- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

4-year postdoc in “Insect-Inspired depth perception” at Edinburgh

by Barbara Webb

A postdoctoral research associate position is available to undertake computational and physical modelling studies to translate insect visual depth perception to robot systems, under the direction of Professor Barbara Webb, in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. The project will focus on newly discovered forms of retinal and receptor motion in the insect compound eye that could enable near-field high-resolution stereo vision. The key outcome would be the design of a compact, low power visual sensor, and associated processing algorithms, which is particularly suited to distinguish the 3D shape of small nearby objects. The work will be carried out in close collaboration with neurobiologists at the University of Sheffield. The position is available for 48 months starting in February 2023, and has a salary range of £35,333 - £42,155 per annum. Candidates are expected to have a PhD in a relevant area and a strong background in computational modelling, ideally of neural circuits for perception, with a track record of good journal publications. The candidate is also expected to have good system engineering skills, including experience in design, construction and testing of hardware systems. Informal enquiries can be directed to: Professor Barbara Webb (B.Webb(a)ed.ac.uk) Further information and application details are available here: https://edin.ac/3VGuxmX The closing date for applications is 21 December 2022 The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. Is e buidheann carthannais a th’ ann an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, clàraichte an Alba, àireamh clàraidh SC005336.

Nov. 24, 2022

Postdoctoral position at Bern Hospital and University of Geneva

by Timothée Proix

A postdoc position is available under the shared supervision of Prof. Maxime Baud (https://www.neuro-elab.com/) a neurologist and experimental neuroscientist at Inselspital, Bern Switzerland and Dr. Timothée Proix (https://ndlab.ch/) a computational neuroscientist at the University of Geneva, Switzerland who both specialize in quantitative neuroscience research. Together, we are running a three-year clinical trial involving patients with epilepsy who received a minimally invasive EEG device beneath the scalp for the chronic recording (months) of brain signals during wake and sleep. To help with the analysis of massive amounts of EEG data, we are looking to hire a passionate postdoc with desire to build forecasting algorithms aiming at estimating the risk of seizures 24 hours in advance. *Start of project early 2023 **(Quarter 1)*, at the University of Bern. Yearly, renewable contract with Swiss salary in compliance with guidelines of the University. Required qualifications • Applicant should hold a PhD in any engineering field, physics, or neuroscience and have published scientific literature as a first author. • Strong abilities in computer programming (Matlab and/or Python) • Prior experience with machine learning methods, signal analysis and advanced data analysis techniques applied to neural timeseries (EEG > fMRI). • Strong interpersonal communication skills in English and good written English Preferred qualifications • Hands-on experience in human electrophysiology recordings is a significant advantage. • Experience with deep-learning, machine-learning or statistical model development Your tasks • Acquire domain knowledge in epileptology and sleep physiology • The project lies at the interface between machine learning and EEG data analysis. • The *goal of the project* is to develop *machine learning algorithms* to *forecast seizures*. To apply, please send a one-page motivation letter dedicated to this specific project, your up-to-date CV, and contact information for 2-3 references, as well as any other relevant documents to the Prof. Maxime Baud (maxime.baud.neuro (at) gmail.com) as well as Dr. Timothée Proix (timothee.proix (at) unige.ch). Screening of applications will start by November 2022 and will continue until the position is filled.

Nov. 23, 2022

Postdoctoral Positions at the University of Calgary

by Wilten Nicola

*Postdoctoral Position 1* We are currently looking for a postdoctoral researcher for a 2 year position in commercializing spiking neural network/neuromorphic technologies. This is a joint postdoc with Dr. Wilten Nicola and Dr. Aaron Gruber. The ideal postdoctoral researcher will have a strong background in hardware and software engineering, specifically with Field Programmable Gate Arrays or other neuromorphic-like platforms capable of spiking network emulation. Interested candidates should submit their application package including a cover letter, their CV with a list of publications, a brief statement of research interests, and their possible start dates in PDF format to Dr. Wilten Nicola at wilten.nicola(a)ucalgary.ca. Applicants should arrange for at least two letters of reference to be sent as well. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For additional information and informal inquiries, please contact Dr. Nicola. *Postdoctoral Position 2* We are currently looking for a postdoctoral researcher for a 2 year position investigating how networks of neurons can learn to create abstraction and semantic definitions from a few stimuli. In short, how do networks of neurons learn and know how to generalize in a meaningful way? The ideal postdoctoral researcher will have a PhD in mathematics, physics or engineering and will have extensive experience in working with feedforward or recurrent neural networks, either artificial or spiking. Interested candidates should submit their application package including a cover letter, their CV with a list of publications, a brief statement of research interests, and their possible start dates in PDF format to Dr. Wilten Nicola. Applicants should arrange for at least two letters of reference to be sent as well. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until this position is filled. For additional information and informal inquiries, please contact Dr. Nicola at wilten.nicola(a)ucalgary.ca. https://www.nicolacomputationalneurosciencelab.com/ The University of Calgary is a global intellectual hub located in Canada’s most enterprising city. In our spirited, high-quality learning environment, students thrive in programs made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. Our strategy drives us to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, engaging the communities we both serve and lead. This strategy is called Eyes High, inspired by the university's Gaelic motto, which translates as 'I will lift up my eyes.' For more information, visit ucalgary.ca/eyeshigh.

Nov. 23, 2022

[jobs] Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

by Di Nuovo, Alessandro

The Computing Department as Sheffield Hallam is seeking an outstanding individual who can make a strong academic contribution to the area of artificial intelligence and robotics. Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at Sheffield Hallam University (jobs.ac.uk)<https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CUW183/lecturer-senior-lecturer-in-artificial-in…> You will join a large Computing Department that is engaged in both teaching and research. Within the Department, there is a group of colleagues who are dedicated to the teaching and research of artificial intelligence and robotics. You will join this group and be expected to play a key role in delivering both teaching and research. The Department has recently approved a new masters course in artificial intelligence (MSc AI) and you will be directly involved in the teaching of this. MSc AI forms the foundation of the teaching within the artificial intelligence group, and it has been designed to cover a wide spectrum of artificial intelligence topics. Prior teaching experience is essential, and you will be expected to develop exciting and engaging teaching materials, deliver lectures and tutorials in a vibrant manner and assess students. In addition, you will join the Smart Interactive Technologies (SIT) research laboratory, a vibrant interdisciplinary group, led by Prof. Alessandro Di Nuovo, that has a focus on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. The laboratory hosts several prestigious research projects worth over £1 million funding from the European Union, for the European Training Network on PErsonalized Robotics as SErvice Oriented applications, and the EPSRC, for the projects ALDENS: Autonomous Learning and Development in Embodied Neuromorphic Systems, on embodied neuromorphic artificial intelligence, I'M-ACTIVE Intelligent Multimodal Assessment and Coaching Through Identification of Vulnerabilities in older people and the NetworkPlus EMERGENCE: Tackling Frailty - Facilitating the Emergence of Healthcare Robots from Labs into Service. The research laboratory is partner of Sheffield Robotics, a collaboration between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, which is one of the leading international groups in intelligent systems and robotics and which has received considerable investment in equipment as well as in facilities and staff at both Universities, including state-of-the-art robotics equipment such as the iCub, the Care-o-bot 4, and the Fetch Mobile Manipulator, plus many other robotic platforms like the humanoids Tiago, Pepper and NAO. You must hold a PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant subject; possess excellent communication skills, and an excellent research record and reputation, including publications of the highest quality suitable for submission to the REF (UK Research Excellence Framework). Experience of managing large research projects and contributing to external funding applications would be desirable. We welcome applications from people with strong backgrounds in artificial intelligence and robotics, and experience of programming in Python, C++, and ROS. Alessandro Di Nuovo, PhD Professor of Machine Intelligence Leader of Technological and Digital Innovations, Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre College of Business, Technology and Engineering Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom Email: a.dinuovo(a)shu.ac.uk<mailto:a.dinuovo@shu.ac.uk>

Nov. 22, 2022

PhD Program in Brain & Cognitive Science at the University of Rochester

by Haefner, Ralf

The Department for Brain & Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester is inviting applications for its PhD program. We seek exceptional students from a broad range of backgrounds with a strong interest in understanding the neural and computational basis of perception, cognition and action using experimental and theoretical approaches. Application Deadline: December 4, 2022, strongly encouraged but late applications accepted Start Date: July or September 2023. Application Details & Link: http://www.sas.rochester.edu/bcs/graduate/admission.html Program Info: http://www.sas.rochester.edu/bcs/graduate/curriculum.html. We especially encourage applications from minority and/or underrepresented students. The BCS department<http://www.sas.rochester.edu/bcs/> is one of the leading places of research in Brain & Cognitive Sciences and at the center of a vibrant and supportive scientific community. It has particularly strong ties to the Center of Visual Science<https://www.cvs.rochester.edu>, the Department for Neuroscience<https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/neuroscience.aspx>, the Department for Computer Science<https://www.cs.rochester.edu>, the Department for Linguistics<http://www.sas.rochester.edu/lin/>, and the Data Science Institute<https://www.sas.rochester.edu/dsc/>. PhD students with interdisciplinary research programs are eligible for joint PhD degrees with several departments. Every admitted PhD student is guaranteed 5 years of funding at currently ~$31.5k/yr (currently equivalent to ~120% NIH rate) which affords a good standard of living in an inexpensive city. We also provide a single plan UR health insurance, full tuition scholarship, paid family leave, and enduring NY State social protections. Both University and city are exceptionally LGBTQIA+ friendly. We believe that being a successful scientist requires not just dedication and supportive mentorship, but also a good work/life balance and the ability to explore one's passions both within and outside the lab. There are lots of ways to enjoy your time here: world-class symphony, museums, and a wide range of outdoor activities: several parks within cycling distance, 20 min by car to sandy beaches on Lake Ontario, 1h to Finger Lakes / wine country / skiing, 3h to great hiking in the Adirondacks. We also have a balanced 4 season climate with weather for every occasion: Lilac Festival in the spring, beautiful sunny summers (<10 days above 90 degrees), gorgeous fall foliage, and guaranteed snow in the winter. More info here: https://www.visitrochester.com. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our beloved program administrator Kathy Corser<mailto:kcorser@ur.rochester.edu> or to any of our PIs directly.

Nov. 22, 2022

Open Rank Faculty Position at the Gatsby Unit, UCL

by Lin, I-Chun

Open Rank Faculty Position in Theoretical Neuroscience or Machine Learning at the Gatsby Unit Closing date: 6 December 2022 The Gatsby Unit seeks to appoint a new principal investigator with an outstanding record of research achievement and an innovative research programme in theoretical neuroscience or machine learning at any academic rank. In theoretical neuroscience, we are particularly interested in candidates who focus on the mathematical underpinnings of adaptive intelligent behaviour in animals, or develop mathematical tools and models to understand how neural circuits and systems function. In machine learning, we seek candidates who focus on the mathematical foundations of learning from data and experience, addressing fundamental questions in probabilistic or statistical machine learning and understanding; areas of particular interest include generative or probabilistic modelling, causal discovery, reinforcement learning, theory of deep learning, and links between these areas and neuroscience or cognitive science. The unit offers internationally competitive salaries and an award-winning work environment. Our staff are entitled to UCL's wide range of staff benefits, including family-friendly policies. We particularly encourage applications from candidates from groups, including women and those from an ethnic minority background, who are likely to be under-represented in UCL’s workforce in this type of role. For more information on the role and how to apply, please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/vacancies About the unit: Established in 1998 through a generous grant from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Gatsby Unit has been a pioneering centre for both theoretical neuroscience and machine learning. We share a purpose-built home with the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC). Our close connection with the SWC offers an unparalleled opportunity for theorists and experimentalists to work together towards understanding computation in neural systems. -- I-Chun Lin, PhD Scientific Programme Manager Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby | @GatsbyUCL

Nov. 22, 2022

Lab Manager position (Tübingen - Germany) [Deadline 11 Dec 2023]

by Susan Fischer

(Apologies for cross-posting) The newly established W3 professorship “Computational Psychiatry” at the Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Tübingen is offering a position for a Lab Manager (m/f/d; 50-100%, 1+ years) starting in January 2023 or at earliest convenience. The position is initially limited to 1 year with the possibility of a further extension. Background: The newly established W3 professorship “Computational Psychiatry” focuses on understanding the neural and computational mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, and predicting disorder trajectories using computational modelling, neuroimaging, pharmacology and smartphone-based data collection in clinical and non-clinical populations. This position is suited for aspiring researchers with an MSc in psychology, cognitive science, or similar and is ideal for an ambitious person that wants to gain experience in cognitive neuroscience and computational psychiatry research. This position will allow the candidate to gain experience with conducting research with vulnerable populations and using cutting-edge computational psychiatry methods. Responsibilities: Involvement in the day-to-day running of the lab Assistance with conducting studies, e.g. piloting of studies, equipment setup and maintenance, and data collection (behavioural, neuroimaging, smartphone-based) Assistance with patient recruitment and support for clinical studies Assistance with coding experiments and analyses pipelines Support professor with administrative tasks and lab management: Support with Ethics applications Implementation and communication of general lab and safety regulations File and document management (e.g., preparatory work for the reimbursement of travel expenses) Organisation of higher-level laboratory management tasks (e.g. purchasing of equipment, inventory) Qualifications: Essential: This position is suited for aspiring researchers with an MSc in psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, or similar Good organization skills and self-motivation Experience with conducting cognitive (neuro-)science / psychological research with human participants A strong interest in cognitive neuroscience and computational psychiatry and good understanding of the relevant literature Good command of the German language Desirable: Experience with conducting research in vulnerable populations, such as children and/or psychiatric patients Solid programming skills (Matlab, Python) Experience with neuroimaging and/or computational modelling would be ideal What we offer: We offer a unique lab manager position based at the Dept. for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Tübingen. The position is funded by an Alexander-von-Humboldt-Professorship award. We offer remuneration in accordance with TV-L (collective wage agreement for the Public Service of the German Federal States) in addition to all the customary benefits granted to employees working in Public Services. The candidate will gain insight into the process of academic research, and it will be a great stepping stone towards an independent research career. The position will be linked to the new German Centre for Mental Health and there is ample opportunity for interacting with collaborators locally, nationally and internationally. About Tübingen: Tübingen is a scenic university town on the Neckar River in South-Western Germany. The quality of life is exceptionally high and the atmosphere is diverse, inclusive, and most locals speak English. Tübingen offers excellent research opportunities due to the University, four Max Planck Institutes, the University Hospital, and Europe’s largest AI research consortium. You can find out more about Tübingen here: https://www.tuebingen.de/en/ How to apply: If you are interested in the position, please get in touch with Susan Fischer via email (susan.fischer(a)tue.mpg.de) enclosing your CV. For formal applications, please send a motivation letter, your CV, and the contact information of two referees as a single PDF to Susan Fischer. The University of Tübingen is an equal opportunities employer. Severely handicapped persons with equal qualifications are given preferential consideration. Applications of qualified women academics are thus especially encouraged; applications of disabled persons will be given preferential treatment to those of other candidates with equal qualifications. Please note the applicable vaccination regulations. The employment will be arranged by the central administration of the University of Tübingen. Preference will be given to applications received by 11 December, 2022, but applications might be considered thereafter until the position is filled. ************************************************ Susan Fischer Coordinator Alexander von Humboldt Professorship Prof Peter Dayan Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen & Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics AI Research Building R 20-7/A21 Maria-von-Linden-Str. 6 72076 Tübingen Germany susan.fischer(a)tue.mpg.de ************************************************

Nov. 21, 2022

PhD student position in computational neuromechanical modeling, at EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland

by Auke Ijspeert

*PhD student position in computational neuromechanical modeling * The Biorobotics laboratory (Biorob, https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob/) at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) has one open *PhD student position* in *computational neuromechanical modeling*. The position is part of the ERC Synergy Salamandra project that started in September 2021, together with Prof. Andras Simon (KI Sweden) and Prof. Dimitri Ryczko (U. Sherbrooke, Canada). See some info here: https://actu.epfl.ch/news/salamanders-provide-a-model-for-spinal-cord-rege-… The goals of the position are (i) to develop numerical models of the musculoskeletal system of the salamander (and other related animals), (ii) to develop models of the physical interactions of the simulated bodies with water and ground environments, and (iii) to simulate neurons that relay proprio- and exteroception to locomotor circuits (together with computational neuroscientists in the team). The positions are fully funded for 4 years. EPFL is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers extremely competitive salaries and research infrastructure. *Requirements:* Candidates need to have a Master degree in a field related to computational modeling and physics-based simulations, e.g. in computer science, mechanical engineering, or physics. The ideal candidate for this position should have a strong numerical modeling background, good programming skills, good math background (e.g. in dynamical systems), and interest in animal and robot locomotion. *How to apply for the position:* Step 1: The position is only open to applicants who have been accepted by the EPFL doctoral school (see http://phd.epfl.ch/) The first step is therefore to fill the applications for one of the relevant EPFL doctoral programs (e.g. robotics or computer science). Step 2: In parallel to step 1, or once accepted by one of the doctoral programs (please specify which doctoral program and the date of acceptance), the application to the position should be sent by email to Prof. Auke Ijspeert and consist of a motivation letter (explaining why you are interested in the project, and why you feel qualified for it) and a copy of the doctoral program application. Informal inquiries about the relevance of an application can be sent to auke.ijspeert(a)epfl.ch (e.g. before or while submitting an application to the doctoral school), but responses can be slow because of a heavy schedule and a filled mail box. *Deadline and starting date: **The ideal starting date is September 2023* (with some flexibility). Applications will be considered starting *from December 2022*, and then continuously until the positions are filled. *Contact: *Information concerning the type of research carried out by the lab can be found at https://www.epfl.ch/labs/biorob/ . You should send your application and any inquiry by email to: auke.ijspeert(a)epfl.ch -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Prof Auke Jan Ijspeert Biorobotics Laboratory EPFL-STI-IBI-BIOROB, ME D1 1226, Station 9 EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne CH 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland Office: ME D1 1226 Tel: +41 21 693 2658 Fax: +41 21 693 3705 www:http://biorob.epfl.ch Email:Auke.Ijspeert@epfl.ch -----------------------------------------------------------------

Nov. 20, 2022

COSYNE 2023: Abstract submission closes soon

by Tomas Hromadka

==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience 2023 (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING 09 - 12 March 2023 Montreal WORKSHOPS 13 - 14 March 2023 Mont-Tremblant www.cosyne.org ==================================================== IMPORTANT DATES Abstract submission is now open. Abstract submission deadline: 23 November 2022, 11:59PM PST ---------------------------------------------------- COSYNE MEETING & WORKSHOPS ---------------------------------------------------- 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. The MAIN MEETING is single-track. A set of invited talks is selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. The WORKSHOPS feature in-depth discussion of current topics of interest, in a small group setting. All abstract submissions will be reviewed double blind. The deadline for Abstract submission will be 23 November 2022. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural basis of behavior, sensory and motor systems, circuitry, learning, 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, neuromodulation, and computation with spiking networks. 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. When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. See Cosyne.org -> Abstracts -> Abstract submission for details on how to submit an abstract to Cosyne. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE General Chairs: Laura Busse (LMU Munich) and Tim Vogels (IST Austria) Program Chairs: Jessica Cardin (Yale) and Blake Richards (McGill) Workshop Chairs: Anna Schapiro (U Penn) and Andrew Saxe (Oxford) Tutorial Chair: Kanaka Rajan (Mount Sinai) DEIA Committee: Hysell Oviedo (CUNY) and Aman Saleem (UCL) Undergraduate Travel Chairs: Angela Langdon (Princeton) and Sashank Pisupati (Princeton) Fundraising Chair: Michael Long (NYU) Social Media Chair: Grace Lindsay (Columbia) Audio-Video Media Chair: Carlos Stein Brito (EPFL) Poster Design: Xaq Pitkow (Rice) PROGRAM COMMITTEE Jessica Cardin (Yale) Co-chair Blake Richards (McGill) Co-chair Yashar Ahmadian (Cambridge) Mark Andermann (Harvard) Omri Barak (Technion) Brice Bathellier (Paris) Yoram Burak (Hebrew University) Johannes Burge (U Penn) Chandramouli Chandrasekaran (Boston U) SueYeon Chung (Columbia) Jeremiah Cohen (Allen Inst) Anne Collins (Berkeley) Christine Constantinople (NYU) Carina Curto (Penn State) Jan Drugowitsch (Harvard) Tatiana Engel (CSHL) Sean Escola (Columbia) Annegret Falkner (Princeton) Kevin Franks (Duke) Rainer Friedrich (FMI Basel) Andrea Hasenstaub (UCSF) Monika Jadi (Yale) Santiago Jaramillo (U Oregon) Kohitij Kar (MIT) Narayanan Kasthuri (U Chicago) Jens Kremkow (Berlin) Guillaume Lajoie (MILA) Sukbin Lim (Shanghai) Scott Linderman (Stanford) Ashok Litwin-Kumar (Columbia) Mackenzie Mathis (EPFL) Paul Miller (Brandeis) Ida Momennejad (Microsoft) Eilif Muller (U Montreal) Marieke Mur (Western U) Kathy Nagel (NYU) Daniel O'Connor (Johns Hopkins) Hysell Oviedo (CUNY) Il Memming Park (Stony Brook) Joseph Paton (Champalimaud) Adrien Peyrache (McGill) Xaq Pitkow (Rice) Kanaka Rajan (Mount Sinai) Nathalie Rochefort (Edinburgh) Aman Saleem (UCL) Cristina Savin (NYU) Tatyana Sharpee (Salk) Aparna Suvrathan (McGill) Saori Tanaka (ATR) Daniela Vallentin (MPI Ornithology) Melissa Warden (Cornell) Brad Wyble (U Penn) Marta Zlatic (Cambridge) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Stephanie Palmer (U Chicago) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud) Alexandre Pouget (U Geneva) Anthony Zador (CSHL) Anne-Marie Oswald (U Chicago) CONTACT meeting [at] cosyne.org Please consider adding yourself to Cosyne mailing lists (groups) to receive email updates with various Cosyne-related information and join in helpful discussions. See Cosyne.org -> About-> Mailing lists for details.

Nov. 18, 2022

PhD & Postdoc positions at Bocconi University, Milan (IT)

by Alessandro Sanzeni

Hi all, PhD and Postdoctoral positions are open in computational neurosciences at Bocconi University (Milan, Italy). Research topics include: how movement modulates neural responses to visual stimuli; integrating connectomes in mechanistic models of brain functions; building normative models of neural representations. Approaches from statistical physics, nonlinear dynamics and machine learning will be used, and models will be constrained by new electrophysiological and connectomic data. Prior experience with computational neuroscience is a plus, but it is not required. Positions will be part of the vibrant community at Bocconi University, which includes researchers working in neuroscience, machine learning, computer science and statistics (a complete list of researchers can be found in the websites of the Department of Computing Sciences <https://cs.unibocconi.eu/>, Decision Sciences <https://dec.unibocconi.eu/> and the BIDSA <https://bidsa.unibocconi.eu/>). Bocconi University is committed to building a diverse intellectual community (a detailed strategic plan can be found at this link <https://www.unibocconi.eu/wps/wcm/connect/bocconi/sitopubblico_en/navigatio…>) and we particularly encourage members of underrepresented groups to apply to these positions. Application deadline for PhD students is February 1st, 2023. Postdoctoral application reviews will start on Dec. 1st and will continue until positions are filled; the ideal starting date is before June 2023. Candidates should send their CV and a brief cover letter to: alessandro.sanzeni(a)unibocconi.it <mailto:alessandro.sanzeni@unibocconi.it> All the best, Alessandro Sanzeni

Nov. 18, 2022

Postdoc + PhD positions in Constantin Rothkopf's lab in ERC funded project ACTOR

by Constantin Rothkopf

One postdoc and one PhD position are available in the lab of Constantin Rothkopf at the Centre for Cognitive Science @ TU Darmstadt as part of the ERC project ACTOR. The goal of this project is to use both human behavioral experiments and computational modeling to understand human sequential behavior in tasks ranging from continuous psychophysics to navigation and food preparation in the framework of sequential decision making/planning/optimal control/RL. To get a better idea, here some work from our group related to this project: - F. Kessler, J. Frankenstein, C. A Rothkopf. A dynamic Bayesian actor model explains endpoint variability in homing tasks, bioRxiv, 2022. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.09.515854v1 - Straub, D., & Rothkopf, C. A. (2022). Putting perception into action with inverse optimal control for continuous psychophysics, eLife 11, e76635. https://elifesciences.org/articles/76635 - Schultheis, M., Straub, D., & Rothkopf, C. A. (2021). Inverse optimal control adapted to the noise characteristics of the human sensorimotor system. Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, 34, 9429-9442. https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper/2021/hash/4e55139e019a58e0084f194f758f… - Neupärtl, N., Tatai, F., & Rothkopf, C. A. (2020). Intuitive physical reasoning about objects’ masses transfers to a visuomotor decision task consistent with Newtonian physics. PLoS computational biology, 16(10), e1007730. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007730 - Hoppe, D., & Rothkopf, C. A. (2019). Multi-step planning of eye movements in visual search. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-37536-0 - Hoppe, D., & Rothkopf, C. A. (2016). Learning rational temporal eye movement strategies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(29), 8332-8337. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1601305113 Our group is part of the Centre for Cognitive Science and the AI Center at TU Darmstadt, which are home to a an internationally outstanding group of PIs and junior researchers working in the areas of computational cognitive science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. We are part of several research consortia and engage in several fruitful research collaborations. The lab has state of the art equipment for eye and body tracking, VR, naturalistic task monitoring, psychophysics and access to one of the most generous computing infrastructures in Germany. The Frankfurt-Darmstadt metropolitan area is located in the heart of Europe and is one of the most international regions in Germany with a diverse community and rich culture repeatedly earning high rankings in worldwide surveys of quality of living. Frankfurt just recently reached 7th place worldwide in a ranking by the Economist and Darmstadt has repeatedly ranked among the top innovation driving cities in Germany. While some of the positions within this ERC are geared towards more behavioral work others are strongly focused on computational modeling. Applicants may therefore have a background in computer science, cognitive science, neuroscience, psychology, engineering, or related fields. Don’t hesitate to contact me for more details. Please send the official application to the dean of the of the department of human sciences dekanat(a)humanw.tu-darmstadt.de including a CV, a two page summary of your past research experience and current research interests, and contact information for 2-3 references in a single pdf file. The code for the PhD position is “721” and the code for the Postdoc position is “722”. Official advertisements are linked at the end of this post. The positions can be filled starting in December. Applications will be reviewed on a continuing basis. All the best, Constantin Rothkopf https://www.pip.tu-darmstadt.de/ http://www.cogsci.tu-darmstadt.de/ https://hessian.ai/ Official ads: https://www.tu-darmstadt.de/universitaet/karriere_an_der_tu/stellenangebote… https://www.tu-darmstadt.de/universitaet/karriere_an_der_tu/stellenangebote…

Nov. 17, 2022

PhD & Postdoc at University of Lyon1, FR

by DI VOLO MATTEO

PhD and Postdoctoral positions are open in computational neurosciences at the University of Lyon1, in the Stem and Brain Research Institute (https://sbri.fr/) The project aims at understanding the cellular and circuit mechanisms responsible for cognitive functions, combining computational and theoretical aspects of neural modeling as well as analyses of electrophysiological data. Further details at https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/865006. The positions are available starting immediately. Candidates should send their CV and a brief cover letter to Matteo di Volo: matteo.divolo(a)univ.lyon1.fr

Nov. 17, 2022

Assistant Professor position in Cognitive Sciences at UC Irvine

by Jeffrey L Krichmar

Dear Comp-Neuro colleagues, The Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) invites applications for an assistant professor (tenure-track) position with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2023. We are seeking scientists who study human vision, with a particular interest in those who combine an empirical research program with innovative approaches in neuroscience and/or cutting-edge computational tools such as machine learning and AI. The successful candidate will establish a vital research program, and contribute to teaching, mentoring, and to inclusive excellence. They will interact with a dynamic and growing community in cognitive, computational, and neural sciences within the department (http://www.cogsci.uci.edu/) and the broader campus. Applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research and teaching statements, a statement describing past or potential contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, three recent or relevant publications, and the names and contact information of three references. The application requirements along with the online application can be found at: https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF07912. To ensure full consideration, applications must be completed by December 15, 2022. The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy. 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

Nov. 17, 2022

PhD Positions in Visual Cognition & Computational Neuroscience

by Marius Catalin Iordan

The lab of Dr. Marius Cătălin Iordan at the University of Rochester (Depts. of Brain & Cognitive Sciences and Neuroscience) is recruiting 1-2 PhD students interested in visual cognition + neuroscience and/or quantitative + computational methods applied to human neuroimaging. Apply by December 4 for a Fall 2023 start date. Our lab studies how the human brain organizes conceptual information into categories, events, and stories to understand and interact with our complex, noisy world. More details about our research can be found here: www.MariusCatalinIordan.com . Details re: position, application, compensation, benefits, & friendly lab culture below. PhD Program in Brain and Cognitive Sciences: Application Deadline: December 4, 2022. Start Date: September 2023. Application Details & Link: http://www.sas.rochester.edu/bcs/graduate/admission.html Program Info: http://www.sas.rochester.edu/bcs/graduate/curriculum.html. We especially encourage applications from minority and/or underrepresented students. Students with strong computational background & interests may be eligible for a joint PhD degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Computer Science. Ideal candidates have psychology, neuroscience, and/or computer science research experience, as well as programming skills; computational methods and/or neuroimaging experience is a plus. However, strong evidence of passion & dedication for research may partly substitute for the above. In your personal statement, please describe your research contributions during current and past projects, as well as your computational / programming prowess. Also, please make sure to include 1-2 specific cognitive (neuro)science question(s) you would like to pursue in grad school. We look for students who can think clearly about which scientific questions are most important, which methods are best for answering those questions, and why they're passionate! Come work in a welcoming, inclusive, equitable, and friendly environment where you'll be supported and valued. We will train you to become an independent scientist and we'll provide support for achieving your own best path forward, whether in academia or industry. You'll join a growing community of interdisciplinary scientists and you'll have opportunities to collaborate with several communities and departments: Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Psychology, Neuroscience, Data Science, & Computer Science. You'll receive training in psychology & neuroscience, esp. cognition, as well as computational approaches, including machine learning and neural networks. Our lab also provides training opportunities in a cornucopia of techniques and methods, including fMRI, psychophysics, real-time neuroimaging, and neurofeedback. Collaboration opportunities are also available within the department for students interested in EEG and AR/VR. We'll also help you build and hone other valuable and marketable skills, such as teaching, leadership, mentoring, project management, & scientific communication. Your salary will afford you a good standard of living in an inexpensive city: ~$31.5k/yr (currently equiv. to ~120% NIH rate) or external/fellowship funding rate, whichever is higher. We also provide a single plan UR health insurance, full tuition scholarship, paid family leave, and enduring NY state social protections. We believe that being a successful scientist requires not just dedication and supportive mentorship, but also a good work/life balance and the ability to explore one's passions both within and outside the lab. There are lots of ways to enjoy your time here: world-class symphony, great culture and food, exceptionally LGBTQIA+ friendly University and city, 20 min to a sandy beach, 1h to Finger Lakes / wine country / skiing, 2h to great hiking in the Adirondacks. We also have a balanced 4 season climate with weather for every occasion: Lilac Festival in the spring, beautiful sunny summers (<10 days above 90 degrees), gorgeous fall foliage, and snowy holidays in the winter. More info here: https://www.visitrochester.com . If you have any questions or would like to request a waiver of the application fee ($30), please reach out to mci (at) rochester (dot) edu.

Nov. 16, 2022

Call for papers, Scientific Reports special issue: Biological modularity

by alireza valizadeh

Dear all, Sientific reports accepts papers for the collection "Biological Modularity". Please see below. https://www.nature.com/collections/bedecebdgf/how-to-submit Collection Biological modularity Submission statusOpen Submission deadline08 March 2023 Modularity has become a central concept in biological sciences, stemming from the notion that biological systems can be conceptualised as intricate networks, which in turn are often divided into sets of strongly interacting parts that are relatively autonomous with respect to each other. Modularity has strong evolutionary implications, and has been applied at various scales, from gene regulation and cell metabolism, to organism development, morphogenesis and functional anatomy, to neural circuits and behaviour, and species’ or whole community interactions. This Collection will bring together original research advancing our understanding of modularity, as well as its application in various biological fields, including multidisciplinary studies. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Alireza Valizadeh Professor Neurophysics lab, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, Iran Tel:(+98) 24 3315 2120 Fax:(+98) 24 3315 2104 valizade(a)iasbs.ac.ir Web: http://www.iasbs.ac.ir/~valizade/index.html --------------------------------------------------------------------

Nov. 16, 2022

Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Computational Brain Science at Brown

by Michael J Frank

The Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science <https://www.brown.edu/carney/> at Brown University invites applications from rising and established leaders in computational brain science for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level. A transformative $100M gift to the Institute is catalyzing the growth and expansion of Carney faculty and research over the next decade, including to further research goals of the Center for Computational Brain Science <https://ccbs.carney.brown.edu/>. As part of this expansion, this search will consider applicants with expertise in computational neuroscience broadly construed and will result in an appointment with a tenure-track home in a Carney Institute-affiliated department (including physics, applied mathematics, computer science, neuroscience, and cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences). The successful applicant will have an outstanding record of research and teaching that contributes to the mission of the candidate’s appropriate home department and the Carney Institute Center for Computational Brain Science. We are particularly interested in scholars who demonstrate commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the brain sciences. The Carney Institute promotes discovery and innovation in brain science by supporting a diverse community of experimentalists, theorists, engineers, and clinicians. With more than 180 affiliated faculty members in more than 20 academic and clinical units, the Carney Institute catalyzes research across the brain sciences, including in the neurobiology of cells and circuits, computational brain science, cognition and behavior, and neuroengineering and neurotechnology. We are a highly interactive community that values collaborative approaches to tackle major questions in brain science to benefit society. Quality of research and scholarship is central to reaching our goals and this depends on engaging talented scientists from across academia and embracing their contributions in a fully inclusive community. The Carney Institute’s strategic vision is aligned with Brown’s commitment to creating a more fully diverse and inclusive community, outlined in “Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion: An Action Plan for Brown University <https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/institutional-diversity/pathways> .” *Qualifications* Applicants must have a Ph.D. at the time of starting work. The start date can be anytime between July 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024. *Application Instructions* All candidates should submit: (1) a teaching statement; (2) a research statement; (3) a diversity and inclusion statement; (4) a curriculum vitae; (5) up to 5 publications; and (6) a cover letter describing their interest in the position (including the general field of research and potential departments of interest); (7) at least three letters of reference submitted before the application deadline. Letters of support should speak to the candidate’s potential as a scholar, colleague, mentor, and teacher. Inquiries about the position should be directed to carney-institute(a)brown.edu. Full consideration will be given to applications received by December 15, 2022; we will continue to accept applications until the position is filled. Brown is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, and members of underrepresented groups in brain science are strongly encouraged to apply. Apply at http://apply.interfolio.com/115307. *Equal Employment Opportunity Statement* *Brown University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic global community; as an EEO/AA employer, Brown considers applicants for employment without regard to and does not discriminate on the basis of, gender, race, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.* Michael J Frank, PhD | Edgar L. Marston Professor Director, Carney Center for Computational Brain Science <https://www.brown.edu/carney/ccbs> Laboratory of Neural Computation and Cognition <https://www.lnccbrown.com/> Brown University website <http://ski.clps.brown.edu>

Nov. 16, 2022

GEM 2023 - Call for Abstracts

by Vinita Samarasinghe

The DFG-funded research consortium “FOR 2812 – Constructing scenarios of the past” https://for2812.rub.de is proud to announce a call for abstracts for its biennial conference *GEM 2023* (Generative Episodic Memory: Interdisciplinary perspectives from neuroscience, psychology and philosophy), which will be held *in person*at the Ruhr University Bochum, Germany from 12^th to 14^th June 2023. For more information on the conference please visit https://for2812.rub.de/gem2023. We invite submissions for symposia, talks and posters. *Please note that all presentations are in person.* Episodic memories are widely regarded as memories of personally experienced events. Early concepts about episodic memory were based on the storage model, according to which experiential content is preserved in memory and later retrieved. However, overwhelming empirical evidence suggests that the content of episodic memory is – at least to a certain degree – constructed in the act of remembering. Even though very few contemporary researchers would oppose this view of episodic memory as a generative process, it has not become the standard paradigm of empirical memory research. This is particularly true for studies of the neural correlates of episodic memory. Further hindering progress are large conceptual differences regarding episodic memory across different fields, such as neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. This interdisciplinary conference therefore aims to bring together researchers from all relevant fields to advance the state of the art in the research on generative episodic memory. *Abstract* submission deadlines [GMT +1 (CET)]: Abstract submission – 15.03.2023 Notification of acceptance – 15.04.2023 Submission guidelines: Abstracts mustbe submitted in English and be no longer than 500 words.Submitted work must be original and unpublished andsubmitted electronically athttps://www.conftool.net/gem2023/. Types of submissions: * Talks * Symposia: In addition to submitting individual talks there is also the option to submit a set of talks (henceforth called symposium). Symposiamust be interdisciplinary in nature, i.e., they must contain talks from at least two of the following disciplines: computational neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and must comprise 3 talks. Please note that if one or more of the talks that make up the symposium are rejected the remainingtalks are not automatically rejected. They will be scheduled into the general program by the program committee. * Posters Please ensure that your files are in PDF format and are no larger than 10 MB. We look forward to welcoming you in Bochum. Vinita Samarasinghe Coordinator -- Coordination Office For 2812 "Constructing scenarios of the past: A new framework in episodic memory" https://for2812.rub.de 25.11.2022 - Colloquium - Olaf Blanke <https://for2812.rub.de/events/#event_60> 09.12.2022 - Colloquium - Kristina Liefke <https://for2812.rub.de/events/#event_61> 13.01.2023 - Colloquium - Caswell Barry <https://for2812.rub.de/events/#event_62> Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, NB 3/73 Postfachnummer 110 Universitätstr. 150 44801 Bochum Tel: +49 (0)234 32 27996 Email: for2812(a)rub.de

Nov. 15, 2022

Gary Marcus speaking on November 17 in Developing Minds global online lecture series

by Jochen Triesch

Dear colleagues, On November 17, the Developing Minds global online lecture series will feature Gary Marcus: „Towards a Foundation for AGI“ https://sites.google.com/view/developing-minds-series/home The live event will take place via zoom at: 09:00 am PST (Pacific Standard Time) 17:00 UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) 18:00 CET (Central European Time) 02:00 am, Friday Nov. 18, JST (Japan Standard Time) To participate please register here: https://sites.google.com/view/developing-minds-series/home Abstract Large pretrained language models like GPT-3 and PaLM have generated enormous enthusiasm, and are capable of producing remarkably fluent language. But they have also been criticized on many grounds, and described as "stochastic parrots." Are they adequate as a basis for artificial general intelligence [AGI], and if not, what would a better foundation for general intelligence look like? Bio GARY MARCUS is a leading voice in artificial intelligence. He is a scientist, best-selling author, and serial entrepreneur (Founder of Robust.AI and Geometric.AI, acquired by Uber). He is well-known for his challenges to contemporary AI, anticipating many of the current limitations decades in advance, and for his research in human language development and cognitive neuroscience. An Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at NYU, he is the author of five books, including, The Algebraic Mind, Kluge, The Birth of the Mind, and the New York Times Bestseller Guitar Zero. He has often contributed to The New Yorker, Wired, and The New York Times. His most recent book, Rebooting AI, with Ernest Davis, is one of Forbes’s 7 Must Read Books in AI. You can follow him at garymarcus.substack.com and on Twitter, @garymarcus. 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

Nov. 13, 2022

Re: Postdoc and PhD position in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience

by Christopher L Buckley

Apologies, the post doc position is for 2 years with possible extension for 2 years not 14 months as stated in the advert. Best, Chris > On 11 Nov 2022, at 15:13, Christopher Laurie Buckley <christopher.laurie.buckley(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > Hi all, > > A postdoc and a PhD position are available at the University of Sussex in my own group and the group of Prof. Anil K Seth (Department of Informatics and Centre for Consciousness Science) on the EU-funded project entitled “A metapredictive model of synthetic awareness for enabling tool invention (METATOOL)”. The METATOOL project is a ground-breaking international and multidisciplinary project that aims at developing a novel computational model of cognition based on the predictive processing of metacognition and validating its utility in real robots in the context of conditional sequential tasks, operationalised by tool use, as well as by the novel challenge of tool creation. This will suit those interested in predictive processing and generally work at the intersection of cognitive science and ML. > > To apply for the postdoc please see, > https://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/jobs/research-fel-in-computational-cognitiv-… > The closing date is 9th December 2022. > For the PhD position, and all informal inquiries. please contact c.l.buckley(a)sussex.ac.uk. > > > Professor Christopher L. Buckley > Sussex AI Group > Department of Informatics > University of Sussex > Falmer > Brighton, UK > >

Nov. 11, 2022

Postdoc and PhD position in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience

by Christopher Laurie Buckley

Hi all, Hi all, A postdoc and a PhD position are available at the University of Sussex in my own group and the group of Prof. Anil K Seth (Department of Informatics and Centre for Consciousness Science) on the EU-funded project entitled “A metapredictive model of synthetic awareness for enabling tool invention (METATOOL)”. The METATOOL project is a ground-breaking international and multidisciplinary project that aims at developing a novel computational model of cognition based on the predictive processing of metacognition and validating its utility in real robots in the context of conditional sequential tasks, operationalised by tool use, as well as by the novel challenge of tool creation. This will suit those interested in predictive processing and generally work at the intersection of cognitive science and ML. To apply for the postdoc please see, https://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/jobs/research-fel-in-computational-cognitiv-… The closing date is 9th December 2022. For the PhD position, and all informal inquiries. please contact c.l.buckley(a)sussex.ac.uk. Professor Christopher L. Buckley Sussex AI Group Department of Informatics University of Sussex Falmer Brighton, UK

Nov. 11, 2022

Two postdoc positions in bio-inspired AI

by Thomas Nowotny

Dear all, We are looking for two post-doctoral research fellows to join our team working on bio-inspired AI and robotics at the University of Sussex which will suit people with a range of backgrounds (from robotics, through computational neuroscience to Artificial Life). Deadline 22nd November. You will develop novel active AI algorithms that are inspired by the rapid and robust learning of insects within the. £1.2m EPSRC International Centre to Centre Collaboration project: “ActiveAI: active learning and selective attention for rapid, robust and efficient AI.” and will work in collaboration with the University of Sheffield and world-leading neuroscientists in Australia. Detailed information and how to apply can be found here: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/jobs/research-fellow-in-bio-inspired-ai-rob-… https://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/jobs/research-fellow-in-bio-inspired-ai-rob-… Your primary role will be to develop a new class of ActiveAI controllers for problems in which insects excel but deep learning methods struggle. These problems have one or more of the following characteristics: (i) learning must occur rapidly, (ii) learning samples are few or costly, (iii) computational resources are limited, and (iv) the learning problem changes over time. Insects deal with such complex tasks robustly despite limited computational power because learning is an active process emerging from the interaction of evolved brains, bodies and behaviours. Through a virtuous cycle of modelling and experiments, you will develop insect-inspired models, in which behavioural strategies and specialised sensors actively structure sensory input while selective attention drives learning to the most salient information. The cycle of modelling and experiments will be achieved through field work in both Sussex and Australia. You will work under the supervision of Professors Andrew Philippides, Thomas Nowotny and Paul Graham within the Department of Informatics at Sussex and will join an active team of research fellows and PhD students working on similar topics at Sussex. Please contact Andrew Philippides (andrewop(a)sussex.ac.uk<mailto:andrewop@sussex.ac.uk>) for informal enquiries Kind regards, Thomas Nowotny -- Prof. Thomas Nowotny Head of AI Research Group CCNR, Sussex Neuroscience Phone: +44-1273-678593 Engineering and Informatics, Fax: +44-1273-877873 University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QJ sussex.ac.uk/informatics/tnowotny<http://sussex.ac.uk/informatics/tnowotny> I support the University of Sussex Community Pledge, as I continue to help those around me during the pandemic. Small acts of collaboration, kindness and integrity can make a big difference. www.sussex.ac.uk/community-pledge<http://www.sussex.ac.uk/community-pledge>

Nov. 10, 2022

Software Engineering and PostDoc position at EPFL

by Mathis Alexander

My group has two openings: * Software engineer position in NeuroAI * SNSF-funded Postdoc position to model the sensorimotor system (see second half of the email) Thank you! Software engineer position in NeuroAI The Alexander Mathis Group of Computational Neuroscience & AI (UPAMATHIS, https://mathisgroup.org<https://mathisgroup.org/>) at EPFL (Lausanne & Geneva, Switzerland) is looking for a software engineer to support the research in Computer Vision, Machine Learning and modeling the Brain. Part (50% effort) of this position would also support our work collaboratively with the Mathis Laboratory<http://www.mackenziemathislab.org/> on DeepLabCut - a popular animal pose estimation system https://github.com/DeepLabCut/DeepLabCut EPFL<https://www.epfl.ch/de/> is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers extremely competitive salaries and research infrastructure. Requirements: Candidates minimally should have a bachelor’s in Computer Science or related fields, and a masters degree or PhD is preferred. * Candidates without a PhD must be from Switzerland or the EU, PhD holders can be from anywhere in the world * Work is onsite at Campus Biotech in Geneva, Switzerland * Excellent English verbal and written communication skills and proven record of effective communication, both written and verbal, with scientists is required An ideal candidate would have prior experience in: * 3+ years of experience in Python & Machine Learning related technologies such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX. * 2+ years of professional software development experience * Experience building and scaling systems both on-premise and the cloud. * A record of experience working with scientists and other research engineers Deadline and starting date: Applications are requested starting from November 15 2022 and will then be processed as they arrive until the position is filled. The ideal starting date is winter or spring 2023. How to apply: Applications should consist of a motivation letter, a CV, two relevant GitHub repositories, and the email addresses of two or more referees. Please send your application and any inquiry by email to alexander.mathis(a)epfl.ch<mailto:alexander.mathis@epfl.ch>. Additional information about our research can be found at https://www.mathisgroup.org<https://www.mathislab.org/> Related work: Lauer, …, Mathis & Mathis Nature Methods<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-022-01443-0> 2022 SNSF-funded Postdoc position to model the sensorimotor system The Alexander Mathis Group of Computational Neuroscience & AI (UPAMATHIS, https://mathisgroup.org<https://mathisgroup.org/>) at EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland) has one open postdoc position in to model the sensorimotor system funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The goal is to build deep learning models of the sensorimotor system with a particular focus on proprioception based on known anatomical, pharmacological, lesion, behavioral and physiological data. We will then test predictions with our experimental collaborators. EPFL<https://www.epfl.ch/de/> is one of the leading Institutes of Technology in Europe and offers extremely competitive salaries and research infrastructure. Related work: DMAP: a Distributed Morphological Attention Policy for Learning to Locomote with a Changing Body<https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.14218> Alberto Silvio Chiappa, Alessandro Marin Vargas, Alexander Mathis. NeurIPS (in press), 2022. Contrasting action and posture coding with hierarchical deep neural network models of proprioception <https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.06.081372v3> Kai J. Sandbrink*, Pranav Mamidanna*, Claudio Michaelis, Matthias Bethge, Mackenzie Weygandt Mathis**, Alexander Mathis**, BioRxiv, 2022. Requirements: Candidates should have a Ph.D. and a strong publication record in computational neuroscience or related fields. An ideal candidate would have prior experience in: * Reinforcement learning * Machine learning * Modeling neural data * Biomechanics * Fluency in oral and written English is required. Deadline and starting date: Applications are requested starting from November 15 2022 and will then be processed as they arrive until the position is filled. The ideal starting date is spring 2023. How to apply: Postdoctoral applications should consist of a motivation letter, a CV, two relevant publications, and the email addresses of two or more referees. Please send your application and any inquiry by email to alexander.mathis(a)epfl.ch<mailto:alexander.mathis@epfl.ch>. Additional information about our research can be found at https://www.mathislab.org<https://www.mathislab.org/> [cid:clip_image001.png] Alexander Mathis Tenure Track Assistant Professor people/alexander.mathis mathislab.org<http://mathislab.org>

Nov. 10, 2022

Funded PhD Scholarship in Developmental Neurorobotics at Sheffield Hallam University (UK)

by Di Nuovo, Alessandro

About the Project This scholarship will support the PhD candidate to carry out frontier research in Developmental Neurorobotics, a combination of Neuromorphic Computing and Cognitive Developmental Robotics. The PhD candidate will work with the Professor Alessandro Di Nuovo and his team, who have been awarded funding by the EPSRC for his research in the field. We are looking for an outstanding student to work with the team of a new EPSRC project. The research will pioneer the new developmental neuromorphic paradigm, which will be a synergic combination that will go beyond the limitations of the individual paradigms: neuromorphic computing will provide efficient brain-like resources able to process a more accurate representation of the real world, meanwhile developmental robotics will deliver the missing learning mechanisms for complex applications of neuromorphic spiking neural networks. The short-term objective is to demonstrate feasibility and lay the foundation of a biologically plausible framework to simulate the human-like learning process of numerical and abstract cognition, a fundamental characteristic of human intelligence. The team long-term goal is to create an artificial mind for robots that 'grows up' like a child's brain. This will be underpinned by neuromorphic computing which emulates the deep-lying architecture of the brain and will allow it to interpret and adapt to situations. As well as enabling the creation of robots with a human-like ability to reason, behave and interact the creation of an artificial mind will boost research in life sciences disciplines such as neuroscience by allowing researchers to run biologically realistic simulations to test theories. By simulating information on the inner workings of the brain that could not otherwise be detected, it could enhance our understanding of neurodevelopmental and learning disorders and lead to new treatments. Eligibility Information on entry requirements can be found here<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=147190&type=184&DID=6…> The ideal candidate should have a Masters degree in Neuromorphic Computing, Computational Neuroscience, Machine Learning, or closely related disciplines in AI and Robotics, excellent programming skills and experience in interdisciplinary research. How to apply Your application should be emailed to industry-innovation-admissions(a)shu.ac.uk<javascript:void(0)> Any interested candidates must contact the lead academic, Prof. Alessandro Di Nuovo, a.dinuovo(a)shu.ac.uk<javascript:void(0)>, to discuss your application. The application should explain how the candidate knowledge, skills and experience are relevant to the project short and long-term objectives. For information on how to apply please visit https://www.shu.ac.uk/research/degrees<https://www.findaphd.com/common/clickCount.aspx?theid=147190&type=184&DID=6…> ________________________________ Funding Notes The PhD studentship provides tuition fees at UK level and a maintenance bursary at the UK Research Councils' national minimum doctoral stipend rate (£17,668 for 2022/23). The scholarship is available for three years of full-time. ________________________________ References Di Nuovo, A., McClelland (2019). Developing the knowledge of number digits in a child-like robot. Nature Machine Intelligence, 1(12), 594-605. Di Nuovo, A., & Jay, T. (2019). Development of numerical cognition in children and artificial systems: a review of the current knowledge and proposals for multi-disciplinary research. Cognitive Computation and Systems, 1(1), 2-11. Di Nuovo, A., & Cangelosi, A. (2021). Abstract Concept Learning in Cognitive Robots. Current Robotics Reports, 2(1), 1-8. Roy, Jaiswal, Panda, (2019). Towards spike-based machine intelligence with neuromorphic computing. Nature, 575(7784), 607-617. Krichmar (2018). Neurorobotics-A Thriving Community and a Promising Pathway Toward Intelligent Cognitive Robots. Frontiers in Neurorobotics, Vol. 12, p. 42. Furber (2016). Large-scale neuromorphic computing systems. Journal of Neural Engineering, 13(5), 51001. Sengupta, et al. (2019). Going deeper in spiking neural networks: VGG and residual architectures. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13, 95. Quax, D'Asaro,van Gerven, (2020). Adaptive time scales in recurrent neural networks. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 11360.

Nov. 10, 2022

Open PhD and post-doc positions at the University of Bern

by Jean-Pascal Pfister

Applications are invited for two PhD student positions and one post-doc position at the University of Bern. The positions are funded by a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation which is entitled “Why Spikes?”. This project aims at answering an almost 100 year old question in Neuroscience: “What are spikes good for?”. Indeed, since the discovery of action potentials by Lord Adrian in 1926, it has remained largely unknown what the benefits of spiking neurons are, when compared to analog neurons. Traditionally, it has been argued that spikes are good for long-distance communication or for temporally precise computation. However, there is no systematic study that quantitatively compares the communication as well as the computational benefits of spiking neuron w.r.t analog neurons. The aim of the project is to systematically quantify the benefits of spiking at various levels. The PhD students and post-doc will be supervised by Prof. Jean-Pascal Pfister (Theoretical Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology, University of Bern). The PhD candidates (resp. post-doc candidate) should hold a Master (resp. PhD) degree in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Computational Neuroscience, Neuroscience or a related field. She/he should have keen interests in developing theories that can be tested experimentally. Preference will be given to candidates with strong mathematical and programming skills. Expertise in stochastic dynamical systems, point processes, control theory and nonlinear Bayesian filtering will be a plus. The applicant should submit a CV (including contacts of two referees), a statement of research interests, marks obtained for the Master to Jean-Pascal Pfister (jeanpascal.pfister(a)unibe.ch) The position is offered for a period of three years and can be extended. The preferred starting date is February 2023. Salary scale is provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation (http://www.snf.ch/SiteCollectionDocuments/allg_doktorierende_e.pdf) Deadline for application is the 30th of November 2022 or until the position is filled. --------------------------------- Prof. Jean-Pascal Pfister Theoretical Neuroscience Group Physiology Department, University of Bern 5 Bühlplatz, CH-3012 Bern, CH e-mail: jeanpascal.pfister(a)unibe.ch URL: http://www.physio.unibe.ch/~pfister/

Nov. 7, 2022

Gatsby Unit PhD Programme in Theoretical Neuroscience and Machine Learning -- deadline 13 November

by Maneesh Sahani

Applications to the Gatsby Unit PhD programme close soon. See www.ucl.ac.uk/gatsby/study-and-work/phd-programme The Gatsby Unit is a leading research centre focused on theoretical neuroscience and machine learning. We study (un)supervised and reinforcement learning in brains and machines; inference, coding and neural dynamics; Bayesian and kernel methods, and deep learning; with applications to the analysis of perceptual processing and cognition, neural data, signal and image processing, machine vision, network data and nonparametric hypothesis testing. The unit provides a unique opportunity for a critical mass of theoreticians to interact closely with one another, with the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour (SWC), the Centre for Computational Statistics and Machine Learning (CSML), other research groups in related UCL departments, and the nearby Alan Turing and Francis Crick Institutes. Students complete a 4-year PhD in either machine learning or theoretical neuroscience, with minor emphasis in the complementary field. Courses in the first year provide a comprehensive introduction to both fields and systems neuroscience. Students are encouraged to work and interact closely with researchers at the SWC and/or CSML to take advantage of this uniquely multidisciplinary research environment. Applicants should have a strong analytical and quantitative background, a keen interest in neuroscience, machine learning or both, and a relevant first degree, for example in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Neuroscience or Cognitive Psychology. Full funding is available regardless of nationality. The unit also welcomes applicants who have secured or are seeking funding from other sources. Applications should be submitted directly via our online portal. -- Maneesh Sahani, Ph.D. Professor of Theoretical Neuroscience and Machine Learning Director, Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG

Nov. 4, 2022