explicitly constrain models of neural dynamics? What synergies are there between analyzing biological and artificial neural systems? The rise of ‘deep learning’ methods has shown that hard computational problems can be solved by machine learning algorithms that are built by cascading many nonlinear units. Although artificial neural systems are fully observable, it has proven challenging to provide a theoretical understanding of how they solve computational problems and which features of a neural network are critical for its performance. While such ‘deep networks’ differ from biological neural networks in many ways, they provide an interesting testing ground for evaluating strategies for understanding neural processing systems. Are there synergies between analysis methods for analyzing biological and artificial neural systems? Has the resurgence of deep learning resulted in new hypotheses or strategies for trying to understand biological neural networks? Confirmed Speakers: Matthias Bethge Mitya Chklovskii John Cunningham Surya Ganguli Neil Lawrence Guillermo Sapiro Tatyana Sharpee Richard Zemel Workshop Website: h <http://users.soe.ucsc.edu/%7Eafletcher/hdnips2013.html> ttps://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~afletcher/neuralsysnips.html <https://users.soe.ucsc.edu/%7Eafletcher/neuralsysnips.html> Email : smnips2015(a)rctn.org Submission details: Submissions should be in the NIPS_2015 format ( http://nips.cc/Conferences/2015/PaperInformation/StyleFiles) with a maximum of four pages, not including references. Submissions will be considered both for poster and oral presentation. Submit at https://cmt.research.microsoft.com/SMN2015/Protected/Author/ or via the link on the workshop website. Important dates: Submission deadline: 10 October, 2015 11:59 PM PDT (UTC -7 hours) Acceptance notification: 24 October, 2015

Sept. 4, 2015

Call for Participation: Bernstein Conference Satellite Workshop "In Vitro Neuronal Networks from 2D to 3D, " Sept. 14, 2015, Heidelberg, Germany

by Tanskanen Jarno

Bernstein Conference Satellite Workshop no. 8 ** In Vitro Neuronal Networks from 2D to 3D ** September 14, 2015, 9:00 - 18:30 Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Neue Universität Universitätsplatz, Grabengasse 3-5, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany More Information and Registration http://www.bernstein-conference.de/ The program and workshop abstract as a pdf: http://goo.gl/D1hwou Welcome! Jari Hyttinen and Jarno Tanskanen Computational Biophysics and Imaging Group Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering Tampere University of Technology, BioMediTech Finland --- P R O G R A M Welcome & Introduction to 3D in Vitro Technologies - Case: 3DNeuroN Jari Hyttinen, Tampere University of Technology * Session 1: 3D and Controlled Culturing of Neuronal Networks 3D Neural Networks in Engineered Hydrogel Matrices Nicolas Broguiere, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich Forming Neuron Networks with Controlled Topology in 2D and 3D Janos Vörös, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich * Session 2: Neuronal-astrocytic Networks and their Modeling Role of Astrocytes in Formation of Functional Neuronal Networks in Vitro Susanna Narkilahti, University of Tampere Computational Modeling of Neuronal-astrocytic Networks Kerstin Lenk, Tampere University of Technology * Session 3: Technology Signal Acquisition and Measurement System for Neural Networks in Vitro Peter Husar, Ilmenau University of Technology Technology and Material Developments for 3D Multielectrode Arrays Heike Bartsch, Ilmenau University of Technology Microbioreactor Designs with Integrated 3D MEA Devices for Cultivation of Neuronal Cells Andreas Schober, Ilmenau University of Technology * Session 4: Stimulation, Analysis, and 3D Network Modeling Investigation of Cultured Neuronal Networks and their Dynamics Induced by Novel Stimulation Paradigms Peter Husar, Fraunhofer IDMT Signal Analysis Methods for Neuronal Microelectrode Array Data Jarno Tanskanen, Tampere University of Technology Computational Modeling from 2D to 3D Networks Kerstin Lenk, Tampere University of Technology * Panel Discussion: From 2D to 3D * Closing of the Workshop Jari Hyttinen, Tampere University of Technology ****

Sept. 4, 2015

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 12th, 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 12, 2014 - paper submission - October 26, 2014 - notification of acceptance/rejection - December 11-12, 2014 - 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) 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)

Sept. 4, 2015

The ReScience journal

by Nicolas P. Rougier

Following our "Long journey into reproducible computational neuroscience" (http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fncom.2015.00030/full) it's our great pleasure to announce the creation of "ReScience" which is a peer-reviewed journal that targets computational research and encourages the explicit replication of already published research, promoting new and open-source implementations in order to ensure that the original research is reproducible. To achieve such a goal, the whole editing chain is radically different from any other traditional scientific journal. ReScience lives on GitHub where each new implementation is made available together with comments, explanations and tests. Each submission takes the form of a pull request that is publicly reviewed and tested in order to guarantee that any researcher can re-use it. Students are strongly encourage to submit to ReScience. Even if the publishing model is a bit different from other academic journals, this will give them a first experience at peer-reviewed publishing where they have to use a rigorous and scientific approach. • More on the journal website: https://github.com/ReScience/ReScience/wiki • Current issue: https://github.com/ReScience/ReScience/wiki/Current-Issue • FAQ: https://github.com/ReScience/ReScience/wiki/Frequently-Asked-Questions • Follow us on twitter (@ReScienceEds): https://twitter.com/rescienceeds And if you're familiar with Git and GitHub, you can also become a reviewer: just contact us. Konrad Hinsen & Nicolas Rougier

Sept. 4, 2015

CFP: 1st International Workshop on Big Data Analytics for Healthcare and Well-being

by Youssef Iraqi

Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this message. ________________________________________________________________ CALL FOR PAPERS 1st International Workshop on Big Data Analytics for Healthcare and Well-being 2016 January 18, 2016, Hong Kong, China http://kecidev.kaist.ac.kr/bigcomp2016/workshop/ In conjunction with the 3rd International Conference on Big Data and Smart Computing (BigComp) 2016 http://conf2016.bigcomputing.org/main/ Purpose and Scope Healthcare and well-being is an important area of research in many countries as one of the emerging application domains for both big data and smart computing. This workshop aims to create opportunities to share on-going works and enhance collaboration among healthcare researchers related to big data or data science, and to foster new innovations of big data and smart computing in the areas of mobile healthcare, smart homes, digital cities, innovations in healthcare and sensing devices, and other related areas. Prospective authors are cordially invited to submit their original contributions covering completed or ongoing work related to the area of big data analytics for healthcare and well-being. The topics include but are not limited to: - Smart health and big data - Data mining, graph mining and data science for healthcare - Big data analytics and social media for healthcare - Smart devices and hardware for healthcare - Smart location-based services for healthcare - Models and tools for smart computing in healthcare - Innovations in healthcare and sensing devices - Security and privacy for big data in healthcare - Cloud and grid computing for healthcare - Standards for big data in healthcare PAPER SUBMISSION Perspective authors are invited to submit their papers, up to 8 pages each, in the IEEE paper template. Papers must be formatted in PDF according to the IEEE two-column format for conference proceedings and submitted through EasyChair, http://www.easychair.org/. The direct link for paper submission is https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=bigdata4healthcare IMPORTANT DATES Paper Submission Due: September 30, 2015 (23:59, HKT) Notification of Acceptance: November 15, 2015 Camera ready Papers: December 13, 2015 Workshop: January 18, 2016 ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITTEE Workshop Chairs: Youssef Iraqi, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE Ho-Jin Choi, School of Computing, KAIST, Korea Min Song, Dept. of Library & Information, Yonsei University, Korea TPC Members: Ae Ran Kim, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Korea Amjad Gawanmeh, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE Byeong-Soo Jeong, Dept. of Computer Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Korea Changseok Bae, SW.Content Research Laboratory, ETRI, Korea Ahsan Khandoker, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE Hani Saleh, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE Gwan-Su Yi, Dept. of Bio & Brain Engineering, KAIST, Korea Harish Bhaskar, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Khalifa University, UAE Hyeoun-Ae Park, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Korea Kyuchang Kang, SW.Content Research Laboratory, ETRI, Korea Tae-Min Song, Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, Korea Yong-Ik Yoon, Dept. of Multimedia Science, SookMyung Women’s University, Korea Yu-Chae Jung, Dept. of Multimedia Science, SookMyung Women’s University, Korea Nan Xiang, Dept. of Computer Science, Chongqing University of Technology, China Lingyun Zhu, Dept. of Internet of Things, Chongqing University of Technology, China Yong Wang, Dept. of Network Engineering, Chongqing University of Technology, China Dr. Youssef Iraqi Associate Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering Department [cid:logo.gif] PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, UAE T +971 (0)2 501 8323 F +971 (0)2 447 2441 Youssef.Iraqi(a)kustar.ac.ae [cid:twitter.jpg]<https://twitter.com/KhalifaUni> [cid:fb.jpg] <https://www.facebook.com/KhalifaUniversity> [cid:youtube.jpg] <http://www.youtube.com/user/KhalifaUniversity> [cid:instagram.jpg] <http://instagram.com/khalifauni> [cid:linkedin.jpg] <https://www.linkedin.com/company/khalifa-university-?trk=biz-companies-cym> [cid:slogan.png]

Sept. 3, 2015

Job posting: 5 PhD Positions in the Dutch Research Consortium 'Language in Interaction'

by Lorenz, C.M.

Job posting: 5 PhD Positions in the Dutch Research Consortium 'Language in Interaction' We are looking for highly motivated PhD candidates to enrich a unique consortium of researchers that aims to unravel the neurocognitive mechanisms of language at multiple levels. The goal is to understand both the universality and the variability of the human language faculty from genes to behaviour. The Netherlands has an outstanding track record in the language sciences. This research consortium sponsored by a large grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific research (NWO) brings together many of the excellent research groups in the Netherlands with a research programme on the foundations of language. The research team consists of 43 Principal Investigators. In addition to the excellence in the domain of language and related relevant fields of cognition, our consortium provides state-of-the-art research facilities and a research team with ample experience in the complex research methods that will be invoked to address the scientific questions at the highest level of methodological sophistication. These include methods from genetics, neuroimaging, computational modelling, and patient-related research. This consortium realizes both quality and critical mass for studying human language at a scale not easily found anywhere else. Currently, the consortium advertises five PhD positions for a period of 4 years. These positions provide the opportunity for conducting world-class research as a member of an interdisciplinary team. Maximum salary: €2,717 gross/month Closing date for application: 04 October 2015, 23:59 CET For more information on the PhD positions and how to apply:https://www.languageininteraction.nl/ThirdCallGeneral.html

Sept. 3, 2015

SAC2016 - NeuroComputing Track - Paper submission DEADLINE EXTEDED

by Falotico Egidio

Dear Community, The paper submission deadline of SAC2016 conference has been extended to September 21. Please consider to submit a contribution to the NeuroComputing track. ============================== NeuroComputing Track - Call For Papers ============================== The NeuroComputing Track has been proposed as a track of the Symposium on applied Computing (SAC2016) that will be held in Pisa from 4 to 8 April 2016. The ACM Symposium on Applied Computing (SAC) has been a primary gathering forum for applied computer scientists, computer engineers, software engineers, and application developers from around the world. SAC 2016 is sponsored by the ACM Special Interest Group on Applied Computing (SIGAPP). ============================== TRACK AIM The development of computation models of the nervous system and neural processes has risen at a rapid pace. Developing neuro-inspired computing paradigms that mimic nervous system function fosters our model understanding of the biological system and targets technical applications in artificial systems. Today, combined efforts in the fields of the neuroscience and computer science in interdisciplinary research projects like the Human Brain Project enable the simulation of spiking biological neural networks with millions of neurons. In order to deal with the complexity and scaling of such networks a new generation of appropriate tool is needed to simulate the neural network in real-time. Neuromorphic hardware and supercomputers are the ideal candidates on the hardware side, and on the software side tools should ease the development and support the researcher during the evaluation by offering a toolchain for the implementation and simulation. The aim of the ACM Symposium on Applied Computing (SAC) Track on NeuroComputing is to gather innovative works related to the application of computational techniques for the brain simulation, as well as the system software, middleware, interactive computational steering and visualization support necessary to create and simulate multi-scale brain models and to address the hard-scaling challenges of whole brain modelling. ============================== TRACK WEBSITE http://sssa.bioroboticsinstitute.it/tracks/sac2016 ============================== TOPICS OF INTEREST - Neuromorphic hardware - Large scale simulation of NN - Brain visualization tools - Neuro imaging software - Spiking neural networks - Bio-inspired learning mechanisms - Software applications for real-time neural network simulation - Software applications for real-time brain-body simulation - High performance computing for neural simulation - Neural simulators ============================== IMPORTANT DATES September 21, 2015 : Paper submission extended November 13, 2015 : Acceptance notification December 11, 2015 : Camera-ready submission ============================== TRACK CHAIRS Cecilia Laschi, The BioRobotics Institut,e Scuola Superiore SantAnna Pisa, Italy Egidio Falotico, The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore SantAnna Pisa, Italy Florian Röhrbein, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany Marc-Oliver Gewaltig, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland Paul Levi, Research Center for Information Technology,Karlsruhe, Germany Stefan Ulbrich Research Center for Information Technology,Karlsruhe, Germany -- Egidio Falotico Computer Scientist PhD in BioRobotics PhD in Cognitive Science The BioRobotics Institute Polo Sant'Anna Valdera - Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna Viale Rinaldo Piaggio, 34 - 56025 - Pontedera (PI) - Italy Phone: +39 050 883 457 e-mail: e.falotico(a)sssup.it

Sept. 2, 2015

Call for abstracts: Bounded optimality and rational metareasoning workshop @ NIPS

by Sam Gershman

We are pleased to announce a NIPS workshop on bounded optimality and rational metareasoning, which will take place in Montreal, Canada on December 11, 2015. This workshop brings together computer scientists working on bounded optimality and metareasoning with psychologists and neuroscientists reverse-engineering the computational principles that make the human brain incredibly resource-efficient. The goal of this workshop is to synthesize these different perspectives on bounded optimality, to promote interdisciplinary interactions and cross-fertilization, and to identify directions for future research. We invite abstract submissions, due October 28: https://sites.google.com/site/boundedoptimalityworkshop/call-for-abstracts Tentative schedule: https://sites.google.com/site/boundedoptimalityworkshop/home Sam Gershman Assistant Professor Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science Harvard University http://gershmanlab.webfactional.com/index.html

Sept. 2, 2015

COSYNE 2016: Call for workshop proposals

by Tomas Hromadka

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2016 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING Feb 25 - Feb 28, 2016 Salt Lake City, Utah WORKSHOPS Feb 29 - Mar 1, 2016 Snowbird Ski Resort, Utah www.cosyne.org ==================================================== ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PROPOSAL DEADLINE: 31 October, 2015. PRE-PROPOSALS: In an effort to coordinate submissions, the organizers are encouraged to submit a pre-proposal by October 1st, 2015. Pre-proposals will be shared among submitters. Pre-proposals are requested but not required. The organizers may submit the full proposal by its deadline. A series of workshops will be held after the main Cosyne meeting (www.cosyne.org) The goal is to provide an informal forum for the discussion of important research questions and challenges. Controversial issues, open problems, comparisons of competing approaches, and alternative viewpoints are encouraged. The overarching goal of all workshops should be the integration of empirical and theoretical approaches, in an environment that fosters collegial discussion and debate. Preference will be given to proposals that differ substantially in content, scope, and/or approach from workshops of recent years (examples available at http://www.cosyne.org/c/index.php?title=Workshops) Relevant topics include, but are not limited to: sensory processing; motor planning and control; functional neural circuits; motivation, reward and decision making; learning and memory; adaptation and plasticity; neural coding; neural circuitry and network models; and methods in computational or systems neuroscience. Please note that in an effort to reduce the overlap between workshops, speakers are strongly discouraged from presenting talks at more than one workshop. WORKSHOP DETAILS: - There will be 4-8 workshops/day, running in parallel. - Each workshop is expected to draw between 15 and 80 people. - The workshops will be split into morning (8:00-11:00 AM) and afternoon (4:30-7:30 PM) sessions. - Workshops will be held at Snowbird, a ski resort located 30 miles (typically less than an hour) from the Salt Lake City airport. Buses from the main conference will be provided. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Deadline for pre-proposals: 01 October, 2015 Deadline for proposals: 31 October, 2015 Format: plain text only -- please no attachments email to: cosyne16workshops(a)gmail.com (Claudia Clopath, Alfonso Renart) PRE-PROPOSALS should include: - Name(s) and email address(es) of the organizers (no more than 2 organizers per session, please). A primary contact should be designated. - A title. - A brief description of 1) what the workshop will address and accomplish, 2) why the topic is of interest, 3) who is the targeted group of participants. - Names of potential invitees, with indication of confirmed speakers. Preference will be given to workshops with the most confirmed speakers. - Proposed workshop length (1 or 2 days). Most workshops will be limited to a single day. If you think your workshop needs 2 days, please explain why. - A brief resume of the workshop organizer along with a short list of workshop-relevant publications (about half a page total). PROPOSALS should include the list of confirmed speakers in addition to components required for a pre-proposal. Workshop organizer responsibilities include coordinating workshop participation and content, scheduling all speakers and submitting a final schedule for the workshop program, and moderating the discussion. Organizers can be speakers but need not speak depending on scheduling constraints. SUGGESTIONS: Experience has shown that the best discussions during a workshop are those that arise spontaneously. A good way to foster these is to have short talks and long question periods (e.g. 30+15 minutes), and have plenty of breaks. We recommend fewer than 10 talks. WORKSHOP COSTS: Detailed registration costs, etc, will be available at www.cosyne.org. Please note: Cosyne does NOT provide travel funding for workshop speakers. All workshop speakers are expected to pay for workshop registration fees. Participants are encouraged to register early, in order to qualify for discounted registration rates. One complementary (free) organizer registration is provided per workshop. For workshops with 2 organizers, the free registration can be given to one of the organizers or split evenly between them. COSYNE 2016 WORKSHOP CHAIRS: Claudia Clopath (Imperial College London) and Alfonso Renart (Champalimaud Center Lisbon). QUESTIONS: email: cosyne16workshops(a)gmail.com

Sept. 2, 2015

Postdoc

by Pestilli, Franco

Dear Community, We are looking for a talented individual to work on a large-scale neuroimaging project funded by the Indiana CTSI<https://www.indianactsi.org/>. The project aims at applying cutting-edge neuroimaging and connectomics methods (Pestilli et al., Nature Methods 2014<http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/v11/n10/abs/nmeth.3098.html>; Mišić et al., Neuron 2015<http://www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273(15)00474-2>) on the latest generation of data from Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center<http://iadc.medicine.iu.edu/>. The project is a collaboration between groups at Indiana <https://www.indiana.edu/> University Bloomington<https://www.indiana.edu/> (Franco Pestilli and Olaf Sporns), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis (Andrew Saykin, Li Shen, and Yu-Chien, Wu) and Purdue University, Lafayette (Joaquin Goñi). The team has strong expertise in aging and Alzheimer’s disease, imaging genetics, network science, magnetic resonance imaging measurements and computational modeling. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Neuroscience, Informatics or Cognitive Science. Strong programming skills (e.g., in Python, MATLAB, or C/C++) and previous background in neuroimaging, computational modeling, or machine learning will be highly valued. The project will involve developing and publishing software products as well as contributing to ongoing software projects such as: https://francopestilli.github.io/life and https://sites.google.com/site/bctnet/. Preference will be given to candidates demonstrating successful productivity by means of scientific articles and software publishing. Interested candidates should send CV, statement of research interests, and names of three references to Dr. Franco Pestilli franpest(a)indiana.edu<mailto:franpest@indiana.edu>. Review of the applications will start immediately and continue until the position is filled. Dr. Pestilli and Professor Sporns will be available at SfN in Chicago for informal meetings with potential candidates. 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, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status. Best regards, Franco Franco Pestilli, PhD Assistant Professor Psychology<http://psych.indiana.edu/>, Neuroscience<http://www.indiana.edu/~neurosci/> and Cognitive Science<http://www.cogs.indiana.edu/> Indiana Network Science Institute<http://iuni.iu.edu/> 𝞇 Indiana University, Bloomington<http://www.iub.edu/>, IN 47405<http://goo.gl/0uVOc8> francopestilli.com<http://www.francopestilli.com/> | franpest(a)indiana.edu<mailto:franpest@indiana.edu> Phone: +1 (812) 856 9967

Sept. 1, 2015

open positions in machine learning and computational neuroscience

by Turaga, Srinivas C

The Turaga Lab is looking for exceptional postdoctoral researchers and programmers (and graduate students!) for research at the intersection of machine learning and neuroscience. https://www.janelia.org/lab/turaga-lab With recent technological advances in 3d electron microscopy, optogenetics and large-scale chronic in vivo neural imaging, it is now possible to measure and perturb the activity of large populations of neurons, and to map their connectivity. These new data can be used understand how the structure of a neural circuit gives rise to its function. Our lab develops machine learning algorithms to map neural connectivity, and statistical models to characterize neural activity and to relate activity to connectivity. We have pioneered the use of deep-learning based machine learning algorithms to map neural connectivity from 3d electron microscopic images of brain tissue, and we are now working to improve these methods. This involves solving interesting new problems in structured prediction, active learning and unsupervised learning at an unprecedented scale (imagine working with labeled training datasets with 10^9 examples in a 10^6 dimensional feature space and wanting to achieve accuracies of 99.999%!). We are also developing novel statistical methods to analyze large-scale calcium imaging datasets. This is with an eye towards combining such large-scale activity measurements with structural connectomes in order to relate neural activity to neural connectivity with statistical and mechanistic models. HHMI's Janelia Research Campus is a unique, world-class research community near Washington, D.C. dedicated to understanding the function of neural circuits and developing synergistic imaging technology. Our highly collaborative structure is designed to support interdisciplinary work in small lab groups. We seek candidates who are comfortable with risk and are able to think independently to develop novel approaches. Applicants should have a strong quantitative background with degrees or expertise in machine learning, computational neuroscience, applied mathematics, physics or related discipline. Excellent collaborative programming skills in Python, C/C++, Java or similar languages are essential. To apply, please send a CV and names and addresses of 2-3 references by email to Dr. Srini Turaga, turagas(a)janelia.hhmi.org.

Sept. 1, 2015

SFN 2015 Workshop: high performance computing via Neuroscience Gateway

by Ted Carnevale

What: Workshop on the Neuroscience Gateway Portal (NSG, http://www.nsgportal.org) When: 9AM - Noon on Saturday, October 17, 2015. Registration deadline: Friday, October 2, 2015. Where: Downtown Chicago (exact location announced to registrants) Speakers: Amit Majumdar, Subha Sivagnanam, Padraig Gleeson, Simon Rothmeier, Ted Carnevale, Alex Peyser, Hannah Bos. Agenda: Downloadable from http://www.nsgportal.org/workshop.html Why: If you have, or plan to start, a research project that involves computationally intensive modeling or data analysis, you should know about NSG. NSG is being developed with support from NSF to make it easy for neuroscientists to use high performance computing (HPC) resources in their research. Some of NSG's advantages: * Quick and easy account application and approval. * Free computing time. No cost to your account budget! * Simple user interface for uploading data, running simulations or data analysis tasks, and downloading results * Installed software includes MOOSE, GENESIS 3, NEST, NEURON, PyNN, the Freesurfer Software Suite, and the Virtual Brain Empirical Data Pipeline For more information or to sign up, see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nsg2015/nsg2015.html or contact Ted Carnevale [ted dot carnevale at yale dot edu] or Amit Majumdar [majumdar at sdsc dot edu]

Sept. 1, 2015

Postdoctoral position in Pattern Recognition, Machine Learning and Computer Vision for the analysis of retinal electrophysiology in response to visual stimulation, with specific expertise in deep learning and sparse learning BC: 71326 - 71327

by Diego Sona

Postdoctoral position in Pattern Recognition, Machine Learning and Computer Vision for the analysis of retinal electrophysiology in response to visual stimulation, with specific expertise in deep learning and sparse learning BC: 71326 - 71327 Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – IIT – was established by the Italian government to promote technological development and training in the scientific and technological field. Toward this end, IIT is implementing a detailed scientific program, which comprises integration across fundamental research and application. IIT’s research endeavour focuses on high-tech and innovation, representing the forefront of technology with possible application from medicine to industry, computer science, robotics, life sciences and nano-biotechnologies. One postdoctoral position in Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning is available in the department of Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision (PAVIS) at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) ,Genova, Italy. PAVIS department has consolidated expertise in image processing, computer vision, pattern recognition and machine learning and aims at studying and designing intelligent systems for the analysis and understanding of real-world problems. PAVIS focuses in particular on activities related, but not limited, to surveillance and security, biomedical imaging, and bioinformatics. Project Description The research position is funded by the European project “RENVISION - Retina-inspired ENcoding for advanced VISION tasks” (http://www.renvision-fp7.eu/ <http://www.renvision-fp7.eu/>). The overall aim of the project is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of how the retina encodes complex visual scenes, and to use such insights to develop new computational models of retina and toapply them to high-level computer vision tasks, such as scene categorization and action recognition. The project is highly interdisciplinary, including neuro-engineering, electrophysiology, high-resolution microscopy imaging, computational modelling, data analysis, machine learning and computer vision. RENVISION is funded by the European Commission FP7 Future Emerging Technologies programme, under contract n. 600847. Description of the research The candidate will design novel methodologies and algorithms based on pattern recognition and machine learning techniques, aiming at analysing electrophysiological recordings in response to visual stimulation of retina. The main objective of the research is the discovery/determination of representative and/or discriminative features in retina coding allowing for high-level vision tasks, such as scene categorization and action recognition. To this purpose, deep learning, sparse and dictionary learning approaches are to be considered. Experience and Qualifications We are seeking a self-motivated individual with the ability to take day-to-day responsibility for the progress of the proposed work. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, Electronic Engineering or a closely-related discipline, with competences on machine learning/pattern recognition/computer vision, coupled with a keen interest in neuroscience and biological data processing and analysis. Expertise in deep learning, compressive sensing, and/or dictionary learning is in general preferred. Experience in spiking networks or retinal function will be appreciated while not being a discriminating factor. A strong programming skill is required. Annual salary will depend on research experience and qualification. Closing Date The initial deadline for applications is September 7th , 2015, however please note that the search will continue until appropriate candidates have been identified. How to apply Completed application forms along with a curriculum listing all publications (possibly including pdfs of the most representative ones), names of 2 referees and a research statement (describing previous research experience and outlining its relevance to the above topics) should be sent by email to Prof. Vittorio Murino vittorio.murino(a)iit.it <mailto:vittorio.murino@iit.it> and/or Diego Sona diego.sona(a)iit.it <mailto:diego.sona@iit.it>, quoting PAVIS-PD 71327 – 71326 as reference number. For informal enquiries please write to Prof. Vittorio Murino vittorio.murino(a)iit.it <mailto:vittorio.murino@iit.it> or Diego Sona diego.sona(a)iit.it <mailto:diego.sona@iit.it>. In order to comply with Italian law (art. 23 of Privacy Law of the Italian Legislative Decree n. 196/03), the candidate is kindly asked to give his/her consent to allow Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia to process his/her personal data. We inform you that the information you provide will be solely used for the purpose of evaluating and selecting candidates in order to meet the requirements of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. Your data will be processed by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, with its headquarters in Genoa, Via Morego 30, acting as the Data Holder, using computer and paper-based means, observing the rules on the protection of personal data, including those relating to the security of data, and they will not be communicated to thirds. Please also note that, pursuant to art.7 of Legislative Decree 196/2003, you may exercise your rights at any time as a party concerned by contacting the Data Holder. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively seeks diversity in its workforce Diego Sona --------------------------------------------------------- Pattern Analysis & Computer Vision (PAVIS) Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova, Italy Phone: +39 010 71781 819 E-mail: diego.sona(a)iit.it www.iit.it/pavis.html ---------------------------------------------------------

Aug. 31, 2015

Postdoc/PhD Position in Recurrent Neural Network Architectures

by Herbert Jaeger

The department of Computer Science at Jacobs University Bremen (http://www.jacobs-university.de) announces a POSTDOC / PHD RESEARCH POSITION IN MACHINE LEARNING / NEURAL NETWORKS / INTELLIGENT AGENT ARCHITECTURES (full-time, very competitive salary, 3 years, start December 1, 2015 or later) the MINDS research group of Herbert Jaeger (http://minds.jacobs-university.de) The position is created in the European Horizon 2020 integrated project "Neural Computing Architectures in Advanced Monolithic 3D-VLSI Nano-Technologies" (NeuRAM3). The project aim of NeuRAM3 is to design and fabricate a large-scale, highly configurable neuromorphic microchip. Based on spiking, recurrent neural dynamics, the microchip is similar in some ways to IBM's recent TrueNorth neurochip (http://www.research.ibm.com/articles/brain-chip.shtml) However, our project aims significantly further than TrueNorth, and IBM is one of the consortium partners. In particular, novel 3-dimensional chip manufacturing technologies will enable a much more complex and much more flexibly configurable on-chip neural architecture. Within this setting, the MINDS group develops *neural learning algorithms and architectures* which are tailored to the novel opportunities afforded by a 3-dimensional, spiking microchip. This line of research will be carried out in close collaboration with a consortium partner from computational neuroscience (Institute of Neuroinformatics, University Zurich and ETH Zurich). Currently in machine learning approaches of deep learning are attracting much attention. In several ways the research in the MINDS group is *complementary to deep learning*. The latter is grounded in high-precision gradient descent methods for training and can devour extremely large training datasets to learn extremely complex tasks. The price paid is very long training times and a lack of online adaptability. In contrast, *we aim for very fast (even instantaneous) learning, online adaptability and extensibility, robustness against noise and computations with low numerical accuracy*. Such properties will be crucial for the algorithms running on next-generation chipsets for mobile devices – and they are also crucial for biological neural systems. The background philosophy of this research is framed by reservoir computing (http://minds.jacobs-university.de/ESNresearch) and conceptors (http://minds.jacobs-university.de/conceptors) Eligible candidates must have a mindset inclined toward mathematical modeling, fluency in English, plus a solid background in at least one of the following areas: • dynamical systems theory, • signal processing and control, • machine learning, • computational neuroscience, • intelligent agent architectures. Details about the position and the NeuRAM3 project will be gladly supplied by Herbert Jaeger (h.jaeger(a)jacobs-university.de) upon request. Please submit applications by email to Herbert Jaeger. Applicants passing an initial screening will be asked to supply two letters of reference. Applications will be processed as long as the job announmcent is posted online at http://minds.jacobs-university.de/jobs. *Jacobs University Bremen* is Germany's only private university with a full range of academic programs from the natural and social sciences and engineering. Its student body is one of the most international conceivable: more than 100 nations are joined on our beautiful campus. Within its young history of only a little more than 10 years, Jacobs University has climbed to the top in many disciplines in Germany's most important university ranking (http://www.che-ranking.de/cms/?getObject=613&getLang=en) The language on campus is English. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dr. Herbert Jaeger Professor of Computational Science Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH Campus Ring 28759 Bremen, Germany Phone (+49) 421 200 3215 Fax (+49) 421 200 49 3215 email h.jaeger(a)jacobs-university.de http://minds.jacobs-university.de ------------------------------------------------------------------

Aug. 31, 2015

Update 2: 2016 IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (IEEE WCCI 2016)

by IEEE WCCI 2016

Dear Colleague, Below please find some updated information about 2016 IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (IEEE WCCI 2016). 2016 IEEE World Congress on Computational IntelligenceVancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, Canada 25-29 July 2016 www.wcci2016.org*---------------~*******~-------------------* * Paper Submission is now OPEN* *---------------~*******~-------------------* IEEE WCCI 2016 paper submission is now OPEN. All papers should be submitted through the IEEE WCCI 2016 online submission system before the deadline of 15 January 2016. Click here for more information: http://www.wcci2016.org/submission.php *-----~*******~------* * Speakers* *-----~*******~------* World renowned computer scientist and computational theorist, Chair Professor at Harvard University, 2010 Turing Award winner, Professor Leslie Valiant will deliver a keynote at IEEE WCCI 2016. The 2016 IEEE Frank Rosenblatt Award winner, Professor Ronald R. Yager (IEEE Fellow), will receive his award and deliver a keynote at IEEE WCCI 2016. The 2016 IEEE CIS Evolutionary Computation Pioneer Award winner and 2015 IEEE Frank Rosenblatt Award winner, Professor Marco Dorigo (IEEE Fellow), will receive his award and deliver a keynote at IEEE WCCI 2016. *---------~*******~---------* * Best Paper Awards* *---------~*******~---------* IEEE WCCI 2016 will present the Best Overall Paper Awards and the Best Student Paper Awards to recognize outstanding papers published in each of the three conference proceedings (IJCNN 2016, FUZZ-IEEE 2016, IEEE CEC 2016). The awards will be judged by an Awards Committee and the recipient of each award will be given a certificate of the award and a cash prize to be presented during the conference banquet at IEEE WCCI 2016. *--------~****~--------* * Travel Grants* *--------~****~--------* The IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (IEEE CIS) will offer a limited number of travel grants for - Students (undergraduate or graduate students, from any country) - Professional researchers from developing countries who are presenting one or more papers at IEEE WCCI 2016. Click here for more information:http://www.wcci2016.org/sponsors.php *---------~****~---------* * Important Dates* *---------~****~---------* - Special Session & Workshop Proposals Deadline: 15 November 2015 - Competition & Tutorial Proposals Deadline: 15 December 2015 - *Paper Submission Deadline: 15 January 2016* - Paper Acceptance Notification Date: 15 March 2016 - Final Paper Submission & Early Registration Deadline: 15 April 2016 - IEEE WCCI 2016: 25-29 July 2016 For more information on the congress, please visit: [www.wcci2016.org] www.wcci2016.org *Alternatively we can also be reached on the following social media platforms:* - https://www.facebook.com/wcci2016; - https://twitter.com/wcci2016; - http://www.weibo.com/wcci2016; - http://t.qq.com/wcci2016 We look forward to welcoming you in Vancouver next year! Best wishes, Kay Chen Tan and Gary G. Yen 2016 IEEE WCCI General Co-Chairs

Aug. 31, 2015

Re: [Comp-neuro] Registration and Abstract submission Brain States Conference

by Bias Watch

Brain States: Characterization and Neuromodulation by DBS Organizers: Rowshanak Hashemiyoon, Veerle Visser-Vandewalle Invited speaker gender ratio: 0 Females / 22 Males Estimated* base rate of females in the field: 20% BiasWatchNeuro rating: 0 out of 3 *Method of estimation: NIH RePORTER with text keyword “DBS”, count number of female first PIs in first 25 results for more information: www.biaswatchneuro.com > From: neuro girl <neurogirl(a)hotmail.com> > > Subject: [Comp-neuro] Registration and Abstract submission Brain States > Conference > > Date: August 27, 2015 3:15:33 AM EDT > > To: "comp-neuro(a)neuroinf.org" <comp-neuro(a)neuroinf.org> > > > > Dear All, > > > > Registration and abstract submission are now open! > > > > Brain States: Characterization and Neuromodulation by DBS > > November 11-13, 2015 in Cologne, Germany. > > > > Interdisciplinary contributions to the study of brain mechanics have > greatly advanced our theories of the neurodynamic operations employed by > the brain. Although the brain exhibits continuous ongoing activity, > variation in the spatiotemporal patterns of activation observed across > different brain regions during rest versus active processing provides > valuable information about functional connectivity and strategies for > information processing. > > > > This conference will explore the most up-to-date theories of normal > brain function and how these processes may be altered to produce > pathological states. Furthermore, it will explore the models and methods > used to describe the proposed neural strategies subserving these different > brain states. > > > > Our list of confirmed speakers include: > > Hagai Bergman (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) > > Peter Brown (University of Oxford) > > Stephan Chabardes (University Hospital Grenoble) > > Alain Destexhe (CNRS) > > Emad N. Eskandar (Massachusetts General Hospital-Harvard Medical School) > > John J. Foxe (Albert Einstein College of Medicine) > > Marc Goodfellow (University of Exeter) > > Anthony A. Grace (University of Pittsburgh) > > Rowshanak Hashemiyoon (University Hospital of Cologne) > > Jens Haueisen (Technische Universität Ilmenau) > > Viktor Jirsa (Aix-Marseille Université /CNRS) > > Jens Kuhn (University Hospital Cologne) > > Fernando Lopes da Silva (University of Amsterdam) > > Andres Lozano (University of Toronto) > > Cameron McIntyre (Case Western Reserve University) > > Christoph M. Michel (University of Geneva) > > Bart Nuttin (KU Leuven) > > Urs Ribary (Simon Fraser University) > > Günter Schiepek (Paracelsus Medical University) > > Wolf Singer (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research) > > Dimitri van de Ville (University of Geneva) > > Veerle Visser-Vandewalle (University Hospital of Cologne) > > Jürgen Voges (Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg) > > We are intentionally limiting attendance in order to ensure a collegial > atmosphere with excellent discussion. > > > > More information can be found on these websites http://bit.ly/1JVElkf > and https://dbs.veomed.net/. > > > > Hope to see you in Cologne! > > > > > > With kind regards, > > Row Hashemiyoon > > > > Rowshanak Hashemiyoon, PhD > > Chief, Behavioral Neurophysiology and Computational Neuroscience > > Klinik für Stereotaxie und Funktionelle Neurochirurgie > > Universitätsklinikum Köln > > Kerpener Str. 62 > > D - 50937 Köln > > Email: row.hashemiyoon(a)uk-koeln.de<mailto:row.hashemiyoon@uk-koeln.de> > > http://www.uk-koeln.de/de/stereotaxie > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Comp-neuro mailing list > > Comp-neuro(a)neuroinf.org > > http://www.neuroinf.org/mailman/listinfo/comp-neuro > >

Aug. 29, 2015

Senior lectureship in computer science (machine learning / biocomputation)

by Steuber, Volker

Senior Lecturer in Computer Science School of Computer Science University of Hertfordshire Hatfield, Hertfordshire UK Salary: £37,394 to £47,328 per annum depending on skills and experience FTE: Full time position Duration of contract: Permanent Closing date: 10 September 2015 Applications are invited for a post of Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer Science at the University of Hertfordshire. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the School's teaching and curriculum development activities, and to strengthen its research activities. We are looking to recruit specifically computer scientists with specialist interests in data science or machine learning related to biocomputation (including computational neuroscience), with the flexibility to teach across mainstream topics in computer science. The School has an international reputation for teaching and research, with 58 academic staff, 20 adjunct lecturer staff, and 65 research students and postdoctoral research staff. With a history going back to 1958, the School teaches one of the largest cohorts of undergraduate students in the UK, and also delivers a thriving online computer science degree programme. The University of Hertfordshire is situated in Hatfield, in the green belt just north of London. The person appointed will be expected to contribute to learning and teaching relevant to core computer science topics, participate in curriculum review and development, design and develop new modules, and supervise student projects at all levels. The appointee will strengthen the research culture in the School by pursuing research as part of a larger research team, seeking external funding, publishing papers, supervising research students, and participating in commercial activity as appropriate. Preference will be given to candidates who can contribute to teaching and research in databases or machine learning. You must hold a PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant subject, possess excellent communication skills in English and the ability to teach at undergraduate and postgraduate level. It is desirable that candidates have a track record of publication, external research funding, collaboration across disciplines, experience of different types of assessment and higher education quality assurance. They should also have the ability to play a role in the routine running of the School of Computer Science. The University is required to meet UKVI visa regulations. Applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK will have to satisfy UKVI regulations before they can be appointed. Application should be made through http://www.herts.ac.uk/contact-us/jobs-and-vacancies/academic-vacancies (reference 012476). For informal enquiries contact Prof William Clocksin (Dean of School, w.clocksin(a)herts.ac.uk) or Dr Volker Steuber (Head of the Biocomputation Research Group, v.steuber(a)herts.ac.uk)

Aug. 28, 2015

Postdoctoral Position at The Rockefeller University

by George Reeke

Postdoctoral position in Computational Neuroscience A postdoctoral position supported by the BRAIN initiative is available at The Rockefeller University under the guidance of George Reeke in collaboration with Charles Gilbert and Winrich Freiwald. The overall project will study cortical mechanisms of object recognition and more specifically the influence of top-down task-and attentional influences on cortical dynamics and perceptual learning in areas of the visual cortical pathway. The computational work will involve developing and running large-scale spiking models of cortical regions studied in the overall project, with the goal of developing an accurate theoretical understanding of the phenomena observed in the experimental research. The successful candidate should, ideally, have a Ph.D. in a relevant area of neuroscience with a strong knowledge of mammalian visual systems and neuronal systems modeling. The candidate will be expected to develop suitable software to supplement the available tools as needed and will be able to work both independently and as part of a team. Interested individuals should send a c.v. and the names of three references to Dr. George Reeke (reeke(a)rockefeller.edu) with a subject line "Computational Neuroscience postdoc position". The position is available immediately, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The Rockefeller University is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minorities/Women/Disabled/Veterans.

Aug. 27, 2015

Postdoctoral positions in Systems/Computational neuroscience [Univ Pittsburgh]

by Nathan Urban

The lab of Dr. Nathan Urban, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Neurobiology and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition invites applications for two postdoctoral positions for projects on the analysis of olfactory system function and circuitry. Projects involve measuring of neural activity in vivo or in vitro using physiological and imaging approaches (whole cell patch clamp and calcium imaging in vitro and 2-photon imaging and physiology in vivo). We seek both experimentalists and computational neuroscientists interested in exploring the following topics in rodent model systems: The mechanisms and role of biophysical and circuit-level neuronal diversity Connections between biophysical and statistical models of neurons Sensory coding in control mice and in disease models Successful candidates will have a track record of publications and experience in experimental and/or computational neuroscience. Interests must be aligned with the broad interests of the lab and successful applicants will be expected to participate in ongoing collaborations with other groups in Pittsburgh and in other locations. Postdocs in the lab will have the opportunity to present their work at national and international meetings. Through mentoring and by creating opportunities for independent projects, postdocs will be in an excellent position to develop towards independent career objectives. Applicants can contact Dr. Urban via e-mail at nurban(a)pitt.edu and should apply via: http://goo.gl/forms/27qj1SJxw4 Qualifications: The successful candidate should have a PhD or equivalent degree in neuroscience, engineering, computer science or a related discipline. Clear evidence of research productivity and ability to work on collaborative projects is also essential. Feel free to forward to interested colleagues. ___________________________________________ Nathan Urban, Ph.D. Vice Provost for Special Projects 829 Cathedral of Learning Professor and Associate Chair - Department of Neurobiology http://www.neurobio.pitt.edu/ Co-Director Center for the Neural basis of Cognition www.cnbc.cmu.edu Associate Director Pittsburgh Brain Institute http://www.braininstitute.pitt.edu/ E1440 BSTWR 200 Lothrop Street University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Phone: 412-648-3396 nurban(a)pitt.edu

Aug. 27, 2015

Registration and Abstract submission Brain States Conference

by neuro girl

Dear All, Registration and abstract submission are now open! Brain States: Characterization and Neuromodulation by DBS November 11-13, 2015 in Cologne, Germany. Interdisciplinary contributions to the study of brain mechanics have greatly advanced our theories of the neurodynamic operations employed by the brain. Although the brain exhibits continuous ongoing activity, variation in the spatiotemporal patterns of activation observed across different brain regions during rest versus active processing provides valuable information about functional connectivity and strategies for information processing. This conference will explore the most up-to-date theories of normal brain function and how these processes may be altered to produce pathological states. Furthermore, it will explore the models and methods used to describe the proposed neural strategies subserving these different brain states. Our list of confirmed speakers include: Hagai Bergman (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) Peter Brown (University of Oxford) Stephan Chabardes (University Hospital Grenoble) Alain Destexhe (CNRS) Emad N. Eskandar (Massachusetts General Hospital-Harvard Medical School) John J. Foxe (Albert Einstein College of Medicine) Marc Goodfellow (University of Exeter) Anthony A. Grace (University of Pittsburgh) Rowshanak Hashemiyoon (University Hospital of Cologne) Jens Haueisen (Technische Universität Ilmenau) Viktor Jirsa (Aix-Marseille Université /CNRS) Jens Kuhn (University Hospital Cologne) Fernando Lopes da Silva (University of Amsterdam) Andres Lozano (University of Toronto) Cameron McIntyre (Case Western Reserve University) Christoph M. Michel (University of Geneva) Bart Nuttin (KU Leuven) Urs Ribary (Simon Fraser University) Günter Schiepek (Paracelsus Medical University) Wolf Singer (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research) Dimitri van de Ville (University of Geneva) Veerle Visser-Vandewalle (University Hospital of Cologne) Jürgen Voges (Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg) We are intentionally limiting attendance in order to ensure a collegial atmosphere with excellent discussion. More information can be found on these websites http://bit.ly/1JVElkf and https://dbs.veomed.net/. Hope to see you in Cologne! With kind regards, Row Hashemiyoon Rowshanak Hashemiyoon, PhD Chief, Behavioral Neurophysiology and Computational Neuroscience Klinik für Stereotaxie und Funktionelle Neurochirurgie Universitätsklinikum Köln Kerpener Str. 62 D - 50937 Köln Email: row.hashemiyoon(a)uk-koeln.de<mailto:row.hashemiyoon@uk-koeln.de> http://www.uk-koeln.de/de/stereotaxie

Aug. 27, 2015

PhD Position in Deep Learning & Visual Neuroscience

by Paul Zhutovsky

Hi there, we at EyeQuant, a visual neuroscience / machine learning startup based in Berlin have teamed up with a Marie Curie training network to offer a fully salaried PhD candidate position at the rapidly advancing intersection of Deep Learning, Computer Vision and Visual Neuroscience, starting as soon as possible. This is a really unique opportunity to obtain a PhD through a prestigious programme while working with and at a successful technology software startup, enabling you to simultaneously advance your career prospects both inside and outside of academia. Your supervisor and PI will be neuroscientist and EyeQuant co-founder Prof. Dr. Peter König, who is the Director of the Institute of Cognitive Science and Head of the Neurobiopsychology Lab at the University of Osnabrück, Germany. You will be based in EyeQuant’s Berlin HQ, with regular trips to our Lab in Osnabrück. You can find more details and next steps here: http://www.eyequant.com/#!/jobs Please note that in order to be eligible for the MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE grant, you must not have carried out your main research activity for more than 12 months in Germany in the previous 36 months.

Aug. 27, 2015

Postdoctoral position in dendritic modelling, Poirazi lab, Crete

by Yiota Poirazi

Can you please post this job opening in my lab to the list? Thank you! Yiota Poirazi ----------------------------------------- 1-2 Postdoctoral positions funded by the* ERC Starting Grant dEMORY <http://www.demory.gr/>*will be available as of* October 1st 2015* (the start date is flexible) at IMBB-FORTH <http://www.imbb.forth.gr/> in Crete, in the lab of Dr. *Panayiota Poirazi*. <http://www.dendrites.gr/> *Indicative application deadline: September 25th, 2015 (applications will be continuously screened until the positions are filled).* · Available for 2 years, with a *yearly *salary of 30,000-36,000 € (with benefits), depending on experience and career stage. · *Requirements: *Expertise in computational neuroscience, preferably in compartmental modeling and neural/dendritic computations. *THE PROJECT: Dissecting the Role of Dendrites in Memory* While memory is a function that has attracted the interest of the scientific community for several years, little is known about the rules underlying memory formation in the brain. Until recently, the single neuron was considered the main processing unit of the brain and memories were believed to be stored exclusively through plasticity modifications that take place in the synapses, the connecting sites between neurons. Over the last decade however, emerging evidence suggests that the neuron is no longer the key processing unit of the brain. The dendrites of individual neurons, which were thought as merely passive devices that allow neuronal communication, are currently the no 1 candidate for this role. The goal of this work is to characterize the role of dendrites in learning and memory processes so as to formulate a unifying theory regarding their contribution in memory formation across brain regions and abstraction levels. This will be achieved via the development of computational models that start at the single cell level and expand to the microcircuit and the network level, while varying in their degree of biophysical detail. Models will express a distinct memory function, specific to the region they belong to: the hippocampus the prefrontal cortex or the amygdala. By manipulating the biophysical, anatomical and plasticity properties of dendrites and tracking the effect on memory, the project aims to infer the key rules by which these thin structures shape mnemonic processes. These rules will then form the basis for deducing theoretical abstractions of trainable neurons with dendrites. The project has been running since 2012 and has already produced a number of outcomes which can be found at the following web sites: *www.demory.gr* <http://www.demory.gr/>*, * *www.dendrites.gr* <http://www.dendrites.gr/> *IMBB-FORTH* The Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas <http://www.forth.gr/> (FORTH) is one of the top European Research Centers. It has ranked 1st in terms of high impact publications in Greece and 12th in the number of FP7 grants in Europe. It should be noted that since the establishment of the ERC grant scheme in 2007, a total of 39 awards have been made to scientists working in Greek Institutions and 11 of them are located in Institutes of FORTH. The Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology <http://www.imbb.forth.gr/> (IMBB) at FORTH is the top Biological Institute in Greece, in terms of high quality personnel, publications, infrastructure and competitive grants. IMBB-FORTH is located in Heraklion, one of the most ancient and historical Greek cities, on the picturesque island of Crete. Crete, the homeland of major artists, such as El Greco and Nikos Kazantzakis, impressively combines the outstanding geophysical variety (forests, mountains, gorges, and beaches) with its rich history of thousands of years, resulting in the well-known Cretan culture and cuisine. *THE POIRAZI LAB* The Computational Biology Laboratory <http://www.imbb.forth.gr/people/poirazi/> at IMBB-FORTH performs research that is at the forefront of Computational Neuroscience. The work of Dr. Poirazi led to several high impact publications, some of which have shaped the field of dendritic computations. Her work received prestigious awards, including the EMBO Young Investigator Award in 2005, 2 Marie Curie Fellowships, a scientist-of-the year award in Greece in 2012, a European Research Council (ERC) starting grant in 2012, a nomination by EMBO to AcademiaNet—portal for outstanding female scientists in Europe (2013), and the "Manolis Christofides" Young Cypriot Investigator award in 2014. She is named Young Scientist of the World Economic Forum for its Annual Meeting of the New Champions in 2014 and 2015. She is a member of the Young Academy of Europe since 2015 and currently the Chair of the FENS-KAVLI Network of Excellence <http://www.fens.org/Outreach/FENS-Kavli-Network-of-Excellence/> whose aim is to promote Neuroscience research and science policy in Europe and beyond. *TO APPLY:* Candidates that match the required profile will be continuously interviewed until the positions are filled. Candidates should send a *resume and two (2) reference letters* to *poirazi[at]imbb.forth.gr <http://imbb.forth.gr/>*. If possible, recommendations should be sent by the referees. -- Panayiota Poirazi, Ph.D. Research Director Computational Biology Laboratory Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) Vassilika Vouton, P.O.Box 1385, GR 70013, Heraklion, Crete GREECE Tel: +30 2810 391139 Fax: +30 2810 391101 Εmail: poirazi(a)imbb.forth.gr Lab site: www.dendrites.gr Chair, FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence <http://www.fens.org/Outreach/FENS-Kavli-Network-of-Excellence/>

Aug. 27, 2015

Interdisciplinary post-doctoral position in cognitive neuroscience

by Schurger Lab

Brain-behavior forecasting: Neural antecedents of spontaneous self-initiated movement and the forecasting of behavior from brain activity Interdisciplinary post-doctoral position in cognitive neuroscience Starting date: Spring 2016 or Fall 2016 Duration: 2 years (renewable for one additional year) The French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) invites applications for a post-doctoral position in the Cognitive Neuroimaging Group, at the NeuroSpin Research Center near Paris, France, as part of the research team of Dr. Aaron Schurger. The Schurger lab focuses on understanding how decisions are made and actions initiated spontaneously, without an external sensory cue, and how time series of neural activity (now) can be used to forecast behavior (seconds or minutes from now). We pursue this research using a combination of behavioral experiments, neuroimaging, computational modeling, time-series analyses, and machine learning techniques. We are particularly interested in attracting applicants from meteorology, macroeconomics, machine learning, statistics and other disciplines that involve a mastery of time series analysis, statistical learning, forecasting, and/or forecast verification. Applicants should have a obtained a PhD in a relevant discipline prior to the starting date, and should have strong skills in at least some of the following areas: computer programming (MatLab, Python, C, C++), statistics, signal processing, computational, mathematical, and/or neural network modeling, statistical learning / machine learning / mutivariate pattern classification, time series analysis, forecasting. Resources available at NeuroSpin include Siemens 3T and 7T MRI scanners; high-density EEG (EGI Inc.); Elekta NeuroMag 306-channel MEG (allowing for the simultaneous recording of EEG); eye tracking (available for MRI, MEG, and behavioral experiments); an in-house team of experts in signal processing and statistical learning; a dedicated staff handling subject recruitment, scheduling, and payment; various Nespresso devices; and proximity to Paris. The salary is competitive, being aligned with that offered by Marie Curie fellowships. Applicants should send a CV, letter of motivation (max 2 pages), and a list of three references via e-mail to aaron.schurger(a)gmail.com. Review of applicants will begin immediately, and will continue until the positions are filled. The NeuroSpin Research Center is located on the campus of the CEA-Saclay, near Orsay, about 18 km southwest of Paris. For more information on the NeuroSpin Research Center and the Cognitive Neuroimaging Group: http://www-centre-saclay.cea.fr/fr/Visite-guidee-de-NeuroSpin http://meg-france.in2p3.fr/_lesCentres/Neurospin_en.php http://www-dsv.cea.fr/en/institutes/institute-of-biomedical-imaging-i2bm/de… http://www.unicog.org/pm/pmwiki.php -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aug. 26, 2015

Re: [Comp-neuro] Two postdoc positions in behavioral neurophsyiology

by Nicho

*Postdoctoral Position in Large-scale Neuronal Ensemble Recordings in Sensori-motor Cortices in Behaving Marmosets* A postdoctoral position is available starting in the fall of 2015 to characterize the spatio-temporal organization of sensori-motor cortical activity at multiple spatial scales associated with upper limb movements of behaving marmosets.This project involves high density multi-electrode array recordings as well as calcium fluorescence imaging from motor and somatosensory cortical sites in marmosets performing natural arm and hand movements.Facilities include a fully equipped electrophysiological laboratory with three 128-channel acquisition systems for multi-electrode recording and stimulation, calcium fluorescence imaging microscopes, and a camera-based, motion capture system.Expertise in multi-site, behavioral electrophysiology and/or calcium imaging is preferred.A strong mathematical, computational, or engineering background is also desirable.Applicants should send a CV and names and addresses of two or three references to Dr. Nicholas Hatsopoulos, Department of Organismal Biology, University of Chicago, 1027 East 57^th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 or by e-mail to nicho(a)uchicago.edu <mailto:nicho@uchicago.edu>. *Postdoctoral Position in Multi-Electrode Cortical Recording in Behaving Animals* A postdoctoral position is available starting in the winter of 2016 to investigate the neural basis of visuo-motor behavior.This project involves high density multi-electrode array recordings from motor and premotor cortical sites in monkeys performing complex arm and hand movements.Experiments seek to understand how large neuronal ensembles (single units and local field potentials) encode different aspects of these movements.These experiments also seek to develop decoding algorithms for possible application in brain-machine interfaces.Facilities include a fully equipped electrophysiological laboratory with three 128-channel acquisition systems, a two-link exoskeletal robot, and a camera-based, motion capture system. Expertise in multi-electrode, behavioral electrophysiology is preferred.A strong mathematical, computational, or engineering background is also desirable.Applicants should send a CV and names and addresses of two or three references to Dr. Nicholas Hatsopoulos, Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago, 1027 East 57^th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 or by e-mail to nicho(a)uchicago.edu <mailto:nicho@uchicago.edu>.

Aug. 25, 2015