- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

Faculty Positions in Applied Mathematics at Northwestern University

by William L. Kath

The Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics at Northwestern University (http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/applied-math/) invites applications for two full-time, tenure-track faculty positions. Hiring will be focused on the assistant professor level, although exceptional applicants at a more senior level will be considered. Requirements include a Ph.D. and demonstrated ability to conduct high-impact interdisciplinary research in applied mathematics. Candidates in all areas are encouraged to apply. We are seeking candidates with strong connections to applications who can enhance the breadth of research activities of the department. Duties involve teaching and research. The application package should include a curriculum vita, a statement of research accomplishments and interests, and a statement of teaching experience and philosophy. Send applications to https://facultysearch.mccormick.northwestern.edu/apply/index/ODg In addition, the applicant should arrange for at least three, but no more than four letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters will be automatically solicited from the letter writers by email after the names are entered in the online application system. Questions may be sent to esam-facultysearch(a)northwestern.edu (Subject line: 2017 Faculty Search). Review of applications will begin November 15, 2016, and will continue until the positions are filled. For further information, see: http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/applied-math/. Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States. -- William L. Kath, Professor Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208-3125 Phone: 847-491-8784 Fax: 847-491-2178

Sept. 26, 2016

Reminder: deadline (October 1st 2016) approaching for manuscript submission to the Research Topic 'Burst coding: from cell to cognition'

by Fleur Zeldenrust

This is a reminder: The deadline for manuscript submission to the Research Topic below is on Extended Article Submission Deadline: 01 Oct 2016 . Research Topic Title: Burst coding: from cell to cognition Topic Editor(s): Wytse J. Wadman, Fleur Zeldenrust, Bernhard Englitz Hosting Field: Frontiers in Neuroscience Journal: Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience Here are quick links to: - Manuscript guidelines: http://home.frontiersin.org/about/author-guidelines - Online submission: http://frontiersin.org/Computational_Neuroscience/researchtopics/Burst_codi… - List of article types and publishing fees: http://www.frontiersin.org/about/PublishingFees With best regards, Fleur Zeldenrust Guest Associate Editor, Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience Department of Neurophysiology Donders Centre for Neuroscience Faculty of Science, Radboud Universiteit Heyendaalseweg 135, postvak 33 6525 AJ Nijmegen tel +31 24 36 53195 www.frontiersin.org

Sept. 26, 2016

Brainhack: Anatomy edition in Paris, 24-26 October 2016

by Anastasia Osoianu

Registration is now open for Brain-anatomy-hack in Paris. Brain-anatomy-hack aims at promoting the interaction between scientists on questions concerning (1) the investigation of brain anatomy based on magnetic resonance imaging or post mortem dissection; (2) the evolution of nervous systems across species; (3) the variability of brain features across healthy participants; (4) the insurgence of brain pathologies. Program Each of the three days will begin with an “Ignite Session” in which speakers will give 15-30 minute talks that will address wide questions in neuroanatomy that would benefit from open, interdisciplinary collaborations. The “Ignite Session” will be followed by a “hack session” and a dynamic set of talks organized by attendees. During the “hack sessions”, participants will be encouraged to work together in small groups on relevant projects. The workshop will culminate on the last day, when participants will have the opportunity to present a brief overview of their project. Participants can bring their own dataset, discuss a project and recruit a team of collaborators on site. Access to free big online databases of MRI images will be also available during the three days, for new creative ideas to be tested. This workshop is also an opportunity to learn methods, develop skills and collaborate with other participants. Participants will be supervised and receive advice on methods from a team of very capable nerds including Roberto Toro, Michel Thiebaut de Schotten, Alexandros Goulas, Julien Lefèvre, Daniel Margulies and Leonardo Cerliani throughout the three days. A constant flow of food and drinks (especially coffee…) will be provided during the conference breaks. We kindly request an online preregistration (70€) in order to cover the expenses for the venue, the equipment and the food/drinks. Deadline is 16th of October 2016. For more information and preliminary schedule visit: http://neuroanatomy.github.io/events/brainhack/ To learn more about Brainhack and previous events: http://brainhack.org/

Sept. 24, 2016

Job Posting--Senior Data Analyst--DiCarlo Lab

by Christopher Shay

SENIOR DATA ANALYST Massachusetts Institute of Technology Brain and Cognitive Sciences McGovern Institute for Brain Research Lab of James J. DiCarlo http://dicarlolab.mit.edu/ <http://dicarlolab.mit.edu/> To develop and lead an open science framework for a small, but growing consortium of neuroscience research labs that together aim to build computational models of the brain’s visual processing system. Primary responsibilities are to (i.) develop and perform data packaging and analytics on visual neuroscience and behavioral psychophysics data, (ii.) implement existing and novel computational models of the visual system, and (iii.) build metrics and visualizations that quantitatively compare computational models to experimental data. The candidate will be based at the DiCarlo Lab at McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. He or she will develop and implement standardized data formats, apply computational and statistical tools for data analysis, develop web-based graphical visualization interfaces to display results and present reports/results to the PIs, collaborators, and the research group. The data analyst will also oversee the lab’s local and remote computing hardware resources. REQUIRED: Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Computer Science or Software Engineering; Masters degree in (e.g.) Machine Learning, Statistics, or related field highly desirable; extensive familiarity with and high level of demonstrated competence in Python and Javascript absolutely required; working knowledge of C++ and C# languages highly desirable; minimum of five years’ experience with large-scale data-science activities, including organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing complex datasets to produce readable, informative automated web-based reports; demonstrated competence in modern data visualization tools such as Tableau, R, and D3.js; minimum of two years’ experience with large-scale database design and usage; minimum of two years' experience with building and maintaining a medium-to-large scale web-based application stack; experience with statistical languages/programming packages such as MATLAB (preferred), R, Stata, SPSS, or SAS highly desirable; experience with executing neural network feature extraction procedures on GPUs highly desirable. Demonstrated ability to partner with colleagues; ability to independently manage multiple projects/priorities while meeting changing deadlines, adapt to new technologies, and present information in a clear and cohesive manner; creative problem solving skills; ability to approach tasks with an eye toward efficiency and reproducibility; excellent written and oral communications skills; meticulous attention to detail; and proactive approach to investigative analysis. Experience in academic research, particularly computational neuroscience, is highly desirable. Christopher Shay, PhD Lab Manager DiCarlo Lab McGovern Institute Lab: (617) 452-3261 Fax:(617) 253-0104

Sept. 23, 2016

Software Engineer position in modeling at the Allen Institute for Brain Science

by Anton Arkhipov

A new position is open at the Allen Institute for Brain Science: http://www.alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/careers/job-search/ 2260-Modeling Analysis and Theory Software Engineer II Please apply at the link above! If you have any questions, please feel free to email antona(a)alleninstitute.org<mailto:antona@alleninstitute.org>. Job description. The Modeling, Analysis and Theory group is seeking a Software Engineer to contribute to one of our most crucial efforts - development of software tools for building, simulating, and analyzing models of brain cells and circuits. This individual will design and implement integrated software to enable modeling of brain activity and computations at several levels of resolution - from biophysically detailed to abstract, machine-intelligence-type models. The Software Engineer will be embedded in our Modeling team and will work closely with team members to combine the existing research code with newly designed and developed modules, in order to produce a high-quality modeling software suite for public release and continuous support. Job Responsibilities: * Design, implement, and maintain software for model building, simulation, and analysis/visualization across several modeling approaches using best software engineering practices. * In a team setting, actively participate in algorithm design and software planning and provide thoughtful solutions and alternatives. * Transform complex and high level requirement specifications into software code. * Present design solutions to peers, both within and outside of the Institute. * Manage multiple tasks, set clear priorities, and accomplish tasks with minimal supervision. Basic Qualifications: * BS, MS, or PhD in physical science, math, engineering or computer science discipline. * Strong background in scientific computing; experience in developing scientific modeling software, especially in computational neuroscience, is preferred. Experience with parallel computing is a plus. * At least 5 years of experience with python; familiarity with numpy/scipy. * Familiarity with modern version control systems, such as git. * Experience with Linux is essential; versatility in Windows and Mac platforms is desirable. * Experience in developing, shipping and maintaining robust, data-intensive applications. * Ability to meet aggressive timelines and deliverables in a collaborative environment. Desirable Qualifications: * C/C++ experience. * Graphics and/or data visualization experience. * Some experience in working with relational databases. * Familiarity with SQL. * Experience with maintaining open-source projects.

Sept. 23, 2016

postdoctoral position CRM, Barcelona

by Alex Roxin

Dear all, The Computational Neuroscience Group at the Centre de Recerca Matemàtica in Barcelona, Spain is looking for applicants for a two-year postdoctoral position in the framework of the Collaborative Research Program funded by the Caixa Foundation, to foster collaboration between theory and experiment. Project Description: This project involves data analysis from animal experiments, computational modeling and translation of the results to a clinical setting. The candidate will study how cortical, brain stem and spinal cord circuits interact to drive motor function. This will involve analysis and modeling of high-dimensional data from experiments with stimulating electrodes in the motor cortex and spinal cord, and recording electrodes in forelimb muscles of rats, as well as experiments in which the EMG activity of muscles is recorded while the animal is engaged in a reaching and grasping task. In addition, we are initiating a collaboration with the Guttmann Institute for Neurorehabilitation to translate our results to human patients, in order to find a therapy to recover arm/hand function in patients with high spinal cord injuries. The candidate will work in close collaboration with Alex Roxin at the Group for Computational Neuroscience at the CRM and Guillermo Garcia Alias at the Neuroscience Institute at the UAB. Candiate Profile: We are looking for an enthusiastic and scientifically curious researcher with a strong technical background, ideally in mathematics, physics, engineering or related fields. A background in biology or neuroscience is not required. Application Deadline: October 24th. Decision early November. For more information and to apply go to http://www.crm.cat/en/Pages/DetallNoticia.aspx?ItemID=112 best regards, Alex

Sept. 22, 2016

MIT searching for tenure-track faculty at the assistant professor level

by Kate White

The Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences (BCS) (http://bcs.mit.edu<http://bcs.mit.edu/>) at MIT is looking to hire multiple tenure-track faculty at the assistant professor level. Affiliations with the Picower Institute for Learning & Memory and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research are possible. We are most excited about candidates who work in one or more of the following three areas: i. Computational approaches to neuroscience and cognition. Possible areas of focus include but are not limited to: statistical analysis of neural data and neural signal processing; computational modeling of neural circuits, of neural population representations and transformations; and/or of human cognitive processes. Candidates with the ability to build bridges across empirical domains are especially attractive. An affiliation with Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), the newly formed Statistics and Data Science Center, and Society (IDSS), or other allied departments is possible. The Department aims to make multiple hires in this area. ii. Systems neuroscience in non-human animals. The ideal candidate will be driven by the goal of reverse-engineering neural circuits underlying complex behaviors, and will employ novel technologies and computational approaches to understand the coding, dynamics, and/or anatomical underpinnings of these circuits. We will consider applicants who are working on a broad range of model organisms. iii. Cognitive neuroscience in humans and/or non-human primates. The ideal candidate would be conducting research that informs our understanding of cognition while bridging levels of analysis and using multiple methods, e.g. ECoG, fMRI, electrophysiology, MEG, computational modeling, genetics and reverse engineering approaches. Successful applicants are expected to develop and lead independent, internationally competitive research programs and to share in our commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education by teaching courses and mentoring graduate and undergraduate students. PhD must be completed by start day of employment and some postdoctoral training is preferred. Please submit application materials - cover letter, CV, statement of research and teaching interests and representative reprints - online at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/8024. Please state research area in cover letter. To help direct the application, applicants should indicate which of the areas listed above is their main research area by selecting from the drop down list included in the application. In addition, please arrange to have three letters of recommendation submitted online. All application materials are due by midnight (EST) on October 31, 2016. MIT is an equal employment opportunity employer<https://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf>. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability. Best regards, Kate White Human Resources Administrator MIT | Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) 77 Massachusetts Ave., Bldg 46-2005A Cambridge, MA 02139 T: 617-253-5749 | E: kowhite(a)mit.edu<mailto:kowhite@mit.edu> Visit us online at http://bcs.mit.edu<http://bcs.mit.edu/> [cid:5DC388A1-6756-4BB2-81B2-79C29D68B533] *Please note, BCS HQ is currently located in temporary office space on the 5th floor, suite 46-5065 until further notice. I am located in office 46-5065C.

Sept. 21, 2016

Brian 2.0 release

by Dan Goodman

We are very pleased to announce the release of version 2.0 of the Brian neural network simulator. Brian is a free, open source simulator for spiking neural networks. It is written in the Python programming language and is available on almost all platforms. We believe that a simulator should not only save the time of processors, but also the time of scientists. Brian is therefore designed to be easy to learn and use, highly flexible and easily extensible. You can learn more about Brian at our website (http://briansimulator.org) You can also try out Brian from your web browser, without having to install any software, using our interactive demo (http://mybinder.org/repo/brian-team/brian2-binder/notebooks/demo.ipynb) Major new features in 2.0 ------------------------- * Much more flexible model definitions. The behaviour of all model elements can now be defined by arbitrary equations specified in standard mathematical notation. * Code generation as standard. Behind the scenes, Brian automatically generates and compiles C++ code to simulate your model, making it much faster. * "Standalone mode". In this mode, Brian generates a complete C++ project tree that implements your model. This can be then be compiled and run entirely independently of Brian. This leads to both highly efficient code, as well as making it much easier to run simulations on non-standard computational hardware, for example on robotics platforms. * Multicompartmental modelling. * Python 2 and 3 support. That's just a small fraction of the new features in 2.0. For the full list, see http://brian2.readthedocs.io/en/stable/introduction/release_notes.html. Upgrading from Brian 1.4 ------------------------ Brian 2 is a rewrite from scratch, and introduces some backwards incompatible changes. In most cases, these should be relatively simple. We've written a detailed guide on how to update your simulations: http://brian2.readthedocs.io/en/stable/introduction/changes.html. Note that you can have both Brian 1 and Brian 2 installed simultaneously, so you can switch gradually. Thanks ------ Brian 2 was written by Marcel Stimberg, Dan Goodman and Romain Brette. Do please remember to cite Brian if you use it for your research. We would also like to thank the large number of users (over 40) who contributed code, bug reports, etc.

Sept. 21, 2016

MLINI 2016: NIPS Representation Learning in Artificial and Biological Neural Networks Workshop

by Leila Wehbe

NIPS Workshop on Representation Learning in Artificial and Biological Neural Networks (MLINI 2016) December 9th, 2016, Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona, Barcelona, SPAIN *Call for papers and abstracts:* Submission deadline: *Tuesday, September 27th, 2016* Notification of acceptance: Wednesday, October 5th, 2016 Submission website: *https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/MLINI2016 <https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/MLINI2016>* Workshop Website: https://sites.google.com/site/mlini2016nips We invite submissions that are related, but not limited to: - Use of neural network and other methods as models of brain function - Machine learning methods, including deep learning, to analyze brain data - Cognitively plausible learning algorithms, or in general models that take insights from human brains or behavior We invite both: - Paper submissions, to be considered for online publication in arXiv proceedings, and poster presentation. The length should not exceed 6 pages in Springer format <http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0> (here are the LaTeX2e style files <ftp://ftp.springer.de/pub/tex/latex/llncs/latex2e/llncs2e.zip>), excluding the references. - Abstract submission, to be considered for poster presentation. The abstract should not exceed 500 words (figures are allowed). This workshop is in conjunction with a Frontiers topic entitled: Artificial neural networks as models of human brain function http://journal.frontiersin.org/researchtopic/4817/artificial -neural-networks-as-models-of-neural-information-processing Participants are strongly encouraged to submit their work to the Frontiers special topic edition (deadline is November 1st). *About the workshop:* This one day workshop is about the interface between cognitive neuroscience and recent advances in AI fields that aim to reproduce human performance, such as natural language processing or computer vision, and specifically the deep learning approaches in these disciplines. When studying the cognitive capabilities of the brain, scientists follow a system identification approach in which they present different stimuli to the subjects and try to model the evoked brain responses. The goal is to understand the brain by trying to find the function that expresses the activity of brain areas in terms of different properties of the stimulus. Experimental stimuli are becoming increasingly complex with more and more researchers studying real life phenomena such as the perception of natural images or natural sentences. There is therefore a need for rich and adequate representations of the properties of the stimulus, that can be obtained using advances in NLP, computer vision or other relevant ML disciplines. In parallel, many new ML approaches, especially in deep learning, are inspired to a certain extent by human behavior or biological principles. Neural networks for example were originally inspired by biological neurons. More recently, processes such as attention are being used which are inspired by human behavior. However, the large bulk of these methods are independent of findings about brain function, and it is unclear whether it is at all beneficial for machine learning to try to emulate brain function in order to achieve the same tasks that humans are capable of performing. In order to shed some light on this difficult but exciting question, we plan to bring together many experts from these seemingly converging fields to discuss these problems, in a new highly interactive format consisting of two short lectures from experts in both fields, followed by a guided discussion. This workshop is a continuation of the Machine Learning and Interpretation in Neuroimaging (MLINI) series. MLINI has already had 5 iterations in which methods for analyzing and interpreting neuroimaging data were discussed in depth. In keeping with tradition, we also invite contributions from the expanding field of machine learning applied to neuroimaging data, and specifically the recent trend of utilizing neural network models to analyze brain data, which is evolving in parallel to the use of these algorithms as models of the information content in the brain. This way we will complete the loop: we will explore how neural networks and other machine learning tools contribute to neuroscience, both as a source of models for brain representations, and as a tool for brain image analysis. *Organizers:* Guillermo Cecchi (IBM T.J. Watson Research Center) Moritz Grosse-Wentrup (Max Plank Institute for Intelligent Systems) Georg Langs (Medical University of Vienna, CSAIL, MIT) Brian Murphy (Queens University, Belfast) Anwar Nunez-Elizalde (Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley) Irina Rish (IBM T.J. Watson Research Center) Marcel van Gerven (Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen) *Leila Wehbe (Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley) - main contact

Sept. 20, 2016

MediTec 2016: Extended Last Date of Submission is September 30, 2016

by MediTec 2016

*(Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this CFP)* ****Last date for paper submission of MediTec 2016 has been extended upto SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 upon receiving many requests from potential authors and researchers for extension.* *Dear Sir/Madam,* This letter is to formally invite you to participate and submit your research works in the “*2016 International Conference on Medical Engineering, Health Informatics and Technology (MediTec 2016)*” themed "*Smart Systems for Healthcare*" from *17-18 December 2016,* which will take place at United International University (UIU), Dhaka, Bangladesh. *MediTec 2016* is technically co-sponsored by IEEE-EMBS Bangladesh Chapter and IEEE Bangladesh Section. This conference aims to bring together researchers, engineers, doctors, medical practitioners and experts in Bio-medical engineering, Healthcare, Intelligent Systems and Knowledge Management to share their experience, ideas and future scopes. Distinguished scientists, experts from both academia and industries will deliver keynote speeches and invited talks on trends and significant advances in the emerging technologies related to the conference topics. For the list of confirmed speakers, please *click here.* <http://meditec.uiu.ac.bd/speakers/> *Major areas of interest include, but not limited to, are:* 1. Biomedical and Health Informatics 2. Biomedical Signal and Image Processing 3. Therapeutic Systems and Clinical Technologies 4. Neuro and Rehabilitation Engineering 5. Biorobotics, Bionanotechnology and Wearable Biomedical Sensors and Systems 6. Computational Biology and Bioinformatics 7. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology 8. ICT, Health and Disabilities Please find the attachment for detailed *Call For Paper* or visit *here* <http://meditec.uiu.ac.bd/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Meditech-2016_A4_Poster…> . *Important Dates:* *Extended Last Date of Submission *: * SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 * Paper Submission Deadline 30 September 2016 Acceptance Notification 15 October 2016 Camera Ready Submission 10 November 2016 Registration Early Bird: 15 November 2016 Late: Afterwards All the accepted papers will be included in Conference Proceedings and all the presented papers will be submitted to *IEEE Xplore Digital Library*. Selected papers from the conference proceedings will be invited for possible publication in special issues of some reputed international journals. Paper submission for *MediTec 2016* is now open. *Click here to Submit Your Paper. <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=meditec2016>* For more information, please visit conference website *http://meditec.uiu.ac.bd* <http://meditec.uiu.ac.bd/>*.* Kindly promote *MediTec 2016* to interested individuals, researchers and communities in your vicinity. We look forward to meet you in the conference. Thanking you, Best Regards, Khondaker A. Mamun, *Ph.D.* Conference Chair, MediTec 2016 Email: meditec(a)uiu.ac.bd Cell: +880 1776534220 Director, AIMS Lab (www.aimsl.uiu.ac.bd) Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering ( www.cse.uiu.ac.bd) United International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh (www.uiu.ac.bd) Chair, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Bangladesh Chapter Initiator, Bangladesh Research and Awareness Initiative of Neuroscience (BRAIN) Email: k.mamun(a)ieee.org, mamun(a)cse.uiu.ac.bd, k.mamun(a)utoronto.ca, mamun79bd(a)yahoo.com URL: http://cse.uiu.ac.bd/faculty/kmamun/

Sept. 20, 2016

Winter School on the Mathematics of Memory in Barcelona, Spain

by Alex Roxin

Dear all, We are happy to announce a winter school on the Mathematics of Memory, the "Memory School" which will take place Jan.16-20 2017 at the Centre de Recerca Matemàtica in Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain. This is a week-long intensive course on the biology and mathematics of memory, including plasticity, learning, working memory, long-term memory, hippocampal and cortical network mechanisms and more. The confirmed school instructors are Nicolas Brunel University of Chicago Shaul Druckmann Janelia Research Campus Wulfram Gerstner Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience Gianluigi Mongillo CNRS Sandro Romani Janelia Research Campus Harel Shouval University of Texas Misha Tsodyks Weizmann Institute of Science Mark van Rossum University of Edinburgh This course is appropriate for both junior and senior researchers. Attendees will also have the opportunity to present their own work in a poster session. For more information and to register please go to the website http://www.crm.cat/en/Activities/Curs_2016-2017/Pages/MATHMEM_School.aspx The Memory School is the opening event of a two-month long Intensive Research Program on the Mathematics of Memory at the CRM in Barcelona, Spain. Throughout the months of January and February there will be invited speakers, and the program will culminate in a week-long series of symposia on special topics on memory from leading experimentalists and theoreticians. For more information please go to http://www.crm.cat/en/Activities/Curs_2016-2017/Pages/IRP-MATHMEM.aspx best regards, Alex Roxin (and on behalf of the co-organizers Nicolas Brunel and Sandro Romani)

Sept. 20, 2016

[IJCNN 2017] Upcoming deadlines for Tutorials and Workshop Proposals

by Teng Teck Hou

[Apologies for cross-postings] ############################################################ International Joint Conference on Neural Networks May 14-19, 2017, Anchorage, Alaska, USA http://www.ijcnn.org/ ##################### Important Dates ###################### * Tutorial and Workshop Proposals October 15, 2016 * Paper Submission November 15, 2016 * Paper Decision Notification January 20, 2017 * Camera-Ready Submission ebruary 20, 2017 #################### UPCOMING DEADLINES #################### CALL FOR WORKSHOPS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-workshops CALL FOR TUTORIALS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-tutorials [UPCOMING DEADLINES 23.59hr UTC-10 on Saturday, 15 OCTOBER 2016] ############################################################ The 2017 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN 2017) will be held at the William A. Egan Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, May 14-19, 2017. The conference is organized jointly by the International Neural Network Society and the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society, and is the premiere international meeting for researchers and other professionals in neural networks and related areas. It will feature invited plenary talks by world-renowned speakers in the areas of neural network theory and applications, computational neuroscience, robotics, and distributed intelligence. In addition to regular technical sessions with oral and poster presentations, the conference program will include special sessions, competitions, tutorials and workshops on topics of current interest For the latest updates, follow us on Facebook (https://fb.me/ijcnn2017/) and Twitter (@ijcnn2017). #################### Paper Submission is now Open #################### http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-papers * Regular paper can have up to 8 pages in double-column IEEE Conference format * All papers are to be prepared using IEEE-compliant Latex or Word templates on paper of U.S. letter size. * All submitted papers will be checked for plagiarism through the IEEE CrossCheck system. * Papers with significant overlap with the authors own papers or other papers will be rejected without review. ##########################Call for Workshops########################## Post-conference workshops offer a unique opportunity for in-depth discussions of specific topics in neural networks and computational intelligence. The workshops should be moderated by scientists or professionals who has significant expertise and /or whose recent work has had a significant impact within their field. IJCNN 2017 will emphasize emerging and growing areas of computational intelligence. Each workshop has a duration of 3 or 6 hours. The format of each workshop will be up to the moderator, and can include interactive presentations as well as panel discussions among participants. These interactions should highlight exciting new developments and current research trends to facilitate a discussion of ideas that will drive the field forward in the coming years. Workshop organizers can prepare various materials including handouts or electronic resources that can be made available for distribution before or after the meeting. Researchers interested in organizing workshops are invited to submit a formal proposal including the following information as a single file (pdf, doc, etc.) to the workshop chair: * Title * Organizers and their short bio * Brief description of the scope and impact of the workshop * Timeliness of the topic * Confirmed and/or potential speakers * Half day (3 hours) or full day (6 hours) * Link to organizer's web page and/or workshop web site (optional) For further details, please refer http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-workshops. Any questions regarding this proposal can be asked to the Workshop Chair: Lazaros Iliadis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. E-mail: liliadis(a)fmenr.duth.gr ##########################Call for Tutorials########################## IJCNN 2017 will feature pre-conference tutorials addressing fundamental and advanced topics in computational intelligence. Tutorial proposals should be emailed to the Tutorial Chair (see below). A tutorial proposal should include the * Title * Presenter/organizer name(s) and affiliations * Expected enrollment * Abstract (less than 300 words) * Additional outline if needed * Presenter/organizer biography * Links to the presenter/organizer web page or the tutorial page (optional) * The proposal should not exceed two pages in 1.5 space, Times 12 point font. The tutorial format (preliminary) is 1 hour and 45 minutes with a 10-minute break. Researchers interested in organizing workshops are invited to submit a formal proposal. For further details, please refer to http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-tutorials. Any questions regarding this proposal can be asked to the Tutorials Chair: Asim Roy, Arizona State University, USA. E-mail: ASIM.ROY(a)asu.edu ##################Topics and Areas of Interest################## This conference solicits papers addressing original works in topics and areas of interest including, but are not limited to: NEURAL NETWORK MODELS * Feedforward neural networks * Recurrent neural networks * Self-organizing maps * Radial basis function networks * Attractor neural networks and associative memory * Modular networks * Fuzzy neural networks * Spiking neural networks * Reservoir networks (echo-state networks, liquid-state machines, etc.) * Large-scale neural networks * Other topics in artificial neural networks MACHINE LEARNING * Supervised learning * Unsupervised learning and clustering, (including PCA, and ICA) * Reinforcement learning * Probabilistic and information-theoretic methods * Support vector machines and kernel methods * EM algorithms * Mixture models, ensemble learning, and other meta-learning or committee algorithms * Bayesian, belief, causal, and semantic networks * Statistical and pattern recognition algorithms * Visualization of data * Feature selection, extraction, and aggregation * Evolutionary learning * Hybrid learning methods * Computational power of neural networks * Deep learning * Other topics in machine learning NEURODYNAMICS * Dynamical models of spiking neurons * Synchronization and temporal correlation in neural networks * Dynamics of neural systems * Chaotic neural networks * Dynamics of analog networks * Neural oscillators and oscillator networks * Dynamics of attractor networks * Other topics in neurodynamics COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE * Connectomics * Models of large-scale networks in the nervous system * Models of neurons and local circuits * Models of synaptic learning and synaptic dynamics * Models of neuromodulation * Brain imaging * Analysis of neurophysiological and neuroanatomical data * Cognitive neuroscience * Models of neural development * Models of neurochemical processes * Neuroinformatics * Other topics in computational neuroscience NEURAL MODELS OF PERCEPTION, COGNITION AND ACTION * Neurocognitive networks * Cognitive architectures * Models of conditioning, reward and behavior * Cognitive models of decision-making * Embodied cognition * Cognitive agents * Multi-agent models of group cognition * Developmental and evolutionary models of cognition * Visual system * Auditory system * Olfactory system * Other sensory systems * Attention * Learning and memory * Spatial cognition, representation and navigation * Semantic cognition and language * Neural models of symbolic processing * Reasoning and problem-solving * Working memory and cognitive control * Emotion and motivation * Motor control and action * Dynamical models of coordination and behavior * Consciousness and awareness * Models of sleep and diurnal rhythms * Mental disorders * Other topics in neural models of perception, cognition and action NEUROENGINEERING * Brain-machine interfaces * Neural prostheses * Neuromorphic hardware * Embedded neural systems * Other topics in neuroengineering BIO-INSPIRED AND BIOMORPHIC SYSTEMS * Brain-inspired cognitive architectures * Embodied robotics * Evolutionary robotics * Developmental robotics * Computational models of development * Collective intelligence * Swarms * Autonomous complex systems * Self-configuring systems * Self-healing systems * Self-aware systems * Emotional computation * Artificial life * Other topics in bio-inspired and biomorphic systems APPLICATIONS * Bioinformatics * Biomedical engineering * Data analysis and pattern recognition * Speech recognition and speech production * Robotics * Neurocontrol * Approximate dynamic programming, adaptive critics, and Markov decision processes * Neural network approaches to optimization * Signal processing, image processing, and multi-media * Temporal data analysis, prediction, and forecasting; time series analysis * Communications and computer networks * Data mining and knowledge discovery * Power system applications * Financial engineering applications * Applications in multi-agent systems and social computing * Manufacturing and industrial applications * Expert systems * Clinical applications * Big data applications * Smart grid applications * Other applications CROSS-DISCIPLINARY TOPICS * Hybrid intelligent systems * Swarm intelligence * Sensor networks * Quantum computation * Computational biology * Molecular and DNA computation * Computation in tissues and cells * Artificial immune systems * Other cross-disciplinary topics ################## Organizing Committee ###################### The full organizing committee can be found at: http://www.ijcnn.org/organizing-committee General Chair * Yoonsuck Choe, Texas A and M University, USA Program Chair * Christina Jayne, Robert Gordon University, UK Technical Co-Chairs * Irwin King, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China * Barbara Hammer, University of Bielefeld, Germany ##################Sponsoring Organizations################## * INNS - International Neural Network Society * IEEE - Computational Intelligence Society * BSCS - Budapest Semester in Cognitive Science

Sept. 19, 2016

Postdoctoral fellowship in computational neuroscience at Harvard

by Jan Drugowitsch

Dear all, Jan Drugowitsch (Department of Neurobiology, Harvard) and Sam Gershman (Department of Psychology, Harvard) are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on a project combining psychophysics, computational modeling, and clinical studies. The project focuses on visual structure discovery, using motion perception as a model system. Our goal is to understand how neural circuits represent and reason about complex combinatorial structures, and how these neural circuits break down in autism. Candidates must have a strong background in Bayesian modeling and computational neuroscience. Experience with visual psychophysics experiments is desirable but not essential. Applicants should send a CV and statement of research interests to Jan Drugowitsch (Jan_Drugowitsch(a)hms.harvard.edu) Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. Best, Jan Drugowitsch Assistant Professor in Neurobiology Harvard Medical School

Sept. 18, 2016

JOB: Neuroimaging Data Scientist. Multi-modal MRI study of voice perception.

by Sylvain Takerkart

The 4-year project LIVES (Learning with Interacting Views), funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR), aims at developing innovative multi-view and multi-modal machine learning algorithms. As part of the LIVES consortium, our team at the Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (INT, http://www.int.univ-amu.fr) is in charge of acquiring a large *multi-sequence MRI* dataset that will be used to benchmark these methods. This will include *anatomical*, *diffusion-weighte*d and *functional* (both resting state and task-based) MRI data. Our goal is to characterize the inter-subject variability observed in the cortical activation patterns measured with task-based functional MRI in the auditory cortex, in a task that involves the processing of vocal information, using the other acquired modalities. *Missions*. The data scientist will set-up processing pipelines dedicated to analyze the different MR scan types (univariate and multi-voxel pattern analysis methods for task-fMRI; advanced characterization of the cortical anatomy using high-level representations such as sulci and sulcal pits; estimation of structural and functional connectomes). He/she will organize the raw and processed data in a standardized fashion in order to make it accessible to the other members of the consortium in a first stage, and to the scientific community at large in a second stage. *Profile*. This position is for a candidate who is comfortable (or proficient) with *computer programming* (*python* will be our language of choice), has knowledge in *signal and image processing* and has a personal interest for *machine learning*. It can be of interest to different types of profiles. Either you are a young graduate (BSc or MSc) in data science, electrical engineering or neuroscience and you want to be at the heart of a project where medical imaging and machine learning meet, with the possibility to continue as a PhD student. Or you already have a PhD in a relevant domain and you want to take this opportunity to fulfill the aforementioned missions while getting further involved in the research aspects of the project, in machine learning or in neuroimaging. *Working environment*. INT is one of the top French neuroscience research institutes with 150 staff members in 10 inter-disciplinary teams examining different aspects of the cerebral organization. It is located on the medical campus of Aix-Marseille University. The successful candidate will join INT’s Neuro-Computing Center, who operates a high-end computing facility and pursues research at the intersection of machine learning and neuroscience. He/she will interact with other teams working on functional imaging of voice perception, computational anatomy, machine learning and MRI data acquisition. Marseille, the second largest city in France, is a vibrant inter-cultural hub located on the Mediterranean shore, and only 2h away from the Alps mountains. The position is initially open for one year, with a possible renewal for a second year. Starting date is around December 2016. If you are interested, please send your resume and cover letter before Septembre 30, 2016, to Sylvain_DOT_Takerkart_AT_univ-amu_DOT_fr and Pascal_DOT_Belin_AT_univ-amu_DOT_fr. -- Sylvain Takerkart Institut des Neurosciences de la Timone (INT) UMR 7289 CNRS-AMU Marseille, France tél: +33 (0)4 91 324 007 http://www.int.univ-amu.fr/_TAKERKART-Sylvain_?lang=en

Sept. 15, 2016

Tenure-Track Position in Computational Neuroscience, University of Oregon

by Yashar Ahmadian

*Tenure track position in Computational Neuroscience* University of Oregon Departments of Mathematics and Biology (http://math.uoregon.edu/ http://biology.uoregon.edu/) Institute of Neuroscience (http://www.neuro.uoregon.edu/) The Departments of Biology and Mathematics and the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon announce a tenure track faculty position in computational neuroscience at the rank of assistant professor with ultimate department and institute affiliations flexible. Theorists seeking synergistic interactions with experimentalists in design, analysis and interpretation of research linking gene function, neuronal activity and behavior in model organisms and humans are especially encouraged to apply. This new position is part of an integrated effort to strengthen research at the nexus of mathematics and biology at the University of Oregon. It also advances a broader “Neurons to Minds” initiative that includes multiple new positions in systems and cognitive neuroscience to accelerate discovery in the neuronal basis of behavior and cognition. Minimum qualifications for candidates are a Ph.D. in an appropriate field (e.g. neuroscience, biology, mathematics, physics, electrical engineering, statistics, computer science, etc.), commitment to excellent teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and an outstanding research record. Candidates should have the ability to work effectively within a diverse community. Applications will be received online at https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/UO/IONMATHBIO. Candidates are asked to submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae including a publication list, a statement of research accomplishments and future research plans, a description of teaching experience and philosophy, and three letters of recommendation (sent independently). Submission of 1-3 selected reprints is encouraged. To be assured of consideration, application materials should be uploaded by *November 15, 2016, but the position will remain open until filled*. Requests for information can be sent to Dr. Shawn Lockery, Chair, Computational Neuroscience Search Committee (shawn(a)uoregon.edu) *The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply, and does not discriminate **on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status.* *---------------------------------------------* *Yashar Ahmadian* *Institute of Neuroscience* Departments of Biology and Mathematics *University of Oregon* *http://uoneuro.uoregon.edu/ahmadian/index.php <http://uoneuro.uoregon.edu/ahmadian/index.php>*

Sept. 15, 2016

Postdoc and Research Assistant openings in cognitive neuroscience at UCSF/Stanford

by Connolly, Colm

Please respond to info(a)brainlens.org<mailto:info@brainlens.org> Research Assistant Position at UCSF in California, USA on Multilingualism The Hoeft Lab (http://brainLENS.org PI: Fumiko Hoeft MD PhD) is looking for an exceptional research assistant interested in the developmental cognitive neuroscience of multilingualism. This NIH-funded research is in collaboration with Cammie McBride PhD of Chinese Univ of Hong Kong, Ken Pugh PhD of Haskins/Yale/UConn, Linda Siegel of UBC, Manolo Carreiras PhD of BCBL, Ioulia Kovelman PhD of U Michigan, and Yuuko Uchikoshi EdD of UC Davis. The position is suited for a self-motivated, organized and independent thinker, with good interpersonal and multitasking skills, as well as proficiency in the English language and computer software. Neuroimaging, computational, statistical, programming, and neuropsych testing skills are highly desired but not necessary. Native-like proficiency in Spanish or Cantonese is a plus. A major strength of our lab is that there are plenty of opportunities to conduct independent research, to be first author on publications and to give conference presentations as a novice RA (e.g. Myers et al. Psychol Sci ’14, Myers et al. SCAN ’16, Haft et al. Curr Opin Behav Sci ’16). The position begins in January but start date can be sooner and is negotiable. Please email info(a)brainlens.org with a cover letter and your CV. Please add “[RA job]” and your full name in the Subject of the email. Qualified candidates will be asked to have 2-3 letters of reference forwarded. Joint Postdoctocal Position at UCSF and Stanford University in California, USA The Hoeft Lab (http://brainLENS.org PI: Fumiko Hoeft MD PhD) at the UCSF Dept of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences in collaboration with the Stanford Mood and Anxiety Disorders Lab in the Dept of Psychology (http://goo.gl/dc96Cx PI: Ian Gotlib PhD) is looking for an exceptional postdoc in the field of affective neuroscience, with advanced neuroimaging, psychophysiology, computational, programming and organizational skills. Training in genetics is a plus. The primary project that the postdoc will be responsible for is the examination of intergenerational neuroimaging using a ‘natural’ cross-fostering design that allows dissociation of genetic, prenatal and postnatal environment on brain networks that are transmitted across generations. Related articles from our lab can be found here - Yamagata et al. J Neurosci 2016 (http://goo.gl/vMK8iy) Ho et al. Trends in Neurosci 2016 (http://goo.gl/SyXLcK) and Scientific American (http://goo.gl/YTiH6D) There are other funded opportunities to be involved in research that examines the impact of anxiety and stereotype on psychophysiology and cognitive processes. The position can begin immediately. Please email info(a)brainlens.org with your CV, and with brief paragraphs of research interests, career goals and why you feel you are a good fit for the lab. Please add “[Postdoc job]” and your full name in the Subject of the email. Qualified candidates will be asked to have 3 letters of reference forwarded. Regards, -- Colm G. Connolly PhD Dept of Psychiatry & Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California, San Francisco 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143

Sept. 14, 2016

Conference Aspects of Neuroscience [Warsaw, Poland, 25-27th November]

by Daniel Borek

Dear Friends, On behalf of the Neurobiology Scientific Student Association at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Warsaw we would like to invite you to* the 6th annual International Conference “Aspects of Neuroscience” *to be held in Warsaw, Poland, from *November 25th to 27th, 2016*. As in previous years, the Conference is divided into 4 sessions presenting different approaches to Neuroscience:*Neurobiology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Clinical Neuroscience *and* Computational Neuroscience*. Each thematic session is opened by a lecture delivered by one of the guests who are specialists in a given domain. This year we will host such outstanding neuroscientists as *Prof. Eva Jablonka, Prof. Christian Lüscher, Prof. David Price, Prof. Kevin Warwick, Prof. Giovanna Mallucci *and* Dr. Daniel S. Margulies*. Participants are encouraged to give an oral presentation in one of the thematic sessions following the guest’s lecture or to present a poster during the poster session (either in the experimental or theoretical section). *Abstract submission deadline: 1st November 2016Passive registration deadline: 10th November 2016* The conference is intended for students, PhD students and research workers in neuroscience or related fields. The interdisciplinary character of the Conference is a base for integration of diverse scientific environments in order to create new quality in brain research. The language of the conference is English. *For more information about the Conference visit our new website:* http://neuroaspects.org <http://neuroaspects.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2e0466a746fafa55697…> Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AspectsOfNeuroscience <http://neuroaspects.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2e0466a746fafa55697…> Yours sincerely, Organizing Committee of the International Conference Aspects of Neuroscience Neurobiology Scientific Student Association at the University of Warsaw

Sept. 13, 2016

Brains and Bits: Neuroscience Meets Machine Learning - NIPS Workshop: 9 & 10 December 2016

by Konrad Kording

Join us (submit papers to) for the *Brains and Bits: Neuroscience Meets Machine Learning* *NIPS Workshop: 9 & 10 December 2016 Barcelona, Spain* http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~akfletcher/brainsbits.html The goal of this workshop is to bring together researchers in deep learning, machine learning, statistics, and computational neuroscience, and facilitate discussion about a) shared approaches for analyzing biological and artificial neural systems, b) how insights and challenges from neuroscience can inspire progress in machine learning, and c) machine learning methods for interpreting the revolutionary large scale datasets produced by new experimental neuroscience techniques. We invite high-quality submissions of abstracts for posters and contributed talks though CMT. Instructions are below. OverviewExperimental methods for measuring neural activity and structure have undergone recent revolutionary advances, including in high-density recording arrays, population calcium imaging, and large-scale reconstructions of anatomical circuitry. These developments promise unprecedented insights into the collective dynamics of neural populations and thereby the underpinnings of brain-like computation. However, these next-generation methods for measuring the brain’s architecture and function produce high-dimensional, large scale, and complex datasets, raising challenges for analysis. What are the machine learning and analysis approaches that will be indispensable for analyzing these next-generation datasets? What are the computational bottlenecks and challenges that must be overcome? In parallel to experimental progress in neuroscience, the rise of deep learning methods has shown that hard computational problems can be solved by machine learning algorithms that are inspired by biological neural networks, and built by cascading many nonlinear units. In contrast to the brain, artificial neural systems are fully observable, so that experimental data-collection constraints are not relevant. Nevertheless, it has proven challenging to develop a theoretical understanding of how neural networks solve tasks, and what features are critical to their performance. Thus, while deep networks differ from biological neural networks in many ways, they provide an interesting testing ground for evaluating strategies for understanding neural processing systems. Are there synergies between analysis methods for biological and artificial neural systems? Has the resurgence of deep learning resulted in new hypotheses or strategies for trying to understand biological neural networks? Conversely, can neuroscience provide inspiration for the next generation of machine-learning algorithms? We welcome participants from a range of disciplines in statistics, applied physics, machine learning, and both theoretical and experimental neuroscience, with the goal of fostering interdisciplinary insights. We hope that active discussions among these groups can set in motion new collaborations and facilitate future breakthroughs on fundamental research problems. ------------------------------ Organizers - Eva Dyer <http://kordinglab.com/people/eva_dyer/> Northwestern University - Allie Fletcher <http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~akfletcher/> Statistics, UCLA & UCB Redwood Center for Neuroscience - Konrad Kording <http://koerding.com//> Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Northwestern University - Jascha Sohl-Dickstein <http://www.sohldickstein.com/> Google Research - Joshua Vogelstein <http://jovo.me/> Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University - Jakob Macke <http://www.mackelab.org/> caesar Bonn, an Institute of the Max Planck Society Current Speakers - Christos Papadimitriou <https://people.eecs.berkeley.edu/~christos/> EECS, UC Berkeley - Adrienne Fairhall <https://fairhalllab.com/> Psychology and Biophysics, University of Washington - Yoshua Bengio <http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~bengioy/yoshua_en/index.html> Computer Science and Operations Research, Université de Montréal - Sophie Denève <http://iec-lnc.ens.fr/group-for-neural-theory/members/faculty-in-alphabetic…> Group for Neural Theory, LNC, DEC, ENS - Demis Hassabis <http://demishassabis.com/> Google DeepMind - Terry Sejnowski <http://www.salk.edu/scientist/terrence-sejnowski/> Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Salk Institute, UCSD - Mitya Chklovskii <https://www.simonsfoundation.org/simons-center-for-data-analysis/scda-neuro…> Simons Foundation - Anima Anandkumar <http://newport.eecs.uci.edu/anandkumar/> EECS, UC Irvine - David Cox <http://www.coxlab.org/> Molecular and Cellular Biology and Computer Science, Harvard University - Surya Ganguli <https://web.stanford.edu/dept/app-physics/cgi-bin/person/surya-gangulijanua…> Applied Physics, Stanford University - Maneesh Sahani <http://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/~maneesh/> Gatsby Institute, University College, London - Emily Fox <https://www.stat.washington.edu/~ebfox/> Statistics and Computer Science, University of Washington - Jonathan Pillow <http://pillowlab.princeton.edu/> Center for Statistics and Machine Learning, Princeton University - Fred Hamprecht <https://hciweb.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de/people/fhamprec> Heidelberg Collaboratory for Image Processing (HCI), Heidelberg - Max Welling, University of Amsterdam Submission Information & Important Dates Submissions will be considered both for poster and oral presentation. See instructions on the workshop website at http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~ akfletcher/brainsbits.html Submission deadline: 29 September 2016 11:59 PM PDT (UTC -7 hours) Acceptance notification: 12 October 2016

Sept. 13, 2016

2 open faculty positions at U. Colorado Medical School

by Zylberberg, Joel L

Hello All, The Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Colorado Medical School currently has two open tenure-track faculty positions. Specifically, we are searching for a new computational neuroscience / physiology faculty member, and for a new systems neuroscience / physiology faculty member. The positions at our medical school are quite nice for research-focused faculty: light teaching loads, extremely competitive start-up packages, etc. Details are available via this web link: http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/departments/physio… If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me. Also, please forward this advertisement to any colleagues of yours who might be interested. Thanks! __ Joel Zylberberg Assistant Professor Department of Physiology and Biophysics University of Colorado School of Medicine www.jzlab.org<http://www.jzlab.org> CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar, Learning in Machines and Brains program ~the neuroscience is theoretical, but the fun is real

Sept. 12, 2016

Third International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience (ICMNS 2017)

by Robert Rosenbaum

We are delighted to announce the 3rd International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience (ICMNS 2017), to be held at the Hotel Boulderado in Boulder, Colorado from May 30 to June 2 (Tutorials: May 30; Main Conference: May 31 - June 2). http://www.colorado.edu/amath/international-conference-mathematical-neurosc… *Abstract submission will open in October/November for both contributed talks and posters. *Student presenters can apply for travel awards funded by NSF, Burroughs Wellcome, and SIAM. The conference provides a forum for researchers to discuss current mathematical innovations emerging in neuroscience. We hope to attract and train young researchers on current methods in mathematical neuroscience. The meeting will feature leaders in applied mathematics and neuroscience that are developing new mathematical techniques for understanding high-dimensional data sets, building models to capture activity patterns and emergent computation, and working closely with experimentalists to address targeted questions about brain function. CONFIRMED SPEAKERS Danielle Bassett (University of Pennsylvania) Paul Bressloff (University of Utah) Nicolas Brunel (University of Chicago) Sophie Deneve (École Normale Supérieure) Brent Doiron (University of Pittsburgh) Ila Fiete (University of Texas) Stefano Fusi (Columbia University) Peter Thomas (Case Western Reserve University) Taro Toyoizumi (Riken Brain Science Institute) More TBA! We hope to see you in Boulder this coming May! All the best Zack Kilpatrick (University of Colorado) Julijana Gjorgjieva (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research) Robert Rosenbaum (University of Notre Dame) (conference chairs)

Sept. 12, 2016

PhD position in Computational/Systems Neuroscience @ the Institute of Neuroinformatics - ETH Zurich

by Benjamin Grewe

PhD position in Computational/Systems Neuroscience @ the Institute of Neuroinformatics - ETH Zurich – in vivo imaging of neural ensemble learning in awake behaving animals – We are looking for a PhD candidate with a strong motivation to understand neuronal information processing (NIP) as well as learning induced changes in NIP at the level of large neuronal ensembles. To investigate NIP we utilize cutting edge large scale in vivo population calcium imaging techniques that allow recording ensemble activity of hundreds of neurons in freely moving and head-fixed rodents during diverse learning behaviors. Ideal candidates have some expertise in a neuroscience related field. The PhD candidate will acquire a unique skill set to utilize miniaturized and very large-scale calcium imaging technologies and work closely with the PI to perform behavior experiments and post-hoc data analysis. Applicants should hold a diploma or Masters degree in a quantitative discipline (e.g. physics, informatics, mathematics, biomedical-engineering) or neurobiology/neuroscience (e.g. systems neuroscience, neurophysiology, cell physiology). Experience in data analysis using MATLAB/Python/R or similar programming languages and basic knowledge in computational or experimental neuroscience is beneficial. Proficiency in English and a team-oriented working attitude are crucial for the applicant’s success. Candidates should be willing to perform biological in vivo experiments in rodents with an intrinsic motivation to unravel neural algorithms of information processing and learning. Please submit your complete application as one PDF via email to bgrewe(a)ethz.ch <mailto:bgrewe@ethz.ch>. The application should include the following documents: • A cover letter that includes the main motivation for doing a PhD at the INI. • Contact details of 2 references (email and phone number). • CV outlining prior education, research and publications (if available) • Academic transcripts (bachelor, master/diploma). • 1-2 page personal research statement. The research statement should cover the applicant’s future career goals and research project interests. The INI offers advanced, interdisciplinary PhD training and participation in cutting edge neuroscience and neuroinformatics research projects. The institute is home to a lively and interactive educational atmosphere with highly competitive salaries. Successful candidates will participate in the ZNZ doctoral program (http://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en.html <http://www.neuroscience.uzh.ch/en.html>) where they receive additional theoretical and practical training. Compensation/salary will be paid according to the guidelines of the Swiss National Science Foundation. Successful candidates will receive their PhD from ETH Zurich. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled and will be reviewed upon receipt. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich is consistently ranked the top university in continental Europe and is a leading player in research and education in Switzerland and worldwide. The INI is a joint institute of ETH and the University of Zurich with a primary research focus at the intersection of systems neuroscience and neuroinformatics. The mission of the institute is to discover key principles by which neural networks operate and process information. Comprising a diverse research portfolio (www.ini.uzh.ch <http://www.ini.uzh.ch/>) the INI is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between traditional systems neuroscience, neurobiology, neuroinformatics and neuroengineering. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Benjamin F. Grewe Institute of Neuroinformatics @ ETH Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland Email: Bgrewe(a)ethz.ch

Sept. 12, 2016

Final notice - 2016 EEGLAB workshop following SFN, Nov 17-21, San Diego

by Arnaud Delorme

EEGLAB developers and advanced users will present a four day workshop on the data analysis concepts and functions of the EEGLAB electrophysiological data processing environment and associated toolboxes held at the University of California San Diego in La Jolla, November 17-21, 2016 following the Society for Neuroscience meeting. In particular, we will feature our new improved statistical framework and data management strategies based on the General Linear Model with support from the LIMO EEGLAB extension. The preliminary program, registration instructions, as well as list of accommodation are available at http://sccn.ucsd.edu/wiki/EEGLAB_2016_at_UCSD <http://sccn.ucsd.edu/wiki/EEGLAB_2016_at_UCSD> Registration costs are 350 US dollars for students and post-docs and 500 US dollars for faculty and professionals. The workshop is a non profit event and faculty are volunteering their time. Registration will be handled by Eventbrite below. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-ucsd-eeglab-2016-workshop-san-diego-ticket… <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-ucsd-eeglab-2016-workshop-san-diego-ticket…> For administrative questions about the location, hotel reservation, registration payments, and workshop overall organization please contact Risa at rshibata(a)ucsd.edu <mailto:antonio.cataldo2@unibo.it>. For questions about the scientific program, please contact EEGLAB organizers at eeglab(a)sccn.ucsd.edu <mailto:eeglab@sccn.ucsd.edu>. We are looking forward to see you at the workshop! A. Delorme S. Makeig

Sept. 10, 2016

Neural Processing Letters: CFP - Special Issue on "Off the mainstream: advances in neural networks and machine learning for pattern recognition"

by Friedhelm Schwenker

Call for Papers Special issue on Off the mainstream: advances in neural networks and machine learning for pattern recognition to be published in Neural Processing Letters *** Submission deadline: January 31, 2017 *** Guest editors: Edmondo Trentin, University of Siena, Italy (trentin(a)dii.unisi.it) Friedhelm Schwenker, University of Ulm, Germany (friedhelm.schwenker(a)uni-ulm.de) Nemat El Gayar, Cairo University, Egypt (elgayar.neamat(a)gmail.com) Hazem M. Abbas, Ain Shams University, Egypt (as(a)eng.asu.edu.eg) Aims and scope of the special issue: "Mainstream science is about publishing what everyone else is publishing with very small changes. You'd better at least start off that way if you want to get tenure," the sociologist Rodney Stark said. But "big ideas don't come to those who avoid risk", as John Bohannon added. The area of artificial neural networks (ANN) and machine learning (ML) makes no exception to these ends: Mainstream topics, originally stemming from exciting breakthroughs (the "big ideas") that gradually become trends and end-up being mostly over-beaten publishing tracks, have characterized the scientific literature throughout the whole history of these research fields. A few, widely known instances of such (more or less recent) mainstream trends are: - Supervised support vector machine training (in both primal and dual) - Supervised multilayer perceptron training via regular backpropagation - Radial basis functions networks - Bayesian networks (either shallow or deep) - Deep feed-forward and convolutional neural networks - Countless applications of the aforementioned machineries - The “approximation capabilities” of such machineries Based on these premises, this special issue invites paper submissions on real novel research developments in the areas of neural networks and learning machines that (1) are rooted in (or, aimed at) pattern recognition (PR), and that, above all, (2) do not follow in the footsteps of nowadays established trends. Preference (over applications, theoretical analysis, and variants of established techniques) will thus be given to submissions that hand out fresh and innovative ideas/architectures/algorithms, even if they are in their infancy (e.g., possibly lacking of a complete investigation of their theoretical properties). A detailed list of topics of interest would contradict the very perspective of the present special issue. Nonetheless, some general, topical research directions are (to name a few): - New ANN or ML architectures - New ANN, ML, or PR algorithms - New estimation/optimization/assessment techniques for ANNs, ML, or PR - New and sound combination/hybridization of machines - Solutions to new, relevant PR-related problems - New and sound solutions to established PR-related problems If you are not sure on whether your manuscripts matches the aims and scope of this special issue or not, do not hesitate to get in touch with the guest editors at any time. The special issue will comprise (a) papers submitted in response to this call, and (b) extended versions of selected papers from the ANNPR 2016 Workshop (https://neuro.informatik.uni-ulm.de/ANNPR2016/) sponsored by the International Association for Pattern Recognition. Paper submission: Papers must be submitted online via the Neural Processing Letters website (https://www.editorialmanager.com/nepl/default.aspx) selecting the choice that indicates this special issue (identifier: S.I.:Off_mainstream). Prepare your paper following the Journal guidelines for Authors (http://www.springer.com/computer/ai/journal/11063?detailsPage=pltci_1060677) All submitted papers will undergo a regular peer-review process. Important dates: Opening of electronic submission: September 1, 2016 Submission deadline: January 31, 2017 Completion of 1st round of review process: March 31, 2017 Re-submission of revised manuscripts: May 15, 2017 Final decision: June 30, 2017 Tentative publication of the Special Issue: Fall 2017 -- PD Dr. Friedhelm Schwenker University of Ulm Institute of Neural Information Processing D-89069 Ulm, Germany phone: +49-731-50-24159 fax: +49-731-50-24156 email: friedhelm.schwenker(a)uni-ulm.de www: http://www.uni-ulm.de/in/neuroinformatik/mitarbeiter/f-schwenker.html

Sept. 9, 2016

workshop on high performance computing in neuroscience

by Ted Carnevale

This year's workshop on the Neuroscience Gateway Portal (NSG) will be held on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 9 AM to noon in downtown San Diego near the convention center, as a satellite to the 2016 meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. This workshop will show you how to use this NSF-supported resource in your computationally-intensive modeling and data analysis projects. It will also feature presentations from several research teams about how they are using high performance computing (HPC) resources in their own research. The NSG has a simple, convenient user interface for running simulations and data analysis tasks on HPC hardware, and provides free CPU time. Currently installed software includes Brian, GENESIS, MOOSE, NEST, NEURON, PyNN, Freesurfer, and the Virtual Personalized Multimodal Connectome Pipeline. The registration deadline for this workshop is Friday Oct. 28, but you should register soon because space is limited. See http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nsg2016/nsg2016.html for more information and a link to the registration form. --Ted

Sept. 9, 2016

Researcher position at ATR Brain Labs (Kyoto, Japan)

by Haruo HOSOYA

Dear all, ATR Brain Labs in Kyoto, Japan has an open position for a researcher to work on machine learning for computer vision in collaboration with computational neuroscientists in our institute. I would appreciate if you forward the following message to anyone who might be interested. Best regards, Haruo Hosoya, Senior Researcher Department of Dynamic Brain Imaging ATR Brain Labs, Cognitive Mechanisms Laboratories ------------------------------------------------ ■Researcher position at ATR Brain Labs., Kyoto, Japan Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan, has an open researcher position in brain-inspired computer vision. Our institute has a long tradition in computational neuroscience and has recently been promoting research of computational modeling of primate visual systems based on hierarchical learning theory (project outline: http://www.cns.atr.jp/~hosoya/project_outline.pdf) We seek for applicants who are interested in working on brain-inspired machine learning algorithms for vision in collaboration with our computational neuroscientists for vision. Applicants must have a Ph.D. or be near completion in a relevant field. The applicants are required to show an expertise in machine learning research for visual processing as well as a strong interest in neuroscience. The successful candidate will be asked to propose and autonomously work on (1) a research topic using an original method that has a realistic applicability (e.g, image/video analysis) and a connection to primate vision, and (2) a research topic that applies, to a realistic problem (e.g., image/video analysis), computational models of primate vision developed in our institute. Haruo Hosoya, Ph.D. Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan 2016, September ■Number of openings One ■Employment conditions Position : Full-time Researcher Tenure : Single year based contract, renewable based on evaluation Treatment: Based on individual performance Work Location: Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan ■Application materials Please submit the following five materials to the contact address below, either in printed or electronic form: • 1 CV • 2 List of publications • 3 Reprints of 1-3 major publications • 4 Essay (up to two pages in A4 or letter size) describing: – Summary of your previous research – Interests for research – Additional research skills not directly foreseeable from 1 or 2 • 5 Recommendation letters from more than two researchers * If submitted in printed form, original documents will not be returned. ■Judging system After documentary examination, we ask for presentation and interview if needed. ■Starting date Soon (negotiable) ■Deadline for application Opens until positions are filled. ■Contact Department of Dynamic Brain Imaging ATR Cognitive Mechanisms Laboratories (Application for Researcher Position) 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan Email: dbi-tvn at atr.jp at=@ Web: http://www.cns.atr.jp/dbi/en/open-positons/ ■Use of personal data All personal data received will be properly managed and only be used for the purpose of recruitment.

Sept. 9, 2016

Faculty Position in Biophysics including Neurophysics

by Ralf Wessel

Biological/Biomedical Physics The Department of Physics in the School of Arts and Sciences announces a tenure-track faculty opening at the Assistant Professor level in the Biophysics sub-discipline. We are searching for an experimentalist, but applications from data-driven theorists will also be favorably considered. We are seeking a candidate who will enhance activities within the Physics Department and develop connections with other Arts and Sciences, Engineering School, and Medical School Departments. The duties of the position will include, but are not limited to, teaching and advising students, conducting original research and publishing the results, and participating in departmental and university service. A PhD in Physics or a closely related field is required, along with the ability to teach a range of traditional undergraduate physics courses in addition to specialized courses. Candidates are sought who have highly visible research achievements and who have a strong aptitude for teaching and mentoring students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The appointment will begin Fall 2017. Information on our department can be found at http://www.physics.wustl.edu. Applications should consist of the following: cover letter, current resume including publication record, statement of research interests and plans (up to 4 pages), statement of teaching interests and approach (up to 2 pages), and names and complete contact information (including email addresses) of three references. Application materials must be submitted electronically by email as a single file in editable (e.g. not password protected) PDF format to biophysicssearch(a)physics.wustl.edu. For full consideration applications should be submitted on or before November 1, 2016. http://physics.wustl.edu/faculty_openings -- **************************************************** Ralf Wessel, Professor of Physics Washington University in St. Louis http://www.physics.wustl.edu/people/wessel_ralf http://neuroscience.wustl.edu/ ****************************************************

Sept. 8, 2016

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Computational Neuroscience (one year post), Plymouth University, UK

by Roman Borisyuk

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Computational Neuroscience (one year post) Plymouth University, UK Postdoctoral Research Fellow will study the sensory modality integration leading to initiation of locomotion in the hatchling Xenopus tadpole. This is the collaborative project with neurobiologists from Bristol and St. Andrews Universities. We investigate: how different modalities of sensory input converge on the key neuron population; how sensory integration determines the "decision" to swim; and how the tadpole selects and correctly implements the way swimming starts. Research Fellow in Plymouth is responsible for developing new mathematical and computational models of three types: 1) anatomical modelling of neural structures; 2) functional neural network models of conductance-based neurons; 3) modelling decision making in response to sensory stimulation. All models will be grounded to available experimental evidence and will be developed in a strong collaboration with neurobiologists. Therefore, experience in neuroscience data processing and statistical analysis is important. We seek exceptional candidates who must either already have a PhD in computational neuroscience (or relevant area of research) or to be near the completion of PhD studies. The candidate must have a track record of related publications. Excellent skills in programming are essential. In particular, a significant experience with C++, Python, NEURON and MATLAB is required at initial stage to work with our previously developed software. Additionally, the candidate should be able to demonstrate a good knowledge of mathematical disciplines. Candidates with expertise in large scale simulation of spiking neurons (Hodgkin-Huxley type), dynamical systems, bifurcation theory and graph/network theory will be preferred. Ideally, the candidate would also have knowledge of vertebrate brain and spinal cord, behaviour modelling, and learning theory from a computational perspective. Application closing date 18/09/2016 Contact for informal inquiries: Roman Borisyuk, Professor of Computational Neuroscience, rborisyuk(a)plymouth.ac.uk<mailto:rborisyuk@plymouth.ac.uk>, 01752 584949 ________________________________ [http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/images/email_footer.gif]<http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/worldclass> This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, Plymouth University accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. Plymouth University does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form.

Sept. 8, 2016

Postdoctoral position in primate neurophysiology (University of Tucson)

by Ueli Rutishauser

Please see below job ad, which I am posting on behalf of a colleague. *=====* *Postdoctoral position in primate neurophysiology.* *University of Arizona, College and Medicine,* *Department of Physiology, Tucson. * We are inviting application of postdoctoral trainees interested in working on the neural basis of natural social behaviors in non-human primates. The applicant will have access to state-of-the art equipment, facilities, and will work in a team with established expertise in behavioral neurophysiology of the amygdala. Candidates should have a PhD in neuroscience, psychology, biomedical engineering, or related field. Strong computational skill and communication skills are required. Experience in neurophysiology is preferred. The position is available immediately, with a competitive/negotiable salary commensurate with prior experience. The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity employer and women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Please send a CV, statement of research accomplishments and interests, copies of 2-3 representative publications and contact information for 2-3 reference letters to Katalin Gothard at kgothard(a)email.arizona.edu . Informal inquiries are welcome. Katalin M. Gothard, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Physiology and Neuroscience The University of Arizona College of Medicine Department of Physiology webpage: http://www.gothardlab.com/

Sept. 7, 2016

BrainModes 2016 - Coordinated brain activity: foundations and applications - Conference announcement and call for abstracts

by Daniele Marinazzo

It's our pleasure to announce you the BrainModes conference "Coordinated brain activity: Foundations and applications", that will be held in the heart of Brussels, at the Royal Flemish Academy of Sciences (KVAB) on* Dec 1 and 2*. BrainModes (www.brainmodes.org) is an annual conference in which methods and models to interpret brain activity, and their applications are discussed. This year the theme will be: Coordinated brain activity: foundations and applications. We are proud of the excellent lineup of speakers, including *Kia Nobre* (Oxford), *Olaf Sporns* (Indiana), *Maurizio Corbetta* (Padua and WU). There will be also a workshop organized in Ghent on nov 30 on methodological issues and demonstration. The complete program, the info on registration, abstract submission and location are here http://www.da.ugent.be/brainmodes Please spread this information within your network, and looking forward to see you in Brussels! Daniele Marinazzo, Dante Mantini and Wim Vanduffel. -- Daniele Marinazzo -- Department of Data Analysis Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences, Ghent University Henri Dunantlaan 1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium +32 (0) 9 264 6375 <http://www.da.ugent.be/>http://users.ugent.be/~dmarinaz/ https://twitter.com/dan_marinazzo BRAINMODES 2016 CONFERENCE http://www.da.ugent.be/brainmodes http://helpdesk.ugent.be/e-maildisclaimer.php

Sept. 7, 2016

Opening for Microfabrication and Sensors Technician in the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine

by Platt, Jo Ann

Join our team to revolutionize medicine. The Center for Bioelectronic Medicine at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is recruiting for multiple positions in the fields of neurophysiology, neural engineering, microfabrication, bioelectronics and biosensing, and neural decoding and data analytics. MICROFABRICATION LAB open position: Microfabrication and Sensors Technician Duties & Responsibilities The Microfabrication and Sensors Technician will fabricate neural implants and sensor systems, assist with research, and collaborate with Institute faculty, staff, fellows and students in the areas of microfabrication and sensor development. The successful candidate will: • Provide experimental and fabrication support to projects aimed at developing chronic implants for the brain and nerves and associated sensing systems • Fabricate flexible microdevices and sensor systems • Assist with experiments, organize and analyze data, and report experimental results • Assist with maintenance and procurement of equipment and supplies relating to microdevice fabrication Basic Qualifications • College background in Bioengineering, Mechanical, Electrical, or Materials Engineering, Physical Sciences, Biomedical fields or a related field • Experimental background in at least one of the fields of microfabrication, sensors, or microfluidics • One or more years’ experience in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), biological microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMS) or micro- and nanofabrication or related experience desirable. Education may count towards experience. Each successful candidate will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to determine the nature of neural control over molecular, cellular and organ functions of the body, the parts of the brain that regulate those nerves, and the signals that the brain receives to monitor cell and organ function. Projects will focus on determining which nerve fibers exert control, the types of signals those fibers use, and how these signals can be manipulated to treat diseases and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, paralysis, Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and even cancer. Please forward CVs to the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine at CBEM(a)northwell.edu Jo Ann Platt The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research Cell: (415) 265-0441 350 Community Drive Manhasset, NY 11030 The information contained in this electronic e-mail transmission and any attachments are intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom or to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this communication is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure of this communication and any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately by telephone and electronic mail, and delete the original communication and any attachment from any computer, server or other electronic recording or storage device or medium. Receipt by anyone other than the intended recipient is not a waiver of any attorney-client, physician-patient or other privilege.

Sept. 6, 2016

NeuroMorpho.Org v7.0 [10th anniversary edition] released September 1st, 2016

by NeuroMorpho Administrator

Dear colleagues, We're excited to announce that almost exactly 10 years after the original launch, NeuroMorpho.Org passed the milestone of 50,000 reconstructions in the September 1, 2016 release of Version 7.0. This major update includes 12,693 additional reconstructions from 35 new datasets. The new data added in these last 6 months equal the total amount accumulated in the first seven years. This release also introduce several new functionalities, including (1) bibliography documenting data re-use from nearly 500 citations; (2) ontology-smart searches by species, brain regions, neuron types, and experimental conditions; (3) DOI minting capability for each article-associated dataset; and (4) API enabling object-oriented access to data and metadata. The literature coverage database was also updated to include publications through August 2016. Please visit the What's new page<http://neuromorpho.org/WIN.jsp> for details on the added data and other updates. We appreciate any and all feedback and comments. We are continuously grateful to all the data contributors<http://neuromorpho.org/acknowl.jsp#DC> who freely share their hard-won tracings with the community. Our apologies if you receive multiple versions of this message through cross-listing. Sincerely, The NeuroMorpho.Org team<http://neuromorpho.org/acknowl.jsp#NMO> ---------------- Giorgio Ascoli<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/cn3/ascoli>, PhD University Professor Director, Center for Neural Informatics, Structure, & Plasticity<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/cn3> Neuroscience Program<http://neuroscience.gmu.edu/>, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study<http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/> Bioengineering Department<http://bioengineering.gmu.edu/>, Volgenau School of Engineering<http://volgenau.gmu.edu/> MS2A1 - George Mason University<http://gmu.edu/>, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 Ph. +1(703)993-4383/+1(703)673-8894 Author of "Trees of the Brain, Roots of the Mind<http://www.amazon.com/Trees-Brain-Roots-Giorgio-Ascoli/dp/0262028980/>" (MIT Press, 2015<http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/trees-brain-roots-mind>) Founding Editor-in-Chief, Neuroinformatics<http://link.springer.com/journal/12021>

Sept. 6, 2016

FENS Hertie Winter School 2016 - Memory mechanism in humans.

by Quian Quiroga, Rodrigo (Prof.)

***Apologies for multiple postings*** Dear all, This is to announce the FENS (Federation of European Neuroscience Societies) winter school, organised in collaboration with the Hertie Foundation, on: Memory mechanisms in humans: from physiology to behaviour and computational models http://www.fens.org/Training/FENS-Schools/FENS-Hertie-Winter-School-2016/ Through extensive interactions with leaders in the field, the school will provide a comprehensive overview of both the basic and the latest knowledge about memory functions and their underlying mechanisms in humans. The school is aimed at PhD students and postdocs, preferably working on memory or with a strong interest in this area. Date: 11-17 December 2016 Location: Universitätszentrum, Obergurgl, Austria http://www.uz-obergurgl.at/english/how-to-get-there Course Directors: Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, University of Leicester, UK Simon Thorpe, CNRS – CerCo, Toulouse University, France Faculty Members: Roberto Cabeza - Duke University – USA Christian Döller - Donders Institute - The Netherlands Yadin Dudai - Weizmann Institute - Israel Emrah Duezel - University College London - UK Howard Eichenbaum - Boston University - USA Guillen Fernandez - Donders Institute - The Netherlands Edmund Rolls - Oxford University - UK Andreas Tolias - Baylor College of Medicine, USA Alessandro Treves - International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) - Italy Sylvia Wirth - Univerisity of Lyon - France Applications: http://www.fens.org/Training/FENS-Schools/FENS-Hertie-Winter-School-2016/ Deadline: 12th September 2016. For any questions please contact: Mathilde Maughan (FENS Schools Administration) at: schools(a)fens.org Best, Rodrigo Rodrigo Quian Quiroga Centre for Systems Neuroscience University of Leicester www.le.ac.uk/csn

Sept. 6, 2016

Post-doctoral positions (x3) and PhD candidate (x1) positions in neuroimaging data analysis

by Marquand, A.F. (Andre)

We have vacancies for three excellent post-doctoral research associates and one PhD student in the Statistical Imaging Neurosciences group at the Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour and the Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. These positions will be supervised by Prof. Christian Beckmann and Dr. Andre Marquand and will focus on the development of novel computational and machine learning methods for the analysis of neuroimaging data. The roles are part of different but related projects which have general aims of creating advanced practical tools for multivariate statistical analysis of neuroimaging data and for predicting clinical variables from these data. The group has a strong interest in pattern recognition methods and exploratory data analysis (e.g. Independent Component Analysis) with specific applications of ICA for the investigation of functional connectivity inferred from resting-state fMRI. We aim for an interdisciplinary research approach integrating cognitive neuroimaging, pharmacology, genetics, and applications in diverse clinical disciplines with well-established international collaborations. Requirements Post-doctoral positions: Completion of doctoral degree in a numerate discipline such as statistics, computer science, engineering, cognitive neuroscience / psychology or other relevant field of study. Doctoral candidate: Completion of an undergraduate (and ideally also master's level) degree in one of these fields. Applicants should be able to demonstrate a strong academic track-record, including publications in international journals. These individual should be proficient in fMRI research and have experience with the usage of one or more of the common neuroimaging data analysis platforms (e.g. FSL, SPM, FreeSurfer or AFNI) plus programming skills using MATLAB, Python, R and/or C++. Organization The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (http://www.ru.nl/donders/) offers a unique, multidisciplinary working and learning environment with opportunities for developing expertise in a diversity of research areas and techniques. The centre is equipped with three MRI scanners (2 x 3T, 1.5T) and access to a high field (7T) MR system plus a 275-channel MEG system, an EEG-TMS laboratory, several (MR-compatible) EEG systems, and high-performance computational facilities. Website: http://www.ru.nl/donders/ Conditions of employment Employment: 1,0 FTE. Your starting salary will be commensurate with experience. In addition to the monthly gross salary, you will receive two yearly 8% bonuses (holiday and end-of-year). International applicants may qualify for significant income tax reduction under the Netherlands 30% Rule. The post-dotcoral positions are for three years in the first instance (12 months probation period) with a possible extension. The PhD studentship is for four years. Application Please send your application, including a motivation letter, statement of research interest, CV and names with addresses of three persons who can provide references to Christian Beckmann at c <dot> beckmann <at> donders.ru.nl and Andre Marquand a <dot> marquand <at> donders.ru.nl Closing date: Review of applications will continue until the positions are filled.

Sept. 6, 2016

[IJCNN 2017] Approaching deadline on Thursday, 15th September 2016

by Teng Teck Hou

[Apologies for cross-postings] ################################################## COMBINED CALLS [DUE ON THURSDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER] CALL FOR COMPETITIONS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-competition CALL FOR SPECIAL SESSIONS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-special-sessions CALL FOR PANELS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-panels CALL FOR WORKSHOPS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-workshops CALL FOR TUTORIALS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-tutorials CALL FOR PAPERS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-papers CALL FOR SPONSORS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-sponsors International Joint Conference on Neural Networks May 14-19, 2017, Anchorage, Alaska, USA http://www.ijcnn.org/ ################################################## IJCNN is the premier international conference in the area of neural network theory, analysis, and applications. Co-sponsored by the International Neural Network Society (INNS) and the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (IEEE-CIS), over the last three decades this conference and its predecessors has hosted [past, present, and future] leaders of neural network research. IJCNN 2017 will feature invited plenary talks by world-renowned speakers in the areas of neural network theory and applications, computational neuroscience, robotics, and distributed intelligence. In addition to regular technical sessions with oral and poster presentations, the conference program will include special sessions, competitions, tutorials and workshops on topics of current interest. The 2017 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN 2017) will be held at the William A. Egan Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, May 14-19, 2017. "... Only in Anchorage can you meet a moose, walk on a glacier and explore a vast, natural park all in a single day. Between mountains and an inlet, surrounded by national parks and filled with Alaska wildlife, Anchorage combines the best of Alaska in a city that has the comforts of home and the hospitality of the Last Frontier. ..." For the latest updates, follow us on Facebook (https://fb.me/ijcnn2017/) and Twitter (@ijcnn2017). ##############################Important Dates############################## * Special Session, Panel Sesion & Competition Proposals September 15, 2016 * Tutorial and Workshop Proposals October 15, 2016 * Paper Submission November 15, 2016 * Paper Decision Notification January 20, 2017 * Camera-Ready Submission February 20, 2017 ########################################################################### ##########################Plenary Speakers########################## * Stephen Grossberg, Boston University, USA * Christof Koch, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA * Hava Siegelmann, DARPA, and University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA * Jose Principle, University of Florida, USA #################################################################### ##########################Call for Competitions########################## Competition organizers are kindly invited to submit their proposals to IJCNN2017 Competition Chair (TBA) by September 15, 2016. The notifications of acceptance of the competition proposals will be provided by TBA and will be shortly publish in the IJCNN 2017 website. Please note that each accepted competition will be published in a separate web link. The competition proposal should contain the following information (please fill out the form at the bottom of this page, or send the required information in the form as a single pdf file to the competition chair [email below]) The aims and objectives of the competition, The rules of the competition, including which data sets will be used, How the competition will serve the neural networks community/society, How to enter the competitions and how to evaluate them, and Which competition platform (or result submission and validation method) you will use (e.g. similar to Kaggle). Summary of performance results directly reported by the competition participants and not verified by the competition organizers are not acceptable. Please note that you need to select a category for your competition from the following list: * Category A: You are planning to organise an associated special session, in which the proposal must be submitted separately to the special session chairs. In addition, you require that each team must submit at least one paper to the special session. * Category B: You are planning to organise an associated special session, whose proposal must be also submitted separately to the special session chairs. However, submission of papers to the special session by competition participants is not mandatory. * Category C: You have no plan to organize an associated special session. Note: For categories B and C, please also indicate whether or not conference participation is required for each entry. Sponsorship A winning certificate and free registration will be provided to the winner of each competition who attends IJCNN 2017. For further details, please refer to http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-competition. If you need any other information, please do not hesitate to contact the IJCNN2017 Competition Chair: Juyang (John) Weng, Michigan State University. E-mail: weng(a)cse.msu.edu ######################################################################### ##########################Call for Special Sessions########################## The IJCNN 2017 Program Committee solicits proposals for special sessions within the technical scopes of the conference. Special sessions, to be organized by international recognized experts, aim to bring together researchers focused in special, novel, and challenging topics. Fast-developing themes such as Deep Learning, Big Data, or applications to fields like chemistry, biology, computer games, robotics, etc. are examples. Papers submitted for special sessions are to be peer-reviewed with the same criteria used for the regular sessions. Researchers interested in organizing special sessions are invited to submit a formal proposal using the on-line form of the Special Sessions webpage. Due to large expected number of submissions, please do not directly email the information to the special session co-chairs Derong Liu, University of Chicago & Chinese Academy of Sciences. Beijing, and Tatiana Tambouratzis, University of Piraeus, Greece. For further details, please refer to http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-special-sessions Any questions regarding this proposal can be asked to the Special Session Chairs: Derong Liu, University of Chicago, USA. E-mail: derong(a)uic.edu Tatiana Tambouriatzis, University of Piraeus, Greece. E-mail: tatianatambouratzis(a)gmail.com ############################################################################ # ##########################Call for Panels########################## The IJCNN 2017 Program Committee solicits proposals for panel sessions to provide forums for lively, interactive discussions among world-leading experts in specific areas. Panel Session proposals are solicited in a broad range of areas related to NNs, including but not limited to the following: hot topics and challenges in NNS, such as Deep learning, Big Data, Brain-Computer Interfaces, new generation of AI; history of NNs, with special emphasis on the upcoming 30th birthday of INNS; government funding opportunities; outreach to industry and to sister societies, and many more. Panel proposals should include the information listed below. Please email the following information in a single file to the Panel Chair (contact information below). * Topic of the panel * Name of proposer(s) * Email of main contact person * Brief bio of proposers * Brief description of the panel and why the panel format is appropriate for the topic. * List of potential panelists Researchers interested in organizing panels are invited to submit a formal proposal. Any questions regarding this proposal can be asked to the Panel Chair: Robert Kozma, University of Memphis, USA. Email: rkozma(a)memphis.edu ##################################################################### ##########################Call for Workshops########################## Post-conference workshops offer a unique opportunity for in-depth discussions of specific topics in neural networks and computational intelligence. The workshops should be moderated by scientists or professionals who has significant expertise and /or whose recent work has had a significant impact within their field. IJCNN 2017 will emphasize emerging and growing areas of computational intelligence. Each workshop has a duration of 3 or 6 hours. The format of each workshop will be up to the moderator, and can include interactive presentations as well as panel discussions among participants. These interactions should highlight exciting new developments and current research trends to facilitate a discussion of ideas that will drive the field forward in the coming years. Workshop organizers can prepare various materials including handouts or electronic resources that can be made available for distribution before or after the meeting. Researchers interested in organizing workshops are invited to submit a formal proposal including the following information as a single file (pdf, doc, etc.) to the workshop chair: * Title * Organizers and their short bio * Brief description of the scope and impact of the workshop * Timeliness of the topic * Confirmed and/or potential speakers * Half day (3 hours) or full day (6 hours) * Link to organizer's web page and/or workshop web site (optional) For further details, please refer http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-workshops. Any questions regarding this proposal can be asked to the Workshop Chair: Lazaros Iliadis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. E-mail: liliadis(a)fmenr.duth.gr ###################################################################### ##########################Call for Tutorials########################## IJCNN 2017 will feature pre-conference tutorials addressing fundamental and advanced topics in computational intelligence. Tutorial proposals should be emailed to the Tutorial Chair (see below). A tutorial proposal should include the * Title * Presenter/organizer name(s) and affiliations * Expected enrollment * Abstract (less than 300 words) * Additional outline if needed * Presenter/organizer biography * Links to the presenter/organizer web page or the tutorial page (optional) * The proposal should not exceed two pages in 1.5 space, Times 12 point font. The tutorial format (preliminary) is 1 hour and 45 minutes with a 10-minute break. Researchers interested in organizing workshops are invited to submit a formal proposal. For further details, please refer to http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-tutorials. Any questions regarding this proposal can be asked to the Tutorials Chair: Asim Roy, Arizona State University, USA. E-mail: ASIM.ROY(a)asu.edu ###################################################################### ##########################Call for Sponsors########################## You are invited to support the 2017 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN 2017), organized by the International Neural Network Society (INNS) and the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (IEEE-CIS). This is an ideal way to demonstrate your organization's commitment to the field of artificial intelligence including neural networks, biomorphic systems, computational neuroscience, neuroengineering, and many other areas at the frontier of technological innovation and to publicize this support to many leaders and students in the field. Corporate support is typically used to permit a greater number of students to attend IJCNN at reduced fees without increasing the general registration, and to allow student volunteers to receive complimentary registration. Exhibits by sponsors also help inform researchers especially students and postdocs about relevant applications and opportunities. Corporate support can be targeted to a particular event or activity at the Conference. IJCNN 2017 has four sponsorship levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Your support is very important to the conference, and the conference committee ensures that these contributions are well recognized. We list the benefits and costs below. * PLATINUM (US$10,000 or greater contribution) You will get 4 free registrations to the main conference and tutorials and workshops, 4 banquet tickets, 3 exhibition tables. You will also get second choice at naming events at the conference. For example, there are generally two receptions, several lunches and coffee breaks, plus a student reception. Naming of events will be decided based on the amount of the contribution and the order received. Your company or institution (with logo and URL) will be listed in all conference announcements, on the advance program, and on the conference web pages, at www.ijcnn.org We will specially acknowledge your company's contribution and offer thanks at the opening and closing sessions of the conference You will have the opportunity to include material and giveaways with the conference material for each attendee You will get early notification direct from the Corporate Support Chair of conference news * GOLD SPONSORSHIP (US$5,000 or greater contribution) You will get 3 free registrations to the main conference or tutorials and workshops, 3 banquet tickets, 2 exhibition tables. You will also get third choice at naming events at the conference (after the Platinum). For example, there are generally two receptions, several lunches and coffee breaks, plus a student reception. Naming of events will be decided based on the amount of the contribution and the order received. Your company or institution (with logo and URL) will be listed in all conference announcements, on the advance program, and on the conference web pages, at www.ijcnn.org We will acknowledge your company's contribution and offer thanks at the opening and closing sessions of the conference You will have the opportunity to include material and giveaways with the conference material for each attendee You will get early notification direct from the Corporate Support Chair of conference news * SILVER SPONSORSHIP (US$3,000 or greater contribution) You will get 2 free registrations to the main conference or tutorials and workshops, 2 banquet tickets, 1 exhibition table. We will name an event after your company, if there are events left after those named for Platinum and Gold Your company or institution (with logo and URL) will be listed in the advance program, and on the conference web pages, at www.ijcnn.org We will acknowledge your company's contribution and offer thanks at the opening and closing sessions of the conference You will get early notification direct from the Corporate Support Chair of conference news * BRONZE SPONSORSHIP (US$1,500 or greater contribution) You will get 1 free registration to the main conference or tutorials and workshops and 1 banquet ticket. Your company or institution (with logo and URL) will be listed in the advance program, and on the conference web pages, at www.ijcnn.org We will acknowledge your company's contribution and offer thanks at the opening and closing sessions of the conference You will get early notification direct from the Corporate Support Chair of conference news Sponsorships at lower levels will be considered, with benefits negotiated between the IJCNN 2017 Sponsorship Chair and the Sponsor. For further details, please refer to http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-sponsors Any questions regarding this proposal can be asked to the Sponsor Chair: Lipo Wang, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. E-mail: elpwang(a)ntu.edu.sg ###################################################################### ############Paper Submission and Publication############ * Regular paper can have up to 8 pages in double-column IEEE Conference format * All papers are to be prepared using IEEE-compliant Latex or Word templates on paper of U.S. letter size. * All submitted papers will be checked for plagiarism through the IEEE CrossCheck system. * Papers with significant overlap with the authors own papers or other papers will be rejected without review. ######################################################## ##################Topics and Areas of Interest################## This conference solicits papers addressing original works in topics and areas of interest including, but are not limited to: NEURAL NETWORK MODELS * Feedforward neural networks * Recurrent neural networks * Self-organizing maps * Radial basis function networks * Attractor neural networks and associative memory * Modular networks * Fuzzy neural networks * Spiking neural networks * Reservoir networks (echo-state networks, liquid-state machines, etc.) * Large-scale neural networks * Other topics in artificial neural networks MACHINE LEARNING * Supervised learning * Unsupervised learning and clustering, (including PCA, and ICA) * Reinforcement learning * Probabilistic and information-theoretic methods * Support vector machines and kernel methods * EM algorithms * Mixture models, ensemble learning, and other meta-learning or committee algorithms * Bayesian, belief, causal, and semantic networks * Statistical and pattern recognition algorithms * Visualization of data * Feature selection, extraction, and aggregation * Evolutionary learning * Hybrid learning methods * Computational power of neural networks * Deep learning * Other topics in machine learning NEURODYNAMICS * Dynamical models of spiking neurons * Synchronization and temporal correlation in neural networks * Dynamics of neural systems * Chaotic neural networks * Dynamics of analog networks * Neural oscillators and oscillator networks * Dynamics of attractor networks * Other topics in neurodynamics COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE * Connectomics * Models of large-scale networks in the nervous system * Models of neurons and local circuits * Models of synaptic learning and synaptic dynamics * Models of neuromodulation * Brain imaging * Analysis of neurophysiological and neuroanatomical data * Cognitive neuroscience * Models of neural development * Models of neurochemical processes * Neuroinformatics * Other topics in computational neuroscience NEURAL MODELS OF PERCEPTION, COGNITION AND ACTION * Neurocognitive networks * Cognitive architectures * Models of conditioning, reward and behavior * Cognitive models of decision-making * Embodied cognition * Cognitive agents * Multi-agent models of group cognition * Developmental and evolutionary models of cognition * Visual system * Auditory system * Olfactory system * Other sensory systems * Attention * Learning and memory * Spatial cognition, representation and navigation * Semantic cognition and language * Neural models of symbolic processing * Reasoning and problem-solving * Working memory and cognitive control * Emotion and motivation * Motor control and action * Dynamical models of coordination and behavior * Consciousness and awareness * Models of sleep and diurnal rhythms * Mental disorders * Other topics in neural models of perception, cognition and action NEUROENGINEERING * Brain-machine interfaces * Neural prostheses * Neuromorphic hardware * Embedded neural systems * Other topics in neuroengineering BIO-INSPIRED AND BIOMORPHIC SYSTEMS * Brain-inspired cognitive architectures * Embodied robotics * Evolutionary robotics * Developmental robotics * Computational models of development * Collective intelligence * Swarms * Autonomous complex systems * Self-configuring systems * Self-healing systems * Self-aware systems * Emotional computation * Artificial life * Other topics in bio-inspired and biomorphic systems APPLICATIONS * Bioinformatics * Biomedical engineering * Data analysis and pattern recognition * Speech recognition and speech production * Robotics * Neurocontrol * Approximate dynamic programming, adaptive critics, and Markov decision processes * Neural network approaches to optimization * Signal processing, image processing, and multi-media * Temporal data analysis, prediction, and forecasting; time series analysis * Communications and computer networks * Data mining and knowledge discovery * Power system applications * Financial engineering applications * Applications in multi-agent systems and social computing * Manufacturing and industrial applications * Expert systems * Clinical applications * Big data applications * Smart grid applications * Other applications CROSS-DISCIPLINARY TOPICS * Hybrid intelligent systems * Swarm intelligence * Sensor networks * Quantum computation * Computational biology * Molecular and DNA computation * Computation in tissues and cells * Artificial immune systems * Other cross-disciplinary topics ################################################################ ##########################Organizing Committee########################## General Chair * Yoonsuck Choe, Texas A and M University, USA Program Chair * Christina Jayne, Robert Gordon University, UK Technical Co-Chairs * Irwin King, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China * Barbara Hammer, University of Bielefeld, Germany Plenary Chair * Cesare Alippi, Politecnico di Milano, Italy Special Session Co-Chairs * Derong Liu, University of Chicago, USA * Tatiana Tambouriatzis, University of Piraeus, Greece Tutorial Chair * Asim Roy, Arizona State University, USA Workshop Chair * Lazaros Iliadis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece Poster Session Chair * Richard Duro, Universidad Coruna, Spain Competition Chair * Juyang (John) Weng, Michigan State University, USA Panels Chair * Robert Kozma, University of Memphis, USA Awards Chair * Nikola Kasabov, Auckland University of Technology, Australia Web Reviews Chair * Tomasz Cholewo, Lexmark International Inc., USA Sponsors & Exhibits Chair * Lipo Wang, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Publication Chair * Bill Howell, Natural Resources Canada (retired), Canada International Liaison * Teresa Ludermir, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil European Liaison * Danilo P. Mandic, Imperial College, UK Asia-Pacific Liaison * Minho Lee, Kyungpook National University, Korea Neuroscience Liaison * Péter Érdi, Kalamazoo College, USA Robotics Liaison * Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, INRIA, France Industry Liaison * Sven F. Crone, Lancaster University, UK Publicity Co-Chairs * Giacomo Boracchi, Politecnico di Milano, Italy * Simone Scardapane, Sapienza University, Italy * Teck-Hou Teng, Singapore Management University, Singapore Local Arrangements Co-Chairs * Frank W. Moore, University of Alaska, USA * Kenrick Mock, University of Alaska, USA Registration Chair * Jaerock Kwon, Kettering University, USA Webmaster * Jaewook Yoo, Texas A & M University, USA ####################################################################### ##################Sponsoring Organizations################## * INNS - International Neural Network Society * IEEE - Computational Intelligence Society ############################################################

Sept. 6, 2016

Faculty positions open in theoretical biology, computational sciences and big data

by Erik De Schutter

Dear all, Faculty recruitment is ongoing in the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University Japan in fields that are of interest members of this mailing list, including: theoretical biology (including theoretical neuroscience), computational sciences and big data analysis. Please go to https://groups.oist.jp/facultypositions for more information. Application deadline is October 24, 2016. Erik De Schutter Full advertisement: Open Faculty Positions The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (www.oist.jp) invites applications for at least 5 new faculty positions as part of its planned expansion. Targeted areas for the current search include*: Chemistry: Chemical Biology; Materials Chemistry (including Polymer Chemistry, Metal-Organic Frameworks) Life Sciences: Cell Biology; Theoretical Biology; Behavioral Learning Theory Mathematics: Discrete Mathematics; Computational Sciences; Big Data Analysis Physics: Quantum Information; Ultracold Physics; Condensed Matter; Cosmology/Gravitational Waves We are seeking applicants with excellent scholarship and creativity. Successful candidates are expected to establish an active program of research, supervise student research and teach in the graduate program. Generous research resources are provided which may be supplemented with external grants. Appointments will be Tenure-Track or Tenured. Starting date is flexible. Applications should include: a letter of intent, CV, summary of previous research, research proposal, and a teaching statement. Information and instructions for submitting applications can be accessed at https://groups.oist.jp/facultypositions *Applications from strong candidates in other fields may be considered. Application Deadline: Noon on Monday, October 24, 2016 (any time zone) The OIST Graduate University offers a world-class research environment with an international research community and opportunities for interdisciplinary research. Research and teaching is conducted in English. The campus is located in a beautiful subtropical setting in Okinawa, Japan. The OIST Graduate University is an equal opportunity educator and employer committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty, students and staff through proactive policies. We provide a family-friendly working environment, including a bilingual child development center on campus. Applications from women and other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged. See https://groups.oist.jp/ged Inquiries should be directed to Professor Gordon Arbuthnott, Dean of Faculty Affairs, faculty-recruiting(a)oist.jp

Sept. 6, 2016

Fellowships in Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania

by Vijay Balasubramanian

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

Sept. 5, 2016

The Max Planck Research Group Neural Circuits in Germany is Now Hiring!

by Zaina Batool

Dear all, The Seelig Lab (Max Planck Research Group Neural Circuits) is currently offering two open positions on neural circuits in behaving animals for highly motivated scientists/graduate students interested in studying the role of neuromodulators in neural circuit function across behavorial states in health and disease: - one full-time postdoctoral position - one Ph.D. position More here: http://www.caesar.de/jointhelab0.html Best Regards, Zaina Batool Research Assistant, Max Planck Research Group Neural Circuits Forschungszentrum caesar Tel.: 0228/9656-361 Fax: 0228/9656 E-Mail: zaina.batool(a)caesar.de<mailto:zaina.batool@caesar.de> Forschungszentrum caesar assoziiert mit der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2 53175 Bonn www.caesar.de<http://www.caesar.de/>

Sept. 5, 2016

NEST User Workshop 3-4 November 2016 in Karlsruhe, Germany

by Hans Ekkehard Plesser

Dear all! The NEST Initiative is excited to invite all NEST users and developers to the second annual NEST User Workshop on 3-4 November 2016 in Karlsruhe, Germany. The Workshop provides an opportunity for the NEST Community to meet, exchange success stories, swap advice, learn about current developments in and around NEST and spiking network simulation and application. This year, the workshop will focus on the use of spiking networks in Neurorobotics and will kindly be hosted by Forschungszentrum Informatik (FZI) in Karlsruhe, Germany, in collaboration with the Human Brain Project and Forschungszentrum Jülich. The workshop is supported by the Human Brain Project Education Office. Registration for the Workshop is now open at http://indico-jsc.fz-juelich.de/e/nest2016 where you also will find more information about the workshop program and ways to contribute. Deadline for contributions is 18 September, for registration 7 October. Participation is free of charge, but you will have to cover your travel costs. Space is limited, so please register soon! I am looking forward to seeing you in Karlsruhe! Hans Ekkehard Plesser President, The NEST Initiative -- Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser Associate Professor Dept. of Mathematical Sciences and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no Home http://arken.nmbu.no/~plesser

Sept. 2, 2016

Opportunity in Open Source Brain project for experienced software developer

by Padraig Gleeson

(Apologies for cross postings) The Open Source Brain initiative (http://www.opensourcebrain.org) is looking to hire an experienced software developer to work on the web infrastructure for collaborative development of models in computational neuroscience as part of our multidisciplinary group <http://silverlab.org/> at University College London: https://goo.gl/kROHnZ This would be a great opportunity for someone who has plenty of experience with Java/JavaScript development (and a good helping of Python and/or Ruby) to get a job at the leading edge of efforts to build a truly open infrastructure for modelling and understanding the brain. Previous experience in computational neuroscience is an advantage, though excellent software development skills in a web environment and a desire to make a difference in this field are essential. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to fully participate in the academic activities related to this initiative including contributing to publications and attending scientific conferences. Deadline for applications is 12th Sept 2016. For informal enquiries, please contact p.gleeson(a)ucl.ac.uk ----------------------------------------------------- Padraig Gleeson Room 321, Anatomy Building Department of Neuroscience, Physiology& Pharmacology University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT United Kingdom +44 207 679 3214 p.gleeson(a)ucl.ac.uk -----------------------------------------------------

Sept. 2, 2016

Post-doc position in computational cognitive neuroscience at UC Berkeley

by Anne Collins

Hello, I run the Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at UC Berkeley ( https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~acollins/) and am looking for a postdoc. *Post-doctoral research position at the CCN lab at UC Berkeley:* My lab investigates reinforcement learning, decision-making and executive functions. I’m looking to hire a post-doc interested in these topics. You should have (or be nearing completion of) a PhD in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, or a related field. Ideal candidates would have expertise collecting and analyzing EEG or fMRI data, experience in developmental or patient studies, or both. Experience in computational modeling is also highly desirable, and programming experience is essential. However, I welcome applications from anyone with experience and interest in RL, decision-making, or executive functions. This position can begin immediately, but the start date is flexible. To apply, please send your CV, contact information for your references, and a short letter about why you’re interested in this position to Anne Collins ( annecollins(a)berkeley.edu) -- Anne Collins Assistant Professor Tolman Hall, 3429 Department of Psychology University of California, Berkeley (510) 664-7146

Sept. 1, 2016

Associate professor position in Data Science (Big Data)

by Hans Ekkehard Plesser

The Department of Mathematical Sciences and Technology (IMT) at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) as Ås near Oslo has a permanent, full-time position available for an Associate Professor in Data Sciences (Big Data). The position is part of the University's programme for the recruitment of top researchers, which aims to recruiting an internationally leading, early-career researcher with a high potential for NMBU. The position requires research of high international quality. Big Data is relevant to several of NMBU's academic communities working within the environmental sciences and biosciences, and is especially important in fields of research and teaching in IMT. The goal is for the position to contribute to collaborations in the field across academic communities at IMT and NMBU. The person appointed to the position must therefore have excellent collaboration skills. The position will include: • one PhD Position (3 years) • NOK 0.25 million in operating funds For a detailed description of the position, our expectations and conditions, please see https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/127472/associate-professor-i… Deadline for applications is Oct 1, 2016. Best regards, Hans Ekkehard Plesser -- Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser Associate Professor Dept. of Mathematical Sciences and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences PO Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway Phone +47 6723 1560 Email hans.ekkehard.plesser(a)nmbu.no Home http://arken.nmbu.no/~plesser

Sept. 1, 2016

Staff Scientists and Postdoctoral Researchers in Neural Data Analysis and Computational Neurosceince at the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine

by Zanos, Theodoros

The Center for Bioelectronic Medicine at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in NY (http://www.feinsteininstitute.org/) is building a multidisciplinary team to revolutionize medicine by determining the nature of neural control over molecular, cellular and organ functions of the body, the parts of the brain that regulate those nerves, and the signals that the brain receives to monitor cell and organ function. Projects will focus on determining which nerve fibers exert control, the types of signals those fibers use, and how these signals can be manipulated to treat diseases and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, paralysis, Crohn's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, cancer and others. We are currently recruiting for Staff Scientists and Postdoctoral Researchers in the field of neural data analysis and computational neuroscience. The successful candidates will work in the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, directed by Chad Bouton, in the Neural Decoding and Data Analytics Lab, led by Dr. Theo Zanos. The candidates will work on projects involving development of novel signal processing and machine learning methods to gain insights into: 1. Decoding and encoding mechanisms of the brain and peripheral nerves to and from stimuli, actions and other physiological functions 2. Reinforcement learning approaches used to select neural stimulation parameters and optimize outcomes 3. Beam-forming, blind source separation, and other techniques to directionally transmit or receive neural signals in peripheral nerves 4. Neural circuits through numerical modeling and biomarker profile analysis * PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, Statistics or a related field required; experience in one or more of the following areas required: - Analysis of Neural Signals - Computational Neuroscience - Machine Learning (Systems Identification & Reinforcement Learning) * Strong Matlab programming skills required, Python and C++ programming experience preferred. * For the Staff Scientist position, applicants must have a minimum of three (3) years of relevant postdoctoral experience. Please forward CV, cover letter and 2 references to CBEM(a)northwell.edu, with the subject line "Post-Doc / Research Scientist in the Neural Decoding and Data Analytics Lab". Theodoros Zanos, PhD Asst Investigator Neural Decoding and Data Analytics Lab Center for Bioelectronic Medicine The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research 350 Community Drive Manhasset, NY 11030 Tel: (516) 562-1204 Cell: (646) 943-3440 Email: tzanos(a)northwell.edu<mailto:tzanos@northwell.edu> Northwell Health Visit us at Northwell.edu<http://northwell.edu/> [cid:image001.png@01D203AA.333A0610] The information contained in this electronic e-mail transmission and any attachments are intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom or to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this communication is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure of this communication and any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately by telephone and electronic mail, and delete the original communication and any attachment from any computer, server or other electronic recording or storage device or medium. Receipt by anyone other than the intended recipient is not a waiver of any attorney-client, physician-patient or other privilege.

Aug. 31, 2016

SfN2016 Satellite Symposium "Collaborative Neuroscience and Enabling Infrastructure"

by emuller

ANNOUNCEMENT Human Brain Project Satellite Symposium to SfN 2016 "Collaborative Neuroscience and Enabling Infrastructure" When: 1pm-5pm, November 11th, 2016 Where: Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, Room: Cortez Hill ABC Organizers: Marc-Oliver Gewaltig, Eilif Muller, Jeff Muller, David Lester, Andrew Davison Participants are kindly asked to register using the following link (google forms): https://goo.gl/forms/0uuu4rW5yW3epgNm2 OVERVIEW The EU funded Human Brain Project is developing six research platforms in the areas of Neuroinformatics, High-Performance Computing, Brain Simulation, Medical Informatics, Neuromorphic Computing and Neurorobotics to support international research. This symposium brings together researchers and engineers from the Human Brain Project (HBP) with the larger neuroscience community to discuss how the HBP Platforms can catalyze collaborative neuroscience research by the community, and highlight selected complementary initiatives to explore synergies. We will provide an introduction to the Human Brain Project platforms, "The HBP Collaboratory", with a focus on neuroscientific use-cases available as of the initial public release of spring 2016, and first success stories. For further details see the website: https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/sfn-2016-satellite

Aug. 31, 2016

University of Surrey: Professorial appointment in the Nature Inspired Computing and Engineering Group

by a.gruning＠surrey.ac.uk

Dear Colleagues, the University of Surrey has a job opening for a professorship, see the details below or at http://jobs.surrey.ac.uk/060916 Best, Andre The University of Surrey is an international university with a world-class research profile and an enterprising spirit. The University has an outstanding record in student employment and teaching excellence. The Department of Computer Science embodies the ethos of “applying theory into practice” across its research and teaching activities. The Department of Computer Science within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences has an international reputation for research and teaching. Research in the department is focussed on two main areas - Nature Inspired Computing and Engineering (NICE), and Secure Systems, with Surrey hosting one of only 13 Academic Centres of Excellence recognised by GCHQ. This post offers an exciting opportunity for a Professorial appointment in the Nature Inspired Computing and Engineering group. The vision of the group is to better human life and the environment by understanding and simulating how nature works. The successful candidate will provide leadership in research in machine learning at the highest level and develop strategic partnerships. We welcome applications from both academia and industry. We are open to a variety of machine learning and cognitive systems specialisms that are related to, or complement current strengths of the group including (but not limited to): computational intelligence, computational neuroscience, with applications to data-driven engineering optimisation, self-organising and autonomous systems, health care and bioinformatics. It is expected that the post-holder will also contribute to high quality teaching at undergraduate and post-graduate level, for example in data science. The initial focus of the post is working as part of the senior team to drive forward machine learning research within the Department, across the University and internationally with academia and industry. The Department has excellent links with Honda, The Pirbright Institute and Moorfields Hospital. It offers the unique opportunity to grow interdisciplinary research within Surrey, for example with the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences involving the Surrey Sleep Research Centre and within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences which has expertise in machine learning across several of its Departments and research centres. The Department is implementing a strong growth plan which has seen its academic staff base increase by over 35% in the last year, with a focus on security. The Department has now prioritised future growth in the area of machine learning research and immediately after the appointment to this Chair the Department intends to appoint a further faculty member at Lecturer level alongside this post. For an informal discussion about the positions, please contact the Head of Department of Computer Science, Dr Helen Treharne on h.treharne(a)surrey.ac.uk or Professor Paul Krause, Director of Research, on p.krause(a)surrey.ac.uk. A search exercise is being undertaken by Society who will support the University Panel decision to identify the widest possible field of candidates and assist in their assessment. For further details, including job description, person specification and information on how to apply, please contact www.society-search.com quoting reference 0475 or to discuss the position further contact Nina Patel on +(0) 44 20 36530479 The closing date is 3rd October 2016 at 5pm (GMT). Interviews will be held in on 19th and 20th October, in Guildford. Presentations will be given on the afternoon of 19th October 2016 and the interviews will follow on the 20th October, 2016. It is expected that candidates will participate on both days. The start date is anticipated to be April 2017 (or earlier). Visits to Guildford and to the Department can be arranged for short-listed candidates, in advance of the interview date. The University is committed to building a culturally diverse organisation and strongly encourages applications from female and minority candidates. -- Dr Andre Gruning Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) Department of Computer Science University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH United Kingdom

Aug. 31, 2016

Workshop in Brisbane, Nov 28-30

by Leonardo Gollo

Dear all, It is a pleasure to announce the 9th Australasian Workshop on Neuro-Engineering and Computational Neuroscience that will be held in Brisbane, Australia, November 28-30. The workshop will bring together researchers at the interface between neuroscience, physics, engineering and psychiatry. Abstract submissions are closing on the 5th of September and there are limited places for the short course on Deep Learning. Topics include: - Theoretical, Mathematical & Computational Neuroscience - Computational Psychiatry - Neuroimaging - Connectomics & Networks - M/EEG & Electrophysiology - Neural Modeling & Engineering - Neuromorphic Engineering - Neuroprosthetics & Brain Machine Interfaces - Neural Information Processing - Neuroinformatics - Cognitive Neuroscience - Systems Neuroscience - Neurostimulation Keynote speakers: - Xiao-Jing Wang, New York University - Rosalyn Moran, University of Bristol - James Rowe, University of Cambridge Additional invited speakers: TBA. Abstract submission: http://conference.qimrberghofer.edu.au/page/NeuroEng/ Kind regards, Leonardo L Gollo, James Roberts, Vinh Nguyen, Michael Breakspear

Aug. 30, 2016

Neuroimaging engineer position

by paulo rodrigues

Hi all, We are looking for an experienced and motivated neuroimaging engineer/scientist to start asap. Please send your CV/motivation to team(a)mint-labs.com You are experienced in volumetric, diffusion, rs-fMRI studies, and are not shy about Python, bash, R or whatever tool fits the work? Do you know the plethora of tools like mrtrix, ANTs, freesurfer, dipy, nipype, ...? The challenge is to develop analysis systems for multidimensional medical datasets. Mint Labs is a cloud computing platform that focus on integrating diverse clinical, imaging, genomic, and other data to better evaluate disease progression and response to interventions. You will start a new project focusing on using these methods to answer some pertinent questions in MR. You thrive in developing pipelines to process imaging data, and integrate multiple data points into meaningful group conclusions? Objectives of the position -------------------------- The position hinges on building sophisticated processing pipelines for neuroimaging datasets. Building, improving advanced morphometrics and brain-parcellation techniques in structural MRI, dMRI, rs-fMRI. Support the interaction with several external research partners and clients to develop neuroimaging analysis. About Mint Labs -------------------------- Mint Labs is a Barcelona based startup building a neuroimaging data analytics cloud-based platform. The system employs software tools to integrate thousands of images and data from a patient and creates a specific detailed 3D map of the brain. We can quantify the effect of the treatment in the damage of the brain and characterise patients for clinical trials. The images are directly sent from the scanners to our servers, and there the data is automatically processed and analysed.

Aug. 29, 2016

Job offer in computational neuroscience

by Irene Yujnovsky

Hi! we currently have an open post-doctoral position for a neuroinformatician in Marseille, France. You will find the ad below, feel free to diffuse it to potentially interested candidates: *Neuro**informatician/Mathematical modeler* *TNG Team, **Institute of System**Neuroscience (INS**), Marseille, FRANCE***** A post-doctoral position is open in the Theoretical Neurosciences Group (TNG) <http://ins.univ-amu.fr/research-teams/theoretical-neurosciences-group/>directed by Viktor JIRSA at the Institute of System Neuroscience (INS) for an experienced computational neuroscientist to work in modeling brain networks with the aim of creating individual Virtual Patient dementia models using The Virtual Brain platform as framework (see http://www.thevirtualbrain.org) This research project will be conducted in the context of the Aetionomy European consortium (IMI). *Qualification* Candidates must be highly motivated to work on an interdisciplinary project and collaborate with the various members of the consortium. They should have a PhD degree in computational neuroscience, mathematical modeling or equivalent level of knowledge. A strong background in data fitting (Bayesian approaches, Dynamical Causal Modeling (DCM), Monte Carlo techniques) will be highly appreciated. Candidates must be comfortable working in computational environmentsand possess excellent programming skills. Experience with The Virtual Brain platform would be considered an advantage. *The Theoretical Neuroscience group* We are a multi-national team interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying the spatiotemporal organization of large-scale brain networks. Our work comprises mathematical and computational modeling of large-scale network dynamics and human brain imaging data, the development of neuroinformatics tools for studying large-scale brain networks applied to concrete functions, dysfunctions (epilepsy, dementia) and aging. *Terms of salary and employment* A 12-month renewable contract will be established. Salary will depend on the diploma and experience. Operating language in the laboratory is English. Applications including a cover letter, curriculum vitae and the names of two referees should be sent by September 30^th 2016 to: *Dr. Irene Yujnovsky* at irene.yujnovsky(a)univ-amu.frMore information about the INS and the Theoretical Neurosciences Group can be found at: http://bit.ly/29kub1k Thank you very much, Irene Yujnovsky -- --------------------------------------------------- Irene Yujnovsky, PhD Chef de projet EPINEXT Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes Inserm UMR1106 Université Aix-Marseille Faculté de Médecine, 27, Boulevard Jean Moulin 13005 Marseille, France Phone: +33 (0)491324239 email: irene.yujnovsky(a)univ-amu.fr Website: http://epinext.org/

Aug. 26, 2016

[IJCNN 2017] Combined Calls

by Teng Teck Hou

[Apologies for cross-postings] ################################################## COMBINED CALLS CALL FOR PAPERS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-papers CALL FOR SPECIAL SESSIONS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-special-sessions CALL FOR WORKSHOPS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-workshops CALL FOR TUTORIALS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-tutorials CALL FOR COMPETITIONS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-competition CALL FOR SPONSORS http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-sponsors International Joint Conference on Neural Networks May 14-19, 2017, Anchorage, Alaska, USA http://www.ijcnn.org/ ################################################## IJCNN is the premier international conference in the area of neural network theory, analysis, and applications. Co-sponsored by the International Neural Network Society (INNS) and the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (IEEE-CIS), over the last three decades this conference and its predecessors has hosted [past, present, and future] leaders of neural network research. IJCNN 2017 will feature invited plenary talks by world-renowned speakers in the areas of neural network theory and applications, computational neuroscience, robotics, and distributed intelligence. In addition to regular technical sessions with oral and poster presentations, the conference program will include special sessions, competitions, tutorials and workshops on topics of current interest. The 2017 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN 2017) will be held at the William A. Egan Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, May 14-19, 2017. "... Only in Anchorage can you meet a moose, walk on a glacier and explore a vast, natural park all in a single day. Between mountains and an inlet, surrounded by national parks and filled with Alaska wildlife, Anchorage combines the best of Alaska in a city that has the comforts of home and the hospitality of the Last Frontier. ..." For the latest updates, follow us on Facebook (https://fb.me/ijcnn2017/) and Twitter (@ijcnn2017). ##############################Important Dates############################## * Special Session, Panel Sesion & Competition Proposals September 15, 2016 * Tutorial and Workshop Proposals October 15, 2016 * Paper Submission November 15, 2016 * Paper Decision Notification January 20, 2017 * Camera-Ready Submission February 20, 2017 ########################################################################### ##########################Plenary Speakers########################## * Christof Koch, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA * Hava Siegelmann, DARPA, and University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA * Jose Principle, University of Florida, USA #################################################################### ##########################Call for Special Sessions########################## The IJCNN 2017 Program Committee solicits proposals for special sessions within the technical scopes of the conference. Special sessions, to be organized by international recognized experts, aim to bring together researchers focused in special, novel, and challenging topics. Fast-developing themes such as Deep Learning, Big Data, or applications to fields like chemistry, biology, computer games, robotics, etc. are examples. Papers submitted for special sessions are to be peer-reviewed with the same criteria used for the regular sessions. Researchers interested in organizing special sessions are invited to submit a formal proposal using the on-line form of the Special Sessions webpage. Due to large expected number of submissions, please do not directly email the information to the special session co-chairs Derong Liu, University of Chicago & Chinese Academy of Sciences. Beijing, and Tatiana Tambouratzis, University of Piraeus, Greece. For further details, please refer to http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-special-sessions Any questions regarding this proposal can be asked to the Special Session Chairs: Derong Liu, University of Chicago, USA. E-mail: derong(a)uic.edu Tatiana Tambouriatzis, University of Piraeus, Greece. E-mail: tatianatambouratzis(a)gmail.com ############################################################################ # ##########################Call for Workshops########################## Post-conference workshops offer a unique opportunity for in-depth discussions of specific topics in neural networks and computational intelligence. The workshops should be moderated by scientists or professionals who has significant expertise and /or whose recent work has had a significant impact within their field. IJCNN 2017 will emphasize emerging and growing areas of computational intelligence. Each workshop has a duration of 3 or 6 hours. The format of each workshop will be up to the moderator, and can include interactive presentations as well as panel discussions among participants. These interactions should highlight exciting new developments and current research trends to facilitate a discussion of ideas that will drive the field forward in the coming years. Workshop organizers can prepare various materials including handouts or electronic resources that can be made available for distribution before or after the meeting. Researchers interested in organizing workshops are invited to submit a formal proposal including the following information as a single file (pdf, doc, etc.) to the workshop chair: Title Organizers and their short bio Brief description of the scope and impact of the workshop Timeliness of the topic Confirmed and/or potential speakers Half day (3 hours) or full day (6 hours) Link to organizer's web page and/or workshop web site (optional) For further details, please refer http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-workshops. Any questions regarding this proposal can be asked to the Workshop Chair: Lazaros Iliadis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. E-mail: liliadis(a)fmenr.duth.gr ###################################################################### ##########################Call for Tutorials########################## IJCNN 2017 will feature pre-conference tutorials addressing fundamental and advanced topics in computational intelligence. Tutorial proposals should be emailed to the Tutorial Chair (see below). A tutorial proposal should include the Title Presenter/organizer name(s) and affiliations Expected enrollment Abstract (less than 300 words) Additional outline if needed Presenter/organizer biography Links to the presenter/organizer web page or the tutorial page (optional) The proposal should not exceed two pages in 1.5 space, Times 12 point font. The tutorial format (preliminary) is 1 hour and 45 minutes with a 10-minute break. Researchers interested in organizing workshops are invited to submit a formal proposal. For further details, please refer to http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-tutorials. Any questions regarding this proposal can be asked to the Tutorials Chair: Asim Roy, Arizona State University, USA. E-mail: ASIM.ROY(a)asu.edu ###################################################################### ##########################Call for Competitions########################## Competition organizers are kindly invited to submit their proposals to IJCNN2017 Competition Chair (TBA) by September 15, 2016. The notifications of acceptance of the competition proposals will be provided by TBA and will be shortly publish in the IJCNN 2017 website. Please note that each accepted competition will be published in a separate web link. The competition proposal should contain the following information (please fill out the form at the bottom of this page, or send the required information in the form as a single pdf file to the competition chair [email below]) The aims and objectives of the competition, The rules of the competition, including which data sets will be used, How the competition will serve the neural networks community/society, How to enter the competitions and how to evaluate them, and Which competition platform (or result submission and validation method) you will use (e.g. similar to Kaggle). Summary of performance results directly reported by the competition participants and not verified by the competition organizers are not acceptable. Please note that you need to select a category for your competition from the following list: Category A: You are planning to organise an associated special session, in which the proposal must be submitted separately to the special session chairs. In addition, you require that each team must submit at least one paper to the special session. Category B: You are planning to organise an associated special session, whose proposal must be also submitted separately to the special session chairs. However, submission of papers to the special session by competition participants is not mandatory. Category C: You have no plan to organize an associated special session. Note: For categories B and C, please also indicate whether or not conference participation is required for each entry. Sponsorship A winning certificate and free registration will be provided to the winner of each competition who attends IJCNN 2017. For further details, please refer to http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-competition. If you need any other information, please do not hesitate to contact the IJCNN2017 Competition Chair: Juyang (John) Weng, Michigan State University. E-mail: weng(a)cse.msu.edu ######################################################################### ##########################Call for Sponsors########################## You are invited to support the 2017 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN 2017), organized by the International Neural Network Society (INNS) and the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (IEEE-CIS). This is an ideal way to demonstrate your organization's commitment to the field of artificial intelligence including neural networks, biomorphic systems, computational neuroscience, neuroengineering, and many other areas at the frontier of technological innovation and to publicize this support to many leaders and students in the field. Corporate support is typically used to permit a greater number of students to attend IJCNN at reduced fees without increasing the general registration, and to allow student volunteers to receive complimentary registration. Exhibits by sponsors also help inform researchers especially students and postdocs about relevant applications and opportunities. Corporate support can be targeted to a particular event or activity at the Conference. IJCNN 2017 has four sponsorship levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Your support is very important to the conference, and the conference committee ensures that these contributions are well recognized. We list the benefits and costs below. PLATINUM (US$10,000 or greater contribution) You will get 4 free registrations to the main conference and tutorials and workshops, 4 banquet tickets, 3 exhibition tables. You will also get second choice at naming events at the conference. For example, there are generally two receptions, several lunches and coffee breaks, plus a student reception. Naming of events will be decided based on the amount of the contribution and the order received. Your company or institution (with logo and URL) will be listed in all conference announcements, on the advance program, and on the conference web pages, at www.ijcnn.org We will specially acknowledge your company's contribution and offer thanks at the opening and closing sessions of the conference You will have the opportunity to include material and giveaways with the conference material for each attendee You will get early notification direct from the Corporate Support Chair of conference news GOLD SPONSORSHIP (US$5,000 or greater contribution) You will get 3 free registrations to the main conference or tutorials and workshops, 3 banquet tickets, 2 exhibition tables. You will also get third choice at naming events at the conference (after the Platinum). For example, there are generally two receptions, several lunches and coffee breaks, plus a student reception. Naming of events will be decided based on the amount of the contribution and the order received. Your company or institution (with logo and URL) will be listed in all conference announcements, on the advance program, and on the conference web pages, at www.ijcnn.org We will acknowledge your company's contribution and offer thanks at the opening and closing sessions of the conference You will have the opportunity to include material and giveaways with the conference material for each attendee You will get early notification direct from the Corporate Support Chair of conference news SILVER SPONSORSHIP (US$3,000 or greater contribution) You will get 2 free registrations to the main conference or tutorials and workshops, 2 banquet tickets, 1 exhibition table. We will name an event after your company, if there are events left after those named for Platinum and Gold Your company or institution (with logo and URL) will be listed in the advance program, and on the conference web pages, at www.ijcnn.org We will acknowledge your company's contribution and offer thanks at the opening and closing sessions of the conference You will get early notification direct from the Corporate Support Chair of conference news BRONZE SPONSORSHIP (US$1,500 or greater contribution) You will get 1 free registration to the main conference or tutorials and workshops and 1 banquet ticket. Your company or institution (with logo and URL) will be listed in the advance program, and on the conference web pages, at www.ijcnn.org We will acknowledge your company's contribution and offer thanks at the opening and closing sessions of the conference You will get early notification direct from the Corporate Support Chair of conference news Sponsorships at lower levels will be considered, with benefits negotiated between the IJCNN 2017 Sponsorship Chair and the Sponsor. For further details, please refer to http://www.ijcnn.org/call-for-sponsors Any questions regarding this proposal can be asked to the Sponsor Chair: Lipo Wang, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. E-mail: elpwang(a)ntu.edu.sg ###################################################################### ############Paper Submission and Publication############ * Regular paper can have up to 8 pages in double-column IEEE Conference format * All papers are to be prepared using IEEE-compliant Latex or Word templates on paper of U.S. letter size. * All submitted papers will be checked for plagiarism through the IEEE CrossCheck system. * Papers with significant overlap with the authors own papers or other papers will be rejected without review. ######################################################## ##################Topics and Areas of Interest################## This conference solicits papers addressing original works in topics and areas of interest including, but are not limited to: NEURAL NETWORK MODELS * Feedforward neural networks * Recurrent neural networks * Self-organizing maps * Radial basis function networks * Attractor neural networks and associative memory * Modular networks * Fuzzy neural networks * Spiking neural networks * Reservoir networks (echo-state networks, liquid-state machines, etc.) * Large-scale neural networks * Other topics in artificial neural networks MACHINE LEARNING * Supervised learning * Unsupervised learning and clustering, (including PCA, and ICA) * Reinforcement learning * Probabilistic and information-theoretic methods * Support vector machines and kernel methods * EM algorithms * Mixture models, ensemble learning, and other meta-learning or committee algorithms * Bayesian, belief, causal, and semantic networks * Statistical and pattern recognition algorithms * Visualization of data * Feature selection, extraction, and aggregation * Evolutionary learning * Hybrid learning methods * Computational power of neural networks * Deep learning * Other topics in machine learning NEURODYNAMICS * Dynamical models of spiking neurons * Synchronization and temporal correlation in neural networks * Dynamics of neural systems * Chaotic neural networks * Dynamics of analog networks * Neural oscillators and oscillator networks * Dynamics of attractor networks * Other topics in neurodynamics COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE * Connectomics * Models of large-scale networks in the nervous system * Models of neurons and local circuits * Models of synaptic learning and synaptic dynamics * Models of neuromodulation * Brain imaging * Analysis of neurophysiological and neuroanatomical data * Cognitive neuroscience * Models of neural development * Models of neurochemical processes * Neuroinformatics * Other topics in computational neuroscience NEURAL MODELS OF PERCEPTION, COGNITION AND ACTION * Neurocognitive networks * Cognitive architectures * Models of conditioning, reward and behavior * Cognitive models of decision-making * Embodied cognition * Cognitive agents * Multi-agent models of group cognition * Developmental and evolutionary models of cognition * Visual system * Auditory system * Olfactory system * Other sensory systems * Attention * Learning and memory * Spatial cognition, representation and navigation * Semantic cognition and language * Neural models of symbolic processing * Reasoning and problem-solving * Working memory and cognitive control * Emotion and motivation * Motor control and action * Dynamical models of coordination and behavior * Consciousness and awareness * Models of sleep and diurnal rhythms * Mental disorders * Other topics in neural models of perception, cognition and action NEUROENGINEERING * Brain-machine interfaces * Neural prostheses * Neuromorphic hardware * Embedded neural systems * Other topics in neuroengineering BIO-INSPIRED AND BIOMORPHIC SYSTEMS * Brain-inspired cognitive architectures * Embodied robotics * Evolutionary robotics * Developmental robotics * Computational models of development * Collective intelligence * Swarms * Autonomous complex systems * Self-configuring systems * Self-healing systems * Self-aware systems * Emotional computation * Artificial life * Other topics in bio-inspired and biomorphic systems APPLICATIONS * Bioinformatics * Biomedical engineering * Data analysis and pattern recognition * Speech recognition and speech production * Robotics * Neurocontrol * Approximate dynamic programming, adaptive critics, and Markov decision processes * Neural network approaches to optimization * Signal processing, image processing, and multi-media * Temporal data analysis, prediction, and forecasting; time series analysis * Communications and computer networks * Data mining and knowledge discovery * Power system applications * Financial engineering applications * Applications in multi-agent systems and social computing * Manufacturing and industrial applications * Expert systems * Clinical applications * Big data applications * Smart grid applications * Other applications CROSS-DISCIPLINARY TOPICS * Hybrid intelligent systems * Swarm intelligence * Sensor networks * Quantum computation * Computational biology * Molecular and DNA computation * Computation in tissues and cells * Artificial immune systems * Other cross-disciplinary topics ################################################################ ##########################Organizing Committee########################## General Chair * Yoonsuck Choe, Texas A and M University, USA Program Chair * Christina Jayne, Robert Gordon University, UK Technical Co-Chairs * Irwin King, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China * Barbara Hammer, University of Bielefeld, Germany Plenary Chair * Cesare Alippi, Politecnico di Milano, Italy Special Session Co-Chairs * Derong Liu, University of Chicago, USA * Tatiana Tambouriatzis, University of Piraeus, Greece Tutorial Chair * Asim Roy, Arizona State University, USA Workshop Chair * Lazaros Iliadis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece Poster Session Chair * Richard Duro, Universidad Coruna, Spain Competition Chair * Juyang (John) Weng, Michigan State University, USA Panels Chair * Robert Kozma, University of Memphis, USA Awards Chair * Nikola Kasabov, Auckland University of Technology, Australia Web Reviews Chair * Tomasz Cholewo, Lexmark International Inc., USA Sponsors & Exhibits Chair * Lipo Wang, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Publication Chair * Bill Howell, Natural Resources Canada (retired), Canada International Liaison * Teresa Ludermir, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil European Liaison * Danilo P. Mandic, Imperial College, UK Asia-Pacific Liaison * Minho Lee, Kyungpook National University, Korea Neuroscience Liaison * Péter Érdi, Kalamazoo College, USA Robotics Liaison * Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, INRIA, France Industry Liaison * Sven F. Crone, Lancaster University, UK Publicity Co-Chairs * Giacomo Boracchi, Politecnico di Milano, Italy * Simone Scardapane, Sapienza University, Italy * Teck-Hou Teng, Singapore Management University, Singapore Local Arrangements Co-Chairs * Frank W. Moore, University of Alaska, USA * Kenrick Mock, University of Alaska, USA Registration Chair * Jaerock Kwon, Kettering University, USA Webmaster * Jaewook Yoo, Texas A & M University, USA ####################################################################### ##################Sponsoring Organizations################## * INNS - International Neural Network Society * IEEE - Computational Intelligence Society ############################################################

Aug. 25, 2016

[Big Data NLP Workshop @ IEEE Big Data 2016] Call For Papers

by Teng Teck Hou

Big Data and Natural Language Processing workshop hosted at IEEE Big Data 2016 http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/bignlp2016/ The modality of textual data has been somewhat under-represented in big data and data science research thus far. This is despite the fact that large amounts of data are stored in unstructured textual format. We intend that this workshop will address this shortcoming and bring together academic and industrial researchers to exchange cutting edge research in the emerging area of extremely large-scale natural language processing (NLP). This topic has emerged in several areas in parallel in recent years: information retrieval and search engines, text mining, machine learning, web-derived corpus/computational linguistics, digital libraries, high performance and parallel computing. Common to all these areas is some or all of the main parts of the NLP pipeline: collection, cleaning, annotation, indexing, storage, retrieval and analysis of voluminous quantities of naturally occurring language data from the web or large-scale national and international digitisation initiatives. By hosting this event at IEEE Big Data 2016, we hope to encourage the communities to come together to consider synergies between NLP and data science. In this context, numerous issues should be considered including those linked to the five Vs of big data: (a) Volume: is having more data for training and testing NLP techniques always better? (b) Variety: are all types of data available on a sufficiently large scale? (c) Velocity: how are parallel methods best applied to carry out NLP on a large scale? (d) Variability: how does inconsistent data impact on the accuracy of NLP techniques? (e) Veracity: how does the accuracy of data affect inferences that can be drawn from it? Research topics: Topics covered by the workshop include, but are not restricted to, the following: Application focused papers e.g. security informatics Crowdsourcing approaches to large-scale language analysis Use of big data to train/test methods for low resource languages where existing NLP approaches do not exist Efficient NLP for analysing large data sets Challenges of scaling the NLP pipeline Big Data Management for NLP Storage and access for large linguistic data sets Language processing via GPGPUs Parallel and distributed computing techniques for language analysis e.g. HPC, MapReduce, Hadoop, Spark and cloud based machine learning Visualisation methods for the analysis of large corpora Dates: Oct 3, 2016: Due date for full workshop papers submission Oct 25, 2016: Notification of paper acceptance to authors Nov 8, 2016: Camera-ready of accepted papers Dec 5-8, 2016: Workshops Program Chairs: Dr Paul Rayson (Lancaster University, UK) Dr Mark Stevenson (Sheffield University, UK) Dr John Mariani (Lancaster University, UK) Dr Laura Irina Rusu (IBM Research Australia) Gandhi Sivakumar (Watson CoC, IBM Australia) Program committee members: Dr Nikos Aletras (Amazon UK) Dr Enrique Alfonseca (Google Zurich) Professor Laurence Anthony (Waseda University, Japan) Dr Piotr Banski (IDS-Mannheim, Germany) Dr Alistair Baron (Lancaster University, UK) Dr Eddie Bell (Lyst, UK) Matt Coole (Lancaster University, UK) Professor John Keane (University of Manchester, UK) Dr Dawn Knight (Cardiff University, UK) Dr Marc Kupietz (IDS-Mannheim, Germany) Dr Jochen Leidner (Thomson Reuters, UK) Dr Diana Maynard (Sheffield University, UK) Dr Rao Muhammad Adeel Nawab (COMSATS, Pakistan) Dr Sebastian Riedel (UCL, UK) Dr Mahsa Salehi (IBM Research, Australia) Dr Irena Spasic (Cardiff University, UK) Dr Stephen Wattam (Lancaster University, UK)

Aug. 24, 2016

Three-year postdoc position at Imperial College London: Computational auditory neuroscience and neurostimulation

by Reichenbach, Johann D T

Applications are invited for a Research Associate (Postdoc) to work on an exciting 3 year project in computational auditory neuroscience and neurostimulation at Imperial College London. The successful candidate will join the group of Dr. Tobias Reichenbach (http://www.bg.ic.ac.uk/research/reichenbach) The project is embedded in The Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/blast-injury) The project's goal is to develop efficient complex transcranial current stimulation techniques that can aid auditory processing. Auditory processing can be impaired due to damage to the neural circuits that are responsible for analysing auditory signals. Such damage to the central nervous system can result from head injury that can, in turn, be caused by secondary and tertiary blast injuries. Recent studies have found that the majority of war veterans that were exposed to at least one blast during their deployment have such auditory processing disorder. In this project we will employ novel computational and experimental insights into the mechanisms of speech processing in the brain to develop efficient types of complex transcranial current stimulation that can aid auditory processing. Applicants should have a PhD in computational neuroscience, engineering, physics or computing with experience in signal processing as well as neurostimulation or -imaging. The salary range is £36,070 - £43,350 per annum. For an informal discussion please contact Dr Tobias Reichenbach (email: reichenbach(a)imperial.ac.uk<mailto:a.kedgley@imperial.ac.uk>; telephone: +44 (0)20 759 46370). Our preferred method of application is online via our website. Please click ‘apply’ below or go to https://www.imperial.ac.uk/job-applicants/ (Select “Job Search” then enter the job title or vacancy reference number into “Keywords”). Please complete and upload an application form as directed quoting reference number EN20160296FH. Further information is also available on the job description. Should you have any queries please contact Ms Mica Jones at mica.jones(a)imperial.ac.uk<mailto:mica.jones@imperial.ac.uk> . The closing date is the 2nd of October 2016.

Aug. 18, 2016