- Comp-neuro - lists.cnsorg.org

ICMNS 2016: Abstract Deadline Extended to Jan. 15, 2016
by Zachary Kilpatrick Jan. 6, 2016

Jan. 6, 2016

*Abstract deadline extended to January 15, 2016* https://icmns2016.inria.fr/call-for-contributions/ <https://icmns2016.inria.fr/call-for-contributions/> International Conference on Mathematical Neuroscience (ICMNS 2016) at the Congress Center in Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera May 29 to June 1, 2016 Tutorials: May 29 Main Conference: May 30 - June 1 https://icmns2016.inria.fr/ <https://icmns2016.inria.fr/> CONFIRMED SPEAKERS Wulfram Gerstner (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) John Rinzel (New York University) Antoine Triller (École Normale Supérieure de Paris) Rachel Kuske (U British Columbia) Jonathan Rubin (U Pittsburgh) Hinke Osinga (U Aukland) Carina Curto (Penn State University) Ruben Moreno-Bote (Foundation Sant Joan de Deu) Hiroya Nakao (Tokyo Institute of Technology) Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Si Wu (Beijing Normal University) Alex Roxin (Centre de Recerca Matematica) PROGRAM COMMITTEE Toni Guillamon (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) Roland Potthast (U Reading) Gregory Faye (Université Paul Sabatier ) Wilhelm Stannat (TU Berlin) Jonathan Touboul (College de France) Gilles Wainrib (Ecole Normale Supérieure) Suzanne Ditlevsen (University of Copenhagen) Boris Gutkin (Ecole Normale Supérieure) Martin Wechselberger (U Sydney) Jonathan Rubin (U Pittsburgh) Martin Krupa (INRIA Sophia Antipoilis) Carlo Laing (Massey University) Andre Longtin (U Ottawa) Daniele Avitabile (U Nottingham) Jose Carrillo (Imperial College) Pascal Chossat (Université Nice Sophia Antipolis) Carson Chow (National Institutes of Health) Steve Zucker (Yale University) Eric Shea-Brown (U Washington) Rachel Kuske (U British Columbia) Laura Sacerdote (Universita di Torino) Reinhard Hopfner (Johannes-Gutenberg Universitat) Olivier Faugeras (INRIA - Sophia Antipolis) Paul Bressloff (U Utah) Steve Coombes (U Nottingham) CONFERENCE CHAIRS Romain Veltz (INRIA - Sophia Anitpolis) Zachary Kilpatrick (U Houston) Evelyn Buckwar (Johannes Kepler Universitat Linz)

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Assistant/Associate Professor of Mathematics (Biomathematics) at North Carolina A&T State University
by Choongseok Park Jan. 6, 2016

Jan. 6, 2016

*Assistant/Associate Professor of Mathematics (Biomathematics) * The Department of Mathematics at North Carolina A&T State University invites applications for a 9-month, tenure-track assistant or associate professorship in Biomathematics available in August 2016. The Department encourages persons from all areas of biomathematics to apply but is particularly interested in areas at the interface of mathematics and biosciences such as mathematical epidemiology, mathematical neurosciences, mathematical modeling of drug delivery and disease intervention/ prevention, mathematical and statistical methods for human genetics and population growth, biomedical imaging processing, stochastic modeling of biological and biomedical processes. The Department of Mathematics seeks candidates to join a growing Department with interactive faculty. The detailed posting of the position can be found at https://jobs.ncat.edu/postings/8967. Applications will be reviewed beginning February 15, 2016, and the review will continue until the position is filled. Interested applicants must submit the following items via the job posting at https://jobs.ncat.edu/postings/8967: 1) letter of interest (cover letter); 2) current curriculum vitae; 3) legible copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts (upload a copy of each transcript under the degree name; original transcripts will be required if hired); 4) statement of teaching philosophy; and 5) statement of research interests and accomplishments.

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Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience - Jan 2016 articles
by Stephen Coombes Jan. 6, 2016

Jan. 6, 2016

Dear all, A Happy New Year from the Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience! To kick of 2016 we have one review article on Oscillator Networks and another research article on the Wilson–Cowan equations: Mathematical Frameworks for Oscillatory Network Dynamics in Neuroscience Ashwin P, Coombes S and Nicks R http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/content/6/1/2 Wilson–Cowan Equations for Neocortical Dynamics Cowan JD, Neuman J and van Drongelen W http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/content/6/1/1 All articles are Open Access. The current list of journal articles is available at http://www.mathematical-neuroscience.com/ Best regards, Steve ------------------------------------------------------- Stephen Coombes Professor of Applied Mathematics School of Mathematical Sciences Nottingham, UK Tel: 0115 846 7836 http://www.maths.nott.ac.uk/~sc/ ------------------------------------------------------- This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please send it back to me, and immediately delete it. Please do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this message or in any attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an attachment may still contain software viruses which could damage your computer system, you are advised to perform your own checks. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored as permitted by UK legislation.

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[publication and call for dialog] IEEE CIS Newsletter on Autonomous Mental Development, Fall 2015
by Pierre-Yves Oudeyer Jan. 5, 2016

Jan. 5, 2016

Dear colleagues, I am happy to announce the release of the latest issue of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems (open access, previously names newsletter on Autonomous Mental Development). This is a biannual newsletter addressing computational modeling of developmental and cognitive processes in natural and artificial organisms, from humans to robots, at the crossroads of cognitive science, developmental psychology, machine intelligence and neuroscience. It is available at: https://goo.gl/HQAMsd Featuring dialog: === "Representational redescription: the next challenge?" == Dialog Initiated by Stéphane Doncieux, with responses from Jessica Kosie and Dare Baldwin, Georges Konidaris, Freek Stulp and Timothy Hospedales, Paul Verschure and Giovanni Pezzulo, Frank Guerin, Paul Abelha and Bipin Indurkhya. == This issue’s dialog explores various challenges of how and why capabilities to change representations could be happening in robots. In particular, contributors discuss how new representations can be formed out of the dynamic interaction between learning algorithms, cognitive architecture and their physical and social embodiment. Call for new dialog: === "Moving Beyond Nature-Nurture: a Problem of Science or Communication? » == Dialog initiated by John Spencer, Mark Blumberg and David Shenk == John Spencer, Mark Blumberg and David Shenk observe that in spite of numerous scientific discoveries supporting the view of development as a complex multi-factored process, the discussions of development in several scientific fields and in the general public are still strongly organized around the nature/nurture distinction. Thus, they ask a crucial question: is this because there is not yet sufficient scientific evidence, or is this because the simplicity of the nature/nurture framework is much easier to communicate (or just better communicated by its supporters)? Those of you interested in reacting to this dialog initiation are welcome to submit a response by April 15th, 2015. The length of each response must be between 600 and 800 words including references (contact pierre-yves.oudeyer(a)inria.fr) You will also find news about the IEEE CIS CDS Technical Committee and the ICDL-Epirob 2016 conference. Let me remind you that previous issues of the newsletter are all open-access and available at: http://icdl-epirob.org/cdsnl I wish you a stimulating reading! Best regards, Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, Editor of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems Chair of the IEEE CIS AMD Technical Committee on Cognitive and Developmental Systems Research director, Inria Head of Flower project-team Inria and Ensta ParisTech, France http://www.pyoudeyer.com https://flowers.inria.fr http://www.poppy-project.org

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NEST 2.10 supports gap junctions and structural plasticity
by Hans Ekkehard Plesser Jan. 5, 2016

Jan. 5, 2016

Dear Colleagues! The NEST Initiative is pleased to announce the release of NEST version 2.10.0. The most notable changes over v2.8.0 are: * Support for simulations of gap junctions (see Jan Hahne et al., 2015) * Framework for structural plasticity (see Markus Butz et al., 2013 and Markus Butz et al., 2014) * Full support for the K computer (just in case you found one under your Christmas tree ;-)) All users are encouraged to upgrade and adapt their simulation scripts to the changes in the user interface at this point in time to benefit from the improvements in the new version. For a full list of changes and download links, see https://github.com/nest/nest-simulator/releases/tag/v2.10.0 Best regards, Hans Ekkehard Plesser President, The NEST Initiative -- Dr. Hans Ekkehard Plesser, Associate Professor Section Head 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.umb.no/~plesser

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Carnegie Mellon - University of Pittsburgh Joint Summer Undergraduate Program in Computational Neuroscience
by Tai Sing Lee Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

Carnegie Mellon - University of Pittsburgh Joint Summer Undergraduate Program in Computational Neuroscience Undergraduates interested in receiving research training in computational neuroscience are encouraged to apply to an NIH-sponsored summer program at the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition in Pittsburgh. The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition is a joint interdisciplinary program of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Starting in May of 2016, a select group of talented undergraduates will embark on a 10-week residential program that provides intensive, mentored research experiences in computational and theoretical neuroscience. This program is intended for students who wish to pursue a Ph.D. after graduation. Any undergraduate may apply, but we are especially interested in attracting students with strong quantitative backgrounds especially juniors and seniors from colleges and universities that do not have extensive research programs, and students from groups underrepresented in the sciences. Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Selected students will receive a stipend and university dormitory housing. The core of the program is the opportunity to carry out an individual mentored research project working closely with a faculty mentor. Other aspects of the scientific program include: faculty research talks, student presentations and discussion of articles from the scientific literature, presentations on career options and scientific ethics, and a concluding symposium in which students present their research. The 2016 program will run from late May through early August, 2016 (precise dates will be announced in March). The final deadline for application is February 16. All participants must be United States citizens or permanent residents, must be enrolled at a 4-year accredited institution, and must be in their sophomore or junior year at the time of application. Students from groups underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged to apply. 2016 uPNC Summer Fellowship Application available here: http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/images/CNBC_general/upncsummerapplication2016.doc Application can be returned via email or regular mail (see addresses below). In addition to the application, the following items are required for evaluation: A brief (one page) essay about your interest and experience in neural computation. Official transcript from the institution you are attending Two letters from professional references. You should contact your recommenders and ask them to mail or email a letter directly to us. SAT/ACT scores (do NOT have to be official; photocopies are acceptable) Documents should be mailed to: Computational Neuroscience Summer Program Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition Carnegie Mellon University 4400 Fifth Avenue Suite 115 Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2617 CNBC-summer-UG(a)andrew.cmu.edu For more information go to this sites: http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/summercompneuro

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Request for Information on Neurally-Inspired Computing Principles
by R. Jacob Vogelstein Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

Hi all, IARPA has just released a new Request for Information (RFI) on "neurally-inspired computing principles," and I'm hopeful that members of this community will submit some interesting whitepapers in response. Note that the RFI is issued solely for information gathering purposes, and does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals. IARPA anticipates that responses to this RFI will be used to help organize a workshop on this topic at the 2016 Neuro Inspired Computational Elements conference ( http://niceworkshop.org/) and to inform future programs in this technical area. The full text of the announcement is published at https://www.fbo.gov/notices/7ea2ad0e075b31c05a011f2d835392a9; a brief synopsis is presented below. -------- Seventy years ago, John von Neumann found inspiration for the design of the EDVAC in what was then known about the design of the brain. However, despite the early influence of neuroscience on what has become known as the von Neumann architecture, the principles of computing underlying today’s state of the art digital systems deviate substantially from the principles that govern computing in the brain. In particular, whereas mainstream computers rely on synchronous operations, high precision, and clear physical and conceptual separations between storage, data, and logic; the brain relies on asynchronous messaging, low precision storage that is co-localized with processing, and dynamic memory structures that change on both short and long time scales. To understand the potential opportunities and challenges in developing next-generation computers that exploit these and other principles of neural computing, IARPA is seeking information from two groups of experts: (1) computer scientists with experience in designing or building computing systems that rely on the same or similar principles as those employed by the brain; and (2) neuroscientists who have credible ideas for how neural computing principles can offer practical benefits for next-generation computers. Responses to this RFI should clearly and concisely answer the questions posed below (to neuroscientists, computer scientists, or both) in one or more of the four topics described in detail in the full text of this announcement (https://www.fbo.gov/notices/7ea2ad0e075b31c05a011f2d835392a9) Topic 1: Spike-based representations Topic 2: Asynchronous computation Topic 3: Learning Topic 4: Co-local memory storage and computation Responses to this RFI are due no later than 5:00pm Eastern Time on January 29, 2016. IARPA appreciates responses from all capable and qualified sources from within and outside of the US. Inquiries to this RFI must be submitted to dni-iarpa-rfi-16-02(a)iarpa.gov. -- R. Jacob Vogelstein, Ph.D. Program Manager ODNI/IARPA 301-851-7497 (office) http://go.usa.gov/FPPJ

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Postdoc position open in Rutishauser Lab (human single-neurons)
by Ueli Rutishauser Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

*Postdoctoral fellowship in human intracranial electrophysiology: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and California Institute of Technology (Los Angeles)* Applications are invited to join a McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience and NSF funded research program investigating the neural mechanisms of learning and memory in humans. The applicant will work on intracranial single-unit recordings from human subjects, investigating questions related to the encoding and retrieval of memory. This will include experimental work with patients (electrophysiology and behavior), data analysis and processing, spike-train analysis, and experimental design. The focus of this position will be on single-neuron recordings from the medial temporal lobe in epilepsy patients to investigate the role of theta-oscillations in coordinating activity and how such coordination relates to memory. The applicant will have access to state-of-the art equipment, facilities and analytical methods and will be part of an established team of investigators at both Cedars-Sinai and the California Institute of Technology (Ueli Rutishauser, Ralph Adolphs, Adam Mamelak), with ample opportunity to learn new techniques and methods. This position is based on the Cedars-Sinai campus. Candidates should have a recent PhD in systems, cognitive, or computational neuroscience with a track-record of first-author publications. Strong programming (Matlab or similar), data analysis, statistics and electrophysiology skills are essential. Excellent written and oral English communication skills are required, including the ability to communicate with patients and their families. Individuals with previous human intracranial EEG experience and/or macaque single neuron recordings that wish to expand into human single-unit recordings are encouraged to apply. The position is available as early as March 1st 2016, with a competitive salary commensurate with prior experience (NIH scale). The position is available with an initial appointment for one year and renewal based upon satisfactory performance. Applicants must pass background screening and health checks to be able to work with patients. Caltech and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are equal opportunity employers and women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Interested applicants should send a CV, statement of research accomplishments and interests, copies of 2-3 representative publications and contact information for 2-3 reference letters to Ueli Rutishauser at rutishauseru(a)csmc.edu. Informal inquiries are welcome. All information should be sent in pdf format. Further information about the lab can be found at www.rutishauserlab.org .

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Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course 2016: applications open
by Erik De Schutter Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

OKINAWA/OIST COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE COURSE 2016 Methods, Neurons, Networks and Behaviors June 13 - June 30, 2016 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc The aim of the Okinawa/OIST Computational Neuroscience Course is to provide opportunities for young researchers with theoretical backgrounds to learn the latest advances in neuroscience, and for those with experimental backgrounds to have hands-on experience in computational modeling. We invite graduate students and postgraduate researchers to participate in the course, held from June 13th through June 30th, 2016 at an oceanfront seminar house of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. Applications are through the course web page (https://groups.oist.jp/ocnc) only; January 4 - February 5, 2016. Applicants will receive confirmation of acceptance in March. Like in preceding years, OCNC will be a comprehensive three-week course covering single neurons, networks, and behaviors with ample time for student projects. The first week will focus exclusively on methods with hands-on tutorials during the afternoons, while the second and third weeks will have lectures by international experts. The course has a strong hands-on component based on student proposed modeling or data analysis projects, which are further refined with the help of a dedicated tutor. Applicants are required to propose their project at the time of application. There is no tuition fee. The sponsor will provide lodging and meals during the course and may support travel for those without funding. We hope that this course will be a good opportunity for theoretical and experimental neuroscientists to meet each other and to explore the attractive nature and culture of Okinawa, the southernmost island prefecture of Japan. Invited faculty: • Erik De Schutter (OIST) • Sophie Deneve (École Normale Supérieure, France) • Kenji Doya (OIST) • Chris Eliasmith (University of Waterloo, Canada) • Tomoki Fukai (RIKEN BSI, Japan) • Michael Häusser (University College London, UK) • Yukiyasu Kamitani (ATR & Kyoto University, Japan) • Etienne Koechlin (École Normale Supérieure, France) • Bernd Kuhn (OIST) • Stefan Mihalas (Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA) • Partha Mitra (Cold Spring Harbor, USA) • Astrid Prinz (Emory University, USA) • John Rinzel (New York University, USA) • Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama (OIST)

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Fully funded PhD position at the University of Ghent, Belgium
by Daniele Marinazzo Jan. 4, 2016

Jan. 4, 2016

The lab of Daniele Marinazzo (www.ugent.be/~dmarinaz) at the department of Data Analysis, Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences of the University of Ghent, Belgium, is looking for a PhD student. The position is fully funded for 4 years by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). The research subject involves advanced statistical data analysis of fMRI data. The student will be part of a research group focusing on the development and validation of new methods for the analysis of neuroimaging data, in the framework of a multidisciplinary collaboration with psychologists and clinicians. Both candidates with a technical degree and candidates with a psychology degree but an interest in programming and quantitative analyses are encouraged to apply. Knowledge of at least one programming language (python, matlab, R …) and an interest for multidisciplinary research are required. The University of Gent (www.ugent.be) hosts a vibrant research community and offers excellent facilities to students and employees. The most likely starting date is October 2016 but earlier appointments can be considered. Candidates are invited to send a motivation letter and the names of two referees to Daniele Marinazzo (daniele.marinazzo(a)ugent.be) Informal inquiries and requests for further information are most welcome. -- 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/ http://helpdesk.ugent.be/e-maildisclaimer.php -- 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/ http://helpdesk.ugent.be/e-maildisclaimer.php

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