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A postdoc position in image processing, machine learning, and neuroscience
by Hideaki Shimazaki 18 Aug '22

18 Aug '22

(Posted on behalf of Prof. Shin Ishii, Kyoto University, Japan) *Call for a postdoctoral researcher* A postdoc position is available in image processing, machine learning, and neuroscience. The objective of the new multi-year project is to understand the neural basis of behavior changes in humans/animals. We shall tackle the AI-based image processing technology for capturing body movements and characterizing possible changes in behaviors. We may also develop methods of analyzing neuronal co-activation from large-scale Ca imaging data or capturing brain waves from multichannel ECoG data. We are looking for a young researcher interested in working on one or some of these topics. The contract is yearly-basis and renewable *until March 31, 2027*. Workplace: Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan A successful applicant should have a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience, machine learning, physics, applied mathematics, or engineering, but not limited to these. The applicant should demonstrate research experiences with a strong publication record. Programming skills in Python or willingness to learn it, will be valued. To apply, please send a CV with a publication list, a statement of research interests (maximum two pages), and contact information of one or two reference(s) to ishii-sec(a)sys.i.kyoto-u.ac.jp. Either English or Japanese is accepted. The starting date is flexible, while earlier arrival is appreciated. The salary and title follow the university rule and depend on the record/expertise of an appointed researcher. Please feel free to send me any informal questions regarding this post. Sincerely, Shin Ishii, Ph.D. Professor with Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Director with Advanced Telecommunication Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan Email: ishii-sec(a)sys.i.kyoto-u.ac.jp Webpage: https://ishiilab.jp

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FSL course 2022 in Oxford, registration open!
by Rezvan Farahibozorg 17 Aug '22

17 Aug '22

Dear all, We are pleased to announce that FSL course 2022 will be held in-person, Sept 19th - 23rd, in Oxford, UK. You can find details and registration info here: https://open.win.ox.ac.uk/pages/fslcourse/website/upcoming.html This intensive course covers the *theory and practice of functional, structural, diffusion and resting state brain imaging analysis*. New and existing users of FSL are welcome on the course, as it aims to cover both basic and more advanced topics. Background concepts and practicalities of the analyses are taught in detailed lectures. These lectures are interleaved with hands-on practical sessions, where attendees learn how to carry out analysis for themselves on real data. The contents covered in the course are primarily aimed at applications in basic neuroscience and clinical research. Please note that the course will be in-person only, with no online or remote attendance option. For COVID safety, including masking, policy please refer to the link above. Looking forward to seeing you then, The FSL Course team ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rezvan Farahibozorg Senior postdoctoral researcher, FMRIB Analysis Group, WIN, NDCN University of Oxford https://www.ndcn.ox.ac.uk/team/rezvan-farahibozorg -------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Workshop on Attention - Call for Papers
by Grace Lindsay 17 Aug '22

17 Aug '22

On behalf of the co-organizers, we would like to invite you to submit your work to our NeurIPS workshop on “All things Attention: Bridging Different Perspectives on Attention”. The details of the workshop and submission instructions are as follows: The Thirty Sixth Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) Dec 2, 2022 NeurIPS 2022 is a hybrid Conference https://attention-learning-workshop.github.io/ The All Things Attention workshop aims to foster connections across disparate academic communities that conceptualize "Attention" such as Neuroscience, Psychology, Machine Learning, and Human-Computer Interaction. Workshop topics of interest include (but are not limited to): 1. Relationships between biological and artificial attention 1. What are the connections between different forms of attention in the human brain and present deep neural network architectures? 2. Can the anatomy of human attention models provide useful insights to researchers designing architectures for artificial systems? 3. Given the same task and learning objective, do machines learn attention mechanisms that are different from humans? 1. Attention for reinforcement learning and decision making 1. How have reinforcement learning agents leveraged attention in decision making? 2. Do decision-making agents today have implicit or explicit formalisms of attention? 3. How can AI agents build notions of attention without explicitly baked in notions of attention? 4. Can attention significantly enable AI agents to scale e.g. through gains in sample efficiency, and generalization? 2. Benefits and formulation of attention mechanisms for continual / lifelong learning 1. How can continual learning agents optimize for retention of knowledge for tasks that it already learned? 2. How can the amount of interference between different inputs be controlled via attention? 3. How does the executive control of attention evolve with learning in humans? 4. How can we study the development of attentional systems in infancy and childhood to better understand how attention can be learned? 3. Attention as a tool for interpretation and explanation 1. How have researchers leveraged attention as a visualization tool? 2. What are the common approaches when using attention as a tool for interpretability in AI? 3. What are the major bottlenecks and common pitfalls in leveraging attention as a key tool for explaining the decisions of AI agents? 4. How can we do better? 4. The role of attention in human-computer interaction and human-robot interaction 1. How do we detect aspects of human attention during interactions, from sensing to processing to representations? 2. What systems benefit from human attention modeling, and how do they use these models? 3. How can systems influence a user’s attention, and what systems benefit from this capability? 4. How can a system communicate or simulate its own attention (humanlike or algorithmic) in an interaction, and to what benefit? 5. How do attention models affect different applications, like collaboration or assistance, in different domains, like autonomous vehicles and driver assistance systems, learning from demonstration, joint attention in collaborative tasks, social interaction, etc.? 6. How should researchers thinking about attention in different biological and computational fields organize the collection of human gaze data sets, modeling gaze behaviors, and utilizing gaze information in various applications for knowledge transfer and cross-pollination of ideas? 5. Attention mechanisms in Deep Neural Network (DNN) architectures 1. How does attention in DNN such as transformers relate to existing formalisms of attention in cogsci/psychology? 2. Do we have a concrete understanding of how and if self-attention in transformers contributes to its vast success in recent models such as GPT2, GPT3, DALLE.? 3. Can our understanding of attention from other fields inform the progress we have achieved in recent breakthroughs? SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS We invite you to submit papers (up to 9 pages for long papers and up to 5 pages for short papers, excluding references and appendix) in the NeurIPS 2022 format. <https://neurips.cc/Conferences/2022/PaperInformation/StyleFiles> All submissions will be managed through OpenReview (submission website <https://openreview.net/group?id=NeurIPS.cc/2022/Workshop/Attention>). The final submission including main paper, references and appendix should not exceed 12 pages. Supplementary Materials uploads are to only be used optionally for extra videos/code/data/figures and should be uploaded separately in the submission website. The review process is double-blind so the submission should be anonymized. Accepted work will be presented as posters during the workshop, and select contributions will be invited to give spotlight talks during the workshop. Each accepted work entering the poster sessions will have an accompanying pre-recorded 5-minute video. Please note that at least one coauthor of each accepted paper will be expected to have a NeurIPS conference registration and participate in one of the poster sessions. Submissions will be evaluated based on novelty, rigor, and relevance to the theme of the workshop. Both empirical and theoretical contributions are welcome. Submissions should not have previously appeared in a journal or conference (including accepted papers to NeurIPS 2022) and should not be submitted to another NeurIPS workshop. Submissions must adhere to the NeurIPS Code of Conduct. The focus of the work should relate to the list of the topics specified below. The review process will be double-blind and accepted submissions will be presented as virtual talks or posters. There will be no proceedings for this workshop, however, authors can opt to have their abstracts/papers posted on the workshop website. We encourage submissions on the following topics from the focus of bridging different perspectives on attention: - Relationships between biological and artificial attention - Attention for reinforcement learning and decision making - Benefits and formulation of attention mechanisms for continual / lifelong learning - Attention as a tool for interpretation and explanation - The role of attention in human-computer interaction and human-robot interaction - Attention mechanisms in Deep Neural Network (DNN) architectures Please submit your papers via the following link: submission website <https://openreview.net/group?id=NeurIPS.cc/2022/Workshop/Attention> IMPORTANT DATES * Submission deadline: Sep 15, 2022 at 11:59PM (AOE) submission website <https://openreview.net/group?id=NeurIPS.cc/2022/Workshop/Attention> * Accept/Reject Notification: Oct 12, 2022 * Camera-ready (final) paper deadline: Nov 25, 2022 at 11:59PM (Anywhere on earth) * Workshop: Dec 2, 2022 CONFIRMED SPEAKERS & PANELISTS Speakers: Pieter Roelfsema (Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience) James Whittington (University of Oxford) Ida Momennejad (Microsoft Research) Erin Grant (UC Berkeley) Henny Admoni (Carnegie Mellon University) Tobias Gerstenberg (Stanford University) Vidhya Navalpakkam (Google Research) Shalini De Mello (NVIDIA) Panelists: David Ha (Google Brain) Pieter Roelfsema (Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience) James Whittington (University of Oxford) Ida Momennejad (Microsoft Research) Henny Admoni (Carnegie Mellon University) Tobias Gerstenberg (Stanford University) Shalini De Mello (NVIDIA) Ramakrishna Vedantam (Meta AI Research) Megan deBettencourt (University of Chicago) Cyril Zhang (Microsoft Research) ORGANIZERS Akanksha Saran (Microsoft Research, NYC) Khimya Khetarpal (McGill University, Mila Montreal) Reuben Aronson (Carnegie Mellon University) Abhijat Biswas (Carnegie Mellon University) Ruohan Zhang (Stanford University) Grace Lindsay (University College London, New York University) Scott Neikum (University of Texas at Austin, University of Massachusetts) REGISTRATION Participants should refer to the NeurIPS 2022 website ( https://neurips.cc/Conferences/2022/Dates) for information on how to register. CONTACT Please reach out to us at attention-workshop(a)googlegroups.com if you have any questions. We look forward to receiving your submissions! Kind Regards, Workshop Organizers All things Attention- Bridging different perspectives on attention

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Postdoctoral fellowships at the Gatsby Unit
by I-Chun 16 Aug '22

16 Aug '22

The Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships in theoretical neuroscience. Successful applicants will carry out original research under the guidance of a faculty member, primarily on one of these research themes: - How dynamical computation in neural systems underlies functions ranging from perceptual inference to deliberation, action selection and execution (mentor: Maneesh Sahani). - Deep learning theory (mentor: Andrew Saxe). Applications close at the end of August 2022. For detailed information on the roles and how to apply, please visit www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/vacancies About the Gatsby Unit Established in 1998 through a generous grant from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Gatsby Unit has been a pioneering centre for research in theoretical neuroscience and machine learning. The Unit provides a unique multidisciplinary research environment with strong links to the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, the ELLIS Unit at UCL, and other neuroscience and machine learning groups at UCL and beyond. -- I-Chun Lin, PhD Scientific Programme Manager Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL i.lin(a)ucl.ac.uk | www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby | @GatsbyUCL

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2 fully funded PhD positions in Groningen
by Michael Biehl 16 Aug '22

16 Aug '22

Please excuse multiple postings Two fully funded PhD positions (4 years) are available at the University of Groningen within the project "Robust Learning of Sparse Representations in Neural Networks". The official job announcement including more details and contact information is now available at https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-0… All applications should be submitted through this website before September 30, 2022. One PhD (PP1) will address the study of "push-pull inhibition" in Deep Learning, supervised by Dr. George Azzopardi (www.cs.rug.nl/~george) Candidates should have a strong background in brain inspired computing and deep learning. The second position (PP2) will be devoted to the statistical physics based analysis of model situations. Candidates for PP2 should have a strong background in (theoretical) physics, ideally with experience in the statistical physics based theory of neural networks and learning. Both positions will be fully funded (4 years) by the Groningen Cognitive Systems and Materials Center https://www.rug.nl/research/fse/cognitive-systems-and-materials/?lang=en -- --------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen The Netherlands https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

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Two postdoc positions
by Benjamin Dunn 16 Aug '22

16 Aug '22

We have two open postdoctoral positions in projects to develop methods for large population neural data. We are looking for good people with backgrounds in statistics, statistical physics, machine learning, topological data analysis, etc., with experience developing and applying methods within neuroscience – ideally with a desire to figure out how the brain works. Many benefits: vacation, parental leave, socialized medicine (it’s Norway), good salary, supportive environment, trees, great science/math, fjords, etc. It’s nice here. Apply and get info more here: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/229369/2-postdoctoral-fellow… And additional questions to benjamin.dunn(a)ntnu.no Benjamin Dunn Associate professor in neural data science Department of Mathematics & Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, NTNU

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Postdoctoral position: Theory of deep learning
by Saxe, Andrew 16 Aug '22

16 Aug '22

The Saxe lab<http://saxelab.org> is looking for an outstanding postdoctoral researcher to join the group's research programme at UCL. The role lies at the interface of deep learning theory and theoretical neuroscience and will involve conducting research into artificial deep networks using techniques from applied mathematics. A particular focus is on understanding how depth affects learned representations and network behaviour. Funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit (GCNU) founded in 1998 is a world-leading centre for research in computational theoretical neuroscience and in probabilistic and statistical machine learning. The Unit's co-location with the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre at UCL creates the potential for a uniquely close interaction between theory and experiment in neuroscience and the integrated study of perception, control and learning. The appointment will initially be for a period of 2 years with the possibility of extension at the end of the period. To apply see the further details at the link below. Screening starts from Aug 25, 2022. https://atsv7.wcn.co.uk/search_engine/jobs.cgi?amNvZGU9MTg4NjEyMCZ2dF90ZW1w… Sincerely, Andrew Saxe

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INCF Assembly 2022: Late-breaking abstract submission now open!
by INCF 12 Aug '22

12 Aug '22

We are inviting submissions of late-breaking abstracts for INCF Neuroinformatics Assembly 2022 <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/> - *submit your abstracts by Friday August 19!* Curious about which abstracts have already been approved? View the list here <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/2022/abstracts-list>: bit.ly/INCFAppAbs22 The INCF Neuroinformatics Assembly is an interactive event that will take place virtually from September 12-16 on the Gather platform, with poster sessions in Zohuddle. We’ve chosen these platforms specifically to make your experience as close to an in-person experience as possible. *Why is Assembly’s format different from other virtual conferences?* The Gather platform enables you to “walk” around the virtual space and when you get close to other participants they will pop up on live video. This works the same for posters and exhibitor booths and gives you a much more interactive experience than your ordinary virtual conference! The Assembly offers many training opportunities for participants of all career stages - this year we offer a 2 PhD-credit course on “Neuroscience data integration through use of digital brain atlases”. Find more information about this course and other training sessions here <https://neuroinformatics.incf.org/2022/educational-courses>: bit.ly/Assembly2022courses *What is Zohuddle?* It’s an app to simplify virtual networking, specifically the poster session of Assembly. It works by letting you rank the abstracts that interest you the most, then creating a schedule of “huddles” with an integrated video chat for you to meet your matches! *Important dates:* - *Late-breaking abstract submission closes: Aug 19* - Assembly: September 12-16 *Submit your abstracts here: bit.ly/INCFabstracts22 <http://bit.ly/INCFabstracts22>* /The INCF Team

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Two postdoc positions in theoretical neuroscience and nonlinear time-series analysis
by Hideaki Shimazaki 12 Aug '22

12 Aug '22

*Call for postdoctoral researcher**s* Two postdoc positions are available in (A) theoretical neuroscience and (B) nonlinear time-series analysis/control (or active inference) under the supervision of Prof. Hideaki Shimazaki. *(A) Theoretical Neuroscience* We've been constructing statistical analysis methods for neural data to test theoretical hypotheses on the information coding, underlying circuitry mechanisms, and principles of adaptation in the brain (e.g., Bayesian brain hypothesis, predictive coding, free energy principles). We use methods in statistical physics and machine learning. See references below for our theoretical approaches to analyzing the dynamics of a neural population. We are looking for a postdoc interested in conducting theoretical studies while working closely with neuronal spiking and/or omics data. The contract is yearly-basis and renewable *until March 31, 2026*. Workplace: Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan *(B) Nonlinear time-series analysis and active inference* Our group strives to understand theoretical principles of organisms' perception and behavior in adapting to the environment and extend the knowledge to create intelligent agents. A postdoc position is available for this research area. We are looking for a postdoc interested in, e.g., Bayesian time-series analysis and control on nonlinear dynamics, the free energy principle, and active inference. The contract is yearly-basis and renewable *until March 31, 2025*. Workplace: Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan A successful applicant should have a Ph.D. in theoretical neuroscience, machine learning, physics, applied mathematics, or engineering, but not limited to these. The applicant should demonstrate research experiences with a strong publication record. Programming skills in Python or willingness to learn it, will be valued. To apply, please send a CV, a statement of research interest (maximum two pages), and contact information of two references to hideaki.shimazaki(a)gmail.com. Please indicate which job you are interested in (A or B, or both). Either English or Japanese is accepted. The starting date is flexible, while earlier arrival is appreciated. Screening starts *from September 16th*. The salary follows the university rule and depends on the expertise of an appointed researcher. Please feel free to send me any informal questions regarding this post. Sincerely, Hideaki Shimazaki, PhD Email: hideaki.shimazaki(a)gmail.com Webpage: http://www.neuralengine.org Ref: Aguilera, M., Moosavi, S. A., & Shimazaki, H. (2021). A unifying framework for mean-field theories of asymmetric kinetic Ising systems. Nature communications, 12, 1197 <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-20890-5>. Donner C, Obermeyer K, Shimazaki H. Approximate inference for time-varying interactions and macroscopic dynamics of neural populations. PLoS Computational Biology (2017) 13(1): e1005309 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005309> Shimazaki H, Amari S, Brown EN, and Gruen S, State-space analysis of time-varying higher-order spike correlation for multiple neural spike train data. PLOS Computational Biology (2012) 8(3): e1002385 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002385>

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International Society for Contemplative Research (ISCR) Inaugural Meeting - Februrary 2-5, 2023
by Vago, David R (University) 11 Aug '22

11 Aug '22

Hello colleagues and friends, Event: 2023 inaugural ISCR Annual Meeting Theme: The Self, Wellbeing, Compassion, and Justice Date: 2-5. February 2023 Location: San Diego, CA USA Host: UCSD Focus of society: To support the independent and collaborative work of scholars, scientists, clinicians, and practitioners who are engaged in the rigorous investigation of traditional and modern forms of contemplative and other mind-body practices. *************************** The International Society for Contemplative Research<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefens…> invites individuals that support the Society’s aims<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefens…> to submit Abstracts for the 2023 ISCR Annual Meeting at the University of California, San Diego, February 2-5. Individuals can submit through our Abstract submission system<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefens…> to present in the following formats: Session (Format) Types (Not Including Lunch/Keynote/Invited Speakers): * Workshop ½ Day (3 hours) * Discussion/Roundtable Session (60 or 90 Minutes) * Symposium/Panel (60 or 90 Minutes) * Oral/Paper Presentation (20 Minutes) (If your Abstract is not selected for an Oral Presentation, you can have it considered for a "Poster" * “Poster” Presentation (or Flash Presentations/Abstract Presentation) (A “Poster” can also be considered for a 2-3 Minute Mini-Oral Presentation) +++ The Call for Abstracts is now open (deadline extended: September 30, 2022) +++ ISCR is committed to the principles of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (see our statement) <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefens…> and other diversity of thought such as Epistemological Diversity. Preference will be given to Abstracts that address diversity in all its forms. We encourage individuals to Join the Society<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefens…> to enjoy a number of benefits, including reduced registration. Conference registration will open in August 2022, six months before the event dates. Confirmed keynote speakers are: Anil Seth, University of Sussex (UK) Alan Wallace, Center for Contemplative Research and Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies (USA) Kakali Bhattacharya, University of Florida (USA) Michael Yellow Bird, University of Manitoba (Canada) ============================== David R. Vago, Ph.D. Research Associate Professor | Department of Psychology | Vanderbilt Brain Institute | Vanderbilt University Contemplative Neuroscience & Mind-Body Research Laboratory<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conte…> | David.vago(a)vanderbilt.edu<mailto:David.vago@vanderbilt.edu> ------- Research Associate, Department of Psychiatry | Brigham & Women’s Hospital | Teaching Affliate of Harvard Medical School Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuroimagi…> | dvago(a)bwh.harvard.edu<mailto:dvago@bwh.harvard.edu> ------- Research Lead | RoundGlass Living+ Mobile: +1 236-516-6530 [cid316398*image003.png(a)01D81EC5.75001580] ------- Director of Neurosciences, Executive Committee, International Society for Contemplative Research [ISCR]<https://www.contemplativeresearch.org/>

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Information on the upcoming 7th HBP Student Conference on Interdisciplinary Brain Research
by HBP Education 05 Aug '22

05 Aug '22

Dear Sir or Madam, We kindly ask you to include our upcoming 7th HBP Student Conference on Interdisciplinary Brain Research in your scientific event calendar or share via your communication channels. Please find further information about the event below and in the attached pdf file. Thank you very much for your support! With kind regards, HBP Education Team ____________________________________________ We are happy to invite you to the 7th HBP Student Conference on Interdisciplinary Brain Research. Please also share this information in your networks! The 7th HBP Student Conference will take place from 18-20 January 2023 in Madrid, Spain. Participation is open to the entire student community and early-career researchers, regardless of whether they are affiliated with the Human Brain Project (HBP) or not. The 7th HBP Student Conference provides an open forum for the exchange of new ideas among early career researchers working across various scientific fields relevant to the Human Brain Project (HBP), such as neuroscience, computer science, robotics, medicine, psychology, cognitive science, and philosophy. Attendees will be exposed to the data-driven and multidisciplinary brain research approach of the HBP and will have the opportunity to use the EBRAINS research infrastructure. The conference will provide space for extensive scientific dialogue (both intra- and interdisciplinary) amongst peers and faculty through a variety of discussion sessions, lectures, workshops & hands-on training sessions and social events. Call for Submissions The Conference invites high-quality submissions describing innovative research in all disciplines addressed in the HBP. These contributions can emphasize theoretical or empirical works relating to a wide spectrum of fields including, but not limited to neuroscience, computer science, robotics, medicine, psychology, cognitive science and philosophy. We particularly encourage submissions with a potential to inspire collaboration in the research community by introducing new and relevant problems, concepts, and ideas, even if the work is at an early stage of development. For further information on abstract submission please visit the conference website. The abstract submission deadline is 3 October 2022. Participants are also welcomed without contributing to the scientific programme. Early Bird Registration Deadline: 1 December 2022 Regular Registration Deadline: 4 January 2023 Please register via the conference website. For any further questions, please contact the HBP Education Programme via education(a)humanbrainproject.eu. We are looking forward to an interesting and productive conference! With kind regards, HBP Education Team

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Assistant Professor Position at the University of Calgary
by Wilten Nicola 04 Aug '22

04 Aug '22

Dear Comp Neuro community, The University of Calgary is currently looking for an assistant professor in biostatistics. This includes computational neuroscientists with a strong statistical background. The full job ad can be found at https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/list/20288 and I encourage all potential applicants to reach out to the department head, Dr. Antony Ware ( aware(a)ucalgary.ca) for questions. Assistant Professor – Biostatistics Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics & Statistics The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Calgary seeks outstanding candidates for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Biostatistics with an anticipated start date of 1st January, 2023. The successful candidate will have a PhD in biostatistics/statistics or a closely related field. They will have a research program in biostatistical analysis, methodology development, and computation, with a focus on the statistical analysis of and computation with complex data from human, animal, or health/biomedical research and clinical work. They will have an outstanding record of research in the form of publications in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals, awards, invited talks and other scholarly achievements, as appropriate for their career path and stage. A demonstrated record of or potential for attracting and sustaining peer-reviewed external funding is also required, as is a commitment to high-quality teaching and supervision at the undergraduate and graduate level. The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary and inter-Faculty team of statisticians, biologists, medical researchers and investigators studying models and clinical realities of human and animal disease. Peer-reviewed external funding is expected to be sustained throughout the appointment, and industrial partnerships are strongly encouraged where appropriate. The position includes both teaching and research responsibilities, and will include expectations to recruit and supervise graduate students. Candidates must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. The candidate is expected to contribute to the interdisciplinary Biostatistics and Data Science programs at the University and to complement Department expertise at both undergraduate and graduate levels. This is an excellent opportunity to develop a vigorous and independent research program within a dynamic and collaborative environment in the Department. The Department has established expertise in statistical research and is developing links with the biomedical research and data science groups in the Faculty of Science, the Cumming School of Medicine and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University, surrounding research communities and industry. The Department offers a vibrant research environment and the statistical faculty members in the Department excel in both research theory and methods as well as interdisciplinary collaborative work. The Department’s current research areas are broad and support three graduate programs in statistics, biostatistics and actuarial science. The Department is co-hosting programs in Data Science and Analytics with the Department of Computer Science. Current research areas of the biostatistics group include causal inference, Bayesian methods, big data analytics, empirical likelihood, extreme-value analysis, infectious disease modeling, lifetime data analysis, methods for high-dimensional data, non-parametric methods, pseudo and composite likelihood methods, semiparametric and nonparametric models, statistical learning and data mining. The Department is home to the Research Group in Biostatistics (RGB), which is a diverse and active group that includes researchers and students with methodological and applied interests in the medical, health, biological, and social sciences. The University of Calgary offers graduate Biostatistics research training opportunities run jointly by the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science) and Community Health Sciences (Cumming School of Medicine). This graduate training is offered at both the PhD and MSc Thesis levels, available as an interdisciplinary specialization in Biostatistics. The University of Calgary, jointly with the University of British Columbia – Okanagan, operates the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute (CANSSI) Rocky Mountain Data Science Network that offers excellent Biostatistics graduate students the chance of paid four- or eight-month internships, working in governmental, industrial and academic environments. We are currently establishing the CANSSI Rockies Regional Centre that will provide further training and collaborative opportunities with colleagues from 11 other universities in AB, B.C. and Yukon. How to apply Interested individuals are encouraged to submit an application online via the MathJobs.org website. Applications must include the following: • a cover letter containing a description of why this position is of interest to the candidate, and a clear statement of their Canadian Citizenship/Residency status • a description of past, current and future research • a statement describing the candidate’s contributions, or potential contributions to, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) along with their ability to work with a culturally diverse and international student, staff, and faculty body (up to 1 page) • a concise statement of teaching philosophy and focus (1 page) • a curriculum vitae • names and contact information for three references. Three letters of reference, at least one of which addresses teaching, will be required for shortlisted candidates. These letters may be uploaded onto the MathJobs.org site or, if requested, sent directly by the references to Dr. Antony Ware, Head, Department of Mathematics and Statistics Email: aware(a)ucalgary.ca University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Questions may be addressed to the Search Committee by emailing search(a)math.ucalgary.ca. Only applications received by 30th September, 2022 will be guaranteed full consideration. The University of Calgary’s comprehensive benefits and pension program is designed to promote a productive level of health and well-being to staff members through coverage for health, dental, life insurance, income protection for disability, and retirement income planning. To learn about our comprehensive benefits package, please visit http://www.ucalgary.ca/hr/academic_benefits_pension. The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do. The University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. In this connection, in the cover letter included in your application, please state clearly whether or not you are either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. Additional Information The University of Calgary is pursuing a Growth Through Focus strategic vision involving future-focussed program delivery, transdisciplinary scholarship, and deeper community integration. To learn more about academic opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Academic Careers website. For more information about the Faculty of Science visit Careers in the Faculty of Science. About the Faculty of Science The Faculty of Science has been catalyzing change and inspiring discovery, creativity, and innovation for over 50 years. Our strategic direction integrates current and emerging strengths with areas targeted for future growth and investment. Our strategic priorities, goals, and values guide our mission to advance research, scholarship, and innovation, create authentic learning experiences, and inspire careers of the future. We fuel transformational change, and build a strong community through teaching, learning, research, scholarship, and collaborative partnerships. We do this work to generate curiosity-driven discovery and contribute solutions to society's grand challenges. For more information, visit science.ucalgary.ca. We thrive in the dynamic context of the University of Calgary, one of Canada’s most youthful and innovative universities. We are a bold and ambitious research university, grounded in innovative learning and teaching, fully engaged in Calgary’s entrepreneurial spirit. *About the University of Calgary *The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university’s Growth Through Focus strategy is putting it on course to be an entrepreneurial university, where students, faculty and staff face fewer barriers to innovation and more tools to change the world around them. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca. *About Calgary *Alberta Calgary is one of the world's cleanest cities and has been named one of the world's most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders - in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from a growing number of world-class dining and cultural events and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour's drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America

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Upcoming events by the HBP Education Programme
by HBP Education 04 Aug '22

04 Aug '22

Hello, I hope this e-mail finds you well. We are the Human Brain Project Education Programme and specialise in organising workshops and events in which participants are introduced to the research infrastructure EBRAINS. I would like to raise awareness for two upcoming events. Please consider adding them to your list of upcoming events. ---------------------------------------------------- Young Researchers Event meets HIBALL: new digital tools to study the brain Date: 25 October 2022 Website: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education-training-career/YRE2022-Croat… Description: The human brain is a multi-level and highly complex system that produces, processes and transmits information in an incomparable manner. The Human Brain Project (HBP) unites researchers and scientists to decode the mechanisms underlying this unique system by investigating the human brain and its diseases with the help of highly advanced ICT tools. As such, the HBP is developing EBRAINS, the new European digital research infrastructure, as a lasting contribution to the global science community, an open source tool that allows scientists and technology experts to seamlessly collaborate, thereby accelerating advancements in the fields of neuroscience, computing and brain-related medicine. The Helmholtz International BigBrain Analytics and Learning Laboratory (HIBALL) is an HBP Partnering Project that aims to transform the well-known BigBrain model to its next level by reinforcing utilization and co-development of the latest AI and high-performance computing (HPC) technologies for building highly detailed 3D brain models. HBP and EBRAINS together with the University of Zagreb, School of Medicine and HIBALL invite the entire scientific community, in particular early career researchers, to join the forthcoming Young Researchers Event (YRE), taking place on 25th October in Zadar, Croatia and online. During this one-day free hybrid event, participants can learn more about topics like big data analytics, human brain atlasing and computational neuroscience in interactive plenaries and hands-on workshops. The programme also offers networking opportunities for participants to exchange with peers as well as renowned experts. This event will take place in conjunction with the 6th BigBrain Workshop - From microstructure to functional connectomics. Address: Falkensteiner Resort Punta Skala, 2321 Petrčane, Croatia Registration deadline: 4 October 2022 ———————————————— EBRAINS Workshop: Anatomy and function of the prefrontal cortex across species Date: 14-16 March 2023 Website: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education/YRE2022-Denmark/ Description: Understanding the human brain relies for a large part on work in animal models, which necessitates a careful cross-species comparison. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is particularly relevant in this regard as its function is poorly understood and potential cross-species differences remain highly debated. This workshop brings together experimental and computational scientists whose work allows a comparison of the anatomy and function of the PFC between species (in particular between humans, monkeys and mice). EBRAINS is uniquely suited to provide a platform to compare anatomy, physiology and behaviour between species, due to its atlases, numerous datasets, as well as the whole brain models from different species. The interactive format of the workshop will allow speakers as well as participants from largely separated fields to interact and discuss, which is expected to create novel insights as well as lead to more coherence and clarity in the relevant terminology, formats and important research directions in the field. Address: ICM Institute for Brain and Spinal Cord, 47, bd de l'hôpital, Paris, France Registration deadline: 21 November 2022 (Early-Bird Registration), 28 February 2022 (Late Registration) ———————————————————————— Please don’t hesitate to contact us should you need further information. Thank you in advance The HBP Education Team

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DeepMath 2022 Submission Deadline
by Ahmed El Hady 01 Aug '22

01 Aug '22

** *Dear all,* * We are pleased to announce our confirmed lineup of invited speakers for DeepMath 2022: * Francis Bach (INRIA) * Anima Anandkumar (CalTech) * Sara Solla (Northwestern) * Berk Ustun (UCSD) * Yisong Yue (Caltech) * Courtney Paquette (McGill) We are now accepting abstract submissions to the 2022 Conference on mathematical theory of deep neural networks (DeepMath; see https://deepmath-conference.com <https://deepmath-conference.com>for more information). DeepMath is a highly interdisciplinary conference focused on understanding fundamental theory driving the success of Deep Learning. A principal goal of this conference is to bring together theoreticians working on deep learning from various disciplines and perspectives. We therefore encourage submissions from researchers from diverse disciplines including, but not limited to * Statistics * Physics * Computer science * Neuroscience * Mathematics * Psychology * Engineering Topics may address any area of deep learning research such as * Expressivity * Generalization * Optimization * Representations * Computation * Network architectures * Recurrent networks. To complement the many conferences with applications andtheory the focus for DeepMath 2022 will be exclusively on thetheoretical and mechanistic understandingof the underlying properties of neural networks. Abstracts will not be made public (i.e., no official proceedings), and will be doubly-blind reviewed and selected for quality. All poster submissions should be properly anonymized in order to allow for blind refereeing. Submissions should be no more than 1 pagealthough a second page may be used for references. Authors should submit a pdf file prepared using the Latex style file available here <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dkDhgVN5SHphwQKNLnQiDzkgbp0NFyNT/view?usp=…>and should adopt all formatting, subject headings, font sizes, etc. defined therein. Submissions that fail to meet the format requirements will not be reviewed. The first author listed on the abstract is considered to be the presenting author. Each presenting author may submit only one abstract. Investigators interested in having their abstracts considered for presentation should submit their abstracts no later than August 14, 2022 AOE. Authors may submit their abstracts at: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/DEEPMATH2022/ == Location == DeepMath 2022 will be held in San Diego, CA, USA. We anticipate requiring proof of full vaccination as a condition of attendance, and plan on having masking and other requirements equal or more stringent than local and national public health guidelines. Stay tuned to the DeepMath website (www.deepmath-conference.com <http://www.deepmath-conference.com>) for more details on venue and hotels. As with all prior years, all talks will be freely live-streamed over YouTube and subsequently posted on the DeepMath YouTube channel == Registration == DeepMath 2022 registration will open late summer. As with previous DeepMath conferences, all talks will be live-streamed for free and uploaded for later viewing subject to presenter approval. All the best, Ahmed El Hady On behalf of the DeepMath 2022 Organizational Committee *

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EBRAINS Workshop 14-16 March 2023, Paris FR - Anatomy and function of the prefrontal cortex across species
by Zélie Tournoud 01 Aug '22

01 Aug '22

Dear colleagues, Please find below the announcement of the EBRAINS Workshop "Anatomy and function of the prefrontal cortex across species" taking place 14-16 March 2023 in Paris, France. Registration is currently open with an early bird pricing. Kind regards, *Zélie Tournoud*/ EITN Communication manager/ *European Institute for Theoretical Neuroscience (EITN)* UMR 9197 – *NeuroPSI*(Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay) CNRS – Université Paris-Saclay Centre CEA Paris-Saclay Bâtiment 151 91400 Saclay https://www.eitn.org <https://www.eitn.org> _____ EBRAINS Workshop Anatomy and function of the prefrontal cortex across species *14 – 16 March 2023 | Paris, France* Program, information and registration: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education-training-career/workshops/pfc/<https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/en/education-training-career/workshops/pfc/> *Early Bird Registration Deadline: 21 November 2022 * *Late Registration Deadline: 28 February 2023* About Understanding the human brain relies for a large part on work in animal models, which necessitates a careful *cross-species comparison*. The *prefrontal cortex* (PFC) is particularly relevant in this regard as its function is poorly understood and potential cross-species differences remain highly debated. This workshop brings together experimental and computational**scientists whose work allows a comparison of the *anatomy* and *function* of the PFC between species (in particular between humans, monkeys and mice). EBRAINS <http://ebrains.eu/> is uniquely suited to provide a platform to compare anatomy, physiology and behaviour between species, due to its atlases, numerous datasets, as well as the whole brain models from different species. The *interactive format* of the workshop will allow speakers as well as participants from largely separated fields to interact and discuss, which is expected to create novel insights as well as lead to more coherence and clarity in the relevant terminology, formats and important research directions in the field. Confirmed speakers *Day 1* *Anatomy:* *Javier DeFelipe* | Cajal Institute, Madrid, Spain *Huib Mansvelder* | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands *Chet Sherwood* | GW Mind-Brain Institute, Washington, USA *Suzana Herculano-Houzel *| Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA *Henry Kennedy* | Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Lyon, France *Marie Carlén* | Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden *Physiology:* *Wim Vanduffel* | KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium *Mark Laubach* | American University, Washington, USA *Stefan Everling* | Western University, London, Canada *Hendrikje Nienborg* | National Eye Institute, Bethesda, USA *Martha Havenith* | Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience, Frankfurt, Germany *Yang Dan* | University of California, Berkeley, USA *Day 2* *Behavior & physiology:* *Pieter Roelfsema* | Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands *Andreas Nieder* | University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany *Sandra Reinert* | Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany *Ann Duan* | Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, London, UK *Stanislas Dehaene* | NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France *Jessica Cantlon* | Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA *Computational modelling:* *Idan Segev* | Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Jerusalem, Israel *Rodrigo Cofre* | NeuroPSI, Gif-sur-Yvette, France *Rubén Moreno Bote* | University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain *Jorge Mejias* | Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands *Adrienne Fairhall* | University of Washington, Seattle, USA *Xiao-Jing Wang *| New York University, New York, USA Scientific Chairs & Local hosts *Timo van Kerkoerle**|***CEA Saclay, France *Alain Destexhe* *|*** CNRS, France *Ruth Benavides-Piccione* *|***Spanish National Research Council & Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain

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2 fully funded PhD positions at the Univ. of Groningen
by Michael Biehl 29 Jul '22

29 Jul '22

Two fully funded (4 years) PhD positions in Neural Networks / Machine Learning / Deep Learning are available at the University of Groningen / NL within the project: "*Robust Learning of **Sparse Representations: * *Brain-inspired Inhibition and **Statistical Physics* *Analysis*". Main supervisors and sub-projects: George Azzopardi (https://www.cs.rug.nl/~george/) "*Push-pull inhibition in deep, convolutional * *(spiking) neural networks*" Michael Biehl (https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl/) "*Statistical physics analysis of learning processes * *in model situations*" For details and your expression of interest please visit https://t.co/VLjgKzPxJp *Apologies for multiple postings.* *Please circulate and distribute further.* -- --------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen The Netherlands https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

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Preparatory workshop for shaping funded research teams in neuromorphic and unconventional computing (Europe only)
by Herbert Jaeger 29 Jul '22

29 Jul '22

The Volkswagen Foundation -- Germany's largest private research funding organization -- launches an initiative for the development of neuromorphic and other non-digital approaches to analyse and engineer computing systems. One action within this initiative is to support the formation of INTERDISCIPLINARY, possibly multi-national research teams. In a preparatory "Ideation" workshop, to be held in Einbeck (Germany) in December 5-8, 2022, European researchers interested in non-digital computing are invited to exchange views and ideas and start networking. The target audience is open-minded postdocs and assistant/junior professors with backgrounds in relevant areas - including but not restricted to materials and devices, microchip technology, optical computing, neuroscience, cognitive modeling, theory of computing, machine learning, complex dynamical systems, or philosophy of computing. The aim of the workshop is the nucleation of research teams who subsequently submit funding proposals for large-scale interdisciplinary research projects. More information can be found at https://www.volkswagenstiftung.de/en/funding/our-funding-portfolio-at-a-gla…. -- Dr. Herbert Jaeger Professor of Computing in Cognitive Materials Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Faculty of Science and Engineering - CogniGron Bernoulliborg Nijenborgh 9, 9747 AG Groningen office: Bernoulliborg 402 phone: +31 (0) 50-36 32473 COVID home office phone: +49 (0) 4209 930403 web: www.ai.rug.nl/minds/

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Workshop on Big Data Neuroscience UT Austin
by Franco Pestilli 27 Jul '22

27 Jul '22

Dear Colleagues, We are excited to announce the 7th annual Big Data Neuroscience (BDN) workshop organized by the Advanced Computational Neuroscience Network <https://neurosciencenetwork.org/ACNN_Workshop_2022.html#home>. The BDN workshop brings together researchers in neuroscience, computer science, statistics, computer engineering, structural biology, neuroinformatics, and related disciplines. The BDN workshop will be held in Austin, Texas, September 15-16, 2022. The themes of the workshops will be on the following topics: (1) Data Governance and Infrastructure, (2) Measurements and Acquisition, (3) Advanced Analysis and Applications, (4) Software, Sharing and Publication, (5) Standards and Validation. We have an exciting line-up of speakers spanning multiple disciplines of science and engineering: James Carson (Kristen Harris’ NeuroNex, UT Austin), Dan Stanzione (TACC), Damian Eke (De Montfort University), Axel Brunger (Stanford University), Martin Paulus (Laureate Institute), Jason McLellan (UT Austin), Jingyu Liu (Georgia State), Jessica Church-Lang (UT Austin), Chen Yu (UT Austin), Angie Laird (Florida International University), Maryann Martone (University of California San Diego), Laura Colgin (The University of Texas at Austin), Franco Pestilli (UT Austin), Piotr Sliz (Harvard University), Yaroslav Halchenko (Dartmouth), Dora Hermes (Mayo Clinic), and David Kennedy (UMass Medical School). In addition to science and engineering, the workshop will host a panel discussion on “Challenges and opportunities for international-scale infrastructure to advance data sharing and equity” with representatives from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Kavli Foundation, Nature Publishing Group, and Wellcome Trust. Registration You can register for the workshop using this form <https://forms.gle/xkAv9dgErAGzXPodA>. The deadline is September 1st, 2022. Call for Posters and Lightning Talks You can submit your abstract here <https://forms.gle/uyBRgaJb91CjoSUr9>. The deadline is August 18, 2022. Travel Scholarships A few travel scholarships for trainees with underrepresented backgrounds and diverse geographical locations are available. Use the abstract submission form to apply for a travel scholarship <https://forms.gle/uyBRgaJb91CjoSUr9>. The deadline is August 18, 2022. Please visit www.neurosciencenetwork.org for more information. Best regards, Franco Pestilli, The University of Texas at Austin Susanne Ressl, The University of Texas at Austin Josiah Leong, University of Arkansas Sharlene Newman, University of Alabama Jessica Turner, Georgia State Ivo Dinov, University of Michigan *FRANCO PESTILLI*, *Ph.D.* | *Associate Professor* Department of Psychology <https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/index.php> | College of Liberal Arts <https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/> | The University of Texas at Austin <https://www.utexas.edu/> he/him | pestilli(a)utexas.edu | web <https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/fp4834> | GitHub <https://github.com/francopestilli> | brainlife.io CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.

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Post-doc in Neurophysiology: Cortical control of free viewing eye movements
by Bisley, James 27 Jul '22

27 Jul '22

Apologies for cross-posting We invite applications for a post-doc position studying the cortical control of free viewing eye movements at UCLA. The work will include recording from the frontal eye field and superior colliculus as well as inactivation experiments in LIP and FEF. For more information about the sort of work done in the lab, check out our publications at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/james.bisley.1/bibliography/public/. UCLA is growing its visual neuroscience footprint and now is an exciting time to be in Los Angeles. Applicants should have a strong background in systems neurophysiology, behavioral training or computational neuroscience and be comfortable working independently on all aspects of the project. Previous experience with NHP recording, the use of open source recording systems and data analysis is desirable. Candidates should hold a PhD in neuroscience, psychology or a related discipline. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience. Candidates should send a CV, a brief statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for two references to James Bisley (jbisley(a)mednet.ucla.edu) Cheers, James ________________________________ UCLA HEALTH SCIENCES IMPORTANT WARNING: This email (and any attachments) is only intended for the use of the person or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. You, the recipient, are obligated to maintain it in a safe, secure and confidential manner. Unauthorized redisclosure or failure to maintain confidentiality may subject you to federal and state penalties. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately notify us by return email, and delete this message from your computer.

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Sergey Levine speaking on July 28 in Developing Minds global online lecture series
by Jochen Triesch 27 Jul '22

27 Jul '22

Dear colleagues, On July 28, the Developing Minds global online lecture series will feature Sergey Levine, UC Berkeley, USA: "From Reinforcement Learning to Embodied Learning“ https://sites.google.com/view/developing-minds-series/home The live event will take place via zoom at: 09:00 PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) 16:00 UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) 18:00 CEST (Central European Summer Time) 01:00 JST, July 29 (Japan Standard Time) To participate please register here: https://sites.google.com/view/developing-minds-series/home Abstract Reinforcement learning provides one of the most widely studied abstractions for learning-based control. However, while the RL formalism is elegant and concise, real-world embodied learning problems (e.g., in robotics) deviate substantially from the most widely studied RL problem settings. The need to exist in a real physical environment challenges RL methods in terms of generalization, robustness, and capacity for lifelong learning -- all aspects of the RL problem that are often neglected in commonly studied benchmark problems. In this talk, I will discuss how we can devise a framework for learning-based control that is at its core focused on generalization, robustness, and continual adaptation. I will argue that effective utilization of previously collected experience, in combination with multi-task learning, represents one of the most promising paths for tackling these challenges, and present recent research in RL and robotics that studies this perspective. Bio Sergey Levine received a BS and MS in Computer Science from Stanford University in 2009, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University in 2014. He joined the faculty of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley in fall 2016. His work focuses on machine learning for decision making and control, with an emphasis on deep learning and reinforcement learning algorithms. Applications of his work include autonomous robots and vehicles, as well as computer vision and graphics. His research includes developing algorithms for end-to-end training of deep neural network policies that combine perception and control, scalable algorithms for inverse reinforcement learning, deep reinforcement learning algorithms, and more. Web: https://people.eecs.berkeley.edu/~svlevine/ The talk will also be recored and the recording made available via the web page: https://sites.google.com/view/developing-minds-series/home Stay healthy, Jochen Triesch -- Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch Johanna Quandt Chair for Theoretical Life Sciences Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies and Goethe University Frankfurt http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/~triesch/ Tel: +49 (0)69 798-47531 Fax: +49 (0)69 798-47611

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Several PhD positions in clinical EEG and MEG at SFU, Vancouver
by Vasily Vakorin 26 Jul '22

26 Jul '22

Dear moderators, Can you please post this ad? Thank you. Several PhD positions in clinical EEG and MEG at SFU, Vancouver Several funded Ph.D. positions are available at Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada), at the Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology and the School of Engineering Science. Ph.D. candidates will focus on research in neurophysiology, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG), and machine learning to study clinical populations. Two Ph.D. projects will use clinical routine EEG recorded and evaluated in public hospitals in the process of neurological evaluation to predict patients’ clinical profiles. The other project will apply MEG to explore cortico-cerebellar brain networks in children with autism. Ph.D. candidates are expected to get experience with digital signal processing, multivariate statistics, predictive analytics (deep learning and classical machine learning) and data analysis with applications in clinical and cognitive neuroscience, and further develop scientific programming skills (Python). The ideal start date is September 2022, but in general it is flexible. For more information, please contact Dr. Sam Doesburg, Dr. Teresa Cheung, and Dr. Vasily Vakorin: https://www.bcni-sfu.net . If you are interested, please send your cover letter and CV to vvakorin(a)sfu.ca . Please name the attached files according to the format: Lastname_Firstname_cv.pdf and Lastname_Firstname_coverletter.pdf . Thank you, Vasily Vakorin, Ph.D. Scientist & NeuroInformatics Lead - Behavioral & Cognitive Neuroscience Institute Adjunct Professor - Biomedical Physiology & Kinesiology Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada Affiliated Researcher - Fraser Health Authority, British Columbia email: vvakorin(a)sfu.ca

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AMALEA workshop September 12-16
by Michael Biehl 26 Jul '22

26 Jul '22

On behalf of Prof. Dr. Nicolai Petkov (www.cs.rug.nl/~petkov) *International workshop on Applications of Machine Learning and Neural Networks* *AMALEA, 12-16 Sept 2022, Cetraro, Calabria, Italy* Dear colleagues and friends, There are a few rooms still available for AMALEA - APPLICATIONS OF MACHINE LEARNING International Workshop, Cetraro, Italy, September 12-16, 2022 http://amalea.web.rug.nl/index.html Venue: Grand Hotel San Michele on the West, Tyrrhenian sea coast of Southern Italy with a surrounding own land estate, golf course, private beach and a conference center. Photo gallery Aim: to provide a discussion forum for scientists from different disciplines where they can inspire and learn from each other, meet new people and form new research alliances. Format: a single track for talks from 10:00-12:30H and 17:00-19:30H in the conference center. Enough time for discussions outside the conference room: during breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Tyrrhenian sea, at lunch in the private beach restaurant, in the afternoon break on the private beach, at dinner on the hotel terrace and after dinner listening to the life piano music in the grand salon. Please visit the workshop website for further information and contact. -- --------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Michael Biehl Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence P.O. Box 407, 9700 AK Groningen The Netherlands https://www.cs.rug.nl/~biehl m.biehl(a)rug.nl

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Announcement: spiking neural networks workshop Nov 9-10, deadline Sept 28
by Goodman, Daniel F M 22 Jul '22

22 Jul '22

We will be holding the third incarnation of our annual workshop SNUFA<http://snufa.net/2022/> on spiking neural networks. This online workshop brings together hundreds of researchers in the fields of computational neuroscience, machine learning, and neuromorphic engineering to present their work and discuss ways of translating these findings into a better understanding of neural circuits. Topics include artificial and biologically plausible learning algorithms and the dissection of trained spiking circuits toward understanding neural processing. We have a manageable number of talks with ample time for discussions. Key information * The workshop will take place 9-10 November in the afternoons (central europe timezone). * Registration is free but mandatory. Click here to register<https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/snufa-workshop-2022-tickets-387490864607>. * Abstract submission deadline is 28 September. Click here to submit<https://forms.office.com/r/izX1Wimhy6>. * Final decisions by 12 October. Invited speakers * Charlotte Frenkel<https://chfrenkel.github.io/>, TU Delft * Priya Panda<https://intelligentcomputinglab.yale.edu/>, Yale * Yiota Poirazi<http://dendrites.gr/>, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) * Yonghong Tian<https://www.pkuml.org/>, Peking University Abstracts will be made publicly available at the end of the abstract submissions deadline for blinded public comments and ratings. We will select the most highly rated abstracts for contributed talks, subject to maintaining a balance between the different fields of, broadly speaking, neuroscience, computer science and neuromorphic engineering. Abstracts not selected for a talk will be presented as posters, and there is an option to submit an abstract directly for a poster and not a talk if you prefer. The workshop will also feature a debate with all speakers invited. The subject of the debate is yet to be decided - please do get in touch if you have a fun idea! To get a feel for the workshop, take a look at our previous incarnations on YouTube for 2020<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL09WqqDbQWHFvM9DFYkM_GfnrVnIdLRhy> and 2021<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL09WqqDbQWHEqm1_3a620tKUKnC6FgBrG>. Many thanks, and hope to see you there, The SNUFA executive committee, Dan Goodman Friedemann Zenke Katie Schuman Tim Masquelier

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[jobs] 2 year independent Postdoc position in human centered AI (German required)
by Laurenz Wiskott 22 Jul '22

22 Jul '22

The Institute for Neural Computation of the Faculty of Computer Science is looking for a Postdoc (m,f,x) for 2 years, full-time, TVL E13 The Institute for Neural Computation is part of the Faculty of Computer Science at the Ruhr-University Bochum, see https://www.ini.rub.de/. It focuses on the dynamics and learning of perception and behavior on a functional level but is otherwise very diverse, ranging from neurophysiology and psychophysics over computational neuroscience to machine learning and technical applications. There is an open position for a postdoc in the group of Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott to be filled October 1st. The project is part of the competence center HUMAINE for human-centered artificial intelligence, see https://humaine.info/, and will be developed in close collaboration with colleagues at RUB and application partners in industry, among others. We offer: * An interesting interdisciplinary environment in the field of Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning. * Opportunity to develop an independent research profile and your own research group. * Opportunity to pursue further scientific qualification. * Diverse and interesting contacts at the university, in transfer, and in industry. * A lot of room for own ideas and initiatives. Your tasks: * Acquiring and maintaining industry contacts. * Scientific advice for companies to help them introduce AI in work processes. * Advising corresponding PhD and student projects. * Coordination of events and teaching of advanced training courses about human-centered AI for developers and decision makers in industry Your profile: * Very good PhD in mathematics, computer science, engineering, or a related field * Solid knowledge in Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning. * Good programming and mathematical skills * Good command of German. * Good organizational and communicative abilities. * Advantageous: + Experience in industry cooperations and interdisciplinary projects. + Programming skills in Python. Our offerings: * Challenging and varied tasks with a high degree of personal responsibility * Support from and cooperation with competent colleagues * A dynamic environment * Fair and flexible working hours * Support in reconciling family and work/academics (including childcare placement, holiday offers, mobile children's room) Additional information: The load of teaching will be calculated according to § 3 of Lehrverpflichtungsverordnung (state of North Rhine-Westphalia). Contact details for your application: Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott, Phone: +49234 32 27997 Travel expenses for interviews cannot be refunded. For information on the collection of personal data in the application process see: https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/en/information-collection-personal-data-appl…. We are looking forward to receiving your application with the specification ANR: 800 until 08.08.2022, send by e-mail to the following address: laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de extent: full-time duration: temporary beginning: as soon as possible application dateline: 08.08.2022 The Ruhr-Universität Bochum is one of Germany’s leading research universities, addressing the whole range of academic disciplines. A highly dynamic setting enables researchers and students to work across the traditional boundaries of academic subjects and faculties. To create knowledge networks within and beyond the university is RUB’s declared aim. The Ruhr-Universität Bochum stands for diversity and equal opportunities. For this reason, we favour a working environment composed of heterogeneous teams, and seek to promote the careers of individuals who are underrepresented in our respective professional areas. The Ruhr-Universität Bochum expressly requests job applications from women. In areas in which they are underrepresented they will be given preference in the case of equivalent qualifications with male candidates. Applications from individuals with disabilities are most welcome. __________________________________________________________________________ Prof. Dr. Laurenz Wiskott room: NB 3/29 Institut für Neuroinformatik phone: +49 234 32-27997 Ruhr Universität Bochum fax: +49 234 32-14210 D-44780 Bochum, Germany https://www.ini.rub.de/PEOPLE/wiskott/ laurenz.wiskott(a)rub.de __________________________________________________________________________

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Reminder: SMILES workshop call extended 28th July
by Xavier Hinaut 21 Jul '22

21 Jul '22

The SMILES (Sensorimotor Interaction, Language and Embodiment of Symbols) Workshop will take place both on site and virtually at the ICDL 2022 (International Conference on Developmental Learning). * Call for abstracts : - Deadline extended: July 28th - Abstracts call: from 1/2 page to 2 pages (onsite and virtual participation are possible) - Abstract format: same as ICDL conference https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates.html - Submissions: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com + indicate if you will be onsite or online - Workshop dates: September 12, 2022 - Venue onsite: Queen Mary University of London, UK. - Venue online: via Zoom and Discord group. - Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/B8xbemQS <https://discord.gg/B8xbemQS> Accepted abstract will be asked to make a short video or poster for the workshop. * Workshop Short Description On the one hand, models of sensorimotor interaction are embodied in the environment and in the interaction with other agents. On the other hand, recent Deep Learning development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) models allow to capture increasing language complexity (e.g. compositional representations, word embedding, long term dependencies). However, those NLP models are disembodied in the sense that they are learned from static datasets of text or speech. How can we bridge the gap from low-level sensorimotor interaction to high-level compositional symbolic communication? The SMILES workshop will address this issue through an interdisciplinary approach involving researchers from (but not limited to): - Sensori-motor learning, - Symbol grounding and symbol emergence, - Emergent communication in multi-agent systems, - Chunking of perceptuo-motor gestures (gestures in a general sense: motor, vocal, ...), - Compositional representations for communication and action sequence, - Hierarchical representations of temporal information, - Language processing and language acquisition in brains and machines, - Models of animal communication, - Understanding composition and temporal processing in neural network models, and - Enaction, active perception, perception-action loop. * More info - contact: smiles.conf(a)gmail.com - organizers: Xavier Hinaut, Clément Moulin-Frier, Silvia Pagliarini, Joni Zhong, Michael Spranger, Tadahiro Taniguchi, Anne Warlaumont. - invited speakers (coming soon) - workshop website (updated regularly): https://sites.google.com/view/smiles-workshop/ <https://sites.google.com/view/smiles-workshop/> - ICDL conference website: https://icdl2022.qmul.ac.uk/ <https://icdl2022.qmul.ac.uk/> Xavier Hinaut on behalf of the SMILES workshop organisers: - Xavier Hinaut, Inria, Bordeaux, France - Clément Moulin-Frier, Inria and Ensta ParisTech, Bordeaux, France - Anne Warlaumont, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA - Silvia Pagliarini, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA - Michael Spranger, Sony AI and Sony CSL, Tokyo, Japan - Tadahiro Taniguchi, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan - Junpei Zhong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China Xavier Hinaut Inria Research Scientist www.xavierhinaut.com <http://www.xavierhinaut.com/> -- +33 5 33 51 48 01 Mnemosyne team, Inria, Bordeaux, France -- https://team.inria.fr/mnemosyne <https://team.inria.fr/mnemosyne> & LaBRI, Bordeaux University -- https://www4.labri.fr/en/formal-methods-and-models <https://www4.labri.fr/en/formal-methods-and-models> & IMN (Neurodegeneratives Diseases Institute) -- http://www.imn-bordeaux.org/en <http://www.imn-bordeaux.org/en> --- Our new release of Reservoir Computing library: https://github.com/reservoirpy/reservoirpy <https://github.com/reservoirpy/reservoirpy>

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