From triesch at fias.uni-frankfurt.de Tue Nov 2 06:24:37 2010 From: triesch at fias.uni-frankfurt.de (Jochen Triesch) Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:24:37 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Post-doc position in modeling learning in networks of spiking neurons Message-ID: A post-doc position is available in our lab at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/). Recent research has shown how networks of spiking neurons can solve challenging learning problems if endowed with multiple forms of plasticity (see references below). Building on this work, we will develop models of spiking neuron networks that combine different forms of learning including reward-modulated spike-timing-dependent plasticity to solve a range of tasks. Of particular interest are the questions how such networks can learn to selectively route information (attention, communication through coherence) and to temporarily store information (working memory). The project is part of a new, large multi-lab effort to understand neuronal coordination, i.e. the spatio-temporal interactions of populations of neurons, in the healthy and diseased brain. There will be many opportunities to collaborate with leading experimental groups. See http://www.neff-ffm.de/de/forschung/ for details (so far only in German). Frankfurt has a vibrant neuroscience community with over 50 experimental and theoretical research groups. Our lab has close ties with the Max-Planck Institute for Brain Research (http://www.mpih-frankfurt.mpg.de/ ) and several collaborations with labs in Europe and the US. We are looking for a highly qualified individual who has graduated in computational neuroscience and has experience with modeling networks of spiking neurons and corresponding simulators. Familiarity with high- performance-computing environments is a plus. Candidates are required to have a strong analytical background and excellent programming skills. Good communication skills in English (oral and written) are essential. Application materials should include: - C.V. (including date of birth, degrees, awards, publications, ...) - statement of research interests (1-2 pages) - contact information for 2-3 references Applications should be sent to: Ms Gaby Schmitz Ruth-Moufang-Str. 1 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Phone: +49 69 798-47614 Fax: +49 69 798-47615 Email: schmitz at fias.uni-frankfurt.de References: SORN: a Self-organizing Recurrent Neural Network. A. Lazar, G. Pipa, and J. Triesch. Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, 3(23), doi: 10.3389/neuro.10.023.2009. http://www.frontiersin.org/computational_neuroscience/10.3389/neuro.10/023.2009/abstract Independent Component Analysis in Spiking Neurons. C. Savin, P. Joshi, and J. Triesch. PLoS Computational Biology, 6(4), doi:10.1371/ journal.pcbi.1000757, 2010. http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.1000757 Reward Dependent Learning in Recurrent Neural Networks - Emergence of Working Memory. C. Savin and J. Triesch. Submitted. From cpoon at mit.edu Wed Nov 3 15:50:40 2010 From: cpoon at mit.edu (Chi-Sang Poon) Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2010 15:50:40 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: How the brain overcomes the curse of dimensionality: a CMOS dynamic programming circuit model In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <046e01cb7b90$66b2ebe0$3418c3a0$@edu> Paper download: http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/59393 A CMOS Current-Mode Dynamic Programming Circuit Mak, Terrence; Lum, Kai-Pui; Ng, H. S.; Rachmuth, Guy; Poon, Chi-Sang IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers, PP.99 (2010): 1-12. C Copyright 2010 IEEE Abstract: Dynamic programming (DP) is a fundamental algorithm for complex optimization and decision-making in many engineering and biomedical systems. However, conventional DP computation based on digital implementation of the Bellman-Ford recursive algorithm suffers from the "curse of dimensionality" and substantial iteration delays which hinder utility in real-time applications. Previously, an ordinary differential equation system was proposed that transforms the sequential DP iteration into a continuous-time parallel computational network. Here, the network is realized using a CMOS current-mode analog circuit, which provides a powerful computational platform for power-efficient, compact, and high-speed solution of the Bellman formula. Test results for the fabricated DP optimization chip demonstrate a proof of concept for this solution approach. We also propose an error compensation scheme to minimize the errors attributed to nonideal current sources and device mismatch. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20101103/bbbb0b7d/attachment-0001.html From jbednar at inf.ed.ac.uk Thu Nov 4 08:33:16 2010 From: jbednar at inf.ed.ac.uk (James A. Bednar) Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 12:33:16 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: PhD studentships in Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience, Edinburgh Message-ID: <19666.43020.312056.8487@cortex.inf.ed.ac.uk> PhD studentships in Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience, Edinburgh 2011-2012 applications for fully-funded PhD studentships at the University of Edinburgh Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) in Neuroinformatics and Computational Neuroscience are now being considered. The DTC is a world-class centre for research at the interface between neuroscience and the engineering, computational, and physical sciences. Our four-year programme is ideal for students with strong computational and analytical skills who want to employ cutting-edge methodology to advance research in neuroscience and related fields, or to apply ideas from neuroscience to computational problems. The first year consists of courses in neuroscience and informatics, as well as lab projects. This is followed by a three-year PhD project done in collaboration with one of the many departments and institutes affiliated with the DTC. Current DTC PhD topics fall into five main areas: * Computational neuroscience: Using analytical and computational models, potentially supplemented with experiments, to gain quantitative understanding of the nervous system. Many projects focus on the development and function of sensory and motor systems in animals, including neural coding, learning, and memory. * Biomedical imaging algorithms and tools: Using advanced data analysis techniques, such as machine learning and Bayesian approaches, for imaging-based diagnosis and research. * Cognitive science: Studying human cognitive processes and analysing them in computational terms. * Neuromorphic engineering: Using insights from neuroscience to help build better hardware, such as neuromorphic VLSI circuits and robots that perform robustly under natural conditions. * Software systems and applications: Using discoveries from neuroscience to develop software that can handle real-world data, such as video, audio, or speech. Other related areas of research may also be considered. Edinburgh has a large, world-class research community in these areas and leads the UK in creating a coherent programme in neuroinformatics and computational neuroscience. Edinburgh has often been voted 'best place to live in Britain', and has many exciting cultural and student activities. Students with a strong background in computer science, mathematics, physics, or engineering are particularly encouraged to apply. Highly motivated students with other backgrounds will also be considered. 15 full studentships (including stipend of 14,082-16,870 UK pounds/year) are available to UK citizens or permanent residents. Non-UK students can apply to the affiliated EuroSPIN program (http://www.kth.se/studies/phd/eurospin). Non-UK applicants can also be accepted if they provide their own funding, typically via a scholarship from their country of origin. Further information and application forms can be obtained from: http://www.anc.ed.ac.uk/dtc For consideration for entry in September 2011, the deadline for complete applications is January 30th. -- The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. From ahu at cs.stir.ac.uk Fri Nov 5 07:12:18 2010 From: ahu at cs.stir.ac.uk (Dr Amir Hussain) Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2010 11:12:18 -0000 Subject: Connectionists: Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at Stirling University in Scotland (UK) Message-ID: <035d01cb7cda$52ebc910$0501a8c0@drlaptop> The Cognitive Signal Image Processing Research (COSIPRA) Laboratory of Dr. Amir Hussain at the University of Stirling in Scotland (UK), invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project "Dual Process Control Models in the Brain and Machines with Application to Autonomous Vehicle Control". The general aim of this three year multi-disciplinary project is to exploit a range of similarities between systems in control engineering and the animal brain, focusing specifically on the concepts of automatised and controlled (or executive) processing and how they might map onto modular Autonomous Vehicle Control (AVC) solutions. Given the inherent similarities between the two problem domains of AVC and action selection in animals, this ambitious project aims to leverage new results from psychology and neurobiology discovered in the laboratory of the project Co-Investigator (Prof Kevin Gurney at The University of Sheffield) and apply them to the AVC controllers under development in Dr Hussain's Lab at Stirling. The outcome should be a new generation real-time cognitive AVC controller, more directly inspired by the biological ideas. The appointed postdoctoral researcher will work closely with the project's industrial partners (Industrial Systems Control and SciSys Ltd.) to evaluate the benefits of these novel controllers within the challenging context of regular road driving and planetary rover vehicles. The post-doctoral fellow will be based full-time in Dr. Hussain's COSIPRA Lab, which is part of the Computational Intelligence Research Group of the Department of Computing Science & Maths within the University's new School of Natural Sciences. COSIPRA is a leading multidisciplinary research group in the field of cognitive modeling, simulation and control of complex systems. Details about the Department can be found at: htt://www.cs.stir.ac.uk and about the COSIPRA Lab: http://cosipra.cs.stir.ac.uk Applicants will be working in the field of intelligent adaptive control engineering (or a closely related discipline), and should ideally have some experience of biologically-inspired modelling. The post is full time for 3 years starting from 1st February 2011 or as soon as possible thereafter. Starting salary will be in the post-doctoral RA scale (Grade 7: UK pounds sterling 29,853-35,646 p.a.) Informal enquiries should be addressed to the project's Principal Inestigator: Dr Amir Hussain ahu at cs.stir.ac.uk Please include in your subject heading: EPSRC Post-doctoral Research Fellow: Cognitive Control of Autonomous Systems, Ref: 16906. To formally apply for this post, a completed application form (which can be obtained by emailing: hr-services at stir.ac.uk) quoting reference number 16906; a CV listing all publications; a pdf of up to three representative publications and a research statement describing your previous research experience, outlining the relevance to this project, needs to be submitted to: hr-services at stir.ac.uk The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Monday 6th December 2010. Applications received after this time may not be considered. *Please note that applications will be rejected if they do not include a completed application form.* Interviews are expected to be held before the New Year. Valuing Diversity & Committed to Equality -- The Sunday Times Scottish University of the Year 2009/2010 The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20101105/ff93c406/attachment-0001.html From schwarzwaelder at bcos.uni-freiburg.de Fri Nov 5 09:11:03 2010 From: schwarzwaelder at bcos.uni-freiburg.de (=?ISO-8859-15?Q?Kerstin_Schwarzw=E4lder?=) Date: Fri, 05 Nov 2010 14:11:03 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: over 35 positions in Computational Neuroscience in Germany - visit the Bernstein Network booth #3931 at SfN 2010! Message-ID: <4CD40267.8060002@bcos.uni-freiburg.de> Dear colleagues, at the upcoming SfN meeting in San Diego, the German Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience presents itself with - more than 35 job offers, - more than 20 study programs, - more than 20 locations in Germany! In addition, the booth features demos of: - EyeSeeCam - a novel head mounted camera controlled by the user's eye movements - see through someone else's eyes! (Sunday, November 14 - Wednesday, November 17 at 9:40 am, 12:40 pm, and 4:00 pm) We look forward to welcoming you at booth #3931! Kind regards, Kerstin Schwarzwaelder *!!!NEW!!!* Follow the Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience on Twitter *!!!NEW!!!* -- Dr. Kerstin Schwarzw?lder Bernstein Coordination Site of the National Network for Computational Neuroscience Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg Hansastr. 9A 79104 Freiburg Germany phone: +49 761 203 9594 fax: +49 761 203 9585 schwarzwaelder at bcos.uni-freiburg.de www.nncn.de -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20101105/ea00e6d9/attachment.html From martin.giese at tuebingen.mpg.de Fri Nov 5 10:58:16 2010 From: martin.giese at tuebingen.mpg.de (Martin Giese) Date: Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:58:16 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: PHD / POSTDOC POSITION in Tuebingen Message-ID: PHD / POSTDOC POSITION: COMPUTATIONAL NEURAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION UNDERSTANDING (University of Tuebingen, Germany) ========================================================== The interaction between action perception and execution has received a lot of interest in recent research in neuroscience. Successful research on the underlying mechanisms requires the combination of theoretical and electrophysiological research. The Department of Cognitive Neurology and the Section for Computational Sensomotorics at the Center for Integrative Neurosciences, members of the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and the Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience at the University of Tuebingen offers a PhD or Postdoc position for the study of this topic, jointly directed by M. Giese and P. Thier. The work will focus on the development and application of advanced experimental methods as well as the theoretical modeling of electrophysiogical data. The Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Science, one of the leading European institutions in Clinical Neuroscience. The Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN) hosts more than 70 experimental and theoretical groups at the University and the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics. In addion, the group is part of the Bernstein Center 'Neural Mechanisms of Perceptual Inference', which founds a variety of projects with close collaborations between theoretical and experimental neuroscientists. The Giese laboratory has worked extensively on the computational mechanisms of body motion perception, combining modeling, machine learning, and different experimental techniques, whereas the Thier laboratory has worked intensively on the neuronal implementation of key brain functions such as attention, action vision, and motor learning, using -among others - appropriate animal models. Ideal candidates should have the following qualifications: * Masters degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or Biology with good mathematical skills * programming experience (Matlab, ...) * Knowledge about visual perception, motor control, neural modeling, and / or machine learning * English speaking and writing skills. Committed to Equal Opportunities. Please send applications preferentially electronically (including CV, marks and 2 letters of reference) as soon as possible to Prof. Dr. Martin Giese, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research & Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Frondsbergstr. 23, 72070 Tuebingen, Germany; email: martin.giese at uni-tuebingen.de Further details at SfN: Please come to posters 893.19/EEE1 or 893.2/CCCC16. ================================================== -------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Martin Giese Section for Computational Sensomotorics Dept. for Cognitive Neurology Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research & Center for Integrative Neurocience University Clinic Tuebingen Frondsbergstr. 23 D-72076 Tuebingen GERMANY Tel.: +49 7071 29 89124 Fax: +49 7071 29 4790 Email: martin.giese at uni-tuebingen.de Web: http://www.compsens.uni-tuebingen.de/ -------------------------------------------------------- From michiel.remme at nyu.edu Fri Nov 5 14:20:35 2010 From: michiel.remme at nyu.edu (Michiel Remme) Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2010 14:20:35 -0400 Subject: Connectionists: Computational Neuroscience Social at the 2010 SFN meeting in San Diego Message-ID: <2958E5B8-3464-48EB-B967-A8B1C8D38C60@nyu.edu> Dear colleagues, For the fourth time we will have a Computational Neuroscience Social at the Society for Neuroscience meeting. The social provides a perfect opportunity to socialize and network and enjoy each other's company in an informal setting. Information on computational neuroscience conferences, summer schools, journals, software, and web resources will also be provided. Everybody is welcome! Computational Neuroscience Social: Not an Oxymoron! Session number: SOC23 (use code to find the social in the Meeting Planner and add it to your itinerary) Time: Tuesday, November 16, 2010, 6:45 PM-8:45 PM Location: San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina: Marriott Hall Salon 4 Guests: L. Abbott, C. Canavier, S. Deneve, A. Fairhall, P. Latham, E. Marder, K. Obermayer, J. Rinzel, E. de Schutter, T. Sejnowski, L. Zhaoping Hope to see you at the social! Michiel Michiel Remme, PhD Center for Neural Science New York University 4 Washington Place New York, NY 10003, USA tel: +1 (212) 998-7775 fax: +1 (212) 995-4011 michiel.remme at nyu.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20101105/b15a2b50/attachment.html From terry at salk.edu Mon Nov 8 18:28:11 2010 From: terry at salk.edu (Terry Sejnowski) Date: Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:28:11 -0800 Subject: Connectionists: NEURAL COMPUTATION - December, 2010 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Neural Computation - Contents - Volume 22, Number 12 - December 1, 2010 ARTICLE A theoretical basis for emergent pattern discrimination in neural systems through slow feature extraction Stefan Klampfl and Wolfgang Maass LETTERS Change-based Inference in Attractor Nets: Linear analysis Reza Moazzezi and Peter Dayan Internal-Time Temporal Difference Model for Neural Value-based Decision Making Hiroyuki Nakahara and Sivaramakrishnan Kaveri Phase Coupling Estimation from Multivariate Phase Statistics Charles F. Cadieu and Kilian Koepsell Neural Decoding with Hierarchical Generative Models Marcel A. J. van Gerven, Floris P. de Lange, Tom Heskes Robust Observer-Based Tracking Control of Hodgkin-Huxley Neuron Systems under Environmental Disturbances Bor-Sen Chen and Cheng-Wei Li Psychophysically Tuned Divisive Normalization Approximately Factorizes the PDF of Natural Images Jesus Malo and Valero Laparra Deep, Big, Simple Neural Nets For Handwritten Digit Recognition Dan Claudiu Cires, Ueli Meier, Luca Maria Gambardella, Jurgen Schmidhuber Least Square Regression with l^p-Coefficient Regularization Hongzhi Tong, Di-Rong Chen, and Fenghong Yang ----- ON-LINE - http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/neco SUBSCRIPTIONS - 2010 - VOLUME 22 - 12 ISSUES USA Others Electronic only Student/Retired $65 $128 $60 Individual $115 $178 $107 Institution $962 $1,025 $860 Canada: Add 5% GST to USA prices MIT Press Journals, 238 Main Street, Suite 500, Cambridge, MA 02142-9902. Tel: (617) 253-2889 FAX: (617) 577-1545 journals-orders at mit.edu http://mitpressjournals.org/neuralcomp ----- From nilton at brain.riken.jp Mon Nov 8 21:43:37 2010 From: nilton at brain.riken.jp (Nilton KAMIJI) Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 11:43:37 +0900 Subject: Connectionists: Related Abstract Search tool (RAST) for SfN 2010 Message-ID: Dear all, Apologies if you have received multiple copies. This weekend the SfN 2010 annual meeting will start at San Diego. We at the Laboratory for Neuroinformatics at RIKEN Brain Science Institute have made available a Related Abstract Search Tool (RAST) which can be accessed at http://ras.ni.brain.riken.jp/SfN2010/ The RAST allows you to search not only by providing keyword(s), but also by selecting one or multiple abstracts to search for its related abstracts. This feature may provide results focused on the user's interest. That is, abstracts related to a single abstract by means of document similarity may belong to a different research topic. However, abstracts mutually similar to multiple selected abstracts have higher chance in belonging to the similar topic. RAST also suggests possible candidates of keywords by automatically extracting major words from the list of related abstracts. You can also use these words to refine your search. Moreover, not all related abstracts will contain the provided keyword(s). These abstracts cannot be searched by the ordinary keyword search, and thus we call them "Hidden treasure". You can create a list by clicking on Add to Cart button at each abstract, where abstracts will be sorted by date and time. You can also print the list with or without the abstract body from your Printing Cart. You can restore your "Printing Cart" by saving the ID which is displayed on the top right corner. Try and find your "hidden treasures" with RAST! A quick guide is shown on the top page, and a detailed guide can be accessed by clicking on "How to use". Any comments or questions are very welcome at ras at ni.brain.riken.jp ------------------------------------ Shiro USUI, Ph.D usuishiro at riken.jp Neuroinformatics Lab. RIKEN BSI 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako 351-0198 Japan Tel:+81-48-467-7491 Fax:+81-48-467-7498 Cel:+81-90-7175-0861 http://www.ni.brain.riken.go.jp/ http://www.neuroinf.jp ------------------------------------ From pascal.fua at epfl.ch Wed Nov 10 03:14:19 2010 From: pascal.fua at epfl.ch (Pascal Fua) Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:14:19 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: PhD Candidate Positions in Computer Vision at EPFL Message-ID: <4CDA545B.3040509@epfl.ch> EPFL's Computer Vision Laboratory has openings for PhD candidates interested in modeling the shape and connectivity of neurons from light and electron microscope images, augmented reality, and people tracking. For more details about our research activities in these areas, see http://cvlab.epfl.ch/research. For practical information about EPFL's doctoral program and life in Lausanne, see http://acide.epfl.ch/webdav/site/acide/shared/phdguide.pdf. Education: Masters degree in Computer Science or related field with experience in the areas of Computer Vision or Medical Image Processing. A strong background in Mathematics is desirable. Applying: Apply by January 15th to our doctoral program, as explained under http://phd.epfl.ch/edic Specify in the application form that you are interested by Prof. Fua's CVLab. There is not need to contact him directly. -- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof. P. Fua (Pascal.Fua at epfl.ch) Tel: 41/21-693-7519 FAX: 41/21-693-7520 Url: http://cvlab.epfl.ch/~fua/ -------------------------------------------------------------------- From brody at princeton.edu Tue Nov 9 14:49:26 2010 From: brody at princeton.edu (Carlos Brody) Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 14:49:26 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: PhD in Neuroscience at Princeton Message-ID: Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Princeton University : Application deadline Dec 1. Dear Colleague, We'll be grateful if you get a chance to forward this email to any interested students, or post the attached brochure, announcing the Ph.D. program in Neuroscience ( http://neuroscience.princeton.edu/ PhD ) within the Princeton Neuroscience Institute ( http://neuroscience.princeton.edu ). Fall 2011 will see the third generation of students enrolling in this relatively new Ph.D. program. We enrolled spectacular students in our first 2 years, and we are again seeking the most highly motivated and creative students. Students from diverse backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply. Innovative coursework. A key component of our Ph.D. is year-long core course, taken in the first year and inspired by Woods Hole-style advanced courses. Students in this core course learn through a combination of lectures and first-hand experimental experience using modern, advanced methods. All students, regardless of previous experience, perform their own experiments. From single neurons and patch clamp, to ChR expression and activation, to in vivo electrophysiology in behaving animals, to computational modeling, to human neurophysiology and functional MRI, this course guides and teaches students about the brain as they learn to design, perform, analyze, and critique their own experiments. Quantitative and Computational Neuroscience track. We strongly encourage students with training in quantitative fields such as physics, mathematics, computer science, or engineering to apply to our PhD program. Research in quantitative approaches to the Life Sciences is particularly strong at Princeton University, including molecular biology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and psychology. A Quantitative and Computational Neuroscience (QCN) track exists within our neuroscience Ph.D. It teaches students with a quantitative background about neuroscience problems to which they can apply their quantitative skills. The QCN track also serves students with a biology background who wish to acquire further training in quantitative tools for the biological sciences. Please visit us at http://neuroscience.princeton.edu/PhD . Faculty and research interests. Michael Berry : Neural computation in the retina William Bialek : Interface between physics and biology Matthew Botvinick : Neural foundations of human behavior Lisa Boulanger : Neuronal functions of immune molecules Carlos Brody : Quantitative and behavioral neurophysiology Jonathan Cohen : Neural bases of cognitive control Jonathan Eggenschwiler : Mouse neural development Lynn Enquist : Neurovirology Liz Gavis : Neural development in Drosophila Alan Gelperin : Learning, memory and olfaction Asif Ghazanfar : Neurobiology of primate social agents Elizabeth Gould : Neurogenesis and hippocampal function Michael Graziano : Sensorimotor integration Charles Gross : Functions of the cerebral cortex in behavior Uri Hasson : Temporal scales of neural processing Bartley Hoebel : Behavioral neuroscience Philip Holmes : Mathematical modeling Barry Jacobs : Brain monoamine neurotransmitters Sabine Kastner : Neural mechanisms for visual perception Mala Murthy : Neurophysiology of perception in Drosophila Coleen Murphy : Molecular mechanisms of aging Yael Niv : Reinforcement learning and decision making Ken Norman : Neural bases of episodic memory Daniel Osherson : How does the brain reason? David Tank : Neural circuit dynamics Samuel Wang : Dynamics and learning in neural circuits yours Carlos Brody ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Carlos Brody (609) 258-7645 brody at princeton.edu Howard Hughes Medical Institute & Princeton University Director of Graduate Studies Neuroscience Program Princeton Neurosci. Inst. & Dept. of Molecular Biology 316 Schultz Lab, Washington Rd, Princeton NJ 08544 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20101109/91966099/attachment-0002.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: PrincetonNeuroPhd.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 682922 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20101109/91966099/PrincetonNeuroPhd-0001.pdf -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20101109/91966099/attachment-0003.html From pascal.fua at epfl.ch Wed Nov 10 03:37:03 2010 From: pascal.fua at epfl.ch (Pascal Fua) Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:37:03 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Post-doctoral Position in Computer Vision at EPFL Message-ID: <4CDA59AF.5060407@epfl.ch> EPFL's Computer Vision Lab ( http://cvlab.epfl.ch ) has several openings for post-doctoral fellows in the field of Computer Vision. The position is initially offered for 12 months and can be extended for up to 4 years. In particular, we are looking for people interested in: - Video-based people tracking. We are about to start a project involving tracking multiple players in team sports, with a view to deployment in major sports venues in 2012. See http://cvlab.epfl.ch/research/body/surv/ for more details. - Modeling neurons from microscopy images. Since microscopes now routinely produce high-resolution imagery in such large quantities that the need for automated processing and interpretation is becoming critical, we are working on approaches to providing it. See http://cvlab.epfl.ch/research/medical/neurons/ for more details. Position: The Computer Vision laboratory offers a creative international environment, a possibility to conduct competitive research on a global scale, and involvement in teaching. There will be ample opportunities to cooperate with some of the best groups in Europe and the USA. EPFL is located next to Lake Geneva in a beautiful setting 60 kilometers away from the city of Geneva. Salaries are in the range CHF 70000 to 80000 per year, the precise amount to be determined by EPFL's department of human resources. Education: Applicants are expected to have finished, or be about to finish their Ph.D. degrees, to have a strong background in the area of Computer Vision and/or Medical Image Processing, and to have a track record of publications in top conferences and journals such as CVPR, ICCV, PAMI, IJCV. Strong programming skills (C or C++) are a plus. French language skills are not required, English is mandatory. Application: Applications must be sent by email to Prof. P. Fua (pascal.fua at epfl.ch). They must contain a statement of interest, a CV, a list of publications, and the names of three references. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof. P. Fua (Pascal.Fua at epfl.ch) Tel: 41/21-693-7519 FAX: 41/21-693-7520 Url: http://cvlab.epfl.ch/~fua/ -------------------------------------------------------------------- From doya at oist.jp Thu Nov 11 02:05:26 2010 From: doya at oist.jp (Kenji Doya) Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:05:26 +0900 Subject: Connectionists: Primate data sharing service, Neurotycho.org launched References: Message-ID: <91933DC2-E4C1-4BB9-8A4C-3AF98A40DF48@oist.jp> Dr. Naotaka Fujii at RIKEN BSI asked me to forward this message. He has made available electro-corticogram (ECoG) datasets under a variety of visual, motor, and social tasks, which would be helpful for those interested in neural coding, decoding and dynamics. KD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear friends We have finally launched our data sharing service Neurotycho.org today. Please visit our web site below. http://www.neurotycho.org/ The project was named after Tycho Brahe, who provided massive data to Kepler who discovered Kepler's law in planetary motion. The project aims providing massive neural and behavioral data for future Kepler in neuroscience. Currently we have uploaded two datasets under two task conditions, Sleep task and Social Competition task. We will upload more data soon. Neural data provided in these two datasets were recorded from 128 channel ECoG that covered almost entire cortex. Documentation and annotation are not fully ready yet, since it is still beta version, but you can start playing with the data in many ways. For downloading the data, please register your account first. Registration is open to everyone. We will inform recent update periodically to registered users. Any kind of feedback will be appreciated. We want to know what you want. If you are interested in our service, please visit Neurotycho.org. Or if you know someone who will be interested in our service, please forward this mail. Thanks Sincerely yours Naotaka Fujii, MD, PhD Laboratory for Adaptive Intelligence BTCC Interactive Brain Communication Research Unit BSI, RIKEN na at brain.riken.jp From kirsch at bcf.uni-freiburg.de Thu Nov 11 13:10:52 2010 From: kirsch at bcf.uni-freiburg.de (Janina Kirsch) Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:10:52 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoc-Position in Computational Neuroscience at the Bernstein Center Freiburg, Germany Message-ID: <002801cb81cb$c78a39a0$569eace0$@uni-freiburg.de> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %% %% %% Postdoc-Position %% %% "Structure and dynamics of cortical networks %% %% in the lab of Computational Neuroscience %% %% Prof. Stefan Rotter %% %% Bernstein Center Freiburg %% %% University of Freiburg, Germany %% %% %% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Our goal is to understand the interplay between network topology and spiking activity dynamics in the neocortex and other parts of the mammalian brain, and to explore the possibilities and constraints of dynamical brain function. Our main tools are mathematical/numerical network modeling and statistical data analysis, often used side by side within the framework of stochastic point processes and statistical graph theory. In collaboration with physiologists and anatomists, we seek to develop new perspectives for the model-based analysis and interpretation of neuronal signals. We are a young group of researchers from mathematics, physics, computer science and biology and invite applications to join the lab for a 2-3 year PostDoc project, and to enter the PostDoc program in Computational Neuroscience at the Bernstein Center Freiburg. The Bernstein Center Freiburg concentrates research in Computational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology at the University of Freiburg, Germany. The projects are highly interdisciplinary and span from mathematical-theoretical approaches on the function and dynamics of neuronal networks over neuroanatomy and experimentally driven neurophysiology up to the development of technologies for medical application. Further details on: www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de/jobs Contact: Dr. Janina Kirsch Coordinator for the Teaching & Training Programs Bernstein Center Freiburg Albert-Ludwig University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9a D - 79104 Freiburg Germany Phone: +49 (0) 761 203-9575 Fax: +49 (0) 761 203-9559 Email: kirsch at bcf.uni-freiburg.de Web: www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de From jkrichma at uci.edu Fri Nov 12 15:15:09 2010 From: jkrichma at uci.edu (Jeff Krichmar) Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:15:09 -0800 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoctoral scholar positions in Computational Neuroscience, Large-Scale Neural Modeling, and Neurorobotics Research at the University of California, Irvine Message-ID: Could you please post the following postdoctoral positions at the University of California, Irvine? Thank you, Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma at uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma --------------- Postdoctoral Scholar Position in Computational Neuroscience and Neurorobotics Research at the University of California, Irvine A postdoctoral position is available in the field of Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Architectures within the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. Research ? The research involves developing computational models of neuromodulatory systems to understand their effect on attention. Different neuromodulatory systems are thought to play important and distinct roles in attention. The research is part of a collaborative effort to model other brain areas involved in human sensemaking, the process by which humans are able to generate explanations for data that are otherwise sparse, noisy, and uncertain. The applicant will work in the Cognitive Anteater Robotics Laboratory at the University of California, Irvine, where researchers are attempting to understand brain function through the use of neurorobots and embodied models of the nervous system. Requirements ? The applicant must have a Ph.D. degree in Cognitive Sciences, Neuroscience, Computer Science, or Engineering and have expertise in computational modeling of neural processes. The applicant must also have excellent computer skills in the C programming language and in Matlab programming. Experience with real-time programming, robotics, or data analysis of neuronal responses is preferable. Salary is commensurate with experience. The appointment will start in early 2011 and is contingent upon receiving grant funding. Application procedure ? Please send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and the names of three references to: Jeffrey L. Krichmar, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Cognitive Sciences University of California, Irvine 2328 Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma at uci.edu ------------ Postdoctoral Scholar Position in Computational Neuroscience and Large-Scale Neural Modeling Research at the University of California, Irvine A postdoctoral position is available in the field of Computational Neuroscience and parallel computing within the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. Research ? The research involves developing large-scale spiking network models of neural systems, including attention, vision, and neuromodulation. Networks will be developed on highly parallel computing systems, such as graphic processing units (GPUs) and other alternative architectures. The applicant will work in the Cognitive Anteater Robotics Laboratory at the University of California, Irvine, where researchers are attempting to understand brain function through the use of neurorobots and embodied models of the nervous system. Requirements ? The applicant must have a Ph.D. degree in Cognitive Sciences, Neuroscience, Computer Science, or Engineering and have expertise in computational modeling of neural processes. The applicant must also have excellent computer skills in the C programming language and in Matlab programming. Experience with real-time programming, robotics, or data analysis of neuronal responses is preferable. Salary is commensurate with experience. The appointment will start in the Spring of 2011 and is contingent upon receiving grant funding. Application procedure ? Please send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, and the names of three references to: Jeffrey L. Krichmar, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Cognitive Sciences University of California, Irvine 2328 Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma at uci.edu The University of California, Irvine is an equal opportunity employer committed to excellence through diversity. From wsenn at cns.unibe.ch Sun Nov 14 17:07:19 2010 From: wsenn at cns.unibe.ch (Walter Senn) Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2010 23:07:19 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Biological Cybernetics: vol 103, issue 5 --- Table of Content Message-ID: <4CE05D97.10008@cns.unibe.ch> Biological Cybernetics: vol 103, issue 5 --- Table of Content All open access! Original papers: "Artificial pheromone for path selection by a foraging swarm of robots" Alexandre Campo, ?lvaro Guti?rrez, Shervin Nouyan, Carlo Pinciroli, Valentin Longchamp, Simon Garnier & Marco Dorigo http://www.springerlink.com/content/915004548v3v665n/ "Control theoretic interpretation of directional motion preferences in optic flow processing interneurons" Andrew Hyslop, Holger G. Krapp & J. Sean Humbert http://www.springerlink.com/content/t2647021m5x68158/ "Emergence of network structure due to spike-timing-dependent plasticity in recurrent neuronal networks V: self-organization schemes and weight dependence" Matthieu Gilson, Anthony N. Burkitt, David B. Grayden, Doreen A. Thomas & J. Leo van Hemmen http://www.springerlink.com/content/g653h73440188270/ "Extended causal modeling to assess Partial Directed Coherence in multiple time series with significant instantaneous interactions" Luca Faes & Giandomenico Nollo http://www.springerlink.com/content/a672319k27p04h80/ "Timings and interactions of skilled musicians" George P. Moore & Jessie Chen http://www.springerlink.com/content/mq4250v5673v8585/ ---- Biological Cybernetics, all issues: http://www.springerlink.com/content/100465/ From sbohte at cwi.nl Mon Nov 15 04:14:20 2010 From: sbohte at cwi.nl (Sander Bohte) Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:14:20 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: paper on fractional neural coding Message-ID: May I kindly draw your attention to our new paper on neural coding with spiking neurons, which we believe may be of interest for people both more experimentally inclined as well as those working on (spiking) neural networks. Fractionally Predictive Spiking Neurons Sander M. Bohte, Jaldert O. Rombouts, to appear at NIPS 2010. http://arxiv.org/abs/1010.6178 Recent experimental work suggests that the neural firing rate can be interpreted as a (mild) fractional derivative, at least when signal variation induces neural adaptation. Here, we show that the actual neural spike-train itself can be considered as a fractional derivative, provided that the neural signal is approximated by a sum of power-law kernels. A simple standard thresholding spiking neuron suffices to carry out such an approximation, given a suitable refractory response. Empirically, we find that the online approximation of signals with a sum of power-law kernels is beneficial for encoding signals with slowly varying components, like long-memory self-similar signals. For such signals, the online power-law kernel approximation typically required less than half the number of spikes for similar SNR as compared to sums of similar but exponentially decaying kernels. As power-law kernels can be accurately approximated using sums or cascades of weighted exponentials, we demonstrate that the corresponding decoding of spike-trains by a receiving neuron allows for natural and transparent spectral signal filtering by tuning the weights of the decoding kernel. Regards, Sander Bohte CWI Amsterdam From ilafiete at mail.clm.utexas.edu Tue Nov 16 15:26:21 2010 From: ilafiete at mail.clm.utexas.edu (Ila Fiete) Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:26:21 -0600 Subject: Connectionists: COSYNE 2011: about one week left to submit abstracts (deadline 24 Nov 2010) Message-ID: <4CE2E8ED.1010401@mail.clm.utexas.edu> ==================================================== Computational and Systems Neuroscience (Cosyne) MAIN MEETING WORKSHOPS 24 - 27 Feb, 2011 28 Feb - 1 Mar, 2011 Salt Lake City, Utah Snow Bird Ski Resort, Utah http://www.cosyne.org ==================================================== The annual Cosyne meeting provides an inclusive forum for the exchange of empirical and theoretical approaches to problems in systems neuroscience. The MAIN MEETING is arranged in a single track. A set of invited talks are selected by the Executive Committee, and additional talks and posters are selected by the Program Committee, based on submitted abstracts. Cosyne topics include but are not limited to: neural coding, natural scene statistics, dendritic computation, neural basis of persistent activity, nonlinear receptive field mapping, representations of time and sequence, reward systems, decision-making, synaptic plasticity, map formation and plasticity, population coding, attention, computation with spiking networks. INVITED SPEAKERS: David Anderson Alison Barth EJ Chichilnisky Tom Clandinin Stanislas Dehaene David Kleinfeld Peter Latham Roberto Malinow Tirin Moore Anna Nobre Murray Sherman Anthony Zador IMPORTANT DATES: Abstract submission opens: 25 Oct 2010 Abstract submission deadline: 24 Nov 2010 ABSTRACT PREPARATION: When preparing an abstract, authors should be aware that not all abstracts can be accepted for the meeting, due to space constraints. Abstracts will be selected based on the clarity with which they convey the substance, significance, and originality of the work to be presented. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Anthony Zador (CSHL) Alexandre Pouget (U Rochester) Zachary Mainen (Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme) ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: General Chairs: Anne Churchland (UWashington) and Bartlett Mel (USC) Program Chairs: Rachel Wilson (Harvard) and Jim DICarlo (MIT) Workshop Chairs: Mark Laubach (Yale) and Brent Doiron (U Pittsburgh) Communications Chair: Ila Fiete (UT Austin) -- ________________________________ Ila Fiete Assistant Professor Center for Learning and Memory The University of Texas at Austin Phone: 512.232.8439 From thomas.wennekers at plymouth.ac.uk Thu Nov 18 09:52:44 2010 From: thomas.wennekers at plymouth.ac.uk (Thomas Wennekers) Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:52:44 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Postdoc Post in Neural Computation/Accelerated Computing Message-ID: <201011181452.44243.thomas.wennekers@plymouth.ac.uk> Postdoctoral Researcher Position in Neural Computation/Accelerated Computing A full-time research position is open in the research group of Julius Georgiou (http://www.ece.ucy.ac.cy/labs/holistic_elab) in context of the focused project ?Acoustic Scene Analysis for Detecting Living Entities? (SCANDLE), funded by the European Commission within the 7th Framework Program ?Cognitive Systems, Interaction Robotics?. A description of the project can be found at this research webpage http://www.scandle.eu. The position will be available from the 1st of January 2011 and will continue until March 2012. This is full- time appointment. Salary is commensurate with experience. The position does not include a ?13th Salary? bonus or medical insurance. The researcher is expected to conduct research work under the direct supervision of Dr. Georgiou and Prof Andreas Andreou and to collaborate closely with Prof Sue Denham and her team. More specifically the candidate will work on implementing computational models of auditory perception on FPGA based Neural Arrays that process information gathered from acoustic scenes. The applicant must have a Ph.D. degree in Cognitive Sciences, Neuroscience, Computer Science, or Engineering and must be familiar with computational modeling of neural processes. The applicant must have excellent computer skills in the C programming language and in Matlab programming. Basic experience with programming FPGAs is also required. He/she should be competent in English, since this position requires frequent communications with other consortium members. Further enquiries can be directed to Dr. Julius Georgiou (julio at ucy.ac.cy ) Applicants should send a Cover Letter and a full CV (either in Greek or English) as pdf files by the 12th of December 2010 to Dr. Julius Georgiou (julio at ucy.ac.cy) From pascal.hitzler at wright.edu Fri Nov 19 17:12:43 2010 From: pascal.hitzler at wright.edu (Pascal Hitzler) Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:12:43 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: Call for Papers: 7th International Workshop on Neural-Symbolic Learning and Reasoning (NeSy11 at IJCAI 2011) Message-ID: <4CE6F65B.5000305@wright.edu> PRELIMINARY CALL FOR PAPERS 7th International Workshop on Neural-Symbolic Learning and Reasoning (NeSy'11) - http://www.neural-symbolic.org/NeSy11/ In conjunction with IJCAI-11, Barcelona, July 2011 Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers continue to face huge challenges in their quest to develop truly intelligent systems. The recent developments in the area of neural-symbolic integration offer an opportunity to combine symbolic AI and robust neural computation to help tackle some of these challenges. The Workshop on Neural-Symbolic Learning and Reasoning attracts researchers and practitioners from different areas like Neural Computation, Artificial Intelligence, Logic, Complex Networks, Cognitive Science, Computer Vision, Fraud Prevention, Semantic Web, Verification and Validation. It is intended to create an atmosphere of exchange of ideas, providing a forum for the presentation and discussion of the key multidisciplinary topics related to neural-symbolic integration. Topics of interest include: 1. Representation and computation of symbolic knowledge by neural networks; 2. Machine learning for neural-symbolic networks; 3. Knowledge extraction from complex networks; 4. Logical reasoning in neural-symbolic networks; 5. New neuro-symbolic cognitive models; 6. Uncertainty in neural-symbolic networks; 7. Biologically-inspired neuro-symbolic integration; 8. Applications in robotics, simulation, fraud prevention, semantic web, fault diagnosis, bioinformatics, etc. Submission You are invited to submit papers through easychair at http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=nesy11. Submitted papers must not have been published elsewhere, must be written in English and should not exceed 6 pages in the case of research and experience papers or 3 pages in the case of position papers (including figures, bibliography and appendices). All submitted papers will be refereed based on their quality, relevance, originality, significance and soundness. Presentation Accepted papers must be presented during the workshop. The workshop will also include extra time for discussion, allowing the audience to get a better understanding of the issues, challenges and ideas being presented. Publication Accepted papers will be published by CEUR and will be included in the official workshop proceedings, which will be distributed during the workshop. Authors of the best papers will be invited to submit a revised and extended version of their papers to the Journal of Logic and Computation, reasoning and learning corner, OUP. Important Dates Deadline for submission: April 2011 Notification of acceptance: May 2011 Camera-ready paper due: May 2011 Workshop day: 16 or 17 July 2011 IJCAI-11 dates: 16 to 22 July 2011 Workshop Organisers Artur d.Avila Garcez (City University London, UK) Pascal Hitzler (Wright State University, USA) Luis C. Lamb (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) Workshop Website: http://www.neural-symbolic.org/NeSy11/ -- Prof. Dr. Pascal Hitzler Dept. of Computer Science, Wright State University, Dayton, OH pascal at pascal-hitzler.de http://www.knoesis.org/pascal/ Semantic Web Textbook: http://www.semantic-web-book.org Semantic Web Journal: http://www.semantic-web-journal.net -- Prof. Dr. Pascal Hitzler Dept. of Computer Science, Wright State University, Dayton, OH pascal at pascal-hitzler.de http://www.knoesis.org/pascal/ Semantic Web Textbook: http://www.semantic-web-book.org Semantic Web Journal: http://www.semantic-web-journal.net From poramate at manoonpong.com Sat Nov 20 21:58:16 2010 From: poramate at manoonpong.com (Poramate Manoonpong) Date: Sun, 21 Nov 2010 03:58:16 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Available Two PhD positions in Neural Control, Memory and Learning for Complex Behaviors of Walking Robots, University of Goettingen, Germany Message-ID: <4CE88AC8.4030000@manoonpong.com> Emmy Noether Research Group for Neural Control, Memory, and Learning for Complex Behaviors in Multi Sensori-Motor Robotic Systems at the University of G?ttingen is offering: Two PhD positions 50% salary according to TV-L The goal of this research group is to investigate and develop neural control, memory and learning together with proactive (anticipatory) decision making for the biomechanical walking robot AMOS (www.manoonpong.com). Thus one PhD student will mainly work on (Topic 1) neural motor control (i.e., antagonistic-muscle drive mechanisms and adaptive neural forward models) for natural movements and effective locomotion over difficult terrains of the robot. Another PhD student will focus on (Topic 2) neural memory and learning (i.e., neural short-term memory, STM and multiple plastic synapse mechanisms) for generating versatile proactive and memory guided behaviors including goal-directed navigation of the robot. Applicants need to have a Master or Diploma degree in a field related to robotics, e.g., Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mechatronics, or Computer Science. Good programming skills (e.g., C, C++) are required. Applications will be considered continuously until the positions are filled. The expected starting date is the 1st of March 2011 (or as soon as possible after this). Students will be encouraged to enter a PhD program and to finish their PhD thesis within 3-4 years. Salary is according to German TV-L. Applicants should send their CV including a short summary of their research experiences and interests, copies of certificates as well as the name and contact details of two referees, by e-mail as a single PDF file to poramate at manoonpong.com. Research environment: This Emmy Noether Research Group is located on the northern campus of University of G?ttingen at the faculty of Physics http://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/70473.html To get a better idea of related research, please visit www.manoonpong.com For further information, please contact: Dr.-Ing. Poramate Manoonpong Georg-August-Universit?t G?ttingen Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Department for Computational Neuroscience III Physikalisches Institut - Biophysik Friedrich-Hund Platz 1 37077, G?ttingen Germany E-Mail : poramate at manoonpong.com, poramate at physik3.gwdg.de From gruen at brain.riken.jp Sun Nov 21 21:37:03 2010 From: gruen at brain.riken.jp (Dr Sonja Gruen) Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:37:03 +0900 Subject: Connectionists: open positions on the PhD and Postdoc level Message-ID: <4CE9D74F.6020402@brain.riken.jp> November, 2010 Open Positions on the PhD and Postdoc level The newly founded institute "Computational and Systems Neuroscience INM-6" is part of the Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine and the Institute of Advanced Simulation at the Research Center Juelich. PIs are affiliated with the renowned RWTH Aachen University. The institute starts with the laboratories "Theoretical Systems Neurobiology" headed by Prof. Sonja Gruen and "Computational Neurophysics" headed by Prof. Markus Diesmann. The two laboratories combine approaches of large-scale modeling and simulation of brain networks with the analysis of multiple-channel recordings to explore cooperative neuronal activity (for details see www.cnpsn.brain.riken.jp and www.nest-initiative.org). A third group concerned with theoretical anatomy will join later. We have job openings for PhD and postdoctoral studies. Our team of experienced postdocs provides individual supervision and guidance in an integrated laboratory space. The institute is equipped with a dedicated high-performance computing facility and has access to the first peta-scale supercomputer in Europe (JUGENE) located on campus. The projects are carried out in the context of international collaborations of experimental and theoretical groups, for example the large-scale European BrainScaleS project. We are seeking outstanding candidates primarily with background(s) in computational neuroscience, physics, mathematics or computer science for projects on: - higher-order correlation structure of massively parallel spike data - spatio-temporal scales of cortical interactions - top-down and bottom-up neuronal processing in awake mammals - simulation technology - learning and plasticity in neuronal networks - theory of spike correlation structure - brain-scale neuronal network models The call remains open until all positions are filled. If you are interested please contact us (gruen at brain.riken.jp or diesmann at brain.riken.jp) with your electronic CV, list of publications (if applicable), letters of reference, research interests and a statement of motivation. -- ------------------------------------------ PD Dr. Sonja Gruen Laboratory for Statistical Neuroscience RIKEN Brain Science Institute 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-City Saitama 351-198, Japan tel: +81-48-467-9644 (secr), -9670 (fax) mob: +81-80-3255-4418 gruen at brain.riken.jp www.cnpsn.brain.riken.jp ------------------------------------------ From Dave_Touretzky at cs.cmu.edu Tue Nov 23 14:21:14 2010 From: Dave_Touretzky at cs.cmu.edu (Dave_Touretzky@cs.cmu.edu) Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:21:14 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: CMU/Pitt Joint Summer Undergraduate Program in Computational Neuroscience Message-ID: <19815.1290540074@ammon.boltz.cs.cmu.edu> 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. The 2010 program will run from May 31 through August 5, 2011. The final deadline for application is Feb 10. 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. Any undergraduate may apply, but we are especially interested in attracting students with strong quantitative backgrounds with some experience in calculus, statistics and/or computer programming. Experience in neuroscience is not required. Students from groups underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged to apply. 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: 12 faculty lectures on computational neuroscience at the beginning, followed by 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 application form is available at: http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/article/76-summercompneuro Applications 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 email: CNBC-summer-UG at andrew.cmu.edu List of CMU-Pitt CNBC faculty working in computational neuroscience: John Anderson (Carnegie Mellon, Psychology)  Aaron Batista (University of Pittsburgh, Bioengineering)  Marlene Behrmann (Carnegie Mellon, Psychology) Justin Crowley (Carnegie Mellon, Biology) Brent Doiron (University of Pittsburgh, Mathematics) William Eddy (Carnegie Mellon, Statistics) Bard Ermentrout (University of Pittsburgh, Mathematics) Robert Kass (Carnegie Mellon, Statistics) Charles Kemp (Carnegie Mellon, Psychology) Tai Sing Lee (Carnegie Mellon, Computer Science) Tom Mitchell (Carnegie Mellon, Machine Learning)  Carl Olson (Carnegie Mellon, Neural Basis of Cognition)  David Plaut (Carnegie Mellon, Psychology) Steven Prescott (University of Pittsburgh, Neurobiology) Lynne Reder (Carnegie Mellon, Psychology) Johnathan Rubin (University of Pittsburgh, Mathematics) Andrew Schwartz (University of Pittsburgh, Bioengineering) Daniel Simons (University of Pittsburgh, Neurobiology) Michael Tarr (Carnegie Mellon, Psychology) David Touretzky (Carnegie Mellon, Computer Science and Robotics) Robert Turner (University of Pittsburgh, Neurobiology) Valerie Ventura (Carnegie Mellon, Statistics) Douglas Weber (University of Pittsburgh, Physical medicine and Rehabilitation) Byron Yu (Carnegie Mellon, ECE/Biomedical Engineering) From carbajal at ifi.uzh.ch Wed Nov 24 09:22:19 2010 From: carbajal at ifi.uzh.ch (Juan Pablo Carbajal) Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:22:19 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: =?iso-8859-1?q?Free_Robotic_workshops_in_Z=FCrich?= Message-ID: Dear All, On January 2011 there will be two Hands-on workshops on topics that may be of your interest. The workshops are in the context of the AMARSi Project (https://www.amarsi-project.eu/) but their are open to the general public; feel free to forward this message to people who you think may also be interested. Due to space limitations we will prioritize attendees from AMARSi and the hosting venues. Please, send your application as soon as possible. Information about the workshops is given below. "Hands-on introduction to Reservoir Computing", given by Tim Waegeman, Francis Wyffels and Ken Caluwaerts from Reservoir Lab, Ghent University In this three day tutorial we will start with a theoretical introduction to Reservoir Computing, an efficient training method for recurrent neural networks. Next, an overview of OGER is given, a python toolbox for rapidly building, training and evaluating modular learning architectures. The emphasis of the tutorial is on practical applications such as time series prediction, speech recognition and robotics. Participants will have ample opportunity to bring forward their own research problems with respect to Reservoir Computing. Activities: - Theoretical introduction to Reservoir computing - Setup and use of the OGER toolbox (Reservoir Computing Toolbox for Python) - Solution to practical problems - Applications in robotics - Group activity Date: 2nd Week (10-12) January 2011 Venue: ZHAW Winterthur Available seats: 20 "Probabilistic Inference for Motor Control", given by Gerhard Neumann and Elmar R?ckert from the Technische Universit?t Graz. In this workshop we will start with an short overview over graphical models, inference in graphical models, message passing, approximate message passing. Subsequently we will apply the inference in graphical models framework for motor planning. We will present the relevant theory and also show some practical examples in MATLAB. Activities: - Bayesian inference: theory and examples. - Graphical models for motor planning and examples. - Group Activity Date: End of 2nd(13-14) Week of January 2011. Venue: AILab Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, University of Z?rich. Available seats: 10 You can find the registration form here https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGhyLTVURkZZOGZlcEh3eTdDeV9XMWc6MQ For further information and questions contact Juan Pablo Carbajal carbajal at ifi.uzh.ch -- M. Sc. Juan Pablo Carbajal ----- PhD Student University of Z?rich www.ailab.ch/carbajal From sok at cs.york.ac.uk Thu Nov 25 11:22:44 2010 From: sok at cs.york.ac.uk (Simon O'Keefe) Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2010 16:22:44 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Active Vision Symposium at AISB 2011 Message-ID: <4CEE8D54.3090000@cs.york.ac.uk> Call for papers Architectures for Active Vision http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/ActiveVision A Symposium of the AISB Convention 4 - 5 April 2011 University of York, United Kingdom Supported by the Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The symposium theme is 'Architectures for Active Vision'. Contributions from researchers interested in the control of vision and visual attention are sought. Vision is arguably the most researched function of the brain. Nonetheless, high level visual information processing is still poorly understood. A major problem in perception is the volume of information acquired by the body's sensors. Passive approaches to selection of information may deal with the overload by focussing processing on particularly salient inputs. Active vision takes the further step of directing the acquisition of information in a goal-directed manner, in which top-down information plays an important role, possibly overriding saliency in selection of actions. This shift in perspective connects vision with important issues for cognitive systems as a whole, such as action selection, planning and goal-driven behaviour The aim of the symposium to bring together researchers and research groups with interests including (but not limited to) * Brain architectures for active vision * The neural basis for action selection, particularly in vision * High level modelling in software and hardware of structure or mechanisms from the visual system. Contributions may span experiment and theory from neurobiology, through cognition to bio-inspired software/hardware applications. The symposium will be two days duration (4 - 5 April). The first day will consist of presentations of refereed work from participants, to share the ideas which contribute to the second day discussions. The second day will be built around a facilitated panel discussion aimed at the development of ideas (and proposals) for further collaborative work. Invited speakers will set the tone of the symposium, and a poster session will allow wider participation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The AISB Convention as a whole will include 11 individual symposia. All meals, facilities and social events are shared by the Convention in common. All symposium participants must register for the convention (not for individual symposia). More details about the convention can be found at their website: http://www.aisb.org.uk/convention/aisb11/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to contribute to the Symposium Papers of about 6 - 8 pages that respond to the topics listed above are invited. Papers should include an abstract of not more than 200 words and should be submitted as an anonymous PDF file (that it, with name and affiliation details omitted) by email (including your name and contact details) to the Symposium organiser, Simon O'Keefe, at simon.okeefe at york.ac.uk, by 10th January 2011. Submissions will be acknowledged within 7 days. Accepted papers will be included in the Symposium and Convention proceedings, published by AISB. Expressions of interest in attending the symposium (but without giving a paper) are also invited, in the form of an abstract of no more than 200 words indicating your background and interest in the subject of the symposium. Send these as plain text emails to the organiser. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Programme Committee for this symposium * Jim Austin (University of York) * Netta Cohen (University of Leeds) * Kevin Gurney (University of Sheffield) * Marc de Kamps (University of Leeds) * Simon O'Keefe (University of York) * Tom Stafford (University of Sheffield) * Thomas Wennekers (University of Plymouth) * Stefan Wermter (University of Hamburg) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Important dates 10th January 2011 - Submissions due 7st February 2011 - Decisions on acceptance 28th February 2011 - Camera ready copies due (tbc - check website) - Early registration deadline 4-7 April 2011 - AISB 2011 convention ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Symposium URL: http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/ActiveVision -- ___________________________________________________________________ Dr Simon O'Keefe EXT +44(0)1904 325375 INT 5375 Dept of Computer Science, University of York, York, YO10 5GH (U.K.) EMAIL DISCLAIMER http://www.york.ac.uk/docs/disclaimer/email.htm From lunga at ifi.uzh.ch Fri Nov 26 08:05:35 2010 From: lunga at ifi.uzh.ch (Max Lungarella) Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:05:35 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Assistant Professorship at the University of Zurich in Cognitive Systems and Artificial Intelligence Message-ID: <4CEFB09F.9010105@ifi.uzh.ch> University of Zurich Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and IT The Department of Informatics at the University of Zurich seeks applications for an Assistant Professorship (tenure-track) in Cognitive Systems and Artificial Intelligence We seek applications from highly qualified persons in the early stages of their academic careers with a strong research focus in any area of Cognitive Systems and or Artificial Intelligence. Involvement in teaching at all levels is expected. Prerequisites include a Ph.D. degree, excellent scientific qualifications, and teaching experience. The faculty supports innovative research linking Informatics with the faculty's other disciplines. We explicitly encourage women with the appropriate qualifications to apply. Details about the position and the expected application documents can be found at http://www.ifi.uzh.ch/profhires. Applications should be submitted by e-mail (with the candidate's file attached as a single PDF document) to the Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and IT, Prof. Dr. Dr. Josef Falkinger, . Primary consideration will be given to applications received by January 3, 2011. All the best, Max Lungarella From t.heskes at science.ru.nl Sun Nov 28 04:44:50 2010 From: t.heskes at science.ru.nl (Tom Heskes) Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2010 10:44:50 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Neurocomputing volume 74 (issues 1-3) Message-ID: <4CF22492.5030009@science.ru.nl> Neurocomputing volume 74 (issues 1-3) ----------- SPECIAL PAPERS (Artificial Brains) Special issue on artificial brains (editorial) Hugo de Garis, Ben Goertzel A world survey of artificial brain projects, Part I: Large-scale brain simulations Hugo de Garis, Chen Shuo, Ben Goertzel, Lian Ruiting A world survey of artificial brain projects, Part II: Biologically inspired cognitive architectures Ben Goertzel, Ruiting Lian, Itamar Arel, Hugo de Garis, Shuo Chen On artificial brains J.G. Taylor How the NETofANs-model explains representation, intentionality, and much of the process that generates the contents of awareness Henning P. Henningsen Processing with cell assemblies Emma Byrne, Christian Huyck Glocal memory: A critical design principle for artificial brains and minds Ben Goertzel, Joel Pitt, Matthew Ikle, Cassio Pennachin, Liu Rui Sentence generation for artificial brains: A glocal similarity-matching approach Ruiting Lian, Ben Goertzel, Rui Liu, Michael Ross, Murilo Queiroz, Linas Vepstas A neural mechanism for human language processing Alexander Borzenko Embodied concept formation and reasoning via neural-symbolic integration Min Jiang, Changle Zhou, Shuo Chen The Ouroboros Model in the light of venerable criteria Knud Thomsen A biologically inspired spiking neural network model of the auditory midbrain for sound source localisation Jindong Liu, David Perez-Gonzalez, Adrian Rees, Harry Erwin, Stefan Wermter Algorithms for speedy visual recognition and classification of patterns formed on rectangular imaging sensors Vlad Wojcik, Pascal Comte -------------- REGULAR PAPERS Optimization method based extreme learning machine for classification Guang-Bin Huang, Xiaojian Ding, Hongming Zhou Thermal condition monitoring system using log-polar mapping, quaternion correlation and max-product fuzzy neural network classification Wai-Kit Wong, Chu-Kiong Loo, Way-Soong Lim, Poi-Ngee Tan Rule extraction from support vector machines: A review Nahla Barakat, Andrew P. Bradley A generalized neural network for solving minimax problems with nonsmooth cost functions Jiao Liu, Yongqing Yang, Zheng Fang Synchronization control for arrays of coupled discrete-time delayed Cohen?Grossberg neural networks Tao Li, Aiguo Song, Shumin Fei ACE (Actor?Critic?Explorer) paradigm for reinforcement learning in basal ganglia: Highlighting the role of subthalamic and pallidal nuclei Denny Joseph, Garipelli Gangadhar, V. Srinivasa Chakravarthy Graph kernels for chemical compounds using topological and three-dimensional local atom pair environments Georg Hinselmann, Nikolas Fechner, Andreas Jahn, Matthias Eckert, Andreas Zell Synchronization of Ghostburster neurons under external electrical stimulation via adaptive neural network H? control H.Y. Li, Y.K. Wong, W.L. Chan, K.M. Tsang Artificial neural networks in hardware: A survey of two decades of progress Janardan Misra, Indranil Saha Robust state estimation for discrete-time stochastic neural networks with probabilistic measurement delays Zidong Wang, Yurong Liu, Xiaohui Liu, Yong Shi Exponential synchronization of neural networks with time-varying mixed delays and sampled-data Chuan-Ke Zhang, Yong He, Min Wu Permanent oscillations in a 3-node recurrent neural network model Chunhua Feng, Christian O?Reilly, R?jean Plamondon LMI-based exponential stability criterion for bidirectional associative memory neural networks Magdi S. Mahmoud, Yuanqing Xia Techniques for power reduction in an SIMD implementation of the VQ/SOM algorithms D.C. Hendry, R. Cambio Sample-dependent graph construction with application to dimensionality reduction Bo Yang, Songcan Chen An MDL-based Hammerstein recurrent neural network for control applications Jeen-Shing Wang, Yu-Liang Hsu L-plotting ? A method for visual analysis of physiological experimental and modeling multi-component data W.L. Dunin-Barkowski, A.T. Lovering, J.M. Orem, D.M. Baekey, T.E. Dick, I.A. Rybak, K.F. Morris, R. O?Connor, S.C. Nuding, R. Shannon, B.G. Lindsey New results for global robust asymptotic stability of BAM neural networks with time-varying delays Yufa Yuan, Xiaolin Li Sparsely connected autoassociative fuzzy implicative memories and their application for the reconstruction of large gray-scale images Marcos Eduardo Valle Robustness quantification of recurrent neural network using unscented transform Xiaoyu Wang, Yong Huang, Nhan Nguyen Robust stochastic stability analysis of Markovian switching genetic regulatory networks with discrete and distributed delays Qiang Meng, Haijun Jiang Observer-based fuzzy adaptive robust control of nonlinear systems with time delays and unmodeled dynamics Shaocheng Tong, Yongming Li Temporal data mining using shape space representations of time series Erich Fuchs, Thiemo Gruber, Helmuth Pree, Bernhard Sick A scalable support vector machine for distributed classification in ad hoc sensor networks Dongli Wang, Jianguo Zheng, Yan Zhou, Jianxun Li Computationally efficient nonlinear predictive control based on neural Wiener models Maciej ?awry?czuk V-Proportion: A method based on the Voronoi diagram to study spatial relations in neuronal mosaics of the retina Oscar Martinez Mozos, Jose A. Bolea, Jose M. Ferrandez, Peter K. Ahnelt, Eduardo Fernandez Incremental pairwise discriminant analysis based visual tracking Jing Wen, Xinbo Gao, Xuelong Li, Dacheng Tao, Jie Li Robust stability of uncertain fuzzy cellular neural networks with time-varying delays and reaction diffusion terms P. Balasubramaniam, M. Syed Ali Ordinal extreme learning machine Wan-Yu Deng, Qing-Hua Zheng, Shiguo Lian, Lin Chen, Xin Wang Approximation capability of interpolation neural networks Feilong Cao, Shaobo Lin, Zongben Xu Non-local spatial spectral clustering for image segmentation H.Q. Liu, L.C. Jiao, F. Zhao ------------- BRIEF PAPERS Adaptive tracking control for input delayed MIMO nonlinear systems Qing Zhu, Tianping Zhang, Shumin Fei Multilayer neural networks-based direct adaptive control for switched nonlinear systems Lei Yu, Shumin Fei, Fei Long, Maoqing Zhang, Jiangbo Yu Laplacian bidirectional PCA for face recognition Wankou Yang, Changyin Sun, Lei Zhang, Karl Ricanek Inducing multi-objective clustering ensembles with genetic programming Andr? L.V. Coelho, Everl?ndio Fernandes, Katti Faceli ------------ JOURNAL SITE: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/neucom SCIENCE DIRECT: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/issue/5660-2010-999259998-2693761 From linsker at us.ibm.com Mon Nov 29 13:20:48 2010 From: linsker at us.ibm.com (Ralph Linsker) Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:20:48 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: POST-DOCTORAL POSITION AT IBM RESEARCH (Yorktown Heights, New York): DEEP LEARNING NEURAL NET APPLICATIONS & RESEARCH Message-ID: POST-DOCTORAL POSITION AT IBM RESEARCH (Yorktown Heights, New York): DEEP LEARNING NEURAL NET APPLICATIONS & RESEARCH IBM Research (T. J. Watson Research Center; 30 miles north of NYC) is seeking a highly-motivated and highly-qualified neural network researcher for a post-doctoral position in my area. A main focus of the work will be on the application of artificial NNs -- especially deep learning methods -- to discover patterns within large sets of financial transactions. Depending on the successful candidate?s interests, the work may also include more fundamental research in deep learning and its potential links to computational neuroscience. I would expect aspects of the applications work, as well as (of course) the more basic research, to lead to quality publications. The details: The candidate must have or be close to completing a PhD. He or she should be experienced in performing neural network research and/or applications development, and in programming NN simulations (preferably using Matlab). Some background in deep learning methods is especially desirable. Experience programming in C or C++ is a definite plus; experience programming FPGAs could also be useful. Application materials should include: - C.V. (including degrees, experience in NN or machine learning research or applications, awards, publications, when you completed or expect to complete your PhD) - statement of research interests - contact information for 2-3 references Please send your application to: Ralph Linsker, MD, PhD Physical Sciences Dept. IBM Research linsker at us.ibm.com and also submit it at the official IBM job posting site: https://jobs3.netmedia1.com/cp/job_summary.jsp?job_id=RES-0360635 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20101129/b4e69908/attachment-0001.html From juergen at idsia.ch Tue Nov 30 08:31:34 2010 From: juergen at idsia.ch (Schmidhuber Juergen) Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:31:34 +0100 Subject: Connectionists: Deep Neural Nets @ 4th Conference on Artificial General Intelligence 3-7 August 2011 @ Google Message-ID: Call for Papers / Tutorials / Demos, also on Deep or Recurrent Neural Networks: The Fourth Conference on Artificial General Intelligence Google, Mountain View, CA, August 3-7 (Wed-Sat) 2011 http://agi-conf.org/2011/home/ The original goal of the AI field was the construction of ?thinking machines?, that is, computer systems with human-like general intelligence. For the last few decades, however, the majority of AI researchers have focused on what can be called ?narrow AI? ? systems with intelligence limited to specific, highly constrained tasks. In recent years more and more researchers have recognized the necessity ? and feasibility ? of returning to the original goals of the field. Increasingly, there is a call for confronting the more difficult issues of human-level intelligence, and more broadly ?artificial general intelligence? (AGI). Continuing the mission of the first three highly successful AGI conferences, AGI-11 will gather an international group of leading academic and industry researchers involved in serious scientific and engineering work aimed directly at the goal of AGI. This is the only major conference series devoted wholly and specifically to the creation of AI systems possessing general intelligence at the human level and beyond. A good sense of the overall nature of the conference may be found via perusing AGI-10, AGI-09, and AGI-08, e.g., http://agi-conf.org/2010/ . AGI-11 will be hosted by Google in Mountain View, California. Submissions are solicited for proposals, workshops, tutorials, and demos, including those related to Recurrent or Deep Neural Networks (now yielding state-of-the-art performance in various applications). Whether an accepted paper (either full-length or short position statement) will be presented as a talk or as a poster will be determined by the Program Committee, in part based on paper quality as assessed by the anonymous reviewers, and in part according to the extent the paper addresses a topic of core interest to the AGI community. Submission instructions: http://agi-conf.org/2011/call-for-papers/ Submission deadline: February 15, 2011. J?rgen Schmidhuber & Kristinn R. Th?risson (AGI-11 Program Chairs) http://www.idsia.ch/~juergen/whatsnew.html -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20101130/ed1cf206/attachment.html From michael.spratling at kcl.ac.uk Tue Nov 30 10:58:26 2010 From: michael.spratling at kcl.ac.uk (Michael Spratling) Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:58:26 +0000 Subject: Connectionists: Fully Funded PhD studentship exploring the neural mechanisms of motion perception Message-ID: <4CF51F22.3010503@kcl.ac.uk> Please be kind enough to circulate the information below to final year undergraduates and masters students. We are seeking a PhD student for a project combining single cell electrophysiology and computational modelling to investigate the neural mechanisms of motion anaylsis in the visual system. This work will be carried out at King's College London in both the MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology (under the supervision of Prof. Ian Thompson) and the Centre for Robotics Research (under the supervision of Dr Michael Spratling). Details of the project and the application procedure are given here: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/health/study/studentships/bbsrc/s25.html and here: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/health/study/studentships/bbsrc/index.html Dr Michael Spratling. Senior Lecturer, Division of Engineering and Department of Informatics King's College London, Strand, London. WC2R 2LS. UK. From harel.shouval at uth.tmc.edu Tue Nov 30 12:59:55 2010 From: harel.shouval at uth.tmc.edu (Harel Shouval) Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:59:55 -0500 Subject: Connectionists: Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience Track at the University of Texas, Houston Message-ID: <23BC855D-566A-4BAA-958C-63EA97EE9B69@uth.tmc.edu> Theoretical and Computational Track at the Neuroscience Program, The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston http://Neurograd.org The mammalian brain is an exceptionally complex organ that poses unique challenges to scientific study. Although the field of neuroscience is multidisciplinary, it is seldom interdisciplinary because it is difficult for individuals to integrate information across different levels of analysis (e.g. from behavioral to molecular). However, a true understanding of the brain will ultimately require such an interdisciplinary approach, and the emerging field of Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience provides this integrated view through the application of mathematical and computational methods to the complex questions of brain science. The goal of the Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience track is to train the next generation of neuroscientists with the broad range of computational and analytical skills that are essential to understand the organization and function of complex neural systems. This specialization is intended for students with backgrounds in neuroscience, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, computer science, engineering, and mathematics. The Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience track allows Neuroscience Program students to concentrate on a focused program of rigorous course work in both the theoretical and experimental aspects of computational neuroscience. Students are encouraged to pursue thesis research that includes both an experimental and a computational component. Students often have two mentors, one being a theorist and the other an experimentalist. The theoretical group at UT GSBS is part of a larger group that includes several universities and medical schools in the Houston area, the Gulf Coast Consortium in theoretical and computational neuroscience (GCC-TCN). Many of the courses offered are combined courses across these institutions, providing a large community of faculty and students that are interested in similar topics. Through the GCC-TCN it is possible to obtain additional training grants, as well as have joint mentors from other universities and disciplines. Theoretical & Computational Neuroscience Track Faculty John H. Byrne, Michael Beauchamp, Wei Chen, Valentin Dragoi, Ruth Heidelberger, Yin Liu, David Marshak, Anne Sereno, Harel Shouval, Neal Waxham For more information The Neuroscience program: http://Neurograd.org GCC-TCN: http://Neurotheory.org Or contact Harel Shouval: harel.shouval at uth.tmc.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu/mailman/private/connectionists/attachments/20101130/b8416c8c/attachment.html From doya at oist.jp Tue Nov 30 20:08:20 2010 From: doya at oist.jp (Kenji Doya) Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2010 10:08:20 +0900 Subject: Connectionists: [CFP] Neural Networks Special Issue: Multi-Scale, Multi-Modal Neural Modeling and Simulation In-Reply-To: <4CF504C5.6030607@i.kyoto-u.ac.jp> References: <4CF504C5.6030607@i.kyoto-u.ac.jp> Message-ID: <374A9EB4-C4B2-4469-9BCC-B6E11D16D015@oist.jp> Due to many requests, we are extending the deadline of the following special issue to the end of December, 2010. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR PAPERS 2011 Special Issue of Neural Networks Multi-Scale, Multi-Modal Neural Modeling and Simulation Genuine understanding of brain function requires integration of knowledge at multiple levels, from the whole brain network to local circuits, single neurons, genes and molecules. Recent advances in high-throughput measurement and selective manipulation, such as optical imaging, computerized anatomy, proteome and transcriptome, cell-type specific gene manipulation and optogenetic stimulation provide rich data prompting us to build quantitative models of many kinds. Yet it still remains a big challenge to link findings form different levels, such as predicting how a certain genetic variation increases the risk of some cognitive disorders. Coherent understanding of the brain function requires integration of heterogeneous models, such as large-scale network models, compartmental single neuron models, intracellular signaling cascades and gene networks, that work in difference spatial and temporal scales with different governing equations. The goal of this special issue is to bring together the latest advances in integration of neural models at different levels and to promote application of methods and concepts derived in one level to other levels. Specific topics include, but not limited to: 1) how to interface models describing different physical processes, such as network dynamics, cellular electric activities, molecular reactions, and morphological changes; 2) how to efficiently compute combined models working in different temporal and spatial scales; 3) how to build a simplified model that abstracts the essential features of a finer-scale model; 4) how to estimate unknown parameters, validate the predictive power of a complex model, and analyze its behaviors systematically. Papers addressing not only technical advances but also novel insights gained from multi-scale, multi-modal model integration are encouraged. Guest Editors: Shin Ishii (Kyoto University) Marcus Diesmann (RIKEN Brain Science Institute) Kenji Doya (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology) Submission instructions can be found at: http://ees.elsevier.com/neunet/ Important Dates New submission deadline: December 31st, 2010 Revised submission deadline: March 20th, 2011 Final decision: June 1st, 2011 Publication: fall 2011 Contact: Special Issue guest editors e-mail: nnsi2011 at sys.i.kyoto-u.ac.jp ---- Kenji Doya Neural Computation Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa 904-0412, Japan Phone: +81-98-966-8594; Fax: +81-98-966-8613 http://www.nc.irp.oist.jp/