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DEADLINE EXTENDED: MLINI 2014 - 4th NIPS Workshop on Machine Learning and Interpretation in Neuroimaging: Beyond the Scanner

by Irina Rish

Call for Papers MLINI 2014 - 4th NIPS Workshop on Machine Learning and Interpretation in Neuroimaging: Beyond the Scanner https://sites.google.com/site/mlininips2014/ Friday, December 12, 2014, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Submission deadline: EXTENDED to October 27th, 2014 Workshop Overview: ----------------------- MLINI workshop focuses on machine learning approaches in neuroscience, neuroimaging, with an extension to behavioral experiments and psychology. This year, our focus is specifically on "Going Beyond the Scanner", which includes making inferences about mental states of a subject from ''cheaper'' (as opposed to fMRI) behavioral data such as subject's speech and/or text, audio, video, EEG and signals collected from various wearable devices. We believe that machine learning has a prominent role in shaping how questions in neuroscience are framed, and that the machine-learning mind set is now entering modern psychology and behavioral studies. It is also equally important that practical applications in these fields motivate a rapidly evolving line or research in the machine learning community. In parallel, there is an intense interest in learning more about brain function in the context of rich naturalistic environments and scenes. Efforts to go beyond highly specific paradigms that pinpoint a single function, towards schemes for measuring the interaction with natural and more varied scene are made. In this context, many controversies and open questions exist. The goal of the workshop is to pinpoint the most pressing issues and common challenges across the fields, and to sketch future directions and open questions in the light of novel methodology. The proposed workshop is aimed at offering a forum that joins machine learning, neuroscience, and psychology community, and should facilitate formulating and discussing the issues at their interface. Motivated by the previous workshops in this series, MLINI ‘11, MLINI’12, and MLINI’13, we will center this workshop around invited talks and a panel discussion. Triggered by the discussions, this year we plan to adapt the workshop topics to a less traditional scope neuroimaging scope and investigate the role of behavioral models and psychology, including topics such as psycholinguistics. Open questions and possible topics for contribution include, but are not limited to, the following: - How can we move towards more naturalistic stimuli, tasks and paradigms in neuroimaging and neuro-signal analysis? - What kind of mental states can be inferred from cheaper and easier to collect data sources (as an alternative to fMRI), such as text, speech, audio, video, EEG, and wearable devices? - How can we leave the lab when acquiring neuroimaging data, towards exploiting mobile acquisition (EEG and NIRS)? - What type of features should be extracted from naturalistic stimuli such as text, voice, etc., to detect specific mental states and/or mental disorders? - How can we combine traditional neuroimaging with naturalistic data collected from a subject or group of subjects? - In general, can we characterize situations when multivariate predictive analysis (MVPA) and inference methods are better suited for brain imaging analysis than more traditional techniques? - Given recent advances of deep learning in image analysis and other applications, a natural question to ask is whether neuroimaging analysis can benefit from such approaches? - How well can functional networks and dynamical models capture the brain activity, and when using network and dynamics information is superior to standard task-based brain activations? Workshop Format: -------------------------- In this one-day workshop we will explore perspectives and novel methodology at the interface of Machine Learning, Inference, Neuroimaging and Neuroscience. We aim to bring researchers from machine learning and neuroscience community together, in order to discuss open questions, identify the core points for a number of the controversial issues, and eventually propose approaches to solving those issues. Each session will be opened by several invited talks, and an in depth discussion. This will be followed by original contributions. Original contributions will also be presented and discussed during a poster session. The workshop will end with a panel discussion, during which we will address specific questions, and invited speakers will open each segment with a brief presentation of their opinion. Paper Submission: -------------------------- We seek for submission of original (previously unpublished) research papers. The length of the submitted papers should not exceed 8 pages in Springer format, excluding the references (LaTeX2e style files are available on the workshop page). Submission of previously published work is possible as well, but the authors are required to mention this explicitly. Previously published work can be presented at the workshop, but will not be included into the workshop proceedings (which are considered peer-reviewed publications of novel contributions). Moreover, the authors are welcome to present their novel work but choose to opt out of the workshop proceedings in case they have alternative publication plans. Important dates: -------------------------- - October 10, 2014 - paper submission - October 24, 2014 - notification of acceptance/rejection - December 12, 2014 - Workshop at Montreal, Quebec, Canada , following the NIPS conference Organizing Committee: -------------------------- Guillermo Cecchi (IBM T.J. Watson Research Center) Kai-min Kevin Chang (Language Technologies Institute, Carnegie Mellon University) Georg Langs (Medical University of Vienna, CSAIL, MIT) Brian Murphy (Machine Learning Department, Carngie Mellon University) *Irina Rish (IBM T.J. Watson Research Center) - main contact Leila Wehbe (CMU)

Oct. 21, 2014

postdoctoral researcher position - Stanley lab Georgia Tech

by Ortiz, Alex D

Project title: In-vivo intracellular electrophysiology postdoctoral researcher position Project description: We are seeking to fill one postdoctoral researcher position in the Stanley laboratory. The ideal candidate has an extensive in-vivo electrophysiology background. Our laboratory conducts research into how information about the outside world is encoded by the patterns of spiking neurons in the sensory pathways of the brain. We combine experimental and computational approaches to better understand and control aspects of the neural code. Specifically, we focus on the visual and somatosensory pathways at the junction between the sensory periphery and sensory cortex. Our experimental approaches include multi-site, mutli-electrode recording, optical imaging, behavior, and patterned stimulation. This postdoctoral researcher position is specifically focused on our Brain Initiative project, in collaboration with the lab of Craig Forest, which is aimed at developing automatic patching techniques for deep brain structures. We aim to uncover the subthreshold dynamics underlying sensory information transmission in the thalamocortical pathway. The successful candidate will be an expert in vivo electrophysiologist, preferably with experience in engineering design and implementation. Requirements: We are interested in an independent, motivated, and talented candidate with a PhD in neuroscience, neuroengineering, or an equivalent field. An excellent in vivo intracellular electrophysiology background is required. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in awake animal recordings, quantitative methods, and engineering design/implementation. Application instructions: Please send the following materials to aortiz(a)gatech.edu. Applicants with the appropriate background may be asked for additional information. • Curriculum vitae, with complete list of publications • Summary of current work • Contact information for two references Additional details: Location: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA Start Date: Immediately Salary: Based on experience and background. For more information visit our website: stanley.gatech.edu Please forward to any interested parties. Thank you, -- Alex Ortiz, B.S. Research Associate Stanley Lab Department of Biomedical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology

Oct. 21, 2014

Dual computational-experimental Postdoctoral position

by Jean-Marc

University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ) The Computational and Experimental Neuroscience Laboratory <http://amygdala.psychdept.arizona.edu/lab.html> is looking for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. The research project is geared towards understanding the role of awake hippocampal replay in spatial navigation. The techniques used include high density electrophysiology in the behaving rat. The project is multidisciplinary and involves collaboration with a robotics team (University of South Florida, Tampa) and a computational neuroscience team (INSERM, Lyon, France). Good communication skills are necessary. This position is also appropriate for a computational neuroscientist with some experimental background interested in branching out to experimental neuroscience. Applicants with a subset of the following skill set are strongly encouraged to apply: - Scientific expertise or interests in hippocampus and/or prefrontal-cortex - Electrophysiology (in vivo chronic behaving, or in vitro) - Behavioral Neuroscience (rat training/testing) - General laboratory skills (e.g. histology, surgery) - Matlab programming and spike-data analyses Applicant should send a cover letter, CV and the names of at least 2 references to Dr. Jean-Marc Fellous (fellous at email.arizona.edu) The search is ongoing and is projected to be completed by *October 30th, 2014*. The CENL and the University of Arizona are committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive work environment and women and minorities are encouraged to apply. The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Information about the laboratory can be found at: http://emotion.psychdept.arizona.edu/lab.html

Oct. 19, 2014

study abroad program in Budapest: Summer 2015, Fall 2015

by Érdi Péter

Dear All: BSCS-US announces a regular and a new study abroad program in Budapest for 2015. 1. Our regular program: BSCS - BUDAPEST SEMESTER IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY TO NEUROSCIENCE will be held in the Fall of 2015, see http://www.bscs-us.org/ . 2. We open also a new program: ***************************************** Systems Neuroscience: a study abroad summer program Program start/end dates June 8th- Aug 7th, 2015 The BSCS Systems Neuroscience Program takes place at and academically supervised by the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest **************************************** For details, see: http://sysneuro-semester.org/ Inquiry: Péter Érdi (SysNeuro, Director; BSCS Co-Director) perdi(a)kzoo.edu bscs(a)bscs-us.org

Oct. 19, 2014

Postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience at UCL

by Silver, Angus

A postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience is available in the Silver Lab at UCL. This research position will involve studying early stage neural coding in the cerebellar cortex in Prof. Silver's laboratory in the Research Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, UCL. The research project will build on our recent work (Billings et al., Neuron 2014) by exploring how synaptic properties, inhibition and heterogeneity contribute to sparse encoding and pattern separation. The candidate will be expected to develop and analyse models of spiking neuronal networks with information theoretic and machine learning approaches. The successful candidate will have excellent mathematical skills and a PhD in theoretical neuroscience or a related field. They will also have experience of information theory and machine learning as well as the development and management of large scale network simulations. Proficiency in computer programming in at least one of the following languages: Python, Java, C is essential. Appointments will be made on the Research salary scale according to experience. For further details about the vacancy and how to apply online please go to http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/jobs/ and search on Reference Number 1436983 Closing Date: 24th October 2014 If you have any queries regarding the vacancy, please contact me at a.silver(a)ucl.ac.uk Best wishes Angus Silver R. Angus Silver Professor of Neuroscience and Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT Tel : 020 7679 7830 www.ucl.ac.uk/silverlab/

Oct. 17, 2014

Research Associate in Neuroscience - University of Leicester

by Quian Quiroga, Rodrigo (Prof.)

This is a reminder about the post-doc position in our lab (see below). The deadline is on Monday! Best, Rodrigo Rodrigo Quian Quiroga Centre for Systems Neuroscience University of Leicester www.le.ac.uk/csn ________________________________________ From: comp-neuro-bounces(a)neuroinf.org [comp-neuro-bounces(a)neuroinf.org] on behalf of Atkinson, Sue [sam45(a)leicester.ac.uk] Sent: Monday, September 22, 2014 3:03 PM To: comp-neuro(a)neuroinf.org Subject: [Comp-neuro] Research Associate in Neuroscience, University of Leicester Dear Colleagues, We are recruiting for a Research Associate here at the Centre for Systems Neuroscience, University of Leicester. This position is supported by the Human Frontier Science Program and aims to investigate how the brain creates conceptual knowledge, bridging systems, cognitive and theoretical neuroscience. You will join an international research team, working alongside colleagues from Rockefeller University (Winrich Freiwald), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Haim Sompolinsky) and the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA, Trieste; Mathew Diamond and Davide Zoccolan) studying cross-species (rats, monkeys and humans) comparisons of experimental data, complimented by computational modelling. You will work on the analysis and collection of multiple single neuron recordings in epileptic patients (which are implanted with intracranial electrodes for clinical reasons) performing different cognitive tasks, and contribute towards the study of concept cells (a.k.a. Jennifer Aniston neurons; see e.g. Quian Quiroga et al, Nature 2005; Quian Quiroga; Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2012). You may also contribute to related projects using non-invasive scalp EEG recordings (e.g. Navajas et al, J. Neuroscience 2013) and/or electrophysiology and 2-photon imaging recordings in mice. You should have very good quantitative skills, a strong background in neuroscience and, ideally, a good experience with neurophysiology recordings. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made to Sue Atkinson, Research Centre Manager, sam45(a)le.ac.uk or 0116 252 3249. Click on the link below (or copy and paste into your browser) here and search on the reference number SEN00514 for more information and to apply. http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/jobs/opportunities/jobsearch Sue ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Susan Atkinson Centre Manager Centre for Systems Neuroscience, University of Leicester, 9 Salisbury Road, Leicester, LE1 7QR, UK T: +44 116 252 3249 E: sam45(a)le.ac.uk<mailto:sam45@le.ac.uk> W: http://www2.le.ac.uk/centres/csn [cid:image001.jpg@01CFD671.58BF8A30] Elite without being elitist Follow us on Twitter<https://twitter.com/uniofleicester> or visit our Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/uniofleicester> page

Oct. 17, 2014

Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience - recent articles

by Stephen Coombes

Dear all, The Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience publishes research articles on the mathematical modeling and analysis of all areas of neuroscience. The current list of journal articles is available at http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/ : Numerical Bifurcation Theory for High-Dimensional Neural Models Laing CR http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/content/4/1/13 Adaptation and Fatigue Model for Neuron Networks and Large Time Asymptotics in a Nonlinear Fragmentation Equation Pakdaman K, Perthame B and Salort D http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/content/4/1/14 Network Symmetry and Binocular Rivalry Experiments Diekman CO and Golubitsky M http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/content/4/1/12 Effects of Synaptic Plasticity on Phase and Period Locking in a Network of Two Oscillatory Neurons Akcay Z, Bose A and Nadim F http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/content/4/1/8 and see also the recent Special Issue on Uncertainty and the Brain http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/series/UB All articles are Open Access. Best regards, Steve ------------------------------------------------------- Stephen Coombes Professor of Applied Mathematics School of Mathematical Sciences Nottingham, UK Tel: 0115 846 7836 http://www.maths.nott.ac.uk/~sc/ ------------------------------------------------------- This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please send it back to me, and immediately delete it. Please do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this message or in any attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an attachment may still contain software viruses which could damage your computer system, you are advised to perform your own checks. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored as permitted by UK legislation.

Oct. 17, 2014

Faculty positions at Imperial College London

by Hobson, Kate

Dear Colleague, There are a number of academic positions opening in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London (see below for an extract from, and link to, the departmental ad). Although the positions are general (within Bioengineering), we would like to encourage applications within the area of Neurotechnology. Of particular interest are individuals with a track record in translational neurotechnology research. Kickstarted by the award of a £10M EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Neurotechnology for Life and Health, we have recently established a new cross-disciplinary Centre for Neurotechnology integrating research across the Faculties of Engineering, Life Sciences and Medicine. The Centre will have approximately 70 4-year PhD studentships on offer over the next 5 years, making it an extremely attractive place to launch a research career in Neurotechnology (see http://www.imperial.ac.uk/neurotechnology) -- Due to rapid growth and the strategic importance of the discipline of bioengineering at Imperial College London, the Department of Bioengineering wishes to appoint up to four individuals at Lecturer (equivalent to Assistant Professor) or Senior Lecturer (equivalent to Associate Professor) grade. This is an open call in which we are looking for outstanding candidates in any field of Bioengineering. Candidates should have an advanced degree (PhD or equivalent) in an appropriate science or engineering discipline and will have demonstrated an ability to generate and execute research at an internationally-leading level. Evidence of teaching at all levels is also required. A link to the job ad can be found at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/employment ; select "job search" and enter keyword EN20140342FH. Closing date 4th December 2014. Kate Hobson | Centre Administrator Centre for Neurotechnology | Imperial College London

Oct. 17, 2014

Postdoc position - kinetic modeling of receptor induced cascades underlying plasticity

by jeanette＠nada.kth.se

Dept. Neurosci, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, currently has an opening for a postdoctoral positions in computational neuroscience / systems biology. This project is integrated in ongoing collaborations between the Karolinska Institute, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, as well as with international partners in Europe and USA. The position is focused on subcellular signaling pathways involved in synaptic plasticity, and modeling of those using a systems biology approach. The project aims specifically at understanding the subcellular mechanisms underlying reward dependent learning and action selection in the cortex - basal ganglia system. The ideal candidate has a PhD in a field such as computational biology, neuroscience or systems biology, as well as has acquired computer science and programming skills. Contacts: Prof. Jeanette Hellgren Kotaleski email: jeanette(a)csc.kth.se or jeanette.hellgren(a)ki.se More info on the position and how to apply at https://ki.mynetworkglobal.com/en/what:job/jobID:43211/where:/

Oct. 16, 2014

FLAIRS 2015 Special Tracks in Data Mining, Cyber Security Applications CFP

by bisant＠umbc.edu

FLAIRS 2015 Special Track in Data Mining and Special Track in Cyber Security Applications Call for Papers Deadline: November 17, 2014 Conference Dates: May 18-20, 2015 Hollywood, Florida Submission of papers and posters for presentation at the 28th International FLAIRS Conference is now invited. The Data Mining Special Track is seeking topics in all areas of Data Mining methods or applications. The Cyber Security Applications Special Track is seeking topics related to applications of all areas in cyber security which utilize artificial intelligence. The proceedings of FLAIRS-28 will be published by the AAAI. The paper submission deadline is **November 17, 2014**. Three outstanding keynote speakers have been confirmed: Dr. Bonnie Dorr of the University of Maryland, Dr. Tom Mitchell of CMU, and Dr. Peter Stone of the University of Texas. FLAIRS-28 takes the conference to the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa, located on the Blue Wave certified beach of the Atlantic, in the vibrant city of Hollywood, Florida. Relax amidst beachfront surf and sand while you enjoy spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean or the Intracoastal Waterway. The resort is also ideally located providing easy access to the best of Fort Lauderdale. Detailed information about the special tracks and paper submission can be found at the conference webpage at http://www.flairs-28.info/. We look forward to receiving your submissions.

Oct. 15, 2014

2014 SFN Mtg Workshop: Portal for parallel simulations

by Ted Carnevale

Space is still available for the workshop "Using the Neuroscience Gateway Portal for Parallel Simulations" which will be held from 9 AM to Noon on Saturday, November 15, 2014, at a location near the convention center in downtown Washington DC. The Portal is an NSF-supported resource that provides computational neuroscientists free and convenient access to parallel supercomputers for large modeling projects. Speakers will include A. Majumdar, S. Sivagnanam, Upi Bhalla, and Ruben Tikidzhi-Khamburyan. Only a few seats remain available, and the registration deadline is Friday, October 31, so you'll have to act quickly. For more information, see http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nsg2014/nsg2014.html --Ted

Oct. 15, 2014

3rd Winter Q-Bio Mtg in HAWAII Feb. 2015 ***Registration is now open***

by Santamaria, Cookie

***REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN*** https://www.regonline.com/qbio THE THIRD ANNUAL WINTER Q-BIO MEETING Quantitative Biology on the Hawaiian Islands February 17-20, 2015 http://w-qbio.org/ The Winter q-bio meeting brings together scientists and engineers who are interested in all areas of q-bio. The venue for 2015 is the Westin Maui<http://www.westinmaui.com/> Resort & Spa, which is located along the west coast of Maui. The resort is situated along a spectacular stretch of the famed Ka'anapali Beach. This oceanfront resort blends an endless array of activities and amenities with gracious aloha spirit, perfect for any Hawaiian meeting. Located beachfront with spectacular views of Lana'i and Moloka'i, The Westin Maui Resort & Spa is just minutes from Maui's many attractions, yet remains a world unto itself, where exclusive services, first-rate restaurants, cultured entertainment, and thrilling diversions satisfy every interest. This year we will select contributed talks from the submitted abstracts to be presented with the invited talks during the plenary sessions. Contributed talks will also be selected for parallel breakout sessions that commence in the late afternoon. 2015 CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Uri Alon, Weizmann Institute Philip Campbell, Nature Michael Elowitz, California Institute of Technology Tim Elston, University of North Carolina Evonne Kaplan-Liss, Stony Brook University Galit Lahav, Harvard Medical School Wendell Lim, University of California, San Francisco Susan Lindquist, Whitehead Institute Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, National Institutes of Health Bernhard Palsson, University of California, San Diego Eva Maria Schoetz-Collins, University of California, San Diego Pamela Silver, Harvard Medical School Gurol Suel, University of California, San Diego Mary Teruel, Stanford University Olga Troyanskaya, Princeton University CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS: William Ditto, University of Hawaii at Manoa Hana El-Samad, University of California, San Francisco Jeff Hasty, University of California, San Diego Galit Lahav, Harvard University Eva-Maria Schoetz-Collins, University of California, San Diego Lev Tsimring, University of California, San Diego ***REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN *** Registration fee covers conference venue, registration reception, banquet, coffee & snacks. EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ($600 / $475 Student) DEADLINE: Saturday, December 20, 2014 REGULAR REGISTRATION ($700 / $575 Student) DEADLINE: Saturday, January 31, 2015 LATE REGISTRATION ($775 / $650 Student) After Saturday, January 31, 2015 REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE AT: http://w-qbio.org/ HOTEL: A block of rooms has been reserved for registered conference participants at a negotiated rate starting at $209 per night plus tax at the Westin Maui<http://www.westinmaui.com/>. The rooms will be available soon on a first-come, first-served basis, so book early! CONTRIBUTED TALKS: If you wish to present your work at the conference, either as an oral talk or a poster, you must submit an abstract through the conference website by the November 5th deadline. Abstract guidelines and submission information at: http://w-qbio.org/abstracts/ ABSTRACT DEADLINE: Wednesday, November 5, 2014 We encourage you to forward this message to any colleagues that may be interested in taking part in this exciting event. SPONSORED BY: UC San Diego BioCircuits Institute and the San Diego Center for Systems Biology The University of Hawaii at Manoa UC San Diego Divisions of Biological Sciences and Engineering The Office of Naval Research Questions should be emailed to: coordinator(a)w-qbio.org<mailto:coordinator@w-qbio.org>

Oct. 15, 2014

Faculty Position in Computational Neuroscience at the University of California, Irvine

by Jeff Krichmar

Dear Computational Neuroscientists, The following job position may be of interest to many of you. ************************** University of California, Irvine Faculty Position in Computational Neuroscience The Department of Cognitive Sciences (www.cogsci.uci.edu) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) invites applications for a faculty position at the Associate or Full Professor level. We are especially interested in candidates who use mathematical, computational, or robotics approaches to study the neural basis of cognition in any of these areas: (1) vision, hearing, and attention; (2) memory and decision-making; (3) learning and development; (4) language. Applicants whose research relates to human behavior are preferred. A strong record of publications and extramural funding is essential. Exceptional candidates at the Assistant Professor level will also be considered. The online application includes: A cover letter, CV, research and teaching statements, 3 recent publications, and contact information for 3-5 referees. Interested candidates can apply for the position at: https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/apply/JPF02452. To ensure full consideration, please complete the application by November 15, 2014. The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to excellence through diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy. ************************** Best regards, Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma(a)uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma

Oct. 15, 2014

Postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience at Numenta

by Subutai Ahmad

*POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN THEORETICAL NEUROSCIENCE * *AND CORTICAL MODELING* *Numenta, Inc.* *About Numenta* Numenta was founded in 2005 to be a catalyst in the emerging field of machine intelligence. Its biologically inspired technology is based on a detailed and evolving theory of the neocortex first described in co-founder Jeff Hawkins’ book, On Intelligence. The current technology can be applied to anomaly detection in servers and applications, human behavior, and geo-spatial tracking data. Numenta is focused on understanding the computational principles behind the cortex in detail, and implementing practical systems that operate on those principles. For more details, please see www.numenta.com *Job description* Numenta has an immediate opening for a Postdoctoral Researcher. This individual will be a key member of our research group. He or she will work on significant extensions of Hierarchical Temporal Memory (HTM) theory and its implementations. Our current research efforts involve understanding cortical sensorimotor inference and control, and the role of thalamocortical pathways. Our models aim to build stable invariant representations of complex environments through active exploration, and are independent of sensory modality. Our problem domains span the range from artificial constrained worlds all the way to commercially driven applications. We seek researchers who passionately desire to build intelligent machines and impact the next generation of computing. The position carries full benefits and is for a one year term. An extension or a conversion to permanent employment is possible. We are located in Silicon Valley (Redwood City, CA). *Responsibilities* - Implement extensions to HTM theory - Test algorithms on a variety of problems and datasets - Characterize algorithm performance and suggest improvements - Write and publish papers in leading conferences and journals - Attend conferences and stay up to date with the latest relevant research - Be an active member of the NuPIC community (NuPIC is Numenta's open source HTM software) - Provide technical leadership to the rest of the organization *Desired qualifications* - Strong background in theoretical or computational neuroscience - Strong background in machine learning or machine intelligence - Established track record of leading edge research in computational neuroscience - Established track record of publications in leading peer reviewed conferences and journals - Excellent programming skills (Python or C++ preferred) - Hands on experience implementing large-scale learning algorithms or computational models - Preference given to candidates who have a deep understanding of HTM algorithms, cortical principles, and/or a working knowledge of NuPIC - Excellent verbal and written communication skills - Applicants should have, or expect to receive soon, a PhD (or have equivalent research experience) in computational neuroscience, machine learning, cognitive modeling, or a related discipline *How to apply* Qualified applicants should send the following to postdoc(a)numenta.com: - Cover letter describing their specific interest in Numenta. Please include any relevant experience with HTM algorithms or NuPIC. - Resume or CV, including list of relevant courses and published papers. Numenta is an equal opportunity employer supporting workforce diversity. IMPORTANT NOTE: Numenta is unable to consider postdoc applications from international researchers unless they are US Citizens, hold a Green Card, or are currently enrolled in a US University and eligible for OPT.

Oct. 14, 2014

Brain-Omics NIPS workshop: Call for contributions

by Gal Chechik

Call for contributions Workshop on *analyzing the 'omics of the brain* http://chechiklab.biu.ac.il/~gal/BrainOmics2014/ A workshop at the Twenty-Seventh Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS 2014) Montreal, QC, Canada, December 12, 2014. Important dates: * Oct 31, 2014* : Deadline for submission of extended abstracts Nov 10, 2014: Acceptance notification Dec 12, 2014: Workshop date WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION In the past few years, the field of molecular biology of the brain has been transformed from hypothesis-based experiments to high-throughput experiments. The massive growth of data, including measures of the brain transcriptome, methylome and proteome, now raises new questions in neurobiology and new challenges in analysis of these complex and vast datasets. While many of these challenges are shared with other computational biology studies, the complexity of the brain poses special challenges. Brain genomics data includes high-resolution molecular imagery, developmental time courses and most importantly, underlies complex behavioral phenotypes and psychiatric diseases. New methods are needed to address questions about the brain-wide, genome-wide and life-long genomic patterns in the brain and their relation to brain functions like plasticity and information processing. The goal of the workshop is to bring together people from the neuroscience, cognitive science and the machine learning community. It aims to ease the path for scientists to connect the wealth of genomic data to the issues of cognition and learning that are central to NIPS, with an eye to the emerging high-throughput behavioral data which many are gathering. We invite contributed talks on novel methods of analysis to brain genomics, as well as techniques to make meaningful statistical relationships to phenotypes. The target audience includes two main groups: people interested in developing machine learning approaches to neuroscience, and people from neuroscience and cognitive science interested in connecting their work to brain genomics. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Researchers interested in contributing should upload an extended abstract of 4 pages in PDF format to the Brain-omics submission web site https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=brainomics2014 by Oct 31st, 2014, 11:59pm (time zone of your choice). No special style is required. Authors may use the NIPS style file, but are also free to use other styles as long as they use standard font size (11 pt) and margins (1 in). Relevant works that have been recently published or presented elsewhere are allowed, provided that previous publications are explicitly acknowledged. CONFIRMED INVITED SPEAKERS Nenad Sestan (Yale) Eran Mukamel (UCSD) ORGANIZERS Gal Chechik (BIU) Mark Reimers (VCU) Michael Hawrylycz (Allen institute)

Oct. 14, 2014

Special Issue on Cross-Frequency Coupling in Brain Networks

by Tjeerd Boonstra

Dear colleagues, We would like to draw your attention and cordially invite you to submit a manuscript to the Special Issue on Cross-Frequency Coupling in Brain Networks: Methodological Challenges and Functional Implications in BioMed Research International. Manuscripts are due on Friday, 5 December 2014. For more information and to submit a manuscript please see: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/si/897985/cfp/. We look forward to your contributions. Tjeerd Boonstra Ali Bahramisharif Andreas Daffertshofer Sylvain Baillet Cross-Frequency Coupling in Brain Networks: Methodological Challenges and Functional Implications Synchronous activity of oscillating brain networks plays a fundamental role in cognitive functioning. Cross‐frequency coupling (CFC) has been proposed to be the mechanism for interaction of local and global processes and hence to enable the integration of neural information processing across timescales. We invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles to stimulate the continuing efforts to understand the neural correlates of CFC, the methodological and mathematical prerequisites for reliable detection of CFC in experimental data, and the functional role of CFC in organizing the temporal dynamics of neural computation.

Oct. 14, 2014

PhD position in neuro-computational research of modeling emotions

by Julien Vitay

Several PhD (E 13 TV-L, 100%) positions are available at the Technical University of Chemnitz (Germany) in the Department of Computer Science. The positions are funded for three years. Among other fields of human-machine interactions, we are particularly interested in neuro-computational research of modeling emotions, particularly brain-inspired or brain-like solutions of the emotional system involving vision and audition. Please see http://crossworlds.info/jobposting/ -------------------- Prof. Dr. Fred H Hamker Artificial Intelligence & Neuro Cognitive Systems Department of Computer Science Chemnitz University of Technology Strasse der Nationen 62 D - 09107 Chemnitz Germany Tel: +49 (0)371 531-37875 Fax: +49 (0)371 531-25739 email: fred.hamker(a)informatik.tu-chemnitz.de www: http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/informatik/KI/

Oct. 12, 2014

Petition for European Researchers "They have chosen ignorance"

by Alessandro Torcini

Petition for European Researchers "They have chosen ignorance" Scientists from different European countries describe in this letter that, despite marked heterogeneity in the situation of scientific research in their respective countries, there are strong similarities in the destructive policies being followed. This critical analysis, highlighted in Nature and simultaneously published in a number of newspapers across Europe, is a wake-up call to policy makers to correct their course, and to researchers and citizens to defend the essential role of science in society. This letter can be signed here. The national policymakers of an increasing number of Member States, along with European leaders, have completely lost touch with the reality of research. http://openletter.euroscience.org/ In the media Italy Repubblica http://www.repubblica.it/economia/2014/10/08/news/scienziati_europei_contro… Ansa http://www.ansa.it/scienza/notizie/rubriche/ricerca/2014/10/09/ricercatori-… Micromega http://temi.repubblica.it/micromega-online/%E2%80%9Csenza-ricerca-non-si-es… Il Fatto Quotidiano http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2014/10/09/tagli-alla-ricerca-la-lettera-de… Roars http://www.roars.it/online/hanno-scelto-lignoranza/ Uninews24 http://www.uninews24.it/mondo/5301-la-lettera-dei-ricercatori-contro-i-vert… France http://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2014/10/09/la-recherche-est-en-peril-il… Spain http://www.elmundo.es/ciencia/2014/10/08/54356cc2e2704e1d3e8b4597.html?cid=… http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/10/08/ciencia/1412764866_249154.html http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/opinion/han-elegido-ignorancia-35861… http://www.elperiodico.cat/ca/noticias/opinio/han-elegit-ignorancia-3586110 Portugal http://www.publico.pt/n1672264 Greece http://www.tovima.gr/science/article/?aid=639347 http://www.tanea.gr/news/science-technology/article/5167615/nature-oi-polit… Poland http://www.rp.pl/artykul/9129,1147605-Apel-europejskich-naukowcow.html UK http://www.theguardian.com/science/occams-corner/2014/oct/09/they-have-chos… Belgium http://www.lesoir.be/674747/article/debats/cartes-blanches/2014-10-08/victi… See also http://www.euroscientist.com/blog/2014/10/09/pan-european-coordindated-grou… http://www.euroscientist.com/blog/2014/10/06/special-issue-research-activis…

Oct. 11, 2014

Post-doctoral research fellowship: modelling musical preference decisions

by Marcus Pearce

Dear All (with apologies for cross-posting), We seek to appoint a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Queen Mary, University of London as part of an EPSRC-funded project <http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/M000702/1>on predicting musical choices using computational models of cognitive and neural processing. The goal of the project is to understand the cognitive and neural processes involved in musical preference decisions using computational modelling that incorporates the structure of the music, the psychological state and traits of the listener and the listening context. The successful candidate will be involved in the design and implementation of the models, data collection from human listeners in behavioural and EEG experiments, analysing the data to test the model predictions, and writing up the results for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Start date: 5 January 2015. Duration: 14 months (until March 5 2016). Salary: £34,283. For further information and to apply see: http://music-cognition.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/postdoc.html Marcus -- Lecturer in Sound and Music Processing Queen Mary, University of London Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 6207 Web: http://webprojects.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/marcusp Lab: http://music-cognition.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/

Oct. 11, 2014

Method development for coupled EEG-fMRI (1x Full EPSRC studentship)

by Etienne B. Roesch

Method development for coupled EEG-fMRI (1x Full EPSRC studentship) The goal of the project is to develop novel methods for the joint analysis of signals from electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), when they are obtained concurrently. Technological advances of the last 10 years make it possible for scientists to record both modalities concurrently, in what is now known as coupled EEG-fMRI. By simultaneously recording these two modalities, scientists can potentially say where and when neural activity is occurring, whereas previously researchers had to settle for one or the other. This engineering feat, however, has not yet been met with the ability to make use of the combination of these signals to infer more knowledge than would otherwise be gathered in separate experiments. Filling this gap is the ambition of the present project. This is a method project, which requires skills and knowledge in applied mathematics/statistics/physics and programming. One studentship is available, to join a research group in the remit of this project. Prior exposure to either/or EEG and fMRI is preferred, but training on both modalities will be provided. The emphasis of the studentship is on the development of novel analysis methods, but the successful candidate will have opportunities to join empirical work using EEG-fMRI. The student will be supervised by Dr. Etienne Roesch and receive support from Dr. Michael Lindner and Prof. Tom Johnstone, with R&D support from Brain Products. The CINN is host to a research-dedicated 3T Siemens TRIO, with a full license for sequence development, and a full suite of MR-compatible systems. Additionally, the student will be granted access to the cluster of NVIDIA Tesla GPUs and other facilities at CINN, as well as at the School of Systems Engineering. The University of Reading is ranked as one of the UK’s 20 most research-intensive universities and as one of the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education 2013). Our campus was voted first in the Times Higher Education Student Experience survey and has a Green Flag Award. It is situated 25 minutes West of London. Reading University Students’ Union was voted the 6th best in the UK (National Student Survey 2012). Essentials: Commitment to academic research and personal development; Ability to work collaboratively; Effective interpersonal and communication skills, including writing to a high standard, document preparation for technical notes and journal papers; Experience of work in interdisciplinary settings; Attention to details. Desirables: Self-guided work in developing statistical designs and approaches in research; Creative approach to problem solving; Ability to work independently; Experience in giving presentations and conveying complex ideas clearly. Eligibility: Applicants should hold a minimum of a UK Honours Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in a relevant subject. Please note that due to restrictions on the funding this studentship is for UK/EU applicants only. Funding Details: Studentship will cover Home/EU Fees, pay the Research Council minimum stipend (£13,863 in 2014/15) for up to 3 years and include funding for international conferences. How to apply: To apply for this studentship please submit an application for a PhD in Cybernetics (full time) to the University – see http://www.reading.ac.uk/Study/apply/pg-applicationform.aspx . In the section ‘Research proposal’, please upload or copy-paste your covering letter. When prompted as part of your online application, you should provide details of the funding you are applying for, quoting the reference GS14-68. Once you have submitted your application, you should receive an email to confirm receipt of your online application. Please forward this email, along with your covering letter and CV (as pdf), to Dr. Etienne B. Roesch, e.b.roesch(a)reading.ac.uk, by the application deadline. Application Deadline: Monday November 10th, 2014 (interviews on November 21st, 2014, Skype or in Reading) Further Enquiries: Please contact Dr. Etienne B. Roesch, e.b.roesch(a)reading.ac.uk. Kind regards, Etienne Save the world from email! http://emailcharter.org ––– Dr. Etienne B. Roesch Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Cognitive Science University of Reading, UK http://doodle.com/MeetWithEtienne

Oct. 10, 2014

ModelDB open source code for HH model with time-depended ion concentrations

by Markus A Dahlem

** We made our source code from two recent papers and one accepted manuscript now available on ModelDB ** *The code simulates the Hodgkin-Huxley model with time-dependent ion concentrations.* Briefly, the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model has 4 dynamical variables. Including Na+,K+, and Cl- extra- and intracellular ion concentrations introduces 6 further variables. Various simple reduction techniques, such as adiabatic elimination, synchronization, mass conservation, and electroneutrality have been used to reduce this extended HH formalism to again only 5 dynamical variables, while the model still retains adequate biophysical realism. For example, bursting and cortical spreading depression (SD) can be simulated. The model conserves the HH action potential dynamics. See Refs. [1,2] The accession number for the HH model with time-dependent ion concentrations is 167714. http://senselab.med.yale.edu/ModelDB/ShowModel.asp?model=167714 Moreover, the ModelDB accession number for a wild-type and mutant SD model described in paper Ref [3] is 167715. http://senselab.med.yale.edu/ModelDB/ShowModel.asp?model=167715 The model can be further reduced to only 4 dynamic variables (without Cl-). For dynamic volume control and further features, please get in contact with me, see below. This models require XPP, which is freely available from: http://www.math.pitt.edu/~bard/xpp/xpp.html Refs [1] N. Huebel, E. Schöll, and M. A. Dahlem, Bistable dynamics underlying excitability of ion homeostasis in neuron models, PLOS Comp. Biology. 10, e1003551 (2014) [2] N. Huebel and M. A. Dahlem, Dynamics from seconds to hours in Hodgkin–Huxley model with time–dependent ion concentrations and buffer reservoirs (accepted PLoS Comp Biol, arXiv 1404.3031) [3] M. A. Dahlem, J. Schumacher, and N. Huebel. Linking a genetic defect in migraine to spreading depression in a computational model, PeerJ, 2:e379 (2014). -- Dr. Markus Dahlem Web: https://sites.google.com/site/markusadahlem Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems Department Biological Physics Nöthnitzer Straße 38 01187 Dresden Germany and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin AG NLD Cardiovascular Physics Robert-Koch-Platz 4 10115 Berlin Germany phone: +49 (0)351 871 2402 email: dahlem(a)physik.hu-berlin.de skype: markus.dahlem

Oct. 10, 2014

[COSYNE2015] Abstract submission is open, Workshop pre-proposals deadline on Oct 31

by Tomas Hromadka

================================================= Computational and Systems Neuroscience (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING Mar 5 - Mar 8, 2015 Salt Lake City, Utah WORKSHOPS Mar 9 - Mar 10, 2015 Snowbird Ski Resort, Utah http://www.cosyne.org ================================================= IMPORTANT DATES: Abstract submission is now open! Abstract submission deadline: 26 Nov 2014 Workshop pre-proposal deadline: 31 Oct 2014 Workshop proposal deadline: 21 Nov 2014 The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience, in order to understand how neural systems function. MAIN MEETING The main meeting is single-track. A set of invited talks are selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, and computation with spiking networks. This year we would like to foster increased participation from experimental groups as well as computational ones. Please circulate widely and encourage your students and postdocs to apply. Please note that the main Cosyne 2015 meeting will take place in a different venue (Hilton Salt Lake City Center) one week later than usual, see www.cosyne.org for details. WORKSHOPS The workshops feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. The goal is to provide an informal forum for the discussion of important research questions and challenges. Controversial issues, open problems, comparisons of competing approaches, and alternative viewpoints are encouraged. PRE-PROPOSALS: In an effort to coordinate submissions, the organizers are encouraged to submit a pre-proposal by 31 Oct 2014. Pre-proposals will be shared among submitters. Pre-proposals are requested but not required. The organizers may submit the full proposal by its deadline (21 Nov 2014). The overarching goal of all workshops should be the integration of empirical and theoretical approaches, in an environment that fosters collegial discussion and debate. Preference will be given to proposals that differ substantially in content, scope, and/or approach from workshops of recent years (examples available at www.cosyne.org) Relevant topics include, but are not limited to: sensory processing; motor planning and control; functional neural circuits; motivation, reward and decision making; learning and memory; adaptation and plasticity; neural coding; neural circuitry and network models; and methods in computational or systems neuroscience. For details on submitting (pre-)proposals please visit www.cosyne.org (Workshops). CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Amy Bastian (Johns Hopkins) Matteo Carandini (UCL) Sophie Deneve (ENS) Florian Engert (Harvard) Marla Feller (UC Berkeley) Wulfram Gerstner (EPFL) Shawn Lockery (U Oregon) Liam Paninski (Columbia) Nicole Rust (U Penn) Tatyana Sharpee (Salk) Mariano Sigman (UBA) Emo Todorov (U Washington) When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting, due to space constraints. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: General Chairs: Michael Long (NYU) and Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Program Chairs: Maria Geffen (U Penn) and Konrad Kording (Northwestern) Workshop Chairs: Robert Froemke (NYU) and Claudia Clopath (Imperial College) Publicity Chair: Xaq Pitkow (Rice) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Anne Churchland (CSHL) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) CONTACT cosyne.meeting [at] gmail.com

Oct. 10, 2014

Postdoctoral / Research Specialist position in Drosophila visual neurophysiology

by Reiser, Michael

Oct. 10, 2014

Faculty position in Computational Neuroscience / Cognitive Science, Cambridge

by Máté Lengyel

Faculty position in Computational Neuroscience / Cognitive Science Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK Applications are invited for a University Lectureship / Senior Lectureship (~ US Assistant / Associate Professor equivalent) in the broad area of Computational Neuroscience, including Computational Cognitive Science in the Computational and Biological Learning Lab (cbl.eng.cam.ac.uk). CBL combines expertise in computational neuroscience and cognitive science (Daniel Wolpert, Mate Lengyel, Rich Turner) and machine learning (Zoubin Ghahramani, Carl Rasmussen). We particularly encourage applicants who would complement our current research activities. The successful applicant’s research should use computational or theoretical approaches, and may combine these approaches with behavioural experiments. Informal enquiries are welcome to: Daniel Wolpert (wolpert(a)eng.cam.ac.uk) Mate Lengyel (m.lengyel(a)eng.cam.ac.uk) Richard Turner (ret26(a)cam.ac.uk) Timeline: - Closing date of applications: Friday November 28th - Interviews: February, 2015 Further information and details of the application process can be found at http://cbl.eng.cam.ac.uk/Public/VacancyFaculty2014

Oct. 9, 2014

PostDoc Openings - New techniques for vision-assisted speech processing

by Chiara Bartolozzi

Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (http://www.iit.it<http://www.iit.it/undefined/>) is a private Foundation with the objective of promoting Italy's technological development and higher education in science and technology. Research at IIT is carried out in highly innovative scientific fields with state-of-the-art technology. http://www.iit.it/ iCub Facility (http://www.iit.it/icub) and Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences (http://www.iit.it/rbcs) Departments are looking for 2 post-docs to be involved in the H2020 project EcoMode funded by the European Commission under the H2020-ICT-2014-1 call (topic ICT-22-2014 - Multimodal and natural computer interaction). Job Description: Robust automatic speech recognition in realistic environments for human-robot interaction, where speech is noisy and distant, is still a challenging task. Vision can be used to increase speech recognition robustness by adding complementary speech-production related information. In this project visual information will be provided by an event-driven (ED) camera. ED vision sensors transmit information as soon as a change occurs in their visual field, achieving incredibly high temporal resolution, coupled with extremely low data rate and automatic segmentation of significant events. In an audio-visual speech recognition setting ED vision can not only provide new additional visual information to the speech recognizer, but also drive the temporal processing of speech by locating (in the temporal dimension) visual events related to speech production landmarks. The goal of the proposed research is the exploitation of highly dynamical information from ED vision sensors for robust speech processing. The temporal information provided by EDC sensors will allow to experiment with new models of speech temporal dynamics based on events as opposed to the typical fixed-length segments (i.e. frames). In this context, we are looking for 2 highly motivated Post-docs, respectively tackling vision (Research Challenge 1) and speech processing (Research Challenge 2), as oulined herebelow: Research Challenge 1 (vision @ iCub facility - BC 69721): the post-doc will mostly work on the detection of features from event-driven cameras instrumental for improving speech recognition (e.g. lips closure, protrusion, shape, etc…). The temporal features extracted from the visual signal will be used for crossmodal event-driven speech segmentation that will drive the processing of speech. In the attempt to increase the robustness to acoustic noise and atypical speech, acoustic and visual features will be combined to recover phonetic gestures of the inner vocal tract (articulatory features). Research Challenge 2 (speech processing @ RBCS - BC 69724): the post-doc will mainly develop a novel speech recognition system based on visual, acoustic and (recovered) articulatory features, that will be targeted for users with mild speech impairments. The temporal information provided by EDC sensors will allow to experiment with new strategies to model the temporal dynamics of normal and atypical speech. The main outcome of the project will be an audio-visual speech recognition system that robustly recognizes the most relevant commands (key phrases) delivered by users to devices in real-word usage scenarios. The resulting methods for improving speech recognition will be exploited for the implementation of a tablet with robust speech processing. Given the automatic adaptation of the speech processing to the speech production rhythm, the speech recognition system will target speakers with mild speech impairments, specifically subjects with atypical speech flow and rhythm, typical of some disabilities and of the ageing population. The same approach will then be applied to the humanoid robot iCub to improve its interaction with humans in cooperative tasks. Skills: We are looking for highly motivated people and inquisitive minds with the curiosity to use a new and challenging technology that requires a rethinking of visual and speech processing to achieve a high payoff in terms of speed, efficiency and robustness. The candidates we are looking for should also have the following additional skills: * PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Engineering (or equivalent) with a background in machine learning, signal processing or related areas; * ability to analyze, improve and propose new algorithms; * Good knowledge of C, C++ programming languages with proven experience. Team-work, PhD tutoring and general lab-related activities are expected An internationally competitive salary depending on experience will be offered. Please note that these positions are pending the signature of the grant agreement with the European Commission (expected start date in early 2015) How to apply: Challenge 1: Send applications and informal enquires to jobpost.69721(a)icub.iit.it<mailto:jobpost.69721@icub.iit.it> Challenge 2: Send applications and informal enquires to jobpost.69724(a)rbcs.iit.it<mailto:jobpost.69724@rbcs.iit.it> The application should include a curriculum vitae listing all publications and pdf files of the most representative publications (maximum 2) If possible, please also indicate three independent reference persons. Presumed Starting Date: Challenge 1: January 2015 (but later starts are also possible). Challenge 2: June 2015 (but later starts are also possible). Evaluation of the candidates starts immediately and officially closes on November 10th, 2014. References: Lichtsteiner, P., Posch, C., & Delbruck, T. (2008). A 128×128 120 dB 15 μs latency asynchronous temporal contrast vision sensor. Solid-State Circuits, IEEE Journal of, 43(2), 566-576. Rea, F., Metta, G., & Bartolozzi, C. (2013). Event-driven visual attention for the humanoid robot iCub. Frontiers in neuroscience, 7. Benosman, R.; Clercq, C.; Lagorce, X.; Sio-Hoi Ieng; Bartolozzi, C., "Event-Based Visual Flow," Neural Networks and Learning Systems, IEEE Transactions on , vol.25, no.2, pp.407,417, Feb. 2014, doi: 10.1109/TNNLS.2013.2273537 Potamianos, G. Neti, C. Gravier, G. Garg, A. and Senior, A.W. (2003) “Recent Advances in the Automatic Recognition of Audiovisual Speech” in Proceedings of the IEEE Vol. 91 pp. 1306-1326 Glass, J. (2003)“A probabilistic framework for segment-based speech recognition”, Computer Speech and Language, vol. 17, pp. 137-152. Badino, L., Canevari, C., Fadiga, L., Metta, G. "Deep-Level Acoustic-to-Articulatory Mapping for DBN-HMM Based Phone Recognition", in IEEE SLT 2012, Miami, Florida, 2012 In order to comply with Italian law (art. 23 of Privacy Law of the Italian Legislative Decree n. 196/03), the candidate is kindly asked to give his/her consent to allow IIT to process his/her personal data. We inform you that the information you provide will be solely used for the purpose of assessing your professional profile to meet the requirements of IIT. Your data will be processed by IIT, with its headquarters in Genoa, Via Morego, 30, acting as the Data Holder, using computer and paper-based means, observing the rules on the protection of personal data, including those relating to the security of data. Please also note that, pursuant to art. 7 of Legislative Decree 196/2003, you may exercise your rights at any time as a party concerned by contacting the Data Manager. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively seeks diversity in the workforce. Chiara Bartolozzi Researcher Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Via Morego, 30 16163 Genoa, Italy Ph: +39 010 7178-1474

Oct. 9, 2014