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15 PhD positions for PACE, an EU funded Innovative Training Network for understanding Perception and Action in Complex Environments

by Laurent Perrinet

Dear colleagues, PACE (Perception and Action in Complex Environments) is an Innovative Training Network funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie program of the European Union starting on April 1st, 2015. The network involves 10 academic and private full partners, from 6 European and associated countries (France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, UK, Israel), plus 5 associated partners (private companies and public organizations). The network gathers a broad range of expertise from experimental psychology, cognitive neurosciences, brain imaging, technology and clinical sciences as well as transferable skills. The PACE network promotes interdisciplinary research and training in the field of human movement sciences with a strong emphasis on perception-action coupling in complex environments. We focus on changes of this coupling across lifespan and in pathological diseases affecting the nervous system. The goal is to train PhD students through collaborative research projects, international courses and workshops. 15 PhD positions, starting next fall, are offered across the different network sites. You can find a short description of the proposed PhD projects at the following link: http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/IMG/pdf/PACE_Table_positions.pdf Applications are welcome immediately and until the end of May (but some specific timing constraints may be enforced in some of the partners' sites: please get more information from local contacts). You will find further general information (sections 1 to 3), eligibility and application conditions (section 4) here: http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/-ITN-Marie-Curie-network-PACE Thanks for distributing this announcement to potential condadates, Laurent -- Laurent Perrinet - INT (UMR 7289)/CNRS http://invibe.net/LaurentPerrinet

April 8, 2015

PhD positions available at the University of Genova

by Paolo Massobrio

We are seeking highly motivated candidates for two PhD positions (3 years) in Bioengineering at the Neuroengineering and Bio-Nano Technology Group (NBT <http://www.nbtunige.it/> ), University of Genova <http://www.unige.it/> , Genova, ITALY. Our labs are located in Genova <http://www.turismo.comune.genova.it/spip.php?lang=en> , a small beautiful town in northern Italy, both from historical (its historical center is the largest of Europe) and naturalistic point of view (sea and mountains coexist creating a unique landscape). Genova is only 1.30h away from Milan by train and connected by plane to Rome (1.00h), London (2h) and Paris (1.30h). The successful candidate will be involved in a research project focused on the study of the computational properties of cortical assemblies coupled to micro-electrode arrays. The two PhD projects are the following: 1. 2D and 3D neuronal networks coupled to microtransducer arrays for the development of in vitro neurotoxicity tests We are interested to investigate how computational properties emerge in 2D and 3D neuronal populations and how information processing and transmission is related to the topological properties of neuronal networks. In this project, we propose to develop a systematic and controlled experimental approach for investigating the dynamics of 2D and 3D neuronal networks coupled to innovative high-density devices by means of advanced analysis tools. We plan to extensively characterize and compare 2D and 3D neuronal cultures by means of electrical and chemical stimulation. Within this framework we seek at developing a new in vitro and automated system for neurotoxicity tests. In the last part of the project we foresee to challenge our experimental models with chemical substances and to study the electrophysiological response with respect to specific parameters (biomarkers). 2. Development of computational models of neuronal assemblies to understand their computational properties as a function of different network topologies The present project aims at investigating how to effectively interact with neuronal systems by understating the role of the network connectivity in the computational properties of small/large/interacting neuronal networks. In particular, during the three-year research project, different computational network models will be developed and investigated, in order to: i) characterize the spontaneous activity of networks of neurons with different architectures. In particular, 2D uniform/homogeneous networks, 2D interconnected networks made up of few sub-populations (from 2 up to 4), and 3D structures will be taken into account. The observed dynamics will be investigated by checking whether particular configurations may promote phenomena like synchronization, emergence of critical phenomena, interplay between structural and functional connectivity; ii) characterize the stimulus-evoked activity induced by electrical stimulation in networks of neurons with different architectures. It will be investigated whether the evoked responses (i.e., the I/O function) can be modulated by structural connectivity. Candidates must have a master degree (or equivalent) in physics, engineering, mathematics or a related field. Essential skills comprise Matlab and/or C++/C# programming, as well as experience in computational neuroscience. If you are really interested, please send your CV, the name and contact details of two references, a description of your personal qualifications, and a description of your research interests indicating which of the two positions you are interested in. Please, be sure to satisfy the aforementioned requirements (master degree and essential skills). Before the hiring, candidates will be tested to verify the effective knowledge. Important dates are: Deadline: 15th May 2015. Starting Date: 1st November 2015 For submissions and informal inquiries, please contact Paolo Massobrio (paolo.massobrio(a)unige.it <mailto:paolo.massobrio@unige.it> ) Best regards Paolo _________________________________________________ Paolo Massobrio, PhD Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Neuroengineering and Bio-Nano Technology - NBT - Lab Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and System Engineering - DIBRIS University of Genova Via Opera Pia 11A, 16145, GENOVA, ITALY Phone: +39-010-3532761 Fax: +39-010-3532764 URL: <http://www.dibris.unige.it/> www.dibris.unige.it; <http://www.nbtunige.it/> www.nbtunige.it <http://sites.google.com/site/paolomassobrio/> http://sites.google.com/site/paolomassobrio/ E-mail: <mailto:paolo.massobrio@unige.it> paolo.massobrio(a)unige.it

April 8, 2015

programmer/data analyst position at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, NY

by Susana Martinez-Conde

A programmer/data-analyst position is available in the Martinez-Conde lab at SUNY Downstate, in Brooklyn, NYC (a 25-minute subway ride to Times Square). The Martinez-Conde lab (http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com) focuses on the intersection between perception, cognition, oculomotor behavior, and their neural underpinnings. Representative publications can be downloaded from http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com/publications. Candidates should have extensive programming experience in C++ and Matlab/Python, as well as a strong mathematical background as demonstrated by college transcripts. A Masters/Ph.D. in Engineering/Physics/Mathematics/Computer science/Neuroscience is preferred. Knowledge of neuroscience (or a strong desire to learn) is a plus. Foundational and translational research projects typically involve data analyses (eye movements, neural activity, perceptual reports, electrodermal activity, pupil responses, heart rate, respiration rate) and computational modeling, as well as behavioral/psychophysical and/or neurophysiological experiments. Expertise analyzing data and/or programming experiments in any of these areas is a plus. Please email CV/resume and college transcripts to Prof. Martinez-Conde (Susana.Martinez-Conde(a)downstate.edu <mailto:Susana.Martinez-Conde@downstate.edu> ). ---------------------------------------------------------------- Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD Director, Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience Division of Neurobiology Barrow Neurological Institute 350 W. Thomas Rd Phoenix AZ 85013, USA Phone: +1 (602) 406-3484 Fax: +1 (602) 406-4172 Email: smart(a)neuralcorrelate.com <mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com> http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com

April 7, 2015

Brown University: Computational Neuroscience Post-Doctoral Opportunity

by Stephanie Jones

Brown University: Computational Neuroscience Post-Doctoral Opportunity A NIH funded post-doctoral position is available to work with Dr. Stephanie Jones at Brown University and Dr. Matti Hamalainen at Mass. General Hospital on developing and analyzing biophysically principled computational neural models to study human MEG/EEG measured brain activity in health and disease. The post-doc hired will work among a team of researcher at Brown University, Mass. General Hospital in Boston, and Rhode Island Hospital who are advancing methods to image and interpret non-invasively measured human brain activity. Our group is integrating computational modeling, MEG/EEG, and invasive intra-operative recordings in humans to advancing methods to image and interpret non-invasively measured human brain activity in the context of sensorimotor function. Areas of study in our group include attention, perception, motor function, Parkinson’s Disease and Essential Tremor. Interested candidates should have experience in computational modeling methods and a strong quantitative and coding background. Please send a CV, statement of research interests, and three letters of recommendation to Stephanie_Jones(a)Brown.edu.

April 6, 2015

CFP: 9th International Conference on Bio-inspired Information and Communications Technologies (BICT 2015, formerly BIONETICS)

by Masafumi HASHIMOTO

CFP: 9th International Conference on Bio-inspired Information and Communications Technologies (BICT 2015, formerly BIONETICS) http://www.bionetics.org/ Paper submission deadline extended: August 3, 2015 December 3 (Thu) - December 5, 2015 (Sat) New York City, NY, USA Sponsored by European Alliance for Innovation (EAI) and Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science In-corporation with ACM (Pending) BICT 2015 aims to provide a world-leading and multidisciplinary venue for researchers and practitioners in diverse disciplines that seek the understanding of key principles, processes and mechanisms in biological systems and leverage those understandings to develop novel information and communications technologies (ICT). BICT 2015 targets two thrusts: THRUST 1: Indirect Bioinspiration (ICT designed after biological principles, processes and mechanisms). Examples include evolutionary computation, artificial gene regulatory networks, neural networks/computation, swarm intelligence, cellular automata, artificial immune systems, amorphous computing, artificial life, artificial chemistry, reaction-diffusion computing, self-organization, chaotic systems, social networks, game theory, computational epidemics, agent-based modeling, and nature-inspired models and calculi. THRUST 2: Direct Bioinspiration (ICT utilizing biological materials and systems). Examples include biosensing, molecular assembly, cellular computing, molecular computing/communication, membrane computing, bacterial computing/communication, DNA computing and memory, Physarum computing, quantum computing, biometric security/authentication, brain-computer interfaces and energy harvesting from biological sources. Expected, but not exclusive, topics are: * Signal/information processing and communication for bio-inspired ICT * Data management and analytics for bio-inspired ICT * Algorithms and their applications for bio-inspired ICT * Formal models and methods for bio-inspired ICT * Bio-inspired software and hardware systems * Modeling, simulations and empirical experiments of bio-inspired ICT * Self-* and stability properties in bio-inspired ICT * Security, robustness and resilience in bio-inspired ICT * Design, configuration, performance and management issues in bio-inspired ICT * Tools, testbeds and deployment aspects in bio-inspired ICT * Applications, experiences and standardization of bio-inspired ICT Application domains include, but not limited to, autonomic computing, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, computer networks, computer vision, data mining, e-health, green computing and networking, grid/cloud computing, intelligent agents, mechanical engineering, nanoscale/molecular computing and communication, optimization, pervasive computing, robotics, security, social networks, software engineering and systems engineering. IMPORTANT DATES: Regular paper submission due: August 3 Short and poster/demo paper submission due: September 22 Notification for regular papers: September 21 Notification for short and poster/demo papers: October 1 Camera ready due: October 15 SPECIAL TRACKS: In addition to the regular track that covers general/mainstream topics, BICT 2015 features the following special tracks that focus on specific, emerging or underrepresented topics. * Anthropomorphic Robot and Physiological Information for Cares and Daily Communication (ARPI) * Artificial, Biological and Bio-Inspired Intelligence (ABBII) * Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering (AISE) * Bio-inspired Algorithms and Technologies for Cyber Security and Defense Applications (DEFENSE) * Bio-Inspired Communications and Computing (BICC) * Bio-inspired Wireless Network Security (BWNS) * Biological Computing and Bio-medical Informatics (BCBI) * Biologically Inspired Computer Vision Models and Techniques (BioVis) * BioNanoNetworks: Modeling, Design, Performance and Applications (BMDPA) * Combinatorial Optimization (COP) * Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) * Computational Intelligence on Information Security (CIIS) * Engineering Applications from Bio-Molecular Networks (EmNet) * Game Theory and its Applications (GTA) * Molecular Communication and Networking (MCN) * Modularization for Practical Software Engineering (MPSE) * Nano-networks and Communication in Bacteria Populations (NCBP) * Physarum Computing (PhysComp) * Soft Computing on Brain-Body Area (SCBBA) * Swarm Robotics (SR) * Topology-driven bio-inspired methods and models for complex systems (TOPDRIM4Bio) CO-LOCATED WORKSHOPS: * Bioinformatics 2015 * Brain-Inspired Information Communication Technologies (BIICT) * Computational Models of the Visual Cortex (CMVC): Hierarchies, Layers, Sparsity, Saliency and Attention * Int'l Workshop on Electro-Chemical Signaling in Neuron Organelles (ESNO) * The First Int'l Workshop on Combining Machine Learning and Search-BasedSoftware Engineering (MLSBSE) * Int'l Workshop on Physarum Transport Networks (PhysNet) PAPER SUBMISSION: Authors are invited to submit regular papers (up to 8 pages each), short papers (up to 4 pages each) or poster/demo papers (up to 2 pages each) in ACM's paper template. Up to two extra pages are allowed for each paper with extra page charges. See http://bionetics.org/2015/show/initial-submission for more details. PUBLICATION: All accepted paper will be published through ACM Digital Library and submitted for indexing by SI, EI Compendex, Scopus, ACM DL, Google Scholar and many more. Selected papers will be considered for publication in leading journals including: * IEEE Transactions on NanoBioscience * ACM/Springer Mobile Networks and Applications * Elsevier Information and Software Technology * Elsevier Information Sciences * Springer Software Quality Journal * Elsevier Nano Communication Networks Journal * Springer Complex Adaptive Systems Modeling * Int'l Journal of Soft Computing and Networking KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: * Dmitri Chklovskii, Simons Foundation, USA * Simon Garnier, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University, USA * Radu Marculescu, Carnegie Mellon University, USA * Bud Mishra, New York University, USA * Maurizio Porfiri, New York University, USA * Yechiam Yemini, Columbia University, USA FEATURED SPEAKERS IN CO-LOCATED WORKSHOPS: * Emanuela Merelli, University of Camerino, Italy GENERAL CHAIRS: Jun Suzuki, University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA Tadashi Nakano, Osaka University, Japan Henry Hess, Columbia University, USA PC CHAIRS: William Casey, Carnegie Mellon University, SEI, USA Adriana Compagnoni, Stevens Institute of Technology, USA Simon Garnier, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University Mario Koeppen, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan

April 5, 2015

CFP: ICML Stamlins 2015

by Sanmi Koyejo

(Please forgive us for cross posting - this may be of interest to some in this list) ICML Workshop on Statistics, Machine Learning and Neuroscience (Stamlins 2015) Submission Deadline: May 1, 2015 https://sites.google.com/site/stamlins2015/ Call for Papers ------------------------------------------------ In the last decade, machine learning has had a growing influence on neuroimaging data handling and analysis, making it an ubiquitous component of all kinds of data analysis procedures and software. While it is clear that machine learning has the potential to revolutionize both scientific discovery and clinical diagnosis applications, continued progress requires close collaboration between statisticians, machine learning practitioners and neuroscientists. Our workshop goals are to highlight best practices, disseminate the state of the art in high dimensional methods and related tools with a focus on application to neuroimaging data analysis, and to facilitate discussions to identify the key open problems and opportunities for machine learning in neuroscience. Topics of interest include: - exploratory and predictive modelling of high-dimensional correlated volumic data e.g. fMRI and PET with emphasis on: - applications to cognitive modelling and diagnosis - resting state analyses - interpretation and visualization of results - statistical analysis for parameter recovery - advances in scalable techniques and computational infrastructure - structured prediction problems in neuroscience e.g. multilabel classification for mental processes and network prediction. - de-noising and predictive modelling for brain-computer interfaces - source localization for EEG and MEG - deep learning and convolutional networks for neuroscience Invited Speakers ------------------------------------------------ Pradeep Ravikumar (University of Texas at Austin) Morten Mørup (Technical University of Denmark) Alexandre Gramfort (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécomunications) Submissions ------------------------------------------------ We invite submissions for original papers that introduce new research developments, directions, frameworks, results, etc. in these and related areas. We also invite submissions of recently published high-quality work. Though, we note that preference will be given to original contributions. Potential participants may submit full papers (up to 8 pages in length in ICML format) or short papers (extended abstracts, 2-4 pages in length) by May 1, 2015 sent electronically via the online submission site: https://cmt.research.microsoft.com/SMLNS2015/Default.aspx Acceptance notification: May 10th, 2015 The workshop is semi-archival: materials will be published on the website with the authors permission. The authors retain the copyright and the rights to resubmit and publish at other venues. Organizing Committee ------------------------------------------------ Bertrand Thirion (Inria-CEA) Lars Kai Hansen (Technical University of Denmark) Sanmi Koyejo (Stanford University) For further information, please contact Sanmi Koyejo (sanmi(a)stanford.edu)

April 5, 2015

Call for applications: Brains for Brains Young Researchers' Computational Neuroscience Award 2015

by Kerstin Schwarzwaelder

Dear colleagues, for the sixth time, the Bernstein Association for Computational Neuroscience <http://www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-association> is announcing the "Brains for Brains Young Researchers' Computational Neuroscience Award". The call is open for researchers of any nationality who have contributed to a peer reviewed publication (as coauthor) or peer reviewed conference abstract (as first author) that was submitted before starting their doctoral studies, is written in English and was accepted or published in 2014 or 2015. The award comprises 500 € prize money, plus a travel grant of up to 2.000 € to cover a trip to Germany, including participation in the Bernstein Conference 2015 in Heidelberg (www.bernstein-conference.de) and an individually planned visit to up to two German research institutions in Computational Neuroscience. Deadline for application is May 8, 2015 (5:00 p.m. CET). Detailed information about the application procedure can be found under: www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-association/brains-for-brains-2015 For inquiries please contact info(a)bcos.uni-freiburg.de Best regards, Kerstin Schwarzwälder -- Dr. Kerstin Schwarzwälder Bernstein Coordination Site of the National Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg Hansastr. 9A 79104 Freiburg Germany phone: +49 761 203 9594 schwarzwaelder(a)bcos.uni-freiburg.de www.nncn.de

April 2, 2015

IJNS Special Issue Call for Papers for "IWSP7: Epilepsy Mechanisms, Models, Prediction & Control"

by Levin Kuhlmann

The International Journal of Neural Systems (IJNS; Impact Factor 6.056) will be publishing a special issue on work presented at the 7th International Workshop on Seizure Prediction "IWSP7: Epilepsy Mechanisms, Models, Prediction & Control" (www.iwsp7.org<http://www.iwsp7.org>) that will be held in Melbourne, Australia, during 3-6 August 2015. The IJNS Special Issue and "IWSP7: Epilepsy Mechanisms, Models, Prediction & Control" will focus on the engineering and science of epilepsy, covering basic mechanisms and imaging, computational modeling for analysis and prediction, and feedback control of epilepsy. Three key themes will be addressed. (1) Seizure prediction from months-to-years long recordings. (2) Model-based data assimilation for time series analysis, neuro-intervention, and feedback control. (3) Multi-modal neuroimaging and computational modelling to assess the spatial origin of seizures and the epileptic network at multiple scales. The following traditional IWSP themes will also be covered: automated seizure detection, prediction and control, seizure physiology mechanisms at multiple scales, high frequency oscillations, epileptic networks, and computational modeling of epilepsy. The call for papers for the special issue can be downloaded from the conference website at the following link: http://www.iwsp7.org/cfp/Epilepsy_Mechanisms_Models_Prediction_and_Control.… As described in the call for papers, invited speakers and researchers submitting the best abstracts to the IWSP7 conference will be invited to submit a manuscript by the IJNS editor-in-chief, Prof. Hojjat Adeli, and the guest editors, Dr Levin Kuhlmann, Prof. Mark J. Cook and Prof. David B. Grayden. We look forward to seeing you at IWSP7! On behalf of the local IWSP7 organizing committee Levin Kuhlmann, PhD David B. Grayden, PhD Mark J. Cook, MD Anthony N. Burkitt, PhD Dean R. Freestone, PhD Tatiana Kameneva, PhD Alan Lai, PhD Elma O'Sullivan-Greene, PhD Andre Peterson, BSc (hons) Email: organizingcommittee(a)iwsp7.org<mailto:organizingcommittee@iwsp7.org>

April 2, 2015

Postdoc positions at IBM Watson Research

by Irina Rish

Computational Biology Department at IBM T.J. Watson is looking for several postdoctoral researchers; see the job descriptions below. Job description 1: https://jobs3.netmedia1.com/cp/faces/job_summary?job_id=RES-0736440 IBM Research is undertaking a project to develop predictive models of neurological and psychiatric disease transitions based on patients’ speech samples and physiological recordings from wearable devices such as accelerometers, heart rate monitors and portable ElectroEncephaloGram (EEG) recorders. The goal of the project is to implement a high sampling frequency system monitoring easily available behavioral and physiological data, and relate these to established psychometric measures of disease, in order to provide neurologist and psychiatrists with high granularity information of the patients’ state, and actionable predictions of imminent transitions. The project will involve a tight collaboration with clinician s. Required Doctorate Degree At least 1 year experience in natural language processing or signal processing At least 1 year experience in Programming (Matlab, Python, C++) English: Intermediate Preferred At least 3 years experience in natural language processing or signal processing At least 2 years experience in Programming (Matlab, Python, C++) At least 2 years experience in psychology and psychiatry At least 2 years experience in cognitive science, big data analytics or wearable computing At least 2 years experience in machine learning English : Fluent Job description 2: https://jobs3.netmedia1.com/cp/faces/job_summary?job_id=RES-0736434 IBM Research is undertaking a project to characterize the progression of neurological diseases using multi-modal imaging techniques, combining state-of-the-art statistical learning and high-performance computing tools with physiological models and mechanistic interpretations. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop an integrative, multi-disciplinary approach to understand underpinning biological mechanisms of disease (e.g. Parkinson’s), as well as provide analytic tools with immediate clinical applicability. The project will involve a tight collaboration with neurobiology researchers and clinicians. IBM is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher with a degree in neuroimaging, neuroscience, computer science, mathematics, physics, electrical engineering or similar fields. Candidates should have experience in high-throughput brain data modeling, machine learning for big data, computational neuroscience and neurobiology. Candidates with a background in relevant applied mathematics fields such as topological data analysis and optimization will also be considered. Required Doctorate Degree At least 1 year experience in brain imaging, analysis and modeling (magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography or magnetoencephalography) Basic knowledge in programming (Matlab, Python, C++) English: Intermediate Preferred At least 3 years experience in brain imaging, analysis and modeling (magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography or magnetoencephalography) At least 2 years experience in programming (Matlab, Python, C++) At least 3 years experience in machine learning At least 3 years experience in brain imaging At least 3 years experience in biological psychiatry English : Fluent

April 1, 2015

ANN: HoloViews 1.0 and ImaGen 2.0 released

by James A. Bednar

We are pleased to announce the first public release of HoloViews, a free Python package for scientific and engineering data visualization: http://ioam.github.io/holoviews and version 2.0 of ImaGen, a free Python package for generating two-dimensional patterns useful for vision research and computational modeling: http://ioam.github.io/imagen HoloViews provides composable, sliceable, declarative data structures for building even complex visualizations of any scientific data very easily. With HoloViews, you can see your data as publication-quality figures almost instantly, so that you can focus on the data itself, rather than on laboriously putting together your figures. Even complex multi-subfigure layouts and animations are very easily built using HoloViews. ImaGen provides highly configurable, resolution-independent input patterns, directly visualizable using HoloViews but also available without any plotting package so that they can easily be incorporated directly into your computational modeling or visual stimulus generation code. With ImaGen, any software with a Python interface can immediately support configurable streams of 0D, 1D, or 2D patterns, without any extra coding. HoloViews and ImaGen are very general tools, but they were designed to solve common problems faced by vision scientists and computational modelers. HoloViews makes it very easy to visualize data from vision research, whether it is visual patterns, neural activity patterns, or more abstract measurements or analyses. Essentially, HoloViews provides a set of general, compositional, multidimensional data structures suitable for both discrete and continuous real-world data, and pairs them with separate customizable plotting classes to visualize them without extensive coding. ImaGen 2.0 uses the continuous coordinate systems provided by HoloViews to implement flexible resolution-independent generation of streams of patterns, with parameters controlled by the user and allowing randomness or other arbitrary changes over time. These patterns can be used for visual stimulus generation, testing or training computational models, initializing connectivity in models, or any other application where random or dynamic but precisely controlled streams of patterns are needed. Features: - Freely available under a BSD license - Python 2 and 3 compatible - Minimal external dependencies -- easy to integrate into your workflow - Declarative approach provides powerful compositionality with minimal coding - Include extensive, continuously tested IPython Notebook tutorials - Easily reconfigurable using documented and validated parameters - Animations are supported natively, with no extra work - Supports reproducible research -- simple specification, archived in an IPython Notebook, providing a recipe for regenerating your results - HoloViews is one of three winners of the 2015 UK Open Source Awards To get started, check out ioam.github.io/holoviews and ioam.github.io/imagen! Jean-Luc Stevens Philipp Rudiger Christopher Ball James A. Bednar -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

April 1, 2015

2015 NEURON Summer Course

by Ted Carnevale

This year's NEURON Summer Course has two components that can be taken individually or together. NEURON Fundamentals, which runs from June 20-23, presents what you need to know to use NEURON to model individual neurons and networks of neurons, and introduces parallel simulation. Parallel Simulation with NEURON, which runs from June 24-26, is for users who already know how to write hoc or Python code for NEURON, and need to create models that will run on parallel hardware. Strategies for debugging, and measuring and improving performance, receive special attention. Because of its advanced nature, each day of "Parallel Simulation" includes a block of time in which participants can work on their own projects with expert help close at hand. Registration is limited, and the registration deadline is Friday, May 29, 2015. Discounts are available for applicants who sign up for both courses and/or register by April 20, 2015. For more information see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nscsd2015/nscsd2015.html --Ted

March 31, 2015

BCF/NWG Course "Analysis and, Models in Neurophysiology" 2015 at the Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany

by Birgit Ahrens

BCF/NWG Course "Analysis and Models in Neurophysiology" Sunday, October 4 - Friday, October 9, 2015 Bernstein Center Freiburg, Hansastraße 9a, 79104 Freiburg, Germany Aim of the course: The course is intended to provide advanced Diploma/Masters and PhD students, as well as young researchers from the neurosciences with approaches for the analysis of electrophysiological data and the theoretical concepts behind them. The course includes various topics such as: - Neuron Models and Point Processes (Prof. Stefan Rotter) - Local field potentials (Prof. Ulrich Egert) - Neural Coding (Dr. Robert Schmidt) - Neural Decoding (Prof. Carsten Mehring) The course will consist of lectures in the morning and matching exercises using Matlab and Mathematica in the afternoon. The participants should have a basic understanding of scientific programming. This course is designated especially for advanced diploma/master students and PhD students (preferentially in their first year). Application: Please apply by sending one pdf document containing your CV and a meaningful letter of motivation to nwg-course(a)bcf.uni-freiburg.de. The letter of motivation should refer to the following points: - Reasons for wanting to take this course - Background in mathematics - Background in scientific programming - Experience in using Matlab and Mathematica - Background in neuroscience The course is limited to 20 participants. Course fees: NWG members - 50€, others - 125€ Application deadline: June 30, 2015 More information: http://www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/events/conferences-workshops/20151004-nwgcou… -- *-- Dr. Birgit Ahrens --* Teaching & Training Coordinator Bernstein Center Freiburg University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9a D - 79104 Freiburg Germany Phone: +49 (0) 761 203-9575 Fax: +49 (0) 761 203-9559

March 31, 2015

A "Brain Parts List" for Neurophysiologists - Neuroelectro.org

by Nathan Urban

Dear Colleagues I wanted to alert you to a new publication and an associated resource. We just published a paper entitled: Brain-wide analysis of electrophysiological diversity yields novel categorization of mammalian neuron types in the Journal of Neurophysiology. The paper is available at: http://jn.physiology.org/content/jn/early/2015/03/20/jn.00237.2015.full.pdf Also you might be interested in the associated web site: http://neuroelectro.org The paper describes an approach to collect, compile, validate and analyze data from thousands of published papers describing neurophysiological properties of many types of neurons. In addition to the analyses that we performed, we believe that the data contained in this dataset should be of interest to the broad neurophysiology and modeling community. The data set also would benefit from scientists across the country and world providing feedback, proposing extensions, reporting errors etc. We appreciate any feedback or comments. Best, Nathan Urban - CMU Shreejoy Tripathy - CMU/UBC Shawn Burton - CMU Matt Geramita - U Pittsburgh Rick Gerkin - CMU/ASU -- __________________________________ Nathan Urban, Ph.D. Interim Provost Dr. Frederick A. Schwertz Distinguished Professor of Life Sciences Professor, Department of Biological Sciences Professor, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition Carnegie Mellon University 4400 Fifth Ave (Biological Sciences) 5000 Forbes Ave (Provost's Office) Pittsburgh PA 15213 ph. 412-268-6684 fax 412-268-2330 http://www.cmu.edu/bio/f <http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/nurban/Lab_pages/> aculty/urban.html **For scheduling, please cc Barb Diecks (bdiecks(a)andrew.cmu.edu) on any email

March 31, 2015

Programmer position at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

by Benjamin Torben-Nielsen

The computational neuroscience unit (De Schutter unit) at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology has an opening for a programmer / technician on a neuroinformatics project. Initial duration is one year with an option to extend. Project description: Neuronal morphologies are usually studied in isolation. However, this is in contrast to reality were neurons develop in a dense substrate and actively interact with each other and their environment. Therefore, our group recently developed a computational framework -NeuroMaC- to study how interactions between developing neurons themselves and the environment shape dendrite and axon morphologies. A fully functional prototype of NeuroMaC was implemented in Python. NeuroMaC is designed as a parallel software and implemented using the ZeroMQ messaging library for concurrency. More information about the design and future roadmap of NeuroMac can be found here: http://b-torbennielsen.home.oist.jp/neuromac/neuromac.html#design-requireme… Job description: We seek for a programmer / technician to implement a new version of NeuroMaC using state-of-the-art parallel environments to improve on scalability, execution speed and flexibility. The candidate will be working in the lab headed by Prof. Erik De Schutter and under daily supervision of Dr. Ben Torben-Nielsen. The candidate will help in the final design of the framework and has to be flexible in incorporating additional features as research continues and new requirements are identified. Qualifications: The ideal candidate has extensive experience with parallel programming. We are particularly looking for candidates with experience of (dynamic) load-balancing. Experience with meshing software is a great plus and previous experience with neuroscience is appreciated (but not necessary). * Required: - Extensive experience in developing in Linux environments - Extensive experience in parallel programming (MPI, ZMQ) - Excellent communication skills in English and communication with multi-disciplinary teams - M.Sc. in computer science / physics / computational neuroscience or similar experience * Beneficial: - Familiarity with meshing software (TetGen, gmsh, Cubit, VTK) - Experience in an academic environment - Interest in neuroscience Benefits / Offer: A competitive salary and relocation package are offered. This an ideal position to gain experience in a prominent computational neuroscience lab. Academic contributions by technicians are honoured by authorship on relevant publications. Please contact Prof. Erik De Schutter (erik(a)oist.jp) or Dr. Ben Torben-Nielsen (b.torbennielsen(a)gmail.com) for inquiries. About the workplace: The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) will become a model for change in education and research with the best international graduate students, working side by side with world-class faculty in modern well-equipped laboratories. Beautifully situated on the island of Okinawa, OIST relies on a cross-disciplinary approach, with an emphasis on creativity and exchange, to offer unique, individualized graduate training. OIST is a university with no departments, eliminating artificial barriers between people working in different fields, but many nationalities, with students and faculty being attracted from all over the world. Concentrating initially on Neuroscience, Molecular Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Environmental and Ecological Sciences and Physical Sciences, OIST is bringing some of the best brains in the world to Okinawa to transform the way science and education is done in the global academic world. -- Dr. Ben Torben-Nielsen Computational Neuroscience Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

March 31, 2015

Poster submission deadline extended to the Fifth International Symposium on Biology of Decision-Making, 11-13 May 2015 @ Paris, France

by Mehdi Khamassi

[Please accept our apologies if you get multiple copies of this message] Dear colleagues, The deadline for poster submission is extended to April 15th for the Fifth International Symposium on Biology of Decision Making (SBDM) which will take place in Paris, France, on May, 11-13th 2015. Poster submission and online registration can be done on the dedicated website: http://sbdm2015.isir.upmc.fr Please circulate widely and encourage your colleagues and team members to attend. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FIFTH SYMPOSIUM ON BIOLOGY OF DECISION MAKING (SBDM 2015) May 11-13, 2015, Paris, France Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, Hôpital La Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France. & Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. & Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France. http://sbdm2015.isir.upmc.fr ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PRESENTATION: The Fifth Symposium on Biology of Decision Making will take place on May 11-13, 2015 at the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, Paris, France, with a satellite day at Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. The objective of this three day symposium is to gather people from different research fields with different approaches (economics, ethology, psychiatry, neural and computational approaches) to decision-making. The symposium will be a single-track, will last for 3 days and will include 6 sessions: (#1) Beyond two: Multi-alternative and multi-attribute choices; (#2) Shaky business: Neural sources of choice variability; (#3) Looking for causality: Choice bias following brain manipulation; (#4) The dark side of choice: Delay, effort and punishment; (#5) Choosing the unknown: The route to exploration; (#6) More brains: Choice in social context. CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Thomas Boraud (CNRS - Université Bordeaux 2, France) Colin Camerer (California Institute of Technology, USA) Peter Dayan (Gatsby Unit, University College London, UK) Mauricio Delgado (Rutgers University, USA) Sophie Deneve (CNRS - Ecole Normale Supérieure, France) Jan Drugowitsch (Université de Genève, Switzerland) Sylvie Granon (Université d'Orsay - CNRS, France) Hauke Heekeren (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany) Laurence Hunt (University College London, UK) Masud Husain (University of Oxford, UK) Quentin Huys (ETH Zurich - University of Zurich, Switzerland) Miriam Klein-Flügge (University of Oxford, UK) Brian Knutson (Stanford University, USA) Kenway Louie (New York University, USA) John O'Doherty (California Institute of Technology, USA) Mitsuhiro Okada (Keio University, Japan) Kerstin Preuschoff (University of Geneva, Switzerland) Emmanuel Procyk (CNRS - INSERM, France) Christian Ruff (University of Zurich, Switzerland) Aldo Rustichini (University of Minnesota, USA) Liane Schmidt (INSEAD, France) Christopher Summerfield (University of Oxford, UK) Mark Walton (University of Oxford, UK) Melissa Warden (Cornell University, USA) Valentin Wyart (Ecole Normale Supérieure, France) Makiko Yamada (National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Japan) IMPORTANT DATES: April 15, 2015 Extended deadline for Poster Submission April 30, 2015 Deadline for Registration May 11-13, 2015 Symposium Venue ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Thomas Boraud (CNRS, Bordeaux, France) Sacha Bourgeois-Gironde (La Sorbonne, Paris, France) Kenji Doya (OIST, Okinawa, Japan) Mehdi Khamassi (CNRS - UPMC, Paris, France) Etienne Koechlin (CNRS - ENS, Paris, France) Mathias Pessiglione (ICM - INSERM, Paris, France) CONTACT INFORMATION : Website, registration, poster submission and detailed program: http://sbdm2015.isir.upmc.fr Contact: sbdm2015 [ at ] isir.upmc.fr / sbdm2015-registration(a)isir.upmc.fr -- Mehdi Khamassi, PhD Researcher (CNRS) Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (UMR7222) CNRS - Université Pierre et Marie Curie Pyramide, Tour 55 - Boîte courrier 173 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France tel: + 33 1 44 27 28 85 fax: +33 1 44 27 51 45 cell: +33 6 50 76 44 92 http://people.isir.upmc.fr/khamassi

March 30, 2015

2 Postdoc Positions in the Frohlich Lab (UNC - Chapel Hill)

by Frohlich, Flavio

Position 1: We are seeking to fill one postdoctoral position in slice electrophysiology in the Frohlich Lab (www.frohlichlab.org<http://www.frohlichlab.org>) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We are a rapidly growing lab that aims to understand how cellular and synaptic mechanisms give rise to cortical network dynamics and how these dynamics can be modulated with brain stimulation. We have received grant funding to further grow our slice electrophysiology team in the lab. In particular, we are interested in understanding the role of propagation delays in network synchronization, the study of mesoscale network events by combining optogenetic stimulation and electrophysiology, and elucidating how temporally patterned brain stimulation alters network dynamics. The successful applicant will study such synaptic and intrinsic mechanisms of cortical network dynamics with cutting-edge in vitro slice electrophysiology strategies that combine 120 channel multielectrode array (MEA) electrophysiology, dual patch-clamp, optogenetic stimulation, and real-time closed loop hybrid systems. Requirements: The successful candidate has a PhD in neuroscience or related discipline and a track record of first class science demonstrated by first-author, peer-reviewed scientific articles in the area of in vitro neurophysiology. Documented skills in whole-cell patch clamp recordings are a prerequisite; programming and data analysis skills are essential. Please send your CV and a brief statement of research interest to flavio_frohlich(a)med.unc.edu. Also, please have two letters of recommendation directly submitted to the same email address. Position 2: We are seeking to fill one postdoctoral position in human electrophysiology in the Frohlich Lab (www.frohlichlab.org<http://www.frohlichlab.org>) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We are a rapidly growing lab that aims to understand how cortical network dynamics emerge and how these dynamics can be modulated with brain stimulation. We have received grant funding to further grow our human electrophysiology team in the lab. In particular, we are interested in understanding how (feedback) non-invasive brain stimulation alters cortical network dynamics that mediate cognition. The successful applicant will employ tDCS/tACS, EEG, TMS, and cognitive testing for elucidating the functional role of cortical oscillations in cognition and for the development of novel strategies to enhance brain function and treat cognitive deficits in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. Requirements: The successful candidate has a PhD in neuroscience or related discipline and a track record of first class science demonstrated by first-author, peer-reviewed scientific articles in the area of human neurophysiology. Documented skills in EEG and cognitive assays are a prerequisite; programming and data analysis skills are essential. We will provide training in non-invasive brain stimulation methods. Please send your CV and a brief statement of research interest to flavio_frohlich(a)med.unc.edu. Also, please have two letters of recommendation directly submitted to the same email address. -- Flavio Frohlich PhD Assistant Professor Departments of Psychiatry, Cell Biology and Physiology, and Biomedical Engineering Neuroscience Center School of Medicine University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

March 28, 2015

2015 ACT-R Summer School

by db30＠andrew.cmu.edu

2015 ACT-R Summer School and Master Class Carnegie Mellon University July 13-16, 2015 ACT-R is a cognitive architecture, and it is realized in a software system which can be used to develop cognitive models. It has been used for modeling tasks that range from experimental tasks like simple reaction time and list learning, to real world tasks like driving a car and air traffic control. The 2015 ACT-R Summer School will take place from July 13-16, just before the 22nd annual ACT-R Workshop which will also be held at Carnegie Mellon University. The Summer School will train researchers in the use of ACT-R for cognitive modeling using the ACT-R tutorial. The tutorial consists of eight units, six of which will be covered during the four days of the Summer School. Each day will consist of a morning theory lecture covering one or two tutorial units, an afternoon discussion session on the topics of the day, and modeling assignments which participants are expected to complete during the day and evening. The Master Class is organized in parallel with the Summer School. The Master Class offers the opportunity for ACT-R modelers to work on their own projects with guidance from experienced ACT-R researchers. There is no curriculum for the Master Class, but Master Class students are welcome to attend the Summer School lectures and discussion sessions. To provide an optimal learning environment, admission to the Summer School and Master Class will be limited. To apply for the Summer School, please email a curriculum vitae and a statement of purpose to db30(a)andrew.cmu.edu. Demonstrated experience with a modeling formalism similar to ACT-R will strengthen a Summer School application. To apply for the Master Class please email a curriculum vitae along with some information about your level of experience with ACT-R and some details on the project you expect to work on during the Master Class. Applications are due by April 13th and applicants will be notified of admission by April 30. Admission to the Summer School and Master Class is free. In addition, the registration fee for the ACT-R Workshop will be waived for Summer School Students, but not for students of the Master Class. Housing will be available in the CMU dormitories for approximately $60/day (single) or $40/day (shared), and will be available through the end of the workshop. More information about ACT-R, including papers published by the ACT-R community, can be found on the ACT-R web site: <http://act-r.psy.cmu.edu/>. For more information on the Summer School and Master Class you can email Dan Bothell at db30(a)andrew.cmu.edu.

March 27, 2015

call for papers - 2015 IEEE International Workshop on Machine Learning, for Signal Processing (MLSP)

by 2015 IEEE International Workshop on Machine Learning fo Signal Processing

call for papers - 2015 IEEE International Workshop on Machine Learning for Signal Processing (MLSP) September 17-20, 2015 Boston, Massachusetts, USA http://mlsp2015.conwiz.dk CALL FOR PAPERS The 25th MLSP workshop in the series of workshops organized by the IEEE Signal Processing Society MLSP Technical Committee will present the most recent and exciting advances in machine learning for signal processing through keynote talks, tutorials, as well as special and regular single-track sessions. Prospective authors are invited to submit papers on relevant algorithms and applications including, but not limited to: - Learning theory and techniques - Graphical models and kernel methods - Data-driven adaptive systems and models - Pattern recognition and classification - Distributed, Bayesian, subspace/manifold/sparsity-aware learning - Multiset data analysis and multimodal data fusion - Perceptual signal processing in audio, image and video - Cognitive information processing - Multichannel adaptive and nonlinear signal processing - Applications, including: speech & audio, image & video, music, biomedical signals & images, communications, bioinformatics, biometrics, computational intelligence, genomic signals & sequences, social networks, games, smart grid, security & privacy DATA ANALYSIS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING COMPETITION The competition is organized in conjunction with the workshop. The goal of the competition is to advance the current state-of-the-art in theoretical and practical aspects of signal processing domains. SPECIAL SESSIONS MLSP 2015 seeks proposals for Special Sessions that will address research in emerging or interdisciplinary areas of particular interest, not covered already by traditional MLSP sessions. Please submit proposals to the Special Session Chair. BEST STUDENT AWARD The MLSP Best Student Paper Award will be granted to the best paper for which a student is the principal author and presenter. PAPER SUBMISSION Prospective authors are invited to submit a double column paper of up to six pages using the electronic submission procedure at http://mlsp2015.conwiz.dk. Accepted papers will be published on a password-protected website that will be available during the workshop. The presented papers will be published in and indexed by IEEE Xplore. IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES: Special session proposals: April 12, 2015 Paper submissions: May 17, 2015 Decision notifications: June 21, 2015 Camera-ready papers due: June 28, 2015 Advance registration: August 2, 2015 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: General Chair: Deniz Erdoğmuş, Northeastern University Program Chairs: Murat Akçakaya, University of Pittsburgh Serdar Kozat, Bilkent University Competition Chair: Vince Calhoun, University of New Mexico Special Session Chair: Catherine Huang, Intel Labs Publicity Chairs: Kostas Diamantaras, TEI of Thessaloniki Marc Van Hulle, KU Leuven Publication Chair: Jan Larsen, Technical University of Denmark

March 27, 2015

Graduate Researcher / Postdoc position available at the SimLab Neuroscience, Juelich Research Centre

by Abigail Morrison

Dear colleagues, we have a position available in the SImLab Neuroscience, Juelich Research Centre, Germany, at the graduate or postdoc level. We are looking for candidates with a proven track record in developing scientific software, especially with an HPC focus, and an interest in Neuroscience. For a full description and details of how to apply, please see the announcement on our website: http://www.fz-juelich.de/SharedDocs/Stellenangebote/_common/dna/2015-062-EN… All the best, Abigail Morrison -- Prof. Dr. Abigail Morrison IAS-6 & INM-6 / SimLab Neuroscience Jülich Research Center http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-6/ http://www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc/EN/Expertise/SimLab/slns/_node.html Office: +49 2461 61-9805 Fax # : +49 2461 61-9460 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 27, 2015

2nd Model-based Neuroscience Summer School Amsterdam June 1-5

by Jane Neumann

Dear colleagues, *June 1-5 2015* will see the second *Model-based Neuroscience Summer School*, hosted at the *University of Amsterdam*. The school will provide students with hands-on experience in both cognitive modeling using diffusion and accumulator models and simple neuroscience methods. In addition, the program includes a debate between the two most prominent perspectives on the model-based neuroscience of perceptual decision-making. These perspectives place a different primary focus on either behavior (Ratcliff) or neural dynamics (Logan). Consequently, they bring different insights to the combined research agenda. The summer school is aimed at PhD students and early PostDocs who wish to combine cognitive modelling with experimental and theoretical neuroscience research. Students should be familiar with general programming concepts and state in their application which programming languages and software packages they typically use. The summer school is only 100 euro, however, we ask that students make their own housing arrangements. Space is limited, therefore we ask that you provide a statement of interest. We will base selection of students based on the relevance of the summer school to their research. More information about the teachers, preliminary programme, and application can be found at www.modelbasedneuroscience.com <http://www.modelbasedneuroscience.com/> We are looking forward to welcoming you in Amsterdam! Organization: Birte Forstmann, University of Amsterdam Jane Neumann, University Medical Center Leipzig and MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Roger Ratcliff, Ohio State University Leendert van Maanen, University of Amsterdam

March 27, 2015

Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 2015

by Seeger, Simone

Call for Abstracts: Bernstein Conference 2015 Deadline of Abstract Submission: May 15, 2015 ************************************************************** Satellite Workshops September 14, 2015 Main Conference September 15-17, 2015 ************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference has become the largest annual Computational Neuroscience Conference in Europe and now regularly attracts more than 500 international participants. This year, the Conference is organized by the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg-Mannheim and will take place on September 15-17, 2015, in Heidelberg. In addition, there will be a series of pre-conference satellite workshops on September 14, 2015. The Bernstein Conference is a single-track conference, covering all aspects of Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, and sessions for poster presentations are an integral part of the conference. We now invite the submission of abstracts for poster presentations from all relevant areas. Accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Additionally, a small number of abstracts will be selected for contributed talks. DETAILS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION: For abstract submission visit: http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2015/abstracts Please note that the submission of an abstract does not replace the conference registration! Conference registration starts on April 27. Abstract submission deadline: May 15, 2015 CONFERENCE DETAILS: Venue: Satellite Workshops and Main Conference, "Neue Universität", Grabengasse 3-5 ("Universitätsplatz"), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany Registration: Conference Registration starts on April 27, 2015 Early registration deadline: July 21, 2015 For more information on the conference, please visit the website: http://www.bernstein-conference.de PUBLIC PHD STUDENT EVENT: September 17-18, 2015 PUBLIC LECTURE: September 15, 2015 FOR THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Peter Bastian We look forward to seeing you in Heidelberg in September! *** Simone Seeger, M.A. Administration Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit Postfach 12 21 20, 68072 Mannheim J5, 68159 Mannheim Telefon: 0621/1703-1326 oder 06221/54-8310 Fax: 0621/1703-2915 E-Mail: Simone.Seeger(a)zi-mannheim.de<mailto:Simone.Seeger@zi-mannheim.de> Internet: http://www.bccn-heidelberg-mannheim.de<http://www.bccn-heidelberg-mannheim.de/>

March 27, 2015

Radboud Summer School Neural Metrics 2.0 : Connectomics & Large-Scale Methods

by Marcel van Gerven

Neural Metrics 2.0 : Connectomics & Large-Scale Methods Second call The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour/Radboud University is organizing a summer school on neural metrics with the aim to get participants acquainted with the quantitative analysis of neural organisation and function. In Neural Metrics 2.0 we will build on the success from the previous year, focussing on methods for understanding brain networks such as connectomics as well as large scale and Bayesian methods, with world class speakers, hands-on tutorials, student projects and an interactive debate. The topics covered range from cellular connectomics to human functional connectomics. The course is designed for PhD students and starting postdoctoral researchers working at the interface between cognitive neuroscience and the application of advanced methods. Please consult the Radboud Summer school website (http://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/ <http://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/>) for details on the program, social events and registration. Further details for the Neural Metrics Summer School can be found below and on the website (http://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/courses/brain-behaviour/@972443/neural… <http://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/courses/brain-behaviour/@972443/neural…>). Dates : Monday 10 August - Friday 14 August 2015 (1 week) Application Deadline : 15 June 2015 Course leaders : Bernhard Englitz, Marcel van Gerven, Fleur Zeldenrust, Tansu Celikel Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour & Radboud University Participant profile : This course was developed for PhD students and early postdoctoral researchers working at the interface between cellular and cognitive neuroscience requiring advanced methods of analysis. This includes research in the field of Neuroscience with an MSc in Biology, Computer Science, Psychology, Physics, Al, Mathematics, Engineering or a similar major. Admission requirements : As part of the admission procedure, we ask you to send us your CV and a brief motivation letter in which you explain your interest in our course. Course fee : 600 Euros The course fee includes the registration fee, course materials, access to library and IT facilities, coffee/tea, lunch, and a number of social activities. Accommodation is available for the course participants (additional charges apply). For details please see http://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/practical-matters/housing/ <http://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/practical-matters/housing/> Discounts : • 15% discount for students and PhD candidates from Radboud University and partner universities, • 10% Early bird discount deadline: 1 April 2015

March 27, 2015

Kosice Neuroscience Workshop April 20-24

by Norbert Kopco

The Second Workshop and Lecture Series on */"Cognitive neuroscience of auditory and cross-modal perception"/* 20 - 24 April 2015 Kosice, Slovakia http://pcl.upjs.sk/ *Objectives:* This workshop and lecture series will include introductory lectures and advanced research talks on a range of topics related to the */neural processes of auditory, visual and cross-modal perception/*. The talks will illustrate the */multidisciplinary character of cognitive neuroscience research/*, covering behavioral, neuroimaging, and modeling approaches, as well as applications of the research in auditory prosthetic devices. The workshop is aimed at */early-stage and advanced students and young researchers/*, and it will provide ample opportunities for direct interactions between the lecturers and the attendees. Themes Spatial hearing, vision and crossmodal perception, neural modeling, methods in cognitive neuroscience: behavioral experiments, EEG and fMRI imaging, modeling, applications: cochlear implants, hearing aids. *Format* Lectures 20 - 22 April, Consultations 23 – 24 April *Venue* Historicka aula, P. J. Safarik University, Srobarova 2, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia *Organizers* Norbert Kopco, PhD. (norbert.kopco(a)upjs.sk <mailto:norbert.kopco@upjs.sk>) Frederick Gallun, PhD. (Frederick.Gallun(a)va.gov <mailto:Frederick.Gallun@va.gov>) *Organizing team and contact* Beata Tomoriova, Lubos Hladek, Perception and Cognition Lab <http://pcl.upjs.sk>,**kogneuro(a)gmail.com <mailto:kogneuro@gmail.com> Program overview Lectures, talks, posters: Mon, Tue, Wed: 8:30 – 12:00, 13:30 – 16:05 expert lectures, 16:05 – 17:00: contributed posters & presentations Plenary lecture and panel discussion: Wed: 17:30-19:00 in Zlaty Dukat hotel Consultations: * Thu: 8:30 – 11:30 Individual consultations with experts (by appointment) and work on assignments, 12:00 – 17:00 individual work on assignments (8:30 – 11:30 alternatively, interested participants can attend the Symposium on university spin-offs and start-up companies <http://pcl.ics.upjs.sk/symposium2015/>) * Fri: 8:30 – 11:30 Individual consultations with experts (by appointment) and work on assignments Plenary lecture and panel discussion *Virginia Best, Frederick Gallun, and Norbert Kopco*“Audibility and spatial hearing” Speakers and lecture topics *Simon Carlile*(University of Sydney) Lecture 1: Active listening: Speech intelligibility in cocktail party listening. Lecture 2: Listening in motion *Pierre Divenyi*(Stanford University) Lecture 1: Toward an evolutionary theory of speech: how and why did it develop the way it did. Lecture 2: What is the cost of simultaneously listening to the “what” and the “when” in speech? ** *Christopher Stecker *(Vanderbilt University) Lecture 1: RESTART theory: discrete sampling of binaural information during envelope fluctuations is a fundamental constraint on binaural processing. Lecture 2: Neuroimaging of task-dependent spatial processing in human auditory cortex. Assignment 1: Psychophysical exploration of binaural cues synchronized to envelope fluctuations: testing the RESTART theory with synthetic and naturalistic sounds. (hackathon type assignment) Assignment 2: Analysis of an fMRI data set combining task and binaural manipulations in a factorial manner. ** *Bernhard Laback*(Austrian Academy of Sciences) Lecture 1: Sound Localization Cues and Perceptual Grouping in Electric Hearing Lecture 2: Temporal effects in the perception of interaural time differences: Data and model predictions Assignment: Acoustic simulation of cochlear implant perception with low-frequency residual hearing ** *Volker Hohmann *(University of Oldenburg) Lecture 1: Modeling Auditory Scene Analysis by multidimensional statistical filtering Lecture 2: Modeling Cocktail Party Processing in a Multitalker Mixture using Harmonicity and Binaural Features Assignment: Implementation of a statistical estimator (particle filter) that tracks a (simulated) pitch track partially masked by noise. ** *Arash Yazdanbakhsh*(Boston University) Lecture 1: Pursuit eye movements and perceived object velocity, potential clinical applications. Lecture 2: Visuospatial memory and where eyes look when the percept changes. Assignment: A simulation assignment to replicate the gain of eye pursuit in following a target. ** *Aaron Seitz*(University of California, Riverside) Lecture 1: Perceptual Learning; specificity, transfer and how learning is a distributed process Lecture 2: Brain Training; How to train cognition to yield transfer to real world contexts ** *Frederick (Erick) Gallun *(US Dept. of Veterans Affairs and Oregon Health & Science University) Lecture 1: Learning From Nature’s Experiments: What Clinical Research Can Mean for Sensory Scientists Lecture 2: Auditory Processing After mild Traumatic Brain Injury: New Findings and Next Steps Assignment: Establishing normative ranges of performance using non-linear functions ** *Istvan Winkler*(Hungarian Academy of Science) Lecture 1: Auditory processing capabilities supporting communication in preverbal infants Lecture 2: Modeling auditory stream segregation by predictive processes ** *Virginia Best*(Boston University) Lecture 1: Spatial Hearing: Effect of hearing loss and hearing aids. Assignment: MATLAB assignment: simulating the effect of hearing loss on spatial cues ** *Petr Maršálek*(Charles University in Prague) Lecture 1: Coincidence detection in the MSO – computational approaches Lecture 2: On the single neuron computation Travel, accommodation, visitor information /Travel: /The Kosice Airport <http://www.airportkosice.sk/en/>is served by Austrian Airlines <http://www.austrian.com/>and Czech Airlines <http://www.csa.cz>(via Vienna, Prague, Bratislava) and by low-cost airline Wizzair <http://wizzair.com/en-GB/Search>(London Luton Airport). Alternatively you can fly to Budapest and take a 3.5-hr shuttle bus to Kosice (for example, using the cassoviaexpres <http://cassoviaexpres.sk/en/>shuttle bus company). From Krakow you can take the 4-hr shuttle bus operated by Airtrans.sk <http://airtrans.sk/en/>. More information about how to get to Kosice (also by train or bus) can be found here <http://www.visitkosice.eu/en/to-get-there/arriving-to-the-city>.// /Accommodation:/A conference rate of 50EUR/night+(1.5e local tax) has been negotiated with the Zlaty dukat <http://www.zlatydukat.sk/index.php?lang=en>hotel. Please, make your reservation by contacting the hotel directly, either through their website or by emailing the hotel at hotel(a)hotelzlatydukat.sk and mention the “Cognitive Neuroscience Workshop” to get the rate. Otherwise, there are several hotels close to the workshop venue, for example Hotel Teledom <http://www.hotelteledom.sk>, Villa Regia <http://villaregia.sk/en/>, Doubletree by Hilton <http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/slovak-republic/doubletree-by-hilto…>, Hotel Yasmin <http://www.hotel-yasmin.sk/>, Hotel Maraton <http://www.hotelmaraton.sk/>(for more hotel options please see http://www.booking.com, http://www.hotels.com, for hostels see: http://www.hostels.com, http://www.hostelworld.com) // /Visitor information and current events:/Košice was one of the European Capitals of Culture in 2013 <http://www.visitkosice.eu/en/things-to-see-and-do/sightseeing-in-kosice/tra…>. For the list of new cultural venues and current events there, see http://k13.sk/(in Slovak). For all events and trip ideas see http://www.visitkosice.eu/, http://www.slovaktours.eu/, http://www.mickosice.sk/ <http://www.mickosice.sk/index.php?lang=eng>, http://slovakia.travel/, or http://www.slovakia.com/ // Registration The workshop is open to all interested students/scientists. Registration is free of charge but required (mostly for organizational reasons). In order to register, please send an email to kogneuro(a)gmail.com stating your name and affiliation, dates on which you are planning to attend. In case you would like to have a presentation please send us an abstract (up to 200 words) and an indication whether you prefer poster or oral presentation no later than April 10, 2015. Related event Workshop attendees might also be interested in an independent Symposium on university spin-offs and start-up companies <http://pcl.ics.upjs.sk/symposium2015/>that will take place on 23 April 2015. Last year’s website http://pcl.upjs.sk/workshop2014/ Funding This workshop / lecture series is organized within the Project implementation: SOFOS – knowledge and skill development of the academic staff and students at the University of Pavol Jozef Safarik in Kosice with emphasis on interdisciplinary competencies and integration into international research centres, ITMS: 26110230088, supported by the Research & Development Operational Programme funded by the ESF. Modern education for knowledge society / This project is being co-financed by the European Union -- doc. Norbert Kopco, Ph.D. Assoc Professor / Senior Researcher: Inst of Computer Sci, Faculty of Science, Safarik Univ, Kosice, Slovakia Adjunct: Ctr for Computational Neurosci (CompNet), Boston University & Martinos Ctr for Biomed Imaging, Harvard Med School - Mass Gen Hospital P: +16175759556 F: +14847279884, kopco(a)bu.edu, http://cns.bu.edu/~kopco

March 26, 2015

One week left to apply for an independent postdoc at SISSA

by Alessandro Treves

The Neuroscience Area of SISSA has opened a new postdoctoral position. The fellowship awardee may join any of the available research groups, see http://www.sissa.it/announcement/neuroscience-area-new-postdoc-position or may choose to work independently. Candidates with a potential to bring extra diversity are particularly encouraged to apply. Deadline April 3rd! -- Alessandro Treves http://people.sissa.it/~ale/limbo.html SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy and Master in Complex Actions http://www.mca.sissa.it/

March 26, 2015

PhD position - Coding of retinal ganglion cells - Multi-electrode array - Oldenburg, Germany

by Jutta Kretzberg

The Visual Neuroscience group at the University of Oldenburg, Germany is offering a PhD position (TV-L E13 50%) in population coding of retinal ganglion cells starting in May 2015. The position is initially funded until March 31 2018. The goal of our research is to understand how visual signals are transmitted from the retina to the brain. We study how populations of neurons encode information using large-scale multi-electrode arrays, which are able to record the responses of around a thousand neurons of various cell-types simultaneously for several hours. The visual stimulus is transduced into electrical signals by the photoreceptors of the retina, processed by many types of interneurons, and conveyed to the brain by the ganglion cells along their axons that form the optic nerve. All visual information is encoded in temporal patterns of electrical impulses of the ganglion cells. We know from morphological studies that over 20 types of ganglion cells exist. Each type carries a specialized and distinct representation of the visual environment to different targets in the brain. We do not know the response properties of many types, especially in natural viewing conditions, nor do we fully understand how the diverse information sent by the different cell types collectively determines visual perception and behavior. For more information please visit www.uni-oldenburg.de/retina. We seek a highly motivated PhD student with an academic university degree (Master or Diploma) in Biology, Physics, Informatics or related fields. Applicants should have strong computing skills, experience or training in neuroscience and interest in vision research. Electrophysiological experience is an advantage. The Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increasing the percentage of women in science. Therefore, equally qualified female candidates will be given preference. Applicants with disabilities will be preferentially considered in case of equal qualification. Please submit your application (in English or German) including a motivation letter with a description of your scientific interest, a CV, degree certificates, and contact information of two references to Prof. Dr. Martin Greschner (martin.greschner(a)uni-oldenburg.de) preferably by email, as a single pdf-file or by mail to the Universität Oldenburg, Fakultät VI, Visual Neuroscience, 26111 Oldenburg. Applications will be considered until April 20th.

March 26, 2015