- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Postdoctoral position in computational/theoretical neuroscience

by Odelia Schwartz

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in computational/theoretical neuroscience, in the lab of Odelia Schwartz at the University of Miami. Our lab employs tools of computational and theoretical neuroscience, to study systems from the neural level through to perception and behavior. For example, we develop models of sensory processing based on the hypothesis that images, movies, and sounds have predictable and quantifiable statistical regularities to which the brain is sensitive. The models are constructed through interplay with physiological and psychophysical data. Example projects include but are not limited to: (1) Modeling of how neurons and percepts are affected by contextual information in time dynamically; (2) Modeling of hierarchical cortical processing. For more information about the lab and recent publications, see: http://www.cs.miami.edu/~odelia/ The candidate should have a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline, a strong quantitative background, and an interest in neuroscience. Prior experience would ideally include areas such as computational neuroscience, machine learning, statistics and/or signal processing. University of Miami offers a vibrant interdisciplinary environment, with a growing emphasis on a brain sciences initiative. The position will be in the Department of Computer Science, with opportunities to collaborate with Psychology, Biology and the School of Medicine. The university is located in beautiful Coral Gables, and surrounded by Miami. Initial appointment is for one year with possible yearly renewal for a total period of three years. Salary is competitive and will be commensurate with experience. Please apply online for position # 050932 : UM Careers website http://um.hodesiq.com/job_start.asp Send inquiries; or a CV, a short statement of research interests, and names and contact information of 3 references to: Odelia Schwartz odelia(a)cs.miami.edu The University of Miami offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental benefits, tuition remission, vacation, paid holidays and much more. The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law.

Feb. 13, 2015

Deadline for RLDM2015 *postponed* to 20th Feb, midnight EST

by Yael Niv

In response to a number of requests, we have, exceptionally, postponed the deadline for submission of abstracts to RLDM2025 by one week, to midnight EST on the 20th Feb 2015. We apologise for the short notice. Do please submit - and we hope to see you in Edmonton in June! -------------------------------- The 2nd Multidisciplinary Conference on Reinforcement Learning and Decision Making (RLDM2015) www.rldm.org<http://www.rldm.org/> June 7-10, The University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada ====================================================== Submissions to RLDM2015 are now being accepted at https://cmt.research.microsoft.com/RLDM2015 Deadline: 20th February 2015, midnight EST We invite extended abstracts for contributed poster presentations and oral presentations. We welcome submissions of original research related to “learning and decision making over time to achieve a goal”, coming from any discipline or disciplines, describing empirical results from human, animal or animat experiments, and/or theoretical work, simulations and modeling. Contributions should be aimed at an interdisciplinary audience, but not at the expense of technical excellence. This is an abstract-based meeting, with no published conference proceedings. As such, work that is intended for, or has been submitted to, other conferences or journals is also welcome, provided that the intent of communication to other disciplines is clear. Submissions should consist of a summary (max 2000 characters; text only), and an extended abstract of between one and four pages (including figures and references). LaTeX and RTF templates, and sample submissions, are available from http://rldm.org/rldm2015/submission-procedure/ Note: Only the summary will be made available in the (electronic) abstract booklets. The extended abstract will be used for reviewing, and will be available online only pending on authors’ separate explicit permission. Online availability will have no bearing on the review process and authors are encouraged to include new, unpublished, findings which they do not want to make publicly available. To submit your abstract please go to https://cmt.research.microsoft.com/RLDM2015 Submissions will be reviewed for relevance to the topic and for quality. Exceptional abstracts will be selected for oral presentations and for poster spotlight presentations. IMPORTANT DATES: Submissions close: 20 Feb 2015, 11:59pm EST Notification of acceptance: by March 28, 2015 (expedited reviewing for those needing an international visa can be requested) Early registration: 28 April 2015 (see http://rldm.org/rldm2015/registration/) Meeting: 7-10 June 2015, Edmonton, Alberta (*NEW* this year: Tutorials on the 7th) RLDM2015 Invited speakers: http://rldm.org/rldm2015/invited-speakers2015/ RLDM2015 Tutorials: http://rldm.org/rldm2015/tutorials/ RLDM2015 Programme Committee: http://rldm.org/rldm2015/committees/rldm2015-program-committee/

Feb. 13, 2015

[CfP SASO'2015] 21-25 September 2015 - Boston Massachusetts

by Frédéric Armetta

****************************************************************************************** CALL FOR PAPERS The Ninth IEEE International Conference on Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing Systems (SASO 2015) Boston Massachusetts; 21-25 September 2015 https://saso2015.mit.edu/ ****************************************************************************************** Part of FAS* - Foundation and Applications of Self* Computing Conferences Collocated with: The International Conference on Cloud and Autonomic Computing (CAC 2015) The 15th IEEE Peer-to-Peer Computing Conference (P2P 2015) ------------------- Aims and Scope ------------------- The aim of the Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing systems conference series (SASO) is to provide a forum for the foundations of a principled approach to engineering systems, networks and services based on self-adaptation and self-organization. The complexity of current and emerging networks, software and services, especially in dealing with dynamics in the environment and problem domain, has led the software engineering, distributed systems and management communities to look for inspiration in diverse fields (e.g., complex systems, control theory, artificial intelligence, sociology, and biology) to find new ways of designing and managing such computing systems. In this endeavor, self-organization and self-adaptation have emerged as two promising interrelated approaches. They form the basis for many other self-* properties, such as self-configuration, self-healing, or self-optimization. Systems exhibiting such properties are often referred to as self-* systems. The ninth edition of the SASO conference embraces the inter-disciplinarity and the scientific, empirical, and application dimensions of self-* systems and welcomes novel results on both self-adaptive and self-organizing systems research. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to: - Self-* systems theory: theoretical frameworks and models; biologically- and socially-inspired paradigms; inter-operation of self-* mechanisms; - Self-* systems engineering: reusable mechanisms, design patterns, architectures, methodologies; software and middleware development frameworks and methods, platforms and toolkits; hardware; self-* materials; - Self-* system properties: robustness, resilience and stability; emergence; computational awareness and self-awareness; reflection; - Self-* cyber-physical and socio-technical systems: human factors and visualization; self-* social computers; crowdsourcing and collective awareness; human-in-the-loop; - Applications and experiences of self-* systems: cyber security, transportation, computational sustainability, big data and creative commons, power systems; swarm systems and robotics. - Self-* in education: experience reports; curricula; innovative course concepts; methodological aspects of self-* systems education Contributions must present novel theoretical or experimental results; novel design patterns, mechanisms, system architectures, frameworks or tools; or practical approaches and experiences in building or deploying real-world systems and applications. Contributions contrasting different approaches for engineering a given family of systems, or demonstrating the applicability of a certain approach for different systems, are equally encouraged. Likewise, papers describing substantial innovation or insights in the use and communication of self-* systems in the classroom are welcome. Where relevant and appropriate, accepted papers will also be encouraged to participate in the Demo or Poster Sessions. -------------------- Important Dates -------------------- Abstract submission: May 8, 2015 Paper submission: May 22, 2015 (There will be no extensions of this deadline!) Notification: June 30, 2015 Camera ready copy due: July 17, 2015 Conference: September 21-25, 2015 ---------------------------- Submission Instructions ---------------------------- All submissions should be 10 pages and formatted according to the IEEE Computer Society Press proceedings style guide and submitted electronically in PDF format. Please register as authors and submit your papers using the SASO 2015 conference management system that will be announced on the website. The proceedings will be published by IEEE Computer Society Press, and made available as a part of the IEEE Digital Library. Note that a separate Call for Poster Submissions will also be issued. --------------------- Review Criteria --------------------- Papers should present novel ideas in the cross-disciplinary research context described in this call, clearly motivated by problems from current practice or applied research. We expect both theoretical and empirical contributions to be clearly stated, substantiated by formal analysis, simulation, experimental evaluations, comparative studies, and so on. Appropriate reference must be made to related work. Because SASO is a cross-disciplinary conference, papers must be intelligible and relevant to researchers who are not members of the same specialized sub-field. Authors are also encouraged to submit papers describing applications. Application papers are expected to provide an indication of the real world relevance of the problem that is solved, including a description of the deployment domain, and some form of evaluation of performance, usability, or comparison to alternative approaches. Experience papers are also welcome but they must clearly state the insight into any aspect of design, implementation or management of self-* systems which is of benefit to practitioners and the SASO community. ------------------------------- Conference General Chairs ------------------------------- Howard E Shrobe MIT CSAIL, Cambridge, MA, USA Julie A McCann Imperial College London, UK -------------------- Program Chairs -------------------- Emma Hart Edinburgh Napier University Gregory Sullivan BAE Systems AIT Jan-Philipp Steghöfer University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Feb. 13, 2015

Reminder: Bernstein Conference 2015 – Call for Workshops

by Seeger, Simone

The National Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for Satellite Workshops directly preceding the Bernstein Conference 2015 in Heidelberg ********************************************************************************** Call for Workshop proposals: Workshops: September 14, 2015 (Main Bernstein Conference: September 15-17, 2015) Deadline of proposal submission: March 15, 2015 Notification of acceptance: April 20, 2015 Conference Registration starts: April 27, 2015 Early Registration Deadline: July 21, 2015 ********************************************************************************** The Bernstein Conference started out as the annual meeting of the National Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience and has become the largest single-track Computational Neuroscience conference in Europe in recent years. Since 2013, the Bernstein Conference hosts pre-conference workshops, which have developed swiftly into a well-attended event. They supply a stage to debate topical research questions and challenges in Computational Neuroscience and related fields, different points of view and scientific approaches in an informal setting. Workshops addressing controversial issues, open problems, and comparisons of competing approaches are encouraged. SCHEDULE: September 14, 2015, 9:00 – 18:30. You may apply for either half-day or full-day workshops. Workshop costs: The Bernstein Conference does not provide financial support, but workshop organizers and speakers are offered free workshop registration and reduced fees for the main conference. For further information about the conference, please visit the conference website<http://www.bernstein-conference.de>. DETAILS FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS: The Workshop Proposal form can be downloaded here<http://www.nncn.de/de/bernstein-conference/2015/satellite-workshops/worksho…>. Deadline for submission of Workshop Proposals: March 15, 2015 We are looking forward to meeting you in Heidelberg! THE WORKSHOP PROGRAM COMMITTEE Matthias Bethge (Bernstein Center Tübingen) Upinder Bhalla (NCBS, Bangalore) Carlos Brody (Princeton University) Gustavo Deco (University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona) Andreas Draguhn (Bernstein Center Heidelberg-Mannheim) Daniel Durstewitz (Bernstein Center Heidelberg-Mannheim) Gaute Einevoll (Norvegian University of Life Sciences, Aas) Andreas Herz (Bernstein Center Munich) Peter Kirsch (Bernstein Center Heidelberg-Mannheim) Sara Solla (Northwestern University, Evanston) *** 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/>

Feb. 13, 2015

Postdoctoral positions at the Hebrew University: The Gatsby Program in Theoretical Neuroscience

by Yoram Burak

The Gatsby Program in Theoretical Neuroscience at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) is inviting applications for postdoctoral fellowships from students who are finishing, or have recently finished, their Ph.D. studies in mathematics, physics, computer science, computational neuroscience, or related fields. Preference will be given to postdocs who perform collaborative research mentored jointly by theorists and experimentalists. A priority area for the Program is sponsoring activities that strengthen the ties between this Program and the two partner centers: the Gatsby Unit for Computational Neuroscience (UCL, London) and the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience (Columbia University, NY). These activities include joint meetings, exchange of students, postdocs and faculty, and collaborative research. Research at ELSC offers a vibrant scientific environment and excellent opportunities for interaction with researchers interested in systems and computational neuroscience. For additional information, see: http://elsc.huji.ac.il. For further information about the Gatsby Program at ELSC, see: http://elsc.huji.ac.il/gatsby. *The Gatsby Fellows Program* In addition to regular postdoctoral fellowships, the program provides special fellowships for outstanding junior researchers at their senior postdoctoral level working on theoretical and computational neuroscience at the Hebrew University. Fellows are admitted to the Program based on their credentials and are free to choose their research agenda and their host lab in the course of their first semester in residence. In addition to upgraded salaries and housing support, Fellows receive modest research funds aimed primarily for travel to other labs or conferences. Fellows are expected to actively participate in initiatives that strengthen Tri-Center interactions. *Applications* Candidates for postdoctoral fellowships and applicants for the Fellows Program are invited to send their CV and research statement, and to arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to Ms. Irit Dagan: irit.dagan1(a)mail.huji.ac.il. *Theoretical Neuroscience at the Hebrew University * Haim Sompolinsky, Program Director (Physics, ELSC) Yoram Burak (Physics, ELSC) Amir Globerson (Computer Science) Yonatan Loewenstein (Cognition, Neurobiology, ELSC) Idan Segev (Neurobiology, ELSC) Naftali Tishby (Computer Science, ELSC) Daphna Weinshall (Computer Science) Yair Weiss (Computer Science, ELSC)

Feb. 12, 2015

call for illusion submissions: the 11th Best Illusion of the Year Contest

by Susana Martinez-Conde

****CALL FOR ILLUSION SUBMISSIONS: THE WORLD'S 11TH ANNUAL BEST ILLUSION OF THE YEARSM CONTEST**** http://illusionoftheyear.com *** We are happy to announce the 11th edition of world's Best Illusion of the YearSM Contest!!*** Submissions are now welcome! Starting this year, the Best Illusion of the YearSM Contest will bring the creativity of the illusion creator community all around the world. To accomplish this, the Contest will become an annual online event, in which anybody with an internet connection can participate! No matter where you live, you can participate as a contestant, and/or vote for the Top 3 winners yourself! Contestants are invited to submit 1-minute videos featuring novel illusions (unpublished, or published no earlier than 2014) of all sensory modalities (visual, auditory, etc.), in mp4 format. The content of the 1-minute video presenting your illusion is solely up to you, and the only requirement is that it wows all viewers! Some examples include, but are not limited to, a: * Slide presentation, or succession of images, with a voice over (or written text, if you prefer) * Video of yourself describing your illusion * Video of your illusion, expressed in interpretative dance (just kidding -or not-, but you get the idea!) An international panel of impartial judges will rate all the videos and narrow them down to the Top 10. Then, online voters around the world will choose their favorite illusions from the Top 10 finalists. All Top 10 finalists will receive a commemorative plaque. In addition, the Top 3 winners will receive cash prizes: $3,000 for first place; $2,000 for second place, and $1,000 for third place. The Judge Panel will rate illusions according to: * Significance to our understanding of the human mind and brain * Simplicity of the description * Sheer beauty * Counterintuitive quality * Spectacularity Submissions will be held in strict confidence by the Judge Panel and the authors/creators will retain copyright of their works. The Top 10 illusions will be posted online to allow worldwide voting. As with submitting your work to any conference, participating in the Best Illusion of the YearSM Contest does not preclude you from also submitting your work for publication elsewhere. Illusions submitted to previous editions of the Contest can be re-submitted to the 2015 Contest, as long as they meet the above requirements and were not among the Top 10 illusions in previous years. You can send your 1-minute video to Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde via email ( <mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com> smart(a)neuralcorrelate.com) until April 1, 2015. On behalf of the Executive Board of the Neural Correlate Society: Jose-Manuel Alonso, Stephen Macknik, Susana Martinez-Conde, Luis Martinez, Xoana Troncoso, Peter Tse ---------------------------------------------------------------- Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Physiology & Pharmacology Director, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience Scholar, Empire Innovator Program State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203, USA Email: smart(a)neuralcorrelate.com <mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com> Phone: +1 718-270-4520 http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com <http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com/>

Feb. 12, 2015

Postdoc position in Computational Neuroscience in the Clopath lab.

by Claudia Clopath

Postdoc position in Computational Neuroscience in the Clopath lab. ----------------------------------------------------- Computational Neuroscience Laboratory Headed by Dr. Claudia Clopath Department of Bioengineering Imperial College London -----------------Requirements:----------------- The Computational Neuroscience Laboratory, headed by Dr. Claudia Clopath, is looking for a talented Postdoc, interested in working in the field of computational neuroscience, specifically addressing questions of learning and memory. The perfect candidate has a strong mathematical, physical or engineering background (or equivalent), and a keen interest in biological and neural systems. A PhD in the field of computational neuroscience is a plus. -----------------Research topic:----------------- Learning and memory are among the most fascinating topic of neuroscience, yet our understanding of it is only at the beginning. Learning is thought to change the connections between the neurons in the brain, a process called synaptic plasticity. Using mathematical and computational tools, it is possible to model synaptic plasticity across different time scales, which helps understand how different types of memory are formed. The PhD candidate will be working to build those models of synaptic plasticity, and study the functional role of synaptic plasticity in artificial neural networks. ----------------- The lab:----------------------- The Computational Neuroscience Laboratory is very young and dynamic, and publishes in prestigious journals, such as Nature and Science. It is part of the Department of Bioengineering, which conducts state-of-the-art multidisciplinary research in biomechanics, neuroscience and neurotechnology. The lab is at Imperial College London, the 3rd ranked university in Europe, is in the top 10 worldwide, and is located in the city centre of London. More information can be found at: http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/c.clopath/ ----------------- How to apply:----------------- Candidates should send a single pdf file, consisting of a 1-page motivation letter and CV (including publication list) to clopathlab.imperial(a)gmail.com, with the subject containing 'Postdoc2015'. In addition, candidates should organize two letters of reference to be sent to clopathlab.imperial(a)gmail.com. The position is open until filled but the earlier applications will be considered first.

Feb. 12, 2015

Research Fellow in Computational Neuroscience, University of Surrey, UK

by Thomas Nowotny

On behalf of Dr. Andre Gruening, University of Surrey: Research Fellow in Computational Neuroscience, University of Surrey, UK We are looking for a Research Fellow (Post-Doc) to work on a cross-disciplinaryresearch project in the fields of computational neuroscience, nature-inspired computation and machine learning on "Structures of Learning Algorithms for Spiking Neural Networks" with Dr Andre Gruning at the Computing Department of the University of Surrey. This post and research project are funded by the European Union's high-profile flagship "Human Brain Project", and the researcher will become part of the vibrant community of the Human Brain Project (https://www.humanbrainproject.eu<https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/>) and is expected to proactively interact within other research groups within the Human Brain Project. The researcher will be based at the University of Surrey, but will also be given the opportunity to spend significant amounts of her/his research time at the European Institute for Theoretical Neuroscience at Paris (www.eitn.eu) or with other collaborating Human Brain Project partners. The post holder is expected to hold a PhD (or be close to completion of a PhD) in a relevant area such as Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics or Engineering. Programming skills in C/C++ and/or Python are a must as well as excellent mathematical and analytical skills. Expertise in computational and mathematical modelling of spiking neural networks and their learning algorithms is a plus. Experience with standard neural network modelling tools such as PyNN and NEST are also highly desirable as are excellent scientific writing skills. Mathematical experience should include differential equations, partial derivatives and basic stochastics. Start date: 1st March 2015 or as soon as possible thereafter. The appointment is until 31st March 2016 in the first instance. Interviews for the post are planned for February 2015. Informal enquires are encouraged directly to Dr Andre Gruning (e-mail:a.gruning@surrey.ac.uk<mailto:a.gruning@surrey.ac.uk>, tel: +44-1483-68-2648). A more detailed project description is available on request. Please apply online at https://jobs.surrey.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=005015 -- Prof. Thomas Nowotny CCNR, Sussex Neuroscience Phone: +44-1273-678593 Engineering and Informatics Fax: +44-1273-877873 University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ http://sussex.ac.uk/informatics/tnowotny

Feb. 12, 2015

postdoc position

by Yuri Ivanenko

I would like to advertise a postdoc position in 'Development of interactive locomotion', see below the job description. Thanks, Yuri Ivanenko ********************** Postdoc position in DEVELOPMENT OF INTERACTIVE LOCOMOTION -- Rome, Italy A postdoctoral position is available in the research group led by Yuri Ivanenko (y.ivanenko(a)hsantalucia.it) in the Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology of the Santa Lucia Foundation in Rome, Italy, to conduct studies in the area of human interactive locomotion. The postdoctoral researcher will be involved in a new interdisciplinary project (CogIMon), funded by the H2020 program of the European Union, aiming at a step change in human-robot interaction. The consortium comprises leading robotics, computational neuroscience, and human motor control European research groups. Research will be focused on investigating human sensorimotor strategies for coordination and control of human-human interactive locomotion including agents of different sizes (children, adults). Experiments will be conducted to understanding the acquisition of locomotor patterns when in physical contact with others. Applicants should have a recent Ph.D. in a relevant discipline, a real interest in development of human locomotion and sensorimotor control, and strong quantitative and programming skills. Experience with collection and analysis of experimental data, online data processing/control, and modeling of sensorimotor processes are valuable assets. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Applicants should provide a statement of research interests, a curriculum vitae, and contact information for references. The position is available starting on April 1^st 2015 and open until filled. _____________________ Yuri P. Ivanenko, PhD Head of Gait Laboratory, Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 306 via Ardeatina, 00179 Rome, Italy tel ++39 06.51.50.14.75 fax ++39 06.51.50.14.82 e-mail: y.ivanenko(a)hsantalucia.it Le informazioni contenute in questo messaggio sono riservate e destinate esclusivamente alla/e persona/e o all'ente sopra indicati. E' vietato ai soggetti diversi dai destinatari qualsiasi uso, copia e diffusione di quanto in esso contenuto sia ai sensi dell'art. 616 del codice penale che ai sensi della L. 196/03 (privacy). Se questo messaggio Vi e' pervenuto per errore, Vi preghiamo di non leggerlo, di distruggerlo e di comunicarci l'errone via e-mail o telefonanicamente. The information contained in this message is confidential and is intended for the exclusive use of the person(s) or company(s) above addessed. If you are not the intended recipient(s), you are expressly prohibited from using, copying and distributing this message or any part of it in accordance with art. 616 of the Italian criminal code and the Italian law 196/03 (privacy). If you received this message by mistake please don't read it but destroy it and then inform us by e-mail or by phone.

Feb. 12, 2015

Re: [Comp-neuro] New computational neuroscience paper on human postural control system in PLoS Comput Biol.

by André Fabio Kohn

Mesoscale neural model of human spinal cord, muscle receptors, muscle dynamics and standing control biomechanics. This recently published paper starts from neuronal ionic channels to model spinal cord neurons and ends at studying human postural control during quiet stance. It represents a closed loop system, with feedback achieved through appropriate muscle spindle and Golgi tendon organ models. It is a mesoscale model and it was successfully validated both at the individual level and the overall behavior level. Spinal cord neurons (motoneurons and excitatory and inhibitory interneurons) are modeled based on ionic channel dynamics, synapses have dynamic properties, afferent and efferent axons introduce delays, muscles and tendons are modeled based on human data, appropriate models of muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs provide sensory feedback to the spinal cord. Brain commands on the spinal cord are modeled through Gamma point processes with appropriate parameters. >From an overall theoretical view, the system is composed of nonlinear elements, it is stochastic and has delays and is described by approximately 5000 differential equations. Among its many new results, one is that a mixture of intermittent and continuous motor control may arise from the overall dynamics of the closed loop system, without influence from the brain. Elias, L.A., Watanabe, R.N. Kohn, A.F., 2014 (November). Spinal Mechanisms May Provide a Combination of Intermittent and Continuous Control of Human Posture: Predictions from a Biologically Based Neuromusculoskeletal Model http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.10039… Andre Fabio Kohn, Ph.D. Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience University of Sao Paulo, Brazil www.leb.usp.br 2015-01-30 18:36 GMT-02:00 André Fabio Kohn <andfkohn(a)gmail.com>: > This recently published paper starts from neuronal ionic channels to model > spinal cord neurons and ends at studying human postural control during > quiet stance. It represents a closed loop system, with feedback achieved > through appropriate muscle spindle and Golgi tendon organ models. It is a > mesoscale model and it was successfully validated both at the individual > level and the overall behavior level. Spinal cord neurons (motoneurons and > excitatory and inhibitory interneurons) are modeled based on ionic channel > dynamics, synapses have dynamic properties, afferent and efferent axons > introduce delays, muscles and tendons are modeled based on human data, > appropriate models of muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs provide > sensory feedback to the spinal cord. Brain commands on the spinal cord are > modeled through Gamma point processes with appropriate parameters. > > From an overall theoretical view, the system is composed of nonlinear > elements, it is stochastic and has delays and is described by approximately > 5000 differential equations. > > Among its many new results, one is that a mixture of intermittent and > continuous motor control may arise from the overall dynamics of the closed > loop system, without influence from the brain. > > > > Elias, L.A., Watanabe, R.N. Kohn, A.F., 2014 (November). Spinal Mechanisms > May Provide a Combination of Intermittent and Continuous Control of Human > Posture: Predictions from a Biologically Based Neuromusculoskeletal Model > > > http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.10039… > > > > Andre Fabio Kohn, Ph.D. > > Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience > > University of Sao Paulo, Brazil > > www.leb.usp.br >

Feb. 12, 2015

Reminder - Feb. 15 Application Deadline for 2015 Summer School on Large-Scale Brain Modelling

by Peter Blouw

[All details about this school can be found online at http://www.nengo.ca/summerschool] The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is inviting applications for our 2nd annual summer school on large-scale brain modelling. This two-week school will teach participants how to use the Nengo simulation package to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models. Nengo has been used to build what is currently the world's largest functional brain model, Spaun <http://www.nengo.ca/build-a-brain/spaunvideos> [1], and provides users with a versatile and powerful environment for simulating cognitive and neural systems. We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, research associates, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals. No specific training in the use of modelling software is required, but we encourage applications from active researchers with a relevant background in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, engineering, computer science, or a related field. For a look at last year's summer school, please see this short video: http://goo.gl/BXJ3x5 [1] Eliasmith, C., Stewart T. C., Choo X., Bekolay T., DeWolf T., Tang Y., Rasmussen, D. (2012). A large-scale model of the functioning brain. Science. Vol. 338 no. 6111 pp. 1202-1205. DOI: 10.1126/science.1225266. [ http://nengo.ca/publications/spaunsciencepaper] ***Application Deadline: February 15, 2015*** Format Participants are encouraged to bring their own ideas for projects, which may focus on testing hypotheses, modelling neural or cognitive data, implementing specific behavioural functions with neurons, expanding past models, or provide a proof-of-concept of various neural mechanisms. More generally, participants will have the opportunity to: - build perceptual, motor, and cognitive models with spiking neurons - model anatomical, electrophysiological, cognitive, and behavioural data - use a variety of single cell models within a large-scale model - integrate machine learning methods into biologically oriented models - use Nengo with your favorite simulator, e.g. Brian, NEST, Neuron, etc. - interface Nengo with various kinds of neuromorphic hardware - interface Nengo with cameras and robotic systems - implement modern nonlinear control methods in neural models - and much more… Hands-on tutorials, work on individual or group projects, and talks from invited faculty members will make up the bulk of day-to-day activities. There will be a weekend break on June 13-14, and fun activities scheduled for evenings throughout. A project demonstration event will be held on the last day of the school, with prizes for strong projects! Date and Location: June 7th to June 19th, 2015 at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Applications: Please visit http://www.nengo.ca/summerschool, where you can find more information regarding costs, travel, lodging, along with an application form listing required materials. If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact Peter Blouw (pblouw(a)uwaterloo.ca)

Feb. 12, 2015

Announcing Allen/UW Summer Workshop on the Dynamic Brain 2015

by Adrienne Fairhall

Applications are now open for the second Allen Institute for Brain Science/UW Summer Workshop on the Dynamic Brain. Directed by Christof Koch and Adrienne Fairhall, this course takes place on beautiful San Juan Island, WA, from Aug 23-Sept 6. The course features lectures in basics of experimental and theoretical neurobiology along with practical sessions on coding, big data, modeling and the use of the Allen Institute tools for neuroanatomical exploration and model development. Students will also have access to new high-throughput data sets collected by the Institute in the past year with which to carry out an independent project. Deadline April 1. For details and link to application, see one of: http://alleninstitute.org/summerworkshop http://courses.washington.edu/braindyn/

Feb. 12, 2015

New Book: Information Theory

by Jim Stone

I'd like to announce the publication of this book: Information Theory: A Tutorial Introduction by JV Stone Reviews, synopsis, and table of contents can be found here: http://jim-stone.staff.shef.ac.uk/BookInfoTheory/InfoTheoryBookMain.html Note that the examples explored in the final chapter are especially relevant to computational neuroscience and biology. regards, Dr Jim Stone University of Sheffield, UK. http://www.jim-stone.staff.shef.ac.uk/

Feb. 11, 2015

Postdoctoral position at Group for Neural Theory, Paris

by Srdjan Ostojic

A postdoctoral position is available in Srdjan Ostojic’s team at the Group Neural Theory, Paris, France (see http://iec-lnc.ens.fr/group-for-neural-theory/) to investigate dynamics and computations in spiking neural networks, combining theoretical approaches, simulations and analysis of neurophysiological datasets. The Group for Neural Theory is a highly interactive and dynamic environment situated in central Paris, and embedded within the strong Parisian theoretical neuroscience community. The ideal candidate should have a strong quantitative background, e.g. in computational neuroscience, physics, applied maths, computer science. Previous experience in neuroscience is preferred but not required. Starting dates are flexible. The position is for two years, with a possible extension for a third year. Candidates should send a letter of motivation (2 pages max), the contact information of 2 to 3 referees and their CVs to srdjan.ostojic at ens.fr *BEFORE March 20th, 2015*. I will be available at Cosyne for informal inquiries. Srdjan Ostojic Group for Neural Theory Ecole Normale Superieure Paris 29, rue d'Ulm 75005 Paris, France

Feb. 11, 2015

Open PhD position in MEG/EEG research at Research Center Juelich, Germany

by Martina Reske

We have an open PhD student position in our collaborative project entitled “From spike trains to whole-brain dynamics – Bottom-up and top-down processing during active vision” to fill. This project addresses the question how visual input is processed in extremely short time cycles of fixations and saccades through interaction of various cortical areas. MEG recordings from human subjects performing free viewing tasks will allow for the simultaneous observation of neuronal activities from different cortical areas during active vision. Analysis of subjects’ performance and brain activity on these visual tasks enables us to study the information flow through various cortical areas, and to identify top-down components interacting with bottom-up processes. What we expect from you: * We seek for a highly motivated candidate with curiosity and persistence * A preferable candidate will have background and strong Master degree in physics, neuroscience, electrophysiology, biology, computer science or a closely related field of natural science, preferably in the field of MEG/EEG biophysics, data acquisition and analysis, biostatistics, MEG/EEG biophysics or signal processing * Obligatory: excellent educational records in the related field, good programming and data processing skills, time series analysis and M/EEG source estimation * Substantial expertise in scientific programming (preferable languages: Python, C, C++ ) and substantial knowledge of Linux and Windows * Strong motivation to carry out neuroimaging studies utilizing MEG and to perform source and connectivity analysis * Beneficial: basic knowledge of neuroscience concepts * Ability and willingness to work independently and proactively * Confident appearance and ability to work cooperatively in an interdisciplinary environment * Good interpersonal and communication skills, structured and systematic working style * Fluent in English (spoken and written); beneficial: knowledge of German The candidate will primarily be based at the Jülich Research Center. What we offer: We offer a position in a creative and international team, themes ranging from computational neuroscience, simulation technology and multimodal imaging, see www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> and http://www.fz-juelich.de/inm/inm-4/EN/Forschung/MEG-Physik/_node.html. The Jülich Research Center is one of the largest research centers in Germany, with excellent scientific equipment, located on a green campus, and near the cultural centers Köln, Düsseldorf, and Aachen. The PhD position is available for 3 years. Applications, including a letter clearly motivating your application, CV, publication list, copies of university certificates, and one reference letter should be sent as a single PDF email attachment (max. 10MB) mentioning the internal reference code CSC-GID latest until March 31st , 2015, to should be sent to: Dr. Martina Reske (m.reske(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:m.reske@fz-juelich.de>) – Scientific Coordinator. Project leaders will be: Prof. Dr. Sonja Grün (INM-6/IAS-6), Dr. Junji Ito (INM-6/IAS-6), Dr. Jürgen Dammers (INM-4) Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6, INM-4), Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6), Jülich Research Center and JARA52425 Jülich, Germany, www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> -- Dr. Martina Reske Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Jülich Research Centre and JARA Jülich, Germany Work +49.2461.611916 Work Cell +49.151.26156918 Fax +49.2461.619460 www.csn.fz-juelich.de<http://www.csn.fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feb. 11, 2015

Ikerbasque Research Fellow ("Tenure"). Methods in Neuroimaging, Bilbao (Spain)

by Jesus Cortes

Dear researcher, One position for "Ikerbasque Research Fellow" will be host by the new emerging group of Computational Neuroimaging in Biocruces. http://www.biocruces.com/web/biocruces/bc5.08 More information about the position, "Ikerbasque Research Fellow" at http://www.ikerbasque.net/fellows More information about Biocruces http://www.biocruces.com/ Interested researchers must contact me before April 1, 2015. Feel free in contacting me for any further question or comment. Provide a copy of an updated CV remarking best 5 publications. Prof. Jesus M Cortes Ikerbasque Research Professor Head of the Computational Neuroimaging Lab Biocruces Health Research Institute

Feb. 11, 2015

Introductory Workshop on Computational Methods in Neuroscience, June 10 – 19, 2015

by Artur Luczak

Campus Alberta Neuroscience is pleased to announce the second annual Introductory Workshop on Computational Methods in Neuroscience. This ten-day workshop is comprised of lectures and hands-on Matlab exercises to introduce students to neuronal data analysis methods. Workshop is aimed for graduate students with little priory experience in quantitative methods who wants to learn Matlab and its application for data analyses. Most costs – including registration fees, travel to Lethbridge, accommodation, and most meals – will be covered for Alberta trainees. Individuals from outside of Alberta are encouraged to apply, but must cover their own costs. These costs are estimated to be around $1300 (excluding travel). Registration for the workshop is now open – complete applications must be received by March 10, 2015 at albertaneuro(a)uleth.ca . Workshop will take place at University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, June 10 – 19, 2015. Course Director is Dr. Bruce McNaughton and course instructors include Drs David Euston, Aaron Gruber, Artur Luczak, Masami Tatsuno and Majid Mohajerani. Further information and application details are available at: www.albertaneuro.ca/workshop Cheers, Artur ------------------------------------------------ Artur Luczak, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada tel.: (403) 394-3974; fax: (403) 329-2775 http://lethbridgebraindynamics.com/artur_luczak

Feb. 10, 2015

Berkeley course in mining and modeling neuroscience data, July 6-17, 2015

by Jeff Teeters

Call for applications: We invite applicants to the 2015 summer course in "Mining and modeling of neuroscience data" to be held July 6-17 at UC Berkeley. A description of the course is below and also at: http://crcns.org/course Application deadline is April 6 (or March 1, for MSRI's sponsored students). ----- Berkeley summer course in mining and modeling of neuroscience data July 6-17, 2015 Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, UC Berkeley Organizers: Fritz Sommer, Bruno Olshausen, Jeff Teeters (HWNI, UC Berkeley); Christos Papadimitriou (Simons Institute, Berkeley); Ingrid Daubechies (MSRI, Duke). Scope This course is for students and researchers with backgrounds in mathematics and computational sciences who are interested in applying their skills toward problems in neuroscience. It will introduce the major open questions of neuroscience and teach state-of–the-art techniques for analyzing and modeling neuroscience data sets. The course is designed for students at the graduate level and researchers with background in a quantitative field such as engineering, mathematics, physics or computer science who may or may not have a specific neuroscience background. The goal of this summer course is to help researchers find new exciting research areas and at the same time to strengthen quantitative expertise in the field of neuroscience. The course is sponsored by the National Science Foundation from a grant supporting activities at the data sharing repository CRCNS.org, the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing and the Mathematical Science Research Institute. Format The course is “hands on” in that it will include exercises in how to use and modify existing software tools and apply them to data sets, such as those available in the CRCNS.org repository. Course Instructors Vitaly Feldman, IBM Almaden Research Center Sonja Grün, Juelich Research Center, Germany Robert Kass, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh Maneesh Sahani, Gatsby Unit, University College London Odelia Schwartz, University of Miami Eric Shea-Brown, University of Washington Frederic Theunissen, UC Berkeley Course Moderators Fritz Sommer and Jeff Teeters, Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience Speakers To complement the main course instruction there will be lectures in the evenings by local Berkeley and UCSF neuroscientists presenting their research using quantitative approaches. Requirements Applicants should be familiar with linear algebra, probability, differential and integral calculus and have some experience using MatLab and Python. Each student should bring a laptop with the software installed. Cost There is no cost to attend. Assistance for travel, housing and food costs is in general not provided, (except for students who are sponsored by MSRI or the Simons Institute; see below). Potential financial support Support for a limited number of students to attend will be provided through both MSRI and the Simons Institute for the Theory of computing. Applicants who are at a MSRI partner institution can be admitted to the course and receive support for attending through MSRI as described at: http://www.msri.org/web/msri/scientific/workshops/summer-graduate-school Applicants with a Computer Science background are invited to apply for support by the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing and the Computer Community Consortium (CCC). See “How to Apply” section. Housing There may be some limited dorm housing available. Cost is $742 per person in a shared double room, which includes an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner on evenings that meals are not supplied with the course. We will help coordinate sharing of dorm rooms for those who wish to stay in the dorms. Other housing options include: a hostel near campus ( http://berkeleyhostel.com) which is $32 / night for a bed in shared dorm room; nearby hotels (http://visitberkeley.com/stay) and accommodations advertised through craigslist.org and airbnb.org. We will help students setup groups to search for shared housing together. Food Most meals are not included with the course, although breakfast items, snacks and some dinners will be provided. Food for other meals can be purchased at the dorm cafeteria and local restaurants. How to apply There are two methods of applying. Method 1) Students at a MSRI partner institution can be admitted to the course and receive support for attending through MSRI as described at: http://www.msri.org/web/msri/scientific/workshops/summer-graduate-school Method 2) All non-MSRI applications are submitted via the online form linked from: http://crcns.org/course. A curriculum vitae and a letter of recommendation are required. Those applying using method 1 can also apply using method 2 (in case the MSRI supported positions are all taken). Applicants with a computer science background who wish to apply for support from the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing must apply using method 2 and include additional information as instructed on the application form. The course is limited to 25 students. Deadlines Applications must be received by April 6 (or March 1, for MSRI’s sponsored students). Notifications of acceptance will be given by the end of April. If staying in dorm housing, and not sponsored by MSRI or the Simons Institute, payment for housing and the meal plan must be received one week before the start of the course. Questions Questions about the course can be sent to course [at] crcns.org. Topics covered Basic approaches: - The problem of neural coding - Spike trains, point processes, and firing rate - Statistical thinking in neuroscience - Theory of model fitting / regularization / hypothesis testing - Bayesian methods - Spike sorting - Estimation of stimulus-response functionals: regression methods, spike-triggered covariance - Variance analysis of neural response - Estimation of SNR. Coherence Information theoretic approaches: - Information transmission rates and maximally informative dimensions - Scene statistics approaches and neural modeling Techniques for analyzing multiple-unit recordings: - Cross-correlation and JPSTH - Sparse coding/ICA methods, vanilla and methods including statistical models of nonlinear dependencies - Unitary event analysis - Methods for detection of higher-order correlations - Correlation approaches for massively parallel spike trains - Proper surrogates for spike synchrony analysis - Methods for assessing functional connectivity - Advanced topics in generalized linear models - Low-dimensional latent dynamical structure in network activity–Gaussian process factor analysis/newer methods Towards building a theory of the brain: - Applications of mathematical analysis of dynamical systems in neuroscience - Approaches based on methods from theoretical computer science

Feb. 10, 2015

Final program, qbio seminar in Bilbao, February 17-18, 2015

by Jesus Cortes

This is the final program for the BCAM workshop in Quantitative Biomedicine next week Tuesday, February 17, 2015 9:30-11:30. Session 1. 09:30-10:10 Joanna Tyrcha. Stochastic stability and dynamic behavior of a compound cell-cycle model 10:10-10:50 Mathieu Desroches. Mixed-Mode Bursting Oscillations (MMBOs): slow passage through spike-adding canard explosion 10:50-11:30 Albert Granados. The period adding phenomenon in periodically driven hybrid spiking models 11:30-12:10. Coffee Break 12:10-14:10 Session 2. 12:10-12:50 Edward J. Vigmond. Cardiac Applications of Computational Electrophysiology 12:50-13:30 Pablo Lamata. Extraction of diastolic biomarkers through personalization of computational models 13:30-14:10 Aciel Eshky. Condition Monitoring of Athletes with a Wearable Heart Rate Variability Sensor 14:10-15:20 Lunch 15:20-18:00. Session 3. 15:20-16:00 Cesar Caballero. The power of haemodynamic deconvolution for mapping brain dynamics with BOLD functional MRI 16:00-16:40 Andrea Fuster. Geometric framework for diffusion MR images of the brain: theory and applications 16:40-17:20 Ernesto Sanz-Arigita. Multimodality MRI in different groups at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease: towards multidimensional brain imaging biomarkers. 17:20-18:00 Pierrick Coupe. New patch-based estimators for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease Wednesday, February 18, 2015 9:30-11:30. Session 4. 09:30-10:10 Bert Kappen. Explaining missing heritability with Gaussian Process regression 10:10-10:50 Alberto Llera. Efficient Gaussian/Inverse Gammas mixture-models: a new tool for thresholding ICA statistical maps from fMRI data 10:50-11:30 Estibaliz Garrote. Computer vision applied to digital pathology: image search engine based on clinical similarity 11:30-12:10 Coffee Break 12:10-14:10. Session 5. 12:10-12:50 Michael Wibral. Information transfer and causal interactions - Conceptual differences and combined analyses strategies 12:50-13:30 Luca Faes. Dynamics of Information Storage, Transfer and Modification in the Cardiovascular System 13:30-14:10 Adam Barrett. Synergistic and redundant information sharing in Gaussian systems 14:10-15:20 Lunch 15:20-18:00. Session 6. 15:20-16:00 Ruedi Stoop. Power-law size distribution of activated avalanches - what do they really mean? 16:00-16:40 Daniele Marinazzo. Tracking slow modulations in synaptic gain using dynamic causal modelling: Validation in epilepsy 16:40-17:20 Paolo Paradisi. Intermittency-based complexity measures in brain EEG data 17:20-18:00 Jordi Soriano. Experiments in Neuronal Cultures: Exploring Open Questions in Physics and Medicine

Feb. 10, 2015

Fellowships in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania

by Vijay Balasubramanian

Postdoctoral Fellowships in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience University of Pennsylvania The Computational Neuroscience Initiative (CNI, http://cni.upenn.edu) of the University of Pennsylvania seeks exceptional candidates for two CNI Postdoctoral Fellowships. Candidates with strong quantitative skills from a variety of fields including neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, physics, mathematics, and engineering will be considered. The selected Fellows will join an inter-disciplinary research environment in historic Philadelphia. CNI Fellows will be encouraged to foster collaborative research between multiple labs. The CNI supports inter-disciplinary and collaborative research at the frontier of knowledge about the brain, behavior, and the mind. We focus on systems-level approaches that integrate theory and computation with experiment. Our members include faculty, post-docs, and students from multiple programs and departments including neurobiology, cognitive science, psychology, physics, mathematics, electrical engineering, and computer science. Our research and training spans the three major elements of the field of Computational Neuroscience: 1) Theory -- understanding the brain as an information-processing machine; 2) Experiments -- providing quantitative methods to aid in the design, implementation, analysis, and interpretation of empirical studies that probe all levels of brain function, from molecules to behavior; and 3) Applications -- including robotics, brain-machine interfaces, and new clinical tools. Applications should be submitted by email to compneuro(a)sas.upenn.edu <mailto:compneuro@sas.upenn.edu> and should consist of a CV and a cover letter stating the candidate's research experience and reasons for applying to this Fellowship. Please arrange for up two three letters of recommendation to be sent to the same email address with the candidate's name in the subject line. Review of applications will begin on February 30 and continue on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented individuals from diverse backgrounds (http://jobs.hr.upenn.edu <http://jobs.hr.upenn.edu/>). Vijay Balasubramanian, Director David Brainard, Co-Director Joshua Gold, Co-Director

Feb. 10, 2015

Call for Abstracts – IWSP7: Epilepsy Mechanisms, Models, Prediction & Control

by Levin Kuhlmann

The 7th International Workshop on Seizure Prediction (IWSP7: Epilepsy Mechanisms, Models, Prediction & Control) will bring together world leading epileptologists, engineers, physicists, mathematicians, neurosurgeons and neuroscientists to focus on epilepsy research in Melbourne Australia from 3-6 August 2015. Abstract submission deadline: 16th April 2015. Notification of acceptance: 31st May 2015. Early bird registration: full: AU$465; Student/Early Career Researcher: AU$165. Early bird registration deadline: 30th June 2015. Standard registration: full: AU$565; Student/Early Career Researcher: AU$265. Over 30 generous travel stipends will be awarded to participants submitting the best abstracts as determined by the IWSP7 Scientific Advisory Board. The majority will be awarded to undergraduate or postgraduate students and early career researchers (people who completed their PhD within the period of the 3 years preceding 3rd August 2015). Topics for abstracts include, but are not limited to: seizure prediction, detection and control; seizure mechanisms, animal models and human neurophysiology; neuroimaging of epilepsy/seizure localisation; computational modelling of epilepsy; epilepsy networks; high frequency oscillations; model-based estimation, statistical signal processing or control theory applied to epilepsy. For information on invited speakers and the preliminary conference program, and how to submit abstracts and register visit: www.iwsp7.org<http://www.iwsp7.org> Please forward this notice to anyone that you think might be interested. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting! On behalf of the local organizing committee Levin Kuhlmann, PhD David B. Grayden, PhD Mark J. Cook, MD Dean R. Freestone, PhD Alan Lai, PhD Elma O'Sullivan-Greene, PhD Andre Peterson, BSc(hons) Email: organizingcommittee(a)iwsp7.org<mailto:organizingcommittee@iwsp7.org>

Feb. 9, 2015

SAND 7 Workshop Announcement

by Barbara Dorney

The seventh international workshop on Statistical Analysis of Neural Data (SAND7) will take place May 27-29, 2015, in Pittsburgh, PA. Partial travel support is available. Requests for financial support should be made by MARCH 15. There will be talks by senior investigators and junior investigators. The talks by young investigators (graduate student or postdoc/faculty within 5 years of Ph.D.) will be selected on a competitive basis. Any young investigator interested in presenting their work as a talk should submit an abstract by MARCH 1. Please see our website: http://sand.stat.cmu.edu There will also be a poster session, to which all participants are invited to contribute. Talks and posters may involve new methodology, investigation of existing methods, or application of state-of-the-art analytical techniques. Here are the confirmed keynote speakers: Gyorgy Buzsaki (NYU) Marlene Cohen (University of Pittsburgh) Adrienne Fairhall (University of Washington) Bruce Rosen (Harvard, MGH) Mark Schnitzer (Stanford) Sebastian Seung (Princeton) This workshop series is concerned with analysis of neural signals from various sources, including EEG, fMRI, MEG, 2-Photon, and extracellular recordings. It aims to define important problems in neuronal data analysis and useful strategies for attacking them; foster communication between experimental neuroscientists and those trained in statisti- cal and computational methods encourage young researchers, including graduate students, to present their work; and expose young researchers to important challenges and oppor- tunities in this interdisciplinary domain, while providing a small meeting atmosphere to facilitate the interaction of young researchers with senior colleagues. The organizers are Emery Brown, Elizabeth Buffalo, Rob Kass, Liam Paninski, Sri Sarma and Jonathan Victor. -- Barbara Dorney Assistant to the Co-Director CNBC - Carnegie Mellon University 115 Mellon Institute 4400 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (412) 268.6557 (412) 268.5060 (fax)

Feb. 9, 2015

Navigation workshop, April 11th, Edinburgh

by Barbara Webb

We are pleased to announce a workshop "Spatial computation: from neural circuits to robot navigation". The workshop will take place in the Informatics Forum in Edinburgh on April 11th from 9 am to 6 pm. This is the day immediately before start of the British Neuroscience meeting in Edinburgh. The workshop will address approaches to computations underlying navigation from the perspectives of neuroscience and robotics. A list of confirmed speakers and a link for registration are here: http://blog.inf.ed.ac.uk/spatialcomputationworkshop/ -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

Feb. 9, 2015

2nd CFP - Special Session on Transfer Learning - International Work Conference on Artificial Neural Networks, 10-12 June, 2015

by Jorge M. Santos

(Deadline Extension) Please consider to contribute to the Special Session on Transfer Learning International Work Conference on Artificial Neural Networks, 10-12 June, 2015 - http://iwann.ugr.es/2015 Transfer Learning (TL) aims to transfer knowledge acquired in one problem, the source problem, onto another problem, the target problem, dispensing with the bottom-up construction of the target model. The TL approach has gained significant interest in the Machine Learning (ML) community since it paves the way to devise intelligent learning models that can easily be tailored to many different domains of applicability. The following aspects have recently contributed to the emergence of TL: Generalization Theory: TL often produces algorithms with good generalization capability for different problems; Efficient TL algorithms: TL provides learning models that can be applied with far less computational effort than standard ML methods; Unlabeled data: TL can be advantageous since unlabeled data can have severe implications in some fields of research, such as in the biomedical field. Some examples of topics for this special session: Big Data with Deep Neural Networks; Generalization Bounds; Domain Adaptation or Covariate Shift; Algorithms for TL; New advancements in TL; Real-world applications. Deadline: 23 February 2015 Organizers Luís M. Silva, Dep. of Mathematics, University of Aveiro, Portugal - lmas(a)ua.pt Jorge M. Santos, Dep. of Mathematics, School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal - jms(a)isep.ipp.pt

Feb. 9, 2015

PhD student position in the lab of Susanne Schreiber (Computational Neurophysiology), Berlin

by Margret Franke

PhD student position in the lab of Susanne Schreiber (Computational Neurophysiology) in Berlin www.neuron-science.de We are currently looking for a motivated PhD student to join us in the exploration of computational properties of neurons. Our group is embedded in the Department of Biology at Humboldt-University Berlin and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, located on the beautiful Campus Nord in the center of the city. We are particularly interested in how cell-intrinsic physiological processes affect neuronal computation in single neurons and networks. To this end we use theoretical approaches in combination with the analysis of experimental data (obtained by experimental collaborators in vertebrate and invertebrate systems). Many of our projects take the evolutionary perspective into account, with the aim to improve our understanding of how constraints, such as limited energetic resources or fluctuating environmental variables (like temperature), shaped the design of neuronal systems. The PhD project will involve biophysical modeling of neurons, intending to derive principles that generalize across multiple brain areas or nervous systems. The PhD student will be given the opportunity to cooperate with experimental groups in the Berlin area. Moreover, suitable candidates may participate in the structured PhD program "Sensory Computation in Neural Systems" (GRK 1589, https://www.bccn-berlin.de/Graduate+Programs/2_Doctoral+Program/) providing lively interactions with other research groups and students in the fields of computational neuroscience, systems neurobiology, and machine learning. A strong background in physics, biophysics, computational neuroscience, or computational biology is recommended. Moreover, candidates should have solid experience in programming (python or matlab to solve ODEs/SDEs), analytical skills, and a keen interest in neurophysiological questions. If interested, please send an email to Susanne Schreiber (email: s.schreiber :AT: hu-berlin.de) including a letter of motivation, a CV, and a copy of the current academic transcripts. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. In order to apply for a scholarship in the structured PhD program, please contact us as soon as possible. The official deadline for this program is March 15th, 2015. -- Margret Franke Managing Director Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin phone: (030) 2093-9110 fax: (030) 2093-6771

Feb. 9, 2015