Connectionists: Call for Contributions: NIPS 2009 Workshop on Connectivity Inference in Neuroimaging

[Moritz Grosse-Wentrup]

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CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
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*NIPS 2009 WORKSHOP ON CONNECTIVITY INFERENCE IN NEUROIMAGING*

*Webpage*
http://cini2009.kyb.tuebingen.mpg.de

*Workshop description*

Over the past decade, brain connectivity has become a central theme in
the neuroimaging community. At the same time, causal inference has
recently emerged as a major research topic in machine learning. Even
though the two research questions are closely related, interactions
between the neuroimaging and machine-learning communities have been limited.

The aim of this workshop is to initiate productive interactions between
neuroimaging and machine learning by introducing the workshop audience
to the different concepts of connectivity/causal inference employed in
each of the communities. Special emphasis is placed on discussing
commonalities as well as distinctions between various approaches in the
context of neuroimaging. Due to the increasing relevance of brain
connectivity for analyzing mental states, we also highly welcome
contributions discussing applications of brain connectivity measures to
real-world problems such as brain-computer interfacing or mental state
monitoring.

*Topics*

We solicit contributions on new approaches to connectivity and/or causal
inference for neuroimaging data as well as on applications of
connectivity inference to real-world problems. Contributions might
address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

* Effective connectivity & causal inference
      o Dynamic causal modelling
      o Granger causality
      o Structural equation models
      o Causal Bayesian networks
      o Non-Gaussian linear causal models
      o Causal additive noise models
* Functional connectivity
      o Canonical correlation analysis
      o Phase-locking
      o Imaginary coherence
      o Independent component analysis
* Applications of brain connectivity to real-world problems
      o Brain-computer interfaces
      o Mental state monitoring

*Invited speakers*

* Jean Daunizeau, University of Zurich & University College London
* Rainer Goebel, Maastricht University
* Scott Makeig, University of California San Diego

*Workshop format*

CINI 2009 is a one-day workshop at the Twenty-Third Annual Conference on
Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS 2009). Besides three invited
talks, in which the audience will be introduced to current approaches
for inferring connectivity in neuroimaging data, there will be several
contributed talks and an evening poster session. Special emphasis will
be placed on a balanced contribution of talks from the neuroimaging and
machine learning communities. To foster interaction between communities,
approximately 50% of workshop time is reserved for discussions.

*Key dates*

* Extended abstract submission deadline: October 9th, 2009, 5 pm (PT)
* Notification of acceptance: October 23rd, 2009
* Workshop: December 11th or 12th, 2009

*Submission instructions*

Please submit extended abstracts (maximum two pages) in either pdf or
doc format through the CINI 2009 submission site at
https://cmt.research.microsoft.com/CINI2009/. Upon notification of
acceptance, authors will also be notified whether their contribution has
been accepted as a contributed talk or poster.

*Workshop location*

Westin Resort and Spa / Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa
Whistler, B.C., Canada

*Organization committee*

* Moritz Grosse-Wentrup (primary contact), MPI for Biological
Cybernetics, Tuebingen
* Uta Noppeney, MPI for Biological Cybernetics, Tuebingen
* Karl Friston, University College London
* Bernhard Schoelkopf, MPI for Biological Cybernetics, Tuebingen

*Program committee*

* Olivier David, Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche
Medicale, Grenoble
* Justin Dauwels, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
* Michael Eichler, Maastricht University
* Jeremy Hill, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tuebingen
* Guido Nolte, Fraunhofer FIRST, Berlin
* Will Penny, University College London
* Alard Roebroeck, Maastricht University
* Klaas Enno Stephan, University of Zurich
* Ryota Tomioka, University of Tokyo
* Pedro Valdes-Sosa, Cuban Neuroscience Center, Havana